Sir: A story in my newspaper said of a woman, "she never waivered." Am I behind the times? I thought the word should be "wavered."
- Willena H.
Answer: And so it should. A new dictionary says "waiver" is a noun meaning disclaimer, after which it adds: "see also waver." When you do, it says "waver" is a verb meaning to vacillate, and adds: "see also waiver."
I cite this as a sample of what you may find in the "21st Century Misspeller's Dictionary," a new paperback that should be a boon in locating such misspellings and commonly confused words. In one section, words are listed as they are commonly misspelled, as well as in the correct forms. Another section helps if you have no idea how a word is spelled, by listing it as it would be phonetically spelled. It won't solve all problems, but it'll make a start.
Sir: When you wish to borrow a book, should you say "can I" or "may I"? - Jennie J.
Answer: Unless the book is so heavy that a question as to your ability to lift it is involved, you should say "may I." The rule, which is often ignored these sloppy days, is that "can" indicates ability while "may" indicates permission. And yes, lots of people ignore the distinction, but they shouldn't. May I count on you to pass the word?
Sir: Can you give me the proper past tense for "dive"? Should I say "I dived yesterday" or "I dove yesterday"?
- Elizabeth D.
Answer: "Dive" is an unusual word that reverses the normal pattern of weak and strong verbs, but you don't want to go into that, do you? The earlier form of the past tense was "dived" and the late form was "dove," and you may use either, so dive right in. My personal preference is to say "dived."
Sir: My stupid friend says things like "My yard has flowers on either side of the front door." I tell her that's wrong because "either" means one or the other but not both, but she disagrees. Who's right? I want the opinion of a purist, none of the wishy-washy permissiveness you usually espouse.
- Mary D.
Answer: I am happy to say your friend's choice of words is perfectly correct. As for your childish outburst, I will say only that I'm rubber and you're glue, and everything you say bounces off me and sticks on you. So there.
Sir: How did "Rx" get to be used for prescriptions?
- S.G.
Answer: That tiny, ancient symbol is loaded with meaning. The "R" is an abbreviation for "recipere," Latin for "take this." The lower-case "x" represents a slant bar across the leg of the "R" and is the sign of Jupiter, the Roman god and patron of medicine. Together it all means "Take these drugs as directed, in the name of Jupiter." Anyone who can put that much into two little letters surely ought to be able to give you some powerful medicine.
High hope of the Week, expressed by Shirley L.:
"In an article about bridal bouquets, my newspaper said `a maid might carry a single orchard with dramatic greenery around it . . .' Let's hope it's not an entire apple orchard."