judge; justice. In American English, as a general rule, judges sitting on the highest appellate level of a jurisdiction are known as “justices.” Trial judges and appellate judges on intermediate levels are generally called “judges,” not “justices.” New York and Texas depart from these rules of thumb. In New York, “justices” sit on the trial …

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Miscellaneous Entries. interface, v.i., is jargonmongers’ talk — e.g.: “This man possesses the ability to interface and relate with people from all social and economic levels.” “Interface” should be left to computerese. intermezzo is pronounced /in-tuhr-MET-soh/ or /in-tuhr-MED-zoh/, but not /-MEZ-oh/. The plural is “intermezzos.” interpersonal. “What this [word] adds to ‘personal’ except five letters …

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jodhpur. “Jodhpur” /JOD-puhr/ derives from the city of Jodhpur, India. The word (almost invariably used in the plural) refers to a type of flared-at-the-thigh pants used in English horse-riding. Through a kind of visual metathesis, the word is often mispronounced /JOD-fuhr/. And believe it or not, this error pervades the horse-riding industry. The mispronunciation sometimes …

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jocular; jocose; jocund. “Jocular” (/JOK-yuh-luhr/) is the most common, but the other two aren’t quite needless variants. “Jocular” and “jocose” (/joh-KOHS/) both mean “given to joking” or “intended jokingly; humorous.” But “jocular” suggests a playful disposition {her jocular manner endeared her to others} or deliberate facetiousness {jocular remarks during the business meeting}, while “jocose” often …

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jeopardize; jeopard; enjeopard. H.W. Horwill wrote that in American English “‘jeopard’ is preferred to ‘jeopardize,’ the common term in England.” Modern American Usage 178 (2d ed. 1944). This wasn’t true in 1944, and it isn’t true today — e.g.: o “Mr. Connelly said no federal funds were jeopardized by the ordinance.” Joyce Price, “Allentown Feels …

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awful; awfully. The word awful has undergone several transformations. Originally, it meant “inspiring or filled with aw.” Its meaning then degenerated to “horrible, terrible” [what an awful accident]. And awfully, meanwhile, became an equivalent of very but with greater intensity [Joe was awfully sorry about the mix-up]. Nobody objects to these uses in speech, and …

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aquaculture. Aquaculture (= the cultivation of marine life) is now the standard spelling. *Aquiculture–once given as the main headword in most American dictionaries–is now a variant. For information about the Language-Change Index click here. ==================== – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – …

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misnomer. Speakers and writers frequently misuse this word, meaning “an inappropriate name,” to mean “a popular misconception” — e.g.: “‘The last I remember, only 7 percent of Division I programs operate in the black. The common misnomer [read ‘misunderstanding’] is that people see this as a multi-million-dollar business.’” “College Arena a Marketplace,” Times Union (Albany), …

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fundament. “Fundament” = (1) basis; or (2) anus or buttocks. Sense 2 is more common in British English than in American — e.g.: “There is even a 12-step group for people addicted to 12-step groups — which is very Fight Club, but surely only a small step away from one’s head disappearing entirely up one’s …

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Miscellaneous Entries. -fy. Most verbs ending in “-fy” — from the French “-fier” or Latin “-ficare” “to do or make” — are preceded by an “-i-” {classify}. But a few aren’t {liquefy} {putrefy} {stupefy} because the corresponding infinitives in French and Latin are spelled with an “-e-” (“liquefier,” etc.), and the words were borrowed directly …

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etymology (3). Today: Etymological Awareness. Through wide reading and a conscious sensitivity to words and their origins, good writers become aware of etymological associations that may escape others. Ignorance of etymologies can easily lead writers astray, as when a journalist gave the label “holocaust” (Gk. “burnt whole”) to a flood. Following are sentences in which …

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etymology (2). Today: Native vs. Classical Elements. The English language has benefited from diverse sources. This diversity springs mostly from the English Renaissance, when writers supplemented what they considered a meager vocabulary by borrowing freely from foreign languages, mostly Latin, French, and Greek. Thus William Caxton, who introduced printing into England in 1477, is credited …

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etymology (1). Today: English Etymology Generally. Etymology is the study of word derivations. Understanding etymology often leads to a greater appreciation of linguistic nuances. For example, “exorbitant” is Latin “ex-” (= out of, away from) + “orbita” (= a wheel track), hence “off track” or “out of line.” “Symposium” is Greek “syn-” (= together) + …

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whilst. “Whilst,” though correct British English, is virtually obsolete in American English and reeks of pretension in the work of a modern American writer — e.g.: “Whilst [read ‘While’] I was on vacation last week, it seems the Bethlehem Police Force got off the hook for killing a young man, John Hirko, in April.” Paul …

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vale of tears. In this age-old idiom, “vale” means “world.” But writers have often mistakenly spelled it *”veil of tears” — e.g.: o “Edwin C. Daly left this veil [read ‘vale’] of tears on Monday (April 15, 1996) at his home in Tamarac, FL.” “Edwin C. Daly” (obit.), Hartford Courant, 30 Apr. 1996, at B8. …

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transpire. The traditionally correct meaning of this word is “to pass through a surface; come to light; become known by degrees.” But that sense is now beyond redemption, though writers should be aware of it. Today, of course, the popular use of “transpire” is as a formal word equivalent to “happen,” “occur,” or “take place.” …

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