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2,500 | 19,464 | 76823_0 | Given my advancing years I remember when "multitasking" became a buzz-word in PC operating systems, notably with OS/2. Arguably, earlier version of Windows supported a multitasking as well but I don't think this was not sold heavily as a feature. Soon after, it seemed the term "multitasking" entered the vocabulary to describe when a _person_ does more than one thing at a time. Is this just a coincidence or did the computer term cross over into the general vocabulary? Large scale computers have been multitasking for decades prior so I'm guessing that it took the advertising of the day to make the term better known in the general population (like user-friendly). Long and short question: where did the term "multitasking" originate in the context of humans. |
2,501 | 19,460 | 76823_0 | I'm not a native English speaker. If at all possible I try to use spell checkers while writing anything on the web hence using one in Firefox as well. Whenever I try to write "seldomly" it highlights it as incorrect. Is it really? Example: > This particular word is seldomly used. |
2,502 | 127,966 | 76823_0 | It is a top comment from this youtube video. I'm sure it is a way of expressing sense of humor, but I just can't get it. My guess is that they are just saying the video is just as short as the time it takes to make a sandwich. |
2,503 | 73,977 | 76823_0 | Today I was writing a simple message to be shown to the user whenever at least one field was not supplied. > Every/All fields must be supplied. I'm in doubt about the usage of Every vs All, which one do you think is the most appropriate here ? |
2,504 | 184,361 | 76823_0 | I am looking for a word like _martyr_ , but without any religious implications. Also, the idea is that the person doesn't kill themselves, but instead just takes on a great deal of suffering for the good of the cause. |
2,505 | 73,974 | 76823_0 | The definition of logic is: the science of thinking about or explaining the reason for something using formal methods. Which definitions of science from OALD or MW apply to the above definition of logic? And formal means very correct here? |
2,506 | 186,148 | 76823_0 | The encouraging mails were not restricted to readers but also to some of the regular contributors to The Hindu . |
2,507 | 39,078 | 76823_0 | I really think I've heard it in some American sitcom/sitcoms, meaning something like _participating in_. "I want to play football. Who's in?" — "Great idea, I'm in!" Does it really exist, or am I wrong? I've tried to search for it, without any result. |
2,508 | 183,038 | 76823_0 | What is the opposite of _interorganization_? Is it even a correct word? _Interorganization_ means the things that happen inside the organization (I think). What about the things that happen outside of the organization? |
2,509 | 180,472 | 76823_0 | Just as _shortchange_ means cheating someone by giving insufficient money as change, the word I am looking for means _cheating through counterfeit money_. There are words as simple as _deceive_ , _bilk_ , _swindle_ , _cozen_ and others, but I couldn't find a word that means exactly what I need. |
2,510 | 45,937 | 76823_0 | What is a word for someone who has a hard time denying other people's requests and who speaks politically correctly because he will feel guilty making someone feel offended? |
2,511 | 124,722 | 76823_0 | **Hello! What can you tell me about british accent? How to achieve it? I love british tv-shows, british music so much but I'm not confident in my pronunciation. Help me please. Thanx for answer.** |
2,512 | 134,758 | 76823_0 | My question could seem to be very simple, but the reasons why I ask it connect with the understanding of fundamental principles of the construction of the English language. That’s why my question is aimed at native English speakers. I would like to know their point of view, not from the position of grammar but how they understand this aspect of the language. So, my question is connected with the perfect verb form. In grammar books it is said that this verb form is made with “have” + “past participle” (for example: _I have broken my phone_ ). They also add that the verb “have” in this case loses its own semantic meaning and is used for showing time and voice, and that the participle gives the semantic meaning of the action. But I wonder if “have” to native speakers not only shows time and voice but plays the role of a verb that expresses state, like in old English where to make the perfect verb form “be” is used instead of “have” - for example “autumn is come” (in this example verb expresses state and action at the same time). So, my question is - for native speakers is the perfect form understood initially as a finished action (using the perfect form, the speaker means result of action (or its connection with the present and so on, but in general it is the action)) or is the perfect form understood initially as indicating state? (in this example – “autumn is come” we see that this perfect form of old English expresses state, not action)? How is it for native speakers in modern English? |
2,513 | 144,902 | 76823_0 | Is the following sentence right or should I use **"changes"**? > The present study aimed at quantifying the **_change_** in surface air > temperature and monthly total rainfall Here, by change I meant upward/ downward trend or no trends or any other type of patterns in the distributions of temperature and rainfall |
2,514 | 102,948 | 76823_0 | I was watching a foreign film and I saw a "i" with a dot on the top as usual and a dot on the bottom. What is it called and is there a way I can find it and type it? More details: It was a Vietnamese film published by a French company. I think it was Vietnamese text. |
2,515 | 81,132 | 76823_0 | I recently came across a couple usages of 'sucker for' which indicates that it means 'crazy about', 'enthusiastic for', or 'interested in'. For example, 'I am a sucker for sports.', seems to say, 'I am a sports enthusiast.'. My questions are: 1. What does 'sucker for' actually mean? 2. Can you elaborate with some typical usage? 3. Is it appropriate to use it in formal conversations e.g. while talking to a client? 4. 'Sucker', afaik, is used to indicate a 'loser'. If my understanding above is correct... how does 'sucker for' becomes an indication of an enthusiast and not of a loser? (I know 'suck at' indicates a loser.) Thanks |
2,516 | 154,140 | 76823_0 | Are 'rich' and 'cold' relative or absolute terms? I said to my boss yesterday, ‘Man, it's cold out!’ He said, ‘Cold is a relative term.’ He has also said that 'rich' is a relative term. If that's the case, then it seems that all terms can be relative, right? I truly don't understand this at all. |
2,517 | 4,046 | 76823_0 | For example, take a look at the following sentence: > There’s nothing to see — no one can handle you, dear. What are the general guidelines? |
2,518 | 159,310 | 76823_0 | For example, when I tried to do my best at dancing, I "put my best foot forward". This is literally true because in dancing I put one foot in front of the other, but it's also figuratively true because I was sincerely giving it my best effort. Is there a word or a phrase that describes something that is both literally and figuratively true? |
2,519 | 154,145 | 76823_0 | As far as your English variety goes, is it acceptable in every which register of speech and writing, and rather common usage, to say "flash" for "focus/direct (one's attention/eyes)", but also for "display/expose (a certain feeling)"? Likewise, is it okay to say "flash one's eyes at someone" to mean to stare at someone with a glow of fire in one's eyes? E.g. _They **flashed their eyes** at one another like teens_... _The tigers and wildcats glared and **flashed their eyes** at each other_... _And **flashed their eyes** at cruel but fundamentally decent counts_... _I **flashed my eyes** at him_... _Grandma Terrant **flashed her eyes** on her watch_... _Sissy and Mom **flashed their eyes** on me..._ _All the other cats **flashed their eyes** on him_... _I was just sitting here working and **flashed my eyes** on your last_... _Hutch **flashed his eyes** on the door_... _Napoli and Bayern Leverkusen have **flashed their interest** in the player_... _Both **flashed their attention** to the bird_... |
2,520 | 81,137 | 76823_0 | In my native language German, every animal has an article. This is understandable, if one wants for example to distinguish a male pig (boar) from a female pig (sow). But if one just talks about the animal in genral, the article is basically at random. But how is it in English, when there may be the same distinction for animal genders, but for the animal a such there are no articles? So why for example does one say to a meowing cat `She's hungry.` without knowing if the cat is really a `she`? |
2,521 | 154,147 | 76823_0 | For formal writing, which one is technically correct? 1. I don't give a damn, trust me. (Is this a comma splice?) 2. I don't give a damn; trust me. (Should a semicolon be used?) 3. I don't give a damn — trust me. (Could a dash be used?) Thank you. |
2,522 | 100,099 | 76823_0 | To classify species we use a method called: dichotomous biological key. It works base on true and false cycles. In computer sciences true and fulse working is called boolean and binary is a 0 and 1 system (which is like true and false). What is the difference between them? Can I use term "Binary biological key"? Are these really different? (I have edited this question following Daniel's and MT-Head's comments.) |
2,523 | 100,097 | 76823_0 | Is it obsolete to use this word? Where does it come from? I couldn't find the origin of this term. Can I use the phrase "The machine conked out" or should I replace _conked out_ with something else? |
2,524 | 69,248 | 76823_0 | I am developing a web application for managing banners, advertisements, etc. I am not sure what the correct name for one 'view' of a banner is. I need to name it somehow to be able to report information like 'View count', 'Number of views paid', etc. to the manager. I have found three possible names for this: * Impression * Hit * View What is the correct term? |
2,525 | 81,139 | 76823_0 | E.g., "On my spare time I'm working on an essay" or "In my spare time I'm working on an essay". Which is correct? Both in/on are prepositions, but "in my spare time" sounds more idiomatic to me. A friend corrected me, and now I'm curious. Which is correct (or are both)?. |
2,526 | 4,048 | 76823_0 | Can someone tell me which, if any, of the following sentences are correct: > * When she walked in, he was laying on the bed. > * When she walked in, he was laid on the bed. > * When she walked in, he lay on the bed > To me, the first two seem correct, but I am frequently confused as to when it is acceptable to use the progressive tense when referring to past events. EDIT: To just clarify the purpose of my question. My intended meaning for this sentence is that "he" was already on the bed when "she" walked in. If none of the above sentences convey this meaning then how is this correctly phrased? |
2,527 | 100,093 | 76823_0 | I am looking for a single word or a phrase for the minimum amount of time a job or task needs to wait before executing again. |
2,528 | 100,090 | 76823_0 | What's the meaning of _principle_ in this definition of _soul_ from Dictionary.com as in _body and soul_? > the principle of life, feeling, thought, and action in humans, regarded as a > distinct entity separate from the body, and commonly held to be separable in > existence from the body; the spiritual part of humans as distinct from the > physical part. Does _principle_ in this context mean definition #7 of Google definition or does it mean something else that's not in this dictionary?  |
2,529 | 35,496 | 76823_0 | I’m thinking a whether clause with a negative sentence means the speaker thinks the situation is less likely. However, I can’t find any explanation in dictionaries at hand. > He snapped it shut again, worried that the sound would attract Filch, > **wondering whether that hadn’t been Cedric’s plan** – and then, making him > jump so badly that he dropped the egg, which clattered away across the > bathroom floor, someone spoke. (Harry Potter 4 [US Version]: p.461)[Bold > font is mine] **N.B.:** ‘It’ is a magical egg which is wailing loudly while being left open. Filch likes punishing students. Why did the writer use a negative sentence in the whether clause? I’m wondering if it has some nuance in it. |
2,530 | 146,234 | 76823_0 | It seems to me “take efforts”, “take a great effort” “take the effort to do something”, all three are ok. But I wonder whether you say “take effort” as a set phrase to mean something abstractly, for example: People always take effort to be a better person, though they may be ignorant of what it means to become a better person. |
2,531 | 43,747 | 76823_0 | Imagine the following: > A -> B B is _consequent_ (and _subsequent_ ) to A, because A implies B. How might one describe A relative to B? " _Presequent_ " gets a few search results... but perhaps there's a better-established word? Another example: > Because it rained, the grass is wet.` The wet grass is _consequent_ to the rain. How can one make a similar statement about the rain itself? |
2,532 | 43,744 | 76823_0 | ‘Go on’ has a lot of meanings in dictionaries, which makes me confused. What’s the omitted words and meanings of ‘go on’ in the following scene? (They are gambling on a sport in the magical world.) > ”I’ve already got Roddy Pontner betting me Bulgaria will score first – I > offered him nice odds, considering Ireland’s front three are the strongest > I’ve seen in years – and little Agatha Timms has put up half shares in her > eel farm on a week-long match.” > > ”Oh … go on then,” said Mr. Weasley. “Let’s see … a Galleon on Ireland to > win?” ( _Harry Potter 4_ [US Version]: p.88) |
2,533 | 46,713 | 76823_0 | What word means neither "believer" nor "atheist" but somewhere in between? The word starts with the letter 'A', I tried "agnostic" but according to my instructor there is another one. |
2,534 | 46,715 | 76823_0 | The Online Etymology Dictionary said it was unknown. However, it also says that one of the meanings of dis, as in _disrespect_ , was originally: > short for _disconnected_ in the telephone sense and used figuratively in > slang to mean "weak in the head" I'm curious if _ditzy_ may have come from _dis_. Any thoughts on the matter? |
2,535 | 194,714 | 76823_0 | I hope I put this question in the right place. Currently, I am working on a huge software project. Within this project, we use a lot of different terms, words and verbs. We want to write down all terms with an explanation of what we actually mean with it. Also, we want to write down when to use which word. For example, we have the term "challenge" with it's explanation. Whenever you are going to create a new challenge, the button should say "Create challenge". When you are in the form, the button to actually save it should be named "publish". I am wondering if anyone has some sort of guidelines or an example of how to write the terms with it's explanation down and all rules related to the use of words. I could of course create a glossary, but where to put all the rules then? Should it be 2 separate documents? Should I put the rules next to each word? Looking forward to what you all are thinking. Thanks in advance! |
2,536 | 90,420 | 76823_0 | In terms of web design, there is a very specific amount of space between elements that make an interface look nice. Too little space and things look cramped, but too much and they look **__**. Words like _spacious_ and _open_ usually have positive connotations. I'm looking for a word to describe how something looks when there's too much empty space. |
2,537 | 90,426 | 76823_0 | Where does the adjective form _extensible_ come from and does it connote anything different than _extendible_? What's the difference, if any, between the two? |
2,538 | 172,607 | 76823_0 | What's the word (formal or slang) or expression to describe a person who customarily and too easily ascribes bad motives to other people's behavior that could also be explained differently? E.g. I would like to say: > to a sufficiently X person, that thing could be interpreted as such and > such..." or "if I were an X, I would think that... |
2,539 | 66,737 | 76823_0 | > **Possible Duplicate:** > "In time " versus "on time" I don't know if there is any difference. Which of the following should I use? > * I'll be on time to catch the train. > * I'll be in time to catch the train. > |
2,540 | 157,190 | 76823_0 | If you want to inform someone in advance to do something early enough so the person won't be in trouble later, do you say on time or in time? It's not a specified time, like order it today between 12 and 2, it's more of a better do it now than later suggestion? What's right here? |
2,541 | 76,728 | 76823_0 | > **Possible Duplicate:** > "In time " versus "on time" > "On time" vs. "in time" I am confused between usages of "On" and "In" in following sentence: > Let the task be done **_** time. Should I use "On" or "In" in this sentence? |
2,542 | 17,433 | 76823_0 | Is _bestowing anonymity_ the right way to say "keeping someones identity secret?" Basically the author is writing about someone, a fallen dictator and his nasty goings on, without using the name of the dictator. Could you say he is protecting himself from further repercussions? Would he be _bestowing anonymity_ or is there another (nice) way of saying it? the anonymous person would be the dictator, not the poet |
2,543 | 124,685 | 76823_0 | My daughter said "These photographs are concerning". Her intention was to convey that they were disconcerting, or alarming in some way. My impulse was to correct her, but then I doubted myself and thought that perhaps this is a legitimate use of the word. The two online dictionaries I looked in don't have secondary definition that fits the bill, so, I'm now once again reasonably certain that my impulse was correct, but I'd be curious what you folks think. |
2,544 | 13,325 | 76823_0 | I wanted to ask it already for some time but was in doubt until I've read the comment by Stan Rogers to this answer: > In the case of prepend, we have created an artificial term that is > meaningless outside of the "in group", since to append means merely to add > -- it does not have a positional implication; it can be prepositional or > postpositional. If "prepend" is not an English word. It was created to sound like the opposite of "append," which means to add to the end. The correct English word is "prefix; and Although it sounds correct, prepend is not an English word. It was created to sound like the opposite of "append," which means to add to the end. The correct English word is "prefix;" then why there are no words "postpend", "subpend", "sidepend", "uppend"? Who does introduce incorrect words into English which are not English words? |
2,545 | 4,165 | 76823_0 | I hear FAQ(s) pronounced like a word in "FACK(s)", while I go letter by letter. In usage, what is more common? (Similar to SQL vs Sequel) |
2,546 | 13,320 | 76823_0 | Is it correct to use _is_ rather than _are_ in this question? > Where is my mother and father? Grammatically, it should be _where are my mother and father?_ but, for some strange reason, I think I would use _where is my mother and father?_ and I can't explain why that is. Perhaps, I used this structure before while growing up, without knowing all of the grammar "rules"; if there is an explanation for it, that would be great. |
2,547 | 146,315 | 76823_0 | What do you call a single row of keys on a keyboard if it has more than one (for example on an organ)? Is "claviature" the right word for it (example: "The keyboard of the organ has 4 claviatures.")? |
2,548 | 124,683 | 76823_0 | Example scenario: a youth hostel employs someone to try get guests to be social and interacting. In a common area (lounge), the person may bring together various solo guests into a group and get everyone playing board games. The end result being a better experience for the guests. The guests then being more likely to leave a positive review. I experienced this some years ago at a hostel in New York. The social man later said he worked for the hostel to start such social activity. Long after, I saw a volunteer advertisement for the same thing somewhere else. I'm sure in that advert they had a word for the person who starts such social activity - I just can't remember the word. Edit: Perhaps another take on this is someone who is planted within a group of people with the goal of influencing the group toward a desired outcome. |
2,549 | 38,851 | 76823_0 | Those two expressions have close meaning: > He is not **meant to** do this > > He is not **supposed to** do this What is the difference between them, and when I should use one or the other? |
2,550 | 124,688 | 76823_0 | I saw a new compound word of something that related with “number” and “article” that describes the style of articles that start with number such as "7 Things happy people choose to do every single day," “10 paragraphs about lists you need in your life,” and “20 things you need to know about Einstein,” in an article of _today’s_ NYT, or Time magazine, or New Yorker. Wikipedia carries this word as a compound of ???+aricle. I forgot what ??? was. In other word, it’s an itemized style of writing under, for instance, Rule 1, 2, 3.. I thought it a very convenient word to describe “X number reasons, things, ways, tips for sucess, a better bargain, and persons who ....” style articles now in fashion, but, I forgot to note it down. Could you teach me the word, if you can think it up, or have read the article? |
2,551 | 38,857 | 76823_0 | When promoting someone or something to a higher standing, is there a noun that can be used to describe the object of the promotion? Something equivalent to "the guy being promoted" is basically what I'm looking for. My first thought is "promotee" but that just strikes me as odd/wrong for some reason. |
2,552 | 90,399 | 76823_0 | I would swear that years back I saw a definition of the word _bury_ and it contained a noun, not only a verb. If my memory serves me well, the noun meaning was associated with church. Today I cannot find even a trace of a noun _bury_ -- only verbs. Could anyone definitely confirm or deny such noun exists, please? |
2,553 | 140,347 | 76823_0 | Someone provided me with a PowerPoint presentation and instructed me to convert it into a word document with sentences rather than point form notes. Here is what the PowerPoint slide said: "Control Measures -Provide an easy exit -Wear protective equipment" The slide talks about what to do when you are working in a tight, enclosed and confied space. Basically, the slide says that when you are working in an enclosed and confined space then 'take' the following control measures: provide an easy exit (that is, make sure it is easy to get out of the enclosed area) and wear protective equipment while working in a confied space. My question is, does it make sense if I say "When working in a confied and enclosed area, 'take' the following control measures: ensure that there is an easy exit provided to the individual who is working in the confined space, and ensure that the individual working is wearing protective equipment." Do we 'take' control measures, just as how we take safety measures? If no, what is the correct way of saying what I said in the paragraph above? Note: I do know that the 'control' measures stated above are really just safety measures, but I'm just wondering if we 'take' control measures like how we take safety measures. |
2,554 | 152,428 | 76823_0 | I have no problem with the following sentence: > In this book, [it] is the father who tries to murder her However, what if I want to substitute a plural noun (or two names) for `father`? Are the following sentences correct? If not, how should I change them? > In this book, [it] is the father and John who try to murder her > > In this book, [it] is her parents who try to murder her I am struggling with associating `[it] is` with a plural noun. Even if I add `[it] is [...] *who*` the sentence sounds wobbly. PS. I am _not_ reviewing a book, in case you are wondering. |
2,555 | 132,548 | 76823_0 | When my 6-year old daughter spells words phonetically, she regularly drops final 'n' at ends of syllables, after vowels, like "rabo" for "rainbow", "lach" for "lunch". This made me wonder, are we all dropping the distinct /n/ sound in these words? Is this a regular phenomena in American English, and what's the name for it? |
2,556 | 80,266 | 76823_0 | I am writing a paper where I will use the title _Reduction by half_. This is supposed to describe a method which reduces something by half, but I am not sure if _Reduction by Half_ is the right way to do this. Any ideas? Does _Reduction by Half_ sound weird? |
2,557 | 152,421 | 76823_0 | What do you call the V-shaped figure one uses to check a checkbox? How about the X-shaped figure? |
2,558 | 101,321 | 76823_0 | This question was asked earlier (not by me), but closed and deleted by a mod. But I thought it was interesting, because I didn't know the answer. So I'm reposting it.... * * * The verb phrasal 'draw on' seems to have two conflicting definitions: > dictionary 1 > to come closer in time "It became colder as night drew on." > > dictionary 2 > (of a period of time) pass by and approach its end: > "he remembered sitting in silence with his grandmother as evening drew on" How is 'draw on' used by native speakers? * * * ...that's the original. Here's my own additional research from OED: > **draw** B.VI.70 _To draw near or approach in time._ > > **draw in** B.VII.82.f _Of a day or evening: To draw to a close, to close > in. Also of a succession of evenings in late summer and autumn: To become > gradually shorter (as if contracting or shrinking in)._ > > **draw on** B.VII.86.d _To advance, approach, draw nigh._ > 86.e _To draw near to death, be in a dying state._ So, to restate the original question, which of these does _as night drew on_ mean? (I've no idea!) > 1 _as night approached_ > 2 _as night passed_ > 3 _as night drew to a close_ |
2,559 | 140,349 | 76823_0 | Is it correct to write "scientests can test a hypotheses" even though hypotheses is a plural? |
2,560 | 20,124 | 76823_0 | ...or, to phrase it differently, like one of those silly SAT questions... please help me fill in this blank: **4 is to 5 as "quadrant" is to ????** (Does that make sense?) |
2,561 | 48,651 | 76823_0 | I am trying to write a recommendation letter. The following two sentences sound quite awkward. Is it correct? I mean what I am doing describing all the events on the past tense and on that base I am implying some attribute of the present (this is the only sentence in present tense). > He frequently interacted with teachers and colleagues on the subject and he > demonstrated insight on what he studied. Also he possesses an excellent > communication skill. |
2,562 | 48,653 | 76823_0 | Our management team ask us to join a pizza/beer **bash** , which is essentially nothing but a pizza lunch held for all employees. My concept of the word **bash** still remained somewhere near the name of the famous Unix shell until I looked it up online. As expected, a bash means a party or a celebration. It's a slang. Anyway, I have a hard time distinguishing between **bash** and **party** from online resources. Maybe someone who themselves has been to both of them could tell the subtle difference. |
2,563 | 63,624 | 76823_0 | > **Possible Duplicate:** > "Instant" vs. "instantaneous" I know there is a similar question already answered, but I still have doubts. I was doing a word formation FCE exercise where I had to form an adverb from the word _instant_ in the following sentence. > The artists created their own style and use of colours, which is > **instantly/instantaneously** recognisable. Is _instantly_ the adverb I should use? |
2,564 | 62,371 | 76823_0 | What is the origin of _**number**_ as another word for a song or dance? For example: > And then, when Astro came out to perform his sing-off against Ms. Francis > for the right to stay in the competition, he gave the judges and the studio > audience a bucketful of attitude. He said he didn’t think he should have to > perform. Then he asked the audience if it wanted to hear him **do a number** > (which, of course, it did). And he rolled out a less-than-his-best rap over > “Never Can Say Goodbye.”. |
2,565 | 65,813 | 76823_0 | Usage: > The emergence of a second competitor in the market will help _credentialize_ > the product and the vision. |
2,566 | 124,533 | 76823_0 | I read an article, here is the original words: > Lennon even created his own comic strip, which he called "The Daily Howl". > This contained drawings, frequently of crippled people, and satirical > writings, often with a play on words. For example, in one page, Lennon wrote > a weather report saying that "Tomorrow will be Muggy, followed by Tuggy, > Wuggy and Thuggy". Could someone tell me about the meaning of ""Tomorrow will be Muggy, followed by Tuggy, Wuggy and Thuggy"? This is hard to understand for me since English is not my mother language. |
2,567 | 124,530 | 76823_0 | What does "topline issue" mean in a business and other context that neither refer to gross sales or revenue, nor allude to anything related to a company's income statement? Normal definition > A reference to the gross sales or revenues of a company, or an allusion to a > course of action that increases or reduces revenues. The "top" reference > relates to the fact that on a company's income statement, the first line at > the top of the page is generally reserved for gross sales or revenue. A > company that increases its revenues is said to be "growing its top line", or > "generating top-line growth". > > This contrasts with net income (or net earnings per share), which is usually > the bottom line of the company's income statement. |
2,568 | 14,396 | 76823_0 | Adding a question mark to the end of a "How to" or "Where to" sentence appears to be quite common. Here are two examples from this very site: **How to punctuate a list of questions?** (link) **Where to put the periods when using a parenthetical sentence?** (link) In my mind, the question mark doesn't belong at all, and it bothers me. Am I being unreasonable? Is this practice defensible? |
2,569 | 44,719 | 76823_0 | Can someone diagram this sentence: > I thought it was best to let you decide to whom this needs forwarded. In addition, is the sentence grammatically correct? If not, why? |
2,570 | 118,885 | 76823_0 | I'm looking for a concise way to describe this situation: > Person A compliments B's team at a competition. But B does not respond to > this compliment gracefully, even though it means a lot to him. B senses that > doing this has hurt A, but pride or shyness get in the way of him clearing > the air with A about this for a while. When B works up what's needed to talk > to A, unforeseen circumstances change B's plans and he loses touch with A. > Years pass, but B continues to feel an urge to fix his mistake. B does not > actively seek to fix it (aside from learning from it), but if the > opportunity to do so presents itself he has told himself to take it. One idiom I've considered is _turning over a new leaf_. But this phrase seems better for a personality overhaul than for repairing one mistake. Is there a word/idiom/phrase (WIP) to describe a person who would leap if given the chance to correct a specific mistake he made? **Edit** : I have received some great answers, but I've realized I have one more condition I'm looking for: I'd prefer a casual/conversational WIP. Thanks! |
2,571 | 139,757 | 76823_0 | I am looking for a singular word that categorizes this set of words: {forewords, preface, prologue, chapter, author's note, etc} The best I can come up with right now is Section Heading which is obviously not one word. |
2,572 | 139,756 | 76823_0 | _Tribe_ is good. But what more? I need more words, but exactly mean “they have same culture, traits, etc.” |
2,573 | 139,751 | 76823_0 | I know "Bob's house" and "Bob's" mean the same thing. Question 1: Is there a name for this grammatical phenomenon? Can one call it an abbreviation? Question 2: In the context of within a university, can I simply call "Professor Bob's lab" "Professor Bob's"? Example: I am interested in the labs of Professors A, B and C. I also like Professor Bob's. Is the example sentence formal and correct? Do people understand that I'm referring to the lab of Professor Bob? |
2,574 | 139,750 | 76823_0 | I am now studying at XXX University as an exchange student. Is this my "exchanging experience" or my "exchange experience"? Am I actually an "exchanging student"? |
2,575 | 139,753 | 76823_0 | When we wish to refer to people who are living an affluent lifestyle or simply enjoying favorable circumstances in any particular area, we often say they are _well off_. So far so good. But listening to a podcast this afternoon, I heard the host try to express the opposite condition, and the term he used ("badly off") clanged in my ear. It just doesn't sound right. Still, if we look at the positive expression "well off" we might judge that _well_ functions as an adverb and _off_ as an adjective. So if you want to introduce the negative condition, the corresponding adverb is _badly_ (or _poorly_ , etc.). But it still sounds awful. Funnily enough, my ear's inner alarm remains silent when I hear someone say _bad off_ , as in "They were pretty bad off in those days." So is that the answer? If so, why doesn't it yield to my immediate grammatical analysis? Why should _bad off_ sound acceptable in that context but not _poor off_ or some other combination of adjective/adjective? And it's not as if I'm trying to force-fit the corresponding negative construction: those already exist, and are heard all the time. What gives? Note that I mean this question in the very narrow scope described above. I am **not** looking for synonyms of the negative. I don't want _destitute_ or _unfortunate_ or any of the others, and I will scowl at those who attempt to run me through with a thesaurus. **Well, well** I like J.R.'s contention that the word _well_ is problematic in and of itself. Still, I'm not sure the other part of the team, _off_ , should get off scot free. It has been overloaded in meaning for centuries. It can mean _apart from_ , _in a state of disuse_ , _rusty_ ["His game was off due to a hangover"], _not operational at this time_ ["The oven was off"], _inaccurate_ ["The figures are off"], _extending from_ , _abstaining from_ ["He's been off alcohol for years"], and so on. Which is why when I hear "badly off" it makes me feel that _off_ is being emphasized when it is not meant to carry the semantic freight with respect to positive or negative values. **Off with their heads!** Additionally, and with respect to the latter point, I see in the comments that some of you are trotting out Google word and book searches, which may or may not apply here. (Full disclosure: I have mixed feelings about the use of such sources.) So it is worth pointing out that, taken out of context, the terms "bad off" and "badly off" do not always refer to the purported opposite of "well off": > _He aimed for the target, but was badly off the mark._ > > _They were badly off in their estimate of how much time the project would > take._ > > _Her performance was bad off the get-go._ That last is colloquial, and may be straining the issue, but even if the search fails on account of the ambiguity of one term, it nevertheless fails for both. |
2,576 | 1 | 76823_0 | When should I use _can_? When should I use _could_? What is right under what context? |
2,577 | 7,414 | 76823_0 | > **Possible Duplicate:** > When do I use “can” or “could”? I wonder which of the following is more polite: > 1. Can you please change my email address? > 2. Could you please change my email address? > The second one sounds to me as if the request is more urgent. So I would choose the first. But I heard that "could", "should", etc. forms are more polite forms of "can", "shall", etc. Is this true at all and if so, what is the underlying reason? |
2,578 | 133,610 | 76823_0 | Can you please shift a little? or Could you please shift a little? which one of the two is correct? |
2,579 | 4,294 | 76823_0 | > **Possible Duplicate:** > When do I use "can" & "could"? In a company, the HR asked me: " _Could you please sign here_ ". I want to know whether it is correct or " _Can_ " should be used or simply " _Please sign here_ " is sufficient. When to ideally use _Could_. |
2,580 | 9,249 | 76823_0 | > **Possible Duplicate:** > When do I use “can” or “could”? I am a little bit confused about asking a question: > Can you please tell me my next work? or > Could you please tell me my next work? Which is more correct? |
2,581 | 28,858 | 76823_0 | > **Possible Duplicate:** > When do I use “can” or “could”? I was doing some reading on usage of _can_ and _could_. I understand that _can_ is used when asking for ability, and _could_ for willingness. I would use _can_ in the following sentence. > Can I have one apple from your box? After reading about the usage of _can_ and _could_ , I am confused. Actually, this is not about my ability of taking the apple; of course, I can take (snatch) the apple even if he/she does not give it to me. So I guess according to the above rule I should be using _could_ and not _can_. Using _could_ here somehow does not sound correct to me. So I just wanted to confirm whether it is correct or not. |
2,582 | 168,001 | 76823_0 | This is an extract from 'The Sheltering Sky' by Paul Bowles: One day a Targui comes, he is tall and handsome, on a beautiful mehari. He talks to Outka, Minouna, and Aicha, he tells them about the desert, down there where he lives, **his bled** , and they listen, and their eyes are big. Then he says: ' Dance for me' , and they danced. What's the meaning of 'his bled' here? (Pag 33 e-book version) |
2,583 | 85,162 | 76823_0 | Technical and Technological Technically and Technologically Can these be used interchangeably? Is there a difference? |
2,584 | 85,165 | 76823_0 | I found the plural for Looker-on as both Lookers-on and Looker-ons!! Is this possible? Also the plural for Terminus is given as Termini and Terminuses! Please clarify the plurals for Looker-on and Terminus... |
2,585 | 85,164 | 76823_0 | I always thought that _trustedness_ was a word, but apparently it isn't. What's a real word that means the same thing, namely _the quality of being trusted_? Note that this is a different meaning from _trustworthiness_ , which means _the quality of being deserving of trust_ , not of actually being trusted. To clarify, I am looking for a word which devorces _popular_ judgement from my _personal_ judgement. If 99% of people trust a person, but I don't, I would say that he is _trusted_ , but not, in my opinion, _trustworthy_. I'm looking for a noun form of the former specifically, or a synonym if it doesn't exist (I don't think it does). |
2,586 | 125,486 | 76823_0 | A colleague of mine is trying to describe herself as "capable of seeing a situation from multiple perspectives" or "able to look at the big picture from various viewpoints". I feel like there must be a better way to get this point across. Is there a more concise way to describe this characteristic? |
2,587 | 12,760 | 76823_0 | Would it be appropriate to end a rhetorical question with a period, to show that it is not intended as a question that one should ponder or attempt to answer? For instance: > Why do I eat so much(?)(.)(!) I don't want anyone to answer it, but it's still phrased as a question. |
2,588 | 41,072 | 76823_0 | In a menu title/button, does "have" need to be used? Is "1" okay or should "2" be used? 1) People who contacted you in the last 24 hours 2) People who have contacted you in the last 24 hours This is for a website that uses friendly, informal (American) language. It basically goes by native speech, but as I have been living in a non English- speaking country for a while my intuition is a little rusty. |
2,589 | 134,707 | 76823_0 | When would **system** need to be pluralized? Say you offer two products that serve the same function. Do you offer two systems or one system? To try and give an example... I have an integrated facial recognition system built into the camera. Few years passed and I developed a new camera that also has my facial recognition. I offer both options. Would I say: "My system integrates facial recognition..." or "My systems integrate facial recognition..." Is there a rule for determining something like this? By sound I lean towards it being a singular system. My colleague believes it needs to be plural. |
2,590 | 148,110 | 76823_0 | As the title. When writing to a report, should I refer to a section of the report located later by writing "As explained in Section 2" or "As will be explained in Section 2"? |
2,591 | 41,076 | 76823_0 | I'm looking for a word that describes new ideas in a particular scientific field that aren't necessarily based on research or science but still interesting to discuss. So the word should encapsulate thinking such as: "I don't know how or if this is relevant to our field, but there's something interesting I read about and which I would like to discuss with you people." EDIT: Or imagine a researcher reading about an interesting concept related to a completely different field/discipline/area that he thinks might be useful to discuss within his own field (for instance, the computer scientist who reads about a technique in opera singing that might be applied to computer science). |
2,592 | 134,703 | 76823_0 | If the subject of a sentence is separated by "and/or", should the verb be pluralized, as with "and", or agree with the rightmost subject, as with "or"? For example: > His co-workers and/or his boss was at fault. vs. > His co-workers and/or his boss were at fault. |
2,593 | 169,751 | 76823_0 | Can _outdoors_ and _in the open sky_ be synonyms? I find these two terms really confusing. |
2,594 | 41,079 | 76823_0 | I was wondering when to use which because both _optimal_ and _ideal_ convey the same meaning to me. For e.g., comparing these two usages: > 1. This is the optimal temperature for the machine to work correctly. > 2. This is the ideal temperature for the machine to work correctly. > When referring to people, I do generally use _ideal_ , e.g. > He is an ideal husband. |
2,595 | 142,745 | 76823_0 | I see this style rather frequently and in the past decade many print advertisements have apparently decided that it makes their sentences. have. more. impact. I can tell that the style is trying to mimic a very specific spoken word pattern that accentuates every. single. word. But I don't know if this writing style has a name. I am specifically interested in the _written_ variant that uses periods throughout a sentence in order to emphasize each word. |
2,596 | 180,267 | 76823_0 | My sentence is as follows: > Carol Ohmann discusses in her article _Daisy Miller: A Study of Change in > Intentions_ how the main heroine of Henry James' novella brings rise to > arguments. Do I have to set the title of the article off in commas or leave it as it is written? |
2,597 | 59,749 | 76823_0 | I read the following sentence in Chicago Sun-Times's review of the movie In Time: > We are all of us engaged in the trade of buying and selling time. The sentence sounds grammatically weird to me. It seems to me that it should be: > All of us are engaged in the trade of buying and selling time. Another way for me to make any sense of this sentence is adding a couple of dashes (or maybe commas, I'm not good at punctiation): > We are — all of us — constantly engaged in the trade of buying and selling > time. Or does "all of us" have an adverbial meaning? Or maybe "we are all of us" is a set phrase? Please throw some light on this curious issue :) **Update:** If it is a grammatically correct sentence, how is it parsed? I assume "We" is the subject, "are engaged" is the predicate. What is the function of "all of us"? |
2,598 | 169,756 | 76823_0 | Popperians being people who are sympathetic with Karl **Popper** 's views? In general, should groups of people who take their collective name from a proper noun in turn capitalize their name? |
2,599 | 161,568 | 76823_0 | **Question:** What does it mean when something is "wishy-washy"? Is it informal? Is it American English, British English or both? |
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