title: What is this an example of: "FOR SALE: Car by elderly lady with new body and spare tire"

text: Historical examples: >   * Croesus asked the oracle what would happen if he attacked Persia. The > reply: ‘A mighty empire will be humbled’. > >   * Thank you so much for the book. I shall lose no time in reading it. > > Modern example: > I am opposed to taxes which slow economic growth. Humorous: > The anthropologists went to a remote area and took photographs of some > native women, but they weren't developed. What is the term used for these examples?


title: "the" before or after "all"

text: Which one is more correct, if everybody knows that I am talking about all the students in a specific classroom. >   1. assignments must be done by **all the students** > >   2. assignments must be done by **all students** > >   3. assignments must be done by **the all students** > >


title: "Well" as an introduction to an argument

text: Say a child says: > I want some ice cream! The parent's response is: > _**Well_** , you can't have ice cream right now, we need to have dinner > first. Why is the word "well" used as a conversational introduction to an argument? Is it a shortened form of another phrase?


title: What are the adjective counterparts for "sense" and "sensibility"?

text: What are the adjective counterparts for "sense" and "sensibility" as in Jane Austen's _Sense and Sensibility_? Would the one for "sensibility" be "sensible"? What is the one for "sense"? Does it have the same meaning as "rational"?


title: What's the usage of ''anything'' in this sentence?

text: This sentence comes from the beginning of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone": > "They were the last people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange > or mysterious, because they just didn't hold with such nonsense." I guess the sentence means "they were expected to be involved in strange events". It's confusing me. I don't understand what the sentence means, and I think the reason is I am misunderstanding the use of the word "anything".


title: What is the meaning of "sticks" as a measurement unit?

text: I have stumbled upon this sign at the Heraklion airport, Crete, Greece: ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/0lu3u.jpg) I am a little confused about the meaning of "sticks". Is it a metaphor for one stick-shaped unit like a cigar or cigarette, or is it a weight or volume unit?


title: I cannot find the first usage of "start from scratch" as start from nothing

text: it seems that everybody believes it is "start from nothing" but I cannot pinpoint the start of this usage. I used both OED and A dictionary of English etymology by By Hensleigh Wedgwood ...


title: "Referenced in" or "referenced from"?

text: Which of these sentences is more correct? > ABC should not be referenced from file X. > > ABC should not be referenced in file X.


title: is quickest or fastest or another word choice better here

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  the difference between fast/quick/rapid In this sentence: > My supervisor reported I finished quickest among other trainees in that > period. What is the best word to use for _quickest_? Should it be _quickest_ , or _fastest_ , or is there a better word choice entirely?


title: A word with a wide range of meanings

text: Is there a better alternative to _ambiguous_ for a word with a wide range of meanings, difficult to find, because they become different in connection with person's opinion.


title: Name of words with multiple meanings?

text: A _crane_ is a bird as well as a machine. A _date_ is a fruit as well as an outing with your boy/girl friend. What are _words with multiple meanings_ called?


title: Is "if any problem, please call me" grammatical?

text: I found the following sentence used in emails at my workplace: > If any problem, please call me at XXX-XXXXXXX. Is the sentence grammatically correct? Or should the senders have used the following instead: > If there is any problem, please call me at XXX-XXXXXXX.


title: Difference between "knowledge" and "know-how"

text: Is there any difference between these two? Do (suppose) _technical knowledge_ and _technical know-how_ convey different meaning?


title: When should we use proximity rule in "either/or", and "neither/nor"?

text: According to this link, if at least one of the nouns involved is plural then it should take the plural form of the verb. Otherwise, it should take the singular form of the verb. But in the last part it says not all grammars agree to those rules thus proximity rule applies. However, it doesn't explain when to apply the proximity rule and when not to use the former rules.


title: Have or has in this sentence when talking about "one or the other"

text: Which of these two sentences is correct english? > If you or a loved one has suffered from an injury or: > If you or a loved one have suffered from an injury Considering that it is regarding "you **_or_** a loved one".


title: If you or somebody you know ... are/is ...?

text: What is the correct grammar for a sentence such as the following: _"If you or somebody you know **is** an experienced such-and-such, please contact us."_ Vs.: _"If you or somebody you know **are** an experienced such-and-such, please contact us."_ I primarily want to know which of "are" or "is" is the appropriate verb. My hunch is that "you or somebody you know" can be substituted by a plural pronoun, which makes the verb "are"; but I am thrown off by "if somebody you know are" (which is wrong, I think - or at least it sounds wrong), and I don't know what the rule is. There is also the rule that Telastyn states below \- choose a verb as if one of the options was chosen. However, "you or somebody you know" is two singular options, but "are" is used with singular "you" while "is" is used with other singular subjects, and so they conflict. That's where my confusion lies (or is my confusion deeper -- are "you" and "somebody" actually subtly plural here?)


title: What is a word or term that describes the disparity between perceived versus actual capability?

text: There is a term or word that describes why people with average intelligence tend to be managers because their perceptions of their own capabilities are more in line with what they are actually capable of. As intelligence increases, the perception of one's capabilities tends to be underestimated while lower intelligence tends to yield an overestimation of one's capabilities. I'm not saying this statement is true or otherwise, I just know that there's a word or term that describes the phenomenon. What is that word or expression?


title: Can “due to” and “because of ” be used interchangeably?

text: Is it fine to use _due to_ in place of _because of_ ? How about the other way around? Are any of these sentences ungrammatical?   * He was lost because of the storm.   * He was lost due to the storm.   * He lost his way due to the storm.   * He lost his way because of the storm.


title: "Because of" vs. "due to" — best choice to explain a reason?

text: Given the sentence, > This exception was thrown ___ _ invalid input. Which preposition should I use to fill in the blank — _because of_ or _due to_? Is either generally preferable for specifying cause or reason?


title: is there anything wrong with "we have succeeded due to the fact that we work hard"?

text: the Manhattan GMAT book of sentence correction says that it is wrong but it doesn't mention any reason whatsoever. I cannot figure. please help.


title: ‘Due to’ vs ‘Because of’ — Which is correct in this sentence?

text: _“Because of the graphic nature of this footage, viewer discretion is advised”_ , to me, is correct grammar with _“because of”_. But you'll often see it written and used on TV as: _“Due to the graphic nature of this footage, viewer discretion is advised._ ” I thought _due to_ was used only to mean _attributable to_ , as in: _The bad weather was due to [attributable to] the icy roads._ In the sentence below, _Because of the graphic nature of this footage, viewer discretion is advised,_ we need _because of_. We wouldn't say _Due to [Attributable to] the graphic nature of this footage, viewer discretion is advised._ Is _because of_ the truly correct grammatical choice in that sentence?


title: “Due to” vs. ”Because of”

text: I would please like to know which of the following sentences is the more accurate, and why that is so:   1. **Due to** recent economic problems, it has been difficult for many to find a job.   2. **Because of** recent economic problems, it has been difficult for many to find a job.


title: What's the difference between "selfkill" and "suicide"?

text: I think _selfkill_ is often used in games and _suicide_ in real life. Is that correct?


title: Is a comma the correct punctuation in "Help a thief?"

text: Recently, one of my friends on Facebook posted this cartoon in which a police officer helps a thief in response to the exclamation "Help a thief!" The contention is that the victim should have used a comma. However, in my eyes, a comma does not seem appropriate. Rather, I would expect an exclamation point, period, or colon. Is a comma correct for this situation?


title: Can't think of a name for a rhetorical figure

text: I have a feeling there's a name for a rhetorical figure, or perhaps a misuse of language, along the following lines: > He went out to get drunk, and the mail. In other words I'm looking for a term that describes what you do when you (for example) use a verb with what looks like a compound object, but one of the words isn't really an object but a word the verb governs in some quite different way.


title: Non-sexist term for girl drinks

text: Is there a non-sexist term for a ‘girl drink’ such as a strawberry daiquiri, banana sunshine, or squashed strawberry alley cat? I find these drinks delicious, and would like a term to refer them without any sexist connotations.


title: Pronunciation of "Wales" and "whales" in Scotland

text: I was brought up in Japan and I was taught that _w_ and _wh_ are pronounced differently. But after I came to the US I learned that they mostly sound the same. Now I watched this Youtube video where Craig Ferguson apparently misspoke _Prince of Wales_ as _Prince of Whales_ and the audience laughed. It looked like Craig (who is from Scotland) was comfortably distinguishing two sounds. Is it a trait of Scottish English that it distinguishes _w_ and _wh_? Or is it that even in the US the sounds _w_ and _wh_ are distinguished when they form a minimal pair like _Wales_ and _whales_? (i.e. in the case of _what_ , there's no word _wat_ , so you don't have to pronounce _h_ in _what_ ; but to distinguish _Wales_ and _whales_ you need to pronounce _h_.)


title: Describe a state where mental focus is spread too thin and/or on too wide a range of concerns?

text: At my work when I have a myriad tasks, could I say that my thoughts are dispersed amongst many objectives? I am trying to figure if I could use the term dispersed in a sentence to describe a state where a persons thoughts are not focused because the range of issues that concern her is too wide to efficiently handle at once. I read this: What's a good word for a lack of concentration? but it was not very helpful.


title: Antonym of syllogism?

text: "deduction" is a synonym of "syllogism". "induction" is an antonym of "deduction" I was wondering if there is a antonym of "syllogism" which share the same suffix as "syllogism"?


title: What is a word for someone who likes bossing people around?

text: I'm looking for a term for someone who get kicks by being bossy, or getting people to do what they demand.


title: Hypernym for "audiobook", "podcast", "speech", etc.?

text: I am looking for a short and concise term (preferably _one_ word) that can be used as a hypernym for essentially everything that contains (audio) speech (e.g. audiobooks, podcasts, recorded news bulletins, recorded performances of comedians,..). Does such a term exist? I've thought about 'speech', but that seems to be more adequate for e.g. political speeches, and not so much for audio books and the like. But maybe I'm wrong.


title: Idea project or ideas project

text: I've got three types of projects: idea, evaluation and recruiter. To refer to these projects, should I use "idea project" or "ideas project". Same question for the other types: Is it "evaluation project" oder "evaluations project"? Is it "recruiter project" oder "recruiters project"? An idea(s) projects is a project to gather ideas. Similarly an evaluation(s) project is a project to evaluate gathered ideas. A recruiter(s) project, is a project to recruit people.


title: Can one use 'prepare' instead of 'be prepared' or 'be ready'?

text: a) - The document you requested will take four days to be ready. b) - The document you requested will take four days to prepare. Does (b) give the same meaning as (a)? Is this a correct way to use 'prepare' as an intransitive verb? Thank you.


title: How to check phrasing and word choices?

text: I'm a native speaker of French, and even though I _think_ I have a rather good level in English, I always try to keep an open mind. (I learned English by absorbing from a lot of sources: TV, movies, video games, etc.) The problem with an open mind is that people always try to stuff things inside. Recently I was writing some documentation for a tool we sell, and on two specifics instances, a colleague corrected what I wrote by changing a big part of the sentence. When I asked what motivated the edits, he answered that he found my sentences too "written" (i guess they didn't roll off the tongue? or that they were not really elegant). I'm ready to admit my english may be a bit stilted at times, but here i'm not really sure it's the case. Specifically, would you say that his is a valid point? Here are the two edits in question, first my version then his. * * *   * In our example we would for example check the cache statistics with the powershell commandline for AppFabric, but **you can use whichever tool you’re most comfortable with**   * In our example we would for example check the cache statistics with the powershell commandline for AppFabric, but **feel free to use the tool you fancy** * * *   * This information is not **readily available** without knowing the ins and outs of every part of the program you’re using   * This information is not **easily accessible** without knowing the ins and outs of every part of the program you’re using * * * But to use my question as a launching pad towards something less specific, **how can i find out if a turn of phrase is pleasant/good/valid?** In this particular case i resorted to a simple google fight; it worked (kind of) for the "readily available" vs "easily accessible" which seemed to support my phrasing but this solution breaks down quickly when you don't have a readymade saying versus another. Are there other metrics than the "gut feeling" me and my colleague are resorting to?


title: "Wear off" or "ware off"

text: Iv'e seen both spellings of the phrase. Is one correct and the other incorrect or are they both acceptable? Does one belong to British English?


title: Is it correct to say: "I would do something, be it me"?

text: I mean that "I would do something, if it only were me. But it was not me, so I've done nothing".


title: Use of the word 'together' as in the Norfolk dialect

text: In the Norfolk dialect, which I learned at my mother's and grandmother's knee, the word 'together'(pronounced 'tergatha') is used in an additional sense. If there are two people outside I might say 'Come in here, together'. Or if I have company I might ask 'Would you like a cup of tea, together'. I am not asking that they enter the house simultaneously or that they speak in unison, I am just making it clear that I am addressing everyone. If one grows up in Norfolk and leaves the county one notices the need for this form, which no one else in Britain recognises. I am told that a similar expression is available in some Scandinavian languages, perhaps indicating Norfolk's special connection with the Vikings. I think it may also exist in German. Can anyone supply any information please?


title: Should a noun after the determiner *their* take in the form of singular or of plural?

text: Should I say > Some people use the word "flat" to describe their **phone** when **its > battery** is dead. or > Some people use the word "flat" to describe their **phones** when **their > batteries are** dead. (I wanted to use "their" here to refer to the phone's > instead of the people's) or > Some people use the word "flat" to describe their **phones** when **their > battery is** dead. (I wanted to use "their" here to refer to the phone's > instead of the people's) Which one is grammatically correct and why?


title: Antonym for handicap

text: What is the word (or expression?) for an artificially introduced advantage for a player in a sport or a game, with purpose to level the chances? I tried thesaurus for antonyms of handicap, but it gives only "advantage", "benefit" and "help" and none of them seem to fit the bill for this specific sense. (or did I reject one of these antonyms wrongly maybe?)


title: "Within the range of values from the literature" vs. "within the range of values in the literature"

text: Which is better English (if either)? >   * The results are within the range of values from the literature. >   * The results are within the range of values in the literature. >


title: A question introduced by "wonder"

text: > Granted that it is an idiomatic phrase, I still **wonder** how people came > to say it* _._ * > > Granted that it is an idiomatic phrase, I still **wonder** how people came > to say it* _?_ * > > Granted..., I still **wonder** how **did** people came to say it* _?_ * I am interesting in wonder governing clause, but not exactly know how to use it. Which version is right? Which is the best?


title: What does “intestine enemy” mean?

text: I’m particularly curious about the usage in Calvin’s commentary of Hebrews: > ...at the same time we are carrying on war with sin, our intestine enemy. However, here are some other examples.


title: Difference Between "Plot" and "Storyline"

text: What is the difference in story writing between a "plot," and a "storyline"? Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (11th Edition) says a "story line" is "the plot of a story or drama," and Collin's COBUILD Dictionary says: "The storyline of a book, film, or play is its story and the way in which it develops. N-COUNT = plot." Does this mean that a "storyline" is just the same as a "plot"?   Thank you,   -h.


title: Polite way to inform that there is no need to reply (business language)

text: I am often requesting my colleges via email to update a status of a case they work on. The update (note) should be provided in application they work on which is also explained in my request. There is no need to reply to my email but many off them do. So I decided to add a note in my request: "If you can proceed with ticket update, there is no need to reply to this email." But it just doesn't sound right to me. Correct me if I am wrong. What is polite/bussines way to write that sentence ???


title: Etymology/Origin behind using "bitching" in a positive sense

text: Etymonline.com mentions this: > **bitch** (v.) "to complain," attested at least from 1930, perhaps from the > sense in bitchy, perhaps influenced by the verb meaning "to bungle, spoil," > which is recorded from 1823. But bitched in this sense seems to echo Middle > English bicched "cursed, bad," a general term of opprobrium (as in Chaucer's > bicched bones "unlucky dice"), which despite the hesitation of OED, seems to > be a derivative of bitch (n.). and then we have: > **bitching** (adj.) also bitchen, "good," teen/surfer slang attested from > 1950s, apparently from bitch (v.) in some inverted sense. How did the second, positive meaning arise from the first extremely negative (and long) history of the word? What and where are the earliest uses of the word in this newer positive meaning?


title: Single term that describes both "permissions" and "restrictions"

text: I'm looking for a single word or term that describes "the degree of being allowed", if you will, both in the positive sense (permission) and the negative sense (restricition). As a technical example, a user could be allowed to edit a file, but restricted from creating new files (explicitly restricted, as opposed to just not having the permission). A non-technical example would be an employee who is allowed to sign contracts on behalf of the company, but is explicitly forbidden from talking to the press on company matters (because that didn't work out well the last time). In each case, the word I'm looking for would encompass both. For example if X is my word, the folder in the employee's file that contains the list of things they may or may not do could be titled "Steve's Xs". The best word I can come up with is "access" or "access level", but that's not quite what I want because it's constraining the use to only a subset of imaginable permissions/restrictions (e.g. it would work for the first example, but not really for the second one). On the other end of the spectrum, the word "options" came to my mind, but that's 1) really too broad, and 2) has the connotation of choice, which isn't what I want.


title: negative infinitive: 'not to do something' versus 'to not do something'

text: Found in the _Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English_ under the entry 'to skip something': >   1. [transitive] not do something _informal_ **to not do** something that > you usually do or that you should do [= miss] > >   2. not deal with something [intransitive and transitive] **to not read** , > mention or deal with something that would normally come or happen next > > (My bold characters.) How common is this form of the negative infinitive, 'to not do something'?


title: About quality - "low", "bad" and "poor"

text: I need two words to describe the quality of some items - one word describing items of worse quality than the other. I read this question, Bad or Poor more severe. I'm uncertain if I fully agree with the answer about "bad" being worse than "poor", since poor people still can be good though... Being economically poor and criminally bad, is something different than being of poor quality and bad quality. I need two words to describe the quality of items - one being items of worse quality than the other - both being items of "bad" quality. I was thinking of using "low quality" and "poor quality" - but I guess "bad quality" may also be an option. The problem is that I'm uncertain if "low" or "poor" is the worse of them (I thought it low was higher quality than poor, but I may be wrong)... In any case, it's not obvious what's what. So, should I use "low" and "poor", "bad" and "poor", or "low" and "bad" ? What would be the ranging within the two ? Is there perhaps another better word to be used with "low" (or "bad") - or another set of words alltogether?


title: Meaning of "it's not even close" in this context?

text: In some dialog, I often see something like this: > Player A is voted as the toughest to play against and it's not even close. What does "it's not even close" mean in this context? Does that mean Player A is so tough that the second place is not even close to him?


title: Adjective to describe a task that will take a long time because it's a lot of work and/or a lot of waiting

text: I want to describe a software task (unit of work) that could take a long time, either because it's a lot of operations (processing time) or because it has to do communication with the network and there will be some waiting involved due to latency of the communication before the task can finish. Without making the question too technical, let's use the analogy of a person who has to do a job that will take a long time, not necessarily because it's a lot of work, but because there are uncertainties in how long it will take to get the work done. A **lengthy** task is close to what I want. However, I'm hesitant that it might convey more the "hard work" meaning (lots of work), and readers won't think of the other case (where latency is the reason it takes long). Is there a single-word adjective to capture this idea?


title: Is there a word for numbers and letters, but not punctuation, etc?

text: Is there a word that would refer to a number or a letter, but not any other character (like a comma or an exclamation mark)?


title: Relative pronoun verb agreement

text: In the sentence, “The dog gave me, who feeds him, a lick”, _feeds_ does not agree with the person of the antecedent to _who_. I know that a verb used with a relative pronoun has the same number and person as the noun or pronoun to which the relative refers. _Me_ is first person, yet it sounds incorrect to write, “The dog gave me, who feed him _[I feed him]_ , a lick”. What is my problem?


title: Euphemism for "a person one really detests / hates"?

text: Is there a word to mean "a person one really detests / hates"? The word "bastard" may be a good fit, but I'm looking for something though _forceful_ , is not _vulgar_.


title: "Hardware-counter-based tools" or "hardware-counter based tools"?

text: > **Possible Duplicates:**   >  Chainsaw-equipped or chainsaw equipped?   >  How to connect a word and a phrase with a hyphen?   >  "One-Day Only Promotion" or "One-Day-Only Promotion" Which is more correct? > Hardware-counter-based tools or > Hardware-counter based tools I don't even know exactly if I should put _hardware-counter_ or _hardware- counters_.


title: "adjective noun noun": which noun does the adjective refer to ("electrical system operators")

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  How does the hyphen change the meaning in expressions like “high > performance” and “high-performance”?   >  Is there a grammar rule behind the hyphen in the phrase 'one-act play'?   >  Chainsaw-equipped or chainsaw equipped?   >  Should I use “ related” or “-related”   >  Hyphenation in compound adjectives   >  To hyphenate or not? I recently read the term "electrical system operators" in an article, and I immediately felt that this sounded wrong, because it is the system that's electrical, not the operators. I would always try to rwrite this as "operators of electrical systems". Do native English speakers have the same problem as me (I'm German)?


title: Should I use " related" or "-related"

text: What is **the correct use of the term _"related?"_** For example, should I use it like _computer related_ , or is it more proper to use _computer-related_ (where the word _"computer"_ is just part of my example?) Are the cases where it is used in one form and case in another form, or should it always be used in only one way?


title: Multiple compound words

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  How to connect a word and a phrase with a dash? Hello, I'm a non-native English speaker and I'm writing a scientific paper about biometric identification based on heart sounds. In this context, is the following phrase correct? > Comparison of recent articles on heart sounds-based biometrics. I am using it as a caption for a table.


title: "state lattice-based motion planner" or "state-lattice based motion planner" ?

text: Which one in the following groups is correct respectively? > (1) state lattice-based motion planner   >  state-lattice based motion planner   >  (2) spatiotemporal sampling-based planning method   >  spatiotemporal-sampling based planning method The motion planner uses a state lattice. The planning method is based on spatiotemporal sampling. Thanks!


title: How to connect a word and a phrase with a hyphen?

text: For example, "file system" and "related". Is it "file system-related"? It will appear as if it is a compound of "file" and "system-related", won't it?


title: Compounds involving compounds

text: Consider the following use of a hyphen: > There are many bear-like animals. Now, how does the hyphenation change if "bear" is replaced by "grizzly bear"? Which of the following would be appropriate: > There are many grizzly bear-like animals. > > There are many grizzly bear -like animals. The intended meaning is _not_ "There are many grizzly (gray-haired) animals that resemble bears," but rather "there are many animals that resemble grizzly bears ( _Ursus arctos_ )".


title: Operator preference in English: space vs. hyphen

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  How to connect a word and a phrase with a hyphen? Consider a hypothetical object whose name is formed by joining the names of its two constituent parts together to get "A B-C". Would the casual reader assume that the two parts are named "A" and "B-C", or that they are named "A B" and "C"? For that matter, if one were in need to devise a compound name from the names "A" and "B-C", what would be the correct way to do this so that the casual reader will be able to decipher the two constituent parts? Conversely, how should he combine the names "A B" and "C" so that the casual reader will be able to decipher the two constituent parts? This is not an academic exercise, this is in reference to a naming confusion that I am involved with right now. Thanks.


title: Game-development-oriented or game development-oriented?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  How to connect a word and a phrase with a hyphen?   >  “Hardware-counter-based tools” or “hardware-counter based tools”? As the title states, which is the correct hyphenation of the adjective formed by multiple words? Is it **"game development-oriented"** or **"game- development-oriented"**? By "game development-oriented" or "game-development-oriented", I refer to something that is oriented towards game development. Sample usage: > The company's year-long plan is more _game development-oriented (game- > development-oriented)_ this year compared to last year.


title: Proper use of hyphens for compound noun 'system model driven approach'

text: > **Possible Duplicates:**   >  How to connect a word and a phrase with a dash?   >  Multiple compound words   >  Should I use " related" or "-related" I'm aware of the general rules for using hyphens in compound nouns, but I'm baffled by the correct use of hyphens in the compound noun 'system model driven approach'. This is a specialty term in computer science and is interpreted as " _approach_ , that is _driven_ , by _system models_ (compound noun)". My manuscript editor wants to typeset this 4-word noun as "system model-driven approach" but my eyes tell me it's wrong because I read it as "system {model driven} approach" whereas what needs to be communicated is "{system model} driven approach". I've tried to check this from some available style guides but can't find good guidance. So the question is which one of these alternatives is best, or are all these wrong?   * system model driven approach   * system-model driven approach   * system-model-driven approach


title: "e-mail me" or "e-mail to me"?

text: What is the correct way to direct a request: "Would you please **e-mail me** the check?" or "Would you please **e-mail to me** the check?" And why?


title: Do the Eskimo/Inuit languages really have more words for snow than English

text: I've read in some sources that there are more words in the Eskimo/Inuit language to describe types of snow that have arisen out of necessity. I've also read in other sources that this is just urban legend and that they really don't have any more words for snow. What is the correct metric used to measure if they have more words (for example do we count only single words such as snow, sleet, powder and not include compound words like snow-drift)? Do they actually have more words for snow?


title: Explaining the structure of a thesis

text: The following sentence, and in particular the bold part, has no entry in google. Does it sound natural to native speakers? > The work in this thesis **is organised around three research themes of > current interest** in mathematics.


title: What is the opposite of 'deflationary?'

text: Recently I often hear or read the expression 'deflationary environment' as something bad for he economy. I may assume that its opposite might be something good, but what is the opposite of deflationary. Plus, what is a more appropriate way to say that a deflationary environment is 'bad' for the economy.


title: A single word for "liking someone's speech/quote/idea"?

text: I usally hear the word compounds "well-said, well-spoken etc.." to express the appreciation of someone's speech or a useful idea, but I never heard such a single word to express that. PS : I'm not searching for answers like : "To agree etc..." or general terms of "admitting/accepting things". **EDIT** : I've found a useful interjection "Touche", but still wondering if it can be used in business speech.


title: What is this usage of harrumph?

text: So this question was just asked and it made me realize I didn't understand what was going on this particular movie scene (Mel Brooks' 1974 _Blazing Saddles_ ). Transcript: > **Governor William J. Le Petomane:** Holy underwear! Sheriff murdered! > Innocent women and children blown to bits! We have to protect our phoney > baloney jobs here, gentlemen! We must do something about this immediately! > Immediately! Immediately! Harrumph! Harrumph! Harrumph! > > **Governor William J. Le Petomane:** _[pointing to a member of his cabinet]_ > I didn't get a "harrumph" out of that guy! > > **Hedley Lamarr:** Give the Governor harrumph! > > **Politician:** Harrumph! Anyways, I thought that harrumph could be used to voice general agreement to or approval of what was just said. This is incorrect. Merriam-Webster's says this: > _intransitive verb_   >  **1:** to clear the throat in a pompous way   >  **2:** to comment disapprovingly   >  _transitive verb_   >  **:** to utter (a comment) disapprovingly   > The actual meaning in this usage is the exact opposite of what I thought. So is there another accepted definition? Or is the governor and his cabinet **[standing] around _harrumphing_ about the current state** of affairs? (from MW link above) Or is that, as they say, the joke?


title: Meaning of 'saving' in 'not one single saving vice'

text: > [He is] devoid of any human weakness, with not one single **saving** vice, > sans prejudice, procrastination, ill-nature, avarice, and absence of mind, > as careful for his own safety as he is for that of others, this excellent > but odious character stands like a monument in our courts of justice, vainly > appealing to his fellow citizens to order their lives after his own example. > > A. P. Herbert, Uncommon Law (Methuen, 1969), p. 4 Would someone please explain what **saving** here means? Which definition fits? Source: P48, Law, Raymond Wacks


title: What is the difference between "anyone" and "everyone" in this context

text: What is the difference between "anyone" and "everyone" in the following context? For example, > _Anyone_ is welcome to do such and such. and > _Everyone_ is welcome to do such and such. mean exactly the same thing to me. But since I am not a native speaker, I guess there might be some subtle differences. Can anyone explain?


title: Disinterested vs. uninterested

text: I’ve always understood the difference between _disinterested_ and _uninterested_ as follows:   * _uninterested_ : not interested, not up to it   * _disinterested_ : impartial Consider the situation of someone unwilling to help another in need. Is that person uninterested or disinterested? I’d always thought it has to be _uninterested_ , but I’ve read _disinterested_ used in contexts like the one just given.


title: Accurate definition for poetic devices

text: Although I can recognize and construct phrases that include usage of poetic devices, I certainly cannot define all of them accurately. For example, I read in a book that _metaphor_ is defined as _transfer of qualities between two certain physical objects_. And I found the definition to be so accurate that anyone reading it the first time would understand the meaning of _metaphor_ without having to go through tons of examples. Likewise, _simile_ would mean _the similarities between two objects_. So I wanted to ask if there could be a similar accurate definition for other existing devices like _irony_ , _alliteration_ , and _analogy_. I mean I know what _irony_ means and can distinguish between an irony and other given devices but I'm somehow not able to accurately define it without the help of examples.


title: What's a word for a group of questions asked together?

text: Is there a word for a set of questions that are asked together and are related? For example, one asks the question: > Do you go rafting? And follow up with: > If yes, where?   >  If no, what do you do instead? I'd like a word that represents this collection of questions, some of which are meaningless outside of their grouping. Is there such a word? I have a couple of ideas in mind (linked here so I can limit influencing your opinion). I'm looking for something much smaller than an interview (which is a larger collection of loosely-related questions), and different from a page (which is a physical arrangement of questions).


title: Word that describes a problem that is missing a precondition

text: I'm an engineer, and sometimes I want to describe a problem that is unresolvable in it's current state. The problem might be easy, or somewhat complex, but the key aspects of it are understood and it cannot be solved without changing some other condition. An example:               Deliver this physical letter from our location in the US to this address in Cambodia.     It must arrive within 10 minutes.      This problem is understandable, but it is not (practically?) possible. If the requirements are changed to allow digital transmission, it can be done. Another example, emphasizing that the problem is not too little information, but competing requirements which are incongruent with a single solution:               Describe a physical object which meets all the following criteria:     Is as big as bread basket     Is colored red     Is invisible      In this case, coloring the thing and having the thing be invisible are incompatible. Or the classic:               Car Repair:     Fast     Cheap     Done Right      Choose any 2, as the joke goes. All 3 are at the same time are... insoluble? irresolvable? This is the word I'm looking for. Hopefully these analogies communicate my point, I wanted to avoid tech jargon. These problems could be described as:   * Inextricable \-- "Too involved or complicated to solve. Extremely intricate." Not really. Complexity is not in the way of a solution here.   * Inscrutable \-- "Incapable of being investigated, analyzed, or scrutinized; impenetrable. Not easily understood; mysterious; unfathomable:". Closer, but the definition implies some complexity in the problem itself which I don't want to communicate.   * Unsolvable \-- "[Not] capable of being solved, as a problem.". Completely accurate, but could be more descriptive. _Why_ isn't the problem solvable? Similar: Insolvable, insoluble, and unsolvable


title: "Take a photo" — why "take"?

text: I don't understand why it's " **take** a photo". Why _take_? Is there any rule for this?


title: What's the right way to pronounce "Louis"?

text: The name of the comedian Louis C.K. is pronounced LU-EE-SEE-KAY. Is the **S** pronounced as a part of the given name "Louis", or just the first constant of the of the letter **C**? Is there a canonical way to pronounce the English name "Louis", or is the pronunciation dependent in geographic location or origin? Credit: this tweet (Hebrew).


title: same question different way

text: During college, I worked the summers landscaping, which cultivated a fascination with wild plants and folk medicine. or this: During college, I worked the summers as a landscaper, cultivating a fascination in wild plants and folk medicine. or this: During college, I worked the summers landscaping, cultivating a fascination with wild plants and folk medicine.


title: What is the origin of the phrase "a map is not the territory"?

text: The phrase "a map is not the territory" is identified with the philosopher of science Alfred Korzybski and his 1931 lecture at an American Mathematical Society meeting. In both of its prominent meanings (philosophical and practical) this is certainly an ancient idea. In fact, it sounds like an inevitable Roman maxim. Is Korzybski really the first person to use this expression? Doesn't it in fact have a much older, perhaps ancient origin?


title: Help with email to customer: negative balance

text: can someone help me with this please. Need to write an email to customer who forgot to paid and so his/her balance became negative. It is related to prepaid service... Thank you. * * * Dear `Customer_name`, Thank you for using our `service_name` prepaid subscription service. As of today it came to our attention that you created a negative balance of **$`amount`** on your prepaid credits for our service. We would like you to pay the above balance at your earliest convenience and if you intended to continue to use our prepaid services in the future, please proceed to this link to place an order for additional prepaid credits. NOTE: Please note that this is your `notice_number` notice. Our commitment to providing you the best `service_name` service is our primary goal. We look forward to continuing our relationship with you in the future. Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us. Sincerely, * * * We plan to send two notices to the customers with negative balance. A third one would be final and the NOTE line would be replaced with below: NOTE: Please note that this is your **third** and **final** notice. Unless we get a response from you today by midnight (EST), we will be forced to cancel our service for you. However, your affiliate function will still remain active so you will still be able to earn free credits with us by inviting others.


title: Name for words with same number of letters (size)?

text: There's anagrams, lexigrams, palindromes and many others... But is there a name for words that have the same "size"/"length" (number of characters)? For instance, "car" and "bat" both have 3 characters. "Eggs" and "near" both have four. Is there a special word for the size/length-based relationships these words share?


title: Using the word "coon" as part of a company name

text: I'd like you to ask if it's ok to use the word "coon" as part of a company name? The website isn't related to racoons at all, but has a racoon head in the logo. Will it offend visitors? As a foreigner I don't get all the finer points of the English language.


title: Is there a word for satisfaction in others receiving justice?

text: Is there a word for satisfaction of hearing about justice that does not affect you? e.g. you hear on the news that a diet foods company has been ordered to compensate customers for deliberately misleading customers into buying their products by making false claims about its benefits. This makes you pleased as justice has been served however   * you have never bought or attempted to buy any of the diet products   * you will not receive any compensation   * no-one you know has been affected I suppose this is a mix of satisfaction, a restoring of faith in karma and a sense of the world being "put to rights" and better as a result..?


title: awareness of or awareness for something?

text: This program was initiated to increase the awareness for breast cancer. does this seem correct? or the preposition 'for' be replaced with 'of'?


title: Does this expression makes sense?

text: > W : I'm impressed at how expertly you played that piano sonata. > > M : **Sorry. I'm still just an apprentice**. When the man says "sorry", what does this exactly mean in this circumstances? Is it kind of a humble expression I can use when praised? One more question, > W : Mr. Smith, the tiles in the restaurant bathroom need to be replaced.   >  M : Why? There's nothing wrong with them.   >  W : Yes, but they're starting to look old.   >  **M : I don't think that warrants the expense.** Does this mean "That is not enough for changing the whole tiles."? Do you frequently use this expression?


title: Comma splice proceeded by conjunctive adverb

text: I'm wondering what the rule is as to where any commas or semicolons would go. (a) and (b) are showing the two sentences that are to be combined, and (a)+(b)[1,2] show the sentences in question. (a): I like tea, especially chamomile tea.   (b): I like tea; however, I prefer coffee. (a)+(b)[1]: I like tea, especially chamomile tea; however, I prefer coffee.   or,   (a)+(b)[2]: I like tea, especially chamomile tea, however, I prefer coffee. It'd be great if it could be:   (a)+(b)[3]: I like tea, especially chamomile tea,; however, I prefer coffee. I have a feeling that (a)+(b)[1] is correct; however, I'm not really sure what rule would govern that. Is there some precendence rule making a semicolon 'trump' a comma?


title: Is "vernissage" in common use in American English?

text: I'm translating a novel from Swedish to English. The book is slightly above the level of chick-lit, so I don't want it to sound too fancy. In Swedish vernissage is a common word. I have personally never heard or used this term in English.


title: Word whose form is contrary to its meaning?

text: Is there a word for a word whose form is contrary to its meaning? For example, "quotidian" is anything but quotidian.


title: What's the difference between "speak" and "talk", grammatically speaking?

text: There are a number of questions (example, example) that deal with the slightly different connotations of the words "speak" and "talk". However, there also seem to be some grammatical differences between the two words. This question is about whether there's a way to formally pin down these differences, or whether they're just contingent features of the two words having different histories. Some examples of grammatical differences are as follows:   * be talkative ... ~~be speakative~~   * speak French ... ~~talk French~~   * give a talk ... give a **speech** (as opposed to a speak)   * speak up ... talk up (the meanings of the two phrases being completely different, with "up" being a preposition only in the latter case)   * speaking of which ... ~~talking of which~~   * grammatically speaking ... ~~grammatically talking~~ On the other hand, many other constructions work just as well with either (though they might have subtly different meanings), for example   * speak to ... talk to   * speak with ... talk with   * speak about ... talk about I'm interested in whether there's a way to pin down these differences (e.g. are the two words classified as different types of verb in some way?), or whether they're essentially just arbitrary. I'm also interested in why we have these two different words with subtly different meanings. Is the distinction between "speak" and "talk" a feature of many languages, or is it just a peculiarity of English? Etymologically, both words are from Germanic origins. "Talk" seems to have been formed from the Middle English "tale", even though "speak" already existed in the English language by then (as far as I can tell). This makes it even more mysterious: why did we form a new word as a synonym of one that was already established? Or were the meanings different at that time?


title: Why use apostrophe-s to denote possession when using 'of'

text: Think of the simple phrase "Bill's friend". If you were going to turn this around using the preposition 'of' would you say:   * A friend of Bill's or   * A friend of Bill It appears to me that, in the US anyway, people always say "A friend of Bill's". Even though I'm a native American English speaker, this just sounds weird to me. It seems to create a 'double possessive' (a term I just invented). I always want to respond: "A friend of Bill's what?" A friend of Bill's aunt? So what's at work here, and do British English speakers also do this?


title: Why is it usually "friend of his", but no possessive apostrophe with "friend of Peter"?

text: As this NGram shows, we nearly always use the possessive form of personal pronouns for _friend of mine/his/ours/etc._ But when it comes to actual names, we prefer friend of Peter _without the possessive apostrophe_. That preference is even more marked with, say, friend of America. Not that I think the usage itself is particularly American - it's much the same with Britain. Personally, I find _friend of him_ grates. In general I've no strong feelings either way as to whether it's _friend of Peter_ or _friend of Peter's_ (though I deplore the possessive in this example), but in line with many others, I really don't like the possessive in relation to things like countries. Why is this? Edit: Noting an apparent "progression" (pronoun -> person -> nation) marked by reduction in use of the possessive, I checked at a finer "granularity". NGram shows that although it does occur, friend of me virtually "flatlines" against _friend of mine_. But the bias reduces through _of you, of us,_ and by the time I get to of them it's much less extreme. There seems to be something "egocentric" about the double possessive. Presumably when babies learn to speak, they soon notice that possessive pronouns, possessive apostrophes, and the word "of", all do the same job. Parents would correct a child who says _"of mine's"_ , but probably wouldn't even notice the same "redundancy" in _"of Peter's"_. Younger speakers are unlikely to even be talking about something _"of America's"_. Perhaps as we mature we tend to discard the "double possessive" for the more "distant" things that only adults are likely talk about, but we keep it for "closer" people because that's how we spoke when we were younger. **EDIT2** I note that _I'm a great fan of him_ is vanishingly rare compared to _...fan of his_ , but with **...fan** _(of John)_ the double possessive occurs far less often than **...friend** _(of John's)_. Usage seems to be affected by the noun **before** "of" as well as the one **after** it. This is getting complicated...


title: "A friend of my father" vs. "a friend of my father's" — which one is right? Why?

text: I have seen them both in my reference book, which is written by a native speaker. I wonder why there are two different phrases to describe the same meaning and am looking forward to some reasonable details to explain why this is so.


title: Are there other grammatical ways to say, "I'm reading a novel of Steinbeck's"?

text: I would like to ask why the following sentence is only possible according to grammatical rules: > I'm reading a novel of Steinbeck's What's wrong with "I'm reading a novel of Steinbeck" or "I'm reading Steinbeck's novel"?


title: Possessive of name?

text: He was a friend of Mike. He was a friend of Mike’s. Which one is correct, and why? Thank you.


title: "Of her brother's" or "of her brother"?

text: Is there a difference in whether _brother_ is explicitly possessive in sentences like this? >   * A friend of her brother's called > >   * A friend of her brother called > > Perhaps both are correct; do they have a subtle (or not-so-subtle) difference?


title: What is the reason behind using "apostrophe S"?

text: > The woman over there is a friend of my sister's Would you let me know the reason why we must use 'S?


title: I get so confused in possessive pronouns

text: Can you please correct these sentences. 1.Can I click a picture of yours. 2.Do you know the email address of John's? 3.I think of both of yours betterment. 4.You are a friend of John's.


title: "A friend of Susan" vs. "a friend of Susan's"

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Why is it usually “friend of his”, but no possessive apostrophe with > “friend of Peter”? I'm currently having hot debates with a friend of mine about which one is more natural and more grammatically correct: >   * A friend of Susan >   * A friend of Susan's > I vote for the first, but I don't have anything to prove I'm right.


title: How to make the genitive of a person's name with "OF"?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Why is it usually "friend of his", but no possessive apostrophe with > "friend of Peter"? We built an engine for the boat of Mr. Sander or We built an engine for the boat of Mr Sander's ?


title: Usage of both apostrophe and “of” together

text: I was reading Agatha Christie’s _The Murder of Roger Ackroyd_ and noticed following sentence: > About those boots of Ralph Paton’s. It is really in old (old as in early or mid twentieth century) English that they use apostrophe and _of_ together? Would it not be proper to say: > About those boots of Ralph Paton.


title: "Friend of my father" vs "friend of my father's"

text: What is the difference between this two sentences - 1\. An friend of my father 2\. A friend of my father's


title: Proper use of 's?

text: What would be grammatically correct? Would I need to use `'s` after "Supreme Court"? > ...overruled a prior decision of the Supreme Court, defined in the... or > ...overruled a prior decision of the Supreme Court's, defined in the... ...I know I can structure the sentence in a better format as so: > ...overruled a prior decision made by the Supreme Court, defined in the... However, I want to know which one from the first two is correct.


title: Why do you say "friend of mine" instead of "friend of me"?

text: I think _friend of mine_ can be translated to _my friend._ In that case, doesn't _friend of me_ make more sense? If we translate _friend of mine_ to _one of my friends_ then I guess _friend of mine_ makes sense for _my friends_ being _mine._ Is there a difference? When do you say _... of mine_ instead of _my ..._? Is there a specific situation when you use one or the other?


title: Question Regarding Possessives with ('s) and (of)

text: Question: Is the first one redundant and proper, or is it redundant and not necessarily correct? > (1) He is a friend of Doug's. > > (2) He is a friend of Doug.


title: American English, meaning of a phrase

text: In Homeland S03E11               00:10:06,353 --> 00:10:07,987     - Carrie Mathison: Masud Sherazi?     - Yes?     - Carrie Mathison: I'm a friend of your niece.     ----/---     00:11:16,356 --> 00:11:18,824     - You're CIA, aren't you?     - Carrie Mathison: I'm a friend of your niece's.      **Q: what's the meaning of the "'s" in the last sentence** "I'm a friend of your niece's." (Carrie is speaking to the same person: Masud Sherazi) Thanks


title: Explanation on when the possessive should be used instead of an attributive noun

text: How would you explain to a person who is learning English, and whose native language does not have attributive nouns, when the possessive should be used instead of an attributive noun? In particular, how would you explain it referring to the following list of sentences?   * Today's news is bad   * This week's schedule has been changed   * Tomorrow's lunch will be at the French restaurant   * This year's report will be communicated in the reunion room   * Last summer's vacations were memorable   * Last year's meetings were a complete disaster


title: The subject is after the verb in this sentence?

text: "Please hand _me_ the comb." My textbook says to identify what 'me' is, I was able to do that for sentences in which the subject before the verb but I cannot do that for this sentence? I know that hand is the verb, and the comb is the object but what would me be? The indirect object?


title: "hypothetically speaking" vs "theoretically speaking"

text: What is the difference between the phrases "hypothetically speaking" and "theoretically speaking"? If one wants to make a point using an example that would likely never happen, which phrase would be more appropriate?


title: Is the word "usurp" already archaic?

text: I have some doubts whether the word "usurp" is still used in the modern language. The doubts are based on reading newspapers and magazines. It looks like expression like "to seize" or "to hold" are used more often in this meaning. So I am interested whether this word is used. Maybe I just didn't came across it somehow.


title: where to position the preposition in the phrase:  "not only... but also"

text: I have the following sentences, of which I don't know whether the prepositions are correctly positioned: > The solution depends _not only on_ Condition A, _but also on_ Condition B. > But when C happens, it depends _only on_ Condition A. Another possible way is: > The solution depends _on not only_ Condition A, _but also_ Condition B. But > when C happens, it depends _on only_ Condition A. Thank you very much for your help!


title: What is the counterpart English word to Japanese word, “Match-pump”?

text: When I was posting a question about the difference between “Strike _a_ match” and “Strike _the_ match” today, I recalled a made-in-Japan English compound, “ _Match-pump_ ,” which means a person who instigates others to do something, e.g., to call a strike, or make a fuss, and scurries about to stop or quell the subsequent movement / commotion when the matter gets serious. Pump in this compound means water-pump. In other words, it means the person who strikes a match to burn something (in a fun more often than not) and tries to extinguish a fire when it flames up. I wonder if there is the English word that purports the same meaning _in a single word_.


title: How do we pronounce the camera company name "Canon"?

text: How do we say Canon - the camera company name? Is it Keh-nun or Keh-non?


title: Is the verb "redouble" just a redundant way to say "double"?

text: A colleague and I were reading a corporate memo that contained the phrase 'redouble our efforts'. His claim was that the word _redouble_ was equivalent to _double_ and simply nonstandard. (Similar to, say, using _irregardless_ in place of _regardless_ ). I've heard this phrase fairly frequently, and don't see anything wrong with it in particular, but I was wondering if perhaps there was some style guide that prescribed against it or something similar that marked a preference for simply _doubling our efforts_ rather than _redoubling_ them.


title: Help with sentence: don't come in

text: Which of the following is correct: 1) Don't come in, I'm busy.   2) Don't come in; I'm busy.   3) Don't come in. I'm busy.   4) Don't come in I'm busy. And why?


title: What is the demonym for Norfolk, Virginia?

text: According to this Fritinancy entry, the demonym for Norfolk, England is "North Anglian," rather than "Norfolker" or "Norfolkite," for historical reasons. What about Norfolk, Virginia, in the United States? I suppose you could argue for the same historical reasons, since it was named after Norfolk in England, but that just feels wrong to me.


title: Why is it “I better not (+verb)” instead of “I better don’t (+verb)”?

text: This question will seem weird to a native speaker because “I better don’t” sounds inherently wrong and unusual. But if you think about it, it’s an irregularity; normally when a verb is negated and there is no auxiliary already present, the auxiliary “do” is inserted and usually contracted with the “not” to form “don’t”. The exceptional construct “I better not” baffles some non-native speakers. What is the etymological history behind the construction “I better not (+verb)”? Did this sentence use to contain an auxiliary which has disappeared?


title: What is the proper abbreviation for "version"? (in English and Japanese literature)

text: I see both (for example) "ProductName v1.0" and "ProductName ver 1.0" and wanted to know what was the proper use for technical/computer literature. Bonus thanks if anyone knows the proper usage in Japanese of the same acronym, e.g. if its more proper to write "商品名バージョン1.0" as "商品名Ver1.0" vs. "商品名v1.0" in Japanese language literature. Thank you.


title: Why is it a good idea to avoid 'like' in English?

text: In the video JULIA BOORSTIN -- Interview a Broadcaster! -- American English (0:34 to 1:20), a reporter from an American news television channel mentions that it's not a good idea to use the word ' _like_ '. I've tried to find some information about it but nothing comes up in Google. Does anyone know why ' _like_ ' shouldn't be used and in what contexts it's invalid? Below the below line is my first guess but it's completely wrong and can be ignored: * * * I assume that it's not about this kind of sentence: > I **like** learning. But it's more about this kind of sentences: >   * Flying a plane is **like** driving a car but it's a bit more > complicated. >   * You can multiply a number by two to have an even number, **like** 3*2=6. >


title: Single name to cover "drawing", "painting", "sketching" etc

text: Is there a single name (word or short phrase) to cover the art of creation of images — _drawing, painting, sketching_ etc. — and specifically excluding sculpture, crafting and other arts that create other products than still images? "Graphic design" is close, but focuses on the utilitarian side, leaving "high art" out. "Traditional art" includes sculpture and excludes digital imagery.


title: Correct word for work vacant, place, employment

text: In Human Resources, we want to implement MOF (Manual of Functions) for each employee based on their area and position, so that when an employee leaves, the functions remains for the next employee. We now lack of a word to name this in HR. What is the best word to describe the position (that is, job title) of an employee in a specific area of an organization? Can anyone please help suggest a word? Possible candidates I found are _vacant_ , _place_ , _employment_ , and _job_.


title: Is it true that

text: Is the following sentence grammatically incorrect? > Is it true that 1+1=2 ? I know it is easier to say: Is 1+1=2 true?


title: Proper punctuation for "and what's more"?

text: I have seen this phrasing as > And what's more - > > And what's more, > > And what's more! Which one is most proper?


title: Origin of "the wrong end of the stick"

text: If someone has the **wrong** end of the stick it means they've misunderstood something. If they've got the **shitty** end of the stick it means they've got a bad deal in some bargain or share-out. This doesn't seem particularly close to the **wrong** end meaning - so unless someone convinces me different, I'm not inclined to think these idioms share a common origin. Does anyone know where either or both of these expressions come from?


title: Adjective meaning "that can be tied"

text: What is the most common adjective used to describe objects that _can be tied_. I would think of _tieable_ but it does not seem to exist in the wiktionary.


title: "All is not lost" vs "Not all is lost"

text: I guess I've been in mathematics for far too long, and I tend to use the phrase "Not all is lost" as the negative of "All is lost". To me the phrase "All is not lost" suggests that _nothing_ is lost. It doesn't send the message I'm trying to give which is that "at least one thing is not lost". What's your interpretation of the two phrases?


title: What is the difference between ‘Hot Corned Beef’ and ‘"Hot" Corned Beef’?

text: I have seen the phrase '"Hot" Corned Beef' on several convenience store signs in my area. Since corned beef is is usually served warm or hot, am I missing part of the meaning of the sign?


title: Present perfect tense sentence

text: For the following sentence: > I haven't been there in a long time. I want to know if the above sentence conveys any connection with time up to now. How can I correct this sentence it if it is incorrect?


title: What is a more formal way to say "Don't get me wrong"?

text: I think the phrase "Don't get me wrong" in conversation means, "I'm about to say something that you might misunderstand, so don't." I'm looking for a similar phrase that sounds better when speaking to a group of people. I sometimes use the phrase "Don't take this the wrong way", but that seems even clunkier.


title: Fox News comment on Romney--"self abjination?"

text: Watching the discussion led by Dana Perino after the GOP debate this evening, Perino asked if "humility" was a good thing. Another commentator remarked, "humility yes, self-abjination no." (The spelling is a guess.) Perino said, "abjination? I don't know that word." Someone else said "must be one of those Harvard words." The commentator said, "it means self deprecating." So what is the word? I tried Googling some variants, but came up dry.


title: Can I use "verbally" in a written context?

text: Can I use "verbally" to refer to textual communication? For example, can I say "Verbally encourage this behavior" meaning "Encourage this behavior in writing"?


title: What does "last August" refer to?

text: Recently (September 2011), I hear some people would say "last August", which confuses me a little bit. Does "last August" refer to August this year or August last year? And can we also say "this August"? And what does "this August" mean?


title: Is it “the xᵢ’s” or “the xᵢ”?

text: Let _x_ 1, . . . , _x n_ be a collection of mathematical objects. When I refer to them, do I have to say _the x i’s_ or just _the x i_? **Edit:** In this article (written by an American mathematician), one can read > ... is the set of all x's which have the form ...


Why is "me" pronounced like "me" but "ne" is not pronounced with the same e sound? According to a professor, "ne" is pronounced like "nuh". Why is it like this? And more generally, does there exist a rule set on how to pronounce things so I don't have to ask a question like this again, or is it all word dependent and of unknown origin like idioms?


title: Is it correct and natural to respond with "interested in" in this context?

text: I was told: > Glad to come across someone who knows Theology. My (proposed) response: > It's my pleasure to find someone else interested in Theology on the other > side of the World. I am unsure whether to use _interested in_ or _interested by_. Google Translate gives me the impression that I may be wrong.


title: Longest word In English language

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  What is the longest word in the English language without a repeated letter? What is the longest word in the English language in which no letter repeats itself?


title: Which is right for the possessive: “companys” or “company’s”?

text: How should one form the word _company_ when something belongs to a company? Is the correct form _companys_ , or should it be _company’s_ instead?


title: Referring to people by surname

text: I notice that there is a tradition in English of shortening names by omitting given names, which has been formalized in contexts like academia (the theorem of Gauss, the textbook by Young and Geller, citation rules) and law (the firm Baker & McKenzie, the case Roe v. Wade). Should we really be adopting this practice in contexts where surnames show less varied? For instance, I found that the most common surname is the US (Smith) takes 0.7% of the surnames, while the most common in China (王, Wáng) takes 7.3%.


title: What does “red faces” in “There were a lot of red faces in the general staff” on inefficient wreck of Russian war machine mean?

text: There was the following sentence in Time magazine (September 16) titled “”America’s weak and waffling. Russia’s rich and resurgent”: > “2008 summer also put Russia’s military to the test when a war broke out > with Georgia. Although Russia crashed its tiny adversary in less than a > week, its war machine was shown to be an inefficient wreck. More tanks were > lost to malfunction than enemy fire, and at one time Russian officers were > forced to use store-bought navigation gadgets after the official ones gave > out. “ **There were a lot of red faces** in the general staff,” recalls > Sivkov, the military strategist. Oxford online English Dictionary doesn’t carry the ‘red-face’ as a headword, but includes ‘red-faced’ as an adjective meaning ‘having a red face, especially as a result of embarrassment or shame.’ Cambridge online English Dictionary has entry of neither ‘red face’ nor ‘red- faced.’ Now, what does ‘red faces’ in the above quote exactly mean? Does it refer to people (Russian army’s general staff) with red face, or their sentiment (anger / embarrassment about the incompetence of their war machine)? Why is it ‘ _in_ ’, not ‘ _among_ ’ the general staff?


title: What other words/terms are used to mean 'sleep'?

text: Are there alternative words to 'sleep,' when used as a noun to mean 'the substance that sometimes forms in the corners of your eyes after you have been sleeping?' Are 'eye crust,' 'eye boogers,' 'eye gunk,' 'eye goop,' 'optibooger,' 'sleepy,' or 'gound' acceptable?   It seems most dictionaries such as Oxford, Cambridge, Longman, Macmillan, Merriam-Webster, etc., don't include most of those words/terms. Why?


title: Order of words and using of "of"

text: Which phrase is better: "software developer life" or "life of software developer"? First one sounds better but I would like to get why in a rather formalised way.


title: Difference between use of "ephemeral" and "transient"?

text: What are some differences between the ways/contexts in which one would use "ephemeral" versus "transient", and vice versa?


title: Etymology of "mullet"?

text: I was pondering the names of haircuts the other day, and I could understand the origins of most of them: _pudding basin_ , _crew cut_ , _duck's arse_ , and _bog brush_ are all reasonably obvious, but I was rather stumped by _mullet_. A _mullet_ is defined here and here as a man's haircut in which the hair is short at the front and sides, but long at the back. Does anyone know how it got this name? The sources both say "etym. unkn.", but differ as to the time of origin, one saying 20th century, and the other 1990s.


title: What is a better word for "exponentially"?

text: I often hear news reports of rapidly increasing problems use the word "exponentially" for emphasis. For example, tonight's BBC America World News included a segment on the growing Syrian refugee problem, saying the number of refugees was "increasing exponentially". Now clearly this usage is not consistent with mathematically accurate usage and though I'm sure most understand the intent, it still bothers me. For reference, the number of registered Syrian refugees increased from 471,808 on 2012-12-31 to 2,241,100 on 2013-12-13. Neither "five-fold increase" nor "quintupling" seem to have the same impact. Can anyone suggest an alternative word that is not so mathematical in nature to describe such an increase? Of course, I'm looking for a word to describe future growth, not past.


title: What is a word for someone who always feels (inclined to feel) pity for others?

text: Doesn't have to be "always", could also just be someone who shows a lot of pity for people around him. Could also be that some people may not always show it, but do feel very inclined most of the time to feel pity for others.


title: What does "happy the man who changes Emma for Harriet" mean?

text: From _Emma_ by Jane Austen, Chapter 31, the last paragraph: > "There is no charm equal to tenderness of heart," said she afterwards to > herself. "There is nothing to be compared to it. Warmth and tenderness of > heart, with an affectionate, open manner, will beat all the clearness of > head in the world, for attraction, I am sure it will. It is tenderness of > heart which makes my dear father so generally beloved—which gives Isabella > all her popularity.—I have it not—but I know how to prize and respect > it.—Harriet is my superior in all the charm and all the felicity it gives. > Dear Harriet!—I would not change you for the clearest-headed, longest- > sighted, best-judging female breathing. Oh! the coldness of a Jane > Fairfax!—Harriet is worth a hundred such.—And for a wife—a sensible man's > wife—it is invaluable. I mention no names; **but happy the man who changes > Emma for Harriet!"** [emphasis mine] What does the last sentence mean? Does it mean "I wish the man who changes Emma for Harriet to be happy" or does it mean "The man who changes Emma for Harriet is happy"? What does "changes Emma for Harriet" mean? Does it mean "make Emma a better person for Harriet"? And if you've read the book, who does "the man" refer to? My guess is Mr. Elton because he made Emma see some very good sides in Harriet and appreciate her much more. But I'm not sure if this was what the author meant. Thank you!


title: Term for the amount from which commission is calculated

text: I'm looking for a word for the larger amount from which a salesman's commission might be calculated. Something like **sale price** presupposes that his commission is calculated from that particular figure. I have used **principal** before because it's a very similar concept to interest being calculated from the principal of a loan, but it's technically incorrect for this purpose. I've considered **dividend** (i.e. dividend ÷ divisor = quotient) but this has other connotations Whereas **multiplicand** (i.e. multiplicand × multiplier = product) is too obscure. Anyone got a winner?


title: Could "old fashioned" mean "angry" or "disconsolate" in early 19th Century England?

text: Patrick O'Brian wrote the Aubrey/Maturin seafaring novels during the late 20th Century, but the novels read as if they were written during the early 1800s (at least as far as I can tell, which isn't all that far). O'Brian sometimes uses the phrase "old fashioned" in a way that apparently means something like "irked", "angry", or "disconsolate", depending on the situation. Here are two examples from his novels: From _Post Captain_ (second in the series): > “...and John Lakey, maintop. Do you remember him? You sewed him up very > near, the first time you ever sailed with us and we had a brush with an > Algerine. He swears you saved his privates, sir, and is most uncommon > grateful: would feel proper old fashioned without ‘em, he says.” From _Desolation Island_ (fifth in the series): > “I dare say," said Cobb. "But he’s only a blue finner, a nasty, spiteful > thing. You plant a harpoon in his side, and what does he do? He rushes on > you like a thunder-clap and beats the boat to splinters and then runs out a > thousand fathom of line. You don’t want to take notice of him. Now by your > leave, sir, I must go aloft. There’s Moses Harvey looking down quite old- > fashioned, for to be relieved.” The first quotation discusses a man who was wounded in the genitals during a battle and nearly lost them, but for the swift and capable action of the ship's surgeon. Presumably, when he says he would "feel proper old fashioned without 'em" he must mean something like disconsolate. The second quotation refers to Moses Harvey who is waiting to be relieved and is looking down disdainfully on Cobb, who should have already relieved him. I'm curious if this is how "old fashioned" was really used in England, or at least among British sailors, in the early 1800s, or if O'Brian is perhaps taking some literary license and coining a phrase that sounds right for the ambiance he's trying to create.


title: Less-technical synonym for "timestamp"

text: I've already looked at Is there a word for "a point in time"?, but there doesn't seem to be any answers other than "timestamp". While I agree that it is the most technically accurate description, is there a term that lends itself more to a business environment? For example, I have a spreadsheet with a list of customer feedback. The date and time that each issue was reported is listed in a single column. What would be a good business-y name to call that column? I'm looking for something that means "timestamp" without using a term that could be…misconstrued…as overly technical. **EDIT:** To be more specific and concise, I'm looking for a term that means "timestamp", is used more popularly in a business environment than "timestamp", and is generic enough to always mean "timestamp" with almost any data.


title: Is "on-parade" an actual term?

text: A google search came up with almost nothing. Am I just imaging things? I could have sworn one could use the term "on-parade" to mean a succession of something. For example: Life is an on-parade of unexpected events. or something like that.


title: What does "contact drivers" mean?

text: I have a document like training manual for troubleshooting networking, and one section in it has a title "Contact Drivers". Since this troubleshooting does not talk about device drivers at all, I have no idea what this means.


title: The times they are a-changin'

text: I have always been intrigued by the word usage in the title of this Bob Dylan song. Wikipedia mentions that the song was influenced by Irish and Scottish ballads: > Dylan recalled writing the song as a deliberate attempt to create an anthem > of change for the moment. In 1985, he told Cameron Crowe: "This was > definitely a song with a purpose. It was influenced of course by the Irish > and Scottish ballads ...'Come All Ye Bold Highway Men', 'Come All Ye Tender > Hearted Maidens'. I wanted to write a big song, with short concise verses > that piled up on each other in a hypnotic way. The civil rights movement and > the folk music movement were pretty close for a while and allied together at > that time.   * Is there a dialect where the form a-< _gerund_ > is common? e.g. a- _cooking_ , a- _cleaning_ , etc.    * If so, in what context would you use the form a-< _gerund_ >?


title: What does "a-" before a verb mean?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  The times they are a-changin'   >  The times are a-changing? Why a-? While listening to some Bob Dylan I've noticed how he sometimes uses the construction **a-verb** (e.g. _The Times, They Are A-Changin'_ ) and wondered how to interpret it. Where does this **a-** come from? What does it mean? When can it be used?


title: "Is this the right way?" vs "Is this the correct way?"

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  “right” vs “correct” I've had this question for a long time. Which sentence is grammatically correct? > Is this the **right** way? > > Is this the **correct** way?


title: "Is it right?" or "Is it correct?"

text: Which question is more proper? > _[some statement]_ , is it right? > > _[some statement]_ , is it correct?


title: How does one correctly use a "-" outside of hyphenation - if at all?

text: When writing out emails I often find myself replacing semicolons with hyphens or dashes. For example, "Let's meet up at the pub - or would you rather go to a restaurant?" I feel this is wrong, but I don't know why. Would someone care to explain, please?


title: Is this correct "I'll be looking forward to helping.. ? Read on please

text: First of all some background. An acquaintance asked by email if I'm willing to offer advice on a project he's starting to develop. I answered yes for sure.He responded Wonderful,Stay tuned. I have no idea when I will receive the info to give my advice. This email was a few weeks ago. Today I decided to let him know I'm still interested, a little reminder. I wrote "I'll be looking forward to helping xyz (xyz- his name)." A friend told me my above response sounds like you aren't yet but will be in the future. I didn't consider this before sending it. He knows I want to help and it sounds like this project is a work in progress.I'm waiting to hear from him so I can offer advice. What I wrote does it convey yes I'm looking forward to helping you? My friend is right? Or is this not a correct sentence and should be worded differently? Thank you for your help.


title: What is the meaning of the italicized "do" in this sentence?

text: > A child meets this kind of discipline every time he tries to _do_ something, > which is why it is so important in school to give children more chances to > do things, instead of just reading or listening to someone talk (or > pretending to). _Three Disciplines for Children_ by John Holt And also, what does _pretending to_ mean here?


title: Is there a correlation between "bad" and "bat"?

text: I saw something about _Batman_ somewhere online, and for a very brief moment it crossed my mind that it sounds like 'bad man'. A fraction of a second later I noticed the bat logo. Bats are usually considered scary animals, so I came to wonder: > Is there a correlation between the animal _bat_ and _bad_?


title: Is re a prefix in respect?

text: Is re a prefix in respect or just a part of the word? Any guidance on this would be appreciated?


title: Is ‘hero’ applicable to females?

text: There was the following sentence in today’s (June 4) New York Times written by its Op-Ed columnist, Nickolas Kristof under the headline, “There’s a Kind of Hush.” > “Aung San Suu Kyi should be one of the **heroes** of modern times. Instead, > as her country imposes on the Rohingya Muslim minority an apartheid that > would have made white supremacists in South Africa blush, she bites her > tongue. > > http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/05/opinion/kritstof-theres-a-kind-of- > hush.html?hp&rref=opinion&_r=0 I understand “ hero” here is used as a generic of brave or great persons to cover both male and female 'heroes' ? However, OALED defines ‘hero’ specifically as male, as;   1. A person, **especially a man** , who is admired by many people for doing sth brave or good.   2. The main **male character** in a story, novel, film / movie etc.   3. A person, **especially a man** , that you admire because of a particular quality or skill that they have. CED also defines ‘hero’ as;   1. A very brave person, **often a man** , that a lot of people admire.   2. **The main man** in a book or movie. Can I apply ‘hero’ when I’m refering to Aung San Suu Kyi singly as “Aung San Suu Kyi is the hero of Burma”?


title: Is it wrong to say something is X if it cannot not be X?

text: I'm having a discussion with someone who thinks that it's a non-sequitur to describe something as X if it's not possible for it to not be X. Here's an example: > It's wrong to say a chair is amoral, because a chair cannot be moral. I don't agree, who is correct and why?


title: "Any salary or compensation or experience certificate" vs. "any salary certificate or compensation certificate or experience certificate"

text: How should I write this? >   * ... shall not be eligible for any salary or compensation or experience > certificate if the Trainee fails to co-operate with XYZ for the exit > formalities >   * ... shall not be eligible for any salary certificate or compensation > certificate or experience certificate if the Trainee fails to co-operate > with XYZ for the exit formalities > What I want the reader to understand from this sentence is that they wouldn't be entitled to any certificates (for salary/compensation/experience) if they don't co-operate with XYZ.


title: "If I were you, I'd apologise to my/your mum"

text: I'm stuck with this example which I don't know how to solve > A: I've said bad things to my mum.   >  B: If I were you, I'd apologise to **your** mum. Is it supposed to be _your_ or _my_ instead? My feeling tells me that _your_ is right, but _my_ sounds more logical.


title: Where did the term 'moral fiber' come from?

text: I was reading a novel that used the term moral fiber - defined as strength of character - the other day and it occurred to me that it was a somewhat strange conjunction of terms. It sort of conjured up images of 'the stuff morality is made of'; but morality being an intangible idea it's not usually made up of tangible fibers… I found myself wondering how it originated.


title: Figuring the SVO of the sentence "I'm Tom."

text: I was under the impression that every sentence has a subject–verb–object (`SVO`) where `S` and `V` are compulsory and `O` is optional. So basically I was wondering in the sentence "I'm Tom." is the subject "I" and the verb "am" ? But what about the "Tom" ? It simply can't be an object right?


title: What is the degree of strength of the verbs listed below dealing with rules/advice?

text: I used to have a list that showed the increasing strength of these words, but I seemed to have lost it. The words/phrases are: must/mustn't, should/shouldn't, have to/don't have to, can/can't, and are allowed to/aren't allowed to.


title: Words to describe the person who made the complaint and the one who is being complained

text: I am looking for nouns for   1. A person who made a complaint;   2. The person who is being complained about. I would have used "complainer" but that sounds wrong as it is closer to saying that person likes to complain a lot.


title: Difference between "ad hoc" and "impromptu"

text: Is there any difference between " _ad hoc_ " and " _impromptu_ "? Can you find sentences where only one of the words is acceptable and the other is not? And where they are interchangeable? What about the following use case, which is better? > You have to book meeting rooms in advance, but there are also some meeting > rooms available - for _ad hoc_ meetings / for _impromptu_ meetings - which > you don't have to book.


title: How to add contextualizing text to a quotation?

text: How do you add text which provides context to a quote? For example, consider if I were to quote someone as having said: > This is unacceptable! Were that the _whole_ quote, can I add any text to the quote to indicate what "This" refers to? I think I've seen it done with square brackets... > This [the death threats directed towards bloggers] is unacceptable! Is this correct? If no, how can it be done? Note my citation is simply from the top search result for the term "This is unacceptable"


title: Why are the words "lose" and "choose" written differently and pronounced the same way?

text: I do know that there isn't only one pronunciation for syllables, and I also know that there isn't only one way to write a phoneme, but this intrigues me a lot. Lose is spelled with only one O, and it's frequently misspelled with two Os. Choose is spelled with two Os, and it's frequently misspelled with one O. One of the forms of the past tense of "to choose" is "chose", which is pronounced very differently from "lose", even though both words share the same vocals and ending syllable. I'd like to see an explanation for this. Even on origin, or something I'm missing out here. Note: for me, double Os seems way more logical, as every time I read "lose", it seems a little weird.


title: Can I conjugate "acyclic" as "acycle"

text: I was thinking about the word "acyclic" meaning not having or containing a cycle. Then I thought of the word "bicycle" and wondered if it made sense to call something that an "acycle". As an example I would want to say that stilts are an acycle (because they do not inherently contain a cycle or cyclic motion).


title: Meaning of "jarring sales." Is it negative?

text: > The first harbingers of Christmas arrive in October when **jarring** sales > and decorations follow fast on the heels of summer. Does the word _jarring_ here mean _annoying_ , or _early/preliminary_?


title: Are there only so many state-of-being verbs?

text: > This candy tastes so sweet. Isn't 'tastes' a state-of-being verb? If it is why do people say there are only 8 state-of-being verbs - _is, am, was, are, were, being, be,_ and _been_? State-of-being verbs seem to be a fairly standard term.


title: "trust the fact" vs. "trust to the fact"?

text: I think "trust the fact" is more natural than "trust to the fact", but the search result shows that the latter is more popular. What's the difference between them? Thanks. Yet another derived question: What's the difference between "trust to the fact" and "trust in the fact"?


title: What's that word to describe "technology becoming invisible over time"?

text: There is a word similar to _dematerialization_ that represents a slightly different concept. The concept goes something like this: everything eventually becomes invisible. The concept is particularly evident in technology. For example, paper was (and still is) an important technology but it is rapidly disappearing. It's gradually being replaced by computers. So, although the purpose & concept of paper is still around - the physical form is disappearing. Another example is the horn on a car. A century ago it was literally a pump you squeezed. Later the pump was integrated into the center of the steering wheel. And now, many cars there is no pump at all; it's simply an electronic button. That is this concept in action. I want to say _demapherialization_ but couldn't find any matches when Googling. But I do know for a fact there is a Wikipedia entry on it. The term was dubbed many decades ago. Anyway, it's a pretty cool concept. Perhaps someone may know it.


title: Can we use "dynamism" as a noun for describing the amount of change and changeability?

text: According to dictionaries, one of the meanings of the word `dynamic` is: > a system with continuous change http://www.thefreedictionary.com/dynamic   http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dynamic However, it's used as **adjective**. I'm writing a text in which I need to refer to **continuous change and changeability** and I thought of the word `dynamism`. In other words, I need the noun form of the `dynamic`. However, seems that `dynamism` is not used as that meaning. For example, instead of **the level of changeability and the amount of change in a system** , I'd like to write **system's dynamism level**. Can I use `dynamism` in that meaning? If not, what word should I use?


title: Usage of "we" as plural second-person

text: I often hear people saying phrases of the type "How are _we_ doing over here?" by servers at restaurants, for example. Obviously they mean "How are _you_ (plural) doing?" Where does this type of usage of "we" come from? Is this pronoun misuse a regional thing? Has it entered mainstream American English? Am I wrong in thinking that it is incorrect?


title: Meaning of the phrase "Lean in"

text: There's a book entitled Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead. It's not clear what exactly phrasal verb **Lean in** in it's title means. Does its meaning differ from the meaning of the verb **to lean** in the context of the book's name?


title: Fractal vocabulary

text: A book is typically divided into sections, chapters, paragraphs. I'm looking for a noun that can be used to describe all of these - **book** , sections, chapters, **figures** , clusters of paragraphs and individual paragraphs - in a way that can be used recursively. I'm thinking perhaps something around the word "idea", but not sure what exactly and would appreciate other suggestions. Updated: I'd like a word that applies equally well to books as well. Updated again: If possible, I'd like also to be able to apply it to diagrams, tables and other such figures. It does not need to apply to the contents or index in the book.


title: Which expression isn't an old way of speaking: Fell to, Fell on, Fell onto, or Dropped to

text: My linguistic teacher told me I am speaking like the people who lived hundreds of years ago, when I told him, "The paper fall to the ground when I pass it by," this afternoon. Please tell me which form below is correct when speaking? In addition, which expression seems more modern **in conversational English**? 1.The paper fell to the ground when I passed by. (fell to) 2.The paper fell on the ground when I passed by. (fell on) 3.The paper fell onto the ground when I passed by. (fell onto) 4.The paper fell onto the ground when I passed by it. (add it behind by) 5.The paper dropped onto the ground when I passed by. Please select one answer from these 5 **or type another one that you think is better and more appropriate than them**.


title: Word for showing strong opinion for

text: I'm trying to remember a word that means showing strong opinion for; where someone has to make a choice between two opposite things. For example, say you have to choose what your favorite fruit is, apples or oranges, and in this sense, lets say apples and oranges are total opposites. There are people who strongly agree / favor with apples and people who strongly agree / favor oranges. Inherently, these people strongly disagree / oppose with the opposite choice. It might also be just a single object and there are people who like it and some who don't (1) What would the person be described as when they feel that strong, opinionated way? (2) And what is the word that describes this situation, in which one must decide between two opposites?


title: Is "X supposing to be" proper English?

text: > The whole point that him pretending to be rich is to get a date. > > The whole point of this supposing to be a big wall is to hold off the > barbarians. The first one seems correct, the second one doesn't sound quite right - but why wouldn't it be possible to use the equivalent forms here? I was thinking about > The point of this supposedly being a big wall... but that clearly does't mean the same thing. I am aware that one could say "The point of this being a big wall" even if the wall is not yet big, yet that doesn't seem to work in all cases. > The whole point of this supposing to be a macro is that it shouldn't matter > where it is located. This is the sentence I actually want to construct. I don't want to say "the whole point of this being a macro...", because that would too strongly imply that it is or should be thought of as one. Instead, the idea that it is _supposed to be_ a macro is first raised, and then dismissed.


title: Looking for a word that means the opposite of 'gilded'

text: I'm looking for the opposite of gilded when used as: > having a pleasing or showy appearance that conceals something of little > worth. Most of the antonyms listed from different sources mean 'dull' or 'boring'. I'm looking for a word that literally means 'mundane on the outside but with a heart of gold'. Does such a word exist?


title: What word/title should I use in an email asking for updates

text: I would like to contact my recruiter (via email) asking for updates on my application. What should I put in the title so it is informative, but also at the same time does not sound like I am too impatient? (I also would like to provide additional information about my accomplishments in the email) Thanks


title: Usage and spelling of "wordlength" and "bitbreadth"

text: As far as I know, these are the meanings:   * _wordlength_ — for instance, 4 bytes when the bitbreadth is 32 and 8 bytes when the bitbreadth is 64.   * _bitbreadth_ — for example, 32 or 64 or 4 bits for a system.  Are these spelled correctly, or should they be "word length" and "bit breadth"? Or perhaps different terms entirely should be used to express these meanings?


title: The clock (has kept/kept) precise time for over forty years?

text: The correct answer is "kept" but I don't understand why because shouldn't "over forty years" make it past progressive? This is from an ACT practice test. The passage talks about a guy making the clock on 1753 so maybe it is because the clock is not functional today?


title: "Neither Michael nor Albert is correct" or "Neither Michael nor Albert are correct"?

text: What is the correct sentence? > Neither Michael nor Albert is correct. > > Neither Michael nor Albert are correct.


title: Neither is or are

text: Should this be _neither is_ or _neither are_? > Neither of these two books is suitable. > > Neither of these two books are suitable. Which one is correct?


title: Which is correct, "neither is" or "neither are"?

text: **Bob:** "Can I set the font color? Can I customize the text?" **Frank:** "Neither of these options is available. Sorry!" * * * Is "neither is" always correct or should one use "neither are" in some cases and what are the exact rules? I tried the googles and found a big mess of this-is-why-stackexchange-exists :P


title: "Neither Billy nor Suzy look" vs. "neither Billy nor Suzy looks"

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  "Neither is" or "neither are" Say you take a photo of Billy and Suzy, but they both end up looking funny. Would you say > Neither Billy nor Suzy _look_ like _themselves_? > > Neither Billy nor Suzy _look/looks_ like _themselves/himself/herself_? I'm confused because usually with singular subjects, I would use a singular verb, saying "Neither Billy nor Suzy _is_ coming to the party," but this sounds off when I refer to the subjects with a pronoun later in the sentence.


title: Which should I use with "neither/nor": "has" or "have"?

text: > **Possible Duplicates:**   >  Which is correct, "neither is" or "neither are"?   >  "Neither Michael nor Albert is correct" or "Neither Michael nor Albert are > correct"? In my sentence I mean to say that (both) original versions did not survive. I am not sure whether to use the **has** or **have** in the following sentence: > Neither the first nor the second version of the original, written in Latin - > the language of science at the time - have/has survived until our time Or should I use plural for versions? > Neither the first nor the second versions of the original, written in Latin > - the language of science at the time - have/has survived until our time


title: Is "either you or [third-person]" followed by a singular verb or a plural verb?

text: Or, put in examples: which of the following is grammatically correct? > Either you or your sister is going to have to do the chores. > Either you or your sister are going to have to do the chores. The second option comes off as really strange; am I right to say that the first is grammatically correct because "is" directly follows "your sister" as opposed to "you"?


title: "Neither of you understands him as I do"

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Which is correct, “neither is” or “neither are”?   >  “Neither Michael nor Albert is correct” or “Neither Michael nor Albert are > correct”? > Neither of you understands him as I do Neither of you (more than one) is plural. Why does it say _understands_ instead of _understand_? It was taken from Harry Potter, Deathly Hallows. Conversation between Voldemort and Severus. When Voldemort says "neither of you" he means Severus and Lucius. And "him" is Potter.


> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  "Neither Michael nor Albert is correct" or "Neither Michael nor Albert are > correct"?   >  Is "either you or [third-person]" followed by a singular verb or a plural > verb? If a noun phrase is made of two noun-like words that conjugate differently, then which conjugation do you use? Consider: 1) He nor I has...   2) He nor I have... "He" and "I" are connected with a conjunction. Between 1 and 2 which is correct? Are they both correct? Is neither correct?


title: "Neither is" or "neither are"

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Which is correct, “neither is” or “neither are”? Which is correct? > No, neither of these websites **is** biased as they give a wide range of > informative information without being one sided. > > No, neither of these websites **are** biased as they give a wide range of > informative information without being one sided. I am confused about the subject-verb agreement here.


title: Usage of the word 'adroitly'

text: Is it correct to say that a barkeep was _" **adroitly** pouring out drinks behind the bar"_? Something rubs me the wrong way here. Perhaps it would be better to use some synonym in this context? If so, which one?