A  question  about,  concerning,  respecting,
touching,  justice.
Above  T  Above  refers  to  a  higher  position.
Ovkh  J  Over  camies  an  idea  of  extension
above  an  object  from  one  side  of  it  to  the  other.
The  opposite  of  over  is  under;  the  opposites  of
above  are  below  and  beneath.
With  over  the  idea  of  contact  of  the  upper
with  the  lower  body  may  or  may  not  exist;
with  above  the  idea  of  contact  is  excluded.
COMMON  ERRORS  IN  ENGLISH  SPEECH  AND  WRITING     475


He  wbs  seen  of  above  five  hundred  brethren
at  once. — i  Cor.  it.
In  a  few  hours,  above  thirty  thousand  men
left  his  standard.—  Macaulay.
Over  in  this  sense  is  less  common  in  written
discourse,  but  is  allowable.  Upwards  of,  more
than,  are  also  in  good  use.
Across  1  in  some  expressions  coincide  in  mean-
Over  )  ing.  We  may  say :  "  To  row  us  over
or  across  the  river; "  "  a  bridge  across  or  over
the  river."

But  over  is  not  limited  to  length  merely.
"  To  gallop  over  a  field  "  differs  in  meaning  from
"  To  gallop  across  "  it.
Across  \  "He  walked  through  the  room,"  —
Through  /  that  is,  from  outside  to  outside.
"  He  walked  across  the  room,"— that  is,  from
side  to  side.
AFTER  \  are  sometimes  interchangeable,  es-
Fon  J  pecially  after  words  denoting  a  striv-
ing or  desire;  as,  "  To  thirst  after  knowledge  or
for  knowledge."

Hence  we  have :  Search  after  or  for;  hunt
after  or  for;  strive  after  or  for;  eager  for  or
after;  and  thirst  after  or  for,  etc.
