title: One word for the act of being born?

text: Is there any one word for _the act of being born_? The closest things I could think of are:   * I was born   * I come to life   * She is giving birth to me I'm interested in knowing if there is one word to describe this; something similar to "I die." (In Norwegian, we can use the word _fødes_ ). **Context:** I am creating a computer program, where I have several "mortal entities." These entities, amongst other methods, have a method named `Die()`, which defines everything that they do as they die. I would also like to create another method for what they do as they "bore."


title: Why is "not as ... as" preferred to "not cheaper than"?

text: In the rephrasing exercise > A is more expensive than B. > A is not **___ __ ___ __ ___ __** B. The only correct answer is supposed to be "A is _not as cheap as_ B". However, a student suggested "A is _not cheaper than_ B". In Portuguese, that's a perfectly possible construction, but, to me, it sounds awkward in English. However, I cannot explain why (except for the fact I'm sure I have never heard or read such a sentence - but, again, I'm not a native English speaker). I've checked all my grammars, but I couldn't find anything that could help me explain to the student why _not as ... as_ is preferred to _not more/-er than_. What can't be overlooked is that I have found no exercises or examples that allow for the _not more/-er than_ structure. As it is, I'm not even sure if the sentence is possible (even if it is awkward) or if it is absolutely wrong. Whatever the answer, the main problem remains: why? Is it because of the negative to be? Does it require the _as ... as_ structure?


title: "Its color is brown" vs "It is brown in color" describing nouns

text: I was wondering what the difference between these two similar ways of describing a noun is. > Its color is brown. or > It is brown in color. If they are both proper usage please explain to me which one is use more often. Thank you.


title: Do I need to use past tense here?

text: I'm writing a personal statement in which I describe a course I have learned in my college. Should I use "the course IS really difficult" or "the course WAS really difficult" ? Since I still think that course is difficult for me, I don't know which tense to use.


title: Is an implied "I know" considered correct English in this type of phrasing

text: I often read or hear statements like "Joe robbed the bank because I saw him running away with the money." Clearly, the literal interpretation is not the intended meaning and there is an understood "I know/state/believe this" before the "because." Today I came across similar wording in a new ad campaign: "If you have seen AT&T's recent advertising campaign, someone is obviously worried." My first thought is, "well what if I haven't seen it?" Here, "then you (should) know" is apparently implied. I don't recall this topic coming up in school, but then I wasn't the best English student. Is this implied phrasing (in formal terms) correct? Is there a specific word to describe it?


title: meaning of 'put down'

text: I looked up 'ley' in my Concise Oxford Dictionary and found the following definition. a piece of land temporarily put down to grass, clover, etc., in contrast to permanent pasture. Can anyone tell me what 'put down' means? I cannot find its meaning in the dictionary.


title: Pluralisation: is this correct?

text: I have the following sentence I've just seen, but I am pretty sure there should be no apostrophe on cahunas. > developers with cahuna's only need apply. Any ideas, I think it should be: > developers with cahunas only need apply.


title: A word for "someone looking to try new things"

text: I am looking for another word for someone who is looking to try new things. I mean this to have a positive connotation.


title: Is there a saying in English that basically means "adapting to your target audience"?

text: There is a saying commonly used in Turkish, which goes something like: "serving the syrup according to the arteries" (quite literally translated). The meaning behind it is to adapt what you are saying/doing so that it fits the audience and does not irritate or annoy them. Are there any counterparts in English that convey the same or a similar meaning? I seem to recall that there was one such saying I learned at some point, something with "sail" and "wind". PS: If the meaning of the original saying does not make immediate sense, think along the lines of syrup being very sweet and heavy, or somewhat lighter and watered-down. And if you have someone that's not well trained and have clogged arteries a heavy-syrup might not go down very well, so you adapt what you serve. (That's how I make sense of the saying, at least)


title: What does "from Point A to Point B" mean in this sentence?

text: I've read a text on http://www.nytimes.com and a sentence from it confused me a lot. > I didn’t understand then that I had used him, too, to learn how to get from > Point A to Point B again, and, let’s be honest, to simply eat at times. What does "from Point A to Point B" mean in the above sentence? Now that it's a text about love and the lovers fell into love and finally parted with each other, I thinks the Point A here should refer to "the process they fell into love", while Point B means "the result that they parted". Am I right in this? Considering that you might lack the context, here is the text: Getting to that safe place


title: What does "foo" mean?

text: I saw that "foo" has been used to name a lot of computer-related things. I wonder   1. if foo has some meaning itself beyond computer science?   2. what it means in computer science?   3. how it should be used?


title: "The more chickens in a farm the more crap and the fewer eggs"

text: Consider: > The more chickens in a farm the more crap and the fewer eggs. This is a proverb I hear often in Spanish (Cuba). I think it is pretty much self-explained: it is related to productivity and the negative effect of a workplace/task with too many people. Is there a similar phrase in English? I googled this one and got nothing.


title: "Cannot help but think" vs. "cannot but think" vs. "cannot help thinking"

text: Which of the following are grammatical? >   1. I cannot help but think. >   2. I cannot but think. >   3. I cannot help thinking. > I was taught (1) is not correct. Is it true? Or are they all correct? Is there any other way(s) to express what the speaker is trying to say using the words "help" and "think" apart from the three ways I mentioned?


title: Word for "having intension to do something, but do not know where to start"

text: Sometimes I feel like doing something (let's say writing an article about the lovely weather today) but I do not know what to write. How to describe this phenomenon? You have the intension to do something, but you do not know where to start.


title: Word for the fear in spooky environment

text: Sometimes when I am in spooky environment (like on a deserted street at midnight with little light), I would have this fear that I would start having hallucinations (like seeing things that don't exist and getting freaked out). I'd heard that a number of people experience this cognitive delusion and claimed to have seen things like robots with flying heads and that is how they start to believe in supernatural things. How should I describe the fear I have in those spooky environment? * * * p.s: I forget to mention I have this increasing anxiety when I am at those spooky environments and so I would always avoid these environments as much as possible (I think this has to do with a part of my childhood..) So I accepted Mohit's answer because agoraphobia describes best how I feel. At first I wanted to look for the term for the **fear of having hallucination** but it most likely doesn't exist. (It would still be great if someone finds it and posts it here) Thank you guys for giving me all the awesome answers!! Greatly appreciate!!!!


title: What does the expression "With a twist" means?

text: I would like to know the meaning of the expression "With a twist" and the context in which it can be used - examples are welcome. I have an understanding of it in the lines of "Traveling with a twist" that I perceive as traveling with something special or somewhat different in a good way.


title: Word that refers to both input and output devices

text: I usually refer to the term **_throughput_** when referring to both the inputs and outputs of a system. But right now I need a term/word/phrase that summarizes both an electric system's _sensors_ (input devices) as well as its **_actuators_** (output devices). I _could_ cop out and use **_throughput devices_** but was hoping something more scientific/formal/semantic was available. Ideas?


The title pretty much says it all. Is there a more eloquent word for a zigzag? **Edit:** Allow me to clarify, I'm referring to the shape of a zigzag, a picture is attached below. ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/BljMp.jpg)


title: In older variations of English in history, how much evidence of written language samples are needed to define the grammar and usage of that period?

text: In older variations of English in history, how much evidence of written language samples are needed to accurately define the grammar and usage of that period? For example, if we want to define how English was in the year 500 CE, how much evidence in the form of parchments and samples must we have and analyze? Is there an official figure or standard?


title: On/in its semantics?

text: Please help me in choosing the right preposition in the below sentence: > The returned values seem a bit confusing on/in its semantics, Here I'm talking about returned values of a computer programming function, after reading its expected behaviour. Which one should I use and what is the difference about use in or on?


title: To "have someone's number"

text: Where does the saying > I've got your number come from?


title: Usage of drove off in the following sentence

text: > "I'll drive you to the MRT, then," her father said. > > After saying goodbye to her mother and promising to come back soon, Naomi > got into her father's car, and **drove off** to the main road with him. What I want to say is: "She got into the car and then her father **drove off** to the main road." I'm not very sure but I think the _with him_ implies that her father was the one driving. Or it reads as if Naomi is the one driving the car? (Or **drove off** actually means _left to the place and started heading to X_ so it isn't actually a problem?)


title: Understanding "that" as in this statement

text: If I only say something as below without further more explanation, will a native speaker understand me? > He may be sexually dysfunctional, lately he can't do **that** his best. > That's why I am here to help. If I said it out loud and stressed "that", would you then ask me what is "that" ?


title: What can't you describe without a picture?

text: What do you call objects, or kinds of objects, that cannot be described without visual aids?


title: Do you read the 'c' in 'kc'?

text: For example:   * clickcub   * clickcube   * clickcrab   * clickcrate   * clickcone In which of those cases do you read the 'c' and not?


title: "Communicate over" vs. "communicate through"

text: > Also schemas can communicate _over_ database links to schemas in other > remote databases. Could one replace the preposition _over_ with _through_?   Will it change the meaning, and if so, when should we use _over_ instead of _through_?


title: Apartment number before or after house number and street

text: When writing an address, I wonder which comes first, the apartment number, or the house number and street name? Thanks! For example: > 1234 Charles ST APT A > > Hollywood, CA 54321 or > APT A, 1234 Charles ST > > Hollywood, CA 54321


title: Is this transitive or intransitive?

text: Let's consider this situation. A mother asks her child, "Who ate this apple?" Then her son replies, "I didn't eat." In this situation, is "eat" an intransitive verb when "the apple" is omitted? I think "eat" is transitive verb originally. What do you think?


title: “In the outskirts” versus “on the outskirts”

text: Which of the following sentences is correct, and why? > I bought a house _in_ the outskirts of the city.   >  I bought a house _on_ the outskirts of the city.


title: "Aeroplane" or "Airplane" - Which are people more familiar with?

text: I'm considering creating an application which has the word "Aeroplane" in the title. However, I have noticed in Google the following trend: Aeroplane: 16,700,000 results Airplane: 119,000,000 results I'm British and would never think to use the term "Airplane", it seems juvenile to me. However, the search results speak for themselves, so I'm wondering if this is an Americanism and if people on the other side of the Atlantic would be equally unfamiliar with the world "aeroplane". Natually, I want my app to be available to a global market, I also want to make sure it is easily accessibly via searches. Would it therefore be most prudent to go with "airplane" rather than "aeroplane"?


title: Idiomatic expression related to "cat-putting"

text: I lived in a scholarship house for all of one year when I was in college (in the US). At the end of every year, they held an event that they called "The Cat-Putting" in which a few residents would take turns telling a story. In the story they passed an imaginary cat to each other, but the primary focus of the story was to gently razz or roast all of the residents. I remember that it was explained at the beginning of this event that it was dubbed "The Cat-Putting" because of an **idiomatic expression that had something to do with cats** , but I can't figure out what that expression might be. Does anyone know what saying this might refer to, and how it might relate to this event? And has anyone else ever heard of a "cat-putting" or is this an event that is restricted to this one particular house?


title: "Some same thing/person"

text: I wonder if it is correct to say "some same thing/person", in order to mean some thing/person same as the one just mentioned earlier? If not, what is the correct way to express the meaning? My concern is that: is "same" always preceded with "the"?


title: Synonyms of "such that"

text: I found myself writing _such that_ many times already. Which synonyms would be adequate? Here is a typical example: > For theory 1 Eq. (1.1.1) can be written as ... , while for theory 2 _A_ must > be replaced by _B_ , **such that** ...


title: Justice as a title ... where does it come from?

text: In the US supreme court judges, among others, are called "justice [name]". Where is this _use_ rooted? Obviously the term comes from Latin "justitia" originally, but that means justice as in the the _principle_ or _system_ of justice. Where does the use as an honorary (?) title originate?


title: What is the origin of being in "hot water"?

text: When a person is suspected of doing something that is wrong, they are said to be in "hot water". Why? Did law breakers long ago have hot water thrown on them for their punishment? Were they dunked in hot water?


title: Capitalization of job title

text: Would you capitalize the job title in the following sentence? > I am writing this letter in regard to Joe Brown who is applying for the > director of teaching and learning position in the XYZ School District.


title: Why is "k" added to "panic" when suffixes added (as in "panicky")?

text: When adding any suffix to the word "panic," a "k" is added after the "c". Examples: panicked, panicking, panicky. Why is this the case? Are there any other English words that do the same? I'm also curious about any other words that add extra or unexpected letters when part of speech or tense changes. The etymology of "panic" includes a Greek origin--"panikon"--which is spelled with a "k" but no "c". Does this origin have anything to do with adding the "k" in variations of "panic"? But still, why keep both the "c" and the "k" in these variations? I know many other English words use "c" and "k" together (stick, lock, back, truck), but these others consistently use "ck" in all forms ("stick," "sticky," "stuck"). Why is "panic" different?


title: "May not have" or "may have not"

text: Which of the following is correct: _may not have_ or _may have not_? For example, which sentence should one write? > They may not have apples. > > They may have not apples.


title: It's 2013, where's my flying car?

text: >   * It's the 21st century, why don't we have world peace? > >   * It's 2013, where's my flying car? > > Is there a name for this kind of bad argument?


title: Is 'acronymise/ze' a word? Is it used only colloquially, if at all?

text: I just sent a text to a friend, who didn't understand an acronym I used for a game: > "Ah, I said it in a previous text so thought it was ok to **abbreviate** > it." Though, since it was an acronym I had created, could I have used the word 'acronymise/ze' to be more specific? I'm pretty sure it isn't a (formally used) word, but I wondered, as you often refer to acronyms specifically as acronyms, rather than abbreviations. Can you be more specific with a verb, too? It sounds too odd to me, so I'm guessing generally no. But I wondered—so perhaps I'm wrong. Or half wrong.


title: Is “what’s” a correct short form of “what does”?

text: E.g. “What’s he think?” Usually ’s is short for “is” so I don’t know.


title: Entire sentence in parentheses

text: I am formatting a new book for my company and ran into a problem. There is a sentence that reads: > Before beginning, watch Part I in the DVD series, _God & the History of > Art_. (If available as part of your program.) That the author wants me to change to: > (Before beginning, watch Part I in the DVD series, _God & the History of > Art_. If available as part of your program.) This sentence is one line, not part of a paragraph. Is it right to surround an entire standalone sentence with parentheses?


title: Difference between 'decided on' and 'decided to'?

text: _**Examples:_** _I have decided on a blue carpet for the bedroom.   I have decided to emigrate to Australia._ What exactly is the difference between "decided on" and "decided to"? Is the usage simply based on construction of the sentence, or do they differ in meaning as well?


title: Word for using quotation as part of sentence

text: Is there a word to describe the co-opting of a well-known phrase in the course of regular conversation or writing? For example, a sentence regarding death might refer to "shaking off the mortal coil" without mentioning that the phrase is taken from Shakespeare (perhaps assuming that the audience will be familiar with the reference). If it's not an exact quote, this could be called a "paraphrase" of Shakespeare. But what could it be called if it _is_ an exact quote? **Example:** What adverb could be employed to complete this sentence: _The phrase "shuffled off the mortal coil" was made famous by Shakespeare, and is used by this author_ **___ __ ___ __** _y._


title: Comma or full stop after ''come on''?

text: I’ve always wondered whether you should put a full stop or a comma after _come on_. >   1. Come on, it’s just over there! >   2. Come on. It’s just over there! > Which one is right?


title: Word for a pane showing fictional characters in columns

text: In the manga/anime world you sometimes come across panes that show some of the characters of a certain manga or anime series arranged into columns. Here are some examples: Bleach Gotei 13 Bleach Main Characters Steins;Gate Characters Is there a technical term for such panes? The closest word I can think of is "character roster", but those usually arrange the characters in a grid, rather than in columns.


title: Is the expression "for all time" correct?

text: I'd like to know what's the correct usage of the expression "for all time". In particular in this sentence: "she cried for all time" (it's about a girl who took a plane and cried during the whole flight). Thanks a lot for your attention!


title: An adjective for "able to see the big picture"

text: Is there a formal word to describe someone who sees not just the particulars, but also the bigger picture?


title: To see them play and to see them playing

text: Excuse my limited acquaintance on English usage; which sentence is grammatically correct, and if any, which meaning do they convey to ?   * I saw them **play** chess.   * I saw then **playing** chess. Many Thanks.


title: Should Philip have P. or Ph. as an initial?

text: In the context of scientific articles and technical white papers, references to other publications typically include the author’s surname with, depending on the format of the specific publication, either their full first name or (most commonly) their initials. In such cases, I sometimes see “Ph.” used instead of “P.” as initial for people named “Philip”. This does not seem linked to specific journal policies, but rather uncorrelated to the format of the references themselves. My questions are:   * How common is it? Is it considered standard practice?   * Are there other such examples in addition to _“Ph.”_?


title: Can we use future continuous in the following sentence?

text: "I have instructed that the cheque latest have to be issued by 15th every month, is there any problems? Please voiced out earlier if there's any issues in future. This will be the last time I'll be reminding on this." I would be wonder, whether the last sentence is correct or no!? "I'll be reminding on this" i think it must be "I am reminding on this" or "I reminded on this". Thank


title: prefix for "possible", "supposed", "potential" etc.?

text: I am looking for a prefix to express the meaning of something _possibly_ belonging to a class / category, or being a candidate for the concept in question. For instance, a "[...]-solution" would be some statement or proposition that _could be_ a solution for a given question, albeit its status of being so or not has still to be established. A "[...]-pathogen" would be a germ whose pathogenic character is still unclear; a "[...]-perpetrator" an alleged perpetrator and so forth. (Actually, I am mostly interested in a more abstract use of the prefix-root-combination). The prefix should function in the same way as "pseudo-", "quasi-" etc. It would be nice to find something of Greek or Latin origin, but other proposals are fine as well.


title: Are these the same or different?

text: What's the difference between these two sentences? >   * This movie is hardly as interesting as that one. >   * That movie is almost more interesting than this one. > I would like a native speaker's opinion on this.


title: Does "a value between two values" imply the two values are included within the range?

text: For example, if a there is a validation message that specifies that a number "must be a value between 1 and 100" does that imply that 1 and 100 are part of the allowed set of values? I would suggest that 1 and 100 are not part of the allowed range as it states the value must be between 1 and 100. Therefore meaning more than 1 and less than 100. Am I right?


title: The difference between a clause and a phrase?

text: This question What is the difference between a phrase and a clause? has an answer, with no embedded examples. The link it provides is not longer active, giving a `404 page not found error`. _Please don't close this as a duplicate until it, at least, has some answers._ The answer to the duplicate explains the differences between clauses and phrases, but fails to answer my question, as this is the explanation given: > The short answer: clauses contain a subject and its verb, while phrases do > not. Note that phrases may contain nouns and verbals, but won't have the > noun as the verb's actor.   * I do not understand what is meant by _verbals_ and the _noun as the verb's actor_ may as well be written in Swedish (of which I know not one word!). So I am posting this question again, as my question has not been answered. Clauses and phrases were the only thing I failed when studying English at school and forever it has been difficult for me to grasp (I don't think it was explained well, as I had a similar problem with positive and negative numbers the same year, and went on the excel at high level maths). I am looking to understand the very basics of what a clause is, what a phrase is, and by understanding these definitions it, hopefully, will be clear what the differences are. Can anyone, please, explain this and provide embedded answers?


title: Which past tense of "to light" should I use here?

text: I know that there are two ways to form the past tense of _to light_ (i.e. lit/lighted). Which one is appropriate for the sentence below? > His thoughts _lighted_ our way. or > His thoughts _lit_ our way.


title: Is there a single word for a document containing an individual's contact information?

text: I'm looking for a single noun to indicate a document (or web page) that contains a person's contact information (phone, email, etc.). The context is a navigation element on a personal website, for example: > Home | Bio | Contact Page I want to substitute the text "Contact Page" with the word I'm seeking. Archaic, formal or loaned words are perfectly acceptable, even desired. The tone of the website is humorous. A word that has a metaphorically connected meaning (similar to the way "Home" is understood to mean "The Home Page"), though less desirable, is still acceptable.


title: what's the meaning of "country- years"

text: What's the meaning of "country- years"? > Democratic legislatures approved only 76 percent of bills proposed by the > executive branch during 783 country- years Democracy and the Limits of Self-Government By Adam Przeworski ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/EezWJ.png)


title: Can I use a gapping comma in this sentence?

text: Could you please help me correct this sentence? Thank you very much. "The first thing I do in the morning after getting up is brush my teeth and wash my face, but the first thing he does is go on to sleep." Is this sentence logical?If I want to emphasize the different habits of two people (I vs. he), what can I do to make the sentence clearer? Also, can I replace the second verb with a comma? "The first thing I do in the morning after getting up is brush my teeth and wash my face; the first thing he does, go to sleep."


title: Is 'friendly reminder' a positive word? What is an alternative with a friendly undertone?

text: I send reminders to my customers all the time. And, I hesitate to use the word 'friendly reminder'. I interpret it as a soft reminders before aggressive reminders. It brings up an image of a thug asking me to payup before his next visit, This might be because of the movies I watch. So, what would be a substitute for 'friendly reminder' with a polite undertone.


title: 18th to 20th Century Prose by Educated Professionals

text: I'm interested in emulating quality prose written in American or British English from around 1700 to 1900 by educated professionals who attended university. These years are only for reference and aren't strict bounds. Are there any contemporary books, websites, published collectanea/compendia which feature them? I'm questing after short works, such as editorials, letters, or opinions, like this letter from Oliver Ellsworth (third Chief Justice of the US) to George Washington and this letter from the American merchant William Jarvis (though ostensibly, he didn't attend university). I had to unearth these wearily and by chance, so where could I find such works effiaciously? **Addendum thanks to Andrew Leach:** I am regardful of the Shopping Recommendation page. To obviate this issue, I'm not requiring any specific titles but just starting points. **EDIT:** By luck, I discovered the US government's National Archives's Founder Online: Letters by John Jay: http://founders.archives.gov/index.xqy?q=Author%3A%22Jay%2C+John%22&s=1111211113&r=1 Letters by John Marshall: http://founders.archives.gov/?q=%20Author%3A%22Marshall%2C%20John%22&s=1111211121&sa=&r=11&sr= Letters by James Madison: http://founders.archives.gov/index.xqy?q=Author%3A%22Madison%2C+James%22&s=1111211113&r=1


title: Adjective or Noun for Describing a Written Entity Devoid of Meaning

text: I wrote a blog post that was about pretty much nothing, but couldn’t come up with a good word to describe its lack of meaning. I was hoping for a more interesting word than just _meaningless_.


title: "Would you have a suggestion?" Vs. "Do you have a suggestion?"

text: If you were asking for suggestions, say at stackexchange, what would be the most polite grammatically accurate version: Statement of the problem followed by: 1\. Do you have a suggestion? 2\. Would you have a suggestion? 3\. Would you happen to have a suggestion? I didn't think of this till I used (2) today morning. When I re-read the question after a couple hours, the construction sounded odd to me. Is (2) grammatically correct? Is it more polite than (1)? Is it old-fashioned? Why does it sound a bit odd? Would you have any thoughts? Do you have any thoughts? Would you happen to have any thoughts?


title: Where to place 'only' relative to prepositions?

text: I know that questions about the placement of 'only', are often asked here; accordingly, I searched for an answer to my question before posting it. **Question** Where are focusing adverbs placed relative to prepositions? For example,   1. For his presentation, he needed to talk _only_ about tomatoes.   2. For his presentation, he needed to talk about _only_ tomatoes. **My Attempt to Answer the Question** In both examples, it seems to me that 'only' is placed close enough to what it is intended to modify (the topic of the subject's discourse: tomatoes) that I cannot see any justifiable misinterpretations. One of the examples sounds better to me, but at this point in my studies, I am more interested in what the traditional rules of grammar require, than in how the wordings sound.


title: Adverb order: 'has largely been' or 'has been largely'

text: Does the placement of an adverb affect its meaning or application? Does each paired sentence here mean the same as the other? > 1.1 Mobile technology progress has largely been consumer-driven rather than > enterprise-driven.   >  1.2 Mobile technology progress has been largely consumer-driven rather than > enterprise-driven. > > 2.1 Mobile technology progress has largely been shaped by consumers.   >  2.2 Mobile technology progress has been largely shaped by consumers.


title: "Registrator", "registrar", or "registry" when describing the responsibility of managing registration-related activities

text: When naming a class in an object-oriented programming language I came a across a case where there were a few proposed names for describing a component that is responsible for abstracting registration related actions. Candidate names: >   * ApplicationRegistrator >   * ApplicationRegistrar >   * ApplicationRegistry > Which of these phrases more properly describes the scenario?


title: Correct use of subject/object in sentence?

text: In the sentence: It is fun to be him/he, would you use him or he? A teacher told me that you use the object form after the infinitive of to be. Is this true?


title: What's the grammatical object of "at" in "at 2-0 down"?

text: > At 2-0 down with ten minutes left, you have to go for broke. This is a structure at odds with what most learners know. Prepositions take nominals as objects, but here, what's the supposed object of the preposition? I'm raising this question because I find this 'at' cannot fit with the rest of the sentence in a grammatical analysis. "Down" is like an adjective or adverb, and "2-4" is a measure of how 'down' a sports team is, like 'two years' in "He is two years old". But then 'at' does not fit! I've seen such sentences as "Barcelona is 2-0 down with 10 men on the field" without "at", so I was wondering if "at" is necessary at all. If you think "at" is necessary in the original, would you also say it is necessary in "the bird is flying at 200 feet high"? This phrase parallels the first in that both involve a subject complement (high and down respectively) and a measure term of that attribute (200 feet and 2-0 respectively). Here is another example: > He is 6 feet tall. No preposition is needed here, so why is 'at' needed in the original?


title: Is there a specific word for "sheet music portfolio"?

text: Is there a specific name for a portfolio (a type of briefcase) that is used exclusively for holding sheet music?


title: Which word is used more in the UK: 'gaol' or 'jail'?

text: I know both words share the same meaning and pronunciation, but I wonder about their comparative usage in modern English.


title: What are some non-Greek/Latin hybrid words?

text: Most etymological hybrids in English are a mixture of Greek and Latin. I'm interested in hybrids from other languages, French and German, say. Can you think of any good examples? I'd be especially interested in modifications which cross languages. For example, if "knifelette" was a word it would be a German root with a French inflection. The older/more established the better.


title: Is there any word for a person who ruins magician's trick?

text: Is there any word for a person who ruins a magician's trick? I remember that I heard that word, but it's now lost somewhere in my brain. Can someone please help me to remember that word? Before asking here I asked in chat, where I got the response that there is no specific word for it. But I still think there must be.


title: Does the word "newbie" have a negative connotation?

text: Imagine that I'm running a friendly and informal online business. I would like to introduce my service to the new customers by a blog post that entitles, 'Are you a newbie to XYZ.com?'. Will that title make my customers feel intimidated? My brother and I had a long argument about that word. I said that the word doesn't make such a bad meaning and it can be used anywhere in a friendly manner; but he said that it sounds derogatory and should be avoided. He also asked me to completely avoid that word. He believes it will make people angry. Who is right and who is wrong here?


title: Connotation of "complacence"

text: What is the connotation of _complacence_? Is it a negative trait? The dictionary makes it seem like a positive attribute.


title: "Split in half" vs. "split in two" — which one is correct?

text: Does the "in" imply multiplication, in which case _split in half_ is correct, or is it division? It sounds like the latter to me, but I've heard it used both ways.


title: What will be appropriate in the following sentence?

text: What did the king do when he become/became angry? I am not a native speaker so am confused that since did is used in the begining, what will be correct, become or became? Also, what rule governs it?


title: Meaning of "through all right"

text: What does the phrase _through all right_ mean? > He'll see me _through all right_


title: What is the term for the part of a jingle that states the company name?

text: I have a vague recollection that there's a specific term for the way a company name is set to music in an advertising jingle. The only examples I can find right now are at the end of this Youtube video or this one. Wikipedia mentions "sound logo," but that's not quite right, that refers to the distinctive music, or tune, e.g. the 5-note McDonald's "I'm loving it!" sound.


title: Meaning of "public affairs" and "public interest"

text: The definition of _political_ from OALD is: > connected with the state, government or public affairs Is the definition of _public_ of public affairs definition 1 or 2 or neither? >   1. of, relating to, or affecting all or most of the people of a country, > state, etc. >   2. connected with the government and the services it provides > From dictionary.com, _affairs_ is defined as: > matters of commercial or public interest or concern Which of the following is the definition of _interest_ of public interest? >   1. the quality that something has when it attracts somebody's attention or > makes them want to know more about it >   2. a good result or an advantage for somebody/something >


title: Why does "want" take a preposition but "insist" does not?

text: Why can't you say: > "I insist you to do that!" After all, you can say: > "I want you to do that!" What's the difference between these two verbs, that they need to be used in sentences with different structures?


title: Best way to represent comparative information in paragraph form?

text: Let's say normally I have a table, and the left hand column has a requirement in it, and the right hand column has how the requirement is fulfilled. But because of a lack of support for tables, I need to represent this in the briefest manner possible for many, many items, without committing the literary sin of the text becoming boring, because I am repetitious in everything but the nouns. How do I do this?


title: What does “ ’er” mean in this phrase?

text: What does _’er_ mean in the following phrase? > Ear-bending disapproval from ’er indoors.


title: Are these sentences in the "Christian Science Monitor" acceptable English these days?

text: This is from a _Christian Science Monitor_ story on Nancy Pelosi's decision to stay on as House Minority Leader. The first report I saw in the _Washington Post_ had only one questionable sentence, but this second report has two: > “Being actively involved in politics at this level is really insatiable,” > Representative Pelosi said at a Wednesday press conference, flanked by her > female Democratic colleagues. “There aren’t enough hours in the day for me. > There’s so much more I want to do.” Are these sentences acceptable English to most native speakers, or are they clearly errors (one misusage of an adjective and one dangling modifier)?


title: What is this emphasis "did"?

text: > And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine > **did** eat: and no man gave unto him. Is this archaic? I see many instances of this usage where simple verbs would be enough in Shakespeare.


Above the title. What's the difference between "known as" and "known for"?


title: Say I wrote down 25 instead of 52 by accident. What is the right verb I can use here to specify what I did to these two digits?

text: I'm looking for a verb/some verbs here so I can say: I (verb) those two digits and that's why you read 25 here (instead of 52). I don't want to use "mix up" because I'd like to specify this "action" between two digits 2 and 5. I hope I made myself clear. Thank you!


title: How do native speakers guess the pronunciation of a word that they've never seen before?

text: How do native speakers guess the pronunciation of a word that they've never seen before ? Is there a general rule for that ? For example, someone said :               Words that end in -ic or -tion will be stressed on the second to last syllable. It doesn't matter how many syllables long a word is, we will count backward.     Here are some examples with -ic and -tion.     -ic: `classic, fan`tas-tic, e-co-`nom-ic, en-thu-si-`as-tic     -tion: `nation, con`di-tion, in-tu-`i-tion, spec-i-fi-`ca-tion       I would like to know more other rules like the above one, not only how to stress the word properly but also the way to pronounce one word correctly (or nearly correct) without knowing the phonetic. p/s : In short, my question is : "Is there a way to guess the pronunciation of a word correctly (or nearly correct) when we don't know it's phonetic code ?"


title: Is my interpretaion of Hobbes correct?

text: > Forasmuch as whosoever speaketh to another, intendeth thereby to make him > understand what he saith; if he speak unto him, either in a language which > he that heareth understandeth not, or use any word in other sense than **he > believeth is the sense of him that heareth** ; he intendeth also to make him > not understand what he saith; **which is a contradiction of himself**. It is > therefore always to be supposed, that **he which intendeth not to deceive, > alloweth the private interpretation of his speech to him to whom it is > addressed**. I don't understand the bold parts. "or use any word in other sense than this listener's understanding of the word." **he** believeth is the sense of **him** that heareth. This he is the speaker and him is the listener? "which means this speaker is contradicting himself, because he wants the listener to understand him but at the same time he doesn't want the listener to understand him" "people who don't want to deceive people allow what they say to be understood by the listener" Is this correct?


title: What is the word for obtaining a rhyme by mispronouncing a word using a regional dialect?

text: Take the lyrics: > ... Now he lives in the islands   >  Fishing the pilin's (instead of pilings) ... Is there a word that means to alter the pronunciation to achieve a rhyme (in song)?


Is it possible to use' cover off' instead of 'cover up'? cover up sense of unworthiness


title: What does "metadiscursive framework" mean?

text: In their article "The language of text-messaging" (which appeared in 2009, in S.C. Herring, D. Stein & T. Virtanen (eds), _Handbook of the Pragmatics of CMC_. Berlin and New York: Mouton do Gruyter.), Crispin Thurlow and Michele Poff use the phrase, > Given this modest but growing body of research, it is surprising that public > and policy-level discourse about text-messaging continues to fixate on its > deleterious impact on literacy and standard language use \-- especially of > young people (see Thurlow 2006, 2007). No review of the literature on > texting would, however, be complete without briefly considering this broader > metadiscursive framework. I googled this term "metadiscursive framework" and only got 8 hits, so I think it is relatively uncommon. The term "metadiscursive" is referring to "metadiscourse" which is discussion about a discussion (or maybe, about discussion). So I have a hand waving idea of what this means, but I will need to introduce it to the reader in plain language (using the magic of apposition). Any ideas how I could define this term in plain language? **UPDATE** Here are some more examples of the term's usage: From "Middle English medical recipes: a metadiscursive approach", here. > The first person singular pronoun is associated with authorial identity > while its plural counterpart is connected to the concept of community. This > is essential in the metadiscursive framework as it points at the idea of > communication as always accounted for in terms of social contexts. From "The Moral Resonance of Arab Media", here. > As I suggest, genre provides a way to discuss the organization of talk and > poetry -- a "metadiscursive" framework -- as poets and signers build > consensus over the kind of community that is best able to address the needs > at hand.


title: Psychopath vs. Sociopath

text: Given the recent news, I've heard the words "psychopath" and "sociopath" thrown around with little to no differentiation between the two. With no regards to medical practice, what's the difference between "psychopathy" and "sociopathy"? What makes a "psychopath" and what makes a "sociopath"?


title: "Especially" and commas

text: I'm curious about the correct usage of commas in the following sentence: "Secondary electron emission from metallic and especially dielectric surfaces is a fundamental process of great technological significance." I heard that one should put a comma before but not after especially. However, in my opinion the sentence looks kind of weird with a comma in front of especially. Can anyone assist me on this?


title: Reported speech: unnecessary past tense?

text: The following is an excerpt from a textbook in Korea. I'm wondering if this is an unnecessary past tense for the reported speech--or possibly wrong. > When I moved to Korea, one of the first things my coworker taught me was how > to say my address. I didn't understand why it was so important. **They > explained that I'd often give it over the phone when I ordered things to be > delivered**. Is the past tense necessary at all? Ordering food over the phone is not a one- time event and there is all likelihood that the writer will order more food in the future--not to mention that I'd never explain it like that. (I'd just say "You'll need it when you order food.) What do you guys think?


title: What is a "wreckless careerism"?

text: I have come across the following sentence: > The quickness of her ascent, and the fact that she revamped each orchestra’s > administration before suddenly moving on, has led some in music business > circles to charge her with _wreckless careerism_.   >  _Source_ After having considered that _The New York Times_ , as far as I know, does not use slang words in its written texts, I wonder what _wreckless careerism_ means. My problem is that _wreckless_ gets no support from any dictionary I have consulted, but this Ngram shows that this word exists, so it seems difficult to rule out the case as a mere typo. ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/yQv3z.png)


title: Archaic gradation words/constructs synonymous to "more" and "less"?

text: Are there any adverbs/pronouns (or sentence constructs) that fulfilled the gradation role of _more_ and _less_ in Early Modern English, that currently fell out of use or exist only in marginal, archaic or domain-specific speech? _example: how could one rephrase these sentences into Early Modern English, so that they don't use the the words 'more' or 'less'?_ > _You did more for me than you imagine._ > > _Less gawking, more helping!_ > > _I should study that some more._ > > _I meant that more... figuratively._ > > _Pour me some more coffee, please._ (note, if there are no such words, an answer that states so is perfectly acceptable)


title: Using "who" for things (nonliving beings)

text: On an online typing tutor site I came across the following phrase: > We're now going to move on to words who's first letter originates on the top > row. Can "who" normally be used in this way (to refer not only to people)?


title: Is there a comparative form of "well"?

text: Is there a word that means "more well", in the same way that "better" means "more good"? In common parlance most people just use "better" for this purpose, but this seems incorrect and is a nagging irritation for me, since "better" is an adjective while "well" is an adverb, and so strictly speaking can't be used in the same sense. I realize there isn't a commonly used word for this but it'd be interesting to know if there's one that's become archaic and has fallen into disuse.


title: Why is Santa Claus a man but Santa Maria a woman?

text: When it comes to cities and boats named after saints, it seems that "Santa" is always female and "San" is always male. > _e.g._ > > **Male Saints** : San Diego, San Francisco, San Antonio > > **Female Saints** : Santa Barbara, Santa Maria So why isn't "Santa Claus" a woman like all the other "Santa"s?


title: Is spelling part of Language?

text: In response to another question I asked, I was told spelling is not a part of language because it is a part of writing. This statement confuses me. Writing is a form of communication and is therefore, a part of written languages. Writing is directly related to spoken forms of the same language and though written langugaes can exist without a spoken form, and spoken languages exist without written versions, I don't understand how that would mean writing isn't an aspect of langage. Specifically in regard to spelling in English, we have standardized spelling. There are British Standards as well as US standards and the two are distinct despite more commonality than difference. What spelling is "correct" is dictated by where the writer is communicating. For example, realized vs. realised which are both phonetically correct, but which "standard" is chosen for use is largely dependent on where you learn your spelling, do your reading, get published etc. If this is not a part of "language" than what is it? Can someone please explain this distinction or separation to me? The comment had up-votes which would indicate to me that others reading the comment were not also confused by it and even agreed. I would just like to understand this perspective that is brand new to me?


title: Pronunciation: is there a reason why 'gn' in 'reigning' is pronounced [n] while in 'regnant' it is pronounced [gn]?

text: Both 'reigning' and 'regnant' are related to the same Latin noun 'regnum'. Why is 'gn' is pronounced [n] in the first word but [gn] in the second?


title: Adding a word accidentally to another, changing its meaning

text: A colleague accidentally keeps adding the word _case_ after referring to a project called _basket_ , thus referring to it as "basket case". Embarassing. But what is this linguistic phenomenon called, i.e. accidentally adding a word which changes the meaning so that the connotation becomes negative?


title: Another phrase like "Having a grand old time"?

text: Trying to find other phrases like "Having a grand old time" for an ending to our wedding invitation. Thanks so much for your help! -Jordan


title: OED Appeals: Origin of "bimble"

text: The OED has made a public appeal for help in tracing the history of some English words, including: > ## bimble > > verb _earlier than 1983_ > > The word _bimble_ , meaning ‘to move at a leisurely pace’, is sometimes said > to have originated amongst British soldiers serving in the Falklands, and > much of our early evidence supports this. However, one of our > correspondents, who grew up in the north-east of England in the mid-20th > century, says he remembers the word _bimble_ from his childhood there. We’re > looking for earlier evidence of the word to uncover the real story: is > _bimble_ a military coinage of recent vintage, or a north-eastern English > dialect term with a longer history? > > Here is the earliest example currently in OED for the verb bimble: > >> **1983 R. McGowan & J. Hands _Don’t cry for Me, Sergeant Major_ iv. 81 When the Marines moved at a slower pace they were ‘bimbling’.** > > Can you help us trace the origins of this word?


title: OED Appeals: Antedatings of football "header"

text: The OED has made a public appeal for help in tracing the history of some English words, including: > ## header > > noun _earlier than 1891_ > > _OED_ researchers have traced the history of _header_ in the football > (soccer) sense of ‘a shot, pass, or clearance made by heading the ball’ back > to 1891. It appears in the caption to an illustration of a player heading > the ball in an annual publication of the Scottish Football League: > >> **1891 ‘Gush’ _Heads & Tales_ 32 (caption), Header.** > > However, we know from our research that the verbal use of head to describe > the action (‘heading the ball’) goes back to at least 1871; with your help, > we would like to see if an example of _header_ in the football sense from > before 1891 can be found. If you find anything earlier, please also consider posting on the OED site.


title: What is the difference between obsolete and deprecate in computer science?

text: Given the two terms "obsolete" and "deprecate" in computer science, what is the difference between them? What I understand, Deprecated means still available for use but will no longer be developed or supported and may be discontinued in the next release or so. Obsolete means a better alternative is available so this is now deemed redundant and will **probably** be discontinued in the next release or so. It's what I believe and may be **incorrect** and if so then what is the actual difference?


title: Female equivalent for "wet dreams"?

text: As I understand, the term _wet dreams_ applies only to masculine gender? Then, unless it's unisex in nature, is there a specific term applicable to feminine gender?


title: Which is correct placing of 'just' and 'by'

text: Which of the following sentences are right:- A) One doesn't become cool just by playing football. OR B) One doesn't become cool by just playing football. sense of the sentence:- the sentence should give the following meaning Playing football does not make someone a cool person.


title: "Keith does not a hint take" or "A hint does Keith not take"

text: While wasting time on the internet (as I am wont to do), I came across a video in which somebody was criticizing a blog-post and corrected the statement   * * _Keith does not a hint take._ supplying his corrected version   * ** _A hint does Keith not take._ with the added explanation that the first sentence implies that there is a hint not taking Keith, unlike his phrasing. In either case, the intended connotation is supposed to be that of the statement   * _Keith does not take a hint._ Do either of the above statements carry this meaning? To my ears, the first statement seems perfectly comprehensible and does not appear to flip subject and object, while the second seems convoluted. Maybe something like _"A hint Keith does not take"_ is something more along the lines the critic was going for? At any rate, I would appreciate an explanation as to which of the above statements are grammatical and/or carry their intended meaning.


title: What do you call the people who like themselves?

text: How do you describe a person who appreciate himself ( kinda love himself) or really talk about himself in a way of selfishness ?


title: What is the origin of "go suck an egg"?

text: "Go suck an egg" is a saying typically used similarly to "take a hike" or "piss off": > Hey, you going to help me with this or what? > > Go suck an egg. An few Ngram searches shows that "suck an egg" is only really used with the words "go" and "an" but I was not able to find any reference to the origin of the phrase. An existing question on ELU asks about the origin of "teaching grandma to suck eggs"  but none of the answers directly discuss this usage of "suck eggs". When did this phrase become a common statement meaning "go away"? Why was _this_ random activity associated with the idiom?


title: What is the word for a man who keeps returning for other people to abuse him?

text: I'm looking for a word describing a man who keeps returning to a place although people there always abuse him and say bad things to him. He keeps going back because maybe he likes to experience this like a Howling Mad Murdock of the A TEAM.


title: Diagramming and use of please as interjection

text: When diagramming the sentence, "Simon, would you please sing now?", should I diagram Simon or you as the subject? Would you be diagrammed as pronoun and please as an interjection? I am trying to help my son diagram real-life sentences and am getting stuck myself.


title: Ambiguous? "someone lives between place A and place B"

text: Is this sentence: “someone lives between place A and place B” ambiguous? Depending on the cities, I wonder whether it means:   * "someone lives in a place C between A and B"  Or,   * "someone keeps traveling regularly from A to B and B to A for whatever reason. But stays in A and B."


title: Omission of "the" in "elected him president" and "made captain"

text: Why is there no _the_ before _president_ and _captain_? > They elected him president. > > She was made captain of the team.


title: "To be elected chairman" vs. "to be elected the chairman"

text: I have a question regarding the correct use of the definite article "the": One of my books says: > Definite article _the_ is used before nouns denoting a position that can be > held by one person at one time Example: He has been elected **the** chairman of the committee. But another book says, > No article is used before predicative nouns denoting a position that is > normally held at one time by one person only. This means that "He has been elected chairman of the committee" is correct. So my question is this: which one is (more) grammatically correct?


title: Why no article in the following?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Omission of "the" in "elected him president" and "made captain" I was reading a piece on Time and found the following paragraph where they don't use 'a' or 'the' with President. Why no article and what difference does it make if we add one? > Celebration in Dakar, the capital, weren't so much for the triumph of Sall, > who still has to prove himself _as President_.


title: Should I add a "the" before "headmaster" here?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  "To be elected chairman" vs. "to be elected the chairman"   >  Omission of "the" in "elected him president" and "made captain" > Dr. Peter Spence, **__** headmaster of the school, told us, “a fifth of > pupils here go on to study at Oxford and Cambridge.” Does it matter whether I add a "the" before "headmaster" here?


title: Term to describe fictional texts written in a non-fiction style

text: The term "creative non-fiction" is the opposite: a non-fiction work expressed in a fiction style, such as a historical novel. It may be a little less common, but is there a general term for the opposite? In film it might be called a "mockumentary" (e.g. _This is Spinal Tap_ ), or "pseudo-documentary" (e.g. _War of the Worlds_ ), but the use of "documentary" concerns a particular non-fiction medium. One wouldn't use it for _Scarfolk Council_ (a fictional history blog), for example, or _Welcome to Nightvale_ (a fictional news radio show). So is there a more general term I'm missing?


title: Contracted dates

text: I'm comfortable with the _'80s_ as a contraction of the _eighties_ , as in the years from 1980-89. How do I correctly use this when it is in a position where it looks like it is either an adjective or needs a possessive apostrophe? An example sentence with the options I've identified this far:   * _'80s' music_ (music of the '80s), or    * _'80s music_ ('80s being an adjective describing the music). What do you think?


title: Does the word "exgest" exist?

text: A colleague of mine found reference to the word _**"Exgest"**_ in a contract. In context, this appeared to mean the opposite of the word _**"Ingest"**_ which was used earlier in the contract. These words were intended to convey the consumption and processing of data in a system. Does this word, _**"Exgest"**_ , actually exist, and what does it mean? **Edit:**   List of prior research:   google: exgest   google: word definition exgest   google: site:dictionary.com exgest   reverse lookup: opposite of ingest   merriam webster search: exgest   dictionary.com exgest   english.stackexchange.com search


title: More concise words for “Ask for help and learn from others”

text: I’m looking to summarize an idea into as few words as possible — to make it as concise as possible. The idea is to ask others for help (putting ego aside), value others’ input, listen to others, learn from others. What I have so far is “Ask for help and learn from others”, but I’m not that satisfied with it. I’m trying to make a list of rules, such as “be virtuous” or “seek adventure” or “be kind”, and this particular phrase doesn’t really fit in well. Any other suggestions? And please ask me to clarify if necessary. I’ve been running this through my head for a while, so it might not be clear as I think it is.


title: Twelfth Night: Why does Olivia call Sir Toby “cousin”?

text: I’m reading _Twelfth Night_ , where in Act 1, Scene 5, Olivia says to Sir Toby Belch: > **Olivia** : Cousin, cousin, how have you come so early by this lethargy? How come she’s calling her uncle “cousin”?


title: Is “want” a causative verb?

text: I've always held on to the definition that Causative Verbs express how the Noun before the Verb influences the execution of an action. Similarly, the Longman Student Grammar of Spoken and Written English defines them as: > "Causative Verbs... indicate that some person or thing helps to bring about > a new state of affairs." I know that the verbs _have, get, make,_ and _let_ are the four prototypical Causatives. But then I got to thinking that _let_ doesn't really “make” anything happen. And I just bunch _let_ up with the other three (also _allow_ ) because of their similar structures and because it's more convenient to teach them as a group. When learners and teachers expand the definition beyond the four most common Causatives, in both active and passive-like structures, the lines can get blurry. There are many long lists on the Net (one listed as many as 90 and called them “mostly Causatives”). I guess the problem is the definition of what's Causative to begin with. There are also those people who would identify Causatives by certain patterns that the words follow. In any case, for this particular question, I’d settle for one verb that I’ve seen making the rounds on Causative lists: Is _want_ a causative verb or not? And for me to make a sharper delineation of what's causative, I’d have to ask why.


title: Word for "player" without the negative connotations

text: I wanted to describe someone as a player in the positive sense but the word seems to have too many negative connotations to use without explanation. The word or phrase I'm looking for describes someone as "in the game", an active participant, making a difference, and meriting respect. Edit: Though this question has been closed as not likely having a factual answer, I am still hopeful someone will know one. As pointed out I could have done a much better job of explaining the concept I was going for. In particular, the word describes one who is an active participant in all parts of life (or at least whatever part is in context), enjoys participating, is successful and is focused on the playing rather than the winning. I was hoping for a word that stands along without context. I'm told "player" alone suggests one who manipulates others.


title: What language technique is "I am gone though I am here"

text: I am writing an essay about Shakespeare's 'Much Ado About Nothing' and I was wondering what language technique is used in "I am gone though I am here". Is it a juxtaposition, oxymoron or what?


title: "Mobile" vs. "cellphone" in AE

text: I already heard Americans use the term "mobile" for "cellphone" -- which I thought was chiefly BE -- and so I wish you could tell if such usage of "mobile" has any currency in GAE? Unless it might be called a "mobile" by Americans outside of the US or frequently traveling to Europe.


title: What does "not quite a Haiku" mean? Is it a popular English idiom?

text: I found the article written by Mark Halperin under the title _not quite a Haiku_ in July 13 Time magazine followed by the lines: > From a White House pool report about the President’s stop in Virginia Beach: > He worked the rope line. Lots of teenagers. There was more screaming. As I was quite unfamiliar with the phrase, I tried to find out its meaning on Google. I wasn’t able to find any definition as I used to find in Google Search, but found a couple of examples of the text headed with the caption, _not quite a Haiku_ : >   * _Not quite a haiku_ : They would never suspect they always have it > coming And I'm famous but someone has to do it Clean this world of the rot. > ‒ amcon. net > >   * Not quite Friday anymore, and _not quite a haiku_. A little while ago, I > was looking for sentences for my RTK2 deck, and while attempting to find > something for the character I stumbled across something that is, I suppose, > near ... ‒ andorien.wordpress.com > > From these examples, and in association with _Haiku_ , which is the shortest form of poem in the world as I understand and easy for everyone to try and work up, I assume _not quite a Haiku_ means "It’s not a so easy work (as you work up a Haiku)" or "It’s not a so easy-going day (as you're indulging in Haiku)" but I’m not sure. What does _not quite a haiku_ mean? Is it popular English phrase? Since when did it come into use? We have鼻歌 (hanauta) in Japanese literally meaning “sing a song with nose,” which means doing one’s work humming a tune (nonchalantly). Does ' _not quite a haiku_ ' imply the same thing?


title: Semi-vowels in English

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  When is "Y" a vowel? Why are 'w' and 'y' called semi-vowels in English?


title: Are W and Y vowels?

text: > **Possible Duplicates:**   >  When is "Y" a vowel?   >  Is the 'w' in 'cow' a vowel or a consonant? Are **W** and **Y** vowels? I learned it depends on the conditions. But I don't know what conditions.


title: Is the 'w' in 'cow' a vowel or a consonant?

text: Is the _w_ in _cow_ a vowel or a consonant?   Assuming it is considered a vowel, would it likewise be so in _how_? I learned that the vowels are " _a_ , _e_ , _i_ , _o_ , _u_ , and sometimes _y_." If _w_ can be a vowel, what other letters can be vowels?   What is the definition of a vowel? By the way, I know _w_ can be a vowel, for example in the word _cwm_ , described in the OED as: > A valley; in Physical Geogr., a bowl-shaped hollow partly enclosed by steep > walls lying at the head of a valley or on a mountain slope and formed > originally by a glacier; a cirque.


title: “Dish of the day“ vs “today's special”

text: Many restaurants offer a menu which doesn't change from day to day, and in addition offer one choice which varies from day to day, perhaps depending on which ingredients are available. This choice can be called _dish of the day_ (perhaps “soup of the day”, etc.) or _special_ (“today's special”) or perhaps other expressions (what else is there?). How prevalent are the various ways of formulating this concept? Does it vary between dialects? Is there a nuance in meaning? (I guess really fancy restaurants would use _du jour_ …)


title: parent vs parents, which is the correct word to use?

text: i would like to know which of these is exactly correct or is both allowed ? i see people use **parent** and also as **parents** in day to day communication.


title: Things Went South

text: **If things went south** we better have some plan... Is _went south_ a racial term or it's okay to use it in normal conversation to refer if things went wrong?


title: The usage of "go south"

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Origin of the idiom "go south" My understanding is that "go south" means something fails. I would like to have a post with the title: > My job opportunities have gone south, again. Is it correct? Is there a better way to put it?


title: Is there a more-accepted synonym to the term "Commonwealth English"?

text: I've mainly encountered the term "Commonwealth English" in The Jargon File. However, Wiktionary says the term is fairly rare. Are there more accepted terms? Ones that I'm aware of include:   1. British English (as used by EL&U itself!). I don't view this term as ideal, as I'm referring to differences between English in commonwealth countries and the USA, rather than differences between Australia and the UK, for example.   2. Queen's English. Not ideal, because it also suggests a very refined, as opposed to colloquial, form of English. I'm aware that American English isn't just spoken in the USA, but maybe I don't mind that term as much, as I think those countries are often ones where it's spoken as a second language, such as Japan.


title: Why is this in the past tense?

text: SourceMore details of the proposal **were** scheduled to be released later on Tuesday. This was published on Tuesday afternoon. So it should be "are." Why in the past tense?


title: How to say that I am asking you a common sense question?

text: I said, "My question is of low standard". My teacher replied, "I don't know what do you mean by low standard question". My question is how I should have said that the question is of low standard. Is low standard a wrong way to say? How I should articulate?


title: Usage of "extensive participation"

text: What exactly does ' _extensive participation_ ' mean? Can I use this phrase in a sentence like this: > Due to her **extensive participation** she hardly got time for her studies.


title: What does “yo-ho-ho” mean?

text: The pirate song “Fifteen Men on a Dead Man’s Chest” from _Treasure Island_ contains the expression _yo-ho-ho_. > Fifteen men on the dead man’s chest—   > _Yo-ho-ho_ , and a bottle of rum!   > Drink and the devil had done for the rest—   > _Yo-ho-ho_ , and a bottle of rum! Does this signify laughter, a piratical variation of _ho-ho-ho_? It doesn’t seem like an amusing little ditty but then pirates probably would have a dark sense of humour. Or is it simply a more piratey song filler than _na-na-na_?


title: Aloof proper usage

text: So is it a good use of the word aloof to say "She is not aloof to their harsh judgements"? The intent is to say that a person is aware of the perception others have of them. Thanks.


title: Is this a mistake?

text: SourceThe rules would also effect political activity by conservative and liberal grass-roots organizations, including Tea Party groups whose complaints of aggressive treatment and harassment by I.R.S. employees led to the resignation of several high-ranking agency officials **last spring.** The IRS came to light in 2013. So it is still 2013. So shouldn't this be "this spring?" Why is "last " used here?


title: I don't like potatoes or ice-cream

text: I am struggling to find the correct grammar for a fairly simple sentence. > "I don't like potatoes or ice-cream". This appears to be incorrect because it is a contraction of the two clauses "I don't like potatoes or I don't like ice-cream", which has a different (if any) meaning. You can see why it's wrong when you use a different verb such as: > "I hate potatoes or ice-cream". To use "I don't like potatoes **and** ice-cream" would be correct but ambiguous as it appears to imply they have to be served together to elicit dislike. An Oxford comma would be an elegant method of reducing this ambiguity ("I don't like potatoes, and ice-cream") but I'm sure that's incorrect as well. I expect there's a very formal sentence construction involving neither/nor but nobody would ever say that. So what is the correct construction here?


title: How do you hyphenate 'branches'?

text: How do you hyphenate the word 'branches'? I'm intrigued between `branch·es` and `bran·ches`.


title: Open vs Open Itself

text: Recently I read sentence like                '... section opens with {{^section}} ...'      Here, I guess the verb open does not require ITSELF (just open instead of open itself). Is it some group of verbs OPEN belongs to?


title: Word for "Workingness"

text: I know "workingness" is not a word, but I am looking for a word that means it. For example: Evaluate the workingness of capitalism?


title: What does "negotiate with" mean?

text: > Marginal populations often negotiate with policies and practices of social > exclusion for rights and protections. What's the meaning of _negotiate with_ in this context? Does it mean "to cope with", or "to negotiate about"?


title: Is "Goldbrick" commonly used in American English?

text: I came across the slang term "Goldbrick" in the American WWII cartoon Private Snafu The Goldbrick (Warning: possibly sexist at the start, and possibly racist near the end). I'd never heard the word before, which makes me suspect that it's only found in American English. Is the term commonly used nowadays in the United States, including outside of military contexts?


title: Is it correct to use "yonder" as equivalent to "those"/"these"

text: I want to write: "The methods can be divided according to the theories underlying the process and also differ on the statistical methods to evaluate _those_ theories." Would it be correct to use _yonder_ instead of _those_ in this sentence to refer to a word used in the first part of the sentence --> _theories_? On the other hand I am not even sure if _those_ is correct or if any I had to use _these_. I am always confused about the their difference. Thanks for any suggestions!


title: How would you define "Fluent" level in English?

text: Most of us heard about such levels as Beginner, Intermediate, Upper Intermediate, Advanced. As I understand "Fluent" is the highest level when describing someone's English. But how would you describe it? Some people think that "Fluent" is just when you speak very good (relative to other non-native speakers). But I think this is not enough. I think that you can say that you speak fluently when it is hard for native speakers to understand (based on your speech, accent and grammar) that English is not your native language. And if a native speaker can quickly (matter of seconds, or a minute) understand that your are a foreigner - you don't have a fluent level. What do you think?


title: Is it okay to write an if statement just by itself in an email?

text: Could we write an _if_ statement just by itself in an email? For example: > I didn't receive the contract. *So if you could ask her to send me a copy, > ~~it would be great.~~


title: Cite a Powerpoint Presentation

text: I'm writing my Junior paper and found several powerpoint presentations online. Now, I'm working on the bibliography and my English teacher doesn't know how to cite them and every site I've visited has provided a different response. Anybody know the standard, accepted method? Because, the last time I checked, MLA doesn't provide one. For example, this powerpoint.


title: Why are nouns sometimes pejorative when used attributively?

text: Certain nouns can often be used as noun adjuncts in place of a corresponding adjective, with no change in literal meaning, where:   * The noun is not pejorative when used nominatively by itself.   * Nor is the corresponding adjective pejorative.   * But the noun used attributively _is_ pejorative. **Is this a common pattern in English (besides the 2 examples below), and if so, what's the reason behind it?** Also, is the phenomenon specific to proper nouns? # Examples Here are some examples of such usages that should be typical according to what I'm claiming: ## Jew Generally not pejorative when used nominatively (though that may depend on the company you keep...): > Who is a **Jew**? Corresponding adjective is not pejorative: > The Haggadah (Hebrew: הַגָּדָה, "telling") is a **Jewish** text that sets > forth the order of the Passover Seder. But an anti-Semitic slur when used attributively: > I shoulda known they'd stick me in a room with a **Jew** cop. ## Democrat (the US political party) Not pejorative, used nominatively: > President Barack Obama is a **Democrat**. Not pejorative, corresponding adjective: > The **Democratic** Party is one of two major contemporary political parties > in the United States[.] Pejorative, used attributively: > **Democrat** Party > **DEMOCRAT** POLITICIANS' LUST FOR TAX MONEY OUTWEIGHS THEIR SUPPOSED > COMMITMENT TO SOCIAL JUSTICE


title: Omission of definite article with musical instruments

text: What is the rule for omitting/including the definite article in the following sentences: > I used to play piano.   >  I used to play **the** piano. I would pick the first sentence, but I've heard people say the second sentence even when they are not referring to a specific piano. Which one is correct?


title: Differences between "Can you play the guitar?" and "Can you play guitar?"

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Omission of definite article with musical instruments Is there any difference between the following sentences? > Can you play the guitar?   >  Can you play guitar?


title: Pronunciation of "influence"

text: What's the correct pronunciation of "influence"? Specifically, which syllable is stressed?   I always thought it was _**IN** fluence_, but recently I heard it pronounced _in **FLU** ence_ by some people.   Which one is correct, or is it a matter of accent?


title: which is correct? you no need to worry or you need not to worry

text: Can someone plz tell me which is the right one and naturally a better one?   1. You no need to worry about it   2. You need not to worry about it Thanks


title: Oxymoron Examples

text: I am trying to write some new oxymoron examples. If a grammar school stops teaching grammar (drops grammar from the curriculum), would this be called _oxymoronic?_


title: How can we refer a single person from a group of person in single word?

text: I need to know can we use any single word which refers to the meaning of intended person. For example, in a shop we can have Salesman and Manager. I need to send a mail to anyone of person. I wish to have a single word which refers to intended person(either Salesman/Manager). Regards, Santhanam


title: Do you often don't know - do I need to use "do" 2x?

text: Talking to my UK colleagues daily in English, I have had no idea that such a sentence is possible " Do you often don't know where to put your arms". What is the difference between: > Do you often don't know... and > Do you often not know...


title: Is "litter" correct on waste bins?

text: I threw some rubbish in a litter bin the other day, when it occurred to me that the receptacle couldn't be a litter bin, because _litter_ is only unwanted things strewn across the road. Anything in a litter bin couldn't be litter, by reason of it's being in the litter bin. Am I right, wrong, or just absurdly pedantic?


title: Make a billing details default? Is it correct English?

text: We have a situation where we are asking the user to select one billing details and make it default, from the different billing details that he has already provided to us. The billing details consider of multiple information like: Name, Address, Phone No. etc. What would be the correct sentence for this one? "Make a billing details default?" I feel there is something wrong in this.


title: When to use commas in a sentence that starts with "finally", "additionally", etc.?

text: If I have a sentence that starts with _additionally, finally, consequently_ , etc. do I always have to put a comma after it? Or is there a different rule?


title: What's the difference between the words "plate" and "dish"?

text: I'm confused about the words _dish_ and _plate_. Could someone please explain the difference?


title: "Delegated to" vs. "Assigned to"

text: What is the differences in these terms. I want to use one of them in Task management software. Which term is better for the menu meaning "List of task that was delegated|assigned to me" and "List of tasks that I have delegated to someone else".


title: meaning of 'play point'

text: > What made Tinder Tinder was the work of a team: Joe Munoz, who built the > technical back end; Jonathan Badeen, who wrote the iOS code; Christopher > Gulczynski, who created the design; Rad, who played point. What was Rad doing for Tinder? What is the meaning of the the phrase 'played point'? Source article.


title: Usage frequency for "gambit"

text: _Not sure if the tag I've selected is appropriate. Feel free to correct._ I've googled gambit and got the definition as depicted below. Then, I folded out the frame to see see the usage graph and it stroke me as odd that the popularity of the term dropped around 1800 and then rearose in mid 1950's. Why is it so? Has the raise any connection to WW2 or the Cold War? Any thoughts on the fall of popularity two centuries ago? Or is it perhaps due to the way that the popularity is computed? # **___________** ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/7PzoA.png)


title: What do you call someone who's fascinated by machines?

text: See people who are fascinated by machines like computers, cars, bikes, robots. They adore engines, hardware the visual looks for them the smell of it, everything about it. Such people are hardware maniac.


title: Must the word after a question mark be capitalised where the question mark does not terminate the sentence?

text: Here is a sentence: > Before we can examine the implications of neuroscience for criminal law, we > must address two more fundamental questions: Why do we punish criminals at > all? and How severely should we punish them? I understand that question marks normally terminate a sentence, and so the following word should normally be capitalised. In this case, I have a list of two questions within the same sentence, so it seems that the "and" after the first question mark should not be capitalised (since the first question mark does not terminate the sentence). The first letter of each question is capitalised to indicate where the question begins. The sentence seems right to me, but it's a bit unusual, so I thought I would ask for others' opinion.


title: Alternative word to the new verb "onboard"

text: Apparently HR folk have taken to using the word "onboard" as a verb, to be used as a synonym for "bring up to speed", as in: > We need to _onboard_ new staff to our dynamic way of thinking. instead of > We need to bring new staff up to speed regarding our dynamic way of > thinking. There is already a question that asks for an antonym, but **is there an existing word that can be used instead of abusing an adjective like that?**


title: Why is soldier ˈsōljər? Where did the "j" come from?

text: Just a pronunciation question. Is it a vestige of the spelling battle between i and j, where in English the j lost out to the i, but with soldier we retained the sound?


title: "When I was in third year at the University".: Is "my" necessary here like "in my third year""

text: Is "my" really necessary in this sentence : " When I was (in third year,in MY third year) at the university" .If it is then why do we need to use 'my'?


title: why use "isn't" in the sentence "if it isn't too much trouble, i'd love a cup of coffee?

text: Why use "isn't" in the sentence "if it isn't too much trouble, i'd love a cup of coffee?why English users do not use "weren't" instead of "isn't"?


title: what's the difference between "trust" and "believe"

text: What's the difference between "trust" and "believe"? In the sentence such as "Don't ...a man who keeps flattering you. "Should I fill in "trust" or "believe" ?thank you!!


title: why can't I say " staying alone"

text: Why can't I say "staying alone" in this sentence: > I like playing with my friends but I also like being alone Why not _like staying alone_?


title: What is the correct pronunciation of "Caribbean"?

text: Sometimes I hear the emphasis placed on the second syllable, and other times on the second to last syllable. I myself use both pronunciations depending on context, and it makes me wonder if there is an underlying rule that I can't quite put my finger on.


title: Confusion in using "due to"

text: I usually meet "due to" usage in a document or conversation, but in different ways. I did some research and found out that "due to" is adjectival. Thus, the correct sentence should be: > The cancellation was due to rain Instead of: > It was cancelled due to rain But when I looked it up in Longman Dictionary, I found: > She has been absent from work due to illness Can anybody tell me why the above sentence is correct?


title: "You are right; I'm sorry" — semicolon or comma?

text: >   * You are right; I'm sorry. >   * You are right, I'm sorry. > Do we use the semicolon or comma? A full stop works. Two independent clauses so perhaps the semicolon should be used.


title: Addressing email to more than one person

text: Which ones are correct: 'Hi All' or is it 'Hi all'. (A)ll does not look right 'Hi Peter/John' or 'Hi Peter, John' when you want to specifically address the e-mail to two people, i.e. so they clearly know they are the main addresseess and appear in 'to' and all the rest, if any, are in the 'cc'.


title: What do you call a sequence of repeating numbers

text: For example, I have a sequence               77777777777      Is there a word in the dictionary to represent > a sequence of repetitive/recurring numbers


title: Killer Queen. The usage of noun sequences of length two and more. Ambiguity of nouns phrases in English

text: I have a question about nouns triplets like "sofa box container" and I'll formulate it at the end. I have some reasoning and I want to make sure I'm correct. First of all consider the following sample. Common sense helps understand the meaning of these words but I want to know the _general rule for understanding the meaning of noun sequences._   1. Spider man — a man who is also a spider   2. Killer Queen — a queen who is also a killer   3. Blade Runner — a man who runs on the blade   4. Tiger lily — lily of "tiger" type These are well-known examples. But I suppose the first two _should_ be written with hyphen: _spider-man, killer-queen_. Following the logic I tried to create sensible examples of 2-nouns combinations: > Killer queen — a queen of killers   >  Killer's queen — a queen, who is killer's   >  Killer-queen — a killer who is also a queen   >  Queen-killer — a queen who is also a killer   >  Queen killer — a killer of queens   >  Queen's Killer — a killer, who is queen's > > Blade runner — 1) a runner who is like a blade (blade as adjective) — 2) > someone or something who makes the blade run   >  Blade's runner — the runner of blade's property   >  Blade-runner — a blade who is a runner (blade and also a runner)   >  Runner-blade — a runner who is a blade (runner and also a blade)   >  Runner blade — 1) something that blades (verb) a runner — 2) a blade of > type runner (what kind of blade? — runner)   >  Runner's blade — a blade of runner's property Suppose we have 2 nouns A and B. The possible combinations of these nouns are: > A B   >  A's B   >  A-B   >  B-A   >  B's A   >  B A **Now the question:** How do I interpret combinations of length more than two? What does "sofa box container" mean? Is it "boxes containing sofas" or "container of boxes where sofas were inside"? And does "sofa container box" mean "boxes which contain sofas" or "a box for a container of sofas"? Any other versions? And finally, how do I say without prepositions "the machines which contain databases"? I'm so confused by noun sequences. Any help is greatly appreciated!


title: Drove my chevy to the levee but the levee was dry

text: Years ago, I heard this phrase (I don't know if it really is a phrase, please correct me if I'm wrong) during a congress from the general manager of a major car production company, but I don't remember the context. What is the meaning and etymology of it?


title: Meaning of "to become a staple" and other phrases with staple

text: What does staple mean in phrases? Examples:   * Similarly, the C programming language became a staple of the computer science classroom.   * When did the potato become a staple food?   * http://sentence.yourdictionary.com/staple Is it roughly something like "main" or "basic"?


title: Why European, South Asian, Arabian learn English much faster than East Asian (Chinese, Korean, Japanese)?

text: I am Thai and I noticed that many friends of mine who are European (German, French, Russian,...), South Asian (Indian, Nepalese, Bangladesh,...), Arabian (Iran, Lebanese,..) learn English much faster than I do. Most of them can speak English very well when living in English Speaking country for just a few years. I live in Australia for 10 years but I don't think my English can be as good as their one. I did some research, South Asian language is from branch of the Indo-Iranian languages, itself a branch of the Indo-European language family. Of course, The Indo-European languages are the fathers of all European language (English is the one). Meanwhile, East Asian (Chinese, Korean, Japanese...) belongs to Sino-Tibetan languages. Most East Asian people still have many English problem even living in English speaking for long time. The native English speakers can understand quite well English accents of European, South Asian, Arabian, but feel very difficult to the English accents of East Asian.


title: "Is too" instead of "it is"

text: The following is a dialogue of an animated movie (A bug's life), I don't understand why one of them says "Is too" instead of saying "it is". Is a this a natural way of responding and insisting on what you're implying? > -Oh, being little's not such a bad thing.   >  +Yes, it is.   >  -No, it's not.   >  +Is too!   >  -Is not.   >  +Is too.   >  -Is not.   >  +Is too.


title: What qualification you are looking for?

text: Well this may be a very silly and obvious question but it's bothering me so I am asking it here. I am writing a letter and I asked the question > What qualification **are you** looking for? However my colleague says it should be > What qualification **you are** looking for? Well, some how I think my version is correct but I cannot justify it grammatically, can someone tell me which of the interrogation is correct? and why?


title: Taking a tenner from neighbour

text: Let's define the first number as "ab" and the second number as "cd". In "ab"-"cd" proces, if "b" is smaller than "d", we add 10 to "b" and reduce 1 from "a". In Turkish, we called it "taking a tenner from neighbour". How do you use that term in English?


title: What is one word for only one option?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Expression for a choice which isn't really one What is one word for "only one option"?   I am curious because I have to have an antonym for choice.


title: Word for someone who "sees the best in others"?

text: At the risk of being DRY: > What's a powerful word for someone who " _sees the best in others_ "?


title: "would" and "will"

text: which one is correct OR what is the difference between the following sentences: > I think the duration of the meeting would be two hours. > > I think the duration of the meeting will be two hours.


title: "Couple was" or "couple were" married?

text: I have recently read both: > couple is getting married > > couple are getting married So which is actual usage?


title: What does (the expression) "to stir the paint" mean?

text: In today's Family Guy episode, called Seahorse Seashell Party, when Meg was complaining to her mother Lois, her father Peter came to her and whispered something in her ear. Then Meg said: > Meg: (complaining) And you never let dad stir the paint anymore, whatever > that means.   >  Peter: I didn't know you knew that, Meg, but I'm glad you brought it up. Any idea what does the phrase mean? I guess it's sex-related, but I'm not 100% sure. **EDIT/UPDATE** So far the answers say that the phrase means _to have sex while the woman is menstruating._ This sounds plausible and fits, but the answers are backed up by the entry in the Urban Dictionary, which was created right after the Family Guy episode aired. Therefore, I assume people simply guessed what the phrase means and submitted it to the Urban Dictionary and thus I don't consider it to be a reliable source in this case.


title: Words inherited from other languages

text: What do we call the words which are inherited from other languages (like avatar,yoga etc)? Is there a single word for the class containing these words? As for example, in hindi, some words are directly taken like school, and we call these _"videshaj"_ in hindi meaning taken from foreign( _videsh_ ).


title: Add one more level of indirection in ownership description: "Peter teacher's car"?

text: If I want to describe a car owned by Peter, I will say "Peter's car". But how do I describe the car his teacher owns? "Peter teacher's car" or do I have to be descriptive: "the car of Peter's teacher"?


title: Usage of "Take a bow"

text: Well, I always get confused over the use of this phrase. Basically, it means taking credit for the performance done by artists by bowing their heads down, and I know that but what about using it for myself for showing respect to others who have done something great? Just consider a sentence - _" The soldiers have done a tremendous job in rescuing thousand lives,I take a bow"_.Can I use it like that?


title: Can I say "she made a good baby" to say "she was a good baby"?

text: I know we can say "someone makes a good leader." But can the same thing be used in past-tense "he made a good leader." ?


title: What are the characteristics of slang, dialect and colloquial speech?

text: **What are the different aspects of slang, dialect and colloquial speech?


title: Something of value that is worthless in the current context?

text: Is there a word/metaphor/idiom for something that has value, but is worthless (or even harmful) in the current situation? To use a couple of monetary examples:   1. A check for $1,000,000 has _potential_ value, but unless you can get to a bank that value is inaccessible.   2. A duffel bag full of cash is also extremely valuable, but if you try to hang onto it after being thrown from your speedboat in an explosion, it will drag you to the bottom of the Long Island Sound.


title: Can a dash be used in this instance?

text: I would like to confirm the use of a dash in this sentence: > My name is Mat, I am a Bristol based designer in the UK - I forge digital > art, illustrations & websites Is this the proper use of a dash, or do the clauses need to be two different sentences?


title: Rewording of "task with the highest stakes"

text: > For a mental model, connecting what has just happened with what will happen > in the very near future is the **task with the highest stakes**. That sounds unnatural to me. Can someone suggest a rewording?


title: A word for someone who loves looking at handwriting - not studies it but purely for pleasure . .

text: A word for someone who loves looking at handwriting - not studies it but purely for pleasure.


title: "Would" construction for talking about the past

text: so I've heard peolpe using would+infinitive when talking about past events. Example: "It was a great time. We would just sit there and play games all day." My question is, is this a proper way to talk the past? If so, when do you use it?


title: Help with verbs: "is" or "are"?

text: > Making adult decisions are/is really not fun. What is the proper answer and why? My gut says "is" but I can't explain why.


title: How meanings of "dis" and "play" construct the meaning of word "display"

text: In what way do meanings of "dis" and "play" construct the meaning of word "display"? As I understand it, the prefix "dis" negates what follows e.g., _disability_ , and _disadvantage_. But I can't quite get why it should start meaning what "display" means (to make something stand out) when "dis" (negation) is connected to "play" (engaging in enjoyable activity). What is the reason that "display" is composed from exactly these two pieces?


title: Earthquake As A Verb

text: Is there a way to use earthquake as a verb, i.e.: It started earthquaking... What's the proper way to express earthquake as a verb?


title: Is it right to say "my curiosity was intrigued by that strange symbol"?

text: Technically, it seems wrong as "intrigue" by itself means "to arouse the curiosity or interest of", but I see plenty of articles and books all over the internet with that usage. Please enlighten!


title: Two verbal nouns with one/two prepositional phrases

text: I have a question on English style. Take the following sentence: Following the Candidate Shabbat, all participants are mailed an official letter of acceptance to or rejection from the program. When translating into English, I am often confronted with the awkward situation of using two verbs (in this case, acceptance and rejection) with a common object (the program). Is this the best stylistic choice for this situation? Would "Following the Candidate Shabbat, all participants are mailed an official letter of acceptance to the program or rejection from it." sound any better? I'd love to hear your opinions.


title: Article usage with the word Inspiration, and similar

text: I'm trying to explain to someone why there's no article in this sentence: > I'm always looking for inspiration What is the rule that applies here? And is there a recorded set of similar words that are normally used without articles? Thanks


title: How to read “E = (mc)²” so as not to mistake for “E = mc²”

text: According to one of the questions already asked on EL&U, “E = mc²” is read as > E equals M C squared. How do we read “E = (mc)²” so that it is not mistaken for “E = mc²”?


title: What word means someone who’s satisfied with superficial knowledge?

text: I used to know this word but cannot remember it. Basically it’s someone who likes the prospect of being knowledgeable about many things, or at least wants the appearance of erudition, but who is unwilling to put in the time and effort to learn new things. He may put in just enough effort to learn some trivia to impress others. And _pretentious_ isn’t the word I was thinking of.


title: It was so funny that I 'could not stop laughing'

text: What other expressions can I use give the idea of " seeming unable to stop from laughing" because of a very amusing joke or a very funny story ?


title: What does the word "institutional" mean in this context?

text: > Racism and sexism are examples of institutional practices that result in > discrimination against individuals on the basis of their race or gender. The dictionary definition of institutional is > of, in, or like an institution or institutions and the dictionary definition of institution is > a society or organization founded for a religious, educational, social, or > similar purpose. Putting the two together does it mean that racism and sexism are not though up by a single individual but a society as whole?


title: Enlightenment, enlightened, Illuminism, illuminist

text: The Enlightenment was a cultural movement of intellectuals (Europe, XVIII century). It is associated with the Scientific Revolution, the Atlantic Revolutions (American Revolution, French Revolution, Latin American Revolutions, etc.), Romanticism, most of modern Political Science and Jurisprudence, and a lot more. 1) Is "Illuminism" an acceptable synonym? 2) Is "illuminist" the attribute (for both people and ideas)? Would an "illuminist idea" be the same as an "Enlightenment idea"? Would an "illuminist" be the same as an "Enlightenment thinker/intellectual"? 3) If not, is there any alternative to the attributive "Enlightenment"? 4) Is "Enlightened" an acceptable adjective for the attributive "Enlightenment"? In this case how do you avoid confusion with the adjective "enlightened" just meaning "wise"? 5) A single-word adjective for "Enlightenment intellectual", "intellectual who is a follower of the Enlightenment"?


title: Use of the en dash instead of the hyphen in compound adjectives

text: I have the following taken from a paper that I am editing: > … proposed a **water-filling factor aided** search method to solve … My question is related to whether I should use an en dash to connect the adjectives here, as in: > … water-filling factor–aided search method … Can anyone please help me out? Is this understandable? Is this the correct way to do it? Is “water-filling-factor-aided search method”, all with hyphens, a little weird?