Bierce: Write It RightDaily Readings from Ambrose Bierce's Blacklist of Literary Faults.Comment Problems- December 9, 2004 Dear readers: A few weeks ago I was forced to turn off comments by the ever-increasing flood of comment spam, much of it incredibly filthy. That, and a new job, have interfered with my daily posting schedule. I hope to...http://www.curculio.org/archives-wir/2004_12.html#000352 (Untitled)- December 9, 2004 People for Persons. Three people were killed. Many people are superstitious. People has retained its parity of meaning with the Latin populus, whence it comes, and the word is not properly used except to designate a population, or large fractions...http://www.curculio.org/archives-wir/2004_12.html#000382 (Untitled)- December 8, 2004 Peculiar for Odd, or Unusual. Also sometimes used to denote distinction, or particularity. Properly a thing is peculiar only to another thing, of which it is characteristic, nothing else having it; as knowledge of the use of fire is peculiar...http://www.curculio.org/archives-wir/2004_12.html#000381 (Untitled)- December 7, 2004 Peek for Peep. Seldom heard in England, though common here. I peeked out through the curtain and saw him. That it is a variant of peep is seen in the childs world peek-a-book, equivalent to bo-peep. Better use the senior...http://www.curculio.org/archives-wir/2004_12.html#000380 (Untitled)- December 6, 2004 Pay. Laziness does not pay. It does not pay to be uncivil. This use of the word is grossly commercial. Say, Indolence is unprofitable. There is no advantage in incivility....http://www.curculio.org/archives-wir/2004_12.html#000379 (Untitled)- December 5, 2004 Pay for Give, Make, etc. He pays attention. She paid a visit to Niagara. It is conceivable that one may owe attention or a visit to another person, but one cannot be indebted to a place....http://www.curculio.org/archives-wir/2004_12.html#000377 (Untitled)- December 4, 2004 Patron for Customer....http://www.curculio.org/archives-wir/2004_12.html#000376 (Untitled)- December 3, 2004 Party for Person. A party named Brown. The word, used in that sense, has the excuse that it is a word. Otherwise it is no better than pants and gent. A person making an agreement, however, is a party to...http://www.curculio.org/archives-wir/2004_12.html#000375 (Untitled)- December 2, 2004 Partially for Partly. A dictionary word, to swell the book....http://www.curculio.org/archives-wir/2004_12.html#000374 (Untitled)- December 1, 2004 Pants for Trousers. Abbreviated from pantaloons, which are no longer worn. Vulgar exceedingly....http://www.curculio.org/archives-wir/2004_12.html#000373 |