ounced either p[)a]t'ent or
p[=a]'tent. When used as a verb or a noun it is pronounced
p[)a]t'ent.

=Patois=--p[)a]t-w[)o]', not p[)a]t'w[)o] nor p[)a]t-waw'.

=Patriot=--p[=a]'tri-ot, not p[)a]t'ri-ot. =Patriotic=,
=patriotism=, etc., have also the long a. Worcester gives the
same with the exception of _patriotic_, which he pronounces
both p[=a]'tri-ot-ic and p[)a]t'ri-ot-ic.

=Patron=--p[=a]'tron, not p[)a]t'ron. =Patroness= and
=patronless= have also the long a.

=Patronize=--p[)a]t'ron-[=i]ze, not p[=a]'tron-[=i]ze.

=Patronage=--p[)a]t'ron-aje, not p[=a]'tron-aje.

=Pease=, not _peas_, when an uncounted quantity is referred to,
as: a bushel of _pease_, a plateful of _pease_, some more
_pease_, etc. _Peas_ when a certain number is mentioned, as: a
dozen _peas_, fifty _peas_, etc.

=Pedal=--p[)e]d'al, not p[=e]'dal, when that portion of a piano
or harp that is acted upon by the feet, is meant. P[=e]'dal is
an adjective, and means pertaining to the above, or to a foot.

=Perfect.= I have selected this as the representative of a class
of adjectives that, strictly speaking, do not admit of
comparison. I have noticed, invariably, that those who appear
to be so anxious to correct the error of giving degrees of
comparison to a few stereotyped words of this class, such as
_round_, _square_, _universal_, _chief_, _extreme_, etc., are
singularly remiss in calling attention to a great many other
mistakes of the same kind that are equally prominent. Amongst
the latter may be mentioned the comparison of _correct_,
_complete_, _even_, _level_, _straight_, etc. It will be
admitted that if anything is _perfect_ it can not be _more_ so;
and as soon as it is _less_ so it fails to be _perfect_ at all.
So, if anything is _correct_ it is perfectly free from error;
it can not be made _more_ correct, and if its correctness is
detracted from, it is not quite correct any longer. A
_straight_ line is one that does not vary from a perfectly
_direct_ course in the slightest degree; it can not be
_straighter_ and if it could be _less_ straight, it would be
_curved_. It is ridiculous for any one to insist upon a
national reformation of a few such errors, and suffer a hundred
others j