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1500 questions
19
votes
13 answers
What do you call someone who likes to pick fights?
What do you call someone who's always looking for a fight? The only adjective I'm familiar with is "shit-stirrer" (I apologize for the inappropriate language).
Are there any other terms I could use that would be less slangy?
Kaique
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19
votes
7 answers
Difference between 'stomach' and 'uterus'
If a lady is pregnant, for her can this be said?
She had a baby in her stomach.
Or is it necessary to use the word womb or uterus?
English-Learner
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19
votes
7 answers
What does "rogue killers" mean?
US President Donald Trump has recently described the murder of a journalist in Saudi embassy in Turkey as being committed by "rogue killers". I first came across rogue in the context of rogue planets, which seem to be orbiting no mother star. I've…
Sara
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19
votes
1 answer
What comes after tertiary?
There's "primary", "secondary", "tertiary". What comes next (at "number 4")?
Sorry, I am not able to phrase this question any better, I hope it is clear from the context what I mean.
Masked Man
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19
votes
2 answers
Information or Informations?
I thought information is singular and plural. But now I'm not sure which version is right:
The dialogue shows two important informations.
OR
The dialogue shows two important information.
Which is the right version?
Irgendw Pointer
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19
votes
2 answers
The indefinite article with an amount modified by an adjective: "It cost a mere 20 dollars."
I am confused about using “mere” to show something is not large. Based on samples in the Cambridge dictionary:
The plane crashed mere minutes after take-off.
So other samples:
It cost a mere 20 dollars.
The city receives a mere 20% of the…
mehrane
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19
votes
3 answers
What's the differences between 'get it right' and 'make it right'?
I know that both "get it right" and "make it right" have a meaning of "correction", but what's the significant difference between them?
dfang
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19
votes
2 answers
Meaning of “we’ll cut him down as for the border he rides”
Welsh History 101B:
My neighbour from England has come across raiding,
Slain six of my kinsmen and burned down my hall.
It cannot be borne, this offence and injustice:
I’ve only killed four of his, last I recall.
I’ll send for my…
Ahmad Moustafa
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19
votes
9 answers
What do you call a group set up to undermine a political argument?
I have come across the following political phenomenon recently and I can’t find the right word for it.
Imagine a group of people (say an ethnic minority or gender) who campaign against their mistreatment by the government. Now imagine the…
Simd
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19
votes
5 answers
How should I answer 'Happy New Year'?
When someone says, "Happy New Year," how should we answer?
"Happy new year to you, too."
Or just: "Happy new year!"
Or in some other way?
Reamiel
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19
votes
3 answers
"Hello, This is" vs "My Name is" or "I am" in self introduction
I am from India and not a native English speaker. I do often hear people introducing themselves like
"Hello everyone; This is James"
Is it an acceptable form in native English? Usually, I know that "This" is used for animals or non-living things?…
Jamess
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19
votes
4 answers
Why do we use "an" in the phrase "an only child"?
I remember an episode from a game show. I am pretty sure it was "Wheel of Fortune." The task was to restore missing letters: an **ly child. The contestant answered "an ugly child", but the correct answer is "an only child." Moreover, I asked some…
Alexander
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19
votes
7 answers
"the set of elements >whose each< pair is ... " - Is this acceptable?
I have written the phrase:
"The set of elements whose each pair is ...".
Is the 'whose each' acceptable?
Context:
I was trying to ask this question in Quora, and the phrase I would like to write is "I would like to know sets of at least 3…
Alex Grilo
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19
votes
4 answers
What does the author mean by "What did he there?"
I'm reading Mary Shelley's Frankenstein written in 19th century. I'm not sure whether the sentence I just encountered (bold text below) is a misprint or an example of archaic English and I'm trying to figure it out.
Volume 1, Chapter 7:
A flash of…
7_R3X
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19
votes
3 answers
What does "Re:" in a business letter mean?
What does "Re:" in a business letter mean? When should we use it?
Ikki Ito
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