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1500 questions
54
votes
3 answers
Why is the subject omitted in sentences like "Thought you'd never ask"?
"Thought you'd never ask" is "I thought you'd never ask" with "I" omitted.
"Hope this helps" is "I hope this helps" with "I" omitted.
In English grammar, normally every sentence should have a subject, right?
My first thought is that these two…
Betty
- 1,134
54
votes
6 answers
"Call me through/at/on this number"
What is the difference between the following when referring to telephone calls?
Please call me on this number. You can reach me on this number.
Please call me at this number. You can reach me at 0088000900.
Please call me through this number. You…
user17857
54
votes
4 answers
Why "Speak of the devil"?
Why is the expression "Speak of the devil" and not "Speaking of the devil"? For me, the -ing would make more sense because you're currently talking about someone, when he/she appears.
For example, if you're talking about something, and that subject…
juliomalegria
- 607
54
votes
19 answers
What is the wife of a henpecked husband called?
henpecked [hen-pekt]
adjective
1. browbeaten, bullied, or intimidated by one's wife, girlfriend, etc.:
a henpecked husband who never dared to contradict his wife.
What is the wife of a henpecked husband called? (word or phrase) (in regards to her…
hazoriz
- 665
54
votes
1 answer
The past participle of "split": "split" or "splitted"?
I have just written a question in the PPCG site, and now that I read it again I have just noticed that I have just written "split" and "splitted" randomly as the past participle of "to split":
Can the number be split into powers of 2?
[The…
Charlie
- 2,625
54
votes
16 answers
Is there a word for a change so small that it doesn’t seem to be a change at all?
Today, I was reading an article on pharmaceutical companies making minute changes to a drug in order to extend the patent. In one instance, the company profiled did not actually change the content of the drug, just the outward appearance. This got…
TelJanini
- 733
54
votes
9 answers
How do you say "Come on, man" to a woman?
I've heard people saying phrases like down below.
"That's not cool, man"
"Dude, look at this"
"Hey, calm down, bro"
But these words are supposed to be said to a male person. (I could be wrong since I'm not an native English speaker) So what word…
Towa Shina
- 659
54
votes
2 answers
"Referer" or "referrer"
First of all, I'm speaking of webpage referral.
Second, let me quote Wikipedia:
The misspelling referer originated in the original proposal by computer "scientist" Phillip Hallam-Baker to incorporate the field into the HTTP specification.[1] The…
orlp
- 864
54
votes
10 answers
"Race" is to "racism" as "religion" is to what?
I've heard "racist" being used in a few cases to describe bigotry towards people of a certain religion. It's a bit annoying because it implies that all people of a religion are the same race, which is hardly the correct case. However I'm also…
JustChris
- 649
54
votes
7 answers
Symbols for "YES" and "NO" in formal English writing
I'm writing a conference paper in English.
My Japanese colleague told me that I should use "○" for YES and "x" for NO in my paper, but I think the right symbols should be "✓" for YES and "x" for NO. Which one is correct?
Besides, my colleague also…
Eumaa
- 615
54
votes
4 answers
What was “Herbal Tea” called before ‘tea’ was introduced in Europe?
I recently got in a discussion with a colleague, about herbal tea not being a correct term, as it contains no tea. Instead, one ought to use the term herbal infusions.
Tea (dried leaves from the tea plant aka Camellia sinensis) was gradually…
Qqwy
- 775
54
votes
10 answers
What is this method of joking about a morbid situation called?
What word or phrase could be used to describe a joke about something serious or bad? It isn't meant as humor in the typical sense, but as sort of a brave, different flavor of humor between two friends. Something that isnt actually funny, and could…
J.Todd
- 622
54
votes
5 answers
Weekly, Daily, Hourly --- Minutely...?
What is the correct word for "happening every minute"? How do you pronounce it?
Kerry Jones
- 643
54
votes
6 answers
In sex talk, how many bases are there and what do they all mean?
I always hear people say "I hit the third base" or "I hit the second base" (sex related). I am not 100% sure what they all mean.
Additionally, in one of the House MD episodes, there was a dialogue:
Dr. Wilson: How are things going with
Cuddy?
…
Frantisek
- 21,938
54
votes
8 answers
How do you respond back to "Hi, how is it going?"
I observe that people from America greet by asking, "Hi, how is it going?". What is the proper response to this greeting?
Senthil Kumaran
- 1,047