title: Can closings be made up or must one of the common ones be used?

text: There are common closings such as "respectfully", "Best Regards", "Yours truly" etc. but if you have reason to make your own is that allowed or is it more of a formality that is set in stone to used a prescribed one? For example if one is writing an e-mail or letter to people they will be playing soccer with, can they end with "See you on the soccer field"? Also how should the grammar be treated? The first three examples I gave are followed with a comma but if I can use my own made up sentence would it follow the normal rules of grammar (e.g. See you on the soccer field.)?


title: “because of” vs. “on account of”

text: Can I always replace “because of” with “on account of”? As in > I could not enjoy the day **because of** the awful weather. > > I could not enjoy the day **on account of** the awful weather. If these two expressions are same, is there any situation where I should prefer one over the other?


title: Does English have a way to express a simple moral statement?

text: Ancient Chinese have a philosophy which holds that some names have substantial content, i.e., moral requirement for humans. For example, the word _human_ carries with it the meaning of _compassion_ ; if you want to be reckoned as a human being, you must show compassion. One fundamental expression in ancient texts of this philosophy is something like "humans ought to be (like) a 'human being'". The basic structure of this sentence is "individuals or particulars + be + an embodiment of the species". In Chinese, the phrase is composed of two repetitive nouns. For example, maybe I shall say "a man shall act as a man" (人人) or "things shall be treated as they should be" (物物）? Do these sentences succeed in expressing a moral? How would English phrase a statement like this one?


title: Grammar - Having known subject for X years, I am sure that

text: There is a following expression: > Having known him for more than 10 years since we were at the same school, I > am sure that... This sentence seems weird to me. What it is trying to say is: > I have known him for more than 10 years ..., I am sure that... Is it grammatically and stylistically correct to use 'having known' here? Can you suggest a way how to avoid using 'having known'?


title: How to overcome this awkward structure, given that I won't use the structure "natural object + whose.."?

text: > We really have abundant false names and hypocritical formulae, especially in > some formal and public speeches **the truth of which** is not the concern of > the speakers. （self-made） Many people feel uncomforatble with the use of the structure "natural object + whose +xx". So I will stick to use the incontroversial structure. But the way it is used here makes the whole sentence too long and awkward. How to write it in a more fluent way?


title: Can we say that "he" and "she" are cognates?

text: If they are cognates,what happened to the mophological changes on them historically?Such as the emergence of "h" in "she"? _**she_** mid-12c., probably evolving from O.E. **seo, sio** (acc. sie), fem. of demonstrative pronoun **se** "the." The Old English word for "she" was heo, hio, however by 13c. the pronunciation of this had converged by phonetic evolution with he "he," which apparently led to the fem. demonstrative pronoun being used in place of the pronoun (cf. similar development in Du. zij, Ger. sie, Gk. he, etc.). The original h- survives in her. A relic of the Old English pronoun is in Manchester-area dialectal oo "she." _**he_** O.E. **he** (see paradigm of Old English third person pronoun below), from P.Gmc. ***hi-** (cf. O.S., O.Fris., M.Du. he, hi, Du. hy, O.H.G. he), from PIE ***ki-** , **variant of *ko-** , the "this, here" (as opposed to "that, there") root (cf. Hittite ki "this," Gk. ekeinos "that person," O.C.S. si, Lith. šis "this"), and thus the source of the third person pronouns in Old English. The feminine, hio, was replaced in early Middle English by forms from other stems (see she), while the h- wore off Old English neuter hit to make modern it. The Proto-Germanic root also is the source of the first element in Ger. heute "today," lit. "the day" (cf. O.E. heodæg). \------------------------New statement in wiktionary "she"------------------------- From Middle English **sche, hye** (“she”), from earlier **scho, hyo, ȝho** (“she”), a phonetic development of Old English **hēo, hīo** (“she”), from Proto-Germanic ***hijō** (“this, this one”), from Proto-Indo-European ***k'e-, *k'ey-** (“this, here”). Cognate with English dialectal hoo (“she”), Scots scho, shu (“she”), West Frisian hja (“she”), North Frisian jü (“she”), Danish hun (“she”), Swedish hon (“she”). More at he. Despite the similarity in appearance, the Old English feminine demonstrative sēo (“that”) is probably not the source of Middle English forms in sch-. Rather, the sch- developed out of a change in stress upon hío resulting in hió, spelt ȝho (ȝh = hȝ, compare wh = hw, lh = hl, etc.), and the h was palatalised into the sh sound. Similar alteration can be seen the name Shetland, from Old Norse Hjaltland; ȝho is the immediate parent form of Middle English scho and sche. \-----------------------End------------------------- There are two opposite statements,making me more confused. So the question should turn to be which one is more convincing?


title: "Time of" something, "time for" something, or something else?

text: I'd like to make a sentence like this: > The time for the exam will run out soon, I have to speed up my problem > solving. By the way, how to express "speed up my problem solving" in a more idiomatic manner? **EDIT** As Andrew Leach suggested, I mean how to say "The time allowed in which I must complete the exam". Should I use "time of exam" or "time for exam" and why?


title: What is "Oki-doki" or "Oki-dokie" or "Okay-dokay"

text: Okay, since now we know what is the origin of OK (I like the Oll Korrect version), I have another question about it's relative: What is an "Oki-doki" or "Oki-dokie" or "Okay-dokay"?   What is the correct spelling? Where did it come from?


title: Occasion and Opportunity

text: At the same time, large companies may take ___ of smaller suppliers by delaying payment.     The offer continues, so why not take ___ ?     The attacker was ideally placed to take ___ of this.      Please, I want to choose one of the following to complete each sentence. a) occasion b) opportunity c) possibility d) advantage


title: Is "proximity" a real grammatical rule?

text: > (a)  "The daughter of the colonel who had a black _dress_ left the party." > > (b)  "The daughter of the colonel who had a black _mustache_ left the > party." > > (c)  "The daughter of the colonel who had a black _hat_ left the party." (a), (b), and (c) are grammatical, but, while (a) and (b) are understandable, I have some difficulties in understanding (c); more precisely, in (c) it is unclear, at least to me, whether the _hat_ is the colonel's _hat_ or the daughter's _hat_. I wonder if it exists a grammar rule to decipher (c). I searched for _grammatical proximity_ without any useful result.


title: What is the meaning of "I don't need no stinking counters"?

text: The context is this video at timeline 43:26 seconds . > That's too fancy for me. I don't need no stinking counters. What does this mean? Is it an American or British expression?


title: How do you refer to grouping numbers in lots of 60?

text: We have the term "metric" for things measured in decimal or powers of 1000:   * millimeter   * meter   * kilometer And the term "hexadecimal" for things measured in base 16. What term describes grouping numbers in powers of sixty, such as used in time or degrees:   * 23:59:59.999   * 179° 59' 59.999"


title: How to properly use name parts in English?

text: I think people name in my language is very different from how it is used in English, so please properly explain it so I can use correctly. In my country, people name usually have 3 parts, if I am named (full name) "A B C", then my child's name will be something like "A X Y" (so I think the first part, A, is family name). People call me by "C", or "B C" if someone else also named "C". We never use "A" to refer someone. Also, my wife doesn't change her first part to "A". Please explain, in English:   * How would my name be? (C A B, C B A?)   * How do you refer me in normal - informal context (say, a classmate) if no one has the same name as mine?   * The second question in context of me being your lover or very close friend?   * The second question in context of formal context _(Mr. ...)_?   * What would be my son name and my wife name if we move to US? And one more question: is there any differences about those between English- speaking countries (UK, US, Australia...)?


title: Why is "thought" (verb III) a noun in "Nice thought"?

text: I often hear someone says, "Wow, that's such a nice thought!" Movies and books often have that kind of dialogue as well. As I figure it out, "a nice thought" is a noun phrase. Which means "nice" is a complementary for "thought", and "thought" is literally a _noun_. I'm also aware that _thought_ is a third form (or second) of _think_ , and dictionaries say that _thought_ is a noun, too. But why not use _thinking_ (gerund) instead of _thought_? As I understand it, gerund has a function to make a verb-ing function as a noun. Are there other third-form verbs that also function as nouns? Or is it just _thought_?


title: objectivization vs objectification

text: I'm in a bit of a trouble over the words > **objectivization** > > **objectification** Which of the above would be correct in the context of _making something objective (impersonal, unbiased)_. I suppose the same issue would be with _subjectification_ and _subjectivization_.


title: A term for providing irrelevant and hiding relevant information

text: For example, you're doing a research for a car to purchase. You get a list of cars with engine number, city where a car was assembled, and a color. What's missing is make, model and price.


title: Is there a word that means pants and/or shorts, or dresses and/or skirts?

text: In Chinese apparently there is an extra character added for long/short pants and half/full dress. And footwear applies to sandals, boots, sneakers, etc. Is there an English word that means pants and/or shorts? And one that means a dress and/or skirt?


title: Word for "personify" when you're talking about an animal

text: For example: "The moose personifies Maine's wilderness." I know personify isn't correct since it's not ascribing _human_ form to the wilderness, but it does animate it and bring it to life in a way.


title: Meaning of "You might want to sit down for this"

text: > And thanks, too, for contacting me, because you need to hear what I have to > say. You might want to sit down for this. If you’re on anti-anxiety > medication, all the better. What does the columnist mean by saying "You might want to sit down for this"?


title: I don't understand the connection in the following sentence

text: I have a sentence like this: > But every now and then, I longed to search for a tender stalk of arrowroot, > to feel the tease of a mango, just out of reach. Is the mango out of reach or are the two things (to search for a tender stalk of arrowroot, and to feel the tease of a mango) out of reach? The sentence is from a book which is about a gorilla captured by humans when he was a baby and living a human-like life. The preceding sentence is "I liked having sips of soda poured into my mouth like bubbling waterfall." And there is no sentence after it. Maybe it's the two things out of reach because the gorilla misses his life in jungle but cannot go back again.


title: What is the difference between “skilled” and “skillful”?

text: What is the difference between _skilled_ and _skillful_? When can I use one, when can I used the other?   * He is _skilled_ / _skillful_.   * He is a _skilled_ / _skillful_ musician.   * (Anything else?) From the dictionary, I feel they have basically the same meaning, but I couldn’t understand the difference.


title: What is the difference between "house" and "home"?

text: What are the differences in meaning between _house_ and _home_? When do I use one or the other?


title: Can gems meant to be crafted from something like star dust be named as "Skyrocks"?

text: We have game what uses gems crafted from star dust as points. Can that gems be named as "Skyrocks"? Is this name clear enough? Or what can be better name? ![It looks like this](http://i.stack.imgur.com/mK6X2.png) ![Or this](http://i.stack.imgur.com/g7d3U.png)


title: What symbol denotes "or more"?

text: Trying to construct a math-like means for my English students to understand sentence structure. Need to indicate: "A compound sentence consists of 2 Independent Clauses and 1 **OR MORE** Dependent Clauses." The final "formula" will look like: Cp = 2IC + 1 (NEED THE SYMBOL FOR "OR MORE" HERE) DC


title: Where does the expression "A little birdie told me" come from?

text: I see and hear this over and over again, and I have not the slightest idea where it comes from.


title: How to puncutuate when using self imposed questions in a declarative sentence

text: I have toyed with using a colon and keeping the question marks or even ditching the question marks. See below: > Admittedly I was apprehensive at first to approach the prisoner, all I could > think was “What crime did he commit?”, “How was he going to treat a 21 year > old girl?”, and “How can I avoid talking to him?”. But should it be this: > Admittedly I was apprehensive at first to approach the prisoner and all I > could think was: What crime did he commit? How was he going to treat a 21 > year old girl? How can I avoid talking to him? or this... > Admittedly I was apprehensive at first to approach the prisoner. All I could > think was what crime did he commit, how was he going to treat a 21 year old > girl, and how can I avoid talking to him.


title: Can you get files off-line?

text: Often times I hear people say "I got it offline" to mean they downloaded it from the internet, is this an accepted term or should it be "I got it online"?


title: How long does it take to mull something over?

text: I used the phrase "we'll mull it over" in an e-mail. My intent was to let the readers know that we (the team) needed to give it due consideration and come up with a considered response to their obviously important question. To my mind, we clearly needed to think things over, but for how long? I meant overnight (though didn't say so), but my audience assumed we would take a week. What period of time (if any) does the use of the word _mull_ convey?


title: Word/ phrase for : 'to uplift/ enhance one's mental level/ creativity/ knowledge'

text: I'm looking out for a word or a short phrase(<15 chars.) that somewhat conveys : 'to uplift/ enhance one's mental level/ creativity/ knowledge/ skills'. 'To take one's mental level to the next level & transform oneself into more intelligent being'. **Simplest** & shorter words/phrases are more preferable.


title: Should there be a capital letter after Hello?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Should I capitalize the starting sentence after a greeting that ends in a > comma (e.g. "Hello,")? I have received this email from my hosting provider. And I think the "we" should be with a capital letter (after Hello, ). Am I wrong? Hello, we acknowledge receipt of Your request that will be processed in the shortest possible time. This report is for information only; please do not respond. If you are a registered customer, please contact us by the accredited requirement from the customer center **_*_** \- https:// ** _*_ ***.com/ Loging into Your account under which the request relates, you will speed up a resolution of all Your requests, that require your authorization. Best regards Your customer support team


title: What is Nerd Test all about?

text: Not sure, where to ask this. I did it here, and it was put in `Hold` , _finally_ attempting here as a _last_ try!! I am really curious(!) to know what is this? I got this link randomly about how `nerd` are you. And nerd is _new_ term to me, being interested clicked that link and it threw me a set of strange questions. Questions on periodic elements(!!).. etc. Finally, after _honestly_ answering, got this message.. > 30% scored higher (more nerdy), 2% scored the same, and 68% scored lower > (less nerdy). > > What does this mean? Your nerdiness is: > > Low Ranking Nerd. Definitely a nerd but low on the totem pole of nerds. Can someone hint me, what is this all about? I _really_ googled a lot!


title: Metaphor for an important discovery

text: "Joe Blogg's Damascus" can be used as a metaphor to denote a sudden turning point in attitude, behaviour or some other feature of Joe Blogg's life. What would be a similar metaphor for an important discovery in a field such as artificial intelligence that does not necessarily represent a paradigm shift but does represent substantial progress? Ideas other than "Eureka" very welcome. Also, would this be called metonymy? If not, what's the difference?


title: Verb+ing as a verb beginning a sentence

text: Is this good English? > Falling into the ocean, the drop dies as a drop, but not as water. Or should I say: > When it falls into the ocean, the drop dies...


title: Usage of the phrase "you don't know what you don't know"

text: What is the correct usage of phrase "you don't know what you don't know"? Can it be used in formal conversation/writing?


title: Meaning of Science Block (British English)

text: In the British radio comedy show, Cabin Pressure, the following exchange of dialogue occurs: > Martin: Your doctor? What doctor do you know? > > Simon: Good old Doc Smiley, of course. > > Martin: What, Nathan Smiley from school? > > Simon: That’s right! Remember him, do you? > > Martin: Of course I remember him, he threw my briefcase on the science block > - and he’s a podiatrist! > > Simon: And a bloody good one. What does "science block" mean in this context? It seems to be some Britishicism, but I'm not entirely sure of the meaning.


title: why is the pronoun "it" wrong in the below given sentence?

text: Although the term "supercomputer" may sound fanciful or exaggerated, it is simply an extremely fast mainframe that can execute trillions of calculations every second. what is the antecedent? why is it wrong?


title: Either vs. among

text: I heard on a local newscast recently: > If you subscribe to SportsCable, you can choose either NFL, NBA, or MLB > games. This use of "either" seems to parallel that of "between", which limits the series to two items. Should not the newscaster have substituted "among"?


title: 'future in the future' tense in English?

text: I had an idea for a trilogy of novels with the first written in the past tense, the second in the present tense, and the third in the future tense. Why hasn't anyone done this before? I thought. Then I realised what you wouldn't be able to do in the third book. In the first, you could say: > He walked along the street. He had just left his house, and later it would > be burgled. In the second: > He walks along the street. He has just left his house, and later it will be > burgled. But in the third: > He will walk along the street. He will have just left his house, and later > it **what?** burgled. Without a 'future in the future' tense, this idea can't work! Has there ever been any such tense in the English language, or is there some sort of substitute for one? The closest I've come up with is: > He will walk along the street. He will have just left his house, and later > it will be going to be burgled. ... which is cumbersome to say the least! **Edit** : my example was badly chosen, because of the adverb 'later'. Since I'm toying with the idea of a _whole book_ written in the future tense (or 'tense' if you don't count periphrastic tenses as tenses :-) ), I'm looking for something that works in general, not just for this sentence. A better example is: > He left his house, but he would return / He leaves his house, but he will > return. Now 'He will leave his house, but he will return' doesn't really work. Thanks in advance for any answers!


title: What are the main language devices used in this video?

text: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oye9AmOdsZc I am doing this for a project and would like to know what the main language devices used in this video are. Thanks


title: Usage of "fanny" as verb

text: I am not a native English speaker, hence please bear with me. I understand that _fanny_ means _mess around_ and _waste time_. Can someone suggest how I might make a sentence which uses _fanny_ , as an equivalent to > Don't waste my time. Also, it would be great if someone can explain under what circumstances we can replace _wasting time_ with _fannying about_.


title: When and where did the exclamation "Snap!" originate?

text: Recently I heard and an explanation for what the exclamation "Snap!" meant. He stated that it comes from the kid's card game where you yell "Snap" at a certain time to win the card pile. I'm vaguely familiar with the game, but was under the impression that the exclamation predates the game. So I know how it's used: Some bit of information really surprises you so you say "Snap!" Or, something goes wrong so you say "Aw, Snap!" Or, a friend really delivers on an insulting quip to another friend so you say "Snap!" Or, what I've seen less commonly, you do something at almost exactly the same time as another, so you both say "Snap!" This usage is most similar to the game. So when and where did this usage originate?


title: What's a word that means to 'intentionally withholding information'?

text: I was reading an online editorial a week or so ago in which its author employed an awesome word, the meaning of which was "to intentionally and deliberately withhold information [essential to the endeavor at hand, with the underlying purpose of misleading others by its omission]". Yeah, all of that in one word. Alas, I can't seem to find the editorial online anymore, I've now I forgotten the word!


title: "Can you call me back soon" or "Can you call me soon?"

text: In these sentences: "Can you call me back soon?" "Can you call me soon?" Is the "back" redundant and should it be omitted?


title: Reported speech - statements whose meaning still stands

text: I know the main idea behing the reported speech (shifting of tenses) but one of the textbooks I have says: > I like pizza. > > He said he liked pizza. But I think that if he likes pizza, he likes in in general and he still like it when we report that statement of his/hers. So I think it should be: > He said he likes pizza in case he is still alive and has not changed his mind. Is that correct?


title: 'were + past tense verb' v. 'are + past tense verb'

text: Which is correct? > a. The Justice Secretary said prosecutors _were_ allowed to join the event. > > b. The Justice Secretary said prosecutors _are_ allowed to join the event. Given that this news was posted on 11am of that day, while the event was from 9am to 2pm. http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/474633/prosecutors-allowed-to-join-million- people-march-de-lima So when is it proper to use 'are + past tense verb' and 'were + past tense verb'?


title: What is the proper use of "right the way along"?

text: I've heard the idiom "right the way along" used many times in British literature and video, however, I'm slightly unclear as to what it means. It seems, at first glance, to be a British variant on "move it along" or "moving right along" or some such, but there are counterexamples. One of which is in a Monty Python sketch, where "right the way along" is used to mean something slightly different. This and other odd uses lead me to question the intended meaning of the phrase. What is the etymology and proper use/application for "right the way along"?


title: What is the plural of 'flux'?

text: I have mostly seen "fluxes" but I could not find a definitive answer in some dictionary. As it come from the French, I am enclined to think it is "flux" in the plural though. **Edit** : I am talking about the flow of a quantity, as an air flux. _Example_ : "The sum of all air fluxes was zero".


title: Is there a word for people who always act too friendly in order to curry favor with their acquaintances?

text: Is there a single noun or adjective for a person who is always flattering friends and acquaintances, not only to be liked and accepted but, at other times, to curry favor with them as well ? I'm not looking for regionalisms but a word that will be understood in any English speaking country.


title: In the sentence 'She seems nice', is 'nice' a subject complement, verb complement, or both?

text: In the sentence below, is _nice_ a subject complement, verb complement, or both? > She seems nice. According to this page, it’s a type of verb complement; but it also seems to me to fit with the description of a subject complement, as explained on this page.


title: When does one append "-ly"?

text: I am trying to understand the difference between adjectives that end in _‑ly_ compared with adjectives that do not end end in _‑ly_. For example (the ones I would have chosen are bold): > A **tactical** position / a tactically position > > A tactical good position / a **tactically** good position (good in terms of > the tactical aspect) > > **Real** food / really food > > Real good food / **really** good food Some forms I have never heard of, like for example the adjective _especial_ or a version of _ugly_ without the _‑ly_ at the end. Is the rule to append _‑ly_ only when the adjective refers to another adjective? However, why does then one say this: > I really like it. instead of this? > *I real like it. There’s no other adjective there. This disagrees with the rule I stated beforehand. This question might be a duplicate since it’s pretty fundamental, although I didn’t find it.


title: If we use "fairy" in our band name, will people think of sprites or gay men?

text: Seems like a really weird question but here's what it's about: Me and my band are currently searching for a bandname which seems to be very hard. We recently (finally) found one name that we all liked at first: > Shoot a fairy Which refers to an annoying fairy in a video game. But today our superstar heavy metal guitar guy came around and found some translation on a German translation website which says that fairy can be translated to "Schwuchtel" which is an offensive word for male homosexuals. So my question is, would the word fairy be understood by native english speakers as such an offensive word. And would the term "Shoot a fairy" therefor be understood as a call to kill homosexuals and if yes how common is this word for use as an insult. So would you (or an native english speaker) think that a band with that name hates homosexual people?


title: Difference between "meeting" and "meet up"

text: Is this sentence correct? > Can we skip the _meet up_ this week?


title: "nervous about" and "nervous of"

text: While going over the correct prepositions to use with adjectives, I came across a situation I can't define. I'm using a Longman dictionary and a Cambridge grammar, but neither defines the difference between the two options.   1. 'nervous about'   e.g. I'm nervous about... my exams / doing something.   2. 'nervous of'   e.g. I'm nervous of... him / flying / dogs. Now, I know that 'being nervous about one's exam' is not the same as 'being nervous of one's exam'. But how can I put the difference into words? Could I say that 'about' means one's nervous because of the exam and 'of' means one's almost afraid of the exam? I can't seem to find a better explanation. On the other hand, we can say 'I'm nervous about / of flying', so how to explain that 'nervous of' and 'nervous about' can sometimes be interchangeable?


title: Opposite of "summarize"

text: I want to indicate that some text has been made longer while emphasizing that no new content has been added. Desired usages: > I need to anti-summarize this paper to reach the ten page minimum. or > I can't believe the manager just anti-summarized my two paragraph email into > a 35 minute meeting.


title: is this the right phrasing for designation in email or letter

text: My signature in all my official emails & letters state my designation as > Sr.Digital Marketing Executive. One of my work colleagues told me its wrong & change it to > Sr.executive digital marketing I am confused as to how I should state my designation - > Sr.Digital Marketing Executive or > Sr. Executive Digital Marketing which one would be appropriate? - according to me its the first one which states sr.dgm exec


title: Absolute phrase without a participle? Or something else?

text: I'm trying to learn how to break apart sentences and understand each part's name and what exactly it does (excuse my ignorance; I've read quite a bit, but I'm still new at it). I came across the following construction and, simple as it seems, I can't figure out what it's called. I thought it might be considered an absolute phrase, but those are usually defined as having a participle. So what would the second half of these sentences be considered and what is their function? Am I way off base? Are these even grammatical? Thanks! > Hens are stuffed into tiny cages, **unable to lift their wings.** > > He moved unsteadily, **clumsy enough to fall at any moment.**


title: Responding to a poor question

text: There's a proverb in my native language (Norwegian) which is used as a reply to a person who complains about a _poor answer_ given to his/her _poor question_. It says that the quality of the answer is relative to the quality of the question. >   * You asked me a poor question, so I'll respond with a poor answer. > > > Roughly translated: > >   * As asked, so answered > Is there a similar proverb in the English language?


title: Use of the definite article: "restricts flow" or "restricts the flow"

text: We are writing technical documentation and a sentence looks more or less like this: >   1. "The inside diameter of the pipe is reduced and thus restricts flow of > water." >   2. "The inside diameter of the pipe is reduced and thus restricts the flow > of water." >   3. "The inside diameter of the pipe is reduced and thus restricts the flow > of the water." > Which is correct/false or better/worse?


title: The other end of an "offer"

text: In replying to this email, * * * sender: I believe you were interested in applying for a Moffat Scholarship Award (etc. etc.) my response: Thanks for your email and I appreciate the offer. But I'm afraid I'm `not an eligible recipient`.. (for this offer?) * * * not an eligible recipient ?? Well I never! If a person makes an offer, what is the word used to describe a prospective recipient? Is it just "prospective recipient"? That is if the word "offer" is on one end then what is the word on the other end, simply put? Reception? Because "prospectiveness" of a person is determined by the awarding committee, ie., person making the offer, I daresay that it's not my place to use "prospective" as an adjective to describe myself (in my response). Then what is the word that best describes me? (Me being a person to whom the moffat schol does not apply to?) So far I've come up with "not an eligible recipient".. But I figured that that's the phrase or fragment found in a reply from the awarding body (ex: "Sorry you have been determined as an 'ineligible recipient'" or whatever-'not' or 'ineligible') So how do you think I should refer to myself in a polite response to the offer por favor?


title: What's the word for drugging someone?

text: I remember having learned it from the TV. But I can't remember what it is now. It's a verb synonym of drug or poison. It means someone slips some drug into someone's food or water. The drug may be just some sedatives.


title: Using pond as a verb to describe the formation of puddles

text: "The tenant complained that water is ponding in the parking area." or, "Due to the ponding of water in the lower lying areas, mosquitoes became a nuisance." "ponding" is not accepted by spellcheckers and I can not find a reference in dictionaries either. In Namibia and South Africa "ponding" is used in spoken and written English extensively, especially in technical reports. The question is whether this is a valid verb or not. If not, what verb would describe the formation of puddles?


title: What's the difference between "preposition" and "postposition" compared to "circumposition"?

text: How do a _preposition_ and a _postposition_ differ from a _circumposition_?   Are these three terms really used in schools, universities and "official classes" in general?   Is there someone who "officially" calls all three just _prepositions_ , and says there are simply "different types" of prepositions?


title: Antonym to 'Assign'

text: Suppose we have users and operators. Some users are assigned to certain operators. What should I call a procedure of removing an assignment, so an operator no longer works with a user or group of users? What are some antonyms for _assign_?


title: Stress in "control" word

text: I heard the "control" word (and other similar words) stress depends on whether it is a noun or a verb. But I can't find any proof to that. Is it really so?


title: Use of "any more than" to relate two different situations

text: In the following quote by Billy Sunday “Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than going to a garage makes you an automobile.” can anyone pls explain/elaborate the usage and meaning of **"any more than"**. Thank you.


title: Why do people say "that-a-way" instead of "that way"?

text: I've often the following: > Bob: Have you seen Ian ? > > Geoff: Yes, he went **that-a-way**. What is the reason people sometimes jokily add the extra "-a-" into the phrase? Where did this come from? It always makes me think of black-and-white gangster movie chase scenes. But that's probably just me.


title: "Auxiliary" or "ancillary"

text: I am trying to phrase something like: > We argue that introducing these concepts is likely to achieve ancillary > goals. Should I use _auxiliary_ or _ancillary_ here? Is there a difference in meaning?


title: semantic property shared by words between class of words

text: What semantic property or properties are shared any words in 1 and 2?   1. alive, asleep, dead, married, pregnant   2. tall, smart, interesting, bad, tired I don't see any shared between those words.


title: Is a question an independent clause?

text: Ex. Anyone going to the store? Often times in writing words get omitted in questions, such as the one above. Does that still make them "independent clauses" or must the sentence be able to stand as if it were written like a statement?


title: uncommon use of "as well as" compounding two verbs onto one subject

text: I've got a pretty strong intuition for what's grammatically correct and what's not. My hunch here is that the following sentence is wrong. Can someone verify this for me, using a syntactical rule to back it up? > A representative will contact you shortly with your username and password. > In the course of this contact they will explain the process of application, > **as well as** answer any other questions you may have.


title: Detail or Details? Read on for more detail/details

text: I'm writing a newsletter and have been given the following text: > New stock has arrived & we're giving you the chance to grab it at 20% off > for this weekend only! Read on for more details. I'm unsure if the word `details` should be `detail` or not.


title: Verb form in reported speech

text: I am uncertain about selecting the correct verb form in a clause indicating indirect reported speech. The problematic sentence is: > I didn't expect that you would say that XXX. For the XXX part, would it be better advised to put " you wanted to play baseball" " you would want play baseball" or " You want to play baseball", or something else ? Which factors would guide the choice?


title: When did "Twerking" and "Selfie" enter the dictionary?

text: I read in the news that _twerking_ and _selfie_ have been added to dictionary recently. Did it give any origin? Is there any information or details about them?


title: The difference between "quite" and "enough"

text: Is there any difference between "quite" and "enough"? Please suggest the proper usage. > I'm not quite happy. vs > I'm not happy enough.


title: Is "completabilty" an actual word, and if not, what's a valid replacement?

text: I'm looking for a word for the `ability of something to be completed, or fulfilled`. My situation is specifically about sales orders. I found `completability`, and wiktionary.com says it's a word, but none of the dictionaries referenced at dictionary.reference.com include it. If it is indeed not a valid word, what would be a suitable alternative?


title: What would you call a "sheath" for a spherical object?

text: I was looking for a word to describe a sort of cloth sheath you could use to store a boule de pétanque. I found myself in the strange position of knowing the appropriate word in French ( _housse_) and in Spanish ( _funda_ ) but not in my native language. Both these words basically mean a _covering_. Those are the words used in their respective languages for a (hard or soft) guitar case for example. I was imagining a kind of form-fitting sock that the _boule_ could be put in. The image I have in mind is something like the socks sold as protective covers for mobile phones: ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/miTLv.jpg) What would that be called in English? I tried dictionary translation but got things like _sheath_ , _slipcover_ and _dust cover_. _Sheath_ does not work on a sphere and the other two don't work for me in this context either (please let me know if you disagree). The best I could come up with is a _jacket_ but again, not as general as _case_. Basically I am looking for a word that would describe a form fitting, soft protective cover without implying hardness ( _case_ ), a particular shape ( _sheath_ ) or a specific use ( _dust cover_ makes me think of machinery and _slipcover_ of furniture). * * * EDIT: I just thought of _sleeve_ as in _record sleeve_ but I am not sure that I've ever heard it used outside the context of records or CDs or disks in general. That's the type of thing I am looking for though, something that is used more to protect than to transport. * * * If you believe that one of the words I have mentioned is the best fit, please let me know. I feel they are not suited but am quite willing to accept I'm wrong on this one.


title: What is the word for shock before remorse?

text: Malay language has a word for this - _sentap_. This is when they have a sudden realization that they're doing something bad and feel remorse immediately after. ### Examples of use   1. A billionaire donates a substantial amount to building an orphanage. Someone asks this billionaire why he spends all that money, yet has done nothing for his orphaned niece. He feels this ' _sentap_ ' at the question, then adopts the niece soon after.   2. An award winning pharmacist has made a few millions by overcharging for patented medicine. Someone tells her that she has become rich with her methods, but has never helped the poor people who died without the medicine. She feels ' _sentap_ ' at the question, and chooses to donate a portion of her profits to the poor. Is there an English word catches that brief shock and surprise before remorse? It's not necessarily guilt or shame. It can be something like sadness upon realizing something, which the person might have denied earlier or simply never noticed. `Realization` doesn't seem to be the ideal term as it doesn't catch the remorse later on. Fridge Horror comes close, but is more suited to horror rather than remorse.


title: What can a man that owns land for agriculture be called without using "farmer"?

text: Does anybody know?


title: Can I ask a question?

text: Does it have the phrase: > be independent from sb I've looked for some documents but I couldn't find it.   Is there anyone who can help me ?


title: What is correct between the two sentences?

text: Consider these two versions: >   1. You can live peacefully without your wants, but your life can be > miserable with all your wants within your reach. > >   2. You can live peacefully without your wants, but your life can be > miserable with all your wants **are** within your reach. > > I am confused whether to include the linking verb _are_.


title: ebike or e-bike? Which one is correct?

text: Is it ebike or e-bike? I originally thought it is e-bike, but read on a different discussion that it is ebike rather than e-bike. Thank you.


title: Origin of "scumbag"

text: A phrase I sometimes hear from one of my colleagues is _scumbag_ or _scumbags_ :   * Where does this phrase come from?   * How old is it?   * Is its usage still a common occurrence?


title: Are two or more clusters of ivy considered “ivy” or “ivies”?

text: When referring to two or more clusters of ivy, is it _ivy_ , _ivies_ , or something else entirely?


title: Does "needless to say" convey to the reader that he is ignorant?

text: Isn't the term a bit condescending?


title: Is there such a word as "semiproduct"?

text: This question is related to industry and manufacturing. I'm wondering if there is a word "semiproduct". We use it to describe a piece of material - for example steel sheet, pipe, elbow, dome, U-profile, … that could is not a product itself, but will be later used in the manufacturing process. But it's not raw material either, it's something in between. Is there a ~~better~~ correct word that would collectively describe these things?


title: Is "stationery" the name of the store that sells pens, pencils, paper, school things, etc.?

text: In Brazil we call this store by the generic name of _papelaria_ , something like "paper store". What is the correct name for this? Is "Stationery" the name in any country that speaks English? I read about it in Wikipedia, but I am still not sure.


title: Name of the object to be paired against

text: If I have a single object (example: the Ace of Spades) and a list of objects (example: A full deck of cards) which I would then attempt to match against the singular object, like in the game of snap. What would I call the list of objects I'd be matching against? Suitors works, in the context of dating, but I am looking for a more general term.


title: "Cuddle", "snuggle" or "huggle"

text: There is a ton of words with similar, yet slightly different meaning that describe this kind of physical affection where we touch a loved one. What is the difference between _cuddle_ , _snuggle_ and _huggle_? What else is commonly used in this context?


title: What's the meaning of 'sheer' in this context?

text: > The success of the Android platform is being driven by the **sheer** number > of hardware vendors supporting it at both the high and low ends of the > market


title: Fun and enjoyable ways to practice pronunciation?

text: English is not my native language and I'm really proud of being able to write it quite well. I have lots of problems with pronunciation though. In Finnish most words are pronounced the same as they are written and I've made a huge mistake by learning only how the words are written. I've now decided to become at least average speaker. I'd like hear to better/more enjoyable ways to practice pronunciation than violently forcing my friends to speak English with me.


title: What is the meaning of 'compel'?

text: I am reading a book and found a sentence which wasn't able to understand: > The Pensées is simply the compelling "Thoughts" of mathematician, physicist, > and religious thinker Blaise Pascal. To **compel** means to force. But I was thinking, is that what it really means in this sentence?


title: English word for the comma between three digits

text: The common number formatting convention uses a decimal point between the integer part and the fraction, and a comma between every three digits of the number:               1000000      -> 1,000,000     12345 + 1/5  -> 12,345.2      The `.` is referred to as _Decimal Point_. Is there an English word for the comma separating every three integer digits?


title: Attributive or Possessive noun

text: In the following is it better to use a possessive noun with an apostrophe or an attributive noun without an apostrophe? > The following list details the assumptions that have been made in > conjunction with _Company’s_ staff. Or > The following list details the assumptions that have been made in > conjunction with _Company_ staff. Assume _Company_ is the name of a company, such as Dell.


title: Origin of "suit yourself"

text: The young daughter of a friend of mine said, "I think 'suit yourself' comes from a lazy tailor," which cracked us up. It also got me wondering. I did the obligatory google search and came up with lots of discussions as to its meaning (even though the search was on 'history of..' or 'origins of...'). Even on our lovely Stack Exchange we have a great discussion about meaning. Anyone know where/how it originated? If not, I'm going to endorse the 'lazy tailor' story just because it tickles my funny bone.


title: How to reverse sentence so that their subjects and verbs agree?

text: How do you reverse the following sentence so that the subject agree with their verb............? >   * The president as well as his assistant have declined every comment. > >   * The government’s reason for this events are unclear. > >


title: Noun describing one who "acts on emotion primally"?

text: I’m looking for a noun to describe someone who “acts on emotion primally”, or something similar. To clarify, I’m trying to make a point about how the fanaticism of tech- fetishes (iPhone fanboyism and the like) causes people to forgo rational, sometimes even calculated, intelligent responses to criticism. Instead, people lose themselves in irrational, primal competitiveness and negativity; responses near involuntariness and waste potential value. If any further context is desired, please let me know. I think the closest word I’ve come to is _primal_ , but I’d really like a noun and I’m not sure _primal_ is as precise as it could be anyway. **Bonus:** If you have a good antonym for the word that describes what I’m trying to say (so it’s more along the lines of what I mentioned as _rational, calculated, intelligent_ ) I’d love to hear it.


title: Usage of the word "behoove"

text: If I use the word _behoove_ in this sentence: > I am sure I am behooved to the university's requirements with right goal. Does it make sense?


title: British English equivalent of American English Internship

text: I've been trying to think of a good British English term for a _summer job_ , the equivalent of American English _Internship_. I'm sure that when I've worked with students my company had hired over the summer holidays, we used to the the term _studentship_ , but researching a little further this seems to more correctly apply to a _PhD scholarship_ in British English parlance. I'm not specifically looking for a term which has connotations of either paid or unpaid work, but if the term has one of those connotations it would be useful for it to be mentioned. Incidentally, it was my understanding that in American English, _internship_ implied _unpaid_ , but could nevertheless be qualified with either _paid_ or _unpaid_. As @Martha points out however, it seems that _limited duration_ is a more appropriate qualifier for the word.


title: Reported speech, question in a conditional sentence

text: I've been struggling with this exercise: "Let's drive on to the next village and try the hotel there," he said. **"But what'll we do if that's full too?" I said.** "We'll just have to sleep in the car," he said, "it will be too late to try anywhere else." I have to report this paragraph due tomorrow using verbs that are not _ask_ , _say_ or _tell_. I began like this: He suggested driving on to the next village and trying the hotel there. -- I now don't know how to start the next sentence. This is my try: I wondered (/questioned) what we would do if that was full too. Continuing -- He replied that we would just have to sleep in the car, and added that it would be too late to try anywhere else. Thank you for answers. Also, I wanted to know how to "backshift": tomorrow, next day, and following day. I know tomorrow has to be converted into the next day, and next day has to be converted into the following day; what to convert the following day into? Same as the above, do I have to convert 'in the morning' to anything? My best guess would be 'in that morning'. Is this true? Thank you in advance.


title: Meaning of headline "Goldman Stunned by Op-Ed Loses $2.2 Billion for Shareholders"

text: What does this headline mean? > Goldman Stunned by Op-Ed Loses $2.2 Billion for Shareholders I am not sure what "Op-Ed loses" means in this context.


title: Let Ω be a domain in/of Rⁿ

text: What is the correct preposition in the sentence: **Let Ω be a domain in/of Rⁿ.** Is there a different meaning for "in" and "of"? Both seem to be commonly used, Google gives about 200.000 hits for both, "domain in RN" and "domain of RN". _(Disclaimer: I'm a non-native speaker)_


title: How should one pronounce "Brichester"?

text: I know that there is this issue where _Worcestershire_ and _Leicester_ are pronounced as "Wustersher" and "Lester", so I wonder how _Brichester_ is pronounced. Also, is there any special rule which could help in getting the pronunciation right or is it just a thing you have to learn by heart?


title: Can you use "whereas" as a substitute for "because"?

text: I always use "whereas" as a substitute for "because".


title: Can I use "contend" without a preposition?

text: > On the one hand, recent advances in the power of computers have been decried > as the nemesis of whatever vestiges of our privacy still survive. On the > other, the Internet is acclaimed as a Utopia. When **clichés contend** , it > is imprudent to expect sensible resolutions of the problems they embody, but > between these two exaggerated claims, something resembling the truth > probably resides. There's no clause after contend here, so definition 1 must be the only choice. Yet no preposition exists after **contend** here, so it exceeds the dictionary? Is this an appropriate use of "contend"? Does "contend" always need a preposition? Source: P136, Law, Raymond Wacks


title: Usage of past participle in "He said he thought it having had seen my medical record"

text: I'm trying to work out if this sentence is correct, especially the usage of "having had seen". > He said he thought it having had seen my medical record.


title: Can I use the term 'America' to signify just the United States?

text: I write legal marketing materials. Does the term 'America' signify Canada + USA + Mexico, etc. to readers abroad or will they know that I'm talking specifically about the USA?


title: What's the meaning of "plays in the minds of someone"?

text: What's the meaning of the phrase "plays in minds of someone". For example, in the sentence below. > The significance of the IELTS is a fact that plays in the minds of hopeful > migrants like Mr. Want2Immi.


title: What's the word or name for a person who can naturally & accurately estimate measurements such as size, capacity, ballance & angles?

text: I'm sure I met someone like this a few years back & they provided me with a single word/name for the "condition". I say condition as the person who this affects automatically, & sometimes to the point of frustrated distraction, will be able to see (can't ignore) the smallest discrepancy in any of these measurements within their environment & will also accurately estimate correction. I'm not just talking about noticing a skewed wall mirror but rather an acute & often minute sense of balance in their surroundings.


title: Can abide be extended to imply enforce or act?

text: In a legal document, such as a contract or agreement between two parties (where party refers to entities or individuals), what is the exact meaning of the word _abide_ ? The clause in question : > I will abide by the then-current Terms of Service of `<entity>`, and other > policies made available to me Can _abiding by a clause_ also imply that the individual is expected to _act on_ or _enforce_ the clause within the applicable domain of the contract?


title: When should I use archaic and obsolete words?

text: I'm learning the English language, and while reading Merriam-Webster I often see common words with additional "obsolete" and "archaic" descriptions added to their definitions. When should I use them, should I use them at all, and what's the difference between these descriptions? Also, should I spend time to remember these archaic and obsolete meanings?


title: Grammar - has or have

text: Which of the two following texts below are grammatically correct. "The Board finds that **both** the identity of the member and the facts surrounding the alleged conduct **has** been proven on a balance of probabilities." "The Board finds that the identity of the member and the facts surrounding the alleged conduct **have** been proven on a balance of probabilities."


title: Difference between “I will call you” and “I give you a call”?

text: What is the difference between _I will call you_ and _I give you a call_?


title: more X than X for nominal clauses

text: In a translation I'm doing, I am struggling with a certain sentence. This is how I've worded it at the moment. It doesn't sound to natural to me. Any other way of phrasing it? > I think that one of the main messages that should be conveyed to the West is > that Morsi’s ouster was the result of a decision made by the people, moreso > than the result of a decision the army made in response to the 22 million > Egyptians that took to the streets. Also- is it right to capitalize "the West"? Thanks Ilan


title: 'See' and 'Hear' in the progressive?

text: I'd like you to go into details about the difference between **'see', 'hear'** and **'seeing', 'hearing'**.   I'm not a native speaker, so it's a bit hard to understand this explanation that   **'see'** and **'hear'** can be used to **highlight**   **the active, immediate aspect of 'seeing' and 'hearing'** , (Someone has told me this)   because I think that **'seeing'** and **'hearing'** can't have duration.   I mean, they're moments, and so we can stop watching, looking and listening   but we ourselves can't stop seeing or hearing something, can we? So I really want to know the meanings of the verb 'see' and 'hear' in the progressive   except for the cases (and there will be more cases with changing their meanings)-   a) **hallucination:**       : I'm **seeing** stars.   b) **meeting someone:**       : I'm **seeing** the doctor in the afternoon.   c) **listening to people giving their opinions:**        What are you **hearing** from people there?   I understand that **'see'** and **'hear'** with **'can'** means something like other verbs in the progressive.   I've been thinking hard about the following examples and here are my takes.          _1.a. I can't believe what I'm **hearing** here!_            _1.b. I can't believe what I (can) **hear** here!_   : I found **1.a.** when I was watching an America drama.     'hear' doesn't go with the progressive in the meaning of sounds coming through the ear, AFAIK.     Up to now I still feel 1.b. is more natural     and I can't seem to find the difference between 1.a. and 1.b.     Is there any good reason for the hearing in 1.a? Exaggeration?          _2.a. I've **been seeing** the dark entity that haunts your house and your land._            _2.b. I've **seen** the dark entity that haunts your house and your land._   : **2.a** is a line from an America horror movie,     and the female main actor did just see the ghost hanged from a tree just one time.     2.b. is more natural to me and I don't know why 2.a was said.     Someone has told me that 2.a. would mean that she'd happened to see the ghost a few times.     Is it better to think that it is highlighted the fact that she was in the state of seeing the ghost?          _3.a. Can you see what I'm **seeing**?_            _3.b. Can you see what I **see**?_   : It might have been 'do you see...?', but I'm not sure.     I heard **3.a** when I was playing a computer game.     I've been guessing it might be a change of meaning; watching or something like that.     I don't know why, but it wouldn't be good to say,     "can you see what I (can) see?",     maybe on account of saying 'see' and/or 'can' double.          _4.a. Why am I **seeing** this?_            _4.b. Why do I **see** this?_   : I don't understand this the most.      **4.a** is a message box that Windows pops up     when it asks if you want it to remember passwords for websites.     4.b is better to me and there seems no reason for putting emphasis on the activity of 'seeing' here.      I've put up this question on some forums and here are the opinions;      (A) Your analysis of the verb see is correct.          However, 'we're seeing' this use of the verb          recently to indicate that **it is something going on recently**           **that hasn't been the norm in the past.**               _a> I never used to see him on the street alone,_               _but I'm **seeing** him a lot more often, now that his wife has died._               _b> I'm looking at the same painting you are,_               _but I'm not **seeing** all the symbolism that you are._          I feel I haven't explained this very well,          so I hope someone else will chime in with more help. (B) Hmm. It depends what you mean by "normally".          "see" in the progressive doesn't seem so abnormal to me,          especially when "see" is not being used literally.             _Why am I seeing this? ~ **Why is this being presented to me?**_           If the message said,             _"Why do I see this?"_          it would give the impression that you regularly or often see it,          i.e., that it is regularly or often presented to you.      Some more good context and practical explanation on the differences between the pairs   would help me to get a fix on this interesting usage.


title: Achilles heel and Achilles tendon

text: Studying possessive apostrophes I have searched on ELU the questions correlated to this matter. I have found the following: «What is the correct possessive for nouns ending in s?» and «When did it become correct to add an 's' to a singular possessive already ending in 's'?» Reading both the first one and the second one I am not able to understand* why " **Achilles heel** "† is correct, as we can read on Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Precisely I am asking why we should write " **Achilles heel** " rather than " **Achilles' heel** ". Does it depend on etymological reasons strictly correlated to the Greek origin? if so, in different no mythological cases, should we write, for example, either " _Achilles tendon_ " or " _Achilles' tendon_ "? > ***** _I am not able to understand the issue because there is no answer to > my question._ > > **†** _Named after the Greek hero Achilles. When he was a little child, his > mother held him below the surface of the river Styx to protect him against > any injury. She held him by his heel, which therefore was not touched by the > water. Achilles died after being wounded by an arrow in the heel._


title: Is "host" gender specific?

text: Is there anything that implies that a "host" (noun- e.g. host of an event) is a male? Is there anything preventing a female from being host (as opposed to a hostess)? In context: An organization holds a weekly event. One of several representatives from the organization hosts each event, and both genders are in the group of potential hosts. Thus, is it sufficient to say "please contact your host..." or would this be inappropriate considering some of the representatives are female?


title: Does using the word "crony" necessitate a negative connotation?

text: I have always heard the word "crony" in the context of acquaintanceships between people exploiting their closeness for less than noble means. Despite its definitions in the usual places as simply long-standing friends and close associates, the examples on m-w are both loaded with the aforementioned baggage. Is it possible to use the word as a neutral (if not positive) synonym for friend?


title: Does using the word "prefer" contain an implication of "necessity"?

text: > I would prefer you come in and not your friend to get the signature. Above is the sentence in the email I received from my supervisor. I was in another city so I had no choice but to ask my friend to get the signature for me. When my friend came to see her this morning, she seemed angry and repeat the word "prefer" again. I was just wondering that if the word 'Prefer' could have the meaning of 'necessity'? And if so, how can I tell?


title: Is it okay to say "Yes, we do" in answer to "Are you having a good time?"

text: How to correctly answer the question "Are you having a good time?" Imagine a parent coming into a room, in which his 12-year-old son is having his birthday party with his classmates. Kids are really having a good time. So what would be the right answer in that case?   1. Yes, we are.   2. Yes, we do.


title: What is an adventurous term for "housekeeping"

text: I'm working on setting up an adventure based metaphor for my son's chores, and one of the categories of "challenges" he'll be tasked with completing is housekeeping (making his bed, washing the dishes, vacuuming, etc.). Only I don't want to call it housekeeping. Is there are more adventurous term I could use with a similar meaning? The only thing I've been able to come up with so far is "castle maintenance", but I'm not in love with that. Any other suggestions?


title: Location of day of week in non-U.S. long format dates?

text: In the United States, the long/expanded/full form of a date with day of the week is: Monday, February 24, 2014 I understand in other countries the long date form is often: 24 February 2014 So where does the day of week go with this format and is there a comma between the month day and day of week?


title: Rephrasing "the Lord's our Banner"

text: How to rephrase "the Lord's our Banner" for kids to understand referring to the story of Moses praying for Joshua to win the battle in Exodus 17:10-15. I am thinking of "God gives us victory" or "He leads us to win". Any suggestions? Thanks


title: I have double yours

text: I would like to know whether the following dialogue would be correct english: "I have 2 litres of milk. How much do you have?" - "Double yours." Is it okay to say "double yours" in this context? Thanks in advance for your answers.


title: Is the adjective "abject" ever found with any word other than "poverty"? Does it mean something other than "very" or "utterly"?

text: Reading over an answer at the Skeptics StackExchange, it occurred to me that I had never really seen the adjective _abject_ used with any other word other than _poverty_. Has _abject_ become inexorably intertwined with that word, or are there other common usages or stock phrases? Also, does the word have a more subtle meaning or connotation other than an intensifier that might be summarized as "utterly"?


title: "User's expertise" or "user expertise"?

text: What is the correct form when referring to the expertise of a user (e.g. in programming, writing)? >   1. user's expertise >   2. user expertise >


title: "Machine" as a 1920s American term for "car"

text: I've recently been reading some of the short stories of Dashiell Hammett featuring the Continental Op. These stories were written in the 1920s and are about a detective investigating crime in and around contemporary San Francisco. I noticed that the characters frequently use the word _machine_ to mean an automobile, and I wondered whether this was common usage for the time and place. I had not heard it before. To a modern reader, it has an archaic sound, as if the car were such a new development that there was not yet a specific word for it. But of course by the 1920s cars were very common, so this does not make sense. It may also be slang; given their criminal associations, Hammett's characters tend to speak mostly in slang. Does anyone have more information about this usage and its history?


title: What does it mean by "get out there"?

text: I'm watching a program from VOA from here. In the 48th second of the video, there is a sentence: > I can't wait to get out there! I'm confused about this sentence. Does it mean "I will **_get out from there and will go to some other place_** " or "I will **_get out from some place and will go to there_** "? Thanks. * * * Edit: Can I use **_get out_** followed with a place, e.g.: > I want to get out school. > > I want to get out this room.


title: Why "out to sea"?

text: I read the following sentence somewhere: > Also keep an eye out for shy but curious harbor seals, which have been known > to bob in the waters just out to sea, watching people as they walk along the > shoreline. Just wondering why it is "just out **to** sea"? What does it exactly mean? Why not "just out of sea"? Is there any other ways to say the same?


title: Touch the blue paper

text: I have recently heard that phrase ( _touch the blue paper_ ) from a native English speaker¹. Is it an erroneous alteration of the expression _light the blue touchpaper_ or is it a correct² phrase in its own right? 1\. from the West Midlands, if that matters. 2\. by _correct_ , I mean _in current idiomatic usage_


title: How should I write sounds?

text: How should I write "boom," when it's the sound of a cannon? Or "creek," when it's the sound of a door? Or "wham," when it's the sound of an impact? Should I use quotation marks? Italics? Both? What do authors use? Thanks everyone! - Jim


title: What is the verb used to indicate that you have travelled from point A to B by motorboat?

text: Please consider the following and fill in the blank. This has driven me crazy ever since I moved to florida. How would somebody say the travel often by a boat without any sails.   * I **drove** from New York to California. <\-- By Car   * I **flew** from New York to California. <\-- By plane   * I **sailed** from New York to London. <\-- by Sailboat   * I **blank** from New York to Florida <\-- by motorboat


title: What did James V mean by “afferandly”?

text: In this letter  from 1536, King James V of Scotland wrote in 1536: > Veilbelouit frend, we grete yow. Forsamekill as we ar of pourpas   >  to pas to Kelso, and to vesy owr Bordouris for ordoneng of the samyn   >  and for dunputting of sic thyngis as owr pour legis ar hurt hy : Heir-   >  for, we prey yow ry'cht afiectuusly that ye addres yow to be at ws in   >  Sterling with yowr honest howshald, rady and bodin in hors and geir,   >  to remane xx days, **afferandly** to yowr honor and ouris, the penult   >  day of Meii, to pas with ws, as ye will do ws singular plesowr. Gewin   >  at Sterling, the xxi day of Meii, and of owr regne xxiij yeir. The King’s atrocious spelling notwithstanding :), what does the word **_afferandly_** mean above? Is this just “some strange Scottish spelling” for something to do with “offering” something? Has James’s _afferandly_ been replaced with another word in contemporary English, or could _afferandly_ still be used? Would it be understood on both sides of Hadrian’s Wall, or only northwards?


title: Framing with real evidence

text: Normally _to frame somebody_ means > _3 informal_ produce false evidence against (an innocent person) so that > they appear guilty Now what in case of a cautious criminal who took care to hide/remove the evidence of their crimes, and now someone in the know returns the evidence to its place, replaces false records with real ones, restores removed clues etc., so that the authorities can find the criminal rightfully guilty? Does that still count as framing? If not, is there a name for this kind of activity?


title: What's the meaning of "Shrubbery"?

text: > A **shrubbery** is a wide border to a garden where shrubs are thickly > planted; or a similar larger area with a path winding through it. This is a sentence from wikipedia: shrubbery. I do not quite understand it. Does this sentence mean this? A shrubbery is a wide **border** to a garden, and that garden is thickly planted with shrubs. A shrubbery is also a wide **border** to a larger area (similar to a garden), and that area has a path winding through it. So shrubbery is a border? But OALD says that shrubbery is an area planted with shrubs instead of a border.


title: When did we start naming our dogs Rover, and why?

text: One stereotypical name for a dog is _Fido_ , from the Latin for faithful. Another stereotypical dog-name is _Rover_. How long has _Rover_ been a common name for a dog in English? Does it have anything to with the the famous Sea Dogs from the dawn of the Age of Sail, who would often do battle with sea rovers, if not indeed become such themselves? Were ships’ sea-dogs the first ones to be named _Rover_? ![logo of the HMS Sea Rover](http://i.stack.imgur.com/9h29q.jpg) * * * **EDIT:** Another way to phrase the question is, during what period of English literature did _Rover_ first begin to appear as a common dog’s name? 1300s? 1900s? There should be a discrete answer here.


title: What exactly constitutes a verb in English, and is it the same thing as a predicate?

text: In the following sentence: > John McAdam and Thomas Teleford made important advances in road construction > during the early 1800s. Why is "made advances" not the verb? Are predicate and verb the same thing?


title: Is there a word to describe something that's perceived to be funny or clever only because it makes a reference that appeals to a certain group?

text: Consider the following pun: > "What do you say when you see an empty parrot cage?" "Poly-gone" It's funny in the way that bad puns are, but it had a sense of novelty when my grade school teacher told it shortly after we started learning geometry. The pun was relevant then, the concept it referenced was on the cutting edge of the classrooms knowledge. Now that I'm older and take the definition of a polygon for granted, the novelty of the reference is gone. Even if I'd never heard it before and it was presented in the proper context for a geometry pun (whatever that would be) it wouldn't be the same. I could say that I've become jaded to describe how I feel about the pun now, but is there a word to describe the original impact? Edit: To clarify, I'm not referring to the fact that the pun wouldn't have been funny unless I understood it, like with an inside joke. I'm looking for a word to describe a concept that is perceived as being novel lending it's novelty to an otherwise uninspired joke or statement which references it. Edit 2: A better example would be a remark about a current event. For example, if I was to watch a current episode of the Daily Show, it would be funnier now than it would a year from now even if I clearly remembered the news items that were being satirized. The jokes are funnier because I find the topics, which are not funny per se, interesting. Edit 3: Another way of saying this would be a joke that is funny because it aligns with my interests. In the original example, students who were in the same class but found math boring would have found the pun boring, even though they understood it just as well.


title: What does "Yeah, you did" mean?

text: This has been a question since I watched the episode Ted Mosby, Architect [HIMYM, Season 2] long time back. Yesterday I came across this again and I still don't get it. What does " _Yeah, you did_ " actually mean? Copying the conversation here: > Marshall: Well, all skyscrapers kinda look like a... > > Ted: Marshall, it's a seventy-eight story pink marble tower with a rounded > top and two spherical entryways at the front. > > Marshall: Wow, so it's the whole package. > > Barney: **Yeah, you did**. [fist-bumps Marshall] > > Marshall: Had to. > > Barney: Oh, dude, if they're selling condos you gotta get me in. And don't > give me the shaft. > > Marshall: **Yeah, you did**. > > Barney: Had to. [they fist-bump again] > > Ted: It's a travesty! It's gonna define the skyline of the city. If it was > me, I could have designed something amazing. Instead, I'm spending twelve > hours a day designing the cornices. > > Marshall: **Yeah, you did**. [holds out his fist for a bump] > > Ted: That wasn't one. [PS : I am not a native English speaker. I guess I am not so familiar with a lot of colloquial phrases]


title: "We have" vs. "we have that"

text: In a mathematical context, which of the following options is more appropriate? >   1. Since the fact A is true, we have B=C. >   2. Since the fact A is true, we have **that** B=C. >


title: Is there a synonym for lazy with a positive connotation?

text: Is there a word or phrase to describe someone who is willing to do extra work in the short term to avoid work in the long run? I have seen "lazy" used for this, but I'd like to know if there's a more precise term.


title: What does it mean to be "mortally wounded"?

text: The only source I could find for a definition of this phrase was Wikipedia, which states a mortal wound "leads directly to the death of the victim. Death need not be instantaneous, but follows soon after." The rest of the article seems like speculation. The crux of my question is these two points:   1. Must a mortal wound lead to death?   2. Is declaring that something is a mortal wound equivalent to saying that death is certain and unavoidable in the present situation? For example, if a wound is bad enough that the victim will bleed out unless he receives appropriate medical attention immediately, is the wound a mortal wound? Could the same wound be a mortal wound in one situation and not in another, depending on whether such attention is available? That is, does a mortal wound describe the wound itself, or the result of that wound?


title: Hypernym for "veg" and "non-veg"

text: We often ask "Are you veg?", "Are you non-veg?" to ask if someone is a vegetarian or a non-vegetarian. Is there a hypernym for both of them? So you could ask "What is your [...]?" or maybe "Are you a [...]?" In the same way we might ask for someone's gender.


title: Contact back to somebody?

text: Here is the scenario. A colleague who is working remotely is working on a review of my design for some work item. We came up with a comment several weeks ago but I just haven't got a chance to update the design document until today. Eventually I updated the design document and submitted it for review. But I also want to write an email to him to apologize for taking so long before contacting him again. So I want to start the mail with "Sorry for contacting you back so late. But...". My question is, is it proper to say "contact you back"?


title: Where does the word "dog" come from?

text: I discovered on a quiz show the other day that the word "dog" appears to have come _from nowhere_ and displaced the German word "hund". Has any research revealed how it arrived in the English language?


title: "Miami installed the first ATM for rollerbladers"

text: This is Snapple Real Fact #851. Is this sentence ambiguous between   1. They installed the first _ATM specifically for rollerbladers_ , and   2. They installed the very first ATM, coincidentally for rollerbladers I'm assuming they mean the former. Does the grammar imply solely the former as well? And would a comma - "the first ATM, for rollerbladers" - explicitly imply the latter, or would it still be ambiguous?


title: Do accents still play a role in British class distinctions to the present day? How have things changed since the 1960s and Received Pronunciation?

text: > An Englishman's way of speaking absolutely classifies him.   >  The moment he talks he makes some other Englishman despise him. > > If you spoke as she does, sir,   >  Instead of the way you do,   >  Why, you might be selling flowers, too! Those are probably my two favorite lines in my favorite song of my favorite musical, _My Fair Lady_. I have to admit I've been caught quoting them once or twice when asked by friends or family why I tend to be exacting about proper English speech. The movie made huge impression on me since I first watched it at age 6; Henry Higgins is kind of a personal hero of mine. **But how true are his words to reality today**? Now, I've read all about Received Pronunciation, and hypercorrective hs, and they are indeed interesting topics to discuss, but I get the impression that not even the upper-class adhere to Received Pronunciation anymore, and that much effort has been invested by many British to be more colloquial in speech so as not to seem outwardly too posh or upper-class. I get the impression that many view speech distinctions as something to be publicly denounced or abhorred. That doesn't mean that those distinctions don't exist of course, but Received Pronunciation in particular seems to me a social distinction of a long past age, and besides there are a ton of other English accents to talk about. Discussing RP as the totality of what it is to be said on the subject also seems myopically centered on London to detriment of the rest of the UK. I think it's also important to consider that the demographics of the classes and thus the linguistic baggage different ethnic groups brought into British speech might have changed the different distinctions. For example, I know that upper-caste Indians have become a prosperous group in the UK; have they in any way changed the markings of the upper class speech? What about the ascendance of Jews escaping from the Holocaust, and a "Yiddish" manner of speaking they might have brought with them? Have wealthy and prominent Russian moguls changed speech patterns? (For example, in this question the question-answerer remarks on the middle class' willingness to use _na zdrovyeh_ as a toast in place of _cheers_ ; have other things changed?) The converse probably holds too: I'd guess that immigrants from Commonwealth Carribean countries and Polish migrant workers have possibly changed distinctions on what it means to have "working-class" speech patterns. What can be broadly said about all this? **TL; DR summary** : What examples can you offer of accents or speech differentiating social classes in the present day that doesn't discuss Received Pronunciation?


title: Appropriate contexts for the phrase "impedance mismatch"?

text: I rather like the phrase "impedance mismatch". I understand it was derived from the realm of electronics, and it's now also commonly applied to problems with object-relational database mapping. I've heard it used to describe more general misunderstandings between people, and I think it's a very neat phrase. For example, person A wants to communicate some information to person B. The message from A to B inherently includes some assumptions about what person A believes that person B believes about the world. If these assumptions are incorrect, person B's interpretation of the message may differ from the interpretation person A expected. There is an impedance mismatch between their understandings, and so the message fails to communicate all of the intended information. Surprisingly, Google doesn't seem to return any results for the phrase "impedance mismatch" that don't relate to electronics, sound or ORDBMS. Is this use of the phrase really that uncommon? Am I perhaps using it incorrectly?


title: Why do we use "to" after "how"?

text: For example: > How to makes this? Why do I use the _to_ after _how_?


Can I say “across” in the next two situations? > If I sailed the Pacific from Japan to America, making a detour by way of an > island, can I say “I went my way **across** to America from Japan?” > > If I moved from a stand in a soccer field to the opposite side, making a > detour along the round stands (circular path of the arena), can I say “I > went my way **across** to the opposite stand from where I was.”


title: What does "U" mean in a "2U herd"?

text: In the song _Old Chisholm Trail_ , a famous cowboy song there's the following line: > I started up the trail October 23rd   >  Started up the trail with a **2U herd** _(emphasis mine)_ For lyrics. I know **2U** can be "to you", but it can't be that slang here.   I've come across **U** meaning a rack unit in computer lingo. So the only explanation I can imagine is that this **U** in the lyrics means "unit". Would then a "2U herd" be a herd with two heads of cattle? But then, why just not say "two heads"? (OK, ok, syllable count and rhymes in versification).   If not, what does it mean? If I'm right, I'd like to know if cowboys usually count their cattle heads as "units"? And if this use of **U** for "unit" is relatively common.


title: Adverb placement

text: Are the sentences below grammatically correct?   1. I didn't support Gheddafi and I _will never_ support him.    2. I didn't support Gheddafi and _will never_ support him.    3. I didn't support Gheddafi and _never will_ support him.


title: Do you "buy on" or "buy from" online webshops?

text: Some sites use the prase " **buy on example.com** " when they link to products using some affiliate program. For me " **buy from example.com** " sounds better since you're going to follow that link to example.com and buy the product **from** them. What would be the reason to use **on**?


title: "Zoom out the map"? "Zoom the map out"?

text: On a website, I show a Google Map with markers. I have some text that says > If you can't see them all, zoom the map out to reveal the rest. This sounds kind of lame, I also considered: > If you can't see them all, zoom out the map to reveal the rest. But that sounds even worse. Can anyone offer a more pleasing alternative?


title: What's that word? Does it mean "circular reasoning"?

text: This is really a two part question. How do you find a word that you forget, but you remember its definition? I have this problem routinely. I usually try googling "word that means _fill-in-words-from-the-definition-here_. But that doesn't always work. For example, there is a word which means circular reasoning. What is it? I tried googling (that is, _searching_ ) **word meaning circular reasoning**, with no luck (on the first page of results). Same results at Bing. I also looked up "circular reasoning" on dictionary.com. That site **had a definition**, but no synonyms. I know for a fact the word I'm looking for exists (I've seen it). You'd think Google could find it. I thought the word was _tautology_ , but that seems to have a **slightly different definition**. P.S. **Example** : So-and-so, on Fox News is a right-wing partisan (am I displaying my bias here?). How do you know? Because they're on Fox News.


title: When to put "River" before or after its name and why?

text: Unlike mountain names, where "Mount" always precedes its name, e.g. _Mount Everest_ , I've noticed that some rivers have "River" before its name, e.g. the _River Nile_ but others have it after, e.g. the _Colorado River_. How does one decide where it should be and how did the difference come about?


title: Why is "gee-gee" slang for "horse"?

text: According to http://www.word-detective.com/0806A.html , 'many small children had noticed that a lot of grownups were shouting "gee" at horses and decided that "gee" was another name for "horse."' but according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottawa_Gee-Gees , 'The term "Gee-Gee" is taken from horse racing where a Gee-Gee is the first horse out of the starting gate.' Are these correct?


title: Subject–verb agreement — two schools of thought?

text: I wrote a sentence for our web site that was submitted for proofreading. The proofreader "corrected" my sentence. I asked how sure he was that he was correct and that I was incorrect. He explained that there are two schools of thought on what's correct and he chose his way as the right way. I suggested that there were certainly two schools of thought: the right way and the wrong way.   1. School One: > There is a large number of companies.   2. School Two: > There are a large number of companies. Can you tell me which is the correct school of thought and why? **Update.** I think I should be able to reverse the sentence and still have it makes sense. When I attempt that, it works only with one of these sentences: > The number of companies is large. > > The number of companies are large. This suggests to me that the correct sentence uses "is". Does this make any difference?


title: Does the term "garbledy gook" have racist origins?

text: For me, the term _garbledy gook_ simply means garbage; unintelligible text or speech. An example usage would be: > If you open that binary file in notepad, you'll just see a load of garbledy > gook However, I just used this on the phone to a customer and, as I said it, I wondered about the origins. The word _gook_ by itself is a racist or derogatory term for people of south east Asian origins (source) and the last thing I want to do at work (or anywhere, to be honest!) is use that kind of language. Where did this phrase come from? Does it have origins in racism?


title: Are you being served/helped?

text: Being an L2 English speaker, quite often I get into funny - and sometimes embarrassing - situations. It usually happens when I say something pragmatically inappropriate for a situation. For example, once I was on campus (in the US) taking care of some paperwork. So I was patiently waiting in line, being helped already. So a guy shows up and asks me if I am in line. And then - a terrible faux pas. I say, "I'm being served." You can imagine - those office clerks were almost rolling on the floor. So here are my questions:   1. Is "be served" used in British English now? What about "help", as in They are helping me? Any difference?   2. In American English, when - if at all- is it appropriate to use "Are you being served?" or "I'm being served." At a restaurant maybe?


title: Is grownup, grown up, or grown-up the correct usage (as a noun)?

text: When used as a noun (meaning an adult), is "grownup", "grown up", or "grown- up" more appropriate?


title: Why is it ‘A God,’ not ‘God' in Mark Sanford’s “I want to acknowledge a God not just of second chances, but third, fourth, eighth chances”?

text: There was a quote of ex-South Carolina governor Mark Sanford in his victory speech in the House vacant seat election in the New York Times article (May 13) written by Gail Collins under the title “Guess who’s back”: > “I want to acknowledge **a God** not just of second chances, but third, > fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth chances,” I thought the word, ‘God’ is an uncountable noun, - unless you are in a polytheist world. (BTW, according to Japanese myth, there are 8 million! gods and godess in the universe). Is it grammatically right to place an infinite article before the capitalized 'God'? Did he mean that there is a merciful God who awarded him many chances albeit a lot of scandalous misconducts he had committed among many Gods, or there is **a** merciful aspect of God in the God?


title: Why are flutes called recorders?

text: It seems that a certain type of flute (like the wooden one children are often given in school) is called "recorder". How did that happen?


title: Is there a difference between "Grecian" and "Greek"?

text: As far as I can tell, "Grecian" and "Greek" both mean "of or pertaining to Greece." Is there any difference at all between them?


title: "On reality" vs "in reality"

text: I am not sure of the difference between these two phrases, especially the meaning of _on reality_. I found the phrase _lost his grip on reality_ ; can I use _in_ instead of _on_ in this case?


title: Do "thereafter", "ever after", and "ever since" mean the same?

text: Do _thereafter_ , _ever after_ , and _ever since_ mean the same as _after that time_? Are they always interchangeable? For example, > live happily **thereafter/ever after/ever since**


title: What's a useful replacement idiom for "money shot?"

text: I'm afraid I have been somewhat innocently causing offense by using the term "money shot" in its general, non-pornographic sense. My coworkers either have dirty minds or lack awareness of the other context. Seems I'm not the first to make this gaffe. Regardless of the speculation on the term's origin being pornographic or not, I'd like to sidestep the sniggers and raised eyebrows. Is there a different, equivalent idiom or word I can replace it with? The closest I could come up with is "there's the rub"... which isn't exactly equivalent (and isn't passing muster with the juvenile minds either :)


Should I use life or lives in the following question? > I would promote prayer as a part of the pupils' everyday _life_ > > I would promote prayer as a part of the pupils' everyday _lives_


title: What is the proper way of making a conditional statement with question marks?

text: Say I make a conditional statement, or an either/or statement, > 1) Do I eat the bananas? Or do I eat the apples? > > 2) Do I eat the bananas, or do I eat the apples? Is it right to add the second question mark like in option 1? How do I punctuate a sentence like this?


title: Indian English use of "only"

text: I am from Bangalore and people here tend use the word _only_ to emphasise something in a sentence. For example: > We are getting that **only** printed. What is the proper way to put it?


title: Does quoting in British or American English depend on the quoted or the audience?

text: If you are quoting/documenting the conversation between two people -- one is British and one American -- do you use a consistent approach directed towards your intended audience or switch to the spelling of that person's dialect? For example: > British person: "I realised that I was wrong" > > American (in response): "Yeah, I realized that too" Probably a silly question, but thought it would make for an interesting discussion.


title: Word to describe two processes which function at opposing times

text: I'm drafting up a workflow report that I need to present in a meeting tomorrow and I'm reaching for a word, it's on the tip of my tongue but it's alluding me. I'm writing about two processes which run over the course of two weeks and repeat, over and over again. The first process starts, and the second starts one week into the first and ends one week into the next. So the two processes run parallel but always one week apart. A crude example: Process 1: a a a **a** b b b **b** c c c **c** d d d **d** Process 2: ..... 1 1 1 **1** 2 2 2 **2** 3 3 3 **3** 4 4 4 **4** _notice 1 starts after a is half thru and ends in the middle of b.. this is the sequence of operation_


title: Pronunciation of "theodicy"

text: I am confused: Please listen to the audio file from google here **This can't be right, can it?**


title: Why do some people say "there have voted"? Is it grammatical, or maybe historical?

text: In a certain debating chamber, it is routinely stated ("content" means a yes vote): > There have voted -- [such-and-such]: content; [such-and-such]: not content." I'm not sure that this is grammatically correct. I think you can only have "been" or "not been" after "there have" at the start of a sentence. Could someone educate me as to why this is grammatical, or if it isn't, why they choose to repeatedly use an ungrammatical construction?


title: Meaning of "hardliner raising cowed, sullen kids"

text: What is the meaning of this sentence taken from this article? > Who wants to be the hardliner raising cowed, sullen kids?


title: Single word for plaintiff or defendant

text: What's the single word for someone who is either a plaintiff or defendant in a court case? Plaintiff -> the accuser Defendant -> the accused Plaintiff or defendant -> ??? I'd rather not refer to "plaintiff or defendant" every single time in my essay.


title: Do you need commas setting off a "when" clause in a sentence?

text: As an example: > In Quantum Physics when particles are observed their behaviour changes in > relation to the fact they're being watched. Does this sentence require a comma before _when_ and a comma before _their_? In other words, should it be written as: > In Quantum Physics, when particles are observed, their behaviour changes in > relation to the fact they're being watched.


title: Preposition choice: impression "of"/"about"/"from"

text: Please advise me on what preposition I should use to be sure that I don't make a grammar mistake. This is a question in a company's questionnaire, where the customer is asked his opinion about the company. The sentence is required to be concise and goes like this: "Impression of ABC Co." Is _of_ correct usage here? Or possibly _from_ or _about_? And is there any general rule about this?


title: Ordinal numbers as adverbs

text: I was once told not to end "firstly [point 1], secondly [point2], thirdly [point 3]" in -ly and to leave them as first, second, third etc. Is this always true or only in certain situations? Is it ever correct to use the word "firstly"? I came accross this article where the author writes > Firstly: hogwash. (True, the oboe doesn’t have a built-in tuning slide. But > an oboist can “tune” by switching reeds, and can humor individual notes > sharper or flatter on the fly, just like any wind player.) Secondly: if we > tune to the principal oboe because it can’t be tuned, then what is the > second oboist expected to do? Is it correct to separate the ordinal numbers into different sentences like this? Is there a specific name for the speech pattern where people are making multiple arguments to prove a point?


title: How to rigorously define independent clauses?

text: Consider the following sentence: > The independent filmmaker Ira Sachs’s drama “Keep the Lights On,” which > opened on Friday, is neither an especially good movie nor an especially bad > one, but it is an exemplary one. (source: http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/movies/2012/09/the-problem- with-the-liberal-cinema.html#ixzz25u38hVsZ ). I am confused about the comma that precedes "but." Is "It is an exemplary one" an independent clause? The rule of a thumb I use is a can-it-stand-by-itself test; the sentence above sounds kind of awkward by itself, though I guess it could work. If it's not an independent clause, then why the comma?


title: Which is correct: coming down the "pike" or "pipe"?

text: Is the expression "coming down the pike" or "coming down the pipe"? I've always used pike, but I've heard a few people use pipe recently. I can see how both could make sense, but which is correct?


title: When to use 'an' and when to use 'a' with words begining with 'h'?

text: Some h-words need 'an' for the indefinite article (I will be there in an hour). Other h-words need 'a' for the indefinite article (It is a history of sadness). What is the general rule?


title: From the statistics point of view, does an estimator may have a bias or it may be biased?

text: Will it be correct to state that a statistical estimator **_may be biased_** , or that I must state that the above estimator **_may have a bias_**? Is it acceptable to add the / **-ed** / to the word bias in the above conditional future form?


title: Is it proper to use a cause clause as the major statement of a fact?

text: I am reading a manual explaining the usage of symbols. I was stuck at below paragraph(The software-context may be ignored.): > As _a ‘\’ is not special inside a character alternative_ , it can never > remove the special meaning of ‘-’ or ‘]’. -ref: See last paragraph Note that the _italic_ part is the statement of a fact that is firstly seen in the cause clause `As...` above, but not earlier. And it is immediately used to support the reasoning of the main sentence that follows it. I have rarely seen such usage before. Is it reasonable to do so? Or shall I keep searching for previous statement instead? (I did not find any.)


title: Narrative tenses (for things that haven't happened yet)

text: I learn that when we are telling a story, we should use past tense. What if in our story there's an event that will happen after the story being told? For example, in the following sentence: > When he called me last night, I was in the middle of preparing my itinerary > for my next travelling adventure which **_will/would(?)_** be in the coming > month. What should we use there? Present future or past future?


title: The words "objective" and "subjective"

text: We say _subjective_ to indicate that something is based on feelings and opinions, and _objective_ to indicate the opposite. Why are these the same words as _objective_ and _subjective_ referring, in grammar, to nouns and pronouns in a sentence? Is this a coincidence? I'm looking around for the roots of the words… they seem like they've gone through a lot since medieval Latin—their current meanings in English are only vaguely related to their meanings in Latin: > from medieval Latin **_objectum ‘thing presented to the mind,’_** neuter > past participle (used as a noun) of Latin **_obicere_** , from **_ob- ‘in > the way of’ + jacere ‘to throw’_** and > from Latin **_subjectus ‘brought under,’_** past participle of > **_subicere_** , from **_sub- ‘under’ + jacere ‘throw.’_** –NOAD I cannot find an association between their two sets of meanings, either logically or in their etymology. Perhaps I'm missing something obvious here? I sure hope not, because in that case I would look silly.


title: Should I use the word "object" as a singular or plural noun?

text: I'm writing a paper. I wrote, "Many phenomena that heavier objects are reported to fall faster than the lighter ones are observed." However, Microsoft Word corrected to "object." Which one is right? And how I can


title: "They have been replaced by..." or "They have been replaced with..."

text: We replace something old **_with_** something new. >   * The Mayor has replaced all the old school buses _with_ new ones. > When the sentence is written in the passive voice, **_"by"_** is used. >   * All the old school buses have been replaced by new ones. >   * All the old school buses have been replaced by the Mayor. > But what about a sentence in the passive voice that mentions the object that is substituted and the subject who performed the action, the agent? Which preposition should be used? >   * All the old school buses have been replaced by the mayor ....... new > ones. >


title: What does "amortized" mean

text: In this link I see following: > A recent talk about unordered_map in C++ made me realize, that I should use > unordered_map for most cases where I used map before, because of the > efficiency of lookup ( amortized O(1) vs. O(log n) ). In dictionary it says: `amortize: to gradually reduce or write off the cost or value of (as an asset)`. But I'm still not sure what does "amortized" mean here.