Page:A Desk-Book of Errors in English.djvu/64

ceiling cite for "to understand"; the second, used instead of "to suit the popular fancy" or "to please the popular taste."

ceiling which in derivation is allied with the French ciel, Lat. cœlum, heaven, is to be distinguished from its homonym sealing, the act of attesting with a seal, which springs etymologically from the Latin sigillum, dim. of signum, mark.

celery, salary: Exercise care in spelling these words. Celery is a biennial herb; salary, a periodical allowance made as compensation for services.

cereal, a word derived from Ceres, the goddess of corn. It has nothing in common, save the sound, with serial, which fitly describes a literary publication in parts issued successively (Lat. series, sere, join). Exercise care in spelling these words.

cession, from Latin of cedo, yield, meaning surrender, must not be confounded with session, from Latin sedeo, sit, as used in the expression a session of court.

character, reputation: These are not synonymous terms. Character is what one is; reputation is that which one is thought to be. Character includes both natural and acquired traits; reputation designates only those traits acquired as by contact with one's fellow men. Holland in Gold Foil (p. 219) makes the following distinction: "Character lives in a man; reputation outside of him."