Bryson's Dictionary for Writers and Editors - Bill Bryson [95]
perpetrate, perpetuate. Occasionally confused. To perpetrate is to commit or perform. To perpetuate is to prolong or, literally, to make perpetual. The Boston Strangler perpetrated a series of murders. Those who write about him perpetuate his notoriety.
Persephone. In Greek mythology, queen of the underworld; identified with the Roman goddess Proserpina.
Perseus. In Greek mythology, son of Zeus who murdered Medusa.
persevere, perseverance.
persiflage. Idle banter.
persimmon.
personal, personally. When it is necessary to emphasize that a person is acting on his own rather than on behalf of a group or that he is addressing people individually rather than collectively, personal and personally are unexceptionable. But usually the context makes that clear and the word is used without purpose, as here: “Dr. Leonard has decided to visit personally the Oklahoma parish which is the center of the dispute.” If he visits, Dr. Leonard can hardly do it otherwise than personally. Many other common terms—personal friend, personal opinion, personal favorite—are nearly always equally redundant.
personnel.
perspicacity, perspicuity. The first means shrewdness, the second lucidity.
pertinacious. Persistent.
peruse. It is a losing battle no doubt, but perhaps worth pointing out that peruse does not mean to look over casually. It means to read or examine carefully.
pesos.
Pétain, Henri Philippe. (1856–1951) French general and politician, head of the Vichy government (1940–1944).
PETCO Park. San Diego baseball stadium, home of the Padres.
Peter Principle. The idea that people are promoted until they reach a level at which they are incompetent.
Petri dish. (Cap. P.)
Petrograd. Originally St. Petersburg, then Leningrad; reverted to St. Petersburg in 1991.
Petrovskoye. Former name of Makhachkala, Russia.
Pettenkofer, Max Joseph von. (1818–1901) German chemist.
Pettersen, Suzann. (1981–) Norwegian professional golfer.
pettifog. Quibble over petty matters; legal trickery.
petty bourgeois. A small businessman; member of the lower-middle class. In French, petit bourgeois.
peu à peu. (Fr.) “Little by little.”
Peugeot. French automobile.
peut-être. (Fr.) Perhaps.
Pevsner, Sir Nikolaus. (1902–1983) German-born British art historian.
pfennig. Former German coin worth one one-hundredth of a mark.
PFLP. Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
PGA. (No apos.) Professional Golfers Association.
pH. Potential of hydrogen, a measure of acidity in a solution.
Phalange. Political party in Lebanon.
phalanx, pl. phalanxes/phalanges.
pharaoh. Not -oah.
pharmacopoeia. A book containing descriptions of medicines and drugs.
phenomenon, pl. phenomena.
Phidias. (c. 498–c. 432 BC) Greek sculptor, responsible for all or part of the Parthenon.
philanderer. An unfaithful person.
Philip Morris. U.S. tobacco and diversified products company.
Philippi. Ancient city in Macedonia.
Philippians. Book of the New Testament.
philippic. A verbal denunciation.
Philippine Sea.
Philippines, Republic of the. Note -l-, -pp-. Island state in the Pacific Ocean; capital Manila. A person from the Philippines is a Filipino if male, a Filipina if female.
Filipino or Pilipino is also the name of the national language.
Philips. Dutch electrical company; formally, NV Philips Gloeilampenfabrieken.
Philips Arena, Atlanta.
philistine. Person who is indifferent or hostile to matters of culture.
Phillips screws and screwdrivers. Named for their originator, Henry F. Phillips.
Phillips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts. Private high school; also called Phillips Andover or just Andover. Not to be confused with PHILLIPS EXETER ACADEMY.
Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C.
Phillips curve. In economics, a measure showing the relationship between inflation and unemployment.
Phillips Exeter Academy, Exeter, New Hampshire. Private high school; commonly called just Exeter. Not to be confused with PHILLIPS ACADEMY of Andover, Massachusetts.
Phillips Petroleum.