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An idiomatic expression for the situation when a punisher in fact punishes himself rather than the one he intended to punish
The context:
Someone wishes to punish somebody, and the wish is so strong that whatever they think will do a lot of harm to the one planned to be punished, they do it obviously at the expense of their own welfare, much higher than the…
Victor B.
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What do you call the imprinted pattern left behind a car in mud?
What's the name for this ... chase? stria? groove?
In Czech, we call it "stopa" - which literally translates as "footprint" but has a lot of other meanings as well so I can't really work out which of the tons of the English translations I should use…
Probably
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25
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"Pretty" versus "quite"
Is there any difference between using pretty, and quite, in the following sentences?
I am pretty good at playing soccer.
I am quite good at playing soccer.
How are you?
I am quite well.
How are you?
I am pretty well.
The reason I am…
apaderno
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25
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5 answers
Is it good to call someone "Nerd"?
My friends always use "nerd" to describe an intelligent person, but when I searched its meaning online, I found that it's not really a good word.
"A foolish or contemptible person who lacks social skills or is boringly studious."
Oxford…
Řazan Ďawud
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25
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5 answers
What are these holes in sinks and tubs called?
What are the holes in the pictures called? They are usually found in sinks and tubs and their function is to prevent water from overflowing.
user5267
25
votes
8 answers
Can I say "I speak Chinese as well as Spanish"?
I speak Chinese as well as Spanish.
I want to say that my Chinese and Spanish are equally strong. So please help me out with this. I think it's weird to say speak "as well as". I don't know if there are other better expressions.
HUN
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4 answers
"You better did" - is this acceptable?
Consider this example:
John: Did you go to church today?
James: Yes I Did
John: You better did
My confusion is the use of and correctness of the the last response, "you better did."
Is this correct and which is the correct way to put that?
user5664
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24
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2 answers
"it was backwards in heels"
In his Democratic National Convention speech on 27 July, Barack Obama said:
Let me tell you, eight years ago, you may remember Hillary and I were rivals for the Democratic nomination. We battled for a year and a half. Let me tell you, it was…
T_T
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24
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8 answers
Is "tin foil" for "aluminium foil" deprecated?
In my native language, the stuff is called "aluminium foil".
In English, I always heard people use the phrase "tin foil" for that. I adopted that phrase thinking that despite the foil being made of aluminium (and not tin as it used to be) this is…
shakesbeer
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the exact time of "evening" and "night"
I wonder what the exact times of the following words are: morning, noon, afternoon, evening, night, mid-night.
What's the difference between at night and in the night?
user48070
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24
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10 answers
What is wrong with "have put" in "I have put the water in the freezer"?
How to talk about putting water in the freezer to become ice?
I have to tell the child that I have put the water in the freezer and after some time it will convert into ice.
https://ell.stackexchange.com/a/76262/26777
As a side note "have put"…
CoffeeDay
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5 answers
What do we call these 'squeezed' papers?
In my mother tongue, there is a word for it, and it is a noun.
The action is observed when you think the paper is waste. You squeeze it, and it loses its texture/avatar. Then, it is no more straight or flat.
Here is the image. Check those papers.…
Maulik V
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Why is it 'come' and not 'comes' in 'it is important that he come...'?
We usually add 's' or 'es' to the first form of the verb when the subject is a third person. I do not understand why 's' hasn't been added to the verb "come" in the following sentence:
It is important that he come to my party.
Iqra khan
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4 answers
Are "dude" and "man" disrespectful words?
What is the exact nuance of dude or man?
I'm studying English from Japan.
I want to know how people feel about dude or man.
Is it just a friendly way to call close friends? Like addressing a boyfriend or girlfriend as honey? Or does it include…
Wonka
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5 answers
Can I use "Dress" for men's wear?
My friends laughed at me when I said "nice dress man" because "dress" is used for only females. Is this correct? I was always thinking dress is just synonym of costumes and clothes. Is there any gender specific usage of "dress"?
In India girls/woman…
Inglish
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