English Language Learners Stack Exchange
English Language Learners Stack Exchange

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1500 questions
29
votes
6 answers

What's the meaning of "be broker than the Ten Commandments"?

The meaning of "the Ten Commandments" is clear (see Wikipedia for example). Also, Oxford Dictionaries show "broke" means "Having completely run out of money". But I don't understand the meaning of the phrase. So, could you please tell me what is the…
Peace
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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
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10 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
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3 answers

Are some offensive words always masculine?

I have an interesting question which has got me thinking lately. You see, there are some nouns that I have always seen be used as masculine such as the words "fucker" and "motherfucker" (which I am sorry for mentioning). So to keep it short, I would…
Ahmed Ayman
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5 answers

How much should I trust Wiktionary?

My first reference that I use for English words is Wiktionary. I primarily do so because it's a not-for-profit project, so I don't have to worry about it suddenly charging for subscriptions, or that it will have advertising that links to…
Golden Cuy
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4 answers

Was it impolite for me to say "That's alright" when someone ran into me? Are there any better expessions?

I was travelling on a crowded bus. Someone suddenly ran into me and touched me when the bus stopped suddenly. The man said sorry to me. I did not get angry because I could see there was an auto accident not far from the bus, and then I said…
kitty
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1 answer

I can't imagine John is driving a car

Are the following sentences correct? and what is the difference in meaning? I can't imagine John drives a car. I can't imagine John driving a car. I can't imagine John is driving a car. I think the middle one is correct, but I don't understand…
Shannak
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Dates and times: "on", "in", "at"?

I’m often confused when I speak about times and dates. What is the rule for using on, in, and at in the following sentences? I will do it ___ Tuesday. We married ___ March. He returned ___ the same day. Every day ___ the same time, I walk the dog.
Be Brave Be Like Ukraine
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6 answers

Call yourself God

Is there a word for calling or considering yourself a deity? There was a king of Shinar called Nimrod, who called himself a deity according to certain Islamic scholars and made people worship himself. Nimrod was in the age of prophet…
Arman
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29
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4 answers

Is "rain is falling" entirely wrong?

I thought it was a custom in English to write "it is raining" instead of "rain is falling". Still I don't know why the second construction is wrong. Yet I found a song called Rain is Falling, so I'm confused. Is this construction entirely wrong?
Mistu4u
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9 answers

What does "at 19.45 hours" mean?

I was reading a book and this sentence seemed a little odd to me: At approximately 19.45 hours the two men rose, stretched and yawned. They picked up their gear and stood at the door, ... What does the first part mean? If it's the exact time,…
Mahm00d
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29
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4 answers

How to get rid of mistakes in spoken English?

I started to learn English about 15 years ago. I cannot say that I was learning it all the time but I use it almost every day (reading, listening, sometimes speaking). My English level is not high, but I still have a solid grammar base. It happens…
MasterPJ
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5 answers

What is the word for a property no more necessary but still present in a object?

As an example the small ring in the maple syrup bottles: now too small to be usefull but still present
maborg
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28
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2 answers

Meaning of the "On guard!" exclamation

I recently watched the very epic ending of the Shrek 2, and when the cat draws his rapier, he shouts "On guard!" to the castle guardians. I perfectly understand the meaning from the context, but was unable to find the exact usage situtaion in any of…
Denis Kulagin
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6 answers

Why it is called 'Black Friday'?

In the Western countries like USA and Canada, there is a shopping fest(festival) called Black Friday, I wonder why the word 'black' is added to it? I think the 'word' black denotes some negativity or darkness. Why not call that Friday a Green or…
Dragut
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