Most Popular
1500 questions
40
votes
5 answers
A word for when you speak ill of something and it turns out the person you are speaking to likes that thing
Is there a word describing the phenomenon of when you insult or speak badly of something but it turns out the person you are speaking to likes or owns or is related to that thing? E.G. you say "The new model of XYZ looks terrible" and the person you…
Kagetsuki
- 503
40
votes
11 answers
What is a word for a condition one is born with?
I want to say something like:
From Freud's perspective, sexual deviances are not [manifest in humans from birth / present in humans from birth].
I need a word that describes a condition that one is born with; specifying that the condition was…
socrates
- 1,309
40
votes
6 answers
Origin of the phrase, "There's more than one way to skin a cat."
The meaning is clear, but where did this phrase originate? Was it always such a gruesome reference?
Ben L.
- 581
40
votes
15 answers
What is the equivalent of Persian idiom "When the reed blooms"?
In Persian, we say "When the reed blooms" when we want to
express that an event:
Never happens. (This is only the opinion of the speaker so it's not a fact)
It's very unlikely to happen.
It's going to take so long to actually happen. (It's so long…
Sobhan
- 869
40
votes
9 answers
Head is to decapitate as arm is to what?
Pretty straightforward but Google is failing me.
What is the single word for removing a limb, specifically an arm?
It can’t be disarmed, as that is used when someone has their weapons taken.
I know there is decapitate for removing a head, even…
user53089
40
votes
11 answers
What is it called when a highly respected person commits an immoral act but people don't believe that he committed the act?
I was wondering. It just came up. It has no real world relevancy. An example:
A highly respected businessman commits child abuse and one day his
wife finds out about it. She shares what she had found out about with
the circles of the…
kittenparry
- 605
40
votes
3 answers
"Denoted by" or just "denoted"?
In a mathematical context (explaining a formula just written) the following seems unobjectionable: "The set of unitary polynomials has been denoted by P".
My question is whether it sounds right to skip the preposition "by", so that the sentence…
Georges Elencwajg
- 2,548
40
votes
4 answers
Did the English call a fruit “openærs” for 700 years?
There is a small apple-tasting fruit called medlar in English. It looks like a cross between an apple and a rosehip.
It has two main curious features: first the fruit must be bletted before it can be eaten. This means picking it before it is fully…
Mari-Lou A
- 91,183
40
votes
6 answers
How should I address someone with a known name and unknown gender?
When communicating with foreign cultures, the gender of the addressed person is not always clear from the name. What would be a professional way to address someone in this situation. (Dear Mr or Ms SomeForeignName looks awkward).
A hack I generally…
Midhat
- 2,811
40
votes
4 answers
AM/PM vs a.m./p.m. vs am/pm
I used to think PM/AM was correct, but at some point, I switched to using p.m./a.m. for reasons I can't recall. I know that in practical, casual writing, people tend to use whatever form is most convenient to them, but I'm curious about what the…
user4012
40
votes
7 answers
Should we use plural or singular for a fraction of a mile?
I have seen people say both 0.25 mile and 0.25 miles. Should we use plural or singular for a fraction of a mile?
grokus
- 3,674
40
votes
20 answers
What is a word that means unforgettable but with a negative connotation?
When I look up unforgettable in a thesaurus, I get words like enduring, remarkable, or exceptional. These all are positive; I just cannot forget such a wondrous thing!
I, however, want a word that means unforgettable because it was so horrible. As…
BigBoy1337
- 553
40
votes
5 answers
"On the other hand" without the first hand
I have been criticized by colleagues in the past for using "on the other hand" as an alternative to "however" at the beginning of a sentence, because they said that you could only use it if a previous sentence featured "on the one hand".
My question…
F'x
- 38,736
40
votes
4 answers
Why are Leicester & co pronounced as they are?
What is the origin of the pronunciation of words like Leicester, Gloucester, Worcestershire? Presumably, the spelling predates the pronunciation but what is the history here? What language do the words originate from?
Is this just simple elision or…
terdon
- 21,559
40
votes
4 answers
Should I write "that being said" (vs. "that's been said" or "Having said that")?
I often write what "sounds" right (being not a native English speaker/writer), and I believe the expression "that being said" to be fairly common, as opposed to a more complete form like "that's been said" or "Having said that".
In doubt, I turn to…
VonC
- 14,744