SEMANTIC ENIGMAS



Can anybody provide a detailed etymology of the word "Ok"? (3 answers)



It is correct to put the comma in this sentence? "Stay home, and leave me alone!" Thanks in advance! (4 answers)



When did people start saying "Say again" when they wanted something repeating, instead of the "Beg your pardon" or "Sorry" I was brought up with? And where did the phrase come from? (3 answers)



A query for the 'Semantic Enigmas' section: Any ideas as to why we say something is "bog conventional" or "bog standard"? Why the use of the word "bog", and in what context ? (4 answers)



I have a question in relation to the word 'reincarnate/reincarnation' which means rebirth of a soul in a new body or a person in whom a soul is believed to have been born again. It also means transmigrate/transmigration which means pass into a different body after death or passing of a person's soul after their death into another body. We often hear that there are some persons who can tell the events of his/her past life. If so, it means that the person was reborn after death into another body. No single word is found by me in this context which means a person 'who can tell the events of his/her past life'. Is there one? (2 answers)



We have got terms such as 'hot girl', 'hot news', 'hot dog', 'hot line', 'the hot seat' and etc. So, what and why is it hot? (7 answers)



I have heard Englishmen use the word "what" at end of a declaratory sentence. What does that convey, and is it an upper class affectation? (5 answers)



Why are the Conservatives happy to be called 'Tories' and 'The Tory Party', when the word means "outlaw, robber or brigand", from the Irish Gaelic tóraidhe or tóraí? Many will think the name suits, but is it not bad PR? (6 answers)



Americanisms: Most people, especially the young, now seem to express distaste for something by saying Eu! rather than Ugh! with a slightly guttural finish. Are American films and TV shows to blame? (6 answers)



In the abesence of a decent academic dictionary can the word prevalence (as used in empidemiology )be pluralised to prevalences? (7 answers)



Any ideas as to the origin of the phrase "to have a cob on" meaning 'to be annoyed'..?! (4 answers)



What is the origin of the word "prefect"? It is used now to mean a schoolchild with delegated authority, and regions of Japan are referred to as "prefectures", so they are presumably governed by a prefect. Were they originally Roman officials? What were their responsibilities? (2 answers)



Who are Laura Norder and Lauren Forcement and when did it become acceptable to pronounce the letter 'W' as an 'R' when followed by a vowel. (6 answers)



I presumed that "Nooks & c's" was a request for examples of redundancies such as "cease and desist" as well as "null and void." I thought perhaps "wreak havoc" should fall in this category until I remembered "play havoc." Why does our language have "reek" and "wreck?" Seems to me "play" and "wreak" shouldn't be interchangeable with "havoc." (2 answers)



What language is the only 1 that has no swear words in england, scotland, ireland, and wales? (8 answers)



NOTICE Residents' parking only What does "notice" mean in this context? a) Pay attention! b) I am giving you notice that ... c) This is a noticeboard or is it totally superfluous? (2 answers)



In "Elm Road" (and all other roads, crescents, avenues, terraces etc), the stress falls on the second word. But in "Elm Street" (and all other streets), the stress falls on the first word. Why is street the exception? (6 answers)



Why do most people, when speaking a foreign language (however fluently) still SOUND foreign? Is it a failure to learn enough, or is it neurological? (8 answers)



I don't know about "sick as a chip", from a recent query, but that makes me wonder why "Sick as a Parrot"? (6 answers)



"I would die in a ditch to..." Know what ditch and where? (one answer)















