A Lighthearted Book of Common Errors

Don Hoeferkamp

Description

For anyone who is interested in words, humor, and pleasurable reading, and who wants to learn to recognize and overcome common errors in language.
Leading magazines and newspapers; seminary journals; Congress members and Presidents; prominent historians, authors, journalists, newscasters, and talk-show hosts –all have made language blunders that found their way into A Lighthearted Book of Common Errors. These aren’t just typos or temporary lapses. They occur repeatedly and without apology!
And now the most egregious slip-ups are gathered into a single place. Here’s a great opportunity to seize the moment and upgrade your knowledge of English. Then you’ll be better able to recognize common errors and correct them in your own speech and writing.
It’s a mini-education in a most delightful format: humorous settings that couch mistakes in unforgettable ways and challenge your wit, a la Dr. Seuss. Who wouldn’t want to invest a few dollars and a few hours in such a pleasurable way as relaxing with this entertaining and instructive volume?
Discover why “the reason why” and “the reason is because” are redundancies. Learn how dangling participles can get you “hung up” in illogical sentences. And dare to confront other words and phrases that are misspelled, mispronounced, and misused. It’s a snarky lark with a stark bark that will mark you as a word shark and help you avoid the dark!

Sujets

• Humor

Informations

• Publié par: Trafford Publishing
• Date de parution: 04 février 2011
• Nombre de lectures: 1
• EAN13: 9781426954276
• Langue: English

Extrait

A Lighthearted Book of Common Errors
 
 
Don Hoeferkamp
 
 
Order this book online at www.trafford.com or email [e-mail]
Most Trafford titles are also available at major online book retailers.
© Copyright 2011 Don Hoeferkamp.
Cover Art and Interior Illustrations: © Copyright 2011 Ed Koehler.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written prior permission of the author.
The photograph of the author is by Lifetouch and used by permission.
Printed in the United States of America.
ISBN: 978-1-4269-5426-9 (sc) ISBN: 978-1-4269-5427-6 (e)
Library of Congress Control Number: 2011900667
Trafford rev. 01/31/2011
www.trafford.com
North America & international toll-free: 1 888 232 4444 (USA & Canada) phone: [phone] fax: [phone]
 
 
 
To my four sons—Philip, Michael, Douglas, and Gary—in whom I’ll live after my earthly days are over
 
 
And to my four grandchildren—Courtney, Shelby, Natalie, and Luke—the apples of their grandfather’s eye
 
Contents
Foreword
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Absence of Other and Else
Absolutely/Exactly
Ad Nauseum/Ad Nauseam
Affect/Effect
Alumnus/Alumni
Amidst/Amongst/Whilst
Better/Best
Born/Borne
Chaise Lounge/Chaise Longue
Come See/Come Try/Come Go
Compliment/Complement
Could (Couldn’t) Care Less
Dangling Participles
Data Is/Data Are
Did You Know?/Do You Know?
Different Than/Different From
Each and Every
Each Other/One Another
Eager/Anxious
Eating Healthy/Healthily/Healthfully
E.g. and I.e.
Either Side/Both Sides
Emphasizing Prepositions
Errors in Sports
Feel Bad/Feel Badly
Feeling Different(ly)
Fillet/Filet
Founder/Flounder
Further/Farther & Fewer/Less
Gel/Gelatin/Jell/Jelly
Go Cubs/Go, Cubs (To Comma or Not to Comma?)
Good/Well
Harking Back/Hearkening Back
Has Been/Have Been
Having Said That/That Being Said
Help To . . .
Highest of Any/Highest of All
Historic/Historical
Homing in/Honing In
However
I Would Like to/I Want To
If I Was/If I Were
Insure/Ensure
Inter/Intern
Iterate/Reiterate
It’s Me/It’s I
Just Deserts/Just Desserts
Kind/Kinds & Type/Types
Kind of a/A Half of a
Lead/Led
Lie/Lay
Like/As
Long “a”/Short “a”
Mantle/Mantel
Many, Many & Very, Very
May/Might
Me/My
Mismatches with Antecedents
My Own Personal . . .
Myself Included/How’s Yourself?
Nuclear/Nucular & Cavalry/Calvary
Older Than Her/Older Than She
On a _____ Basis
Only/Just
Outside of/Off of/Inside Of
Over and Over Again/All Over Again
Part/A Part
Peaked/Peeked/Piqued
Pejorative Use of “Shrink”
People’s/Peoples’
Poem/“Pome”
Principal/Principle
Prominent (Mis)pronunciations
Proper Punctuation
Prophecy/Prophesy
Reason Why/Reason Is Because
Restore Back/Refer Back/Track Back
Sherbet/Sherbert/Sorbet
Sit/Set
Sit or Stand Quietly/Quiet
Slight/Sleight (of Hand)
Sure/Surely
That/Which
There’s (with Plurals)
Try and/Try to & Be Sure and/ Be Sure To
2000 and 10/ 20-10
Unique/Uniquer
Unnecessary “As”-es
Vice Versa/Vi-ce Versa
Vise/Vice
Wait on/Wait For
Ways in Which
Whence/Thence
Whether/Whether or Not
Which/This
Who/That
Who/Whom
Wordiness
Wreaking Havoc (WRECKing or REEKing?)
You Know/I Mean/Whatever
Afterword
A Supplement for Students
Appendix 1
Appendix 2
  Foreword
I hope it’s not forward of me to assert that you, gentle reader, are in for a real treat as you peruse the pages of this little volume, written by my colleague, mentor, and friend, Don Hoeferkamp.
I’ve known Don and admired his work for over 35 years. He’s taught me so much about the English language and editorial precision. No one knows the language and its usage better than he. Even better, time after time I’ve laughed until my sides ached at his wry humor. It’s true: Don never met a split infinitive he couldn’t fix or a pun he didn’t like!
Good for him! And it’s good for us, too, because we all would be the happier for seeing life’s quirks, absurdities, and challenges as Don does—with a smile on our hearts.
I commend this delightful treasure of wit and wisdom to you now. Savor and enjoy! You’re not likely to turn any page without a grin lighting up your face (or a groan crossing your lips).
 
Dr. Jane L. Fryar
Writer/Editor
Epigraph
Whatever you are—be a good one.
-Abraham Lincoln
  Acknowledgments
Since this is my first book, I’m unsure of how this section should go. I’ll start by crediting my son Gary with planting the idea in my mind of originating a literary work. He announced that he himself was thinking of developing a book, and I considered that a goal to emulate.
I’m also very grateful to Doug, another son, for volunteering to transpose my handwritten text into the computer format desired by the publisher. He has done an outstanding job. Thanks go also to my sons Phil and Mike for their interest and encouragement along the way. I regard these four “shining stars” as very high among my many blessings!
Two other persons contributed their talents to this enterprise. Both are former employees of Concordia Publishing House in St. Louis, MO, where I also served for most of my editing career. The illustrator is Ed Koehler, an award-winning artist who lives and works in St. Louis. The author of the Foreword is Jane Fryar, a writer and editor in her own right, who now produces freelance materials from her home in Pacific, MO.
The three of us (Ed, Jane, and I) could be called (in the ancient Roman tradition) a triumvirate, except that Jane is not a vir , Latin for “man.” However, she is full of vim and vigor in many ways, having published a number of successful books, many popular Bible studies, and hundreds of curricular lessons, primarily for children.
Finally, I would be remiss if I failed to acknowledge two persons who played a major role in my formation as an editor. My high-school Latin teacher in Columbus, IN, was George Utterback, who guided me to two state championships in Latin contests held in Bloomington, IN, which is the current location of Trafford Publishing®. And the man who interceded for me when I was hired at Concordia, and who gave me invaluable, hands-on training in the art of literary pursuits, is Dr. Allan Hart Jahsmann, of Los Angeles, CA. My mentor and dear friend is still writing books in retirement at the age of 94!
 
  Introduction

 
 
“Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.” This alluring advice from a popular song captures what this book is about. Ordinarily, a book that deals with errors in grammar and word usage may seem like ill-tasting medicine in liquid form. We know that medicine is good for us and can help cure what ails us (without the ale ), but we usually dislike the distasteful process of swallowing it.
However, a spoonful of sugar sweetens the taste and helps the medicine go down “in the most delightful way.” Likewise, a lighthearted , alluring approach to the vagaries of English usage and mis usage can make the process of assimilation sweeter and more delectable. It can transform mistakes into “a comedy of errors.” “Lighthearted” means “happy, amusing, humorous, entertaining.” A Lighthearted Book of Common Errors is designed to be all of these—with a big smile!
“A cheerful heart is good medicine,” a wise man once prescribed (Proverbs 17:22). No doubt most doctors today would concur. So following the “prescriptions” herein contained can result in making progress in language ability and thus gaining a cheerful heart. That could even help everyone save on medical expenses!
Another long-standing proverb goes: “To err is human; to forgive, divine.” Since all of us are human, we very likely err quite a bit. But I hope you will be divine enough to forgive me for calling attention to errors that you may at times incur, or that occur frequently in occurrences you, er, would just as soon “ferget.” The fact that we all make errors doesn’t mean that we are bad persons , however. We’re still very valuable to the people around us, in whatever position in life we may occupy. But recognizing our mistakes and striving to overcome them can contribute to a better and happier life—and who doesn’t want that?
Sometimes it gets frustrating to experience a blizzard of common errors over the radio, on TV, and in books and magazines. (I’m not even going into the “personal” areas of e-mail, texting, tweeting, etc.) The snowdrifts expand into an avalanche as people pile up blunders parroted from others. There seems to be no end to such expressions as “each and every,” “myself included,” “try and go,” “like I said,” “lay down in bed,” and countless others. What’s a father to do?
Of course, it’s dreaming an impossible dream to try to reeducate the whole populace! We live in an imperfect world, and it will always be so. But can we at least make the effort to improve the way we speak and write? The world would be much lovelier if we didn’t have to grimace at the (sometimes thoughtless) bungles that invade our space. (If you’re blithely unaware of the existence of linguistic errors, you probably wouldn’t be reading this. Congratulations that