A Practical and Authoritative Guide to Contemporary English. 1996.
Page 131
A number of language critics have maintained that repulse should not be used to mean “to cause repulsion in” and that repel is the proper verb for this job. They add that repulse should only be used to mean “to drive away” (as in The infantry repulsed the attack) or “to spurn” (as in She repulsed his rude advances with a frown). But as the gritty passage cited above shows, many writers do not shy away from using repulse as a synonym for disgust. Besides, the related words repulsion and repulsive cause no controversy when used to mean “disgust” and “disgusting.” So why should the verb be singled out for criticism? Still, repel presents itself as a perfectly good synonym, and is available if you are repulsed by repulse.
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research
If you are thinking of researching that topic before writing about it, go right ahead. Some language critics have objected to the use of research as a transitive verb, but the usage has ample historical precedent and is common in reputable writing. Eighty-one percent of the Usage Panel accepts it in the sentence He spent a week at a funeral home researching mortuary procedures for his new novel. The past participle researched, when used as an adjective, found even more favor with the panel. Ninety-one percent accept it in The chapters on the internment are both readable and well researched.
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responsible
Some critics have maintained that responsible should not be used to describe things, since only persons can be held accountable. The application to things is justifiable, however, when responsible is used to identify something as a source or cause. In an earlier survey, a majority of the Usage Panel accepted the sentence Faulty construction was responsible for the crash.
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restive / restless
These words overlap in meaning but have subtle distinctions. Restive usually indicates impatience or uneasiness caused by external coercion or restriction: The government has done nothing to ease export restrictions, and domestic manufacturers are growing restive.Restive also has a related sense, “stubbornly resisting control,” and is sometimes applied to horses to mean “balky.”
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Restless can mean “characterized by a lack of rest,” as in a restless night. It can also mean “constantly moving or acting,” as in restless seas or a plot hatched in his restless brain. The confusion with restive arises when restless means “characterized by unrest, fidgety.” But restless is usually not used in contexts involving external force or restriction: The atmosphere in the office was congenial, but after five years she began to grow restless. Still, if you are restive from impatience, you are probably fidgety, that is, restless, and in some situations either word will do.
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sacrilegious
Sacrilegious, the adjective form of sacrilege, is often misspelled sacreligious through confusion with religious.
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said
The adjective said is used primarily in legal and business writing, where it is equivalent to aforesaid: the said tenant (named in a lease), said property.
