30
votes
What’s the difference between errands and shopping?
"Errand" is a more overarching term that describes a (mostly simple) task that needs to be done. That task may be to buy something, but it doesn't have to. It could also be, for example, to ...
- 1,865
17
votes
Accepted
What is the difference between text alignment, text justification, and quadding?
These undoubtedly have proper meanings that typesetter would know about.
But 99% of English speakers are not typesetters, and we only get a vague idea from the use of these words in word processing ...
- 176k
14
votes
What is the difference between text alignment, text justification, and quadding?
Alignment is the simplest. It takes one vertical line & makes everything either start, end or centre on it. It does nothing else, so the opposite end of each line is free to finish where it needs, ...
- 14.2k
13
votes
What’s the difference between errands and shopping?
Errands are any sort of task that you might be sent out of home (or your workplace) to do. It could be a shopping task, but it could be almost anything else too.
In my dialect (Dublin), the word used ...
- 1,005
13
votes
He has a sense of grandeur about <him> <himself>
If you look at some of the written instances of...
He had a sense of grandeur about him
...it should be reasonably clear that in most if not all of them, the primary point being made is that people ...
- 63.2k
4
votes
A ball has <hollowness> <a cavity>
You COULD say it this way, but it would be considered very odd wording.
A fluent speaker would be much more likely to say, "The ball is hollow" than "the ball has hollowness". And ...
- 59.5k
3
votes
What’s the difference between errands and shopping?
A possible difference could be that between the general and the particular. An errand is any short trip to do a job or task for someone. Shopping for someone else is one kind of errand. Other types of ...
- 66.9k
2
votes
Accepted
What's the difference between verbs forward and redirect?
In the UK these terms could be used interchangeably, but often I would interpret the meanings like this:
Forward:
Person A sends something to person B, who receives it, but it needs to go to person C,...
- 66.9k
2
votes
Accepted
"I haven't done something in a long time before now" vs. "I hadn't done something in a long time before now"?
Before now is superfluous in both sentences. I haven't done X in/for a long time implies 'until now'.
The past perfect doesn't make sense unless you are talking about the past.
I went to see the ...
- 41k
2
votes
What's the difference between "exposed to" and "subjected to"?
"Subject" imples (1) the use of force and/or (2) intentionality, which I think are not inherently implied with "expose". That is why it is more likely for someone to "subject&...
- 84
2
votes
Accepted
What's the difference between "exposed to" and "subjected to"?
"Subject to" means that it is likely to be affected, or is already affected by something.
The finance department is subject to random inspections by the auditors.
This means that the ...
- 176k
2
votes
Accepted
what’s the difference between dumb and stupid?
There isn't much difference between dumb and stupid when referring to intelligence. Dumb is probably more of an insult, while stupid can refer to a temporary state such as drunken insensibility, but ...
- 1,161
2
votes
What’s the difference between errands and shopping?
In America, we have the expression "to run errands" which I learned was a totally bizarre concept to the Europeans whom I interacted with when I lived there.
The reason was quite apparent: ...
- 149
1
vote
What is the difference between toxic and poisonous?
There are distinct definitions of the two, but there is also some overlap. A poison is a toxic substance, and toxic substances can be poisonous! The study of poisons is toxicology.
Poisons are ...
- 86.2k
1
vote
What is the difference between toxic and poisonous?
Technically, many scientists reserve the word "toxin" and the adjective "toxic" for poisons that are organic in origin (even if they are created synthetically).
In common speech, ...
- 1,005
1
vote
When do we use "speaking of which", "by the way" and "anyway"?
'Speaking of which...' requires you to have been speaking about, or at least mentioned the subject you are about talk about further. For example, if somebody's name was mentioned in passing and you ...
- 86.2k
1
vote
What is the difference between text alignment, text justification, and quadding?
Alignment in this context means whether the lines of text are on the left side of the page, the right, or centered. It’s also common to speak of a “political alignment” on the left, right or center.
...
- 6,360
1
vote
Accepted
What's the difference between shady, dodgy, sketchy, fishy, shifty and suspicious?
At least some of these are exclusively British slang or have meanings which are so. I'm going to answer on the basis of their use in British English, slang or otherwise.
Shady means there is some ...
- 86.2k
1
vote
How are regardless and regardlessly different?
The most obvious difference is that regardlessly is hardly ever used. The iWeb corpus has 691833 instances of regardless against 34 of regardlessly.
I don't think there is a systematic difference in ...
- 71k
1
vote
What's the difference between verbs forward and redirect?
You can use either; they are just different ways of saying the same thing. Forward has the sense 'send (something you have received) onwards', and redirect that of 'write a different address on'.
- 41k
1
vote
Accepted
Is it "get you help" or "give you help"?
Both "get help" and "give help" are correct but have slightly different meanings.
If you "give help" to a person, you personally aid them.
If you "get help" for ...
- 176k
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