Can for May.  “Can I go fishing?” “He can call on me if he wishes to.”

Candidate for Aspirant.  In American politics, one is not a candidate for an office until formally named (nominated) for it by a convention, or otherwise, as provided by law or custom.  So when a man who is moving Heaven and Earth to procure the nomination protests that he is “not a candidate” he tells the truth in order to deceive.

Cannot for Can.  “I cannot but go.”  Say, I can but go.

Capable.  “Men are capable of being flattered.”  Say, susceptible to flattery.  “Capable of being refuted.”  Vulnerable to refutation.  Unlike capacity, capability is not passive, but active.  We are capable of doing, not of having something done to us.

Capacity for Ability.  “A great capacity for work.”  Capacity is receptive; ability, potential.  A sponge has capacity for water; the hand, ability to squeeze it out.

Casket for Coffin.  A needless euphemism affected by undertakers.

Casualties for Losses in Battle.  The essence of casualty is accident, absence of design.  Death and wounds in battle are produced otherwise, are expectable and expected, and, by the enemy, intentional.

Chance for Opportunity.  “He had a good chance to succeed.”

Chin Whiskers.  The whisker grows on the cheek, not the chin.

Chivalrous.  The word is popularly used in the Southern States only, and commonly has reference to men’s manner toward women.  Archaic, stilted and fantastic.

Citizen for Civilian.  A soldier may be a citizen, but is not a civilian.

Claim for Affirm.  “I claim that he is elected.”  To claim is to assert ownership.

Clever for Obliging.  In this sense the word was once in general use in the United States, but is now seldom heard and life here is less insupportable.

Climb down.  In climbing one ascends.

Coat for Coating.  “A coat of paint, or varnish.”  If we coat something we produce a coating, not a coat.

Collateral Descendant.  There can be none:  a “collateral descendant” is not a descendant.

Colonel, Judge, Governor, etc., for Mister.  Give a man a title only if it belongs to him, and only while it belongs to him.

Combine for Combination.  The word, in this sense, has something of the meaning of conspiracy, but there is no justification for it as a noun, in any sense.

Commence for Begin.  This is not actually incorrect, but—­well, it is a matter of taste.

Commencement for Termination.  A contribution to our noble tongue by its scholastic conservators, “commencement day” being their name for the last day of the collegiate year.  It is ingeniously defended on the ground that on that day those on whom degrees are bestowed commence to hold them.  Lovely!