scissors. As a term for the cutting instrument, scissors has been treated as a plural since the 14th century, and that is the preferred modern construction {where are the scissors?}. But the phrase “a pair of scissors,” which first appeared in the 15th century, is singular because the noun “pair” controls the verb, not the …

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schism. “Schism” (= division, separation) is now almost always used figuratively — e.g.: o “But then the remaining members of the family arrive, and with them the signs of schism.” David Delman, “Crime Reveals Underside of Happy American Family,” Times Union (Albany), 4 Apr. 1995, at C2. o “The issue has also created a schism …

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scarify. “Scarify” (from “scar”) means (1) “to make superficial marks or incisions in; cut off skin from”; (2) “to break up the surface of (the ground) with a spiked machine [a scarifier] for loosening soil or building roads”; or (3) “to pain by severe criticism.” Sense 1 is most common — e.g.: “Buy scarified Bahia …

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say; state, vb. Whenever possible, use “say” rather than “state.” The latter typically sounds stilted. But there is a substantive as well as a tonal difference: “say” means “to tell; to relate,” while “state” means “to set out (formally); to make a specific declaration.” Theodore Bernstein, the assistant managing editor of The New York Times, …

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Miscellaneous Entries. saccharin(e). "Saccharin" is the noun {saccharin is a known carcinogen}, "saccharine" the adjective {saccharine television shows}. sacerdotal (= priestly) is best pronounced /sas-uhr-DOH-tuhl/; /sak-/ is a variant pronunciation. sacrosanct, literally "most sacred," is now often ironic. Sometimes the irony appears unintentional — e.g.: "Ray Kroc, who founded the McDonald’s empire, wrote that the …

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saw / sawed / sawed. The past participle “sawn” is mostly archaic except in British English. “Sawed-off” is the overwhelming favorite in American English, “sawn-off” the overwhelming favorite in British English. But in the past few decades, “sawn-off” (whether in reference to shotguns, antlers, or branches) has made small inroads against “sawed-off” in American writing. …

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save. “Save,” in the sense “except,” is an archaism best avoided. But as the following examples illustrate, it still occasionally appears — e.g.: o “Everyone, save [read except] for a handful of brief, part-time employees, came back.” Lauri Githens, “The Club That Wouldn’t Die,” Buffalo News, 1 Apr. 1994, Gusto §, at 16. o “He …

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SAT. This term originated in 1926 as an initialism for the “Scholastic Aptitude Test,” developed by Princeton psychology professor (and eugenicist) Carl C. Brigham from an IQ test he had created for the U.S. Army during World War I. It was first administered to high-school students that same year, and was later adopted by Harvard. …

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Miscellaneous Entries. rotary; rotatory. “Rotary” is the everyday adjective describing something that spins on an axis, esp. a mechanical object {rotary razor}. In technical and scientific writing, “rotatory” describes something subject to or causing a spinning force {optical rotatory dispersion}. route is pronounced either /root/ or /rowt/. For quite some time, pronunciation specialists have heavily …

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sanctionable. Like “sanction,” “sanctionable”carries a double sense of approval and disapproval. Most often, “sanctionable” means “deserving punishment” — e.g.: “‘It had never been suggested that a physician’s discussion of marijuana as a medical option was illegal or otherwise sanctionable,’ the suit states.” Mike McKee, “Doctors Fight Back on Prop 215,” Recorder (S.F.), 15 Jan. 1997, …

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sanatorium; sanitorium; *sanatarium; *sanitarium. Dictionaries are almost evenly split between the spellings “sanatorium” and “sanitorium” (= an institution for the treatment of chronic diseases or care of long-term convalescents; a health resort). *"Sanatarium" and *"sanitarium" are needless variants — e.g.: o “Early Tuesday, Carter — the first former or current American president to visit Castro’s …

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Miscellaneous Entries. rigmarole (= a senselessly cumbersome, hassle-filled procedure) is the standard spelling. *"Rigamarole" is a variant spelling that is less than half as common in print. Despite its spelling, “rigmarole” is usually pronounced /RIG-uh-muh-rohl/, though the dictionaries record /RIG-muh-rohl/. rill; *rille. “Rill” = (1) a brook or stream; or (2) a long, narrow trench …

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same (4) Today: In Ill-Formed Phrases. Part A: *"Same . . . as are." “Are” often appears superfluously when writers state that two or more things are identical — e.g.: “Tucson officials say they are not in the same financial straits as are [read ‘as’] officials in Boston, where bankruptcy remains a possibility.” Stephanie Innes, …

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same (3). Today: As a Constitutional Crisis. An ambiguous “same” pronoun once gave rise to a major constitutional question: whether John Tyler was in fact the tenth President of the United States. When President William Henry Harrison died on April 4, 1841, Article II of the Constitution read: “In case of the removal of the …

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same (2). Today: As a Pronoun Generally. Unfortunately, the pretentious construction (“same” as a pronoun) has spread from legalese to general writing — e.g.: “Two more yards and it would have been Young’s first NFL touchdown. Noting same [read ‘that fact’?], he spat out a wad of smokeless tobacco before leaving the dressing room.” John …

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same (1). Today: As a Pronoun in Legalese. This usage, commonly exemplified in the phrase “acknowledging same,” is a primary symptom of legalese. H.W. Fowler wrote trenchantly that it “is avoided by all who have any skill in writing” and that those who use it seem bent on giving the worst possible impression of themselves …

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