Bryson's Dictionary of Troublesome Words - Bill Bryson [26]
economic, economical. If what you mean is cheap and thrifty, use economical. For every other sense, use economic. An economic rent is one that is not too cheap for the landlord. An economical rent is one that is not too expensive for the tenant.
Ecuadorean is generally the preferred spelling for a person or product from Ecuador.
e.g., i.e. The first is an abbreviation of exempli gratia and means “for example,” as in “Some words are homonyms, e.g., blew and blue.” The second is the abbreviation for id est and means “that is” or “that is to say,” as in “He is pusillanimous, i.e., lacking in courage.”
egoism, egotism. The first pertains to the philosophical notion that a person can prove nothing beyond the existence of his own mind. It is the opposite of altruism and is better left to contexts involving metaphysics and ethics. If all you wish to suggest is inflated vanity or preoccupation with the self, use egotism.
Eiffel Tower, Paris, but Eifel Mountains, Germany.
eisteddfod for a Welsh festival or competition of music or literature. The plural is eisteddfods or (in Welsh) eisteddfodau.
either. “Decisions on Mansfield’s economy are now made in either Detroit, Pittsburgh, or New York” (New York Times). Either suggests a duality and is almost always better avoided when the context involves quantities of more than two. Often in such constructions, as in the example cited, it is unnecessary anyway; delete it and the sentence says no less.
A separate problem with either is seen here: “But in every case the facts either proved too elusive or the explanations too arcane to be satisfactory.” Either should be placed before “the facts” or deleted; for a discussion, see BOTH . . . AND. For a discussion of errors of number involving either, see NEITHER.
elegy, eulogy. The first is a mournful poem; the second is a tribute to the dead.
elemental, elementary. Elemental refers to things that are basic or primary: “Physiology is an elemental part of a medical student’s studies.” Elementary means simple or introductory: “This phrase book provides an elementary guide to Spanish.”
elicit, extract, extort. These three are broadly synonymous but are distinguished by the degree of force they imply. Elicit, the mildest of the three, means to draw or coax out, and can additionally suggest an element of craftiness: you can elicit information without the informant’s being aware that he has divulged it. Extract suggests a stronger and more persistent effort, possibly involving threats or importuning. Extort is stronger still and suggests clear threats of violence or harm.
embalmment. Note -mm-.
embarrass, embarrassment. Both are misspelled more often than they should be. Note, however, that the French spelling is embarras, as in embarras de richesses (“an embarrassment of riches”) and embarras du choix (“an embarrassment of choice”). See also HARASS.
empathy, sympathy. Empathy denotes a deep emotional understanding of the feelings or problems of another. It is thus close in meaning to compassion. Sympathy is more general. It can denote a closeness of understanding, but it can equally suggest no more than an abstract or intellectual awareness of another’s misfortune. Empathy generally applies only to serious misfortunes; sympathy can apply to any small annoyance or setback.
empower. Not en-.
encumbrance. Not -erance.
endemic. See EPIDEMIC.
enormity. “Some people . . . lamented that the men whom America sent into space were not articulate or impassioned enough to register the enormity of their undertaking” (New Yorker). Enormity does not, as is frequently thought, indicate size, but rather refers to something that is wicked, monstrous, and outrageous (“The enormity of Hitler’s crimes will never be forgotten”). In the example above, the writer should have said enormousness—or, better still, found a less ungainly synonym like immensity or vastness.
envisage, envision. Both words suggest the calling up of a mental