title: Why two different tenses in the report from Yahoo News?

text: > The Heart Attack Grill's owner Jon Basso tells ABC News that the woman is > currently recovering in the hospital. Basso told ABC that he himself has > eaten at least one single bypass burger each day since his restaurant first > opened seven years ago. The quote is from Yahoo News. Why have they used two different tenses in the two different insantances: tells ABC; told ABC?


title: Expression for desire to feel superior to others

text: I am looking for an expression which is somewhat of a merger of "any port in a storm" and "can't beat the ass so he/she beats the saddle" Examples of when you would use it include:   * UFC championships boasting about B or C actors/musicians/athletes in attendance as if it were a heavy weight boxing championship with A list actors.   * Relatively rich members of community (ie. 1 million dollars) being pointed out at local mall as if they were billionaires.   * Foreign celebrities acting like divas at family events.   * A doctor claiming that a lawyer is not that educated.   * A lawyer claiming that an accountant is not that educated.   * A accountant claiming that a real estate agent is not that educated.   * Senators would look down on the plebs the same way the imperial family would look down on them. **EDIT:** I got several complaints that this question is too vague, so allow my to be more specific: What is at least one expression one can use to describe a member of society's ability/desire to emulate the actions of other members of society which are of higher status/standing/worth/fame. One example would be a conservative person, hypothetically, looking down on homosexuals because they perceive them to be inferior. Those homosexuals would then, hypothetically, look down on transvestites because they perceive them to be inferior. Is there an expression to describe this desire to live in one's own universe and be blissfully unaware of the fact that there are many other people who are, by some arbitrary definition, better than one's self? **EDIT:** Here is an example exchange between two friends to illustrate what I am looking for   * Bob: Hey, do you remember that fat guy/ugly girl Jack/Jill?   * Bill: Ya   * Bob: Well he/she wouldn't stop talking about how fat/ugly John/Jane was. I realize John/Jane is fatter/uglier than Jack/Jill, but c'mon man!?!?   * Bill: Well, I suppose even dead rats need truckloads of tampon factories. What would be an appropriate expression to put in place of " _even dead rats need truckloads of tampon factories_ " to illustrate the fact that everyone dumps on someone else?


title: What situation do you use ‘if I need persuading’ in?

text: I can understand _need persuading_ virtually means _need to be persuaded_ , but once it’s implanted in a sentence as the form of “if I need persuading”, I can’t figure out what the speaker is saying. In the following citation, it seems that Harry doesn’t conclude his sentence after _if I need persuading_. Because of this, I can understand even less. So I tried searching for other examples on the Net, but I could find few examples and it’s difficult for me to understand their meanings clearly. I’d be happy if you could help me. (Harry and Myrtle are hearing a chorus of a magical egg and trying to solve the mystery of the lyrics. Harry has to be under water when he hears the song.) (the egg’s song) > "Come seek us where our voices sound, > > We cannot sing above the ground, > > And while you're searching, ponder this: > > We've taken what you'll sorely miss, > > An hour long you'll have to look, > > And recover what we took, > > But past an hour - the prospect's black > > Too late, it's gone, it won't come back." > > ”Hear it?” said Myrtle. ”Yeah… ‘Come seek us where our voices sound …’ and > if I need persuading … hang on, I need to listen again….” (He sank back > again in the water.)( _Harry Potter 4_ [US Version]: p.463) _I have no idea. What is he trying to say?_ (From Google search) > Q: How can I persuade my mum to get me a dog? > > A: If your mom needs persuading she does not want a dog. I am a mom of 4 > children and 2 dogs and if I need persuading over anything the answer is ‘I > don't want it’. _I feel it roughly means 'absolutely'. The same goes for 'if your mom needs persuading', I suppose. 'Need' might mean 'strongly want' and the mother has a strong desire to get her son a dog (she wants to be persuaded by her son) but the situation prevents it completely._ EDIT: adding the egg’s song to the citation.


title: Word for "number of times a value is copied"

text: I am looking for a single word for "the number of times a value is copied". **Context** : My company makes software for plant breeders. Breeders do observations on plants and when they create a new generation of plants, e.g. by crossings, they copy observation values to this new generation. Of course, when this is done several times, the values become less reliable because of genetic changes. So we want to show a table with values and a column with this "number of times a value is copied" (to a new generation) as a short header.


title: Opposite prefix to 'de'

text: Given a word, say `deregulate`, is there a prefix to denote the opposite, rather than simply saying `regulate`? It seems fairly illogical to have one but I was wondering if something existed.


title: He remained cool as a cucumber

text: Why do we use _cucumber_ to describe the attitude of a person who is able to control his/her temper in front of a difficult event?


title: A word for paying attention to detail

text: Looking for a word that describes "Paying attention to the smallest details, though they might not matter". Starts with the letter "P"


title: Plural or singular meaning of the word "Filter" in a phrase "Filter updates"

text: I would like to know if the phrase: "Filter updates" means "updates of filters" or "updates of 1 filter". So can this phrase "Filter updates" be used in plural meaning, so to say? Instead of saying "updates of filters".


title: "I" instead of "We"

text: In Toronto, when you ask for something in a store and they don't have it, the person you ask will usually respond "I don't have it". Is this something related to the English language itself that I don't understand, or it is just the local culture? I would expect "We don't have it" or "The store doesn't have" or any other form, but not "I don't have it". Or maybe it is normal to native speakers? Not only in Toronto, in Niagara Falls, in a restaurant or cafe, you'll hear "I don't have it" very often. And addressing the comments, not from the owner or the only worker.


title: What's the correct plural form of "premise"?

text: Someone criticized me for using the word "premises" to denote a set of assumed "propositions", due to its connotation with houses and buildings. Is that correct? If so, what should be the proper plural form of "premise"?


title: "Fetch some water in a quiver" or "Get some water in a quiver"?

text: What is the most effective and correct way to use the sentences? 1) He requested his friend to **fetch some water in a quiver**. 2) He requested his friend to **get some water in a quiver**. Is there any similarity in both two sentences? or they are different in their use?


title: What does "Oh my Lanta" mean?

text: I've heard someone who considers himself to be a "gangster" say "Oh my Lanta". I looked up this phrase, and apparently "Mylanta" is stomach medication, and it's a replacement for "Oh my God", so you won't take the Lord's name in vain. However, this definition _really_ doesn't fit. Is there another meaning for "Oh my Lanta"?


title: A sentence from Joyce ("The Dead" in Dubliners, not Ulysses)

text: The following sentence from James Joyce's "The Dead" is giving me trouble (as in, I can't seem to parse it in my head). > He set to his supper and took no part in the conversation with which the > table covered Lily's removal of the plates. When "with which" (or "in which" or "for which", etc.) is used, my understanding is that there must be something that another thing is _with_. For instance, in "The example with which I am concerned is _X_ ", the word "example" is _with_ the example _X_. However, in Joyce's sentence I cannot tell _with what_ the "conversation" is. "[T]he table covered Lily's removal of the plates" isn't a noun phrase(?), which I think is causing the trouble in my understanding. My guess is that "conversation" is _with_ "Lily's removal of the plates", but I still can't seem to fully parse the sentence. So my question is: Is the above sentence grammatical? Could it be a regional variation in phrasing (Joyce was Irish; I live in the US)?


title: Where does "I'll go he" come from, and is there more to the phrase?

text: I understand the meaning of the saying "I'll go he", but does anyone know where it comes from? The researcher here seems to think that there is a couple of words left off.


title: What is the difference between "noun", "proper noun", and "name"?

text: Do _noun_ and _name_ carry a different meaning?   If there are any differences, are those differences specific to a context?


title: Usage of "track down"

text: I recently read (in a website) the following sentence. (I replaced the usernames with _placeholders_.) > [username1], if this is still happening, there is a good chance your IP got > blocked due to failed logins. Post the IP here and track down [username2] or > [username3].   * What does "track down" mean, in that sentence?    * Is "track down" used with that meaning in specific contexts, or is it largely understood to mean that? For example, if I am in a room together somebody else, and I say "Track down Michael." does the other person understand what I mean?


title: Correct usage of "in that"

text: I've heard _in that_ used as a synonym for _because_ , but I don't think that this is semantically correct in all cases. > That car is nice, **in that** it is blue. This sentence generally makes sense to me, but it also sounds funny. But I don't know enough of the technicalities of English to diagnose the problem. It's hard to research this because I don't know what the correct part-of- speech term is for _in that_. I want to call it a _phrase_ but I think some of you will cringe if I do this. Can someone give examples of when and when not to use _in that_ , or point to a resource that can explain it?


title: "Supreme court" vs. "highest court"

text: I just read an article about aided suicide on Toronto Star which mentioned _B.C. supreme court_ and _Canada's highest court_. Do _supreme court_ and _highest court_ mean the same thing? The different modifiers ( _B.C._ and _Canada_ ) preceding them just add to the difficulty of distinguishing them. If so, why didn't the author keep it consistent by using the same term?


title: Usage of "do" in "why do I want to do something"

text: Phrase: > Maybe you'll ask why do I want to lift my keyboard off my desk. Question: Microsoft Word says that I should remove the "do". Why is that? I think the "do" should stay there.


title: Is "hooray" generally considered to be onomatopoeic?

text: Is this word onomatopoeic, just an interjection, both, something else?


title: Problem with two abstract noun usages describe a perfume

text: For every Casanova, here is an eau de parfum inviting intense pleasure, an amber fern mixing fine **wooded tunes** and **touches** of lemony freshness, sublimed by the elegance of lavender. Warmed with heady spices and colored by sweet fruits. amber fern is kind of plants/spices used in this perfume. why it has **wooded tunes**? Why lemony freshness has **touches**. I know the meaning is quite abstract here, I will appreciate similar usage/examples to demonstrate the meaning. Thanks. Source: http://www.histoiresdeparfums.com/us/histoiresdeparfums/characters- masculine.php


title: Is there a word that describes words like 'freeware', 'shareware'?

text: I'm looking for a word that describes the way software is released. It could be freeware, shareware, donationware, commercial, etc.


title: "I ain't got no money"

text: I know the ultimate meaning of this is "I have no money." But why? If _ain't_ means _have not_ , then isn't it true that "I ain't got no money" would be read as "I have not got no money"? Can _I have not got [no money]_ be interpreted as double negative, and hence determining that "I have money", which is not the true meaning of such saying?


title: "Sally broke her leg" vs. "Sally has broken her leg"? How does switching the past simple with the present perfect affect meaning?

text: Earlier today I had a private lesson with an Italian student—intermediate level, who has been studying the present perfect vs. past simple tense. His teacher had given him an exercise where a list of Italian phrases had to be translated into English. One of the sentences was the following: > Hai sentito che Sally si è rotta una gamba? It looks deceivingly simple to translate (for a native speaker) but I found myself with five versions, all of which I am certain are idiomatic and grammatical.   1. _Have you heard that Sally broke her leg?_   2. _Have you heard that Sally's broken her leg?_   3. _Have you heard about Sally breaking her leg?_   4. _Did you hear that Sally broke her leg?_   5. _Did you hear that Sally's broken her leg?_ The actual moment when Sally broke her leg happened at a specific time in the past, hence the _past simple_ seems to me appropriate but we also say, _Sally's broken her leg_ to express an action that occurred in the past but whose consequences are still felt in the present so...   * Which sentence tells the reader that Sally's leg is still broken?    * Which tense is more appropriate; the present perfect, _Have you heard?_ Or the past simple _Did you hear_? Both sound acceptable to me. How is the meaning affected?   * Is it preferable for both verbs to be in the same tense? Why or why not?   * Ignoring the Italian translation and focussing on the five sentences, how would you interpret each one? Do they mean the same? * * * **EDIT** (updated September 1 2014)   Let me explain, more fully, why I posted this question. There was an Italian phrase which had to be translated (the first line in a short exchange) the rest of the dialogue was easy enough for my student and I to translate but he had difficulties with this first line. In the exchange we learn that Sally broke her leg while skiing. A: _Have you heard/Did you hear..._ etc.   B: _How did it happen?_   A: _She was skiing when she fell._ When I thought carefully about how the first sentence could be translated, I came up with five versions. I had a problem explaining to _myself_ why they all sounded equally valid to me, in fairness sentence number 3 sounded the weakest candidate to me because it seems that the news of Sally's accident is very recent and conveys greater intensity. As I tried to explain earlier, I was wondering how switching the past simple with the present perfect might change the meaning of the first line. If I say: **_Sally broke her leg_** , I might be thinking about the precise moment _when_ this accident occurred. The event is established in the past and cannot be repeated. If I say: **_Sally has broken her leg_** it is plausible that her leg is still broken, seeing as a broken leg takes about a month to heal, and I am concerned with the results of that action which are felt in the present i.e. Sally now has her leg in a plaster/She cannot walk properly/She is currently injured, etc. If the first verb is in the past simple, **Did you hear...?** does it affect how I write the rest of the sentence? Is **Have you heard...?** more colloquial? Finally, I am NOT asking about translation, nor how to use the _present perfect_ or the _past simple_.


title: Term for reference to ambient surroundings when creating a work?

text: Is there a term in English (or borrowed from other languages) that describes the moment wherein an author mentions what is happening whilst creating the work one is reading? As an example, consider the following verse in Bob Dylan's _Blind Willie McTell_ : _**I’m gazing out the window   Of the St. James Hotel_   And I know no one can sing the blues   Like Blind Willie McTell   ** My interpretation is that he is gazing out the window _when writing the lyric_ : an intimate moment that bring us even closer, and may describe the inspiration. Personally, I find that moment absolutely chilling. Is there a name for it?


title: What is the "œ" doing here?

text: In _The Wealth of Nations_ , the word economy appears frequently (as it should, being a book on economics). However, once (so far), it has been spelled _œconomy_. Upon researching the term, it's the archaic spelling of _economy_. Why would Adam Smith have used two spellings of _economy_? Are/were there slight distinctions between the meanings? As an aside, a Google Ngram search shows no usage of _œconomy_.


title: What does a "stray evidence" mean?

text: In the following paragraph: > This plot is a stray evidence of how Pearson correlation coefficient is > often incomputable and hence ineffective. What does the expression _"a stray evidence"_ mean? Could you give some more examples?


title: "I would like to inform you", or "I would to inform you"?

text: "I would like to inform you", or "I would to inform you". Which is better for a formal letter?


title: Compound adjective "free-molecule" vs. "free molecular"

text: I've been asked by a reviewer to change all occurrences of "free-molecule", which I use consistently throughout my manuscript, to "free-molecular". Typical usage examples: "particles colliding in the free-molecule regime", "calculations based on the free-molecule theory". My question is, which of the possible four combinations below is grammatically correct/incorrect and why, and which would you recommend to use (my personal preference is 1)? Are there any rules to guide the choice?   1. free-molecule   2. free molecule   3. free molecular   4. free-molecular


title: What's the correct word to complete this sentence?

text: Whilst doing my homework, I realized that I couldn't choose an answer for the following sentence problem: > But when household gadgets break down, ⸻ are carried out by 82 percent of > husbands. A. repairs   B. fixings   C. fittings   D. amenments I am sure that C and D are wrong. Is it A or B?


title: Subject–object agreement: which of these sentences is correct?

text: >   1. Corporations may not have a conscience, but they do have PR > departments. >   2. Corporations may not have consciences, but they do have PR departments. >   3. Corporations may not have a conscience, but they do have a PR > department. > #1 _sounds_ correct to my ear, but it's inconsistent. #2 and #3 are consistent, but both sound very awkward to me.


title: "Writ large", "Writ small", and others

text: I have seen this used with other words besides "large" and "small". What other words can be used? Can this structure be used more generally with other adjectives?


title: What type of variant is "protection" when compared to "protect"?

text: You have variations of **Protect** such as   * third-person singular simple present **protects**   * present participle **protecting**   * simple past and past participle **protected** So what would you call **protection**?


title: Why is it "gangster" rather than "gangsters"?

text: >   1. The suspect, along with his two younger siblings, became the most > notorious gangster in the district. >   2. The suspect, along with his two younger siblings, became the most > notorious gangsters in the district. > I know that grammatically, it should be _gangster_ and not _gangsters_ because phrases such as “along with”, “together with” and “as well as” introduce a parenthetical phrase and do not modify the subject, but still I find this usage confusing. To me, the three brothers became notorious gangsters not just one. Could anyone help provide more insight?


title: Should I use "in" or "at" in the following sentence?

text: > She talked about shoes all the time: [...] college, [...] parties, and even > [...] family reunions. Which one should I use in the sentence above? (should I also include _while_?)


title: Adverbs, prepositions, nouns, "home", and "about"

text: I'm confused about how the following sentences should be analyzed, in terms of which words are prepositions and adverbs, how the phrases break up, etc.:   1. She was going home.   2. She was home.   3. ~~She was at home.~~   4. She got home.   5. My height is six feet.   6. I am six feet.   7. I am about six feet.   8. He is my height.   9. He is about my height.   10. I saw a man my height yesterday.   11. I saw a man about my height yesterday. For instance, is it possible that _my height_ falls into different categories in #8 and #9? **EDIT:** Ok, now I have one answer from **Daniel δ** and a some requests for more specific questions.   * I'm most concerned about _home_ , _about_ , _six feet_ , and _my height_.   * Daniel δ says that _home_ is an adverb in #1, #2, and #4. I'm assuming this is just a special quirk that happens with _home_?   * I'm not convinced that _my height_ is always a noun phrase, or there's something I'm missing. In #8, if _my height_ is just a noun phrase, that would mean that _He_ , the subject, _is_ actually a height, but he's a person, not a height any other form of measurement (Same for _six feet_ in #6). Daniel δ suggests that #10 is short for "I saw a man who was my height yesterday", but something seems special about this construction. If _height_ is just a noun, then why does switching it for some other noun like _lawyer_ fail? We could say "He is a lawyer" but not "I saw a man a lawyer yesterday". But _my height_ does make sense as a noun in #9, since we can call _about_ a preposition that just takes _my height_ as part of a prepositional phrase...   * As **FumbleFingers** noted, #11 can be interpreted in at least two ways. I'm interested in the sense that fits the analogy #8:#9 :: #10:#11.


title: Expansion and pronunciation of "Mrs"

text: Wikipedia says it used to stand for _mistress_. But you don't read it as _mistress_ , do you? What is the pronunciation like? I think it would depend on the expansion.


title: Does "ever" apply to the future, or only the past?

text: As we hear in every commercial (ever?) > Our best price, _ever_. Your thoughts please. Putting aside advertising allowances, should "ever" here mean "all time: past present and future", or should this be interpreted as "yet" (past/present). In _advertising_ terms we must infer the latter (otherwise they'll contradict themselves next time they need a promotion), but from a _linguistics_ perspective: what is the correct interpretation here?


title: New Oxford American Dictionary describes "the" as an adjective

text: When I look at the definition given from the Mac OS X Dictionary (I have set American English as interface language, and the dictionary used is then the _New Oxford American Dictionary_ ), I read: > the /ði/ /ð(ə)/ /ði/ [called the definite article]   >  adjective   >  1\. denoting one or more people or things already mentioned or assumed to > be common knowledge: _what's the matter?_ | _call the doctor_ | _the phone > rang_. Compare with _a_.   >  • used to refer to a person, place, or thing that is unique: _the Queen_ | > _the Mona Lisa_ | _the Nile_.   >  • informal denoting a disease or affliction: _I've got the flu_.   >  • (with a unit of time) the present; the current: _dish of the day_ | _man > of the moment_.   >  • informal used instead of a possessive to refer to someone with whom the > speaker or person addressed is associated: _I'm meeting the boss_ | _how's > the family?_   >  • used with a surname to refer to a family or married couple: _the Johnsons > were not wealthy_.   >  • used before the surname of the chief of a Scottish or Irish clan: _the > O'Donoghue_. I have never thought of an article as adjective.   Is normally an article defined as adjective?


title: How should I ask for a bill in a restaurant politely?

text: I used to say _check please_ , but my English teacher said that it's wrong, and the proper way is to say something like _bill please._ What's the truth?


title: The expression 'not that bad of a'

text: In an essay, a friend used the expression: > It wasn't that bad **of an** idea. I think that it would be preferable to write > It wasn't that bad **an** idea However, I can't explain why.


title: The use of "random" to mean "arbitrary", "unidentified", "unknown", etc

text: I'm seeing the use of "random" instead of "arbitrary", etc., with increasing frequency. To me, "random" has a specific meaning and is not synonymous with these other words. Is it correct to use it in this way?


title: Any idiom in English for a husband who has been betrayed by his wife?

text: Is there any idiom in English for a husband who has been betrayed by his wife? (I mean she slept and is occasionally still sleeping with her lover). Or maybe not an idiomatic expression, but just one word that is commonly used for such a person?


title: Is there any term in English for a person who starts a debate, but once he is presented some valid arguments or facts, he quickly retreats?

text: Is there any term in English for a person who starts a debate, but once he is presented some valid arguments and facts that he cannot rebut, he quickly retreats saying that the further debate is meaningless because his opponents are just stupid, stubborn, dull, etc. (An idiom describing such an action is also welcome)


title: Either Tom or Sam will give their book. Is the previous sentence grammatically flawed ? If yes, how do we remove the flaw?

text: Either Tom or Sam will give their book.


title: How to pronounce "favicon"?

text: Yesterday my boss called our design person on the phone and asked her about designing a / _fave-eye-con_ /. She asked him to repeat it a couple of times, and then finally (after a convoluted explanation about favorites and icons), the lightbulb came on and she said, "Oh! you want a / _fav-ee-can_ /!" Now, presumably the design person is the one more likely to have encountered the accepted pronunciation of **_favicon_** \- she gets to actually make the things, while the rest of us only notice them if they're missing. However, / _fav-ee-can_ / just... doesn't work for me. Is there any sort of consensus on how this word ought to be pronounced?


title: Is this usage of "whose" correct?

text: Is the following phrase (grammatically) correct? > Bill Gates, whose company is very rich, is famous. (I couldn't come up with a better context-free sample)


title: Why is Beowulf considered one of the most important works in the history of the English language?

text: Apologies if this is too subjective of a question. I'm currently studying Beowulf. I've seen it referred to as one of the, if not the first, most influential works of Anglo-Saxon literature. Some ventured so far as to refer to it as one of the most influential works in the history of the English language. What qualities of Beowulf make it so important?


title: "The Moving Finger writes even in Heaven."

text: Following is an extract from a Rabindranath Tagore story called, "A Wrong Man in Workers' Paradise". I need help in understanding the contextual meaning of a line in it. The story is about a man who never did any useful work and lived a leisurely life devoid of all care. > Some boys seldom ply their books and yet pass their tests. A similar thing > happened to this man. He spent his earth life in useless work and yet after > his death, the gates of Heaven opened wide for him. > > But, **the Moving Finger writes even in Heaven**. So, it came to pass that > the aerial messenger who took charge of the man, made a mistake and found > him a place in Workers' Paradise. > > In this Paradise you find everything except leisure. Upon a quick search over the Internet I found this explanation to the phrase. However, I am not sure – a) what 'Moving Finger' means here   b) what figure of speech is used   c) what is the contextual meaning of the whole phrase


title: "I am going to bed" vs. "I will be going to bed"

text: What is the difference between saying the following? > I am going to bed in a few minutes. > > I will be going to bed in a few minutes. Or > I will be getting off here. Or, I guess, I will be getting off here. See > you. > > I am getting off here. Or, I guess, I am getting off here. See you. Which one seems more fluent and natural?


title: Usage of 'to' with ' All that '

text: Which one of the following statements is grammatically correct?   1. All that act would do is speed up the process of bringing justice to the victims   2. All that act would do is **to** speed up the process of bringing justice to the victims If both are grammatically sound, please explain the difference between them. Cheers


Do Americans pronounce "Ellen" and "Alan" in the same way? I am especially concerned with the first vowel. EDIT: Here is a quote that may be a case in point: > Being a Brit also, the names "Ellen" and "Alan" tend to sound the same when > spoken with an American tongue. It was just unfortunate that the child was > very tom boyish and had an ambiguous sounding name Context: discussion on why they chose a boy-looking girl for the movie "Fatal Attraction" Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093010/board/thread/186160978?d=186229310&p=1#186229310


title: Close to home = quite accurate?

text: Citing Wikipedia: > Many actuaries were unhappy with the stereotypical portrayals of these > actuaries as unhappy, math-obsessed and socially inept people; others have > claimed that the portrayals are **close to home** , if a bit exaggerated. Does this mean "rather accurate"? This does not seem to match the definition found in The American Heritage® Dictionary: > So as to affect one's feelings or interests Nor the definition in Wiktionary: > Affecting people close to, or within, ones family circle. Is Wikipedia misusing the term?   Or are those definitions wrong?   Or am I misunderstanding these definitions?


title: "In the comfort of" or "at the comfort of"?

text: Which sentence is correct? > Buy tickets _in_ the comfort of your home or > Buy tickets _at_ the comfort of your home I saw the first one written on a hoarding but I feel the second one is more acceptable. Please explain which one is correct and why.


title: The confusion you suffer when tasting something familiar but unexpected

text: My boss today was provided with a cup of coffee when she was expecting tea. I find the brain has a pre-expectation of taste and, when confronted with an unexpected but familiar taste, struggles for a moment to process this. Is this a concept anyone is familiar with and, if so, is anyone aware of a term for it?


title: Word repetition when a word is part of more words

text: > The output consists of the category bar and the navigation bar. How do I prevent the word repetition of _bar_ in the English language?   Is it the following? > The output consists of the category and the navigation bar.


title: What does "This is just mean" mean?

text: Generally, I get to see that such sentences are used to express disgust or anger and likewise feelings. But what is the actual meaning? I am not sure about the actual spelling of the word also. Example: You are mean!


title: Ambiguity of "or"

text: I have these two sentences: >   * We can get ammonia by treating ammonium salts with **caustic soda or > sodium hydroxide.** >   * We can get ammonia by treating ammonium salts with **lime water or > calcium hydroxide.** > Caustic soda is the common name of sodium hydroxide, while lime water and calcium hydroxide are two different substances. Both the sentences are grammatically and scientifically correct, but they obviously mean quite different things. In this particular case, I happen to know how to parse either sentence, but what if I get a situation where I cannot recognise whether the first term is a synonym for the second, or a different term entirely? I did not come up with this question myself, the first sentence is actually given in the standard NCERT textbook of INDIA. Nearly 1.5 million students are studying using this book. Is there a mistake in our book?


title: Is "less bad" correct usage of the language?

text: If an outcome is not as bad as the alternative. Is it correct to use "less bad" to conclude a comparison? > A: I've got bad news, her brother was in a car accident. > > B: Is he hurt? > > A: No, but the car is in bad shape. > > B: Less bad. edit @RegDwigнt The car being broken is less bad/worse than the possibility of her brother having gotten himself hurt or dying. In Portuguese we say "less bad" as a conclusion and I wonder if it applies to English.


title: What does this phrase mean?

text: > You must not lament in conversation with your savior over the trifles of an > average boy. what does it mean?


title: Why is it “a defeated Napoleon, not “the defeated Napoleon” who rode off the battlefield and into exile?

text: I noticed an infinite article; ‘a’ was used before ‘defeated Napoleon’ in the following sentence of Jeffery Archer’s novel, "Fales Impression" : “General Sir Harry Wentworth sat at the right hand of the Iron Duke that night, and was commanding his left flank when _a defeated Napoleon_ rode off the battlefield and into exile." I’m curious to know why it should be “a defeated Napoleon,” not “the defeated Napoleon” or simply “defeated Napoleon.” Isn’t it only one Napoleon who was defeated the battle and exiled (to St. Helena). It looks like as though there were many (defeated) Napoleons who were exiled. It’s always headache for me to handle articles as we Japanese (I think Chinese too) don’t have article as the basic part of speeches in our language system. I’ve studied it on English grammar text books at school, but have never reached full understanding of the usage of articles, because we don’t have that practice. Is there any special knack to master how to use articles?


title: What's the antonym of "stage name"?

text: What's the term for the name you were given when you were born as opposed to the one you changed to for some reason? Real name? Given name? Birth name?


title: Is the plural "bosoms" an acceptable word? Or is it always "bosom"?

text: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/bosom I found recently that even an elderly educated woman was referring to her bosom in the plural, as her bosoms. Please settle my discomfort finally, and clarify if this can be used as a plural word. I thought it was just English deprived younger kids who used "Bosoms" in this manner. :-))


title: What is a word for someone who intentionally ignores other people a lot?

text: I always used to think the word was _ignorant_ but it has turned out that I am wrong.


title: syllabification

text: I am learning how to divide syllables. I have to divide hap-py because there are two of the same consonant. Why are the two _s_ letters in the word _professor_ not divided? Doesn't the same rule apply here?


title: Word for a yes/no question that's more to elicit a longer response

text: I'm looking for a word or idiomatic phrase to describe a question that can be answered by a "yes" or "no", but has a higher probability of getting a more open-ended response. Indeed, without the "yes/no" requirement I'd describe what I'm looking for as an "open ended question", but the possibility to answer "yes/no" is key here. An example question would be: > Do you feel remorse for your affiliations with the Nazi party? Although it doesn't have to be a loaded question, just something which you are reasonably sure is going to get the responder talking beyond the y/n


title: Word for list of things one does not want

text: What's a word that means a list of things I don't want? An _anti-wishlist_?


title: Is "home goal" an eggcorn of "own goal"?

text: I used to think when a player put the ball in his own net it was called a _home goal_ because that's what the older kids in school called it. Then at some point I noticed that TV commentators were actually saying _own goal_ and it was abbreviated _o.g._ on the score sheet. It's obvious to even the most casual football fan that a _home goal_ is one scored by a team on their home ground but the erroneous usage is quite common, for example in this newspaper headline: > Piers Morgan's scores home goal as Thierry Henry comment leads to Irish > heritage claim [sic] So, does _home goal_ qualify as an eggcorn?


title: "A Smith & Wesson beats a straight flush"

text: I just came across (pdf) this expression: > A Smith & Wesson beats a straight flush   1. What does it mean?   Is it the idea of winning via unlawful means when losing?   2. Is it a common expression?


title: Using the comma as a list of things vs two related thoughts

text: Recently I sent a mail wishing a friend well. I ended it with the following sentence. > Please take care, and call me if you need anything. The comma was included because the two were separate thoughts with the latter as an add-on to the former. Consider it without the comma. > Please take care and call me if you need anything. While grammatically correct, it sounds like a to-do list--please do the following things: (1) Take care, (2) Call me if you need anything. Would you agree? I see this cropping up in a lot of writing here and there. > I phoned my wife, and slept for 2 hours seems to be a description of the list of things I did this afternoon, while > I phoned my wife and slept for 2 hours sounds like I'm reporting a very boring conversation.


title: "To a fare-thee-well" for "perfectly well" in AE

text: Does the idiom "to a fare-thee-well" have any currency in modern day AE speech and writing, or does it have sort of an old fashioned feel to it? > http://www.thefreedictionary.com/fare-thee-well If indeed it's in fairly common use, is it appropriate for whatever register? Also --in expressions of suitability or appearance -- would it sound like as good an option as "like a charm", "like a glove", "a merveille", and "perfectly well"? Consider the following examples: > This jacket fits you to a fare-thee-well. source>/ > > That's a terrific looking T-shirt. It fits you to a fare-thee-well. source>/ > > And she was dressed to please in a below-the-knee filmy skirt and a v-necked > blouse that fit her to a fare-thee-well. source>/ > > They're fully lined, watch pocketed, and will fit you to a fare-thee-well. > source>/ > > Neat nylon pull-ons knit to fit you to a fare-thee-well. source>/ > > Godberg's description fits him to a fare thee well. source>/ > > Cat Ballou (genial drunk) was quite a nice picture in his tight jeans, which > fit him to a fare-thee-well. source>/ > > They are beautiful, and fit me to a fare-thee-well. source>/ > > Suits me to a fare-thee-well! source>/ > > ...off his triumphant role in the enchanting Moonlighy Kingdom, is back to > his macho, smirking ways and the role suits him to a fare thee well. > source>/


title: Is “release one’s butt cheeks” a euphemism?

text: It was interesting to learn the English language (any language would be) is spoken or heard differently by the person in the following sentence of Tina Fey’s “Bossypants,” describing the scene in which Tina Fey met Sylvester Stallone for the first time in the rehearsal, and ventured to ask him to enunciate his speech more in a Saturday Night Live show: > “He looked at me. I muttered, “In the Rita sketch, you were a little hard to > understand. Can you just enunciate a little more?” Stallone was unfazed. > “Youcannunnastanme? Youneeme nanaunciate maw? Okey.” He couldn’t have been > more easygoing about it. I went back outside and **manually released my butt > cheeks**.” – ibid Page122 However, I don’t understand what the ending phrase means. I know “butt cheeks.” But what does “manually release one’s butt cheeks” insinuate? As a non-native English speaker, I cannot judge whether this is a normal, creative, or vulgar expression. Is this a passable expression to describe an action to release oneself from mental pressure, or just the author’s idiosyncratic phrasing?


title: Better hypernym to substitute for “business agenda”

text: I'm using the words “business agenda” to describe the set of tasks, documents, processes, features and other artifacts that are related to a single “function” executed by a business. In my language (Czech) the word “agenda” would fit well. However, I feel like misusing “agenda” in English in this context. Further, the particular area I'm addressing is related to document management and collaboration software systems. The typical property of my “agendas” is that they are naturally repeatable (multi-instance in IT terms). To give some examples of what I mean by “agenda” in various business contexts:   * in _banking_ it may be corporate loans — the bank executes a business process to arrange business loans, which involves a ton of administrative work;   * in _construction_ it may be the mere act of building houses — for each house the construction company needs to assemble blueprints, permits, contracts, sign-offs etc.;   * in _project management_ the projects itself — the deliverables, documentation and tasks that are part of the project. In some contexts, a locally-relevant term may be used:   * in _project management_ the natural choice would be a “project”;   * in _legal_ it would be a _case_. What would be the appropriate umbrella term (or terms) covering such various “agendas” without the need for specifying a particular context (area of business), and allowing to get rid of the word “agenda”? I will also appreciate specialized terms for other verticals or types of business problems. **UPDATE:** I'm considering “workload” as a feasible umbrella term as well.


title: Does one capitalize “Portuguese” when used in a hyphenated adjective?

text: When _Portuguese_ is used as part of a hyphenated adjective, does it take an initial capital letter? Just checking on this while proofreading an article. ### Examples:   * **p** ortuguese-speaking college    * **P** ortuguese-based firm


title: Correct usage of the noun liaison

text: Is "liaised" the past tense of liaison? If so, is this correct or common usage?


title: Using 'stand for' in reference to persons

text: Can in the following sentence ... 'I know Christian would want to be here, but **I'm here in his place**.' ... 'I'm here in his place' be replaced with 'I stand here for him'? I.e.: 'I know Christian would want to be here, but **I stand here for him**.' I read that 'stand for' means 'To represent; symbolize,' and now I'm wondering whether it can be used in reference to a person. I'm asking because it is unclear to me whether a person can 'represent' or 'symbolize' another person. To me, 'to represent' or 'to symbolize' are more suitable to use for abstract things.


title: What is the word for "the fear of being grammatically incorrect"?

text: Is there a word for "the fear of being grammatically incorrect"? If not, then what's a good way to describe such a situation? Context: > A: I noticed you were quiet during the talk. Why was that?   >  B: I (have / am, ...) ______, so I didn't speak.


title: "I believe it's valid" vs. "I believe it valid"

text: Over on another network site, a helpful user corrected the grammar of a post of mine. The answer now says > I believe it's valid. where I originally wrote > I believe it valid. Is the original sentence gramamatically (or at least idiomatically) correct or do I absolutely need a form of 'to be' here? (What's more, is 'to be' a copula or an auxiliary verb if used like this?) I am quite certain that I have seen sentences like the original one in the past, but I am uncertain where. Given that I am frequently exposed to the somewhat made-up English of authors in the fields of sci-fi and fantasy, I might have fallen into a trap here. _Edit_ : I don't doubt that the correction is valid and enhances readability.


title: Why is the past tense used in this scenario?

text: Forms for user login typically contain links like these: > Forgot password? > > I forgot my password Why is the past tense used? I would expect present perfect. I mean: > I have forgotten my password


title: "Old days" or "olden days"?

text: Sometimes I use the phrase "back in the _old_ days". I was recently in a class where the trainer kept using the phrase " _olden_ days." Which usage is acceptable?


title: Meaning of "six-three"

text: What is the meaning of "six-three" in this excerpt from a New York Times article? > “Turn around,” Mr. Florence, in an interview last year, recalled being told > by jail officials. “Squat and cough. Spread your cheeks.” “I consider myself > a man’s man,” said Mr. Florence, a finance executive for a car dealership. “ > **Six-three**. Big guy. It was humiliating. It made me feel less than a > man.” I could not find on Google nor Urban dictionary.


title: "Start" vs. "begin", "finish" vs. "end"

text: I am not a native speaker and I have came up with a problem of using _start_ vs. _beginning_. Which one is more proper to indicate a date (year)? For example: >   * The year in which physiotherapy treatment has begun. >   * The year in which physiotherapy treatment has started. > And the same goes for _finish/end_. >   * The year in which physiotherapy treatment has finished. >   * The year in which physiotherapy treatment has ended. >


title: The meaning of 'be of'

text: What about such a statement that I found in one of the books for ESL learners: 'what is it of?' or 'what are they of?' What's the meaning of 'be of' here?


title: How do I pronounce the word "lounge"?

text: How do I pronounce the word "lounge"? The problem is on Google I found many links which play audio for pronunciation. Unfortunately I am not having an audio device so I cannot hear anything.


title: How did the word "humor", which originally represented bodily fluids, end up representing funny things?

text: The etymology of _humor_ shows it represented bodily fluids. It is understood that there was a belief in the ancient time, when each type of bodily fluids were attributed to particular state of mind. But it is not clear how it ended up representing something funny.


title: Does The Following Sentence Contain Grammar Mistake?

text: I feel as though the following sentence lacks commas and such, but I wouldn't know. I'm in the middle of working on an article. > Thanks for asking, imaginary person I just created to get my point across.


title: Fixed vs Have Fixed

text: Suppose I am writing an email to let people know I fixed a bug (and committed the fix). What should I write ? > I _have fixed_ the bug and committed the fix or > I _fixed_ the bug and committed the fix. P.S. I know the difference between Past Perfect and Simple Past in theory but I am not sure I can use them properly in practice.


title: Regarding old Greek word usage and it's use in modern words

text: Is there an Old Greek word or phrase that approximately means non-existence ? I know thanatos means death , I think ; what about the concept of non- existence?


title: Is it correct to write "backup" as a noun?

text: I was about to create a folder to keep an archive my important files in. This question got stuck in my mind while renaming it. How do I have to rename that folder?   * Back up   * Backup   * Back-up Are all phrases correct?


What is "the hottest seat/seed in town"? I am not sure if it's a `seed` or `seat` or something else. I heard it a few times on "CNN" when a new upcoming "Larry King Live" program was being advertised. Also what does it mean "in town" here? It seems that it has nothing to do with a physical human settlement on some territory, but rather with some sphere or even some time period, I am not sure.


title: Is the phrase "having a rave up" still in use?

text: I found the title of a 1965 album by the Yardbirds called _Having a Rave Up_ quite funny when I first saw it. Dictionary.com defines "rave-up" as "a party, especially a wild one," and notes that this is an informal, British term. The reason it seems funny to me is because, although I have heard the term "rave" often, I have never heard "rave up" used. Is this phrase still in use today, or is it something of a relic from the 60s–70s?


title: a more appropriate word for "bank"

text: Just like `bank` in "bank of the river", I want a word for Ocean's bank. I don't like "bank of the ocean" -- so is there any better word? I am writing a literary essay -- and in that article, by "bank of the ocean" I mean happiness compared to an ocean of sorrows and misery.


title: Does "exotic" have any connotations of sexiness?

text: Part of a (possibly offensive or at least cringe-worthy) ad says > "We have to go out accompanied and what is better than dating a beautiful > exotic Latina woman here in Colombia, right?" From a prescriptivist and etymological perspective, I assume "exotic" ought not to have any connotations of sexiness, since it's just derived from the Ancient Greek for foreign. And there's plenty of uses of "exotic" that have nothing to do with sexiness, for example cane toads being introduced to Australia from other countries. But from a real world, descriptivist perspective, does "exotic" have any connotations of sexiness? Wiktionary says that exotic means "Foreign, especially in an exciting way.". I suspect, but can't prove, that the main way a woman can be exciting to some men is by being sexy. In at least American English (but probably not as much in Australian English), Exotic dancer is a euphemism for a stripper / pole dancer / belly dancer (I suspect some belly dancers would take issue with this!). William Safire notes the similarity between the words "exotic" and "erotic" (which is to do with sex), but notes that there isn't really such a phrase as "erotic dancer". I don't know whether "exotic dancer" has influenced what people interpret the word "exotic" by itself as meaning. Does the word "exotic" have any connotations of sexiness?


title: Multiple hyphens make this phrase feel unwieldy... but are they right?

text: I'm writing a paper in which I refer to " _natural-language-controlled robots_ " about thirty times. I'm curious about this phrase's hyphenation. I would write > robots controlled by natural language without hyphens, but when I turn the phrase around to avoid ambiguity, it turns into > natural language controlled robots which seems to need hyphens all-upons! The robots are not controlled robots of the language variety, so I need a hyphen between language and controlled. They are similarly not language-controlled robots of the natural variety, so it seems I need hyphens between all three words. However, > natural-language-controlled robots feels unwieldy, which brings me here. Is this really how this phrase should be punctuated? The alternative I've come up with is applying a partial initialism, yielding > NL-controlled wheelchairs which seems better, but prompts similar problems; do I really want a hyphen attached to an initialism? That looks wrong. But the sentence seems semantically wrong without it! I'm sure I'm overthinking this.


title: Synonym of "at a time"

text: Is there a synonym of _at a time_? For example, > Only four controllers can be connected **at a time**.


title: "à la" + masculine

text: I'd like to say > I'm baking a cake _à la_ Ramsey. Here, _à la_ means _in the style of_. My problem is: what if Ramsey is male? The French _la_ goes with _feminine_ nouns. So, should I write the following? > I'm baking a cake _au_ Ramsey. That might be more grammatically correct in French, but seems wrong in English, since _au_ isn't a phrase in English in the same way that _à la_ is.


title: How and why did "absorb" morph into "absorption" and not "absorbtion"?

text: Simply put, how and why did "absorb" morph into "absorption" and not "absorbtion"? Additionally, can you think of any other words which morphed in like manner?


title: Native speakers and the use of conditional statements

text: I often hear people say that native English speakers don't make grammatical mistakes. But I don't understand the use of conditional statements as most people don't really pay much attention to the verb agreements of the two clauses, specially in the case of hypothetical present and future. Here are some examples: > The worst outcome **would be** if Apple **wins** a large judgment. Read more > on The New Yorker > > If the NATO troops **do pull** back, it **would** leave vast areas of the > country unprotected including border areas with Pakistan. It would > essentially mean the end of the strategy of trying to win hearts and minds > by working with and protecting the local populations. _From AP_. I have heard numerous native speakers use the same structure in spoken English. Can we say this is acceptable grammatically or is it me being a bit too thick to see the thin line?


title: Is there a word "lazies"?

text: I see many usages of this word in google (http://www.google.com/search?q=lazies), but I can't find its definition. What does it mean? Is it proper to use it in the following sentence: > This book is for lazies. (It's easy reading)


title: Usage of the expression "go they went"

text: I noticed the usage of _go they went_ in the TV show _How I Met Your Mother_ : > Marshall: Where are all my underpants? > > Lily: Did you check your suitcase? > > (Marshall checks his suitcase, gives a thumbs-up) > > Marshall: Let's go. > > Future Ted VO: And **go they went** , all the way to St. Cloud, Minnesota, > Marshall's hometown. Is using this expression correct?


title: "Have been + verb-ing" vs. "have + past participle"

text: What's the difference between the following constructions of present perfect: > I've been waiting for you for seven years. > > I've waited for you for seven years. Googling yields no satisfying results. I also asked a native speaker and the one wasn't sure about the difference between the two, so I would like to know if there is any.


title: "Appealing for" or "appealing to"?

text: Are there guidelines for when to use _to_ or _for_ with _appealing_? I was writing this sentence: '... choose a time that is appealing to you', and then thought it was likely _for_ , but either seems to make sense or "sound right". Any advice?


title: What's the name of this pronunciation guide

text: In dictionaries I see two guides for pronunciation. for example, for the word "ambiguity": _[am-bi-gyoo-i-tee]_ AND _/ˌæmbɪˈgyuɪti/_ I know the second one is named _IPA_. My question is, is there a special name for the first one? and is there probably any difference between them?


title: Auxiliary verbs

text: I wonder if there are more other auxiliary verbs in addition to that 23 common verbs. for example when we say : "I let him go." , can we consider the verb "let" as an auxiliary, just because of that it's followed by a bare infinitive as that 23 auxiliaries do? in other words is any verb followed by a bare infinitive called an auxiliary? if not, what is the exact definition of an auxiliary verb?


title: Question about punctuating the following sentence

text: Are the commas correct in the following sentence. In the essay A Plague of Tics, the author, David Sedaris, addresses the people who had to put up with his obsessive-compulsive behaviors when he was younger. I am unsure about the comma after Sedaris.


title: Is there a wiki for this forum?

text: Is there a wiki for the ELU Exchange? Where is it?


title: The oppsite word of "indent" is "outdent" or "unindent"?

text: Is the opposite word of "indent" is "outdent", or is it "unindent"? Corresponding to "Tab" and "Shift Tab" in most editors.


title: What does 'serval days away from' mean in this sentence?

text: Her cart was nearly overflowing in preparation for **several days away** from her family, and she still had packing to do at home.


title: "has to be" or "is to be"

text: What is the difference between "has to be" and "is to be"? This is the example sentence: _In case a diarization is desired, a proper XYZ algorithm is/has to be used._ I would like to point out, that my personal opinion is using the XYZ algorithm.


title: Incorrectly taking something facetious seriously

text: Is there a word for taking something that's meant tongue in cheek seriously? For example trying to prove someone wrong after they taunt you by saying “You couldn't fight your way out of a paper bag”.


title: What is the difference between "Road", "Avenue", "Street"?

text: As shown in the title. _What is the difference between Road, Avenue, Street?_


title: Problems with relative pronouns

text: I have a question related to punctuations. Please tell me whether the following sentences are correct or not.   1. Innodata is a company that provides BPO and KPO services.    2. Innodata is a company providing BPO and KPO services.    3. Innodata is a company, providing BPO and KPO services. Is it always correct to replace "that" with a comma after changing the verb into "ing" form?


title: What word means "the city in which one lives"?

text: I need to find a word which means "the town or city in which one lives". Words like "residence" or "domicile" appear to have this meaning, but because "residence" and "domicile" can also mean "the home in which one lives", my readers will be confused. Is there a word which only refers to the geographic location?


title: "Bridging X and Y" or "bridging X with Y"?

text: Which is the correct (or more correct) version of this phrase and why? >   1. Bridging ancient wisdom **with** contemporary science >   2. Bridging ancient wisdom **and** contemporary science. >


title: Where in the world does "a lift" mean "a ride in the car"?

text: In the United States and Canada, when someone asks you for "a lift" or you offer "a lift", you are speaking about riding in a car with them. However, in England and other places, a "lift" is an elevator. "Taking a lift" means "taking an elevator". Where else in the world does "a lift" not refer to, or cannot be construed as "a ride"?


title: Is an en dash before 'which' proper punctuation?

text: In this sentence > In conclusion, the reading claims that minimum wage is harmful to the > companies, which the lecturer contradicts by providing three points –which > form a compelling argument, to illustrate his viewpoint. Is it grammatical to use "–" before _which_? And if so, should I replace the comma at the end of the same clause with an em dash as well? Or should I only use commas to set off the clause?


title: Why is the word 'Hello' used frequently when starting a phone call?

text: Why is the word 'Hello' used universally to begin a phone call? What was the origin of it?


title: How is "gone" pronounced?

text: I'm a native Spanish speaker who's trying to grasp some of the subtleties of (American) English pronunciation. I think the sounds that give me the most trouble are the triplet of low back vowels: /ɑ/, /ʌ/ and /ɔ/. The word "gone" is especially tricky, because each time I hear it I hear something different:   * Sometimes I think it's with a /ɔ/, as if it was "gawn". From my very limited experience, it would seem like this is more common in Southern accents.   * Other times it sounds like a /ɑ/, the same vowel as in "pot".   * The third option would be /ʌ/, like "gun", but I'm pretty sure this is not it. Which one of these is it? Does it depend on the accent?


title: What's the difference between a vicar and a pastor?

text: What's the difference between a vicar, preferably of the Church of England, and a pastor? I browsed Wikipedia, but most of the gist of the article is that _vicar_ is an ecclesiastical office, and oft-invoked title (e.g. the Pope is known as the _Vicar of Christ_ ), but there's not much else there except for it going into mind-numbing details of the hierarchy between they and rectors and curates, which I don't much care about. [The reason I ask is that through reading various novels and histories, I noticed that quite a many famous scientific figures and intellectuals were sons of vicars, or married vicars' daughters -- in the other words, the office of vicar seemed to have significant social prestige, and require a formidable mind to achieve it, but I can't figure out why, because I don't know what their official duties were or what they were in charge of. What does it mean to be vicar, and how is it different from being a pastor?]


title: Should I use comma after i.e. clause?

text: > Automatic translation of classes to relations requires every regular, i.e. > non-subclass and non-association classes to have a primary key. > Automatic translation of classes to relations requires every regular, i.e. > non-subclass and non-association classes, to have a primary key. Which of the above is correct?


title: Are English language books translated to contemporary English?

text: Were Shakespeare books translated to contemporary English? Which version is more common? Is there a rule to choose which books will have its language updated? Are poems updated too? From which year I should expect that books have a "translation"?


title: Telling the truth sarcastically

text: Is there a term for saying something in a sarcastic manner but you actually mean what you're saying? All the time I say things sarcastically even though I mean what I say. Or if I want to tell the truth but I know no one will believe me I say it sarcastically even though what I'm saying is true. For example, everyone thinks I kissed my friend but I didn't. So when asked I reply sarcastically, "No I never kissed her", insinuating that I did because of the sarcasm in the response. But in reality I'm telling the truth that I didn't. It's almost like a false sarcasm?


title: "Paid" vs "payed"

text: I think I have always used these two words interchangeably without noticing until my professor was saying how some students misspelled the word and he was amazed. Can someone tell me when I should use _paid_ over _payed_? I searched for a similar question and got even more confused with this title: _you paid for a persons drink and expect to be payed back_.


title: Add-in, addin, add-on, addon

text: For example, Firefox uses **add-ons** whereas Microsoft Office uses **add- ins**. I've seen all 4 versions (add-in, addin, add-on, addon) used in various software programs, but I wonder if all of them are interchangeable. May there be cases where they convey different meanings?


title: Alternative for "room for improvement"

text: Is there a 'better' or different way of saying _room for improvement_? e.g. > Despite the success of X, there is still _room for improvement_...


title: Is there a difference in meaning between "does not seem to" and "seems not to"?

text: Consider the following sentences: >   1. Try not to be alarmed if a rule doesn’t seem to work for a specific > sentence. >   2. Try not to be alarmed if a rule seems not to work for a specific > sentence. > Is there a difference in meaning between "does not seem to work" and "seems not to work"?


title: Why do we say that one can "talk the hind legs off a donkey"?

text: Unlike this questioner, I'm not asking what my phrase means (in case anyone doesn't know and can't guess, it means to _talk incessantly_ ). But I don't know anything _at all_ significant about donkeys' hind legs (apart from the possibility of them being metaphorically talked off). I doubt we can find an actual **origin** for the phrase, but perhaps someone can come up with a plausible reason for _how_ it came about, and/or why it continues to be used.


title: Why does "one-night stand" mean sex?

text: What does the word _stand_ mean in this phrase?


title: "Would rather [infinitive1] than [infinitive2]" vs. "would rather that [subjunctive]""

text: I am aware of sentences like > Beth **would rather** study at the library **than** go to parties. There is another type of using _rather that_ : >   1. She **would rather that** the plane leave early in the morning. >   2. My parents **would rather** that I drive slowly. > What does this indicate in above sentences in terms of meaning?


title: What is the grammatical name of the part of the sentence that is in bold?

text: 1. **SEWING** the cassock,John pricked his finger.   2. Mercy and Mary like **smiling**.   3. The Municipal Assembly has a **towing** car.   4. The boys are **playing** their roles well.


title: What is the origin of 'Just Kidding'?

text: The phrase is quite popular but I wish to know its origin. Is it possible that it has something to do with childbirth (also called kidding)?


title: "Fight with the grape": what does it mean?

text: I am reading _Why the West rules---for now_ and found the idiom "to fight with the grape": > Like the Medes before him, he fought with the grape: he let the Massagetan > vanguard loot his camp [...] I just did not get it. What does it mean?


title: What is the precise meaning of "soul"?

text: I was translating a sentence which contained the Arabic word "نفس (nefs)" in an answer to a question. نفس is physical entity of a living thing, that feels and experiences earthly desires and emotions like sleeping, hunger, frightening, and lust. It is the basic animal instincts and desires of a living being. I translated نفس as "physical body", but someone opposed it and said that the word "soul" was more fitting for it. However, I thought that there was a different word for "soul" in Arabic, which is "روح (rooh)". روح is consciousness, power to decide, ability to think and decide. It is the intelligence of a living being. So, which meaning is more fitting to "soul"? Nefs or rooh?   What does "soul" actually mean in English? How do you define it?


title: "Iterate" vs. "Iterate over"

text: Is it redundant to say _iterate over_? I cannot think of any other word that you'd use with _iterate_ , so is it acceptable (or correct, even) to drop the _over_?


title: Etymology of "throw good money after bad"?

text: The idiom "throwing good money after bad" refers to spending more money on something problematic that one has already spent money on, in the (presumably futile) hopes of fixing it or recouping one's original investment. My question is as to the etymology of this idiom; presumably the "bad" at the end of the phrase means "bad money". Why would the original money spent be considered "bad money"? Surely it's what was done with the money that was bad, not the money itself. And why would the new money being spend be "good"? If the original money is "bad" by virtue of the fact that what it was spent on was bad, then wouldn't this new money be "bad" by the same token?


title: Is a definite article needed before "sleep"?

text: Do I need a definite article before "sleep" in the following sentence? > How do they call in English that yellowish substance that is gathered in the > corner of a human eye during **the** sleep?


title: A word describing the substance in the human eye

text: How do they call in English that yellowish substance that is sometimes gathered in the corner of a human eye during the sleep?


title: What does Mitt Romney aide's remark "keep Boston off message all week" mean?

text: Mitt Romney seems to be haunted with the plague of gaffes of his own and his aides’. Time magazine’s (August 4) article titled “Worse gaffe than Etch-A-Sketch” reported another gaffe that Romney’s aide, Eric Fehmstrom, made and the author Mark Halperin says it could derail the campaign and _"keep Boston off message all week"_. I think I know the idiom, “keep sb/stg off,” but I’m not clear with the specific meaning of “keep Boston off message all week” in the article. Does this mean (1) Fehmstrom’s gaffe keeps Romney's right and intended message from reaching Boston voters, or (2) it keeps Boston voters absorbed in the gaffe all week (thus making them forget about Romney’s campaign message), or (3) otherwise? What is the exact meaning of ‘ _keep Boston off message’_? FYI. The episode goes like this: When Fehmstrom was at his desk at an ad agency working on a press release for a new menu of Popeye’s’ Fried Chicken, he received a phone call from Romney asking for help on his gubernatorial campaign; he said: “I said to myself, _there has to be more interesting things in life than spicy fried chicken,_ I hung up the phone, walked down the hall and quit.”


Is there a single word that means "under the table"? I am looking for a single word that conveys a knowing, sly, violation of law or ethics — like an _under- the-table_ or _off-the-books_ payment.


title: Word for having a definite opinion while simultaneously withholding judgement?

text: Someone with this attitude would have a definite or even strong opinion on a given issue, but would also be willing to change their mind should new information arrive. The word could also be used to describe someone who was open minded, but also had a clear working opinion which they were prepared to use with confidence. An example of this would be an Agnostic who nevertheless considers it very unlikely that God exists. But the meaning shouldn't be limited to a religious context. `Agnostic` is close, but only seems to describe the open minded aspect of the attitude, not the having a definite working opinion aspect. Any ideas?


title: Is there ambiguity in this sentence?

text: > **Further to fathom** Aquinas on this matter, however, it is useful to > remember that, when he explains what goodness is, he typically says that to > be good is, quite generally, the same as being desirable. (On Evil, > introduction, by Brian Davies) I think there is ambiguity in this sentence. I can understand "further" to mean "furthermore". Also "further" can be seen as tightly following "fathom". More probably, I think the author means **"to fathom further..."**. If so, I think the word order better remains to be "to fathom further.."


title: What is the word for the kind of thing that legal laws can apply to?

text: I know this question title is awkward, so let me explain by example: > The word "law" means different things in different contexts. You have the " > _laws_ of natural science" (e.g. the law of energy conservation) versus the > " _laws_ of __" (e.g. shoplifting is against the law). I have trouble filling in the blank. _States_? _Nations_? _Jurisdictions_? Am I on the right track at all by thinking about governmental jargon?


title: Difference between flooding and inundation?

text: _flooding_ vs. _inundation_ Watching the News, I noticed that the above two words are a bit different. Some Disaster Management organization has one of its goals listed as _To prevent inundation and flooding of the low lying areas during cyclone._ What is the difference between the words as implied in the above sentence?


title: Is the word "minute" drifting?

text: In the past year, I've started to hear phrases like "I know I've been gone for a minute..." when the speaker is referring to a time period that is significantly longer than 60 seconds (multiple days). That is, they don't even mean a relatively short period of time (unless they compare it to a decade or something). Is this word drift actually happening? And, if so, where did it start? Is it purposely ironic? Examples: 1, 2


title: How alive is the distinction between 'not any more' and 'not any longer'?

text: Does > I don't love you any more. mean that my love dwindled till there was not any more of it left, focus(s)ing on the process, whereas > I don't love you any longer. would mean that there came a day when I had to admit my love had ceased to be, focus(s)ing on that day's more or less sudden realisation rather than on the process which led (had led?) to that day? How alive is the distinction between 'not any more / no more' and 'not any longer / no longer'?


title: What is the difference between 'need' and 'want'

text: Helping those who are in need. What does that mean? Does that mean to help people with anything they want, i.e. buy them the latest fashion accessories, or does it mean to help them with their basic needs, i.e. food, water, shelter etc?


title: Are "betwixt", "trebble", etc., acceptable in American English?

text: I grew up speaking British English. The words I learnt were occasionally marked off in papers, despite their being English words. Are words like _betwixt_ , _trebble_ , _learnt_ acceptable in papers for English classes for professors in America, specifically Texas?


title: Difference between "how you want" and "how you will"

text: Is there any difference in meaning betweeen these two?   Is one a valid grammar construct and the other not?


title: "Today's assumption" or "todays assumption" — which is valid grammar?

text: We (non native English-speakers) are writing a paper and are wondering if the following construct is valid English: > Yesterday's assumption is no longer valid. Specifically the apostrophe after _yesterday_ (and likewise in _today_ and _tomorrow_ ) brings up some debate. Can anyone give a clear answer whether this is proper English?


title: What are the most popular gender-neutral pronouns that aren't the same as other contemporary pronouns?

text: There have been attempts to use other contemporary English pronouns to stand- in as a true gender-neutral pronoun, given that English is lacking a commonly- accepted one for adult humans (non-humans and even babies can be referred to as 'it'). Examples of this include 'he/she', 'one', and the singular 'they'. However, these can be confused with the contemporary pronouns which have been used as stand-ins, and they can at times be awkward to use. Other pronouns exist which can avoid this problem, such as ' **thon** ', which seems to have historically picked up the most momentum, and was in the dictionary as recently as 1964! Which are the most commonly used gender-neutral pronouns in English around the world today, to be used when referring back to an adult human, that aren't the same as other contemporary pronouns?


title: Whose + article

text: Why does ' _whose_ ' no longer precede an article? If ' _whose_ ' is equivalent to ' _of which_ ', it should be allowed to, should it not ?


title: "Perverse interest" vs. "perverted interest"

text: Does anybody recognize differences between the following sentences? >   1. She took a _perverse_ interest in photos of boys. >   2. She took a _perverted_ interest in photos of boys. >


title: Term for use of descriptor or noun in place of proper name?

text: What is the term for the literary use of a 'descriptor' in place of a proper name, as in Shakespeare's play Much Ado about Nothing, when Benedict refers to Beatrice as "Lady Disdain" instead of Lady Beatrice?


title: Why is "busy" pronounced "bizzy"?

text: Of all the ways I could come up with to pronounce the word "busy", "bizzy" would be very low on my list. At least "bussy" or "boosy". Why "bizzy"?


title: Is it correct to speak of an object as "cover" ? or to say "behind cover"?

text: In gunfights, fighters protect themselves from shots by staying behind objects. It's called _taking cover_ and _staying behind cover_. But cover, just like shadow, is the consequence of the position of two things (persons or light and a person) in relation to a third one (tree). So because both are limited in time and space, I would tend to consider them more as concepts than objects. However, in my mind, a shelter is definitely an object.


title: Why does the ending -ough have six pronunciations?

text: There are "cough", "tough", "bough", "through", and "though" (and "hiccough", if you're not from the U.S.); each of which has a different pronunciation for the ending "-ough". Why is this? Edit for clarification: I'm trying to figure out why "cough" is spelled with an "-ough", if it's pronounced with an "-off". And then "tough", pronounced "tuff". Why is that not spelled "tuff"? "Bough", "through", and "though" should be spelled "bow", "thrue" (or "thru"), and "thoe". Where did "-ough" come from? And then "hiccough". Since that derives from "cough", it should be pronounced "hickoff", but it isn't.


title: What does “double-down” mean when used in a context other than Blackjack?

text: I saw the phrase “double-down” in the following sentence of the Washington Post article (June 28, 2011) titled “Why Michele Bachmann is no Sarah Palin.” > “Palin is notorious for doubling-down on perceived missteps, typically > blaming a biased media for not telling the whole story.” I know "double down" is a term of Blackjack meaning the players’ option of doubling their bet and receiving one more card, but what does the phrase exactly mean in this particular context? Does it mean Sarah Palin makes most of her missteps or gaffes to turn into her political (or campaign) advantages? Is the use of "doubling-down" like this a casual usage to be applied to anything else, or a kind of "purple prose" that I recently learned?


title: Does one apply "to university" or "to a university"?

text: Is one of these more correct? > I will apply to university next year. > > I will apply to a university next year. Also: > I go to university. > > I go to a university.


title: What do you think if you see an image with its description "last night at New York"?

text: I saw that a friend of mine who moved to New York City 3 months ago posted a picture on Facebook. She described it as "last night at New York." The first time I read it, I thought she meant that it was her last night in New York City and that she was going to move somewhere else the next day. So I asked her and it turned out that "last night" means "yesterday night." There are two questions I have.   1. Is it confusing to say "last night at some places"? How can I know whether it means "yesterday night" or "the last night that she will be there"?   2. If the usage of "last night" in this example is not clear, what are some clearer ways of differentiating between "yesterday night" and "my last night in the city"?


title: What does “the line turns on somebody’” mean?

text: I came across the phrase ‘ _the line had turn on us’_ in the following paragraph of the article titled “Running in the red: How the U.S. on the road to surplus, detoured to massive debt,” appearing in Washington Post (April 30.) > “Still, Hoagland (CBO analyst, William Hoagland), said, the abandonment of > fiscal discipline in the wake of the surpluses clearly didn’t help. ‘Nobody > pushed for paying for this stuff,’ he said. Not even after “it became very > clear in the middle of 2003 that _the line had turned on us_. And the > surpluses as far as the eye could see were no longer there.’” I searched for the definition of ‘the line had turn on somebody,’ through Google to find no entry of this phrase. Isn’t _“the line turns on somebody’_ ” an idiom? What does ‘the line’ here stand for, and what does this phrase mean at all?


title: Word for updating one single "square" in a grid

text: What would be an appropriate word for updating one single _square_ in a grid/matrix, e.g. in a game of Tetris?   What are those _squares_ called? I was hoping for something like "Update square."


title: Etymology and meaning of the word "snog"

text: Having looked to urban dictionary, witionary, online etymology, dictionary.com, Wikipedia and wordfreaks.tribe.net, I have found a wide variance in the etymology and definition of the word _snog_. I believe this to be a British phrase meaning simply kissing, but several of the above references push it to the level of making out. Does the OED, or a some specific example in common usage provide any insight or guidance to differentiate the connotation?


title: using present progressive with present simple in subordinate clause

text: There are two corrects answers in this sentence according to the answer keys, but I don't know why and when (like in a certain situation) which one should be used. Before the train departs, all the tickets --------- collected.   1. are being --correct   2. were being   3. had been   4. will have been --correct I understand that number 4 is correct if the writer wants to say that tickets will be collected in the future before the train departs. As for number 1, under what circumstance is this used? Does the writer want to say that all the tickets are being collected not before the train departs? Thank you.


title: Quotation near full stop

text: What is the correct way to quote this piece of text? The issues here are the initial letter which is now capitalized (I believe that is correct) and the omission of a few words **near the period**. Should the period still be present, should I remove it, is there any need for space there? Original phrase: > This is how the clerk obtains user details and verifies its authenticity. > Then, he is ready to proceed with the activation of the user account. My attempts at it. Are these properly constructed? > [T]he clerk obtains user details ... . Then, he is ready to proceed with the > activation of the user account. > > [T]he clerk obtains user details.... Then, he is ready to proceed with the > activation of the user account. > > [T]he clerk obtains user details ... Then, he is ready to proceed with the > activation of the user account. > > [T]he clerk obtains user details ... [t]hen, he is ready to proceed with the > activation of the user account. Usually I read through OWL when I have these kind of doubts but I could not find anything regarding the specific case where you take out the words near the period but keep quoting right after it. I don't think it will matter but this is for a technical document.


title: What does “straight out of [person]” mean?

text: I know the meaning of the _straight out_. But what does it mean with _of_? For example: > It’s straight out of Alice Miller.


title: What is the reason that American English and British English use "Post" and "Mail" with different frequencies?

text: Common usage in the UK is that a _postman_ of the Royal _Mail_ Service delivers the _post_ , and someone may _post_ a letter (see BrE Ngram), whereas in the USA, usage has become equally common that a _mailman_ of the United States _Post_ Office delivers the _mail_ (AmE Ngram). Why do both forms of English have the same two words and have parallel but reversed inconsistencies between the name of the Service and the objects manipulated by that Service? And what do Canadians do? (There's no "Canadian English" option in Ngram!)


title: What is the opposite of "euphemism"

text: The comments in an older question of mine on E.S.E leave an issue unresolved: What does one call the situation in which a taboo concept is referred to as being a specific case of a more general nonvulgar concept? The specific example that I would like to address is the Hebrew verb לדעת. This verb has several meanings. One meaning is to have knowledge of. Another meaning is to have sexual relations with. One could argue that the latter is a _what_ for the former?


title: Capitalization of honorifics such as "your excellency", "your majesty", "your holiness"

text: When addressing an ambassador, is it > I agree with your excellency. or should _your, excellency_ , or both be capitalized? Likewise with "your majesty" and "your holiness".


title: Word for parent of a single child?

text: Is there a word that means “a parent who has exactly one child”? **EDIT** : I am asking for purposes of creating a computing construct. But if there were an answer that is clearly correct for another domain, I’d be delighted to use it.


title: Sparrow is to bird as snake, human, and lion is to __?

text: One can call any flying (or even non-flying) feathered thing a bird (excluding oddities such as bats). But what would we call any animal that stays on the ground? A ground animal? Note: this isn't a homework question or anything, it's a word I want to use to describe a class, which inherits from `Animal`. Edit: Clearly this is a very broad question, I believe that I should be more specific. So lets narrow the choices of "ground animals" to those that you could find in a zoo, which means not bugs, dinosaurs, etc.


Is it correct to use "anniversary" to commemorate a sad event or is it better to use "memorial". Or is there, in fact, a better term? For instance, "observing the 20th anniversary of the Rwanda genocide" vs "observing the 20 year memorial of the Rwanda genocide?


title: How do I use, "Be it" in a question, or can I?

text: I'm writing a poem and I want to use this specific wording, but I'm not sure if it's grammatically correct. Here is the line: "Will you ever ask for the truth or be it ignorant you stay?"


title: Pronunciation of the word Leicester

text: I was playing Monopoly the other day (haven't played for some time) and I bought Leicester Square. However, everytime someone landed on my block, I was unsure as to its pronunciation. So far I've heard two: > **Lei- _ses_ -ter Square**   >  and   >  **Lei- _ches_ -ter Square** Which is the correct pronunciation?


title: What is a fork's single point called?

text: A fork usually has three points, what are the individual points called? Trident points?


title: Accent of the word "invalidity"

text: In my legal studies class, this word cropped up and the whole class, including the teacher, couldn't pronounce it. They usually tried it several times and then ended up with different results. Where does the accent on this word go? > **In** -validity ?   >  In- **va** -lidity ?   >  or   >  Inva- **li** -dity?


title: Use of 'The' in names containing 'Of'

text: Names, often, are related to places or regions like   * Mahmud of Ghazni   * Christopher of Bavaria My questions are:   1. Are such names always related to people from political backgrounds (Kings, Ministers, Feudal Lords etc.)?   2. Against conventions for general names, is it correct to prefix such names with 'The'?   3. Is it correct to simply write 'The' + First_Name and ignore the location, as in, 'The Mahmud' instead of 'The Mahmud of Ghazni'.


title: "Newly found" vs. "New Found"

text: What is the grammatically correct way to say the following sentence? > "I have come away with a **new found** respect for the author..." or > "I have come away with a **newly found** respect for the author..."


title: Elven or Elfin?

text: I am writing a fantasy book and am having trouble with when and how to use words such as "Elfin", "Elven", "Elfish", and "Elvish". I don't understand the difference between using a V or an F. Help?


title: Is there a difference between "elfish" and "elvish"?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  When to use "Elven", "Elvish" and "Elfic"? The dictionary seems to think that they are the same. Here are their definitions: > **Elfish**: elflike; elfin;   >  **Elvish** : Just provides a link to "elfish" I know that "elvish" can also refer to the language of the elves, but what I'm asking, is there a difference between "elfish" and "elvish" in this way: "Elfish" is like an elf, as in "elfish looking girl". But "elvish" means that something is of an elf, that is, it comes from an elf, or is an elf, i.e. "Elvish man" meaning a man whose race is that of an elf. Is there such a difference in meaning? If that's not clear enough, something like this. > a: That's an elfish man. Yes the one in the jacket. Small and sprightly and > everything.   >  b: He's actually elvish. His father was an elf.


title: Intolerance and Bigotry

text: Consider this statement: "I will not watch two men kissing" Surely this is an example of bigotry? But what about: "I will not watch reality TV" The sentence takes the exact same form and is identical in all but the subject. Both express intolerance towards something. Is it also an example of bigotry? If not, why not? * * * EDIT 1: I guess what I was after was the acceptable usage of the word biggoted - for example one meaning is intolerance of ideas. A genre of TV could be construed to be an idea, but this seems like a very odd usage of the word to me. Would my second usage of the word be acceptable?


title: Common usage of "namely"

text: I got an email today: > Medical will be sending some people over to give a talk, namely Joe Foo and > Bob Bar. I know the dictionary says _namely_ means: > adverb /ˈnāmlē/ That is to say; to be specific (used to introduce detailed > information or a specific example) \- to me there is only one kind of rock, > namely, loud rock But I always thought it means "mainly" from context, e.g., "The students are rioting, namely the engineering students." What does it mean to you?


title: Is subclassing a valid verb?

text: Is (to) subclass a valid verb? It comes from this background: Inheritance (object-oriented programming). A class models something and to create a subclass means to extend this class.


title: Alternative for 'setting the heather on fire'

text: I have a thing for idioms and one such idiom I regularly use is 'to set the heather on fire'. It fits well whenever referring to doing something sensational. Now, is there any alternative to this? Any other idiom or word which comes close to meaning the same?


title: What does "small amount of ease" mean?

text: If you say you want something to occur with a "small amount of ease", what are you actually saying? I understand that the intention of this phrase is typically that you want something to be done easily; but, does it literally mean that something should be hard?


title: Usage of "elbowroom"

text: In German there is the word _Spielraum_ which literally translated means "space available for limited movement" and is used for example to describe a limited location/angle tolerance in mechanical bearings or joints and the like, more often however it's used figuratively to describe the range of tolerable actions an individual can take in order to reach certain goals. The dictionary translates _elbowroom_ (among other things) to _Spielraum_ and I'd like to know whether it is fine to use it in the same way for describing the range of actions someone is able to take.


title: Why do non-native English speakers get the present participle wrong?

text: I see people saying things like this: > With a new infusion of cash it allows to make the film. ...instead of... > With a new infusion of cash it allows making the film. I can't find a specific example right now, but it always takes the form of verb + infinitive instead of verb + participle. I've seen this repeatedly with the verb "allow"; there are others but I forget what they are. This grates on my ears more than anything. What is the cause? **Update:** Here are some examples from the web (searching Google for "allows to": http://www.thedigitalbus.com/new-google-analytics-allows-to-measure-site- speed/   http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2011-03-06/news/28660032_1_border- areas-mobile-towers-border-districts   http://getandroidstuff.com/clap-phone-finder-android-app-find-phone-clapping/   https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=413451 These sites have constructs like "allows to steal", "allows to find", "allows to erect", and "allows to measure". Perhaps it is the missing direct object that a respondent mentioned, but the present participle is the first thing that comes to my mind: "allows stealing", "allows finding", "allows erecting", and "allows measuring". There is also "requires to" and "helps to". **Update 2:** Here are some specific examples - taken from the web pages linked above. All of these phrases are _wrong_ : > New Google Analytics Allows to Measure Site Speed > > Android app allows to find your Phone > > allows to steal data from sessionstore.js (The last one is a fragment, I know.) Here's more examples (all _wrong!!_ ): > Creating a Google Account Requires to Enter Your Birthday in the US > > Host now requires to use SMTP with PHP > > Smart Array 6402 always requires to press F1 to continue. I sincerely hope this is clear now. All of the examples given need a past participle (or some sort of direct object). **Update 3:** (Hope I'm not overdoing this!) I would correct each of the above examples thusly: > New Google Analytics Allows _Measuring_ Site Speed > > Android app allows _you_ to find your Phone > > allows _stealing_ data from sessionstore.js > > Creating a Google Account Requires _Entering_ Your Birthday in the US > > Host now requires _using_ SMTP with PHP > > Smart Array 6402 always requires _pressing_ F1 to continue.


title: An English equivalent to “débroussailler un projet”

text: This week, I was stuck trying to explain to my boss that I started to “ _débroussailler le projet_ ” (a French expression, literally: remove brushwood from the project). What I meant with this expression is that I already explored some lines, tried several approaches, analyzed important parts, although I've not got to the core yet. The best I could find, without resorting to complex periphrases, was “to explore the project”, but I believe a better translation exists, closer to what I meant. Any ideas?


title: Should I use the singular or plural here?

text: The following two phrases MS Word marks as wrong, whereas I think they are correct; but I would like feedback to be sure. > Microsoft and Cisco _are_ both designing ... MS Word suggests changing the _are_ to _is_. > What additional hardware and software will the business _be_ required to > obtain? MS Word suggests changing the _be_ to _are_. In both cases I think MS Word's suggestion is wrong, but I would like to have this confirmed.


What is the origin of the phrase "to go apeshit"? An example usage would be: > And then he went apeshit over the prize he just won. Obviously there is a strong visual associated with an angry ape, but is there a known history to the phrase as it is used today?


title: What's the difference between "call off" vs. "cancel"?

text: > You have to get Chang _to call off_ some of this homework.


title: Word for a person who is "in charge"?

text: When you contact organization units like a department, an agency, etc., there is usually a main person whom you should contact. He/she is also the main responsible person for critical problems. Should we call him/her _person in charge_? Is there a simple word for that? And, is following right? >   * Who is the person in charge of this department? >   * To contact the person in charge of that department, dial 234 567. >   * Do you know that department's person in charge? > P.S. The problem behind: It's used in a data table, a column "PersonInCharge" seems too complicated, though. And, the _manager_ or the _supervisor_ may be someone else, so I'm not likely to use them as well.


title: What are comparative strong points of online dictionaries and other useful reference sites?

text: > NOTE: This question was composed in an attempt to follow Guidelines for > Great Subjective Questions. I hope I do not fail them too hard, but if you > see how the question can be improved please edit it or let us discuss it on > chat or meta. Apologies if I failed searching and if this is a duplicate. There are two sites that I most commonly use as a first stop when looking up words online:   * onelook, the _reasons_ are that, for example, looking up a word "dictionary" gives not only quick and short definition (from macmillan), but also links to 44 other dictionaries and to etymonline   * wordnik, the _reasons_ for this one are that it gives you immediately on the results page definitions and examples from a few dictionaries that you can compare, however it does not give links directly (compare a lookup for "dictionary" \- it gives definitions from four dictionaries, reformatted to consistent look and some examples) (Both of these are aggregating from different sources, but similiar reasons could be given for specific dictionary sites). I would like to find out **which** other dictionaries or sites people are using as the first stop (regardless if they are aggregators or specific dictionaries) and **why** (in a sense of how or when they would be best used)? Please one site per answer.


title: Confused with Present Participle + Noun pattern, does the "copied file" refer to the "original file"?

text: ## Patterns: Past Participle + Noun In my understanding `Past Participle + noun` means the action applied to the noun as follows:   1. He `murdered` a little girl = The little girl was `murdered` by him. The `murdered girl` is being investigated by polices.   2. He `copied` my file without my permission = My file was `copied` (by him) without my permission. The `copied file` is very confidential. ## Question Does the `copied file` refer to the original file? Or does it refer to the copy of the original file? Based on my understanding above, the `copied file` should refer to the original one. But it is not the case when I read the following quote > Subversion does not create an entire new file version in the repository with > its copy. Instead, the old and new versions are linked together internally > and the history is preserved for both. The `copied versions` take up only a > little extra room in the repository because Subversion saves only the > differences from the original versions. where the `copied version` represents the copy of the original one.


title: a line in Dracula

text: In Dracula, a passage: > My dear young miss, I have the so great pleasure because you are so much > beloved. That is much, my dear, even were there that which I do not see. I am stuck at "That is much" and "even were there that which I do not see." Would any native speaker be so kind to explain the meanings? Thanks in advance.


title: Payed or paid, is there a rule for this change in vowels?

text: Why do some verbs combine the "y" and the "e" in the past tense, while others retain "ye"? For example, pay to paid, but flay to flayed? Is there a rule for this change? Any help would be appreciated. Thank you. JRH


title: Can I use "what are you talking about." with the words in that order?

text: We've got a dispute on the point whether the phrase should be "What you are talking about." or "What are you talking about." in the affirmative sentence. I was arguing that it should be the former, and the word-order is not so important in that phrase, is it? Help us solve the dispute, please :)


title: What is meant by "cock a snook" . How to use it in sentence

text: When I was reading an article I came across a phrase "cock a snook". After browsing I did not find any convincing or clear meaning of this sentence. I also what to use this word in a sentence.


title: In June–July 1967? Between June–July 1967?

text: Which is correct and which is not?   1. In June--July 1967, there were...   2. Between June--July 1967, there were...   3. Between June and July 1967, there were... If I want to use "June--July 1967", how can I express?


title: What do you call someone interested in learning many languages?

text: What do you call a person who is interested in many languages? I think _linguist_ and _polyglot_ refer to a person who is already well-versed. I need a word for a person who is just interested and starting off to be a linguist in the future.


title: Is lamb meat called ‘agnew’?

text: In Wikipedia, specifically at the entry on the Middle English creole hypothesis: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_English_creole_hypothesis it appears that ‘agnew’ is being listed as being the aristocratic form of ‘lamb meat’, but I cannot find confirmation of that anywhere, including the online dictionary of Merriam-Webster. Can anyone confirm/refute this entry?