This tag is for questions related to the English language as used in the United States of America.
4
votes
3answers
648 views
Pronunciation of 'aunt' in the US
I was under the impression that all Americans pronounced aunt like the insect, ant (/ænt/), or relatively similar sounding variants such as the southern aint (/eɪnt/). According to both Webster and ...
3
votes
8answers
2k views
How to answer “Is this John?” on phone
What is the most appropriate answer (American way)?
Yes, John speaking.
Yes, it is him.
Yes, it is he.
Yes.
Yes, speaking.
I need to answer calls when interviewers/hiring managers ...
2
votes
2answers
157 views
Pronunciation of Bank, Tank, etc.: Bay-nk, Ray-nk or Baen-k or Raen-k?
What is the standard US pronunciation for words such as the following:
Bank
Rank
At least in my dialect of US English (Inland Northern), the following seem like close transcriptions:
Bank: ...
5
votes
6answers
925 views
What do students call their teacher in class? [closed]
Well, years ago I was an English teacher in an English Teaching Institute. In the country I live, students call their teachers by saying "Mr. Teacher" or "Teacher" (literally translated) in schools. ...
1
vote
1answer
59 views
Proper apostrophe usage? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
What is the proper way to write the plural of a single letter? (another apostrophe question)
Plurals of acronyms, letters, numbers — use an apostrophe or not?
Take for ...
0
votes
2answers
114 views
Use of a pronoun in a neither/nor construction [closed]
Neither Ms. Perez nor Ms. Yanaka believes that watching as much television as her son Sam does will lead to anything productive.
Is her correct? or should it be their?
6
votes
2answers
207 views
Meaning of “Y-o-u-u Tom!”
In the opening chapter of Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Tom's aunt Polly calls out to him in a rather peculiar fashion:
She went to the open door and stood in it, and looked out among the ...
4
votes
3answers
8k views
“Vendor” vs. “vender” in Standard American English
Which is preferred?
I've always thought that vendor was the only spelling. The question was brought up by a typo, which the Word spellchecker did not correct.
3
votes
4answers
223 views
What's the correct way to write the general location of someone in the USA? [closed]
I'd like to write where someone is from, on a website with an international context. The objective is to balance style, brevity and correctness. I only need country-level resolution, so if someone is ...
2
votes
1answer
276 views
Mixing British English and American English [closed]
I'm a non-native English speaker and as such, I was taught one variety of English In school--in my case, American.
However, I've also been extensively in contact with British English, and now I ...
25
votes
7answers
2k views
How are 'marry', 'merry', and 'Mary' pronounced differently?
The way I pronounce these words is the same. Similarly for other words like these: I pronounce ferry and fairy the same, carrot and caret. Yet, dictionaries show different pronunciations for these ...
5
votes
3answers
144 views
Is the “Beltway Stop" a popular metaphor meaning a concurrence of events or things?
I'm interested in the phrase, “Beltway Stop in the Oscar Race” which is the title of an article appearing in December 21 New York Times.
It comments on the concurrence of movies focused on the ...
9
votes
1answer
707 views
What is the meaning of 'That about covers it'?
I am reading a book titled Struts 2 in action, and there is this sentence:
That about covers it for aspects of OGNL that are commonly used in Struts 2.
What I am confused by it is the structure ...
5
votes
2answers
2k views
Why “ladybird”?
In case you don't know, in British English, the little red-with-black-spots insect is not called a "ladybug", as in North America, but a "ladybird".
This seems rather a poor act of classification, ...
5
votes
2answers
480 views
“Would you mind not to do something?”
I have had this question for a long time and I couldn't find any answers for it. I have often heard this sentence from an American interlocutor and also in some movies:
"Would you mind not to do ...
6
votes
4answers
331 views
Origin of “Erry” (every)
I have noticed a trend in some rap music where erry replaces the word every (see 1:35 of "The Motto" by Drake). Can anyone shed light on the origins of this pronunciation?
I thought it might trace to ...
8
votes
2answers
300 views
What is the word for multiple letters that behave like a single sound?
I'm trying to find a list of something like this:
ck
ph
kn
ch
sk
etc. Basically, they would be pronounceable and are often used to make up words. I think there is a term for this. Like 'ph' can be ...
1
vote
1answer
69 views
Is “august public official” considered an idiom, and has august always been used to refer to public officials? [closed]
Reading this article they referred to Justice Scalia as an "august public official." The phrase is also used in the book "Parade's End" by Ford Madox Ford on page 423. I can't seem to find the ...
3
votes
3answers
370 views
Retroflex approximants in AE dialects
While looking up the best way to describe the aboriginal pronunciation of Uluru (/uluɻu/), I stumbled across retroflex approximants. The linked Wikipedia page states:
The retroflex approximant ...
13
votes
2answers
364 views
Is there an American term for a group of elitist schools, similar to the abbreviation “Oxbridge”?
I saw the word, ‘Oxbridge’, a portmanteau of Oxford and Cambridge, in a comment to a question asking for a better word for ‘invigilator’:
Whereas the situation is reversed in the UK, and one in a ...
8
votes
4answers
1k views
Do Americans use the world 'turtle' as a generic word to mean 'tortoise'?
Obviously there are two different animals — a tortoise and a turtle. But I have been told by a colleague that in the US the word turtle is used to describe both.
I find this odd as for example the ...
0
votes
0answers
26 views
How to use a comma with double quotes? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Punctuation of direct speech, edge cases
I have learned that it prefers to place a comma inside double quotes in American English. For example, I like "Khao Man Gai," ...
-3
votes
1answer
79 views
Can I use the verb “rise” transitively, as in “rise its fame”? [closed]
I wanted to express this concept:
"In Brazil a new football star has born. Will you be able to rise its fame to superstar?"
Is this correct? Or is there an alternative and better way to say ...
2
votes
3answers
7k views
how to reply to Howdy
I hear from people greet saying "howdy". I guess that is short form of how do you do. I normally reply that "I am good and how are you doing?". Is there cultural specific reply that would give more ...
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 ...
3
votes
2answers
221 views
Is there a word for people who love everything?
The closest I could get was xenophile. Also, optimistic would be a close second and I say that because I don't think that optimistic is a better description than xenophile because xenophile actually ...
1
vote
1answer
133 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?
7
votes
4answers
836 views
What's the equivalent phrase in the UK for “I plead the fifth”?
In the United States, a person under examination on the witness stand may "plead the fifth" to avoid self-incrimination. In other words, a person asserts his or her Fifth Amendment right.
Citizens of ...
5
votes
3answers
721 views
Where does “hot damn!” come from?
There is the exclamation "hot damn", which one might use, in certain contexts, similar to " All right!", or "Excellent!" (American English, as far as I know.)
Google ngrams says it doesn't see it ...
2
votes
5answers
795 views
“How are you” in America
People in America ask "how are you" a lot. Many people would reply with "I'm good." If I am feeling OK, I would say "I'm well." Which version is right?
3
votes
1answer
510 views
American English: which vs that [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
When is it appropriate to use 'that' as opposed to 'which'?
We've had an American Americanise some phrases for us (with the point of teaching children ...
6
votes
2answers
605 views
Wedding invitations in British English
I'm an American calligrapher living in France, designing a suite of wedding invitations for a Spanish bride living in London! Complicated enough? I can't really go to the bride with questions ...
3
votes
1answer
123 views
meaning of - rite - at the companies names
There is bunch of companies that use rite at theirs names, like Rite Aid or Shop Rite, I was thinking about it like
Right => Rite
They looks like similar to pronounce, and you could think Right Aid ...
-2
votes
3answers
854 views
Is 'smth' a correct abbreviation in American English?
How common is the usage of 'smth' in American English as an abbreviation of 'something'?
10
votes
10answers
906 views
What is it called when you “refill” a debit card?
How it is called (in the US) when you go to the bank or an ATM to add cash to your VISA/MasterCard debit card? That is, when you add cash to the bank account which is tied to that card.
Is it ...
3
votes
5answers
3k views
“Last Name” and “surname”
Between last name and surname, which one is British and which one is American? If I talk with somebody from Great Britain, which one is preferable?
1
vote
5answers
2k views
How to say “I'm sorry” to express sympathy for misfortune without inviting “It's not your fault” [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Does apologizing entail recognizing being at fault?
Often, in conversation, something like this will happen:
A: I didn't sleep well last night; My dog ran away; or A ...
7
votes
5answers
3k views
Which is the correct way to refer to the letter “Z” — “Zee” or “Zed”?
So I am giving a presentation to an American audience tomorrow, and I have rather cluelessly labeled some components on a Powerpoint slide using the alphabet. When I talk about "component Z", I want ...
1
vote
2answers
255 views
Using “you got it” in the sense of “you are welcome”
Normally I would assume the meaning of you got it were something like:
You do understand it right.
You’ve achieved your goal.
Or even
I’ll do it for you very shortly.
But from time ...
10
votes
4answers
3k views
Why do Americans say “tuna fish”?
I mean, it's not like there is a tuna vegetable or animal that it can be confused with.
0
votes
2answers
236 views
Comma use in “I am passionate about X, whether it be …”
I have trouble telling when I’m overusing commas. My question is if the comma between undertake and whether is needed:
I am passionate about the quality of work I undertake, whether it be school ...
15
votes
4answers
30k views
What does “8/7c” stand for?
I just saw an update on Facebook saying:
Watch Russell present LIVE at the 42nd Annual NAACP Image Awards. Tonight at 8/7c on FOX.
What does "8/7c" mean?
0
votes
0answers
6k views
“Thank you, everyone” or “Thank you, everybody”? [closed]
It is Thanksgiving. My wife wants to write new Skype status and to say 'thank you' to people who help and support, and just to everyone who will read it. So, what is correct, and/or more commonly ...
12
votes
1answer
211 views
Is “tidbits” Bowdlerized or original?
Our American English local paper insisted on changing a title from titbits to tidbits for a column on minor local events and stories.
I, a British English speaker, have always pronounced and spelled ...
0
votes
0answers
80 views
is there any online tool to improve words and improve sentence or formate mails [closed]
I checked on google I found some kind of formatter tools like i have this sentence how to improve it---
Hello manager name,
Please find my comments in Green color.
I am unsure where the calendar ...
24
votes
6answers
17k views
What is the difference between dialogue and dialog?
I am American, and I always thought the difference between dialogue and dialog was one of meaning, the way Merriam-Webster has them listed:
2 entries found:
dialogue (noun)
dialog box ...
6
votes
2answers
23k views
Why do British people pronounce “Ibiza” as “Ibitha”?
My brief overseas experience in Great Britain has taught me that British people tend to pronounce Ibiza as Ibitha. My questions are as follows:
Why is this the case?
How did this develop?
What are ...
4
votes
2answers
716 views
Does this ‘be going to’ have an emotional meaning?
Here is a skit from a radio English conversation program, dealing with American English.
A: guest B: front desk clerk C: A's wife
(at the front desk of a hotel)
A: I have a reservation ...
0
votes
1answer
994 views
Hi! How is doing?
Is it possible to greet someone asking "How is doing?" When I was in US, many times I heard a phrase "Hi! How is doing?" or maybe it was a misunderstanding and the phrase was "How are you doing?"
25
votes
6answers
11k views
“Oriented” vs. “orientated”
What are the origins of the word orientated?
As far as I know, the correct spelling is oriented and orientated is not an alternative spelling but an error that is in common use.
Is it for example ...
