title: intro- vs. intra-

text: I recently found out that “extrovert” is a misspelling and that it’s actually written _extravert_. That makes sense, because other words use the same prefix, e.g. _extraordinary_ , _extradite_ , etc., but nothing I can think of begins with _extro-_ (1). However, _intro-_ and _intra-_ seem to be two different prefixes. There is _introduce_ and _introspect_ on the one hand, and _intravenous_ and the more recent neologism _intranet_ on the other hand. What is the difference between _intro-_ and _intra-_ and what are their origins? ((1) Even the end-credit section of a movie, the opposite of the _intro_ , isn’t called an _extro_ :) )


title: Researching the real origin of SNAFU

text: I know the wiki origin puts SNAFU as appearing during WWII as the first in a long line of military slang, BUT, years ago I recollect reading in an electronics magazine, likely 'Wireless World' from 60's-70's (hence inclusion here), that this term was one of several similar acronyms which originated in US telegraphy around the time of the Iron Horse, Indian raids etc. A telegraph operator, on arriving at the scene of a break, might find that the local American Indians had pulled down telegraph poles. 'Situation Normal' meant that the raiders had gone and 'All Fouled Up' referred to the state of the wire. The engineer on scene would hook up his telegraph set and report, via Morse, certain terse messages to indicate state of play. There were other related messages; though I don't recall which they were. This all makes some sense, as when the US joined in WWII there was a chronic shortage of trained telegraph operators and history records that retired operators (otherwise too old to meet draft requirements) were initially brought in to perform telegraphy duties and training on Navy ships. Working backwards these gentleman would have been present during the peak of US telegraphy operations and would have been steeped in the traditions of the service going back to its introduction in the mid 1800's. Can anyone identify the provenance of this article? I think it is too old to have found its way into public domain via PDF. It paints a great story so _please_ don't tell me it was dated April 1st! More importantly it highlights a problem with google/wiki 'knowledge' as relates to topics where there exists little knowledge. Once the received wisdom finds its way onto the net, it becomes 'truth' even though it may be incorrect. Any ideas anyone?


title: "For/during/on/in the first two nights"

text: > He slept very well for the first two nights, but on the third night, he did > not. Can I say “in the first two nights”, “during the first two nights” or “on the first two nights” instead of “for the first two nights” in the sentence above? Why or why not?


title: Does the term "page responsible" make any sense in English?

text: Each page on my organizations web site is assigned a person that takes responsibility for the content of that page. E.g. in the page footer               Page Responsible: John Doe      The current term used to denote this person is "Page Responsible" which does not sound like something you can say in English. English however, is not my native tongue. Therefore, I ask you English Language & Usage, does the term "Page Responsible" sound ok to you? Or should something else be used, e.g.   * Responsible for page content: John Doe   * Responsibility for page content: John Doe   * Page owner: John Doe


title: Word or phrase for mere coincidence that brings happiness

text: I wish to state that my exposure to a certain area was a mere coincidence, and I am happy about the area. Moreover, I want to convey the idea that the incident was like a fairytale, something no one would easily believe, but because of it I ended up where I am. The same incident happening to someone else might go unnoticed but it rang the bells for me. Stating this idea as above is too long and boring, and such language seems childish or out-of-place in a statement of purpose. I want to make it succinct. Is there any word or phrase that conveys the same idea?


title: "Go a long way to" + gerund vs infinitive

text: Which one is correct? If they all are correct, which construction is the most preferable? Why?   1. The fund will go a long way **to solving** their problem.   2. The fund will go a long way **to solve** their problem.   3. The fund will go a long way **toward(s) solving** their problem.   4. The fund will go a long way **in solving** their problem.


title: "Would have" instead of "will have"

text: In the sentence "I went to the bank to ensure that I would have enough money for my trip," why is "would have" used instead of "will have"? "Would have" seems to be conveying the subjunctive mood, but if I went to the bank already, wouldn't I use "will have" to express certainty about having enough money?


title: What's the opposite of Proof of Concept?

text: From an Information Technology perspective, what's the opposite of Proof of Concept? I need to ask my client if they want us to build them a Proof-of-concept (app in its basic form) or a full-fledged version of the concept. Now, am looking for a better word for "full-fledged version". Or, do you think "full-fledged version" is OK?


title: avoiding an oncoming vehicle -- what is the specific term for this in English?

text: Is there a specific term to refer to what you need to do in the following situation? > You are driving on a road and an oncoming vehicle is moving towards you in > the same lane you are using. If neither changes course, you will collide. > You need to change lanes/avoid the oncoming vehicle to avoid the crash. What is the most idiomatic way to describe what you need to do? "Steer clear"? "Veer clear"? Some other term? thanks!


title: Origin of the term "understudy"

text: I've recently seen a musical and, on the night I went, three roles were being played by **understudies** instead of the regular actors. This term has always puzzled me, partly because I've never found a satisfactory translation for it in my native tongue. However, while I well understand its meaning and although I've researched various dictionaries, I haven't found clear indications of its origin. The Online Etymology Dictionary deals with the word in one line and the OALD, normally so generous with references to the origin of terms, doesn't even try. Can anyone tell me how this word came into existence?


title: The use of "for" and "of"

text: Are _for_ and _of_ interchangeable in these circumstances? Is the meaning affected at all? > He was the Minister **for** Education. > > He was the Minister **of** Education. > > The Institute **of** Medical Research. > > The Institute **for** Medical Research.


title: "This October I will have been xxx yrs in this country"

text: I'm new so please excuse if I'm asking something that had been many times before. I'm a foreigner living in UK, who loves English language so I strive for perfect use every time. Sometimes people ask me how long I have been in this country. I like to round the number of years to the month in which I came, which was October. Therefore if someone asked me today I would have said: > I will have been 7 years in the country this October. or if today was sometime in December I would have said > Last October I have been 7 years in the country. So simple question: are these forms correct? Or should I just do the simple _"I will be 7 years here this October"_?


title: "Take a look at" vs. "look at"

text: I am not a native speaker. Could you please explain the difference between the phrases "take a look at" and "look at"? For example: >   * Take a look at this issue. >   * Look at this issue. > What is the difference? Or are these phrases equal?


title: Where can I find a reasonably well recognized free style guide that is online?

text: I don't like prefixing all my answers and pontifications about English usage with IMHO. Where can I find a reasonably well recognized style guide that is online that I can refer people to? My first choice, chicagomanualofstyle.org, is for paid subscribers only. (Emphasis on well recognized, personally, I mostly do technical and office writing)


title: What is the difference between "’ll" and "will"?

text: Is there any difference in the meaning when we use _'ll_ or _will_? For example, >   * I will go to university tomorrow. > >   * I'll go to university tomorrow. > >


title: What's the difference between prepositional phrase and adverbial complement?

text: > “I try to give ‘em a reason, you see. It helps folks if they can **latch > onto a reason**.”   >  (Harper Lee, To Kill A Mockingbird) When we say ‘prepositional verb’ and ‘adverbial complement,’ are they two points of view for one occasion: the former sees ‘latch onto a reason’ as [prepositional verb: latch onto]+[a reason], and the other [latch]+[adverbial complement: onto a reason].’ Or does the example show only the prepositional verb?


title: Was "their being followed" replaced by "they're being followed" over the years?

text: I was reading A Study in Scarlet yesterday and noticed the following sentence: > They must have thought that there was some chance of **their being > followed** , for they would never go out alone, and never after nightfall. I'm not a native English speaker, when I first saw "their being" I thought it was a typo, and the correct spelling would be "they're [they were] being followed", then I realized the word being was actually the noun, not the verb, that made sense, but I couldn't recall ever seeing this "version" of the expression used. I mostly see "they're being followed", "he's being followed", etc. With the story being over 200 years old (first published 1887), I assumed this was an old expression that was replaced in later years with the common "they're being", Google Ngram viewer shows a general decrease in use of "their being followed" over the last 300 years, vs a slight increase of "they're being followed" since the 1960's, with the latter form overtaking the former during the mid-1990's. My question is, is the latter form basically a "mistake" emerging from a typo that was later "accepted"? Or was this caused because th common usage of the word "being" changed from a noun to a verb over the years?


title: Is this contraction of 'there is' acceptable to native speakers of English?

text: In the _Slate_ article, _The Curse of “You May Also Like”_ , the following sentence has a contraction of **there is** that doesn't sit well with my ear for American or British English. I wonder whether any of our native English- speaking users find it acceptable and grammatical. I think it's not idiomatic, is ungrammatical, and is unacceptable, but I may just be too old and ornery to cozy **_down_** to this level of change in language usage. NB: I first coined the phrase _cozy down to_ and then found an apt example of _cozy down_ on the Internet. > Amazon's knowledge, however, goes deeper than Netflix's: Since it also runs > a site where we buy books, it knows everything that **there's** to know > about our buying behavior and the prices that we are willing to pay. Is this acceptable?


title: Which sentence is correct?

text: Consider this below clause(or whatever it is called) > This is correct grammer. My friend and I are having an argument about the correctness of the below two sentences which refer to the above clause. >   1. I see only a spelling mistake. >   2. I see only one spelling mistake. > She says both are correct, but I feel only the second one is correct. Who is right? Edit: Is a spelling mistake also a grammatical mistake?


title: "How to..", "How do you.." or "How do I.." when asking a practical question

text: As the title says, I'm asking because you can split the StackOverflow questions to three groups according to their openings, for example:   1. "How do I serialize an object...",    2. "How do **you** serialize an object...",    3. "How to serialize an object...",  And asking questions quite often myself, I'm curious which is the proper way.


title: Suffixes for verbification: -ify, -icise, -ificate

text: The suffixes   * -ise/-ize   * -ify   * -ificate are all used for verbifying nouns and adjectives. What are the differences in meaning/connotation/usage between them? (This is generalising from the sinification/sinicisation question, and is partially answered by @Garet Claborn’s answer there — an expansion of that answer would be great for this as well!)


title: "Today I've darkened 59 appropriate circles"?

text: Is this a proper past tense? > Today I've darkened 59 appropriate circles.


title: "'n'" as an abbreviation for "and" as in "rock 'n' roll"

text: I wonder if there are other cases where _and_ is abbreviated in writing as in _rock 'n' roll_.


title: Is addendum synonymous to supplement?

text: What's the difference between _addendum_ and _supplement_? The way I see it they both mean pretty much the same thing. It's something added to something else to complete it. I think _supplement_ can be used in a wider, more general sense, while _addendum_ is used in published works like books, more or less. In a way, it seems to me that they overlap each other. But does that mean that they are synonymous?


title: Is an implied proper noun *really* a proper noun?

text: With reference to the following sentence: > I am returning **to University** in a few weeks. Given that the person stating this is referring to a specific university through implication (for example, because they are returning for their second year of study at the university they studied at during their first year), is this still considered a proper noun, or should it be treated as a common noun? In other words, should the spelling of _University_ be capitalised in this context?


title: Is there a business phrase for whack-a-mole?

text: In my company, I've been asked to generate reports about accounts (for example) that have abnormal traits (less than 1%, for example). They want to know where these abnormal cases are so they can go fix them, but it's too time consuming to manually check until they find them. So they asked me to find these cases and report on them. Some people try to call it exception handling; but exception handling is already a well-define phrase in computing, so it can't be used. I'm trying to come up with a phrase to describe this type of hunt. Is there a better phrase than "whack-a-mole" or "exception handling"? Also, I'm new here, so I don't really understand which tags go where. Thank you!


title: 'Drop us a line' - letter or phone call?

text: According to the Free Dictionary, dropping someone a line means sending them a short message. Is this correct? I always thought it meant phoning someone, the line referring to a telephone line.


title: a silver knife smeared with butter

text: He came in, big and smiling, with his right eye completely close. “Your mother put a silver knife smeared with butter on it last night. Quite a person, Mother.” (He had a black eye, after struggling with a murderer.) Is it a sort of folk remedy in America? Or is there another meaning to its expression? (It's from 'Lipstick' by Mary Roberts Rinehart.)


title: What do you call a person who is willing to be a reference for someone?

text: Joe asks his ex-boss Mary if she is willing to be contacted by future potential employers. What do we call Mary? "Referee" is one word used for this, but that means "sports umpire" to most people. "Reference" is another ("Will you be a reference for me"), but "reference" to most people means the action or the text of the recommendation, not the person. Also, "Will you provide a reference for me?" might mean "Will you write a recommendation?", not "Are you willing to (interactively) vouch for me"? (e.g., by phone or email conversation) What word do we use for this willingness to interactively vouch for someone?


title: Words about words: When an old word describes a new thing

text: I'm wondering if there is a name for words which describe a function where the thing described doesn't relate to the reality of the function anymore. Examples:   * dial, as a verb. "Dial the phone". Dial phones are largely unused now.   * footage, used to describe a video recording. Large digital now.   * filming, used to describe the act of making a video recording. This is almost like a retronym, but is kind of the other side of that coin. Any ideas? This might be a duplicate of Word that means "outdated name"


title: "You can add more at the end of this list BUT before making a new entry make sure its not already present"

text: This is a tip that is being included with an Excel form, which requires the end user to fill some technical information. In the given scenario, the end user would not be very tech-literate, so we want to keep things clear, compact and easy to communicate and so we added tips like: > _**“Gena provides this default set of information. You can add more at the > end of this list BUT before making a new entry make sure its not already > present.”_** But we the team feel some things missing in it. We want to make this tip more ‘usable’ and easy to understand for the user. **I seek your precious suggestion over how this tip can be made more clear, compact and easy to communicate.*** _PS: ‘Gena’ is the name of our product, to sound it like more direct and personalized so we used it as a communicating entity here._


title: The main verb of the second clause

text: > The energy source on Voyager2 is not a nuclear reactor, in which atoms are > actively broken apart, but rather a kind of nuclear battery that uses > natural radioactive decay to produce power. What is the main verb of the clause followed by the coordinating conjunction _but_?


title: Is insurance coverage that you won’t “see a dime” a frequently-used English expression?

text: I saw the statement, “there are so many restrictions on (insurance) coverage that _you won’t see a dime_ ,” in the following sentence in the article of Time magazine (August 18), titled “Things you should stop buying now.” > “Credit-Card Payment Insurance: This “protection” can cost a few hundred > bucks a year, and there are often so many restrictions and caveats on > _coverage that you won’t see a dime_. Even if your claim is accepted, the > insurance only pays the monthly minimum for a period of months.” I assume “you won’t see a dime” means “you won’t be covered (compensated / remunerated) at all”, but I’m not sure. There is no entry of “(don’t / can’t / won’t) see a dime” in any of Oxford, Cambridge, Merriam-Webster dictionary. Is such expression as “coverage (deal, agreement, transaction) you won’t see a dime” frequently used in conversation and writing? Why can it be "won't 'get' a dime" or "won't 'recover' a dime," instead of "won't 'see' a dime"? Why is it 'see'? Are there any other usages of “you won’t see a dime” than reference in financial context?


title: "...FDA, who...." vs "...FDA, which..." - relative-pronouns of authorities

text: I'm referring to the following sentence: "Observes express their concerns whether the FDA, which/who is already overrun with work..." My question is: Are authorities in the English language treated as a thing or as a person regarding relative-pronouns?


title: What is the meaning of vice in "as in a vice"?

text: I'm having trouble finding a definition of vice that explains its usage in the following NYTimes article: > The Monarch, no less boldly than her compeer, dashed among the rebel fleet, > and singling out the Lovell, under full speed struck her fairly near the > wheel, her prow crashing far into the hull, and remaining for a moment > fastened as in a vice. The closest meaning I could find is "vise" ( _British_ vice), which in the Oxford Dictionaries means: > a metal tool with movable jaws that are used to hold an object firmly in > place while work is done on it, typically attached to a workbench.


title: Is this construct correct? "This one something..."

text: After criticizing some whole category of blog posts as fake news, biased or undercover advertising, I was about to add: > That being said, I must admit that _this one article_ is quite interesting. Is this construct correct? Should I use "this article in particular" instead?


title: How can you make "to be" explicit and simple in this future conditional sentence?

text: I can say "Jerry's been a bad pussycat this morning" or "Hey, Jerry, you be a good pussycat now" or "Jerry's been active all morning so he's being a good pussycat now". All these involve the use of the verb _be_. Now if I said "if Jerry bes a bad pussycat, put him in the laundry," I'll sound ungrammatical. How else can you say this without being specific about the verb? I understand the future tense of **to be** is **is** but then it sounds like present tense rather than future tense. I don't want to say "if Jerry behaves badly" because it's too complex. And I don't want to say "if Jerry is bad" because that implies current state rather than future state. Should it be "if Jerry would be bad..." or "if Jerry should be bad" perhaps?


title: "At day five", "on day five", or something else?

text: When considering a set of days and writing about them in a 'diary mode', what preposition should I use in the following example: >   * He died at day 5 of the treatment. >   * He died on day 5 of the treatment. >


title: make sure + subjunctive

text: I'm wondering if "make sure" can take the subjunctive mood of a verb. Take this sentence for example: > Loki would be disappointed in me if I did not make sure this **was** the > true casket. What if I said: > Loki would be disappointed in me if I did not make sure this **were** the > true casket. There surely is a feeling of uncertainty, it could, hypothetically, not be the real casket, that's why he has to "make sure", although I'll be the first one to admit it sounds weird, but most constructions with the subjunctive sound weird.


title: English expression for "ascribing negative intentions to someone"

text: There's a French expression that means "ascribing negative intentions to someone with no factual base" (prêter des intentions). It's practical, as the English sentence "stop ascribing negative intentions to me based on your interpretation of my words" is quite a long way to say something that is quite simple in some other languages. Is there any similar expression in English?


title: Inconsistency in Strunk and White regarding serial comma

text: From Strunk and White's _The Elements of Style_ , Chapter 2, Lesson 2: > In a series of three or more terms with a single conjunction, use a comma > after each term except the last > > Thus write, > >   * red, white, and blue >   * honest, energetic, but headstrong >   * He opened the letter, read it and made a note of its contents. > My question is: Why isn't there a comma after _read it_ in the third example?


title: What does "by heaven" mean?

text: What does "by heaven" mean here? > I should be far enough from imagining, he replied, that I knew the cause of > any of them, **by heaven** I should;


title: "As shown in from Table 1 to Table 5", is this correct? Or should I remove "from"?

text: I'm writing a research paper, and trying to show something in 5 tables. "As shown in from Table 1 to Table 5", is this correct? Or should I remove "from" or "in"? It seems for referring to tables and figures in papers, usually they use the word "Table" and "Figure" with the first letter in capital. So usually they use "Figure 1" or "Fig. 1", depending on how the template defines the format of the titles of the figures. I just don't know how to deal with this when it comes to multiple tables/figures.


title: How do I have to refer to God?

text: I am always wondering about the proper way to conjugate the verbs when it comes to "God". Do I have to add the "s" to the verb?


title: Can you find a noun for the word "diminish"?

text: What I meant by "diminish" is the reduction in value of something abstract. For example: > The purpose of the principle is to set a standard of morality according to > the promotion or __ of happiness among the individuals. The blanks above should be filled with the noun of the verb "diminish". Based on what I found on several sources on the internet, I found the noun: decrease & decline. But I cannot replace the blanks with "decrease" or "decline" because it seems to match in more concrete context such as numbers, graphs, etc. (If I don't sense it wrong).


title: Words based on the names of gods

text: While the word christen means "to baptise" or "to make Christian", in another sense, it has shed its religious connotations to simply mean "to name" or even "use for the first time". Is there any other word which is based on the **name** (or epithet) of a _god_ or _prophet_ , (or possibly some other _significant_ religious figure) with _at least one of its definitions devoid of religious connotations_? [Words like _good_ (from _god_ which is too generic), _august_ (from _Augustus_ , a senate-approved god), and other similarly borderline cases are to be excused.] **Edit:** I'm not looking for _synonyms_ of the word _christen_ or words in common usage which come from religion. They have to be based on _names_.


title: Can we call something a "word" if it doesn't have a vowel?

text: It seems self-evident to me, but in the heat of a Scrabble game (no surprise), my opponent claimed that "sh" was a word. I think it's a diphthong, but the printed dictionary definition of "word" didn't resolve the issue. I know that Scrabble-related questions on this site are generally regarded as _infra dig_ , but the event really did cause me to wonder what truly qualifies as a "word" and what doesn't. [I also understand that this question sits just atop the divide between meaning and orthography, but hey, whtvr.]


title: What is the difference between "vocabulary" and "word"?

text: Why does my English teacher usually point out my mistake when I wrote the following sentence?   * I learned a lot of new vocabulary. -> I learned a lot of new vocabulary words. Why do I have to put the word "words" after the word "vocabulary"? and what is the difference between them? How to use them correctly?


title: Need a word that describes a biweekly publication

text: Our company publishes an internal e-newsletter that we call the <Title> Weekly. We're now going to publish every other week, so the title needs to be changed. The first solution that came to mind was <Title> Biweekly, but a few questions on this site have pointed out that "biweekly" is a troublesome word, and we didn't really like the word anyways. What is a good word to describe a publication that is now publishing less than it used to? Searching around on this site yielded "fortnightly" as an idea, but that doesn't fly as well across the pond. I just learned about the existence of "hebdomadal", but I doubt that "bihebdomadal" would get approved. Any ideas? It doesn't even have to be a synonym of biweekly; in fact, it'd probably be better if we went in another direction. The publication is publishing less frequently so the idea of scaling back could be in play, but the new format opens the door for a more focused and relevant publication, because we won't be struggling for content week after week. So, a word like "condensed" could be on the table as well. Or, even a word that's better than "regular" to indicate that while it's not as frequent, it's still a regular publication.


title: What do you call a disk drive that is not solid state?

text: I tried searching for things like _opposite of solid-state_ , but most of what I've found suggest things like _liquid-state_. I'm pretty sure a drive that is not solid-state contains no liquid to speak of. Is there a one word antonym for the use of _solid-state_ in this context?


title: Is it correct to use quotes before a comma when not representing spoken text?

text: In another question I asked, I used quotes to demark specific terms, but after I posted the question, I wondered if I'm doing it right. Usually, when quoting something a person says, the quotation mark goes after the comma or period, like so: > "This is my opinion," she said. However, I sometimes use quotes not to represent something said by anyone, but instead for delineating a set term or phrase to make it clear that those words go together and none of them should be mistaken for a part of the rest of the sentence. Like this: > Should I say "stand up", "standup", or "stand-up"? This looks weird to me: > Should I say "stand up," "standup," or "stand-up"? ... but maybe I'm wrong about the rules. Is it correct to use quotes in this way? And if so, are the quotes positioned correctly relative to the other punctuation marks? Are there other alternatives for delineating terms without the use of quotes?


title: Which one is correct "I think he like it" or "I think he likes it?"

text: I am confused if I need to use 3-person verb from with a sentence like "I think he like/likes it." What is it called in English?


title: Is "Implement Improvement" awkward English?

text: Do native English speakers use **implement** with **improvement** directly? I found that _to implement_ means 'to carry out (something concrete).'      Is **_implement improvement_** awkward English?


title: "I hope this could help you" vs. "I hope it can help you" vs. "Hoped this may help you"

text: Which of the following is grammatical when giving someone something they want? >   * I hope this could help you. >   * I hope it can help you. >   * Hoped this may help you. >


title: Is there a word or phrase that means both the answer and the question?

text: I am exploring how to create a game that generates metaphors or concepts that could be created outside of a linear thinking of past, present and future. Simultaneous revelations that occur spontaneously in right brain thinking.


title: A synonym for "again" that is widely used today?

text: I wrote the following: > She nodded to her dad, smiling again. His words made her feel like a child > again. That period of time when she felt absolutely safe. As you can see, it reads awkward because two sentences end with _again_. I searched on Thesaurus but none of the words seem to be widely used in cases like the one above (maybe _one more time_ but then I would have repeated _time_ twice.) Anyone has another suggestion?


title: General Purpose Antonym for "Ago"

text: I'm refactoring a function I had to show relative dates like StackExchange does, eg.: > _relative unit of time_ (second/minute/hour/day/week/month/year)[s] > (ago/from now) However, I started wondering if the expression "from now" is the most logical / appropriate for general purpose futuristic use - perhaps "to go" (this kind of makes me imagine a space shuttle launch...) or some other expression would be a better choice?


title: What is the difference between "in ascending order" and "in an ascending order"

text: If "an" is required here? All records in the dataset are sorted in [an ?] ascending order, based on their distances to the hub node. If it matter or context sensitive, please let me know about the difference. Thanks


title: What is Etymology of Munkustrap etc

text: These bold words are from _Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats_: > Of names of this kind, I can give you a quorum,   >  Such as **Munkustrap** , **Quaxo** , or **Coricopat** ,   >  Such as **Bombalurina** , or else **Jellylorum** -   >  Names that never belong to more than one cat. See also the Wiki entry "Munkustrap".


title: A century ago vs. century ago

text: I would like to know which one is correct and if both are correct what is the difference. I want to say that some work was done more than 100 years ago. Do I say "This was done more than a century ago." or "This was done more than century ago." ? Somehow, I feel that the option including an article is correct in this case, but I am curious whether the other might be correct as well.


title: What is a more positive word for "competition" or "competitor"?

text: Particularly in the context of business. I don't like the word _competition_ or _competitor_ in this sense because I believe in an expanding pie, rather than a fixed pie that everyone is competing to get as much of a slice of. What is a word I can use that is more positive than _competition_ and _competitor_? I was thinking _peers_. Suggestions? **Edit** My answer clearly states the context of business. _Player_ satisfies my question.


title: Which version of this sentence with a linking adverb is grammatically acceptable?

text: I am unsure if the word "therefore" is called a linking adverb. I have the following sentences. Which version is grammatically acceptable?   * My preference, therefore, is to travel by train   * My preference is, therefore, to travel by train. Should "therefore" be separated by a comma? (I want to use "therefore" in the middle of the sentence. I know it can be used in the beginning and end of a sentence.)


title: "For both our sake" or "for both our sakes"

text: Should _sake_ be pluralized in this usage? > For both our **sake** , I'm going to leave now. > > For both our **sakes** , I'm going to leave now.


title: What does "leaves you wanting more" mean?

text: For eg. Sony Z1s: It's Got the Look, But Leaves You Wanting More.


title: In this sentence, does the word "as" make it sound like the speaker was the leader?

text: > Oh, to illustrate the frustration as the leader, for the fifth year changed > the rules; I could barely nod my head!


title: What does "E-Z" mean?

text: Is it an abbreviation or is it used instead "A-Z"? I have seen it being used multiple places:   * E-Z cook oven   * E-Z Hiscores


title: Alternatives to "layman"

text: Is _layman_ a gender specific term or can it be used like college 'freshman'? Is it still appropriate to use, or has it been superseded by some other term? Specific to IT, it seems more appropriate to say _user_ instead of _layman_. However are the two equivalent or are there any subtle differences?


title: Etymology of fatuous

text: _Fatuous_ means stupid. Does its etymology relate to _fat_? Are _fat_ and _stupid_ correlated?


title: Is “harebrain” used commonly as a verb or adjective?

text: I found the word, “harebrain” used as a verb in passive form in the following paragraph of today’s _New York Times_ ’ editorial titled “How not to plan for future”. > The agreement between Congress and the White House to virtually eliminate > money for high-speed rail is harebrained. France, China, Brazil, even > Russia, understand that high-speed rail is central to future development. > Not Washington. As I was totally unfamiliar with the word _harebrain_ , I checked online dictionaries, and found the following list of the synonyms of this word in Define.com dictionary: > birdbrain, crackbrain, crank, cuckoo, ding-a-ling, featherbrain, > featherhead, flibbertigibbet, giddybrain, giddyhead, kook, lunatic, nut, > rattlebrain, rattlehead, and so on. Then here’s my question, what is the exact meaning of “money for high-speed rail is harebrained”? Is _harebrain_ used as a verb in passive form or an adjective in the above text? Is it common to use this word, which I thought to be a noun, in this way? Incidentally, we have a phrase “a person with the brain in a match box size” as a Japanese counterpart to “harebrain,” which was actually applied to one of our former Prime ministers.


title: What is a word that means "the state of having an organic nature"?

text: Consider the following paragraph: > Gramsci believed that languages created in a laboratory (i.e. Esperanto) do > not develop organically in the mind of a nation and its individuals. The > imposition of externally derived rules and language that have no 'organic > nature' ( _Italian: organicità_ ) was tantamount to putting the mind in a > straitjacket. What word could be substituted for 'organic nature'? _organicity_ & _organicness_ seem like possibilities, but I've never come across either of them.


title: What does "you will want to" mean?

text: I often find people (mostly American people) telling to me _"you will want to do this"_ or _"you will not want to do this"_. Does it mean they are telling me that I should do something (in the sense of being _authoritative_ ) or are they just _requesting_ that I do something?


title: A question about the Ancient Greek word 'πνρ' in Arher Machen's "The Shining Pyramid"

text: Has anyone read this novel? I am quite puzzled. _πνρ_ is the derivation of _fire_. Has _fire_ anything to do with _Pyramid_?


Is "not eating or drinking" equal to "not eating or not drinking"?


title: "This fine-looking, commanding man had become a shadow of his former self.", I don't know how to underatand this sentence. Help me please

text: > "This fine-looking, commanding man had become a shadow of his former self." "a shadow of his former self" means he was not like what he once had been, right? Then, I am wondering if "this fine-looking, commanding man" was fine-looking and commanding and his former self had been much worse before, or he had been handsome and imposing but then lost almost all his merits? What happened to this man first? Was his "former self" good or bad? How can I paraphrase this sentence?


title: Should Short Story Titles be italicized or put in quotes?

text: I've googled this, and found conflicting answers. Should the title of a short story be italicized or put in quotes? It will be both in the title and the body of a paper discussing the story.


title: What is meant by the (slang) word "tool," when used to refer to a person?

text: Etymonline.com gives a lot of definitions regarding an implement or instrument, specifically inanimate objects. But the word has crept into English slang in reference to people, as in "he is a total tool." Would this mean that he is someone's "puppet?" Or if someone said, "He is a tool of IBM," would this mean that he was a (blindly loyal) company man? Could this refer to a kind of soldier (e.g. a Japanese during World War II) who would jump off a cliff if ordered to do so by an officer?


title: The definite article "the" in "under water"/"under the water"

text: > How can it float in the air ? > > The balloon is filled with helium gas which is lighter than air. It is > similar to when we blow air **under water**. The bubbles filled with air > **under the water** would go up because air is much lighter than the > surrounding water. My question is about the phrases "under water" and "under the water". Is it okay to leave out the "the" in the first usage? And what are the rules to include or exclude "the" in this situation?


title: Expression for two people whose similar personalities makes it difficult for them to get along?

text: I am aware of the concept of "personality clash", when two people can't get along because their natures are too different, but what is it called when two people can't get along because their personalities are too similar?


title: Choosing “with” vs. “in”

text: While doing some formal writing at my office, my friend told me that _in_ is more apt than _with_ in the following sentence. However, my understanding says when we talk about tools of action, we generally use _with_. > A gazetted officer is required to sign **with/in** green ink. So which is more apt here?


title: Can I use “Etch A Sketch” as a verb to mean ‘flip flop one's words?’

text: Today I saw an instance of a proper noun (Google) being used as a verb in the following question on EL&U: > I read an article recently where the author used "substract" instead of > "subtract". I'm more familiar with the latter word but after doing a bit of > _googling_ , it seems that both words are being used, … This reminds me a bit of the story made by Mitt Romney’s campaign in March. He made a slip of tongue by likening the shift of his boss’s political tactics to an "Etch A Sketch." > “Despite Mitt Romney's big win in Illinois, his campaign is on the defensive > after one of his senior advisers told CNN: "I think ... It's almost like an > Etch A Sketch - you can kind of shake it up and we start all over again”. – > NPR Mar 21, 2012 I saw the case of _Blackberry_ being used as a verb too. Can I use “ _Etch A Sketch_ ” as a verb to mean ‘flip flop’ in such a way as “My boss always etches a sketch his words”? Is it understood by many or few Americans?


title: What does this mean: "Avoid oral calcium, dairy products, shark cartilage & exercise during the medication."

text: I found this behind a medicine. At first thought, the sentence looks like it suggests avoiding exercise during the medication. However, I remember reading somewhere that in US English, when there is a list of items, the last item is NOT preceded by "and" unlike in British English. E.g.: >   * American English: "item1, item2, item3 are the items in this list." >   * British English : "item1, item2 _and_ item3 are the items in this list." > This being an American medicine, should I infer that I should avoid oral calcium, dairy products and shark cartilage, and _do_ exercise during the medication? I know it sounds trivial, but something like this on a medicine, I better get the facts right. And for the record: The medicine is not for me. I was asked this question and was wondering myself. **Edit:** The original text was "Avoid oral calcium, dairy products, shark cartilage & exercise during the cleanse". I had to change "during the cleanse" to "during the medication" to give the question's title sufficient context.


title: What is the opposite of “Could you talk a little louder”?

text: In a conversation, when I don't hear someone, I usually say: > Could you talk a little louder please? However, what should I say if:   * Someone is being very loud in the other room when talking on the phone.   * Someone is making too much noise. I am looking for a polite expression. Any suggestions?


title: Word to describe short bursts of running?

text: Is there a word (in the context of exercise) to describe short bursts of running? My first thought was to use the term "running circuits", but that involves other activities in between the running, whereas I'm looking for a term to describe short bursts of only running. Example: Sprint for 60 seconds, walk for 60 seconds, sprint again for 60 seconds, etc.


title: What do you call those stuff published in craigslist.com?

text: I was thinking about the word of those things which are published in craigslist.com and whether if I should call them ads? list? commercials? notice? promotion? flyers? or something else. To clear what I say, where I live, there some daily extra pages published with newspapers in which people and organizations publish their needs or what they can offer other people, as one sells a car or another needs a teacher etc. What are these kind of things called?


title: Meaning of "pushing it"

text: What's the meaning of _pushing it_? > Is a 19 year old too young for a 28 year old? > > Yeah 9 years is kinda pushing it, 'specially when the delta is like half her > life.


title: What is a word that means "someone who pretends to be your friend but is actually your enemy?"

text: What do you call someone who pretends to be your friend but is actually your enemy? A friend suggested _spy_ for me, but that does not nearly describe the word I need for an English project. The character is very good at manipulating how people see him. He's a good liar. And pretends to be your friend but actually is your enemy.


title: Proper usage of the word 'thunk'

text: What is the proper usage of the word _thunk_? According to Merriam-Webster, it is > _dialect past and past participle of think_ Can it be used in a formal context? Is _"Who would have thunk?"_ different than _"Who would have thought?"_ Any examples from news, literature or other known references is welcome.


title: Should I say I "post a post" on a forum?

text: If I want to say > I wanted to create new post (topic, question) but I forgot to do so. should I say > I wanted to post a post but I forgot to do so. or should I say > I wanted to post but I forgot to do so.


title: Why Do Tennis Commentators Talk So Passively?

text: I've watched a lot of tennis and heard a lot of commentating. The various commentators consistently say something like: "The forehand of Federer" instead of "Federer's forehand". Why would they do this? They must receive some sort of coaching/training for commentating, so I assume this is part of the training, but why? It's not to say that they always speak like this, but they do it far more often then is heard in normal conversation.


title: Can "look" be transitive in the meaning "look at"?

text: For example: > He examined the body indifferently, much like one would look a dead animal > on a roadside. I would like to know if _to look_ can be employed transitively like this. I'm sure I've read it used in this way before, but my search was inconclusive. (I know I could write "look at" or "look over", but I'm curious about that particular possibility in the example.)


title: Is 'petrichor' the only noun in English that means a specific scent?

text: I heard that 'petrichor', which is defined as _a pleasant smell that frequently accompanies the first rain after a long period of warm, dry weather_ , is the only noun in English that means a _specific_ scent. Is this true?


title: Word for an interjection made when drinking

text: Is there a word to describe a traditional interjection (in any language) made before drinking? Examples include:   1. _Cheers!_ (English)   2. _¡Salud!_ (Spanish)   3. _Prost!_ (German)   4. _!לחיים_ (Hebrew) A close fit is **toast** , but this can also be used to describe any form of speech which is made before drinking, including long-winded soliloquies. I'm looking for a word that's more specific to traditional one- or two-word interjections.


title: Where did the phrase "used to" come from?

text: I used to wonder about these usages a lot:   * Why does "used to" mean "accustomed to"?   * Why is "used to" used to indicate a recurring past event? > I used to be used to using it. In that example, there are three meanings of "use". The etymologies of the first two are the ones I am interested in knowing.


title: Which is most correct of these 3 phrases?

text: At the top part of the front page of my trading journal website, I have a phrase that I don't know whether is correct or not. Here's what it says:               Online trading journal software including trade planning and money management.     The smart way to plan, journal and learn from your trades     You get a structured approach to becoming more profitable. For free!      I am in doubt about the third line. Is any or more of the below phrases correct? If yes, which one(s) is (most) correct? If not, help in re- writing/re-wording the phrase would be highly appreciated.   1. You get a structured approach to become more profitable.   2. You get a structured approach to becoming more profitable.   3. You get a structured approach for becoming more profitable. English is not my first language so I would appreciate any help on this. Thank you :)


title: "the" is in my business name, capitalize it or not?

text: I'm starting a new business and recently decided on a name. The problem is that the name has the word "the" stuck right in the middle, like so: _**___** the **___ _**, LLC My question, should the "the" be capitalized or not? **Edit/addendum:** I believe the following capitalization rule should be used, but am unsure for this specific case and if my business name constitutes a "title". Rule: Do not capitalize short prepositions, conjunctions, or articles unless they are the first word of the title. From this, I'm guessing the "the" should stay non-capitalized. Anyone care to verify?


title: An expression for law students using "tuppence"

text: Has anyone heard of an expression, from the Renaissance or older, containing the word "tuppence" which describes a student of the law or someone without a great deal of experience or training in it?


title: Art cold? To what extent can pronouns be dropped in English?

text: Many European languages conjugate their verbs, thus: > I am   >  You are | Thou art   >  She is   >  We are   >  You are   >  They are The form of the verb changes, depending on the person. In some languages (Latin and Polish, to my knowledge), the verb form is completely different for each person, which means that the actual pronoun can be omitted. (I believe it can be reinserted for emphasis.) English can't do that. For regular verbs, only the third person singular has a distinct form. We always use pronouns (except when we don't). However, in _King Lear_ , at one point Lear turns to his Fool and asks him, "Art cold?" This would not be possible in current English, as the pronoun _thou_ has all but vanished. Was it possible in actual speech in Shakespeare's time, or could it exist in the play only as a poetic flourish?


title: "Reach eye care to rural areas"

text: I read in a newspaper the following heading for an article: > Reach eye care to rural areas: Governor Is it correct usage of the word _reach_?


title: Can the subject of a portrait be an animal?

text: The answers to question "What is the definition of portrait photography?" seem to imply that the subject of a _portrait_ has to be a person or a group of people. This isn't directly expressed in the reference provided in the top answer, although all the examples are of people. Acceptance of groups is explained in the mentioned answer as: > By the very existence of the term "group portrait", clearly such a thing > exists. Googling for "pet portrait" gives plenty of results to conclude, by the same logic, such a thing also exists. Given that other criteria of portraiture is met, can a portrait also portray an animal, or should it not be called a _portrait_?


Is there a single word for "going the extra mile"? If possible carrying the connotation, if not the denotation, of being awed and possibly humbled by the lengths to which someone went.


title: How to express "consistently beat one's own record" concisely

text: This is for a write-up in an academic document stating accomplishments. I am looking for a term that is a near-equivalent of _beat one's own record, exceed expectations_ and _set new records_.


title: What word means being forced to agree or accept?

text: How to say something like I am forced to agree or accept the situation in one word? I believe there is a precise word to express this.


title: Is "cook the steak" correct?

text: I was just asking a question on Cooking Stack Exchange and I have written the following sentence: > how should I cook the steak at home Well, it looks wrong to me, but I couldn't find any alternative word for that. _Grill_ might fit more here but I didn't mean that. What I was getting at is to express to make the steak eatable with pan and oven. So what do you think?


title: Why did 'y' disappear as an internal vowel in English spelling?

text: Why did the character 'y' disappear in favor of 'i' in English spelling? I've often noticed this replacement when merchants try to sell or advertise something as archaic or old-timey, writing _wife_ as _wyfe_ , for example, or _time_ , as _tyme_. I think this quote from Thomas Cromwell, 1st Earl of Essex, well illustrates the phenomenon: > I amongst other have indured a parlyament which contenwid by the space of > xvii hole wekes wher we communyd of warre pease Stryffe contencyon debatte > murmure grudge Riches poverte penurye trowth falshode Justyce equyte dicayte > opprescyon Magnanymyte actyvyte foce attempraunce Treason murder Felonye > consyli … [conciliation] and also how a commune welth myght be ediffyed and > a[lso] contenewid within our Realme. Howbeyt in conclusyon we have d[one] as > our predecessors have been wont to doo that ys to say, as well we myght and > lefte wher we begann. Any particular reason?


title: Adverbial form of "scrutiny"

text: What is the adverbial form of the word _scrutiny_? I'm looking for the exact synonym of the "with scrutiny" expression. I've tried searching for the form like _scrutinily_ but I've only found something like _scrutinizingly_. Does _scrutinizingly_ have the meaning of "with scrutiny"? The context is that I am trying to describe an act of watching some tv series for my thesis - I had to watch it really carefully in an analytical way and stop the recording every minute or so to write down the sentences I've just heard.


title: What does "We'll be up to our butts in corpses" mean?

text: I was reading _The Watchmen_ (a graphic novel) and stumbled across this expression in a conversation between two cops talking about Rorschach. I suppose it means "We'll have to put up a fight", but I am not sure.


title: What is "For the better or worse"?

text: What is _for the better or worse_? I remember hearing this a few times before but am not really 100% sure on the exact meaning of it.


title: Did Shakespeare really invent 1700 words?

text: I am having a discussion with colleagues about a recent news article relating to new words in the dictionary (cleggmannia? really?) and got onto the subject of evolution of language, and how many words Shakespeare 'invented'. Having never given the statistic a second thought until now, it occurs to me that it is bizarre to imagine someone who, at the time a successful popularist playwright, would just stick words of ambiguous meaning (to his audience at least) into his works. Is it not a more sensible suggestion that he was simply the earliest recorded individual to write these words down, and that they were probably very much in common use at the time?


title: Pronunciation of "of"

text: Is "of" always supposed to be pronounced with the v sound (like "ov")? Or does it depend on the region (e.g. US, UK) or maybe on the word that follows the preposition? For example, how would you pronounce the title of this question?


title: How do you describe this particular way of sitting?

text: In Japanese, there's this thing called 横座り ( _yokozuwari_ , lit. "side- sitting") that looks like this: ![yokozuwari](http://i.stack.imgur.com/zdjoC.jpg) Basically, you sit on your knees, but then partially swing your legs out to one side. Is there a concise way of describing this in English? A short phrase or a single word; either one would work.


title: How to describe time "offset"?

text: My friends and I are in different time zones, so I'm trying to say, > We have a 10 hours time offset Is that right for this situation ? If not, what's the right replacement of `offset` here ?


title: What is the difference between syntax and semantics?

text: As a computer scientist and a writing hobbyist, I really ought to know these terms' meanings for memory. Can anyone clarify the difference between `syntax` and `semantics`, and provide some examples? For example, where does punctuation fall? Spelling? What about sentence (or code) structure?


title: Difference between "explain" and "describe"

text: What is the difference between "explain" and "describe"? When to use one over the other?


title: Meaning and etymology of "kemosabe"

text: I've heard it recently in a movie called " Lone Ranger". Tonto called the lone ranger kemosabe. What does it mean and what is the origin?


title: Use of "and" and "or" to refer to values for comparison

text: I've gotten into a disagreement with a colleague. My original sentence was "Determine the maximum value of Boys _and_ Girls." My colleague thought that the sentence should read "Determine the maximum value of Boys _or_ Girls." I can't find any material on this and I gather that it is quite possible that both are correct. My question is related to the use of "and" or "or" in the sentence, which one is correct? An additional posting my me has provided additional details.


title: What's the opposite of "dogmatic"?

text: I'm trying to describe an approach that doesn't just blindly follow established opinion, but seeks validation through experimentation. Any ideas?


title: Orthography of definite-article contractions in the Yorkshire dialect

text: In the Yorkshire accent the definite article is shortened to just _t_. E.g. 'I went on the bus' becomes something that sounds like 'I went ont bus'. How does one punctuate this? Is it 'I went on t'bus', which seems logical (as the apostrophe indicates missing letters) but does not reproduce the sound that one hears? Or could it be 'I went on't bus'?


title: Correct translation of 2 sentences

text: I wanted to help a friend whose TV got broken in the guarantee period. I am not sure whether these are correct. We have a 2 years warranty stated in the law so I wanted to express he must prove it's less than 2 years: > You have to take your receipt with you in order to prove you did not bought > it before more than 2 years (ago?). Should be there something like "earlier" or "not later"? And the second one - what is the english word to "accept" the guarantee complaint? > They should accept/admit your claim.


Is the phrase "combined with" or "coupled with" a nonessential phrase? For example": Her neat work combined with her pleasant nature makes her a pleasure to teach. Should it be "Her neat work [comma] combined with her pleasant nature [comma] makes her a pleasure to teach"?


title: Punctuating "What are you going to do, sue me?"

text: For example: > What are you going to do, sue me? Is that correct? Or is there supposed to be a question mark after the first question: > What are you going to do? Sue me? It seems like "Sue me?" is not a complete sentence. Did I have it right the first time? "What are you going to do sue me?" seems too abrupt though; shouldn't it have a comma?


title: What is the hypernym for "next" and "previous"?

text: I'm looking for an umbrella term for "next" and "previous" so that I don't have to call my programming methods "NextPrevious". Is there a hypernym for the two?


title: Singular Verb Following "One of . . ."

text: > He is one of the men who do the work. Could someone explain why it is "do" and not "does" up there? I'm sure this question has been asked before and I've memorized what to do with such sentences. But still I'm confused as to the reason why "do" is correct. Is the subject up there "men" and not "he"? Why isn't it possible to make "he" the subject?


title: 'Right' is to 'Integrity' as 'Just' is to what?

text: Or put another way, if integrity means doing the right thing when no one is looking what is doing the just thing when no one is looking? As I understand it being _right_ is a qualitative trait, while being _just_ is a quantitative trait.


title: Word for "order doesn't matter"

text: You have some data and some code that operates on it. The _order_ in which you process each data element doesn't matter, and hence the task is parallelizable. The _order of computation on each element doesn't matter_ , or the computation is _**___ __ ___**_ (not parallelizable!)


title: Once/twice/thrice vs one/two/three times

text: Is there a difference in nuance when using once, twice or thrice instead of one time, two times or three times, especially when counting occurrences? > It has happened twice before.   >  It has happened two times before. Are they always interchangeable? What about other usages (e.g. when comparing magnitude)? > The blue book is twice as heavy as the red one.   >  The blue book is two times as heavy as the red one.


title: Punctuation for a non-question question

text: Some sentences begin with a construction like "May I suggest that...." These are phrased as questions but are really statements. Should such a sentence end with a question mark or a period [full stop] (and what is the rationale)?


title: What is the correct word for Step siblings?

text: I'm creating a list of family members:               Biological, Justin, 5/20/1981     Biological, John,   1/20/1987     Adopted,    Jane,   8/12/1989     Step,       Doug,   12/1/1979      When listing out the type of sibling, the word _step_ seems odd. I've always used it as step-brother or step-sister but never on its own. Is there a better choice of word to use?


title: Replacing "yes" with "absolutely": multiple "w" ' s

text: Replacing simple, concise words with longer, more obscure ones has long been a hall mark of bureaucratic reports and student papers, but I'm asking here about the particular example of replacing "yes" and less formal variants, with the word "Absolutely". I began noticing this in daughter's informal speech everal years ago, and since then have noticed is in responses of guests when interviewed (mostly on public radio shows) in places where the particular character of "absolutely" is not needed, and "yes" would be (at least in my opinion) a better word choice. My best hunch is that this usage began with some particular character in a serial on television or similar, or in a movie. But I don't do television, or movies, so don't know where the usage began. Any ideas on this: who, why, where, or a more precise "when"?


title: How do you pronounce “lithe”?

text: The word _lithe_ seems to be pronounced just like the adjective _live_ (as in _alive_ ), as far as I can tell from listening to this sound sample. Had I not heard it, I would have expected it to be pronounced like _light_. Am I hearing it correctly, and could you shed any information on this “special” pronunciation?


title: Why is "great" pronounced as "grate", but spelled with "ea"?

text: _Great_ is one of the few common English words in which "ea" is pronounced /eɪ/ ( _ay_ ). Why is this pronunciation associated with this spelling? As an aside, I remember from researching for my answer to a previous question that a Middle English spelling of _great_ was _grete_. Was it ever pronounced that way?


title: Is it correct to use "either" and "too" interchangeably?

text: The other day, I heard someone say: > I want it either. It comes strange to me. I'm usually used to hear/say: > I want it too. Is it grammatically correct to use either of them?


title: "They had already decided what to do" vs. "they had decided what to do already"

text: >   1. I was surprised that they had **already** decided what to do. >   2. I was surprised that they had decided what to do **already**. > Which sentence is correct?


title: Name of Shift-Key Concept

text: **What is the name of the concept or type of key used in shifting characters on a mobile device?** Many common virtual keyboards used in cellphones and advanced mobile devices use a certain paradigm for dealing with shifted characters:   1. Hitting shift once results in it being depressed for one character - i.e. until the next regular keypress   2. Hitting shift a second time locks the shift key indefinitely through multiple keypresses, as with Caps Lock.   3. Hitting shift a third time undoes the lock from the second press. What is it called when the shift key is used this way? Is it called both "Shift" and "Caps Lock" at the same time? It has some similarities to the StickyKeys system used by Windows - is it called a "sticky" system of some sort? Is it a "Shift Lock" or a "Sticky Lock?"


title: Slightly chance of something

text: On multiple occasions I heard the phrase _slightly chance of something_ (e.g. rain). This sounds wrong as _slightly_ is an adverb. Googling returns only few instances. Is it acceptable to use this in speech, is it slang, or just mistake that some people make?


title: What does it mean "I'm old. I've seen a lot of bubbles burst. :)"?

text: I met a women who was in Silicon Valley asked, > "You must have seen the bubble burst then?" She replied back saying, > "I'm old. I've seen a lot of bubbles burst. :)" What does it mean? Is that a wordplay?


title: conceived of as vs. conceived as

text: When I want to write that some _something_ has been "taken to mean" or "understood" or "interpreted as" _XYZ_ , I sometimes use the phrase "to conceive of _something_ as _XYZ_ , where _XYZ_ usually is a longer and detailed explanation. So, I often end up having a sentence like this: > _Something_ has been conceived of as _XYZ_. My supervisor, when reading my drafts, always marks this as wrong and wants me to get rid of "of", so that the sentence would read: > _Something_ has been conceived as _XYZ_. While trusting my supervisor with his native speaker intuition and his really good knowledge of grammar et al., I still feel that the sentence requires the "of". It sounds terrible to me. Anybody in for a verdict on this?


title: "Patients' Lifts" and "Consultants' Payments" - are these correct?

text: I saw some sign boards in a hospital which had the following description:   1. Patients' Lifts    2. Consultants' Payments As far as I know, the above signs should read **Patient's Lifts** or **Patient Lifts** and the same rule applies to the #2 sign. Please correct me if I am wrong and I welcome your valuable ideas.


title: "Teaching fish to swim"

text: Imagine one has to give a presentation to explain something to an audience which already knows very much about that topic. Is that correct to say in such a situation that one is _teaching fish to swim_? Can I share the idiom with the audience? E.g., "I'm afraid I'm _teaching fish how to swim_ , but.." And, are there any other expressions like this?


title: Correct Usage of Names

text: if the name has a junior e.g. Jose A. Ruiz, Jr. which comes first when the surname is asked first? Which is correct Ruiz, Jose Jr. A. or Ruiz, Jr. Jose A.?


title: Is there a special word for amounts between 11 and 20?

text: Translation is often tricky. I'm stuck with the Polish word _kilkanaście_ , which literally means _few-teen_. It is used to describe an amount more than ten, but less than 20 (or including 20, it's hard to say, the next "about-the- amount" word means _twelve-and-a-few_. Is there an English word describing that amount, or similar amount? The reason for the existence of such a word, I think, is the fact that when counting on hands, it describes the amount which I can't handle using my hands alone.


title: Phrase for overusing just-learned skills?

text: Is there a saying or word for indicating the overuse of something you just newly learned? Say you were happy with a hammer and a nail and then somebody taught you the virtues of a screw and screwdriver. From then on, every problem incorrectly looks like it can be solved only with the screwdriver.


title: What is "won't" a contraction of?

text: "Don't", "wouldn't", "couldn't" and "isn't" are all contractions of "do not", "would not", "could not" and "is not"... So what's "won't" a contraction of? It appears to be "will not", but if so, why isn't it " **willn't** "? (And if there's no good reason, has it _ever_ been "willn't" at any point in history?)


title: Why is "will not" contracted as "won't"?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  What is "won't" a contraction of? The Why is "cannot" spelled as one word? post brought back another oddity I noticed when learning English. The contraction _won't_ seems to break a common pattern in similar contractions:   * _cannot_ => _can't_   * _do not_ => _don't_   * _should not_ => _shouldn't_   * _would not_ => _wouldn't_ In these examples, the _o_ sound in _not_ is dropped and the letter _o_ ( _no_ in the case of _cannot_ ) is replaced with an apostrophe. However, _will not_ => _won't_ drops _ill_ from _will_ and replaces it with the _o_ from _not_. This contraction is probably derived from shifts in speech rather than writing. How did the contraction _won't_ emerge?


title: Meaning and usage of “be of”

text: As I'm preparing my GMAT test, I see the "be of" structure very frequently. for example > By 1940, the pilot Jacqueline Cochran held seventeen official national and > international speed records, earned at a time when aviation was still so new > that many of the planes she flew **were of** dangerously experimental > design. This really bothers me as it contradicts the conclusion from the post Meaning and usage of "be of", because in GMAT writings the "be of" looks very flexible. I find it's very difficult to understand sometime, but I know these are really fine and efficient writings. I guess my question was, in this case, can you get rid of the " **of** " and what the usage of it here? If I take off the "of" here, does it modify the meaning of this sentence? > By 1940, the pilot Jacqueline Cochran held seventeen official national and > international speed records, earned at a time when aviation was still so new > that many of the planes she flew **were** dangerously experimental design.


title: Is "I am still taking fun of it" correct usage?

text: Is > I am still taking fun of it correct usage? I want to mean that it is still funny to me.


title: Is there any relation between "genius" and "ingenious"?

text: They seems to mean the same thing, yet when spoken they sound like the negative of each other.   What's the secret behind those two words?


title: Proper punctuation for joining pro-sentence with independent clause

text: I recently said the following in chat: > Do you mean 90 cents, or 9 cents?   >  90 cents.   >  Okay, you left out the zero so I wasn't sure. Afterwards it occurred to me I could have replaced the comma with a semi- colon. This led to a discussion with @ArdaXi over what the correct punctuation mark to use in this situation is: a comma, semi-colon, or period. The uncertainty arises from the fact that _okay_ is a pro-sentence. What is the proper punctuation to use when joining a pro-sentence with an independent clause?


title: Are there words that refer to the different duration of months?

text: I had a hard time formulating the question, but I wonder if a month with 31 days has a specific name, Likewise months with 30, 29 and 28 days.


title: "pop bottles all night" - slang or valid term?

text: I know the meaning of "pop bottles all night" - drink all night long. My question is - is this valid term, or slang invented by the person who wrote the song?


title: How to describe something that is very likely happening immediately?

text: How should I describe something that will very likely happen right away? For example, would it be it correct to say, "It is about to rain"?


title: What's the origin of the idiom "get bent out of shape"?

text: What is the origin of the idiom _get bent out of shape_? This is the definition of the idiom from Wiktionary: > (idiomatic) To take offense; to become angry, agitated or upset. _They > stopped inviting him to the gatherings, and he really got bent out of shape > about it._


title: Use of the definite article before a person's name or pronoun

text: Hey native English speakers, My question is regarding the use of the definite article before a person's name, as in > Realtime with the Bill Maher on HBO (youtu.be/I9HCbOmwndA?t=8m40s) or in the Metallica song "The Unforgiven II": > If you can understand the me > > Then, I can understand the you I suppose these must be grammatical. If so, what are they supposed to mean? If not, why are native speakers making such sentences (especially Metallica; I mean that song is going to become history, right?)?


title: What is the etymology and meaning of "fill your boots"?

text: I have a colleague of whom this is a favorite phrase, used in the sense of "knock yourself out", "go for it", "have at it", "go to town", "help yourself". ("You want to add that feature to the software? Go ahead - fill your boots!") So far, the best origin story I've heard is that of "when plundering, using every available container - i.e., even your boots". It feels as though there may be more to it than this, but I've not discovered it yet. What say?


title: Why is "sorry" used for both apology and sympathy?

text: Why is the word "sorry" used for this dual purpose? It seems to me they really have nothing to do with each other at all. Is it purely coincidence, like the dual meaning of "bore"? I find this unlikely. Is this present in (and derivative from) other languages as well? To clarify, why is sorry used for these very different sentences? > I'm sorry that I stole your bike.   >  I'm sorry to hear that your bike got stolen.


title: How can I use "a" with "or"

text: I want to use _a_ with _or_. Which of these two sentences is the correct one? >   * Do you want a full time or half time? >   * Do you want a full time or a half time? >


title: Offensiveness of "black" in reference to race or skin colour

text: Is _black_ offensive when used to refer to race or skin colour? If so, should we then not use _white_ as well?


title: Placing "first" in a sentence; would it change the meaning?

text: How does the meaning of the following two sentences differ? >   1. I first wanted to tell you about it. >   2. I wanted to tell you about it first. >


title: Origin of alternate meanings

text: How do some words get alternate meanings that have nothing to do with their original definition? For example, the word _cool_ means both _moderately cold_ and _permitting such a sensation_. How are these alternate definitions coined?


title: What date range is being referred to when someone says {date} is in the first week of {month}?

text: Conversely, what about: {date} is in the last week of {month}? Is the first week of April the first week that is entirely in April or is it the first week that contains the first of April? Of course this all changes when considering whether the start of the week is Sunday or Monday. There may not even be an "answer". In that case I'm interested in the most common usage. Edit: This SO post and this mailing list are what have caused me to call the meaning into question in the first place.


title: Single word to differentiate animal that likes everyone vs. "one-person dog"

text: What is the English word that means "likes everyone" (as opposed to being attached to one person)?


title: salutation for formal letters

text: > I was taught in school that Sir is the appropriate addressing for a formal > letter to say a head of institution or principal. Dear sir shows familiarity > which is not preferred. Does this hold today?


title: "I left smoking", "I quit smoking", "I gave up smoking", "I stopped smoking" are these same?

text: For various such sentences in many cases I get confused, it seems different for different cases. I want to know if someone left doing something for permanantly then what should be used? Also give some examples for different cases. Suppose... "I left my bag" means "I forgot my bag". but If I want to say the same for permanentaly "I left bringing my bag". Where should we use "stop" and "quit" then?


title: Bike Race question - Loser gets to be the girl

text: I don't remember which movie it was in, but there were two men (filled with testosterone), and they had this bet that the loser would be the girl. It was never specified what ''gets to be the girl'' means. Is there a fixed meaning to it in English?


title: Can there be a better word for commonplace observations?

text: On Facebook, one will find numerous pages like "I hate it when people leave my room and leave the door open" or "When a teacher points at me I look back only to find that it is ME". Can there be a good word to reflect this broad category. I was thinking of Daily happenings, Common observations but I can't find a pleasant to sound word or phrase to represent them.


title: A better way to say "enrolled in a program" to signify the difficulty of attaining admission in the face of stiff competition?

text: I'm trying to write a personal statement in which I've to account for my past educational experiences. One of my courses is from a prestigious institute in my country, where its difficult to attain admission for that particular program. How do I say so, without mentioning that in explicitly (As space is a requirement, and also I don't want to look too smug - after all, the institutes I'm applying to are leaders in their fields, and might view it as arrogant of me) ? If I say "enrolled in the program", it may mean I simply paid the tuition fees, which is incorrect (all the students receive full scholarship by default if they pass the multiple rounds of exams, making it a much difficult feat to secure entry)....


title: How to pronounce abbreviations by prefix part?

text: For example, how to pronounce the following:               dir (directory), deer or /də:/?     char (character), /kær/ or /tʃa:r/?     def (define), deff or diff?     mic (microphone), mik or mike?     var (variable), vaar or /vɛə/ or /və/?     bin (binary), binn or bine?     lic (license), lick, like, liss, lice?     dat (data), datt or date?     loc (location), lokk or /lək/?      etc. and the general form?


title: What is the origin of "hissy fit"?

text: I can't seem to find any definite earliest example of this expression, or a reason why "hissy" was chosen to describe a tantrum. Does anyone hiss when they are angry? When and why was the phrase coined?


title: "Compared with" vs "Compared to"—which is used when?

text: Is only one of them correct? Are they used in different situations? Or are they interchangeable?


title: "His hopes had not materialized"/"have not materialized"/"have not been materialized"

text: Which one is preferable in following sentence? >   * His hopes of getting through the I.A.S. **had not materialized** till > today's date. >   * His hopes of getting through the I.A.S. **have not materialized** till > today's date. >   * His hopes of getting through the I.A.S. **have not been materialized** > till today's date. >


title: How is 'get' being used in these sentences?

text: What grammar structure is this?   1. Bob got/had me drunk.   2. She's got me spending.   3. Get moving!   4. Get going!   5. That music gets/has me dancing!   6. He had/got me stumped.   7. She had/got me stoned. Is it possible to say: _She has/had me spending?_


title: Is 'low speed' finally proving its merit?

text: Technically, you should expect the term _low speed_ , not _slow speed_ (which is obviously illogical). However, it seems the two phrases co-existed as long as one can look back: with _low speed_ fighting a desperate battle to prove its merit. It is only recently that English users seem to have seriously recognized the difference as this nGram shows. ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/Edrxt.png) How did this obvious error survive and even now continue to assert itself? Or is it that from the language point of view, there is an argument that both the phrases are correct, grammatically, especially, semantically? * * * [Edit-1] Some backgrounder on _slow_ and _speed_   **slow** /slō/   Adjective: Moving or operating, or designed to do so, only at a low speed.   Adverb: At a slow pace; slowly.   Verb: Reduce one's speed or the speed of a vehicle or process. If **slow** = **low speed**   then **slow speed** = ?


title: Is there a collective term for charges & fees?

text: Say I have documentation of a particular account with both amounts credited & amounts charged(fees). What would be an appropriately descriptive term for the collection of credits & charges(fees) _(We can assume for this example that fee & charge are equivalent.)_ _update: I am currently using adjustments, but I feel that it implies a mistake in calculation of the balance of the particular account_


title: What particular word is used for this doll?

text: A doll is created which looks like a human and is kept near or among crops in the farm to keep animals like deer away. I don't know what it is called in English. ![scarecrows](http://i.stack.imgur.com/xusqY.jpg)


title: What does the phrase "badly lit" mean?

text: What is the meaning of the phrase "badly lit" in the following scene from the TV series Columbo (emphasis mine): > [ _Set in a court of law. Prosecution is attempting to prove their client > was injured falling down some stairs because they did not have adequate > lighting._ ] > > _Prosecution Lawyer_ : The plaintiff alleges the stairs were **_badly > lit_**. > > _Defence Lawyer_ : Although the plaintiff may well have been! > > (Laughter all around) It seems from the context that the phrase is being used to mean "drunk". If so, is this a common use. I've certainly never heard it before.


title: Is there a word for a shared idiolect

text: Is there a word for a shared idiolect or a dialect understood by only two people?


title: Scheduled Immediately?

text: > **scheduled** (adjective) :: included in or arranged / planned according to > a _schedule_. > **schedule** ::   >  1\. a plan of procedure, usually written, for a proposed objective, > especially with reference to the sequence of and time allotted for each item > or operation necessary to its completion: The schedule allows three weeks > for this stage.   >  2\. a series of things to be done or of events to occur at or during a > particular time or period.   >  3\. a timetable.   >  4\. a written or printed statement of details Given these definitions, is it really grammatically correct to **schedule** something to be done immediately / ASAP, and/or in the course of a impromptu spoken conversation? Or refer to Job/Item X as a **scheduled** job/item, when it's really just Alice telling Bob 'Do X now'. Or at best 'Do X as soon as you're free' (with the understanding that Bob is going to / needs to be free in a few minutes, half an hour at best) This is pretty common corporate use, in my experience, and now I'm wondering if this makes sense outside of corporate speak, or just an example of corporate euphemisms/doublespeak? (Edited: because as Colin Fine pointed out, the usage is certainly grammatical; and grammar is not what really what I'm questioning)


title: What is the easiest language to learn for someone whose first language is English?

text: My first language is Spanish which makes quite easy to learn languages such us Portuguese or Italian. French is a bit more difficult but not as difficult as English. I have always wondered which languages would be easy to learn for some whose first language is English. Is it German, or Swedish, or Danish maybe? I heard the Gaelics (Scottish, Welsh and Irish are very different) am I right? I have this chart here that says that frisian is the closest to English. What do you think?


title: Make like a banana

text: In my area, it's not unusual to hear expressions like > I'm going to make like a banana and split.   >  ...make like a tree and leave.   >  ...make like a baby and head out.   >  ...make like a prom dress and take off. When they are self-referential, they are humorous partings between friends. When directed at others, they are insulting. Are these just simple humorous similes, or is there something more complex going on? Are these only used for parting phrases, or are they constructed for other situations as well? Do these represent some common type of humor?


title: Does "gay" necessarily mean male homosexual?

text: I was under the impression that _gay_ always refers to a male homosexual, though sometimes I see this term used to describe female homosexuals (i.e. lesbians) as well. Is it correct usage? Does it depend on a dialect of English (American, Australian, etc.)?


title: What is the meaning of "If the way Thou choosest, Lead to pain and loss"?

text: What is the meaning of "If the way Thou **choosest** , Lead to pain and loss"? How would you put it in modern English? It is a verse from Margaret E. Barber's song "The Path I Travel." The whole context is: > If the path I travel Lead me to the Cross,   >  If the way Thou choosest, Lead to pain and loss,   >  Let the compensation Daily, hourly, be   >  Shadowless communion, Blessed Lord with Thee.


title: Is “Joe’s and my bicycles” correct?

text: Is this phrasing correct and acceptable? > Here are Joe’s and my bicycles I am describing two bicycles, one owned by Joe and one owned by myself.


title: What's the meaning of the phrase "take a stand on"?

text: > The object model and relational model are different schemas and as such > compromises have to happen. NHibernate makes a very good job in hiding those > compromises in most cases, but when it comes to inverse management you the > developer need to **take a stand on** what compromise is the right one for > your solution. Now you know your options, choose wisely.


title: Take -ing as adverb

text: I am a fan of Devil May Cry. In Devil May Cry 4, the highest rank for fighting is called _smokin' sick style_. Here, it seems that _smokin'_ is used as an adverb. I guess it is derived from the usage of the _f_ word. Is it acceptable to take an _-ing_ word as an adverb, which is commonly used as an adjective? Are there any other examples? ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/VfBzr.jpg)


title: "Luck", "coincidence", "chance" — most appropriate in this situation?

text: > I found my present flat completely by **__**. > >   1. luck >   2. coincidence >   3. chance > What will be the most appropriate word in this sentence?


title: What does “Empty dress” exactly mean?

text: Washington Post (May 22) reported the victory of the 35-year-old Alison Lundergan Grimes in Kentucky Democratic primary to position her as the challenger to 72-year-old Senate’s GOP leader, Mitch McConnell in November election. It says; > Alison Lundergan Grimes says it everywhere she goes. She said it at dozens > of stops in Kentucky over the past week. She said it at her victory speech > here Tuesday night after securing the Democratic nomination for Senate. And > she plans to say it again all the way to November. She’s not an “ **empty > dress**.” > > “ **I am not an empty dress** , I am not a rubber stamp, and I am not a > cheerleader,” she said in a speech Tuesday night after she and McConnell > each easily defeated primary opponents and officially began what is shaping > up to be one of the year’s most heated political battles. > http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/in-ky-mcconnell-challenger-grimes- > embraces-political-upside-of-her- > gender/2014/05/21/86c2535c-e0c3-11e3-8dcc-d6b7fede081a_story.html?wpisrc=nl_mwk None of OED, CED, Merriam-Webster carries “empty dress.” Google Ngram shows existence of the word since mid 19 century, but at a very low incidence ratio (0.0000002% in 2008) Urban dictionary defines it as “Usually used in regards a woman. After you get past all the glamour and glitz, there is nothing worth staying for.” Does it mean ‘outdated and unattractive woman without substance’? What is an alternative short word to “empty dress” used in the context of Alison Grimes’ victory speech? What is the men’s version of “empty dress”?


title: How can a wasteland be "washed in somewhat queasy-ugly bleached orange"?

text: I was very confused when I came across a sentence in “The body politic” in New York Times (June 28) > Set in Tampa (but also shot in California), a palm-lined wasteland that Mr. > Soderbergh has washed in somewhat queasy-ugly bleached orange, the movie > opens at the club with the owner-M.C., Dallas (a spectacular, amusingly > sleazed-out Matthew McConaughey), running down the rules for the female > clientele. I think "bleached orange" is some kind of color. Wash a wasteland in a color, in a movie, what does that mean? I'm totally confused. I also failed to find "sleazed-out" in dictionaries. I know _sleaze_ means tastelessness by virtue of being cheap and vulgar. but what does "sleazed-out" mean?


title: Is it correct to say “He got a fatal injury in the accident” when there is a possibility that the person’s life will be saved?

text: I would like to know whether “fatal injury” means (1) an injury which causes a death, (2) an injury which almost causes a death but not necessarily does, or (3) both (1) and (2) depending on the context. I am confused because several Japanese-English dictionaries give “fatal injury” as a translation of both _chimeishō_ (致命傷) and _hinshi no jūshō_ (瀕死の重傷), while _chimeishō_ means (1) and _hinshi no jūshō_ means (2). I am aware of another question about the word “fatal”, but it does not answer my question. _Edit: I changed the title of the question because the former title resulted in an ambiguity which I did not intend._


title: 'flip bits not burgers' meaning

text: In Google Summer of Code, they use the phrase 'flip bits, not burgers': > provide students in Computer Science and related fields the opportunity to > do work related to their academic pursuits during the summer (think 'flip > bits, not burgers') Doing a Google Search only turns up results which talk about this and not meaning of the term. I think its used in computer science too... What does it mean?


title: Ne'er cast a clout till May be out. Meaning?

text: Today across southern England, it was one of those glorious May mornings of which the poets wrote. The darling buds in bloom, the scent of the blossom hanging like nectar in the air, and the sun up in a clear sky, temperature in the mid-twenties. Yet I took a pullover with me when I went out. Why? Because I have never forgotten the old English proverb taught to me by my grandmother 'ne'er cast a clout, till May be out'. The earliest written version is that of Dr Thomas Fuller in 1732. But the argument has never been settled. Does it refer to the month of May? Should we not leave off an item of clothing until June arrives, or does it refer to the 'may flower' on the hawthorn which blooms along the 200,000 miles of English hedgerow from late April?


title: Whereupon or thereupon?

text: Marion arrives at the Bates Motel, whereupon Norman comes out to greet Marion. Marion arrives at the Bates Motel, thereupon Norman comes out to greet Marion. Are both words interchangeable in this case?


title: Meaning of "Toffy Circles"

text: I'm reading _"The Demolished Man"_ by Alfred Bester, and came across a sentence I could not understand (in bold): > "No you don't, Mr. Powell." Mary burst into laughter. "So that's it. You > want me for a chaperone. Victorian word, isn't? So are you, Linc. Positively > atavistic."   >   >  "I brand that as a lie. **In toffy circles I'm known as the most > progressive** \---"   >   >  "And what's that image? Oh. Knights of the Round Table. Sir Galahad Powell. > And there's something underneath that. I---" Suddenly she stopped laughing > and turned pale. What is the meaning of that sentence? Best I could find, **toffy** is another spelling for **toffee** , but then what are toffy circles?


title: What does ‘Gut the Roster’ mean?

text: I find the phrase ‘gut the (one’s) roster’ very often in the sport section of news papers as used in the following examples. What does it mean? Is it used only in sport related context? 1.He ‘gutted the roster’ of almost all of the players that were in the majors before he arrived, .... 2.The New York Knicks ‘gutted their roster’ on Monday evening to acquire Carmelo Anthony from the Denver Nuggets. ..... 3.When Phoenix ‘gutted its roster’ this offseason, I honestly don't think many Suns fans expected their team to be at .... 4.The trade that finally united the Knicks and Carmelo Anthony resulted in ‘a gutted roster’ and a fractured front office, but those details were deemed secondary to winning a championship.


title: How correct is the Southern colloquialism "y'all" in correct English grammar?

text: Have I capitalized and punctuated correctly above? (Note the space between last letter and question mark in title? (We'll, it was there!))


title: Verb of probability

text: I need to express my idea that I need to generate probabilistic data from raw data. Is there a verb that can express this meaning ? For example, computing probabilities for sensor data => "probabilize" sensor data. Edit: Peter Shor is correct. What I mean is "To cause to be probable or to seem probable." Edit2: Since there are some misunderstandings, I think I should provide more context. I have collected raw data from various sensors. However, my application requires probabilistic data. Therefore, I need a way to "probabilize" the raw data i.e., generate probabilistic data from the raw data.


title: Non-aerodynamic meanings of 'vane'

text: I tried to look for other meanings of 'vane' not related to aerodynamics (weather vane, vane of a feather, etc), and I wasn't really successful. Oxforddictionaries.com gives an example of adjective as 'three-vaned windmill'. But dictionary.com drops some examples which definitely stray from the definition, which doesn't touch them: > So it's vane to talk about blood since it's wrong to judge national > background on this single factor. > > He's a bombast anyway, a vane orator, the way so many pol's are. These definitely don't relate to the given meanings which literally or figuratively refer to something affected by the wind. What does it mean in the examples above? What other meanings does (or did in the past, archaic/obsolete are okay) this word take that are not direct derivatives of the primary _a blade, plate, sail, etc., in the wheel of a windmill, to be moved by the air._ ?


title: Does "someone appeared to help me" have two meanings?

text: > Someone appeared to help me. If I get it right, this sentence can either mean:   1. "It seems like someone was helping me." ( _seems like_ = _appear to_ )   2. "Someone showed up to help me." ( _show up_ = _appear_ ) Am I right?


title: 'Tonight' and 'this evening'

text: If I ask > Are you available tonight for a drink? does _tonight_ refer to _this evening_ and/or _this night_? If not, what would be considered the beginning of the night and the end of the evening? Do they overlap?


title: What does "get wound" mean?

text: In the sixth panel of this web comic the character says, "Get wound, Sturmvoraus*! I do not need your help." So, what does "get wound" mean in this context? I googled it, but only got "getting wound up", which means "getting excited" or "getting worked up" to me, which doesn't seem to make a lot of sense here. How would you interpret it? * "Sturmvoraus" is the name of the red-haired character. He is in a sort of personal rivalry/power struggle with the brown-haired character, but they are currently forced allies with common goals and trust each other to a degree because of that.


title: {wend, went, went} changed into {go, went, gone}

text: I have heard that the verb _go_ used to be _wend_ in olden days. I am curious if there is any historical or other explanation why the past form of _wend_ , i.e. _went_ , is still in use while the simple present and past participle forms are gone. Any idea or link to some resources which deal with this fact?


title: Variation(?) on Antanaclasis

text: US President Obama in his recent annual State of the Union address to the Congress: > In the year since I asked this Congress to raise the minimum wage, five > states have passed laws to raise theirs. Many businesses have done it on > their own. Nick Chute is here tonight with his boss, John Soranno. John’s an > owner of Punch Pizza in Minneapolis, and **Nick helps make the dough. Only > now he makes more of it** : John just gave his employees a raise, to ten > bucks an hour – a decision that eased their financial stress and boosted > their morale. The use of _dough_ was straight-forward and in its most common meaning. However, the speaker uses its **pronoun** in a pun in the next sentence - that Nick now makes more money, not prepares more of the wetted flour. If this is Antanaclasis1 or another literary device, can a pronoun thus serve as well as the word itself? * * * > 1\. Antanaclasis. From Greek ̩ ̩ἀντανάκλασις, a figure of speech involving a > pun, consisting of the repeated use of the same word, each time with > different meanings.


title: Is "Four times more" grammatically correct? And, if so, what precisely does it mean?

text: > I have 10 beans. Jim has _four times more_. Is this a valid sentence? And, if so, does it mean Jim has 40 or 50 beans?


title: "Three quarters" vs. "three fourths"

text: To express a fraction of 3 out of 4, how and when would you use _three quarters_ , and when would you use _three fourths_? To me, _three quarters_ is what I would have used all the time — but I'm not a native English speaker, so I'm not sure. I did come across _three fourths_ , but wasn't sure if that's something used in certain geographies and/or fields of expertise, or whether that's just a slightly too literal translation of another non-native speaker. Are there certain walks of life, certain fields of expertise that would use _three fourths_ instead? Or is this a question of geography (e.g. used in New Zealand, but not elsewhere)?


title: Proper usage of 'if so' in a sentence

text: I have used a sentence today like below but not sure I used _if so_ correctly here; > Additionally, we could make your booking via e-mail if you prefer to proceed > that way. Please let us know if so.


title: 'Cumbersome' and 'Trivial'

text: I'm often confusing the meaning of **Cumbersome** and **Trivial**. I always visit on 'StackOverFlow', and watch these questions or answers, such as, > This is cumbersome problem. > > Those things are quite trivial. My question is   1. Do 'Cumbersome' and 'Trivial' have similar meanings, in general speaking?   2. Are they polite words?   3. If they have same meanings, which word is more useful? Sorry about my bad english..


title: What is a word to describe a person who wears several masks?

text: What word best describes a person who is deceitful and very complicated to understand? As they say, he wears several masks.


title: Idioms and Phrasal Verbs

text: By definition an idiom is an expression or phrase that cannot be understood by the sum of its parts. There are, of course, many idioms that we can understand by virtue of their transparency like "shed light on" or "in a nut shell". But there are a number of categories that are really rather cryptic. **Question:** Can we define phrasal verbs as idioms, or should we keep them separate in their own linguistic and lexical species?


title: Electronic or electronics for the adjective

text: Is it correct to say "electronics products" or "electronic products"?


title: Word for "on this side of the ocean"

text: I'm looking for a word akin to 'cismontane' that refers to oceans or seas. Does this exist?


title: What is the plain alternative to “fossilized language”?

text: I was drawn to the word, “fossilized language” appearing in the following sentence of the New York Times’ (June 13) article titled, “Southern politicians try to hold back the tides.” > “It’s always taken longer to get to the future in the South, and the > region’s social tardiness has been on display in this season’s political > races. For the moment, at least, harsh and **fossilized language** is still > required of both Republican and Democratic candidates (in Mississippi and in > Kentucky).” http://takingnote.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/06/03/southern- > politicians-try-to-hold-back-the-tides/?hp&rref=opinion Fossilized language sounds like to me a stale but die-hard slogan. I can imagine what it implies, but I don’t know an exact word to rephrase it briefly. Google Ngram shows that this word first appeared in early 1900, but the currency is very low (at 0.000000048% level in 2008), after peaking in 1990 (0.000000092). What is a plain alternative to “fossilized language”? Is it primarily used in political context? Is it definitely different from “fossil language” such as, say Sanskrit, Coptic and Aram?