Bryson's Dictionary for Writers and Editors - Bill Bryson [126]
Virgin Atlantic Airways.
Virgin Islands comprise the British Virgin Islands (capital Road Town) and the U.S. Virgin Islands (capital Charlotte Amalie).
virtuoso, pl. virtuosi or virtuosos.
vis-à-vis. (Fr.) “Face-to-face” with regard to.
Visconti, Count Luchino. (1907–1976) Italian stage and film director.
viscous. Sticky.
Vishnu. A Hindu god.
visitable.
vis major. (Lat.) “Greater force” pl. vires majores.
visor. Sun shield.
VISTA, Volunteers in Service to America, is now AmeriCorps VISTA.
vita brevis, ars longa. (Lat.) “Life is short, art is long.”
vitiate. Contaminate, ruin.
Viti Levu. Main island of Fiji, site of Suva, the capital.
vitreous, vitriform. The first describes something made of or having the quality of glass. The second means to have the appearance of glass.
vituperate, vituperative.
vivacious, vivacity.
Vivat regina! (Lat.) “Long live the queen.”
Vivat rex! (Lat.) “Long live the king.”
viva voce. An oral examination.
vivify. To bring to life.
viz., the abbreviation of videlicet (Lat.), means “namely” or “that is to say.”
Vizcaíno, Sebastián. (c. 1550–1615) Spanish explorer.
V-J Day. August 15, 1945, the date of Japan’s surrender in World War II.
Vlaanderen. Flemish for Flanders.
Vladivostok, Russia.
Vlaminck, Maurice de. (1876–1958) French artist and writer.
Vlissingen, the Netherlands.
vocal cords. Not chords. Vocal cords are so called because of their shape and structure, not because of their tonal qualities.
vociferous. Outspoken.
Vodafone. A telecommunications company.
voilà.
Volapük. Artificial language that once rivaled Esperanto in popularity.
volatile.
vol-au-vent. Puff pastry filled with savory foodstuffs and sauce.
volcano, pl. volcanoes.
volcanology, vulcanology. Both are the terms for the science of volcanoes. The first is the preferred American spelling, the second the preferred British one.
Volcker, Paul. (1927–) American banking executive and government official, chairman of the Federal Reserve (1979–1987).
Volgograd. Russian city; formerly Stalingrad and before that Tsaritsyn.
Volkswagen. German car company; formally Volkswagenwerk AG.
Volstead Act. Act passed in 1919 to enforce Prohibition.
Völsunga Saga. Scandinavian epic.
Voltaire. (1694–1778) Pen name of François-Marie Arouet, French writer; Voltairean is the somewhat awkward adjectival form of the name.
volte-face. (Hyphen.) A complete change or reversal, especially an unexpected one.
voluptuous.
von Braun, Wernher. (1912–1977) German-born American rocket scientist.
von Karajan, Herbert. (1908–1989) Austrian conductor.
Vonnegut, Kurt. (1922–2007) American novelist.
von Sternberg, Josef. (1894–1969) Austrian-born American film director.
von Stroheim, Erich. (1885–1957) German-born Hollywood actor and director.
Von Willebrand’s disease. Genetic disorder that affects blood clotting.
voodoo.
voortrekker. Afrikaans for “pioneer.”
Vorderasiatisches Museum, Berlin, Germany.
vortexes/vortices. For the plural of vortex, either is correct.
vox populi. (Lat.) “Voice of the people.”
Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota.
voyeur. One who enjoys watching others engage in sexual acts.
Vuillard, Édouard. (1868–1940) French artist.
vulpine. Having the nature of a fox.
vying.
Ww
wacky.
Waikiki. Beach and district in Honolulu, Hawaii.
wainscot, wainscoting. Type of paneling.
Waitemata Harbor, Auckland, New Zealand.
waiver, waver. The first is a relinquishment of a claim; the second means to hesitate.
Wajda, Andrzej. (1926–) Polish film director; pronounced vie'-da.
Walden Pond. Small lake in Massachusetts associated with Henry David Thoreau.
Waldenses. Puritanical Christian sect originating in the twelfth century.
Waldheim, Kurt. (1918–2007) Austrian politician, secretary-general of the United Nations (1972–1982), and president of Austria (1986–1992).
Wa⌢ęsa, Lech. (1943–) President of Poland (1990–1995); awarded Nobel Peace Prize (1983).
walkie-talkie.
wallaby. Species of small kangaroo.
Wallace, Alfred Russel. (Not -ll.)