Bryson's Dictionary for Writers and Editors - Bill Bryson [90]
Oftentimes, to be sure, clarity and idiom are better served by bringing only to a more forward position (“This will only take a minute,” “The victory can only be called a miracle”). And increasingly, it must be said, authorities are inclined toward leniency with regard to where only is permitted. Certainly it is always better to avoid an air of fussiness. But when, as in the example above, a simple repositioning puts the word in the right place without creating a distraction, there is no reason not to do it.
onomatopoeia. The formation of words based on the sounds they denote, as with buzz, bang, and vroom-vroom.
on to, onto. Until the twentieth century onto as one word was almost unknown in both Britain and America, and its standing remains somewhat dubious in Britain. Today in the United States (and increasingly in Britain), onto is used where the two elements function as a compound preposition (“He jumped onto the horse”) and on to is used where on is an adverb (“We moved on to the next subject”).
oolong tea.
oozy.
op. cit. Opere citato (Lat.); “in the work cited.” Note two periods.
openness. Note -nn-.
opéra bouffe, opera buffa. The first is a farcical French opera; the second a farcical Italian one.
Opéra-Comique, Paris theater.
ophthalmologist, oculist, optometrist, optician. Ophthalmologist is often misspelled and even more frequently mispronounced. Note that it begins oph- and not opth- and that the first syllable is pronounced off, not op. Thus, it is similar in pronunciation and spelling to diphtheria, diphthong, and naphtha, all of which are also frequently misspelled and misspoken.
Ophthalmologist and oculist both describe doctors who specialize in diseases of the eye. An optometrist is one who is trained to test eyes but is not a medical doctor. An optician is one who makes or sells corrective lenses.
Oporto, Portugal; in Portuguese, Pôrto.
opossum (or possum). The plural can be either opossum or opossums (or possum/possums).
Oppenheimer, J(ulius) Robert. (1904–1967) American physicist.
oppressor.
optimistic, pessimistic. Strictly speaking, both words should be used to describe a general outlook rather than a specific view, particularly with regard to the inconsequential. “He was optimistic that he would find the missing book” would be better with “was hopeful” or “was confident.”
optimum does not mean greatest or fastest or biggest, as is sometimes thought. It describes the point at which conflicting considerations are reconciled. The optimum flying speed of an aircraft is the speed at which all the many variables that must be taken into account in flying—safety, comfort, fuel consumption, and so on—are most nearly in harmony.
opus magnum, magnum opus. (Lat.) The first is a great work; the second is an author’s principal work.
or. When or links two or more singular items in a sentence, the verb must always be singular. “It was not clear whether the president or vice president were within hearing range at the time” should be “was within hearing range.”
oral, verbal. Oral can apply only to spoken words; verbal can describe both spoken and written words.
orange pekoe tea.
ordinal numbers. First, second, third, etc. See also CARDINAL NUMBERS.
ordinance, ordnance. The first is a command or decree; the second refers to military stores and materials.
ordonnance. The proper arrangement of parts in a literary, musical, artistic, or architectural work.
Ordzhonikidze, Russia; formerly Dzaudzhikau.
Oresteia. Trilogy by Aeschylus (c. 458 BC).
Orestes. In Greek mythology, the son of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon.
Öresund. Strait between Sweden and Denmark.
Oriel College, Oxford University.
originally is often needlessly inserted into sentences where it conveys no additional information, as here: “The plans were originally drawn up as long ago as 1972”(Observer).
Origin of Species, On the, the seminal