Unnamed: 0
int64
0
40.2k
id
int64
1
196k
chunk_id
stringclasses
1 value
text
stringlengths
18
6.44k
38,200
53,346
76823_0
Can I say : We are not in a kindergarden. Should I say : We are not in kindergarden. Does usage of 'a' refer to a bulding?
38,201
53,344
76823_0
Are these acceptable? * Nov. 2nd, 2011 * Nov 2nd, 2011 * Nov 2, 2011
38,202
53,345
76823_0
> In .NET Framework 3.5 we released several LINQ providers, including LINQ to > SQL which **set the bar for** a great programming model with LINQ over > relational databases.
38,203
107,419
76823_0
Is there any saying in a complete sentence including “a dog which is cornered”? I have tried to find a complete one, but there seems to be no one. Actually, what I want to know is how to explain the situation in North Korea. Since I think North Korea has been going through hard times and now they have nothing to lose, ...
38,204
168,982
76823_0
Is there a single word to denote _pros and cons_? For example, > Here you can view the [pros and cons] of this product. _update:_ When reading the word, one should immediately understand that it's about the _pros and cons_ and not features/specifications in general. Think about a block or section, with 2 lists, a _pros...
38,205
63,471
76823_0
I know it is correct to say > He has been dead for three years. I've learned the present perfect tense, and it's said that non-continuous verbs are allowed. Is this sentence correct as well? > He has died for three years.
38,206
63,476
76823_0
I know that expect is used this way: I expect you to do that. But I have also seen examples like with verb in its "ing" form: > What to expect working at... > I will expect you doing //sounds not right to me I would be grateful for explanation.
38,207
168,984
76823_0
Just to mean someone is in melancholic/blue state. Not sure about how to express it properly in English
38,208
63,479
76823_0
What is the origin of the expression "I wouldn't ... for all the tea in China"? I've heard it from a British speaker, and I am guessing it may be of British origin, but I couldn't find a reference for it.
38,209
9,626
76823_0
There are some quotations that people always seem to get wrong: > Alas, poor Yorick, I knew him well. [Real quote from _Hamlet_ : "Alas, poor > Yorick! I knew him, Horatio."] > > I have nothing to offer but blood, sweat and tears. [Real quote from > Churchill: "I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat."...
38,210
112,301
76823_0
Let's say I'm describing what some person is currently doing, and I say: > He is reading articles which he is summarizing in his blog. Is this sentence (and specifically, this usage of "which") correct? Do I need a comma before it? Or do I need "that" instead? (I know I can reword it into something else entirely, like ...
38,211
112,302
76823_0
Can more than one coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, etc.) be used in a sentence? **For example:** "It was never my intention to become wealthy, but opportunities seemed to just happen, and I was not about to refuse them."
38,212
58,997
76823_0
In Japan, the word _groovy_ has been used to mean "fashionable and trendy" as an imported English word, which I think, doesn’t go far from the definition, "fashionable, attractive and interesting" in OALD. However, use of _groovy_ in the recent New York Times article _Four Dudes and a Table_ seems to me to have a diffe...
38,213
112,307
76823_0
Colloquially speaking, "to push somebody's buttons" means to irritate or annoy the person. And, "know what buttons to push" means to know _what to do_ to get people to act the way you want. I can't understand how come " _buttons_ " are associated with people and their behavior. How did these idioms come to be? **Edit:*...
38,214
58,995
76823_0
I was talking with my friends the other day about what is heathy to eat, I brought up the fact that something can be healthy if you compare it to something that is not healthy. You could say a doughnut is healthy if you compare it to bacon but you can say a doughnut is very unhealthy if you compare it to a salad. Likew...
38,215
37,011
76823_0
I am confused about the parts in bold while reading Economist. > And the **feeble** recovery is **petering out**. > > Their prescription for a weak economy is **a** large **slug** of austerity. Why do we use the article _a_ instead of _the_ since it's talking about a specific slug? What does _slug_ here mean anyway?
38,216
96,882
76823_0
> Galileo was forced to **recant** his assertion that the earth orbited the > sun (Oxford Dictionary) > > Can one **recant on** an absence of belief? (The Secret Intensity of > Everyday Life) The first “recant” is a transitive verb. And Wikipedia says the second “recant on” is a transitive particle verb. Can any transi...
38,217
158,607
76823_0
Consider the following line, which I've heard this particular construction frequently: > "I’m curious if other people feel like I do." The construct specifically is that of using "I'm curious if" to preface something that the speaker is curious about. I was recently told by someone that this is improper English, as it ...
38,218
196,288
76823_0
Title says it all. Let me know if I need additional information.
38,219
1,974
76823_0
_Xenophobia_ refers to the irrational fear or hatred of foreigners. But recently I've seen people displaying (in newspaper articles and other places) an irrational fear or hatred of their own countrymen. Is there a word for that?
38,220
137,076
76823_0
I recently heard a sentence: "Wow, can you not?" A friend stated that it was missing a verb. I said that Can worked as the verb in that sentence, and then he responded that Can could be used as a Main Verb but in this usage it was an Auxiliary. So, is "Can you not" an elliptical construction or a complete sentence?
38,221
137,073
76823_0
I belong to an organisation which consists of volunteers. We do voluntary work. Would one describe this as a **volunteer organisation** or a **voluntary organisation**? I have seen both expressions used widely, but am uncomfortable with the latter.
38,222
137,071
76823_0
What's the difference between those when somebody said: 1. I'll inform you. 2. I'll notify you.
38,223
49,407
76823_0
I’ve heard _conscience_ used as a verb, in the phrase _can’t conscience_. For example, > I can’t _conscience_ taking credit for what I didn’t do. Is this use of _conscience_ correct? From a Google search it appears this phrase is actively used, but I can’t find it in the OED or other dictionaries.
38,224
85,483
76823_0
> **Possible Duplicate:** > Use of “it” and “its” for people and animals I’m an Italian working in an English-speaking company. In school here they usually teach us to refer to animals using the _it_ pronoun. Something like (i.e. talking about a dog): > It’s really nice. I see many people using _he_ or _she_ also for a...
38,225
49,405
76823_0
While looking into an answer for "Sick and tied" and "sick and tired", I stumbled across the idiom _fit to be tied_ which according to thefreedictionary means angry and agitated. (As if needing to be restrained.) A second search turned up that this refers to the practice of bounding uncontrollable, dangerous people int...
38,226
158,600
76823_0
Is there a phrase or word in the English language that describes a statement or a discourse that seems meaningless or so broad it lacks value? For example > Society grows best when those who plant trees don't expect to sit in shade. While the sentence is cohesive, I personally find it meaningless. Is there a word to de...
38,227
162,765
76823_0
Is there a term or even a noun for a student who was thrown out of college/universite etc.? I want to emphasize that he was willing to continue, but was dismissed permanently (e.g. due to severely breaking rules). He may never return. * "Failed student" or the like implies that the student failed some tests, which is n...
38,228
162,766
76823_0
Could you answer my question? > 1) I haven't smoked for years. > 2) I haven't been smoking for years. In Raymond Murphy's book _English Grammar in Use with Answers. A Self-Study Reference and Practice Book for Intermediate Learners of English_ (ex:11.1(9) The answer is No. 1 Why is _I haven't been smoking for years_ , ...
38,229
162,760
76823_0
Here is a quote from The Avengers, 2012 film. > Coulson : But first, we need you to talk to the big guy. > Natasha : Coulson, you know that Stark trusts me _about_ as far as he can > throw me. > Coulson : I've got Stark. You get the big guy. I know what "Stark trusts me as far as he can throw me" means: he doesn't trus...
38,230
193,974
76823_0
How do I decide whether I should use "in no way" or "by no means"? Are they different in any way? Should either of these terms be used at all? For example: > In no way am I suggesting that... > > By no means am I suggesting that... or should I stick to something like: > I am not suggesting that... Thanks ahead of time!
38,231
162,763
76823_0
This is going to sound so stupid, but what word am I thinking of? My mind is telling me that is sounds something like _platonize_ and it means to take advantage of a certain group (racial minority, lower income families, etc.) and exploiting them in some way for personal gain.
38,232
3,357
76823_0
A copy editor friend of mine once told me that instead of saying for example "I'm anxious to see the new movie," I should say "I'm eager to see the new movie." This seemed logical to me—after all, there's no anxiety involved in my desire to see the new movie. But I've noticed that almost no one, including speakers whos...
38,233
58,333
76823_0
As this question points out, there are two different meanings of _undoable_. I can't find any phonetics how they are pronounced. I guess that the difference is barely audible. Or do you stress the word so that it is capable of being differentiated? I found phonetics for undo and doable(copied from OALD) * undo: `ʌnˈduː...
38,234
3,353
76823_0
Which is the correct way to compare two values or quantities? Apart from 'greater than', or 'lower than', could you say something like **'1 is close to 2, but far from 9'**?
38,235
108,033
76823_0
I found an acronym for the word STUDY online. However, the punctuation looks amiss. It reads > Simply — to understand, devote yourself! But I think the dash makes no sense here. Am I right? Shouldn't it be > Simply: to understand, devote yourself! or even > Simply... to understand - devote yourself!
38,236
3,359
76823_0
A manuscript I'm currently editing has brought up a new (to me) problem - There's a character who speaks in archaic forms ("thee" and "thou", essentially). I've noted to the writer that this is coming across oddly. After some thought, I realized that the problem is that the character's speech is a mix of modern and arc...
38,237
167,234
76823_0
I read about this type of definition in a linguistics glossary. > Analytic definition: a description of the range of reference of a lexical > unit. This description is made up of ageneric term identifying the broad > category to which it belongs, and modifying word or phrase which specifies > its obligatory components ...
38,238
68,583
76823_0
What is the correct pronunciation of the word _processes_ because in my company some say it as "process-eez" and some say it "process-ess"? I am confused, because my mother tongue is not English.
38,239
157,483
76823_0
Will you help me to understand the meaning of these phrases? > Wrapped around my finger and > See ya when I see ya
38,240
102,165
76823_0
I am in a situation on Meta Stack Overflow in which I dispute the validity of the system notification text "Code in your answer has been edited", because there was no code in the answer before the edit; merely, code was added to the answer _after_ the edit. Another user claims that this is simply a "more vague" meaning...
38,241
102,167
76823_0
Is "as far as" the same as "to" in these sentences? > I read as far as the third chapter. > > I read to the third chapter. and > I'm going by train as far as London. > > I'm going by train to London.
38,242
102,161
76823_0
I was reading an apology letter of Shirley Hornestein and found it very interesting: > For as long as I can remember, I have been lying. From the simple white > lies, to the “if-I-say-this-I’ll-get-what-I-want” lies, and the this-could- > have-serious-consequences lies, I’ve told them (probably even to you). . . . > Fo...
38,243
115,659
76823_0
> "What I want to do is **read** this book." Is it correct? Or, can I say: "What I want to do is **to read** this book." "What I want to do is **reading** this book." Are all of the three sentences correct?
38,244
115,654
76823_0
Perhaps I don't fully understand the word, but it always confuses me. When talking about money: > The money was remitted. Which means that the money was transmitted/transferred successfully. But it also means: * Cancel or refrain from exacting or inflicting (a debt or punishment). * Pardon (a sin). What are the reasons...
38,245
102,168
76823_0
Are these sentences the same? > As far as I know, he's going to Chicago. > > So far as I know, he's going to Chicago. > > In so far as I know, he's going to Chicago. I think that they are the same, but the 1st one is formal, the 2nd one is informal and the 3rd one is very formal.
38,246
115,653
76823_0
I came across two different idioms, “a law untothemselves” and “each to his own” in the scene then British Army Captain, later a global media tycoon, Dick Armstrong, plotting to rob Julius Hahn, a desperate German press owner of the ownership of his newspaper, Der Berliner in Jeffery Archer’s fiction, “Fourth Estate.” ...
38,247
78,722
76823_0
Suppose that a friend of mine is Thai and he usually lives in Thailand. Now he is in Australia and he is going to live in Australia for only a few years. Should I say “A friend of mine is living in Australia” rather than “A friend of mine lives in Australia”? Is that right?
38,248
78,728
76823_0
> Among those on his right was Bob, the guy that **had** days earlier > **started** the lease and so **began** the first... OR > Among those on his right was Bob, the guy that **had** days earlier > **started** the lease and so **begun** the first... OR > Among those on his right was Bob, the guy that **had** days earl...
38,249
31,116
76823_0
I was wondering what differences are between crack, slit, crevice, split, cleft and possibly other similar words, and when to use which? For example, I just bought a bowl and there is a small such kind of flaw in the bottom.
38,250
119,385
76823_0
I think this sentence is standard English: > 1A. **_John_** swung his arm wildly, **_hitting_** Jane in the head. And it approximately means: > 1B **_John_** swung his arm wildly and **_he hit_** Jane in the head. * * * Then, I saw this sentence here: > 2A. A neighbor’s **_daughter_** had been abducted, **_bringing_** ...
38,251
132,248
76823_0
I am expressing that one writing method is not good. If we follow that method, **the essay written with that method** is likely to be of a poor quality. Can I say " **A such-written essay** is likely to be of a poor quality."? If not, could any one please provide a condensed and formal way of doing so? BTW, I am writin...
38,252
132,244
76823_0
I was doing the Writing and interpreting decimals exercise on Khan Academy and was asked the following question: > What is nine and three hundred two thousandths in numerical form? I read it as "What is nine and three hundred... two thousandths", i.e. 9 and 300/2000 instead of "What is nine and three hundred two... tho...
38,253
132,245
76823_0
I want to describe a star-like structure as shown in the following figure. In the figure, the center object is surrounded by a number of other objects, and there are rays pointing from the center point to the surrounding objects. ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/oWO35.png) Figure 1 The idea is t...
38,254
132,243
76823_0
I saw a quote by Golda Meir > Don't be so humble; you're not that great. Can a non-great person self-claim humble? I now wonder if I have misused "humble" in the past. I knew I wasn't great (but not too bad either), but I said I am humble and sincere in a self- evaluation.
38,255
147,425
76823_0
> ...then he picked up this watchamacallit and... I've heard the word _whatchamacallit_ more than once, but never found it in a dictionary. What is the right spelling, if it does exist? Is it acceptable in writing? Is it derived from "what you _may_ call it", or "What you _might_ call it?"
38,256
103,418
76823_0
ALL, I had met the phrase “make sense” many times, But I still can't understand its meaning and usage even if I had review it in some online dictionary many times, And I still be confused about it every time when I came across it in some read. Here is a example, Please review it . > In fact, the order of selectors in y...
38,257
34,096
76823_0
What are the meaning and origin of the suffix _‑don_ , as in the words _pteranodon_ and _megalodon_?
38,258
103,414
76823_0
. . . **a** libis . . . **a** ppetite . . . r **a** ther . . . M **a** rk . . . [audio source] The first two a’s are different in their phonetic symbols in the dictionaries from the other two, but I can’t differentiate. What’s the difference between /ӕ/ and /ɑ/?
38,259
67,200
76823_0
Could you explain to me please what is the difference between these. It is meant to express that I will let him know AFTER I picked/have picked a car. > I'll let you know which one I picked > > I'll let you know which one I've picked The present perfect, its because its shifted from future present?
38,260
156,284
76823_0
Ben Horowitz tweets, "These annotations have completely convinced me that Newsweek blew the story." Does this mean that Newsweek was correct, and was the first to the scoop? Or does this mean that Newsweek blew it, got the story wrong?
38,261
150,434
76823_0
do "Shipping Tracking Code", "Consignment Number", "Shipping Code", "Shipping Number" share the same meaning? I want to use a very short term to express "Shipping Tracking Code" (is kind of unique code that locates the shipping item" Can i use "Shipping Number" or "Shipping Code"?
38,262
67,209
76823_0
In software development, I’m using the so-called “Façade Pattern” to hide the complexity of a workflow via abstraction and encapsulation. I’m naming my classes using a _“_Façade”_ suffix, so like _Customer_Façade_ , _Filesystem_Façade_ , and such. I’d like a better word to use in my naming convention. What is an altern...
38,263
143,503
76823_0
How can I write following in a formal way? * It will help you when you are in need. * It will help you when it is required. * It will help you when needed. * It will help you when you required to be helped. * It will help you when you are required to do such task. **Edit** A person is denying to perform a task/job on c...
38,264
111,822
76823_0
When _'curious'_ is used as an adjective (e.g., in the construction _"A is a curious B"_ ), there is ambiguity as to whether the noun it modifies is:- * **The subject:** _A_ feels curious (e.g., _"Humans are a curious species"_ meaning humans want to know about everything) * **An object:** _A_ is an object of curiosity...
38,265
111,824
76823_0
> The showdown came after the fatal shooting of a campus police officer at the > Massachusetts Institute of Technology. So is the police officer dead or did he shoot someone else dead?
38,266
111,827
76823_0
I was reading the _about me_ page on an author of a poker strategy website and on one of the passages he describes himself as a pretty _cool_ guy: > This is the page where you get to read a little more about me and > subsequently find out that the guy behind such a sophisticated Texas Hold em > website is actually real...
38,267
188,602
76823_0
I'm using in hopes that in the following sentence. However, it does not seems to be formal and appropriate for a scientific paper. Is there any similar phrase that has the same meaning but more formal ? Thanks. > To overcome this crucial issue, a popular solution has been used where a > task is assigned to many workers...
38,268
185,272
76823_0
Could the following sentence considered to be a correct use case of the adverbial form of the word _maximal_ in English? > Use underflow to set the maximally possible value of used datatype. When should one use _maximal_ , and when should one use _maximally_?
38,269
185,277
76823_0
Consider these two sentences: > The money has been delivered since 1st January 2000. > > The money was delivered since 1st January 2000. Are both of them grammatical? What may be the difference between them?
38,270
185,279
76823_0
Which is most grammatical? > * It's still cached _to_ your phone. > * It's still cached _in_ your phone. > * It's still cached _on_ your phone. > I find myself gravitating towards "to" but I'm not sure - I feel like "cached" implies some kind of attachment.
38,271
66,159
76823_0
I checked the dictionary only to find these two words clubbed into a single entry. Have these words evolved into one, having started differently? > His enthusiasm was infectious. Does "infective" fit there? Personally my answer is a no. On the other hand, when talking about diseases, both the words seem to fit. Is ther...
38,272
57,208
76823_0
> A: What do you want to eat for dinner? > > B : No **difference** /No **different**. Which is correct and why?
38,273
181,960
76823_0
I'm trying to find such a word to describe the time peroid before a workflow/process should be completed.
38,274
181,969
76823_0
Are both the same? When do we use "fix" and when do we use "repair"
38,275
132,791
76823_0
> Related question on Chinese.SE There is a phrase ("歪打正着" in Chinese and "怪我の功名" in Japanese) which roughly means "do the wrong thing but achieve the right result anyway". Is there a similar phrase or idiom in English? **Examples** : * (From the related question): The subject brings a gift to a friend but the friend w...
38,276
132,792
76823_0
There was the following sentence in Time magazine (September 16) titled “The world according to Vladimir Putin.” > The nation that put the first man into space has given the world no > distinctly Russian export under Putin except for **mid-shelf vodka** and > Kalashnikov assault rifles. As I’ve been unfamiliar with the...
38,277
57,205
76823_0
In British English, _practice_ and _licence_ are nouns while _practise_ and _license_ are verbs. This seems a very logical state of affairs. In American English, _practice_ is both the noun and verb and the same is true of _license_. Even more bewildering is the fact that the former ends with _c_ while the latter ends ...
38,278
187,868
76823_0
I was always under the impression I should not use _and_ more than once. I have this text: > I appreciate that all my previous work experience is within office based > industries however I am a quick learner, keen and enthusiastic and am > looking to change to ensure longevity of career and that the remainder of my > w...
38,279
165,508
76823_0
Is there an English idiom that has the same meaning as "words without actions" or "mere ink on paper"? Especially in the field of economics.
38,280
29,605
76823_0
To me, it seems that the following subtly differ in meaning: * X requires that Y **have** (occurred prior to blah-blah-blah) * X requires that Y **has** (occurred prior to blah-blah-blah) Problem is, I can't figure out how they differ (however, my sense is that _has_ sounds slightly slightly awkward / less acceptable t...
38,281
29,602
76823_0
> The risk is at some point, the bond market vigilantes are going to wake up > in the U.S., like they did in Europe, pushing interest rates higher and > **crowding out** the recovery. What does "crowding out" mean, in the above sentence?
38,282
194,789
76823_0
For instance, to refer to the place you were born you say "my hometown." How about when referring to the house where you were born? I thought of "my parents' house", but I think it'll sound strange if one of the parents no longer lives there?
38,283
73,864
76823_0
" _I'm only joking_ " and " _She wasn't joking_ ". Why is the verb _to joke_ used in the present continuous, instead of the present simple tense? Is it because it's a dynamic verb?
38,284
25,950
76823_0
> Touché on modify the joke to serve your best interest, **although it'd > probably lose its luster as you'd be disregarding traditionally Jewish > stereotypes.** Is this sentence grammatically correct? Please elaborate.
38,285
25,951
76823_0
What does the _be-_ prefix change when applied to adjectives and verbs? There are many such words that seemed to be coined of this process, for example: > _behold_ , _beget_ , _befallen_ , _beridden_ , _bedazzled_ , _bedevil_ , > _between_ , _befluxed_ That's just off the top of my head; I am positive that I've missed ...
38,286
73,861
76823_0
Here is a question and an answer from a list of questions on Cuba: > Q. What is a "java" bag? > > A. "Java" is the Cuban word for bag. Because of the shortage and high cost > of personal hygiene articles, the State provides all employees in the public > service sector with a free bag of toiletries every month. This bag...
38,287
165,406
76823_0
For example the waiting time target in a hospital can be met if enough patients are killed off quickly so freeing up beds. However hitting the waiting time target in that way is rather missing the point of healthcare!
38,288
73,863
76823_0
What is a word that describes words that are unnecessarily complicated? Any suggestions for a word or a phrase would be great. For example, the use of many adjectives (which are not be used commonly in conversation) to describe a particle noun. "A predilection by the intelligentsia to engage in the manifestation of pro...
38,289
23,465
76823_0
Are those expressions equivalent, or which one should be preferred? For instance: > I should finish this work **sometimes** next week versus > I should finish this work **sometime** next week
38,290
23,469
76823_0
What is the difference between "try" and "try out"?
38,291
112,846
76823_0
What is the technical term for the part of speech in bold? > **Look** , I'm not sure what you've been told, but carrots don't glow in the > dark unless they mean business. or > **Listen** , the only thing keeping him alive right now is that carrot. I want to find some information on this kind of word for a class I am t...
38,292
34,637
76823_0
I heard about this sentence, > "How to do it well? The fine point: ...." What does ' _the fine point_ ' mean in this context?
38,293
72,409
76823_0
Though the very obvious opposite of the word _addiction_ is "deaddiction", I couldn't find the latter in any dictionary (I checked in Oxford, Chambers and Cambridge). Why is it so? If "deaddiction" is not the real antonym, then please suggest another.
38,294
76,987
76823_0
Can the word _tenebrous_ be used to mean _ambiguous_? > Your statement is ambiguous. > > Your statement is **tenebrous**.
38,295
76,986
76823_0
> This change has no impact _in_ the system's current behaviour. Is the preposition _in_ grammatical here? I think we should have used _on_ instead: > This change has no impact _on_ the system's current behaviour. But I'm not sure if both are acceptable and have their own meaning.
38,296
72,401
76823_0
If I'm not wrong, "rumor" means: > A story or report of uncertain or doubtful truth and "unfounded" means: > Having no foundation or basis in fact If so, what is the difference between an "unfounded rumor" and a "rumor"?
38,297
72,403
76823_0
Which is correct? > 1. He was pondering about the meaning of life. > 2. He was pondering the meaning of life. >
38,298
177,243
76823_0
> The houses on Canal street, of which many had been damaged in the storm, > looked abandoned. Is the modifier "of which many... storm" correct? I know that "on canal street" is a prepositional phrase so it cannot be the antecedent of "which". also, I can say that "of which many... storm" is a subgroup modifier which m...
38,299
177,244
76823_0
Can you help in finding an adjective or expression that you can use to tell a persons that they are fat or overweight in a as neutral as possible way. The overweight person in question is very sensitive to the issue so I need to address the problem in a delicate way.