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1500 questions
70
votes
5 answers
Is 'Updation' a correct word?
I was wondering whether 'updation' is correct English or not.
Sample sentence: I was involved in the updation of the website.
Devdatta Tengshe
- 1,522
- 2
- 12
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70
votes
10 answers
X, Y, Z — horizontal, vertical and ...?
When working in a 2D coordinate system you could say that X is the horizontal axis and Y is the vertical axis.
Extending this to 3D, is there a similar word for the Z axis?
(I'm aware of Width, Height and Depth, but obviously horizontal and vertical…
George Duckett
- 1,105
70
votes
19 answers
Central Pennsylvanian English speakers: what are the limitations on the "needs washed" construction?
In the Central Pennsylvania dialect of English (and possibly elsewhere), the following construction is possible:
This car needs washed. (=needs to be washed)
The room needs cleaned. (=needs to be cleaned)
It appears that, if a verb like needs is…
Kosmonaut
- 50,402
70
votes
24 answers
Is there a word for a non-geek?
I am looking for a term which clearly defines somebody as a non-geek, without being derogatory. The best example I have seen is muggle, but it needs context to be understood, as in "You don't meet many muggles at a comic convention", or "even my…
rumtscho
- 2,011
70
votes
11 answers
"Less" vs. "fewer"
I've just received a memo which says (effectively)
As more people leave, there will be less people available.
I want that word to be fewer. Are there guidelines for which word ought to be used when?
J.T. Grimes
- 6,853
70
votes
4 answers
Meaning of "has a ____ to it"
People talking about how something will be perceived sometimes use the phrase "to it". For example people sometimes say "It will have a nice color to it." instead of just it will have a nice color. Or when something sounds nice someone says "It has…
sana ne
- 937
70
votes
5 answers
When should the word "English" be capitalized?
I am often confused how the word "English" should be written in phrases such as "English language", because I have seen both variants: capitalized and starting with lowercase letter.
What is the most accepted usage: "English language" or "english…
rem
- 10,331
70
votes
3 answers
What is so bad about puns?
Many times I've heard of 'pun intended' or 'pun not intended', which I see as a form of excuse in the English-spoken world. However, I can not wrap my head around why are you constantly excusing/explaning something so innocent(?) as pun.
What I am…
PeterBocan
- 763
70
votes
3 answers
"Let's" vs. "lets": which is correct?
Say I'm promoting a product. Which is correct?
[Product] let's you [do something awesome].
[Product] lets you [do something awesome].
Or neither?
jeffamaphone
- 1,212
70
votes
3 answers
Retriable or retryable?
As in "it is possible to try it again". "Tryable" seems to be the one mostly used online, if you type it in Google. Onelook Dictionary Search only returns an entry for "tryable" from Wordnik, not from any of the major online dictionaries.
Which…
Adam
- 861
70
votes
1 answer
Why use "need not" instead of "do not need to"?
The header of psyco.sourceforge.net states:
High-level languages need not be slower than low-level ones.
Why use need not instead of do not need? What does it mean? Also, why no to before be?
seriousdev
- 1,614
70
votes
9 answers
What is the correct usage of "myriad"?
The vast majority of the time when I see the word "myriad" it is in a sentence like "He had a myriad of things." However I don't like the extraneous words so I normally use it like "He had myriad things." My boss corrected the latter usage while…
jhocking
- 1,633
70
votes
9 answers
Why is the word "Holy" used before swear words?
People usually use the word "Holy" before "Shit", "Crap" or any other bad words to express their feelings, like surprise, anger, etc. Is there any reason why the word "Holy" is used with these bad words?
I think the words "shit", "crap", etc are…
AeJey
- 827
70
votes
13 answers
Why do sentences that start with "guess" end with a question mark?
To me, sentences that start with "Guess" are in the imperative mood, thus, should end with a period:
Guess who's coming to town.
Guess what we had for dinner last night.
Why do a lot of publications put a question mark at the end of these…
Mickael Caruso
- 1,284
70
votes
15 answers
One of us is wrong, aren't we?
I have just learned from what I consider a reliable source, that the following sentence is correct:
One of us is wrong, aren't we?
I would never in my life have written this, but I am assured that this is exactly how it would be written
As I…
oerkelens
- 36,622