“A variable so related to another that for each value assumed by one there is a value determined for the other.” (thefreedictionary.com) I can’t find any possible way how to start with this words. I’d like to say what I don’t know at least, but only to fail to do so. I hope to be … Read more
If I’m 18 and my brother is 15, is he my little brother and I’m his elder brother? Or he is my smaller brother and I’m his bigger one? Any clarifications? Answer When you want to be clear that the distinction is about age, the simplest and most obvious choice is, like Shaunak Sukla says: … Read more
My website ranking suddenly dropped from the top 10 to 1000. My website ranking dropped abruptly. How do I use abruptly in the sentence above? I want to describe how the rank dropped suddenly from a high rank to a low rank. Answer It seems like you want a word to express that the change … Read more
My hair is too dry and knotted. My hair is too dry and tangled. Which word is more commonly used? Knotted or tangled? Answer Tangled is the idiomatic term for hair with a lot of “knots” in it. While hair that is tangled can, correctly and technically, be described as knotted, be aware that knotted … Read more
Read this sentence: iPhone’s battery is not user-replaceable. I am a user & I can replace my iPhone’s battery. Just use some special tool, take the iPhone’s case out & replace. Why they say “not user-replaceable”? Does “user” mean “average user”? Answer It doesn’t really have to do with English, they simply mean that they … Read more
flagship: the ship that carries the commander of a fleet and flies his flag Why flagship has anything to do with smartphone? Answer The first 20 Google I hits I see on flagship smartphone refer to the product which is the “flagship” of a specific manufacturer’s line of smartphones: the most prestigious product, which “commands” … Read more
This example is from the Cambridge Dictionary’s article for ‘orifice’. I was stuffing cake into every available orifice. My American friend told me that it sounds inappropriate, because orifice might mean anus. Does it really sound so vulgar when you first hear it? I am interested in the level of vulgarity here. Answer Yes, it’s … Read more
Put it into fridge. Put it into refrigerator. Do we use fridge and refrigerator? When we use fridge and refrigerator, are they the same? Answer “Fridge” is is just short for “refrigerator”. It’s considered a proper word now, not just an abbreviation. However, it is still considered a short, informal form — for example, if … Read more
I can see the baby sticking out of mummy’s belly. I can’t actually make out what parts they are. I can see the baby poking out of mummy’s belly. I can’t actually make out what parts they are. Do “sticking” and “poking” have the same meaning in this context? Answer Of course, with a child … Read more
What is the official name of the guy in the restaurant who takes the car from the customers and then returns the cars back to them when they finish visiting the restaurant? “parking guy”? Answer The term is valet. Wikipedia has a whole page on it. Though I could not find a clear definition in … Read more
