title: What is the name of the difference between "doesn't" and "don't"?

text: I came across a phrase like this today, which is obviously incorrect: > The car don't run. The correct version of this would be: > The car doesn't run. I wanted to explain the issue to someone, but I could not recall what property of the verb "do" is incorrect in the first sentence. "Tense" is the first thing that comes to mind, but "do" and "does" are both in the present tense. What is it about the word "do" that makes it incorrect?


title: Correct usage of ‘on’, ‘at’ and ‘in’ from a foreigner’s point of view

text: As a foreign English speaker who never really studied too much English grammar other than the basics at high school, I am often struggling to use the correct form in certain phrases. _At_ being perhaps the easiest of all forms, I find it more difficult to determine when to use _on_ or _in_. I know things are _on_ the table or _in_ a box. I’m _in_ a house _at_ street XX,YY. But are there any rules or ways to find (other than some weird exception) when to use each form?


title: “There’s” or “There are”?

text: I wanted to get the usage of _There’s_ clarified. I have read sentences like: > There’s a lot of projects on that topic. It appears to me that _There’s_ applies to _a lot of projects_ , rather than to _the projects_ themselves. Is that right? If that’s the case, is > There’s many students standing there. not grammatical?


title: What does "Sold On" mean?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  "Sold" in the meaning of "bought"? I've read a tweet about iPhone 4S and this is what I saw: > Totally **sold on** the iPhone 4S - for the dual core CPU and dual antenna > alone. I like fast things. Can you guys give me an explanation about "sold on" and maybe some more usage.


title: Phrase for status of association

text: 1. "The work is done by Mr Miller at the X-Institute."   2. "The work is done by Mr Miller pro forma associated with the X-Institute." Mr Miller really belongs to Y-Inc. and never set foot into X-Institute (neither was paid by X-Institute). "at" is a simple lie, "pro forma associated with" is the truth, but when this shall not be told (plainly), what can be said which is _understood_ as "pro forma associated with" while still _spelling_ "at"?


title: Which is the auxiliary verb and modal?

text: > It is being used. Considering the sentence above, I wonder which part is helping verb.


title: Expression for "be a little faster"

text: Is there an expression for the following: > A: Let's go for lunch. > > B: Okay. > > A: I am coming in a few minutes. > > B: Okay, but _be a little bit faster_ Do native speakers say this? Or is there a better expression or words construction for this?


title: Clarification on “Who stars opposite X in some film?”

text: I’ve always understood the phrase > Who stars opposite [x] in [film]? to mean: > Who is the deuteragonist in [film]? specifically where the deuteragonist is on the same side as the protagonist. Can it also mean this: > Who is the antagonist in [film]?


title: nebula and nebulous - a question of origin

text: While looking up `nebulous`, I noticed the origin of the word is dating back to 14th century. Surprised since the nebulae wasn't discovered at that time, I checked `nebula` to find that its origin dates to 17th century. Given nebulous means nebula-like, it seems inconsistent that it enters the dictionary before its derivative. It's obvious that `nebula` with its Greek/Latin root existed long before 17th century. But could `nebulous` have been used without `nebula` not even being mentioned for 3 centuries? Am I missing a point? Or is the dictionary wrong? Or should we take these as non-definitive dates which just represent the first written occurrence of the word? nebulous: 1375 - 1425 Late Middle English)   nebula: 1655-65 < Latin


title: What's the origin of the idiom "cut corners"?

text: _Cut corners_ is defined as > to do something in the easiest, cheapest or quickest way, often by ignoring > rules or leaving something out especially at the expense of high standards. What is the origin of this idiom?


title: Were "devil" and "damned" really offensive words in Victorian times?

text: I've been reading Trollope's _The Way We Live Now_ , and have noticed a little stylistic quirk; that the words _devil_ and _damned_ appear blanked out, as _d -----_ and _d------_. They appear in sentences like... > The d---- you do! and > It's all d----- nonsense. The Victorians have an unenviable reputation for prudery, but surely those words can't have been so taboo as to need blanking out, could they? Or is Trollope rendering them this way for comic effect (it certainly makes me smile)?


title: "kindly requested" vs "requested kindly" & "provide with us" vs "provide us with"

text: I am a contracts engineer working in the construction industry in the Middle East. A part of my job description is to manage official correspondence with the client. I am not a native English speaker, but I think I do have a fair sense of language.   I often come across the following concluding line: > "You are hereby kindly requested to provide with us the missing > equipment..." I am aware that "You are kindly requested" is a polite way of asking but I personally think kindly had better be used for the addressee, as in "you are requested to kindly provide us..." Secondly, I think "...provide us with" is correct and "provide with us" is lame. I need an expert opinion. I would request that you kindly reply to this post only if you are sure of the answer by experience or qualification.


title: "Cool water" vs. "cold water"

text: We often use "cool water". But can we use "cool water" or "cold water"? Which is correct? Examples: >   * I drink cool water only. >   * People always like cool water. > In the above examples, instead of the word _cool_ , can we use _cold_?


title: Semicolon: Always required before conjunction if internal punctuation follows, even if no ambiguity?

text: Is the semicolon in the following sentence necessary? Is it preferable? To me, it seems that there would be no ambiguity if the semicolon were replaced with a comma, but the writer insists that a semicolon is required because the part after “or” includes commas. > In that factory process, the production materials can be delivered to the > line as is; or a substance that is immune to the production materials and > lubricant, such as B1, B2, and B3, may be included. I wonder what "rules" there are concerning this type of usage. The Chicago Manual of Style, for example, says at item 6.59: > An independent clause introduced by a conjunction may be preceded by a > semicolon, especially when the independent clause has internal punctuation. > > Maria had determined to question the ambassador; but bodyguards surrounding > him, as well as the presence of dancing girls, prevented him from noticing > her. But, again, would there be any ambiguity at all in changing the semicolon after "ambassador" to a comma? If not, is the use of a semicolon in such a case just a matter of individual preference?


title: Using "decrease by" and percents

text: I just read an article which described congestion on a particular line in Japan. Currently the trains are running at 200% capacity, but larger trains were introduced and "the crowding was reduced by ten percent". Later they say that "the trains are now crammed to just 190% capacity". My question is: shouldn't reducing 200 percent by 10 percent yield 180 percent? EDIT: Apparently the question is being treated as a math question. I don't really see it this way. Unless the original value is known, both answers (190% and 180%) could be correct. But, for some reason in case of this article it is obvious to the commenters that the correct answer os 190%. EDIT2: Below is an excerpt from the article: > ...trains were introduced to the line, and officials are hoping the new > carriages, which are a whole 15cm wider, will reduce crowding by ten > percent.


title: Old English Etymology

text: Recently in my research I came across an O.E. word, 'ingebringan' out of a dictionary wherein the scholar translated it as "to bring in". It seems to me that in a verbatim translation, he left out the suffix 'an' which on both nouns and adjectives means 'of or belonging to' or it may also mean 'one'. The word ge in O.E. can mean to, into or together. Can a scholar out there clarify this for me. Thank you


title: An idiom to describe someone who thinks he/she is wiser than others

text: Is there an idiom in English to describe someone who thinks he/she is smarter/wiser than everyone else? In Polish, we have an idiom, which literally translated, would sound like: > He/she has eaten all minds


title: "Psychically" vs. "psychologically" vs. "mentally"

text: This one has been giving me headaches for about a year now. Some time ago, I created an AskReddit thread with the following title: > How do you **psychically** prepare for pain before a surgical procedure? I was mocked in the comments. Redditors were saying that _psychically_ refers to psychics (people who supposedly contact the dead). However, when I looked it up at The Wiktionary, the entry for _psychically_ states: >   1. in a psychical or psychic manner >   2. mentally > I was also told that the proper word I was looking for is _psychologically_. A few months later, in another thread, in one of my comments I wrote: > To perform a proper backflip, you have to prepare not only physically, but > also psychologically. And again, of course, I was mocked, because _now_ , it turns out, I was supposed to use _mentally_ , contrary to what I had been recommended before. Could the native American and British English speakers of ELU tell me:   * Was I ever wrong in whatever I wrote to Reddit, or are Redditors wrong?   * Is there any difference between the three words in question?   * If there is any difference, how do I properly decide which/when to use?


title: Should I use "me and her" or "her and me" in the following sentence?

text: * I was surprised Paola agreed to come on the trip, just her and me.   * I was surprised Paola agreed to come on the trip, just me and her. Both versions sound OK to me. Or is it there a more appropriate one?


title: Word for the act of a PC "breathing"

text: "Breathing" that's right, that's the word I'm looking for. Obviously a computer doesn't _breathe_ , but what does it _do_? By this I mean, a computer, more specifically the system unit or a laptop. On a system unit or a laptop, there are openings that allow hot air that's produced by the heatsink/fan to be blown out of the machine in order to prevent overheating. The other day I was looking at some Macbooks at the Apple store. Unlike other laptops, the Macbook virtually has no openings on any of its surfaces. So then I went and asked the saleperson on its mechanism in preventing overheating. When asking, it occured to me whether there's an actual word that describes this process/action, a verb that describes the act of sending heated air produced from the heatsink/fans inside the computer out through the openings on the surface of the laptop or system unit by the machine to prevent overheating. In other words, the laptop is not _breathing_ , it's [ ? ]. How does the machine [ ? ].


title: Meaning and usage of "Queens rules"

text: In one podcast I've stumbled upon the following dialog (two hosts discussing new version of software, one of them like it other - not, both of them males): > xxx: Ok, we both have tried that version on that weekend and now lets talk > about it. Queens rules? > > yyy: Yes. > > xxx: The thing that I liked most is... > > yyy: But on the other hand... After that it looks like normal discussion. In that context it sounds like a question which you may ask your opponent just before yours argument/battle. Also I could incorrectly recognize that phrase but it sounds like "Queens rules".


title: Confusion over “family name” in English: What about double-barrelled last names?

text: How do you fill out an official form in English that asks for just one last name when you instead have a surname which **comprises more than one word**? I currently live in a Latin country, where we have names which have “two last names”. One of these “last names” is the father’s surname and the other is the mother’s. The order can vary between countries and even individuals. Sometimes you see these written with a hyphen or an “y” to connect them, but sometimes you do not. For example,   * John **Perez-Espinosa**   * Gabriel **García Márquez**   * Federico **García Lorca**   * Isabel **Pérez-Espinosa González-Lobón**   * José **Ortega y Gasset**   * José **Aznar López**   * José Sócrates **Carvalho Pinto de Sousa**   * José Maria **de Eça de Queirós** I am filling a DS-2019 Form because I am moving to the U.S., but for the name they ask for               _______________    _______________        ________________           (Family name)      (Given name)          (Middle name)      That may map well to someone with a name like _Franklin Delano Roosevelt_ , where you have one one given name, one middle name, and one family name (and in that order), but what about when you have more than one of one of those, like _George Raymond Richard Martin_ , _George Iain Duncan Smith_ , or _Federico del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús García Lorca_? Put them both — or all — in the one field? Invent new fields? So, given the Latin name (with two last names), how do you fill this field? My last name has two names, so do I give them both, or choose just one, or hyphenate them, or something else like using one of the two last names as the middle name? So under the last idea, the answer will be               ____Perez_______    _____John_______        _____Espinosa___           (Family name)      (Given name)            (Middle name)


title: Give someone advice in advance with good intent?

text: There is a word for this in Hungarian (my native language) 'útravaló' which literally means something like "things to be used on your journey". I couldn't find a translation yet in any dictionary. (I've checked 5 different ones.) Is there an English word for the things (either physical or mental) that you give to someone for the reason/intent that she/he might have some use for them while you cannot help him? It's not always clear that the person will actually need them, but usually if he does, it would save him from a great danger. Often a danger that he may not be able to handle without the things you give him. These things could be advice, or things to think about. Physical examples that come to my mind are from folk tales, where the hero gets magical objects and advice on when to use them. They always save him from danger. The word can also be used ironically, when someone won't behave like he should, seemingly naively, but you think that he should have known better, so you give the things for him to think about, doubting that they are new to him or that he is innocent.


title: Word meaning "likely to cause controversy?"

text: Example: > The name Self-Arming Group isn't as [...] as Gun Club, but controversial > nevertheless. What word can I use in the example above?


title: Usage of Present Perfect and Past Simple in answer

text: I'm reading "English Grammar in Use" by Raymond Murphy and I have a question about Present Perfect and Past Simple.   Here's the example from the book: > They've gone away. They'll be back on Friday. (they are away now)   >  They went away, but I think they're back at home now. (not They've gone) What should I use if I'm talking to my friend and I am not sure if somebody is back or he's still away? For example:   -Hey, where is Mark?    -He has gone to the shop _or_ He went to the shop.    Should I choose the tense depending on my own opinion about his current location at the moment of speaking?


title: Scripts ran/run/running/?

text: What is the correct verb construct in the following sentence? > Scripts **___ __ ___** under cron have an empty environment. Cron is a program that runs scripts at scheduled points in time (e.g. every hour). So the verb should be passive and continuous, and since the action continues through the present I believe the correct form is the present participle: _running_. Is this correct?


title: Does a word rhyme with itself?

text: In other words, does rhyming work reflexively? Do "potato" and "potato" rhyme? Is the following (admittedly cumbersome) limerick valid?   > _An issue with rhymes confused me much   >  So I used the internet as a crutch   >  I went to a site   >  The Stack Exchange site   >  And used it as my crutch_


title: Usage of *what* for *that* or *than* in BrE

text: Occasionally, when watching British television or movies, I've come across a construct that isn't used in AmE. Using _what_ as a replacement for _that_ or _than_ as a determiner or comparison. Here is an example from the classic Monty Python Parrot Sketch: > C: Never mind that, my lad. I wish to complain about this parrot **what** I > purchased not half an hour ago from this very boutique. > > O: Oh yes, the, uh, the Norwegian Blue...What's,uh...What's wrong with it? > > C: I'll tell you what's wrong with it, my lad. 'E's dead, that's what's > wrong with it! In AmE we would always say _... parrot **that** I purchased ..._ I've also heard it used as a replacement for than in a comparison: > He thinks he's got bigger balls, **what** I got! I'm guessing that in this case it's merely a colloquial deletion of _than_ and should be _than what I've got_. **My question: Is this considered a colloquial usage in BrE? Or is it fairly standard in the Queen's English?** It seems to me that it might be colloquial based upon John Cleese's accent and intonation, but I don't have the ear for the British accent to pinpoint a regional vs. a socio-economic class of accent.


title: Comparison error

text: Because of its innovativeness and its effective presentation, Mary's science project received more judges' votes at the exhibit than **did Jim**. The "did Jim" part was incorrect, and I was kind of confused on how this is a comparison error?


title: What is "double history"?

text: I'm a Yank watching the UK version of Being Human and the character mentions sitting next to his ex-girlfriend in "Double History" (season 2 episode 3 around timestamp 24:18). It's clearly a history course of some sort, but what sort? I've never heard the phrase before, and duckduck and google are both failing me.


What is the meaning of 'to be recessed 0.2mm in area shown' in a drawing


title: statistically dispositive

text: > The Court also, however, reaffirmed that quotas were illegitimate and found > that the undergraduate program, which mechanically awarded minorities a > fixed twenty points, was therefore impermissible because it was too similar > to a quota. However, it upheld the law school’s program, which purportedly > treated race as merely a vague “plus” and aimed for a “critical mass” of > minorities rather than a fixed quota. But Justice O’Connor’s majority > opinion barely responded to the criticisms of the dissent that the so-called > plus ended up being **statistically dispositive** and that the critical mass > was in fact, historically, a disguised quota, largely taking the > government’s word that the process was individualized. I referenced http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/dispositive?q=dispositive but I still don't apprehend the meaning here? Is this a technical term exclusive to statistics? Source: P242, America on Trial, Alan Dershowitz


title: Using a comma before “and we already have a toaster.”

text: Which of the following is correct?   1. No gifts please, we don't need any orchids and we already have a toaster.   2. No gifts please, we don't need any orchids **_,_** and we already have a toaster.


title: Plural of "scheme"?

text: _Scheme_ is the singular form. What is the plural of _scheme_?


title: What exactly is a "figure" in a scientific paper?

text: I'm writing a thesis and I would like to direct the user to an algorithm description. The description is in the form of numbered (and lettered) list. I would like to write that "the algorithm is presented on fig. 1.1", but I'm not sure if that would be correct. I've been thinking that a "figure" is a drawing or a schematic, but recently I've been seeing this word when referring to lists or even blocks of text.


title: Which article fits better in this sentence?

text: > Please read **the** instruction(s) in exercise 1. or > Please read **an** instruction in exercise 1.


title: Neutral synonym for "leaderboard"

text: Is there a synonym for "leaderboard" that implies less of a value judgement of the criteria by which the items on the board are ranked? I need to describe a dynamic table of **ordered** data (with the highest value at the top) about a sensitive and controversial topic without appearing to suggest approval or disapproval. I also want to avoid a using term that could be construed as flippant or ironic.


title: What is a better way to say "computer person with a lot of experience in multiple parts of computer-related areas"?

text: I am trying to create a concise 'title' for my experience working in the computer field. I have experience in multiple programming languages and multiple roles (manager, technician, programmer) and multiple applications (most mainframe based) and I have been at this for quite some time. But all I can come up with is this: > Well rounded computer systems specialist Any other ideas?


title: What is the difference between "unbeliever" and "disbeliever"

text: I am asking this question because of this http://islam.stackexchange.com/a/2158/44 > It seems that "unbeliever" can be used for a person "who does not believe" > whereas "disbeliever" can be used for a person "who is presented and > rejected". The prefix "dis" can be used for rejection (compared to the > prefix "un" which can be used for "not" without rejection). So "disbelieve" > seems to imply "making a conscious decision" to reject/dismiss something. How correct is above explanation. Can someone explain in more detail what is, if any, the difference between those two words?


title: Confused about grammar

text: I would like to know what the difference is between the following sentences:   * A PM (project manager) can only track so many items   * Only PM can track so many items Is the first sentence grammatically correct ?


title: Can I say "I have some apprehensions"?

text: Can I say "I have some apprehensions"? Or it should always be in singular. For example, "He seems to be able to walk now, but I have some apprehensions that he can faint at any time" Google search gives me both, but I am not sure if both of them are correct.


title: Omission of 'to'

text: Arnold King, while writing a blog in _econlib_ , wrote: > The last thing he meant to do was call attention to the coercion behind the > insurance function. Should it not be: > The last thing he meant to do was _to_ call attention to the coercion behind > the insurance function. Is the second _to_ an ellipsis? Or is the second way of constructing the sentence incorrect?


title: Plural form of a noun vs "many a..."

text: I just read the sentence "I live in the East Village and see many a person lying in the street at all hours of the day" (for anyone wondering this sentence is referring to New York City). When, if ever, is it grammatically correct - or appropriate - to use the phrase "many a _noun_ " instead of using the plural form of the noun?


title: What is single word for "behind the bars"?

text: I have heard of the term 'behind the bars'. Is there any single worded-term for this?


title: Why on earth are binoculars pronounced as /bɪˈnɒk.jʊ.ləz/ instead of /baɪˈnɒk.jʊ.ləz/?

text: I once pronounced _binoculars_ as > /baɪˈnɒk.jʊ.ləz/ and my friend told me that it is supposed to be pronounced as > /bɪˈnɒk.jʊ.ləz/ I didn't believe him as I was very sure that the prefix _bi-_ is pronounced as > /baɪ-/ instead of > /bɪ-/ and so should the word _binoculars_ until I checked with the Cambridge dictionary, the Oxford dictionary, the MacMillan dictionary, the Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary and the Collins Cobuild dictionary. It turned out that my friend was correct.


title: Is there another way to say "needn't have done"?

text: I'm learning modal verbs now and get in trouble with "need" one. In my textbook it is said that: > don't need to == needn't -- present simple   >  didn't need to -- past simple   >  needn't have done -- present perfect In some inexplicable reason I think that _needn't have done_ sounds weird (may be because I haven't ever heard of such construction). So my question is: Is there a sentence that equal to _needn't have done_ but without the _needn't_ part (like the past simple one)? Or everything is just fine with it and I shouldn't keep in mind?


title: Is technical copywriting jargon or style?

text: I became confused by comments to my answer insisting that Technical writing is jargon using incorrect English words. I also looked through definitions of "prepend" in internet, all with inserted derogatory remarks, even in IT-specialized dictionaries, like 'jargon' and:   * prepend is not an English word. It was created to sound like the opposite of "append," which means to add to the end. The correct English word is "prefix;   * Although it sounds correct, prepend is not an English word. It was created to sound like the opposite of "append," which means to add to the end. The correct English word is "prefix;" for example, Is Technical Writing jargon or writing-style and the branch of correctly used English?   Would I better avoid to refer to it as English at all while copywriting (or copylefting) in it? Update:   If I write using the words which are not English WORDS, do I write in English? Update2: I've read many definitions of copywriting but basically it is to poularize a product or a point of view to a most general (including illiterate) reader. The term **Copywriting** "refers to writing in the sense of creating non- technical material". Where is here a "jargon is nearly impossible for the average person to decipher", given by all answers, I wonder? Update3:   Some of jargon definitions:   * Jargon (JAR´gen) - Meaningless use of words   * The technical language of a particular group that is inappropriate in most formal writing since it is frequently not understandable by those outside the group What is unclear in "prepend" and to whom?   Why isn't busyness letter or step-by-step instructions a formal writing? Update4:   Jargon is not necessarily incorrect words. I can speak a few jargons with completely correct words engagement which will be clear only to representatives of certain groups. It is the matter of enagaging accent, distinctiveness, allusions, metaphors, rare citations or facts and idioms Should it be be understood that insulting obscenities known to everybody are not jargon and full members of "correct" English printed in all dictionaries, exposable in printed books, screened popular movies? but understandable "technical" ubiquitous words are out? > Jargon, when referring to computers, is the usage of words by a particular > group, profession, or culture, especially when the words and phrases are not > understood or used by other people. For instance, words like Adware and > Spyware are considered Jargon. Many computer related acronyms, such as CPU > (another name for computer processor) and RAM (another name for memory), are > also considered Jargon terms Do you know anybody who:   \- who does NOT know the words RAM or CPU?   \- who knows, without consulting with dictionaries, all "correct" words of a language? Related question:   * Does English have taboo-ed (unprintable) obscenities? [closed] Update:   The origin of confusion is that the foreign words "jargon" and "slang" make part of Russian and in Russian (as far as I know it, since I am not a linguist) "jargon" covers insulting dialects while "slang" is just peculiar/eqxuisite dialects. **Update:**   May I ask to start delete/edit my question, so distorting its sense, after answer to question acceptance?


title: "Go XXX" or "go to XXX"

text: Sometimes I see _go XXX_ ( _go home_ ) and sometimes _go to XXX_ ( _go to school_ , _go to work_ ). Is there any specific rule about this?


title: Is preposition required before 'yesterday' in certain cases?

text: Is the following sentence correct? > Last saved by Rod yesterday at 6:15 PM


title: What does "For what it's worth" mean?

text: I hear it often, and can usually derive a sentence's meaning with or without it. What does it really mean? When would one use it?


title: Why does English need an article before any noun?

text: In my native language, we can say: > I have dog Because I don't want to say _a dog_ (one dog, how many dogs) or _the dog_ (that dog, the listener don't care which dog). p.s. after 3 years later, I have to say, why I ask this question, is I still cannot grasp how to use the right 'article word'. sometimes, a noun will use an article, sometimes, a noun could not(or omit) the article word before it. there aren't a formula for this. So, I have to remember all the time! I feel so frustrate


title: Word for a person who often visits night clubs and bars?

text: Do I call them _clubbers_ or are there better words to describe them?


title: Using an uncountable noun and 'none'

text: Today I came across the following sentence: > We asked for help and were given none. It feels and sounds right to me. However, after decomposing _none_ into _not one_ , it becomes apparent that you can't have _one help_ in this context. So is _none_ the right word to use originally? If so, what does that say for the _none = not one_ equivalence? If not, then what is a better way to phrase it?


title: "The more you (will) ask them, the harder it will be"

text: Is this correct? > The more you **will** ask them, the harder it will be. Should I use > The more you ask them, the harder it will be instead?


title: ..abstract subject.. has gone blind. Meaning

text: I heard this on a song. > "a prayer has gone blind" What does it mean when something abstract "has gone blind"? They don't like thanking in the comments. So it goes without saying for all my questions from now on...


title: Name of 3 dots to indicate a pause in speech

text: Answers to this question show that it is quite common to use the 'ellipsis' (three dots) in English writing to indicate a pause in speech for reasons of "confusion, insecurity, distress, or uncertainty". I agree with this usage, but is it still appropriate to call the 3 dots an 'ellipsis' in this case? I generally associate 'ellipsis' with omission; indeed, that's its primary meaning, with the reference to the typographical 3 dots being secondary. Is there a better word or phrase to use to refer to the 3 dots being used to indicate a pause in speech (either real as in quotes, or abstract as in written prose)?


title: Would the rejection of an argument because of a grammatical error be a type of logical fallacy?

text: Many people may have experienced situations (often online) where someone dismisses another's argument not on the merits of the argument, but because of a grammatical (or, more generally, mechanical) error. Instead of errors that could actually confuse the meaning of a statement, I'm thinking of errors like using "that" to refer to a person rather than "who," where the ability to process meaning is not disrupted. Generically, I guess it might be considered an _ad hominem_ ("What do you know? You can't even use a comma correctly!"), but I'm just curious if there's a more specific term for such a thing.


title: plain and simple

text: "The chimpanzees were jealous, sexist, and possessive, plain and simple." In the sentence above, are _plain_ and _simple_ two adjectives describing the chimpanzees or are they part of an idiom emphasizing that the chimpanzees are jealous, sexist and possessive, which is completely true and cannot be described as anything else as in this sentence below: "It was cheating, plain and simple." Thanks.


title: Meaning of "stuck in a barb wire snare"

text: What is the meaning of the expression _stuck in a barb wire snare_? I heard it in a song but I can't find the explanation and I can't figure out what it means.


title: What is a name for a unit of measure and value

text: I'm trying to find a word that describes both the unit and value of something. The unit types and values are arbitrary. For instance "10 meters" and "52 inches" are examples of (the word). "10 liters" and "40 watts" are examples of (the word), etc. Is there such a word? I can't think of it.


title: Punctuation for "then fine"

text: This is one of those colloquialisms that doesn't seem to translate to a complete sentence, but how would you properly punctuate and/or correct the following sentence? > I'd like you to keep working, but if you want to quit, then fine. My interest is on the last phrase "then fine" which I've heard before but can't seem to figure out how to write it down properly. Is it "then fine" or "then, fine" or something else entirely? What kind of grammatical function is it?


title: wooden, golden, oaken - Genitive?

text: A few nouns can be transformed into an adjective meaning "made of that noun (also: being like that noun)" by adding -en. > golden, wooden, oaken, stonen   * Are those remnants of an old noun inflection of the Genitive case?    * If so are there other remnants of that?   * Would it be possible to interpret "the maiden gown" as such a Genitive?


title: Subject–verb agreement not clear in "Is two bars OK?"

text: Is the following correct? > Can I get some chocolate for myself? Yes, you can but not much.   >  **Is** two bars OK? Is there any rule to explain the sentence above? The dialogue's taken from Grammar Textbook Round-Up Level #3.


title: Origin of "go into hock"

text: > We will have to _go into hock_ to buy a house. What is the origin of the idiom?


title: Punctuation for quote reversal

text: Is there any punctuation--obviously not standard--for when you rearrange a quotation? It would be similar to an ellipsis, but indicate movement rather than elision. For example, you are given the following line: > If one yields to it one's character narrows and cheapens. The structure of your writing, though, favors "It 'narrows and cheapens' 'one's character.'" This, though, hideously places two quotation marks next to each other. Of course, you could change your sentence to fit the original order but this is not always easy. Has anyone ever introduced a punctuation mark that would go between the two segments? As an example of what I mean, I hypothesize a symbol: > It "narrows and cheapens <> one's character," where <> is my substitute for what I seek. Please do not tell me how to use quotations. I do not need an education on how to get around this need. I am only curious if there is such a symbol.


title: A "torque wrench" or a "wrench"?

text: Could " _wrench_ " mean something different from a torque wrench? Would the meaning here be vague if I left off the word " _torque_ " in the following passage? > The biggest difficulty in giving instructions is, as already noted, over- > estimating what your audience already knows. Telling someone to remove a > part on their car using a **_torque_** wrench doesn’t help much if they > don’t know how to use a **_torque_** wrench, or even what one is. Problems > can also arise when you fail to adequately describe a point — it often is > not clear until several steps later that a failure has occurred, and the > only thing to do for it is to trace your steps backwards until you find the > error.


title: Is “workingest” used as often and casually as “hardest working” and “the most hard working (or industrious)”?

text: I found the phrase America is “ _the workingest nation_ ” on earth in the following sentence of Time magazine’s (November 14) article titled “Whatever happened to upward mobility.” > For the first time in 20 years, the percentage of the population employed in > the US is lower than in U.K., Germany and the Netherlands. “We like to think > of America as _the workingest nation_ on earth. But that’s no longer the > case,” says Ron Haskins, a co-director of the Brookings Institution’s Center > on Children and Families. I know the word “working” as an adjective, but I don’t think I’ve come across the word being used in the superlative degree like this. MS Windows 7 spell- check on my PC keeps demanding to correct “workingest” into “work ingest” and “workings” when I'm posting this question. Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary defines “working” as an adjective, meaning;   1. Having a job for which you are paid.   2. Having a job that involves hard physical work rather than office work, studying etc.   3. Connected with your job and the time you spend doing it.  Plus five other, situational definitions. Is “workingest nation, (people, men, women, laborers, students)” used as often as “the hardest working” or “the most hard-working nation, (people, men, women, laborers, students)” in the world?


title: Correct capitalization for "of" in an acronym definition

text: For an acronym that includes the word "of", do you capitalize its usage within the definition (or expansion) of the acronym For example, in the follow sentence: My coworker Steve suffers from Complete Avoidance **of** Work Syndrome (CAOWS). Should **of** be written as **Of**?


title: How different “inflection point” is from “turning point” and “diverging point”?

text: Further to my question on the usage of “workingest” in the Time magazine’s article (November 14), “Whatever happened to upward mobility,” I noticed the word “inflection point,” in the following sentence in the same article: “International Monetary Fund research shows that countries like the U.S. and U.K. are more prone to boom and bust cycles. And they are ultimately at risk for social instability. That the _inflection point_ that we are at right now.” I am not clear with meaning of “ _inflection point_ ” and the difference of it from other resembling expressions, such as “turning point,” “diverging point,” "bifurcation" or “junction.” Apart from a bookish mathematical definition of the inflection points as “the point where the function changes concavity” with an example equation, “f(x) = x3”, which I found in www.clas.usb. edu, what does “inflection point” mean in the contest of the above sentence? Is this phrase interchangeable with other analogies as shown above?


title: What does 'question items' means?

text: This is the sentence "True or false question items and short answer ones were also analyzed separately. " I do not know what 'question items' mean Full sentence: "The data have revealed that the candidates performed in computer-based reading as well as in paper-based reading. To be more specific, True or false question items and short answer ones were also analysed separately."


title: "Hungry" is to "full" as "thirsty" is to what adjective?

text: In Danish, we do have word for this ("set"), but absolutely nobody uses this...


title: Using dashes when omitting verb

text: The claim start date is reported as the start date of the episode and the end date as the first billable visit. OR The order start date is reported as the episode date and the end date--as the date of the first provided visit. Do we need dash before "as" when we omitted the verb "is reported"?


title: "won't" vs. "wouldn't"

text: Are these two words interchangeable? How do you know when to use one or the other? For some sentences it is easy to know which one to use, but not for others. The type of sentences that are difficult are those that begin with "if" or "should." Here's some example sentences: >   * Should you ever break up with your girlfriend, wouldn't you become > lonely? >   * Should you lose this, won't finding another one be difficult? > Or any kind of sentence that is like "Should **___ __ _**, wouldn't/won't **_____**?"


title: The best time to go out for (a) dinner

text: I'm not sure why in some situations articles are not going before a noun. E.g. I found this sentence: > The best time to go out for dinner. Why is not here _a dinner_? This link says that we don't put articles in front of noun if is already some determiner before, like this and that. But for is not a determiner, so I'm wondering why it's not correct to say _a dinner_?


title: What did they call illegitimate children in Old English days?

text: I know that the word _bastard_ in this sense appeard only in 13th century. So what was the normal term before that?


title: Can I say "What's the sense of (something)"?

text: I came across this usage in a sentence from an exercise, which is: > What's the **sense** of having a public open space where you can't eat, > drink or even simply hang out for a while? Does the usage here sound natural? And how is it different from "What's the **point** of (something)"?


title: A word which means the opposite of "something that works in parallel"

text: If I want to describe two things happening at the same time, I can use the words `parallel` or `concurrently`. In some cases, `simultaneously` would also work. More suggestions are available in the opposite question, already answered. In technical writing, most of the time, it is sufficient to identify a process or thread that is parallel; a lack of parallelism is assumed in absence of specificity. But in some cases, the ordinary expectation for something is parallel, so the reverse requires denotation. The word `sequentially` implies some of the same things as `concurrently`. But I'd really like a word that denotes the opposite and can be used in the same way as `concurrently`. Here's a few examples:   * "That procedure runs concurrently, so the system doesn't wait for it to finish before moving on."   * "That procedure runs `???`, so the system waits for it to finish before moving on."   * "The math library does all of its processing concurrently, so matrix multiplication is faster on a multi-core machine."   * "The math library does all of its processing `???`, so it doesn't matter how many cores you have."   * "The backup runs concurrently with the import, so the system doesn't experience any downtime."   * "The backup runs `???` with the import, so the system will be down until it completes." The audience can assumed to be reasonably technical, though not necessarily domain experts in multithreaded programming. (Bonus points if the word is also useful as a part of function names while programming.) This question is very well straddling the line between here and StackOverflow, but its more about English than programming, I think. So, does the word I want exist?


title: Meaning of "individual" in "dystopian texts [...] emphasize the importance of the individual"

text: I'm trying to help my son understand an essay question but am having trouble understanding the question myself. He's studying George Orwell's 1984 and the essay question is this: > Dystopian texts are valued because they emphasize the importance of the > individual in his or her particular context. I'm not looking for an answer to the actual question but rather an explanation of what it's actually asking. In particular who is the individual — do they mean the author? And if so, do they mean the importance of the author at the time the book was written, importance to literary history, or something else?


title: Etymology of "well" in "treat people well"

text: I wrote _treat people well_. In trying to feel more deeply about this, I wondered where the word _well_ came from in this context. Why was this word chosen to explain and convey so much?


title: What does visceral means in this context?

text: > Some people’s imagery is largely nonvisual: visceral or emotional or > kinesthetic or something else. What does visceral mean?


title: "Help in doing something" or "Help doing something"

text: Is the preposition **in** necessary or abundant? To be specific, which of these two sentences sounds better/is correct? > _This helps in achieving better fuel economy._ or > _This helps achieving better fuel economy._ I know of this question, however I am not sure how much it applies to my problem.


title: "Cleats" vs. "soccer shoes"

text: I used to say _cleats_ but found it uncommon for some people, though I had no trouble with _soccer shoes_. I have always lived in a Spanish-speaking country (Nicaragua) so I find it hard to know why that is. Are _cleats_ only used in some places? Wikipedia also mentions _football boots_.


title: Is an ellipsis interchangeable with an em dash?

text: I know than an ellipsis can be used to show a broken sentence, the same way an em dash can be used. What I don't know is that if the two are interchangeable and it is writer preference or if different meaning is conveyed by their use. Are ellipses and em dashes commutable?


title: Can I say this in English: "Hard- and Software"?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Use of hyphens when writing repeated compound words that has common parts In German we can use a hyphen as indication that there is a continuation of the current word somewhere else in the sentence, such as in "hard- and software". Other examples: "de- and reconstruction", "boy- or girlfriends", … I haven't seen this use of a hyphen in English. But is the use of a hyphen allowed?


title: Hyphens in enumerations of compound words

text: do I write "and, or and not operator" or "and-, or- and not-operator". Similarly is "reading and writing phase" or "reading- and writing-phase" correct and why? (Sadly, I was unable to find an answer online) I hope you can help! thanks in advance, Ronny


title: Is it possible to use a hyphen in a listing (in a sentence) for abbreviation, even if the compound word consists of two separate words

text: I'm currently asking myself if it is possible to use "-" for abbreviation in a listing in a sentence to emphasize the togetherness of the previous words and the word in the end, even if they are two separate words or do not contain a hyphen. Example:               (...) baby-, owner- and product names.      Background: I would not like to harm the spelling of i.e. "product names" because it is spelled this way in a certain context. However i would like to make it clear that not "babies" or "owner" but "baby names" and "owner names" are meant. Thank you,


title: How can you omit repetition of words with prefixes, e.g. "inputs and outputs"?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Use of hyphens when writing repeated compound words that has common parts I am looking for a general way of shortening the repetition of words with prefixes like "upwards and downwards", "inputs and outputs", "upscale and downscale", etc. Is there an accepted way to shorten this in writing? In spoken English we do something like "up and downwards" or "in and outputs".


title: "There isn't" vs. "there's not"

text: They both expand to "there is not" but for some reason "There's not" sounds indescribably uncomfortable for most situations. Can anyone elucidate why this might be? Or am I wrong? **EDIT** : Let me provide an example to see if anyone agrees. >   1. There's not anyone there.   > >   2. There isn't anyone there. > Number 1 doesn't sound wonky to you?


title: E-mail signature etiquette with a "With regards," line

text: What is the more correct use of a "With regards" line with an e-mail signature? > With regards,   >  \--   >  [First name] [Last name] > \--   >  With regards,   >  [First name] [Last name] Is there another standard to follow? Does it even matter?


title: Literal meaning of "to give a run for someone's money"

text: According to the Free Dictionary, the figurative meaning of _to give a run for someone's money_ is "to be as good as someone." But what's the _literal_ meaning of the sentence?


title: What are these wheels called in English?

text: I've been looking for the name of the wheel of which a few are visible on this picture (not the object itself, but the wheels that are used on it!): ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/5fxJk.jpg)   I've been looking for terms like "counter wheel", "counter reel", and so on - but can't seem to find anything that names the actual wheels themselves. I know that these wheels have a name as I've seen it before, but I can't recall what it was. If I had to describe it, "a numbered wheel that represents a counted digit, either stand-alone or as part of a larger number".


title: What's an antonym for the noun "critic"?

text: I need an antonym (a noun) for the word "Critic", ie. a noun for someone who praises.


title: "periphery" and "perimeter" — are they the same?

text: I looked up in the dictionary and found they both mean the boundary of a closed curve, or the extended meaning “not the center”. Are they synonyms?


title: What does "What are you up to?" mean?

text: I overheard my manager asking "What are you up to?" What does that idiom mean? Is it an informal/negative way of asking??


title: Word for the relation between two different generalisations

text: I'm looking for a word for the relation between two concepts that are both different generalisations of the same concept. As an example, take the scalar product and cross product between vectors, from the product between scalars.


title: What does the kitten get?

text: Jeff Atwood writes: > Vote For This Question or The Kitten Gets It ... every time you forget to > vote a great question up, or a bad question down — a kitten gets it! The kitten looks awfully sad, but why would it be sad for getting a question? ![kitten](http://blog.stackoverflow.com/wp-content/uploads/or-this-kitten- gets-it.jpg)


title: Phrasal verbs with "go"

text: I'm doing the Cambridge Upper-intermediate English course and there is a lection on "go xxx" phrasal verbs. > Go ahead - to start to do something > > Go on - to start operating / to continue or move to the next thing I don't really understand when to use "go on" and when to use "go ahead" meaning to start something if there is any difference? > Go off - to stop liking or being interested in someone or something > > Go for - to like or admire Could you give me example sentences, please? Are these phrases often used? I have never seen the first one hold this meaning. I know its meaning to be "(of a warning device) to start to ring loudly or make a loud noise". As for the second one, I know it like "Go for it" or "Take it" or thing like that.


title: What does the phrase "DV-Undefined" and the phrase "DV-MPS General" mean in book titles

text: I'm looking at a couple of books on Amazon and the they have some weird parts in the title. see:   * http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0735611319/ref=cm_rdp_product   * http://www.amazon.co.uk/Code-Hidden-Language-DV-MPS-General/dp/073560505X Does anyone have a clue what the phrase "DV-Undefined" and the phrase "DV-MPS General" mean in book titles? Which is better?


title: How offensive is the expression "I am sick of you"?

text: **Question 1:** What is the meaning of "I am sick of you" exactly? **Question 2:** Does the meaning of this expression change depending on the context? **Question 3:** How offensive is this expression in comparison with some alternatives having similar meanings?


title: It can be happened.. is it false to utter it?

text: is it wrong to use this expression " It can be happened...". In fact many of colleagues said that the right expression is " It can happen". Do you have any comments on this?


title: Word for person who loves to share knowledge

text: What is a word for a person who loves to share knowledge? So far I have _educator_ in mind. Is there any other word?


title: What is the word meaning "going on and on for miles and miles"?

text: _Edit: I was walking down an intolerably long sidewalk one day, and every time a mounted another hill, I saw more of it seeming to stretch out before me. It got me to thinking: is there a word for "going on and on for miles and miles?"_ I'm looking for a single adjective that is aptly descriptive of a road that stretches for miles and never seems to end. I tried various words already; for example, it can't be _ramifying_ because that word means _branching out in different directions._ Neither is it _redounding,_ which has the idea of repetition. _Long_ or _lengthy_ would be too plain, while at the same time not saying enough. So what I'm asking for is a single adjective (or present participle) that applies to a road or path and describes it as _stretching out ahead for miles with no end in sight_ in a single word. Does this word even exist? If it does, what is it? Example: _It was a long road, stretching and **____** _ing as it went, and it seemed like it would never end._


title: "They be paid" or "they should be paid"?

text: Here is a sentence that I am trying to understand grammatically:- > Defrauded depositors of XBANK staged a protest march from the New Town hall > to the Fountain circus this afternoon demanding that they be paid > immediately. How can we just use:- > they be paid In my understanding, the correct way should be:- > they should be paid immediately


title: 'How dared you?' versus 'How dare you?'

text: A book I'm reading has this sentence in it: "How dared you go and see her without me?" Is the usage of the past tense 'dared' here grammatically wrong or just odd given the established phrase "How dare you?"


title: Is “Give (get) space” a common usage for “give (get) flexibility / freedom”?

text: NSNBC (March 26) reported that President Obama was overheard telling Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to “ _give him space_ " until after November during his meetings in South Korea on missile defense, and Time magazine (March 26) called Obama’s ‘ _Space’ Case_ “Gaffe of the Week.” ABC news reported: At his 90 minute meeting with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev Monday, President Obama said that he would have “more flexibility” to deal with controversial issues such as missile. I have once heard “have elbow room” used to mean have freedom / flexibility of action (decision). Is “ _give (get) space_ ” commonly used as the equivalent to “give (get) flexibility”?


title: Sing Song - nursery poem definitions

text: My wife was reading me this poem for our kids' homeschool > A city plum is not a plum; A dumb-bell is no bell, though dumb; A > statesman's rat is not a rat; A sailor's cat is not a cat; A soldier's frog > is not a frog; Sing Song - Christina Georgina Rossetti I know what a dumb bell and a captain's log are (weights and a diary), but what's a city plum; what is a statesman's rat; what is a sailor's cat; and what is a soldier's frog?


title: Every 30 minutes on the sharp

text: If the firework happens every 30 minutes from 7:00 7:30, 8:00, 8:30, ... 19:00 Can I say: There will be a fireworks display every half hour on the sharp.


title: What is the opposite of modal?

text: Is there a word for the opposite of _modal_? Particularly, is there a word for the opposite of _modal_ in the logical sense of relating to the modality between propositions? In other words, is there a word for denoting that of _not_ relating to the modality between propositions?


title: Is this hypothetical (if-clause) question grammatically correct?

text: I came across the following question at a chat room: > If I were an admin responsible for the security of an organization's network > who were using X products in their network, **how would I know for sure > whether there were backdoors in them**? Is the above question grammatically correct?   And for the part in bold, is it a real question (as in asking for an answer) or is it rhetorical?


title: I can see us agreeing on many points "in the article" or "from the article"?

text: I want to provide a reader with a link to an article and say that we would agree on a lot of points therein. What's the best way to state that and which one in the below versions is correct? > I can see us agreeing on many points _in_ the article. or > I can see us agreeing on many points _from_ the article.


title: single word to describe futuristic and modern building

text: what would be a word to describe a building that is modern and futuristic. a term that would mean something like ' **building of the next decade/century** '


title: "Questions to" or "Questions for"?

text: I am writing a list of questions to be asked in an interview, and was wondering about the title of my list. Is it supposed to be called "Questions to Artists" or "Questions for Artists"? What is the right form, presuming it is me who is going to be asking the artists questions?


title: "Where should I put the question mark (?)(,)" asked RoDaSm(?)

text: "Where should I put the question mark(1.?)(,)" asked RoDaSm(2.?) If I place the question mark at the end of the first clause (1.), I should start the second clause with a capital letter and make it a new sentence, but _Asked RoDaSm_ is not sentence. so I'm left with either of the two options written below. Could someone shed some light on whether the alternatives are correct or considered acceptable usage? 1."Where should I put the question mark?" asked RoDaSm. 2."Where should I put the question mark," asked RoDaSm? Would the same rule apply for a sentence such as: "What am I'm supposed to do with that," said RoDaSm?


title: Don' t ask a policeman what time it is!

text: There are 24 hours in a day, but only the military, police and computer programmers use the 24-hour clock. Source LEO Network. How come that the common practice of using the 12-hour clock is not followed by the Police and the Army, as generally done by common people and other institutions?


title: Antonym of prior to?

text: Given the following sentence, in the context of a video about flying a plane: > The heading remained unchanged prior to 02:50 Reversing the meaning of this: > The heading remained unchanged after 02:50 Is there another word you can use other than "after"? Aside: this is possibly a bad example, since "after" isn't a bad fit in that sentence.


title: What meaning does "hardly" impose in this context?

text: "The jury was hardly moved by the man’s plea that his loneliness was an extenuating factor in his crime of dognapping a prized pooch" What did it end with? was the jury finally moved? or not at all?


title: loud, aloud, loudly?

text: Which one of the following should I use ?   1. Speak loud.    2. Speak loudly.    3. Speak aloud. I heard once a teacher say 'speaker louder', so I think 'speak loud' should be no problem. What's more, recalling 'lol'(laugh out loud), I think the first one is correct. What's your opinion ?


title: British English vs American English

text: As an English learner it always make me confuse to know that a specific word / phrase use in which English language countries ? Is there any way that I can check a word or phrase to know that it uses in America or England ? because there are a lot of words and phrases that came from different sources and I really do not know where the base of writing come from ? Thank you very much Matt


title: Meaning of "... so much of what ..."

text: I am getting confused about the meaning of the following sentence. > The talk about the end of ideology only confirmed intellectuals from these > countries in their opinion about the pervasiveness of the ethnocentric bias > in **so much of what** passes for sociology in their Western world. What exactly does the author mean by the phrase _so much of what_? Does it emphasise some contradictory or approving fact?


title: what is a generic term for any work to be marked by teacher

text: As the title mentions: what is generic term for any work to be marked by teacher (exam, test, assignment, report) ?


title: What's the difference between "big" and "large"?

text: What's the proper way to say: _a large family_ or _a big family_? What's the difference between them?


title: "Without any problem" or "without any problems"

text: What is the correct form:   **"Without any problem"** or **"Without any problems"**?


title: What is "Godspeed"?

text: Title says it all. What does it really mean? What is its origin?


title: "As everyone" vs. "like everyone"

text: Which sentence is more correct? >   1. **As** everyone I dream about travelling to other countries. >   2. **Like** everyone I dream about travelling to other countries. >


title: Is Venice built on poles, piles, or pilings?

text: Which term should be used to describe the wooden support system of Venice?


title: Pronunciation of "xenophobia," "xenon," and "Xena"

text: I've heard all of the above words with X as _zeh_. Is that an American English thing? What's the correct way to pronounce each word?


title: Can "how not" stand for "of course"?

text: In Spanish, "how not" can mean "of course". I'm not sure whether one can translate literally that expression. Is the following correct English? > When I went to the spa I chatted with Ann for a while, and then, how not, I > took a bath. My intent in the example sentence is to express that "taking a bath" is an obvious or predictable action to perform, given the described situation.


title: When can you use 'a same'?

text: When will we use 'a same', instead of 'the same'? Is it grammatical to say:   1. We wore a same hat yesterday.   2. We talked to a same teacher everyday.


title: "Thru" vs. "through"

text: Could anyone explain the differences between "thru" and "through"? Is the difference only in spelling? Is "thru" some sort of slang?


title: We were all wounded at "Waunde:d" Knee

text: We've all heard the song. I'm just wondering whether it's wounded or "waunde:d" knee. Is there a river in the vicinity of "Wounded Knee" that is twisted or turned (waunde:d) or is the site named after the battle where everyone was wounded?


title: What is the term used when a government official / politician goes from one gov position to another?

text: In Spanish it's called "transfuguismo".


title: Visit us at (the) booth 24, (the) room 56 etc. It's wrong, but why?

text: I know that "the" is wrong here, but I can't explain why it's wrong to my friend here, and I have trouble formulating a google search to find some descriptive "rule" or something. Help please?


title: Is it considered good style to use "retail" as a noun, rather than an adjective?

text: This paragraph from Wikipedia makes me cringe, because of the first sentence, using the phrase "in retail". > Planograms are mostly used in retail. A planogram defines which product is > placed, in which area of a shelving unit and with which quantity. The rules > and theories for the creation of a planogram are set under the terms of > merchandising. Manufacturers often send planograms to stores ahead of new > products. This is useful when a retailer wants multiple store displays to > have the same look and feel. Often, a consumer-packaged goods manufacturer > will release a new suggested planogram with their new product to show how > the product relates to existing products. I work for a retail company, and realize that this is a conventional way of speaking within the industry. But it seems to me to be on par with industry jargon, and out of place in intelligent and thoughtfully edited writing. Is my opinion widely held, or is this sort of thing considered acceptable? (For instance, would the New York Times ever use language like this?)


title: Is "physically based rendering" grammatically correct?

text: Physically based rendering is a relatively new but established term in computer graphics that refers to rendering that tries to closely mimic the laws of physics for more photorealistic results. The term sounds weird to me. I would rather have called it "physics based rendering". Is "physically based" equally correct? Are there any other examples of phrases with "-lly based" or something similar?


title: Synonyms for "default"

text: I've been looking for other words to describe a pre-selected option that can be changed by the user but must have a value. Everyone uses the word "default" to describe that, but in searching for synonyms I always get a list of synonyms related to the legal definition--a failure to meet an obligation. I don't like the word default because computer people use it everywhere. Are there any good single word alternatives?


title: Would "aftermath" ever be used to mean "a reaction of crackdown"?

text: In the context of revolution, there often comes the word "aftermath," usually meaning the bad consequences of a given revolution on the long run. Can I, however, use it to mean the immediate reactions of crackdown revolutionaries often get from their state? AN IMPORTANT clarification: I insist on the word "aftermath" because it contributes to a rhyming effect. So I want my "thing" to sound like this: ". . . . . . . . . . Squares replete with a revolution of wrath, A revolution by those who fear no aftermath." By "aftermath" I mean crackdown, injuries, deaths, homelessness, etc. In other words, I mean that the revolutionaries fear no such things. Simply put, they are brave. Can I have your thoughts on my use of "aftermath?"


title: anything / everything but

text: With reference to a commonly bad behaviour (e.g. corruption), may I write/say: "it seems to be everything but an Italian bad habit only!"?


title: Using 'will' vs. 'would' in this sentence

text: I'd like to know which one of the following is correct: >   * I would like to have a job which I **will** like and which **will** earn > me a lot of money. >   * I would like to have a job which I **would** like and which **would** > earn me a lot of money. > My guess is it's the second one, but I'm not sure.


title: "My one" vs Mine

text: I've heard someone say "Here's my one" instead of "Here's mine". Is the former grammatical? It seems like it's a shortcut for "Here's one that is mine".


title: Is 'verbiage' still considered to be insulting?

text: All the references I'm finding says that 'verbiage' is used when trying to insult a work or person for being too wordy. My experience with the word (by my own usage and the usage of others around me) have always meant that verbiage was a generic term for the words used, i.e. "I got that information from the email's verbiage." Have I been using 'verbiage' incorrectly all my life?


title: "Consequently" versus "consequentially"

text: What is the difference between _consequent **ly**_ and _consequent **ially**_? My usage being what it is, and also _according to the dictionary sample sentences I've found so far_ (thank you for the helpful comment @Thomas), I think they can be used interchangeably, usually intended to mean "As a consequence [of some action described in the preceding sentence], ...".


title: What does a phrase "Plunder for all!" mean?

text: A fleet of ships is going to attack other fleet and on the meeting of capitans of the ships from first fleet one capitan tells "Plunder for all!". What does that mean? **Added** I've looked plunder in the dictionary, but that doesn't seem to make sense, they are not going to take anything from other ships, they are going just to destroy them. I thought it could have been a kind of special phrase, that is common in marine speech and rarely appears in dictionaries (in the book, from which I took this phrase it is quite common) **Added** Alright, I'll accept that there is no other meaning. I finally decided that he meant "It would be good for all of us to destroy these ships".


title: What does ‘One’ in “Detectives slapped handcuffs on her. “You know you did it,” she said one later shouted at her. “Just admit it.” mean?

text: I felt the article of New York Times N.Y. Region section (July 25) titled “A Revenge Plot So Intricate, the Prosecutors Were Pawns” reporting a woman being framed by her boyfriend into the charge with carrying out a series of armed robberies very intriguing. But I was hung up on one minor point – the function of the word, ‘ _one_ ’ in the following sentence of the article: > “One night, Ms. Sumasar was pulled over by the police. Before she could > speak, detectives slapped handcuffs on her. “You know you did it,” she said > _one_ later shouted at her. “Just admit it.” What does ‘ _one_ ’ here mean? Does it mean ‘one of the detectives’ or ‘ _a_ second later’? I am confused.


title: Punctuation around the word "namely"

text: It seems somehow tricky to apply the right punctuation when it comes to the word _namely_. I got the following advice: > Search globally for "namely", and add a comma after it, as well as a comma, > a semicolon, or a period before. On the other hand, this link and this one suggest that there might be more to consider. So, what are the rules for punctuating around the word _namely_? Please try to prove your claims by including references.


title: Is there a word for someone being both 'Spectator and Participant'?

text: I was wondering if there is a single word for someone being 'both spectator and participant', as in "In the grand scheme of universe I am just another identity who is both a spectator and a participant". Observer (though not accurate) is a good replacement, but it is somewhat a common term. A more unique/fancy/special word would be desirable. Thanks


A situation may arise, for example, when parents refuse to give the child something he asks for. Then the child won't speak to parents unless they try hard to convince him. What is the English word for this behavior? In Hindi/Urdu we call it _roothna_. If my question is unclear, you could watch this video and give the word for how the Grandmother is acting: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueJRRmVCBiI


title: How should one pronounce the "rofl" in "roflstomp" or "roflcopter"?

text: "ROFL" stands for rolling on the floor laughing but has been mushed into other words with their own meanings. Two examples: > Ouch, that was a roflstomp. > > I'm on a roflcopter! While these are in questionable status as English words, should I pronounce them?


title: "Feeding" data or "entering" data: which one is correct?

text: Which is the better verb to use with _data_ : _feeding_ or _entering_? Furthermore, which is more common in the literature of the field and which do people who work in the field say more often? Are they used for different kinds of input systems? If the data are automatically continuously input by a machine (e.g., the Mars probe), is feeding data used, but if the data are individually input by someone at a keyboard (e.g., entering data into a user database), is entering data used?


title: which one of the following phrase is correct?

text: Which phrase is correct? >   * The shipped order has been dropped >   * The shipped order have been dropped >


title: Simple past vs. past perfect

text: Which is correct to use in the following example, simple past or past perfect? >   * We were completely in the dark after the wind _blew_ the candle out. >   * We were completely in the dark after the wind _had blown_ the candle > out. >


title: Can the word "he" be used to refer to a woman?

text: In the song “Extraordinary Girl” by Green Day, you can notice that the vocalist sings about an “extraordinary girl”, sometimes referring to her as _he_ , and sometimes as _she_. For example, at 2:51, you can hear: > Some days _he_ feels like dying, some days it's not worth trying … _she_ > gets so sick of crying. As far as I know, only _she_ can be used to refer to a female. Is using _he_ to refer to a female valid?


title: What word describes someone who isn't exactly optimistic, but has a positive outlook?

text: I need a word to describe someone who knows better than to expect the best, but can be happy in unfortunate circumstances. I know phrases like "positive outlook" and "good disposition" could describe such a person, but I don't know any single words that would. To differentiate between an optimist and the person I'm trying to describe: When asking for a promotion, an optimist will expect to receive the promotion. The other person will hope for a promotion, but won't be disappointed without it.


title: Fashion color matching or fashion matching colors

text: I am working on an app that gives suggestions on how to match colors for your clothes and I am looking for a tagline for the app. Which is better? "Fashion color matching" or "Fashion matching colors" or "Matching fashion colors"? Or is there a better choice of words? I am not a native English speaker so I don't know which formulation sounds more natural.


title: Can  "do a haircut" be used colloquially to mean "have a haircut"?

text: Can _do a haircut_ be used colloquially to mean _have a haircut_?


title: Is there a specific word for "jolted from naïveté"?

text: In the example quoted below, I used _surprised_ with intended meaning "jolted from naïveté", but wasn't satisfied with it. Also, I wanted to avoid implying that discovering the mentioned fact made me omniscient, jaded or both. The fact wasn't just something I didn't know, it was something I didn't know because I hadn't bothered finding out about it. Here is the instance where I used _surprised_. It was on another SE site, so rather informal: > I was actually **surprised** to find there is a whole field devoted to > researching and mitigating jury biases, though their research could arguably > be easily used to exploit jury biases. (I study psychology, so not knowing this was kind of ignorant.)


title: Found vs Find Correct sentence

text: Which of the following is correct? **1.** > What would you do if we found life on Mars? OR > What would you do if we find life on Mars? * * * **2.** > He hasn't still find out the secret OR > He hasn't still found out the secret Please give some explanation with answers.


title: Difference between "killing spree", "killing streak" and "killing spree streak"

text: Often I see "killing spree" but is there any difference between "killing spree" and "killing streak" ? Or is it "killing spree streak"?


title: The 'hum' of conversation

text: This is a well worn phrase I'm trying to avoid in my writing. I'm looking for another word to replace 'hum', which I take to mean the background noise resulting from people talking. I came up with 'murmur', but ideally, I'd like a word that suggests a deep pitch. You see, I'm writing about a group of men, and in my head, I compare the sound of their voices to sounds stones would make as they bounce off each other while being carried along by a river. 'Trundle'? I thought 'gravel', but then, I plan to use that word a short distance away, and I _hate_ clumsy repeats. Any suggestions?


title: Correct translatation of the German word "Folgeverhalten" in the technical domain of control feedback systems

text: I have asked various online dictionaries about the translation of the German word _Folgeverhalten_. At these dictionaries it is translated as "subsequent behaviour" or "following behavior". I am in doubt that this is the correct translation because the example that are given there seem to target another domain. I will use this term the field of control feedback systems (engineering). I would describe this as the "control feedback quality of a step response". Google did not help, either. Perhaps I'm using the wrong search terms. I also read some English literature about this topics, but I could not find the English counterpart of it. Is there one at all? Same applies to the german word _Störverhalten_ (also term in control feedback) What is here the correct translation of _Folgeverhalten_ and _Störverhalten_? * * * **Edit:** Based on the answer of mplungjan I found the translation.   * _Tracking performance — Folgeverhalten_   * _Disturbance rejection performance — Störverhalten_ It is for example used here: http://www.mathworks.de/de/help/slcontrol/ug/tune-pid-controller-to-balance- tracking-and-disturbance-rejection-performance.html


title: Verb for removing from end or beginning

text: We use "append" and "prepend" for adding to the end and to the beginning respectivly. Is there a word for removing in same place


title: Proper to add tense to acronyms, abbreviations and initialisms

text: What is the correct way to pluralize an acronym? asked about pluralising acronyms, abbreviations and initialisms, but is there a standard way to add verb endings e.g. -ing and -ed (what are these called?), at least in informal English? For example, which of these is/are best?   1. I'm SMSing her.   2. I'm SMS-ing her.   3. I'm SMS'ing her. I know I can rephrase it to "I'm sending her an SMS." but I wish to use SMS as a verb. Similarly,   1. He FUBARed.   2. He FUBAR-ed.   3. He FUBAR'ed.   4. He FUBAR-d.   5. He FUBAR'd. In the latter set, as the verb is actually the F ("foul", or something more explicit) — the expanded sentence being "He fouled up beyond all recognition." — should it even be "He FedUBAR." or similar?


title: "Lately" and "recently" in Present Perfect

text: If I use Present Perfect Progressive and Present Perfect with an expression of unfinished time, it implies that the action is continuing. But what about _recently_ and _lately_  — when used with Present Perfect Progressive and Present Perfect do they imply, like expressions of unfinished time, that the actions are still continuing? And if _lately/recently_ are not used in a sentence (with either Present Perfect or Present Perfect Progressive) would it imply that an action is complete? E.g. >   * Recently/lately, I have been feeling really tired.   >  Recently/lately, I have felt really tired.   >  I have been feeling tired.   >  I have felt tired. >   * She has been watching too much television lately.   >  She has watched ... lately/recently.   >  She has been watching too much television. >   * Have you been exercising lately?   >  Have you exercised lately?   >  Have you been exercising? >   * Mary has been feeling a little depressed.   >  Mary has felt depressed lately/recently.   >  Mary has been feeling a little depressed lately/recently. >   * Lisa has not been practicing her English.   >  She has not practiced her English recently/lately.   >  Lisa has not been practicing her English lately/recently. >   * What have you been doing?   >  What have you done? [a completed action] > What have you done recently/lately? What have you been doing recently/lately?


title: The lady's not for turning

text: In Margaret Thatcher's speech, she says: > To those waiting with bated breath for that favourite media catchphrase, the > U-turn, I have only one thing to say: You turn if you want to. **The lady's > not for turning**! How to understand the word _for_ in the highlighted section?


title: Can I put the job position in front of the name?

text: In military contexts you often see sentences like this one: > "General Montgomery decided to..." I am now writing an evaluation about a sale my company had had, and I want to credit several people while quickly mentioning their role in the operation. So, is this... > "We sent an email to Store Manager Kenneth Johansson in order to..." ...or that... > "Thanks to Booking Coordinator Elin Dansbo's work we were able to..." ...readable and grammatically correct, or should I instead put their position in parenthesis after their name, or use some other kind of structure?


title: Equivalent of "see in a new light" for hearing?

text: Is there an equivalent of the idiom "see in a new light" for hearing rather than sight? For example, suppose the thing you are talking about is a piece of music. It seems a bit inappropriate to describe "seeing it a new light", as the sense involved is hearing, not sight.


title: "The example was not leading" -- definition of "leading" here?

text: I have come across the expression "unfortunately, the example was not leading" in the context where someone asked a question accompanied by an example and someone provided an answer that addresses _the specific example_ but not the question in general. Given this context I understand what "the example was not leading" conveys. It's also easy to see a parallel with e.g. Wikipedia's definition of "leading question": > In common law systems that rely on testimony by witnesses, a leading > question or suggestive interrogation is a question that suggests the > particular answer or contains the information the examiner is looking to > have confirmed. So by the same token "not a leading example" would mean "an example that does not specifically illustrate the particulars of the problem". My questions are:   1. Is this a well-known expression, just as "leading question" is?   2. Is the definition I reached above correct? If not, what would a better one be (with references if possible)?


title: What is the number written at the end of some names?

text: As far as I can tell there is [Title/Suffix] [First Name] [Last Name/Surname] [Number]. I am confused on two things really:   * What do you call the last part of someone's name like "III" for 'the third'?   * Why do they call Mr./Mrs./etc the _suffix_ of a name when it is actually the first part of the name?


title: Etymology of the word "remove"

text: What is the origin of the word "removed?" It appears to have the prefix "re-", which generally means "repeating something again," although that does not seem to fit. "Moving again" would actually be the opposite of removing something - it would suggest continuing to utilize it as opposed to deleting or destroying it.


title: "I remember the day where" vs. "I remember the day when"

text: What is the difference between "I remember the day where..." and "I remember the day when..."? I think both are used in both written and spoken English. Can we say that "when" makes more sense when we are talking about a specific point in time?


title: looking for a verb to use with `benefit`, to describe something like benefit is lost/damaged

text: I'm looking for a verb to use want to describe something like benefit is _lost / damaged_. > If you use this technology, your work will be finished earlier. But if you > are lazy, the benefits due to this technology will be _damaged / lost_. I know _damaged / lost_ is not proper verbs, so what verbs should I use to replace it?


title: What is the antonym of "boldface"?

text: Is it nonboldface? Is bold's antonym nonbold? Is it unemboldened? Is it hyphenated? What word do I use to mean text that is not in boldface style?


title: What is the name for punctuation marks such as commas and periods that separate things like clauses or sentences?

text: When I'm editing people's writing, I recently started writing the comment "put an article here" rather than "put a 'the' or 'a' here". Similarly, right now I have to put, "you need a comma or period here" ... is there one word that can encompass both 'comma' and 'period'? I don't want to put something so general like "you need a punctuation mark here"


title: Is this expression right "he won the Grand Slam in the same season when she won her maiden title"

text: Basically what I am trying to ask is, can I use expression an expression like > ... in the same season when she won the title. instead of > ... in the same season she won the title in. I can extend these examples for same day, same year


title: would have and would in non conditional statements

text: Can we use both _would have_ and _would_ in non conditional past statements? For example: > Last year during the summer, I would go home on weekends. _past habitual_ > > Last year during the summer, I would have gone home on weekends. > > Last year during the summer, I would have completed three projects every > month. What are the differences between these usages? And how to differentiate if it's conditional or not?


title: What is the meaning of "divinity that hedges sublimest woe"?

text: I found the above phrase in the book "The story of my life" by Helen Keller. The actual sentence is below. > It has been my privilege to meet a few great actors and actress who have the > power of so bewitching you that you forget time and place and live again in > the romantic past. I have been permitted to touch the face and costume of > Miss Ellen Terry as she impersonated our ideal of a queen; and there was > about her that **divinity that hedges sublimest woe** I am having a hard time grasping the meaning of "divinity that hedges sublimest woe". What is the exact meaning of it for the given context?


title: take / take on + responsibility

text: I'm having a difficult time choosing between "take + responsibility", or "take on + responsibility". Please see the following sentences(written by Chinese learners of English):   1. DINK couples refuse to play the role of parents and (take /take on) the responsibilities to cultivate offspring.   2. Mother is getting old, but I haven't (taken/taken on) the responsibility for supporting her.   3. She is ready to (take/take on) the responsibility of a wife bravely. (Note: Her husband is seriously ill in the hospital. ) Qestions: 1\. Which is the right expression to use in each context: “take” or “take on”? 2\. If one of them is correct, then why? 3\. If both are correct, then any differences in meaning between “take” and “take on”? Many thanks in advance!


title: Looking for a folk saying or proverb that reflects "the closer, higher the competition"

text: I am looking for an American or UK folk saying or proverb that reflects the following idea:   1. the closer are the players, the higher is the competition **or**   2. the more level the playing field, the more intense the competition **or**   3. the more homogeneous the group, the greater the rivalries ... I think the general idea is clear, if there is no folk saying the fits it then perhaps a Biblical proverb or some classical (Greek or Roman) maxim would be equally helpful. Or even perhaps some short citation that encapsulates the idea in 1, or 2 or 3.


title: I am Iron Man. (Ascriptive vs. Specifying Use)

text: In Iron Man the movie, Mr. Stark said: > I am Iron Man. to reveal his concealed identity. In which case, the sentence was used to identify who he is. (specifying use) Now, if he was trying to brag about how "great" he is, as is often the case, could he be saying the same sentence to those who already know he's Iron Man? (ascriptive use) > I am Iron Man. And you know I can do things that you can never imagine. In case my question above is not clear to you, I was asking whether "I am Iron Man." in the latter example does not identify who he is but ascribes the property of "Iron Man" to the subject "I".


title: Adjective for this kind of personality

text: What's a word for someone who likes the finer things in life - classy taste, but makes do and replicates that expensive taste with cheap things?


title: Is there a dictionary guidebook?

text: I know books of episodes of OED, and short guides for a few dictionaries, but I don't know a dictionary guidebook.   The book has more than 200 pages, and a long list of viewpoints to evaluate dictionary, and fascinating essays about reading dictionaries, and finally a score table comparing more than 20 dictionaries. In Japanese language (my mother tongue) there is such a book, and I want to know English equivalent. Thanks.


title: Usage of the phrase " just because" at the end of sentences

text: Usually, _because_ links the premise and the conclusion. But there is one usage of the word I come across often, not in contemporary writings but older works. These are of the form: "[subject did something] just because", where the the phrase "just because" is used to imply that the doer's actions were not guided by any purpose and the act was performed only for the sake of it, or on an impulse. How can this usage of the word _because_ be explained?


title: Is this use of whomever correct?

text: > I take pride in my ability to deliver a warm and friendly welcome to > whomever I meet. My reasoning is that I am doing the meeting and the object is merely being met, hence _whomever_.


title: Do short time symbols need to be pluralised

text: We are wanting to know how to shorten time symbols/words in an open source code library. The code will emit: `1 second`, `2 seconds`, `1 hour`, `2 hours`, `1 week`, `2 weeks`, etc. Is the correct shorthand `1s`, `2s`, `1h`, `2h`, `1wk`, `2wk`, for example? I.e. should any of the short forms be plural?


title: How do you call a "Director's cut/minority report/dissenting opinion" if it regards a report/book?

text: There is "Director's cut" for movies and "minority report/dissenting opinion" for legal issues. What do you call a (longer) report, where the author states some things a little (or very) different than the official, published version? Think of a company selling hammers and publishing a report titled _Hitting a Hammer On Your Thumb is Not Dangerous_ , where the conditions "padded hammer, padded thumb, just slight touch" have been edited out. If the author is even allowed to publish her/his own version, you would not call that book a "Director's cut" (because it is a book and not a film). This is not a single-word-request: The answer may consist of several words (but, if it is possible, not of a whole paragraph, please). In case there really is a single word for this type of report/book, I would also accept that, of course.


title: Is there a better, existing word for “antifragility”?

text: Nassim Taleb, on a recent episode of _Econtalk_ , talks about his upcoming book that aims to coin the word _antifragility_. The essential meaning is close to the phrase “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” — a system or process that benefits from volatility, stress, or uncertainty. Examples: > Human bones are _antifragile_ ; they benefit from the stress of gravity and > weaken without it. > > In terms of forest fires, forests are _antifragile_ — too much firefighting > can cause more damage in the long run. Taleb writes about why he needed the word: > So let us coin the appellation "antifragile" for anything that, on average, > (i.e., in expectation) benefits from variability. Alas, I found no simple, > noncompound word in any of the main language families that expresses the > point of such fragility in reverse. To see how alien the concept to our > minds, ask around what's the antonym of fragile. The likely answer will be: > robust, unbreakable, solid, well-built, resilient, strong, something-proof > (say waterproof, windproof, rustproof), etc. Wrong — and it is not just > individuals, but branches of knowledge that are confused by it; this is a > mistake made in every dictionary. In short, words like _robust_ and _resilient_ don’t suggest favorability toward adverse conditions. My question: is there a better word that exists?


title: The whys and the hows

text: Are apostrophes needed in this phrase? > The whys and the hows I searched for duplicate questions, but the closest I found was in regard to words inside quotes.


title: Apostrophes and plurals of words-used-as-words (e.g., "why's and wherefore's" vs. "whys and wherefores"

text: I'm reading the English translation of Perfume by Patrick Süskind (translated by John E. Woods) and came across a sentence containing the phrase "the why's and wherefore's." With concern that this is a very well-worn topic around here — that is, the (mis)use of apostrophes to form plurals — I wonder what this august community thinks of the apostrophes used in the phrase, "why's and wherefore's," and whether (and why) "whys and wherefores" would be better or worse. I have seen article `[“Do's” and “don'ts” or “do's” and “don't's”?][1]` but the fact that "don't" is a contraction confuses the issue.


title: What is the Use of an Adjective of the Same Word Twice in the Same Sentence called?

text: Is there a name for this type of usage using words (in this case adjectives) repetitively in typical sentence formatting? There has got to be. This is killing me. BTW, I'm no English professor. Just wondering. For example... In the movie, "The Big Lebowski", _Brand_ says the line, Brandt: [laughs] They're not literally his children. They're the Little Lebowski Urban Achievers - inner city children of promise but without the **necessary** means for a - **necessary** means for a higher education. So Mr Lebowski is committed to sending all of them to college. http://www.metacafe.com/watch/an- KDCBtmmthbb7u/the_big_lebowski_1998_a_tour_in_lebowskis_estate/ He uses the adjective, necessary twice. It's not a heteronym, I know that since they word necessary has the same pronunciation. Any help? I don't think it is stuttering though. Philip Seymour Hoffman and the Coen Brothers are way to brilliant I believe to just stammer through their lines...at least I think so. He uses the derogatory or negative word, "without", as it pertains to them not having the necessary means to attain something that is necessary...a higher education. What is this type of sentence formatting called?


title: Do “here” and “hear” have the same phonetic transcription in the same country?

text: Is there any accent that makes a distinction when pronuncing “here” and “hear”? From Wiktionary:   * Here     * (UK) /hɪə(ɹ)/     * (US) /hɪɹ/   * Hear     * (UK) /hɪə(ɹ)/     * (US) IPA: /hiːɹ/ So, according to that, US accent pronounce in a different way “hear” and “here”. According to Dictionary.com, hear and here are pronunced /hɪər/, and according to updn.com, both are /hɪr/ /hɪr/. Having in consideration that Wiktionary can be edited by anyone, is there any place in the world that makes a difference when pronuncing these words?


title: To friend vs. to befriend

text: I overheard a mother correct her child who said something to the effect of > There was a new kid in my class today and I friended him. The mother said _befriended_ and I was inclined to mentally agree (given the kid was maybe six or seven, it's unlikely that he was referring to social networking). However, with a little Googling, I discovered an article from _The Atlantic_ which suggests that 'Friend,' as a Verb, Is 800 Years Old. >   * "Make no purses, for to friend yourself therewith." -- the Guide for > Anchoresses, early 13th century >   * "And after soon friended were the King David of Scotland and Stephen, > king then of England." -- Andrew of Wyntoun, _Chronicles_ , c. 1425 > This answer regarding the _be_ prefix offers: > The general form is: >   >   >        be + [quality] >   > > and the corresponding meaning is: >   >   >      to turn into + [quality]. >   So, I guess my question, then, is what is the difference between the verbs to friend and to befriend? Was the kid right?


title: What is a good word that means "group of groups?"

text: If you have a bunch of groups of different things, and you group the groups into a bigger group, what do you call the _bigger group_?


title: Use of "felicity" in a sentence

text: How do we use the word "felicity" in a sentence? Is the synonymous with "joy" or "happiness"?


title: Is there a word for the 'pitter patter' of speech?

text: Consider how you can hear the announcer of a sporting event in several languages, even those you do not know. Or even when it is turned down too low to understand in your own language. You still know this is a sporting event. The same seems true for talk-radio, types of TV shows, sermons vs motivational speech, etc. I think that The Sims' Simlish captures the differences rather well. I just call it "pitter patter" (kind of like rain), but is there a more precise term?


title: What is an alternate word I can use other than "field?"

text: Grammaticists: I have a data set with many records and many fields (the records are rows of the spreadsheet and fields are columns). Each field has a name, for example _income_ or _town_ or _home neighborhood_. I am trying to refer to unusual values in the column called _home neighborhood_ and the sentence I currently have is: > There are problems within the “home neighborhood” field. but that makes it seem as though it's a sports field or something. So my question: what word can I use other than _field_? Please note I cannot accept _column_ or _variable._ Of course I tried the thesausurus- no luck. Please provide recommendations as you see fit. FYI: > **field** : _noun_ 10 a particular area (as of a record in a database) in > which the same type of information is regularly recorded _from m-w.com_


title: "Something suffices the condition that" vs. "it suffices that something"

text: In a book I am reading there is a sentence: > Our initial version of Cauchy's theorem begins with the observation that it > suffices that `f(z)` [a function] have a primitive in a region Ω In this sentence, I think the author wants to say > `f(z)` suffices the condition that it have a primitive in the region Ω but I don't understand why the author writes > it suffices that `f(z)` have a primitive in a region Ω


title: Does "was sent flying off the horse" imply bumping?

text: Here is a quote from Wikipedia's page on "Made of Honor" movie (as it was on January 9th, 2011): > When questioned about Tom's sudden departure shortly before the wedding is > to take place, Hannah informs Colin that Tom is just afraid of losing her. > On the way home, Tom realizes that he must stop the wedding and goes back on > horseback. Just when the priest asks for objections, Tom is sent flying off > his horse and through the chapel doors. Seeing her best friend on the floor, > Hannah rushes to him. Is it clear for native English speakers from this passage that Tom's horse bumped into something (it was a fence around the chapel), so this was the reason why he was sent flying off his horse? If I were to read this passage for the first time (without having previously watched the movie itself), I would definitely be puzzled as to why Tom was sent flying off the horse. But, perhaps, this expression ("sent flying off the horse") automatically implies to native speakers that the horse must have bumped into something.


title: Etymology of "dong" and "dongle"

text: _Dong_ as in _ding-dong_ is clearly onomatopoetic as confirmed by etymonline.com: > ding dong   >  imitative of the sound of a bell, c.1560. and similarly for _ding_: > ding (v.)   >  1819, "to sound as metal when struck," possibly abstracted from ding-dong, > of imitative origin. The meaning "to deal heavy blows" is c.1300, probably > from Old Norse dengja "to hammer," perhaps also imitative. Meaning "dent" is > 1960s. Related: Dinged; dinging. What, then, is the origin of _dong_ to mean _penis_? Etymonline.com is no help here: > dong (n.)   >  "penis," 1891, of unknown origin. We also have a much more recent word, _dongle_ , which has no entry at etymonline.com but wiktionary claims it is: > Apparently from dangle. This leads me to the theory that the anatomical and onomatopoetic _dongs_ are not related and that the former usage, like _dongle_ , derives from _dangle_. So, my questions are:   1. Is that so? Does _dong_ (penis) derive from _dangle_? Sounds reasonable enough but I have found no definitive sources for it.   2. Does _dongle_ derive from _dangle_? It makes perfect descriptive sense for _dong_ but the USB devices called _dongles_ do not dangle but instead protrude quite rigidly, so I feel that _dongle_ being derived from the cruder meaning of _dong_ makes more sense.


title: What is it called when a snake is showing its head when angry?

text: What is the apt word to be used when a snake has its head looking straight towards us and shows its tongue outside vociferously, _probably when it is about to bite_?