title: Using articles before titles beginning with articles

text: What are the rules for the use of articles before titles beginning with articles? Which of the following sentences is correct?   1. I went to **the The** New York Times office this morning.   2. I went to **The** New York Times office this morning.   3. I went to **the** New York Times office this morning.   4. I am reading **a The** New York Times article.   5. I am reading **a** New York Times article. Are "the The" and "a The" grammatical? If not, which is the article that should be dropped? Or is it simply a question of style? According to Google, there are 90.3 million instances of "the The New York Times" on the Internet including 340,000 hits within the nytimes.com domain. I'm sure that there are plenty of false positives, but there are genuine cases too such as in the following sentence: > Writers from **the The** New York Times Dining section share Thanksgiving > memories.


title: Difference between chastise and lambaste?

text: Is there a difference between chastise and lambaste? When should one use chastise and when should one use lambaste?


title: Is the word “Galapagos” transferable into adjective and verb to mean “outdated, fossilized” in English?

text: We have a word “Gala-kei-ガラ携” which is an abbreviation of “Galapagos (shortened as Gala” and “mobile phone (shortened as “Kei”) meaning outdated mobile phone as opposed to advanced smart-phones in Japanese. We also call a person who sticks to old way of thinking “Galapagosu jin –ガラパゴス人.” Jin means people. I heard in this site that most nouns can be used as a verb as well. For instance, an aggressive restaurant waitress retorts the patron by snapping back "Don't you 'young lady' me, smart guy," to the patron's growl,"You listen to me young lady," in the episode (http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/culture/2014/06/lunch-at-gitlitzs.html) in the New Yorker magazine I quoted in my previous post, "What does “There she blows’” mean?" Is the word “galapagos” transferable into adjective (e.g. _galapagos mind-set_ ) and verb (e.g. _galapagosize_ ) in English to mean “outdated” or "anachronistic" in the same way as ‘fossil’ verbalized into ‘fossilize’? If it’s not transferable, what would it be the equivalent English word to “Garakei,” Garapagosu jin” and “Garapagostic bigotory?


title: Is 'much better' correct usage?

text: We say much is Positive degree and Better is comparative. How can they be combined?


title: Meaning of "classes meet at their regular times"

text: > Classes meet at their regular times, and we're able to attend as many (or as > few) as we want. — Source Does _classes_ in this sentence refer to groups of students or different lessons such as art class, math class etc.? If _classes_ means different lessons, is the word _meet_ used correctly since usually people instead of things are put before _meet_? Is "Meetings met at their regular time" correct?


title: On vs At with date and time

text: This must be a simple question for a native speaker. I know that we use "on" with dates: `I'll see you on January 1st.` And we use "at" with times: `I'll see you at 17:30.` But what preposition has to be used when we speak for date and time: `I'll see you on January 1st at 17:30.` looks ok. But what in this case: `It happened on 2014-01-01 17:30.` Is "on" correct when we are specifying the date and the time?


title: Why is this usage of "to" incorrect?

text: I am in communication with a friend who is learning English. I noticed her using "to" in the wrong context, but I'm unable to explain which rule she is breaking. > I can't access **to** Gmail.


title: Word for the point where you can feel the music throughout your body

text: When you are listening to music and you continue to turn the volume up, there is a certain point where you just sorta feel "full" of the music. It is a fabulous feeling. Is there a specific word for this? I thought nirvana may apply but I wasn't sure.


title: How to use “should” to express surprise and expectation respectively?

text: _The value should be zero_ can be read as two totally different meanings:   1. The value is zero, and we have expected that it would be zero.   2. The value is zero. But we have never expected that it would be zero. How to use _should_ to express surprise and expectation respectively like this case?


title: "Take the weight off your feet": offensive?

text: I kind of have the impression that the phrase, "take the weight off your feet," is offensive towards _fat_ people (sorry couldn't think of any **PC** terms). Is my impression correct? or have I just watched too many sitcoms? [I did try googling this - but came up with nothing!]


title: Adjective to replace "small" in "small part"

text: I am looking for the replacement for the adjective "small" as in "small part", e.g: > I am dedicating the small part of my article to.... which would not over-emphasize the fact of being small, but at the same time keeping it clear that it is not the major and most significant part.


title: Capitalization of the enterprise IT industry

text: I often find myself in the situation of wanting to capitalize the phrase "Enterprise IT" due to its frequency of reference as the title of my industry. It feels appropriate when I write: "In Enterprise IT ..."   "The Enterprise IT industry..." I would not be surprised if my capitalization is off here. Could one of you help me with a definitive answer to the argument?


title: Should ‘Ground Zero’ (site of old World Trade Center) be capped in all references?

text: Should _Ground Zero_ (site of old World Trade Center) be capitalised in all references?


title: Where does the word "totty" come from?

text: There's been a nice bit of totty on TV over the holiday period; that is attractive women. > girls or women collectively regarded as sexually desirable: But what is the etymology of the word? It's often used in "posh totty". Was it originally an upper-class term?


title: What is the possessive of "you guys"?

text: Most people seem to stumble over this. The problem can arise with any multi- word phrase that needs a possessive but ends in S, and so sounds awkward using the clitic apostrophe-S. I've heard this particular one variously rendered as:   * You guys'   * You guys's   * Your guys' / your guy's What's you guys...your...guises...what's your take on it?


title: Proper tense and form of questions

text: Would the following questions demonstrate a proper usage of English? Please, write thorough explanations. > Do you start understanding English songs? > > Are you starting to understand English songs? > > Do you start to understand English songs?


title: Fallacy vs Misconception vs Misnomer

text: Consider the following general statement: > Somebody with very little credibility is likely to win a debate. Given that the opposite is most likely true, how can we best describe the above statement? Is it a fallacy, a misnomer, a misconception, or simply a mistake? If I were to persist in calling this a fallacy, how appropriate would this usage be? I note that Merriam-Webster defines _fallacy_ as "a false or mistaken idea", which would surely encompass delusional statements like the one above.


title: Alternative to "Merry Christmas"

text: The common greeting for the new year is > I wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year. Since Christmas has religious roots, it may not be suitable for people who are not religious. Shortening the greeting to > I wish you a happy new year seems lame. What's a charming alternative?


title: when does the noun "time" become a countable noun?

text: I am writing an email to my friend and want to use this sentence: "I am having a great time." I would like to know whether the above sentence is correct. Also, I know that time can be an uncountable or a countable noun. I would appreciate if you could provide some examples of the word "time" in sentences and could explain the usage of the word in each case. Thank you, Mun


title: "On this occasion" vs. "during this occasion"

text: Which one is correct? >   1. I met my future wife on this very American traditional occasion. >   2. I met my future wife during this very American traditional occasion. >


title: What do you call this kind of entrance with a roof?

text: I have recently become fascinated in observing these "towers" used as a front- gate entrance for a house. Do these have any special kind of name? ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/2jaFT.jpg)   (For a slightly larger picture, click on this link) They of course vary in appearance, especially the styling of the roof (i.e., roof angle and material).


title: What is student discussion place called?

text: Is there any English (or in other languages) word for a place where students of different colleges discuss about activities (events, reputation) of their colleges/universities


title: Is it possible to say "ASAP" instead of "as soon as possible" when we speak?

text: Or is it just an abbreviation that should be written just on paper? I heard Al Pacino say " _asap_ " on the phone when he was talking with his friend. What about **pm**? Could we say **p m** instead of prime minister?


title: Capital letters in headlines

text: I’m not a native English speaker. I’ve noticed that in titles or headlines, many words often start with a capital letter while others are still lowercase. As an example, the title of my question would most likely be: > Capital Letters in Headlines I already found a solution on how it’s done, but I still want to know why.


title: How to refer to "streetlights" that are in parks and skating rinks?

text: I'm writing a novel, and the story is set in a roller rink. Similar to the one below: ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/OpQSR.jpg)   How to refer to the "streetlights" in the background? _Disclaimer: I'm not native English speaker._ (I would also like to know if the one in the picture is actually a skating rink).


title: Is it correct to use the word 'etiquettes' for plural?

text: One of my friends argues with me that the plural for etiquette is etiquettes and for fish it is fishes. I was taught since ever that etiquette is plural as fish does. To support his statement he showed some references of word "fishes" in novels and magazines, however, he couldn't find "etiquettes" anywhere that I would accept (www.morewords.com/word/etiquettes and wiktionary). The disagreement remained because in his argument, he says the word came from french where it is measurable/countable, so should be in English. My argument is that it is just a derived word and does not mean the exact same thing, etiquette in English is not countable/measurable. Or is it? If he is correct, may I please be provided with some solid references?


title: Why do certain words have the same type of spelling but different pronunciation?

text: There are words like 'but' , 'cut' etc pronounced in the same way, but 'put' is pronounced differently. _Put_ has the same structure as _but_ and _cut_ (One 'u' between two consonants). So why is it pronounced differently ?


title: Why do written English vowels differ from other Latin-based orthographies?

text: Written English vowels differ from other Latin-based orthographies. Consider what the written vowels in the romance languages represent. Also, for example, consider this simple comparision between a few German and English vowels:                German    English     -------------------      a = [a]   a = [e]      e = [e]   e = [i]      i = [i]   i = [aj]      Has this always been so? Is the pattern regular? When and why did the shift occur?


title: Are there rules of pronunciation for words in English?

text: I know that there is at least one language we can pronounce based on the word's form (Vietnamese) which means that once you know how to write it, you will also know how to pronounce it. But in English, are English words like Chinese words, meaning that we can't pronounce the word based on its form and we must know the sound of the word in order to pronounce it correctly ? (like Pinyin for Chinese). For instance, the word `read` you must know it's sound is `/ri:d/` in order to pronounce correctly.


title: Reason for ambiguous pronunciation

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Why do written English vowels differ from other Latin-based orthographies? I noticed that in English some words that have the same letters (except for the first), have a different pronunciation, like: > bat (short a) > > bet (same sound but shorter) > > let (same sound) or > me thee fee or > dog (long o) hot (short o) Is there a (historical?) reason for it?


title: "Brief" and "complete" — need an intermediate between them

text: Let's say you have some ideas and are going to share them on the Internet. You have a Twitter account, a blog and an ability to publish your thoughts in a magazine. You're writing three articles, all containing exactly the same information, but these articles differ in their level of detail:   1. The first is the shortest one, it's for Twitter. There are no details, so I'd call it a pretty **brief** article.   2. The second one is for your blog, it's several times longer.   3. And then the third one is pretty large, a couple of pages probably. It's well-detailed, so I'd call it a **complete** article. So, the question is — what's the right word for the case 2? Any other three words to reflect these differences also will do (these should be _single words_ , not phrases).


title: Word usage: Date before

text: How one can say that a date must happen before other date, for intance: > The X starting date should be prior to the Y starting date. Is this sentence idiomatic or there is another way of stating that ?


title: What does "jakery" mean?

text: I was listening to a New Yorker podcast and came across the phrase "jakery", referring to the White House Correspondant's dinner. What does this mean? A cursory scan of online dictionaries did not provide me with an answer, though the context seemed to imply "joking". The Urban Dictionary indicates that "Jakers" is a euphemism for Jesus, so that does not help much. There is an Irish cartoon named "Jaker! The Adventures of Piggley Winks" which may back up the Urban Dictionary's explanation, but seems a bit blasphemous for children's TV. Edit: full text (found on the site): _Three nights later, at the White House Correspondents’ dinner, he deflated Trump with stinging bonhomie. The truly astounding aspect of the dinner was not the political **japery** but Obama’s knowledge that, as soon as the weather in northern Pakistan cleared, his own black helicopters would ferry a crew of Navy SEALs to bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad._ Long and Short, Martha got it in one. It's still a new word to me, but at least now I understand it. Read more http://www.newyorker.com/talk/comment/2011/05/16/110516taco_talk_remnick#ixzz1Lz72WE7Q


title: A word to describe movie that shown only on internet

text: Is is ok to use the word "internet movie" for a movie that people have to pay money online and view only on internet, actually view only on any device that can connect to internet and play movie file. Example. The hirer agrees to hire the actor and the actor agrees to be hired as actor to play an internet movie. (hereinafter referred to as “The internet movie”).


title: Is it Sparsest or Most Sparse?

text: Is the superlative of the adjective _sparse_ , _sparsest_ or _most sparse_? Can both be used? If not, then which one is correct?


title: Word(s) for close family friends

text: There may not be anything better than in my title, but I have an idea I'm missing something. Is there a good way of expressing close friends of a family. The original and closest friendship may be with a generation now passed on, but a family-like relationship still exists. The best I can come up with is honorary aunt/uncle/grandparent, but that's a little specific.


title: Apostrophe or assume the possessive?

text: This question has divided the office into two camps. Camp 1 believes the correct way to indicate the relationship in this sentence is to use the client's name as a possessive, as in "When UltraGalactic's employees call the Customer Service line..." Camp 2 believes the apostrophe can be dropped because "UltraGalactic" is modifying "employees," and therefore the possessive is assumed. Frankly, I don't understand the uproar over typing two additional characters, but I'd appreciate your feedback.


title: How do you pronounce "macrame"?

text: I've heard a couple of pronunciations "macra **may** ", "ma **craym** ", " **ma** craym". So, which is the correct one?


title: What's the Australian or British way to say 'Ticket collector'?

text: I know Indians say ticket collectors while in Australia people are confused with this phrase. Please let me know how you would say that.


title: How to use "offset" when talking to a vendor?

text: I am having a problem with the word **_offset_**. This is what I'm going to type to my vendor: > If we do not receive your Statement of Account by 30 Mar '12, all payments > will be " ** _offsetted_** ". Is it OK to use _offsetted_ in this sentence?


title: How to express connection between several items

text: I want to express a connection from one thing to several other items in one phrase. Specifically, how can I correct the following paragraph: > Ghahremani et al (2013) showed that a significant negative relationship > exists between hindering factors, psychological, social, cultural, > managerial micro-scales, facilities, equipment and sport participation of > female teachers. to mean that there is a negative relationship between   * _"hindering factors and psychological, social, cultural, managerial micro-scales, and facilities and equipment"_ and   * _"sport participation of female teachers"_? Can "between" be used here or is there another way to say this?      May I also use "with" to re-phrase the above paragraph? e.g.   _..showed that there is a significant negative relationship between hindering factors and psychological, social, cultural, and managerial micro-scales, and facilities and equipment WITH participation of female teachers._


title: "Simultaneously" vs "concurrently"

text: Coming from a technical background I'm slightly confused. What is the difference between _simultaneously_ and _concurrently_? How do we use these words?


title: "Appear" followed by a verb: Necessarily a copula (linking verb)?

text: I’m wondering how I can structurally determine when a verb is being used as a copula and when it is not. Specifically, is the verb “appear” followed by a verb NECESSARILY a copula (i.e., linking verb)? One of my references (“An A-Z of English Grammar & Usage”, Longman, p.271), describes the following pattern for linking verbs: > > Other patterns typical of linking verbs > > (D) SUBJECT + VERB + TO BE + COMPLEMENT However, I cannot find a source that says that “appear” followed by any verb (such as in the following example) is always a linking verb: > Sarah appeared to have won.


title: Pronunciation of "loch"

text: How does one pronounce _loch_? I understand this is a term borrowed from the Scots. Dictionaries are not very helpful with the last syllable. What is the closest English mapping of _ch_?


title: Meaning of "long gone"

text: *The first artifacts were just wooden poles which have _long gone_ , but these were raised by men in times so ancient* I can't understand what "long gone" means here.


title: Why is "Good Friday" called "good", instead of sad or bad?

text: This Friday (Good Friday, April 22) is a day of sadness to the human kind. Then, why is it called _Good Friday_?


title: Why does Word not like this statement, "For each iteration"

text: Every time I type "after each iteration", Word tells me it has an issue with it. The specific issue is "Number agreement". What am I missing? My text is "XYZ must occur after each iteration."


title: Combined reference to multiple leave

text: Dictionaries(dictionary.com, OALD etc.) suggest that **_leave_** (absence from work) is a noun- uncountable, which means it has to be " **leave** " for plural. Also, searching SE to find Applying/earning/validating leave and What does the "leave" mean in "parental leave" and "unpaid leave"? did not help. The title I used might not be explanatory per se, I couldn't think of a way to better phrase it. I forwarded a combined leave request to my boss at work for several occasions at once. For instance, I requested for a casual leave on Friday, 6th July and Friday, 13th July and additionally a long planned leave from Wednesday, 25th July till Friday, 24th August. In reply, the approval e-mail read > Approved, forwarded **_leaves_** are granted. > > **N.B:** Please remain reachable on your cell phone and e-mail during all > your **_leaves_**. In my understanding, it should still be **_leave_** , but somehow **_leaves_** started sounding more correct as the reference was made to several instances of my **_leave_** (M-W illustrates an example and uses it for plural and wiktionary too). Is there a word " _leaves_ " for multiple instances of _leave_ if combined? Please quote a reference and any other usage. _**Edit** : added references which caused more confusion._


title: Should I use "software defect" or "software bug"?

text: The "bug" word seems to be so popular that it overshadows "defect" (in search results, in tags somewhere, even Wikipedia article is called "Software bug") despite of looking jargonesque. Is the word "bug" official term for this or it should be used only in informal occasions?


title: Has "segway" become an acceptable substitute for "segue"?

text: For a long time, I used the word _segway_ in relative contentment, as a useful word to mean "to transition to." As in: > We're getting off-topic. Let's segway to the next discussion point, shall > we? Then one day, and to my surprise, I was shocked, after making a comment on somebody's blog, to be haughtily corrected and informed that correct usage was actually _segue_, which apparently comes by the Italian _seguire_ , meaning "to follow." I was additionally told that _segway_ was a vulgar imitation used by know-nothings, a sort of word like _bonafied_ that instantly revealed one's class and relative ignorance. Wow! I had little doubt that the use of _segway_ was substatially bolstered by the hype and general pop-cultural awareness of Dean Kamen's famous flop, but back then, I'd always thought he'd fittingly named his vehicle after the word itself, and it was strange to me to learn that the Segway was in fact knowingly named after a corruption. On the other hand, this is a mistake I continually hear lots of people, even educated people, make -- cf. for example, whoever Joel is talking to at the 61st minute of the latest podcast. So has _segway_ become acceptable as a replacement for _segue_? Can _segue_ be considered all but dead? To be clear, as this is StackExchange, I'm not looking for, "ooh! I say it this way", and "no, I say it that way!" responses; I'm looking more for quantitative data, usage by established authorities (is the NYRB using _segway_?), and perhaps discussions from those who have written on this before.


title: Should I use "still" or "yet" in the following sentence?

text: > The atmosphere had relaxed a bit. Still/Yet, I couldn't stop thinking how > strange it was to watch my brother being insecure. Which on is the correct choice? I often get confused about which one to use. They seem interchangeable to me most of the time.


title: Word for "A person who has a busy life but still manages to do everything on time"

text: What's a suitable word for   "A person who has a busy life but still manages to do everything on time"? Thanks in advance.


title: Is "grammered" a word?

text: Can I get any details about the word _grammered_? Is there any relation between it and "grammatically corrected" or "grilled and hammered"?


title: What's the correct pronunciation of "epitome": "Epi-tome" or "Epi-tuh-mi"?

text: A friend said that epitome is pronounced as `epi-tuh-mi` and not `epi-tome` (with the tome like home). Who is right? Also, is the pronunciation purely dependent on the region where you learnt English?


title: 'of a kind prescribed'

text: > In civil cases, in the Queen’s Bench Division, there is a right to a jury > under section 69 of the Supreme Court Act 1981 if:   >  ...   >  3\. any question or issue **of a kind prescribed** is raised [but none has > yet been so prescribed]. Would someone please explain clause 3? I tried substituting of a kind but I still don't perceive it. Also, what's the meaning of prescribed here? What's being prescribed?   I guess that 'raised' is the verb for 'any question or issue'? Source: P153, How the Law Works, Gary Slapper


title: What does “We should feel a ‘proxy regret’ for someone / something” mean?

text: I was drawn to the usage of the word, “proxy” in the following sentence of the article introducing the life and work of Vivian Maier (1926 -2009), a street photographer who took more than 150,000 photographs in her lifetime, while working as a nanny approximately 40 years in Chicago. > Some tellings of Maier’s story suggest that perhaps we should feel a **proxy > regret** , that we should feel sorry about her solitude, her rages, her dark > edges, her impecunious existence. Shall we make her a martyr or can we allow > that she may have had the life she wanted? How did she see herself? We know > that she was looking at that, too—the copious self-portraits prove it. > http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/culture/2014/05/vivian-maier-and-the- > problem-of-difficult-women.html#slide_ss_0=1 CED defines ‘proxy’ as: noun.c.u. Authority given to a person to act for someone else, such as by voting for them in an election, or the person who this authority is given to. OED also defines it only as a noun meaning;   1. The authority to represent someone else, especially in voting.   2. A person authorized to act on behalf of another.   3. A figure that can be used to represent the value of something in a calculation. None of the above definitions seems to be applicable to the phrase, “feel a proxy regret.” Is ‘proxy’ in the above quote used as a noun or adjective? What does it mean? Is it like ‘a sort of’?


title: What would you call these people?

text: What would you call a person who searches around the block looking for useful & used stuff to buy? Also what would you call a person who sells stuffs that are no longer being used at home?


title: Where do I use (and not use) "that?" (not a vs. "this" question)

text: Given this sentence, the _that_ **feels** unnecessary: > If I believed that I were in a position to do so, I would. I find these seemingly spurious instances of _that_ working their way into my prose all the time. Another example where it seems unnecessary: > I've been around people so critical that I ceased hearing them. My question is: What is the grammatical basis determining where _that_ is appropriate in sentences like these?


title: "on Mondays" v. "on Monday" with the adverb, "always"

text: Are all of these correct?   1. I wash my car on Mondays.    2. I always wash my car on Monday.    3. I always wash my car on Mondays. I know #1 is correct, and it means every Monday. However, I'm not sure if #2 is correct. If we use the adverb "always," is it necessary to put the "s" at the end of "Monday"? I think for #3 the use of "always" adds emphasis to the fact that it is every Monday.


title: Is "at least" a parenthetical expression requiring commas?

text: Is this sentence punctuated correctly with no commas surrounding "at least," or does it need them? Why or why not? Adverbial phrase? Essential or nonessential? I have been looking at it too long and can't tell anymore! > Well, there was the one time at least the mother had him in the store. **N.B. This is a transcript of actual testimony in a court case being transcribed, so the wording cannot be changed.**


title: A single word for “blind” and “slow on the uptake”

text: We have a word _tiomny_ in Russian which has the meanings _blind_ , _dim_ , and _dumb_. Is there a word (possibly slang) in American English which is as close in meaning to both _blind_ and _slow on the uptake_?


title: "Assailant" vs "Attacker"

text: Besides sports in which an attacker is an offensive player, is there any difference between _assailant_ and _attacker_? > a person who attacks somebody I guess _attacker_ can also be used for animals but not _assailant_. Is there anything else or are they fully interchangeable when describing a person who physically attacks somebody else? Can both words also be used when talking about psychological attacks, like insulting, bullying, etc?


title: What does "count off" mean as a noun?

text: I looked up Webster, Oxford and some other sources and fund nothing for the meaning of "count off" in the followig sentence. > Each track on the CDs that accompanies the book is presented with an intro, > **count off** , occasional instructions and piano part. The track is > immediately followed by a version without **count offs** , instructions, or > piano.


title: Word which describes a thing which is to be considered

text: I'm after a word to use as a heading for a list of questions which need consideration. This list of questions is adhoc and will not be repeated - they are specific to a single document which, once it's served it's purpose, will never be reused. "Considerations" means something different, I keep coming back to phrases and am now suffering mental block. "Ponderings" seems to imply it is something that I've thought about but these items are things I want other people to think about. Phrases which describe the word I'm after would be things such as:   * Things to be considered   * Questions to be considered   * Things to be thought about My particular list is to do with a human resources issue and, having addressed various issues elsewhere in my document, I'm left with a residual list of questions which need to be considered such as:   * should ZHCEs accrue annual leave whilst taking annual leave?   * should ZHCEs be allowed to transfer annual leave across leave periods?   * under what circumstances should ZHCEs be allowed to take leave before it has been accrued? Any ideas?


title: What is the difference between "to oblige" and "to obligate"?

text: What's the difference between oblige and obligate? Speculating, is the latter an Americanism of the British former? Or is there any distinction about what/who has caused someone to be oblig(at)ed to do something?


title: "A less preferred approach"

text: I want to indicate that one approach to solve a problem is less preferred than another approach. How to phrase it correctly? Is it grammatically correct to state it this way? > Modeling x and y is a less preferred approach.


title: Good Job Yourself

text: Ray: Good Job, Ken!   Ken: Good Job, Yourself! "Good Job, Yourself" - is this one of ways to say "you too"?


title: Grammaticality of "I have a car, neither does Sara"

text: Can we say "I have a red car. Neither does Sara." or must we say "I have a red car but Sara doesn't."? I have read this on a website and they said that the first sentence is incorrect but I don't think the same so I need your help.


title: "In avoiding failure" vs. "For avoiding failure"?

text: > 1: In avoiding failure, we must be careful. > > 2: For avoiding failure, we must be careful. What are the subtle differences between the two sentences?


title: Is there difference between "go with" and "come with"?

text: There is no social shaming that comes with knowing nothing about our local politicals. (Joe Clein Column, Time Magazine, August26) Can I change "come with" into "go with" here? It seems to me that "go with" is too much used as an idiom to mean something essentially or normally goes together with something else. But here the author is just to negate any necessary relation between the two things. Is the difference between "come with" and "go with" based on, or related to, the difference between "come" and "go"? Maybe the difference between them is just a product of habit?


title: what does "harmony" mean in the context in Marshall McLuhan's global village video?

text: I found this interesting video here http://nickbogardus.com/post/10698767773/mcluhan-on-the-global-village > "The global village is a world in which you don’t necessarily have harmony. > You have extreme concern with everybody else’s business and much involvement > in everybody else’s life. It’s a sort of Ann Landers column writ large… huge > involvement in everybody else’s affairs. So the Global Village is as big as > a planet and as small as the village post office." > > Marshall McLuhan So my understanding is that "harmony" means every chord manages their own, while a global village everyone is connected. But "harmony" has another meaning, if everyone creates a sound by random it's likely only noise, everyone have to adapt specific sound patterns (e.g. the triad C-E-G ) in order to create "harmony". So in this sense, to create harmony, you do have to concern others. So is the word "harmony" used properly in the above video context? Or am I missing something here? Can anyone share more about the usage of "harmony" in daily English?


title: Reduced color or paint

text: When I apply less amount of paint, how is the resulting color (or paint) called? Reduced color? Mitigated color? Diluted color? Modified color? Limited color? Decreased color? In other words, when I literally put less paint on the paper (for example, by applying it in thiner layer or by making lots of tiny dots), how to describe it in one word?


title: Is there a single noun that describes "need not"?

text: There are four types of deontic modality, which can be expressed by the following modal expressions:   1. Can   2. Need not   3. Must not   4. Must Out of these, 1, 3, and 4 respectively corresponds to the following nouns:   1. Permission   2. ???   3. Prohibition   4. Obligation Is there a simple word that corresponds to type 2?


title: Wedding invitations in British English

text: I'm an American calligrapher living in France, designing a suite of wedding invitations for a Spanish bride living in London! Complicated enough? I can't really go to the bride with questions regarding traditional wording in the UK, though some quick google searches have shown me that in England they don't follow Emily Post's rules... Could someone help me with a few of these?   1. In America, one is invited to a _wedding_ , not a _marriage_. It would be possible to request the pleasure one's company at a marriage ceremony, or a celebration of one's marriage... but NEVER simply the marriage. I've searched and haven't found any real authority on the British English of wedding invitation etiquette, and so I thought I'd ask here. Many online purveyors of wedding stationery with .co.uk addresses seem to prefer "marriage" instead of wedding, though this seems grammatically incorrect...   2. I've always written out the date and avoided numerals for formal invitations-- "on Saturday, twenty seventh July, two thousand thirteen", but I'm seeing mostly Arabic numerals on .co.uk addresses (2013). Is this standard? Also-- the one example of a longhand date that I've seen on a UK site showed the year written as "two thousand and twelve". Two thousand twelve would be standard American, without the _and_. Can anyone clear this up for me?   3. the last line of the invitation, which mentions the reception venue: "and afterward at the Crescent Room" ---- I'm seeing "afterwards", which sounds awful to me, but is perhaps standard English?


title: "Roll" vs. "roll up"

text: Are these two verbs the same? According to Longman, they are the same. Here are some made up sentences: > I rolled this (up) into a ball.   >  Let's roll (up) our sleeves. (I made up these sentences just to ask if they could mean the same.)


title: Gold or golden nugget?

text: I can't figure it out. I've seen both been used, but a nugget is presumably gold, or can golden be used as well?


title: Is there a word for "re-parent"?

text: The definition for "parent" includes: > an ancestor, precursor, or progenitor. > > a source, origin, or cause. Is there a term that describes changing the parent of a child object to a different source, origin or cause? My first thought was "re-parent" or "reparent" but neither seem to be well accepted terms.


title: Why is “a” necessary before "Mr. X" and "Mrs. Y"?

text: There is the following sentence in the scene a reputed lawyer, Thomas Cohen gives advice to 16-year old client William Kane, the son of deceased bank owner on the issue of inheritance of his father’s property in Jeffery Archer’s popular fiction, “Kane & Abel.” > “Mr. Cohen continued. ‘The answer to your second question is that you have > no personal or legal obligation to Mr. Henry Osborne. Under the term of your > father’s will, your mother is a trustee of his estate along with **_a_** Mr. > Alan Lloyd and **_a_** Mrs. Millie Preston, your surviving godparents, until > you come of age at twenty-one.’" I wonder why it is **_a_** Mr. Alan Lloyd and **_a_** Mrs. Millie Preston. Here Mr. Alan Lloyd and Mrs. Millie Preston are too obvious to both parties concerned, and different from the case of being told by your secretary, "A phone from **_a_** Mr. Smith Brown.” What significance is added to by prefixing ‘a’ to the name in this particular case?


title: Word for "credit stealer"

text: While reading the novel "One night at call center", I came across this: > He's such a loser who steals credit of others. Viroom, we must teach a > lesson to this _credit stealer_. Now, I just want to know the synonym or a word to call people who steal credit of others, as in if a person A has done a task, but person B poses to the world that it was done by him and takes the credit instead.


title: The battery, etc., is (are?) included.

text: When “etc.” is used with a singular subject, such as in the following sentence, should the verb be singular or plural? > The battery, etc., is included.


title: meaning of - rite - at the companies names

text: There is bunch of companies that use `rite` at theirs names, like `Rite Aid` or `Shop Rite`, I was thinking about it like Right => Rite They looks like similar to pronounce, and you could think `Right Aid` or `Right Shop` but later on I found really meaning for `rite` that obviously makes the sense. So I wonder what's the right meaning:) that usually native speakers keep in mind when they think about `Rite Company`?


title: the function of the preposition "of" in a phrase ", those of the dynamic nature of,"

text: I'd very appreciate if somebody can help me understand the exact function of the preposition in the phrase between the two commas! > Everywhere we find the same leading motifs; the concepts of organization > showing new characteristics and laws at each level, **_those of the dynamic > nature of_** , and the antitheses within reality   >  (Bertalanffy 1952, recited by Golley 1993:33). (source)


title: Akward sounding paragraph

text: > The valves, **by way of the flaps** are able to control the flow of blood > through the heart because the flaps open and close during the contractions > of the heart. I think the bolded part especially, but also the sentence as a whole sounds a little bit awkward. Is their a way to make it more coherent?


Why does unremitting mean going on without interruptions? Here I think _un-_ means opposite. _remit_ means "send back". So _remitting_ means the action of _remit_. There seems no issue of whether interruptions are involved.


title: "Skim" vs "Scan"

text: I've looked up the words in a bunch of dictionaries and each one says something different. As I understand they're a kind of synonyms.   1. **I scanned the article for his name.** \- meaning, I read it quickly to find a his name?   2. **I scanned the article** \- meaning, there's no information about what I looked for but still I looked for something particular such as a name, not just I read it quickly ?   3. **I skimmed the the article** \- meaning, I just read it quickly?   4. **I skimmed the article to find his name** \- The structure of the sentence (mainly the prepositional phrase) comes into play and now it means the same as the first example? Am I wrong? They're just synonyms?


title: "with her" vs "to her"

text: Will it mean the same if I say: > I tied the knot with her. and > I tied the knot to her.


title: English equivalent of Greek saying

text: My Greek friend has told me a Greek saying, which roughly translates to: > The thief screams to frighten the landlord Effectively it means: _You are only making a fuss so that nobody accuses you, and you are the one who is guilty._ This seems like a very universal concept, and I was surprised to realise that I couldn't think of the English equivalent to this saying. Is there one?


title: What is a suitable word to describe a place where two rivers meet?

text: I've googled for a while and on some sites I've found the word "watershed" as the proposed word. Is it the word that best suits it?


title: Why would you write "ain't"? Isn't it a contraction only used in spoken English?

text: I often hear in English conversation or movies the contraction "ain't" (for "isn't"), but I am more surprised to see it in writing (and I am not referring to a novel, where I can understand its usage: convey common oral expressions in a text) See this question (on a technical forum) for instance:   "There ain’t `ListBox.SelectionMode=“None”`, is there another way to disable selection in a listbox?" Is it appropriate in that context (formal written technical question)?


title: Is there software that can determine whether I speak with a neutral accent?

text: I have a query regarding enhancing my accent. I am searching for a software in which I speak a paragraph and it compares my speech to find out whether it is accent-free or not.


title: Is using i instead of I for first person singular really bad?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Is it ok to use "i" in lowercase or should you always use "I" (uppercase)? Is using **i** instead of **I** for first person singular noticed as a bad syntax error or is it acceptable?


title: Is there a grammatical error in the following sentence?

text: There is either one or no errors in the following statement. > Every spring in rural Vermont the sound of sap dripping into galvanized > metal buckets signal the beginning of the traditional season for gathering > maple syrup. There are two things I don't see right, one of which is obviously the culprit.   1. Directly after "rural Vermont" [Shouldn't there be a comma after it]   2. "signal" [The subject is "sound" (singular), so the verb should end in an s. I'm more on the side of the second one rather than the first. Or there could be no error at all.


title: Are there any words in English that have a plural with a separate derivation?

text: There are some irregular plurals in English (child/children, goose/geese), but all of the ones I know of share the same root word. In some languages, there are some irregular pairs where the singular form does not have the same root as the plural form, such as in Russian (год/лет, человек/люди). Are there any such irregular plurals in English?


title: Is ‘toasty-roasted’ well-received English?

text: I found the word, ‘ _toasty-roasted’_ in the article of the Art section of Time Magazine reporting the reputation of the recently released movie ‘Cowboys & Aliens’ under the title, ‘Box Office: Why Cowboys & Aliens Got Smurfed. The corresponding lines read: > “A farrago of live action and animation directed by mixed-media master Raja > Gosnell (Scooby-Doo, Beverly Hills Chihuahua) and starring Neil Patrick > Harris as the main human, the Smurfs movie got _toasty-roasted_ by the > critics: a hapless 20% score on Rotten Tomatoes.” From the context of the above sentence, I (could easily) guess ‘get toasty –roasted’ means receive ‘harsh criticism or grossly underrated’ by the critics. If my interpretation is wrong, please correct me. Meanwhile I checked the exact definition of the word on both Cambridge dictionary and Merriam- Webster online, neither of which has registered ‘toasty-roasted.’ while the latter shows the definition of ‘toasty’ as ‘pleasantly and comfortably worm accompanied with the example - ‘The room was nice and toasty’ which appears to be remote from being 'toasty-roasted' to me. Is ‘toasty-roasted’ a popular English word? I’m asking this because I was unable to find the word in dictionaries available.


title: Failed Experiment?

text: Is it proper to use the phrase "failed experiment" at all? And if so, should it refer exclusively to experiments that had some ineluctable flaw in the process of their implementation or can it also refer to experiments that achieved the undesired result? This could have some bearing on the formality with which we interpret "experiment" as "scientific experiment", touched upon here, but my more basic question is the validity of calling something a "failed experiment": Does that imply that the act of experimenting _was itself_ a failure or that it _resulted_ in a failure. It would sound like the former, but I think the interpretation is often the latter.


title: is there any reason to write Computer Science, Department of

text: On some universities’ web pages, like Oxford university, they write: > Computer Science, Department of For me it is more intuitive to say: > Department of Computer Science Can somebody explain why a preference is given?


title: Where did the word 'dismantle' come from?

text: I know that _mantle_ has many different meanings... Noun:   * a garment (loose, sleeveless cloak/cape)   * something that covers, envelops, or conceals   * the part of the Earth between the crust and the core   * part of a shell in mollusks/brachiopods   * a wooden/stone frame around the opening of a fireplace Verb:   * to spread or cover a surface   * to blush   * to spread the wings and tail (of a hawk or falcon) over food So how did the word _dismantle_ *(to disassemble/pull down; to deprive of defenses)* come about? One would think that they are opposites!


title: Should I use "make" or "makes" in the following statement?

text: Should I use make or makes in the following statement: > Please explain why your experience and qualifications makes you the best > candidate for this position


title: American English Pronunciation of "o" sound long or short?

text: I'm always confused about how to pronounce words with letter _o_ in spelling. For example, in the word _boss_ , I always pronounce the _o_ as short o, when in fact it is long o. _Collar_ is short, but I always pronounce it the opposite way. What's the difference between words like _dog_ , _top_ , _caught_ and _cost_? /ɑ/ or /ɔ/ ? Are there any rules or law to decide whether to pronounce long o or short o?


title: Cleaning up / formatting verbatim quotations

text: Frequently, I have situations where I am in need of the ability to quote an individual who has written something verbatim that has some type of grammatical error. Although I would like to write it down verbatim, I do not want the spirit of the comment lost to the reader on the basis of an obvious grammatical error or short form. Here's an example: "lking forward to seeing more gbl etfs" Now, I know that this individual is saying "I'm looking forward to seeing more global exchange traded funds". However, this may not be clear to my reader without changing the text to reflect it. I've seen in newspapers, where they use some nomenclature "(...)","[x]" or rules for showing where they have changed a quotation in order to fit or clarify the quotation (most of the time, in context). My question is, where can I find these rules? What are they called? **Clarifying my Question:** I'm looking for rules for making the changes. I guess you would call it syntax. For example, how do you use [], (), ..., within a quotation to identify that a change has been made.


title: Collective noun for lightning(s) / thunderbolts

text: What is the collective noun for lightning(s) / thunderbolts? > A **____** of thunderbolts/lightning(s) Can we use the plural form of lightning with a collective noun? Or should it stay in singular form? For example: > The valleys of Grand Canyon were being struck by a **____** of lightnings > and rumbling like a giant open-air opera house with the following thunders. (Note: This would be a literary sentence than an everyday speech) ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/SCkx2.jpg) **Note:** A single lightning event is mentioned as a _flash_ and if it hits the ground or an object, it is mentioned as a _strike._ **Note 2:** Lightning is generally a mass noun but it can be used as a count noun also, especially in literary sense. OED has a definition for the literary sense as a count noun: > **_[count noun] literary_** a flash or discharge of lightning: _the sky was > a mass of black cloud out of which lightnings were flashed._ You can find literary usages in Google Books as well. Plural form was more common in 1800s and the usage has dropped dramatically but there are still some contemporary usages. ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/aBJ5e.png) Lightning is used in plural form in technical contexts also. Below are the examples from a technical book called "Lightning Physics and Lightning Protection" (by By Eduard M. Bazelyan, Yuri P. Raizer) also. > The statistics of flight accidents show that aircraft of identical size may > differ considerably in the capacity to excite lightnings. > > * * * > > The lightnings people observe most frequently are descending discharges, > which originate among storm clouds and strike the earth or objects located > on its surface. Thunderbolt is a count noun. **Note 3:** Below is a similar question asked before:   Collective Noun for Fire The difference between fire and lightning in the context of countability is that fire is also both countable and uncountable but both senses have a common usage.


title: Is it grammatically correct to say 'Simple stuff shouldn't feel like an achievement'?

text: I'm not certain if stuff can be used as a singular in addition to its plural use so I can't establish whether this structure makes sense. The context is: picking your keys up off the floor shouldn't hurt because of back pain, which would make it feel like an accomplishment once you pull it off.


title: Mainly, First, second, third

text: It is correct? > Reduction first in starch, second in glucose and fructose concentrations. from "first", I mean "mainly". May I use "mainly" and "second"?


title: How to deal with unknown plurality

text: I have just seen the following sentence fragment in some new internal technical documentation: > ... thereby meaning the Logging **thread(s) ha(s/ve)** less work to do. I've highlighted the part this question is about. This pattern appears a number of times in the documentation. While from a technical standpoint it makes sense as it enumerates all the possible permutations, it seems less readable to me. The target audience is technical but don't all have English as a first language so I would like to make it as easy to read/skim through as possible. What is the best way to deal with this situation? Always use the plural form? The singular? Something else? A little clarification based on some of the answers/comments so far: the application in question is multi-threaded and the degree of parallelism is configurable (so one to _n_ ). Also Logging was given only as an example. There are other parts that are equally capable of being parallelised, so answers shouldn't focus on the feasibility of multiple logging threads.


title: Origins of round in "round of applause"

text: A **_round of applause_** is a short period or burst of applause. What are the origins of the meaning of _round_ in this phrase, and indeed the phrase itself? Are there any other phrases that use _round_ in the same sense? I know of round of artillery and round of golf, for instance. For these phrases we might just as easily say an _artillery round_ or _golf round_ , but I don't think I've ever heard the expression _applause round_. So, do they have different meanings?


title: What is the abbreviation for "state"?

text: Obviously, when I go to Google this or search virtually anywhere I get a list of state abbreviations. But I'm curious, what would the proper way be to abbreviate the actual word _state_?


title: Is the phrase "by way of notice" an acceptable use of the idiom/expression "by way of"?

text: Oftentimes when I write emails to notifying co-workers of any planned absences I will say something along the lines of: > By way of advanced notice, I will be out of the office on Tuesday, April > 1st. Is this proper English? Is there a better way to say this? If this is improper, is there ever a valid sentence in which you could say "by way of notice"?


title: what is the difference between "hook up with" and "have sex with"?

text: I would like to know the subtle difference between _hook up_ and _have sex_. I'm asking because _hook up_ seems have a subtly different meaning than _have sex_ : in the situations I've heard this word it seems to mean sex without compromise, while _have sex_ is more general. On the other hand, the dictionaries say hook up = have sex.


title: Why is it incorrect to answer "because I have to finish my report by the end of this week" to the question "Why do you work so hard?"

text: I am working on an English book to improve my English skills and the book only gives the answer without explanation. The instruction is "Choose the best reply between A and B." Question is: Why do you work so hard? Answer A: Because I am only happy when I am busy. Answer B: Because I have to finish my report by the end of this week. In my opinion both answers are correct in term of grammar but answers B gives more clarity of the reason why I have to work hard. Am I right? If no, why?


title: Swim into the water

text: Is it correct to say "I swim into the water" as a synonym of "I dive"? Thank you


title: "Minutes of meeting" or "Minutes meeting"

text: What is the right expression, "minutes of meeting" or "minutes meeting"?


title: Can you use "say" to refer to things on the internet?

text: When referring to something you read on the internet, can you use "say?" For example, can you say, "he said it on a forum" when speaking about a message someone posted. Or does say only refer to spoken words?


title: Concise word for "common default but with individual appearance"

text: Imagine an editor with multi-language support. You’re able to open multiple documents at once, and the language of each document can of course be different to the languages of other documents. First of all, the editor itself has general settings which affect all documents, independent of language. For example, font settings or whether a status bar is shown or hidden. These I call “general settings”. Secondly, there are language-specific settings, such as indention or special features peculiar to each language. I call these “language settings”. Last but not least, there’s a third type of settings. At first glance, these appear to be applied across the whole editor again — that is, to all documents — but they really aren’t. They just determine the default look-and-feel for brand new or for newly loaded documents. The settings themselves can be changed individually for every document at any time. As an example, consider a split-view layout.1 If you regularly use this layout, you activate it by default, but in some circumstances you want to be able to deactivate this feature for the current document only. For the last type of settings, I’m looking for a concise word as header in the settings dialogue. On the one hand, these settings are _common_ or _ordinary_ , but this is too similar to the _general_ settings, and the slight difference might not be obvious. On the other hand, these settings are _default_ settings, but I’m not satisfied with _default_. For one, the other types of settings are to some extent also default settings, and for another (in my humble opinion), that designation is more appropriate to values of controls such as combo-boxes, for example. But not to settings. Finally, the last type could be named _document settings_ or _editor settings_. But again, how these particular settings differ from _general settings_ isn’t obvious in their respective names. So, I need a word (or phrase) which fits here. * * *   1. A split view is often used when using a declarative language, like XAML. You can change the code in one part of the view, while the other displays the actual look.


title: Usage of "eggheads and fatheads" in a sentence

text: Recently I came across this expression " _eggheads and fatheads_ ". I know the individual meanings of both the words. In which context should I use these two words together?


title: Common expression for "we haven't been spending much time together"?

text: Like a couple not spending much time together. The only thing I could come out with is "we've been a little apart," though I'm not totally sure whether it is common or not. Other suggestions?


title: Would this be considered a dangler?

text: Does this sentence end with a dangler? "He managed to remain happy about his work **despite being involved in a very dull industry.** "


title: What does it mean to "draw a line under something"?

text: The intuitive answer to me would be to "emphasize" something. This explanation seems different from others I've seen, however, that say it means to "finish something". Help on this?


title: Short phrase for something that is recognised but not identified?

text: I've had a long discussion with people on the differences between recognizing a face in a crowd ( _I know I've seen that person before_ ) and identifying the person you see ( _That's the waitress from the diner_ ). Is there a short phrase for those faces (or other objects) that you recognize but do not identify? For example, when watching a TV show I frequently know I've seen an actor/actress before but not where and certainly with no knowledge of their name. _Unidentified_ covers those I do not recognize as well as those I do. _Familiar faces_ works the other way in that it would also cover those I can name, but it is much closer to the sort of phrase I am looking for.


title: How offensive is to call a girl "Barbie doll"? Why?

text: I remember I had a conversation where I have told a girl she was Barbie doll. I just meant she looked beautiful like a Barbie doll: blond, and with blue eyes. Needless to say, she was really offended, and I didn't understand why at that time. Is _Barbie doll_ a euphemism of a bimbo- brainless beautiful woman?


title: Can "show-stopper" have a negative connotation?

text: If not, what word do I mean to use when I use "show-stopper" negatively? It seems that in high-tech culture a show-stopper is a development problem that prevents forward progress, or an unacceptable outcome. (At least in a non-english-speaking high-tech culture.) My wife called me on it this morning when I used show-stopper in this context. When I stopped to think about it, I couldn't think of the word or phrase I should be using that I seem to have confused with show-stopper.


Is there a word that describes a person who constantly exaggerates? Exaggerating both facts and their emotions? Edit: the word should have a negative connotation, as if you are criticizing someone for exaggerating too much.


title: Reading zero as O (fifteenth letter in English)

text: I am new in English and confused for the below. Somewhere I observed that the people are reading zero (0) as Oh (O).   Like Tel number E.g:. 0800 (Oh eight hundred).   Why? From where it is decided or can anyone prove that it is correct.   Please help, where can we use this form.


title: How should "midnight on..." be interpreted?

text: From what I understand, the word "midnight" is usually interpreted incorrectly. Midnight is written as "12am" which would imply that it's in the morning. Therefore, it should be at the start of the day. On the other hand, both Dictionary.com and the Oxford Dictionary define it as "twelve o'clock at night". Some examples:   1. "Midnight on the 10th of December"   2. "Midnight Thursday"   3. "Midnight tonight" are usually interpreted as:   1. Straddling the 10th and the 11th of December   2. Straddling Thursday and Friday   3. Straddling today and tomorrow but should they technically mean:   1. straddling the 9th and the 10th of December?   2. straddling Wednesday and Thursday?   3. This is much less clear. Technically is there a midnight "tonight", or is midnight "tomorrow morning"? **What do you think? How should "midnight" be interpreted?**


title: Definition of Sin

text: Prior to reading Langston Hughes Salvation, I defined sin as something that you have done wrong. But, in reading Langston Hughes essay, it used sin to mean something like not believing in god. So, my question is whether **sin means the first, second or both of the definitions**.


title: What's the real meaning of this part of a poem?

text: It is a part of a poem by Ntozake Shange. > i live in music   >  live in it   >  wash in it   >  i cd even smell it   >  wear sound on my fingers   >  sound falls so fulla music   >  ya cd make a river where yr arm is &   >  hold yrself   >  hold yrself in a music What is the meaning of "I cd"? Thank you


title: What does RO mean?

text: English is not my mother tongue and now I am reading a financial article about the banking industry in Vietnam. In it a line says the following: > This Section focuses only on the commercial banks which consist of State-run > banks, joint stock banks, joint venture banks, foreign bank branches, and > **foreign bank ROs**. I now wonder what an RO is. Does anybody know what an RO in this context is? All tips are welcome!


title: What is the difference between "dominant" and "predominant"?

text: What is the difference (in meaning) between "dominant" and "predominant"?


title: Less formal synonyms for "barred"

text: > Nobody but guards on duty were allowed inside the building itself and > outsiders were _blank_ from the compound altogether. The only words I can think of for _blank_ are _barred_ or _forbidden to enter_ both of which sound a little too formal. Any advice?


title: A name for a 'food and drink' tour

text: One recent trend in Europe when choosing a tour or a short holiday is to organise it with the main purpose to go to places where you can taste fine wines and enjoy good food ( especially local and fresh). Is there a proper name for this sort of tour?


title: Are/were these strings of decorative colourful triangles known as "dags"?

text: There is an English word "dag" with various senses divided up into various etymologies. This question is about just one particular sense having this definition on Wiktionary: > A hanging end or shred, in particular a long pointed strip of cloth at the > edge of a piece of clothing, or one of a row of decorative strips of cloth > that may ornament a tent, booth or fairground. From this description it seems "dags" must be these, which I've known since childhood but never thought about what they might be called until recently:   ![photo of a string of dags?](http://i.stack.imgur.com/BwKme.jpg) From the Wikipedia article where I found this image, I've learned they are also known as "bunting", though bunting comes in many forms and this might not be the prototypical one people would think of first. As an Australian I have to say I am very familiar with two other senses of this word and this question is not about those, so please don't answer about these:   * Wool dirty with feces around a sheep's backside.   * An unfashionable or socially awkward person. I'm only specifically asking about the one sense that seems to fit the picture and the Wiktionary definition. **Can anybody verify that "dag" is in fact a term referring to the decoration in this photo?** I would expect evidence to come from a large and/or old dictionary or encyclopedia, but perhaps also an illustrative sentence. It may be regional and/or no longer used. Here are some more photographs I found via Google, but which I don't believe are free to include due to copyright, so I'm only providing links to them: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.


title: If- conditional construct using future events

text: A friend invited me to his summer house later this summer, so I told him I would if it doesn't overlap with my plans. This is how I stated it: > I’d come, if it doesn't overlap with my scheduled trips. I have a trip to > South Korea tentatively planned for the end of August. Please advise.


title: What's the difference between "should" and "could" (in the present tense)?

text: I am not referring to _could_ as a past tense of _can_ What is the difference between the following sentences? > You should do it.   >  You could do it.


title: "Go to the country", "go to the countryside"

text: I'm a non-native speaker of English. A lot of people say although you would say 'I went to the country,' meaning 'I went to a rural area,' you wouldn't likely say 'I went to the countryside.' Is this true? Addendum: They say 'the country' is a location whereas 'the countryside' is the scenery or landscape, and that that's why you normally wouldn't say 'go to the countryside.' However, some insist that a few people, if not many, nonetheless say it. Addendum2: I was just wondering if 'go to the countryside' was used. Could I conclude, then, reading all your answers and comments, you could say 'go to the countryside' if you meant 'go into the beautiful rural space'?


title: What does "wound up" mean in this case?

text: What does "wound up" mean in this case? And is it treated as adjective? In _The Magician's Nephew_ from C.S. Lewis's Narnia series: > "Alright, I have then," said Digory in a much louder voice, like a boy who > was so miserable that he didn't care who knew he had been crying. "And so > would you," he went on, "if you'd lived all your life in the country and had > a pony, and a river at the bottom of the garden, and then been brought to > live in a beastly Hole like this." > > "London isn't a Hole," said Polly indignantly. But the boy was too **_wound > up_** to take any notice of her, and he went on "And if your father was away > in India - and you had to come and live with an Aunt and an Uncle who's mad > (who would like that?) - and if the reason was that they were looking after > your Mother - and if your Mother was ill and was going to - going to - die." > Then his face went the wrong sort of shape as it does if you're trying to > keep back your tears.


title: vocabulary question: manners vs. mannerisms

text: > "It is a good mannerism to reply for a message". Is this sentence right? If so then why? Which one should be used in the above line — "good mannerism" or "good manners"?


title: Single word for "women lover"

text: Is there a single word for "women lover"?


title: Asking for an estimate

text: Let’s say I am to remodel my kitchen and need a price estimate from a store. What are my options expressing this in writing, in a more formal way? Quote of tender, tender offer, bid?


title: What does the phrase "I have but one claim to fame" mean?

text: I would appreciate if someone could explain the meaning of the phrase "I have but one claim to fame". I understand every separate word, but the meaning of the whole phrase is fairly obscure to me, as I am not a native speaker.


title: "Chalice" vs. "goblet"

text: Is there a difference between _chalice_ and _goblet_ , other than (maybe) religious connotations on the word _chalice_?


title: English term for pre-thinker?

text: I was searching for an English translation for the German _Vordenker_. Basically a person, often a scientist, who began or further significantly developed a new concept or theory by contributing epoch-making publications or comments. Translation services give out expressions that have more the connotation of thinking about actual future events or things to me, e.g. innovative business ideas/products or future studies. But _Vordenker_ doesn’t imply thinking of future actually, rather new ideas outside of current paradigms. Also _Vordenker_ is in my opinion especially used in a historical or biographical context, as you can only judge his influence retrospectively (e.g. times cited). **A lot of scientists in German wikipedia are described as _Vordenker_ in the first sentence while there seems to be no common english term in the english wikipedia.** _Thought leader_ has a too imperative character. _Forward thinker_ implies to me thinking of future itself. _Key figure_ is too inexact. _Visionary_ means someone with new ideas, which possibly never have come true in retrospect. _Pre-thinker_ sounds like awkward & uncommon English. Is there a better known expression? Or what would be a good one regarding above constraints? * * * **Update:** See how german.SE thinks about appropriate synonyms http://german.stackexchange.com/questions/2337/whats-a-synonym-next-to- vordenker-vorreiter-freidenker-pionier/2344#2344


title: Punctuation of eye dialect

text: Suppose you have a sentence which concludes with the eye dialect _somethin'_ for the word _something_. Where does the period go? Which is correct? > This is really somethin'. > > This is really somethin.' It seems to me that the apostrophe is part of the word, and hence attaches to it as opposed to the sentence. Thus, I'd put the period after the apostrophe. The second construction looks like an error, with mismatched quotes.


title: Examples of Ancient Brythonic words in modern English?

text: So, from a cursory understanding of English history (and I am very happy to say that) I was able to, one might note that the cultural history of those who lived in England might proceed: >   1. Britons who spoke Brythonic >   2. Romans who spoke Latin >   3. Angles, Jutes, Saxons, et. al. (Anglo-saxons) who spoke various > Teutonic dialects >   4. Normans (ironically, from the same stock as the former, but trained in > French) > My guess (and correct me if I'm wrong) is that the Latin influence in English was more to do with the Church and the Normans than it was to do with the Romans directly, but I was wondering if there are words which may be shown to be direct descendants of the ancient Britons' tounge?


title: Can "shavelings" be used to refer to Asian monks? Or it only refers to Occitental shaven-headed church man?

text: Can "shavelings" be used to refer to Asian monks? Or it only refers to Occidental shaven-headed church men? Can a shaven-headed civilian be called a "shaveling"?


title: Meaning of the phrase "for the rest of us"

text: What does the phrase _"for the rest of us"_ mean? I am coming across this one a lot recently. I googled to find its meaning, but with no luck. For example, from Startups for the Rest of Us > Welcome to Startups for the Rest of Us, the podcast that helps developers be > awesome at launching software products. Whether you’ve built your first > product or are just thinking about it. Also "The iPad Review For The Rest of Us" and "Functional Programming For The Rest of Us"


title: What difference does using 'had' make to those two verb tenses, and if so, what is it?

text: What is the difference between _if I had studied_ and _if I studied_? Can you provide an example of when one usage would be more appropriate than the other?


title: Does use-mention distinction warrant breaking conventions?

text: Does use-mention distinction sometimes warrant breaking the following capitalization and punctuation conventions?   * American convention recommends placing punctuation within quote marks.   * Sentences should begin with a capital letter.  What is the proper way to deal with the quoted parts in the following sentence? I would usually write: > There’s a typo in the third paragraph. “through” should be “thorough”. But might these other options be the right way? >   1. There’s a typo in the third paragraph. “Through” should be “thorough”. >   2. There’s a typo in the third paragraph. “through” should be “thorough.” >   3. There’s a typo in the third paragraph. “Through” should be “thorough.” > The above could be fixed by placing the words in italics. If the typo included a punctuation error, I would be inclined to write: > There's a typo in the third paragraph. "I waited," should be "I waited.". Using two periods around the end quote seems wrong, but without them, maybe an American would interpret it as a suggestion to just remove the comma in "I waited,". These questions seemed related, but not quite what I was looking for:   * What's the rule for punctuating quoted words or phrases? (suggested to follow convention)   * Quotes and Punctuation (only dealt with punctuation, break convention to follow standard technical usage)


title: Proper usage of pronouns

text: As an ESL student, sometimes I wonder whether I use too many pronouns. For example: > She grabbed her purse, she took some money and then she went to buy some > groceries. After that she returned happily with a lot of things she bought. Can it be changed to something like this? > She grabbed her purse, took some money and then went to buy some groceries. > After that returned happily with a lot of things she bought. When can you get rid of the pronouns without losing the sense of the person or object you’re referring to? Where can I get more information about this?


title: Single word for "in connection with"

text: Is there a single word to express "in connection with"? Example: > He experiences many troubles [in connection with] this problem.


title: Equivalent of "false alarm" in a positive context

text: Is there an equivalent for "false alarm" in a positive context? For example imagine everybody is waiting for a miracle to happen, after a while someone says "hey! the miracle happened" and then everybody finds out it wasn't true. **EDIT:** From Oxford dictionary: Alarm: an anxious awareness of danger. So false alarm is linked to announcement of a danger, that turned out to be false. I'm looking for an equivalent, if there is any, for mistakenly announcing something hopeful and positive.


title: Single word for "faraway places"

text: I'd like to know whether there is a single word for "remote, distant places" in no allegorical sense, but with a positive undertone.


title: Implication(s) of “Though you wouldn't think it”

text: (This question arose because on some other SE many of us tried to translate this expression. It turns out it was not so easy, and it would certainly help if we had a better grasp on it.) I believe this expression can be used with two different purposes, but I might be wrong. Am I right to assume it can be used:   1. a. To express a doubt about a given hypothesis: > Some say they are professionals, though you wouldn't think **it** from the > way they acted. b. Or sometimes to doubt about the legitimacy/value of an hypothesis: > It turns out they are professionals, though you wouldn't think **it** from > the way they acted.   2. To warn about (or notice) a possible prejudice: > They truly are capable, though you wouldn't think **it** from the way they > acted. ? If I'm right, the difference is perceptible because in cases 1. a. and 1. b. the hypothesis is weakened whereas in case 2. the hypothesis is strengthened. Also, in the light of a related question, it seems that no difference of meaning arise directly from a choice between pronouns **it** and **that** to refer to a main clause. However my feelings tell me that **that** could a better fit for the 1st purpose (especially case b.), and might help to disambiguate when the context fails to do so. Any comments or further light on the matter would be appreciated!


title: How to use "pickpocket" as verb

text: Is it correct to use the verb _pickpocket_ before the item being taken from someone's pocket? > Pickpocket a pouch of gold Or can you only use _pickpocket_ before the person whose item is being taken? > Pickpocket a tourist


Does "whether or not I should..." sound awkward? How would you say it then? For example: "He stood me up three times in a row," said Alice angrily. "Now I wonder whether or not I should go out with him at all!"


title: What does "snap your caps" mean?

text: In Barry Manilow's version of "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" what does "snap your caps" mean? > Is it Elton? Is it Billy? Is it Sting perhaps? > > Oh you’ll never ever get it, don’t **snap your caps**.


title: Natural Spillover

text: I came across this term while reading a passage. Hers is a short extract from it: > Bernard Bailyn has recently reinterpreted the early history of the United > States by applying new social research findings on the experiences of > European migrants. In his reinterpretation, migration becomes the organizing > principle for rewriting the history of preindustrial North America. His > approach rests on four separate propositions. > > The first of these asserts that residents of early modern England moved > regularly about their countryside; **migrating to the New World was simply a > “natural spillover.”** Although at first the colonies held little positive > attraction for the English—they would rather have stayed home—by the > eighteenth century people increasingly migrated to America because they > regarded it as the land of opportunity. Secondly, Bailyn holds that, > contrary to the notion that used to flourish in America history textbooks, > there was never a typical New World community. For example, the economic and > demographic character of early New England towns varied considerably.   1. What is the meaning of the term "natural spillover" as used in the sentence? From my understanding, it can either be related to expansion or it can be related to expenditure (As the last line relates to economy)   2. from the second paragraph i could understand that the ''New world' refers to north america's community? Is this correct?


title: Difference between "public relations" and "human relations"

text: The other day I was looking at the various job positions in the newspaper just for my knowledge and found that a few companies had _public relations_ officer post and some had _human relations_ officer post. What is the difference between the two? Why give a different name when they seem the same?


title: If someone is "playing horse with you" why are they either teasing, ridiculing, or perhaps flirting with you?

text: Why does a horse and the activity of "playing horse" describe one who is teasing, ridiculing, or even flirting? The survey of College Words and Phrases by Eugene H. Babbitt published in 1900 lists the expression to play horse with and the many meanings of it including to tease, to ridicule, and to flirt. I'm curious to know if anyone has any ideas as to how "playing horse with" became associated with these meanings?


title: Reason for the current trend to use «she» as the gender-neutral pronoun?

text: There are some questions on gender-neutral pronouns both here and on Writers. User Christine Letts writes: > In academia, there is currently a movement toward using the feminine pronoun > at all times. I wonder why that is. I came across several examples on papers I read, but the only one I can remember at the moment is a book: Seth Godin's Linchpin. While some might not be comfortable labeling it as part of academia, it suits my point perfectly. Every time he refers to a person, he uses the feminine pronoun. This strikes me as (sigh) affirmative action. This is as sexist as the reverse, and should be frowned upon by more enlightened English Language users, who should know better. User Senseful writes the following, potentially identifying affirmative action as the precursor for this trend. > I remember reading somewhere that it was recommended to use the opposite of > what most people stereotype the profession as. So, for example, when talking > about a chiropractor, you would use "her", and when talking about a > secretary, you would use "his". So, where do you think this trend comes from?


title: Given “a player” as antecedent, when should the pronoun be “he” or “she”?

text: I am learning game theory. I always see that professors write (in text books):   * a player chooses her strategy    * If she chooses a strategy Also some professors use _he_ instead of _she_. There other names also like _player_ , but I forgot about them now. How can I know when to use _she_ versus when to use _he_ in these situations?


title: She/he to refer a user

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Reason for the current trend to use «she» as the gender-neutral pronoun?   >  Can the feminine pronouns be gender-neutral?   >  Is there a correct gender-neutral, singular pronoun (“his” versus “her” > versus “their”)? Programmer here. I am confused with the usage of the term "She/he" when referring a prementioned and undefined user. Below is a sentence found from MSDN magazine: "When the user decides to create a new customer, **she** must fill in the data entry form in Figure 2." I myself use the term "She/he" is this context, since without mentioning both can be regarded as gender discrimination, and placing 'she' before 'he' is respecting the ladies. So, can I just use 'She' in this context, that will save some typing.


title: Should I answer the phone with “Mr. Beltz’s office” or “Mr. Beltz’ office”?

text: How would you pronounce the following when answering a phone for a boss whose last name is _Beltz_? Some people are saying _Mr. Beltz **’s** office_, pronouncing the extra _s_ , and someone else thinks you should just say _Mr. Beltz office_. Which one is it?


title: “To have to” vs. “should”

text: I wonder which one to choose here: >   * My father **should** drive carefully when it’s raining. >   * My father **has to** drive carefully when it’s raining. >


title: Why does owl-eyed mean intoxicated?

text: The _Survey of College Words and Phrases_ by Eugene H. Babbitt published in 1900 lists the word _owl-eyed_ to mean _intoxicated._ Any ideas as to why an owl-eyed person is an intoxicated person?


title: Indian-English usage of "Kindly"

text: I have noticed that the word "Kindly" is used a lot by some Indians speaking English as a second language. Does anyone know the origin of this?


title: What term can I use to express the delay between two connecting flights?

text: What term can I use to express the delay between two connecting flights in the following situation: I fly down to one airport and wait there without exiting until I take another flight to reach my destination.


title: Connotation of "proud"

text: Does the word _proud_ have a bad connotation? I want to use 'proud+something' as a company and website name but I'm not sure what connotation it can have.


title: What is the plural form of "weremoose"?

text: From The Kingdom of Loathing: > The Pretty Good Escape Subject 37, in the Cobb's Knob Menagerie, wants some > spit from one of the weremooses on Level 2. He also wants to know the right > way to pluralize "weremoose."


title: "TV": is it formal or informal?

text: I would definitely say that the term _TV_ is informal (while _television_ is formal), however I have found "TV" in some formal compositions.


title: Word describing 'not content with small achievement, but working hard to achieve higher level'

text: I am looking for a single English word which describes the mental quality of being not content with small achievement, but working hard to achieve higher level. For example, an artist who is not satisfied with winning a prize or fame, but focusing on his art of work and trying to discover a new way of impression and inspiration in his work.


title: What is the longest palindrome word in English?

text: I want to know what the longest palindrome word is.


title: How do I write "all-in-one" correctly?

text: How do I write "all-in-one"? Should it have capital letters? Should it have hyphens? I have done some googling, but I have not found a consistent result.


title: "I'd be a * if anything" meaning

text: What does "I'd be a * if anything" mean exactly? Examples: #1: > Let's see, I bought a Phenom 1 motherboard, and two Phenom II motherboards > recently. Can't remember how many between 486 and the FXs I bought. I've > probably owned more AMD motherboards than Intel, so personally, **I'd be a > fanboy of AMD if anything**. #2: > He didn't know me personally and just assumed things and I felt more like > **I'd be a slave than a team member if anything**.


title: Synonym for "main topic" (of a book)?

text: I have a book that is divided in 5 main topics. What would be a good synonym for "main topic", in a formal document? **"Main theme"** or **"Main subject"** would be better? Also, if I wanted to replace "main", what should I use? I want to stress how "vital" these topics are.


title: Connexion pronunciation & verb

text: > Connexion is the original and variant spelling of "connection", common until > at least the 19th century, and still occasionally used in British English > (it was the house style of The Times of London as recently as the 1980s). It > is derived from the Latin connexio, hence the spelling, unlike most words > ending in "-ction" which are derived from Latin words ending in "-ctio" > (e.g. "protection" from protectio). 1) How do we pronounce the above word, _connexion_? Like connection, its successor can be pronounced as con-nek-shun, how can we pronounce _connexion_? perhaps con-neg-zhun? And if it is the same as _connection_ , then why so? the spelling and origins are different. 2) How do we pronounce its verb, _connex_? (But is connex even the verb of connexion?) Like connection's _connect_ can be pronounced as con-nekt, how can we pronounce _connex_? can it be con-neks? or simply con-nekt, but there is no sound of _k_ or _t_ in the spelling. Lastly, as British English user, is it acceptable to use this word as a substitute to _connection_ in formal English or is it completely taken over by _connection_?


title: When should I use "by" in present participle?

text: I often encounter a problem when writing sentences in mathematical contexts, where one "does something" in order to "obtain something." These sentences typically have the form "using _X_ , one can do _Y_ ," where generally _X_ is a mathematical rule or function, and _Y_ is its result. I never know if I should put "by" before the present participle. I have this problem mainly with the verb "using," but this is not the only verb that gives me trouble. Here are some examples:   * (by) using Theorem 2, one can prove that...   * We obtain the result (by) expanding the function ...   * (by) differentiating w.r.t. the 2nd variable, we obtain ...   * (by) taking the integer part of F, one can compute...


title: Is 'quiescing' a valid word? What does it mean?

text: What does _quiescing_ mean in the following context? > Quiescing a Database http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/B19306_01/server.102/b14231/start.htm


title: How best to write this sentence. Grade | Mark | Score related

text: I'm trying to figure out how best to write that I've been awarded for obtaining the second best (is it better to say _highest_?) grade|mark|score. I'm talking about the final grade|mark|score of a degree (not of a single exam), which is represented by a number instead of a letter. So far I've been writing "Award for the second best mark", but not sure whether it's correct or may be improved.


title: Less vulgar synonyms for "circlejerk"

text: Someone asked in the Math.StackExchange chatroom what a "more refined word for circlejerk" might be. UrbanDictionary defines this (in our desired usage) as: >   * [...] pompous, self-congratulatory discussion where little to no > progress is made. > >   * A group discussion or activity between like-minded individuals that > validates mutual biases or goals in a non-confrontational environment. > >   * Sometimes used to describe an internet forum thread where forum members > all give each other kudos (Or rep where a rep system is present) for some > non-event that has occurred. > > I guess it's related to "intellectual masturbation" or "echo chamber" but these don't quite fit the bill.


title: What's the rule for writing sentences with parallel clauses?

text: I've sometimes seen very nicely written sentences that have 2 clauses: the first is a full sentence, while the second, which is supposed to have a similar structure, was shorten into a special structure. Something like this: "A1 use B1 to do C1, and A2 B2 C2." For example:   * "My brother goes to school by bus, and I by bicycle."   * "I'm going to the supermarket to buy a can of milk, and you the hardware store a hammer." I'm not sure if these are even grammatically correct or not, but just to show what I mean. Does this kind of sentence structure have a name? What are the rules? Please forgive my English as I'm a non-native Engineering-based speaker. EDITED: I've managed to find one sentence: "The winds will blow their own freshness into you and the storms their energy, [...]". Here, "and the storms their energy" was very nicely written. I'd like to know more about how to write such a sentence.


title: Using If as a question word

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Is the question mark misused in affirmative sentences? Is it correct to use "if" in this way? > I want to know if I can borrow your car?


title: Question marks at the end of declarative sentences

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Is the question mark misused in affirmative sentences? I often see declarative sentences ending with question marks, like these: > I tried your solution but it didn't work? or > This seems to be easy but I'm out of ideas? , assuming a request like "could you help me please?" or "what to do with it?" but not expressing it explicitly. Is it standard English grammar?


title: If you can be "discombobulated", is it possible to be "combobulated"?

text: I've often heard the word "discombobulated" used. But I've never heard of something being "combobulated", and it's not in any dictionary I've looked at. If "combobulated" is not word, where did "discombobulated" come from?


title: How can the word 'priori' be used?

text: I am only familiar with 'a priori', such as 'a priori conditions'. Now a friend uses the word as follows: > "the supremacy of nature and the priori and inevitability of death and of > history." I do not know if maybe they mean 'priority', or maybe they mean something esoteric and beyond me.


title: Just how offensive are the terms "retarded" and "gay"?

text: My college-age son and his friends use the terms "retarded" and "gay" pretty much interchangeably to mean substandard, bad, lame (in the sense of ineffectual or weak) or just plain wrong. I've suggested that he might want to be careful about where he uses such language, but he clearly isn't worried about being offensive with those terms. Now add this to the equation: Last night we watched a recorded version of Comedy Central's "A Tribute to Sam Kinison." Comedy Central censors a lot of words, including names of body parts (although, curiously, they let "dick" remain unbleeped), terms for sex acts, and so on. And we could clearly see that the word "retarded" had been bleeped (it's a very easy word to lip-read). Note that Comedy Central does not censor the word "nigger" on the Dave Chapelle show, although this is a word Jon Stewart goes to great lengths to avoid saying on his own show (also, of course, on Comedy Central). So I wonder: is the word "retarded" really _that_ offensive? How about "gay" in the context described above? **UPDATE** From an Associated Press story (Young Jaded by Online Slurs) reported in the Boston Globe today (Sept. 21, 2011): > WASHINGTON - Young people immersed in the online world see racist and sexist > slurs and other name-calling that probably would appall their parents and > teachers. And most consider it no big deal, a poll says. > > ... > > When the question is asked broadly, half of young people surveyed say using > discriminatory words is wrong. But 54 percent think it’s OK to use them > within their own circle of friends, because “I know we don’t mean it.’’ And > they don’t worry much about whether the things they tap into their > cellphones and laptops could reach a wider audience and get them into > trouble. > > ... > > Demeaning something with “that’s so gay’’ is so common that two-thirds of > young people see it used, and the majority aren’t offended at all, despite a > public-service ad campaign that tried to stamp out the anti-gay slang. > > A similar effort by the Special Olympics and others to persuade kids not to > use “retard’’ hasn’t hit home with half of those surveyed, who don’t find > the word even moderately bothersome. Twenty-seven percent are seriously > offended, however. > > Some teens just text the way they talk. Calling each other “gay’’ and > “retarded’’ is routine in high school, says Robert Leader, 17, a senior in > Voorhees, N.J. So teens text it, too.


title: different usage of the word "only"

text: What is the difference between the following sentences? Basically, I would like to understand how the meaning changes with the usage of _only_ in each of them.   1. He **_only_** speaks English.    2. He speaks **_only_** English.   3. He speaks English **_only_**.


title: Present Participle(adjective) vs Progressive tense

text: Mangoes are refreshing. An adjective form is needed here. But "auxiliary verb" + " verb-ing" act as progressive tense. It may imply that mangoes are refreshing(something, if transitive OR even if intransitive, they are just refreshing). So is "refreshing" acting as an adjective here. If yes then is it not violating the general concept of "auxiliary verb" + " verb-ing", acting as progressive tense? Definitely, "refreshing" is not a gerund here.


title: A use of "should"

text: I don't get to understand the meaning of "should" in this sentence. > She stared out of the window with her lips pinched together, and it seemed > quite natural that the rain should have begun to pour down in slanting lines > and splash and stream down the window-panes. Does that mean the same as "the rain had begun to pour down"? If so, is this use of "should" common in everyday speking? I didn't get to find a site that describes that use of "should."


title: What is the difference between "job" and "work"?

text: When is it better to use "job" and when "work"? For instance I am writing text on the logo saying "Still do your job manually? Then ask us to help you." Is it correct to use "job" here or "work" is more suitable one? Why? What is the general rule of using these two words?


title: Is "Why Steven Sinofsky is out at Microsoft" correct?

text: The title of this _Ars Technica_ piece reads: > Why Steven Sinofsky is out at Microsoft Concretely, I'm wondering why (if) "out at" is correct – I initially thought "out of" would be the correct option.


title: Englishman or English man?

text: Which group is correct (in British English)? Is there any difference? And which group do you use? Group 1 (the one I use)   1. English man, English woman, English men, English women   2. Irish man, Irish woman, Irish men, Irish women   3. Scottish man, Scottish woman, Scottish men, Scottish women   4. Welsh man, Welsh woman, Welsh men, Welsh women Group 2 (from the dictionary)   1. Englishman, Englishwoman, Englishmen, Englishwomen   2. Irishman, Irishwoman, Irishmen, Irishwomen   3. Scotsman, Scotswoman, Scotsmen, Scotswomen   4. Welshman, Welshwoman, Welshmen, Welshwomen I am not a native speaker and I would like to know if what I use is wrong or less correct.


title: keeping maiden name after marriage

text: If a woman keeps her maiden name what is the proper way to address her? Mrs, Ms, or Miss? I have seen it done multiple ways, but am unsure what is the proper way.


title: How to best express synchronous/asynchronous in layman's terms?

text: I want to express in a description of **personalized language instruction** that some activities are **synchronous** , i.e. require a person-to-person meeting in realtime (e.g. in person, telephone, video-chat, texting) but other activities are **asychronous** , i.e. each person can complete communication on his own time (e.g. e-mails, website posting, dialogue journals that are exchanged, reading articles, correction of texts). Instead of " **Synchronous Activities** " and " **Asynchronous Activities** ", which are **technical** and require too much explanation, what are two other terms that would communicate to anyone the sense that the first group requires two people to be available at the same time, and the second group does not? None of these are satisfactory:   * "Meeting Activities" and "Non-Meeting Activities" ("non-meeting" is awkward)   * "Same-Time Activities" and "Different-Time Activities" (awkward)   * "Shared-Time Activities" and "Own-Time Activities" (awkward)   * "Meeting Activities" and "Personal Activities" (maybe)   * "Interactive Activities" and "Non-Interactive Activities" (maybe, but asynchronous activities can still be interactive [e.g. a dialogue journal that is passed back and forth])   * "At-Meeting Activities" and "Out-of-Meeting Activities" (ok, but I don't want the second group to be defined as the negative/opposite of a meeting)   * "Meeting Activities" and "Independent Activities" (this seems to be the best so far) **What 's the best way to express "Synchronous Activities" and "Asynchronous Activities" in a way that anyone immediately understands the above meanings of the terms?**


title: What does "hedgy" mean?

text: I think I just heard the word "hedgy" (rhymes with "edgy") used in conversation, with the deduced-from-context meaning of hesitant or tentative. It was something like > The news came in but everyone in the capital was a bit hedgy. I looked it up in the usual places but did not find anything. Is this a word? Does it mean what I think it means? Does it have something to do with hedging one's bets?


title: What are games with phrases used by English speaking people?

text: What are word-games used by English speaking people? Mention any! Links to online games or descriptions are welcome! Context of question: something similar to How would an Englishman join “Awake and awkward” into one word?


title: Mnemonic for remembering how to spell "mnemonic"

text: It is ironic that the name of a mental device which is supposed to make our lives easier is itself so hard to spell. Is there a mnemonic for the spelling of _mnemonic_?


title: "Oath" vs "pledge" vs "vow"

text: Oath, pledge, and vow: What is the difference between these words and where should I use each word? A simple example would help me to understand.


title: "If there were" vs. "if there was"

text: I saw that there were already examples on this, but I didn't find any specific enough. My problem is this sentence: > If there were anything that he didn't want, it was to hurt me. I previously had the sentence written as: > If there was anything that he didn't want, it was to hurt me. But both seem a little awkward to me.