Page:A Desk-Book of Errors in English.djvu/71

 is a lawyer engaged to give advice or act as advocate in court; a council is a body of persons elected or appointed to assist in the administration of government or to legislate; a councilor is a member of a council; a counselor is one who gives counsel; or, who is an adviser or a lawyer.

contagious, contiguous: Discriminate carefully between these words. A disease may be contagious, that is catching; fear is contagious when it spreads from one to another. Contiguous is used chiefly of neighboring regions or places and means "adjacent or situated so as to touch."

contemplate: May be used in the sense of plan, intend, but unless the matter in question be somewhat doubtful and involves further thoughtful consideration, it is better to say intend or propose.

contemporary. Compare.

contemptible, contemptibly, contemptuous, contemptuously: Discriminate carefully between these words. A contemptible person is one deserving of contempt as for meanness or vileness; contemptibly means "in a contemptible manner" or "in a manner deserving of contempt." A contemptuous person is "a disdainful person." One who speaks contemptuously of another speaks of him with scorn or disdain.

continual, continuous: Continual implies the repeated renewal of an act; continuous means its unceasing continuity. The following sentence will 55