Slips of Speech : a Helpful Book for Everyone Who Aspires to Correct the Everyday Errors of Speaking by John Hendricks Bechtel
page 76 of 253 (30%)
page 76 of 253 (30%)
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The tendency to increase the number of nouns with the feminine ending
ess should be checked. Avoid poetess, authoress, doctress, and other newly-invented words of this kind. Fewer, Less Fewer refers to number, less to quantity. "He had less friends than I, and yet he was elected." Say "He had fewer friends." "There were no less than fifty cows in the field." Use fewer. Right smart In some portions of the South the expression right smart is employed in colloquial discourse to convey _________________________________________________________________ 74 the idea of a large quantity or in large measure; as, "We have right smart of peaches this summer," meaning "We have a large crop of peaches;" "He knows right smart of Latin" for "He knows considerable Latin" or "He is well versed in Latin." Little bit "Will you have some of this pudding?" "If you please. Give me a little bit." "Did you injure yourself when you fell?" |
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