May 12, 2015 · Buff/debuff seems like a good pair of words for the enhance/downgrade contrast that the terms stand for in role-playing games, and they probably are well understood in that environment.

Oct 20, 2010 · Wikipedia gives info on origin and context of both terms: Nerf (computer gaming): In video gaming a nerf is a change to a game that reduces the desirability or effectiveness of a …

I don't think there is a difference in meaning, only in usage. This blog post details it: “In contrast” and “by contrast” mean the same thing: the act of comparing in order to show differences. The difference lies …

Sep 13, 2019 · I read this as: - One Pokemon uses Tail Whip, lowers enemy's defense stat - Looking for a name for the ailment/debuff on the enemy Similar to how one Pokemon could use Thunderwave, to …

Sep 15, 2023 · Google ngrams show that both 'our heart goes out to' and 'our hearts go out to' are used, the latter being much the more common, emphasising the level of concern rather than the unity of …

Mar 19, 2025 · There is a lid for every pot is a saying that essentially means "There is someone for everyone", most commonly used in the context of romantic relationships. Variations include …

As Henry Higgins observed in Pygmallion, the best grammarians are often those who learned English in school as immigrants. My parents, who were first-generation Americans in the early 20th century, …

I often see "replace with" and "replace by" used interchangeably, but this doesn't sound right to me: I replaced that component by this one. I would use "with" in such a sentence. "By" only seems

Jun 4, 2020 · The OED notes of psithurism, "Obsolete. Forms: α. psithurisma. β. psithurism. This word belongs in Frequency Band 1. Band 1 contains extremely rare words unlikely ever to appear in …

Aug 13, 2011 · Is there any difference in meaning between warrior and soldier? Are they totally synonymous?