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1500 questions
72
votes
8 answers
How do you handle "that that"? The double "that" problem
Have you ever had a case where you felt compelled to include strange things like a double that in a sentence? If so, then what did you do to resolve this?
For me, I never knew whether it was acceptable grammar. However, what I did learn was that it…
Volomike
- 1,405
72
votes
8 answers
“kinda”, “sorta”, “coulda”, “shoulda”, “lotta”, “oughta”, “betcha”, "tseasy", etc. What are these?
In linguistics, is there a term describing this phenomenon, i.e., when the syllables of two words are slurred together in the spoken language? They are not contractions. While contractions are acceptable in any register, this combination of words…
Centaurus
- 50,047
72
votes
2 answers
When ending a list with "etc.", should there be a comma before "etc."?
When listing items and ending the list with "etc", should there be a comma before "etc."? E.g.
red, green, blue, etc.
or
red, green, blue etc.
Related question, though this one involves the word "and", so I am no sure if the answer applies to…
Eyvind
- 1,259
72
votes
7 answers
Are "w/o", "w/", "b/c" common abbreviations in the US?
I remember when staying a few months in the US years ago that I saw some people using the abbreviations below. However, I can't exactly remember in which contexts I encountered them, (whether I saw my teachers using them when writing something on…
rena
- 1,028
71
votes
5 answers
How to pronounce the programmer's abbreviation "char"
In many programming languages, char is a type name for character values. The word character is pronounced with a [k] sound, but what about char?
While trying to find the answer elsewhere, I learnt that there is an English word char which is…
Armen Ծիրունյան
- 17,751
71
votes
7 answers
"Why does paper cut so well?", ambiguous question?
I have posted a question titled "Why does paper cut so well?" (on the Physics stack exchange). After a while, I noticed that over 40 people understood the question as "Why is it so easy to cut paper (with a pair of scissors)?". But what I meant was…
71
votes
3 answers
When I should use "assure" vs. "ensure" vs. "insure"?
When is it appropriate to use assure vs. ensure vs. insure?
Gary
- 2,597
71
votes
4 answers
Did gamblers get their lingo "hijacked?"
The earliest reference to "hijack" that OED lists is from 1923.
1923 Lit. Digest 4 Aug. 51/3 ‘I would have had $50,000,’ said Jimmy, ‘if I hadn't been hijacked.’
But the etymology is listed as unknown.
Interestingly, I found several newspaper…
RaceYouAnytime
- 22,413
71
votes
9 answers
When do I use "I" instead of "me?"
From some comments in the answers for common English usage mistakes (now deleted, 10k only), there's confusion around the usage of I vs. me:
While the sentence, "the other attendees are myself and Steve," is agreed to be incorrect, there's confusion…
Brendan Berg
- 1,904
71
votes
12 answers
What is a word similar to "amateur" yet having a strong connotation of someone who likes something?
The etymology of "amateur", according to the Online Etymology Dictionary, is:
1784, "one who has a taste for (something)," from French amateur "lover of," from Latin amatorem (nominative amator) "lover," agent noun from amatus, past participle of…
Claudiu
- 10,911
71
votes
10 answers
Is "errored" correct usage?
If "errored" is not a valid word, then how should I say:
The program errored at line 44
I guess I could say:
The program threw an error at line 44
But why is "errored" wrong? Is there a better alternative?
JD Isaacks
- 1,615
71
votes
13 answers
What's a less offensive substitute for "rep-whores"?
This is a frequently thrown-around term on Internet forums in general and Stack Exchange specifically. Although it conveys a lot of meaning, I'd much prefer a phrase with a less offensive origin.
Urban Dictionary defines a "rep-whore" as:
A person…
KyleMit
- 897
71
votes
4 answers
What are the differences between "inverse", "reverse", and "converse"?
What distinctions can be made among the meanings of the words "inverse", "reverse", "converse", and, for good measure, "transverse" and "obverse"? Is it ever possible to use some of them interchangeably?
Are they the same for purposes of casual…
jscs
- 1,177
71
votes
10 answers
Alternatives to "and/or"?
As a programmer, I have no problem with seeing or using "and/or" in technical documentation. For example,
I can upvote an answer that satisfies me and/or mark it as accepted.
That's perfectly good English to me. However, if I were writing a novel,…
RegDwigнt
- 97,231
71
votes
3 answers
"Solution for" or "solution to" a problem?
I need to find a solution to/for this problem.
Can to and for be used interchangeably here? Is one of them just plain wrong?
mvexel
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