
What does "ratchet" mean and when was it first used?
From them I learned the following things about ratchet. What does 'ratchet' mean, and how is it pronounced? Ratchet [is] used to describe someone means nasty, ghetto or trifling. —Janet Ratchet …
meaning - What is a word that could define someone who likes to …
Sep 13, 2013 · Scheming does not carry the meaning of causing harm to others. You can scheme for personal gain without necessarily hurting anyone or, at least, without that being your objective. …
single word requests - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange
May 5, 2014 · While I know you can attribute 'bitch' to a male, I feel there is a sense of femininity. I was wondering if there is a colloquial equivalent that describes someone with the qualities of a 'bitch'
More formal way of saying: "Sorry to bug you again about this, but ..."
Aug 22, 2011 · A good question: I'm in a similar quandry with a supplier, but after 'sorry to bother you' email or two, I started to ratchet-up the bluntness. :)
Where did the phrase "batsh*t crazy" come from?
The word crazy is a later addition. Scanning Google Books I find a handful of references starting from the mid-60s where batshit is clearly just a variation on bullshit (nonsense, rubbish) - which meaning …
Forward vs Forwards - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange
The OED says this The present distinction in usage between forward and forwards is that the latter expresses a definite direction viewed in contrast with other directions. In some contexts either form …
meaning - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange
Terry Pratchett used in his disc world novels the word "avec" as a common food ingredient for french (in his books named "quirmian" or "Quirm" for the country) food. Excerpt from "Snuff" by Terry
I've just bought vs. I just bought vs. I bought [duplicate]
Sep 28, 2015 · This seems to be another example of how people frequently truncate the language at the cost of clarity. I'm not entirely sure but I think the sentence should be said as "I have just now bought …
metaphors - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange
ADDED: It is possible that a third sense of racket contributed. Racket is found in some 18th-and 19th-century texts as a variant of ratchet, a toothed wheel or bar, or a tooth or click for stopping the action …
sentence - What does the phrase, “there is properly no history, only ...
I found Ralph Waldo Emerson's famous words, “ there is properly no history, only biography,” in his “Essay I” being quoted in the article titled “Keeping the dream alive: A biography,” appearing in June …