title: What is the word for "trappy"?

text: Suppose a person has been accused of doing something wrong and a cunning policeman is questioning him. Suppose the police is asking questions in such a way that it is very likely that the accused person is likely to be found out if he, in fact, had done something wrong. What can we say about the type of questions the policeman is asking. I am looking for an adjective like " _trappy_ ", if there were such a thing, meaning " _full of traps_ ". Are there any words like this? **EDIT** \- I would like to point out that please don't take my example as if the word could be used with Police procedure only. That was mere an example to let you understand the scenario. The word may describe conversation by anybody. Even one of my friends can also ask such questions of me if he/she has some doubts about me.


title: "Not only one of the most talented actors of our age but kind." -- what does 'kind' mean here?

text: I was searching for information about the original novel "House of Cards" and from following site, in the middile of the page, there's sentence which compliment Kevin Spicey as shown below(http://www.michaeldobbs.com/house-of- cards/): > He's not only one of the most talented actors of our age but **_kind_** , > too. I don't think the "Kind" here means Spacey's a nice guy, I guess it might imply that he's a good actor of "man kind" (our kind)? I couldn't find any sentence with similar structure as an example to support my guess, so please anyone can explan to me the real meaning of the word "kind" here, better with some example, thanks.


title: "shaving cream" vs. "shave cream"

text: I read this term _shave cream_ in NY Times today. According to the results in COCA (Corpus of Contemporary American English), _shaving cream_ (I also found this word in the dictionary) is far more common than _shave cream_ in American English. I would like to know if there's any difference between these two terms.


title: What is the name of this figure of speech?

text: I've been reading Nevil Shute books recently, and they are set in late-1940s Britain. As a consequence, the characters are always using expressions such as _"frightfully good"_ , _"terribly good"_ and _"awfully nice"_. In the negative this becomes _"perfectly awful"_ or _"perfectly frightful"_. I feel sure that this figure of speech must have a name. Could anyone tell me what it is?


title: An experiment without a hypothesis?

text: An experiment is normally intended to test a hypothesis. Is there a noun or phrase to describe an experiment with no hypothesis -- i.e. doing something just to 'see what happens'? (A convincing neologism would be acceptable: e.g. _exploriment_ ) EDIT: It's been pointed out that one can think of some generalised hypothesis ('something interesting will happen') for any experiment. So to refine the question a bit: what's an experiment without a _specific_ hypothesis? EDIT2: Thanks for the helpful suggestions so far, which have clarified things, although sadly none have nailed it for me yet: perhaps English doesn't have a word with the connotation I'm looking for. However I'm surprised that some of the answers have implied that there's something _trivial_ , _invalid_ or _unscientific_ about experimenting without a testable hypothesis: i.e. it's "just playing about" or "just demonstration". This made me think about three types of experiment:               (A) I do something (heat water) to test a specific hypothesis (does water boil at 100°C?);      (B) I do it to measure a property (what temperature does water boil at?);      (C) I do it to observe what occurs (let's see what happens if I heat this water...).      These all seem to me to be very valid and scientific, but English doesn't seem to specifically distinguish between them. This post has turned out to be a very interesting experiment!


title: adjective & verb form of "fidelity"

text: Can anyone tell me the etymological _root_ of the word **"fidelity"** ? I've found here the adjective form of it to be **"fidelitous"** ( _faithful_ ). I don't know whether it's correct. And what is the verb of it (i.e _to trust_ ) ?


title: When listing just a last name would it be "Name, Jr." or "Name Jr"?

text: When listing names by just a **last name** , which is correct:   * `Surname, Jr.`   * `Surname Jr.` I'd like to know if the comma is required in this context or not.


title: Does "If X discovers that Y is Z" imply that Y is Z?

text: **Related Question** : Entailment/Presupposition in if-clause. Consider the sentence "If John discovers that Mary is in New York, he will get angry." Does this imply that Mary is in New York now? Is "discovers" a counterfactual in present tense, only meaningful if John could _now_ discover that Mary is in New York?


title: Is there a female equivalent for "my good sir"?

text: Is there a quaint-sounding/archaic dual to address women _a la_ "[my] [good] sir" jovially in casual conversation? I can't come up with an expression that doesn't sound like a moderately intense term of endearment (e.g. _my [fair] lady_ ). Can you even sound quaint but still be modern?


title: Who says /ˈjumə/ for "humor"?

text: What dialect(s) pronounce _humor_ voiced initially and non-rhotic finally (i.e., with both those features in the same dialect: the word would be pronounced something like `/ˈjumə/`)?


title: Word for "reading without melody"

text: I am searching audio files of a certain text in Google. In all valid search results, it is read by melody. I want to add extra keywords to find the exact result. I tried _without melody_ and _straight read_ as keywords, but they did no good. Is there any verb or noun that has a close meaning to _reading without melody_?


title: What is "If you're tired" called in this sentence?

text: "If you're tired, you should sleep." What is the name for the phrase "If you're tired" in this sentence? Obviously "you should sleep" could stand alone as a sentence.


title: What is a "mock euphemism?"

text: I have to make flashcards for my AP Lang class, but I can't find what a "mock euphemism" is anywhere. Can anyone help?


title: Interested topics or Interesting topics?

text: In a website profile, I would like to mention the topics I am interested in. Which one should I use?   * Interested topics: Technology, Reading, etc. (Is it about the past?)   * Interesting topics: Technology, Reading, etc. Even though this question looks simple, I think I have fundamental problem of understanding these kind of words.


title: Question instead of simple sentence

text: In a movie, when adults adore children, they used to ask question instead of a simple sentence. For instance, normally one would say > You're so sweet. But they said > Oh, aren't you sweet? which is weird. When would someone ask a question for such constructions?


title: Is "sophisticated" appropriate in formal documents?

text: In German the word `sophisticated` is sometimes used as Anglicism in order to describe a very fashionable person, e.g. carrying a dog in a handbag ("It- Girl"). However, when looking up the word in a dictionary, I get rather normal (unsophisticated) results. Is it acceptable to use the word in formal texts such as a technical paper?


title: Difference between "should" and "ought to"

text: What is the difference between _You should go_ and _You ought to go_? I rarely use the latter.


title: Introducing a paragraph that also contains colons

text: At work, sometimes I have to send people password reminders. Our experience shows that about half the time when people think they don't remember their password, they're actually mistyping their login name, so our practice is to always send both. But I never know how to introduce it. > Your login credentials are:   >  Username: jsmith   >  Password: 123abc That "doubled" colon just bugs the heck out of me. Is there a better way? (And before you ask: yes, we send passwords as cleartext, and yes, that's secure enough for our purposes.)


title: "I have nothing" vs "I give nothing"

text: Today I was told that "I give nothing to..." cannot be used as "nothing" does not exist and so I cannot give it. But don't you often say "I have nothing to do"? How come that in this case it works, how can you have "nothing" to do? And one additional one, "I have no idea" is correct, what about "I do not have any idea"? Imho this is correct too, right? Thanks


title: Two types of the definite article

text: I have a question regarding the usage of the definite article. Here is an excerpt: > Those were the days of lofty promises made by a hopeful candidate. Today, we > are faced with **_the disappointing record of a failed President._** The > last three years have held a lot of change, but they haven’t offered much > hope. I think there are two possibilities of interpretation for the italicized part:   1. A kind of disappointing record that you usually see from a failed president.   2. The disappointing record that you see nowadays from the present president, who is described as a failed President. Which of these is an appropriate interpretation? Or is either okay?


title: Is there a grammatical rule for using "read" between parentheses?

text: As an example: > I am bored (read: lazy). I wish to know if English Grammar has a formal construct for this usage.


title: How you do you say "What is this word?" in a friendly, indirect and elaborate way?

text: In French, when you don't know what the hell a word means that's just been mentioned, instead of flat-out asking “What is that?” we have an informal expression “Hmmm, ça se mange?” (Litterally, “can it be eaten?”). It makes obvious the fact that you're missing something. Alternatively, you could also say “À tes souhaits” (“bless you”), trying to pretend you took that uttered word for a sneeze. Is there anything a similar, common phrase I could use in English?


title: What does it mean when someone say "you have attitude"?

text: I've heard many people say > He/she has attitude What they really mean is that the person has ego or something like that. I googled and find this Yahoo answer, which also suggest the same. Are they correct in saying that?


title: Explain this pickup line: "If Bangkok invaded Djibouti, would Greece help?"

text: I was at an Model UN conference and often notes like the following get passed. As I'm not a native speaker, I assume that this has to do with some pronunciational issue. Can you please explain what's so funny about this sentence? (Djibouti seemed to be often used in such context.) > If Bangkok invaded Djibouti would Greece help?


title: Should I use the word “tomorning”?

text: I have never used the word _tomorning_. Can I use it like _tonight_ , instead of _today morning_?


title: Modal words and enumeration

text: (I'm not sure if the title is absolutely correct, so feel free to fix it) Is it siutable to enumerate verbs without modal verb? Example: > File already should be created and contain some data in comparison to: > File already should be created and should contain some data


title: Why do I want to say "the iPhone" instead of just "iPhone"?

text: Apple is somewhat notorious for omitting articles when talking about their products, and statements such as "People love iPhone" hit my ear a little strangely. But when I stopped to think about it, I realized that I wouldn't say "the Windows" or "the iWork". I couldn't come up with a reason that I use the definite article before some product names and not others. Is there some sort of convention (probably not a hard-and-fast rule) for usage here?


title: the Cobain estate tapped Morgen

text: Here is the sentence: > Courtney Love and **the Cobain estate tapped Morgen** to make a film > examining the life of the late Nirvana frontman, and the project has started > to come together after five years of planning. I am not sure whether I understand to the emphasized part of the sentence. Will somebody help me? Does it mean that Cobain’s items from legacy have inspired the director?


title: GOT: "twins to the first"

text: Yo, I got stucked in reading game of thrones song of ice and fire at prolog part on this sentence: > They emerged silently from the shadows, **twins to the first.** Three of > them....four...five... I don't get this collocation and preposition to the first - means like "firstly" so like firstly twins appeared ? this however i found quite weird - why he called them twins, are white walkers all indentical?bear with me, iam just trying to understand :-)


title: Is it better to say "How do I..." or "How can I..."?

text: Is it better to say "How do I do something?" or "How can I do something?"


title: contempt formula when talking about something

text: What is the figure of speech that should be used to express contempt of something? I tried this expression and I don't know if it is suitable for that context: **Main phrase:** > You had proposed XXX to our team . (XXX is a tools for IT team) **Attempt:** > You had proposed a project management tools **which is called** XXX.


title: Apostrophes in contractions: shan't, sha'n't or sha'nt?

text: I came across the word _sha'n't_ when reading Winnie the Pooh the other day and it cast me into a Thoughtful Mood concerning the Appropriate Spelling of this word. This word is a contraction of "shall not", with the _ll_ and the _o_ removed. Where, then, do the apostrophes belong? Here are the three options that I see:   * **shan't** : this is consistent with other -n't words and seems to be what is typically used. But what about the _ll_?   * **sha'n't** : clearly, the Best Literature uses this form. This would seem a logical form to have it in, for are there not two places where letters have been omitted?   * **sha'nt** : based upon the prevailing wisdom of my primary school†, the first position in which letters are omitted is where the apostrophe, of which there should be only one, should go. However, it doesn't feel right in this case. Also concerning the matter of having only one apostrophe, perhaps that was intended as one per word. Or perhaps it's just nonsense, additionally considering such words as _fo'c'sle_. One article I found on this matter was the Wiktionary article on _sha'n't_: > This came briefly into use at the end of the eighteenth century. It is not > an older form of the contraction, though, as shan't predates it in print by > about a century. (Source: World Wide Words [1]) It then proceeds to call _sha'n't_ a "nonstandard spelling of shan't". The Wiktionary article I consider myself quite at liberty to discard, for A. A. Milne was using _sha'n't_ in the 1920s, a decade which I would not generally consider to be at the end of the eighteenth century. In fact, it seems to me they're blatantly misquoting the article cited, which speaks of it occurring in the nineteenth century plus a few years either side of it. So then: which are appropriate? What are the general rules concerning where the apostrophes should go in contractions? Why isn't English consistent? Why isn't Winnie the Pooh mandatory reading for all English speakers? (Discard the last two questions if you wish.) * * * † I am not generally inclined to give all that they say credence, naturally, for they are the same schools that teach the Victorian cursive letter forms and that two spaces should exist between sentences; that aught else is a travesty on the English language and that you probably won't get your pen license if you don't do it these ways—not that I ever did get mine.


title: "In review" or "under review"

text: What is the difference between _the year in review_ and _the year under review_?


title: What does "go for adds" mean?

text: What does the phrase "go for adds" mean? I ran across it here: http://www.countrystandardtime.com/news/newsitem.asp?xid=7772


title: Nouns  for 'living' and 'working' which sound more category-like?

text: I have the following categories (for a forum):   * Entertainment   * Transportation   * Business   * Travel   * Legal   * Relationships   * Technology   * Politics I also wanted to add two more categories: One about **living** in general (getting a house, getting use to a new country, etc.) And other about **working** in general (getting a job, complaints about work, etc.) Which are the right nouns for them? (or is it correct to just use 'Living' and 'Working/Employment' as 'Categories')?


In what case you would say "I am seeing" instead of "I see"?


title: Which one is correct? "A teacher of English" or "An English teacher"?

text: I want to know which is correct   * _teacher of English_ or   * _English teacher._


title: "Do" vs. "does" with multiple singular subjects

text: > How does serverfault, stackoverflow and other stackExchange sites connect > together? Is that _does_ or _do_?   Because I'm talking about multiple items, it would be _do_. What is more correct?


title: Why would you "throw" a party?

text: Where does this "throwing" action come from when talking about hosting a party? Throwing usually has to do with hurling something, usually an object (but it could be an emotion: throwing a tantrum). But one also uses the verb when talking about hosting a party: throw a party. Where does this come from? Did people in the old days host parties by throwing objects?


title: A word for the "urge" to point out others' minor mistakes, not to define this phenomenon

text: The words "nitpicking" and "pedantic" actually define this phenomenon of pointing out others' minor mistakes. I have only this urge to do the nitpicking; I don't necessarily point out that petty mistake but I really have this urge to do the nitpicking and give a damn care to the exasperated sighs. So, is there a good word for this "urge to do the nitpicking"? Again, I am not asking for words that define this nitpicking phenomenon, just the urge to uphold it. Edit (choosing the answer): I kind of liked the phrase _obsessive-compulsive corrector_ suggested by GMB below... its only shortcoming being its being sort of a medical jargon (as well as a phrase). Then I rediscovered the term _twitch_ , which relates broadly to my urge. Ermanen came up with probably the best answer — _censorious_. At first, I didn't like the word, since it described me as a person who finds fault in almost everything. But I guess I can soften it — "I am just a little bit of censorious."


title: How can I properly reword: "This particular "X" is not unique in this regard."

text: Editing an essay, I recently found myself stuck trying to rewrite the sentence: "This particular journal publication is not unique in this regard." It "sounds wrong" to use the word "this" twice in this manner. Is there a simple fix?


title: Looking for an adjective describing a system with small number of assumptions (or rules)

text: I am looking for a word that can be used to describe a system (or a model) with a small number of rules or assumptions. For example, the number of grammatical rules in Japanese is much lower than in Russian. The meaning I want is close to: _concise_ , _succinct_ or _terse_ , except that these words specifically mean "expressed in few words," while I am looking for something that is more abstract, and describes the low count of assumptions, rules, and statements. Saying "Japanese is a more concise language than Russian" would mean that ideas can be expressed with fewer words in Japanese than they can in Russian, which is not at all what I want to say.


title: 'Between the lines' or 'read between the lines'

text: Do there exist any circumstances where any verb other than _read_ is used with _between the lines_? That is, is _between the lines_ an independent and complete idiom, or is it incomplete and meaningless without _read_?


title: Why are the words Reich and Kaiser capitalised in English?

text: It is the same with Diesel, which can be capitalised or not. Do the words Reich and Kaiser have some specific historic value as they are distinguished from non-capitalised words such as halt, ozone, heroin, nickel, semester, etc?


title: Why "knowledge of English" and not "English knowledge"?

text: Why is the following sentence correct: "A candidate with a good knowledge of English is required for this teaching position." And NOT this sentence: "A candidate with good English knowledge is required for this teaching position." ? I mean, I understand there are some fixed terms like "the Queen of England" which cannot be re-expressed without "of", but why does "English knowledge" sound so strange? Is there any kind of rule? Thanks.


title: "On short notice" vs "At short notice"

text: What's the difference between those two? I've tried to ask Google but got very mixed results -- some people say it's the same, some that one of them is illegal and the rest offer other explanation, for example "on" means immediately, without any time for preparation and "at" with some time for preparation.. what's the truth?


title: What's the word that sounds like “convolution” in this recording?

text: Here's what I think about what this recording says: > So they thought this behavior, this convolution and stuff, is a reaction > against the witch. I can't get the word that sounds vaguely like convolution to me. Do you have any suggestions?


title: What is the meaning of "public sphere" and "public space"?

text: > Civic humanism is generally taken as an equivalent or as a particular > variant of republicanism, meaning a conception of politics in which > government is in principle the common business of the citizens. The “city” > provides the environment ——a public space——for human fulfillment. > http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/humanism-civic/ Can “public space” be replaced by “public sphere” here? It seems to me the latter is too general here, whereas the former is more specific and concrete, therefore, here better to use “public space”. But in their essence, there is no substantial difference between them, they both mean a place in which the social members work together, discussing and solving mutual problems.


title: Is it correct to start a sentence with "with" in English?

text: Is it correct to use _with_ at the beginning of a sentence? Here's an example sentence: > With the development of the economy, living standards improved. To my eyes this looks unnatural; I would rewrite it thus: > Living standards have improved as a result of economic development. I think it sounds better because, as I understand it, in English it is more natural to put the result at the beginning of the sentence, and then the contributing factors or background information after that. But I am not 100% sure.


title: Does "get a diagnosis" imply you think the result will be positive?

text: If x said to someone > I want to get a diagnosis for Parkinson's Does that imply that x already believes they have Parkinson's and want confirmation, or does it just imply that x wants a result no matter whether it is positive or negative?


title: What does "in a sinister light" mean?

text: > The figure of the legislator is a puzzle. Like the tutor in Emile, the > legislator has the role of manipulating the desires of his charges, giving > them the illusion of free choice without its substance.Little wonder then > that many critics have seen these characters **in a somewhat sinister > light**. http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/rousseau/ My opinion is that “see someone or something in a sinister light” is not equal to “to consider it as being a sinister thing”, but means that to apprehend something unfriendly. And usually, when we read this phrase, we will expect some words about the light in which it is seen. Is my explanation correct? Assuming it is right, suppose I want to say the opposite thing, can I say something like : many interpreters have seen these characters in a sympathetic light? What is the right expression when it comes to use light to express a sympathetic or friendly interpretation of people’s words or character?


title: Would 'determine' or 'decide' be more correct when talking about a target audience?

text: In the phrase: > It may be best for you to decide on your target audience. would replacing "decide" with "determine" be more correct, and why?


title: Why are the "donkey" and the "butt" both named "ass"?

text: Is there any similarity between them that they have the same name, or is the reason something different of having a physical similarity? I found different meanings for both, but none of them clarified the matter of naming them the same in vulgar English speaking.


title: Should I pause before or after the "that" of an object clause?

text: For example, if I want to pause in speech, which way is better: > I {a very long adverb phrase} realized | that English is so useful but not > easy to master. or > I {a very long adverb phrase} realized that | English is so useful but not > easy to master.


title: The meaning of "no more … than"

text: > These two attitudes are no more contradictory than those two. Which of the following interpretations is right (or give me a better one if possible):   1. Relatively, these two attitudes are not more contradictory than those two; however, it is unknown, from the statement, how contradictory those two are or whether those two are contradictory at all.   2. Those two attitudes are not contradictory, and these two are not either; it is not about the comparison between the contradiction of these two and that of those two.


title: Any difference between "Sorry I'm late!" and "Sorry for being late!"?

text: Is one of these sentences used more than the other? >   * (I'm) sorry I'm late. > >   * (I'm) sorry for being late. > > Or is one more formal than the other?


Words can change meaning over time. A good example of this would be 'gay' which has changed from meaning 'merry' to 'homosexual'. Over the past decade, it has also taken on pejorative connotations. How often do words change meaning then revert back to their original meaning? Is this a one-way street?


title: What is an easier word than “serendipity” with the same connotations

text: A word that a majority of high schoolers would know. Unless, of course, there is significant evidence that most high-schoolers know the word “serendipity”. It shows up somewhere between 35,000 and 36,000 most frequent words: http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Wiktionary:Frequency_lists/PG/2006/04/30001-40000


title: When we will use soft and hard sound in 'c'?

text: Sometimes we use the soft sound, and sometimes the hard – but why? Is there any rule?


title: Words choice , describe how essay starts from broad idea and narrowed down

text: I want to describe how essay starts from broad idea and narrowed down in one one/two word(s) something like evolution of essay Thanks


title: Connotation of "significant" or "considerable"

text: I know that they are interchangeable and mean nearly the same. But which of them has a stronger connotation in emphasizing the extent or importance more than the other? Or are they on the same level?


title: Adjective for exclusive/selective/picky with positive connotations

text: I'm working with a friend who's looking for a word/phrase to describe her clientele. She's good enough and well-respected enough that she commands top dollar in her field and usually only works with 2-3 clients a year. She's also very selective about who those clients are. She building her brand as a luxury, well worth the price, hard to get but very much in demand, exclusive, etc. She wants "I've worked with **___ __ ___ _**" to be a status symbol and source of envy among her prospective clientele. Imagine a high-end designer personally making three gowns a year. The three starlets who got to wear those to the Academy Awards have all eyes on them as they walk the red carpet. We're trying to talk about that kind of prestige. So far, we've brainstormed: "Serving an exclusive clientele since 19xx" & "Serving a select group of clientele since 19xx." I feel like we're missing the mark, but just can't seem to find a word that's going to express what we're going for. I need some other perspectives.


title: Audio database is recorded under * conditions

text: I want to describe a recorded speech database in an academic paper. It has been recorded via telephone. People call from their home / workplace, but not under _very_ noisy conditions. Usual environmental noises (somebody talking behind, vehicular noise etc.) are present. I thought of describing it as " _the database is recorded under **realistic** conditions_". What are some better alternatives for the word **realistic** , if any?


title: Origin of "pull your socks up"?

text: I was pulling my socks up this morning, in the literal sense of the term, when I started to wonder about why _pull your socks up_ came to mean what it does:- > to make an effort to improve your work or behaviour because it is not good > enough: _He's going to have to pull his socks up if he wants to stay in the > team._ I searched around for the origin of the phase and turned up some not very convincing answers here (pulling your socks up to make yourself look tidier) and here (military slang, a traditional fallback for folk etymology). Neither of them have any sources cited. So does anyone know why we came to use _pull your socks up_ for this meaning?


title: "Feel free to hit me up" — "at"? "on"? "via"?

text: If I'd like to let someone know they can reach me via this@emailadress.com, as well as via Twitter and Facebook, what's the most correct way of writing? >   * Feel free to hit me up via this@emailaddress.com, as well as via Twitter > and Facebook. >   * Feel free to hit me up at this@emailadress.com, as well as at Twitter > and Facebook. >   * Feel free to hit me up on this@emailadress.com, as well as on Twitter > and Facebook > Or simply none/a combination of the above? Thank you very much.


title: Cute as a button

text: Since buttons aren't particularly cute (IMO), where did this common phrase come from? I know it's old; I've seen it in 19th century literature.


title: Using "will" in a sentence vs not using "will"

text: I'm an ESL teacher. A student asked me a question regarding this sentence.   **_"Don't phone Ann now. She'll be busy."_** The student asked me why we have to use "will" in the sentence. Why shouldn't the sentence just be: **_"Don't phone Ann now. She's busy."_** I told her sentence one is predicting what is and the second is reporting what is, but I feel like I short changed my student. Perhaps there's a more detailed explanation someone might have?


title: What's the word that sounds like “procedures” in this recording?

text: Here is what I hear in this audio: > When Roman empire crumbled, Europe was **procedured** by famine, > plague，prosecutions. and **steed** of war so persistent, it only rarely > interrupted by peace [...]. I'm now watching some documentaries that are not only interested me but also helps me improving my listening and enlarge vocabulary for my coming IETLS. The words I'm asking in the recording really stand in the way of understanding the content. So I really want you help me to figure it out, but I'm not just looking for convenience or being lazy; there are no caption available in my country and there's no way for me to figure it out after using all the methods I know: dictation software and guess-and-spellcheck method.


title: "Ability of [gerund]" vs. "ability to [infinitive]"

text: I want to say one of the following: >   * For them, ability of speaking is worthless since all the them are great > speakers. >   * For them, ability to speak is worthless since all of them are great > speakers. > Which one is more natural to a native speaker?


title: What are “these lines” referring to?

text: Here is the context: > Later I move over and talk with Jack and Wylla. Jack is leaving to head an > English department down in Boise, Idaho. His attitudes toward the department > here seem guarded, but negative. They would be negative, of course, or he > wouldn't be leaving. I seem to remember now he was a fiction writer mainly, > who taught English, rather than a systematic scholar who taught English. > There was a continuing split in the department along these lines which in > part gave rise to, or at least accelerated the growth of, Phædrus' wild set > of ideas which no one else had ever heard of, and Jack was supportive of > Phædrus because, although he wasn't sure he knew what Phædrus was talking > about, he saw it was something a fiction writer could work with better than > linguistic analysis. It's an old split. Like the one between art and art > history. One does it and the other talks about how it's done and the talk > about how it's done never seems to match how one does it. My question about the sentence: > There was a continuing split in the department **along these lines** which > in part gave rise to, or at least accelerated the growth of, Phædrus' wild > set of ideas which no one else had ever heard of, and Jack was supportive of > Phædrus because, although he wasn't sure he knew what Phædrus was talking > about, he saw it was something a fiction writer could work with better than > linguistic analysis. is: What are _these lines_ referring to?


title: Do native English speakers use the word "touristic"?

text: A word usage that always annoys me and feels like Euroenglish to me is "touristic". I don't believe I've ever seen it printed or heard it used by a native English speaker and I've travelled in most of the English speaking countries and work in tourism. But it's very very common to hear "touristic" from Europeans who speak very good English. Also at least on the web if not in printed media which I'm less aware of. To me as an Australian the word to use is "touristy". It does sound more colloquial when I compare the two but it is used by all levels of society. Interestingly my web browser is marking "touristic" as wrong and accepting "touristy". I have checked in dictionaries and both words are listed but they don't break down historic or demographic usage. So is "touristic" Euroenglish or plain old normal English? Is it more or less formal / more or less artificial than "touristy"? Could it even be that they're not quite synonyms? (Example usage from travel.SE: "During summer **touristic** places are open everywhere") Since this has seemed to be a little controversial so far I did some Googling and found:   * A thread on this topic on a site called Word Reference   * Google Ngrams shows results for the English spelling "touristic" under three foreign European languages besides English but shows results for "touristy" only for English.


title: What are the important differences between Canadian and American (USA) English?

text: English is not my first language; the little English I know is mostly from the USA. I know some of the differences between British English (or just English?) and American English, and the same with Australian. In general terms, could you explain to me, or list the most important differences (if any), between Canadian and American English?


title: Possessive for a third person and a first person

text: Bob and I are working on a project. I want to refer to "Bob's work" and "my work" collectively, without referring to Bob and myself collectively. (This will be the first reference to Bob and myself in my writing.) How do I do this, without resorting to the ungainly "Bob's and my work"?


title: Difference between accounting, finance and budget

text: What's the difference between _accounting_ , _finance_ and _budget_? Are some of them included in the others?


title: A word for "to be completely invisible except to those who have been chosen"

text: I have searched everywhere, but I cannot find a word or two words that define the following: > To be completely invisible except to those who have been chosen. Basically, I am in search of a word that means "to be invisible to everyone except the people I choose". Is there such a word? Or is there more than one word for this?


title: What does "in the heat of the night" mean?

text: "In the heat of the night" doesn't simply mean hot weather at night, does it?


title: Unclear use of the word "our"

text: When we say "Our team worked hard", then is it expected to refer the speaker + his own team OR the speaker + listener + their team together? Because in both these cases OUR is common word to be used!


title: Why “half past” and not “half to”?

text: When telling time and 30 minutes has gone past an hour, we say “half past”. For instance, half past 4 or half past 5. Why can’t we also say “half to”. For instance, half to 5 or half to 6? Shouldn’t it be a matter of preference, as it is when a glass is said to be half empty or half full?


title: a word that means something like a "seal of approval."

text: I visited my doctor for discharge summary and asked her if she could pinpoint the cause of the cancer. when she started to speak, she was lost in search of a word that would fit in the blank in the following sentence: your cancer might be because of this virus but nobody yet has put a **_____** on it. she was lost and so was I. usually when we buy a product, there is a seal on it that suggests authenticity. I am looking for a word that could mean a seal or mark that proves something is authentic. In this case, it would confirm that the cause of the disease is X. Is there a word that would suitably fill in the blank spot?


title: Correct term for a group of thirty-two things (or the general rule for anything over twenty) - duotrigectet?

text: I have found this source a little useful, but I am unsure what the correct term for a collection of thirty-two things is. Sextet, octet, dectet etc. are the terms for 6, 8, 10 etc. The "prefix form" of 32 is "duotrige" and the "base name" is "duotrigesimal". Is the term I am looking for _duotriget_ , _duotrigeset_ , _duotrigectet_ , _duotrigestet_ or something else? I imagine the rule will be the same with every number over twenty, so if you know the correct term for a group of twenty things or whatever please answer with that. **Update:** after realising that there is no precisely "correct" way of forming such a word, the nature of my enquiry has changed: given I'm going to have to coin a term myself, what would be the _best_ semi-regular term? (of course there is no definite correct answer to this question)


title: "The most distant ever visited by a spacecraft from Earth"

text: This is from the transcript of a podcast: > Now, these pictures can be a bit messy. So scientists say they could use > plenty of eyes to help scan the pics for things that move—the same way > Tombaugh first found Pluto. **The winning object could become the most > distant ever visited by a spacecraft from Earth.** I can read the sentence in bold literally. But I think it supposed to be like this: > The winning object could become the most distant **one that has been** ever > visited by a spacecraft from Earth. What is the grammar phenomenon in the sentence? And how should I understand it?


title: Is the expression "showed it what for" or "showed it one for"?

text: For some reason I thought the expression was "showed him one for" but someone I know just said "showed it what for". Which is it? I have also heard the idiom as "give it what/one for". If anyone has a tip on the etymology I'm interested in that too.


title: Why do we say, "keep a stiff upper lip"?

text: I've never understood the origin of the phrase, "keep a stiff upper lip". Presumably it's something to do with avoiding crying (as it means to remain stoical), but if anything it's the bottom lip that may wobble before one cries; generally the upper lip always stays stiff anyway. So, why do we say this to indicate stoicism?


title: A single word for an "instance" of publicity

text: Is there a non-collective noun for an "instance" of publicity? In other words, a restaurant receives publicity every time a local newspaper publishes a review or an article about it. Each of those articles or reviews are examples of a _[blank]_ for the restaurant?


title: Using modal verb 'could' for simple past

text: If I form a sentence like: > I could read the book if I hadn't wasted my time. Would it be considered a past perfect sentence with the part _I could read the book_ being in simple past for context in the sentence or does it only show a possibility?


title: Is there such a phrase as "or else"?

text: I'm not a native English speaker so I'm not very sure. For example: > She thought her boyfriend had settled with someone in the island, **or > else** his plane had crashed in the middle of the Pacific ocean. Or maybe I was thinking of something similar?


title: What is the difference between "fill" and "fill in"?

text: I am confused by _fill_ and _fill in_. I checked online, and both forms are used in   * **fill** a hole   * **fill in** a hole So I am wondering is there any difference in meaning between them? If not, what's the meaning of **_in_**? What is the function of _in_ "fill in"?


title: Sample English Poem

text: I'm searching for a (preferably old) English writer who has poems that are very tough for the readers, specially non-native readers, and full of difficult words. I would be much much better if it has at least one very simple and childish word such as ball, child, kid, balloon, princes, etc.


title: Difference between "hypocrite" and "selfish"?

text: How to choose between these two words? In which context should I use them? Do both have a negative connotation? I want to use them in a sentence: > He is such a **selfish/hypocrite** person that he never thinks of other's > pain.


title: "This is allowed", is this passive voice?

text: _This is allowed._ Is the verb _is_ a linking verb, or is this passive construction? Is there a difference? How does one tell?


title: Pronunciation of “SUS” in “Stainless Steel SUS 304”

text: How do engineers and the like who are native speakers of English pronounce “SUS” (stainless steel)? Like the verb “suss”? Like “SOS” (mayday) but with “U”?


title: Buckley's Chance

text: In Australian parlance we have the expression "He's got Buckley's chance" or "You've got two chances - Yours and Buckley's". Meaning - he o you have no chance at all. Who was Buckley?


title: Term for period between vernal and autumnal equinox

text: What is the appropriate term to describe the 6-month period between equinoxes, when the earth's axis is tilted towards the sun? Most dictionaries define summer as only the warmest months, June to August (in the Northern hemisphere).


title: What is the difference between saying "I wasn't knowing" and "I didn't know"?

text: I was wondering what is the difference between _I wasn't knowing_ and _I didn't know_? If I say, _I wasn't knowing_ , I am talking about something unknown in past, the act of _not knowing_ is finished, it means that I know it now, but before it was unknown to me.


title: "Choose from" vs. "choose of"

text: Which one of these is correct? >   * I had two options of which I chose the former. >   * I had two options from which I chose the former. >


title: Leaving the "been" out of the present perfect

text: I work (in the UK) with someone who habitually leaves the "been" out of the present perfect (or so it seems to me), using phrases like "Has an appointment created?" or "If an appointment has created..." rather than "Has an appointment _been_ created?" or "If an appointment has _been_ created..." She does this both in speech and in writing. Is this "correct" English in a way that I'm unfamiliar with? (Allowing for the fact that "correct" vs. "incorrect" are tricky concepts for English language use.) I'm reasonably certain she's a native English speaker born and raised in the UK. She _may_ have another native language as well, she'd probably tick the "British Asian"* box on the census and speaks of visiting family in India, but while her parents or grandparents may have been immigrants, I very much doubt she is. Other than this quirk, her speech is solidly and fluently British English, not Indian English. She doesn't, for instance, use "doubt" where I would expect "question." I don't recall hearing anyone else do this habitually -- in British English, American English (what I mostly speak, having spent 2/3rds of my life there), or Indian English. I understand that the concept of "correct English" is a fallacy. Leaving that aside, is this a recognized form I'm simply unfamiliar with? Or a quirk of British English or Indian English I've somehow managed to miss when others do it? Or just a quirk of her own? * * * * _(Americans: In this context, the "Asia" in "Asian" refers to India, Pakistan, and environs, not south-east Asia as it would there.)_


title: Objects with and

text: In a daily I read (name has been changed): Mr X takes a holiday with his _divorced wife and daughter_. Is this correct? Here, doesn't _divorced_ qualify both wife and daughter here?


title: Until you have confirmed + past or present?

text: Which one of these sentences is correct? > The contract will not be signed until you have checked the manuscript and > confirmed that everything is ok. > > The contract will not be signed until you have checked the manuscript and > confirm that everything is ok.


title: “Do you have” vs “Have you got”

text: I am studying English and I want to know the main difference between “Have you got?” and “Do you have?” questions. Are they the same? Is one more formal than the other?


title: Hollywood.....?

text: The bad movies. The rice-cake caloric value ones that go _bang_ too loud and too often. These have a deserved bad reputation, and in turn have given “Hollywood” a bad reputation. (Setting aside for a moment the fact many such movies are no longer made in Hollywood, or perhaps created and headed by non natives. Nor would any respectable top 100 list of movies not be well represented, if not utterly dominated, by Hollywood productions – but anyway...) I'm going for the pop empty-headed understanding of “Hollywood”. The word I'm looking for begins with a ”C” - I think. It means a bunch of useless things. Worthless twigs. Ignoble and unimportant. Dime a dozen.   * Hollywood _chattel_ [no]   * Hollywood _chortal_ [no]   * Hollywood _chuffle_ [no] …?


title: Can you expand your insight "to" a person?

text: For example, in a case where someone already has insight, and they later developed an insight into a certain person, could it be said as, > He expanded his insight to Joe.


title: Should a period be placed within quotation marks if it would conflict with a punctuated item that should be used or typed verbatim?

text: Gee whiz! Just when I thought I had the "period within quotation marks" rules set firmly in my personal punctuational code, I hit upon this sentence: > All message IDs are pre-pended with the value “ID:”. As a reviewer, should I advise my author to stuff that very American period inside the quotation mark? Wouldn't that not only look rather ugly but also somewhat confuse the fact that the item within the quotation marks is to be typed verbatim by the reader? What would be community-advised in this case?


title: Why can something be "touch and go"?

text: When a situation is risky or one isn't sure whether things are going to be OK, one might say that a situation is "touch and go". What is the origin of this phrase?


title: How to ask "Where are you going?" when event already passed?

text: If my friend went to somewhere on weekend but i didn't know where did he go? And if i want to ask him like "Where are you going?" on Monday which sentences should i ask him? Where did you go? Where have you gone? Where had you gone? or ...


title: Word for "handout issued by teacher"

text: I am looking for a single word to describe the hand-out given by teachers after training for the purpose of self-learning. I would like something other than _snap-shot_ , _fast facts_ or _bite-size._


title: Meaning of “either”: “not /A or B/” = “not /either A or B/”?

text: In a positive sentence, "either . . .or" is sometimes used to express an exclusive disjunction. However, what happens when “either” is used in negation, as in sentence two below? Is the meaning the same as in sentence one? > 1: John is not in the kitchen or the bedroom. This sentence indicates that John is not in the kitchen and John is not in the bedroom. > 2: John is not in either the kitchen or the bedroom. This sentence indicates what?


title: What is the opposite action of "enlist"?

text: What is it called when someone is done with the task that he/she enlisted for? I.e.:   1. They enlist.   2. They do what they signed up for.   3. They ___ _.


title: What is the etymology of "[computer] terminal"?

text: I suspect it's something to do with the fact that back in the Olden Days of computing, a terminal was connected to a mainframe computer system, and thus a user would be sat at the terminal end of the connection. Unfortunately I can't find anything to back up my suspicion! Can anyone confirm/refute this?


title: The meaning of "pure" in context

text: What's "pure" means in the sentence below? > There are many who must work out of **pure** economic necessity.


title: A word for "someone you meet with"

text: This must be an easy one, but I can only think of specialized alternatives at the moment: what do you call someone you are about to have a meeting with? _Meetee_? In more specific contexts _client_ , _friend_ , _date_ would all work, but they convey more than the fact that you will just be meeting. I've heard _appointment_ used in that sense (as in " _your next appointment is waiting outside_ ", but the ambiguity (appointment being a lose synonym for meeting) is not really satisfactory. Ideas?


title: What is the correct possessive form of names ending in "x"?

text: The title says it all. Should one use _Theroux's works_ or _Theroux' works_?


title: Is "I can't get to know[..]" incorrect?

text: A past question I wrote was corrected, from: > But I **can't get to know** how to precisely perform them to: > But I **don't know** how to consistently perform them ( http://gaming.stackexchange.com/posts/16202/revisions ) To me it felt like my version implied that I tried many times but ultimately failed. The second version doesn't have this implication. So, was my first formulation really incorrect? If so, how can I formulate this in order to emphasize the fact I tried many times and still failed to understand ?


title: "Target" vs. "destination"

text: Say I'm on a road trip and I'm going to Hawaii. Is it correct to call Hawaii the target of the trip? How about the destination of the trip? The end point of the trip? Which is best, and what are the nuances of each? What if I was flying by plane instead? And what if I was walking to the video store down the block — is the video store my 'destination' or what?


title: Is the usage "can able to" wrong? I believe it's wrong. But where can I find some reference on the same?

text: I hear a lot of people use 'can able to' in their daily talk. I believe it's entirely wrong. Both 'can' and 'able to' hold the same meaning. Where do I get more information on the same and also the exact places where I should use 'can' and where I should use 'able to'?


title: What is this "the"? What does it mean?

text: > The river is a wonderful sight always. > > The rivers are a wonderful sight always. > > Rivers are a wonderful sight always. "The" of "the river" shows the typical image of a river. But I don't understand "the rivers." What is this "the?"


title: How to quote a paragraph with a missing sentence?

text: How do I indicate that I've removed an entire sentence from a quoted paragraph? Consider the example paragraph below - if I want to quote this paragraph without the emboldened sentence, how might I do this? > This is an interesting sentence. **Sadly, this one is irrelevant to me.** > The third sentence is amazing and should be included. All of the advice I've found so far relates to removing words _within_ a sentence. Based on that advice, I might consider something like the following as a solution: > "This is an interesting sentence. . . . . The third sentence is amazing and > should be included." Where I've included five periods - one to close the first sentence, three to indicate the removal of text and a final period to close the missing sentence. But this doesn't strike me as a solution that would scale well if I need to remove more than one sentences. A closely related question is Quotations that skip paragraphs. Following the advice there, I might also solve this with the example below, although I'm not sure it applies well to mid-paragraph sentence removal. > "This is an interesting sentence." although later it is stated "The third > sentence is amazing and should be included."


title: Understanding grammatical structure of a sentence using commas

text: I couldn't understand the use of commas in the second sentence in the following passage and the overall meaning of it. > **This doubt and the still-harsh tyranny of the materialistic philosophy > divide our soul sharply from that of the Primitives. Our soul rings cracked > when we seem to play upon it, as does a costly vase, long buried in the > earth, which is found to have a flaw when it is dug up once more.** What is the grammatical role of each comma in this sentence? What is the meaning of `soul rings` and what is the overall meaning of the sentence? How its clauses relate to each other ? Is there any use of metaphor here ? I would be happy to understand the grammatical structure of this sentence.


title: What does "faculties" mean in the context of this Coca Cola ad?

text: ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/LWneW.jpg) This advertisement (by Coca Cola in 1889) features the sentence "A glass adds to the pleasure of a drive or a walk by brightening and refreshing the faculties" In this case, what does faculties mean?


title: Number agreement of a noun with several adjectives

text: If there are several adjectives referring to different instances of the same noun, should the noun be plural? For example, which of the following is correct? >   1. The first, second, fifth and eighth **runner**... >   2. The first, second, fifth and eighth **runners**... >


title: What is a layman's alternative to the IT word "datetime"?

text: I have a spreadsheet with several columns. And one must contain the date and time. But I don't know what to write as the header. In programming terms, it is a "datetime". But I suspect this would just look odd to a layman. What is the best alternative word or phrase to use.


title: What percentage of characters in normal English Literature is written in capitals?

text: I'm talking about percentage of letters, not words, in case it isn't clear. Is there a way to gauge this?


title: Word for the person who originally said a quote

text: Is there a word to describe the person who said a quote?


title: "I can't get the message across."

text: What are some other ways to say, "I can't get the message across?" This is explaining a situation where someone doesn't communicate what they're thinking, or they try to communicate what they're thinking, but the recipient doesn't understand what what the speaker wants them to understand. I'm looking for words to replace "get the message across", not an entirely different phrase.


title: Grammatically correct synonym for "level of catastrophicness"

text: I'm trying to say something like this: > We have developed a strategy to numerically rate the **relative level of > catastrophicness** of a potential hardware failure. Looking at a thesaurus hasn't really helped me with this one. Can someone help me to convey this without using this ugly, incorrect grammar?


title: How should I construct "the who"?

text: In correspondence this morning, I found myself using a very verbal construction: > Your Recommendation is entirely up to you in terms of the who and why. With due respect to the he:him::who:whom rule here, how should I have constructed this sentence in formal, professional correspondence?   * Should I have used "who" or "whom"?   * Should I have offset "who" and "why" with quotes?   * Is there a special word for the usage of [who/why/when,etc] when they are used in this objective/subjective fashion?


title: Meaning of "steady-as-she-goes financial package"

text: I was reading this article and I'm not sure about the meaning of this sentence: > Despite rise in inflation and borrowing, chancellor to court medium earners > in **'steady-as-she-goes' financial package** Could you explain me what the author meant by _"steady-as-she-goes" financial package_? Could it be something like "a financial package that is congruent with previous economic policies"? PS: Is this kind of question appropriate for this site?


title: What is the top of a pearl pendant called?

text: For example the top of the pendant in the link below: top of a pearl pendant


title: Usage of "so that"

text: I am working on a paper, and the following phrasing was suggested: > In the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, nodes represent proteins > and edges represent connections between them, based on experimental > evidence. PPI networks are rich and complex, **so that** a mathematical > model is sought to capture their properties and shed light on PPI evolution. Is that a ~~legal~~ legitimate use of _so that_? How would you phrase it differently otherwise?


title: Capitalize names of a company's departments?

text: My understanding is that if the term _department_ , _unit_ , etc. is omitted, the name of a company's department becomes a proper noun and hence is capitalized: > Lisa works in the marketing department. > > Lisa from **Marketing** called. She is waiting for **Accounting** to approve > her project. Is this correct?


title: Differing pronunciations of "divisive"

text: I've always pronounced it `dɪˈvaɪsɪv` (rhymes with _incisive_ ). Today at his press conference, President Obama pronounced it `dɪˈvɪsɪv` (rhymes with _dismissive_ ). I've heard the latter pronunciation off and on. To me, it always sounded like a hyper-correction. I'm wondering now if there are regional variations? AmE vs. BrE? Or is it just random?


title: What is another phrase for "start here"?

text: I am looking for words and phrases with similar meaning to "start here" or "get started". The thesaurus is not helping because I'm not looking specifically for synonyms of "start". I want a phrase that connotes the identification of a location/resource that is:   * good for beginners   * contains introductory knowledge   * teaches what is needed to put the learner on the right path What else means the same as or something similar to "start here"?


title: What are the differences between "server", "workstation", and "desktop"?

text: From a book on Linux, I found the following text: > A typical Linux system will run six virtual consoles and one graphical > console > >   * Server systems often have only virtual consoles >   * Desktops and workstations typically have both > Could anyone explain these three words, please?


title: Is there a word for the idea that wealth equals power?

text: Until now I would just have used "capitalism" because it is somewhat understandable, but factually it is wrong, is there a better word?


title: Punctuation of reported speech within direct speech

text: I've got a fiction 'speech within speech' situation, and I'd like opinions on how to handle the internal final punctuation -- inside or outside the quotes. This is British English. Example: The character says: [Statement A] "Oh no, he always brings that up, ‘Just like the last time, it’ll be,’ he says, never lets me touch a drop." Problem: in British English that comma after "be" would go outside the final single quote mark if it wasn't direct speech, ie., if an omniscient narrator says: [Statement B] John was liable to say "Just like last time, it'll be", or something like that, which annoyed her. So, in the first example, A, does my character qualify as a surrogate omniscient narrator? In which case the comma should go outside the single quote? Or does the interior quote qualify as a reporting direct speech, in which case the comma stands as I've rendered it, inside the single quote?


title: Modus vivendi, modus praevalentis

text: As you may know, when two states fail to come to permanent treaty terms, they may agree for the time being to a _modus vivendi,_ an interim memoradum of indefinite term specifying usually mutually unsatisfactory but nevertheless tolerable conditions of peaceful continuance, pending a final agreement. The phrase _modus vivendi_ is of course Latin, literally translated (if I understand correctly), as "way (or manner) of living." What I need today is a slight variation on the phrase, a variation that implies that one state has outwitted the other in negotiating the _modus vivendi,_ such that the real effect of the _modus_ is to deliver a sly, unearned advantage to the one at the other's expense, with the added insult that the _modus_ is not even a permanent treaty--that once the advantage has been pocketed, a permanent treaty will still remain to be negotiated. Of course, this is a lot to load into a two-word Latin phrase! I hardly expect two words to convey the whole meaning, but I want a fresh phrase that nonetheless captures the spirit of _modus vivendi,_ with the indicated twist. The best with which I have yet been able to come up is _modus praevalentis,_ in which _valere_ is (I believe) "to be strong" and, by extension, _praevalere_ is "to take the upper hand." Two questions, please:   1. Can you think of a better Latin phrase to serve the indicated purpose?   2. Did I decline my Latin right, or should it have been _modus praevalendi_ or such?


title: "Add number between x … y"

text: I’m working on a problem for a programming class that states the following: > Write a for loop in the space below which will add the numbers between 1 and > 20. To me this means the question is looking for the total sum of all the individual numbers from 1 up to 20 (1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + … + 20). Is my understanding correct?   Are there any other ways to word this?


title: Is "non-freedom" correct?

text: I need to write something like > Students were silenced because of social media posts: a case of non-freedom. That isn't the exact context, but I need to know if _non-freedom_ is correct.


title: Mix active and passive voice in the thesis

text: I am starting to write my thesis and was told not to use passive voice. But the active voice pronouns "I" and "we" do not sound right somehow and I even found this link How to Write... encouraging active voice yet instructing not to use first person pronouns. So I am planing to mix active voice with passive voice, such that when I refer to my work specifically I will use passive voice and else I will use active voice. I am not a native English speaker, but in my language this sounds fine. Moreover this link Mix... says it is okay in English too. Is this good practice in dissertations? If not is there any other solution to this problem? For instance in the abstract I want to say "In this thesis I prove that the...". How can I write this sentence in active voice without using I? Thanks a lot. I believe my question is different from Style Question: Use of "we" vs. "I" vs. passive voice in a dissertation as I am asking about mixing two voices in same document specifically and not about using we vs I.


title: "Dysfunction" as a verb?

text: I wonder if it is possible to use the noun "dysfunction" as a verb. It is certainly a noun, but in general use it seems to mean something far more awful and much less technical than "malfunction". It might be useful, in certain instances, to use it as a verb, at least colloquially, in order to emphasize just how badly something is malfunctioning. Has anyone seen this? E.g., a graduate thesis in family psychology discussing common causes for the breakdown of a family unit: > This tends to cause a family to dysfunction and create animosity among > siblings and spouses.


title: What word describes this form of unreadability best?

text: If a headline is difficult to read because it is written in all-caps and the words lack form but each individual letter is clear, is it illegible, unreadable, or something else?


title: Why are numbers sometimes spelled out and then numerals specified as well?

text: I'm referring to the peculiar habit I sometimes see in formal documents, where a number is given numerically after it's spelled out. It seems quite redundant: > I need five (5) kumquats, stat! (Though it isn't always in a legal context, might it be related to this answer on this question?)


title: What is the superlative of "fun"?

text: I've seen _funniest_ a few times in that context, but isn't that a derivation of _funny_? Is there a superlative of _fun_ or do we really use _funniest_ for the lack of one?


title: What does "the Catskills have hardly sunk to them" mean?

text: What does Henry David Thoreau mean here when he says, "the Catskills and Highlands have hardly sunk to them": > We get a dim notion of the flight of birds, especially of such as fly high > in the air, by having ascended a mountain. We can now see what landmarks > mountains are to their migrations; how the Catskills and Highlands have > hardly sunk to them, when Wachusett and Monadnock open a passage to the > northeast; how they are guided, too, in their course by the rivers and > valleys; and who knows but by the stars, as well as the mountain ranges, and > not by the petty landmarks which we use. The bird whose eye takes in the > Green Mountains on the one side, and the ocean on the other, need not be at > a loss to find its way. > > http://www.thoreau-online.org/a-walk-to-wachusett-page8.html


title: "Arrive at" or "arrive in"?

text: While reading a short story by Washington Irving called _The Adventure of the German Student_ , I came across this line: > Wolfgang arrived at Paris at the breaking out of the revolution. Why has the author used _arrived at_ while in modern usage _in_ is used after _arrive_ for big places?


title: What is the "pie" in "Cutie Pie"?

text: _Cutie_ is a slang term used to refer to someone who is cute. Where did the word, _pie_ , in the expression "Cutie Pie" come from? And what is the history behind this expression? I can't seem to find any references to it.


title: 'Although' paired with 'yet' in a sentence?

text: It is common to see 'although' used in the beginning of the sentence, but is it paired with any other word like 'yet'? We were discussing error correction in class today; my professor explained that while it is alright to use just although, there is nothing wrong with although and yet. > 'Although he was bad with calligraphy, yet he tried his best to write a > letter to her on her birthday.' Is this sentence correct?


title: The use of comma in written English

text: As a French native speaker who has to write a professional report in English, a question regarding the use of the comma crossed my mind. Here is an example of the type of sentence that might trouble me : > The nature of the traffic demands, which are represented by a finite number > of stations on the Earth's surface, is the source of two determining > properties Indeed, in French we use a lot of them and I was wondering whether for an English speaker the above commas feel unnecessary or not.


title: "(both)/(either) only available to men (and)/(or) women under pension age"

text: Let us suppose we are writing a legal document in which it must be stated that benefit are available to: (1)  men under pension age; (2)  women under pension age. Which of the following best describes that statement? > (1.a)  There are three types of bereavement benefit that are available only > to men and women under pension age. > > (1.b)  There are three types of bereavement benefit that are available only > to men or women under pension age. > > (2.a)  There are three types of bereavement benefit that are available only > both to men and women under pension age. > > (2.b)  There are three types of bereavement benefit that are available only > either to men or women under pension age.


title: A song "by" a singer or "from" a singer or "of" a singer

text: For example, I want to recommend a song of Adele to my friend. Should I say: The Someone Like You by Adele is fantastic. or The Someone Like You from Adele is fantastic. or The Someone Like You of Adele is fantastic. or something else.


title: Can a group of books be one of the best-selling books in the nation?

text: Is this sentence grammatically correct? > Dystopian books are **one of** the best-selling books in the nation.


title: Shall I Questions

text: >   1. Shall I find out for you? >   2. Shall I open the door for you? >   3. Shall I pull these curtains back now? > Please, I want to choose one of the following for each question.   * a) Do you want that I    * b) Shall I    * c) Will I    * d) Would you like that I


title: Is “She-economy” getting currency?

text: I happened to find the word, “Sheconomy” in the Time magazine’s (November 22, 2010) article titled “Woman power: The rise of the sheconomy.” The author, Belinda Luscombe writes; > “What these two (marketing research director of Midas International and > senior VP at Best Buy) and many other businesses discovered is **the > Sheconomy**. Everyone knows, or has long suspected, that the purse strings > are held by women. > > It’s oft repeated that they make 85% of the buying decisions, or are the > chief purchasing officers of their households. The difference today – one > that has enormous consequences across global economics – is that women are > also the earners.” > http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2030913,00.html Obviously “she-eonomy” is the economy in the world where women have a greater control of incomes and spending of both households and society. Although Google Ngram doesn’t show any incidence of “sheconomy / she-conomy,” Google search provides several instances of “Sheconomy” e.g;   1. It's a **She-conomy**. An excerpt from the Intuit 2020 Report. Over the next decade, women around the world will enter the workforce at an unprecedented rate. Close to 1 billion women, many of whom have either never worked or worked at a ... - www.sheconomy2020.com/   2. Both Time magazine and Minnesota Public Radio have taken an interest in " **the Sheconomy** " and consulted Marti Barletta's expertise. -www.trendsight.com/...Sheconomy.../Itemid,203/   3. Sheconomy, Vestavia Hills, Alabama. 469 likes • 3 talking about this. **Sheconomy** is a blog developed for male marketers to better understand not only the importance of advertising to women but how to connect effectively as well. - https://www.facebook.com/Sheconomy Is “Sheconomy” a just one-off ephemeral lingo invented by Time magazine and et al, or the neology getting currency?


title: What is a female or gender neutral form of gentleman that relays the same tone of respect?

text: At my office when referring to customers or external vendors I often use the word _gentleman_. I do this in effort to show that I’m speaking respectfully about them so the content and tone of my statement is less likely to be mistaken. For example, “I spoke with the gentleman about the issue he was having and it turned out he forgot to turn his computer on.” However, when the subject is a female the use of the word _lady_ doesn’t seem to project the same level of intended respect. Is there an **alternative** female or gender neutral word that I could use in these cases?


title: How would the use of the past perfect in the 'by the time' clause be understood?

text: Until recently, I was sure that when past simple and past perfect simple were used in a sentence joined by _by the time_ , past simple would always come in the time clause.I encountered the following sentence: _By the time they had finished their homework, it was time for bed_.This use is new to me as I know that _by the time_ means that when _a_ happens _b_ happens. I appreciate your help.


title: When does an acronym lose its capitalization, e.g. RaDAR 'radar'?

text: The reason that I ask is because this is happening to LiDAR, and I am inclined to use lidar because it is easier to read.


title: How did “defect” and “defect” come to have different pronunciations?

text: There are many interesting events in the history of the English language. Which one of them gave us “defect” (noun, `/diːˈfɛkt/`, imperfection) and “defect” (verb, `/dɪˈfɛkt/` , change allegiances)?


title: How to say "mix of two language" in a bad meaning

text: I think there is a invective for "mix of two language". But the word slipped my mind. Can you tell me how to say it? I'm not intend to use it, I only want to remember the word.


title: Why does the word "never" not contain an apostrophe?

text: If _never_ is a contraction of 'not ever' why does it not have an apostrophe, i.e. why is it not written _n'ever_ rather than _never_? I can understand that the apostrophe has simply fallen out of use, but then why not the same loss of the apostrophe in other negative contractions, e.g. _can't_ rather than _cant_ or _don't_ rather than _dont_ etc. Curious.


title: Is that a correct usage of present perfect?

text: What do you think about this sentence? > Do you have bought the lesson book? Is that a correct usage of "Do you have bought"? Or should I say "Did you buy"?


title: Is it "non linearized" or "nonlinearized"?

text: As the title says. I am wondering what is grammatically correct . "non linearized" vs "nonlinearized" (or maybe "non-linearized") Same for "non linear" vs "nonlinear" (or maybe "non-linear")


title: Why can’t one be “trepid”?

text: Why can someone be _intrepid_ but not **_trepid_** ? The Free Dictionary and Merriam-Webster both consider _trepid_ to be a real word, but my computer’s little spell-checker program does not recognize it as such. Why can’t someone be _trepid_ , despite the fact that one can feel _trepidation_?


title: "The distance is great" vs. "high" vs. "large"

text: I don't want to change the structure of the sentence. So please tell me which adjective works better in this sentence — _great, high_ or _large_. > Due to the resolution of cameras, vehicles are not visible in regions where > the vehicles' distance to camera is **great**.


title: Single word for "always new requirements"

text: Is there any word to express "always new needs emerge"? Can _renewable_ be sufficient for this? The context is something like "cannot satisfy the endless renewable needs", in an academic article.


title: Similar contrast

text: I'm writing an essay on metaphors. I have the following section: > A final **connection** between Atticus Finch and a suit of armour is their > ability to carry others’ skins. A suit of armour holds people inside it; in > **contrast** , Atticus walks inside others’ skins, which is a metaphor for > being empathic. Atticus and armour are both similar and dissimilar at certain degrees (regarding the "ability to carry skins"). How can I express the slight difference subtly, while emphasizing they are also similar?


title: Is there a technical term for the degeneration or evolution of words?

text: Based on this question, I was curious if there is an actual term that describes how words' meanings change or become deprecated over time.


title: Why is "primer" pronounced with a short "i" sound?

text: This word—used to mean an elementary textbook, not a painting material—annoys me to no end. Does anyone know why, exactly, "primer" is pronounced with a short "i" sound? I don't know why, call it intuition, but I can't see why this word isn't spelled "primmer." Are there any particular etymological reasons for this spelling/pronunciation combination? EDIT: Apparently this situation is only recognizable to American English speakers. I've only ever heard it pronounced with a short "i," but this seems to be completely unheard of to British English speakers.


title: Would you say "quote/end quote"?

text: > A girl said, quote, I want a lollipop, end quote, as she walked past the > candy store. Would you say it like that out loud?


title: Simple yet interesting English game for class?

text: I'll be hosting an English activity this week. Could you share some interesting English games which impressed you the most?


title: "Archivable" or "archiveable"

text: I have an entity and I would like to describe it as being able to be archived. Is it _archivable_ , _archiveable_ (which seem OK for me but no wiktionary.org results) or something else?


title: Are the commas right?

text: The man, who is standing there, is her ex-husband. Are these commas needed? Or is it: The man who is standing there is her ex-husband.


title: Which one is correct? "Look here" or "Look at here"?

text: Between the following two phrases:   * "Look here"    * "Look at here" which one is correct? Is it advisable to use "at" in this case?


title: Past perfect tense in this example

text: For the following example: > I had seen many beautiful shops in UK, when I was walking down the street > years ago. I'm not sure if the phrase "years ago" at the end of this sentence is correct. Should I put it before the start of the sentence?


title: What is the difference between experiment and experimentation?

text: If I am correct, both _experiment_ and _experimentation_ exist in English. Which one should I use? Can I say the following two sentences?   * This week, I am conducting new experiments at the laboratory   * This week, I am conducting new experimentations at the laboratory If the answer is yes, is there any difference between them?


title: Which was the first dictionary and how was it decided which words went into it?

text: I've heard the riddle: "If Websters' was the first dictionary where did he get all the words from?" It has quite since intrigued me, honestly. Which was the first English language dictionary and how was it decided what should go in it? How did 'they' know what words existed in the language in the first place? What if there was a word "bloombasticoozled" in some other continent, but when the people in that continent got hold of the dictionary they didn't find that word and decided to drop usage (or the word never made it to the English lexicon). Seems to lead to the chicken and egg problem... I'm really not trying to crack a joke here or be cynical, but am genuinely curious on how the first dictionary came into being and how did they choose the words :)


title: Is there a non-derogatory synonym for “propaganda”?

text: Is there a non-derogatory synonym for _propaganda_? Specifically, I’m talking about a word to describe the sum of all messages a particular political member has broadcast (through various media), but one without the negative connotation of “brainwashing” that _propaganda_ can carry.


title: What's the reason, words like "Thou" and "Thee" are no longer used in English language

text: When going through old English literature, especially stories and poems, we can see they have been full of words like "thou" and "thee" etc. Some of my English teachers told me that they were used to stress the respect of the person being identified. What was the reason for their disappearance in modern English?


title: What's the word for when two people like each other but each doesn't know whether the other likes back?

text: Each person is in like or love but neither has expressed it so each person wonders about the other and the frustrations might begin to build... what's that called? **EDIT: March 3rd, 2012, 4:47p:** The word I'm looking for describes love in such a fashion where two people love each other, but frustrations build because neither has acknowledged loving the other.


title: "Should" versus "would"

text: The NOAD reports the following notes about _should_ and _would_ : > The traditional rule is that _should_ is used with first person pronouns ( > _I_ and _we_ ), as in _I said I should be late_ , and _would_ is used with > second and third persons ( _you_ , _he_ , _she_ , _it_ , _they_ ), as in > _you didn't say you would be late_. In practice, however, _would_ is > normally used instead of _should_ in reported speech and conditional > clauses: _I said I would be late_ ; _if we had known, we would have invited > her_. I thought that _should_ and _would_ really had a slightly different meaning. Am I wrong?


title: Word for when something you are searching for is right next to you

text: I suddenly remember that I have to call someone with my mobile phone, but then I think "where is it?" right before I notice that the phone is sitting next to my hand. I feel "wow, lucky"... Is there an English word for a situation where the thing I am searching for is just next to my hand?


title: Word that describes someone that causes his own misfortune

text: Is there a single word to qualify/describe someone that causes his own misfortune, or even a single noun that refers to such a person?


title: Is there a term for an uplayable Solitaire hand?

text: Occasionally I deal myself a hand in solitaire - Klondike - that is unplayable. It's so infrequent that I feel as if I've dealt myself a winning hand - in Bizzaro world possibly. I was thinking there's some poetical quality to this hand I'm unable to use. Is there a term for that I might use? Are there any playing card scholars out there?


title: Format of this sentence

text: > (Thank you) (for something) (John) Or > (Thank you) (John) (for something) I've been seeing a lot of people speaking the latter and it's annoying me so I'm wondering which is wrong and right, or if both are right.


title: Is "I turned on and off the computer" grammatically correct?

text: Sounds wrong to me, and I would say, "I turned the computer off, and then on again", but I was wondering if both forms are acceptable.


title: Difference between Functional and Functioning

text: What shall I use in this sentence? functional or functioning? " The train that goes from my house to the university is **___ ___**, so I won't have any difficulty in going to the university today". And please explain the reason for your answer.


title: A construction using *so*

text: How would you rewrite the following sentence more properly? > The sea is blue and the sky also. I know that there is a specific construction using _so_ , but in fact I never used it...


title: Prepositions: "upon" vs. "after"

text: Despite having heard enough times already that _upon_ is an archaic version of the _on_ preposition, I'm still struggling to thoroughly understand its meaning and usage. In the quoted sentence, wouldn't it make more sense to use _after_? > Consider the possibility of activating accounts automatically upon a new > dataset creation. Is this just another way of expressing the thought, a more formal one?


title: What is the antonym of "result" or "consequence"?

text: A "result" or "consequence" is the what happens as a result of the concept of the word. For example: War -- death, suffering, winner, looser, etc. Is there a word that can describe the opposite meaning of the result of a concept? Perhaps an antonym for "result" or "consequence"?


title: "to" vs. "until"

text: If I wanted to say that something lasts all night and ends in the morning, I could use, "until morning." But what about "to morning?" Would that also be correct? I'm not sure because "to" here is referring to a time and not a place.


title: Semantic shift in "around"

text: I'm interested in the use of "around" as a synomym for "about, concerning, related to", which doesn't seem to be recorded in current dictionaries. I'd call it an academic/pseudo-academic usage and tho' I dislike it, I find it interesting and wonder when it first appeared and whether it's increasing in academia and in media like _The Guardian_. Some examples: > Many of the procedural issues **around** policy implementation were being > addressed. [...] Whilst there are perfectly understandable reasons for this, > due to the late entry of women into the academy, and particularly into the > kinds of discipline represented at this university, it was felt important to > 'problematize' gender in the management context, both in terms of issues > **around** 'representation' and in terms of the practices of the incumbents: > the growing literature on male managers suggests that they may experience > constraints in their own work which may be related to particular > constructions of masculinity, and Heads of Department were therefore seen as > key informants in this sense (see Kerfoot and Knights 1993). [...] Parker > and Jarry's (1995) Foucauldian analysis sees the new academic subjectivity > as inexorably complicit in the production and reproduction of a Fordist mass > higher education. At the same time, they contribute to a debate which is > still going on, **around** the idea of 'active citizenship' in higher > education. ("Gendering the Management of Power in Higher Education", Jackie > Goode and Barbara Bagilhole, in _Gender, Work and Organization_ , Vol. 5, > Num. 3, July 1998.) > > Feminist critiques of menopause have been beneficial in opening up important > public health debates **around** menopause. [...] Extending earlier feminist > critiques **around** menopause and HRT, this paper discusses a critical > feminist engagement **around** issues of women's perceived non-compliance > with HRT. ("Managing menopause: a critical feminist engagement", in _Scand J > Public Health_ , Dec. 27, 1999)


title: What is the difference between "can't" and "mustn't" in the expressing of prohibition?

text: > You **[verb]** use your mobile phone while you're driving. It's against the > law. What verb should be used?   * don't have to   * needn't   * mustn't   * can't Is _can't_ correct, or only _mustn't_ is correct?   What is the difference?


title: Is it natural to say "3 oranges and 4 apples are the same weight"?

text: When two groups of items have different masses, we can easily say   "3 oranges are lighter than 4 apples."   "3 oranges are heavier than 4 apples."   How about when they have the same mass? Can we say   "3 oranges and 4 apples are the same weight."


title: Is there any scenario, situation, or way to make "doing something selfishly" have a positive connotation?

text: The thing is, I am confused whether the word _selfish_ itself can be used without expressing a negative connotation. I am a bit biased about it since I believe that by using this word it automatically implies that a third party will be affected by the action. The thesaurus provides _self-interested_ , _self-seeking_ , _egoistic_ ; _illiberal_ , _parsimonious_ , and _stingy_ as its synonyms; and I am aware that some can be used in a positive manner. For example self-seeking doesn't necessarily mean I am affecting someone else. In other words, will everyone who hears _selfish_ automatically perceive a negative meaning for the preceding action? Could there be a better word that could express a similar meaning without being negative?


title: What is the difference in meaning here?

text: The less diligent can't work at this company. Does this mean "less diligent people?" Americans and the British...the British are the less funny. The British are the less funny of the two? The same construction was "he is the taller of the two?"


title: Pork and waste?

text: Is _pork and waste_ an expression or an idiom? From the context where I picked it up, it seems to indicate that if something is "built with pork and waste" it means that some aspects of that built thing are badly and too expensively built. Is that correct?


title: "It took me all of ten minutes to find out" - what does "all of" mean?

text: The sentence: "It took me all of ten minutes to find out" What does "all of" mean here exactly? Is it mainly used in a sarcastic context?


title: Is it correct to call an Apple Mac computer a PC (Personal Computer)

text: From the original meaning of the initialism, PC (Personal Computer), it would make perfect sense to call a Mac a PC, as it is just that, a personal computer. However, the vast majority of people distinguish a PC from a Mac - due to clever marketing. This distinction is so embedded in people now, that both PC users, and Mac users do not consider a Mac to be a PC. So would I be right to start referring to Macs under the blanket term "PC", or would the fact that most people no longer consider the term to refer to Macs make me wrong?


title: Which is correct, "Indicates" or "Indicates that"?

text: Which one sounds better? > "it indicates that the lane is closed" or > > "it indicates the lane is closed" Personally I would go with the first one without thinking, but I am reading a document, where the latter one is used consistently, therefore I started to doubt myself. which side do you pick on this one?


title: Is "mind's ear" a valid phrase?

text: I was wondering if we could use _mind's ear_ just way _mind's eye_ is used. Is it ok to use it as a valid phrase?


title: What's the difference between "hence" and "thus"?

text: Can anyone explain the difference between _hence_ and _thus_ and when should we use one and not the other?


title: Name for a type of game to help children get to know each other?

text: I'm looking for the name for the whole type/genre of games whose purpose is primarily to help children get to know each other.   It's close in meaning to "party games" but their main goal is to socialise the group.


title: Why is a dead man like a plumber's candle?

text: Here I read the following about a man who had just died: > He was the ghastly pale of a plumber’s candle. What exactly is meant? As far as I can google, a plumber's candle is just a shorter and thicker one, perhaps containing more stearic acid (source). What has all that to do with colour?


title: Why are women called chicks?

text: Why are women called chicks? Is there a negative connotation, I do assume there are sexist undertones there. Any idea about the etymology or origin of the term? Is it derived, in anyway, from 'chic' meaning elegantly and stylishly fashionable?


title: What does "Chinese theater" mean?

text: In a 1904 review of a piece by Maurice Ravel, one critic used the phrase Chinese theater > Two years later, a critic in the New York Tribune wrote, "In his String > Quartet M. Ravel is content with one theme which has the emotional potency > of one of those tunes which the curious may hear in a **Chinese theater** , > shrieked out by an ear-splitting clarinet. This theme serves him for four > movements during which there is about as much emotional nuance as warms a > problem in algebra. It is a drastic dose of wormwood and assafoetida." > (Wormwood is a very bitter tasting herb used in making absinthe; > assafoetida, a foul smelling and tasting gum resin used as an antispasmodic, > as well as a repellent against dogs, cats and rabbits). Does "Chinese theater" just mean Chinese theater or Chinese opera being operated in the United States even back then, or did "Chinese theater" have a non-literal and possibly euphemistic meaning?


title: Is it "close the door" or "shut the door"?

text: I am confused about which one to use. Do the phrases have the same meanings or different meanings? >   1. **Close** the door. > >   2. **Shut** the door. > >


title: Usage of "Prohibited" vs "Prevented" in a given sentence

text: Is the following usage of "prohibit" correct? > The disk crash prohibited me from saving the file. I have an opinion, but want to hear what others think before I share it.


title: What is the term for a situation where you need to do first in order to do second, but to do first you need to do second?

text: Practical example: > In order to get a job you need experience. To have experience you need to > get a job. What is the right term to call this?


title: “The rural women” or “the women of a rural village/area”?

text: Which one is more appropriate? > Among the rural women of a village in X district   >  Among the women of a rural village in X district   >  Among the women of a rural area in X district


title: lists set off by parentheses

text: Do parenthetical lists need "e.g." preceding the list, such as: "I am building a model of the house with key attributes (height, style, color) considered for comparison with other development areas."


title: Do we need another 'as' before safely in "... as quickly and safely as possible"?

text: Is it correct to say: > It is our mission to help you achieve your goals as quickly and safely as > possible. Or do we need to put another _as_ before safely?


title: "upon" a future fact

text: Is this a correct usage of **upon** ? > Please update this document upon deprecation of the current policy.


title: What does "might" exactly mean in the following excerpt?

text: This is a excerpt from Le Morte d'Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory, and I want to know the exact meaning of _might_ regarding the context. Some say by _might_ we mean: > being allowed to and some say it means: > being able to Of course we are all aware of the first meaning but relating to the later one, I couldn't find anything related. Here is the excerpt: > And thereupon Isoud fell down in a swoon, and so lay a great while And when > she _might_ speak she said: My lord Sir Tristram, blessed be God ye have > your life, and now I am sure ye shall be discovered by this little brachet, > for she will never leave you.


title: How to use “to offer” with two objects?

text: I am new in this web site! I would like to know if the following sentence is correct : > Operating systems **offer** _processes_ running in user mode _a set of > interfaces_ that can be used to make requests for privileged operations. When _offer_ has two objects (here _process_ and _set of interface_ ), should one of the objects be preceded by the **to** preposition?


title: Is radish countable or uncountable?

text: Are vegetables like cabbage, lettuce, radish countable or not when we talk about food? Which is correct? "We have some cabbage in the kitchen." Or "We have a cabbage." "I added some radishes to the salad." Or "I added some radish." "I don't eat much radish." Or "I don't eat many radishes."


title: "Virulent bacteria"

text: I read > Health officials were worried enough about an unusually **virulent** > outbreak of food-borne illness from the E. coli **bacteria** , This seems so wrong.   1. Is there a name for it? (mixed metaphors, for example)   2. Is it recommended?


title: Usage of "implication"?

text: Does the following sentence make sense? > What are the implications if we do not take a proactive approach to web > security? It sounds right to me but when I looked it up in the dictionary I wasn't sure that it was right...


title: Using a comma before "but"

text: I was once told by an English professor that a comma should never be used before _but_ in a sentence. For years, I have followed her advice but sometimes I just feel like it just _needs_ to be there. On the other hand, my brain also tells me that the word _but_ is, in a sense, performing the same function as a comma in the sentence. Does anyone know if there is a rule for this?


title: What do all capital letters typically refer to in writing?

text: In many error messages and conversations, I come across words in all capital letters, as demonstrated in the examples below. > ERROR: Please type your e-mail address. or > ME: I can't make it   >  SHE: I HATE you.   >  ME: I'm soo sorry. What is the typical meaning of or reason for these words written in all capital letters?


title: What is the difference between "abduct" and "kidnap"?

text: What is the difference between _abduct_ and _kidnap_?


title: Omitting "and" in a sentence

text: > He called her, emailed her, texted her, tweeted her—all to no use. Strictly speaking, I would need to write _texted her **and** tweeted her_, but I'm omitting _and_ to convey a rhythm and sense of urgency. What do you call this kind of construction, and is it accepted grammar (at least for creative writing, if not in an academic context)?


title: One word for limited or piecemeal benefit

text: I'm writing a paper on data strategy for large corporates. In this paper I define 4 levels of maturity on the path to a Google-like nirvana state where corporate, client, user, and other data is managed strategically to deliver true business benefit. My four levels are:   * Data Debt Despondency (or Doldrums)   * MIS Mediocrity   * BI **limited benefit**   * Data Exemplar/Luminary/Doyen (not sure about this name yet.) For completeness, MIS = _Management Information Services_ and BI = _Business Intelligence_ \- both jargon for types of software solution designed to extract business benefit from data. I like the alliterative nature of the first two names, and so I'd like to follow that example for the 3rd and 4th levels too, if I can. My question is, can someone suggest 1 word that means "limited benefit"? Bonus points if it starts with a B and double bonus points if you can also suggest a nice alliterative name for the 4th, nirvana level.


What is a single word which means "To flow or cause to spread every part of the body"?


title: Can one meet criteria, or satisfy requirements?

text: I usually see 'satisfy the criteria' and 'meet the requirements', but is it acceptable to use 'meet the criteria', or 'satisfy the requirements'?


title: Using "any" with positive sentence

text: > Everyone can do it.   >  Nobody can do it. The both sentences are very clear. I understand what they mean. > Anyone can do it But I feel a little confused about this sentence. What does it mean?   Is it similar to _Everybody can do it?_ or does it mean _Nobody can do it?_


title: List semi-colons?

text: > Eleanor Roosevelt played an active political role. She wrote newspaper > columns, made speeches and radio broadcasts, traveled widely, and listened > to the concerns of women, minorities, and ordinary Americans. Would it need to be rewritten with ; because it is a list within a list? I just recently learned this concept, and I am still kinda confused on it. She wrote newspaper > She wrote newspaper columns, made speeches and radio broadcasts, traveled > widely, and listened to the concerns of women; minorities; and ordinary > Americans.


title: It the phrase "They identify themselves as Pacifist, but the EU as an arrogant power" grammatical?

text: Is this phrase grammatical? > They identify themselves as Pacifist, but the EU as an arrogant power. Is a verb necessary in the second part of the sentence?


title: Boxer-turned-politician Vitaly Klitschko pulled out of the race for Ukrainian

text: The sentence underlines that Vitaly Klitschko is a former boxer who has now given to politics. Is "boxer-turned-politician" a common construction to refer to people who change activities, or is it more the writer's wording ability?


title: AmEng equivalent of "Shy kids get no sweets"?

text: In the North-East of England we have the saying: > Shy bairns get nowt With a less-slang equivalent of: > Shy children get no sweets. It's kind of like "Nothing ventured, nothing gained". Is there an equivalent saying in American English?