Is the term "village" used in North America?

The post Difference between "town", "city" and "metropolis"? describes the usage of terms describing various sizes of cities. In the US, I have never encountered any place called a "village". Places with just a few houses were still called "town", however, I often hear Americans use this term to describe towns in other parts of the world.   * Are there any regions in North America where the term "village" is used?   * Do people in North America want to avoid this term when describing where they live?   * Do Americans use the term differently when describing places within North America and without?   * Does the word carry a derogitory connotation in North America?


Do you "supplement" your income?

Like say your a teacher and for the summer you need a job... to "supplement" your income? I'm helping a friend with her résumé (under reason for applying) and any help would be appreciated. **Definition of supplement: Add an extra element or amount to.** Doesn't seem right, so I'm just making sure.


what does "into the blue" / "to the blue" exactly mean?

What does it mean? And when is it used? If someone says: "To the blue", "into the blue"? What to except?


Less-experienced vs less experienced employee

> As an Android developer with 3 years of experience, I also help less > experienced team members. Do I need to put a hyphen between "less" and "experienced"?


Single-word synonym for a  “pedantic rule-follower”?

What do you call a person who always follows the rules, at the expense of everything else? I’m thinking there’s one word that can describe this, but I can’t place it.


"The language of the question/answer"

Are these sentences correct? >   * I have changed the language of the question, so that you may understand > easily. >   * I have changed the language of the answer, so that you may understand > easily. > Is this use of the word _language_ correct?


What is the meaning of "foldin’ your Fruit of the Looms”?

in the quotation below, what the meaning of "foldin’ your Fruit of the Looms” is? “There’s got to be more to life than sittin’ here watchin’ ‘Days of Our Lives’ and foldin’ your Fruit of the Looms.” Mama, MAMA’S FAMILY


"tag question" vs. "question tag"

I've just read this page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tag_question So regarding this passage: > The term "question tag" is generally preferred by British grammarians, while > their American counterparts prefer "tag question". If a British person uses the term "question tag", does it refer to the American term "tag question"? Is this passage saying the terms are synonymous? As far as I can tell, "tag question" is a term referring to the "question" and "question tag" is a term referring to the "tag" itself, which means they refer to different things and are NOT synonymous. So why does Wikipedia say that the term "question tag" is generally preferred by British grammarians, while their American counterparts prefer "tag question" when they in fact refer to different things (which means that both British and American will have to use either depending on which term they are talking about)? "Here's a question tag" means "Here's a tag, and the tag is the question tag". "Here's a tag question" means "Here's a question, and the question is a tag question." So are "tag" and "question" synonymous? If not I can't see how "tag question" and "question tag" are synonymous.


Does the word "since" ever have a meaning of "thus", "hereby" ones?

Here is a sentence from "Programming Perl": > They [ _constructors mentioned above in the book_ — OP's note] don’t really > care whether they were invoked from tie, nor do any of the other methods in > the class, **since** you can always invoke them directly if you’d like. In my dictionary _since_ is translated only as "because", "from the time when" etc. But it appears to me that in this sentence _since_ is a synonym of _thus_ , as "you can always invoke them directly if you’d like" is the _consequence_ of the first part, rather than the _cause_ of it. Is my assumption correct?


What does "Fight through the pain" mean?

What does sentence "Fight through the pain" mean? I heard this sentence in XBox360 game Gears of War. Can the sentence be also used with other verbs - can it be simply expressed as pattern "Do something through the pain"?


How should I address a letter to a married couple who are both doctors?

Dr. John and Dr. Jane Doe? Drs. John and Jane Doe? Other?


Assigning a name in parentheses - do authorities consider it kosher?

I have often seen constructions like,   * Your best friend(Jim) called today.    * Six hundred square feet of space on the second floor of 921 County Lane, corresponding to the area shown crosshatched in the floor plan in attachment A (the Leased Premises)   * Where John's Potato Fields Inc. (the Landlord) leases unto...   * Rattlesnake (Mike) came by to collect a debt the other day. I've looked for an authority that says a person can use parentheses this way, but I haven't found one. I stand to gain a letter grade on a mid-term paper if I can find one, so if you can share one, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks for the help.


"Amendment" or "Addendum" for book correction

A clarification of a European building code has been issued, therefore a separate correction for the book is released. What would this correction be called? I have had the words amendment and addendum suggested from different sources.


What does "Like a jug that's googling out buttermilk" mean?

Reading "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" on Project Gutenberg I come across a sentence I can't quite comprehend. Also, word "googling" caught my eye: > whilst he made all sorts of signs with his hands and said "Goo-goo—goo-goo- > goo" all the time, like a baby that can't talk   >  ...   >  The duke he never let on he suspicioned what was up, but just went a goo- > gooing around, happy and satisfied, like a jug that's googling out > buttermilk. I would thought it's an OCR error, and something like "gurgling" meant instead, but there is a scanned page adjacent to the text, with the same word in print: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/76/76-h/76-h.htm So, I am eager to know the meaning of the word "googling" in this context(this answer weren't of much help). Also, it would be nice to get the meaning of the whole idiom "like a jug that's googling out buttermilk".


"Riviera" or "Rivieras" for plural

I can't find a consensus in dictionaries on the accepted plural form of the word _Riviera_. Is it _I'm going to see all of the Riviera of the world_ or _I'm going to see all of the Rivieras of the world_?


Word for prayer responses

I'm trying to find a word for the responses which people utter during prayer recitals or general "praise the lord" sort of speeches (not in sermons). Let me try elucidating this via an example:               Priest: "blah blah blah"     Random Person: "amen"     Priest: "blah blah blah"     Random Person: "ooo, praise the lord"     Priest: "blah blah blah"     Random Person: some random quote praising the lord      The best example would be the stuff you see in movies, typically portrayed in African-American churches. I'm sure there's a word for it. Also, forgive me if the meaning is not clear.


Is there a name for someone who calls someone else what he himself is?

Say person A and person B are having a discussion/argument. Person A tells person B that his views are arrogant, or closed-minded, or some other derogatory adjective.   But in fact it is person A's views that are arrogant, closed-minded, etc. Person B's views are usually the exact opposite of what person A is accusing him of. This sort of situation happens a lot when discussing politics or religion, for example. What do you call person A, for calling person B something that he himself is? I guess, for the most part, person A doesn't actually realize that he is the one that the adjective applies to, and not person B. Maybe there is a different name if person A knows the adjective also applies to him.


Is there a word whose basic definition is "To Organize Complexity?"

I recently wrote a document titled "Guidelines for reviewing source code." In the document, one of my statements was: "The core directive is _to organize complexity_. I feel like I should know a word to use there, but one escaped me. Any help appreciated.


Australis, Austrinus, Australe - in constellations

I was having a look at the official constellations, and I noticed three with similar names:   * Corona Australis   * Piscis Austrinus   * Triangulum Australe Now the "Austral" definitely means "southern", as these constellations are otherwise known as the Southern Crown, Southern Fish, and Southern Triangle, respectively. (Also the origin of the name "Australia".) Predictably, they're also all in the southern celestial hemisphere as well. My question is - if they're all the same word, presumably of Latin origin, then why are they spelled in three different ways? I'd assume some sort of different noun-forms, which Latin is notorious for, but since they're all used in the same context, you'd think they'd be in the same declension. Anyone know why these names (and specifically these forms of the word) were chosen for these constellations?


What do ‘a little Marilyn Monroe drag,’ 'whassup,’ and 'worked her derriere off' mean?

The Washington Post’s article on the 83rd Annual Academy Awards on ABC written by Hank Stuever under the headline, _At Oscars, the kids were all right and the 'Speech' was well-prepared_ was full of Greek to me who have little knowledge about American culture and entertainment world. As I cannot pick up all the words and expressions I felt difficulty in understanding, I just want to make sure of the meaning of three phrases:   * _NYU, whassup_   * _a little Marilyn Monroe drag_   * _worked her derriere off_ What do these phrases mean? Though I guess _whassup_ is ‘What’s up,’ and _work one’s derriere off_ means ‘Work very hard,’ I’m not sure. Is it very rude if I tell somebody, particularly to a lady, that ‘I worked my derriere off in the office?’ Here's the context for the above-mention phrases: > Anne Hathaway hosted the 83rd Annual Academy Awards on ABC Sunday night. And > her co-host, James Franco, did what exactly? (Besides be handsome? Besides a > little Marilyn Monroe drag? And besides shouting "NYU, whassup!" to the Best > Live Action Short winner? What, that's not enough?) > > Hathaway worked her derriere off and Franco came off like that lacrosse boy > you wish your daughter didn't hang out with so much.


What is the difference between "detrimental" and "harmful"?

Is there any difference regarding the usage of _detrimental_ and _harmful_? I am not a native English speaker, so I don't understand the different nuance of these words.


Usage of "on" in "fire on"

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Fire (at, on, in, to) target I saw the following sentence on Guardian.co.uk: > US navy fires on boat near Dubai port. Is _on_ being used here as a preposition to make a link between the fire and the boat, or is it part of the phrasal verb — if it exists — _fires on_? Can you give some examples where _on_ is being used like the one referred above?


"He shot it" versus "he shot at it"

Is there a difference between these two, or is only one correct? > I shoot him. I shoot at him. She will shoot you. She will shoot at you. How about these two? > The plane shot missiles at the base. versus > The plane shot the base at its weapons bunker.


Is "At Worst" used only in the future context?

I have checked numerous examples where "At worst" is used in the future context. > At worst, we will go to jail. > > At worst, teacher will expel us. Can we use "At worst" in the past context?


prevent (doing something before it happens) and doing something after it happend

When you prevent something, you take action for an event not to happen - before it happens. What is a familiar word you would use to indicate action to take after the event happened? Like               pre-workout - post-workout          pre-check - post-check          prevent - postvent ??


What is the meaning of the part in bold in the following sentence

The Jan Lokpal Bill (Citizen's ombudsman Bill) is a draft anti-corruption bill drawn up by prominent civil society activists seeking the appointment of a Jan Lokpal, an independent body that would investigate corruption cases, complete the investigation within a year and **envisages trial in the case getting over in the next one year**. I have seen the meaning of envisage, but I couldn't understand the meaning of last part of sentence. Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/what-is-the-jan-lokpal-bill- why-its-important-96600&cp


Do "good for you" and "I am happy for you" have a negative or positive connotation?

I am not sure if this is the right place, but I was wondering if "good for you" and "I am happy for you" have a negative or positive connotation.


Do Australians speak a language or a dialect? If a language, the same language as Englishmen?

In a prestigious site dedicated to ancient Romans and their language, somebody referred to the language spoken by Australians as the "Australian English dialect". As I see it, then in the US people speak a dialog of English too. Do you consider the tongues spoken in these two countries, or more concretely Australia, to be dialogs.


What is a synonym for "most frequently occurring"

I'm trying to succinctly describe something that occurs most frequently, and the only single-word adjective I can think of is "commonest", but that sounds ridiculous. Are there any other good adjectives I could use?


When should you use "to" following a "why"?

I've always wondered why some people add a `to` after `Why` when framing a question. I have always wished to know this, but I keep forgetting to ask and today I came across a tweet that made me post this question here. The sentence that I came across on my twitter feed is:               Why To Treat Your Product Like It's Finished?      Isn't it more appropriate to ask:               Why Treat Your Product Like It's Finished?      I know that all the words in the sentence above have a capital letter in front because this was a title of a post. But that is not the point. My question is: When do we need to use a preposition like `to` after a question word like `Why`? Are there any grammatical rules regarding this usage? If so, what are they? Why To Treat Your Product Like It's Finished (Even Before It Is) http://t.co/eLiY1VBYDT -- Buffer (@buffer) June 4, 2014


When i can use "Copy that"?

When i can to use copy that, just to response of "do you copy" ? tanks for your helps


Tylor's ways, he checked. (Hemingway's To Have and Have Not)

This is from _To Have and Have Not_ by Ernest Hemingway. Can anyone help me with the following sentence: "I saw her a couple of days ago on Ed. Taylor's ways, he checked." > There are two speedboats that could catch us, Harry was thinking. One, > Ray’s, is running the mail from Matecumbe. Where is the other? **I saw her a > couple of days ago on Ed. Taylor’s ways, he checked.** That was the one I > thought of having Bee-lips hire. There’s two more, he remembered now. One > the State Road Department has up along the keys. The other’s laid up in the > Garrison Bight. I don't understand this "Ed." and "Taylor's ways."


'Conscribed' vs 'conscripted'

I'm wondering about the usage of the words 'conscript' and 'conscribe' in terms of the meaning they share. I went to use the word 'conscripted' as in "conscripted for duty", and the word 'conscribe' also came to mind, and I wasn't sure which to use. Looking around it seems like 'conscribe' isn't used much and isn't in all dictionaries. Is it an outdated version of the same word from Latin? Also, what about the preposition? I see instances of both "conscripted into" and "conscripted for" in google results. Is there a difference?


Is it "just as soon" or "just assume"?

If someone says a phrase that sounds like "I'd just as soon you don't get in an accident, so I'll call you later", are they actually saying "just as soon" or "just assume" or something else?


What is a "Patco moment"?

I'm an Australian so I don't understand what this means in the following quotation: > Painting by numbers, Scott Walker, following Reagan's first stroke, took on > labour. But Walker's Patco moment (the busting of the Air Traffic > Controller's union) has proved an overreach. As requested, here is a link to the original article.


I want to use the suffix -orama with rate (rating)

So, I've seen the suffix -arama, but I am also used to -orama, which is the correct to use along 'rate'? souce: http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/492/where-does-the-suffix- arama-as-in-foodarama-come-from


"It seems [like] a random occurrence"

These seem to mean exactly the same thing. They surely sound different though, so maybe I'm missing some subtlety. Do the sentences have a different meaning? > It seems like a random occurrence. vs > It seems a random occurrence. I'm also curious about this one: > It seems to be a random occurrence.


"Better have it get fired at someone" - get fired?

I know "get" has so many meanings but I just do cannot figure out the right one here: > If you establish a gun in Act 1, you better have it get fired at somebody by > Act 3. Would it not work without the "get"? What does it express here exactly? It does not seem to be (to me) change of condition (as in get married) or a replacement for "be".


Ataraxis or/and ataraxia, a quandary. A question over their existence and usage?

The Oxford dictionary has ataraxia (ataraxy) as a valid word but not ataraxis. however, I've seen and heard the ataraxis being used once in while. But it happens that the guys at Oxford do not recognize it (ataraxis) as a word. You can search ataraxis and many sites, along with Google itself, will define it. Now the question is whether I can use the word ataraxis and ataraxy (ataraxia) in place of each other and will any examiner such as those at GRE and GMAT consider and approve it.


What's a word for saying 'entering a room suddenly and fast'?

I'm looking for a word that means 'enter a room fast and suddenly'. Using a dictionary I got the word 'to plunge' - however I'm not sure if that's correct. When looking up 'to plunge' (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plunge) it seems not to be completely correct, especially when looking at the example sentences. So, is 'to plunge' also used with the meaning of 'entering a room fast and suddenly'? If not, what is such a word?


What's the difference between "irritated" and "vexed"?

What's the difference between "irritated" and "vexed", or between "to irritate" and "to vex"?


Is the usage of the idiom "Move Over" in this passage clear on what side to move over to?

Consider this passage in the **Georgia DDS 2010 Driver’s Manual** : on page 40: > The Georgia Move-Over Law requires drivers to move over one lane when > possible if an emergency vehicle with flashing lights is parked on the > shoulder of the highway. If traffic is too heavy to move over safely, the > law requires drivers to slow down below the posted speed limit AND to be > prepared to stop. Without knowing **why** to move over, does the "Move-Over" usage above make it clear **to where**? This law is a safety law, but if someone doesn't know that, is there a **grammatical** support to it? If instead of _"Emergency vehicle... of the highway"_ it was _"an Emergency vehicle is flashing its lights behind you"_ it might have been understood as move to the left, Therefore the only clue to the understanding of where to move to is common sense and meaning and not sentence grammar. Note that it is phrased "Move-Over ... **if** an emergency vehicle ..." and not "Move-Over ... **for** " one So can it be understood by any reader, that it requires to Move Over to the right and not the left?


Verb form of "spontaneous human combustion"

In English there are plenty of examples of noun-verbs. What are the rules for making more complex compound noun structures into transitive verbs? In particular I would like explanations involving the phrase _spontaneous human combustion_. Would the following work? > He **spontaneously human-combusted**.


"The ticket is printing" vs "...is being printed"

You're standing in front of a ticket vending machine and it says "The ticket is printing". Is that correct or should it be "The ticket is being printed"? EDIT: If both are correct, which one should be preferred or is more common?


What word should I use to describe a kid who has pooped in their underwear?

I have seen some kids who can't go to the restroom in time and their poops stain on their underwear. I would like to know what word I can use to describe this situation?


What do you call someone who doesn't believe in "ghost"?

What do you call someone who doesn't believe in "ghost" neither in ghost stories ? web has it's answer as _skeptics_ but that's not a dictionary answer. It is more or less conventional.


Understanding how to identify the parts of speech for 'all'

Webster's dictionary lists 'all' as an adjective, adverb, pronoun and noun. Swan's Practical English Usage (3rd edition) spends three pages talking about the usages, but I'm left unsure how to determine the part of speech for 'all.' Webster gives "He spent his income all on pleasure" as an example of an adverb. If we rewrite it as "He spent all of his income on pleasure," is that still an adverb functioning the same way. Would both of them be adverbs of completeness? Thanks for the help, Revlis Lain


Sentence analysis for "Who would it benefit you to know, or what type of person would it benefit you to know to grow your business"

On a rather big (and I guess copy-edited) blog by Chris Brogan, I read this: > Who would it benefit you to know, or what type of person would it benefit > you to know to grow your business. And I cannot fathom it. I do understand the meaning out of context but I am at loss when it comes to analyzing the whole thing. I guess the "normalized" version would be > It benefits me to do something which is incredibly German-sounding to my ears. If this is the underlying phrasing then I still don't understand the function of "it" in the question.   * What grammatical function does the "it" have? Is it an object or a subject or a predicate nominative or even an explicative? And also,   * Shouldn't the question word be "whom"?


"Lobby", "foyer", "front (of house)/front room", "entranceway", "entry", and "entryway"

"Lobby", "foyer", "entry(way), "entranceway" and "front (of house)/front room" seem to be used to designate an area or a room near the entrance to a public building such as a hotel, where one can wait, and sit and relax and talk. But, are there any differences to these terms or do they mean pretty much the same and, as such, can be used just about interchangeably? Additionally, are any of these more typical of an English variety than of another? Besides, "foyer", "entry(way)" and "entrance(way)" seem also to be used to designate an area by the entrance to a private home. Are there any differences to these or do they mean just about the same? Also, are any of these terms typical of a particular variety than of another?


Is "to wear" also used as a "dynamic verb" meaning "to don", "to put on"?

My intuition was that the verb _to **wear_** could be used in two ways (besides all its other senses that is.)   1. A "stative" sense related to the state of having clothes (etc) on.   2. A "dynamic" sense related to the action of **_putting_** clothes **_on_** , **_donning_** clothes. I was surprised to find that all the dictionaries I've checked online support only the first, stative sense, and none supported the second, dynamic sense. Is my intuition at fault? Are the dictionaries just being a tad prescriptive with this? What do other sources such as grammar and other fields of linguistics have to say about this, if anything? * * * I've found some supporting evidence for my intuition in the Wikipedia article for _stative verbs_: `3.` They do not occur as imperatives, except when used in an inchoative manner.   * Run!   * *Know the answer!   * Know thyself! (inchoative, not stative; archaic) Examples of dynamic _wear_ I can think up are mostly imperatives:   * **Wear** a coat if you're going outside! (But I've never had a good grasp of the _inchoative_ , so maybe there's a gap, or maybe it depends on who is analysing?


Question about "Dedication" section in thesis

Is it correct to dedicate a thesis to my parents and my wife as follows? Can I put their names at the end? > To my mother and father, > > who have blessed me with an admiration of nature. > > \-- Sara & Michael > > To my wife, > > whose love and confidence is a constant source of inspiration and > encouragement. > > \-- Rose My mother's name is Sara, my father's name is Michael, and my wife's name is Rose.


Incorrect personal pronoun case in "I Wonder as I Wander"

In the Christmas song "I Wonder as I Wander", the lyrics say: > I wonder as I wander out under the sky,   >  How Jesus the Savior did come for to die.   >  For poor on'ry people like you and like I It seems to me, though, that "like" here is a preposition--so shouldn't that mean that it should say "like me", not "like I"? Am I missing a rule of English here, or is it just a breaking-the-rules-for- poetry thing?


"Snub out a cigarette" for "stub out a cigarette" in AE

My bilingual dictionary points up “snub out” as an Americanism for “stub out” as in, “He snubbed out his cigarette.” But, does is this expression current enough in modern day spoken AE to be used quite safely in common speech? Please consider this Ngram. Considering the primary sense of snub, “ignore, behave coldly toward; slight”, I would tend to think “snub out” might suggest a certain way to put out a cigarette.


Why do we say that we "observe" traditions?

Why do we say that we "observe traditions" rather than "following traditions" or some other term?


Present perfect tense with the verb 'is'

I would like to know how to use the verb _to be_ and its past participle. For example: > The rain is gone. Is _is_ present perfect tense here?


What are the differences between "dudes," "guys," and "friends"?

What are the differences between _dudes_ , _guys_ , and _friends_?


How do I respond to "family emergency"?

Someone tells me that he is sorry but he has been absent for a family emergency. Can I say "I hope your family is fine"? I wondered if that's polite in English-speaking culture.


Word that means "periodically purged" or "cleansed by fire"

What is a word that means "periodically purged" or "cleansed by fire"?


What is a good word to describe 'exceptional positive' research work?

In a sentence, when talking about future, for a person with huge potential. > X has the potential for some ? research in Y field. I was thinking   * game changing   * revolutionary but both of these do not convey the right meaning. Is there some other word that will serve the purpose here?


Pronunciation difference between "collar" and "color"

What is the pronunciation difference between _collar_ and _color_? Can a native speaker tell them apart?


"I'm having" - an illness?

What is _I'm having_ in grammar terms? Is it something near the present, the near future? As in _I'm having a party tomorrow_? Example (not about the near future), > I'm having trouble coming up with a reliable method of comparing sets of > data. Couldn't it be the following simpler version without any change in meaning? > I have trouble coming up with a reliable method of comparing sets of data.


What does "underlying technicality" mean?

What does "underlying technicality" mean in the following sentence? > Discuss from the existing scenario/situation up to the proposed system and > proceed with its _underlying technicality_ but presented in simple and > layman's terms. (e.g Hardware, Software, Peopleware, Middleware, Firmware, > etc.)


Should emoticons be regarded as punctuation marks?

According to _Wikipedia_ , “[p]unctuation marks are symbols that indicate the structure and organization of written language, as well as intonation and pauses to be observed when reading aloud”. Does this make emoticons – when used along with a sentence, e.g., “I am good :)” – eligible to be considered as punctuation marks? They seem to satisfy the “intonation” criterion.


Is there any merit to "Angry 'on' you"

Currently where I live there are almost ZERO English native speakers. I love that though. Not because I seek the attention of being the only native speaker around but because it gives me the perfect opportunity to learn the other language with a native perspective. I hear more and more people trying to offer the phrase, _I am angry **on** you_ or other flavours of this such as _I am surprised **on** you_ etc. My question is, could this be considered good English as opposed to grammar (which normally go hand in hand)? I understand the meaning behind it of course and I **like** the mental imagery of how someone can feel the possibility to place a weight _on top_ of you based on their disappointment and so on. Should I correct them or keep enjoying their broken English for my own personal entertainment ?


Who does  “who”  apply to in this example?

> His governors, some of them incompetent and tactless, quarrelled bitterly > with the people, who were constantly demanding greater political control. In this sentence, who are demanding greater political control, the governors or the people? And if it's the people who are demanding greater political control, does that mean they want to be governed in a more efficient way or does it mean they want their own political power?


How to avoid bullet points and use a longer sentence instead?

I can do many things:   * write with a pen while sitting   * smuggle milk through border crossings   * repent for thy sins with my sins I would like to say what I have said above without using bullet points but I am not sure how to do it. Here is my take (please suggest something better): I can do many things; one, write with a pen while sitting; two, smuggle milk through border crossings; three, repent for thy sins with my sins.


Adverbs position in English: “place–manner–time” or “manner–place–time”?

Wikipedia tells us that the order should be **place–manner–time**. However, this webpage tells that it should be **manner–Place–Time**. Which one is correct? I have one sentence in two different orders:   * No child should grow up in poverty in America in the 21st century.   * No child should grow up in America in poverty in the 21st century.


What does "state" in "State University" refer to?

There are many universities and colleges in the United States with names such as "... State University". The word _state_ has many distinct meanings, but pertinent to this question are:   1. government, ministry, administration, executive, regime, powers-that-be: _The state does not collect enough revenue to cover its expenditure_.   2. One of the more or less internally autonomous territorial and political units composing a federation under a sovereign government: _the 48 contiguous states of the Union_. (from http://www.thefreedictionary.com/state) Thus, it is possible to take the name to mean "university belonging to one of the 50 states", eg Arizona as opposed to Alabama. It is also possible to take it to mean "university owned and operated by _the state_ ", as in, not privately funded. The distinction is a bit pointless in English because of homophony, however other languages have different non-interchangeable words for state in the sense of "administrative subdivision of a federal government" (Russian, for example, calls the US states _штат_ -"штатный университет"?-, with obvious etymology, and even Russia's own states get a different term, область, meaning roughly "region") and in the sense of "government-operated" (again, in Russian a state university in this sense would be _государственный университет_ \- eg _Moscow State University_ , _Московский государственный университет_ ). So in which sense are American state universities, "state universities"? Especially when translating, into languages such as Russian above, which meaning is more appropriate for selecting word choice?


'I am nice, thank you'?

I would like to know whether, if someone asks me " _How are you?_ " and I reply "I'm **nice** , thank you", is the word ' _nice_ ' grammatically correct?


Can a singular noun be used to represent a category of things in a sentence subject?

Specifically, in following sentences, which ones are correct?   1. Elephants are huge.    2. The elephant is huge.   3. An elephant is huge.    4. Elephant is huge. I think 1 and 2 above are correct, but how about 3 and 4? Can we refer to a specific kind of objects/things in life using a singular noun? Can use sentences like "Car is ..." or " University has ..." ? Thank you.


"They all are fine" vs. "they are all fine"

The situation is that someone asks me how my family are; I then want to answer that they all are fine. I want to know whether the sentences "They all are fine." and "They are all fine." have the same meaning. Is there any difference? To me as a non-native English speaker, "They all are fine." seems better — it should mean that each of my family members is fine whereas "They are all fine." should mean that each of my family members is completely fine. Please correct my understanding if there is anything wrong.


"For the time being" vs. "in the mean time"

I am confused when to use "For the time being" and when to use "In the mean time". Are they interchangeable. Can you please explain with some examples?


Lexicology, Semasiology

Is metonymy considered to be linguistic or extralinguistic factor of semantic change? For example crown for a monarchy


Which is correct: "special thanks go to" or "special thanks goes to"?

what is grammatically correct:   1. Special thanks **go** to Tom...   2. Special thanks **goes** to Tom... IMHO I'd say _thanks_ is one of those plural nouns which implies it requires **go** but I'm not sure. It's for the acknowledgements section of my thesis; it should be formal English.


What English word has the most consecutive consonants?

I was driving past the village of Hampsthwaite the other day, and happened to spot the six consecutive consonants in the middle. It set me wondering whether this was the most possible, and if not, which word contains the maximum number?


Can "and" mean "in order to"?

For example, in the sentence > I went to town and did some shopping. Can we safely assume this means I went to town **_in order to_** do some shopping? In other words, did the person go to town in order to go shopping or is that unknown?


"Would fly" versus "would have flown"

I am not a native speaker of English. Could anyone please tell me which sentence is correct? > If I had money, I would fly to Spain.   >  If I had money, I would have flown to Spain.


Meaning of "type cast solid"

In George Orwell's _1984_ , Part 1 Chapter 5: > Just once Winston caught a phrase -'complete and final elimination of > Goldsteinism'- jerked out very rapidly and, as it seemed, all in one piece, > like a line of **type cast solid**. I googled a lot, but still cannot understand "a line of type cast solid".


Is there a name for the practice of dropping pronouns in written speech?

I’m specifically thinking about emails I receive all day where someone will write: > Haven’t seen it yet. Will respond when received. If it were spoken, we would certainly hear: > I haven’t seen it yet. I will respond when I receive it. It’s mostly the dropping of _I_ that I wonder about. Is there a name for this phenomenon?


How has the meaning of "politically correct" changed?

According to Etymology Online, **politically correct** means > ...the political movement and phenomenon, which began in the USA, with the > aim to enforce a set of ideologies and views on gender, race and other > minorities. Political correctness refers to language and ideas that may > cause offence to some identity groups like women and aims at giving > preferential treatment to members of those social groups... However, when I looked up **political**, I found > Of, relating to, or dealing with the structure or affairs of government, > politics, or the state; relating to, involving, or characteristic of > politics or politicians Furthermore, I found this use of politically correct, which seems to refer to government as well. > This phrase goes back further than one might believe, to 1793, in fact. It > was first used by the American judge Justice James Wilson in the case of > Chisholm v. Georgia, and was meant to distinguish between the phrases United > States and people of the United States - he believed the latter to be > politically correct. And, in 1911, > In those days we did not so much get correct political and economic views, > for there was then little teaching of sociology or political economy worthy > the name... Has the meaning of the word _political_ changed? Why is it used when referring to certain groups? What does being politically correct really mean? Is it something about politics and laws, or does it mean _to be fair, neutral, unprejudiced_?


The difference between "being with a company" and "being from a company"

Some people leave voice mail like: > hi, this is John from ABC Systems... and sometimes I can hear people say > Hi, that's John with ABC Systems... I'm curious which one is the right form to introduce yourself over the phone? When should I use _from_ or _with_?


A word that encompasses buying and selling?

I'm trying to retag some questions (such as this one) on the Board Game Stack Exchange, and the only good tag I can think of is "Selling". But that seems inefficient, and a word that covers both _buying_ and _selling_ would be more useful to the site. The first word I thought of was _transaction_ but that doesn't seem to cover it. Someone has suggested to me _business_ , but again it doesn't sound like it works in the context. Is there not a single word (or a phrase shorter than 25 characters) for this?


Meaning of 'has much to do with' and 'turn out'

> whether a father's interest in his sons **has much to do with** how well his > sons **turn out**


What does it mean if you tell someone they have their name on their underwear?

What does it mean if you say to someone that they have their name on their underwear? If this is an insult what are they implying? I've heard this term in pop culture many times, usually in reference to someone who is a geek/nerd. **Back to the Future** > Marty McFly: Calvin? Wh... Why do you keep calling me Calvin?   >  Lorraine Baines: Well, that is your name, isn't it? Calvin Klein? It's > written all over your underwear. **Weird Al - White & Nerdy** > I spend every weekend at the renaissance fair   >  I got my name on my underwear! Did people actually write their name on their underwear? What is the meaning and origin of this phrase?


The correct use of "sundering"

I'm writing a book in which one of the major events is a day that separates two major forces in the world. It's meant to be a punishment from a high power, so at first I wanted to call it _The Day of Punishment_ , but honestly that sounds like I put a minimum of effort into it and it just doesn't sound good. I looked up a few words in a thesaurus and found _sunder_. So I thought of using _The Day of Sundering_ , but I'm not quite sure if it makes grammatical sense, and whether it's the best choice available. So in short, did I use the word _sundering_ correctly? Or is there a better choice out there that I'm not thinking of?


How do words get concatenated?

Lots of words in the English language are or were two words originally.   * Somehow   * Nobody   * Erstwhile But many often conjoined words are not 'allowed'. The one that springs to mind is 'alot'. Why are some of these ok, and others not? How do these joined-up words enter English vocabulary but not others?


Word for person willing to argue contradictory things depending on what suits him

Is there an adjective or a noun to describe a person willing to argue contradictory things depending on what suits him? For example: > "Our company should buy X — it's good for the shareholders". Realizing later > that it's bad for his career: "Our company should _not_ buy X — we have too > much invested in Y".


Is “Arriving late to the party, but dancing on all the clichés” an adaptation of a cliché?

Yesterday’s (June 12) New York Times introduced Guggenheim’s new ventures of collecting artworks from South and South east Asia, Middle East, North Africa, and Latin America, which it has paid little attention to in the past under the headline, “Arriving Late to the Party, but Dancing on All the Clichés” in its Art & Design section. I am intrigued with the phrase “Arriving late to the party, but dancing on all the xxx.” Is it a popular idiom or cliché? What does "dance on all the clichés" mean? I guess it is a twist of “Arriving late to the party, but dancing all the night (snugly).” But I’m not sure.


Which one is the correct phrase, and why?

I am confused about the following two phrases:   * Generalising them is very easy. If you talk to some of them chosen at random, other largely share their views.   * Generalising them is very easy. If you talk to some of them chosen at random, others, largely, share their views. I construct what I thought to be best possible candidates to convey what I mean. By reading them, if you feel that I am missing some basic grammar, then please correct me. Also, comment freely about any better construct in your opinion which is most suitable here.


Flip-flop with a single strap over the front of the foot

Wikipedia says on flip-flops http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flip-flops: "1. They consist of a flat sole held loosely on the foot by a Y-shaped strap that passes between the first and second toes and around either side of the foot. 2. They may also be held to the foot with a single strap over the front of the foot rather than a thong." I would like to know a word for flip-flops for which 2 holds, but 1 does not. I suppose it cannot be a sandal since a sandal can have more than a single strap. It is also my requirement that the front is open, i.e. the strap does not cover the toes.


Can tag lines or headings for technical documents be a juxtaposition of words?

I thought of a small wiki heading **Software Pricing and Pricing software** with details covered in the body section. _Software Pricing_ means how to price software while _Pricing Software_ means software used for pricing products (actually that's what I want it to mean).   * Does both grammatically mean the same?   * Does the mere juxtaposition of words is enough to make it implicitly understandable or I got to make it more clear?   * What does this technique (just rearranging the words to convey different meaning) called? I have similar questions about _deer hunting_ and _hunting deer_ , and many others.


Is “all of your everything” common English?

Is the phrase “all of your everything” proper English? It seems to mean “all of your belongings”, but what special connotations does this phrase have? It can be found here but the search engine of your choice will also provide other results.


If I write two phrasal verbs with difference prepositions consecutively, can I omit the first preposition?

> Give or take away something _from_ someone. The problem in this sentence is that normally one would say "Give to" or "take away from" someone, but what should I write when I want to refer to both alternatives?


Dear "Name here" Vs. Mr./Mrs. "Name here" Vs. Hi "Name here" Vs. Hello "Name here"

Vs. Mr./Mrs. "Name here", Vs. Hi "Name here", Vs. Hello "Name here" What is better to start email or written letter?


"Self-study" vs "self-education"

I got a book titled _Self-study vocabulary practice_. Can I replace _self- study_ with _self-education_? Does it make sense to use _self-learning_ in the statement of above?


Genitive as adjectives: handling plurals

Sorry for the title, it is not very evident and intuitive but I really do not how to tell it better... Well, you know, several times, or better, many times, we use this form: If I want to say: > "development of special weapons was the first point in Hitler's program..." I will say this (a better form): > "special weapon development was..." OK... is it > "special weapon development" or > "special weapons development" (note the plural...) what's the grammar rule in order to understand how to use this very used form?


Does the word "evolution" connote "upgrade"?

Does 'evolution' means 'upgrade' ? 'downgrade' or just 'gradient'?


Why do common swear words have four letters?

As a non-native speaker I always wondered why most (common) swear words have four letters. I know this is shifting and more words are araising and traditional swear words lose their "harshness", but where does this "4-letter" thing come from? Is it historical or did it just evolve?


Antonyms for "extempore" — speak without notes

I am looking for antonyms for _extempore_ in the context of "to speak extempore", i.e. speak without notes. I am looking for something better than _prepared_.


What's the difference between "rigor" and "rigorousness"?

What's the difference between rigor and rigorousness? Which should I use in the following? > Rigorousness and clarity are not synonymous in pedagogy.


What does "like kicking a puppy" mean?

> "I think we just don't care that much [about Microsoft] anymore," Zemlin > said. "They used to be our big rival, but now it's kind of like kicking a > puppy." I'm just curious, how to correctly translate that? Does that mean that Microsoft is now "kicking like a puppy" on the market but can do nothing anyway or it is Zemlin, who kicks Microsoft like a puppy on the market?


Relocating/Moving house

I asked a question on one of the stackexchange sites and one user edited a sentence I made from "We were relocating so we...." to "We were moving house so we....". As an english speaker, I have never heard of "moving house" in context of relocation in a sentence before. Presently I am even doubting if relocating is correct in the context of : _"Moving all your belongings in a house you onced rented into a newly rented house"_


Meaning and origin of "belt and braces"

What does the phrase _belt and braces_ mean and where did it come from? I have a rough idea but would like to see if anyone has a proper definition for this phrase.


"Unicorn": what other words have this "cornus" etymology?

"Unicorn" comes from the French and late Latin, with the "cornus" part meaning "horn". I am wondering what other English words share this root. I could think of "rhinoceros". Can you think of something (or multiple somethings) else?


"From a fourth-pair window": what is fourth-pair?

The first section of William Henley's poem "Notes on the Firth" (1875) is named "From a fourth-pair window". What is (а?) **fourth-pair** , I wonder? A horse-driven carriage of some kind? Or is it an adjective describing the position of the window? > I. — FROM A FOURTH-PAIR WINDOW. > > The sky is dappled blue with clouds that stray.   >     Like frozen waves the roofs go rolling down   >     The valley steeps, but weatherworn and brown   >  Steeple and stack shoot mastlike toward the day. > > Pandean pipes whereon the winds would play,   >     Long rows of chimney-pots the ridges crown;   >     And black on slates and skylights flicker and frown   >  Shadows of smoke that streams and wings that sway. > > The city's monstrous voices surge to me,   >     The mist afar its fantasies arranges,   >  And sudden windows twinkle joyously. > > A blue grey streak, a fixed uncertainty,   >     A fallen slip of sky that shifts and changes,   >  The Forth beyond them broadens into sea. P.S. Here is the scanned image of the printed text of the poem at Wikimedia.


Are there resources or tools for "reverse etymology"?

EtymOnline is an excellent resource for online etymology searches. If, however, I am looking for lists of words sharing a given Latin, Greek or other root (which I call "reverse etymology"), I do not know which tool I could use. Do you know any? The only thing I could think of is, if I had access to an offline etymology dictionary, I could then perform a full-text search into its content.


Does one "drive" a motorcycle or "ride" it?

When you are the one steering the motorbike/motorcycle, are you driving the motorcycle, or riding the motorcycle? I am asking because someone tried to correct my status update. Here's my status and the comment: > Today, after 6 years, I drove a motorcycle on a long route. Great Feeling. > Loved it! > > **Comment:** you don't drive a bicycle or motocycle... You ride a > motorcycle... You drive a car... Is that right?


fear on that head

-It certainly did not become him to fear Lady Laura on the score of rank, if it was to be allowed to Mr. Kennedy to proceed without **fear on that head**. (Anthony Trollope ) -He could not believe his father had any such intention; and that if he discovered anything of that kind, it was only when he was in a frenzy, and a melancholy disorder had seized him; and that David had nothing to **fear on that head**. (Bible) -I assured him he had nothing to fear **on that head** (Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine)  Even Oxford and Random House have not ON THAT HEAD; what does it mean? Thank you. Joe.


Should “If I ever had a philosophy” be in the past perfect?

Excerpted from _The Hills of Triumph_ : > If I ever had a philosophy with which to govern my social life, even long > after learning that social is often at the detriment of personal, it would > have been no dfferent. To use the subjunctive for a past thing, we usually use the past perfect, so must _I ever had_ be changed to _I ever had had_? I’m not sure, because the presence of _ever_ seems to give us a hypothesis extending to now, justifying the past simple, which can be used for a present hypothetical situation in the protasis.


"Inside of a house" versus "inside a house"

I'm confused as to when to use _of_. I've heard "inside of a house" and "inside a house." Which one is correct?


How should I use commas in the middle of compound sentences?

How do you punctuate the following sentence? > The introduction of a low cost Hartford Cycle line had staved off the > competition for a number of years, but, by 1897, with 700 competitors in the > market, the Colonel was in trouble. What commas, if any, should be removed? Where should commas be inserted in the following sentence? > Several of the subsidiaries continued on in receivership for a number of > years but by 1914 the last of his companies had finally been sold or > dissolved.


Freshman or Freshwoman

Can we use _freshwoman_ to refer to a girl in her first year in college, or is _freshman_ acceptable?


Is the acronym PIGS (or PIIGS) offensive?

To my Spanish ears, the acronym PIGS (for Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain) or PIIGS (for Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece and Spain) sounds offensive. The Spanish equivalent “cerdo” is a strong word rarely said in jest. In other cultures, the concept is perhaps even more vexing. It puzzles me that the international magazine The Economist, a political correctness champion most of the time, keeps using PIGS or PIIGS and apparently thinks nothing of it. Is there a linguistic explanation to what I see as unexpected insensitiveness by this magazine?


Is it not that big a deal vs No big deal

I was just checking an advanced grammar and learned that the following is possible: > It is not that big a deal 1) The book says I cannot skip the article. But how come in "ordinary" version there is no article, it is because it is common and became a phrase? > No big deal What about this sentence: > It was too stupid question 2) Is this correct or I must use "too stupid a question". What if I used "That": > That was too stupid question. 3) Do I still need to use the article?


Has the Tangier island accent truly remained unchanged since the Elizabethan period?

I'm not sure how well known Tangier Island is outside the Chesapeake region. To make a long story short, Tangier Island is an isolated fishing community in the Chesapeake bay. It has been mostly isolated for hundreds of years. You constantly hear that the accent has remained unchanged since the 17th century. This accent is often cited as an example of what an Elizabethan accent would sound like. My question is — without audio recordings, how can one make conclusions about how the accent has changed? What do we truly know about the Elizabethan accent that we can use to infer that the Tangier accent is very close? Is it actually close or has it just evolved down its own line?


Meaning and origin of British/Australian slang word 'tut'

About twenty years ago I overheard a girl from the north of England laughingly advise a friend to get ready for a night out by telling her to 'slap some tut on your face'. She clearly meant 'put on some make-up'.   I had already heard an Australian informally use the same, or a similar- sounding word, 'tut', to mean 'toilet'. I have also seen it defined on a website of British slang as: 'tut Noun. Rubbish, nonsense. E.g."Whatever he told you about me is just a load of tut." or "I think we need to clear up all this tut before your parents arrive." Are the three meanings of make-up, toilet and rubbish linked by some excremental ur-word, and if so does anyone know the origin?


Does the following apply to any fence of any height, or just fences 6 feet or less in height?

Does the following apply to any fence of any height, or just to fences 6 feet or less in height? > “Unless specifically noted, the provisions of 5.820, 5.821, and 5.822 above > shall not apply to fences, terraces, or walls six (6′) feet or less in > height, nor to terraces, steps, unroofed porches, or other similar features > not over three (3′) feet high.” ―Zoning Ordinance 5.823


can we say 'a pain' ? or 'a piece of pain'?

Here what I'm talking about is 'pain' as a noun, describing something that makes you uncomfortable either physically or mentally. As far as I know, it is countable when describing physical hurts. Then what about the 'mental' case ? If it's uncountable in that case, can we say 'a piece of pain' in the context that the pain(mentally) may result from different matters or experiences in our life and we want to distinguish them. Furthermore, if 'a piece of pain' is correct, what is the comparative form of this phrase? 'one piece less of pain'? 'one less piece of pain'?


What is a cock-feeder?

I've been reading _Tyburn Tales_ , a Victorian book about the malefactors who suffered on the gallows at York. This includes potted biographies of some of the more flagitious criminals, including a murderer George Lockey:- > Lockey was a shoemaker by trade, but being of a disorderly turn of mind, had > pretty much relinquished his calling for that of _cock-feeder_. It would seem from this that cock-feeder is some occupation or avocation. Presumably the literal meaning is not what was intended, as one could hardly make a career out of it. _Urban Dictionary_ has a definition, but it would assuredly not have appeared in Victorian literature. Green's _Dictionary of Slang_ has no entry for this. So, does anyone know what a _cock-feeder_ did?


Use Intention OR Intention of use?

I carry out a marketing survey about a new service, and I wonder what is the most appropriate expression (for a british public) : "The use intention" OR "The intention of use" ? The question was "Do you intend to use this service". I have the same issue with this expression : "Equipments purchase intention" OR "Purchase intention of equipments" OR "Equipments intention of purchase" ? These expressions refer to a rate. In my power point document, I have a slide with this sentence : 83% of respondents intend to use the service. And I need to choose the right expression to illustrate (for the title) this sentence : is it "The use intention" or "The intention of use" ? Thanks a lot


Do I use adjective forms of concurrent and consecutive?

Should this passage use the adjectival or adverbial forms of _concurrent_ and _consecutive_? > The trial court also sentenced the defendant to five life sentences (with > parole) and five 15-year sentences for the non-homicide crimes, all of which > were to be served consecutive( **ly?** ) to each other and to the sentence > for first degree murder. > > Finally, the trial court sentenced the defendant to eleven life sentences > (with parole) for the armed criminal actions, with these sentences to be > served concurrent( **ly?** ) with the other sentences and to each other.


Compressed vs. zipped

Is it correct English to use the term _zipped_ instead of _compressed_ when dealing with computer files? Is it a neologism that is widely accepted as part of modern English?


Etymology of “byte”

I'm interested in the origin of the word _byte_. Although it is a ubiquitous word in computer science, yet it seems no one can point out its origin. (I've been searching the web for a long time, but without coming up with an authoritative answer. Wikipedia says it's coined from _bite_ , but to avoid mutation to _bit_ , it's respelled to _byte_. But why does Weiner Buchholz choose bite, not other words?


"Posits" vs. "suggests"

I am new to academic writing and keep seeing the word "posits". Does "the author posits" have the same value or meaning as "the author suggests"?


Is there a pejorative term or phrase that lesbians use to refer to straight women? There seems to be a wealth of terms (both offensive and inoffensive) that are used in the other direction. I ask because two lesbian employers of my wife were expressing disgust at some of her sexual practices (don't worry, I am not going to go into detail). If there exists such visceral disgust, it seems as if words or phrases would have been coined to express it. I will not ask the two principals of this discussion since that would require bringing back up an uncomfortable conversation that should have probably never happened in a "professional" environment.


What word means “almost a homophone”?

Homophones are two words with the same sound, but different meaning, like _red_ and _read_ (the past tense of _to read_ ).   * Is there a linguistic term which refers to two or more words which have almost the same, but not quite the same sound? I am particularly referring to the situation which happens in Chinese, in which two words have a similar sound, and would even have the same spelling in IPA, but different tone, for example _到_ (dao) which has a falling tone and _岛_ (dao) which falls, then rises, so they are nearly alike in pronunciation, not not identical.   * Is there a broader linguistic term which both includes homophones and these “almost-homophones”?


Better term for “intellectual jokes”

What can you call a joke, pun, or anything funny that likely needs intelligence to get? All I can come up with is _intellectual jokes_ ; is there another word for this? A one-word answer would be great.


"We are American" or "We are Americans"? The singular vs. the plural form?

Which expression is more idiomatic or correct:   * We are American    * We are Americans Should I use _American_ in the singular or in the plural form? And why?


How do native English speakers distinguish Hobo and Homeless person?

In dictionary,               Hobo:One who wanders from place to place without a permanent home or a means of livelihood.     Homeless person: one who has no home or haven.      I think hobo is a kind of very dirty person walking or living in the street or a corner of a station, while the homeless person simply has no home to live but they still wear good clothes, maybe not very cleaned but much cleaner than hobo. I think the dictionary is missing something. Can we use these 2 terms interchanged?


A verb for a mine “producing” ore

What verb can I use to say that a mine produces ore? The ore is not produced at the mine site, however, so I need a word for describing the whole operation (excavation, processing, etc.). The operation I want to describe is the following. The ore is excavated and processed to some degree (simple processes to separate valuable minerals from the gangue, comminution) on site. Is there a verb that describes the generic operation of a mine? _Excavation_ sounds a bit too specific to me, but as I am a non-native, that might be a wrong impression.


"How large is your hard-drive" vs "How big is your hard-drive?"

When referring to a hard-drive's capacity (In GigaBytes), is it correct to use any of the following: How large is your hard-drive? How big is your hard-drive? Or is there any better way for terming it? I know it is safe to say "How many GigaBytes does your hard-drive have?" or "What is the capacity of your hard-drive?" but from the former two, is any correct?


Replacement for "brethren" to refer to mostly female group

The word _brethren_ would generally be used to refer to a group of people which have something making them an integrated unit. To exemplify my point in case: > The Catholic Brethren...   >  My college brethren... But, suppose if the population I was referring to was mostly female, the word _brethren_ would seem inappropriate (considering its definition as "Fellow Christians or members of a _male_ religious order"). To exemplify, > my female Catholic Brethren... isn't wrong, but just doesn't sound right. Is there some word which would refer to a closely knitted _female_ group?


What’s the point of the apostrophe of “turned ’round” in a narration?

I can’t figure out why the writer didn’t write just _turn around_ when it is not in a conversational part. I’ve met a lot of apostrophes in conversations in _Harry Potter_ books, like _’Bye_ and _C’mon_ , which are used to omit some letters, which, I think, sometimes contain the speakers’ subtle emotions in it. But this is my first time to find it in a narrative part. I’d like to know if the writer is trying to achieve some effect or something. > “Look!” said Ron suddenly, pointing out of the window. > > Hagrid had just straightened up and turned ’round. ( _Harry Potter 4_ [US > Version]: p.266)


Grammar–are there any PoS patterns that are incorrect/to be avoided?

I don't know if there are any patterns/rules for "grammatical don'ts" that pertain to Parts of Speech. For the sake of clarity, I refer to things such as:   1) Noun Noun Noun   2) Verb Noun Adverb   3) Determiner Adjective Determiner   etc. Are there patterns that are not permitted, considered poorly constructed, etc? I'm playing around with word patterns, and found just how lacking I am in knowledge of my own language. (Yes, I've searched here and Google–but I'm shocked at my inability to find anything relevant.) * * * Just a quick update... I'm more than willing to move onwards from the "standard" PoS (8? : N V AV ADJ DT etc.) to some of the subclassifications (Comparative Adjective, Linking Verbs etc.)–anything that gives more definition and classification is better than where I currently stand (or fall). So if it can be pointed out that 'some types of Verb' can follow 'some types of Adjective', then I'll be happy with that, especially if the types are provided!


From a non-native's standpoint: Which dictionary should I pay attention to when I find semantically contradictory definitions of a word?

[The following is one of dozens of cases I come across on a daily basis] By accident, I have recently noticed that the phrasal verb **go through** (as in **experience** ) -- which I've been using so far in my IELTS writing essays -- is associated with a connotation of _negativeness_ (suffering, unpleasantness, etc). Flipping through dictionary pages I'm finding out they do not agree with one another over the level of negativity. Some have dismissed the negativity component very lightly, while others have _fundamentally_ / _thoroughly_ attached it to that concept. Others, though, have used parentheses. (Making a good decision in such case takes on added importance when I have, for instance, used **go through** in my essay, and after questioning its correctness I have ended up paging through dictionaries.) To clarify, here's where I'm finding myself locked in: > _Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary [11th]:_ go through: 2.EXPERIENCE; > UNDERGO. > > _The American Heritage Dictionary (5th)_ :2. go through: To experience; > Undergo > > **The online ones:** > > _Collins English Dictionary_ : 4. (preposition) to suffer [end of story?!] > > _oxford dictionaries:_ Undergo (a difficult period or experience) > > the free dictionary: 2. To experience > > McMillan dictionary: 3. [TRANSITIVE] go through something: to experience > something difficult or unpleasant I cannot reasonably take the most comprehensive meaning (maybe the Amr. Hert. Dict & Oxf. Dict.s, in the case on hand) all the time, under the assumption that the others have left something out, because a lengthy definition isn't necessarily the best one. Using only **one** **perfect dictionary**? There is no such dictionary out there, or else the **need** to set up brilliant communities like this would have never made itself felt. Come here and ask? I guess this has to be the best answer, but the need is too frequent and it takes me a long time. Googling? Yes, that works in some cases. But It's not reliable enough, I think, since you can't tell if the writer was a native speaker. Plus the fact that not _each and every_ _composition/collocation_ of words exists there, whereas the Googled term IS actually true (I say this out of a couple of such experiences). Questions: Q 1. What should I do (if anything at all!)? Q 2. What does _go through_ really mean? In other words, should I use it only when something unpleasant/bad/difficult is involved? Q 3. Are the editors of the community erasing thanks?


The use of the Present Simple within a short period of time

Help me understand how idiomatic this usage of the Present Simple is. Usually, PS conveys repeated actions within relatively long (or almost unlimited) time frames. For instance, “The sun rises in the East.” “We live in France.” “I like cheese.” But what bothers me is other examples in which it’s clear that the actions expressed by the Present Simple are within relatively short periods of time. For example,   **Example A** 1) A: You were out very late last night. I know! 2) B: Quite right! I was out until three o'clock. And I had too many drinks. **_That's why my hand shakes._** **Example B** 1) A: What’s up with Jake? He is acting strangely today. 2) B: He offended me yesterday and now **_he apologizes every other minute_**. **Example C** (this is a real quote from Obama’s speech) The Republicans were a laugh line throughout the night, especially the presidential field that was, at the same time, holding its 17th debate in North Charleston, South Carolina. **_"Why do you laugh?"_** the president deadpanned at one point, to more laughs. It’s obvious that in all these examples the actions “my hand shakes, he apologizes every other minute, why do you laugh” have started very recently and are not going to last for a long time. That is, the hand is not going to shake for years, he is not going to be apologizing every other minute for months, and they are not going to laugh after the debate is over. Does it sound logical until now? Now I wonder if I can apply this principle in other contexts. The contexts have been made up by me. **Example D** I have been witnessing my friend calling to his wife on the phone for 10 minutes. It is a series of calls which doesn’t seem to end immediately. In other words, I suppose that he will keep calling her for, at least, a few minutes more or maybe even more than that. Would it be correct to ask him in this situation: **_Why do you call her so many times? /Why do you call her every minute? / Why do you call her so often/frequently?_** **Example E** Let’s imagine that a group of people is having a conference. The conference is supposed to last for 3 weeks. There are a few subjects to discuss. And, let’s say, one of them is “The role of the internet access in rural areas”. What if this topic is being discussed during the first 5 days only. After that period a journalist covering the conference says: “The subject “The role of the internet access in rural areas” was being discussed only during the first five days but now the members of the conference **_don’t discuss it any more._** Would it be correct to say “don’t discuss it any more.”? Or would the Present Continuous be better here?


Is it correct to use past simple in the following sentence?

This is the first time that I **watched** this film Can I use another forms here?


How to reduce an adverbial clause

I have a sentence: > Ms.Cho relayed her concerns about the company's financial situation **while > she was having a meeting with the manager**. My friend reduced it: > Ms.Cho relayed her concerns about the company's financial situation **having > a meeting with the manager**. I think the word _while_ cannot be omitted in this sentence, but he doesn't agree with me. Is he right? Please help me! thanks


Whistle-stop tour

I came across this phrase 'Whistle-stop tour' while reading an article. Please throw a light on it's origin and meaning.


Absolute Phrase and 'With'

I've been reading up on absolute phrases recently, and I was wondering if the following construction is grammatically correct: > "Jared went to bed with a lot on his mind, each thought brimming with > sadness and regret." I would normally think that there should be a _with_ after the comma, but the overabundance of the word in other parts of the sentence seem to make a third _with_ redundant.


Inoffensive exclamatory word to express surprise

Is there an inoffensive (possibly slang) term that can be used to express surprise in the "WTF" sense? For example, this term would be appropriate upon seeing that the stock market has fallen several hundred points. The exclamation "Jesus!" fits the bill exactly, partially because of the strong consonant sounds in the word, but it can be offputting to Christians. "Wow" lacks the "WTF" qualities of the word I seek.


What's a liquid antonym of vitriol (used figuratively)?

Are there any liquids (like vitriol is actually sulfuric acid) that we appropriate figuratively to mean high praise (i.e., the antonym of vitriol)?


Using Proverbs to Illustrate a Point

I intend to use the following proverbs in a presentation: _"The beginning of knowledge is the discovery of something we do not understand" Frank Hebert "The obscure we see eventually. The completely obvious, it seems, takes longer" Edward R Murrow_ The aim of my presentation is to articulate the value of research, in particular draw attention to the very source of motivation for embarking on the research journey. These are beautiful proverbs, indeed, and I want to do justice to their authors. I can only find online references to them (which in my view are not authoritative). Has anyone come across the actual source of these proverbs?


Is "do(es)" used to mean either single or plural subject?

I wonder if the following usage of "do(es)" properly or commonly used: > If money doesn't concern you, what else do(es)?


The sound of a moving tree trunk

When it's windy out as the wind is blown against a large standing tree, its trunk moves and makes a noise similar to that creaking noise that a door or a floorboard in a house makes. Do we use _creak_ to refer to this noise in this case, or what is the typical way of describing this sound?


Usage of the word "natural" as a noun

In a certain context, I wanted to say that good designs make us feel like born with the abilities to interact with a software. So the idea is the user feels like a talent while using the software. I phrased my sentence this way: > The examples unfold that a good design is what makes us feel a **_natural_** > in software interactions. The word " _natural_ " in this case is used as a noun rather than an adjective. I checked the dictionary and the meaning seems to fit the idea of a talent. However, I am not sure if my usage of the word _natural_ is appropriate and conveys my idea or not. When read aloud, I find it sounds slightly awkward but I cannot figure out what's wrong. Is my usage of the word _natural_ here correct in this phrasing?


What's different between "sophisticated" and "intricate"?

I know this is probably a very simple question, but it seems to me that I see "sophisticated" more in specialized books, and "intricate" more in non- specialized books. What's the difference?


Friends "that or who" I consider my best friends

Can I ever use _that_ for people, or must it be _who_? Which one is correct? >   * I have friends from all walks of life **that** I consider my best > friends. >   * I have friends from all walks of life **who** I consider my best > friends. >


What does "work it" mean?

This is quoted from an U.S. TV series. Warden: Brad. Brad (Captain): Any updates? Warden: None. They were last seen at that cemetery in Oswego. Brad: They'll get them. They'll get them. Warden: It's been handed over to the FBI. Brad: Well, that doesn't mean we can't **work it**. Warden: It does, actually. You and I have been pulled off the pursuit. Brad: Why? Warden: We're going to find out shortly. We have to report to the DOC headquarters. I will meet you there. Brad: Sir, we can get these guys. Just give me a couple more days and I swear I'll get them. Warden: Brad! We've got to go.


Is there an adjective for someone who can withstand ridicule?

I've been searching both my mind and several thesauruses attempting to find the adjective that best describes this type of person. The term " **thick-skinned** " is the closest to what I am trying to convey, but that carries the connotation that he/she is callous and does not care about others. Is there a word that describes someone who is not easily offended -- able to withstand criticism, ridicule, or jokes made at his/her expense -- without also implying that the person is emotionally callous?


Verb moods in the poem "Once more into the fray"

There is a poem in the Movie "The Grey" (2011). It goes like this: > Once more into the fray...   >  Into the last good fight I'll ever know.   >  Live and die on this day...   >  Live and die on this day... What is the mood of the verbs _live_ and _die_? Is it imperative or indicative? Or is it the infinitive, even? I can understand the general meaning of the poem, but I´m not a native speaker. I'm not sure if I understand it the right way.


What is the word to describe something that has hidden meaning?

I'm writing an essay (yay) on I'm the King of the Castle, by Susan Hill. I am trying to explain how the description of the atmosphere may have hidden meanings (e.g. the fact that Warings is a solitary house could show how Kingshaw feels) But I can't think of the word! So my question is: What is the word used to describe a phrase which has a hidden meaning? Thanks in advance! Oh, and also: something that represents something else, e.g. A Cat chasing a Mouse could represent A bully and victim. Proper word? Is it just symbolism? Metaphor? I'm _sure_ there's another word for it!! :)


"Pupil" or "Student", what is the correct use?

I'm German and we distinguish between "Schüler" (pupil) and "Student" (student). When reading English news articles, and I read the words "student" or "students", most of the time the articles seem to refer to school kids, not university students. **My questions:** Am I right or is my impression wrong? If I'm right, why is "pupil" used so rarely?


Is 'liege' masculine?

'Liege' seems to most often refer to a man. Is that because most lords in history and fiction are men, or because 'liege' is a masculine noun? If the latter, is there a feminine counterpart?


Is my worst enemy my best friend (interpreting negative adjectives applied to negative nouns)?

"The worst student" is the student who is bad at things. In this case, "worst" simply describes the noun. Following this logic, your "worst enemy" would be the person who is very bad at being your enemy, thus is actually your best friend. Your "worst enemy" is actually the enemy who is very good at being your enemy. Thus, in this context, "worst" acts to amplify the inherent negative intent of the noun. "Worst disaster" would be another example of this. Is this just a matter of context or there some science behind the interprettation of a negative adjective applied to a negative noun?


Why is uploading termed 'uploading' and downloading termed 'downloading'?

What is "up" or "down" about it? I mean, geographically it makes no sense. I can upload images, and download images - the former is away from my computer and the later is coming to it but why "up" and "down"?


What is the issue with this sentence?

What is wrong with this sentence. > 'Keep moving please. If everyone was to stand there, how would the rest of > the people manage to get past?'


Does "be lost in something" have a positive or negative meaning?

> I get lost in my job. What does it mean?   1. I get immersed in my work so deeply even the outside world seems to cease to exist (because I'm concentrating so much on what I'm doing). (Which sounds kind of positive, in general.)    2. Even though I concentrate on my job as much as I can (not paying attention to the outside world), I can't really solve some problems in my work. (Which implies strong negative feelings). I think the first one's correct, but I need confirmation and/or correction, please.


Colloquial expression for "compliment" that carries negative feeling

What is the colloquial/casual/conversational form of the word "compliment" in this context: > A: I hate John. > > B: Why? He's like a genius. > > A: Exactly! He's such a teacher's pet. He's always gotta answer all the > questions and Ms. Johnson is always complimenting him. Here in Japan the phrase "Ms. Johnson is always complimenting him" carries a negative nuance. And this dialogue does not sound natural to me at all. School kids do not use the word _compliment_ in this context as Japanese kids do.


"Passive voice" versus "passive construction" versus "passive sentence" versus "passive form"

I've been living in japan so long I don't remember how to speak English.   On some websites the authors uses the phrase "passive form" http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/activepassive.html. While here I often read _passive construction_ or _passive voice_ but in highschool I never heard the phrase _passive voice_. The teacher only ever described a sentence as passive or active. I didn't hear that there was such a thing as passive _voice_ until I began studying ancient Greek and had no idea that English verbs in the passive **___ _** could be referee to as being in the passive voice but. Can I also use the word _passive_ as a noun? Ie. This verb is written in the passive.


What does "Do you haz teh codez?" mean?

There is a banner in StackOverflow pointing to the careers website (programmers): > Do you haz teh codez? My questions about the sentence/question are:   * What's the question in plain English?   * Why do they write it like that?   * Is it like a word game?   * How should I read it in terms of pronunciation? ![Do you haz teh codez?](http://i.stack.imgur.com/OrGEy.png)


Why do some consider "cellar door" a beautiful phrase?

Recently I've had a few people mention that the phrase "cellar door" is beautiful. I don't see what makes this so - it's not anything ironic like "driveway" or "parkway" so what makes this so beautiful?


active voice and passive voice in the infinitive construction

Here are two sentences: > That is an interesting question to answer. > > It is an easy sentence to translate. I am very confused about why we should use the active voice rather than the passive voice. Why couldn't we say this instead? > That is an interesting question to be answered. > > It is an easy sentence to be translated.


What's the grammar of "with such transitions governed"?

It's not uncommon to use _with_ to introduce a clause like this: > A particle's energy state jumps about randomly, with such transitions > governed by the temperature of the system. What's the grammar rule validating this expression and the use of _with_ with the past participle? If there is grammatical terminology to describe this, that would be preferred.


Using 'sat' and 'stood' as adjectives

I just spent an hour reading about sentences like this: > I am sat here. > > She was stood there. In this question people tackle whether it's correct usage or not, which is not the point of my question. Few people would argue that "I am done here" is non-standard English. 'Done', the past participle of 'do', is listed in the Oxford Dictionary of English as an adjective, so it's easy to see why "I am done here" is standard. The verbs "sat" and "stood" are both past participles, but they are not listed as adjectives in the same dictionary. Are they acting as adjectives in the two example sentences?


What is a word for an officious person who tells the ending of movie and mystery story, and spoils your interest?

Oxford Advanced English Learners’ Dictionary gives ‘wet blanket’ as a noun meaning; > A person who is _'not enthusiastic'_ about anything and who stops other > people from enjoying themselves. Is there a short word for a person who is _'too enthusiastic'_ to spare his or her fun in something (e.g. movie, detective story) with others and spoil their interest in it by revealing the ending of the story before others see the movie or read the novel?


"That which is measured, improves"

This may not be appropriate for this site, I couldn't tell from the FAQ or a quick search on meta. I am looking for the proper attribution, origin, and correct version of the quote: > That which is measured, improves. I've seen various versions and attributions to different people. Some versions of it: Pearson's Law: "That which is measured improves. That which is measured and reported improves exponentially." - Karl Pearson "When performance is measured, performance improves. When performance is measured and reported back, the rate of improvement accelerates." - Thomas S. Monson A few sources say it was used often at Sun Microsystems but do not attribute it to anyone.


Bringing word into existence just by calling and using it

Sometimes, when I read essays, I see that writers make up words and by using them, they bring those words into existence. For example: > In her article **_"Juban America"_** , Ruth Behar uses the term **"Juban"** > , which is just the Jewish-Cuban identity, and though we know this term > doesn't exist, she uses it. We know this word doesn't exist but after using > it, it is brought into existence. Is there a single word to name this strategy or phenomenon?


How to describe a guy who is popular with girls?

Perhaps I should make it clear:   \- He naturally attracts girls.   \- He doesn't chase girls and have no intention for any relationship.   \- You just see him often together with girls.


Is "you" a direct object in "What can I do you for?"?

I've been told that it is okay to say "What can I do you for?" instead of "What can I do for you?" and in fact I myself have heard people say that many times. So, if it's correct, would " _you_ " be a direct object in that case or still indirect like in "What can I do for you?" By the way, if it's not a big trouble for you, please, tell me if my punctuation in the end of the title is correct.


Why is "one" pronounced as "wan", not "oh-ne"?

Why is _one_ pronounced as "wan", not "oh-ne"? Why are the spelling and pronunciation of _one_ so strange? In French, _one_ is written as _un_ , and pronounced as "oe" (with nasal sound). The sound is similar to French. Is this English word affected by French?


Vulgar way of saying "he killed himself"

I'm trying to translate my acquaintance's cartoon to cite it in an article written in English. For the subject of the article it is important that the translation will be direct, thus very vulgar (very offensive). Is there a vulgar way of saying _he killed himself_ in English meaning that someone died, but did not commit suicide nor was killed by someone else, for example fell out of balcony or touched high-voltage line (by accident)? I've learned English for many years but I always have problem with understanding and using offensive words as this is not something they teach you at school or courses, so I will appreciate any help. I can include the Polish expression my acquaintance used, but I don't think it is necessary or helpful. Thank you for many comments and answers. I resolved from them additional requirements for this expression. It should be short (a short remark, like "He died.", but vulgar) and not imply the deceased person stupidity. It should only show disrespect in the way that you use vulgar expression making a remark about someone's death. The Polish expression was _Zajebał się_. It's left not translated in Google Translate. The first word is from the word family of _jebać_ , directly meaning _fuck_ , and _się_ is somewhat equivalent of _himself_. It does not imply death was connected with sexual activity, it's just being vulgar. The prefix _za_ (in this context) means that the activity was completed.


Is the phrase "I just sucked it out of my thumb" used in American English?

I was born and raised in South Africa. We frequently used the term "to suck out of one's thumb", implying that an answer was just a wild guess or the notion had no evidence but was rather just surmised. At best it was the product of a personal thought experiment. Is the phrase used elsewhere? I live in the USA and almost never hear it. Do Americans understand it? Can they figure it out or will they conjure up graphic literal images of my thumb in my mouth?


What would you call someone who imposes on other people's generosity?

What would you call someone who isn't afraid to ask for money or any kind of favor or who misinterprets someone's generosity for a consistent resource for what they need?


Is this a proper usage of the word "gist"?

I am currently in a dilemma with my significant other. We woke up this morning and one of us said. **Person 1:** "I am going to brush my teeth and gist." **Person 2** 's argument was that _gist_ is an overall idea of something, or a snapshot so to say, and should be used in a way such as : > "The gist of my morning is that I got ready. In detail, I brushed my teeth, > I combed my hair, and I ate breakfast." Person 1 agreed with Person 2's definition of gist, but said that their sentence is capturing the same idea. So who is right, and is there a more definitive way to describe why one is right _versus_ the other?


Meaning of "If you go round to the side, you will see that I am"

From G.K. Chesterton's Wikipedia page, there is the following anecdote: > Chesterton was a large man, standing 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m) and weighing > around 21 stone (130 kg; 290 lb). His girth gave rise to a famous anecdote. > During World War I a lady in London asked why he was not 'out at the Front'; > he replied, 'If you go round to the side, you will see that I am.' What does "If you go round to the side, you will see that I am [at the front]" mean? I'm not getting the humor...


Comma usage: "In July of 2012 ..." or "In July of 2012, ..."

Consider the following sentence: > In July of 2012 Jesse informed us that she was engaged to be married and > asked if she could add her fiancée to the lease, beginning the 15th of > August 2012. Is it any more or less correct to place a comma after the first date? > In July of 2012, Jesse informed us that she was engaged to be married and > asked if she could add her fiancée to the lease, beginning the 15th of > August 2012. Assuming one is no more correct than the other, does this change the meaning of the sentence, or is it pure style? Bonus question: Word tells me that it's improper to place a comma after the "August" at the end of the sentence. I've always been taught that a comma should be used to separate the year from the rest of the date. Was I taught wrong, or is Word lying to me?


Origin of the phrase 'put a sock in it.'

What is the etymology of the phrase, ' _put a sock in it'?_


More than an intermediate but less so than an expert

What is a word for a person with more expertise (in certain field) than an intermediate but less so than an expert?


Why is it a "night on the town" and not "night in the town"?

Question as in the title. I commonly use the phrase "out and about in town" in speech. I'm not sure if my usage is correct because of the "night **on** the town" phrase.


> And in those 10 years I can say that I may have **learned a thing or > twelve**. What's the meaning of "learned a thing or twelve"? Is it an idiom?


What's the difference between "image" and "glyph"?

What is the difference in meaning between _image_ and _glyph_? Both terms are used in programming IDE to represent a picture that will be drawn. I'm confused since sometimes these terms used alongside each other, obviously meaning slightly different things. EDIT: Terms were taken from Delphi VCL and DevExpress components.


English word for a decorated opening letter

What is the English name for a highly decorated letter at the beginning of a paragraph, mostly found in ancient texts? For example, in the following Opening folio of the Hengwrt manuscript of the Canterbury Tales, the letter `W` \- the first letter in the page - is beautifully painted. ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/2Xp2X.jpg)


Phrase: 'cited after'

I don't understand what's the meaning of " **cited after** " in books, when they cite a source, e.g., > (cited after Manin 1997: 3)


"all in one" - how else can this be said?

How else could this be said? > Our package is _all in one_ > > Our package is _all under one roof_ How many variations of this expression are there?


Term describing the practice of anticipating dangers while driving

When one is driving a car (or any other vehicle for that matter) there is a German term that describes the practice trying to predict situations that might occur. When attempting to translate it I can only come up with descriptions, not with a succinct term. The descriptions revolve around the following:   * situational awareness   * anticipating dangers   * safe driving practice But none of them feel like the right term to me. I've also found _anticipatory driving_ being used. But here the context seems to usually be fuel efficiency. I also have the sneaky suspicion that it originated as a translation of the German term I am looking to translate (vorrausschauendes Fahren).


Punctuation Query Regarding a Comma and a Parenthesis

_On 24th January 2014 at about 10:25pm, I, John Doe (Loss Prevention Manager for the XYZ Corporation), interviewed and obtained an oral and a written confession from Patricia Schmoe (Cashier at XYZ Stores) in which she admitted to stealing $3,000 cash from the customer service desk._   1. Should I place a comma – as I've done – after the ending parenthesis after the word "corporation"?   2. Do we cap a title as generic as "Cashier" in the parentheses?   3. Would you use "oral" or "verbal" confession?    4. Do I need any commas inserted in "On 24th January 2014 at about 10:25pm"? Thank you.


"We've got you covered" on an umbrella

Is the above a pun? In one sense, the word covered is used to different ways (sort of) in that the phrase is usually used to mean a covered responsibility, not literally covered. At the same time, one use of the word is clearly descended from the other (so much so that maybe it is the same definition of the word that is being used, not two distinct ones). Is this is pun?


What do these sentences mean in "The Picture of Dorian Gray"?

I am currently reading The Picture of Dorian Gray, my grasp of English isn't very good and I'm puzzled over the meaning of a few sentences on the opening page. > The highest as the lowest form of criticism is a mode of autobiography. Can someone explain this in simple terms? Is Wilde trying to say that the highest form of criticism is one in which you're actually critiquing yourself? > The nineteenth century dislike of Romanticism is the rage of Caliban not > seeing his own face in a glass. I've not a clue about this, all I know is romanticism was a movement and Caliban is a character in a Shakespeare play. Any help would be appreciated, and if the tags are inappropriate I'm sorry.


Does "I am sorry" imply responsibility in this context?

I know _sorry_ basically conveys two different meanings depending on including responsibility or not. "I'm sorry your grandpa was dead" usually conveys no responsibility, just sympathy. But "I'm sorry for breaking your pot plant" often means a regret or an apology and implies responsibility. We can tell the difference after looking at the words behind "sorry". Then, what about this situation? > **Thor:** Couldn't we find a way (for me) to come back?   >  **Loki:** Mother has forbidden your return. This is goodbye, brother.   >  I'm so sorry.   >  **Thor:** No, I AM SORRY. Thank you for coming here. source: http://www.wattpad.com/18715443-loki-scenes-~thor~ In that case, how can we understand Loki's "I'm so sorry"? Does it imply responsibility or not?


Using the word "So" too much that it is annoying

So, ...........I'm tired of using the word "so" and I'm tired of hearing everyone using it also! What are alternatives and how long will it be before I can make myself stop using it?


What is the noun for "implore"?

What is the noun form of the word "implore"? I saw some suggestions online for "imploration", but this seems awkward to me.


What is it about English that makes it favourable for writing limericks?

I was reading some limericks and I thought about composing them, and I find it very easy to come up with lines that fit the metre. Is there something about the English language that makes it easy to come up with limericks? Is there something inherent in English that makes it easy to find rhymes?


Antonym of the verb "complete"

I have an action on a web form. It's a button whose action is to complete a case. I need to name another button, and I want to use a verb that conveys the meaning of "undo the completion" of this case. What's an appropriate antonym for the verb _complete_?   * _uncomplete_ — is this a real verb?   * _decomplete_ — is this a real verb?   * other? Button 1 is "Complete Case". Button 2 needs its opposite.


posteriori and posterior

What are the differences in meaning and usage between _posteriori_ and _posterior_? Particularly in probability, statistics and logic, when should I use which? For example, why are "max a posteriori" and "posterior distributions"?


What's the difference between the adjectives "strategic" and "tactical"?

I recently read this sentence: > It was a strategic move rather than a tactical one. I have trouble interpreting it. Can someone help?


What's the etymology of spam when talking about bulk unsolicited messages?

What does _spam_ stand for, when talking about unsolicited (mostly advertisement) messages? The nearest possibility I found was "Stupid Pointless Annoying Messages" but it seems like too colorful to be a proper acronym. When was it first used to mean "unsolicited messages"?


What are the following words called: Am, Is, Are, Was, Were, Be, Being, Been?

> Am, Is, Are, Was, Were, Be, Being, Been What are the above words called? I think someone called them auxiliary verbs. **Edit:** When I learned them, my curriculum called them "State of Being verbs" or just "Being verbs".


"X in Japan is different from [that/those] in other countries"

I was wondering if the following sentence is clear: > The book industry in Japan is very different from [that/those] in many other > western countries. My questions are:   1. Is it correct to use _that_ there? Or should it be replaced by _those_ , to agree with _western countries_?   2. In this sentence, is _that_ (or _those_ ) taken to refer to "the book industry" or "the book industry in Japan"? because I kind of feel that it would be clearer if the sentence read  > In Japan the book industry is very different from [that/those] in many other > western countries. But I am not quite sure, because to me as a non-native English speaker the two sentences mean the same thing. Which one is better, which is more precise for academic writing?


Can "did not" be used instead of "should not"?

I'm trying to read "Harry Potter and Methods of Rationality" (Chapter 25), and I'm puzzled with the following phrase: > And furthermore, Harry said, his voice emphatic and his right hand thumping > hard on the floor, you did not start out immediately looking for solutions. I wonder if here "did not" can be used instead of "should not" as it seems, that Harry can't read minds; it seems he is giving directions. So can "did not" here be understood as "should not"?


When is an example not an example?

I have a question about writing in journals. > I would like to learn more Spanish words. _Rojo_ means red. Should there be something before the meaning of _rojo_ is given? I've thought of using _e.g._ , but it seem as though that would be better used in a situation like this: > I would like to learn more Spanish words, e.g., _rojo_ , _azul_ , _negro_. After thinking it over, I now feel that _viz._ would be the best fit, but I'm still unsure. > This is a statement of my desire to learn _x_. This sentence is the record > of my learning of a component of _x_. What can I write before the second sentence to make it clear what is happening there? Would a colon here undesirably conflate the idea of an incomplete record with the idea a complete one?


Meaning of "famous last words"

> As the developer is clever he knows that in his particular situation the > exception will never be thrown, so he just inserts an empty catch block. He > even puts a nice comment in the empty catch block - but they are **famous > last words**... The problem with this is: how can he be sure? What does it means?


What's the distinction between "opposite" and "contrarian"? Are they basically synonymous but the latter is more suitable for written English?


"It was a brilliant performance delivered in silence worthy of her name" — is this word order acceptable?

> It was a brilliant performance worthy of her name. There's no problem here, but what if you then add this: > It was a brilliant performance delivered in silence worthy of her name. What's worthy of the persons name is the performance, but in the second sentence, being the antecedent, it seems like it could be interpreted to mean the silence was worthy of her name. I don't think you could place a comma between _silence_ and _worthy_ , either. I suppose you could say: > Delivered in silence, it was a brilliant performance worthy of her name. But I only want to use that as a last resort.


Acing or A'cing, and why?

I see people using the term 'acing' when earning a perfect score on a test. For example: > "I aced my math test." or > "I'm so acing this test." Are the ways expressed above proper? If so, why isn't this term expressed as _A-ced_ , _A-cing_ , _A'cing_ , or _A'ced_ for the letter grade?