A Dictionary of Cont..

adversary 18
qualifies the article and so has the effect of
qualifying the phrase a small child. An adverb
of degree combined with an adjective may
function as a compound adverb and qualify
a or an in exactly the same way, as in
so short a time, too low a price, so young
and pretty a woman, no more remarkable a
man.
3. Adverbs may also qualify adverbs, and
in this way one sometimes gets an accumulation
of adverbs, as in quite hopelessly entangled,
not so very well done. This is very
different from an accumulation of adjectives.
(See adjectives.) In a series of adjectives each
word qualifies the noun, as qualified by all
the intervening words. But in a series of adverbs
each word qualifies only the word that
immediately follows it. The relationship is very
simple and the position of each word depends
entirely on the meaning.
4. Since adverbs qualify adverbs and some
adverbs easily turn into prepositions, it is not
surprising that an adverb sometimes qualifies
a preposition, as jlcst in just across the street
and nearly in nearly fhrough the door. Here
the adverb may be interpreted as qualifying
the entire prepositional phrase.
5. Certain adverbs may be treated as if they
were nouns, principally adverbs of time and
place. They may be qualified by adjectives, as
in this once, every now and then. They may
be the object of a preposition, as in by now,
nntil then, from there, or even the object of
a verb, as in leave here, reach there. This is so
far removed from the functions of an adverb
that some grammarians say that any word
that can be used in this way is a noun, in
addition to being an adverb.
adversary. See antagonist.
adverse. See contrary.
advert; avert. To advert means to refer to in the
course of a speech or conversation. To averi
means to turn away or aside (The auditor
adverted to the deficit and the treasurer
averted his eyes). Avert also means to prevent
(Many superstitious practices seek to avert
evil).
advertising. From radio, newspaper, billboard,
car card, television, from the backs of taxis,
the sides of trucks, from skywriting airplanes
-from every inch of space that can be painted
over, through every moment of the day and
night, we are besought, implored, flattered,
cajoled, and threatened by advertising. It
would be astonishing if the language of this
clamorous din did not in some way have a
lasting effect on our speech.
In so far as advertising English fulfills one
of its two chief functions, letting us know
what has been produced, it differs little from
any other factual writing. Federal, state, and
local laws see to it that there is a reasonable
degree of accuracy in describing a product
offered for sale. The manufacturer’s-or his
sales department’s-only way around this is
to give some common substance or performante
an unusual name, so that the public will
think that in this mcomprehensible ttung they
are obtaining mysterious excellence. And so
we have irium and gardol and Xg4 and cationic
action which may sell the product but
are, fortunately, barred by common sense from
entering the language.
It is in its fulfilling of its second and major
function, urging us to buy, beseeching us to
indulge ourselves, to gratify our whims and
vanities, that advertising strains the language.
For every product must not only insist that it
is the best of its kind but that it is even
superior to its own self of six months ago.
Superlatives have long since been exhausted
and intensives relaxed with overuse and the
desperate copy writers have fallen back upon
comparisons that do not compare: “Blitz contains
32.5% more cleansing action.” “Moues
guarantee 3.1416% more s&faction.” One is
not told than what. It is simply assumed that
the reader is an idiot or is too worn out to
care.
The evil effect is actually not very great,
for advertising engenders its own anti-toxin,
but it must contribute somewhat to the deadening
of expression by exaggeration. On the other
hand, it is likely to be sensitive to the idiom of
spoken English. For, except for one or two
products, most things that advertise extensively
are dependent upon the mass market and seek
to appeal to it in the everyday language of the
people., A schoolteacher who said “like” where
the grammars recommend “as” might be reprimanded;
a copy writer for a cigarette advertisement
who used “as” in such a context
would be fired.
advice; advise; inform. Advice is an opinion,
recommended or offered as worthy to be followed.
To advise is to proffer such an opinion.
The first is a noun, the second a verb. (Zr is
good advice not to advise people too freely).
The use of ro advise in business letters (beg
to advise) meaning to inform is happily falling
into disuse. To inform is to communicate certain
facts, but to advise is to suggest that a
course of conduct be followed. Since such a
suggestion must, of necessity, imply that whatever
course of conduct was being followed
before the advice was received was either inadequate
or wrong, the suggestion is patronizing
and may be resented. See also tell.
Advise may be followed by an infinitive, as
in I advise him to start at once, or by the -ing
form of a verb, as in I advise his starting at
once. It may also be followed by a that clause.
But in this case, if advise means recommend,
the clause verb must be a subjunctive or a
subjunctive equivalent, as in I advise that he
go at once. The infinitive construction is preferred.
If advise is used to mean merely inform,
the clause verb is in the indicative, as in
I advised him I was going.
advisedly; intentionally. That which is done advisedly
is done deliberatelv. after due consideration.
That which is ddne intentionally is
done by design, with an object, a purpose, an
end in view, But human nature being what it