had been for the girl all along.” In other

had been for the girl all along.”

In other constructions, “different from" works better. “She sought to be different from her classmates.” “Justice Scalia’s approach is different from justic Blackmun’s approach.” “How different his performance from his promises!”

Among the exhibits offered by the plaintiffs are two clippings from Chicago. From the Sun-Times: “The football program at Augustana College is different than the one at Nebraska.” From the Tribune: “Women have higher death rates from heart attacks and react differently to treatment than men.”

The court approves the Tribune's use of “different than.” Surely it would have startled readers to read that women “react differently to treatment from men.”

The sentence from the SunTimes is clumnsy. Taking Follett’s advice, the sportswriter who stumbled over “different than” might have sought a way around the thicket: “Augustana College and Nebraska have different football programs.” Or, “Augustana’s football program differs from Nebraska’s.” Or, “Football is one thing at Augustana College. It’s something very different at Nebraska.”

A plaintiff in Augusta, Ga., identifying himself as John Doe, moves for an injunction against “to while away.” In evidence he offers a headline from The Augusta Chronicle: “Spearing pike one way to while away northern winter months.” To the plaintiff this is “awful!”

Nonsense. Motion denied. Webster’s dates “to while away” from 1635. It is better in every respect than “to wile away,” w'hich carries overtones of enticement and trickery. Women’s wiles. A wily politician. Milton’s Nymph brought “quips and cranks, and wanton wiles, nods, and becks, and WTeathed smiles.” If one has an idle hour, let one while it away.

On its own motion, the court will briefly address the use of “a while” and “awhile.” The court does not approve “awhile,” even in such constructions as, “The senator left awhile ago.” Two words are better than one: “The dispute over a Bos