Questions

Questions with some entertaining value for intelligentsia
When you have a problem with your nose do you visit an otorhinolaryngologist or an otolaryngologist?
When you have a problem with your teeth do you visit a stomatologist or a dentist?
Do you say caries, tooth decay, or cavity?
Do you say dental braces, teeth braces, or braces?
Do you say suspenders for trousers or braces for trousers?
Do you say braces for socks or suspenders for socks?
Do physicians graduate from a Faculty of Medicine or a Medical School?
Do you say conjunctivitis or pinkeye?
Do yo say pipette or eye dropper?
Do you say trachea or windpipe?
Do you call an apothecary a pharmacist, a chemist, or a druggist?
Do you say narcotic or drug?
Do you say drug addict or junkie?
Do you say medicament, medication, or drug?
Do you say Medicinae Universae Doctor, or Doctor of Medicine?
Do you say sanatorium or sanitarium?
Do you say hermetic or airtight?
Do you say fingernail or nail?
Do you say computer virus or virus?
Do you say metal nut or nut?
Do you write ninetynine cents as $0.99, 99¢, or 0.99¢?
Do you wear spectacles, eyeglasses, or glasses?
Do you use a Papin pot or a pressure cooker for cooking?
Do you use a stove or a range for cooking?
At the end of a sentence do you put fullstop, point, dot, or period?
To emphasize or repeat an embarrassing fact do you "compound it", or do you "rub it in"?
Is the word from a foreign language with changed spelling and/or pronunciation the corrupted word, or bastardized word?
Do you listen to a weather synopsis, or a weather forecast?
Do you call low atmospheric pressure a cyclon or just "low pressure"?
Is the academic hour 45 minutes, 50 minutes, or 60 minutes in duration?
Is the time allowed for a lesson in school called school hour, school period, or period?
Do you attend school or do you go to school?
Do you audit a high school class in mathematics or do you attend a high school class in mathematics informally?
Do you enrol in the course on Synthetic Geometry or do you take the course in Synthetic Geometry?
Do you say "now", or do you say "at this point in time"?
Do you say salto mortale or somersault?
Do you say antenna or aerial?
Do you say ballast or dead weight?
Do you say solfeggio or exercise in singing?
Do you say wunderkind or prodigy?
Do you say "Gesundheit!" or "Bless you!"?
Do you say Hochstapler, humbug, imposter, or swindler?
Do you say "a large number of people", or do you say "masses of people"?
Do you say reliable, dependable, or solid?
Do you say good performance or solid performance?
Do you say pantomime or mime?
Do you say chauvinism or aggressive nationalism?
When you say five-thirty-a-m do you mean the radio station 530 AM or the time 5:30 a.m.?
Do you say Faculty of Theology or Seminary?
Do you say gradient or slope?
Do numbers on hypodermic syringe represent ml, cm³, or c.c.?
Do you say pamphlet, leaflet, handbill, or flyer?
Do you say gramophone, phonograph, or record player?
Do you say telegram or cablegram?
Do you say conserved food or canned food?
Do you say compote or preserved fruit?
Do you say lift or elevator?
Do you say toilet, restroom, bathroom, washroom, or powder room?
Do you say theodolite or transit?
Do you say marionette or puppet on a string?
Do you say mannequin or fashion model?
Do you say "bon appetit!" or "enjoy!"?
Do you say eau-de-Cologne, cologne, or toilet water?
Do you say slivovitz, plum brandy, or eau-de-vie de prune?
Do you say idee fixe or an obsession?
Do you say brassiere or bra?
Do you say bon-bon or candy?
Do you say decollete or low neckline?
Do you say regatta or sporting event involving boats?
Do you say repechage or another chance at contest?
Do you say ricochet or rebound?
Do you say crawl or free style swimming?
Is one of the swimming styles called butterfly or fly?
Do you say recapitulate or summarize?
Do you say semaphore or traffic light?
Do you say utility knife or box cutter?
Do you say solarium, conservatory, or greenhouse?
Do you say Faculty of Music or Conservatory of Music?
Do you say tramway or streetcar?
Do you say automobile, auto, or car?
Do you say autonomy or self-government?
Do you say autobiography or self-biography?
Do you say autoportrait or self-portrait?
Is the source of electrical energy in an automobile called accumulator or battery?
Do you say pronunciation or accent?
Do you say preambulator, pram, or baby carriage?
Do you say tuberculosis or T.B.?
Do you say delirium tremens or D.T.?
Do you say polyvinyl chloride or PVC?
Do you say delicatessen or deli?
Do you say deoxyribonucleic acid or DNA?
Do you say compact disc or CD?
Do you say Christian Dior label or CD label?
Do you say vermilion red, Valentino red, or iron oxide red?
Do you say errata corrige or erratum?
Do you say penkala or mechanical pencil?
Do you say ethanol or ethyl alcohol?
Do you say diapositive or slide?
Do you say epidiascope or projector?
Do you say vacuum cleaner or Hoover?
Do you say sellotape or scotch tape?
Do you say postal stamp or stamp?
Do you say rubber stamp or stamp?
Do you say etiquette, bon ton, decorum, or protocol?
Do you say natural gas or gas?
Do you say petrol, gasoline, or gas?
Do you say pavilion or summerhouse?
Do you say kiosk or booth?
Do you say video cassette recorder or VCR?
Do you say oscilloscope or scope?
Do you say kaleidoscope or scope?
Do you say thermos flask, dewar flask, or vacuum flask?
Do you say thermophore or hot water bottle?
Do you say excursion or field trip?
Do you say handkerchief, hanky, or kleenex?
Do you say cravat, necktie, or tie?
Do you say numismatist or coin collector?
Do you say philatelist or stamp collector?
Do you say galoshes or rubbers?
Do you say aerodrome or airport?
Do you say aeroplane or plane?
Do you say ice hockey or hockey?
Do you say electrical transmission line or power line?
Do you say radio or wireless?
Do you say fata morgana or mirage?
Do you say capital letters or upper case letters?
Do you say Geiger-Mueller counter or Geiger counter?
Do you say roentgen rays or X-rays?
Do you say haematology department, hematology department, or blood testing department?
Do you say haemoglobin, hemoglobin, or red blood cells?
Do you say leukocyte or white blood cells?
Do you say grippe, influenza, or flu?
Do you say rachitis or rickets?
Do you say laryngitis or sore throat?
Do you say microbes or germs?
Do you say furuncle or boil?
Do you say: "He has been vaccinated against poliomyelitis.", or do you say:
"He has received his shots against polio."?
Do you have an engagement or do you have a date?
Do you call compressed air in a tire pneumatic pressure or air pressure?
Do you say photogenic or camera friendly?
Do you say curriculum vitae or resume?
Do you say curriculum or syllabus?
Do you say facsimile or fax?
Do you say trigonometric functions or trig functions?
Do you say logarithms or logs?
Do you pronounce logarithmus naturalis as l-n or as lon?
Do you say: "Did you earn your degree Engineer in Mathematics at the University of Zagreb?", or
do you say: "Did you get your degree Engineer in Mathematics at the University of Zagreb?"?
Do you say train driver or engineer?
Do you say locomotive or engine?
Do you say "blood group A+", or do you say "blood type A+"?
Do you write coordinates or co-ërdinates?
Do you call Cartesian coordinate axes abscissa, ordinate, applicate, or x,y,z axes?
Do you say rancid food or foul-smellng food?
Do you discharge people or do you fire them?
Do you say nylon stockings or nylons?
Does one smoke a tobacco pipe or a pipe?
Do you say Autumn or Fall?
Do you say stickpin or pin?
Do you say negative direction or clockwise direction?
Do you verify a statement or do you check it?
Do you say rhombus or diamond?
Do you say football or soccer?
If the result of a football game is: Livepool 2 - Arsenal 0, did Arsenal score zero goals,
nil goals, or naught goals? Is the score: two-zero, two-nil, or two-naught?
Do you say football field, playing-field, or pitch?
Do you say simulation or play-acting?
Do you say trainer or coach?
Do you say instructor or coach?
Do you say razor-blade or gillette?
Do you say gymnasium or gym?
Do you say examination or exam?
Do you say Cartes de Visite, calling cards, or business cards?
Do you say torus or doughnut shaped object?
Do you say Cassini ovals or doughnut sections?
When one straight line is placed on another straight line, do you call them collocal lines or
superimposed lines?
If the interest rate increases from 9.2% to 9.4%, do you say the increase is 0.2%, or do you say
the increase is two tenths of a percentage point?
Do you say school inspector or school superintendent?
Do you say school janitor or school superintendent?
Do you say proletariat or working class?
Do you say bourgeoisie or middle class?
Do you say intelligentsia or the class of intellectuals?
Do you say orchestra conductor or conductor?
Do you say train conductor or conductor?
Do you say adhesive plaster or sticking-plaster?
Do you say magnetic tape or tape?
Do you say masking tape or tape?
Do you say insulating tape or tape?
Do you say tape-measure or tape?
Is the person in charge of a school called school director, headmaster, school principal, or principal?
Is the person in charge of academic affairs at a university called rector, director, or principal?
Do you decorate the table or do you set the table?
Do you say megaphone or bull-horn?
Do you say flautist or flutist?
Do you say reprise or repeated passage in music?
Do you call high humidity in atmosphere sultry weather or muggy weather?
Do you measure the purity of gold in karats or carats?
Do you measure the mass of precious stones in carats or karats?
Do you write No. or # ?
Do you write 1/2 as 0.5, or ,5, or .5 ?
Do you write IV or IIII ?
Do you write 16 megabytes as 16 Mb or 16 MB?
Do you write 20 milligrams as 20 mg, or 20MG? (How does your pharmacist write?)
Do you study Differential Calculus, Integral Calculus, Infinitesimal Calculus, or Calculus?
Do you call Hg mercury or quick silver?
Do you call S sulphur or brimstone?
Do you call Na natrium or sodium?
Do you call K kalium or potassium?
Do you call Al aluminium or aluminum?
Do you read B.C.E. before christian era or before common era? Do you use B.N.E. (before new era)?
Do you read C.E. as christian era or as common era? Do you use N.E. (new era)?
(One person says that A.D. stands for "after death". He never heard of anno domini.)
Do you use the word naphtha, oil, crude oil, or black gold?
[Naphtha is pronounced the same way as NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement.)]
Do you say naphtalene or moth balls?
Do you use the word transformer or adapter for a device that changes the voltage of electric current?
When you pay for the use of electric current, do you pay for electrical energy or electrical power?
Do you measure mass in pounds or poundals?
Do you measure weight in pounds or poundals?
Do you measure mass in kilograms or newtons?
Do you measure weight in kilograms or newtons?
Do you write Prof Dr Ing Jane Doe, Prof. Dr. Ing. Jane Doe, prof. dr. ing. Jane Doe, or Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jane Doe?
(Prof stands for professor, Dr stands for doctor, and Ing stands for ingeniarius, Latin for engineer.)
Do you say doctor honoris causa or honorary doctorate?
In Miss Jane Doe, is Jane her name, her first name, or her Christian name?
In Miss Jane Doe, is Doe her surname, her last name, or her family name?
Is honorary professor a professor who works for a honorarium, or professor who works in an honourable profession?
Are you being annoyed or bugged by all these questions?
Do you say egoistic or self-centered?
Do you say bison or buffalo?
Do you say invalid or physically disabled person?
Do you say nymphomaniac or oversexed female?
Do you say hypochondriac or person suffering from imaginary illnesses?
Do you say veterinarian or vet?
Do you say veteran or vet?
Do you say potpourri of tunes or medley of tunes?
Do you say theatre programme or playbill?
Do you write a doctoral dissertation or a doctoral thesis?
Do you say demonstrator or student tutor at a university?
Do you say solo performance or one person performance?
Do you overtake a car or do you pass it?
Do you use Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) or Universal Time Coordinated (UTC)?
Do you say antiquariat or a store dealing in antiques or rare books?
Would you say that Greta Garbo was the best actress in black and white films, or that she
was the best actor in black and white movies? (On Canadian television they call actresses actors)
Do you write 16 h 24 min 57 s, 16hrs 24min 57sec, 16H24MN57S, or 04:24:57 p.m.?
Do you write 17 d 03 me 2004 a, 17 03 2004, or 17/03/04, 04/03/17, 03/17/04, 17.III.2004, 17 iii 04, March 17, 04?
Do you write km/h, KM/HR, Km/H, km/hr, km./h., or KM/HRS?
Do you write 123 456 789. 54, 123 456 789,54, 123,456,789.54, or 123.456.789,54?
Do you write 20 ºC or 20ºC ?
Do you write an angle of ninety degrees as 90º or 90 º ?
Do you write 300 K, 300 kelvins, 300ºK, 300 degrees kelvin, or 300 Kelvins?
Do you write the Ludolph number as 3.14159... , or as 3.I4I59... ?
Do you pronounce the Ludolph number "pee" or "pie"? Should it be pronounced as the people in Greece do?
Do you write 120 millilitres as 120 ml or 120 mL?
Do you write an hour and a half as 1.5 hours or 1-1/2 hours?
Do you write the time of 20 minutes as 20 min, 20', 20 m, or 20M?
Do you write eighteen divided by six equals three as 18/6=3, 18÷6=3, or 18:6=3?
Do you call 2i + 6 a complex number or an imaginary number?
Do you call 4i an imaginary number or pure imaginary number?
Do you read x^4 as x to the exponent four, x to the fourth, the fourth power of x, or x to the power of four?
Do you write the reciprocal of (sin x) as (sin x)^(-1) or (arcsin x)?
Do you write the inverse of (sin x) as (arcsin x) or (sin x)^(-1)?
Do you write the reciprocal of (sinh x) as (sinh x)^(-1) or (arsinh x)?
Do you write the inverse of (sinh x) as (arsinh x) or (sinh x)^(-1)?
Is the following true (sin x)[(cos x)^(-1)] = (tan x) ?
If angle x is much less than angle y, do you write ∢x ≪∢y, or < x << < y ? (Can you imagine this in handwriting?)
One mathematics teacher refused to use the solidus for division on the grounds that 21/2 could be confused with 2.5 written as a mixed number. Do you agree?
One mathematics teacher said that ÷ is the symbol for division in mathematics and / is the symbol for division in computer science. Do you agree?
When Canada changed from the British system of units to the SI system of units one mathematics teacher said that there would be no more need for fractions. Do you agree?
One mathematics teacher said that in Ontario Canada one should use only Ontario mathematics. Do you agree?
One mathematics teacher said that in North America teachers should teach students that the symbol for the set of integers was I and not Z, because the students would live and work in North America where I was used. Doesn't he know that the French-Canadian province of Quebec is in North America and they use Z? Do you agree with his reasoning?
In 1988 textbooks for high school mathematics in Ontario still used Ra for rational numbers and Re for real numbers. As far as I know they may still be using them today. Is there such a thing as Ontario mathematics?

At this point I became aware that I was whistling George Gershwin's tune "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off".

NOTE
There are many more questions but they require special programs with mathematical symbols and graphics that I do not have.
By the way, I feel better asking questions than answering them.

LINKS
Common Errors in English by Paul Brians

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Thursday, 11 d 03 me 2004 a, 16 h 01 min 06 s GMT