Which is more proper "rarest" or "most rare"?
Oct 28, 2014 · 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 a very rare steak called 'blue'?
Oct 21, 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 …
Whence comes the expression ‘’starve a cold, feed a fever?”
Jul 22, 2024 · What is the origin of the expression "starve a cold, feed a fever"? It is is used as basic (perhaps incorrect) medical advice for common illnesses.
How did "pissed" come to mean "drunk" or "angry"?
Jun 3, 2019 · I should probably point out that the "drunk" sense is primarily UK; in the USA, the "angry" sense predominates. No doubt it has something to do with urination, somehow, as does piss off in …
"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 …
Etymology for "petrichor" - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange
Jan 22, 2015 · It's common knowledge that the (Greek) gods drank nectar and ate ambrosia, but I've never heard that their ichor had a noteworthy odor—or that the gods exuded it on any but the rarest …
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, …
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.
The origin of 'water breaking' during pregnancy
Feb 16, 2025 · Frequency and Register Note that all of these amnio‑ terms were specialist vocabulary found initially only in scientific and technical use. This remains largely true to this day, although …