Bryson's Dictionary for Writers and Editors - Bill Bryson [94]
pederasty. Sexual relations between an adult male and boy.
Peeblesshire. Former Scottish county. Note -ss-.
peek, peak. The first means to steal a look; the second is a point or summit.
peekaboo. (No hyphens.)
Peekskill, New York.
Peel, Sir Robert. (1788–1850) British prime minister (1834–1835, 1841–1846).
Pei, I. M. (for Ieoh Ming). (1917–) Chinese-born American architect.
Peirce, Charles Sanders. (1839–1914) American philosopher; pronounced purse.
Pekingese dog.
pekoe. A tea.
Pelagianism. (Cap.) A heresy.
pelargonium. Flowering plant popularly known as the geranium.
Pelé. Nickname of Edson Arantes do Nascimento (1940–), celebrated Brazilian soccer player.
pell-mell. In a state of confusion. See also PALL MALL.
Peloponnesus. Southern peninsula of Greece; in Greek it is Pelopónnisos.
pelota. Another name for the game of jai alai.
pemmican. Dried meat.
penance.
PEN. Short for Poets, Playwrights, Editors, Essayists, and Novelists; an international association.
pendant (noun), pendent (adj.).
Penetanguishene, Ontario.
penicillin.
Peninsular and Oriental Steamship Company. British shipping company commonly known as P&O.
Penney, J.C. U.S. department store group, is now JCPenney (one word).
penniless.
penn’orth. (British, mostly historical.) A penny’s worth.
Pensacola, Florida.
Pentateuch. The first five books of the Old Testament: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
pentathlon, modern. The five events are swimming, fencing, pistol shooting, cross-country running, and cross-country horseback riding.
Pentecost. The Christian Whit Sunday, the seventh Sunday after Easter; the Jewish Shavuot, the sixth and seventh days of Sivan.
peon, paean, paeon. A peon is a servant or peasant; a paean is a hymn or song of praise; a paeon is a metrical foot in ancient Greek and Latin poetry.
peony. A flowering plant.
PepsiCo Inc. U.S. company that owns Pepsi-Cola.
Pepys, Samuel. (1633–1703) English Admiralty official, remembered for his diary; pronounced peeps.
per. Many usage guides suggest, and a few insist, that Latinisms like per should be avoided when English phrases are available—that it is better to write “ten tons a year” than “ten tons per year.” That is certainly reasonable enough in general, but I would suggest that when avoidance of the Latin would result in clumsy constructions such as “output a man a year,” you shouldn’t hesitate to use per.
per ardua ad astra. (Lat.) “To the stars through adversities.”
P/E ratio. Short for price-to-earnings ratio; a stock market measure in which a value of a stock is determined by dividing the stock’s price by the company’s earnings per share.
percent, percentage point. If interest rates are 10 percent and are raised to 11 percent, they have gone up by one percentage point, but by 10 percent in value (i.e., borrowers must now pay 10 percent more than previously). In everyday contexts the distinction is not always vital, but in contexts in which the percentage rise is large and confusion is likely, the distinction is crucial.
perceptible.
Perceval, Spencer. (1762–1812) British prime minister (1809–12); only British prime minister to be assassinated.
perchance. Possibly.
Perelman, S. J. (for Sidney Joseph). (1904–1979) American humorist.
perestroika. (Russ.) Restructuring.
Pérez de Cuéllar, Javier. (1920–) Peruvian diplomat; secretary-general of the United Nations (1982–92).
perfectible, perfectibility.
perforce. Without choice.
perigee. The lowest or nearest point in an orbit; opposite of apogee.
Pérignon, Dom. Champagne.
perinatal. Pertaining to the period immediately before and after birth.
peripatetic. Wandering.
periphrasis. Using more words than necessary, circumlocution; pl. periphrases.
perishable.
periwinkle.
Perlman, Itzhak. (1945–) Israeli violinist.
permissible.
pernickety.
Perón, (María) Eva (Duarte de). (1919–1952)