Most Popular
1500 questions
34
votes
4 answers
Which is correct, "buck naked" or "butt naked"?
"Butt naked" or "buck naked" both refer to completely naked, or do they? Where the phrase comes from I have no idea but that would be of interest.
This is a phrase I am too afraid to google and wouldn't know if I came upon an authoritative source.
Carl Brannen
- 1,241
- 4
- 15
- 21
34
votes
9 answers
Word for metallic “dust”?
What’s the English word for the metallic “dust”, or more precisely the tiny remains (waste) of drilling, welding, cutting through metal, and similar metal processing?
vgru
- 497
34
votes
2 answers
Is there any relation between the suffix "-ship" and actual ships?
I am curious if there is actual relation between all nouns ending in -ship, such as relationship, citizenship, sportsmanship, etc. with the vessel for transporting people or goods over the sea?
Eimantas
- 1,752
34
votes
7 answers
What is the American word for 'tea-towel'?
On a tour from Australia to the states my wife asked me to stop at the gift store and buy memorable fridge-magnets and tea-towels. Everywhere I went, none of the store attendants seemed to know what the latter was. My question is: What is the…
hawkeye
- 2,598
34
votes
8 answers
Man-hour vs. person-hour? Is the former now considered politically incorrect?
It’s now (often) considered politically incorrect to say chairman. We must now say chairperson or simply chair.
Does the same apply to man-hour? Should I instead say person-hour? (On say a job application.)
Context examples:
"Increased US airport…
user38936
34
votes
13 answers
Idiom for "just because you give something a different name, it doesn't change what it is"
I'm looking for a way to idiomatically express the sentiment that just because you give something a different name, or precede it with a disclaimer, it doesn't change what it is, e.g.:
"I mean this as constructive criticism, not an insult, but ..."…
MGA
- 1,058
34
votes
7 answers
A word for saying things indirectly because you do not know the correct word
Is there a word that describes the act, common of language learners, of using a cumbersome way to say something because they do not know a concise word (almost like I am doing here...).
For example:
That woman is the sister of my father.
Could be…
Deathkill14
- 443
- 1
- 4
- 6
34
votes
12 answers
Are greetings and salutations redundant in an e-mail?
Do I really need to write my email this way?
Hi John,
[My Message here]
Regards, Jane
The email header already includes the to and from. The recipient should not be confused by who the email is directed at (himself) and who it's coming from if the…
JoJo
- 887
34
votes
16 answers
What's it called when you lose contact with reality when watching a movie?
Sometimes, when I watch a (real good) movie, I feel like the movie "sucks me into the screen". I feel that I am really inside the movie, really watching real persons acting in real situations. I do not really see what happens around me anymore, I…
user70037
- 451
34
votes
19 answers
What is the "thirsty" equivalent of "ravenously"?
When you eat something very hungrily, you can use the adverb ravenously to describe it. But when you drink something very fast in a similar way to quench your thirst, what adverb can you use to describe it?
Cambridge definition of ravenously:
in an…
Joe Z.
- 3,238
- 7
- 27
- 34
34
votes
12 answers
A derogatory word for a splendid person
In Swedish there is a word "präktig" that can be used to describe a person that is annoyingly decent, reliable and good in every way. The common translation is "splendid" but that doesn't sound derogatory at all. "Pompous" is the closest I've come,…
Arahman
- 459
34
votes
9 answers
Is "actioned" a valid word?
I've just, without much fore thought, used the word "actioned" in the following (example) context, and am now wondering if it's valid (upon a re-read I've decided I don't like the way it sounds, hence the question).
1000 emails needed some kind of…
DMA57361
- 843
34
votes
6 answers
What is the difference between Ukraine and the Ukraine?
Time magazine (March 5th) carries the article titled, “Ukraine, not the Ukraine: The significance of three little letters,” in which the following comment of William Taylor, who served as the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine from 2006 to 2009 was…
Yoichi Oishi
- 70,211
34
votes
9 answers
Why is anyone in a porn movie considered a porn star?
Recently, the media made a big deal about Charlie Sheen dating a porn star. It seems that anyone who is in a porn movie is referred to as a porn star. The same is not true of anyone in a normal movie. Everyone in a normal movie isn't a movie star.…
Evik James
- 1,138
34
votes
18 answers
Is there a word for being so polite as to appear insincere?
I'm looking for a term in English to describe being so polite that one appears to be insincere.
user43898
- 810