What is the difference between "English" and "British"?
Dec 17, 2011 · That makes me ethnically English and politically British. Although Great Britain is a geographical term, British describes nationals of the whole of the United Kingdom and Britain …
What's the origin of the phrase "show true colours?"
Mar 25, 2021 · Here's an example of the phrase in actual use. The Florida flew the British flag till she was fired at , when she hauled it down , and ( according to Captain Semmes's account ) …
Origin of fag (meaning a cigarette in British English)
Dec 1, 2015 · Aside from the offensive meaning, colloquial British English uses the term fag to indicate a cigarette. James has gone outside for a fag In my googling, I thought perhaps this …
Origin of "jack sh*t" - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange
Apr 11, 2011 · In British use the jack has been since the 17th c. (except under the Commonwealth) a small sized ‘Union Flag’ of the period (Union Jack), which has also been, …
Where does the "getting weaker" definition of "flagging" come …
Feb 7, 2019 · Ah, So the meaning of flag (v) does NOT derive from a metaphor, like I thought, but comes direct from a word in a parent language. Thanks. After some more research, it also …
Which is correct, "neither is" or "neither are"?
Disjunction in the subject formally takes a verb that agrees in the number with whichever element is closest to the verb. This is just as true with neither/nor as it is with either/or. “Neither the …
"s" vs. "z" in BE vs. AE - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange
12 I have trouble understanding why some words change "s"-es to "z"-s from BE to AE and some not. For example: analyse -> analyze characterise -> characterize hypnotise -> hypnotize But: …
Origin of the term 'Pom' - English Language & Usage Stack …
Oct 30, 2015 · The problem for me is the lack of pomegranates in South Africa and the early common use of 'Pom' among Afrikaners for the English specifically when they had the term …
What's an eponymous adjective that is an antonym of Machiavellian?
May 30, 2017 · Sadly, the quote I could find in Google Books from Our Navy is even more abridged than what you offered so I am still wondering what business U.S. sailors had sailing …
etymology - Why does "going to kip" mean "going to sleep"?
Dec 31, 2013 · noun 1British a sleep or nap: I might have a little kip [mass noun] : he was trying to get some kip verb (kips, kipping, kipped) [no object] British sleep: he can kip on her sofa …