Democratic Sentinel, Volume 22, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 January 1898 — Common Errors in Speech. [ARTICLE]

Common Errors in Speech.

The verb to get is one of our much misused words; it means to acquire, win, obtain; and, primarily, ft signifies the putting forth of effort to attain something. Consequently his not only superfluous, but incorrect, to speak of a man as “getting drowned' or “getting <ck;” and you may, unfortunately, "have a cold,*' biA it is Imposdhle that you “have got a cold.” At this moment no exceptions occur to the writer to the tule that got should never be used in eonnection with have, which alone suftqlontly expresses possession. Say “1 have the picture," not “I have got the picture;” “The dog has a broken leg,” Sot “The dog has got a broken leg.” The Irregular verbs lay and lie are frequently confounded. Lay Is an active or transitive verb, and He Is passive or htransltlvtf. We lay things down or lave laid them down; but we and things de at fest. You lie down, have lain down, will He down, or are lying down; she lay down yesterday and ie going to lie down this afternoon. A frequent error is to confound the past tenses of these verbs. One should say, “Mary laid the bonk on the table, and lay down herself;” but the book lies <xn the table Magaclne. Dishes Made from Rabbits' Hair. Bowls, dishes and plates are made from the hair of rabbits and other animals In Russia. The articles are felted and afterward varnished. These uten■Us have the appearance of papier mache, or varnished leather, and po». Sthe properties of being strong, durand exceedingly light