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1500 questions
39
votes
10 answers
"The point is moot"
I was recently called out for using the phrase "the point is moot" incorrectly. My intent was to indicate that I felt that the point wasn't really worth debating or discussing. I was then shown that the definition also includes "open to discussion"…
Goyuix
- 926
39
votes
2 answers
What is the optional plural form of a word that ends in “‑y”?
I guess “optional plural” is the correct term. I’m referring to things like
It can be found at the following location(s).
Please pick up your ticket(s).
But how do I do that to a word that ends in ‑y? Take category for example: “category(s)”…
Jeremy Wiggins
- 505
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39
votes
6 answers
Why is it "on *the* one hand"?
According to all dictionaries I can see and everyday use by native speakers, this is the correct way:
On the one hand, it's larger; on the other hand, it's more expensive.
What makes no sense to me instinctively is the use of the first the. What…
Pekka
- 1,996
39
votes
5 answers
"With who" vs. "with whom"
Is this correct?
The person with whom I'm doing the project should be here soon.
If it is, is with always a dative preposition (like mit in German)?
sombe
- 1,073
39
votes
1 answer
"Scheduled on" vs "scheduled for"
What is the difference between the following two expressions:
My interview is scheduled on the 27th of June at 8:00 AM.
My interview is scheduled for the 27th of June at 8:00 AM.
Noah
- 13,490
39
votes
4 answers
Why does "bass" sound like "base"?
Why is bass pronounced like base? If bass sounds like base, why isn't ass pronounced as (nearly) ace instead?
chuacw
- 640
39
votes
3 answers
The phrase "do the lions"
I was recently reading an account of Zola's exile in England after the Dreyfus affair and I came across a phrase I couldn't quite parse:
That gentleman, as I had surmised, was a trifle astonished at our
appearance. But I told him that my friends…
ConfusedInParis
- 501
39
votes
3 answers
Why "Giraffe" as a name for the animal?
My question is based on my interest in the evolution of the Giraffe's name.
Etymology Online Dictionary puts the following:
Giraffe: long-necked ruminant animal of Africa, 1590s, giraffa(...)The modern form of the English word is attested by c.…
Tom O' Bedlam
- 1,895
39
votes
6 answers
Is "my bad" a correct English phrase?
I have seen many people use the phrase "my bad" in Internet forums. What does it exactly imply and is it a proper English phrase?
Jay
- 545
39
votes
23 answers
Formal alternative to bullsh-t
What is a reasonable formal alternative to 'bullshit'?
For example:
Bob isn't making a very good argument. In fact everything he says is bullshit.
What can 'bullshit' be replaced with that is a reasonable facsimile of what is intended without…
Mitch
- 71,423
39
votes
1 answer
Is there any difference in meaning between 'efficacy' and 'efficiency'?
I feel that there is a subtle difference in meaning between 'efficacy' and 'efficiency', but I couldn't find any authoritative sources that could help me confirm or refute this. Is there any difference between the two words, especially in scientific…
Tamás
- 951
39
votes
15 answers
Collective word for food and drink
Is there a word that best describes food and drink taken at the same time? I've thought of refreshments and consumables but neither seem right to me.
user15183
39
votes
11 answers
Why does "Not in a month of Sundays" mean "It won't happen"?
I'm not English so I find it hard to guess the reason why "Not in a month of Sundays" means "It won't happen" or "A long period of time".
I find the meaning weird. Can anybody explain to me why it means this? My question is why.
Full context (A…
Zui Zui
- 511
39
votes
2 answers
Word that means the classification of a number as even or odd
For instance for male or female the comparable word would be sex. What is the word that means the state of being either even or odd (referring to numbers)?
Murey Tasroc
- 493
39
votes
2 answers
Is this sentence from Orwell's Animal Farm grammatically sound?
Should been really have been included in the following passage from George Orwell’s Animal Farm, or was this somehow an erroneous insertion of a spurious word?
Illustration from p. 17 of the 1990 hardcover edition from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt –…
MaxS
- 943