Bryson's Dictionary for Writers and Editors - Bill Bryson [130]
Yourcenar, Marguerite. Pen name of Marguerite de Crayencour (1903–1987), Belgian-born French-American writer.
Yushchenko, Viktor. (1954–) President of Ukraine (2004–); not to be confused with Viktor Yanukovych (1950–) whom he narrowly beat in a runoff election.
Yzerman, Steve. (1965–) Canadian ice hockey player; pronounced eye-zer-man.
Zz
Zaandam, Zaanstad, Netherlands.
zabaglione. Italian dessert.
Zacatecas. City and state in central Mexico.
Zaharias, Babe Didrikson. (1913–1956) American golfer and athlete; real first name Mildred.
Zaire. Central African republic; former name of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Capital Kinshasa.
Zákinthos. Greek island. Also variously known as Zacynthos, Zakyntos, and Zante.
Zambezi. African river.
Zambia. African republic; formerly Northern Rhodesia. Capital Lusaka.
Zanuck, Darryl F(rancis). (1902–1979) American film producer and studio executive, father of Richard Darryl Zanuck (1934–), film producer.
Zapatero, José Luis Rodríguez. (1960–) Prime minister of Spain (2004–).
Zappeion Gardens, Athens, Greece.
Zarathustra (Persian)/Zoroaster (Greek). (fl. sixth c. BC) Persian prophet, founder of Zoroastrianism.
Zarqawi, Abu Musab al-. (1966–2006) Jordanian insurgent associated with Al Qaeda.
Zatlers, Valdis. (1955–) President of Latvia (2007–).
Zátopek, Emil. (1922–2000) Czech long-distance runner.
Zeebrugge. Belgian port.
Zeffirelli, Franco. (1923–) Italian film, theater, and opera director.
Zeil, Mount, Northern Territory, Australia.
zeitgeist. Spirit of the age.
Zell am See. (No hyphens.) Austrian resort.
Zellweger, Renée. (1969–) American actress.
Zeppelin. Germany military airship in World War I.
Zermatt, Switzerland.
zeros.
Zeus. Preeminent Greek god.
Zhao Ziyang. (1910–2005) Prime minister of China (1980–87), general secretary of Chinese Communist Party (1987–89).
Zhonghua Remnin Gongheguo. Mandarin for the People’s Republic of China.
Zhou Enlai (Pinyin)/Chou En-lai. (1898–1976) Prime minister of China (1949–1976).
Zia (ul-Haq), Muhammad. (1924–1988) President of Pakistan (1977–1988).
Zidane, Zinedine. (1972–) French soccer player.
Ziegfeld, Florenz. (1867–1932) American musical theater producer.
ziggurat.
Zimbabwe. African republic, formerly Rhodesia; capital Harare.
Zinnemann, Fred. (1907–1997) Austrian-born American film director.
Zions BanCorp. Utah-based banking company.
zip code. U.S. postal code.
zloty. Poland’s basic unit of currency; pl. zlotys.
Zoellick, Robert. (1953–) American civil servant, made president of the World Bank in 2007 in succession to Paul Wolfowitz.
zoetrope. Nineteenth-century optical toy.
Zoroaster (Greek)/Zarathustra (Persian). (fl. sixth c. BC) Persian prophet, founder of Zoroastrianism.
Zorrilla y Moral, José. (1817–1893) Spanish poet.
Zsigmond, Vilmos. (1930–) Hungarian-born American cinematographer.
Zubaie, Salam al-. Iraq deputy prime minister, injured in bomb attack in 2007.
zucchini. American name for courgette.
Zukor, Adolph. (1873–1976) Hungarian-born American film producer and studio executive.
zum Beispiel. (Ger.) (Abbr. z.B.) For example.
Zurbriggen, Purmin. (1963–) Swiss skier.
zut alors! (Fr.) Cry of astonishment.
Zvonareva, Vera. (1984–) Russian tennis player.
Zwelithini, Goodwill. (1948–) King, Zulu Nation in South Africa (1968–).
zwieback. A kind of rusk.
Zwingli, Ulrich (or Huldreich). (1484–1531) Swiss religious zealot.
Zworykin, Vladimir. (1889–1982) Russian-born American scientist, one of the inventors of television.
APPENDIX
* * *
Punctuation
The uses of punctuation marks are so numerous and the abuses so varied that the following is offered only as a very general guide to the most common errors. For those who wish to dig more deeply, I recommend the excellent Mind the Stop, by G. V. Carey.
apostrophe. The principal functions of the apostrophe are to indicate omitted letters (don’t, can’t, wouldn’t) and to show the possessive (strictly, the genitive) case (John’s book, the bank’s money, the people’s choice).
Two types of error occur with some