Bryan A. Garner

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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trope. “Trope” (/trohp/) means (1) a figure of speech, esp. a word or phrase used metaphorically, or (2) a motif. Sense 1 is the traditional one — e.g.: “And yet he has held on to the trope of product-launch-as-birth; as recently as the days following the launch of the iPhone, he surprised someone who’s known …

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trooper; trouper. “Trooper” = (1) a cavalry soldier or horse; (2) a police officer mounted on horseback; or (3) a state police officer. “Trouper” = (1) a member of an acting troupe; (2) one who handles adversity well; or (3) a loyal, dependable person. The proper expression, then, is “real trouper” (sense 2), not *”real …

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Miscellaneous Entries. transatlantic; *trans-Atlantic. The former is the standard spelling — on both sides of the Atlantic. “Transpacific” follows the same standard. transcendent; transcendental. “Transcendent” = surpassing or excelling others of its kind; preeminent. It is loosely used by some writers in the sense “excellent.” “Transcendental” = supernatural; mystical; metaphysical; superhuman. The adverbial forms are …

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troop; troupe. Both “troop” and “troupe” have their origins in the medieval French term “troupeau,” meaning “crowd” or “herd.” “Troop” = an assembled unit of soldiers {a troop of parachutists}. The plural form “troops” signifies soldiers {the troops were deployed along the crest of the ridge} and is usually modified by an adjective to indicate …

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Garner’s Usage Tip of the Day trompe l’oeil; *trompe d’oeil; *tromp d’oeil; *trump l’oeil. “Trompe l’oeil,” meaning “deceives the eye,” is by far the most common spelling of this gallicism. It’s the one recorded in most dictionaries. “*trompe d’oeil” is less common. *”Tromp d’oeil” and *”trump l’oeil” are needless variants. The phrase can apply to …

Garner’s Usage Tip of the Day: trompe l’oeil; *trompe d’oeil; *tromp d’oeil; *trump l’oeil. Read More »