Is "Marco Polo" slang?

I have heard some people utter "Marco Polo" in distress or shocking cases. Is it slang? Or is it used as something else? Can someone great as Marco Polo be used as an abusive word?


Where should I put comma and full stop?

"Hi Jordan, Greetings from XYZ Solutions, I have analysed the content provided by you." **OR** "Hi Jordan. Greetings from XYZ Solutions. I have analysed the content provided by you." Which one is correct?


I used to think those are random events but someone over at physics.stackexchange.com insists that randomness means something else so I am at a loss here. Can someone help me out? What do you call an event that happens without a cause?


"I have chosen," "I choose," or "I am choosing"?

In a week time I'm taking an exam. I want to know whether I can say 'I have chosen' or not. It is present perfect too. The task is: > You would like to go on a party. Look at the picture and decide which outfit > would suit you best. Justify your opinion. The problem is that English is not my native language, and my teacher said that "I have chosen is wrong," but (as far as I know) it also indicates finished action: "I have just done my homework, I have already seen the film." Why is it wrong then if it is at all? Other options have been suggested, e.g. _I am choosing_ , _I chose_ , or _I choose_. Anyway, I'm not convinced, as they all refer to different tenses. Why would _I've chosen_ be wrong?


"Living like Jim Morrison" . what does it imply or refer to?

In the Gods and Monsters song by Lana Del Ray “No one’s gonna take my soul away”, there is the line: > I'm living like Jim Morrison What does this line mean?


Work around an issue or workaround an issue?

I'm writing an essay for college admissions, and this snipped is highlighted by my auto-correct as incorrect: > There are many obstacles I face while working on a project, most of which > take a lot of time and energy to fix or **_work around_**. I can't see anything wrong with using _work around_ in this context, but I'd like to know how to correctly use this phrase.


Is there a word like biped that applies to creatures that move like snakes?

The SAT version of my question would be this analogy: > Fill in the blanks: > > 1) human : biped :: snake : **__** The best I've gotten is "legless vertebrate" but I was hoping a single word answer.


Is unknown certainty oxymoronic?

If someone started a story thus, > In a time lost, in a certain yet unknown place, is the Castle of Umberdeen > ... How could an entity be a certainty and yet unknown? It does not make sense. But then, do we need to apply logical mathematical principles to a fantasy romance. Is the kick-off sentence to the story oxymoronic? Perhaps, someone has a different interpretation of "certain".


Is there a word for "extreme disgust"?

I've been trying to avoid using the two words "extreme/extremely" and "disgust/disgusted" in my sentences, but I can't find any appropriate substitute for "extremely disgusted". I was thinking something along the lines of "abject horror" but that doesn't necessarily convey "disgust". Is there a more specific word that describes extreme disgust?


What do you call someone who says they will do things but doesn't?

And if they do it, they take 6 months rather than the 6 days he said he could but not necessarily specified that he would? My husband is a tow truck driver, so he barely has spare time as it is. He also has an odd job business, which doesn't get much business. He still has a heater here at my apartment left from 8 months ago that he was supposed to fix. Still has to fix his truck and put the new motor in it which he still has to drive 2 hours to get, even though he has a perfectly good one right here. He has also claimed in the last year that by next year (so that'd be pretty much now, right?) he would have rebuilt a tractor, a snowplow, 2 trucks, a house trailer and a flat bed and he was going to build one, and a motorcycle, plus a 3 wheeler, 4 wheeler, help his dad with his house, get him and I a place...I could go on and on. Yet he barely sees his son and me and hasn't been home for dinner in 6 months because he is busy working. I will admit he has gotten some jobs done but just at max only 2/3 of them. I think it's more like 1/3 but I'm trying to give him credit. So what would he be called?


When to use unbeknown and unknown?

Recently, I've seen the word _unbeknown_ , which was new to me. Is there any difference between _unknown_ and _unbeknown_ in meaning and/or usage?


Is an areligious person secular?

An areligious person is one who is: > unconcerned with or indifferent to religious matters. A secular person is one who is: > in the state of being separate from religion, or not being exclusively > allied or against any particular religion. Do these words refer to the same beliefs? Also, are the connotations of each of these words the same? Can they be used interchangeably?


Why are Kansas and Arkansas pronounced differently?

_Arkansas_ is typically pronounced like so: > “ahr-kuhn-saw” IPA: `[ˈɑɹkənˌsɔː]` However, _Kansas_ is typically pronounced like this: > “kan-zuhs” IPA: `[ˈkænzɨs]` Why are these two words that are so similar in spelling pronounced so differently? Both are apparently linked to “Native American” origins. So what’s the difference in the original usages?


Is this sentence grammatically correct?

"If we were in a physical relationship, you just lost sex tonight". This is a line from the TV show, 'Big Bang Theory'. It seems incorrect but I may be wrong.


OK, here's a weird one: "I appreciate ya"

Say you do something simple and nice for someone. A normal reply would be " I appreciate that, thank you." (phrased in either order) But for the past year or two, down here in the southern US, I've been hearing a new phrase (at least new to me) that seems to conflate "I appreciate that" and "thank you." > " I appreciate you. " Tack a southern drawl on it and you get > " I appreciate cha. " The first time I heard it, I was thrown, thinking "wow that's pretty strangely sloppy." Then I heard it again, and... again. Now, it's very commonplace here. So my questions are:   1. Do you hear this in your area ?   2. If so, is it new?   3. Anyone know it's origins ?  I don't think it's just sloppy / lazy --- or we would have already had it decades ago :)) (I hope this kind of question is appropriate for ELU.) Thanks - and, yes I do appreciate cha. < rimshot >


Term for distinctive wasp flight pattern

Many wasps have a characteristic way of flying back and forth while approaching the opening to their nest (see for example the intro paragraph in this Wikipedia article on yellow jackets). Is there a term for this characteristic flight behaviour? In entomology, in folklore? I have searched, but found nothing.


Can I use less-common technical terms metaphorically?

Can any technical term be used metaphorically? For instance, can I use the word **assimilable** which means **_capable of being absorbed and incorporated into body tissue (because it's broken down into a form that can be absorbed)_** in a sentence like "Calculus is not readily assimilable by students without appreciable Mathematics background" I'm also wary because technical terms ( _assimilable_ belongs in Biology) are not always popular. I know technical terms are already being used metaphorically. One may even use these words without realizing they've been adapted from a certain discipline for everyday use. Their derived meanings seem denotational because of its pervasive use. (I know I won't be forgiven for my lack of examples, they're not coming to mind atm. But I'm praying you get the picture.) So my question is about the aptness of using these less common technical terms. I know I risk my audience not comprehending me when I use them, but surely there was a point in time where these very familiar (technical) expressions we use today weren't as commonplace as they are now. I hope someone understands me :-)


When are Roman Numeral suffixes appropriate for number abbreviations?

This question was asked and closed last year as general reference. However, it did not attract the caliber of answer I expected it to. I suggested the below content as an edit, but it was rejected for "changing too much" (even though I believe "the original meaning or intent of the post" was well preserved). Additionally, "what is the correct abbreviation for millions, billions and trillions in a financial context?" touches on the topic from a financial _news_ writing perspective without touching on financial _documents_. And this question admits to the commonness of **M** and **MM** , but merely concludes not to mix the two. Therefore, I am posting this question because I believe it would benefit from a canonical, thorough answer. It is a common accounting practice to use Roman Numeral suffixes to abbreviate numbers that are in the thousands and millions. See this google search, which includes this article1 as the most authoritative explanation. > The Roman numeral M is often used to indicate one thousand, and MM is used > to indicate one million. For example, an expense of $60,000 might appear as > $60M. Sales of $3,000,000 might be written as $3MM. Internet advertisers are > familiar with CPM which is the cost per thousand impressions. > > In recent years some people began using k to represent one thousand. For > example, an annual salary of $60,000 might appear as $60k instead of $60M. > > In a recent business publication I saw million represented by mn and also by > m (both lower case). This means it is possible for you to see $1,400,000 > expressed as $1.4 million or $1.4mn or $1.4m or $1.4MM or $1,400k or > $1,400M. Wikipedia's article on Roman Numerals implies that this is no longer the case: > Roman numerals however proved very persistent, remaining in common use in > the West well into the 14th and 15th centuries, even in accounting and other > business records... Even while the article on the number Million mentions it is still in use. > [One million] can be abbreviated MM in some financial contexts. And neither article (or the references) provide any guidance to what s As an author, how can you decide when it is appropriate to use metric abbreviations or roman numeral abbreviations? When writing a quote for an order for products, would you write 25K or 25M to refer to 25,000 parts(or pounds or units)? As a reader, how can you decipher whether a document is using metric or roman numeral abbreviations? If all the numbers are in the same range and abbreviated the same way (i.e. there are no occurrences of _k_ or _MM_ elsewhere), what other clues can you use? **1** : _Accounting Coach_ , accountingcoach.com by Harold Averkamp, who claims CPA and MBA status. Retrieved 2014-08-25 19:25 UTC.


University research or Academic research

What do you call researches that are carried out in the universities as thesis or...?   * academic researches   * university researches    * researches in university


"As Applicable" Concluding a Sentence

I am a technical writer, and often I find concluding a list of requirements with "as applicable" is useful, because not all items in a list of requirements are relevant in all cases. Consider a sentence such as: > In your application, please include your telephone number, cell phone > number, e-mail address, names of maiden aunts, and a list of schools you > have attended. It calls for an "as applicable" at the end because you may not have a maiden aunt, for instance. Should the phrase be written as: > ...schools you have attended, as applicable. or > ... schools you have attended as applicable. The first has the comma after the list, the second does not. My intuition says you should use the comma, but I cannot think of a reason why. I would like a reason, so I can convince another writer that the comma should be there.


Phrases for placing emphasis

Scientific writing often involves writing down a list of facts. I frequently come across a situation where I need to point out a fact or an observation that is not obvious, and sometimes not completely connected with the previous sentence. I mostly use "Note that..." followed by the observation. I am looking for variations to open a sentence in a similar way. I tried looking at charts related to cohesion, linking phrases etc. but did not come across any category that precisely provides me with substitutions for "note that".


What is a less wordy way of describing how this car is situated?

I'm sitting on a bench in a park and I see this car sitting in the middle of a side street. Well, it's not actually in the middle of the street, but like right at the spot where you're about to make a right/left turn out onto the main road. It's been sitting there for about half an hour now. It's not an intersection where the car is at, it's just a side street that's leading off from the main road. If I were to describe what I had seen to someone else, how do I say it without sounding too wordy? For example, instead of describing all that I've just did above, is there a single expression that can describe the position of the car at where it's sitting, like "The car have been sitting at the [...] for half an hour now without moving, there have been no cars coming out or else it would have gotten chased off". Edit: actually I've found a similar image: ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/52KWj.jpg)


How does “rest easily” differ from “rest easy”?

The New York Times (August 17) reported that the N.F.L. has decided to cracked down on several players who wear fierce and funky face masks to make them look tougher or cooler under the headline, “Uniform police give face masks a closer look.” The N.F.L. considers the use of such accessorized helmets without a legitimate medical reason violates the league’s uniform policy. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/18/sports/football/NFL-uniform-police-give- face-masks-a-closer-look.html?ref=sports?src=dayp&_r=0 The article reads: > “Gone is Brian Orakpo’s corrugated headgear, modeled after the Batman > villain Bane, and Darnell Dockett’s square-bottomed mask, which looked oddly > like a panini grill. Tuck’s face mask fans, however, **can rest easily.** He > provided N.F.L. officials with documentation, signed by the team doctor and > head athletic trainer, certifying that his mask protected his neck by > preventing opponents from grabbing it.” I was drawn to the phrase, “Tuck’s face mask fans can rest easily.” I can find the idiom, “rest easy” in the meanings of “(1) not to worry - CED” and “(2) go to sleep without worries – OED” in any of English dictionaries at hand, but no dictionary carries “rest easily” as an idiom, because I think, it’s a simple combination of verb and adverb. However, I’m interested in what’s the difference is between “rest easy’ shown in “This insurance policy will let you rest easy “ shown as a sample in OED and “rest easily” in “Tuck’s face mask fans can rest easily” in the above quote. Does the addition of two letters - ‘ly’- make any difference? If it does, what’s the difference?


Is it a "Texas Accent" or a "Texan Accent"?

Is it proper to say "Texan accent" or "Texas accent" - or does it make any difference?


Does empty have a gradable antonym in English?

Empty doesn't seem to have a gradable antonym. If something is _not empty_ and _not full_ , then it is **not empty** , but is there a single word expression for this? ## Edit: To make it more evident, I'm looking for something like what _warm_ is on the scale of _cold_ and _hot_.


Notice vs. pay attention

I want to ask you, the English native speakers, regarding to a post in my blog which was commented by a visitor: > Before applying for a job, please notice the following requirements: write > down your application letter neatly, attach your latest CV, …. the copy of > your IDCard and your latest close-up photo, and send to us using well-sealed > envelope. > > a. to enclose > > b. enclose > > c. encloses > > d. enclosed > > e. enclosing Here is the comment of a visitor: > I have seen examples of national exams where the English was so wrong that > there were no correct options. Even the example included here is a bit > strange. We would never use ‘notice’ we would say ‘pay attention to’. And > write down is not appropriate in this context, it should be write. Could you explain me about that "wrong example"? I found that example somewhere on net and I do forgotten the source. Is it possible for you to mark and correct the example (plus the options)? Why 'notice' and 'pay attention' are different, and why 'write down' couldn't fit the context? Thank you, Khadis


How to name a 15-minute period?

In Dutch, we have the word "kwartier" to denote a 15-minute period. It is derived from the word "kwart", which means _quarter_. It is very common to use this word in both spoken and written language. Is there a similar word or expression in English (e.g. _quarter_ )? And is it very common to use this word, or is it more commonplace to use expressions such as _quarter of an hour_ , _15 minutes_ , etc.? The scenario I'm considering in particular is that of labels on forms or in software. The 'user' has to indicate how much time was spent on something, in time units of 15 minutes. What would be the most appropriate way:   * Time spent: # quarters   * Time spent: # quarters of an hour   * Time spent: # times 15 minutes   * Time spent: # minutes (in software, make 15-minute increments the only possible way to input the time)   * …


Owner vs. operator of a machine

The owner of a machine may be a company, while the person operating a machine (push buttons, feed material, etc) may be an employee of said company. But is the company also the operator of the machine, as it owns the machine with the intent of having it active/in operation/doing work? I'm trying to avoid confusion between the person pushing the buttons and the more abstract 'commisioning' (does that make sense?).


Why does spelling matter?

If I write _mispelling_ as supposed to _misspelling_ why does it matter? The meaning still exists. Everyone knows what I meant to write. There is no ambiguity. Why do some people consider the proper use so important? Isn't language flexible? Can't I use it as I wish? I don't say these things to irritate or insult people, I'm saying them to convey meaning, meaning is achieved, so isn't the purpose of language in that instance satisfied?


In answering a telephone call, why do you say "Who is this?" instead of "Who is that?"

On the telephone, the person answering it may say "Who is calling?" or "Who is this?" Why do you say "this" to the caller on the other end of the phone? Is is wrong to say "Who is that?"


Is "I also don't know" less correct than "I don't know either"?

When do you use "I don't know either" and when "I also don't know" (or any other verb instead of "know")? I've been taught that "I also don't know" is not as correct as "I don't know either" - just like "I always don't know" is not as correct as "I never know" - but I've been hearing recently native speakers use "I also don't know" quite often. Perhaps "I also don't know" is also correct, but it has some different meaning?


What does "it is not an option" mean?

In general, what does it mean when people say "something is not an option"? It sounds like it means "something is a must". Am I right?


"Stumble" and "tumble"

Take the word _tumble_ \- by prefixing it with a single letter you get a whole new word _stumble_ with a slightly different meaning. When it occurred to me I tried thinking of other words like this but could not find any. Is this unique to this pair of words then? Also, any history of this pair of words will be welcome.


tom todger meaning

I have been researching the meaning of "tom todger" as used by New Zealand/Australian author Ruth Park in her autobiography A Fence Around the Cuckoo (Penguin Books 1993 pb Page 90). Her Irish grandmother, born mid-19th Century, called Park a "tom todger" in the 1930s.


Can a noun be supported by 2 prepositions?

See this sentence: > Partner A will have a contract with our company with following missions:... It can be written into two separate sentences: >   * Partner A will have a contract with our company. >   * The contract has the following missions:... > If I write > A contract with our company with following missions like as in the first sentence, then would it cause a certain ambiguity or not?


"In all events" as opposite of "in no event"

I was recently trying to explain to a non-native English speaking colleague the meaning of the phrase "in no event" which often appears in legal documents. This produced the question: "Can you say 'in all events' to mean the opposite?" My curiosity piqued, I did a search in Google. First, as I expected, I noticed many hits for the word combination "in all events" in commonplace sentences such as "I am participating in all events." However, to my surprise, I also saw examples of "In all events" at the beginning of sentences, used in the manner that my colleague had imagined. For example, I found this sentence at the end of Section 3 of a text on the Classified Information Procedures Act by Jim McAdams, Senior Legal Instructor at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center: _"In all events, you, the Criminal Investigator, should consult with the CSO concerning the transporting of classified documents through unclassified areas."_ So, then, is "In all events" an acceptable phrase and can it be used in legal documents as a counterpart to the expression "In no event."? To give a specific example, if we are given the sentence: "In no event shall we be liable for XYZ," could we write the sentence: "In all events, we shall not be liable for XYZ" to convey the same meaning?


Difference between "World" and "Universe"

What are the differences between the two? I thought that "World" means everything, i.e the same as "Universe". But people seem to think it means the same as "Earth".


Usage of "without strain" word combination

Can word combination "without strain" be used in figurative sense, for example "He speaks English without strain." and is it literary?


Matryoshka words

Since it's Friday and others are playing games, here's another one to take us into the weekend. Everyone knows about those Russian nesting dolls (called matryoshka dolls, I believe). A small doll nests inside a larger, which itself is inside a larger doll, and so on. This game does the same with words. You start with a three-letter word, add a letter to make another word, and so on. Longest word wins. The catch? Each additional letter has to form a legitimate word. Here's one to start you off: > bur   >  burr   >  burro   >  burrow   >  burrows Good luck.


Is there a Latin, or English, phrase or acronym for "in summary"?

Is there something similar to _TLDR_ that can be used in professional emails and messages?


Do synonyms exactly stand for the same

I have a question about synonyms:   I'm wondering for quite a while if synonyms always stand exactly for the same thing. Is there sometimes a little difference in meaning?   Let's use clumsy and clunky for example. Can I always replace clunky with clumsy? Since I'm not a native speaker, as you may have noticed, I cannot tell them apart. According to my dictionary, they mean exactly the same. Is it always true? If the question has already been ask, sorry I couldn't find it. Edit: Thank you very much! Every answer has helped a lot and thank you so much for it. I really appreciate it. I've voted all your answer because every answer helped me in a different way. I've accepted Barrie England's answer because it was the best one in my case. But all of yours were really good and helpful :)


Compliments — for people, things or both?

Are compliments applicable both to people and things, or to people only?


How many words/phrases were coined by Milton?

In studying the works of John Milton in _The Riverside Milton_ , I've noticed that the footnotes repeatedly point to the OED, which cites Milton as having coined a seemingly endless number of words and phrases that are still in use today. Knowing that he was fluent in Greek, Latin, Hebrew, Spanish, French and Italian, I've become extremely curious: Does anyone have a clue as to how many words/phrases Milton contributed to the English language?


Job interview question

I'm a French man in my late 20s and I'm applying for a job for a prestigious American company. I've had a job interview with an American woman and she told me all was well but I'd have to be molded to be just like ''the rest of the girls and the rest of the skirts.'' It's true, it's mainly a female company. I don't understand this expression. Please explain. Should I be worried or was it a joke?


Can I use 'macaronic' to descibe light verses involving three languages?

Possible _macaronic_ confusion: >   1. 'Of or involving a mixture **of two or more** languages.' (American > Heritage) > >   2. 'characterized by a mixture **of two** languages' (Merriam-Webster) > > Since in an essay I'm writing I want to use the word 'macaronic' to descibe light verses involving three languages, I have the fear of not being understood because above dictionaries don't read the same definitions.   1. Can I use, contrary to what Merriam-Webster reads, 'macaronic' to descibe light verses involving three languages?   2. If not, can you suggest me an alternative adjective meaning 'light verses involving three languages'? I ask because I want to avoid confusion in reader's brains.


Meaning of jersey in this sentence

What is the meaning of "jersey" in this sentence > Kent proceeds to kick the shit out of Greg's jersey" I don't know if it is slang or something about New jersey.


Antonym of selfie

I am looking for an antonym of _selfie_ , meaning _a photo/portrait of others_. The ancient Greek word for self is like _auto_ , and what I am looking for is an English word for _hetero_ (its opposite). Do you have any idea of that?


What is the antonym of "distaff"?

What is the antonym of "distaff"? It's not in my dictionary, but it must exist. Right? **edit** By _distaff_ I mean, "the female equivalent of something typically male", not just "female" generally. I could write "Joan Jett is the distaff Adam Ant" or "Adam Ant is the [what?] Joan Jett". **further edit** no cracks about my musical ignorance.


“An exclamation” or “An ejaculation” ? Are these words synonymous?

Exclamations and ejaculations are usually expressions of surprise or anxiety, something said quickly and suddenly. Grammatically they are always interjections and may seem to be the same kind of utterance. Are they ?


Can you use the word "where" in a sentence this way?

Is it proper grammar to use the word "where" after a comma, or can I replace this word with something more appropriate? _"I was employed as a **______** at ABC Company, **where I was responsible** for managing a team of 20 employees."_


A lot of numbers in a paragraph, how should I phrase them

The formal grammar demands that numbers be written out as words at the beginning of a sentence. I have a paragraph like the one below and I am not sure how best to re-phrase it so as to conform to the academic grammars. General suggestions on writing this type of sentences (sentences with "complex numbers") are especially welcome. (I intentionally put all numbers at the beginning of all sentences to highlight the issue) > 4165 cases of respondents reported pain in knee joints, hand joints or > wrists. 60.77% of them reported only knee pain whereas 64.71% reported pain > in hand and wrist joints. 74.89% of the patients with osteoarthritis > complained knee pain while 87.64% of the patients with rheumatoid arthritis > complained hand and wrist pain. 69.55% of the patients 60 years old and > above showed signs of knee pain while 46.78% of the patients 40 years old > and younger showed similar signs. 69.24% of the patients 40 years old and > younger complained about hand and wrist pain and 62.50% of the patients 60 > years old and above have a similar complaint.


Why is the sentence "Statistics 'is' often misleading" incorrect?

Why is the sentence " _Statistics **is** often misleading_" incorrect? I know that statistics can be singular but also plural. Should I use singular in this case?


Why is the sentence "The sheep 'stray' when the gate is left open" incorrect?

The sentence should be written as "The sheep _strays_ when the gate is left open". Does the use of the definite article, _the_ , always makes the grammar number singular?


Word for "how it fits"

What are some synonyms for relationship which encompass how something fits - like how a couch fits in a room, or how a building fits on a block, or how a neighborhood fits in a city. Its "fitting-in-ness", or ability to properly fit into a place and even improve it because it fits so well


IPA pronunciation of 'Bazinga'

You might be familiar with the tv-series the Big Bang Theory. Sheldon, one of the main characters, often says "bazinga". How would I write this in IPA? This is what I have, does that make sense? /bəˈzɪŋɡɑː/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skQGve3XksU


When did 'going to ...' replace 'will ...' in the future tense in colloquial usage

The future tense in standard written English uses 'will' as the verbal modifier, but increasingly English speakers use 'going to' as the verbal modifier. When did this come into common usage?


What is the origin of the expression "to prick one's ears up"? Does this come from an actual physical action seen in animals or from some literature reference?


Phrasal Verb request for cover in a cursory manner

Can someone suggest a phrasal verb which means "not covering something in full detail" or treating the subject in a "cursory manner". Something which implies that the details have been omitted probably to make the discussion more concise etc.


A word that describes something that has been given a name

Is there a word besides _named_ that describes something that has been given a proper name? For example, a guitar is just a guitar, but if I call it, say, Shirley, is there another word that would now describe the guitar? I'm looking for something specifically that can be used to identify things that have names (like people) but could also include books and movies, or say "Old Glory" for the flag. Is there such a word? EDIT: Here's a bit more information: I'm looking specifically for a noun, a word which describes any object, person, or idea that has a name. Perhaps an example will help: say you had a hat full of names, movie and book titles, as well as say names of famous characters from tv shows, and maybe even important events in history like "The Great Depression". If I asked you to reach in and pick one, what could I say to pick besides "choose a name" (and of course, besides "choose a piece of paper"!) that would describe every one of the items in the hat? EDIT2: Okay here's some final context for everyone. The reason I posed this question is I am developing a game for windows phone that involves guessing a name, but although "Name" is a simple enough name for the object, it also has additional properties like "category" and "description". So if I called the object "Name", I need an additional property to reference the actual name of the object. If I used "Name" again I would be accessing it via Name.Name, and that's just silly. In truth, this isn't a big deal, I ended up using "Name" as the object, and "Title" as the name. This was more a "curiousity" thing, where I wondered if there was a way to accurately name the object, so I could keep "Name" as a property. Ultimately, my favorite solution is to keep the "Name" as the object and "Moniker" as the name. This feels like the most intuitive way to do it, but I'll probably keep it as it is with "Title". But since that's my favorite that gets the answer, thanks to all who contributed!


Use of "Who am I" and "Who I am?"

I am confused between these two: "Who am I" and "Who I am" I read this phrase: "Do you know who am I?" - The person was threatening someone. But what is the main difference in using these? "Do you know who am I?" or "Do you know who I am?" Please explain in which case we use what?


One word noun for "truth-teller"?

There is a single word to describe people with a lack of honesty: _liar_. Is there an equivalent single word to describe an honest person? The word must be a noun and not an adjective. The are obviously many adjectives that describe people who tell the truth. I am looking for something somewhat like the Spanish word, _verdadero_.


non-essential/non-restrictive prepositional phrases

1:   * a: I entered the house, through the window, and saw a few dancing cats.   * b: I entered the house through the window and saw a few dancing cats.   * c: I entered the house through the window, and saw a few dancing cats. Which is one is the most correct? Which one would you most likely see in a book teaching about grammar. 2:   * a: Which one would be considered the most correct, by rigorous standards?   * b: Which one would, by rigorous standards, be considered the most correct?   * c: Which one would be considered, by rigorous standards, the most correct?   * d: Which one would by rigorous standards be considered the most correct?   * e: Which one would be considered the most correct by rigorous standards? Which one of those would you most likely see in a grammar book? Which is the most correct and formal sounding. If more than one are correct, just tell me. I hope somebody can clear up my confusion. Greetings :)


Schwa insertion into the bi-consonantal onset for emphasis?

I want to know if American English speakers have regional differences in inserting the schwa between initial consonants of words such as great, crazy, professional, and crash for emphasis. For a case in point, Americans that are born and raised in Maryland do not insert the schwa for emphasis whereas Americans that are born and raised in Los Angeles CA and Texas do insert the schwa for that purpose in the plosive and liquid clusters. E.g. (1) Gareat! /gə'ret/   and (2) Carazy! /kə'rezi/


Yours vs. your's

Which is correct _“Is that yours?”_ or _“Is that your’s?”_? I ask because it is possessive, so I would think it would be the latter, but I typically use and see the former usage. Are there particular cases in which one should be used instead of the other? Or is one simply correct and the other not? This is one of the few things that still confuse me, so help is greatly appreciated.


Announcing married couple

In Boston Legal (TV series) married couples are announced as "Mr and Mrs Ivan Tiggs" or "Mr and Mrs Denny Crane" - including the husbands' first names. Why is that?   Is it used commonly or only in this series?


What is the difference between 'inclination' and its varieties; that is 'tendency - propensity - disposition - inclination - proclivity'?

As someone who is at (near-)native level of English, I know all of these words, but as I'm not immersed in an area where use of English is prevalent, (as of now I am living in the Netherlands,) I don't encounter these words often enough to start seeing obvious patterns between the differences, and the dictionaries I have used didn't help. I have some general ideas, although I have general ideas on the meaning of some of the words. Propensity seems to be a 'natural' inclination, i.e. "Man has the propensity to be selfish", and disposition seems to be related to opinions as in "He has a disposition to agree with those that are close to him." I don't have the faintest idea about the differences between the other three words that are left though. Could anyone care to explain this all to me?


Word that means "to worsen esp. suddenly"

I'm trying to look for a word(verb) that means _to worsen especially suddenly_ to describe an injury/swelling. I have chronic swelling in my lips and whenever I become too active, the swelling worsens and becomes painful and I'm trying to look for a verb to describe that without being too wordy. It's like similar to the word _attack_? but in verb form.


Different pronunciations of "Pakistan" versus "Afghanistan"?

Should there be any difference in the pronunciation of (the suffixes in) "Pakistan" and "Afghanistan"? I noticed that Obama treats the words quite differently, pronouncing "Pakistan" like PUH-KIST-UHN, but pronouncing "Afghanistan" in an American way, with the end syllable "-stan" as in "stand" or "stance".


Comma or period after the words: I remain at the end of a letter?

Do you ever place a period after remain? For example: With best wishes for a happy holiday, I remain. Sincerely yours,


Is it ok to omit a possessive apostrophe before a capitalized appellation (President, country name, VP, PM)?

In a recent Financial Times article (Yemen PM Escapes Assissnation), the apostrophe necessary to show possession was left out. I've seen colleagues do it as well. Isn't it supposed to be "Yemen's PM Escapes...?" Other times I've seen people write "Japan Minister of Finance tackles deflation..." or "India VP resigns..." I have noticed that in most of these cases, the omission of the apostrophe was right before a captilazed appellation (president, country, municipal, etc.) What's going on? Firm grammar rules stipulate that there be an apostrophe, yet there isn't one. If the FT does it, then there must be an exception (in journalism?) that I'm unaware of. Must there or must there not be an apostrophe?


What's the meaning of the expression "Grab a hold"?

What does it mean to "grab a hold"? There is a song by Cyndi Lauper that says > If you wanna grab a hold, let it go...


"In the hope of" vs. "with the hope of"

While solving a question I encountered a situation when there was a subtle difference between the two: > After meeting together near Mediolanurn in 313, Roman Emperors Constantine > Augustus and Licinius Augustus issued _The Edict of Milan_ **in the hope > of/with the hope of** ending years of internal religious strife and the > persecution of minorities. I think _with_ sounds more appropriate. But I am not sure about the usage of _in_. Could anyone explain the correct usage in this sentence? Also give some instances where we can use the latter one.


Is there a better term for 'low-level?'

In computer programming, _low-level_ means something used as a base upon which to build more complex mechanisms. To the untrained ear, I think the term might imply inferiority, which is simply not the case. I'm worried that people will think it is synonymous with _basic,_ which is just plain wrong! (Indeed, low- level programming can be extremely complex.) Is there a better term I could use? It should, in a nutshell, describe something that is necessary to form more complex things. A slightly technical tinge to the word is preferable, but not strictly necessary.


Want something applied - grammar

> While it may be obvious to you that you want the aggregate functions > **applied** to each set of products found in the account table, this query > fails because you have not explicitly specified how the data should be > grouped. Therefore, you will need to add a group by clause to specify over > which group of rows the aggregate functions should be applied... I always tend to understand past participles used like that as something kind of like postpositive adjectival phrases that describe the word or words which directly precede them. For instance: > He was a guy **sold out** to his enemies by his own friends. This tells me what kind of guy he was in that situation - a guy who was sold out by his own friends. So, basically I can go ahead and try to understand this sentence as follows: > While it may be obvious to you that you want the aggregate functions **that > are applied** to each set of products found in the account table, this query > fails because... Which does not sound right because the thought obviously sounds incomplete. Therefore, it leaves me with only one option which is to understand it as a causative like in this example: > I want my hair **cut**. And I think this is the only way it should be understood. My first question: am I correct? On the other hand, it seems like I can easily add the verb to be right after **the aggregate functions** , thus making it mean basically the same thing but, at the same time, making it much more easier to understand: > While it may be obvious to you that you want the aggregate functions **to be > applied** to each set of products found in the account table, this query > fails because... Which now does make perfect sense. So, my second question is this: by adding the verb to be, do I change anything as far as the meaning goes? If not, are the two completely equivalent then? Much appreciated.


Second conditional when making plans for the future: "If it rained tomorrow, I would go to the cinema."

>   * If it rained tomorrow, I would go to the cinema. >   * If it didn't rain tomorrow, I would go to school. > Which conditional is the best for this use case? Is it correct to use the Second Conditional or do I have to use the First? ("If it rains tomorrow, I will go to the cinema.")


"Philippines" vs. "Filipino"

Why is _Filipino_ spelled with an _F_? _Philippines_ is spelled with a _Ph_. Some have said that it's because in Filipino, _Philippines_ starts with _F_ ; but if this is so, why did we only change the beginning of _Philippines?_


Onomatopoeia in "O madness of discourse"

While writing a commentary for Shakespeare's _Troilus and Cressida_ , my classmate and I got into a small quarrel over the classification of an onomatopoeia. We were wondering, for the line “O madness of discourse”, would _O_ (which I guess is equivalent to the more modern _Oh_ ) be classified as an onomatopoeia? My classmate claims that it’s nothing more than repetition, but I still believe it’s the former.


Opposite of 'for-' prefix

I understand that often the opposite of the 'for-' prefix is 'back-', ie. "forwards" and "backwards," "foreground" and "background." But what is the opposite of 'foreshadowing,' 'forgiven' or 'forthright?' 'Backshadowing?' 'Backgiven?' 'Backright?' Does 'for-' have different anit-prefixes for different situations?


Is there a synonym for "defenestrate"?

Thesaurus.com lists no synonyms for _defenestrate_ , and I can't think of any (aside from its definition). However, according to etymonline, it has been in use since 1620 (although Wikipedia refers to two major incidents in the 15th century), and according to Google Ngrams, it was not used in writing before the 20th century (with a steady increase until a peak around 2000). ![ngram image](http://books.google.com/ngrams/chart?content=defenestrate&corpus=0&smoothing=3&year_start=1500&year_end=2008) Are there any synonyms that may have been used in those 300 years where it was apparently not used in print? Could revived popularity of such a synonym be responsible for the slight decrease in use over the past decade, or are people just not thrown out of windows often enough anymore? **Update:**   I've searched Google Ngrams for defenestrate vs. defenestration vs. defenestrated, and found many more occurrences. However, there is still a 200-something year gap. ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/CyHSL.png)


Meaning of 'after which'

> Please sign the document and return after which our agent will contact you. What does the sentence mean?   1. I should sign the document   2. I should return the document   3. After the second party receives the signed document they will contact me. Am I right ?


Someone who walks on a tightrope

Is there a single word or concise phrase for someone who walks on a tightrope?


Is jargon proper English?

Examples:   * _Database_   * _Performant_   * _Hyperlink_ Are these correct usages of English, or not, and why?


"Unexplainable" vs "Inexplicable"

What is the difference between _unexplainable_ and _inexplicable_? Are they exact synonyms or are there situations where one is preferred over the other? Is _unexplainable_ a clumsy modern variant (perhaps only existing due to uneducated usage) or an old word that's fallen out of fashion?


Why don't English nouns have grammatical gender?

English nouns — other than those with natural gender, e.g. people or animals — do not generally have grammatical gender, and so are referred to as 'it' rather than 'he' or 'she'. However, modern English has its roots in Norman French and Anglo-Saxon (Old English), both of which used grammatical gender for their nouns. In addition, other modern languages related to these continue to use grammatical gender today. So, how come English doesn't?


Word meaning a place contains a lot of a certain type of people

Here's what I'm writing: > The way I think it actually is - is that some companies are able to attract > and retain the good talent (through being able to pay well, having > interesting work, or being a [centrepoint] of talent). What I'm getting at is that some companies contain a lot of talented people, and so people are going to want to work there, to be surrounded by them. What's a noun to describe a place this kind of place?


Are there sentences in languages which use grammatical gender that lose meaning when translated into English?

English nouns which don't denote people or animals with natural gender do not (apart from a few rare examples) use grammatical gender. So for example, "table" is always an "it" in English, whereas it could be masculine or feminine in another language. So, is English missing out by not using genders in this way? If so, are there sentences which cannot be translated into English without losing some of their meaning?


Coney and rabbit: what’s the difference?

Are the words _coney_ and _rabbit_ full synonyms in English? Are there any slight differences in usage or meaning? Are there any cases when one word is more appropriate in the modern writing or speech than another one? Merriam-Webster and Wiktionary reference _coney_ as a rabbit (especially, the European rabbit) without additional remarks. The OED does the same, but with a note _British & Heraldry_.


sentence formation and use of preposition

how would we say "to transfer something in somebody's name" for e.g. in sentence i would "transfer the property paper in/to/on your name" Is there a better way. Thanks in anticipation


The correct word order in "Dear My Love"

The phrase "Dear My Love" is found in this page made by keepcalm-o-matic in the UK. I would assume all English teachers say that possessive adjective always comes first, as in "my dear friend" and "my private idaho", and we never say "dear my friend". So the correct word order is possessive adjective, attributive adjective, and noun. Then could you tell me why in the UK saying "dear my love" is possible? I have learned that, in a non-English speaking country, Japan for example, word order is sometimes off and people there usually accept both "my dear friend" and "dear my friend" as correct English. "Dear my friend" in particular is acceptable in their English and I suspect that's because "dear" in this phrase is not an adjective but an adverb to mean "with love and respect" (Merriam-Webster), or they regard "dear" as a preposition and mistake "dear my friend" for "to my friend". Is this type of misunderstanding also the case in "dear my love" by a UK designer? Or is there any other explanation?


"Notepad" vs. "notebook" — what's the difference?

Can you please tell me the difference between a notepad and a notebook (as in paper, not electronic ones)? To me, they are the same but I guess there must be some difference.


Examples of different roots (and different meanings) coming to be spelled the same

Apparently the two opposite meanings of _to cleave_ have different roots: the _to adhere_ meaning comes from one old English root ( _clifian_ ) and the _to cut_ meaning comes from a different old English word ( _cleofan_ ). According to this wikipedia page Similarly, in the expressions _to run the gauntlet_ and _to throw down the gauntlet_ , the word _gauntlets_ in question has quite different provenances: in the fist case it is from an old Norse word for a passage (if my memory serves), while in the second case it is from the French _gant_ (glove). What other examples of this fascinating phenomenon do you know of?


Correct usage of "awhile"

I've seen "awhile" defined as "for a time," and I've seen examples like "Go play awhile" and "stay awhile." But what about the phrases, "Do you want your salad awhile?" or "Would you like your coffee awhile or with your meal?" They seems to define "awhile" as "while you wait" instead of "for a time." Do these phrases correctly use "awhile" or are they more in line with a colloquialism?


What's the meaning of "ran for"

I'm reading a Aesop's fable, The Kingdom of the Lion. I cannot understand the last sentence in the fable: > And after the Hare said this, he ran for his life. What's the meaning of the phrase "ran for"?


Word for using example to refer to the whole

I was talking with a friend about the word "portmanteau", noticing that it is itself a portmanteau (making it autological), but in particular its meaning seems to have nothing to do with the concept other than being an example of it. If history had run a different course, we might be calling "smog" a blaxploitation. I'm wondering if there is a word for words in which an example of the concept is used as the concept's name. Would "synecdoche" be appropriate? It doesn't feel quite right.


Difference between "accountability" and "responsibility"

I've looked them up in many dictionaries, it seems the two words have the same meaning, right? I don't know when we use each of them properly.


How to express combinations using "any [...] by [...]"

I'm writing a text in which I need to repeat combinations of k out of n - for example, "any 2 out of 6" - but I think something the likes of "any 6 by 2" would be more appropriate since the subject is sports gambling (calculating combinations and odds on a betting ticket) and, as I said, there are several of those on a page. English is not my native tongue and I'm having trouble finding such information / examples on the web. Maybe the right way would be "any 2 by 6" or this "any [...] by [...]" is not even used to express combinations in English. So, I didn't want to make this question ambiguous, but I would appreciate any pointers / more appropriate alternatives you can give me in addition to your answer. Note: On the Wikipedia "Combination" page, I saw "n choose k", but I don't think that would go well with my text either. **EDIT:** I have received complaints and most people seem not to get what I'm asking so I'll just provide some kind of a sample and what I think it should look like in light of Invoker's comment below: > Any 1 out of 3 = 3 combinations > > Any 2 out of 3 = 3 combinations > > Any 3 out of 3 = 1 combination I need to make this text even less formal, I mean express those in a shorter form, yet still common or familiar. I'm looking for the appropriate, most common way of expressing combinations that would be easy to understand, yet not be lengthy. I think the following would be most suitable: > Any 1/3 = 3 combinations > > Any 2/3 = 3 combinations > > Any 1/3 = 1 combination Of course, this is only an example and after each line other calculations including odds may come up. Also, the numbers involved get higher as well. Thank you for the patience with my inability to express this in a more straightforward manner.


Is there an idiom that corresponds to the Hungarian expression "fall off the other side of the horse"?

There's a Hungarian phrase that can be literally translated as something like "fall off the other side of the horse". (The literal implication is either that instead of falling off this side of the horse, you fell off the other side; or that in your zeal to get on the horse, you overshot the target and fell off the other side.) It means that you are at one extreme of a situation, and you want to change it so hard that you fall into the opposite extreme. Is there an equivalent of this phrase/idiom in English?


Did Victorians say “We are quit”?

Is “We are quit” (meaning “We’re even, no more mutual obligations”) a usage from the 18–19th centuries? Or are the examples of this on Google hits just people making it up (possibly a bad cognate from German “Wir sind quitt”)?


"First thing I did" vs "First thing I have done"

What is the difference between the simple past and present perfect in the following? > When I first got here, I bought a car. [Assuming I still own the car]. This > is the first thing I have done. > > When I first got here, I bought a car. [Assuming I still own the car]. This > is the first thing I did.


Use of the adjective Nearshore

I'm working on a web page which target are American companies interested in hire Mexican Engineers for work in USA (in place or remote). I have a version of the web page headline: "PAINLESSLY HIRE THE BEST NEARSHORE TALENT". Is right the use of the adjective 'nearshore' in this sentence? **EDIT:** What I'm trying to express in my sentence is an easy way to bring talented candidates from Mexico to phisicaly or remotely work for American companies. I don't know if the term nearshore is restricted to outsourcing, or if it can be used in this sense too.


definition of "you are churning it"

What is the definition of the expression "you are churning it", other than its literal sense? I heard it in the context of someone playing music.


Generic term for songs, movies, TV episodes, etc

For the model of a software project, I need a generic term that is abstract enough to encompass a single song, TV episode, movie, audiobook, etc. The word _content_ comes to mind, but it is plural. The words _entity_ and _item are_ much too ambiguous. Any ideas?


"She hasn't said but a few words to me..." or "She has said but a few words to me..."?

> "She hasn't said but a few words to me since last winter." or > "She has said but a few words to me since last winter." Which of these is right? I think the latter is heard more often, but the former makes more sense to me. It's saying that she hasn't said anything to me except a few words since last winter, whereas I can't break down the second in a similar fashion. I can also think of sentences constructed in a similar fashion to the second sentence that are in common usage, such as, "I have but one request to make." This doesn't make sense to me, except to the extent that it is idiomatic or uses "but" in a different sense (e.g. "only"?), and I suspect that this is idiomatic. Using "but" with a negative, however, makes more sense to me, if we use it to mean "except". Quite possibly, I could be wrong in everything I've said above.


Is "you are looking at the clock through the mirror" correct?

Mindy: That clock on the wall is so strange! Henry: What’s so strange about it? Mindy: Its minute hand is moving in counterclockwise direction. Henry: No, it’s moving in clockwise direction! Mindy: No, it’s moving in counterclockwise direction! Henry: Hey, you are looking at the clock through the mirror! Is the last sentence in this dialogue correct? If not, what's the best way to point to Mindy on her mistake here?


Should I capitalize a contraction at the beginning of a sentence?

In the following sentence: > 'cause I know what you been doing on your weekends, girl. Should the "c" in _cause_ be capitalized or does the fact that the first two letters have been replaced by an apostrophe mean that it stays lower case?


Adjective for the likes of someone who consistently has a hard time finishing what s/he has started?

What adjective would you suggest for the like of someone who consistently has a hard time finishing what s/he has started? I thought of the word "distracted", but I don't feel it's sufficient to describe the full story.


Can "née" be used for entities other than people?

The qualification née is typically used to signify the name a woman previously had, most likely before her marriage. However, today I've seen it in a Spiegel article applied to a company name: > When German retailer Arcandor (née QuelleKarstadt) went bankrupt in 2009, it > marked the end of a company rich in tradition. Obviously, in this context it means the previous name the company had. I understand that it might be used humorously, but I wonder if this usage is actually correct.


What does 'hypocrite' have to to with 'critic'?

I looked at the origins of > hy·poc·ri·sy 1175–1225; Middle English ipocrisie < Old French < Late Latin > hypocrisis < Greek hypókrisis play acting, equivalent to hypokrī́ ( nesthai > ) to play a part, explain ( hypo- hypo- + **_krī́nein to distinguish, > separate)_** \+ -sis -sis; h- (reintroduced in 16th century) < Latin and > Greek and > crit·ic 1575–85; < Latin criticus < Greek kritikós skilled in judging > (adj.), critic (noun), equivalent to krī́t ( ēs ) judge, umpire ( **_krī́ ( > nein ) to separate_** , decide + -tēs agent suffix) + -ikos -ic and saw that they both have same word 'krī́' but I can't make the connection. A critic separates and judges i.e. Looking at the source-code by dividing it into smaller pieces and looking through each part carefully. But then what does a hypocrite do? Separate less than is needed? I must be missing some other Greek terms that give the entire word its meaning...


What adjective would you use to describe someone who uses the right vocab consistently?

I thought of precise, but not entirely sure even after checking a dictionary. Would you think it is the best choice?


What does humor-challenged mean?

When describing a person as humor-challenged, what does it mean?


Word for a person whose vocabulary is very limited (as in like 100 words)

Is there a word for a person who hardly knows English as in like 100 words, but pretends they are an English major?


Can the verb "underline" be used to emphasise a word?

Example: > You will never do that again and I underline never! Probably "and I mean it" is used this way.


is gentile used to signify people of indigenous origin?

While "gentile" is used to describe people of non-Jewish or pagan origin, can it be used as a synonym for "indigenous" (with regards to connotation?)


What is it called when I see another person in the mirror when there is only me

Sometimes when I look into a mirror, I see a vague vision of a woman standing behind me and when I turn my head she's gone: there is no one. I don't think the word is _haunted_ because I don't believe in ghosts. I am not superstitious. I'm a physic undergraduate, I work on string theory. _Then I remember it only occurs in lucid dreams._ And I now have spectrophobia.


Does “Make for the hills” still hold currency as an idiom?

I found the phrase “ _make for the hills_ ” in the following sentence of the article titled “The Hex on Paul Ryan” in New York Times Sept 3 issue: “The best morsel of political advice I can offer? If you catch even the faintest whisper that you might be nominated for the vice presidency, _‘make for the hills_.’ Run as fast as Paul Ryan pretends to. Your reputation depends on it. Maybe your sanity, too." I first thought “make for the hills” is a popular, everyday-use idiom meaning ‘to head (challenge) for the high hills (goals),’ but when I checked online English Dictionaries to make sure of it, I found none of Cambridge, Oxford, and Merriam-Webster English dictionary registers either of ‘make for hills’ or ‘head for the hills” On the other hand, Google Ngram registers both “make for the hills’” and “head for the hills,” showing the trend of the usage of the former almost extinct being replaced around 1950 by “head for the hills,” which emerged as an synonym for “make for the hills’” around 1920. I wonder whether “Make for the hills” is still a current English idiom that I can tell young people “You should ‘ _make for the hills’_ in order to achieve your dream,” or it is better for me to use other straightforward expressions. My first impression of ‘the hills’ here was ‘the goals for you to achieve, the obstacles that you have to conquer.’ Am I wrong?


Use of the word "that" in formal tone, technical writing

I need help settling a disagreement. I have read many posts about the word "that" — probably _too_ many, since I have gotten myself confused! In this first example, there are _two_ subordinate clauses, and I believe the first sentence (below) is correct. Which of these is preferable, and why? > Marine biologists at the University of Utah examined the louse genes and > determined **_that_** their hosts split into three species 5–6 million years > ago, and **_that_** these species were all equally abundant before whaling > began in the 11th century. vs: > Marine biologists at the University of Utah examined the louse genes and > determined their hosts split into three species 5–6 million years ago, and > these species were all equally abundant before whaling began in the 11th > century. Here's a different example in which I'm again of the opinion that the word "that" is necessary, but once again, I know not why: > During the winter months (July–October), southern right whales come **_so_** > close to the shoreline **_that_** visitors can watch whales from > strategically placed hotels. vs: > During the winter months (July–October), southern right whales come so close > to the shoreline, visitors can watch whales from strategically placed > hotels. _**I might also note that we are aiming for a formal (encyclopedic) tone._** Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!


etymology of "sesquicentennial"

The word _sesquicentennial_ means "150th anniversary". When I first found this out, I thought about the prefix **sesqui-** and what it could mean. My first thought was that it meant 6/4 = 1.5, because it seemed that the syllables matched up with "six" and "quart". After deciding that that must be right, I decided to check online. To my surprise, it appears that the prefix literally means "half and". Was my first revelation a complete coincidence or is there actually a legitimate reason for what I noticed?


Sudden popularity of: obfuscate, why?

I hope there is a real reason for this and that my question won't be seen as 'primarily opinion based'. What's the deal with the sudden popularity of the word 'obfuscate' and it's variants? Ngram shows a pretty big leap in usage of obfuscate and it's variants since the 1960s but personally I've noticed in articles that I've read online recently that more and more articles are using this term. Is there a reason behind this? The only reason I can guess is something to do with code and programming (especially ios, android, etc.) but that's pretty much all I got.


Is it proper grammar to refer to four digit number in hundreds?

Sometimes you will hear people refer to four digit numbers in terms of hundreds. For example, sometimes people will say fifteen hundred when talking about the number 1500. Is this proper? What are the rules of usage? In my personal experience, the hundreds notation is common for values less than 2000, but rare for larger values. Can I refer to 7300 as seventy-three hundred? I know this has been discussed in another question, but that was in terms of years. I'm asking about numbers in general.


Verb endings with complex nouns

Which is correct: > One of the clearest analogies which helps us understand ... or > One of the clearest analogies which help us understand ... I think it's the first one because 'One of ...' is the subject and it's in the singular form, but it doesn't sound right. Which one is grammatically correct?


What's a better word for "part" in this sentence?

The new technology divided the world - or at least the part that could pay - in two: those who [blah blah blah] and those who [blah blah blah]. I would use "or at least those who could pay" but I refer to people using the word "those" in the second part of the sentence, so it would seem repetitive. But I don't think "part" is quite right - or is it just me?


What is the meaning of "transparent contempt"?

I came across this phrase "transparent contempt" a couple of times, but was unable to get the meaning from the context. I am not able to track down the source.


What function does this prepositional phrase have in this biblical sentence?

From Mark 7:13: > Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have > delivered: and many such like things do ye. Although this sentence may be incomplete, I am wondering what component the part "of none effect" acts as in this sentence. Is it object complement?


Why do people use "I hear that..." when talking about the past?

I often see that people write ‘I hear that…’ meaning the past. For example: > I hear that Sally has won in lottery. (If I remember correctly it is used in English Grammar in use by Cambridge University) Why is it used? Shouldn’t be ‘I heard that…’ when we mean the past?


What's the better preposition to use with "love" -- "love for" or "love of"?

> He had always had a fond love **_of_** literature. _Love of_ something or _love for_ something? What's the correct preposition to be used with _love_ , in the above context?


Correct order of representing information

I've been writing a research and I've come across this silly question. In the below sentence _"Network investigation"_ is a general term that consists of many sub practices of which analysis of data is one of them. > Network investigation is involved in analysis of dynamic and volatile > information My question is that, is this sentence all right this way (syntactically) or I should change it with > Analysis of dynamic and volatile information is involved in network > investigation


What does the expression "Round up below the cut" mean?

Or what's its equivalent? The whole sentence was: "Let me give you a round up below the cut"


Is there a specific word for this kind of re-sealable plastic seal?

You know those re-sealable plastic bags, where the seal is one plastic strip that you squeeze between two other, parallel plastic strips on the other surface? Like on a Ziploc™ bag, only without the zip? Is there a common word or phrase used to describe those seals?


What term refers to those who adhere to scientism?

What do you call to a person who places dogmatic faith in the methods of science? What is the agent noun (eg biologist for biology) corresponding to _scientism_? Here _scientist_ would be confusing. I'm looking for what I intuitively want to call "scientist", but that means the opposite of what I'm looking for.


Usage of 'on the brink of'

(Talking about a chimp): "In human age, he would have been on the brink of puberty." I was told that this sentence is odd because 'be on the brink of' is usually used for something negative: suicides, disasters etc. Though this is most often the case, I don't think this is necessarily true. For example, you can say "on the brink of greatness". In this particular sentence, would it be sound more natural, comparatively speaking, to use "on the threshold of puberty" instead? -Edit-  Google Ngram Viewer makes it clear, I think: http://goo.gl/IqozD


How to format "and" or "&" in a three-line header or title

I need to know which formatting is more appropriate. Should I place the connecting _and_ or _&_ at the end of second line or at the beginning of the third line? Here is what I mean: > Lorem ipsum   >  Blah Blah **and/ &**   >  Blah Blah or > Lorem ipsum   >  Blah Blah   >  **and/ &** Blah Blah Which one looks better? PS: I’m asking this for a poster design, so it has to be split across three large lines.


Usage of the word "demise"

Is it appropriate to use _demise_ in the following sentence: > it is with deep sympathy that we announce the sad **demise** of ... It sounds archaic and I was not sure whether it was used correctly. How is _demise_ usually used?


Prepositions/Reference : In or From?

I have a reference website with quotations from movies, tv-shows and anime. Now the optimal way would be using a title like "Movie Quotes, TV Quotes and Anime Quotes" but since there's a character limit I need something shorter. I thought of these:   _Quotes in Movies, TV and Anime_   _Quotes from Movies, TV and Anime_ Now what I'm wondering is if there's any difference in terms of meaning between 'in' and 'from' in this context? Which one is better suited for my purpose? * * * From : —used as a function word to indicate the source   In : used to indicate inclusion within space, a place, or limits


Why is "data," of all the abstract nouns in English, considered plural?

Most, if not all, of the abstract nouns I've come across are singular. Examples:   1\. My _love_ for him **is** great.   2\. _Peace_ **is** very difficult to achieve.   3\. The _temperature_ of that pot **is** very high. So can somebody please explain why out of every abstract noun, data is the one people think is plural? Of course, I realize this is because of the whole "it's plural for datum in Latin" argument, but I see two flaws in this:   1\. nobody uses the word "datum," and   2\. this is English, not Latin. Please, I beg of you, prove me wrong. I want to know why this is.


Is the expression "to float someone's boat" possible outside of "Whatever floats your boat"?

According to the Urban Dictionary, the expression " _whatever floats your boat_ " means > [...] whatever "soothes your soul" or whatever "works best" Aka- Whatever > you feel like doing. Is it possible to use "float someone's boat" outside of that specific expression? I'm thinking of conversations between co-workers or acquaintances, where the goal of the asker is to find out more about the other person, especially what drives them personally, but without sounding like having romantic interest. (Bad) example: > So Peter, what is your driving force in life? What floats your boat? Would it be used by native speakers? Within which relationships (close friends, acquaintances, colleagues) would it be considered polite? What would be a good alternative expression for this kind of query?


Term for "Improvement During Isolation"

I'm looking for a term (ideally, word) to describe an event or its main participant. In military, athletic, or heroic stories a person may be set apart from others to improve. This question was inspired by reading Orson Scott Cards's _Ender's Game_. The summary from Wikipedia says: > [Colonel Hyrum] Graff... offers [Andrew "Ender" Wiggin] a place in the > Battle School, situated in Earth's orbit, where Graff quickly isolates Ender > from the other cadets, but encourages him to continue training despite > frustration... The solitude I want to describe also has its place in philosophical and spiritual works. In philosophy, there is Henry David Thoreau's retreat to Walden Pond, about which he says: > I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the > essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, > and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. And the Christian Messiah spent 40 days and nights in the Judaean desert, where he was tempted. This seclusion may not be total, allowing for a trainer or emotional support. Examples include:   * Luke and his trainer Yoda on Dagobah in George Lucas's _The Empire Strikes Back_   * Jonas and the Giver in Lowis Lowry's _The Giver_: > So it is without real protest that [Jonas] initially accepts... a job he is > told will be filled with pain and the training for which will isolate him > from his family and friends forever.   * Rocky Balboa, his trainer Duke, and Rocky's brother-in-law Paulie in _Rocky IV_ > [Rocky] flies to the USSR without Adrian, setting up his training base in > Krasnogourbinsk with only Duke and brother-in-law Paulie (Burt Young) to > accompany him. The isolation need not be voluntary. The IMDb synopsis of 2002's film _The Count of Monte Cristo_ says of prisoners Dantes and Abbe Faria: > Dantes befriends a fellow prisoner named Abbe Faria (Harris), who is a great > scholar and who, very gradually, transforms the unworldly Dantes into a > wise, learned and cultivated man. I would like an emphasis on isolation; there may not be an opportunity to do other things for a while. The work to improve during the seclusion is trying (or rigorous) and sustained over a period of time. I can't remember if Daniel in _The Karate Kid_ , for example, spent the summer with Mr. Miyagi, which I would consider isolation, or visited him after school, which is less so. And I consider Bruce Wayne's training under Henri Ducard at the League of Shadows headquarters in _Batman Begins_ to be isolation, even though there are many other people there. Because those other characters are peripheral, the effort to improve Bruce seems as focused as Eliza Doolittle's in _My Fair Lady_ or Alejandro's in _The Mask of Zorro_. The best words I know, _metamorphosis_ and _transformation_ , by themselves emphasize the change (or improvement) but not the isolation. An analogy can be made with _metamorphosis_ and a caterpillar turning into a butterfly, but until it's made my audience may not know that that's what I'm getting at. Other terms I can think of are too general or too specific: _Back-to-basics_ and _meditation_, for example, are about specific types of self-improvement that can be done during solitude; others are synonyms for _solitude_, which itself can be isolation for any number of reasons, like > ... bad relationships, loss of loved ones, deliberate choice, infectious > disease, mental disorders, neurological disorders or circumstances of > employment or situation... Is there a term, preferably word, that more concisely expresses "isolation for the sake of (self-)improvement"?


This book will change your wife – trope?

“This book will change your wife.” The cliché is “This book will change your life”. By changing one word, the cliché is transformed into a more interesting sentence: in this case about a novel, _50 Shades of Grey_. Is the word _wife_ in this context a trope? > trope (trp) n. > >   1. A figure of speech using words in nonliteral ways, such as a metaphor. >   2. A word or phrase interpolated as an embellishment in the sung parts of > certain medieval liturgies. > "This book will change your wife" was one of the comments in a television program on Channel 4. http://www.channel4.com/programmes/sex-story-fifty-shades-of-grey > The programme examines the sociological and cultural effects the book is > having in the UK, as sales of obscure classical music and bondage gear > increase. > > TV REVIEW: Sex Story - 50 Shades Of Grey - The Study Of A Phenomenon Of > BDSM, Or 'Mummy Porn' http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/07/29/tv-review-sex-story-50-shades-of- grey_n_1717230.html **BDSM** bondage and discipline sadism and masochism Actually, I was hoping for a little bit more of a discussion about **'What is a trope?** ' and **'Why, _wife_ in this context, is not a trope?**


Any folklores about stealing secrets from the gods to humans?

Hi I am looking for a a folklore _in any language or culture_ which involves a hero stealing information from a divine source and giving it to humanity. Something similar to Prometheus but with a happier ending. Any one able to help?


Is it correct to say "it is not that far a distance"?

Is it correct to say: "it is not that far a distance"?


"In the next years to come" or "In the years to come"

I want to write a sentence saying that I hope that something will still happen in the following years. Which is the best way to write it ? I would like to keep doing that in the years to come. OR I would like to keep doing that in the next years to come.


Is 'on an annual term' the same as ' on a yearly basis '?

Let's assume I have an entity called Policy. Well, policies get renewed on an annual term, so there's likely an entity called Period. The sentence is extracted from http://msdn.microsoft.com/en- us/magazine/dd419654.aspx


What is the difference between a "part" and a "segment"

What is the difference between the two and and should I say "a part of the text" or "a segment of the text"?


Looking for a positive way to describe "no-nonsense" or "no-frills"

I was looking up the term "no-nonsense and got the following synonyms: > earnest, grave, humorless, no-nonsense, po-faced [British], sedate, severe, > sober, sobersided, solemn, staid, uncomic, unsmiling, weighty Words like sedate, grave, and humorless all make no-nonsense sound like a negative word, but I don't think that has to be the case. Same story with no- frills: > austere, spartan, stark Again, these make no-frills sound like a bad thing. Austere and spartan are rarely used in a complimentary sense. But I don't think that has to be the case! I know that a no-nonsense car is going to deliver something that's simple and effective. A no-frills car would get me from point A to point B without trying to upsell me on crazy features and trendy marketing. So, is there a word to describe something that is 'no-nonsense' or 'no-frills' that would put it in a positive light?


Is "uncollaborative" a word?

I am describing a process as being antithetical to collaboration. To clarify, I'm referring to its quality as being "not naturally collaborative", not "actively anti-collaboration" Is "uncollaborative" a word? Is there a word that isn't a variation of "collaboration" that gets the job done?


How to punctuate "To be, or not to be, that is the question"

What would be the correct way to punctuate this line from Hamlet? Should there simply be commas or should a colon be used? e.g.: To be, or not to be: that is the question.


Words containing 'unimp'?

I'm looking for some words which contain **unimp** in them, for example 'unimportant'. But it would be great if the word does not have negative meaning.


Takeout vs Pickup, is there a difference?

A restaurant offers "Takeout or Pickup" and it appears the difference is that takeout are orders placed onsite to be consumed offsite, and pickup are orders placed offsite that are retrieved from restaurant to be consumed offsite; delivery being orders that are both orders and consumed offsite? Is this correct, what is the history of the use of these terms?


What does ‘Democratic sharpies’ mean? Is the usage of ‘sharpie’ as a political figure well-received?

Mark Helperin’s column titled ‘Snapshot’ in Time magazine (August 15) begins with the following sentence: “Here are the two data points most compelling to me: (1) Many _Democratic sharpies_ now think if unemployment doesn’t go above 9%, Romney is done and dusted. (2) Speaker Boehner is reportedly having to calm the conference over the selection of one of its own to join the national ticket." From the context, I suppose ‘ _sharpies_ ’ here means ‘hard-liners, hawks, or persons fervent in their principles’ But I don’t find such meanings in any popular dictionaries: Cambridge online dictionary has no entry of this word. Oxford online dictionary defines ‘sharpie’ as   1. A sharp-plowed, flat-bottomed New England sailing boat, with one or two masts each rigged with a triangular sail.    2. (informal, chiefly North American) another term for sharper. Merriam-Webster simply defines it as a long narrow shallow-draft boat, with flat bottom, plus ‘sharper’ as an ‘exceptionally keen or alert person’ which seems to me pretty close to my interpretation of ‘political sharpies.’ Wikipedia defines ‘sharpie’ only as an American manufacturer of writing instruments whose products are sold in over 20 countries. Originally a name designating a single permanent marker. In net, none of dictionaries I’ve checked registers ‘sharpie’ in political connotation. Is ‘sharpie’ a received English word? What does it exactly mean?


I will (have the package sent) vs (have sent the package) by next week

I'm aware that: > I will **have the package sent** by next week is correct. But what about: > I will **have sent the package** by next week Is it completely wrong to say it or is there some _correctness_ in it? I'm asking this question because I was writng an email and I first wrote: > By next week **I will have discussed the projcet** with the professor and > would be able to answer your questions then. Then I changed it to: > By next week **I will have the project discussed** with the professor and > would be able to answer your question then. Is the first one ( **I will have discussed the project** ) absolutely wrong? And is there a way to rewrite it so that **discussed** still appears before **the project** when using **have** (to emphasize the discussing action)?


What's the "opposite" of "any more"?

Consider the following sentence: > [This] is not important for the younger generation any more. Now let's suppose that for some reason I am willing or obliged to use the adjective "unimportant" instead of "not important"1. Would the following sentence be grammatical? > [This] is unimportant for the younger generation any more. If it's not, is there anything I could replace "any more" with to preserve the meaning but make the sentence grammatical? My question is purely out of curiosity. What's the equivalent, if any, of _any more_ that can be used in sentences where the verb is affirmative? 1 Instead of _not important/unimportant_ any other similar pair could do, e.g. _not useful/useless_.


Is the use of "this" correct in "There is this blog, but I don't remember its name"?

What I write should mean the following: "There is this blog, but I don't remember its name." So I thought I have to write it this way to achieve the meaning in a short way: "This blog." But is this correct? Does is mean what I want to say? Because I've learned at school that "this" points to something specific. But I that's not what I want to achieve. Sorry if the question is unclear. But I have no idea how to explain it differently.


Using "skies" instead of "sky"

Why do people use "skies" instead of "sky" (when, indeed, we only have one sky)? > Reach for the sky/skies! and > I'm glad to finally see some blue skies. > > I'm glad to finally see a blue sky.


What is the correct term for “mince pies”?

I have always called mince pies filled with fruit just that: _mince pies_. However, lately I have been seeing many different variations of this: _fruit mince pies_ , _mince fruit tarts_ , and even _mincemeat pies_ — which makes absolutely no sense to me, as the pies contain no meat whatsoever. Is there a single correct term for fruit-filled mince pies? What are the reasons for the other terms?


How to Explain Dependent Clause to a German?

I'm trying to help a friend with written English. I told her that I wouldn't be able to provide too much assistance in the way of grammar because I quite frankly just don't know the rules. I'm supposed to provide "real-world" practice outside of her schoolroom studies. However, she did ask me why this sentence is grammatically correct. "As Leo realises that he is nothing more than an instrument of a fundamentally deadly and unstoppable totalitarian regime, a crisis of conscience ensues." You have to understand, as a German speaker, if you start a sentence with "Als,", you have to complete it with a dependent clause, which I think I did here, but I'm not comfortable enough with my understanding of it to explain it to her without feeling as I'm telling her a lot of false information.


Do 'already' and 'just' require the present perfect?

Compare: > 'We already gave him a response'. > > 'We have already given him a response'. Do 'already' and 'just' strictly require the present perfect?


My shoes can't think; how can they be sensible?

Recently as some of us were getting ready to take a walk through the snow, somebody said to me "you're wearing sensible shoes". Now my shoes haven't developed cognitive abilities so far as I know (and I spend enough time with them that I think I would notice), but everyone there knew what this means. It's a common phrase in my experience, but it got me wondering. The adjective _sensible_ here, while syntactically bound to the noun _shoes_ , really applies to another noun in the sentence instead. Is there a term for this sort of modifier migration, or is this sentence technically ungrammatical? I checked dictionary.com for alternate or obscure meanings of _sensible_ but found none, and a Google search on the phrase turned up uses but no explanations. I also don't think this construct is limited to this particular phrase, but I don't have any more clever ideas.


Why are "homework" and "work" uncountable in English?

In Bulgarian both "homework" and "work" are countable. Why are they uncountable in English then? What is the difference in meaning that makes that happen?


Quote of some advanced text?

I am trying to make a video and in it I need a piece of advanced text. You should get the feeling that this text is just advanced for the sake of being advanced, not for any practical reason, and being seen as a joke or similair. (It is acceptable that this quote's complexity is perfectly reasonable in its own context, it should just look too complex to an average person.) Maybe something from a very advanced philosophy course or a book about epistemology or perhaps a passage about linguistics with numerous abstraction levels and lots of referencing and triple/quadriple negations or something like that. Ideally, this shouldn't be just a technical text where every word seems like jibberish, but a quote where you sort of understand each word, but they are so "high class" and rare, and put together in such ways that you almost feel like the writer makes fun of you :P. Although if you do have techincal quotes like that, please respond too. I have tried to google it, but how does one search for something like that? Maybe some of you have some quotes written down that you have encountered earlier, or know some good book that I can lookup and look through to find this? It should be longer than ~50 words. It should be syntactically correct for the most part. (It is ok if some parts of it are not, if those parts are so complicated that you have to study the quote first to notice it. But it shouldn't just be a mix of random words.) Sorry if this is a wrong place to post this kind of query, it seemed appropriate though :)


Reminder of promised resource

Someone promised me a resource and I haven't received it yet. I am tired of waiting so I would like to remind this person that he/she promised me something and ask about the situation. My question is how can I ask about it in a polite kind of way? Can I ask: > What is the situation on this resource?


How do "need" and "not" mix and match?

1. You don't need to play   2. You need to not play   3. You need not play   4. You needn't play   5. You need not to play What does each of these mean, and which ones are equivalent to the others? Is the meaning of the negation equivalent to what I would get if I replaced need with "must"/"have to"?


Where can we find anacoluthon nowadays?

> An anacoluthon <...> is a rhetorical device that can be loosely defined as a > change of syntax within a sentence <...>. Grammatically, anacoluthon is an > error; however, in rhetoric it is a figure that shows excitement, confusion, > or laziness. Apart from poetry and rhetoric, can you give examples of anacoluthon nowadays? Is this technique widely used in popular media? My thought is since anacoluthon is an intentional grammatical error it would rather appear in newspaper headlines (where everybody understands will never be errors) than in article text? Can you give examples?


What is the difference between "excuse me" and "forgive me"?

I am hesitated when I use the sentence "forgive my fault, please." instead of "excuse me, please." because the word "forgive" has a religious theme and probably carries some additional meanings. Also it seems the usage of the word "forgive" for apologies depends on the social rank of the people in the conversation too. **Question:** What are the differences between "excuse me" and "forgive me" in current and historical meanings and usage? Does the meanings of these phrases change when the social rank of audiences changes? Which one is more frequent among literate speakers?


Where should I put the comma in this sentence?

> The three main factors of bullying among teenagers are problematic family > background, strong desire of power and popularity and influence from mass > media. The number of _and_ s in this sentence confuse me, so I don't know where to put the comma. Where should it go?


What do you call someone who is easy to relate to? For example, someone who has been through something you have been through, like similar life experiences.


What's the best way to write "Ugly Dog brand Dog Food"?

What's the best way to write this? I'm thinking "Ugly Dog-brand Dog Food" as the most likely candidate... what is grammatically-correct?


One word to say to someone who's being in a state they're usually not (or doing something they never did)?

In my native language, there is a singe word to say to someone who apparently are doing something they never did before, or being in state they never were before. Like: > Mr. X had always been late. But today he came on time. > > Mr. Y said, "[...], you're always late before." Or: > Ms. A had never kept in touch with Mr. B. One day she dropped him a line all > of a sudden. > > Mr. B said, "[...]. What makes you call me? I thought you'd forgotten we're > friends." Or: > A student had always been so much lazy. But one day he finished all of his > homework and listened to the teacher during the whole class. > > So the teacher said, "[...]. You're being diligent. You usually are not." I know that this condition is described by means as in _you are being diligent_ , or _you're not usually like this._. Or perhaps _this is not you._? But I need an expression for that (one-word expression, if possible), and I can only think of these: >   * How odd! >   * For the first time. >   * What happened? (Or what's happening?) >   * Hey, is this really you? > Well, I don't think I'm doing this right. **P.S.** : What we say to this person (according to my mother tongue, Indonesian): _Tumben!_. **P.P.S.** : I'm looking for an _insinuating_ or _joking_ expression, not swear-word interjections like the ones in the suggested possible duplicate.


Single word for representing a person who guides at right time

Please help me finding the single word for representing a person who guides at right time (at the time of need).


Is "off" also an acronym?

I found the term _off_ used in the following way (technical document): > ... a total of two (2 off) Single radio channels ... While the meaning seems pretty clear, I'd like to know what _off_ stands for in such a context. I supposed it could be an acronym, but could not find any references.


"Is there" versus "Are there"

> Are there any questions I should be asking?   >  Is there any articles available on the subject? My instinct is that in the two questions above, it should be 'are' as the subjects of the sentences (questions/articles) are plural. However I also recall being told that the singular 'is' is valid here too, and of course see it very often in usage online, and this has left me a bit unsure. **Update:** I have stumbled upon the reason for the confusion. > Is there any water?   >  Are there any questions? The sentence structure is the same but of course water is not plural, although it is not singular either.


In British English, should it be "licensee" or "licencee"?

We all know that "license" in American English is "licence" in British English. But what about the person to whom the licence is given? Various dictionaries show the 'c' version, e.g.:   * http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/licencee Additionally, I can see other resources in my own country using this spelling, e.g.:   * http://www.centennialparklands.com.au/about_us/event_organisers/toolkit/glossary But managers in my own company (in Australia) claim to have done "a lot of research" on the subject, and decided to use the 's' version. This seems wrong to me, but I would like a better answer to the question before I decide whether to request a change or just change our spell checking to allow their spelling.


English counterpart to Japanese signal word, “Dokkoisho”

What is an English counterpart to the Japanese signal word, “Dokkoisho” uttered unconsciously in such case as sitting down on the bench? When you get old, it becomes tough to move your body. We Japanese, particularly old people and the middle-aged use to utter a signal word or interjection, “Dokkoisho” when we sit down on the chair, bench or stone on the roadside and when holding up a bulky and heavy thing like heavy luggage. It sounds like a kind of sigh or onomatopoeia. It may be similar to ‘upsy-daisy,’ but “Dokkoisho” is addressed to yourself as a monologue, and seldom used by young people or people who are in the prime of age. When you start to say “Dokkoisho” in taking any motion, it’s a sign that you’re getting old. It has a tone of both “Relax” and “Be aware of the action now you are taking.” I’m curious to know if there are counterpart words to “Dokkoisho” in English.


How to say one minute past midnight in military time?

I first would like to say that I did read How should one say times aloud in 24-hour notation? but my question isn't answered there. How do you say 0001 in military time?   * oh one hours?   * oh oh one hours?   * oh oh oh one hours?   * something even weirder?


Saying "gate 'ooks" instead of "gateaux"

My father-in-law will say "gate 'ooks" instead of "gateaux". He claims this is a regional/dialectal thing and that it was common in the part of Sussex where he grew up. Is that likely, or is it more plausible that it was just him and a few of his friends mocking the spelling? My googling can find nothing useful on the subject.


What does ‘a lunch best forgotten’ mean?

There is the following sentence in Jeffery Archer’s fiction, “The Fourth Estate.”: > He droppped into three newsagents on the long walk into Kingston, and > purchased Time, Newsweek, and local papers. He then stopped at the first > restaurant he came across, with American Express sign on its door, took a > quiet table in the corner and settled down for a lengthy lunch. > > **Having paid for a lunch best forgotten** , Townsend left restaurant and > began to stroll around the town. It was the first time he had spent like a > tourist since his visit to Berlin back in his student days.” – P436. What does ‘ **a lunch best forgotten’** mean? Does it mean the lunch he ate was terrible rather than mediocre, and worthless to remember, or he almost forgot to pay? According to Google Ngram, the incidences of usage of ‘best forgotten’ is significantly lower than ‘best remembered’ by almost 10 digits (best forgotten: 0.0000046 - 48 vs. best remembered: 0.000032 - 28 during 1998 through 2008), and I don’t think I’ve met this word so often. Is ‘something best forgotten’ an idiom to mean the thing you’d better to forget, like ‘a lost love best forgotten’, ‘a failure best forgotten,’ and ‘one’s ex-wife best forgotten? I learnt there is a hit song, “Better Best Forgotten” by Steps released in March 1999 with Wikipedia, but it doesn’t seem to be relevant to “a lunch best forgotten” here.


Can Quotation Marks be Used When Describing the Contents of a Label?

I am using the sentence below to describe what is written on the image of the button below. ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/Y9F4d.jpg) The log-in page may also be located by going to the homepage at www.website.ca and clicking the red button located at the bottom left, labeled “Staff Portal”. Is this ideal to put quotation marks over what is labeled on the button?


What's the meaning of "roll out" here?

The following is an advice given to someone who is looking for ways to make a couple thousand bucks in a short period: > With no deets on your situation it's really hard to help you. But I will say > for sh-ts and giggles my fiance and I went garage saleing like a mofo last > summer for shit to re-sell on Craigslist. Made quite a bit of cash. But > selling ANYTHING on Craigslist is a fucking bit-h. > > But on the other hand if you're hard up for money. You can **roll out** with > $50 and easily turn it into $200+ if you have the time and patience, > > I found an expensive light fixture for $35 that I sold for $125, and a set > of 2011 F150 side view mirrors I got for $100, and sold for $350. I have a general idea of what he meant by the term _roll out_ , but what exactly does it mean? I found a few definitions of the phrase _roll out_ in the dictionaries, but they don't seem to fit the context. The definition I found are: >   1. to get out of bed. >   2. _football_ to execute a rollout. >   3. to show (a new type of aircraft) to the public for the first time >   4. to launch (a new film, product, etc) in a series of stages over an > area, each stage involving an increased number of outlets >   5. to cause (pastry) to become flatter and thinner by pressure with a > rolling pin >


make question for periodic event

I like to make question about the happening of some events whether it is happened every day or every week or every month...etc how can i make question? this is my try: Does this event happen every day or every week or every month? is it right?


What does "lit" mean, in The Cat in the Hat

_The Cat in the Hat_ , by Dr Seuss contains the following: > I do not like this said the fish as he lit. I do not like it, not one little > bit. What on earth does **lit** mean in this context? A guess is that it means **alighted** , considering the fish has landed in the teapot. Perhaps it's a typo? Thanks to my 5-year old daughter for spotting this, somehow I never noticed it myself.


Should "Have your peer partner send you her plans" be considered a directive?

If you tell a person to _have_ someone do something, is that considered a command? Our boss sent an email which told us to "have your peer partner send you her plans". Should that be considered a directive? Our union is actually filing a grievance over this language. Our contract states that we cannot be forced to give our lesson plans to anyone. Our principal, as part of a professional development activity wrote "have your peer partner send you her plans," as opposed to "send your peer partner your plans". Since I have no means of "having" (forcing) her do this (I am not her boss), the implication to me is is that we should "request" this of our peer partners. I think she deliberately chose "have" over "request" (in fact the union asked her to amend the email to state this was voluntary, and she refused) to confuse people into thinking she was telling them to send their plans to their partner since indeed, "have" connotes a command, but was covering herself by being able to say that she never told anybody to send their plans to the peer partner- she told us to have them send theirs to us. Since we can't "make" our peer partners do this, in this case "have" means "ask". It seems to me that this was a way of tricking people into thinking it was a directive, but the language was chosen carefully — so if necessary, it would prove it wasn't. I think the union will lose the grievance on these grounds, unless there are provisions in the contract against deliberately using language to mislead overworked teachers who don't have time to read emails through the lens of a lawyer.