Tagged Questions
1
vote
1answer
96 views
“My late friends” — they're not dead!
Context: We're discussing about how we used to get penalized in school for being late to classes, many years ago.
I wanted to say:
In my old school, it was hilarious to see my late friends get
...
0
votes
1answer
46 views
Objectivity vs. Objectivism vs. Objectiveness [closed]
What are some clear-cut distinctions between objectivity, objectivism, and objectiveness?
4
votes
4answers
240 views
Quintessential vs essential?
While quintessential means 'representing the most perfect or typical example of a quality or class' [OED], it defines essential as 'absolutely necessary; extremely important'. I have noticed frequent ...
5
votes
3answers
149 views
Is it safe to use “old” to mean “previous” for a person?
Is it safe to use "old" to mean "previous" or "former" for something like "my old teacher"? Or is it a bit risky, because "old" also has a meaning with respect to age (i.e., chronologically gifted)?
...
5
votes
1answer
173 views
When is Christmas Eve Eve?
I have recently seen weather forecasters making predictions for Christmas Eve Day, Christmas Eve Night, and for Christmas Day. One also reads of Christmas Eve Eve, with two eves.
Are those all ...
3
votes
2answers
164 views
“Heard of anything” or “heard anything”
I always think when you use hear, of should follow it like heard of anything. But I saw
I haven't heard anything from him.
Is that correct, or should it be
I haven't heard of anything from ...
4
votes
4answers
2k views
“A good memory” vs. “good memories”
If I say, "I don't have a good memory of my childhood", would it imply that I cant recollect it or that I have bad memories (bad stories, unhappy) childhood?
I think that "good memories" implies the ...
4
votes
6answers
300 views
“Obstacles along the road to success” vs. “obstacles across the road to success”
My sister got this question for one of her tests.
There are many obstacles __ the road to success.
Her options were:
across
along
I initially thought that across would make more ...
1
vote
1answer
442 views
What does “get to” mean?
I know there are a lot of meanings to the verb "get", so I am unable to understand which one is used in the following sentence:
They had a baby which was different, so it got to live.
I know ...
2
votes
3answers
214 views
How to denote a larger distance
Suppose I have some measurement with interferometer number 1, let's call the result A, and another measurement with interferometer number 2, let's call that one B. Suppose that always A>B (in some ...
19
votes
6answers
4k views
What is the difference between “archetype” and “prototype”?
I'm very confused by the difference between "archetype" and "prototype", and even more baffled when to use which. Can someone clarify?
11
votes
5answers
12k views
What is the difference between “nothing but”, “anything but”, and “everything but”?
What is the difference between these phrases? When is it valid to use which? Should they be avoided as being ambiguous?
