Questions tagged [north-american-english]
Questions about English used in the United States and Canada, but usually not Mexico.
229
questions
2
votes
2answers
71 views
Is “each's” a word?
I've looked, and while there does not seem to be any truly legitimate sources out there on the web that support "each's" being proper grammar. Opposing that, Google Docs does not put a wavy ...
1
vote
1answer
32 views
What is Skinn & Sheer in the Ambrose Bierce fable: The Rainmaker?
In the tale of Ambrose Bierce - The Rainmaker it is said the following:
hat is a pretty good joke," said the Reporter, laughing as well as he could in the strangling rain - "a mule driver's ...
1
vote
0answers
63 views
American English: “Should have came …”
So I'm watching Palmer, and Coles, a white, middle-class US American male, just said I shoulda came and visited you (refering to Palmer, who got out of prison earlier that week). The movie plays in ...
1
vote
1answer
42 views
the meaning of these reading (Neither and Nor)
What is the meaning of the sentence in bold?
How might this inability to recall early experiences be explained? The
sheer passage of time does not account for it; adults have excellent
recognition of ...
0
votes
2answers
67 views
Confusion about an email reply [closed]
I am an undergraduate student. I was applying to transfer to another university. I wrote to a university official requesting some information, and here is the conversation:
Me: ask if the college ...
2
votes
1answer
96 views
Pronunciation of /æ/, when it comes before /m/ or /n/
I believe when /æ/ comes before m or n , it’s pronounced [ɛə] instead of [æ], (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki//%C3%A6/_raising)
but is it always the case？For example, how about the main stress is not ...
3
votes
3answers
96 views
What is the term for subconsciously doing something that you think you're dreaming
A friend of mine has been having these weird bouts of subconscious life interruptions. Not sure how to explain it correctly, that's why I'm here, I've researched it but I don't know how to explain it ...
0
votes
0answers
98 views
Slang: “To have a twenty on me”
So I was listening to a song (bülow - Own me), and there's this one line that I can't really understand. Which is "Got nothing but a twenty on me", and I can't really understand what it's ...
1
vote
0answers
22 views
What's it means “yes validate just the what” [closed]
I asked my mentor
"Do I need to validate the filed if it's type is required？”
And he answered
"Yes validate just the what"
What's that means？ It it means yes I should validate it？ Or ...
4
votes
2answers
169 views
What is the origin of the word “wash” to mean a net gain of zero?
"Wash"
A situation in which gains and losses balance each other
This appears to be informal North American usage. What is the origin of this use of "wash" to mean a net gain of zero?
0
votes
1answer
54 views
What are the rules for using “to” with can and want?
Trying to explain to my Spanish-speaking friend the use of can vs. want, I realize I have no idea of rules for the use of "to". Sometimes it's used, sometimes not, I know what sounds right but I don't ...
3
votes
1answer
101 views
“I'm asking you to middle a diamond”
In the movie Donnie Brasco, Al Pacino shows a jeweler a diamond and tells him
"I'm asking you to middle a diamond for me here."
What does it mean "to middle"?
I cannot found 'middle' as a verb ...
1
vote
0answers
52 views
I don't understand what a character says in a TV programme
I'm a non-native English speaker and English is my second language. I've been watching an episode of one of my favourite children's TV programmes for a minute and I already don't understand what one ...
1
vote
1answer
45 views
What is the meaning of “Falcon Friday”?
The term Falcon Friday was found on deviantArt Twitter and later found constantly used in academic domain, like in universities, what is the meaning of Falcon Friday when an university management use ...
2
votes
1answer
98 views
Social Distance vs Social Distancing
Quick question.
Are there any differences between these two words?
Social Distance
Social Distancing
What I understand from the first one is Social( ADJ ) + Distance (N).
I do not understand why ...
0
votes
2answers
62 views
How often do you use 'nowadays' vs 'these days' in your dialect?
I would say that in South Africa, nowadays is rather quaint; something that perhaps Boomers and older or second language speakers would use. Unfortunately, I cautioned a student nearly a year ago ...
1
vote
0answers
192 views
What do you call the open area outside of a building as depicted in the picture?
I find it hard to name the place other than "an open area outside of a building." It doesn't matter if it is in the front or on any other side of the building.
1
vote
1answer
76 views
Formal/ legal term for “enforcer”
What is a more formal way to refer to someone acting as an "enforcer"?
A landlord has a tenant who acts as his unofficial "enforcer" towards other tenants (and often times for no good reason). He ...
0
votes
2answers
81 views
What is the negative connotation of 'great'?
We call a well known actor, a 'famous' actor.
Yet a well known criminal is called a 'notorious' criminal.
In similar vein, a popular leader would be called a 'great' leader.
But what would you call ...
0
votes
0answers
28 views
Is this a compound or sentence fragment?
Given the following sentence:
"As if she lived in a castle and her favourite princes and princesses had just dropped by to visit"
Is this a compound or sentence fragment?
1
vote
2answers
131 views
I will show them the 'job of Bronx' [closed]
Rocco Commisso is the Italian-American owner of the New York Cosmos and Fiorentina FC.
Italian journalists made fun of his funny Italian accent, and he responded saying this:
I know that lots of ...
0
votes
2answers
103 views
You will vs you must [closed]
With it being a direct order with out a choice.
Is it written
You will pay for your sins.
Or
You must pay for your sins.
Will seems stronger as You will no matter what.
Where you must just ...
1
vote
0answers
446 views
Is “this is different than before” valid US English for “this is different from before”? [duplicate]
I have many times heard James Rolfe and Mike Matei (the video content producers), who I believe both grew up in New Jersey or in the city Pennsylvania, say things such as:
Blablabla. This is ...
1
vote
2answers
122 views
Is it “bad” to try and learn southern American English? [closed]
I have always been really interested in south American life style, culture, and specially language, a while back, I asked a professional American English teacher, about if it was OK to try and learn ...
2
votes
1answer
138 views
American English: Gliding of the long “ee” sound: [i] to [ɪi]
I have noticed that Americans have (broadly speaking) two ways of pronouncing the long "ee" vowel as in "fleece".
A simple [i] that ends with the same quality it starts with: listen to user ...
-2
votes
2answers
2k views
Meaning of “that's fine” in modern American English when used as an answer to a question
I'm trying to understand (spoken) modern American English. Here's an example of my exchange:
Me: Thank you for your payment. Would you like me to email you receipt?
Respondent: All right. That's fine....
3
votes
2answers
90 views
First use of American football fields as measurement
In some books and documentaries, American football fields are used as units of measurement for length (100 yards) and sometimes area. For example, a book might say
The iceberg was the size of six ...
13
votes
8answers
6k views
'Cheddar goes “good” with burgers?' Can “go” be seen as a verb of the senses?
I know that the adverb modifies a verb except for in some limited cases such as verbs of the senses or copula.
"It tastes good.", not "It tastes well."
"It looks good.", ...
2
votes
1answer
6k views
How to use “get to” and “got to”?
This question is related to these two posts (please read those answers too):
"Get to do something"
What is difference between GOT TO and HAVE TO
For example: "I got to spend time with my ...
-1
votes
1answer
93 views
Usage of Comma to remove ambiguity
Soon after the military operations, an 11 member committee headed by Mr. ABC was set up to suggest measures that would enhance the combat capability of the armed forces and to also, balance defence ...
0
votes
2answers
64 views
Still usage and despite suggestion [closed]
I have this sentence: I fell in love with coding, but still I was not able to decide whether it is something possible as a career. Is the structure correct?
3
votes
2answers
751 views
What’s wrong with saying “he has his mind in the right mindset?”
My friend says its gramatically incorrect, what do you guys think?
1
vote
1answer
7k views
Is this correct in American English: It has helped me developed
I've come across a brief overview about a Canadian sales representative that says :
I grew-up in a family business specializing in short-term rental
accommodations. Our resort, Tyrolean Village ...
1
vote
1answer
422 views
“laying it out there”
"The child is not mine. I found out through one of her friends."
"Why hasn't she told you?"
"I don't know. I guess she just felt more comfortable not laying it out there."
"You must be angry."
"I ...
0
votes
1answer
175 views
Why is there a US idiom of using China to mean far away?
I live in the UK, and a lot of US culture reaches us in the form of film and TV.
There seems to be a trope of referring to something as being in China to mean it's a long way away. Things like:
"I'...
3
votes
2answers
812 views
Why do some Americans pronounce K and B after vowels sounds like G and P
For example, ‘speaker’ sounds like ‘speager’ and ‘Stop it’ sounds like ‘stob it’.
0
votes
0answers
791 views
Final /s/ vs /z/ sound at the end of verbs/nouns issue [duplicate]
So, I've seen this rule at several English books about how if a word has a voiced final sound (e.g. r, voiced th, l, m, n..) then added 's' is pronounced more like /z/. If the final sound is voiceless ...
1
vote
5answers
202 views
Why do U.S. Americans say “a good value” (using indefinite article “a”)
Take this example from the Airbnb website: "What would have made this listing a better value?"
This souds absolutely horrible and incorrect to my Australian ears (I would omit the "a"). I've also ...
1
vote
1answer
50 views
What's this “Jl. Sg.” appended to a name in the Social Register?
Screenshotted from the (fictitious) "1929 Social Register" in the opening sequence of the film Down to Their Last Yacht (1934).
"Miss Linda Colt-Stratton" I get, but what's the "Jl. Sg." after her ...
-3
votes
1answer
106 views
What are the feminine equivalents of “Running mate”?
From Wikipedia:
In the United States, "running mate" refers not only to a candidate
for vice president (federal), but also to a candidate for lieutenant
governors of those states where the ...
1
vote
4answers
743 views
What is/are the synonym/s for 'to move to sit closer to someone'?
I have a couple of things in mind, but I'm not sure if they can be applied to sitting position.
For example, if I'm sitting on the other end of the couch, and then I move to sit closer to someone ...
2
votes
3answers
88 views
Expressing “with a higher variance” as an adjective
Is it possible to express
has a higher variance
in the sentence
Dataset A has a higher variance than dataset B
as an adjective? Would
Dataset A is more variable than dataset B
be the ...
0
votes
1answer
128 views
Stove, Cooker, Range, Oven, Hob
Whenever we go to Canada, we go self catering. Usually the cooker (English word for the combination of an oven with gas or electric burners on top which can be used when cooking with saucepans) we had ...
-1
votes
1answer
22 views
“Stay on us for this” [closed]
In response to "Thank you. Much appreciated"
Reply was
"Please stay on us for this"
What is the exact meaning of this response.
0
votes
1answer
54 views
Co-pay vs copartnership: Prefix hyphenation in AmE
In AmE, we tend to close up prefixes like co-, re-, pre-, post-, etc. unless the first letter of the main word is the same vowel as the last letter of the prefix. But I see some exceptions like ...
1
vote
0answers
1k views
over the years/thoughout the years/for years
What are the cases in which each of those is used? Can you give more detailed examples and differences in meaning and usage than the ones I found below if there are any?
Here's what Google says:
...
14
votes
7answers
6k views
What is a small tent kind of shop on the side of the road called?
What is a small tent kind of shop on the side of the road called?
It can sell stuff like newspapers, snacks, coffee, and other small things. The only two things that come to mind are "a hot dog stand"...
2
votes
1answer
1k 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 ...
2
votes
1answer
82 views
Why it is “the Grinch” but not just Grinch as it's his personal name
We don't use the definite article with personal names, however here....why is it so?
Yeah, I know sometimes we can use "the". When it's a person everybody knows about or smth like that.
But why it'...
2
votes
0answers
61 views
From Black Friday to Cyber Monday!
Sources available on line say that the expression “Cyber Monday” is just a few years old, dating its coinage to 2005:
The term "Cyber Monday" was dreamt up in 2005 by a marketing team at Shop.org,...
