Questions tagged [dialectal]
The dialectal tag has no usage guidance.
11
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When and where did 'irregardless' first emerge in print, how did it spread, and to what extent was it viewed as a dialectal word?
Merriam-Webster's Eleventh Collegiate Dictionary (2003) has the following entry for irregardless:
irregardless adv {prob[ably a] blend of irrespective and regardless} ca. 1912) nonstand[ard] : ...
- 158k
9
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3
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Meaning of “a dizzard”
I’m working on translation of an American novel, dating back to the late 19th - early 20th centuries, and the main character came from a local little Vermont town.
The author describes him as “old ...
- 91
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1
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Do people "make parties" in New York?
They made a party for you.
Sounds plain wrong to my ears. People don't "make a party" unless their intended meaning is that they attend it, much as "I made the train this morning." However, I lighted ...
- 1,136
5
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1
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one or [the] other in American and British English
I'm wondering whether the definite article should be placed before "other" in the following sentence, and whether there is dialectal variation in this regard:
You should ask one or [the] other of ...
- 1,881
8
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2
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674
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"the 'first/last' of the [day/night/week, etc.]" for "the 'beginning/end' of the [day/night/week, etc.]
Where in the U.S. and Canada do they say, at the first/last of [the day/night/week, etc.] for at the beginning/end of [the day/night/week, etc.]?
Luck had it that they only experienced a very minor ...
- 42.9k
3
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1
answer
593
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"vastly" for "to a [very] great degree; extremely" in contexts not involving comparison or measurement: BrEng vs. AmEng usage
Does using vastly to mean to a [very] great degree; extremely in contexts not involving measurement or comparison, now sound common and idiomatic to British ears, or is it still likely to be ...
- 42.9k
0
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0
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431
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"varietal" vs. "various" vs. "varied"
Please, consider the following sourced excerpts:
An ideal romantic daytime date might be to pack a blanket and take your lady to Old Town Silverdale. Settled in 1854, this beautiful little town ...
- 42.9k
1
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1
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"Invite someone [over] to dinner" vs. "... for dinner"
What's the difference between "invite someone [over] to dinner" and "invite someone [over] for dinner"?
Please, consider as an example:
Thank you for inviting me [over] to dinner.
Thank you ...
- 42.9k
2
votes
1
answer
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Is "put someone on/over to" for "put someone through/connect someone to" idiomatic?
Where in the English speaking world do they say, "put someone on/over [to]" for "put someone through/connect someone [to]" as in:
If you'd like to speak direct to one of our ...
- 42.9k
1
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2
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384
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temporal "directly" in AmEng usage: "immediately/without delay" or "shortly/in a little while"?
What does directly commonly mean in standard AmEng when used as a temporal adverb,
immediately/instantly/at once/right away/without delay
-or-
soon/shortly/in a little while?
DIRECTLY
At once; ...
- 42.9k
6
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3
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"conclude" vs. "decide" in AmEng
Can, in some instances, conclude and decide be used just about interchangeably as far as AmEng goes?
Please, consider the following examples:
The committee concluded on a plan of action.
The ...
- 42.9k