A Dictionary of Cont..

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ceremonial 90 really means, “For breakfast, sweetened” and “For lunch or dinner, unsweetened.” The problem of rice pudding is met by In desserts. ceremonial; ceremonious. Ceremonial means pertaining to, marked by, or of the nature of ceremony (The centennial was a ceremoniSQl occasion). It applies only to things. Ceremonious can be applied to persons or things. When applied to persons it means overly polite, making too much ceremony for the occasion, punctilious (I find his ceremoniousness tiring). certain. When this word is followed by of and the -ing form of a verb, it means that the person spoken about has no doubts, as in he is certain of returning. When it is followed by an infinitive, it means that there is no doubt about the fact itself, as in he is certain to return. cession; cessation; session. Cession is the act of ceding, of yielding. Cessution is the act of ceasing. Session is the act of sitting together of a body for the transaction of business (The cession of territories cume to a cessation at
char& thnt a person did this or that (It wus charged that he aided und abetted the enemy). The former construction is sometimes used in America, but the latter is rarely used in England. charge; accuse. To charge is to make a formal accusation. It is often used of an accusation brought at law (Charge an honest woman with picking thy pocket?) or one delivered with the solemnity of an indictment. An accusation can be formal, but it can also be informal and even mild (The younger children accztsed John of eating more than his share. Here charged him with eating more than his share would be ponderous). In an impersonal construction only charge can be used (It has been charged that Richard’s early associates corrupted his morals). chart. See map. charter. See hire. chartered; charted. One sometimes hears or even reads of unchartered seas. A chart is a map. A charter is a document that grants certain rights and privileges. chateau. The plural is chateaus or chateaux. cheap; inexpensive. Cheap was originally the process of buying and selling. (From this came Cheapside, a part of London in which the shops were congregated, what we would call a shopping center.) As late as 1727, Swift, in his “A Description of a City Shower,” wrote: To shops in crowds the daggled females fly/Pretend to cheapen goods, but nothing buy. It is only recently and in a very small part of the world that prices have been fixed. Formerly it was assumed that the purchaser would offer less than what was asked and that the seller would, in time, accept less. Thus cheapen, from the buyer’s point of view, came to mean to lower the price and from this came all of our favorable meanings of cheap (Eggs are wonderfully cheap r~ow. If you want a cheap vacation, travel on an ocean freighter). From the seller’s point of view, however, it was necessary to lower the quality in order to gain by the transaction even if the price were lowered, and from this come our unfavorable meanings of cheap: shoddy, shabby, mean (Zt just looks sleazy and cheap. That was a cheap trick to play on a friend). Some purists have deplored this second use of the word, but surely it is as inherent in its development as the first. Cheap suggests a low cost. One could say that a diamond necklace was cheap at a hundred thousand dollars. But the word would certainly not be used in its modern sense if one said that it was a cheap necklace. Inexpensive is now the commoner word to emphasize lowness of price and suggest that the value is fully equal toI the cost. Cheap has been used as an adverb as long as it has been used as an adjective. Cheaply can be used only as an adverb. But he sold it cheap is just as good English as he sold it cheaply. check. In the sense of a written order directing a bank to pay money, the English spell the word cheque, Americans spell it check. 91 cheerful Check, as a verb and a noun, has some uses in America that it does not have in England. A piece of luggage is checked in America when it is sent to a destination under the privilege of a passenger ticket. To check up or check up on is to make an inquiry or investigation for verification. To check out is to leave and pay for one’s quarters at a hotel (“I will have to check up on this check before you can check out,” said the desk clerk). check; curb; repress; restrain. Check implies the sudden arrest of a forward motion (He checked his horse sharply. The reform movement received a check when the council approved Alderman Smith’s resolzttion). Curb implies the use of a means such as a chain or strap,-a frame, or a wall, to guide or control or to force to stay within limits. Repress formerly meant only suppress, but now it also implies the prevention of an action or development which might naturally be expected (A child should not be repressed when he wants to express himself). Restrain implies the use of force to put someone or something under control, and chiefly to hold back (In his paroxysms two attendants could scarcely restrain him from doing himself harm). In New York City curb as a verb has acquired -through a combination of a city ordinance, euphemism, and a pun-a special meaning. Curb your dog, which is enjoined upon the citizens at almost every lamppost, means not only that the dog must be kept curbed by a leash but that it must be led to the curb (the edge of the sidewalk) to defecate into the gutter. The injunction hidden under the double meaning would not be understood in England where in this meaning the word is spelled kerb. checkers. The game which is America is called checkers is in England called draughts, where checker, spelled chequer, is an obsolete name for chess. When used as the name of a game, checkers takes a singular verb, as in checkers is played by two persons. A single piece is called a man and not a checker. But the singular form checker is preferred as the first element in a compound, as in checkerboard. cheek by jowl. Since the commonest meaning of jowl is now a fold of flesh hanging from the jaw, especially of the aged corpulent and the shrunken fat, cheek by jowl no longer conveys the sense of jolly intimacy that it did when jowl meant cheek. It is not only a clich6 but a misleading one and should be avoided. cheeky. See impertinent. cheerful; cheery. The cheerful man feels full of cheer. The cheery man acts as if he did and attempts to promote cheer among others. Cheerfulness is internal and may not show. Cheeriness is external and, sometimes, may show what is not felt. Cheeriness of manner has become such an adjunct of salesmanship that the public has become wary of it and the word has acquired a tinge of disrepute (He was a cheery bird, enough to make the most cheerful man downhearted).
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A DICTIONARYOF CONTEMPORARY by BERG
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When we speak or write we want to b
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that he doesn’t know the ditieren
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A DICTIONARY OF CONTEMPORARY AMERIC
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abdomen 4 Probably the commonest ty
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above 6 in they sold at about $3 n
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accessa ry 8 passion (In an access
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act 1 a busybody) act is invariably
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adjectives 12 and the -al endings a
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adjectives 14 way, as burning hot,
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adverbs 16 that this is a genitive
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adversary 18 qualifies the article
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African 20 in he is afraid to die.
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agreement 22 element standing close
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airship 2:4 airship, when used at a
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ah3ory it should know that its use
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alpha 28 alpha and omega. See from
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ambiguous 30 not, one of the cardin
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ample 3 2 which is ample is more th
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answer 34 course an anonymous work
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antonym 3 6 has the owl-eyed man de
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apostrophe 3 plurals, see genitlve
Page 46 and 47: aquarium 40 of a verb. When it mean
Page 48 and 49: artist 42 lo the righr of us. When
Page 50 and 51: ash 44 ash; ashes. These words mean
Page 52 and 53: ate 46 by disease or villainy, the
Page 54 and 55: authoritative 48 had thought they a
Page 56 and 57: await 50 await. See anticipate. awa
Page 58 and 59: aggage check, baggage car. He would
Page 60 and 61: asis by Ogden and his colleague, I.
Page 62 and 63: ear 56 can you bear to hear about i
Page 64 and 65: eginner 58 usually a more elaborate
Page 66 and 67: esought 60 ably, but today they mea
Page 68 and 69: id 62 4. Doublets and triplets cont
Page 70 and 71: ite 64 bite. The past tense is bit.
Page 72 and 73: loom 66 use and its jocular use has
Page 74 and 75: Boston 68 In U. S. political usage,
Page 76 and 77: owels bowels of the earth. Only in
Page 78 and 79: ed 72 all price,/ When once yozz’
Page 80 and 81: ugger 74 it read: Thou shalt not ne
Page 82 and 83: um 76 who is destroying himself by
Page 84 and 85: utcher 78 tinctions seem too subtle
Page 86 and 87: calendar 80 fact that there is only
Page 88 and 89: candelabrum 82 well that he is able
Page 90 and 91: capitalize 84 planets are capitaliz
Page 92 and 93: CaSe 86 stances, anyhow. In case me
Page 94 and 95: caught 88 mittee of a political par
Page 98 and 99: cherished 92 cherished belief(s). T
Page 100 and 101: city 94 city fathers. To refer to m
Page 102 and 103: our fist, a nail, our jaws, a rope,
Page 104 and 105: little group meeting chiefly for co
Page 106 and 107: differentiated whole. Words of this
Page 108 and 109: declared in his First Supplement to
Page 110 and 111: commentator 104 commentator. It was
Page 112 and 113: comparison 106 comparative, and nei
Page 114 and 115: compilation 108 as in he is compete
Page 116 and 117: comprehend 110 hearted, horn-rimmed
Page 118 and 119: conductive 112 conductive; conduciv
Page 120 and 121: connected 114 question of punctuati
Page 122 and 123: consume 116 A consul was at one tim
Page 124 and 125: controversial 118 lent, as in I con
Page 126 and 127: cowardly sires would naturally be k
Page 128 and 129: crossways 122 but had no military a
Page 130 and 131: cuspidor 124 joyed by a husband in
Page 132 and 133: dash 126 dare may be used with or w
Page 134 and 135: decide 128 or practice of deceiving
Page 136 and 137: deism; theism. Deism is the belief
Page 138 and 139: descant 132 to do. Fifty-six years
Page 140 and 141: devote 134 visor. That number by wh
Page 142 and 143: differentiate 136 mistake. As he kn
Page 144 and 145: discrepancy 138 Discrete is pretty
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divorc6 140 -ing, -ish, -ed, -er, -
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domicile 142 Macaulay. in 1849, ref
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doubletalk 144 construction, chiefl
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drove 146 land but is standard in t
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duty solution (the assurance that t
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eatable 150 acceptable. Coleridge u
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elapse 152 or last longer than it w
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isks are still used in very formal
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endorse thirw-five years before tha
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enviable form. As a noun, meaning a
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escape 160 tion, he does not refuse
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euphemism 162 where excretory and b
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everybody 164 before a singular nou
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go except thou bless me. This const
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exhilarate 168 exhilarate. See acce
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extort 170 surface of the pumpkin i
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faithfully 172 rather than actually
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fauna 174 implication of moral cond
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fetch 176 assume that it was decora
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fine 178 tion wundering, or by a cl
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flambeau perception (She has a flai
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fly full possession of his facultie
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forbade few words, such as afraid a
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forensic 186 latexes or latices and
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fragile 188 Decimals, which are a c
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friable 190 Many a psychiatric term
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funny 192 funny; comical; droll; lu
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making him feel that something has
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genera 196 in English than in langu
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genitive 198 not know when he can s
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genteel ways at some repair or impr
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Carlyle, and most of the great nine
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go English literature and is standa
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except at Harvard University where
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grandiose ness of utterance (This m
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grouse 210 the great writers of Eng
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gymnasium any wriier of English sin
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happen 214 happen. This verb may be
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form, such as I had painted the hou
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Judenhetze than anti-Semitism) is n
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hesitate 220 herself and herself wi
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Hobson’s 222 of Christmas shopper
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honored 224 a graceful or embarrass
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H was always capitalized. The Palme
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hundred in which something turns ou
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ice 230 form, as in a hydraulics en
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illegal 232 In contemporary America
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immigrant 234 emerged from the hedg
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imply; infer. The primary meaning o
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inaugurate 238 in so far as it was
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index 240 is used to qualify a noun
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indorse 242 the preferred form when
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inlinitives 244 (Whether this lo is
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yo~cr going out is no proof. A noun
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ingenious 248 they are seidom notic
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installment 250 of the word today i
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intent 252 late. These particular w
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interpellate 254 300,000,000 human
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invite 256 invite; invitation. Thou
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it 258 be used for this purpose whe
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joiner 260 &isfer. A joiner in Engl
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junket word. It is a shortening of
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kindling 264 he kind of hesitated.
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opes,” took the steering our) to
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the part nearer the end, as in his
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with no derogatory implication at a
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lend. The past tense is lent. The p
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libelant others (He dearly loved a
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like 276 food, that I like it, bzzt
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linking verbs 278 verb has its uniq
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literate 280 word’s being used si
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locate 282 graphical situation or i
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especially to qualify an adjective
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madding Madame, the conventional Fr
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of those phrases that after four or
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maneuver 290 not permitted to decli
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marvel any undertaking (He was a vi
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matter 294 get building material du
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meat 296 word and the noun it quali
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meridian 298 the reward of evildoin
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millermy 300 milled). In America on
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mistreat 302 conceived or done,”
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molasses 304 powers. Nor are the sh
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Morpheus 306 mean a stupid person (
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much 308 other title, except possib
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mutual 310 title, Our Mutual Friend
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name 312 a specific name, but it is
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necessities 314 unitary condition (
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neither 316 negative is generally c
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nice 318 the issue of the battle ha
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IlO 320 no man and no men. A singul
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noplace 322 that night. The uard is
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notary 324 beauty; as a woman, a no
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nouns as adverbs 326 the constructi
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numerals 328 numerals. CARDINAL NUM
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objective 330 The noun objection is
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obloquy meaning of unconscious and,
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such a sentence as It may have been
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today as it was always intended to
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OdY trary, the sentence says “no
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optimism 340 it is followed by of (
Page 348 and 349:
orchis. The plural is orchides, not
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ought 344 This was not always true.
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over 346 across, as in come over; a
Page 354 and 355:
Page page. Although the older meani
Page 356 and 357:
parallel constructions 350 into mor
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layed a pickle into one of the most
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participles 354 Written is part of
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pass 356 Puss may be followed by an
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past 358 only interested in himself
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pathos 360 of writers, especially p
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peevish 362 few others as good, but
Page 370 and 371:
perennial 364 denial or refusal (Th
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personal 366 has to have a nanic fo
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pessimist 368 are, plainly, closely
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pigeon 370 both countries pig is us
Page 378 and 379:
told that a certain plank has been
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FORMATION Almost all English plural
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poetic diction 376 sage. such as hi
Page 384 and 385:
polish 378 or the like (Our foreign
Page 386 and 387:
pore 380 ing from general use and p
Page 388 and 389:
position of adjectives 382 The adje
Page 390 and 391:
pound 384 construction survives to
Page 392 and 393:
prefer 386 a verb, as in Z prefer r
Page 394 and 395:
presage 388 as in for what are you
Page 396 and 397:
present tense 390 and can be used i
Page 398 and 399:
preventive 392 mind (such as: Preve
Page 400 and 401:
profanity 394 still have to find a
Page 402 and 403:
proof 396 me; and it may even be un
Page 404 and 405:
proportion 398 favor of, especially
Page 406 and 407:
psychology The phrase was woolly in
Page 408 and 409:
purebred 402 which it is and clearl
Page 410 and 411:
queer 404 queer fish. From our anth
Page 412 and 413:
not be used at all. A misquotation
Page 414 and 415:
adii 408 radix. The plural is radix
Page 416 and 417:
aze 410 should be used with great c
Page 418 and 419:
e-collect 412 rural America. By apo
Page 420 and 421:
edundant 414 firm which assured tel
Page 422 and 423:
egret 416 eschew in favor of a more
Page 424 and 425:
emembrance 418 to my heart are the
Page 426 and 427:
made such a delightful and instruct
Page 428 and 429:
usiness manager is responsible to t
Page 430 and 431:
everend 424 often means no more tha
Page 432 and 433:
ickets 426 rickets. This word is pl
Page 434 and 435:
of money is the root of all evil. H
Page 436 and 437:
Sahara 430 been lost have been foun
Page 438 and 439:
sanctum 43i2 certain places, the te
Page 440 and 441:
has been temperate where severity o
Page 442 and 443:
scratch pad 436 title of their most
Page 444 and 445:
munity could be the aged, those who
Page 446 and 447:
semicolon 440 zybski’s are ludicr
Page 448 and 449:
sentence adverbs 442 ment, such as
Page 450 and 451:
sentinel 444 In the best written En
Page 452 and 453:
set 446 attacked by the people who
Page 454 and 455:
shall 448 I will be there is heard
Page 456 and 457:
shine 450 ing Ephraimites (who coul
Page 458 and 459:
shower 452 quarrel. When it comes t
Page 460 and 461:
signed wholly different from their
Page 462 and 463:
sink 456 trust, a five-dollar bill.
Page 464 and 465:
ski 458 philosophy, the Skeptic (ca
Page 466 and 467:
slothfLl1 460 may be made acceptabl
Page 468 and 469:
mite. The past tense is smote. The
Page 470 and 471:
Socratic irony capitalized form of
Page 472 and 473:
sort of 466 he does not intend to i
Page 474 and 475:
spectacle 468 intentions, moral mat
Page 476 and 477:
splutter 470 the infinitive, as in
Page 478 and 479:
stti 472 means several such groups.
Page 480 and 481:
lish of educated people is always c
Page 482 and 483:
steer 476 nights later in a product
Page 484 and 485:
StQd 478 This unit of weight is not
Page 486 and 487:
stratum 480 of his strategy is a ma
Page 488 and 489:
subjective pronouns 482 1. The word
Page 490 and 491:
subjunctive 484 actually is or has
Page 492 and 493:
sublime 486 coming to us in British
Page 494 and 495:
succor 488 the expression of much i
Page 496 and 497:
sunk 490 mmk; sunken. See sink. son
Page 498 and 499:
suspenders 492 was nothing to justi
Page 500 and 501:
swollen lashing than a cane. The ol
Page 502 and 503:
table 496 discussion, a procedure o
Page 504 and 505:
tantalize twelve o’clock high. Hi
Page 506 and 507:
tell 500 It means to broadcast by t
Page 508 and 509:
a game. Ninepins is a game, chiefly
Page 510 and 511:
thanks so4 thanks are not deserved.
Page 512 and 513:
the that’s to defining clauses. B
Page 514 and 515:
theism ard language at least five h
Page 516 and 517:
think 510 you think for and as much
Page 518 and 519:
threadbare 512 punishment, to show
Page 520 and 521:
time 514 or manner of production ca
Page 522 and 523:
token 516 one another,” as in tho
Page 524 and 525:
tower 518 hawk’d at and kill’d)
Page 526 and 527:
transmit 520 ing one who is transie
Page 528 and 529:
excursionist; he’s on a short out
Page 530 and 531:
tru6tworthy 524 uting); a person wh
Page 532 and 533:
ultimately 526 The story, by the wa
Page 534 and 535:
understood 528 with humorous modest
Page 536 and 537:
UIlhOWIl 530 differently referred t
Page 538 and 539:
UIltil 532 until. See tin. untimely
Page 540 and 541:
usual 534 here?, he usen’t to dri
Page 542 and 543:
sordid and improper in the transact
Page 544 and 545:
happened, although we can also say
Page 546 and 547:
vertebra 540 Robert Frost’s “Me
Page 548 and 549:
7 ViCtUdS 542 not proves the superi
Page 550 and 551:
wad is generally taken to mean a sm
Page 552 and 553:
wapiti Do you wish some more potato
Page 554 and 555:
washing 548 washerwoman. American u
Page 556 and 557:
weather 550 ing to make ambiguous.
Page 558 and 559:
wheal 552 used to make a negative s
Page 560 and 561:
while is grammatically comparable t
Page 562 and 563:
who 556 to use that after a persona
Page 564 and 565:
the victim was attached to a horse
Page 566 and 567:
witness 560 fossfls, in fheir own w
Page 568 and 569:
WOdS 562 keep his promises and fulf
Page 570 and 571:
wring 564 which two persons struggl
Page 572 and 573:
Yiddish 566 already, but not in a s
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