Page:A Desk-Book of Errors in English.djvu/147

 "Do as I do." It is also a colloquialism, not sanctioned by good usage, to give the word the signification of as if, as "I felt like my final hour had come"; and the use of the word as synonymous for somewhat is a vulgarism. Say "He breathed somewhat heavily"—not "heavy like." When like is followed by an objective case, as "Be brave like him," the preposition unto must be supplied by ellipsis. For this reason as for the fact that like here has the force of a conjunction, introducing the implied phrase "he is brave," it is better to say "Be brave as he is."

like, love: Discriminate carefully between these words, which are often erroneously used interchangeably. A woman may love her children and like fruit, but not like her children and love fruit.

likewise. Compare.

limb, leg: There exists an affected or prudish use of the word limb instead of leg, when the leg is meant, which can not be too severely censured. Such squeamishness is absurd.

limit, the: A vulgarism designating the extreme of any condition or situation: used indiscriminately of persons or conditions.

limited: Often erroneously used for small, scant, slight, and other words of like meaning; as, "He had a limited (slight) acquaintance with Milton"; "Sold at the limited (low or reduced) price of one dollar"; "His pecuniary means were likely to remain quite 131