ritate_ or
_disturb_. _Aggravate_ means _to make worse_.

Wrong: His impudence _aggravates_ me.

Right: His impudence _irritates_ me.

AIN'T. _Ain't_ and _hain't_ are never proper as contractions of
_am not, is not_, or _are not_.

ALLOW. Do not use _allow_ in the sense of _assert, say_, or _intend_.

Wrong: He _allowed_ that he had better start. I _allow_ to be back
before noon.

Right: He _said_ that he had better start. I _intend_ to be back
before noon.

ALLUDE. Do not use _allude_ in the sense of _refer_. To _allude_
to a thing means to refer to it in an indirect way.

Wrong: He _alluded_ by name to John Milton.

Right: He _alluded_ to Milton by the term "Blind Poet."

ANY. Do not use _any_ in the sense of _at all_ or _to any degree_.

Wrong: Because of the injury he can not see _any_.

AS. Do not use _as_ for the relative pronouns _who_ and _that_.

Wrong: I am the man _as_ digs your garden. Not _as_ I remember.

Right: I am the man _who_ digs your garden. Not _that_ I remember.

AS. Do not use _as_ in the sense of _since_ or _because_.

Wrong: I cannot come _as_ I am sick now.

Right: I cannot come; I am sick now.

Right: I cannot come _because_ I am sick now.

AT. Do not use _at_ for _in_ with the names of large cities

Wrong: He lives _at_ Philadelphia.

Right: He lives _in_ Philadelphia.

ATTACKTED. Do not use this form for _attacked_.

AWFUL, AWFULLY. These are two very much overworked words. Substitute
other and more accurate expressions.

Wrong: We have had an _awfully_ good time. That is an _awfully_
pretty dress.

Right: We have had an _exceedingly_ nice time. That is a _very_
pretty dress.

BADLY. Do not use _badly_ in the sense of _very much_.

Wrong: She wanted _badly_ to come.

Right: She wanted _very much_ to come.

BESIDE, BESIDES. _Beside_ means _next to. Besides_ means _in addition
to_.

Right: John lives _beside_ his mother.

Right: _Besides_ the daughters, there are three sons.

BETWEEN. Do not use _between_ when referring to more than two objects.

Wrong: There is bad feeling _between_ the members of the class.

Right: There is bad feeling _among_ the members of the class.

BLOWED. Do not use _blowed_ for _blew_ or _blown_. There is no such
word.

BEST. Do not use _best_ when only two objects are referred to.
Use _better_. _Best_ should be used only when more than two are
referred to.

Wrong: He is the _best_ of the two brothers.

Right: He is