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  1. Which is more proper "rarest" or "most rare"?

    Nov 17, 2020 · In the following usage, which is the correct form for the superlative of the adjective "rare"? "the rarest on Earth" or "the most rare on Earth"?

  2. Why is a very rare steak called 'blue'?

    Oct 20, 2016 · Quoting the BBC recipe site: How to cook the perfect steak [...] Blue: Should still be a dark colour, almost purple, and just warm. It will feel spongy with no resistance. Rare: Dark red in …

  3. Why is the letter 'E' the most commonly-used letter?

    Jul 5, 2020 · While this doesn't speak to the etymological reasons for why 'e' specifically is the most frequent letter, there is actually a very interesting statistical reason that there is such a letter: Zipf's …

  4. Which is correct: "one or more is" or "one or more are"?

    Feb 18, 2011 · Both are used. Before the 1940s, "one or more are" was clearly more popular, but since then they seem roughly equally common.

  5. Whence comes the expression ‘’starve a cold, feed a fever?”

    Jul 22, 2024 · What is the origin of the expression "starve a cold, feed a fever"? It is is used as basic (perhaps incorrect) medical advice for common illnesses.

  6. "call out" vs "call in" - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange

    Dec 3, 2022 · Apparently, both call in sick and call out sick are used and there is a regional difference in usage in U.S. English. Based on a poll where 7493 US adults surveyed, calling in sick is the most …

  7. Is there a word for a person who can recognize valuable items that can ...

    Jul 10, 2023 · She’s found: an antique piece of serving ware–I think it was a pie slicer or cheese knife that was the rarest part of a set, rare pyrex dishes, an original Holly Hobbie doll, a jar of buttons that …

  8. capitalization - Should "pandemic" be capitalized when referring to ...

    May 16, 2024 · It would be unusual, though hardly unacceptable, to capitalise the pandemic (to emphasise the magnitude). Thus Conrad Duncan, writing under the Imperial College London aegis, …

  9. The origin of 'water breaking' during pregnancy

    Feb 16, 2025 · Frequency and Register Note that all of these amnio‑ terms were specialist vocabulary found initially only in scientific and technical use. This remains largely true to this day, although …

  10. Were clothes called "loud" because they actually made a noise?

    Oct 4, 2020 · In the mid 19th century, taffeta was ‘loud’ The taffeta and silk used in dresses in the 1830s could have inspired the expression “loud clothes”. This is only a conjecture of mine but it is based on …