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1500 questions
41
votes
10 answers
A little brain fart
What is a nicer, less immature saying?
I love using 'A Freudian slip', but that is only applicable in certain situations.
myol
- 1,445
41
votes
4 answers
"Two yellow spots on its wings" vs "a yellow spot on both wings"
The bird has two yellow spots on its wings.
versus
The bird has a yellow spot on both wings.
Do they mean the same?
Which one describes more accurately the yellow spots of the following bird?
(Other alternatives are welcomed too).
wyc
- 13,179
41
votes
1 answer
Is it spelt "naïve" or "naive"?
Possible Duplicate:
“Whereäs” as an alternative spelling of “whereas”
I've always wondered which is the correct spelling: "naïve" or "naive"? Are both correct, and it is just whichever you feel comfortable with?
gablin
- 1,155
41
votes
13 answers
Is there a word to describe a highly desirable cursed treasure?
Is there a single word to describe an object or idea that is so desirable that everyone wants to attain it but once they have it they are immediately cursed?
The idea is often used in literature—some examples:
In Lord of the Rings, the 'one ring'…
oosterwal
- 7,391
41
votes
14 answers
Word that describes someone that causes his own misfortune
Is there a single word to qualify/describe someone that causes his own misfortune, or even a single noun that refers to such a person?
user36216
41
votes
7 answers
Why use "of" in the phrase "delivered of a baby"?
With all the "Royal baby" craze comes something that really confuses me. All the news media used pretty much the same sentence to make the announcement:
The Duchess of Cambridge has been delivered of a son.
A couple of questions:
Why not "The…
rytis
- 461
40
votes
7 answers
"Left" and "right" are to "side" as "front" and "rear" are to what?
Is there an equivalent word to "side" when speaking of the front or rear of something (e.g. a car)?
So, a mechanic might say:
You damaged your wing-mirror? Ok, which side?
... or...
You damaged your bumper? Ok, which [insert word here]?
Urbycoz
- 15,698
40
votes
3 answers
What does "I stand corrected" mean?
When someone says
I stand corrected.
What does that mean?
TCL
- 915
40
votes
5 answers
What is the difference between "nothing but", "anything but", and "everything but"?
What is the difference between these phrases? When is it valid to use which? Should they be avoided as being ambiguous?
Eli Bendersky
- 1,111
40
votes
5 answers
"Parametrise" or "parameterise" a curve?
In British English and in the context of mathematics, is it more correct to say one parameterises a curve, or one parametrises a curve?
In other words, which spelling should be used to align with the intended meaning?
hopo2
40
votes
3 answers
"Firstname" or "First Name"?
In filling out forms, I'm starting to see a lot of this:
Firstname: xx
Lastname: yy
Is it generally acceptable to join the words like that? Or should we be sticking to:
First Name: xx
Last Name: yy
MFB
- 551
40
votes
4 answers
Bachelor thesis or Bachelor's thesis
During my final year at university, I wrote what I thought was a "bachelor thesis". Right before printing it I stumbled upon several documents stating the name "bachelor's thesis". (Here we do not call it a dissertation just yet, so this question…
Ondrej
- 501
40
votes
3 answers
"Need of" vs. "need for"
Is "need of religion" grammatically incorrect as opposed to "need for religion"?
Or "need of salt" vs. "need for salt"?
input
- 659
40
votes
28 answers
An idiom meaning someone's doing something useless and has no result at the end
In my native language, we use an idiom to warn someone that they're doing something which has no result at the end:
Trying to convince him is like squashing water ...
Is there any idiom in English with the same meaning?
Gigili
- 5,298
40
votes
2 answers
Should I use "everyone's", "everyones'" or "everyones"?
I have the following sentence:
Joe got everyone's attention and started to speak.
Should it be everyone's, everyones' or everyones?
Joe Casadonte
- 503
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