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How can I explain to people that the phrase off of is grammatically incorrect? I‘ve heard this phrase used a lot, especially by Americans (though they aren't the only ones). In my understanding, off of should usually be replaced by off , as in, I took the book off the shelf as opposed to I took the book off of the shelf Am I wrong? Or is there perhaps some simple way I can explain this to most people? Answer I don't know how you can explain to people in general that it's grammatically incorrect, but here is one idea: when you go to a James Brown tribute concert and the singer says "Get up offa that thing" what you could do is to trounce the security guards, climb on to the stage, pounce onto the singer, grab the microphone and say "In fact you should be saying not 'get up offa that thing' but 'get up off that thing' since 'offa' is grammatically incorrect." I'm sure everyone will thank you for your grammatical corrections...

What are the differences between shop , shoppe , and store ? Answer While I like @Jigar Joshi's answer, I'll provide some American Connotation, if I can. (Caveat, not a professional culturist) I would say that a shop is somewhere you go to have a service preformed, or only provides a single or narrowly focused good. Usually contains a workshop of some kind where the goods are made on-site for the customer. Body Shop refers to an auto repair facility (autobody shop) Wood Shop refers to a place where you can go to get custom woodworking done Coffee Shop a place you can go to get hand-made drinks Butcher's Shop a place to get custom cuts of meat I would say that a store is the more common American term for a place you go to buy something. They usually have many different sections and offer a wider variety of goods than a shop . The goods you purchase are usually made off-site and only stored on location. Department Store buy furnishings and clothes for each room of th...

There is a type of 'double adjective' expression in colloquial (mainly spoken) Indian English, which is a reflection of usage in many (Indian) subcontinental languages, example: " small small ". For instance, "... ... That was so much beautiful, I can't tell. There were big big mountains, and there were small small houses in the foothills of them. ... ...". My guess is that this is merely used to express a plural form, as in (converted to Standard English). It's more like "a collection of big mountains". "... ... That was so beautiful, I can't tell you how much. There were some big mountains, and there were many small houses in their foothills." Am I right? Other examples of doubling of adjectives as in 'small small': The playground was full of little little children playing. If you have any sense, you will listen to old old people! Big big people will do big big things. Small small people shouldn't imitate the...

There are words for dried grapes and dried plums; raisins and prunes . Is there a word for dried blueberries, which is also common as a fruit? As an example, I am having _________, which are dried blueberries. Answer Wikipedia says Nearly half of the dried fruits sold are raisins , followed by dates , prunes , figs, apricots, peaches, apples and pears . These are referred to as "conventional" or "traditional" dried fruits: fruits that have been dried in the sun or in heated wind tunnel dryers. Many fruits such as cranberries, blueberries , cherries, strawberries and mango are infused with a sweetener (e.g. sucrose syrup) prior to drying. Note there is no word for dried apricots, peaches, figs, apples or pears. Likewise there is no word for dried blueberries.

In the following example, realtype stands for a computer data type defined by a computer. The data type might be different on different computers; ie the definition of realtype is machine-dependent. If my [computer] code is executed on another system, realtype might be defined { different / differently / something else }. Which of the alternative endings should I choose? Please say why, in plain English. I prefer an answer with simple rules that I can remember and easily apply. I tried to understand an earlier question , to no avail. Answer The last response from the linked question is probably the best and clearest. "Differently" modifies the verb ("defined"), whereas "different" would modify the noun (" realtype "). So I'm almost certain you want "differently" because the defining is what's different. "Differently" is an adverb, "different" is an adjective (generally).

I'm looking for a word that means someone (especially a boss) who is not pleased (with your work, attitude etc.) no matter how hard you try. Answer Dear boss, You are the most implacable boss I have ever worked with. You are pitiless and immovable no matter how hard I try. For these reasons, I'm out. Yours sincerely...

In my current project we are writing a program to convert a newer protocol to an older one. These conversion programs are being referred to as adapters , but the team cannot agree which spelling to use: adapter or adaptor . I personally plump for adapter , as adaptor sounds like its a person (like actor , realtor , etc.) rather than a device. Is there a case for using one rather than the other? Answer Both are commonly used and listed in dictionaries, but adapter (with an e) is usually listed as the more common - see, for example, Merriam Webster or the Cambridge dictionary . It's not a strong basis for choosing one over the other, but it might be enough to settle the matter in your case :).