Most Popular
1500 questions
34
votes
9 answers
Antonym to 'Assign'
Suppose we have users and operators. Some users are assigned to certain operators. What should I call a procedure of removing an assignment, so an operator no longer works with a user or group of users?
What are some antonyms for assign?
34
votes
5 answers
'No turn unstoned' - what's this called?
I'm wondering if there's a word to describe a phrase that swaps the first part of several words in a sentence, like 'leave no stone unturned' switching to 'no turn unstoned'.
I know a spoonerism is to switch the first letter of several words ('dats…
Andy
- 451
34
votes
3 answers
Ye olde english alphabet question: Any other letters lost besides thorn, edh, and yogh?
According to this link, we are missing (in Modern English) at least three letters that used to be in common use in English. These are thorn, edh, and yogh.
Are there others that were clearly in the English alphabet at some point and then not in it,…
Warren P
- 1,358
34
votes
7 answers
"Spelt" vs. "spelled"
In the following sentence, should I say spelled or spelt:
You spelt/spelled "Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis" wrong.
Mateen Ulhaq
- 1,521
34
votes
7 answers
"I can't seem to" vs "I can't"
I am wondering why would someone say "I can't seem to" instead of simply saying "I can't". Is there any specific difference between the two? Is the former usage informal? Is it correct to say that the following two phrases are equivalent?
I can't…
B Faley
- 4,233
34
votes
6 answers
What is the difference between “they” and “it” for people, especially for those people who identify as non-binary?
I’ve heard that they is used as a word to refer to people who are
non-binary. Since English is not my first language, I’m not sure what the
difference is between they and it in these usages.
Of course, I know that it is mainly used for things rather…
ististyle
- 459
34
votes
3 answers
"Convenient for you" vs "convenient to you"
Is there a difference between "convenient for you" and "convenient to you"? And if it is, could you explain it?
Anton Moiseev
- 443
34
votes
3 answers
When to drop the 'e' when ending in -able?
I've seen a thread that generally asks about Creating words with “-able” suffix But I don't think it answers my point, though they are admittedly dangerously close topics.
When do you drop the 'e' when forming words suffixed with -able. My Spell…
AncientSwordRage
- 1,264
34
votes
7 answers
WhAt iS tHiS kINd oF caPiTaLiSAtIOn cAlLeD? - random capitalisation or intermittent capitalisation
We have upper case and lower case in English — Letter case
Examples: UPPER CASE, lower case.
We have word lengthening/ word elongation.
Examples: Nooooooooooooooooooooo, hiiiiiiiiiiii, hellooooooooooooo etc.
There are many other cases such as…
Decapitated Soul
- 16,598
34
votes
19 answers
Idiom used when a bad situation is not fully resolved and can easily re-escalate
Is there an idiom or expression in English to describe when a bad situation is not fully or correctly resolved and might happen again, perhaps with ramifications even more severe?
There's a similar expression we use in Persian. For example:
When…
Reyraa
- 597
34
votes
3 answers
When do you use “learnt” and when “learned”?
Is learnt UK English and learned US? Is it that simple?
I’m used to using learnt, but my US spellchecker says it is wrong.
34
votes
5 answers
What does the idiom “funny as hell” mean?
I really don't understand this idiom, hell is supposed to be a horrible place. I understand the saying which is present in dictionaries “hot as hell”, but I could not find “funny as hell” in any online reference.
Can anyone explain this to me?
user313994
- 367
34
votes
17 answers
Polite synonyms for "a——hole-ish" behavior
Are there any polite synonyms for asshole-ish behavior? A good synonym would probably have about the same impact and wouldn't send people looking for their dictionaries.
H2ONaCl
- 1,240
34
votes
2 answers
Word for the distance from the waterline to the main deck of a boat
What is the word for the distance from the waterline to the main deck of a ship? In other words, the height of the main deck (or gunwale if that has a name) above the water when the ship is at sea.
To understand my motivation, broadly speaking I am…
Simd
- 2,473
34
votes
4 answers
Why did only English undergo the Great Vowel Shift, making pronunciation stray so far from spelling?
Lots of people have wondered why English seems to be one of very few languages with such irregular spelling, far from its pronunciation. The answers include the Norman invasion, and the Great Vowel Shift.
Ok, cool. But why did all those other…
Stefan Monov
- 1,123