I'm looking for words which can have different meanings, depending on how they are pronounced. [more inside]
posted on Jun 2, 2008 - 25 answers

Where can I find a good online database that gives me similar meanings instead of just synonyms? [more inside]
posted on May 21, 2008 - 11 answers

I need a replacement word for the word clusterf#$k. [more inside]
posted on Apr 17, 2008 - 64 answers

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

Is there a word for: expecting to feel grief or ache of conscience and then not feeling it? [more inside]
posted on Jan 23, 2008 - 22 answers

What do you know about the Japanese word/concept of 'Ma'? I know it denotes the negative space between objects and it relates closely to the similarly used Japanese word 'Mu'. [more inside]
posted on Dec 27, 2007 - 15 answers

Does anyone know the German word that means, roughly, 'accidental expert'? [more inside]
posted on Sep 1, 2007 - 7 answers

Is there a name for phrases (or sometimes words) that have lost their previous specific/narrow/jargon meanings and are now used generally in a wide variety of situations with little or no knowledge about their prior usage? Are there lists of them anywhere with the phrases and explanations? [more inside]
posted on Jul 30, 2007 - 18 answers

What term was used to describe a person with a photographic memory prior photography? [more inside]
posted on May 20, 2007 - 18 answers

I need to find the word meaning "a word with mixed Latin and Greek roots." It's not just "hybrid word," but a word that specifically indicated Greek and Latin origins. I've had several people remark that they know it but can't think of it, and my search skills have failed thusfar.
posted on May 6, 2007 - 10 answers

What is the function of gendered articles of nouns in (German|Spanish|etc)? [more inside]
posted on Mar 24, 2007 - 21 answers

Spelling filter: Why do I ALWAYS struggle with the same few particular words? [more inside]
posted on Mar 20, 2007 - 44 answers

Do cultures outside the UK have a concept of "scrumping"? [more inside]
posted on Mar 5, 2007 - 44 answers

About unisex terms: What is the reasoning behind them? By this I mean, for example, flight attendant instead of steward or stewardess, server instead of waiter or waitress, etc. I suppose during the height of the feminist movement in the 70s it was probably claimed that it was sexist to use terms that specify gender. But I am scratching my head wondering what the logic would be behind this. After all, if you use a term to specify females (eg stewardess) then you are also specifying males (eg steward), so I fail to see how this would be sexist. Also, it strikes me as a very handy conversion to be able to specify gender in the same word as the title. Nowadays, we have two words.. so you might hear your neighbor say, "I went to see a female doctor yesterday" (indeed, I think this is a common one), so we are still specifying the sex, so why not use doctress? I'm just curious about why this trend towards unisex words is happening and the logic behind it because frankly, I fail to see any. Thanks for any thoughtful replies!
posted on Feb 22, 2007 - 95 answers

What are the best (free) online exercises to prepare for the GRE? [more inside]
posted on Feb 9, 2007 - 6 answers

Is there a word for a thing that — until it is missing — is not fully valued, but that — once gone — is seen to be invaluable? [more inside]
posted on Dec 31, 2006 - 24 answers

Is there a word for a sort of nostalgia or longing for the current moment? [more inside]
posted on Nov 13, 2006 - 14 answers

Is the word "obtuse" being used correctly here [line 5]? [more inside]
posted on Nov 6, 2006 - 28 answers

Is there a word for missing something that hasn't happened? Yearning for a future that can no longer come to fruition? Extra bonus points if there's something in another language (especially Ancient Greek!).
posted on Nov 6, 2006 - 14 answers

What is the term for those little quotes that sometimes open books? [more inside]
posted on Oct 20, 2006 - 11 answers

What does one call something that contains the seeds of its own downfall? [more inside]
posted on Oct 5, 2006 - 35 answers

Is there a word for when somebody does something completely illogical but does it in a perfectly logical manner?
posted on Sep 26, 2006 - 22 answers

Where did the phrase "the shit hit the fan" originate from? My googling has revealed one claim that it is from 1930's jazz lingo, although no explanantion is given as to what it meant at the time, and another site gives a story that describes the origin that doesn't seem believable. (the last paragraph here: http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=shit Does anyone know where the phrase came from? Thanks!
posted on Sep 26, 2006 - 8 answers

LanguageFilter: Cypriot. Cairene. Dubliner. These are beautiful, and I'd like more. Name some favourite or exotic words denoting city of origin or residence. And what is the word for this type of word? [more inside]
posted on Aug 8, 2006 - 76 answers

Can someone explain a WF Buckley use of the word "yeomanry"? [more inside]
posted on May 6, 2006 - 13 answers

What are some things that retain useless or vestigal features of earlier versions of the technology? [more inside]
posted on May 6, 2006 - 55 answers

Does any language have a word or phrase for the feeling of sorrow one experiences upon finishing a really good book?
posted on Apr 14, 2006 - 23 answers

Is there a single word which means "negatively defined" (or "defined by its opposite" or "defined by not being other things" or "defined by the absence of something")? In English if you can manage (I cannot think of one), but maybe in another language? German perhaps?
posted on Apr 7, 2006 - 22 answers

The OED and other references are failing me on this: why is the term arms used to refer to an apartment building, and what exactly does it mean in that context?
posted on Jan 4, 2006 - 9 answers

Meaning of "eloecea"? [more inside]
posted on Dec 6, 2005 - 23 answers

Untranslatable words- The word I'm looking for means [roughly] "feeling embarrassed for someone else", and I think it might be in Portuguese. Anyone? [more inside]
posted on Oct 2, 2005 - 27 answers

I'm pretty verbose, but I don't think my vocabulary has grown much in years. And I'd like to build it up. [more inside]
posted on May 18, 2005 - 23 answers

Prompted by this thread. An Anglophile is fan of England, its people and culture. A Sinophile is a fan of China, its people and culture. Francophile, ditto for France. Is there a "phile" when it comes to America?
posted on Apr 15, 2005 - 28 answers

What are your favorite untranslatable words or phrases? I'm wondering after reading this thread. [more inside]
posted on Feb 19, 2005 - 26 answers

Language/Listening/WordFilter [mi]
posted on Jan 15, 2005 - 14 answers

Pronunciation/Definition Filter: The "word" merc. (+)
posted on Dec 17, 2004 - 22 answers

How do you call, in portuguese, to the citizens of Lao People's Democratic Republic?
posted on Dec 2, 2004 - 8 answers

How does one pronounce "leading," the term in printing for space between lines of type? "Leeee," or "Leh?"
posted on Jun 4, 2004 - 11 answers

What does "normative" mean? Is it a useful word? I only ever see it used in obscure, academic writing, which makes me suspect it's worthless. How is it different from "normal"? My dictionary says it means, "Of, relating to, or prescribing a norm or standard: normative grammar." That sounds like "normal" to me, so why not just say "normal"? Can someone give me some clear sentences that use the word -- sentences that are not written in post-modern, complit speak? Can one use "normative" meaningfully in a sentence about real-world things, like butter, eggs or bricks?
posted on May 21, 2004 - 24 answers

What's the difference between the words "proffer" and "offer"? This has been driving me mad for some reason for a few days now. Every dictionary I consult basically seems to say that they mean the same thing. But surely there must be a difference, right?
posted on Apr 19, 2004 - 12 answers

It's a word I've been using for a while in a ... you know ... "ironic postmodern" sort of a way, but really, I've got no idea what it means. The Google results plain confuse me, so I'm throwing this one out to the Ask Metafilter Posse. What does the word "postmodern" mean? What is postmodern literature? And finally, where do I go for examples? And ... please no laughing from the front of the class.
posted on Jan 18, 2004 - 42 answers

Did people really speak in such formal, flowery language in the 18th and 19th century? (more inside)
posted on Jan 18, 2004 - 12 answers

Why do people misspell 'lose' as 'loose'? I was looking at this old entry at waxy. All the info on the web seems to be of the 'haha, look how stupid people are' variety but I haven't found anything that tries to explain these mistakes away. Is it phonetics, usage, words that are an exception to a rule?
posted on Dec 30, 2003 - 19 answers

Where does the word "stat" come from, as in "Give me 20ccs of Ringer's Lactate, stat!"?
(I know it means quickly, but what's its origin?)
posted on Dec 13, 2003 - 10 answers