Page:A Desk-Book of Errors in English.djvu/243

Rh what was, what was not: "What was" and "what wasn't my surprise" may both be used correctly to express considerable surprise, and with almost the same meaning, the one expression differing from the other but by a shade in sense. "How great was my surprise," and "What surprise could equal or be greater, than mine," would about paraphrase the usages. The former sentence implies great surprise, but the possibility (though unreferred to) of a greater; the latter indicates that there could not be any greater surprise

wheels in the (or his) head, to have: A slang phrase used as a substitute for "to be eccentric, peculiar, or erratic."

whence: "Whence came you" is sufficient and correct. "From whence" is pleonastic, the whence being nothing less than "from where" and thus including the from. Compare.

where: The prepositions to or at should never end a sentence beginning with where. Such use is vulgar and illiterate. Avoid: "Where has he gone to?" "Where was I at?"

whereabouts: This word, plural in form, but singular in construction, always takes a verb, in the singular. "Husband and wife disappeared; their whereabouts is a mystery. "

wherever: This word, although a combination of two words "where" and "ever" is not spelt "where