each,
every
Although singular, they are acceptable now with plural pronouns, as the
plural is increasingly becoming a way of saying he or she, or his or her.
Hence, “everyone has what they want”, “each of us has our
secrets”, but “everyone has secrets”.
Earhart, Amelia (the 1930s aviatrix)
Earls Court (no apostrophe)
earned NEVER earnt
Earth
Capital only in planetary or astronomical sense, not in phrases such as
“down to earth”.
The same rule applies to Moon and Sun.
earthquake
Easter
Day (not Easter Sunday)
Eastern Europe, but eastern Germany.
easygoing
e-commerce
(as e-mail)
ecosystem
(no hyphen)
but eco-warrior
Ecstasy, the drug
ecu, the European currency unit
ecumenical, not oecumenical (but respect titles)
e.g., points and use a comma before and after.
either takes a singular verb when both subjects are
embraced: “Either is good enough.” See neither.
elbowroom (one word), similarly headroom, legroom
elderly, aged, old be sensitive in the use of these
words, and generally do not use for people under 65.
electrocute means to kill by electric shock
Elgin Marbles, and subsequent mentions the Marbles
elicit
means to evoke, bring to light, or draw out
never confuse with illicit (unlawful, forbidden)
e-mail
Embassy
Same style as for Ambassador, e.g., the French Embassy in Rome, thereafter
the embassy.
empire
Capital as in British or Roman Empire
Similarly, capitalise emperor when specific, e.g.,
Emperor Claudius
EMS
European Monetary System
EMU economic and monetary union (in Europe)
encyclopaedia (not encyclopedia)
England, English
Beware of these when the meaning is
Britain, British and vice versa.
engineers
Restrict use to white-collar workers with engineering qualifications; do
not use with reference to mechanics, manufacturing workers, platelayers,
etc.
enormity
Does NOT mean great size; it means quality or character of being
outrageous, or extreme wickedness or serious error. Do not misuse. For
great size, use immensity.
ensure
means to make certain
you insure against risk
you assure
your life.
The verb ensure usually needs “that” after it if
accompanied by a following verb (e.g., “he tried to ensure that the
policy was adopted”); but omit “that” if followed by a noun (e.g.,
“he tried to ensure its success”)
enthral
ERM exchange-rate mechanism (in European contexts); a
part of the wider concept of EMU
escapers, NEVER escapees
,
etc., point and use a comma before and after.
euro, the European common currency, takes lower case
eurocheques, eurobonds
Europe
Western, Eastern, Central (all caps).
Europe includes the British Isles, so do not use the name as equivalent to
the Continent. Britain does not export to Europe, but to the rest of
Europe.
European Parliament, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs),
or Euro MPs
evensong
(lower case)
ever
Is rarely necessary; avoid phrases such best-ever,
fastest-ever, and say simply best and fastest, qualifying (where
appropriate) with yet.
examinations
11-plus, 7-plus etc; also A levels, but
A-level results etc. (hyphenate only when adjectival).
GCSE, the General Certificate of Secondary Education,
need not normally be spelt out.
exclamation marks are nearly always unnecessary
execution
Take care; as with assassination, do not use as a synonym of any killing
or murder.
An execution is a judicial killing after due process of law.
expatriate (noun, verb or adjective - not ex-patriate and
NEVER expatriot)
eye to eye (no hyphens)
eyeing
eyewitness use witness instead wherever possible (except
in direct quotes)
façade
(use the cedilla)
facelift
Use sparingly in its metaphorical sense, where it has become overworked.
In its cosmetic context quite acceptable, however.
fact that
Almost always an unnecessary circumlocution, so avoid (e.g., “owing to the
fact that” means because)
fairytale
fallacy
Means a faulty argument, not an erroneous belief.
fallout
(noun)
fan
Acceptable nowadays for football supporter or pop music enthusiast.
Far East
Encompasses the following: China, Hong Kong, Japan, North and South Korea,
Macau, Mongolia, Taiwan.
farther
is applied only to distance (literal or figurative); e.g., “nothing could
be farther from the truth”. Further means in
addition to, another, e.g., “a further point”.
fascia (not facia)
Fascist
Capital in the political sense.
But fascism lower case except in specifically party
context.
Father (as in priest)
Avoid the ugly abbreviation Fr before a name.
Father's Day (not Fathers')
fatwa
A Muslim religious edict, not a sentence of punishment
fault-line
(hyphen)
“feel-good”
factor
female
Do not say female councillors, female directors, etc; say women
councillors, women directors.
feminine
designations
Such as authoress,
poetess, wardress, should be avoided.
But actress is such common usage that it is acceptable.
Festival Hall generally omit Royal
festivals
Capitalise the Edinburgh Festival (cultural), Reading Festival
(pop), Cheltenham Festival (racing), etc, thereafter the festival (lower
case).
fête (with accent)
fewer, of numbers (fewer people, fewer goals)
but less, of size, in quantity, or singular
nouns (less population, less meat).
fiancé (man), fiancée (woman) see
divorcé
fifty
Use 50-50 chance; note Fifties (capital) for the decade, but “she was in
her fifties” (age, lower case).
figures see numbers
film star (two words)
fiord
(not fjord)
firearms
Do not confuse bullets with shotgun cartridges (containing pellets) - a
gunshot wound is markedly different from a bullet wound.
fire brigade
Lower case in general context, but capital specifics, e.g., Kent Fire
Brigade.
firefight (or fire-fight) should not be used as a synonym
of military skirmish or exchange of fire. firefighters
try to extinguish flames.
Note that we should always refer to firefighters
rather than firemen, as a substantial number in the Fire Service are now
women
First Lady
Capitals, and restrict use primarily to US context - never for the British
Prime Minister's wife.
First World War (not World War One)
Similarly, Second World War.
flair,
as in talent, must never be confused with
flare, as in fire, fashion, etc
flat-owners (hyphen), but homeowners
flaunt means to make an ostentatious or defiant display,
e.g., “she flaunted her finery”;
to flout is to show contempt for, e.g., “he flouted the
law”.
fledgeling
fleur-de-lys (not lis)
floodlighting, but floodlit
flotation (shares), but floatation (tanks)
flout see flaunt
flu (no apostrophe), acceptable for influenza
focused
following
Not to be used as a sloppy synonym of after. ALWAYS use after in
preference.
foodstuffs
Where place names form part of the phrase, generally use the cap, e.g.,
Brussels sprouts, Cheddar cheese, chicken Kiev, Cornish pasties, potatoes
Lyonnaise.
But keep lower case for hamburger, frankfurter etc.
foolproof
(no hyphen)
foot-and-mouth disease
for-, fore-
The general rule is that the “e” is added only when the prefix has the
meaning of before.
Thus forbears (refrains), forebears
(ancestors); forgo (go without), forego
(go before, as in foregone conclusion). Take particular care with forswear
and foresee(able), both frequently misspelt.
foreign words
Avoid pretension by using an English phrase wherever one will serve.
for ever means always
forever means continuously
formula plural usually formulas, but formulae in
mathematical contexts
for real avoid this cliché when all you mean is
"really".
fortuitous does not mean fortunate.
It means by chance or accidental. Do not confuse.
fractions
Do not mix fractions and decimals in the same item.
Freemasonry,
Mason, Masonic
Freud, Lucian
(not Lucien)
Fringe, the Edinburgh
Always cap, whether as noun or adjective (e.g., a Fringe puppet show on
the Royal Mile).
front bench, the (noun); but frontbencher,
frontbench power, etc.
frontline (adjective, as in the frontline states)
But the front line (noun)
front-runner
FTSE 100 index (no longer hyphenate FT-SE)
Also FTSE all-share index
Führer (not Fuehrer)
fulfil,
but fulfilled, fulfilling
-ful,
-fuls
so cupfuls, not cupsful
full-time (adj)
But full time (noun, as in football)
fulsome
Be very careful - and sparing - with the use of this word. It means
excessive or insincere (the cliché fulsome praise actually means
excessive praise, not generous or warm praise). Try to avoid it,
especially the clichéd (and wrong) use.
fundraising, fundraiser (no hyphen)
further see farther
fusillade