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  2. What is the difference between "English" and "British"?

    english.stackexchange.com/questions/51978

    A simple way to understand it, is to compare the UK to the USA. The USA is a country made up of states. Each state, with a different name. People can be New Yorkers or Californians and they are Americans. However, not all Americans are New Yorkers or Californians. For the UK, replace the word states, with the words "home nations".

  3. In the UK at least, bitch doesn't have that association - it means something along the lines of woman with an unkind, evil or spiteful personality. The words skank and ho are recognised - especially from rap music - but are definitely felt to be American imports. All of the others are fully accepted as native :)

  4. Speaking of insults: "sod off!" meaning and origin

    english.stackexchange.com/questions/20372

    So your sense of "sod" is on the money. Suffixial "off" marks a general epithet as an insult, as seen in "piss off," "f-ck off," "bugger off," etc., all used in the manner of "please go away." Also note that "sod" in this sense is UK usage only. In US English it only refers to topsoil and turf grass.

  5. Should there be a space before a percent sign?

    english.stackexchange.com/questions/3281

    When the symbol % is used, there should be no space. When the "percent" word is used, there should be space. Examples from the Chicago Manual of Style Online: Fewer than 3 percent of the employees used public transportation. With 90–95 percent of the work complete, we can relax.

  6. What's the origin of the phrase "show true colours?"

    english.stackexchange.com/questions/563522

    This phrase dates back to the 1700s. It has a nautical origin and refers to the color of the flag which every ship is required to fly at sea. Pirates used to deceive other ships by sailing under false flags so that they would not excite suspicion. The other ships, thinking that the pirates were friendly, sailed close to them and fell under ...

  7. "Based on" vs. "based upon" - English Language & Usage Stack...

    english.stackexchange.com/questions/58709/based-on-vs-based-upon

    9. Usage note from Thefreedictionary: In their uses to indicate spatial relations, on and upon are often interchangeable. It was resting on (or upon) two supports. We saw a finch light on (or upon) a bough. To indicate a relation between two things, however, instead of between an action and an end point, upon cannot always be used.

  8. What is the origin of "rag" meaning newspaper?

    english.stackexchange.com/questions/81458

    Poor paper quality not writing. From an article published by the same magazine, in 1823, the following extract supports the theory that the term rag was used to refer to the main component of a newspaper, and perhaps, initially, to the substandard quality of the paper used in printing these journals etc. during the 18th and 19th century.

  9. american english - Why does "to dip" mean "to leave"? - English...

    english.stackexchange.com/questions/324543/why-does-to-dip-mean-to-leave

    even dip the flag in honour. It is this meaning of 'dip' that does the trick. At the time of dipping, what is dipped is removed from the sight. In our day to day parlance, (Street talk) we streach this meaning of 'dip' to its illogical extreme to mean 'playing truant' or staying away from somewhere.

  10. I seem to remember the old askoxford.com site said either was acceptable: CDs and CD's. But now the replacement Lexico powered by Oxford firmly suggests to avoid the apostrophe except in a few special cases:

  11. grammar - When to use "me" or "myself"? - English Language &...

    english.stackexchange.com/questions/20151

    My take is that if your intent is to add sophistication to your speech in an attempt to avoid using the lowly 'me', then you are incorrect because 'me' (or 'I') IS correct. However, if you have some artistic or poetic intent then 'myself' in a compound subject or object can be acceptable. – Paul Jackson.