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3,100 | 171,203 | 76823_0 | Is there any tool online that generally permits me to enter a phrase or idea and get back a word that means something similar? For example, if I were looking for a better word or phrase for _arguing winsomely but forcefully in favor of something_ , where might I go to find such a definition? |
3,101 | 101,485 | 76823_0 | > **Possible Duplicate:** > What are your favorite English language tools? I am searching for a piece of software or an online application where I enter a phrase or a particular action and get a word related to that whole phrase. e.g. " _blasphemous_ " means " _Sacrilegious against God or sacred things_ ". Here the phrase is " _Sacrilegious against God or sacred things_ " and the word " _blasphemous_ " defines it well. |
3,102 | 90,412 | 76823_0 | > **Possible Duplicate:** > Is there an ‘official’ way to suggest a new word become part of the English > language? If I happened to have coined a few words that I find could be of practical value to the general public, how can I make a request to have it included in one of the standard dictionaries of the English language? |
3,103 | 171,566 | 76823_0 | The term **Software** was coined in 195x. And it was opposed the term **Hardware** , physical part of a computer system, which is tangible. But where does the term **Hardware** comes from (from which of the meanings it was derived: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/hardware)? Was it transfered from one of those meanings in English language or maybe it was borrowed from another language? |
3,104 | 77,887 | 76823_0 | Given the following sentences, what is the difference between the conditional clauses in them? > * If you **saw** a lion in a thick forest, what would you do? > * If you **were to see** a lion in a thick forest, what would you do? > I'm asking this simple thing because it's confusing me, since there is no such thing in my native language (it's quite different from English). * * * I can understand this one (it may be a different question): > If you **had seen** a lion in a thick forest, what **would have** you > **done**? but it's a bit confusing me. In my native language, it's always formulated as follows: > If you **would have seen** a lion in a thick forest, what would have you > done? Does this make any difference in English? |
3,105 | 77,886 | 76823_0 | I'm looking for a word that means "a maker of wind instruments". Something to the same effect as a _luthier_ to stringed instruments. > The local ___ _ fixed the trombone as good as new. |
3,106 | 77,888 | 76823_0 | I'm not even sure how to phrase the question properly, so let me paint a scenario. In addition to your answers, any suggestions for how I could have better asked the question would be appreciated. In a nutshell my question is "how does one properly use the word 'by' for nested descriptions?" I'm just some guy who works for some company. At this company, our software peeps make these neat reports for our business peeps. For example, we might have a report called "Sales by Day" that looks like: Sales by Day Report -------------------- Monday.......$100.00 Tuesday......$200.00 Wednesday....$450.00 Thursday.....$250.00 Friday.......$120.00 Another report may be Sales by Store (for all time), which looks like: Sales by Store Report ---------------------------- San Diego.........$10,000.00 Boston............$30,000.00 Salt Lake City....$25,000.00 Gotham............$45,000.00 Now, if want to show a breakdown per store mixed with per day, as in the following example, which title would be correct and why? Sales By Store By Day or Sales By Day By Store ---------------------------------------------- San Diego Monday......$20.00 Tuesday.....$25.00 Boston Monday......$35.00 Tuesday.....$45.00 etc.... |
3,107 | 13,909 | 76823_0 | Is "connexion" synonymous with "connection"? For example, "an ethernet connexion". Can I use it like that? |
3,108 | 171,568 | 76823_0 | Can somebody explain it for me?I do not understand the differences. |
3,109 | 143,537 | 76823_0 | I want to know the opposite of the word peripheral. For instance, one can have peripheral branches of the trigeminal nerve and upmost or something. **What is the right opposite word of _peripheral_?** |
3,110 | 156,925 | 76823_0 | My name is 'Ehsan Shirzadi'. I want to know whether my name abbreviation is E.S or E.Sh? |
3,111 | 5,573 | 76823_0 | What's the difference between "fluctuate" and "teeter"? |
3,112 | 28,357 | 76823_0 | Where is the root morpheme in the Old English _cristalla_ (crystal) and _cymen_ (cumin)? It seems to be wrong to identify the morphemes in loanwords from etymological point of view. |
3,113 | 38,268 | 76823_0 | Do these sentences convey the same meaning? If not, what's the difference? > Pisces feel like fish in an infinite ocean of thought and feeling. > Pisces are like fish in an infinite ocean of thought and feeling. |
3,114 | 103,192 | 76823_0 | When programming you may deal with so-called _modal dialogs_ — these are windows where you are supposed to provide information before you are allowed to proceed any further. A modal dialog blocks or dims the rest of user interface (UI) until you dismiss the dialog via Cancel or OK-type of a button. But what's bugging me is — why actually the "modal" adjective is used to name this part of interface? |
3,115 | 1,937 | 76823_0 | The _New Oxford American Dictionary_ reports the following definition for _Middle America_ : > Middle America |ˈˌmɪdl əˈmɛrəkə| > noun > 1 the middle class in the U.S., esp. when regarded as a conservative > political force. > • the Midwest of the U.S. > 2 the North American region that includes Mexico and Central America, and > often the West Indies. > DERIVATIVES > Middle American noun > Middle-American adjective Why is _Midwest_ in _the Midwest of the U.S._ written capitalized? Compare it with the following definition given for _northeast_ : > adjective > 1 lying toward, near, or facing the northeast. > • (of a wind) coming from the northeast: _there was a strong northeast > wind_. > 2 of or denoting the northeastern part of a specified country, region, or > town, or its inhabitants: _northeast Baltimore_. In _northeast Baltimore_ , _northeast_ is not capitalized. What is the difference between the two cases? When I write _Middle American_ to mean an American person of the middle class, why cannot I write _middle American_? |
3,116 | 88,157 | 76823_0 | > **Possible Duplicate:** > “Maximum” vs. “maximal” Having altered the original text as little as possible, what is the correct way to name the changes? Is it _minimum changes_ or _minimal changes_? Based on Google search results, I would prefer to use _minimal_ : * "minimal changes" — 800k hits * "minimum changes" — 90k hits What is more appropriate? Is there any better-suited word or phrase for this? |
3,117 | 72,905 | 76823_0 | What is the correct form, and why, in scientific papers (US English)? > * e.g. > * e. g. > |
3,118 | 76,283 | 76823_0 | What's the meaning of _dip into_? > Anyways, the guy I was describing earlier was in the bathroom at the sink > and saw me dip into one of the stalls with the laptop. |
3,119 | 76,280 | 76823_0 | A leading article in Britain's _Independent_ newspaper has the following (my emphasis): > It is also evident, albeit in a different form, in the Global Investment > Summit that opened on Thursday with a rousing speech from the Prime Minister > full of assurances about **_"getting behind"_** British business. I have some confusion in understanding this statement. Are the words which are enclosed in quotation marks showing irony? Or is it just that the quoted words (by the source) are being quoted again by the author? Or is it that the author doesn't have the same opinion as did the source had in the meaning of the words? Also please provide me with some important points in understanding quotation marks and their uses as I am a non-native learner. |
3,120 | 103,195 | 76823_0 | Wiktionary's entry for cock and bull story reads: > A far-fetched and fanciful story or tale of highly dubious validity. I can't seem to find _the original_ story with a cock (rooster) and a bull in it. Is it an idiom with "proof in itself" that we don't have a story at all? The phrase has an entry on phrases.org.uk. |
3,121 | 31,304 | 76823_0 | I just read this but it didn't sound too natural to me: > ... trying to predict where they would all end up. Maybe I'm wrong here but I thought that, in this case, `all` is changing `they`, so I'd have expected to see `all` before or after `they`; however, it seems that placing it before is completely wrong, while placing it after seems to be standard, but I don't know if it's correct. Can anyone clarify this matter for me? Is there a particular rule at work here? |
3,122 | 31,305 | 76823_0 | I'm trying to learn to imitate the accent of someone from a slummy area of Denver (for a roleplaying game). Info on different local accents is welcome; a sound bite would be especially useful. If you live in or near Denver, and your answer is, "people from Denver don't have an accent," please refrain from posting an answer. |
3,123 | 31,303 | 76823_0 | For example, "/" (slash) can be used to mean "or" for two things that are interchangeable: > I am taking my car/automobile to meet with my date/girlfriend. Are there other symbols like this that I can use as shorthand? (Except the mathematical ones, _< , >, +, -, =, ≠_.) I'm looking for one that would mean two terms are opposed to each other, are antagonists. For example "stand duck". What could I put in-between? I was wondering if "\" had any meaning. |
3,124 | 31,300 | 76823_0 | In her blog post introducing Blog Overflow, the estimable Rebecca Chernoff committed the following, uh, sentence: > Have someone driving the reigns. After cringing (read: screaming in pain) and posting a comment to gently point out the error (read: ranting and raving), I started having second thoughts. Clearly, Rebecca knows how to write. Clearly, she knows what _reign_ means, and that _reins_ are the agents, not the objects, of driving. So maybe this is a _deliberate_ mistake, something along the lines of "Six degrees of Kevin Bacon" or (somewhat controversially) "Could care less". Is this/can this be interpreted as a deliberate mashup of "holding the reins" and "driving the car" and "reigning"? |
3,125 | 47,361 | 76823_0 | From my earlier question, I got “rising” in the following citation means getting up from the bed. 1.(Harry was sitting up on a bed in the hospital wing at school, surrounded by his visitors. Fudge, one of them, started to insult Harry.) > "Insane," whispered Fudge, still backing away. "Mad ..." > > And then there was silence. Madam Pomfrey was standing frozen at the foot of > Harry's bed, her hands over her mouth. Mrs. Weasley was still standing over > Harry, her hand on his shoulder to prevent him from rising. Bill, Ron, and > Hermione were staring at Fudge. ( _Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (4)_ > [US Version]: p.709) Then I came across another _rise_ , which obviously means getting angry. 2.(Malfoy provoked Harry and Ron.)(They are not sitting or kneeling.) > "Don't rise," Hermione whispered imploringly to Harry and Ron, who were both > watching Malfoy, faces set and fists clenched. "It's what he wants…." ( > _Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (5)_ [US Version]: p.361) No.1 means getting out from the bed and No.2 means getting angry or upset. That's okay, but I'd like to know why _rise_ in No.1 meaning is so obvious. I'd appreciate it if you could clarify it for me. **Side Note:** Actually, I have a guess about what determines the meaning of _rise_ and that's as follows; When the person who is told to rise has already been up on his feet, the _rise_ means getting angry. On the other hand, when the person has been sitting or else, the _rise_ means assuming a standing position or getting out from the bed. There might not be such a rule. But in that case, I can’t figure out why _rise_ in No.1 definitely means getting out from the bed, because Harry is insulted and anyone would get excited in the situation. It's not surprising Mrs. Weasley prevented him from getting excited. Besides, a dictionary says _putting a hand on one’s shoulder_ sometimes expresses restraining someone's excitement. (eg. Jonathan was outraged. Fletcher, seeing his face, put a hand sharply on his shoulder and said, "Don't say anything you might regret…." ) |
3,126 | 11,229 | 76823_0 | I know someone named _Davidovici_ , pronounced /dəˈvɪɾəvɪtʃ/ (i.e., rhyming with _witch_. It's from Romanian). How is it pluralized (as, to refer to the family): _Davidovicis_ or _Davidovicies_? |
3,127 | 11,228 | 76823_0 | I found this expression: _to put on the thinking cap_ , What does it mean and how to use? |
3,128 | 11,223 | 76823_0 | What is the meaning of the following sentence, said from a person that is at home, and is going outside? > I will go up to the stores. |
3,129 | 158,648 | 76823_0 | Is the use of the article "the" correct in this case? Why? |
3,130 | 19,058 | 76823_0 | What is the grammatical function of the word _ever_ in this example? > Police found the country's biggest ever drugs plantation. |
3,131 | 19,059 | 76823_0 | Could somebody please clarify the meaning of these two expressions and the differences between them: "All Right Reserved" and "All Left Reserved"? |
3,132 | 103,221 | 76823_0 | How can I formally write a sentence meaning that I am not using the server now and I have exited it? |
3,133 | 19,052 | 76823_0 | What is the difference between ‘discover’ and ‘uncover’? |
3,134 | 103,229 | 76823_0 | I'm looking for a way to quantify and explain the scenario below to my managers. I'm really good at understanding issues, but unfortunately no so good at communicating them to others. I have written some code that works out scores or should I save appropriateness of a product for a customer. I now need to explain how this works to my non-technical managers as simply as I can maybe with one sentence. Can anyone help out and give me a sentence to explain the following example: **PRODUCT** Ball Must have Bat Must be age 8-99 * * * **PERSON** Jake age 30 Score = 50% the system looks at the total possible score for product. In the case of Bat this is 2 (because we have two possible requirements for bat). Person has just one matching item. So the product appropriateness would come out as 50%. Here is another example: **PRODUCT** House Must be a person Must be age 18-65 Must be employed Must have Money * * * **PERSON** John is a person * edit age 16 has Money is employed Score = 75% Thanks in advance. |
3,135 | 155,179 | 76823_0 | Isn't there an equivocal sense to saying "I have a backlog of (something)"? > I have a backlog of work and would be unable to help you out on that. > > I have a few outfits that I haven't shot yet -- have to keep up or there > will be an unwanted backlog of outfits since September.source > > I have a backlog of fruits that have been sitting in the bottom of the > fridge for a couple of weeks now -- have to eat them now or else they are > going to spoil! > > My main reason for making yogurt this week, though, was that I had a growing > backlog of milk in the fridge.source > > My main reason for eating a stick of butter every day, though, was that I > had a backlog of these sitting in the bottom of the freezer. vs. > I have a backlog of work which will keep myself, my designer and my > technician busy all through the fall. > > I have an unexpected backlog of cash which should keep my family and myself > safe from necessity in these times of hardship. > > Some states have an unexpected backlog of money which will enable them to > award new grantssource > > Some colleges and universities have an unexpected backlog of money which > will enable them to catch up on the longstanding housing shortage. > > I have an unexpected backlog of cash this year. I'm going to buy a Porsche! Please also consider these links: http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/backlog; http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/dictionary/backlog; http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/backlog; http://www.thefreedictionary.com/backlog. |
3,136 | 155,178 | 76823_0 | Is there a name for words that appear to mean something other than their actual meaning? For example: * A "paper boy" is not a boy made of paper. * A "greenhouse" is not a house that is coloured green. |
3,137 | 8,718 | 76823_0 | Where is the modifier in "the majority of senators", "a number of students" and in "a range of documents" in these sentences: 1. The majority of senators will be fired tomorrow. 2. A number of students might not be able to take the test. 3. The range of documents could only increase. |
3,138 | 173,055 | 76823_0 | I am looking for a saying or common expression to say that it is not advisable to anticipate or celebrate something before you know the actual outcome. I am thinking about political elections or football match results, but also more everyday expectations about a possible positive outcome. |
3,139 | 114,277 | 76823_0 | In an episode of the television show Archer one character refers to another as being "trout-shouldered." _“This pathetic, trout-shouldered excuse for a boom operator is Chet Manly."_ What might this phrase mean? |
3,140 | 191,704 | 76823_0 | While talking to someone about surnames and ties to various jobs in the past ("Coopers" worked on barrels, "Smiths" made things, etc.) I asked about "Brushwood". He said that name tied to "brushwoodsmen", English thieves. I can't find any references on the term brushwoodsmen or brushwoodsman, though...are there references that such a thing existed? |
3,141 | 191,705 | 76823_0 | I've forgotten the word for having a very long scrotum, it's like rapscallion or scallywag but I just can't remember. I've searched but the majority of references are medical conditions and it's not a medical term I'm looking for. I'm hoping someone just knows the answer. Thanks. I'm not looking for swollen testicles, it's a word that means you have a very long scrotum - like an old man. If you've seen the movie Bad Grandpa with Johnny Knoxville, the part where he does a strip in a bar on ladies night and his scrotum hangs out of his underpants, that's the look I'm thinking of. It's just one word and I'm sure it has the letters 'all' in it like the two words above (not like ball). (I keep wanting to say "It's on the tip of my tongue" but that's just wrong) |
3,142 | 191,706 | 76823_0 | Why is it that **much** doesn't fit in many of the places **not much** does? Compare "Have you got any food in the house?" "Not much." "Would you like this old box?" "That's not much use to me." with "Have you got any food in the house?" "Much!" "Would you like this old box?" "That's much use to me!" Although **much** has the same meaning throughout, it seems we can't use it on its own much. Yet we can **make much of** something, and there can be **much ado about nothing**. What's going on here? Is this purely idiomatic, or is there some grammatical or linguistic light that can be shed? |
3,143 | 191,707 | 76823_0 | Is it offensive to refer to women as "females", as I've seen posted at the entrance of a night club: > "Females under the age of twenty-one will have to...." |
3,144 | 94,074 | 76823_0 | I'm not sure about whether “What's past is past” is well-structured or not. Please help me to find out the structure of it. (I wonder if it has double passive clauses; in other words, is _past_ here a verb or an adjective?) |
3,145 | 42,465 | 76823_0 | How did tot, > A measure of spirits, especially rum. get that meaning? It seems to have come to mean a specific ration, as in the daily _tot_ of rum given to a sailor in the Royal Navy (well, no longer daily; see Black Tot Day). This is in almost complete opposition to the idea of a _total_ , though I can see how perhaps you could tot up the tots to make a whole. Other possibilities might be an association with the _small child_ meaning of _tot_ (something tiny) or totter (stumbling). (I'm also curious about _teetotal_ , but it looks as though it came later, so it's unlikely to be a source for this meaning.) |
3,146 | 16,628 | 76823_0 | The idiom _skating on thin ice_ to express that a person is performing an action that has a great risk is commonplace. What are some good alternatives, both common and uncommon or possibly regional? |
3,147 | 16,626 | 76823_0 | I would like to know which of the following is grammatically acceptable, please. The first American students' scientific conference The first American students scientific conference The first American student's scientific conference The first American student scientific conference |
3,148 | 42,468 | 76823_0 | In a sentence like "The answer is 0.8." the period looks awkward after "0.8". Is there a rule for a situation like this? Sometimes I put a space before the period like this: "The answer is 0.8 ." However, that looks awkward too. |
3,149 | 195,416 | 76823_0 | What does "liver formula" exactly mean? does it mean the same as liver supplement or liver medicine? |
3,150 | 16,625 | 76823_0 | I am a bit confused on where to use "ashes" and where "cinder". Do both of them have the same meaning? |
3,151 | 80,655 | 76823_0 | I was looking up the word "meditative", and in one dictionary, the fourth letter "i" is pronounced "ə", but in another dictionary it is pronounced "ɪ". I don't know which phonetic symbol I should follow (for British English). I listened to the voice samples in both dictionaries, and they all sound like "ɪ". I need some guidelines. |
3,152 | 80,656 | 76823_0 | Is the general word order of this sentence correct? > We investigate how strong the effect of X on Y is. Or, as an alternative, > We investigate how strong the effect of X is on Y. In a preprint for a scientific publication I came across the formulation: > We investigate how strong is the effect of XZY. and now I'm all confused. |
3,153 | 80,657 | 76823_0 | I don't know if it is still in vogue but ten years ago in South Africa the phrase "Is it?" was common. It could be used as a response to almost any statement. Is it (ha ha) unique to South Africa or of Brit origin? examples: "I'm going to the movies" - "Is it?" "Can't find my keys." -"Is it?" "He's dead you know." - "Is it?" |
3,154 | 97,740 | 76823_0 | I'm not a native English speaker. I was recently chided for wrongly using _studying_ as follows: > acquiring information by **studying books** Is this really wrong? |
3,155 | 97,741 | 76823_0 | I am not sure if the title is clear enough to you, so let me briefly explain what I'm looking for. We sometimes see children who look very much like their father or mother, or even behave typically like either of them. I don't know if there is a formal or literary phrase to express this occurrence. But I wish to know some colloquial phrases which are used to convey the idea that I am talking about. Please bear with me if this topic sounds too mundane to you, and help me learn. **Edit:** For example, is it correct to say _'he has gone on his father?'_ This phrase, which I think is an effect of language transfer from Hindi, can be often heard in some parts of India |
3,156 | 88,108 | 76823_0 | While commenting on this question, I wondered what word is most appropriate for the blank here: > Each time I do a compare, the marking method changes to highlighting the > entire line, ___ _ I prefer to mark changes with a rectangle. I thought of _but_ , _while_ , _whereas_ , _though_ , _although_ and _however_. Could someone briefly describe the implications and suitability of each of the above in this context? Is there another word which is more suitable? |
3,157 | 73,216 | 76823_0 | I recently learned that I have developed a consistent, but entirely wrong approach to punctuating direct speech in fiction. I am in the unenviable position of trying to relearn. Previously I wrote such things as: > "I'm done." She said. when the quoted speech was definitely, absolutely the end of a sentence. So now I know I need. > "I'm done," she said. This follows the rule that a period is only allowed when the end of the spoken sentence is also the end of the sentence in the narrative. For example: > "I'm done." She slammed the door on the way out. So, it now looks odd to me when there are multiple sentences in the speech: > "I can't take her. I'm done," she said. Can you reassure me that is correct, or give the correct form? Please don't suggest rewriting the sentence to put 'she said' in the middle - I'm aware of that: I'm specifically asking about the punctuation rules. The other odd case is speech ending with an ellipsis. Do sentence terminating ellipses (four periods normally) become: > "I can't take her. You know, ...," she said, nodding towards Jane. If so, are non-terminating ellipses dealt with the same way? > "I can't take ...," she nodded towards Jane, "any more!" or can non-terminating ellipses be used unadorned? > "I can't take ..." she nodded towards Jane, "any more!" I'd be very grateful if you could point me at references as well as answers. For the record I am a British writer writing for both British and US publication, so any variation is also interesting to me! |
3,158 | 91,653 | 76823_0 | > **Possible Duplicate:** > What is the proper way of using triple dots and spaces before/after them? Should there be a space before three dots? Examples: > I don't know if this is good... > > I don't know if this is good ... Also, as a status message intended for a software user: Writing results... Done. or Writing results ... Done. |
3,159 | 91,917 | 76823_0 | > **Possible Duplicate:** > Punctuation of direct speech, edge cases > Space before three dots? > "I don't think so," she stated. > > "I don't think..." her voice trailed off. Is this second sentence correct from punctuation point of view (ellipsis working along with the same rule as `?`,`!` \- replacing the comma), or does it require an extra comma? (or yet something different?) I'm aware it is normally used instead of a comma or a full stop, with very rare exceptions, but the rules of using punctuation at the end of interrupted quotes still baffle me. |
3,160 | 115,022 | 76823_0 | I find some opinions about the rules for ellipses are conflicting. Here are some conflicting issues: **Q1:** Are the spaces between the dots in a ellipsis necessary, i.e. `dot- space-dot-space-dot`? * (Yes.) Grammar Girl's article > . . . for everyday purposes, it's fine to use regular spaces between the > ellipsis points. Type period-space-period-space-period. Just make sure your > dots don’t end up on two different lines. * (No.) Robert Bringhurst's Elements of Typographic Style, on the wiki page > Bringhurst writes that a full space between each dot is "another Victorian > eccentricity. In most contexts, the Chicago ellipsis is much too wide"—he > recommends using flush dots, or thin-spaced dots (up to one-fifth of an em), > or the prefabricated ellipsis character. * (No.) My personal habit. I think typing `dot-dot-dot` is more convenient; though I find it looks better to use the `dot-space-dot-space-dot` style on this page :) **Q2:** Normally an ellipsis should be spaced fore-and-aft to separate it from the text. So, when should the fore space or the aft space disappear? * Grammar Girl's article > **Ellipses at the beginning and end of quotations** > Aardvark said, “. . . Squiggly never caught a fish.” > > **Ellipses with question marks and exclamation points** > “Where did he go? . . . Why did he go out again?” [Material is removed > between the two sentences] > “Where did he go . . . ? Why did he go out again?” [Material is removed > before the first question mark. Note the space between the last ellipsis > point and the question mark.] > > **Ellipses with commas and semicolons** > “Aardvark went home, . . . and Squiggly decided to meet him later.” > “Aardvark went home . . . ; Squiggly would meet him later.” [Note the space > between the ellipsis and the semicolon.] * Robert Bringhurst's Elements of Typographic Style, on the wiki page > . . . when it combines with other punctuation, the leading space disappears > and the other punctuation follows. > > * i … j `i-(space)-(ellipsis)-(space)-j, the normal case.` > * k…. `k-(ellipsis)-(dot)` > * l…, l `l-(ellipsis)-(comma)-(space)-l` > * l, … l `l-(comma)-(space)-(ellipsis)-(space)-l` > * m…? `m-(ellipsis)-(question mark)` > * n…! `n-(ellipsis)-(exclamation mark)` * Katherine Fry & Rowena Kirton's grammar book: _Grammar for Grown-Ups_ > . . . The only time there isn't a final space is when the ellipsis comes > before a closing quote mark -- then the quote mark comes directly after dot > 3, 'like . . .' this, 'not . . . ' this. How numerous the conflicting rules are! I'm totally confused. **EDIT** To state my question more clearly -- I need to write some software manuals in plain ASCII text. Can I just type ellipses choosing any style because there's no strict rule about that? |
3,161 | 26,240 | 76823_0 | > ... part of a sentence ... > ...part of a sentence ... > ... part of a sentence... Notice the spaces before/after the dots. Which usage is the correct one ? |
3,162 | 151,250 | 76823_0 | **Edit:** I'd like to know the specific rules for AP Style. I have a few quick questions about the ellipsis and its usage (I also understand that its rules are different depending on the style being used, so for this particular case, I'd like to know about AP & Chicago): 1. When an ellipsis appears in the middle of a sentence--in order to omit information--how many spaces, both between the words and the ellipsis and between the dots that comprise the ellipsis itself, should be used? 2. When should a four-dotted ellipsis be utilized? And when it's used, what should its spacing look like? 3. I've read that an ellipsis should never begin a sentence--is this true? |
3,163 | 105,060 | 76823_0 | Imagine I want to quote this text (the parts in bold): > **If there were such a thing, I think I'd be a champion.** You know, baking > under dangerous conditions, high-speed frosting... all hypothetical > examples, obviously. **Of course assuming I don't live in a madhouse.** Should I quote it with 4 dots, because I'm skipping a full sentence? > If there were such a thing, I think I'd be a champion. . . . Of course > assuming I don't live in a madhouse. |
3,164 | 122,982 | 76823_0 | Should a question mark appear at the end of question (and before the end quotation mark)? An example is "How are you feeling today," he asked. I'm getting conflicting advice. |
3,165 | 148,469 | 76823_0 | Trying to find out if phrases like "went and got" are correct, e.g.: > She **went and got** the book. |
3,166 | 174,310 | 76823_0 | I would use _here_ with no preposition, like > I wish you are here. They are coming here. However talking to a well-educated British woman I noted she would put an _in_ before _here_. Since then I only write > I wish you are in here. They are coming in here. But I'm not sure. I never asked her why but I presumed she was right since she is native and goes to one of the best colleges in the UK. To make things trickier for me there is a song by Moby whose lyrics is something like that > I love to move here "Wooo" > > I love to move in here (2x) |
3,167 | 161,887 | 76823_0 | Can you tell me whether the " have found " written on the fourth line (bold) of the following sentence is the correct tense to be used? Should it just be " found " instead of " have found "? Please tell me the grammatical reason for it. Or are you gonna write the sentence in an entirely different way? Are any punctuation marks missing in the sentence? Many thanks for your help. In the song, you can hear how she pours her heart out with such intense emotions in her clear, powerful voice, complaining why everything in her life has gone so wrong. Please just listen to her voice and see how she wails; the wails that were not only for her but also for all those who across generations **have found** themselves in her situation. |
3,168 | 12,752 | 76823_0 | I never remember the appropriate use of either of _nevermind_ and _never mind_. What's the difference and how can I remember? |
3,169 | 12,750 | 76823_0 | In this context: "This [subject] [verb clause] by boosting our [body's || bodies'] immune system?" In this case the writer is using "our" as a generic substitution for "your". The argument went that "our body" is actually short for "each of our body", hence taking the singular form. I maintain that since "our" is plural, bodies must agree with the number. My recommendation was to disambiguate by changing "our" to "your". But in the example sentence above without making this substitution, which is correct? |
3,170 | 159,297 | 76823_0 | For example, 'he's the bigger of the two guards' or 'he's the biggest of the two guards'? The comparative indicates that something is bigger/more difficult than another member. If there's only two members of the set being described, then surely both forms are equivalent? What about when the comparative and the superlative aren't regular? e.g., 'my puzzle is the more difficult of the two' or 'my puzzle is the most difficult of the two'? I think I'd probably use the comparative, but it seems logical that the superlative would be okay too. |
3,171 | 64,733 | 76823_0 | Some customers and I started to _talk turkey_ over a programming requirement the other day, meaning that all parties involved were starting serious negotiations or discussions. Naturally I wondered why _talk turkey_ came to have this meaning. Does anyone know? Checking the webs turned up Michael Quinion's findings over at World Wide Words here but he remarks that none of them are wholly convincing. |
3,172 | 159,295 | 76823_0 | This is really annoying me. All over CBS/ESPN/EVERYWHERE I am hearing that today's NCAA basketball games are round 3 of the tournament. When did the definition of a round in a tournament change? I have helped put together literally 100s of baseball, basketball, and soccer tournaments in my life and a round has always been a level in a tournament. I am sure that 10 years ago that today's games were the 2nd round because it was the 2nd level of the tournament. Please see a simple google search for 3rd round. So now they are using "round" to mean "day". Yes it is the 3rd day of the tournament but it is still only the 2nd round. Why did this change? Is this the new normal? Why is this driving me nuts? When did the meaning of a round in a tournament totally change? |
3,173 | 64,735 | 76823_0 | I'm stumped with this one. Given the question, "What did you learn from doing this task?", which of the following answers is correct? > 1. That silly questions, like "What did you learn from doing this task?" > is a complete waste of time. > 2. That silly questions, like "What did you learn from doing this task?" > are a complete waste of time. > I know the latter is technically correct, but the first answer also "sounds right"! |
3,174 | 5,466 | 76823_0 | Which is grammatically correct? > I can _only_ do so much in this time. or > I can do _only_ so much in this time. |
3,175 | 10,297 | 76823_0 | I'm writing an automobile website and some of my paragraphs contain the word "only". I understand the following. As far as I'm aware, this is right: > Only the Volkswagen Polo, Golf, Passat, Passat CC and Sharan are available > in this country. This, as far as I am aware means that those Volkswagen vehicles are available, and no other. This is where I'm having my problem, in the following articles: > The Subaru Legacy was launched recently here. Sold as a sedan or wagon, it > is **only available with** 2.0-litre/148bhp and 2.5-litre/165bhp 4-cylinder > petrol engines, for now. The 3.6-litre/256bhp petrol and 2.0-litre/148bhp > turbodiesel may arrive in mid-2011. However, if I rearrange it as such: > The Subaru Legacy was launched recently here. Sold as a sedan or wagon, it > is **available only with** 2.0-litre/148bhp and 2.5-litre/165bhp 4-cylinder > petrol engines, for now. The 3.6-litre/256bhp petrol and 2.0-litre/148bhp > turbodiesel may arrive in mid-2011. or as: > The Subaru Legacy was launched recently here. Sold as a sedan or wagon, it > is **available with 2.0-litre/148bhp and 2.5-litre/165bhp 4-cylinder petrol > engines only** , for now. The 3.6-litre/256bhp petrol and 2.0-litre/148bhp > turbodiesel may arrive in mid-2011. Here's another similar article from my website I'm developing: > Toyota have facelifted the Corolla recently here. It is available in three > body styles, a five-door hatchback, a four-door sedan and a station wagon. > There are two engines available: a 1.3-litre/85bhp and a 1.6-litre/109bhp > 4-cylinder petrol. > The hatchback model comes in four versions - GL, GLi, GLX and Executive. > The sedan variant can be specified in GLi and GLX. **Only the sedan > version** gets the 1.6-litre/124bhp and 1.8-litre/132bhp engines. > The Station wagon model line-up mirrors that of the hatchback, except the > Executive version is unavailable. As I understand it, that means one version, no others. But if I changed it to these, what would it mean: > Toyota have facelifted the Corolla recently here. It is available in three > body styles, a five-door hatchback, a four-door sedan and a station wagon. > There are two engines available: a 1.3-litre/85bhp and a 1.6-litre/109bhp > 4-cylinder petrol. > The hatchback model comes in four versions - GL, GLi, GLX and Executive. > The sedan variant can be specified in GLi and GLX. **The sedan version gets > the 1.6-litre/124bhp and 1.8-litre/132bhp engines only**. > The Station wagon model line-up mirrors that of the hatchback, except the > Executive version is unavailable. If I understand it correctly, only at the end of a sentence should be used carefully. Also, the following: > Toyota have facelifted the Corolla recently here. It is available in three > body styles, a five-door hatchback, a four-door sedan and a station wagon. > There are two engines available: a 1.3-litre/85bhp and a 1.6-litre/109bhp > 4-cylinder petrol. > The hatchback model comes in four versions - GL, GLi, GLX and Executive. > The sedan variant can be specified in GLi and GLX. The sedan version **only > gets the 1.6-litre/124bhp and 1.8-litre/132bhp engines**. > The Station wagon model line-up mirrors that of the hatchback, except the > Executive version is unavailable. Apologies if this is very wordy, I'm trying to ensure factual accuracy with my grammar! The use of the word "only" and word-order sometimes proves problematic for me. |
3,176 | 74,962 | 76823_0 | > **Possible Duplicate:** > Correct position of "only" > Use of "only" and word-order Should one say > The bidders shall not be permitted to bid for one or two tenders only. or > The bidders shall not be permitted to bid for only one or two tenders. |
3,177 | 173,809 | 76823_0 | OK, so I fall down on this one sometimes, but here goes, what sentence means which? from my geography paragraph; Only East Anglia was voted the most coastal part in the North London commuter belt. East Anglia was only voted the most coastal part in the North London commuter belt. East Anglia only was voted the most coastal part in the North London commuter belt. East Anglia was voted only the most coastal part in the North London commuter belt. East Anglia was voted the only most coastal part in the North London commuter belt. East Anglia was voted the most coastal part in only the North London commuter belt. East Anglia was voted the most coastal part in the only North London commuter belt. East Anglia was voted the most coastal part in the North London commuter belt only. and from my car paragraph - two separate sentences; Only Renault sold 1,450 vehicles of MPV and 8,000 of commercial vehicles in total last year. Renault only sold 1,450 vehicles of MPV and 8,000 of commercial vehicles in total last year. Renault sold only 1,450 vehicles of MPV and 8,000 of commercial vehicles in total last year. Renault sold 1,450 vehicles of MPV and 8,000 of commercial vehicles only in total last year. Renault sold 1,450 vehicles of MPV and 8,000 of commercial vehicles in total only last year. Renault sold 1,450 vehicles of MPV and 8,000 of commercial vehicles in total last year only. Another paragraph. Only in Europe, Toyota offers the Camry as the 2.5 GL or 3.5 V6 GLX sedan. In Europe only, Toyota offers the Camry as the 2.5 GL or 3.5 V6 GLX sedan. In Europe, Toyota only offers the Camry as the 2.5 GL or 3.5 V6 GLX sedan. In Europe, Toyota offers the Camry only as the 2.5 GL or 3.5 V6 GLX sedan. In Europe, Toyota offers only the Camry as the 2.5 GL or 3.5 V6 GLX sedan. In Europe, Toyota offers the Camry as only the 2.5 GL or 3.5 V6 GLX sedan. In Europe, Toyota offers the Camry as the 2.5 GL or 3.5 V6 GLX sedan. And finally, my fourth sentence, which is: Only John worked with Jane on a Monday when he went off-site. John only worked with Jane on a Monday when he went off-site. John worked only with Jane on a Monday when he went off-site. John worked with only Jane on a Monday when he went off-site. John worked with Jane on only a Monday when he went off-site. John worked with Jane on a Monday when only he went off-site. John worked with Jane on a Monday when he went off-site only. John worked with Jane on a Monday when he went only off-site. I'd appreciate any help in ensuring that my sentences read the way I intended, thanks! ;) |
3,178 | 78,552 | 76823_0 | > **Possible Duplicate:** > Correct position of "only" Should I use _only_ before or after the pronoun? > If only I had a chance > > If I only had a chance Both sentences bring a lot of results and both seem to be the name of songs. Are both correct? Is there a rule for similar sentences? |
3,179 | 96,562 | 76823_0 | > **Possible Duplicate:** > Correct position of “only” Which of the following sentences are correct? > 1. I have worked with only Mr. X. > 2. I have worked only with Mr. X. > 3. I have only worked with Mr. X. > 4. I have worked with Mr. X only. > Are all of the above correct? If so, how they differ in meaning? |
3,180 | 111,817 | 76823_0 | Could you please tell me which one of these sentences is correct, or are they both grammatically correct? > This will only happen if you go with me. > > This will happen only if you go with me. |
3,181 | 153,634 | 76823_0 | I'm looking for an adjective, and thesauri have failed me. I'm trying to create the sense of "nothing can be added to this thing", which the words "complete" and "incorrigible" don't capture. Like if I was talking about two people who were in a "happy, complete and __ relationship", if I wanted to describe the relationship as so perfect that it needed no improvement. I thought I was onto something with "unameliorable", but I haven't been able to find any dictionary entries for it, nor on wiktionary. |
3,182 | 100,752 | 76823_0 | Is it necessary to put a space before and after the symbol en dash (–) put between two complete dates? Example: > January 1, 2013 – January 1, 2014 |
3,183 | 153,638 | 76823_0 | My niece and I do the layout and editing for books. Lately, she has started letting her program hyphenate words at the ends of sentences to avoid the rivers of white you see otherwise. This has created lots of problems for hyphenation. Sure, I can look them up in the dictionary, but the dictionary is not always clear about the endings of other forms of the words. For example, is it attend-ed or should it be atten-ded? It just isn't always clear on these other forms of the words. And it doesn't always seem to follow the same rules when you can find examples. |
3,184 | 95,458 | 76823_0 | Is this sentence correct? > I am **afraid not of** preparing for the exam **but of the result.** Or is there some other way to write that sentence? |
3,185 | 16,995 | 76823_0 | I've been at this for literally weeks. I'm trying to make up, by combining other words cleverly or even coining my own, a word to describe a service or network that links up professionals/students from all over the world together. I've tried so many things, but I think my creative juice has run out. If you have any cool suggestions, please share. I'd share what I came up with, but I dont want to expose you to my way of thinking so that you dont come up with similar results. But for example, many of them used words like link and mesh and tree. So like Meshtree would have been a decent one. |
3,186 | 16,996 | 76823_0 | I found that phrase applied a lot to women but then also to men (so that's probably not [only] related to being "in labour"). At first I thought it had to do with motherly/parenthood chores. But now I understand it's also applied to various unrelated activities. And do we know the origin of the expression ? |
3,187 | 63,702 | 76823_0 | Is there a word that refers to an official interest group held in school where registration is totally optional but members once registered are expected to come? _Official_ means the school keeps records and members who do not reach a certain attendance threshold would be kicked out. I was thinking of _school club_ but that seems to suggest that attendance is totally optional since clubs have the notion of come-and-go-whenever-you-like. On the other hand, the word _association_ or _organization_ sound too business-like. Besides _school club_ , is there a better word that has a closer meaning to _official school interest group_? |
3,188 | 152,587 | 76823_0 | I've come across a sentence conversion question of the following type and am getting stumped. We need to change the following sentence to a construction **_starting_** with "However...". > _Though she is eccentric, she deserves to be respected._ Using "however" in the middle of the conversion would be straightforward, as in: > _She is eccentric; however, she deserves to be respected._ The only option starting with "However" I can think of, is: > _However eccentric she may be, she deserves to be respected._ But I can't help but feel that my construction introduces an element of 'degree' to the quality in question (ie. eccentricity) that is not present in the original sentence - the original sentence talks about respect when we're talking about the specific eccentricity present in the person in question, while my conversion is about respect no matter how much the eccentricity (all degrees of eccentricity). Am I just overthinking this? Is the conversion wrong because of some other reason? Or is it just fine? Any help? |
3,189 | 16,991 | 76823_0 | Recently a co-worker and I debated the proper use of "out to lunch". The argument stemmed from conversation over the appropriate preposition to use, and became particularly heated when we tried to determine if lunch was a verb, or was short for "luncheon" — or some other, older word. (Yes, he referenced "lunchentach".) Convention aside, what is the proper usage of the phrase? |
3,190 | 16,993 | 76823_0 | Did it exist before The Telephone - has it always been associated with 'sales'? Here is an example. |
3,191 | 95,450 | 76823_0 | This question is about _worried about_ vs. _worrying about_. I think "being worried about someone/something" is more usual than "worry about", isn't it? Can I use the progressive aspect for ongoing worriedness? For example: > * I am worrying about their expectations about me. > * I'm worrying about next. > |
3,192 | 63,708 | 76823_0 | Is the word _pomp_ ever used without being followed by _circumstance_? It seems as though the word is only ever used to denote _pomp and circumstance_. Are there other uses? |
3,193 | 9,112 | 76823_0 | It's not a book, and it doesn't fit in anyone's pocket. Why does my brother- in-law insist on calling his wife's purse a _pocketbook_? I'm interested in the etymology, and in the chronological and geographical distribution of this expression. My sister & I (raised in southern California, can't get used to such an obvious misnomer) vs. bro-in-law (raised in New England, doesn't understand why we're bothered) are only one data point, and only on the geographical scale. |
3,194 | 185,776 | 76823_0 | I just recently answered a question related to how much water was filled in a glass. I answered "two thirds" but the answer was wrong because in the key answer book it was "two-thirds". Please tell me if my answer is wrong and why? |
3,195 | 12,284 | 76823_0 | So I have this database of my categories. And every category can have sub- categories, except for the prime-level ones. In my database I designate a row that is pointing to the category which will contain this category as its sub- category. How do I call that? _Mother Category_? Maybe there is more "technical" word for that? _P.S. Sorry, English is not my native language so I don't know many words_. |
3,196 | 12,280 | 76823_0 | "Fugly" is a vulgar slang adjective as far as I know, and I wonder how common it is, and how do people react when they hear that word. Native speakers are appreciated if they share their opinions. |
3,197 | 167,353 | 76823_0 | Which of the following statements is correctly conjugated? Is there a rule or explanation for conjugating verbs with **_and/or_** subjects? > The X and/or Y **is** true. or > The X and/or Y **are** true. Does the plurality of `X` and `Y` matter? |
3,198 | 21,156 | 76823_0 | I want a more appropriate phrase that has the same form ("give a **") and meaning as the offensive "give a f**k/d**n/s**t". Is there any? |
3,199 | 21,155 | 76823_0 | I'm looking for a word or phrase that implies _improvisation_ in a negative context. "Jury rigging" comes to mind, but I'm in need of a term that can't be mistaken as anything but pejorative. The context would be someone remarking at improvisation in annoyance or contempt. |
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