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1500 questions
627
votes
20 answers
How do you quote a passage that has used '[sic]' mistakenly?
The usage of '[sic]' is well defined for quoting a passage that you believe has an error in it: nearest to the mistake you place '[sic]' within the quotes. For example, suppose I write a letter from I to you. This last sentence of mine is counter to…
Mitch
- 71,423
474
votes
6 answers
Did English ever have a formal version of "you"?
Off the top of my head, Danish "De" (practically never used), German "Sie", Chinese "您", French "vous", Spanish "usted" are formal ways of addressing someone, especially if one isn't familiar with the addressee. Did English ever have this? It sounds…
Carlos
- 5,915
424
votes
17 answers
Which word begins with "y" and looks like an axe in this picture?
My 1-year kid has a plastic ball that is decorated with all 26 letters from the English alphabet and besides each letter is an image. I suppose the images are of words in English that begin with each of the letters. That works for all of them,…
gmauch
- 2,917
373
votes
22 answers
Is there a correct gender-neutral singular pronoun ("his" vs. "her" vs. "their")?
Is there a pronoun I can use as a gender-neutral pronoun when referring back to a singular noun phrase?
Each student should save his questions until the end.
Each student should save her questions until the end.
Nulldevice
- 3,897
315
votes
1 answer
When should I use an em-dash, an en-dash, and a hyphen?
I generally know how to use a hyphen, but when should I use an en-dash (–) instead of an em-dash, or when should I use a hyphen (-) instead of an em-dash (—)?
apaderno
- 59,185
308
votes
10 answers
What is the correct way to pluralize an acronym / initialism?
For example, if I wanted to write the equivalent of
There are many automated teller machines in this city.
Would it be
There are many ATMs in this city.
or
There are many ATM's in this city.
(could get confused with possessive form or…
JohnFx
- 7,464
300
votes
6 answers
What is the rule for adjective order?
I remember being taught that the correct order of adjectives in English was something along the lines of "Opinion-Size-Age-Color-Material-Purpose."
However, it's been a long time and I'm pretty sure I've forgotten a few categories
(I think there…
RegDwigнt
- 97,231
293
votes
41 answers
Is there a phrase that means sleeping with someone without sex?
The phrase "sleeping with someone" often means "having sex." What is the origin of this sexual connotation? Is there a non-sexual equivalent of this phrase to express sleeping with someone without sexual intercourse?
Double U
- 1,280
284
votes
16 answers
How many spaces should come after a period/full stop?
In the past — or at least, when I was in elementary school — periods/full stops were followed by two spaces. Lately, it's become more and more common to see just one space. In the modern world, should we still use two spaces between sentences, or…
Pops
- 5,975
272
votes
11 answers
Is there a word or phrase for the feeling you get after looking at a word for too long?
Sometimes after looking at a word for a while, I become convinced that it can't possibly be spelled correctly. Even after looking it up, sounding it out, and realizing that there's simply no other way to spell the word, it still looks wrong.
Is…
J.T. Grimes
- 6,853
266
votes
7 answers
261
votes
10 answers
Do you use "a" or "an" before acronyms / initialisms?
99% of the time, I'm clear on when I should use "a" versus "an." There's one case, though, where people & references I respect disagree.
Which of the following would you precede with "a" or "an," and why?
FAQ
FUBAR
SCUBA
[Note: I've read the…
Dori
- 3,946
255
votes
7 answers
244
votes
11 answers
What is the factual basis for "pirate speech"? (Did pirates really say things like "shiver me timbers"?)
The "pirate speech" we hear/see/read, for example, on the website Talk Like A Pirate Day consists of a rhotic dialect characterized by phrases like "shiver me timbers," "ooh arh me hearties," and so on and so on.
What is its basis in fact?
delete
234
votes
5 answers
"log in to" or "log into" or "login to"
When writing an instruction about connecting to a computer using ssh, telnet, etc., I'm not sure what spacing to use in this familiar spoken phrase:
"Log in to host.com"
"Log into host.com"
"Login to host.com"
Maybe this is entirely subjective or…
John Siracusa
- 2,443