Questions tagged [word-usage]
This tag is for questions about correctly using a word. The word has to be provided within the question. The question should be limited to the usage of one word. For the usage of complete phrases there is the tag phrase-usage.
9,305
questions
-4
votes
0
answers
46
views
What is the right way of asking someone [closed]
which one is the right way to ask someone, who did your nails? or do you say, who done your nails?
0
votes
0
answers
44
views
What's handdog air? [closed]
In a Robert galbraith book there is a phrase "a small man with a hand-dog air".. Is it some new slang or is it a typo? If typo what's that? Hair? Do small dogs have common hair style or what?...
- 117
0
votes
0
answers
28
views
'lead' or 'led' [closed]
I have seen this writing in Google searches:
"this has lead governments"
and
"this has led governments"
to me they both seem correct. But, I want to verify this properly with ...
- 115
1
vote
0
answers
86
views
Use of the verb ‘output’ [closed]
I need some advice on the use of output as a verb.
To put it in context, I am working on a desktop app that uses some of the functionality of MS Word. In the app, there is an element called a binding ...
16
votes
12
answers
4k
views
The usage of "can not" vs. "cannot" in mathematics
I saw the following passage in Professor West's homepage, and I hadn't noticed this point before. See https://dwest.web.illinois.edu/grammar.html#cannot
"Can not" and "may be". ...
- 301
-4
votes
1
answer
66
views
Does jewel sometimes have a negative meaning? [closed]
In the lyrics of song Sorry by Halsey there's this line:
I've missed your calls for months it seems
Don't realise how mean I can be
'Cause I can sometimes treat the people
that I love like jewelry
...
- 267
0
votes
0
answers
80
views
Our heart or our hearts
I just read a quote in which someone, on behalf of herself and her spouse, wrote "Our heart goes out for ....". I Googled to know if when it comes to speaking about heart not as a body organ,...
- 5,469
-1
votes
3
answers
55
views
area or area size? [closed]
When talking about the growth of a production plant, which of the following is correct, and why?
We are growing in area and number of employees.
Or:
We are growing in area size and number of ...
- 41
6
votes
2
answers
703
views
Can "stagnate" be used as a transitive verb?
I know that some verbs can be used either transitively or intransitively. Is it acceptable to use a verb transitively that is generally not used that way? As in:
"I can't continue to stagnate ...
17
votes
5
answers
2k
views
Does "until now" always imply that the action is finished?
Neither my wife nor I have English as our mother tongue, but we use English to communicate to each other, which sometimes causes confusion.
My wife often uses the expression "until now" to ...
- 344
4
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Difference between "wave AT" and "wave TO"
What's the difference between "wave" used with "to" and "wave" used with "at"?
Two sentences as examples:
She's waving at the person behind me.
and
The ...
- 51
-1
votes
1
answer
47
views
Is this the proper use of imbued?
I am writing lyrics to a song, and the first two lines I have written read as follows:
The spiral begins as these thoughts are imbued,
"I'm hideous sin and I have no value."
The idea I ...
- 11
0
votes
1
answer
36
views
Can parts "comprise" the whole? [duplicate]
A quick google search shows that you can use "comprise" in the following ways:
The hotel comprises 58 rooms.
or
A car comprises an engine, a transmission, a body, a chassis, etc.
I know that ...
- 187
0
votes
2
answers
67
views
What does it mean to be “cashiered?”
I was reading up on the Dirlewanger Brigade (a scummy bunch of Nazis even by Nazi standards) and came across this line:
“…cut-throats, renegades, sadistic morons, and cashiered rejects from other ...
- 914
0
votes
2
answers
115
views
Should the word "cousin" (without specifying which) be used to denote first cousins only or any "cousin"?
tl;dr If I'd introduce you to someone with "Say hi to my cousin Harry.", would you be surprised to later learn that it's my seventh second cousin twice removed because I used the word cousin ...
- 127
0
votes
1
answer
39
views
Give or gift? That is the question [duplicate]
Used be, one gave a gift. It was called gifting, the gift was given.
When, why and how did "gift" replace "give" as in "I gifted her a bouquet"?
"Gifted" used ...
- 1
0
votes
2
answers
38
views
"Keep it unchanged" vs. "Keep it constant" vs. "Keep it unchanging"
Using Google search, I found that the phrase "keep it unchanged" is very common while "keep it unchanging" is very uncommon and "keep it constant" is not so common. ...
- 37
0
votes
1
answer
101
views
Can I use the phrase 'sororal twins' to describe a set of female twins?
Fraternal twins is what you call a set of twins who look different, but the word fraternal also has the meaning 'of or relating to brothers', and comes from a Latin root meaning 'brother'.
The ...
- 704
1
vote
0
answers
34
views
Verbs that go with a specific noun -- name for this?
The verb for lying is "told","I told a lie." Occasionally I will hear, "I said a lie."
The latter usage really is cringey to me although perhaps "said" is a ...
- 523
0
votes
1
answer
31
views
Which is better: "On first reading" vs. "At first reading"?
In the context of a section in a technical document that describes several topics, one of which is essential and others can be skipped, which of the following is better?
You can skip the others on ...
1
vote
0
answers
24
views
She came home exhausted [closed]
Is it correct to say "She came home exhausted"?
Is it necessary to use the verb "to arrive" here?
- 11
0
votes
0
answers
12
views
Use of the word settle [migrated]
Is is grammatically okay to use ‘settle’ for causative purpose ?
Is this sentence okay “ I settle whom I will at my home” ?
1
vote
1
answer
113
views
Origin of "home and dry"
Cambridge says that the idiom home and dry is British English, which explains why I hear it used around me. It means:
to have successfully finished something
but I have heard it used also literally. ...
- 32k
12
votes
4
answers
3k
views
What disrespectful connotations does "redline" have?
I was reading the article "Respectful code" on the JavaScript engine V8's website and found it surprising that the term "redline" is an example of terminology to be avoided. Why is ...
- 233
-1
votes
1
answer
91
views
Has the usage of "screenshare" increased in recent years?
Every time I offer to "get on a screenshare" with colleagues, Microsoft Teams marks "screenshare" with the dreaded red squiggly underline. I note that (as of August 31, 2023) the ...
- 363
1
vote
1
answer
57
views
"Teams members" or "Team members" (considering we are talking about 2 teams)?
In the context of we having 2 Teams: team 1, and team 2. I want to refer to the members of all the teams we have. Should I say "Teams members" or do I still have to use the singular of "...
- 119
0
votes
0
answers
20
views
My exams have been preponed [duplicate]
In India, most educated People say that " my exams have been preponed" As an English teacher I know that Americans say moved up and Britishers say that advanced in the context. One of the ...
- 2,702
18
votes
6
answers
7k
views
Why do people say 'topless' but not 'topful'?
Say you want to wear a shirt: it would be odd to say, "I'm going topful". Is the reason due to topless being more out of the norm, and thus requiring a term? Maybe in places where not ...
user486316
1
vote
0
answers
29
views
What is the difference between "a memoir" and "a biography"? [closed]
What is the difference between "a memoir" and "a biography"?
According to my study, "a biography of a person A" is normally written by someone else not A and "a ...
- 4,587
0
votes
0
answers
37
views
Is "such" ever used instead of "this/that" or "the said" in legal English?
"Such" has many meanings, one of them being to refer to something of a particular kind/type (see "of this or that kind").
However, in many legal documents and laws in Malta, "...
- 601
1
vote
1
answer
38
views
When do we use "an analogy", "a metaphor" and "a figure of speech"? [closed]
I have difficulty understanding when we use "an analogy", "a metaphor" and "a figure of speech".
I feel like in a casual conversation, people just use any of these words ...
- 4,587
5
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Is "abreast a" something ever correct?
Quick question about the correct use of "abreast". I have noticed most of the example sentences online only use "abreast of" and I am wondering if using "abreast a" ...
- 1,071
2
votes
1
answer
116
views
How did the verb "take" come to mean "to undertake and make, do, or perform"?
One of the senses of the verb take is:
to undertake and make, do, or perform.
take a walk
take aim
take legal action
take a test
take a look
[sense 17a, Merriam-Webster]
It is an idiomatic usage. ...
user486022
19
votes
5
answers
6k
views
Why do people say a dog is 'harmless' but not 'harmful'?
I'm not asking if people consider dogs dangerous or not, I'm asking about how the words 'harmless' or 'harmful' are used.
Did the distinction on how the words are used arise at some point? One could ...
user485923
0
votes
1
answer
41
views
Can somebody help me identify the grammatical rule at play in the sentence, "It was mandatory the each person wipe off equipment..." [duplicate]
I've been asked by a friend taking a TOEIC exam to get an explanation of why "wipe" should be used in the following sentence, as opposed to "wipes":
It was mandatory that each ...
0
votes
2
answers
59
views
"They say that our uniform looks cool and easy to move."
I'm not sure if the use of "easy to move" in this sentence is correct.
They say that our uniform looks cool and easy to move.
It sounds strange to me. I can use the word "comfortable&...
2
votes
2
answers
106
views
When people say "that's not a word", are they just saying it's not part of current standard English? [duplicate]
If something is said and people understand it, sounds like a word to me. If people didn't understand it, I would think they would rather say, "what do you mean?", than making it a word after ...
user485570
0
votes
2
answers
46
views
Does "Damaged Goods" always refer to psychological or other intangible effects?
My sense is that it never means an actual physical defect as in, "The quarterback's knees were shot -- he could still throw, but he knew that to management he was damaged goods."
Or can it ...
- 523
2
votes
1
answer
60
views
Can I use "when" to replace "how often"?
Can I use when as a replacement for how often? Is it common to use when to ask about the frequency of an action?
ex: Question: When do you do the dishes?
Answer: Sometimes I do the dishes.
5
votes
3
answers
113
views
Effect of using an unidiomatic expression - "a tableau in happiness"
EDIT:
Thank you everyone for the answers. The point about grammatical vs idiomatic is interesting.
To clarify, I would like to know if an average reader would a) understand the meaning of the (...
11
votes
3
answers
1k
views
"Unrelentless" to mean "relentless"?
A native speaker commended someone for investigating something thoroughly, so they said "for your relentless investigating efforts", then they corrected themselves and said "...
2
votes
5
answers
309
views
Does a restaurant 'make' sushi or 'do' sushi?
In the following sentence, which is idiomatic: make or do? Is there any difference in register, meaning, or usage?
There’s a little Japanese place near my office that makes/does great sushi!
I've ...
- 45
2
votes
2
answers
93
views
Which premodifier is correct: 'ethical' or 'ethics'?
The premodifiers 'ethics' and 'ethical' seem to be used interchangeably in the context of
'ethics review' / 'ethical review'
'ethics committee' / 'ethical committee'
'ethics approval' / 'ethical ...
- 21
0
votes
1
answer
78
views
How to tell which is "port" and which is"interface" on electronic devices (e.g., PC)
I cannot simply know where to use "port" and "interface", because these two words translate into one same word in my native language. So, I wanna figure out the difference between &...
- 303
28
votes
5
answers
4k
views
Understanding of -pants vs. "pants" in UK speakers
My wife, a native Spanish speaker, today asked me about why a youtuber would call themselves 'craftypants'.
I explained that -pants was added to something as synecdoche, so for example an intelligent ...
- 1,447
1
vote
1
answer
64
views
Could "Diagnostic" be used as a noun and in plural form?
I've noticed that "Diagnostic" can be used as a plural! Such as in some windows warning messages. What's the subtle difference between Diagnostic and Diagnosis? How do we use each of them in ...
- 13
1
vote
1
answer
38
views
Which one is correct? "many privileges" vs. "much privilege" [closed]
Which one is correct? Is it many privileges or much privilege?
e.g.
You have many privileges/much privilege as a child of a rich family.
- 29
0
votes
1
answer
32
views
Can ‘manage’ mean ‘achieve with difficulty’? [closed]
I often find myself using sentence constructions like:
Although the train was full, she managed to squeeze on.
I passed the chemistry exam, but never managed history.
Everybody complained about the ...
- 523
3
votes
1
answer
131
views
What is a "hand‑tooled mitre‑crozier applique"?
In Dan Brown's novel The Da Vinci Code, a bishop, in an attempt not to stand out in the airport crowd or on the plane, wears a certain type of outfit. It's been quoted multiple times by critics, ...
- 20.2k
0
votes
1
answer
27
views
Is "state" capitalized in lieu of the name? [duplicate]
When referring to the "politically organized body of people usually occupying a definite territory" in lieu of the proper name, should state be capitalized?
Example:
He will liaise with ...
