title: Is "after" in this context solely a local colloquialism?

text: There are a number of turns of phrase that I have to avoid as an English person speaking to an American audience. Would it be possible for someone to clarify whether this colloquialism is American-friendly: > Q: Can I buy four candles? > > A: Is this what you're **after**? I'd speculate that this is an abbreviation of "chasing after", which in itself is a colloquialism for "looking for". Does this phrase cross the Atlantic? Or even make sense outside of the West Country?


title: Term used for punishment where guilty person is forced to do community service

text: What is the proper term used for punishment where the guilty person is sentenced to community service?


title: Should I greet my customer at 6pm with "good evening" or "good afternoon"?

text: How should I greet my customer if I meet him/her at 6pm for a discussion? Should I say "good evening" or should I say "good afternoon"? From my understanding, "good evening" is used at around 6pm, while "good afternoon" is used for from noon time until around 6pm.


title: Describe someone who stays "True to themselves"

text: What's another word or phrase for " _true to himself_ "? > He remains true to himself even when his friend is murdered. In this case, let's say 'He' is some sort of activist whose friend is murdered by a gang wanting 'He' to shut up. However, 'He' does not shut up and continues to raise awareness for whatever it is the gang members do not want to draw attention to. Basically, 'He' keeps doing what he knows is morally correct, despite something bad happening to him as a consequence.


title: How to describe a person who loves normal room temperature between 26C to 29C

text: How can I describe a person who likes room temperature between 26 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius. The person dislikes any temperature beyond this range.


title: Meaning of "I'm not your friend, buddy", besides the literal meaning

text: Does the expression "I'm not your friend, buddy" have a colloquial meaning? I've now seen it used twice. I am guessing it has more than just a literal meaning.


title: What's another word for considered ?

text: I was always considered different ? I have always been labeled as different ? I have always been categorized as different ? Is there a good word I can replace "considered" with ?


title: What do you call a person who leads a charge?

text: What do you call a person who leads a charge, or otherwise leads a body of soldiers into combat 'from the front'? My context is historical but with a request this specific I'll take what I can get.


title: What's the difference between "pervasive" and "ubiquitous"?

text: The words pervasive and ubiquitous seem to mean almost the same thing. > **pervasive** : existing in or spreading through every part of something <a > _pervasive_ odor> > > **ubiquitous** : existing or being everywhere at the same time : constantly > encountered : widespread <a _ubiquitous_ fashion> Is there a difference in connotation or usage, and if so, what is it?


title: Meaning of the verb 'snort' in a sharp dialog

text: I could not figure out the meaning of the verb 'snort' implied in Sir Elton John's reply to Lily Allen during some award ceremony, after her disrespectful comment on his age. He said: > I could still snort you under the table The context for this reply, in their public conversation was: > ...and now the most important part of the night (Lily)   >  What? Are you going to have another drink? (Elton)   >  F*** off Elton. I am 40 years younger than you and have my whole life ahead > of me! (Lily)   >  I could still snort you under the table. (Elton)   >  F*** off. I don't know what you are talking about. (Lily) (There's a link to the video with this dialog: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1051912/I-snort-table-Eltons- shocking-reply-worse-wear-Lily-verbally-assaults-onstage.html) I could just find 'snort' related to sniffing cocaine, thus being not able to grasp the meaning he wanted with his reply. Any help is appreciated. Thanks!


title: What is a trope, and how does it differ from a metaphor?

text: The synonym of trope is defined as metaphor, but there seems to be some other implications when using the word trope that metaphor does not have. Can anyone explain this simply and sensibly?


title: Question about words to use to end quick notes

text: I am not a native and I would like to be nice when ending informal quick notes but don't know how. For formal writings is easy, you can say "Sincerely", "Regards", etc, but for informal writings I don't know the exact translation to make sure is the appropriate way of saying.


title: Why are there 3 different ways to pronounce "oo"?

text: My German colleagues were laughing at the way I pronounce _google_ , and it led to a discussion.   * With words like _google_ , _yahoo_ , _poodle_ and _loose_ , the _oo_ has a sound similar to the German _ü_ sound.   * With words like _good_ and _book_ , it is more similar to how Germans pronounce a _oo_ sound.   * For words like _door_ we are not sure if that is the same or different. The Germans want to know what the pronunciation rules are so they can improve their English. I am guessing that there are no rules, and the pronunciation possibly comes from the original language that the word comes from. Are there any rules? Is there any reason why there are two different pronunciations? Can non-native speakers work out the correct pronunciation by looking at the other letters in the word or the etymology?


title: Is this an adverbial or a noun clause?

text: > Yet the days crept by, and there could be no doubt **that** Fluffy was still > alive and well behind the locked door. (Harry Potter) Do you call the that-clause as an adverbial clause, or a noun clause in apposition with the previous noun? If you call it an adverbial one, what would you say it modifies?


title: Enumeration that starts with "in the"

text: What is grammatically correct? > I participated in the math club, in the cycling club and in the computer > game design club. or > I participated in the math club, the cycling club and the computer game > design club. or more formal. If you write an enumeration that starts with _in the_ , do you have to repeat the words _in the_ each time?


title: Clauses, and comma before “nor”

text: Does this sentence have two independent clauses? > I do not like biology nor do I like chemistry. To me the last clause seems dependent, but I find sources that tell me to place a comma before _nor_ , thus making it an independent clause. What are your thoughts?


title: Adjective for "a person who really suffers when it is cold"

text: I am looking for a word to describe a person who really suffers when it's cold. Let's say, cold is not their cup of tea. And (maybe) with a nuance that they are over-sensitive. > John is so [the word I'm looking for]; It's just 5C and he's wrapped up in > two sweaters and a winter coat!


title: Phrasing of "What knowledge is required [at/in] [a] university?"

text: In British English, how should I properly write a sentence like > What knowledge is required at university? Basically, I want to ask what knowledge is required for study at a university or in a university, or in university, as appropriate to the sense of being a student at the university.


title: In navigation, what's the difference between bearing, heading, direction, and course?

text: Specifically, in real-world use, I would think that "course" and "heading" tend to imply a vector of movement, while "bearing" and "direction" might refer only to which way one is facing. I am looking for two words to correctly assign to these physical components of a vehicle. I suppose I may be looking for military, or naval terminology. For example, if you were in a submarine, being buffeted by currents, so your vessel was being pushed sideways, how would you correctly say, "we are being pushed east but we are facing north?" Would it be correct to say "we are bearing 0°, but our heading is 270°?" It doesn't _sound_ correct. **Edit** As I note in a comment below: when I clumsily wrote that I was "looking for two words to correctly assign to these physical components of a vehicle," what I meant was, single-word attributes to distinguish between the direction a vehicle was facing, and the actual direction the vehicle was moving in, voluntarily or not.


title: Do English speakers tend to use verbs in passive form?

text: Is my understanding true that English speakers tend to use passive instead of active form of verbs? Compare these: > _Let's do it_   > **Let's get it done** > > _I will cook it_   > **I will get it cooked** > > _Starting_   > **Getting Started** (mostly seen in the beginning of tutorials)


title: What is the word for someone who has been recommended?

text: Does the word recommendee exist? If so, is it spelled as such? What would be the opposite, or the person who is doing the recommending?


title: What would be an appropriate opposite of "advance" in this sentence?

text: I want to convey the ability to navigate up and down a list of features*, similarly to the "next" and "previous" scene buttons in a DVD. What would be the appropriate opposite of _advance_ in "advance to the next feature"? Is "revert to the previous feature" the appropriate phrase? * Feature in this case refers to a GIS feature (record), though this is irrelevant for the question.


title: Correct use of comma?

text: Should there be a comma after 1975? > Peter Singer wrote Animal Liberation in 1975, igniting the modern animal > movement.


title: What's the difference between "Conference" and "Meeting"?

text: See:The meeting will be held in a conference room at 10:00 am. Is there any problem if I change the position of these two words in the sentence like "The conference will be held in a meeting room at 10 am"?


title: "He feared a U.S. invasion" vs. "He feared U.S. invasion"

text: It it accurate to say this? > He feared a U.S. invasion. Or should I say, > He feared U.S. invasion. I'm trying to figure out when to place "a" in front of the U.S. when U.S. comes with a noun like invasion/attack/sanctions. What is the difference?


title: What is the difference between Past perfect cont and present perfect cont?

text: Could you explain the differences between the two tenses? When should I use present perfect continuous and when should I use past perfect continuous? "I had been doing before I was young" "I have been doing"


title: Does a statement such as this require quotation marks?

text: If a person said something like "Who threw that?" and after getting no reply, he then said "I said who threw that?" How would one punctuate the second sentence? Would it be: I said, "Who threw that"! or I said "Who threw that"! or I said who threw that!


title: Proper use of "context" in a phrase

text: Which of the following phrases is correct? > Everything is in some context. or > Everything has some context.


title: Is there such a thing as a "pre-anniversary"? Or a better word?

text: I suddenly find myself trying to describe a date that's an exact number of years before a scheduled event and I can't think of a better word to describe it than "pre-anniversary" or maybe even "preanniversary". Both seem rather ugly and open to misinterpretation, for example I can see how they might be interpreted as meaning some arbitrary period or point in time before a specific anniversary date. So how might I be more specific? Example: something is known to be going to happen on, say, 20-May-2024. I'm looking for a word to describe 20-May-2023, being exactly one year before (the "minus-oneth" anniversary). Or other 20th Mays even further back.


title: Advanced rules for shortening relative clauses with a participle?

text: Once again, a problem encountered while marking German pupils' exams. We teach them the following rules: > A present participle can be used to shorten an active relative clause: > >   * The boy who was driving the car didn't stop = The boy driving the red > car didn't stop > > > A past participle can be used to shorten a passive relative clause: > >   * Strawberries which are grown in California are delicious = Strawberries > grown in California are delicious. > While marking, I encountered several problems. For example, why does this not work: > The girl who has black hair is in the corner   >  NOT   >  The girl having black hair is in the corner or > That's the man who is happy to be here   >  NOT   >  That's the man being happy to be here Does this all have to do with:   1. the verbs _have_ and _be_? (But "The girl, being happy, phoned her friend")   2. the continuous and simple forms? (But "We help people who live in ghettos = we help people living in ghettos")   3. the tenses?  Or what? I'm totally stumped by this problem and do not know how to explain the pupils' mistakes to them. The problem seems to occur mostly with the use of the present participle. Who can help with some explanations or even better, specific rules!


title: "Y'all" or "ya'll"?

text: I've seen it spelled both ways. Are both correct?


title: SCUBA upper or lower case?

text: In a university project which I am writing I have been reprimanded at least 10 times for using the word scuba in lower case. i.e. Scuba tank, Scuba diving etc. Is this permissible and can I tell my tutor that I will stick with my preference of lower case scuba.


title: Is "I asked many questions that I had before" correct?

text: I would like to ask whether this sentence is grammatically correct or not: > I asked her many questions that I had before. I think it sounds better if I say "I asked her many questions that I have had before".


title: Grammar questions on the usage of "some" and "some of the"

text: I am correcting a short journal writes up from my student, who is from Korea and notice that I am so lacking of grammar knowledge in explaining to her why it is wrong in her sentence. Below is one of her work: "Today, some teachers who are from a University in Canada came to our school to give an introduction talk about their University." This is the opening of her journal. For me, I think it sounds not very right. Below is my correction: "Today, some of the lecturers, who are from a University in Canada visited our school to give an introduction talk about their University." What do you think of my correction? And after you have answered the above question, can you give me some tips on how to correct students' essay? Shall I change their whole sentence? Or I just change their grammar mistake?


title: Should I use "when" or "where" in this sentence?

text: I am glad to have met you on Wednesday last week **where** we discussed... OR: I am glad to have met you on Wednesday last week **when** we discussed...


title: How to use refer to previous literature/researches in research papers?

text: If I am talking about the topic _Singapore English_ and I want to briefly survey the previous researches on the same topic, does the following sentences sound natural in English?   1. In literature on Singapore English, Crew (1997) was among the first to observe non-standard tense marking. Subsequently, Alsagoff and Ho (1998) ...   2. Previous researches on Singapore English, Crew (1997) was among the first to observe non-standard tense marking. Subsequently, Alsagoff and Ho (1998) ...   3. Previously, Crew (1997) was among the first to observe non-standard tense marking. Subsequently, Alsagoff and Ho (1998) ...   4. Crew (1997) was among the first to observe non-standard tense marking in Singapore English. Subsequently, Alsagoff and Ho (1998) ... **How else could i start a paragraph that intends to briefly survey/overview previous literature on a certain topic?**


title: How to write a sentence that explains why the previous sentence is true?

text: I often have to present a complex result and explain why it is true. Doing so in a single sentence usually makes it too long and difficult to understand. But how do you succinctly do this in two sentences. For example consider the sentence > When stocks increase in price, people want to buy them, increasing the price > further, until the stock reaches a critical threshold, after which people > sell and the price falls. The reason why this is true is that ... I'm looking for some less clunky starting phrases, to start the second sentence, that warn the reader that an explanation is about to follow and not a new idea. Or I am also looking for other ways to deal with this issue.


title: Word for ascribing animal-like mentality to humans (opposite of anthropomorphize)

text: I'm wondering if there is a word that, essentially, means the opposite of anthropomorphize- roughly, assigning animal-like attributes or mentality to a human. _Beastialize_ doesn't seem to fit the bill as it: a) doesn't seem to be a'real word' and b) is heavily associated with bestialism. I came across a good example of this in Bill Sapphire's 1993 ON LANGUAGE: Sic 'Em in which they were discussing the connotations of the phrase after Bob Dole used it in reference to other politicians: > When American Speech magazine queried readers about sic 'em in 1961, one > observed that his mother heard it from Arkansas friends who owned hound > dogs. Another reader, the great San Francisco dialexicographer Peter Tamony, > replied: "The remark describes an unresponsive, indolent, shiftless person. > He is like a dog that shows no courageous and instant reaction to the > command 'sic 'em.' " Mr. Tamony gave an etymological insight by adding that > sic 'em is "merely a pronunciation modification of seek 'em or seek 'im."


title: Where does the word "valuable" fit best?

text: Which sentence sounds better or correct ? >   1. I have acquired many characteristics that will play a valuable role in > my profession. >   2. I have acquired many characteristics that will be valuable in my > profession. >


title: Does "the cornet of horse" mean a knight/rider?

text: The original sentence: > The first that stood up, to open the ball, were a cornet of horse, and that > sweetest of olive-beauties, the soft and amorous Louisa. http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Fanny_Hill:_Memoirs_of_a_Woman_of_Pleasure/Letter_the_Second/Part_7


title: Meaning of "high as cheese"

text: A Margaret Atwood story taking place in a summer camp features the following passage: > The smell of grime and sweaty feet and wood smoke is getting too potent at > close quarters; the sleeping bags are high as cheese. What does she mean by the simile "high as cheese"? I just don't get it.


title: Copyright legal note

text: Since my native language is not english i have to worry about the correct spelling of a copyright legal note. > Any copyright infringement will have the consequence of legal actions > against you. Is this correct? It sounds a bit weird to me. I guess you understand what i want to say.


title: Meaning of the political phrase "he has bottom"

text: What is origin & meaning of the phrase "he has bottom" or "he lacks bottom"? This is a phrase used in UK politics a great deal.


title: Usage of the word halt

text: I was looking for the meaning of Draw up and this was the definition:" to cause to a halt". The thing is it confused me more because I have no idea what halt means and in what sentences could I use It. Thank you I'll be looking forward for your answers!


title: Modern use of "bourgeoisie"

text: How can I use _bourgeoisie_ properly in this day and age? I understand that at one time it meant part of the wealthy "middle class". Back then the middle class owned the means to production (merchants for example). However the social and economic order was totally different. In Italy, the middle class was somewhere between _vassels_ and _peasants_. In France, before the revolutions, the bourgeoisie was part of the rural _Third Estate_ , the lowest estate, which was made of _commoners_. Yet today, I hear it being used to refer to more of an "upper class" sort of folk. So I'm very confused as to how I should interpret the word. I'm not sure if it should even be used today, as it's original context has changed so much.


title: Reported Speech with was and were

text: I set a test with the following direct sentence, which the students were supposed to put into reported speech: Interviewer: "Are you fluent in English?" I expected the students to write: The interviewer asked me if I was fluent in English. However, some students wrote: The interviewer asked me if I were fluent in English. I know that "was" and "were" are sometimes both possible, like: If I was/were rich... But to my knowledge this is used in unreal situations. Is it correct to say: The interviewer asked me if I were fluent in English?


title: Number usage in a series

text: Is it right to say that the percentage decreases by 10% each time, like in this example: > Around 30% of politicians throughout the world are women. A significant 30% > is represented in Scandinavian nations in which it decreases by 10% each > time in both Asia and Latin America, respectively. How do we say each time in a report?


title: Medical Equivalent of Disbarred

text: If a doctor loses his license to practice is there an equivalent word to disbarred? For example: > That lawyer was disbarred   >  The doctor was (medically disbarred).


title: Interjection for a longing sigh

text: Is there an injection or at least an onomatopoeia for a longing sigh that works in writing? An example would be two colleagues are talking about the new member of the team on which one has a huge crush: > [the word], he/she is soooo cute. I really should make a move. All the positive interjections I know (oh, wow, phew, gee, awww) don't seem to work... at least for me (not a native speaker of English) To my perception, they are either too surprised, too amazed, to exhausted or too relieved. They are all not longing enough.   * Is there anything or is the only way * _sigh_ *?   * Could I use _sigh_ in spoken English or does it only work in writing?


title: Was "Rascalism" ever used to mean drapetomania?

text: > "Drapetomania was a supposed mental illness described by American physician > Samuel A. Cartwright in 1851 that caused black slaves to flee captivity." **Was the word rascalism ever used at the time of slavery to refer to slaves who escaped slavery, to refer to this supposed mental illness? Or is this a modern invention, a fiction?** I've heard an etymology for "rascal" that involves the word "rascalism", where rascalism is another word for drapetomania. I know that the etymology for rascal is incorrect. There are many online sources for that.


title: Usage of “to find (noun) (adj)”

text: I am a native speaker of German, and I often see the English verb _find_ being used like its German cognate _finden_. For example: > My students and I find your platform very useful and very appealing > visually, as well. -- Source This just _feels_ wrong to me. Shouldn’t it be something like: > My students and I find your platform **to be** very useful and very > appealing visually, as well. Can you use _find_ like that?


"douche" means shower, and "gauche" means awkward, and lacking social experience or grace. Does "-che" in "douche" and "gauche" have meaning?


title: Does the sentence "What the fox say?" mean anything?

text: In the lyrics for the song "What does the fox say" the following sentence appears. > "What the fox say"[sic] It uses the word "say" and not "says", and there is no "does". Does the sentence make sense and is there any meaning to it?


title: What do you call any person who is in a relationship?

text: In speaking directly to a person of any gender, what might the identifier be for them in terms of their relationship? For example, "wife" would describe a person who is the female in a married relationship (generally); but is there a good word to use to describe the same, but for any relationship and either partner, other than "person in a relationship"?


title: "Low self-esteem" in one word

text: I need an acronym for "low self-esteem", one word is a must, and preferrably archaic.


title: How can I translate the words for the two types of bathrooms found in Russia into English?

text: I work in real estate, and sometimes I have to translate respective inscriptions from my native Russian into English. I get stuck in some cases where not only linguistic, but cultural differences have an impact. I’d appreciate it if you would help me to sort out one of these issues. When describing a property, we usually mention about bathrooms. But our conception of bathrooms often differs from yours. :-) For example, we have no need for specifying “2 bathrooms” or “5 bathrooms”, because most of our properties have only one bathroom. But there is another characteristic that Russian property buyers consider important: whether the toilet is separated from bathroom or combined with it. I fail to formulate it correctly in English. Here are the standard terms that we use:   1. _Совмещённый санузел_ ( _sovmeshchonny sanuzel_ ), literally “combined sanitation unit”, means: “The property has one room containing all hygienic facilities, including bathtub, toilet, basin and so on.”   2. _Раздельный санузел_ ( _razdelny sanuzel_ ), literally “separated sanitation unit”, means: “The property has two separate rooms, one with a toilet bowl, and another with a bathtub.” Please help me to understand how to convey these terms in British English reasonably. I apologize if my inquiry seems foolish or is phrased awkwardly.


title: Proper way to cite Wikipedia according to the Chicago Manual of Style?

text: In _The Chicago Manual of Style_ , 16th ed., it actually lists two ways to cite Wikipedia content. The first, in section 14.245, is of the form:   * "Style Guide," _Wikipedia_ , last modified July 18, 2008, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Style_guide. The second, in section 14.248, is of the form:   * _Wikipedia_ , s.v. "Stevie Nicks," last modified July 19, 2008, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevie_Nicks. It's not clear which form to use when. That aside, what if I want to refer to a particular section for an entry. For example, assuming I use the second form above, I could do:   * Wikipedia, _Origin of the Term_ , s.v. "Trolley Pole," last modified Mar 22, 2014, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trolley_pole. In order to put the name of the section in italics, I thought it best to un- italicize "Wikipedia." Thoughts?


title: Looking for the name of a type of painting

text: What's the name of a type of painting that typically contains a crowd of people posed along a plane? Usually they're all focused on one point or an event that is happening in the painting. I've seen lots of of examples but I can't find any good ones at the moment. The best I could find is this one.


title: Reversing name order

text: My current task is to create a (programming) algorithm which reverts a name's order. This since my country's formal name-listing order is different from international ones. The standard is often: > John Doe However, the standard I must comply to has the following priority: > Doe, John Our businesses often receives names in the international style, which needs to be converted to our national style. However, I've yet to come up with a way to deal with double names and similar cases. As an example, how to convert the following name? > John Foo Doe => Doe, John Foo / Doe, Foo John I'm appreciating all input on this broad question. Please list possible problems (and preferably its solution), or perhaps a project which has faced this problem before.


title: Synonyms for the phrase "stop at nothing"

text: I am writing a report about someone and would like to convey the sense that he was desperate for success and overly ambitious. I've used phrases like "stop at nothing" to capture the ambition and the willingness to do set aside morals and/or break the law. I would like to use different expressions as I think "stop at nothing" is a bit cliche.


title: Not well thought out

text: I need a phrase or word that with the same meaning as the phrase "not well thought out."


title: "Left as an exercise for the reader" vs. "to the reader"

text: I think the most common is "X is left as an exercise _for_ the reader", but it looks like both are in use. Is the "to" variant correct? If not, why?


title: Erf as term for plot of land in a town or city. Is this word only used in southern Africa?

text: The Free Dictionary website states and so does Wikipedia: > erf [ɜːf]   >  n pl erven [ˈɜːvən]   >  (Engineering / Civil Engineering) South African a plot of land, usually > urban, marked off for building purposes   >  [Afrikaans] The term _erf_ is used in legal documentation and technical English throughout South Africa and Namibia, maybe even further afield in the region. Is it used anywhere else, except maybe the Dutch/Flemish regions in Europe, where I assume the term originated? An example: > The client purchased Erf 132, Windhoek for a large sum of money. He intends > to build a house on this erf. The capitalisation of "Erf 132" is commonplace, since it is a definition of a location. This is similar to capitalisation of towns or cities. I find it slightly awkward, but that is how it is done.


title: What is a good synonym for "interesting"?

text: What's a good synonym for the word "interesting" or "interested"? I find that I use those words a bit too often (e.g. "I'm definitely interested!", "Yeah, that sounds really interesting, I would love learning more about it!", "That's interesting!", etc.)... but I can't seem to find any good synonyms. (Online sites don't really give me good synonyms.) Any ideas?


title: Is automobiles only a "car"

text: If we go by the word it should be anything which can move(mobile) on its own. The etymology section under wikipedia suggest so. But dictionary, wikipedia etc. says that its meaning is `car`. My question is can planes, trains be called automobiles. If no, how does this transaction happen(since etymology suggest that it can be anything that moves on its own)?


title: "For president" vs "for presidency"

text: Why is this statement correct `Someone for president 2012` and not `Someone for presidency 2012`? **EDIT:** So far my understanding is that neither of these statements are grammatically wrong. However, at this moment Google finds almost 2 million results for "Obama for president 2008" whereas the number for "Obama for presidency 2008" is only 40.


When writing a document that is divided into numbered sections and subsections, sometimes I would like to refer a certain subsection that has been numbered 2.3, for example. Here the 2 represents the section number and 3 is the subsection number within section 2. > Should I refer to "Section 2.3" or "Subsection 2.3"? To me, the latter seems tautological (or at least not completely necessary) since the "sub-" component of "subsection" is implied by the number 2.3 itself. [PS: I picked a fairly vague tag since I cannot create a more suitable tag]


title: Is "have a face like a fiddle" the same as "have a face as long as a fiddle"?

text: I found these idioms and I believe that they transmit the same feeling of sadness. I found "have a face as long as a wet weekend" as well.


title: Third person imperative recommendations/suggestions/requests

text: My question is on the grammatical correctness of the following sentence with regard to the form of the verb 'join': > The plan is that the group join the party. Other sentences that I think represent the same issue (regarding the verbs sing, consider, maintain) are: > I ask that the choir sing at the banquet. > > The advice is that the committee consider the alternative. > > The advisor recommends that the firm maintain its involvement. In each of these above sentences I attempt to make a command (do this: join, sing, consider, maintain) but to a third person subject (as though not speaking directly to the group/choir/committee/firm). Microsoft Word's grammar features suggest correction to me from 'join' to 'joins'. Is it grammatically incorrect as I have written it? Basically I am trying to write a proposal in which I implore a recommendation. I essentially want to say, imperatively, "do this", but more gently/politely or in a more passive tone. I picked to say "that the group join" because to me it's as though I am saying "that the group will join" or "that the group would join", but I don't want to write that out to avoid being too pushy (saying that it 'will' do as I say) nor too nonpersuasive (telling them that they 'would' do as I say, if they feel like it.. or not.. whatever..). Nor do I want to say "the plan is that the group joins" because my purpose is to recommend (propose) for the group to carry out the action, in the future. What's a correct word choice or conjugation here? What's the best tense for the sentence?


title: What does the "leave" mean in "parental leave" and "unpaid leave"?

text: Reading an article on _The Washington Post_ I found this: > "The study pointed out that the United States is the only OECD country that > does not have a national paid **_parental leave_** policy. Some states have > started to adopt such policies, but most parents are offered **_12 weeks of > unpaid leave._** " The article was about children raised by one parent. I'd like to understand two things here:   1. What does **_parental leave_** policy mean?   2. What does **_12 weeks of unpaid leave_** mean? The great problem is the word **_leave_** put together with parental.


title: Where did the phrase "in a pickle" come from?

text: To be 'in a pickle' means to be in trouble or a difficult situation. What I'm wondering is, where did the root of this phrase come from and what's its history? Is there a special story that caused this phrase to catch on? Was it someone almost being pickled? _Funny thing is, that I was actually eating a pickle when I thought of this._


title: Is there a term for the opposite of the greengrocer’s apostrophe?

text: Is there a term for the tendency to omit the apostrophe in high-profile items where it would otherwise be expected? – such as “Student Manual” instead of “Student’s Manual” (and “Facilitator Guide” instead of “Facilitator’s Guide”)? This seems to be done in news items also, perhaps partly out of a tendency towards yellow journalism. For example, a recent news story in Yahoo! News had the lead, “Robert Kennedy son …”, instead of “Robert Kennedy’s son…”. The casual reader is pulled in by the expectation that the article is about Robert Kennedy himself.


title: Pronouncing "vis-à-vis"?

text: When saying "vis-à-vis" in English, would you pronounce it **veez-uh-veez** before a word beginning with a vowel sound, as you would in French?


title: liking/disliking people or choosing friends. Freedom of ....?

text: I want to tell my old brother that he should give the freedom for his son to ~~be friends with,~~ like or dislike, whoever he wants to. What freedom is that? Is there one word/expression that I could use. I asked one of my friends and he said you could say: **Freedom of amity and enmity** I Like it a lot, is there a better expression? It doesn't have to be commonly used, as long as it is correct and has a nice ring. Edit: I'm looking for an expression that is appropriate for freedom of liking whoever he wants. - not only being friends with whoever he wants.


title: Future Perfect with the preposition 'since'

text: I have a question regarding the future perfect tense and which prepositions go with it. Understandably, _by_ , _for_ , and _in_ work very well with the future perfect. > By friday, I will have been working here for one year. > > In two years, I will have worked here for two years. However, my question is whether or not _since_ is usable with the future perfect. > "Do you want to go out tonight?" > > "Nah, I'll have been working since 9 AM. I'm going to be dead tired." My guess is that this is usable as an approximation. _I'll have been working here since May_ for example. Swan and Cambridge offer no solution for this. My question is: is this possible?


title: What do you call someone whose rights have been taken away from them?

text: For example, if someone took my right/freedom of speech, by forcing punishments or such. What do I become? Is there one word to describe this situation (where rights are taken away)?


title: What exactly is a shindig?

text: What exactly is a shindig? I tried to translate it in Google Translate into spanish but it gave me two translations   * Fiesta (party)   * Pelea (fight) So which one is it? **Update** The context I heard it on was a chapter of The Firm, where a lawyer tells another one she hopes their "little shindig" didn't scare him off, or something like that. She was referring to a little event they held for their clients, where he was introduced to some other lawyers, who weren't particularly friendly with him.


title: What word or phrase means "a loss of what was on your mind"?

text: Sometimes, in the middle of a conversation, a "loss of mind" can affect the speaker. What is the word for that situation and that person ? Are there more specific terms or phrases than:   * _the loss of mind_ (or)    * _empty mindedness_?


title: Usage of "ever" in a negative statement

text: I know that "ever" can be used to express the strengthened negation but would it work like that? > I created a session but nobody ever joined. Is it possible? It does not sound right to me. If not, what does this mean?


title: Word for something that is modified

text: I am using the word _modifier_ to descrive something that modifies something else. What word should I use to describe what is being modified? For example, in the sentence, > Fat John ate slowly _Fat_ and _slowly_ are my modifiers (an adjective and an adverb, respectively), but what word should I use to describe _John_ and _ate_? _Modifiee_ is not a word.


title: Does the expression ‘Someone, who took his while presumed innocent, will get bail any time soon’ sound natural?

text: I found the line, ‘Mr. Strauss-Kahn, who took his while presumed innocent will get bail,’ in the following paragraph of New York Times article (May 17), titled ‘Hotel Keycard of I.M.F. Chief May Tell a Tale.’ Does the ending line mean that the odds are low for Strauss-Kahn, who took time in claiming his innocent to get bail? I’m not clear with the structure of this section. Is ‘take one’s while＋objective noun composition’ natural English expression? I mean don’t you need a preposition between while and presumed innocent? “The director Roman Polanski strolled the red carpet, smiling for the cameras, apparently unworried that the French authorities would notice that he was a fugitive from justice in Los Angeles, where he had drugged, raped a 13-year- old girl. The parallel was striking, a prosecutor said Monday. Mr. Polanski, who took his version of the perp walk as a guilty man, lowered the odds that Mr. Strauss-Kahn, _who took his while presumed innocent_ , will get bail in New York any time soon.


title: Need a word for "Should not have happened' with a negative context

text: I'm looking for a word to mean "should not have happened." I'm trying to relate this situation; two paths - one positive, one negative - with the same end result, and the negative path was taken. Help please! Thank You! Update: OK, so the 2 paths being: my daughter had a cut by her eye, the doctor chose stitches instead of suture glue, and the ensuing pain, torn stitches, and inability to remove them all could have been avoided if she'd just used the glue in the first place. The sentence I am trying to finish is: "Based on the open scarring left behind from the use of sutures, the whole experience seems **___ _**."


title: What  does "no-op" mean?

text: In the Remarks section of a Microsoft dbset.add page I read > Remarks: Note that entities that are already in the context in some other > state will have their state set to Added. Add is a **_no-op_** if the entity > is already in the context in the Added state. What is _no-op_ used for, and what does it express? Is it "not operational"?   I checked in several dictionaries but was unable to find it.


title: When and from where did "guns" become slang for biceps?

text: I first heard the use of guns to mean biceps in high school. I thought it was just a local slang. It turns out to be universally known. I later saw it in magazines and fitness books. I also heard of the term "gun show" to mean a bunch of people (yes, both men and women) showing off the size of their biceps. I'm just curious because I don't think any other muscle or muscle group has a far-fetched term. Trapezius muscles are traps for short. Triceps are tris for short. Quadriceps are quads for short. Why are biceps guns? It doesn't make sense and seems so remote from the literal gun.


title: Do people still speak old English in South Africa?

text: I watched the South African film "The White Wedding", in that film, there is a white couple speaking a very weird language, it sounds like German but not German & a person in the movie said they are speaking an old form of English language. The British came to South Africa since 17-18th centuries, & settled there. These people somehow still keep their old English language. Just like people living in some area in UK that speak their English dialect that is so different that we can't understand. Does anyone know that?


title: Meaning of "level"

text: > A scale is a range of levels or numbers used for measuring something. How do you define _level_ here?


title: Actor's "remuneration" for a "job/gig/engagement"

text: What's the correct term to refer to the money an actor earns as a result of performing on a movie/film? The contractual "engagement/fee/honorarium" for the service of acting. Slang and official terms, please, if possible. Thanks!


title: I want to know the difference between "you are false" and "you are wrong"

text: What is the difference between _false_ and _wrong_? Is there any difference in meaning?


title: What is the meaning of "Already wet, aren’t they? Little squirts!"?

text: > “Peeves, get down here NOW!” barked Professor McGonagall, straightening her > pointed hat and glaring upward through her square-rimmed spectacles. > > “Not doing nothing!” cackled Peeves, lobbing a water bomb at several fifth- > year girls, who screamed and dived into the Great Hall. “ **Already wet, > aren’t they? Little squirts!** Wheeeeeeeeee!” And he aimed another bomb at a > group of second years who had just arrived. > > (p172, Harry Potter 4, US edition) **NB** — **Peeves** is a mischievous ghost floating in the air. I’ve lost track of the logical flow of ‘Already wet, aren’t they? Little squirts!’ There are some questions swirling in my mind: Who are _they_? Who is he talking to? What are _little squirts_ (water bombs or children)? I’d like to know the meaning and enjoy the lively atmosphere of the scene. It’d be nice if you could help me!


title: "Will be/would have been home tomorrow"

text: Which is correct? > He promised that he **will be** home tomorrow. > > He promised that he **would have been** home tomorrow.


title: Is "prominence" a verb?

text: The word "prominence" seems like it is being used as a verb in the definition below – am I wrong? > _work done by several associates with each doing a part but all > subordinating personal prominence to the efficiency of the whole_ This sentence comes from the definition of the word _teamwork_ by Merriam- Webster's online dictionary.


title: Does "way too long" mean "a lot too long" or "slightly too long"?

text: Does _way too long_ mean _a lot too long_ , or _slightly too long?_ Does _way too_ stand for a huge or small measure?


title: Similes and Metaphors - are similes a subset of metaphors?

text: I've always been taught that metaphors and similes both draw a parallel between two disparate ideas/thoughts/objects, but that a simile is a more explicit comparison using the word "like" or "is", whereas a metaphor's connection is more implicit. For example, "His injured ankle burned like a hot stove" is a simile, where as, "His injured ankle was a hot stove of pain" is a metaphor. However, I recently heard a colleague note that similes _are_ nothing more than a special kind of metaphor. In other words, all similes are metaphors. This seems to contradict what I was always taught (and what I've read online, for what that's worth). Can anyone straighten me (or my colleague) out?


title: Does "give" as in "capacity to bend" derive from "to give" or another word?

text: I looked up the etymology of "give" on etymonline and it didn't say anything about the noun form. When I say the noun form, I'm speaking about "give" used in this context: > The building foundation has some give to mitigate the effects of > earthquakes.


title: When to use "around" and "about"?

text: As I know _about_ and _around_ can be used when we estimate something, for example, > I'll arrived around 3:00 PM. or > I'm here about 10 minutes. I want to know, are there any rules or idioms when to use _about_ or _around_?


title: Origin of "facial" as a noun

text: > I got a facial at the beauty salon. Any dictionary I've checked confirms that _facial_ can be a noun. For example, my _Shorter Oxford_ calls it "A beauty treatment for the face" and dates it to the early 20th century. What is the origin of _facial_ as a noun? Did it come from a phrase in which it appeared as an adjective? Did something like "She got a facial _treatment_ at the beauty salon" simply evolve to drop the noun? If so, what _was_ the original phrase? And when did the adjective become the noun? Who dropped the (other) noun - was it the professionals who provided the "facial treatments" (or "facial whatevers")?


title: Why don't we use the indefinite article with 'software'?

text: Generally, one doesn't use the indefinite article with a noun because it's plural, but sometimes you get nouns where, for some reason, the indefinite article isn't used even though the noun is singular. I would never say 'a software', though it seems to be a singular noun, and I've heard it said (though it sounds wrong). Instead, we say 'some software' or 'a piece of software' (the latter implying that software is singular), so why does 'a software' sound wrong? EDIT: I really meant to ask why we don't consider software singular. Maybe I should have asked, 'why is software a mass noun?'


title: Uncountable nouns

text: When is it possible to use an indefinite article before uncountable nouns? Only when they are defined in some way?   * music, art, love, happiness   * advice, information, news (It was a good advice/information/news)   * furniture, luggage (an old furniture, a heavy luggage)   * rice, sugar, butter, water (a/one rice on my plate)   * electricity, gas, power (a dangerous gas)   * money, currency


title: uncountable nouns and articles

text: **This is a software.** Is this sentence incorrect? As per the explanation given, this has to be "This is software.", but I have seen the usage of "This is a software." even in newspapers. Could you please clarify this doubt for me.


title: Is "a software" really never correct?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Why don't we use the indefinite article with 'software'? In France I have always been told that saying "a software" is not correct English (as a nominal compound), and that "a piece of software" or "a software program/package/product/system" must be used instead. Recently I have doubts... is there any case where it is actually correct? Examples found on the Internet:   * SalsaJ, a software for data analysis at school   * So if you sold a software which required your customer to pay a monthly fee, [...]


title: A word that means harmful to touch?

text: I'm looking for a word to describe something that's harmful to touch. A word like corrosive or caustic, but without the implied danger itself (acidic, burning, etc.). Something like: The surface of the floor is highly [word]. Ideas?


title: The "process" of long-term excessive use of alcohol

text: This is the kind of a Winter Holidays related question: How is the "process" of long-term excessive use of alcohol during the holidays called in the US and GB? The Multitran dictionary gives me these phrases:   * barrel fever   * skull cramps   * hang-over   * bottleache But I don't really sure if these words are of a wide use in the US. P.S. I'd also like to know how is the "recovering" from the "process" mentioned previously called.


title: British English: "fantasise" or "fantasize"?

text: I would like to know which spelling is more common in the UK: _fantasise_ or _fantasize_?


title: I heard someone use the term "dogs body" what does it mean?

text: I heard someone use the British slang "dogs body". What does it mean?


title: How to use word "emanate"

text: Are these two sentences correct? But it did not take long before the problem started to emanate? But it did not take long before the problem started to emanate itself?


title: Are the expressions “career day" and "career-high five runs" particular to sports?

text: I found the word ‘ _a career day’_ and ‘ _a career-high five runs’_ in the New York Times article (July 16) reporting Scott Hairston’s dramatic play against Philadelphia Phillies under the headline, “Hairston Fills in With _a Career Day_ , and the Mets Thwart Hamels Again.” The article is followed by the following sentence: > “Playing in right field and batting third for the first time as a Met, > Hairston did his best impression of the All-Star Beltran, knocking in _a > career-high five runs_ , including a three-run homer, as the Mets pounded > the Phillies, 11-2.” I interpret ‘Career day’ means the best day in one’s life and ‘Career-high five runs’ means best home runs in the player’s life. Can we use ‘Career day,’ and ‘Career event’ like high-five performance’ for any other occasions than baseball or other sports. If I am awarded a summa cum laude at the commencement, can I say ‘It’s a career day for me’? Can I say 'I got a career- high 15 up-votes today'? I’m asking this because dictionaries at hand including Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary I always consult give definitions of the word, ‘career’ no more than (1) the series of jobs that a person has in a particular area or work. (2) the period of time that you spend in your life working or doing particular things as noun, and (3) to move forward very quickly, especially in an uncontrolled way as verb.


title: Another way to say: "Evidences that show that..."

text: I need to write something similar to this: > Evidences that show that this method is both safe and provides clinical > benefits support its recommendation. I would like to say it without using "show". I had "Evidence **of that** this method...." written, but I think that it's incorrect. Which would be the correct way to say that?


title: Although correct, is "the above" to be avoided?

text: Although the phrase _the above_ is not exactly incorrect, should it be avoided? For example, imagine a letter with a heading "Re: Order for 79 purple cardboard slugs". Should a paragraph in the letter say "your order should be ready in three fortnights" or " _the above_ order should be ready in three fortnights"? Personally, I would tend to avoid _the above_ , but is there any rule on this?


title: What is the most succinct way of listing requests in a grammatically correct syntax/format?

text: When I am having a conversation with a a friend, I might say something like this > That's a great idea, but I wonder if 'A' you have the time, 'B' you can get > enough buyers and 'C' the buyers will remain loyal. What would be the correct, most succinct, gramatically/syntactically correct way of communicating a sentence like that in writing? The goal is to list questions for consideration in a sequential order, and with headers like 'A', 'B', and 'C' or 1 2 and 3 (thus **this question is not a duplicate** of this one) I know you could accomplish this by individual questions (i.e. "Do you have the time? If you have the time will you have enough buyers? Will those buyers remain loyal?") but I've found people are more apt to respond to all your requests/questions if you list them or annotate them with letters or numbers. Is there some "legal" way to do this without putting each requests/question on an individual line?


title: “Suggestion card” vs. “comment card”: Which is more common?

text: I am about to launch a new restaurant in my country. I also want to have a small paper of survey to collect data from the customers as well to help me understand my users better. The question types in this little survey can vary such as multiple choice, rating, or even comment box. And it contains no more than ten questions to keep it short. I am not sure how to name it. Should it be _suggestion card_ or _comment card_? Or just call it a _survey_ (but I think _survey_ should be something with more detail)


title: Meaning of the word "FOR" used at the beginning of a sentence

text: I have encountered the word " **for** " many times. But, even if I use the dictionary, I can not understand the meaning of this word used at the beginning of a sentence. Here is an example: _It would be an excellent match. For he was rich and she was handsome._ Does it always mean because? Thank you.


title: Infinitive use in “whether or not he be” compared with its use in “if he be”

text: Here is the phrase in question: > . . . but whether **he be** , or whether **he be not**. . . . Is the usage of the infinitive in that phrase above the same sort of thing as occurs in this quotation: > “Whosoever holds this hammer, if **he be** worthy, shall possess the power > of Thor.” Are those two uses of the infinitive _be_ the same syntactically, or are they different constructions altogether? I find it rather weird that this formal or archaic usage coincides with the colloquial use of _be_ as in > “Dudes be like. . . .” Is this last quote perceived as a new colloquialism, but in fact has roots stretching back to Middle English (like for example the word _ain’t_ )? I’d really appreciate it if you could both parts of my question.


title: What are the differences and similarities between what "asocial" and "antisocial" mean?

text: Is an "asocial" guy hostile and destructive or is he just unwilling to interact and avoiding company of others? Is antisocial the same thing? The dictionary says it means opposing established thoughts and laws and rules. So can it be used describe actions that are detrimental or harmful or should I use "asocial?" Why are they different at places and why are they alike at some?


title: What word means "inspire towards action"?

text: I've seen _inspire_ mean two things,   1. To be inspired to go out and make a difference   2. To be inspired, and feel good about something. Is there a better word to refer to the first definition? I want to say I was _inspired to act_.


title: How to distinguish the pronunciation of "year" and "ear"?

text: Can people easily distinguish the difference between the sounds of |O| and |WO|, as well as |U| and |WU|? By no means have I been able to figure them out, for all of my life. To my surprise, many native speakers I have talked to seem unable to distinguish between them, either. Can anyone help make my life complete?


title: Is there a name/term for "multiplied vowels"?

text: For example if somebody is saying: " _Ooooooh myyyyyyy Gooooood_ " or if they realize something and go " _Ooooooh!_ " or Darth Vader's " _NOOOOOOO!_ ", usually all of these extra vowels aren't included in the words(you won't find it in a dictionary), but does this phenomenon of multiplying have a name or a term? I've got a hard time formulating the description to be short enough for google to help, so even if you don't know if there is a word for it, help with description/formulation would be appreciated too.


title: Ambiguity from the placement of a prepositional phrase

text: Consider: > The executive director presented to the board her final recommendations on > fundraising and the dissemination of those funds. This does not read well and moving _to the board_ would be a natural thing to do, > The executive director presented her final recommendations on fundraising > **to the board**. if it wasn't for the last part: > The executive director presented her final recommendations on fundraising > **and the dissemination of those funds** to the board. This, I presume, would introduce an ambiguity (are the funds disseminated to the board?) Is there a solution? Context (near "Final Gardner recommendations published").


title: ”We're looking forward to helping you find X” vs “We look forward to help you find X” etc

text: I’m trying to link the following items into a single sentence:   * we   * look forward to   * help you   * find X So _for example_ , here are some ways I was thinking of doing that:   * We look forward to help you find X.    * We’re looking forward to help you find X.   * We’re looking forward to helping you find X. Well, you get the gist. I'm just unsure how to approach this issue.


title: Does removing the comma before 'which' in a non-restrictive clause change the meaning of the sentence?

text: There are many 'rules' on the net saying that a comma should be placed before the relative pronoun 'which' in a non-restrictive clause. (http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/words/relative-clauses) But would the sentence have the same meaning without the comma before the relative pronoun? Does omitting a comma before a relative pronoun change a nonrestrictive clause into a restrictive clause? For example: 'We ate the pizza, which was nice.' 'We ate the pizza which was nice.' If so does the same apply to relative pronouns other than 'which'?


title: Word for something that spreads

text: What is a word (possibly an adjective) for something that spreads (perhaps rapidly)? This would refer to a virus but without the obvious bad connotation.


title: Is "skin and bone fighting it out and the bone winning" an idiom?

text: I found this sentence in Peter Orner's _The Raft_ : > They turned their backs to the light, so all we could see was their > backsides, skin and bone fighting it out and the bone winning. I think the meaning is “they are very thin”. But I am not sure if the expression, _skin and bone fighting it out and the bone winning_ , is an idiom?


title: Which sentence is correct and why? (1)

text: > **a** \- There will be an employment fair held tomorrow. > > **b** \- An employment fair will be held tomorrow. *IF (a) is correct, kindly explain the structure of the sentence. Thank you.


title: Dictionary which shows plural form?

text: I am looking for a dictionary (program / app) that tells me about the plural form of a word. I have tried Dictionary.com, Meriam-Webster and OED but they are not. I know if I look for media, it will tell me it's plural of "medium", but is there a dictionary which does it the other way round? Thanks


title: Name of lines drawn to indicate movement?

text: This is a bit of a cryptic one; I was wondering whether English has a word (or at least a phrase) to describe the lines typically drawn on a cartoon to indicate movement? A good example is the Windows XP 'Run' icon (in the top- left): ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/5HkyC.png)


title: Does responsibility come with consequences?

text: When somebody says to me that he “ _takes full responsibility for_ ” his actions (or inactions), but then requests that I remove the consequences of those actions, it seems to me he does not actually take full responsibility. Rather, he is merely admitting that he is at fault. I looked in a few dictionaries and found _liable_ as a synonym for _responsible_ , which sounds like it implies acceptance of the consequences, but I'm interested in other informed opinions. Is the more common usage of _responsible_ closer to _liable_ or _at fault_?


title: What is a word that describes a person who has difficulty speaking with girls?

text: What is a word or phrase that describes "a person who is having difficulty speaking with girls?"


title: "will" vs "would" in this sentence

text: I am talking about events taking place in the known future: > Would it be okay if I'll confirm around 3 pm? or should it be > Would it be okay if I'd confirm around 3 pm? What is the difference and which one is correct? Why?


title: Does the adjective "swell" have anything to do with the noun/verb "swell"?

text: Dictionary.com: > **swell**   >  **1.** to grow in bulk, as by the absorption of moisture or the processes > of growth. The other verb meanings and the noun meanings all tend toward the same underlying concept of this first definition. But as an adjective, the meaning of the word becomes completely different: > **26.** (of things) stylish; elegant: _a swell hotel._   >  **27.** (of persons) fashionably dressed or socially prominent.   >  **28.** first-rate; fine: _a swell party._ Also, one of the noun meanings is _dandy_ , which doesn't to my mind tie in very well to "growing in bulk". Whence came this disconnect?


title: Verb similar to "synchronize" but not for time

text: I am looking for a word that describes adjusting status to conform another. Let us say the status of the account is active but in our system shows inactive. _Synchronize_ describes the situation with respect to time. Can I say "I conformed the status" if I want to say that I adjusted the system status to be active like the account status?


title: "Whomsoever" as a subject

text: In the big-budget game _Warcraft III_ , the following is written on a pedestal: > Whomsoever takes up this blade shall wield power eternal. Is it correct to use _whomsoever_ as a subject, as in this sentence?


Where did the expression 'playing the world's smallest violin' come from?


title: Do nonsense and bull**** have corresponding plural forms?

text: For example, I've heard _nonsenses_ , but I've never heard _bullshits_. Why one is plural and the other is singular? They mean the same thing.


title: Is this xkcd sentence grammatically correct?

text: So I saw this xkcd, and when I tried reading it, I always felt like the ending was a bit... unbalanced. It says: > You're in a box on wheels hurtling along several times faster than evolution > could possibly have prepared you to go. (Next 5 miles.) I can't figure out what's wrong with it, though... it's as if some word (e.g. "at"?) was supposed to follow the word "go". So I was wondering, is the sentence grammatically correct, or is it indeed missing something?   If so, what?


title: Is ‘smaller-bore’ proposal (or plan) an ordinary expression?

text: I found the expression (Obama needs to present the Congress) _smaller-bore_ job proposal in the August 22 article of _Washington Times_ written by Chris Cillizza under the title _Economy has Obama facing major political test — and Democratic strategists divided._ The text reads: > Some suggested that Obama needs to think big when it comes to his jobs > proposal. -- “Go long and big,” said Steve Rosenthal, a senior party > strategist. -- Others advised him to take it one step at a time, forcing a > series of votes on _smaller-bore jobs proposals_ rather than going for one > major victory. I understand that bore means diameter of a pipe and tube and caliber of a gun, hence it means sharply focused proposal on job creation. However, it’s the first time for me to see the word _small bore_ being used as “smaller-bore proposal (or plan).” Is this just a casual expression in English, or rather a stylish expression of the writer? Can I use “small-bore” casually, like ‘He made a small-bore remark on the nuclear power issue,’ instead of a hard-edged remark?


title: Tagged question and perfect tense

text: I've just passed one of numerous English grammar online tests. And I agree with all the mistakes I've made except this one: > You ______ put it back before the boss comes back, won't you? > >   1. will have >   2. won't have >   3. will >   4. have > The system has marked my answer 3 as incorrect, and 1 as correct. And I'm still confused about it, the phrase with 1 makes no sense for me. So — is 1 really the correct answer? If so — why is it, and not 3?


title: I panicked or I was panicked?

text: I want to refer to a situation that happened months ago. So what should I use? I panicked or I was panicked?


title: What is wrong with the word "performant"?

text: I keep getting the red underlining in Word whenever I write the word " _performant_ ". Here I intend to refer to something that performs well or better than something else (ie it's more _performant_ ). Is there something wrong about that word? Does it mean what I actually want to say?


title: Secular alternative to "cardinal sin"

text: I'm looking for a secular alternative to the term _cardinal sin_ as used to describe a significant act that goes against established knowledge, beliefs, and practices. Any ideas?


title: What’s the meaning of ‘smooth chin’?

text: > “Well … it is amazing,” said Bagman, rubbing his **smooth chin** and smiling > down at Harry. “But, as you know, the age restriction was only imposed this > year as an extra safety measure. (…The rest is omitted.) (p274, Harry Potter > 4, US edition) **NB** – Before Triwizard Tournament, underage Harry Potter was chosen one of the representatives of three schools. No one knew the reason. Everyone was confused. **Bagman** is an organizer of the tournament. The author has described Bagman's features a lot since he showed up. However, as far as I know, she refers to his chin in this sentence for the first time. I felt a little bit strange with its suddenness. How come she says _smooth chin_ , not _chin_? Is smooth chin associated with his character? What’s the meaning of ‘smooth chin’ in the first place? Beardless? I might read too much, but I need your help to know whether I’m hairsplitting or not. Let me straighten it out. I’d like to know   1. what 'smooth chin' is.   2. if 'smooth chin' is related to Bagman's character. I’d be happy if you could help me.


title: What does 'age out' mean?

text: The context is as follows. > The buffer is now unpinned and is a candidate for immediate **aging out** , > if the current contents (data block) are not referenced again.


title: Does this ‘be going to’ have an emotional meaning?

text: Here is a skit from a radio English conversation program, dealing with American English. > A: guest B: front desk clerk C: A's wife > > (at the front desk of a hotel) > > A: I have a reservation for a room under the name of Hal Lloyd. > > B: I can't seem to pull up your reservation. Do you have a confirmation > number? > > A: It's 7228. > > B: Here it is. We don't have any more standard rooms available. I' **m going > to** put you in our deluxe room with a kitchenette. > > A: That's fine with us. > > (in the deluxe room) > > A: The room is decorated very tastefully. > > C: It's very nice! I' **m going to** sit down in this plush sofa and read. I understand the difference between 'be going to' and 'will' like this.   1. I'm going to go fishing today. (I planned it yesterday.)   2. I'll go fishing today. (It suddenly occurs to me.) However, two 'be going to' in the skit seem to be said without plan; it seems to me that two of them are exchangeable with 'will'. Therefore, I took it that 'be going to' is sometimes used in … kind of … will-using-like situations. That’s fine enough. However, … What feeling makes you decide to choose 'be going to' over 'will' in this skit? I'd like to know the emotion you express by choosing it. (or, are they equal in every way?)


title: Is it an understandable sentence?

text: > Throughout the paper, we suppose that a,b,c and d are fixed and we will not > write them when they appear as indices in the notations to make the > notations more readable.


title: Meaning of "float a deadpoint"

text: In a book about climbing technique (written by an American) I found the following expression: > ...: floating a deadpoint from any one of a million different body > positions. While the meaning of any single word in the sentence is clear, I don't understand what "floating a deadpoint" means.


title: What's the term describing employer-employee and similar role relations?

text: What do you call a word relation such as _employer-employee_ , _parent-child_ , _teacher-student_ or _doctor-patient_ , i.e. the relation between two roles that are dependent on each other? You can generally only be an employee if there is an employer, you can only be a parent if there is a child (as in _offspring_ , not _minor_ ), etc. For some reason, I find the term _antonym_ too general since the term I'm looking for would be for describing a very specific relationship between roles.


title: Word for a company that doesn't generate any profit on its own, but that generates customers for its parent company

text: Word for a company that doesn't generate any profit on its own, but that generate, customers for its parent company. Someone told me there is a word for that but I have since forgotten it. For example a fishing magazine company that loses money every month, but is kept alive, as the parent company which sells fishing gear needs the magazine to keep the interest for fishing up. Probably not the best example, but anyway...


title: Why do some English speakers pronounce “fête” as “fate”?

text: In French, from whom we’ve borrowed the word, it’s `/fɛt/` “fet”. But if we pronounced it as if it were an English word after dropping the accent, it would be `/fi:t/` “feet”. Yet the pronunciation we actually use is `/feɪt/` “fate”. Does this derive from a confusion between the acute and circumflex accents, or is there some other reason for this?


title: Word for word meaning of "to beard a lion in his den"

text: I'm going to illustrate a word for word meaning of some English idioms. Just a fun drawing. Get stuck with the phrase “to beard a lion in his own den”. I understand the meaning “to confront someone on his own territory”. But I need to draw it in exact words. Would it be evident to English speakers if I draw a character who shaves the lion or cuts his beard with scissors? Maybe not a good idea?


title: What is a more politically correct way to call something a "Red-Headed Step-Child"?

text: I can't use the phrase "second-class citizen" either. This is for a professional blog post, so I'd rather stay away from "red-headed step-child". I can't use "second-class citizen" because I'm talking about a topic with very few similar posts and one related post uses that same term. If I really need to use "second-class citizen" then I'll probably just reference the other post. EDIT: For those of you who are not familiar with the term, it is meant to be like a child who is cast away and treated differently than the rest of the family. If you watch Game of Thrones, Jon Snow is the red-headed step-child of the Stark family. I think the term "black sheep" might be similar, but "black sheep" usually means that the person did something to harm his own standing. EDIT2: I'd rather not get into the details of the blog post because it's pretty niche. Let's just use the following example: "When you talk about smartphone OS development, iOS and Android are the over- achieving college kids, Windows Phone is the unemployed pot-smoking brother, and Blackberry OS is the red-headed step-child." I won't actually be mentioning the other competing products, but I just wanted to illustrate what the term would be calling out.


title: What is the closest synonym to 'overpopulation'?

text: I've been looking for a word which is very close semantically to 'overpopulation'. Popular Internet dictionaries show words like 'overcrowding' or 'congestion', which are too general for me. I know that there is no such thing as 'the exact synonym', but if anybody can think of anything more adequate than my examples, I would be delighted if that person shared it with me.


title: "The more time a person invests" vs. 'the more time a person will invest'

text: Consider the following two sentences: >   1. Because the more time a person invests into specific interests, the > better their results. >   2. Because the more time a person will invest into their specific > interests, the better their results. > Why is it that the first one is preferred on stylistic grounds?


title: What verb could I use to mean "make less anxious"?

text: What verb could I use to mean "carry out the appropriate actions to **make them less anxious** "? I thought of using _to calm_ , but this doesn't explain what the current state of emotion (being anxious) is. To clarify, I am looking for a verb that is used most often with the nuance of "making less anxious". I understand that anxiety has various causes such as fear, lack of confidence, or just plain medical reasons. What I hope is to find a verb that addresses anxiety as a whole (perhaps one used most often in this context), and not individual causes of anxiety. Perhaps if the verb is used in a sentence, "we are trying to [verb] the people", most listeners will tend to understand that people are in a state of anxiety, rather than in fear, uncertainty, anger, or pain.


title: "Thereby" vs. "therefore"

text: Is this correct use of "thereby"? > There is currently a new improvement in the education system, which was > originally proposed by A and who thereby received the credits. Would it be better to use _therefore_?


title: What's a word for "properly oriented"?

text: While editing and improving a question on the Cognitive Sciences site, I came across the following sentence: > Infants can detect an upside human face right after they are born This sounded awkward to me and I struggled to improve it. I believe the author's intention was to say: > Infants can detect a human face right after they are born, as long as the > face is not rotated or: > Infants can detect a human face (in proper orientation) right after they are > born. But I really feel like there must be a word for "in proper orientation" in a context such as this. What would be appropriate?


title: In the word “quantum mechanics”, is quantum a noun or an adjective?

text: In the phrases containing the word _quantum_ , like quantum mechanics, quantum information, quantum computation, quantum field theory,etc. is _quantum_ a noun or an adjective? I mean, is it really _mechanics /field theory/etc. of quantum_ or a mechanics/field theory/etc that has some property (like the word _classical_ in classical mechanics)? The word _quantum_ itself is a noun, but sometimes like in the phrase _quantum information_ it seems to be an adjective (like _classical_ information), and sometimes like in quantum mechanics it's ambiguous. (motivation:I have problem translating it to other languages)


title: What does “Jus’ folks is jus’ dumb” mean?

text: I found the article titled “5 myths about Rick Perry” in today’s New York Times literally dealing with the mystery of Texas Governor who is running for 2012 GOP Presidential nominations entertaining. However I was caught up with the following lines in the article: > “He’s a hillbilly dimwit. That’s bias against Texas, pure and simple. > --Don’t make the mistake of thinking that jus’ folks is jus’ dumb.” I interpret ‘Don’t make the mistake of thinking that “jus’ folks is jus’ dumb’” means “Don’t think an average (or ordinary) person is just a dumb.’ Is my understanding correct? Is “jus’ folks is jus’ dumb’ “a proverbial expression? I also came across my usual question about the discordance of numbers of the noun and verb in the above paragraph. Why ‘jus’ folks, which is plural in number is followed by ‘is’ and ‘a dumb,’ both in singular?


title: A word (or two) for people who explore for the joy of learning

text: I'm making a card game, and I need a title for a card which describes people who travel and explore for the joy of learning and sharing that knowledge - a combination of scientists and explorers. I'd like a name for them that doesn't sound too pretentious or contrived, but gets the point across. Any ideas?


title: *In* or *On* Contacts?

text: I'm making a chat application and when the user chooses to delete someone I need to show a confirmation window, but I'm unsure which to use. Option 1 > Are you sure you want to delete? You will no longer see this person in your > Contacts. Option 2 > Are you sure you want to delete? You will no longer see this person on your > Contacts. Is one more correct or more often used than the other?


What does the expression "to stick the finger high in the air" mean? It is used in the text about politics.


title: Are there any English one-word equivalents for "je ne sais quoi"?

text: Wiktionary defines _je ne sais quoi_ as > An intangible quality that makes something distinctive or attractive.   >  _She has a certain je ne sais quoi about her._ Is there a single-word equivalent?


title: "That awkward moment when"

text: I know when people use the phrase "that awkward moment when", it is clearly a sentence fragment. What exactly is it called though? A dependent clause? A noun clause? I have no idea.


title: Articles in conjuctions

text: The following is taken from a book: > As a result, hosting in IIS 5/6 is notorious for instability and the > frequent need to reset the server or IIS 5/6. In the context above, why doesn't "instability" have an article, while "frequent need" does?


title: "Cannon" as plural

text: I'm reading a novel based in ye olde pirate-times, and I have come across the author's usage of "cannon" (without the "s") to refer to multiple cannons. > The ship boasted 32 cannon onboard. Is this just an archaic usage that the author is employing for purposes of story-telling? Also, how/why did this evolve to "cannons" in modern usage?


title: "Assist someone do" vs. "assist someone to do (or "in/with" doing)"

text: I just recently came across "assist someone do" searching Google for examples to my previous question, and would like to check with you whether it is an acceptable option to "assist someone to do (or "in/with" doing)", or a snapshot of language in transition -- analogous with "help someone do" -- that I caught here. Please consider the following examples for this: > NAFDAC is to assist you do your business right.source > > Our company will assist you do your assignments...source > > (Go down to bottom of page and look up "Transtec Inc., Robert Rasmussen PE") > We are a specialty engineering company with award-winning expertise in > pavements and pavement materials. We can assist you do your job > better.source


title: Could "bastard" have a positive connotation?

text: I'd always thought that the word "bastard" had a negative and impolite meaning, but when I came across this wine (Fat _bastard_ Chardonnay) I started to doubt my belief. Can some native speaker explain if this usage of "bastard" is possible in positive sense nowadays? If so, what is the positive sense in this case? ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/irEsG.jpg)


title: Formal approach to choosing between "there is" and "there are"

text: Consider: > There (is/are) a banana and two oranges?   >  There (is/are) two oranges and a banana? I'm looking for a non-colloquial and formally correct way (British English) of writing these two sentences if there is any. Any references are welcome.


title: "factoring" subordinate clauses with verbs that require indicative and subjunctive clauses

text: For some verbs a subjunctive form is used in the subordinate clause, and I would write > I demand that he read the appendices. Other verbs demand that you use an indicative form, for example > I expect that he will read the appendices. So how do I terminate the sentence > You cannot demand nor expect that he... I know that you can always avoid that sort of construction, but I was just wondering about the grammatical rule in this case.


title: Meaning of "for the day"

text: I Google'd " **for the day** " but it seems that it is not precisely an idiom. Does it mean during day time or for a whole day? Here is the sentence where I found that expression: _Now I could take a holiday but suddenly I don’t feel like going anywhere on my own. Jan talked about us going somewhere together, but we’ve never even been out **for the day**._


title: Meaning of "bloody" in "Full Bloody Italian"

text: I have once seen somebody in a chat expanding _FBI_ ( _Federal Bureau of Investigations_ ) as _Full Bloody Italian_ , after I said I was from Italy. While I can understand to what the person who wrote it was referring, I don't understand what _bloody_ would mean in the phrase.   * What does _full bloody_ mean in _full bloody Italian_?    * Should _blooded_ be used instead of _bloody_ , in this case?   * Would _full blooded Italian_ be understood as _who completely has Italian blood_?


title: (Presumably) an address without preposition

text: I'm trying to translate a contract between two parties, and I came across this: > Package and delivery Dual Gadgets, Kempston, Beds UK as defined in TERMS > 2001. and > **Delivery Point** > > The Equipment shall be ready Dual Gadgets, Kempston, Bedford UK 4 weeks > after The Seller has received a confirmed order / contract and the deposit > payment. What does that mean? Why is there no preposition? Does it mean that "it will be delivered _to_ Dual Gadgets, Kempston, Beds, UK" or does it mean that "it will be delivered _by_ " them? Or some other meaning that I can't get?


title: Looking for a word for concealment of faults

text: I'm looking for a word for concealment of faults. In this case, someone has a specific fault and actively, purposefully hides it from others, going out of their way to conceal these faults from others. It's a close-opposite of _hypocrisy_ or _deceit_ , where one pretends to have a good quality that one does not possess. This would be a superimposition of a non-existent good quality, while the word I'm looking for would be the deprecation of an existent fault or negative quality. Also, not a mere denial or non-acknowledgement of the fault, but an active secrecy or pretence. Is _dissimulation_ my best bet? That doesn't seem to necessarily include concealment of a fault, just concealment in general. Examples: 1) Fearing what his parents might think, John pretended to be a non- smoker. When they asked him directly about it his words faltered, not wishing to lie but also not wishing to reveal his shortcoming. In the end, the best he could manage were a few unclear words denying the fact and, hoping his parents believed him, quickly changed the subject. 2) John thoroughly enjoyed hunting, but in the company of others, from fear of damaging his reputation, was scrupulous in concealing this and even went out of his way to appear outspoken against hunting. The close-opposite (hypocrisy) would be: For fame and fortune, John pretended to be able to read others' minds and offered his services at a reasonable rate. To avoid being discovered as a fraud, he kept his readings vague and used intrigue to keep his clients hooked. So I hope these help give a clearer idea of what I'm looking for. I am not so much looking for a word to slot into those sentences, but rather a word for what such an attitude or behaviour is called. Many thanks for all the work!


title: “Astronomy images” vs. “astronomical images”

text: Are there any differences between the two? A Google search says that _astronomy images_ is much more used, but I think that _astronomical images_ sounds better.


title: earnest vs earnesty vs earnestness

text: I have come across all these phrases   * in all earnest   * in all earnesty   * in all earnestness Is it ok to use any of them? Example sentence with the first version:   _I intend to complete my assigned tasks in all earnest_


title: What vivid verb should I use when someone "turns into" a zombie?

text: In conversation, when someone says they appreciate my brain, I need an effective comeback. I was going to say, "I hope that you are not turning into a zombie with your love for my brain." But I feel that "turning into" is not a sufficiently vivid verb to use. What verb should I use when someone turns into (or possibly might turn into) a zombie? **EDIT:** To clarify, above in my question description I specified that I wanted a _vivid_ verb. I want the verb to tell a bit of the story by describing the what and why of zombies.


title: "Committed to build" vs. "committed to building"

text: If this were a mere tagline, not a complete sentence in a full paragraph, which would be more correct? >   1. Committed to build a better world >   2. Committed to building a better world >


title: Can "among" and "amongst" have different contextual meanings?

text: After reading the answers to What is the distinction between "among" and "amongst"?, I realize there are no dictionary differences between the words and most would consider "amongst" a bit archaic. However, the following example seems to suggest there are at least contextual ambiguities that can arise if we use the words interchangeably. > Let’s discuss the issues among the departments. > > Let’s discuss the issues amongst the departments. > > The first sentence using among means there are issues between departments. > The second sentence using amongst means we want to talk to the departments > about the issues. \- source: from the comments Is this explanation correct, or are the proposed differences presenting a false sense of clarity where "issues" remains ambiguous regardless of using "among" or "amongst?"


title: Is the past tense of "go" related to the word "venture"?

text: I'm wondering whether the word "went" is a cognate of or otherwise related to "venture". Is it, despite the different spelling?


title: What is the origin of phrase "for fun and profit"?

text: Sounds like something a snake oil salesman on the wild west could come up with. Can the origins be traced? **Edit:** In a transcript of a state trial from 1798: > What did you give it him for? Did he make use of it? Was it to protect his > copper from being changed that you did it? — He was very officious to make > things in a light easy way without much trouble, to make nis bread light. > But I did it _more in fun than profit_. This is clearly not the same phrase, but it seems to be more than an accidental use of those two words togather.


title: Origin of the term "fast asleep"

text: I know some people who can fall asleep pretty fast, but the term "fast asleep" doesn't seem to mean that. When I looked it up, all it showed was "someone sleeping tightly". How did fast come to be associated with sleeping?


title: Better than expected as an adjective?

text: Is there an adjective that can sum up "better than expected"? For example: "Progress was better than expected." Is there a single word I can use to describe what the progress was like? I'm looking more for in the context of progress that went beyond initial expectations. I saw some suggestions online like "fantastic, amazing, wonderful", but those to me don't symbolize "beyond expected", but more like "beyond great".


title: Which preposition to use with "social media"?

text: I have this sentence, and I'm not sure which preposition is best to use with _social media_. **Teens take videos and post them through social media.** Should it be-- through social media? to social media? on social media? or rewrite: on social media sites? Thanks.


title: Are "I scream" and "Ice cream" homophones, or do we have another term here?

text: When two phrases are pronounced alike but have different spelling and meaning, can they be called homophones? e.g. "ice-cream" and "I scream", "nitrate" and "night rate", "that's tough" and "that stuff". Or is there another term for them? What linguistic phenomenon distiguishes these near homophones? I've checked the putative duplicate at "I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream"\- Is there a term that describes this 'word play'?   but it isn't exactly what I'm asking here.


title: "Percent" vs. "percentile"

text: > Just because .01% of people may be at risk of frying themselves on the third > rail doesn't mean they need to modify the system for that miniscule > _percentile_. It just means you need to let Darwinism run its course. What's the difference between _percent_ and _percentile_? And how do I use _percentile_ in context?


title: Which is correct: kind or kinds?

text: The shopkeeper had hardly any of those kind/kinds of goods.


title: What are proper words to describe "one of the five finalists at a competition"

text: I am writing a SOP for grad school. When I was in undergrad, I once became one of five finalists at an IT competition. I want to write a sentence about it, but I'm not sure this is understandable enough or not: This project was advanced **to the big five finalists** at X, the biggest IT competition in my country.


title: Is "am going" a verb phrase?

text: What part of a sentence is the phrase "am going", as in "I am going to pray"?


title: What is correct "Blazing Fast Speed" or "Blazingly Fast Speed"?

text: Which is correct? "Blazing Fast Speed" or "Blazingly Fast Speed"? In my opinion, the latter because one can't say, for one, "Amazing Fast Speed", right? Admittedly NY Times use it a lot but...: NY Times search for 'blazing fast' (via Google)


title: "Carry on" vs. "go ahead"

text: I am confused about whether it is okay to say, > "Ok, **carry on/go ahead** with your job then." Any help on this simple issue is highly appreciated.


title: What's the reason for calling cheap seats at the theatre nosebleed seats?

text: I've never heard of this idiom before today and thought it was an especially curious one. What's the origin of calling the cheap seats the nosebleed seats at the theater?


title: Single word for company's internal solution?

text: What word can define an internal solution created within company in contrast to the "external" solutions? Something like "home-made", but more formal and reffering to a company.


title: Fashionable photographers

text: I saw somewhere this quote from Wodehouse's _Meet Mr. Mulliner_ (1927): > "Statistics show that the two classes of the community which least often > marry are milkmen and fashionable photographers – milkmen because they see > women too easily in the morning and fashionable photographers because their > days are spent in an atmosphere of feminine loveliness so monotonous that > they become surfeited and morose. I know of none of the world's workers whom > I pity more sincerely than the fashionable photographer; and yet […] it is > the ambition of every youngster who enters the profession some day to become > one." From context, "fashionable photographer" doesn't mean a well-dressed photographer, but probably what we would now call a "fashion photographer". Searching on Google Books found a lot of results for "fashionable photographer". Searching on Google Ngram Viewer showed that "fashionable photographer" used to be more popular until it was decisively overtaken by "fashion photographer" some time in the 1950s: ![Fashion photographer, fashionable photographer](http://i.stack.imgur.com/GIICi.png) To focus on 1865–1965: ![Fashion photographer, fashionable photographer](http://i.stack.imgur.com/3PJfX.png) To modern ears (at least one pair of them), "fashionable photographer" sounds odd: it's not the photographer who is fashionable, after all. My question:   * Why did the switch from "fashionable photographer" to "fashion photographer" happen? (Is this a special case of some more general pattern: are there other similar phrases in which "⟨adjective⟩ ⟨noun⟩" changed to "⟨noun adjunct⟩ ⟨noun⟩", say?)   * Is there also a change in the _meaning_? Does "fashionable photographer" mean something different from what "fashionable photographer" does? (I guess the steep rise after 1960 in the above graph corresponds to a rise of the fashion industry, but I don't know anything about the history of the fashion industry… perhaps a "fashionable photographer" was something else.)


Can I use "grinding" meaning "screeching"? For example, > Jack, you need to add some oil to your bike's hubs. The cogs are grinding so > loud, they are really annoying me! or it sounds awkward?


title: Americans stereotype Canadian pronunciation of "about"?

text: Americans think that Canadians pronounce _about_ as _aboot_ (I've never heard anyone pronounce it that way) yet they pronounce _route_ as _root_. They know how to pronounce _out_ , _about_ , _router_ (as _rauwter_ ) but then why do almost every American pronounce _route_ as _root_ and they don't see the double standard?


title: Why is the movie named "Hot Fuzz"?

text: "Hot Fuzz" is a british comedy-action-thriller movie from 2007, "fuzz" being a derogatory slang term for police. Is there any additional pun or play of words in the use of "Hot"? Or is it simply referring to the "hotness", the "awesomeness" of the police officer who plays the leading role? For example, it would not have surprised me if "hot fuzz" were slang for a beverage or dish. But as far as my research shows, that is not the case.


title: If collective nouns use the plural verb form, are they plural in other contexts too?

text: According to Wikipedia, in British English, _it is generally accepted that collective nouns can take either singular or plural verb forms_. How does this affect their property of being singular or plural in other grammatical contexts? We use plural verb forms, but do we then also use plural personal pronouns? For example: > England have won the World Cup! Now is/are England actually plural, or is/are England just used with the plural verb form without being plural in other grammatical contexts? > I am sailing to England themselves or > I am sailing to England itself? Which one is correct, and why?


title: "Parishioner" vs. "congregant"

text: I've always thought that the words _parishioner_ and _congregant_ meant the same thing and could be used interchangeably within the context of someone who attends a place of worship. Are there any differences in meaning between these two words or appropriate usage for each?


title: Would "well done" also apply to a presently proceeding action?

text: Would "well done" also apply to a case, in which the performer of the action, the one for which he is receiving a praise, is still performing it at the moment of receiving the praise, in other words, when he is not done yet? For example: > Dad: "Okay, now start jumping over these obstacles and keep doing it for 5 > minutes" > > Son: "Okay, Dad!" > > Dad (1 minute later): " **Well done**. You are doing really well!" or something like that.


title: Is it okay to say "I can play the piano by music notes"?

text: Is it okay to say "I can play the piano by music notes" (meaning that if you gave me a sheet of paper with some music notes on it, I would have no problem reproducing that piece of music by looking at that sheet of paper and simultaneously playing the piano) or there is a better way of expressing this thought?


title: What's the difference between "lonely" and "lonesome"

text: Both words seem to be used interchangeably. E.g., >   * I'm feeling lonely tonight. >   * I'm feeling lonesome tonight. > I guess I always felt "lonesome" was somehow more severe and heart-wrenching, but is there any real basis for that interpretation? It looks from google n-grams that like both have coexisted for some time. ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/0Hli9.png)


title: What is the opposite of "in-image ads"?

text: The term _in-image ads_ describes ads that are inside of images. What would be the term that describes ads that are outside of images? Could it be _out-image ads_?


title: How to use "no sooner... than..."?

text: The structure "...no sooner...than..." is reported to be used only in past tense, yet I wonder whether it is OK to use it to describe a daily habit. For example: > Every day, as soon as I return home, I turn on the computer to post some > messages. Is it Ok to say: > I have no sooner returned home every day than I turn on the computer to post > some messages. Or the structure can only be used in past tense. Please explain in detail, thanks very much!


title: "Self-assured" vs. "self-confident"

text: Are there any differences between the words _self-assured_ and _self- confident_?


title: Meaning of "work better for silence"

text: Holmes and Watson are alone in the room. > Holmes: I shall **work better for silence**. > > Watson: Oh, well. I dare say I can find something quiet to do. Does he mean he needs silence to work? And why does he use _for_? Isn't it right to say _in silence_?


title: Meaning of "herding the cats"

text: What is the meaning of the phrase _herding the cats_? I've found one description on Wikipedia but it is not clear enough.


title: "again" in "Today is the oldest you've ever been and the youngest you'll ever be again."

text: Saw this sentence today. It has two variations, one ends with _again_ and one without it. While the _again_ does have a nice ring to it, I kind of feel that it makes no grammatical/semantic sense for it to appear in this sentence, but I don't know why. Does it have to do with whether the "ever...again" part is in a negative/interrogative situation vs. non-negative, which this sentence is? Is there any grammatical justification for this _again_? What does it mean? Are there any other sentences that involve such a non-negative _again_? Hope I'm making myself clear enough :-) On another note, I also see _Today, **you are** the oldest..._, which is admittedly "more" grammatical but less "catchy". In either form, the question about _again_ remains.


title: Verb for meeting the requirements of a policy

text: I'm looking for a verb that would go with _policy_. Our company has a policy, which defines a set of requirements. I want to say that I am responsible for ensuring that the company meets the requirements of the policy, but I don't really want to use the word _requirements_. Is there a word that I could use like this: > I am responsible for [some verb] the policy.


title: Meaning of "having to sneak"

text: > One in ten has to "gear himself up" to rejoin hectic family life at the end > of the working day and one quarter admit **having to sneak** in naps during > week days in order to cope. What is the meaning of _having to sneak_? Can this sentence can be said in some other way? Also, can you give another example where _having_ is used like this?


title: Difference between terminology and nomenclature?

text: What is the difference between terminology and nomenclature? If I want to say that I use the same words with the exact same meaning as author X, what would you say?   * "We use the same _terminology_ as author X" or   * "We use the same _nomenclature_ as author X"


title: Does English possess a term for the study of all aspects of language in primary/secondary schools

text: Does academic English employ a concise/idiomatic term corresponding to the Russian term _словесные дисциплины_ (literally, "verbal subjects")? The Russian term is from 19th century academic circles (well, it is still used) and included the teaching of reading/writing/rhetoric + foreign languages. Is there a good, overarching academic field or recognized English term that covers them all together, as far as education is concerned?