title: Is there a reference for the differences between synonyms?

text: Bill Bryson's "Troublesome Words" is an excellent book for, among other things, learning the difference between many synonyms, such as "prone," "prostrate," "recumbent" and "supine." But it can hardly be called a massive body of reference, and it deals with many other language issues. Having a reference for the differences between synonyms seems like it could be a much more effective way of understanding them than trying to tease out the differences of meaning in two possibly quite differently worded dictionary entries. Is there such a thing?


title: Is it "on behalf of" or "in behalf of"?

text: I often hear folks say _in behalf of_ instead of _on behalf of_ , which sets my teeth on edge. Which preposition is correct here, _in_ or _on_?


title: Austin Powers: "Oh Behave" - what does it mean?

text: In famous Austin Powers movie series Austin often says: "Oh behave" What does it mean?


title: Adverb of "gullible"

text: What is the adverb form of _gullible_? I tried using _gullibly_ but it apparently isn't a word. Is it one of those adjectives that simply don't have an adequate adverb?


title: "I'm unclear" versus "it's unclear to me that"

text: > It sounds like your proposal would make a great feature request for the > existing module. I'm unclear why you consider it was not a good idea. Does replacing _I'm unclear_ with _it is unclear to me_ make the sentence more clear?   Are there any contexts where _I'm unclear_ would have a different meaning? Is it used in some regions/dialects to mean something different from _it is unclear to me_?


title: Article in “having (a) hard time”

text: What's the difference? > I'm having hard time figuring that out > > I'm having a hard time figuring that out According to Google both are used equally often. Does the article change meaning here?


title: What words have “‑ei‑” (except in “‑cei‑”) pronounced [i:]?

text: The rule is that written _ei_ is pronounced [i:] only after the letter _c_ — or that what is pronounced [i:] is written _ei_ after the letter _c_ only. Here are exceptions I’ve found so far:   * _foreign_ (possibly)   * _seizure_   * _either_ (possibly)   * _neither_ (possibly)   * _weird_   * _being_   * _seizure_ Can you add more exceptions to this list? * * * **Update:** I am not so much interested in differences of pronunciation between dialects of English as I am in helpful (for me) mnemonics for written English. **Update 2:** Once more, this question is not on orthography but on mnemonics to help in writing. If you know other helpful mnemonics to deal with spelling words with _‑ie‑_ and _‑ei‑_ , you are welcome to answer this question.


title: What are the rules about using 'half of' with plural nouns?

text: Here are some sentences with 'half of' and plural nouns that I consider to be well-formed: > Half of all films are a waste of celluloid.   >  Half of users surveyed said they preferred the old product.   >  Half of the women here are your ex-girlfriends.   >  Half of Americans are uninsured. Here are some sentences with 'half of' and plural nouns that don't feel well- formed to me: > Half of people are women.   >  Half of books are hardback.   >  Half of dogs are neutered.   >  Half of fruits are citrus. To me, the above require 'all' before the noun or some other form of modification to sound correct or at least less awkward. (In fact, part of my problem is deciding whether these sentences sound wrong because of grammar or semantics.) I'd appreciate either:   1. To be told my second set of examples are actually fine (preferably with links to similar examples).    2. A clear rule for when one can use 'half of' with a plural noun. It can't be just about modification if the 'Half of Americans' sentence is well-formed.


title: What is the etymology of "flabbergasted"?

text: Online Etymology dictionary suggests it's "likely an arbitrary formation from flabby or flapper and aghast". I'm wondering if anyone has any more insight.


title: Reported/Indirect speech of "Words fail me."

text: For all grammar gods, I have a question regarding the appropriate way to use indirect speech to report someone saying, "words fail me." Normally, I would say: "He said that words failed him." This sounds perfectly legitimate and also follows the general grammar trends I teach. However, I found myself defaulting to want to say something else, instead. I kept using the phrase: "He said that words had failed him." This is contrary to what would be taught in a grammar book or a grammar course. This confuses me, but the more I think about it, the second one sounds more correct. Please help.


title: What is the difference between "legacy" and "inheritance"?

text: Can someone explain the difference between _legacy_ and _inheritance_?


title: expression "meat and potatoes business"

text: I heard of the expression "meat and potatoes business", and when I was explained what it means, I was told is that it referred to a business with no fancy products, just simple products for simple clientèle. Is this a fair description of "meat and potatoes" as an activity?


title: Subjunctive mood: 'was' usage after 'I wish' and 'if only'

text: SFX Magazine had declared the sentence below as follow: 1) STAR TURN, 2) BEST LINES.   * > I wish Bernard Cribbins was my grandad. Perhaps he would be willing to adopt?   * > Rattigan: “If only that was possible.”    > The Doctor: “If only that were possible. Conditional clause.” Is ' _ **was**_ ' after ' _ **I wish**_ ', ' _ **if only**_ ' and ' _ **if**_ ' (in conditional clauses) colloquial? Does it be used in formal speech and writing?


title: Word for counter-efficient

text: I'm trying to describe the feature my iPad has that is counter-efficient. I'm positive there is a word that means counter-efficient. Does anybody know what that word is?


title: "knowing you as well as I do"

text: The situation is that one of my friend's roommates took part in a test of narcissism and got a score of 14. My friend wanted to get in a dig at that guy, so he said"Well, knowing you as well as I do, a score of 14 must be near the top of the scale." My question is, what does"knowing you as well as I do" mean here? I only know that "as well as" means "too", so it's a bit awkward here for me to understand. Many thanks!


title: "Why are you still in my office? VS Why do you still in my office?

text: What is the difference between those questions and which one is the correct form?


title: Can a prepositional phrase be the direct object?

text: We're covering grammar in English I, and we just got to gerunds. In one of the exercises, I had the sentence "Pilgrims learned about planting crops from the Wampanoags." I'm supposed to find the gerund, and identify its subject in the sentence. I thought that the gerund would be "planting crops". When I was trying to find its function in the sentence, I used a method my teacher gave me; asking "verb what?" to identify the direct object. This gives "learned about planting crops". I was wondering, would the function of "planting crops" in the sentence be the object of a preposition, or would the whole prepositional phrase be the direct object (since the gerund acts as a noun). Or, do I have the whole thing horribly wrong in the first place? =) Thanks! evamvid


title: a cold vs flu / the flu

text: **Have you got a cold?   Have you got flu?   Have you got the flu?** Why can't we say _a flu_ or _the cold_ in the previous examples?


title: What does it mean for something to be "inter-ethnic?"

text: Does inter-ethnic refer to things that are between different ethnic groups, or within one ethnic group? If it refers to things that are between different ethnic groups, what word would be used to refer to things that are within one ethnic group?


title: Which tense do I use when I talk about direct speech in texts?

text: I want to ask questions about a text. The text is written in past tense. When I talk about the text, do I only use simple present or also present progressive? Please, look at the following examples.   * Text: “They were looking for something.” ☞ What do they do in the garden? _vs_ What are they doing?   * Text: “Emma asked: ‘What are you looking for?’” ☞ What do the boys look for? _vs_ What are the boys looking for?


title: "wouldn't see" vs "don't see"

text: I recently had a conversation with a friend where I told her the following: > People go out on Friday nights that's why you **wouldn't** see anyone in the > hall. Does the 'would' part make sense in this context? Or should I go with "that's why you **don't** see anyone"


title: Is the verb 'let' transitive or intransitive?

text: Is the verb 'let', with the meaning 'to cause to', transitive or intransitive? E.g.: > Do you want to go out for a pizza? Please _let know_. Is this allowed or is it misuse?


title: What is the English term whose meaning covers both that of *Word* and *Title*?

text: I am developing an App for which I have need to find a word or term whose meaning would encompass both the words _Word_ and _Title_. Examples of a _Word_ , are "car", "mobile phone". Examples of a _Title_ would be "Car price went up this year" or "Mobile phone sales declined in US" I need to to give a field name for such _words or titles_ , and currently I am using the term "WordOrTitleID". This term is a bit clumsy, so I am looking for a term that would better cover both meanings. If I used `TextID`, that would not be helpful because _text_ can be anything? If I used `ExpressionID`, that would also not be helpful because _expression_ is quite ambiguous, plus users wouldn't be able to relate to it.


title: "Hot mess" meaning and etymology

text: A phrase has started to be used somewhat frequently over the past few years: " ** _hot mess_** ". I have heard it in professional journalism (albeit, admittedly, mostly entertainment and/or gossip journalism). There seems to be some confusion over what it means, though. Here are some of the varying commonly held definitions:   * A person who is seemingly emotionally or mentally unbalanced who yet remains alluring, esp. one whose unbalance derives from social debauchery (excessive partying)      * Or one such who does not remain alluring   * A person who is disheveled who yet remains alluring      * Or one such who does not remain alluring   * An item that is dizzyingly chaotic in appearance   * A situation or incidence that is extraordinarily bad Is this an older phrase that has gained new life, or has it come into being in the last decade? If the latter, what was the original definition?


title: What is the history of the oh-so-common English phrase, "come on!"?

text: I haven’t any idea of whence the phrase _come on_ could have originated. There seems to be little purely denotative sense that can be made of the phrase. What were the circumstances under which it was first coined, and what is the back-story to this interesting phrase (which I’m sure has some involved history)?


title: Alternatives to the term "crash course"

text: I am trying to find alternatives to the term _crash course_ , in reference to a training session that intends to get you started with a topic quickly.


title: “To be in use” vs “to be at use” vs ”to be of use”

text: What’s the difference between “to be in use” and “to be at use”? I have impression that former states that something is being used, while the latter means something proves to be useful — the same as “to be of use”.


title: Word describing the reversal of emotions

text: > A boy is highly confident one day and the next day scared, timid and shy. > > A girl is emotional one day and emotionless the next. Is there a term for a drastic switching of emotions? A term for the switching to practically opposite emotions? **EDIT:** Just to clarify the emotional changes are not rapid, and are permanent. This rules out bi-polar, because bi-polar involves multiple periods of change. **EDIT2:** I'm looking for a work to demonstrate the steepness or contrasts of change, but having no relationship to the speed of change. Example: > Over a course of 3 years a once quiet boy become the spokesmen of the > school.


title: Synonym of "incorrect" with as little negative connotation as possible

text: I'm describing the results of an experiment I did, and I'd like to find a word to put in the blank (I'd also accept alternative ways of phrasing this statement generally): > We ran a computer simulation, using a very simplified model. The simulation > predicted X. When we performed the experiment, we saw that the result was > actually Y, showing that our simplified model was indeed _____. In a different context, I'd normally go with "flawed" or "incorrect", but I'd prefer to cast this in as neutral a light as possible. After all, I didn't do anything _wrong_ ; I knew that using a simplified model would likely mean the results of the actual experiment would be somewhat different. If there is a single word that captures the idea "paints an incomplete picture", I'd probably like that.


title: I want to say I "re-realized", but not "remembered" and "was reminded"

text: Here is a sample text of what I wanted to write: > I woke up very hungry this morning. Hunger is good in that it drives you. > But I re-realized that too much hunger is actually destructive. It's an informal blog post, but I'm looking for an actual word that means something between "I reminded myself" and "I was reminded". I realize that I could shuffle sentence structure around to mean a similar thing, but is there a word that I can substitute for "re-realize"?


title: Origin of "roofies"

text: I was wondering how the term _roofies_ has come to be. They use the term in many movies and TV series. I know what it means, so I'm not asking for an explanation, but for those who may be wondering, it's a date rape drug. > Date rape drug refers to a drug that can be used to assist in the execution > of a sexual assault, such as date rape. One of these drugs is called > _Flunitrazepam_, most commonly known as **Rohypnol**. One of the street > names for Rohypnol is **roofies**. All the horrible deeds aside, I think the street name, _roofies_ , is pretty funny and I can't connect it with anything. Is the name derived from something, or is it just a random word, unrelated to anything?


title: Is it wrong to use the word "codes" in a programming context?

text: Is it wrong to use the word "codes" in programming context? > I shall use these codes.


title: "Upvote" vs. "up vote" vs. "up-vote"

text: Should I use "upvote", "up vote", or "up-vote" on SE sites? What about "downvote"? They're not words in the sense that they're in the dictionary, but they are commonly used in this community. Also, "downvote" reads much more naturally than "down vote". > I upvoted the post with ponies and unicorns. Or: > I up voted the post with ponies and unicorns. Or: > I up-voted the post with ponies and unicorns.


title: Usage of the word "game"

text: I often hear this word 'game'. One of the questions in the site talks about the meaning of "I am game". Users have replied that "I am game" implies that I am up for the challenge. But I would like to know the exact meaning and context regarding the usage of the word 'game'. I've also seen it being used in Eminem's rap songs saying "I am married to a game". So what exactly is this word word 'game'? What is its context and usage?


title: What is the meaning of 'in the ether'?

text: In the following sentence, what is the meaning of 'in the ether'? > Rather than calling some function in the ether and passing arguments, we > call a method on one particular object providing arguments for the other > information. I found the sentence in this article: > http://martinfowler.com/articles/richardsonMaturityModel.html It's an article on programming but I guess the meaning of it is general.


title: Using a comma before "rather than"

text: I find that it is very common for some people (typically English teachers, in my experience) to use a comma before a phrase beginning with "rather than" when it falls at the end of a sentence. For example: > We decided to go to the grocery store, rather than a restaurant. In the above sentence, the comma seems to be unnatural and incorrect. I can only think that perhaps they were taught to always use a comma before "rather than" when it is used in an appositive phrase, as such: > We decided that, rather than going out to a restaurant, we would go to the > grocery store. This usage is correct, and I have no problem with it. I **think** that people use the comma in the first example because they are incorrectly applying a rule that should only apply to parenthetical phrases. They might decide that the last part of the sentence is a parenthetical phrase because it is nonessential information, but if you replaced the words "rather than" with "instead of," few people would put a comma there. It just doesn't flow properly. However, the incidence of English teachers perpetuating the first example is so great that I have to wonder if I have missed a lesson somewhere. Have I been incorrectly removing the comma all these years?


title: "X equals Y" vs. "X is equal to Y"

text: What's the subtle difference between _X equals Y_ and _X is equal to Y_?


title: Meaning of inbred in context

text: This is the line in context from preface of the book Concrete Mathematics: > Abstract mathematics was becoming inbred and losing touch with > reality;mathematical education needed a concrete counterweight in order to > restore a healthy balance. The meanings given in dictionary says:   1. Produced by inbreeding.   2. Fixed in the character or disposition as if inherited; deep-seated: an _inbred distrust of radicalism_. I am unable to decipher the meaning in context here because none of the above two meanings seems to be appropriate in this context. What do the authors mean by " _mathematics was becoming inbred_ "?


title: What's the difference between "efficacy" and "effectiveness"?

text: I usually use the word "effectiveness" in conversation, but sometimes I use the word "efficacy" then self-correct with "effectiveness" . Is there a practical difference between them?


title: Is it really wrong to say "I'm hearing"?

text: Many grammar books claim that ‘see’, ‘hear’, ‘taste’, ‘smell’, ‘feel’ are verbs that aren’t used in continuous forms, and yet, we do hear and see it quite often used by native speakers. For instance, read the title of this article: > Are You Hearing Enough Complaints? > > The average complainer tells nine or more others about his unhappy > experience. So successfully resolving a complaint is not only likely to > generate increased business from the complainer, but also to restore nine or > more potentially lost opportunities with other customers or prospects. The > point is, if **you're not hearing** any complaints this might be a reason to > worry, rather than to congratulate yourself. I myself would say "I'm hearing more and more people pronounce this word this way" just as much as I would say "I hear more and more people..." Your thoughts, native speakers? Does using the continuous form of this verb feel odd to you?


title: Comma Rules: Conflicting Rules Concerning the Setting Off of Commas

text: I've got a sentence where the independent clause is in the front, a contrasting phrase follows, and then a simile is made to modify or elaborate the contrasting phrase. I am wondering where commas should go in this sentence. One rule is to set off the contrasting phrase/ clause from the rest of the sentence. The other is setting off dependent clauses. The sentence is: > **a)** Roman sat, quietly, in his seat, not giggling and chit-chatting, like > the other kids from his school. I believe that the commas setting off quietly are appropriate or not and depend on the meaning I am trying to convey. I am also quite sure that the comma before not is appropriate. If the sentence becomes: > **b)** Roman sat, quietly, in his seat, like the other kids from his school. Then you lose the meaning of the sentence because the other kids were not sitting quietly. If you look at most examples of contrasting phrases that get set off by commas, you will notice that the meaning is not lost: > **c)** She will go to to school in New York, not Chicago, to study law. Excise the contrasting phrase, and: > **d)** She will go to school in New York to study law. Similarly, > **e)** It was her money, not her charm or personality, that first attracted > him. Excise the contrasting phrase, and: > **f)** It was her money that first attracted him. So, what do I do here?


title: "fought in the World War II" versus "fought in the second World War"

text: Why is > fought in the second World War or > fought in the Vietnam War correct but > fought in the World War II is not?


title: What’s difference between “in” + VERBing compared with just plain VERBing alone?

text: In the following example from page 145 of Frederick Schauer’s _Thinking Like a Lawyer_ , what would differ if the sentence were to start with _Being_ instead of _In being_? > **In being** an empirical response to an empirical claim, this explanation > engages Realism on its own terms, and so little can be said here other than > that if Realism is empirically correct for much of law, then the fact that > Realism may now be substantially disregarded is surprising and disturbing.   1. Is there a name for the structure _in_ \+ gerund?    2. What are the similarities and differences between the version with the preposition and the version without it? I tried Google which revealed nothing.


title: Using an appropriate article before the word "leadership"

text: I had a quick question. Recently a co-worker posted a how-to guide entitled "How to be a good leadership at work". To me the sentence seems incorrect. But I can't explain why. Technically leadership is a noun, just like in the sentence "How to be a good person at work" would be correct, because person is also a noun. Perhaps it's one of those things that sounds incorrect to me but really is correct. Can anyone explain this to me?


title: "Upon" at the very beginning of a sentence

text: Can a sentence begin with _upon_? Or should it be changed to _on_? For example: >   * Upon a decrease in temperature... [Is this grammatical?] >   * On a decrease in temperature... [What about this?] >


title: Repeating "to" and "will" in enumerations of verbs

text: Should I use the second "will" in constructions like this one: "it will definitely help you and **will** make the text more readable" And should I write "to" before every infinitive in enumeration, or only before the first one, e.g. "it helps to develop and test" or "it helps to develop and **to** test"? Could this example be influenced by the fact that "help" can go with to-invinitive and bare infinitive, and with other verbs the rule would be different?


title: Synonym for "godchild" without religious connotation

text: In English is there a synonym for "godchild" (or the gender-specific versions) without a religious connotation but without necessarily having other specific connotations? All the words I'm coming up with mean (or at least imply) that the child is living with me, or that I'm acting _in loco parentis_ in some way. I don't want that.   * "orphan", "foster child", "adopted child": these all mean that the child has lost his or her natural parents and is living with a different family or in an orphanage.   * "protégé": this is closer, but to me it still implies that the child lives with the mentor rather than the parents. What I am looking for is something that describes a similar relationship to "godchild" (i.e. I care about the child's well-being, but he lives with his parents, not with me) without actually having the religious connotation or implying anything about the child. (As some commenters mention, "godchild" _is_ sometimes used outside of a religious context these days, but it still carries that connotation; it can't really be separated from its origin.)


title: "Had been engaged when they married" vs. "were married" vs. "had married"

text: Which of the sentences below are grammatically correct? >   1. The couple had been engaged for five years when **they married**. >   2. The couple had been engaged for five years when **they were married**. >   3. The couple had been engaged for five years when **they had married**. > Only (1) sounds correct to me, but I am unable to explain why (2) and (3) are grammatically wrong.


title: Is "dispreferred" a mainstream word in English?

text: I just recently came across the word _dispreferred_ in a linguistic document. I have never heard the word used before, rather I generally hear something like "preferred something else" in everyday conversation. Is _dispreferred_ a linguistics/language specific term or does it have more widespread usage in non-technical conversations? As I type the word _dispreferred_ , I see a red underline indicating that I have entered a misspelled word.


title: Use of a pronoun in a neither/nor construction

text: > Neither Ms. Perez nor Ms. Yanaka believes that watching as much television > as **her** son Sam does will lead to anything productive. Is **her** correct? or should it be **their**?


title: "Indeed/in deed/indid/in did"

text: I am not a native speaker and get constantly confused which one to use when I would like to approve some statement or someone's sentence. > A really nice one **indeed**.   >  A really nice one **in deed**.   >  A really nice one **indid**.   >  A really nice one **in did**. I guess the first one is correct, but others may be correct in some other contexts. When do we use each of these?


title: Is it correct to use "better+verb"?

text: When is it correct to use "better+verb", for example which one of following sentences are correct? > It better helps [me to prepare than something else]. > > It better makes sense [than something else]. > > It better matches the others. > > You will better understand it if you pay more attentions. ...where better means "more", not "had better" or "better" as verb.


title: When to use `use` and when to use `utilize` in a sentence?

text: Some times I go through articles and find the expression `utilize`, I've always been wondering in there are special cases in which it should be used instead of `used`. Also cause google ngram clearly shows that `used` is used (sorry for that ;D) much more. Thanks for your help and happy new year!


title: What is the shortest term to refer to people whose mother tongue is English?

text: What is the shortest term to refer to representatives of peoples and cultures whose mother tongue is English? Mothertonguers? Update:   Can't I call them joe?


title: What grammar is used in "are there" for not a question & "is a compromise view" without a subject?

text: I have found 2 sentences in a law book, but I cannot figure out what grammar rules are used in them. Please advise.   * 1.) In no state, however, **are there** _[what rule, why such order of the words?]_ specific guidelines as to what constitutes participation in another business . . . The above sentence is not a question, so why is there subject-auxiliary verb inversion? In the following example, why is there no subject?   * 2.) Between these two extremes, however, **is a compromise view**. _[no subject? What rule is this?]_ , which seems . . .


title: Who excels under pressure?

text: I am not looking for phrases that mean to keep your poise or have courage. I am looking for something - word or phrase - the succinctly describes someone who is better under pressure. An example would be a basketball player who shoots 3 pointers 35% overall but if he has a guy in his face he shoots 45% and if he has a guy in his face and in a close game in the 4th quarter he shoots over 50%. Is there something that summarizes the relationship between more pressure and more performance? **Edit:** Clutch is a really good term and we had thought about using that. We need a term t:that fits into our database model for football/basketball advanced metrics. Was looking for something that is a little more scientific and not a current cliche but if the shoe fits we will use it. Still open to more suggestions.


title: "Liberation" and "free"

text: What is the difference between _liberation_ and _free_?   Are _spiritual liberation_ and _free will_ the same?


title: what is the difference between charity/foundation/cause/trust

text: I looked at dictionary but i couldn't understand the difference between charity/foundation/cause/trust with simple examples please


title: Does "ought to" imply irrelevance?

text: Does the phrase "ought to" express the irrelevance of the person taking the action? For example, if someone says "Governments which are just, ought to ensure food security for their citizens", are they specifically saying certain governments ought to do so, or is the sentence expressing that governments which are just, **in general** , ought to do so, as in a generic statement that doesn't express the relevance of the person/entity taking the action?


title: Hello everyone,which one is correct?

text: please suggest me which one is correct and any other suggestion to make it a better sentence. 1\. We have noted your below email and we are not holding below booking any longer. 2\. We have noted your below email and are not holding below booking any longer. Thanks.


title: Why do people pronounce "Naomi" as "Niomi"?

text: The Wikipedia page for "Naomi (given name)" says "pronounced nay-oh-mee" which is how I pronounce my daughter's name, but quite often people pronounce it "nigh-oh-mee" (that is, with a long "i" instead of a long "a" in the first syllable). Is there a reason why so many people pronounce it in this way? I live near Boston, in case that's a factor.


title: In what context or situation (if any) would the words "try to see me" make sense?

text: If there is such possible situation, please, describe it. Please don't insert any punctuation between those words and keep their order intact.


title: What is the meaning and usage of the word "beknownst"?

text: I've used "beknownst" and "unbeknownst" a couple times but I never really bothered to look it up until now. But it's not in most of the online dictionaries websites I frequent. I'm under the impression that this word is old school; if so, is it still appropriate to use? Or am I better off using some other word that means the same thing?


title: "Cut their hawsers"

text: I'm annotating a late 16th or early 17th century English play for publication, and I'm having trouble making sense of a certain incident that takes place. I'm hoping someone familiar with Elizabethan nautical terms can help. Here's the situation. Two pirate ships are grappled together as their captains fight in single combat for the booty plundered from a French merchantman. As they fight, a group of impressed sailors plan to escape by stealing the merchantman. To prevent the pirates from pursuing them, one says: **"We'll cut their hawsers."** The plan goes off, and the pirate captain orders a pursuit, but is told: **"They have cut our hawsers, we cannot budge a foot."** Here's my question. I always understood--and the sources I've looked at so far back me up--that the term "hawser" usually referred to the rope that moored the ship to a dock or to an anchor. In other words, if the pirate ship was moored or anchored, cutting the hawser would set them adrift. It wouldn't _stop_ them from moving, it would do the opposite. So what am I missing? How is it that cutting the hawser prevents you from pulling in the anchor, but leaves the ship still held by the anchor? Or is it the playwright who's confused--always a possibility? If anyone is interested, the play is Robert Daborne's _A Christian Turn'd Turk_ , published in London in 1612.


title: "Mic" as an abbreviation for microwave

text: Last week, I was among a group of friends and commented on the fact that someone had removed a sticker from their microwave. I used the word "mic" to abbreviate microwave, and people thought I was talking about a microphone. This made me wonder if anyone else actually says that or if my mixed word usage (I'm from New Jersey, but have been living in California for 6+ years) resulted in an original abbreviation. I'm pretty sure I have been abbreviating microwave this way for quite a while, though. Is it an East Coast thing? Is it a personal thing? I googled for it and checked WordReference, but _mic_ is basically an abbreviation for _microphone_ any way you slice it, it would seem. So is this a regionalism that others share or is it an abbreviation with low general comprehension?


title: "As long as" for "since" in AE

text: Some of you might have noticed that I oftentimes use the conjunction "as long as" in my questions and my posts. I was just wondering -- does "as long as" in the sense "since" [=in view of the fact that, considering, inasmuch as] have any currency in AE, and can it be used just about safely for whatever register of language but the most formal prose? You might want to consider the following sources and examples for this: > http://www.thefreedictionary.com/as+long+as > > http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/as%20long%20as > > http://www.thefreedictionary.com/since As long as (= since/inasmuch as) you're not interested, I won't tell you about it. As long as (= since/inasmuch as) you're already here, you might as well stay. As long as (= since/inasmuch as) you have offered, I accept. As long as you've offered your daughter the possibility for information and she's stated her preference, there's no reason to insist. As long as you've provided her with the opportunity to learn, it's best that you wait for indications of her readiness... source


title: is there any difference between 'it' and 'this' to these sentences?

text: Do they have same meaning? Is there any difference by intuition? >   1. What does _it_ signify? >   2. What does _this_ signify? >


title: Do I draw a line or rule on a paper?

text: When I use a ruler and a pen, is it a line or a rule that I draw? What are the dimensions of the line/rule, length and width, or length and thickness?


title: Is the use of "all set" exclusive to certain regions?

text: I grew up in the Northeastern US where the use of the phrase "all set" to mean "ready" or "finished" is common. An example would be, "Are you all set with that?" (perhaps while pointing to an unfinished meal) Another example would be, "Are we all set?" (as in "Are we ready to go?") I never gave it a second thought until a friend from California told me that the usage of "all set" really threw him off when he moved to the Northeast. He had never heard that usage before ... hence my curiosity. Is the use of "all set" exclusive to certain regions in the US? Is it used at all in Great Britain?


title: Searching for the word for a certain type of book

text: There are (mainly) fantasy stories where you have to jump on and on inside the story by your decisions. What is the appropriate word for these books?


title: "Sign in", "signin" or "sign-in"

text: Which is correct: _sign in_ , _signin_ or _sign-in_ when used as a noun and also as a verb?


title: Meaning of "yield" in acrostic for 'pray'

text: Some people expand the word _pray_ as an acronym for: **p** raise, **r** epent, **a** sk, **y** ield. What does _yield_ mean in this religious context?               Original wording of question was: "Some people expand the word pray to mean..."


title: Subject-Verb Agreement question

text: You, the employer, **contribute** the most. You, the employer, **contributes** the most. which one would be correct?


title: To Whom It May Concern, what's the best way to address a group?

text: I write emails to groups of individuals from time to time, and when I don't/can't address anyone in particular, I will begin the letter with > To Whom It May Concern, Is this the best way to equally address a group of people, in a professional setting?


title: Sunday as a Week Marker

text: When someone uses the phrase "the week of the [Sunday's date]" does that usually refer to the week preceding that Sunday or after it?


Is this event ironic or a funny coincidence: (explain why as well) > Bob is walking with Jerry outside after it has just finished raining. Bob > starts on about this time some "stupid, aloof" guy walked right into a > puddle because he wasn't paying attention. Right as he is finishing the > story, he himself walks directly into a puddle of water. A buddy and I were debating whether that's irony or funny coincidence, so we decided to poll the audience to get some clarity on the issue.


title: "Free of" vs. "Free from"

text: > _The people were free from the barbaric dictator._ Or: _The people were free > of the barbaric dictator._ > > _The mashed potatoes were free from lumps._ Or: _The mashed potatoes were > free of lumps._ > > _I wish I could be free from this terrible cold._ Or: _I wish I could be > free of this terrible cold._ It seems to me that the terms "free from" and "free of" can be used interchangeably. Do the two have distinct meanings? Is one more correct than the other? Are there exceptions?


title: What degree of status does the label "office lady" imply?

text: I'm wondering whether or not "office lady" is commonly used in English- speaking countries? Does it carry a derogatory sense or stereotype women's jobs like "pink-collar worker" does?


title: A word/phrase to describe something that's under development

text: Let's say I have an app and it is under development, not yet to be released. **What's the best adjective (or phrase) to describe an app like that?** The first two words that came to my mind are _constructing_ , _developing_. But I found it awkward to use them.


title: Where does A/C abbreviation for aircraft come from?

text: I am wondering where did **A/C** abbreviation originate, and especially the slash since aircraft is one word. For instance, I can understand why there is a slash while abbreviating _air conditioning_.


title: 'I need you!' 'So do I' Is this grammatical?

text: > Evelyn: I need you!   >  Sam: So do I! Is this grammatical? What is the meaning of the response?


title: Pluralization of nouns left out with conjunction

text: Can a repeated noun be left out in a conjunction? The particular example I am thinking of is a sentence that starts: > Element A and element B.... Which I would shorten as: > Element A and B... I know I can do this with a definite article or a normal modifier, but if you can't leave out the noun, it should actually be: > Elements A and B... Which is correct?


title: What is the word to mean to apply attributes of an entire race to a single individual?

text: Normally _racism_ is used to mean generalizing about an entire race based on a few individual examples, but what is the word to mean to apply attributes of an entire race to a single individual? That is often referred to as _racism_ as well, but I believe they are distinct and would like a more precise word or term. I know the terms for the logical fallacies associated with it, but am seeking a general English term. For example, three nurples bit me, therefore all nurples are biters. This is a case of an overgeneralization. This is the term I'm looking for: Most nurples are savants. Aijan is a nurple. Therefore Aijan is a savant. This is a case of fallacy of division. Is there a more plain word to express the second example, carrying the connotation of _racism_ , but not the word _racism_ proper?


title: "Bongo is screaming": is "screaming" an adjective?

text: If I say, " _Bongo is screaming_ ", would _screaming_ be an adjective?


title: Is the valediction "see you later, alligator" used in English?

text: I have been reading a book about real English expressions and idioms. The first chapter deals with greetings. According to the section **On departure** , > _See you later, alligator_ is one of the informal ways of saying goodbye to someone. The book says that it's humoristic and the answer would be _in a while crocodile_. Apparently, it's derived from a 50s pop song. My question is: Is this expression common? It goes without saying that I am not a native speaker of English but I usually listen to English music, films and TV shows and I have never heard of it before.


title: To 'link' or 'relate' two items?

text: I'm developing a system in which users can 'link' separate items by using a 'Link' button. In the database, this 'link' is called a 'relation'. I'm inclined to change the text of the button to 'Relate' instead of 'Link' because it seems more correct. However, I fear users might be confused due to popular usage of the term 'relation'. For example, you often see a list with 'Related terms' popping up on websites. When you look closely, most of the time this is a list of terms that might have something to do with the current term you have selected, but don't have an actual relation to it. I would rather call it 'Similar terms'. Might 'link' therefore be a better choice after all? Or is 'relation' much more correct?


title: How to better express the idea of "written communication"?

text: As compared to "verbal communication" or "visual communication", I was wondering if there was a synonym for "written communication" that is semantically similar to the first two. What throws me off is that written is both a verb and an adjective, while verbal and visual are singularly adjectives. Is this a distinction I should even worry about?


title: How to say that I have been many years in the IT field

text: Currently, I'm starting my resume with > Throughout more than ten years within the IT I have gained a broad > knowledge... But I don't know whether that sentence makes sense to native speakers. Should I use **in** instead of **within**? Is there a better way to reword this?


title: Is there an equivalent of "reverie" where one is lost in unpleasant thoughts?

text: To say "the noise outside shook her from her reverie" implies she was lost in pleasant daydreams. What if she was lost in worry or unpleasant thoughts? Is there an equivalent term (single word or short phrase)?


title: Dictionary program/website that has IPA+recording for as many words as possible

text: I usually use Wiktionary as my English dictionary. The main things that I'm interested in are (1) IPA transcriptions and (2) voice recordings of each word. The problem is that Wiktionary doesn't have those for as many words as I would want. Is there a more complete solution? A dictionary which has those 2 things for more words?


title: The relative pronoun "which" and the omission in this sentence

text: The complete sentence: > Yet I should point out before I proceed with this line that when I use > ‘ideology,’ I do not mean to imply the now-familiar sinister connotations of > mischief or falsehood attached to the term; rather, I see Scott’s ideology > simply as a mindset or a belief system which was true to him, and he to it. Please give me some guidance on this part of the phrase; it sounds **terribly off**. > . . . a belief system which was true to him, and he to it. I mean to say that: a) the so-called mindset was true "to him" (meaning "true to him" according to the way he perceives the world); and b) he is "true to his (same) mindset" (as in he stays true to it). The main trouble for me is "which". It refers to "the mindset"; however, it sounds odd with the addition "and he to it", because it should be grammatically unacceptable to use both the relative pronoun and the pronoun. **Should I instead say: "and he to which"?** A good paraphrase to what I am trying to say: > . . . a mindset or a belief system which was genuinely true to him, and to > which he stays so too. Also what do you think of the preposition "of" and "of" in the following? > the now-familiar sinister connotations **of** mischief or falsehood attached > **to** the term The complete sentence


title: Is "Sad sometimes what happens when kids stop being kids and grow up to become the kind of adults we simply detest" ambiguous?

text: In the Collins Dictionary entry for the verb _detest_, the following citation taken from a 2003 _Ottawa Sun_ article is given to demonstrate that verb: > Sad sometimes what happens when kids stop being kids and grow up to become > the kind of adults we simply detest. I can’t understand the exact meaning of this sentence. Which of the following is it?   1. One sometimes finds themselves sad at witnessing that children come of age so obscurely, forging their way towards the very kind of adulthood we simply detest.   2. One sometimes finds themselves sad at the way children occasionally behave like the very kinds of adults we usually are inclined to detest. Or is it neither?


title: What do you call the activities between actual work?

text: I've noticed that there are many cases where more time is spent on preparation and other things around the actual work that's intended to be done. For example, at school, very little time is spent learning - most of it is spent commuting, going from class to class, doing homework, waiting for the teacher, etc. Similarly, as a web developer, I don't spend very much time actually writing code. I end up spending most of my time compiling projects, looking for bugs with our bug tracking system, updating the status of those bugs, etc. What do we call these activities that aren't the focus of our time, but end up taking up a lot of it anyway? edit: The word "peripheral" came to mind. I'm not sure if this is what I'm looking for though.


title: "Some is controversial, and some is my opinions" — is this grammatical?

text: I came across the expression > ... some is controversial, and some is my opinions. Is this correct? I wonder if “... some are my opinions” might be more correct.


title: What's a good phrase for "refining a process which is hopelessly broken"?

text: I'm looking for a turn of phrase to describe a situation where the powers that be wish to continue making small improvements to a process which, due to deep- rooted flaws, will never be close to accurate. I'm working on a process for estimating the states of business objects, and there's interest in fixing some edge cases which have been noticed. This could be worthwhile, but because of missing data we're already making heroic guesses. So if implemented, we might get from 80.0 to 80.1% accuracy. If we were at 99.5%, I'd be happy to get it to 99.6%, but in the current situation it doesn't seem productive. We have some CS people on E.SE; what would you call it when someone wants to optimize a two-second process to load data, though once loaded it will be chewed on by an inefficient algorithm for hours? Something like "bailing the ocean" or "fixing a leaky faucet in a burning building" is close to what I have in mind. There's also "rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic," but that carries an implication that the changes are wholly useless, and that events are coming to a head.


title: Is “have the steel” an idiom in the statement, “Mitt Romney would have the steel to order the 2011 operation that killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan”?

text: I found the phrase “ _have the steel_ ” in the following sentence of Time magazine’s article (April 30) titled, “Why Obama Owns bin Laden.” “Judging from the Republican response, President Obama's ad asking whether Mitt Romney would have ordered the raid that captured Osama bin Laden raises serious questions There is a kind of biographical line running between those dusty sparring matches a world away and the ad the Obama re-election campaign has released on the question of whether Mitt Romney would _have the steel_ to order the 2011 operation that killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan.” As I assumed “Mitt Romney would ‘have the steel’ to order the 2011 operation” means “Romney had the guts to order the raid,” I checked English dictionaries online to make it sure: Cambridge English Dictionary registers “have nerves of steel, meaning ‘to be brave,’ but not “have the steel.” OED registers “have the nerve to” and “get a nerve doing,” but not “have the steel.” Merriam-Webster registers neither ‘have the steel’ nor “have nerves of steel.” Is “have the steel” an idiom or common usage meaning “be brave” or “have the guts” as I guessed? Can I say “He had the steel to tell his boss ‘you’re wrong’?”


title: "As far as job is concerned, marriage is no longer an obstacle." Is this a grammatically correct and meaningful sentence?

text: There was a question in a book: > Do women in your country work after they get married? Does " _As far as job is concerned, marriage is no longer an obstacle._ " mean that having a job is no longer married life threatening for women? Is it grammatically correct?


title: Another Achievement Verbs with the Progressive Aspect

text: I am a reading a book called, _The Teacher's Grammar of English_. Achievement verbs have previously been mentioned here. Many of you might be familiar with the matter. The sentences below are examples of ungrammatical sentences, which I don't understand. The book says: Achievement verbs usually cannot occur with stop or start. *He started catching the kitten. (I don't understand this sentence, it seems alright to me.) *He stopped recognizing the thief.


title: Apostrophes and caps in Happy Mother’s Day / Happy Mothers’ Day

text: So, I’m writing this as it is Mother’s (or maybe Mothers’) Day today, and I was wondering what would be a correct way to write that. Should the apostrophe come be between the _r_ and the _s_ , or **after** the _s_? And are the following capitalization correct? > Happy Mother’s (or Mothers’) Day! and > I wish you a Happy Mother’s (again, maybe Mothers’) Day! and also > I sure spent a nice Mother’s (maybe Mothers’) Day with my momma!


title: Connection between 'proxy', 'pronumeral' and 'pronoun'?

text: I was thinking about the words _pronumeral_ and _pronoun_ ; I realized they both share a prefix, and are both proxies for numerals and nouns. I was wondering if there is any connection between the words since _proxy_ also begins with _pro_. If _proxy_ is unrelated, is there any reason for the two words to start with _pro_?


title: What is the antonym of "inversion" as in "the inversion of normal word order"?

text: Is there any word for expressing a normal word order, as opposed to an inverted word order? I prefer the word to be the one mostly used by grammarians.


title: What's the word for "twelvely"?

text: If something is nested twice, it's "double nested".   If something is nested three times, it's "triple nested".   If something is nested twelve times, it's ... What? "Dodecly nested?" Edit: Apparently, according to websters-online-dictionary.com as quoted below, the adverbial form of _twelve_ actually is "twelvely", but that form is virtually never used. Is there one that is used? >   1. Virtually never used adverbial inflection of the adjective twelve. >


title: Should you use two definite articles in "the Wigner-Ville and Li-Katar distributions"?

text: Which one is right? >   * the Wigner-Ville and Li-Katar distributions >   * the Wigner-Ville and the Li-Katar distributions > Assume that both _Wigner-Ville_ and _Li-Katar_ are distributions.


title: Best word for "unable to change"

text: I'm looking for a word that is the opposite of "adaptable." I would like to say "unadaptable," but that's not a real word according to my dictionary. So, what's the best word out there for not-able-to-change? _Update:_ I'm embarrassed to admit I was accidentally searching the Mac's built-in _thesaurus_ , not dictionary, when I checked to see if unadaptable was a word. My bad! I'll still award Jasper the answer for pointing out my obvious oversight. _Update 2_ : To respond to the various calls for clarification, I'm specifically using this word in a report talking about the development of certain kinds of subdivisions, especially very homogenous single-family subdivisions in outer ring suburban areas. In my report I'm referring to a neighborhood that can change at the micro-level, ie. it can improve or deteriorate, but it cannot change what it is: ie. the infrastructure pattern is not capable of supporting a different land use, and it is not economically feasible to retrofit the infrastructure, therefore the nature of the subdivision cannot be changed, while the condition of the subdivision (if it is deteriorating) may cause people to _wish_ that it could be changed. So, with that in mind:   1. Why not immutable?" Immutable is a great word, but I understand it's connotation to mean "permanent, unchanging", in the sense that something simply is not subject to change, not that it might like to change but cannot.    2. Why not "inflexible?" Inflexible connotes being "unwilling" to change, or perhaps being able to be changed (or reshaped / bent) but only slowly and with much resistance. So, in this situation I am looking for an adjective that describes an inability to adapt to changing market conditions by shifting from one land use to another. In this case I specifically use the word "adaptable" in many places to describe the opposite, and given the context I think "unadaptable" will be better understood than any of the other suggestions, even though I am aware of (and agree with) the comments about it's status as a rarely used and therefore imperfect choice. Thank you all for the feedback!


title: "Try me": Too Sexually Suggestive and "Slangy" for Retail Marketing?

text: Is the expression “Try Me” inappropriately sexually suggestive and “slangy” for use in retail marketing? A client wants an expression for use on a sticker for an electronic device in a retail store to invite customers to try out the device. “Try me” was suggested as common and effective. However, others have warned that “Try me” is inappropriate as likely to be considered lewd. Which view is correct? And if “Try me” is inappropriate or if the client insists on another expression, what would be more appropriate?


title: What does 'with all that' mean in this sentence?

text: The sentence goes as: > Surely, through most of the history of history writing, the dominant mode of > recalling that past has been narrative, **with all that** this implies about > literary crafting and persuasive intent. Should I interpret this as kind of 'and'? The sentence is from _A Biblical History of Israel_ by Provan.


title: Whereof, wherein, wherefrom, whereupon, whereby, wherewith, wherefore in a contemporary article?

text: I am publishing an article (research) and I am wondering whether theses words, albeit far more beautiful than their equivalent using which, can still be employed even though the OED described them as archaic. I use whereof and wherein the most. The rest of the set is used as a logical derivation in general (like consequently etc.). I do not mind being formal. My British reviewer did not comment on their usage. Being in science, the field of the article does not use a complicated english (it is a branch of biology). So, besides their clarity, it may be a good opportunity to show how good they are; but if these are already too much, can they all be replaced automatically by their counterparts with there- without changing anything to my sentences ? Yes, this is linked to where- and there- compounds


title: The target is narrow/ limited / tight?

text: If I would like to describe a target of a very small group of people, like age 14 to 16 , girls, should I say the target is narrow / limited / tight or any other adjectives? Which one sounds better?


title: Can I use "appearance" in this context?

text: I have found the phrase "How Many Times Does a Word Appear in the Bible". In an XML document I do not want to use the verb _appear_ , but rather the corresponding noun. For Example: > Appearance of the word "whatever" in book _Whatever_ :   >  Chapter 23: 3 times   >  Chapter 30: 2 times Can I use _appearance_ in this context?


title: Is 'deuce' (tennis) a corruption of the French phrase 'à deux de jeu'?

text: The scoring system of tennis is somewhat arcane and the origins are not well understood. It is likely tennis derives from game played in medieval France in which a clock face was used to keep score. Points in the games were incremented in multiples of fifteen (the 'forty' call is thought simply to be short for 'forty-five', and sixty, the top score, was never called as the game ended when this score was reached). Other peculiarities of tennis scoring include the term 'deuce' and 'love'. Is 'deuce' a corruption of the French phrase 'à deux de jeu' meaning 'two points away from the (end of the) game'?


title: Word meaning "convert a variable value to a constant value"

text: Perhaps this belongs on stackoverflow, but since it could have some applicability to non-tech contexts, thought I'd post here. Is there a word that means "make something that is variable constant"? For example, in programming, I might have a variable `queueSize` that could be set to different values for different queues. Later I decide to make this a fixed (constant) value for all queues. What is a word to describe this conversion? _Edit_ A real-world (non-programming) example is converting from a variable tax-rate to a flat (constant) tax-rate. I proposed below that, in light of this example, the word `flatten` could be used to answer my question. However, this word does not conventionally mean "to make constant", and has other meanings in the context of several programming languages. _Edit_ To be clear, I'm not looking for a word/expression the means changing a variable from one type to another (casting). Rather, I mean keeping the type the same, but changing a field from a variable to a constant value.


The following is a GRE sample question. > Jean Wagner’s most enduring contribution to the study of Afro-American > poetry is his insistence that it be analyzed in a religious, as well as > secular, frame of reference. **The appropriateness of such an approach may > seem self-evident for a tradition commencing with spirituals and owing its > early forms, rhythms, vocabulary, and evangelical fervor to Wesleyan > hymnals.** But before Wagner a secular outlook that analyzed Black poetry > solely within the context of political and social protest was dominant in > the field. > > It is Wagner who first demonstrated the essential fusion of racial and > religious feeling in Afro-American poetry. The two, he argued, form a > symbiotic union in which religious feelings are often applied to racial > issues and racial problems are often projected onto a metaphysical plane. > Wagner found this most eloquently illustrated in the Black spiritual, where > the desire for freedom in this world and the hope for salvation in the next > are inextricably intertwined. All of the following aspects of Afro-American poetry are referred to in the passage as having been influenced by Wesleyan hymnals EXCEPT:   (A) subject matter   (B) word choice   (C) rhythm   (D) structure   (E) tone * * * I'm quite sure that the answer should be based on the sentence in bold: > The appropriateness of such an approach may seem self-evident for a > tradition commencing with spirituals and owing its early forms, rhythms, > vocabulary, and evangelical fervor to Wesleyan hymnals. And by the words "forms", "rhythms", and "vocabulary", I think one can rule out D, C, and B. The conundrum is between A and E. I'm not able to determine which one is more related to "evangelical fervor". I looked the words "subject matter" and "tone" in the dictionary and I found that the **subject matter** of something such as a book, lecture, film, or painting is the thing that is being written about, discussed, or shown, and that the **tone** of a speech or piece of writing is its style and the opinions or ideas expressed in it. Neither one, as I understand so far, is related to "evangelical fervor". How should I understand "tone" in this context? Does it have anything to do with "evangelical fervor"?


title: "He is all of thirty-one" meaning

text: In the song "Universal Soldier" there is the line: He is **_all of_** thirty-one, and he's only seventeen. What does the expression _"all of"_ mean here?


title: "The problem is he is stingy"

text: I have this sentence: > The problem is he is very stingy with his money. But I feel it sounds weird or even wrong with the two _is_ es so close. Is the sentence structure grammatical? If it isn't, how to fix it?


title: can I say 'a 300-thousand city'

text: I am looking for a noun meaning 'having 300 thousand inhabitants' so that I could say for example 'a 300-thousand city' instead of 'a city in which 300 thousand people live' or 'a city inhabited by 300 thousand people' etc. can I use the former form, and if not, is it possible to use another noun to do so?


title: Pronunciation of "butcher"

text: I was born in the East Midlands where we say “coop of tea” instead of “cap of tea”, and we sit on “grass” rather than “grarse”. I've been arguing with some Londoners about how to pronounce the word _butcher_. We agree that in RP (received pronunciation), _clutch_ and _hutch_ and _much_ should all be spoken as “clatch” and “hatch” and “match” (pardon my clumsy attempt at phonetic representation). But what about _butcher_? As a northener, I would say “bootcher”, so I would expect RP to say “batcher”. But my London friends insist that even in RP, it's still “bootcher”. Are they right? In short: does _butcher_ rhyme with _clutch_?


title: Adding a suffix and a prefix to the word "ocean"

text: Is it possible to add a prefix to the word _ocean_? Also, is it possible to add a suffix to it as well?


title: Verify structure of phrase

text: I am not really convinced that the structure of the following of sentence is sound. How can I change it to make it simpler? > We help you in the development of your needs to define data items for your > Information System, as well as to set up your projects.


title: What is the origin of the word "parlor"?

text: What is the origin of the word _parlor_ , as in an old fashioned sitting room? I suspect it's French, but I'm missing a step to get to the meaning.


title: A good word for someone who frequents many entertainment outings

text: Preferably to the extent that it is implied that they're knowledgeable about the goings on of entertainment.


title: Are there any "-nk-" or "-nc-" words in English where there isn't a "ng" before the "k" sound?

text: In words like _think_ and _lank_ , we actually seem to be saying "thing-k" and "lang-k." Can anyone thing-k of any words or rules for sound use where this doesn't happen?


title: "Clean as a whistle" — why is a whistle considered appropriate for describing cleanliness?

text: Every time I hear this idiom, I cogitate to no avail as to its sense. Why is it a whistle, and not a lantern, or an axe?


title: "Take the role" vs. "take over the role" vs. "take on the role"

text: Is there a significant difference between the three expressions, or can they be used interchangeably? I'm trying to say that a colleague of mine succeeded to another after the latter had quit his job. Did he "take the role" of his colleague or did he "take over the role" of his colleague? Also "take on the role" sounds like a viable option to me, because I'm trying more to convey the sense of him accepting a new challenge rather than simply taking possession of something that wasn't his. It's so hard for me as a non-native speaker to say exactly what I mean, I hope you can help me.


title: Should names of scientific theories be capitalized?

text: I'd really like to safely write stuff like _Special Relativity_ , _Quantum Mechanics_ , _Theory of Evolution_ without capitals; but I don't want to regret it, whence my question. Should the name of scientific theories be written with capitals?


title: Is there a word for this: an object that imitates the design of an old object?

text: Is skeuomorph the correct word for this situation: I am writing a program which, given a picture of an old internet browser (Mosaic for example), creates a basic yet fully functional internet browser, using the picture as a skin, by overlaying a few native GUI controls over the picture. My goal is to make this object (a modern browser) look old - because I'm a bit nostalgic sometimes. ![The ELU website in the 90's renderedin Webview](http://i.stack.imgur.com/UhmBj.png)


title: What do you call someone who likes variety?

text: I don't mean a variety in a certain field or area like food, but in general. I'm developing an iOS quiz app with different sections to be quizzed on. For example, there is a math quiz, a history quiz, a grammar quiz, a literature quiz, a history quiz, etc. One game center achievement is to have tried every quiz. I want the game center achievement title to be something like "diverse interests" except as a single word.


title: How to express your supporting someone's decision no matter what?

text: My wife is trying to start a new job and I want to say something like "I will always support your decision no matter what your decisions would be..." How do you express that in English in a way a native speaker would say it? I can only think of the word "support" or "backing" but cannot come up with a natural and proper sentence.


title: Proper usage of "trying"

text: Let's say there is an atmospheric condition where the water in a bucket partially freezes then reverts back to a completely liquid state and vacillates back and forth but never actually freezes. Is the following sentence grammatically incorrect? "the water in the bucket is trying to freeze". Someone I am debating claims that it is incorrect because an inanimate object can't "try". They say that "tend" should be used instead. I argue that tend isn't the perfect word to use because it implies a likelyhood or a certain outcome- eg "water tends to freeze at 31.9 degrees but not at 32.1". I would never use try in a sentence like "thunderstorms try to produce heavy rain". They obviously "tend to produce heavy rain". For some reason, however, I find "the water in the bucket is trying to freeze" much more logical in this case than "the water in the bucket is tending to freeze". I would use the latter phrase if the water was freezing or mostly frozen, but not if it was staying liquid with brief forays into a crystal state.


title: Comma after "In Italy" at the beginning of the sentence

text: Is it necessary to put a comma after "In Italy" in this sentence? > In Italy, there are many historical art pieces. Could you explane the rule please?


title: Positive antonym of brunt?

text: You're _taking the brunt_ normally when a storm of bad events hits you the hardest and deals most harm to you. How would you call it when a storm of mostly unrelated positive events leaves you receiving most (potentially undeserved or unasked for) benefits? (it doesn't have to be a single word - a neat expression, like would be just as fine)


title: Is there a word for "active activities?"

text: What can I use as the opposite of "passive activities"? "Active activities" sounds too complicated due to the repetition. For example, > I enjoy active activities such as sport, dancing or laser tag.


title: Are the fictitious names "Initech" and "Initrode" a play on words?

text: In the comedy film "Officespace", the protagonist works for a company called "Initech". At the end of the film, his co-workers take jobs at a competing company called "Initrode". It seems that these names are meant to sound silly, but can someone here tell me if these fictitious names may also be some sort of word-play?


title: Is there a word that means the trait asking a question out of skepticism in hopes of finding the truth?

text: There are many synonyms for asking a question. Is there one that means or implies that the person asking the question is skeptical and hopes to find the truth? It'd have to be in the form of a trait. For instance, _integrity, honesty_ , etc. The closest I could think of is _investigable_.


title: Life puts never in its place..?

text: There is this Reebok ad, "Life puts never in its place." What does it mean? Does it mean that in life you don't put anything in its place? that you don't take the easy way out?


title: What is the correct way to phrase this

text: Which is correct way to say:   * We request the account to be closed.   * we request the account is closed.


title: How do you pronounce the word 'vagary'?

text: I'm a native speaker, and I would naturally read the word VAY-guh-ri. I've never actually heard anyone say the word, I only ever see it in writing. But I also know that you can pronounce it vuh-GARE-i. Does anyone actually pronounce it like this? Where does this weird pronunciation come from?


title: Word for Allows in special context

text: I am looking for a single word (possibly short phrase) to convey the following meaning. Taking introduction to Calculus allows you to compute integrals. What the confusion/dislike from the word allows is that it implies that you were not allowed to do the action before. The context I am using it in is not educational so I cannot use the word teaches. eg., Vertical Jump training allows you to jump higher. (or something similar to this).


title: Term for something similar to hijacking a meeting?

text: When someone says hijacking a meeting, IMO it usually means that someone has made the meeting all about his/her agenda. One time, I was invited to a meeting to talk about "ABC", but they only discussed ABC for the first 5 minutes, then they all switched to talking about something else. I was told we will discuss "ABC" which I prepared before I met with them, but from the start it appeared that they had no intention of talking about that. I also realized that the original agenda wasn't not what they were interested in discussing, so I guess word I am looking for is that I got _bamboozled_ in the meeting or something? I would always describe that to my boss/peers as "I got sideswiped in the meeting". I googled, and it's not used that way, so I guess somehow I made up that term and everyone understood what I meant anyway. Is there a term for this experience?


title: What does "To-may-to, to-mah-to" mean?

text: What does "to-may-to, to-mah-to" mean? I've seen this expression a few times and it seems to indicate some sort of equality. But what does it really mean?


title: Is it alright to list more than three things in a sentence?

text: My teacher says when I have to give examples or list things, I can only give three, which is A, B, and C. But what if I've to list quite a number of things like minerals that is present in...the cauliflower for example? What sentence structure should I use to do it or is it alright to list them accordingly?


title: What does "the darkest of nights" mean?

text: Over at German.SE we have a question involving "the darkest of nights". I would like to know what this expression actually means, but I didn't find it in an online dictionary (e.g. leo.org, dict.cc, Cambridge Dictionary). So what does this expression mean? Is it a figure of speech? I can imagine at least two meanings: It's the time of a particular night when it is darkest, or it's the darkest of a (not specified) number of nights.


title: Use of a comma after "during" at the beginning of a sentence

text: What is the rule regarding the use of a comma when the word "during" appears at the beginning of a sentence? >   * During church the child whimpered incessantly. >   * During church, the child whimpered incessantly. > >   * During the long arctic winter the freezing cold and lack of sunlight > deepens the depressive sense of isolation. >   * During the long arctic winter, the freezing cold and lack of sunlight > deepens the depressive sense of isolation. >


title: "Above your pay grade" or "beyond your pay grade"

text: Which is correct: _above your pay grade_ or _beyond your pay grade_? If both are alright, which is better?


title: Idiom for people complaining excessively

text: What is an idiom applicable when someone is voluntarily participating in an action, and complaining excessively? I thought of using "don't let the door hit you on the way out", but I don't want to tell the person to leave, just want to say something along the lines of "nobody is holding you here"?


title: Why does "I am in your debt" mean the opposite of what it suggests?

text: I don't understand why if someone says "I am in your debt" it seems to mean the opposite of the literal meaning. The person saying this says that they are in the _debt_ of the person the phrase is directed to. A _debt_ being "an obligation owed by one party (the debtor) to a second party". So, if the first party says they are in the second party's debt, then should that not mean that the second party owes the first party something? I totally understand that this isn't what it means... whereas this is the correct meaning... > I am indebted to you Am I wrong? Or is the phrase "I am in your debt" totally wrong and misunderstood through relaxation of the term "I am indebted to you"?


title: Is "immoral" in the act or the person?

text: I am grading papers and came upon the following sentence: "Candide becomes immoral..." It bothers me -- I am of the sense that a person can become amoral, but I'm not sure what it would mean for a person to become immoral. A person can certainly perform immoral actions or espouse positions which go against a standard of morality, but can the person be immoral -- can "immoral" modify the person in some sense? Is this too much a philosophy question and not enough an English usage question?


title: Present perfect continuous

text: How are we to understand whether present perfect progressive implies that the action is still in progress, versus implying it has stopped just now or recently? In simple sentences like these two, > • I'm tired [now] because I've been running.   >  • Why is the grass wet [now]? Has it been raining? it's obvious that the actions are complete, but not in the following five sentences: > • I have been living in Paris for two weeks.   >  • I have been reading for two hours.   >  • I have been talking with Jane on the phone(since 5:30 for ten minutes).   >  • I have been doing my homework.(For an hour)   >  • I have been working in the garden (for two hours).


title: Should I use "damn" or "darn"?

text: How unseemly these days is it to use the word _damn_ in educated or elderly circles? I have heard that there is a modified and supposedly less intense _darn_. Should I be careful to avoid the former and at best, use the latter? Or does it not matter anymore?


title: True statements with hidden meanings

text: I'm trying to think if there is a word to describe the above scenario. The British chancellor has stated that the next budget will be "for working families". What isn't stated is that he is trying to change employment law so that "working families" may mean working 7am to 8pm and on weekends. Got feeling that there should be a word to describe a hidden agenda in a true statement but don't know what.


title: Catchy synonym for a "study group"

text: I'm trying to think of a catchy word to use instead of a study/learning groups. The word is used in an informal context and I'm trying to think of something creative. Something along the lines of 'circles' etc. **EDIT** : I thought I'd provide the context to help people. I'm creating a very basic academic social network for my University where users are added to their course 'study groups' but are also free to create their own groups. I like the Google+ circle idea, but I don't want to rip that off.


title: Should I say “have only been . . . twice” or “have been . . . twice only”?

text: Will these next two sentences confuse you? > 1.I have only been to London once before. > > 2.I have been to London twice only. Now for a more complicated example, I want to express that I have only been to London and only twice. Then I write the following sentence, but I feel it is somehow weird: > 3.I have only been to London three times. Why do I feel it is somehow weird? Because the third has the same grammar as sentence one. But now to some extent I feel the third sentence didn’t make it clear that I have not been to anywhere else.


title: False spellings as brands

text: When companies create a brand name, they often use a misspelled word or faux word. The classic example is swapping a 'K' in for a hard 'C', like in 'Konqueror', the browser. Another example would be along the lines of 'Vawlt' for 'Vault' Aside from the obvious trademark implications, does this spelling change have an impact on the connotations of the altered word? For example, does it give the word a childish connotation? Or a foreign feel?


title: What does ‘Train-wreck style’ mean?

text: I came across the word, ‘ _train-wreck’_ and ‘ _train-wreck style_ ,’ both associated with singers behaviors these couple of days in newspaper articles and clips on internet sites after the sudden death of Amy Winehouse; for examples;   * Dark star: Why Amy Winehouse is not just _a celebrity train-wreck_? – www. slate com.   * Public Speaking, _Train-Wreck Style_ : When her turn comes to speak at the dinner, she (Anne Hathaway) awkwardly seizes the microphone being passed around the table and adopts the tone of a stand-up comic telling sick jokes – NYT Jan 9, 2009.  The first example can be referred to an ‘accident’ likened to train-wreck’ of the celebrity. But second example apparently does not seem to be referring to any train accident. I checked both Oxford Dictionary and Merriam Webster Dictionary, but there’s no entry of ‘train-wreck style, nor character.’ Does it mean a bankrupt character or behavior style of a person? What does ‘Train- wreck style’ exactly mean?


title: meaning and usage of "mind you"

text: I often come across this expression and according to dictionaries I've looked up, it can be used in several ways such as to:   1. introduce something that should be taken into consideration   2. add something to what you have just said, especially something that makes it less strong   3. draw attention to an important fact that is important to a statement but how do you use the expression in a sentence/conversation?


title: How to say removing redundancy and/or duplicate entries from a list of items?

text: How to say removing redundancy and/or duplicate entries from a list of items with a single word?


title: Tricky Dick, only in reference to Nixon?

text: In the movie Watchmen Nixon is referred to as Tricky Dick. I'd like to know a bit more about the origin of the term and if it can be used in context other than just when talking of Nixon?


title: Is "Most of it's in English" normal English?

text: The phrase "Most of it's in English" is grammatically correct (it's short for "Most of it is in English"), but it doesn't feel right. Is there a reason it doesn't feel right? **Edit:** The thing I'm concerned about is "it's" versus "it is".


title: Is there a familiar phrase for spending too much time on something?

text: We all know that "a stitch in time saves nine" and "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure", but sometimes the opposite is true. A stitch _before_ its time is a waste of time and thread. If you wash your car right before you go off-roading, you're basically throwing soap away. I've heard the phrase "you ain't gonna need it" in software development circles related to this sort of situation, but I'm looking for a more mainstream idiom, proverb, or cliché, if there is one. The situation would be someone who is expending a lot of time or resources on something that might in some situations be a good investment, or even seems like a good investment at the time, but ultimately it doesn't pay off.


title: What is the connotation of the word 'O'?

text: What is the author trying to convey with the word 'O' in the following: > He has told you, O man, what is good;


title: is this an example of the oxford comma? if not, why?

text: "I'm a self-employed, nerdy queer girl." Is that an oxford comma that's omitted, or something else entirely? If it's something else that's omitted, what is it? Why doesn't the oxford comma apply?


title: A general rule for using "that" and "it"

text: Consider the following examples: > I know [that/it]. > > What is [that/it)]? > > [That/It] is more than I wanted. > > To know how you are, [that/it] is more important. Based on my understanding, if I could point at something with my finger, "this" would be more proper. And if something was closer "that" would be more proper. Is there a general rule for using _it_ vs. _that_ in the examples above?


title: Is there a word for extreme classism?

text: Is there is a word that describes vehement disdain for people who are perceived to have a lower social status than one's self? I'm looking for a word that is to class-ism as bigotry is to racism.


title: How do words become derogatory or politically incorrect?

text: I know how words can become racist but I'm not sure how a word becomes derogatory or politically incorrect. If seems as though once one does, a new term is created to replace it that is not derogatory and is politically acceptable. But those new words and terms often times become derogatory or politically incorrect over time. For example, the way crippled gave way to handicapped, which gave way to disabled.


title: What is the origin of the expression "ya think"?

text: Maybe I'm just slow on the uptake, but the expression "ya think" seems to have recently become nearly universal, at least as viewed from the US and the UK, where I encounter it all the time, spoken by all kinds of people. What is the origin of this expression? Is it indeed recent?


title: A list of places that you would go to for something you need

text: Like,   * grocery store   * utilities store   * meat shop   * car wash   * bank These are the places (unordered) I would normally go to regularly and possibly all of them in a single day. Is there a name for this kind of list? Or something descriptive along something common in each of those...


title: Are "act quickly" and "gives you" grammatically correct?

text: Is it correct to use "act quickly" and "gives you" in the following sentence? > Xpto tracks xyz bounces. It gives you real-time statistics and details so > you can act quickly.


title: Use "get" or not?

text: What is the difference between these sentences?   1. Your app may simply get lost   2. Your app may simply lost


title: "People like you" versus "people like yourself"?

text: In the latest South Park episode, I noticed a line: > We have so many abandoned babies and not enough people like **yourself** who > care. Which kinda struck me, because I'd expect it to be _people like you_. Is the original quote broken, or are both correct, representing a different meaning?


title: Is there a passive form of “to masturbate”?

text: First of all, I hope this question does not get banned due to inappropriate content. It that is the case, I’d be glad to know how I can reformulate the question in order to stay within the rules. Now, as I got into a discussion about sex, I got curious about this one thing: There is an active form for _to masturbate_ , which of course is that very form ( _I masturbate, you masturbate, he/she masturbates. . . ._ ). But since there are passive forms for   * to shoot → to get shot   * to wash → to get washed   * to rob → to get robbed   * . . . . what about   * to masturbate → to be masturbated? It doesn’t actually matter if you use the word _masturbate_ , _wank_ , _fap_ , or whatever words you know. What I mean is, I cannot remember ever having read or heard a passive form for _to masturbate_. But what do you call a “handjob” if you intend to use the word _masturbate_? What would an author write, if he wanted to write something like: > She went down with her hand and started. . . . And again, if this should be inappropriate, please let me know if/how I reformulate this question to stay within the rules.


title: A word for "in terms of time"

text: What is the word that describes the context of time to replace e.g. "in terms of time, ..." Like I can say,   * It is more tiring mentally than physically;   * ~~It is longer physically than "in terms of time"~~ _(perhaps modelled on **"it" = "an eclair"**)_   * It is very costly both financially and "in terms of time" Thanks in advance.


title: How far is the safari park from here?

text: Which is/are the correct and natural answer(s) to this question? >   * It is ten miles _far from here_. >   * It is ten miles _far away from here_. >   * It is ten miles _far away_. >   * It is ten miles _away_. >   * It is ten miles _away from here_. >


title: Are "now ... any time" and "any time now" different meanings?

text: We know what "any time now" means, indeed: from now on it will happen soon. But in the sentence, which is quite informal, "Now yo'berths's ready any time, Miss" - said by the porter in the train (Pale Horse, Pale Rider, K.A. Porter) -, does it mean the same? I'm not sure, because the words are not in the same order.


title: What does "catch it on the chin" mean?

text: As in topic, what does "catch it on the chin" idiom mean? I tried to google it, but every hit is on webpages that use this idiom, never explain it.


title: Is `composability` a proper word in English?

text: Is `composability` a proper word in English ? Suppose I have a set of elements and can _compose_ them to create different structures. May I call this property of the set "composability" ?


title: Simple Present for Future Actions

text: Why can we use the following statement when we mean future events? > What time do you get there? Or should we rather say: > What time will you get there? Is there a difference?


title: "No spark of constellation, No Vela no Orion"

text: Can anyone tell me the meaning of these two lines in the lyrics? > I look up to the heavens   >  But night has clouded over   >  **No spark of constellation**   >  **No Vela no Orion**


title: What is the word for a "ride" but from the drivers perspective

text: When a person is trying to get from one place to another with someone driving between those two points, we say he's trying to find a "ride". For example you can say "I'm looking for a ride to New York". Or "I got a ride to New York". A driver can say "I gave him a ride". But what is a "ride" from the driver's perspective? If a driver is looking for a passenger, you can't say "he is looking for a ride" since that implies he has no car to drive. Is there a noun to describe the activity from the driver's perspective?


title: 'We care for us' or 'We care about us'?

text: **'We care for us'** or **'We care about us'**? What sentence is actually right? Maybe both sentences are good?


title: Is the verb phrase "to save face" a calque of an Asian idea?

text: Is the verb phrase _to save face_ a calque of an Asian idea? The reason I ask is that I'm not aware that the sense of the word _face_ , as its being used there, is used with any other word than _save_ , and I see it nearly always applied towards Oriental peoples. So, then, is it a calque, a word-by-word translation of an Asian idea? If not, the derivation seems a little mysterious to me from the ordinary sense of _face_ -- does anyone know if _face_ in the given sense was used before sustained European contact with the East?


title: Adjectival "Anglican" for "English", and "Anglicanism" for "Anglomania" in AmE

text: Harrap's New Shorter French and English Dictionary, Ed. 1985 [Harrap's Shorter French Dictionary], points up adjectival "Anglican" as an Americanism for "English", and "Anglicanism" as an AmE equivalent for "Anglomania", i.e. an excessive respect for English customs, etc. source Though RH, MW, WNW and the AED all validate the sense "English" of adjectival "Anglican" [of or pertaining to England, its inhabitants, or the English language] source source source source , I can't seem to find a US dictionary online to state the sense "Anglomania" of "Anglicanism" as fact. Does adjectival "Anglican" actually have (or once had) currency in AmE to refer to what pertains to, or is characteristic of England, or its inhabitants, its institutions, etc.? Also, is any one of you folks familiar with "Anglicanism" used -- apparently by analogy with Americanism (3rd sense source) -- as another term for "Anglomania"? Even though I couldn't seem to find any sourced evidence of the latter, I got to find "Anglicanism" used -- by analogy with the most common meaning of "Americanism" -- for "Anglicism", or as a broad equivalent to "Briticism". E.g. > "Boffin" is an Anglicanism for researcher. source > > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boffin Yes, I know, we Colonialists mispronounce "scone', but the OED gives Anglican pronunciation. source > Though staying true to the 20th-century Anglican idiom -- some Britten and > even more Vaughan Williams (though quite a bit of French... source If you insist upon using the archaic word _vampir_ , I would appreciate if you would use the Anglican pronunciation -- "vampire"... source > Kevin doesn't mind this, and in fact he usually introduces himself to others > using this Anglican pronunciation... source "It's not our problem, lieutenant," he said, choosing the more Anglican pronunciation. [Starsky & Hutch] source > And the thick Anglican accent when he did answer "that would be nice unless > you wanted to finish off what you brother started." source To any whom speak colloquial Anglican/American... source > At least Russell Crowe was attempting a Northern vernacular, and can be > forgiven for at least _trying_ to incorporate Anglican colloquialisms... > [Movies Stack Exchange 2014] source It is an effortless read, barring the few Anglican colloquialisms that creep into every now and then. [Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone reviews] source > Dog farts. Ugh. We have a Staffordshire-Rat Terrier mix. These breeds are > known as "fiests", which turns out to be an Old Anglican slang for fart. > source lummox: A clumsy, stupid person (1825 Anglican slang, root "lummock"... source http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/lummox


title: "I ever met" vs. "I have ever met"

text: In the following context, is it okay to say "I ever met" or is it "I have ever met"? > Three years later you remain the coolest person I met.


title: verb "to accent" in the meaning to pronounce in a non-native like manner

text: What synonyms can be used for the verb "to accent" in the meaning _to pronounce in a non-native like manner_? For example: > Of the three target sounds [bla], [bla] and [bla] two segments were > ”accented” by the subjects of the experiment as [bla*] and [bla*]. I am writing a paper on a foreign accent and have to describe typical mistakes in pronunciation.


title: Idiom/word/saying request: Accepting a situation out of desperation

text: How can I say for example: Individual retailers run out of business when a big fish came to town. So they **had accepted that** they cannot compete and closed their stores. In the novel _To Kill A Mockingbird_ , Tom Robinson finally **gave in** , even though he was innocent. Because the witnesses were against him, **he did not oppose the charges (out of desperation).** So I think there may be a word perfect for this. 'yield' is closest that comes to my mind.


title: What is Iridescent with an extra "r?"

text: Below is quoted from _vocabulary.com_. > ... (The word) **Iridescent** came to be in 1796, when some enthusiastic > word maker took the Latin word iris, which means "rainbow," and morphed it > into an English word that describes anything giving off a luminous, rainbow > sheen or that changes color in the light. It's a great descriptive word — if > you can resist the urge to spell it with an extra "r." Apologize for my dumbness but what the word will be with an extra "r?" And how is that "great descriptive?"


title: When and where to italicize a term in text?

text: Assume that the following text are excerpts from a book ... > Book: Fun with Math > > Chapter 1: We will learn about lots of numbers like integers, real, even > numbers and odd numbers. > > Chapter 2: There are two kinds of numbers: even numbers and odd numbers. > > Chapter 3: An even number is a number which is divisible into two equal > integers. Of the three locations that **even number** appears in, where is it recommended to italicize it? Is it when it is mentioned (chapter 1), described (chapter 2) or when defined (chapter 3)? Or is it preferred to italicize it in multiple or all appearances? A more general question is: is a term italicized when it first appears or when it is actually defined? The locations of these two might be far apart in the text.


title: Usage of "infinities"

text: What is the usage of the word _infinities_? Is the term _infinite infinities_ correct, and how is it used?


title: Can we use "what the heck" in formal contexts to denote a more friendly environment?

text: I see in many movies bad words are censored or simply replaced by a **beep** sound. But the expression _what the heck_ is not censored and you can hear it clearly. You can also see that this expression is used in many conversations on online forums and Q&A websites. It seems to me that this expression is used widely enough to not to be considered that bad anymore. Am I right? Also I see a new trend in small free service-based websites which tend to use more vernacular language like: > Guys, don't let us think of what you want to send. Just do it right, right? and this expression seems to be used more and more. My question is, am I right about what I think of it? Can I use this expression to denote a more user- friendly website? **Update:** The main question here is, can I use this expression in a website, magazine, newspaper, or any indirect written media without offending readers or users?


title: What's the difference between "ludicrous" and "ridiculous"?

text: What's difference between _ludicrous_ and _ridiculous_? Are they completely synonymous?


title: Getting into the Groove

text: What is the exact context of using this phrase? Is a positive connotation attached to it or a negative one?


title: a single word for someone who does a routine but important job

text: someone who performs a job on daily basis, but his job is important and vital for normal procession. like the one who checks the cards at a casino before it is played, one who test drives the bike that is gonna be used in MotoGP, the one responsible to bring the tyres in time for Ferrari so that the assembly line is not slowed down and similar types. an assistant doesn't fit the job and a worker is too common. I can recall it being another word, that is less than 6 letters. I can't find it on internet.


title: Present tense for future events

text: Why does it sound perfectly natural to say _Our flight leaves tomorrow at 6pm_ but weird to say _It rains tomorrow at 6pm_? What kind of scenario, if any, could make the _rain_ sentence sound natural?


title: Is there an English word containing the vowels ɤ or ɐ, and if not, which similar-sounding vowels are there in English?

text: I need examples for English words which contain the sounds ɤ (close-mid back unrounded vowel) and ɐ (schwa, an unstressed neutral vowel). But I am not sure if there are such words at all. If there aren't, I'd like examples for words which contain similar sounds. As I don't understand phonetics well, I can't think of such words by myself. My best guess is to use words like `duck`, which to me sound very similar, but are actually written with `ʌ`. Some background details for the question: I want to explain (in chat) to an English speaker (who reads Cyrillic, but doesn't speak Bulgarian) how the letter `ъ` is pronounced in Bulgarian. None of us has any education in phonetics. So while I have found out that it is pronounced as `the close-mid back unrounded vowel ɤ` when stressed and `ɐ` when not stressed, this doesn't mean anything to him.


title: try not or do not try?

text: > Why not take the elevator? climbing the stairs will fatigue you. I wonder what is the subject of the clause? In addition: Are these the same? > I try not to make errors. > > I do not try to make errors. Moreover, when usually do you prefer to use the following structure(S) like above? VERB+NOT+ TO VERB


title: "Us Americans" or "We Americans"?

text: If there is a group of individuals identifies by a name, what's the right way for one of the group to refer to them all? For example, if one of a group of 10 Americans wants to refer to the group, is it more correct to say "Us Americans" or "We Americans"?


title: What is a “visual metaphor”?

text: I recently completed some pseudoscience based team training designed to define each team members personality. I've been asked to provide a “visual metaphor” with a blank page to do so on the feedback form. Only problem is I can't find a decent definition after having looked around (Wiktionary, Wikipedia, Google Define etc.). Would appreciate a straight forward definition.


title: Use of “as” in adverbial introductory phrase

text: Isn't this incorrect: > As a young boy his family moved … Isn't this saying the the family moved as (when) it was young. A comma after boy fixes it, I believe, but it still seems a misplaced or faulty modifier.


title: "put your coat on" and "put on your coat" but not "depend on someone" and "depend someone on*"

text: Why can you say "put on your coat" and "put your coat on" but not "depend on someone" and "depend someone on*"? Why are adverbs ("on" in the first sentence) mobile, whereas prepositions ("on" in the second sentence) have a fixed position?


title: Is this "of" means category relationship?

text: Here is the context. The dictionary define one meaning of "of" as _expressing the relationship between a general category and the thing being specified which belongs to such a category_. Is it fitted here? Or rather, how to interpret _"of that famous seat of philosophy"_? > I shall suppose myself in the Lyceum of Athens, repeating the lessons of my > masters before the Platos and the Xenocrates _**of** that famous seat of > philosophy_ as my judges, and in presence of the whole human species as my > audience. The sentence is from _"A Discourse Upon the Origin and the Foundation of the Inequality among Mankind"_.


title: Instilling a sense of something

text: I do not get the meaning of the bold text in the following sentence: > One broken window, left unrepaired for any substantial length of time, > instills in the inhabitants of the building a sense of abandonment— **a > sense that the powers that be don’t care about the building**. I could find two entries in the dictionary regarding having a sense of something:   * If you have **a sense that something is the case** , you think that it is the case, although you may not have firm, clear evidence for this belief.   * have a sense that/get a sense that   _Do you have the sense that you are loved by the public?_ But the above sentence I quoted is unlike the dictionary examples and does not make any sense to me. If it was something like " **a sense of being don't care about the building** ", that would have some meaning to me. If it is grammatically correct, please somebody explain it to me.