Description:
English language use and abuse
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At the drop of a hat
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How did this originate? Was it some historical
event, or something people did at one time to
signal something or other?
-- Dieter Britz
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Kindergarten
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In the Danish language group, someone asked why
the word "kindergarten" is used in many anglophone
countries.
How did this come about? Why the German word for it?
-- Dieter Britz
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Jubilant
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It seems to me that the word "jubilant" derives from a
base that doesn't exist - or does it? In Danish we have
the verb "at juble" and in German "jubeln", but is there a
verb in English for this, that has the same origin?
On the other hand we have "expectant" derived from the verb
"to expect", so I expect something like "to jubil". Strange.... more »
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Droll?
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As a child, the word "droll" always bugged me. It just sounded, sort of "wrong". I assumed, until I learned better, that it meant "dull" or "dreary". Perhaps because it was slightly close-ish to them in sound. (But then lots of words are much closer to other words. OTTOMH snug is close to smug and slug yet still sounds "right") Even knowing the true... more »
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Immigrate vs emigrate
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...It's a question of emphasis - are you emphasising the country of destination or the country of origin. In the sentence you quote the emphasis is on the country of destination, i.e. Japan.
Hope that helps,
Best wishes, Einde O'Callaghan
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Opinion or fact?
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...
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In my opinion, it is indeed a fact that an opinion may or may not be a
fact.
-- Ian ◎
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For your amusement...
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...or despair!
<[link]>
<quote>
Myself and my co-authors hope the book will stand as a corrective to the
modern-day myth of the "welfare scrounger" heavily drawn upon by politicians,
the press and television programme makers.... more »
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Copy
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There is a discussion in the Danish language ng about
the word "copy" used as "text", as in copy writer. How
does "copy" come in here?
-- Dieter Britz
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Fatigues
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The word "fatigue" is easy, a French derivative. But
"fatigues", as in "army .."? How did that come about?
-- Dieter Britz
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