by Bill Bryson
Queen Elizabeth II. (1926–) Her formal title, though seldom used, is Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her Other Realms and Territories, Queen Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith. She became queen in 1952; her coronation was in 1953.
Queens. (No apos.) Borough of New York.
Queensberry rules. Not -bury. Code of conduct for boxing; formally they are the Marquess of Queensberry Rules.
Queensboro Bridge, New York, but Queensborough Community College.
Queens College, City University of New York, Queen’s College, Oxford, Queens’ College, Cambridge.
quelque chose. (Fr.) Something, a trifle.
¿qué pasa? (Sp.) “What’s up?”
querulous. Fretful, peevish.
query, inquiry, enquiry. A query is a single question. An inquiry or enquiry may be a single question or an extensive investigation. Either spelling is correct, but inquiry is preferred by most dictionaries.
que será, será. (Sp.) “Whatever will be, will be.” The same expression in Italian is che sarà, sarà.
qu’est-ce que c’est? (Fr.) “What is this?”
question, leading. A leading question is not a challenging or hostile one, as is sometimes thought, but the opposite. It is a question designed to encourage the person being questioned to make the desired response. A lawyer who says to a witness, “So you didn’t see the murder, did you?” has asked a leading question.
question mark has become an overworked embellishment of the expression “a question hanging over,” which is itself wearyingly overused. Consider: “The case…has raised a question mark over the competence of British security” (The Times). Would you say of a happy event that it had raised an exclamation mark over the proceedings or that a pause in negotiations had a comma hanging over them?
questionnaire. Note -nn-.
Quetzalcoatl. Aztec god.
queue, queuing.
Quezon City. Former capital of the Philippines (1948–1976).
quid pro quo. (Lat.) Tit for tat, a fair trade-off.
quiescent.
qu’importe? (Fr.) “What does it matter?”
quincentennial. Five-hundredth anniversary.
Quinnipiac University, Connecticut.
Quinquagesima. The fiftieth day before Easter, the Sunday before Ash Wednesday.
quinquennial can mean either to last for five years or to occur once every five years. Because of the inherent ambiguity, the word is almost always better replaced with a more specific phrase.
quinsy. Historic name for tonsillitis.
quintessence, quintessential.
quisling. One who collaborates with a foreign enemy; after Vidkun Quisling (1887–1945), pro-Nazi Norwegian prime minister appointed by Germany.
Quito. Capital of Ecuador.
qui vive, on the. In a state of watchfulness.
Qum (or Qom). Holy city in Iran.
quod est demonstrandum. (Abbr. QED.) (Lat.) “Which was to be demonstrated.”
quod vide. (Abbr. q.v.) (Lat.) “Which see” used for cross-references.
Quonochontaug, Rhode Island.
Quonset hut. Prefabricated metal shelter.
quorum, pl. quorums.
Quran. Alternative spelling of Koran.
q.v. Quod vide (Lat.), “which see.” Used for cross-references.
qwerty keyboard. Standard English keyboard, so called because the first six letters of the first row of letters spell qwerty.
Rr
rabbet. Type of groove used in carpentry.
rabbi, rabbinical.
Rabelais, François. (c. 1494–c. 1553) French satirist.
Rabin, Yitzhak. (1922–1995) Israeli prime minister (1974–1977, 1992–1995).
raccoon.
Rachmaninoff (or Rachmaninov), Sergei. (1873–1943) Russian composer and pianist.
rack, wrack. Wrack is an archaic variant of wreck and now almost never appears except in the expression wrack and ruin. Rack means to put under strain. The expressions are nerve-racking and to rack one’s brain.
racket (pref.)/racquet (alt.).
racy.
radiator. Not -er.
radius. The plural can be either radii or radiuses.
raffia. Fiber used for mats.
Rafsanjani, Ali Akbar (Hashemi). (1934–) President of Iran (1989–1997).
ragamuffin.
ragout. In French, ragoût.
raise Cain, to.
raison d’être. (Fr.) “Reason for being.”
Rajasthan, India. Not -stan.
raki. Alcoholic drink of Eastern Europe and the Middle East.
Ralegh, Sir Walter. (1552–1618) English courtier, explorer, and author. Raleigh was once the conventional spelling, but Ralegh is now generally preferred in serious and academic writings. However, for the city in North Carolina, the bicycles, and the cigarettes, use Raleigh.
Ramadan. Ninth month of the Muslim year, and the fast that takes place in that month.
Ramses (sometimes Rameses). Name of twelve pharaohs of ancient Egypt.
rand. South African currency; the plural is also rand.
Rangers Ballpark in Arlington is the formal name of the home of the Texas Rangers baseball team.
ranges of figures. Sentences such as the following are common: “Profits in the division were expected to rise by between $35 and $45 million.” Although most people will see at once that the writer meant to indicate a range of $10 million, literally she was saying that profits could be as little as $35 or as much as $45 million. If you mean “between $35 million and $45 million,” it is always better to say so.
Ransom, John Crowe. (1888–1974) American poet and critic.
Ransome, Arthur. (1884–1967) British author of children’s stories.
Raphael. (1483–1520) Italian painter; real name Raffaello Santi (or Sanzio).
“Rappaccini’s Daughter.” Story by Nathaniel Hawthorne (1844).
Rappahannock River, Virginia.
rappel, rappelled, rappelling.
rapprochement. (Fr.) Reconciliation.
rapt, wrapped. One is rapt in thought, not wrapped. Rapt means engrossed, absorbed, enraptured.
rara avis. (Lat.) “A rare bird” an unusual or wonderful person or thing; pl. rarae aves.
rarefy, rarefaction, but rarity.
Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia, The History of. Novel by Samuel Johnson (1759).
Rastafarianism. Religious sect.
ratatouille. Vegetable stew.
rational, rationale. The first means sensible or sound (“a rational decision”); the second describes a justification (“the rationale for his actions”).
rattan. Type of cane.
ravage, ravish. The first means to lay waste. The second means to rape or carry off—or, a touch confusingly, to enrapture. Clearly, in all senses, for both words, care needs to be exercised to avoid confusion.
Ravenna, Italy.
Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
Ray, Satyajit. (1921–1992) Indian film director.
razed to the ground is a common but mistaken expression. The ground is the only place to which a structure can be razed. It is enough to say that a building has been razed.
razzmatazz.
re-words. Somewhat mystifyingly, many publications show a formidable resistance to putting hyphens into any word beginning with re-. Yet often the presence or absence of a hyphen can usefully and immediately denote a difference in meaning, as between recollect (remember) and re-collect (collect again), or between recede (withdraw) and re-cede (give back again, as with territory). My advice, for what it is worth, is always to insert a hyphen if you think it might reduce the chance of even momentary misunderstanding.
react is better reserved for spontaneous responses (“He reacted to the news by fainting”). It should not be used to indicate responses marked by reflection.
real. Brazilian currency; the plural is reais.
realpolitik. Polit
ics based on the achievable.
reason…is because is a common construction that almost always points to an overwritten sentence. Consider an example: “The reason she spends less and less time in England these days is because her business interests keep her constantly on the move.” Remove “the reason” and its attendant verb “is,” and a crisper, more focused sentence emerges: “She spends less and less time in England these days because her business interests keep her constantly on the move.”
reason why, like reason…is because (see above), is generally redundant. Consider two examples: “Grover said her contract had been terminated, but no one at the company would tell her the reason why” “His book argues that the main reason why inner-city blacks are in such a sorry state is not because whites are prejudiced but that low-skilled jobs near their homes are disappearing.” An improvement can nearly always be effected by removing one word or the other—e.g., “the reason” from the first example, “why” from the second.
receptacle.
recherché. Farfetched.
reciprocal, reciprocity.
reckless. Not wreckless, unless you are describing a setting in which there are no wrecks.
reconnaissance.
reconnoiter.
reducible.
reductio ad absurdum. (Lat.) To deflate an argument by proving it absurd.
reebok. Type of antelope.
Reekie, Auld. (Scot.) “Old Smoky” nickname for Edinburgh.
reflector.
refute means to show conclusively that an allegation is wrong. It does not mean simply to dispute or deny a contention.
regalia is plural.
Regent’s Park, London (apos.).
reggae. West Indian music.
regretfully, regrettably. The first means with feelings of regret (“Regretfully they said their farewells”); the second means unfortunately (“Regrettably I did not have enough money to buy it”).
rehabilitate.
Reims, France, is the usual spelling, though Rheims is sometimes used. It is pronounced reemz in English but ranz in French.
relatively, like comparatively, should not be used unless there is some sense of a comparison or relationship. Often it can be removed without loss from sentences like “The group has taken the relatively bold decision to expand its interests in Nigeria.”
religieuse. (Fr.) A nun; pl. religieuses.
religieux. (Fr.) A monk; pl. religieux.
Remarque, Erich Maria. (1898–1970) German-born American novelist.
Rembrandt Harmensz (or Harmenszoon) van Rijn is the full name for the Dutch painter (1606–1669).
remembrance. Not -berance.
remissible.
remittance, remitted.
remittent.
remunerate. Not renum-.
Renaissance, the. In European art, roughly the period 1300–1500.
rendezvous is the spelling for both the singular and plural.
renegade.
renege, reneged, reneging.
Renoir, Pierre-Auguste. (1841–1919) French painter; father of Jean Renoir (1894–1979), film director.
renown. Not reknown.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Rentokil. Pest control company; not -kill.
repartee.
repellent.
repetition, repetitive.
replete is not merely full but overfull, stuffed.
replica. An exact copy. A scale model is not a replica. Only something built to the same scale as the original and using the same materials is a replica. It therefore follows that “exact replica” is always redundant.
repository.
reprehensible.
reproducible.
Repubblica, La. Italian newspaper. Note -bb-.
Resnais, Alain. (1922–) French film director.
respirator. Not -er.
respite, temporary or brief. It is in the nature of respites to be both. It is enough to say that somebody or something enjoyed a respite.
restaurateur. Not -rant-.
restive properly means balky or obstinate, refusing to move or budge. A crowd of protesters may grow restive upon the arrival of mounted police, but a person sitting uncomfortably on a hard bench is better described as restless.
résumé.
resuscitate, resuscitator.
retraceable.
retroussé (masc.)/retroussée (fem). Turned up, particularly applied to noses.
retsina. Greek white wine flavored with resin.
Reuters. (No apos.) News agency.
reveille.
Revelation, Book of. Not -ions.
reversible.
revert back is always redundant. Delete back.
revertible.
Reykjavik. Capital of Iceland.
Rhadamanthus. In Greek mythology, a judge of the dead.
Rhein. German spelling of Rhine.
Rhineland-Palatinate. German state; in German, Rheinland-Pfalz.
rhinestone. Artificial diamond.
rhinoceros, pl. rhinoceroses.
rhododendron.
Rhône. French river.
Rhône-Alpes, French region.
rhumb line.
rhythm, rhythmic.
RIBA. Royal Institute (not Institution) of British Architects.
Ribbentrop, Joachim von. (1893–1946) German politician.
ribonucleic acid. RNA.
Ricardo, David. (1772–1823) English political economist and politician.
Rice, Condoleezza. (1954–) American political adviser, secretary of state (2005–).
Richelieu, Armand Jean du Plessis, Cardinal, Duc de. (1585–1642) French prime minister (1624–42).
Richter scale for the standard measure of earthquake magnitudes. It is named for Charles Richter (1900–1985) of the California Institute of Technology, who invented it in the 1930s. The scale increases at a rate that is exponential rather than linear, making each level of increment vastly greater than most people appreciate. According to Charles Office and Jake Page in Tales of the Earth, a magnitude 8.3 earthquake is 50 times larger than a magnitude 7.3 quake and 2,500 times larger than a magnitude 6.3 quake. In practical terms, this means that Richter magnitudes are largely meaningless to most readers and comparisons involving two or more Richter measurements are totally meaningless. It is considerate to the reader to provide, wherever possible, some basis of comparison beyond the bare Richter numbers. It is also worth bearing in mind that the Richter scale measures only the magnitude of an earthquake at its point of origin and says little or nothing about the degree of devastation at ground level.
rickettsia. Microorganism that can transmit various diseases to humans.
RICO. Common abbreviation for Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, law designed to attack organized crime.
ricochet, ricocheted, ricocheting.
RICS stands for Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, London.
Riefenstahl, Leni. (1902–2003) German actress and film director.
Riesling. (Cap.) German white wine.
Rievaulx Abbey, North Yorkshire, England; pronounced ree-vo.
riffraff.
Rigoletto. Opera by Verdi (1851).
rigor mortis.
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Rikers Island, New York. (No apos.)
Riksdag. Swedish parliament.
Riley, the life of.
Rilke, Rainer Maria. (1875–1926) Austrian poet.
“Rime of the Ancient Mariner, The.” Not Rhyme. Poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
Rimsky-Korsakov, Nikolai (or Nicholas). (1844–1908) Russian composer.
Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Rio Grande. Not Rio Grande River.
Rio Tinto-Zinc. British mining company. Note position of hyphen.
“Rip Van Winkle.” Story by Washington Irving (1819).
risotto. Italian rice dish.
rissole. De
ep-fried mincemeat or fish in the form of a ball or patty.
Rive Gauche. (Fr.) The Left Bank, most commonly used of the Seine in Paris.
Riyadh. Capital of Saudi Arabia; in Arabic, Ar Riyad.
RNA. Ribonucleic acid.
Roanoke, Virginia.
Robbins, Jerome. (1918–1998) American choreographer; born Jerome Rabinowitz.
Robespierre, Maximilien François Marie Isidore de. (1758–1794) French revolutionary.
Robins, A. H. U.S. pharmaceuticals company.
Rochefoucauld, François, Duc de La. (1613–1680) French writer known for his maxims.
Rockefeller, John D(avison). (1839–1937) American business tycoon. Note middle name was Davison, not Davidson.
rock ’n’ roll.
Rockville Centre, New York. Not Center.
rococo.
Rodgers, Jimmie. (1897–1933) U.S. country music singer.
Rodgers, Richard. (1902–1979) American composer, collaborated often with Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II.
Rodin, Auguste. (1840–1917) French sculptor.
Roebling, John Augustus. (1806–1869) American engineer, designer of Brooklyn Bridge.
Roedean School, Brighton, England.
Roederer, Louis, champagne.
Roeg, Nicolas. (1928–) British film director. Note unusual spelling of first name.
Rogers Centre. Not -er. Toronto sporting arena; formerly SkyDome.
Rogers, Ginger. (1911–1995) Actress and dancer; real name Virginia Katherine McMath.
Rogers, Richard. (Baron Rogers of Riverside) (1933–) British architect.
Rohrabacher, Dana. (1947–) Republican U.S. representative from California.
Roissy. Informal name of Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris.
Rolls-Royce. (Hyphen.)
roly-poly.
ROM. Read-only memory, a type of computer memory.
roman-à-clef. (Fr.) A novel about real people but using fictitious names; pl. romans-à-clef.
roman-fleuve. (Fr.) A long novel, or series of novels, chronicling several generations of a family; pl. romans-fleuves.
Romania. Not Ru-.
Roman numerals. See Appendix.
Romanov. Dynasty that ruled Russia from 1613–1917.
Romansch/Romansh. Language spoken in parts of Switzerland.
Romberg, Sigmund. (1887–1951) Hungarian-born American composer of operettas.
Rommel, Erwin. (1891–1944) German field marshal, commander of the Afrika Korps in World War II.