_Don't_. Not to be used for _doesn't,_ after a singular subject such as he.
_Else_. Not follow by _but_; say, “nothing else _than_ pride.”
_Expect_. Do not use for _think,_ as in “I _expect_ it is so.”
_Fetch_. Means to _go and bring,_ hence _go and fetch_ is wrong.
_Fix_. Not used for _arrange_ or the like, as “fix the furniture.”
_From_. Say, “He died of cholera,” not _from_.
_Got_. Properly you “have _got_” what you made an effort to get, not what you merely “have.”
_Graduate_. Say, “The man _is graduated_ from college,” and “The college _graduates_ the man.”
_Had ought. Ought_ never requires any part of the verb _to have_.
_Had rather, had better_. Disputed, but used by good writers.
_Kind of_. After these two words omit _a,_ and say, “What kind of man,” not “What kind of _a_ man.” Also, do not say, “_kind_ of tired.”
_Lady_. Feminine for _lord,_ therefore do not speak of a “sales-lady,” “a man and his lady,” etc.
_Last; latter_. We say _latter_ of two, in preference to _last;_ but _last_ of three.
_Lay; lie_. We _lay_ a thing down, but we ourselves _lie_ down; we say, “He laid the Bible on the table,” but “He lay down on the couch;” “The coat has been laid away,” and “It has lain in the drawer.” _Lay, laid, laid_——takes an object; _lie, lay, lain_——does not.
_Learn_. Never used as an active verb with an object, a in “I _learned_ him his letters.” We say, “He _learned_ his letters,” and “I _taught_ him his letters.”
_Learned_. “A _learned_ man”——pronounce _learn-ed_ with two syllables; but “He has _learned_ his lesson”——one syllable.
_Like_. Do not say, “Do _like_ I do.” Use _as_ when a conjunction is required.
_Lives_. Do not say, “I had just as _lives_ as not,” but “I had just as _Lief_.”
_Lot_. Does not mean _many,_ as in “a _lot_ of men,” but one _division,_ as, “in that lot.”
_Lovely_. Do not overwork this word. A rose may be _lovely,_ but hardly a plate of soup.
_Mad_. We prefer to say _angry_ if we mean out _of temper_.
_Mistaken_. Some critics insist that it is wrong to say “I am mistaken” when we mean “I mistake.”
_Love_. We _like_ candy rather than _love_ it. Save Love for something higher.
_Most_. In writing, do not use _'most_ for _almost_.
_Mutual friend_. Though Dickens used this expression in one of his titles in the sense of common _friend,_ it is considered incorrect by many critics. The proper meaning of _mutual_ is reciprocal.