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1500 questions
135
votes
5 answers
Can “whose” refer to an inanimate object?
We lit a fire whose fuel was old timber wood.
Is the word whose referring to fire, an inanimate object, correct in this sentence? Or is there a more appropriate word?
nicholas ainsworth
- 8,708
134
votes
3 answers
What is the difference between "till" and "until"?
What is the difference between till and until?
When to use till or until? Please explain with examples.
LifeH2O
- 1,785
- 3
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134
votes
13 answers
When should "no problem" replace "you're welcome" as a response to "thank you"?
I have observed a growing trend in which people substitute "no problem" for "you're welcome" as a response to "thank you". In particular, it seems to be an increasingly common response from servers and store clerks.
It seems to me that "no problem"…
JoshDM
- 1,729
134
votes
7 answers
Is "guy" gender-neutral?
The plural "guys" definitely is, at least here in San Francisco — I'm often hearing all-girl companies here being greeted with 'Hi guys, how are you doing?'.
How about the singular guy? Is it universally assumed that 'the guy who will be doing this'…
Artem
- 1,821
133
votes
7 answers
Which is correct: "Filename", "File Name" or "FileName"?
Which is correct: "Filename", "File Name" or "FileName"?
Tatham Oddie
- 1,433
133
votes
11 answers
Alternative terms to "Blacklist" and "Whitelist"
My company is developing a management tool for managing SIM cards. One of the features of the tool is to block the SIM card if it's put into a disallowed device by device IMEI validation.
The feature for this was mocked up using the terms blacklist…
AndroidHustle
- 1,491
133
votes
9 answers
What is it called when experts think they only know a small part of a topic and amateurs think they know almost all of a topic?
What is it called when experts think they only know a small part of a topic and amateurs think they know almost all of a topic?
KmYKShdbjx
132
votes
17 answers
Is there any English/American equivalent for the Hungarian phrase "beating the nettle with someone else's penis"?
I am trying to translate this comically vulgar Hungarian phrase, often (but not exclusively) used in a political context:
Beating the nettle with someone else's penis
It describes making someone else carry out one's rash or risky ideas, usually…
Janos Hideg
- 1,361
130
votes
2 answers
Why should the first person pronoun 'I' always be capitalized?
Why should we capitalize the first person pronoun 'I' even when it does not appear at the beginning of a sentence? Why is it not the case for other pronouns?
didxga
- 1,493
126
votes
6 answers
Is it ever correct to have a space before a question or exclamation mark?
In written English (mainly online) I often come across sentences ending with a question or an exclamation mark with a space before it. Is it always just an error or a typo? Or there are cases when it is a correct English, for example after closing…
rem
- 10,331
125
votes
13 answers
What is the word for things that work even when they aren't working (e.g. escalators)?
I'm looking for a word (or phrase) to describe mechanisms that are perfectly functional even when they aren't functioning as expected.
Examples of these include:
Escalators & Electric Walkways: Even when they aren't powered these systems still…
Eric Kigathi
- 1,283
125
votes
6 answers
How to say "It's not rocket science" before rockets existed
Prior to the invention of rockets, was there a phrase equivalent to: "it's not rocket science"? If so, what was it?
Here I am looking for a phrase that makes a comparison with a difficult job/task, so "easy as pie" wouldn't work. I'm also looking…
spacetyper
- 2,719
125
votes
19 answers
Is "women men girls love meet die" a valid sentence?
Is "women men girls love meet die" a valid sentence? If so, what does it mean?
The sentence shows up in academic papers about the "Sausage Machine" for natural language processing. (A google will show up several results referring to this).
The…
Frames Catherine White
- 2,431
125
votes
3 answers
I don't get this joke. Is it some kind of play on "water, too?"
I don't get this joke. Is it some kind of play on "water, too?"
Transcript:
Two scientists walk into a bar. The first says, "I'll have some H2O." The second says, "I'll have a glass of water too. Why did you say H2O? It's the end of the day and…
Michael Owen Sartin
- 5,346
125
votes
2 answers
