Which is more proper "rarest" or "most rare"?
Nov 17, 2020 · In the following usage, which is the correct form for the superlative of the adjective "rare"? "the rarest on Earth" or "the most rare on Earth"?
Why is the letter 'E' the most commonly-used letter?
Jul 5, 2020 · While this doesn't speak to the etymological reasons for why 'e' specifically is the most frequent letter, there is actually a very interesting statistical reason that there is such a letter: Zipf's …
compound adjectives - "Highly skilled" or "high-skilled"? - English ...
Aug 5, 2024 · I (Australian) have never heard "high-skilled", and on reading it I automatically wondered how it would differ from "highly skilled". As a result it suggested to me somebody who has learned …
what are the origins of hi, hey, hello? - English Language & Usage ...
Aug 3, 2014 · The question of the etymology of hello is a fascinating puzzle. According to the the OED it was originally an Americanism derived from the British hallo which has its origins in the Old German …
capitalization - Should "pandemic" be capitalized when referring to ...
May 16, 2024 · It would be unusual, though hardly unacceptable, to capitalise the pandemic (to emphasise the magnitude). Thus Conrad Duncan, writing under the Imperial College London aegis, …
Why is a very rare steak called 'blue'?
Oct 20, 2016 · Quoting the BBC recipe site: How to cook the perfect steak [...] Blue: Should still be a dark colour, almost purple, and just warm. It will feel spongy with no resistance. Rare: Dark red in …
word choice - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange
Feb 17, 2011 · These two words are often used interchangeably and the greatest difference I can find between the two is "choose" for choosing multiple items from a set, and "select" for selecting a single …
"call out" vs "call in" - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange
Dec 3, 2022 · Apparently, both call in sick and call out sick are used and there is a regional difference in usage in U.S. English. Based on a poll where 7493 US adults surveyed, calling in sick is the most …
Were clothes called "loud" because they actually made a noise?
Oct 4, 2020 · In the mid 19th century, taffeta was ‘loud’ The taffeta and silk used in dresses in the 1830s could have inspired the expression “loud clothes”. This is only a conjecture of mine but it is based on …
Which is correct: "one or more is" or "one or more are"?
Feb 18, 2011 · Both are used. Before the 1940s, "one or more are" was clearly more popular, but since then they seem roughly equally common.