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1500 questions
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4 answers
37
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Other word for an empty promise (that is likely not to be held)
I'm not exactly sure how to word my questions properly, but here it is: Say I receive a reply from customer support such as: "We will take your concern very seriously"
But I get the feeling that this is just a generic reply without an actual…
phant0m
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37
votes
3 answers
Using "nor" in a list without "neither"
This is the classic usage of neither/nor:
I would neither hide nor run away.
But is the following construction grammatical? (More than two choices, no neither)
I wasn't going to play dead.
I wasn't going to hide.
Nor was I going to run away.
The English Chicken
- 8,480
37
votes
7 answers
Hypernym for "approve" and "reject"
User A goes to the web page and clicks a menu called 'Submit Request', where User A will fill out a form request and submit it to his/her Supervisor.
Then User A's Supervisor will go to the web page and click a menu called 'Approve/Reject Request',…
Larry Morries
- 1,809
37
votes
8 answers
How do you pronounce numbers written in different bases?
The decimal (base 10) number "2" can also be represented as the binary (base 2) number "10".
Let's use binary "10" (equivalent to decimal "2") as an example. I could see a few different ways to go here. Assume that the base doesn't need to be…
Asmor
- 519
37
votes
12 answers
What is the difference between "English" and "British"?
As an American, I naively think of British and English as exact synonyms. I know I'm wrong, but I just don't know in what way. I am vaguely aware that people in the UK hold strong opinions about one or the other term and how it is applied, and using…
Mitch
- 71,423
37
votes
9 answers
Is “I am getting married with my sister” ambiguous?
I have seen the following sentences in a book given to us during our training period at The Regional Institute of English, Bangalore:
I got married to Priscilla.
I got married with Priscilla
According to the book, the first sentence means "I…
Jvlnarasimharao
- 2,724
37
votes
10 answers
Why is it usually "friend of his", but no possessive apostrophe with "friend of Peter"?
As this NGram shows, we nearly always use the possessive form of personal pronouns for friend of mine/his/ours/etc.
But when it comes to actual names, we prefer friend of Peter without the possessive apostrophe. That preference is even more marked…
FumbleFingers
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37
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13 answers
Is there an English equivalent for "Les carottes sont cuites", while keeping the vegetable reference?
In French, we have this saying "Les carottes sont cuites", meaning "It's too late we can't do anything anymore" or "It's over for him" (He's dead) depending on the context.
The literal translation would be "The carrots are cooked", but I don't think…
Qrom
- 479
37
votes
14 answers
What do you call a road that goes up and down?
How does one describe a road that goes upwards and downwards, as in the image below?
I'm not quite sure what word to use, although I am sure that there is one. Is it a zig-zag road?
By the way, the photo is from the Roller Coaster Highway in…
user296301
37
votes
7 answers
"None of us is" vs "None of us are", Which is Correct?
Background
We have a motivational poster in our office that says:
None of us is as smart as all of us.
I think that it's grammatically incorrect, and here is my reasoning:
All of the tigers have spots.
All of us are here.
None of us are…
Kelderic
- 472
37
votes
3 answers
"Angry with" vs. "angry at" vs. "angry on"
Which is the most appropriate/correct usage?
Are you angry on me?
Are you angry with me?
Are you angry at me?
highbeta
- 473
37
votes
5 answers
Etymology of "Buff" and "Nerf" as used in video-game slang
In video games, when the makers increase the power of something, it is sometimes referred to as a buff. If they decrease the power of something, it is called a nerf or a de-buff. This also applies to player abilities to temporarily increase or…
Dan
- 1,051
37
votes
27 answers
What is a long, complicated word for adding many unnecessary details to make a story seem more believable?
I remember the basic definition of this word, but I can't remember the word itself. To paraphrase the definition (if I remember correctly):
To include many unnecessary details with the objective of making a story or
narrative seem more convincing…
Jurassic_C
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Bill O’Reilly Is Forced Out at Fox News
Bill O’Reilly has been forced out of his position as a prime-time host on Fox News, the company said on Wednesday, after the disclosure of settlements involving sexual harassment allegations against him. His abrupt and embarrassing ouster ends his…
Mari-Lou A
- 91,183