Is "glass cannon" a generally recognized phrase?
WEBOct 9, 2012 · @FumbleFingers: except that a glass jaw is a weakness, and only a weakness. In glass cannon, the two words are contrasted: "glass" implies weakness, but "cannon" implies strength. So I don't think there's an etymological link to glass jaw, apart from both phrases happening to use the metaphor of a material known to be fragile. –
"Cannon" as plural - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange
WEBApr 10, 2017 · It's just a noun with an irregular plural. Compare "32 cannon" and "32 rain" or "The cannon were moved to the front of the field" and "The rain was awful" and "The rain were awful". Cannon is till an alternative plural of cannon nowadays. The reason for the decline of plural "cannon" is, well, that we don't use cannons so much any more!!.
etymology - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange
WEBJul 22, 2014 · Stack Exchange Network. Stack Exchange network consists of 183 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers.
meaning - Is the term 'affectation status' generally accepted ...
WEBThe word affectation is defined by Merriam-Webster as: a :speech or conduct not natural to oneself :an unnatural form of behavior meant especially to impress others His French accent is j...
What is the relationship between canon and cannon?
WEBEven if these words are not connected, Anatoly Liberman's Word Origins And How We Know Them: Etymology for Everyone explains many other similar can-words are connected: cane as a walking stick, as a cane chair and as cane sugar are from a "hollow stem", from Latin canna "reed, cane, tube, pipe".
Saying for using an overly powerful tool to fix a minor problem
WEBNov 23, 2015 · Stack Exchange Network. Stack Exchange network consists of 183 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers.
"Battery" and "Battery", why are they called the same?
WEBThis post made an interesting point about what would be understood when the word battery is used.. In the U.S. at least, the word battery is so rarely used outside the legal phrase assault and battery that a listener would be pretty much guaranteed to assume it meant an electrical battery unless it was specifically disambiguated by context.
What is the opposite of a "one-trick pony" or a "one-hit wonder"?
WEBMuch of this depends on context, but the real McCoy (or, the real deal) might also be used, as in: "The band Looking Glass was a one-hit wonder, but the Rolling Stones are the real McCoy." – J.R. Commented Apr 7, 2013 at 20:26
expressions - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange
WEBThe recent EL&U question asked by Mikhail about the alternative expressions of ‘To shoot out of cannon into sparrows’ reminded me of Japanese saying - 大山鳴動鼠一匹- literally meaning people find (get) “Only a small mouse coming out after hearing rumblings and experiencing shaking of the big mountain, (and jumping out of the house ...
What's the difference between "cup" and "glass"?
WEBDec 20, 2016 · I think this is a case where a general reference question nevertheless has an interesting answer that is not covered very well by most reference sources: when does shape take precedence (so that a plastic glass-shaped drinking vessel is just a "glass") and when does material take precedence (so that if it's made of plastic, it can only ever be a …