35
"Lingua" is not an English word. To my knowledge it is only found (in English) in the expression lingua franca which comes from Italian and refers to a "common language" between two or more groups of people. It is a loan word.
When referring to the anatomical thing, we always say "tongue" and never "lingua."
"Lingua" itself is Latin, and this root is the ...
22
They have exactly the same meaning but shebang is by far most common (Google search) and is the only spelling listed by major dictionaries (Merriam-Webster (US) and Oxford (UK) online). The Urban Dictionary has its uses, but don't take its spellings over any other formal, edited source.
5
lingua isn't used on its own, but the latin root is part of a lot of words.
sublingual - below the tongue
linguist - someone who studies languages
bilingual - someone who speaks 2 languages
linguine (or linguini) - a delicious pasta, that somehow relates to tongues.
5
Looking at the root meaning of a word may give you some idea of past use, but language evolves, so don't expect it always to make things clearer.
In this case though, it seems perfectly understandable. The root meaning of 'veteran' means 'old', and with age comes experience. Maybe you've heard the expression 'an old hand', meaning someone who has ...
3
There are a number of written instances of (someone) took transport to (some destination), where it's important to note there's no article. If you look at the dates in that link, you'll see most of them are quite old.
Also note that in such contexts, transport is effectively equivalent to transportation. It's more of an abstract than a concrete noun - ...
3
To be defeated, there must be an adversary. Whereas something can succeed or fail on its merits (or lack of them).
If I try to shoot a basketball through the hoop but miss, alone on the court, that is failure. If I miss because my brother blocked me, that is defeat. He has defeated my attempt.
If you don't have a designated adversary but still want to use (...
2
I'm here because I'm reading a mystery from 1955 by Patricia Wentworth, The Gazebo, where a character finds a door 'only closed, not shut'. The door is considered not properly shut because the catch hasn't engaged. I have always considered shut and closed interchangeable and do not recollect anyone using it in the manner Wentworth does. I can only assume ...
2
"Can't you swim?" and "can you not swim?" are both used to ask someone if they can swim or not. The contracted form is used more often, so the uncontracted form carries a little more emphasis, like when you can't believe that someone can't swim.
In addition, "can you not swim?" can be used to ask someone to stop swimming. (See also can you not in Urban ...
2
You express support for a cause. You can express that support to a particular person or group.
Alice expressed to Bob her support for the new policy.
Alice expressed her support for the new policy. (To whom Alice expressed her support is not stated.)
Alice expressed her support to Bob. (What Alice supports is not stated.)
Alice supports the ...
2
It seems from your comment on Ronald Soles's post that your intended question is not about the specific subject being taken (i.e. French class or Math class), but about the level of schooling you are in, corresponding to how old you are and how long you have been in school.
A quick Google search has confirmed that the Indian school system refers to its ...
2
Kentaro Tomono's answer is partially correct. In this case, "everything (they've got)" is the direct object, and "it" is an indirect object. The sentence:
They gave it everything they've got.
could be reworded as:
They gave everything they've got to it.
(although most people wouldn't actually say it that way)
In this case, the implied "it" is ...
2
The two sentences differ slightly in the statement of exactly what was seen.
In sentence #1, the direct object is "you". The information about entering Daniel's room is contained in a [phrasal] modifier to "you". This makes the essence of the statement, "I saw you". The fact that you were entering Daniel's room at the time may be just a detail to identify ...
2
The simple explanation is that in anatomy, latin terms are used (for adjectives "dorsal"= of the back, "ventral"= of the belly/front, "jugular"=of the throat, "ischemic", "sciatic", "cranial", ... ; or for parts, like "retina", "vena cava", "atrium", "vestibula", "cranium", ... ). In English, you will find "lingua"/"lingual" almost exclusively used in an ...
1
The first (that you) and the third (on your shaking) are grammatical. The middle one is not.
There is not a general principle involved: it is just the (unpredictable) properties of the verb insist. With certain other verbs, this construction is possible:
He prevailed on me to shake his hand.
(Prevail is unlikely to be used imperatively, because it ...
1
Although some dictionaries state that the phrases "grit your teeth" and "grind your teeth" both mean to be angry or suffer pain, my understanding is there is a difference. The first is a matter of resolve and the second a matter of experience.
The Free Dictionary by Farlex has
grit your teeth
COMMON If you grit your teeth, you continue to do ...
1
The boys went into the room. = The boys entered the room.
Generally, we would not say go inside the room unless, for example, the room was hidden behind a secret panel. Or, if you want to refer to inside and outside the room. They stayed inside the room upstairs while the robbers stole the money downstairs.
The inside of the room or house was dark.
Rooms ...
1
"Inside" places more emphasis on the fact that the boys are now inside of something, and also places more direct emphasis on the room as a physical place, as oppose to it being considered more conceptually.
It naturally includes awareness of its opposite, "outside". It would therefore be a bit odd to use "went inside the room" if they had only come from ...
1
Both are grammatically correct.
I can't sit there because her bag is standing there.
In this case, "her bag" is the subject of the 2nd clause. "Her bag" is the main topic of the clause.
I can't sit there because she has her bag standing there.
In this example, "she" is the subject and "her bag" is the object. "She" is the main topic of the clause.
...
1
Your answer, "The car was far, but it wasn't too far for me to see," is correct. The alternative, "The car was far, but it wasn't far enough for me to see," makes no sense: even if one were very far-sighted, saying the car is far , but it isn't far enough to see implies that person could only see things at a very great distance.
1
The noun lingua is not used (Is it even in an English dictionary?). It's probably been made redundant in the formation of the English language from its ancestors. Tongue is always used as the noun, and can mean "language" as well, for example mother tongue (the language one learned from one's mother).
On the other hand, the adjectival form lingual is used, ...
1
I cannot think of any use of lingua however sublingual means under the tongue. Sub means under or below and lingual means tongue. The word tongue is not used for the anatomical structure alone. For instance, the tongue of the shoe.
1
To hold out means to offer, as the dictionary says. If I hold a dollar bill, it is in my hand, I possess it. It's in my hand. That's all. If I hold out a dollar bill to someone, e.g. by extending my arm, I am offering it to that person. To hold out a possibility is to offer it as a possible opportunity for consideration or action. To 'hold a possibility' ...
1
Class here is taken to mean a particular group, year or level of students.
So your first example What class are you studying does not work. It would be meaningful if you said that you were interested in beetles and someone asked you:What class (of beetles) are you studying. This is clearly not your intention.
The other three examples are all possible but ...
1
Fill X up when X is something that contains liquid often has the literal meaning and not the phrasal meaning.
My eyes filled up with tears
This means the eyes (capable of containing some quantity of tears) are now full of tears (and presumably dripping down the face).
This meaning of fill up can be interchanged with well up, even though they don't mean ...
1
To my ear as a mathematician (and I can't find anything to back this up currently) in the forms you have described above:
Increase describes an amount. A increased by 6%, 5KG etc.
Increasing describes a trend or scale. A is increasing logarithmic-ally, in proportion to time etc.
I don't believe that either is incorrect, but I would certainly tweak ...
1
They are almost the same, and in most cases they are interchangeable.
The second version with "every day" does explicitly say that you play every day, so that could make some small difference depending on context. If there would be a reason to assume that you only play certain days, using "per day" doesn't put quite as much emphasis on that.
For example, ...
1
The first describes the conveyance, that is, the primary means by which you come. The second describes something that happens coincidentally. For example, if you were sitting in a car being carried by a flatbed truck, you would be going to work by truck, in a car.
Following this construction one could go to work by car in ones pajamas, or in a Scottish ...
1
if you fail is probably the form you want.
failed implies past tense, that it has already happened, but can also be correct.
Correct examples of fail:
If you fail to explain to me where those coffee cups went, I will fire you.
But also one for failed:
If you failed to explain to Jeff yesterday where those coffee cups went, he will fire you.
1
American English speakers do not use fetch as often as go and get, bring [me, etc.] or pick up.
1) BrE: I have to fetch my mother from the station.
AmE: I have to pick up my mother from the station. [or go and get]
2) BrE This glass has been used - please fetch me a clean one.
AmE: Please get me a clean one.
Most of the examples given under fetch would ...
1
You have correctly identified that bringing is only part of fetching and fetching also involves going somewhere first.
A polite way in which an English speaker might ask somebody to fetch something would be:
Could you bring me that ball please?
Though, using fetch here isn't that much ruder if you ask me. It's all a matter of context. Add a please, ...
Only top voted, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible
