title: Daycation vs overnight trip

text: Is a _daycation_ the same as _an overnight trip_? Do they refer to the same amount of time for a very short holiday?


title: Interjection said to a fisherman/angler for good luck

text: In some other languages, there are interjections said to a fisherman (especially to an angler) for good luck, **other than "good luck!" itself.** Is there any in English too? * * * I suppose, "good luck" is a common expression for this but I thought there might be a special expression for this occasion as well. I recently read about **"Tight lines!"** also but never heard it before. Do you know anything about this expression?


title: What's the deal with "thank you kindly"?

text: Other questions on this site have established that _kindly_ can be used as a sort of _please_. This usage was in my mind when someone said "Thank you kindly" to me, but "thank you please" doesn't make sense. However, characterizing one's own thanks as kind also sounds unlikely. The actual usage appears to be the sixth definition by Dictionary.com: > **kindly**   >  **6.** cordially or heartily: _We thank you kindly._ However, I still have questions. Is this usage of _kindly_ only used with _thank you_? How did this usage occur?


title: How to phrase a sentence with reference to "Least Superlative"?

text: For instance if I have two younger sisters, named Alice, and Becky, for example. How do I describe the sister who is not youngest, but the _other_ younger sister? Becky is my youngest sister. Alice is my next youngest sister? Least Young? Sister of penultimate youngness? It gets worse if I have a third sister (Carly), whose age is between mine and Alice's. Now I need to refer to not only the sister who is older than Becky and Alice, but younger than I am. Or is there no succinct way to express this? I tried to explain this concept to a French teacher once, but struggled to express it in English, and it's bothered me ever since. Edit, to clear things up. I'm male. There's 3 sisters, and one brother.


title: Difference between "drop on by" and "drop by"

text: I first learned _drop on by_ from this news. > Longhorn Aquatics was hosting its New Year's Classic, and Lance Armstrong > decided to **drop on by** and hop in the pool. What is the difference between _drop on by_ and _drop by_? What is the meaning of _on_ here?


title: What's the logical opposite to "onboarding"?

text: When you have a lengthy process after hiring someone, you call that the "onboarding" process. Is the term "offboarding" correct for a lengthy end-of- contract process? Or what would that be called?


title: What is a difference between "what if" and "if"

text: My English teacher asked me what's the difference between _what if_ and _if_ last week.   I can't search anything about that. What only I know is _what if_ is a question sentence. And _if_ is a general(?) sentence. Is it related with class word (a part of speech)?


title: History of the words "conservative" and "liberal"

text: I’m curious in the history of political parties of the USA. Initially in 1861 Abraham Lincoln was the first President to represent the Republican party which has always been stated as conservative yet, their parties policies seem very liberal in the modern usage of the word. Also the Democrats had mainly represented the south which today is considered quite conservative. This seems to have switched with the JFK vs Nixon election in 1960, where the Democrats represent the north while the Republicans tend to represent the south. While the Republicans still stay a conservative party and the Democrats still liberal. My question is, did these two definitions change, and if so how does something like this happen?


title: What's the origin of the phrase to "do one"?

text: The phrase to "do one" — essentially an insult meaning to "do a disappearing act" (if the Urban Dictionary's definitions* are anything to go by) — seems to be a fairly recent phenomenon. Where did it come from? Is there any particular usage of it (such as by a celebrity or on a TV show) that led to it gaining traction? *warning: some of the definitions contain expletives


title: "Feeling well" adverb ambiguity

text: Am I just crazy, or is there some ambiguity in the phrase "feeling well"? Example: Billy has a genetic defect that causes him to lose sensation in his fingertips every few days, or so. "How are you feeling today?" is a question that Billy might answer in such a way as to indicate the quality or degree to which he can feel.


title: Origin of "he's 6 feet tall if he's an inch"

text: I have heard this pattern used before in American English: > She's 6 feet tall if she's an inch. > > It was a gallon of blood if it was a drop. > > The baby was 10 pounds if it was an ounce. I understand that it means something like, "She is 6 feet tall, which is very tall." But this to me is such a bizarre and illogical way of conveying the message that it's distracting, and I cannot get myself to say it even if it comes to me. Anyone know the origin of this, or can breathe some reasoning into this phrase to justify its appreciation?


title: A perfect (honest) pangram that is understandable for a regular native user?

text: Pangrams were pure wordplays, that because of IT has become a nice tool to test keyboard and fonts, assuming they are easy to remember and short. Therefore perfect pangrams are so nice: you don't need to repeat any character (with the exception of the space). I've looked on the list of pangrams and I've noticed that most of them are either not perfect or are heavily using acronyms, initials, own names etc. (which I call not "honest", because it's a bit cheating). Those "honest" looked like a gibberish for me: > Jink cwm, zag veldt, fob qursh pyx However, those are real English words, only I doubt a bit, a regular native speaker would understand them. So 2 questions arise: 1) Are such pangrams as above understandable for a regular English native speaker? 2) If not, are there any others that would be perfect, honest (no acronyms, exotic own names etc.) and written with commonly known words? Just to give some context, the Polish perfect pangram > Mężny bądź, chroń pułk twój i sześć flag. would be understood by any native speaker, and it makes perfectly sense (be brave, protect your regiment and six flags). It's a poetry masterpiece, you can say.


title: "seem" or "seem to be"

text: I searched for similar questions within a website, but ended up with one without a solution. Which expression is correct or better? Both sound weird to me. >   * The solution **seems** missing. >   * The solution **seems to be** missing. >


title: Microsoft Word's "fragments"

text: Microsoft Word loves underlining things I am typing with a green squiggle. Now sometimes it gets it right, as just now it found a mistake > also know as which should be > also known as But one thing which I find rather annoying is its labelling of sentences as "fragments". Here are two which it catches: > Things of this sort. > > Bad timing though. I am rather puzzled where this strong objection to fragments arose from. They seem quite normal parts of English to me. What does anybody else think? (PS I don't need answers telling me how to switch off the grammar checker etc, I can do that already).


title: Slash in the years

text: Can we use slash in the phrase "over the two periods, 2000/01 and 2001/02"? If not, what is the appropriate punctuation in this case?


title: Term for phonological elements of a dialect

text: A dialect encompasses various traits of a group, including vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation (phonology). Is there a common term specifically for the phonological elements of a dialect? I’d like to ask another question about those, and I’m wondering whether there is a more succinct way to refer to them. The specific context I’m thinking of is the way people typically have a different “dialect” when they sing, but generally only pronunciation-wise. I’d like a way to refer to that kind of “dialect” without using scare quotes and then explaining at length exactly what I’m talking about. For a related example, people often change their vocabulary to suit the occasion, and we call that kind of “dialect” a _register._ I’m wondering whether there’s an analogous term for phonology.


title: "Any" vs. "anything" — are these answers the same?

text: Could you please tell me if these sentences are correct and the same? > How much luggage do you have? > >   1. I don't have any. >   2. I don't have any luggage. >   3. I don't have anything. >


title: Can a question "ask" or "request," or is this an action that only humans can do?

text: Is it appropriate to say, for instance:   1. _This question asks for advice._   2. _This question asks about dogs._   3. _These questions request help._ Or are the acts of _asking_ & _requesting_ actions that only humans can do?


title: Usage of "rather than to"

text: I don't know if "rather than to" is correct or if there is a better turn of phrase: > Note that our aim is to show [...] rather than to run [...]


title: Alternative to "In real time"

text: Is there a better alternative to "in real time"? For example: > People tweet in real time. > > People tweet _live_. [seems kind of unnatural to me]


title: "One way would be" vs "One way will be"?

text: What is the difference between "One way would be" and "One way will be"? Can both of them be used for future actions?


title: What's the difference between "It won't be soon" and "It won't be soon enough"?

text: I have heard this expression "It won't be soon enough" quite often, in fact more often than simply "It won't be soon". I wonder if the word "enough" in the first one adds some additional meaning to the phrase. I haven't been able to detect any difference in meaning between the two. Perhaps I am wrong, but according to my observations, "enough" seems to go along well with "be", while dropping "enough" seems to be more common for other verbs, for example, "It won't happen soon", "It won't arrive soon" and so on.


title: Is “There was not a problem” ok?

text: Is “There was not a problem” in common use? Example: > I tried to test the device and there was no problem with it.


title: Is there a tense issue in this sentence?

text: The garbage bags slipped from her hands, crashing to the ground.


title: Back flap of an envelope

text: I am wiring a letter for a company and it said it should be signed at the back flap. Can anyone tell me what the back flap of an envelope is?


title: What does “load the case” mean?

text: New Yorker December 15 issue carries the review on the recently released comedy, “Young Adult,” written by Diablo Cody, directed by Jason Reitman, and starring Charlize Theron as a heroine. It reads: > “The movie was shot not in Minnesota but in White Plains and central Long > Island, which only reinforces the point that so much of the country looks > the same, feels the same. But are Cody and Reitman too clever by half? _Have > they loaded the case_? They don’t produce anyone (besides Buddy holding his > child) who gives a damn about anything.” As I didn’t get the exact idea of “Have they loaded the case?” I tried to find its definition online. Neither of Cambridge nor M-W online dictionaries registers ‘load the case.’ OED registers ‘load the base’ as baseball terminology meaning ‘fill the bases,’ but not ‘load the case.’ Google Ngram shows an undulant usage pattern of ‘load the case’ peaking in circa 1940. What does ‘ _load the case’_ mean in the above sentence?


title: Original Meaning and Derivation of "Ever and Anon"

text: A question posted today asks about the Use of “ever” in non-negated sentence, and one answer happens to mention the phrase "ever and anon." That phrase, with the meaning "occasionally or repeatedly," goes back at least as far as Shakespeare, who writes in _Henry IV_ (act 1, scene 3): > And 'twixt his finger and his thumb he held/A pouncet-box, which ever and > anon/He gave his nose, and took't away again. But did "ever and anon" always carry this meaning? The meaning isn't intuitively obvious to me from its components because, in this setting, I think of _ever_ as meaning "always" (though in other situations it can mean "at least once") and _anon_ as meaning "soon" or "later." If not, what was the original meaning of the phrase? If so, how did it emerge from the separate meanings of _ever_ and _anon_?


title: Referring to two sections

text: What is the proper way to refer to two sections in a single sentence (in a scientific text)? In particular, should I use the word _section_ twice, or should I use _sections_. If I use _sections_ should I capitalize it? For example: > We discuss this issue in **Section 4 and Section 9**. > > We discuss this issue in **Section 4 and in Section 9**. > > We discuss this issue in **Sections 4 and 9**. > > We discuss this issue in **sections 4 and 9**.


title: If trinity means 3 in one, what's the word for one in one, 2 in one, 4 in one, 5 in one?

text: Just curious. Christians have this trinity doctrine. What if, after extensive research, Pope discovers that we have 5 "monotheistic" Gods rather than 3, for example. What would the doctrine name be?


title: 'Evening' and 'morning' in use as greetings

text: This is more a historical question than one on the usages themselves. I'm interested in the history of the truncated forms of "Good morning" and "Good evening..." specifically, when people started greeting one other simply with 'morning', 'afternoon, and 'evening', why they did so, and even where they were first used. I would presume it was due to laziness, but details are always helpful... and, of course, I would appreciate some citation, as confirmation is never a bad thing.


title: Is "So far as concerns something" the same as "So far as something is concerned"?

text: The following excerpt is from an article of Harry Frankfurt who is a professor from Princeton University: > Especially by pretentious word or deed: There are two points to notice here. > First, Black identifies humbug not only as a category of speech but as a > category of action as well; it may be accomplished either by words or by > deeds. Second, his use of the qualifier “especially” indicates that Black > does not regardpretentiousness as an essential or wholly indispensable > characteristic of humbug. Undoubtedly, much humbug is pretentious. **So far > as concerns bullshit** , moreover, "pretentious bullshit” is close to being > a stock phrase. But I am inclined to think that when bullshit is > pretentious, **this** happens because pretentiousness is its motive rather > than a constitutive element of its essence.   * I know that "so far as something is concerned" is an idiom which means " in considering something". But what does "so far as concerns bullshit" mean? Is it the same as "so far as bullshit is concerned" which means "in considering bullshit"?   * I am not sure what "this" in bold refers to. Is it "when bullshit is pretentious"?


title: How do you pronounce 'news'?

text: My coworker and I have been having this discussion for a day or two... What is the most correct way to pronounce 'new' or 'news' ? Does it rhyme with 'few' ? or 'snooze' ? Does 'new crew' rhyme? I know both 'noo' and 'nyoo' are correct, but what are the origins of the two different pronunciations? Asking around the office, it seems that 'nyoo' might have a British English origin, but I would like to know if anyone is more knowledgeable on this topic.


title: Is there a specialized term for intellectual people who do not care about their own physical comfort?

text: Someone told me that there is a medical/psychological term describing people who are mostly centered on their intellect and who do not care much about their physical comfort. That person could not remember the term though. I thought about autism, but it is not this word. Are you aware of such a word?


title: Are uncountable nouns singular?

text: Is the following correct ( _those_ referring to the uncountable noun _information_ )? > If SO reports on that information, what are the metrics on those? Or should it be the following? > If SO reports on that information, what are the metrics on that? Or perhaps simply > If SO reports on that information, what are the metrics? Context.


title: Opposite of anthropomorphise

text: To anthropomorphise is to ascribe human features to something, such as an animal. Is there a word that means the opposite, namely to deny a feature exists in an animal because it is assumed to be uniquely human? For example, some would see it as anthropomorphising to say a dog misses its owner. How would you describe it when it is said a dog can not miss its owner as animals do not feel emotions?


title: What does "go figure" mean?

text: Sometimes, people use a colloquial phrase of "it figures" or "go figure", which is kind of an acknowledgement of the correctness of a fact, or something like that. It's also sometimes abbreviated even further to just "Figures" or "Go fig", depending on the speaker. Examples of the phrase in context: > **It figures** , this site doesn't have a question about this phrase yet. > > **Go figure** , the answer was right under my nose the entire time. What is the origin of this phrase, and what exactly does it mean? What is being figured, and into what?


title: Post Question To

text: If Craig wrote a question on an online forum and the question was intended for Larry: >   1. Craig posted a question to Larry. > Should the part "to Larry" modify "a question", or "posted"? In another word, should sentence 1 be interpreted with "a question to Larry" acting as a single unit: > Craig posted [a question to Larry]. or should sentence 1 be interpreted like this: > Craig posted to Larry a question. ?


title: Meanings of “take it easy”

text: The phrase “take it easy” has several different meanings, and it's not always easy to tell between them from context. I'm referring specifically to the standalone phrase (grammatically, an imperative), not to the use of the verbal expression in general.   * — I'm going on a holiday. — Take it easy for a week, you deserved it. _(the usual verbal meaning)_   * — I'm leaving, bye. — Take it easy. _(≈ “have a nice time”)_   * — I'm going to hit someone. — Hey, take it easy, man! _(≈ “keep your cool”)_ What clues can distinguish the friendly use (have a nice time) from the reproachful use (keep calm)? Are there other meanings to consider? Are there regional variations?


title: How is the sentence "The symbol % is used to represent percent" read?

text: I have three sentences in my math textbook that use the symbol _%_. >   * The symbol % is used to represent percent. >   * Usually denoted by the symbol %. >   * Most calculators have a key with the % symbol that will help you solve > or check percent problems. > Am I supposed to replace "%" with the word "percent" in all three?


title: Word that means "able to be prioritized" suitable for scientific publication?

text: I'm looking for a single word that means "able to be prioritized" that is suitable for use in a scientific paper. "Prioritizable" is essentially what I want, but in my searching this does not appear to be an actual word. (Definitions are from crowd sourced, not authoritative sources.) Since it is my understanding that it is generally bad practice to use such non-words in scientific literature, I'm looking for a suitable alternative.


title: What is correct: still to be/continue to be/should be/must be?

text: I want to build a sentence referring to the past, present and future:   1. The Bible was, and continues to be, instrumental in spreading God's message to mankind.   2. The Bible was, and should still be, instrumental in spreading God's message to mankind.   3. The Bible was, and must still be, instrumental in spreading God's message to mankind.   4. The Bible was, and still to be, instrumental in spreading God's message to mankind.   5. The Bible was, and is still to be, instrumental in spreading God's message to mankind. which one is more correct? Please don't hesitate to come up with a totally different sentence but with a similar meaning. Thank you in advance.


title: in minds or in mind

text: Is it correct to say "What do you (more than 1 person) have in **minds**?" or we should say "What do you have in mind?". If both of the sentences are correct, which one is more idiomatic?


title: Word for someone who engages in transgression because it is transgressive

text: I'm trying to communicate the difference between an iconoclast (someone opposed to and intent on destroying established icons) and someone who engages in transgression because it is transgressive. Forbidden fruit, etc. For the first, destroying the icon is a victory, for the second, a disaster. Is there a single word for the second person?


title: Is there a word for answering a question with a question?

text: I am aware that answering student questions with further, leading questions is sometimes dubbed “Socratic,” but I am asking more broadly about all occasions where someone asks a question and, instead of an answer, receives another question in response. Has a word ever been coined to name this phenomenon?


title: Parsing of a compound noun with many words

text: How should I understand this phrase: "threat analysis model", which means:   * An analysis model of threat, or put in parentheses: (threat(analysis model)   * A model of threat analysis: (threat analysis (model)) If it has 4 words: "threat analysis modeling tool", then:   * Is it: (threat (analysis (modeling (tool)))   * Or: (threat analysis) + (modeling tool)   * Or: (threat) + (analysis modeling) + (tool)


title: Grammar: "I know right"

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  What does “I know, right?” mean? Is the expression "I know right" grammatically correct? I hear it a lot and I think I understand what it means, but it just sounds wrong to me.


title: Symphonic vs. symphony

text: Is there any clear line between a _symphony_ and _symphonic_? For long, I thought that a symphony was simply a "song" played by a symphonic orchestra. Then I realized that more often than not, the ensemble is actually also called _symphony_ orchestra. As a lot of this terminology is used on pages from all around the world (often translated by non-native speakers), I'd like to get some final clarification from an educated native speaker. Will you? And to make the question complete, speaking of an ensemble, is there any difference in meaning in the following (and are they all equally correct): _symphonic, symphonic orchestra, symphony, symphony orchestra, philharmonic, philharmonic orchestra_ (I know that most orchestras will have their "standardized" English names but speaking of a general classical orchestra, are all the terms identical?)


title: The "only...but" problem

text: In an effort to clarify my quandary, is it appropriate to use this statement to give condolence: > I know you were only trying to help. Or, does _only_ imply that _you did more harm than good_? It feels like it does. My confusion is that the statement, > I was only trying to help. does not imply that _I was only trying to help, but I admit that I caused harm_.


title: Origin and scope of "cruft"

text: I just had to look up "cruft" (jargon for software or hardware that is of poor quality), as used in a comment to an earlier question. But I can't find any details of etymology, and I don't know how often it's used outside the superfluous source code that has yet to be removed context. Can anyone help?


title: Does "quite sorry" sound common to you?

text: Phrases like " _so sorry_ ", " _very sorry_ " are commonly seen, but " _quite sorry_ " sounds odd to me. At first I thought it might be because " _quite_ " doesn't usually go with words representing negative meanings. for example, " _quite good_ " sounds common to me, yet " _quite bad_ " somehow sounds off (maybe I would say " _not quite good_ " instead). I know there's nothing grammatically wrong with " _quite sorry_ ", so I'ld like to know how others feel about the word " ** _quite_** " going with words representing negative meanings. Thank you!


title: The word "was" to not use in writing, dont use the word was

text: My english teacher told me to get rid of all "was"s in my essay and to replace them. I did it even though it seemed a bit difficult to re-write all my sentences. When writing essays is the word "was" bad? Or it's just him? To be honest, some of the sentences did sound better without the words. He gave us a list of words to refrain from like "was, is, are, were, be , been and being."


title: Batman vs. Maxwell Smart. Who said, "Good thinking, ...!" first?

text: Recently, I've come across the catchphrase, " _Good thinking, [name/noun]!"_ three times on ELU. The first was in a question referring to Terry Pratchett's catchphrase " **Good thinking, that man!** " 1 The second was FumbleFinger's answer where he affirms that the former is a homage to the popular American catchphrase, **Good thinking, Batman!** Made famous in the American TV cult series, _Batman_. The third, I happily stumbled upon myself and posted in “Definite ninety-nine” - UK English meaning. The catchphrase is taken from an American spy sitcom, called _Get Smart_ about two secret agents; Maxwell Smart, Agent 86, and his beautiful and intelligent female partner, Agent 99. The series, devised by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, was responsible for coining a multitude of catchphrases, one of which was: **Good thinking, 99!** ## Data _**Get Smart**_ was broadcast between 1965–1970 but despite my cursory attempts, I couldn't pinpoint the year the catchphrase was actually launched. _**Batman**_ appeared on television screens a year later and ended its run in 1968. According to Wikiquote the phrase **Good thinking, Robin!** was used in season two, episode 27. (At least that's my understanding) Established the fact the catchphrase, " **Good thinking!** " originated in the US, and its popularity became worldwide thanks to the exportation of American TV shows in the 60s and 70s. I would like to know:   * Who said it first, _Batman_ or _Maxwell Smart_?   * Was there an earlier TV or radio show with the formulaic catchphrase: Good thinking, + (name)+! anytime in the mid/late 50s?   * Finally, what about Australia? Were either of the catchphrases popular during the 60s? I also recall reading on the Internet that _Good thinking, 99!_ is still being used there. Is that true?


title: Can I replace the following verbs with more appropriate ones?

text: > A creaking metalic sound came from the door, awakening Erin. She raised her > eyes and looked to the front. Someone was opening the elevator. Erin waited > expectantly for a moment, and after a few **pulls** , the door **clanked** > open. I pretty sure I should be using different verbs instead of _pull_ and _clank_. But I can't think of any. The first should refer to "applying force with a lever" and the second to "opening a door with a loud sound".


title: "Large amount of calories" vs. "high amount of calories"

text: Is it more typical to say that there are a _large amount_ of calories or a _high amount_ of calories? For example: > Chocolate cake contains a high/large amount of calories.


title: "I saw him crossing" vs. "I saw him cross"

text: > I saw him crossing the road.   >  I saw him cross the road. Which one is correct and why?


title: In the armpit or under the armpit?

text: Which is the right thing to say? >   1. Put the thermometer **in** the armpit. >   2. Put the thermometer **under** the armpit. >   3. Put the thermometer **under the arm**. >


title: "You gotta love xyz": What is the formal version?

text: "You gotta love xyz" is an often a sarcastic (and colloquial) way of pointing out a preference/like for something. Is there a more formal way to express similar sarcasm when describing a preference/like?


title: Is this correct English? What should one do when you're supposed to have *two* punctuations at *one* position?

text: > This is the first sentence of which ground-breaking document: > > "The importance of a Web page is an inherently subjective matter, which > depends on the readers interests, knowledge and attitudes." In the paragraph above, is "This is... document" correct English? Also, _theoretically_ , shouldn't there be _two_ punctuations after "document", a colon, and a question mark, since it's a question. What do you do in such a case? Possibly related question: A colon after "following"


title: How do you pronounce "mayor"?

text: I have been split between two pronunciations of "mayor". Most of the people I talk to pronounce it "mair" (like the horse). But if you look on Dictionary.com the main pronunciation is "mey-er". I wanted some clarification on which is the correct way and why there are two different versions of the word.


title: Can we call 'ever' as a specifier?

text: > He does **not** like planes.   >  She **never** eats meal. (English Syntax and Argumentation, Bas Aarts) Aarts calls the negatives, not and never, as specifiers. ‘Ever’ in the example below seems to take the same position and role; can we call it as a specifier or not? > “Good evening, madam; I sent to you for a charitable purpose. I have > forbidden Adèle to talk to me about her presents, and she is bursting with > repletion; have the goodness to serve her as auditress and interlocutrice; > it will be one of the most benevolent acts you **ever** performed.” (Jane > Eyre)


title: "unless stated otherwise" or "unless otherwise stated"?

text: 1. **Convention:** R^n is always assumed to carry the Euclidean topology, unless stated otherwise.   2. **Convention:** R^n is always assumed to carry the Euclidean topology, unless otherwise stated. Which sentence is (more) correct?


title: "Talk to you then then"

text: I am talking to a friend on the phone and the conversation is somewhat incomplete but we decide to hang up. Before hanging up, he says "I'll see you tomorrow". Would it be grammatical to reply, > OK, talk to you then then! The two _then_ s are not a typo, in fact that's my whole question.


title: Is there a single word meaning "very funny book"?

text: Sometimes you read a book that has you convulsing with laughter from the moment you pick it up. For me, one of those books was _Catch-22_ by Joseph Heller. What do you call this? Perhaps there isn't a single word or standard phrase for it but I'm convinced there is and I just can't remember it. It would be much like _potboiler_ means a poor quality book, the kind of pulp rubbish people buy in airports.


title: ‘Sought’ or ‘sought-after’?

text: In the context of a computation, I would like to refer to “the sought value”. I think this is the most precise and terse formulation. However, I have noticed that people often use “sought-after” rather than “sought” in some similar situations. I could certainly say “the sought-after value”, but it’s a bit clumsier, especially if it isn’t necessary. Dictionary entries for ‘seek’ don’t seem to indicate that a preposition should be necessary. Of course, “the value sought” or “the value sought after” (again, which is best?) could do the trick, and perhaps that’s better English in general, but in my mathematical context, I think the precise meaning gets through more clearly when I use ‘sought’ in an adjective-like manner. So, is my preferred formulation “the sought value” kosher, or should I modify it with a preposition or otherwise?


title: Does capitalization change the meaning of the word coke?

text: Does capitalization change the meaning of the word _coke_? Does _Coke_ mean the soda and _coke_ mean the drug? Is there a grammar term that denotes this behavior? Or is there no rule and it's simply the context that defines the definition?


title: Programming concision: "To replace the use of deprecated methods, for more up-do-date methods"

text: I was refactoring some old code and a lot of it used deprecated methods which had to be re-written to use more appropriate non-deprecated methods. When writing a changelog, it felt awkward writing such a long sentence. Is there a word or a less verbose phrase for this?


title: Proper Punctuation for "Over" in Radio Communication

text: Given the statement "Vickery to Crann, Over" as radio communication, and knowing that _over_ , as a radio procedure, is used to request a response from the person/group in which the radio procedure had targeted, would the use of _Over_ be recognized as a question               Vickery to Crann, Over?      or a statement               Vickery to Crann, Over.      I searched both the Stack Exchange English site, as well as other areas but I'm unable to find a definitive use for this.


title: Do I say: "Hook me up to this nice party!" or "Hook me up on this nice party!"

text: Do I say: > Hook me up to this nice party! OR > Hook me up on this nice party! I am trying to give a connotation that the party sounds good and I want my friend to give me an invitation to go there. Should I say in some other better way?


title: Can we use "commiseration" and "condolence" interchangeably?

text: On what occasions can we use these terms and are they perfect synonym for each other to use interchangeably? Can we say to someone who has lost a friend "our commiseration to ..."?


title: Industry Term for "Intentional production halt" department

text: Is there a name for when production is stopped intentionally in order to allow the factory to perform repairs and maintenance?


title: "You get what you deserve nothing more nothing less"

text: In this world we reside, what we acquire depends on what we _can_ acquire. In other words, if we have the money to, we can buy a house; if we have the necessary educational qualifications to, we can get a high-paying profession. I guess the idiom/phrase I'm trying to look for deals more with romantic relationship partners. From what I have observed, it's common that people choose their partners in relationship based on their own quality, by this I mean for example, someone who's wealthy tends to prefer a partner who's also wealthy as well. Someone who's very good-looking tends to have higher standards and aim for a partner who's also good-looking as well although there are exceptions but that's generally the case from what I've observed. Unattractive individuals are more likely to have lower standards appearance-wise and favour relationship partners who are similar and not quite that good-looking, for reasons either maybe because they feel insecure that their partner might cheat on them or that they feel they're not worthy of them. So is there an idiom/phrase that describes this idea, that describes something along the lines of: > _(it is meant to be that) what you get depends on your own quality nothing > more and nothing less_ , (if you attempt to be with someone who's way above > your standards the relationship will ultimately fail).


title: What's the difference between "lad" and "mate" in British English?

text: Can "lad" only be used to address a male, while "mate" both male and female?


title: "Somehow" or "In somehow"?

text: So far I had never found "somehow" used with "in". Is still this the normal adverb? Could I use "somehow" alone? > Ex: I'll fit you in somehow.


title: Uniformly at random vs. randomly uniformly

text: In their paper "Handling Churn in a DHT", the authors use the following sentence: > For each event we select a node to die uniformly at random[...] Do you think this sentence is unprecise? Or is it even grammatically wrong? I argued with a friend wether someone could misinterpret this sentence (e.g. that nodes are dying uniformly) or if the sentence is as precise as needed. An alternate form could be > For each event we randomly uniformly select a node to die [...] We believe the syntax of this sentence to be correct and that it is more precise than the first version, but IMHO it lacks readability. Is one of the forms above to be preferred over the other, or would you say that both aren't optimal and that there are better ways?


title: What is this type of argument called?

text: There is a kind of argument that goes like this: > x is good because if x were not there, y would be bad. What is this kind of argument called? I learned about this in school but forget the name of it. Basically you argue not directly about the positive features of having whichever element you're arguing for, but you argue that without the element, there would be negative effects.


title: How did "used" get its meaning?

text: If one is accustomed to doing something, it's often said in English that they are "used" to doing it. However, why do we use "used" in this way? It doesn't seem to bear much relation to the simple past tense of "use"; does it nevertheless originate from the word "use" or a different word which has come to be spelt the same as the past tense of "use"?


title: Use of 'enjoy' with respect to a status or position without pleasure?

text: I've seen a sentence construct in several places where something or someone is said to "enjoy" a status or position, but said status doesn't imply any pleasure or joy. > Due to her visa conditions, our cleaner enjoys temporary residency status. I doubt the cleaner actually derives any pleasure from the temporary nature of her situation, so why do we describe her as 'enjoying' it? Some real-world examples: > The data is for your general information and enjoys indicative status only. > (BBC News market data) > > [...] the film enjoys temporary status as a new release. (British Film > Institute) > > My organization enjoys consultative status with ECOSOC. (United Nations) > > [...] they are recognized as a "refugee" and enjoy refugee status. (Amnesty > International) I could understand the use of _enjoy_ in cases where the status is clearly something to be enjoyed, e.g. > Our high-rollers enjoy VIP status for the duration of their visit but in the examples above there is arguably no pleasure or benefit to be 'enjoyed' in the usual sense, and in some cases the subject is not capable of enjoyment. So what is the definition of 'enjoy' when used in this context?


title: Word for "parents with children who have moved out"?

text: How do you call someone, or someone's point in life when their children moved out and they have more time, or are willing to make riskier career choices?


title: What's the difference between "active" and "busy"?

text: What's the difference in meaning between saying "I'm an active person." and "I'm a busy person."?


title: two prepositional phrases

text: > The lighted dial of Dudley's watch, which was dangling **over the edge of > the sofa on his fat wrist** , told Harry he'd be eleven in ten minutes' > time. (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone) Are the highlighted two prepositional phrases one element, or is ‘over the edge of the sofa’ a parenthetical phrase?


title: "How do you do"--what does it mean and when did most of society opt to no longer say it?

text: What exactly does how do you do mean? I'm ashamed to admit I say it and I don't quite know what it means. I'm also very curious to know, and I suppose this is a question of opinion, when did folks stop saying it? When did "how do you do" meet it's demise within society? I suppose whenever it was it must have had a precipitious decline of usage on account of I personally don't know anyone, besides myself, who says it today; however, I know there must be folks who still say it. Any thoughts?


title: Gender neutral term for "maiden name"?

text: The term "maiden name" is only used to describe the name that a woman had before marriage, and as such, is not gender neutral. However, it occasionally occurs that a man will take his partner's last name, or they will choose a different last name altogether, so this doesn't work in all cases. What is a gender-neutral way to refer to a last name that you had before you were married, in fewer words?


title: Should I use "me" or "mine"?

text: I have the tendency to equate "mine" as something like "hers" and "his". But I am not sure if this is correct. I know I could say: > This pencil belongs to _his_. But which of the following is correct if I say this: > This pencil belongs to _me_. or > This pencil belongs to _mine_? Which is correct? Should I use " _me_ " or use " _mine_ "?


title: Use of "concur" in a formal context

text: I am wondering if using "I concur" in a formal context is OK. I am writing a formal email; I want to use I concur, at the same time don't want to sound ghetto. Maybe I shouldn't bother and use _I wholeheartedly agree_ instead. I still want to learn if it is OK to use "concur" in a professional email.


title: Bracket vs brace

text: I found the terms _bracket_ and _brace_ used interchangeably. Is there a difference, and what is it?


title: If you're "balled up" why are you confused?

text: I believe the expression ' ** _balled up_** ' dates back to the first decade of the twentieth century and I believe it means 'confused' but I'm all balled up as to why it means 'confused'. The only explanation I may offer, and I may be all wet, is that if documents or papers are rounded into a ball or "balled up" they cannot be read. Anything with writing or displaying pictures on it that are "balled up" aren't plainly visible and may likely confuse a person. That's my only guess and I'm sure I'm mistaken. Any thoughts and ideas as to why _balled up_ means confused?


title: Position of 'also'

text: What is the correct position of the word 'also'? > I would like to **also** talk about ... > > I would **also** like to talk about ...


title: Dignitary vs VIP(Very Important Person)

text: Incidentally I have heard the CBS news about the Bulgarian president visit in US. The exact sentence was something like: > We can't be too specific about the president's schedule due to security > concerns which are an issue for all visiting dignitaries. What took me by surprise was that they used the word _dignitary_ while in Bulgarian recently we tend to use the foreign word _VIP_ for that no matter if it is a man with a specific (official) rank in the society or a famous singer. It pretty much sum up all these occasions, so my question is: what is the difference in meaning between _dignitary_ and _VIP_ and when and why should we use each?


title: Can you explain a grammar of this sentence please

text: > Yeah, yeah. Microsoft would have been willing to buy it, too. . . . I don't > know for $19 billion, but the company's extremely valuable. Full Article is here. From the context I can understand that Microsoft wanted to buy WhatsApp before Facebook did, but I can't understand the grammar. Can someone explain to me please?


title: Is it correct to use "uppercased"?

text: Is **uppercase** a valid verb?   Could I say for example "you should use your password uppercased"?


title: Proper representation of "vice versa"?

text: How should I properly use the word _vice versa_ in writing? Is that even the correct spelling?


title: When do I use -i for expressing the plural of a word?

text: I've never been certain of the rules surrounding the use of the -i suffix for pluralizing a word. I had thought that it was used for any word whose singular ended in an 's', but that doesn't appear to always be true. For example, the plural of _octopus_ can be written _octopi_. But the plural of _chorus_ seems to always be _choruses_ , never _chori_. When is it proper to use an -i for pluralization?


title: "Hot cakes" or "flapjacks" in 1890s American South?

text: Which term is more likely to have been used by my main character, a young man from a wealthy Macon, Georgia family, in 1893?


title: What does "data-lite" mean as an advantage of an application?

text: What does "data-lite" mean in the following context? > This application is: > > ... > >   * data-lite and saves you money > > > ... I couldn't find it online or in the dictionary (OAAD). For more context, I read it in the description of this application.


title: Difference between "technically possible" and "physically possible"?

text: Do you think these expressions can be used interchangeably? I find little or no differene between the two meanings. Does this question need more context?


title: What does "hard sums" mean?

text: I have heard British people speak about "hard sums," but I can't find a definition anywhere. Is it just a generic way of referring to any arithmetic that the speaker believes is difficult? Or does it have a more specific definition or nuance? If someone says "I can do hard sums," what does that mean exactly?


title: What's the sentence pattern of passive voice?

text: > We **saw** him enter the room. He **was seen** to enter the room. When the sentence that has the pattern of “S+V+O+OC” is changed into passive form, do we call ‘to enter the room’ as a _subjective complement_ or an _object_?


title: Can or should "ask" ever be used as a noun?

text: "The ask is that you provide me with..." I started hearing "ask" being used as a noun a few years ago. Is this a recent trend? Is it an East Coast thing, unique to North America, or just unique to the in-house vocabulary of telecommunications companies?


title: When and why is "flied" used as the past tense of "fly"?

text: Why is the form "flied" used in baseball instead of "flew"?


title: Origins of English Double-C Pronunciations

text: Looking into Pronunciation of double consonants, turned up an apparent rule for pronouncing a double-C in English that seems to parallel the Italian rule for pronouncing a single C. If the "cc" is followed by a bright vowel ("i" or "e"), it is pronounced /ks/: > accent, occipital, eccentric Otherwise it is pronounced /k/: > account, occasion, occupy A dictionary search throws up a few exceptions to this, which mostly appear to be musical loan words from Italian which are still pronounced as the in original ("acciaccatura" for example). The question is this: how did this rule come about? The parallel with Italian is close enough to make me very suspicious, but I haven't been able to prove a connection between the two.


title: What does "on the spoke" mean?

text: The following line is from a Halo 2 teaser (female voice at around 1:11, the link is to 1:05): > Admiral, tell your men to hold their positions. Reinforcements are **on the > spoke**. The only definition I know of and the only one Google is turning up is the typical tire/wheel spokes, but I don't see how that fits in the sentence. What does "on the spoke" mean?


title: What punctuation is this sentence missing?

text: > One big ass mistake America. I'm thinking it should be: > One big ass mistake, America.


title: What does "cynical confidence" mean?

text: I know that cynical means something along the lines of believing the worst in people, but how does this word coincide with confidence? For instance, what would this line mean? > The witness had a cynical confidence. I'm lost on how to interpret this phrase.


title: Use of Like/Unlike (Double negative)

text: What is the correct way?               Birds are not mammals like cats.     Birds are not mammals, like cats.     Birds are not mammals, unlike cats.      *Just in case, reminder: Cats are mammals. Birds are not mammals.


title: Is "curious of" acceptable or even better than "curious about"?

text: Many speakers and internet writers seem to use "curious of" in place of "curious about". For example: > I am curious of what he thinks. This is in spite of what seems to be, by the rules of grammar I can find, less correct than saying: > I am curious about what he thinks. I have heard both forms uttered so much that there seems in fact a subtle difference in meaning between the two, but I may be imagining things. Two questions--   1. Is "curious of" really any less correct than "curious about"?   2. Is "curious of" actually more appropriate for certain subjects or certain relationships, due to different connotations perhaps?


title: Are general questions formed in plural or in singular?

text: When asking a general question about something in English, should they be formed in plural or in singular? Or rather what is a good way of forming it? > How _are articles_ used in English? Or > How _is an article_ used in English?


title: Can adverbs of high/increasing speed be applied to not doing something?

text: There was some chat earlier about adverbs. We were trying to demonstrate that _maybe_ is an adverb. Reg did this deftly by replacing _maybe_ with other adverbs and then a noun, to show that the noun doesn't make sense. The original sentence is: > The detective maybe does not solve the crime. In my head I replaced _maybe_ with _hastily_. It passed my grammar check, but my semantic alarm went off. > ? The detective hastily does not solve the crime. I am happy that > The detective hastily solves the crime. makes sense. I have the same issue with _quickly_ , but not _slowly_ or _lackadaisically_. Can I say "I quickly didn't do something"? Why is it ringing semantic alarm bells?


title: What do you call the process of combining two words to create a new one?

text: Two very well established examples I can think of are:   * Guesstimate (i.e. Guess + Estimate)   * Chillax (i.e. Chill + Relax) I guess I am meaning the process where two words are artificially combined into one, rather than when two words are combined to describe a new concept or item (e.g. Hatstand or lamppost). I suppose the distinction is blurry, but is there a word nonetheless?


title: How to punctuate a quoted rhetorical interrogative sentence that ends a declarative sentence?

text: Below is the sentence I am writing. I am not sure whether I should just end it with an interrogation mark within the quotes, with a period within the quotes, no in-quote punctuation except interrogation mark, or a period outside the quotation marks. > Those of you without any experience with drug or alcohol addiction are > probably reading this scratching your heads thinking, “WTF is this guy > talking about, if their problem is not drugs or alcohol how can they be > classified as an addict or an alcoholic and why do they consistently abuse > drugs or alcohol. How is that not their problem when they can't hold down a > job or take their kids to school because they're always under the ...   >  ... influence?”.   >  ... influence?”   >  ... influence”.   >  ... influence.”   >  ... influence”? Which alternative should I use?


title: "Will be waiting" — verb?

text: I have been trying to understand how to detect subject and predicate in a sentence. So, I stumbled on this page. The following example was given: > Jim will be waiting for you at the mall. In the answers, "will be waiting" is identified as a verb. I was surprised because to me, "will be" could have been replaced by "is" but here it's used to correct that the "is" in "is waiting" is on the progress. On a second thought, I couldn't really identify which one is the verb again, since "will be" seems to serve as an adverb. My questions:   1. Can "will be waiting' considered a verb in this case?   2. What is the function of "will be"? and what is the function of "will" in "will be"?


title: What's wrong in this question?

text: Is it better to say "what's wrong **with** _something_ " or "what's wrong **in** _something_ "?


title: A word for "something you want to know only to regret knowing it once you do"

text: Is there a word to describe "a piece of information that you only want to know until you know it, then you regret you ever asked about it"?


title: Relationship between Juxtaposition, Oxymoron, and Paradox

text: Explain the definition and relationship between "juxtaposition", "oxymoron", and "paradox". I'm supposed to apply this to Romeo and Juliet too, so any examples including them would be appreciated. I tried to understand them. Oxymorons are like a phrase that consists of words that have an opposite meaning. Like Jumbo Shrimp. Paradoxes are like things are don't really make sense, but have a somewhat true deeper underlying meaning. And juxtaposition was to broad and confusing for me to learn.


title: How to call the mean between Buy price and Sell price?

text: In currency exchange (for example when you have US dollars and want to buy euros, or the opposite), how to call the mean between Buy price and Sell price? In Japanese we call it "TTM":               TTM = (TTB + TTS) /2      Where "TTB" is the price at which you can buy cash, and "TTS" the price at which you can sell cash. Is there a similar word or abbreviation in English?


title: Examples of "ATM Machine" silly repeats?

text: Swedes often say _CD Skiva_ as in _Compact disk disk_. In English you sometimes say _ATM machine_ as in _Automated teller machine machine_. What are other examples of such redundant endings?


title: yet another application of "them"

text: Could anyone explain the use of **_them_** in the following song (Deep River Blues): > Let it rain, let it pour,   >  Let it rain a whole lot more,   >  'Cause I got them deep river blues.


title: Why is the word "engineering" used in "social engineering"?

text: The word "engineering" is usually used for something constructive and innovative, for example, mechanical engineering, software engineering, aerospace engineering. But "social engineering" denotes something malicious, why is it so?


title: Any idea of the origin of using the term 'gucci' for parts?

text: A number of the guys who ride near me and have been riding bikes (mtb) since the 90s still refer to high spec parts as being 'gucci'. It's an effective term and easy to understand what they mean but interested in if there was any real history behind the term. Does any one know the origins of it? I did some research and it seems in wider use than just New Zealand but couldnt find any history. I know Bianchi and Gucci did do a collaboration but that seems pretty recent.


title: What is a better antonym pair than “upmost” vs. “deepest” for blood vessels?

text: I’m thinking about the opposite ends of a blood vessel, so perhaps the “upmost” blood vessels and “deepest” blood vessels. My problem is that I like neither word quoted in the previous sentence. What pair of opposing words would work better in this sort context?


title: "Climbed up over ..." vs. "climbed over ..."

text: I found that _climbed up over_ is used in the following sentence of the 'excerpt' “The Amber Spyglass” in The New York Times. > "Ama and her daemon _climbed up over_ the rock shelves and around the little > cataracts, past the whirlpools and through the spectrum-tinted spray, until > her hair and her eyelids and his squirrel fur were beaded all over with a > million tiny pearls of moisture." As _climbed up over_ does not have many hits in Google nGRAM, I am wondering, why should we prefer _climbed over_? To be clear, what is the grammatical rule that we should consider to choice between _climbed up over_ and _climbed over_? See the following nGRAM: ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/1hYm7.png)


title: What is the origin / reason for adding asterisks within swear words like f**k?

text: Several variants of this topic have already been covered here, such as: What name for bowdlerisation with asterisks (e.g., “f*ck”)? What the #$@&%*! is that called? However, these deal with the naming of this convention or with replacing whole words with asterisks / obscenicons / grawlixes, not with the partial censoring of still-visible and understandable words. My question is: **Why and when did we start censor words such as f**k with partial-asterisks** but still retain the same word length/structure/opening- closing letters so the word is still understandable but yet deemed 'safe' in this way? What is the origin of such a method (and, more of a separate question, is the same thing done in non-English languages?) Google NGram seems to show the first instance of f**k from 1959 but doesn't show any context, or where this actually was used.


title: Trouble understanding the meaning of sentences with “unless”

text: I am having trouble understanding the meaning of sentences using _unless_. Here is an example: > Unless I hear from you by 6pm Friday I will send the letters to main office. What does the above sentence mean? Are they expecting me to reply?


title: Why does legal English continue to remain archaic?

text: Perhaps this is a question for Law.SE if one exists, but I am asking here as there are other nice questions on English history. There is some historical development account presented in Wikipedia, but I find it grossly inadequate to answer the question. English has always been a language that borrows and enriches itself, but retains its original flavour all the same. Why has a similar linguistic edification not happened with legal English? The question, in its elementary form:   * Why has legal English simply not moved on?


title: paraphrase this sentence

text: Please help me to paraphrase this sentence. Because of their insect origin, the Myrmidons were blindly loyal to Achilles, so loyal that they would die without resisting if ordered to.


title: "Result in" or "result to"

text: I am trying to help a friend to write his CV. I don't know which preposition to use in the following paragraph: > Advance Marketing Staff Knowledge & Skills Which Lead To Dramatically > Increase In The Branch Customers. And Also **Result In** Several Competitive > Branches In The Same City To Close. Should _result in_ or _result to_ be used? I feel like it should be _result in_ but I am not sure. Any suggestions or improvements are also welcome.


title: Name of wordplay similar to a pun but where one word is made up

text: An example would be most clear: Let's say a company finds a new way to help people communicate. They call their company `kamunik8r` Since `kamunik8r` is a made up word that is meant to sound like 'communicator', does that make this a pun? What is this?


title: Is there a term for those large, half-cocked hats with flower-like embellishments British high society seems to favor?

text: Is there a term for those half-cocked hats with large flower-like embellishments British high society seems to favor? I'm seeing quite a lot of them watching a live stream of the Royal Wedding, and would like to call them by their proper name.


title: What to call someone who always sincerely shows on the outside how and what he feels on the inside?

text: So, this person is very open, honest and brave to display his vulnerabilities and feelings (because that's what feels natural for him, and as a good thing, to do) whether he's out in public, with strangers, or not. He's being particularly open about his feelings and vulnerabilities, even when it may not be asked for or necessary to do so. There is nothing fake or deceiving about this person. You're always directly connected to whom this person really is.


title: What is a "clout"?

text: I came across this sentence in Froude's _English Seamen in the Sixteenth Century_ discussing the actions of Queen Elizabeth... > She preferred to let her subjects discover for themselves that the terrible > Spaniard before whom the whole world trembled was but a colossus stuffed > with clouts. I was wondering what a _clout_ was. Consulting the dictionary here produces a number of meanings, including a strong blow, an archery target and a piece of cloth, but none of these seem to fit, nor does the slang meaning of a turd (as in _horse clouts_ ). Does anyone know what a _clout_ could be in this context?


title: What is the difference between "little" and "a little"?

text: I would like to know how these two words differ in usage. Which one is singular? Which one is plural? I would greatly appreciate if you could provide me with a sample usage of these phrases.


title: Whence the phrase, "in short order"?

text: In British English, at least, it's quite common to hear that something will be done 'in short order'. For example, _He's going to finish that paperwork in short order._ or: _He'll be leaving the office in short order._ It basically means 'shortly', perhaps with the implication of hastily. Does anyone know the etymology of this phrase?


title: Is using "get on developing" correct in this phrase?

text: > You could get on developing this project and help me to add more features to > that.


title: Word order with "just" and "only" meaning "merely"

text: Marking a German student's test I have encountered the following problem: > The relationship between the two adolescents is one-sided. Just the boy > really feels something, the girl hates him. Can _just_ be used here? My gut feeling says it should be _only_ , although both words can mean "merely" and do in this case.


title: Is it "as God is my witness,“ or "as God as my witness"?

text: I have seen both "as God is my witness", which makes sense but sort of puts God in a supportive role, and "as God as my witness", which sounds wrong to me but I don't know, might be an olde tyme phrasing that is only used in that phrase.


title: What does the sentence "say hello to karma" mean?

text: It's a part of a Dilbert's strip you can find here: ![Dilbert strip](http://i.stack.imgur.com/DX9Fr.gif) I understand every word. But not the joke as a whole. Can you explain the irony?


title: "Den" and "living room"

text: I was wondering what the difference is between a den and a living room. What does _a den_ really mean? For example, an apartment with two Bedrooms, two Baths and one Den: ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/NFeMw.jpg)


title: Why does to "cheek it" mean to bluff?

text: _From Flappers to Rappers: American Youth Slang_ by Dr. Thomas Dalzell cites the 1930s expression "cheek it" as meaning to bluff. I don't quite understand why and I'm hoping someone on here may help me to better understand this.


title: Should the word after "e.g." be capital

text: If you are using a word that normally wouldn't start with a capital letter, should it be lower case after an _e.g._? Also should _e.g._ have a capital _E_ at the start of a sentence? Example phrases: >   * Should I always plug in electrical items? e.g. Electric hairdryer, phone > charger... >   * Should I always plug in electrical items? e.g. electric hairdryer, phone > charger... >   * Should I always plug in electrical items? E.g. Electric hairdryer, phone > charger... >   * Should I always plug in electrical items? E.g. electric hairdryer, phone > charger... >


title: Why does to "take a powder" mean to run away or to leave?

text: _From Flappers to Rappers: American youth slang_ by Dr. Thomas Dalzell cites "take a powder" as a 1930s expression meaning to run away or to leave. Does anyone have any ideas why taking a powder would mean running away or leaving?


title: If someone is electrocuted, do they have to die or can they just be injured?

text: Is it correct to say I electrocuted my friend if he was only injured by electricity?


title: New Orleans Accent

text: I'd heard that New Orleans residents are more New York- than Southern- sounding. Recently, I saw some of the Khan Academy videos, and noticed that Salman Khan, who, as Wikipedia says, is from New Orleans, does not sound even remotely Southern. Is this the typical New Orleans accent? Here's one of his videos.


title: Annoyed that new way to do something is broken and have to go back to perfectly good old way

text: Is there a name for that annoyed (yet slightly ashamed for being annoyed) feeling you get when the new and improved way of doing something breaks for some reason and you have to go back to doing it the old way, which worked perfectly well for many years and wasn't really that bad?


title: Is there a word for a person who takes on his own challenge?

text: A challenger? I'm not a native English speaker but I think when people hear that word they naturally assume the challenge is not set by the challenger. I don't want to imply that. If no such word exists, a synonym (informal if necessary) for a courageous person (in one word) would be the next best thing.


title: Is there any alternative expression to “Brace Yourself ”

text: I have translated an article into English. The author of the original article uses a “Bumpy ride on a plane in a hazardous weather” as an analogy to predict an unfavourable political development in a certain location. He advised the citizens there should “sit tight” (a literal translation here) and be prepared. I could have translated the phrase _sit tight_ as _brace yourself_ , but it would lose the mental picture of the analogy. Besides, _sit tight_ means something entirely different in English: to be patient and await the next move. It’s not a good idea to use _sit tight_ to mean _brace yourself_. So, is there any alternative phrase to _brace yourself_ that conveys the same meaning while retaining the picture of the original phrase?


title: Is "et al." acceptable for citations with exactly two authors?

text: I have a bunch of information from a source, but the authors names are particularly long; is it acceptable (in MLA) to use "et al." for exactly two authors, e.g., > “The Corpus juris not only preserved Roman law for later generations but, > after the twelfth century when it came to be known and studied in western > Europe, provided inspiration for most European legal systems.” (Lehman et > al. 4)


title: What's the difference between "technically" and "technologically"?

text: What's the difference between _technically_ and _technologically_? Can you give example sentences which clearly show the difference?


title: What happened to the word "awesome" between 1760 and 1790?

text: Recently I noticed a strong increase in the usage of the word "awesome" between around 1760 to 1790. Then this word became again absolutely uncommon for a while. See the usage graph below. ![](http://i.stack.imgur.com/GZ2RP.png) What happened there?


title: "running a fever" origin

text: > I'm running a fever/temperature. I have a student who likes to ask where idioms come from. Since the meanings are not literal, it is challenging for her to remember them. It often helps her to attach a story or explanation to an idiom, even if it is only folk etymology. I've not had any luck searching on EL&U or in any dictionary for the origins of the phrase. It's always present in dictionaries but for etymology just refers the reader to `run`, which never explains the specific meaning in `running a fever/temperature`. If anyone knows where the phrase actually originates, it would be helpful, but even a non-referenceable* etymology would be useful. * * * *i.e. heard from some guy down the pub; learnt a long time ago but I forget where; made-up; etc.


title: Writing an email to ex-employee requiring resume info?

text: Email body. > Hello Mr. X, > > I hope you remember me from the time when I worked in your team as > Information Security Trainee in year 2008 along with Mr. A and Mr. Z who > were part of Business Development team. > > My name is Ali, and for past 1-2 weeks I have been looking to contact you to > acquire information which I can put in my resume. You would be pleased to > know that I have recently, passed the CISSP exam and as part of endorsement > process I have to include reference / contact information of my ex- > employees. I was lucky enough to get your email from Mr. M from abc-cOMPANY > Pakistan. However, as part of requirement I may also need your contact phone > number. > > I hope you are in the best of health and having excellent professional as > well personal time there in U.S. > > Looking forward to hear from you. All looks fine to me, except the line               > I hope you are in the best of health and having excellent professional     > as well personal time there in U.S      Is there a better way to say this? Thanks.


title: Equivalent phrase/single-word for `prognosis (without intervention)`

text: Consider a situation when without any effort/intervention into the process consequences are predefined to be bad. How do you call such a `bad-prognosis`?


title: Hanging Bats type of phrase

text: what kind of phrase is hanging bats in this sentence **Hanging Bats populate most of the caves.**


title: Future perfect or Future perfect continuous in the following sentence?

text: I am not sure why this sentence is incorrect from tense's perspective. > It is certain that the construction of the road will be completed by the > winter of 2014. Also, according to my book its incorrect. According to my book, the sentence should have taken the future perfect form as emphasis is on completion. But they are re-writing the sentence as: > It is certain that the construction of the road will have been completed by > the winter of 2014. But this sentence takes future perfect continuous form. So I think it should be **will have completed by the winter of 2014.** Please correct me if I am wrong.


title: logic and reasoning

text: My sentence: > Sometimes a question can have multiple answers where all of them share some > kind of evidence but none of them can be a [strict — right — 100% sure that > it is the answer — what else?] answer. Things that I have been thinking about but I do not want to use:   1. if the study of science is called _reasoning_ , which means giving evidence (I am thinking of using "reasonable answer"). But reasonable answer does not mean that it is 100% accurate answer.   2. the word _logic_ can involve math and philosophies, so it is not a word that I can use — because there is no "right" philosophy. What else I can use for the word before the last in my sentence?


title: What are the parts of speech of "at" and "least" in "at least"?

text: As in “It travels faster than sound at least.” After considering the alternative _at the very least_ , I'm thinking _at_ is a preposition, and _least_ is — well, stumping me. Can we have it be as normal, a superlative adjective simply standing in place of the noun phrase a preposition calls for? Or is it somehow a noun, or do prepositions not always require noun phrases, or do I just need to count *at least— as two words that somehow form an adverb? The last option would be difficult, as I'm doing some part-of-speech tagging for a corpus I'm building. CLAWS web service auto-tags this phrase as `at_AV0 least_AV0`, which would indicate both words are adverbs, but that seems _very_ wrong, unless that's what they mean by it. But then I don't know how to distinguish tags indicating “these two words are one adverb” from “these are two adverbs”.


title: The name of an honest woman

text: Could someone clarify the meaning of the following proverb? > The name of an honest woman is mickle worth. (the entry in the _Oxford Dictionary of English Proverbs_ is not very helpful)


title: A word that describes goofing off at work that can be used as an adjective in front of the word activity?

text: For example: > The unreliable employee often engaged in **__** activities like smoke > breaks, smalltalk with his fellows, and playing Solitaire during work hours. > > On Friday afternoons, the employees would often goof off and perform **__** > activities. > > Fred's mind often wandered while performing menial tasks and he thought > about **__** activities he would rather be doing. Best candidates so far: > counter-productive/non-productive/unproductive > > unprofessional (?) **Bonus** : Come up with a word that eliminates the need for the word activity altogether: > The project will not get finished any sooner if you keep wasting time on > **__**.


title: Is this correct way of replying with available dates for an interview

text: I trying to reply for an email with my available dates and times for the interview "I'm available on the dates and times mentioned below. Please let me know if any of them works for you." Does this suffice (or) Is there a better/shorter way I can reply?


title: Best word for "Complete Interpersonal Transparency"

text: Once upon a time a friend used a word meaning: > An approach, attitude, or expectation of complete openness or transparency > in an interaction or relationship. If I remember correctly, it seemed to carry positive connotations, including simplified communication, schematic consistency, etc. I enjoy this logos, but can never find the word to clearly represent it. > No, I wasn't surprised when the pop-media reported his tryst. We practice > **_______**. p.s. _forthright_ was suggested, but is a little off-target in that it speaks more to how _direct_ someone is, than to how _revealing_.


title: Can I say "many of the United States"?

text: If it is clear from the context that we are referring to USA, we might simply say > _Many states_ have deserts/laws against gay marriage/more men than women. But if it is not clear, and I prefer not to say something awkward like "Many states in the United States", can I say instead: > _Many of the United States_ have deserts/laws against gay marriage/more men > than women.


title: Succinct phrase that covers both “not started” and “previously started, later stopped”

text: I maintain a web page that tracks tasks for my team. There is a column currently called "not started" that we use for tasks we haven't started yet. We would also like to use that column for tasks we started, but didn't complete, that no one is actively working on for the time being. However, people are reluctant to move it back to that column because the label implies no work has ever been done on that task. A fourth column isn't really an option due to space constraints. What's a phrase that succinctly captures both meanings?


title: Footwear: Runners. Sneakers. Trainers

text: There's a type of shoe which I, being Irish, would call _runners_. They're comfortable for running or walking in. The British call them _trainers_ , probably because they can be used for sports or training. The Americans, meanwhile, call them _sneakers_ , presumably because, being soft-soled, they're suitable for sneaking around in. What are the actual sources of these words, and what words are used in other English-speaking areas, such as Australia and South Africa?


title: What does "trostle" mean?

text: In the poem _Pi,_ by Wislawa Szymborska, there is this line: > in which we find how blithe the trostle sings! A Google search for _trostle_ turns up a few hits, mostly as people's last names. Urban Dictionary [nsfw] has two definitions, both of which were voted down. And Webster's Online Dictionary says it's a misspelling of throstle. I understand that poets are licensed to make up words, but this poem is otherwise very plain. In fact, this whole line seems out of place. Can anyone explain the author's meaning?


title: Is *th* ever used not as a thorn outside of portmanteaus?

text: Pretty much every occurrence of _th_ I can think of see are pronounced as _/θ/_ or very similar sounds (sometimes slightly closer to _f_ or _s_ ). Still, does _th_ appear in any English word pronounced as two distinct phonemes, _/th/_ ? I can think of some portmanteaus where the first word ends with _t_ and the other begins with _h_ (e.g. "pothead") but does it ever appear _naturally_ as that pair of phonemes in words, not brought together as part of portmanteaus or blends?


title: Capitalization with quotation marks

text: I have this sentence: > We recommend that parents consciously convey the message, "Everybody needs > to follow the safety rules" rather than "Do what the babysitter says." My inclination is to lowercase _Everybody_ and _Do_. What are the style rules for capitalization of this kind of quote, especially in the middle of a sentence?


title: What are the historical processes of preposition coining in English?

text: RegDwight's excellent answer showing the historical usage of _despite_ got me thinking about the processes by which new prepositions are coined. Prepositions are generally considered a closed class, and there are no active derivational processes for generating new ones--yet new prepositions do occasionally arise. The 17-century examples in the linked question show _despite_ being used as a sentential adverb taking a complement with _of_ , though contemporary usage has _despite_ as a preposition that directly governs its object. At some point the _of_ started to disappear from "despite of", and the word _despite_ was reanalyzed as a preposition rather than an adverb. This got me thinking:   * What other words are documented to have transitioned from adverbs to prepositions?   * Do any words other than adverbs ever make this leap? Are there any nouns or verbs that have somehow transitioned to prepositions?


title: She is a girl vs it is a girl

text: There is a photo of a baby girl with her brother but the baby can't be much Of differentiated as a girl or boy.   What would it be right to say?   It is a girl. Or   She is a girl.


title: Double meaning?

text: Taken from "A Quiver Full of Arrows": > "The flowers have lasted well," she teased, and left him to make the coffee. Does the sentence clearly imply that **_she_** left to make the coffee? Or could it also imply that she left him so that **_he_** could make the coffee? **Edit:** The third sentence "She returned after a few minutes with a coffee pot..." makes the meaning abundantly clear. I just want to know how the first sentence stands up on its own.


title: Invoices status, Invoices statuses, Invoices' status or Invoices' statuses

text: According to this, statuses is the plural of status. However, I am not sure here which one to use, my logic is statuses is more proper as each invoice has different status. But seems awkward word or unpopular at least. Further, I'm not sure if I have to use the possessive s or not. **Example** > Invoices statuses have been updated accordingly.


title: Is "in the old decades" grammatically correct?

text: An example sentence would be like: "In the old decades, banana was the main type of food". Is this sentence grammatically correct? If so, does the phrase "in the old decades" have similar meaning to "a few decades ago"?


title: How to pronounce "integer"?

text: Does it have to sound like in _ginger_ or _finger_?


title: What is an English word which means 'bêtement'?

text: _Bêtement_ is a French word whose literal meaning is 'in the manner of an animal'. It is often used metaphorically, to describe an action carried out in a robotic fashion – without thinking. How would you translate this sense into English? Perhaps _robotically_ is the answer, but can anyone think of anything better?


title: Clause applying to first part of sentence when 'and' is used?

text: > The requirement referred to in the first subparagraph shall not apply to > fund of funds structures and master-feeder structures where the underlying > funds have a depositary which provides ownership verification and record- > keeping functions for this fund’s assets. In this sentence, does the clause "where the underlying funds have a depositary which provides ownership verification and record-keeping functions for this fund’s assets" also apply to "fund of funds structures" (before the _and_ )?


title: Wanting input on inputs

text: I am uncomfortable with the use of _inputs_ as the plural noun of the previously non-countable _input_. Is this a recent computer-related development (as used in many posts on this site) which has spilled into wider use, or is there a subtle demarcation of use happening? I am thinking especially about situations where input equates with a contribution or feedback. For example, I've seen sentences like: 'The organisation responded to the customers' inputs', and it feels completely wrong. For me this type should always be _input_ whether plural or not. As an aside I am very comfortable with _inputs_ as the plural of the sockets into which plugs can be put, but again this is a very different meaning.   What is the state of play?


title: Under (the) circumstances

text: I wonder, if I need to place definite article here: _Under (the) circumstances, we change every second_ , if I mean no specific circumstances, but want to express some general idea? I mean, it's a silly question, but somehow it sounds strange without article.


title: generic reference, specific reference, and "particular reference"?

text: _Webs are beautiful._ (I'm sure it is a generic reference.) _The web is beautiful._ (I'm sure it is a specific reference.) _The Web is beautiful._ (This web refers to the World Wide Web, a specific web in the world. It differs from the specific reference, where the web is only known in the context of the speaker and not for the reader. In other words, the web should be some specific web, but for the reader, nobody knows which exact web it refers to. Is this called " **particular reference** " or is there another name for it?)


title: Should there be a comma after "i.e."?

text: If I remember correctly from English class, then one should put a comma after "i.e.", i.e., the Latin abbreviation for id est. But lately I've seen the comma after "i.e." dropped in books. So what is the rule or consensus here if any?


title: Can one say "find sanctuary"?

text: I'd like to use the expression _find sanctuary_ instead of _find refuge_. Would it be fine?


title: Why the use of 'clock' in the following sentence?

text: "Bob clocked Joe right in the nose."   In this sentence, "clocked" indicates that Bob punched Joe directly in Joe's nose. How did 'clock' come to be used in such a way? Is it colloquial/vernacular to a specific region?


title: is "like so" correct?

text: Reading blog entries about computing I often see "like so" instead of "like this". Is this correct english? It sounds to me like a word by word translation from german ...


title: "transcend" in a negative context

text: Can transcend be used to imply a negative condition? For example, "an unappointed ruling elite that transcends both of the member groups." The implication would be that the elite group is comprised of members from the two different groups but is not beholden to the groups. Not in the sense of say, statesmanship, but in the sense of manipulation. Is there a better word than transcend to use to connote that meaning?


title: Meaning/origin of "You bet" as a response to "Thank you"

text: In a radio show (such as APM Marketplace), when a host interviews a guest, the conversation ends with the host saying "Thank you" and the guest saying something similar in response. Usually it is "Thank _you_ " or "Great to be with you" or "My pleasure". Often they respond with "You bet", which really puzzles me. I am aware of the idiom, but even that doesn't make sense in this situation. My questions are:   * What exactly is that supposed to mean here?   * How did it become one of the standard responses to "Thank you" in this context?   * Is it a good response to "Thank you" in real life, i.e. outside of the radio show?


title: Negation in English

text: In English there are at least two ways to express negation, for example:   — I don't have money   — I have no money or   — No objects were found   — Objects were not found or   — No restrictions are applied   — Restrictions are not applied Questions:   1. What is the difference between these two forms?   2. Is it only the matter of style or there is more significant differences in the meaning of the sentences?   3. When should we use the first-one form and when the second?   4. Does these two forms stress a difference between British and US English?


title: Is it better to use a plural noun or definite article?

text: For example: **Multicopters** belong to a family of aircraft called rotorcraft, which also includes **helicopters** , and although they appear to be similar, the multicopter's design is mechanically much simpler. **The multicopter** belongs to a family of aircraft called rotorcraft, which includes **the helicopter** , and although they appear to be similar, the multicopter's design is mechanically much simpler.


title: What is someone who leaks a surprise called?

text: What is someone whose tendency/act is to leak the surprise called?


title: Standard English proverb for "When you see a useful resource, you feel lazy to work."

text: What would be the standard English proverb for something like this: Your leg starts to ache when you see a horse. OR When you see a useful resource/means, you feel lazy to do the job/work. EDIT: It essentially means, I think, that a 'lazy man will find many excuses to avoid work'. Here is the original Kannada language proverb: Kudure kandre kaalu novvu. Which literally means: "Your leg starts to ache when you see a horse." OR "When you notice a horse, you act limp" SevenSidedDie explains it below quite well: "Nice car! Oh, uh, I suddenly have a cramp, can I get a ride?" (Note: Proverbs are pieces of traditional wisdom passed down to us from previous generations - kinda like universal truths, while quotes are just opinions of one or more persons. "A bad workman quarrels with his tools" is a proverb while "I can resist anything but temptation" is a quote. What I want is a proverb, not a quote, thanks.)


title: Is there a better word than "colorizable"?

text: In part of the software my company develops, the user is presented with a list of black-and-white images. The user can select one of these images and then can select a color for it, changing it from black and white to the color they selected. We are currently calling these “Colorizable Images”, as opposed to the alternative list of “Existing Color” images. But I am not sure that _colorizable_ is a real word and am concerned people may not understand. Is there a better term for something for which one can change the color of? We considered _colorable_ but the definition seemed completely wrong. An example might help. The user will see: ![a black and white image](http://i.stack.imgur.com/2k8Zn.png) And when they choose to colorize that blue, they get: ![a blue and white image](http://i.stack.imgur.com/jyyEc.png)


title: Grammatically correct use of criteria

text: The established criteria on which to make these determinations was recommended by the Committee. These criteria are as follows: ... or should I write, ....Those criteria are as follows:... Jenn


title: Is "Less than perfect" always used in a sarcastic and negative way?

text: I always use the phrase _less than perfect_ in a sarcastic way, meaning that something is not good at all. For example: > My date was obviously less than perfect. She was late and in a hurry, and > she kept talking about her ex-boyfriend. But I start to wonder if this phrase can be used in a non-sarcastic way, as a parallel to _almost perfect_. As an example, could it be used in this context? > Enjoy your day to its fullest. If anybody in the office makes your day _less > than perfect_ , go and talk to them.


title: What is this ‘-ing’ structure?

text: Consider the following sentence: > The Bactrian camel is well adapted to the extreme climate of its native > Mongolia, _having_ thick fur and underwool that keep it warm in winter and > also insulate against summer heat. My question is about the italicized part. My usage of English is grounded mostly in “what feels right” and not in solid grammar knowledge, so I am struggling with this one. I have been using such structure quite frivolously myself, but I never knew an ‘official’ name for it, nor when it is appropriate. Here is a generic example: > Bob is a great guy, wanting to do great things no matter what the > circumstances are. Is this correct? What is this _-ing_ ‘thing’ called, if it has a name? Could you briefly list when it is or isn’t appropriate to use a verb+ing form, perhaps noting the most common misuses or mistakes?


title: Is the use of Simple Past correct in "Although I didn't study for the test, I got a good grade"?

text: As both actions refer to the past, shouldn't we use Past Perfect to refer to the action that happened first (or rather didn't happen in this particular case)? That is, I am thinking the appropriate sentence should be: > Although I hadn't studied for the test, I got a good grade. Am I wrong? Why?


title: What part of speech is the word "found" in the sentence below

text: A whale **_found_** dead on the southern Spanish coast was found to have swallowed 17 kg of plastic waste, including plastic bags. I assumed it was a verb, as in a reduced passive form (a whale that was found dead), but the test said the correct answer was: "adjective" Any ideas?


title: How to avoid using the subject of a sentence more than necessary

text: My English grammar is rusty and I have not kept up with grammar rules. So, please bear with me, while I struggled to frame the title of my question. What I want accomplished is a paragraph that is short, sweet and one that does not confuse the reader with repetitive detail. I get the feeling that my sentences below could be framed better. I have the following paragraph:               **To start building the system, begin with a phrase or one sentence summary        that defines the system.       “The Heat system models a two-dimensional heat diffusion experiment”        - This one-sentence summary characterizes your system. **      I am going to be using the above paragraph in a Powerpoint slide. So, I want something that conveys the idea quickly.I am aware that I am using either some form of narrative (first, second or third person??)   Any help in making it better is welcomed. Sorry if I have not done my research very well.


title: Term for turning "Florida" into "Flo Rida"

text: What would be the name for dissecting a word to create a phrase — the opposite of a portmanteau? Like the rapper Flo Rida made his name out of Florida. Is there a term for that?


title: Is "Please advise" a real sentence?

text: Is > Please advise really a sentence? If so, is it because there is an implied subject (I am not sure if that even exists)?


title: Right meanings of 'form'?

text: > When legal decision-makers like Justice Peckham, who are actually ... making > a policy or political choice act as if there were no choice to be made—when > they treat a policy choice as simply an exercise in knowing the plain > meaning of a word—their behavior is sometimes described as formalistic. They > act as if it is the **form** that matters, but in fact it is substance that > is doing the work. > > It is, to be sure, formalistic to take the literal meaning of the words > “prior to December 31” in _United States v. Locke_ as dictating a result > other than what seems to be the most sensible one, because it is to treat > the **form** of a legal rule as more important than its deeper purpose, or > more important than reaching the best all-things-considered judgment in the > particular context of a particular case. Is it definition 1 or 4 or something else at http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/form?q=form? I'm guessing that the meaning of form is the same in both examples? Also, please explain your thought processes/deductive steps, so I can try to improve doing so and need not ask here? Source: P30, Thinking like a Lawyer, Frederick Schauer


title: I have a question regarding present perfect and simple past

text: **I have this example:** > Have you ever lost something valuable? > > The answer is : No, I haven't, but my brother **___ __** his camera on a > trip once. My question is this. With what should I fill the space? When should I use present perfect and when should I use simple past? Do I write lost or lose? I am confused between them.


title: What's the difference between "persuade" and "convince"?

text: When should "persuade" be preferred over "convince", and vice versa?


title: Either and vs. Either or

text: (1) In this question on math.SE a question about the meaning of 'either' before a list which ends with 'and'. The meaning of               either a, b, c, or d      is from this answer sort of clear in that it means a or b or c or d. Even if _or_ can mean all included, the _either_ seems to indicate an exclusivity. so _exactly_ one of them. But what does               either a, b, c, and d      mean? Is this even current English? (2) in the same question there is the question about what               any one of a, b, c, and d      means. So I would also like to know what               any one of a, b, c, or d      means?


title: How to cite when describing a protocol?

text: I am writing a paper that involves the description of numerous internet protocols. Because of the rigidity of these protocols, it's difficult for any one description to sound much different from any other. The approach I've taken is to read many descriptions of the protocols, including the official standards, and make an effort to deeply understand the protocols first. Then, without referring to any source, I write out the description of the protocol in the way I understand it and using my own words to describe its operation. How do I cite something like this? The problem I'm running into is that none of the words or sentences I use are direct quotes from any of my sources. However, the overall structure and description is very similar to all of the sources.


title: What is the outer part of building called (figure)?

text: What is the part of the building (usually skyscraper) extending out called? It's the spot where superheroes are shown to be sitting when contemplating about their lives (looking down at the city). For instance: http://blog.frieze.com/uploads/blog/MID021A-03_thumb.jpg http://www.uni.illinois.edu//og/media/archive/photos/2007/05/01/spiderman-3.jpg I initially thought of **ledge** but I'm not sure this is the exact answer.


title: What does the bolded part mean?

text: The call produced a high-shouldered young fellow, with a round red face, a short crop of sandy hair, a very broad humorous mouth, a turned-up nose, and a great sleeved waistcoat of purple bars, with mother-of-pearl buttons, **that seemed to be growing upon him, and to be in a fair way — if it were not pruned — of covering his head and overrunning his boots.**


title: Is Vouchering a valid synonym for "time booking" or not?

text: I have an ongoing dispute with someone who insists on using "Vouchering" in official documents as a synonym for "time booking" - (as in making entries on a time management system against booking numbers). As the on-line OED returns "No such word in the English Language!" I feel that we should not be using it but thought I would ask here if there is any evidence that this is a valid usage. Almost all the on-line resources that I have found that mention the word consider it a valid word for Scrabble but I can find no mention of it in the context of time booking.


title: "Varies" or "vary" in this sentence

text: I was interested in the following sentence which appeared in an article by Andrew C. Rewkin titled “Misperceived Paths to Energy Savings" in The New York Times, The Opinion Pages, (August 17, 2010). > It is difficult to identify the actual energy someone saves by turning off > the light each time they leave the room, for a few reasons: **the types of > lights people use varies** , it’s difficult to measure how many times the > lights are turned on and off per day, and if the behavior has been > maintained over the long-term. Can someone clarify if the fragment "the types of lights people use varies" is ungrammatical, as I think it is? I would reword "varies" with "vary", but I'm not sure on this correction because I'm not able to identify the subject of the verb. (Apologize in advanced if the question is not good for this site. If so, please delete. Thank you.)


Is it offensive to refer to someone as a bird? Is it similar to calling someone a chick in the US? What's the difference?


title: What's the Word for a Token Job?

text: What is the word used to describe a job given to a person just to give him/her the status of being in employment? The role does not effectively fulfil a purpose other than status and prestige. I read this word in an article months ago and have not been able to find it. I am referring to an adjective, not nepotism or tokenism, and the concept is more general.


title: Use of "/" character in a list

text: Does / mean "of"? What does "Audit / Contract Monthly report/ Toolbox meeting Minutes /signed attendance sheet" mean? It is a cell of a table.


title: What proof is there in pudding?

text: Yesterday I heard an English baker on a cooking show say that "the proof is in the pudding." I've heard the expression before but I can't imagine how pudding would prove anything. How did the idiom start, what did it mean originally, and how is it correctly used today?


title: present perfect continuous passive

text: On the etiquette of my favourite beer you can read: Affligem abbey ale is being brewed in Belgium according to an old method since 1074. I would like to ask a native speaker whether the used tense is all right. Wouln´t it be better Present Perfect Continious: Beer has been being brewed in Belgium since…?


title: Difference between "I was being careless" and "I was careless"

text: Is there any significant difference between saying > I am/was **being** _adj_. (careless, busy, etc)... _[treating "am/was" as an auxiliary verb]_ and > I am/was _adj._ (careless, busy, etc)... Personally, I consider adding the word _being_ a bit fussy but is there actually an effect of doing so?


title: Is English the only language that distinguishes thumbs from other fingers?

text: A Russian colleague of mine recently told me that English is the only language that actively distinguishes between fingers and thumbs by having a completely separate word. Her phrasing of it was "English is the only language where you have 8 fingers, in all others there are 10!". This surprises me. I'm sure that there must be _at least_ one other language out there that does distinguish between them. I did a quick Google to find out if this was true, but the results were inconclusive. Some results supported the conclusion, others went as far as saying that there is even a Russian word for "thumb", but didn't actually specify what that word was. A possibility that I find plausible is that a lot of languages _do_ have such a word, but its use is not very frequent or the word is archaic. So, do other languages have 8 fingers too, or are we just strange?


title: I knew we shouldn't trust him

text: I ran into this sentence in a movie: > I knew we shouldn't trust him. But I don't know if it's correct. I'm assuming it is, for the movie is american. But I'm used to seeing something like this rather than the sentence above: > I knew we shouldn't **have** trusted him. Could someone please explain why the first sentence is correct?


title: What do you call a freelancer working predominantly at home?

text: According to Farlex Financial Dictionary, an _e-lancer_ is an independent contractor who performs their duties predominantly or exclusively online, at home, communicating with clients and colleagues via phone and e-mail. So, since in others terms an _e-lancer_ is a kind of freelancer working at home, I would like to call a character participating in my next novel a 'homepreneur', which seems a word in current usage ("Three's the magic number for Kristy Sturgess, a homepreneur from Vineyard."). But, alas, I didn't find that word in dictionaries, so I wonder:   * Is 'homepreneur' a valid word, a word that I can use in a novel?   * If not, what do you call a freelancer working at home?