
"If it works, it works" - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange
Mar 20, 2025 · I've always hated the phrase If it works, it works. I know it's trying to say that if something already functions as intended, then there's no reason to change it. But is that always necessarily ...
"At hand" vs "on hand" vs "in hand" - English Language & Usage Stack ...
What's the difference between at hand, on hand and in hand? At hand seems to me as if you have something in reach. On hand is if you have something in stock. And in hand can be used as if you …
"Particulate" vs. "particle" [closed] - English Language & Usage Stack ...
What’s the difference between particulate and particle? Should it be diesel particulates or diesel particles, and why? Could you provide three or more examples where it should use particulate rat...
Are names of chemicals not proper nouns? - English Language
Apr 22, 2024 · Product names which are derived after an inventor's name will often remain capitalized, though not always (e.g. the petroleum distillate used to power trucks and locomotives is called …
Same adjective for two nouns - English Language & Usage Stack …
May 17, 2015 · The government placed restrictions on both diesel fuel and diesel engines. Here I dont want to repeat the diesel. I cannot write: The government placed restrictions on both diesel fuel and …
"Borrow me" vs. "Lend me"? [closed] - English Language & Usage Stack ...
Mar 27, 2013 · Is it appropriate to say "Can you borrow me your ax?" instead of "Can you lend me your ax?" I hear the prior usage in the Upper Midwest quite often.
Why so many words in English are pronounced different from their ...
Aug 19, 2017 · As a non native English speaker, I am astonished at the amount of English word pronounced different from their spelling. For instance, 'Would' is pronounced like 'Wood', 'Whole' is …
Why does gasoline have the word "gas" in it, if it's never gaseous?
"The root gas... doesn't necessarily mean gaseous." -- Yes, it does mean something gaseous (gaseous being derived from gas). The definition quoted, from the OED, is a subdefinition of gas for a specific …
word choice - What types of sounds do cars make? - English Language ...
Mar 27, 2012 · Modern cars aren't supposed to make much noise at all. There's the comfort of travellers and the general public near the highway to consider, not to mention the fact that fuel economy …
capitalization - Which words in a title should be capitalized ...
Aug 5, 2010 · Are there any concrete rules that say which words (parts of speech) in a title should start with a capital letter? What would be a correct capitalization for the title of this question?