Garner’s Usage Tip of the Day

utmost, adj.; upmost, adj. The usual word is “utmost” (= most extreme; of the greatest urgency or intensity) {an issue of the utmost importance}. “Upmost” (= highest; farthest up) is a fairly uncommon variant of “uppermost.” Yet writers have begun misusing “upmost” in contexts where “utmost” is called for — e.g.: o “In a competitive …

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Miscellaneous Entries. umpteenth is sometimes misspelled *”umteenth” — e.g.: “A House subcommittee is at work on Virginia’s umteenth [read umpteenth] study of campaign-finance reform.” “Campaign-Finance Reform: Mandate Disclosure,” Virginian-Pilot & Ledger Star (Norfolk), 8 Aug. 1996, at A18. unalterable; *inalterable. The latter is a needless variant. unanimous appears in various redundant phrases, such as *”unanimously …

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*used to could. *”Used to could” is dialectal for “used to be able to” or “could formerly.” It appears mostly in reported speech — e.g.: o “‘I was a lot stronger back then,’ Webb said. ‘I used to could [read ‘once could’ or ‘used to be able to’] take a 100-pound bag and lift it …

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used to (3). Today: Contracted Form of “used not to.” In Irish speech, the formal phrase “used not to” is sometimes contracted (rather awkwardly) to “usen’t to” or “usedn’t to” — e.g.: o “Ivy Reading, who worked there for 40 years, said: ‘Saturdays we usen’t to be able to [read ‘couldn’t’] stop even for a …

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used to (2). Today: “didn’t used to”; *”didn’t use to.” “Didn’t used to” (= formerly didn’t) is the informal equivalent of the standard form “never used to” and the rarely encountered phrase “used not to” — e.g.: o “‘Green’ didn’t used to be a popular word in the white world of skiing and snowboarding.” Gary …

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used to (1). Today: Generally. “Used to,” not *”use to,” is the phrase meaning “formerly” — e.g.: o “For those who don’t know, Dagmar was a very big blond, what we use to [read ‘used to’] call in those days ‘well-endowed.’” Nick Clooney, “Hanging Out with Rosie on Early TV,” Cincinnati Post, 8 Jan. 2003, …

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usage. “Usage” generally refers to an idiom or form of speech, an occurrence of one, or forms of speech in general. E.g.: o “The first three usages [of ‘received pronunciation’] attested in OED indeed derive from his work, beginning in 1869.” L.C. Mugglestone, “John Walker and Alexander Ellis,” Notes & Queries, 1 Mar. 1997, at …

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Miscellaneous Entries. ukulele. So spelled — not *”ukelele.” ultimately = (1) in the end {she ultimately changed her mind}; (2) basically; fundamentally {the two words are ultimately related}. ultimatum. The plural is “ultimatums.” The native plural “-ums” has long been considered preferable to the Latinate “-ta” — e.g.: “The 49ers president delivered an ultimatum to …

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upward(s). Although “upward” is generally the preferred adverb and adjective in American English, the form ending in “-s” has become established in the set phrase “upwards of” (= more than). But “more than” is usually better than “upwards of” — e.g.: o “The company said that upwards of [read ‘more than’] 15 percent of the …

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*up to —- off and more. This bit of illogic crops up fairly often in print ads and store signs. At a sale touted as offering up to 50% off and more, for example, all we know is that the sale price is (1) less than 50% off, (2) 50% off, or (3) more than …

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upon. “Upon” is a formal word appropriate for formal occasions — e.g.: “Beneath his likeness sits a table upon [read ‘on’] which participants place the fabric after prostrating themselves three times.” Norine Dresser, “Southern California Voices,” L.A. Times, 8 Feb. 1997, at B7. But in most contexts “upon” is unnecessary in place of “on” — …

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unwieldy. “Unwieldy,” an adjective meaning “difficult to handle” {unwieldy packages}, often seems to be mistaken for an adverb ending in “-ly” — e.g.: o “And it doesn’t require an unwieldly [read ‘unwieldy’], lengthy tournament to improve the situation.” Mark Kiszla, “Nittany Lions Left with Whine, Roses,” Denver Post, 3 Jan. 1995, at C1. o “The …

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Miscellaneous Entries. typography; topography. “Typography” = the study and techniques of using type in printing, esp. as a designer or a typesetter. “Topography” = the three-dimensional shape of terrain. On occasion the first word gets misused for the second — e.g.: “The highest and best use of the property is the mining of limestone, says …

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untrammeled. “Untrammeled” = unfettered; free. A trammel is a restraint in the form of a net or shackle. E.g.: “When Bush leaves office . . . , the radical theory of untrammeled executive power propounded by his administration will leave, too.” Richard Just, “House Hold,” New Republic, 12 Mar. 2008, at 2. The traditional sense …

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unsupportable; insupportable. Both forms are standard and have been since they were first recorded in English in the 16th century. “Unsupportable” is about twice as common as “insupportable” in American print sources — e.g.: “[A]dding $212 a month for health insurance to food, transportation, and housing costs in this high-cost state might well prove an …

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unrelentlessly. *”Unrelentlessly” is a solecism for either “unrelentingly” or “relentlessly.” Ironically, this nonword literally suggests just the opposite of the intended meaning — e.g.: o “He has unrelentlessly [read ‘relentlessly’ or, better, ‘faithfully’] served as a committee person involved in parks and recreation, fire prevention, police and emergency services, highway management, budget control and youth …

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*unmercilessly. *”Unmercilessly” is a malapropism and nonword on the order of *”uncategorically.” “Mercilessly,” of course, is the word — e.g.: o “He worked with top-flight professionals and drilled them unmercilessly [read ‘mercilessly’].” David Richards, “That Fosse Flair,” Wash. Post, 27 Sept. 1987, at F12. o “They were joined in their crime by the ‘slashers’ who …

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Miscellaneous Entries. twofold, threefold, fourfold, and the like should each be spelled as one word. tying. So spelled — not *”tieing.” tyke (= a child, esp. a small boy) is the standard spelling. *”Tike” is a variant. typing; typewriting. “Typing” is the standard term for operating an alphanumeric keyboard whether done on a typewriter, a …

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unlike in. Though some critics have called the phrase a “gaucherie” and worse, “unlike in” — in which “unlike” takes on an adverbial sense — is now common in American and British English alike. Of all the instances in which “unlike” appears, it is followed by “in” about 2% of the time — meaning, statistically, …

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unleash. “Unleash” is premised on the analogy of letting a threatening or vicious animal off a leash. But a surprising number of writers have misunderstood that and written the meaningless *”unlease” — e.g.: o “But Mr. Williams unleases [read ‘unleashes’] a fiery temper at managers who fail to make budget.” Eric N. Berg, “Suntrust’s Florida …

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