All Questions
128,610
questions
77
votes
5
answers
20k
views
What is "ass door"?
I'm not English speaking, I understand the joke but say please what is "ass door"? Is it the same as butt door? Didn't find it in the dictionary.
- 777
77
votes
9
answers
30k
views
How is y’all’dn’t’ve pronounced
According to Wikipedia, y’all’dn’t’ve is a valid contraction.
I am having difficulty pronouncing the L-D-N-T-V consonant cluster, especially since there is no vowel at the end (silent E). Y’all’dn’t’...
- 916
77
votes
12
answers
160k
views
What is the difference between "it's up to you" and "it's down to you"?
I see both "It's up to you" and "It's down to you" in conversations.
So what's the difference?
- 863
77
votes
6
answers
7k
views
Why "the powers that be"?
In the phrase "the powers that be," as in the sentence:
It would never have occurred to the powers that be to run and supervise the National Lottery from anywhere but London.
(Oxford ...
- 1,419
77
votes
2
answers
264k
views
"Queueing" or "Queuing"
Which spelling is better, queueing or queuing? Both words seem to mean the same, but there are two different spellings. My context is:
Queueing Latency
versus
Queuing Latency
If both ...
- 889
77
votes
1
answer
129k
views
Do you capitalize both parts of a hyphenated word in a title?
Do you capitalize both parts of a hyphenated word in a title?
"My Ex-Wife Hates Me"
or
"My Ex-wife Hates Me"
- 1,649
76
votes
21
answers
18k
views
Idiom criticizing a person who has unsolved problems but tries to give someone advice about them
Is there an idiom or expression that refers to a person who has some unsolved problems and tries to give some pieces of advice to, or guide, others for solving the same problems?
We Iranians have a ...
- 9,197
76
votes
4
answers
176k
views
How to read exponential expressions, e.g., "2^16"?
How do you say the mathematical function in English:
x^y (or xy)
For example, how do you say
2^16 (or 216)
I know ^ means 'power' or 'exponentiate', but that is the name of the operation, ...
- 2,179
76
votes
8
answers
235k
views
Is it correct to use "their" instead of "his or her"?
Is this sentence grammatically correct?
Anyone who loves the English language should have a copy of this book in their bookcase.
or should it be:
Anyone who loves the English language should have a ...
- 13.9k
76
votes
5
answers
658k
views
"Fill out a form" or "fill in a form"
Does one fill out a form or does one fill in a form? I've gotten different answers from the people I've asked.
Google search results:
fill in a form — 14,200,000
fill out a form — 7,000,000
- 1,602
76
votes
3
answers
127k
views
What’s the rule for adding “-er” vs. “-or” when forming an agent noun from a verb?
What’s the rule to decide whether you add -er or whether you add -or when creating an agent noun from a verb?
Sometimes it’s -er:
read > reader
hate > hater
hit > hitter
But other times it’s -...
- 10.8k
76
votes
3
answers
32k
views
What is the origin of "daemon" with regards to computing?
Daemon has an interesting usage in computing. From my local dictionary:
a background process that handles requests for services such as print spooling and file transfers, and is dormant when not ...
- 35.5k
75
votes
8
answers
22k
views
How can I order eggs "over hard" in the UK?
I've recently made a couple of trips to the London area, and I've had a terrible time trying to convince the hotel breakfast cooks that I want my eggs fried "over hard", meaning that both the white ...
- 882
75
votes
8
answers
43k
views
What's the difference between "null" and "void" in legal language?
In the legal term "null and void," what is the difference between null and void? Why not just use one of the two terms? And can either term be used without the other?
- 1,328
75
votes
13
answers
236k
views
"Based on" instead of "based off of"
I sometimes see cases where off is followed by of, and it sounds awkward to me. For example, I would prefer
This story is based on a true story.
to
This story is based off of a true
story.
...
- 35.2k
75
votes
4
answers
12k
views
Why is it "behead" and not "dehead"?
The be- prefix in behead doesn't seem to match similar words like become, besmirch, or befuddle. Of course, the same prefix could serve different roles depending on the word. What role is be- serving ...
- 6,813
75
votes
6
answers
98k
views
Use of "I", "we" and the passive voice in a scientific thesis [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Style Question: Use of “we” vs. “I” vs. passive voice in a dissertation
When the first person voice is used in scientific writing it is mostly used in ...
- 851
74
votes
4
answers
41k
views
What is this famous example of the absurdity of English spelling?
A long time ago I read about this funny example posited by some relatively well-known author who spelled a word (I forget the word) in the most difficult way possible, but in a way that was totally ...
- 889
74
votes
11
answers
15k
views
Derogatory word, describing person (a pupil) who memorizes instead of learning?
Apologies if I am asking something that is well known, but I am not a native English speaker, and I could not find an answer so far.
In my native language, there exists a (derogatory) word for pupils,...
- 808
74
votes
9
answers
11k
views
Why do we refer to computers and other machines as being up or down?
Generally when a machine is working we refer to it as "up" and when it's not we say the machine is "down." What is the origin of this?
- 1,029
74
votes
3
answers
35k
views
What is the error called when two letters are mistakenly swapped?
Generally this may be called typo but when particularly two letters of a word are mistakenly swapped, what is this error called? Some examples:
teh > the
fromat > format
comptuer > computer
- 35.2k
74
votes
5
answers
916k
views
Should I put myself last? "me and my friends" vs. "my friends and me" or "my friends and I"
I've always been taught to put myself last when referring to myself in the same sentence as others but the usage of "me and..." seems to be everywhere these days. The misuse of the word "me" instead ...
- 1,463
73
votes
6
answers
18k
views
"It really doesn't matter" v "It doesn't really matter"
I can't distinguish the difference in meaning between these two sentences.
It really doesn't matter.
It doesn't really matter.
It seems that there is a nuanced difference, but I cannot see what ...
- 863
73
votes
14
answers
55k
views
Is there a polite alternative to "No thanks, I'm full"?
English is not my native language, but when I was studying in the US, I was always trying to find an alternative to
I'm full!
I felt that it was a very improper way to express that I have eaten ...
- 763
73
votes
5
answers
94k
views
How is SQL pronounced?
When I was learning SQL, I remember reading that it should be pronounced just like the word sequel; however, I worked with a bunch of techs who seemed to prefer S-Q-L. Is there a proper convention for ...
- 1,098
73
votes
6
answers
11k
views
Has 'fat chance' always been used sarcastically or was it once a factual term?
That 'fat chance' means 'a small chance' (and is always used sarcastically) is clear to me. But what I was wondering about is if the term used to be factual and then changed meaning because it started ...
- 771
73
votes
6
answers
17k
views
Is "Is it a girl or a boy?" really calling the infant an "it"?
So, my boss comes in, railing that "English is a stupid language!" Since this is pretty much a thrice-weekly occurrence 'round these parts, I barely raised an eyebrow, and waited for him to continue.
...
- 32.6k
73
votes
2
answers
188k
views
Is 'at the time of writing' correct?
I am writing a technical document and I need to refer to the current point of time. Should I say 'at the time of writing', 'at the time of this writing', or 'at the time of writing this'? Are all ...
- 851
73
votes
4
answers
201k
views
"Relation" versus "relationship"
What is the difference between relation and relationship?
Some say that relationship often refers to social connections. For instance,
She has a close relationship with her daughter.
How about the ...
- 1,453
72
votes
6
answers
441k
views
Which is correct, "neither is" or "neither are"?
Bob: "Can I set the font color? Can I customize the text?"
Frank: "Neither of these options is available. Sorry!"
Is "neither is" always correct or should one use "neither are" in some cases and ...
- 1,027
72
votes
4
answers
780k
views
"Effect" vs. "Affect"
I've noticed that some people use effect and affect interchangeably. What are the differences between these two and when are the proper situations to use each of them?
- 7,238
72
votes
2
answers
152k
views
"Content" or "Contents"?
Content or contents — when do I use which form?
I realize that the one is the plural form of the other, but they seem to be used interchangeably.
- 2,157
72
votes
4
answers
6k
views
Did gamblers get their lingo "hijacked?"
The earliest reference to "hijack" that OED lists is from 1923.
1923 Lit. Digest 4 Aug. 51/3 ‘I would have had $50,000,’ said Jimmy, ‘if I hadn't been hijacked.’
But the etymology is listed as ...
- 22.2k
72
votes
2
answers
6k
views
Etymology of "fairy"
All the standard dictionaries--with the notable exception of the OED--seem to trace the etymology of fairy through Old French fae to Latin fata, meaning "the fates" or "the goddess of fate". As a ...
- 443
72
votes
2
answers
1.4m
views
"Dear Sir or Madam" versus "To whom it may concern"
When is it appropriate to use the terms Dear Sir or Madam and To whom it may concern? The rules I was taught state that Dear Sir or Madam should be used when you're writing a letter to a person about ...
- 5,947
71
votes
12
answers
24k
views
What is a word similar to "amateur" yet having a strong connotation of someone who likes something?
The etymology of "amateur", according to the Online Etymology Dictionary, is:
1784, "one who has a taste for (something)," from French amateur "lover of," from Latin amatorem (nominative amator) "...
- 10.8k
71
votes
3
answers
462k
views
"Let's" vs. "lets": which is correct?
Say I'm promoting a product. Which is correct?
[Product] let's you [do something awesome].
[Product] lets you [do something awesome].
Or neither?
- 1,222
71
votes
8
answers
27k
views
“kinda”, “sorta”, “coulda”, “shoulda”, “lotta”, “oughta”, “betcha”, "tseasy", etc. What are these?
In linguistics, is there a term describing this phenomenon, i.e., when the syllables of two words are slurred together in the spoken language? They are not contractions. While contractions are ...
- 49.5k
71
votes
8
answers
245k
views
How do you handle "that that"? The double "that" problem
Have you ever had a case where you felt compelled to include strange things like a double that in a sentence? If so, then what did you do to resolve this?
For me, I never knew whether it was ...
- 1,385
71
votes
4
answers
10k
views
Meaning of "has a ____ to it"
People talking about how something will be perceived sometimes use the phrase "to it". For example people sometimes say "It will have a nice color to it." instead of just it will have a nice color. Or ...
- 947
71
votes
14
answers
34k
views
What is the correct word for "dependee"?
What is the correct word for "dependee"?
In other words, what is the word for something that is depended upon? The relationship here is in the context of software engineering
- 3,368
71
votes
10
answers
165k
views
Is "errored" correct usage?
If "errored" is not a valid word, then how should I say:
The program errored at line 44
I guess I could say:
The program threw an error at line 44
But why is "errored" wrong? Is there a better ...
- 1,595
71
votes
3
answers
188k
views
When I should use "assure" vs. "ensure" vs. "insure"?
When is it appropriate to use assure vs. ensure vs. insure?
- 2,569
71
votes
6
answers
6k
views
"Why does paper cut so well?", ambiguous question?
I have posted a question titled "Why does paper cut so well?" (on the Physics stack exchange). After a while, I noticed that over 40 people understood the question as "Why is it so easy to cut paper (...
71
votes
1
answer
318k
views
Why use "need not" instead of "do not need to"?
The header of psyco.sourceforge.net states:
High-level languages need not be slower than low-level ones.
Why use need not instead of do not need? What does it mean? Also, why no to before be?
- 1,604
71
votes
3
answers
220k
views
How should I abbreviate "versus"?
There are 4 types of abbreviations I know for "versus":
v
v.
vs
vs.
I generally use the last one in the list, but I want to stick to one and use only that one. Which one is more proper (or more ...
- 35.2k
71
votes
10
answers
135k
views
Alternatives to "and/or"?
As a programmer, I have no problem with seeing or using "and/or" in technical documentation. For example,
I can upvote an answer that satisfies me and/or mark it as accepted.
That's perfectly good ...
- 96.5k
71
votes
5
answers
197k
views
How did the letter Z come to be associated with sleeping/snoring?
In cartoons and comics it's not uncommon to see a series of Z's to indicate that a person is in deep slumber, such as in the following political cartoon.
(source: Berkeley Daily Planet)
How and when ...
- 4,436
70
votes
13
answers
13k
views
What's a less offensive substitute for "rep-whores"?
This is a frequently thrown-around term on Internet forums in general and Stack Exchange specifically. Although it conveys a lot of meaning, I'd much prefer a phrase with a less offensive origin.
...
- 887
70
votes
27
answers
104k
views
Polite alternative for "none of your business"
It seems it's rude and impolite to say directly to someone "none of your business". So, what's the more gentle alternative(s) for situations in which we should say "hey, this is none of your business!...
- 5,403