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Online style guide

raccoon
radiographer

takes x-rays ... a radiologist interprets them afterwards

raft

'a raft of awards' is overused ... use many instead

raft

Raft has become a popular way to describe a big collection of things, like 'a raft of awards', but it has a subtly ironic tone. Therefore '...following a raft of attacks on Indian students' was a questionable choice of words. Maybe better to pick a more neutral term, like 'number of'.

rap over the knuckles

but wrap a parcel

rarefy, rarefies, rarefied
rate of knots
raze

means completely demolish, so 'razed to the ground' is a tautology

razzmatazz
re-form

we re-form the queue or the band, but reform the outdated policy

real McCoy
realpolitik
reason because

In 'the reason I'm so cold is because the heating's broken' because is redundant. It should be 'the reason I'm so cold is that the heating's broken.'

reason why

In 'the reason why we like mussels is a mystery', why is redundant. It should be 'The reason we like mussels is a mystery.'

reconciled to

not with

Red Planet

needs caps when used as the nickname referring exclusively to Mars

reek

it reeks of corruption, but wreaks havoc

regalia

means royal insignia, so 'royal regalia' is a tautology

regardless of

irrespective of, not taking into account ... not irregardless—there's no such word.

rein or reign

rein in corporate big spenders or horses ... but reigning monarchs

rendezvous
replaceable
report

write a report on something, not into. The report often follows an inquiry into or an investigation of something, the results of which are reported on.

reported question

In reported speech: It led many to ask what Joe Hockey was hiding from. No question mark. But in direct speech: It led many to ask, 'What is Joe Hockey hiding from?' the question mark is needed.

reshuffle

one word

restaurateur

no 'n'

résumé

summary, CV (French word normally written with its acute accents to distinguish it from the English word resume)

resuscitation
retaliate

retaliate against an action, not for.

reticent, reluctant

A listener pointed out that reticent (defined by the Macquarie dictionary as 'disposed to be silent, not inclined to speak freely; reserved) is sometimes used where reluctant ('unwilling, disinclined') is called for. So 'When asked for his source he was reticent' is correct, but 'He was reticent to divulge his source' is not. We should say 'He was reluctant to divulge his source.'

revert

means go back, so never 'revert back'

review

conduct a review of something

revue

theatrical entertainment ... review is the criticism of it

rhetoric
rhetorical v grammatical punctuation

'Today's Jewel in the Crown, is a work in fibreglass by Peter Corlett...' This is an example of rhetorical punctuation. The comma has been put where one might pause for emphasis when reading aloud. But grammatically it doesn't make sense, because we don't put a single comma between a subject and its verb. For online publication we need to make sense grammatically, so we write: 'Today's Jewel in the Crown is a work in fibreglass by Peter Corlett.'

Rice, Condoleezza
rich as Croesus
ricochet, ricocheted, ricocheting
rift

a rift is usually healed, not reconciled. People are reconciled, and the act of reconciliation may heal a rift.

right wing, the

of a political party

right-wing politician
rite of passage

not to be confused with right of way

rock and roll

three words, or rock'n'roll, three words contracted to one

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Roebourne Prison, Western Australia
roller-coaster

cliche: 'emotional roller-coaster' etc, and beware the mixed metaphor. There's only one thing you can do with a roller-coaster, emotional or otherwise, and that's ride it. You can't battle through it or be battered by it.

Rollerblade

trademark, so capitalise

Rorschach test

interpretation of inkblots

Rottnest Island

off Western Australia, home to the quokka

round-up (noun), round up (verb)

We bring you a round-up of the news. We round up the days news to bring you this round-up.

royal commissions

capitalise only when citing the full title of a particular royal commission

runner-up

runners-up (plural)

russian roulette

no caps