Bryan A. Garner

watermark; water-mark; water mark. “Watermark” = (1) a line made by a body of water at its surface (as in a flood) and used to gauge the water’s depth; or (2) a faint identifying mark pressed into fine paper during manufacture, or an analogous identifier embedded in a computer file by software. The word in […]

Language-Change Index. The third edition of Garner’s Modern American Usage reflects several new practices. Invariably inferior forms, for example, are now marked with asterisks preceding the term or phrase, a marking common in linguistics. The most interesting new feature is the Language-Change Index. Its purpose is to measure how widely accepted various linguistic innovations have

Miscellaneous Entries. veld /velt/ (= an open, nearly treeless grassland) is the standard spelling. *”Veldt” is a variant (chiefly in South African English). vendor (= one who sells) is the standard spelling. *”Vender” is a variant. “Vendor” is pronounced /VEN-duhr/, not /VUN-dor/. venerable = (of people) worthy of being venerated, revered, or highly respected and

wary; weary. To be “wary” of something is to be on one’s guard against it: cautious, watchful, and perhaps worried. E.g.: “Consumers remain wary of anthrax sent through the mail.” Stephanie Miles, “Apparel E-tailers to Spruce Up for Holidays,” Wall Street J., 6 Nov. 2001, at B6. To be “weary” is to be physically fatigued

wanton; reckless. In law, the word “wanton” usually denotes a greater degree of culpability than “reckless” does. A reckless person is generally fully aware of the risks and may even be trying and hoping to avoid harm. A wanton person may be risking no more harm than the reckless person, but he or she is

want, n. The usual sense, of course, is “something desired” or “a desire.” But “want” has a long history as a formal word meaning “lack,” especially in the phrase “for want of.” Though this sense formerly had a literary cast, today it is fairly common even in informal writing — e.g.: o “The Republican incumbent,

Miscellaneous Entries. variable, adj.; variant, adj.; variational; *variative. “Variable” = subject to variation; characterized by variations. “Variant” = differing in form or in details from the one named or considered, differing thus among themselves (Concise Oxford Dictionary). “Variational” = of, pertaining to, or marked or characterized by variation. *”Variative” shares the senses of “variational”; because

waiver. “Waiver” (= voluntary relinquishment of a right or advantage) is primarily a noun; “waver” (= to vacillate) is primarily a verb. It is a fairly common solecism to misuse “waiver” for “waver” — e.g.: o “But when the defense lawyer found out the judge was waivering [read ‘wavering’], Mr. Polanski left the country.” Caryn

waive. Part A: Narrowing of Sense. This word has undergone what linguists call “specialization,” its primary sense having gotten narrower with time. Originally, “waive” was just as broad as “abandon” {the fleeing thief waived the stolen goods}. But today, “waive” means “to relinquish voluntarily (something that one has the right to expect)” {the popular entertainer

waistband. “Waistband” is sometimes, in a gross error, written *”wasteband” — e.g.: o “The women sucked in their breath and tried to push their belly-buttons into fleshy balloons over their wastebands [read ‘waistbands’].” Rebecca Walsh, “Dancers at Fest Bare Their Bellies, Escape Daily Grind,” Salt Lake Trib., 28 Aug. 1994, at B1. o “He allegedly

waist; waste. Substituting “waste” for “waist” is most often a pun — e.g.: “County Is Waste-Deep in Reduction/Recycling Assistance” (headline), Tampa Trib., 9 Nov. 2008, Local News §, at 3. But not always — e.g.: o “Johnny Campbell, 22, tied a tow chain around his waste [read ‘waist’] and waded through waste-deep [read ‘waist-deep’] water

Miscellaneous Entries. v.; vs. Both are acceptable abbreviations of “versus,” but they differ in application: “vs.” is more common except in names of law cases, in which “v.” is the accepted abbreviation. vagina; vulva. The term “vagina” is now frequently used to denote not just the internal organ (the strict meaning), but also the external

vouchsafe. “Vouchsafe” ordinarily denotes “to grant something in a condescending way,” or, more neutrally, “to grant something as a special favor.” The word is often mildly sarcastic — e.g.: “Gen. Powell’s opinions, as he has been vouchsafing them, were unformed or, where formed, oddly out of date.” “America’s Son,” Nat’l Rev., 27 Nov. 1995, at

Vogue Words. In the mid-1990s, unnatural-looking hair dye became all the rage. Teenagers used it. Thirty-somethings used it — and applied it to their young children’s hair. Women of all ages used it. Even many middle-aged men used it. By 2001, the craze had long since spread over the globe. For example, in the summer

vociferous; voracious. A “vociferous” person is loud, noisy, and clamorous; a “vociferous” crowd is characterized by unrestrained yelling. A “voracious” person or animal, meanwhile, devours food ravenously; a “voracious” reader has an insatiable desire for books, magazines, and other reading materials. In short, although the two words appear similar, they apply to very different types

viz. “Viz.” is an abbreviation of the Latin word “videlicet” (fr. “videbere” “to see” + “licet” “it is permissible”). The English-language equivalents are “namely” and “that is,” either of which is preferable. Like its English counterparts, the Latin term signifies that what follows particularizes and explains a general statement. E.g.: o “For too long Virginia’s

Miscellaneous Entries. used-book store. So written, not *”used bookstore.” E.g.: “We all have this vision of the perfect used bookstore [read ‘used-book store’]: it seems to come out of a Dickens story, or maybe the film version of The Old Curiosity Shop.” Ian C. Ellis, Book Finds: How to Find, Buy, and Sell Used and