This tag is for questions regarding formal, versus informal words and usage.
3
votes
4answers
4k views
Formal way to wish good morning
I am not a native English speaker, the source of my learning is books, websites and of course movies and music.
In the movie — if I remember the name correctly — The Last Samurai, I heard that they ...
30
votes
3answers
2k views
Alternatives to “and/or”?
As a programmer, I have no problem with seeing or using "and/or" in technical documentation. For example,
I can upvote an answer that satisfies me and/or mark it as accepted.
That's perfectly ...
6
votes
3answers
555 views
“just because… doesn't mean…”
It appears to me that the construction "just because… doesn't mean…" isn't used in literature at all. Is its use limited to colloquial speech and informal writing?
Note that while some people seem to ...
5
votes
5answers
2k views
Why is “ain't” not listed in dictionaries?
Google finds 52,000,000 matches for ain't but non-natives simply can't look up this word. Wiktionary isn't helpful.
Is it some kind of 'wildcard' for am/is/are not?
9
votes
15answers
1k views
Informal terms for money amounts
What informal terms are used in English as money amounts? I know the following US terms and I'm curious about the rest:
a grand: 1000 dollars
a buck: 1 dollar
9
votes
3answers
1k views
“Pretty” as an adverb
How correct/common/proper is "pretty" as an adverb? It is hard for me to see, since it's my native dialect, but I say "pretty often" pretty often, and "fairly often" fairly rarely. Does "pretty" mark ...
3
votes
6answers
2k views
“Important” and “significant”
"Important" and "significant" seems to be very close in meaning when denoting that something matters much.
But am I right in thinking that "important" is less formal word than "significant"? And ...
47
votes
20answers
99k views
What are some expressions that can be used to end an email?
At the end of every email, we use ending expressions like
Best regards,
Kind regards,
Yours sincerely,
Yours faithfully,
What other expressions can be added to this list?
Which ones should ...
