Bryson's Dictionary for Writers and Editors - Bill Bryson [36]
dirndl. Alpine dress.
disassemble, dissemble. The first means to take apart; the second means to conceal.
disassociate, dissociate. The first is not incorrect, but the second has the virtue of brevity.
disastrous.
disc, disk. There is no special logic to which it is used in American English. Disc generally is used for contexts involving music and entertainment (compact disc, disc jockey, video disc) and in the contexts of machinery (disc brakes, disc harrow). Disk is preferred in anatomy (slipped disk) and computer storage (hard disk, floppy disk). In most situations, the best advice is to strive for consistency.
discernible. Not -able.
discomfit, discomfort. “In this she is greatly assisted by her husband…who enjoys spreading discomfiture in a good cause as much as she does” (Observer). The writer here, like many before him, clearly meant discomfort, which has nothing in common with discomfiture beyond a superficial resemblance. Discomfit means to rout, overwhelm, or completely disconcert. Some dictionaries now accept the newer sense of to perplex or induce uneasiness, but I would submit that the distinction is very much worth preserving. If discomfort is the condition you have in mind, why not use that word and leave discomfiture for less discriminating users?
discothèque.
discreet, discrete. The first means circumspect, careful, showing good judgment (“He promised to be discreet in his inquiries”). The second means unattached or unrelated (“The compound was composed of discrete particles”).
dishabille. To be untidily or incompletely dressed; in French, déshabillé.
disheveled.
disinterested, uninterested. The first means neutral, the second not caring. A disinterested person is one who has no stake in the outcome of an event; an uninterested person is one who doesn’t care. As with DISCOMFIT, DISCOMFORT (see above), the distinction is an important one and worth observing.
dismissible.
dispensable.
disposal, disposition. If you are talking about getting rid of, use disposal (“the disposal of nuclear weapons”). If you mean arranging, use disposition (“the disposition of troops on the battlefield”).
dissatisfy, dissatisfied, dissatisfaction. Note -ss-.
dissect, dissection.
dissemble, disassemble. The first means to conceal; the second means to take apart.
dissent, but dissension.
dissimilar.
dissipate.
dissociate, disassociate. The first is preferred, but either is acceptable.
dissolvable.
distrait, distraught. The first means abstracted in thought, absentminded. The second means deeply agitated.
disturb, perturb. They can often be used interchangeably, but generally the first is better applied to physical agitation, the second to mental agitation.
dived, dove. Either is acceptable.
diverge. When two things diverge, they move farther apart (just as when they converge they come together). It is not a word that should be applied freely to any difference of opinion, but only to those in which a rift is widening.
divergences. Not -ies.
divertissement. Light diversion.
Divina Commedia, La. Dante’s Divine Comedy.
divvy. To divide, especially equally, as with a jackpot.
Djakarta. Use Jakarta.
Djibouti. African republic, formerly French Somaliland and, briefly, French Territory of Afars and Issas; the capital is also called Djibouti.
Djokovic, Novak. (1987–) Serbian tennis player.
DNA. Deoxyribonucleic acid.
Dnieper. River in Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine.
Dniester. River in Ukraine and Moldova.
Dobbs Ferry, New York.
Doberman pinscher for the breed of dog, but Ludwig Dobermann for the breeder for whom the dogs are named.
Dodecanese. Chain of twelve Greek islands, including Rhodes and Kos.
Dodgson, Charles Lutwidge. (1832–1898) Real name of Lewis Carroll.
Dodoma. Capital of Tanzania.
Dodsworth. Novel by Sinclair Lewis (1929).
doggerel.
dogsbody. A person given menial tasks to perform for a superior.
doily, pl. doilies.
Dolce & Gabbana. Italian fashion firm.
Dollfuss, Engelbert. (1892–1934) Austrian chancellor (1932–1934), assassinated