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1500 questions
34
votes
6 answers
"Czar" vs "tsar" - origins and pronunciation
How did the word come into English with the two variants czar and tsar?
The 'ts' spelling is a transliteration of the Russian 'царь', but the 'cz' spelling is what interests me more. To me it looks Polish, where 'cz' is common, but is pronounced as…
Mark
- 349
34
votes
14 answers
What do you call someone who has fought his way from a lower social class to a higher social class with his/her own efforts?
Is there a single word (noun) that describes someone who was born into a lower social class family, but struggled along to a higher social class with his/her own efforts? Idioms are also welcome.
For example, I have a friend who is such a person. He…
Said Savci
- 501
34
votes
2 answers
Is the phrase "yellow card" slang for a female body part?
In Hemmingway's The Sun Also Rises, Braddocks says of Georgette that:
"She was rather splendid, you know. Showed her yellow card and demanded the patronne's daughter's too."
But they weren't playing soccer, so what did he mean? My best guess is…
Mark
- 436
34
votes
2 answers
Why is a large shuriken sometimes called a "glaive"?
I have learnt that the word "glaive" originally meant a sword and became a polearm sometimes later. But in modern day games and fantasy fiction, sometimes it refers to a frisbee-sized shuriken.
What was the origin of this meaning?
Those disc shape…
Thaina
- 763
34
votes
5 answers
Is "recent past" an oxymoron?
I saw "recent past" included in a page of supposed oxymorons posted on Facebook, with people yukking it up while apparently badly misunderstanding what an oxymoron is. One well-meaning but confused gentleman pointed me to a link to a different page…
Iucounu
- 988
- 8
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34
votes
18 answers
What is the English verb/phrase/expression for cheating customers with an inaccurate scale?
In the town where I live, many street vendors actively cheat customers by using an inaccurate scale. As a result, people receive less than what they ought to.
For example, if you buy five apples, which actually weigh 2 kg on a standard scale, the…
user239460
- 1,259
34
votes
22 answers
Is there a word that means "to walk slowly"?
The only word that comes to my mind is tiptoe. However, this word implies that you are walking stealthily or cautiously.
Is there a word that just means to walk slowly?
Example sentence:
Without knowing what I was doing, I _ toward her.
alex
- 2,711
34
votes
11 answers
Is there an English equivalent of the Italian idiom "non confondiamo l'oro con la tolla!"?
In Italy we say "non confondiamo l'oro con la tolla!" (= don't compare gold to tin!) when someone compares a (concrete or abstract) high-value thing to a low-value one.
For example:
Joe: "LaTeX è come Word" (= LaTeX is like Word)
Carla: "Per…
CarLaTeX
- 537
34
votes
3 answers
What does “Pitchforks change hands” and “Pitchforks have their uses” mean?
The New Yorker’s (March 6 issue) article that came under the title, “Trumpcare vs. Obamacare” begins with the following paragraph;
The pitchforks are changing hands. In 2009, it was Democratic members of Congress supporting health-care reform who…
Yoichi Oishi
- 70,211
34
votes
2 answers
"unless stated otherwise" or "unless otherwise stated"?
Convention: R^n is always assumed to carry the Euclidean
topology, unless stated otherwise.
Convention: R^n is always assumed to carry the Euclidean
topology, unless otherwise stated.
Which sentence is (more) correct?
Leo
- 443
34
votes
13 answers
What do you call someone without a nationality?
I spend time each week to read about others who are in the same situation as me but I cannot find the word that describes it properly. My problem stems from not being able to identify with any nation.
I was born in Romania in an area where there has…
Tam
- 540
34
votes
10 answers
What is the difference between taking courses, classes or lessons?
Currently, I am preparing a letter of my study objectives for an university application.
I ask myself what is the exact difference between the following terms? Or can I use them synonymously?
taking courses
taking classes
taking lessons
JJD
- 463
34
votes
5 answers
What does the suffix “‑fu” mean?
Can anyone tell me what the suffix “‑fu” stands for in the following sentence?
If you want to take advantage of some other Spring-fu, like some of its aspect-oriented features, then you’ll need to use this heavy-handed, direct object management…
Liu
- 2,517
34
votes
13 answers
Is the use of the term "bugged" to refer to software bugs in English a worldwide or regional use?
In the 1950's, the primary uses of the word "bugged" was to describe a room that contained a hidden microphone, or to refer to a telephone line that was being tapped.
Over the last few years, I've seen more and more people use the word "bugged" to…
End Anti-Semitic Hate
- 2,123
34
votes
7 answers
Is there a word for two persons dodging each other on the street?
While walking on a path, sometimes two people try to dodge each other. One guy steps left, and at the same time, the other guy steps left and then switches direction and so does the other guy. Is there a word to describe this?
excray
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