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1,900 | 194,507 | 76823_0 | I'm trying to figure out how best to word the above sentence. It's for a web page, and at the bottom of the page there will be a search bar. To me "you are" or "you're" is the best fit, because the idea is you've scrolled through the page, and not found what you're after, so you're still looking. Which of those (if any?) would be the correct way to phrase this question? Also, I'm not sure how to tag this question, so any edits welcome. |
1,901 | 194,501 | 76823_0 | Which is the correct phrase: > You have 5 days **left** of your trial. or: > You have 5 days of your trial **left**. |
1,902 | 128,260 | 76823_0 | > ...this biass, though, perhaps, it may not appear in a few throws, will > certainly prevail in a great number, and will cast the balance entirely to > that side. (David Hume, _Of the Rise and Progress of the Arts and Sciences_ > , I.XIV.3) The meaning of this sentence is clear. But is the style of “ **Cast the balance to that side** ” a very literal one? Can I use it in scholarly writing? For example, > China has concentrated government, huge population..., but in her > competition with America, she must be the loser, because democracy and > freedom will cast the balance entirely to America’s side. Is “ **Cast the balance to some/someone’s side** ” a standard usage or a figure of speech? |
1,903 | 251 | 76823_0 | This is sort of a follow up to my question here. I was told a while ago that the reason why we use "on the bus" instead of "in the bus" is because back in the day buses were open, that is, they didn't have a roof. Is this story correct or is there another reason why the correct expression is "on the bus", in spite of the fact that when one gets on the bus, he is actually _inside_ the bus? |
1,904 | 93,959 | 76823_0 | > **Possible Duplicate:** > Origin/reason for the expression “on the bus” instead of “in the bus” I'm an EFL (English as a foreign language) teacher and I haven't been able to come up with a good principle for which preposition to use after _get_ when referring to transportation. Some examples: * Get in: * a car/taxi/van/truck, etc. * Get on: * a bus/plane/bike/truck, etc. How can one choose whether to use _in_ or _on_? Note that in some cases, such as the example with _truck_ , either preposition is possible but the choice affects the meaning. I've been telling my students that there is no rule, so they just have to memorize which preposition to use, but I'm really hoping I'm wrong. This question would be better suited for the upcoming English Language Learners Stack Exchange, but it hasn't entered beta yet. More committers are needed. |
1,905 | 83,905 | 76823_0 | > **Possible Duplicate:** > Origin/reason for the expression "on the bus" instead of "in the bus" Can we really "get in a bus" or "get on a bus" in Standard English usage? |
1,906 | 194,508 | 76823_0 | Is there a word/phrase for the process of taking the pilot out of the equation in turning an existing piloted aircraft into a UAV? How would you describe it? I am thinking of something that begins with "de-" but can't complete it. |
1,907 | 168,957 | 76823_0 | A friend of mine is in a long term relationship with her female partner. After deciding they wanted a family, my friend's girlfriend got pregnant. Normally when talking about a couple expecting a baby you would use phrases like > An expectant mother or Mother-to-be (i.e., the woman is pregnant) or > An expectant father or Father-to-be (i.e., the man's partner is pregnant) According to my friend, having used the traditional phrases so far has led to people saying things like "But you're not even showing!" or "Well, I don't think you should be drinking!" etc... She's taken to humorously calling herself the Father-to-be instead which has got me wondering. How would you convey the message that although somebody is a mother-to-be, they are not the ones that are pregnant? |
1,908 | 71,579 | 76823_0 | I am very confused of the grammars behind the phrases or words like problem finding, problem solving and pain killing. I feel that rather than present participle, past participles should be used because the proposed nouns, like problem and pain, are the objectives of the verbs, like find and kill. 1. This is a pain killing pills./pain-killed? 2. This work is time-consuming. /time-consumed? 3. He has good skills in problem finding and problem solving / problem found and problem solved? |
1,909 | 42,370 | 76823_0 | Is 2/3 always, sometimes or never plural? E.g. > 1a) 2/3 of the pizza were eaten. > 1b) 2/3 of the pizza was eaten. > > 2a) 2/3 of the visitors were men. > 2b) 2/3 of the visitors was men. I feel that example 1 could go either way but example 2b sounds very wrong. Is there a rule for this? |
1,910 | 132,129 | 76823_0 | If I am introducing someone to my daughter's husband's parents can I say "Hi, I'd like to you meet my **___ __**". In-laws would not work here because they are my child's in-laws not my own. Is there a word for this relationship? |
1,911 | 143,133 | 76823_0 |  On a recent outing I discovered a number of these. Essentially, you look through the hole in the middle and you are facing a landmark, city, specific location, etc. Whilst this one is clearly modern, I am sure this type of thing existed historically. Do they have a name? The place I saw them doesn't have them named anywhere I could see. |
1,912 | 173,092 | 76823_0 | Is there a difference between the two when used as in the following sentences? The extent of the disaster was initially underestimated. vs. The magnitude of the disaster was initially underestimated. Both seem very similar, but I haven't found either as a synonym for the other in a Thesaurus (only as related words). |
1,913 | 15,139 | 76823_0 | Historical examples: > * Croesus asked the oracle what would happen if he attacked Persia. The > reply: ‘A mighty empire will be humbled’. > > * Thank you so much for the book. I shall lose no time in reading it. > > Modern example: > I am opposed to taxes which slow economic growth. Humorous: > The anthropologists went to a remote area and took photographs of some > native women, but they weren't developed. What is the term used for these examples? |
1,914 | 150,191 | 76823_0 | Which one is more correct, if everybody knows that I am talking about all the students in a specific classroom. > 1. assignments must be done by **all the students** > > 2. assignments must be done by **all students** > > 3. assignments must be done by **the all students** > > |
1,915 | 15,136 | 76823_0 | Say a child says: > I want some ice cream! The parent's response is: > _**Well_** , you can't have ice cream right now, we need to have dinner > first. Why is the word "well" used as a conversational introduction to an argument? Is it a shortened form of another phrase? |
1,916 | 42,758 | 76823_0 | What are the adjective counterparts for "sense" and "sensibility" as in Jane Austen's _Sense and Sensibility_? Would the one for "sensibility" be "sensible"? What is the one for "sense"? Does it have the same meaning as "rational"? |
1,917 | 31,762 | 76823_0 | This sentence comes from the beginning of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone": > "They were the last people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange > or mysterious, because they just didn't hold with such nonsense." I guess the sentence means "they were expected to be involved in strange events". It's confusing me. I don't understand what the sentence means, and I think the reason is I am misunderstanding the use of the word "anything". |
1,918 | 195,586 | 76823_0 | I have stumbled upon this sign at the Heraklion airport, Crete, Greece:  I am a little confused about the meaning of "sticks". Is it a metaphor for one stick-shaped unit like a cigar or cigarette, or is it a weight or volume unit? |
1,919 | 195,535 | 76823_0 | it seems that everybody believes it is "start from nothing" but I cannot pinpoint the start of this usage. I used both OED and A dictionary of English etymology by By Hensleigh Wedgwood ... |
1,920 | 33,895 | 76823_0 | Which of these sentences is more correct? > ABC should not be referenced from file X. > > ABC should not be referenced in file X. |
1,921 | 84,195 | 76823_0 | > **Possible Duplicate:** > the difference between fast/quick/rapid In this sentence: > My supervisor reported I finished quickest among other trainees in that > period. What is the best word to use for _quickest_? Should it be _quickest_ , or _fastest_ , or is there a better word choice entirely? |
1,922 | 65,490 | 76823_0 | Is there a better alternative to _ambiguous_ for a word with a wide range of meanings, difficult to find, because they become different in connection with person's opinion. |
1,923 | 166,916 | 76823_0 | A _crane_ is a bird as well as a machine. A _date_ is a fruit as well as an outing with your boy/girl friend. What are _words with multiple meanings_ called? |
1,924 | 34,045 | 76823_0 | I found the following sentence used in emails at my workplace: > If any problem, please call me at XXX-XXXXXXX. Is the sentence grammatically correct? Or should the senders have used the following instead: > If there is any problem, please call me at XXX-XXXXXXX. |
1,925 | 34,042 | 76823_0 | Is there any difference between these two? Do (suppose) _technical knowledge_ and _technical know-how_ convey different meaning? |
1,926 | 86,952 | 76823_0 | According to this link, if at least one of the nouns involved is plural then it should take the plural form of the verb. Otherwise, it should take the singular form of the verb. But in the last part it says not all grammars agree to those rules thus proximity rule applies. However, it doesn't explain when to apply the proximity rule and when not to use the former rules. |
1,927 | 130,739 | 76823_0 | Which of these two sentences is correct english? > If you or a loved one has suffered from an injury or: > If you or a loved one have suffered from an injury Considering that it is regarding "you **_or_** a loved one". |
1,928 | 187,760 | 76823_0 | What is the correct grammar for a sentence such as the following: _"If you or somebody you know **is** an experienced such-and-such, please contact us."_ Vs.: _"If you or somebody you know **are** an experienced such-and-such, please contact us."_ I primarily want to know which of "are" or "is" is the appropriate verb. My hunch is that "you or somebody you know" can be substituted by a plural pronoun, which makes the verb "are"; but I am thrown off by "if somebody you know are" (which is wrong, I think - or at least it sounds wrong), and I don't know what the rule is. There is also the rule that Telastyn states below \- choose a verb as if one of the options was chosen. However, "you or somebody you know" is two singular options, but "are" is used with singular "you" while "is" is used with other singular subjects, and so they conflict. That's where my confusion lies (or is my confusion deeper -- are "you" and "somebody" actually subtly plural here?) |
1,929 | 173,346 | 76823_0 | There is a term or word that describes why people with average intelligence tend to be managers because their perceptions of their own capabilities are more in line with what they are actually capable of. As intelligence increases, the perception of one's capabilities tends to be underestimated while lower intelligence tends to yield an overestimation of one's capabilities. I'm not saying this statement is true or otherwise, I just know that there's a word or term that describes the phenomenon. What is that word or expression? |
1,930 | 7,385 | 76823_0 | Is it fine to use _due to_ in place of _because of_ ? How about the other way around? Are any of these sentences ungrammatical? * He was lost because of the storm. * He was lost due to the storm. * He lost his way due to the storm. * He lost his way because of the storm. |
1,931 | 128,097 | 76823_0 | Given the sentence, > This exception was thrown ___ _ invalid input. Which preposition should I use to fill in the blank — _because of_ or _due to_? Is either generally preferable for specifying cause or reason? |
1,932 | 166,956 | 76823_0 | the Manhattan GMAT book of sentence correction says that it is wrong but it doesn't mention any reason whatsoever. I cannot figure. please help. |
1,933 | 154,009 | 76823_0 | _“Because of the graphic nature of this footage, viewer discretion is advised”_ , to me, is correct grammar with _“because of”_. But you'll often see it written and used on TV as: _“Due to the graphic nature of this footage, viewer discretion is advised._ ” I thought _due to_ was used only to mean _attributable to_ , as in: _The bad weather was due to [attributable to] the icy roads._ In the sentence below, _Because of the graphic nature of this footage, viewer discretion is advised,_ we need _because of_. We wouldn't say _Due to [Attributable to] the graphic nature of this footage, viewer discretion is advised._ Is _because of_ the truly correct grammatical choice in that sentence? |
1,934 | 176,784 | 76823_0 | I would please like to know which of the following sentences is the more accurate, and why that is so: 1. **Due to** recent economic problems, it has been difficult for many to find a job. 2. **Because of** recent economic problems, it has been difficult for many to find a job. |
1,935 | 155,349 | 76823_0 | I think _selfkill_ is often used in games and _suicide_ in real life. Is that correct? |
1,936 | 195,764 | 76823_0 | Recently, one of my friends on Facebook posted this cartoon in which a police officer helps a thief in response to the exclamation "Help a thief!" The contention is that the victim should have used a comma. However, in my eyes, a comma does not seem appropriate. Rather, I would expect an exclamation point, period, or colon. Is a comma correct for this situation? |
1,937 | 177,855 | 76823_0 | I have a feeling there's a name for a rhetorical figure, or perhaps a misuse of language, along the following lines: > He went out to get drunk, and the mail. In other words I'm looking for a term that describes what you do when you (for example) use a verb with what looks like a compound object, but one of the words isn't really an object but a word the verb governs in some quite different way. |
1,938 | 177,852 | 76823_0 | Is there a non-sexist term for a ‘girl drink’ such as a strawberry daiquiri, banana sunshine, or squashed strawberry alley cat? I find these drinks delicious, and would like a term to refer them without any sexist connotations. |
1,939 | 31,491 | 76823_0 | I was brought up in Japan and I was taught that _w_ and _wh_ are pronounced differently. But after I came to the US I learned that they mostly sound the same. Now I watched this Youtube video where Craig Ferguson apparently misspoke _Prince of Wales_ as _Prince of Whales_ and the audience laughed. It looked like Craig (who is from Scotland) was comfortably distinguishing two sounds. Is it a trait of Scottish English that it distinguishes _w_ and _wh_? Or is it that even in the US the sounds _w_ and _wh_ are distinguished when they form a minimal pair like _Wales_ and _whales_? (i.e. in the case of _what_ , there's no word _wat_ , so you don't have to pronounce _h_ in _what_ ; but to distinguish _Wales_ and _whales_ you need to pronounce _h_.) |
1,940 | 155,422 | 76823_0 | At my work when I have a myriad tasks, could I say that my thoughts are dispersed amongst many objectives? I am trying to figure if I could use the term dispersed in a sentence to describe a state where a persons thoughts are not focused because the range of issues that concern her is too wide to efficiently handle at once. I read this: What's a good word for a lack of concentration? but it was not very helpful. |
1,941 | 133,870 | 76823_0 | "deduction" is a synonym of "syllogism". "induction" is an antonym of "deduction" I was wondering if there is a antonym of "syllogism" which share the same suffix as "syllogism"? |
1,942 | 133,876 | 76823_0 | I'm looking for a term for someone who get kicks by being bossy, or getting people to do what they demand. |
1,943 | 47,251 | 76823_0 | I am looking for a short and concise term (preferably _one_ word) that can be used as a hypernym for essentially everything that contains (audio) speech (e.g. audiobooks, podcasts, recorded news bulletins, recorded performances of comedians,..). Does such a term exist? I've thought about 'speech', but that seems to be more adequate for e.g. political speeches, and not so much for audio books and the like. But maybe I'm wrong. |
1,944 | 47,252 | 76823_0 | I've got three types of projects: idea, evaluation and recruiter. To refer to these projects, should I use "idea project" or "ideas project". Same question for the other types: Is it "evaluation project" oder "evaluations project"? Is it "recruiter project" oder "recruiters project"? An idea(s) projects is a project to gather ideas. Similarly an evaluation(s) project is a project to evaluate gathered ideas. A recruiter(s) project, is a project to recruit people. |
1,945 | 182,977 | 76823_0 | a) - The document you requested will take four days to be ready. b) - The document you requested will take four days to prepare. Does (b) give the same meaning as (a)? Is this a correct way to use 'prepare' as an intransitive verb? Thank you. |
1,946 | 47,257 | 76823_0 | I'm a native speaker of French, and even though I _think_ I have a rather good level in English, I always try to keep an open mind. (I learned English by absorbing from a lot of sources: TV, movies, video games, etc.) The problem with an open mind is that people always try to stuff things inside. Recently I was writing some documentation for a tool we sell, and on two specifics instances, a colleague corrected what I wrote by changing a big part of the sentence. When I asked what motivated the edits, he answered that he found my sentences too "written" (i guess they didn't roll off the tongue? or that they were not really elegant). I'm ready to admit my english may be a bit stilted at times, but here i'm not really sure it's the case. Specifically, would you say that his is a valid point? Here are the two edits in question, first my version then his. * * * * In our example we would for example check the cache statistics with the powershell commandline for AppFabric, but **you can use whichever tool you’re most comfortable with** * In our example we would for example check the cache statistics with the powershell commandline for AppFabric, but **feel free to use the tool you fancy** * * * * This information is not **readily available** without knowing the ins and outs of every part of the program you’re using * This information is not **easily accessible** without knowing the ins and outs of every part of the program you’re using * * * But to use my question as a launching pad towards something less specific, **how can i find out if a turn of phrase is pleasant/good/valid?** In this particular case i resorted to a simple google fight; it worked (kind of) for the "readily available" vs "easily accessible" which seemed to support my phrasing but this solution breaks down quickly when you don't have a readymade saying versus another. Are there other metrics than the "gut feeling" me and my colleague are resorting to? |
1,947 | 41,407 | 76823_0 | Iv'e seen both spellings of the phrase. Is one correct and the other incorrect or are they both acceptable? Does one belong to British English? |
1,948 | 47,259 | 76823_0 | I mean that "I would do something, if it only were me. But it was not me, so I've done nothing". |
1,949 | 131,436 | 76823_0 | In the Norfolk dialect, which I learned at my mother's and grandmother's knee, the word 'together'(pronounced 'tergatha') is used in an additional sense. If there are two people outside I might say 'Come in here, together'. Or if I have company I might ask 'Would you like a cup of tea, together'. I am not asking that they enter the house simultaneously or that they speak in unison, I am just making it clear that I am addressing everyone. If one grows up in Norfolk and leaves the county one notices the need for this form, which no one else in Britain recognises. I am told that a similar expression is available in some Scandinavian languages, perhaps indicating Norfolk's special connection with the Vikings. I think it may also exist in German. Can anyone supply any information please? |
1,950 | 131,430 | 76823_0 | Should I say > Some people use the word "flat" to describe their **phone** when **its > battery** is dead. or > Some people use the word "flat" to describe their **phones** when **their > batteries are** dead. (I wanted to use "their" here to refer to the phone's > instead of the people's) or > Some people use the word "flat" to describe their **phones** when **their > battery is** dead. (I wanted to use "their" here to refer to the phone's > instead of the people's) Which one is grammatically correct and why? |
1,951 | 88,290 | 76823_0 | What is the word (or expression?) for an artificially introduced advantage for a player in a sport or a game, with purpose to level the chances? I tried thesaurus for antonyms of handicap, but it gives only "advantage", "benefit" and "help" and none of them seem to fit the bill for this specific sense. (or did I reject one of these antonyms wrongly maybe?) |
1,952 | 88,293 | 76823_0 | Which is better English (if either)? > * The results are within the range of values from the literature. > * The results are within the range of values in the literature. > |
1,953 | 131,438 | 76823_0 | > Granted that it is an idiomatic phrase, I still **wonder** how people came > to say it* _._ * > > Granted that it is an idiomatic phrase, I still **wonder** how people came > to say it* _?_ * > > Granted..., I still **wonder** how **did** people came to say it* _?_ * I am interesting in wonder governing clause, but not exactly know how to use it. Which version is right? Which is the best? |
1,954 | 88,297 | 76823_0 | I’m particularly curious about the usage in Calvin’s commentary of Hebrews: > ...at the same time we are carrying on war with sin, our intestine enemy. However, here are some other examples. |
1,955 | 159,503 | 76823_0 | What is the difference in story writing between a "plot," and a "storyline"? Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (11th Edition) says a "story line" is "the plot of a story or drama," and Collin's COBUILD Dictionary says: "The storyline of a book, film, or play is its story and the way in which it develops. N-COUNT = plot." Does this mean that a "storyline" is just the same as a "plot"? Thank you, -h. |
1,956 | 159,500 | 76823_0 | I am often requesting my colleges via email to update a status of a case they work on. The update (note) should be provided in application they work on which is also explained in my request. There is no need to reply to my email but many off them do. So I decided to add a note in my request: "If you can proceed with ticket update, there is no need to reply to this email." But it just doesn't sound right to me. Correct me if I am wrong. What is polite/bussines way to write that sentence ??? |
1,957 | 184,484 | 76823_0 | Etymonline.com mentions this: > **bitch** (v.) "to complain," attested at least from 1930, perhaps from the > sense in bitchy, perhaps influenced by the verb meaning "to bungle, spoil," > which is recorded from 1823. But bitched in this sense seems to echo Middle > English bicched "cursed, bad," a general term of opprobrium (as in Chaucer's > bicched bones "unlucky dice"), which despite the hesitation of OED, seems to > be a derivative of bitch (n.). and then we have: > **bitching** (adj.) also bitchen, "good," teen/surfer slang attested from > 1950s, apparently from bitch (v.) in some inverted sense. How did the second, positive meaning arise from the first extremely negative (and long) history of the word? What and where are the earliest uses of the word in this newer positive meaning? |
1,958 | 184,487 | 76823_0 | I'm looking for a single word or term that describes "the degree of being allowed", if you will, both in the positive sense (permission) and the negative sense (restricition). As a technical example, a user could be allowed to edit a file, but restricted from creating new files (explicitly restricted, as opposed to just not having the permission). A non-technical example would be an employee who is allowed to sign contracts on behalf of the company, but is explicitly forbidden from talking to the press on company matters (because that didn't work out well the last time). In each case, the word I'm looking for would encompass both. For example if X is my word, the folder in the employee's file that contains the list of things they may or may not do could be titled "Steve's Xs". The best word I can come up with is "access" or "access level", but that's not quite what I want because it's constraining the use to only a subset of imaginable permissions/restrictions (e.g. it would work for the first example, but not really for the second one). On the other end of the spectrum, the word "options" came to my mind, but that's 1) really too broad, and 2) has the connotation of choice, which isn't what I want. |
1,959 | 177,039 | 76823_0 | Found in the _Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English_ under the entry 'to skip something': > 1. [transitive] not do something _informal_ **to not do** something that > you usually do or that you should do [= miss] > > 2. not deal with something [intransitive and transitive] **to not read** , > mention or deal with something that would normally come or happen next > > (My bold characters.) How common is this form of the negative infinitive, 'to not do something'? |
1,960 | 184,483 | 76823_0 | I need two words to describe the quality of some items - one word describing items of worse quality than the other. I read this question, Bad or Poor more severe. I'm uncertain if I fully agree with the answer about "bad" being worse than "poor", since poor people still can be good though... Being economically poor and criminally bad, is something different than being of poor quality and bad quality. I need two words to describe the quality of items - one being items of worse quality than the other - both being items of "bad" quality. I was thinking of using "low quality" and "poor quality" - but I guess "bad quality" may also be an option. The problem is that I'm uncertain if "low" or "poor" is the worse of them (I thought it low was higher quality than poor, but I may be wrong)... In any case, it's not obvious what's what. So, should I use "low" and "poor", "bad" and "poor", or "low" and "bad" ? What would be the ranging within the two ? Is there perhaps another better word to be used with "low" (or "bad") - or another set of words alltogether? |
1,961 | 108,315 | 76823_0 | In some dialog, I often see something like this: > Player A is voted as the toughest to play against and it's not even close. What does "it's not even close" mean in this context? Does that mean Player A is so tough that the second place is not even close to him? |
1,962 | 108,314 | 76823_0 | I want to describe a software task (unit of work) that could take a long time, either because it's a lot of operations (processing time) or because it has to do communication with the network and there will be some waiting involved due to latency of the communication before the task can finish. Without making the question too technical, let's use the analogy of a person who has to do a job that will take a long time, not necessarily because it's a lot of work, but because there are uncertainties in how long it will take to get the work done. A **lengthy** task is close to what I want. However, I'm hesitant that it might convey more the "hard work" meaning (lots of work), and readers won't think of the other case (where latency is the reason it takes long). Is there a single-word adjective to capture this idea? |
1,963 | 108,311 | 76823_0 | Is there a word that would refer to a number or a letter, but not any other character (like a comma or an exclamation mark)? |
1,964 | 108,310 | 76823_0 | In the sentence, “The dog gave me, who feeds him, a lick”, _feeds_ does not agree with the person of the antecedent to _who_. I know that a verb used with a relative pronoun has the same number and person as the noun or pronoun to which the relative refers. _Me_ is first person, yet it sounds incorrect to write, “The dog gave me, who feed him _[I feed him]_ , a lick”. What is my problem? |
1,965 | 108,319 | 76823_0 | Is there a word to mean "a person one really detests / hates"? The word "bastard" may be a good fit, but I'm looking for something though _forceful_ , is not _vulgar_. |
1,966 | 29,036 | 76823_0 | > **Possible Duplicates:** > Chainsaw-equipped or chainsaw equipped? > How to connect a word and a phrase with a hyphen? > "One-Day Only Promotion" or "One-Day-Only Promotion" Which is more correct? > Hardware-counter-based tools or > Hardware-counter based tools I don't even know exactly if I should put _hardware-counter_ or _hardware- counters_. |
1,967 | 64,842 | 76823_0 | > **Possible Duplicate:** > How does the hyphen change the meaning in expressions like “high > performance” and “high-performance”? > Is there a grammar rule behind the hyphen in the phrase 'one-act play'? > Chainsaw-equipped or chainsaw equipped? > Should I use “ related” or “-related” > Hyphenation in compound adjectives > To hyphenate or not? I recently read the term "electrical system operators" in an article, and I immediately felt that this sounded wrong, because it is the system that's electrical, not the operators. I would always try to rwrite this as "operators of electrical systems". Do native English speakers have the same problem as me (I'm German)? |
1,968 | 2,908 | 76823_0 | What is **the correct use of the term _"related?"_** For example, should I use it like _computer related_ , or is it more proper to use _computer-related_ (where the word _"computer"_ is just part of my example?) Are the cases where it is used in one form and case in another form, or should it always be used in only one way? |
1,969 | 15,054 | 76823_0 | > **Possible Duplicate:** > How to connect a word and a phrase with a dash? Hello, I'm a non-native English speaker and I'm writing a scientific paper about biometric identification based on heart sounds. In this context, is the following phrase correct? > Comparison of recent articles on heart sounds-based biometrics. I am using it as a caption for a table. |
1,970 | 191,911 | 76823_0 | Which one in the following groups is correct respectively? > (1) state lattice-based motion planner > state-lattice based motion planner > (2) spatiotemporal sampling-based planning method > spatiotemporal-sampling based planning method The motion planner uses a state lattice. The planning method is based on spatiotemporal sampling. Thanks! |
1,971 | 2,977 | 76823_0 | For example, "file system" and "related". Is it "file system-related"? It will appear as if it is a compound of "file" and "system-related", won't it? |
1,972 | 134,891 | 76823_0 | Consider the following use of a hyphen: > There are many bear-like animals. Now, how does the hyphenation change if "bear" is replaced by "grizzly bear"? Which of the following would be appropriate: > There are many grizzly bear-like animals. > > There are many grizzly bear -like animals. The intended meaning is _not_ "There are many grizzly (gray-haired) animals that resemble bears," but rather "there are many animals that resemble grizzly bears ( _Ursus arctos_ )". |
1,973 | 89,694 | 76823_0 | > **Possible Duplicate:** > How to connect a word and a phrase with a hyphen? Consider a hypothetical object whose name is formed by joining the names of its two constituent parts together to get "A B-C". Would the casual reader assume that the two parts are named "A" and "B-C", or that they are named "A B" and "C"? For that matter, if one were in need to devise a compound name from the names "A" and "B-C", what would be the correct way to do this so that the casual reader will be able to decipher the two constituent parts? Conversely, how should he combine the names "A B" and "C" so that the casual reader will be able to decipher the two constituent parts? This is not an academic exercise, this is in reference to a naming confusion that I am involved with right now. Thanks. |
1,974 | 100,742 | 76823_0 | > **Possible Duplicate:** > How to connect a word and a phrase with a hyphen? > “Hardware-counter-based tools” or “hardware-counter based tools”? As the title states, which is the correct hyphenation of the adjective formed by multiple words? Is it **"game development-oriented"** or **"game- development-oriented"**? By "game development-oriented" or "game-development-oriented", I refer to something that is oriented towards game development. Sample usage: > The company's year-long plan is more _game development-oriented (game- > development-oriented)_ this year compared to last year. |
1,975 | 23,234 | 76823_0 | > **Possible Duplicates:** > How to connect a word and a phrase with a dash? > Multiple compound words > Should I use " related" or "-related" I'm aware of the general rules for using hyphens in compound nouns, but I'm baffled by the correct use of hyphens in the compound noun 'system model driven approach'. This is a specialty term in computer science and is interpreted as " _approach_ , that is _driven_ , by _system models_ (compound noun)". My manuscript editor wants to typeset this 4-word noun as "system model-driven approach" but my eyes tell me it's wrong because I read it as "system {model driven} approach" whereas what needs to be communicated is "{system model} driven approach". I've tried to check this from some available style guides but can't find good guidance. So the question is which one of these alternatives is best, or are all these wrong? * system model driven approach * system-model driven approach * system-model-driven approach |
1,976 | 4,766 | 76823_0 | What is the correct way to direct a request: "Would you please **e-mail me** the check?" or "Would you please **e-mail to me** the check?" And why? |
1,977 | 4,769 | 76823_0 | I've read in some sources that there are more words in the Eskimo/Inuit language to describe types of snow that have arisen out of necessity. I've also read in other sources that this is just urban legend and that they really don't have any more words for snow. What is the correct metric used to measure if they have more words (for example do we count only single words such as snow, sleet, powder and not include compound words like snow-drift)? Do they actually have more words for snow? |
1,978 | 172,437 | 76823_0 | The following sentence, and in particular the bold part, has no entry in google. Does it sound natural to native speakers? > The work in this thesis **is organised around three research themes of > current interest** in mathematics. |
1,979 | 172,433 | 76823_0 | Recently I often hear or read the expression 'deflationary environment' as something bad for he economy. I may assume that its opposite might be something good, but what is the opposite of deflationary. Plus, what is a more appropriate way to say that a deflationary environment is 'bad' for the economy. |
1,980 | 185,286 | 76823_0 | I usally hear the word compounds "well-said, well-spoken etc.." to express the appreciation of someone's speech or a useful idea, but I never heard such a single word to express that. PS : I'm not searching for answers like : "To agree etc..." or general terms of "admitting/accepting things". **EDIT** : I've found a useful interjection "Touche", but still wondering if it can be used in business speech. |
1,981 | 185,288 | 76823_0 | So this question was just asked and it made me realize I didn't understand what was going on this particular movie scene (Mel Brooks' 1974 _Blazing Saddles_ ). Transcript: > **Governor William J. Le Petomane:** Holy underwear! Sheriff murdered! > Innocent women and children blown to bits! We have to protect our phoney > baloney jobs here, gentlemen! We must do something about this immediately! > Immediately! Immediately! Harrumph! Harrumph! Harrumph! > > **Governor William J. Le Petomane:** _[pointing to a member of his cabinet]_ > I didn't get a "harrumph" out of that guy! > > **Hedley Lamarr:** Give the Governor harrumph! > > **Politician:** Harrumph! Anyways, I thought that harrumph could be used to voice general agreement to or approval of what was just said. This is incorrect. Merriam-Webster's says this: > _intransitive verb_ > **1:** to clear the throat in a pompous way > **2:** to comment disapprovingly > _transitive verb_ > **:** to utter (a comment) disapprovingly > The actual meaning in this usage is the exact opposite of what I thought. So is there another accepted definition? Or is the governor and his cabinet **[standing] around _harrumphing_ about the current state** of affairs? (from MW link above) Or is that, as they say, the joke? |
1,982 | 181,990 | 76823_0 | > [He is] devoid of any human weakness, with not one single **saving** vice, > sans prejudice, procrastination, ill-nature, avarice, and absence of mind, > as careful for his own safety as he is for that of others, this excellent > but odious character stands like a monument in our courts of justice, vainly > appealing to his fellow citizens to order their lives after his own example. > > A. P. Herbert, Uncommon Law (Methuen, 1969), p. 4 Would someone please explain what **saving** here means? Which definition fits? Source: P48, Law, Raymond Wacks |
1,983 | 77,058 | 76823_0 | What is the difference between "anyone" and "everyone" in the following context? For example, > _Anyone_ is welcome to do such and such. and > _Everyone_ is welcome to do such and such. mean exactly the same thing to me. But since I am not a native speaker, I guess there might be some subtle differences. Can anyone explain? |
1,984 | 170,498 | 76823_0 | I’ve always understood the difference between _disinterested_ and _uninterested_ as follows: * _uninterested_ : not interested, not up to it * _disinterested_ : impartial Consider the situation of someone unwilling to help another in need. Is that person uninterested or disinterested? I’d always thought it has to be _uninterested_ , but I’ve read _disinterested_ used in contexts like the one just given. |
1,985 | 170,497 | 76823_0 | Although I can recognize and construct phrases that include usage of poetic devices, I certainly cannot define all of them accurately. For example, I read in a book that _metaphor_ is defined as _transfer of qualities between two certain physical objects_. And I found the definition to be so accurate that anyone reading it the first time would understand the meaning of _metaphor_ without having to go through tons of examples. Likewise, _simile_ would mean _the similarities between two objects_. So I wanted to ask if there could be a similar accurate definition for other existing devices like _irony_ , _alliteration_ , and _analogy_. I mean I know what _irony_ means and can distinguish between an irony and other given devices but I'm somehow not able to accurately define it without the help of examples. |
1,986 | 19,746 | 76823_0 | Is there a word for a set of questions that are asked together and are related? For example, one asks the question: > Do you go rafting? And follow up with: > If yes, where? > If no, what do you do instead? I'd like a word that represents this collection of questions, some of which are meaningless outside of their grouping. Is there such a word? I have a couple of ideas in mind (linked here so I can limit influencing your opinion). I'm looking for something much smaller than an interview (which is a larger collection of loosely-related questions), and different from a page (which is a physical arrangement of questions). |
1,987 | 195,054 | 76823_0 | I'm an engineer, and sometimes I want to describe a problem that is unresolvable in it's current state. The problem might be easy, or somewhat complex, but the key aspects of it are understood and it cannot be solved without changing some other condition. An example: Deliver this physical letter from our location in the US to this address in Cambodia. It must arrive within 10 minutes. This problem is understandable, but it is not (practically?) possible. If the requirements are changed to allow digital transmission, it can be done. Another example, emphasizing that the problem is not too little information, but competing requirements which are incongruent with a single solution: Describe a physical object which meets all the following criteria: Is as big as bread basket Is colored red Is invisible In this case, coloring the thing and having the thing be invisible are incompatible. Or the classic: Car Repair: Fast Cheap Done Right Choose any 2, as the joke goes. All 3 are at the same time are... insoluble? irresolvable? This is the word I'm looking for. Hopefully these analogies communicate my point, I wanted to avoid tech jargon. These problems could be described as: * Inextricable \-- "Too involved or complicated to solve. Extremely intricate." Not really. Complexity is not in the way of a solution here. * Inscrutable \-- "Incapable of being investigated, analyzed, or scrutinized; impenetrable. Not easily understood; mysterious; unfathomable:". Closer, but the definition implies some complexity in the problem itself which I don't want to communicate. * Unsolvable \-- "[Not] capable of being solved, as a problem.". Completely accurate, but could be more descriptive. _Why_ isn't the problem solvable? Similar: Insolvable, insoluble, and unsolvable |
1,988 | 190,311 | 76823_0 | I don't understand why it's " **take** a photo". Why _take_? Is there any rule for this? |
1,989 | 124,091 | 76823_0 | The name of the comedian Louis C.K. is pronounced LU-EE-SEE-KAY. Is the **S** pronounced as a part of the given name "Louis", or just the first constant of the of the letter **C**? Is there a canonical way to pronounce the English name "Louis", or is the pronunciation dependent in geographic location or origin? Credit: this tweet (Hebrew). |
1,990 | 124,092 | 76823_0 | During college, I worked the summers landscaping, which cultivated a fascination with wild plants and folk medicine. or this: During college, I worked the summers as a landscaper, cultivating a fascination in wild plants and folk medicine. or this: During college, I worked the summers landscaping, cultivating a fascination with wild plants and folk medicine. |
1,991 | 146,405 | 76823_0 | The phrase "a map is not the territory" is identified with the philosopher of science Alfred Korzybski and his 1931 lecture at an American Mathematical Society meeting. In both of its prominent meanings (philosophical and practical) this is certainly an ancient idea. In fact, it sounds like an inevitable Roman maxim. Is Korzybski really the first person to use this expression? Doesn't it in fact have a much older, perhaps ancient origin? |
1,992 | 195,057 | 76823_0 | can someone help me with this please. Need to write an email to customer who forgot to paid and so his/her balance became negative. It is related to prepaid service... Thank you. * * * Dear `Customer_name`, Thank you for using our `service_name` prepaid subscription service. As of today it came to our attention that you created a negative balance of **$`amount`** on your prepaid credits for our service. We would like you to pay the above balance at your earliest convenience and if you intended to continue to use our prepaid services in the future, please proceed to this link to place an order for additional prepaid credits. NOTE: Please note that this is your `notice_number` notice. Our commitment to providing you the best `service_name` service is our primary goal. We look forward to continuing our relationship with you in the future. Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us. Sincerely, * * * We plan to send two notices to the customers with negative balance. A third one would be final and the NOTE line would be replaced with below: NOTE: Please note that this is your **third** and **final** notice. Unless we get a response from you today by midnight (EST), we will be forced to cancel our service for you. However, your affiliate function will still remain active so you will still be able to earn free credits with us by inviting others. |
1,993 | 130,740 | 76823_0 | There's anagrams, lexigrams, palindromes and many others... But is there a name for words that have the same "size"/"length" (number of characters)? For instance, "car" and "bat" both have 3 characters. "Eggs" and "near" both have four. Is there a special word for the size/length-based relationships these words share? |
1,994 | 130,748 | 76823_0 | I'd like you to ask if it's ok to use the word "coon" as part of a company name? The website isn't related to racoons at all, but has a racoon head in the logo. Will it offend visitors? As a foreigner I don't get all the finer points of the English language. |
1,995 | 185,752 | 76823_0 | Is there a word for satisfaction of hearing about justice that does not affect you? e.g. you hear on the news that a diet foods company has been ordered to compensate customers for deliberately misleading customers into buying their products by making false claims about its benefits. This makes you pleased as justice has been served however * you have never bought or attempted to buy any of the diet products * you will not receive any compensation * no-one you know has been affected I suppose this is a mix of satisfaction, a restoring of faith in karma and a sense of the world being "put to rights" and better as a result..? |
1,996 | 185,753 | 76823_0 | This program was initiated to increase the awareness for breast cancer. does this seem correct? or the preposition 'for' be replaced with 'of'? |
1,997 | 185,756 | 76823_0 | > W : I'm impressed at how expertly you played that piano sonata. > > M : **Sorry. I'm still just an apprentice**. When the man says "sorry", what does this exactly mean in this circumstances? Is it kind of a humble expression I can use when praised? One more question, > W : Mr. Smith, the tiles in the restaurant bathroom need to be replaced. > M : Why? There's nothing wrong with them. > W : Yes, but they're starting to look old. > **M : I don't think that warrants the expense.** Does this mean "That is not enough for changing the whole tiles."? Do you frequently use this expression? |
1,998 | 181,668 | 76823_0 | I'm wondering what the rule is as to where any commas or semicolons would go. (a) and (b) are showing the two sentences that are to be combined, and (a)+(b)[1,2] show the sentences in question. (a): I like tea, especially chamomile tea. (b): I like tea; however, I prefer coffee. (a)+(b)[1]: I like tea, especially chamomile tea; however, I prefer coffee. or, (a)+(b)[2]: I like tea, especially chamomile tea, however, I prefer coffee. It'd be great if it could be: (a)+(b)[3]: I like tea, especially chamomile tea,; however, I prefer coffee. I have a feeling that (a)+(b)[1] is correct; however, I'm not really sure what rule would govern that. Is there some precendence rule making a semicolon 'trump' a comma? |
1,999 | 181,666 | 76823_0 | I'm translating a novel from Swedish to English. The book is slightly above the level of chick-lit, so I don't want it to sound too fancy. In Swedish vernissage is a common word. I have personally never heard or used this term in English. |
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