Most Popular
1500 questions
28
votes
4 answers
What does mean to "get to the nuts and balls of something"?
just an expression I heard from a guy on a tutorial on derivatives in calculus.
Edit: guys thanks all of you for replying, yeah the thing is that is misheard the phrase, somebody already corrected me, the right phrase was" to get to the nuts and…
user228424
- 381
- 3
- 5
28
votes
3 answers
What do Americans call a person when they cannot remember the right name?
In contemporary American English, what do you call a person you’ve temporarily forgotten the name of? Let’s suppose the following scenario. What would you use to fill in the blank?
Bill: Hey, Jack, do you remember our high school days?
Jack: Yea,…
A-friend
- 14,023
- 43
- 184
- 343
28
votes
3 answers
Is the SVOMPT word order necessary in creating a sentence?
I learned the English word order SVOMPT (Subject, Verb, Objects, Manner, Place, Time) rule at school. Although it was a quite straightforward rule when I was studying, now (under more influence from Slavic languages) I find myself not obeying it…
MasterPJ
- 1,455
- 3
- 15
- 25
28
votes
5 answers
Why don't we use articles for variables in math problems?
Why do we write:
solve for x
and not
solve for an/the x
or
Where t represents the number of tickets
and not
Where the t represents the number of tickets
Maciej Wakowski
- 388
- 3
- 10
28
votes
4 answers
Which pronunciation of 'either' is preferred?
I pronounce 'ei' in 'either' like in German (so, like 'I' in English: /aɪ/). This is natural for me.
But I've heard people pronouncing it as 'eee' (/iː/), so which version is correct? Or maybe both are correct?
FolksLord
- 2,154
- 6
- 22
- 26
28
votes
5 answers
Why do native speakers use the present continuous tense when talking about people in a picture? Why not the past continuous tense?
This is some sentences in a flyer test.
I took this photo by the lake last Saturday, Grandma. It looks lovely.
Do you know any of these people?
Yes, I do. The man who’s reading the newspaper is William.
He’s wearing a nice hat.
He is, isn’t he?…
Tom
- 17,895
- 49
- 192
- 346
28
votes
6 answers
coronavirus - Why no 'c' capital? Why is there no space?
It is written 'coronavirus' with no space and no capitalized 'c'. I'm not sure about it. It is the name of virus which makes it a proper noun. Plus, they should be two words like other viruses have. The list is here One of the known examples is…
Maulik V
- 65,222
- 105
- 299
- 447
28
votes
6 answers
Is "plugging out" electronic devices an American expression?
Are these valid in American English as opposed to "unplug".
Plug out the charger from the wall.
I plugged out my TV.
I found my radio plugged out.
I started hanging out with some guys of Jamaican descent who were born in Canada and I noticed that…
Kaique
- 3,707
- 6
- 29
- 54
28
votes
3 answers
The summer training or (just) summer training
Should we use the summer training or just summer training in the paragraph. As per me training is a noun and before singular noun we have to use an article and I am using the because I am talking about a specific training for engineers, I also know…
user62015
- 3,957
- 14
- 49
- 78
28
votes
12 answers
What is the opposite of 'picky'?
What adjective would be used to describe an attitude where one is not too demanding about something (like the food they eat, the clothes they wear, etc.).
I'm looking for a word that sounds fairly informal or colloquial.
user18894
- 281
- 1
- 3
- 3
28
votes
4 answers
"Transgender" versus the obsolete term "transgendered"
As of recent I've been reading some Wikipedia articles on gender and sexuality leading out from the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) page. However, it was not clear to me why the former term transgendered, which may or may not have…
Joselin Jocklingson
- 453
- 5
- 9
28
votes
1 answer
"Crashing at the Y" What does it mean?
I heard in the movie Adventureland:
Em Lewin : So what's the plan?
James Brennan : I'm gonna crash at the Y for a week, I'm gonna look for a shitty job, and I don't know.
IMDB has a longer script here. What does "the Y" in "crash at the Y" mean?…
Eddie Kal
- 18,658
- 26
- 80
- 165
28
votes
3 answers
"at which time" vs. "at what time"
I am confused with the grammar here. Which is grammatically correct?
At which time will you call me?
At what time will you call me?
And why?
hellodear
- 1,128
- 10
- 26
- 34
28
votes
9 answers
An adjective for a woman showing lots of skin?
Islam requires Muslim women to cover their bodies from head to toe, sparing only the face and hands. There is a special word in Arabic that describes a woman who deviates by showing more skin than allowed. The word has a negative religious…
Sara
- 3,816
- 6
- 32
- 60
28
votes
5 answers
"How many psychologists does it take to change a light bulb?"
Is the following sentence grammatically correct? (I found this sentence on a friend's wall on Facebook)
How many psychologists does it take to change a light bulb?
or it should be
How many psychologists are needed to change a light bulb?
Virtuous Legend
- 26,526
- 185
- 388
- 573