English Stack Exchange
English Stack Exchange

Most Popular

more tags
1500 questions
42
votes
9 answers

In which cases do we have to put the definite article before Sun, Moon, and *Earth*?

In which cases do we have to put the definite article before Sun, Moon, and Earth? In which cases do we not need it?
Ken D
  • 523
42
votes
4 answers

Does "staff" take a plural verb?

Which one of these two statements is correct? Our staff do ... Our staff does ... And is staffs ever correct?
Mysterion
  • 7,328
42
votes
5 answers

Is there an Extended Backus–Naur form (EBNF) that covers all of English?

Is there an EBNF (Extended Backus–Naur form) that covers all of English, and if so, what is it?
Alex
  • 523
42
votes
4 answers

Why do I pronounce "horrible" so harrhibly?

With Friends Like These A few months ago, a couple good friends brought up a topic they know I disdain, and kept prodding me for my opinion on it. They wouldn't let up, until finally I proclaimed "[It's] terrible!", to which they replied, scheming,…
Dan Bron
  • 28,335
  • 17
  • 99
  • 138
42
votes
5 answers

Is there a difference between "holiday" and "vacation"?

What is the difference, if any, between these two words?
benregn
  • 2,065
42
votes
6 answers

What is the plural of Mrs?

If I were speaking of three sisters, young girls, whose family name was "Holmsworth", I might say The Misses Holmsworth. But if I were speaking collectively of Donald Trump's three wives, the present one and the two previous ones, how would I adopt…
WS2
  • 64,657
42
votes
6 answers

When do we need to put a comma after "so" at the beginning of a sentence?

I noticed that most of the times when the conjunction "so" is used at the beginning of a sentence, it is followed by a comma: So, this gets published but the fact that it is inaccurate gets moderated out. Occasionally, I find sentences with no…
Lukman
  • 1,244
42
votes
13 answers

Is there a visual equivalent of the word "overhear"?

I love the word overhear. I often want to communicate a similar concept, but visually - with somebody looking over my shoulder at my computer screen, for example. "My husband (overheard) me shopping for his birthday present" - except if he used his…
Alex Ryan
  • 650
42
votes
10 answers

Is "dude" becoming gender neutral?

Is the word "dude" becoming gender neutral? I don't think so, however, has modern usage changed? Are there some recent examples of "dude" being used to refer to a woman or group of women?
michael_timofeev
  • 7,162
42
votes
8 answers

What is the difference between "minimum" and "minimal"?

I am not a native speaker, but for me "the minimum angle" and "the optimal solution" sound correct, but only because I hear and read them more often. Why are "the minimal angle" and "the optimum solution" not used as often or wrong? Are there…
Rob
  • 580
42
votes
16 answers

What is a word for a person who uses resources to the maximum?

Is there a word (or words) for a person who uses all resources to the maximum; for example, a person who keeps on using pencils even if they are very small?
anvi
  • 421
42
votes
6 answers

What follows next in the sequence "unary, binary, ternary..."?

I looked on Oxford's online dictionary and was able to find the names identifying orders of a given degree: primary secondary tertiary quaternary quinary senary septenary octonary nonary denary -- no term for 11th degree?? duodenary I am curious…
Will
  • 1,424
42
votes
15 answers

Are there English equivalents for “as beautiful as butt inside out”?

There is an old saying in Ukrainian folklore, which literally sounds like “[someone is] as beautiful as ass inside out” (“Гарна як срака навиворіт”). It is used when one wants to point a person's unattractiveness in ironic way, comparing it with…
Aeternia
  • 1,653
42
votes
5 answers

What's the difference between a picture and an image?

What's the difference between a picture and an image? I think this is the missing question as these have already been asked: Picture/Photo Image/Glyph Photo/Image
Justin808
  • 1,873
42
votes
1 answer

Is it "togglable" or "toggleable"?

The dialect is American English, but I'd be interested to know if this varies between dialects. Is it"togglable" or "toggleable"? Because neither dictionary.com, webster.com, nor Outlook's spelling suggestions/checker tend to have any record of…
Panzercrisis
  • 661
1 2 3
…
99 100