How to Speak and Write Correctly by Joseph Devlin
page 141 of 188 (75%)
page 141 of 188 (75%)
![]() | ![]() |
|
|
e'er, morn, yea, nay, verily, peradventure."
(7) Do not use trite and hackneyed words and expressions; as, "on the job," "up and in"; "down and out." (8) Do not use newspaper words which have not established a place in the language as "to bugle"; "to suicide," etc. (9) Do not use ungrammatical words and forms; as, "I ain't;" "he don't." (10) Do not use ambiguous words or phrases; as--"He showed me all about the house." Trite words, similes and metaphors which have become hackneyed and worn out should be allowed to rest in the oblivion of past usage. Such expressions and phrases as "Sweet sixteen" "the Almighty dollar," "Uncle Sam," "On the fence," "The Glorious Fourth," "Young America," "The lords of creation," "The rising generation," "The weaker sex," "The weaker vessel," "Sweetness long drawn out" and "chief cook and bottle washer," should be put on the shelf as they are utterly worn out from too much usage. Some of the old similes which have outlived their usefulness and should be pensioned off, are "Sweet as sugar," "Bold as a lion," "Strong as an ox," "Quick as a flash," "Cold as ice," "Stiff as a poker," "White as snow," "Busy as a bee," "Pale as a ghost," "Rich as Croesus," "Cross as a bear" and a great many more far too numerous to mention. Be as original as possible in the use of expression. Don't follow in the old rut but try and strike out for yourself. This does not mean that you |
|


