"_irradicable_," for _uneradicable_, used on page 5th of his _Prize Essay
on Education_.

PRECEPT IV.--Avoid bombast, or affectation of fine writing. It is
ridiculous, however serious the subject. The following is an example:
"Personifications, however rich the depictions, and unconstrained their
latitude; analogies, however imposing the objects of parallel, and the
media of comparison; can never expose the consequences of sin to the extent
of fact, or the range of demonstration."--_Anonymous_.

SECTION II.--OF PROPRIETY.

Propriety of language consists in the selection and right construction of
such words as the best usage has appropriated to those ideas which we
intend to express by them. Impropriety embraces all those forms of error,
which, for the purpose of illustration, exercise, and special criticism,
have been so methodically and so copiously posted up under the various
heads, rules, and notes, of this extensive Grammar. A few suggestions,
however, are here to be set down in the form of precepts.

PRECEPT I.--Avoid low and provincial expressions: such as, "Now, _says I_,
boys;"--"_Thinks I to myself;"--"To get into a scrape_;"--"Stay here
_while_ I come back;"--"_By jinkers;"--"By the living jingoes_."

PRECEPT II.--In writing prose, avoid words and phrases that are merely
poetical: such as, _morn, eve, plaint, corse, weal, drear, amid, oft,
steepy;--"what time_ the winds arise."

PRECEPT III.--Avoid technical terms: except where they are necessary in
treating of a particular art or science. In technology, they are proper.

PRECEPT IV.--Avoid the recurrence of a word in different senses, or such a
repetition of words as denotes paucity of language: as, "His own _reason_
might have suggested better _reasons_."--"Gregory _favoured_ the
undertaking, for no other reason than this; that the manager, in
countenance, _favoured_ his friend."--"I _want_ to go and see what he
_wants_."

PRECEPT V.--Supply words that are wanting: thus, instead of saying, "This
action increased his former services," say, "This action increased _the
merit of_ his former services."--"How many [_kinds of_] substantives are
there? Two; proper and common."--See _E. Devis's Gram._, p. 14. "These
changes should not be left to be settled by chance or by caprice, but
[_should be determined_] by the judicious application of the principles of
Orthography."--See _Fowlers E. Gram._, 1850, p. 170.

PRECEPT VI.--Avoid equivocal or ambiguous exp