title: "To not" vs. "not to"

text: A little bit of context, I read the sentence below after the system - a computer application - has been subject to a certain kind of update: > The system will be able **to not** create a record of that movement anymore. I think they are trying to stress the new behavior of the system compared to the previous one, hence that sentence construction. Firstly, would it sound better if we changed the sentence for something like this where we get rid of the split infinite: > The system will be able **not to** create a record of that movement anymore. At least for me that sentence construction seems a little bit odd and something an English native speaker would not say, do you agree with me or is it perfectly acceptable?


title: Is using split infinitive allowed in formal English?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Are split infinitives grammatically incorrect, or are they valid > constructs? Is it allowed to use _split infinitives_ in formal English? I look into Wikipedia but it is too objective and it doesn't directly say that I can use it formally. Is split infinitives grammatical? * * * from Wikipedia: > A split infinitive is an English-language grammatical construction in which > a word or phrase, usually an adverb or adverbial phrase, comes between the > marker to and the bare infinitive (uninflected) form of a verb. > > In some cases, moving the adverbial creates an ungrammatical sentence or > changes the meaning. R.L. Trask uses this example: > >   * She decided **to gradually get** rid of the teddy bears she had > collected.   > "Gradually" splits the infinitive "to get". However, if the adverb were > moved, where could it go? > >   * She decided **gradually to get** rid of the teddy bears she had > collected.   > This might imply that the decision was gradual. > >   * She decided **to get** rid of the teddy bears she had collected > **gradually**.   > This implies that the collecting process was gradual. > >   * She decided **to get gradually** rid of the teddy bears she had > collected.   > This sounds awkward, as it splits the phrase "get rid of". > >   * She decided **to get** rid **gradually** of the teddy bears she had > collected.   > This is almost as unwieldy as its immediate predecessor. > >


title: Which is correct? "not to" or "to not"

text: I was writing a blog post just now and I couldn't help but hesitate at the following snippet: "...causing this to not work as expected" And I couldn't decide if that's correct or if I should use "...not to work..." ot if "...to not work..." is okay. Can anyone shed any light on this?   * "...causing this to not work as expected"   * "...causing this not to work as expected"


title: "to successfully complete" or "to complete successfully"?

text: A Google search yields 41,200,000 results for the former but only 3,150,000 for the latter. Are split infinitives really to boldly be avoided in English grammar, or are millions of people just unaware of / uncaring for their existence?


title: "how to not give up" or "how not to give up"

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Are split infinitives grammatically incorrect, or are they valid > constructs?   >  Order of "not" with infinitive Suppose I want to tell someone that I want to learn how to stop myself from giving up. I could say: > I want to know _how to not_ give up. or > I want to know _how not to_ give up. Which one is the right expression?


title: Meaning of "at the way" in "she looked away from his face at the way his shoulders sloped"

text: Please share with me how would you understand meaning of "at the way" in the context below. > He smiled at her now and she looked away from his face **at the way** his > shoulders sloped in the loose tunic he wore with the four big cartridges > held in loops where the left breast pocket should have been, at his big > brown hands, his old slacks, his very dirty boots and back to his red face > again.


title: Why is the progressive form used here?

text: > In February 1825 he married Julianne Thiemer, daughter of a property owner > and well-established glove-maker in Seesen. Heinrich, a cabinet maker > without property, a Beiwohner(boarder), was marrying up. Together, he and > his wife raised ten children in Seesen, a small city of about three thousand > people six miles down the mountain from Wolfshagen. ( _Steinway & Sons_ by > Richard K. Lieberman) How does _marrying up_ work in this paragraph? Is there any difference if you use past tense here?


title: What preposition should I use with "flying"?

text: I want to say that I loved flying, but I also want to add the name of the airline company in my sentence. So, what should I say? > I loved flying with American Airlines or > I loved flying on American Airlines. I've found on my Googling both "with" and "on", and now I'm even more confused than I was before...


title: Gender specific language for one in a series of occurrences: does it imply something about the other occurrences?

text: A recent radio headline was > Another member of the Canadian Armed Forces has taken his own life. This is > the fourth suicide this week. The presence of the word _another_ somehow left me with the impression that the sentence meant all the suicides, or even all the Armed Forces members, are male. I happen to know that neither of those constraints is true. I also suspect the radio headline writer didn't intend to suggest that. Had the headline been: > A member of the Canadian Armed Forces has taken his own life. This is the > fourth suicide this week. ... then I would not have drawn the same conclusions. I know how to write this sentence without implying anything about the gender of the latest soldier (use they/their, change verbs to eliminate any need for a possessive pronoun, etc) but I am curious about why saying _another_ , and thus referring to a series of events, has (for me) the effect of blurring that possessive pronoun back so that it somehow applies to the whole series. Am I the only person who is influenced by _another_ like this? How do these sound? > Another student has missed his deadline for applying > > Another farmer has put her farm up for sale If _another_ has this effect, does it have a name? I would probably avoid the effect by omitting _another_ where there was a second sentence (as in the radio headline) to carry that information, and keeping it but rewording the rest to avoid possessive pronouns when there wasn't. But am I just being overly careful?


title: Word for "someone who doesn't want you to succeed"

text: I'm looking for a word for _someone who doesn't want you to succeed_ or _threatened by your success_. Particular for fear that your success will overshadow their own. Not so much for malicious reasons, but more from insecurity.


title: "Leave" vs. "Go"

text: From this question, I was just wondering, what is the difference between "leave" and "go" in terms of the same definition of "departing", and when do we use one, but not the other.   For example, which verb should I use in the following sentence? > Tell me when you [go/leave]. If it is _leave_ , why is it so, and what determines which to use at what time? I googled this, but there were no discussions or articles on the difference of usage between _leave_ and _go_.


title: Why is there no consistency in the plural forms of words ending on an "f" (e.g. safe, roof, dwarf, etc.)?

text: The plural form of _leaf_ is _leaves_ , although according to Merriam-Webster _leafs_ is also correct. _Dwarf_ can be pluralized as either _dwarfs_ or _dwarves_. Conversely, the words _roof_ and _safe_ are pluralized as _roofs_ and _safes_. Is there any logic underpinning these variations? Is there a historical trend where words that were previously pluralized as _-ves_ are now being increasingly pluralized as _-fs_?


title: Word usage 'when you go'

text: Is there any thing wrong in the following sentence: > Could you please inform me **when you go**. Can I use 'when you go' like this?


title: When to spell out non-alphanumeric characters?

text: If a term contains non-alphanumeric characters, when (if ever) should these characters be spelled out? For example: > C++   written as    **C Plus Plus** > > C#      written as    **C-Sharp** If they are spelled out, what are the conventions regarding capitalization and hyphens (e.g. **C Plus Plus** or **C-plus-plus** )?


title: Are software titles italicized?

text: The titles of freestanding works (books, movies, plays, albums, etc.) are italicized; smaller parts within these works (chapters in a book, articles in a magazine, songs within an album) are not (they are put in quotes, instead). How are software titles treated? My understanding is that if a particular program resembles a book or a dramatic work (like a video game), its title is italicized -- otherwise, it is treated as a proper noun, just like any other product. > I played _Grand Theft Auto_ , instead of reading "Democracy in Ancient > Greece" in _Microsoft Encarta_ and preparing my presentation in PowerPoint. Is this approach correct?


title: "If I am getting late"

text: Is it correct to say "If I am getting late, I will let you know"? The Conditional rules don't say anything about continuous tense. In addition, what would be a better way of conveying the same message?


title: What do you call a person that only do the minimum to get through day-to-day basis?

text: I'm trying to find a word or a short phrase that target such person. Like someone who has no passion, no drive and only does whatever needed to survive.


title: Synonym for "counter-trend"

text: > In each of the years 1995, 1996, 1998, and 1999, variable X grew by 20% > year-on-year. But in 1997, X fell by 50%. What might explain this _counter- > trend_ fall in 1997? What might be a better word in place of "counter-trend" here? Googling "counter-trend", it seems like this is somewhat commonly used in investment, but I have not come across it anywhere else. Yet I cannot think of a better word to use in the above context.


title: Hyphenation of non-combat-related injury

text: As I understand it, we are to hyphenate phrases which consist of several adjectives strung together to form a single thought. I would, therefore, assume "non-combat-related injury" is the proper hyphenation of the phrase. "Non-combat" should be hyphenated, without question, but should the hyphen exist between "combat" and "related"? Normally I would assume so, but attempting to Google it, I find that most of the top hits suggest "non-combat related injury" is standard. It sounds like it is a related injury (!?) of the non-combat variety (umm...), but apparently, it's standard. I was just going to run with it until I realized I also had to use the phrase "combat-related injury" wherein the hyphen does, commonly, come between combat and related - as expected. Should I stick to the standard hyphenation ("non-combat related injury") or try to smooth things over grammatically by saying "non-combat-related injury"? Or am I overthinking it? Or am I missing something obvious?


title: Why is it “knife” in the idiom, “Before you can say knife” though there are many shorter words than knife?

text: I saw the phrase, ‘ _before you can say Dow-Jones Index’_ in the following sentence of JefferyArcher’s novel, “Not a penny more, Not a penny less.” Scotland Yard’s Fraud Squad Detective Inspector, Clifford Smith tells young Oxford's visiting Mathematics professor, Stephen Bradley who fell a victim to a large scale investment fraud, being coaxed by his Harvard school mate: “I’m sorry to say that we can hardly ever recover the money, even if we produce enough evidence to nail the villains. They have it all stashed away all over the world _before you can say Dow-Jones Index._ I guess “Dow-Jones Index” here is Archer’s version of “before you can say knife (or Jack Robinson),” but I’m curious to know; 1) Can we coin and use as many variation of “before you can say X” in our conversation as Archer did? 2) Is there a standard or best received pattern of “before you can say X”? Is it “before you can say knife”? 3) What is the origin of “before you can say knife”? Why it should be the “knife,” not gun, sword, Tom, Jon, any other words that represent for brevity?


title: What can we call those ladies?

text: I am looking for a word or expression to describe those ladies, usually high society ladies, whose main aim in life is to find a good match for marriage and whose main activity is organising lunches or dinners for relatives and friends often to raise money for some non-profit organisation?


title: Fluents and Fluxions

text: When calculus was first being developed, the terms "fluent" and "fluxion" appeared quite often in the Newtonian works. I am wanting to know the etymology behind these words. I assume that "fluents" are related to the concept of "fluid" or "flowing", but (as far as I am aware) the word has gone out of usage in mathematics. "Fluxions" are not used in modern-day texts, but I assume that "flux" (a term with which every physics student will be familiar) derives from "fluxion". If context helps, one would usually talk of a "fluent" as a moving point, generating a curve, and a "fluxion" as its velocity (direction + speed). I am interested in knowing why these terms were used, and what they referred to. * * * EDIT: On a related note, Newton writes "Fluxions of quantities are in the first ratio of their nascent parts or, what is exactly the same, in the last ratio of those parts as they vanish by **defluxion**." What would "defluxion" refer to?


title: Extending a hug

text: Is the expression, I am extending a hug to you, only used when expressing sympathy or can it be used as an expression of love too?


title: What is the correct pronunciation of the word "route"?

text: I have always used both "root" as in route 66 and "rooter" as in the networking device. The latter has gotten me funny looks often, however I could not bring myself to accept the inconsistency. Today I heard "rowt" used for a path of movement by a radio presenter. Which is correct?


title: Word for object in programming that connects to relay

text: What is a word for an object that connects with something? _Connector_ is used to describe a specific part in electronics but I need a word describing that the abstract object connects with something. This is an object in programming that allows the programmer to connect to a local proxy relay. I would like to call it a _relay-connector_ but am unsure if it is correct to use _connector_ in this context.


title: Is there a difference between “arse” and “ass”?

text: From a comment here, in frequent usage, _arse_ and _ass_ are often interchangeable when used to refer to buttocks or to a person of dubious charms. However, although “to arse about” has a vague connection to “make an ass of oneself”, many of the threads of meaning derived from arse are not present in ass. Likewise, ass has a donkey-referring component that arse does not. Despite common perception, are these words more deviant than common usage indicates? **Edit** : It appears they have (someone look this up with an authoritative dictionary please) different origins, _asinus_ (Latin) for ass, and _ærs_ (Old English) or _orros_ (Greek) for arse.


title: the noun form of 'we are under the department of XXX'

text: The meaning I want to deliver is: `We need to tell the school that we are from the department of education when we approach them.` But since I want to present it in a proper way, I plan to write something like below: `Staff members are reminded to clearly state their affiliation with the department of education while having phone conversation.` I think `affiliation with the department of education` is not the right phrase, any better suggestion?


title: What name would you give to data about a person's illnesses, ailments, diseases and medical condition?

text: What term would you ascribe to the record of a person's illnesses, diseases and medical condition? **Clarification** The thing I am trying to describe is simply the record of, or data that reflects on the present medical condition of a patient with respect to diseases and aberrations from good health. I want to clarify that I am not looking for a term to represent _all kinds of medical data about a person_. **What I am looking for** 1) I am not necessarily looking for just a single word, but definitely a single descriptor or title between one and four words. 2) I am searching for one of the either two things: a) _Precision_ Terms like _medical history_ , _medical profile_ (all encompassing, includes diagnostic reports, health indicators such as BP, sugar level, etc.), _medical records_ (suggests only reports about the medical tests a person had), _medical report_ (again, suggests a medical test report) -- all have different meanings. I am searching for precision; or b) _Custom_ Where there isn't a precise term, or even if there is, and there is also a term that is widely known and accepted to be what my question is asking, and even if it is colloquial and doesn't literally mean what I am asking, but is widely accepted, then I am in favor of using it.


title: They call me "Tater Salad." What is the part of speech of "Tater Salad"?

text: What is the part of speech of "Tater Salad" in the sentence 'They call me "Tater Salad."'? What about "crazy" in "They call me crazy."? For that matter, is "me" the object of the verb "call" in both of those sentences?


title: Meaning of “flip the script”

text: I’ve heard the phrase “flip your script” or “flip the script” in various hip- hop songs. What does it mean?


title: "One another" or "one and other"

text: I thought this might have already been asked, but apparently not. Is using the phrase "one another" considered equivalent to the phrase "one and other"? Is one of the two considered right and the other wrong? To give an example: >   * The two computers were situated relatively close to one and other. >   * The two computers were situated relatively close to one another. >


title: What does "it" refer to in "it's raining"?

text: I wanted to leave the question title as is so as not to take away from my amusement `:)`. Anyway, > It's raining. What is raining? Is it the sky? The clouds? The weather? The rain? What is "it"? Any historical insights on the statement?


title: Whence the "it" in "I like it here"?

text: What is the origin of the use of the object (it) in the following sentences, and what is its purpose? > I like it here! and > Did you like it there? In essence, the things we are saying we like are really _here_ (this place) and _there_ (that place) themselves - whence the insertion of the antecedent- free pronoun? Note: I can think of plenty of antecedents you could replace the "it" with, so that's not the answer I'm looking for.


title: Usage of 'it' in the sentence

text: What does _it_ refer to in the sentence: _It is dark outside_?


title: What does 'it' refer to in this example?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  It's raining. What is? 'It is raining.' What does 'it' refer to? I know some people might say 'the weather' but you wouldn't say: 'The weather is raining.' But you would say: How's the weather? It's raining.' Bit confusing.


title: "Leave open the possibility of a stretch-mark fetishist"

text: Can anybody explain to me the meaning of this sentence?


title: "Did you" vs "Do you" for questions about the past

text: Which of these is more correct for American English in a professional context: **Did** you have any other prior marriage that lasted at least 10 years, or any other prior marriage that ended due to your spouse's death? **Do** you have any other prior marriage that lasted at least 10 years, or any other prior marriage that ended due to your spouse's death? (I might also be tempted to change some other other grammar in this sentence if I had my druthers, but for the scope of this question, please focus on the first word.)


title: Was I correct in my use of "whatever" over "something"?

text: Background: I have an undefined, informal and ongoing relationship with someone where we often meet in the late evening at his place. Occasionally, we might go to a bar first but we don't really hang out socially at all beyond that. Currently, we are both making an effort to expand on the relationship to include other activities. Texting:               me:   do you want to do whatever tonight...?     him:  define whatever. lol.      me:   google says... whatever -> pronoun & determiner: used to emphasize a lack of           restriction in referring to any thing or amount, no matter what.     me:   I guess I could have chosen "something" instead, which would have also implied            that I do not prefer the nothing possibility included in the scope of            whatever      him:  so... just to clarify... candyflipping at a rave is out?     me:   ummmmmmm... technically, based on what i said at least, it is still in.  but no,            we should not do that.        And then we debated my word choice. (yes, I'm lots of fun...) So, here's my argument for using `whatever` over `something`... The idea of `something` essentially means "not nothing" or "more than nothing". However, `whatever` does include both "nothing" and "anything"... and in that, `nothing` can be expanded towards "nothing together" and "nothing apart". By saying `something`, the `nothing` is entirely removed (except, of course, if he says no to the question as a whole and turns me down tonight). I chose `whatever` because I feel like the question in itself removes the absolute `nothing` from `whatever`. Also, I did not want to exclude our normal "nothing out in the world but alone in your room together" activity and using `something` might appear like I am asking for something other/more than that tonight. What I wanted to say: I am good with anything together. I do not specifically have something else to suggest for tonight but if he has something he wants to do with me, I am willing to go with him. I am happy with what we normally do together. I also understand if he is busy but I would prefer to meet up. I think `whatever` was the better choice. What he said: the words are the same and using `whatever` makes me sound like I am 12 years old.


title: "Solution for" or "solution to" a problem?

text: > I need to find a solution to/for this problem. Can _to_ and _for_ be used interchangeably here? Is one of them just plain wrong?


title: How to pronounce R²

text: How do I pronounce R² as seen in chemistry formulas or maths? I can pronounce it as "R-square" but what other word is there for "square"?


title: A sentence using negative construction expresses bad news or the writer’s dissatisfaction or unhappiness. True or false?

text: 'A sentence using a negative construction always expresses bad news or the writer’s dissatisfaction or unhappiness.' Is this strictly true?


title: In Grapes of Wrath, What does "I learned to write [...] Birds an' stuff like that" mean?

text: In _The Grapes of Wrath_ : > I learned to write nice as hell. **Birds** an' stuff like that, too; not > just word writin'. My ol' man'll be sore when he sees me whip out a **bird** > in one stroke. (Tom Joad) What is this ' _bird_ ' he is talking about?


title: Can the verb "intake" be used intransitively?

text: Can a combustion engine be said to _intake_ oxygen?


title: Is there a word for when someone tells you to do what you're already doing?

text: Is there a word that describes when someone tells you to do the thing that you are already doing? It seems there should be a word for that. Or at least there should be a word for it so that you can tell people to stop doing it to you.


title: "serbicwitnessour disposition"?

text: Sorry in advance for the spelling of this expression. Do you know of "serbicwitnessour disposition"? I've heard it somewhere and can't find the spelling or any other information. Please help, it is driving me crazy. Thank you.


title: Phrasing of "this=that" sentence?

text: What is the best way to phrase and punctuate this type of "this = that" sentence? No noise was detected, indicating that the room was empty. No noise was detected, which indicated that the room was empty. Thanks, EM


title: Is "grooving me" grammatical?

text: The context of the word _groove_ here is musical groove. In youth slang of electronic music fans it means aesthetic pleasure while listening to music. Can I use _groove_ as a transitive verb? As in, "X is grooving me", or even on itself?


title: Is "martini" plural or singular?

text: Although frequently used incorrectly incorrectly in English, the borrowed Italian word _paparazzi_ should be used for **a group** , while _paparazzo_ is **one** intrusive celebrity photographer. The dictionary defines the plural of _martini_ as _martinis_. But similar to paparazzo, shouldn't _martino_ mean **one** such olive-adorned drink, while _martini_ mean **several**?


title: What does this old mark mean?

text: > Now banish the **pathetic。** from public discourses, and you reduce the > speakers merely to modern eloquence; that is, to good sense, delivered in > proper expression.   >  Hume, _On Eloquence_ There are lots of this sort of old marks in this article by David Hume. I am totally at a loss what function this special mark has.


title: Difference between 'part' and 'a part'?

text: This question may seem to be very simple, but something I get confused whenever I want to speak. I read a book entitled "re-start your English", and saw a sentence. > this is a leg. it is part of your leg. > > this is a neck. it is 'a' part of your body. Why didn't they use 'a' in the first sentence? And why did they use one in the second one? I'm not a native, so I hope you will please understand, even if there's something awkward about my question.


title: Is "exposure" used correctly here?

text: I was talking to a teenager and he told me that his eyes change colors a lot. And I asked him how's that? Why's it change? I questioned him saying "it's an illusion probably? from light exposure?" Did I use the word _exposure_ correctly? What I wanted to say is that, could the color change be an illusion from being in different lit areas, such as the sun.


title: How can dictionaries be tyrants?

text: Sometimes you might hear the phrase, _tyranny of the dictionary_ Is there a way to express succinctly just what that means?


title: Whether to use a verbal or a deverbal noun as a modifier?

text: Which is more grammatically correct: `an XXX-inhibiting drug`, or `an XXX inhibitor drug`? It would seem to me that the use of the verbal noun ("inhibiting") as a modifier is more grammatically acceptable than the deverbal form ("inhibitor"). I say this based on the observation that verbal nouns are generally more grammatically flexible since they retain verbal characteristics. However, I most often see cases of "inhibitor drug" in the literature than instances of "inhibiting drug".


title: Is there a word to describe the unintelligent/streety way some people talk?

text: This type of communication frequently leaves the 'g' off the end of words. "Talking" becomes "talkin'". Also, it combines certain small phrases into one. "What's that?" becomes "Wuzzat?" The best example I can think of would be the comic book characters Nick Fury and Howard the Duck who speak like this in the comics.


title: What is a word for partaking in art?

text: I'm looking for a word to describe the complement of "to create art". I'm trying to describe the act of being affected by it, or by "receiving" it. Specifically, I want to fill in the blank for the following sentence: > I want to create art that I also enjoy **___ __**. So far, the best I have is "consuming". However, I do not like that, as it implies the destruction of the art in the process, which often does not apply. Similarly, I rejected "receiving" as it implies an exchange. I want to stay away from visually-biased words like "seeing", "viewing", or "observing", as much art is not visual. (Think music, food, etc.) I struggled with "partaking" for the title; I think it's not at all what I want. It also implies activity; what I want is a bit more passive than that.   "Appreciating" is often used in this context, but I find that very awkward, especially when partnered with it's near-synonym "enjoy". I don't find that it conveys my intent well.   Simply leaving it as "[…] that I also enjoy" isn't ideal either; I want to emphasize the dichotomy with the creation, which is also enjoyable. Does anyone have any ideas?


title: What is the flat part of an iron called?

text: What's the word for this part of an iron? ![This is the part of an iron that I want to know the word for](http://i.stack.imgur.com/L1vSI.jpg)


title: Meaning and origin of "the grind of my day"

text: Somebody told me today in chat: > before i get into **the grind of my day**... is there anything you are > waiting on from us or need asap? What does the expression _the grind of my day_ mean? Where does it come from?


title: how to say "etc" in a subject

text: I am translating some legal certificate and I need to indicate that a construction method and related factors are in accordance with a law. I am not sure what is the appropriate way to describe “related factors” in the sentence that is in. I tried “the like” as below, but not sure if this can be part of the subject. “Method A and the likes are in accordance with the lawB” It will be most appreciated if you could help me with this. Thank you in advance. NOTE: contents of the “related factors” are not provided to me neither, so I need to be vague on that.


title: Can I use "linkography" instead of "bibliography" when referring to web links?

text: I’m writing a piece of documentation and I want to add the links I'm referring to at the bottom of my document. Since they are links and not books, I think the section title should not use the word _bibliography_. The most appropriate term that comes to mind is _linkography_. However, I don't know if this word even exists. I did not find it in the dictionary. I think the word is ugly, and my computer’s spell-checker does not know it. Is _linkography_ the best term to use when referring to web links? Does this word really exist?


title: Being mighty a master, being a father and fond: what "fond" is?

text: I'm not sure of the meaning of the last word in the last line of G.M. Hopkin's "In the valley of the Elwy":                God, lover of souls, swaying considerate scales,      Complete thy creature dear O where it fails      Being mighty a master, being a father and fond.      Is that an adjective, i.e. _fond_ = affectionate? Or is that a noun, since _father_ is a noun too? If that's a noun, what's the meaning? Foundation?


title: A word for "hard and diligent work under sleepy-eyed conditions"?

text: How would you describe _one who works hard with full interest and consciousness, including spending sleepless nights_. In such a scenario, sleep is deprived deliberately by the person. What is such hard work called where sleep is not given priority, and days and nights are devoted to work. Words like _workaholics_ don't implicitly speak of sleepless nights. Many programmers, writers and solution providers do it. I am looking for one word for such efforts.


title: What is the meaning of these two sentences in David Copperfield?

text: There are two sentences in _David Copperfield_ that I don't quite understand, with regards to their (possible) figurative meaning. **Chapter XIII:** > [...] a muslin curtain partly undrawn in the middle, a large round green > screen or fan fastened on to the window-sill, a small table, and a great > chair, suggested to me that my aunt might be at that moment seated in awful > state. What does "to be seated in awful state" mean? **Chapter XXXVII:** > [...] I would sit sometimes of a night, opposite my aunt, thinking how I had > frightened Dora that time, and how I could best make my way with a guitar- > case through the forest of difficulty, until I used to fancy that my head > was turning quite grey. What does David mean when he says that he imagines his head "turning quite gray"?


title: Why is 'spatial' written with a t instead of a c?

text: The word 'spatial' is obviously derived from the word 'space'. So why is it usually written with a 't' instead of a 'c'?   Is there a historical reason or is it because of some grammar rule I do not know about?


title: If you are talking "on behalf of" you and someone else, what is the correct usage?

text: If you are talking on behalf of you and someone else what is the correct usage? > On behalf of my wife and me > > On behalf of my wife and I > > On behalf of me and my wife > > On behalf of myself and my wife > > On behalf of my wife and myself > > ... My understanding is that after that phrase you would carry on talking in first person.


title: Please, don't - I'm not

text: > “Please, don't mock me.”   >  “Oh, no, ~~I don't!~~ **I’m not!** I'm completely serious about that.” This is a correction I received from a proofreader of my story. How does that work? What happens here so that "I don't mock you" should be replaced with "I'm not mocking you"?


title: I am needing to rewrite a question

text: The question I need to rewrite has to be open ended, versus a yes or no. The question is, "Would you suggest more visuals in any of the rooms?" Visuals refer to pictures and other motivational displays.


Joel Spolsky: > We started with Stack Overflow, a Q&A site for programmers about programming > questions. StackExchange is an attempt to bring that same technology to > other fields besides programming. Cooking, photography, etc. Each of these > sites is a StackExchange. Collectively they are the StackExchange Network. > **So when we say "StackExchange" we mean all these sites, of which there is > one big honking granddaddy called Stack Overflow.** The entries in Webster suggest that _honking_ refers to an object making a loud noise, but that meaning seems off in this context. What does "honking" mean in this context?


title: Is there a word for "not pronouncing any r's"?

text: Some find it difficult to form an "r" sound, and some are able to, but just don't. I'm looking for a word which means "not pronouncing r's", without implying inability to pronounce them, though that may be the case. Specifically, I'd like a word which mean "not pronouncing _any_ r's", but if there's a word which means "not pronouncing _some_ r's" (as in many dialects), that would be interesting to know too.


title: How to express "accommodatable"?

text: Is there some word or phrase which gets the idea of "able to be accommodated" across without using the (apparently nonexistent) word "accommodatable"? I am going for the idea of "able to be made to happen."


title: When should I use "finish" instead of "complete," and vice versa?

text: I am confused about when to use _finish_ instead of _complete_ and vice versa. May you help me in understanding when to use those words?


title: Adjectives that do not have predicative position

text: I've read somewhere that some adjectives cannot be used in the predicative position; for example "this is a major problem" is acceptable, but "the problem is major" is not acceptable. I'm wondering what other adjectives cannot be used in predicative position other than _major_. Is it the only one we have in English?


title: What is the difference between “Change we can believe in” and “Change we can believe in tomorrow’”?

text: The article of today’s (August 27) Washington Post titled, “Obama offers 2012 election supporters change they can believe in — next term” begins with the following sentence: > Three years after storming the White House with the “fierce urgency of now,” > President Obama has a new message for his reelection campaign: Be patient, > democracy is big and tough and messy. “When I said, _Change we can believe > in_ ,’ I didn’t say, ‘ _Change we can believe in tomorrow_ ,’ ” Obama told a > crowd of 2,400 during a birthday celebration in Chicago this month. For a foreign English student, it’s difficult to comprehend and discern the difference between “Change we can believe in” and “Change we can believe in tomorrow.’” What was wrong with President Obama for Americans to make change they can believe in tomorrow,”? I think most people want to believe in tomorrow, not only living today. Can somebody elaborate the difference of meaning of “believe in,” and “believe in tomorrow”?


title: "Would have" in the following

text: Reading a J.K Rowling book, I came across the following: > It's only dying a bit later than I _would have_ , because I am never going > to the dark side! Is the _would have_ part compete here or does it have an implied unspoken verb after it? For example: would have _died_. And is it a future or a past conditional in this context? If it's a past one then how could it be used in a future context?


title: The more complete 'Poor you'

text: In sentences like "Go home," the 'You' is implied, as in 'You go home.' What would be the implied words/full form of the sentence "Poor you"? It certainly isn't "You are poor." ** I am editing this question to clarify what I'm looking for - I know what the meaning of this sentence is (both meanings and the difference). I'm merely curious as to how to write it out with the verb so as to make it a grammatically complete sentence. Just like 'Go' would be 'You go.' **


title: What is the origin and meaning of "racing to a red light"?

text: During the third episode of the HBO show "True Detective" the following dialogue is exchanged: > Cop 1: "Certain linguist anthropologists think that religion is a language > virus that rewrites pathways in the brain; dulls critical thinking." > > Cop 2: "Well, I don't use ten dollar words as much as you, but for a guy who > sees no point in existence you sure fret about it an awful lot. And you > still sound panicked." > > Cop 1: "At least I'm not racing to a red light." I had not heard this phrase before, and am curious of its origin and meaning? EDIT: Before transcribing the dialogue, I had written the phrase as "racing to a stoplight."


title: When should "into" be used rather than "in to," and vice versa?

text: "Into" (one word) and "in to" (two words) are frequently confused. In what situations should the former be used? The latter?


title: Difference between "in" and "into"

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  When should "into" be used rather than "in to," and vice versa? I often get confused about which one to use: _in_ or _into_? Kindly tell me what the difference is between the two.


title: "Put it into the refrigerator" or "Put it in the refrigerator"?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  When should "into" be used rather than "in to," and vice versa? I am sorry if the question is silly, but I think I heard both options spoken by native speaker. So, which one is correct?


title: Check source "into" or "in to" SVN?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  "Checked into the database" versus "checked in to the database" I understand the difference between "into" and "in to". The first involves the movement towards the inside of a place. The latter, is a combination of an adverb and preposition. This is explained here. But, does "into" require that the place be a physical location? If so, I would guess using "in to" would be correct since SVN (or Git, or...) is not a physical location. Is it more correct to check code into svn or check code in to svn?


title: Difference between "in to" and "into"

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  When should "into" be used rather than "in to," and vice versa?   >  Difference between "in" and "into" I had to write a business plan the other day, and one of my coworkers found that I was using _in to_ incorrectly in the sentence > Data will be imported **in to** the database. What is the difference between _in to_ and _into_?


title: "Into" vs "in to"

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  When should "into" be used rather than "in to," and vice versa? Google Support: >   1. Visit Google.com. >   2. Search for NS lookup. >   3. Select a search result from the list. >   4. Type your web publishing address **in to** the field. >   5. Select CNAME record if it's not the default search query. >   6. Click Submit, or Lookup. > Shouldn't it have been _into_ instead of _in to_? Or am I misunderstanding something with regard to the language used here?


title: "Checked into the database" versus "checked in to the database"

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  When should "into" be used rather than "in to," and vice versa? I was recently submitting ("checking in") some data to a database and composed an email to my team informing them of the submission. What's the proper grammar to use here: > The changes are checked into the database or > The changes are checked in to the database What's the rule of thumb for proper usage between the two? Is there even a difference?


title: Drag and drop video into OR drag and drop video in to

text: Which is more correct? I’ve created a web page that you can just drag and drop the videos **in to** : http://... OR I’ve created a web page that you can just drag and drop the videos **into** : http://...


title: Using in or into

text: "As I suddenly transitioned from being an overweight pimply-faced middle- schooler with confidence issues into a slim and active high schooler..." or "As I suddenly transitioned from being an overweight pimply-faced middle- schooler with confidence issues in to a slim and active high schooler..."


title: How did the word "beaver" come to be associated with vagina?

text: What is the etymology of the word _beaver_ as it relates to a woman's vagina?


title: On the specifics of illegitimate children

text: Is there a feminine form of the word _bastard_? It seems like _bastard_ is a word that’s applied to male children only.


title: "Figment" other than in "figment of the imagination"?

text: Are there any recurring uses of the word "figment" other than in the expression "figment of the imagination"?


title: Is use of "Oriental" racism?

text: I've heard that the word _Oriental_ , if used to people, is racism. Is it true? And if it is, why?


title: Forms of strict reporting — what do Americans call them?

text: I had to deal with typographically printed sheets with some generic text and fields to fill in information by hand (dates, signatures etc.) or through printing (if you are lucky to hit the fields). Each sheet has a watermark, its own serial number, and is unique. Literally translated from Russian they are called "forms of strict reporting", but I would like to know what a native English speaker calls them. ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/vTeCj.jpg)


title: Can anyone edit this sentence for me?

text: I wrote the following line in my thesis acknowledgment, while talking about my supervisor who carefully edited my thesis. > If this thesis reads uncluttered and effective, it would be for his > elaborate, meticulous feedback. I am not sure if this sentence is grammatically right (reads - would). Also does it make a claim that my thesis is so and so, or rightly conveys the conditional context? My brain became completely numb after two months of writing. Can anyone please edit this sentence for me?


title: What are rules to reverse the position of subject and predicative when the former is too long

text: For example, in this sentence where the subject is qualified by a clause: > The assumption that a new airport will for sure make Tudor a flight hub is > highly dubious. I thought we could move _highly dubious_ to the head of the sentence but I forgot the general rules.


title: to be unfamiliar with something how to express it while writing an academic essay

text: Is it true to say we are new to social media (in order to say that we are not familiar with social media) thanks


title: Is it incorrect to place the adverb after the verb? "Handsomely win" v. "Win handsomely"

text: I have seen both forms in usage.


title: what does "vertiginous game of chicken" mean and its origin

text: Taking us behind the scenes, Paulson shows, day by day, how the U.S. government and Federal Reserve got sucked into a vertiginous game of chicken with Wall Street bankers (link)


title: Antedecent of "its" in "the dog attacked the cat and its friends"

text: > The dog attacked the cat and its friends. Does the sentence imply that the dog attacked the cat and the cat's friends or that it attacked the cat and the dog's friends? How would one properly construct the sentence for each meaning?


title: Ending verbs with 'nt' in the past tense

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  When do you use “learnt” and when “learned”? It was my understanding that ending verbs with "t" / "nt" in the perfect tense was merely to accommodate irregular verbs > I go > > I went ~ > I sleep > > I slept etc. But more and more often I'm hearing people using it (particularly in the media) with verbs that are totally regular. > I learn > > I learnt Which is correct, and why?


title: Etymology of "gladhand" (truck hose coupler)

text: References for _"glad hand"_ in its common meaning of "effusive but perhaps insincere greeting" seem easy to find [1], and it's easy to find definitions for the truck-hose-coupler meaning of _gladhand_ [2], [3] but I'm at a loss for finding out the origin of the latter usage (aside from imagining gladhand might derive from a manufacturer's name). Is any evidence available?


title: "shameful" vs "shameless"

text: I have seen _shameful_ and _shameless_ being used interchangeably, but it is surprising that they would mean the same. Is there a difference?


title: Words with pronunciations more complex than spelling

text: The word _mischievous_ is sometimes pronounced with a long e sound between the v and the last vowel (mis-chee-vee-us), although this is controversial. Is there a name for this type of word, where the pronunciation is made more complex than the spelling indicates?


title: "Advise" vs. "advice"

text: In what contexts are those two words used? It's been a while since I've read the grammar books and I don't exactly remember the definitions of a few terms like adjective, so I would really appreciate it if the answers didn't leave it off by saying _x_ is verb and _y_ is adjective - I learn more by practical examples. Please do mention similar words as well.


title: "Please Advice" or "Please Advise"

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  "Advise" vs "advice" I found few Q&As, about advice vs advice, But Still I couldn't figure out how to use it in a particular context. In EMails or Letters after sending some spefic instrictions that need support from the person receieving, "Please Advice" or "Please advice" is used. > The requested task cannot be handled as you explained, and we have attached > the technically feasibility and an alernate to resolve this issue with time > and cost involved. Please go through it and advise. Should I use "Please advice" or "Please advise". In this is case the person writing is not less knowledgeable, but still seeking opening/approval for the cost.


title: Can "advise" be used with the definition of "advice"?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  "Advise" vs "advice" I've seen twice in in 30 minutes how someone had said that they wanted advise on [...] subject, or how they needed advise on [...]. Is this correct?


title: Word suggests "advice" in place of "advise"

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  "Advise" vs "advice" What is wrong with the statement "Please advise on this..."? Word suggests to change it to "Please advice on this...".


title: What are differences between "advice" and "advise"?

text: When we can use advice instead of advise? Can somebody help me?


title: Is “Down to the word” popular phrase as an idiom?

text: I found the phrase, “the message is the same every time, _almost down to the word_ ” in the article titled “As debates loom, Romney grasps for a closing argument” appearing in October 1st Time magazine. The article reports that everywhere he goes lately, President Obama begins his stump speech with a story about a four-year-old boy named Samm. When Samm’s parents asked their son if he recognized the leader of the free world, he did. “What does Barack Obama do?” they asked Sammy, and Sammy replies: “He approves this message.” Then the writer follows: > “It’s a funny little ice-breaker. But it’s also a bridge to the message > itself, which is that Obama wants to emphasize the middle class as the > foundation of a strong economy, whereas Romney’s top-down economics benefits > the rich. The message is the same every time, _almost down to the word_.” From the context, I guessed “ _almost down to the word_ ” is synonymous with “almost verbatim.” But I don’t find “down to the word” in any of Cambridge, Oxford and Merriam-Webster dictionary as an idiom, though they register “down to earth,” “down to the wire,” “down to the present day,”and “down to there.” On the other hand, Google Ngram registers “down to the word.” It shows usage of this phrase existed ever since before 1840, but its currency has been declining sharply after peaking during 1860 to 1920. Is my understanding of “down to the word” as synonymous with “verbatim” right? Is “down to the word” an idiom, or a simple set of words. Is it still a popular phrase , or pretty old-fashioned expression because I can’t find it in any dictionaries I’ve checked?


title: When spelling something phonetically, how do you convey letter case?

text: Say you need to read someone their password over the phone and you spell it phonetically so that there is no confusion between M and N etc. Now that is straight forward but what if the password is mixed letter case? Let's take this password: "AbcDe". What is the correct way to spell out this password so that the user at the end of the phone knows which characters are upper case and which are not?


title: Usage of the verb "provide"

text: Does the verb "provide" always have to be used with "with"? For example, > Can you provide me _with_ some good examples? > > Can you provide me some good examples? > > Can you provide some good examples? I suppose it's a transitive verb, isn't it? Moreover, is the following type of usage correct? > You should provide food for your dog before you go on vacation. If you could give me some good examples regarding "provide" with different types of usage, I'd appreciate that.


title: What's the use of 'with' here?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Usage of the verb "provide"   >  Is the sentence “It provides people an easy way to communicate.” > grammatically correct? > Can you provide me a mouse pad?   >  and   >  Can you provide me with a mouse pad? This seems to convey the same meaning, if I use 'with' or omit it from the sentence. Is there any difference between the above two sentences? Why do we use 'with' here and in other sentences of such type?


title: "provide" vs. "provide with"

text: I am wondering if the following sentence is correct: > We add the information their study provides with to our article. The context is: their study provides with some information. And we add the information to our article. I want to keep the word "add", and someone told me that "provides with to" sounds wired...


title: "Provide you with something" vs "Provide you something"?

text: I have a sentence that reads: "To provide you the best possible service..." I'm being asked to add the word _with_ so that it reads "To provide you with the best possible service..." Is there a rule for whether or not I add the word _with_ or is it a preference and the sentence works either way?


title: Starting sentences with coordinating conjunctions

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Why is it incorrect to start a sentence with "and"? Is it acceptable to use coordinating conjunctions to start a sentence in standard English? > ...should not be left to a subgroup. And everybody must perform a final > runthrough. I have seen opinions both for and against this practice, and am unsure as to the agreed custom.


> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Why is it incorrect to start a sentence with "and"? In grammar school, my English teachers taught me that I should never begin a sentence with a conjunction. Of course, that was before the advent of email, instant messages, text messages, Twitter, and Facebook updates. My Question: Does the conversational nature of email allow us to begin sentences with conjunctions?


title: Can 'But', 'And', or 'So' be used to start a sentence?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Is it really incorrect to start a sentence with “and”?   >  Is there any valid rule discouraging the use of a certain word to start a > sentence?   >  Usage of “And” in the beginning of a sentence   >  Can I use "but" at the beginning of a sentence? I heard that "but, and, so" are not supposed to be used at the beginning of a sentence. I have noticed, however, a lot of sentences use "but, and, so" as the first word of the sentence. Are the words at the beginning of the sentence grammatically correct?


title: Is it ever acceptable to use "but" after a period/full stop

text: View the following text as a generic example, disregarding issues of context, etc. > Stir constantly as the mixture begins to boil, watching the temperature > regularly as the contents begins to settle within the pan. But be warned, > <<[etc, etc]>> I vaguely remember that "but" should never follow directly after a full stop, yet 'but' often falls directly after a pause in spoken conversation. Are there conditions that 'but' can be used after a full stop/period while writing? If not, what is the best way to make a notable pause before a 'but' in such a case?


title: Should I use a comma before "and" or "or"?

text: Is using a comma then an "and" or an "or" after it proper punctuation? Example: >   * I fell over, and hurt my knee. >   * Should I go, or not? >


title: correctness of using phraze 'and also'

text: Is it correct or redundant to say 'and also' together. Would it make a difference to use 'and also' at beginning of sentence, or e.g. after a comma?


title: Is there any valid rule discouraging the use of a certain word to start a sentence?

text: Is there any rule you think is valid that discourages the use of a certain word to start a sentence? Because I suspect the answer is no. But it would be good to have a blanket answer to this kind of question.


title: Is a comma before a conjunction optional, or old? (not talking about lists)

text: I have been corrected several times recently for putting a comma before a conjunction in a sentence (splitting phrases, not items in a list). To each their own style guide, but my understanding was that (using 'and' as an example):   * in the prehistoric era, the rule was to _always_ put a comma before 'and', no matter the context   * in the modern era, there are two schools of style about 'and', commas and the final item in a list (which I am not concerned with here)   * in the modern era, you _may_ put a comma before 'and' in a _non-list_ to emphasise, indicate a pause, tweak meaning, etc. So that: > We will fight them on the beaches and the landing grounds. has a slightly different meaning to > We will fight them on the beaches, and the landing grounds. ...but both are valid. Is this comma in fact optional, or always to be discarded? Have I half-learned a (possibly out-moded) style rule without realizing it?


title: Using "And" at the beginning of a sentence

text: Since I first learned English, I have been holding this understanding that "and", as a conj. but unlike "but", can only connect two clauses, not two sentences ended with periods. But recently, I have seen so many prints, either in entertainment or in academia, where "And" is popularly used in the beginning of a sentence. It seems like the author is trying to connect the sentence just right before and the sentence following "And" in some intended meaning which I don't quite get. I was wondering if I have been wrong all the time, or if there is a new trend that I fail to understand and accept? How to understand such usage of "and" in rigorous English grammar? If I am right, why it is used differently from "but" in terms of what I mentioned at the beginning of this post?


title: Is this an appropriate usage of "but" at the beginning of a sentence?

text: I try my best to use proper sentence construction and punctuation, and for my amusement, I've taken the quest to find meaningful situations where one might use the various conjunctions at the beginning of sentences. I was told that "because" was the only one that's worthy of being placed at the start of a complete sentence. However, I've taught myself to challenge what I've been taught by attempting to discover flaws or contradictions in the logic. Along my journey, I've noticed that English is full of opposite words thus maintaining harmony and balance. By now, you should see where I'm heading with this idea; I've set out to find the inverse to the word "because." I know of the obvious examples that come to mind such as "except," "albeit," and "not because." None of these seemed to suit a universal role, though, but I believe I have discovered a solution, and I would like to know if this would be acceptable for use in sophisticated writing: > But for the faint, guiding light in the distance, the hallway was completely > dark. Which would have the same meaning as the following statement: > The hallway was completely dark but for the faint, guiding light in the > distance. Here we have the same two clauses and the same idea, but in a different order. You might observe that the phrase "but for" can be a wide-use substitute for the three examples previously listed (not directly, but in combination with other words). Please keep in mind that I follow strict guidelines, and I strive to present myself as professional as possible when conveying my ideas through language, and as such, I would prefer it if your responses would take this proposal in the same perspective.


title: Can I use "but" at the beginning of a sentence?

text: For a while, using _but_ to start a sentence was largely frowned upon. But, I think it is possible to use _but_ at the beginning of a sentence, as long as it isn't overused. Am I right?


title: When can a comma be used before the word 'and'?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Should I use a comma before "and" or "or"? Is it appropriate and/or advisable to use a comma before 'and' in some situations?


title: Can we start a sentence with "And"?

text: Can we start a sentence with "And"? Is the following example correct? From now on, the biochemistry lecture class on Mondays at 10.30 a.m. will be held on Sundays at 11.30 a.m instead. And the anatomy lecture class on Sundays at 11.30 a.m. will be held on Mondays at 10.30 a.m instead.


title: Word for prematurely calling a middle-aged person old?

text: My title may not completely reflect the meaning I am trying to get across. I am writing a card for my dad (who is 58 this year) to go alongside a gift I am getting him. I know he enjoys shooting, but he is finding is harder due to a lasting injury to his left arm he sustained some time ago, so am getting him a shooting stick (specifics not really relevant). Basically, he could take it that I am _patronizing_ (this is the word I am unhappy about) him, and I would like to make a jokey reference to this in the card. So far I've written; > Have a great day - I hope the present is suitable (and not too ...) I would like to write something along the lines of patronizing or belittling, but these do not feel right to me, but I cannot think of the word I would actually like to use. Thanks


title: Does "developed products" include products still in the development process?

text: Here is an example sentence: > We carry out life cycle assessments on developed products to determine their > environmental burden throughout the life cycle of the product. I am trying to figure out if this would include products still in the development process such as completed prototypes, or if it only refers to products the company is ready to put on the market. Based solely on grammar it would seem that it would _not_ include prototypes, but I get the feeling actual usage is not quite so simple.


title: Is it correct to say "the 'following' customer"?

text: It happens all the time. You are in line at the grocery store, Starbucks or anywhere cashiers are employed. Having finished a transaction, one will cheerily offer to help "the _following_ customer." I'm pretty sure that "the _next_ customer" is the correct usage here, unless they call that following customer by name. Am I right?


title: It doesn't matter if you're [blank]

text: How should I punctuate "it doesn't matter if you're [blank]" to disambiguate the following two sentences:   1. Q: "Which hand should I use to shoot a basketball?"   A: "It doesn't matter if you're ambidextrous." (if your right hand is as good as the left, you can use either one)   2. Q: "Will I be a better cook if I'm ambidextrous?"   A: "It doesn't matter if you're ambidextrous." (motor skills will not improve your cooking)


title: Is "grab" an informal way of saying "learn"?

text: I am writing to someone who is a sort of respectful person and I wanted to form a sentence such as below and I am wondering if using _grab_ instead of _learn_ or _get_ is informal and looks odd. > I'd like to invite you to Somewhere where you will be able to grab a lot of > cultural and historical artifacts. _Grab_ should mean "learn", "experience", etc.


title: “Act as a decoy” vs. “act as _ decoy”: The Case of the Vanishing Article

text: A quote from _The Economist_ : > This was also the young woman—she was 19 or 20 then—who could turn her > aircraft over and dive full-throttle through raking German searchlights, > swerving and dancing, **acting as a decoy** for a second plane that would > glide in silently behind her to drop its payload of bombs. That done, the > second plane would **act as decoy** while she glided in to drop bombs > herself. Please explain why in the second mention the indefinite article is omitted. _Decoy_ is not a mass noun. Is this idiomatic usage?


title: Origin of the "-y" or "-ie" diminutive suffix to denote intimacy/tenderness? (E.g. Bob→Bobby, dad→daddy, Doug→Dougie)

text: Many names seem to get a "-y" or "-ie" at the end when the speaker wishes to denote a hint of familiarity, intimacy, or tenderness. Examples can be seen not just in names, but in terms like _puppy, kitty_. Close friends of Robert might call him _Bobby_ , whereas, if you think about it, it's hard to imagine _Bobby_ used in a more formal setting. What is the origin of this practice?


title: Is the usage of "ma'am" in the Philippines correct?

text: In the Philippines, they use the honorific _ma'am_ before a name, such as _Ma'am Garcia_ or _Ma'am Karen_. I think this is incorrect use of the word _ma'am_ , but I was told it is acceptable. Is this usage correct?


title: Good word for those who give out awards

text: If I had a list of awards and wanted to organise that list by the organizations that gave out those awards, what would be a good word to use? I can only think of _by awarder_ which doesn't sound great.


title: Can "man" always be used to mean both men and women?

text: According to the dictionary, _man_ can refer to both men and women. Take this example: > Understanding the laws of physics allows a man to understand the world > around him in profound ways. Is this considered wrong English these days? Or just old-fashioned? Would it be frowned upon? Would the following be better? > Understanding the laws of physics allows one to understand the world around > him in profound ways. Again, according to the dictionary, _him_ can refer to both sexes. Any more alternatives I should consider? The reason I'm asking: I really dislike the use of the overly lengthy _him or her_. (Not to mention using just _her_ —that's just plain wrong according to any dictionary, if one is referring to both sexes.) I'm trying to simplify my writing as much as possible.


title: Origin of "chemistry" in reference to that between two people

text: What is the origin of the term _chemistry_ when used to refer to chemistry between two people? Of all words why is it chosen to describe the feeling? Searching for the term gives different kinds of chemistry that exist between two people. Aren't they describing the same thing?


title: Is the usage of "at" correct in this case? Should it go with "where" or "which"?

text: Can someone tell me whether we should use "at" when we use where: > The design is so unified and everything is at where they should be. Or it must be like the one below: > The design is so unified and everything is at which they should be. Also please check the sentences below and tell me whether they are correct. > The design is so unified and everything is located at where they should be. > > The design is so unified and everything is located at which they should be.


title: Usage of the term 'tyre kickers'

text: Why is the term 'tyre kickers' used to describe potential customers that want something for nothing or are likely to prove troublesome or waste your time? I believe it was likely something to do with car sales and the stero typical, kick the tyre when you go take a look at the car but I assume this is a term that can used in any other sales context?


title: What is the adjective form for "edit?"

text: As in "that which could be edited," or "editable" if you will.


title: What to call information related to a film?

text: What is called a film's info such as year, director, country, actors, actresses, language, length... all the info related to it. I don't want to say metadata or credits. Any other words? EDIT: I want to find film equivalent of masthead (used in print)


title: "Has started" versus "will have started"

text: Which one of the following sentences is grammatically better? > I hope she has started doing that by then.   >  I hope she will have started doing that by then. Now, if I make it indirect, it will probably be: > My hope is that she will have started doing that by then ...Which makes me think the second one might not be correct. Also, is there any difference between American and British English usage?


title: 'Target group' or '(Target) market'?

text: I am looking at a corporate brochure that includes the phrase: > Our international **target group** includes governments, businesses and > semi-private organisations. Somehow the word 'target group' does not sit well with me in this context. The company is Dutch (as am I) and we know the word 'doelgroep' to identify those businesses or individuals you are creating your services or products for. 'Target group' is a literal translation of this word. I'm inclined to use '(target) market' instead. What do you think?


title: What are your favorite English language tools?

text: To prevent myself from asking an obvious, silly question multiple times: What are the English language tools you found most useful? I found Corpus Concordance English extremely useful for looking up collocations. Please, one tool per answer.


title: Where can I find an English dictionary that can be used as reference?

text: I usually use Google Translate to translate from my language into English and vice versa. But sometimes the translation is not right as words have different meanings depending on context, or maybe the source is not verified. For my mother tongue I can find an authoritative source, but what about English? Where can I find a trusted source to be used as reference?


title: How do you find the right English words?

text: An example, just a minute ago I was looking for a word to replace _candidate_ _Amongst the candidates for the album title._ since the _candidate_ is a person, not the one-of-many album titles. So, I was wondering. When faced with a problem as such, where do you go to look for a certain word, if you cannot remember it / do not know it?


title: Are there any dictionaries that be able to look up words in word families?

text: I was wondering there are any dictionaries/a dictionary that if I search for a word, for example: news, the dictionary will provide its word family or any types of usages related to this word, for example: news -> {reading, magazine, politics, amusing, global warming, accident, ..}.


title: site with word used in sentences and expressions

text: I am looking for a site or tool which would show a word used in actual sentences and expressions, in everyday life, business, scientific books, spiritual books and any other contexts. Looking a word in Merriam Webster, there are a few examples of how it can be used. But I would like to see 100 examples, and each one within a context of at least one paragraph, to feel how and when this word is actually used. Something like google, but limited to word usage. Is there something like this?


title: Most famous/authentic dictionaries?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Regulatory bodies and authoritative dictionaries for English What are the most famous or authentic dictionaries? I mean- One can use a dictionary to learn about the meaning of the word, but sometimes, through very rarely, one has to learn the _exact_ meaning of the word, and be really clear about the boundaries of the definitions of that word. I have heard about Merriam-Websters, Collins, American Heritage, Oxford, Cambridge, WordNet (when you use define: keyword in google). All dictionaries give a list of meanings that the word _can_ be used in, so I automatically assume if a usage is not listed, it can't be used in that sense, and if it is, it can absolutely be used in that sense. I am not using a dictionary to 'make sense' of a word while reading something that I just have to understand, but sometimes something that I have to critically analyse and argue against.


title: Is there any grammar or vocabulary reference reliable enough?

text: > **Duplicate of:**   >  Regulatory bodies and authoritative dictionaries for English In other languages there are official institutions which control the development of the language and provide official references so the users of the language can go there to check how to use the language when they have a doubt. For example in Spanish that reference is online and can be freely checked by any user. I wonder if there is any similar official organization which provides references or dictionaries for users. How do native speakers know what is correct or not when they have a doubt? Where can they check it? Is there any free online resource with enough reliability for that?


title: How are words added to the Oxford Dictionary?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Is there an ‘official’ way to suggest a new word become part of the English > language?   >  What are the criteria to adopt new words into English?   >  Creating a new word   >  Regulatory bodies and authoritative dictionaries for English I was reading an article on how the Oxford Dictionary was being updated, and wondered what criteria would make a word suitable for being in a dictionary. I used to assume that all words would be included in a dictionary of such reputation, but this is obviously not the case. So my question is, what makes a word applicable to be added in the Oxford Dictionary? Is there a process for choosing these new words? Thanks.


title: If the English language is always evolving, why do we need to learn and follow grammatical rules?

text: Since language evolves over time -- the best example I can think of is slang where it mostly doesn't follow grammar rules -- why is there a need to preserve grammar or stress that proper grammar be used? My second question is if someone can get their exact point across to another person without using proper grammar, then why does grammar matter? Could the reason be that if grammar is used then it implies that there is a standard way of communicating, thus people would be able to spend the least amount of effort getting their point across? Wait! Doesn't slang already do this?


title: Is there an 'official' way to suggest a new word become part of the English language?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Regulatory bodies and authoritative dictionaries for English   >  Creating a new word   >  What are the criteria to adopt new words into English? I've always been told, at least in English class, that English is so complicated for non-native speakers to learn and has a variety of flaws. These teachers also point out that English's greatest strength is picking up new words. I know we assimilate words from other languages, 'promote' words from slang to standard and sometimes just come up with new words. Opinions of educators aside, how is it that words get added to the language? Does someone call up the folks that write the Oxford English dictionary or what? **Edit** in response to Callithumpian's comment: that's good to know about the Oxford folks, but what about any other standardization groups? If not, how does it usually happen that new words trickle in to different official publications? I've never heard of any International Society of English or anything like that. On the other hand, I haven't looked terribly far.


title: English phonetics References

text: What are some great references on English pronunciation practices? The book The Big Book of Beastly Mispronunciations was mentioned in an answer on this site. Is it considered authoritative? What are some other references, especially ones discussing differences between different English accents?


title: Regulatory bodies and authoritative dictionaries for English

text: Some languages have a "regulatory body" issuing recommendations and guidelines regarding the use of that language. For example in the case of Spanish it's the _Real Academia Española_ whose status is recognised in all Spanish-speaking countries. The Academy, among other things, publishes a dictionary ("DRAE"), in print and online, which is usually given a lot of prestige (but is not without controversies, of course). Are there any such authorative—or at least influential—institution(s) or publication(s) for the English language?


title: Can there ever be such a thing as "proper grammar" knowing that languages change over time?

text: Who decides what is "proper grammar"? Who decides when to make changes when the grammar of the people change, and why is it important to follow "proper grammar" if languages change so often? Edit: to clarify my question, I'm asking specifically about parts of language that can change over times, such as semantics and phonetics, and not about the grammar rules that are consistent across all languages


title: Commonly used sources

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  What are your favorite English language tools? I have a question regarding the English language that is too general for this site according to the faq. OTOH, I don't know where to look for the answer. Is there a list of sites, books, etc. that are commonly used to answer questions?


title: Standardization authority

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Regulatory bodies and authoritative dictionaries for English   >  Where do accents and dialects come from?   >  I can run faster than **_**. (1) him (2) he?   >  If the English language is always evolving, why do we need to learn and > follow grammatical rules? First of all, I'd like to say I hope that this won't be considered completely out of topic as my question is rather general (and too long) but after all, I don't know where else to ask if not here. I'm a non-native speaker (Czech) and in the process of learning I, obviously, encountered a number of cases when I wasn't sure and asked the teacher, a native speaker, or looked the answer up in a book. No problem so far. I later became an English teacher myself (thank god, those days are gone :) and started being asked various questions, too. This wasn't a problem either - I answered them according to the books and sometimes added a little more of what I knew about "real-life" usage. Nevertheless, the more you learn about any language (including your own), the more you realize that there are certain truths written in books that are rather simplifications and generalizations - needed for the student to be able to learn things without being overwhelmed by too much information but not precise and exact facts. That wouldn't be a problem either. It's obvious that you can't discuss all details at the very beginning. But to my surprise (which still lasts), I also found out that there was actually no standardization authority that would have a final say in terms of what is right and what is wrong. And if you study English books carefully, you will realize that even Cambridge (as the main English testing authority in mainland Europe) and Oxford (as the unofficial language authority) often differ in their interpretations of what is correct and what is not. And American English (which I tend to use) doesn’t even seem to have these. I do understand that there are big differences not only among American, British, Australian, Canadian, South African... variations of the language but even among regions, classes etc. But someone from a country like mine would somewhat automatically expect that at least for each country there would be an "ultimate authority" which could say that I should use this or that if I want to speak/write correctly. There are a lot of different dialects in the Czech Republic. Surprisingly many for such a small country. And that's perfectly fine. But if you're not sure what the standard, formal form is, there is the "Dictionary of Standard Czech" and the "Rules of the Czech Language" where you find the ultimate answer. And if you don't, there is the "Institute for the Czech Language" where you can get answers even to the most complicated questions. Germans have the same for their language (remember the argument over the sharp s not so long ago) and I believe so do most European countries. If you've read this far, you must be curious what my question actually is. OK, here it comes: is all the language talk really just a matter of personal preference or is there any source of information that I can consider final? Does correctness really depend only on how often something is used? To pick just a few “ever green examples”, is "better than I" or "better than me" correct? Who’s the one to say that “color” is American while “colour” is British or Canadian? When my American friends say "If I would've done that", can they argue that it's correct just because it's used where they're from? Where can I find the line between “generally used” and “accepted as grammatically correct”? And an additional question: have there ever been attempts (that probably failed) to introduce a general English authority that would have the final say? I have absolutely nothing against colloquial, slang, spoken language. Actually, who doesn't use it and tries to be hypercorrect at any cost sounds like a moron. But there are moments when you want to consult someone you can trust. And no offense to this site (which I really love) but the answers often resemble rather personal opinions than definite facts. And therefore I'm asking this question to which there is probably no true, correct answer. But it was biting my brain for too long so it had to get out.


title: online free dictionary of choice?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  What are your favorite English language tools? This may seem like a meta question but I feel it is really about English Language and Usage. What is the preferred online free dictionary of this community? There are so many out there? Some internet based seems to be very advertising oriented while some other only seem to aggregate crowdsourced content from other sites.


title: Are published books to be considered an official reference for spelling?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Regulatory bodies and authoritative dictionaries for English Many times I searched across several books for the usage of some words and many times I've found my results quite contradictory. For example, if you look for the plural of "sorry" you will find many dictionaries that don't even consider "sorries" or "sorrys" as a word, but you can find others that do, and/or find many references in books to such terms (both of them in this case). So, which one to believe?   And how is one to back that decision up? Try this case:   sorries   sorrys   and you won't find any of those terms in the Collins English Dictionary for example.


title: At what point does a phrase's definition start to actually mean its incorrect popular usage?

text: I am constantly correcting people when they use they say "this begs the question" incorrectly intending to suggest that some other assertion requires more information, rather than to point out that the statement that begs the question is a circular argument. This happens so frequently (or at least I notice it being used wrong so often) that I actually can't recall the last time I heard anyone use it the way it was originally intended. So, I'm curious, at what point does the official definition start to include the erroneous usage? Is there an official officiating body that decrees when a phrase has been adopted so widely that it becomes the correct (or at least *a correct) way to employ it?


title: All tenses for a given word

text: Is there any website to learn all tenses for a given regular verb or irregular verb with search option. I've searched on google. But i'm not get exact website url. If anyone knows share with me.


title: Is there such a thing as a reverse dictionary?

text: Is there any tool online that generally permits me to enter a phrase or idea and get back a word that means something similar? For example, if I were looking for a better word or phrase for _arguing winsomely but forcefully in favor of something_ , where might I go to find such a definition?


title: Is there any software which tells us word for a phrase?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  What are your favorite English language tools? I am searching for a piece of software or an online application where I enter a phrase or a particular action and get a word related to that whole phrase. e.g. " _blasphemous_ " means " _Sacrilegious against God or sacred things_ ". Here the phrase is " _Sacrilegious against God or sacred things_ " and the word " _blasphemous_ " defines it well.


title: How can you submit a new word for inclusion in a dictionary?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Is there an ‘official’ way to suggest a new word become part of the English > language? If I happened to have coined a few words that I find could be of practical value to the general public, how can I make a request to have it included in one of the standard dictionaries of the English language?


title: Where does the term "hardware" in computer science comes from?

text: The term **Software** was coined in 195x. And it was opposed the term **Hardware** , physical part of a computer system, which is tangible. But where does the term **Hardware** comes from (from which of the meanings it was derived: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/hardware)? Was it transfered from one of those meanings in English language or maybe it was borrowed from another language?


title: Different conditional clauses — "if you saw", "if you were to see", "if you had seen"

text: Given the following sentences, what is the difference between the conditional clauses in them? >   * If you **saw** a lion in a thick forest, what would you do? >   * If you **were to see** a lion in a thick forest, what would you do? > I'm asking this simple thing because it's confusing me, since there is no such thing in my native language (it's quite different from English). * * * I can understand this one (it may be a different question): > If you **had seen** a lion in a thick forest, what **would have** you > **done**? but it's a bit confusing me. In my native language, it's always formulated as follows: > If you **would have seen** a lion in a thick forest, what would have you > done? Does this make any difference in English?


title: What do you call a maker of wind instruments?

text: I'm looking for a word that means "a maker of wind instruments". Something to the same effect as a _luthier_ to stringed instruments. > The local ___ _ fixed the trombone as good as new.


title: How to properly use multiple "by"s

text: I'm not even sure how to phrase the question properly, so let me paint a scenario. In addition to your answers, any suggestions for how I could have better asked the question would be appreciated. In a nutshell my question is "how does one properly use the word 'by' for nested descriptions?" I'm just some guy who works for some company. At this company, our software peeps make these neat reports for our business peeps. For example, we might have a report called "Sales by Day" that looks like:               Sales by Day Report     --------------------     Monday.......$100.00     Tuesday......$200.00     Wednesday....$450.00     Thursday.....$250.00     Friday.......$120.00      Another report may be Sales by Store (for all time), which looks like:               Sales by Store Report     ----------------------------     San Diego.........$10,000.00     Boston............$30,000.00     Salt Lake City....$25,000.00     Gotham............$45,000.00      Now, if want to show a breakdown per store mixed with per day, as in the following example, which title would be correct and why?               Sales By Store By Day or Sales By Day By Store     ----------------------------------------------     San Diego         Monday......$20.00         Tuesday.....$25.00     Boston         Monday......$35.00         Tuesday.....$45.00     etc....


Is "connexion" synonymous with "connection"? For example, "an ethernet connexion". Can I use it like that?


title: What is the difference between "tone" and "impression"?

text: Can somebody explain it for me?I do not understand the differences.


title: What is the opposite of Peripheral?

text: I want to know the opposite of the word peripheral. For instance, one can have peripheral branches of the trigeminal nerve and upmost or something. **What is the right opposite word of _peripheral_?**


title: What is my name abbreviation?

text: My name is 'Ehsan Shirzadi'.   I want to know whether my name abbreviation is E.S or E.Sh?


What's the difference between "fluctuate" and "teeter"?


title: Where is the root morpheme in the Old English cristalla (crystal) and cymen (cumin)?

text: Where is the root morpheme in the Old English _cristalla_ (crystal) and _cymen_ (cumin)? It seems to be wrong to identify the morphemes in loanwords from etymological point of view.


title: "feel like" vs "be like"

text: Do these sentences convey the same meaning? If not, what's the difference? > Pisces feel like fish in an infinite ocean of thought and feeling.   >  Pisces are like fish in an infinite ocean of thought and feeling.


title: Etymology of "modal dialogs" in computerese

text: When programming you may deal with so-called _modal dialogs_ — these are windows where you are supposed to provide information before you are allowed to proceed any further. A modal dialog blocks or dims the rest of user interface (UI) until you dismiss the dialog via Cancel or OK-type of a button. But what's bugging me is — why actually the "modal" adjective is used to name this part of interface?


title: "The Midwest of the U.S."

text: The _New Oxford American Dictionary_ reports the following definition for _Middle America_ : > Middle America |ˈˌmɪdl əˈmɛrəkə|   >  noun   >  1 the middle class in the U.S., esp. when regarded as a conservative > political force.   >  • the Midwest of the U.S.   >  2 the North American region that includes Mexico and Central America, and > often the West Indies.   >  DERIVATIVES   >  Middle American noun   >  Middle-American adjective Why is _Midwest_ in _the Midwest of the U.S._ written capitalized? Compare it with the following definition given for _northeast_ : > adjective   >  1 lying toward, near, or facing the northeast.   >  • (of a wind) coming from the northeast: _there was a strong northeast > wind_.   >  2 of or denoting the northeastern part of a specified country, region, or > town, or its inhabitants: _northeast Baltimore_. In _northeast Baltimore_ , _northeast_ is not capitalized. What is the difference between the two cases? When I write _Middle American_ to mean an American person of the middle class, why cannot I write _middle American_?


title: "Minimum changes" or "minimal changes"?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  “Maximum” vs. “maximal” Having altered the original text as little as possible, what is the correct way to name the changes? Is it _minimum changes_ or _minimal changes_? Based on Google search results, I would prefer to use _minimal_ :   * "minimal changes" — 800k hits    * "minimum changes" — 90k hits What is more appropriate? Is there any better-suited word or phrase for this?


title: "E.g." or "e. g." (with a blank)?

text: What is the correct form, and why, in scientific papers (US English)? >   * e.g. >   * e. g. >


title: Meaning of "dip into"

text: What's the meaning of _dip into_? > Anyways, the guy I was describing earlier was in the bathroom at the sink > and saw me dip into one of the stalls with the laptop.


title: Quotation mark usage in the sentence given

text: A leading article in Britain's _Independent_ newspaper has the following (my emphasis): > It is also evident, albeit in a different form, in the Global Investment > Summit that opened on Thursday with a rousing speech from the Prime Minister > full of assurances about **_"getting behind"_** British business. I have some confusion in understanding this statement. Are the words which are enclosed in quotation marks showing irony? Or is it just that the quoted words (by the source) are being quoted again by the author? Or is it that the author doesn't have the same opinion as did the source had in the meaning of the words? Also please provide me with some important points in understanding quotation marks and their uses as I am a non-native learner.


title: What was the actual "cock and bull story"?

text: Wiktionary's entry for cock and bull story reads: > A far-fetched and fanciful story or tale of highly dubious validity. I can't seem to find _the original_ story with a cock (rooster) and a bull in it. Is it an idiom with "proof in itself" that we don't have a story at all? The phrase has an entry on phrases.org.uk.


title: 'where they would all' vs 'where they all would'?

text: I just read this but it didn't sound too natural to me: > ... trying to predict where they would all end up. Maybe I'm wrong here but I thought that, in this case, `all` is changing `they`, so I'd have expected to see `all` before or after `they`; however, it seems that placing it before is completely wrong, while placing it after seems to be standard, but I don't know if it's correct. Can anyone clarify this matter for me? Is there a particular rule at work here?


title: What's a Denver accent sound like?

text: I'm trying to learn to imitate the accent of someone from a slummy area of Denver (for a roleplaying game). Info on different local accents is welcome; a sound bite would be especially useful. If you live in or near Denver, and your answer is, "people from Denver don't have an accent," please refrain from posting an answer.


title: Which symbols can I use as shorthands to convey specific meanings?

text: For example, "/" (slash) can be used to mean "or" for two things that are interchangeable: > I am taking my car/automobile to meet with my date/girlfriend. Are there other symbols like this that I can use as shorthand? (Except the mathematical ones, _< , >, +, -, =, ≠_.) I'm looking for one that would mean two terms are opposed to each other, are antagonists. For example "stand duck". What could I put in-between? I was wondering if "\" had any meaning.


title: Is "driving the reins" used as a deliberately erroneous phrase?

text: In her blog post introducing Blog Overflow, the estimable Rebecca Chernoff committed the following, uh, sentence: > Have someone driving the reigns. After cringing (read: screaming in pain) and posting a comment to gently point out the error (read: ranting and raving), I started having second thoughts. Clearly, Rebecca knows how to write. Clearly, she knows what _reign_ means, and that _reins_ are the agents, not the objects, of driving. So maybe this is a _deliberate_ mistake, something along the lines of "Six degrees of Kevin Bacon" or (somewhat controversially) "Could care less". Is this/can this be interpreted as a deliberate mashup of "holding the reins" and "driving the car" and "reigning"?


title: What determines the meaning of ‘rise’ with no adverb or preposition?

text: From my earlier question, I got “rising” in the following citation means getting up from the bed. 1.(Harry was sitting up on a bed in the hospital wing at school, surrounded by his visitors. Fudge, one of them, started to insult Harry.) > "Insane," whispered Fudge, still backing away. "Mad ..." > > And then there was silence. Madam Pomfrey was standing frozen at the foot of > Harry's bed, her hands over her mouth. Mrs. Weasley was still standing over > Harry, her hand on his shoulder to prevent him from rising. Bill, Ron, and > Hermione were staring at Fudge. ( _Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (4)_ > [US Version]: p.709) Then I came across another _rise_ , which obviously means getting angry. 2.(Malfoy provoked Harry and Ron.)(They are not sitting or kneeling.) > "Don't rise," Hermione whispered imploringly to Harry and Ron, who were both > watching Malfoy, faces set and fists clenched. "It's what he wants…." ( > _Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (5)_ [US Version]: p.361) No.1 means getting out from the bed and No.2 means getting angry or upset. That's okay, but I'd like to know why _rise_ in No.1 meaning is so obvious. I'd appreciate it if you could clarify it for me. **Side Note:** Actually, I have a guess about what determines the meaning of _rise_ and that's as follows; When the person who is told to rise has already been up on his feet, the _rise_ means getting angry. On the other hand, when the person has been sitting or else, the _rise_ means assuming a standing position or getting out from the bed. There might not be such a rule. But in that case, I can’t figure out why _rise_ in No.1 definitely means getting out from the bed, because Harry is insulted and anyone would get excited in the situation. It's not surprising Mrs. Weasley prevented him from getting excited. Besides, a dictionary says _putting a hand on one’s shoulder_ sometimes expresses restraining someone's excitement. (eg. Jonathan was outraged. Fletcher, seeing his face, put a hand sharply on his shoulder and said, "Don't say anything you might regret…." )


title: plural of 'Davidovici'

text: I know someone named _Davidovici_ , pronounced /dəˈvɪɾəvɪtʃ/ (i.e., rhyming with _witch_. It's from Romanian). How is it pluralized (as, to refer to the family): _Davidovicis_ or _Davidovicies_?


title: To put on the thinking cap

text: I found this expression: _to put on the thinking cap_ , What does it mean and how to use?


title: "I will go up to the stores"

text: What is the meaning of the following sentence, said from a person that is at home, and is going outside? > I will go up to the stores.


title: The Sam I used to know doesn't exist anymore

text: Is the use of the article "the" correct in this case? Why?


title: What is the grammatical function of the word ‘ever’ in this example?

text: What is the grammatical function of the word _ever_ in this example? > Police found the country's biggest ever drugs plantation.


title: Meaning of "all left reserved" and "all right reserved"?

text: Could somebody please clarify the meaning of these two expressions and the differences between them: "All Right Reserved" and "All Left Reserved"?


title: How to describe leaving an access of a server

text: How can I formally write a sentence meaning that I am not using the server now and I have exited it?


What is the difference between ‘discover’ and ‘uncover’?


title: Quantify product-appropriateness score

text: I'm looking for a way to quantify and explain the scenario below to my managers. I'm really good at understanding issues, but unfortunately no so good at communicating them to others. I have written some code that works out scores or should I save appropriateness of a product for a customer. I now need to explain how this works to my non-technical managers as simply as I can maybe with one sentence. Can anyone help out and give me a sentence to explain the following example:               **PRODUCT**      Ball           Must have Bat     Must be age 8-99      * * *               **PERSON**     Jake     age 30          Score = 50%      the system looks at the total possible score for product. In the case of Bat this is 2 (because we have two possible requirements for bat). Person has just one matching item. So the product appropriateness would come out as 50%. Here is another example:               **PRODUCT**      House           Must be a person     Must be age 18-65     Must be employed     Must have Money      * * *               **PERSON**     John          is a person * edit     age 16     has Money     is employed          Score = 75%      Thanks in advance.


title: Equivocal meaning of "Have a backlog of (something)"

text: Isn't there an equivocal sense to saying "I have a backlog of (something)"? > I have a backlog of work and would be unable to help you out on that. > > I have a few outfits that I haven't shot yet -- have to keep up or there > will be an unwanted backlog of outfits since September.source > > I have a backlog of fruits that have been sitting in the bottom of the > fridge for a couple of weeks now -- have to eat them now or else they are > going to spoil! > > My main reason for making yogurt this week, though, was that I had a growing > backlog of milk in the fridge.source > > My main reason for eating a stick of butter every day, though, was that I > had a backlog of these sitting in the bottom of the freezer. vs. > I have a backlog of work which will keep myself, my designer and my > technician busy all through the fall. > > I have an unexpected backlog of cash which should keep my family and myself > safe from necessity in these times of hardship. > > Some states have an unexpected backlog of money which will enable them to > award new grantssource > > Some colleges and universities have an unexpected backlog of money which > will enable them to catch up on the longstanding housing shortage. > > I have an unexpected backlog of cash this year. I'm going to buy a Porsche! Please also consider these links: http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/backlog; http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/dictionary/backlog; http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/backlog; http://www.thefreedictionary.com/backlog.