_United States_ as a Singular Noun. "The United States is for peace."
The fact that we are in some ways one nation has nothing to do with
it; it is enough to know that the word States is plural--if not, what
is State? It would be pretty hard on a foreigner skilled in the
English tongue if he could not venture to use our national name
without having made a study of the history of our Constitution and
political institutions. Grammar has not a speaking acquaintance with
politics, and patriotic pride is not schoolmaster to syntax.

_Unkempt_ for _Disordered_, _Untidy_, etc. Unkempt means uncombed, and
can properly be said of nothing but the hair.

_Use_ for _Treat_. "The inmates were badly used." "They use him
harshly."

_Utter_ for _Absolute_, _Entire_, etc. Utter has a damnatory
signification and is to be used of evil things only. It is correct to
say utter misery, but not "utter happiness;" utterly bad, but not
"utterly good."

_Various_ for _Several_. "Various kinds of men." Kinds are various of
course, for they vary--that is what makes them kinds. Use various only
when, in speaking of a number of things, you wish to direct attention
to their variety--their difference, one from another. "The dividend
was distributed among the various stockholders." The stockholders
vary, as do all persons, but that is irrelevant and was not in mind.
"Various persons have spoken to me of you." Their variation is
unimportant; what is meant is that there was a small indefinite number
of them; that is, several.