Discussion Groups / English Usage / January 2010

Would Americans call a dish prepared in the oven "bake"? Or would they say
casserole or soufflé? I am looking for the equivalent of the German "Auflauf",
i.e. potatoes, pasta, vegetables with or without eggs, prepared in the oven
and often browned or baked with a (cheese) topping.

Would "nursing" instead of "nurse" be the standard?
---
"Used to be a lot of womenfolk nurse they kids a long time down
South."

A fortnight come Michaelmas - what day is that expression pointing to? 14
days "before" or "after" St. Michael?
I find it twice in a literary piece dated 1937 (should this ever help :-).
Also, once: a fortnight come Lammas eve.

'I know the story' or 'I know of the story'.
What is the difference?
Thanks

if someone asks me: How are you doing?
Can I answer I am doing good? Or I have to say: I am doing well?
Thanks

I feel a little uncomfortable with the "one only" in the following
sentence. I would use "only one" from my first thought. Is there any
difference, or mine is incorrect? Thanks in advance.
It is from a technical article. The words in parenthesis are italic

I wonder what is the meaning of each of these phrasals:
"to get over, to turn on, or up or even out"
in this context.
---

Are these "con brios"
an article of lingerie?
Couldn't find anything relevant.
---

Does the "unhung" here mean
"not hanged yet"
or is it something else?
Was there ever a proscription of 'Hi' in polite manners?

Is it just a quirk or is there a reason for the different spellings?
Thanks.

Hello, everyone,
If you are a native speaker of English, would you please help me judge
if the following three sentences are acceptable/grammatical? Thanks.
--Ray

Hi !  Would you tell me the difference between "send" and "send off"
in the following sentence?
a) He was acting like a person with Alzheimer’s disease, so she sent
him to the doctor.

My cousin Matthew's report for the FT on the recent UK Open Scrabble
tournament:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/febb6746-ff1c-11de-a677-00144feab49a.html
Which prompted fond remembrances of Graeme.

The surest way to prevent terrorism is to take away the matter of
them. For if there be fuel prepared it is hard to tell when the spark
shall come that will
set it on fire. Much poverty and much discontentment motivates

Word's dictionary doesn't like "rurality".  Seems a bit odd.