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"?
A salad or just salad - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange
Jan 29, 2026 · I am wondering if I could say: I would like to have a salad. In a restaurant I heard a girl say to the waiter, ordering a side dish from the menu for herself: I would like salad. My understandi...
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 …
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 …
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 …
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.
"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 …
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, …
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 …
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 …