title: What is the question for which the answer is "This is my third coffee today"?

text: > **Duplicate of:**   >  How should I phrase a question that must be answered with an ordinal number > (e.g., the third prime)?   >  Framing a question to which the answer is an ordinal number   >  How manyth son to your father?   >  How will I ask this particular question?   >  How to ask a question to get an ordinal number answer   >  How can I ask a question with the answer “I'm eating the fourth apple”?   >  How do you say this in English?   >  How to ask “nth time” of something   >  Interrogative form of a sentence   >  What will be the question for “he is my second son”   >  How do you convert the sentence “George Washington was the first > president.” to a question?   >  How to frame a question to get answer about the turn that somebody has > taken in doing something?   >  Asking question about position of a person in a list   >  How do I ask this as a question in English?   >  A question for this answer I would like to know: How to ask a question such that the expected answer includes the " _n th_ thing"? The only way I could do of to do this is by asking: > How many cups of coffee have you had today? but the answer to that would be, _"3"_ , not _"This is my third..."_


title: A question to ask about birth rank or serial number

text: _Are you the third of your parents' children? or the second issue?_ Or, _you are the third guy, eh?_ What is the question for which _"he came third in the race"_ is an answer?. Instead of resorting to such a questioning is there a single word to interrogatively seek information of placement on a time marker line ? All Indian languages have such a word, none in English afaik..


title: Is there a way to ask the ordinal number value in English without sounding weird?

text: If the answer expected is _It is an amazing car_ , then the question would be _How is the car?_ If the answer expected is _I got my red car_ then the question would be something like _Which colour car did you get?_ or _Which car did you get?_ BUT if the expected answer is _This is my third car_ / _This is my ninteenth birthday_ , then what would the question be precisely? How would you frame it, if possible? To clarify the importance of the precise question: So far, the only way I know how to elicit the above mentioned answer would be to hint it in the question itself, like _Is this you twentieth birthday?_ , and then they would answer _No, this is my ninteenth birthday._


title: How do you ask this?

text: "Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of USA" How do I ask a question that gets me this answer ? I want a direct question - not something like "How many presidents before Lincoln" (I mean, without involving math or logic - just English language)...


title: How else can we say " what number are you in the line "

text: How els can we say "what number are you in the line "


title: Could you frame a question for this answer?

text: I have a statement which I want to use as an answer. The statement runs as follows: Barack Obama is the 44th president of the United States of America. Here the emphasis lies on the number 44. What would be the question for the above statement? Please help.


title: What is "what are you on about?" on about?

text: I live in Florida, and somehow picked up this phrase recently. I use it to mean, "About what are you making such a fuss?," either because I can't understand what is the big deal or because I genuinely have little-to-no idea what the person is talking about. Is this correct usage? Is this an English idiom (from England)? For bonus respect, why or from whence the unusual construction? Is it just that a word was dropped between "you" and "on," like "What are you carrying on about?"


title: Term for words such as "un-f**king-believable" or "a-whole-nother"

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  What is it called when an interjection is inserted inside another word? Is there a term used to describe words such as _un-fucking-believable_ or _a- whole-nother_? These words have other words inserted inside of the original word, creating a sort of compound word.


title: Sound changes of "wild" and "wilderness"

text: I'm having a heated a discussion with a friend and we cannot really get on the same level. In the original pronunciation of the word _wild_ , the "i" was the short sound that we have in the word _wilderness_ today. How has the vowel sound in _wild_ changed up to its present pronunciation and why hasn't the "i" in _wilderness_ changed in the same way?


title: Which day does "next Tuesday" refer to?

text: At what point does _next Tuesday_ mean > the next Tuesday that will come to pass and no longer > the Tuesday _after_ the Tuesday that will come to pass? And, when does the meaning switch back?


title: What does 'next Monday' mean?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Which day does “next Tuesday” refer to?   >  Meaning of “last/this/next Monday” > Scenario: You get a phone call on Wednesday, saying "you have to report to X > next Monday". When do you report? The upcoming Monday or the Monday after that? Other questions on here have no solid answer.


title: "Next Friday" vs. "This Friday"

text: > **Duplicate:What day is next Tuesday?** I have always considered _next Friday_ to be _not this coming Friday, but the one after_. _This Friday_ is the Friday at the end of _this_ week. I have a Canadian friend, however, who enforces the more literal meaning of _next Friday_ — _the Friday that comes next_. Is there a _correct_ meaning for _next Friday_ , or does this entirely depend on cultural differences?


title: "This summer" versus "last summer"

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Which day does “next Tuesday” refer to? This is October. We went to the hill station this year's (2012) summer. Now, how do I say this to others. I have been saying _this summer we went to the hill station_. Is _last summer we went to the hill station_ means the same thing? EDIT: I got this from the answers: `In essence you are saying: last summer is referred to summer of last year and this summer refers to summer of this year.`.


title: Meaning of "last/this/next Monday"

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Which day does "next Tuesday" refer to? Suppose today is Tuesday. What do _last Monday_ , _this Monday_ and _next Monday_ mean?


title: This weekend vs Next weekend

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  What day is next Tuesday? Imagine that it's Monday, the 1st. The weekend would be the 7th & 8th. How do you refer properly to the coming weekend, "This weekend" or "Next weekend"? I believe that using "next weekend" would refer to the 14th & 15th and "this weekend" would refer to this week's end. Technically the coming weekend (7th & 8th) would be the next weekend on the calendar. So which is correct? I'm hoping for a definitive answer with backing since this is an argument over opinion.


title: How did "next day" come to mean "day of next week"?

text: This question touched on the confusion of the common usage of "next Tuesday" to really mean "Tuesday of next week", as opposed to the "soonest upcoming Tuesday". When one considers the actual definition of _next_ , this phrasing is simply wrong. I'm rather baffled how this phrasing came about. To make things stranger, this is the only instance in which _next_ is used with this definition. How did _next_ come to mean the _Tuesday of next week_ when used in sentences such as " _What are we doing next Tuesday?_ "


title: Is "this Monday" or "next Monday" the correct way to refer to the very next Monday in the future?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  What day is next Tuesday? When I refer to the very next Monday that will occur in the future, I say "next Monday". Some colleagues refer to it as "this Monday", with "next Monday" meaning the second Monday which will occur in the future (I would refer to that as "Monday week", "this Monday" to me would mean the most recent Monday in the past). Are these both acceptable usages, or is one more correct than the other?


title: Meaning of "next weekend"

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Which day does "next Tuesday" refer to? I got a fortune cookie with the message _you will have lots of fun next weekend_ on a Wednesday. Which weekend does this refer to? Is it the one in three days or the one after that?


what is correct for next monday - this monday coming or referring to monday week? Then we have the problem saying monday after next......obviously referring to monday week


title: Should I use "this" or "next" in a question about time?

text: My son asked me this question: Today is June 12. Tom will play a video game on **_** Sunday (which is June 15). And the choice is either "this" or "next." So which one should it be?


title: Difference between "Coming weekend" and "This weekend"?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  "Next Friday" vs. "This Friday" Consider the following statements: > I'll meet you coming wednesday   >  I'll meet you next wednesday   >  I'll meet you this wednesday All the pages I've seen till now, like this one use _next_ and _this_ , but I don't see anywhere what the _coming_ means. As I know it, _coming wednesday_ means the current week's wednesday and _next wednesday_ is for the next week's wednesday.


title: Are 'next Friday' and 'this Friday' the same?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Which day does "next Tuesday" refer to? To me, they both mean the same thing, the upcoming Friday, but I know people who say that 'next Friday' is the one after this Friday. Is there any canonical view or common usage that can help clarify?


title: Why do people say "next Tuesday" for the Tuesday falling in the same week?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Which day does "next Tuesday" refer to?   >  How did "next day" come to mean "day of next week"? My employer told me on Monday that something was due "next Tuesday" so I assumed he was talking about the Tuesday next week. However, it turns out he was talking about today. In American English, does everyone refer to "next (weekday)" as the (weekday) that is closest to the present day? Usually, I am accustomed to calling the closest (weekday) as "this (weekday)" and when someone says "next (weekday)" I presume it falls in the next week or the week after.


title: What are some alternative words for "people"?

text: In the context of "people who learn a foreign language". For example: Most of the time, people learn a foreign language for professional reasons. Which words can replace the word "people" here?


title: Words for order / purchase order / reference number for importing goods

text: A common situation in the business setting of an importer would be that their in-country customer would place an order, for which they have a "purchase order number" and this order would have a reference/order number at the importer's end. The importer would then place an order with the overseas supplier, for let's assume he uses the same reference/order number and the overseas supplier would have their own order number. From an importer's perspective, is there an accepted way to distinguish these three (or possibly four) reference numbers by calling them specific words?


title: "the XXX something" vs "the something XXX"

text: I'm curious about the correct way of using _the XXX something XXX_ construction. I used to have _the 80 port_ , _the 'English Language & Usage' forum_ in my writing. But at the same time I see that many people use a different word order: _the port 80_ , _the book 'How to write correctly'_. Is there any significant difference between these two approaches or I'm too geeky? * * * **Update:** Sorry for confusing — I'll try to elaborate this a little. So, let's say that we have a class of items: book, port, thread, person, etc. And we have a name of the class item: 80 (port), "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" (book), BODY (html tag), etc. So I usually use it as "the [item] [class]", for example:   * the 80 port   * the "Harry Potter" book   * the BODY tag But I frequently see that people use another order of words (the [class] [item]) like:   * the port 80   * the character "a"   * the book "Les Miserables" So which is better and why? Or there is no difference?


title: Negative versions of extreme adjectives

text: If something positive is "too much", it becomes negative. For example, too much _security_ could be perceived as being _trapped_. Is there a term for this relation? In other words, if a word with a similar meaning is called a _synonym_ , and a word with the opposite meaning is called an _antonym_ , then a word with a negative extreme relation is called a ___? Is there any kind of thesaurus to look these up?


title: How do you say "come a long way" in one word?

text: I'm writing a technical paper and need to say something along these lines: > The technology in this area has come a long way in the past twenty years... But I think "come a long way" doesn't seem as descriptive, and was hoping there is a better word for it.


title: What is the proper convention for writing onomatopoeia?

text: Say I'm attempting to write a sound, as in 'poof', 'thud', or 'clank'. What's the correct convention to write something like this? Is there one, or is it a grey area as long as it's clear to the reader?


title: This requires a comma, correct?

text: > He jumped down, creating a cloud of dust. I think it's just because the sentence is so short that it looks odd with a comma, but grammatically speaking, that comma is necessary, right?


title: "Innocuous enough"?

text: Is the phrase "innocuous enough" valid? Or is the word innocuous a 'binary' word, in the sense that something is either innocuous, or is somewhat harmful/offensive? Example usage: > Should we display a prompt before the user deletes an entry? Perhaps the > deletion is innocuous enough that a prompt is not necessary.


title: Word that refers to the "quantity/amount" of floor?

text: For example you would say: > Miles and miles of road > > Tons and tons of food How about when referring to the floor inside a house (given that the house is relatively big)? Example: > [...] and [...] of plywood floor (Maybe _squares_?)


title: What does this sentence mean:"If you fail to dot an “I” or cross a “T,” you could be..."?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  "there are still a few administrative i's to dot and t's to cross" From here there is a sentence: > If you fail to dot an “I” or cross a “T,” you could be banging your head > against the wall for hours. What does the author mean by `dot an "I" or cross a "T"`? Thanks.


title: Customer Technical Support or Technical Customer Support?

text: I am part of a customer support team. When answering a new email request from a customer I start my reply with an introduction: > Hi, _John Doe_ here from the **[What-goes-here?]** team at _Such-and-Such- > copmany-name_ , ... My question is what would be correct (instead of the 'What-goes-here?' above) > Customer Technical Support or > Technical Customer Support Can't seem to make up my mind, what works better / sounds correct. **Update** : The reason I am in this dilemma is because I want to distinguish the type of 'Technical Support'.   We support only paying customers, there is also Professional Services (payed by the hour doing customization and large deployment), and Sales level support which isn't provided by the field sales teams.   There are also sales/lead support which answer trial software users. I would like the name to distinguish this.


title: What's the name of the section of a book authors use to describe technicalities?

text: I can't remember what this word is, but the usage is such that in this section authors will explain what font they used, what software they used and other technical things. Any ideas?


title: Best meaning for "edit link"

text: "Edit link" has two possible meanings: >   1. A link to edit (page) > >   2. To edit the link > > How can I know which one is correct? This is part of a translation project and I can't find context of the expression.


title: Question about waffle terminology

text: What are the little wells (dimples?) called that occur in a waffle. These correspond to the raised areas inside of a waffle iron.


title: Phrase choice - phrase to describe exodus of meaningful celebrities from Australia

text: Most meaningful socialites seem to leave Australia, leaving us with celebrity cooks and celebrity hairdressers. (eg Elle McPherson and Savage Garden going to London etc). What's the phrase to describe the exodus of meaningful celebrities from Australia? Is this "post-colonial parochialism"? "First-world elitism?" Or is it just "Global Capitalism"?


title: The Jackass Syndrome

text: Some years ago, I watched an episode of the show Just Shoot Me! where one of characters used the phrase "The Jackass Syndrome" to describe the situation were two people who are quite similar in some ways can really hate each other (it was followed by a short scene in which, after two people met for the first time, each of them walked away muttering "jackass" in reference to the other person). Over the years I have noticed that sometimes people that are indeed similar in some aspects (that they may not be aware of) can not get along with one another. Is there another word for this situation?


title: How do you describe somebody who was judged and found wanting?

text: "The King judged the man, and the man was found wanting". Is it correct to say that "the man failed the judgement", or is there a more appropriate phrasing than "pass/fail" when discussing the result of a judgement?


I haves a few checks and I want put them into my bank account.   1. What's the approriate and natural sentence to describe my intention at a counter?   2. Is "I need to deposit my checks" correct?   3. What is "chashing a check"?


title: A better way to say 'every arrow in his quiver'

text: Is there a better way to say 'every arrow in his quiver'?


title: Is it "convince someone to" or "convince someone of"?

text: I've always thought that the use of the preposition 'to' with the verb 'convince' is correct. But I recently learned from a reliable source that 'to' shouldn't be used with 'convince' but rather with 'persuade'. So instead of saying for instance 'I should try to convince him to work harder', I'd rather say 'I should try to convince him of his ability to work harder' or 'I should try to convince him that he can work harder' or 'I should persuade him to work harder.' Honestly, I'm still perplexed. Could anyone shed some light?


title: Collective noun for "facts"

text: I'm looking to refer to a group of facts and I'm not sure what the best term to use for them would be. From what I can tell there isn't any sort of standard collective noun for facts, so it's going to be a more a question of what the better way of stating it would be. To illustrate, a collection of pages may make up a book, so a book of pages makes sense. But what makes sense for a **collection of facts**? Edit 1: to clarify here, I am looking to have the blank filled in: a ___ of facts. Edit 2: The context is that there are a large amount of small facts. Things like "The battle of Hastings was fought in 1066". I need to refer to various set collections of these facts when speaking to people, and so need a collective term for them. If each fact were a card, I would call a set collection of them a deck. So the use would be in a sentence like this: When I was learning history I found John's very useful.


title: Is there a single term for the sports "surfing", "skateboarding", and "snowboarding"?

text: The three sports "surfing", "skateboarding", and "snowboarding" share a lot of similarities, historical roots, and sometimes appear together in topical magazines. Is there a single term to call these three sports?


title: When are "because", "since","for" and "as" interchangeable?

text: I am not a native speaker. On a previous question of mine, I thanked for an answer by saying: > So the phrase is not an idiom, **since** it is applied in its literal sense. I consciously chose _since_ over _because_ , because — well, I like that usage of _since_ , even though I know that some (native speakers) don't like it. Nonetheless, that choice got me thinking for a while, and it occurred to me that I even could have used more alternatives, namely _as_ or _for_ , without changing the meaning. So, on a general note, here are the alternatives: >   1. Statement A (is true), **because** statement B (is true). >   2. Statement A (is true), **since** statement B (is true). >   3. Statement A (is true), **as** statement B (is true). >   4. Statement A (is true), **for** statement B (is true). > Are these completely interchangeable? Or interchangeable in certain situations? Or can you point out any (not-so-)subtle differences between any of them? Are there even more synonyms?


title: Is "since" a synonym of "because"?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  When are "because", "since","for" and "as" interchangeable? A few years ago, I was told that "since" should only be used to designate a time period. For example: > Since 2 o'clock, I've been waiting for you. However, since creeps into the place of "because" quite often. > Since I don't have the time, I won't be joining you. This second example sounds slightly slangy to me now that I've been avoiding using "since" in this way for the past few years, but is "since" really a synonym of "because"?


title: Is the "for + proposition" form still used nowadays?

text: I am currently studying English and as such enjoy reading English books from time to time; for instance I have recently been reading the fifth book of _A Song of Ice and Fire_ since the French version was not to be released anytime soon. As I read it I often came across a grammatical form I had never encountered previously, this form being the usage of "for" to introduce propositions as per this example: _"We must learn english, for it is one of the most widely-spoken language."_ My question if the following: is this form correct (I do think it is), and if it is then is it still used today? I really like this usage of the "for" preposition but still, I'd like to be sure it can be used before actually using it (in class or elsewhere). Thanks! * * * **EDIT:** Upon further searches, now knowing that "for" is in that case a conjunction, I found out that this form is perfectly correct - though it is more of a literary form.


title: What is “long” doing in “all (time-period) long”?

text: What part of speech is **_long_** playing the part of in the bold parts of the quotations below?   * For one thing, it shows at a glance how much money is on hand for any particular purpose **all month long**.    * The fishermen stayed in their nets **the whole night long**.   * Some people prefer to live in places that have the same weather or climate **all year long**.   * He had told them to sit on the edge of the sandbox **all recess long** and not move a finger.   * Wild animals, driven by hunger, came **all winter long** to live close to the feeding station.   * Other friends worked hard **all semester long** and didn't feel any pressure at all as the final exam approached.    * One half of the labor actually expended in the cultivation of these grapes would have kept them in tip-top order **the whole season long** if they had been planted in four rows as already suggested rather than in twenty short ones.   * It suddenly came to him that he would never, **his whole life long** , see Gramps again.    * He did such good work, and so much, that nobody would question him. Plus he could go **all shift long** , and most of them couldn't.   * She realized suddenly how old and hurt he was, an elder with gray hair and loose skin, and yet he had been working with his paddle **nearly the whole day long**.   * **All year long** , **all decade long** , **all century long** , the sun just keeps on shining. To me it looks like it’s acting as some sort of “adverbial _post_ position of time”, just as **_during_** is an adverbial _pre_ position of time in phrases like _during the night_. The problem is that **_long_** follows its NP complement, just as **_ago_** does in _three years ago_ , making it more of a postposition like _ago_ than a preposition like _during_. I think. How should this sort of construction best be classified? The OED calls **_long_** an adverb here. * * * # Edit My confusion may be that I’m unclear about the transition from something being a modifier that takes a complement and it becoming an actual preposition/postposition/adposition. I am not referring to **_long_** used as an adverb in such collocations as “How long have you been here?” or “as long as you like”. Rather, I mean what the OED gives as its sense 6 of **_long_** 1 _adv._ the following: > **6**. Subjoined to expressions designating a period of time, with the > sense: Throughout the length of (the period specified). [Compare German > _sein leben lang_.] It’s been used this way at least since Middle English; the first citation given is for “all year long” from back around 1290 ᴀᴅ in the _South English Legendary_ (a source that provides 2359 quotations): >   * _c_ 1290 _S. Eng. Leg._ I. 264/122   >  Heore ȝat was swiþe faste i-mad: þoruȝ al þe ȝere longue. > This is not one of the entries that has yet been updated for the _OED3_ , so perhaps the analysis has changed since the _OED2_. However, it is similar to the entry for **_ago_** _adj_. and _adv_, which has indeed been updated for the _OED3_ , and which remains an adverb when used in phrases like “long ago” and “longer ago”, but which it classifies as an adjective when used in the more customary collocation of time, as with this recent citation: >   * 2009 S. Craven _Ruthless Awakening_ 32   >  We agreed on the guest lists ages ago. > There appears to be some dispute about whether things like **_ago_** constitute actual instances of “postpositions” in English, or whether they are better left in their traditional categories of adjectival or adverbial modifiers that just happen to follow their modificand. I am confortable with saying that nouns like _home_ or _Tuesday_ can be used adverbially, as in “I’m going home” or “I’ll see you Tuesday”, but this doesn’t quite seem like one of those to me. On the other hand, it does remind me of:   * I stayed through the whole night.   * I stayed the whole night through. If the first is to be called a preposition, but the second is not to be called a postposition, then we have to call _through_ an adjective “modifying” _night_ and the entire thing somehow a noun phrase being used adverbially. That seems to be the very sort of classificational contortion as is being attempted with calling **_long_** an adjective, and I find both to be particularly unsatisfying approaches. * * * # SUMMARY A clearer explanation of what **_long_** is and is not in the type of collocations presented in the initial example list would be much appreciated. It’s ok if multiple models of analysis are presented. * * * PS: I do not have personal access to the recent work by Dennis Kurzon about adpositions in: > _Adpositions: Pragmatic, Semantic and Syntactic Perspectives_ , ed. by > Dennis Kurzon and Silvia Adler. John Benjamins, 2008


title: Word definition paradox

text: Just curious but are there any two words (possibly three in a tri- relationship) in the English language that define themselves with the other, therefore being subjected to a definition paradox? (They have to have no other meanings besides the other word.) e.g. (Not really a legit example, but what I am looking for) Compassion: The act of having pity. Pity: The act of having compassion.


title: Monsters! another question about what-was-it-then

text: Etymonline has the original meaning of monster as               c.1300, "malformed animal, creature afflicted with a birth defect"      but I am curious to know the term used at that time -- and even earlier -- for (one of) its current meaning(s): "mythological or fantastic creature: dragon, fairy, brownie, griffin, etc.". The same entry suggests _aglæca_ as a possibility. Any further support (or conversely, examples showing this use to be poetic or otherwise unusual) would be most welcome. Also of interest would be terms in other Indo-European languages (esp. Latin, Greek, the Germanic languages, and the Indic languages) before, say, 1000.


title: What's a good comeback to "obviously"?

text: If someone tries to sound smart in repartee by saying, > Well obviously blah blah blah but what they said is actually wrong, then what's a good comeback to that, or what's a good way to phrase the comeback?


title: Is "Dutch wife" one of those "Dutch words"?

text: The term "Dutch wife" is listed as having several somewhat related meanings. Wiktionary describes it as meaning 1) a body-length pillow, 2) a wicker or bamboo tube that someone sleeps in (also called a bamboo wife) 3) a prostitute and 4) a sex doll, and Wikipedia also mentions it being 5) a hot water bottle. Meanwhile, this page claims that a Dutch wife is a real wife, merely an unpleasant one. The Wikipedia article on Bamboo wife claims without any citation > The origin of the English term "Dutch wife" is thought to be from the Dutch > colony of Indonesia where Dutch traders would spend long periods away from > their wives. But I'm a bit skeptical. It seems to be more like one of those Dutch words > Since c.1600, Dutch (adj.) has been a "pejorative label pinned by English > speakers on almost anything they regard as inferior, irregular, or contrary > to 'normal' (i.e., their own) practice" [Rawson]. E.g. Dutch treat (1887), > Dutch uncle (1838), etc. -- probably exceeded in such usage only by Indian > and Irish -- reflecting first British commercial and military rivalry and > later heavy German immigration to U.S. When did the term "Dutch wife" originate? Is it likely to have been a "Dutch word" (this isn't a real term, but apparently there's not really a term for putting a nationality in front of a word)? And what was the first meaning of the phrase?


title: Can the term "jack/jerk off" be used for female masturbation?

text: I apologize for this potentially obscene question. Can the terms _jack off_ or _jerk off_ be used for female masturbation? If not (which is my intuition), what would be the **not** too poetic vulgar slang equivalent? By too poetic I refer to expressions such as _spank the monkey_ , _choke the chicken_ , etc. I checked online dictionaries, and most of them don't expand on the usage, and _some_ of the definitions in the Urban Dictionary _imply_ that _jack off_ primarily refers to male masturbation, but do not provide the female counterpart.


title: How to refer to the "elevated areas" of a mountain?

text: For example, in the following picture, I see two "elevated areas" (one on the right, and one on the left, at the distance): ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/LoOKT.jpg) The only word that comes to my mind is _hill_. But I'm not quite sure, since those elevations are part of a mountain. How to refer to them?


title: Was the usage "Spaghetti were" ever acceptable or common?

text: In W. Somerset Maugham's _The Moon and Sixpence_ , there is a line about Dirk Stroeve which goes _His spaghetti were …_. Spaghetti is plural in Italian, but is this ever a normal usage in English? Spaghetti seems to be entrenched as an uncountable (mass) noun these days.


title: What does Maugham mean by "his spaghetti were"?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Was the usage "Spaghetti were" ever acceptable or common? _[Following up from, but not a duplicate of,this question by another user, which was unresolved…]_ Somerset Maugham's _The Moon and Sixpence_ contains an unusual (perhaps even unique) usage of English that I'm hoping some native speaker can shed light on. Here is the sentence in bold, with some surrounding sentences for context. Dirk Stroeve has previously been described as "a painter, but a very bad one". The narrator says: > In the evenings I went to see my friends. I looked in often on the Stroeves, > and sometimes shared their modest fare. Dirk Stroeve flattered himself on > his skill in cooking Italian dishes, and **I confess that his _spaghetti_ > were very much better than his pictures.** It was a dinner for a King when > he brought in a huge dish of it, succulent with tomatoes, and we ate it > together with the good household bread and a bottle of red wine. I grew more > intimate with Blanche Stroeve… Since _spaghetti_ is (almost?) always used in English in the singular as an uncountable (mass) noun, this is unusual. What is the right interpretation of this sentence?   1. "His spaghetti" is parallel to "his omelettes". That is, it refers to the many occasions he cooked spaghetti, and means something like "his _spaghetti dishes_ were better than his pictures". (The OED entry for 'spaghetti' has _"1. a. A variety of pasta made in long thin strings. Occas., a dish of spaghetti."_ )   2. As in the original Italian usage, "spaghetti" in the plural here refers to multiple strands of spaghetti or pieces of spaghetti.   3. Something else. _(I am partial to (1.) myself, but this interpretation was described by another user as "unlikely" and "completely absurd", so I'm trying to know for sure.)_


title: Origin of using "gets to"

text: As I was writing an email to someone today, at the end of the message in jest I wrote: > Well, I best **gets to** workin’. After I wrote it I looked at the phrase _I best gets to_. It came to me as if I’d heard it many times before, but I couldn’t place it. Anyone have an idea of the origin of its usage? I’m originally from Pennsylvania, but I’ve lived in North Carolina for seven years now, so I was wondering whether it wasn't Southern or something.


title: Phrase: "This area is being supervised by video". Can "video" really supervise?

text: In the city of Potsdam I have seen the following label on the main station building: "This area is being supervised by video". The meaning of the phrase is pretty clear, but can "video" be really used as an actor for the action of supervising?


title: Can you actually "stand to the right" on escalator?

text: In Copenhagen Metro on every escalator you can see 2 labels:   * "Stand to the right"   * "Walk to the left" I had an impression that prepostion "to" is used when you describe a direction of the moving action. In that sense, how can you stand "to" something? Wouldn't it more correct to say "stand on the right side" and "walk on the left side"?


title: How do you like them apples?

text: What exactly does this phrase mean and in which situations is it used?


title: Is there a single word for "Use the contribution of"

text: Is there a single word (or more elegant word) for "Use the contribution of"? Ok, some more context: I'm looking to make a more-dynamic alternative of: > The team will be composed of analysts. Too static, there is no notion of contribution. So I'm trying to use contribution is my sentence. > The team will use the contribution of analysts. I'm not a native speaker, but this sounds bad to my ears. Trying to formulate it as an active sentence: > Analysts will contribute to the team. Which is not good because the original meaning has been lost (I wanted to indicate the composition of the team.) Other attemps I tried that failed: > The team will be powered by analysts. (Not sure this this correct English, or if the meaning is respected) Could a native speaker suggest a correct formulation that contains the two main ideas I want to convey?   1. This team will be composed of analysts (and analysts only)   2. People will not be seating on their chairs, but be contributing to the team success


title: What do you call the excessive use of 'I' in speech or in writing?

text: As is known, to avoid excessive use of _we_ is not an easy task, especially if we also wish to avoid the passive voice, but some style guidelines says that not only one should avoid excessive use of _we_ , but also the excessive use of _I_. Since I found that wegotism is defined as 'Excessive use of the pronoun _we_ ; - called also weism,' I'm wondering whether there is a word meaning 'excessive use of the pronoun I'. I attempted to find 'iism' without luck. So, my question is, what do you call the 'excessive use of _I_ ' in speech or in writing?


title: Proper tense for reported speech

text: > Jimmy: Did you read my novel? > > Sara: Not yet. People told me it was romantic. Is it fine to use 'was' here? I suspect 'is' most suitable here, because that book still exists, so use of 'is' is appropriate. Another versions can be: > People told me it is romantic. > > People told me it was romantic. > > People tell me it is romantic. > > People tell me it was romantic.


title: Plural of 'hereafter'

text: On Wiktionary we read that 'hereafter' has as plural 'hereafters', but OALD says that this plural form doesn't exist. Which is wrong: Wiktionary or OALD?


title: Which goal is whose?

text: Here is the situation: Kids in a small yard are about to play soccer. There are no goalposts in that yard (or "goals" or whatever you call it, I mean those metal frames on each side of the soccer field that have nets on them. Once the ball is in the net, the score changes). So, one boy picks up some sticks from the ground and tries to mark out the goalposts for each team. While doing that he says: "This will be your team's goal and that will be our team's goal" Is the first goal that he mentioned the one that his team will be defending or trying to get the ball into?


title: Auxiliary movement in AAVE

text: My question is inspired by the question of why "So do I". Usually I have no problem figuring out what to do for AAVE (African American Vernacular English), but in this case, I am confused, because AAVE allows more than one auxiliary, and has different movement rules. For the case of one auxiliary,   * She be working   * be he working too?   * He be working too? I am not sure if the second or third is preferred.   * She be working.   * So be he.(?)   * So he be. (?) I think "So be he" is correct, not "So he be." How about double auxiliaries?   * He done been sleeping   * So I done been.   * So done I been.   * So done been I Which is considered correct? I think it's the third "So done been I", but I am not sure. This pair I am pretty sure about:   * He done been working   * Done he been working? For others, I have intuition   * I'm a-gonna fly it   * So am I a-gonna. But this one confuses me:   * He stay working   * So stay I(?)   * So I stay(?)   * So do I stay(?) Which is it? The last one is   * He done been staying working   * So I done been staying.   * So done I been staying.   * So done been I staying.   * So done been staying I. Which one? I think it's the second, maybe the first. Not sure. Any insights?


title: Best choice of word for the opposite of acknowledge

text: The most common word for the opposite of _acknowledge_ is either _ignore_ or _deny_. Can I use the word _disregard_ as the opposite of _acknowledge_? I have a form that have the following options:   * acknowledge   * pending    * X  where X is the word that I am thinking and will be a suitable word as the opposite of _acknowledge_. A friend of mine suggest that I use the word _reject_ as the opposite of _acknowledge_. What is the most suitable word?


title: Introductory phrases like "to tell the truth"

text: What is the difference between the following introductory phrases? > To tell the truth > > Frankly speaking > > To be honest Are any of the phrases more old-fashioned or formal than the others or are they completely interchangeable?


title: Usage of "assume" vs. "presume"

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  "Assume", "presume", "suppose" I would like to know the usage of assume versus presume. It seems to me, that both of them tend to depict the same meaning. So where exactly lies the difference in their usage?


title: What are "up" and "down" in "up there" and "down there"?

text: _"Up there"_ and _"down there"_ are two of the most frequent expressions that I, myself, use often. I really don't know whether they are just expressions used to refer to a place to go _("I went **down** there and picked up the mail")_ or whether they have some significance attached to them. Like recently at the airport, somebody told me _"to go **down** there for the International terminal"_ and I wondered whether they meant "down" literally, or was it just the expression?


title: No coffee, no workee - meaning

text: > **No coffee, no workee** What does that expression exactly mean? And how do you pronounce it?


title: "Also" and "as well" for conversational context

text: "Also" and "as well" seem to be quite similar in meaning, but I'd like to know shades in its meaning and usage, especially for everyday conversational language. What one will sound more natural and less formal?


title: What is the etymology of "replenish"?

text: Where does the word "replenish" come from, and what does it mean? I know it is used as a form of "refill", but is that how it was originally?


title: Connotation of the word "sprezzatura "

text: According to Wikipedia, _sprezzatura_ means > a certain nonchalance, so as to conceal all art and make whatever one does > or says appear to be without effort and almost without any thought about it. But has the word taken on a meaning more related to just "indifference" as opposed to the one above?


title: Correct pronunciation of the word "Mature"?

text: I need to know the correct pronunciation of the word "mature". Is it məˈtʃʊr, məˈtjʊə(r) or məˈtʊr? And which one is mostly used, across the globe.


title: References to words in comma separated clause

text: Is this sentence grammatically correct? > It seems to me that, since many of the speakers are in high-demand, some of > them may not stay for the entire conference. As I understand it, if we remove the comma delimited clause, the sentence should still read OK. > It seems to me that ... some of them may not stay for the entire conference. It does read OK, but what "them" refers to is no longer specified. Does this matter or do I need to be explicit (and repetitive)? > It seems to me that, since many of the speakers are in high-demand, some of > the speakers may not stay for the entire conference. Or is it better to remove the duplication by forward referencing the speakers: > It seems to me that, since many are in high-demand, some of the speakers may > not stay for the entire conference.


title: Is 'quantitate' a synonym for 'quantify' or just a misnomer?

text: I have always used _quantify_ , but have been encountering _quantitate_ more and more in scientific literature. Is _quantitate_ a "valid" verb and a synonym for _quantify_? Otherwise is there a subtle difference in the meaning of these two words? I forgot to mention that in some dictionaries both words exist while in others, _quantitate_ is not featured, e.g. http://dictionary.cambridge.org/spellcheck/british/?q=quantitate


title: What is swag? And where does it come from?

text: I'd just like to know where it comes from. This is a word that I've heard all my life but it has always been a special kind of curtain. I was baffled when kids started calling each other curtains so I googled it and I just found these bullshit answers like secretly we are gay or sex with a ginger, which are obviously not what swag means. What is swag and where does the word come from?


title: "the below-identified person": Term for this style and any style guides regarding

text: Are there any technical terms to specifically describe the two styles (A and B) below? Also, are there any prescriptive style guides that say which is preferable? My own preference is for style B below because style A seems to be forcing a pseudo-precise legalistic tone, and I aim for the "plain English" style (i.e., avoiding legalese and bureaucratese), but that is merely my individual feeling. A > the above-referenced report > > the above-described substance > > the below-cited data > > the below-identified person B > the report referenced above > > the substance described above > > the data cited below > > the person identified below


title: Is there another way of saying "I lost my train of thought"?

text: I am an ESL learning and I use the idiom "I lost my train of thought" quite often. Recently, I think that it is sort of redundant to use it several times when I talk to my friends. I am curious that is there any similar idiom or phrase that mean like "I lost my train of thought"?


title: Idiom request: Putting too much effort, but the return is so low that it was not worth the effort

text: I am looking for an idiom. You put too much effort, but there is so little gain that it would not be worth the effort. **Update** : More specifically, some guy wants to save money and gas, thus he skips toll highway and take the free road. But the free road is longer, or congested that he ends up using more gas.


title: Money vs Monies

text: How would the meaning in the following phrase change if "monies" is replaced with "money"? > universities would be diverted from basic research by the lure of new > development **monies** from “the marketplace,”


title: "If it was not cold, I would like more" -- conditional

text: Now I'm having hard time on something. I ate something yesterday and it was cold. Now grammatically, it must be **If it was not cold, I would like it more.** But I feel like it does not sound right, just because of 'like'. Is this correct?


title: "For my hand" vs. "for my part" vs. "for my side" in a cover letter?

text: Writing a cover letter, which one would you choose when you are offering your services? For example: > For my [...], I offer a strong background in X and experience in Y.


title: Appropriate use of "littlest"

text: I recently had a debate with a friend about whether "littlest" was a word. I took the stance that it was not. I find now that basically every time I make such a claim these days someone can hold up a phone with some web dictionary "proving me wrong". My question is: When is it appropriate to use this word as opposed to _smallest_ or some similar option?


title: Looking for a word similar to "custom-made", but stronger

text: I am looking for a word or phrase which can describe the situation in which you order a valuable thing (maybe unique) such as a Ferrari or jet or something else. My friend told me that it should be called a _custom_ car (or jet). I agree about that but I know there is another word which sounds much stronger than _custom_... Does anyone have any ideas?


title: Use "whom" in emails?

text: Assume for a moment that an author _does_ know how to use _whom_ correctly. In an email (specifically), does using _whom_ correctly make the author sound stuffy and formal, or would you say that in email, using _who_ conversationally — potentially ungrammatically — is okay? For example: >   * Hey, thanks, I chatted with the guy whom you said would be calling. >   * Hey, thanks, I chatted with the guy who you said would be calling. >


title: Using the word "lagniappe"

text: Oxford dictionary defines the word lagniappe as something given as a bonus or gratuity. Is it only used when transactions (by transactions I mean a gift given to customer when he shops a lot.) are considered or can I say "you help has been a lagniappe" or "That late-night call proved to be a lagniappe and absolved me of my guilt"? What are other possible implementations?


title: A word that means "there and then"

text: The word "there" indicates a point in space, and the word "then" indicates a point in time. Is there a word that indicates a point in spacetime, equal in meaning to "there and then"?


title: "alarm", "vanity" - April 3 1812 Letter by James Monroe

text: > Such a measure, even for a limited and short time, is always liable to > adverse as well as favorable considerations; and its operation at this > moment, will add fuel to party discontent, and interested clamor. But it is > a rational & provident measure, and will be relished by a greater portion, > (Footnote 1) of the Nation, than an omission of it. If it could have been > taken sooner and for a period of 3 or 4 months, it might have **enlisted an > alarm** of the B. Cabinet, for their Peninsular System, on the side of > Concessions to us; and wd have shaken (Footnote 2) their obstinacy, if to be > shaken at all; the successes on that Theatre, being evidently their hold on > the P. Regt and the hold of both on the **vanity** & prejudices of the > nation. Whether if adopted for 60 days, it may beget apprehensions of a > protraction, & thence lead to admissible (Footnote 3) overtures, before the > sword is stained (Footnote 4) with blood, can not be foreknown with > certainty. (Source) I. Does **vanity** mean defnition 1 or 2 at http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/vanity?q=vanity? Would someone please explain how they ascertained the meaning?   I'd like to be enlightened about the thought processes. II. I'm tentative about "enlisted an alarm of the B. Cabinet"? The definitions of enlist don't figure? >   1. [mass noun] Excessive pride in or admiration of one’s own appearance or > achievements: >   2. [mass noun] The quality of being worthless or futile >


title: Need a proper English expression to reflect a concept

text: I am working on translating a software and its documentation to English. This software basically organizes and stores technical documents. A document may consist of a set of various files, stored on a server. Usually, only one user will work on a document, while others could download its files. I would like to have a name for this set of files, relative to the document. I am thinking of _body of the document_ but I am not sure that it sounds OK.


title: Word meaning "unskippable"?

text: I searched on Thesaurus but found nothing. I want to use it in a sentence like the following: > Tuning his guitar was his [...] nightly ritual.


title: Presence of resources when using "construct" vs "build"

text: There are similar questions to this but I want to point out the following: When using the word "construct", does it implies that the resources are already available? Because when I use the word "build" I already expect that I am building something therefore I should have resources available. Example: > "Build from scratch." This implies that there are already raw materials to build something from scratch. But if you substitute "build" to "construct" the phrase feels lacking. Another thing to point out is that you can "construct" from nothing. Because in other questions they said that we can use "construct" for abstract representation of making something or making something from non-existing/non- physical entity.


title: Is it right to call it "SEO" and how do you pronounce it?

text: Two questions:   1. I couldn't find a source to decide whether to assume SEO an acronym or not. How should I pronounce it?   2. SEO stands for "Search Engine Optimization" while it is the process of improving the visibility of a website or a web page in search engines. At first glance and with nothing in mind you would think this word is related to optimizing search engines and not websites! Correct me if I'm wrong. Shouldn't we use something else to refer the optimization of other websites and not the optimization of search engines?! I think this word makes a misunderstanding for those who does know nothing about it!


title: "Material world", "Physical world", "Corporeal world" - what's the difference?

text: What's the difference or different hues of meaning between these three phrases?


title: The difference between "to" and "too" explained for German speakers

text: In German "to" and "too" translate into the same word "zu". It would therefore be great if somebody could clarify when to use which. E.g. Is it "to dazzle" or "too dazzle"? "to dazzling" or "too dazzling"?


title: What is a "Norman genitive"?

text: I have encountered such a term, and I have no idea what it is. Could it be 'of'?


title: Word for an entity, specifically a city, which is of the same nationality as you?

text: Is there a word to describe a city (or any entity) that is part of the same country or state, similar to the meaning of compatriot, but as an adjective. "Allied" is close, but it is too distant as it could be an entity of a friendly state, not necessarily part of your own.


title: Looking for the land cargo equivalent of a "stevedore"

text: A stevedore is someone who loads/discharges cargo from the docks. I'm looking for equivalent of this occupation for inland cargo "dischargers/unloaders".


title: Words develop their opposite

text: I remember once hearing a theory--first promoted, I believe, by Freud--that words develop to mean their opposite, and that eventually the new, antithetical definition takes primacy. _Cleave_ is a mid-process example, as cleave currently means both to join and to separate. _Fast_ is another example, as it comes from _feast_. I don't really care so much about the authenticity of these etymologies but would like to know the history and name of this theory. Was it Freud? Where can I read more about it? This is related to auto-antonyms, and I have read the wiki article there. That does not address the theory that a word develops its own antonym.


title: "as .. as" vs. "as much ... as"

text: Using the expression **as (much) ... as** , I want to express that the quality or degree of someone's beauty is about the same as that of her intelligence. I'd like to know if it is correct to say either: >   1. She is as smart as she is beautiful. >   2. She is as much smart as she is beautiful. >


title: Phrase synonymous to "a general understanding"?

text: I am writing a goal where I would like to replace the phrase "a general understanding" with something synonymous. The whole line reads: > Writes clean and concise code that reflects **a general understanding** of > the codebase and its external modules. Alternative that I don't like: > Writes clean and concise code that reflects **efforts to understand** the > codebase and its external modules. I am looking for a similar phrase which uses an alternative to "understanding" with a positive adjective describing it.


title: Using "the" with name of research center

text: The name of our research center is Southeastern Transportation Center, STC is the acronym, of course. In writing, I use STC, not 'the STC' but our director says 'the' is needed so that it reads well. For example, I write: _STC supports graduate education._ ; director says it should be _The STC supports graduate education._ Ruling?


title: Should "shape" be plural in "the shape and dimensions of the skyscrapers"?

text: In the following sentence: > The great cities have been built with no regard for us. The shape and > dimensions of the skyscrapers depend entirely on the necessity of obtaining > the maximum income per square foot of ground. Should "the shape" be changed to "the shapes", since "the skyscrapers" each have different shapes? Or should we change "the shape and dimensions of the skyscrapers" to "the shape and dimensions of the skyscraper" if the original sentence means to be a general statement?


title: Why are promiscuous women known as "slappers"?

text: ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/N4BP9.jpg) Women who aren't interested in much more than sex are referred to as "slappers" in British English. > _British informal_ , _derogatory_ a promiscuous or vulgar woman. Why is this? I can't find any solid etymology information.


title: How do you modify an adverb with another adverb?

text: This is the case I have in mind. I wish to express that impact acted in a way that was _severely adverse_. > It impacted her severely adversely. The proposed text above doesn't feel right at all, though.


title: What does “For over 20 years, I have illustrated the absurd with absurdity,” exactly mean?

text: There was the following quote of Rush Limbaugh’s apology (or nonapology) in the New York Times’ article (March 2nd) reporting that he sorried for his denouncing a Georgetown University law student as a “prostitute,” under the title “Obama backs student in furor with Limbaugh on birth control. > “For over 20 years, I have _illustrated the absurd with absurdity_ , three > hours a day, five days a week. In this instance, I chose the wrong words in > my analogy of the situation. I did not mean a personal attack on Ms. Fluke,” > Mr. Limbaugh wrote.” What does “ _illustrate the absurd with absurdity_ ” exactly mean? We have idiomatic phrases “愚を重ねる- overlay the folly (with folly), and “恥の上塗り-overlay shame (with shame)” in Japanese. Does “illustrate the absurd with absurdity” mean to repeat or overlay one’s absurdity, or to prove one’s being absurd by committing another absurdity? Is the phrase “illustrate the absurd with absurdity” a set phrase, or just a Limbaugh’s special rhetoric?


title: by 5.30 or until 5.30/ why future tense?

text: The shops are open only until 5.30. they will be closed by now. The shops are open only by 5.30. they will be closed by now. Greetings Would you kindly tell me the differences that are in the sentences? I mean the difference between UNTIL 5.30 and by 5.30. In addition, I wonder the reason why it has been used the tense future, that is they will be closed by now. ! (I am learning English. would you possibly elaborate your explanations in details readily?) I think I'll be wait by/until thursday before making a decision. which one and WHY? * * * Thank you so much, but my last question: Are these the acceptable reasons for your previous arguments about that you did not agree with "by 5.30"?, because when we use the following sentence as if the shops are closed twice- for example: once at 3 o'clock and the other one at 7 o'clock or after 5.30 The shops are only open by 5.30. They will be closed by now. ................. As a preposition of time “by” means “on or before”. She should be here by Sunday. This means she ought to be here e,g. on Friday or Saturday but definitely not later than Sunday. Use “by” when you refer to a deadline. “Until” means “up to a particular time but no sooner than that." The shops are open only until 5.30. They will not close sooner than 5.30.


The following sentence is from **100 Greatest Science Discoveries of All Time** by Kendall Haven: > Small dishes of deadly staphylococci, streptococci, and pneumococci bacteria > were lined and labeled across the one lab bench that stretched the length of > Fleming's lab. I can understand either "one lab bench" or "the lab bench". How should I understand "the one lab bench"? Why can the words "the" and "one" be put together?


title: Not so much as [something] as [something else]

text: Consider the sentence: > "She sees him not so much as her uncle as her friend." Is this sentence correct? I feel something is missing, or perhaps I am disturbed by the extra 'as'. Compare with: > "He is not so much her friend as (he is) her uncle." What do you suggest?


title: do not so much do sth as do sth

text: Are we grammatically allowed to say that sb/sth do not so much do sth as (they) do sth: Daniel does not so much study as he talks to his friend/ She did not tell off his boyfriend as felt sorry for him.


title: What do you mean by the phrase David vs. Goliath?

text: While watching the hit TV series Suits I noticed a headline "David vs. Goliath" published in the newspaper when the show's protagonist gets in an altercation with a common cab driver What does it mean?


title: Using "rather" to correct a misstatement

text: For some reason I have it in my head that I can use the word "rather" at the end of a phrase to indicate that I am correcting a previous misstatement. For example: > Down the hall, you'll find the bathrooms on your left...right, rather. Is this in typical usage anywhere, or am I just crazy?


title: Is "my something of choice" the same as "something of my choice"?

text: Would like to know if it's wrong to use "my something of choice"? Does the phrase have the same meaning as "something of my choice"?


title: A way to describe/categorize music that would rhyme/alliterate with each day of the week

text: Good day, apologies for the rather confusing title. My friends and I came up with an idea and started a music appreciation day for each day of the week. The idea is that each day has an assigned genre or category of music and the music that we would post should fall under the said category. We started with Mashup Mondays, however, after that, we had a difficult time coming up with other "music days" for the other days of the week. So far, we've got these: Mashup Mondays - mashup of multiple songs (nothing on tuesdays) Wordless Wednesdays - classical music or instrumental covers Throwback Thursdays - I know this is a thing in general but we decided to use it as well Foreign Music Fridays - Songs that aren't from our country and isn't in English. (nothing on Saturdays) (nothing on Sundays) Originally, we had Tuned up Tuesdays for auto-tuned songs but it doesn't have that much wide of a selection to choose from. Any how, that's all we got as of now and we are open for suggestions even for the ones that we already have. I apologize if this may end up subjective in one way or the other, it's my first time asking in this network. Thanks for the help.


title: Use of "Just In Case"

text: I was writing to someone and I had below line using "just in case" _"I have done blah blah blah..., **just in case they need to be** so and so..."_ I was wondering if this the right way of using it? or should it be _"I have done blah blah blah..., **just in case if they needs to be** so and so..."_ Please suggest!!


title: Correct usage of lbs. as in "pounds" of weight

text: What is the correct way to say: "All items over 5 lbs. are excluded." I'm specifically asking about "lbs." or is it "lb."? American English if it matters. Also is "5lbs." ever correct? Or is it "5 lbs."?


title: When I shelve only one thing, am I not putting it on one shelf?

text: As there are plenty of nouns used as verbs, why is it that I do not shelf, but rather shelve, an idea? Since the -lves is just the special case plural of -lf, it seems curious that the -lve is used to construct the verb form. I looked up some of the etymology, but it is of little use: > 1591, "to overhang," back formation from shelves, plural of shelf. Meaning > "put on a shelf" first recorded 1655; metaphoric sense of "lay aside, > dismiss" is from 1812. Meaning "to slope gradually" (1614) is from M.E. > shelven "to slope," from shelfe "grassy slope," related to shelf. Is this an odd degredation of the word, or something else?


title: Is the term X-nazi offensive?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Is "grammar nazi" politically correct? Or is it comical? What about terms like "grammar nazi", "food nazi", "safety nazi", "breastfeeding nazi", "safety nazi", "feminazi", "islamofacist" etc. Are these offensive or comical? Does it make a difference if we are speaking specifically about people that disrespect individual freedom? --for example, if rather than characterizing "islam" or "feminists" as tyrants, we say "islamofacists" or "feminazis" are tyrants? Here the purpose is not to offend but to emphasize that we're not against **all islamic** people or **all** feminists but only those that are not libertarian. What would be a good term for that?


title: The structure of "come on in"

text: Why do two adverbs follow _come_ in the phrase, **_come on in_**? I know _come in_ , _come on_ , _go away_ , but when I hear _"Come on in"_ in American movies, I can't figure out its grammatical structure.


title: Meaning of "the couple that boops noses together in between makeout sessions and sweet nothings"

text: This is a sentence I've come across while reading 7 Things About Love That Make No Sense > If you’re the couple that just stands on the sidewalk for extended periods > of time and boops noses together in between makeout sessions and sweet > nothings, you deserve to get breadcrumbs thrown at you. Is a metaphor or some rhetorical device used? Why do they deserve breadcrumbs? What are _boops noses_ and _sweet nothings_?


title: when to use "of" and when not?

text: I have a question:   it's been months that I watch movies for improving my listening skill(it was quite awful:-D). now my question. I know that we should use "warlord" instead of "Lord of war" or "landlord" instead of "Lord of land" but I don't know why "The lord of the rings" is correct? isn't it better to use Ringslord ???   I meant how to know when I should use "of" ?


title: "did shoot" vs "shot"

text: This morning I read this sentence (see story): > On July 24th and again on July 29th, Egyptian police did shoot dead unarmed > African migrants attempting to cross that border. Why "did shoot" and not "shot"?


title: "I did want to" versus "I wanted to"

text: When is it correct to use the form "I did want to ..." versus "I wanted to..." (substitute other verb for "want"). I often find myself changing from the former to the latter when I edit early drafts, but sometimes the former seems to better emphasize my "wanting". EDIT: Part of my curiosity was that this has the feel of a slightly different tense, but it is not. The discussions in the following, which I found rather indirectly via the ELL meta site, are more what I was looking for. Difference between "did + verb" and just "verb+ed"


title: What does "I do believe" mean?

text: Sentences like "I do believe" or "I do love you" are common. But I was wondering what do they mean? I've never seen structures like this in grammar. In fact I don't understand what is the diference between these sentences and ,say ,this simple one: "I believe" or "I love you" Thanks in advance.


title: Using the past tense and present tense in one sentence

text: Why is this acceptable English? `I did see him` The two verbs `did` and `see` use different tenses. `did` is past tense and `see` is present. However if there is a conjunction then we keep the past tense. `I did it and saw him` What's the name of the rules followed here?


title: Difference between "does have" and "has"

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  "did shoot" vs "shot"   >  'Did see' and 'Saw'   >  “I understand you” vs “I do understand you”   >  What is the difference in meaning between “I play” and “I do play”? What is the difference between _does have_ and _has_? For example, compare _she does have a car_ and _she has a car_.


title: "Which browsers do support this?" or "Which browsers support this?"

text: What is the correct syntax:   * "Which browsers do support this?"   * "Which browsers support this?"


title: Use of "do" in affirmative statements

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  When do you use “Did + 1st form” instead of “2nd form” When is _do_ used in affirmative sentences? For example: > I do think that this is going to be... Is it only used to emphasize a concept?


title: "I like something" vs. "I do like something"

text: I'm starting to learn English. I have a question. What is the difference between > I like milk and > I do like milk


title: What is difference between "Environment does matter" & "Environment matters"

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Difference between "does have" and "has"   >  "did shoot" vs "shot"   >  'Did see' and 'Saw'   >  “I understand you” vs “I do understand you”   >  What is the difference in meaning between “I play” and “I do play”? Is there any specific scenario where the "Environment does matter" used ? Actually, its a tagline of a product. Guys any ideas?


title: Why is "do" sometimes put before a verb?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Use of "do" in affirmative statements Why do people sometimes use the words "do" or "does" in affirmative sentences? For example: > A: We know a guy! > > B: We do know a guy! Why doesn't B just say: "Yes, we know a guy"? And in general, why the use of "do" in affirmative sentences?


title: Can "did" be used in affirmative sentences?

text: > **Duplicate:**   >  “did shoot” vs “shot”   >  When do you use “Did + 1st form” instead of “2nd form”?   >  Use of “do” in affirmative statements I know that _did_ is used when asking or when using a negative sentence. > — Did you play soccer?   >  —I didn't play soccer. But I'm wondering whether it can be used also when we are talking about affirmative sentences. For example, "I did play soccer" instead of "I played soccer". It's grammatically correct?


title: Does using "did" to form the past tense make a difference?

text: The two sentences here both indicate that, at some point in the past, I performed some work:   * I did work   * I worked What is the difference between these two sentences? Does constructing one with _did_ and the other with a simple past change the meaning?


title: When do you use "Did + 1st form" instead of "2nd form"

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  "did shoot" vs "shot" I often notice such sentences as: "EEG did show tumors"(from this week House M.D.) Why not "EEG showed tumors"? Is that form used to emphasize something?


title: Lyrics of Maroon 5's "payphone"

text: This sounds wrong to me: > If happy ever after did exist > > I would still be holding you like this It may be perfect grammar for all I know, and songs have "poetic license", yet... Is "did exist" the right tense here? If not, how could it be improved? EDIT: the moderator that closed this as "exact duplicate" did not bother to read/understand the question and the answers!


title: "Dependence" vs. "dependency"

text: These are two words that have baffled me for long. _Dependency_ is given as 'excessive dependence' in Chambers, but I would love to know how the spoken usage is. My guess is _dependency_ has a political touch to it. In addition, there is an _independency_ as well in the dictionaries, though it does not sound popular.


title: Differences between Verb + to be + adjectives and Verb + adjective

text: If you have a more illustrative title, feel free to change it. I searched but I couldn't find one. This may be an easy and trivial question; if so, I am sorry. What are the differences between these two sentences? > _These two guys seem to be inseparable._ > > _These two guys seem inseparable._ I can intuitively say that the latter one is grammatically wrong. Could you please explain? **EDIT** : What I think is John Lawler's and FumbleFingers' answers are worth to read. The reason why I noted that someone who wants to learn the answer of this question, accidentally misses FumbleFingers' answer.


title: Word for trying to boost your image unnecessarily

text: A typical request where I have a word on the tip of my tongue that I just can't place. UPDATED: A lot of the suggestions are direct synonyms of bragging so I'll try and clear up the context more. The context that made me think of this word was an argument where one of the participants was spending a lot of time trying to sound intelligent or talk down to the other instead of resolving the issue, so some better examples of similar meanings might be > "Get off of your high horse" or > "Stop going for the moral high-ground" but in shorter form. > "Stop singing your praises and get to the point" Is another good example. Context could be : > "Enough of the **____**. Get to the point." or in verb form > "Stop ____ and get to the point". EDIT: As in the comments, formal or slang suggestions accepted. It could also be a more archaic term, something a King might say to a long- winded herald. UPDATE: Synonyms that are close to the right example:   * ensky    * adulate    * flatter   * commend   * glorify   * praise   * laud These are good but I feel that something with more negative connotations would be better, or something describing a surplus of one of the above. Other possible synonyms that don't quite fit: http://thesaurus.com/browse/brag   * horn blowing   * showboating   * grandstanding   * narcissism   * ego-boosting   * ego-stroking   * pissing contest   * chest-beating   * self-promotion   * self-love   * double-speak One strange example that came the closest was "brown-nosing". Is there a similar term that could be used for brown-nosing oneself so to speak? Can't offer much else other than I think it's a Gerund, so ending in -ing. Thanks for all the suggestions anyway.


title: Is using "he" for a gender-neutral third-person correct?

text: I know there are different opinions on this issue. My question: Is using "he" for a general, gender-neutral third person still in common use for formal writing? By common use I mean, can I expect my paper not to be penalised because I use "he" as pronoun for "a student", etc.? I think "he/she" is too clumsy and I am not comfortable with singular they.


title: Why are there so few English words that begin with the letter X?

text: If one reads a lot of children's books, it is obvious that X is a real thorn in the side for those authors looking to have each letter of the alphabet represented in their books. Most of them either cop out with _X-ray_ , or they make up fake words. My copy of the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary has only 3 pages devoted to X and with the possible of exception of _xeric¹_ and _X-ray_ , none of the words would be recognized as common. Why are there so few common words in English that begin with the letter X? ¹ _xeric_ may not actually be that common since it is not recognized by the spellchecker in my browser


title: How to know when the z can't be used instead of s in an ending?

text: I'm familiar with -se -ses -sation etc endings being British and the American equivalent being with z rather than s. However, I stumbled on the word "improvisation", which apparently can't be spelled with a z. How can you know which words are spelled using 's' in American English?


title: What is more widely used in UK English: -ise or -ize?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  "s" vs. "z" in BE vs. AE   >  Are the endings “-zation” and “-sation” interchangeable? I was asked on a translation assignment to use UK English but with -ize spelling. What is the more widely used spelling in use in UK English? What is the more correct form of using it: -ize or -ise? You might like this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_and_British_English_spelling_differences#-ise.2C_- ize_.28-isation.2C_-ization.29


title: What do you call a noun that precedes and describes another noun?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  What is the word that denotes the words preceding these nouns? Would it still be a noun, an adjective, or something else? **Example:** > A **stone** fortress


title: What's the difference between 'subway', 'metro' and 'tube'?

text: When I watched the "American Album" program, Susan and Henry talked about New York, and she used the word 'subway'. When I listened to BBC's '6 minutes English', I heard 'tube' used in the conversation. And as I know, there is another word, 'metro', also used sometimes. Could you please give me some more description about these words?


title: I am in search of a good dictionary (meanings/definitions) with American IPA pronunciation... Any suggestions?

text: I am in search of a good dictionary (meanings, definitions, etymology) with American IPA pronunciation. Any suggestions? Thank You!


title: Train service or Train's service - Adj or Possessive (Edit) Genitive

text: I saw this announcement on train: > The train service terminates at ... I think, in the noun phrase _the train service_ , the word _train_ does not modify the noun service (Edit: as other noun acting as Adj ). I think, tt should be _the service of train_ ; therefore, the sentence called for a genetive ,with _**'s**_ , not noun acting as a adjective ~~the word train should have the _ **'s**_ to show a possessive~~. (Edit) The train in the question is not a regular service, it's an ad hoc service in rush hour. What should it be?


title: How to write a bulleted list?

text: > **Possible Duplicates:**   >  Question about Capitalization for a Bullet List   >  Periods for bullet point items Should each item be in uppercase or not? I've seen both forms: > Yada, yada, yada, such as: > >   * standardized bananas >   * Standardized bananas > And if each bulleted item is a complete sentence, should it be punctuated? And even if it isn't, should it have a comma?


title: Capitalize first words in a list?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Capitalization for a bullet list When using a list, like this:   * first item   * second item   * third item should the first word in each item be capitalized? I.e., is this better style:   * First item   * Second item   * Third item Does this depend on the content of the list, i.e. whether I use just keywords like in my example, or whole sentences?


title: Use of capitals and full stops in bullet points

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Capitalization for a bullet list Let's say I have a bullet point list e.g:   * Point 1.   * Point 2.    * Point 3.  Notice I have put a capital letter for the starting letter of every bullet point and a full stop at the end. Is this the correct way to do it? If not, what is the correct way to do it? Do I put a capital letter and no full stop, or, the other way around, a full stop and no capital letter? Alternatively, do I not put a capital letter or a full stop? Is it only necessary to put a capital letter on the first bullet point and full stop on the last bullet point? For reference, I'm from the UK so British-English grammar would apply.


title: Periods for bullet point items

text: In a 'bulleted' list should items that happen to be complete sentences end with a period?


title: correct use of "showed" and "shown"

text: Please tell me which one is correct: >   1. "I wish everyone of you had showed up right at my front door." > >   2. "I wish everyone of you had shown up right at my front door." > >


title: What does "Self-Sufficiency and Preparedness" mean?

text: When people talk about "Self-Sufficiency and Preparedness", I wonder what it mean specifically? I.e., in what aspects is self-sufficiency, and what is prepared? For example, this board at this forum. Thanks!


title: Is "recyclist" a word?

text: If you are a person who avidly recycles, are you a recyclist?


title: what's another way to say, "highly sought out"

text: what is another way to say " highly sought out"? I am looking for an alternative phrase for this current phrase.


title: Is there an implied verb missing?

text: Is this statement correct? - > However catastrophic the physical abuse, the lasting scars came from the > verbal insults that had been hurled at them. Does the first part of the sentence before the comma need the verb "was"?


title: One who never attends public meetings

text: There is an actor who never attends any public meetings or award functions. What to call such a person?


title: Something about the name of "Designer Baby" not quite right to me

text: I don't know about you, but to me, the term "Designer Baby" sounds wrong. Designer Babies are: > The colloquial term "designer baby" refers to a baby whose genetic makeup > has been artificially selected by genetic engineering combined with in vitro > fertilisation to ensure the presence or absence of particular genes or > characteristics. The term is derived by comparison with "designer clothing". > It implies the ultimate commodification of children and is therefore usually > used pejoratively to signal opposition to such use of reprogenetics "Designer clothing" is understandable, because "designer clothing" is clothing that bears the logo of a recognizable fashion designer. That means, "clothing that has a designer's mark on it, hence the term "designer clothing", the clothing of a designer." But "designer baby" doesn't make sense to me. "Designer baby" isn't the baby of a designer. It's just a baby that's been designed artificially. Do you get me? So, shouldn't it be "Designed Baby"?


title: Usage of "Only when X will Y and then only when Z"

text: This sentence: > Only when input goes to logic 1 (s) will the FSM move from state s0 to s1, > and then only when a clock pulse arrives. I have read in a book related to digital logic. I know the meaning of this sentence: when the input goes to logic 1 **and afterwards** a clock pulse arrives, **then** the FSM moves from state s0 to s1. Can you just explain the usage of the _"only when ... will the ... and then only when"_ structure.


title: "Still" and "Yet" as Conjunctions

text: I know there are already many posts on **still** and **yet** , but I really find it difficult to use them as conjunction as in following sentences: >   1. _It's a small car, **yet/still** it's surprisingly spacious_ >   2. _He has a good job, and **yet/still** he never seems to have any money_ >   3. _The weather was cold and wet. **yet/still** , we had a great time._ > So my question is when should I use **yet** and when should I use **still** , when using it as a conjunction, and what is the correct option for sentences above?


title: What is the difference of nuance between the statements: “Why had they not already killed their hostage? and “Why didn’t they kill their hostage”?

text: There was the following statement in (April 24) Time magazine’s article titled, “Thanks for dumb terrorists” reporting the capture of Boston bomb attack suspects: http://swampland.time.com/2013/04/21/give-thanks-for-dumb- terrorists/#ixzz2REueMOq5 > “ **Why had they not already killed him?** If the allegations against the > Tsarnaevs are true, they were obviously quite capable of killing in cold > blood. Assuming they had his ATM pin number, the owner of the Mercedes no > longer served any obvious use to them. What’s more, he knew exactly who they > were: The Tsarnaevs had reportedly identified themselves as the marathon > bombers.” What difference would come up by saying “Why had they not already killed him?” instead of a simpler version, “Why didn’t they kill him (then)”? Is there a very big difference? As we don’t have ‘the past perfect tense – have /had +p.p.’ mode in our language, it’s pretty difficult for me to discern the exact difference of the nuance of messages in two different tenses.


title: "Would have" and "would have no"

text: Could you describe about "would have ~ed" & "would have not ~ed". I know _would_ has the several meanings. But when I was talking with one of my friend who is a native speaker and in this following conversation with him I couldn't understand the meanings he said. > A: I bought strong cheese this morning. Let’s eat it! You like it, don’t > you? Because You have stayed in Germany for several months and Germany is > famous for cheese. > > B: Not really. Because when I was living there I tried a strong cheese and > felt so bad afterwards. So I **wouldn't have purchased** any cheese in > Germany at that time. When I heard it, I got it that he has never bought any cheese there. If so, what’s the differences between "I wouldn’t have bought" and "I have never bought"? I would like to know the accurate meaning. Also I found the description like my question online below. > Q: > > Hello All, > > Could you tell me if I say "He would have done that" what exactly does it > mean? > > Does it mean that "he just start to do that before something happens and > that make him stop to do it. > > A: > > We need more context, Farheen. > > (1) He "would" have done that = he is the sort of person to do such a thing. > > (2) He would have done "that" = He would have done something different. > > (2) "He" would have done that = He must have been the person who did it. > > Can you give us more of the text? In this Q&A, the answered person answered the question in 3 conditions and I've thought if _would_ is replaced with _would not_ ,these all sentence will turn into negative condition. For example in (1) He "would not" have done that = he is “not” the sort of person to do such a thing. Is this also right? If so can I say the following sentence as one of my customs? For example: > I wouldn’t have shoplifted in my whole life. > > I wouldn’t have had a relationship with a lady, not even once And I have another question. what’s the differences (1) &(2)blow? > (1)He would have drunk coffee when he was young. = he is the sort of person > to do such a thing. > > (2)He would drink coffee when he was young.


title: what is the word for "criticizing mildly"?

text: I use rebuke, reprimand, reproach, castigate, censure, and the others in a situation were applicable. but when I have to convey a message that my disapproval or criticism is mild or gentle or not that severe, what should I use?


title: In what way is "are us" used?

text: In what way is "are us" used? Like: what does "toys are us" mean.. Or what does "heavy weights are us" mean? Does "are us" always refer to several people? Or can one also use it when referring just to oneself?


title: Is "as long as" grammatically correct?

text: I would like to know whether following sentence is correct:   _The battery does not last for as long as it says on the label_


title: Why is this idiom negative, as opposed to positive?

text: Why is the idiom **drop the other shoe** negative as opposed to neutral or positive? I was looking something up when I came across this: _to do the deed that completes something; to do the expected remaining part of something._ OK, I get that. But then it was followed by these examples: > Franklin has left his wife. Soon he'll drop the other shoe and divorce her.   >  Tommy has just failed three classes in school. We expect him to drop the > other shoe and quit altogether any day now. I never associated the _relief_ one feels when the other shoe drops to a necessarily negative connotation of the idiom. Looking further, _wait for the other shoe to drop_ : > to wait for something **bad** to happen. _Once a company starts laying off > employees, those who are still working feel they are_ **waiting for the > other shoe to drop**. I understood it's origin, as I grew up in such an apartment: "A common experience of apartment living during the manufacturing boom of the late 19th and early 20th century. Apartments were built similar in design with one's bedroom under another's. Thus, it was normal to hear a neighbor removing shoes and hearing them hit the floor above. As one shoe made a sound hitting the floor, the expectation for the other shoe to make a similar sound was created." I don't see this as bad, except perhaps for the minor inconveniece of anticipation between shoe-falls. But when it happens, there is relief. Any thoughts?


title: Does "surfeit" have an adjectival counterpart?

text: I’m thinking of something like _surfeitous_ , but obviously that’s not a word.


title: "Gained the academic title of professor"

text: I have a bit of a problem finding the right way to say/write the following: > Gained the academic title of professor of xxx. Is the choice of _gained_ fine, or should I use some other verb that is used more frequently in this context? Maybe _obtain_ or _earn_ , or something else, is more proper? Also, should it be "the academic title" at all, or rather a "degree"? I personally didn't use _degree_ because I would use it when emphasizing a Baccalaureate as opposed to Master's degree, for example. In this case, it's just a matter of simply stating the fact that a certain title (degree?) is a result of studies. Lastly, maybe _professor_ should be capitalized? I know, these questions must be awful and ridiculous, but it's been a long time since I even had to use my English in a serious situation. So I trust I'll get some help here.


title: What does it mean 'to shoot oneself in the foot'?

text: In the First World War soldiers in the trenches on both sides would sometimes give themselves a non-fatal wound ( intentionally shooting themselves in the foot, whilst making it appear as an accident, being a favourite). The purpose was to get themselves medically repatriated and out of the way of possible more serious harm, or death in action. Often I hear people use the term 'he has shot himself in the foot' to refer to someone who has unintentionally harmed his own interests whilst in the process of trying to damage someone else. What is the understood meaning of the metaphor 'to shoot oneself in the foot'?


title: "that" usage, subject-verb distance

text: Which instruction is better:   1\. Insert events that occurred at an earlier time to complement the events in the ‘present’ story.   2\. insert events occurred at an earlier time to complement the events in the ‘present’ story.


title: "Am I going the right way for Downwood?" versus "Is this the right way to the station?" Why the change of preposition?

text: Two sentences taken from _First Certificate Language Practice_ by Michael Vince, 4th edition, p. 104, ex. 4, n° 3, and p. 105, ex. 5, n° 5: "Excuse me, is this the right way to the station?" "Am I going the right way for Downwood?" (to be transformed into, says the key: "Is this the right way for Downwood?") Why use the preposition 'to' in one case, and 'for' in the other? Aren't a town and a station two places?


title: Using 'but' instead of 'and'

text: This is the first time I have come across a use of _but_ to mean _and_ without having a negative context. If the usage is correct, how would it be different from being used after a context with _not only_ or _not_ , and how would the meaning change if _and_ were used instead of _but also_? > My brother is talented in many different ways. He is a mathematical genius > _but also_ has great musical ability.


title: Can we say "torch relay" and "relay the torch"?

text: We saw > this school is having torch relay (maybe it's correct), but I don't know if _relay a torch_ is right. Eg, _he is selected to relay the torch_. If not, how do we usually say it?


title: What are the most difficult words you've learned recently?

text: I'd like to ask native speakers of English. What are some of the most difficult words you've learned recently? Or what are some of the words whose meanings were elusive and for which you've had to consult your dictionary recently? Thank you. I'd like to know a sample of words that trouble even native speakers.


title: That 'limp wristed hand thing': how do you write it?

text: I want the words to describe that gesture in which the forearm is usually held upright, and the hand is allowed to drop-limply(if that clears things up)-at the wrist. The verbal phrase 'wave an airy hand' from somewhere in Harry Potter came to me, but I'm not sure that's an exact fit, and besides, I'd feel horrible about stealing another author's phrase for my own work... 'Bat' as in 'a careless bat of her hand' or 'she batted her hand cheerily'? I don't know... Any help would be much appreciated; and I mean no offense to anyone.


title: Should one use the term "adjective agreement" or "adjectival agreement"?

text: Is it better to use the term _adjective agreement_ (noun noun) or _adjectival agreement_ (adjective noun)? By contrast, when talking of subject-verb agreement, I'm not aware of an adjectival term like subjective-verbal agreement or subject-verbal agreement.


title: "By now" vs "now"

text: > The case is closed **by now**. > > The case is closed **now**. What exactly is the difference between the two?


title: Word for "a group of contests"

text: What is a word for _a group of contests_? It doesn't necessarily have to be a real word, just something that's concise and obvious, possibly something like _decathlon_ but for an indeterminate number of events. ### Update: To add more details, I am not so much focusing on the group of contests themselves but instead on the context in which the contests take place. I believe **league** is the best I've come up with so far. i.e. an athletic league like the _Major League Baseball_ vs _Minor League Baseball_. I was also liking **Olympiad** , but the idea is that concept I'm going for is supposed to be an indeterminate time period and indeterminate number of games.


title: Is using "needing" correct?

text: I've had a debate with my friend about the "needing" usage. I know we can't use "needing" in continuous tenses but take a look at my example: \- That's the man needing some money. I'm sure I saw " **needing** " in a book I read two months. Now I can't remember that book's title. My example may not be like synonymically what I saw in the book.


title: President of [Country][Name] vs President [Name] of [Country]

text: I came across the following sentence in The Guardian (emphasis mine): > _**President Vladimir Putin of Russia_** said the EU was putting pressure on > Kiev and organising mass protests against President Viktor Yanukovych. I've seen this construction used only for royalty, e.g. > Prince Harry of Wales, King Stark of Winterfell, King Louis of France, etc. On the other hand, non-royal government leaders usually seem to follow another pattern: > Presidend of the USA Barack Obama, Prime Minister of Italy Silvio > Berlusconi, etc. Am I imagining things about this distinction or is ther truth to it? Is it possible that the unusual wording is a subtle pun or am I reading too deep into it?


title: Translation for "btw verlegd" (NL) for EU business - meaning VAT moved?

text: For our website I need a translation for the expression "BTW verlegd" (Nederlands / Dutch). When a company (seller) in the EU sells something to a foreign EU company (foreign buyer), the VAT can be moved over. The seller doesn't calculate VAT, so in effect it's VAT free. The foreign company has to pay VAT in its own country, but maybe a lower percentage or maybe it can deduct it somehow. I'm not sure how that works out, but that is not what this question is about.


title: "...Batman is the personality-shelf where Bruce Wayne stores the crazy-plates..." - is this just a metaphor, or is it something else?

text: In this article on Cracked.com, I discovered this gem of a phrase: > ...Batman is the personality-shelf where Bruce Wayne stores the crazy- > plates... ...and I thought it was a fantastic phrase. Then I looked at it some more, and I wondered if it was just a simple metaphor, or whether there was a name for this kind of imagery. My thinking is that to be a metaphor, it could have simply been: > ...Batman is the shelf where Bruce Wayne stores his crazy... The Batman persona is a shelf, and the crazy is a thing that goes on the shelf. That's a metaphor. The line in the article, however, invents two new things that clearly refer to existing ideas, but aren't the same as them. So they've invented the concept of "personality-shelf", and said that's what Batman is. The same with "crazy-plates": even though it seems like pure whimsy, it provides some symmetry, clarifying the image and serving as the punch-line. I looked up "inventaphor", but that's not a word that Google knows, so I assume that's not what this is called.


title: Is “A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream” correct English?

text: Shakespeare’s play is called _A Midsummer Night’s Dream_. So is _A Midsummer **’s** Night’s Dream_ correct English? If not, what would be the correct English?


title: Does "eponymous" require that the compared things have the same name, or will a descriptor do?

text: Clearly, _Hamlet_ and _Aladdin_ have eponymous characters (namely, Hamlet and Aladdin). What about _The Merchant of Venice_ and _The Little Mermaid_? Are Antonio and Ariel eponymous? A dictionary-check suggests some conflict on this point. Merriam-Webster says: > of, relating to, or being the person or thing for whom or which something is > named while would make Ariel and Antonio eponymous; the work they are in is named for them. On the other hand, dictionary.com has a Random House-derived entry that suggests the opposite: > giving _one's_ name to a tribe, place, etc (emphasis mine), and my paper OED seems to waffle a bit: > That gives (his) name to anything.


title: Looking for the most common abbreviation to indicate the end of a working day

text: I'm looking for an abbreviation to indicate that I finished work for the day. Example usage: "I'm going home, its ... for me". I found some examples on the internet, but I'm wondering what's most common to use.   * EOB (end of business)   * EOD (end of day)   * COB (close of business)   * ... Wikipedia (End of Day) uses COB, but Googling didn't give much info about its usage. EDIT: Context on where I would use it is writing (e-mail). I communicate with different teams in different time zones and it would be a handy way to let people know they don't need to expect a quick response from somebody because that person has already left the office (gone home).


title: What term best describes the "mentality" with which an API is designed?

text: As someone whose mother tongue is not English, I'm sometimes having a hard time having the correct feeling towards the meaning of some words. This is one of those situations. I'm looking for a term that refers to how an API (an application programming interface) is designed. For example imagine a piece of text with such statements: >   * For every `*_new` function, there is a `*_delete` function. >   * All functions creating shared objects take a `name` parameter as the > first argument. >   * All `int *error` arguments used for returning error code are optional > and come last in the argument list. > How do you refer to the text containing these statements? For example, is it the _style definition_ of the API? Are these the _conventions_ of the API?


title: What can we do with a problem?

text: We could solve a problem, obviously. Is it possible to use "break", "beat", "hit", "crack" with the meaning of "solve"? I'm trying to find some more emotional equivalent.


title: Which is correct: "I loaned him some money" or " I lent him some money"?

text: My Webster's New world Dictionary does not contain the word "loaned" at all, but my Thesaurus does, and the word "lent" is the first synonym listed. My wife, who learned English as a second language and therefore often speaks it better than I do, insists "lent" is more correct than "loaned" as the past tense verb form. Which is more correct?


title: Can I say "It will be my pleasure to help you" in an email reply?

text: If someone asked for my help via email, can I say: > It will be my pleasure to help you.


title: An expression for a numerical limit

text: I'd like to include all numbers below 10, and exclude all numbers above 10. So I'd like to **____** at 10. (make the cut? put the limit?) I'm feeling that the expression has to do something with cutting, but I can't find the right words.