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1500 questions
44
votes
5 answers

How correct is "quote, unquote" and where does its usage come from?

In the following quote, it seems (to me at least) quite difficult to figure out what exactly is being quote: “The best cure—quote, unquote—for aging is slowing disease,” Daniel Kraft, the chair of [...] My questions are the following: Isn't it…
ChrisR
  • 583
44
votes
5 answers

Usage of the word "orthogonal" outside of mathematics

From the roots ortho (straight) and gon (angle), its meaning in mathematics is understandable. Outside of mathematics it has various meanings depending on the context: Debate - orthogonal: not relevant Statistics - orthogonal: unrelated Computing -…
Kenneth Cochran
  • 563
44
votes
4 answers

English word for taking a derogatory term and owning it with pride

E.g. "geek" or "queer" were originally meant as an insulting term, but were taken by the recipients as titles of pride. Is there a term for this phenomenon?
Richard Haven
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44
votes
2 answers

How to use hyphens appropriately when listing multiple hyphenated terms?

If multiple hyphenated terms share the same latter half, and I wish to list them without repeating that latter half, how should the hyphens be placed? For example: I will be investigating control issues in ground-based, water-based, and air-based…
user43870
  • 441
44
votes
5 answers

What do Americans think of using 'cheers' to sign off an email?

I've suspected before that "Cheers" as an email sign-off is a bit of an English (or possibly Commonwealth) thing, but being English it's natural to me and I use it as the mood takes me to end an email. When I email an American, what sort of…
ijw
  • 855
44
votes
8 answers

What's the difference between "I look forward to" and "I'm looking forward to"?

I just don't get the reasoning behind which one is correct in which situation. Typically I use the wrong one, or I use them when I'm not supposed to.
Shaz
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43
votes
4 answers

"Cancelled" or "Canceled"?

Cancelled or Canceled ? Which one is right? You have successfully canceled the registration or You have successfully cancelled the registration
Mithun Sreedharan
  • 583
43
votes
3 answers

How do you capitalize a proper noun such as "iPhone"?

I was always taught to capitalize the first letter of the first word in a sentence, and also the first letter of proper nouns. In the last few years it's been common for certain firms to name their brands something that is always spelled with a…
Carlos
  • 5,915
43
votes
7 answers

Which variant of English should I use when my target audience is the world?

I know that all variants of English (American English, British English, etc.) can be generally understood by everybody who knows any of the English variants. However, there are some regionalisms that can lead to ambiguity. What are the things I…
Sid
  • 2,782
43
votes
8 answers

Is there a difference between "disc" and "disk" for naming digital storage media?

I thought that a disc was a disc, and it is sometimes spelled disk. I now have got an indication that those two are not the same thing. In this answer on Graphic Design, I wrote floppy disc in the answer. I got a comment from someone that it should…
awe
  • 2,008
43
votes
0 answers

List of expertise levels from beginner to expert

I would like to create a list of terms, from beginner to expert, using as many terms as possible which represent different levels of expertise. I have constructed by…
Paul
  • 539
43
votes
8 answers

Is it acceptable to start a sentence with “however”?

I have heard that starting a sentence with however is wrong. What are the grounds for this view and is it still held by a majority of pedants? They would suggest changing However, some people are beginning to doubt this. to Some people, however,…
bryn
  • 578
43
votes
2 answers

Plural form of 'schema'

Schema appears to have two plural forms that are both valid: schemata and schemas. Are they completely interchangeable; or are there any guidelines on which one is appropriate for particular contexts?
Alok
  • 1,559
43
votes
6 answers

Why does "bananas" mean "crazy"?

I wanted to know how and when the word "bananas" came to be associated with "crazy". There was nothing detailed on Etymonline, but thanks to OED, I came to know that this book is the origin of this usage. I haven't been able to figure out the…
Bravo
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43
votes
4 answers

Difference between "think of" and "think about"

Is there a difference between "think of something" and "think about something"? I've also met "have heard of/about something".
zeliboba
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