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Style Guide beginning with B

Bail, bale

Bale: in the hayfield, yes; otherwise bail, bail out and bail-out (noun).
Bangladeshi names

If the name includes the Islamic definite article, it should be lower case and without any hyphens: Mujib ur Rahman.
Based

A Paris-based group may be all right, if, say, that group operates abroad (otherwise just say a group in Paris). But avoid community-based, faith-based, knowledge-based, etc. A community-based organisation is perhaps a community organisation; a faith-based organisation is probably a church (or might it be the Labour or Republican Party?); a knowledge-based industry needs explanation: all industries depend on knowledge.
Beg the questions

Beg the question means neither raise the question, invite the question nor evade the answer. To beg the question is to adopt an argument whose conclusion depends upon assuming the truth of the very conclusion the argument is designed to produce. All governments should promote free trade because otherwise protectionism will increase. This begs the question.
Belarusian names

If Belarusians (not Belarussians) wish to be known by the Belarusian form of their names (Ihor, Vital, and Life-President Alyaksandr Lukashenka), so be it. But use the familiar, Russian placenames (Minsk not Miensk, Brest not Bryast, Gomel not Homel).
Bellwether

Bellwether. This is the leading sheep of a flock, on whose neck a bell is hung. It is nothing to do with climate, prevailing winds or the like.
Biannual, Biennial

Biannual can mean twice a year or once every two years. Avoid. Since biennial also means once every two years, that is best avoided too.
Bicentennial

Prefer bicentenary (as a noun).
Black

In the black means in profit in Britain, but making losses in some places. Use in profit.
Blooded, Bloodied

Blooded means pedigreed or initiated. Bloodied means wounded.
Bon vivant

Bon vivant, not bon viveur.
Both

Both...and: a preposition placed after both should be repeated after and. Thus, both to right and to left; but to both right and left is all right.
Brackets

If a whole sentence is within brackets, put the full stop inside.

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British titles

Long incomprehensible to all foreigners and most Britons, British titles and forms of address now seem just as confusing to those who hold them. Snobbery, embarrassment and obscurity make it difficult to know whether to write Mrs Thatcher, Mrs Margaret Thatcher, Lady Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, Lady Margaret Thatcher or Baroness Margaret Thatcher. Properly, she is Margaret, Baroness Thatcher, but on first mention the following are preferable: Margaret Thatcher or Lady Thatcher. On subsequent mentions, Lady Thatcher is fine. If the context is historical, Margaret Thatcher and thereafter Mrs (now Lady) Thatcher.

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Brokerage

Brokerage is what a stockbroking firm does, not what it is.
By contrast, in contrast

Use by contrast only when comparing one thing with another: Somalia is a poor country. By contrast, Egypt is rich. This means Egypt is rich by comparision with Somalia, though by other standards it is poor. If you are simply noting a difference, say in contrast: Tony Blair takes his holidays in Tuscany. In contrast, Gordon Brown goes to Kirkaldy.

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Style Guide beginning with B

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