Bryson's Dictionary for Writers and Editors - Bill Bryson [84]
mortar, in the context of weaponry, is the launching device, not the explosive projectiles. It is generally better, and sometimes necessary, to write that troops fired mortar rounds (or bombs or shells, etc.) rather than simply that they fired mortars.
Morte d’Arthur, Le. Not La. Fifteenth-century prose narrative by Thomas Malory relating the legend of King Arthur.
mortise lock.
Moselle for the river and wine; in German, Mosel.
Moser-Pröll, Annemarie. (1953–) Austrian skier.
Moskva. Russian for Moscow.
Moslem is an accepted variant, but Muslim is generally preferred.
mosquitoes.
Mossad. Israeli secret service.
most. Unless you are striving for an air of folksiness, most as an adverb should be confined to signifying the topmost degree (“the most delicious cake”) or as a synonym for very (“Your offer is most welcome”). As an alternative for almost or nearly (“He would eat most anything”) it is generally not welcome in serious writing.
Mother’s Day.
mot juste. (Fr.) The right word.
motto, pl. mottoes.
mountebank. A charlatan.
Mourning Becomes Electra. Play by Eugene O’Neill (1931).
moussaka.
mousy (pref.), mousey (alt.).
Mozambique, but Mozambican.
mozzarella.
Mpumalanga. South African province, formerly Eastern Transvaal.
MRSA. Short for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a type of bacterial infection.
MS is the abbreviation for manuscript; pl. MSS (capitalized but without periods).
MT is the postal abbreviation of Montana; the traditional abbreviation is Mont., with period.
Mubarak, (Muhammad) Hosni (Said). (1928–) Egyptian president (1981–).
mucous, mucus, mucosa. The first is the adjectival form, the second the noun form. Thus, mucus is the substance secreted by the mucous membranes. A more formal name for the latter is mucosa.
Mueller, Lisel. (1924–) German-born American poet.
Muenster/Munster. Either is correct for the cheese from Alsace. See also MUNSTER, MNSTER.
muezzin. In Islam, an official who calls the faithful to prayer.
mufti. Plain clothes worn by a person who usually wears a uniform.
Muhammad (or Mohammed). (c. 570–632) Founder of Islam.
Mühlhausen, Germany.
mujahideen is the most common spelling in English for Islamic guerrilla fighters, but there are many alternative spellings, including mujahidin, mujahedin, and mujahedeen.
Mukhabarat. Iraqi secret police.
mukluk, muktuk. The first is a kind of boot; the second is whale blubber as food.
mulatto, pl. mulattos.
mullah. Muslim teacher.
mulligatawny soup.
Mumbai. Indian city formerly known as Bombay.
Munch, Edvard. (1863–1944) Norwegian artist.
Munster, Münster. The first is a province of Ireland comprising six countries: Clare, Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary, and Waterford. The second is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
Murchison River, Australia; Murchison Falls, Uganda.
Murfreesboro, battle of. (1863) U.S. Civil War; sometimes called the battle of Stones River.
murmur.
Murphy’s Law. If anything can go wrong, it will.
Muscovite for a person from Moscow. The name comes from the ancient principality of Muscovy.
Muses. The nine daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne who presided over the arts: Calliope (eloquence and epic poetry), Clio (history), Erato (elegiac poetry), Euterpe (music), Melpomene (tragedy), Polyhymnia (lyric poetry), Terpsichore (dancing), Thalia (comedy), and Urania (astronomy).
Musharraf, Pervez. (1943–) President of Pakistan (1999–).
“Music hath charms to soothe a savage breast” is the correct quotation from the Congreve play The Mourning Bride. Not “the savage breast” or “a savage beast.”
musk-ox (hyphen), but muskmelon, muskrat, muskroot.
Muslim (pref.), Moslem (alt.).
Mussolini, Benito. (1883–1945) Italian prime minister (1922–1943) and dictator.
Mussorgsky/Moussorgsky, Modest Petrovich. (1839–1881) Russian composer.
mustache.
mutatis mutandis. (Lat.) “With the necessary changes.”
mutual, common. Many authorities continue to insist, with varying degrees of conviction, that mutual should be reserved for describing reciprocal relationships between