Bryson•s Dictionary for Writers and Editors

Western Australia / which � 359
Western Australia for the Australian state, but the West Australian for
its largest newspaper.
Westmeath. Irish county.
Westmoreland, William C. (1914–2000) American general.
Westmorland, not -more-, for the former English county, now part
of Cumbria.
Westpac Banking Corporation. Australian bank.
West Point-Pepperell. U.S. textiles company, now WestPoint Home.
wether. A castrated sheep.
Weyerhaeuser Company. Forestry products company.
whacky (alt.)/wacky (pref.).
whammy. A curse.
wharf, pl. wharves/wharfs.
wheedle. Coax.
wheeze.
whelk. Edible mollusc.
whence. Although there is ample precedent for writing “from
whence”—the King James Bible has the sentence “I will lift up
my eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help”—it is
nonetheless tautological. Whence means “from where.” It is
enough to say “the hills whence cometh my help.”
whereabouts is plural.
whether or not. The second two words should be dropped when
whether is equivalent to if, as in “It is not yet known whether or
not persons who become reinfected can spread the virus to others.”
Or not is necessary, however, when what is being stressed is
an alternative: “I intend to go whether or not you like it.”
whet one’s appetite. Not wet. The word has nothing to do with
heightened salivary flow or anything of the like. It comes from
an old English word, hwettan, meaning “sharpen.” Hence also
whetstone for a stone used to sharpen knives.
which. The belief that which may refer only to the preceding word