title: Shift in tense and starting a historical account with the present tense

text: I was just writing a historical overview of a battle and decided I'd write the introduction in the present tense--the present tense being a narration of a specific event during the war. I just realized though that in the last sentence, I shifted the to how the events are perceived today. So instead of the present tense consistently being about how the event occurred, it shifts to how those events are perceived today at the end of the paragraph. I've fiddled around with the passage a bit, but I'm still not sure how to write it. Is it better to stick to one tense from one perspective? How do I go about that? Do I write it as:   1. This incident would go on to **___ __ ___** OR   2. This incident has since **___ _** Does the option 1. fix the issue (since the perspective remains unchanged)? To me it seems that it looks to the future from the perspective of the event whereas option 2. shifts to things as they are now and looks back from there.


title: Can start sentence with "Allowing to"

text: Can I start a sentence as follows? > Allowing to detect only circular shape objects, objects, classified > mistakenly as trees, can be avoided from the modelling process. or may be can we write it as: > Objects, classified mistakenly as trees, can be avoided from the modelling > process allowing to detect only circular shape objects. Please correct me in this.


title: What does "sock puppeting" mean?

text: I found a Meta Stack Overflow post in whose answer Servy says: > it's sock puppeting and is a very serious violation "Sock puppeting" is a picture. But why a _sock_? Is it like playing with your own sock?


title: Word usage for "excretion"!

text: The feeling when a person wants to puke, is termed "nauseous". What if a person wants to excrete? What is that feeling called?


title: Use "you" or "one" in formal writing?

text: Sometimes people tell me that I should avoid using "you" in formal writing and insist on telling me to use "one" ("One should not use 'you'" as opposed to "You should not use 'you'"). Are there any rules governing the use of these two words in formal writing?


title: it's raining vs. it rains

text: I know what does it mean by saying "It's raining" but what about "It rains"? what does it imply when I say "It rains" right after saying "It's raining"? I saw it in a novel and get confused.


title: What does the statement "Once I did bad and that I heard ever.  Twice I did good and that I heard never" mean?

text: What does the statement > Once I did bad and that I heard ever. Twice I did good and that I heard > never. mean? In what situations is it meaningful?


title: Pseudonym of a graffiti artist

text: What do you call a **pseudonym** of a **street art/graffiti artist**? Word _'pseudonym'_ is too general.   So I need exactly something like _'[street] artist pseudonym'_ , but also not _'tag'_ or _'nickname'_. To the point, Sammie Cox is my pseudonym for artworks, and I want to complete that sentence with that context: > My real name is Krzysztof Kowalski, but my _[the term]_ is Sammie Cox. So, which term is the most correct?


title: Why is there no word for and/or?

text: It seems like it would be really useful to have a single word like "anor" instead of the clunky "and/or" construction that people use. After all, "or" by itself is usually used to mean "exclusive or" in English. > I would like to visit the circus _anor_ the museum today. versus > I would like to visit the circus _and/or_ the museum today.


title: Employing comparative forms without explicit comparison

text: To highlight our company's benefits we write short statements like "3 times less rate" or "3 times lower rate". Are these correct? Or do such forms require comparison to something else--for instance, "lower _than standard rate_ "? Similarly, if we use the phrase "[a competitor] spends n dollars, we spend half as much", can we end on "half as much" without appending a second "as" phrase?


title: Can omitting -ly suffix of an adverb cause ambiguity?

text: Sometimes, I forget to use the proper form when an adverb is required. Or sometimes it simply doesn't appear to me one is required, unless I actually consider the grammar of my sentence. I suppose that's mostly because in my native language (German), there is no morphological difference between an adverb and an adjective. This led me to wonder:   Is this distinction in English merely an idiosyncrasy or can I really semantically convey something other than intended, if I omit the suffix by mistake?


title: How to pronounce Abbott?

text: > ABC presenter's pronunciation for his Prime Minister -> Abbott ; original > programme The presenter, as do other Aussies in the programme, pronounces **Abbott** as /ˈɛb ət/, while dictionary.com has /ˈæb ət/. Is the dictionary wrong? When they in Australia call their Prime Minister /ˈɛb ət/, others do /ˈæb ət/? Or /æ/, dragged by /b/, has approached to /ɛ/? (When people say /ɛ/ instead of /æ/ it's called broad accent in wikipedia.org, I don't believe they are using it.)


title: Referring something which is not the last item, but one before the last one

text: what is the true phrase to refer something informally and formally which is not the last one, but one before the last?


title: How can I best describe "making a new discovery"?

text: The context I am referring to is when someone, for instance, comes into contact with something, a subject ( mathematics, archeology or computer science, just to name a few), a religion or a sport, and discovers that he/she has found a new passion, something he/she didn't know before or didn't think it could be so fascinating. Is there an expression or an idiom to describe this ?


title: Meaning of "and everyone, but everyone, was calling"

text: > I recently took a year or so out to return to school. This is something I > recommend for all sorts of reasons. One benefit is the new perspective you > gain afterwards when you revisit a once-familiar world. I came back to > consulting and found that most of my old clients and contacts had taken the > plunge and migrated to Git (I follow suit in this edition). **And everyone, > but everyone** , was calling their development methodology agile. However, > of my first four new clients, three asked me to help evaluate hastily-built > and inflexible codebases. How does _but everyone_ fit in?


title: How do I define "by" versus "through" to my students?

text: Over the past five years, my high school students have stopped using "through" as a preposition and use "by" almost exclusively. For example, they might write, "they will do this by a detailed research project". I have looked up the answer and I can't figure out a way to explain the difference to them, and I almost think that I just need to let it go. Does anyone know why these two words have become virtually interchangeable?


title: Long word meaning "to purify the text in a literary work"

text: What is the long word that means "to purify (remove vulgarity) in the text of a literary work"? I have been thinking on it for a while - I used to know it - but forgot. There is only one word that fits what I am looking for, but the only words that came to mind were proselytization, bastardization, and vernacularization.


title: The Condition Holds vs is Satisfied vs Obtains

text: In mathematical/scientific texts, conditions that are true (within context) are said to   * hold   * be satisfied   * obtain (the last one was news for me) My question is whether there is nuance in meaning among the three versions or are these completely interchangeable (within this specific meaning referring to conditions) and are meant to be frequently interchanged to avoid repetition. I did check NGrams for relative frequencies of these, but it doesn't tell me anything about difference in meaning.


title: Meaning of “The book that should have been in the box”

text: http://missingmanuals.com/about.html The missing manual book series has the tagline “The book that should have been in the box” with the images of a dog carries a book in its mouth.Is it just an idiom or it mean that the dog take this book away from reader box so some fatal information is missed away ? the box in this context might refer to a package box of software product perhaps ?


title: "Real time", "real-time" or "realtime"

text: Which of _real time_ , _real-time_ and _realtime_ is correct when you are talking about seeing something as it happens?


title: capitalizing titles after a city name

text: Is the word "mayor" capitalized when it follows the city name? As in, San Francisco Mayor John Doe or San Francisco mayor John Doe?


title: Comma usage around the word 'still.'

text: When I read the following sentence out loud to myself, it seems to me that there should be a brief pause before and after the word 'still,' based on how it is being used in the sentence. However, I am unsure as to how commas should be placed around this word (if at all) to create the correct effect: "What initially motivated me to explore the field of robotics was the realization of the, still, countless opportunities for robots to play a role in people's lives, and have a significant positive impact in doing so." Is my comma usage correct?


title: With something is ~ - grammatical construction

text: > The process of relational database model design is the method used to create > a relational database model. This process is mathematical in nature, but > very simple, and is called normalization. **With the process of > normalization are** a number of distinct steps called Normal Forms. Normal > Forms are: 1st Normal Form (1NF), 2nd Normal Form (2NF), 3rd Normal Form > (3NF), Boyce-Codd Normal Form (BCNF), 4th Normal Form (4NF), 5th Normal Form > (5NF), and Domain Key Normal Form (DKNF). That is quite a list. Obviously it is quite clear what it means (there are a number of distinct steps when it comes to normalization), but I still, with your help, would like to see some other examples that use this type of grammatical construction. The pattern appears to be as the following: > **with something is ~** So, will you please show a couple examples with maybe even some explanation along the way? Much appreciated.


title: Is "Law of Leaky Abstractions" a proper noun?

text: From Leaky abstraction (Wikipedia), > As coined by Spolsky, the Law of Leaky Abstractions states "All non-trivial > abstractions, to some degree, are leaky." I am not sure if _Law of Leaky Abstractions_ is correct. Which of the following statements are correct (if any)?   1. _Law of Leaky Abstractions_ is a proper noun. It is correct as is.   2. _Leaky Abstractions_ is a proper noun, and it should be _law of Leaky Abstractions_   3. It should be _law of leaky abstractions_ (as in several places in the original source). No proper nouns or capitalisation. _Law of Leaky Abstractions_ is an example of willy-nilly capitalisation of words.


title: Where / how did the term "sell them down the river" originate?

text: In a meeting today a colleague used the phrase, "We don't want to _sell them down the river._ " It is my understanding that to _sell one down the river_ is to trick or deceive a person in order to gain some advantage. Three questions:   * Is my understanding of this idiom correct?    * What is the idiom's etymology?   * To _sell one down the river_ is an idiom, correct?


title: When did commas start appearing after conjunctions?

text: It seems to me that it's only lately (last 15 years?) that I've seen commas after "but", "and", and "or" in reputable sources (NY Times, etc.). I'm pretty certain this was anathema many decades ago. Was there some reason for a change? When did it happen? Or is this a recency illusion, and it's really been a practice for a long time?


title: "Analysis on" vs. "analysis of"

text: Which is the best matching? >   1. I made an analysis **on** the software which I bought. >   2. I made an analysis **of** the software which I bought. >


title: About 'more general case'

text: > A relation is often considered to be a more general case of a property I don't fully understand. Is it to say _a relation is a case of a property_ ? then what's _a more general case_?


title: Analysis of "There is something it is like to be us"

text: I found these similar phrases (bolded by me) in an article [1] and am wondering how they can make sense. > Ordinary human beings are conscious. That is, **there is something it is > like to be us**. We have conscious experiences with a subjective character: > **there is something it is like to see** , to hear, to feel, and to think. > [...] More broadly, a complete physical description of a system such as a > mouse does not appear to tell us what it is like to be a mouse, and indeed > **whether there is anything it is like to be a mouse**. Now, the meaning the expression conveys is rather straightforward — it is the formulation I have questions about. Can anyone explain this? Is the form even grammatically correct? * * * [1] Chalmers, D. (2010). "The Singularity: A Philosophical Analysis." Journal of Consciousness Studies 17:7-65.


title: What is a good term to describe different ways to view the same data?

text: Software gives us different ways to view the exact same data with each "view" targeted at a specific task. For example, in Stack Exchange, questions can be viewed in   * The review queue where you only see questions listed which need to be reviewed   * The main question list where everything is listed   * Edit history pages where you can see and compare every version of a question   * Mods have access to vote fraud tools   * etc Every one of those "views" is highly customized for the task at hand showing only those pieces of the data that matter at that moment. Is there a good term to describe this feature without all the long winded explanation?


title: How do I determine subject and subject complement in "A side-effect is the spread of commercialese to other domains."?

text: Consider this example: > Commercialese is an instrument of art, designed to enrich and invigorate our > language—surely you will all agree with this—, and we should encourage > newcomers to learn it. However, a side-effect is the spread of commercialese > to other domains. This we must object to, because we need to keep this > precious instrument in our exclusive possession. How do we determine what the subject complement is in the second sentence, "a side-effect" or "the spread"? In this case you might say it doesn't really matter. **[Edited]** Here are a few examples from Fowler's: > The only comment necessary ... is that, when ... it makes no difference to > the meaning which of two words is made the subject and which the complement, > the one that is placed first must (except in questions) be regarded as > subject and have the verb suited to its number: _Our only guide was the > stars_ , or _The stars were our only guide_. Such apparent exceptions as > _Six months was the time allowed for completion / The few days Mrs. Kennedy > will spend in London is in the nature of a rest for her_ , are not true > ones, for here the complement makes it clear that the subject, though plural > in form, is singular in sense (*a period of — *). So we are to take "six months" as singular because we can imagine it to be an attribute to an omitted, singular head noun, "a period of". But couldn't we imagine this for many other sentences? Consider "the stars were our only guide": I could say "the light of the stars was our only guide". So how is "six months" much different? Isn't there inversion at work here? And is there no way to pinpoint a subject, apart from its position before the verb?


title: Word for relative position

text: I believe there is a special term for words that convey relative position but I cannot seem to remember or find what it is. For example Sam is **_behind_** Mitch in the queue.


title: What is the origin of the place name Privett vs. plant name Privet?

text: The _Ligustrum vulgare_ , the English Privet, seems to have a confused history. It was known to the ancient Greeks as an important plant in making their formal gardens or _topia_ "places" which gives us the word _topiary_ for which Ligustrum vulgare is well-suited. If you've ever cared for a privet hedge, you know that they need to be pruned very early in spring. Which fact makes the historical name primprint somewhat apt even if this etymology "first spring" is in dispute. What seems to confuse things is a much earlier attestation to an English place name in the Anglo Saxon Chronicle. Pryfetes flode, now Privett, Hampshire. However, I think this is a false cognate. I have some Welsh ancestry and an old Welsh dictionary which lists _Pryfydd_ as vermin-killer. I read elsewhere that the older meaning was rabbit-hunter, but I can no longer find that reference. _Flode_ is a gulch. Why is there a place name in Hampshire with a Welsh name? Or is this not the origin of the name at all? Welsh rabbit- hunter's gulch? Is this a joke? I looked on a map and Privett is at a high point in the Chalk Ridge of South Downs not a gulch providing easy access to the great forest beyond. And in the Anglo Saxon Chronicle, a nobleman was thrown from the cliff whether to his death or to dispose of the body is unclear. Is this another example of the English poking fun at the Welsh their frequent object of derision? **Can anyone shed any light on the confused and entangled history of Privett, Hampshire and Privet, Ligustrum vulgare? I think they are unrelated, but separately interesting etymologies.** OED: > privet: Origin unknown. Compare later primprint n., prim n.2, and primp n., > and also primet n. A connection between the present word and later private > adj.1, privy adj. has frequently been suggested, but there is no evidence to > support this. > > Apparently attested early in place names, as Pryfetesflode (c900 in an annal > for the year 755), Prevet (1207), Pruuet (c1245), Privet (1248), now > Privett, Hampshire; bosco de Prevet (1268), boscus de Pryvet (14th cent.), > now Privett Farm, Wiltshire. The β forms are perhaps attested earlier in the > following place name: Prinelegh (read Priuelegh) (1380), Preuelegh (1481), > now Prewley, Devon


title: Is "wtf" an abbreviation or a euphemism?

text: In the English language we have a lot of euphemisms for profanities that take the form of abbreviations; for instance, people may say _the f-word_ or _the s-word_ if they don't want to say _fuck_ and _shit_. I always used to assume that _WTF_ was the same type of thing. However, I've noticed lately that if people are reading out loud a sentence that contains _wtf_ , they often pronounce it as _what the fuck_ \- for instance, if they get a text message saying "Hey, wtf just happened?" and another person asks them what the text says, they are likely to say _what the fuck just happened?_ instead of _double you tee eff just happened_? In this usage, _wtf_ isn't a euphemism; it's just an alternate way of writing the profane phrase so that it is easier to type, i.e., an abbreviation. So, my question: Which do we consider it? (And has it always been that way? For instance, perhaps it started out as a euphemism but is evolving into an abbreviation?)


title: Reading out numbers in English

text: What are the accepted guidelines for reading out numbers in English? For example, should 1351 be read out as "one thousand and three hundred and fifty one", or should the "and"s be removed completely? Note that I'm not talking about _years_ as I asked it in a separate question.


title: “Quainted the auto supplier has hit share of potholes.” Did I hear right? What does it mean?

text: I’ve been practicing listening of English language news on FEN for years, and heard the latest (March 24) Wall Street Journal Barron’s magazine news as follows: > “Visteon is maneuvering to be a key player in this fast growing cockpit > electronics market. **Quainted** the auto supplier has hit share of potholes > since being spun out from Ford 14 years ago, But this week’s Barron’s says > Visteon is back on track now, as it shifts away from lower margin businesses > , and toward lucrative high growth areas.” I think I heard “Quainted the auto supplier has hit ---,” but I don’t understand what “quainted” means here. OALED defines ‘quaint’ only as an adjective meaning "attractive in an unusual, or old-fashoned way." And if it is adjective, why there is “ **the** ” between ‘quainted’ and “auto supplier”? Did I hear wrong? If I’m wrong, what would the right word that sounds like ‘quainted” be?


title: Punctuation between 'like' and a list

text: I would like to know what punctuation mark need to be placed after the word _like_ in the sentence below: Filter by genre shall display the list of genre like, Action, Adventure


title: "A bit" vs. "a little bit" vs. "a little"

text: Is there a difference between _a bit_ , _a little bit_ and _a little_ in the following context? > He is a little bit angry.   >  He is a little angry.   >  He is a bit angry. Or do these sentences mean the same thing?


title: Meaning of "A Moment's Worth"

text: What is the meaning of the "a moment's worth" in the following > Using this equation, we can generate the graph with a moment's worth of > calculation and plotting. Is it equivalent to "more acurate" and "faster" or depends on the subject of the context?


title: What should I use? "The ways of something" or "The path of something"

text: I am always learning stuff about computers and I switch between saying "The Path of the Computer Knowledge" and "The Ways of Computers" every time. When I use those expressions I want to express that I dedicate my life to the pursuit of knowledge and nothing else. Which would be the best to use, and why? I understand the exact meaning of the first one (The Path of the Computer Knowledge) but I can't understand completely the meaning of the second one.


title: "Hope" versus "I hope"

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Why is there omission of subject in sentences like "Thought you'd never > ask." Is it correct to use hope without subject? I have seen may times something like: > Hope you feel better soon instead of > I hope you feel better soon Is this grammatically correct? Can this be done with other verbs?


title: What are the differences between "ghost", "phantom", "wraith" and even "haunter"?

text: I **think** that "ghost" refers to just a "spirit of someone who just died randomly". In superstitious/religious/occultist circles, I think that this is the word that would be used to refer to some random folk that just died, and that for some reason became "communicable" or "visible" in our "reality of the living". I see "phantom" as a "non-random-ghost". I mean, a more serious and well-known subject, for example: "Do you mean the phantom of THE princess who died in THAT castle in THAT century?" (And therefore it's "more known" and more frequent in legends or whatever). I see "wraith" as something similar to a phantom, but less well-known and that for some reason just became "visible" (Not communicable). And "haunter", just a ghost (random human) who insists to stay in one specific place due to some traumatic death or whatever. What do you think about it? I would really like to know your answers for this.


title: Does "clandestine ignorance" make sense?

text: Does the following make sense, "clandestine ignorance"? I would like to see if anyone else is thinking the same way as to the meaning or definition as I do. Thanks.


title: Teachers' Title

text: I'm an English teacher in Iran. My students call me "Teacher..., ...", and I mind that. Is it usual in English speaking countries? I mean do the students in English speaking countries call their teacher "Teacher!"?


What do you call the tip on an umbrella? Yes, since _tip_ means 'the usually pointed end of something', I know that tip itself can be used for -- i.e. umbrella tip --, but I'm looking for a single word which has that meaning? * * * ![](http://i.stack.imgur.com/uaoCo.png)


title: What's meant by wishing for a child "as red as blood, and white as snow"?

text: An English learner recently posted about the tale The Juniper Tree, collected by the Brothers Grimm (possibly related - who knows?). She notes that a woman wishes for a child "as red as blood and as white as snow", and wants to know how a child can be both red and white. (Without being pink, of course!) Does it mean that the parts of the child that are red are as red as blood, and that the parts of the child that are white are as white as snow? Searching for "red as blood" came across the following quote, from a different fairy tale: > "I can love only a man with those three colors: cheeks red as blood, hair > black as a raven, and body white as snow." Should I assume that in The Juniper Tree, the woman is referring to wanting a child with cheeks as red as blood, and the rest of her skin as white as snow? The only alternative I can think of is if "red" and "white" had some sort of metaphorical, rather than literal, meanings. But looking up Wiktionary for red, the main metaphorical meanings are from politics, which would post-date the story.


title: Usage of "other" with singular nouns

text: Reading an English textbook and learning stuff, they mention that that "other" is used only with plural or uncountable nouns. But what about this? > There is no **other** way..no **other** option. Car ends up on its side, No > **other** car involved! Especially the last one, how could I say that without the "other" word?


title: Common test result attributes

text: I am having troubles finding the right words or labels for a part inspection as my native language is not English and I can't seem to find the right search keywords to look at application descriptions. In the medical sense, a test is positive if the assertion (a condition/sickness) results true, e.g. "yes, I'm sick", the illness tested for is present. But what about "binary binning" of objects/parts?   * Good/Bad   * OK/Not OK   * positive/negative   * true/false   * ??/defective   * ??/error ... ?


title: Why is one "sent to Coventry"?

text: I was reading in the paper today of some hapless wight who had been _sent to Coventry_ (meaning ostracised and given the silent treatment) by his colleages. It then occurred to me to wonder why _Coventry_ should have been chosen for this idiom. Phrases suggests:- > The story - and it is no more than that - is that Cromwell sent a group of > Royalist soldiers to be imprisoned in Coventry, around 1648. The locals, who > were parliamentary supporters, shunned them and refused to consort with > them. Michael Quinion also notes:- > Another story, undated but usually taken to refer to events of a similar > period, is that Coventry was strongly opposed to having troops billeted on > townspeople, and that soldiers sent there were ostracised by the local > population. but he remarks that > My own feeling is that neither is convincing, not least because of the > century-long gap between Civil War events and the first appearance of the > idiom As neither of thes two things were peculiar to Coventry, I'm also inclined to doubt. Can anyone shed any light on the matter?


title: 'In order to' or 'to'

text: Which sentence is correct and why? What is the difference in meaning? >   1. I have already written to you, and I received your reply to submit my > documents. >   2. I have already written to you, and I received your reply in order to > submit my documents. >


title: Em-dash vs colon: "Remind me: what's your name again?" or "Remind me—what's your name again?"

text: I have a sentence (and other sentences like it) in which I'm not sure what punctuation to use. > Remind me—what's your name again?   >  Remind me: what's your name again? Or is there something else that would work better in sentences like this?


title: Difference meaning :having ving vs having p.p

text: Having learning English in three months, Jovovich grabbed the attention of photographer, Richard Avedon. Having learnt English in three months, Jovovich grabbed the attention of photographer, Richard Avedon. Would you kindly elaborate their differences? Thanks in advance Source: www.myfdb.com/people/2645-milla- jovovich]https://www.myfdb.com/people/2645-milla-jovovich


title: Usage of the word "envy"

text: If Joe envied something, would it be proper to call that something "Joe's Envy"? Considering the usage in a team name but I am not sure if it makes sense.


title: Avoiding confusion with the word "before"

text: I wrote this sentence: > I do not trust what has been written before me. Now, I was trying to use 'before' in the sense of 'prior to,' but just realized that 'before me' might also be taken to mean 'in front of me.' What might be a better way to reword this? I have thought of omitting 'me'--would that be correct?


title: How exactly to pronounce 'alphabetical' and 'pharmaceutical' in American English

text: How does one pronounce 'alphabetical' and 'pharmaceutical' in American English? Is it **phar•ma•ceu•di•cal** or **phar•ma•ceu•i•cal**? And is it **al•pha•bet•di•cal** or **al•pha•bet•i•cal**? Do you pronounce 'ti' as 'di' or do you pronounce just the 'i' with the 't' silent?


title: Where does "on one's last legs" come from?

text: To be on one's last legs means to be worn out, tired, run down, and ready to die or otherwise cease working. Some examples I've found are > Grandfather is on his last legs. He'll be on his way to Heaven soon. > > I just ran a mile to tell you this; I can't walk up the steps. I'm on my > last legs. > > My car is on its last legs. I doubt it will get me down the street to the > used car dealer. I've searched a bit on the interwebs, and while definitions abound, I can find no reference to the origin of the phrase. Why "last legs"? What happened to the first ones? What has interchangeable legs anyhow?


title: Hump, Rump, Lump, Bump

text: I’m referring to the similar definitions of these four nouns – something raised and rounded. Why do these four rhyming words have similar meanings? I have not found very specific sources for these words on the Online Etymology Dictionary and Wiktionary. **Hump** is “probably from Dutch homp.” **Rump** is “from a Scandinavian source,” “from Old Norse rumpr” ultimately from Proto- Germanic “rumpo.” **Lump** is “perhaps from a Scandinavian source” and finally, **Bump** is “perhaps from Scandinavian,” “probably of North Germanic origin.”   1. Could these words come from the same root? Other than the fact that they all _might_ come from northern Europe, the only hint I have in this direction is the following from Wiktionary, tracing the origin of **Hump** through Dutch, Middle Low German, Old Saxon and Proto-Germanic, to Proto-Indo-European * _kumb-_ , * _kumbʰ-_ (“curved”). Could this PIE root, which is not given in these online sources for any of the other three words, be a common root to all four words?   2. I find myself looking at other **–ump** words and “seeing” a curved or rounded line: jump (a curved trajectory), grump (a downturned mouth), pump (the action of the pump handle), clump (a rounded clod of earth, not sharp), etc. Am I just seeing this because the words sound similar, or is there something more to my tendency? For example, the Online Etymology Dictionary suggests the origin of **jump** is "perhaps onomatopoeic (cf. _bump_ )" although this view is not echoed on Wiktionary. Is it possible that these words do all share a common root and are simply onomatopoeic variations of each other?   3. Are there other pairs or groups of words like these in English? (Wham! Bam! Ka-blam!) Does this phenomenon have a name?


title: Can I use 'be going to' instead of 'will' in this situation?

text: When we see dark clouds, because of the situation now, we must say: > It's going to rain. **Not** _It will rain_. Or when we see somebody is going toward the wall and can't see the wall in front of him, because of the situation now, we must say: > He is going to walk into the wall. **Not** _He will._ Now, when we see shoes which are very well made, can we **suppose** this situation as _**a situation now_** -because we can see and get that these shoes are very well made- and say so: > These shoes are very well made. They _**are going to**_ last a long time. \----Instead of: > These shoes are very well made. They _**will_** last a long time. Raymond Murphy has used _**will_** in his book.


title: "If/as/when necessary"

text: Is there any difference between the following sentences? >   1. Please press the bell if necessary. >   2. Please press the bell as necessary. >   3. Please press the bell when necessary. >


title: Something "down at" somewhere

text: I hear this phrase a lot these days:               The guys down at CompanyName…      And I also hear some people say:               Folks up at SomePlace…      Can there be any difference in the meaning of "down at" and "up at", like diminishing the importance of a place, or reference to the altitude of a location?


title: Why doesn't the second verb agree with the subject of that verb?

text: In "We watched Obama speak," what is the technical reason for it not being "We watched Obama spoke"?


title: usage of infinitive after feel

text: What is grammatically wrong with the sentence, "I feel to eat."? After the verb feel, can the infinitive of another verb be used?


title: In the 2010 film "Easy A", there is an exchange between several characters:

text: Rhiannon: Aren't you supposed to be like, eternally in love with him, and shit? Olive Penderghast:Yes, I believe so. If I was "A Gossip Girl in Sweet Valley with traveling pants". What does Olive mean here by "Yes, I believe so. If I was "A Gossip Girl in Sweet Valley with traveling pants".? Please note: English is not my native language, so the simpler and clearer you can make your explanation, the better.


title: Difference between "form" and "shape"

text: What's the difference between _form_ and _shape_? I'm reading a philosophy book and these are used to denote different "things". I considered these words as almost synonyms.


title: Do you still pronounce the "g" in "language" and "English"?

text: I'm hearing more and more people pronounce "language" as laŋ-wij instead of laŋ-gwij. The same goes for the word "English" (ˈiŋ-lish instead ofˈiŋ-glish). How prevalent has this pronunciation become in the "inner circle" of English speakers? How do you pronounce these words?


title: Your Site Visitors or Your Site’s Visitors?

text: Your _site/site’s_ visitors are very active. How is correct to write: **your site visitors** or **your site’s visitors**?


title: What does "here's to someone/thing" mean?

text: I got an email from an instructor today. Towards the end of email she says: > "Here is to finishing off the semester in a positive way." What does that mean?


title: What is the difference between "in conclusion" and "by way of conclusion"?

text: "In concluson" is common, while "by way of conclusion" is quite formal. But what does "by way of conclusion" truly mean that differs from "in conclusion"? Baffled.


title: "much of the time" vs "most of the time"

text: Are these two phrases different in meaning? When do you use "much" or "most"? I was reading a book named "The world of words" where I saw this sentence > _Substitution in context will help you **much of the time**._ This was the first time I saw this expression. So I wonder if there are any differences between two.


title: Word for the building/structure in which primates are kept

text: What is the word for monkey keeping facilities at the zoo? Birds are kept in an aviary, monkeys are kept in a **___ __**.


title: How to write down this name?

text: Is there an english name or English translation that matches the following voice recording? https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/62131673/audio/endesuelax2.wav The name might be Russian or Ukrainian.


title: Word for a person who succumbed to their bad habits

text: I'm looking for a single English word that refers to:   * A person who has bad habits   * And used to do those bad habits   * Tried to escape them but then fell into them in perpetua I'm not sure if such a word exists. I've thought of:   * Hypocrite (but that doesn't contain any connotations of habit)   * Habitual (an adjective; whereas I want a noun) Any ideas? I'm pretty sure there's a word for a person who relapsed back into their bad habits.


title: A term for the phrases of exaltation following the utterance of a holy name (ie. god or prophet)

text: In the Islamic tradition, whenever the name of God or the prophet Muhammad is uttered, the speaker often injects a short phrase of exaltation immediately after: for instance, the words Subhanahu wa ta'ala may be spoken (or some other variation on the same theme). Is there a technical or theological term for this practice? I have tentatively settled on 'exaltation', as per the definition "the action of praising someone or something highly," but given the colloquial nature and everyday usage of these utterances, I suspect a more fitting word exists. **Edit** : There is a Wikipedia article that addresses this topic specifically, referring to the phrases as Islamic honorifics. From the article: "Strictly speaking, it is incorrect to describe this or any of the following phrases as 'honorifics', since the latter are titles (as in the Persian form Hadrat-i Muhammad, where the honorific precedes the name). There seems to be no precise English word for the terms discussed here, but salawat could translate as 'blessings' or even 'prayers'."


title: is the phrase 'accelerate success' proper english?

text: Is the phrase 'accelerate success' proper english? Any suggested phrases to replace if this is not?


title: Word expression to say "Stopped smoking" or "got rid of some unhealthy habit"

text: I'm looking for words ( or word groups) that can be used to say "I stopped smoking", or "I stopped taking drugs" or, in other words, "I got rid of some bad and unhealthy habit". I have found "relinquish" , "get out" , "give over", but I'm not sure if they can be used that way. Of course, I'd like to see more examples, if they are present.


title: How to use the question mark in multiple choice questions?

text: Which one of the following three forms is correct for a multiple choice question? > Do you prefer the blue dress? or the red shirt? > > Do you prefer the blue dress or the red shirt? > > Do you prefer the blue dress? or the red shirt. The first form seems the most syntactically adequate, as both "blue dress" and "red shirt" are equal options of equal value in the sentence. The second form also seems adequate, as the question mark is marking the entire sentence as a question. However, it is ambiguous whether "blue dress" and "red shirt" are two separate choices, or "the blue dress or the red shirt" is a single choice. Finally, the third form is the one that represents the spoken form most accurately. However, it looks somewhat strange for a question sentence not to end with a question mark.


title: Nominalization of the phrase “the way they are normally represented”

text: In a past exam on technical writing, we were required to rewrite the italicized part of the following clause using nominalization, that is, turning verb phrases to noun phrases: > "[...] this approach has the ability to also recognize patterns that are > modified from _the way they are normally presented_. [...]" I might try rewriting it as "the way of their normal presentation." This sounds a bit weird to me, and I'm not sure if it is common to put a noun phrase after "the way of" in this meaning of "way". How would you answer this problem? EDIT: I misquoted the question a bit: the word _presented_ was _represented_ originally.


title: It's not affect, but can you "effect" something?

text: I understand the differences between affect and effect, and generally when to use them. However, in some cases while reading I have seen authors use the phrase "effect a change" (among others) meaning, I think, to cause a change, or to bring about a change. Using "affect a change" seems wrong/awkward; so is this acceptable use?


title: It's all I can do

text: > It's all I can do to stop myself from checking the website every 5 seconds! I know what this phrase means, but does anybody know where it came from? On the face of it, it doesn't make any sense. This phrase stands on its own, and means "I find it difficult not to check the website every 5 seconds", so what, exactly, is all the speaker can do to stop himself from checking? What does the "it" stand for?


title: What is the meaning of "all year long"?

text: I can not understand this sentence because of this one **all year long**. > Oh, it sounds like it's raining all year long in Belgium. Which season is > actually the nicest one? Can someone explain it?


title: Can you say "he too wanted to do it" or is it better to say "he wanted to do it too"?

text: English is not my mother tonge and I had this argument with a friend the other day. I think that putting the "too" after the subject instead of at the end of the sentence is not correct but he disagrees. Can anybody help me? Thanks a lot!


title: "A sensible person like you" vs. "a sensible person like yourself"

text: What is the difference between _you_ and _yourself_ in the following context? >   * My dear Professor, surely a sensible person like _yourself_ can call him > by his name. >   * My dear Professor, surely a sensible person like _you_ can call him by > his name. >


title: "What do you be?"

text: A guy in this video comes up with a very unusual greeting: > Hello, top of the morning to ya! What do you say? What do you be? I know that the first sentence is an old Irish idiom. But what is the meaning of the rest? Especially the question "what do you be"? What is the intention of the guy saying it?


title: One who expresses (or the act of) feigned sympathy/interest in hopes of being recognized for it

text: I'm trying to find a word that encompasses both these ideas. I thought **pharisaic** would be a bark up the right tree, but it appears to pertain more to hypocrisy and legalism. Ideally the word should encapsulate the idea that some form of _good_ is being displayed for the primary purpose of _self-gain_. I understand that such an action could be **hypocritical** , but that word does not necessarily imply the act of _doing good only for the praise it brings_. _The Pharisees_ are a great example of this (with their ostentatious tithing), but the word named after them doesn't seem to have been applied to that aspect of their character.


title: "-ee" and "-er" word endings

text: There are a few examples of pairs of words ending with _-ee/-er_ like _employee_ and _employer_ or _advisee_ and _adviser_. What I was curious about is if there was any rule that would describe the relationship of the objects in a pair like this and situations when it's appropriate to create a counterpart for a given word. I'll give you an example. It's relatively common in the computer programming world to see the word _dragee_ , which describes an object that is being dragged with a mouse. I understand that this is a relatively new word and could not be found in any dictionary (I've tried). Is that acceptable to make up words like this one or is it just bad English?


title: Why is heavy machinery called "plant"?

text: A discussion of machinery today set me wondering why it is called "plant"? Is there some metaphor I am missing out on?


title: What does "to score 180" mean?

text: Here's some context: > The lift’s taking an eternity. A smidgeon of Mr Staffa’s exceedingly pure > cocaine **would score 180 right now** – my tea-time Red Bull’s worn off – > but a glug of Kilmagoon Special Reserve from my cunningly concealed hip- > flask will have to suffice. It's from Earth calling Taylor short story by David Mitchell. Possibly, it's reference to Scrabble score for word "smidgeon" or something because earlier in this story characters are talking about Scrabble a bit. Since I'm not a scrabble player I'm not really sure.


title: Should I say “to your daily life” or “in your daily life”?

text: > As you grow up, you realize your philosophical views don't apply much to/in > your daily life. Which option is more grammatically correct?


title: Capitalization: when does a phrase become a proper noun?

text: This is a question on capitalization. Proper nouns are capitalized. But how can I tell which parts of a term constitute a proper noun? Take, for example, the nickname for traveler's diarrhea (sorry, the first thing that came to my mind). I've seen it written as **Montezuma's Revenge** (proper noun), as well as **Montezuma's revenge** (common noun). Which is correct? What about a journalist referring to a specific set of letters sent by prisoners -- would he call them the **Guantanamo Letters** or the **Guantanamo letters**? Or is it simply a matter of context?


title: "different" as a preposition

text: Is is acceptable to use "different" as a preposition, as you would use "unlike" or "in contrast to", like in the following example? > Thus, different from previous work, we aim to answer those questions.


title: "To ride a bicycle" vs. "ride a bicycle"

text: I want to describe my hobbies and would like to say that I like bicycles. >   1. ride as noun: I like **ride** a bicycle >   2. ride as verb: I like to **ride** a bicycle > Which variant is right?


title: Regarding Re: ; what is the correct usage in an email subject line?

text: I want to know what is the recommended way to use Re: in the subject line of an email. I use Re: in the subject line as a shortform of 'in regards to'. Whenever I have used Re:, people have told me that Re: is only to be used when replying to an incoming email and shouldn't be used when starting a new email thread. I remember being taught that **Re** is an preposition, which means “in the matter of, with reference to.” I have also observed that I get immediate responses if I use Re: in the subject line. So, should I continue to use Re: in the subject line or is that incorrect usage?


title: Can the term 'loss of service' be used to describe a service offered to an unsatisfactory standard?

text: I'm trying to get a full refund for my services with my Internet Service Provider. My speeds are extremely slower than usual and they have recognised that the problem is their own fault. I am attempting to receive a full refund or service upgrade from one of their customer service representatives, but they say they can **only give a full refund in the event of a service loss**. They refer to this page which does state that technically a full refund should be provided for a **loss of service** (depending on the number of days in that month). Could the word 'loss' therefore also mean an unsatisfactory service being provided, or does it _have_ to mean that I have no service? Thanks!


title: Difference between "he said something" and "he mentioned something"

text: (a) What is the difference between _he said something_ and _he mentioned something_? Can they be used interchangeably? (b) Is it proper to respond to _Did I tell you X?_ with _Yes, you mentioned it_?


title: What do you call a definition in which some (but not necessarily all) criteria must apply?

text: This is an algorithm for deciding whether a patient suffers from a specific disease or not: > A patient has rheumatoid arthritis if at least four out of the following > seven symptoms are present: > >   * Symmetric swelling (arthritis) >   * Rheumatoid nodules >   * The presence of rheumatoid factor (in serum) >   * ... > There are similar classifications for many conditions. I remember seeing a specific term used for this kind of definition. It was fairly technical and could be unique to the fields of medicine or medical informatics. What is this definition type called?


title: "Times ahead of us" vs. "times ahead for us"

text: What is the difference between these two phrases? > good times ahead **of** us > > good times ahead **for** us


title: Are "the fact of the matter" and "as a matter of fact" the same?

text: For a long time, I had only known the phrase "matter of fact" to be used in "as a matter of fact..." However, for quite a few days, I have also been hearing, "the fact of the matter is..." in news debates. Are these one and the same? If not, how and where they can be used?


title: "For a long time" vs "in a long time"

text: Which preposition is correct and what is the difference in meaning if any? > I went to the gym, something I haven't done **for** a long time. > > I went to the gym, something I haven't done **in** a long time.


title: What are general rules to form this superlatives: "adjective + most"?

text: I happen to find superlatives with the structure below: Adjective + most, which are: the rearmost, the frontmost, the uppermost, the headmost, the outermost, the topmost, etc. What are the general rules to form this type of superlative? Is it related to direction?


title: Antonym of 'sample' ('example')

text: What is the antonym of the adjective "sample" (example/specimen) besides "whole"? I'd like to replace "non-sample" in the following sentence: > I saved my _sample_ code but accidentally deleted my _non-sample_ project.


title: Word for describing someone whose name is the opposite of what they are?

text: I was wondering if there is a word to describe someone whose name is diametrically oppossed to who they are. For instance a firefighter whose last name is Arson or a swimmer whose last name is Dry.


title: Antonym for Claim

text: I am looking for an antonym for the word _claim_. The closest words I could find are _reject_ , _deny_ , and, of course, _disclaim_. My problem with _disclaim_ is that I have only ever seen it used as _disclaimer_ , which has a rather special, almost legal, meaning in American English. My problem with _reject_ and _deny_ is that it sounds as though I am turning something down. They aren't necessarily opposite in meaning, and they convey an entirely different message. If claim means... > state or assert that something is the case ... then I am looking for > not state or assert that something is the case, but not necessarily state > that it _isn't_ the case Consider the following sentences:   1. I claim X.   2. I do not claim X.   3. I reject X. I am looking to replace the "do not claim" in sentence number two.


title: Adjective or noun when referring to plural citizenship

text: What is the right form to use when talking about plural citizenship?   "We are Italian" or "we are Italians"? (or American, Or German or any other ending with "*an") Same issue for "Saudi" or "Saudies", "Israeli" or "Israelies", etc. I understand that one is used as a noun and one as an adjective, but which is right and why? And on the same topic, how can for example, "Chinese", "Taiwanese" or "Japanese" be used differently for plural and singular? And what should one do with "Korean" - is "Koreans" even valid? Somehow it sounds strange to say "Koreans". **EDIT I** : as result of the comments : I am not specifically talking about "nationality" . the same can be asked about a city: would It be "Londonian" or "Londonese" , "New-Yorkean" or "New-Yorker" "New Yorkian" or "New-yorkese"? ..and also about non-human objects or concepts like books, food, drinks, art , company etc. I am sorry if I combine different concepts here , But I have a difficulty in pin pointing a common logic .


title: Meaning of "exported from somewhere"

text: I don't quite understand how one should use the expression "exported from somewhere". What does it mean when an item is exported from a given place? So far I've always seen the verb _export_ used like this: > The UK **exports** veal **to** many European countries. I've also seen the verb _import_ being used like this: > The UK **imports** asparagus **from** Bolivia. But I don't understand what _exported from_ means. For example: > Wheat is **exported from** the UK.


title: What does "pretense" mean in this context?

text: > You answered me with no pretense Context I checked the definition but I still don't really get it. What would be another way of saying this?


title: Sentence with Present Perfect

text: I am studying Present Perfect now and I am wondering if it is correct to say, for example, "The summer has been over"?


title: Is "paiement" an english word?

text: I'm wondering if the `paiement` word is an English word. It looks like a French word. Could you confirm that `paiement` is an English word?


title: Passive, present perfect continuous, past simple

text: I have been going down my path for few years. I am still going down and find new things. And now I am telling a story about it and how my path started in the past. What to use? how my path started? how my path is started? how my path has started? how my path was started?


title: Expressing an opinion: to me or for me?

text: Which one should be used? > To me, it makes no difference, but I'm not really sure why. vs > For me, it makes no difference, but I'm not really sure why.


title: What does “to put it charitably” mean?

text: There was the following sentence in the article titled “Why Rick Perry may be out of luck” appearing in the New Yorker (August 19): > "Last Friday, the Texas Governor was indicted on two counts: abuse of > official capacity and coercion of a public servant. What those charges mean, > though, is hard to say. The indictment itself is just two pages and, **to > put it charitably** , unelaborated." http://www.newyorker.com/news/daily- > comment/rick-perry-may-luck I’m unfamiliar with the phrase, “to put it charitably.” CED defines “charitably” as; Verb. in a kind way, not judging other people in a severe way: example. She described him, rather charitably, as quiet whereas I would have said he was boring. But the above definition doesn’t look sit well to me with the sentence, “two- page indictment, to put it charitably is unelaborated,” because “unelaborated” indictment is felt to be rather a bitter criticism. Google Ngram shows popularity of “to put it mildly” (0.0000183846% in 2007) in comparison with marginal currency of “to put it charitably (0.0000005512% in 2007). What does “to put it charitably” here mean? Is it same with “to put it mildly" or "to say the least”? If it is, I wonder why the writer preferred to use a phrase not so popular.


title: What is the infinitive of "can"?

text: Like the title says: I don't think "to can" is right :) I mean "can" as in _to be able to_. I'm aware of other meanings. I can't find the answer here. (There's What is an "infinitive"? which sidesteps this precise case). Online dictionaries draw a blank (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/can, e.g.). I'm looking for some official indication that the infinitive doesn't exist for this irregular verb. It would be nice if someone could share any information on how this has evolved to be the case.


title: "In the last 3 months" vs "in the past 3 months"

text: What's the difference between _in the **last** 3 months_ and _in the **past** 3 months_ if there is any?


title: "without any core banking words"

text: What is a better way of saying this sentence? > The banker explained the working of bank in an easy way for a layman to > understand **without any core banking words**. The emphasis is on the highlighted part.


title: Is the use of "-based" ending acceptable for two words expression?

text: When describing something as being based on a major element, one can use the "-based" ending. How does it work when the major element is an expression formed by two words, such as _body tracking_? Is it ok to write > ... body tracking-based interaction ... Or would it look better reversed? > ... interaction based on body tracking ...


title: Origin of "clip" in "clip around the ears"

text: "Clip" commonly refers to a device for holding things together. One dictionary says it's "of unknown origin, first occurring in the 15th century." In such phrases as "giving him a clip around the ear", where does the word come from?


title: "Our head" or "our heads"?

text: When speaking of a group of people and referring to a body part of which there is only one (e.g. head, nose, mouth, etc.), do we use the singular or plural form? Which of the following is correct, or are both possible? _Our stomach is full._ _Our stomachs are full._


title: What do you call the type of verb that by saying it you actually perform the action?

text: What do you call a verb that by saying it you actually perform the action? Common example: Apologize -- "I apologize for hurting you." (You just apologized by saying that) I vaguely remember hearing a specific term for this sort of verb once...


title: Abbreviations and Full Stops

text: What are the rules for putting a full stop after an abbreviation. For instance, I want to say the following on my business card. Tel: xxx-xxx-xxx Do I need to put a full stop after the Tel? Tel.: xxx-xxx-xxx


title: In Legal English (law) is there an authoritative meaning to “over the age of ‘X’”?

text: [This is a question about Legal English, that is, English language used in legal writing, not about strict usage of English outside of legal writing. —DN] In Legal English what does “over the age of ‘X’” mean? I see both these wordings in California Law:   1. “over the age of 18”   2. “age 18 or older” Literally interpreted, these have different meanings. I would tend to prefer the second wording, but is there some reference that defines and clarifies the correct, authoritative or preferred wording in law?


title: Synonyms for "get off medication"

text: How would you say "I'd like to get off the medication" not using the colloquial phrasal verb "get off"? I.e., something that you'd hear someone well-versed in the English language say. For example, can someone fill in a word or phrase to complete the following sentence: > I'd like to be _**___ __**_ medication by next month.


title: Usage of the phrase 'reviewing over'

text: I've come across the phrase 'reviewing over' and at first I disregarded it as a hold over from grammar in a foreign language but now I've seen a native English speaker use the same phrase. For example: While reviewing over the documents the lawyer found many loopholes. I have looked around a good bit on the internet but cannot find any explanation as to why this phrase would be written like this versus 'going over' or 'reviewing'. Can the great minds of stack help me feel better about this or have a good reason to discourage it?


title: Is "deers" correct when referring to different species?

text: The plural of _deer_ is _deer_ , but if you are referring to different species of deer, would it be correct to say " _deers_ "? Considering that the plural of _fish_ is _fish_ , but when referring to different species one would use _fishes_. Does this rule apply for other animals such as deer and sheep when referring to multiple species/breeds? If not, any explanation as to why the difference would be appreciated.


title: Object complement adjective, or direct object, or?

text: > Jill painted the kitchen rosey red. In this sentence, would _red_ be considered an object complement adjective? If so, what do I do with _rosey_ , since I cannot have an adjective modifying another adjective? I think it is a stretch to say that _rosey_ is an adverb modifying _red_ , answering the question, "What degree red?" Is this actually a `S-Vt-IO-DO`? Something substantive ( _red_ ) is being applied to/for the kitchen. Can someone shed some light on this?


title: A single word with the same meaning as: "Latest activity"

text: I've been trying to find a single word that would say "latest activity" or "most recent activity". The word is to be used as a column header, and it will probably read either "latest activity" or "latest retry". The column cells will hold time stamps that is stamped every time a state is changed or when a request to change state is sent. **It's really to identify idle workflows**. I've tried searching for it but I don't seem to find any. Is anyone here aware of a single word that would communicate this?


title: Is there a word for something that isn't your first intention?

text: For example if a student wishes for a storm because he wants his classes to be suspended. His main intention is to have no school but not necessarily to have a storm. Not sure if this makes any sense. I'm pretty sure there's no word for it but I don't know because English is not my first language.


title: What was the cricketing metaphor used by Margaret Thatcher which provoked Howe's retort?

text: Sir Geoffrey Howe, in 1990, used a cricket simile to devastating effect in the House of Commons to bring down the premiership of Margaret Thatcher. He famously said of her on the subject of negotiations over the EMU: "It is rather like sending your opening batsmen to the crease, only for them to find, as the first balls are being bowled, that their bats have been broken before the game by the team captain". This has now become so legendary that everyone has forgotten the cricketing analogy which Thatcher, herself, had used against some of her party colleagues, and which provoked this response from Howe. Does anyone know what it was?


title: Difference between "funny" and "strange"/"weird"

text: I noticed that in English the word _funny_ is sometimes used in the meaning of _strange_ or _weird_. What's the exact difference? What is interesting for me is that you have a single word meaning at the same time _causing laughter_ and _odd or strange_ (http://www.merriam- webster.com/dictionary/funny). The examples given at Merriam-Webster can then have a funny connotation, such as: > What are you laughing at? There's nothing funny about it. Could you please give examples where using _funny_ in the meaning of _strange_ is better than _strange_ itself? N.B.: I am aware of the question What is the difference between "that's odd", "that' s weird", and "that's strange"?


title: Forming the possessive of a username that is a contraction

text: Suppose there was a user of one of these sites whose handle was `Won't`. How would one form the possessive of this username to refer to that user's post?* > Won't's answer Given that the `'s` possessive construction is apparently derived from a contraction, and the existence of a fair number of double contractions, I suspect this first one might be correct, but frankly, it looks weird to me. > Won'ts answer One apostrophe in its usual place looks a little better to me, but it also looks like it might be a pluralization,** even though that doesn't make sense in context. This choice might read confusingly. > Wont's answer This seems to be a non-starter, since it changes the name for the sake of forming the possessive. Is the first one right, or is there a possibility I've missed?* * * * *Aside from using "the post by Won't" or similar rewriting.   **Especially given "Do's" and "don'ts" or "do's" and "don't's"?


title: Give me more examples using the word 'legerdemain.'

text: I came across the word, 'legerdemain' in the newspaper. This part says about Romney. ...And, his tax legerdemain has made him seem shady. A dictionary says that it is skill in using your hands to perform magic tricks often used figuratively. I think it is a deceptive way of concealing, hiding, or cheating on others. Where can the word be used? Could anyone give me some examples?


title: "a" and "the" before time markers

text: For my linguistics course I was asked to explain the difference in meaning of the following: > 1\. I would like to have lunch with you on Friday   >  2\. I would like to have lunch with you on a Friday Also, a similar example: > 3\. We will have a test the next week   >  4\. We will have a test next week


title: Between friend and acquaintance?

text: What do I call people in between friends and acquaintance? I want to refer to my classmates who I know somewhat well and are friendly with, but not friends.


title: Where does "pop it in the oven" come from?

text: Where and when did the phrase "pop it in the oven" originate?


title: Does "neighbor" really mean "he who lives close"?

text: I thought that's what it means, but Dictionary.com says that it can also mean >   1. One's fellow human being: _to be generous toward one's less fortunate > neighbors_. >   2. A person who shows kindliness or helpfulness toward his or her fellow > humans: _to be a neighbor to someone in distress_. > Basically I was asking Christians why they translated the Hebrew word _rhea_ as "neighbor" given that it means "comrade". Turns out, the word _neighbor_ in English also has the secondary meaning of "comrade", though I think the main meaning is "he who lives nearby". So how accurate are these secondary meanings of the word _neighbor_?


title: on multiple infinitives

text: 1. It is my greatest intellectual satisfaction to be able **to** read a line from Plato's dialogues **and see** what is sounds like in any of the languages in which I can read.   2. It is my greatest intellectual satisfaction to be able _to_ read a line from Plato's dialogues and _to_ see what is sounds like in any of the languages in which I can read. Which one sounds grammatically and stylistically better?


title: What is the name of a repair shop specialized in fixing flat tires?

text: Here in Brazil we have "borracharias" a repair shop with many tires where they replace or fix flat tires. "Borracha" means rubber. Neither Google Translate nor Wikipedia could help me to find an English translation for "borracharia".


title: "The behavior is seen in other properties" vs. "for other properties"

text: > The same behavior can also be seen [in/for] other properties such as the > color and the mass. Which one is correct here, _in_ or _for_? EDIT: Adding more context: > The charge of quarks increases as we move to the heavier region. The same > behavior can also be seen [in/for] other properties (of the quarks) such as > the color and the mass.


title: why it is "How are you" and not "How is You"

text: my english is not very good,just want to ask this simple question "these are" ,"this is","those are","that is" it means "are" used for plural,but when asking to someone how is he,why people use "how are you" instead of "how is you".


title: Why do we pronounce "disease" like that?

text: What is the rule of pronunciation in this case? Why do we say like if there was an "e" in place of the "i"?


title: Should I capitalize peace, love, and happiness?

text: I am writing in our family Christmas card this year: Wishing you peace, love, and happiness. My question is, should peace, love, and happiness be capitalized? It's driving me crazy! Thank you!


title: metaphor of "lily" and the meaning of "emerging from the mire"

text: I ran into this: "And you, Madame Lucrezia, flower of the Borgias, if a poet painted you as the catholic Messalina, a skeptical Gregorovious turned up and almost completely absolved you of that quality; so that, if you have not become exactly a lily, at least you have emerged from the mire." I would like to know if there is a metaphor of lily in this text. if so, what does it mean? more over, what does "emerging from the mire" mean? I understand from the text that Gregorovious absolved her from the reputation for promiscuity.


title: Do you change your career or careers?

text: When you change from one thing to another, you say like you change trains, shirts, etc. How about when you make a career change? Do you say you change your career or you change careers?


title: Is 'Regards by' a valid usage

text: Is 'Regards by' term correct when we end an e-mail. I have seen ending mail using "With Regards, Warm Regards, Regards" but 'Regards by' seems somewhere wrong, please correct me if I am.


title: A word for indescribable pain; melancholic longing?

text: "Have you ever experienced a brand-new feeling that welled up inside of your heart and filled you with indescribable pain?" A quote from the English translation of _Cowboy Bebop: The Movie_. Two characters are discussing a sort of painful, melancholic longing, like love but perhaps a new feeling entirely. The Portuguese word _saudade_ seems close, but I am aware that it does not have an English counterpart. Is there a word I haven't heard that fits this description?


title: Why is "feminism" good but "racism" and other "-isms" bad?

text: Feminism is generally seen as a good thing. It means something or other about achieving equality of the sexes; of treating people of different sexes the same or as well as each other. Racism is generally seen as a bad thing. It means something or other about not achieving equality between people of different races; of treating people of different races differently and badly. Why is there this difference between _-isms_? Where did it come from?


title: In the UK - what does "cheeky half" mean?

text: And what is the expression's origin? (I believe it's related to beer)


title: Does the idiom "in lieu of" for "instead of" sound legalese or affected in modern day AmE

text: I once came across the idiomatic "in lieu of" in some bilingual dictionary I can't seem to put my hands on anymore, but I remember pretty well the phrase being defined as an Americanism. And so, I wish you could tell if "in lieu of" is safe to use instead of "instead of" in everyday speech and writing. Or does it sound sort of legalese or stilted for the most common prose? > http://www.thefreedictionary.com/in+lieu+of E.g. More and more health conscious consumers are becoming aware of the value of raw milk and raw milk products in lieu of pasteurized milk and milk products. source


title: Doing drugs vs having breakfast

text: Why do we _do_ drugs but _have_ food? Or even _have_ a beer, which is alcoholic beverage thus a sort of drug too. In both cases we consume something. Is there a rule for this?


title: On the Origin of the Universal Quantifier: A Semiotic Etymology

text: What is the "etymology" of the symbol ∀ (for all), the universal quantifier. I can't find anything here, but I suspect it was adopted in the same way our numerals were adopted. * * * ## REMARK ABOUT A COMMENT As simchona has pointed out, the symbol appears to have come from a shorthand (see here) from Gerhard Gentzen's publication "Investigations into Logical Deduction" in the _The American Philosophical Quarterly_ , a symbol which shares an interesting likeness to the symbol in the link above. Perhaps the symbol had an earlier meaning, which gave reason to its usage in the Gentzenian way. Thank you, simchona.


title: What does the 'it' mean now?

text: In the example, can I accept that _it_ in ‘it’s all here in your head’ indicates ‘you could be great’? > "Not Slytherin, eh?" said the small voice. "Are you sure? You could be > great, you know, it's all here in your head, and Slytherin will help you on > the way to greatness, no doubt about that—no? Well, if you're sure—better be > GRYFFINDOR!"


title: Who is pleased?

text: In the sentence, who is pleased, Malfoy or Crabbe and Goyle? > Malfoy went to join his friends Crabbe and Goyle, looking pleased with > himself.


title: Difference between seed, nut, kernel, pit, grain

text: I was reading on a food package that it contained seeds AND grains. I thought, aren't they the same thing? I thougth for a second and it seems like the following are all the same thing:               Seed (as in apple)     Grain (as in wheat)     Nut (as in almond)     Kernel (as in corn)     Pit (as in olive)     Bean (as in fava/broad bean)      Aren't they all the same thing - seeds? Are there particular differences in meaning or etymology between them?


title: Word for "unaware of surroundings"

text: What's a word that describes a person that does not recognize their surroundings of where they live?


title: How did the Swedish word "fartlek" make it to the English language running vocabulary?

text: This is a question originally from Fitocracy by ivh: > Btw, does anybody know how the Swedish word "fartlek" made it into English > running lingo? ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/U9djm.png)


title: 'I don't like fish.' 'Me, too.' Is this natural?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Can "me, too" be used to reply to a negative statement? 'I don't like fish.' 'Me, too.' Is this sentence natural or unnatural? I mean not the grammatical but the communicational.


title: Plural of 'quiz'

text: The plural of "quiz" is spelled with double "z" while the plural of "box" (and sometimes "bus") is spelled with single last consonant. Why is it so? Is this the general rule to double the last consonant to keep the syllable closed?


title: Expression for a situation where most prominent stakeholders give up

text: I am a Tango for D adopter and appreciate it very much but I am very concerned with a threatening trend. I noticed that many prominent early members leave it. I perceive that as a strong vulnerability signal to the community because it's not outweighed by new entries. I am looking for an appropriate idiomatic way to convey the fact that they abandon/leave/quit with emphasis on the threat that it involves (Something akin to the French: "Ils quittent/abandonnent le navire").


title: Word/phrase for importance being reduced

text: For example when you stop doing one thing before it's finished, and start something else because you, or someone else, considers it more important than the thing you were doing. The thing you was doing is now less important than this new thing that needs doing. I am trying to think of a heading for list of things like this, things have been dropped half way through to start something else "more important", but still need finishing at some point. _De-prioritised_ is not the correct word for this in my opinion, as you can de-prioritise jobs that haven't yet been started, or may never be started. I am after a word that clearly gets across that I was in the middle of a job that is now sitting half done because I started something "more important".


title: How do I express the plural of a letter in writing?

text: My last name has two occurrences of the letter "s" in it, so in speech I tell people all the time that it's spelled "with two esses". However I don't know how to express such a thing in writing. I can see half decent reasons for any of "s's", "S's", "ses", "Ses", "ss", "Ss", or "esses" . Which is/are correct?


title: "as such that" vs. "such that"

text: I would like to see if the following sentence is correct: (context: the tool performs an analysis during which alarms may be raised) > _1._ we had set up the tool such that a raised alarm stops the whole > analysis. Someone proposed > _2._ we had set up the tool as such that a raised alarm stops the whole > analysis.   >  _3._ we had set up the tool such that a raised alarm would stop the whole > analysis.   >  _4._ we had set up the tool as such that a raised alarm would stop the > whole analysis.


title: What are the polite and neutral versions of “cut the bull*’?

text: I was wondering what are the polite and neutral versions of _cut the bullshit_? Suppose one calls his mobile customer service for signal problem, but the representative endlessly tries to promote irrelevant products. I seem to remember there is some word other than _bullshit_ to be used with _cut_ , which is more neutral, but I cannot recall it.


title: Are phrases with implicit meanings considered incorrect/wrong?

text: An example phrase is > ... Internet is out ... The implicit word here is "connection." The full phrase would be > ... Internet connection is out ... Is the first incorrect? Is there a general rule to acceptance of dropped/implicit words in phrase meaning?


title: What does "didn't pace himself" means?

text: _For example_ , > **Raimund Preußen didn't pace himself at all** , and after a series of > daring offensive runs he was too tired to help out in the defensive play.


title: Anti followed by phrase, usage of hyphen

text: See this headline > Anti-police brutality march declared illegal, broken up I felt they should have written `anti police-brutality` or `anti-police- brutality`. Which one is more proper? Edit: It is funny that they have now changed the headline! Did they see this thread :)


title: Origins of the word "terrible"

text: What are the origins of the word "terrible". Do the words "terror" or "terrific" come from the same roots? I am curious since I believe the word "terrible" can be used to mean "great" in French.


title: "This chapter, and the following chapters in this section" — singular or plural?

text: I have some technical documentation that has the phrase: > This chapters describes how to... And I need to upgrade it to refer to the current and following chapters. What is the correct English phrase to use? > This chapter, and the following chapters in this section, describes how > to... or: > This chapter, and the following chapters in this section, describe how to... In other words, is the thing doing the describing a multitude of chapters (that would "describe" something), or are the multitude considered a single item here (needing "describes")? Or, are both phrases wrong?


title: Common term for 'row' and 'column'

text: Is there a single term that can be used to describe both a 'row' and a 'column', such as in a spreadsheet? EDIT: I like Kris's comment-answer of "linear array", because it doesn't have so much of a loaded meaning as the other answers. "Axis" isn't bad considering I (purposefully) didn't specify the use-case. I'm trying to come up with a name for a programming variable that can either hold a row or a column, and 'array' and 'axis' can give the wrong idea in this context. :-(


title: Best ways to write thoughts in narrative

text: I would normally put a thought in a narrative in quotation marks, but it becomes boring and stilted to continually write, thought Mary, or thought John. A thought normally would have a different person; e.g. "He wants to know where I was yesterday," would be the thought of the dialogue, "You want to know where I was yesterday." But in certain contexts the first example could be spoken dialogue as well. The context should give clarity, but in more complicated narrative, i.e. numerous speakers, it would not. Has anyone any hot tips for writing thoughts in dialogue.


title: "You have until X to do Y" — is this grammatically correct?

text: I have a question regarding the following sentence: > You have **until** June 6th to go there. Is it grammatically incorrect? Consider the following: _You_ is the subject, _have_ is the verb, _until June 6th_ and _to go there_ are both adverbs. Does this make _have_ not have an object?


title: observe someone ... to have been...，

text: My question is in following sentence > What happens, says Hume, is that we observe individuals of one species to > have been constantly attended by individuals of another. Why use **to have been** instead of **have been**? I searched for this and only get 5 patterns, 1、observe someone/something 2、observe someone/something do something 3、observe someone/something doing something 4、observe that… 5、be observed to do something I don't see there is observe someone/something to do something.


title: Adjective for something that puts you on edge?

text: For school, I'm taking some online courses, which are graded almost completely by 10 question quizzes that cover each lesson. Any question wrong is a drop of 10%, so it's very important to try to get everything right. Unfortunately, the questions are often quite ambiguous and opinionated, and leave me stuck between two choices. In describing how I felt taking the quizzes to someone, I had said that they were tantalizing, but after looking the word up to confirm that I had used it correctly, I found that it was a bit off from what I wanted. I think unnerving would be more appropriate, but what would the SE community say is the best way to describe tests like these?


title: Word for "aver the primacy" or "make essential"

text: Is there a single word (or better set of words) to express e.g.:   * "liberalism _avers the primacy_ of the individual", or   * "Johannes _renders_ his masculinity _essential_?


title: What to call certain types of vague words that trigger strong emotions

text: I guess I can call them 'politician words' but.... What do you call a word/phrase that has a lot of emotion behind it, but doesn't necessarily have any specific meaning. E.G.: Freedom, Liberty, Terrorism, Patriotism, etc. _Speech words_ doesn't quite get it. _Rhetorical dynamite words_? Nahh. _Sending vague messages to your medulla oblongata to scare you into voting for me_ is highly accurate, if unwieldy.


title: "Time needed to complete a work" -- is this correct?

text: Is the usage of "a work" correct here? My supervisor, who is not an English teacher, advised me to use "a task" instead. Usually, though, I would not mind either way. Does somebody have another opinion?


what is the short form for 'little' ? Is it li'l or lil'?


title: How should I contract this sentence?

text: In an email, I would like to write the following sentence: > The weight of services given by _Company B_ is not less than the weight of > services given by _Company A_. I want to contract this sentence, but I'm not sure if this is correct: > The weight of services given by _Company B_ is not less than _Company A_. What are my options for explaining this with just one sentence? To make the context more clear: _Company A_ and _Company B_ are two partner firms in the same sector sharing the revenues according to specific conditions. They can merge or split in the near future. The aim of this sentence is to emphasize that the service quantity of _Company B_ is larger than or (at worst) equal to the service quantity of _Company A_.


title: Origin of the phrase "Now we're cooking with _"

text: I have heard this phrase as:   * Now we're cooking with gas.   * Now we're cooking with grease.   * Now we're cooking with heat.   * Now we're cooking with fire. Which of these is the original version, and where/how did it originate?


title: Why was the 'hoodie' given the name 'hoodie'?

text: There were plenty of pieces of upper-body garments/clothing, which had a hood, before the 'hoodie'. Was it simply that no one had thought of the name up until then? Or was there something different/special about the 'hoodie'?


title: What is a jaffer?

text: I have been reading the cricket commentary today and came across an unfamiliar word: _jaffer_. > Anderson continues, surely figuring that someone is going to get Morkel out > soon and it bloody well better be him. Bumper, then a jaffer. Morne still > there though. I looked up _jaffer_ and found a definition in the Urban Dictionary:- > A professional gaffe or lapse in judgement by a well-known public figure ( > especially a politician). A mistake of epic proportions. But that doesn't seem to be what the commentator meant. So, does anyone know what a _jaffer_ is, in the cricketing sense?


title: Difference between "little" and "small"

text: Is there a difference between them? If so, how and when are they used? For example: > I fixed a little/small typo.


title: Words that end with "mt"

text: Is _dreamt_ the only English word that ends with "mt"?


title: What does the phrase "Vast majority of people live in the world without" mean?

text: As I describe in the question title I want to know the meaning of the phrase highlighted in the following quotation from the 5 August 2012 blog of author Edward Hersh: > Look around you. Wherever you live, whatever circle of society you are part > of, you will notice that the **vast majority of people live in the world > without.** Those who are more enlightened, however, are intensely involved > with the world within. They realize—as you will, too—that the world within > creates the world without.


title: Where did this usage of "something" originate: "I need a nap something terrible"?

text: > I need a nap something awful! I know what this means, but I could never understand it: it's not easier to say, it's not more efficient, and it doesn't make sense! When was it started (and why)?


title: What are the right adjectives to refer to changes in gravity?

text: How should one refer to the changes in gravity? Should one say: _"gravity became higher/lower"_ or _"gravity became lighter/heavier?"_


title: A Good Resource (Book, ...) For Literary Techniques/Devices?

text: What's a good book (Or resource) on Literary Techniques/Devices in English Literature?


title: "Application for Android" versus "application on Android"

text: Which one is correct/most scientific?   * I am developing a certain application **for** Android.   * I am developing a certain application **on** Android.   * I am developing a certain application **for** the platform Android.   * I am developing a certain application **on** the platform Android.


title: Does one open a browser “on” a URL?

text: Can I say: > It opens the browser on the URL **[X]** meaning that something is opening the browser with the URL **[X]** already typed in and loading?


title: The use of “So X as to Y”

text: First of all, note that this is not a duplicate question of another one asking about the usage of _so as to_ , since this one is asking about the structure of _so . . . as to. . . ._ I understand this might have been a better question at the English Language Learners site, since I’m not a native English speaker. I am asking it here since I want to get some professional advice in regard to this question, since I don’t seem to have found anything similar to this on the Internet. At the Oxford Dictionaries Online (OD) I have found the following definition of _ludicrous_ : > So foolish, unreasonable, or out of place as to be amusing. I understand the phrase _so as to_ , simply meaning _in order to_ and preceding the purpose for which an action is done. _So_ by itself is just _therefore_ , _hence_ , _thus_ , or a way of emphasizing an adjective or adverb. _As to_ in itself means _with regard to_ or _according to_ , as pointed out in the Free Dictionary. In the OD definition of _ludicrous_ , the use of _so_ looks fair to me, that is, it clearly emphasizes the high extent to which something is foolish or unreasonable. The use of _as to_ doesn’t work in any way I’ve mentioned in this case (neither as in _with regard to_ nor _according to_ ). I think the dictionary I’ve referred to has missed one, if not more, meaning of the phrase _as to_. In this case, it appears to have likely been used as an alternative to _that_ when used in the form _So X, that Y_ , meaning something is or happens X (a combination of adjectives or adverbs) enough to cause Y to happen. Of course, I don’t mean that in the structure _so X as to Y_ the phrase _as to_ is absolutely equivalent to _that_ , since substituting _as to_ with _that_ changes the structure of Y. Does all this mean that the phrase _as to_ is a great alternative to _that_ (although changing the structure of Y) whenever the sentence is of the form _so X, that Y_ (where X is a combination of one or more adjectives or adverbs)? I am new here and so I’m not too familiar with the variety of existing tags here, so if anyone sees an additional one that would fit, please add it to this question. I would also be glad to see some other corrections of my grammar.


title: What is difference between process and progress?

text: What is difference between process and progress. Does progress mean how many percent completed of process ? Best regards.


title: Alternative word for pajama?

text: When I first saw the word "pajama", I felt it doesn't sound like an English word. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pajama says it's from Hindi and Urdu and showed up after 1883. I'm just curious, how did native English speaker say "pajama" before 1883?


title: Synonyms for "old" with positive connotations (and some conditions)

text: I want to describe a project for categorizing 'old' things, as well as antedating things that may not be very old*. I'm looking for a word to describe their age. First, I would like a positive or at least neutral connotation. "Antedate" is good in this sense, "old" not so much. (But I don't want to restrict the scope to just things that are known at the present but for which older uses are found, but also to include categorizing existing old things and discovering previously-unknown old things.) Second, the term should not imply great antiquity. The things under consideration are a type of mathematical object and most will be fairly recent (19th or 20th century), though a few will be older. Finally the term should not be overly obscure. Perhaps there is a common word which I have overlooked; if not, at least it should be a word with some currency. At the moment I'm leaning toward "historical" which is not great but may suffice. Can you find a better word? * That is, for something known to date back to N, find a use of it from year M where M < N. "Fibonacci's identity was actually first studied by Diophantus 900 years earlier."


title: What's the correct pronunciation of "Israel"?

text: From Google I have gathered there are several ways for pronounce Israel, I have pronounced it is-rye-el. From googling it some seem to indicate it acceptable and another says it is vulgar and should be avoided, so I come to you, which one is it, as it seems it is used often enough... Edit: Adding links to the links I looked at before asking and referenced above. Page that offers two ways of pronunciation neither is-rye-el http://www.howjsay.com/index.php?word=israel Mention of several pronunciations including is-rye-el http://www.choralnet.org/205055 . Mention that is-rye-el is vulgar and barbaric More mentions of is-rye-el and how it is pronounced in the east. http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20091227010727AAygoKG More mentions of is-rye-el and other common pronunciations, at least one commenter seems to think is-rye-el is the usual way it is said in America. http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/archive/index.php/t-623574.html


title: Why we say the earth is beautiful not handsome?

text: Why we say the world is beautiful? Can't we say the world is handsome?


title: Use of "what" vs "that"

text: The following sentence was on one of the tests: > What would you like to do **that** others have told you is impossible. Students have asked why _that_ could not be replaced with _what_. I.e., > What would you like to do **what** others have told you is impossible. We have been trying to debate, we know it doesn't sound right but they expect a more detailed explanation, will really appreciate if anyone has an answer for this.


title: Can a colon be used after a helping verb like "is"?

text: I'm writing an answer to a science question and I'm not sure if I need a semicolon in the sentence. > The problem for the experiment is; How do homing pigeons find their way > home?


title: Term for “preview entries” that web sites show on index pages?

text: Blogs and websites typically provide an index page of entries where they show an excerpt of the post. Excerpts usually include title, author, post date, and a blurb. What is the term for these sorts of excerpt?


title: Auxiliary verb and adverb ordering

text: (I'm not really sure if the title is a correct definition of my problem at all) I'm not a native English speaker, and I'm used to say: > Spaghetti suddenly can talk But I've seen a phrase from a native speaker > Spaghetti can suddenly talk I don't want to rush to conclusions based on one example, so please tell me what's the correct way to say such sentences and how incorrect is the other way (informal or maybe rough error)?


title: Using knock and knocking

text: > For a Halloween event, I dressed up as a student, knocked on my teacher's > doors, and received extra homework. Can this sentence be rewritten using _knocking_? Is the following grammatically correct and used? > I dressed up as student, knocking on my teacher's doors, he gave me extra > homework. Under what circumstance do we use _knocking_? How can we phrase it?


title: Is there a prefix for "infinite"?

text: I was looking for a prefix I could prepend to a word to mean an infinite amount of the thing the word describes. I eventually found someone with the same question, and since there were no answers, I offered a "close enough" one. But I got curious and tried to research some more. I didn't find a good list of amount-related prefixes (Wikipedia has an article on number prefixes, though), so I built one. But I found no prefix for infinity. Is there one?


title: A word for an Irish-phile, a person who is fond of Irish or Celtic culture

text: For example, _francophilia_ describes fondness for French culture, language, etc. and an _anglophile_ is a person who is similarly fond of British culture. Is there an analogous word to describe a person who is fond of Irish or Celtic culture or languages?


title: What is the opposite of "on-the-fly"

text: The phrase is used a lot in software world and refers to an activity that occurs while some other activity is in progress. Google search for "on-the-fly meaning" gives "while in motion or progress". I am using it in the context of a software upgrade; on-the-fly software upgrade is the kind that occurs while the software is running. The opposite would be when the running software has to be stopped, upgraded, and then restarted. What phrase/word can I use to describe this? Are there any phrases that can be done from automotive industry? Some repairs can be done while the car is running and for others the car has to be brought to a full stop. If need be, I don't mind changing the on-the-fly with something else that has a more obvious opposite. I have already considered Hot/Cold which makes sense not very appealing.


title: Difference between "vanish" and "disappear"

text: What is the difference between these words, exactly? Both mean to stop existing or to become invisible. vanish > He turned around and vanished into the house. > > My glasses seem to have vanished. > > All hopes of a peaceful settlement had now vanished. disappear > The plane disappeared behind a cloud. > > Her nervousness quickly disappeared once she was on stage.


title: What is the term for engraved metal discs showing bearings and distances to other places?

text: At touristic vantage points, one can sometimes find engraved metal discs that show the bearings and distances to other visible places like mountains in the area, or to far away cities and places. An example would be the plaque found in Sabah on Borneo: ![](http://i.stack.imgur.com/q445U.png) Image taken from "Expedition to the Center of Sabah" on MySabah.com Is there a term for these types of discs? On the blog I linked to, the author uses the term 'metal “compass” plaque', but that's not really accurate, since the marked points aren't "points of the compass" in the sense of divisions of the cardinal directions. A Google search for "metal plaque distances bearings" or "engraved disc distances directions" or various combinations of those strings doesn't turn up relevant results. The image shown above was found using Google Image Search with "metal plaque directions distance", which also turned up a couple of other images of examples, but no authoritative sites that would be helpful in finding a proper term for these discs.


title: What is the etymology of the saying "talk is cheap"?

text: Google Ngram lists the first usage at around 1810 but a later book refers to it as an old saw. Is there any way to know what the original context of this saying was? I understand that it probably goes along with the idea that actions are stronger than words or that actions are greater than words but I can't verify that. I am curious where it was first popularized and maybe even the context that lead it to be coined in the first place.


title: Can "your reputation precedes you" be used as a negative statement?

text: I have always considered "your reputation precedes you" as a gesture of complement and respect. However it occurred to me if it is possible to use it for a notorious person with a bad reputation? Imagine I use my time machine and arrange a meeting with [e.g.] Stalin. If I say _your reputation precedes you_ , can I safely* assume it will be interpreted as an insult?** * * * * safely, from a linguistic viewpoint and not my physical safe! ** insult, from a linguistic viewpoint and not Mr. Stalin's ego.


title: Is there a technical term for an idiomatic phrase that originates from words that closely resemble each other?

text: In the question "History of the phrase 'break wind'" I noted in the comment that the word "break" might have originated from > the Middle English blowe, **blaw** , northern variant of blēwe, from Proto- > Germanic *** _blewwanan_** 'to beat' (compare Old Norse blegði 'wedge', > German bläuen, Middle Dutch blouwen). (see http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/blow) where blow could mean blow/strike/beat while the "wind" part comes from the word "flatus" which can be traced back to the the OE **"blawan"** since > There are three distinct blows in English. The commonest, the verb ‘send out > air’ (OE), can be traced back to an Indo-European base *bhlā-. It came into > English (as Old English **_blāwan_** ) via Germanic *blǣ-, source also of > bladder. The Indo-European base also produced Latin flāre ‘blow’, from which > English gets flatulent and inflate (see http://www.word-origins.com/definition/blow.html). The words **_blewwanan_** and **_blāwan_** are so close to each other and I'm guessing that each could have contributed to the coining of "break wind". Is there a technical term for this kind of coinage? If there is, can you give an example?


title: "To be is to do" — "To do is to be" — "Do-be-do-be-do": what does this mean?

text: > To be is to do. — _Socrates_   >  To do is to be. — _Plato_   >  Do-be-do-be-do. — _Sinatra_ I saw it on some shirts or somewhere. I don’t understand what it means when those sentences are put together.


title: When alphabetizing, which goes first?

text: When ordering these two names of places, which is first? Why? Newark, New York


title: A word meaning "those who are plugged in"?

text: I'm looking for a word that refers to folks who are "plugged in" or "knowledgeable and connected" to some network of people and information. The "authorities" often connotes law enforcement and therefore doesn't fit well.


title: Is "fastly" a correct word?

text: _Slow_ has the adverb _slowly_. I tend to use _fastly_ as the adverb for _fast_. However, it is underlined in most spell checkers I use, which makes me wonder about the existence of this word. Is _fastly_ a correct word? If not, what should be used instead, and why is that different from its antonym?