Bryson's Dictionary for Writers and Editors - Bill Bryson [73]
present perfect: I have already laid the book on the table.
I have lain in bed all day.
The most common type of error is to say, “If you’re not feeling well, go upstairs and lay down.” It should be “lie down.”
Lazarus, Emma. (1849–1887) American poet, remembered chiefly for “The New Colossus,” the poem inscribed on the Statue of Liberty.
L-dopa. Drug used for treatment of Parkinson disease.
leach, leech. The first describes the seepage of fluids, the second a bloodsucking invertebrate.
lead, led. The past tense of the verb to lead is led. When lead is pronounced led it applies only to the metallic element.
Leadbelly (or Lead Belly). (1888–1949) American blues musician; born Huddie William Ledbetter.
Leavitt, Henrietta Swan. (1868–1921) American astronomer.
Iebensraum. (Ger.) “Living space” imperialist notion pursued by Hitler that Germans were entitled to occupy neighboring lands.
Le Carré, John. (1931–) Pen name of David Cornwell, British novelist.
Le Corbusier. (1887–1965) Pseudonym of Charles Édouard Jeanneret, Swiss architect and town planner.
Lederberg, Joshua. (1925–) American biologist, awarded Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1958.
lederhosen. Leather shorts.
Lee Kuan Yew. (1923–) Prime Minister of Singapore (1959–1990).
Leeuwarden, Netherlands; capital of Friesland.
Leeuwenhoek, Anton van. (1632–1723) Dutch naturalist associated with microscopes.
Leeward Islands. Former British colony in the Caribbean comprising Anguilla, Antigua, the British Virgin Islands, Montserrat, Nevis, and St. Kitts; the name now applies to all those plus Guadeloupe, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and other smaller islands in the Lesser Antilles north of the Windward Islands.
Le Fanu, Joseph. (1814–1873) Irish writer.
Lefschetz, Solomon. (1884–1972) Russian-born American mathematician.
Léger, Fernand. (1881–1955) French painter.
legerdemain. Not -der-.
Leghorn. English name, now seldom used, for Livorno, Italy.
legible, legibility.
Légion d’honneur. Supreme French order of merit.
Legionnaires’ disease.
legitimize, not legitimatize.
Lehman Brothers. U.S. financial services firm; formally Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc.
Lehman College, City University of New York.
Lehmann, Rosamond. (1901–1990) English novelist.
Leibniz, (Gottfried Wilhelm) Baron von. (1646–1716) German philosopher and mathematician.
Leicestershire, England. Abbr. Leics.
Leiden, Leyden. The first is the usual spelling for the Dutch town; the second for the scientific instrument known as a Leyden jar.
Leinster. Province of the Republic of Ireland comprising the counties of Carlow, Dublin, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Longford, Louth, Meath, Offaly, Westmeath, Wexford, and Wicklow.
Leipzig, Germany.
leitmotif (or leitmotiv). A recurring idea or dominant theme associated with a particular character or idea in a musical or literary work.
Leitrim. Irish county; pronounced lee'-trim.
Léman, Lac. French name for Lake Geneva.
Le Mesurier, John. (1912–1983) British actor.
Lemieux, Mario. (1965–) Canadian ice hockey player.
Lemmon, Jack. (1925–2001) American actor.
LeMond, Greg. (1961–) American cyclist.
lend, loan. Loan as a verb (“He loaned me some money”) is now more or less standard, though one or two authorities continue to disdain it, favoring lend on grounds of tradition.
Lendl, Ivan. (1960–) Czech tennis player.
Leningrad. Russian city, now called St. Petersburg again.
lens, pl. lenses.
Leonardo da Vinci. (1452–1519) Renaissance genius. The Da Vinci Code notwithstanding, a work or object associated with him should be called a Leonardo, not a Da Vinci.
Léopoldville. Former name of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Le Pen, Jean-Marie. (1928–) French politician, founder of National Front.
leprechaun. Not lepra-.
lèse-majesté. (Fr.) “Wounded majesty” treason or a similar offense or insolence toward anyone to whom deference is due. The spelling is sometimes anglicized to lese-majesty.
Lesotho. Small, landlocked African kingdom; formerly called Basutoland. Capital Maseru. The people of Lesotho are known