Theodore N. Bernstein' s 'Careful Writer'
Guides Writers, Provides Readers' Pleasure
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Theodore N. Bernstein is the
master provider of guides to the
English language. His "Watch Your
Language," "More Language That
Needs Watching," "Headlines and
Deadlines," and his bulletin, "Win-
ners and Sinners," which he pro-
duced for the staff of the New
York Times as the paper's assistant
managing editor, already gave his
status of high rank as author of
works on our language's usages.
Now, in his newest book, "The
Careful Writer," published by Ath-
eneum (162 E. 38th, NY16), he
handles many language problems—
and as in his previous works it is
done with skill and with an un-
matched sense of humor.
There are more than 2,000 alpha-
betical entries in this volume and
these two examples, about gambit
and epoch, will give the searcher
for perfection in language an idea
of how Bernstein evaluates his
terms:
EPOCH
Properly speaking, epoch denotes
the beginning of a new period, a
turning point. Again properly speak-
ing, era is the period started by an
epoch. The evidence is, however,
that very little proper speaking
goes on these days when epoch is
used. Although most of us would
refer to the period of development
of atomic fission as "epoch-mak-
ing," few of us, it is to be feared,
would refer to that period as an
epoch, which, properly speaking, it
was. It would be well to make the
distinction between epoch and era,
but probably the distortion of
epoch has gone too far to be re-
versible.
GAMBIT
In chess the word refers to an
opening move in which a piece is
sacrificed to obtain a strategic ad-
vantage. Derivatively, it means a
concession to get things started. It
does not mean any opening move,
or merely a maneuver in the course
of a game, or a negotiation, or what
not. If a lad wooing a lass invites
her to dinner, it is not a gambit;
if he in addition invests his hard-
earned pay in orchids and cham-
pagne in the hope of a later return,
it is.
* * *
Bernstein's work is informative.
For the adult writer it is a text-
book. For students of the English
language it is revealing. And for
the average reader it is variable
entertainment.
Further to illustrate all these
qualities, here is another of the
Bernstein items from "The Careful
Writer":
BETWEEN YOU AND I
Just as one swallow doesn't make
a drunkard, so an isolated instance
or so of bad grammar culled from
even the most gifted writers, does
not constitute a valid authentica-
tion for that particular misusage.
Thus it is idle to present that be-
tween you and I must be a legiti-
mate construction because Shake-
speare used it in The Merchant of
Venice, or because it can be found
elsewhere, lonely and loose. The
greatest writer may have committed
a grammatical offense because he
was preoccupied, or because he was
negligent, or because he had in
mind a reason that is obscure to his
readers now, or merely because he
had a bellyache.
Most of those who say or write
between you and I, Shakespeare ex-
cepted, are guilty of OVERRE-
FINEIVIENT. They have been cor-
rected when they used "It is me"
or "You and me ought to get to-
gether," and have become gun-shy
about the word "me." In addition
they are confused because the word
"you" is the same in the objective
Chateau Riviera Wins
Electrical Design Citation
Bisgeier AltmanTroth
Announced in. Pontiac
In recognition of the electrical
design excellence of its construc-
tion, Southfield's soon- to-be-com-
pleted 200-unit Chateau Riviera
apartment community at South-
field and Nine Mile Rds., was
awarded a Detroit Edison Co.
bronze medallion certificate.
Edward J. Hurley, director of
residential and rural sales at De-
troit Edison, explained that the
award was presented to Chateau
Riviera for its certified wiring,
light for living, electric appliances
(including range, oven, disposer
and refrigerator), convenient,
flameless electric water heaters
and individually controlled central
air conditioning.
case as it is in the nominative;
therefore, although they would not
dream of saying or writing between
him and they or between her and
we or between us and she, the
phrase between you and I does not
sound bad to them. But bad it is,
and indefensible garmmatically. Be-
tween is a preposition and it is fol-
lowed by the objective case: me. To
say between you and I is a need-
less, pointless, and ignorant excep-
tion to a good rule.
* *
Here is an item from Bernstein's
not to be overlooked:
VULGATE
Linked etymologically with vul-
gar, which these days suggests
coarseness or lack of refinement,
MISS ELLEN BISGEIER
vulgate does not have the same
base connotation. Aside from its
Dr. and Mrs. Benjamin Bisgeier
technical uses with reference to of Cherokee Rd., Pontiac, announce
the Bible, it means merely ordinary
the engagement of their daughter
or colloquial speech.
Ellen Sue to Robert Neil Altman,
* * *
son of Mr. and Mrs. Morris Alt-
Indeed, the "Modern Guide to
English Usage" from which the man of Dresden Rd., Farmington.
Both attend Michigan State Uni-
quotations are culled is a veritable
gem. It elevates anew Bernstein's versity and plan to be married
rating as a master of our language. June 18.
Cancer Society to Benefit
From Europe Travelogue
A European travelogue will be
conducted by Dr. Morris Braver-
man at Adas Shalom Synagogue
7:30 p.m. Oct. 20. Proceeds will go
to the American Cancer Society.
Tickets are available from Mrs.
Maurice W. Lifton, UN 1-0498, or
Mrs. Rae Schwartzenfeld, UN
3-6929. There will be prizes and
refreshments.
Hair Removed Forever!
Words about U.S. Savings Bonds
by President Johnson: "We are
determined that this investment
stand. But they will like still less shall continue to be the safest, and
1 the fact that, gradually, Washing- the soundest, and the most suc-
ton is cutting down on the amounts cessful in all the world".
of money it is willing to shell out
to UNRWA. Congress is getting
MUSIC! ENTERTAINMENT!
restive on that issue.
The UNRWA budget for 1955-
56 amounted to $37,800,000. As
usual, the U.S.A. was giving 70
percent of the amount. But, at
AND HIS ORCHESTRA
the same time, the U.S.A. was
UN 3-6501
If No Answer Call DI 1-6847
also cutting down on its UNRWA
Issues Before UN's Assembly
By SAUL CARSON
(Copyright, 1965, JTA, Inc.)
UNITED NATIONS, N.Y. — The
12th regular session of the General
Assembly, with 117 members sit-
ting in as of the last count, is
under way. The principal issues
include Arab refugees and human
rights.
There is the matter of financing
the United Nations Relief and
Works Agency for Palestine Refu-
gees — the vast charity given to
the Arabs who have been claiming
surcease from their misery (much
of which is real) since a few
hundred thousand of them left
Israel during the 1948 war because
their Arab pals had assured them
they would be back in a fortnight
or so when the "Jew Zionists" had
been thoroughly licked.
UNRWA's mandate, extended by
one year during the 1964 session,
is due to expire again on June 30,
1966. What then? UNRWA will
ask for a five-year extension.
Israel doesn't care one way or an-
other about the length of UNRWA's
tenure. But the U.S.A., as UNRWA's
main supporter, may not want to
give the organization a blank
check for five full years. The
Arabs won't like Washington's
Try and Stop Me
By BENNETT CERF
BLOCH, who commutes from coast to coast by
C HARLES
jet about once a week, points out that New York and
Los Angeles are now separated only by luncheon and
movie you saw yesterday.
RINEY/E QAI fi
Which reminds me of a
P•
cartoon in Roger Price's
m oviE •
a
new "Grump" Magazine
which shows a man com-
pletely swathed in band-
ages limping along on a
pair of crutches. The cap-
tion read, "That's the last
time I walk out on a
TWA movie!"
* *
It's J. Edgar Hoover's
story about the industrious
forger who labored cease-
lessly for a solid year learn-
ing to duplicate perfectly
the signature of a local society big-shot. Then came the first
test. He deposited a check for fifty dollars with the forged signa-
ture attached. It came back marked "Insufficient funds."
RIDDLE-DE-DEE:
Q. What's a twain?
A. Something that runs on a twack.
Q. What do you call an apple that plays a trumpet?
A. A tooty-fruity.
Q. What did Paul Revere say when he passed a London bar-
ber shop?
A, The British are combing.
Q. Why do some men put glass bottoms in their boats?
A. So they can see the fish they're not catcaing.
C 1965, by Bennett Cert. Distributed by King Features Syndicate
Rapid Shortwave Dial-O-Matic
Method. Face — Arms — Legs —
Thighs — Eyebrows and Hairlines
corrected . . . Beards, chests and
backs cleared. Years of exp.
Physicians references.
ALK ELECTROLYSIS SALON
SAMMY
WOOLF
contribution. Last year, Wash-
ington reduced its appropriation
for UNRWA to a "mere" $23,-
700,000 — a reduction from the
previous year by a cool million
dollars. This year, another cut-
back is due, amounting to be-
tween $800,000 and $1,000,000.
The Arab states are certain to
howl.
Other matters to come up in the
always-hot UNRWA debate are
sure to include: 1. the old question
of rectifying -UNRWA's swollen
relief rolls, which include many-
too-many ration cards in the names
of persons dead for years, as well
as relief recipients who are out-
and-out frauds; and 2. the question
whether Arab refugees getting
UNRWA aid should continue to
get such relief if they enlist in the
so-called Palestine Liberation Or-
ganization, an army formed by the
notorious Ahmad Shukairy for war
against Israel.
Shukairy's own role will also be
questioned. Although he announced
he has quit the leadership of the
PLO (he could change his mind!)
he is expected to come here as
head of the so-called Arab Palest-
ine Delegation. Israel will oppose
that outfit's efforts to get recogni-
tion as a real delegation.
Israel entered this year's As-
sembly with a particularly strong
delegation, headed by Foreign
Minister Golda Meir, who will re-
turn again later, when the refugee
debate gets under way. The regular
chairman of the delegation is
Israel's permanent representative
h e r e, Ambassador Michael S.
Comay, who is backed by a team
composed of more than 20 ambas-
sadors, counsellors and advisers.
Other matters will come up: the
Jordan River waters issue; and
affairs in the human rights field,
of concern not only to Israel but
to Jews all over the world.
Folk Chorus Sets Opener
The Detroit Jewish Folk Chorus
wil hold its opening banquet 6 p.m.
Sunday at the Jewish Music Cent-
er. Yiddish story teller Sidney
Yachness of New York will en-
tertain.
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
26—Friday, October 1, 1965
tr■
rl
4
Ann L. Korson, R.E.
357-0373
17000 W. 8 Mile
Near Northland Shopping Center
4.001.0.01•• ■ •• ■ ••••••••••• ■ •••••"••• •••■■■••
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41
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Announcing
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COBO HALL, NOVEMBER 14, 1965
For a Memorable Evening at
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Call Now For Reservations at
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MAY THIS YEAR
BRING YOU EVERY NACHAS
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