About 50 results
Open links in new tab
  1. What color is "puce", and why do different people give radically ...

    May 25, 2012 · It seems like "puce" means two different colors depending on where you live. I always thought puce was green, then saw on Wikipedia that it is purplish-brown. Further research …

  2. Why do we say that an obscene joke is "off-color"?

    Jun 6, 2013 · Here is the definition of off color in Chapman & Kipfer, Dictionary of American Slang, Third Edition (1995): off color adj phr by 1875 Somewhat salacious; risqué; =BLUE: a couple of off-color …

  3. What is the difference between "thee" and "thou"?

    Sep 22, 2010 · Thee, thou, and thine (or thy) are Early Modern English second person singular pronouns. Thou is the subject form (nominative), thee is the object form, and thy/thine is the …

  4. What is the origin of shorthand for "with" -> "w/"?

    Jan 18, 2023 · CyberDefinitions gives a plausible explanation: Although its origin is contested, w/ has been used at least since the rise of the fast-food industry in the 1950s. As a form of shorthand to …

  5. idioms - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange

    Sep 9, 2024 · The point of the comment rather than the literal meaning is they're drowning and he's critiquing films. Drowning is serious as the water insists upon itself, and he's sharing secrets of the …

  6. Is the em dash appropriate in place of a comma?

    Aug 7, 2021 · Does this answer your question? Usage of brackets/parentheses The terminal (precising) appositive the Pythagorean identity is a parenthetical, which may be offset by a comma, a colon …

  7. How do we pronounce the plural form of “kg” in a sentence?

    Jun 14, 2015 · Her sigh and the windshield wiper's sigh were coincident, yet beautiful, and her only reply was "Pass me another two thousand calorie pepsi, ma puce." For me, in that dialog or any dialog …

  8. Correct use of "circa" - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange

    Aug 11, 2011 · It has always been my understanding that circa is properly used only when exact dates are unknown or disputed. (I will concede to my betters about the use of circa with measures. …

  9. orthography - The spelling "ui" and the pronunciation /uː/ in juice ...

    Jul 8, 2019 · Neither of those spellings has any particular issue with representing the sound of the word: -⁠uce and -⁠use are used in the spelling of some words that rhyme with juice, such as puce, spruce, …

  10. Acronyms and Initialisms- Uppercase, Lowercase, or either

    Mar 27, 2019 · Is there a rule on acronyms and initialisms being spelled out with the first letter of each word being uppercase or lowercase? Example: interim final rule (IFR) Interim Final Rule (IFR)