- words to think about 6 - common usage errors -

Following Steve King's blatant misuse of the word "anxious" today, I thought it prudent to offer this collection of Common Usage Errors (from my book Word Smart).

Anxious - This word properly means "filled with anxiety," not "eager." Don't say you're anxious for school to end unless the ending of school makes you feel fearful.

Common vs Mutual - Common means "shared"; mutual means "reciprocal." If Tim and Tom have a common dislike, they both dislike the same thing (anchovies). If Tim and Tom have a mutual dislike, they dislike each other.

Commonplace - In careful usage, this word is an adjective meaning "ordinary" or "uninteresting." It can also be used as a noun meaning a "trite or obvious observation" or a "cliché." It should not be used as a substitute for the word "common."

To say that French food is the best in the world is a commonplace.
It is common but neither interesting nor perceptive to say that French food is the best in the world.

Farther vs Further - Farther refers to actual, literal distance -- the kind measure in inches and miles [I know, it's American]. Further refers to figurative distance. Use farther if the distance can be measured; use further if it cannot.

Paris is farther from New York than London is.
Paris is further from my thoughts than London is.
We hiked seven miles but then were incapable of hiking farther.
I made a nice outline for my thesis but never went any further.

That vs Which - Most people confuse these two words. Many people who know the difference have trouble remembering it. Here's a simple rule that will almost always work: that can never have a comma in front of it; which always will.

There is the car that ran over my foot.
Ed's car, which ran over my foot, is over there.
I like sandwiches that are dripping with mustard [again, Americans...].
My sandwich, which was dripping with mustard, was the kind I like.

Which is used in place of that if it follows another that: "We were fond of that feeling of contentment which follows victory."

[I have received the comment that this is only an American English {if there is such a word} rule, and we Australians/NZers are exempt from this since we use British English. However is there substantial back-up evidence for this?]