Bryson's Dictionary for Writers and Editors - Bill Bryson [68]
Johnson, Lyndon Baines. (1908–1973) U.S. president (1963–1969).
Johnson, Magic. (1959–) Basketball player; his real name is Earvin Johnson Jr.
Johnson, Nunnally. (1897–1977) American screenwriter, film director, and producer.
joie de vivre. (Fr.) State of being carefree, full of joy.
Joiners’ and Ceilers’ Company. London livery company. Ceiler is an old term for a wood carver.
Joliet, Illinois.
Joliet (or Jolliet), Louis. (1645–1700) French-Canadian explorer.
Joliette County, Quebec.
Jones, Inigo. (1573–1652) English architect and designer.
Joneses, keeping up with the. Not Jones’ or Jones’s or other common variants.
jonquil. Species of narcissus.
Jonson, Ben. (1572–1637) Not John-. English dramatist and poet.
Jordaens, Jakob. (1593–1678) Flemish painter.
Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha.
joss stick.
Jove. Alternative name for the Roman god Jupiter.
JPMorgan Chase & Co. Financial services company.
Juan de Fuca Strait. Passage in Puget Sound between Washington and British Columbia.
Juárez, Mexico; formally it is Ciudad de Juárez.
Judas Iscariot. Apostle who betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver.
jugular vein.
Juilliard School of Music, New York City. Note Jui-.
jujitsu. Japanese form of unarmed combat.
julienne. To slice vegetables into strips; a soup containing such vegetables.
Juno and the Paycock. Play by Sean O’Casey (1924).
Jurgensen, Sonny. (1934–) American football quarterback; real name Christian Adolph Jurgensen III.
just deserts. Not desserts. The expression has nothing to do with the sweet course after dinner. It comes from the French for deserve, which may help you to remember that it has just one middle s.
Juvenal. (c. 60–c. 140) Roman poet; full name Decimus Junius Juvenalis.
j’y suis, j’y reste. (Fr.) “Here I am, here I stay.”
Kk
Kaaba. Sacred shrine at Mecca.
Kabardino-Balkariya. Russian republic.
kabuki. Japanese theater.
Kaczýnski, Lech, and Jaroslaw. (1949–) Identical twin brothers, respectively president (2005–) and prime minister (2006–2007) of Poland.
Kádár, János. (1912–1989) Hungarian politician.
Kaddish. (Cap.) Type of Jewish prayer.
kaffeeklatsch. (Ger.) A gathering for coffee and conversation.
Kahlúa. Coffee liqueur.
Kahneman, Daniel. (1934–) Israeli-American academic; awarded Nobel Prize in Economics (2002).
Kahoolawe. Smallest of the main Hawaiian islands.
Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory, Australia.
kakapo. Endangered flightless bird from New Zealand.
Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Kalashnikov. Rifle.
kaleidoscope.
Kalgoorlie. Mining town in Western Australia.
Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia.
kamikaze.
Kampuchea. Official name for Cambodia, 1975–1989.
Kandinsky, Wassily (or Vasily). (1866–1944) Russian-born French artist.
Kaneohe. City and bay on Oahu, Hawaii.
Kant, Immanuel. (1724–1804) German philosopher.
Kaohsiung. Second-largest city in Taiwan.
Kapusściński, Ryszard. (1932–2007) Polish writer.
Karachayevo-Cherkesiya. Russian republic.
Karadzć, Radovan. (1945–) Bosnian Serb politician accused of genocide and war crimes.
Karajan, Herbert von. (1908–1989) Austrian conductor.
Karamanlis, Kostas (or Costas). (1956–) Prime minister of Greece (2004–); formally Konstantinos Karamanlis.
Karl-Marx-Stadt. (Hyphens.) Name of Chemnitz, Germany, during Communist era.
Karlovy Vary. Czech spa formerly known as Carlsbad.
Kármán, Theodor von. (1881–1963) Hungarian-born American physicist.
Karolinska Institute, Stockholm.
Kaskaskia River, Illinois.
Kasparov, Garry. (1963–) Note -rr-. Russian chess player; born Harry Weinstein.
Kassel, Germany.
Katharina. Character in The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare.
Katharine’s Docks, St., London. Note the unusual spelling of Katharine.
Katmandu (or Kathmandu). Capital of Nepal.
Kattegatt. The strait between Denmark and Sweden; in Danish Kattegat.
Kauai. Hawaiian island.
Kauffman Stadium. Kansas City baseball stadium, home of the Royals.
Kaufman, George S(imon). (1889–1961) American dramatist.
Kazakhstan. Central Asian republic, formerly part of the Soviet Union; capital Astana.