Firstly.  If this word could mean anything it would mean firstlike, whatever that might mean.  The ordinal numbers should have no adverbial form:  “firstly,” “secondly,” and the rest are words without meaning.

Fix.  This is, in America, a word-of-all-work, most frequently meaning repair, or prepare.  Do not so use it.

Forebears for Ancestors.  The word is sometimes spelled forbears, a worse spelling than the other, but not much.  If used at all it should be spelled forebeers, for it means those who have been before.  A forebe-er is one who fore-was.  Considered in any way, it is a senseless word.

Forecasted.  For this abominable word we are indebted to the weather bureau—­at least it was not sent upon us until that affliction was with us.  Let us hope that it may some day be losted from the language.

Former and Latter.  Indicating the first and the second of things previously named, these words are unobjectionable if not too far removed from the names that they stand for.  If they are they confuse, for the reader has to look back to the names.  Use them sparingly.

Funeral Obsequies.  Tautological.  Say, obsequies; the word is now used in none but a funereal sense.

Fully for Definitively, or Finally.  “After many preliminary examinations he was fully committed for trial.”  The adverb is meaningless:  a defendant is never partly committed for trial.  This is a solecism to which lawyers are addicted.  And sometimes they have been heard to say “fullied.”

Funds for Money.  “He was out of funds.”  Funds are not money in general, but sums of money or credit available for particular purposes.

Furnish for Provide, or Supply.  “Taxation furnished the money.”  A pauper may furnish a house if some one will provide the furniture, or the money to buy it.  “His flight furnishes a presumption of guilt.”  It supplies it.

Generally for Usually.  “The winds are generally high.”  “A fool is generally vain.”  This misuse of the word appears to come of abbreviating:  Generally speaking, the weather is bad.  A fool, to speak generally, is vain.

Gent for Gentleman.  Vulgar exceedingly.

Genteel.  This word, meaning polite, or well mannered, was once in better repute than it is now, and its noun, gentility, is still not infrequently found in the work of good writers.  Genteel is most often used by those who write, as the Scotchman of the anecdote joked—­wi’ deeficulty.

Gentleman.  It is not possible to teach the correct use of this overworked word:  one must be bred to it.  Everybody knows that it is not synonymous with man, but among the “genteel” and those ambitious to be thought “genteel” it is commonly so used in discourse too formal for the word “gent.”  To use the word gentleman correctly, be one.