Questions tagged [present-day-english]
This tag is for questions about English as it is used in our own day and times. This differs from the more general Modern English by being more restricted.
226 questions
-5
votes
1
answer
147
views
French words: productive pronunciation in present-day English ('faux')
Consider a case like faux:
/ˌfoʊ/ in faux marble or faux pas
/ˌfoʊz/ in faux ami(s).
Therefore, is it productively /foʊz/ before a vowel (French pronunciation rule) in today's English too? Say, in
...
- 4,151
0
votes
0
answers
61
views
Is using "same" in the sense of aforementioned all right?
I remember reading somewhere that using the word "same" in the sense of foregoing or aforesaid is incorrect. Eg. "The details have already been shared in the circular and interested ...
- 101
0
votes
1
answer
128
views
Is "racio-" in the sense of racial a standard English prefix?
While very respectable alternative meanings exist (from the Greek 'rhakhis' meaning spine or vertebrae; or from the Latin 'raciō or ratio' meaning reckoning or ratiocination), racial contexts abound ...
6
votes
1
answer
609
views
Origin of "doomscrolling"
When and where did this extraordinarily evocative word doomscrolling evolve? It seems to mean "The compulsive act of scrolling through endless streams of bad news, often late at night, knowing ...
- 1
1
vote
1
answer
130
views
Is there a difference between “technically correct” and “correct in practice”?
I've often heard people say something is "technically correct," followed by a disclaimer like “but nobody says that,” or “it sounds awkward.” This raises a deeper question:
Is there a ...
38
votes
9
answers
5k
views
Is "escort" primarily associated with paid companionship in modern English?
I'm evaluating the word "escort" as a potential name for a tech tool (an app that assists device connectivity, similar to Apple's Sidecar). In Chinese, the term "护航" (hùháng, "...
- 497
0
votes
1
answer
104
views
Should "in the Chair" be capitalised?
When I'm saying that someone is in the chair of a committee meeting, is it best to capitalise the word chair? I'm nervous that it might be a stuffy archaism. But nor do I want to seem informal (or ...
- 145
25
votes
9
answers
3k
views
Is there a word for a shift in a road where it remains parallel to its original direction?
There is a portion of a footpath east of Gouda, NL, where the path shifts to the left with two obtuse turns and ends up being parallel to the original direction of the path.
I came to a (shift in the ...
- 1,070
4
votes
3
answers
1k
views
What is the current politically correct term for a Caucasian person to use without offending in reference to a negro/black/African American/?? person?
I was corrected (by my teenager) when I said negro in
reference to a friend of his. He looked at me as though
I had said the N-word.
I apologized and asked, then black? He shook his
head, rolled his ...
- 73
1
vote
1
answer
212
views
Is "a sight to behold" acceptable in day-to-day English?
I used the phrase "wow, that would be a sight to behold" and was told this was a really odd antiquated turn of phrase which belongs in a Shakespearen play. I feel like I've heard this a lot ...
- 21
9
votes
1
answer
939
views
Is there really any positive use of "abet"? If so, when and how did it develop?
I have always thought "abet" implies helping toward something negative, either criminal action:
Some women paid a high price, landing in prison for abetting his life as a fugitive.
or ...
- 1,287
0
votes
0
answers
164
views
Is the word "suddenly" really less used in casual conversation than the phrase “all of a sudden”?
According to Google's historic word count of written English, the word "suddenly" is being at the moment used about 200 times more than the phrase "all of a sudden".
How come then ...
- 131
6
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Is “it takes two to tango” also used in purely positive contexts?
I have been looking at the origin and definition of “it takes two to tango”, and it seems that the expression is often used with a negative connotation, or at least in neutral contexts.
For example, ...
- 1,954
4
votes
3
answers
5k
views
Is it correct to say your pronouns are "she/they" or should it be "she/them"?
My daughter just submitted a college app and said her pronouns were "she/they". I told her, in the nicest way that I didn't want to be demeaning, but your pronouns can't be "she/they&...
- 1,335
1
vote
0
answers
181
views
Latter vs former: Why is "latter half/stages/part" common/acceptable but not "former half/stages/part"?
Why is it much more common/acceptable to speak of the latter half (of e.g. the 19th century, 2023, an event, a process) than to do the same for former half?
Similarly with latter stages/part former ...
user499756