35
votes
'Rescuers had to wade waist-deep in floodwater.' Why not 'Rescuers had to wade in waist-deep floodwater.'?
To wade waist-deep ("Somebody waded waist-deep in water ...") refers to the wader wading in water up to their waist, whereas waist-deep water refers to the depth of the water using the ...
- 3,626
31
votes
Accepted
Why is New York often said with the word "City" in English?
Your assumption is correct—it's to distinguish between the city and the state.
Idiomatically, it's simply the case that the phrase New York city (or the proper noun New York City) was picked as the ...
- 36.4k
31
votes
Is "natural person" an idiomatic way to describe someone who's the opposite of pretentious?
It wouldn't be clear what you meant by "natural".
A person who's authentic is genuine and trustworthy.
Down-to-earth emphasizes clearheadedness and practicality, but also implies sincerity.
- 8,495
31
votes
Is "natural person" an idiomatic way to describe someone who's the opposite of pretentious?
"Natural person" in English is most often used as a comparison against legal persons, such as corporations in some circumstances.
For the situation you describe, I would most likely go with &...
- 5,255
29
votes
Accepted
'Rescuers had to wade waist-deep in floodwater.' Why not 'Rescuers had to wade in waist-deep floodwater.'?
The dictionary is explaining an idiomatic phrase of the word "wade". That is you can adverbially modify "wade" with an expression "knee-deep". You can do this without ...
- 231k
19
votes
Accepted
What does smooth mean here?
If that was said by a non-native speaker, it sounds like they are hoping you plan goes smoothly, meaning you don't experience any bumps (problems) executing the plan.
For clarity, this is not how a ...
- 5,069
19
votes
Why is New York often said with the word "City" in English?
While watching some videos/movies or reading books in English, I tend to see that people always adding the word "city" to New York (New York City).
What's behind this stuff in English?
Adding ...
J.R.♦
- 110k
18
votes
Why can't we say "win a world record"?
I agree with Nat Geo Learning that you can't say
"win a world record"
but you can say
"win with a world record"
The Cambridge dictionary defines the verb to win as coming first ...
- 782
15
votes
'Rescuers had to wade waist-deep in floodwater.' Why not 'Rescuers had to wade in waist-deep floodwater.'?
Rescuers had to wade in waist-deep floodwater is perfectly acceptable English. It tells us that there was water about three feet deep where the rescuers had to go.
There is a very slight difference in ...
- 61.4k
14
votes
'Rescuers had to wade waist-deep in floodwater.' Why not 'Rescuers had to wade in waist-deep floodwater.'?
The meanings of those two sentences are largely the same, but there's a slight difference: these two sentences say different things about how deep the water could be.
waist-deep in floodwater
The ...
- 514
12
votes
Can we say "do an action"?
I would go for perform an action, and Google Ngram seems to confirm that it's more often used than do an action or any other alternatives I could think of, both for the indefinite (an action) and the ...
- 14.8k
12
votes
Make or Do sushi?
Make and do mean different things in the context of That place makes / does great sushi. Specifically...
If they make sushi, that definitely means they prepare sushi. They probably also sell the ...
- 74.6k
12
votes
Is it correct to say: "To solve an addiction"?
I don’t think I have ever heard a medical or psychological problem said to be “solved”. That word is usually used for puzzles and practical difficulties.
An addiction might be said to be “overcome” ...
- 7,147
10
votes
Why "previously learned knowledge" is a natural phrase in English, although "learn knowledge" is not?
The phrase "learned knowledge" is a red herring here: the focus should be on the whole phrase "previously learned knowledge and skills".
The sentence could use the word "...
- 655
9
votes
Accepted
Is "With which" correct?
It is correct. Pay little attention to automated grammar corrections.
With which book should I start?
Which book should I start with?
Both are correct, the former being the more formal of the ...
- 137k
9
votes
Accepted
Why are tantrums "thrown" and not "burst"?
Tantrum is an odd word. First recorded in 1715, with no obvious source. It was probably unrecorded slang before that.
Throw also has a twisted history. As þrawan it first meant "turn, curl or twist" (...
- 231k
9
votes
Can we say "do an action"?
Normally we do not say we are doing an action. Each of those words, do and act, implies the other. If you do something you have acted. If you have acted you have done something.
In some situations, ...
- 9,355
8
votes
Can we grow a habit?
Usually a habit is developed over time, or an action becomes a habit.
If one is not careful, social smoking can become a real smoking habit.
However, the first thing that came to mind with
grow ...
- 66.4k
8
votes
Accepted
Can a person hit home?
It would be more idiomatic to use the expression rings true, which means "seems to be believable or authentic," and is often used in the context of fictional characters or plots:
Unlike the other ...
- 12.2k
8
votes
Can "another" be preceded by "what" as in "What another factor will affect the rollout of the product?"
I think this has to do with "another" as a determiner referring to something more specific and "other" as a determiner referring to something more general, similar to the usage of &...
- 12k
8
votes
Accepted
Can you actually "make" a girlfriend or boyfriend?
Not in American or British English
A collocate search in both COCA and BNC did not give any relevant results for "make a girlfriend/boyfriend" (even accounting for different verb forms). You ...
- 15.9k
8
votes
Accepted
Why "previously learned knowledge" is a natural phrase in English, although "learn knowledge" is not?
As you say, it's redundant to use the noun "knowledge" as the object of the verb "learn", so English speakers tend to avoid that collocation. I'd therefore argue that the example ...
- 15.4k
7
votes
Why is New York often said with the word "City" in English?
If I tell people that my wife and her family are from New York, they frequently assume I'm talking about New York City (NYC). Only I'm not, I'm talking about a place that's 5 and half to six hours ...
- 111
7
votes
Why can't we say "win a world record"?
The short answer is the words "win" and "world record" do not correlate, and that's just the way it is. We just don't think of a world record as something you can "win". ...
- 51.1k
7
votes
6
votes
Can we grow a habit?
"Grow a habit" is not idiomatic - as you mention, the usual verbs are create, form, and develop; or "get into the habit of...".
Any usage of "grow a habit" that you may have found on the Internet is ...
- 5,156
6
votes
Accepted
When should I use: me or to me?
Some verbs take "to" as preposition. It depends on the position of direct and indirect object in the sentence:
For example:
Give me the book.
"the book" is the direct object of "give", and "me" ...
- 8,989
6
votes
When should I use: me or to me?
"Answer me" means "give me an answer" (or "say something".)
"Answer to me" is quite different, and means "Report [answer] to me and no one else":
Remember: you answer to me and no one else.
"Love ...
- 6,526
6
votes
Is "firsthand smoker/ first-hand smoker" standard English?
"Firsthand smoker" would be redundant. We would just say "smoker".
I gather you are confused by the use of the phrase "secondhand smoke", to talk about the health problems of people who are not ...
- 88.5k
6
votes
go to university or go to the university
Yes, you can use the, if you go there not as a student.
There is great explanation in Raymond Murphy's "English grammar in use" (unit 74 A, B):
Compare school and the school:
Ellie is ten ...
- 261
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