A Dictionary of Cont..

token 516
one another,” as in those whom God hath joined
together. This use of together is condemned by
some grammarians as redundant. But the construction
is standard literary English and the
feeling for it is very strong. The word can always
be omitted, and this may make for more precise
English. But if it is omitted, many hearers or
readers will have the uncomfortable feeling that
they ought to ask gather what?, consulted whom?
token of esteem. To designate a gift a token of
esteem, even when it is a token of esteem, is to
employ a clicht. True esteem will find something,
or should find something, more suited to the
particular occasion than a hackneyed and pompous
phrase that has been drained of meaning
by endless repetition.
told. See tell.
tomato. The plural is tomatoes.
tome. See volume.
ton. Only the singular form ton can be used as an
adjective to qualify a following noun, as in a
five ton truck. We do not say a five tons truck.
In the United States the nlural form tons is ureferred
in any other con&ruction, when speaking
of more than one. But the singular form
may be used in other constructions after a number
word, as in several ton of coal and he
ordered several ton. This is the usual practice in
Great Britain and is acceptable in the United
States.
The context in which the word ton is used
must be clearly understood before its sense is
clear. It is first of all a unit of weight, now usually
20 hundredweight, commonly equivalent to
2,000 pounds avoirdupois (short ton) in the
United States, and 2,240 pounds avoirdupois
(long ton) in Great Britain. It is also a unit of
volume for freight, varying with the different
kinds, as 40 cubic feet of oak timber, 20 bushels
of wheat, etc. (freight ton) ; a metric ton (1,000
kilograms); a unit of displacement of ships,
equal to 35 cubic feet of salt water (displacement
ton); a unit of volume used in transporting by
sea, commonly 40 cubic feet (shipping ton); a
unit of internal capacity of ships, equal to 100
cubic feet. In all of these additional senses English
and American use is the same.
Ton is also used in a loose sense to mean a
great amount (There are tons of pickles-everybody
brought pickles. Her father’s got tons of
money). A ton of bricks as a metaphor for something
that comes down with a smashing roar (He
caught him sneaking out half an hour early again
and came down on him like a ton of bricks) is
hackneyed.
tone; tune. Tune is a variant spelling of tone and
originally had the same meaning. Tone retains
the meaning of any sound considered with reference
to its quality, pitch, strength, source; quality
or character of sound; vocal sound. In reference
to the human voice it often means an implication
meaning which a particular intonation
may suggest even though the literal meaning of
the words spoken suggests something wholly different
(I know he said he didn’t mind, but I
didn’t like the tone of his voice). Tune now
primarily means a succession of musical sounds,
a series of tones, forming an air or melody,
with or without the harmony accompanying it.
In a figurative sense, tone means style, distinction,
elegance (That hotel certainly has tone.
There’s a quiet distinction about it). Tony, an
adjective based on this meaning, is, however,
slang (He’s a real tony guy, always in style).
Tune may also be used figuratively to mean
accord (In Tune With the Infinite. The world
is too much with us; late and soon,/ Getting
and spending, we lay waste our powers:/ . . . /
For this, for everything, we are out of tune).
tongs. The plural form refers to one instrument
but is most often treated as a plural, as in these
tongs are hot. In Scotland it is commonly treated
as a singular. This is acceotable in the United
States, especially when used with a qualifying
word, as in a fire tongs, a sugar tongs, but a pair
of tongs is more usual. The construction with
pair must be used after a numeral, as in three
pairs of tongs. The form tongs is preferred as
the first element in a compound, such as u tongs
maker, a tongs man.
tongue in cheek. To say of someone who is insincere
or who has affirmed something with
unspoken reservations, whose words belie his
intent and go contrary to his true meaning, that
he is speaking with his tongue in his cheek is
to employ a hackneyed expression. The term is
fairly recent, the first recorded instance being in
The Zngold.sby Legends (1842). It would seem
to refer to some gesture which, like a wink, informed
the knowing that the statement was not
to be taken at its seeming value. But although
some people, guided chiefly by the phrase, do
stick their tongues in their cheeks as such a
humorous warning, it is certainly not a widespread
custom nor, so far as is known, has it
ever been.
too. When this word is used as a sentence adverb
it means “also.” It has the same meaning when it
qualifies a preceding adjective or adverb, as in
he is young too. When it qualifies a following
adjective or adverb it means “beyond what is desirable
or allowable,” as in he is too young. In
either case, it cannot be used with a comparative
or superlative form. From meaning “in excess,”
too has come to be used as an intensive in combination
with only, as in only too anxious to
leave. Used as an intensive without only, as in it
was too wonderful!, it has a false ring and suggests
that the speaker is trying to conceal a lack
of interest by overstatement.
When too means “in excess” it cannot qualify
a verb. Participles, such as discouraged and discouraging,
are verbs and adjectives at the same
time and it is debatable whether or not one can
say he was too discouraged to go on. Actually,
this is acceptable English everywhere in the
United States, but some grammarians claim that
it ought not to be acceptable. The same arguments
apply to the use of very before a participle.
(For a fuller discussion of this question,
see very.)
took. See take.
tooth. The plural is teeth. Traditionally, only the
singular tooth can be used as the first element in