title: "Arguments to the topic" or "arguments for the topic"?

text: I'm not sure whether it is possible to say "arguments for the topic" or "arguments to the topic" when I want to express opinions that would relate to the given topic.


title: What exactly is going on with the verbs in these sentences?

text: Verbs kind of confuse me so excuse me if this sounds like a dumb question but: > She allowed him one meal a day vs. > She let him one meal a day   * Why exactly do I have to include the verb _have_ in the second sentence?   * Why is it that I can include the verb _have_ in the first sentence as well but that it has to be in full infinitive form ("She allowed him have one meal a day" vs. "She allowed him to have one meal a day")?   * Are there terms for verbs with these requirements (like * _transitive_ )?


title: Word for an area characterized by similar stores, services, or industries

text: I am writing tourist information for a city that has areas known for similar shops (fabric, jewelry, musical instruments), similar services (spas, funeral, automotive), and similar industries (textile, software, manufacturing). I am currently referring to all of these areas as districts (e.g. the fabric district, the funeral district, the manufacturing district). Unfortunately, this usage could potentially cause confusion because this city also has a number of governmental districts (similar to "boroughs" in NYC). Also, there is some ambiguity between places where things are made and where they are sold. For example, the fabric district could be easily confused with the textile district. Two questions:   1. Is there a better general term than _districts_ for areas that known for similar things?   2. Are there better specific terms in the case that those areas are known for stores, services, or industries?


title: Which noun should I use to describe that a computer system hangs?

text: According to the dictionary, "hang" can also be used as a noun, but I don't think it is the right word to use in this scenario. Should I use "hanging" instead, e.g., this software bug may cause two problems to this computer, crash or hanging? It also sounds weird to me. In general, if a verb doesn't have a direct corresponding noun, what should I do if I have to use a noun to present the same meaning.


title: Is "obverse" a normal word to be used in general writing, if not, is there any alternative?

text: > Heraclitus was obviously no exception, indeed he probably expressed the > universality of change more clearly than his predecessors; but for him it > was the obverse idea of the measure inhering in change, the stability that > presists through it, that was of vital importance.( _The Presocratic > Philosophers_ , by G.Kirk) "Obverse idea" refers to the "measure","logos", which is the unchangeable in the changable things. So it seems that "obverse" is presumed by the author to mean "reverse": unchangable vs change. But with second thought, I think it is not so. The two theory both are valid for Heraclitus, therefore they are not opposing, but complementing each other. I think this sort of contrastive relation is perfectly expressed by "obverse", I cannot find another word to replace it. But by using Google N-gram viewer, I find that "obverse" is extremely rarely used. So does anyone have other suggested alternatives?


title: Can one say? 'I wish magazines and newspapers would contain less ads.'

text: I can say 'I wish prices would go down', but what about similar sentences that have an inanimate subject after 'wish'? For example, 'I wish magazines and newspapers would contain fewer ads.' Can one use 'would' freely in them?


title: Difference between "notebook" and "laptop"

text: > Definition of Notebook : > > a small, lightweight laptop computer. > > Definition of Laptop : > > a portable, usually battery-powered microcomputer small enough to rest on > the user's lap. In this case, a notebook is defined as a laptop, so does "notebook" = "laptop"?


title: Word meaning 'common line of reasoning for a given issue'.

text: For example > A common [word] espoused by climate change deniers is that global > temperatures haven't increased for ten years, and thus anthropocentric > climate change is not real.


title: What do you call the sheet that a barber covers you with?

text: It's that sheet/blanket that they put on you so you don't get covered with hair. Is there a formal name for it?


title: Does and online repository exist for texts written in African American English / 'Ebonics'?

text: I wonder whether I can find a work of literature in AAE somewhere? I mean not citations of conversations or songs etc, but a full-fledged story or novel or technical text.


title: Is it correct to start a sentence with "Ad question one..."?

text: I'm pretty sure I've read "Ad question one..." in the sense of "Addressing question one..." before, but the only usage on the web I find is by someone with a Hispanic name and m-w.com doesn't seem to know it. I've always thought it was derived from a Latin expression and (therefore) sophisticated.


title: Does "very much the same" have the same meaning as "identical"?

text: Do the words "very much the same" have the same meaning as "identical" or do these words imply that it's almost identical, but not totally?


title: What do you call someone who is above average?

text: Is there any word (noun?) for a person who is not bad at doing something, yet not too good?


title: What is the exact word for the person who calls the speakers in an event using a mic?

text: What is a person who speaks on the mic that which person is going to come next to speak called?


title: Word for phenomenon where people listen mainly to sources confirming their points of view

text: I recall there is a word for the phenomenon that people listen mainly to sources confirming their point of view. For example, some people will listen to Fox News whereas others will watch Democracy!Now. I recall seeing an eponymous law to describe this phenomenon. What is this phenomenon called?


What does " to keep somebody amused" mean? Context: > But at least he’s sneaking in a cheeseburger so that should keep him amused > while I write this.


title: Use of "save" or "save for" in sentences

text: Take the following example sentence: > There was nothing there save for the warmth of the immeasurable light. Is this the proper use of **save for**? Is there _ever_ a proper use of **save for**? Can someone explain to me the correct usage, if there is one, and possibly some etymology of this phrase? Examples of other correct use would be appreciated, though not critical.


title: Can one conjugate and use 'suicide' as a verb?

text: I don't remember ever seeing suicide used as a standalone verb. I've always seen it as commits suicide or committed suicide. Can you conjugate and use suicide by itself?


title: idiom for "if you are not improving, you are deteriorating"

text: Is there an idiom or expression for "if you are not improving, that means you are deteriorating" Thank you


title: Meaning of "went through the floor"?

text: Question: I read this post:   http://answers.onstartups.com/questions/40480/how-much-traffic-is-necessary- to-generate-1000-per-month-in-advertising-revenue Quote > I previously had a real estate listings site and was generating around $1500 > mth with about 3000 unique users per day. Content was essentially syndicated > but as Google changed algorithm the traffic went through the floor. Now my question:   The expression "went through the floor", in this context, what does it mean, collapse or explode ?   I suppose collapse, since the floor is at the bottom, but with expressions, one never knows for certain...


title: Why is "success" spelled with double -S?

text: What is the function of the double _s_ at the end of the word, success?


title: Is the clause after 'and' in the sentence "His voice was serious and his manner solemn." valid?

text: Is the sentence "His voice was serious and his manner solemn." grammatically correct? I've seen 'be' dropped in some sentences like this one.


title: How are these Brazilian Portuguese names pronounced in English?

text: How are these Brazilian (Portuguese) names pronounced in (U.S.) English?   * João Gilberto   * Astrud Gilberto    * Bebel Gilberto   * Vinicius de Moraes   * Antonio Carlos Jobim   * Vivo Sonhando


title: Who uses the term 'freehold'?

text: I am interested to discover in which countries, where English is used, the term 'freehold' and 'freeholder' is in everyday use. I know the question of 'freehold' has come up on this site before in discussion about 'condominium'. But that does not answer my question. The origin of the term goes back the centuries-ago feudal system, and indicated land held as a free man, as opposed to a villein. But 'freehold' today means the absolute rights of ownership, free of any lease, in a piece of land. The alternative to freehold is 'leasehold' where rights are held for a period of time according to the terms of a lease.


title: A word meaning "to set equal to one" in a mathematical application?

text: How do I describe the process of setting something equal to 1 in a mathematical application? I often deal with numbers and figures that are set equal to zero when certain conditions are met, and the word for this (that we use, at least) is "zeroise". Is there such a word for the same process, except where we are setting numbers equal to one? I would like to think that it is "unionise" but the idea of unionising labourers seems to be too strong here. Any other suggestions?


title: People who is or People who are

text: I want to know if which one is correct, for example I want to say: "The people who is in charge of this process" or "The people who are in charge of this process". I'm a bit confused because of the "who" word in the middle of the sentence.


title: What does “Moral luck” mean?

text: As an extension of my interest in Van Gogh’s severed ear from Jeffrey Archer’s “False Impression” that depicted mysterious odyssey of Van Gogh’s self- portrait with bandage on his left ear, I was attracted to read Adam Gopnik’s article titled, Van Gogh’s ear – The Christmas Eve that changed modern art, that appeared in New Yorker magazine (Jan. 4 issue). In his article, Gopnik introduces _Moral Luck_ (1976), the essay of Bernard Williams on the relationship of Van Gogh and Paul Gauguin and their influence on modern art. Not only the title of William’s book, the words _Moral luck_ are repeated four times in the following sentence: > What Williams didn’t entirely register, though, was that Gauguin isn’t just > one artist plucked at random out of time, a desperado in a line stretching > back to Pygmalion. He’s not just an instance of _moral luck_ ; he is an > inventor of _moral luck_. He is a model modern artist, and modern art is in > many ways about _moral luck_ , about the search for it, about raising the > stakes to see if it can happen. Modern art makes its own _moral luck_. I don’t understand the meaning of _Moral luck_. I checked the definition of _luck_ with Cambridge Online Dictionary, which defines _luck_ simply as: >   1. The force that causes things, especially good things, to happen to you > by chance and not as a result of your own efforts or abilities. 2. Success. > Oxford Dictionary at hand defines it in the same way as 1. “Good things that happen to you by chance. 2. Chance. Period.” I cannot even guess the meaning of _Moral luck_ from any of the above definitions. To me, _Moral_ doesn’t seem to sit well with _Luck_. Can you decode what _Moral luck_ really means?


title: Is "plunger" a familiar word for part of a phone?

text: I was looking for the name of the button on a telephone that you push to hang up. On older phones where the receiver sits horizontally over two buttons, I've seen them called "plungers." Are people familiar with this term? Is there another term? Is the single button also called a "plunger?"


title: "Aforementioned" or "beforementioned"

text: I asked a question on the origin of the word _aforementioned_. To me, it would seem that this word should be _beforementioned_ instead. Why does it begin with _afore-_? Also, does this mean _afore_ can be used as a substitute for _before_?


title: What's a word like "disregard" or "bypass" that means "hides"?

text: Imagine that someone skips a step, with the hope that the audience will never know that it existed. I was thinking _extends_ or _circumvents_. I'm not sure if these words are on the nose; I am looking for a word that really shows intent to conceal. Here's a sample sentence: > Any plan of action that ______ preservation of human life is, at its core, > flawed.


title: To or for usage: Places

text: Which of these is correct? > She is leaving _for_ the USA. or > She is leaving _to_ the USA.


title: When can "very" modify a prepositional phrase?

text: In _Hamlet_ , when Hammy Jr. asks Polonius whether a cloud looks like a whale, Polly replies, > Very like a whale. In contemporary English, however, "very like ..." feels ungrammatical. You instead have to epenthetically say "very much like ...". Interestingly this restriction doesn't seem to apply to some similar constructions; I find the following all acceptable:   * "Very whale-like" (PP replaced with adjective)   * "Very similar to a whale" (synonymous phrasal preposition)   * "Really like a whale" (synonymous adverb)   * "Exactly like a whale", "Truly like a whale", "Somewhat like a whale" (different adverb)   * "Nothing like a whale" (adverb replaced with a word of arguable lexical class)   * "Very near a whale" (different preposition)   * Cerberus pointed out (in chat) that "That is so very like you" is also acceptable (different argument to preposition) But these still unacceptable:   * *"Very by a whale", *"Very in a whale", *"Very inside a whale", *"Very toward a whale" (different preposition)      * But "Directly by/in/inside/toward a whale" are fine. **What determines whether "very" can modify a prepositional phrase?**


title: Use of "completely rubbish"

text: I notice that _it is rubbish_ means _it is bad_ , but can we say _it is completely rubbish_ meaning _it is completely bad_ in everyday English? Do native speakers of English say that, other than the obviously correct _it is complete rubbish_?


title: "Irreparable damage" vs. "irrecoverable damage"

text: Which word is a better fit in the following sentence? > Some of the environmental changes may produce **irreparable/irrecoverable** > damage to the earth's capacity to sustain life.


title: Since more than six months

text: As per English grammar, ' _Since_ ' is used to show the time period in the past from which the event is happening. So, is the sentence given below correct? > " _Since more than six months, I have been directly assisting Steve as a > Project Manager_ "


title: On the structure of "search for weapons and bands of pro-Hussein fighters still holding out"

text: I came across the following expression: > The primary task of many American troops in Baghdad has been to search for > weapons and bands **of pro-Hussein fighters still holding out**. This is from a newspaper called _The Japan Times_ , which is published in Japan. I don't understand the structure of the bold part.   1. Is "holding out" a gerund?   2. If so, is "pro-Hussein fighters" its semantic subject?   3. Then, how is this sentence different from "weapons and bands **which/that** pro-Hussein fighters still hold out"?


title: Synonymity of "simple" and "basic"

text: If I have two ways of doing the same thing, one requiring more input or effort than the other but also allowing for more customization, how should I label the two? > The **_simple_** way and the _custom_ way > > The **_basic_** way and the _custom_ way Are _simple_ and _basic_ really synonyms in this situation?


title: What is the difference between a "technologist" and a "technician"?

text: The dictionary offers the following: > technologist -- a person who specializes in technology > > technician -- specialist in industrial techniques: somebody who is skilled > in industrial techniques or the practical application of a science But if I look at Wikipedia's entry they give the following list: >   * Applied Science Technologist, a Canadian professional title in > engineering and applied science technology >   * Architectural technologist, a specialist in the technology of building > design and construction >   * Cardiovascular technologist, a health specialist who uses imaging > technology to help diagnose cardiac and vascular ailments >   * Chemical technologist, a worker who provides technical support or > services in chemical-related fields >   * Educational technologist, a specialist in tools to enhance learning >   * Electrical Technologist, a person whose knowledge lies between that of > an electrical engineer and an electrical tradesperson >   * Engineering technologist, a specialist who implements technology within > a field of engineering >   * Industrial technologist, a specialist in the management, operation, and > maintenance of complex operation systems >   * Medical technologist, a healthcare professional who performs diagnostic > analysis on a variety of body fluids >   * Polysomnographic technologist, a health specialist who administers > overnight polysomnograms >   * Professional Technologist, a Canadian professional title in engineering > and technology related fields >   * Radiologic technologist, a medical professional who applies doses of > radiation for imaging and treatment >   * Surgical technologist, a health specialist who facilitates the conduct > of invasive surgical procedures > This usage seems to suggest some variant of "technician". Wikipedia even redirects many of the equivalent "technician" articles to the corresponding "technologist" article (e.g. chemical technician; x-ray technician). Where did "technologist" come from? Are these professions simply relabeling "technicians" as "technologists" or is there a significant difference between a "technologist" and a "technician"?


title: What is the opposite of "abstain"?

text: We were thinking originally in terms of voting, but of course "abstain" has a more general meaning, of which the antonym is probably "indulge". But is there an opposite that would be more appropriate when the usage of abstain is related to abstaining from voting in an election?


title: What is a good substitute for "echoey"?

text: As in "an echoey room". People do use this word in speech, but it isn't proper in writing. I thought of "echoing", but that implies that something is _currently_ making an echo, whereas what I'm looking for would mean that _if_ there was a noise in the room, it would echo. Are there any real words for this?


title: What is a carpenter if he doesn't carpent?

text: Why does "carpenter" end in "er" if "carpent" isn't a word? Same with "butcher". (As in: "I butch for a living.")


title: What do you want for/of/from/with me?

text: I've heard of these four a lot but never really knew the differences. Can anybody tell me?


title: What word means "eating place"?

text: The word "dormitory" means "sleeping place". Is there any similar word for "eating place"?


title: Is "If it had been for you" grammatical?

text: I came across the following sentence:   * "I acted as if it had been for you." (V. Hugo) Since "if it had been for you/we/they" don't have results after searching on Google Search (site:.us), can someone clarify if it is grammatical? Could we rewrite the sentence as follow without change in meaning?   * "I acted as if I had been you."


title: What does "shortening" mean? Is it different from "abbreviation"?

text: What does _shortening_ mean? Is it different from _abbreviation_? I checked the dictionary, but I don't get the difference clearly.


title: Origin of pronunciation of "I"

text: When I began to study English in my high school (Moscow Institute of Applied Physics) I could not believe our teacher (or tutor?) that the English pronounce it as /aɪ/. I was all of shocked. In school I studied French and I always thought that all normal nations (at least European) pronounce it as /ɪ/. What is the origin of such crazy behavior of Englishmen?


Is there a word for someone who really has their act together? Someone who has their time well-managed, is focused, works out, has ambitions, eats right. Not necessarily _success_ , but there's a kind of trait that leads to it, that I can't quite put my finger on. There's strong overlap with people who are competitive or are overachievers, but it's not exactly the same thing. "In the zone" is close, but I'm looking for a more long term or permanent kind of thing — the opposite of a _slob_ or _slacker_. Maybe there isn't a word, but there should be.


title: Difference between "picture" and "photo"

text: When should I use one or the other?


title: Why is there an 'it' in "I find it very difficult to do this"?

text: I find it strange that one has to use the pronoun _it_ in sentences like > I find _it_ very difficult to do this. I would like to know the grammatical reason (if there is one) for this, if it has name, and how bad it is if you omit it.


title: Is the term "village" used in North America?

text: The post Difference between "town", "city" and "metropolis"? describes the usage of terms describing various sizes of cities. In the US, I have never encountered any place called a "village". Places with just a few houses were still called "town", however, I often hear Americans use this term to describe towns in other parts of the world.   * Are there any regions in North America where the term "village" is used?   * Do people in North America want to avoid this term when describing where they live?   * Do Americans use the term differently when describing places within North America and without?   * Does the word carry a derogitory connotation in North America?


title: Do you "supplement" your income?

text: Like say your a teacher and for the summer you need a job... to "supplement" your income? I'm helping a friend with her résumé (under reason for applying) and any help would be appreciated. **Definition of supplement: Add an extra element or amount to.** Doesn't seem right, so I'm just making sure.


title: what does "into the blue" / "to the blue" exactly mean?

text: What does it mean? And when is it used? If someone says: "To the blue", "into the blue"? What to except?


title: Less-experienced vs less experienced employee

text: > As an Android developer with 3 years of experience, I also help less > experienced team members. Do I need to put a hyphen between "less" and "experienced"?


title: Single-word synonym for a  “pedantic rule-follower”?

text: What do you call a person who always follows the rules, at the expense of everything else? I’m thinking there’s one word that can describe this, but I can’t place it.


title: "The language of the question/answer"

text: Are these sentences correct? >   * I have changed the language of the question, so that you may understand > easily. >   * I have changed the language of the answer, so that you may understand > easily. > Is this use of the word _language_ correct?


title: What is the meaning of "foldin’ your Fruit of the Looms”?

text: in the quotation below, what the meaning of "foldin’ your Fruit of the Looms” is? “There’s got to be more to life than sittin’ here watchin’ ‘Days of Our Lives’ and foldin’ your Fruit of the Looms.” Mama, MAMA’S FAMILY


title: "tag question" vs. "question tag"

text: I've just read this page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tag_question So regarding this passage: > The term "question tag" is generally preferred by British grammarians, while > their American counterparts prefer "tag question". If a British person uses the term "question tag", does it refer to the American term "tag question"? Is this passage saying the terms are synonymous? As far as I can tell, "tag question" is a term referring to the "question" and "question tag" is a term referring to the "tag" itself, which means they refer to different things and are NOT synonymous. So why does Wikipedia say that the term "question tag" is generally preferred by British grammarians, while their American counterparts prefer "tag question" when they in fact refer to different things (which means that both British and American will have to use either depending on which term they are talking about)? "Here's a question tag" means "Here's a tag, and the tag is the question tag". "Here's a tag question" means "Here's a question, and the question is a tag question." So are "tag" and "question" synonymous? If not I can't see how "tag question" and "question tag" are synonymous.


title: Does the word "since" ever have a meaning of "thus", "hereby" ones?

text: Here is a sentence from "Programming Perl": > They [ _constructors mentioned above in the book_ — OP's note] don’t really > care whether they were invoked from tie, nor do any of the other methods in > the class, **since** you can always invoke them directly if you’d like. In my dictionary _since_ is translated only as "because", "from the time when" etc. But it appears to me that in this sentence _since_ is a synonym of _thus_ , as "you can always invoke them directly if you’d like" is the _consequence_ of the first part, rather than the _cause_ of it. Is my assumption correct?


title: What does "Fight through the pain" mean?

text: What does sentence "Fight through the pain" mean? I heard this sentence in XBox360 game Gears of War. Can the sentence be also used with other verbs - can it be simply expressed as pattern "Do something through the pain"?


title: How should I address a letter to a married couple who are both doctors?

text: Dr. John and Dr. Jane Doe? Drs. John and Jane Doe? Other?


title: Assigning a name in parentheses - do authorities consider it kosher?

text: I have often seen constructions like,   * Your best friend(Jim) called today.    * Six hundred square feet of space on the second floor of 921 County Lane, corresponding to the area shown crosshatched in the floor plan in attachment A (the Leased Premises)   * Where John's Potato Fields Inc. (the Landlord) leases unto...   * Rattlesnake (Mike) came by to collect a debt the other day. I've looked for an authority that says a person can use parentheses this way, but I haven't found one. I stand to gain a letter grade on a mid-term paper if I can find one, so if you can share one, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks for the help.


title: "Amendment" or "Addendum" for book correction

text: A clarification of a European building code has been issued, therefore a separate correction for the book is released. What would this correction be called? I have had the words amendment and addendum suggested from different sources.


title: What does "Like a jug that's googling out buttermilk" mean?

text: Reading "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" on Project Gutenberg I come across a sentence I can't quite comprehend. Also, word "googling" caught my eye: > whilst he made all sorts of signs with his hands and said "Goo-goo—goo-goo- > goo" all the time, like a baby that can't talk   >  ...   >  The duke he never let on he suspicioned what was up, but just went a goo- > gooing around, happy and satisfied, like a jug that's googling out > buttermilk. I would thought it's an OCR error, and something like "gurgling" meant instead, but there is a scanned page adjacent to the text, with the same word in print: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/76/76-h/76-h.htm So, I am eager to know the meaning of the word "googling" in this context(this answer weren't of much help). Also, it would be nice to get the meaning of the whole idiom "like a jug that's googling out buttermilk".


title: "Riviera" or "Rivieras" for plural

text: I can't find a consensus in dictionaries on the accepted plural form of the word _Riviera_. Is it _I'm going to see all of the Riviera of the world_ or _I'm going to see all of the Rivieras of the world_?


title: Word for prayer responses

text: I'm trying to find a word for the responses which people utter during prayer recitals or general "praise the lord" sort of speeches (not in sermons). Let me try elucidating this via an example:               Priest: "blah blah blah"     Random Person: "amen"     Priest: "blah blah blah"     Random Person: "ooo, praise the lord"     Priest: "blah blah blah"     Random Person: some random quote praising the lord      The best example would be the stuff you see in movies, typically portrayed in African-American churches. I'm sure there's a word for it. Also, forgive me if the meaning is not clear.


title: Is there a name for someone who calls someone else what he himself is?

text: Say person A and person B are having a discussion/argument. Person A tells person B that his views are arrogant, or closed-minded, or some other derogatory adjective.   But in fact it is person A's views that are arrogant, closed-minded, etc. Person B's views are usually the exact opposite of what person A is accusing him of. This sort of situation happens a lot when discussing politics or religion, for example. What do you call person A, for calling person B something that he himself is? I guess, for the most part, person A doesn't actually realize that he is the one that the adjective applies to, and not person B. Maybe there is a different name if person A knows the adjective also applies to him.


title: Is there a word whose basic definition is "To Organize Complexity?"

text: I recently wrote a document titled "Guidelines for reviewing source code." In the document, one of my statements was: "The core directive is _to organize complexity_. I feel like I should know a word to use there, but one escaped me. Any help appreciated.


title: Australis, Austrinus, Australe - in constellations

text: I was having a look at the official constellations, and I noticed three with similar names:   * Corona Australis   * Piscis Austrinus   * Triangulum Australe Now the "Austral" definitely means "southern", as these constellations are otherwise known as the Southern Crown, Southern Fish, and Southern Triangle, respectively. (Also the origin of the name "Australia".) Predictably, they're also all in the southern celestial hemisphere as well. My question is - if they're all the same word, presumably of Latin origin, then why are they spelled in three different ways? I'd assume some sort of different noun-forms, which Latin is notorious for, but since they're all used in the same context, you'd think they'd be in the same declension. Anyone know why these names (and specifically these forms of the word) were chosen for these constellations?


title: What do ‘a little Marilyn Monroe drag,’ 'whassup,’ and 'worked her derriere off' mean?

text: The Washington Post’s article on the 83rd Annual Academy Awards on ABC written by Hank Stuever under the headline, _At Oscars, the kids were all right and the 'Speech' was well-prepared_ was full of Greek to me who have little knowledge about American culture and entertainment world. As I cannot pick up all the words and expressions I felt difficulty in understanding, I just want to make sure of the meaning of three phrases:   * _NYU, whassup_   * _a little Marilyn Monroe drag_   * _worked her derriere off_ What do these phrases mean? Though I guess _whassup_ is ‘What’s up,’ and _work one’s derriere off_ means ‘Work very hard,’ I’m not sure. Is it very rude if I tell somebody, particularly to a lady, that ‘I worked my derriere off in the office?’ Here's the context for the above-mention phrases: > Anne Hathaway hosted the 83rd Annual Academy Awards on ABC Sunday night. And > her co-host, James Franco, did what exactly? (Besides be handsome? Besides a > little Marilyn Monroe drag? And besides shouting "NYU, whassup!" to the Best > Live Action Short winner? What, that's not enough?) > > Hathaway worked her derriere off and Franco came off like that lacrosse boy > you wish your daughter didn't hang out with so much.


title: What is the difference between "detrimental" and "harmful"?

text: Is there any difference regarding the usage of _detrimental_ and _harmful_? I am not a native English speaker, so I don't understand the different nuance of these words.


title: Usage of "on" in "fire on"

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Fire (at, on, in, to) target I saw the following sentence on Guardian.co.uk: > US navy fires on boat near Dubai port. Is _on_ being used here as a preposition to make a link between the fire and the boat, or is it part of the phrasal verb — if it exists — _fires on_? Can you give some examples where _on_ is being used like the one referred above?


title: "He shot it" versus "he shot at it"

text: Is there a difference between these two, or is only one correct? > I shoot him. I shoot at him. She will shoot you. She will shoot at you. How about these two? > The plane shot missiles at the base. versus > The plane shot the base at its weapons bunker.


title: Is "At Worst" used only in the future context?

text: I have checked numerous examples where "At worst" is used in the future context. > At worst, we will go to jail. > > At worst, teacher will expel us. Can we use "At worst" in the past context?


title: prevent (doing something before it happens) and doing something after it happend

text: When you prevent something, you take action for an event not to happen - before it happens. What is a familiar word you would use to indicate action to take after the event happened? Like               pre-workout - post-workout          pre-check - post-check          prevent - postvent ??


title: What is the meaning of the part in bold in the following sentence

text: The Jan Lokpal Bill (Citizen's ombudsman Bill) is a draft anti-corruption bill drawn up by prominent civil society activists seeking the appointment of a Jan Lokpal, an independent body that would investigate corruption cases, complete the investigation within a year and **envisages trial in the case getting over in the next one year**. I have seen the meaning of envisage, but I couldn't understand the meaning of last part of sentence. Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/what-is-the-jan-lokpal-bill- why-its-important-96600&cp


title: Do "good for you" and "I am happy for you" have a negative or positive connotation?

text: I am not sure if this is the right place, but I was wondering if "good for you" and "I am happy for you" have a negative or positive connotation.


title: Do Australians speak a language or a dialect? If a language, the same language as Englishmen?

text: In a prestigious site dedicated to ancient Romans and their language, somebody referred to the language spoken by Australians as the "Australian English dialect". As I see it, then in the US people speak a dialog of English too. Do you consider the tongues spoken in these two countries, or more concretely Australia, to be dialogs.


title: What is a synonym for "most frequently occurring"

text: I'm trying to succinctly describe something that occurs most frequently, and the only single-word adjective I can think of is "commonest", but that sounds ridiculous. Are there any other good adjectives I could use?


title: When should you use "to" following a "why"?

text: I've always wondered why some people add a `to` after `Why` when framing a question. I have always wished to know this, but I keep forgetting to ask and today I came across a tweet that made me post this question here. The sentence that I came across on my twitter feed is:               Why To Treat Your Product Like It's Finished?      Isn't it more appropriate to ask:               Why Treat Your Product Like It's Finished?      I know that all the words in the sentence above have a capital letter in front because this was a title of a post. But that is not the point. My question is: When do we need to use a preposition like `to` after a question word like `Why`? Are there any grammatical rules regarding this usage? If so, what are they? Why To Treat Your Product Like It's Finished (Even Before It Is) http://t.co/eLiY1VBYDT -- Buffer (@buffer) June 4, 2014


title: When i can use "Copy that"?

text: When i can to use copy that, just to response of "do you copy" ? tanks for your helps


title: Tylor's ways, he checked. (Hemingway's To Have and Have Not)

text: This is from _To Have and Have Not_ by Ernest Hemingway. Can anyone help me with the following sentence: "I saw her a couple of days ago on Ed. Taylor's ways, he checked." > There are two speedboats that could catch us, Harry was thinking. One, > Ray’s, is running the mail from Matecumbe. Where is the other? **I saw her a > couple of days ago on Ed. Taylor’s ways, he checked.** That was the one I > thought of having Bee-lips hire. There’s two more, he remembered now. One > the State Road Department has up along the keys. The other’s laid up in the > Garrison Bight. I don't understand this "Ed." and "Taylor's ways."


title: 'Conscribed' vs 'conscripted'

text: I'm wondering about the usage of the words 'conscript' and 'conscribe' in terms of the meaning they share. I went to use the word 'conscripted' as in "conscripted for duty", and the word 'conscribe' also came to mind, and I wasn't sure which to use. Looking around it seems like 'conscribe' isn't used much and isn't in all dictionaries. Is it an outdated version of the same word from Latin? Also, what about the preposition? I see instances of both "conscripted into" and "conscripted for" in google results. Is there a difference?


title: Is it "just as soon" or "just assume"?

text: If someone says a phrase that sounds like "I'd just as soon you don't get in an accident, so I'll call you later", are they actually saying "just as soon" or "just assume" or something else?


title: What is a "Patco moment"?

text: I'm an Australian so I don't understand what this means in the following quotation: > Painting by numbers, Scott Walker, following Reagan's first stroke, took on > labour. But Walker's Patco moment (the busting of the Air Traffic > Controller's union) has proved an overreach. As requested, here is a link to the original article.


title: I want to use the suffix -orama with rate (rating)

text: So, I've seen the suffix -arama, but I am also used to -orama, which is the correct to use along 'rate'? souce: http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/492/where-does-the-suffix- arama-as-in-foodarama-come-from


title: "It seems [like] a random occurrence"

text: These seem to mean exactly the same thing. They surely sound different though, so maybe I'm missing some subtlety. Do the sentences have a different meaning? > It seems like a random occurrence. vs > It seems a random occurrence. I'm also curious about this one: > It seems to be a random occurrence.


title: "Better have it get fired at someone" - get fired?

text: I know "get" has so many meanings but I just do cannot figure out the right one here: > If you establish a gun in Act 1, you better have it get fired at somebody by > Act 3. Would it not work without the "get"? What does it express here exactly? It does not seem to be (to me) change of condition (as in get married) or a replacement for "be".


title: Ataraxis or/and ataraxia, a quandary. A question over their existence and usage?

text: The Oxford dictionary has ataraxia (ataraxy) as a valid word but not ataraxis. however, I've seen and heard the ataraxis being used once in while. But it happens that the guys at Oxford do not recognize it (ataraxis) as a word. You can search ataraxis and many sites, along with Google itself, will define it. Now the question is whether I can use the word ataraxis and ataraxy (ataraxia) in place of each other and will any examiner such as those at GRE and GMAT consider and approve it.


title: What's a word for saying 'entering a room suddenly and fast'?

text: I'm looking for a word that means 'enter a room fast and suddenly'. Using a dictionary I got the word 'to plunge' - however I'm not sure if that's correct. When looking up 'to plunge' (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plunge) it seems not to be completely correct, especially when looking at the example sentences. So, is 'to plunge' also used with the meaning of 'entering a room fast and suddenly'? If not, what is such a word?


title: What's the difference between "irritated" and "vexed"?

text: What's the difference between "irritated" and "vexed", or between "to irritate" and "to vex"?


title: Is the usage of the idiom "Move Over" in this passage clear on what side to move over to?

text: Consider this passage in the **Georgia DDS 2010 Driver’s Manual** : on page 40: > The Georgia Move-Over Law requires drivers to move over one lane when > possible if an emergency vehicle with flashing lights is parked on the > shoulder of the highway. If traffic is too heavy to move over safely, the > law requires drivers to slow down below the posted speed limit AND to be > prepared to stop. Without knowing **why** to move over, does the "Move-Over" usage above make it clear **to where**? This law is a safety law, but if someone doesn't know that, is there a **grammatical** support to it? If instead of _"Emergency vehicle... of the highway"_ it was _"an Emergency vehicle is flashing its lights behind you"_ it might have been understood as move to the left, Therefore the only clue to the understanding of where to move to is common sense and meaning and not sentence grammar. Note that it is phrased "Move-Over ... **if** an emergency vehicle ..." and not "Move-Over ... **for** " one So can it be understood by any reader, that it requires to Move Over to the right and not the left?


title: Verb form of "spontaneous human combustion"

text: In English there are plenty of examples of noun-verbs. What are the rules for making more complex compound noun structures into transitive verbs? In particular I would like explanations involving the phrase _spontaneous human combustion_. Would the following work? > He **spontaneously human-combusted**.


title: "The ticket is printing" vs "...is being printed"

text: You're standing in front of a ticket vending machine and it says "The ticket is printing". Is that correct or should it be "The ticket is being printed"? EDIT: If both are correct, which one should be preferred or is more common?


title: What word should I use to describe a kid who has pooped in their underwear?

text: I have seen some kids who can't go to the restroom in time and their poops stain on their underwear. I would like to know what word I can use to describe this situation?


title: What do you call someone who doesn't believe in "ghost"?

text: What do you call someone who doesn't believe in "ghost" neither in ghost stories ? web has it's answer as _skeptics_ but that's not a dictionary answer. It is more or less conventional.


title: Understanding how to identify the parts of speech for 'all'

text: Webster's dictionary lists 'all' as an adjective, adverb, pronoun and noun. Swan's Practical English Usage (3rd edition) spends three pages talking about the usages, but I'm left unsure how to determine the part of speech for 'all.' Webster gives "He spent his income all on pleasure" as an example of an adverb. If we rewrite it as "He spent all of his income on pleasure," is that still an adverb functioning the same way. Would both of them be adverbs of completeness? Thanks for the help, Revlis Lain


title: Sentence analysis for "Who would it benefit you to know, or what type of person would it benefit you to know to grow your business"

text: On a rather big (and I guess copy-edited) blog by Chris Brogan, I read this: > Who would it benefit you to know, or what type of person would it benefit > you to know to grow your business. And I cannot fathom it. I do understand the meaning out of context but I am at loss when it comes to analyzing the whole thing. I guess the "normalized" version would be > It benefits me to do something which is incredibly German-sounding to my ears. If this is the underlying phrasing then I still don't understand the function of "it" in the question.   * What grammatical function does the "it" have? Is it an object or a subject or a predicate nominative or even an explicative? And also,   * Shouldn't the question word be "whom"?


title: "Lobby", "foyer", "front (of house)/front room", "entranceway", "entry", and "entryway"

text: "Lobby", "foyer", "entry(way), "entranceway" and "front (of house)/front room" seem to be used to designate an area or a room near the entrance to a public building such as a hotel, where one can wait, and sit and relax and talk. But, are there any differences to these terms or do they mean pretty much the same and, as such, can be used just about interchangeably? Additionally, are any of these more typical of an English variety than of another? Besides, "foyer", "entry(way)" and "entrance(way)" seem also to be used to designate an area by the entrance to a private home. Are there any differences to these or do they mean just about the same? Also, are any of these terms typical of a particular variety than of another?


title: Is "to wear" also used as a "dynamic verb" meaning "to don", "to put on"?

text: My intuition was that the verb _to **wear_** could be used in two ways (besides all its other senses that is.)   1. A "stative" sense related to the state of having clothes (etc) on.   2. A "dynamic" sense related to the action of **_putting_** clothes **_on_** , **_donning_** clothes. I was surprised to find that all the dictionaries I've checked online support only the first, stative sense, and none supported the second, dynamic sense. Is my intuition at fault? Are the dictionaries just being a tad prescriptive with this? What do other sources such as grammar and other fields of linguistics have to say about this, if anything? * * * I've found some supporting evidence for my intuition in the Wikipedia article for _stative verbs_: `3.` They do not occur as imperatives, except when used in an inchoative manner.   * Run!   * *Know the answer!   * Know thyself! (inchoative, not stative; archaic) Examples of dynamic _wear_ I can think up are mostly imperatives:   * **Wear** a coat if you're going outside! (But I've never had a good grasp of the _inchoative_ , so maybe there's a gap, or maybe it depends on who is analysing?


title: Question about "Dedication" section in thesis

text: Is it correct to dedicate a thesis to my parents and my wife as follows? Can I put their names at the end? > To my mother and father, > > who have blessed me with an admiration of nature. > > \-- Sara & Michael > > To my wife, > > whose love and confidence is a constant source of inspiration and > encouragement. > > \-- Rose My mother's name is Sara, my father's name is Michael, and my wife's name is Rose.


title: Incorrect personal pronoun case in "I Wonder as I Wander"

text: In the Christmas song "I Wonder as I Wander", the lyrics say: > I wonder as I wander out under the sky,   >  How Jesus the Savior did come for to die.   >  For poor on'ry people like you and like I It seems to me, though, that "like" here is a preposition--so shouldn't that mean that it should say "like me", not "like I"? Am I missing a rule of English here, or is it just a breaking-the-rules-for- poetry thing?


title: "Snub out a cigarette" for "stub out a cigarette" in AE

text: My bilingual dictionary points up “snub out” as an Americanism for “stub out” as in, “He snubbed out his cigarette.” But, does is this expression current enough in modern day spoken AE to be used quite safely in common speech? Please consider this Ngram. Considering the primary sense of snub, “ignore, behave coldly toward; slight”, I would tend to think “snub out” might suggest a certain way to put out a cigarette.


title: Why do we say that we "observe" traditions?

text: Why do we say that we "observe traditions" rather than "following traditions" or some other term?


title: Present perfect tense with the verb 'is'

text: I would like to know how to use the verb _to be_ and its past participle. For example: > The rain is gone. Is _is_ present perfect tense here?


title: What are the differences between "dudes," "guys," and "friends"?

text: What are the differences between _dudes_ , _guys_ , and _friends_?


title: How do I respond to "family emergency"?

text: Someone tells me that he is sorry but he has been absent for a family emergency. Can I say "I hope your family is fine"? I wondered if that's polite in English-speaking culture.


title: Word that means "periodically purged" or "cleansed by fire"

text: What is a word that means "periodically purged" or "cleansed by fire"?


title: What is a good word to describe 'exceptional positive' research work?

text: In a sentence, when talking about future, for a person with huge potential. > X has the potential for some ? research in Y field. I was thinking   * game changing   * revolutionary but both of these do not convey the right meaning. Is there some other word that will serve the purpose here?


title: Pronunciation difference between "collar" and "color"

text: What is the pronunciation difference between _collar_ and _color_? Can a native speaker tell them apart?


title: "I'm having" - an illness?

text: What is _I'm having_ in grammar terms? Is it something near the present, the near future? As in _I'm having a party tomorrow_? Example (not about the near future), > I'm having trouble coming up with a reliable method of comparing sets of > data. Couldn't it be the following simpler version without any change in meaning? > I have trouble coming up with a reliable method of comparing sets of data.


title: What does "underlying technicality" mean?

text: What does "underlying technicality" mean in the following sentence? > Discuss from the existing scenario/situation up to the proposed system and > proceed with its _underlying technicality_ but presented in simple and > layman's terms. (e.g Hardware, Software, Peopleware, Middleware, Firmware, > etc.)


title: Should emoticons be regarded as punctuation marks?

text: According to _Wikipedia_ , “[p]unctuation marks are symbols that indicate the structure and organization of written language, as well as intonation and pauses to be observed when reading aloud”. Does this make emoticons – when used along with a sentence, e.g., “I am good :)” – eligible to be considered as punctuation marks? They seem to satisfy the “intonation” criterion.


title: Is there any merit to "Angry 'on' you"

text: Currently where I live there are almost ZERO English native speakers. I love that though. Not because I seek the attention of being the only native speaker around but because it gives me the perfect opportunity to learn the other language with a native perspective. I hear more and more people trying to offer the phrase, _I am angry **on** you_ or other flavours of this such as _I am surprised **on** you_ etc. My question is, could this be considered good English as opposed to grammar (which normally go hand in hand)? I understand the meaning behind it of course and I **like** the mental imagery of how someone can feel the possibility to place a weight _on top_ of you based on their disappointment and so on. Should I correct them or keep enjoying their broken English for my own personal entertainment ?


title: Who does  “who”  apply to in this example?

text: > His governors, some of them incompetent and tactless, quarrelled bitterly > with the people, who were constantly demanding greater political control. In this sentence, who are demanding greater political control, the governors or the people? And if it's the people who are demanding greater political control, does that mean they want to be governed in a more efficient way or does it mean they want their own political power?


title: How to avoid bullet points and use a longer sentence instead?

text: I can do many things:   * write with a pen while sitting   * smuggle milk through border crossings   * repent for thy sins with my sins I would like to say what I have said above without using bullet points but I am not sure how to do it. Here is my take (please suggest something better): I can do many things; one, write with a pen while sitting; two, smuggle milk through border crossings; three, repent for thy sins with my sins.


title: Adverbs position in English: “place–manner–time” or “manner–place–time”?

text: Wikipedia tells us that the order should be **place–manner–time**. However, this webpage tells that it should be **manner–Place–Time**. Which one is correct? I have one sentence in two different orders:   * No child should grow up in poverty in America in the 21st century.   * No child should grow up in America in poverty in the 21st century.


title: What does "state" in "State University" refer to?

text: There are many universities and colleges in the United States with names such as "... State University". The word _state_ has many distinct meanings, but pertinent to this question are:   1. government, ministry, administration, executive, regime, powers-that-be: _The state does not collect enough revenue to cover its expenditure_.   2. One of the more or less internally autonomous territorial and political units composing a federation under a sovereign government: _the 48 contiguous states of the Union_. (from http://www.thefreedictionary.com/state) Thus, it is possible to take the name to mean "university belonging to one of the 50 states", eg Arizona as opposed to Alabama. It is also possible to take it to mean "university owned and operated by _the state_ ", as in, not privately funded. The distinction is a bit pointless in English because of homophony, however other languages have different non-interchangeable words for state in the sense of "administrative subdivision of a federal government" (Russian, for example, calls the US states _штат_ -"штатный университет"?-, with obvious etymology, and even Russia's own states get a different term, область, meaning roughly "region") and in the sense of "government-operated" (again, in Russian a state university in this sense would be _государственный университет_ \- eg _Moscow State University_ , _Московский государственный университет_ ). So in which sense are American state universities, "state universities"? Especially when translating, into languages such as Russian above, which meaning is more appropriate for selecting word choice?


title: 'I am nice, thank you'?

text: I would like to know whether, if someone asks me " _How are you?_ " and I reply "I'm **nice** , thank you", is the word ' _nice_ ' grammatically correct?


title: Can a singular noun be used to represent a category of things in a sentence subject?

text: Specifically, in following sentences, which ones are correct?   1. Elephants are huge.    2. The elephant is huge.   3. An elephant is huge.    4. Elephant is huge. I think 1 and 2 above are correct, but how about 3 and 4? Can we refer to a specific kind of objects/things in life using a singular noun? Can use sentences like "Car is ..." or " University has ..." ? Thank you.


title: "They all are fine" vs. "they are all fine"

text: The situation is that someone asks me how my family are; I then want to answer that they all are fine. I want to know whether the sentences "They all are fine." and "They are all fine." have the same meaning. Is there any difference? To me as a non-native English speaker, "They all are fine." seems better — it should mean that each of my family members is fine whereas "They are all fine." should mean that each of my family members is completely fine. Please correct my understanding if there is anything wrong.


title: "For the time being" vs. "in the mean time"

text: I am confused when to use "For the time being" and when to use "In the mean time". Are they interchangeable. Can you please explain with some examples?


title: Lexicology, Semasiology

text: Is metonymy considered to be linguistic or extralinguistic factor of semantic change? For example crown for a monarchy


title: Which is correct: "special thanks go to" or "special thanks goes to"?

text: what is grammatically correct:   1. Special thanks **go** to Tom...   2. Special thanks **goes** to Tom... IMHO I'd say _thanks_ is one of those plural nouns which implies it requires **go** but I'm not sure. It's for the acknowledgements section of my thesis; it should be formal English.


title: What English word has the most consecutive consonants?

text: I was driving past the village of Hampsthwaite the other day, and happened to spot the six consecutive consonants in the middle. It set me wondering whether this was the most possible, and if not, which word contains the maximum number?


title: Can "and" mean "in order to"?

text: For example, in the sentence > I went to town and did some shopping. Can we safely assume this means I went to town **_in order to_** do some shopping? In other words, did the person go to town in order to go shopping or is that unknown?


title: "Would fly" versus "would have flown"

text: I am not a native speaker of English. Could anyone please tell me which sentence is correct? > If I had money, I would fly to Spain.   >  If I had money, I would have flown to Spain.


title: Meaning of "type cast solid"

text: In George Orwell's _1984_ , Part 1 Chapter 5: > Just once Winston caught a phrase -'complete and final elimination of > Goldsteinism'- jerked out very rapidly and, as it seemed, all in one piece, > like a line of **type cast solid**. I googled a lot, but still cannot understand "a line of type cast solid".


title: Is there a name for the practice of dropping pronouns in written speech?

text: I’m specifically thinking about emails I receive all day where someone will write: > Haven’t seen it yet. Will respond when received. If it were spoken, we would certainly hear: > I haven’t seen it yet. I will respond when I receive it. It’s mostly the dropping of _I_ that I wonder about. Is there a name for this phenomenon?


title: How has the meaning of "politically correct" changed?

text: According to Etymology Online, **politically correct** means > ...the political movement and phenomenon, which began in the USA, with the > aim to enforce a set of ideologies and views on gender, race and other > minorities. Political correctness refers to language and ideas that may > cause offence to some identity groups like women and aims at giving > preferential treatment to members of those social groups... However, when I looked up **political**, I found > Of, relating to, or dealing with the structure or affairs of government, > politics, or the state; relating to, involving, or characteristic of > politics or politicians Furthermore, I found this use of politically correct, which seems to refer to government as well. > This phrase goes back further than one might believe, to 1793, in fact. It > was first used by the American judge Justice James Wilson in the case of > Chisholm v. Georgia, and was meant to distinguish between the phrases United > States and people of the United States - he believed the latter to be > politically correct. And, in 1911, > In those days we did not so much get correct political and economic views, > for there was then little teaching of sociology or political economy worthy > the name... Has the meaning of the word _political_ changed? Why is it used when referring to certain groups? What does being politically correct really mean? Is it something about politics and laws, or does it mean _to be fair, neutral, unprejudiced_?


title: The difference between "being with a company" and "being from a company"

text: Some people leave voice mail like: > hi, this is John from ABC Systems... and sometimes I can hear people say > Hi, that's John with ABC Systems... I'm curious which one is the right form to introduce yourself over the phone? When should I use _from_ or _with_?


title: A word that encompasses buying and selling?

text: I'm trying to retag some questions (such as this one) on the Board Game Stack Exchange, and the only good tag I can think of is "Selling". But that seems inefficient, and a word that covers both _buying_ and _selling_ would be more useful to the site. The first word I thought of was _transaction_ but that doesn't seem to cover it. Someone has suggested to me _business_ , but again it doesn't sound like it works in the context. Is there not a single word (or a phrase shorter than 25 characters) for this?


title: Meaning of 'has much to do with' and 'turn out'

text: > whether a father's interest in his sons **has much to do with** how well his > sons **turn out**


title: What does it mean if you tell someone they have their name on their underwear?

text: What does it mean if you say to someone that they have their name on their underwear? If this is an insult what are they implying? I've heard this term in pop culture many times, usually in reference to someone who is a geek/nerd. **Back to the Future** > Marty McFly: Calvin? Wh... Why do you keep calling me Calvin?   >  Lorraine Baines: Well, that is your name, isn't it? Calvin Klein? It's > written all over your underwear. **Weird Al - White & Nerdy** > I spend every weekend at the renaissance fair   >  I got my name on my underwear! Did people actually write their name on their underwear? What is the meaning and origin of this phrase?


title: The correct use of "sundering"

text: I'm writing a book in which one of the major events is a day that separates two major forces in the world. It's meant to be a punishment from a high power, so at first I wanted to call it _The Day of Punishment_ , but honestly that sounds like I put a minimum of effort into it and it just doesn't sound good. I looked up a few words in a thesaurus and found _sunder_. So I thought of using _The Day of Sundering_ , but I'm not quite sure if it makes grammatical sense, and whether it's the best choice available. So in short, did I use the word _sundering_ correctly? Or is there a better choice out there that I'm not thinking of?


title: How do words get concatenated?

text: Lots of words in the English language are or were two words originally.   * Somehow   * Nobody   * Erstwhile But many often conjoined words are not 'allowed'. The one that springs to mind is 'alot'. Why are some of these ok, and others not? How do these joined-up words enter English vocabulary but not others?


title: Word for person willing to argue contradictory things depending on what suits him

text: Is there an adjective or a noun to describe a person willing to argue contradictory things depending on what suits him? For example: > "Our company should buy X — it's good for the shareholders". Realizing later > that it's bad for his career: "Our company should _not_ buy X — we have too > much invested in Y".


title: Is “Arriving late to the party, but dancing on all the clichés” an adaptation of a cliché?

text: Yesterday’s (June 12) New York Times introduced Guggenheim’s new ventures of collecting artworks from South and South east Asia, Middle East, North Africa, and Latin America, which it has paid little attention to in the past under the headline, “Arriving Late to the Party, but Dancing on All the Clichés” in its Art & Design section. I am intrigued with the phrase “Arriving late to the party, but dancing on all the xxx.” Is it a popular idiom or cliché? What does "dance on all the clichés" mean? I guess it is a twist of “Arriving late to the party, but dancing all the night (snugly).” But I’m not sure.


title: Which one is the correct phrase, and why?

text: I am confused about the following two phrases:   * Generalising them is very easy. If you talk to some of them chosen at random, other largely share their views.   * Generalising them is very easy. If you talk to some of them chosen at random, others, largely, share their views. I construct what I thought to be best possible candidates to convey what I mean. By reading them, if you feel that I am missing some basic grammar, then please correct me. Also, comment freely about any better construct in your opinion which is most suitable here.


title: Flip-flop with a single strap over the front of the foot

text: Wikipedia says on flip-flops http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flip-flops: "1. They consist of a flat sole held loosely on the foot by a Y-shaped strap that passes between the first and second toes and around either side of the foot. 2. They may also be held to the foot with a single strap over the front of the foot rather than a thong." I would like to know a word for flip-flops for which 2 holds, but 1 does not. I suppose it cannot be a sandal since a sandal can have more than a single strap. It is also my requirement that the front is open, i.e. the strap does not cover the toes.


title: Can tag lines or headings for technical documents be a juxtaposition of words?

text: I thought of a small wiki heading **Software Pricing and Pricing software** with details covered in the body section. _Software Pricing_ means how to price software while _Pricing Software_ means software used for pricing products (actually that's what I want it to mean).   * Does both grammatically mean the same?   * Does the mere juxtaposition of words is enough to make it implicitly understandable or I got to make it more clear?   * What does this technique (just rearranging the words to convey different meaning) called? I have similar questions about _deer hunting_ and _hunting deer_ , and many others.


title: Is “all of your everything” common English?

text: Is the phrase “all of your everything” proper English? It seems to mean “all of your belongings”, but what special connotations does this phrase have? It can be found here but the search engine of your choice will also provide other results.


title: If I write two phrasal verbs with difference prepositions consecutively, can I omit the first preposition?

text: > Give or take away something _from_ someone. The problem in this sentence is that normally one would say "Give to" or "take away from" someone, but what should I write when I want to refer to both alternatives?


title: Dear "Name here" Vs. Mr./Mrs. "Name here" Vs. Hi "Name here" Vs. Hello "Name here"

text: Vs. Mr./Mrs. "Name here", Vs. Hi "Name here", Vs. Hello "Name here" What is better to start email or written letter?


title: "Self-study" vs "self-education"

text: I got a book titled _Self-study vocabulary practice_. Can I replace _self- study_ with _self-education_? Does it make sense to use _self-learning_ in the statement of above?


title: Genitive as adjectives: handling plurals

text: Sorry for the title, it is not very evident and intuitive but I really do not how to tell it better... Well, you know, several times, or better, many times, we use this form: If I want to say: > "development of special weapons was the first point in Hitler's program..." I will say this (a better form): > "special weapon development was..." OK... is it > "special weapon development" or > "special weapons development" (note the plural...) what's the grammar rule in order to understand how to use this very used form?


title: Does the word "evolution" connote "upgrade"?

text: Does 'evolution' means 'upgrade' ? 'downgrade' or just 'gradient'?


title: Why do common swear words have four letters?

text: As a non-native speaker I always wondered why most (common) swear words have four letters. I know this is shifting and more words are araising and traditional swear words lose their "harshness", but where does this "4-letter" thing come from? Is it historical or did it just evolve?


title: Antonyms for "extempore" — speak without notes

text: I am looking for antonyms for _extempore_ in the context of "to speak extempore", i.e. speak without notes. I am looking for something better than _prepared_.


title: What's the difference between "rigor" and "rigorousness"?

text: What's the difference between rigor and rigorousness? Which should I use in the following? > Rigorousness and clarity are not synonymous in pedagogy.


title: What does "like kicking a puppy" mean?

text: > "I think we just don't care that much [about Microsoft] anymore," Zemlin > said. "They used to be our big rival, but now it's kind of like kicking a > puppy." I'm just curious, how to correctly translate that? Does that mean that Microsoft is now "kicking like a puppy" on the market but can do nothing anyway or it is Zemlin, who kicks Microsoft like a puppy on the market?


title: Relocating/Moving house

text: I asked a question on one of the stackexchange sites and one user edited a sentence I made from "We were relocating so we...." to "We were moving house so we....". As an english speaker, I have never heard of "moving house" in context of relocation in a sentence before. Presently I am even doubting if relocating is correct in the context of : _"Moving all your belongings in a house you onced rented into a newly rented house"_


title: Meaning and origin of "belt and braces"

text: What does the phrase _belt and braces_ mean and where did it come from? I have a rough idea but would like to see if anyone has a proper definition for this phrase.


title: "Unicorn": what other words have this "cornus" etymology?

text: "Unicorn" comes from the French and late Latin, with the "cornus" part meaning "horn". I am wondering what other English words share this root. I could think of "rhinoceros". Can you think of something (or multiple somethings) else?


title: "From a fourth-pair window": what is fourth-pair?

text: The first section of William Henley's poem "Notes on the Firth" (1875) is named "From a fourth-pair window". What is (а?) **fourth-pair** , I wonder? A horse-driven carriage of some kind? Or is it an adjective describing the position of the window? > I. — FROM A FOURTH-PAIR WINDOW. > > The sky is dappled blue with clouds that stray.   >     Like frozen waves the roofs go rolling down   >     The valley steeps, but weatherworn and brown   >  Steeple and stack shoot mastlike toward the day. > > Pandean pipes whereon the winds would play,   >     Long rows of chimney-pots the ridges crown;   >     And black on slates and skylights flicker and frown   >  Shadows of smoke that streams and wings that sway. > > The city's monstrous voices surge to me,   >     The mist afar its fantasies arranges,   >  And sudden windows twinkle joyously. > > A blue grey streak, a fixed uncertainty,   >     A fallen slip of sky that shifts and changes,   >  The Forth beyond them broadens into sea. P.S. Here is the scanned image of the printed text of the poem at Wikimedia.


title: Are there resources or tools for "reverse etymology"?

text: EtymOnline is an excellent resource for online etymology searches. If, however, I am looking for lists of words sharing a given Latin, Greek or other root (which I call "reverse etymology"), I do not know which tool I could use. Do you know any? The only thing I could think of is, if I had access to an offline etymology dictionary, I could then perform a full-text search into its content.


title: Does one "drive" a motorcycle or "ride" it?

text: When you are the one steering the motorbike/motorcycle, are you driving the motorcycle, or riding the motorcycle? I am asking because someone tried to correct my status update. Here's my status and the comment: > Today, after 6 years, I drove a motorcycle on a long route. Great Feeling. > Loved it! > > **Comment:** you don't drive a bicycle or motocycle... You ride a > motorcycle... You drive a car... Is that right?


title: fear on that head

text: -It certainly did not become him to fear Lady Laura on the score of rank, if it was to be allowed to Mr. Kennedy to proceed without **fear on that head**. (Anthony Trollope ) -He could not believe his father had any such intention; and that if he discovered anything of that kind, it was only when he was in a frenzy, and a melancholy disorder had seized him; and that David had nothing to **fear on that head**. (Bible) -I assured him he had nothing to fear **on that head** (Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine)  Even Oxford and Random House have not ON THAT HEAD; what does it mean? Thank you. Joe.


title: Should “If I ever had a philosophy” be in the past perfect?

text: Excerpted from _The Hills of Triumph_ : > If I ever had a philosophy with which to govern my social life, even long > after learning that social is often at the detriment of personal, it would > have been no dfferent. To use the subjunctive for a past thing, we usually use the past perfect, so must _I ever had_ be changed to _I ever had had_? I’m not sure, because the presence of _ever_ seems to give us a hypothesis extending to now, justifying the past simple, which can be used for a present hypothetical situation in the protasis.


title: "Inside of a house" versus "inside a house"

text: I'm confused as to when to use _of_. I've heard "inside of a house" and "inside a house." Which one is correct?


title: How should I use commas in the middle of compound sentences?

text: How do you punctuate the following sentence? > The introduction of a low cost Hartford Cycle line had staved off the > competition for a number of years, but, by 1897, with 700 competitors in the > market, the Colonel was in trouble. What commas, if any, should be removed? Where should commas be inserted in the following sentence? > Several of the subsidiaries continued on in receivership for a number of > years but by 1914 the last of his companies had finally been sold or > dissolved.


title: Freshman or Freshwoman

text: Can we use _freshwoman_ to refer to a girl in her first year in college, or is _freshman_ acceptable?


title: Is the acronym PIGS (or PIIGS) offensive?

text: To my Spanish ears, the acronym PIGS (for Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain) or PIIGS (for Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece and Spain) sounds offensive. The Spanish equivalent “cerdo” is a strong word rarely said in jest. In other cultures, the concept is perhaps even more vexing. It puzzles me that the international magazine The Economist, a political correctness champion most of the time, keeps using PIGS or PIIGS and apparently thinks nothing of it. Is there a linguistic explanation to what I see as unexpected insensitiveness by this magazine?


title: Is it not that big a deal vs No big deal

text: I was just checking an advanced grammar and learned that the following is possible: > It is not that big a deal 1) The book says I cannot skip the article. But how come in "ordinary" version there is no article, it is because it is common and became a phrase? > No big deal What about this sentence: > It was too stupid question 2) Is this correct or I must use "too stupid a question". What if I used "That": > That was too stupid question. 3) Do I still need to use the article?


title: Has the Tangier island accent truly remained unchanged since the Elizabethan period?

text: I'm not sure how well known Tangier Island is outside the Chesapeake region. To make a long story short, Tangier Island is an isolated fishing community in the Chesapeake bay. It has been mostly isolated for hundreds of years. You constantly hear that the accent has remained unchanged since the 17th century. This accent is often cited as an example of what an Elizabethan accent would sound like. My question is — without audio recordings, how can one make conclusions about how the accent has changed? What do we truly know about the Elizabethan accent that we can use to infer that the Tangier accent is very close? Is it actually close or has it just evolved down its own line?


title: Meaning and origin of British/Australian slang word 'tut'

text: About twenty years ago I overheard a girl from the north of England laughingly advise a friend to get ready for a night out by telling her to 'slap some tut on your face'. She clearly meant 'put on some make-up'.   I had already heard an Australian informally use the same, or a similar- sounding word, 'tut', to mean 'toilet'. I have also seen it defined on a website of British slang as: 'tut Noun. Rubbish, nonsense. E.g."Whatever he told you about me is just a load of tut." or "I think we need to clear up all this tut before your parents arrive." Are the three meanings of make-up, toilet and rubbish linked by some excremental ur-word, and if so does anyone know the origin?


title: Does the following apply to any fence of any height, or just fences 6 feet or less in height?

text: Does the following apply to any fence of any height, or just to fences 6 feet or less in height? > “Unless specifically noted, the provisions of 5.820, 5.821, and 5.822 above > shall not apply to fences, terraces, or walls six (6′) feet or less in > height, nor to terraces, steps, unroofed porches, or other similar features > not over three (3′) feet high.” ―Zoning Ordinance 5.823


title: can we say 'a pain' ? or 'a piece of pain'?

text: Here what I'm talking about is 'pain' as a noun, describing something that makes you uncomfortable either physically or mentally. As far as I know, it is countable when describing physical hurts. Then what about the 'mental' case ? If it's uncountable in that case, can we say 'a piece of pain' in the context that the pain(mentally) may result from different matters or experiences in our life and we want to distinguish them. Furthermore, if 'a piece of pain' is correct, what is the comparative form of this phrase? 'one piece less of pain'? 'one less piece of pain'?


title: What is a cock-feeder?

text: I've been reading _Tyburn Tales_ , a Victorian book about the malefactors who suffered on the gallows at York. This includes potted biographies of some of the more flagitious criminals, including a murderer George Lockey:- > Lockey was a shoemaker by trade, but being of a disorderly turn of mind, had > pretty much relinquished his calling for that of _cock-feeder_. It would seem from this that cock-feeder is some occupation or avocation. Presumably the literal meaning is not what was intended, as one could hardly make a career out of it. _Urban Dictionary_ has a definition, but it would assuredly not have appeared in Victorian literature. Green's _Dictionary of Slang_ has no entry for this. So, does anyone know what a _cock-feeder_ did?


title: Use Intention OR Intention of use?

text: I carry out a marketing survey about a new service, and I wonder what is the most appropriate expression (for a british public) : "The use intention" OR "The intention of use" ? The question was "Do you intend to use this service". I have the same issue with this expression : "Equipments purchase intention" OR "Purchase intention of equipments" OR "Equipments intention of purchase" ? These expressions refer to a rate. In my power point document, I have a slide with this sentence : 83% of respondents intend to use the service. And I need to choose the right expression to illustrate (for the title) this sentence : is it "The use intention" or "The intention of use" ? Thanks a lot


title: Do I use adjective forms of concurrent and consecutive?

text: Should this passage use the adjectival or adverbial forms of _concurrent_ and _consecutive_? > The trial court also sentenced the defendant to five life sentences (with > parole) and five 15-year sentences for the non-homicide crimes, all of which > were to be served consecutive( **ly?** ) to each other and to the sentence > for first degree murder. > > Finally, the trial court sentenced the defendant to eleven life sentences > (with parole) for the armed criminal actions, with these sentences to be > served concurrent( **ly?** ) with the other sentences and to each other.


title: Compressed vs. zipped

text: Is it correct English to use the term _zipped_ instead of _compressed_ when dealing with computer files? Is it a neologism that is widely accepted as part of modern English?


title: Etymology of “byte”

text: I'm interested in the origin of the word _byte_. Although it is a ubiquitous word in computer science, yet it seems no one can point out its origin. (I've been searching the web for a long time, but without coming up with an authoritative answer. Wikipedia says it's coined from _bite_ , but to avoid mutation to _bit_ , it's respelled to _byte_. But why does Weiner Buchholz choose bite, not other words?


title: "Posits" vs. "suggests"

text: I am new to academic writing and keep seeing the word "posits". Does "the author posits" have the same value or meaning as "the author suggests"?


Is there a pejorative term or phrase that lesbians use to refer to straight women? There seems to be a wealth of terms (both offensive and inoffensive) that are used in the other direction. I ask because two lesbian employers of my wife were expressing disgust at some of her sexual practices (don't worry, I am not going to go into detail). If there exists such visceral disgust, it seems as if words or phrases would have been coined to express it. I will not ask the two principals of this discussion since that would require bringing back up an uncomfortable conversation that should have probably never happened in a "professional" environment.


title: What word means “almost a homophone”?

text: Homophones are two words with the same sound, but different meaning, like _red_ and _read_ (the past tense of _to read_ ).   * Is there a linguistic term which refers to two or more words which have almost the same, but not quite the same sound? I am particularly referring to the situation which happens in Chinese, in which two words have a similar sound, and would even have the same spelling in IPA, but different tone, for example _到_ (dao) which has a falling tone and _岛_ (dao) which falls, then rises, so they are nearly alike in pronunciation, not not identical.   * Is there a broader linguistic term which both includes homophones and these “almost-homophones”?


title: Better term for “intellectual jokes”

text: What can you call a joke, pun, or anything funny that likely needs intelligence to get? All I can come up with is _intellectual jokes_ ; is there another word for this? A one-word answer would be great.


title: "We are American" or "We are Americans"? The singular vs. the plural form?

text: Which expression is more idiomatic or correct:   * We are American    * We are Americans Should I use _American_ in the singular or in the plural form? And why?


title: How do native English speakers distinguish Hobo and Homeless person?

text: In dictionary,               Hobo:One who wanders from place to place without a permanent home or a means of livelihood.     Homeless person: one who has no home or haven.      I think hobo is a kind of very dirty person walking or living in the street or a corner of a station, while the homeless person simply has no home to live but they still wear good clothes, maybe not very cleaned but much cleaner than hobo. I think the dictionary is missing something. Can we use these 2 terms interchanged?


title: A verb for a mine “producing” ore

text: What verb can I use to say that a mine produces ore? The ore is not produced at the mine site, however, so I need a word for describing the whole operation (excavation, processing, etc.). The operation I want to describe is the following. The ore is excavated and processed to some degree (simple processes to separate valuable minerals from the gangue, comminution) on site. Is there a verb that describes the generic operation of a mine? _Excavation_ sounds a bit too specific to me, but as I am a non-native, that might be a wrong impression.


title: "How large is your hard-drive" vs "How big is your hard-drive?"

text: When referring to a hard-drive's capacity (In GigaBytes), is it correct to use any of the following: How large is your hard-drive? How big is your hard-drive? Or is there any better way for terming it? I know it is safe to say "How many GigaBytes does your hard-drive have?" or "What is the capacity of your hard-drive?" but from the former two, is any correct?


title: Replacement for "brethren" to refer to mostly female group

text: The word _brethren_ would generally be used to refer to a group of people which have something making them an integrated unit. To exemplify my point in case: > The Catholic Brethren...   >  My college brethren... But, suppose if the population I was referring to was mostly female, the word _brethren_ would seem inappropriate (considering its definition as "Fellow Christians or members of a _male_ religious order"). To exemplify, > my female Catholic Brethren... isn't wrong, but just doesn't sound right. Is there some word which would refer to a closely knitted _female_ group?


title: What’s the point of the apostrophe of “turned ’round” in a narration?

text: I can’t figure out why the writer didn’t write just _turn around_ when it is not in a conversational part. I’ve met a lot of apostrophes in conversations in _Harry Potter_ books, like _’Bye_ and _C’mon_ , which are used to omit some letters, which, I think, sometimes contain the speakers’ subtle emotions in it. But this is my first time to find it in a narrative part. I’d like to know if the writer is trying to achieve some effect or something. > “Look!” said Ron suddenly, pointing out of the window. > > Hagrid had just straightened up and turned ’round. ( _Harry Potter 4_ [US > Version]: p.266)


title: Grammar–are there any PoS patterns that are incorrect/to be avoided?

text: I don't know if there are any patterns/rules for "grammatical don'ts" that pertain to Parts of Speech. For the sake of clarity, I refer to things such as:   1) Noun Noun Noun   2) Verb Noun Adverb   3) Determiner Adjective Determiner   etc. Are there patterns that are not permitted, considered poorly constructed, etc? I'm playing around with word patterns, and found just how lacking I am in knowledge of my own language. (Yes, I've searched here and Google–but I'm shocked at my inability to find anything relevant.) * * * Just a quick update... I'm more than willing to move onwards from the "standard" PoS (8? : N V AV ADJ DT etc.) to some of the subclassifications (Comparative Adjective, Linking Verbs etc.)–anything that gives more definition and classification is better than where I currently stand (or fall). So if it can be pointed out that 'some types of Verb' can follow 'some types of Adjective', then I'll be happy with that, especially if the types are provided!


title: From a non-native's standpoint: Which dictionary should I pay attention to when I find semantically contradictory definitions of a word?

text: [The following is one of dozens of cases I come across on a daily basis] By accident, I have recently noticed that the phrasal verb **go through** (as in **experience** ) -- which I've been using so far in my IELTS writing essays -- is associated with a connotation of _negativeness_ (suffering, unpleasantness, etc). Flipping through dictionary pages I'm finding out they do not agree with one another over the level of negativity. Some have dismissed the negativity component very lightly, while others have _fundamentally_ / _thoroughly_ attached it to that concept. Others, though, have used parentheses. (Making a good decision in such case takes on added importance when I have, for instance, used **go through** in my essay, and after questioning its correctness I have ended up paging through dictionaries.) To clarify, here's where I'm finding myself locked in: > _Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary [11th]:_ go through: 2.EXPERIENCE; > UNDERGO. > > _The American Heritage Dictionary (5th)_ :2. go through: To experience; > Undergo > > **The online ones:** > > _Collins English Dictionary_ : 4. (preposition) to suffer [end of story?!] > > _oxford dictionaries:_ Undergo (a difficult period or experience) > > the free dictionary: 2. To experience > > McMillan dictionary: 3. [TRANSITIVE] go through something: to experience > something difficult or unpleasant I cannot reasonably take the most comprehensive meaning (maybe the Amr. Hert. Dict & Oxf. Dict.s, in the case on hand) all the time, under the assumption that the others have left something out, because a lengthy definition isn't necessarily the best one. Using only **one** **perfect dictionary**? There is no such dictionary out there, or else the **need** to set up brilliant communities like this would have never made itself felt. Come here and ask? I guess this has to be the best answer, but the need is too frequent and it takes me a long time. Googling? Yes, that works in some cases. But It's not reliable enough, I think, since you can't tell if the writer was a native speaker. Plus the fact that not _each and every_ _composition/collocation_ of words exists there, whereas the Googled term IS actually true (I say this out of a couple of such experiences). Questions: Q 1. What should I do (if anything at all!)? Q 2. What does _go through_ really mean? In other words, should I use it only when something unpleasant/bad/difficult is involved? Q 3. Are the editors of the community erasing thanks?


title: The use of the Present Simple within a short period of time

text: Help me understand how idiomatic this usage of the Present Simple is. Usually, PS conveys repeated actions within relatively long (or almost unlimited) time frames. For instance, “The sun rises in the East.” “We live in France.” “I like cheese.” But what bothers me is other examples in which it’s clear that the actions expressed by the Present Simple are within relatively short periods of time. For example,   **Example A** 1) A: You were out very late last night. I know! 2) B: Quite right! I was out until three o'clock. And I had too many drinks. **_That's why my hand shakes._** **Example B** 1) A: What’s up with Jake? He is acting strangely today. 2) B: He offended me yesterday and now **_he apologizes every other minute_**. **Example C** (this is a real quote from Obama’s speech) The Republicans were a laugh line throughout the night, especially the presidential field that was, at the same time, holding its 17th debate in North Charleston, South Carolina. **_"Why do you laugh?"_** the president deadpanned at one point, to more laughs. It’s obvious that in all these examples the actions “my hand shakes, he apologizes every other minute, why do you laugh” have started very recently and are not going to last for a long time. That is, the hand is not going to shake for years, he is not going to be apologizing every other minute for months, and they are not going to laugh after the debate is over. Does it sound logical until now? Now I wonder if I can apply this principle in other contexts. The contexts have been made up by me. **Example D** I have been witnessing my friend calling to his wife on the phone for 10 minutes. It is a series of calls which doesn’t seem to end immediately. In other words, I suppose that he will keep calling her for, at least, a few minutes more or maybe even more than that. Would it be correct to ask him in this situation: **_Why do you call her so many times? /Why do you call her every minute? / Why do you call her so often/frequently?_** **Example E** Let’s imagine that a group of people is having a conference. The conference is supposed to last for 3 weeks. There are a few subjects to discuss. And, let’s say, one of them is “The role of the internet access in rural areas”. What if this topic is being discussed during the first 5 days only. After that period a journalist covering the conference says: “The subject “The role of the internet access in rural areas” was being discussed only during the first five days but now the members of the conference **_don’t discuss it any more._** Would it be correct to say “don’t discuss it any more.”? Or would the Present Continuous be better here?


title: Is it correct to use past simple in the following sentence?

text: This is the first time that I **watched** this film Can I use another forms here?


title: How to reduce an adverbial clause

text: I have a sentence: > Ms.Cho relayed her concerns about the company's financial situation **while > she was having a meeting with the manager**. My friend reduced it: > Ms.Cho relayed her concerns about the company's financial situation **having > a meeting with the manager**. I think the word _while_ cannot be omitted in this sentence, but he doesn't agree with me. Is he right? Please help me! thanks


title: Whistle-stop tour

text: I came across this phrase 'Whistle-stop tour' while reading an article. Please throw a light on it's origin and meaning.


title: Absolute Phrase and 'With'

text: I've been reading up on absolute phrases recently, and I was wondering if the following construction is grammatically correct: > "Jared went to bed with a lot on his mind, each thought brimming with > sadness and regret." I would normally think that there should be a _with_ after the comma, but the overabundance of the word in other parts of the sentence seem to make a third _with_ redundant.


title: Inoffensive exclamatory word to express surprise

text: Is there an inoffensive (possibly slang) term that can be used to express surprise in the "WTF" sense? For example, this term would be appropriate upon seeing that the stock market has fallen several hundred points. The exclamation "Jesus!" fits the bill exactly, partially because of the strong consonant sounds in the word, but it can be offputting to Christians. "Wow" lacks the "WTF" qualities of the word I seek.


title: What's a liquid antonym of vitriol (used figuratively)?

text: Are there any liquids (like vitriol is actually sulfuric acid) that we appropriate figuratively to mean high praise (i.e., the antonym of vitriol)?


title: Using Proverbs to Illustrate a Point

text: I intend to use the following proverbs in a presentation: _"The beginning of knowledge is the discovery of something we do not understand" Frank Hebert "The obscure we see eventually. The completely obvious, it seems, takes longer" Edward R Murrow_ The aim of my presentation is to articulate the value of research, in particular draw attention to the very source of motivation for embarking on the research journey. These are beautiful proverbs, indeed, and I want to do justice to their authors. I can only find online references to them (which in my view are not authoritative). Has anyone come across the actual source of these proverbs?


title: Is "do(es)" used to mean either single or plural subject?

text: I wonder if the following usage of "do(es)" properly or commonly used: > If money doesn't concern you, what else do(es)?


title: The sound of a moving tree trunk

text: When it's windy out as the wind is blown against a large standing tree, its trunk moves and makes a noise similar to that creaking noise that a door or a floorboard in a house makes. Do we use _creak_ to refer to this noise in this case, or what is the typical way of describing this sound?


title: Usage of the word "natural" as a noun

text: In a certain context, I wanted to say that good designs make us feel like born with the abilities to interact with a software. So the idea is the user feels like a talent while using the software. I phrased my sentence this way: > The examples unfold that a good design is what makes us feel a **_natural_** > in software interactions. The word " _natural_ " in this case is used as a noun rather than an adjective. I checked the dictionary and the meaning seems to fit the idea of a talent. However, I am not sure if my usage of the word _natural_ is appropriate and conveys my idea or not. When read aloud, I find it sounds slightly awkward but I cannot figure out what's wrong. Is my usage of the word _natural_ here correct in this phrasing?


title: What's different between "sophisticated" and "intricate"?

text: I know this is probably a very simple question, but it seems to me that I see "sophisticated" more in specialized books, and "intricate" more in non- specialized books. What's the difference?


title: Friends "that or who" I consider my best friends

text: Can I ever use _that_ for people, or must it be _who_? Which one is correct? >   * I have friends from all walks of life **that** I consider my best > friends. >   * I have friends from all walks of life **who** I consider my best > friends. >


title: What does "work it" mean?

text: This is quoted from an U.S. TV series. Warden: Brad. Brad (Captain): Any updates? Warden: None. They were last seen at that cemetery in Oswego. Brad: They'll get them. They'll get them. Warden: It's been handed over to the FBI. Brad: Well, that doesn't mean we can't **work it**. Warden: It does, actually. You and I have been pulled off the pursuit. Brad: Why? Warden: We're going to find out shortly. We have to report to the DOC headquarters. I will meet you there. Brad: Sir, we can get these guys. Just give me a couple more days and I swear I'll get them. Warden: Brad! We've got to go.


title: Is there an adjective for someone who can withstand ridicule?

text: I've been searching both my mind and several thesauruses attempting to find the adjective that best describes this type of person. The term " **thick-skinned** " is the closest to what I am trying to convey, but that carries the connotation that he/she is callous and does not care about others. Is there a word that describes someone who is not easily offended -- able to withstand criticism, ridicule, or jokes made at his/her expense -- without also implying that the person is emotionally callous?


title: Verb moods in the poem "Once more into the fray"

text: There is a poem in the Movie "The Grey" (2011). It goes like this: > Once more into the fray...   >  Into the last good fight I'll ever know.   >  Live and die on this day...   >  Live and die on this day... What is the mood of the verbs _live_ and _die_? Is it imperative or indicative? Or is it the infinitive, even? I can understand the general meaning of the poem, but I´m not a native speaker. I'm not sure if I understand it the right way.


title: What is the word to describe something that has hidden meaning?

text: I'm writing an essay (yay) on I'm the King of the Castle, by Susan Hill. I am trying to explain how the description of the atmosphere may have hidden meanings (e.g. the fact that Warings is a solitary house could show how Kingshaw feels) But I can't think of the word! So my question is: What is the word used to describe a phrase which has a hidden meaning? Thanks in advance! Oh, and also: something that represents something else, e.g. A Cat chasing a Mouse could represent A bully and victim. Proper word? Is it just symbolism? Metaphor? I'm _sure_ there's another word for it!! :)


title: "Pupil" or "Student", what is the correct use?

text: I'm German and we distinguish between "Schüler" (pupil) and "Student" (student). When reading English news articles, and I read the words "student" or "students", most of the time the articles seem to refer to school kids, not university students. **My questions:** Am I right or is my impression wrong? If I'm right, why is "pupil" used so rarely?


title: Is 'liege' masculine?

text: 'Liege' seems to most often refer to a man. Is that because most lords in history and fiction are men, or because 'liege' is a masculine noun? If the latter, is there a feminine counterpart?