292. It may be doubted whether to say of a man "that _he barked up the
wrong tree_," is a complimentary or elegant metaphor.

293. "I will retain two-thirds, and give you the _balance_:" say,
_remainder_.

294. "I _calculate_ to go by steam:" say, "I _expect_."

295. Avoid using the phrase "_I cave in_," for "_I give up_." It savors of
slang.

296. Do not say, "_chicken fixings_," for "_trifles_," or "_extras_,"
connected with dress.

297. "He is a _cute_ man:" this is an inelegant abbreviation of _acute_,
and employed to mean _smart_. It may, however, be properly applied to
Yankees!

298. "He _dickered_ with him an hour:" say, "he _bargained_." This is a
word somewhat peculiar to New-York.

299. "_Do don't_" is a vulgar usage of the Southern States, especially
Georgia, for "_do not_."

300. "He is _done gone_:" say, _ruined_.

301. "We had a _dreadful_ fine time:" say, _very_, or _exceedingly_.

302. "It rains, and I want an umbrella _the worst kind_:" say, "_I am
greatly in want_," &c. An umbrella _of the worst kind_ would not be likely
to answer the best of purposes on a rainy day!

303. "The whole concern _fizzled out_:" say, _proved a failure_.

304. "As soon as I mentioned it to him, he _flared up_:" say, he _became
excited_, or _grew violent_.

305. "The choir sang _Old Hundred_:" pronounce _Hundred_ as written, and
not _Hunderd_.

306. "The message was sent by his _aid-de-camp_:" pronounce as if written
_ade-de-kawng_, avoiding, however, as much as possible a twang on the last
syllable.

307. "My _beard_ is long:" don't say _baird_.

308. "The blacksmith blows the _bellows_:" pronounce as written, and not
_bellus_.

309. "Let me help you to some _catsup_:" avoid saying _ketchup_.

310. "It is new _China ware_:" do not say, _chaney ware_; this latter
article exists only in the traditions of old women.

311. "The _combatants_ parted in good humor:" accent the first
syllable--never the second.

312. "We poled the raft up the _creek_:" pronounce as if written _krik_.

313. "Then spake the _warrior_ bold:" pronounce in two syllables, as
_war-yur_, not _war-ri-or_.

314. In using the word _venison_, sound the _i_: _venzun_ is a common,
though not elegant pronunciation.

315. _Tapestry_ is divided _tap-es-try_ and not _ta-pes-try_.

316. "He is only a _subaltern_:" accent the first syllable of _subaltern_.

317. "The barge is at the _quay_:" pronounce _quay_, _kay_.

318. "The path