title: "on active service" vs "in active service"

text: In the Wikipedia article on the RAF "Grand Slam" bomb that was used by the RAF in World War II, it is recorded that the bomb was used 42 times: > "By the end of the war, 42 Grand Slams had been dropped **on active > service**." This caused me to wonder at the usage of "on" in this context. And then I was reminded of Ian Fleming's 10th James Bond novel, _On Her Majesty's Secret Service_. Here seems to be a similar usage of "on". In US English we would use "in" rather than "on", which leads me to believe that a British-English speaker has edited the Wikipedia article in question (or is that "on question"?). Because I would have written "had been dropped in active service." And I'm a Yank. In the article about the bomb, the referenced sentence has the unfortunate suggestion that the bomb was actually dropped on something called "active service". My question is (at long last), is this usage of "on" in the sentence above correct usage in British English, or did the writer get it wrong?


title: Position of linking verb "are" in a question

text: **EDITED:** Are the following sentences correct in correctly positioning the linking verb **are**?   1. What different devices are used in this type of setting?   2. What are the different devices that are used in this type of setting? **I am asking this to confirm if they mean the same?** **EDITS** after @Kris 's comment   1. What different devices are used in this type of setting?   2. What are the different devices used in this type of setting?


title: Is there a grammar rule that defines the properties of a legally accepted word

text: I would like to know if there is a grammar rule(s) that defines whether a word is gramatically legal or not. I understand a word is given meaning by a human and anyone can give meaning to anything. Therefore I realize it is probably impossible to create a set of laws that can absolutely define the legality of a string of letters. Barring that extreme example, is there a practical/general set of such rules? For example, I remember my grade 2 teacher saying that if a word does not contain at the minimum 1 vowel, then it is not a legal word. Based on that principle, I might claim that the word 'lkjsdlf' is not a legal word. Is there a generally accepted set of grammatical parameters that define whether a word is legal or not (apart from looking it up in a dictionary)? The reason I'm asking this is to determine if it's possible to programmatically validate a word (rather than using a list of 100,000+ words from a dictionary). The goal is to categorize 'lkjsdlf' and 'apple' as 'invalid' and 'valid' respectively.


title: If you say in English: wear the pants in a relationship, then can you also say wear the skirt in a relationship?

text: What I mean is: if the person wearing the pants assumes a masculine/dominant role, then can we say someone assumes a feminine/submissive role by saying they wear a skirt in a relationship? Especially if they were not given a choice and have to accept their subordinate role? Is it possible in English? It's not my first language and I would appreciate the comments.


title: Capitalizing the names of different animal breeds?

text: I've already looked around for an answer to this question, but many answers contradict each other. What I'd like to know is whether or not different animal breeds are capitalized in professional writing. If I'm writing about my dog, Loki, would I say that he's a "samoyed" or a "Samoyed" pup?


title: "The truth about" vs. "the truth on"

text: Which preposition is correct here? >   1. The truth about "Unlimited". >   2. The truth on "Unlimited". > The meaning of the sentence is roughly, exposing the truth of a concept, for example "Unlimited".


title: Why does one come to a "sticky end"?

text: I was reading this question here, and thinking, the kitten will come to a _sticky end_. But why is a ghastly but non-specific fate referred to as a _sticky end_? This source here suggests that blood is involved, but surely there's more to it than that.


title: What's the most common way of referring to the gender of a friend?

text: I thought about 'male friend' or 'female friend.' I've heard people saying 'girl friend' (usually girls say this). What's the most common way of saying this?


title: Are peas countable or non-countable?

text: Frequently in my childhood a conversation would arise at the dinner table that went something like this; "How many peas would you like?" "About sixty please". (Laughter ensues). The question befits a countable noun such as sausages. However the correct answer is something which befits a non-countable noun such as rice. "Quite a lot", "Not very much", "A spoonful" or "Less" (rather than "Fewer"). Why is it that peas defy classification as countable or non-countable? I've had it explained to me that the etymology of pea is a back-engineered (and originally incorrect) singular derived from "pease" which would suggest "How much peas would you like?" is a grammatically correct question. However this doesn't explain why the same problem occurs with other small items such as sliced carrots or cornflakes. Is it size-related? Is there a no-man's land between rice and sausages where English is simply lacking an appropriate solution?


title: A slang term derived from another slang term

text: Is there a word that describes a slang term that was, itself, derived from (or riffs on) another slang term? I was under the impression that the term Snowclone described ths phenomenon, but it seems to be about something else entirely.


title: Origin of “name happened” form: from “s*** happens” via “magic happens”?

text: There’s a form in current English **_Then <X> happened_** or **_< X> happened_**, where you transition the _name of a thing_ (a person, a fictitious character, or object), to mean _the dramatic effects of the arrival of the "thing"._ The thing in question is so big its _NAME_ refers not only to the thing or person itself but to a whole system of events, culture, or actions associated with it. As an example in http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/22/magazine/george-lucas-red- tails.html we find _"then Star Wars happened"_. Well now, since I am old enough I lived through the evolution of this phrase in popular culture, **I PERSONALLY ASSUMED THAT** :   1. You had the phrase _shit happens_.   2. People (in the 80s?) started turning that around to _< nice-word-here> happens_, notably _magic happens_.   3. Subsequently the form _< NAME> happened_ was used when describing action movie characters, sport teams, dot com booms and the like. But by all means, **I COULD BE COMPLETELY WRONG**. Can anyone find any information on **the actual origin of** the _name happens_ form? (Note that the origin of "shit happens" is now well understood and documented. The question at hand is is, how did the quirky "and then name happened... originate? Was it (my guess) a play on "shit happens" -- or am I just totally wrong to assume that?) * * * PS: Tragically, the OED seems not to have cottoned on to it yet: http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/84057


title: Meaning and origin of "hustle, score, use"

text: In a movie about drug addiction they used this combination of words: > hustle, score, use They said it was always the same pattern - but what does it mean and where does it come from?


title: Does a submarine cruise underwater or sail underwater?

text: The submarine had been cruising in the Atlantic for three weeks


title: What is the difference between "speaking" and "talking"?

text: It seems more politically correct to say that someone is speaking rather than talking. What is the definitive difference between these terms?


title: Can't come up with the correct sentence

text: I have some trouble coming up with the right sentence for a form input where I'm asking a user's first and last name. What I'm actually trying to say is that the name the user is filling in will be used to name this person, in for example emails. Right now I have: > We will reference to you by this name. But it doesn't sound right to me, and I think it isn't.


title: Which is more common to say “I used to have a month off” or “I was used to having a month off” over Charismas holiday?

text: There was the following sentence in Tina Fey’s “Tina Fey Bossy Pants”: > " When I took the job at the front desk in early November, I had stipulated > that I had to have off a few days around Christmas because I had already > booked a flight home to see my family. This being my first Christmas after > college, **I was used to having a month off** over the holidays, and cutting > that down to a three-day weekend already had me weepy and depressed." - > ibid. P.69 I think I used to write “used to do” when referring to habitual behavior. Is there difference of nuance between “used to do” and “be used to doing”? If it’s exactly or almost same, which of “used to do” and “be used to doing” is used more often? **P.S.** As the second thought after posting this question, I came to think “be used to doing” is akin to “be accustomed to do / doing” and “be wont to do,” and structually different from “used to do,” but I’m not sure.


title: Term to describe quality of one's day

text: I'm working on a sort of diary app with which users will rate different aspects of their day. One of the metrics being measured is the overall quality of the user's day. Currently I'm just calling this a "rating," but I don't think that's the best word to indicate what's being measured. I just can't think of a better one.


title: Should I refer to "one" as "him/her/them", when the subject is not specified?

text: I'm writing a formal document, translating it to English, and I need to now how to say this sentence properly: " It allows one to have a voice and endows them with a power that was (...)" I used "them" because I understand "one" as a subject with a not specified gender. Am I correct? Is this rule also applied to possessive cases?


title: What is the meaning of "poetry" ? And how far it is different from "Poem"?

text: In a concert I heard saying Poetry is : "words carrying the meaning little concealed and little exposed." It may sound convincing but thats not word to word meaning neither complete. It is just a beautiful meaning that is pleasant to hear. > Meaning of poetry?


title: "Will be able to"

text: One of my friends told me that "will be able to" is a wrong phrase. _Able_ doesn't fit with _will_. Is this true?


title: Are all of these sentences grammatical?

text: >   1. He was charged with killing 13 people. >   2. He was charged with having killed 13 people. >   3. He was charged with the crime he killed 13 people. > I suppose the phrase no. 1 is correct but the others also make sense or are they grammatically wrong?


title: The meaning of "minking it"

text: There's a line in the musical _Guys and Dolls_ : > When you see a Joe saving half of his dough, > > You can bet he'll be **minking it** for some doll. My initial instinct is that this is a verbification of "mink" as in jackets or coats (the Joe is spending his money on mink furs for 'some doll'). Is this a reasonable interpretation or does _minking it_ impart some sort of regional slang meaning beyond that? The musical is set mostly in New York during the 1930s.


title: How to pronounce meijer

text: There is a supermarket called Meijer near my house, how do you pronounce 'Meijer' ? Does it sound like 'mire' ?


title: "the comparative, the comparative" vs. "as-clause"

text: "The longer you work, the more you earn" can be paraphrased as "As you work longer, you earn more." Is this paraphrase always possible? For example, given "As the birthrate declines, the workforce will shrink," can it be paraphrased as "The lower the birthrate is, the less the workforce will be"?


title: How to use namely correct

text: Is this a correct use of namely: > We will investigate two different research questions:   >  1\. Is there a correlation between age and income?   >  2\. Does university education lead to higher income? > > From the first two question, a third one arises _namely_ : does higher > income lead to more happiness?


title: Meaning and use of phrase "proverbial bucket"

text: I can't understand the meaning of the following sentence and need a short description of the content with an example: > The proverbial bucket has not been constructed that would carry my pitiful > attempts.


title: Status of verb in "winner-take-all"

text: In the expression a "winner-take-all society", I'm interested in the status of the verb: is it an infinitive or an imperative? As a related question, would it look odd to an anglophone if I wrote "a-winner-takes-all society" ? I would be quite grateful if, as a bonus, a user told me the origin of this metaphor: poker or some other game perhaps? **Edit** I now realize, following Kosmonaut's comment, that there are several similar constructions in English: a know-it-all, a ne'er-do-well. And interestingly also in French: "un vaurien" and in German "Ein Taugenichts".


title: "Subject to Change" Usage

text: I have the following sentence: > (...) these dates are subject to change. Should that, instead, read: > (...) these dates may be subject to change. Are only one of these usages correct? I want it to be interpreted to mean that the dates may change. (but they may not necessarily change) My guess is that we're working with the following definition of `subject` (from dictionary.com): > 19: (Adjective) open or exposed (usually followed by to): subject to > ridicule. I think that would make the first quote valid. But how about the second?


Synonyms for "multiple things that reside in the same location" - I can think of "colocated," which I've only seen in an engineering context. Do any other words fit the bill?


title: what's the difference between "apparent", "evident" and "obvious"?

text: I believe they are all the same, but is there any case in which not all of them are correct? Here are the examples, from an English textbook: > **1\. It is (quite) ___ _ that he took the wrong path.** > > A.apparent B.evident C.stupid D.absurd > > **2\. It is ___ _ that two and two make four.** > > A.apparent B.evident C.obvious D.visible > > **3\. It is ___ _ (that) you have been cheated.** > > A.clear B.apparent C.regretful D.ignorant The answers are B, C, and A. I think A is also a correct answer to Q1, A and B are also correct answers to Q2, and B is also a correct answer to Q3. It is not that easy when it comes to answering questions in an exam, because there is only one answer I can choose, and if I'm wrong, I lose points. So, is it really wrong to use the other words in these cases? Why?


title: Origin of "Too Clever by Half"

text: The phrase "Too Clever by Half" is used to criticize someone for being overconfident in their thinking. What is the origin of this phrase? I read somewhere that it started as a backhanded compliment meant to imply that they are only half clever, but I couldn't find any corroboration.


title: The Cobbler's children have no shoes

text: What is the origin of this phrase? Does this also apply in case of other professions? Like the goldsmith's children have no jewels or the baker's children don't eat cake?


title: Is "sound approach" an accepted phrase?

text: English is not my first language, and in my language (Bosnian) we write just as we speak ; so from time to time, I encounter phrases which I know I have heard before, but am not sure if I am writing them correctly. Do you say _sound approach_ to describe an approach to a problem which is logical, makes sense, and is practical? The reason I ask is that I could not find it in a reliable online reference, and I have a feeling that I am spelling it wrong.


title: Pedlar vs. peddler

text: The etymonline entry for _peddler_ reads: > **late 14c.** (c. **1300** as a surname, Will. Le Pedelare), from peoddere, > peddere (c.1200, mid-12c. as a surname), of unknown origin. It has the > appearance of an agent noun, but no corresponding verb is attested in Middle > English. Perhaps a dim. of ped "panier, basket," also of unknown origin, but > this is attested only from late 14c. **Pedlar** , preferred spelling in > U.K., is attested from **late 14c**. Going by the above, it's difficult to understand which came first— _pedlar_ or _peddler_. The former is the recommended BrE spelling and the latter the AmE equivalent. If _pedlar_ was the original spelling, why the switch to _peddler_ (with an extra _d_ as well as a change in suffix) in AmE? The word _peddle_ is itself a back-formation from _peddler_ dated ~1837 which makes it doubtful as the source. Other similarly suffixed words such as _liar_ , _beggar_ , and _bursar_ appear to have made the transition untarnished.


title: Accepted "into" journal?

text: What is the appropriate way to talk about an article that has been published in a journal? Has it been accepted "into" the journal, "to" the journal, "in" the journal, "by" the journal?


title: Why nipples on a breastplate are useless?

text: I'm reading a book and the sentence below showed up: > "Like nipples on a breastplate." After a research, the meaning intended was useless. I would like to know why this sentence means "useless"?


title: What is the adjective for "supersedure" or "primacy"?

text: Is there an _adjective_ that can express the concept of a law that supersedes other laws? I would prefer a single adjective that has legal connotations, although a present participle will suffice. The phrases _supreme law_ and _overruling law_ approximate this concept, but _supreme_ merely seems to indicate significance, and _overruling_ implies direct contradiction, rather than "displacement in favor of another" as _supersedure_ indicates (the laws do not run completely contrary to one another, but one is more appropriate and takes precedent). Also, the phrases _the law which has primacy over other laws_ and _the law which supersedes other laws_ are too wordy and awkward for my intended usage in a paper about a certain contentious Supreme Court decision. Is there an adjectival form of "primacy" or "supersedure", or another adjective which accurately describes this legal usage? Here is the sort of context in which I intend to use such an adjective: > The ruling demonstrated disregard for the ________ constitution/law/legal > right.


title: Alternatives to twist-off

text: I'm watching SOA and a guy who says " _oh, it's a **twist-off_** ", referring to the bottle cap that is supposed to be twisted off the bottleneck, rather than being leveraged by a bottle opener. Then I've realized that I don't know the name of the alternative(s). What'd he say if he'd be expecting a _twist-off_ but discovered that the opposite was the case? Are there several alternatives in this case? And grammatically prone to nitpickiness makes me wonder if it's correct to spell the term hyphenated, " _twist-off_ " or unhyphenated " _twist off_ ". Perhaps both are correct?


title: American refusal of the IPA: why?

text: Are there any historical or political reasons for the rather consistent refusal of the International Phonetic Alphabet on the part of American academics? Did Mark Twain's home-made-English-spelling-centred phonetic rendering of regional pronunciations set a trend?


title: What style guide does the Queen use?

text: Is there a known style guide or documented set of stylistic rules for the English language that Queen Elizabeth II and/or her office uses in emitted correspondence? Is there any way to know how QE2 would write something without digging through old correspondence for similar uses?


title: The "Bibles" of American English Phonetics

text: Daniel Jones' _Outline of English Phonetics_ and Alfred C. Gimson's _Introduction to the Pronunciation of English_ are considered the "Bibles" of British English phonetics.      Are there equivalent works in the American English tradition?


title: What Exactly is Meant by "X Puts Y to Shame?"

text: In the movie Camelot, Lancelot told Guenevere that "your face has a luster, that puts gold to shame." What does "put to shame" mean in this context?


title: What is the origin and meaning of the phrase “bane of my existence”?

text: A friend recently used the phrase _bane of my existence_ , and while I’m familiar with the phrase, I would like to know its origin and meaning.


title: We got you surrounded. What use of GET is this?

text: I have heard a sentence "We got you surrounded", what would be difference between "We surrounded you"? I believe the first one implies that it has just been done, i.e. reaching certain condition, state. I think the same sentence could be intepreted like this: We got you surrounded = we did nothing but we got people to surround you. Also what dictionary entry would be this usage of GET? I would be happy for reference (e.g. internet Webster or Oxford). My guess is "cause something to become ...", like "I got it fixed" or "get it clean". Related question: Could I say "We got you look nice", meaning we caused you look nice (e.g. stylists saying to a customer)?


title: "Have got" — verb form and tense

text: In the following sentence, what is the main verb and in what tense does it occur? > I have got a car. There are two possible explanations that I can think of:   * _get_ as the main verb in the present perfect tense   * _have got_ as a phrasal verb in the present simple tense


title: Alternative idioms to "to put the whole matter into a nutshell"?

text: I need some alternatives to introduce summarization on the final paragraph of non-technical chapters or longer blog articles. Known terms like _summary_ often sound a bit technical to me...


title: Why is the right jack in cribbage also called "his Knobs"?

text: Before we got married, my husband taught me cribbage as his way of showing me how important our relationship was to him. One of the points in cribbage is for having "the right jack," or the jack whose suit matches the flip card. There are two (that I know of) alternate names for this card. One is "his Knobs" (or maybe "his Nobs"?). The other is "his Heels," which is only used if the flip card _is_ the right jack. The points scored are declared as "one for his Knobs" or "two for his Heels," so we figured that Knobs must refer to a body part. My thought had been _head_ , because head and heels are often related this way, but the plural confuses me. My husband thinks "knobs" must be British slang for knavish naughty bits. I can't seem to find a suitable answer. Why is the right jack called his Knobs? Edit: It seems that "his Nobs" and "his Nibs" are also variations of the name, with (I believe) "his Nobs" being the most common. Also, sometimes "his Nibs" is used instead of "his Heels."


title: What tense to use in this example?

text: I am developing a system for patients that allows them to see their medication history. There is a function that lists history of all drugs the patients have ever tried. I am trying to figure out what would be the correct tense: > History of all drugs you have been taking Does this include the ones in the past (not being taken anymore)? > History of all drugs you used to take Does this include the ones currently being taken?


title: Of the difference between zeugma and syllepsis

text: I am confused about what is the relative meaning of _zeugma_ compared to _syllepsis_ , both in its current meaning and possibly in former understandings of these words. The _New Oxford American Dictionary_ has: > **zeugma**   >  a figure of speech in which a word applies to two others in different > senses (e.g., _John and his license expired last week_ ) or to two others of > which it semantically suits only one (e.g., _with weeping eyes and hearts_ > ). > > * * * > > **syllepsis**   >  a figure of speech in which a word is applied to two others in different > senses (e.g., _caught the train and a bad cold_ ) or to two others of which > it grammatically suits only one (e.g., _neither they nor it is working_ ). According to this, there is some overlap, though _zeugma_ is more about semantics and _syllepsis_ about grammar. Online sources on this issue conflict, with some insisting one the difference (“not to be confused with zeugma”) and others stating that the two have merged. Can someone offer a clear view of the differences, present or past, between these terms?


title: Is it a poke in the eye with a sharp, or blunt stick?

text: Is it "better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick", or "better than a poke in the eye with a blunt stick"? I suspect that some sort of metaphor testing facility in the Discworld concluded that virtually anything was better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick, but apart from that I'm not 100% certain. Side question: is there a term for when a metaphor or cliche gets mutated?


title: What's the difference between "puberty" and "adolescence"?

text: The two words _puberty_ and _adolescence_ seem to be referring to one thing; what is the difference between them?


title: Drinking alcohol after work

text: What is an English word for a regular alcohol drinking after work? What is an English word for an alcoholic who drinks after work?


title: Which is the best way to say that I have substituted for someone in his work tasks?

text: I am struggling to understand the best way to say that I have done for a couple of days the work tasks of the Company owner. So far I have find these solutions: > I have covered for the Company owner, during a few days at the exhibition in > New York. > > I have stood in for the Company owner, during a few days at the exhibition > in New York. > > I have substituted for the Company owner, during a few days at the > exhibition in New York. Is there a more formal phrases I can use?


title: "more sincere than hypocrite"

text: In my self-evaluation, I want to convey the idea of > I am a person down to earth and more sincere than hypocrite. But I am not sure if "more sincere than hypocrite" is awkward in pure language perspective? Also I don't want people to think that by "more sincere than hypocrite" I imply someone among the evaluators is hypocrite, which is in fact true and I don't dare to speak out. So I wonder if "more sincere than hypocrite" is provocative and if yes, if you have some better altervatives? In summary, is "more sincere than hypocrite" perfectly fine? Thanks and regards!


title: What is the difference between assumption and conjecture?

text: An assumption is _a thing that is accepted as true or as certain to happen, without proof._ A conjecture is to _form an opinion or supposition about (something) on the basis of incomplete information._ What is the different between the two?


title: Why do people sometimes apologize when there is no need to?

text: An example that comes to mind would be               I'm sorry, I just don't agree with you.       There are better examples which I can't remember at the moment.


title: What's the name for those times when your attempts to get a task done right eventually get you to momentarily perform increasingly worse?

text: If you've tried to perfect a difficult, long task by repeating it multiple times, you'll know what I'm talking about. You start tackling the first few phases of the problem, until you succeed. Then you fail later on and you must start over. After enough restarts, you'll eventually start having trouble performing the first few phases you _thought_ you had down pat, way before those where you were really trying hard to get through. It's as frustrating as short-lived however: after a few more tries, you'll return to previous or higher levels of performance. If you are the visual kind of person, here's a terribly confusing and misleading graph about what I'm talking about: ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/F98Uj.png)


title: How to order food that is hot (temperature) but not hot (amount of capsaicin)?

text: Some food contains capsaicin which is a substance that comes from chili or pepper and gives food its burning taste. In english you call this type of taste "hot". In German (my native language) we say "scharf" which literally is "sharp" in english (sharp like a knife). I am suffering form a capsaicin intolerance. To me even low amounts of chili or pepper make my mouth feel like burning in hellfire. Sweat flows out of every pore of my skin even when I taste food that contains very small amounts of this substance that others won't notice. So in a restaurant I want to order food that contains no capsaicin. In German I can say "Bitte nicht scharf!" But in english this is "Please not hot!" Last year I spent 2 month in London and very often I got food that was cold and tasted like burning fire (they gave me the normal spiced food but didn't heat it). To make clear what I want I can say in German "Bitte nicht scharf, aber heiß!". How do you say that in english? "Please not hot, but hot!"? ## EDIT 1: This question is different form How to say that food is hot (temperature) without the listener thinking that I mean "spicy"? because the answers to the other Question doesn't help me to order food that contains no capsaicin. The other question hat its focus on the aspect of temperature in the word "hot". This is not my focus. My focus is the amount of capsaicin in the food that is expressed by talking about "hot food", and how to avoid getting served such food. ## EDIT 2: Obviously I didn't make it clear enough: I love spicy food. I love mustard, horseradish, onions, garlic, wasabi, ginger and so on. I hate food that tastes boring and bland. And I hate cold food that usually is served warm. I just want no capsaicin in my food. Capsaicin is in Chili, Cayenne pepper, Piri piri, Tabasco pepper, Jalapeño and many other fruits from plants of the genus "Capsicum". Also Hungarian paprica (used for Goulash) and Peperoncini (you often find them on pizzas) contain capsaicin, not really much, but too much for me. There is no capsaicin in horseradish, wasabi, onions, garlic, and most other spices. I have no problem with those spices. I like to eat food that is spiced with them.


title: The right word for saying goodbye to someone on the street corner, and then both of you walking in the same direction?

text: This happens occasionally to me in New York. I will part ways with someone after chatting, and then it will turn out we're both walking in the same direction. What word captures this phenomenon?


title: Correct use of "before" & "from"?

text: I came across this sentence in a newspaper: > Five minutes from the end I didn't think we could win this game.We deserved > to win this championship. I am confused as to why he uses _from the end_. I think it should be _before the end_ , or can they be used interchangeably?


title: Formal definition for a specific type of concrete noun involving entities?

text: I am looking specifically for a list of proper concrete nouns that represent entities or categorizations of entities that can be used in place of the proper noun, however this is not what I am asking for... What I am asking for is if there is a specific definition to this type of concrete noun. If I had such a definition then it would greatly aid my search for such a list or help me to build it. Examples of the type of noun I am looking for if my description doesn't make sense:   * Bear   * Dolphin   * Bigfoot   * Alien   * Hippie   * Shakespeare (the person)   * Tree So you can see that by "entity" I mean a word that directly identifies or categorically identifies a living being of any kind, fictional or otherwise. Is there such a term for this very specific type of concrete noun?


title: "Much more easy" versus "much easier"

text: My mom and I are having a dispute on _much more easy_ versus _much easier_. For example, consider the sentence: > It's [much more easy]/[much easier] to do action X than action Y. I say that _much easier_ is correct and that _much more easy_ is grammatically incorrect, while she says that both are okay. I understand that both are acceptable colloquially, but which is grammatically correct here? If you could explain why, that would be even better!


title: Is there any statistical data about English languange?

text: _Not sure if this is on topic, feel free to migrate it, close it or delete it, it's the first time here, i found the programming tag so I give it a shot._ Is it possible to download some sort of a dictionary which offers statistics about English language:   * How many verbs are there? and list them   * How many nouns are there? and list them   * How many adjectives and so on   * What is the synonym for x  In such a way that you can quickly access what you're looking for, and quickly tell if x is a verb or noun and what is the synonym for x and so on Suppose y is a column that lists all the verbs, if a user input a word, i search y, if the word exists in y then it's a verb.


title: What does it mean by "they see me rollin', they hatin'"?

text: I have seen a lot of teenagers nowadays going by the lingo "They see me rollin', they hatin'". I'm sure they use it to address their haters but what does it necessarily imply when they relate themselves to a 'rolling' action?


title: what does "among the dead" mean?

text: I am reading a book that states the hero "knew himself to be among the dead". Does this means that he considered himself as good as dead, or that he understood that all the people around him were dead? Generally, what does "among the dead" means?


title: What does "brought low" mean in this sentence?

text: I'm reading Anna Katharine Green's _A Strange Disappearance_ and found the following sentence: > if the girl had a secret—as nearly all girls have, brought low as she has > evidently been—it had nothing to do with her disappearance, nor would a > knowledge of it help you in any way. Can you use another phrase? What is another word for "brought low" here?


title: What complimentary close to use in continuous formal email?

text: I am a student in contact with a business owner, and I am having a hard time deciding on a complimentary close. Should I use it for every email I send him? I don't want to make it redundant since it is for formality's sake.


title: A single word desribing creature with misshapen and obscure features?

text: I'm trying to find the best way to describe being so physically deformed, that its only, somewhat recognizable, feature is its own body shape. _Mutant_ doesn't work for me, as it implies the reason of deformation, and I need something more general. _Freak_ seams right, but sounds silly to me, so I hopping for something else. I was thinking about word _chimera_ , but I'm not sure if it's the right way to use it. Also, I don't care how offensive the word is. Thank you.


title: Joining comma and/or gapping comma

text: I am German, and we have have a completely different _comma system_. Due to various reference on this great site here, I bought The Penguin Guide to Punctuation and worked through the comma section. What can I say, I'm shocked about my lack of knowledge, although the comma rules in English are far more easier than in German. I instantly took one of my books and verified correct commas there. There was one sentence, which I believe was incorrectly punctuated: > Memory can be implemented by delays, and wiring by various walls to guide > the one extra bit per site needed to represent the walls. In my opinion a _gapping comma_ is missing, because the phrase _can be implemented_ was left out in the second part. Therefore, I would add a comma > Memory can be implemented by delays, and wiring, by various walls to guide > the one extra bit per site needed to represent the walls. Now we have to commas. The first one joins the two _complete sentences_ , and the second one marks that between _wiring_ and _by various_ a phrase is missing. Can someone tell me whether I'm wrong here?


title: Evaluated by using vs Evaluated by

text: Is there a difference between following sentences: >   1. XXX has been evaluated by Y1,Y2 and Y3? > >   2. XXX has been evaluated by using Y1,Y2 and Y3? > >   3. XXX has been evaluated using Y1,Y2 and Y3 > > I cannot decide if adding a **"using"** here makes meaning clear or it is redundant for this type of sentence. I added third one as @FumbleFingers suggested. I would like to learn "is there a subtle difference between these usages?".


title: Deja vu meaning

text: If _deja vu_ means _already seen or experienced_ , what would you call _the feeling that you're experiencing something again, but in fact you haven't; it's just a strong, but false, feeling of familiarity?_


title: "Huge potential profit" vs. "huge profit potential"

text: What is the proper usage — "huge potential profit" or "huge profit potential"?


title: Verb for "to make bold"

text: Consider the following: >   1. Imagine that you are sitting at your word processor and you need to > make a word **bold**. > >   2. Imagine that you are sitting at your word processor and you need to > **bold** a word. > >   3. Imagine that you are sitting at your word processor and you need to > **embolden** a word. > > Which is grammatical?


title: Is "my bad" a correct English phrase?

text: I have seen many people use the phrase "my bad" in Internet forums. What does it exactly imply and is it a proper English phrase?


title: "Concerned of Tunbridge Wells" - what is the etymology of the name?

text: What is the origin of "Concerned of Tunbridge Wells" - a possibly fictitious writer of letters to the editor? Can anyone dig out a definitive etymology for the term, or is it just a conflation of 'Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells'?


title: Correct use of "wanting"

text: To begin with a clarification: I'm not speaking of "wanting" as in "lacking" (e.g. a box wanting its lid.) Rather, it's about uses like this one: > Person A: I want to go with you. > > Person B: Thank you for _wanting_ to go with me. To me, it sounds so horribly wrong to use "want" like that, but I can't figure out why. The following sounds correct, and unless I'm mistaken, is perfectly valid: > A: I believe you. > > B: Thank you for _believing_ me. So, when is using "wanting" valid, and why is it invalid in other times?


title: What's the difference between a "racist" and a "racially sensitive" remark?

text: Former England football captain John Terry has been cleared of making a **_racist_** remark to a fellow professional. However it is clear he said something which caused offence, which the BBC sports website chose to call **_racially sensitive_**. > In his summation of the case at Westminster Magistrates' Court last Friday, > Judge Howard Riddle said that "there is no dispute that John Terry directed > [ ** _racially sensitive_** ] words in the direction of Anton Ferdinand". So what then is the difference between a "racist" remark and a "racially sensitive" one?


title: Use of "medicine students"

text: Recently I used the term _medicine students_ to mean _students of medicine_. This was corrected to _medical students_. I googled and found that the term I chose is not really used. However I still hear _computer science students_ or _Japanese language students_. Why not _medicine students_ then?


title: What is the difference between "blurry" and "blurred"?

text: The two quotes below discuss the same topic. > Terry's tortured season took a surreal twist on Tuesday when a **blurry** > image resembling him appeared on cigarette packets in India. GUARDIAN > > A **blurred** picture closely resembling the 31-year-old appears above a > "smoking kills" slogan. CNN The definition of _blurry_ and _blurred_ is very identical whereupon _blurred_ has an extended definition. From OALD: > **blurry**:   >  without a clear outline; not clear > > **blurred**:   >  1 not clear; without a clear outline or shape   >  2 difficult to remember clearly   >  3 difficult to distinguish, so that differences are not clear I think that _blurry_ is a derivative of the noun _blur_ while _blurred_ stems from the verb _blur_. But I wonder why there exists two forms. I tried to find other words where derivatives of both noun and verb with seemingly the same meaning exists to compare their meanings but I didn't find any. Those words which came to my mind have in my opinion a distinction. For instance, _washed_ and _washy_. Even though the quotes from the articles give the appearance that they are identical, is there any subtle distinction between _blurry_ and _blurred_ or are they interchangeable without changing any connotation?


title: Would it be proper to use 'partake' these days?

text: Is 'partake' an old fashioned word? Would it be proper to use it these days? * * * Thank you @tchrist,@JLG and @MT_Head. I found your answers interesting. By 'proper' I meant in current use. While writing, it was the first word that came to me when I wished to discuss the involvement of people in their economy. The sentence read - _He realised that if people had to partake of their growing economy, families needed to be planned and healthy_. A friend said, "no one uses the word these days. it is old fashioned." I wished to know more. @J.R. Thank you for introducing the Ngrams. The usage seems to be going up in the last few years after falling in the twentieth century.


title: Christmas: Christ + Mas?

text: What is the meaning of Christmas in the English language? > _Christ_ \+ _mas_ = Christmas? Is it because Christ is associated with a cross that it sometimes reads X-mas? And where is the _mas_ coming from? I am Portuguese, and in my language we call "Natal" what you call "Christmas", which are very different words. Sometimes our languages have similarities in origins, but both seem very different in this case.


title: A more formal adjective to 'sneaky'

text: What would be an adjective that describes a person or a company that purposely hides information for its advantage, but to another's disadvantage? I'm feeling there's a word more appropriate than `deceptive`, `dishonest` or `insincere`, more along the lines of `sneaky`. An example might be a services company that overcharges and purposely does not issue a time breakdown of their bill.


title: Word meaning "feather-like"

text: I need a word for feather-like. **Pinnated** doesn't fit, nor fern-like or anything I have thought of. I'd love something to use as in _phocine_ for _seal-like_.


title: When to use "it" instead of "who"

text: In using a title for a particular function of a person (for example, "supplier", "seller", "buyer", "exporter"), is it proper to use the word "it" and "that" and "itself", instead of "he or she" and "who" when referring to the function? Examples: >   * The supplier will respond after _it_ has received a communication. >   * A seller _that_ is interested will follow up the transaction. >   * The buyer _itself_ may take on the responsibilty. >   * The exporter must disclose _its_ supply capacity. >


title: Is there a better way of saying "writing for fun"?

text: As in "...written several pieces for **fun**." Writing "for recreational purposes" doesn't sit right, and I can't think of anything else.


title: Is there a verb for "Pass through a hoop?"

text: I am looking for a verb that means "To pass through a hoop", either figuratively or literally. Similar to what dolphins do in those water parks, or to someone having to do something he does not want to because of the situation he is in. Is there something similar to what I'm looking for?


title: What's the difference between "is done" vs "has been done" and "is to be done" vs "should be done"?

text: Please tell me the differences between the sentences below, and which sentence you think is the most idiomatic in English: >   1. What is to be done is done; there is no more to be done >   2. What is to be done is done; there is nothing else (to do) >   3. What should be done has been done; there is no more (that should be > done) > >   4. What should be done has been done; there is nothing else (to do) > > The context of this passage is one's reflection on a task that one is required to do immediately after one has completed it.


title: what does as many as (two hundred pizza) mean?

text: I read an article saying: > I delivered as many as two hundred pizzas! Is this correct? What does it mean, as many as two? Is is similar to _about_ , _maximum_ , or _almost_?


title: What do film cameos and cameo brooches have in common?

text: Why are film cameos called cameos? In which sense do they resemble cameo brooches? In both meanings of the word we have a human figure. Are they similar in their brevity of appearance? In their ornamental function? In their silence and hieratic attitude? Or are they comparable in their value (jewels are valuable, famous people are important)? I have already checked several etymological sources. They differ. I’m looking for your opinion. In what do you think film cameos and cameo brooches are similar? What do you feel is the key element in common? To try to further clear my question: I’m debating in another (Spanish- language) forum the anglicism “cameo”, which Spaniards use but ignore is related to cameo jewels (“camafeos” in Spanish). To most Spaniards cameo means nothing except cameo films. I’m trying to find out the connotations anglophones bring to their mind when they use the word in the cinematographic sense, connotations that Spaniards are unaware of, to show how in this specific case (not in most others) the adoption of this anglicism is not enriching Spanish language. But maybe this is not a good question anyway.


title: Adjective for something that can be responded to

text: What is an adjective for something that can be responded to? I tried _respondable_ but it looks like it isn't in the dictionary and it felt wrong anyway. * * * **Update:** I need to use it in the context of responding to user requests by the company staff. So the user request is [insert the word here] if there is an option (like a checkbox) to respond to the request.


title: How do you spell "Aye Yai Yai"

text: The phrase that's spoken when someone is hand-wringing about a thorny problem. **Speaker One:** Uh-oh -- we have to reformat ALL THE DOCUMENTS! **Speaker Two:** _Aye Yai Yai_ , that's a lot of work! "Aye Yai Yai" is the closest I can come with English orthography, but I'm not sure if there's a more standard representation.


title: A proper name for an official letter stating that somebody works at a specific company

text: I'm asked to translate a letter into English. The letter is about one company stating that my mom really works there. How is this type of a letter called? I would like to google for an exampe of a similar letter, but i don't know the right keywords.


title: "Good night" or "good evening"?

text: If it's 7:30pm, which of these phrases is correct, _Good night_ or _Good evening_?


title: greeting at nighttime

text: First: Can I say "Good evening" at the beginning of a conversation at 10 pm or 11 pm? or Good night would be more appropriate? Second: what to say when you meet someone at 1 am? Third:Does the answer differ from one country to another? thanks


title: Single word describing a person who has an obligation

text: I am looking for a single word (noun) describing a person or a legal party that has an obligation to do something. A nicer way of saying "obligated party". A made up example: > The court obliged Jim to pay 1000$ of satisfaction. Jim is obliged. In this > context Jim is a ... ?


title: Meaning of "over at"

text: What does "over at" mean? I saw this being used in "A over at the site/blog/forum B". I understand this means A is somehow related to B, but I want to know the precise meaning. Does it imply that A is always at B, or A is an owner of or affiliated with B?


title: About the word "casual"

text: According to what I knew and I have found on the web, in general the word _casual_ is the opposite of _everyday_. But in the special case when it refers to clothing, it has a similar meaning to "everyday clothing". And it definitely does not mean "special" or "formal". This seems illogical to me. Could you please clarify? Is that really the case? This is especially confusing to me, because in my native language (Hungarian), the literal translation of _casual_ is the same word that is used to refer to formal clothing for special events. This seems to make more sense.


title: Promise of something would happen as reported speech

text: He promised the following: “your payment will reach your account next Friday”. How to phrase the message below correctly?               The payment you promised to make reach my account a week ago has still not arrived.     The payment you promised to      reach my account a week ago has still not arrived.     The payment you promised would   reach my account a week ago has still not arrived.     The payment you promised to will reach my account a week ago has still not arrived.


title: With "I bid you farewell" being a normal phrase, would the phrase "I bid you sleep well" also be correct?

text: I'm trying to pinpoint the correct application of the verb "to bid" in order to use it in unconventional situations


title: Is there a term for a word that's recursive in its meaning? (see example for clarification)

text: For example, when someone uses the word "pedantic," he actually comes off as a pedant. Putting aside my opinion that "pedantic" is, in itself, pedantic, along with the obvious irony, is there a word, expression, or phrase that captures this sentiment? I will edit my post accordingly if I am being unclear. Thank you in advance.


title: Refering to questions

text: What is the appropriate way to refer to a question in a sentence? e.g. The question, is that true? is a bad one. The question, which is higher? is better than which is nearer?.


title: "During 1985 to 1988 , I worked at X company" — does it mean that 1988 was included?

text: I am an ESL student and I wonder what the following sentence means. > During 1985 to 1988 , I worked at X company Does it mean that 1988 was included? I am not quite sure about the meaning since when this sentence was translated into my language, it meant that the person stopped their work in the beginning of 1988. However, I thought it meant that 1988 is included.


title: I need a word encompassing the meaning of free from something

text: Suppose I have a work to accomplish today, but I am not in the mood to finish it. I need the word to comprehend all these ideas. The sentence to be put in would be like "Request to free me from the work that I had been assigned today". "Request to _ from the work that I had been assigned today" or "Request _ of work that I had been assigned today" or something close to this formulation.


title: The possessive s

text: My problem is about the possessive s (the _ownership s_ ) not that _ending-s_. For example, we say, _America's Flag_ , here the _America_ has gotten one _ownership s_ that is _America_ is the owner of that _Flag_. And also we say, _Computer Science_ , here that _Computer_ doesn't get the _ownership s_ (why?) even though we talk about _Science_ which is of _Computer_ (here). My question is when we should add that _s_ to the end of the first name which appear to be the owner of the second name? Or how we can recognize what names get that _s_ , please?


title: What is the origin of the "-th" suffix? What is the linguistic term for the meaning it adds to words?

text: I was teaching my young nephew some math the other day, and from discussing the typical sort of word problems he's encountering in class, I noticed that the "-th" suffix adds a distinct meaning to adjectives. For example:   * If a ship is long, it has _length_.   * If a woman is wide, she has _width_.   * If a person is strong, he possesses _strength_.    * If what I say is true, I'm speaking _truth_.   * A lumbering panda moving slow is full of _sloth_. Now, I've learned some linguistics from English L&U, and I'm guessing this "-th" suffix is an affix that changes adjectives into nouns. My questions are: What exactly is this "-th" suffix adding to the meaning? Secondly, does the "-th" originate from a separate word in Old English? Lastly, is there something to say about the vowel shifts that seems to be occurring in some of the transformations (e.g., _strong_ going to _strength_ ) that somehow fits in with the ablaut system of strong verbs/weak verbs, that I learned of from the excellent responses to my previous question?


title: What is the name of the word or phrase people insert into sentences, seemingly unintentionally?

text: For instance, I have a friend who just can't help himself constantly saying "ok". He'll say things like "ok, now we're going to [...]" or "now we've seen that, ok", and I'm just wondering what this practice is called. I used to think this sort of thing was called a "verbal tic", but according to Wikipedia: > Phonic tics are involuntary sounds produced by moving air through the nose, > mouth, or throat. They may be alternately referred to as **verbal tics** or > **vocal tics** , but most diagnosticians prefer the term phonic tics to > reflect the notion that the vocal cords are not involved in all tics that > produce sound.


title: What principle guides word combinations with "almost"?

text: I am trying to explain to non-native speakers how to use "almost." I can't formulate (a) rule(s) to follow with regard to nouns/pronouns. So far, my only ideas are that almost can be collocated only with words (or in situations) that describe measurement or comparison. However, even this seems to fail. For example: almost they = incorrect (no concept of measurement or comparison) almost everyone = correct (measurement of individuals) A platypus is almost a duck. = correct (comparison) They are almost the same. = correct (comparison) It is almost midnight. = correct (measurement of time vs. temporal adverbial) We are almost there. = correct (but spatial adverbial) However: He wrote almost a book. = incorrect, although in this case "book" would be a comparison or perhaps a measurement of the written material * * * I am pretty much at a loss. Thanks.


title: What is the correct term for diagnosis in automobiles?

text: I have to provide an English translation of my bachelor thesis' title and I couldn't find a term in the dictionary. At the moment I call it "Development of a car diagnosis application", but I am unsure if "car diagnosis" is the correct term. Maybe "vehicle diagnosis" or "automotive diagnosis" or ... ?


title: "I would have liked 'to have seen'/'to see' New York before the cyclone"

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  “Would you have liked to have been” vs. “would you have liked to be” Is "have" redundant when repeated in successive verb phrases? Well, let us read the following sentences: > I would have liked to have seen New York before the cyclone, > > I would have liked to see New York before the cyclone. Am I right in saying that one instance of "have" seems to have prompted another? Or are there subtleties and shades of meaning?


title: "Touch base" vs "Touch bases"?

text: My friend is adamant that "touch base" is the one and only correct usage, although he admits to hearing "touch bases" in regular use. Which was the original phrase, where did it come from, and do you think either/or is okay today?


title: When should I use "parallel" over "parallelism", and vice versa?

text: I am a bit confused about the words **parallel** and **parallelism** : When and where should one use which?


title: A single word that describes the moment a person realizes they are dreaming?

text: _Lucid dreams_ is a phrase to describe the state of someone knowing that they are dreaming. What I am looking for is a single word that describes that **_moment_** of realization. A friend suggested _lucidity_ , but its definition doesn't quite fit right for what I am seeking.


title: What is the word for finishing/doing a dare?

text: Like when there is a "challenge" or a "mission" you can "accomplish" it. What word can you use for a dare. When I dare a person to do something and he does it what does he "do". "dare accomplished"? (I am looking for a better word than accomplished)


title: Do things that “get one’s rocks off ” always “rock one’s socks off ”?

text: I see both of these two phrases used quite often and I have to question why _rocks_ are so cool here. Is there a history behind both of these sayings, and is possible that both of them are just mere propagandistic marketing blather by Gary Dahl? How do you decide which one to use? In Texas, I hear both of them interchangeably. > That horse will _rock your socks off._ or, > That horse will _get your rocks off._


title: Difference between "heck" and "hell"

text: Many say that one shouldn't use "hell" as it is informal. You can use "heck" instead. Both convey the same meaning. Then why this difference? Why can't one use "hell" everywhere?


title: Not always + inversion?

text: My neighbour's little son (they are from UK) asked me for something, saying that he wants it and hence he will get. I realized I do not know how to say that correctly (for the first one I used inversion) > Not always gets the person what he wants. or > It is not that everytime you wants something you will get it.


title: What do you call a person working in law?

text: _Politics_ is to _politician_ as _law_ is to what? A hypernym for _lawyer/judge/law student_ , etc. **Edit:** Not only in the legal system, anyone practicing or researching the subject. Maybe politics wasn't the best example.


Can I say "Please find my yesterday’s and today’s daily reports in the documents."?


title: How did "at once" get to be used to mean "immediately"?

text: How did "at once" become an idiom meaning "do this immediately" or "as soon as possible"? I just thought of this question after seeing this old UK WWI Propaganda poster in the link below. I glanced over it, and thought it seemed a bit awkward to be used in this way. Which made me curious about how it came to be used in this manner. ![WW I poster - "It is far better to face the bullets than to be killed at home by a bomb. Join the army at once & help to stop an air raid. God save the King"](http://i.stack.imgur.com/Eufjs.jpg) Only way I could think of how this came to be used, is if they were referring to a "timer" starting or something. As if it means "start at the first moment", or "start at the first chance". Maybe, "first" somehow being implemented as "at once"? Either way, I cant find any references in regards to how "at once" first became used in this manner.


title: bibs and bobs - what does it mean and where does it come from?

text: Just exactly what is a bibs and a bobs? And where the heck did that expression come from, anyway?


title: How do I compose this sentence?

text: I want to say something like: > Bob has two children. I don't know both of their genders. First of all I want it to be a compound sentence with a comma; second of all I want to use these words/phrases: "neither", "of which". The second part (a clause) of this sentence might need to be inverted to naturally connect to the first part. Any thoughts can be helpful.


title: Less colloquial version of "Hook in"

text: > The commercial online assessment services currently offered by PV > installation companies require the input of personal details such as email > addresses which **hook in** clients. "Hook in" seems like a bit of a colloquialism, is there a better term for this? To me, the noun hook in the context of "marketing hook" seems alright, but as a verb it seems rather casual. I want to convey the idea that once the consumer uses this service and provides any personal information, they are stuck or trapped in a loop and are forced to have additional contact or dealings with the business. I looked up in a thesaurus and came up with snared or lured, but does anyone have any better suggestions please?


title: Which is preferred: "one after another" or "one after the other"?

text: Which of the following sentences is more correct or more preferred?   * Throw one die after another.   * Throw one die after the other. As context, the sentence will be followed by > At any time, you may stop throwing dice and finish your attempt. Your > attempt must end once all eight dice have been thrown.


title: When did modern punctuation emerge?

text: Medieval punctuation was different from the one we use now; for example, Medieval punctuation included _punctus_ , _punctus versus_ , and _punctus flexus_. When did their equivalent in modern English emerge?


title: What is a word for a person who has been initiated into secret knowledge (apprentice, ___, master)?

text: I'm looking for a noun that can fit well in a 3-level scale: _apprentice, ____, master._ The scale describes the progress of a person from a layman/uninitiated ( _apprentice_ ), through being accomplished and versed in the secret knowledge he acquired, and finally arriving at the ability to teach and mentor apprentices into the same knowledge ( _master_ ). The noun _initiate_ has connotations of being a beginner and thus isn't good for my need.


title: Pronunciation of en- prefix as ahn-

text: Recently, I pronounced the word _enqueue_ as _ahn-queue_. The person I was talking to said he would have pronounced it with a more normal _en_ sound (like in Ben or den). I'm not sure why I thought that _ahn-_ was the way to pronounce this—it seems to be wrong according to the dictionary. The cases that _ahn-_ seems to be correct are two-word french phrases (e.g., _en route_). I also thought of _envoy_, which does allow the _ahn-_ pronunciation as a second option. Is there a pattern for which words allow or require _en-_ to be pronounced as _ahn-_? Or is this just something you have to know word-by-word?


title: Difference between using Hi and Hey?

text: I am not a native speaker. I really want to know what's the difference between Hi and Hey in writing an email? In daily conversation? Is it too girlish or childish for a man to say hey in his email? What's the bottom line in using them?


title: Is "earnt" a real word?

text: Is the past tense for the word "earn" "earned" or "earnt", and does the word "earnt" even exist?


title: Should there be a space before a percent sign?

text: Should there be a space before a percent sign or not? Should you write **20%** or **20 %**? I'm not sure if there is any consensus about this or not. Is one way more common than the other?


title: How do you pronounce coitus?

text: Everywhere I've checked for pronunciations online it's CO-IT-TUS. Every time I've heard someone use it in real life it's COY-TIS. Since so many people pronounce it in the latter form, does that mean the original pronunciation is "dead"?


title: Word for anachronistic elements in design style as a function of cultural adoption

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  A word for a symbol which has outlived its origin Ok, messy title. Sorry, but I have a memory of reading an article (possibly on Boing Boing) that mentioned this word. Essentially, it refers to the way visual elements in man-made objects are copied from predecessors. Examples are how cellphones have a phone icon for the classic AT&T phone design that hasn't been used for decades. Or a DVD player/media player that uses a cassette tape icon. And yet another example is the injection molded plastic chairs you can buy at Wal-Mart where they imprint them with fake weave patterns, to mimic the old woven grass style of patio furniture. Hopefully someone has a clue what I'm thinking of because I can't for the life of me recall this term.


title: A word for a symbol which has outlived its origin

text: I am quite sure that there is a word for a symbol which was originated by a real-life, physical prototype but has since then outlived its origin. Most notable example: the save button with floppy drive on it. Also, to a lesser degree, envelopes in email clients, and so on. The "anachronism" or "metonymy" are close, but not exactly what I'm searching for.


title: Why is the word "pants" plural?

text: We wear a shirt, a jacket but a pair of pants. Why is _pants_ plural?


title: What part-of-speech would a vehicle's year/make/model be?

text: Suppose I were to say this sentence: "I own a 2003 Ford F-150."   1. Would **2003 Ford F-150** be a compound proper noun?   2. Would **Ford F-150** be a compound proper noun and **2003** be an adjective?   3. Would **F-150** be a proper noun and **2003** and **Ford** be adjectives?    4. Am I way off, and there is some other term for this? It's been a while since I've taken any sort of grammar course, so I'm admittedly rusty on some specific instances like this. I honestly don't think #3 is the correct answer, as Ford seems like it would definitely be part of the proper noun, but I included it just to be thorough.


title: Word for "putting an end to one's solitude" or "be with someone"?

text: In Arabic there is a one-word verb that approximately means "being with someone and not letting them be alone". It could be used in phrases like: "يؤنس وحدتي " "أنت تؤنسني" "يؤنس وحشتي" It is used in Arabic when someone is feeling lonely and you make them feel not so lonely anymore and make them feel safe .. it could be used in a romantic way.. The verb in Arabic is "يؤنس", it is transitive and usually takes 'loneliness'/'solitude' as an object. Is there a transitive verb in English that has the same meaning? Could it be that English speakers don't have this feeling because there is no equivalent/accurate translation?!


title: Is there a word for the state when a something has "hit the mark"

text: In Dutch one can say > Schiet raak! meaning > Shoot in such a way that you hit what you intend to hit! 'Raak' is a word that is literally defined as "hitting it's goal" and it can for example also be used as a single word exclamation when something has hit it's intended goal ("Raak! Look, I hit triple 20 on the dart board!!!"). How would the same concept/sentiment be expressed in English? The closest I have come is "Don't miss!" and "Yeey, I didn't miss!", but that still feels quite a bit off.


title: Two instances of when to use the word "the"

text: I have two questions about when to use the word the via example.   * Question 1: "A comparison of **the** blue, red and yellow groups was also conducted." Do we need "the" there?   * Question 2: The original sentence is: "At the 5% significance level, there was no difference between groups.". Can you just take out the word the and state: "At 5% significance level, there was no difference between groups." (that sounds awkward to me). However the following sounds ok: "At 5% significance, there was no difference between groups." Which one is right? Thank you for your help!


title: When does a locational distinction change its suffix and capitialization in a proper name?

text: I am trying to capitalize Western Canada or western Canada properly and am wanting a definition for when the "ern" is added as a suffix to a locational distinction of a proper noun. I believe the capitalization is related to the suffix and am grouping two questions. After researching on the internet I have found a trend that areas of discrete area become capitalized along with their proper noun   * East New York   * West Hollywood   * East London (Britain)   * East Los Angeles Some locations have "ern" added to their locational modifier. Web Examples (from government sites):   * eastern Canada (http://www.thunderbay.ca/Living/About_Thunder_Bay/city_profile.htm   * Western Canada (http://www.wd-deo.gc.ca/eng/243.asp) All the examples listed contain discrete areas. The "ern" suffix is used for larger areas, but I am unable to determine when an area becomes large enough.


title: Term for an event being referred to by its location or date

text: Is there a term for referring to an organization by its city rather than by its name? mentions synecdoche and metonym as terms used when an organization is referred to by its location. Do these terms also apply when an event, rather than an organization, is referred to by its location? For example, Chernobyl, Fukushima, or Hiroshima. What about when a date is used to refer to an event, such as 3/11 being used for the Japanese earthquake and tsunami?


title: Meaning of "to fail at one's peril" in a legal document from the Elizabethan period

text: I do not know what "to fail at one's peril" means. The phrase appears in legal documents until the 19th century (at least this is what Google suggests). I cannot deduce its meaning no matter how hard I try.


title: Word denoting short description of the event

text: Is there any English word having the meaning of short description of the event? It could be quote, saying, proverb or just simple sentence showing the real or hidden meaning of what happened. For example, I would like to describe event of girl leaving my friend for other guy as "no woman, no cry" and say that "no woman, no cry" is appropriate **_** for the event. Is there word for that in English?


title: Hypothetical term for existence at every point in time

text: Assuming that time zero was the big bang and "time" before that did not exist, what is the term to describe something that has existed since "time" began and will continue till "time" ends. I understand that realistically we might never use this term. (Big bang is just a reference, I just wanted to refer to the "beginning of time") We have terms like _omnipresent_ and _omniscient_ , for place and knowledge/information, but what about time? Do _eternal_ or _sempiternal_ correctly define it? Is there a word like _omnichronos_?


title: Difference between "validation" and "verification"

text: What is the difference between validation and verification? When looking them up on Wiktionary they seem to mean mostly the same thing, but is there a difference? For example, would I be correct in saying that   * Checking that the format of an email address is valid, would be validation?   * The process of sending an email to an email address to have a user click on a link to make sure the email is in use and correct, would be verification? Or could I have used both words in both cases?


title: Is satay plural?

text: Is the word "satay" singular and plural or just singular? I've seen it used both ways in reputable publications.


title: What does it mean that two languages are genetically unrelated?

text: I would like to know what does it mean that two languages are genetically unrelated? I have seen answer in this topic Genetic Relatives what does it mean that languages are genetically realted but how would look the definition of unrelated languages and are there any examples of those?


title: Is there a word that describes the sound you make when you chuckle/breathe/cough in agreement with something?

text: I am writing a novel and am constantly trying to figure out how to describe the action when someone gives a sort of small cough or a quick "huh" in agreement. I suppose it would be the non-word equivalent of "I'll say" or "You think?" To be specific, I'll use it in a dialogue. "He must really hate Ian, then." Clarissa [insert word here]. "Yes." It's usually used when the speaker is trying to convey that the subject is much more serious than their conversation partner is taking it.


title: Term for words such as "dognitary"

text: Is there a term for words that have been altered in this way? For example, when speaking about a dignitary that is a dog, using "dognitary"


title: "How do you get on?" or "How are you getting on?"

text: I've got a problem with these constructs. The original sentence looks like the following: > I hear you've got a new job. How do you get on? Actually, the sentence I wrote above contains an error. The correct sentence is: > I hear you've got a new job. How are you getting on? So, I don't understand why we have to use the present continuous instead present simple. As far as I know we use present continuous tense for the temporary situations or the situations that happen at the time of speaking. Could anyone explain this situation in great detail?


title: Is there a term for words that when reversed, form other words?

text: I'm aware of what a palindrome is. What do you call words that, when reversed, form other words, such as _ton_ ( _not_ ) and _part_ ( _trap_ )?


Is it recommended to use "we" in research papers? If not, should I always use passive voice?


title: Single word for "village of dreams"?

text: Can someone suggest a single word for "village of dreams" in any language except the word "leonesse" as it has connotation of a place known for wines.


title: What's a generic noun for referring to the bulk material of pure chemical elements?

text: What's a generic noun (single word or multi-word term) for referring to the bulk material of pure chemical elements? I am talking about H2, O2, lead, diamond, graphene, etc, but not chemical elements, i.e. the atoms of hydrogen, lead, carbon, etc. Just like "chemical compound" is an umbrella word for water, CO2, etc. etc., what is the umbrella word for substances that is composed of a pure chemical element?


title: Collective agreement: "their risks" or "their risk"

text: "Individuals with high LDL cholesterol levels increase their risk of developing coronary heart disease." Would it be "their risks"? Does each individual have a separate risk...therefore "risks"? Or do they collectively have a risk? Similarly, "Most Americans eat more than enough protein in their diets." Would it be diet? Do Americans have separate diets or a collective diet?


title: Difference between: Also, too and as well

text: I understand that the correct usage of _also_ is with a verb: > She was smart, she also studied so much. However, my trouble is with _too_ and _as well,_ I have been reading and I just found that _as well_ is not common in American English, and regarding with the examples that I have found, those adverbs have the same meaning and you can use them in the same way and always at the end of the statement. > She was smart, she studied so much as well.   >  She was smart, she studied so much too. How much of that information is true?


title: Where does "pay through the nose" originate?

text: Where does the saying " pay through the nose" originate?


title: What is the origin of "the lay of the land?"

text: The meaning is quite well established and straightforward--from TheFreeDictionary:   1. (Lit.) The arrangement of features on an area of land. (Also with lie, especially British English.) "The surveyor mapped the lay of the land." "The geologist studied the lay of the land, trying to determine if there was oil below."   2. (Fig.) The arrangement or organization of something other than land. "As soon as I get the lay of the land in my new job, things will go better." "The company's corporate structure was complex, so understanding the lay of the land took time." But what is the origin of its figurative meaning? Does it predate frontier America?


title: What will be the opposite of "teetotalers"?

text: I just come across a word _teetotalers_ that means "A person who never drinks alcohol". What will be the opposite of this word in the same context?


title: Can't understand the meaning of 'blamed exertion' in this sentence

text: Doctors blamed exertion and said there was nothing to worry about.      I knew exertion means attempts or try. But here what does that mean by 'blamed exertion'?


title: What does the phrase "taking a bath with the crowd" mean?

text: I recently heard the phrase "taking a bath with the crowd" and that apparently it's a common idiom in many European languages. I found several results for the phrase on Google, but none that explain what it means. Does anyone know what the phrase means, and if there's a common (American) English phrase that means the same thing?


title: Pronouncing th after r in Standard American English: /ɹð/

text: I natively speak Flemish (Dutch). We trill the R. I just had a 7-lesson course (over video chat with an American lady) to improve my accent towards Standard American English. According to the test I improved greatly, but there is just one particular sound I still have great trouble with. If an `r` gets anywhere near a `th`, I get a tongue tap (as in /R/). I can now usually manage to get `thr` right, but `r th` still often fails, at least if the th is a /ð/. `Earth` and `north` are no trouble, but `for the` is harder, and one I can NEVER even get right (at speed) is `bother them`. I've heard examples of people saying those words right after each other while still clearly pronouncing that /ɹ/ and /ð/, and I want to know how! My trouble with `bother them` is that after the first `th`, my tongue is moving backwards to produce the `r`, and then it has to travel too quickly back to the front for the second `th`, tapping my palate along the way. It seems physically impossible to avoid that. It's probably mostly related to how I pronounce /ɹ/. My previous habit was to twist my tongue (placing it sideways, touching both top and bottom of the mouth with either sides). While this actually sounded fine, I figured learning the 'right way' might improve my chances of pronouncing composite consonants more correctly. So I'm now trying to always pronounce it by having the sides or my tongue press against my upper molars instead, pointing the tip upwards but not touching. That "the way", right? So in short: I would value any very specific tips/explanations on pronouncing `bother them` correctly, i.e. with /ɹð/ but without tapping the palate.


title: What's the meaning when we say "per se"?

text: Sometimes I read a sentence like the following one: > Objective-C does not provide a standard library, _per se_ , but in most > places.. I wonder how to interpret "per se." I'm non-native English speaker and in Swedish we have the expression "per se," but I don't understand it and maybe you can say that it means something like "in itself" (the strange Swedish expression is _i och för sig_ ) like Latin for _de se_ as distinct from latin _de facto_ , _de re_ , _de dicto_ , _de jure_ , etc. Do these expressions have a connection: "per se" and _de se_? Is it Latin and therefore I have difficulty to understand? What is the difference between these sentences?   * Breaking a traffic rule does not, per se, make you a burglar.   * Breaking a traffic rule does not, per definition, make you a burglar.   * Breaking a traffic rule does not, in itself, make you a burglar.


title: Is "Michael here" correct?

text: Why Michael, vsause's host at the start of each video says "Michael here" instead of "Michael is here"? Is it grammatically correct or just a slang / simplified way of speaking?


title: Usage of "diary" and "calendar"

text: The difference between a paper diary and a paper calendar is fairly clear, though either may be used to record an appointmemt. However a computer application is less clear as, for example, MS Outlook's self-styled calendar is really a diary. Or is it? Guidance, please!


title: Server log shows normal activities OR Server logs show normal activities?

text: Where I am trying to collectively refer to server logs, should I say... > Server log shows normal activities or > Server logs show normal activities


title: What does 'cloying smoke' mean?

text: I understand "cloying" to mean something good that becomes distasteful in excess. Here is a sentence I read today from this article: > But the aerial assault on the stubborn blaze, which blanketed much of the > New Orleans area with cloying smoke for a third straight day, is unlikely to > extinguish the fire or end the smoke quickly, Landrieu said. So when I read "cloying smoke" I assume the author intends to portray smoke as pleasurable in limited quantities? Is this just an idiom? Help me make sense of it. From a google search it appears the phrase is not uncommon.


title: "Had better" — what is the meaning of this grammatically?

text: I'm interested to know why we use _had better_ for recommendation. Technically we're speaking of an action that hasn't yet occurred. Like _he had better leave a tip_ means he hasn't yet left a tip, but I suggest he do. Why do we use the past tense _had_ if it has nothing to do with the past? Why do we not use the subjunctive here? ( _He have better leave a tip._ )


title: What does this sentence about 'ὑπό' mean?

text: Wiktionary has the description of meaning for the _ancient Greek_ word 'ὑπό': > under, that is, (with the genitive) of place (beneath), or with verbs (the > agency or means, through); (with the accusative) of place (whither > [underneath] or where [below]) or time (when [at]): among, by, from, in, of, > under, with. In compounds it retains the same genitive applications, > especially of inferior position or condition, and specifically covertly or > moderately. I cannot grasp the _exact_ meaning of this sentence. I do not mean the terms, my problems are with identifying what are **the scope for the respective 'or' words**. Could you help me comprehend it? **note** I may better ask this on ELL, but in case the sentence is 'genuinely ambiguous', I don't know how much linguistic background is given on ELL.


title: what is meant exactly by 'board' in the following sentence from the haunted house by dickens? can someone please help me picture the situation?

text: A lop-sided **board** drooped over the garden wall, announcing that it was 'to let on very reasonable terms, well furnished.


title: Usage of poetic device

text: > Real eyes realize real lies. Is this sentence illustrating the usage of alliteration? If not, which poetic device has been employed here?


title: I can't identify a word from one video

text: The text is: “I didn’t receive **...** I found Kevin or any part of Kevin, so I have places like this to help me heal.” **...** is the word I can't catch it. who can help me identify it? The video link, password is **goodgood** , input it in the text-box in the middle of video box,and click the button next to the text-box. Sorry I can only upload it to chinese website.


title: Is the correct phrase "free run" or "free roam?"

text: Is the correct phrase "free run" or "free roam," as in "the dog has free run of the house"?


title: What is the meaning of "sanity" in "sanity check"?

text: The phrase "sanity check" comes up often in programming, _e.g._ > It's a good _sanity check_ before attempting to decrypt the key. Usually, its context is one in which a commonly assumed state ( _e.g._ no memory corruption) is being tested, explicitly. For a long time, I interpreted "sanity" as the state opposed to "insanity", _e.g._ > It's a good _check to make sure we don't lose our minds_ before attempting > to decrypt the key. Because of the many instances I'd spent hours, or _days_ , debugging a mysterious bug, only to find the cause to be some uncommon state in the environment or data, this interpretation made sense to me; a _sanity check_ would have _saved my sanity_. Then one fateful day I perceived that "sanity" had a more canonical meaning: cleanness, _e.g._ > It's a good _check for cleanness_ before attempting to decrypt the key. Which is the interpretation meant by the phrase, "sanity check"? I can go on using the phrase without knowing, since both interpretations fit the usual situations that call for it. But I'm curious to know, and I'm afraid emailing my coworkers a poll about their interpretations might cause them to question _my_ sanity.


title: Which position does "really" and "quite" go?

text: I know **really** is an adverb, and one that intensifies the verb. I also know that some adverbs go only in the beginning; in the middle or at the end of a sentence, and some can be placed in all three positions. Take for example the phrase: _I don't care_   * I _really_ don't care   * I don't _really_ care   * I don't care really These three sound OK, but maybe I'm wrong? Could someone please describe the differences in meaning? Ws2 suggested using _don't know_ with **quite** in the comments below.   * I _quite_ don't know   * I don't _quite_ know   * I don't know quite Only the second one sounds acceptable. Why is that?


title: Antonym of "highlight"

text: What's the opposite of _highlight_? I don't mean the verb _to highlight_ or _to emphasize_ something, so _downplay_ isn't an option. Instead I'm looking for the opposite of "the highlight of the movie, concert, show".


title: Origin of "to see it through"

text: What is the origin of the phrase "to see it through"? How early was it invented? Would it sound out of place in an attempt to emulate older (200–400 years older) English?


title: Words like Schadenfreude or Sauerkraut

text: What are some composite German words such as "Schadenfreude" or "Sauerkraut" that are commonly used in English and with no English equivalents?


title: Why use "what is ... to/by me" rather than "my ... thing"?

text: I noticed that in English we say, "My favorite thing", and it's okay, but we don't say, "My well-liked thing". Why is this? Why use, "What is well-liked by me ..."?


title: When should apostrophe-s be used?

text: (Sorry for the lack of proper terms in this question) I noticed that in this example:               This page's content [...]      The word "page" is used with an apostrophe-s. I thought `'s` should only be used when the literal translation is "[this] page **is** [...]" Can someone please clarify this use?


title: What exactly does "tally ho" mean?

text: I heard this _tally ho_ in a youtube video (British). I also heard it in the movies "Jack the Giant Slayer", and "Spiderman 1". I understand it's some kind of expression or exclamation or idiom to say in certain circumstances. I've googled for this, I just found that it is used to say _a huntsman's cry to the hounds on sighting a fox_ , and _a cry of tally ho_. First, I don't get it, and second I can't find a connection between that "tally ho" and the videos I heard it from.


title: How do you define broke and broke into?

text: How do you define _broke_ and _broke into_ here? OP: "If you're not making six figures by the time you're 40, you fail at life." P1: "whew... I just made it... **broke into** 6 figures at 39." P2: "I **broke** 6 figures at 29. Never got much past that though."


title: How should I write a whip sound?

text: Is it crack? Snap? Wh-tch? Whop-eesh? Alternatively, if I don't use the actual noise. Do I write: The whip rang out? Cracked?


title: What is the correct way to answer a general question?

text: Is it considered rude to answer a question with a question? For instance: Q. Did you eat those cookies? A. Why? Would the correct response be "Yes I did (or no I did not), why do you ask?"


title: Is it right to say "Viewpoints made easy"?

text: I'm not native in the English language and I'd like to know if when I say "Viewpoints made easy" your perception leads you to something like: > Viewpoints made easy. An easy form to connect and represent points of view > and understandings about the world knowledge.


title: "Money for rope" ... meaning and derivation?

text: I was listening to John Lennon's song "Gimme Some Truth" just now, and in it there's a recurring line "money for rope." I never thought about it much before, but it strikes me this has to be some kind of aphorism or at least a familiar idiom somewhere. Does anyone know what it means and where it comes from? I've found some things on the Web that say it refers to the rope trade, and driving a bad bargain, etc., but none of these seem entirely convincing. Or at least they left me feeling unsatisfied. Does anyone have a clear line on this one?


title: Difference between "impel" and "compel"

text: What is the difference between _impel_ and _compel_?


title: Semicolon as a super-comma preceding “etc.”

text: I was wondering which punctuation to use preceeding **etc.** in an enumeration with semicolons as _supercommas_ (as formulated here: http://theoatmeal.com/comics/semicolon). > People with dichromatic colour vision will usually find it difficult to > distinguish between similar tones and shades: deep red with black with dark > green or dark purple; medium shades of red with similar tones of green and > orange; etc. Should I use a semicolon or a comma before the _etc._?


title: What is the difference between partial and total synonyms?

text: I am really confused with these terms. In my notes from lexicology lectures, partial synonyms are words which differ in emotional color, valency, style, or grammar. In some cases, I can’t see which of these apply, for example, the following pairs:   * eat/consume   * help/aid   * plenty/many   * former/older   * nest/colonize Is there another way to define or explain the difference between partial and total synonyms? Or a better list of the possible differences?


title: An ambiguous sentence from the music Dreamtale

text: The whole sentence is > As the last ship sailed towards the distant horizon, I sat there watching on > a rock. My mind slowly drifting away, forming into my...dreamtale. I can't figure out whether _I_ was sitting on a rock or watching on a rock. It seems ambiguous, right?


title: Is Hyphen Really the Longer – line instead of the shorter dash - line?

text: I had a discussion with some people today on hyphen and dashes. They had concluded that hyphen, which is used to link two connecting words (book-bag) is the longer line – instead of the shorter line -, and that the shorter line is for the dash, which is used to continue an argument/show something within a passage. Is this true? Is there really a difference between the line length in the hyphen and dash symbols? I had always thought that they were of the same length. Supposedly:   * Hyphen : –    * Dash.... : - (Dots used to space out to show the difference in length.)


title: What's the difference between a "nook" and a "cranny"?

text: I think both words mean a sort of crevice or corner. Presumably there must be some significant difference. The words are almost always used together: e.g. > She searched in every **nook and cranny** Presumably they can be used separately. I think I may have heard "nook" on its own, but never "cranny". Interestingly the N-gram seems to suggest "nook" is more commonly used than "cranny". ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/zIR5a.png)


title: Who was Buggins of 'Buggins' turn'?

text: 'Buggins' turn' refers to the practice of assigning appointments to persons in rotation, rather than on merit. The OED records this and gives examples of its use from 1901. As regards etymology it just says 'typical proper name used generically'. But why Buggins? Does anyone know who the original Buggins was? Or was it a name that was earlier used in the way Joe Bloggs is today? Sounds the sort of surname Dickens might have created but he is not found in a list of characters.


title: "one years old"

text: I just heard someone say: > "my baby just turned one years old" Which sounds super weird to me - so I googled a little and found similar sentences: > How Old Are Dogs When They Turn 1 Years Old in Human Years It has been said > that a dog who is 1 years old is 7 years old in human years. Can you really say "years" after "one"?


title: Succinct way to describe "clocking in" page on a web app

text: A Swedish colleague has asked for my suggestion for web app page titles. The task has left me and a fellow native speaker stumped... The answers should apply to British and American English.   1. A page for users to "clock in" and "clock out". We're even unsure whether or not there is a better term for indicating presence at work than this.   2. A page to view all clocked times. My initial thought was "timesheet"? Thanks!


title: What does the phrase "in my puff" mean?

text: I'm reading "Right Ho, Jeeves" by P.G. Wodehouse and I've just encountered another phrase which I can't understand. Full sentence where this phrase is used (emphasis added by me): > I fact, not to put too fine a point upon it, I consider that of all the > dashed silly, drivelling ideas I ever heard **in my puff** this is the most > blithering and futile.


title: How is "brrm" pronounced?

text: I find some interjections to be too tricky to pronounce. Can anyone help me with this one? Is there any specialized dictionary that reports the pronunciation of interjections?


title: Higher, greater or bigger distance?

text: Which of the following is most correct? > The distance of the shortest path must not be higher than 10km.   >  The distance of the shortest path must not be greater than 10km.   >  The distance of the shortest path must not be bigger than 10km. Or is there an even better word?


title: Can commoner be used as an adjective? I thought it was a noun. Can we say something is commoner?

text: I thought "commoner" is 'a person not of royal birth', but saw "commoner" used instead of "more common". Is this correct?


title: When should I use "is", and when "does"?

text: I know this is really basic, and I know the answer internally, I just find that I can't articulate it. When would you use "is", and when is "does" more appropriate? E.g. "The sun is green", vs "The computer does work". I'm looking for a really concise and easy to remember explanation, not for the entire theory of tenses.


title: Meaning of "the body soon learns to stand down in the face of fat"

text: The following is from the transcript of a podcast. > Dieters can choose from an array of snacktackular options in which sugars > and fats are replaced by artificial, low-calorie substitutes. That sleight > of hand seems ingenious. You can let your body think it’s getting the sweets > and fats it craves while keeping the calorie count to a minimum. > > But the new study suggests that this strategy is likely to backfire. Rats > that consumed a mix of full-fat chips and chips with olestra wound up eating > more and got fatter than rats that noshed on regular chips alone. > > Their bodies were apparently getting mixed messages. A mouthful of fat is > usually a signal that calories are coming, and the body reacts by getting > ready to burn fuel. But olestra, which tastes like fat, carries no calories > at all. **So the body soon learns to stand down in the face of fat. All fat. > Even real fat.** Because as Shakespeare almost said, a chip by any other > name still swells your seat. In the Merriam-Webster dictionary, "stand down" has the following meaning: 1 : to leave the witness stand   2 chiefly British a : to go off duty b : to withdraw from a contest or from a position of leadership But I still don't understand what the sentence "So the body soon learns to stand down in the face of fat." means. Does it mean that the body will not react with all kinds of fat? Then how can one get fatter when such thing happen?


title: Is there a symbol for “and/or”?

text: I am wondering if there is a symbol or glyph to represent the conjunct "and/or". I doubt there is a formal, de jure symbol (i.e., found in any manual of style or dictionary), but I cannot even find any references to de facto usages, nor even _invented_ symbols for it. Is the virgule the only symbol for it? Is there no other shorthand to represent the concept? Is that sufficient to capture the full meaning ( _either one or both_ ) of the pair? (If so, I find it peculiar that the virgule is already present in "and/or", and yet can take the place of the whole construct.) There are a couple of questions regarding "and/or" here, and some of them come peripherally close, but none of them quite touch on this issue.


title: Are two singular nouns together singular or plural?

text: I'm writing a research paper with several classmates for school. However, there's a sentence that we, as well as others who have reviewed our paper, disagree with on how to write. Which sentence is more proper, grammatically? > Yet, alcohol usage and abuse still continue. > > Yet, alcohol usage and abuse still continues. I realize that this is probably a trivial question, but I would appreciate any help nonetheless.


title: Word for someone who sleeps during the day

text: People are sometimes said to be a _morning person_ or a _night person_. I also know that the term for something related to night is "nocturnal". Is there a specific word for a person who sleeps during the day and is active at night? I’m looking for an elegant word for _night owl_.


title: What's the opposite of "authenticator"?

text: What's the opposite of "authenticator"? An authenticator is: > "a person or thing that authenticates." What do you call the person who is being authenticated? Assuming the use case where a person authenticates another person.


title: Is it OK to use a forward slash '/' between words other than the obvious 'and/or'?

text: I don't want to get into the proper use of the phrase 'and/or', but rather to investigate the use of the forward slash between other words. Examples:   * I have an interview with him/her this afternoon.   * He has a large binder/notebook. And even separating just letters:   * I connected the i/o ports. (input/ouput)   * Mark the field as n/a. (not applicable)   * I did it w/o her help. (without) It seems as thought the forward slash can be used to indicate an option, display ambiguity, shorten 2 words and shorten 1 word (and others). Is it OK to use a slash to separate these words/letters (yes, that was intended), or is it better to explicitly say 'his or her'? One more thing, is it correct to 'chain' these phrases together? I'm horrible with examples but here's one:   * I don't open letters/mail that aren't/isn't addressed to me.


title: What's the origin of the term "call" in card games?

text: What is the origin of the term "to call" in card games like poker? I can understand that one can "raise" the bet, but why does one want to say "call" to match a bet or match a raise? How would that meaning of the action "call" be used elsewhere?


title: "5 slices of cheese" what word describes the "slices" part

text: In a list of ingredients you'd have something like the following : > 5 grams of flour > > 2 cups of lemon juice > > 10 slices of meat What word would you use to describe 'grams', 'cups' and 'slices' in the previous examples? My thoughts: _Unit_ This works well for grams and fluid oz but doesn't seem right when describing something like cups, slices or bunches although that might just be me. _Measure (n)_ Measure to me sounded unique enough but can get confused with the verb form as well as a measure used in cocktail making. _Measurement_ This seemed more appropriate for something that you'd measured, the thing that you measured is a measurement.


title: What’s the difference between “if I were” and “if I would be”?

text: Can someone tell me the difference between these two phrases:   1. if I **were** rich   2. if I **would** be rich I am not a native English speaker, so it’s hard for me to see any difference in meaning between those two versions.


title: Is there an antonym for 'nonplussed'?

text: _Nonplussed_ is an interesting word because it appears to be a negation of 'plussed' (as in 'not plussed'). As far as I know, 'plussed' isn't a real word. > He was left nonplussed. How would you say the opposite of this statement?


title: “On/over the phone”

text: Which version is correct?   1. As discussed with you **over** the phone.   2. As discussed with you **on** the phone.