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fricassee, pl. fricassees.

fricative. A type of consonant.

Friedan, Betty. (1921–2006) American feminist; born Elizabeth Naomi Goldstein.

Friedman, Milton. (1912–2006) American economist, awarded Nobel Prize for Economics (1976).

Friedrichshafen, Germany.

Friesian/Frisian. Friesian is a breed of cattle; Frisian is the name of a north Germanic language and of a chain of islands lying off, and politically divided between, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Germany. Friesian cattle in the United States are normally called Holsteins. Frisian is also sometimes applied to people from Friesland, the Dutch province that partly encompasses the Frisian islands.

frieze.

Friml, Rudolf. (1879–1972) Czech-born American pianist and composer of light operas.

Frisbee. (Cap.)

frisson. “A slight frisson went through the nation yesterday” (London Times). There is no other kind of frisson than a slight one. The word means shiver or shudder.

Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Region of Italy.

frontispiece. Illustration facing the title page of a book.

frowsty, frowzy. The first means musty or stale; the second, untidy or dingy.

Frühstück. (Ger.) Breakfast.

FTC. Federal Trade Commission.

Führer (pref.)/Fuehrer (alt.). German leader, particularly Adolf Hitler.

Fujiyama means Mount Fuji, so “Mount Fujiyama” is redundant. Make it either Fujiyama or Mount Fuji. The Japanese also call it Fujisan and Fuki-no-Yama.

fulfill, fulfillment, fulfilled, fulfilling.

fulsome means odiously insincere. “Fulsome praise,” properly used, isn’t a lavish tribute; it is unctuous and insincere toadying.

furor.

further, farther. Insofar as the two are distinguished, farther usually appears in contexts involving literal distance (“New York is farther from Sydney than from London”) and further in contexts involving figurative distance (“I can take this plan no further”).

Fusaichi Pegasus. Racehorse, winner of 2000 Kentucky Derby.

fusion, fission. Both describe ways of producing nuclear energy: fusion by fusing two light nuclei into a single, heavier nucleus; fission by splitting the nucleus of an atom.

future plans and similar locutions are nearly always redundant. If a person makes plans, it would follow that they are for the future.

Fuzhou. Formerly often written Foochow or Fouchou, capital of Fujian Province, China; pronounced foo-jo'.

Gg

gabardine, gaberdine. The first is a type of worsted cloth, the second a long cloak.

Gaborone. Capital of Botswana.

Gaddafi/Qaddafi, Muammar al-. (1942–) Libyan head of state (1969–). He has no official title or position.

Gadsden Purchase. Large purchase of territory by the United States from Mexico in 1853.

Gaeltacht. Any region of Ireland where Gaelic is the vernacular.

Gagarin, Yuri. (1934–1968) Soviet cosmonaut, first man in space (1961).

gage, gauge. The first is a pledge or a type of plum (as in greengage); the second is to do with scales and measurements.

Gaia (also, but rarely, Gaea or Ge). In early Greek mythology, the earth personified; later, goddess of the earth.

gaiety.

gaijin. (Jap.) “Outsider” used of foreigners.

gaillardia. (Lowercase.) Type of flower of the genus Gaillardia (cap.).

Gainsborough, Thomas. (1727–1788) English painter.

Galahad, Sir. The purest and noblest knight in the Arthurian legend.

Galápagos Islands. Pacific islands belonging to Ecuador; their Spanish name is Archipiélago de Colón.

Galeries Lafayette. Paris department store.

Galileo. (1564–1642) Italian astronomer and mathematician; full name Galileo Galilei.

Gallaudet College, Washington, D.C.

gallimaufry. A jumble; pl. gallimaufries.

Gallipoli. Turkish peninsula and site of World War I campaign; in Turkish, Gelibolu.

gallivant. To wander.

Galsworthy, John. (1867–1933) English novelist, awarded Nobel Prize for Literature in 1932.

Gama, Vasco da. (Not de.) (c. 1469–1524) Portuguese explorer.

Gambia. (Not the.) African country, capital Banjul.

gambit. Properly, a gambit is an opening move that involves some