etymology - Why is muscle cramp called a “charley horse”? - English ...
Aug 22, 2025 · The history told me nothing why an involuntary, extremely painful spasm, is named after a horse called Charley. Charley in the UK is often spelled Charlie, a diminutive of Charles, and it's …
"Why ...?" vs. "Why is it that ... ?" - English Language & Usage Stack ...
I don't know why, but it seems to me that Bob would sound a bit strange if he said, "Why is it that you have to get going?" in that situation.
Where does the use of "why" as an interjection come from?
Mar 18, 2011 · "why" can be compared to an old Latin form qui, an ablative form, meaning how. Today "why" is used as a question word to ask the reason or purpose of something. This use might be …
"Why it is" vs "Why is it" - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange
Nov 7, 2013 · 8 1) Please tell me why is it like that. [grammatically incorrect unless the punctuation is changed. Please tell me: Why is it like that? The question: "Why is [etc.]" is a question form in …
"The reason why" versus "The reason for why": Is that "for" there ...
The grass is wet because it rained last night. This seems the simplest and most elegant expression of the meaning. I am always suspicious of "reason (s)" and "why" being next to each other. There can …
Can "why" be a conjunction? - English Language & Usage Stack …
Nov 27, 2018 · Why is a just a rather odd wh -word. Its distribution is very limited -- it can only have the word reason as its antecedent, and since it's never the subject it's always deletable. Consequently it …
Why is “bloody” considered offensive in the UK but not in the US?
Jul 22, 2022 · As to why "Bloody" is considered obscene/profane in the UK more than in the US, I think that's a reflection of a stronger Catholic presence, historically, in the UK than in the US, if we're …
nouns - Why is the word "pants" plural? - English Language & Usage ...
Dec 21, 2010 · Why is the word "pants" plural? Ask Question Asked 15 years, 1 month ago Modified 4 years, 3 months ago
Why is 'c*nt' so much more derogatory in the US than the UK?
Why is 'c*nt' so much more derogatory in the US than the UK? Ask Question Asked 15 years, 1 month ago Modified 9 years, 6 months ago
Why is it 'three score years and ten' almost half the time and not ...
May 9, 2021 · Why is it 'three score years and ten' almost half the time and not always 'three score and ten years'? Note: I edited the question body and title in light of comments and answers pointing me to …