centuries, are quite as good English to-day as "would rather and " might better." 1 Other expressions that disturb some grammarians are the following: "as it were," "at sixes and sevens," "how do you do?" "in the thick of it," "the long and the short of it," "under the circumstances," "to scrape acquaintance," "to take to one's heels"; "as follows," as in the sentence "These are as follows"; "come and" or "try and," as in the sentences "Come and see me to-morrow," "Try and remember what I told you"; "I take it," as in the sentence “Your views on this point are, I take it, much the same as mine"; "to take a cue," as in the sentence "She took her cue from what her mother had said." Peculiar expressions like these called IDIOMS-give life to a language. A common idiom appears in a dialogue in "Punch," under a cut that represents two men and a woman in front of a mirror: He. "Nellie, just look at that man standing behind me. I don't think I ever saw any one so plain!" She. "Hush, dear; you forget yourself!" The difference between the literal and the idiomatic way of putting things is admirably brought out by Lewis Carroll: "Even Stigand, the patriotic archbishop of Canterbury, found it advisable" "Found what?" said the Duck. "Found it," the Mouse replied rather crossly: "of course you know what it' means." "I know what 'it' means well enough, when I find a thing," said the Duck: "it's generally a frog or a worm. The question is, what did the archbishop find?" 2 1 In the Oxford English Dictionary will be found examples of were better" with a dative pronoun, dating from 971 to 1465; of "were better" with a nominative pronoun, dating from 1370 to 1601; of "had better," dating from 1537, or possibly from 1435, to 1875. 2 Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. “I'm sure I'll take you with pleasure!" the Queen said. pence a week, and jam every other day." me "Two Alice couldn't help laughing, as she said, "I don't want you to hire "You couldn't have it if you did want it," the Queen said. "The rule is, jam to-morrow and jam yesterday - but never jam to-day." "It must come sometimes to 'jam to-day,'" Alice objected. 66 "No, it can't," said the Queen. "It's jam every other day: to-day isn't any other day, you know." "I don't understand you," said Alice. "It's dreadfully confusing!" Alice turned round, ready to find fault with anybody. "Where's the servant whose business it is to answer the door?" she began angrily. "Which door?" said the Frog. Alice almost stamped with irritation at the slow drawl in which he spoke. "This door, of course!" The Frog looked at the door with his large dull eyes for a minute: then he went nearer and rubbed it with his thumb, as if he were trying whether the paint would come off; then he looked at Alice. "To answer the door?" he said. "What's it been asking of?" He was so hoarse that Alice could scarcely hear him. "I don't know what you mean," she said. "I speaks English, doesn't I?" the Frog went on. deaf? What did it ask you?" "Or are you "Nothing!" Alice said impatiently. "I've been knocking at it!"1 The idiomatic phrases that are made fun of in these passages"forget yourself," "found it advisable," " every other day," 66 answer the door" are so familiar to us that we do not often think of the meanings they might suggest to a foreigner who read them word by word. Choose expressions that are in good use." 1 Through the Looking-Glass and what Alice found there. 2 For a full discussion of Good Use, see A. S. Hill's "Principles of Rhetoric" (revised edition), chapter i. HILL'S RHET. AND COMP.-2 EXERCISE I What expressions in the following passages would be out of place in everyday prose? What expressions should you use instead of them? 1. Spake full well, in language quaint and olden, When he called the flowers, so blue and golden, 2. Let beeves and home-bred kine partake The sweets of Burn-mill meadow; The swan on still St. Mary's Lake - LONGFELLOW. Float double, swan and shadow!-WORDSWORTH. 3. Her father laid the letter in her hand, And closed the hand upon it, and she died. So that day there was dole in Astolat. 4. Oft, in the stilly night, Ere Slumber's chain has bound me, Of other days around me.— MOORE. TENNYSON. 5. With feats of arms From either end of heaven the welkin burns. · MILTON. 6. There is not in the wide world a valley so sweet As that vale in whose bosom the bright waters meet. MOORE. 7. Then to side with Truth is noble when we share her wretched crust, Ere her cause bring fame and profit, and 'tis prosperous to be just. - LOWELL. 8. Thou wear a lion's hide! doff it for shame. 9. He spoke, and the Gods arm'd; and Odin donn'd His dazzling corselet and his helm of gold. - MATTHEW ARNOLD 1 King John, iii. 1. 10. Enow there are on earth to take in charge Their wives, their children, and their virgin loves, Or whatsoever else the heart holds dear.- WORDSWORTH. 11. Then felt I like some watcher of the skies When a new planet swims into his ken. — KEats. 12. Right to the carven cedarn doors, Flung inward over spangled floors, Broad-based flights of marble stairs Ran up with golden balustrade. - TENNYSON. EXERCISE II Discuss each of the following passages from the point of view of national use: 1 1. "And so you see, Guinea," he concluded, "in order to keep a weather-helm in company, you are never to throw all aback, and go stern foremost out of a dispute, as you have this day seen fit to do. According to my l'arning, that Master Nightingale is better in a barroom than in a squall; and if you had just luffed-up on his quarter, when you saw me laying myself athwart his hawse in the argument, we should have given him a regular jam in the discourse, and then the fellow would have been shamed in the eyes of the bystanders." - COOPER. 2. Salem kicked off and Dummer sailed up the field to Salem's forty yard line, and there very obligingly gave Salem the ball. Salem then carried it back to the centre, where Dummer repeatedly piled up Salem's defence, and took the ball. In this pile Hanlon hurt his leg, which he had sprained in practice. Holman was put in his place. Dummer worked Salem's centre and pushed the ball down the field to the twenty-five yard line, where they lost it on downs. After two losing rushes by Salem, Wade got round Merriam's end and ran fifty yards before he was tackled. Myers overtook his man and by a beautiful tackle saved a touchdown. Mulligan bucked centre for no gain. Holman was tackled by Wilder for a loss of five yards. Wade tried tackle, but failed to gain more than three yards. The ball went to Dummer on downs. THE DUMMER NEWS. 1 Teachers are recommended to see that these passages are read and understood at this point; but they may find it advisable to postpone the discussion of them by younger pupils till Part I has been finished. Each teacher is the best judge of what his classes can do. 3. Brer Fox, he put out ter whar his fambly wuz, but Brer Rabbit, he slip 'roun', he did, en call on ole Miss Goose. Ole Miss Goose she wuz down at de spring, washin', en b'ilin', en battlin' cloze; but Brer Rabbit he march up en ax her howdy, en den she tuck'n ax Brer Rabbit howdy. "I'd shake han's 'long wid you, Brer Rabbit," sez she, "but dey er all full er suds," sez she. "No marter 'bout dat, Miss Goose," sez Brer Rabbit, sezee, long ez yo' will's good," sezee. 66 SO "A goose with hands, Uncle Remus!". the little boy exclaimed. "How you know goose aint got han's?" Uncle Remus inquired. with a frown. 66 'Is you been sleepin' longer ole man Know-All? Little mo' en you'll up'n stan' me down dat snakes ain't got no foots, and yit you take en lay a snake down yer 'fo' de fier, en his foots 'll come out right 'fo' yo' eyes.” — Joel ChandLER HARRIS. EXERCISE III Which word in each pair of words is to be preferred by an American ?— 66 99 66 corn Baggage" or "luggage," "box or "trunk," "lift" or "elevator," "mucilage" or "gum," "rare (beef), "reel" or "spool," "sidewalk” or “footway.” or "maize," or "underdone " Which expression in each pair is to be preferred by any English-speaking person? noire "Al fresco" or "outdoor," ""bas-bleu" or "blue-stocking," "bête 99.66 or "bugbear," 'dépôt" or "station," "élan" or "impetuous""mal de mer" or "seasickness," "slaughter-house" or "abattoir," "sunstroke" or "coup de soleil." ness," EXERCISE IV Discuss the propriety of each italicized word; bear in mind the time at which the passage was written or in which the scene is laid: 1. Let none admire That riches grow in Hell; that soil may best |