Pain in the English
Pain in the English

Unpacking English, Bit by Bit

A community for questioning, nitpicking, and debating the quirks and rules of the English language.

Pain in the English
Pain in the English

Unpacking English, Bit by Bit

A community for questioning, nitpicking, and debating the quirks and rules of the English language.

Username

speedwell2

Member Since

February 3, 2004

Total number of comments

477

Total number of votes received

1466

Bio

Latest Comments

Email

  • February 3, 2004, 10:58am

"email" is French for "enamel." Use "e-mail."

Friends

  • February 3, 2004, 10:55am

"Let's be friends" is a quite proper shortening of "Let's you and I be friends."

“Proper” Diction?

  • February 3, 2004, 10:52am

The Chicago Manual of Style, while quirky in spots, is the resource my typesetting company has used for many years. Understand that some rules are disputed and some situations have more than one OK solution.

Bathroom

  • February 3, 2004, 10:50am

You're right to catch this. Contrast:

Man/lady man's/lady's

Men/ladies men's/ladies'

that help?

Already or all ready?

  • February 3, 2004, 10:48am

Contrast:

Are we there already?

Are the kids all ready?

Ann Brashares

  • February 3, 2004, 10:42am

The cat's doing what's called "milk treading." Kittens do it when settling down against mama cat for a feed; it stimulates milk letdown. Cats generalize kitten behavior to their people (you are mama cat), so it's affectionate.

Questions

Taking the Name, in vain or in earnest September 23, 2004