Tagged Questions
0
votes
4answers
576 views
Is “forth and back” more proper than “back and forth”?
I think the term "back and forth" gets thrown around alot without much thought.
From Dictionary.com:
forth [fawrth, fohrth]
adverb
1. onward or outward in place or space; forward: to ...
3
votes
3answers
147 views
Are “academic society” and “industrial society” correct?
I'm writing a Personal Statement and I need to say something like "this research topic is hot in both academic society and industrial society". Are these phrases correct?
13
votes
2answers
1k views
“Let's burn that bridge when we come to it” – is this sort of idiom mixing considered a pun, and if so, does it have a specific name?
I couldn't come up with a short title, but the upside is that there is not much needed to be said in the body of the question!
For @dmr (and others), it mixes “let's cross that bridge when we come ...
8
votes
2answers
246 views
Why is the current unrest in the Arab world called the “Arab Spring”?
Does spring in "Arab Spring" refer to the season - or something else?
1
vote
1answer
5k views
This weekend vs Next weekend [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
What day is next Tuesday?
Imagine that it's Monday, the 1st. The weekend would be the 7th & 8th. How do you refer properly to the coming weekend, "This weekend" or ...
12
votes
4answers
615 views
What are exchanges like “How are you,” “I'm fine,” and “See you later” called?
Some verbal/written exchanges convey almost no meaning but are part of the protocol of conversation. For example, somebody greets you with "How are you?" and they're not usually not listening for ...
25
votes
4answers
6k views
How does the phrase “used to” work, grammatically?
It is common to hear people say "used to" to indicate that they did something in the past but no longer do; for example, "I used to play basketball." How would "used to," used in that context, fit ...
