pronunciation - Is "forte" pronounced "fort" or "for-tay"? - English ...
Aug 21, 2010 · Summary: The confusion may come from 'forte' as used in music for strong or loud, which is definitely pronounced 'for tay' = /ˈfɔr teɪ/. In French, the same letters are …
etymology - What is the origin of the phrase "forty winks," …
William Kitchiner M.D. (1775–1827) was an optician, inventor of telescopes, amateur musician and exceptional cook. His name was a household word during the 19th century, and his …
Where does the phrase "hold down the fort" come from?
Jun 20, 2015 · I agree the original should be 'hold the fort' and 'hold down…' looks like an aberration. Is it too much to speculate that 'hold down…' could have come from a land-lubbers …
What is the origin of the term "ginger" for red-headed people?
Aug 31, 2014 · I'd like to know the etymology of the word "ginger" in reference to red-headed people. In particular, if "ginger" in this context is related to the plant root used in cooking, I'd …
Is it "are" or "is" when the noun is plural after a gerund?
Playing shooting games are/is my forte. Watching movies is/are fun. Reading books is or are good for you. Do we use is or are for these sentences?
Neesh or Nitch? - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange
Aug 20, 2010 · What is the correct way to pronounce niche? I've always said and heard nitch, but now I hear neesh, but it always sounds trendy to me. Thoughts?
Is "forth and back" more proper than "back and forth"?
Aug 3, 2012 · "Back and forth" is the more correct idiom, because, well, that's the idiom. There's nothing to stop you from saying "forth and back" — a little voice is repeating the subtitle to The …
Differences between "propensity", "predilection" and "proclivity"
Jan 17, 2012 · 0 They're essentially synonymous: Proclivity is 'leaning to', propensity is 'nearness to' and predilection is 'preference for'. Worry about something more significant like the misuse …
Equivalent of "former" and "latter" for more than 2 items
Jul 8, 2018 · Former and latter are valid only when there are two choices. If I have a list of more than two items, is there an elegant way to say the first one or the last one?
What do you call someone from the U.S.? [duplicate]
Feb 1, 2017 · @phoog let me get this clear, geography has never been my forte, so N.America is one continent, and S.America is a second continent. As for the driving analogy, does it hold? …