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1500 questions
23
votes
7 answers

What do we call the small towel that we use only for hands

What do we call the small towel that we use only on our hands (not the big one that we use on our body after a shower)? It usually hangs beside the basin.
Shannak
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23
votes
2 answers

What is the spelling of `~`?

I searched ~ spelling and ~ symbol spelling on Google but found nothing. My dictionary doesn't contain ~ either. P.S.: is there any online dictionary that can translate symbols? I find I know almost nothing about the symbols. Even in my native…
Mithril
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23
votes
6 answers

Does "Excuse him." make sense?

"Excuse me." is very often used in our daily conversation, and I learned the phrase "Excuse us." used when involving more than two persons. Then, how about "Excuse him / her / them."? For example, when you want your little kid to get out of the…
Akihiro
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23
votes
4 answers

What is the inner cover of the winter shoes called in English?

In Europe — in some countries, especially in the eastern Europe there are very common shoes which covered inside with something that makes it warm and comfortable in the time of the winter, cold and snow. What is the general name for this inner…
Virtuous Legend
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23
votes
1 answer

What is the meaning of the so-called "pregnant chad"?

They’re not passing it on, they’re not voting for anyone, they’re wasting their PR like so much pregnant chad!!! I encounter the above from here. I have looked up the dictionary but find it confusing: a chad that has been punched or dimpled…
Lerner Zhang
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23
votes
5 answers

What do you call the bunch of hair you grow long on the back of your head?

You see, it was quite fashionable for men to grow long hair on the back of their head back then in 1980s, 1990s, especially among singers and actors. I was watching an old show of David Copperfield conjuring up a trick and his hairstyle drew my…
Yuri
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22
votes
4 answers

"You must wear a suit TO an interview" vs "You must wear a suit FOR an interview"

In the sentence- You must wear a suit to an interview shouldn't the to be replaced by for? Or what's the difference between these two here?
Ardis Ell
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22
votes
4 answers

Using "at a jail" vs. "in a jail"

We often use "at" for the mentioning of a precise location like; He is present at school. But why not say he is imprisoned at a jail instead use he is in a jail.
Lewanay da Kainat
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22
votes
4 answers

What does “stop by my desk later” mean?

What does the phrase stop by my desk later mean? For example: I can email you the link. Or stop by my desk later, and I can show you some photos. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
user62498
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22
votes
9 answers

Too many to's? 'I am not able to come to office'

Is this sentence correct or not? I am not able to come to office. Can we use "to" twice or can we write this sentence in a better way?
Lawakush Kurmi
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22
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4 answers

What preposition is correct 'sleep on the bed' or 'sleep in the bed'

Are both expressions correct? If yes, do they have different meanings? It seems to me that I came across both of them in books, but I'm not sure.
22
votes
4 answers

Why is "crime story" more correct than "criminal story"?

Criminal is an adjective and story is a noun. Why is "crime story" used instead of "criminal story"? While both crime and story are nouns. What's this latter combination? Is "criminal story" even correct?
flower
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22
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4 answers

How do we read "1906" in this text?

The 1906 Federal Food and Drugs Act was one of the first laws enacted to stop the sale of inaccurately labeled drugs. 19 O six ?
user5036
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22
votes
7 answers

"Its" and "it's" - how to remember?

What is a good mnemonic rule that an English learner can use to remember the difference between its (possessive adjective: a team has started its lunch) and it's (verb: it's raining)?
Marco Leogrande
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22
votes
9 answers

If “I woke up at 10” is okay, what about “I slept at 10”?

When did you wake up? I woke up at 10. But then if I say, “When did you sleep?” I slept at 10. – seems difficult to digest! That's because sleep is a process that includes duration. I slept for 10 hours. – this way, it's digestible! But when…
Maulik V
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