Bryson's Dictionary For Writers And Editors (v5.0) by Bill Bryson Page B
Authors: Bill Bryson
Tags: Usenet
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mystery.â See also THAN (3).
Buthelezi, Mangosuthu. (1928â) South African politician, founder of Inkatha Freedom Party.
BWIA. British West India Airways; not
Indian
or
Indies
.
byte. In computing, a unit of eight bits.
Cc
ca. (Lat.) is the abbreviation for
circa
, meaning about or approximately; often c. In either case, it is customary to put a period after it.
cacao. The tree from whose seed cocoa and chocolate are made.
caddie, caddy. A
caddie
is a golferâs assistant; a
caddy
is a container or small casket. The affectionate term for a Cadillac is
Caddy.
Cadmean victory. One that leaves the victor ruined. See also PYRRHIC VICTORY .
caduceus. Staff with two winged serpents wrapped around it.
Caedmon. (fl. seventh c.) English poet.
Caerphilly cheese. (In Welsh, Caerffili.)
caesarean , not
-ian
, remains the preferred spelling for the form of childbirth properly known as a Caesarean section, as well as for references to Roman emperors named Caesar.
caesar salad. (Not cap.)
Cage, Nicolas. (1964â) American actor; not
Nicholas
, though his birth name was Nicholas Coppola.
cagey (pref.), cagy (alt.).
Caius, the Cambridge college, is formally Gonville and Caius College. Caius is pronounced
keys.
Cajun. (Cap.) Native of traditionally French-speaking region of Louisiana; derived from
Acadian
.
calamine lotion.
Calaveras County, California, is the scene of the Mark Twain story âThe Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.â
Calcutta, the Indian city, is now officially Kolkata; until the new name is fully established, the use of both on first reference is advisable.
Calderón, Felipe. (1962â) President of Mexico (2006â).
Calderón de la Barca (y Henao), Pedro. (1600â1681) Spanish playwright.
calico, pl.
calicoes.
caliper.
Callicrates. (fl. fifth c. BC ) Greek architect, co-designer (with Ictinus) of the Parthenon.
calligraphy is an art. The science of studying written text is graphology.
Callimachus. (fl. third c. BC ) Greek scholar.
calliope. Fairground steam-organ, named after Calliope, the Greek muse of epic poetry.
callous, callus. The first means insensitive, the second is a thickening of the skin.
Calmann-Lévy. French publisher.
Caltech (one word) is the common name for the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
Calypso. Nymph who delayed Odysseus for seven years on his way home from Troy.
camaraderie.
Cambodia has been variously known in recent decades as the Khmer Republic, Democratic Kampuchea, and the Peopleâs Republic of Kampuchea, but in 1989 it resumed its historical name of Cambodia.
Cambridgeshire. English county.
Camden Yards. Baseball stadium, home of Baltimore Orioles; formally it is Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
camellia for the flower. Not
camelia
.
Camembert. (Cap.) Soft French cheese and the village in Normandy for which it is named.
Cameroon/Cameroun. The first is the English spelling; the second is the French (and local) spelling for the West African republic formerly called the Cameroons. Its capital is Yaoundé.
Camisards. French Calvinists disaffected by the revocation of the Edict of Nantes (1703).
camisole.
Camorra. Mafia-type secret society of Naples.
Campagna di Roma. Countryside around Rome.
campanile. Bell tower.
can, may.
Can
applies to what is possible and
may
to what is permissible. You can drive your car the wrong way down a one-way street, but you may not. Despite the simplicity of the rule, errors are common, even among experts. Here is William Safire writing in the
New York Times
on the pronunciation of
junta
: âThe worst mistake is to mix languages. You cannot say âjoontaâ and you cannot say âhunta.ââ But you can, and quite easily. What Mr. Safire meant was that you may not or should not or ought not.
Canada is a dominion, comprising ten provinces (Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario,
Buthelezi, Mangosuthu. (1928â) South African politician, founder of Inkatha Freedom Party.
BWIA. British West India Airways; not
Indian
or
Indies
.
byte. In computing, a unit of eight bits.
Cc
ca. (Lat.) is the abbreviation for
circa
, meaning about or approximately; often c. In either case, it is customary to put a period after it.
cacao. The tree from whose seed cocoa and chocolate are made.
caddie, caddy. A
caddie
is a golferâs assistant; a
caddy
is a container or small casket. The affectionate term for a Cadillac is
Caddy.
Cadmean victory. One that leaves the victor ruined. See also PYRRHIC VICTORY .
caduceus. Staff with two winged serpents wrapped around it.
Caedmon. (fl. seventh c.) English poet.
Caerphilly cheese. (In Welsh, Caerffili.)
caesarean , not
-ian
, remains the preferred spelling for the form of childbirth properly known as a Caesarean section, as well as for references to Roman emperors named Caesar.
caesar salad. (Not cap.)
Cage, Nicolas. (1964â) American actor; not
Nicholas
, though his birth name was Nicholas Coppola.
cagey (pref.), cagy (alt.).
Caius, the Cambridge college, is formally Gonville and Caius College. Caius is pronounced
keys.
Cajun. (Cap.) Native of traditionally French-speaking region of Louisiana; derived from
Acadian
.
calamine lotion.
Calaveras County, California, is the scene of the Mark Twain story âThe Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.â
Calcutta, the Indian city, is now officially Kolkata; until the new name is fully established, the use of both on first reference is advisable.
Calderón, Felipe. (1962â) President of Mexico (2006â).
Calderón de la Barca (y Henao), Pedro. (1600â1681) Spanish playwright.
calico, pl.
calicoes.
caliper.
Callicrates. (fl. fifth c. BC ) Greek architect, co-designer (with Ictinus) of the Parthenon.
calligraphy is an art. The science of studying written text is graphology.
Callimachus. (fl. third c. BC ) Greek scholar.
calliope. Fairground steam-organ, named after Calliope, the Greek muse of epic poetry.
callous, callus. The first means insensitive, the second is a thickening of the skin.
Calmann-Lévy. French publisher.
Caltech (one word) is the common name for the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
Calypso. Nymph who delayed Odysseus for seven years on his way home from Troy.
camaraderie.
Cambodia has been variously known in recent decades as the Khmer Republic, Democratic Kampuchea, and the Peopleâs Republic of Kampuchea, but in 1989 it resumed its historical name of Cambodia.
Cambridgeshire. English county.
Camden Yards. Baseball stadium, home of Baltimore Orioles; formally it is Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
camellia for the flower. Not
camelia
.
Camembert. (Cap.) Soft French cheese and the village in Normandy for which it is named.
Cameroon/Cameroun. The first is the English spelling; the second is the French (and local) spelling for the West African republic formerly called the Cameroons. Its capital is Yaoundé.
Camisards. French Calvinists disaffected by the revocation of the Edict of Nantes (1703).
camisole.
Camorra. Mafia-type secret society of Naples.
Campagna di Roma. Countryside around Rome.
campanile. Bell tower.
can, may.
Can
applies to what is possible and
may
to what is permissible. You can drive your car the wrong way down a one-way street, but you may not. Despite the simplicity of the rule, errors are common, even among experts. Here is William Safire writing in the
New York Times
on the pronunciation of
junta
: âThe worst mistake is to mix languages. You cannot say âjoontaâ and you cannot say âhunta.ââ But you can, and quite easily. What Mr. Safire meant was that you may not or should not or ought not.
Canada is a dominion, comprising ten provinces (Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario,
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