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More Language: Mishandled Words

Your use of old fashioned words should make you sound old fashioned, not ignorant. Notice these usages.

Wherefore means Why.
'Whyfor' is a made up word. Use wherefore when you mean "why", and where when you mean "where".
(Juliet did not say "Whyfor art thou Romeo?")

Mayhap is 'singular.'
Don't say 'mayhaps.'
(You're thinking of 'perhaps.') To avoid confusion, try 'belike'.

Stay means "to wait".
If you mean to say that someone is waiting for you, and you are late (or whatever),
Say: I am stayed for.

Ta'en is short for taken.
Use ta'en for to mean "mistaken for". As in:
I fear thou hast ta'en me for someone else.
My brother is oft ta'en for me and I for him.

Department of Redundancy Dept., pet peeve division

A penny is a coin. One of them is always a penny, not a pence. Pence is only used for amounts of more than one penny. Only, only, only.

If you have a pocketful of 1-penny coins, you have several pennies, to the value of several pence.

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::  Some Random Vocabulary
::  Titles & Forms of Address
::  Forms of Address for Non-Nobles
::  More Language: Heard in the Wild


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25 March 2008 mps