37
votes
Accepted
Can I say "I play a little piano" to mean I am not an advanced player?
I'm a native English speaker originally from Canada currently living in the US.
YES, it is perfectly acceptable for you to say "I play a little piano." with the intended meaning that you are ...
- 879
36
votes
Accepted
Can we say "the pot is leaking" or "the pot leaks" when the pot is empty?
To describe something that has a hole or crack in it enough to allow the contents to leak, we normally use present simple, so "the pot leaks" is correct and the most natural way to describe ...
- 48.8k
35
votes
Accepted
Does "I slept in" imply I did it on purpose or by accident?
slept in means slept late intentionally. overslept means woke up late, unintentionally.
P.S. I'm a native speaker of American English and it's possible other dialects of English might use this ...
- 121k
34
votes
"Brace for something" - is the phrase "brace for" usually positive? Or is it neutral in this case?
The literal meaning of "brace" in this context is to prepare for a force so that you don't move. Like, if you're driving a car and you're going to get hit from behind, you might push the ...
- 48.8k
33
votes
What makes a phrase like "use them legs" valid?
It is non-standard. So you are right, it isn't "proper" English.
It has some dialect uses (in certain regional variants of British English, in Appalachian English, and Caribbean, possibly ...
- 202k
31
votes
Accepted
Does the phrase "Tom has been seeing Mary for a while" always imply they have a romantic relationship?
Without any context, the sentence "Tom has been seeing Mary for a while" would strongly imply that they had a romantic relationship. In the dictionary entry that you cite, the only example ...
- 15.3k
28
votes
Accepted
Do we say "She looks prettier with her naked face" or "She looks prettier with her bare face"?
No, they aren't the same. Your first sentence (with "naked") would be unnatural. Your second sentence (with "bare") is possible but would still be very uncommon. In general, we use ...
- 15.3k
27
votes
Accepted
Would you ever say "eat pig" instead of "eat pork"?
There's already a good answer on the history of using the word 'pork', but I'd like to offer a more direct answer to your question of "would we ever say it".
In everyday conversation, no - ...
- 96k
27
votes
Does "I slept in" imply I did it on purpose or by accident?
The dictionaries all agree that to sleep in is to stay in bed longer than usual - but none I can find indicate whether or not that's intentional.
My own personal experience as a UK native differs from ...
- 16.7k
26
votes
Accepted
Is "I'll call you at my convenience" rude when comparing to "I'll call you when I am available"?
Asking someone to do something at their convenience is polite (implying that you don't expect them to drop everything to oblige you), but saying that you will do something at your convenience would ...
- 49.4k
21
votes
Accepted
Is saying "I am excited to eat grapes" correct to imply that you like eating grapes?
Short answer, no. You're right, "I am excited to X" usually means that you are doing X right now or are going to in the future, and that prospect excites you.
Now, the whole thing is a bit ...
- 10.1k
20
votes
Would you ever say "eat pig" instead of "eat pork"?
The answer to your question is rooted in English history. In 1066, the Normans invaded England and defeated the Saxons at the battle of Hastings. From then on, there was a french-speaking Norman ...
- 59k
19
votes
What makes a phrase like "use them legs" valid?
As others have noted, "them" functions as an adjectival (or determiner) in some dialects. M-W specifically notes that this usage is "nonstandard":
nonstandard
: THOSE —> used ...
- 15.3k
19
votes
Would you ever say "eat pig" instead of "eat pork"?
The fact it's a negative sentence is likely the reason.
Whilst lard & gelatin (and occasionally even ham or bacon) are all edible products derived from pigs, they're often not thought of by people ...
- 894
16
votes
When do we say "on the rack" and "in the rack"?
Which preposition ('on' or 'in') you use depends on the precise relationship between the object(s) and the rack. There isn't always a clear cutoff between the two cases though - sometimes either ...
- 691
15
votes
Accepted
Is it correct to say "The glue on the back of the sticker is dying down so I can not stick the sticker to the wall"?
There are a few things that would make your sentence more idiomatic and succinct, but the main focus of your question is about your use of the expression 'dying down' with reference to the glue. In ...
- 96k
15
votes
Accepted
Is an earth surface that is laid cement or tiles called "the ground"?
Yes, even if an area of the ground is covered with cement or tiles, like the area shown in your picture, it can still be referred to as "the ground". The term "the ground" ...
- 367
15
votes
Can we use "gift" for non-material thing, e.g. "My dad took me to the amusement park as a gift"?
Absolutely! There is nothing that stops somebody from describing an experience (like taking you to an Amusement Park) as a "gift" in English.
- 151
15
votes
Can we say "Mike has a date with Mary tonight" when they have been a romantic couple for years?
While I agree with the comments and answers saying that the word date can be used for a pleasant planned encounter by a married couple, in American English the word is often used with a hint of scare-...
- 3,049
13
votes
Is it correct to say "The glue on the back of the sticker is dying down so I can not stick the sticker to the wall"?
No. To "die down" refers to a reduced amount of activity. So a fire can die down as its flames get smaller and dimmer, a party can die down as people leave and the music gets quieter, a loud ...
- 48.8k
13
votes
Can we say "Mike has a date with Mary tonight" when they have been a romantic couple for years?
You can have a romantic date with your spouse.
It's the location and the purpose of the romantic appointment that counts. A date can be anywhere and at any time of day; a cinema, a theatre, a small ...
- 26.5k
12
votes
Does the phrase "Tom has been seeing Mary for a while" always imply they have a romantic relationship?
Depending on context "seeing" could be in a professional capacity i.e. Mary is a psychiatrist, doctor, hairdresser, personal trainer, etc.
However, lacking additional context, I would assume ...
- 229
12
votes
In which situations do we say "Bob flirts with Mary"?
It can be used in all of the above. It doesn't rule out any of those three, or imply a particular one of those three. However, the word "flirt" has the connotation of something light; that ...
- 1,112
11
votes
Can we say "the pot is leaking" or "the pot leaks" when the pot is empty?
"The pot leaks" is fine, as it is describing what the pot has the capability to ever do (specifically the pot has the ability "to leak"). This is even if it doesn't necessarily ...
- 211
10
votes
Accepted
What does this question is really asking about: " What do you sleep in at night?"
The questioner is asking 'What do you wear when you sleep at night?' and an appropriate answer might be 'pyjamas', 'a nightdress', 'nothing', etc. The answer 'heels' (high-heeled shoes) is a joke.
If ...
- 70.8k
10
votes
When do we say "I cycle to work", "I bike to work" and "I ride a bike to work"?
american-english
I suspect there are differences depending on what side of the Atlantic you're on, but for me, a veteran cyclist from Canada, all three of your sentences are correct and natural to ...
- 48.8k
10
votes
Accepted
Can we use "gift" for non-material thing, e.g. "My dad took me to the amusement park as a gift"?
Yes, as a gift is idiomatic there. Compare:
They took us to the movies as a treat.
She put her hand on her forehead as a clue.
He ate some peanuts as a snack.
He washed their car as a gift.
The ...
- 3,049
9
votes
Accepted
Does "spare my life" refer to just one person involved?
The question seems to focus on "especially when others do not escape it". If I understand the context, the question is whether "spare" applies only when others are involved. The ...
- 5,656
9
votes
Do we say "she is sitting on the shore of the pond" or "the bank of the pond"?
The words have different connotations.
A "bank" suggests a fairly steeply sloping piece of land, that is covered with grass or other vegetation. It normally remains above the waterline, ...
- 202k
8
votes
Is "I'll call you at my convenience" rude when comparing to "I'll call you when I am available"?
Imagine the following scenarios:
An important client calling a company to fix an appointment with a CEO…
A developer who needs to talk with their leader about a deadline…
A parent trying to fix a ...
- 26.5k
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