Bryson's Dictionary of Troublesome Words - Bill Bryson [27]
epidemic, endemic, pandemic. Strictly speaking, only people can suffer an epidemic (the word means “in or among people”). An outbreak of disease among animals is epizootic. It is also worth noting that epidemic refers only to outbreaks. When a disease or other problem is of long standing, it is endemic. Pandemic (meaning “all the people”) is often vaguely defined in dictionaries. Strictly, it indicates only an unusually high level of infection. By this definition you could have a pandemic in a single locality. In practice, however, the word is usually reserved for outbreaks that are global or nearly so.
epigram, epigraph. The first is a short, witty saying or poem. The second is an inscription, as on a monument or statue, or an introductory quotation at the beginning of a book or substantial block of text.
equable, equitable. Most dictionaries define equable as meaning steady and unvarying, but it should also convey the sense of being remote from extremes. A consistently hot climate is not equable, no matter how unvarying the temperature. Similarly, someone whose outlook is invariably sunny cannot properly be described as having an equable temperament. Equitable, with which equable is sometimes confused, means fair and impartial. An equitable settlement is a just one.
equally as is always wrong. “This is equally as good” should be “This is equally good” or “This is as good.”
especially, specially. Specially means for a specific purpose or occasion, as in “a specially designed wedding dress.” Especially means particularly or exceptionally, as in “an especially talented singer.” A simple guide is to ask yourself whether you could substitute particularly. If so, the word you want is especially.
estimated at about. “The crowd was estimated at about 50,000” (Los Angeles Times). Because estimated contains the idea of an approximation, about is superfluous. Delete it.
et cetera (etc.). “Thousands competed, thousands watched, and thousands also observed—volunteers all of them—who only pinned numbers, massaged muscles, supplied water, charted positions, screamed encouragement, etc.” (Los Angeles Times). In lexicography and other types of technical writing, etc. has its place. But in newspapers and magazines its use can suggest that the writer didn’t know what else he meant or, as in the foregoing example, was too lazy to tell us. Generally it is better avoided.
euro (lowercase) for the unit of currency used by most, but not all, of the nations of the European Union since early 2002.
evangelical, evangelistic. Generally, evangelical is best reserved for contexts pertaining to the Christian gospel. If you need a word to describe militant zeal or the like, evangelistic is almost always better (e.g., “the evangelistic fervor of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament”).
eventuate. “Competition for economic interest, power and social esteem can eventuate in community formation only if . . .” (British Journal of Sociology, cited by Hudson). A pompous synonym for result.
ever. “On Wall Street, a late rally provided shares with their largest ever one-day rise” (Times). Many authorities (including the style book of the Times itself) object to ever in the sense used here on the grounds that the word covers the future as well as the past, and we cannot possibly know what Wall Street stocks, or anything else, will be doing tomorrow.
The logic of the argument is impeccable, but it has two shortcomings. First, it fails to acknowledge that the usage has been well established for the better part of a century and can thus be defended on grounds