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Common_Errors_in_English_usage

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Orig<strong>in</strong>ally these two words were synonymous, but "enormity" got whittled<br />

down to mean<strong>in</strong>g someth<strong>in</strong>g monstrous or outrageous. Don't wonder at the<br />

"enormity" of the Palace of Versailles unless you wish to express horror<br />

at this embodiment of Louis XIV's ego. "Enormity" can also be used as a<br />

noun mean<strong>in</strong>g "monstrosity."<br />

END RESULT/END<br />

Usually a redundancy. Most of the time pla<strong>in</strong> "result" will do f<strong>in</strong>e.<br />

ENQUIRE/INQUIRE<br />

These are alternative spell<strong>in</strong>gs of the same word. "Enquire" is perhaps<br />

slightly more common <strong>in</strong> the UK, but either is acceptable <strong>in</strong> the US<br />

IN ROUTE/EN ROUTE<br />

"En route" is a French phrase mean<strong>in</strong>g "on the way," as <strong>in</strong> "En route to<br />

the gallows, Lucky was struck by lightn<strong>in</strong>g." Don't anglicize this<br />

expression as "<strong>in</strong> route."<br />

ENSUITE<br />

Americans who have wandered chilly London hallways <strong>in</strong> the middle of the<br />

night <strong>in</strong> search of a toilet will appreciate learn<strong>in</strong>g the peculiar<br />

British mean<strong>in</strong>g of the word "ensuite."<br />

In French, a set of two rooms or more form<strong>in</strong>g a s<strong>in</strong>gle accommodation can<br />

be advertised as rooms "en suite" (form<strong>in</strong>g a suite). But the s<strong>in</strong>gle word<br />

French word "ensuite" means someth<strong>in</strong>g entirely different: "then, later."<br />

Around the middle of the 20th century <strong>English</strong> landlords and hoteliers<br />

began to anglicize the phrase, plac<strong>in</strong>g it before the noun, so that<br />

traditional "rooms en suite" became "en suite rooms," Ads read "bath<br />

ensuite" or "toilet ensuite" as if the phrase meant "<strong>in</strong> the suite." The<br />

phrase "en suite" came to be used solely to designate bathrooms attached<br />

to a bedroom.<br />

Follow<strong>in</strong>g standard <strong>English</strong> patterns, they hyphenated the phrase as<br />

"en­suite bath" and often made the phrase <strong>in</strong>to a s<strong>in</strong>gle word: "ensuite<br />

bath." These have become standard British <strong>usage</strong>; but hoteliers often go<br />

a step further by writ<strong>in</strong>g "all rooms ensuite" (Americans would write<br />

"all rooms with bath").<br />

It is clearly nonstandard to use "ensuite" as if it were a noun<br />

synonymous with "toilet" or "bathroom": "I went to the ensuite to take a<br />

shower." You may puke on your suit, but not <strong>in</strong>to "the ensuite."<br />

ENTHUSE<br />

"Enthuse" is a handy word and "state enthusiastically" is not nearly so<br />

strik<strong>in</strong>g; but unfortunately "enthuse" is not acceptable <strong>in</strong> the most<br />

formal contexts.<br />

ENTOMOLOGY/ETYMOLOGY

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