Questions tagged [list-request]

Requests for lists of words, phrases, or other information. Note, though, that these questions are off-topic. See the Help or the expanded tag info for more details.

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1 answer
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Compound words/phrases that still make sense when their order is swapped [closed]

Thinking of compound words or phrases where the order of the words can be swapped around and still make sense: Examples: Lighthouse - House Light Birdhouse - House BirdRacetrack - Track Race So far ...
Bryan's user avatar
  • 3
2 votes
2 answers
353 views

Spanish-derived words in English

I recently found out that "mustang" is a Hispanicism word of Spanish origin: it is adapted from "mostrengo" or "mestreño", which roughly mean "without rooting"; ...
mathbekunkus's user avatar
22 votes
5 answers
3k views

What loanwords from the languages of India appear in cricket's vocabulary?

One of the things I find surprising is that India seems to have had little influence on the vocabulary of cricket. Notwithstanding India long being such a great cricketing nation, I can't immediately ...
WS2's user avatar
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4 votes
5 answers
3k views

Are there other words with the same weird spelling / pronunciation combo as "victual"?

I've always thought that "victual" was a funny word because its spelling and pronunciation are so alien to anything else I know of in the English language. The free dictionary explains the origin of ...
Brandon's user avatar
  • 389
10 votes
7 answers
73k views

What are some slang words for "police" in countries besides the US?

In the US we have a number of slang terms that are commonly used to refer to the police: cops pigs five-O fuzz buzzkill (referring to their presence messing up the enjoyment of drugs) I am curious ...
24 votes
5 answers
7k views

Does America have its Versions of U- and Non-U English?

In Britain and most of Europe, some form of U-speak exists: old-money language has certain features that distinguish it from other language. In Dutch, it doesn't really have a name, but it is still ...
Cerberus - Reinstate Monica's user avatar
7 votes
12 answers
19k views

Words with different meanings in American and British English

This is similar to this question, but not quite the same. There are quite a few words which have totally different meanings in American and British English and which are likely to cause confusion ...
12 votes
5 answers
19k views

"Unicorn": what other words have this "cornus" etymology?

"Unicorn" comes from the French and late Latin, with the "cornus" part meaning "horn". I am wondering what other English words share this root. I could think of "rhinoceros". Can you think of ...
F'x's user avatar
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13 votes
7 answers
3k views

Are there commonly used words to denote different gradations of friendship in English?

In English there is only one word for grade of friendship: friends. All of you agree that friends are different: with some of them you just drank beer few times, other you know for many years and you ...
Andrey's user avatar
  • 391
18 votes
20 answers
175k views

Hardest tongue twister seen

What is the hardest tongue twister you have ever seen? Humorous ones are also welcome.
8 votes
4 answers
10k views

Where can I find a list of English paronyms?

Can anyone point me to a (more or less) complete list of English paronyms (affect/effect, farther/further, alternately/alternatively, interested/interesting, corrupted/corrupt, adopt/adapt, continuous/...
RegDwigнt's user avatar
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57 votes
8 answers
12k views

What’s purportedly wrong with Strunk & White’s “The Elements of Style”?

I was reading the comments on this answer where several users claimed that Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style was “misinformed, hypocritical, and wrong” and “flat-out wrong or totally misleading”...
MikeSchinkel's user avatar
  • 1,407
3 votes
1 answer
2k views

Examples of different roots (and different meanings) coming to be spelled the same

Apparently the two opposite meanings of to cleave have different roots: the to adhere meaning comes from one old English root (clifian) and the to cut meaning comes from a different old English word (...
29 votes
3 answers
5k views

Can anyone provide me with a list of English words that are their own antonyms? [closed]

I am looking for a list of all English words that are their own antonyms. Off the top of my head, I can only think of "either", "fast", "to dust" and "to lease", but there must be dozens more. Can you ...
RegDwigнt's user avatar
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94 votes
124 answers
74k views

What words are commonly mispronounced by literate people who read them before they heard them?

Quite a few words are mispronounced by under-educated people, or people learning English as a second language. Some words are often mispronounced by quite educated people who read, and began reading ...
18 votes
7 answers
23k views

Words for meat differ from the words for the corresponding animal

In English we have: "beef" for "cow", "cattle" "veal" for "calf" "pork" for "pig" "mutton" for "sheep" I'm not aware of this separation for "fish", "goat" or "chicken" (Spanish has "pollo" and "...
Dennis Williamson's user avatar
96 votes
20 answers
580k views

Which expressions can be used to close an email? [closed]

At the end of written communication like emails and letters, it is customary to use a closing valediction or "complementary close". Which formal and informal expressions can be used to end emails?
Mehper C. Palavuzlar's user avatar
15 votes
24 answers
3k views

Favourite untranslatables [closed]

What are your favourite words and idioms in other languages that don't have good, succinct equivalents in English? (The issue of whether there is, or could be, a sentence on one language whose meaning ...