The first response that sprang to mind was 'I don't know; can you?' can: physically able to do so, vs. may: granted permission to do so.
"Whole 'nother thing", though while grammatically incorrect, is a phrase that when said by a Southerner must be heeded.
Haha! Yes! I am a teacher and whenever a students asks "Can I go to the bathroom" I will ALWAYS reply with "I don't know, can you?". The first few times they just sort of stare at you. Then sometimes they press "Well, can I??" So I'll say "you're asking me if you're physically capable of using the restroom, and I don't know the answer to that question." They learn very quickly to say "May I go to the bathroom."
Then we have talk show guests who ask the host "Can I just say...?" I very rarely hear "May I just say"?
Hearing NickShaves call Geo. F. Trumper "gee-oh eff Trumper." Geo. Is the old fashioned abbreviation for George. I know it's picky, but it has begun to grate on my nerves.
I always had trouble figuring that one out. That is to say, I felt "I couldn't care less" speaks for itself", so why make the opposite have the same meaning????
Who: nominative case - subject or predicate nominative Whom: objective case - direct object or indirect object Who was doing what with whom?
'If I was you. . . .' because, apparently, nobody teaches the subjunctive mood in English anymore (and, were I not writing as an American and using the term as an adverb, I would use 'any more' in the preceding). EDIT TO ADD: 'It's' is always a contraction. 'Its' is always indicative of possession. 'A leopard cannot change it's spots' reads as 'a leopard cannot change it is (or 'it was') spots,' rather than 'a leopard cannot change the spots it has.' The latter is almost always the intent of this particular sentiment.
