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61
votes
10 answers

Polite alternatives to "as soon as possible"

I’ve found myself writing the phrase “as soon as possible” just too often. Sometimes I wonder if it sounds a little rude. How can I convey the same meaning in a more polite way but without losing sense of urgency?
Albertus
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61
votes
3 answers

'Made of' vs. 'Made from'

What is the basic difference between "made of" and "made from." Both expressions are used in English. For instance, "This chair is made of wood," and "Cream is made from milk." Though the question is quite simple, I often confuse the two…
Carol Hardin
  • 917
61
votes
12 answers

Is there a non-vulgar version of "pulled it out of their ass"?

Is there a non-vulgar version of “pulled it out of their ass” ? It's a useful phrase, but not one to be used in professional environments. For example: There is no way John’s projections for next year’s sales are accurate. He ____.
Roone Scape
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61
votes
3 answers

What did "pop a cap" mean, other than "shoot someone," in the 19th century?

Popping a cap Green's Dictionary of Slang defines "pop a cap" as: to fire a weapon; to shoot someone. In recent uses, the slang meaning is clear, and often extended to "pop a cap (in somebody's ass)." For example in this citation from 2000: F.X.…
RaceYouAnytime
  • 22,413
61
votes
14 answers

Is there an English equivalent for the expression "Playing the flute to a buffalo"?

There is a saying in India, "Playing the flute to a buffalo" (is wasteful), generally used in the context of knowledge imparting to a stupid person. At the end of the day, stupidity still remains. Is there an English equivalent for that?
Jarvis
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61
votes
14 answers

I can run faster than _____. (1) him (2) he?

Consider the sentence "I can run faster than 15 miles per hour." Its meaning is clear and to my eyes obviously grammatically correct. Now let me present some variations that have given me trouble for a long time. I am faster than 15 miles per hour.…
ErikE
  • 4,417
61
votes
11 answers

If a ship sinks, what does an airship do?

We were having a discussion at work about airships (zeppelins, blimps, etc.) and someone spoke about them sinking when they crash. Someone else said they can't sink because they're not descending through water. So we googled the definition of the…
Dan Temple
  • 859
61
votes
10 answers

Which is more wet: ‘moist’ or ‘damp’?

Which contains more liquid, something that is moist or something that is damp? Context of question: This question was asked to a young friend of mine in her high school freshman English class. It was a bonus question on a test she was taking. My…
LWhitson2
  • 736
61
votes
7 answers

Where does the "quint" in "quintessential" come from?

Doesn't "quint" mean "five"? What does that have to do with the meaning of "quintessential"?
Daniel LeCheminant
  • 2,251
61
votes
19 answers

The act of baiting someone into (incorrectly) calling bullshit

Is there a single word, or commonly-used term, to describe the act of baiting another person into calling bullshit, when in fact you're not bullshitting? Conceptually, this either a sub-type, or the direct opposite, of bluffing, which is the act of…
Dan Bron
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61
votes
10 answers

What is the opposite of Optimal?

Obviously something can be sub-optimal or poor, minimal, bad or terrible... But is there a word that means the exact opposite, the antonym, of optimal?
CLockeWork
  • 745
61
votes
6 answers

"Oriented" vs. "orientated"

What are the origins of the word orientated? As far as I know, the correct spelling is oriented and orientated is not an alternative spelling but an error that is in common use. Is it for example more commonly used in a certain country or by a…
Tom Ravenscroft
  • 1,291
61
votes
11 answers

Phrase for overusing just-learned skills?

Is there a saying or word for indicating the overuse of something you just newly learned? Say you were happy with a hammer and a nail and then somebody taught you the virtues of a screw and screwdriver. From then on, every problem incorrectly looks…
dr jerry
  • 1,072
60
votes
2 answers

Is "throw in an ape" an expression?

In her book Toward Zero, author Agatha Christie has the following dialogue: Kay said: ‘I don’t like my colour scheme in the livingroom. Can I have it done over, Nevile?’ ‘Anything you like, beautiful.’ ‘Peacock blue,’ said Kay dreamily, ‘and ivory…
thedude
  • 601
60
votes
8 answers

What do you call the interconnecting bits of a puzzle piece in English?

This is hard to describe, but I'm curious about what the proper word is for these thingies in English. So I searched for a picture on Google and circled what I'm referring to with red:
Venemo
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