All Questions
14 questions
8
votes
5
answers
1k
views
Is there an English equivalent of the Scots usage of "boak" (meaning retch) as a noun?
"Boak" is a Scots word that means "retch" (or vomit), and like retch it can be used as a verb, i.e. "that makes me want to boak" means "that makes me want to retch&...
- 83
6
votes
3
answers
4k
views
Mizzle and drizzle
Mizzle is a dialect word for drizzle.
Where and how often is it used?
Please read the sentence I have found:
There's mizzling and there's drizzle.
As far as I know, mizzle and drizzle mean the ...
- 3,519
5
votes
1
answer
615
views
Do gentiles use "appetizing" as a noun?
Growing up in Nebraska, I only knew the word "appetizing" as a adjective.
Not until I converted to Judaism and married a nice Jewish girl from Flushing, Queens, did I learn that "appetizing" is a ...
- 3,336
14
votes
11
answers
5k
views
"School Students" — what, like there's any other kind of student?
I think this might be a Pennsylvania thing: every so often, you'll see a van or small bus labeled, not "School Bus" or anything sane normal like that, but "School Students".
Whenever I see a van like ...
- 33k
16
votes
6
answers
49k
views
In the context of cooking, what is the difference between "flipper" and "spatula"?
I'm genuinely confused about this because at first I thought a spatula was a cooking tool resembling a flat pallet attached at an angle to the handle that could be used for activities such as flipping ...
- 2,920
6
votes
1
answer
633
views
Who says /ˈjumə/ for "humor"?
What dialect(s) pronounce humor voiced initially and non-rhotic finally (i.e., with both those features in the same dialect: the word would be pronounced something like /ˈjumə/)?
- 3,975
21
votes
10
answers
845k
views
What is the difference between "curd" and "yogurt"?
Most people use the words curd and yogurt interchangeably.
Both are made by fermenting milk.
Is there a difference between the two, or are they the same?
- 337
31
votes
9
answers
343k
views
What's the difference between a jumper, a pullover, and a sweater?
Following on from a recent question, in Australia we have the word jumper for a knitted long-sleeved garment, typically woollen.
When cosuming foreign media I always assumed the terms pullover and ...
- 7,820
24
votes
8
answers
70k
views
"Season" vs. "series"
TV shows, other than ones that have new episodes year-round (e.g. news, soaps), typically group episodes in batches — most often per year, although not necessarily calendar years, and sometimes there ...
- 545
6
votes
3
answers
12k
views
"Cleats" vs. "soccer shoes"
I used to say cleats but found it uncommon for some people, though I had no trouble with soccer shoes. I have always lived in a Spanish-speaking country (Nicaragua) so I find it hard to know why that ...
- 165
124
votes
24
answers
1.1m
views
"Lunch" vs. "dinner" vs. "supper" — times and meanings?
I've seen cases where a noon-time meal is referred to as dinner, and the evening meal is called supper. There's also lunch around noon followed by dinner in the evening. Is there a particular ...
- 1,371
20
votes
7
answers
114k
views
Why is a woman's purse called a "pocketbook"?
It's not a book, and it doesn't fit in anyone's pocket. Why does my brother-in-law insist on calling his wife's purse a pocketbook?
I'm interested in the etymology, and in the chronological and ...
- 33k
8
votes
9
answers
38k
views
In which parts of the USA do the say "soda" or "pop"?
Depending on where you go in the world, some people will refer to a carbonated beverage as "soda" while others choose to use the term "pop." For example, "Can I get you a soda" vs. "Can I get you a ...
- 317
12
votes
3
answers
26k
views
Is "weightage" an English word?
Is weightage an English word?
We use it a lot in India, but I couldn't find it in my Oxford Dictionary.
user1784