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Interventizio Posted 9 years ago
Vocabulary
Wont of
Can I use "For wont of" in place of "since there are/were no..." or can I use it only in the fixed expression "for wont of a better word"?
Ex..: "For wont of glasses, we had to drink directly from the bottle."
Ex..: "For wont of glasses, we had to drink directly from the bottle."
Top answer
Interventizio Can I use "For wont of" No. The phrase is 'for want of'. Interventizio Can I use "For wont of" in place of "since there are/were no...
- Interventizio Can I use "For wont of" No.
- The phrase is 'for want of'.
- Interventizio Can I use "For wont of" in place of "since there are/were no...
- Yes, if you wish to write poetry or sound old-fashioned.
- Though not the earliest reference, this is a well-known one: For want of a nail the shoe was lost, for want of a shoe the horse was lost; and for want of a horse the rider was lost; being overtaken and slain by the enemy, all for want of care about a horse-shoe nail.
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4 Answers
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InterventizioCan I use "For wont of"No. The phrase is 'for want of'.
InterventizioCan I use "For wont of" in place of "since there are/were no...Yes, if you wish to write poetry or sound old-fashioned.
Though not the earliest reference, this is a well-known one:
For want of a nail the shoe was
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Mister MicawberFor want of a nail the shoe was lost,for want of a shoe the horse was lost;and for want of a horse the rider was lost;being overtaken and slain by the enemy,all for want of care about a horse-shoe nail.-Benjamin FranklinThe Way to Wealth (1758)Excellent answer.
So I take it "for wAnt" is less old-fashioned than "for wOnt".
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