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1500 questions
43
votes
3 answers

Can I use an "if" clause without "then"?

I have the following sentence: If T had still been alive, there is the great possibility that either T or C ... My teacher says that the word "then" must appear after the comma, but I think that it's implied and unnecessary. Who is right?
waiwai933
  • 14,563
43
votes
10 answers

"1 in 10 are" or "1 in 10 is"?

Take the examples: "One in ten children are dyslexic." "One in ten children is dyslexic." "One in ten children has dyslexia." "One in ten children have dyslexia." The "one" is singular so 2 and 3 should be correct. But the "one in ten" is a…
MSpeed
  • 1,223
43
votes
6 answers

Does "300-odd pages" mean "about 300 pages" or "somewhat more than 300 pages"?

I've always understood the adjective -odd used in combination to mean about, as in "She read 300-odd pages and then stopped." After reading a comment by Edwin Ashworth in another question ("And doesn't even OED only define 600 000-odd words?") I…
DjinTonic
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43
votes
4 answers

"Whereäs" as an alternative spelling of "whereas"

Wiktionary shows whereäs as a valid alternative spelling of the word whereas (see here). It gives the following quotations to illustrate the usage: 1 Permanent International Association of Navigation Congresses, Report of Proceedings — Milan…
b.roth
  • 21,782
43
votes
6 answers

What's the meaning of the word "brand" in the expression "brand new"?

What meanings might be conveyed by something being called brand new, as opposed to it simply being called new? What's behind the word brand here?
Ollie Glass
  • 753
43
votes
1 answer

Word ending in "-ine" for rat-like

There are several words ending in "-ine" that can be used to make comparisons to animals. These include equine (resembling a horse), canine (resembling a dog), vulpine (resembling a fox) and porcine (resembling a pig). Is there a word with the same…
Aliden
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43
votes
11 answers

Is there a term that defines nostalgia for something you've never experienced?

Often I find I have a sense of nostalgia for things I've never actually experienced, in a way that rivals the same sort of feelings I have for things I have experienced. For example when listening to music that was big before one's own generation…
Jane Panda
  • 593
43
votes
9 answers

A single word synonym for "A person not to mess with"

I'm looking for a single word synonym for "A person not to mess with" without explicitly evoking a specific reason, as in "fearsome" for example. Example in a sentence: Kidd was an unfuckwithable pirate for my lack of a better placeholder.
Outman
  • 549
43
votes
8 answers

What informal English expression would you use to let a couple know that they are being too intimate in public?

I am looking for an expression used in the US or the UK for that situation, for example, where you are in a park where there are people of all ages, and a couple starts to be intense with the kissing and the touching. In my country we say…
Leo
  • 551
43
votes
1 answer

Origin/meaning of "burninate"

I've seen the word "burninate" used around the internet a bit, most recently in this MetaSO answer. The basic meaning of it seems fairly clear, but where did this come from? An online dictionary searched yielded no results, as did etymonline. A…
yoozer8
  • 8,752
43
votes
8 answers

Wash me, but don’t make me wet!

I’m looking for the English equivalent to the German expression: Wasch mich, aber mach mich nicht nass (Wash me, but don’t make me wet!). It can be used and interpreted in various ways, but it is typically employed as a stand-alone derogatory…
Shoe
  • 33,089
43
votes
2 answers

Is there a proper term for the 'arms' of a star?

I have the need to describe, in a technical document, the particular portion of a star here highlighted red (or any of the other like areas): For example: The width of each …? shall be eight units at the point where they meet. While in the title…
Meshaal
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43
votes
11 answers

Is there word like "excruciating" but relating to pleasure rather than pain?

I was hoping for some help on this one. I'm looking for a word that carries all the connotations of "excruciating" (intense, prolonged, unbearable, torturous, etc) but relating to pleasure rather than pain. I could potentially use "excruciating…
Vocoder
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43
votes
7 answers

Is "seafood" inclusive of "seaweed"?

I told Korean friends not to label a (non-commercial) package of seaweed as "seafood", but it is from the sea and it is food, so now I'm not sure. How common is it to refer to "seaweed" as "seafood"? Does this vary from place to place?
DavePhD
  • 10,616
43
votes
3 answers

Why is "elsewhen" not a proper word?

Elsewhere is an amazing word, as you can refer to other places very easily. What about elsewhen? Does such an equivalent of elsewhere for time exist? For example: "Fertility might have fallen among women born between 1940 and 1960, and remained…
luchonacho
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