Tagged Questions

1
vote
1answer
96 views

“My late friends” — they're not dead!

Context: We're discussing about how we used to get penalized in school for being late to classes, many years ago. I wanted to say: In my old school, it was hilarious to see my late friends get ...
0
votes
2answers
90 views

Can we say “probable” where we have to say “possible”?

Can we say probable where we have to say possible? What is the exact meaning of that? I have searched this, but I didn't get the perfect example of that.
0
votes
1answer
87 views

What's the difference between “active” and “busy”?

What's the difference in meaning between saying "I'm an active person." and "I'm a busy person."?
-2
votes
2answers
99 views

Is “unmissable” a valid word?

I noticed an advert on TV advertising "unmissable" shows coming up. MS Word marks it as a spelling mistake, but the Mac OS is OK with it. I don't particularly like it.
-1
votes
2answers
86 views

Using the adjective “expressive” to mean an object allows for expression?

My intention is to say that systems of a particular type allow users to express ideas on them. I wanted to give the concept a more concise/general name, as a title for such systems. I called them ...
0
votes
2answers
220 views

Polite Compliments

Is a "polite compliment" necessarily a redundant statement when used in a group of people as opposed to a one-to-one situation?
10
votes
3answers
177 views

“You are likely to [verb]” vs. “you are like to [verb]”

In a recent answer to another question, a fellow poster just used the following turn of phrase: The nearest you’re like to get is [word][.] I only ever saw and used "you’re likely to..." myself, ...
3
votes
2answers
117 views

Is “titular” the appropriate word for a song that only uses the album title in its lyrics, not title?

Is a song on a music album considered to be the titular song if it doesn't share the title of the album, but incorporates it into the lyrics? If not, is there another appropriate term for this lyrical ...
0
votes
1answer
105 views

“Continuing” vs. “continued”

So, just a few minutes ago we had this question asking whether one could substitute ongoing availability with continuing availability and what the difference would be, if any. Apart from the question ...
1
vote
2answers
59 views

Using the word “deadbeat” as an adjective

BBC quotes President Obama: America is "not a deadbeat nation", US President Barack Obama has said, as he warned Republicans unconditionally to approve a rise in the US debt ceiling. It appears ...
11
votes
5answers
394 views

The use of “real” in the following cases [duplicate]

Possible Duplicate: Real quick question If you listen real close... Can you swing by real quick... Sentences like the above two are what I often hear in daily life. If I didn't ...
4
votes
2answers
226 views

Is “sound approach” an accepted phrase?

English is not my first language, and in my language (Bosnian) we write just as we speak ; so from time to time, I encounter phrases which I know I have heard before, but am not sure if I am writing ...
0
votes
0answers
58 views

How to use the word “cynical” [closed]

If somebody doesn't trust people or trusts them only after a very long time that proves them trustworthy, can we call this person cynical? And if somebody is interested in a person just for benefits ...
1
vote
5answers
505 views

What is the difference between “stiff” and “rigid”?

Could an object be stiff but not rigid or vice versa? When is each one used? And what is the opposite of each of them?
2
votes
1answer
297 views

What is the difference between 'framework curriculum' and 'curricular framework'?

I know that curricular is an adjective and curriculum a noun, but are they both used in exactly the same meaning? Or are there some differences concerning what they imply or apply to? Being a ...
-1
votes
2answers
420 views

Adjectives to describe the word “questions” [closed]

I'm writing an ad for yoghurt. It's about telling the truth about the consumer's new favourite flavour. I would like to say, You'll need to answer some _____ questions. They're personal ...
10
votes
2answers
626 views

What does “adorkable” mean? How popular is this word? To what kind of objects and occasions can I apply “adorkable”?

I happened to find the paperback book titled Adorkable, by Sarra Manning, on the GoodReads site. There is no entry for adorkable in the Cambridge, Oxford or Merriam-Webster dictionaries, or in ...
1
vote
3answers
216 views

What is the adjectival form of “primate”? [closed]

To say a man is close to a primate, what should I use, "primatic" or "primative"?
5
votes
4answers
1k views

Use of “whatever” vs “whatsoever”

The city posts signs near my house that read: Dump no waste whatever The meaning is clear in context: don't dump any waste here. But the sign sounds incorrect. To me, it seems "whatever" ...
3
votes
2answers
220 views

Usage of noxious, nocuous and their opposites

I came across the word nocuous. The word seems not to be used often, (and even the spell-checking of my browser does mark it as a mistake). In comparison to noxious it's rarely used. Differently the ...
4
votes
6answers
2k views

Should “glamourous” be considered incorrect?

The Wiktionary entry for glamourous, for what it's worth, claims that it is "a common British spelling", but many native English speakers dismiss it as incorrect. Some, though, draw a distinction ...
7
votes
2answers
438 views

Dropping L in compound adjectives. Is it “skillful” or “skilful”?

We have been taught at school that when a word ending in "LL" helps form a compound word, "LL" becomes "L" (e.g. skill -> skilful). I have also come across the usage of this adjective as skillful ...
2
votes
7answers
932 views

Is it correct to say “I'm not urgent to do something”?

I know it is correct to say "Something is not urgent for me". But it is correct to say I'm not urgent to do something. If not, how do I state that I really want some problem to be resolved – ...
-2
votes
4answers
272 views

Can we use “use unfriendly” as an adjective?

I was wondering according to American English if this is a valid grammatical sentence: This item is a little use unfriendly. It sounds ok but I was wondering if "use unfriendly" (I mean without ...
-6
votes
2answers
321 views

Can I use “graceful” to describe people? [closed]

I have not heard anyone describe someone as graceful before. Can I say you are graceful to me?
2
votes
1answer
226 views

Usage of “infinities”

What is the usage of the word infinities? Is the term infinite infinities correct, and how is it used?
10
votes
4answers
652 views

'Potential' as an adjective

Here is one of those things that I have simply never thought about until recently. I have a friend who speaks English as a second language and so still has a few overhanging errors in his speech; One ...
1
vote
1answer
254 views

Is ‘eclectic bunch’ trendy instead of simply saying ‘a group of different types of constituents'?

I found the words ‘eclectic bunch’ in the following sentence of a New York Times (July 29, 2011) article reporting increase in foraging in city parks, which is titled ‘Enjoy Park Greenery, City Says, ...
3
votes
2answers
552 views

Can 'repeat' be an adjective?

I was sure the word 'repeat' could be an adjective; for example, the phrase "repeat performance" describes a performance that is repeated. To my surprise, however, the Random House dictionary and ...
4
votes
2answers
2k views

Correct usage for “bad” v. “poor” adjectives

The way I was taught many years ago was that something like quality can be poor, but not bad. The reasoning was that "bad" is a value/moral whereas poor applies to non-value qualities. In this case, ...
1
vote
3answers
2k views

What is the difference between “little” and “a little”?

I would like to know how these two words differ in usage. Which one is singular? Which one is plural? I would greatly appreciate if you could provide me with a sample usage of these phrases.
5
votes
5answers
719 views

Use of “facetious”

I received an e-mail including the following sentence: I am not asking for a facetious grade change, just one that would allow me to pass. What the writer means is that the request isn't ...
4
votes
2answers
4k views

The adjective “dashing”: can it be used to describe a woman?

Can you say of a woman that she is "dashing", meaning that she looks stupendous, graceful etc.?
3
votes
9answers
7k views

Is the word “epic” being used correctly these days?

You know what I mean. The word "epic" has been overused for quite some time now. I was recently referred to Wiktionary as a trusted source, and I see this example in use: (colloquial) Extending ...
4
votes
2answers
453 views

Is it correct to say that something is “claustrophobic” if it makes someone feel claustrophobic?

For example, people often refer to an elevator as claustrophobic, but I'm curious whether it is more accurate to say that an elevator causes its occupants to feel claustrophobic.
13
votes
2answers
2k views

Is it incorrect to use “hard” when I mean “difficult”?

My late grandfather had several word-choice peeves for which he would gently interrupt a speaker, especially a grandchild, in order to correct. The one I remember most was his dislike for the use of ...