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1500 questions
45
votes
5 answers
Detail or Details? Read on for more detail/details
I'm writing a newsletter and have been given the following text:
New stock has arrived & we're giving you the chance to grab it at 20% off for this weekend only! Read on for more details.
I'm unsure if the word details should be detail or not.
Enigmativity
- 604
45
votes
6 answers
Is x plotted against y or is y plotted against x?
Given a diagram where the x axis is the horizontal one and the y axis is the vertical one. Which of these alternatives are the right and or best way of writing it:
plotting x against y
plotting y against x
plotting x versus y
plotting y versus…
jonalv
- 581
44
votes
3 answers
What's the difference between "eldest" and "oldest"?
When should I use "eldest" and when should I use "oldest"?
Are the differences semantic or regional? (Or both?)
(What got me wondering is the removeEldestEntry() method in Java's LinkedHashMap class.)
44
votes
3 answers
Which singular names ending in “s” form possessives with only a bare apostrophe?
Many questions already ask about this topic (What is the correct possessive for nouns ending in "‑s"? , When did it become correct to add an “s” to a singular possessive already ending in “‑s”?, etc.) and their answers vary, but they always give…
Jakob Weisblat
- 697
44
votes
3 answers
Is "misconfigured" a word?
I use the word "misconfigured" all the time, but MS Word, Chrome, and the two dictionaries I checked don't list it as a word.
I'm going to keep using it instead of "configured incorrectly" because I believe it communicates an obvious meaning.…
Chris
- 12,388
44
votes
5 answers
What is the difference between "by contrast" and "in contrast?"
Can anyone explain the difference between by contrast and in contrast?
ALife
- 541
44
votes
3 answers
What's the difference between a gerund and a participle?
What is the difference between a gerund and a participle?
Arlen Beiler
- 2,047
44
votes
1 answer
In old books, why is the first word of the next page printed at the bottom of this page?
In old books from the 16th to 18th centuries, the first word from the next page is often printed right justified on its own, at the end of the current page. It's not in every book of this period, but those that have them tend to show them on every…
Hugo
- 67,535
44
votes
5 answers
My shoes can't think; how can they be sensible?
Recently as some of us were getting ready to take a walk through the snow, somebody said to me "you're wearing sensible shoes". Now my shoes haven't developed cognitive abilities so far as I know (and I spend enough time with them that I think I…
Monica Cellio
- 18,063
44
votes
11 answers
What does "it" refer to in "it's raining"?
I wanted to leave the question title as is so as not to take away from my amusement :).
Anyway,
It's raining.
What is raining? Is it the sky? The clouds? The weather? The rain? What is "it"? Any historical insights on the statement?
Kit
- 1,088
44
votes
6 answers
Correct position of "only"
Which is grammatically correct?
I can only do so much in this time.
or
I can do only so much in this time.
user1784
44
votes
7 answers
Difference between "validation" and "verification"
What is the difference between validation and verification? When looking them up on Wiktionary they seem to mean mostly the same thing, but is there a difference?
For example, would I be correct in saying that
Checking that the format of an email…
Svish
- 815
44
votes
8 answers
Paucity of words for relationships
Please refer the following questions asked elsewhere on this site:
Is there a word that means "the wife of one's brother"?
What is the relationship name of my wife's brother to me?
I am a native Hindi speaker; Hindi has a plethora of terms…
Vaibhav Garg
- 4,052
44
votes
4 answers
How many birds in the bush?
There is a well known proverb,
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
However, I have discovered that the earliest English version of this proverb according to phrases.org.uk is found in John Capgrave's The Life of St Katharine of Alexandria,…
marcellothearcane
- 7,841
44
votes
16 answers
Are there any English words pronounced with sounds/syllables that aren't part of the spelling?
There are many English words with silent letters, words like gnome or island that are spelt with consonants that aren't pronounced, but are there any words that work the other way round, with a pronunciation that includes extra sounds or syllables…
nnnnnn
- 1,623