A Dictionary of Cont..

gin, of which the most widely accepted is that
Cupid bribed Harpocrates (the god of silence)
not to divulge the goings-on of Venus by giving
him a rose, the first ever created. A rose was
sometimes carved in the ceiling of medieval dining
halls as a hint that that which was said under
the influence of good cheer should not be repeated.
aubsmiption. See superscription.
subsequent and consequent bear a confusing relationship
to one another. A subsequent event is
not necessarily a consequent event, but a wnsequent
event is always a subsequent event.
Subsequent means simply coming later or after
(Subsequent to his release from the Air Force
he got a job with a commercial air line). ‘Consequent
means following as an effect or resuIt,
resulting (Consequent on his great reputation as
a fZyer of military transport, he easily got a job
as a pilot for a commercial freight air line).
subsequent; subsequently. The form subsequent
is an adjective and is used to qualify a noun, as
in a subsequent investigation. The form subsequently
is an adverb and is used to qualify
any other part of speech, as in an investigation
made subsequently. Eut subsequent to ma.y be
used to introduce an adverbial phrase, as in
subsequent to this, an investigation was made.
subsist; exist. Though both of these words describe
being, exist is the broader term. It means
to have actual being, to be (Zt is hard to conceive
of a time when the world did not exist).
Subsist applies almost always to persons now,
though it was formerly applied to other things.
It means to continue alive (He subsisted on
bread and water for three months).
substautial; substantive. As adjectives these words
are synonymous in the senses of belonging to
the real nature or essential part of a thing, being
real or actual, as opposed to the transitory or
apparent. Each has, in addition, some exclusive
senses. As a noun substantive may mean a noun
or any other word functioning as a noun. Or as
an adjective it may mean independent, not to
be inferred but itself explicitly and formally
expressed (The Queen, by a substantive enactment,
declared her governorship of the Church).
Substantial, as an adjective, has the exclusive
meanings of strong, stout, or solid (Zt was a
good substantial rope and could be relied on),
moderately wealthy or well-to-do (Substantial
citizens did not look with favor upon these suggestions
since they would necessarily mean an
increase in taxes), real or true in the main, or
of considerable amount (He found substantial
happiness in work. There is a substantial profit
to be made in these transactions but only if they
are well managed), or vital, important (A substantial
objection to the measure proposed is
that it will offend the local clergy).
substantially. See essentially.
substantive. This term is used by some grammarians
to mean any word or group of words used
as a noun.
substitute and replace are not to be confused. Substitute
means to put in the place of another.
487 succinti
Replace (aside from its meaning of putting back
into a place formerly occupied) means to take
the place of another (Jacob substituted Leah
for Rachel. Rachel was replaced by Leah).
subterfuge. See trick.
subtract and deduct both express diminution, taking
away in sum or quantity. Subtract applies
primarily to numbers and means to withdraw
or take away (After he subtracted fifty dollars
for his room rent, he found that his pay would
barely carry him through the month). To deduct
is to take away an amount or quantity
from an aggregate or total (Ten percent is
deducted if one pays cash).
subway. In the United States a subway is an electric
railroad beneath the surface of the streets
in a city (Every morning he took the subway
from Columbus Circle to Times Square). In
England the subway is called an underground
railway or, more often, the underground, or,
colloquially, the tube. Subway in England designates
what Americans would call an underpass,
an artificial underground way for pedestrians or
vehicle traffic. See also underground.
succeed may be followed by the -ing form of a
verb with the preposition in, as in he succeeded
in finishing the work. It cannot be followed by
an infinitive.
succeed; follow. Although follow and succeed
(in those of its meanings that are similar to the
meanings of follow) both imply coming after
something else in a natural sequence, they are
not synonyms and cannot be used interchangeably.
Follow is a more general term, meaning
to move behind in the same direction (The sheep
all followed the bellwether out of the pasture)
or to come after in order of time (The sound
of the explosion followed the flash of light
almost immediately) or to wme after as a
result or consequence (And it must follow, as
the night the day,/ Thou canst not then be false
to any man). Succeed may mean to follow or
replace another by descent, election, or appointment
(He succeeded his father to the baronetcy.
President Eisenhower succeeded President Truman)
or to come next after in an order or series
and, having so come, to take the place of (He
succeeded his father, the fifth earl).
successfully; successively. Successfully means in
the manner desired, attended with success (He
landed his plane successfully in a pasture). Successively
means following in order or in an
uninterrupted course (Infuriated, he fought successively
the ten biggest men in his company).
successive. See consecutive.
succinct; concise. Both of these words suggest
brevity in statement or expression. Succinct
means, literally, held up as by a girdle or band,
hence compressed (A strict and succinct style
is that where you can take away nothing without
loss, and that loss to be manifest-Ben Jonson).
A succinct manner of speaking, then, is
one in which a great deal is conveyed in a few
words. Concise refers to style, while succinct
usually refers to matter. We speak of a succinct
narrative and a concise phrase. Concise means