title: Why is the term "depressed" often used to describe a button which is pressed?

text: In several books that mention GUI, keyboard, or mouse buttons (e.g. the book **Programming Windows** by Charles Petzold), the authors refer to the state of a pressed button as **depressed**. Why is this term used instead of the word **pressed** , which has a simple and intuitive meaning? Some alternative terms that could be a better fit are **pushed** , **clicked** , or **activated**. As someone who is not a native-English speaker, the term **depressed** is unintuitive to me because it resembles the opposite meaning: **not pressed**.


title: Word for whether a product is genuine or sham

text: What word should be used to fill in the blank? > We don't know whether a product is genuine or sham means > The product's ___ _ is unverified.


title: Is there a difference in pronunciation between "wood" and "would"?

text: My friends and I were debating whether _would_ and _wood_ are pronounced differently. Are they?


title: Origin of the term 'under influence'

text: How did 'under influence', as in in _driving under influence_ , get equated to 'intoxicated'?


title: Does "good" weigh a little bit more than "nice"?

text: I came across the descriptions of badges in this Q&A site, and was curious about which word weighs more, "good" or "nice"? Here are the two descriptions that interested me: > "Good Answer": Question score of 25 or more. > > "Nice Answer": Question score of 10 or more. Seems like "good" weighs more than "nice", will that always be the case? "a good person" will be a little better than "a nice person"?


title: Origin of the term "by the way"

text: There are many other terms and expressions and relating to "way" for example, _sidetrack_ , _out of the way_ , _roundabout way of speaking_ , etc. Where did the term _by the way_ come from? I've googled it, to no avail, and may be its because it's been coined in a book or something. Does anyone know anything relating to this saying? And maybe explain the popularity of terms relating to "way".


title: Can just a noun phrase be a complete list item?

text: In the following extract: > [A number of issues had to be considered.] Firstly, the scope of her > responsibilities. ... “the scope of her responsibilities” is just a noun phrase used as a sentence which is part of a list. Is that sentence grammatically correct? Does correctness depend on context? If not, what needs to be added to fix the grammatical error?


title: Single word for the holder or location of an item?

text: I'm looking for a single word to describe the place or person an item is assigned to. The context is basic asset management, where you have a list of assets (such as computers, software licenses or consumables) that can be assigned to people or locations. For example, a laptop can be assigned to its user, a location (storage cupboard with spare laptops) or a company (because it's been sent there for repairs). None of the words I've come up with quite fit all of the above situations:   * **Assignee** , **Holder** or **Bearer** don't work very well for locations   * **Location** , **Whereabouts** or **Station** don't work very well for people **Update:** I'm looking for this word not only to label things on screen and in a database, but also to make the concept of assigning _things_ to _people/locations_ as obvious as possible. The right word would make this concept immediately obvious.


title: a single, fairly sophisticated word that describes one's desire to be unique

text: Or honestly, desire to be any particular trait, specifically one trait (ex. Wanderlust: the desire to travel and experience the world.) I'm not looking for any sort of contextual consistency here. Just wondering! Reverse look ups are hard.


title: A dictionary based on word occurrence frequencies

text: Since there are so many language resources on the internet nowadays, I was wondering if there is an online dictionary(or any other language tool) that would list the words not only in the alphabetical order, but also by the frequencies of their occurrence. I don't care how the frequencies are calculated - it may be based on something as primitive as google search results count or it can be based on occurrence in newspapers/books only. The reason I am looking for such a tool is that I have been searching for an efficient means to enrich my vocabulary for a while. The best I found so far is vocabulary.com. The problem with vocabulary.com, however, is that it more often than not suggests really strange (not to say weird) words that a lot of native speakers don't even know. I have nothing against learning literary words, but I think I should get to it only after I've covered most of the mainstream words. That's why I am looking for a tool which would arrange words according to their occurrence. I would then pick the next N words each day from that list, feed it to vocabulary.com and learn them using their technique. So, is my request too absurd or is there hope I could find what I'm looking for or at least something similar?


title: Is the phrase "Best of luck ahead! " grammatically correct?

text: "Best of luck for your future ahead!" - can this phrase be shortened to "Best of luck ahead!".


title: Why people use past tense when talking about something always true

text: Examples: _xxx was the founder of ..._ _xxx was the first ..._ This does not limit to living person/person passed away, but also items. To me the status of _the first_ , _the founder of_ etc. does not change and stays there forever. Its always true. Something that changes e.g. _yyy was the fastest computer_ makes more sense as the fastest can be replaced with something more modern.


title: Is the moment come?

text: > "You comfort me so much! I am so ignorant. Am I to kiss you now? Is the > moment come?" I came across the sentence above on page 480 of the novel _A Tale of Two Cities_. I've never seen the usage of **Is ... come** before. Could someone please elaborate on this?


title: "Now I am become death, the destroyer of worlds"

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  "Is become" vs "has become" This is a famous quote from J. Robert Oppenheimer after the successful detonation of the first nuclear weapon. The quote comes from the Bhagavad Gita, a sacred Hindu scripture. This quote has bothered me since I first read it. Is it grammatically correct to say _Now I am become death_? Shouldn't the quote say _Now I have become death_ or just _Now I am death_?


title: Is "pain" a noun or a verb?

text: For example, which of the following sentences is correct: >   1. My eyes are paining. >   2. There is a pain in my eyes. >


title: Etymology of "goon"

text: The etymologies of "goon" that I've looked up seem to center on _Alice the Goon_ , a "slow-witted and muscular (but gentle-natured) character" created by E.C. Segar (Popeye's daddy). But it seems like at least one of the senses of the word, as in "hired company goons", could very well be derived from the Hindi word _gunda_ (pronounced _goon-daa_ ) meaning hoodlum or bully. Any insights or information on this?


title: What's the difference between the various dialects of English?

text: I've read and heard "British English", "American English", "Australian English", etc. I know there are differences in accents and word choices but is there a larger difference that makes nationally-named Englishes any different than regionally-named Englishes? For example, I grew up in Pittsburgh, PA, USA and that area speaks Pittsburgh English. Is that still considered American English, or is it a dialect within American English? Is there a family tree of sorts to show how/where all the different Englishes arose from?


title: Is this incorrect; am I mixing tenses here?

text: Is this correct? > I don't miss my deadlines, even when I worked for a high pressure > educational software company, which required quick, effective reasoning > without compromising the quality of the end result. It seems equivalent to this, which sounds awful: > Even when I worked for a high pressure educational software company, which > required quick, effective reasoning without compromising the quality of the > end result, I don't miss my deadlines.


title: Possession and personification

text: Is the act of _possessing_ an example of personification if attributed to inanimate objects? Here, "possession" means the possession of physical things as well as the possession of virtues or qualities by any inanimate object. For example, is the sentence "The book's cover is pretty old." an example of personification? (I am unsure whether the apostrophe usage in case of inanimate objects is grammatically correct.) Possession, according to me, is as much a human quality as it is a natural phenomenon (natural as in applicable to all objects). This should mean that inanimate objects can possess things and qualities without being personified. A related question is, if we ascribe the 'action' of possessing to a synecdochic reference to a human, will that be an instance of personification, now that the object to which the _possession_ is attributed is not technically speaking, inanimate? For example, "His stomach's capacity is exhausted." or "The last remaining relic of his brain's prowess was steadily depleting."


title: "Jeeez, is March National Truth Movement Dead Horse Month?"

text: Searching on Google for something, I found this expression new to me. > Jeeez, is March National Truth Movement **Dead Horse Month**? As there's nothing else on the page that helps understand the phrase 'dead horse month', I went back to search and found Terry Breverton's _The Pirate Dictionary_ and other sources. Q: Do we still use the idiom ' _dead horse month_ ' today? I could find no other such instances yet.


title: A word for someone who "imbues"

text: I'm making a fantasy game, where one of the character classes is supposed to be called a "Arrow Imbuer". Yet it is marked with a red line on my PC, so I guess I'm writing a word incorrectly. A short description of what an "Arrow Imbuer" does: a character that can imbue an arrow head with magical powers to deal extra damage. Is there a word for someone who imbues something?


title: A colon after "following"

text: When I reference to the next sentence or sentences using the term _following_ , is the preferred way to use a colon or a full stop? An example: > Consider the sentence 'I wash the clothes'. Replacing the letter _h_ with > the letter _o_ in the previous sentence results in the following sentence. I > waso toe clotoes.


title: No possibilities are ruled out

text: Suppose that two binary (yes-no) qualities are being considered. Often (yes, actually!) I want to express that all four combinations are possible: yes-yes, yes-no, no-yes, no-no. Is there a concise way to convey this? I _don't_ want to say that the two are independent, because they often are not: merely that no possibilities can be ruled out. Example: A person is from Party A or Party B, and votes for or against Party A's bill. (The person might be on either side, and could either defect or vote with her party.) Non-example: A number is negative or not, and the number plus one is negative or not. (The combination "x is not negative, but x+1 is negative" cannot occur.)


title: verbs with two direct objects

text: In German the verb _fragen_ takes 2 direct objects. Is it the same in English? > I ask you something. Or is the person being asked considered an indirect object? If so, can I reformulate it using _to_? > I ask a question to you. Also, are there examples for verbs that take two direct objects?


title: Is this an example of extrapolation?

text: I saw a joke on facebook today where professor cat states: > There are two types of people in this world: Those who can extrapolate from > incomplete data My brother thinks that this really isn't extrapolation. M-W defines _extrapolate_ as: > to infer (values of a variable in an unobserved interval) from values in an > already observed interval. The joke seems to fit this definition, but I'm not convinced one way or the other. What do you think? Is there a better word for this kind of reasoning?


title: What's the difference between "diary" and "journal"?

text: What's the difference between _diary_ and _journal_? They seem like they could mean the same thing, but I'm probably wrong.


title: Origin of the noun-forming suffix "-hood"

text: How did _-hood_ evolve into the noun-forming suffix commonly used in words such as _childhood_ , _priesthood_ , or _neighborhood_ — and including certain pseudonyms such as _robinhood_ which could easily be construed as a _brotherhood of robbers_?


title: What is the difference between "alleged" and "so-called"?

text: >   * These alleged experts are no help. >   * These so-called experts are no help. > Can anyone explain the difference?


title: What does the phrase “even a fool gets to be young once” mean?

text: In the movie _American Gangster_ , Frank Lucas said > Even a fool gets to be young once. What does this phrase mean?


title: What is the past counterpart for "scenario"

text: Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scenario) says > In this sense, scenarios should not be used to speculate on what has > happened in the past. Oxford advanced dictionary says >   1. a description of how things might happen in the future. > So what pithy word should I use to describe an event that could have happened in the past?


What is the difference between a marque and a brand? For example, why would one use the expression "car marques" instead of "car brands"?


title: What does "Clyst" mean?

text: I live in the south west of England and there are many villages and roads that feature the word "Clyst". For example, Broadclyst, Clyst St Mary, Clyst Honiton and so on. What does clyst mean, and where does it come from?


title: Another word for "apply"?

text: I'm in the middle of creating a web form, where users can apply for a certain service. In order to do so, they are clicking the _apply_ button. Then they fill out a form and submit it. Later on, they can view their _application status_ , which indicates whether the application has been processed or not. Are there other words for _apply_ and _application status_ which could be used in this situation? Please note, this is not a sign up process, since not everybody meets the asked requirements.


title: Etymological analysis of swearwords

text: I'm writing a thesis about the etymological analysis of swearwords (profanity) in the English language; that is, I need to compare British and American English regarding the etymology of their swearwords. I am aware that there is a substantial amount of swearwords in both languages and I'm wondering what is the predominant source language from which swearwords evolved. I can't seem to find any etymological analysis of swearwords online, even though many articles mention how this area is thoroughly studied. I'm quite desperate. Any suggestions on literature are most welcome. :)


title: When we entered, he had been there

text: So I heard this sentence and also few contradictions about that. Does it mean that when they entered, he was already gone because he had there been before them? Or he just was there before them and still is..


title: What does "knowledge nugget" mean?

text: I understand that it's a "piece of information", but does it also imply, that the information is valuable? Can a paragraph of text about a subject be a knowledge nugget? If so, can it contain several small pieces of information, or it must be information about single subject? In other words: knowledge nugget is just one simple fact, or several facts about single subject? Is this a common, neutral expression, used in daily life, or it sounds odd?


title: "don't" vs "didn't"

text: Someone sent M a package. So, M didn't receive the package. When I asked M, "Have you received the package?" What should her reply be? "I don't receive the package", or "I didn't receive the package"? Please explain why.


title: What is a single word describing a person who opposes another, yet is of equal status to them?

text: Can anyone give me a single word describing a person that is equal to somebody in status but an opponent to them at the same time?


title: word/phrase for "I'm already in trouble, I might as well go further"

text: "I'm already in trouble, I might as well go further" or "I'm already in trouble, I might as well make the punishment worth it." the phrase that refers to the state of mind that a person who already believes themselves to be in so much trouble that they might as well continue doing the act that gets them in trouble because it can't get any better?


title: Possessive Ambiguity: sharing a house

text: Could this: > Jason shared Michael's house. be an acceptable shortened version of this: > Jason shared Michael's house with Michael. ?


title: Which pronoun should be used to refer back to actions?

text: Which word is better suited to reference an action? For example, > Setting appearance of each report component is too long process. It’s easier > to use styles for **it**. or > Setting appearance of each report component is too long process. It’s easier > to use styles for **this**. I'm trying to refer not to some object but to all previous sentence.


title: Technicalities about "%"?

text: ## Usage of "%" I'm almost positive it's a prepositional phrase since it's really means "per cent" or "per 100". So in a sentence like: > 90% of my street are doing lawn work. It would be "are" and not "is" because both "%" and "of my street" are prepositional phrases and therefore cannot contain the subject. Am I right?


title: December 15th to December 16th

text: In general, if I say: > From December 15th to December 16th Would you expect the range to be from `12/15 00:00` to `12/16 23:59` or would you expect it to be from `12/15 00:00` to `12/15 23:59`?


title: What are metal pans and covers of a staircase?

text: What are metal pans and its covers of a staircase and what do they look like as mentioned in the following account? > My boss and I were carrying 160lb sliding glass doors up an unfinished > staircase (just metal pans with no covers so you were walking on a surface > about 3/4" wide, with water in the bottom because it had been raining.)


title: What is David Milch talking about?

text: There is an interview from David Milch - the creator of the TV series "Deadwood". At the final part, he said ( seems ):" All of those things for me remind me as I sort of lived into the story that the reason is about 17th on a list of the attributes that ??defines us?? as a species and as far as I'm concerned they can lower no problem a I just like to see the way we behave.". I have no idea what he means by "17th on a list of the attributes that.." I might have heard it wrong. (as I typed above) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1O2GW9G1h5A (PS. the transcript seems incorrect but I paste here as reference anyway) all of those things for me remind me as a shorter lived in to this story a that reason is about seventeen analyst the attributes that the finances as a species) I also deeply wonder who transcribe the whole text for this video. If it's robot, it's too accurate. If it's human, it's amazingly incorrect. Maybe one time speedy catch-up deal).


title: What does "fly against" mean?

text: http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/2008/11/stop-me-if-you-think-youve-seen-this- word-before.html: > I'm not sure this kind of experiment would fly against today's Google, but > it worked in 2004. What does 'fly against' mean in this case?


title: How bad is the f-word, really?

text: I am confused: on the one hand, many of my native-speaker friends keep telling me that the f-word is very, very bad. Much worse than the s-word for example. On the other hand, I see it being used everywhere; for example, in the blogosphere, even by respectable economic blogs (e.g. http://www.zerohedge.com/article/guest-post-fuck-deficit-or-will-deficit-end- fucking-us). Is the former intensity of the word decreasing? Is its usage becoming more acceptable in everyday language?


title: About the 'f-word'

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  How bad is the f-word really? > I fucking love this man! It's awesome, keep it up! Is it not a bad word sometimes? Can it be used in formal article?


title: (n+1)st or (n+1)th?

text: When referring to object number _n_ +1, is it the ( _n_ +1)st or ( _n_ +1)th object? Of course, object number 1 would be referred to as the _1 st_, but since I would say _n plus one_ , adding an _-st_ would make this _n plus onest_ , which doesn’t seem right.


title: Why does "complex sentence" vs "compound sentence" matter?

text: This question asks about (teaching) the distinction between **complex** and **compound** sentences. I have managed to read really quite widely in linguistics for more than fifty years without ever as far as I can recall encountering this distinction. To me it appears completely pointless and nitpicking. Would somebody please enlighten me why it might be of any interest or value to make the distinction, never mind teach it?


title: Is "how come" slang?

text: Sample Conversation: > A: How are you? > > B: I am mad. > > A: How come? I thought that _how come_ was a logical word choice but upon speaking with somebody for whom English is a second language, I found that they did not understand the meaning. I am wondering if using _how come_ in this manner is a form of slang. For some reason saying "How come you are angry?" sounds like bad grammar. I can imagine the use of "How come, when I talk to you, you are angry?" to be correct with that added phrase in the middle. So my question is, is using _how come_ as in the example conversational slang? And also is "How come you are angry?" proper English?


title: help interpreting this line

text: I am translating a TED video and I came across this line. Would somebody help me putting this line in simpler expanded form? > "You know, it's remarkable how universal the gesture is of handing your > camera to a total stranger" Edit: Since I was asked for edit. All I want to add at this point is I am not totally sure what that line mean. That is the reason I am trying to understand how one can interpret the sentence. Reading all the comments and the answers I now think this sentence has a clear meaning and implications although one can rephrase this in different ways. But the gist or essence of the sentence is simply the same. Thanks everyone for your contribution. Appreciated.


title: Is "fine" one of the strangest words in English language? How did it come to be this way and are there other examples?

text: Many words have multiple meanings but not many words have different meanings in the same context. Fine can mean both very good-to-excellent and acceptable but probably below average. For example, the phrase "that is a fine retelling of the story". Which version of fine is meant? You only really know based upon the context of what is used. Are there examples of other words like this? **Edit 1:** As an example, as an undergrad I went to a school with narrative evaluations. As a student, you'd write a paper. If the prof would say, "You used good examples — a fine paper" it would mean acceptable. "You used very good examples — a fine paper"; it would mean exemplary (somewhat implying that 'very good' is understating it.


title: Is there an adjectival form of “levity”?

text: Can anybody tell me the adjectival form of _levity_? I've found _levitious_ here, but not sure whether it’s a dictionary word.


title: Is the word "all" implied by this question?

text: I saw a post on Programmers.StackExchange in which someone asks the question: > Why do programmers [or anyone] give the "dead fish" hand shake in an > interview? The responses to that question say things of the nature "not ALL programmers do that." The OP then replies, "I didn't say ALL programmers did that, I just said that programmers did that". However, to me, it seems like saying "why do programmers do __" is equivalent to asking why _all_ programmers do **_**. Who is correct? How many programmers give the "dead fish" hand shake, according to the phrasing of that question?


title: Is "as [adjective] as [can/could] be" grammatical?

text: It occurred to me while reading the line "He was as happy as could be." that part of it is quite vague. As happy as _he_ could be, or as _anything_ could be? I'm not a linguist or anything, but I haven't been able to think of anything that follows a similar pattern, without following the pattern exactly (as in the title of the question). Regardless of how well it is understood by others or how often it is used (unless this affects the answer), is a phrase like this bad grammar?


title: Meaning of "rallying call"

text: ![](http://i.stack.imgur.com/ALXcd.png) I searched for an English translation of the German term _Durchhalteparole_ , meaning _to appeal to a group of followers to hold out (especially in politics)_ , but having the connotation of being a hopeless appeal and having more the purpose to be blind to a coming defeat. I got 4 different translations. 3 seem to be plain wrong machine translations, and _rallying call_ seems a more common term according to ngrams. Has it the connotation I am looking for or is there a better English idiom for a hopeless call? Actually I am pretty surprised by the low quality and different translations of the German dictionaries as it is a very common German term.


title: Breaking down "Of his honour and his glory, the people would sing" into subject, verb, predicate

text: I recently listened to the lyrics of _Lucky Man_ by Emerson, Lake and Palmer, and noticed the following line. > Of his honour and his glory, the people would sing. It struck me as being non-typical of modern English syntax, albeit fitting the context of the song. I have a Russian speaking wife, and a 10-year-old daughter, both of whom sometimes get confused about dealing with different sentence structures such as this. This leads to vague recollections of my primary school English class where we did exercises breaking sentences down into **subject** , **verb** and **predicate**. Pondering the above line I wondered whether it should be... > Subject: his honour and glory. Verb: sing. Predicate: the people. or > Subject: the people. Verb: sing. Predicate: his honour and glory. Is there only the one right interpretation, or can there be two?


title: What is the meaning of the phrase "small town charm"?

text: For example: > Don’t let his **small town charm** fool you: Tim knows this stuff inside and > out. I learned a ton from this book and I know you will too. I encountered these sentences in a book, I can guess the meaning of the phrase literally. Thanks for giving me a more detailed explanation!


title: differences between pucker and tuck

text: What are the differences between pucker and tuck, as verbs? I found that they can both mean "pull or gather up", "contract". Is it correct?


title: Correct use of 'majority'

text: I believe _majority_ is correctly used with a plural noun — "majority of people" or "majority of voters". It's becoming used frequently with a singular noun — "majority of work" or "majority of travel". Is this incorrect use of _majority_?


What's the difference between "to lie in" and "to sleep in"? And could you correct the following sentence please: "I wanted to turn off my mobile telefone not to be called next morning, but I forgot to do that and my friend called me so early, that my plan to sleep/lie in failed" Thanks in advance


title: Word for a person who lives in the past

text: Someone who is highly nostalgic and is stuck in the past, better days


title: Imaginary line from your finger when pointing

text: Is there a term for the imaginary line extrapolated from the tip of your finger when pointing at something?


title: Does "with the descriptive noun of other noun" count as a simile?

text: In school, we're taught that similes are analogies using "like" or "as". This is clearly just a mnemonic for a comparison between two distinct objects. Metaphors on the other hand combine the two objects being compared, stating them as one. What I'm curious about is whether the construction "object one has the descriptive noun of object two" counts as a simile. Example: Simile: He ran as fast as a tiger. Metaphor: When running at full speed, he was a tiger. Questionable: He ran with the speed of a tiger. Hypocatastasis: The tiger ran by me. (referring to a man) Edit: Corrected mislabeled hypocatastasis and added true example of a metaphor.


title: Writing: Word vs. Character Count

text: I am writing a thesis right now, and I noticed that in my writing software (Scrivener), there's a "word" and a "character" count. I understand that this is not Literature & Latte's support site, but I wanted to ask a question more generally than about Scrivener. Why would one want to think in terms of character counts, as opposed to word counts? I understand that neither are perfect proxies for getting content down, but I was curious as to the reason why one would want to think in terms of characters as opposed to words, as I thought that words would be a better measure of progress, or am I wrong about that?


title: "Damage to the undercarriage; damage caused by water"

text: Does this phrase mean that damages to the undercarriage caused by water is not covered, OR does it mean damage to the undercarriage is not covered regardless of the cause, and that damage to the undercarriage is ALSO not covered if it is damaged by water? This is the source of the text: > THE FOLLOWING ARE SPECIFICALLY EXCLUDED FROM THE OPERATION OF SUPER WAIVERS: > >   * Damage to the undercarriage; damage caused by water >   * Damage due to driver negligence, where the vehicle was driven by an > unauthorized driver or where the driver’s license was invalid or endorsed & > where the rental agreement was not properly extended or the standard terms > and conditions of rental were breached. >   * Damage or loss where incidents/accidents are not properly reported. >   * Damage or loss where the incident/accident happened outside South > African borders where the vehicle was taken outside the borders of South > Africa without the suppliers’ prior written consent. >   * Damage or loss where the vehicle was driven on unsuitable roads for the > type of vehicle (When we refer to “unsuitable roads”, we define this as > roads where for example only 4x4s can drive so that customers don't > deliberately abuse vehicles) >   * Loss of Keys >


title: Pauses and Punctuation

text: My girlfriend and I were discussing the following sentence: "Curiosity and diversity were discouraged, at times, disciplined." I feel that there is clearly a larger pause with the first comma than with the second, and so there should also be a difference in punctuation. I don't have the technical knowledge to explain why, but I would like to know the reasons why I am right or wrong. I would prefer any of the following variations: "Curiosity and diversity were discouraged, at times disciplined." (Omitting the second comma) "Curiosity and diversity were discouraged. At times, disciplined." (I know this is technically wrong, but authors do it all the time if it flows better) "Curiosity and diversity were discouraged; at times, disciplined." (If we treat the second half as an independent clause ["At times, they were even disciplined."] with the subject implied, then a semi-colon should be okay I think) Can anyone comment on these variations and the relevant grammar rules? Thank you, Ryan


title: What's a noun for a cause of a bad effect?

text: What is a noun for an action or thing that negatively influences another? For example, > If you don't keep up with your school assignments, all the **bad grades** > you've accumulated will overwhelm you at the end of the year. > > The economy has been a big **?** for our organization. > > One **?** to the driver was that his tires were going flat. > > Writing them an angry letter would be a big **?** for our group. I'm looking to replace the bold words and question marks. _Inauspicious_ would work, but I need a noun.


title: What is an appropriate abstraction which encompasses both 'receipt' and 'invoice'?

text: Is there a common supertype (parent class) for a 'receipt' type (class) and an 'invoice' type (class)? It should be possible to state "an instance of receipt/invoice is a supertype."


title: Is there one word that means 'to temporarily join'?

text: Is there a one-worded synonym for 'temporarily join'? **Examples:**   * I want to _temporarily join_ your team Or a slightly different meaning;   * I want to _temporarily join_ these two pieces of metal Thanks in advance.


title: What does "running a gauntlet of fire" mean?

text: From the Wikipedia page for "Battle of Melle": > Now Moltke broke off with the entire force and headed for Ghent **running a > gauntlet of fire** from the various French posts along the roads and ways > and abandoning the rest of the column, losing about one half of this force, > including nearly 400 of the Royal Scots What does the phrase "running a gauntlet of fire" mean in this context? I know "gauntlet" means a glove armor, but this phrase still doesn't make sense to me. Searching Google seem to yield results mostly related to gaming.


title: Is "actioned" a valid word?

text: I've just, without much fore thought, used the word "actioned" in the following (example) context, and am now wondering if it's valid (upon a re- read I've decided I don't like the way it sounds, hence the question). > 1000 emails needed some kind of action, 800 of which were **actioned** by > the team while the remaining 200 were escalated. I can think of (what I feel is) a better word to replace "actioned" in this case - either "processed" and "completed" should do it - and my spell checker doesn't like "actioned", so I'm wondering if the word is valid? If it is, is my above example a valid usage?


title: Is the following the correct usage for the word "read": "Read a dictionary"

text: Is it correct to state: "Read a dictionary". Similarly can you "Read an encyclopedia",


title: Singular nouns in plural form

text: Is the following sentence correct? > There is a woods near our house. (I am talking about one woods, but it is a bit awkward to use "a" before "woods". Hence I am not sure about this.)


title: What do you call a poem or song that sets up a rhyme and then ignores it?

text: Here is a line from the song "Popular" in the musical _Wicked_. I am trying to explain what we call the anticlimax of the last three lines, where a rhyme is expected but not delivered. > When I see depressing creatures/ With unprepossessing features/ I remind > them on their own behalf/ To think of/ Celebrated heads of state or/ > Specially great communicators/ Did they have brains or knowledge?/ Don't > make me laugh!He,he!/ They were popular! Is there a term for the rhyme scheme where we (arguably) expect knowledge to be rhymed with "college"? Another example: > Roses are red/Violets are blue/Sugar is sweet/And so am I The comedic effect of that poem is in the anticlimax of the final line. Is there a term for that anticlimax created from an unmade rhyme?


title: Should I use past tense when I'm asked to describe a picture?

text: If you are being asked to describe a picture, what tense would you use?


title: Can "deprived of" be used in this way?

text: I looked up the synonym dictionary, and it told me that "deprived of" can be the alternative of "without". So I'm wondering if this usage is right: >   * Deprived of his partner, he couldn't win by himself. >   * Life would be miserable deprived of you. >   * He would never be able to speak deprived of this technology being > discovered. >


What is the mean of "one's bearing" in the sentence "To be a conqueror in appearance, in one's bearing, is the first step toward success."? I referred to dictionary and searched but I didn't understand the meaning in this sentence. Thanks.


title: Acronym for ACRONYM describing acronyms as being numerous and/or overwhelming?

text: I'm interning in a large organisation, and acronyms are everywhere. On my first day, I felt overwhelmed by them and now that I'm coming to the end of the internship, I want to come up with an acronym for ACRONYM to describe my experience. Something along the lines of "Acronyms cannot reliably orchestrate new blah blah" would be good. Can anyone help?


title: Why we are not translating western institustion names?

text: I saw this in many places but want to ask my question in a specific example. In Wikipedia article on European Central Bank there is a section **Preceded by 17 national banks**   * National Bank of Austria   * National Bank of Belgium   * Central Bank of Cyprus   * Bank of Estonia   * Bank of Finland   * Banque de France   * Deutsche Bundesbank   * Bank of Greece   * Central Bank of Ireland   * Banca d'Italia   * Central Bank of Luxembourg   * Central Bank of Malta   * De Nederlandsche Bank   * Banco de Portugal   * Bank of Slovenia   * National Bank of Slovakia   * Bank of Spain Intuitively I can understand that _Banca d'Italia_ means _Bank of Italy_ but why it is written in Italian? Why in French or Dutch not in English? Another question id why "Banca d'Italia" in Italian but _Bank of Spain_ in English?


title: Proper English for "started shooting anywhere"

text: What's the proper word to describe someone shooting anywhere around in order to kill as many as possible: > The terrorists entered the room and started shooting **___ __ ___ __ ___ > _**, 5 were killed, 1 injured.


title: What is the etymology of "todger"?

text: What is the etymology of "todger"? My Concise OED is rather vague: > ORIGIN 1950s: of unknown origin (also **tadger** ) "Tadger" is just listed as a "Variant spelling of TODGER" * * * Other references are no better:   * Wiktionary adds nothing but some very recent examples \-- nothing back to the 1950's.   * The Online Etymology Dictionary has no entry at all.   * Google search is not helpful, so far. But, Google Ngram Viewer has some interesting results (click images for larger views):   1. "todger" has a huge relative spike in 1722 (Update: MετάEd points out that this is due to an OCR error and misleading "Normalization" of the graph by Google.): ![todger, lower-case, big picture](http://i.stack.imgur.com/86RQI.gif)   2. Recent history is interesting and doesn't really support the 1950's origin of "todger": ![todger, lower-case, more recent](http://i.stack.imgur.com/ERslK.gif)   3. If we go with proper names, it gets more interesting: ![todger, name-case, big picture](http://i.stack.imgur.com/daXtK.gif)   4. More recently, name-case swamps lower-case, but is mostly flat after 1868, except for a slight blip in the **1940's** (not 50's). ![todger, name-case, more recent](http://i.stack.imgur.com/qSAaE.gif)   5. Upper-case (TODGER, TADGER) is not found. * * * So, what really is the origin of "todger"? Is it possible that it has an eponymous origin?


title: What is a "tote"?

text: From http://www.sterilite.com/home.html?section=1, there are different kinds of storage boxes. One kind is called "tote". I wonder what it means and how it is different from others?


title: Why is there 'ss' in pessimistic?

text: In the word 'pessimistic',we use 'ss'. but my question is that, as I know, there are syllables as: 'pe',ssi','mis','tic'. Here stress falls in 'mis'syllable then it might be doubled 'mis',not 'pessi'. help me please.


title: Can anyone provide me with a list of English words that are their own antonyms?

text: I am looking for a list of all English words that are their own antonyms. Off the top of my head, I can only think of "either", "fast", "to dust" and "to lease", but there must be dozens more. Can you provide a link to a comprehensive list, if such exists? Also, what are such words most commonly called? I like the term "Janus word" I once heard, but is that widely understood? Edited by popular demand to make it absolutely clear that this is not a community wiki poll.


title: Word meaning contradiction with itself

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  English words that are their own antonyms What is a word that is a contradiction of itself? I googled this and I got "paradox", but paradox means: > A paradox is a seemingly true statement or group of statements that lead to > a contradiction or a situation which seems to defy logic or intuition. What I am actually looking for is a word that actually has two different meanings. This came up while I looked up the meaning of the word "scan", and I found out that it had several meanings: > –verb (used with object)   >  1.   >  to glance at or over or read hastily: to scan a page.   >  2.   >  to examine the particulars or points of minutely; scrutinize. I realized that there was a term for this, but I couldn't quite remember. Can someone please help me?


title: What is a word with two synonyms that are antonyms (other than cleave)

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Can anyone provide me with a list of English words that are their own > antonyms? My wife read on a trivia website that there is only one word in the English language which has two synonyms that are antonyms. The word was cleave, which has the synonyms adhere and separate. I find this hard to believe given the large number of English words, and the large number of loan words from other languages in usage, and the large number of definitions for each word. Does anyone else know of a words that have synonyms that are also antonyms?


title: Words that have opposing definitions?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  English words that are their own antonyms   >  What words have opposite meanings in different regions? * * * I was reading a book the other day when the author wrote: > The contradiction is only apparent. Meaning it was obvious only at first blush, but that some investigation would show the contradiction _isn't_ apparent (the more common definition of the word.) This got me wondering if there were other words in English that had multiple definitions that are opposites or contradict?


title: Difference between "Knock it off!" and "Drop it!"

text: What is the difference between "Knock it off!" and "Drop it!". I do translate both as "Stop it". Is there any context-based usage difference? Thank you.


title: Is there a word for the transfer of contact information (say giving a business card)

text: Is there a single word or phrase that can be used to describe:   * The transfer of contact data (ex: name, phone number, address, etc)   * (Optional) The connecting with somebody (in my sense on social media) Most importantly i'm looking for a word or phrase to capture the **act** of giving somebody your say business card.


title: Usage of infinitives in this sentence

text: In my academics I learned that we use infinitives ( _to_ \+ verb 1st form). So I was surprised when someone told me this sentence is incorrect. I am not able to figure it out why this sentence is incorrect. > When the shootout took place the police made everyone to leave the building > immediately. According to him, _to_ won’t appear in this sentence. But according to my understanding, infinitives always contain _to_. Please clarify my doubt.


title: When should you use italics to reference an example and when should it be inside apostrophes?

text: When should you use italics to reference an example or quote, and when should it be inside apostrophes instead? (I am trying to tighten up here. I write in advertising and we break so many rules with the register being conversational, I’ve fallen out of touch with some basics.) Here are some examples: >   * A man said the other day, 'why are all the trees orange?' >   * A man said the other day, _why are all the trees orange?_ > Also, should the above quote begin with a capital letter, and must there always be a comma preceding it?


title: Term for construct in which adjective completely changes the meaning of its following noun?

text: I would like the terminology for, and information regarding, a specific type of adjective-noun construct. It consists of noun preceded by an adjective that completely/radically changes the meaning and/or class of the noun. Example: a _year_ is a unit of _time_ , but when preceded by _light_ , the meaning is not any sort of _year_ or _time_ , but becomes a _unit of distance_. The meaning of the noun is not merely refined or modified, but the meaning becomes something entirely different.


title: "Collar" meaning "grab or seize by the collar or neck"

text: Could you give me an example sentence where this verb means this. I can't find anywhere. I don't know if this verb can take a direct object like "neck" or something like that, because if we take a look at other meaning of the verb "to stop somebody in order to talk to them", I think that these sentences that I made up are ambiguous. >   1. He collared him and started talking to him. > >   2. He collared her in her room when she was about to get out. > > I think that this sentences can be umbiguous, because I think that they can mean both. I hope you understand my question.


title: "when would" vs "when will"

text: I'm trying to ask a question about the future. So which form of the verb "will" should I use? > So, when will it be there?   >  So, when would it be there?


title: "Intent" and "purport"

text: I was unable to understand the similarities and differences between _intent_ and _purport_. A description will be good to understand.


title: Using “allium” as an adjective

text: I’d like to use the Latin word for garlic, _allium_ , as an adjective, but can’t find any examples of this being done. Is there a rule for doing this with nouns ending in _‑um_? _Alliumnal_ sounds good, but I suspect that’s just because it sounds like _autumnal_. Any help much appreciated.


title: Difference between "Archival record" and "Archive reference"

text: How should an official document containing information about exams passed by a person in previous years be called? Are there any differences between "Archival record" and "Archive reference" in the context of this purpose?


title: Should a colon be used in this case?

text: > X was interested in one of the most important challenges: the lack of > reliability in bananas' drawings. I think I read somewhere that, although possible, a colon should be avoided in these situations (in an academic context). How could I rewrite this?


title: "give me five" and "slap me five", any difference?

text: What's the meaning of "slap me five"? Any difference between "slap me five" and "give me five"? There is a book called _Slap Me Five_.


title: Does "freak somebody out" has the meaning of "make somebody angry"?

text: This is an excerpt from the **LDOCE**.               freak out     phrasal verb   informal      to become very anxious, upset, or afraid, or make someone very anxious, upset, or afraid :       People just freaked out when they heard the news.      freak somebody out      The whole idea freaked me out.       I'm curious whether `freak out` has the meaning of "make somebody angry".


title: How do noun clauses work when they seem to leave no independent clause?

text: Another thing that was raised in conversation with my ESL friend is noun clauses. I was aware of Adverbial and Adjectival Clauses and thought that the things he was demonstrating to me were in fact noun phrases, not clauses. After a long discussion and some google searches, I had to concede that he was right to call them Noun Clauses, according to the entire internet. However, I can't seem to find anywhere a satisfying explanation for the fact that noun clauses often leave a sentence without an independent clause. For example: > He only gave me what he already owed me. Here, as I am led to believe, "what he already owed me" is a Noun Clause. In my understanding, this means that "He only gave me" would be the other clause that makes this a sentence. The problem in my eyes is that neither of these clauses could stand alone. Somebody please explain how this sentence with two subordinate clauses can exist, or else tell me why I am wrong.


title: How did "gesundheit" work its way into common American usage?

text: Once upon a time I was hanging out with a fairly international group of people. Somebody sneezed, and one of the Americans reflexively responded, "Gesundheit!" A German in the group seized on the opportunity to ask, "How do all Americans know this word?" Apparently he had been puzzled for quite some time by the number of Americans who know one, and only one, word of his native tongue. Some of them don't even know that it is a _German_ word! None of us could come up with a satisfactory answer.


title: 'Potential' as an adjective

text: Here is one of those things that I have simply never thought about until recently. I have a friend who speaks English as a second language and so still has a few overhanging errors in his speech; One of these is to use 'potential' as follows: > He is very potential. When I corrected this for him, I told him that in that case we would use potential as a noun, "he has a lot of potential", for example. However, confusion then ensued as we both know that potential is also an adjective, but as far as I am aware, can only be used as a pre-modifier: potential client, potential success, etc. Is this a unique case? Is there a reason for it? or Am I wrong?


title: What word means centered about death?

text: I'm writing an essay about Don DiLillo's novel _White Noise_ , and would like to explore Murray Jay Siskand's fascination with death. The particular word I'm looking for means "death-centric", to fit in the topic sentence "Furthermore, the consumerist society that envelops Siskind results in his `<word goes here>` viewpoint of his surroundings." Failing that, is there a way to rework this sentence as to allow for an elegant focus on his death-centric viewpoint?


title: Is there a program that will parse sentence syntax?

text: I am building an online course and want to add a function that can check spelling, grammar and syntax. I've found a few that claim to spot the first 2 but they are not very good. I typed in "That is you're coat." and 3 out of 4 said it was OK. Aside from this, my main problem is, for example, placing an adjective after a noun: e.g. "This is a tree green." None of the online checkers flagged this as being incorrect. Am I chasing an impossible dream? Is the only way to learn how to correctly structure a sentence something that is only achievable by human to human training?


title: What does “a mission to make the 1 percent 100 percent able to indulge in car elevators” mean?

text: Further to my previous question on the word, “profile in courage” in Maureen Dowd’s article of NY-Times, “Of Mad Men, Mad Women and Meat Loaf,” I was puzzled with the ending line of the following sentence of the same article just like a high school boy who stumbled at the last question of English reading comprehension test: > “It shouldn’t be a surprise that many women support Romney, even though he > has somersaulted on reproductive rights and his running mate sponsored a > bill with Akin giving fertilized eggs the “legal and constitutional > attributes and privileges of personhood.” Just as it shouldn’t be surprising > that Romney has the support of a huge swath of blue-collar white men, even > though he’s on _a mission to make the 1 percent 100 percent able to indulge > in car elevators_.” What does Romney is “ _on a mission to make the 1 percent 100 percent able to indulge in car elevators_ ” mean? What does “car elevators” signify? If a “car-elevator” is the symol of the rich, can’t the very richest people who already stand among top 1 percent of all income classes afford to get it if they wish to own it, without being subsidized by Mr. Romney?


title: Does the second (2nd) have anything to do with a second (1/60 minute)?

text: In my native language, _second_ in the meaning of _the 2nd_ is different from _second_ in the meaning of _1/60 minute (one sixtieth)_. Also in Arabic, a language I kinda know of, they are different as well. But in English, they are the same. And I've been wondering why. Do these _second_ -s have anything in common (other than the spelling and pronunciation)? Was the first _second_ , etymologically, somewhat derived from the second _second_ or vice versa?


title: Alternative term to 'Uncle Tom' for a black or colored person who is subservient to whites?

text: In Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel, the eponymous character was meant to be a sort of model of resistance against slavery, a man who whose "devotion to his fellow slaves is so unshakable that he sacrifices a chance for freedom and, ultimately, his life to help them".[1] Some argue that the term _Uncle Tom_ , as it has been used for the last century, was misappropriated. So that got me wondering if there were alternative words or phrases used to describe a black or colored person who is subservient to whites. _House negro_ is obviously way too politically incorrect, even for Internet discussions. _Aunt Jemima_ is too closely affiliated with the brand, which is still popular today. And _Aunt Jane/Mary/Sally_ are not very recognizable. [1]http://www.theroot.com/views/when-uncle-tom-became-insult


title: The use of pioneering as a verb

text: I am new to this forum, so please let me know if this question is unacceptable. I want to say something like, "help model the world by pioneering with companies and originations of the highest order.". By this what I am trying to say is teaming up with different teams to pioneer new projects of theirs. Is the use of pioneering okay or incorrect? Thanks in advance


title: Why are these two adages called "razor"?

text: I always wondered why these adages are called 'razor', and if there is another meaning to _razor_ than the one related to shaving or the razor blade: Occam's razor Hanlon's razor


title: what is the proper capitalization of "hors d'oeuvre"?

text: Possible options include capitalizing either the "h", "d", and/or "o". Are any of these options considered either correct or incorrect?


title: Conundrum: "cleverer" or "more clever", "simpler" or "more simple" etc

text: I know the rule for making the comparative and superlative form for two- syllable words   ending in _y_ , replace the _-y_ with _i_ and use _-er_ and _-est_ : _hap_ **.** _py_ → _happier_ → _(the) happiest_   _ti_ **.** _dy_ → tidier → (the) tidiest* And I would say that for two-syllable adjectives which do not end in-y, use _more_ and _most_ : _bor_ **.** _ing_ → _more boring_   _wor_ **.** _ried_ → _more worried_   _care_ **.** _ful_ → _more careful_   _tra_ **.** _gic_ → _more tragic_ However, there are inexplicable exceptions: _The Free Dictionary_ says the comparative and superlative form of _clever_ is **_cleverer_** and **_cleverest_**. Yet to my ears > He's more clever than I thought sounds more formal and _correct_. Google produces an impressive 761,000 results and 255,000 results for "He is more clever than" and "He's more clever than" compared to _only_ 337,000 results and 318,000 results for "He's cleverer than" and "He is cleverer than", which suggests that _more clever_ is preferable. Similarly, TFD insists that the comparative and superlative form of simple is **_simpler_** and **_simplest_**. Google seems to concur and produces a whopping 11,900,000 results for "It is simpler than" compared to  7,060,000 results for "It is more simple than". The two-syllable adjectives that I am aware of, which have both kinds of comparative and superlative forms are:   * **clever** → _cleverer/more clever_ → _cleverest/(the) most clever_   * **common** → _commoner/more common_ → _commonest/(the) most common_   * **gentle** → _gentler/more gentle_ → _gentlest/(the) most gentle_   * **humble** → _humbler/more humble_ (etc.)   * **hollow** → _hollower/more hollow_   * **narrow** → _narrower/more narrow_   * **polite** → _politer/more polite_   * **quiet** → _quieter/more quiet_   * **simple** → _simpler/more simple_   * **stupid** → _stupider/more stupid_   * **subtle** → _subtler/more subtle_ Is there _any_ explanation for this? Is it perhaps a recent trend, etymologically speaking? It seems to me that the number of two-syllable adjectives that add -er and -est are increasing.   And finally, is there a trick or rule which I can teach to my advanced private students?   With younger learners and beginners I teach the "rule" that I mentioned at the beginning—so much simpler! :)


title: Should TPS (transactions per second) be upper or lower case

text: If one wants to write shorthand for transactions per second what would be correct casing? TPS or tps?   * As SI unit, s is always lowercase and thus I believe it should be written as "tps".   * On other hand, it as an abbreviation and thus it deserves uppercase "TPS" treatment.


title: Definition of Thrilla with Vanilla

text: A foreign student asked me (her teacher) what THRILLA WITH VANILLA meant. I haven't the slightest idea and when I go to Google, the only reference is the Romney-Obama debate, as though the expression was just invented for this purpose. Can anyone help define this (preferably out of this political context)?


title: Likelihood of Change

text: Let's say I'm trying to describe two things that change. The first changes often and the second changes less often. Is there a better word than "volatility" to use in the following scenario? Is it even proper in this use?   1. The first thing has "high volatility"    2. The second thing has "low volatility"


title: What is the noun form of explicit which implies exactly two states?

text: I am looking for the noun form of explicit. The word explicitness seems to me to imply many "levels" of explicitness, but I want to know if is there a noun form of explicit whose value can be either "explicit" or "not explicit". An example of how one might use this word: > It may be difficult to interpret the **___ __ ___ __ ___ ___** > (explicitness) of this song because it is in a foreign language.


title: Present and past perfect dilemma

text: This sentence is giving me trouble: > For several days I (have/had) not had the chance to see her until a few > hours ago. I think _had_ is correct because the time reference is _a few hours ago_ , which is in the past. What do you think?


title: Can organisations personally determine pronunciation of their own brand name?

text: In fact, question from the title. Are there any traditions, customs about stressed syllables of brands? The problem is - many of brands contained fictional words, which, of course, have not been used ever before.


title: How do I correctly pronounce "sóncræft"

text: How do I correctly pronounce the Anglo Saxon word sóncræft (music)? I feel it should be "sonn crayfte" or "sonn creft".


title: "The next big thing" phrase

text: Is the phrase "The next big thing" considered a formal or a slang phrase? Especially when communicating with a professional committee.


title: When to use "lives" as a plural of life?

text: I am confused when talking about a general idea using "our life" when sometimes I feel like using "our lives". Please tell me the correct answer with appropriate explanation.


title: Logical construction of the word "forget"

text: A small story behind the reason for this question. In Russian, just as in English, many fundamental words are a combination of two basic ones. The verb _"forgot"_ is _"zabil"_ in Russian. It is formed by **_"za"_** \- in this case most likely in the meaning of _"after"_ \- and **_"bil"_** \- literally _"was"_ or _"I am in the past"_. If you put them together, it forms a logical structure of _"after the way I was"_. In English we have _"forget/forgot"_. As it happens in Russian, it is formed by _"for"_ and _"get"_ in different tenses. What meaning do these two words logically take (if any), to be righteously forming the word that logically means _"to lose something that was known"_?


title: What is the correct expression: "the estimate number" or "the estimated number?"

text: I have been looking for a place that tells me which expression is correct, but I didn't get any satisfactory answer. Google returns 2,060,000 results for "the estimate number of *", and 73,200,000 results for "the estimated number of *", but there are websites I would consider reliable in the first page of both searches. What is the correct way to write that expession?


title: What is the English expression for this facial expression?

text: Any expression for this? ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/ValNN.png)


title: Is "fake teeth" correct?

text: Is the phrase "fake teeth" correct? I googled it and found out that it is used. But my English tutor says that this phrase is incorrect and the book from Hillside Press had this phrase as a mistake. So what is true?


title: "Can easily be" vs. "can be easily" — what's the difference?

text: I'm wondering what the difference is between: >   * It can easily be obtained. >   * It can be easily obtained. > Also, what's the preferred way to write it? If there is any... I googled for both options between quotes and it returned almost the same result (38 million for "can be easily" and 34 million for "can easily be"), so statistically both have similar usage from the people. **Edit:** fixed the second point which I had mistyped as "it easily can be obtained".


title: What is the etymology of "Mexi-ducken"

text: It is a compound invented by the TV show "The Colbert Report". You can find the context here. (the Mexi- of course stand for mexican)


title: Why do people say "over-" and "underwhelmed" but never just "whelmed"?

text: We've all been **overwhelmed** with work, or seen an **underwhelming** movie... but it occurred to me that I've never heard anyone use the root word, _whelm_. **whelm** _(verb)_   1\. to submerge; engulf.   2\. to overcome utterly; overwhelm: whelmed by misfortune. If _whelm_ is "to overcome utterly," then why is it you never hear anyone say, "I was _whelmed_ at work today." And wouldn't _underwhelm_ mean something more like _expected_ or _normal_ , rather than the implied _less-than-expected_?


title: Can one say "I should like" rather than "I would like"? Is the former grammatical?

text: My focus here is on the _should_ in the sentence fragment _"I should very much like..."_. Why is it there in place of _would_? It seems strange that _should_ is used in the subjunctive mood there -- is it grammatical? If the fragment is idiomatic, can anyone explain the history of the idiom?


title: Can you grammatically end a sentence with "with"?

text: > Do you want to come with? > > Can I come with? I seem to hear this construction more often in recent years, but it still grates on my ear. I know it's often said that one shouldn't end a sentence with a preposition, but I class that rule along with split infinitives (i.e. — pedantic tosh). Is it always informal/casual speech to end a sentence with "with"? Was it ever thus?


title: What is the name for the exhaust from natural gas powered furnaces after it comes out of the chimney?

text: Sitting around the breakfast table we were unable to come up with a simple word for the exhaust out of modern chimneys. It's not really smoke because they aren't wood burning, but using exhaust seems too scientific. Any ideas?


title: An expression for 'growing old and more spiritual'

text: Is there an expression or saying that can be used to describe when person is growing old and he/she becomes less involved with physical issues and devotes more time to spiritual ones, taking care more of his/her soul rather than his/her body or other everyday issues?


title: Should we repeat the verb after "rather than"?

text: > Super AMOLED Plus uses a traditional RGB RGB (3 subpixels) arrangement > typically used in LCD displays rather than the PenTile RGBG pixel matrix (2 > subpixels) used in Super AMOLED. or > Super AMOLED Plus uses a traditional RGB RGB (3 subpixels) arrangement > typically used in LCD displays rather than uses the PenTile RGBG pixel > matrix (2 subpixels) used in Super AMOLED.


title: Word for "Intellectual Prankster"

text: I want to express concisely an impish attitude some clever scientists have. I want these properties:   * Explicitly playful (or maybe mischievous)   * Intellectual, but in action: Not always verbal, as in _witty_   * Ethically neutral: No connotations of underhandedness, as in _crafty_ In particular, I read a biography about a scientist who would crack his coworkers' safes. He did not use his knowledge malevolently, but he also shouldn't have been doing it. When a coworker suspected an intruder stole files, the scientist let him panic for a while before confessing. Is there a single word for "intellectually impish"?


title: Is it bad to start a sentence with "as"?

text: My boss doesn't like it when I start sentences with "as", and I'm not sure if it's actually a problem. A case where I would start with "as" would be: > As your new account manager, it is my responsibility to . . .


title: A critical situation in which no trick works?

text: How could one describe a situation in which no trick, no approach, no magic, nothing at all works to change the outcome? One where you have no choice but to accept things as they are. For example, I can't use the excuse that I was ill for missed homework because I've already used it. Or when this happens with your boss? What can I call such situation, in a single word, wherein you just have to accept the blame, just have to give in to the situation you are in?


title: Is this correct usage of 'to'

text: Is this correct usage of 'to' "the petals did entwine tickling the pistil to" or should it be "the petals did entwine tickling the pistil too


title: Why is “in the catching of” wrong?

text: In this sentence, _in the catching of_ is grammatically incorrect, but I cannot tell how: > The new system, which uses remote cameras **in the catching of** speeding > motorists, may undermine the police department's authority. Can someone explain?


title: Diplomatic word to express having difficulty or finding it unpleasant working with someone.

text: I'm filling out a feedback form for a senior colleague who I've been working with, I want say something like > Last year I had some difficulty working with John, but since the start of > the year he's given me more room to breathe and allowed me to work with more > autonomy.


title: Why does "orange" rhyme with (almost) nothing in English?

text: Joel Spolsky asked what rhymes with _orange_. The official answer is, "Nothing," although a creative poet can get close by using half words, just the _-nge_ part or resorting to place names and foreign words. Does _orange_ somehow violate the basic phonotactics of English? (And hence we wouldn't expect other English words to rhyme with it?)


title: What's the difference between orthography and spelling?

text: The terms "spelling" and "orthography" seem to be largely synonymous. What is the difference really? Is it that "orthography" is a more formal or technical term and hence more well-defined? Or is it just a fancy word to make me sound smarter when saying the same thing? (-:


title: Onward vs Onwards

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  "Toward" or "towards"? Which is the correct usage? "Onwards" or "Onward" ? For example: > I would be free any time Tuesday onward. vs > I would be free any time Tuesday onwards. Or is both correct/wrong? The spell checker in my browser says onwards is wrong but I've heard people using it. _(p.s: Sorry if this question is redundant. I searched here but couldn't find a related question)_


title: Can bacon or beans suggest some sort of alcohol?

text: I just read this poem: > **The Englishman**   >  by G.K. Chesterton > > St George he was for England,   >  And before he killed the dragon   >  He drank a pint of English ale   >  Out of an English flagon.   >  For though he fast right readily   >  In hair-shirt or in mail,   >  It isn’t safe to give him cakes   >  Unless you give him ale. > > St George he was for England,   >  And right gallantly set free   >  The lady left for dragon’s meat   >  And tied up to a tree;   >  But since he stood for England   >  And knew what England means,   >  **Unless you give him bacon   >  You mustn’t give him beans.** > > St George he is for England,   >  And shall wear the shield he wore   >  When we go out in armour   >  With battle-cross before.   >  But though he is jolly company   >  And very pleased to dine,   >  It isn’t safe to give him nuts   >  Unless you give him wine. My question is about the line about the _bacon_ and _beans_. The first stanza is about food and beer, the third stanza is about food and wine. But the middle stanza seems to be about food and food, but are one of those words (bacon or beans) suggestive of beer?


title: How many ways we can say "I didn't spot your ping"?

text: One of my colleagues pinged me in chat, but I didn't notice because since I was on a call. Now I want to ping him back that I missed to see his ping and to apologize. I am not sure _I missed to see_ is the correct sentence.


title: Apparent contradictions in English English communication

text: I came across this list about the apparent contradictions in communication by some English people. Whilst it was probably intended as humour, as I am a learner of English and think that, in communication, the implicit is just as important as the literal meaning, could a native speaker please tell me how accurate the list is? Which statements are particularly true or particularly false?               What the English say:   I hear what you say     What is understood:     He accepts my point of view     What the English mean:  I disagree and do not wish to discuss it any further          What the English say:   With the greatest respect     What is understood:     He is listening to me     What the English mean:  I think you are wrong          What the English say:   Not bad     What is understood:     Poor or mediocre     What the English mean:  Good or very good          What the English say:   Quite good     What is understood:     Quite good     What the English mean:  A bit disappointing          What the English say:   Perhaps you would like to think about/I would suggest/It would be nice if     What is understood:     Think about the idea but do what you like     What the English mean:  This is an order. Do it or be prepared to justify yourself.          What the English say:   Where appropriate locally/Local flexibility     What is understood:     Do it if you can     What the English mean:  Do whatever you like          What the English say:   Oh, by the way/Incidentally     What is understood:     This is not very important     What the English mean:  This is the primary purpose of our discussion          What the English say:   It was a bit disappointing that/It is a pity you     What is understood:     It doesn't really matter     What the English mean:  I am most upset and cross          What the English say:   Very interesting     What is understood:     They are impressed     What the English mean:  I don't agree/I don't believe you          What the English say:   Could we consider some other options     What is understood:     They have not yet decided     What the English mean:  I don't like your idea          What the English say:   I'll bear it in mind     What is understood:     They will probably do it     What the English mean:  I will do nothing about it          What the English say:   Please think about that some more     What is understood:     Good idea, keep developing it     What the English mean:  It is a bad idea. Don't do it          What the English say:   I'm sure it is my fault     What is understood:     It was their fault     What the English mean:  It is your fault!          What the English say:   That is an original point of view     What is understood:     They like my ideas     What the English mean:  You must be crazy


title: Noun for someone whose secret has been discovered?

text: Is there a one-word noun for someone who has been lying or keeping a secret, but who has been found out? I can think of descriptors that aren’t nouns ( _exposed, found out_ , etc.) but I’m looking for a noun that means the actual person who has been exposed or found out, etc.


title: When to use double "L"?

text: First of all, English is not my first language, so please excuse me if my question sounds dumb. Secondly, I've seen this question but I don't believe it applies, tho I've been wrong before :P. For example:   * bravely is spelled with one "L"   * dynamically is spelled with two "L" What is the rule behind this ?


title: What are other ways to say "virtually impossible"?

text: What are other ways of saying "virtually impossible"?


title: Meaning of a statement from The Economist

text: This is a sentence from The Economist: > IT IS growing harder to distinguish one bloody day in Syria from the next, > unless the horror is so stark as to earn a special mark in the trajectory of > an increasingly gruesome conflict. Please help me in understanding this statement. I am unable to get the accurate meaning. Also help me understand the statement after "Unless".


title: Antonyms of "lesser" and "greater"

text: The opposite of "lesser" is "greater or equal" and vice versa. Does the English language have single word antonyms for "lesser" and "greater"?


title: "A swashed H" - valid description?

text: Can the typography term "swash", meaning a flourish on a letter or character, be used as a verb?


title: "Deliberate recluse" or "deliberately reclusive"

text: I was touching up my profile when I came upon this: > Aspiring autodidact, **deliberate recluse**. Is the phrase _deliberate recluse_ syntactically correct, or should I use _deliberately reclusive_ instead?


title: 'I get it' vs. 'I got it'

text: When someone tells me something, how should I respond, "I get it" or "I got it"? I have a feeling that "I got it" means "I already knew the thing before you told me," and "I get it" means "Now I know the thing, because you just told me." Is that right?


title: Semantical difference between "must not" and "not allowed to"

text: Both forms express an obligation not to do something (although one phrases it by declaring that permission is missing). I figure that _must not_ sounds a little more urging but what I am interested in is this: Are both phrases semantically interchangeable or are there situations in which only one will work? If so, why?


title: What's the word for a migration from a manual-based system to a IT-based system?

text: For example, a company that has been using traditional mail can switch to e-mail. I want a generic term for such migrations (other example, tracking system, scheduling, etc.). Perhaps also Question & Answer systems ;) I heard of _automatization_ but it is not exactly what I want here, because the new process might still require manual human actions, it's just that it's computer based so there's less hassle. I'm not sure whether _computerization_ is a valid word and what it means.. Any ideas?


title: How to say "Big families" in English?

text: Is there any appropriate phrase to say "big families"? included my own family (father, mother), my aunt's family, my uncle's family, grandma, grandpa etc.?


title: "The" for laying emphasis

text: Is this a correct statement? "The lion and tiger belong to the cat family." Or should it be - "The lion and _the_ tiger belong to the cat family."


title: "I think that ... not ... " and "I don't think that ..."

text: Are there differences between negating the dependent clause and negating the independent clause? > I think this is not the reason. > > I don't think this is the reason.


title: Which is correct, "on-line" or "online"?

text: I am still seeing uses of _on-line_ , though I think it is incorrect. For example: > A web browser enables a user to go on-line/online. Can you tell me which is the more appropriate to use, _on-line_ or _online_?


title: Me or Myself? Reflexive pronoun?

text: This is to confirm the number of people for an event I am hosting with someone else; which of the following is correct: > A. Until then, if you all could confirm your attendance [either] with John > or myself [,] it'd be highly appreciated. > > B. Until then, if you all could confirm your attendance with [either] John > or me [,] it'd be highly appreciated. > > C. Until then, if you all could confirm your attendance with [either] John > or I [,] it'd be highly appreciated. Do I need _either_ , and a comma as well?


title: Difference between "not as...as" and "not ...er than"

text: In what kind of situation can we use "not as...as" not "not ...er than"? > This question is not as easy as that one.   >  This question is not easier than that one.   >  This question is more difficult than that one. I feel these three sentences indicate the same concept. How can we distinguish how to use these three sentences?


title: "Would you mind and do something" in nonstandard colloquial AE

text: Just curious, does "Would you mind and do something" instead of "Would you mind doing something" sound acceptable in spoken AE, or is it an attempt to imitate or render colloquial speech in not so formal writing? > Would you mind and provide the phone number connected on the account? source > > Would you mind and tell us what you've tried. source > > Would you mind and not steal my Sig. source > > Would you mind and not repeat that to anyone.


title: What is the plural of "hair" when it refers to the hair of multiple people?

text: I understand that "hairs" is plural when talking about multiple hairs, as in "my hairs have split ends", and that "hair" is singular when talking about ones collection of hairs, such as "my hair is blue". However, I'd like to know what the plural form is when I am talking about the collections of hairs of multiple people. "We must wait until our **__** dry" Furthermore, if the answer is "hair" which is typically singular, then would it be "We must wait until our hair dry" or "We must wait until our hair dries"?


title: as though Pharaoh should set the Israelites to make a pin instead of a pyramid

text: From An Apology For Idlers, by Stevenson: > And yet you see merchants who go and labour themselves into a great fortune > and thence into the bankruptcy court; scribblers who keep scribbling at > little articles until their temper is a cross to all who come about them, > **as though Pharaoh should set the Israelites to make a pin instead of a > pyramid** : and fine young men who work themselves into a decline, and are > driven off in a hearse with white plumes upon it. I don't understand how scribblers are related to a Pharaoh and why pin instead of a pyramid; seems like an unrelated bit of text. If the results of their scribblings would be perfect, some "Pharaoh" will erect a pin in their honor? O_o The thought of Pharaoh demanding Israelites to manufacture one pin is strange. I tried to scan googlebooks, but the meaning is not clarified. One footnote merely explains who the Pharaohs were and directs the reader to the Book of Exodus for the history of their relations with Israelites.


title: What is the term for increasing remuneration of a person on account of him/her being paid less than their counterparts erstwhile.

text: What do you call the action by an employer where he/she increases the salary of person a to the level of person b on grounds that person a and b are performing at the same level but person a was being paid less than person b earlier.


title: Restrain vs curb

text: In an exam I found this phrase: > There was very strong support for the police who were determined to (curb) > this kind of crime. There was a choice between _restrain_ and _curb_. Why was _curb_ the right word?


title: Meaning of “under issue”

text: I was recently checking for the status of an application filed for a specific purpose when I came across the phrase “under issue” as in “the letter dated xxx is _under issue_ ”. My question is, how can something be _under_ issue? It can either be issued or not. Does it mean that the letter is yet to be issued?


What is the correct term used to describe this tense in English — Present Progressive or Present Continuous? I see both terms used in grammar books.


title: What is the origin of the phrase "beyond the pale"?

text: What's the origin of the phrase 'beyond the pale'?


title: Is it correct to use "are you" instead of "if you're"?

text: As an example: > This is a good read, are you interested in more related topics. What are these type of sentences called? Does it follow the same grammar as: > Should you require more information please do not hesitate to contact me.


title: origin of phrase 'stone the crows'

text: Just as the title says — where, and how, did the phrase 'stone the crows' originate?


title: What's the word Copyright and `(C)' mean?

text: In the lines: > Copyright (C) 1994 Tom   >  Copyright (C) 1995, 1996 Cruise   >  Copyright (C) 1997, 1998 Louis Here, what's the original meaning of "Copyright"? And why the mark "(C)"? And, what is indeed granted by the Copyright string? For example: > Copyright (C) 1994 Tom Does this mean that Tom has _the right of copy_ , e.g. copy something mentioned to everyone in the world in the year of 1994? And after the year 1994 he won't have the copy right anymore? What's the difference between the following? >   1. Copyright (C) 2000–2010 Lily Ponder >   2. Copyright 2000–2010 Lily Ponder > And, Can I write something like > Copyright (C) 2000-3000 Lily Ponder to protect the copyright forever?


title: Archaic text suggestions

text: I'm interested in learning Archaic English. As a starting point, I guess simple texts that are easy to comprehend would be a good choice. I would appreciate any suggestions.


title: The use of "will" in assumptions

text: We can use _will_ for both past and future assumptions. But how do we differentiate if it refers to past assurance or future possibility? For example: > You _will_ know all about Rachel, of course. Now this conveys two possible meanings 1.) It is a past assumption and the speaker implies that the person knows about Rachel for sure. 2.) It could also mean that the person _will_ know about Rachel at some point in the future. Another example: > He will have finished eating supper ~~now.~~ So how do we know if it refers to the past or the future? Do we need to change our intonation while speaking?


title: Meaning of "being sold as a silver-bullet"

text: I was reading an article about software developers and read that _something is being sold as a silver-bullet_. What does it mean?


title: Has the use of the idiom "last week" surpassed the use of the correct "yester-week"?

text: In his book _Write It Right_ , which was published in 1909 -– a hundred years ago -- Ambrose Bierce disagreed with the usage of the words “Last” and “Past” with “week”. He explained : > Last and Past. “Last week.” “The past week.” Neither is accurate: a week > cannot be the last if another is already begun; and all weeks except this > one are past. Here two wrongs seem to make a right: we can say the week last > past. But will we? I trow not. And H. W. Fowler agreed with those sentiments in his Fowler's _Modern English Usage 1st Ed_. > __4\. Last) (latest. In this now favourite antithesis (Dr Marshall's latest, > but we hope not his last, contribution) we are reminded that latest means > last up to now only, whereas last does not exclude the future. The > distinction is a convenient one, & the use of latest for last is described > by the OED as ' now archaic & poetical'. But no corresponding agreement has > yet been reached for abstaining from last when latest would be the more > precise word, & many idioms militate against it (last Tuesday; last year ; > for the last fortnight; on the last occasion ; as I said in my last). And his successor, R. W. Burchfield, also agreed, in _New Folwer's Modern English Usage 3rd Ed._ > __4\. Last/Latest. In such a context as “In his latest book, Dr. A…”, it is > clear that Dr. A has written earlier books and that he is still alive and > may well write others. If the statement runs “In his last book, Dr A…” the > meaning could be the same, or it could also imply that this was the final > book written by Dr A before he died. It is obvious, therefore, that if there > is any danger of contextual ambiguity some word other than last should be > used. In many idiomatic phrases last is still the only possible adj. of the > two: = most recent; next before a specified time ( last Christmas; last > week); = preceding; previous in a series ( got on at the last station); = > only remaining ( the last biscuit; our last chance); ( preceded by the) = > the least likely or suitable ( the last person I’d want to see; the last > thing I’d have expected; = the lowest in order ( the last name on the list). Nevertheless, the _Oxford English Dictionary 2nd Ed_ described _yester_ as: > yester- > > in comb. or as prefix = immediately preceding the present, last, in > yestereve, etc., after yesterday, yesternight; e.g. yester-afternoon, > yester-age, yester-noon, yester-tempest, yester-week. See also yester-year. Of course, I admit I've always thought that _last week_ was the week before this. So my question is: Do you think that use of the idiom _last week_ has overpowered the correct usage "yester-week"?


title: What is more appropriate, "data" or "information" when referring to facts about something. What's the difference really?

text: The Computer Studies teacher quipped, "There is a lot of data out there regarding HTML programming". What does this really mean? Will it make any difference if the teacher had used "information" in place of "data"?


title: Can "mode" be used as "mean" and "median" are?

text: It'd be normal to hear sentences like these: > The mean ticket price for the concert was $56.50. > > The median ticket price for the concert was $61. But what about: > The mode ticket price for the concert was $40. Is this an acceptable way to use the word "mode?" I would typically expect to hear, "The mode of ticket prices for the concert was $40," but the former arrangement is nice because it's more concise.


title: Noun genders in Moby Dick

text: English nouns do not have grammatical gender. But in Moby Dick, some nouns do seem to have gender, like "ship" (feminine) and "whale" (masculine). Some passages: > And now the time of tide has come; the **ship** casts off **her** cables. > > Nor was it **his** unwonted magnitude, nor **his** remarkable hue, nor yet > **his** deformed lower jaw, that so much invested the **whale** with natural > terror (...). Is this some kind of non-standard variety of the language?


title: Word for answering the question you wish had been asked not the one asked?

text: This is really common with politicians where they answer a potentially probing question as if they had been asked an entirely other question. Hypothetical example: > Interviewer: "Is it true that today's budget will put single parents out on > the street due to the draconian cuts to childcare supports?" > > Politician: "That's a great question, Interviewer. Families are our top > priority as the government of country X because we've been talking to > citizens of country X and they've told us how important their families are > to them. That's why we are boosting the economy of country X to help > families by taking the restrictions off business so they can afford to pay > the citizens of country X more..." I know broadly this would be called 'spin' or 'obfuscation' but I'm interested to know if a term exists for this more specifically. Is there a word for this type of question dodging?


title: Is there a difference between "to air" and "to broadcast"?

text: What is the difference, if any, in the use of the verbs _to air_ and _to broadcast_?


title: "Bearer of good news" & "bearer of bad news" are called?

text: > The person who brings a good(good news messenger) news is called ? similarly > the person who brings the bad news(bad news messenger) is called ? In this generation that may be same person. But earlier(in ancient times during Kings) they had different people for such tasks. Thus one would get the good one and other would being the bad news. I am looking for a single word that describes good news bearer and bad news bearer. OR a common word for both. Thanks in advance.


title: Meaning of "A man has as many masters as he has vices."

text: What does this saying mean? It was said by Augustine of Hippo, but I do not exactly understand it. Thanks. > A man has as many masters as he has vices.


title: According to me, it was acceptable, but according to him, it wasn't

text: I once had a piece of written work corrected by a very experienced English teacher who told me that writing " _according to me_ " sounded weird and nobody who was English/British would ever say it. I didn't question him, as there was another teacher, Australian, who nodded her approval and so, blushing I murmured "thanks" and felt terribly awkward and almost ashamed. I surmised that my "mistake" must have stemmed from my living too many years in Italy. After years of exposure to the Italian equivalent; _secondo me_ ("according to" me); _secondo te_ (...you); _secondo a lui/lei_ , (... him/her); _secondo noi_ (...us); and _secondo loro_ (...them). "According to me" just sounded natural to my ears. Fast forward to this summer and what do I discover on EL&U? That my mistake was in fact, _grammatically_ correct. Is the phrase "according to me" correct? > It's certainly grammatical. Whether and where you use it is entirely a > matter of personal choice. Another user posted this answer: > The use _according to me_ is correct, but it doesn't have the same meaning > as _in my opinion_. > > The form _according to nn_ is used when _nn_ is some kind of authority, so > if you are using it on yourself, you are also implying that you are an > authority in the field. I prefer the second answer because it explains why _according to me_ sounded odd to the English language teacher. I now no longer make this mistake but after all this time, it still bothers me. Who is to say, that by saying _according to him_ the nominated person is an authority. If I say: > According to my brother, our father will have to go to a nursing home one > day. Would that be technically wrong? "My brother" is not an authority, and he may be younger than I am. If I were to rebuke this claim by saying: > Well, _according to me_ he shouldn't. He would hate losing his freedom and > independence. Would a native English speaker find this phrase _odd_ and even laughable?


title: Does ‘legit intel” pass as a usual English word?

text: I found the word, “legit intel” in the following sentence of Maureen Dowd’s article titled “Shadow of a Doubt” in today’s (September 3) New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/04/opinion/dowd-shadow-of-a-doubt.html?hp > “Once more, we’re vociferously debating whether to slap down a murderous > dictator who has gassed his own people, and whether we have **the legit > intel** to prove he used W.M.D. > > Many around the president are making the case that if he doesn’t stand firm > on his line in the sand, having gotten so far out on a limb, he’ll look weak > and America will lose face and embolden its foes.” Though GoogleNgram shows no incidence of “legit intel,” I surmise it is an abbreviated form of legitimate intelligence from the context. Does the phrase have currency? If so, is it more common in writing or in day- to-day conversation? If not, is it simply a part of Ms. Dowd's idiolect?


title: Word to describe difficult to keep request

text: I am looking for a word which can used in the following blank space: I understand the ____ nature of the request; hence a negative answer will not change anything between us. The word needs to describe a request which is difficult, a bit imposing, and the favour is too big. Thanks very much


title: Is there a word for a driver who changes lanes often?

text: In Russian, a driver whose driving style includes changing lanes often, squeezing into any small hole, may be called _шашист_ ("checkers player") or _вышивальщик_ ("embroiderer"), because of fast diagonal moves they're making on the road. Is there a similar word or short phrase in English (slang is OK)? I'm not searching for a word to describe aggressive driving style in general (like speeding, tailgating etc.), but rather for this specific behavior.


title: Is the phrase "please kindly" redundant?

text: The colleagues in my office often send email starting with "Please kindly". Are the two phrases a bit redundant?


title: Does "will you stop here, please" express a command or exhortation?

text: > Will you stop here, please. Does the sentence express a command or exhortation? Is it equivalent to say, "Stop here!" or does it have an additional/different meaning?


title: "Visualized" equivalent adjective for audio

text: Are there such words as "audiolized" or "audibilized"? **EDIT:** Merriam-Webster has the word Audibilized indexed with no definition! ~~What I was trying to achieve was to say that`something is an audibilized presentation of some other thing`, exactly the same way we use `visualized presentation`.~~ **EDIT:** This is a visualization of a sort algorithm. Therefore this is ...? Audilization? Auralization? Sound representation? **EDIT:** This one as well.


title: What does "educated" mean in "educated guess"?

text: > Make an educated guess. What is the meaning of _educated_ in the sentence?


title: "Such requests" versus "those requests"

text: What is the difference between _such requests_ , and _these/those requests_? For example, consider these sentences that are preceded from a sentence making a list of requests: > Such requests cannot be accepted. > > These requests cannot be accepted. What is the difference between the first, and the second sentence?


title: Why is a bathroom sometimes called a "john"?

text: "John" is sometimes used as slang for a bathroom or a toilet. I'm curious, what is the origin of this usage?


title: What do you call a Swiss man?

text: So we call a French male "Frenchman", an English male "Englishman", and a Dutch male "Dutchman". what do we call Swiss males? "Swissman" comes to mind, but it sounds like a cheesy version of Superman, like "Cheddarman" or "Mozzarellaman".


title: John Smith Esquire v. John Smith Attorney v. John Smith Attorney at Law

text: Which is the most proper way to sign a letter? John Smith Esquire, John Smith Attorney or John Smith Attorney at Law. Besides, does each of those categories denote different levels of engagement in the legal profession?


title: "Explain" versus "Explicate"

text: Is there a difference in meaning between the words ' ** _explain_** ' and ' ** _explicate_** ', or are they interchangeable? It seems that _explicate_ is just a very formal (pretentious?) version of _explain_ , that is used in philosophical and artistic contexts. Every time I've seen the word _explicate_ used, it could be replaced by _explain_ with no loss of clarity.


title: Meaning of "let bygones be bygones"

text: What is the exact meaning of the phrase _let bygones be bygones_? If I had a fight with my best friend and then say it, which of the following does it mean?   1. I want to forget the past and reconcile and get back to friendship.   2. I want to forget the past but not reconcile and get back to friendship.


title: A word for female bonding

text: A _bromance_ is "a close but non-sexual relationship between two men". Is there an equivalent for women? IMO, _sisterhood_ doesn't really fit.


title: Incorrect expression "In that moment"

text: I was doing an exercise and I found this one: Correct one word in the incorrect expression "In that moment, the door opened" (the exercise highlights "In that moment" part). However, I think it is good, I don't know what is wrong with this. Thanks.


title: How should I write "Why questions"?

text: I would like to know how to properly write, somewhere in a paragraph, the phrase "Why questions". By which I mean questions of the form "Why... ?". The sentence I would like to write is "How to answer why questions." How do I format it? Possibilities: >   1. How to answer why questions. >   2. How to answer _why_ questions. >   3. How to answer _why?_ questions. >   4. How to answer 'why' questions. >   5. How to answer "why" questions. >   6. How to answer "why?" questions. > I thought 3 would be best but I would appreciate a second (third, etc.) opinion.


title: "it is may happen" is correct or not?

text: The meaning of **hope** given in Simple Wiktionary as When someone hopes that something will happen, it means that they want it to happen and they think **it is may happen**. This **it is may happen** is correct or not? I think "it may happen" is sufficient.


title: Does the word 'nab' necessarily have negative connotations?

text: I was about to use this word in an email to refer to its recipient, as in: > I was the guy who nabbed you as you were leaving to ask about ... I'm going for a friendly, familiar tone. Is my usage of 'nab' inappropriate? Looking it up in the Oxford Dictionary: > verb (nabs, nabbing, nabbed) [with object] informal > > catch (someone) doing something wrong:   >  _the Feds nabbed a suspected terrorist_ > > take, grab, or steal (something):   >  _Dan nabbed the seat next to mine_


title: Like "relinquish" but less extreme

text: What alternatives are there for relinquish or abdicate in a business setting? For example: > Business X is willing to [relinquish] their preexisting partnership for this > opportunity.


title: Which adjectives can describe verbs?

text: Certain nouns can also be verbs, i.e. `run` or `play`. Some adjectives can be applied to both forms of such a word, by switching the positioning: >   * Run fast >   * Fast run >   * Play clean >   * Clean play > But this isn't always possible -- `Play seriously` vs `serious play` \-- the adjective changes its form. What is the name for this? I'm looking for a list of adjectives that go after a verb. P.S. The tag "adjectives" claims that adjectives are only applied to nouns.


title: Either + plural noun + plural verb

text: I know that "either" is singular as is "neither". But I've seen it used as a plural pronoun. Take this sentence for example: > It's the only chance either of us have of getting home. Is this usage informal? If it is, then I think the above sentence should be re-written like this: > It's the only chance either of us has of getting home. Am I correct?


title: Is there a proper name for the 3 asterisks that are used to suggest temporal discontinuity?

text: For example, when some long prose passage ends, this appears: * * * Then some new prose passage begins. The three asterisks dividing the two prose sections are understood to divide the two sections into non-continuous temporal spaces. I am interested in knowing if there is a _specific name_ to describe _symbolic or graphical_ markings that are meant to suggest _temporal discontinuity_.