The sociolinguistic tag has no wiki summary.
-3
votes
0answers
124 views
What do you call a man who treats women as being equal to men? [closed]
What single word describes
a man who treats men and women equally?
3
votes
3answers
238 views
Is any utterance in English used only by men or only by women?
In my native language, there are some interjections used only by women. For example Va (pronounced /vʌ/), is an exclamation used to express surprise only by women. If any man happens to use them, he ...
2
votes
3answers
2k views
Appropriate replacement of “nice to meet you” for online salutation?
I would like to use "nice to meet you" in an online email exchange but I feel that "meet" and "see" are not appropriate for online use. There is also a question about it.
I have also read somewhere ...
-3
votes
1answer
214 views
Native English inferiority [closed]
"Nativity" is a fancy word for "birth", and what makes it "fancy" seems to be that it's derived from Latin. English-speaking people tend to regard words obviously derived from Latin or Greek as more ...
10
votes
1answer
255 views
U-English of the 1950s: what was used instead of “ON holiday”?
I am reading U and non-U by Alan S.C. Ross, written in 1956. He wrote that the preposition on was non-U in the following sentence:
She's on holiday
This made me wonder what the correct U ...
1
vote
4answers
749 views
What does “down with homework” mean?
I was watching The Simpson series. In season 7, episode 12, Bart exposes a t-shirt on which the phrase "DOWN WITH HOMEWORK" is written. Then the entire students in the classroom start a riot all of a ...
2
votes
1answer
584 views
Difference between “social” and “societal” [closed]
What's the difference between social and societal? Are they perfectly synonymous? If not, what is the difference in nuance?
The relevant definition of social reads:
relating to society or its ...
6
votes
4answers
152 views
Does the word “gentleman” retain the distinction “of leisurely lifestyle” anywhere in British English?
I've been watching a great deal many British period films lately, and having done so has made me grow acutely aware to the nuance of the word gentleman. Once upon a time, a gentleman wasn't just some ...
16
votes
4answers
1k 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 ...
8
votes
3answers
1k views
Meaning of “ ‘Western’ world” and alternative terms
The discussion on the meaning and connotations of the world 'Oriental' got me thinking along similar lines on the usage of 'Western' world or 'the West' to denote North America and Europe. I find it ...
6
votes
6answers
751 views
Why did the descriptive, “Orientals”, shift into a pejorative?
It seems as if a shift occurred and the descriptive "Oriental" was replaced by "Asian" as the accepted term in polite society — what caused this shift?
23
votes
3answers
2k views
Do accents still play a role in British class distinctions to the present day? How have things changed since the 1960s and Received Pronunciation?
An Englishman's way of speaking absolutely classifies him.
The moment he talks he makes some other Englishman despise him.
If you spoke as she does, sir,
Instead of the way you do,
...
