title: Does the word, ‘peruse’ have a single meaning of ‘attentive reading,’ or double, contradicting meanings of ‘attentive’ and ‘cursory’ reading?

text: I’m confused to find opposite definitions in the same word, ‘peruse’ in Readers English Japanese Dictionary published by a leading foreign language dictionary publisher in Japan. It defines ‘peruse’ as: > vt. > >   1. Read carefully and attentively. Examine carefully. > >   2. Read cursorily, quickly. > > As I thought ‘read carefully’ and ‘read cursorily’ are contradicting definition, I checked OALED. It defines ‘peruse’ singly as: > vt. to read sth. especially in a careful way. Oxford Online English Dictionary single-mindedly defines ‘peruse’ as: >   1. read (something), typically in a thorough or careful way: >   2. examine carefully or at length: > with a specific note: > Note that peruse means ‘read’, typically with an implication of thoroughness > and care. It does not mean ‘read through quickly; glance over’, as in > documents will be perused rather than analyzed thoroughly. Cambridge Online English Dictionary similarly define ‘peruse’ as: > to read through something, especially in order to find the part you are > interested in: However, Merriam-Webster English Dictionary comes with dual meanings of ‘attentive reading’ and ‘cursory reading, or skimming.’ > a: to examine or consider with attention and in detail. > > b: to look over or through in a casual or cursory manner. Obviously, both Oxford (including OAELD) and Cambridge English Dictionary give a single meaning of ‘attentive reading,’ and both Merriam-Webster and Readers Dictionary give dual meanings of “attentive and casual reading.” What is the absolute interpretation of the meaning of ‘peruse’? If it has a single meaning - only attentive reading -, there’s no problem. But if it has dual meanings as seen in Merriam-Webster and Readers Dictionary, how can I find which way the word is used in mutually conflicting meanings of ‘deep- reading’ and ‘quick-reading’ in the context? In other word, how can I tell whether the sender wants me to make a thorough and meticulous study of his writing, or to have just a quick run-through when he sends it to me with a note, “for your perusal?” **Addendum:** I checked American English dictionaries at hand, which again come in both a single and dual definition(s). Oxford American English Dictionary (1980) defines ‘peruse’ singly as to **read or examine** printed material, **especially with great care**. Webster’s New World Basic Dictionary of American English (1998) defines the word separately as; 1\. to read through carefully as in peruse report on employment. 2 to **read in a casual way** as in peruse the Sunday paper. In net, four English dictionaries provide a single definition purporting ‘attentive reading,’ and three other dictionaries provide dual meanings of ‘attentive’ and ‘cursory’ reading. However, all three Oxford brand dictionaries adopt uniformly a single ‘attentive reading’ interpretation.


title: "the element of imprecision" and "casual and bold"

text: Ran into this: > For the hundredth time he resented **the element of imprecision** , _the > margin of guesswork that entered into the business_. The project as he had > worked it out was **casual and bold** , the risks were considerable. For context: here 1)Is the _the margin of guesswork that entered into the business_ the appositive of **the element of imprecision**? 2)Could you kindly rephrase the whole 2 sentences? I mean if you were to say it with different simpler words while the meaning would not change, how would you say it?


title: Comma placement

text: Ok, just for fun, this sentence makes perfect sense when spoken, but in print, where would you put the commas? I say at that that that that that that that refers to is not that that at all.


title: The structure of the second half of this sentence

text: > The dot is placed in a position that is relative to the other dots and the > timing as to when the item was posted I'm okay with the first half of this sentence (the part before _and_ ). I'm wondering if the second half is a legitimate ellipsis here. If so, how does it interact with the first half? In other words, what could be the full form of the entire sentence?


title: Would the word "tween" be considered a portmanteau or is it just a truncation?

text: Is it the word "between", but truncated, or a portmanteau of "in between" and "teen"?


title: What is a lemma?

text: Psycholinguistically, a lemma is an abstract conceptual form of a word. However from a lexicographic perspective, the lemma is merely the aorist or canonical form of a word. In English, the lemma of a verb is the 3rd person singular form; for a noun, it's the singular form. However for multi-word expression, we might need to use the plural form of a noun within the expression, e.g. "kick_one's_heels". Even if we don't consider multi-word expression to constitute a lemma, we have other inconsistencies of the criteria to give lemma status to a word, e.g. `hooved`(adj) vs `hoofed`(adj). What is a notion of lemma? How is it scientifically defined? Citations will be much appreciated.


title: Differences between "very" and "very much" as adjective modifiers

text: The following examples are clearly wrong: > × I am very much tired   >  × She is very much clever But the following sounds fine (at least according to OALD): > I am very much afraid that ...   >  I am very much aware of ... Worse, the following sounds awkward to me: > × I am very aware of ... I wonder some sound ok while the others do not. Does it have to do with the type of adjectives being used? Or is there a subtle nuance between "very" and "very much"? Is "very much" the same as "extremely" (I would guess not, at least in the "afraid" example)? When should/can one use "very much", as opposed to "very"? Are there differences between spoken and written uses?


title: Is there a better phrase / word choice than 'jealous of' when a man looks and smiles at my wife?

text: One of the meanings of 'jealous' as mentioned on dictionary.com is:   1. solicitous or vigilant in maintaining or guarding something: 'The American people are jealous of their freedom.' Now, if a man looked and smiled at my wife I would become very jealous but if I described this and said: 'I'm jealous of my wife.' it would not reflect the situation or my feeling. It would suggest that my wife has something that I want but don't have. Also, it may imply that my wife did something to make me jealous - which in the above situation never happened because it was the man that looked and smiled. In Arabic there is a specific word and preposition to reflect these types of situations as opposed to the use of jealousy to mean wanting something someone else has, which in Arabic has yet another different word. The above example from dictionary.com about Americans being jealous of their freedom does not leave any room for misunderstanding or multiple meanings because it is not possible to be jealous of an inanimate object (albeit an abstract one like 'freedom') but it is ambiguous when it comes to people like my example above, hence the possible misunderstanding and lack of accuracy in expression.


title: Can the word “off-label” be used for other than medical application?

text: The New York Times article (March 4) introduces top 10 ramen destinations in New York under the title, “Ramen’s Big Splash.” I was amazed to find that ramen acquired so much popularity among New Yorkers, in retrospect that I was unable to find a single ramen shop in Manhattan in mid-70s when I visited New York for the first time . After returning home, I recommended the owner of one of the largest Chinese restaurant chains in Tokyo to open rahmen shop in Manhattan. He scowled, and declared that there’s no way of ramen shop’s becoming a good business in U.S. Idle talk aside, I was drawn to the word, “off-label” in the following sentence of the article: > “Another **off-label** use for ramen has been gathering strength in Japan > and is a good bet to take off in New York: mazemen. Ramen without the slurp, > mazemen has no broth, getting its flavor elsewhere. At Ivan Ramen, this can > be from a mash of eggplant and chiles or, in my favorite example of the > genre, caramelized garlic pulp.” > > http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/05/dining/ramens-big-splash.html?hp&_r=0 I understand “off-label” here implies “non-standard.” But as far as I’ve checked major online English dictionaries, definition of “off-label” is highly medicinal specific, and pretty serious. For example; CED: used to describe a medical drug that is used for a different purpose than the one it was originally intended for: Off-label uses may include giving a drug for a disease other than the disease it is approved for, or for treating a child when the product is approved to treat adults. OED: relating to the prescription of a drug for a condition other than that for which it has been officially approved: Merriam Webster English Dictionary: of, relating to, or being a drug used to treat a condition for which it has not been officially approved: Wikipedia: Off-label use is the use of pharmaceutical drugs for an unapproved indication or in an unapproved age group, unapproved dosage, or unapproved form of administration. - - It does carry health risks and differences in legal liability. Can the word “off-label” be used more broadly on anything such as foods, electric appliances and smart phones as used in the above article other than medical reference, just as a figurative expression?


Which of the variants is more correct in (American) English, "which usually is the case for ..." or "which is usually the case for ..."? For example > Some people don't speak perfect English, which (usually is | is usually) the > case for me. The Google search seems to return twice as many results for the first variant, but the second one feels bit more easy to say.


title: "Big budget" vs. "large budget" — which one to use?

text: What is the difference between _big_ and _large_? I am trying to use one of these words but I'm skeptical which one is the right one. The context I intend to use one of these words in is: > Small companies don't have big/large budgets. So which one is the better choice?


Is there any shorter way to say "military medical personnel"? I mean by that: all the people in the armed forces that are allowed to use medical equipment on a daily basis.


title: How do we differentiate long vowels from short vowels in English

text: I was finding a school for my toddler. I saw this new theory called long vowels and short vowels The teacher talk about _apple_ , which she read something like "eiple" and the _hat_ , which she claims use short vowels. She says that some vowels are long vowels and some vowels are short vowels. Now I know where I got my accent. I never knew about it. In Indonesian language every vowel have just one spelling. That being said, she does sound like native speakers. The question is: How do we know when we should use long vowels and when we should use short vowels. For example, is a in apple short or long? Is the _a_ in _hat_ short or long? Do we sort of just memorize that or is there a rule.


What is it called when a letter is within another letter? For example, the letter O within the letter L: ![Example 1](http://i.stack.imgur.com/b5yeM.png) **Edit:** Or the first C in the Coca-Cola logo: ![Example 2](http://i.stack.imgur.com/fVtss.png) Does this arrangement of type have a name?


title: A word or phrase to say something reminds or hints or brings up another idea

text: I want to tell that something reminds/hint us of another thing. For example, in an application, a sorting method used in it has similarities to bubble sort but not completely the same. In this case, when reading about the sorting method used in the application reminds or hints me of, or brings to mind the idea of bubble sort. So, I tried to put this idea into a sentence this way: > The sorting method used in the application _reminisces_ bubble sort. But in this sentence, is the word _reminisces_ used appropriately? So I thought of phrasing it the other way: > The sorting method used in the application _is a reminiscent of_ bubble > sort. I seldom hear the word _reminiscent_ being used in this context and it sounds weird when I use it this way. Is it correct? Since it also feels like a hint, I thought maybe I could use the word " _allude_ ": > The sorting method used in the application _alludes_ bubble sort. Here, again, _alludes_ doesn't sound like a right word to use. What word or way of phrasing should I use to get this idea across clearly?


title: "peered out the plane" vs "peered out the plane window"

text: Is it OK to omit _window_ in the following sentence: > **Mary relaxed her body as she peered out the plane.** Clear turquoise water > and miles of white sand started appearing on the horizon. Is it apparent that the person is peering out of a airplane window?


title: Theatrologue: what are peoples' opinions on the use of this word in English?

text: I often edit texts that have been translated from Slovenian language and it is common that the Slovenian word _teatrolog_ gets translated into English as "theatrologist", a word to which I find I am quite allergic. Today I saw on the _Slovenian Dictionary of Theatre Terminology_ the following translations: _**teatrológ** -a m strokovnjak, ki se ukvarja z zgodovino, estetiko, teorijo in družbeno funkcijo gledališča_ ang.: theatre scholar, theatrologue fr.: théâtrologue m. ita.: studioso del teatro m. nem.: Theaterwissenschaftler m. In the past I have been quite relentless in changing occurrences of "theatrologist" or even "theatrologue" (also a bothersome term to me) to "theatre expert". It's not my favourite option, which is why I decided to post a question here. What do others think is the most appropriate term: "theatre expert", "theatre scholar" or "theatrologue"? Thanks in advance for your input.


title: Is 'overreach' just a verb?

text: Reading an article on the _New York Times_ website, I came across the verb 'overreach' functioning as a noun. I immediately looked it up on the net and apparently it's just a verb, so I wanted to know what's going on here: is it a translation issue or does it have to do with some dialectical/sociolinguistic/idiolectical affair (which I doubt, because the text is supposedly standard American, right?)? Thanks.


title: Can this sentence be ordered differently?

text: > John and Tom, working together effectively, were gathered in the basement. I don't believe there's a problem with this. But what if you change the order to: > The ones gathered in the basement were John and Tom, working together > effectively. In this case, I am hoping to begin the sentence with "The ones..."


Are "y", "m", and "d" the singular and plural abbreviations for "year(s)", "month(s)", and "day(s)"? Examples: _1\. The project took exactly 5y 2m 18d to complete._ (If this is in fact correct, would 'm' be confused for 'meter'?) _2\. It was a 5y 2m 18d project._ Again, I was asked for exactness and specificity with regard to accuracy. I don't know why the boss likes this format, but for some inexplicable reason he does. Any help is greatly and deeply appreciated. You folks on this site are amazing. (Sorry, but I had to give you your props.) :-)


title: Can "crepuscular" and/or "twilight" apply to morning half-light as well as in the evening

text: I know that's "sorta" two questions in one, but I'm stuck in an argument with a guy who says _both_ words can apply to morning half-light. I disagree and think both only apply in the evening. I think both can only be used about dim light in the evening, but I have to admit I don't know any equivalent words for dim light in the morning. EDIT: More votes needed! I get the feeling I'm losing here!


title: Placement of "off the beaten track" in context

text: I know that "off the beaten track" means "unusual". Can it be used before a noun and after a verb? For example, >   * an off the beaten track place >   * This holiday is off the beaten track. > Is it used only when talking about things?


title: Does the verb “unpublish” exist?

text: I use a CMS (content management system) where a post or comment is visible to all the users (if there aren't other restrictions) when it is flagged as _published_. What verb should I use to mean that I changed the status of a post from _published_ to _unpublished_? The dictionary reports that _unpublished_ is only an adjective; therefore, I could not write _I unpublished the post_. I usually write _I marked the post as unpublished_ , but it doesn't sound right to my ears (and it seems using more words than needed).


title: Is there a name for someone who owes a debt?

text: I'm currently writing fiction about a firm that collects debt from citizens who owe money to various places, such as banks, or government agencies (involving government loans or unpaid taxes). Is there a word to describe someone who owes a debt, specifically money, or does it vary depending on where the money is owed to? If a person who collects debt is a debt collector, perhaps a debt collectee?


title: "Whatever for?" vs. "What for?"

text: From _Watership Down_ , by Richard Adams: > Chervil: “It’ll have to be reported.” > > Bigwig: “ **Whatever** for?” > > Chervil: “Because it’s unusual. Everything unusual has to be reported.” I think saying _“What for?”_ would work there as well, so is there an added meaning when using **_“Whatever** for?”_ with _whatever_ instead of just _what_ there? Is this a colloquialism?


title: Whats in a title?

text: As a member of the executive board for my local camera club, we were standardizing the titles for consistency and uniformity. Previously, Vice President of Competition and Vice President of Programs were not consistently named and caused confusion. In some places it was Vice-President vs. Vice President and in others it was 'for Competitions' vs. 'of Competition' as well as 'of Programs' vs. 'for Programs'. Is there an appropriate way to specify this?


title: What does “much to his chagrin” mean?

text: What does _much to his chagrin_ mean? If _chagrin_ means feeling of embarrassment, then can we write “I felt chagrin” or the like? What about “I was chagrined by”? Then what does _much to chagrin_ mean in a sentence, or is this the way we put it?


title: Difference between “thesis” and “dissertation”

text: Is there a difference between _thesis_ and _dissertation_ in a British academic context? I saw that _thesis_ was more used at Masters level while _dissertation_ at PhD level but would like a confirmation.


title: Did the "We shall fight on the beaches" speech mainly use words from Old English? If so, why?

text: I read today that Churchill's "We shall fight on the beaches" speech mainly used words from Old English. Wikipedia's article states that Melvyn Bragg claimed in "The Adventure of English" that only seven words in his speech weren't from Old English. A similar claim is made by Robert Lacey in "The Year 1000: What Life Was Like at the Turn of the First Millennium": > “When Winston Churchill wanted to rally the nation in 1940, it was to Anglo- > Saxon that he turned: "We shall fight on the beaches; we shall fight on the > landing grounds; we shall fight in the fields and the streets; we shall > fight in the hills; we shall never surrender." All these stirring words came > from Old English as spoken in the year 1000, with the exception of the last > one, surrender, a French import that came with the Normans in 1066 I've got two questions: 1) Is this claim true? I'm a little cautious about the claim, because it sounds like something that'd be popular with Francophobes. That one of the few exceptions (according to the claim) is "surrender" would be consistent with this. (This is a good example of anti-French sentiment, if you need one) 2) If the claim is true, and assuming that the choice of Old English was deliberate, why was this done? Did Churchill expect people to notice that he was using Old English words? Or was he expecting Old English words to produce a different emotional response than words from French?


title: Is there any grammatical mistake in "web designers and developers required?"

text: I am going to publish the requirements of some local developers, however, someone said that there is a grammatical issue in following sentence: "web designers and developers required." Is there?


title: Question regarding the use of "rather than"

text: Can you please tell me whether the following sentence is correct? Would you improve it (for example using appropriate punctuation)? > Hence several attempts have been made to cope with rather than eliminate the > presence of cancer cells.


title: "Shot" or "shooted"

text: Which is correct: _shot_ or _shooted_? Where and when is the form _shooted_ used?


title: Does the expression “web technologies” have a euphemistic/promotional character ?

text: In German, I sometimes come across the expression “Webtechnologien” as a direct adoption of “web technologies”, which usually relates to software, programming, web development. I've always found the use of the word “technologies” slightly odd here – it seems to have a somewhat promotional character to me, whereas something like “techniques” would come closer to a 'sober' choice of words, though maybe not a perfect one, either... I'd like to know if this is in fact an impression that is shared by native English speakers.


title: Is there an English word for a person who shares your name?

text: In Sweden, if your name is Sven Andersson and there is a person of interest (for any reason) that has the same name as you, there is a slightly affectionate word you can use where you say that this person (that you often don't know at all) is your **namne** ( _namn_ means name). Is there a similar word in English, and how does the usage differ, if at all?


title: How do I spell a word that sounds like "reh-par-tay" and often used with "witty"?

text: Clever conversation, aka "witty [reh-par-tay]" ... can't for the life of me remember how to spell that loan word, though I use it in spoken English from time to time. I am pretty sure it's not _repertoire_.


title: Using "champion" as a verb

text: John McCarthy, Father of Artificial Intelligence, just passed away. I just read an article about him, which stated that > he **championed** mathematical logic for Artificial Intelligence. I am not sure of the meaning of _champion_ , although I have seen it used in several similar occasions. I just looked it up and assume that it means to defend or to support. My intuition is that _champion_ could be the very word we should think of in the first place in this context. Is that true? Could any other word be a better alternative here?


title: Difference between "extremities" and "extremes"

text: What is the difference between _extremities_ and _extremes_? Which is more appropriate when attempting to convey that someone blows things out of proportion or is a bit hyperbolic? For context, this is the title of a sub-chapter.


title: Difference between "election fraud", "electoral fraud" and "voter fraud"

text: What is the difference between _election fraud_ , _electoral fraud_ and _voter fraud_? An example of usage for each word would be great.


title: "Help save the planet with your mobile phone"

text: Does "help save the planet _with_ your mobile phone" have a different meaning or connotation than "help save the planet _using_ your mobile phone?"


title: Word for "Raccoon-like" or "Raccoon-esque"?

text: I am looking for a word like lupine only for raccoons. Is there a word that means “raccoon-like” or “raccoon-esque”?


title: Payment to be due within three months "of" that meeting

text: Does the word "of" in the context of an established point in time refer to before or after that established point in time?


title: What is the exact meaning of “blood-dimmed (tragedy),” and how does it pass current among Anglophones?

text: I was drawn to the word, “blood-dimmed tragedy” in the following statement of Maureen Dowd’s article titled, “Peeping Barry” in June 8 New York Times: > You could see the fear in his eyes, the fear that froze him in place, after > Andy Card whispered to W. in that Florida classroom that a second plane had > crashed into the twin towers. The **blood-dimmed tragedy** of 9/11 was > chilling. But instead of rising above the fear, W. let it overwhelm his > better instincts. I know ‘blood-chilling’ and ‘blood-curdling’. But as I don’t know the word, “blood-dimmed,” I consulted English dictionaries at hand and online. None of OED, CED and Merriam-Webster includes this word and nor does Google Ngram register any incidence of “blood-dimmed.” However, I found that “blood-dimmed tragedy” is a twist of “the blood-dimmed tide is loosed,” in William Butler Yeats’ “The Second Coming.” > "Turning and turning in the widening gyre > > The falcon cannot hear the falconer; > > Things fall apart; the center cannot hold; > > Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, > > **The blood-dimmed tide is loosed** , and everywhere > > The ceremony of innocence is drowned;" I wonder why Dowd – I know she loves flowery expressions - doesn’t plainly say ‘the tragedy of 9/11 was blood-chilling / curdling’ instead of ‘the blood- dimmed tragedy of 9/11 was chilling.” How does the word “blood-dimmed,” which I cannot find in any of mainstream English dictionaries, pass current among average English speaking people? Will I be frowned on, or not, if I say “I saw a **blood-dimmed car accident** in my neighborhood yesterday” to my English speaking friend?


title: "It stands without reason" or "it stands to reason"

text: This question appeared in a previous question.   Should I write " **it stands without reason** that accuracy is of utmost importance" or " **it stands to reason** that accuracy is of utmost importance?" The latter is the only I can find in online dictionaries.


title: Equivalent of sarcastic song "non ti preoccupare, l'importante è partecipare" among Italian football supporters

text: Is there an equivalent in English or American sports culture of the sarcastic song that originated among Italian football supporters, that they sing to the losing opposition team? It's like this: > [Milanista/Interista] non ti preoccupare, l'importante è partecipare which can be roughly translated to: > Don't worry, the important thing is to participate Any ideas?


title: Is "either" being properly used in the following sentence?

text: I'm not a native English-speaker. For some reason, I'm not sure about the usage of **either** in the following sentence: > And it's not that I’m against traveling or studying abroad. It's just that > I'm not against staying in a same place **either**. Is it being used correctly?


title: "By the Bye": Etymology and Usage

text: In India we frequently use this term as a substitute for 'By the way'. Is the usage as popular in other countries? Can someone throw some light on the etymology?


title: Meaning of "For, as to their own happiness, it is but trash"

text: What is the meaning of the sentence in bold? > I don't think happiness is important. **For, as to their own happiness, it > is but trash.** To what end is happiness?, I say. Henry Jacobson (Happiness)


title: structure or phrasal verb?

text: I think I understand what he wants to say, but cannot figure out the sentence structure or I just don't know such a phrasal verb. "I thought of the Lake Como what I had thought of Lugano."


title: Comma in "Before I go I will return the book"

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  When do I use the comma? > Before I go I will return the book. Do we have to use a comma in the above sentence?


title: Is there a word for a person who is able to focus on multiple tasks at same time?

text: I thought of the word 'multi-tasker' but is there a better word which can express focussing on multiple tasks with equal efficiency? For instance, it is said that Leonardo Da Vinci, a polymath, was able to write and draw at the same time.


title: Alternative to "typo"

text: I often write and see written something like "Fix typo" in commit messages, when the fix was not in fact for a "typographical error". It might have been a duplicate word, a small grammatical problem (perhaps have/has, they're/their), an awkward construction, or a mistaken identifier. Is there a good, compact word or phrase that would describe this more accurately, but perhaps isn't as pretentious and hollow as "Fix minor linguistic problems"?


title: Is this an adverbial clause?

text: I see a sentence in this site: > But both can be quite strong depending on how they are spoken. Is _depending on […]_ an adverbial clause?


title: Differences in uses of efficient and effective

text: I am really confused when **efficient** and **effective** appear in a sentence. I get quite confused about the whole meaning of the sense it pulls of.


title: Is there any difference in meaning between 'efficacy' and 'efficiency'?

text: I feel that there is a subtle difference in meaning between 'efficacy' and 'efficiency', but I couldn't find any authoritative sources that could help me confirm or refute this. Is there any difference between the two words, especially in scientific context?


title: Meaning of "My friend, who lives in Paris, is a teacher" with and without commas

text: Can anyone help me understand the difference in meaning between these two sentences? >   * My friend who lives in Paris is a teacher. >   * My friend, who lives in Paris, is a teacher. > To me it seems they convey the same meaning, however the latter better structures the sentence. I came across this in the following question: > How would you explain to a learner of English the difference in meaning > between the following pairs of sentences?


title: What are the differences in meaning between a-b, and c-d?

text: a.The travellers who took another route got lost. b. The travellers, who took another route, got lost. * * * c. Mary, who always sits in the front row of the class, got 'A' today. d. Mary who always sits in the front row of the class got 'A' today.


What are the metaphorical ways to say that someone has died? For example "He has gone to the far country where he will be happy for ages". P.S. There is this question, but it focuses on mentioning the person, while this question is more about mentioning the fact. * * * > This question exists because it has historical significance, but it is no > longer considered a good, on-topic question for this site, so please do not > use it as evidence that you can ask similar questions here. > > More info: http://english.stackexchange.com/faq


title: Why are present participle and infinitive equally acceptable for some verbs, but not others

text: This question about "started teaching/to teach" made me realise that even though the present participle and infinitive are both acceptable after _"started"_ , that's not the case with other superficially equivalent "auxiliary" verbs... > She began crying/to cry. _(both okay - and to me, mean exactly the same > thing)_ > > She ceased caring/to care. _(both okay, but the infinitive seems slightly > more "natural" to me)_ > > It commenced raining/?to rain. > > It stopped raining/*to rain. > > He quit gambling/*to gamble. > > We gave up trying/*to try. What is it about those last four that prevents the infinitive form being acceptable? I have a vague sense that in some usages the infinitive might have been more acceptable in the past ( _"It commenced to rain"_ sounds a bit "Victorian" to me), but I can't square that with my preference for _"I ceased to care"_ over _"I ceased caring"_.


title: Crenulator - What is the exact meaning?

text: I understand that after cremation, the remains are put through a crenulator to reduce them to ashes and to sift out metals. I assume it's a sort of shaker/sieve.


title: Is the sentence "Whose your daddy" interchangeable with "Who's your daddy"?

text: Me and a friend are arguing about this case and I'm trying to make the point that a sentence such as: > Whose your daddy Is incorrect because the pronoun `whose` means `of which` and not `who is`.   My friend, on the other hand, is trying to make the point that the usage of `whose` in the sentence shown above is correct. Which one of us is correct?


title: Full of (piss|pith) and vinegar

text: Re: the expression: > "Full of (piss|pith) and vinegar" Are both correct/acceptable? Is one preferred?


title: Is it grammatically incorrect to follow the abbreviations *ie* and *eg* with *etc*?

text: Is it grammatically incorrect to follow the abbreviations _ie_ and _eg_ with _etc_? My daughter's English teacher told her that this in an absolute no-no and is never permitted under any circumstances. He also said that this could warrant an F on an English submission. This must be an egregious grammatical error! Consider these examples. _Mike brought the goodies (eg chocolate fudge, lemon meringue pie, etc) to the party._ _When eating a squirrel taco, Bigfoot always added extra condiments (ie ranch dressing, ketchup, pepper, etc)._ Good or bad?


title: one's way of V-ing / one's way to V / a/the way of V-ing / a/the way to V

text: There are some options when you use the word _way_ and some verb together: (1) a. There are some way of writing.         b. There are some way to write.  Is there any difference between (1a) and (1b)? However, it seems that you cannot use _way_ plus the possessives and "to Verb" together: (2) a. I'm used to their way of doing business.         b. **?** I'm used to their way to do business.  Do you agree with this judgement? If so, why is it impossible to use _way_ plus the possessives and "to verb" at the same time?


title: What is the correct English word for a person who always suspects other people without any valid reason?

text: What is the correct English word for a person who always suspects other people (like colleagues, wife, and, so on), whose habit is to suspect people around him, without any valid reason?


title: What is a symbol [an expression or idiom] for a word of great length in English?

text: Is there any symbol [expression, figure of speech, metaphor] for something long in length in English? for example, in Persian we say for a long word: > "the letters are set like train" train mostly plays the role in Persian.


title: Use of "never" in questions

text: I was taught that _ever_ should be used in questions ( _Have you ever...?_ ) and _never_ should be used in negations ( _I have never..._ ). But reading " _A wizard of Earthsea_ " by Ursula K. Le Guin I spotted such a sentence: " _Have you **never** thought how danger must surround power as shadow does light?_" Is that grammatically correct? What does the author want to say by this?


title: Where can I find information about the history of the study of Old English?

text: I'm curious about when the English, in early modern period, first found out about texts such as Beowulf and Anglo-Saxon chronicles and realised it was an old version of English? Or did they always know about the history of the English language? When did linguistic studies of the English language begin? I mean, today we can pick an Old English word and say which word it developed into in Modern English; when did this study first begin? Thanks


title: Notes folded into paper airplanes

text: Do the notes that are folded into paper airplanes and thrown across classrooms by kids, have a special name?


title: A person who chooses one of two opposing sides of an issue

text: Is there any single word for a person who chooses one of two opposing sides of an issue?


title: Adjective of "ignore"

text: The primary meaning of _ignore_ is to disregard somebody. _Ignorant_ is synonymous with unlearned and uninformed. _Ignorable_ assigns somebody or something a low priority. I'm looking for an adjective that describes an action towards the object, such that I can rephrase the following sentence: > He ignores me. into > He is [adjective] towards me. Possible candidates: _inattentive_ , _indifferent_ , _unresponsive_ , _invisible_ and finally _uncaring_.


title: A word in Business terminology

text: I'm trying to describe the action of taking one-time customers and have them pay for a subscription product. So for instance if I own a coffee shop and I get money from customers coming at all times, but I also get money from customers paying a monthly subscription for coffee. How would I best describe the way/method of the second option, basically steady cash-flow instead of having to depend on new customers. Hope it's not too vague, certainly something in business terminology


title: Ek kaan se suno aur dusre kaan se nikaal do in English proverb?

text: I know a Hindi proverb, but I would like to know translation of same in English. How will we say in form of proverb/idiom > Not listening or paying attention to the words that come out of your mouth


title: "Insert on a chain"?

text: I have some chained methods in my experiment like A→B→C . What is the best of way of expressing putting something new on this chain? Suppose that I want to add D to have A→B→C→D. Do I say I add D on the chain? into the chain? to the chain? etc. Any suggestions are appreciated.


title: Is “closed press (remark / ceremony / meeting)” a popular English word?

text: I saw the word, “closed press” in Time magazine’s (August 15) article titled “Chris Christie lays out argument for 2016.” > “Christie spoke at length about his record in New Jersey, emphasizing > accomplishments like teacher benefit reform and bringing down the Garden > State’s budget deficit. Christie’s remarks were **closed press** , but > multiple guests provided quotes and recordings.” And I saw “closed press” in the following instance: > “Obama Accepts Transparency Award **in Closed Press Ceremony**. March 30, > 2011\. President Obama finally and quietly accepted his “transparency” award > from the open government community this week — in a closed, undisclosed > meeting at the White House on Monday.” https://www.facebook.com/notes/michelle-malkin/perfect-obama-accepts- transparency-award-in-closed-press-ceremony/10150138535190677 From the above sentence,’ I was able to easily surmise that “Closed Press” means a meeting / event shutting out press / reporters, and I checked Cambridge, Oxford, and Merriam-Webster online dictionary to make sure of it, and found that none of them carries “closed press” as a heading. I wonder why none of them carries the word. On the other hand, Google Ngram shows emergence of “closed press” in 1870s. The currency peaked in 1940 at 0.00000016% level, and has tailored off to a low 0.00000004% level since 2000. But I can’t tell whether Ngram shows “closed press” as V+N, or a noun. With that said, here are my questions:   1. Is “closed press” a well-established English word?   2. What is the alternative word to “closed press” e.g. unofficial remark or meeting?   3. Though I don’t find any problem in the line, “Obama accepts Transparency Award in Closed Press Ceremony,” the statement, “Christie’s remarks were closed press” sounds somewhat foreign to me, because it appears to me as if saying [Christie’s remark = closed press]. Is it rhetorically and logically a perfect line?


title: Is there a word for this behaviour?

text: Well I use a lot of.. I'm vulgar.. very very perverse (just the language!) at that.. But I value the feelings inclusive of that I honour my enemies (I don't suck up but I value them) whose feelings I value, under their uncouth exteriors - in short, I respect, value and am very sensitive about how others/anyone feels. I'm not genteel for sure. The freedictionary.com specifies that:                     genteel: 2. Free from vulgarity or rudeness.      Now I'm not in the former (I'm far from "free from vulgarity") but I detest rudeness. So how would you describe me? What is the exact word/words? Has my condition ever been addressed in the English vocabulary? (It could be crack or nut but I can't be sure. There should be a more colloquial term shouldn't there? Thank you immensely!


title: XOXO means "hugs and kisses" but why?

text: What's the reasoning behind abbreviating hugs and kisses as X's and O's? Some say X is for hugs and O is for kisses, and some say the other way around; but why X and O, and why are they doubled?


title: Word/phrase for parent whose children have grown up and left home

text: Is there a single word or phrase that means a parent whose grown-up children are not living with them?


title: Verb for "I wish I were" him?

text: Is there a verb to describe a person who you wish you could be? For example, if you wish you were Bob, then > I **__** Bob.


title: What is the grammatical role of a word like "Thus" at the beginning of a sentance

text: What is the grammatical role of a word like "Thus", "Therefore", or "So" at the start of a sentance? I was born in the US. "Therefore" I am an American citizen. It's not an article... it's not a preposition... is it a conjunction?


title: What are representative examples of exaggerated simile like “I never in a million years thought I’d see this.”?

text: I found the expression, “ _I never in a million years thought I’d see this_ ,” in the New York Times’ article (November 9) commenting on pedophiliac harassment scandals of Penn State under the headline, “Paterno is finished at Penn State, and President is out.” The phrase appears in the following sentence: Kathryn Simpson, 20, a junior studying graphic design, was weeping as she walked away from the university’s administration building, Old Main, with a friend. “This is devastating for us,” she said. “ _I never in a million years thought I’d see this.”_ I’m not sure of whether “I never in a million years thought I’d see this,” is popular expression or not, but it reminds me of a universal pattern of exaggerated expressions that we imported from Chinese classics and turned them into colloquial metaphors, for examples, “白髪三千丈- an old man with 99,000 feet gray hair, describing a reclusive old man with long gray hair and beard,” “万石之涙 - shed 1,800,000 liters of tears, describing deep sorrow,” and “万里之長城 - the Great Wall of 40,000 km.” I’m curious to know what kinds of popular, exaggerated formats of English expression you have other than “I never in a million years thought I’d see this.” Would you give me just a few examples that I can use it tomorrow, because there would be hundreds or thousands?


title: What exactly does it mean to "mug somebody off" in British English?

text: I tried looking this up at the Urban Dictionary, but it gave only one net- upvoted definition, and that definition wasn't even clear. The background for my question is coming my watching from a movie with lots of Cockney English sounding speakers; somebody says something to another a bar, and the person being spoken looks upset and yells back, "are you trying to mug me off?" What does it mean?


title: Is "Windows-based PC" a correct term in American English?

text: I am writing a support message to a customer support of an audio hardware vendor. I need to describe them that I am running Microsoft Windows as the main OS on my computer. Is "Windows-based PC" term it correct to describe a computer with say Windows XP installed? An example of using the term:   * I am using the Audigy card with onboard firewire controller to connect my audio device to a Windows-based PC.


title: Differences between slang words for breasts

text: What is the difference between “tits” and “boobs”? P.S. I'm not sure if this question is appropriate but as English is not my native language I really would love to know the difference.


title: Is a question the only thing that can be asked?

text: I will admit that I am clueless about all grammar-related terminology (prime example right there), but I'll try to explain as best as I can. Conceptually, there's a difference between these two forms:   1. To ask for something   2. To ask a question For the latter form, is a question the only thing someone can ask? It bugs me that I cannot think of a single other alternative!


title: Is “Can I persuade you?” a common word to expect acceptance from somebody?

text: I came across the phrase, “Can I persuade you?” in the following sentence of Jeffery Archer’s popular novel, “Kane & Abel” in the scene a Harvard graduate, ex-marine Bostonian, Henry Osborn invites the young widow of Boston millionaire, Anne Kane to concert: > > " She is delighted, though not entirely surprised, when he telephoned her > the following morning. ‘Boston Symphony Orchestra, Mozart, conducted by > their flamboyant new maestro, next Monday – **Can I persuade you?** ’” Is “Can I persuade you” a common or well-used word for asking someone for the consent or positive answer, or just an ad hoc expression invented for this occasion? Can I say “Could I persuade you?” instead of asking somebody “Do you agree with me?” after haranguing him?


title: Guidelines for interpretation of "all but a few"

text: For a clause of the type [all but a few X] [Y], there seem to be two possible interpretations. The first one is "Y is the case for all things/people/places, except for a few X," as in the following quotations: >   * Moammer Gadhafi says his regime is still alive in Libya and is calling > his opponents takeover of all but a few pockets of the country a charade.   > >   * Stating the obvious to all but a few Supreme Court Justices, quoting an > earlier decision, Scalia wrote, " We are a religious people whose > institutions presuppose a Supreme Being. "   > >   * After launch, the spacecraft began its voyage through the void of space > and was promptly forgotten by all but a few scientists and space > enthusiasts. > The second one is "Y is the case for all X, except for a few of X," as in the following quotations: >   * All but a few entry-level, low-cost models with screen sizes greater > than 40 inches have the 1920-by-1080 resolution of " full HD " (1080p).   > >   * Vazquez outperformed all but a few NL starters.   > >   * But Ismail never lets his political convictions get in the way of his > business. He supplies most government agencies and all but a few foreign > embassies in Washington. > What exactly is the semantic difference between the two variants, and how can their occurrence be predicted?


title: Does "precluded from" require a direct object?

text: In a copy-editing job I'm doing, I came across the following phrase: "a man is precluded from all women except for his wife" \- i.e., his sexual relationship with her is (should be, anyway) exclusive. This doesn't really seem correct to me, since I'd think that "preclude" requires a direct object, like "precluded from marriage with" or something like that. Am I correct, or is this sentence fine as is?


title: What's the accurate meaning of "forget yourself"?

text: I was looking for a translation of the German expression "bevor ich mich vergesse" (lit. before I forget myself) and looked up if the literal translation could be used. In German this expression conveys a threat or warning. However, looking at several dictionaries confused me a lot as the dictionaries seems not to agree with each other.   The first two quotes I provide below get close to the German meaning, but unfortunately they don't provide any examples. All the other ones have a totally different meaning. > forget (oneself): To lose one's reserve, temper, or self-restraint.   >  forget oneself: to lose one's dignity, temper, or self-control > > forget oneself: to forget one's manners or training. (Said in formal > situations in reference to belching, bad table manners, and, in the case of > very young children, pants-wetting.) > >> John, we are going out to dinner tonight. Please don't forget yourself. > > forget yourself: to act boldly or arrogantly. Phrase used to humble a > person. > >> I believe you forget yourself sir! > > forget yourself: to behave in a way that is not socially acceptable > >> I'm forgetting myself. I haven't offered you a drink yet! I'm pretty sure that each of those definitions is correct, but probably some of them are only true for certain dialects or set of dialects. I think my question now is if you would hear or say "forget yourself", what does that expression convey? Which of the definitions above could be applied?   Is there a definition which is acceptable for most dialects, i.e. is any of those understood in most parts of the world? Finally, can this expression used as a threat or warning as in German?   Examples: > Hau ab, bevor ich mich vergesse. (lit. Take a hike, before I forget myself.)   >  Verschwinde, oder ich vergesse mich gleich. (lit. Get lost, or I'll forget > myself.)


title: What is meant by "communities of colour"?

text: When referring to the race and ethnicity does the word "coloured" mean anyone who is not white? For example "a distinct form of racism simply associates communities of colour with pollution." Also, is the term offensive? I found this in an academic paper.


title: what is the difference between a "deverbal noun" and a "verbal noun" please

text: I am currently working on -ing nominalizations and I've noticed that some grammar books refer to verbal nouns as deverbal nouns. Do you (English native speakers) make the difference or do you consider these two types of nouns as being the same ? The only thing I'm sure of is that both verbal nouns and deverbal nouns derive from verbs. I just want to be sure that these two concepts exist in English and that a difference exists. Thank you, because I'm starting losing my mind!!


title: What's the opposite of "no-show"?

text: It's called "no-show" if a guest doesn't appear. Is it right to call the opposite "show"?


title: Is it more correct to say "You have not yet <actioned>" or "You have not <actioned> yet"?

text: Having seen Correct placing and usage of "yet", it sounds like it may be correct to say either "You have not created any items yet." or "You have not yet created any items." Is one more correct than the other, or is it a matter of preference? The first personally sounds more correct to me, but I wanted another opinion!


title: "leave to" or "leave for"

text: Which of the following is correct? > I am leaving for London. > > I am leaving to London. I have always thought the first one is correct till I came across the name of this painting.


title: Which is correct? What comes around goes around OR What goes around comes around?

text: Which is correct?   1. What comes around goes around   2. What goes around comes around


title: Meaning of "for good or ill"

text: I saw a scene in _Downton Abbey_ in which one character said, > Here we are, ma'am, Crawley House. For good or ill. What does "for good or ill" mean here?


title: Can you explain the meaning of this sentence?

text: > I have asked for money from Jagan next time if he comes. I am bit confused, whether it is completed in past or it will be in future.


title: Ambiguous usage of "got"

text: I read this sentence: > I'm glad I got to know her. " _Got_ " can be used like permission, like " _I was allowed/able to_ ", but it can also be used like the ongoing status of something, as in > When I got to this point in my life… Which is it in this case?


title: Use of plural pronoun to avoid mentioning of gender

text: I'm aware that (at least today's) English allows the use of a plural pronoun to avoid mentioning a gender of the subject. Example: _"Everybody can do what they want to" instead of "Everybody can do what he wants to." A typical use seems to be whenever the speaker does not know the sex of the actors and thus does not want to state it wrong or to let the phrase apply to both sexes alike. As this example clearly shows, the numerus of the predicate then matches the numerus of the subject: "he wants" vs. "they want". This leads me to a dilemma if there are several predicates, associated to both the "everybody" and the neutral pronoun: "Everybody pays for what they get." The first verb feels better to be in singular case ("pays"), the latter obviously must be in plural case ("get"), yet both refer to the same entity which can hardly be singular _and_ plural. To use plural case for both verbs ("Everybody pay for what they get") sounds strange in the beginning of the sentence, and the mixed numerus given before sounds a little as if it isn't reflexively meant, i. e. as if everybody has to pay for whatever some other group of individuals ("they") get. What is the typical solution to my problem? EDIT: To make this clear: I'm not asking about the _singular they_ and its use, I'm asking about the "pay" vs. "pays" in my example (i. e. the verb of the "everybody") and about the observed or felt dichotomy of using a plural verb and a singular verb for the same actor in one sentence. Is there a more detailed answer to that besides "'they' can refer to a singular object and is to be used in _plural form_ "?


title: Do I capitalize "sincerely" in a correspondence signature?

text: I've been unable to find a consensus on whether or not one should capitalize the salutation before your signature in correspondence, email or otherwise. For example: > Sincerely, XedMada


title: What do you call someone looking for a job?

text: I am trying to compose a sentence, and I am currently stuck for the right word. I am trying to say: > In a job interview, the audience would be the employer and the --------- That is the word I am looking for. I cannot put "employee" as he has not been employed yet. Is there a single word for someone looking for a job? "Job- seeker?"


title: word for the act of each person in a group put in some money combined to buy something

text: What's the verb/phrasal verb to describe the act of giving/putting in a share of money towards a total amount to buy something as a group where each of the other members in the group put in their share as well, like buying a lottery ticket as a group or some other purchase. I.e. "we all **___** for the lottery" or "everyone **___** $2 for the lottery ticket"


title: At what usage level does a grammatical error become acceptable?

text: Is there any rule for the usage level of a grammatical error above which it is no longer treated as an error?


title: What word should I use for something that fails intermittently?

text: When something works, but it is unreliable and intermittently goes wrong, what could it be called? I'm actually thinking of computer software. In my work we tend to use the word "flakey", but there must be a better one.


title: Is the given usage of Outrage is correct?

text: **Outrage in my mind, Smile on my face. This is Life**. Can outrage be used the way I used above?


title: Difference between "take a taxi" and "get a taxi"

text: Which of the following is correct? If both are correct, do they have different meanings or usage? > Take a taxi/bus/train OR > Get a taxi/bus/train


title: Which are the word orders that can be found in English?

text: Besides SVO, which are the word orders that can be found in English? Are there any that are peculiar to dialects such as Singlish or Indian English? Please provide an example sentence for each order along with pertinent information such as tense, mood, voice, etc.


title: Why is it "sheet music" and not "musical sheet"?

text: I always had problem in understanding the reason people call it _sheet music_. Isn't it a sheet (an object) that has an adjective of being related to music? We don't say things like _sheet Excel_ , or _sheet cheat_. The correct syntax or grammar of English tells us that we should use the adjective before the noun. So, why don't we call it _music sheet_?


title: "We talked until late"

text: > We talked until late Is this sentence correct? It sounds strange to me but I'm not sure what's grammatically wrong about it. What about this? > We talked into the night This sounds better to me. But is there a simpler way to put this that has the same meaning?


title: Should "vice versa" be treated as an independent clause?

text: I know "vice versa" more or less means "conversely," but when it is used by itself, should it be punctuated as if it were an independent clause? > Dogs don't like cats, and vice versa. or > Dogs don't like cats and vice versa.


title: Is “Prewin” a well-received English word?

text: I find Maureen Dowd’s article in November 24 NY-Times titled “But can they eat 50 eggs?”amusing. She compares the leadership and charm of character between President Obama and Robert Griffin III, the quarterback of the Washington Redskins in the article. But I was caught by the word, “a prewin slump,” which I’ve never heard of, in the following sentence: > "While Obama has developed an unnerving and enervating pattern of going into > a **prewin** slump — as in New Hampshire and Texas in the 2008 primaries or > the first debate with Mitt Romney — RGIII never allows his batteries to run > down while he’s playing." I thought it’s “pre-winning” meaning pre-victory, and I checked Cambridge, Oxford and Merriam-Webster online dictionaries as I always do before posting a question. None of them registers “Prewin” nor “Pre-win.” Google Ngram neither shows any incidence of “Prewin” and “Pre-win.” What does “Prewin” slump mean? Is this a well-received English noun or adjective, or Dowd’s customary creative coinage?


title: additional local and domestic long distance minutes are $0.10 per minute

text: > All airtime is billed by the second after the first minute, additional local > and domestic long distance minutes are $0.10 per minute. My phone company and I are arguing over the use of the word 'additional' in the above phrase. I think it means that any additional local and any ADDITIONAL domestic long distance minutes incurred will be charged at a rate of $0.10 per minute. They think it means any additional local minutes are $0.10 per minute. All domestic long distance calls are $0.10 per minute regardless of time of day. From an English language point of view what role does the word additional play in this statement?


title: Difference between "implementing" and "executing"?

text: I would appreciate it if you could explain to me the difference between **_implementing_** and **_executing_**. Here is an example: "The implementing agency(ies) for this project is UNEP and the national executing agency is the Department of Environment"


title: Are prepositions a part of grammar or vocabulary?

text: If I you fill in the blanks with prepositions, is it a grammar exercise or a vocabulary exercise, e.g. He was here **______** the morning.


title: Meaning of "ask for"

text: I always wanted to understand the meaning of the word `for` when coming after `ask`, and I have two question about it: Let's say that `I'm asking for a flower on behalf of my mother`.   1. If the flower man asks me:`"For whom do you ask me for a flower?"` and I answer him `"I ask it for my mother"` \- is it equal to :`"For whom do you ask for a flower"` and `"I ask for my mother"` ? To be clearer: Do I have to mention any **noun** after I say `ask` so it wouldn't sound as if I want someone to give me my mother?   2. What is the difference between `I'm asking a flower` and `I'm asking for a flower`? Do the first option have to be that I'm talking to flowers? Thank in advance.


title: Etymology on "egging on"

text: What is the etymology on "egging on"? > e.g. It was Jack who did it. But Jane was really **egging him on**. Does it actually relate to eggs, or is it simply derived from "urging on"?


title: Contraction for 'are' with nouns

text: Is this correct? > the candys 're in the box, the womens're at the car I know ' **you're** ', ' **we're** ', ' **they're** ' are valid usages, but can it be used for nouns?


title: Is there a systematic difference between /a:/ in BrE and /æ:/ in AmE?

text: so another question I have is that whether it is systematic (a regular pattern) between /a:/ in BrE and /æ:/ in AmE or not. There are words that a pronounced differently like dance or rather. I have one source which indicates that this contrast is not systematic but restricted to 80 words. Then there is a passage which I do not understand I cite "For example, while the word pass is pronounced as expected in R.P. (/pa:s/), the word _standard_ has /æ/." - So what exactly is meant by standard since it is written in italic. I also though that in Am it is always the /æ:/ pronunciation and BrE always /a:/ I have thought the entire time that there is a systematic phonological difference! thx,


title: What is the opposite of an Epiphany?

text: I think of an Epiphany as a "Eureka Moment" as in a goldminer crying out, "Eureka!" upon discovering a vein of gold (I'm a native Californian (and former resident of Eureka), so that example comes readily to mind). What about the opposite, though - an "Oh, No!" moment? Such as, "What I thought was gold turned out to be iron pyrite."? Is there a word for it - an Apiphany? Antipiphany? Malpiphany*? Or...???   * Since "epiphany" seems to refer to a good sound (epiphone), would the opposite be a bad sound?


title: "Happy median" versus "happy medium"

text: Which is more correct and/or common "Happy Median" or "Happy Medium"? Any history on the two would also be interesting.


title: Large as life and twice as natural

text: What does this idiom mean?   Where did it originate from?   In what circumstances could I use this phrase? (Because it is so cool.)


title: Is ”Have you got paper?” a well-formed question?

text: Is it grammatical to ask _Have you got paper?_ Do you have to specify _have you got a piece of paper_ , _any paper_ , or _some paper_ — or can you just say _paper_?


title: What's the origin of "Copycat"?

text: I called one of my friends "copycat" the other day, and suddenly thought about it. Why is it a "cat"? Where did this expression come from? Does anyone have any information regarding how this phrase came about? Is there a story behind this?


title: "Unavailable" vs. "not available"

text: What is the difference between _unavailable_ and _not available_? In my opinion, _unavailable_ is something that will never be available, while _not available_ is something that is not available right now but might become available in the future.


title: Correct usage of Infinitive

text: Can we use to after a past form of verb? Example : I called **to** Rohini


title: A way to express how one feels after an exhausting wait before results are known!

text: What adjective or expression can describe the state of a person after a very wearing wait? Like the wait for the results of an important examination,of a decisive political election or of critical medical analysis?


title: "Invite" vs. "invitation"

text: I hear a lot of people saying "Send me an invite". I always thought that it was an 'invitation'. Is "sending one an invite" accepted usage? Or is it incorrect? If I need to get my wedding invitation printed, should it read "Wedding Invitation" or a "Wedding Invite"? Is this a US/UK usage difference?


title: Single word for both inbox and archive

text: I'm looking for a word that suggests both a place where new things can arrive and where you can safely store things, but where you wouldn't want to keep things that you are actively working on. In particular, I'm designing an email "diet" system to help email addicts and I want to suggest to people that their [word] is a combination of the inbox and the archive. The closest thing that comes to my mind is "log" or "record" but that isn't good because it doesn't sound quite right to move something out of the log and on to the to-do list, which is a key step in this system's success. The log sounds more like a place that would be kept in addition to the inbox and whatever else, not as a place to move things in and out of. Analogies to real-world places like basement or icebox, if appropriate, would also be fine.


title: What does 'open-work' mean here?

text: From _The invisible man_ : > His feet, save for socks of irregular open-work, were bare, his big toes > were broad, and pricked like the ears of a watchful dog. This is the complete chapter. The sentence means this guy was barefooted, but I'm not sure what _open_ means, there.


title: Processor vs Processer

text: Is there any difference between "processor" and "processer"? Some spelling dictionaries only have the -or form, and some have both. Is it a US vs UK English thing? Or something else? More specifically, is a computer algorithm that processes orders better called an `OrderProcessor` or an `OrderProcesser`?


title: Complex sentences question

text: I have 2 sentences that I don't understand: 1.) The girl [[sleeping]] in the room is my sister. 2.) People usually can get a sufficient amount of the calcium their bodies [[ need ]] from the food they consumed. These 2 sentences have one verb already. (is for (1) and get for (2)) why they don't use the same. And I heard that without the word "That" I have to use Ving after that, what is it? Where can I find the source to study.


title: Can I use "lighterweight"?

text: The word "lightweight" simply means, "relatively light in weight." If I want to compare two lightweight objects, can I say: > Is A lighterweight than B? Dictionaries don't seem to accept this as a word but would a native speaker be confused or annoyed by it? If so, which alternative would be most appropriate: > Is A lighter weight than B? > > Is A more lightweight than B? > > Is A lighter-weight than B?


title: What's the origin of "dinkum"?

text: _**Dinkum_** as a noun means work, especially hard work. As an adjective, like _fair dinkum_ , it means honest or genuine. Other than saying it's chiefly Australian and New Zealand, the OED simply says "Origin unknown" and has a first quotation from 1888 for the noun and 1894 for the adjective. But why _dinkum_? What is its origin? Are there any older quotations?


title: Phrase for ending up paying for having done a favor

text: In my mother tongue (Gujarati) there are two phrases describing the adverse effects of doing a favor. What are their English equivalents, if any? The phrases are:   * **આંગળી આપેને પ્હોંચો પકડે** (someone) is offered a finger and (they) grab the hand   * **ધરમ કરતા ધાડ પડી** Making a donation and getting robbed. ધરમ કરતા more often means performing religious ceremony, so another interpretation could be to get robbed while doing pooja.


title: Sentence using "hamartia"

text: Can any one tell me how to use the word **hamartia** in everyday writing? I have searched a lot but failed to find any sentence using this word. Any help would be appreciated.


title: Is There a Way to Remember Nouns, Verbs & Adjectives

text: Is there a simple and concise way to remember nouns, adjectives and verbs **aside** from poems? I am aware of a number of poems available to aid memory, but I am looking for something a lot more simple. I am also aware that everybody is different and, therefore, some methods will work for some people and not for others, but I am intrigued nonetheless. **UPDATE:** As tchrist correctly suggests, a mnemonic is indeed what I am seeking. Hopefully this clears things up. Many thanks.


title: "Company's engineer" - What does it mean in this context?

text: What is _company's engineer_ in this context? Does it refer to the stakeholders? > If aircraft maker Boeing is trying to win a contract from United Airlines, > it will emphasize different qualities when it talks to **the company's > engineers** , purchasing people, chief financial officer, and CEO -- since > each United participant will consider different matters during the purchase > process. > > [ _Market your Way to Growth: 8 Ways to Win,_ Kotler & Kotler, pub Wiley > 2012]


title: What part of speech is "methinks"?

text: Dictionaries call this word a verb, but it doesn't seem to behave like any other verb in the English language. Another question on this site calls it a “conjoined pronoun-verb combination”, which seems nearer the mark to me. What is the reasoning behind the dictionaries' decision to label _methinks_ as a verb?


title: Eyeglasses, spectacles, goggles and glasses. But in which order?

text: You would think that finding out if the word _eyeglasses_ preceded the word _glasses_ would be a simple matter. Not so. Did _eyeglasses_ and _spectacles_ as I suspect, precede the word _glasses_? Goggles I presumed came much later but surprisingly the word already existed in middle English. I found the following information on this optometrist article. Emphasis mine: > The word **_glasses_** probably developed firstly from the word spyglass, > often used for a telescope, and then adapted to “ _a pair of eyeglasses_ ” > that needed to be held up to the eyes for full effect. And on Etymology Online under spectacles I found: > **spectacles (n.)** "glass lenses to help a person's sight," early 15c., > from plural of spectacle. While goggles has: > **goggles** ; "spectacles, protective eyeglasses," 1715; Whereas "glasses" has: > **glasses** ; "spectacles," 1660s, from plural of glass But I found nothing concrete on eyeglasses strangely enough. Can someone trace the history of the word _glasses_ , or provide a chronological order of the words listed in my question?


title: To say in a threatening way without issuing a threat

text: Near the end of the movie _Mirror Mirror_ , I heard the following line uttered by the mirror: > "Are you ready to learn the price of using magic?" It was spoken as a threat, but the mirror was not issuing a threat. A similar statement was uttered in the movie series _Dune_ , when the girl was speaking to the villain about the doom that would befall him momentarily: "My brother comes." What is the term given to this literary device? Edit: The movie's name is Mirror Mirror, an adaption to the snow white story.


title: "Seek the truth in X" vs. "seek the truth with X"

text: Ran into the phrase > to seek the truth in love meaning "seek truth without hurting others in the process". I feel it should be "with" rather than "in." No rule in this case?


title: A single word for "Someone who cannot say no to anyone asking for help."

text: I happen to be this type who always finds it hard to turn down someone who asks for my help. You know, like when people ask to borrow some money, ask to take them to see a doctor, ask to help with English (I'm a nonnative speaker), ask to teach them some difficult subject, and anything. Moreover, this type of personality will not turn down one's request even if they are in a difficult situation themselves. I don't think that the word _kind_ or _nice_ or _selfless_ would be suitable for this. I read this too, but the word _altruist_ is used to describe someone who never asks for help, not for someone who can't say a "no" to someone else who asks them for help (which means that they may frequently ask for others' help too). Besides, I don't know whether this is a negative or positive personality. So I can't figure out the right word to describe it. Do I comprehend this in a weird way?


title: Difference between "Can't you" and "Can you not"?

text: I've been wondering about the difference between questions that use _can't you_ and _can you not_. Like: >   * Can't you tell just by looking? [I read this from a comic-detective > series] >   * Can you not hear me? [I heard this from an animation movie] > So, does it make a difference when you use _can't you_ and _can you not_? Or anything else like it, such as _is it not_ and _isn't it_? I also find that question tags often use those two types of tags, which in my mind are somewhat **not** interchangeable, such as: >   * It's surprisingly hard to find, is it not? >   * It's surprisingly hard to find, isn't it? > I think both forms are grammatically correct, but I can't figure how they differ each other.


title: Choice of plural and singular, definite and indefinite articles for multiple nouns

text: Which of the following is correct?   1. There are apple and orange.   2. There is an apple and an orange.   3. There are an apple and an orange.   4. There are apple and orange.


title: Is ‘anything in a skirt” a popular idiom? Does it have special overtones?

text: I came across the words, ‘anything in a skirt” in the following sentence of Jeffery Archer’s “The Fourth Estate”:- Page 202. > “(Captain Armstrong is entitled to a car and driver) if the brigadier wants > his daughter’s photo on the front page of Der Telegraph when she visits > Berlin next month.” “Why should he want that?” said Armstrong. “My bet is > that he can’t get her married off him in England.” said Sally. “And I’ve > discovered, **anything in a skirt** is jumped on over here.” As I was unfamiliar with the word, ‘anything in a skirt” I consulted Cambridge, Oxford, and Merriam Webster English Dictionary. None of them carries this word. However, with the example of the usage of this word on Google search, I was easily able to guess what it means: > My husband is a flirt and sleeps with **anything in skirt**! He sleeps with > girls; women and I have been embarrassed by his frequent affairs with my > maids. - www.nairaland.com/.../husband-flirt-sleeps-anything- Google Ngram shows that this phrase started to be in use around 1915, and its usage started to sharply rise in 1990s. Can I use “anything in a skirt“ as a plain alternative to “female” in conversation, particularly with women? Does it have any derogatory nuance or obscene tone, or just is as neutral as ‘women’? It’s intriguing that the author let a young lady utter this phrase.


title: Vestigialities: A word?

text: Is this an appropriate word to use? I did a quick google, and I'm only getting vague references. Does the word 'Vestigialities' exist?


title: Emotions: "running high" or "riding high"?

text: Quickly Googling both phrases brings up a number of results (mostly from sports websites) for each phrase; is one of the two in wider use and/or more correct?


title: Origin of “riff”

text: What’s the origin of _riff,_ a repeated musical motif? Wikipedia and the Online Etymology Dictionary both state that its origin is uncertain, possibly an alteration of _riffle,_ _refrain,_ or _rhythmic figure._ Is there any more solid information available on the etymology?


title: using phrase "weekend of"

text: Say the 24th is a Monday and you say that you’ll be doing something the weekend of the 24th, meaning the 22nd and 23rd. Isn’t that incorrect? I would say the weekend of the 24th means the 29th and 30th.


title: Using “she” with gender-neutral nouns

text: The song “Frozen” from Madonna’s _Ray of Light_ (1998) contains the lyrics: > Love is a bird, she needs to fly,   >  Let all the hurt inside of you die. Does _she_ refer to _bird_ or _love_? And why is it _she_ there? As far as I know, _love_ and _bird_ both are gender-neutral.


title: Verb form of statistics

text: May I ask what is the verb form of statistics or is there any replacement word with the meaning of "the act of doing statistics"?


title: Omission of the word “to”

text: Following is an excerpt from Michelle Dean's post in The Newyorker (my emphasis): > “One of the reasons Hank and I have always resisted being on television is > that we don’t really want nerdfighters to be a mainstream cultural > phenomenon,” **Green wrote me**. “I worry that mainstream cultural phenomena > need, like, Message Singularity and A Brand and an Institutional Voice and > stuff. That kind of thing does not interest us at all. We just want to make > cool stuff with people we like. Has the writer omitted _to_ when she writes _Green wrote me_?


title: Why  Obama's "spiking the bin Laden football" was replaced with "highlighting with bin Ladin's death"? What's wrong with the former expression?

text: The Time magazine’s (April 28) article titled “McCain Slams Obama on OBL” begins with the following lines: “Arizonan (John McCain) tweaks the President for _spiking the bin Laden football_ while "the Assad regime...kills thousands of its own people." McCain: "It is no wonder why President Obama is shamelessly turning the one decision he got right into a pathetic political act of self-congratulation." However as the phrase “ _spiking the bin Laden football_ ” was replaced with the phrase, “ _highlighting bin Laden's death_ ” in the other (later) version of the same article on Time website, I assume that “spike something football” here is meant something like “show off / demonstrate/ boast of.” I wonder why the Time took bother of replacing “spiking the bin Laden football” with “highlighting bin Laden's death,” if it means the same thing. What's wrong with “spike something football” as an expression? By the way, is it a frequently used English idiom, not only in America but in other English speaking countries, e.g U.K, Canada and Australia?


title: "Some" — singular vs plural

text: After reading "Is _everyone_ " singular or plural?", I would refrain from asking this question, but the husband of a colleague of mine (English professor, native speaker of British English) stated against it, so I am looking for further enlightenment. He advocates _some_ should be solely used to refer to plural forms. Thus, > some non-existent towns is perfectly correct, but > some non-existent town should be replaced by > a non-existent town Is that true?


title: Is "jux" a real word?

text: Urbandictionary.com says it means: > To rob. Verb. Present tense of juxt. It has 342 votes but I can't find any evidence of actual usage on a google or COCA search.


title: Origin of the expression "Get stoned"

text: My daughter asked me a question in the car the other day, and I didn't have an answer. She asked me about the origin of the expression "get stoned" (i.e. with regards to drug use), and how it might be related to "stoning".


title: "Unregister" vs "Deregister"

text: The concept of "undoing a registration" is widely used in my line of work. While most dictionaries define _unregister_ as the proper verb for it, several widely used and highly considered sources also use the verb _deregister_. Do both verbs exist? Are they synonyms? Is there a slight difference in their meaning?


title: wishing a happy week

text: As a non-native English speaker, I have a question: Can I write (and say) "Happy week everyone" to wish a good/happy week? Is there any more common English expression in everyday conversations?


title: "Mellisa is smart like John" or "Mellisa is smart like John is"?

text: I have many times read the first sentence. But it seems that the "like" is comparing "Mellisa's being smart" with John. Though we intend to compare "Mellisa's smartness" with "John's smartness". Which of the sentences would be technically right?


title: Used since sometime in the past until now (and still continuing)

text: How can I express that something has been used for a while and is still being used? > …used a xyz system that has been in daily use for several years. I'm not sure whether this expresses that the system is still in use.


title: Is "pedantician" a word?

text: Why is someone who is pedantic called a pedant and not a "pedantician"? If a person working in obstetrics is an obstetrician, why is not a person working with words not a pedantician?


title: Terminology for fake photograph

text: I think there is a good chance that a new word or phrase has been coined to mean _fake photograph_. Is there a single word to express it?


title: When to use "expectative" instead of "expectation"?

text: I'm not a native English speaker and here in Brazil we have the word "expectativa" as a noun. The expectative in English is defined as an adjective: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/expectative But I haven't see yet the usage in this form, rather we see "expectation", which act as the Portuguese "expectativa" (expectation). We do have this word as adjective "expectante" as is the "expectant" in English, but not the "expectative" form. So, in which case we use "expectative"? **EDITED:** I've googled and found this one: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05712b.htm > An expectative, or an expectative grace, is the anticipatory grant of an > ecclesiastical benefice, not vacant at the moment but which will become so, > regularly, on the death of its present incumbent. And this one: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305750X96000770 > Expectative land rights, house consolidation and cemetery squatting: Some > perspectives from Central Java Can you clarify?


title: Should I abbreviate word starting with “kn” as “K” or “N”?

text: Imagine you're abbreviating a title that has a _kn_ -word in it (e.g. _Should Know_ ).   What is the preferred way? Is it **SK** or **SN**?


title: Plural of "is" — "ises" or "isses"?

text: If I had many _is_ words, how would I refer to them in the form of a plural? Could I use _ises_ or _isses_? Example: > You use entirely too many isses in your sentences.


title: Take my word for it or take my word for this?

text: Me and a friend got into an argument. He says that you can say "Take my word for this". I say that the proper use is "Take my word for it". Could someone elaborate on each of those and tell us who is right?


title: Meaning of "What time do we got to do this at?"

text: I am struggling to understand the meaning of the following sentence: > What time do we got to do this at? I assume "do we got" means "do we have got". I guess they are asking at what time it has to be completed or how much time have they left. Is that so?


title: Why aren't there any common words for 'defecating' and 'urinating'?

text: Besides 'poo(p)ing' and 'peeing/weeing' used by and to children, besides 'shitting/crapping' and 'pissing' which are _spoken, not polite_ , says the _Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English_ , besides 'defecating/excreting' and 'urinating/micturating' which are technical and formal, besides a long list of euphemistic terms, why aren't there any common/standard verbs for these actions?


title: Is the idiom, "one person's word against another" or "another's"?

text: A common idiom is: > This is just **one person's word against another**. Is the correct form **another** or **another's**? I assumed the extended forms would be: > This is just one person's word against another person's word. > > This is just one person's word against another's word. But I often see the form without a second possessive.


title: What is the difference between "common" and "mutual"?

text: What is the difference between "He is our common teacher" and "He is our mutual teacher"?


title: Using localising adjectives + adverbial construction with 'where'

text: I am wondering whether it is possible to use an adverbial phrase with 'where' to describe words like 'ashore' or 'aground'. Examples: >   1. I stepped ashore where the sun was filling with a red gleam the water, > excited through a gentle breeze. >   2. The ship ran aground where lighthouse's beam didn't reveal the > dangerous reef. >


title: The shape of lightning

text: Is there any word to describe something that has lightning/tree/vein like structure? **Edit:** I forgot to mention that I'd prefer a word that emphasizes the random nature of these structures. Otherwise branching (as suggested by Harrold) seems fitting.


title: Is it affected to pronounce the "h" in wh- words such as "what"?

text: Almost no one does it except professors and cosmopolitans. Though some books will say that "what" should be pronounced "hwutt" and not "wutt", is it really recommended for us, the common folk, to espouse this pronunciation; or would we sound affected in doing so?


title: How can I differentiate between the pronunciation of "w" and "v"?

text: This something may be innately obvious to native speakers; however, to many outsiders, the difference is elusive. I only recently realized the difference and still have a hard time to distinguishing them. Please explain how to pronounce these two letters correctly, specifically lip/tongue movement (no pun intended).


title: How many "monophthongs" are there in RP? Do all the varieties of spoken English in the UK have the same number?

text: > A monophthong is a pure vowel sound. The monophthongs can be contrasted with > diphthongs, where the vowel quality changes within the same syllable, and > hiatus, where two vowels are next to each other in different syllables. > While "pure" vowels, or monophthongs, are said to have one target > articulator position, diphthongs have two, and triphthongs three. > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monophthong Do all the varieties of spoken English in the UK have the same number of monophthongs ? What about in the U.S.?


title: "that's why" in formal essays

text: "I'm", "it's" are forbidden in formal essays. Can I use "that's why" in the opening of my Statement of Purpose? > Fancy flights used to fill me with euphoria, that's why I named myself > Joseph, but now ... It sounds a little awkward to use "that is why," though I'm not a native English speaker.


title: Specific verb for "training an apprentice"?

text: Does a specific verb exist for the process of passing on information or skills including the passing of responsibilities between an experienced worker and a new one? The verb _train_ is too general, as it applies to any time frame during a job, not necessary during the beginning of one's employment. Moreover it does not include passing of responsibilities. There exists a slang term for this verb in Hebrew (loosely transliterated as "overlap"), and I'm looking for its English equivalent.


title: Writing the introduction, I want to know if using phrases like "in my opinion" are stylish or not

text: I want to know if using phrases like "personally speaking" or phrases like that contributes to good style. Do good writers use such expressions? Am I better off simply stating my thesis without using these phrases? I want to make the reader of my essay think that I am different from other writers. Is this the way to do it or do you have any other suggestions?


title: What does one's status being “less a blank check than an equation with multiple variables” mean?

text: There is the following line in a December 8 New York Times article titled “Clinton’s countless choices hinge on one: 2016”: > “But being Hillary Clinton is never a simple matter, and her next few years > are **_less a blank check than an equation with multiple variables_**. Her > status is singular but complicated.” Though it seems to me the author is simply saying Hillary Clinton’s plans and stand for next few years is unpredictable, I’m not clear with the phrase, “less blank check than an equation with multiple variables.” Cambridge Online Dictionary defines _less than ..._ as an idiom to describes “behavior which does not have a stated characteristic that is good or attractive.” Readers English Japanese Dictionary defines “less than ...” as an idiom meaning “never be ....” I know what a blank check is. In the phrase “less a blank check than an equation with multiple variables,” is a blank check more unpredictable (difficult to fathom) than a complex equation, or is a blank check as unpredictable as a complex equation, or is a blank check more predictable than a complex equation (which seems unlikely from the context)? Can I say “The recovery of Japan’s economy in the past decades was less a snail than a tortoise” in the same construction with “Her next years are less a blank check than an equation with multiple variables?


title: Combination of independent clauses containing quantities

text: > The Zaragoza-Ysleta International Bridge in El Paso, Texas, is one of the > 330 ports of entry where customs officials inspect the more than 350 million > travelers and 100 million vehicles, trains, and aircraft entering and > exiting the U.S. every year.   1. Is the author talking about 100 million as the total combination of vehicles, trains, and aircraft? (A) That is, 100 million == x vehicles + y trains + z aircraft. (B) Or is the author saying there were 100 million vehicles, 100 million trains, and 100 million aircraft?   2. If the answer to (1) is (A), what would be the best way to write (B)? My thought: (A) seems correct, because the same number of aircraft as the number of vehicles arriving to the same point is unrealistic.


title: How to say about Master's Degree

text: I really need to know how to say that a person studies something in MA level. I need several phrases for this to have choices for various circumstances. Can anyone help me? Thanks in advance


title: Word for "work completed on behalf of"

text: I hope you can help. I am updating my CV/résumé and I am using one word for each section. I must admit I am stumped in one area. I need a single word to convey the following description: "Work completed on behalf of" This is where I have carried out work (graphic design and web development) for other companies while working for my main company (e.g external rather than internal work).


title: What would be the proper writing of head-end, as a single word or two words separated by comma or space?

text: I see 3 ways of writing headend:   * `headend`   * `head end`   * `head-end` Note, I already know that all of them are acceptable but it has to be one that would be better. To make the problem more interesting, if I would apply CamelCase convention to it, it should be `Headend` or `HeadEnd`?


title: What does "we were both clunks" mean?

text: I am reading a book "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!: Adventures of a Curious Character" where an author wrote > So I could never understand why Tamara always went to the trouble of > introducing me to all these nice girls, and then, even though things would > start out all right, I would always end up buying drinks, spending the > evening talking, but that was it. My friend, who didn't have the advantage > of Tamara's introductions, wasn't getting anywhere either-- **we were both > clunks** > > After a few weeks of different shows and different girls, a new show came, > and as usual Tamara introduced me to a girl from the group, and we went > through the usual thing--I'm buying her drinks, we're talking, and she's > being very nice. She went and did her show, and afterwards she came back to > me at my table, and I felt pretty good. People would look around and think, > "What's he got that makes this girl come to him?" So what does it mean to be a clunk (if I can use it so)?


title: How do I use "Baby Steps" in a sentence

text: I want to convey that I am putting myself to something new to achieve a dream/goal. Hence I thought of using the phrase "baby steps" in a sentence as follows: "As I am laying my Baby Steps towards becoming a ..." I am wondering if this a right way to use "Baby Steps". If not, please let me know how do I put these words to convey what I mean. Thanks.


title: How to reply to someone's welcome

text: What should we say in reply to a person who welcomes us to a particular place, for example one says: > You are welcome to ABC company. or > I welcome you to our home. or > Welcome Mr. Abc to this party. Would " **Thank you!** " be the reply?


title: "Oil blue" color

text: Spotted a new collocation for the word `blue` today, when looking for a pair of jeans – `oil blue`. Admittedly, they are probably just being marketing-minded, _inventing_ (?) such a color of jeans. However, what gives? The color itself doesn't look blue to me: ![color](http://levi.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/pLEVI1-14489107_pattern_s27x21.jpg). Isn't oil supposed to be black or yellowish? May it be that the denim is very smooth (like oil)? Is there a cultural meaning associated with this word combination?


title: Is there a sales term for how "hot" or "strong" a prospect a customer is?

text: I'm pretty sure my grammar is off in that title, because I'm awkwardly writing around a missing word. If a salesperson has time to call one of two customers, he or she will want to reach out to the one which, based on all the information available, is more likely to be interested in making a purchase. You could say "the stronger prospect". Is there a single-word adjective or simple phrase to represent a measure of this "likelihood-to-buy" quality in a prospect? "[Prospect] strength", "quality", and "score" come to mind, but they're vague, I'm hoping for something more specific to the world of sales. I'm not familiar with their jargon, I just learned what a "spiff" is the other day. "Interest" is close, but the context is one of data mining based on factors other than the customers' expressed interest, so I think that would be a little deceptive. For context, this will be a field in a customer relationship management app.


title: "One should warn" vs. "it should warn"

text: Can you explain to me when it is more appropriate to use _it_ or _one_ in the following sentence? > One/it should warn about the conflicts. I don't think there's a big deal using one or another because the meaning will be exactly the same.


title: Which of these is the correct use of this phrase

text: I frequently encounter this in technical documents and I am wondering which one is correct. > In the figure below or > In the below figure


title: deep roll of blue at the tops

text: I want some help with my question about the meaning of “deep roll of blue at the tops”: > "The men were dressed in blue, of the same shade as their hats, and wore > well-polished boots with a deep roll of blue at the tops." (The Wonderful > Wizard of Oz - Chapter 2 - Describing the Munchkins) Which part is the "top"? Is the roll like a curl over the toes? Or it could be also a cuff at the top of the shank, where the top of a boot will hit on the leg?


title: "May I ask if..."

text: A question like: > May I ask if you've seen it all? Can yield two answers:   1. Yes, I've seen it all.   2. Yes, you may ask. Can you avoid this (the may-answer), remaining a tad more polite than usual? Or is this just trying to be way too damn polite and the "may" should be dropped altogether?


title: Is the use of ‘in’ and ‘under’ in the phrase in ‘one’s dizzying journey in under a year’ redundant?

text: I saw the phrase, ‘Mr. Klein’s dizzying journey, in under a year from – to –’ in the following sentence of the New York Times’ (July 23) article titled ‘Ex- Schools Chief Emerges as Unlikely Murdoch Ally.’ > Mr. Klein’s dizzying journey, in under a year, from one of the nation’s > foremost education reformers to the corporate consigliere for a media titan > whose politics are far to the right of his own, has surprised and unsettled > many friends and colleagues, who fear that he will be unable to extricate > himself from a scandal that shows no sign of abating. I’m puzzled if the combination of ‘in’ and ‘under’ in ‘the journey in and under a year’ isn't redundant. Is ‘in and under’ an idiom? Can’t we say simply ‘within a year’? What is the specific nuance of ‘in and under a year’?


title: If I were him, I would doubt if she (is/was/were?) serious about this relationship

text: Which one is correct?   1. If I were him, I would doubt if she is serious about this relationship.   2. If I were him, I would doubt if she was serious about this relationship.   3. If I were him, I would doubt if she were serious about this relationship. I presume that (1) is definitely wrong but uncertain about (2) and (3). I see this sentence as a reported speech in the first conditional. My thought, "Is she serious about this relationship?", is reported by myself. Since it's reported, the tense should be shifted back according to the tense of the main clause, "I would doubt." The problem is that the "would" is resulted from a counter-factual hypothesis and without this hypothesized situation, the reported sentence, "Is she serious about this relationship?", wouldn't exist at all. That's why I'm bewildered by choosing (2) or (3).


title: replacement for expression "there are."

text: So my writing teacher hates the expression "there are" in essays. Does anybody know some good substitutes for this _overused_ expression? Thanx ya'll, much appreciated!


title: The X is on vs the X is at? What would you describe this variation as?

text: "The Knight is on D1." and "The Knight is at D1." Semantically the sentences mean the same thing. They are describing the position of a knight on a chessboard. The document I am writing contains a lot of these examples. They describe a valid scenario of a chess-style game which will be parsed by a computer program. e.g. > Given the game has just started   >  And the Pawn is on E2   >  And the Knight is at G8   >  When I move the Pawn to E4   >  Then I should be shown "Pawn to E4"   >  And the Pawn should be at E4 I have found myself changing between 'on' and 'at' for what I think is a variation for the sake of readability and to keep the reader engaged. Linguistically, how you describe this variation? Is there an academic term for it? And is there an academic term for keeping the sentences exactly the same? Note: I am not asking for which style is better or worse. I just want to write about what the difference is. How I would describe it.


title: What does "enrollment" mean here?

text: I have a sentence to translate: > The school shall notify parents in writing at the beginning of each school > year, and upon any enrollment during the school year, of the obligation to > ensure all children of compulsory attendance age attend school. wiki gives such definition of enrollment: "the process of initiating attendance to a school", which seems like a one time process that doesn't happen during the school year to me. So what does it mean here?


title: A word to describe an empathetic employee in regards to their business

text: I'm a software developer and I'm looking for the correct business term that best describes an empathetic developer. More often than not, a developer is just a code monkey. They receive a set of business requirements and follow them to a T, regardless of whether the requirements make sense or not. However there are developers who take an empathetic approach to coding per business requirements. That is, the developer will analyze the requirements with respect to the business needs, the end user, design, and implementation, and then discuss potential issues with the business when they spot a requirement that doesn't make sense. One would think this type of mentality would be inherent in a developer, unfortunately it is not, so I'm searching for the best term that describes this. To me it seems like “empathetic” would be the best term but I have never heard this term used in a business setting.


title: Can "neither" be placed at the beginning of the sentence?

text: Which of the following is grammatical? >   * Trust neither a new friend nor an old enemy. >   * Neither trust a new friend nor an old enemy. >


title: Byron and 'Eureka'

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  The spelling of "eureka" Why should Byron write "Now we clap Our hands and cry 'Eureka!'", Childe Harold, iv. st. 81? Being a hellenophile he should know that there were other options to spell 'eureka', (a) 'heureka' - the correct latinized form of the verb, and (b) 'evrika' - the contemporary demotic form. Was it a mistake, a mere slip of the pen? It seems that the form 'eureka' became common usage by the hand of Byron from then on.