Bryson's Dictionary for Writers and Editors - Bill Bryson [13]
Begin, Menachem. (1913-1992) Polish-born Israeli prime minister (1977-83); Nobel Peace Prize shared with Anwar el-Sadat (1978).
behalf. A useful distinction exists between on behalf of and in behalf of. The first means acting as a representative, as when a lawyer enters a plea on behalf of a client, and often denotes a formal relationship. In behalf of indicates a closer or more sympathetic role and means acting as a friend or defender. “I spoke on your behalf” means that I represented you when you were absent. “I spoke in your behalf” means that I supported you or defended you.
Behn, Aphra. (1640-1689) English writer.
behoove (British behove). An archaic word, but still sometimes a useful one. Two points need to be made:
1. The word means necessary or contingent, but is sometimes wrongly used for “becomes,” particularly with the adverb ill, as in “It ill behooves any man responsible for policy to think how best to make political propaganda” (cited by Gowers).
2. It should be used only impassively and with the subject it. “The circumstances behoove us to take action” is wrong. Make it instead “It behooves us in the circumstances to take action.”
Beiderbecke, Bix. (1903-1931) Jazz musician; born Leon Bismarck Beiderbecke.
Beijing (Pinyin)/Peking.
Bekaa Valley, Lebanon.
Belarussian (or Belarusian) for someone or something from Belarus. The language is also Belarussian.
beleaguered. Not -ured.
Belém. Brazilian city, formerly Pará.
Belize. Central American republic, formerly British Honduras.
Belknap Press, The. Part of Harvard University Press.
belladonna. A highly toxic perennial herbaceous plant.
belle époque. (No caps.) The period just before World War I.
Belleisle, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, and New Brunswick, Canada; Belle-Île, Brittany, France; Belle Isle, Florida; Strait of Belle Isle, Newfoundland, Canada.
Bellerophon. In Greek mythology, a warrior who killed the Chimera and was crippled trying to fly Pegasus over Mount Olympus.
belles-lettres. Writing that has a literary or aesthetic, as opposed to purely informational, value. The word is usually treated as a plural, but may be used as a singular. For reasons unconnected to logic, the hyphen is lost and the word itself contracted in the related terms belletrist, belletrism, and belletristic.
bellicose. Warlike.
bellwether. Not -weather. Wether is an Old English word for a castrated sheep. A bellwether is a sheep that has a bell hung from its neck, by which means it leads the herd from one pasture to another. In general use, it signifies something that leads or shows the way. A bellwether stock is one that is customarily at the head of the pack. It does not mean a harbinger or foreteller of events.
Belsen. Concentration camp in Lower Saxony, Germany, during World War II, full name Bergen-Belsen.
beluga is a type of sturgeon, and not a manufacturer or producer of caviar, as is sometimes thought, so the word should not be capitalized (except of course at the start of a sentence).
Ben Ali, Zine El Abidine. (1936–) President of Tunisia (1987–).
Bendl, Karel. (1838-1897) Czech composer.
Benedick. Character in Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare.
beneficence.
Benelux. Short for Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg.
Beneš, Eduard. (1884-1948) Czechoslovakian prime minister (1921–1922) and president (1935-1938, 1939-1945 [in exile], and 1945-1948).
Benét, Stephen Vincent. (1898-1943) American writer, brother of William Rose Benét (1886-1950), also a writer.
Benghazi. Libyan city.
Ben-Gurion, David. (1886-1973) Israeli prime minister (1948-1953, 1955-1963); born David Grün.
benignancy/benignity.
Bening, Annette. (1958–) American actress.
benison. A blessing.
Bentsen, Lloyd. (1921-2006) American Democratic politician, secretary of the treasury (1993-1994); ran as vice presidential candidate in 1988.
ben venuto. (It.) “Welcome.”
benzene, benzine. Both are liquid hydrocarbons commonly used as solvents. Benzene is primarily associated with the production of plastics, while benzine most often