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1500 questions
23
votes
8 answers
Idiom for "not doing something that makes oneself look more awkward" in an already awkward situation?
Is there an idiom meaning "not to do something that makes oneself look more awkward" in an already awkward situation?
For example:
"We'd better say nothing [or keep silent] so that we don't look more awkward!"
BeatsMe
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23
votes
5 answers
Which is correct, and why? "My friend hasn't / hadn't been in church in two weeks"
Which one is correct and why?
"My friend hasn't been in church in two weeks."
or
"My friend hadn't been in church in two weeks."
These sentences make it difficult to know the difference between has, have and had.
ANDRIJANA BOGIĆEVIĆ
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23
votes
5 answers
What is the plural of octopus?
What is the plural of octopus? Is it octopuses, octopi or octopodes?
Normally in English it's supposed to be octopi, but when I type it, it has a red line under it (by the spell check), which means that it's incorrect. I also saw the word octopuses…
ʇolɐǝz ǝɥʇ qoq
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23
votes
7 answers
Can "he" and "man" refer to all genders?
All men must die, but death can vary in its significance. The ancient Chinese writer Sima Qian said, "Though death befalls all men alike, it may be weightier than Mount Tai or lighter than a feather." To die for the people is weightier than Mount…
user108144
23
votes
9 answers
What do you call candidates in elections who don't actually have a chance to win and only create an illusion of competition?
In Russian, there's a phrase which can be literally translated as 'a technical candidate' that refers to people who are allowed to elections only to serve as, put bluntly, election props that create a false impression of multiple competing…
Sergey Zolotarev
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23
votes
2 answers
What's the hidden joke/meaning behind "Don't drink and park - accidents cause people"?
One of the articles in my (Dutch) secondary school newspaper had a long list of funny English quotes, e.g. "Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like bananas.". There was one quote for which I couldn't figure out the joke:
Don't drink and park;…
Glorfindel
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23
votes
5 answers
When do we use "no women" instead of "no woman"?
When do we use "no women" instead of "no woman"? I thought we used "no woman" instead of "no women" by default, but it seems that some people do use "no women". Is there a situation where one is preferred over the other, or are both phrases…
Sayaman
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23
votes
6 answers
What is this "opened" cube called?
I can't find the right definition for the thing that you see on the right. If we put all parts of it together we will get a box that we can rotate (this picture is taken from a quiz for kids - they need to guess which picture they will see if they…
V. Rogov
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23
votes
7 answers
Is "The life is beautiful" incorrect or just very non-idiomatic?
We had a discussion earlier on another SE site and I'm not able to find a definitive answer online. If I say, speaking generally:
The life is beautiful
I know this is not the common way of saying it and any people with a reasonably good English…
Laurent S.
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23
votes
4 answers
Why does the phrase "drop dead gorgeous" mean "very gorgeous"?
I came across the phrase Drop Dead Gorgeous which means very gorgeous or good-looking.
Why does the above phrase have this meaning? How do the given words relate to the meaning?
r15
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23
votes
3 answers
What does "my name was down for Eton" mean?
My name was down for Eton, you know, I can't tell you how glad I am I came here instead. Of course, Mother was slightly disappointed, but since I made her read Lockhart's books I think she has begun to see how useful it'll be to have a fully…
dan
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23
votes
9 answers
"Could you please help me" vs "Could you help me please"
When asking for something politely which sentence is a better/proper choice?
Could you please help me?
or
Could you help me please?
dvdmn
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23
votes
4 answers
Isn't 'charge a fee' redundant?
Do they charge a fee for opening an account [or anything here]?
Isn't it redundant to use both the words? See this -
charge (v) - demand (an amount) as a price for a service rendered or goods supplied.
And, fee is a payment asked by…
Maulik V
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23
votes
5 answers
Is it correct to say "I have class"?
Why do people frequently say:
“Got to run, I have class!” instead of “I have a class!”
Why is the article missing? How can this be some “class in general since” since the speaker apparently means some particular lesson he has to attend? Is it…
Zak
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23
votes
7 answers
"a dollar and change". What does "change" mean?
The company, which is unprofitable, said that its average shopper
spent less than $90 on the platform last year. That translates into
revenue per shopper of a dollar and change.
source
The most reasonable meaning maybe was "smaller bills or…
Zhang
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