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38,400 | 41,781 | 76823_0 | If someone wrote that they want "nuts and bolts", they would get a bunch of hardware they could attach things with. If this was software or math, they would only receive nothing, because things are (generally) nuts _or_ bolts. If someone asked for "vanilla or chocolate", they might be given one or the other; "exclusive or" in the math. Why is there this mix-up of logical operators between normal language and math? |
38,401 | 195,989 | 76823_0 | That was probably a horrible title, but those length limits are killer :) An example of what I'm talking about: Statistics show that overall crime rates in the USA have been trending downwards for quite some time, yet many people in the general public think that, say, their kids are at huge risk for abduction by strangers. This can be chalked up to enhanced crime reporting and media coverage in the 21st century. It's not happening more often, but it's being reported more often, so people think there's more of it. (Child abductions) Another example: Statistics show that most uses of force by law enforcement is justified, and most police behave themselves and do their job honorably. However, since the media plays up the outrage when the statistical outliers happen (someone gets shot in murky circumstances), people begin to think that cops as a whole are all trigger-happy, un-empathetic morons. It's not happening more often, but it's being reported more often, so people think there's more of it. (Police misconduct) Is there a specific term that describes this phenomenon? I'd guess that "confirmation bias" kind of applies, because when you start looking for bad things, you find evidence of more bad things, but it's really easy to forget the stats in question - however, I was wondering if there's something more specific? |
38,402 | 70,913 | 76823_0 | I came across the following lines: > Make no mistake: the setting matters. There are many ways to listen to > Indian classical music-in the private, somewhat **sterile perfection** of > the CDs and DVDs we play at home. But I happen to think music sounds best > outside. At first I thought, _sterile_ here meant "pure", but then I stumbled upon another meaning of _sterile_ : "lacking imagination, creativity, or vitality". I want to go with the latter definition, because here the author is against CDs and DVDs and prefers outside, but I am not sure. What does "sterile perfection" mean in this context? |
38,403 | 7,059 | 76823_0 | What accounts for the strong disapproval of anyone using the word 'cunt' in the US, when the sentiment doesn't exist to the same extent in the UK? To be clear, it's still a strong word to use in the UK, but it's much, much more common to hear it there than it is here in the US. Is it merely due to a discrepancy in popular morals, or are there specific historical occurrences at play in the US that have left their mark? Does the strong feminist movement in the US in the 60/70ies factor in e.g.? Does anyone know how 'acceptable' the term is in other countries with a large English speaking population (India e.g.)? I'm new here, and I ask this genuinely, as I've lived in both England and the States and have been fascinated by the visceral reaction the word tends to evoke by large numbers Americans. Per previous discussions on meta there's a consensus for not shying away from offensive words and a faction that doesn't even recommend censoring them when used in the context of discussing the English language. I chose to only censor it in the title, so nobody can claim to be offended if they click through, and this question will still turn up in search results for the uncensored version. |
38,404 | 159,889 | 76823_0 | I know in most english speaking countries, there's no such a thing like a "second" last name. But for example in spanish it's quite common (we are fond of long a complicated names lol), our full names consist on usually two names (even more!) and almost [always][1] two "last names". For instance: Pedro Arturo Rodríguez Loyola ^ first name ^ last name ^ middle name ^ ???? "first last name" it's the father last name and the "second last name", it's the mother's maiden name (women doesn't lose their last name when they get married). This is giving me some headaches when trying to model data for patients name, since I want to pick something that will make sense to developers of countries different from mine. [1]: rarely some people have only one. |
38,405 | 149,883 | 76823_0 | I am trying to fix this and name the appropriate rules. "Dr. William Brooke O’Shaughnessy supported hemp being used for medicinal purposes during the 1800s he was a rich Irish physician who became recognized for his work in pharmacology his inventions in telegraphy and his experiments with non-traditional therapeutic treatments." Should it be written like this? "Dr. William Brooke O’Shaughnessy, supported hemp being used for medicinal purposes during the 1800s, he was a rich Irish physician, who became recognized for his work in pharmacology, his inventions in telegraphy and his experiments with non-traditional therapeutic treatments." Rules: 1) "Commas often indicate sharply contrasting elements." (avoiding dangling modifiers) For 1800s, he pharmacology, his 2)"Place commas after introductory elements." for Dr. William Brooke O’Shaughnessy, |
38,406 | 7,052 | 76823_0 | Consider > I'm driving the same car. It sounds like me and someone else share one and the same car. But I could mean that my car is just another copy of the same model of the car. How do I express that? |
38,407 | 174,205 | 76823_0 | Many things are unclear in the following sentence, and I want your help to understand them: 1\. Its grammatical structure is complicated, and I can understand nothing from it. 2\. What is the value of the word **_might_** , and what does it indicate? 3\. Why did we use the present perfect progressive after the use of **_might_**? 4\. Why did we use **_not_** at the end of the sentence? 5\. What is the overall meaning of this sentence? * * * > The lecture on number theory and its applications might have been > particularly trying for the nonspecialists in the audience had [the] > professor not leavened it with humorous asides. * * * |
38,408 | 159,885 | 76823_0 | > This is a 1024-byte length string. How to pronounce the sentence above? > This is a one-thousand-and-twenty-four byte length string. or > This is a one-oh-two-four byte length string. |
38,409 | 174,207 | 76823_0 | Which one of the following is better? > Without first having... > > Without having to first... Is there a difference? |
38,410 | 174,201 | 76823_0 | > 1. Peter gave me a despising look. > > 2. Peter gave me a despised look. > > Are the two statements above the same? My understanding is that in statement 1, I may have done something that Peter thinks is not good. So he looked down upon me. In statement 2, I may have done something to show that I looked down upon Peter. So he felt that he had been looked down upon. Is my understanding correct? |
38,411 | 33,231 | 76823_0 | I heard that it is the names of the first two Greek letters put together. Is this true? |
38,412 | 33,235 | 76823_0 | I'm prompted by a question on the origin of the word English. Being English myself, I pretty much know that one. But "Latin"? Why call it that? As soon as this question crossed my mind, I realised it wouldn't exactly be an easy thing to Google, so I'm not even going to try. Surely someone here knows. |
38,413 | 33,238 | 76823_0 | I never understood why "There, there" is supposed to cheer someone up. Does anyone know? |
38,414 | 30,762 | 76823_0 | I collect game dice as a hobby. What is a word for someone who collects dice? |
38,415 | 30,766 | 76823_0 | I was reading an Amazon review just now, and came across someone (Tchaikovsky) being described as a _right old roarer_. I'm guessing this is familiar slang to Brits, but I'm not getting good search results, and it's a bit difficult to infer the meaning through context. What does it mean? Is it common use? |
38,416 | 76,512 | 76823_0 | "[company name] is a company of specialists who _ebb_ toward new and innovative technologies.." I'd like to use the word _ebb_ in the above sentence, although the dictionary tells me that it has negative connotations "a point or condition of decline". So my question is, does the word _ebb_ have negative connotations, and can I use a preposition _ebb toward_ as a way to direct its connotation? |
38,417 | 76,513 | 76823_0 | As part of a header on a website, I'd like to say "Have we whet your appetite yet? " or something of similar meaning. Not being a native English speaker, I'm looking for a short/condensed way of saying the above. I'm thinking of "Whet your appetite?", but I'm not sure this conveys correctly what I'm saying. "Ready for more?" could perhaps be a good alternative. |
38,418 | 6,997 | 76823_0 | As far as I can tell the two have different etymologies and have both possible pronunciations, _CLUH-J_ and _CLOO-J_ but seem to be used interchangeably. I had not idea _CLOO-J_ even existed until my school business librarian used it. |
38,419 | 6,990 | 76823_0 | I am writing a small software program to teach non-English-speaking kids English Alphabets from A to Z. Is there any list of simple English words which begin with each letter? For example Apple for "A", Black or Blue or Blackboard for "B", Zebra for "Z", Snake for "S", etc? Is there any book for teaching the English alphabet to non-English-speaking kids so I can borrow a list of words for every letter? * * * I found this list, But some words seem strange and unfamiliar to kindergarten kids. Do you have a better recommendation? * A - Apple * B - Ball * C - Cat * D - Dog * E - Egg * F - Fan * G - Goat * H - Hand * I - Indian * J - Jam * K - King * L - Lamp * M - Man * N - Nurse * O - Owl * P - Pizza * Q - Queen * R - Rail * S - Sun * T - Tiger * U - Umbrella * V - Vase * W - Woman * X - Box * Y - Yard * Z - Zoo |
38,420 | 8,144 | 76823_0 | I am not very clear on the difference between "society" and "the society". As far as I know, "society" (without "the") refers to a society that is more general. But I don't have a clear distinction between them. Could anybody explain to me? For example, if I want to say "socialization is the process of learning to live in (the) society", should I use "the"? Edit: I am still a little confused here: it seems that "society" can still refer to a subset of people. After seeing your answer, my understanding is that without the article, "society" doesn't emphasize a specific society: it doesn't matter which society it refers to (although through context, which one is referred can be inferred). With "the", however, the speaker emphasizes a specific society. Then the sentences should be different: > Soldiers protect society. > > Soldiers protect the society. Am I right? Could someone further explain it to me? |
38,421 | 40,785 | 76823_0 | If someone (for example, John) retweets my tweet, should I add the exclamation mark in my reply? Which of the following options is correct: 1. Thank you for the RT, John! 2. Thank you for the RT, John. I have noticed that the exclamation mark is not always used by native English speakers. |
38,422 | 170,820 | 76823_0 | The phrase "check your privilege" is currently enjoying some popularity on the Internet. It seems that "check" could have several meanings: * holding back so as to avoid applying unwanted force: "The batter checked her swing." * examine closely: "This item has been checked for defects." * give to one's host for safekeeping: "All firearms must be stowed in checked baggage." Which meaning best applies in this phrase? It's not entirely clear if the intent is to get people to halt the oppressive use of unearned authority (the "holding back" or "safekeeping" meanings) or to get people to look more carefully at it (the "examine" meaning). |
38,423 | 149,888 | 76823_0 | I'm really confused about the semi colon. From what I read you can use it if you A) need something in-between a punctuation and a comma B) connect two different statements C) both clauses are independent. I'm having trouble with the sentence below as I don't know what I'm supposed to replace the semicolon with. Do I have to rephrase it? I'm confused because of the 'which' clause, which is dependent on first clause and I need some kind of pause. > The one thing that sets you aside from the other sharks is you: your > personality, your experiences and your ambitions; none of which can be > replaced by fins and teeth. |
38,424 | 159,779 | 76823_0 | Is the title, "managing director" used in American or European nonprofit organizations, specifically in elementary or high schools? And if so, does that person stand below, equal to or above the principal? |
38,425 | 159,770 | 76823_0 | > **scrilla** _(uncountable) (slang, African American Vernacular)_ money > > **scrilling** : making money. > > _I'd buy a car, but I don't have any scrilla!_ > > _That car is worth mad scrilla._ So what is the origin of **scrilla** and **scrilling**? How did they emerge? |
38,426 | 171,182 | 76823_0 | New York Times (May 17) reported Arthur Sulzberger Jr., the publisher of The New York Times decided to fire its executive editor, Jill Abramson, under the headline, “Times publisher denies gender figured in top editor’s dismissal." While citing “a pattern of Abramson’s behavior including “arbitrary decision- making, a failure to consult and bring colleagues with her, inadequate communication and the public mistreatment of colleagues” as the reasons behind Sulzberger’s decision, the article says; > “Ms. Abramson has not responded to messages seeking comment since her > ouster. But a message appeared this week on the Instagram account of her > daughter, Cornelia Griggs. “Big thank you to all the **#pushy #bossy > #polarizing** women and men who get it,” Dr. Griggs wrote. “The story isn’t > over, not even close.” http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/18/business/times-publisher-denies-gender- figured-in-top-editors-dismissal.html?hp What does **#** before 'pushy, bossy, polarizing women and men' account for? Is it just for the purpose of putting emphasis? To me, it doesn't seem to be necessary at all in the above context. |
38,427 | 47,834 | 76823_0 | In an 1891 newspaper advertisement (published in Manitoba, Canada) there is a reference to "wool 'health' wests in girls and ladies" which on first glance looks like a spelling error but is repeated in other ads in the same year. Unfortunately, this is a very difficult combination of simple words to search for, does anyone have a reference for a definition of this garment term?  |
38,428 | 47,837 | 76823_0 | I'm looking for a synonym for "Social Program" which would fit better into the following schedule: > Annual Distributors Meeting Schedule: > 1\. Sales Workshop > 2\. Distribution and Logistics Meeting > 3\. Round Table Discussion > 4\. Social Program ??? Social Program just doesn't sound right to my ear. |
38,429 | 47,836 | 76823_0 | I found online the following: > Pedestrians are pushed **off** to the sides. > > either in the middle or **off** to the sides. > > **Off** to the sides were open fields. > > ...flows **off** to the sides of the... > > ...swam **off** to the sides. > > Even people **off** to the sides of these stage speakers enjoy well- > balanced, detailed sound... > > ...protesters would stand **off** to the sides yelling or booing... Why not _at the sides_ or simply _to the sides_? I understand _swam off to the sides_ to mean _swam away to the sides_ , but many others elude me. * * * Back to: "Pedestrians were pushed off to the sides". Interestingly, "push off" is also an idiom/phrasal verb with a totally different meaning. I imagine one can guess in our discussed case "pushed" and "off" are separate. That's one of the hardest things for non-native speakers of English, however, figuring out when those particles are part of the preceding verb, and when they are part of something else in a sencence. It adds to confusion. That's why you hardly ever hear non-natives using phrasal verbs and particles where the meaning is not very very very obvious. In addition I have not heard of a single book on the Enlish language explaining particles beyond the basics. Just saying. |
38,430 | 153,327 | 76823_0 | I often hear people say "she" when they refer to a user of their application, for example. In documentation, or in email. Why do we say "she", why not "he or she" or "they"? I am not a native speaker, maybe this is a trivial question, but I do not know the answer. |
38,431 | 40,439 | 76823_0 | Yesterday, I went to my friend's art exhibition and heard people using the word _exhibit_ instead of _exhibition_. I told him > I like your **exhibition** with which I meant that I loved his show and pieces, but later when I heard native speakers using > I love your **exhibit** , it is amazing that makes me wonder which is the correct word to use here. |
38,432 | 40,434 | 76823_0 | What is the origin of the expression _hashing out plans_? I can't find a definition when googling for: definition "to hash out plans" definition "hash out plans" definition "hashing out plans" |
38,433 | 40,433 | 76823_0 | What is the origin and meaning of the phrase _can you not_? To my ear, it has an archaic tone, but searches yield entries in the urban dictionary, along with one quote from _Sense and Sensibility_. Its twisted syntax, potential ambiguity, and indirectness intrigue me. Part of my language heritage is from Irish American, so I also wonder if this hints at its source. |
38,434 | 14,517 | 76823_0 | In general usage (and hopefully correct usage) a "notifier" is someone who notifies. What is the word for the person who is notified? For example: "Instruct each [X] to respond to the notification within 3 days." |
38,435 | 14,512 | 76823_0 | I teach fishing, at a local community college - recently was awarded a Master Baiter honorary certificate, and one of my students asked me "Why are fisherman called Anglers"? I floundered around for a few minutes but could not come up with a conclusive answer - help? |
38,436 | 152,531 | 76823_0 | > I'm not really sure how long I was in there. All I know is that I didn't > come out from the toilet **before/until** I'd thrown up four times. Should I use _before_ or _until_? (I third option is also welcome). |
38,437 | 72,875 | 76823_0 | Which of the following should I use? > * Select between Mesh, Solid or Surface modeling **technology**. > * Select between Mesh, Solid or Surface modeling **technologies**. > |
38,438 | 72,874 | 76823_0 | My textbook set a test question: > Check the usage of the word "insert" in the following sentences: > > 1. It is his habit to insert new topics in the discussion. > 2. The country is planning to insert a new satellite into the orbit. > According to the book, the answer is to use "introduce" instead of "insert" in the first sentence as it is more apt. For me using "launch" instead of "insert" in the second sentence should be correct, as it is most often used in this way. Am I wrong in assuming this? And is the book correct? What is more apt ? |
38,439 | 136,959 | 76823_0 | There is a word meaning profitable and looking like "ludicrous". I couldn't recall it. Maybe lucri..? Can you help? or are there some websites for searching look-alike words? |
38,440 | 72,872 | 76823_0 | My textbook sets this question: > In each of the following sentences, a word has been used in sentences in > different ways. Choose the option corresponding to the sentence in which the > usage of the word is incorrect or inappropriate. > >> _The average of 3, 4, 5, 7. and 10 is 6 whereas the mean is 5._ The books says that it is wrong and **median** should be used instead: > In this sentence, mean has to be replaced with median for the sentence to > make sense. My question is: isn't _mean_ correct? For years I've studying the word _mean_ in mathematics, and now the book says: use _median_. I don't think the sentence is wrong due to the mean being written as "6", because even if I write the wrong mean, the usage of the word is correct, I'm just writing the wrong answer. # More Sources If you look at this link, it says, mean should be used for symmetrical data sets, and median for skewed data, In the above sentence, the data being skewed my guess is that is probably the reason median is being used and not that mean is written as 6 whereas actually median is 6. Mean or Median |
38,441 | 47,780 | 76823_0 | For example, what should I call the animal that came before ape and human (each version of some object)? |
38,442 | 72,878 | 76823_0 | What is the meaning of "often mistaken, never in doubt"? In what context is the phrase used? |
38,443 | 136,955 | 76823_0 | What's the difference of the following sentences? 1. `I'am find that ...` 2. `I find that ...` 3. `I found that...` 4. `I have found that...` is "I'am find that ..." a correct sentence? Can you explain to me in example that exact meaning (and differences) of these sentence? |
38,444 | 43,201 | 76823_0 | I was arrested by the former Massachusetts governor, Mitt Romney’s remark, “I only spent four years as a governor. _I didn’t inhale_ ,” made in the Republican Presidential candidates debate on Fox News channel aired on September 22nd. I thought it means Romney hadn’t inhaled marijuana at top of my mind, but rethought it shouldn't be all what he meant. Michael Scherer of the Time magazine reports that when Romney is asked if he thinks President Obama is a socialist by the moderator, he avoided the answer, and said: “I love this country. I spent my life in the private sector, not in government. I only spent four years as a governor. _I didn’t inhale.”_ Scherer continues; “This is funny. It seems like an attack on Bill Clinton who famously did inhale, but it is actually an attack on Perry, who not only has been in government for decades, but appears to have _inhaled Benadryl dust.”_ From the context of the sentence, I guess “inhale (dust)” means “being spoiled by bureaucratic atmosphere / trapped into trite, bureaucratic thinking patterns," but am not sure. What does “inhale” or “inhale Benadryl dust” (I know Benadryl is a brand name of diphenhydramine hydrochloride) exactly mean? Is it understood to everybody for its own as “I didn’t inhale,” as Romney used without supplementing “what”? |
38,445 | 43,207 | 76823_0 | Is there any issue to address or call a person (a gentleman, of course) with _man_? I think the word _man_ has a strange meaning. Which is the best way to address? Is _hello_ enough? |
38,446 | 19,166 | 76823_0 | I have a project to parse names and there's a thing called title (mr. dr.), suffix (esq. ph.d.) and generation (ii, iii, jr.), but I don't have the faintest idea what p.s. is. It's in the following format and it's a lawyer: Sunde, Kit T. P.S. |
38,447 | 19,167 | 76823_0 | I searched Google's "YouTube", it seems like "tube" is a nickname for "television". So, when did television get this nickname, and why? _EDIT_ I have once considered `tube` as `TV cube`, does it make sense? |
38,448 | 133,661 | 76823_0 | Consider the sentence: "The need for lawful intervention is being felt more after the terror attacks in November last year." Shouldn't it be _even more_ instead of just _more_? |
38,449 | 19,162 | 76823_0 | I commonly use the verb "CC" (carbon copy). I know I could use the word "copy" instead, but I prefer to say "CC" (pronounced see-see). For example, I might say (and have told my co-workers): > I will CC you on that email. But **what's the past tense of the verb CC?** Is it "CCed" (which seems strange)? I find that to be strange, so I usually apostrophe it to "CC'd" (which draws more attention to the strangeness). And no, I don't want to say "copied." Please provide proof in the form of a similar case with a different strange verb (eg. google => googled). |
38,450 | 96,323 | 76823_0 | In the sentence: > I understand the difficulty **of** remaining objective. Should it be as is, or should it be like this: > I understand the difficulty **in** remaining objective. |
38,451 | 96,322 | 76823_0 | What is the difference between _improvisation_¹ and _extempore_² and where should one use each of these terms? |
38,452 | 127,622 | 76823_0 | what's the difference between the words "housing" and "hosting" or between for example "I will host a friend at my home" and "I will house a friend at my home"? |
38,453 | 155,081 | 76823_0 | Can these expressions be used just about interchangeably for all but the most formal prose, or is there a subtle difference to them? E.g. He _is headed over to_ the garage. He _is headed for_ the garage. |
38,454 | 103,353 | 76823_0 | Although not a preferred style, in the following example, is it incorrect to treat "both" as an appositive, and therefore to insert commas around it? > Thank you, both, for helping. |
38,455 | 127,626 | 76823_0 | We have a Japanese idiom, “鬼に金棒- oni ni kanabo,” of which literal translation is “let an ogres get an iron club,” or an ogres carrying with an iron club. For instance, the United States of America has (or had) been seen as an “oni ni kanabo” country that owns vast land, abundant natural resources, extraordinary wealth, plus the world’s strongest military power. If China endowed with vast land and huge population gets much wealthier and strengthens military power, it will be oni ni kanabo – invincible country. Is there English phrase(s) to mean the same effect – something that makes already strong one much stronger or invincible, or something that adds a telling strength to already strong one? P.S. I’m looking for the saying to account for the strong gets **absolutely** strong, like Achilles gets iron tendons, not the average gets strong. |
38,456 | 127,624 | 76823_0 | French there is a process called liaison, where final consonants are omitted unless the next word starts with a vowel. Would it be accurate to say that the English indefinite article (a/an) is an example of this as well, or are these two separate words that mean the same thing? |
38,457 | 170,273 | 76823_0 | Why is trans fat always italicized on food labels, so that it says _trans_ fat? Is it just due to convention, or is there an actual reason (like for emphasis)? |
38,458 | 156,522 | 76823_0 | It's hard to remember its spelling because it has so many syllables, I often say it as 'on-na-ma-to-pee-a'... and even if I pronounce it correctly, the last few letters are a nightmare for me. Is there a mnemonic for 'onomatopoeia'? |
38,459 | 120,393 | 76823_0 | In a Stack Exchange comment, I was corrected by referring to a user named `alice` as a "he". I said (context): > I know **he** thinks **he** needs all of the eigenvalues, but I've learned > that ... and was corrected to by another user > But a protip: the username "alice" and the pronoun "he" typically don't go > together. Probably better to stick to gender-neutral singular they. Which of these would be correct? 1. I know **he** thinks **he** needs all of the eigenvalues, ... 2. I know **he/she** thinks **he/she** needs all of the eigenvalues, ... 3. I know **they** think **they** need all of the eigenvalues, ... 4. I know the **OP** thinks **they** need all of the eigenvalues, ... Clearly this question is related: Is there a correct gender-neutral, singular pronoun ("his" versus "her" versus "their")? I'm interested in the last case where **OP** is essentially a pronoun, but the usage sounds awkward. Is there a good way to refer to OP or should I stick with "they"? |
38,460 | 120,390 | 76823_0 | English is not my native language and I'm struggling to get the meanings of: 1. It is a means to an end, not an end in itself. 2. It is more of a means to an end rather than an end in itself. I'd highly appreciate if someone explain the meanings of these two sentences to me. Thanks |
38,461 | 60,327 | 76823_0 | Is there a different origin of pronunciation style for record as a verb and as a noun? Fun fact: in OS X, if you type `say "this record"` and `say "record this"` — the text to speech system picks up the difference. Impressive. |
38,462 | 89,832 | 76823_0 | What is the term for a bullet hitting a bystander in a gunfight? When it misses the intended target and hits a bystander. |
38,463 | 60,328 | 76823_0 | In George R.R. Martin's _A Game of Thrones_ , > I would have given a hundred silver stags to have been _a roach in the > rushes_ when he learned that Lord Beric was off to behead his brother. what does _a roach in the rushes_ mean? |
38,464 | 181,609 | 76823_0 | I have seen the phrase "Gay as Dad's old hatband" more than once in twentieth century American fiction. I think it is playing on the double meaning of gay, but what is the happy (bright colored?) hatband that is being referred to? Edit: Quote found in "Needful Things" by Steven King (1991) "George T. Nelson, the high school wood shop teacher. George T. Nelson, who, under his bluff, macho exterior, was just as gay as old dad's hatband." Edit #2: Steven King must really like this phrase. A Google Books search also lists it in "The Dark Tower" and "Mile 81". |
38,465 | 151,934 | 76823_0 | Is there a single English word that describes the geographic place and time of a person's birth? My real question is how do I express where I was born at a particular time in history with a single word. |
38,466 | 19,296 | 76823_0 | What does the term "legend has it" specifically mean? Does it just mean "There is a legend which says...", or does it mean "There is a legend which is actually accurate in saying..."? My understanding is that a legend "has it" when it's factually accurate. Is this correct? |
38,467 | 150,569 | 76823_0 | Which is correct? > It was nice to meet you and Bob. or > It was nice to meet Bob and you. |
38,468 | 82,729 | 76823_0 | What does _low_ mean here? > It is also known as the common shoulder muscle, particularly in **lower** > animals (e.g., in domestic cats). Deltoid is also further shortened in slang > as "delt". The plural forms of all three incarnations are deltoidei, > deltoids and delts. |
38,469 | 150,563 | 76823_0 | I am looking for a rather formal **verb(phrase)** to mean **"involuntarily inserting a word from one's mother tongue in a speech made in one's foreign language because the person in question is in a very nerve-wrecking situation such as speaking in court"** Example: > A person whose second language is English, and first language is French says > the following: > > "I don't mean to blow things out proportion, but I think that what you said > is, uh, uh, 'injuste', uh, I mean, unfair!" (Heart pounding hard) Note the involuntary insertion of the French word _injuste_ into the English speech is involuntary because the person was **too nervous or self- conscious.** The insertion does not come from a lack a competency or command of lexicon, only nervousness. I thought of _stumble_ but I don't think it serves the purpose well. |
38,470 | 82,724 | 76823_0 | I'm interested as to where the word _heyday_ comes from, and how has it come to mean what it does. The definition is: > **hey·day** 1 [hey-dey] noun > > 1. the stage or period of greatest vigor, strength, success, etc.; prime: > the heyday of the vaudeville stars. > > 2. Archaic . high spirits. > > Dictionaries seem to suggest it is linked to the phrase "high day" (meaning a holy day or festival day), but I don't know which came first. Also why would a holy/festival day come to mean a successful period? Does it mean "hey" in the sense of an exclamation (e.g. "Hey, that's great!"). I must be honest... until I looked it up, I thought it was spelt "hay-day" and had it's origins in farming somehow. Guess that's not likely. |
38,471 | 150,567 | 76823_0 | All I can come up with is the adjective lilting. |
38,472 | 82,723 | 76823_0 | Such as arctophile or entomophile? Looking for something more formal sounding than 'cuteophile' or something similarly made up. |
38,473 | 65,666 | 76823_0 | The dictionaries list both possibilities to stress _nineteen_ (or any other _-teen_ , for that matter): **_,nine_** -teen and nine- ** _'teen_**. Are the two pronunciations completely interchangeable, a matter of dialect, or a matter of meaning? I am asking because I've never heard _nineteen_ stressed on the first syllable in sentences like: > I am nineteen years old. > > He had only nineteen dollars. And I have never heard _nineteen_ stressed on the second syllable in dates: > He was born in nineteen sixty-four. Is it acceptable (where, when?) to stress the first syllable in the first set of examples, and is it acceptable(where, when?) to stress the second syllable in the last example? P.S. Surprisingly there's no stress tag. Am I using the wrong linguistic term? |
38,474 | 154,028 | 76823_0 | I have noted that when something unprecedented is coming, the phrase _we might be seeing something_ is frequently used. E.g. > We might be seeing yet another crisis soon. Is there any difference between this form and the simple _we might see_? During my short research it seemed to me that both are used for simple future with a degree of probability. |
38,475 | 60,490 | 76823_0 | I would need to know whether the following is correct: **What should be your best friend like?** _//what character should your best friend have_ **What is his strange car for?** _//question_ **I do not know what his strange car is for.** _//the answer with different word order_ And one more question - I would like to ask what features your dream car should have. Could I use: What should be your dream car like? _//maybe this is used only for people?_ |
38,476 | 60,494 | 76823_0 | A while back, the US Congress passed a bill called the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act”. The bill quickly became known as “Obamacare”. During the time prior to when cannabis was made illegal in the United States, proponents of its prohibition called it “marijuana”. In both cases, a thing with a proper name became known by a pejorative to the extent that many people wouldn't even recognize the proper term for the thing. Is there a word or expression in the English language for describing the situation where a thing becomes best known by a pejorative term? |
38,477 | 64,136 | 76823_0 | What is the difference in meaning/connotation between the two words? Is _endorse_ "stronger", more positive? Also, _endorse_ is to _endorsement_ as _condone_ is to what? Is there a noun counterpart? |
38,478 | 60,497 | 76823_0 | A colleague of mine recently wrote in an email "much thanks for your efforts." Does this usage make sense? How does "much thanks" differ from "many thanks"? This is similar to "Is “Many thanks” a proper usage?" |
38,479 | 80,767 | 76823_0 | A friend of mine uses both an exclamation mark and a comma in his letter salutations, like so: > Hi George!, I have never seen this before, and was wondering if it's grammatically kosher. Thoughts? |
38,480 | 148,332 | 76823_0 | Should it be **present perfect** ( _has felt_ ) / **present simple** ( _cannot understand_ ) in the sentence below or the tense of the first sentence implies that these verbs fall into past aspect so **past perfect** / **past simple** pair ( **backshift** ) is to be applied? > I was reading a funny article today. Its author jokingly asked whether > anyone has felt himself labeled as a 'cookoo' because of his acts others > cannot understand. |
38,481 | 118,017 | 76823_0 | I’m looking for a word to describe the language of a writer which has the characteristic of being rich and at the same time says that the words that this writer uses have many layers of meanings. The word _polysemous_ (having multiple meanings) and the word _multivalent_ (defined as having many values, meanings, or appeals) seem to fit the description. Yet both words sound quite technical to me. I’ve never encountered the word _polysemous_ outside the field of linguistics and _multivalent_ — according to the dictionary — is used mostly in chemistry. So which word is better? * The writer’s language is so rich and **polysemous**. * The writer’s language is so rich and **multivalent**. Also, are there other, better synonyms? |
38,482 | 118,015 | 76823_0 | I have a student that repeatedly writes of “contesting against former arguments”. Is this correct? I know it is normally “contest an argument”, but I’m not sure if the other use is valid also. |
38,483 | 82,894 | 76823_0 | I am confused between two sentences: > 1. The houses in the cities are more beautiful than that of villages. > 2. The houses in the cities are more beautiful than those in the villages. > Which one is more appropriate in usage? |
38,484 | 169,310 | 76823_0 | "Eliot Ness hounded out graft in all forms—he even helped nab Al Capone". I know "hound" means "follow and pursue", but no meaning of "graft" in the dictionary seems to fit the sentence. |
38,485 | 173,615 | 76823_0 | Is there a word or expression for someone who uses a lot of opinions to judge himself and/or things around him (such as other people) (e.g. to "defend" himself from receiving judgement), however who is easily offended by someone else based on trivial things they say? |
38,486 | 42,557 | 76823_0 | What is the meaning, if any, of the expression "taking gongs"? I know what a gong is (a large Oriental cymbal). But I don't understand the expression in the context of the following article: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/09/mad-men-modern-family-win-emmys-glory/ > LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Cult ad agency drama “Mad Men” won the best drama Emmy > for the fourth year late Sunday, while “Modern Family” again took the comedy > glory at US television’s awards show. > > British shows also triumphed at the annual Hollywood show, the Oscars of the > small screen, with Kate Winslet leading a string of Brits **taking gongs** , > notably for “Downton Abbey.” > > “Mad Men,” which has spawned a host of lookalike shows, fought off the > strongly-tipped “Boardwalk Empire” to take the best drama Emmy at the climax > of the show. The expression only appears in the said article: http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=%22taking+gongs%22&oq=%22taking+gongs%22 so I am guessing is a typo of some sort... or does it refer to another show? |
38,487 | 46,079 | 76823_0 | To say that he went to the gym and did not go to the store, is it OK to say, "He didn't go to the store, but to the gym"? It seems that this would mean, "He didn't go to the store, but [he didn't go] to the gym," which was not the intended claim. Likewise: He did not marry Peggy, but Sue. <-> He married not Peggy but Sue. He didn't listen to my lecture, but to his iPod. <-> He listened not to my lecture but to his iPod. |
38,488 | 173,619 | 76823_0 | Terms for addicts are easily enough improvised by adding _-oholic_ to the name for a specific social media platform, e.g. "Twitter-oholic," but is there something more generic, & less unwieldy & artificial than "social-media- oholic"? Terms for abstainers seem even harder to come by. The very term "social media" seems to me to provoke the question: "How could any communications medium _not_ be social?" The M-W definition for "social media" would appear applicable to EL&U itself, so although I am a total abstainer from Facebook & Twitter & even smart phones, one of the addict terms may apply to me, though the recipe above would generate a pretty unwieldy result. |
38,489 | 52,230 | 76823_0 | I have been unable to find an etymology for the term Cottage Cheese in English. Interestingly, the Hebrew Wikipedia lists the etymology as being due to cottage cheese being prepared from the wastes of other milk products, hence its association with the poor and named after houses typical of the poor. The English Wikipedia has a single line alluding to such with no reference, and the Hebrew reference is rather dubious as well. |
38,490 | 52,232 | 76823_0 | Suppose someone often has his own idea, opinon and judgment on a lot of things, regardless of whether his agree with others'. I wonder what kinds of words can be used to describe such a quality/characteristic/personality? **Added:** Such a person does not need to show to others that they are strong- minded, or even may not like to speak out their mind on purpose. In negative way, I think maybe "stubborn"? Honestly, I feel hurt if being called this way. Am I too sensitive? What else is better? How about in neutral and positive ways respectively? **Added:** Can "strong- minded" serve the positive purpose? |
38,491 | 177,722 | 76823_0 | I have a web site that manages issues with a building. I'd like to be able to sort the issues by 1. "Last updated" - the most recently updated issues. 2. "Opposite of last updated" - the issues that have not been updated recently. I tried "Stale" and "Inactive" but they don't quite capture what it means to be the opposite of "Last updated". Is there a direct opposite or should I maybe look for another way to describe "Last updated"? |
38,492 | 97,059 | 76823_0 | _Flower_ and _flour_ are said to be homophones. However, considering the number of different pronunciations (`/flaʊə/` like BrE _sour_ , `/flou(-ə)r/` like AmE _sour_ , `/flɑː/` (forvo) like BrE _car_ , etc.) floating around, are they always homophonous for each particular speaker? **Edit:** As tchrist points out in the comments, the same question could be asked of _dower_ and _dour_. |
38,493 | 97,056 | 76823_0 | Why is it called 'the month of January' and not 'the month January'? As I was learning German, I noticed they used the latter (der Monat Januar). Why the discrepancy? |
38,494 | 161,931 | 76823_0 | Someone cannot tell the pronunciation of "th" and "s" apart. I am sure there's a single word that can express this in the context. But I can't remember it now. Anyone can help? |
38,495 | 161,936 | 76823_0 | Say I am a die-hard communist (I am NOT!) and I want to grudgingly admit that there's this one thing capitalists are right about. I believe I could say something like "now that's one for Adam Smith" or "...one to Adam Smith," but for the life of me I can't remember which one. Or perhaps I'm wrong and none of those is the correct usage, in which case I'd like to know what the appropriate expression is. |
38,496 | 103,287 | 76823_0 | I'm trying to write a sentence that sounds like Shakespeare, a sentence that means "If you drink a shitty coffee instead of a nice chai, then you can save money". Does the sentence "Shitty coffee a day instead of a joyful chai hence saves you money" have the same meaning as the above, and is it grammatically correct? |
38,497 | 53,180 | 76823_0 | I was told that if an action is completed once in the past, the simple past is used. Ex: I saw that movie. If the action is completed more than once, the present perfect tense _must_ be used. Ex: I have seen that movie twelve times. So, "I have seen that movie twelve times on Tuesday." is correct and "I saw that movie twelve times on Tuesday." is incorrect? |
38,498 | 53,181 | 76823_0 | I'm referring to people in bright orange or green vests who direct automobiles. I thought of _road workers_ , but it's not specifically around road work. Is there a word for "traffic-directors"?  |
38,499 | 95,562 | 76823_0 | What are alternatives to the noun 'dump' (as in "a data dump")? The word _dump_ here refers to the data that gets dumped, in other words, to the mass of what is being dumped. Another not-so-common example might be "She gave me a feelings dump," meaning, "She dumped all her feelings on me" (perhaps in an emotional outburst), or, "The professor gave me a rules dump" referring to when he gave me a stern lecture about the rules after I arrived late to class. (This is a somewhat non-standard use of the word 'dump' so the thesaurus is letting me down.) |
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