not _as_) I can tell you." "Not _that_
(not _as_) I know." (b) _As ... as_ are correlatives. _Than_
must not replace the second _as_. Right: "As good as or better
than his neighbors." "As good as his neighbors, or better [than
they]." See 57.

=_Auto_.= An abbreviation not desirable in formal writing.

=_Awful_.= Means _filling with awe_ or _filled with awe_. Do not
use in the sense of _uncivil_, _serious_, or _ludicrous_, or
(in the adverbial form) in the sense of _very_, _extremely_.

=_Balance_.= Incorrect when used in the sense of _remainder_.

=_Because_.= Not to be used for _the fact that_. "_The fact that_
(not _because_) he is absent is no reason why we should not
proceed." See 5.

=_Between_.= Used of two persons or things. Not to be confused
with _among_, which is used of more than two.

=_Blame on_.= A crudity for _put the blame on_ or _blame_.
Faulty: "Don't blame it on me." Better: "Don't blame me."

=_Borned_.= A monstrosity for _born_. "I was _born_ (not
_borned_) in 1899."

=_Bursted_.= The past tense of _burst_ is the same as the
present.

=_Bust_ or _busted_.= Vulgar for _burst_. Right: "The balloon
burst." "The bank failed."

=_But what_.= _That_ is often preferable. "I do not doubt _that_
(not _but what_) he is honest."

=_Canine_.= An adjective. Not in good use as a noun.

=_Cannot help but_.= A confusion of _can but_ and _cannot help_.
"I can but believe you"; or "I cannot help believing you"; not
"I cannot help but believe you." See 34.

=_Caused by_.= To be used only when it refers definitely to a
noun. Wrong: "He was disappointed, caused by the lateness of
the train." The noun _disappointment_ should be used instead of
the verb _disappointed_. Then caused will have a definite
reference. Right: "His disappointment was caused by the
lateness of the train." See 23.

=_Claim_.= Means _to demand as a right_. Incorrect for _maintain_
or _assert_.

=_Considerable_.= An adjective, not an adverb. "He talked
_considerably_ (not _considerable_) about it."

=_Could of_.= An illiterate form arising from slovenly
pronunciation. Use _could have_. Avoid also _may of_, _must
of_, _would of_, etc.

=_Data_.= Plural. The singular (seldom used) is _datum_. Compare
_stratum_, _strat