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- pronunciation - Is forte pronounced fort or for-tay? - English . . .
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 pronounced 'fort' = fɔrt But those languages are not English, and English has its own rules, inspired by the originals but with no compunction to remain faithful, at least here with the French borrowing
- Where does the phrase hold down the fort come from?
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 variation on something like 'make all secure and batten down the hatches!" where the security is against the weather, not a human enemy?
- 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?
- What is the origin of the term ginger for red-headed people?
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 like to know how
- Neesh or Nitch? - English Language Usage Stack Exchange
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?
- Whats the difference between to and fro and back and forth?
In the example you cite, to and fro is essentially identical in meaning to back and forth However, to and fro can also carry the less specific sense of ‘moving about in different directions,’ similar to here and there, as in The lambs frolicked to and fro on the grassy hill To and fro is alive and well in present-day English usage, but it sounds somewhat antiquated and may seem unduly
- Equivalent of former and latter for more than 2 items
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?
- Differences between propensity, predilection and proclivity
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 of the words irony and disinterest or the mispronunciation of the the words route and forte
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