by Bill Bryson
Roppongi. Nightclub district of Tokyo.
Roquefort. A French cheese, from the village of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon.
Rorschach test. Psychological test involving ink blots devised by Swiss pyschiatrist and neurologist Hermann Rorschach (1884–1922).
Roseau. Capital of Dominica.
Rosebery, Lord. (1847–1929) Not -berry. British prime minister (1894–1895). His full name was Archibald Philip Primrose, Earl of Rosebery.
Rosenberg, Julius (1918–1953) and Ethel (1915–1953). Americans executed as Russian spies.
Rosenborg Castle, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Rosenkavalier, Der. Opera by Richard Strauss (1911).
Rosetta stone.
Rosh Hashanah (or Hashana, Hoshana, Hoshanah). Jewish New Year, usually late September or early October.
Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana. (1952–) Republican U.S. representative from Florida.
Rosmersholm. Play by Henrik Ibsen (1886).
Rossetti, Dante Gabriel. (1828–1882) English poet and painter, one of the founders of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood; brother of Christina Rossetti (1830–1894), poet.
Rossini, Gioacchino Antonio. (1792–1868) Italian composer.
Rostand, Edmond. (1868–1918) Not -mund. French playwright and poet.
Rostenkowski, Dan. (1928–) American politician.
Rostropovich, Mstislav. (1927–2007) Russian cellist.
rosy. Not rosey.
Rothko, Mark. (1903–1970) Russian-born American painter.
Rothschilds, a family of European financiers. Among the more distinguished members are Nathaniel Mayer Victor, Baron Rothschild (1910–1990), English scientist and public servant; Edmund Leopold de Rothschild (1916–2007), British banker; and Baron Élie Robert de Rothschild (1917–).
rottweiler for the breed of dog. Note two t’s, one l.
Rouault, Georges Henri. (1871–1958) French expressionist painter.
Roubiliac, Louis François. (1695–1762) French sculptor.
Rousseau, Henri. (1844–1910) French painter. Nicknamed “Douanier,” French for “customs clerk.”
Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. (1712–1778) Swiss-born French political theorist.
Rowlandson, Thomas. (1756–1827) English caricaturist.
Royal and Ancient Golf Club, the. Formal name of the famous golf course at St. Andrews, Scotland.
Royal Dutch/Shell Group. Anglo-Dutch oil company.
Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, London; not Institute.
Royal Welch Fusiliers, Royal Welch Regiment. Not Welsh. British military regiments.
Royal, Ségolène. (1953–) French Socialist politician.
RSVP. Répondez, s’il vous plaît (Fr.), “please reply.” The term is not used in France.
RTE. Radio Telefís Éireann, Irish broadcasting corporation.
Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám, The. Persian verses.
rubella, rubeola. Both are names for measles.
Rubens, Peter Paul. (1577–1640) Flemish painter.
Rubinstein, Artur. (1886–1982) Polish-born American pianist.
ruble. Russian unit of currency.
Rüdesheimer. German wine.
Rukeyser, Louis. (1933–2006) American economic commentator.
“Rule, Britannia.” Note comma. British patriotic song.
rumba. A lively dance of Cuban origin.
rumbustious.
Rumpelstiltskin.
Runnymede. Meadow in Surrey, England, where King John signed the Magna Carta in 1215.
Ruppersberger, Dutch. (1946–) U.S. representative from Maryland; real name Charles Albert Ruppersberger III.
Ruritania. Fictional country in The Prisoner of Zenda, a novel by Anthony Hope (1894); and by extension a romantic, unreal country.
Ruy Lopez. A type of opening move in chess.
Ruysdael/Ruïsdael, Jacob van. (1628–1682) Dutch artist; pronounced royz-dale.
Ruzyne Airport, Prague.
Rwanda. Central African republic; capital Kigali.
Ryukyu Islands, Japan.
Ryun, Jim. (1947–) American distance runner and Republican politician.
Ss
Saarbrücken, Germany.
Saarinen, Eero. (1910–1961) Finnish-born American architect, and son of Gottlieb Eliel Saarinen (1873–1950), also a noted architect.
Saarland. German state.
sabotage, saboteur.
saccharin, saccharine. The first is an artificial sweetener; the second means sugary.
Sackville-West, Vita. (1892–1962) English writer.
sacrilegious. Sometimes misspelled sacreligious on the mistaken assumption that religious is part of the word. It isn’t.
Saddam Hussein. (1937–2006) President of Iraq (1979–2003). His name in full was Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikrit.
Sadler’s Wells. London theater.
safflower.
Sagittarius. A sign of the Zodiac.
sago, pl. sagos.
Sahara means desert, so the common expression “Sahara Desert” is redundant.
Saigon. Former name of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Saint-Exupéry, Antoine (Marie Roger) de. (1900–1944) French aviator and author.
sake. Japanese rice wine.
Sakharov, Andrei. (1921–1989) Russian physicist and dissident; awarded Nobel Peace Prize (1975).
Saki. Pen name of H. H. Munro (1870–1916), English writer.
salable. Something that can be sold.
Sallie Mae. Nickname for Student Loan Marketing Board.
salmonella. Poisonous bacteria, named for its discoverer, American Dr. D. J. Salmon (1850–1914).
Salonika, Greece; not Thessaloniki.
salsify. Edible root; pl. salsifies.
SALT. Strategic arms limitation talks. The expression “SALT talks,” though redundant, is sometimes unavoidable.
saluki. Breed of dog.
salutary. Not -tory. For a discussion of its usage, see HEALTHY, HEALTHFUL, SALUTARY.
Salvadoran. Not -ean, for a person or thing from El Salvador.
salvos/salvoes.
Sam Browne, not Brown, for the type of belt worn diagonally across the chest.
samizdat. Underground publication of banned texts in the former Soviet Union.
Samson. Not Sampson. Legendary figure of great strength.
samurai (sing. and pl.).
Sanaa (or Sana’a). Capital of Yemen.
sanatorium, pl. sanatoriums/sanatoria.
Sánchez-Vicario, Arantxa. (1971–) Spanish tennis player.
sanctimonious.
Sand, George. Pen name of Amandine Aurore Lucile Dupin, Baronne Dudevant (1804–1876), French writer.
sandal for the type of shoe. Not sandle.
sandalwood.
Sandburg, Carl. (1878–1967) American poet.
Sanders, Deion. (1967–) American football and baseball player.
Sandinistas/Sandinists. Revolutionary party in Nicaragua; named after General Augusto César Sandino (1895–1934), a Nicaraguan revolutionary.
sangfroid. Unflappability.
Sangre de Cristo Mountains, Colorado and New Mexico.
sangria. Spanish drink.
sanitary. Not -tory.
San Joaquin Valley, California.
San Luis Obispo, California; not Louis.
San Salvador. Capital of El Salvador.
sansculotte. (In French, sans-culotte.) “Without breeches” an extreme revolutionary or republican. French revolutionaries were so called because they wore pantaloons rather than breeches.
sans serif. A typeface without serifs.
Santa Ana. Wind; it is also the name of a town in California.
Santa Isabel. Former name of Malabo, capital of Equitorial Guinea.
Santayana, George. (1863–1952) Spanish-born American poet, novelist, and philosopher.
Santo Domingo. Formerly Ciudad Trujillo; capital of the Dominican Republic.
Saône. French river.
São Paulo. Largest city i
n Brazil.
São Tomé and Príncipe. West African republic; capital São Tomé. Natives are known as São Toméans.
sapphire. Note -pp-. Precious stone.
Sappho. (c. 620 BC–c. 565 BC) Greek poetess.
Sara Lee, not Sarah, for the U.S. food company.
sarcoma. A malignant tumor in connective tissue, bone, or muscle; pl. sarcomas/sarcomata.
sarcophagus. Stone coffin; pl. sarcophagi.
Sardegna. Italian for Sardinia.
Sargasso Sea. Area of Atlantic Ocean where masses of floating seaweed are found.
Sargent, John Singer. (1856–1925) American painter.
Sarkozy, Nicolas. (1955–) French politician, president of France (2007–).
SARS. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, a viral disorder.
sarsaparilla.
Sartre, Jean-Paul. (1905–1980) French philosopher, dramatist, and novelist.
SAS. Scandinavian Airlines System.
Saskatchewan. Canadian river and province.
Saskatoon. City in Saskatchewan.
sasquatch. North American abominable snowman.
sassafras. North American tree, source of flavoring.
Sassoon, Siegfried (Lorraine). (1886–1967) British poet.
satellite.
saucisse. (Fr.) Pork sausage.
saucy. Not -ey.
sauerbraten.
sauerkraut.
Saugatuck. River in Connecticut and town in Michigan.
Sauk Centre, Minnesota; birthplace of Sinclair Lewis. Note irregular spelling of Centre.
Sault Sainte Marie. Towns in Michigan and Ontario, and canal linking Lake Huron and Lake Superior.
Sausalito, California.
Sauternes. A sweet French wine and the village in Gironde from which it comes. The name of the wine is sometimes lowercased and, in the United States, spelled sauterne.
sauve qui peut. (Fr.) Literally “save who can.” To flee wildly; every man for himself.
savanna (or savannah). Tropical and subtropical grassland.
Savannah, Georgia, but Savana Island, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Savanna for towns in Illinois and Oklahoma. The river is also Savannah.
Savile Row. Not -ll-. Sartorially famous street, London.
savoir-faire, savoir-vivre. Both are French, of course. The first indicates social grace; the second, good breeding.
Savonarola, Girolamo. (1452–1498) Italian religious and political reformer.
Saxony-Anhalt. German state; in German, Sachsen-Anhalt.
saxophone. Musical instrument invented by Adolphe Sax (1814–1894), a Belgian.
Scafell Pike. The highest hill in England at 3,206 feet. There is a separate neighboring eminence called Sca Fell (two words).
Scala, La. Opera house in Milan. Formally, Teatro alla Scala.
scalawag. A rascal.
scalene triangle. One with no equal sides.
scaloppine. Italian dish.
Scandinavia. Not Scanda-.
Scapigliatura, La. Nineteenth-century Italian literary movement. Literally, “the dishevelled ones.”
scarce, scarcely.
scared, scarred. The first means frightened; the second, disfigured.
Scarlatti, Alessandro (1659–1725) and Domenico (1683–1757), father and son composers from Italy.
scarves, scarfs. Either is correct for the plural of scarf.
scary. Not -ey.
schadenfreude. (Ger.) Deriving pleasure from the misfortunes of others; pronounced shah-den-froy-duh.
Schaffner, Franklin. (1920–1989) American film director.
Schakowsky, Jan. (1944–) Democratic U.S. representative from Illinois.
Scheherazade. Fictional sultan’s wife, narrator of The Arabian Nights; title of composition by Rimsky-Korsakov.
Schenectady, New York; pronounced skuh-nek'-tuh-dee.
Scheuer, James H. (1920–2005) New York congressman (1964–1992).
Scheveningen. Suburb of The Hague, the Netherlands.
Schiaparelli, Elsa. (1890–1973) Italian-born French fashion designer.
Schiller, (Johann Christoph) Friedrich von. (1759–1805) German poet, playwright, and historian.
schilling. Former Austrian unit of currency.
Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam.
Schirra, Wally. (1923–2007) American astronaut; formally he was Walter M. Schirra Jr.
schistosomiasis. Parasitic disease of tropical regions; also known as bilharziasis.
Schleiermacher, Friedrich Daniel Ernst. (1768–1834) German philosopher.
schlemiel. (Yid.) A fool.
Schlesinger, Arthur M(eier). (1888–1965) American historian, and father of Arthur M(eier) Schlesinger Jr. (1917–2007), American historian.
Schleswig-Holstein. German state.
Schlieffen, Alfred, Count von. (1833–1913) Prussian field marshal and military strategist.
Schliemann, Heinrich. (1822–1890) German archaeologist who excavated Mycenae and Troy.
schmaltz. Maudlin sentimentality.
Schmeling, Max. (1905–2005) German heavyweight boxer.
Schnabel, Artur. (1882–1951) Austrian-born American pianist.
Schnabel, Julian. (1951–) American painter.
schnapps. A strong alcoholic drink.
schnauzer. Breed of dog.
schnitzel. Veal cutlet.
Schnitzler, Arthur. (1862–1931) Austrian playwright and novelist.
Schoenberg (or Schönberg), Arnold. (1874–1951) Austrian composer.
Schoendienst, Red. (1923–) American baseball player and manager; real name Albert.
Schollander, Don. (1946–) American swimmer.
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, New York City.
Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria.
Schopenhauer, Arthur. (1788–1860) German philosopher.
Schröder, Gerhard. (1944–) Chancellor of Germany (1998–2005).
Schubert, Franz. (1797–1828) Austrian composer.
Schulberg, Budd. (1914–) American screenwriter. Note unusual spelling of Budd.
Schulz, Charles M. (for Monroe). (1922–2000) American comic strip cartoonist, creator of Peanuts.
Schuman, Robert. (1886–1963) Luxembourg-born French statesman who devised the Schuman Plan, which led to the setting-up of the European Coal and Steel Community.
Schumann, Robert. (1810–1856) German composer.
schuss. Downhill run in skiing.
Schuylkill River. Pennsylvania; pronounced skoo'-kill.
schwa. Not schwah, for the phonetic symbol E representing an indeterminate unstressed sound akin to “uh,” as with the second and fourth vowel sounds of memorandum (i.e., mem-ran-dm).
Schwabing. District of Munich.
Schwarzenegger, Arnold. (1947–) Austrian-born American bodybuilder, actor, and Republican politician; governor of California (2003–).
Schwarzkopf, Dame Elisabeth. (1915–2006) Austrian-British soprano.
Schwarzkopf, H. Norman. (1934–) American general, commander of Operation Desert Storm in the first Gulf War. The initial H. in his name stands for nothing.
Schwarzwald. (Ger.) The Black Forest.
Schwechat Airport, Vienna, Austria.
Schweitzer, Albert. (1875–1965) German theologian, medical missionary, philosopher, and musician. Established Lambaréné mission, French Equatorial Africa; awarded Nobel Peace Prize (1952).
Schweiz, die. German name for Switzerland.
Schygulla, Hanna. (1943–) German actress.
Scilly, Isles of. Group of islands off Cornwall; adj. Scillonian. Pronounced silly.
scintilla. A tiny amount.
Scofield, Paul. (1922–) British actor.
Scorsese, Martin. (1942–) American film director.
Scotch, Scottish, Scots. Except for Scotch whisky and well-established expressions such as Scotch broth and Scotch mist, Scottish and Scots are preferred. In particular, a person from Scotland is Scottish, not Scotch. The British army unit is the Scots Guar
ds. The dog is a Scottish terrier.
Scotch tape. (Cap.)
scot-free. To escape without penalty.
Scott, Dred. A Missouri slave who unsuccessfully sued for his freedom on the grounds that his owner had taken him into free territory. The Supreme Court case of 1857 that resulted is called Dred Scott v. Sanford.
Scribners. U.S. publisher; formally Charles Scribner’s Sons.
scrutiny, scrutinize. To scrutinize something means to look at it with particular attentiveness. Thus, qualifying words like close or careful are nearly always superfluous.
SCSI. Small computer system interface, a type of port on small computers.
scurrilous does not mean merely angry or insulting. It means grossly obscene or abusive. An attack must be exceedingly harsh to be scurrilous.
Scylla and Charybdis. In Greek mythology, Scylla (pronounced silla) was a six-headed monster who lived beside a treacherous whirlpool called Charybdis (pronounced kuh-rib-dis) off the coast of Sicily, so Scylla and Charybdis signify a highly unattractive dilemma.
SDI. Strategic Defense Initiative, commonly called “star wars.” Plan propounded by President Reagan in 1983 to erect a shield of weapons in space over the United States to keep out incoming missiles.
Seaborg, Glenn. (1912–) American nuclear chemist and physicist; awarded Nobel Prize for Chemistry (1951).
Seanad Éireann. Upper house of Irish parliament pronounced shin-add' air-ann'.
Sears, Roebuck. Note the comma.
SEATO. Southeast Asia Treaty Organization.
Sebastopol/Sevastopol. The first is the historical spelling; the second the modern spelling for the Crimean city and Black Sea port, now part of Ukraine.
secede.
second-largest and other similar comparisons often lead writers astray as in “Japan is the second-largest drugs market in the world after the United States” when in fact what is meant is that Japan is the largest drugs market in the world after the United States or the second-largest drugs market in the world.
Securities and Exchange Commission. Note and. The regulatory body for U.S. stock markets; but note that it is the Securities Exchange Act.
sedentary.
Sedgemoor, Battle of. British battle at which forces of James II defeated the Duke of Monmouth, 1685.
Segovia, Andrés. (1894–1987) Spanish guitarist.
se habla español. (Sp.) “Spanish spoken here.”
seigneur. Lord of a manor, feudal lord.
seismograph, seismometer, seismogram. Occasionally, and perhaps understandably, confused. A seismometer is a sensor placed in the ground to record earthquakes and other vibrations. A seismograph is the instrument that records the seismometer’s readings. A seismogram is the printout or chart that provides a visual record of seismic activity.