Feb 20, 2011 · 6 What is the origin of 'bootleg' ('bootlegger', 'bootlegging'), in the general sense of "illicit trade in liquor" (OED)? The Online Etymology Dictionary gives one possible origin, from …

Aug 14, 2010 · What is the plural form of "status"? @bobobobo: Besides, there isn't a single word not ending in -ius whose plural ends in -ii (AFAIK). Something like statii could only be the …

Jul 23, 2024 · In The Complete Poems of Anna Akhmatova by Judith Hemschemeyer, we read: In this everyday gray dress, On rundown heels... I thought that "rundown" was a …

Mar 19, 2013 · In the following sentence, what is the meaning of 'in the ether'? Rather than calling some function in the ether and passing arguments, we call a method on one particular object …

Feb 7, 2011 · Do the adjectives “reliable” and “dependable” have the same exact meaning? If not, what is the difference and when is best to use each of them?

Nov 16, 2018 · A 'couple' is two of something, typically two people or a matching set of things. But it seems like there is ambiguity over what 'a couple of' means. Dictionaries often claim that, 'a …

Sep 11, 2014 · What is the origin of "in a jiffy"? Etymology online Dictionary says origin unknown but speculates that it was slang (cant) for lightning and dates it as 1785. Wikipedia agrees but …

Jun 15, 2020 · The difference is not in the action, but in where your focus is: on the present state or the past action. I have been to New York and LA. focuses on your present state: as a …

Dec 6, 2014 · The spelling with the l sound is "shalln't". Also, I came across this after I heard it in Stargate SG1. Season 9 - Episode 4 "The Ties that Bind". About 25 minutes in. Daniel …

May 7, 2023 · In software engineering, I sometimes see "first cut" in a context where it could mean "first version". Is it some idiom? Where does it come from? Does it …