The word _couple_ is often incorrectly used in the sense of _several;_ as, a _couple_ of horses, mules, birds, trees, houses, etc. The use of the word _couple_ is not only limited to two, but to two that may be coupled or yoked together. A man and wife are spoken of as a _couple._ We speak of a _span_ of horses, a _yoke_ of oxen, a _brace_ of ducks, a _pair_ of gloves.
A faulty English use of the above words has found some favor in the United States. _“Directly_ the whistle blew the workmen left the shop.” Say _“As soon as_ the whistle blew,” etc. _“Immediately_ he closed his speech his opponent rose to reply.” Say “_When”_ or _“As soon as _he closed his speech,” etc.
_Directly_ denotes without any delay; _immediately_ implies without any interposition of other occupation.
When our hopes are blasted, our plans balked, our expectations defeated, our intentions thwarted, we are _disappointed._ We prefer the agreeable to the disagreeable, and plan and labor to secure it. When our plans fail we are disappointed, but not _agreeably disappointed._ If the new conditions, which are not of our seeking, prove agreeable, it is only after the sense of disappointment has vanished.
The word _allude_ is often incorrectly used. Allusion is the by-play of language. It means to hint at by remote suggestions, to speak of figuratively or sportively.
Whatever is directly mentioned, or spoken of, or described, cannot be said to be _alluded to._ The terms differ in degree, the first being the weakest. An _allusion_ is an indirect reference.
“Mary sat on the beach _among the rest.”_ Say _“with the rest.”_
This is one of those high-sounding terms too often employed when _read _would be much better.
These words are sometimes confounded. “Did you see the _emigrants_ on the ‘Indiana,’ which arrived this morning?” “Did the _immigrants_ go directly to Italy?” Exchange the italicized words in the two sentences and they will be correctly used.
The terminal _s_ should be omitted in such words as _anywheres, somewheres, nowheres, anyways, hereabouts, thereabouts, whereabouts._ In such cases as “Whereabouts did you find him?” and “We knew his whereabouts,” the _s_ is properly retained.
“May I see you _apart_ from the others?” It should be, “May I see you _privately”_ or “_aside”?_