word choice - How do you describe the taste of an onion? - English ...
Mar 14, 2014 · It really depends on the onion and what exactly you are trying to convey to the listener. An onion might be strong, mild, aromatic, tear-inducing, acidic, salty, spicy, sweet, bitter, sour, or …
What do you call the interconnecting bits of a puzzle piece in English?
Native speakers do not assimilate those Wikipedia's tabs and blanks. So forget them if you want a layman to grasp the meaning the first time. Instead, I use figurative onion or bulb or protruding onion …
What do you call a bunch of garlic (when you don't remove the cloves)?
Botanically speaking, what is popularly referred to as a head of garlic is actually a corm. Whereas the nutritive tissue is in the leaves in an onion bulb, the leaves of the corm are dry; the nutritive tissue …
Why is "union" an exception to the "a/an" rule? [duplicate]
Aug 12, 2015 · The a/an-rule is based on pronunciation, not on spelling. Though the word union is spelt beginning with a vowel, the u is pronounced "you": /ˈjuː.ni.ən/ So, this is why it is accompanied by a …
etymology - Origin of the meaning of "à la mode" - English Language ...
In American English, à la mode means: in fashion, up to date. with ice cream. (of beef) braised in wine, typically with vegetables. While the first meaning matches the French meaning, the other two
The correct way to write "and/or" together in a sentence
Oct 28, 2014 · There is nothing wrong with writing, in your recipe, "add a potato and/or an onion". It's concise and reasonably well understood. It is not, however, strictly "formal", and pedants will likely …
What's the origin of the saying "know your onions"?
May 30, 2013 · In French, there's the expression occupez-vous de vos oignons which means "mind your own business" in English but can be literally translated as "take care of your onions". Know your …
"Sour cream" versus "soured cream" - English Language & Usage Stack ...
Let it fry till the onion is brown. Pick out the shreds of onion, and put the mixed ingredients into the pan with a tea-spoonful of good butter-milk, or soured cream ; add to this a young fowl skinned, and …
"Satire" versus "sarcasm" - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange
Satire is usually prepared and lengthy. For example, the fake news site The Onion is satire because its staff members carefully prepare each article to make fun of a particular subject. On the other hand, …
adjectives - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange
Aug 22, 2018 · not at all unusual, interesting, or special The recipe is nothing special – you just use plain old hamburger and some onion powder. plain old common sense Synonyms and related words Not …