Most Popular
1500 questions
35
votes
8 answers
What is the idiom, expression or proverb for 'If you let them use you once they will use you for life'?
What is the idiom, expression or proverb for
If you bend once, they will bend you for life.
In Indian culture in marathi language, we have a saying
"Jithe oli/mau mathi, tithe atti" which literally means "wherever wet/soft ground, there is…
AMN
- 3,094
- 5
- 29
- 52
35
votes
22 answers
Is there an English equivalent for the Persian proverb "to play with the tail of a lion"?
The Persian proverb to play with the tail of a lion is used informally to say that a certain situation is very dangerous. By saying it, we alert the listener that the act which they are about to do is likely to result in their death.
Example:…
kazhvan
- 756
35
votes
5 answers
35
votes
4 answers
What are the words for the different parts of a ticket?
Admission tickets such as those for the cinema are often composed of a part which will remain to the customer, and a part which will remain to the attendant.
What are the two parts called?
What is the action of separating the two parts called?
What…
Agos
- 927
35
votes
3 answers
Meaning of "He's got more bottle than a milkman"
I was watching a game of snooker the other day and heard one of the commentators say "This player has got more bottle than a milkman" after a particularly good shot. What does this mean and how could it be used in other contexts?
PS. google yields…
Klangen
- 470
35
votes
3 answers
What native word did "second" replace in English?
As far as I'm aware, the only cardinal or ordinal number in English of non–Anglo-Saxon/Germanic origin, under a million, is "second". I was wondering, how did it come about that this replaced a (presumably) native Anglo-Saxon ordinal for the number…
Noldorin
- 13,260
35
votes
3 answers
Do you need a comma before a subordinating conjunction (like if)?
Are both of the following sentences correct?
a: You can call me, if you need me. OR
b: You can call if you need me.
Note that in a:, the comma is placed before the "if" and is not present in case b.
From this link, I gather that it isn't necessary…
Ray
- 534
35
votes
2 answers
unknown usage of verb "pit"
I've checked major online dictionaries to get this clarified but have had no luck so far.
What does to "pit a car" mean?
Example sentence: Pitting a car in a residential area is really dangerous.
Edit
I've been provided with English subtitles that…
m.a.a.
- 1,621
35
votes
8 answers
"Toilet", "lavatory" or "loo" for polite society
My friend is trying so hard to fit into polite society, and is raising her child to say loo rather than toilet. I know it should be lavatory (and I would not say lav) but we are in the 21st century now. What would be deemed appropriate?
avc
- 351
35
votes
12 answers
What is an "alternative fact"?
Sunday morning following the 2008 Trump inauguration, NBC´s Chuck Todd questioned statements made by Whitehouse spokesman Sean Spicer concerning proof of the actual size of the turnout for the event.
When asked about this, Kellyann Conway told Chuck…
Cascabel_StandWithUkraine_
- 20,777
35
votes
3 answers
What does "Dis sho' am good" mean in this old advertisement?
I was looking through this list of old, racist advertisements.
Here's one of them:
What is "Dis sho' am good" supposed to mean? I'm assuming it's some sort of attempt at stereotypical vernacular language or something, but I really am not sure how…
Fiksdal
- 3,295
35
votes
9 answers
Is it correct to say "The reason is because ..."?
In a statement like
The weeds have grown overnight. The reason is because it rained yesterday
Is "the reason is because" good grammar? Isn't it better to say
The weeds have grown overnight because it rained yesterday
The second form seems…
pavium
- 3,344
35
votes
3 answers
What does "Mrs" mean when used with a man's name?
As far as I know, the abbreviation "Mrs" is applicable only to women.
Though, when translating an article from an old British paper I found this sentence about marriages:
On the 2nd March, at the British Embassy, Paris, LIEUTENANT GENERAL NAPIER…
Line
- 491
- 1
- 4
- 11
35
votes
6 answers
Why use BCE/CE instead of BC/AD?
When I was a kid, I was always taught to refer to years using BC (Before Christ) and AD (Anno Domini / year of our Lord). However, I somewhat regularly hear people referring to years as in the CE (Common Era) or BCE (Before the Common Era).
Why do…
Jez
- 12,705
35
votes
5 answers
Is there a pre-Internet term for "gamification"?
Gamification is a relatively new term which was coined and has been made highly popular in the Internet era. From the related Wikipedia article:
Though the term "gamification" was coined in 2002 by Nick Pelling, a British-born computer programmer…
BiscuitBoy
- 13,482