Give me leave to mention some of
them, though possibly they may have already occurred to you. I wish,
however, in some future Publication of yours, you would set a
discountenancing Mark upon them. The first I remember is the word
_improved._ When I left New England, in the year 23, this Word had
never been used among us, as far as I know, but in the sense of
_ameliorated_ or _made better_, except once in a very old Book of Dr.
Mather's, entitled _Remarkable Providences._ As that eminent Man
wrote a very obscure Hand, I remember that when I read that Word in
his Book, used instead of the Word _imployed_, I conjectured that it
was an Error of the Printer, who had mistaken a too short _l_ in the
Writing for an _r_, and a _y_ with too short a Tail for a _v_;
whereby _imployed_ was converted into _improved._
But when I returned to Boston, in 1733, I found this Change had
obtained Favour, and was then become common; for I met with it often
in perusing the Newspapers, where it frequently made an Appearance
rather ridiculous. Such, for Instance, as the Advertisement of a
Country-House to be sold, which had been many years _improved_ as a
Tavern; and, in the Character of a deceased Country Gentleman, that
he had been for more than 30 Years _improved_ as a Justice-of-Peace.
Pages:
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112