Bryson's Dictionary for Writers and Editors - Bill Bryson [35]
dialect, patois. Both describe the form of language prevailing in a region and can be used interchangeably, though patois is normally better reserved for contexts involving French or its variants. “He spoke in the patois of Yorkshire” is at best jocular. The plural of patois, incidentally, is also patois.
Dial “M” for Murder. Note quotation marks around M. Drama by Frederick Knott and film by Alfred Hitchcock.
dialysis.
Diana. Roman goddess of the moon and the hunt; identified with the Greek goddess Artemis.
diaphragm.
diarrhea.
Dickinson, Emily (Elizabeth). (1830–1886) American poet.
Diderot, Denis. (1713–1784) French encyclopedist and philosopher.
Didrikson, Babe. (1913–1956) American golfer and athlete. Real name Mildred Didrikson; last name later Didrikson Zaharias.
Diefenbaker, John George. (1895–1979) Prime minister of Canada (1957–1963).
Dien Bien Phu. Battle in 1954 that led the French to pull out of Indochina (later Vietnam).
Dieppe. French port.
dieresis, not dia-, for the punctuation mark consisting of two dots above a vowel, as in Brontë or Chloë, which is used to indicate that a vowel that could be silent should in fact be sounded. (It is a curiosity of English that the word dieresis is entitled to, but never given, the mark it describes.) The dieresis mark always goes above the second vowel in a pair. It should not be confused with the German umlaut, which also consists of two dots, as in Göring or Müller, but which signifies a phonetic shift rather than an elaboration into separate sounds.
diesel. Not deisel.
Diet. Japanese parliament.
dietitian.
Dietrich, Marlene. (1904–1992) German-born actress and singer; born Maria Magdalene von Losch.
Dieu et mon droit. (Fr.) “God and my right,” motto of the British royal family.
different. Often used unnecessarily, as in “It is found in more than 250 different types of plants.” In such constructions it can nearly always be deleted without loss.
different from, to, than. Among the more tenacious beliefs among many writers and editors is that different may be followed only by from. In fact, the belief has no real basis. Different from is, to be sure, the usual form in most sentences and the only acceptable form in some, as when it precedes a noun or pronoun (“My car is different from his” “Men are different from women”). But when different introduces a clause, there can be no valid objection to following it with a to (though this usage is chiefly British) or than, as in this sentence by John Maynard Keynes: “How different things appear in Washington than in London.” You may, if you insist, change it to “How different things appear in Washington from how they appear in London,” but all it gives you is more words, not better grammar.
diffuse. To spread out; not to be confused with defuse, meaning to make safe.
digestible.
dike, dyke. Either is acceptable.
dilapidated, dilapidation.
dilatory. Not -tary.
dildos.
dilemma refers to a situation involving two courses of action, both unsatisfactory. A person who cannot decide what he wants for breakfast is not in a dilemma.
dilettante. A lover of, or dabbler in, the fine arts; most often used with a hint of condescension; pl. dilettantes or dilettanti.
diligence, diligent.
dilly-dally.
DiMaggio (no space) for the baseball players (and brothers) Joe (1914–1999) and Dom (1917–).
Diners Club International. (No apos.)
Dinesen, Isak. Pen name of Karen Blixen (1885–1962), Danish writer and baroness.
dingo. Wild Australian dog; pl. dingoes.
Dione. Moon of Saturn.
Dionysius the Elder. (c. 430–367 BC) Tyrant of Syracuse who suspended the famous sword above the head of Damocles.
Dionysus (or Dionysos). Not -ius; Greek god of wine and revelry, corresponding to the Roman god Bacchus; the adjective is Dionysian or Dionysiac.
diphtheria. Note that the first syllable is spelled diph-, not dipth-, and is pronounced accordingly.
dirigible.
dirigisme. (Fr.) Dominance