Questions tagged [interjections]
Words such as "oh", or "wow", which are used to indicate an isolated emotion on the part of the speaker, without an explicit grammatical relationship to the rest of the sentence.
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Are the origins of ¡ay, güey! and 'oy vey' related at all? [closed]
Though both of these terms come from other languages, they are both said in English, depending on where one is. One (ay wey as a more English form) can mean holy crap!, and the other can mean ...
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What is the origin of the expletive "man alive!"?
There are various speculations about its origins: its being a euphemism for 'Good Lord' or a simplification of 'any living man' or again a shortened 'no matter – man alive!' (Thomas Hood 1845)
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Do interjections like “but hey” have commas between them?
It seems like the correct spelling is “but, hey,” however, especially when followed by a clause, the pauses (perhaps) become excessive and the comma is frequently dropped.
For example: “But hey, at ...
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What’s the most practical punctuation for this simple sentence? [closed]
I know this seems rudimentary, but it’s tripping me up for some reason.
Yuck. Mushrooms are gross.
I feel the period creates to much of a pause and strays too far away from the emphasis I want on ...
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Trailing interjection? "So, I'll just take that, then" Is the "then" now? Should it be "than" because I'm taking it rather than you?
This question Are constructions like "That's me out, then" primarily British rather than American? is more about "that's"
This question's answers When a person replies with a ...
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Fitting interjection for "that's nothing"
What would be an appropriate interjection to express little bit of disdain, like
I made it in 30 minutes.
Aaah, that's nothing, my friend did it in 15.
Is there something more fitting than "...
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Modern equivalent for "arrah", or for its Irish version, "yarrah"
I was reading an article on dialect discourse markers, and I came across one, namely "arrah", the meaning of which I couldn't fully understand. It was said that it is in some sort a "...
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What do you call a word that follows a punchline or a practical joke and is used to emphasize it?
Popular culture often has people use a specific kind of word to capitalize on a joke they've just told, or a prank they've pulled on someone.
Examples of such exclamations would include hey-oh that ...
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Interjection between subordinate and main clauses
I have a question about this modest sentence for which I have no context except that it came to me. Then I wondered about its grammaticality.
Because it wasn’t my job—I didn’t work there—I left.
...
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What does Chantor's Talon means?
I was watching the movie Onward (2020), at 48:07, then Ian hear the cops' siren, he exclaims:
Chantor's Talon! Cops!
What does "Chantor's Talon" mean?
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Origin of the word "whee"
What is the origin of the word whee, used as an interjection to express enjoyment or delight?
The only information I can find is that it is "natural exclamation" first recorded in the 1920's. ...
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What is the current, popular equivalent of "So be it!"?
That nice exclamation expressing resignation seems rather old fashioned, right? The Beatles sang "let it be" 60 years ago, is this still current?
What do you say nowadays in this context, is there any ...
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Can an em dash be inserted in the middle of a quotation for interjection?
I've found questions asking about an em dash in quoted speech, and punctuation rules for em dashes in quotes, but this question is quite different.
The example I saw comes from a tweet, reproduced ...
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How to spell what sounds like "ish" or "eesh"? [duplicate]
I've heard this word a lot of times, but still don't know how to write it down. It's used when you want to show some kind of disgust, or something like that. It sounds like "ish" or "eesh".
I've ...
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Was Old English "ēalās" equivalent to Modern English "hello"?
In a question in the Spanish Language site about the origin of Spanish hola 'hello', one of the answers states that Old English ēalās, written ēalā before a name, already sounded quite similar to hola,...
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“passf***ingport” is it a bad use of interjection?
I was just having a little conversation with a few friends, and I used the word ‘passfuckingport’ out of nowhere. I am not sure what it sparked - my Western friends where alright with it, but one of ...
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What is a similar phrase to "scratch that"?
On Twitter, a reporter tweeted a phrase similar to "scratch that" once he realized he had made a factual error in his original tweet -- I cannot for the life of me remember what that phrase was!
Any ...
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A replacement exclamation for "Gee" or "Man"? [closed]
Sometimes, I might say 'Man', as the precursor to a statement as in this recent example I said to myself after reading something: "Man, to give anything a label will always technically be reductive, ...
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"Later, Magellan became involved in an insular conflict in the Philippines" What does "Insular" mean here?
"Later, Magellan became involved in an insular conflict in the Philippines"
What does "Insular" mean here?
As far as Cambridge Dictionary is concerned,
Insular means:
"interested only in ...
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Etymology of "boy" as an exclamation/interjection [duplicate]
In the sentence "Boy, is there a lot to answer for" (from a recent EL&U comment), "boy" is used for expressing a strong reaction, especially admiration or excitement.
How did this meaning/usage ...
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"Why" in a non-question sentence
I am reading a book and I am finding this kind of expressions:
'Why, people in perfect health act in the same way too,'
'Why, are you all afraid of me?'
'What nonsense he is talking! Why, you are ...
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How is "erm" pronounced in the UK, and why is it spelled that way?
I see the interjection "erm" written in internet forum posts fairly often, and I have occasionally seen it in British novels, in opinion pieces and articles on cultural topics in newspapers and ...
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What are some non-expletives interjections for "I almost forgot [something]" [closed]
Just before leaving a conversation with someone, what non-expletives interjection could I use instead of the sentence "I almost forgot ..." if I want to sound apologetic?
For instance:
Could you ...
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What is the meaning of "that" as an Internet slang?
I see many times in comment sections of Internet forums such comments as the following:
A: This girl is so ugly and I know nobody will date her ever.
B: That!
What does it mean?
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Is "shh" a word and why? [closed]
Is shh a word?
If it is, why is it a word?
If it is not, why isn't it a word?
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Onomatopoeia for disgust [duplicate]
Are there any English onomatopoeias for disgust / loathe? What exclamations are commonly used to express repulsion?
Something that could be used like:
(___) dog shit. I loathe it! (some sound here)...
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Wow vs Whoa, what is the difference between them in the US?
I searched here wow and here whoa and they seem to be pronounced differently. I'm concerned only when the meaning is to signify surprise. However, I'm not sure when to use one or the other, since both ...
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History of "oh well"
"Oh well" is an interjection used to express acquiescence or resignation towards an undesirable event which has occurred (maybe this isn't the most precise definition, but I think most native English ...
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Why is a word chosen as a pejorative? [duplicate]
Why is "duh" the word chosen to represent ignorance? Merriam Webster defines "duh" as "used derisively to indicate that something just stated is all too obvious or self-evident." But a derivation isn'...
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Is "*now*" acting as an interjection rather than a present of time?
Is "now" an interjection in this sentence:
"Now, that's a fast car!"
I get pretty confused on deciding if "now" is an acting as an interjection or present time. I think it is an interjection, but ...
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Are inserts and interjections the same thing?
I'm reading Biber's Longman Student Grammar of Spoken and Written English.
At some point the author lists families of words, which are: lexical words, function words and inserts.
And then, after the ...
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Origin of "guy" as an interjection substituting for "gosh" or "golly"?
Is anyone familiar with, or know the origin of, the use of "guy" as an interjection at the beginning of a sentence, as a substitute for "gosh!" or "golly!" (or "God"?) ?
For example:
"Guy, Holl, ...
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What's the difference between "idem" and "ditto"?
I understand that in colloquial American English people retort with "ditto" when they mean "likewise", but I don't know that it is a correct use.
I always thought the real meaning was "as I ...
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Is 'hmmm?' an interjection? If not, what is it?
I hope this isn't obvious (although maybe it's better if it is)! I'm working with an interview transcript and I have a participant who says 'Hmmm?' in a way that I want to discuss. Unfortunately, I ...
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Term for a word used to pad a sentence while the speaker thinks of what to say next [duplicate]
Is there a word for a term employed to play for time and allow the speaker a little longer to work out what he/she wants to say next?
Words like um and er fall into this category, of course, but so (...
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Is the expression "By the gods!" an interjection?
In the work of art it reads as follows: "No, by the gods! Would that it had been!"
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What do you call the event when a person says "ahhhhhhmm..."? [duplicate]
One of the person here keeps on saying those words, I want to say that he needs to avoid that but I can't describe it.
Example:
Me: Please example the following to me.
Him: That object is the result ...
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Interjection made in mockery to make someone jealous
I seem to remember there is an interjection used by children when they have something another kid doesn't as a way to make them jealous: it's something along the lines of nuh-nuh-nah-nuh-nah said in a ...
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Can I use an interjection like "by God" to imply I'm talking about God later in the sentence?
Can I use the phrase "by God" to imply I'm talking about God, while also using it as an interjection?
So e.g.:
By God, it was a difficult thing to do, who has long since given up on me.
user99677
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Origin of "Period" and "Full Stop" as Interjections
In North America and the UK, "period" and "full stop" are used as interjections "to indicate that a decision is irrevocable or that a point is no longer discussable" (sense 23, here). For example, "We'...
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What is the origin of "woof!"?
We know that woof is the sound a dog makes when barking. It is used both as a noun and a verb. The word is onomatopoeic but it is also used as an interjection. People woof too when they are attracted ...
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"why oh why" or "why, oh why"? [closed]
Is this punctuated correctly?
If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow,
Why oh why can’t I?"
Or should “oh why” be set off by commas?
If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow,
...
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The word "pew" (P.U., etc.) and positive or neutral connotation
Normally, whenever I've heard the word "pew" (or its Bugs Bunny-esque cousin P.U.), it's applied to a bad smell of some kind. I just started learning an old folk song from the Appalachians called "...
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Is a comma required before an interjected “well”?
A picture shared on Instagram (original source unknown) contains the following grammar joke:
“Well done, well-done, or well, done?”
And, this being a grammar joke, I’d assume it uses correct ...
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Direct speech to reported speech with Hush! [closed]
Please change the sentence from direct speech to reported speech. I cannot solve this problem. Can anyone solve this?
He said, "HUSH! The headmaster is coming."
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How do you write the expression of disgust that sounds like "er"?
My daughter said to me this morning (the context is irrelevant):
Er, it's all wet!
The interjection I have written here as Er was synonymous with Yuck. Its wetness did not cause great happiness.
...
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What's the name of the figure of speech where a person departs from the main stream of thought for the purpose of explanation or added information?
What is a departure from the main stream of thought for the purpose of explanation or added information? Is it called an interjection?
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Interjection of exasperation or frustration when something is not working properly
When I am exasperated or frustrated when something is not working properly. Not like shit or fuck, those are just "something bad is happening", and too broad. I want something that's more like ...
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Is there a name/term for "multiplied vowels"?
For example if somebody is saying:
"Ooooooh myyyyyyy Gooooood" or if they realize something and go "Ooooooh!" or Darth Vader's "NOOOOOOO!", usually all of these extra vowels aren't included in the ...
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An interjection/expression for expressing nostalgia
What is an interjection/expression to use to express nostalgia?
I was listening to a song which reminded me of my adolescent days, feeling nostalgic for those times. Are there kinds of nostalgia? ...
