Bryson's Dictionary for Writers and Editors - Bill Bryson [99]
postpartum. After birth.
postprandial. After dinner.
potage. Soup.
potpourri, pl. potpourris.
Poughkeepsie, New York.
Poulenc, Francis. (1899–1963) French composer.
Poulters’ Company. London livery company; not Poulterers’.
pour, pore. The first means to flow or rain heavily; the second means to examine carefully.
pourboire. (Fr.) A gratuity.
pour encourager les autres. (Fr.) “To encourage the others.”
Poussin, Nicolas. (1594–1665) French painter.
Powell, Anthony. (1905–2000) British novelist; pronounced pole.
powwow. A conference.
Powys, John Cowper. (1872–1963) English poet and novelist; the names are pronounced cooper and po-iss.
PPI. Abbreviation of producer price index; in economics, a measure of changes in commodity prices.
practical, practicable. Anything that can be done and is worth doing is practical. Anything that can be done, whether or not it is worth doing, is practicable.
practice, practiced, practicing.
praemonitus praemunitis. (Lat.) “Forewarned is forearmed.”
praeseodymium. Chemical element.
Praetorian Guard. Elite Roman army unit.
Praha. Czech spelling of Prague.
Praia. Capital of Cape Verde.
precautionary measure is a common phrase, but it can nearly always be shortened simply to precaution.
precipitant, precipitate, precipitous. All three come from the same root, the Latin praecipitare (“to throw headlong”). Precipitous means very steep: cliff faces are precipitous. Precipitant and precipitate both indicate a headlong rush and are almost indistinguishable in meaning, but precipitant tends to emphasize the abruptness of the rush and precipitate the rashness of it. The most common error is to use precipitous to describe actions (“his precipitous departure from the cabinet”). Precipitous can describe only physical characteristics.
precondition, preplanning, prerecorded, etc. Almost always redundant: “A lot of headaches can be avoided with a little careful preplanning” (Chicago Tribune). All planning must be done in advance. Pre- adds nothing to its meaning and should be deleted, as it should have been in these examples: “There are, however, three preconditions to be met before negotiations can begin” (Guardian); “The company’s music performance reflected both the volatility and opportunities for growth in the worldwide market for prerecorded music” (advertisement in the Economist).
precursor. Not -er.
predilection.
prehensile. Able to grasp.
premier, premiere. The first means first in position or importance. The second is a debut.
Preminger, Otto. (1906–1986) Austrian-born American film director.
premises is always plural when referring to property. There is no such thing as a business premise.
prepositions. The lingering belief that sentences should not end with prepositions is entirely without foundation.
prerogative. An exclusive right.
Prescelly Mountains, Wales.
prescribe, proscribe. Prescribe means to set down as a rule or guide. Proscribe means to denounce or prohibit. If you get bronchitis, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics and proscribe smoking.
present, presently. Like current and currently, these two often appear needlessly in sentences, as here: “A new factory, which is presently under construction in Manchester, will add to capacity.” The sentence says as much without presently as with it.
Presidents’ Day. Note apos. Third Monday of February.
presumptive, presumptuous. The first is sometimes used when the second is intended. Presumptuous means impudent and inclined to take liberties, or to act in a manner that is excessively bold and forthright. Presumptive means giving grounds to presume and is primarily a technical term. The wrong use is seen here: “She considered the question with the equanimity of someone who has long been immune to presumptive prying” (Sunday Telegraph).
pretension, but pretentious.
prevalent, prevalence.
prevaricate, procrastinate. Occasionally confused. Prevaricate means to speak or act evasively, to stray from the truth. Procrastinate means to put off doing.
prevent often appears incorrectly in sentences such as this: “They