Miscellaneous Entries. redemptive; *redemptory; redemptional. “Redemptive” = tending to redeem, redeeming. “Redemptory”* is a needless variant. “Redemptional” = of or pertaining to redemption. red tape. Lawyers and government officials formerly used red ribbons (called “tapes”) to tie their papers together. Gradually during the 19th century, these red ribbons came to symbolize rigid adherence to time-consuming …

Garner’s Usage Tip of the Day: Miscellaneous Entries. Read More »

register; registrar. Both terms designate a governmental officer who keeps official records. The Oxford English Dictionary notes that “register” was commonly used in this sense from 1580 to 1800 and that “registrar” is now the usual word. But in American English “register” retains vitality: various levels of government have “registers of copyrights,” “registers of deeds,” …

Garner’s Usage Tip of the Day: register; registrar. Read More »

regardless. “Regardless” (= without regard to) should not be used for “despite” (= in spite of). E.g.: o “Take heart. Regardless [read ‘Despite’] what happened Saturday, the Broncos will be performing in the Super Bowl Sunday.” Mark Wolf, “Get Over the Broncos: Others Need Support,” Rocky Mountain News (Denver), 7 Jan. 1997, at C2. o …

Garner’s Usage Tip of the Day: regardless. Read More »

regiment. “Regiment” (= a military unit made up of several battalions) is coming to be misused for “regimen” (= a systematic plan designed to improve health, skills, etc.) — e.g.: o “Wealthy people plagued with weak nerves and ‘auto-intoxication’ flocked to the San, as it was known, from all over the world to undergo a …

Garner’s Usage Tip of the Day: regiment. Read More »

regardless of whether. This is the idiomatic phrasing, not “regardless whether”* — e.g.: o “When he wanted to send troops to help end the civil war a year ago, President Clinton told a skeptical public and Congress that they would be withdrawn in December 1996 regardless whether [read ‘regardless of whether’] peace had been achieved.” …

Garner’s Usage Tip of the Day: regardless of whether. Read More »

Miscellaneous Entries. recreational; recreative. “Recreational” is the standard adjective corresponding to the noun “recreation”; it’s about 1,000 times as common as its synonym “recreative,” a needless variant. But “recreative” is genuinely useful in the sense “tending to re-create” — e.g.: “The paradoxically destructive and recreative force of the mythical flood seemed as real to Friday’s …

Garner’s Usage Tip of the Day: Miscellaneous Entries. Read More »

regard (2). Today: As a Verb in “highly regarded” and “widely regarded.” The verb “regard” commonly appears in these two combinations. The one phrase, “highly regarded,” is a vague expression of praise; the other, “widely regarded as,” usually leads to words of praise — though it would certainly be possible to say that someone is …

Garner’s Usage Tip of the Day: regard (2). Read More »

refute. “Refute” is not synonymous with “rebut” or “deny.” That is, it doesn’t mean merely “to counter an argument” but “to disprove beyond doubt; to prove a statement false.” Yet the word is commonly misused for “rebut” — e.g.: “Ontario Hydro strongly refuted [read ‘denied’ or ‘rebutted’] the charges, saying none of its actions violate …

Garner’s Usage Tip of the Day: refute. Read More »

reference, vb. “Reference,” as a verb meaning “to provide with references,” is defensible. E.g.: “The cross-referenced chapter contains two subsections.” The term has become a vogue word, however, as a synonym for “refer to” — e.g.: o “You can add notes (10K) to your items, import, or simply reference [read ‘refer to’ or ‘cite’] external …

Garner’s Usage Tip of the Day: reference. Read More »

Miscellaneous Entries. recital; recitation. These words overlap, but are distinguishable. Aside from a (usually) solo musical or dance performance, “recital” may mean “a rehearsal, account, or description of some thing, fact, or incident” {a recital of all the incidents would be tedious}. “Recitation” usually connotes an oral delivery before an audience, whether in the classroom …

Garner’s Usage Tip of the Day: Miscellaneous Entries Read More »

refer back. “Refer back” is a common redundancy, “refer” alone nearly always being sufficient — e.g.: “Irons said he believes the judge’s latest ruling refers back [read ‘refers’] to an original order in 1991 that did order the removal of the cross.” Valerie Alvord & Gerry Braun, “San Diego Files Notice to Appeal Soledad Cross …

Garner’s Usage Tip of the Day: refer back. Read More »

reek; wreak (3). Today: “reek” misspelled “reak.”* “Reak” is a common misspelling of “reek” — e.g.: o “The oil company subsequently hired a firm to clean the oil, but after six weeks of work and a declaration the house was inhabitable, the house still ‘reaked [read ‘reeked’] of oil,’ Hansen said.” MaryAnn Spoto, “Suit Seeks …

Garner’s Usage Tip of the Day: “reek” misspelled “reak.”* Read More »

reek; wreak (2). Today: “wreak” for “reek.” “Wreak” for “reek” is a surprisingly common slip-up — e.g.: o “Watching Jagger, a grandfather, singing the songs of his youth is embarrassing — like watching an old tart plastered in powder, wreaking [read ‘reeking’] of cheap perfume, stumbling along the Champs-Elysees, leering at passersby.” Natasha Garnett, “Focus: …

Garner’s Usage Tip of the Day: “wreak” for “reek.” Read More »

reek; wreak (1). Today: “reek havoc.”* These homophones are occasionally confused. “Reek,” vb., = to give off an odor or vapor {the house reeked of gas}. “Reek,” n., = an odorous vapor {the reek of garlic spoiled our conversation}. “Wreak” = to inflict, bring about {to wreak havoc}. The misspelling “reek havoc”* is a frequent …

Garner’s Usage Tip of the Day: “reek havoc.” Read More »

Miscellaneous Entries. rebus (= [1] a representation of a word or phrase by pictures or symbols, such as a drawing of an eye for “I”; or [2] a riddle using these pictures or symbols) forms the plural “rebuses,” not *”rebi.” rebut; refute. “Rebut” means “to attempt to refute.” “Refute” means “to defeat (an opponent’s arguments).” …

Garner’s Usage Tip of the Day: Miscellaneous Entries. Read More »

Redundancy (3). Today: Common Phrases & One-Word Redundancies. Though many redundancies look like unique ones — the result of semiconscious writing — some are so commonplace that they’ve been all but enshrined in the language. Adept editors must be alert to such phrases as “absolute necessity,” “actual fact,” “advance planning,” “basic fundamentals,” “brief respite,” “closely …

Garner’s Usage Tip of the Day: Redundancy (3). Read More »

Redundancy (2). Today: Irony vs. Error. Samuel Johnson once advised writers to “avoid ponderous ponderosity.” His repetition of word roots, of course, was purposeful. But many writers engage in such repetitions with no sense of irony, as in the phrases “build a building,” “refer to a reference,” “point out points,” “an individualistic individual.” In the …

Garner’s Usage Tip of the Day: Redundancy (2). Read More »