Tagged Questions
2
votes
2answers
66 views
What does the author mean by “door culture” in this context?
What does the author mean by "door culture" in this context? First-order effects I take to be a metaphor with economics. However, I don't understand how to translate my understanding of "first-order ...
2
votes
3answers
121 views
To give someone the 411
"To give someone the 411" is short for information but is this phrase common in the US and/or in Britain and is it still up to date or outdated?
6
votes
2answers
118 views
Etymology of 'Pizzazz'
A question from December 2011 asked What is the social context of "pizzazz"?. I'm curious about the word's etymology. I checked some reference books, but they showed very little agreement ...
1
vote
2answers
164 views
“Kamarka part” etymology? [closed]
I know of some people in south Arkansas and north Louisiana that use this phrase. An example of its use would be when you have almost used up something, you have reached the "kamarka part."
I hear it ...
3
votes
2answers
138 views
OED Appeals: Antedatings of “party animal”
The OED has made a public appeal for help in tracing the history of some English words, including:
party animal
noun earlier than 1982
When the OED added its entry for party animal, ...
1
vote
1answer
132 views
A single word for “blind” and “slow on the uptake” [closed]
We have a word tiomny in Russian which has the meanings blind, dim, and dumb. Is there a word (possibly slang) in American English which is as close in meaning to both blind and slow on the uptake?
0
votes
1answer
200 views
86 it ! using 86 as a verb [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
What does the term “86’d” relate to?
I found that you can say "86 something" as a verb when we want to "cancel" something...
Is it used for everything??
For example, ...
6
votes
4answers
434 views
“Muppet” in American English
I see an event is being organised in Washington, DC, called the Million Muppet March. In British English (at least) a muppet has no very positive a connotation:-
muppet (ˈmʌpɪt) — n slang ...
9
votes
4answers
572 views
Why does “klick” mean kilometer in US military slang?
Wiktionary says it is either likely a pseudo-condensed pronunciation of kilometer or onomatopoeic of the sound of a military odometer.
Though kilometers are not commonly used to measure distance ...
5
votes
4answers
777 views
Is “jux” a real word?
Urbandictionary.com says it means:
To rob. Verb. Present tense of juxt.
It has 342 votes but I can't find any evidence of actual usage on a google or COCA search.
4
votes
3answers
438 views
Usage and confusion on “geek” and “hipster”
Within the circle I regularly communicate with the meaning of these words is commonly understood:
Geek - someone with an obsessive interest in one field.
Hipster - someone who ironically apes geek ...
1
vote
2answers
486 views
Is “shvisle” a real or made up word? [closed]
I've come across the word in this captchart: "Yo, my nizzle, can you pass me that shvisle?".
Is it supposed to mean something?
I've easly found the meaning of nizzle, but I'm at a loss with shvisle. ...
3
votes
2answers
220 views
Clarifying the usage of “hella”
The word hella has spread from the Southern California dialect to the point where most varieties of American English speaker (such as me in the Midwest) know that it exists and hear it used. I always ...
2
votes
2answers
322 views
Meaning of “mints”
Context (New York Times),
MINTS An organic fudge brownie awaits you in the room, along with a personalized welcome letter...
First, I'm not sure if I'm on the right track or not (I'm wondering ...
2
votes
3answers
474 views
What does “[expletive] it up” mean?
When I was in San Diego, I asked to a girl "how can I get to the freeway?" She answered me, "Go straight on, you can't fuck it up." What does it mean? Is this a usable phrase or it is too vulgar? Is ...
9
votes
2answers
681 views
'Ours' meaning 'our home' - where is it used outside the UK, if anywhere?
In expressions like:
Let's go back to ours and have some food.
There's a party at ours on Friday.
There's a bottle of brandy at yours, isn't there?
'ours' and 'yours' are synonyms for ...
1
vote
4answers
756 views
Is the phrase “move over” an official English idiom? And if so, is it only in American English?
Is the phrase "move over" an official English idiom known worldwide? I would like to know:
Is it an official English idiom (not slang or colloquial)?
Is it known outside of the US (e.g. in the UK, ...
8
votes
3answers
1k views
Why is “bloody” considered obscene in the UK but not in the US?
Why is the word bloody considered obscene in the UK but not so in the US?
6
votes
6answers
4k views
Non-sexual meaning of “to have a hard-on for someone”
What does it mean to "have a hard-on for someone" in a non-sexual sense? I've heard it used in contexts that make it seem like the subject is acting aggressive or belligerent toward "someone". Is that ...
6
votes
3answers
4k views
What does the phrase “…it's like Groundhog Day every day” mean, and from whence does it originate?
Some background first: I was reading about the futility that has become the Cleveland Cavaliers' NBA season after Lebron James' departure in the newspaper of the Plains Dealer, when I came across this ...
3
votes
2answers
563 views
“Hot Diggity …”
Ok, perhaps the last one was too easy :) Here's one that a friend of mine uses, and I'd love to know if it's something he coined, or is it a more common expression than I think:
Hot ...
1
vote
1answer
325 views
On being golden
Saying that [someone] is golden means that person is in a desirable situation that will likely lead to some sort of success.
I am trying to find out the origin of this phrase. So far, I have found ...
6
votes
3answers
1k views
How do American dialects differ?
I grew up in a very homogenous suburb, and was quite shocked when I moved to Philadelphia for college and started hearing how many different dialects exist even within one city. My untrained ear could ...
10
votes
6answers
1k views
“Don't got” — how common is it in American usage?
I often hear the usage "don't got" in American English as spoken on TV programmes. Recently I was watching season four of "Prison Break" and one character, an Asian computer wizard, repeatedly used ...
