Page:A Desk-Book of Errors in English.djvu/178

, as jewelry, reserved to a wife over and above her dower or marriage portion, and should not be used in the sense of finery or regalia. Yet the application is common but savors of grandiloquence. The finery and regalia are not, or should not be, "over and above," but should be as of right or of good taste. Compare and.

pare, pair: Words the spellings of which are sometimes confused. Pare, to remove the outer covering from is from the Latin paro and means "prepare"; pair, designating two persons or things, is from the Latin par, which means "equal." See.

parenthesis: The phrase in parenthesis includes both signs, and an expression placed between these signs is therefore said to be "in parenthesis." Parentheses refers only to two or more sets of parenthetical expressions. Due care should be exercised in using this word.

parson: Although a good word used to designate "the clergyman of a parish," parson is often used contemptuously, and from this use has acquired a sense that detracts from the dignity of the ofiice; therefore, is one to be avoided. Do not say "Our parson is a popular man"; say, rather, "Our minister . . ."

partake should never be used as a synonym for "eat" or "drink." One may partake of a meal with other persons, that is, share it with them, but one does not partake a meal by one's self. 162