Questions tagged [british-english]
This tag is for questions related to English as spoken in Great Britain, and sometimes Ireland.
0
votes
1answer
28 views
Tattoo phrase translated properly!
I’m Spanish and I wanna get tattooed a phrase that I always say but in English instead. It’s something like ‘You can’t judge someone for something he hasn’t chosen’
I know it is not right like that, ...
3
votes
0answers
44 views
Does “government” mean something different in British English? [migrated]
There's been lots of news in the past couple of days about votes in the UK Parliament regarding Brexit. These reports seem to use the word "government" in a way that I don't understand. For instance, ...
0
votes
1answer
48 views
What does it mean to say “as the clarks swivel around to me”?
When Bercow says in formal antiquated Brtishlish,
I say on advice as the clarks swivel around to me
What does that mean? I have never seen a swiveling "clark"?
2
votes
2answers
74 views
What do you call a person who take down notes using their gadgets like laptops or Smart phones?
Curiosity question though my friends called me "nerd Gadgets" because i always take down notes in class using my phone rather than the traditional pen and paper, but i think there is a better word to ...
1
vote
1answer
61 views
Does “throw a leg over” means “riding a horse” or “sexual intercourse”?
Now anyone reading this article - http://mentalfloss.com/article/31841/why-new-york-city-called-big-apple and especially this line from that: "The Big Apple. The dream of every lad that ever threw a ...
0
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2answers
22 views
-2
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0answers
17 views
Can anyone assess whether the below phrase is correct or not? [on hold]
Following is the phrase "I feel blissful with my mother's blessing"
Please assess and correct the phrase if there are any mistakes. Thanks in Advance.
0
votes
0answers
24 views
E vs Short I sound [on hold]
Is there a difference in pronunciation between the short i and e. For example, do 'check' and 'chick' have the same sound?
4
votes
1answer
70 views
Origin of 'dap' shoe
What is origin of 'dap' as name for canvas shoes which is used in parts of England such as West Country & Wales?
The Chamber Dictionary has the following entry but no suggestion for its origin:
...
-1
votes
2answers
47 views
The opposite of enabling a person to do something [closed]
The title kind of says it all.
I'm looking for the opposite of "it enables the customer to perform …".
First thought was "it disables the customer to perform … " but that just doesn't sound right.
...
0
votes
0answers
20 views
“complex nature of the motif of love in the poems of…” — native like?
I analyze the motif of love in the works of several poets in one of my papers. I argue that the motif of love was represented in different and versatile ways by different authors.
Can I introduce ...
0
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0answers
3 views
I am confused on which to use That or by which [migrated]
Q: In the US, a primary election is a method -------- voters select the nominees for public office
A:That
B:Is That
C:By Which
D: By Those
I am stuck between A and C
0
votes
0answers
31 views
Office Word “Concise Language” Recommendation [duplicate]
Microsoft Office now recommends changing phrases such as:
"will host all of the"
to
"will host all the"
due to this being more "concise" language. However, to me, their recommendation doesn't ...
0
votes
0answers
33 views
“Start Work” on something vs “Start working” [closed]
Is it correct to say
Now I am going to start work on this new project
I have the habit of saying that in the same context. Also, I have heard British people say this and I am wondering if it is ...
1
vote
1answer
59 views
Single Word Describing The Concept Of Language Barrier As Applied To Language In A Non-traditional sense
A single word carrying the connotation or literal meaning of either, "real language" or "official language" that is roughly antonymous with the word vernacular.
To provide more context: I am seeking ...
0
votes
0answers
14 views
Sealable, Closable, Securable
I had to write a review for a product today and when I was spell checking my work I came across a sentence I could not write the way I wanted to.
"The sealable net lets me pack peripherals easily and ...
1
vote
0answers
38 views
How can I learn British accent ? [closed]
British accent is considered to be the king of all the accent.
And to me also it sounds nice . So I really wanted to learn how to speak it
Also I was not born in england or so ,so a non native speaker ...
-2
votes
1answer
32 views
What's the best answer that suits the following statement [closed]
What's the proper answer for "Don't know what I'm doing here"?
"Nor do I"
"Neither do I"
"Neither am I"
"Nor am I" ?
1
vote
1answer
28 views
Get a message *that*? [closed]
My father has got a message that he had received 50000rs.
Is this sentence meaningful or not??
Can I use "he had received 50,000rs" after "that"?
If not, please send me the correct alternative ...
0
votes
0answers
22 views
build a high starting point think tank
I noticed a sentence from an official website of Chinese government
"Liu Qibao stressed to build high starting point and high level new-type think tank with Chinese characteristics". I'm not sure ...
0
votes
1answer
36 views
Use of italics and BrE single quotation marks
I'd like to know when to use italics and when to use single quotation marks should be used. For example:
The word he was looking for was ‘abjuration’.
vs
The word he was looking for was ...
-1
votes
0answers
21 views
Why do some British people fail to put an article before the word “hospital”? [duplicate]
Like all English nouns, the word "hospital" is normally preceded by an article. For example, we might have a sentence like the following:
He was taken to the hospital by an ambulance.
However, I ...
6
votes
0answers
168 views
British South Asian accent
This is a two-part question. A lot of British South Asian that are born and bred in the UK have a peculiar accent. It's very different than the familiar Indian accent too. So my question is...
Is ...
-1
votes
0answers
37 views
Can present perfect come after When?
When John ........... Egypt, I'll tell him to visit me.
( visit - has visited - will visit - be visited )
So I had an English exam, and this was a sentence in it... normally I'd choose visits but it ...
0
votes
2answers
51 views
Translating a scientific paper from American to British
Over the last few years I have translated into English a fair amount of scientific papers for a Mexican scientist. Throughout this time, I noticed that by far the most common style requirement was ...
2
votes
3answers
78 views
the meaning of “fused the plug”
Context:
"Why are we so worried about artificial intelligence? Surely humans are always able to pull the plug?"
People asked a computer, “Is there a God?” And the computer said, “There is now,” ...
-3
votes
3answers
87 views
Is it right? “I will definitely meet you, if i did not get engaged” [on hold]
Recently I got engaged. Someone has asked me to meet up, but I denied. So I just want to know, is this sentence correct or not:
I will definitely meet you, if I did not get engaged.
0
votes
2answers
50 views
What does this sentence mean? “…in order to cope with the mass character of the gazes of tourists as opposed to the individual character of travel.”
Well, I read an article in terms of tourism and need to translate it but I have no idea what is this sentence is about.
A substantial proportion of the population of modern societies engages in ...
0
votes
3answers
48 views
I want to know if this this grammatically correct “the students have begun their usual morning devotion when the teacher entered”
I want to know if this sentence is grammatically correct.
'the students have begun their usual morning devotion when the teacher entered the class'
I am confused with have begun and had began
4
votes
2answers
154 views
Origin of “name and shame”
According to Phrase Finder, the idiomatic expression name and shame was originally used as a noun phrase,
From the Pennsylvania newspaper The Warren Ledger, October 1884:
"None are ...
-1
votes
0answers
23 views
crosstalk/crosstalks
I want to create a playlist of short sketches and crosstalk (a traditional Chinese comedic performance in the form of a dialogue) on my blog, and the title is "Sketches & Crosstalk."
My question ...
0
votes
1answer
25 views
doubt about whether to use “review” or “reviewing”
My question is whether to use the word "review" or "reviewing" in the following paragraph:
When this happens, the video may be too long, and consequently, its review/reviewing will take a lot time.
1
vote
2answers
44 views
What is another way of saying “unprofessional”?
I am marking undergraduate papers and I've been asked by Dep. Head to avoid using the term "unprofessional" to refer to students' reports.
What is another nicer (but accurate) way of saying a report,...
1
vote
1answer
108 views
What does “crust of a rhinoceros” mean?
I've been reading Thank You, Jeeves by PG Wodehouse and couldn't understand what he meant by "The man must have the crust of a rhinoceros".
Is this British slang? Can somebody explain to me what this ...
1
vote
0answers
55 views
Using of the pronoun 'She' with Objects
While I was watching 'dinnerladies' yesterday, I noticed that they referred to 'ladder' as (she) in lieu of (it), so I wonder if it was an idiom or accent.
Thanks
One of the contexts was like this.
...
0
votes
1answer
36 views
Dictionaries define past participle as a noun
Why do dictionaries define past participle as a noun[C]?
For example in https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/past-participle
2
votes
1answer
58 views
‘serious’ vs. ‘solemn’
Watching the English: The International Bestseller Revised and Updated (2014) by Kate Fox, BA in Anthropology and Philosophy from Cambridge U. p. 79
HUMOUR RULES
THE IMPORTANCE OF NOT BEING ...
1
vote
1answer
45 views
Due to not use in sentence [closed]
This is not due to or getting aggravated by malaria.
Does it mean
This is not due to malaria and also this is not getting aggravated by malaria?
1
vote
0answers
15 views
Rrported speech [closed]
I want to know the reported speech of this sentence
1-do you speak english ?
2- if I were you Id take an aspirin
2
votes
1answer
69 views
What is a word for someone who enjoys keeping fish as a hobby?
I am looking for a word for someone who enjoys keeping fish at their home. They have a pond with a large number of Koi Carp, as well as a room with fish tanks containing a variety of fish. This is for ...
0
votes
1answer
44 views
Is my syntax correct and is there a better version?
Here is the sentence:
"Why is a conjugated system bigger, the smaller the atomic electron transitions?"
I mean that when a conjugated system gets bigger, the atomic electron transitions get smaller, ...
3
votes
2answers
90 views
Multiple pronunciations of “where”
I've been an Australian English speaker my whole life but this was pointed out to me recently. Apparently I've been pronouncing "where" differently or incorrectly? Most of the people around me ...
1
vote
2answers
61 views
What does “of such” mean in this sentence?
My mother language is not English, so please give me a clear explanation of what does "of such" mean in this sentence? I could not find an equivalent in my language. The sentence is:
encourage ...
0
votes
1answer
71 views
Alternative sentence of “May I come in, please?”
What do you usually say in the UK when you come into the class while the teacher is teaching. Is it ok to say "excuse me, sir or miss" or "May I come in, please"? are there any other ways to say this?
8
votes
3answers
726 views
Is it “in” or “on” HNQ?
Stack Exchange has a special feature that displays the hottest questions from its 170 or more sites across the network, it's called Hot Network Questions or HNQ for short.
Most users will see to ...
2
votes
1answer
33 views
How come we write drought and draught but pronounce [draut] and [dra:ft] or write enough and though but pronounce [i’naf] and [đou]? [duplicate]
How come we write drought and draught but pronounce [draut] and [dra: ft] or write enough and though but pronounce [i’naf] and [đou]?
0
votes
1answer
31 views
Type of usage/accuracy
As the boy tames the wild bird, it evokes pleasure in him away from his hardship in society; the bird is bettering us here.
verb
gerund or present participle: bettering
improve on or surpass (an ...
0
votes
1answer
54 views
Meaning of sentence. “He is not vigilant like you”
He is not vigilant like you.
Does it mean that
you are vigilant.
Or you are not vigilant like him.
I am really confused by the sentence whether it's a compliment or complaint?
6
votes
2answers
214 views
Why are pubowners called landlords in the U.K.?
I just came across the fact that Brits call the owners\operators of their pubs landlords, (on the new show "The Reluctant Landlord"). Being from the USA I am only aware of the term landlord being used ...
0
votes
2answers
52 views
Of which or of which the
Would you say, "a flat of which windows were broken" or "a flat of which the windows were broken"? Of course the best solution is "A flat the windows of which" or "whose windows".
