Debbie in Boulder, Colorado, says that while watching K-dramas, she often hears Korean-speaking characters urge someone on with an exclamation that means something like “Go get ’em!” or “Good luck!” and sounds like the word Fighting! It’s an example...
When someone says maybe, are they suggesting an option, or merely being polite? A caller from Anna, Texas, met a Canadian who used the word maybe to soften his imperatives. The same effect is often achieved with conditional phrases: “Would you mind...
wh-imperative n.— «There is some evidence of impositives and wh- imperatives, but relative to all the questions that mothers address to their children, the number of the wh- imperatives and impositives is small.» —by Ioanna...
whimperative n. a command or request phrased as a polite or indirect question. Also wh- imperative. Editorial Note: This word is especially used in the linguistic study of discourse. Thanks to Ben Zimmer for helping to clarify this definition...
in-and-out n.— «If the court upholds Mayrand’s decision, the party could be forced to list the cost of the advertising under its national campaign, pushing it over its allowed expense limit, in violation of the Elections Act. “The need for such...
