The Century Handbook of Writing Part 37

=_Different than_.= _Different from_ is to be preferred. _Than_ is a conjunction. The idea of separation implied in _different_ calls for a preposition, rather than a word of comparison.

=_Disremember_.= Not in good use.

=_Done_.= A gross error when used as the past tense of _do_, or as an adverb meaning _already_. "_I did it_ (not _I done it_)."

"I've _already_ (not _done_) got my lessons."

=_Don't_.= A contraction for _do not_; never to be used for _does not_. The contraction of _does not_ is _doesn't_. See 51d.

=_Drownded_.= Vulgar for _drowned_.

=_Due to_.= To be used only when it refers definitely to a noun.

Faulty: "He refused the offer, due to his father's opposition."

Right: "His refusal of the offer was due to his father's opposition." The noun _refusal_ should be used instead of the verb _refused_. Then _due_ will have a definite reference. See 5.

=_Enthuse_.= Not in good use.

=_Etc._= An abbreviation for the Latin _et cetera_, meaning _and other_ [things]. _Et_ means _and_. _And etc._ is therefore grossly incorrect. Do not write _ect._

=_Expect_.= Means _to look forward to_. Hardly correct in the sense of _suppose_.

=_Fine_.= Use cautiously as an adjective, and not at all as an adverb. Seek the exact word. See 62.

=_Former_.= Means the first or first named of two. Not to be used when more than two have been named. The corresponding word is _latter_.

=_For to_.= Incorrect for _to_. "I want _you_ (not _for you_) to listen carefully." "He made up his mind _to_ (not _for to_) accept."

=_Gent_.= A vulgar abbreviation of _gentleman_.

=_Good_.= An adjective, not an adverb. Wrong: "He did good in mathematics." Right: "He did well in mathematics." "He did good work in mathematics."

=_Gotten_.= An old form now usually replaced by _got_ except in such expressions as _ill-gotten gains_.

=_Guess_.= Expresses conjecture. Not to be used in formal composition for _think_, _suppose_, or _expect_.

=_Had of_.= Illiterate. "I wish I _had known_ (not _had of known_) about it."

=_Had ought_.= A vulgarism. "He _ought_ (not _had ought_) to have resigned." "We _oughtn't_ (not _hadn't ought_) to make this error."

=_Hardly_.= Not to be used with a negative. See 34.

=_Home_.= Do not use when you mean simply _house_.

=_Human_ or _humans_.= Not in good use as a noun. Say _human being_. Right: "The house was not fit for _human beings_ (not _humans_) to live in."

=_If_.= Do not use for _whether_. "I can't say _whether_ (not _if_) the laundry will be finished today."

=_In_.= Often misused for _into_. "He jumped _into_ (not _in_) the pond."

=_It's_.= Means _it is_; not to be written for the possessive _its_.

=_Kind of_.= (a) Should not modify adjectives or verbs. "He was _somewhat_ (not _kind of_) lean." "_She partly suspected_ (not _She kind of suspected_) what was going on." (b) When using with a noun, do not follow by _a_. "That kind of man"; not "That kind of a man."

=_Like_.= To be followed by a substantive; never by a substantive and a verb. "He ran like a deer." "Do _as_ (not _like_) I do."

"She felt _as if_ (not _like_) she was going to faint." _Like_ is a preposition; _as_ is a conjunction.

=_Literally_.= Do not use where you plainly do not mean it, as in the sentence, "I was literally tickled to death."

=_Loan_.= _Lend_ is in better use as a verb.

=_Locate_.= Do not use for _settle_ or _establish oneself_.

=_Lose out_.= Not used in formal writing. Say _lose_.

=_Lots of_.= A mercantile term which has a dubious colloquial standing. Not in good literary use for _many_ or _much_.

=_Might of_.= A vulgarism for _might have_.

=_Most_.= Do not use for _almost_. "_Almost_ (not _most_) all."

=_Myself_.= Intensive or reflexive; do not use when the simple personal p.r.o.noun would suffice. "I saw them myself." "Some friends and _I_ (not _myself_) went walking."

=_Neither_.= Used with _nor_, and not with _or_. "Neither the man whom his a.s.sociates had suspected _nor_ (not _or_) the one whom the police had arrested was the criminal." "She could neither paint a good picture _nor_ (not _or_) play the violin well."

=_Nice_.= Means _delicate_ or _precise_. _Nice_ is used in a loose colloquial way to indicate general approval, but should not be so used in formal writing. Right: "He displayed nice judgment." "We had a _pleasant_ (not _nice_) time." See 62.

=_Nowhere near_.= Vulgar for _not nearly_.

=_Nowheres_.= Vulgar.

=_O_ and _Oh_.= _O_ is used with a noun in direct address; it is not separated from the noun by any marks of punctuation. _Oh_ is used as an interjection; it is followed by a comma or an exclamation point. "Hear, O king, what thy servants would say."

"Oh, dear!"

=_Of_.= Do not use for _have_ in such combinations as _should have_, _may have_, _ought to have_.

=_Off of_.= _On_, _upon_, or some equivalent expression is usually preferable.

=_Ought to of_.= A vulgarism for _ought to have_.

=_Over with_.= Crude for _over_.

=_Pants_.= _Trousers_ is the approved term in literary usage.

_Pants_ (from _pantaloons_) has found some degree of colloquial and commercial acceptance.

=_Party_.= Not to be used for _person_, except in legal phrases.

=_Phone_.= A contraction not employed in formal writing. Say _telephone_.

=_Plenty_.= A noun; not in good use as an adjective or an adverb.

"He had _plenty of_ (not _plenty_) resources." "He had _resources in plenty_ (not _resources plenty_)."