Bryan A. Garner

Miscellaneous Entries. triceps. While the correct term for these three-anchored muscles (especially the back muscle of the upper arm, called the “triceps brachii” by anatomists) is “triceps” in both singular and plural forms, it is so common when writing of a single muscle to drop the “-s” that *”tricep” has become a variant form — …

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underestimate. “Underestimate” is often misused for “overestimate” when writers intend the phrase “impossible to overestimate.” The misuse renders the phrase illogical, even ludicrous — e.g.: o “Claiming ‘it’s impossible to underestimate [read ‘overestimate’] the timidity of professors,’ Mansfield [Harvey C. Mansfield Jr.] worries that too many scholars are studiously avoiding teaching the hot topics of …

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unconscious; subconscious. These words are most commonly adjectives. “Unconscious” = (1) lacking consciousness; senseless {the blow knocked him unconscious}; (2) unaware {she was unconscious of the danger}; (3) not perceived by oneself {an unconscious slip of the tongue}; or (4) not done on purpose; unintentional {an unconscious slight}. “Subconscious” = not fully or wholly conscious …

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uncharted. “Uncharted” (= unmapped), as in “uncharted territory,” is often wrongly written “unchartered” — e.g.: o “He believes this latest frontier in communications is an unchartered [read ‘uncharted’] territory bound to attract Wild West-type outlaws.” Stephen Rodrick, “Cyberstoned,” Star Trib. (Minneapolis), 22 May 1995, at A10. o “This was not the Africa of Tarzan lore, …

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*uncategorically. *”Uncategorically” is a silly but distressingly common malapropism for “categorically” (= unconditionally, without qualification). And it has gotten wide exposure. In 1991, Judge Clarence Thomas, testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee, “uncategorically” denied that he had discussed pornographic materials with Ms. Anita Hill: “Senator, I would like to start by saying unequivocally, uncategorically, that …

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Miscellaneous Entries. trauma, in pathology, means “a serious wound or shock to the body,” but in popular contexts it has been largely confined to figurative (emotional) senses. travel, vb., makes “traveled” and “traveling” in American English, “travelled” and “travelling” in British English. travelogue (= a lecture or film documentary about travel to a particular place) …

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unbeknown; unbeknownst. George P. Krapp suggested that both forms are humorous, colloquial, and dialectal (A Comprehensive Guide to Good English 602 [1927]). The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English likewise suggests that both are colloquial. Eric Partridge and John Simon have written, in conformity with the Oxford English Dictionary, that “unbeknown” is preferred over the …

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unaware; unawares. Properly, “unaware” is the adjective {I am unaware of that book} and “unawares” the adverb {the rainstorm caught us unawares}. Thus, *”taken unaware” and *”caught unaware” are mistakes for the set phrases “taken unawares” and “caught unawares” — e.g.: o “And Denver was taken unaware [read ‘unawares’] when huge telephone boxes began appearing …

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tyrannical; tyrannous. Though the senses often seem to merge, “tyrannical” means “like a tyrant,” while “tyrannous” means “like a tyranny.” In the following example, it can be readily seen that a tyrant is being suggested: “Is Parks and Recreation Commissioner Harry Stern a tyrannical despot who deprives hobbyists of their natural right to troll for …

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type of. “Type of,” like “kind of,” “sort of,” and “variety of” — is often used unnecessarily and inelegantly. But when the word “type” does appear, it must have its “of” — which is unfortunately dropped in the following examples. They are typical of the modern American colloquial trend: o “The Cloister is exquisitely beautiful …

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Miscellaneous Entries. transmittal; transmission; *transmittance. “Transmittal” is more physical than “transmission,” just as “admittance” is more physical than “admission.” “Transmittal,” though labeled rare in the Oxford English Dictionary, is common in American English, especially in the phrase “transmittal letter” (= a cover letter accompanying documents or other things being conveyed to another). *”Transmittance” is a …

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turbid; turgid; turpid; torpid. “Turbid” = (of water) muddy, thick; (fig.) disordered. “Turgid” = swollen, distended, bloated, as with fluid — and by extension, it means “pompous.” “Turpid” is a rare word meaning “filthy, worthless”; it’s related to the word “turpitude” (= baseness, depravity). “Torpid” = dormant, sluggish, apathetic. “Turbid” is sometimes erroneously displaced by …

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Garner’s Usage Tip of the Day tu quoque. “Tu quoque” (/too KWOH-kwee/ [lit., “you also”] = a retort in kind; accusing an accuser of a similar offense) is a phrase that traditionally serves as a noun — e.g.: “Such gatekeepers of the right as Irving Kristol and Robert Bartley blithely promote their flat-earth ideas with …

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trustee, n. Part A: And “trusty.” Trustee (/truhs-TEE/) = a person who, having a nominal title to property, holds it in trust for the benefit of one or more others (the beneficiaries). “Trusty” (/TRUHS-tee/), n., is an Americanism meaning “a (trusted) convict or prisoner.” E.g.: “Because five jail trusties, supervised by the St. John Sheriff’s …

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Miscellaneous Entries. transformational; transformative. “Transformational” is the broader term, meaning “of or characterized by a change of form or substance.” “Transformative” means causing or (less commonly) susceptible to such a change. transfusible. So spelled — not *”transfusable.” transgression for “transition” is a malapropism — e.g.: “Ms. Ash said the laser center ‘is a natural transgression …

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truculent. “Truculent” = (1) cruel, savage; or (2) aggressively defiant; challengingly sulky; disagreeably feisty. Although sense 2 was once condemned as a slipshod extension, today it is the ordinary use — e.g.: o “The Oilers acquired Edmonton native Brantt Myhres, a truculent left winger, from the Tampa Bay Lightning yesterday in exchange for a conditional …

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troubleshoot / troubleshot / troubleshot. “Troubleshoot” is so inflected. The erroneous past-tense and past-participial form *”troubleshooted” sometimes appears — e.g.: o “Throughout the evening she troubleshooted [read ‘troubleshot’], greeted guests, mourned the winning low bid on a set of top-notch golf clubs placed by mistake on the silent-auction table, and worried about how the crowd …

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