Questions tagged [north-american-english]
Questions about English used in the United States and Canada, but usually not Mexico.
262
questions
11
votes
4
answers
2k
views
Sink vs Basin distinction
In australian-english, a sink is a fixture for washing dishes (kitchen sink), clothes (laundry sink, or for big ones, laundry tub), or buckets (cleaner's sink) while a basin is for washing hands (hand ...
- 1,754
19
votes
7
answers
3k
views
"Wish in one hand, tacky in the other. See which fills up first". What's the meaning of "tacky" here?
I am reading a contemporary American novel. In a dialogue, one of the characters quotes a proverb her mother used to say: "Wish in one hand, tacky in the other. See which fills up first".
I ...
- 615
0
votes
0
answers
53
views
What is it called when you mess up or fumble on simple task in front of someone you are attracted to?
For example, most adults can drive well enough it's an unconscious know how to the do's and do nots of the laws of the road. Yet when they have their crush as the passenger they almost crash because ...
- 11
2
votes
1
answer
214
views
Where does the second definition of applesauce, nonsense, come from?
Where does the meaning of nonsense in applesauce come from?
I tried looking it up, and Etymonline says that
The slang meaning "nonsense" is attested from 1921 and was noted as a vogue word ...
- 21
1
vote
2
answers
149
views
Is the spelling 'judgment' a feature of American English? (As opposed to the other -dg[e]ment words?)
According to the the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, the "e" is optional when a word ends in "-dg(e)ment".
Dictionary examples:
acknowledgement {also acknowledgment}
...
- 742
1
vote
2
answers
224
views
Connotations of "that's too bad" between American and British english
I am a Canadian, but I study in Edinburgh, Scotland. I have discovered a peculiar feature of my speach that seems to surprise most people from here. When ill befalls others, I use the phrase "...
- 113
0
votes
1
answer
547
views
Are either of the phrases "African-American individuals" or "European-American individuals" hyphenated? [closed]
This is in American English, but if it is different in British English, it is worth a mention.
- 101
3
votes
2
answers
415
views
How to quantify "hash browns"
Does "hash browns" refer to a countable thing? Or a substance? Have I had too many or too much "hash browns"?
The word "browns" seems to imply a quantity. But, is there ...
- 215
2
votes
2
answers
233
views
Acoustic description of the realization [ɛə] of the North American raised /æ/
The Wikipedia article on /æ/ raising uses the transcription [ɛə] for a realization of the North American raised /æ/, as in the words ram and ran. I'm having trouble interpreting this transcription, ...
- 5,401
1
vote
1
answer
209
views
Idiom "Catches Me Out"
According to MW "catch me out" means:
caught out; catching out; catches out
transitive verb
1
: to detect in error or wrongdoing
caught him out committing perjury
2
: to take unawares or ...
- 1,099
19
votes
3
answers
17k
views
"Boy howdy!" Where did this expression come from, who uses it, and what does it convey?
I recently became aware of "Boy howdy!" and figured it was some kind of rural expression of enthusiasm, but I want a bit more clarity.
My first encounter was in a Western novel:
It was ...
- 152k
0
votes
2
answers
127
views
Is hilarious pronounced /hɪˈlɛriəs/?
For the word hilarious, the pronunciation transcription in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary is /hɪˈlɛriəs/ but if I click on the speaker icon, I hear /həˈlɛriəs/. Am I listening to it wrong or ...
- 65
4
votes
3
answers
856
views
The meaning of "come home"
In India, when I ask a friend to "come home", it often means I am inviting the friend to my home. I am told that this is different in England or the US, where native speakers would use "...
- 269
-1
votes
1
answer
895
views
What does "bang" mean in this phrase?
The sentence:
I thought you said you was innocent, Carl? That you don't bang?
I'm playing a game that this word appears, and I want to know in a gang context what does that word mean, can someone ...
- 45
0
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Is "yuns" a word? [closed]
I am asking if "yuns" is a word, and if it is, how do I use it?
Maybe it's just a north east american term, but I'm unsure how it's used in a sentence like:
How yuns doing?
- 25