title: Words obtained by inversing the order of the sounds

text: How do you call a word that was obtained by inversing the sound in another word? Is there a word for it? Although _cheat_ and _teach_ would seem an easy example of such a pair, it is only close. When we don't restrain ourself to English word, we have the pair _Made/Maid_ with the Latin word _diem_ , which could be argued as being used in English, notably in the idiom "carpe diem".


title: What is the difference between "subscription" and "membership"?

text: A friend of mine is trying to coin the correct English word for the people paying for his company's services. My initial choice was "subscriptions", but I'm not so sure about "membership". Do you know what the difference between these two words is?


title: What are best resources for passing TOEFL test?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  List of good resources for TOEFL preparation? I'm familiar with Caplan test preparation, but wonder if there are sources for faster preparation. Especially, sources regarding writing essays would of great help.


title: In my example, can I use parentheses in such a way?

text: This is for writing a research paper. Some of the different regressions include higher polynomial orders with (or without) the birthday variable


title: Two technical times in one sentence

text: Which of these sentences should I use? > Algorithms 1 and 2 work in time O(n) and O(n^2) respectively. Or > Algorithms 1 and 2 work in times O(n) and O(n^2) respectively.


title: What is it called when the word "sorry" is not used for apologizing?

text: When I use the word "sorry" for something I did wrong > I'm sorry I bumped into you. I would be apologizing. However, when I used the word "sorry" to express pity for something that is not actually my fault, > I'm sorry you couldn't figure that out. > > I'm sorry for your loss. is it still called an "apology" in English? In Chinese, we wouldn't use the same word in these different sentences. I would love to know what this type of sentence is called.


title: Pls help me modify this sentence

text: So he had to end his football career in getting a neck injury during match in 2007


title: "Get to do something"

text: What's the meaning of "get to do something"? > I get to spend a lot of time with you and the kids.


title: Is "willfully disingenuous" a tautologism?

text: It seems to me that definitions of disingenuous such as the following might imply willfulness: > adjective > >   1. lacking in frankness, candour, or sincerity; falsely or hypocritically > ingenuous; >insincere: "Her excuse was rather disingenuous." > > Is the adjective necessary?


title: How would you interpret this statement?

text: How would you interpret this statement? It was posted on a social media site. I am looking for impressions of how other readers would interpret the sentences in context to why it would appeal to the writer. I am perplexed in wondering if the writer really misses the person or rather enjoys the fact the person is gone and the silence is endearing. > I would tell you I miss you, but I don't know how. I've never heard silence > quite this loud.


title: Symbol and sign in mathematics

text: Mathematical notations are usually called _symbols_ in the large, yet particular symbols seem to be blessed, they are often called _signs_ ('equals sign', 'multiplication sign', ...). Is there a linguistic justification for this, or more precisely, is there a generally agreed difference between _symbol_ and _sign_?


title: Need right word; don't think "sardonic" is it

text: I'm looking for the word(s) that describes a situation where, physically, you'd see someone smiling but shaking their heads, as in "Oh, no, my dear friend has (comically) screwed up again!" For this situation, I currently use my own emoticon: : ) : ( : ) I see that some writers use the word "sardonic" to describe the situation above, but dictionaries often attach some cruel connotation to the word. Thanks for any help!


title: Does "within" have an antonym? If so, what?

text: Does "within" have an antonym?   If there is an antonym, which one is it?


title: What does ‘The vast majority (some 63%) of employees in the world are not engaged, “checked out”’ mean?

text: The Forbs magazine article titled “Unhappy employees outnumber happy ones by two to one worldwide” dealt with the latest survey on international employee satisfaction being conducted by Gallup since late 1990s. It reads: > The vast majority, some 63% (of employees worldwide) are “not engaged,” > meaning they are unhappy but not drastically so. In short they’re **checked > out**. They sleepwalk through their days, putting little energy into their > work. --- The highest levels of disengagement are in the Middle East and > North Africa. --- I would have thought that Israel would have more happy > workers but only 6% are engaged, 73% are **checked out** , and 22% hate > their work. http://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2013/10/10/unhappy- > employees-outnumber-happy-ones-by-two-to-one-worldwide/ I checked up the definitions of the usage of the words, ‘checked out” in English dictionaries at hand (For instance, Collins Cobuild Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary gives four different definitions of ‘check out,” i.e., (1) pay the bill and leave, (2) find out information about sth to make sure everything is correct, (3) It’s correct and satisfactory, (4)=checkout.), but was unable to find pertinent one to the expression, “73% workers are checked out.” What does “being checked out” mean? Are they simply _checked out_ by time card?


title: What is a better way to name "The Wrong Question"?

text: On StackOverflow.com I often find that people ask questions about problems that arise due to poor design choices (typically due to a lack of knowledge about the particular programming language). For example, the OP will make a choice at point A that is wrong, then in order to correct follow-up errors goes on to B, C, D ... and at point X (s)he gets stuck, and thus asks a question about X, when the solution to the problem is actually to fix A. Note that this is not limited to programming, but can be any project. Earlier, I came up with _The Underwater House_ problem to describe a similar situation: _Q: "I have this underwater house. I am having big problems with leaks and water damage. What is the best way to stop a leak?"_ To which the answer of course is: _"The best way is to not build a house under water."_ When faced with such a question, I often feel the urge to name it, or create some classification, to let the OP know right away what the mistake is. The best way to state this that I have come up with is: _"You are asking The Wrong Question."_ However, I feel that this is inadequate, and requires further explanation. Is there a more self-explanatory way to state this? Some simile, saying or phrase? **Update:** I felt that no answer really fits the bill _better_ than "The Wrong Question", though "treating the symptom" was arguably the best answer. The amalgam "you're treating the symptom of a design problem", while dead on the money, is not as clear, concise and pithy as one would like. And sometimes not correct.


title: Meaning of the German "ersatz" in English

text: As a native German I know some well-known uses of German phrases, but I was astonished that a book from a British reporter I am reading today used "ersatz" without explanation. Is the word "ersatz" well-known in anglo-saxon countries ? What is the connotation of "ersatz": Do you use it more humorously or more in earnest. From the context it is not clear what connotation it has, how would you use it and how do you understand it ?


title: "as it so happens" idiom meaning and usage

text: What is the meaning of "As it so happens" and when do we use it? Refer to a synonym if you can please. Thanks.


title: Using "are" or "were" for warnings

text: Which of the following sentences is correct? > If you are caught stealing you will be fined. > If you were caught stealing you will be fined.


title: How do you punctuate a list of titles and names?

text: I want to write a sentence that has a list of descriptive terms and then names, but I'm unclear as to how to do it... > Herman my brother, George my nephew and I went to the market. If I put commas between _Herman_ and _my brother_ then it can be understood that someone named Herman as well as whoever my brother might be were going to the store with me. There are three people going to the market in the sentence above, not five. What's the correct way to punctuate this to make it clear that Herman _is_ my brother and not just one of the five people heading out?


title: Word for outdoor area on the side of a ship

text: What is the term for the narrow uncovered walkway that fringes the sides of a ship? It's enclosed by a _railing_. I wouldn't call it a _deck_ , because _deck_ implies a larger open area. It's a passageway from the bow to the stern, or between different decks.


title: Am I using the subjunctive mood correctly?

text: Does this sentence use the subjunctive correctly? > He spoke as though he was the only one to tell the truth.


title: Can an approximation be “lifted”?

text: Let's say we make some approximation in some theory (such as there being no friction, when in fact there is). Now we want to remove this approximation, and thus improve the real-world meaning of the theory. Is it correct to say this? > This approximation can easily be lifted by (whatever, adding whatnot > constant to whatnot formula on whatnot page). Any alternatives?


title: Is the phrase "make the grade" correctly used in this context?

text: I was interested in the following sentence which appeared in an article titled “How My Child Skipped the State Tests" by Robert Kulesz in The New York Times, School Book, (May 9, 2012). > To be fair, I’m sure she felt she acted in the best interest of her school, > given Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s insatiable desire to shut down public > schools if they fail to “make the grade.” _[note that the double quotation > marks are of the journalist, NOT MINE]_ Can someone clarify if the idiom, or idiomatic phrase, "make the grade" is correctly used? I have found (The Free Dictionary) the below meanings for this phrase, **but no one is referred to academic grading** : >   * **to be satisfactory; to be what is expected.**   > I'm sorry, but your work doesn't exactly make the grade. This meal doesn't > just make the grade. It is excellent.   >  _McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The > McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc._ > >   * **to succeed at something, usually because your skills are good enough > (often negative).**   > He wanted to get into medical school but he failed to make the grade.   >  _Cambridge Idioms Dictionary, 2nd ed. Copyright © Cambridge University > Press 2006._ > >   * **to be good enough An excuse like â€œ**   >  I didn't call because I couldn't find your numberâ€ doesn't make the grade > for most women.   >  _Cambridge Dictionary of American Idioms Copyright © Cambridge University > Press 2003._ > > (Apologize in advanced if the question is not good for this site or if it is a dupe of another question. If so, please delete rather than close. Thank you.)


title: "Going to go" vs "going to"

text: > 1) I am going to go watch a game. > > 2) I am going to a game. > > 3) I am going to golf. > > 4) I am going to go golfing. What are the differences and similarities between and among sentences 1,2,3 and 4? > 5) I am going to Canada. > > 6) I am going fishing. It is easy to differentiate sentences 5 and 6 in that sentence 5 sees _going to_ point to a place while sentence 6 sees _going_ point to an action. But sentence 3 clearly shows that _going_ can also show progression towards an action. > 7) I am going to shopping. Sentence 7 is a very common mistake by ESL students.


title: Making up words - considered bad grammar, or bad spelling, or what?

text: If someone makes up a word, is it considered bad grammar, or bad spelling, or something else? The word and phrase I have in mind is "housecolding party", but this is a general question.


title: "Software craftsman" as complimentary term for programmer

text: Is _software craftsman_ a complimentary term for a programmer or is it just neutral?


title: Is this usage of "woo" proper?

text: > John doesn't actively participate in class discussion, unlike his > classmates. He thinks they act a bit overly and he doesn't like to **woo** > the teachers. Woo has two meanings: >   1. Try to gain the love of (someone, typically a woman), esp. with a view > to marriage. >   2. Seek the favor, support, or custom of > In the above example, the second meaning is intended, but I wonder if the wide usage of the first meaning will perhaps make the usage of the second meaning seem weird. What would you think? Are there better alternatives? PS: is the usage of "overly" correct in the example?


> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  "A wrong answer" vs "the wrong answer" Can I say "you are asking a wrong person"? A quick google search seems to suggest that this is wrong and you should say "you are asking the wrong person", instead. I can't seem to get it. Why? There should be a lot of wrong persons to ask a specific question, right?


title: new features in vs. new features of

text: Which of the following sentences is correct? The new features of the software are given below: OR The new features in the software are given below:


title: "Normal to" and "inclined"

text: When something is normal to a plane, is it also inclined with respect to that plane?   Or does incline imply a non 90 degree angle to something? >   1. The flow is normal to the plate. >   2. The plate is inclined with respect to the flow. > Is it clear from the 2nd sentence that the plate is not normal to the flow?


title: "Rent income" or "Rental income"

text: My understanding is that "rental" is a word implying that income is being received from a property one owns and leases to a tenant. "Rent" is used more in the sense of what a tenant pays a landlord. I am looking specifically for a two or three word phrase to be used in a list of possible sources of income. Which option is more correct? > "rent income" or > "rental income"


title: Searching for words with the same root as greedy

text: The word **greedy** comes from the Indo-European root *gher which meant something like **to like/want** (source). This is also the root for the incredibly common German word gern and other every day German words. I really let my fantasy roam freely but I was not able to find another English word with that origin. I would find this quite surprising to see that a root with such a basic meaning almost entirely vanishes. So my questions is: Does anyone know of other words that have the same origin (no matter, if they are imports from Latin)?


title: What is the difference between the suffixes -ize and -ify

text: The dictionary ascribes the same purpose to both these suffixes: to denote 'to make, or become'. However, for some neologisms, _-ize_ seems much more appropriate than _-ify_ does, and vice-versa. There must be some reason for this. Is there a rule that governs, or describes, when to use one over the other?


title: 'The leader of' vs 'the leader in'

text: > "Red Kennels, The Leader _of_ Dog Training Kennels" > > "Red Kennels, The Leader _in_ Dog Training Kennels". Which preposition should I use-- _of_ or _in_?


title: What is the origin of 'common or garden'?

text: Why do we speak, for example, of a 'common or garden' bicycle, meaning one that simply does the job of a bicycle without alloy wheels, Sir Bradley Wiggins pedals or any other bells and whistles. 'Common or garden' means much the same thing as 'bog standard' and can apply to anything animate or inanimate.


title: Pronoun : Antecedent :: Abbreviation : ___________ ? I.e., is there a name for the corresponding word/phrase to which some abbreviation refers?

text: E.g., when you use 'BAL' to refer to 'Baltimore'-- or even the 'Baltimore Orioles'-- we call 'BAL' an abbreviation. What is 'Baltimore' in this context? I've yet to find support on Wikipedia for my hunch, that this too is an antecedent. It is a logical antecedent, anyway, if not a grammatical one. But the inspiration for this question comes from a real need for the grammatical term, if one exists. (For my purposes, I really hope it does. "There are only two hard problems in computer science...")


title: What does this rapper mean by "swagger on super"?

text: In a song called "Fancy" by Iggy Azalea, she raps: "Swagger on super, I can't shop at no department" What does she mean by "swagger on super"? If you know this catchy hip hop already, please help me understand this part of the lyrics. Here, you'll see the full lyrics after you click off the pop-up. Here, you can listen to the entire song _(it's at 1m 10s in there, and there's currently some debate as to exactly what the third word is - feel free to listen and comment [FumbleFingers])._


if you pushing a lawn mower across the grass,as shown below,can you increase the horizontal component of the force that you exert on the mower without increasing the magnitude of the force?enter image description here


title: Many French loanwords lost their inflections (for example the irregular plural inflection x) when borrowed into the English language

text: except the gender inflection in words like fiancé and fiancée. Would the reason lie in the fact that maybe these words have not been around for a long period of time so they kept their original distinction or would there be other factors?


title: "No, I don't" or "No, I do not" in responding English questions

text: Consider: > A: Do you like ice cream?   >  B: No, I don't. Usually in a grammar book when you answer someone's question with negation you'll use shortened answer as in "I don't". I know you can answer with a fuller response as in "No, I don't like ice cream". But why should it be "No, I don't" rather than "No, I do not"? This has been puzzling me for years. I think both answers are acceptable for me. Just want to know if there are any syntactical rules behind this.


title: Units of Measurement Part II — Hours, Minutes and Seconds

text: Again, I prefer the brevity and concision of these examples. It was a 2hr 3min 4sec marathon. (Is this correct if we opted to abbreviate?) The Guardian and the BBC use this so I'm assuming it's okay. They also use both versions below: 1\. The marathon lasted 2hrs 3mins 4secs. 2\. The marathon lasted 2hr 3min 4sec. (Which would you pick, 1 or 2?)


title: Origin of "old school"

text: I always thought the phrase "old school" was a rather modern, hipster invention. It turns out the term itself is rather old-school, with Webster reporting the first recorded use in 1803. But I'm curious where the term came from. I can imagine it might be a shortening of "old school of thought" or something similar. I could also imagine it having more colloquial origins, as possibly implied by Wiktionary: > That teacher's **old school** methods aren't effective, they're just > annoying. Do we know the etymology of this phrase?


title: Is "Viet Nam" a mistake, a typo, an archaic spelling, a regional spelling, or an idiosyncrasy?

text: Is "Viet Nam" a mistake, a typo, an archaic spelling, a regional spelling, or an idiosyncrasy of the author? I found the word in this book, and I can't really tell what type of spelling it is.


title: "Accountability over" or "accountability for"?

text: I want to talk about "teacher accountability __ their work within the classroom". I'm not sure which preposition follows _accountability_ , _for_ or _over_. Any help would be greatly appreciated.


title: Does “I don’t have either late-night nor between-meal snacks” sound natural?

text: Does the sentence sound natural? > I don’t have either late-night nor between-meal snacks.


title: What is the simple subject in "Is that my bike"?

text: > Is that my bike? I'm not sure if the simple subject is _that_ or _bike_.


title: What is the word for something that is punishable by law, but is not a crime?

text: What is the legal term in English for something that is punishable by law, but is not a crime (i.e. does not affect your criminal record)? I mean all the lesser (than crime) violations of the law, such as   * parking where is it forbidden   * not wearing seat belts   * crossing the street on a red light   * drinking alcohol in public (in jurisdictions where is it punishable but not a crime)   * not registering your place of residence (in jurisdictions where such registration is compulsory) Any violations for which you can be punished by law, but once convicted, can still legally answer the question "Do you have a clean criminal record?" with "Yes", and doesn't prevent you becoming a member of parliament, taking certain jobs which require a clean criminal record, etc. Is there such a single legal term which unmistakably means only these "non- crime" actions punishable by law, and is not a broad term which just means any action punishable by law, be it crime and non-crime? The word in Polish language is "wykroczenie", but online dictionaries translate it as "offence". However the definition of "offence" is any breach of a law, so it is not the correct word. I am looking for the word which would be formally used in the legal code. Do the US/British/Australian laws even have such a distinction between crime and non-crime offences? I think there must be some, because I don't think a parking violation would go on your criminal record.


title: Word for "when somebody does something without realizing it"

text: I can't think of this word. It's when somebody is doing something but they don't realize they are doing it. For example: Suppose you're a girl and you are falling in love with a guy. When he laughs, you think hes so cute and you love it, but he doesn't realize that you love it. Or maybe the way he kisses your forehead, and he doesn't realize you go crazy over that. I'm not looking for _oblivious._


title: Bad Words in America

text: Why are cuss words bad? Like, they are just like any other word. And how come when people get mad, cussing helps them feel better?


title: Meaning of "I had just finished year 10 and summer break had begun"

text: > I had just finished year 10 and summer break had begun. What's the meaning of that year 10? Does it mean his age is 10? Or does it mean it's his tenth year of his school?


title: "Second," "Minute," and "Hour"

text: Would anyone happen to know where the terms for the units of time came from, and why? I know "minute," which also means something extremely small, comes from the latin meaning "small," but then why is it not the smallest unit of time? Also, is there any relation between the time unit "second" and the ordinal number "second"?


title: Why is the word "pepper" used for both capsicum (e.g. bell pepper) and piper (e.g. black pepper)?

text: They clearly look different and they don't have that much in common. Taxonomically, they also belong to different families ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/syCSG.jpg) ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/XxpJf.jpg)


title: Expression for asking a question in a way that assumes a certain solution?

text: Especially (but not only) with technical problems, people often ask questions in a way that assumes a certain solution. For example: > Where can I get a cheap taxi to the airport? But the person really just wants to get to the airport cheaply, and the best answer might be "Take the train." However, the question already assumes that a taxi is the right solution. Or: > What is the best glue to assemble a wooden garden shed? Which assumes that using glue is appropriate, when nails or screws might be better. This behaviour is also described in "How To Ask Questions The Smart Way" by Eric Steven Raymond: Describe the goal, not the step. Is there an expression for this kind of questions? It is similar to "begging the question", but not quite the same.


title: Grammatical relation of "time"

text: > Throughout the history of Europe, from the beginnings of heraldry up to our > time, national frontiers have shifted **_time_** and again, often as the > result of war, but also for example through marriage or inheritance. > (Volborth, Carl Alexander von., Heraldry of The World, pp177,178) What is the grammatical relation of "time" in above sentence? Does it mean "frequently" in here?


title: What does it mean when you say " you, there" in English?

text: I was watching Titanic the movie today. Someone came out of a room and saw another person and said with anger : you there? DOES IT MEAN " I AM HAPPYYOU ARE HERE" OR " I AM SURPRISED YOU ARE HERE" ?


title: Is  "choose from one of four options" wrong?

text: I need backup in pressing my case that the phrase “choose from one of four options” is grammatically incorrect. Is there some resource that can prove my case, that the incorrect phrase should be replaced with one of the two following ones? >   * Choose one of four options >   * Choose from four options >


title: May versus would

text: Which one of the sentences is the correct / preferable one? > May you send me a screenshot of the application you are developing? > > Would you send me a screenshot of the application you are developing?


title: What is 'Shrove Tuesday' called in protestant parts of the USA?

text: In England, and countries where the Anglican church has predominated, the Tuesday before Lent is known as 'Shrove Tuesday' from the word 'shrive' (to confess), which is what people traditionally did prior to Ash Wednesday. It is also known as 'Pancake day' when we traditionally indulge ourselves on things which were once forbidden during Lent. Across Europe the day has various names mostly all tending to mean 'Fat Tuesday', such as 'Mardi Gras'. In the Catholic and originally French parts of the United States it is called 'Mardi Gras'. But what is Fat Tuesday called across the vast swathe of protestant USA? By the way it is next Tuesday, 3rd March - one of its latest possible dates - since Easter is so late this year.


title: "of the three" vs "of all three"

text: If we make a sentence comparing the age of three people, we can say "A is the oldest **of the three**." At that time, would it be possible to say, "A is the oldest **of all three**." Is the sentence grammatically incorrect?


title: Origin and meaning of "The eagle flies at midnight"

text: > The eagle flies at midnight. What's the origin and meaning of this idiom?


title: When is it correct to start a sentence with a participial phrase?

text: > Spending an hour in the beauty salon, Melissa got a facial with a steam > mist. Are there cases where starting with a participial phrase is not correct?


title: What is “Kludgeocracy” in short, in plain words?

text: In Washington Post January 26, 2013 issue, Ezra Klein introduces the word, “Kludgeocracy” in his article titled, “Is America a ‘kludgeocracy’?,” which begins with the following sentence: In "Kludgeocracy: The American Way of Policy," Johns Hopkins political scientist Steven Teles argues that; > "The great agenda of the next four years of the Obama administration, and > probably the nation’s next thirty, is coming to grips with > **kludgeocracy**." > http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/01/26/is-america-a- > kludgeocracy/ And in the article, titled “Kludgeocracy in America” in National Affair, Steven Teles, the coiner of "kludgeocracy" writes: > “While we can name the major questions that divide our politics — liberalism > or conservatism, big government or small — we have no name for the dispute > between complexity and simplicity in government, which cuts across those > more familiar ideological divisions. For lack of a better alternative, the > problem of complexity might best be termed the challenge of " > **kludgeocracy**." A "kludge" is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as "an ill-assorted collection of parts assembled to fulfill a particular purpose...a clumsy but temporarily effective solution to a particular fault or problem," but I have difficulty in relating it to "kludgeocracy." What does "kludgeocracy" mean in short and in plain words? Is it easily understood by every Americans? Does it have to be computer-specific as a political terminology?


title: Sentence correction problem. GMAT related

text: **Compared to alligators, crocodiles are better able to tolerate high salinity, because, unlike alligators, the glands on crocodiles' tongues can expel salt.** The whole sentence is in question: A: Salt can be expelled through the glands on crocodiles' tongues and not through those on alligators' tongues; therefore, compared to alligators, crocodiles are more tolerant of high salinity B: Unlike alligators, crocodiles can expel salt through the glands on their tongues; crocodiles are thus more tolerant of high salinity than are alligators My question is which one of these is a better replacement. In choice B, do you need the last "are"? Is it redundant? IN choice A, is there anything wrong? What's wrong, if anything, with the word "and" in choice A?


title: Difference between "belong to" and "belong in"

text: How would you understand this example? > I actually belong in his world.


title: "A 1000 accounts" or "1000 accounts"

text: A friend tweeted > I am following a 1000 accounts now and I told him it was wrong but he says it's correct. I'm of the view that the correct one is > I am following 1000 accounts now. So which one is correct?


title: One word for 'Uncondition Learning'

text: 'uncondition learning' refers to forgetting the conditioning, society has given us. Also suggest related words.


title: what is the difference betweeen "accumulation" and "aggregation"

text: I looked up meriam webster and the two definitions seem to semantically largely overlap. the only thing hinting towards the existense of distinctness between the two terms, seemed to be: that the term "aggregation" is claiming certain qualities from the collection of elements. It doesn't suffice to have a group of elements to call them aggregation, there also has to be some other quality inherent to such a collection... but since I'm far away from being a native speaker, I would appreciate any help.


title: Ending sentence with "supposed to"

text: Is the following sentence acceptable? > He arrived ten minutes earlier than he was **supposed to**. It doesn't sound right, but I can't think of any better way to end the sentence.


title: Escalade vs escalate

text: Our company uses project management software called Jira. In Jira you can mark one issue so that it 'escalades' another, or 'is escaladed' by another. I think that is something like 'cause', but you can set 'cause' or 'is caused', so they are different. And I find the meme 'that escalated quickly', and looks like it has a similar meaning to escalade. Can anyone tell me what _escalade_ means in 'one issue escalades another'? Can I use _escalate_ instead?


title: Do "lamb" and "ram" share a common etymology?

text: A couple of times, I've noticed Japanese people mistakenly use "ram" instead of "lamb". For example > You broil lamb [correct] or mutton with vegetables. There are roughly two > ways to have Genghis Khan; either you broil the marinated meat or dip the > broiled meat in sauce. The difference between mutton and **ram** is in > stages of growth. The sheep for mutton is two or more years after its birth, > and that for **ram** is less than 12 months after its birth. [emphasis > added] This made me wonder: is the similarity between the two words, apart from the l/r difference, describing the same animal a coincidence? Etymology online says that ram and lamb are West Germanic and Germanic respectively, while Wiktionary traces lamb back to Proto-Indo-European but merely says that ram comes from Old English. Is it known whether the two are related? Failing that, is a change from an "l" to "r", or vice versa, unlikely enough to rule out this possibility?


title: What word best describes a "living hell"

text: I am looking for a word (or a phrase for that matter) to describe a "living hell". The word I am looking for should describe a situation that people would usually want to give up. To put things in context, here is the sentence where this word would fit. > Even in this **__** , I find a sense of solace. **Edit:** Since I am new here at ELU, I didn't realize that my question was that vague. But I want to describe the pain that I went through in the gym and how, despite the pain and the discomfort that I have been through, I have come to love it and how it soothes me. I hope it puts it in some context.


title: "In [noun] terms" vs. "in terms of [noun]"

text: What are the differences in meaning between the followings? >   * In society terms >   * In terms of society >


title: What is the full form of e.g.?

text: What is the full form of **"e.g."** as we use it to say **"for example"**? Like > There were people from many Asian countries e.g. India, Japan..


title: To hear something makes it audible, to see is visible, so what are touch and smell?

text: As the title states, if sound is audible, light is visible, what is a smell? And what is an object when you touch it?


title: What's the difference between “bucket” and “pail”?

text: What is the difference between _bucket_ and _pail_?   * Is there a distinction between the shape of a bucket and the shape of a pail?   * Are buckets and pails made of different materials?   * Is there a difference between substances carried in buckets and pails?   * Is there dialectal variation in the use of these words?   * Is one of these words old-fashioned? In other words,   * When is a native English speaker more likely to use the word _bucket_? (Please state the whereabouts of the speaker in question)   * When is a native English speaker more likely to use the word _pail_? (Ditto)


title: Are there any archaic words in older strands of English that approximate the modern term "badass"?

text: The reason I ask is that the feeling evoked by the term _badass_ feels to me like a human universal, so ought to have synonyms in any era. Trying to confirm my hypothesis, I hunted through the Online Etymology Dictionary, where I hoped to find archaic substitutes, which unforunately did not provide me a direct history for _badass_. Instead, it directed me toward "bad + ass", which feels sort of strange to me since I'm not sure you can get the feeling of this word by breaking it down into constituents -- one needs real-life examples, really. The "bad" of _badass_ seemed relevant towards the meaning, though, and here's what the Etymology Dictionary has to say: > [ _Bad_ 's] [i]ronic use as a word of approval is said to be at least since > 1890s orally, originally in Black Eng., emerging in print 1928 in a jazz > context. It might have emerged from the ambivalence of expressions like bad > nigger, used as a term of reproach by whites, but among blacks sometimes > representing one who stood up to injustice, but in the U.S. West bad man > also had a certain ambivalence: > >> _These are the men who do most of the killing in frontier communities, yet it is a noteworthy fact that the men who are killed generally deserve their fate._ [Farmer & Henley] Right, so _bad_ and hence _badass_ is a modern term, with the former appearing no earlier than 1928, and the latter having a '70s era feel for me. My question is, what were people using to describe badasses like William the Conqueror, William Wallace, and Samuel Whittemorein their time?


title: The opposite of "contains"

text: I was just wondering if anyone could think of a single word meaning the opposite of _contains_. E.g.   * This bottle of beer contains alcohol whereas this one doesn't.   * This bottle of beer _doesn't contain_ alcohol whereas this one does. Basically, I'm looking for a single word which means _doesn't contain_.


title: What does “It (the debt ceiling) is one law too many” mean?

text: There was the following sentence in Sept 29 New York Times article, titled “Obama should ignore the Debt Ceiling”: > “The debt ceiling is the fiscal equivalent of the human appendix — a law > with no discoverable purpose. **It is one law too many.** Once Congress has > set tax rates and spending levels, it has effectively said what it wants the > debt to be. If Congress leaves the debt ceiling at a level inconsistent with > duly enacted spending and tax laws, the president has no choice but to > ignore it.” http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/30/opinion/obama-should-ignore- > the-debt-ceiling.html What does (the debt ceiling is) “one law too many” mean? I found the idiom, “one too many” in the freedictionary com, which is defined as a euphemism implying drunkenness that comes from ‘one drink of liquor too many.’ Is “one law too many” a variation of “one too many”? Is the author Henry J. Aaron, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution saying the debt ceiling is a superfluous fiscal measure by likening it to human appendix?


title: Grammatical differences between "curio" and "curiosity" when used as an object noun

text: I've recently heard the term _curio_ when talking about a strange or foreign object, whereas previously I would have used the term _curiosity_ in that context. Is the use of the use of _curio_ a more correct term when speaking about an **object** , compared to _curiosity_ which is a better term for a **behaviour** , or can they be used interchangebly in the context of talking about an object? For example, contrast:   * I brought this **_curio_** back from the orient, but I'm not sure what it does.   * I brought this **_curiosity_** back from the orient, but I'm not sure what it does.


title: What does "smoothing" mean in the context?

text: Google Ngram Viewer On the page above, there is such a sentence: > Graph these case-sensitive comma-separated phrases between 1800 and 2000 > from the corpus English with a **smoothing** of 3. What does _smoothing_ mean in that context?


title: Category of words — 'another', 'an additional', "an alternative", etc

text: I'm afraid I've had a sudden lapse of memory and have forgotten what category these kinds of words belong to. These words are used to expand upon another point within the same category. For example: >   * One factor >   * **An additional** factor >   * **Another** factor >   * **An alternative** factor >


title: Difference between explaining and explanatory?

text: What's the difference between explaining and explanatory? I've looked in the dictionary and the translations are the same. Are they synonyms?


title: Divergence in meaning of "just about" between UK and North American English

text: Does anyone know anything about how the meaning of "just about" came to have opposite meanings in the UK and North America. For example, in the UK, **_The team just about won._** means that the team won, but it was close (ie **_The team barely won._** ). However, in North America, it means that the team almost won.


title: Can't , can not and cannot

text: Can't, can not and cannot is a bit confusing. I know that can't and can not are both grammatically correct. Is cannot a real word? Is it grammatically correct? Should it be written as one word or two?


title: Is 'win' or 'winning' more suitable?

text: In this sentence, which word is more suitable: > I'll think of you as we watch the Blue Socks **win/winning** the game. Any help about the grammar here would also be appreciated.


title: Word for a system that exhales gas

text: I'm looking for a word to describe a system that filters certain gases from a space and 'exhales' them outside. What verb can be used to describe that action?


title: Where is the root morpheme in Modern English abortion?

text: The question is not so easy as it seems. Let's analyze some derivatives: abortion, abortive, abortiveness, abortionist. The analysis of derivational suffixes (-ion, -ive, ive+ness etc.) helps to identify the end of the root. But what about the prefix? Is it possible to consider ab- in this word as a negative prefix, as for example in ab-normal or ab-duct? From etymological point of view the root must be OR (from L. abortivus "pertaining to miscarriage; causing abortion," from abort-, pp. stem of aboriri "disappear, miscarry," from ab- "amiss" (see ab-) + oriri "appear, be born, arise"). What about the root in Modern English (ort or abort) ?


title: What is a concise word or phrasing for "in a context without a user"?

text: I'm looking for a concise word or phrasing for "in a context without a user"? This is obviously in the context of software. More generally, what is a concise way of saying, "in a context without X (where X is usually assumed)?"


title: what is 'Oblique half sentences'?

text: I love comic books and I met these sentences in a comic book. > **"Do not speak in oblique half sentences. Bad habit. Helped stop what?"** What is **'oblique half sentences'**? I googled it a lot, but I'm still confused. Does this mean: 'The sentences which are not full sentences' or 'the sentences which can have at least two meanings'? Which one is right? I don't have anyone around me to help me with this. If anyone knows what this means, please help.


title: Word to describe quality of being a blind study

text: I'm writing an application that deals with blind studies. What would be the correct term to use when describing whether or not a study is blind? No matter which word I use it always ends up sounding awkward so I'm wondering what the correct term would be.   * Blindedness   * Blindness   * Blind   * Masked (?) I am also looking for the opposite words, for example, is it correct usage to describe users as "blind/unblind" or "blinded/unblinded"?


title: How to change the narration of this sentence?

text: "Going to marry a banker's daughter ,are you,jimmy?" said Ben to himself. Source - "The Retrieved Reformation"


title: Such is the way of American policymaking in health care

text: why did we use "Such" here ? is there any alternate to this sentence?


title: How to improve grammar ? i want to be a writer- recommendation needed

text: I want to improve my English grammar, including every little information like where to use exclamation, where to or not to use semi-colon etc. Can someone recommend any elementary or high school level or anything from where i can comfortably start working on my grammar? Thank you


title: Is there a more concise term for a long-term girlfriend/boyfriend than "significant other"?

text: I've been together with my boyfriend for around 9 years now. There are times when I want to communicate that I am referring to someone who plays a major role in my life, like that of a husband, and "boyfriend" does not seem adequate. To me, "boyfriend" seems to signify a newer relationship, one that is still in the experimental phase. I've tried out a couple of other words, but they don't seem to carry the meaning I want. "Partner" seems too detached, and makes me think of business partners. "Companion" makes me think of a dog. "Lover" seems too casual and is not really something I'd want to use in the workplace or when I'm trying to appear professional. "Significant other" is what I would like to say, but I dislike using the term because there are so many syllables and it seems so wordy. Is there a shorter term to use to describe a long term boyfriend/girlfriend that fills the role of a husband/wife?


title: Contraction for "owe on"; would it be "owe'n" or "ow'n"?

text: What would the contraction for _owe on_ be, _owe'n_ or _ow'n_?


title: When did the expression "Poor man's <noun>" originate?

text: Just wondering where the expression comes from and who is considered responsible for coining it.


title: Provide the medical term

text: Is there a **medical term** that defines when a person gets uncontrollably scared during a frightening action, such as on a roller coaster ride when it is going fast and turns a person upside-down and they scream and cry out of control?


title: Does the word, ‘napkin’ have a metaphoric or symbolic meaning other than a piece of cloth or paper used at meals?

text: There was the following sentence in the New York Times (April 5) article titled, “Steak for Two, Please, With a Side of Bribes” dealing with a recent bribery case of a New York State Congressman and a City Councilman. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/06/nyregion/steak-for-two-please-with-a-side- of-bribes.html?nl=nyregion&emc=edit_ur_20130405&_r=0 > “The link between corrupt politicians and steakhouses would appear to be so > obvious that corrupt politicians would avoid them altogether, especially > since there are apparently as many hidden microphones as shrimp cocktails at > a given table. But still they come. **Experts on either side of the napkin** > offered theories. “They’re men,” said Ben Benson, the owner of a steakhouse. > “Men go to steakhouses. The power lunches, the power dinners — it’s what the > steakhouse is all about.”” Though it seems ‘Expert on either side of the napkin” simply implies restaurant business expert to me, what does it exactly mean? Does the word, “napkin” have any specific metaphoric or symbolic meaning other than “a small square piece of cloth or paper, used while you are eating to protect your clothes or to clean your mouth or fingers” defined by Cambridge English Dictionary? Is “Expert on the napkin” a word on everybody’s lips?


title: What is the meaning of "coarse hand"?

text: Recently I came across the expression "coarse hand" and couldn't find its meaning. For example, > — Can you read?   >  — No, only coarse hand. What does this mean? **Edit** This is a term Twain used in _The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn_ > I was a good deal astonished, but when I got my breath I asked her what the > paper was about, and she asked me if I had read it, and I said no, and she > asked me if I could read writing, and I told her "no, only **coarse-hand** > ," and then she said the paper warn't anything but a book-mark to keep her > place, and I might go and play now.


title: Does the verb 'rain' belong to some special class of verbs since its subject is always 'it'?

text: The subject of the verb ' _rain_ ' is always ' _it_ ' when the referred sense of the verb is ' _rain fall_ ' > _**It_** rained heavily last night. > > Do you think **_it_** will rain again this evening? It looks as though the pronoun ' _it_ ', despite functioning as the subject of the verb ' _rain_ ', is merely acting as some sort of structural complement without adding anything to the meaning of the sentence. Does that make the verb ' _rain_ ' distinctive and add it to a special class of verbs?


title: "Lunch" vs "luncheon"

text: What is the difference between _lunch_ and _luncheon_? Is it just American spelling vs British spelling, or do they have some sort of formal/professional touch to them, say, a casual midday meal with friends is called _lunch_ while that with your colleagues/business clients is called _luncheon_?


title: Which is the correct idiom: "First thing's first" or "First things first"?

text: I've gotten into a debate over which usage of an apostrophe in the phrase "first thing(')s first" is correct. My thinking is that one would take the first _thing_ and give it priority, hence the first thing _is_ first, and that _thing's_ is a contraction of _thing_ and _is_. Her thinking is that there may be multiple _things_ that need doing first, so the phrase should be "first things first". What is the correct idiom?


title: Asking questions without subject-verb inversion — a new trend?

text: I don't know what it is called but I have seen people using the sentence which is the answer of some question as question itself. For example: > You are going to play tennis? (this isn't much common still not wrong) > > I am looking good? > > You will prefer tea or coffee? Is it just a new trend or some old style of speaking?


title: Need explanation about demonstrative determiner

text: Does the demonstratives refer to the next word or previously mentioned statement? > The medieval center is Prague Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral. An evening > view of **these** illuminated landmarks is one of the most memorable sights > in Europe. In the above sentence, does _these_ refer to "Prague Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral" or to the "illuminated landmarks"? I'm a little confused about this. A clear explanation would be great. Also, what's the difference between demonstrative determiners and demonstrative pronouns?


title: Is there a specific term in English for the smell of the early morning?

text: I'm not looking for words like "freshness" for example, but a word that is used exclusively to denote this specific smell.


title: Use of "permission" in technical writing

text: In a request for proposal (RFP) I am attempting to edit the following sentence-fragment which isn't grammatically correct:               "...except for staff permissioned to update..."      My problem is with the word "permissioned." The correct english word is "permission" and it should probably read:               "except for staff with the permission to update..."      That doesn't seem correct for an RFP though. Is there a better word or phrase to use that conveys the technical meaning of permissions for an IT system?


title: What's an adjective that means "has high expectations"

text: If you were to describe a person as someone who has high expectations or standards (of their work, peers, or subordinates), what word would you use? "Demanding" is the closest I have come but that's not quite correct. That leads to words like "stringent" and "exacting" which also aren't what I'm looking for. Context: the classic resume word-choice struggle As always, when nothing comes to mind I'm tempted to head back to the drawing board. Resume writing is such a silly exercise.


title: Capitalization of "the Company"

text: I am writing a business plan. It is lengthy, so instead of always mentioning the company by its full name, I will write, "the company provides...". Another writer wants me to capitalize "The Company" everywhere it is written in the document. I don't believe that is correct as _company_ is not a proper noun. Help.


title: Word for 'end of an era'?

text: I'm looking for the correct term for the "end of an era", preferably a single word. Essentially I'm looking for the antonym of **epoch**. Google's dictionary defines **epoch** as > The beginning of a distinctive period in the history of someone or > something. I'm looking for a word that means the following: > The end of a distinctive period in the history of someone or something. None of my searches have turned up anything. This is my first question here, please let me know if I'm doing it wrong.


title: "IT specialist" vs. "computer scientist"

text: I talked to my English teacher about what to name a person who works with computers. For Germans: _Informatiker_. As far as I know, the job is called "computer scientist", that's what most translators say. But my English teacher keeps telling me that the term is "IT specialist". "Computer scientists" are academic IT specialists, while the general worker is an "IT specialist". Which is the correct form, now? When I should use either? **EDIT** :   I need to clarify my problem.   I just finished my apprenticeship. As I said in my comment below, at the end of the apprenticeship, we all have the same degree, we are called in german "Informatiker". I made the apprenticeship in Switzerland, so maybe it is different in other countries. It doesn't matter if I work as a Java developer, so software engineer, or if I am working as a system engineer or, as oerkelens in his answer said, what ever you do in the nearly endless list of "computer worker", at the end, we all have the same degree. As part of an order in my english school class, we need to write an application letter on english for a fictitious job offer. So I need to translate my degree "Informatiker". When I search for "Informatiker" on the german Wikipedia (http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Informatiker), and switch then the language to english, the article about the computer scientist will be displayed. But my english teacher marked it as wrong, because of the reasons said above. I agree to write the exact role like _application engineer_ if you currently working as such one. But in my case, I'm not an application engineer. I'm a general IT-specialist | computer sientist.


title: What is the word for a person who causes disruptions in electronic equipment?

text: I once saw reference to a noun that identified a person whose physical presence disrupts equipment, particularly electronic devices. Any ideas?


title: Is "With [noun], [subject] [verb]" acceptable instead of "[subject] [verb] with [noun]"?

text: As an example, is "With grace, she danced." instead of "She danced with grace" proper? It seems to me that "with grace" is an adverb phrase, similar to "gracefully", so it should be able to be used in the same way. ("Gracefully, she danced.") Somehow, it doesn't seem right to me though.


title: What is a one-person business called?

text: I'm wondering what is the term for the person, that is doing business on his/her own and has tax liability. It's different in each country, I'd like to know how they are called in USA and UK.


title: What is the correct usage of 'worse' and 'worst'?

text: I've noticed a lot of people who, according to the way I was taught, misuse the words 'worse' and 'worst'. The way I understand it, 'worse' is for comparisons, and 'worst' is the superlative. But more and more I see people using them in the exact opposite positions. > That's the worse thing I've ever seen. > > This can't get any worst. This specific thing seems to occur a lot more than any mistakes, so I'm wondering what's up with this.


title: Difference between Thee and thou?

text: What is the difference between _thee_ and _thou_ and how are they used?


title: For a reflective essay, I need a substitute for the word "I"

text: I am writing a reflective essay for school and my teacher corrected me that I was repeating too much the word "I". He said: "I know this essay is about yourself, but is there another word than can be substituted for I? Overuse of any personal pronoun will wear down the reader. Keep working at it." How can I replace this pronoun?


title: What is the opposite of 'a false dawn'

text: What is the opposite of a false dawn, a false dawn being "a promising situation which comes to nothing". The sentence I'm thinking of would be something like: They started off well and it was not a false dawn it was ...?


title: What is the difference between "check something" and "check on something"

text: For example if in answer to the question, "what time does the shop close?" a tourist information officer might say, "I'll check on that for you." Why wouldn't they say, "I'll check that for you."?


title: revise/revision (British)

text: In American English _revision_ is used in the sense of redaction, but in British English it’s used in the sense of studying for exams. So what do British English speakers say when they want to talk about “ _revisionist_ history” or “ _revised_ the terms of the agreement” or “ _revised_ his answer”?


title: Meaning of "I'm kind of on a clock here"

text: In the TV show _Friends_ , there is the following conversation: > — Did you ask him?   >  — No, I haven't had a chance yet.   >  — I'm kind of on a clock here.   >  — Oh, Fonzie.   >  — You know who I always liked? Mork. So what does _on a clock_ mean? Does it mean "in a hurry"?


title: The grammar of the parenthesis clause

text: Among the following sentences, which is right? >   * John, when work alone, is very productive. >   * John, when working alone, is very productive. > And also, what is this kind of clause called?


title: One word for "change of requirements"?

text: In software or in Any Industry the change of requirements is often seen. Is there a particular single word that can describe the "change of/in requirements". Apart form updation, editing, amendment etc.


title: Difference between 'Forgetting' and 'would forget' in this sentences

text: Is there only an issue of style difference between the following sentences:   * > If he had to describe himself in five words, he'd say he's curious, forgetting to give you four more words.   * > If he had to describe himself in five words, he'd say he's curious. And then forget to give you four more words. Does it make sense to think that the second example emphasizes that he has forgotten to give four more words, rather than that he is curious? Note: I'm not sure whether the first one is grammatical, and the second one is very hard to understand for a non-native English speaker.


title: Is "for all who" grammatical?

text: The context is: > The blog for all who want to learn German. I feel like this is not correct, but the only alternative I can think of is: > The blog for all those who want to learn German. While just being one word longer this feel boring and stiff to me. Is the original sentence perhaps grammatically correct, after all?


title: Can a statement be both negative and positive after saying "Whatever you do..."?

text: Sometimes you are given advice. Sometimes in the form of > What ever you do, _statement_ Can this statement be both positive and negative? E.g. > Whatever you do, don't take off your seat belt while driving. > > Whatever you do, keep your seat belt on while driving. > > Whatever you do, don't ignore your customers. > > Whatever you do, always listen to your customers. The positive statements seem odd.


title: Why "the Sun Tzu" instead of just "Sun Tzu"?

text: I am reading a military history text that repeatedly refers to "the Sun Tzu" but does not give similar treatment to other authors (an example is "Clausewitz and the Sun Tzu disagree on ..."). I have never seen this usage of the definite article with the author's name, and it seems incorrect to me.


title: Definite article usage: "I'm going to mosque" Or "I'm going to the mosque"?

text: AS Hornby says in one of his books that we should always use **the** before **mosque,** and **temple** unlike **church**. When we go to a church for prayer, we say > _I am going to church_ while we say > _I am going to the church_ when we go to a church to whitewash it. I thought, until I read Hornby that the same rule applied to **mosque** and **temple**. But Hornby says that we should say > _I am going to **the** mosque_ whether we are going there for prayer or not. To make it clear one should add a phrase with the sentence like _for prayer_ or _for whitewashing it_. Another British grammarian named Hewings says in his _Advanced English Grammar_ that the same rule as that of **church** applies to **mosque**. In his opinion one should say > _I am going to mosque_ when he is going there for prayer and > _I am going to the mosque_ when he is going there for some other thing than prayer. Both are British grammarians of English. Who is to be followed, Hornby or Hewings?


title: What's the best way to say: "which one is more true or more accurate"?

text: What's the best way to say: "which one is more true or more accurate" when talking about 2 words?


title: "will you be going home" vs. "will you go home"

text: What's the difference between saying; > Will you be going home this summer? > > Will you go home this summer? Are there any differences between these in written or spoken English?


title: If an adjective is removed, what's the consequence?

text: OK. I am going to mess with the Constitution and remove the word "several." Would the meaning of the Commerce Clause be the same? > The Commerce Clause refers to Article 1, Section 8, Clause 3 of the U.S. > Constitution, which gives Congress the power “to regulate commerce with > foreign nations, and among the **several** states, and with the Indian > tribes.”


title: Is "steepness" a proper word?

text: I am a marketing writer and am working on a product description, which would be as follows: > We track cool metrics like location, duration, speed and steepness. Is that use of the word correct? Any insight would be wonderful.


title: How do you rephrase a quality about yourself as a skill, specifically, being detail oriented?

text: I am filling out questions for a job application on-line. I am to list the top skills I used in my last position. The job I had was somewhat like editing, but for item records on a library circulation system. Mentioning my linguistics training doesn't exactly fit the bill. However it absolutely required a detail oriented eye. What say you?


title: Opposite of "literal"

text: I was listening to the radio today, and someone said, "The couple came across a literal 'pot of gold.'" It made me think: how do you say the opposite of that? I'm looking for a statement or phrase that lets you know that an idiom is an idiom and not to be taken "literally."


title: Is "British" a noun or an adjective in "British PM"?

text: While reading through this question another occurred to me. If a headline reads > British PM says no to inflatable cars. Is _British_ a noun or an adjective? Granted, there are other noun forms of British but how about _French_ in > French PM says yes! The example from the original question quoted > Yemen PM Escapes Assassination Since the adjective for the people of Yemen is _Yemeni_ , this is clearly a noun adjunct. However, in those cases where the noun and the adjective forms are the same (British, French, Greek, Italian etc.) as in the example above, are these adjectives or nouns? They can be taken as either.


title: "When X is" or "When X will be"?

text: I always have a tough time with this. Suppose the following: > The software will be installed when the computer is ready. versus > The software will be installed when the computer will be ready. Technically, both events are in the expected future (the computer being ready as a premise for the software being installed), but which one is right, or if they are both right, what nuance do they convey?


What are all the words that make up a complete list of linking verbs in English? My English teacher from what I can remember listed them as follows, am I missing any?   * is    * am   * are   * was   * were   * be   * been   * being   * has   * have   * had   * do   * does   * did   * may   * might   * must   * can   * could   * will   * would   * shall   * should   * seem   * become   * appear   * look   * smell   * taste   * sound   * feel Thank You Mr. Weber of Era, Texas for being the best English teacher in the world.


title: Why are spies called "spooks"?

text: In many books, I've seen the word 'spook' used to mean some kind of spy. Definition 5 on dictionary.reference.com confirms this usage, but is not very helpful about the origin. Does anyone know how this definition came about? More details (does it only refer to American spies? only spies friendly to the speaker?) would also be appreciated.


title: The word 'Yahoo'

text: In my country, people use the word "Yahoo" as an expression of enthusiasm, joy, jubiliation and victory. What is the origin and original meaning of the word yahoo? As for that matter, what is most commonly accepted meaning of the word today? Is it commonly used as an expressive word nowadays? Or, is it the case that it is just the popular website, and the word has otherwise become redundant?


title: What is the origin of the phrase "Eastern Seaboard"?

text: Today upon hearing reports about how Hurricane Earl was going to hug the Eastern Seaboard I couldn't help but think how strange this phrase is. Is "seaboard" used in any other contexts? What is the origin of this phrase? Does anyone in the US west coast considered their coastline the "Western Seaboard"?


title: Difference between “with”, “at” and “for” with a business title and a company name

text: The prepositions “with”, “at” and “for” are also used to associate a business title with a company's name. It seems that they are interchangeable, with no (significant) difference in meaning. The following examples taken from The New York Times website seem to confirm that: > Until now, said Justin Nielson, a **senior analyst for** the media research > firm SNL Kagan, “there really hasn't been any direct competitor . . . > > “The consumer is still deleveraging,” said Jason Goldberg, a **senior > analyst with** Barclays. “It's not a lack of supply; it's a lack of demand.” > > “There’s the party of fear and the party of despair,” Nikos Xydakis, a > political analyst and an **editor at** Kathimerini daily, said. Are they really the same as for meaning? If it isn't so, what is the difference between them?


title: Meaning of "kick out the last jam of the set"

text: I can't clearly get this phrase. Is it related to the "kick out the jams"? Or "jam" means the song/jazz improvisation, so what does "kick out" mean in that case? The context is "they are kicking out the last jam of their set".


title: We, he and I vs. us, him and me

text: The sentence is, > Our Supervisor finally noticed that it was we, **Kim and I** , who always > turn in our reports on time. Should it actually be _you and me_ or _you and I_?


title: English Subjunctive: An Imposition from Latin?

text: Often English grammar (as well as Koinê Greek, e.g "deponent", and probably others), has often been ruled by what I call "totalitarian grammarians" who impose Latin structures on it rather than doing a thorough internal study of the language; this is part of why the rules of classic English grammar can be so convoluted. (My father couldn't make any sense out of grammar in grade school but after studying linguistics is now a grammarian). Has English historically had a subjunctive, or is that an imposition of a Latin form upon the English construct that translates it? In other words, is there a more accurate description of what is often termed subjunctive in English?


title: Single term to include children from multiple births

text: I’m wondering if there is single term to indicate that a child is a twin, triplet, quadruplet, etc., without specifying the exact number of siblings in the multiple birth. For example, a “multiple-birth child”.


title: Is “the exchange (between Perry and Romney) was not the clear winner” a common English expression?

text: I noticed the line “ _the exchange was not the clear winner_ ” in the following sentence of the article titled “The Take: Perry’s challenging road ahead” appearing in Washington Post Sept. 24 issue: “On Thursday, Social Security was a principal point of contention between the two, and it illustrated Perry’s problems. _The exchange was not the clear winner_ that Romney might have hoped, but that ‘s largely because Perry’s position remains something of a muddle.” To me, the expression “ _exchange = (not) clear winner_ ” sounds somewhat illogical, because “the exchange” can’t be equal (or not equal) to “the clear winner,” though the result could be. A person can be a winner or loser, but can the abstractive noun like 'exchange' be a winner or loser, unless used as a metaphor? Shouldn’t it be something like “The exchange did not show (prove / result in / turn out) the clear winner. Maybe I’m nit-picking, but I wonder if this kind of expression; “His argument was a winner,” “Ryo Ishikawa’s play was a loser” “Obama’s Middle-East talk was a loser,” “Sarah Palin’s speech was a creater,” are common English expressions?


title: "X is me" or "X is myself"

text: Which is correct? > The English Stack Exchange user with the ID of 5481 is **me**. > > The English Stack Exchange user with the ID of 5481 is **myself**.


title: Seem out to do something - meaning

text: Source: http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2014-04-04/putin-s-rejection-of- the-west-in-writing?cmpid=yhoo > In fact, after Moscow's Crimean adventure, the West **seems out to prove** > this point of view correct. By talking of "containing" Russia and breaking > off all kinds of cooperation, from trade and visa liberation talks to Group > of Eight meetings to joint programs with the National Aeronautics and Space > Administration, Western governments cast themselves in the role of wolves > shedding their sheep's clothing. What does **the West seems out to prove this point** mean?


Is there a word for an example that is wrong? That is, using an example in an argument that is either a misrepresentation or does not illustrate what the arguer suggests it does. Is there a word for this kind of false example?


title: What is the plural of 'sorry'?

text: One apology --> many apologies. One good deed --> many good deeds. One sorry --> many **_** ?


title: “If this, and if that.” With or without Comma?

text: > I’ll appreciate it if you wash the car, and if you take out the trash. Should I use a comma before _and_ , or not?


title: What does “more cowbell” mean? Has it gotten the currency as an idiom or a buzz word?

text: I saw the article reporting 2011 Mark Twain Prize giving ceremony held on October 23rd at Kennedy Center, under the title “At Mark Twain shebang, _comics clank a cowbell or two_ for Will Ferrell” in the October 24 issue of Washington Post. I was arrested with the expression “comics clank a cowbell or two,” and then found another “cowbell” in the subsequent sentence: “If you are a fan of the SNL sketch “cowbell,” you have got to tell Will,” Andy Samberg told the audience, “since the entire world still beg him for “ _more cowbell_.” As I wasn’t clear about what “clank a cowbell or two” and “more cowbell” mean, I checked some online dictionaries and found the following definition of “more cowbell” in the Urban Dictionary:   * more cowbell - A quote from a Saturday Night Live skit featuring Blue Oyster Cult members recording "Don't Fear the Reaper" with a producer telling them to add "more cowbell". A funny pun on the cowbell in the song by BOC. Billy: "It needs more cowbell!" Joe: "LOLLERSKATES!" From this I guess “more cowbell” means “more animation (ginger or substance)" or "sound volume" though I’m not sure. Tell me if I’m wrong. But what does “comics clank a cowbell or two” mean? Why is “more cowbell” in singular form while "a cowbell or two" is in countable (noun) form? Is it because the former is used as an abstract noun and the latter is a material noun? Is either “more cowbell” or "clank a cowbell" getting (or has it gotten) currency as an idiom or a buzz word? The “cowbell” is clamoring for me to ask a spell of questions.


title: Questions containing "or"

text: > Do you prefer to stay home, or do you want to come with us?   >  Should I prepare dinner, or are we going to go to the restaurant? Are the questions correctly written?   Is there a preferred way to write such questions?


title: Is there a difference between the pronunciation of a teenager, and the pronunciation of an adult?

text: In my travels in the USA (on Long Island), I noted that the pronunciation used by a teenager sounds different from the pronunciation used by an adult. Does such difference exist, or is it just my impression?


title: When Americans say someone has ''no accent'', what do they mean exactly?

text: As in my title question. Do they mean a specific region of the US, something else?


title: When & Progressive Tense

text: Well, the answer to the question I'm going to ask you might have seemed evident to me before but now after I've been thinking about it for some time I've got stuck. Here below ther're 4 sentences.   1. A man shouldn't think about risk when a lady's asking for help.   2. A man shouldn't be thinking about risk when a lady asks for help.   3. A man shouldn't be thinking about risk when a lady's asking for help.   4. A man shouldn't think about risk when a lady asks for help. Here're my thoughts:   1. A man shouldn't think about risk (ever, there's sort of regularity here, that's why I'm using a Simple Tense) when a lady's asking for help (to me the action of asking for help is more prolonged than the action of thinking, at the same time the action of asking for help is the one interrupted by the action of thinking; thus, I'm using a Progressive Tense here).   2. A man shouldn't be thinking about risk (at some certain moment (a Progressive Tense) which is expressed by the 2nd action) when a lady asks for help (a regular action (a Simple Tense)).   3. A man shouldn't be thinking about risk (is the action which is going together with the 2nd action) when a lady's asking for help (these 2 actions are kind of parallel, that's why I'm using a Progressive Tense in both cases.).   4. Both actions are regular and are a kind of a rule, that's why I'm using a Simple Tense in both cases. Would be grateful for your answers!


title: What is the meaning of the phrase "cut five sides in [something]"?

text: I was browsing the Elvis Presley page on Wikipedia when I read a strange sentence: > During a two-week leave in early June, Presley **cut five sides in > Nashville**. I've never heard this phrase before. It doesn't really come up on Google, except in copies of the Wikipedia article. In context, it seems like it could mean something similar to "went on a whirlwind tour", but I'm not sure. I would like to change the sentence to use a more common phrasing, so it can be understood by a wider audience, but I can't change it if I don't know what the original thought was!


title: Relative Clause: 'that' & 'which'

text: Here'are two sentences:   1. It's not beer WHICH destroys people, it's beer WHICH does it to them.   2. It's not beer THAT destroys people, it's beer THAT does it to them. Pretty weird sentences but they are qoutes from a Russian movie translated into English :) Which sentence sound more natural? To me both are okay as both, 'that' and 'which', may introduce a restrictive relative clause. Here's what Oxford says: http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/words/that-or-which Thank you for your answers!


title: Women and children

text: I keep seeing and hearing the expression _women and children_ in print and on NPR when referring to a set of people in a war zone. Do they literally mean _women and children_? Or has that become an expression to mean something else, like maybe _civilians_ or _vulnerable members of society_? Of course I know what women and children are, but why would a government official or military leader interviewed on NPR refer to that particular group of people literally? It sounds silly to me, so I'm wondering if maybe this is an accepted way to refer to a certain group of people in a war zone or conflict who aren't directly involved in it.


title: Capitalisation of nouns in English in the 17th and 18th centuries

text: It seems to have been common practice in the 17th and 18th centuries in Britain to capitalise the first letters of nouns in English, e.g. > At which Time he prov'd himself the Noah's Dove, that finding himself no > Rest anywhere, was receiv'd again into his own Ark, and brought a peaceable > Olive-Leaf in his mouth. Most original sources I can find on the net have used modern rules for capitalisation, so what I'd like to know is:   * was the practice used for all nouns (note _mouth_ in my quotation above isn't capitalised)?   * when did this practice begin?   * when did it end, and why?


title: Did English use to have capitalization rules similar to German's current rules?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Capitalisation of nouns in English in the 17th and 18th centuries I was looking up an article of the constitution of the United States of America, and I noticed in the exact transcription that almost every noun is capitalized. > All **Bills** for raising **Revenue** shall originate in the House of > Representatives; but the Senate may propose or concur with amendments as on > other **Bills.** > > * * * > > No **State** shall enter into any Treaty, Alliance, or Confederation; grant > Letters of Marque and Reprisal; coin **Money** ; emit Bills of Credit; make > any **Thing** but gold and silver **Coin** a **Tender** in **Payment of > Debts** ; pass any Bill of Attainder, ex post facto **Law** , or Law > impairing the Obligation of Contracts, or grant any Title of Nobility. The emphasis is mine, but the capitalization is present in the original text. Many of these nouns seem like they would not be capitalized today, especially, _Thing._ Did English once have capitalization rules like German has today, or is this 18th-century legalese?


title: Help me parse this sentence, please?

text: > Observable as a tendency of our culture is a withdrawal of belief in > psychoanalysis: we no longer feel that it can solve our emotional problems. This is from GRE verbal tests. From what I guess the author want to say, I parse it like this: > Observable as a tendency (of our culture is a withdrawal (of belief in > psychoanalysis)): we no longer feel that it can solve our emotional > problems. But in that way, the part before the colon ("Observable as a tendency") lacks a verb. How do you guys think?


title: What is the origin of the phrase "hunky dory"?

text: What is the origin of the phrase “hunky dory”?


title: Why do "consulting engineers" advise, not consult?

text: I am interested to find if the two terms _consulting_ and _advising_ are interchangeable, particularly in business. Generally, one consults someone else, who advises. That is, the seeker of information is consulting, and the giver of information advises. However, there are firms of _consulting engineers_ and other similar outfits. They don’t consult, they advise, so it appears that the terms are indeed synonymous, at least in certain circumstances. What are those circumstances? The dictionary definitions I found (linked above) don’t mention that _consult_ can mean _advise_ or _counsel_.


Prompted by this question I got to thinking about the placement of the word _now_. If it's placed _before_ the comma, it refers to an immediate condition: > You don't want to answer this word-placement question now, do you? You might want to answer the question, but the situation is not urgent. You could answer it tomorrow. In fact, it might preferable to answer that question tomorrow if, say, it was your lawyer talking to you and your answer was going on the record. But if you place it this way, > You don't want to answer this word-placement question, now do you? it hasn't anything to do with time. _Now_ functions in a different capacity, but I'm not really sure what that is. An interjection, perhaps? Something else?


title: Word for "creating laughter"

text: I'm looking for a literary word which means "to create laughter". Is there such a word in English? I'm going to use this word in the following title: > Philosophical Theories of "Creating Laughter" and Study of Adaptive Samples > of His Humor


title: What's the meaning of 'one after the other' in this sentence

text: An illness to which man is prone to any age, claimed the one who was **one after the other** abbot, officer, scholar, writer, banker, con artist, magician, infantryman, spy, diplomat, but always claiming his Venetian origins. I think it equals 'among', am I correct?


title: "Work" vs. "working" (noun)

text: What are the differences between _work_ and _working_ when used as nouns? For example: > Advocates claim that **work/working** brings a lot of benefits for young > people. Which one is correct? I have searched in a dictionary but they are defined with nearly the same meaning.


title: Difference between "selfish" and "self-centered"

text: Is there a difference between the meaning of _selfish_ and _self-centered_? I have seen some using them identically. If there is a difference who would you like to hang out with: a _selfish_ person or a _self-centered_ person?


title: Why is there no article in "The Child is father of the man"?

text: _The Rainbow_ by William Wordsworth: > My heart leaps up when I behold   >  A Rainbow in the sky:   >  So was it when my life began;   >  So is it now I am a man;   >  So be it when I shall grow old,   >  Or let me die!   >  The Child is **father** of the man;   >  And I wish my days to be   >  Bound each to each by natural piety. I am trying to understand, why there is no "the" before "father" in this poem? Would you please explain the reason?


title: What's a punchline?

text: What's a punchline in a paragraph? Is it the same as topic sentence, or is it a conclusion sentence? Can you provide a concrete example of punchline?


title: Word request: section of a book dealing with odd miscellaneous topics

text: I vaguely remember that there's a term for a section of a book which deals in odd miscellaneous topics -- not exactly the same as "appendix". Any suggestions? The words I can think of are all dancing around this idea: "arcana", "apocrypha", "errata".


title: Use of the term “Sharia Law”

text: I understand that _Sharia_ is the religious law of Islam. Is the term “Sharia Law” redundant? I hear and read it all the time.


title: "But (something) instead" versus "but instead (something)"

text: Please consider the sentences: > They do not overpower the city, _but empower it instead_. > > They do not overpower the city, _but instead empower it_. I'm doubting the use of _but + instead_. Is either incorrect syntactically? If not, which one reads better? NB: it is for an academic paper.


title: How do native English speakers respond to "Thank you"?

text: In my school and university I was taught to say **"Not at all"** or **"Don't mention it"** in response to **"Thank you!"**. Now I rarely hear these phrases used, but rather something like **"You're welcome"** , **"It's OK"** , **"My pleasure"** , or **"No problem"**. My real life conversation experience is very poor. I often listen to some English learning podcasts, and watch some films in English. So I listen to dialogs, which are probably not from the modern real life world. How do native English speakers tend to respond to "Thank you!" now? What I should care about, when choosing from the available options?


title: Different ways to say "you're welcome"

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  How do native English speakers respond to "Thank you"?   >  Can “Sure” be used to respond to “Thanks”?   >  Is “not at all” still alive and doing well? I'm getting thanked a lot these days and want to find lots of different ways to say _you're welcome_. Could _for sure_ mean _you're welcome_?


title: 'Lack of Side' as used by Dick White, former Intelligence Chief of MI5 and MI6

text: > During Dick White's post-Oxford academic career he traveled to Ann Arbor, > Michigan in 1928 to continue studying history at the University of Michigan. > Upon arrival at the campus White was warmly greeted by the President and > other officers of the university. In Tom Bower's biography of Dick White, > 'The Perfect English Spy' White is described as being overwhelmed by his > hosts' **'lack of side'** and 'the American way'. He was genuinely impressed > with his hosts' spirit of generosity and equality. **'Lack of side'** didn't appear in any slang dictionaries. I interpret it to mean White's hosts did not display any pro-American bias or attitudes of superiority, as might team members of a football club would sing the praises of their own 'side'. Did I get this right?


title: Our being vs. the fact that

text: While editing a writing sample of mine, my boyfriend made the following correction: > When we are more active online, **our being** solely distributed in the > Greater Detroit area will be inconsequential. > > When we are more active online, **the fact that we are** solely distributed > in the Greater Detroit area will be inconsequential. I've always been taught to avoid the "the fact that" construction. Is "our being" grammatically incorrect here?


title: Does this semicolon work here?

text: Can a semicolon be used here? "Hello Justin; this is Rebecca." Or is it just a comma that should be placed there? Or do of them both work in a sentence?


title: "Take a rest" or "have some rest"?

text: Which one of the above is the correct, or can I use both? Or is there any better way to say that?


title: To acknowledge or clear an error condition?

text: I thought I've asked this question somewhere before but I cannot find it. When a machine enters an error state, e.g. a printer runs out of ink, it will usually display an error message and stop working until the user has noticed the error condition and maybe, done something to fix it (e.g. replace the ink cartridge). Printers may re-initialize when the housing is closed again, a digital camera may require an input in order to retry moving a stuck lens. I have to label a button that starts this re-initialization process on a machine, or that causes it to retry whatever it failed to do previously. What would that be called?


title: How old is "Bollocks!"?

text: As a non-English native it took me years to grow up and understand, what meant "Never Mind the Bollocks" as the title of Sex Pistols album. Using "bollocks" as "rubbish", "crap" or what so ever took much more. And after that I somehow automatically bound "bollocks!" with Sex Pistols. Suddenly I understood, that it is so just in my world. Or isn't? Is there some etymology of the idiom(?) ? How old it is in English?


title: A word for something that's done only half-consciously

text: In writing fiction, I find myself using the word "absentmindedly" a lot, but I don't think it's really the word I'm looking for. I'm not looking so much something done in a _distracted_ manner, but something done sort of half- consciously, without really thinking about it. Not habitual either, but perhaps _almost_ instinctual. For instance: > As James watched the other girl climb higher, he shuddered to think of his > own sister being in such danger, and put his arm _absentmindedly_ around > her. What I'm trying to relate is that he wasn't making a conscious move to comfort or embrace his sister, he just did it without thinking.


title: Present perfect tense

text: When changing a sentence to present perfect tense, is it compulsory the verb changes tense too. For instance 'David begins his training today' changes to 'David has begun his training already'. Does the sentence 'David runs every day' changes to 'David has run as many as five miles today' or 'David has ran as many as five miles today'


title: What's the preferred style for a résumé?

text: I’m in the process of converting my CV into a résumé. I have a few options for the bits about where I worked and what I did.   1. I implemented X, I used Y to do it, I coordinated Z.   2. (current CV format, kinda) Implemented X. Utilised Y. Coordinated Z.   3. Third Person: He did X, He used Y He coordinated Z  I hate 1 and 3 as options. 1 reads like a junior-school essay “wot I did on my holidays”. 2 is the current format for my CV, bulleted list with lots of “action verbs”. What’s the _right_ way to do this for an American-style résumé?


title: Is there a word for "flashbacks within flashbacks"?

text: Is there any single word in English for **flashbacks within flashbacks**?


title: "To develop" vs. "On developing"

text: I am writing a school project report and I came across the following. What is the difference between the two? Which is more preferred if there is no difference in meaning? > Our focus is _on developing_ a model that is both easy and extendable... > > Our focus is _to develop_ a model that is both easy and extendable...


title: Correct words for transitional and non-transitional

text: I'm trying to explain two different ways of doing something and can't remember the correct words. I have a stock room full of items Way 1: > Every week count how many of each item there are, write this down. Way 2: > When items come in/leave; add or take from the current stock level. I want to call these transitional and non-transitional but am certain there are correct words to describe these two different approaches. What are they?


title: Best synonym for "unraveled"

text: > That means decision-making, particularly with guard Russell Westbrook and > forward Kevin Durant, 23-year-old All-Stars who came **unraveled** in last > season's playoffs when they advanced to the conference finals for the first > time. What's the best synonym for _unraveled_? How about using _falling apart_ or _undone_?


title: What does “Leave the accent behind? Your accent gives you away,” mean?

text: I came across an interesting web site that teaches non-native English speakers how to speak like an American. The catch of the site reads “Leave the accent behind. Your accent gives you away.” I understand it means “Part with your local accent. Your accent gives you disadvantage.” Dictionaries at hand carry both idioms of “leave stg. behind” and “give stg. away,” but I find none of the listed definitions that seem to be pertinent to the above particular phrase. Can you explain what “leave something behind” and “Something gives somebody away” mean and the scope of usage of these two idioms?


title: 'Blowing Dixie double four time' and 'He can play the honky tonk like anything' meaning

text: in Dire Straits "Sultans of Swing" what is the meaning of these two lines: In the first verse: > You get a shiver in the dark   >  It's been raining in the park but meantime   >  South of the river you stop and you hold everything   >  A band is **blowing Dixie double four time**   >  You feel all right when you hear that music ring As I understand _blowing Dixie_ means something like fooling around. But what is _double four time_? And then later: > And Harry doesn't mind if he doesn't make the scene.   >  He's got a daytime job, he's doing alright.   >  **He can play the honky tonk like anything,**   >  Savin' it up for Friday night. What does it mean? Is he playing really good but saving it up or doesn't do it very well? Thanks.


title: What is noun to adjective conversion called?

text: Are there any terms used to describe the conversion of a noun into an adjective and vica versa?               redundant -> redundancy      Synonyms are when two words mean the same thing. Is there a term similar to this for these purposes?


title: What does "I’ve had a little bit too much" mean?

text: I don't understand this sentence: > I’ve had a little bit too much. What does it mean? PS. My native language is Ukrainian (Russian)


title: "Appointed as" or just "appointed"?

text: Is it more correct to say > a) John was appointed as manager of ACME. or > b) John was appointed manager of ACME. Or are they interchangeable?


title: Variations in meaning between "Last week" vs. "The last week" vs "The last n weeks"?

text: Similarly between "Last month" and "The last month". Last week implies, at some point during the _previous_ week. Not inclusive of the current week. What exactly does the last week mean? Is that inclusive of the current time? Same question for the last _n_ weeks? Or are phrases ending with _ago_ the only qualifier for being for being inclusive of the current week? _A month ago_ pretty obviously implies a period of 30 days going back from current time. Thanks in advance!


title: Does "the attached updated User Guide" sound wrong?

text: I updated a User Guide, and according to my company's processes I have to send the document with tracked changes to our operations. So I wrote this email: > Dear operations, > > Please take a look at the attached updated User Guide and let me know blah > blah. > > Blah, > > Blah Blah. Does the sentence sound right or had I better rephrase it so as to avoid "attached updated"? For example, > Please find the updated User Guide attached and let me know blah blah.


title: Is it correct to use this expression in an email: "Attached you may find ..."?

text: Is it grammatical to use the expression "Attached you may find ..." in an email? For example: > Dear Sir or Madam, > > Attached you may find the documents you requested. > > ... If this is proper, should there be a comma just after "Attached"? > Attached, you may find the documents you requested.


title: 'and to' quagmire

text: Consider: > Her goal is to pioneer the idea of gardening in small or urban environments, > and to inspire and educate people everywhere to grow their own organic food > and live sustainably. The comma is not warranted as _and to inspire and educate..._ is not a main clause. How could it be made grammatical? For instance, is it valid to consider her goal (goals?) to consist of a list of two items:   1. _pioneer the idea of gardening in small or urban environments_   2. _inspire and educate people everywhere to grow their own organic food and live sustainably._ It would then instead be (removing the comma and the second _to_ ): > **Her goal is to** _pioneer the idea of gardening in small or urban > environments_ **and** _inspire and educate people everywhere to grow their > own organic food and live sustainably_. Alternatively, considering the last part as a third item, it would be (using a serial comma): > **Her goal is to** _pioneer the idea of gardening in small or urban > environments_ , _inspire and educate people everywhere to grow their own > organic food_ , **and** _live sustainably_. Source.


title: How did "ropey" come to mean "of poor quality"?

text: Rope is typically long, strong and fibrous. So how did us Brits come to use "ropey" to describe something of poor quality? > _British informal_ of poor quality:   >       _a portrait by a pretty ropey artist_ While we're on the subject, why do we also say we "feel ropey" when we're not too well or hungover?


title: Past or Future?

text: Every so often, I see a death-notice for someone who was deceased on the following date. However, understandably, it feels grammatically problematic to remark that someone had "died yesterday". What is the correct grammatical approach for referencing events which have occurred but are still in the future when either the date or time is taken into account?


title: Windbag vs. demagogue

text: I was told that a person who delivers long speeches but no information is called a _windbag_. A demagogue is a political leader who represents popular tendencies (it has a negative color likewise we do not have the democracy and true democracy is bad). Meantime, a prominent writer and theorist of logical debate, Paul Graham says > An eloquent speaker or writer can give the impression of vanquishing an > opponent merely by using forceful words. In fact that is probably the > defining quality of a _demagogue_. It seems to me that he meant to say _windbag_ here. I am asking because I use the Greek work demagogue for windbag. Might be the demagogue and _windbag_ are just synonyms (and we must blame the vocabulary compilers that they do not include windbaning notion into the _demagogue_ article)?


title: Is there a shorter alternative for "Enjoy your meal"?

text: The French have "Bon appetit". In Belgium and the Netherlands we have "Smakelijk". Is there a short way to wish someone a good meal in English?


title: "View", but for hearing

text: I know a lot of words, but it's driving me crazy that I can't think of one for this. I'm sure there must be one. I want to be able to say: > I had not only a great view of the ocean from that room, but also a great > ___ , where the blank means that I could hear it well as well as see it. Does such a word exist? (Rather, does it exist in the lexicon of "words regular people would recognize as being English" — that's what I'm looking for, not an extremely archaic word or one you made up. )


What do you call both persons involved in a transaction? E.g. Alice gives 5$ to Bob, Bob is a recipient. But what name can I give them both?


title: Is "or so they say" idiomatic?

text: Icame across a long sentence followed by elipses and the phrase "or so they say", is it idiomatic?


title: Is “a choice between one of two options” grammatically correct?

text: In: > a choice between one of two options I would like to know if this is correct _grammatically_. I came across it in a scientific paper. I think the “one of ” part should be removed. Am I correct?


title: Meaning of "Which two of the following...?" versus "Which of the two following...?"

text: I've just taken a multiple-choice test and one of the questions read like this: > "Which of the following two statements about effectiveness of control > measures are false?" To answer this question, 5 statements were presented, of which I was requested to tick all the ones I thought were true. Since 2 of the 5 statements were false, shouldn't the question have been written as: > "Which two of the following statements about effectiveness of control > measures are false?" Apologies if this question is trivial, but I'm just looking for reassurance, since I'm not a native speaker.


title: Is there an alternative expression for 'opening band' or 'opening act'?

text: The question says it all. Together with a colleague we were looking for this. We both had the feeling that there's another way to say it.


title: The term used for short form of a word

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  What is the term for neglectful spelling of words such as "you" as "u"? what is the proper word to say words that is being used as in chat.eg:- like = lyk. the = da, etc. example sentence is given below. I am going 2 dat guy 2 say abt it.


title: Is there a word for the opposing ends of a tangible scale, as there are "obverse" and "reverse" to describe the physical sides of a coin-like object

text: I feel that obverse and reverse are too "Geometric" to properly describe more complex ideas in society where something is not in reality in a completely opposite position in relation to another. For example we use left wing and right wing politics to simplify politics based upon the seating of Republicans and Royalists in the first French First Republic's Assembly, but today a Conservative is not the opposite of a Reformist- there are stages in between and one cannot state that they are completely separated and are not on the same side. Am I just over complicating this?


title: Is a phrase 'your happy being' correct?

text: My friend asked me to the beach by a sentence; 'The beach is waiting for your happy being.' Is the sentence he used correct?


title: in function of - unrelated to math

text: Please, take a look at the following: "Friends" and "foes" are, according to Carl Schmitt, defined **in function of** their capacity to respectively enhance or diminish the power of one's own state. Does "in function of" equal something along the line of "in relation to"? I'm aware that the "in function of" thing was once covered here, but I'm afraid there was no answer there I'm now looking for. EDIT: THANKS EVERYONE FOR THE ANSWERS.