Bryson's Dictionary For Writers And Editors (v5.0) Page 2

  à la. The adjectival forms of proper nouns in French do not take capital letters after à la: à la française, à la russe, à la lyonnaise.

  alabaster.

  Aladdin.

  Alamein, El/Al. Egyptian village that gave its name to two battles of World War II.

  Alamogordo, New Mexico, site of first atomic bomb explosion.

  À la recherche du temps perdu. Novel by Marcel Proust, published in English as Remembrance of Things Past.

  “Alas! poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio” is the correct version of the quotation from Hamlet.

  Alaska Airlines. Not Alaskan.

  Albigenses, Albigensians. Religious sect during eleventh to thirteenth centuries, also known as Cathars.

  Albright, Madeleine. (1937–) Czech-born American diplomat and academic.

  albumen, albumin. Albumen is the white of an egg; albumin is a protein within the albumen.

  Albuquerque, New Mexico.

  Alcaeus. (c. 600 BC) Greek poet.

  Alcatraz. Island and former prison in San Francisco Bay.

  Alcibiades. (c. 450–404 BC) Athenian statesman and general.

  Alcott, Louisa May. (1833-1888) American writer, daughter of Amos Bronson Alcott (1799-1888), author and philosopher.

  Aleixandre, Vicente. (1898-1984) Spanish poet, awarded Nobel Prize for Literature 1977. Pronounced ah-lay-hahn'-dray.

  Aleutian Islands, Alaska.

  alfalfa.

  Alfa-Romeo for the Italian make of automobile. Not Alpha-.

  Al-Fatah. Palestinian political organization. Drop Al when it is preceded by an article (“a Fatah spokesman,” “the Fatah organization”).

  Alfredsson, Daniel. (1972–) Swedish ice hockey player.

  Alfredsson, Helen. (1965–) Swedish professional golfer.

  alfresco. (One word.)

  algae is plural; a single organism is an alga.

  Algonquin Hotel, New York City.

  Algonquin Indians.

  algorithm.

  Ali, Muhammad. (1942–) American heavyweight boxer, three-time world champion; born Cassius Marcellus Clay.

  à l’italienne. (Fr., no cap.) In the Italian style.

  alkali, pl. alkalis, alkalies.

  al-Khwarizmi, Muhammad ibn Musa. (c. 780–C. 850) Arab mathematician, often called the father of algebra.

  Allahabad. City in Uttar Pradesh, India.

  allege, allegedly, allegation.

  Allegheny Mountains and Allegheny River, but Alleghany Corporation and Allegany for the town, county, Indian reservation, and state park in New York. The plural of the mountains is Alleghenies. In short, there is huge variation in the spelling from place to place, so double-check.

  Allen, William Hervey. (1889-1949) Not Harvey; American novelist.

  Allende, Salvador. (1908-1973) President of Chile (1970-73).

  All God’s Chillun Got Wings. Play by Eugene O’Neill (1924).

  Allhallowmass. (One word.) Alternative name for All Saints’ Day.

  all intents and purposes is a tautology; use just “to all intents.”

  All Nippon Airways. Not -lines.

  allophone. In Canadian usage, someone who does not speak French.

  allot, allotted, allotting, allottable.

  all right. Not alright.

  All Saints’ Day. November 1.

  All Souls College, Oxford University. Not Souls’, etc.

  all time. Many authorities object to this expression in constructions such as “She was almost certainly the greatest female sailor of all time” (Daily Telegraph) on the grounds that all time extends to the future as well as the past and we cannot possibly know what lies ahead. A no less pertinent consideration is that such assessments, as in the example just cited, are bound to be hopelessly subjective and therefore have no place in any measured argument.

  allusion. “When the speaker happened to name Mr. Gladstone, the allusion was received with loud cheers” (cited by Fowler). The word is not, as many suppose, a more impressive synonym for reference. When you allude to something, you do not specifically mention it but leave it to the reader to deduce the subject. Thus it would be correct to write, “In an allusion to the president, he said: ‘Some people make better oil men than politicians.’” The word is closer in meaning to implication or suggestion.

  Allyson, June. (1917-2006) American film actress; real name Ella Geisman.

  Al Manamah/Al Manama. Capital of Bahrain.

  Almaty. Largest city in Kazakhstan. The capital is Astana.

  Almodóvar, Pedro. (1949–) Spanish filmmaker.

  Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. Department of France.

  Al Qaeda (from the Arabic al-qa’ida) is the most common spelling in American English for the terrorist group, but there are many variants, including commonly Al Qaida, al-Qaeda, and al-Qaida.

  Al Qahirah/El Qahira. Arabic name for Cairo.

  alright is never correct; make it all right.

  ALS. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a muscle-wasting disease. Also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, after the baseball player who suffered from it.

  altar, alter. The first is a table used in worship; the second means to change.

  altercation means a heated exchange of words. If blows are traded or shoving is involved, it is not properly an altercation.

  Althing. Parliament of Iceland.

  altocumulus, altostratus (each one word) for types of cloud.

  alumnae, alumni. Alumni is the masculine plural for a collection of college graduates. In the context of an all-female institution, the correct word is alumnae. The singular forms are alumna (feminine) and alumnus (masculine).

  alyssum. Border plant.

  Alzheimer’s disease, but in formal medical contexts the non-possessive form Alzheimer disease is increasingly used instead.

  a.m./AM. Ante meridiem (Lat.) Before midday.

  Amalienborg Palace. Residence of Danish royal family in Copenhagen.

  amanuensis. One who takes dictation; pl. amanuenses.

  amaretto. Liqueur; pl. amarettos.

  Amarillo, Texas.

  amaryllis.

  ambergris. Substance used in the manufacture of perfumes.

  ambidextrous. Not -erous.

  ambience.

  ambiguous, equivocal. Both mean vague and open to more than one interpretation. But whereas an ambiguous statement may be vague by accident or by intent, an equivocal one is calculatedly unclear.

  Amenhotep. Name of four kings in the eighteenth dynasty of ancient Egypt.

  America’s Cup. Yacht races.

  americium. (Not cap.) Chemical element.

  AmeriCorps. Voluntary service organization.

  AmerisourceBergen. (One word.) Pharmaceutical supply company.

  Améthyste, Côte d’, France.

  Amharic. Semitic language; official tongue of Ethiopia.

  amicus curiae. (Lat.) “Friend of the court.” Pl. amici curiae.

  amid, among. Among applies to things that can be separated and counted, amid to things that cannot. Rescuers might search among survivors, but amid wreckage.

  amniocentesis. The withdrawing of amniotic fluid from a pregnant woman’s uterus.

  à moitié. (Fr.) In part, halfway.

  amok is generally the preferred spelling, but amuck is an accepted alternative.

  among, between. A few authorities insist that among applies to more than two things and between to only two. But by this logic you would have to say that St. Louis is among California, New York, and Michigan, not between them. Insofar as the two words can be distinguished, among should be applied to collective arrangements (trade talks among the members of the European Community) and between to reciprocal arrangements (a treaty between the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada).

  amoral, immoral. Amoral describes matters in which questions of morality do not arise or are disregarded; immoral applies to things that are evil.

  amour-propre. (Fr.) Self-respect.

  Ampère, André Marie. (1775-1836
) French physicist. The unit of electricity named after him is ampere (no cap., no accent).

  amphetamine.

  amphibian, amphibious.

  Amphitryon. In Greek mythology, a Mycenaen king whose wife, Alcmene, gave birth to Hercules after Zeus tricked her into sleeping with him.

  ampoule/ampule/ampul. All three spellings are accepted, but ampoule is generally preferred.

  Amtrak for the passenger railroad corporation. The company’s formal designation is the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, but this is almost never used, even on first reference.

  Amundsen, Roald. (1872-1928) Norwegian explorer, first person to reach the South Pole (1911).

  Anacreon. (c. 563–c. 478 BC) Greek poet.

  anathema, pl. anathemas.

  Anaxagoras. (c. 500–428 BC) Greek philosopher.

  Anaximander. (c. 611–c. 547 BC) Greek philosopher.

  ancien régime. (Fr.) “The old order.”

  ancillary.

  Andalusia. Region of Spain. In Spanish, Andalucía.

  Andersen, Hans Christian. (1805-1875) Not -son. Danish writer of children’s tales.

  Anderson, Marian. (1897-1993) Celebrated contralto.

  Andhra Pradesh. Indian state.

  Andorra is a principality; the capital is Andorra la Vella.

  Andrejewski, Jerzy. (1909-1983) Polish novelist.

  Andretti, Mario. (1940–) American racecar driver.

  Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland. (No apos.)

  androgenous, androgynous. The first applies to the production of male offspring; the second means having both male and female characteristics.

  Andromache. In Greek mythology, the wife of Hector.

  Androscoggin. A county, river, and lake in Maine.

  and which. Almost always and which should be preceded by a parallel which (“The home run, which was his tenth of the month and which was the longest hit in the park this year…”). The stricture applies equally to such constructions as and that, and who, but which, and but who. See also THAT, WHICH.

  anesthesia, anesthesiologist.

  aneurysm.

  Anfinsen, Christian B(oehmer). (1916-1995) American biochemist, awarded Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1972.

  anfractuosity. Having many turns.

  Angelico, Fra. (1387-1455) Florentine painter, also known as Fra Giovanni da Fiesole.

  Angkor. Complex of ruins in Cambodia. Angkor Wat is a single temple within the compound.

  Angleterre. French for England.

  anglicize. (Lowercase.)

  angora. Type of wool. Angora is the former name of Ankara, Turkey.

  Angostura bitters.

  angstrom/ångström. (Abbr. Å.) Unit used to measure wavelengths of light, and equal to one ten-billionth of a meter; named for Anders Ångström (1814-1874), Swedish physicist.

  Anheuser-Busch. Brewery.

  Anhui. Chinese province, formerly spelled Anhwei.

  Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve, Alaska.

  animus, but animosity.

  aniseed. A flavorful seed.

  anisette. A drink flavored with aniseed.

  Ankara. Capital of Turkey.

  Annabessacook, Lake, Maine.

  Annapolis. Capital of Maryland.

  Annapurna. A cluster of mountains in the Himalayas, of which the highest peak is Annapurna I (26,545 feet; 8,091 meters).

  Ann Arbor, Michigan, home of the University of Michigan.

  Anne Arundel County, Maryland.

  Anne of Cleves. (1515-1557) Fourth wife of Henry VIII.

  annex for both noun and verb.

  Annieopsquotch Mountains, Newfoundland, Canada.

  annihilate.

  Ann-Margret. (1941–) American actress; born Ann-Margret Olsson. Note hyphen and irregular spelling Margret.

  anno Domini. (Lat., cap. D only.) “The year of the Lord.” See also AD.

  annus mirabilis. (Lat.) Remarkable year.

  anomaly, anomalous.

  anonymous, anonymity.

  Anouilh, Jean. (1910-1987) French playwright; pronounced an'-wee.

  Anschluss. (Ger.) A union; particularly applied to that of Germany and Austria in 1938.

  Antananarivo. Capital of Madagascar.

  Antassawamock Neck, Massachusetts.

  antebellum. (Lat.) “Before the war” especially applied to the period before the American Civil War.

  antecedence, antecedents. Antecedence means precedence; antecedents are ancestors or other things that have gone before.

  antediluvian. Antiquated, primitive.

  ante meridiem. (Lat.) “Before midday.” Abbr. a.m./AM; not to be confused with antemeridian (one word), meaning of or taking part in the morning.

  antennae, antennas. Either is correct as the plural of antenna, but generally antennae is preferred for living organisms (“a beetle’s antennae”) and antennas for manmade objects (“radio antennas made possible the discovery of quarks”).

  anticipate. To anticipate something is to look ahead to it and prepare for it, not to make a reasonable estimate. A tennis player who anticipates his opponent’s next shot doesn’t just guess where it is going to go but is there to meet it.

  Anti-Defamation League.

  Antigone. In Greek mythology, daughter of Oedipus; also (in italics) the title of a play by Sophocles.

  Antigua and Barbuda. Caribbean state; capital St. John’s.

  antipasto. (It.) Appetizer, hors d’oeuvre; pl. antipasti.

  Antipodean. Of Australia or New Zealand.

  antirrhinum. Note -rr-. A flower, also known as a snapdragon.

  Antofagasta, Chile.

  Antonioni, Michelangelo. (1912-2007) Italian film director.

  Antony and Cleopatra. Not Anthony. Play by Shakespeare (c. 1606).

  Antwerpen. The Flemish name for Antwerp, Belgium; the French name is Anvers.

  anxious. Since anxious comes from anxiety, it should contain some connotation of being worried or fearful and not merely eager or expectant.

  any. A tricky word at times, as here: “This paper isn’t very good, but neither is any of the others.” A simple and useful principle is to make the verb always correspond to the complement. Thus: “neither is any other” or “neither are any of the others.”

  anybody, anyone, anything, anyway, anywhere. Anything and anywhere are always one word. The others are normally one word except when the emphasis is on the second element (e.g., “He received three job offers, but any one would have suited him”). Anybody and anyone are singular and should be followed by singular pronouns and verbs. A common fault—so common, in fact, that some no longer consider it a fault—is seen here: “Anyone can relax so long as they don’t care whether they or anyone else ever actually gets anything done.” The problem, clearly, is that a plural pronoun (“they”) is being attached to a singular verb (“gets”). Such constructions may in fact be fully defensible, at least some of the time, though you should at least know why you are breaking a rule when you break it.

  à outrance. (Fr.) Not à l’outrance. To the very last, to the death.

  Apalachicola. Florida river.

  Aparicio, Luis. (1934–) Venezuelan-born baseball player.

  Apeldoorn, the Netherlands.

  Apennines for the Italian mountain range. Note -nn- in middle. In Italian, Appennini.

  aperitif, pl. aperitifs.

  Apfelstrudel. (Ger.) Apple strudel.

  aplomb.

  apocalypse, apocalyptic.

  apogee. The highest or most distant point, usually in reference to orbiting bodies. Its opposite is perigee.

  Apollinaire, Guillaume. (1880-1918) French writer and critic; born Wilhelm Apollinaris de Kostrowitzky.

  Apollo. Greek god of light, son of Zeus.

  “Apologie for Poetrie, An.” Title of the essay by Sir Philip Sidney, also published as “The Defence of Poesie” (1595).

  aposiopesis. The sudden breaking off of a thought or statement; pl. aposiopeses.

  apostasy. The abandoni
ng of one’s faith; pl. apostasies.

  apostatize.

  a posteriori. (Lat.) From what is after; in logic, moving from effect to cause, reasoning from experience.

  apothegm. A witty or pithy maxim.

  apotheosis. Deification (generally used figuratively); pl. apotheoses.

  Appalachian Mountains, eastern United States.

  appaloosa. Horse. A breed of saddle horse.

  apparatchik. Party functionary, especially of the Communist Party.

  apparel.

  apparition.

  appellant, appellate.

  appendices, appendixes. Either is correct.

  applicator.

  appoggiatura. In music, an accented nonharmonized note that precedes a harmonized note.

  Appomattox, Virginia; where the Confederacy surrendered to the Union to end the Civil War (April 9, 1865).

  appraise, apprise. Appraise means to assess or evaluate. Apprise means to inform. An insurance assessor appraises damage and apprises owners.

  appreciate has a slightly more specific meaning than writers sometimes give it. If you appreciate something, you value it (“I appreciate your concern”) or you understand it sympathetically (“I appreciate your predicament”). But when there is no sense of sympathy or value (as in “I appreciate what you are saying, but I don’t agree with it”) understand or recognize or the like would be better.

  apprehensible.

  après-midi. (Fr.) Afternoon.

  après-ski. (Fr., hyphen.) The period after a day’s skiing.

  April Fools’ Day.

  a principio. (Lat.) From the beginning.

  a priori. (Lat.) From what is before; in logic, an argument proceeding from cause to effect.

  apropos. In French, à propos.

  Apuleius, Lucius. (fl. second c. AD) Roman satirist.

  Apulia. Region of Italy known in English as Puglia.

  Aqaba, Gulf of. An arm of the Red Sea. Aqaba is also the name of a town in Jordan.

  aqua vitae. (Lat.) “Water of life” used to describe whiskeys and other alcoholic spirits.

  aqueduct, but aquifer.

  aquiline. Like an eagle.

  Aquinas, St. Thomas. (1225-1274) Italian theologian, canonized 1323.

  À quoi bon? (Fr.) What for? What’s the point?

  arabic numerals. Not cap.

  Arafat, Yasir. (1929-2004) Born Mohammed Abdel Raouf Arafat; leader Palestine Liberation Organization (1969-2004), awarded Nobel Peace Prize with Shimon Peres and Yitzhak Rabin (1994).