Is there a word for a person who has been subpoenaed? If two people are subpoenaed, they are called co-...? They're not co-defendants. Is there an equivalent?
posted by streetdreams on Nov 19, 2009 - 14 answers

Adjective-Filter! What's a good adjective to describe someone who is not wearing a suit coat? [more inside]
posted by niles on Nov 3, 2009 - 10 answers

Tell me everything you know about this sentence construction: "Are you finished your lunch?" [more inside]
posted by peep on Oct 22, 2009 - 91 answers

[EnglishFilter]: "Butcher knife" or "Butcher's knife?" [more inside]
posted by AAAAAThatsFiveAs on Oct 19, 2009 - 16 answers

Where can I find some movies or tv shows that are spoken in Spanish with English subtitles? [more inside]
posted by inatizzy on Oct 9, 2009 - 16 answers

Grammarians: Is it OK to take liberties with the word "win" when publicizing a contest or draw? [more inside]
posted by wackybrit on Oct 5, 2009 - 15 answers

Is it a widespread behavior for multilingual speakers of english to get a more anglicized accent when talking to a native speaker? [more inside]
posted by Non Prosequitur on Aug 22, 2009 - 19 answers

language-philes -- Isnt English weird for not having conjugated verbs? Even its closest relatives - german and the romance languages - have conjugated verbs. Please to explain? [more inside]
posted by jak68 on Aug 5, 2009 - 38 answers

In Return of the King, Aragorn says: "I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me." What precisely does he mean by this? My confusion is with the phrase "take the heart of me." Is this a standard idiom?
posted by Busoni on Jul 15, 2009 - 15 answers

When did "Maths" change to "Math" in American English? Or is it the other way around? [more inside]
posted by fishmasta on Jul 11, 2009 - 39 answers

Anybody familiar with a series of trilingual Vietnamese folk storybooks that were written in Vietnamese, English & French? I'm searching.. [more inside]
posted by handabear on Jul 9, 2009 - 0 answers

Wrapped up in British English filter, with [more inside]
posted by raztaj on Jun 16, 2009 - 24 answers

I'm in Spain and have been asked to give summer courses in English for academic purposes to university researchers and teachers of engineering. Apart from "English Academic Vocabulary in Use" (CUP), which I used last year - it's good - do any MeFites have any tried and tested recommendations for books and other materials that might be suitable? Amazon is great, but too often you can't get a feel for the book.
posted by Holly on May 26, 2009 - 5 answers

Zounds! Odd's Bodkins! Jiminy Cricket! Gosh darn it! English Christianity seems nervous about taking the Lord's name directly in vain and comes up with these odd re-arrangements to avoid blasphemy. Can't think of any languages that take the third commandment quite the same way, but perhaps you can. [more inside]
posted by IndigoJones on May 13, 2009 - 20 answers

Speaking English causes bad teeth? Combined with chewing gum, leads to more kids having to wear dental braces? Help me research this one; would like stats and links... [more inside]
posted by querty on May 11, 2009 - 25 answers

Do you pronounce the T in "often"? [more inside]
posted by Slenny on May 1, 2009 - 136 answers

England and America, two countries separated by a common language. Check. What I'm looking for are resources that cover the differences in spoken English (accent, syntax, diction, catch-phrases - it's all good) between the two countries circa 1776-1815. [more inside]
posted by IndigoJones on Apr 20, 2009 - 9 answers

What does 'binned' mean in UK slang? [more inside]
posted by coryinabox on Apr 15, 2009 - 25 answers

Semi-colon usage: "My name's John; I'm a carpenter and I enjoy repairing old homes and building new ones." [more inside]
posted by boosh on Mar 27, 2009 - 29 answers

What is the origin in English of the present continuous tense (present progressive tense)? [more inside]
posted by mary8nne on Mar 21, 2009 - 15 answers

Is there a word or phrase in any language that describes a moment that is so perfect that it makes you sad, either because it will eventually end or because every moment can't be that perfect? How about a word for a moment that is so perfect that "words can't describe it"? Are there any other concepts that are difficult to describe in English, but easy in other languages? [more inside]
posted by aristan on Mar 14, 2009 - 40 answers

How does one properly use the term condescend (or condescending)? Is there a correct way? Is there a more popular way? It seems the word expresses two contradictory meanings. [more inside]
posted by es_de_bah on Mar 10, 2009 - 13 answers

What percentage of Indians speak English? [more inside]
posted by blue mustard on Mar 3, 2009 - 15 answers

The 'w' in 'Keswick' is silent. So is the 'w' in 'Southwark'. And the 'h' in 'Pakenham'. Is there a name for this and is there a rule to apply it? [more inside]
posted by awfurby on Feb 24, 2009 - 36 answers

Why do we say "female child" or "male child," but reverse the word order for "adult female" and "adult male?"
posted by arcticwoman on Feb 15, 2009 - 19 answers

ESL-filter: Where can a fairly advanced ESL student practice her English for free? [more inside]
posted by ambrosia on Jan 25, 2009 - 5 answers

When should I use "instructive" and when should I use "instructional"? [more inside]
posted by gmm on Jan 21, 2009 - 7 answers

GrammarFilter: Origins and form of "As well he should"? [more inside]
posted by coolhappysteve on Dec 9, 2008 - 6 answers

I need help with a pronoun issue. In the following sentences, what noun is the word it replacing? [more inside]
posted by amyms on Dec 5, 2008 - 11 answers

How do i fix typing in the wrong language (forgetting to Alt+Shift before typing) without retyping the whole thing? [more inside]
posted by Izzmeister on Dec 2, 2008 - 4 answers

Is the English language stagnating or do dictionaries just suck? [more inside]
posted by Ookseer on Dec 1, 2008 - 19 answers

In a sentence such as "When I was younger, I would swim a mile before going to work every day," what grammatical tense is in play? [more inside]
posted by woodblock100 on Nov 18, 2008 - 14 answers

I'm teaching English to a small group of ladies in their late 50's/early 60's who have very little knowledge of the language. Help needed with resources and ideas. [more inside]
posted by neblina_matinal on Nov 7, 2008 - 11 answers

What is the origin of the phrase "getting the hang" of something? What did it mean, originally, to "get the hang" of something?
posted by RedEmma on Oct 9, 2008 - 17 answers

What language certs have been most useful to you job-wise? [more inside]
posted by monocultured on Oct 1, 2008 - 5 answers

In French, the singular of eye is "oiel" and the plural is "yeux." Are there any nouns in English that have completely different spellings of the singular and plural like this?
posted by Crosius on Sep 26, 2008 - 27 answers

There was a site of speakers around the world speaking a specific phrase in English. This was to show how regional dialects of English sounded. You could click on a map and it would pull up video of these speakers. Does anyone know what that site is? If not, perhaps a good response would include a concise phrase that can show different regional variations (cot/caught, don/dawn, pin/pen). [more inside]
posted by symbioid on Sep 20, 2008 - 9 answers

Walking down the street one day in Amsterdam, you encounter an art-thing (sculpture/installation) that's broadcasting audio. The audio includes spoken poems. Would you expect these poems to be in Dutch? Would you feel alienated if they were in English, or if some were in English and some in Dutch? [more inside]
posted by kalapierson on Sep 19, 2008 - 12 answers

How long is a moment? [more inside]
posted by hadjiboy on Aug 5, 2008 - 34 answers

Is or was the word "shonky" antisemitic? [more inside]
posted by Fiasco da Gama on Jul 15, 2008 - 13 answers

Grammar Filter: what is the English equivalent to the "Double Future Tense"? [more inside]
posted by davejay on Jul 9, 2008 - 10 answers

What is the difference between "no more than" and "not more than"? [more inside]
posted by Arasithil on Jul 3, 2008 - 15 answers

What's the best way to teach conversational English to a Polish person with currently only very minimal English skills? [more inside]
posted by stackhaus23 on Jun 25, 2008 - 3 answers

I'm on a Chinese-language computer and want to use Windows XP and Windows Vista in English. How can I do this? [more inside]
posted by catburger on Jun 12, 2008 - 1 answer

How do you pronounce the word 'read' when used in the following context? -- 'John is dry (read: boring).' /rɛd/ or /rid/ Thanks!
posted by gman on May 29, 2008 - 122 answers

Languages: 'I'm coming' versus 'I'm going' in response to 'Come here!' [more inside]
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken on May 27, 2008 - 33 answers

My 18 yr old daughter wants to spend 2 months this summer working in Japan as an English instructor. She has a working knowledge of Japanese and will have a TESL certificate. What is the best and safest way to go about trying to help her find a job and what issues do we need to be aware of?
posted by frizelli on Apr 4, 2008 - 12 answers

Who's "stupider"? [more inside]
posted by macrowave on Mar 3, 2008 - 26 answers

How do you say " I got hit (in the head) by....(something)" I have to do an oral presentation in spanish but Im not sure how to say I was....i got hit? Im telling a story of when i got hit in the head with a swing...i have to use imperfect and preterite tense....any ideas
posted by madmamasmith on Mar 1, 2008 - 10 answers

What are some other examples of using 'an' in front of a non-vowel like some do with 'an historic...'? [more inside]
posted by afx114 on Feb 22, 2008 - 40 answers