Highest scored questions
132,521 questions
629
votes
20
answers
55k
views
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 ...
- 72.4k
477
votes
6
answers
215k
views
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 ...
- 5,975
424
votes
17
answers
247k
views
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 ...
- 2,917
373
votes
22
answers
136k
views
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 ...
- 3,897
321
votes
1
answer
390k
views
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 (—)?
- 59.8k
311
votes
10
answers
233k
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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.
(...
- 7,574
305
votes
6
answers
147k
views
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 ...
- 97.8k
296
votes
40
answers
148k
views
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 ...
- 2,928
284
votes
16
answers
59k
views
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 ...
- 5,985
273
votes
11
answers
111k
views
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 ...
- 6,865
267
votes
7
answers
111k
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265
votes
10
answers
258k
views
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," ...
- 3,986
261
votes
7
answers
427k
views
244
votes
11
answers
20k
views
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 ...
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240
votes
5
answers
603k
views
"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 ...
- 2,503