Bryson's Dictionary for Writers and Editors - Bill Bryson [107]
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