User Robusto

186 votes

7 answers

78k views

How do the tenses and aspects in English correspond temporally to one another?

asked Apr 20, 2011 at 2:37

63 votes

9 answers

6k views

Is it ever worth the time and effort to correct someone else's grating grammatical mistakes? [closed]

asked Nov 23, 2010 at 15:38

52 votes

8 answers

15k views

Why do we say "try and" [verb] instead of "try to" [verb]? (E.g., "Try and call me tomorrow.")

asked May 25, 2011 at 20:27

51 votes

3 answers

10k views

The "old switcheroo": Where did the "-eroo" suffix come from?

asked Nov 17, 2017 at 15:08

49 votes

11 answers

25k views

When did "a buck" start being used to mean any unit of 100? (E.g. "a buck fifty" for 150 lbs.)

asked Sep 18, 2018 at 15:27

45 votes

5 answers

4k views

Does the quirky spelling in English actually make it easier to read?

asked Dec 10, 2010 at 21:49

41 votes

6 answers

47k views

Types of things vs. types of thing

asked Nov 24, 2010 at 15:00

38 votes

8 answers

4k views

The hidden flaw in "singular they"—what to do about reflexive pronouns?

asked Dec 24, 2014 at 2:19

35 votes

11 answers

9k views

Just how offensive are the terms "retarded" and "gay"?

asked Nov 25, 2010 at 16:42

33 votes

8 answers

11k views

Punctuating question tags: A question mark is always required, isn't it. (Well, isn't it?)

asked Jun 15, 2012 at 15:22

29 votes

7 answers

16k views

Is there a term for words that have a single meaning or are only used in a single context?

asked Jan 30, 2011 at 1:55

27 votes

7 answers

3k views

Do Brits understand rhyming slang or are they sometimes puzzled by it too?

asked Feb 2, 2011 at 1:35

27 votes

9 answers

8k views

Is there a pessimistic counterpart to the term "Pollyanna"?

asked Mar 4, 2020 at 14:48

26 votes

15 answers

32k views

Does a "fact" have to be true?

asked May 28, 2015 at 11:30

21 votes

2 answers

5k views

"Soft-peddle" vs. "Soft-pedal": eggcorn blunder or sly play on words?

asked Nov 5, 2012 at 14:27

21 votes

2 answers

3k views

Is there such a thing as Intrusive-L (as opposed to Intrusive-R)?

asked Nov 18, 2019 at 4:24

20 votes

5 answers

2k views

Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon: Is there a name for this kind of punny transference?

asked Jun 12, 2011 at 13:13

19 votes

7 answers

1k views

Is there an acceptable corresponding negative to "well off"?

asked Nov 30, 2013 at 2:33

19 votes

3 answers

5k views

"Boy howdy!" Where did this expression come from, who uses it, and what does it convey?

asked Feb 20 at 1:59

18 votes

3 answers

4k views

In 18th century England, was "eat" the past tense of "eat" and how was it pronounced?

asked May 22 at 16:10

18 votes

3 answers

3k views

Term for a word that is unintentionally made up of two or more other words?

asked Dec 29, 2012 at 17:03

18 votes

3 answers

2k views

You don't want to answer this word-placement question, now do you?

asked Jan 4, 2013 at 21:51

17 votes

5 answers

4k views

"Carved from the living rock" — since when was rock ever alive?

asked Aug 19, 2011 at 0:39

16 votes

6 answers

13k views

What do the British mean by "bolshie"?

asked Feb 13, 2015 at 18:20

16 votes

6 answers

2k views

Is Yiddish a creole language? And if not, what is it?

asked Dec 3, 2010 at 13:00

14 votes

6 answers

3k views

Diacritics and non-English letters in anglicized loan words: keep 'em, dump 'em, italicize the words, or what?

asked Feb 19, 2011 at 18:22

14 votes

7 answers

55k views

"Close the light" — regionalism or mere oddity?

asked Apr 16, 2011 at 0:26

12 votes

5 answers

4k views

How do you tell when you're reading a poor translation?

asked Nov 27, 2010 at 16:50

12 votes

3 answers

2k views

Where does the term "shiv" (a makeshift dagger) actually come from?

asked Jan 31, 2020 at 21:10

11 votes

2 answers

3k views

When and where did "clam" come to mean a missed note in a musical performance?

asked Apr 17, 2019 at 15:15

Stack Exchange Network

58 Questions

How do the tenses and aspects in English correspond temporally to one another?

Is it ever worth the time and effort to correct someone else's grating grammatical mistakes? [closed]

Why do we say "try and" [verb] instead of "try to" [verb]? (E.g., "Try and call me tomorrow.")

The "old switcheroo": Where did the "-eroo" suffix come from?

When did "a buck" start being used to mean any unit of 100? (E.g. "a buck fifty" for 150 lbs.)

Does the quirky spelling in English actually make it easier to read?

Types of things vs. types of thing

The hidden flaw in "singular they"—what to do about reflexive pronouns?

Just how offensive are the terms "retarded" and "gay"?

Punctuating question tags: A question mark is always required, isn't it. (Well, isn't it?)

Is there a term for words that have a single meaning or are only used in a single context?

Do Brits understand rhyming slang or are they sometimes puzzled by it too?

Is there a pessimistic counterpart to the term "Pollyanna"?

Does a "fact" have to be true?

"Soft-peddle" vs. "Soft-pedal": eggcorn blunder or sly play on words?

Is there such a thing as Intrusive-L (as opposed to Intrusive-R)?

Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon: Is there a name for this kind of punny transference?

Is there an acceptable corresponding negative to "well off"?

"Boy howdy!" Where did this expression come from, who uses it, and what does it convey?

In 18th century England, was "eat" the past tense of "eat" and how was it pronounced?

Term for a word that is unintentionally made up of two or more other words?

You don't want to answer this word-placement question, now do you?

"Carved from the living rock" — since when was rock ever alive?

What do the British mean by "bolshie"?

Is Yiddish a creole language? And if not, what is it?

Diacritics and non-English letters in anglicized loan words: keep 'em, dump 'em, italicize the words, or what?

"Close the light" — regionalism or mere oddity?

How do you tell when you're reading a poor translation?

Where does the term "shiv" (a makeshift dagger) actually come from?

When and where did "clam" come to mean a missed note in a musical performance?