Bryson's Dictionary for Writers and Editors
Bill Bryson Creates a Funny, Clever Resource for Wordsmiths
Writers and editors are supposed to be superior wordsmiths, but even the best of them sometimes get stuck on words like “inoculation” or forget the subtle distinction between “compel” and “impel.” General dictionaries and house style guides are indispensable tools of the trade, but it never hurts to have other books designed specifically for writers on hand.
Bill Bryson's Dictionary for Writers and Editors
Bryson’s Dictionary for Writers and Editors, by Bill Bryson, is one such book. It is not a dictionary in the strict, Johnsonisan sense of the word – it is not a comprehensive list of words in the English language, for one thing, nor does it offer definitions or etymologies for every term listed. Even when there are definitions, Bryson occasionally editorializes; the definition of “commence” is “An unnecessary genteelism. What’s wrong with ‘begin’?”
Many of the words included are ones that are frequently misspelled; the full listing for “pharaoh” reads “pharaoh. Not –oah.” Other listings differentiate between terms that are commonly, but mistakenly, used interchangeably, such as “luxuriant” and “luxurious,” or near-homonyms that are frequently used incorrectly, such as “affect” and “effect.”
What Bryson Includes and Excludes From his Dictionary
Some of the choices Bryson has made are a bit odd. The dictionary isn’t aimed at one market in particular; an ex-pat American living in England, Bryson makes distinctions between British and American usage, leaving Canadians to ferret out which lead they will follow. And Bryson fully admits that the word choices betray his own biases.
However, it is still strange to turn to the “E” chapter, for example, and find an entry for Eileithyia, the Greek goddess of childbirth, but none for “Egoyan, Atom,” the Oscar-nominated Canadian director, or “Ertegun, Ahmet,” the legendary A&R man whose death was the impetus for Led Zeppelin’s 2007 reunion concert. Surely both these men would turn up in published works more frequently than obscure Greek deities, at least outside academia.
Common Web-Writing Errors are Missing From the Dictionary
Bryson also misses out on the opportunity to correct many errors that have spread like wildfire on the web: using “loose” instead of “lose,” for example, or spelling “disappointed” “dissappointed.” And despite his careful attempts to differentiate between British and American usage, he does not mention that the English say “disorientated” whereas North Americans say “disoriented.”
But even with these omissions, Bryson’s book is a useful and clever one. It wouldn’t do to have it as the sole reference work in one’s library, but it makes a good addition to the collection all writers and editors should have at their fingertips.
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