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"He sailed round the island of Iturup, which is 713 miles long and 80 broad, and which is inhabited here and there along the coast."-N. Y. Sun.

The second which is clearly superfluous.

Antecedents. A convenient term for origin and history of a person. It expresses concisely what would otherwise require a rather ponderous circumlocution.

Yet the locution past history, or history, is much to be preferred. "What do you know of his history?" is far better English than "What do you know of his antecedents?" The one is the language of the drawing-room, the other of the bar-room.

Anticipate. Lovers of big words frequently make this verb do duty for expect, and sometimes for foresee. Anticipate is derived from two Latin words meaning before and to take, and, when properly used, means, to take beforehand; to go before so as to preclude another; to get the start of or to get ahead of; to enjoy, possess, or suffer, in expectation; to foretaste. It is therefore misused in such sentences as "Her death is hourly anticipated”; “By this means it is anticipated that the time from Europe will be lessened two days."

Correctly used thus:

"If not anticipated, I shall hereafter make an attempt at a magazine paper on The Philosophy of Point."-Poe. "The chief portion of Prof. Espy's theory has been anticipated."-Poe.

"I am far from pretending to instruct the profession or anticipating their directions to such as are under their government."-Arbuthnot.

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Anticipate our sorrows? 'Tis like those
Who die for fear of death."-Shakespeare.

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"We anticipate what a person is going to say by saying it before him."-Crabb.

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But, after all, it may simply anticipate on the English of the future."-Dr. Fitzedward Hall.

"The memorial sketch is a model of propriety. The author has carefully refrained from anticipating the biography that, we trust, will shortly see the light."-N. Y. Sun.

"In several respects the Mosaic Law is declared to have anticipated modern science by several thousand years.”— Hosmer.

"It is well to have it understood that our municipal authorities and local sanitary health boards had anticipated by practical work the proclamation issued by the President."-N. Y. Star.

Misused in the sense of expect, thus:

"The poetry of Mr. Fawcett, as one might anticipate from an acquaintance with his prose," etc.-N. Y. Tribune. "Trouble is anticipated over the proposed employment of Hungarians in the Hocking Valley mines.”—N. Y. Herald.

"Were Greely's movements those which [that] it was anticipated he would make?"-N. Y. Times.

"Miss Hurst's performances at Wallack's Theater have brought on the crisis which [that] we anticipated."-Evening Telegram.

"The attempt to browbeat the peers into abjuring a privilege which [that] so sound a Liberal as Mr. Bagehot pronounced expedient and wholesome is not having the success which [that] was at first anticipated."—N. Y. Sun.

"She is now engaged on a series of experiments in evolution from which I anticipate the most striking and original results."-Hammond.

"Do you think that Germany keeps up its tremendous army in anticipation [expectation] of a speedy war?”

"Young Lincoln would have been almost as likely to anticipate [foresee] the marvelous growth of the State, as to foresee his own still more wonderful elevation."

Another point: In all cases like this it is far better to repeat the word than to use a synonym. The repetition always tends to strengthen and to balance the sentence.

Antiquary-Antiquarian. Both these words are used as nouns by writers of repute; but antiquarian, Todd, Hodgson, and some other grammarians insist, should be used only as an adjective.

Antithesis. A phrase that opposes contraries is called an antithesis.

"I see a chief who leads my chosen sons,

All armed with points, antitheses, and puns."

The following are examples :

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'Though gentle, yet not dull;

Strong, without rage; without o'erflowing, full."
"Contrasted faults through all their manners reign;
Though poor, luxurious; though submissive, vain ;
Though grave, yet trifling; zealous, yet untrue;
And e'en in penance planning sins anew."

The following is an excellent example of personification and antithesis combined:

"Talent convinces; genius but excites;

That tasks the reason; this the soul delights.
Talent from sober judgment takes its birth,
And reconciles the pinion to the earth;
Genius unsettles with desires the mind,
Contented not till earth be left behind."

In the following extract from Johnson's Life of Pope, individual peculiarities are contrasted by means of antitheses:

"Of genius-that power which constitutes a poet; that quality without which judgment is cold and knowledge is inert; that energy which collects, combines, amplifies, and animates the superiority must, with some hesitation, be allowed to Dryden. It is not to be inferred that of this poetical vigor Pope had only a little, because Dryden had more; for every other writer since Milton must give place to Pope; and even of Dryden it must be said that, if he has brighter paragraphs, he has not better poems. Dryden's performances were always hasty, either excited by some external occasion or extorted by domestic necessity; he composed without consideration and published without correction. What his mind could supply at call or gather in one excursion was all that he sought and all that he gave. The dilatory caution of Pope enabled him to condense his sentiments, to multiply his images, and to accumulate all that study might produce or chance might supply. If the flights of Dryden, therefore, are higher, Pope continues longer on the wing. If of Dryden's fire the blaze is brighter, of Pope's the heat is more regular and constant. Dryden often surpasses expectation, and Pope never falls below it. Dryden is read with frequent astonishment, and Pope with perpetual delight. Dryden's page is a natural field, rising into inequalities and diversified by the varied exuberance of abundant vegetation; Pope's is a velvet lawn, shaven by the scythe and leveled by the roller."

There are forms of antithesis in which the contrast is only of a secondary kind.

Anxiety of Mind. See EQUANIMITY OF MIND. Anxious. This word is very often used when desirous would better express the meaning intended.

Anxious means full of anxiety; suffering from suspense

or uncertainty; concerned about the future; solicitous; unquiet; uneasy-which is wide of the meaning intended in the following sentences:

"Not anxious to get to Canada.”

"Mr. S. is not willing to accept [assume] the responsibility of backing the first production, which is the reason that Mr. O. is anxious to bring out the play in California." "A writer in Macmillan's Magazine, anxious to preserve the well of English undefiled, calls attention," etc.

"Mr. Farnan assumes to be anxious to meet Mr. Sullivan."

"But I am still more anxious that you should not misjudge my father."

"He is very intelligent, very liberal in his views, very anxious to do something for humanity."

"I recollect that you were anxious to hang him to the nearest tree."

"Your father is anxious to have you live in New York."

"Tyscovus was anxious to be married at once."

In all these sentences the meaning intended was far from being that of the word anxious; it was that of the word desirous.

Here are some examples of the proper use of anxious : "The office of the Monarch Line of steamships had many callers yesterday. They had friends or relatives on board the Lydian Monarch, and were anxious in regard to their fate."

"Then he was trying his 'prentice hand, and was more anxious about the treatment than about the matter."Julian Hawthorne.

'Naturally she was anxious about the appearance he made in what is called 'society.'”—Badeau.

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