meaning of Republic

I've been thinking what might be the real meaning of the word `Republic`? As far as I know the prefix `re-` gives the base word the meaning of `again`; as in `renew, replace, reclaim`. I am wondering what kind of a meaning does it give to `re_public`?


What is the meaning, or fun of the pun in the line, “H.D. was the youthful butt of excruciating jokes, or eggscruciating yolks”?

I came across the line, “In the orphanage he shared with Puss, _H.D. was the youthful butt of excruciating jokes (or eggscruciating yolks_ ).” in Time magazine’s review of the newly released animation, “Puss in Boots” under the headline “Antonio Banderas in Puss in Boots: One Cool Cat.”(October 28). > "Humpty is Puss’ childhood frenemy: pal, rival and seemingly inept marplot > to our hero’s suave efficiency in a crisis. In the orphanage he shared with > Puss, _H.D. was the youthful butt of excruciating jokes (or eggscruciating > yolks)._ Ever since, he has sought revenge against the world, Puss possibly > included, as he searches for the magic beans from yet another fractured > fairy tale." I don’t understand the meaning of the line “H.D. was the youthful butt of excruciating jokes (or eggscruciating yolks).” Though I think it is a pun of “excruciating jokes” and “eggscruciating yolks,” it is difficult for a non- native English speaker to grab the fun or gist of this phrasing. What is the connection of “excruciating jokes” and “eggscruciating yolks”? I mean, what is the fun and humor of putting “ excruciating joke” and “eggscruciating yolks” in juxtaposition but for rhyming? After all, what does this line means? Besides, I can’t find the definition of “ _eggscruciating_ ” in neither Cambridge nor Merrimu-Webster Dictionary. Is it the writer’s coinage in an attempt to make a play of word?


"Most every" and "almost every"

What is the difference between "most every" and "almost every"? Do they differ in amount?


What does 'high-shouldered' mean?

for example a quote from the haunted house: a high-shouldered young fellow.


Using "such" + article form

When we use the word 'such', is there a rule to dictate whether we need to add article a/an behind? For example: > I did not expect such cold weather. and > I did not expect such a cold weather. Another example I found is > She has such a marvellous voice! All three examples are in the such + adj + noun form, only difference is the article 'a'. I would like to find out if there are any rules or is merely a usage issue?


What is the abbreviation for 'century'?

I _remember_ being taught in history classes to abbreviate _century_ by writing a large capital C followed by the ordinal number as in: `C18th` without the full-stop (period). Recently I have noticed on ELU (it wasn't something I paid particular attention in the past) the lower-case c _after_ a cardinal number and with a period, as in: `18c.` and `18c` without the period. Would either `18th c.` or `C18` be considered incorrect? I checked online and The Oxford English Dictionary says century is abbreviated thus: **c.** but no indication if the number preceding should be ordinal or cardinal. On the first page of Google results I also found the Monash University recommended symbol, ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/iq1Zl.gif) but without _th_. In _The Chambers Dictionary_ 12th Edition, it lists both C and c as abbreviations for century: > **C** (preceding numeral, eg C21, twenty-first century) > > **c** (following numeral, eg 21c, twenty-first century) It also lists: > **cen.** _abbrev_ : central; century > > **cent.** _abbrev_ : centigrade; central; centum (L), a hundred; century. Why is the ordinal number e.g. 18th, 21st ignored? And finally, which is the most commonly accepted and recommended abbreviation?


Suppose that one were to concatenate *-ology* and *science* to derive a new word, what rules would determine its spelling?

I've asked this specific question as a means to learning about the rules that determine, or patterns that describe, the spellings of derived words. Suppose that someone were to concatenate _-ology_ and _science_ in order to derive a word that denoted [[ **the study of science** ]], and that she wanted to spell it as an authority would probably spell it had he derived the word; how should she spell the word?


Linguistic differences between these two sentences

Consider these two sentences:               When we go home, we can then watch a DVD      or               When we go home, then we can watch a DVD      Both mean the exact same thing but do they differ in linguistic terms?


Which one sounds better: schedule at a time slot or schedule to a time slot?

Which one sounds better? > schedule something _at_ a time slot or > schedule something _to_ a time slot


Term for "over stimulation"

I'm looking for a certain word, usually being said about the current generation, something like _attention deficit caused by over stimulation_ (like people don't want to wait for more than 30 seconds for a video, etc).      **Update:**   The word I was looking for was desensitized


Why is "Chop Gate" pronounced so strangely?

I was passing through the hamlet of Chop Gate (in North Yorkshire) the other day, and heard it referred to as "chop yat" (tʃɒp yæt). This source here concurs with that pronunciation. Does anyone know why it is pronounced in that way (or, alternatively, why it is spelt that way)?


Is it possible to use “Go Galt” beyond political or business context?

I came across the expression “Go Galt” in Paul Krugman’s article titled “The Twinkie manifesto” appearing in November 20 New York Times. The phrase appears in the second paragraph of the following interesting remark: > The data confirm Fortune’s impressions. Between the 1920s and the 1950s real > incomes for the richest Americans fell sharply, not just compared with the > middle class but in absolute terms. According to estimates by the economists > Thomas Piketty and Emmanuel Saez, in 1955 the real incomes of the top 0.01 > percent of Americans were less than half what they had been in the late > 1920s, and their share of total income was down by three-quarters. > > Strange to say, however, the oppressed executives Fortune portrayed in 1955 > didn’t **go Galt** and deprive the nation of their talents. On the contrary, > if Fortune is to be believed, they were working harder than ever. I learned from Freedictionary that “Go Galt” means “to cease working in response to punitive taxes as a form of protest.” What is the origin of “Go Galt”? Is “Go Galt” used only for describing the business owners’ giving up business to protest heavy tax? Is it the wealthy’s or employers’ counter version of workers’ “strike”? Can I use “Go Galt” for simply meaning “stop working / business” without a heavy-tax connotation?


in order to [gerund] or [infinitive]?

There are few questions and answer on the choice of gerund versus infinitive. From what I understand, when conveying a purpose the infinitive should be used: > I use my key in order to open the door. [correct]   >  I use my key in order to opening the door. [incorrect]   >  I use words to describe my dream. [correct]   >  I use words to describing my dream. [incorrect] Yet I read the instruction on an English lesson book: > "Use similes to describing the animals here below." Could you please confirm what should follow "(in order) to": the gerund or the infinitive?


How to pronounce the resolution 1280×800 in English?

How do I say "1280 × 800" in English? I'm not sure how to pronounce the "×" between the numbers. I'm talking about screen resolutions.


Difference between "at someone's face" vs "in someone's face" vs "to someone's face"

What is the difference between 'to my face', 'at my face' and 'in my face'? I searched it on google books and got results for all of them with various hits. Does one seem more accurate over the other? Which one would a native speaker use and why? > He pointed a gun at my face. > > He pointed a gun in my face. > > He pointed a gun to my face.


Can "quarry" mean "notebook"?

I am looking for this definition because of the book _Quarry for Middlemarch_ , which my lit professor said was George Eliot's notebook for all her research for her novel, but all of the definitions I have found so far don't really talk about quarry meaning anything like notebook.


Grammaticality of differently worded quotations

In crafting a "homemade" quotation, and after considerable time, I've come up with a few versions. I'm not sure, however, if any of them is correct grammatically, not to mention memorable stylistically. **This task is not a school assignment**. I simply like to craft my own quotations. This one happens to be the figure called _antithesis_. (You know, JFK's "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.") The context is the difference between a sin of commission and a sin of omission, and the possible relationship between the two. Ordinarily, one might say in this regard, "A sin of commission is doing what you know is wrong, whereas a sin of omission is not doing what you know is right." That's fine as far as it goes, I guess, but there are other possibilities, too. To wit: A. Failure to do the right thing is the gateway to success in doing the wrong thing. B. To fail to do right is to succeed to do wrong. C. Failing to do right is succeeding to do wrong. D. To fail to do the right is to succeed in doing wrong. E. Failing to do the right thing is succeeding in doing the wrong thing. I've toyed with idea of using "failing in doing right" or "failure to do right," but they could sound as though someone tried doing the right thing, but failed, which is not a sin of omission. Any thoughts?


Is "off to somewhere with a car" correct?

I wonder if the structure of the following sentence is correct: > I'm off to my place with my car. I'm the one driving the car, but I prefer not to use the verb _drive_. Would the following alternative make sense? > I'm off to my place in my car. If anyone can help me handle this sentence without using _drive_ , I'd really appreciate it.


Name of the used mins during time other than night and weekend in cell phone plan?

My current cell phone plan includes 200 minutes, and free calling at night (from 6PM to 7AM) and on weekends. Is there a term in the mobile industry to mean the minutes used during time other than weekends or nights? Is "airtime" exactly for that purpose? Similarly, what is the term for used minutes during weekends and nights? For example, in my latest bill, I used 30 minutes at nights and weekends, and 108 minutes during times other than nights and weekends. Since 108 is less than 200, I don't have to pay extra money other than my basic plan fee. If I had used more than 200 mins during other times, I would have had to pay additional fees for the extra minutes.


Is "reduce" transitive or intransitive?

Is the verb _reduce_ used incorrectly in the sentence below? Would you personally choose to replace _reduce_ with an alternative such as _drop_ or _fall_? > The birth rate has **reduced** over the past 10 years.


Where did "I lost it" come from?

People on Reddit often comment "I lost it" while quoting the funniest part of a joke to highlight how funny that part is. As I don't speak English much, I am not sure if this is Reddit-specific, but I guess not. Where does this come from? Is it related that laughing from a joke is similar to "losing your mind"? That seems far-fetched. "I lost it" would intuitively mean "the joke stops making sense here" (i.e. "I lost track of the joke here"), which is the exact opposite of what it actually means. What is the etymology of this phrase?


What's the deal with "fiery"?

How did English end up with the adjective _fiery_ (instead of * _firy_ ) from _fire,_ but _miry_ from _mire_ and _wiry_ from _wire_? Are there any other words where the noun is _-ire_ and the adjective is _-iery_?


Is it grammatically acceptable to drop "to" in constructions such as [to cater "to" someone] and [to entitle someone "to" something]?

Back when I was a student, I was taught as a rule that verbs such as "cater" and "entitle" should be followed by "to" before "someone" and "something" respectively. Yet, I was kind of puzzled the other day when browsing the Net I came across instances of prepositionless constructions around these verbs, and so I wish you could tell whether or not these sound grammatical to you. > Utah will cater you all that you have wanted in a perfect vacation. source > > I started sideRACK.net at the beginning of the 2009 recession and a means to > cater you the group of people who love boutique clothing. source > > There are also special toilets available to cater physically challenged > individuals. source > > Geriatricians cater the elderly people. source > > Black men endured as slaves entitled them the right to vote before women. > source > > The right of citizenship merely entitles them the right to return to their > homeland. source > > The First Amendment constitutionally protected free speech in 1790, but the > right to free speech in those days merely entitled you the right to... > source > > FERPA entitles you the right of confidentiality. source > > Workbook entitles you the right to download, mix match and print as many > copies as you need for the current school year. source > > And entitles you the right to be in the running for board positions. source > > whether at governmental offices or in private sector, and to reside as long > as you want also entitles you the right to set up your own business. source > > Your payment of the investment to us entitles you the right to a seat. > source _Cater v. tr. [to attend to the wants and needs of]_ > http://www.thefreedictionary.com/cater


Does an initialism count as one word? How about a hyphenated word?

I was playing a game over the weekend where you're allowed to give a one-word clue. Someone said "RNA" and a disagreement followed as to whether or not it's a single word. At the time, we misidentified it as an acronym, but reading here I see that it's an initialism, which to my mind makes the difference. Made me wonder the same thing about a hyphenated word -- "mother-in-law" seems like a good example. I know this is a silly question, but thoughts? Clarification: the main question at hand is, "is 'RNA' one word or three?"


Correct use of "but", "however" and "although"

I am not sure which conjunction to use in the following context: >   1. I know about programming **but** I have a little bit of confusion in > Java programming. >   2. I know about programming **although** I have a little bit of confusion > in programming. >   3. I know about programming **however** I have a little bit of confusion > in Java programming. >


Beggars on Horseback

Near the end of Book I, chapter 17 of _Our Mutual Friend_ , Charles Dickens writes: > There are the beggars on horseback too, in another sense from the sense of > the proverb. These are mounted and ready to start on the highway to > affluence. When I read this, I thought that the "proverb" Dickens was alluding to was "If wishes were horses, beggars would ride." But a note in the Everyman edition of the book says that the relevant adage is "Set a beggar on horse-back, and he'll ride to the devil." I have two questions: 1. Which of these two expressions is older? 2. Did they arise independently, or is one in some sense a retort to the other? A quick survey of Ngram Reader results reveals an instance of "if wishes were horses" from 1719, in the translator's preface to _Monsieur Bossu's treatise of the epick poem_ : > ...language from his royal majesty ensued, and then we were formally > introduced to the fraternity by their assumed titles. "If wishes were > horses," says the proverb, "beggars would ride;" and, as if in > exemplification of the adage, these ... [snippet] From W. Goodall, _The Adventures of Captain Greenland_ (1752), we have this: > But there is an ancient saying, that, set a Beggar on Horseback, and he will > ride to the Devil. Now, whether that Saying was verify'd here or not, we > shall not presume to understand. But we also seem to have a truncated version of the saying in John Trapp, _Solomonis Panaretos: Or a Commentarie Upon the Books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs_ (1650): > The Crown of the wise is their riches; but yet give them a foole, you put a > sword into a mad man's hand; the folly of such fools will soon be > foolishnesse. Why? was it not foolishnesse before they were rich? yes, but > now it is become egregious foolishnesse. [Greek quotation omitted] the earth > cannot beare the insolencies of such. Set a beggar on horseback, &c. All three of these quotations suggest that the adages are already thoroughly established at the time of the writers' citing them.


Are there any names of food that are associated with political correctness other than Fried chicken?

The word Spanish golfer, Sergio Garcia used in answering a reporter’s question about the status of his current relationship with his rival, Tiger Woods on May 21st – “We’ll have him ‘round every night. We will serve fried chicken,” was bitterly criticized as an offensive and retrograding remark by media and most of audience, and he apologized. This reminds me of the classic episode that Japanese Prime Minister, Hayato Ikeda made a slip of tongue in the Diet on December 7, 1950, and was forced to resign by saying “The poor are better to eat barley-mixed rice,” in reference to the administration's austerity policy. But this blunder wasn't about the race, but was about the class. Until post WW II, barley-mixed rice had been considered as the poor’s staple in our country. Are there any other foods that carry political correct implications that non- native English speakers should be mindful in speaking / writing English than fried chicken?


Circle is to cylinder as ellipse is to what?

What do you call the geometric shape obtained when you give an ellipse thickness? Or in other words, a circle is to a cylinder as an ellipse is to what?


What do you call those fenced grassy areas that people own in the countryside?

Example: ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/wcTrO.jpg) I thought of _fenced plot_ , _land lot_ but I'm not sure. They are usually used for farming or raising livestock. But sometimes for nothing at all.


Etymology of term "Rubberbanding" (video games)

As long as I can remember, "rubberbanding" has been the way of the machine giving the computer an advantage when the player is leading in video games. For instance in Super Mario Kart, you are in the lead by half a lap when suddenly a computer character zooms past you as if you were connected by a rubber band. This is a form of dynamic game difficulty balancing. Lately I have noticed an increase of using the term "rubberbanding" when talking about a type of "lag" where the player is returned to a place they were moment ago because of packet loss/server synchronization issues. First reference I could find was this log from a Ultima Online Expansion beta test from 1998. Which leads me to my question: when/how was the term "rubberbanding" coined when talking about video games or computer technology in general?


One who objectifies women

Is there a single word or short phrase to describe someone who treats women like objects?   Is there a similar word/phrase for who objectifies other people in general?


What is wrong with mixing “taller” and “tallest” like this?

> Although the towers appear identical, the west tower is the tallest, > standing 16 feet taller than the east tower. What might be wrong? Does it have to do with comparative and superlative degrees?


Acronym or initialism presentation

When creating an acronyms/initialisms in a document which will be referenced throughout the document, what is the proper way to display it for the first time? ("Word") or just (Word)?


Is there a word that means both "is compliant" and "is aware"?

For example, a person that knows a rule exists and is following that rule. (sorry if I'm doing this wrong- first post in this StackExchange)


What word conveys "accounts", "identities" or "registrations" for signing up to things?

I'm attempting to set up a new email address for signing up for accounts on- and offline. I like the following but each has its own problem:   * accounts: implies financial, as in accountant   * identities/identity/id: seems the closest, but not quite right   * registrations: too easily misspelled when given over the phone


What's the meaning of "pence" in this context?

This is a comment from a discussion on The effects of exercise on depression: > For severe depression, this actually is pretty much the treatment routine. > Pills to get just the tiniest amount of motivation, cognitive behavioral > therapy to **pence** that motivation towards positive activities like > regular exercise instead of suicide. > > Sounds severe, but that's how problematic deep depressions often are. What does _pence_ mean mentioned above? I've looked it up, but I couldn't find an entry in the dictionaries that defines _pence_ in verb form.


Why is "threshold" pronounced "thresh-hold"?

Why is _threshold_ pronounced "thresh-hold"?


Literary and colloquial readings in English?

Some Chinese languages have the concept of Literary and colloquial readings, where the pronunciation of words, if you will, change between literary readings and vernacular readings. Does English have this concept at all?! (Perhaps something like want to vs. wanna?)


Should the verb of the independent clause come before or after the dependent clause?

Which of the following is correct? >   1. The Boeing 777 crashed, carrying 227 passengers and a crew of 12 > members, into international waters. > >   2. The Boeing 777, carrying 227 passengers and a crew of 12 members, > crashed into international waters. > > Any elaboration would be very much appreciated.


What is the Pronunciation of "-sts" at the end of the word?

How can we pronounce words ending with - **sts**?     * lists   * costs    * tests I often heard people pronunce its like,   * lɪsts and kɒsts   * lɪsː kɔsː   but which one is acceptable?


Different number of sub-levels in different chapters

Is it considered bad form to have a different number of sub-levels in different chapters in a technical report? Or would something like the following be admittable? > Chapter 1 - Introduction > > Chapter 2 - Theory > > Section 2.1 - Explosions > > Section 2.2 - Drag Loads > > Section 2.2.1 - Drag Loads on Piping > > Section 2.3 - Compressibility Effects > > Chapter 3 - Simulations > > Section 3.1 - Stationary Simulations > > Section 3.2 - Transient Simulations > > Chapter 4 - Conclusions And, do each heading has to be followed by text, as in the following? > **Chapter 2 - Theory** > > In this chapter we will consider... > > **Section 2.1 - Explosions** Where I work, we try to stick to the IEEE Style, if that in any way affects the answers.


What do you call someone who has a 'problem'

I need one word(or two) for somebody who has a problem. Any problem. For example, when the person to whom an address belongs (in a letter) is called an addressee(not entirely correct) So in similar terms, what's the person with a problem called?


Where does "patching through" come from? And what did it originally mean? Usage: "I'm patching through a call from Mr. X"


What are the differences between "mimic" and "copy"?

I found this thread on wordreference.com in which it is claimed that "mimic" has frivolous connotations and "copy" has derogatory connotations. Specifically I am wondering how this distinction may relate to interpretations of Wittgenstein. If one can mimic another's gesture or expression, can one also copy it, and vice-versa?


Why do we "scotch" a rumour?

The etymology of the verb _to scotch_ is unclear. Here is the origin note from Oxford Dictionaries: > _early 17th century (as a noun):_ of unknown origin; perhaps related to > skate1. The sense 'render temporarily harmless' is based on an emendation of > Shakespeare's Macbeth iii. ii. 13 as ‘We have scotch'd the snake, not kill'd > it’, originally understood as a use of scotch2; the sense 'put an end to' > (early 19th century) results from the influence on this of the notion of > wedging or blocking something so as to render it inoperative In contemporary English are there any other common uses of _scotch_? I'm interested in whether there used to be wider use of the verb beyond just that relating to rumours.


Using "its" after "both"

Sorry for the vague title. I came across this sentence while reading the book _A Dash of Style_ : > The gracious semicolon wouldn't exist if it weren't for the failure of both > the comma and period to fulfill **its** task. Could you explain to me how _its_ is correct up there? In my view it should be _their_.


Does MLA require intext citations to include author's last name if you introduced his name earlier in your work?

I'm a bit unsure if I can go about excluding author last names in citations for a paper I've been writing. I have to compare two characters from different stories in the same anthology. I have quotes from the two stories throughout the work, but introduce the authors+characters at the beginning of the essay. I was always under the impression one introduction of the author is enough to exclude ever having to include their name in in text citations, but a peer is telling me otherwise. I went through an entire class last semester following my original style without losing marks which also adds to the confusion. The MLA rule sites tend to be generic and don't provide information outside the context of one sentence, so I wonder if anyone can clarify. Thanks.


Noun to use for a person who has commissioned work from a contractor

Let's say I'm an independent software developer who gets paid, by the hour, to create tailored software for solving one person's particular problems; I'm a _contractor_ and a _service provider_. What's a good noun to use for the person who commissioned work from me? _Employer_ came to mind, but that sounds very… "permanent," and _client_ is a very loaded word in software development. _Customer_ could work, but is there a more accurate noun that I could use?


We have a car dealer around here with an ad that reads "No Fake Lures". Now, as I understand the concept of a lure, if it doesn't attract attention, it's not a lure. And if a lure does attract attention, it's a lure, so no matter what is used to make the _fake_ lure, it's a an _actual_ lure. Therefore, it's not possible to have a _fake_ lure. What do you call a statement like "No fake lures"?


"Stressful to" vs. "stressful for"

Which preposition, _for_ or _to_ , is correct in below sentence? > It is less stressful [for/to] a child than an adult to learn a foreign > language.


'To' vs 'that'?

We have a suite of software products. Should our tagline be: Tools **to** bring content to life or: Tools **that** bring content to life


A word for an entity that gives rise to something else

I'm looking for a word that describes an entity that is the reason for another entity to exist. If that original entity stopped to exist, the other entity wouldn't exist because its right to exist would vanish with it. for example: citizens to government. without the citizens, government wouldn't make much sense. Its right to exist comes from the fact there are citizens. The pattern: A would be meaningless if B didn't exist. B is the **word_i'm_looking_for** of A. Any ideas?


"Fudge" vs. "dodge" (an issue, question, etc.), and "fudge" as another term for "cheat" in AE

In AE, can "fudge" and "dodge" be used just about interchangeably to convey the sense of circumvent [= avoid or try to avoid answering, fulfilling, or performing (duties, questions, issues, etc.)]? Are these terms acceptable in whatever register of the English language but the most formal prose? Also, Does "fudge" have any currency in modern day colloquial AE to mean "cheat or welsh [fudge on an exam, fudge on one's promises, etc.]?


Is there a word for when a problem's understood complexity grows exponentially as you work on it?

Example: > Hey Joe, can you fix simple problem A?   >  Sure, Sally, no problem! After all it's simple, right? But A is then found to have dependent sub-problems B and C; B to have dependent sub-problems D, E, and F; and C to have dependent problems G and H. > The problems have to be removed in alphabetical order. Context: As a software developer, I run into problems like this while working on bugs in complex programs. I wonder whether there's an English name for this concept.


I'm just here to help is all

I came across the following sentence in an American novel: > "Hey, sugar," he says. "I'm just here to help you is all." I take it that the sentence means, "I'm just here to help you and that's all." It is there something missing in the sentence or is this correct grammar?


Do I need a comma?

Note that I'm supposed to use Oxford comma. Now do I need a comma at the place of the question mark? > When such change adversely affects the system, vulnerability increases[?] > and a banking crisis becomes more likely.


What does "prod issues" mean in computer science and software engineering?

> DevOps engineers are those who are good at debugging, troubleshooting, > analyzing **prod issues** and providing solutions. Who have good hands on > technologies like unix shell scripting, perl, SQL etc. > > Software engineering is typically involved in designing, writing code and > fixing the bugs reported What "prod issues" means here? I have google it but still confused.


Use of 'agendum' today

A wild guess tells me that _agenda_ vs _agendum_ is like _data_ vs _datum_ (former is a collection of the latter), but what is the use of _agendum_ in today's English? If part of my party's agenda is to get rid of all vegetables and to bring loud mufflers to the whole country, would each of those be a single **agendum**? How would the word get used nowadays?


Is it appropriate to use "sport", "champ", or "kiddo" to call a child (e.g. your son)?

I'm Spanish, just in case some of you think this question is kind of silly. I watch TV series in English very frequently to practise my listening skills. The words I've heard in relation to children are:   1. _Sport_   2. _Champ_   3. _Kiddo_ I wonder whether they are used in everyday speech or not. I looked up the meaning of _sport_ in a dictionary and it says: > (old-fashioned) used when speaking to a boy in a friendly way. However, the Urban Dictionary says: "the name your dad calls you by that makes you feel like a total loser". As for _champ_ , I think it's a shortening for _champion_ , but according to Urban Dictionary it can be used in a pejorative way, "sarcastically to disparage someone's ability". And the last one is _kiddo_ , so that would be "(spoken informal) used by adults to address a young person". I like this one because it seems that it's always used with endearment. So, what's the _actual_ usage of these words? Do you ever use any of them? What words do you suggest I use for this purpose?


"A guy whose job is to" vs "a guy whose job it is to"?

I've been hearing the phrase "whose job it is to" quite often lately. Consider these two sentences: >   1. We have a guy whose job _is_ to clean windows. >   2. We have a guy whose job _it is_ to clean windows. > I would prefer the first one because of the less redundancy, though both sentences seem to be grammatically correct (are they?). What do you think about the grammar of these sentences? Is there any (subtle) difference in meaning (accentuation)?


Would certainly have or certainly would have?

I have these confusions sometimes. Firstly, which among the following are grammatically correct to use in sentences- >   1. She would certainly have loved that. >   2. She would have certainly loved that. >   3. She certainly would have loved that. > Can you provide a sentence each for the correct one(s)? If any of them is wrong please enlighten the reason. Secondly if they are correct for specific sentence patterns then please elaborate with an example.


What is a good word to describe someone who is empathetic, quick, and witty in conversation

I’m looking for ideally a single word that describes with positive connotation a highly empathetic and witty person — the type of person who’s a fantastic conversationalist as a result of these qualities. What describes that person who can masterfully pick up on the subtle nuances of a conversation, and then respond appropriately, empathetically, quickly, and keenly? After scraping the thesaurus around empathetic, witty, smooth, sharp, sagacious, etc I could not come up with anything that fit the association well. Empathetic didn’t imply the good-to-talk-to, conversational properties. Witty in the context of conversation brings up thoughts of interesting facts, word puns, and trite remarks without much association with one in tune with the nuances of how the other person is thinking. As an aside, I feel like this word would be extremely useful to me. Anyone who exemplified in the qualities that this word is trying to convey would be an interesting person to talk to.


Correct adjective form of the word "disperse"

I am writing an article related to the ionosphere and I would like to ask what form of the word _disperse_ is right in the sentence: > A significant majority of the error can be easily removed using two or more > frequencies due to the **disperse** nature of the ionosphere. I looked at few dictionaries and googled the combination "disperse nature". Here is what I found: > ▶adjective: Chemistry denoting a phase dispersed in another phase, as in a > colloid. – derivatives dispersal _noun_ , > > disperser _noun_ , > > dispersible _adjective_ > > dispersive _adjective_. * * * And for example http://www.yourdictionary.com/disperse-system > **disperse system** > > A disperse system is a two-part system made up of microscopic particles and > the medium in which they are suspended. (noun) Here, if I am not mistaken, the word _disperse_ is used as an adjective. * * * I am not an English native speaker and I have no sense in this. What is the right form for my sentence?


In/With regard to are informal?

Her Ladyship's Guide to the Queen's English by Caroline Taggart       suggests that all the forms in _regard_ be informal ![A](http://i.stack.imgur.com/cFK5X.png) Are you in accord with her ? I use it in my future article and wish to be formal.


Dropping L in compound adjectives. Is it "skillful" or "skilful"?

We have been taught at school that when a word ending in "LL" helps form a compound word, "LL" becomes "L" (e.g. skill -> skilful). I have also come across the usage of this adjective as _skillful_ (with double L's). I checked the NGram to see how the usage has changed over time, and it got me more confused: ![Ngram of skillfull vs skilful](http://i.stack.imgur.com/silE7.jpg) What is the correct form of _skilful_ and similar words? Is there a definite rule or are both usages acceptable?


Usage of “I will be. . . if it were”

I found a statement in one of my old write-up and I can't not be sure if this is wrong. I am not a native English speaker.   * I will be surprised if it were to be discovered that consciousness is absent in some primitive life form at any stage of evolution. On re-reading, I feel confused about the co-existence of _will_ and _were_ in two clauses. Is it acceptable in this statement? What is the grammar rule which one can use as a rule of thumb to construct such sentences?


Difference between to live on and to live by

My vocabulary trainer stands "to live on" and my vocabulary trainer says that it means that somebody does something to make one's living (by doing something). > Example: I live on selling cars. But I have also learned that "to live by" means exactly the same (and I have often heard sentences like "I'm living by selling cars"). Well, my question is: When should I use "to live by" and when "to live on"? Or is one of these prepositions wrong?


a word for questioning the validity

suppose that someone at top echelon of an institution delivers a statement. I doubt whether the statement is a fact or not. Do I say "I question it" or anything else? what is the short laconic phrase or word for it? if I say "I question it", the speaker might think I am doubting his authority rather than the statement he made. what is a better way of doing it? I don't want to use the word question to avoid ambiguity. also, I am questioning his statement in an affirmative tone, assuming that he is wrong or might be wrong.


Rhetorical Sentence Pattern

What is the rhetorical sentence pattern of the sentence, "Facts are to the scientist what words are for the poet."? I really think it's **periodic** , but if it's not, can I please have an explanation as to why? Why I think it's **periodic** : My understanding is that the noun, **"what words are for the poet"** is how facts occur **to the scientist**. To explain further, given my view of the semantics of the sentence, a rephrased sentence would be: To the scientist, facts are **what words are for the poet**. The definition of a periodic sentence is that the main point is at the end. My argument is that it is not a balance sentence.


What are the capitalization rules regarding historical periods of time?

Why are phrases like "the High Middle Ages" capitalized while e. g. "the sixth century" is not? Is there a general rule?


What is the meaning of "nutrient bang for your calorie buck"?


What does one call terms like "astroturfing"?

Astroturfing is a word used to describe a fake or counterfeit grassroots campaign. The clever term is derived from the notion that one kind of fake grass is astroturf. Another more niche example is from mathematics. We call the "germ" of a function the part at the bottom of a stalk in some sheaf. We call this a germ because it is like the germ for the stalk of a plant. In both of these examples, one makes an analogy to create a term, and then related terms, carry on this analogy to build terms related to the first. Is there a specific name for this sort of term?


What is the meaning of 'mental yoga ' in this sentence?

What does _mental yoga_ mean in the following sentence? > The isNaN() function requires some `mental yoga` at times because it > attempts to prove a negative—that the value in a variable is not a number.


Absorb the excess length?

I have a difficult time finding the right word for the following situation: On the drawing, there are some dimensions instructed, and extra length is set for one range for workability. That extra length is “absorbed” (trimmed?) to meet the instruction. “Absorb” is the direct translation from my language, but does it make a sense? Is there any right word for it?


Is there a term for a married couple who have the same christian and surname?

My wife and I share the abbreviated form of our name - Alex derived from Alexandra and Alexander respectively. As we are married, we have the same christian and surname when used in the short form. I was wondering if anyone is aware of a term for this? I would assume one exists because I know of several examples i.e. Sam(antha) and Sam(uel) Clark the chefs who are known as Sam and Sam Clark. Many thanks for any assistance.


explanation of kindle in expression: "the risk of extinguishing the fire... by using too much kindle"

Can I get an explanation of the word _kindle_ in this expression: > the risk of extinguishing the fire... by using too much kindle


What is the origin of the phrase "hate your guts"?

Where does the phrase "hate your guts" (for example "I hate your guts") come from? I've heard the phrase used as a way to convey extreme and deep dislike of another individual. However, it seems strange to have just been born arbitrarily and I suspect there is a source.


Difference between vex and annoy

I learnt a new verb today, namely, _vex_. I read a lot of example sentences with it, and looked up the definitions. It seems that _vex_ is very similar to _annoy_.   * Are there any contexts where one is applicable while the other is not?  If not,   * Are there any contexts where one is more preferable than the other?


Usage of 'Dear All'

Is it correct to use "Dear All" at the beginning of the e-mail, when you are writing to more than one person? It seems so informal to me. Is there any better way?


What does ‘Jam down one’s throat” mean?

I came across the phrase “I’ll jam down their throats” in the following sentence of the Reuters’ article (June 30 issue) dealing with the Davis Cup, titled “Pat Rafter Wary of 'Awkward Chinese.'” > Our biggest problem is if we are complacent and we take them easy," he said. > "That will be the one thing that I will jam down their throats—they will be > very tough. In search for the meaning of the phrase, I found a similar phrase, “jam one’s belief down someone’s throat” in the following example. . > I mean, vegetarians and vegans don't try to moralize or jam their beliefs > down everyone else’s' throats, > right?—www.foodaq.com/html/General/44813.html. What does “jam down something one’s throat” mean? Does it mean to force someone to swallow (accept) something or surrender to someone? Is this a popular phrase?


It's raining today or it's rainy today?

When you're writing a diary, you might start with "It's sunny today" or "It's cloudy today." When it comes to rain, which should it be? > It's rainy today.   >  It's raining today. It may be raining at the very moment when you wrote down the words "It's raining today," but not necessarily the whole day. So which one is more proper in this case?


How would you translate "le guance magre, scavate nel volto" in English?

I am having troubles translating this expression into English. I know the expression "hollow cheeks" exists, but I can't find a way to translate "scavate nel volto" using the same structure (e.g., _carved into the face_ ; which appears to be wrong, unfortunately).


word for bringing a number to its absolute value

In mathematics, the absolute value of a number _n_ is either _− n_ if _n_ is negative or _n_ itself if otherwise. Is there a single word or shorter description for the replacement of _n_ with its absolute value?


"Ideas on" vs. "ideas for"

I'd like to know when to use "ideas on" and "ideas for". I think these are correct: >   * I'd like some ideas on how to improve my team. >   * I'd like some ideas for improving my team. >   * I have some ideas on that subject. > This feels less correct to me: > I'd like some ideas for how to improve my team. This feels plain wrong: > I have some ideas for that subject. However, I don't know why. Which phrase should I use, and when? Edit: I'm specifically interested in the grammar breakdown — is that last one wrong because it's a noun? What about "how" — how does this change it? What are the rules?


What does the suffix “-saurus” mean?

Is it the same meaning in _tyrannosaurus_ as in _thesaurus_? I really can’t imagine what those two words could possibly have in common!


Is “your time is done” often used?

I found the phrase "your time is done" in the following sentence of New York Times (May 12) article titled "When a batting order becomes a reflection of disorder." > After all the hits and heroics, all the good deeds and game-winning hits and > homers, all the championships won — after all of that, forces far greater > than you decide that _your time is done._ For the athlete, the force is > nature, and the manager and general manager wind up confirming what nature > has wrought. Though I understand that "one's time is done" means "one's time is finished," I don’t think I’ve heard this phrase many time. Is it used equally with, I mean as often as "your time is over" or "You run out of time"? At the same time, there were the following lines in the same article: > Posada recoiled when someone asked point blank if he was he [sic] > considering retirement now. He repeated his refrain that his back was tight > and that he needed time to clear his head. Isn’t the repetition of _he_ in the first line a typo?


What is the origin of being "in the pudding club"?

Being "in the pudding club" seems to mean "being pregnant" in British English. What is the origin/etymology of this phrase? Where is it used nowadays?


An idiom for a stupid action which is beneficial in the end, or for the person who performed said action

My friend works for an investment firm, and his colleague mistakenly double- submitted a long bid for stock on a very risky day. The entire firm was on edge the whole day, watching the stock price. In the end, the price went sky- high and the firm made a lot of money, so the friend was praised. However, he could easily have been in big trouble with the boss if the price had dropped. What is a term for this? Also, is there a term for the person who made the mistake?


Use of "if" and "can"?

Is this a correct sentence? And if not, why? > We cannot expect reasonable results if the condition is not satisfied.


Can someone help me diagram this sentence?

I'm trying to do a sentence/phrase analysis of the following sentence. I just can't figure out, what would “No matter the season” be (Adv. of ...) in terms of sentence elements. And the next question is about the PostM of the NP of the DO. “Found nowhere else in Britain” is PostM, realised by restrictive relative cl (with zero marker: _challenge [that is] found_ ...) or not?                       ?                 S/NP                   P/VP       IO/PP           DO/NP      No matter the season,/ these combined features /present /to the climber /a uniquely varied and demanding challenge found nowhere else in Britain.


Is there a difference between "keep on doing" and "go on doing"?

Keep on: "to continue doing something, or to do something many times." Go on: "a) to continue doing something or being in a situation. b) to continue without stopping". From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English


"Her" in a sentence

I have a question about the use of "her" in English. Here is a conversation: > Q. Any luck finishing your part? A. Working on her right now. Here, does _her_ refer to _part_ A of the question? Is it like conversational language? Can _her_ refer to anything else?


Does "cost-benefit ratio" use a hyphen or an en-dash?

Should I write "cost-benefit" (hyphen) or "cost-benefit" (en dash), and why?


When citing a paper and describing its purpose, is it correct to use a comma to describe the contents?

My question is in regards to the following sentence and has two parts: > Bitcoin is a clever solution to the Byzantine Generals Problem[2], which > describes the issue of trusting data transmitted over a network where there > exists the danger of faulty or dishonest broadcasting nodes.   1. Is this comma necessary? It's hard for me to tell whether or not I am using a comma correctly in this sentence. Removing the comma makes it seem like a run-on sentence, but I can't tell for sure.   2. The word "which" seems unprofessional / awkward, is there a better way to reword this entirely without having a comma and without using the word "which"?


Is there a difference between "eatable" and "edible"?

I thought only _edible_ was correct, even Google suggested _edible_ when I did a search to see which one was more popular on the internet:   * _Edible_ : 17.2 million   * _Eatable_ : 2.2 million The first results are from dictionaries, the meaning being "that can be eaten". What's the difference between them?


Does "invidious" come implicit with malice or consideration? Or is it just absent of care?

"Invidious" (the often misunderstood) is known to involve harmful or threatening effects — at least insomuch as one party feels "resentful" or similarly about the situation. So there are at least two 'parties' involved:   1. one that performs the action, or represents the situation   2. another that is _"aroused" to_ , or "incurs" the "resentment or anger" So my question is whether Party #1 does their acts, represents the situation **_with malice_**? Meaning: 'by design'. Does "invidiousness" come implicit with _design_ for the results of the actions? Or is this intentionality then another word (e.g. "malice") Alternatively, does 'invidiousness' come minimally with _consideration_? Does Party #1 comprehend the capacity of their action(s) to incite resentfulness in Party #2? My focus has come to the part of the definition that says "likely." An "invidious" action is one that is "likely" to cause resentment, etc. The OED may advance this dimension of the word even further: > Of a charge, complaint, report, etc.: _Tending_ or **fitted to** excite > odium, unpopularity, or ill feeling against some one. (emphasis mine) In either the case of a 'tendency' or a 'fitting' it would seem that the actor (#1) has, minimally, a consideration as to the invidious effect, namely _"odium, unpopularity, or ill feeling against some one."_ The coup de grace question: _must_ invidiousness be absent of Care? Can Party #1 act invidiously and still have compassion for Party #2? * * * At risk of involving too much thought about the metaphysics of intent - many of the comment center around _intent_ and _unintended consequences_ (unto Party #2).


Option vs. Optional

A laundry detergent brand is currently running an ad campaign with the tagline "Style is an option. Clean is not." Obviously, what they _mean_ is that cleanliness is required while stylishness is not; but the way I interpret the tagline, what they're actually _saying_ is that stylishness is available as a possible choice, but cleanliness is impossible -- it's not on the menu. Before I drive my family nuts[1] by muttering "option _al_ , option _al_ , option _ **al**_ " every time the commercial comes on, can y'all confirm that my distinction between _option_ and _optional_   is grounded in reality? option (n): an available item that can be chosen (or not).   optional (adj): not required; elective. [1] Yeah, yeah, I know, too late... :p


Is there a word for a person who is not afraid to point out problems even if that means additional work for them?

I am talking about a developer who doesn't turn a blind eye to bugs found by chance, who doesn't treat them as _Somebody Else's Problem_ , but feels responsible for the product as a whole. _Whistle-blower_ comes to mind but I don't know if it is used outside government/administration context. What's the best word to describe this soft skill?


Difference between "huge", "enormous" and "gigantic"

Among the words _huge_ , _enormous_ and _gigantic_ , does one word refer to something bigger than another does, or do they all refer to the same size?


Which is correct: "feedback is welcome" or "feedback is welcomed"?

I am used to write _feedback is welcome_. Is that correct, or should I write _feedback is welcomed_? Why?


What is the difference between "I forgot" and "I had forgot"?

_I forgot_ versus _I had forgot_. What is the difference between the two phrases?


Where does "Let's roll!" come from?

Where does the idiom "Let's roll!" come from?


Is the phrase "refuse the idea" wrong?

It doesn't sound right, but I might be mistaken. A quick search shows that people do use it, but they could be wrong as well (I suspect the phrase is ok, and I am wrong).


Is it acceptable to use "womyn" or "womin" instead of "women"?

I have often seen/heard these two terms in many articles and speeches about Feminism or women's rights issues. I couldn't find them in any online dictionary except for the Oxford Dictionary which describes it as > non-standard spelling of ‘women’ adopted by some feminists in order to avoid > the word ending -men. And Urban Dictionary, which has (second definition): > This is a term used by feminists who feel that having the word "man" in the > word "woman" makes women a subset of men. So, to make themselves a non > subset, they changed the letter 'e' to a 'y'. Is it acceptable to use these alternate spellings in my writings and conversations with natives (educated/uneducated)? Does it sound strange, aggressive, or odd in the modern English language? Is it likely to prejudice the minds of my audience against me? Is it illegal to use it in writings and conversations? Which kinds of danger can threaten me? That is, are these alternate spellings seen as uneducated? Are they used solely by strongly feminist groups who are looked down upon? Or are these spellings seen more positively? Now, what is my motivation? I thought it might prejudice my audiences regardless of their ideas about Feminists, or even an ordinary woman/womyn who likes to avoid sexism at least in her talks and writings. Furthermore, if I wanted to work with a group of people who hate Feminists or these kinds of considerations in language, it would help me to decide about changing my workplace or hiding my ideas!


What is the proper spelling of "enqueueing"?

Is it "enqueueing" or "enqueuing"? Google has 1M+ hits for the former and around 80k for the latter, but I found no authoritative source.


What are the origins of the phrase "operate on register[s]"?

I am curious as to whether this phrase gained wide spread usage after the incorporation of registers in computer microprocessors. Simple example: > Morality operates on a number of registers: age, religion, personal > experiences.


When do we use "to" as an infinitive marker?

In these two sentences: >   1. I look forward to get. >   2. I look forward to getting it. > Why is the first sentence incorrect? When do we use _to_ as an infinitive marker?


Why does the "e" in judge vanish in the word "judgment"?

The in the word "judgment", the "e" from "judge" is absent. Three questions on this:   1. Why is this?    2. Is there a name for such a contraction?   3. How and why does the "g" still retain its "soft" pronunciation without the "e" following it?


What is a succinct positive name for a busybody ( non impacted stakeholder )?

I am looking for a word that _does not_ have a negative connotation and is a succinct general term for a: non user, but vocal, stakeholder. **Arbitrary example:** Say a new road was going to be built through an area. What would you call a person who is not directly impacted (lives in a different area) but would make a submission (for / against) its construction? e.g., "It will give the elderly better access to X resource", "It will harm Y bird's migration path."


What are the better words to describe difficulty levels?

I'm using five words to describe the difficulty levels of some training material: > 'Easy', 'Normal', 'Hard', 'Challenging', 'Level 5' 'Level 5' is the most difficult level. I haven't found a proper word for that. Anyway, I first want to know some better words to name the five levels. The words are not necessarily related to any professional field because it contains training material from different professional fields. If no better words are available, please help me with a word 'Level 5'.


He truly is great or he is truly great?

Where is the correct place to put the "is"? I speak several languages and get confused when switching from one to the other.


My brother's son 4 years older

What do I call my brother's son, who is 4 years older than myself? I was on a visit to Canada and immigration officer asked me who am I visiting and I told him my Nephew but he is older than me, the immigration officer told me he is my Uncle. Please help me out.


"I've been looking to do [this or that]." Is "looking to do" idiomatic?

Pretty much that's the question. I wanna think that I have heard it used many times ("I've been looking to do that for the longest time"), but now I'm not sure. Thanks!


Is there a word with the meaning to mix "s" and "th" when pronounced?

I remember I have met a word which means people cannot distinguish "th" from "s" when they speak but now I can't recollect it. So I need some help here. Does anyone know that word? P.S. It is a single word~


Grapes and vintners

Please, can you translate this? > These dregs are distilled until a clear liquid results that retains, > supposedly, the vapors left behind by the grapes gone to the vintner. I suspect that the author made some grammar mistake because this just doesn't make any sense to me. I don't understand the part with the vintner. The vapors are left behind by the grapes... okay fine, but how does vintner contribute to leaving the vapors behind? Is this everyday English, or is it just a simple thing written in an unnecessary complicated way?


Which is a better and commonly used word, Bulk or Batch?

What is a better word which can be used to refer to a large number of files as in following? > _Batch_ file processing or _Bulk_ file processing Which is commonly used?


Word for someone who is healthy

I am looking for a word for someone who takes care of their health and physical well-being. For example, a person who has hobbies could be called a hobbyist. A person who learns is a learner... I am looking for something like that. Any ideas? EDIT: Syntactically I am looking for a word which could fit "that person is a/an [insert word here]". EDIT: Contextually this word will be used a bullet heading in a mission statement which outlines a person's roles and responsibilities as such:   * Learner      * Blah blah blah, responsibilities/activities as a learner   * Educator      * Responsibilities as an educator   * Healthy Person (looking for a good word for here, without the use of 'person')      * Exercise, diet, hygiene, etc...


Is 'subject' in 'is subject to considerable debate' a verb or a noun?

Every once in a while I stumble upon this phrase:               ... is subject to considerable debate      Examples are easily found on the web, for instance:               In the context of suspected cognitive disorders,     the validity of memory complaints is subject to considerable debate      However, this phrase does not seem grammatically correct to me. I could expect it to be:               ... is a subject for considerable debate      in which case 'subject' is a noun, or:               ... is subjected to considerable debate      where 'subject' is a verb in past participle. Still, both alternatives are much less common, judging by the number of occurrences in Google, than the original phrase. So here are the questions:   1. Is this phrase appropriate for formal writing?   2. Is it appropriate for less formal conversation?   3. Finally, is 'subject' in this phrase a noun or verb?      1. Where should I put the stress when I read the phrase aloud?


Word choices in Spartacus series

_Note of importance before I start: I'm not a native English speaker._ With that out of way, I wonder about word choices in the Spartacus series. I have watched the first series so far and I have gathered about 30 new words I have never heard. I have a habit of writting down every word I don't know yet and finding out its usage in my growing dictionary. I have been learning english for more than a decade, watched over 500 movies in English both with and without English subtitles, read about 20 books and heard more than 100 hours of podcasts, yet I have failed to recognize the following words, to mention but a few examples. > hubris, tarry, hone, forego, impede, vex, ... My question is, are these words somewhat obsolete or deprecated? Or are they just another synonyms, which are used sparsely in both written and spoken English (no matter if American or British or other versions)? I can't imagine why they have been used in this series?


"Bear something in mind" or "Bear in mind something"

I've been seeing both of these constructions all around, and I'd like to know if there is any rule that controls the usage of this expression. For what I've read, it seems to me that " **Bear something in mind** " is used when that something is short, or a single word, like "Bearing this in mind we have that..." On the other hand, " **Bear in mind something** " seems to be used when that something in longer, or even just longer than a single word, like "Bearing in mind both of those previous things...". Any confirmation on this? What would you use if you are referring to an annotation? (e.g. "Bearing [1] in mind..." or "Bearing in mind theorems [1] and [2]...").


Difference between selecting by color and selecting according to color

In a paper I read, the authors selected various images _by_ color, and I wondered if what they did wouldn’t be better expressed by _according to_ color. But the longer I thought about it, the less sure I was. Maybe someone here can help my muddled brain.


Is the word "representativity" possible?

I found natural to use the word "representativity" (with regard to a sample population of a survey), but my dictionary does not agree with me. Is "representativity" a valid construction?


"in the most unexpected way" vs "in the most unexpected of ways"

For instance, which one I should use in the following sentence? > It wasn't until eight years later that I got to hear about the Johnsons > again, though [...]. Are they the same? If not, how to they differ?


Origins of negative prefixes like in-, un-, il-, ir-, dis-, a-

I've read here about origins of _in-_ and _un-_ negative prefixes. Are there any known origins of other negative prefixes such as _il-_ , _ir-_ , _dis-_ , _a-_?


Origin of "Arachnoleptic fit"

In various websites on the Internet, including http://www.joke- archives.com/dictionaries/dictionarywords.html, I've come across the phrase _Arachnoleptic fit_. Apparently all the words in that set (Beelzebug, Bozone, etc.) are all made by either adding, removing, or replacing a letter from an already existing word or phrase. But I can't figure out the original phrase for _Arachnoleptic fit_ which only changes one letter of the word. I've tried Googling, and got lots of pages _mentioning_ the word, but none explaining its origin.


Is it "on the browser" or "in the browser"?

As a native Spanish speaker, I often get confused by the correct usage of _on_ and _in_. In the following examples, what would be the correct way of referring to the font size for characters used by a web page and why? Use the correct font size **on** the browser. Use the correct font size **in** the browser. Thanks.


Antonym for verbal diarrhea

The act of speaking excessively or continuously is referred to as verbal diarrhea. How about speaking very little? Is there a word for it?


What's the opposite of "concatenate" in programming?

To concatenate means _to string together different things._ Concatenating "snow" and "ball" produces "snowball." But what would the opposite action be? What is the name of the action used to derive two words from one? (My dictionaries don't list any antonyms, and Googling revealed _how_ to do the opposite but not what it's called.) _Edit: I had programming parlance in mind, so I've reflected that in the question title._


What to do with a list of verbs with different prepositional needs?

For example: The community was not supportive of, or happy with the result. The community was not supportive or happy with the result. So when using two sets of verbs and prepositions (listing) in a sentence, do you need to state both prepositions? I think yes. If the preposition is the same, then no. Am I correct?


Use of "though" versus "however"

Consider the sentence > E-books are on the rise, but they haven't suppressed paper books though. This usage seems to be quite common, but when I learned English I was taught to use "however" where I now read "though".   My questions on this use of "though" are: Is this a new trend?   Is it restricted to American English?   Is "though" considered more colloquial than "however" ? And on a syntactic level:   Do you put a comma before "though"?


Is "Have we a menu?" a correct sentence?

Is this a correct sentence? > Have we a menu? It sounds a little bit strange to me.


Conjunction vs comma for creative writing

> Mark is crying, sitting in the middle of the hall.   >  Mark is sitting in the middle of the hall and crying. I know both sentences are grammatically correct. But which is good for creative writing?


Is there a slang word for "electronic cigarettes" (e-cigarettes)?

> An electronic cigarette (e-cig or e-cigarette), personal vaporizer (PV) or > electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) is a battery-powered vaporizer > which simulates tobacco smoking by producing an aerosol[1] that resembles > smoke. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_cigarette These e-cigarettes have been commercially available in some countries for a couple of years, the UK included. Has any slang word already been coined for them? (e-smoke? e-fag? e-dugans?)


Providing transparency on or providing transparency of?

I am wondering about the wording of this sentence: _Empowering solid decisions by providing transparency of the system landscape and IT processes._ I'd like to ask if "on" can be used in this context as opposed to "of" and which variant sounds better/is more correct. And what about using "... making transparent the system landscape ..." versus "... providing transparency of/on the system landscape...", which one of these alternatives is better? Or am I completely on the wrong track?


I'll get lost tomorrow?

Is the following sentence correct? > I'll get lost tomorrow. Mom asked if I have plans of exploring the city alone tomorrow. The city is really new to me and I don't mind if I lost myself somewhere along the way. So is it grammatically correct to just reply to Mom: > Yes, I'll get lost tomorrow, Mom!


Punctuation for a list of names in the middle of a sentence

> Under the direction of General Manager, Rian Wagner, a motivated project > team, including: Edison Ven, Gary Bon, Justin Bembi, Marco Conch, Leo Bold > and Richard Trolo, led the effort to bring the area up to the Inner Messa > standard. Is the punctuation in this sentence correct? Should there be a comma at the end of the list (after "Rich Triolo")?


What is an alternative word to "journey" for a shorter travelling time?

I want to ask someone that how was his journey but the drive is too short to be considered as journey. What other word I can use instead of it?


Is “ill at ease” perfectly interchangeable with “uncomfortable”?

There was the following sentence in a series about the art and craft of writing in _New York Times_ (April 29) written by Tim Kreider under the title, “The Power of ‘I Don’t Know’”: > I’m always _ill at ease_ when I find myself conscripted by the media into > the role of Expert on some subject about which I have rashly written. I felt > like the explanatory caption beneath my name on-screen ought to be: PERSON > IN WORLD. [ _emphasis added_ ] As I checked a dictionary (OALED) at hand, it defines _ill at ease_ as an idiom to mean uncomfortable and embarrassed, and _uncomfortable_ as: > 3\. anxious, embarrassed or afraid and unable to relax   >  4\. unpleasant or difficult to deal with Are they saying the same thing? Does _ill at ease_ sound more familiar and at- home than _uncomfortable_ , or are they perfectly interchangeable?


The friend who travels with you

I am trying find a phrase or just a word that expresses the friend who travels with you along your trip or journey. > You are my best **___ ___** . How can I call this person?


subject and verb in "The average bundle price paid"?

I found this sentence really confusing: > The average bundle price paid was a little over $8. So, _the average_ is the subject. _Paid_ is the verb. What about the _bundle price_? Can we use this form instead? > The average _paid bundle price_ was a little over $8.


Trouble with translating a sentence

I am not a native English speaker, so I am not sure I understand the bolded sentence correctly: > The anti-hero is actually the main character in some contemporary works of > literature. Guy Montag in "Fahrenheit 451," Winston Smith in "1984," who > unwittingly ends up challenging those in power -- that is, **those who abuse > their power to brainwash the populace to believe that the ills of society > have been eliminated.** > > Source: An anti-hero of one's own - Tim Adams TED-ed video Is the infinitive "to believe" related to the populace or to those who abuse the power? I mean, I have two versions in my mind:   * They (who abuse the power) believe that the ills of society have been eliminated by brainwashing the populace.   * The populace believe that the ills of society have been eliminated because authorities have brainwashed them. **Question** : Can you tell me which of the above versions is correct?


primary product, secondary product, next?

What follows after the words primary and secondary?   What's the English word for it (meaning 3rd basically)?


expression "something beyond your kin"

I heard the expression "something is beyond your kin", see an example: > Woman, you're playing with forces beyond your kin. I can't find a way to fit any of the entries of the definition of 'kin' in this context. Anyone? EDIT, I actually misunderstood `kin` for `ken`. The kick back from the previous statement shows it: > Sheldon: "Woman, you're playing with forces beyond your ken." Penny: "Yeah, > well your Ken can kiss my Barbie".


Why do we "paint the town red"?

Why is the phrase "paint the town red" used to mean go on a colossal drinking spree? Does anyone know where it came from? Green's Slang Dictionary tentatively suggests a famous toot by the Marquis of Waterford in 1837 may be the origin, but the earliest citation for the phrase given is 1884.


"toward" vs. "towards"

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Toward or towards – what would a native speaker use? Consider the following examples: > Fighting towards anti corruption. > > I am going toward north. > > I am going towards north. Which one is grammatical? And what's the difference?


Is “cut against sth” an idiom or just ‘cut’ followed by a preposition?

There was a phrase, ‘the governor _cuts against his core argument_ ” on the issue of how to handle undocumented immigrants in the following sentence in Time magazine’s (Nov 23) article titled, “Christie’s leadership of GOP governors elevates and tests him.": > “Earlier this month, Christie dodged the question on Sunday shows. The > reporter asked Christie to answer as a yes or no, to eliminate any confusion > on immigration reform. When the reporter pointed out he didn’t answer the > question or state his position on the issue, Christie replied, “Yeah, well, > I don’t have to answer the question the way you want me to.” > > This is quickly becoming a pattern for the Republican governor that **cuts > against his core argument** to voters.” - > http://swampland.time.com/2013/11/23/christies-leadership-of-gop-governors- > elevates-and-tests-him I surmise “cut against” in the above sentence means “contradict,” like it “cuts against the grains,” or go reverse. However neither Cambridge nor Oxford English Dictionary carries “cut against sth” as an idiom, while Google Ngram shows a long-standing usage of “cut against,” which can be dated back to 1840s. Is ‘cut against’ an idiom, cliché, or just an incidental combination of ‘cut’ and preposition? What would it be a single word (verb) to replace it?


How to pronounce "users' email"?

Minutes ago, I was reading an article "Yahoo, Google and Apple also claim rights to read user emails". As usual I was reading it out loud, and I was stuck at "Following the revelation that Microsoft could, and did, read users' email". How should I pronounce it, should I just read it as if it were "user's email" or should I pronounce it like [juzerziz]?


Usage of "and so"

Take this as an example: I've a thought that - the life is worthless. Since the life is worthless, We're worthless. How to express this in a simple statement? Is this correct to say? > "Life is worthless and so we" Help me! Thank you!


Do you say 'white blackboard'?

English is not my first language, so I'm not sure what you commonly call one of these: ![Whiteboard](http://i.stack.imgur.com/br1VC.gif) I'm trying to choose between blackboard, white blackboard, or maybe just 'slate'.


Superlative and definite article "the"

I have seen similar questions like this here on ELU. However, I am still confused with my particular question. > (a) She gets up latest in her family.   >  (b) She gets up the latest in her family. Can one omit the definite article "the" in the second sentence? There is a similar English Language & Usage question with an answer that says, “An article is only necessary in the superlative (or comparative) if the adjective is attributive (i.e. is in the same phrase as the noun it is describing)” . Is the adjective in my above sentences attributive?


"Tug at your heart" or "tug at your heart strings"?

Are they the same, meaning _to make people feel emotional_?


What do you call a number that is a power of 2?

I know there is a term for a **number that is the power of 2** , such as 8, 32, 128, 4096 -- but it slipped my mind.


Why do we say “Japan earthquake” and not “Japanese earthquake”?

Isn’t earthquake a noun and the preceding word an adjective? Isn’t “Japanese” the adjectival form of “Japan”?


If he is still alive today, he…

Suppose Jeff was born on 1/1/1982. He went missing a long time ago. At the present time, he could be either dead or alive, but nobody knows for sure: 1 "If Jeff is still alive today, he **is** 30 years old."   2 "If Jeff is still alive today, he **will be** 30 years old."   3 "If Jeff is still alive today, he **_would be_** 30 years old." Which one is standard English?


"I'm loving" versus "I love"

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  "I'm lovin' it" > I love the car.   >  I'm loving the car. It seems both of them are correct in strictly grammatical way, but the second one sounds a little bit weird. May any of you tell me how to deal with them?


What is the term or phrase to describe some process is sequential independent?

By "sequential independent", I mean the process remains the same no matter how you change the order of its subroutines. Better to be some term frequently used in math or engineering.


Difference between "spirit" and "soul"

What is the difference between _spirit_ and _soul_? Is the word _soul_ used for only human beings? For instance, > He [Descartes] thought the brain worked as a center for the **spirits** of > the **soul**.


"Had decided to call" vs."had decided that we should call"

I have a question regarding using "had decided". I'm not sure if I can use either an infinitive form of a verb or a modal verb: >   * We had decided to call each other when we are in danger. >   * We had decided that we should call each other when we are in danger. > I think I've heard people use both, not sure if I can use past perfect with an infinitive and _would/should/could_.


"Help somebody with" vs "Help somebody in"

In examples like the following, what is the difference between "with" and "in". Although, this is only one example, it would be interesting if someone can explain it in more detail. > I will help you with cooking. > > I will help you in cooking. I searched it online and Google came up with both forms used in different websites.


Tense agreement after "if it means that"

I've read that in conditional sentences, tenses don't have to match. Is this true for sentences that contain "if it means"? In the examples below, I'm trying to say something like "I won't write to you if it's going to help me not miss you". >   * I will not write you if it means that I won't miss you. >   * I will not write you if it means that I don't have to miss you. >   * I will not write you if it'll mean that I won't miss you. > Do these basically mean the same thing or is one more right than the other?


"Deus Ex Machina" for Misfortune

I'm looking for a word or phrase like "deus ex machina," but to describe misfortune rather than resolution. It needs to communicate that the situation "came from out of nowhere," and/or feels "tacked-on" without any prior build- up. Any ideas? Edit: For example: > The ___ in the book really annoyed me. The main character died of an illness > at the end, even though nothing of the sort was hinted at in any previous > plot arcs.


Can I say "trees were shaking" because of the wind? Or should it be "moving" or something else?

> The strong wind blew and all the trees in our mini park were ... What word should I use here? I mean that situation when the wind is strong enough to cause the trees to make some motions, yet not be uprooted (like in case of hurricane)


Isn't the term "foreign national" redundant?

Looking at the definition given at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_national (I know, not a great source) I can't see how replacing this with just "foreigner" wouldn't suffice?


Compound noun or adjective + noun?

_Substitute teacher_ is an adjective and a noun, where substitute is an adjective as defined in the dictionary. However, what about _replacement teacher_? Replacement is defined as a noun in the dictionary. Does that make _replacement teacher_ a compound noun or is _replacement_ in this situation an adjective nevertheless?


A word or expression that means somebody's name is not "real"

I'm interviewing someone and he doesn't want his real name showing up, so how could I rephrase the following sentence? > We hide his real name under the name Luke.


"Drawing room" or "sitting room"?

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  What’s a reception room / parlor / parlour / drawing room? Please consider the following room: The house is a late Victorian townhouse. The room (A) has a size of about 40 sqm, or 400 sq ft., a nice but not elaborate chimneypiece with sofas in front of it, a plastered ceiling, grand piano, a few mahogany pieces. A door (regular, not double or sliding) leads to the dining room, another to the hall. No television set, which is in another, smaller room (B) upstairs, used for watching television and as a spare guest room. But it's in room (A) that the family sit and read or play board games, in other words, room (A) isn't just for formal entertaining of guests once in a while. For this sort of room, would upper and upper-middle class Brits say "drawing room", "sitting room" or something else? Would it be different if the room were used in the same way, but had a desk and lots of bookshelves along the walls? (I know that there are regional differences and the like, that especially in America, that would be a living room, that many Brits wouldn't fuss and call any lounge a lounge, and that Mrs Bucket would call any sort of "main room" a drawing room, that's why I specifically ask about uppers and upper-middles.)


How to identify the words with same pronunciation?

How to identify or differentiate the words with same pronunciation. As saying with example,   1. speak with mic.   2. speak with mike. So my question is when you hear these two words, How you can identify that they mean the mic(sound system) or mike(person).


Vernacular use of "Are we taking him in?"

I had a question asked of me that I completely misunderstood, but I was chastised that I did, in fact, misunderstand it. My wife and I were driving to the store with our 15 month-old son asleep in his car seat. As we approach the store, my wife asks, "Are we taking him in". Now, my initial thought was: Is my wife actually suggesting that we leave our son in the car as we go shopping? I asked her as such, which got an incredulous response from my wife. "Of course not!!" she said...she was simply asking if everybody was going in to the store or if only I was going in. After much arguing, we both agreed that the question could've been asked differently (I don't think it was a smart question to begin with), but she contends that I should've "known her better" to not believe that she suggested to go shopping with our son asleep in the car. She further contends that even if she asked that question to a complete stranger that they would "know" that she wasn't suggesting leaving her son in the car by himself. So knowing the context, is "Are we taking him in" a proper vernacular for "Are you going in by yourself or are we all going in together"?


A word meaning 'to throw things out too quickly'

_It would be [adjective] to dismiss president's new policy, as purely politic playing, it appears he has genuine intentions to improve the well being of the poor._ What adjective would be correct to mean that things were dismissed too quickly?


Correctness of questions without inversion, relying on intonation

I hear and read them all the time. I mean stuff like: > You're just going to stay here? Instead of: > Are you just going to stay here? Then I write like this out of habit and get called out on my _grammar issues_ by people who speak English much worse than I do. That's kinda embarrassing. So, could someone please explain to me whether it's correct or not? Are they acceptable at all, and if so, in which situations? > So, what? You're gonna kill me now?


Did the word "evolution" exist before Darwinism?

I was talking about evolution with my friends and one of them said: > The word "evolution" joined the English vocabulary after Darwin used it. The > word itself is pretty new, therefore. Is that true or did the word have a very long origin before Darwin?


When did "Easter egg" begin to mean "hidden feature"?

Can anybody trace the origins of 'Easter egg' for this meaning?


What patterns will flash in the native-speaker's brain when using English?

I think it is a common puzzle for ESL,especially for Chinese,since English is more abstract than Chinese, using which we can feel some specific patterns flashing in our brain. For example, when I see 笑(which means smile), I feel it is smiling to me. What do you feel when you see "smile"?


What is a good antonym for 'one track thinking'?

the meaning to be conveyed is the quality of > being able to explore a situation with multiple viewpoints instead of just > stuck with one way of exploring the problem What word (or a few words) will convey this idea?


"that of", "those of", and accuracy

I was writing something in a scientific context and came across this issue. (I have a feeling that I haven't searched the archive far enough and this might be a duplicate.) In a sentence like > Whose cat is more beautiful than the cats of their adjacent neighbours? I would like to use a demonstrative pronoun in place of 'the cats'. Suppose that a neighbour always has a cat.   1. Is 'those' grammatically correct? I'm not sure because 'those' refers to 'cat', which is singular.   2. If 'those' is correct, can 'that' be used as well? I'm not sure because it doesn't convey the plurality of cats in the neighbourhood.   3. If 'that' is not correct, would the use of 'that' in a colloquial context sound strange? (I'm not a native speaker.)


Is it acceptable to say something is "apropros" of a person?

The sentence I'm crafting is as follows: > That's some sage-like advice apropros of Mister Miyagi Is that proper usage of the word?


"Second" et "Deuxième"

Hello and happy new year ! Sorry for my english, I'm french and not very fluent in english. I tried to do my best and progress. I'm currently searching the english for "deuxième". In french, they are two words "Second" and "Deuxième". Here is an explication of differences between these two words. _Deuxième_ is used when it exists a third object, and _second_ is used when there is only two objects. Here is an example with tires of moto and car. > Le **second** pneu de ma moto est également crevé > > My _second(?)_ bike tire is now punctured too > Le **deuxième** pneu de ma voiture est également crevé > > My _second(?)_ car tire is now punctured too Could you help me, please ? Thanks a lot,


What do we call the brown-colored paper found in old books?

I want to know what that brown and slightly roughly-textured paper is called, or whether there even is a word for it.


Start a letter/email with a minuscule or a majuscule

So in German when you write a letter, you start the body with a minuscule letter because the salutation is seen as an interjection, I presume: > Dear Max, > > We just saw [yada, yada, letter] * * * > Dear Max, we just saw [yada, yada, letter] So, my question is: is it OK to start a letter in English with a lowercase letter, or is that bad style/mechanics/etc? If it's not acceptable, what is the salutation considered as and why do we separate it with a comma if it's not part of the first sentence.


"Employment with" vs. "employment at"

Which of the following options are correct? >   * [Some context] that is relevant to my employment **with** the company. >   * [Some context] that is relevant to my employment **at** the company. >


"my friend" vs "a friend of mine"

I always found it weird to hear people say things like "My friend asked me to come" (with no prior mention of said friend), as opposed to "A friend of mine asked me to come". To me it seems as though the former would imply that the speaker has just one friend. I think this usage is well widespread though, but is there any concern about its correctness? I don't see a similar pattern in use for words other than "friend" (perhaps for family members such as "brother" as well?). Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think "You can read about that in my book" would be an unusual thing to say if I'm the author of several books on the same subject matter, unless the particular book I'm referring to is clear in context.


"More loudly" vs "louder". Correct usage

What is the correct usage of the adjective "loud"?   1. Please sing louder   2. Please sing more loudly I came across this in one of the quizzes at office, and as per them, the correct answer was option 2. I really don't get what's wrong with option 1.


Is this sentence right?

I poped the movies on the player,then we were crying,laughing and chilling about the movies almost one night.


Word Usage for "regret"

Can someone please give me one word for **_regretting after saying something_**? For example, suppose I say something to somebody and then I regret saying that and think why did I even open my mouth. So what will be one word for _regret saying that_?


"Make money off of" vs. "make money out of"

Which one sounds correct? >   1. I am not making any money off of this product. >   2. I am not making any money out of this product. > If you tell me both, then how would you explain "off" here as it doesn't sound right to me since "make off" means: > Run away; usually includes taking something or somebody along


Etymology of the phrase "Twenty-three Skidoo" as used in "Hey Arnold!"

The phrase “Twenty-Three Skidoo” has a very interesting and mysterious history described very thoroughly by the wikipedia article on the phrase. However, this article seems to indicate it’s usually used as a phrase to mean “Let’s get out of here in a hurry!” The place where I have heard this expression used first, and most firmly in my memory, is from an episode of “Hey Arnold!”, involving the passing of a comet, and the declaration, upon seeing it, of said phrase. This confuses me, and a number of my friends who have seen this show, since it seems to suggest a very positive or excited expression, when the actual expression seems to be one of fear or distress. So where does this more positive use of the phrase come from? And is there a more definite origin of “Twenty-Three Skidoo” that goes unmentioned by the wiki article?


Meaning of abbreviated vulgarity

_Preface: Despite the fact that this question includes vulgar language, it is not intended to be offensive, unprofessional, or humorous, but rather is a serious question._ In the statement, "F**king A", what does the "A" stand for? Most minds quickly jump to "ass", which is also a swear word and is one of the few common ones that begin with "A", but it does not seem to fit very well grammatically. The statement is generally used as a generalized exclamation, to no one subject in particular, where as "ass" is generally used as a noun to refer to an individual; a person would not generally use this word to describe a broad situation or a general state-of-things. Are there other possibilities for the meaning of this letter? Is there an origin of the statement?


Etymology of the phrase "peachy keen"

Where does the phrase "peachy keen" come from? From m-w.com, I see that it originated in the 1950, but the phrase doesn't even make sense to me. Why is my peach keen?


Is there a word "issual"?

I have used and come across the phrase "issual of tickets" but when recently writing something my Word dictionary tells me that "issual" is not an actual word. Is that the case?


"would appreciate hearing your thoughts" phrase

I would appreaciate hearing your thoughts on this, ...      In what situations is this phrase usually used? Formal, informal ...? In contrast to               I would appreciate hearing your opinion on this ...


Is developing an insight for someone the same as accepting them?

A definition of insight is: > The capacity to gain an accurate and deep intuitive understanding of a > person or thing. So according to this, if you develop an insight for a person, it means you've developed an understanding of the person. And an understanding of someone can lead to acceptance? For example, would it be correct to say, > After refusing to accept Ben as his son for years, Jack finally developed an > insight for Ben (and accepted him as his son). Edit: Can you develop an insight _for_ someone? After rereading, that part seems a little iffy.


In the sentence below, is the apostrophe after the 's' correct?

This commitment ensures when there is an opportunity to improve on our members’ quality of life, we have the information needed


Does the word "excitation" exist?

I've recently listened to an old hit by the Beach Boys and I was surprised by the lyrics where the word "excitation" is so frequently repeated. Does it really exist, perhaps as a regional term? I couldn't find it anywhere in dictionaries, which obviously list "excitement". Please, don't tell me it was coined to rhyme with "good vibrations"...


Can I say "I concur with something" instead of "I agree with something"?

Hi I'm still learning English and I rather have problems with grammar. So my question is can I use > I concur with this statement instead of > I agree with this statement Is it weird? Does it sound unnatural?


"When it comes to" and "with regard to"

Are _when it comes to_ and _with regard to_ always interchangeable? Is there any difference at all?


Word for going crazy

What is a word which describes when a person loses it, when they reach their limit or pass the tipping point? I'm trying to use it to describe a person's transition from sane to insane. For example, > Dick Prosser's **(transition to insanity)** was accompanied by a ...


How to express a list within a sentence?

I always forget how to express a list within a sentence. Let's say I have the following sentence: > I attached two files, files and database. Can I use a "-" or a ";" instead of the comma? Please advise me.


What are sentences like "the longer X, the more Y" called and can they be used in formal written English?

What is the type of sentence exemplified below called? Is it appropriate to use it in a scientific paper and formal written English in general? **1.** > The more pronounced the variation, the more the waste. **2.** > The more you give the more you get. **3.** > The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.


Using a quote from someone other than the original article author

I am writing a synthesis paper and have ran across a couple quotes using in an article that I will be contrasting with another article. In the article written by Esther Shein she includes the quote > "Code has become the 4th literacy. Everyone needs to know how our digital > world works, not just engineers," says Mark Surman, executive director of > the Mozilla Foundation If I wanted to use this in my paper do I write it as is? Or do I still have to cite that I found it in Esther Shein's article. This was a public statement made by Mark Surman so this is where I am conflicted.


Name of "a period of time worked offshore" (usually 21 days)

I thought of shift but it didn't sound right given it's a longer period of time.


When asking how someone wants their tea, they reply: "lots of milk and sugar". Is that to be interpreted as "Lots of milk and sugar" or "lots of milk and (lots) of sugar" according to the rules of English?


Etymology of "oblivion"

From etymonline, in "oblivion", "ob-" means "over, and "levis" means "smooth", so how does the word have the meaning of "lacking conscious awareness, not informed about, not aware of something"? Also does "levis" relate to "levi" which means light, and raise, e.g. elevate, levity?


How might I name the items of a Likert scale?

I'm using a Likert scale that has 5 possible items:   * _++_ for "I strongly agree"   * _+_ for "I agree"   * _+/-_ for "I'm indifferent"   * _-_ for "I disagree"   * _\--_ for "I strongly disagree" Now I think that "I'm indifferent" for the item in the middle isn't really the term that should be used, but I can't think of any better term. Any helps there?


Meaning of "missile"

What's a missile in this case? > Would you rather a cop grab a quick nap while not on a call if they're > exhausted or drive around a two ton missile with a gun on their hip while > half asleep.


The use of "therefor" in my High School Diploma

I just received my High School Diploma and want to make sure the following sentence is grammatically correct. The diploma contains the following line: "This certifies that [Name] has satisfactorily completed the requirements prescribed for graduation and is **therefor** awarded this High School Diploma" I've read that "therefor" means "in return for" and "therefore" means "consequently." From those basic definitions, it seems like either word is correct here. But I figure that just can't be right. At first I thought that it must be "therefore," but now I'm thinking that "therefor" (like they used) is probably more appropriate. Which is it?


How to identify adjectives

I’m revisiting/studying about adjectives in “Adjectives” at _Capital Community College Guide to Grammar and Writing_. First I learn that articles are adjectives, but then there follows a paragraph in which all adjectives in a quote from Thomas Wolfe’s _Look Homeward, Angel_ are highlighted. Interestingly, the first thing I noticed was that the articles were not being highlighted as adjectives. Further reading, the farmer is described as one _who comes weekly with printed butter, eggs, and milk_ but this is also not highlighted as adjective. More importantly I began to contemplate that when more information is provided about any object, it could be regarded as adjective. For instance along the last lines, there is _bakery-oven in the wind_ and I’m thinking _in the wind_ should also be an adjective, but then that may result to concluding that _smell of India_ in _the smell of India tea_ could also be argued to be an adjective, and I’m feeling like I now have a distorted view of what adjectives really are. Could someone help me out? I’m also looking for best possible exhaustive references for learning about adjectives and other parts of speech. Thanks.


What does "nukulate" mean?

What does _nukulate_ mean in the following sentence from a question on Cooking SE? > **Nukulate** for 3 minutes on high.


"In school" vs "at school"

I sometimes get confused whether to use _in_ or _at_. For example, > Children were not **at** school yesterday, because yesterday was a holiday. > > Children were not **in** school yesterday, because yesterday was a holiday. Is there a rule of thumb to not confuse _in_ and _at_?


Are "in" and "at" the same in some situations?

If someone calls me, and I say I can't talk to them at the moment, because I'm at school, is there any difference between the following two sentences? >   * I'm at school. >   * I'm in school. > Do they convey the same meaning or they are different?


Is "did you thought" a valid expression?

I saw a picture earlier that had a line that said "Did you thought, that was me?" and wondered, "Isn't it supposed to be 'Did you think [...]'?". However, after using Google, I found this phrase being used quite frequently, and it has about 136 million hits on the exact search term of "did you thought". If you replace 'thought' with other verbs in the exact same tense, it also doesn't really make sense. I'm severely confused. My mind tells me this can't be right, yet it seems to be frequently (mis)used? Can anyone clarify on this?


Is "tomorrow" as any specific day in the future a proper usage of the word?

I find it confusing when _tomorrow_ is used to speak of a day in the future other than the following day. Is it proper to use it in reference to any specific day in the future? I am aware that the dictionary defines tomorrow as a time in near future. To me this refers to an ambiguous time and it is not confusing when used as such. But, is it proper to use it of any specific day in the future other than the day after tomorrow. Ex. "We are going to the park tomorrow." Based on the dictionary definition, a student is using tomorrow to refer to a different day in the coming week. Am I wrong to correct this? Is there a reputable source that confines the near future use of this word to metaphorical ambiguous future.


"Regards" vs. "Best regards" vs. "With regards"

Which of the three phrases in the concluding phrase is most appropriate when sending a work-related email? Could the three be ranked in terms of their overall level of formality?


Which preposition to use with "rename"?

Which is the correct preposition to use with _rename_?   1. rename **to**   2. rename **as**   3. rename **by**


What is the difference between accrue, accumulate, and collect?

These words seem to be used interchangeably, but there seems to be a slight difference between them. 'Collecting' seems to be organized gathering of certain objects or a certain category of objects, e.g. collecting stamps. 'Accumulate' seems to be haphazard or otherwise unorganized gathering of something, such as the activity of accumulating as many points as possible in any given arcade game. I do not know what distinctive traits 'accrue' would have. Can anyone please clarify the distinctions and differences between these three words?


Future Perfect in the Past

Can I use _should have done_ for the future just like _will have done_? For example: > It should have been finished by next Monday. Which basically means _It should be finished by next Monday_ but with extra emphasis on the completion of the action. Or should I stick to _be finished_ and not get stupid ideas?


Origin of "old bag"?

What is the origin of the term **_old bag_** as a derogatory term for an older lady? In the UK it is exclusively used to describe females. There appears to be nothing intrinsically feminine about bags. Could it be a corruption of _old hag_?


Difference between 'have to' and 'will have to'

Is there any difference between these two statements. If yes could you tell me when to use them.   1. I have to do that   2. I will have to do that