Slips of Speech : a Helpful Book for Everyone Who Aspires to Correct the Everyday Errors of Speaking by Bechtel, John Hendricks, 1841-

"He trapped nowhere near so many rabbits as his cousin." This vulgarism should be avoided. Use not nearly.

The past tense of read is read, but the past tense of plead is pleaded, not plead. "The prisoner pleaded for mercy." _________________________________________________________________

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"Money is plenty this summer." Plenty is a noun and should not be used as an adjective. Therefore "money is plentiful this summer." Shakespeare says, "If reasons were as plenty as blackberries," etc., but words have settled into more definite grooves since Shakespeare's time. "This house is plenty large enough." Neither is plenty an adverb. Say, "This house is quite large enough," or, simply, large enough.

"She was pleased with the conversation about her." Use "around her."

"She was pained by the conversation about her." Use "concerning her."

This word means to look down upon from a place that is over or above; as, "From the top of the Washington monument you can readily overlook the city." But it also means to look over and beyond an object in order to see a second object, thus missing the view of the first object; hence, to refrain from bestowing notice upon, to neglect. The confounding of these two ideas begets ambiguity, as "Brown's business was to overlook the workmen in the shop." His business was to oversee or superintend them, and not to neglect or overlook them. _________________________________________________________________

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To revolt is to rebel, to renounce allegiance, but the participial form revolting also means repugnant, loathsome. In the sentence, "A band of revolting Huns has just passed down the street," we should be in doubt whether the speaker referred to their acts against the government or to their appearance. The use of the word rebellious in the former sense, and of disagreeable or disgusting, or the stronger adjectives given above, for the latter meaning, would make the sentence clear.

Such adjectives as unexampled, unparalleled, unprecedented, do not admit of comparison, hence such expressions as the most unexampled bravery, the most unparalleled heroism, etc., should be avoided.

This verb should be distinguished from express or say. Utter carries with it the idea of articulate expression, except in the sense of uttering false coins or forged notes.

As an adjective it is defined by complete, perfect, absolute, etc., but it can be applied only to what is unpleasant or unfavorable. "I enjoyed utter happiness" would be an absurd expression, but "I was doomed to utter misery" illustrates a proper use of the word. _________________________________________________________________

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These words are not synonymous; valuable means precious, costly, having value; valued refers to our estimation of the worth. "He is one of our most valued contributors," not valuable, unless you are thinking of the value of his contributions and the smallness of the compensation.

A few participles used as adjectives may be directly modified by too or very; as, "I was very tired," "He was too fatigued to go farther."

We sometimes hear the expression, "I was very pleased," but the critics insist upon "I was very much pleased," or "greatly pleased," or "very greatly pleased."

Often too high-sounding a word for the thought; neighborhood is less pretentious.