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Questions tagged [colloquial-language]

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for questions about colloquial language. Colloquial language, colloquial dialect, or informal language is a variety of language commonly employed in conversation or other communication in informal situations.

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Folks, http://nypost.com/2017/06/30/trump-scolds-korean-media-for-wreaking-havoc-in-oval-office/ In the above link, there are sentences as follows; But then he turned to his South Korean ...
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In this movie two brothers are talking on the phone: — Yo — Hey, Isaiah. Hey, are you going to pick me up, man? — You all right? What happened? — Man, just some skinheads tripping, man. — All ...
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A shorthand English word for 3 multiplied by 4 is: 3 times 4 I am aware that this comes from spoken language as in "we have 3 four times", a version I know from my native language as well. I would ...
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If someone wrote something wrong and I want to tell him that all of what he wrote is wrong can I say: "You haven't even written any thing right" or should I use the past simple?
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Is it alright to use the phrase "working his butts off" in formal essay writing such as an IELTS exam?
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Please, have a look at the sentence from the A Study in Scarlet, by Arthur Conan Doyle (Chapter 3 = The Lauriston Garden Mystery). “This case will make a stir, sir,” he remarked. “It beats anything I ...
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I read this on the Stack Overflow blog: Computer security is always evolving. Passwords are “what you know.” Smart cards are “what you have.” We decided to ask “how you do you.” Is the phrase ...
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It's my understanding that "easily" is the regular adverb for "easy", e.g. "He makes friends easily". But in some collocations one still uses "easy", e.g. "Take it easy", "Rest easy" or "Slow down ...
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Several times I came across the expression "I am a sweet tooth", not "I have a sweet tooth". Is it allowable in colloquival speech? Example 1 Example 2 Example 3
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How do I say "shitload" or "shit-ton" without cursing? Ideally, I'm looking for a term for casual conversation but without any cursing, the word you can use with kids and teens, or just adults you ...
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If I want to tell my friend about some topics, such as what I do in my free time or my favorite movies, is it appropriate to use "when it comes to" at the beginning of the conversation? For example, "...
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I was wondering if "firsthand smoker" or " first-hand smoker" is a standard formal English or I should use "active smoker". When I looked up "firsthand smoke", "first-hand smoke", "firsthand smoking"...
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I would like to know how many meanings have the colloquial structure "ain't" aparte from: am not, is not, are not and have not. Example, the song, ain't nobody by Felix Jaehn: Ain't nobody Loves ...
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How would an American native speaker refer to someone whose house is located in a bad part of town where some poor people with a lower social / cultural level live and where the dwellers' average ...
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If I hear someone（esp. a very famous person) say something (e.g. a sentence) and I appreciate that sentence very much, what can I say? "I like the sentence someone said" or "I love this sentence ...
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I've recently heard the follwing sentence in a text for children learning English: The blackboard is square. It got translated to the German equivalent of “the blackboard is quadrilateral”. The ...
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Today I was exposed to the fact that the female form of dog is bitch (just like bull (m) and cow (f)). But I have never heard someone who called his female dog a bitch. So I suspect that in fact it ...
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You had a bad thing that day. You were having a bad thing that day. Could you tell me the difference in meaning between sentence 1 and sentence 2? I feel there must be a difference in meaning.
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Maybe it is standard English, but "I've seen them worse." does not sound like it to me. There is something peculiar about it but I cannot seem to get a fix on why or how it is different. Does it ...
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I searched the whole internet but couldn't find anything else than the standard rules/guidelines as to how to use the simple present for future events. I understand that when something is scheduled, e....
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The sentence is from Eric Thomas’ Secrets to Success Speech. Guru said, “If you wanna make money, I’ll meet you tomorrow. 4 AM.” So the young man got there 4 AM. He all ready to rock n’...
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There are several degrees of intensity of drunkenness, ranging from a state of slight euphoria to total oblivion, which may be recognized by the way someone is speaking, moving and behaving. In the ...
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What may be the phrase, playful or polite, that when heard by the one it is addressed to, tells him/her that they are blocking out the sight you are looking at? For example, in Russian, it is a ...
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Can I use "Me too" like subject in an answer? If someone says, I am Italian. I could say "Me too!" in response, but could I say Me too am Italian? If not, why not? It is confusing because "...
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Is it correct to say "no need of thanks" when someone says "thank you"? I think you're welcome, no problem, any time and nothing at all are quite often. And I think no need to say thanks is also ...
Omkar Reddy's user avatar
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Is it possible to say Did you catch the meaning? Did you catch what I'm trying to say? In order to express/ask if somebody understand something.
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I've always learnt at school that we have to say: "You were + (add something)" either if the "you" is actually one person or more. But sometimes I heard or read "You was + (add something)" especially ...
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I.e. "There ain't no maybe". The "ain't" can be converted into "is no". So the result is "There is no no maybe". How to understand this?
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5 answers
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I came across a few combinations of 'nailed it' or 'nailed down' in various contexts. According to the blog-posts, it seems to be widespread on the internet. However, I have never heard these ...
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Well, she ain't no John Wilkes Booth. But may be you might of heard tell 'bout the price on her head. This is a quote from QT's movie the Hateful Eight. I am aware that this is not supposed to be a ...
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In Russian culture there is a saying: Ты никто и звать тебя никак Which means that the person is of no importance (in this society) and even his name doesn't mean anything (to this society members). ...
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Nowadays, everybody are using pun/metaphor in their sentences, I use Google whether phrase is metaphor or pun. For example: Break a leg is pun, but I think it is really as bones coming out of the leg,...
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I am watching the show, 'Diners, drive-Ins and Dives' and I wonder one expression. The show host, Guy Fieri said like below in on bakery eating a Cinnamon Pecan Roll. This is like "Cinnamon Rolls ...
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Let's say the cooking time for a dish is 50 minutes. I want to ask how much time remains between now and when the dish will be done. What is the right way to ask that?
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I sometimes hear some people saying, it's not that good "of an idea" or it's not that big "of a deal". Is there a difference between above statements and statements below? It's not a good idea. It'...
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Moreover what are Idiomatic Expressions and what are Colloquial Expressions?
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Those clerics, who often have views on life which are in stark contrast to the Belgian lifestyle, have been provoking identity crises in many immigrant youths, making them vulnerable for ...
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2 answers
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Does it sound natural to say I'd like to have a cup of coffee at a café or is it too wordy? It sounds like the more wordy the more polite.
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Correct or colloquial and grammatically wrong? My dictionary says got got the same meaning as have in american english and I have often used it instead. Would I make people correct me if I were to use ...
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1 answer
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Can we skip objects in colloquial English, for example, Have you read the book? Yes, I've read (it) already. By skipping "it", still is it ok? Or Can you drink your milk? But I don't ...
Ook's user avatar
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2 answers
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I want people to add me on the social app Snapchat. What should I write in the caption? Should I give my username on Facebook and say "Add me up"? What's the difference between "Add me" and "Add me ...
Ardis Ell's user avatar
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1 answer
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Is that any expression in English for not too sweet tea? Here, we normally say it is as sweet as guava, which means the taste of tea is just half sweet, because the amount of sugar is reduced.
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6 votes
4 answers
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What is the English word(s) for a true experience when someone has been through a learning process during her/his life. In my native language, it's commonly said: She/he has been "eating salt and ...
Student's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
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What is correct? Because me and my family all lived our whole life in America and we just make visits. or Because I and my family all lived our whole life in America and we just make visits.
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3 answers
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In a software development environment, things have versions, or historic snapshots of how they evolve over time. Can I say "You need to version this or that" so as to refer that something needs ...
Lorenzo Peña's user avatar
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9 votes
4 answers
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I know the word upperclassman but it means a junior or senior student in an American high school, college, or university. If I was a freshman I cannot call a sophomore an upperclassman. What the word ...
Lerner Zhang's user avatar
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11 votes
7 answers
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I was listening to the song Superman by Eminem. I've listened it before many times but from the time I've started learning English grammar I am getting confused while reading or listening English. ...
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1 vote
1 answer
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You are a cry boy now. You are a crying boy now. What does the each sentence mean? When would you choose each form to mean what?
Joe Kim's user avatar
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2 votes
2 answers
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So when I think I heard an American said “I got (something)”, actually he/she said “’ve” after the “I” and it’s present perfect? And this is the time where present perfect should be used? And then it'...
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How to use the phrase "the up-and-comers" properly? Is there any classification of age of people belong to "the up-and-comers"?
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