Four little rules for all who work with horses.
Up hill spare me,
Down hill ’ware me,
On level ground spare me not,
And in the stable forget me not.
Use Familiar Words First
A common mistake is to use the least familiar [word] in the hope that it improves the expression, but the stilted impression thus created makes the reader laugh. ‘It is commencing to rain’ — a mistake like that gives you away. ‘Commence’ is not a better word than ‘start’, but is the word reserved for dignified and formal occasions. Use the plain, simple, ordinary word unless you have a really good reason for preferring a less familiar alternative.
NL Clay, Straightforward English (1949)
Issue 1 •
02 • Biography
Richard Cobden thought his employers were taking a big risk — on him.
03 • George Herbert
A road accident made parish priest George Herbert late for his musical evening, but he was not a bit sorry.
04 • Anecdotes
A Victorian commuter arrived home carrying more than his briefcase.