Concise word for "common default but with individual appearance"

Imagine an editor with multi-language support. You’re able to open multiple documents at once, and the language of each document can of course be different to the languages of other documents. First of all, the editor itself has general settings which affect all documents, independent of language. For example, font settings or whether a status bar is shown or hidden. These I call “general settings”. Secondly, there are language-specific settings, such as indention or special features peculiar to each language. I call these “language settings”. Last but not least, there’s a third type of settings. At first glance, these appear to be applied across the whole editor again — that is, to all documents — but they really aren’t. They just determine the default look-and-feel for brand new or for newly loaded documents. The settings themselves can be changed individually for every document at any time. As an example, consider a split-view layout.1 If you regularly use this layout, you activate it by default, but in some circumstances you want to be able to deactivate this feature for the current document only. For the last type of settings, I’m looking for a concise word as header in the settings dialogue. On the one hand, these settings are _common_ or _ordinary_ , but this is too similar to the _general_ settings, and the slight difference might not be obvious. On the other hand, these settings are _default_ settings, but I’m not satisfied with _default_. For one, the other types of settings are to some extent also default settings, and for another (in my humble opinion), that designation is more appropriate to values of controls such as combo-boxes, for example. But not to settings. Finally, the last type could be named _document settings_ or _editor settings_. But again, how these particular settings differ from _general settings_ isn’t obvious in their respective names. So, I need a word (or phrase) which fits here. * * *   1. A split view is often used when using a declarative language, like XAML. You can change the code in one part of the view, while the other displays the actual look.


Usage of "eggheads and fatheads" in a sentence

Recently I came across this expression " _eggheads and fatheads_ ". I know the individual meanings of both the words. In which context should I use these two words together?


Common expression for "we haven't been spending much time together"?

Like a couple not spending much time together. The only thing I could come out with is "we've been a little apart," though I'm not totally sure whether it is common or not. Other suggestions?


Would this be considered a dangler?

Does this sentence end with a dangler? "He managed to remain happy about his work **despite being involved in a very dull industry.** "


What does it mean to "draw a line under something"?

The intuitive answer to me would be to "emphasize" something. This explanation seems different from others I've seen, however, that say it means to "finish something". Help on this?


Short phrase for something that is recognised but not identified?

I've had a long discussion with people on the differences between recognizing a face in a crowd ( _I know I've seen that person before_ ) and identifying the person you see ( _That's the waitress from the diner_ ). Is there a short phrase for those faces (or other objects) that you recognize but do not identify? For example, when watching a TV show I frequently know I've seen an actor/actress before but not where and certainly with no knowledge of their name. _Unidentified_ covers those I do not recognize as well as those I do. _Familiar faces_ works the other way in that it would also cover those I can name, but it is much closer to the sort of phrase I am looking for.


How offensive is to call a girl "Barbie doll"? Why?

I remember I had a conversation where I have told a girl she was Barbie doll. I just meant she looked beautiful like a Barbie doll: blond, and with blue eyes. Needless to say, she was really offended, and I didn't understand why at that time. Is _Barbie doll_ a euphemism of a bimbo- brainless beautiful woman?


Can "show-stopper" have a negative connotation?

If not, what word do I mean to use when I use "show-stopper" negatively? It seems that in high-tech culture a show-stopper is a development problem that prevents forward progress, or an unacceptable outcome. (At least in a non-english-speaking high-tech culture.) My wife called me on it this morning when I used show-stopper in this context. When I stopped to think about it, I couldn't think of the word or phrase I should be using that I seem to have confused with show-stopper.


Is there a word that describes a person who constantly exaggerates? Exaggerating both facts and their emotions? Edit: the word should have a negative connotation, as if you are criticizing someone for exaggerating too much.


Reading zero as O (fifteenth letter in English)

I am new in English and confused for the below. Somewhere I observed that the people are reading zero (0) as Oh (O).   Like Tel number E.g:. 0800 (Oh eight hundred).   Why? From where it is decided or can anyone prove that it is correct.   Please help, where can we use this form.


How should "midnight on..." be interpreted?

From what I understand, the word "midnight" is usually interpreted incorrectly. Midnight is written as "12am" which would imply that it's in the morning. Therefore, it should be at the start of the day. On the other hand, both Dictionary.com and the Oxford Dictionary define it as "twelve o'clock at night". Some examples:   1. "Midnight on the 10th of December"   2. "Midnight Thursday"   3. "Midnight tonight" are usually interpreted as:   1. Straddling the 10th and the 11th of December   2. Straddling Thursday and Friday   3. Straddling today and tomorrow but should they technically mean:   1. straddling the 9th and the 10th of December?   2. straddling Wednesday and Thursday?   3. This is much less clear. Technically is there a midnight "tonight", or is midnight "tomorrow morning"? **What do you think? How should "midnight" be interpreted?**


Definition of Sin

Prior to reading Langston Hughes Salvation, I defined sin as something that you have done wrong. But, in reading Langston Hughes essay, it used sin to mean something like not believing in god. So, my question is whether **sin means the first, second or both of the definitions**.


What's the real meaning of this part of a poem?

It is a part of a poem by Ntozake Shange. > i live in music   >  live in it   >  wash in it   >  i cd even smell it   >  wear sound on my fingers   >  sound falls so fulla music   >  ya cd make a river where yr arm is &   >  hold yrself   >  hold yrself in a music What is the meaning of "I cd"? Thank you


What does RO mean?

English is not my mother tongue and now I am reading a financial article about the banking industry in Vietnam. In it a line says the following: > This Section focuses only on the commercial banks which consist of State-run > banks, joint stock banks, joint venture banks, foreign bank branches, and > **foreign bank ROs**. I now wonder what an RO is. Does anybody know what an RO in this context is? All tips are welcome!


What is the difference between "dominant" and "predominant"?

What is the difference (in meaning) between "dominant" and "predominant"?


Less formal synonyms for "barred"

> Nobody but guards on duty were allowed inside the building itself and > outsiders were _blank_ from the compound altogether. The only words I can think of for _blank_ are _barred_ or _forbidden to enter_ both of which sound a little too formal. Any advice?


A name for a 'food and drink' tour

One recent trend in Europe when choosing a tour or a short holiday is to organise it with the main purpose to go to places where you can taste fine wines and enjoy good food ( especially local and fresh). Is there a proper name for this sort of tour?


Are/were these strings of decorative colourful triangles known as "dags"?

There is an English word "dag" with various senses divided up into various etymologies. This question is about just one particular sense having this definition on Wiktionary: > A hanging end or shred, in particular a long pointed strip of cloth at the > edge of a piece of clothing, or one of a row of decorative strips of cloth > that may ornament a tent, booth or fairground. From this description it seems "dags" must be these, which I've known since childhood but never thought about what they might be called until recently:   ![photo of a string of dags?](http://i.stack.imgur.com/BwKme.jpg) From the Wikipedia article where I found this image, I've learned they are also known as "bunting", though bunting comes in many forms and this might not be the prototypical one people would think of first. As an Australian I have to say I am very familiar with two other senses of this word and this question is not about those, so please don't answer about these:   * Wool dirty with feces around a sheep's backside.   * An unfashionable or socially awkward person. I'm only specifically asking about the one sense that seems to fit the picture and the Wiktionary definition. **Can anybody verify that "dag" is in fact a term referring to the decoration in this photo?** I would expect evidence to come from a large and/or old dictionary or encyclopedia, but perhaps also an illustrative sentence. It may be regional and/or no longer used. Here are some more photographs I found via Google, but which I don't believe are free to include due to copyright, so I'm only providing links to them: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.


If- conditional construct using future events

A friend invited me to his summer house later this summer, so I told him I would if it doesn't overlap with my plans. This is how I stated it: > I’d come, if it doesn't overlap with my scheduled trips. I have a trip to > South Korea tentatively planned for the end of August. Please advise.


What's the difference between "should" and "could" (in the present tense)?

I am not referring to _could_ as a past tense of _can_ What is the difference between the following sentences? > You should do it.   >  You could do it.


"Go to the country", "go to the countryside"

I'm a non-native speaker of English. A lot of people say although you would say 'I went to the country,' meaning 'I went to a rural area,' you wouldn't likely say 'I went to the countryside.' Is this true? Addendum: They say 'the country' is a location whereas 'the countryside' is the scenery or landscape, and that that's why you normally wouldn't say 'go to the countryside.' However, some insist that a few people, if not many, nonetheless say it. Addendum2: I was just wondering if 'go to the countryside' was used. Could I conclude, then, reading all your answers and comments, you could say 'go to the countryside' if you meant 'go into the beautiful rural space'?


What does "wound up" mean in this case?

What does "wound up" mean in this case? And is it treated as adjective? In _The Magician's Nephew_ from C.S. Lewis's Narnia series: > "Alright, I have then," said Digory in a much louder voice, like a boy who > was so miserable that he didn't care who knew he had been crying. "And so > would you," he went on, "if you'd lived all your life in the country and had > a pony, and a river at the bottom of the garden, and then been brought to > live in a beastly Hole like this." > > "London isn't a Hole," said Polly indignantly. But the boy was too **_wound > up_** to take any notice of her, and he went on "And if your father was away > in India - and you had to come and live with an Aunt and an Uncle who's mad > (who would like that?) - and if the reason was that they were looking after > your Mother - and if your Mother was ill and was going to - going to - die." > Then his face went the wrong sort of shape as it does if you're trying to > keep back your tears.


vocabulary question: manners vs. mannerisms

> "It is a good mannerism to reply for a message". Is this sentence right? If so then why? Which one should be used in the above line — "good mannerism" or "good manners"?


Single word for "women lover"

Is there a single word for "women lover"?


Asking for an estimate

Let’s say I am to remodel my kitchen and need a price estimate from a store. What are my options expressing this in writing, in a more formal way? Quote of tender, tender offer, bid?


What does the phrase "I have but one claim to fame" mean?

I would appreciate if someone could explain the meaning of the phrase "I have but one claim to fame". I understand every separate word, but the meaning of the whole phrase is fairly obscure to me, as I am not a native speaker.


"Chalice" vs. "goblet"

Is there a difference between _chalice_ and _goblet_ , other than (maybe) religious connotations on the word _chalice_?


English term for pre-thinker?

I was searching for an English translation for the German _Vordenker_. Basically a person, often a scientist, who began or further significantly developed a new concept or theory by contributing epoch-making publications or comments. Translation services give out expressions that have more the connotation of thinking about actual future events or things to me, e.g. innovative business ideas/products or future studies. But _Vordenker_ doesn’t imply thinking of future actually, rather new ideas outside of current paradigms. Also _Vordenker_ is in my opinion especially used in a historical or biographical context, as you can only judge his influence retrospectively (e.g. times cited). **A lot of scientists in German wikipedia are described as _Vordenker_ in the first sentence while there seems to be no common english term in the english wikipedia.** _Thought leader_ has a too imperative character. _Forward thinker_ implies to me thinking of future itself. _Key figure_ is too inexact. _Visionary_ means someone with new ideas, which possibly never have come true in retrospect. _Pre-thinker_ sounds like awkward & uncommon English. Is there a better known expression? Or what would be a good one regarding above constraints? * * * **Update:** See how german.SE thinks about appropriate synonyms http://german.stackexchange.com/questions/2337/whats-a-synonym-next-to- vordenker-vorreiter-freidenker-pionier/2344#2344


Punctuation of eye dialect

Suppose you have a sentence which concludes with the eye dialect _somethin'_ for the word _something_. Where does the period go? Which is correct? > This is really somethin'. > > This is really somethin.' It seems to me that the apostrophe is part of the word, and hence attaches to it as opposed to the sentence. Thus, I'd put the period after the apostrophe. The second construction looks like an error, with mismatched quotes.


Examples of Ancient Brythonic words in modern English?

So, from a cursory understanding of English history (and I am very happy to say that) I was able to, one might note that the cultural history of those who lived in England might proceed: >   1. Britons who spoke Brythonic >   2. Romans who spoke Latin >   3. Angles, Jutes, Saxons, et. al. (Anglo-saxons) who spoke various > Teutonic dialects >   4. Normans (ironically, from the same stock as the former, but trained in > French) > My guess (and correct me if I'm wrong) is that the Latin influence in English was more to do with the Church and the Normans than it was to do with the Romans directly, but I was wondering if there are words which may be shown to be direct descendants of the ancient Britons' tounge?


Can "shavelings" be used to refer to Asian monks? Or it only refers to Occitental shaven-headed church man?

Can "shavelings" be used to refer to Asian monks? Or it only refers to Occidental shaven-headed church men? Can a shaven-headed civilian be called a "shaveling"?


Meaning of the phrase "for the rest of us"

What does the phrase _"for the rest of us"_ mean? I am coming across this one a lot recently. I googled to find its meaning, but with no luck. For example, from Startups for the Rest of Us > Welcome to Startups for the Rest of Us, the podcast that helps developers be > awesome at launching software products. Whether you’ve built your first > product or are just thinking about it. Also "The iPad Review For The Rest of Us" and "Functional Programming For The Rest of Us"


What difference does using 'had' make to those two verb tenses, and if so, what is it?

What is the difference between _if I had studied_ and _if I studied_? Can you provide an example of when one usage would be more appropriate than the other?


Does use-mention distinction warrant breaking conventions?

Does use-mention distinction sometimes warrant breaking the following capitalization and punctuation conventions?   * American convention recommends placing punctuation within quote marks.   * Sentences should begin with a capital letter.  What is the proper way to deal with the quoted parts in the following sentence? I would usually write: > There’s a typo in the third paragraph. “through” should be “thorough”. But might these other options be the right way? >   1. There’s a typo in the third paragraph. “Through” should be “thorough”. >   2. There’s a typo in the third paragraph. “through” should be “thorough.” >   3. There’s a typo in the third paragraph. “Through” should be “thorough.” > The above could be fixed by placing the words in italics. If the typo included a punctuation error, I would be inclined to write: > There's a typo in the third paragraph. "I waited," should be "I waited.". Using two periods around the end quote seems wrong, but without them, maybe an American would interpret it as a suggestion to just remove the comma in "I waited,". These questions seemed related, but not quite what I was looking for:   * What's the rule for punctuating quoted words or phrases? (suggested to follow convention)   * Quotes and Punctuation (only dealt with punctuation, break convention to follow standard technical usage)


Proper usage of pronouns

As an ESL student, sometimes I wonder whether I use too many pronouns. For example: > She grabbed her purse, she took some money and then she went to buy some > groceries. After that she returned happily with a lot of things she bought. Can it be changed to something like this? > She grabbed her purse, took some money and then went to buy some groceries. > After that returned happily with a lot of things she bought. When can you get rid of the pronouns without losing the sense of the person or object you’re referring to? Where can I get more information about this?


Single word for "in connection with"

Is there a single word to express "in connection with"? Example: > He experiences many troubles [in connection with] this problem.


Equivalent of "false alarm" in a positive context

Is there an equivalent for "false alarm" in a positive context? For example imagine everybody is waiting for a miracle to happen, after a while someone says "hey! the miracle happened" and then everybody finds out it wasn't true. **EDIT:** From Oxford dictionary: Alarm: an anxious awareness of danger. So false alarm is linked to announcement of a danger, that turned out to be false. I'm looking for an equivalent, if there is any, for mistakenly announcing something hopeful and positive.


Single word for "faraway places"

I'd like to know whether there is a single word for "remote, distant places" in no allegorical sense, but with a positive undertone.


Implication(s) of “Though you wouldn't think it”

(This question arose because on some other SE many of us tried to translate this expression. It turns out it was not so easy, and it would certainly help if we had a better grasp on it.) I believe this expression can be used with two different purposes, but I might be wrong. Am I right to assume it can be used:   1. a. To express a doubt about a given hypothesis: > Some say they are professionals, though you wouldn't think **it** from the > way they acted. b. Or sometimes to doubt about the legitimacy/value of an hypothesis: > It turns out they are professionals, though you wouldn't think **it** from > the way they acted.   2. To warn about (or notice) a possible prejudice: > They truly are capable, though you wouldn't think **it** from the way they > acted. ? If I'm right, the difference is perceptible because in cases 1. a. and 1. b. the hypothesis is weakened whereas in case 2. the hypothesis is strengthened. Also, in the light of a related question, it seems that no difference of meaning arise directly from a choice between pronouns **it** and **that** to refer to a main clause. However my feelings tell me that **that** could a better fit for the 1st purpose (especially case b.), and might help to disambiguate when the context fails to do so. Any comments or further light on the matter would be appreciated!


How to use "pickpocket" as verb

Is it correct to use the verb _pickpocket_ before the item being taken from someone's pocket? > Pickpocket a pouch of gold Or can you only use _pickpocket_ before the person whose item is being taken? > Pickpocket a tourist


Does "whether or not I should..." sound awkward? How would you say it then? For example: "He stood me up three times in a row," said Alice angrily. "Now I wonder whether or not I should go out with him at all!"


What does "snap your caps" mean?

In Barry Manilow's version of "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" what does "snap your caps" mean? > Is it Elton? Is it Billy? Is it Sting perhaps? > > Oh you’ll never ever get it, don’t **snap your caps**.


Natural Spillover

I came across this term while reading a passage. Hers is a short extract from it: > Bernard Bailyn has recently reinterpreted the early history of the United > States by applying new social research findings on the experiences of > European migrants. In his reinterpretation, migration becomes the organizing > principle for rewriting the history of preindustrial North America. His > approach rests on four separate propositions. > > The first of these asserts that residents of early modern England moved > regularly about their countryside; **migrating to the New World was simply a > “natural spillover.”** Although at first the colonies held little positive > attraction for the English—they would rather have stayed home—by the > eighteenth century people increasingly migrated to America because they > regarded it as the land of opportunity. Secondly, Bailyn holds that, > contrary to the notion that used to flourish in America history textbooks, > there was never a typical New World community. For example, the economic and > demographic character of early New England towns varied considerably.   1. What is the meaning of the term "natural spillover" as used in the sentence? From my understanding, it can either be related to expansion or it can be related to expenditure (As the last line relates to economy)   2. from the second paragraph i could understand that the ''New world' refers to north america's community? Is this correct?


Difference between "public relations" and "human relations"

The other day I was looking at the various job positions in the newspaper just for my knowledge and found that a few companies had _public relations_ officer post and some had _human relations_ officer post. What is the difference between the two? Why give a different name when they seem the same?


If someone is "playing horse with you" why are they either teasing, ridiculing, or perhaps flirting with you?

Why does a horse and the activity of "playing horse" describe one who is teasing, ridiculing, or even flirting? The survey of College Words and Phrases by Eugene H. Babbitt published in 1900 lists the expression to play horse with and the many meanings of it including to tease, to ridicule, and to flirt. I'm curious to know if anyone has any ideas as to how "playing horse with" became associated with these meanings?


Reason for the current trend to use «she» as the gender-neutral pronoun?

There are some questions on gender-neutral pronouns both here and on Writers. User Christine Letts writes: > In academia, there is currently a movement toward using the feminine pronoun > at all times. I wonder why that is. I came across several examples on papers I read, but the only one I can remember at the moment is a book: Seth Godin's Linchpin. While some might not be comfortable labeling it as part of academia, it suits my point perfectly. Every time he refers to a person, he uses the feminine pronoun. This strikes me as (sigh) affirmative action. This is as sexist as the reverse, and should be frowned upon by more enlightened English Language users, who should know better. User Senseful writes the following, potentially identifying affirmative action as the precursor for this trend. > I remember reading somewhere that it was recommended to use the opposite of > what most people stereotype the profession as. So, for example, when talking > about a chiropractor, you would use "her", and when talking about a > secretary, you would use "his". So, where do you think this trend comes from?


Given “a player” as antecedent, when should the pronoun be “he” or “she”?

I am learning game theory. I always see that professors write (in text books):   * a player chooses her strategy    * If she chooses a strategy Also some professors use _he_ instead of _she_. There other names also like _player_ , but I forgot about them now. How can I know when to use _she_ versus when to use _he_ in these situations?


She/he to refer a user

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Reason for the current trend to use «she» as the gender-neutral pronoun?   >  Can the feminine pronouns be gender-neutral?   >  Is there a correct gender-neutral, singular pronoun (“his” versus “her” > versus “their”)? Programmer here. I am confused with the usage of the term "She/he" when referring a prementioned and undefined user. Below is a sentence found from MSDN magazine: "When the user decides to create a new customer, **she** must fill in the data entry form in Figure 2." I myself use the term "She/he" is this context, since without mentioning both can be regarded as gender discrimination, and placing 'she' before 'he' is respecting the ladies. So, can I just use 'She' in this context, that will save some typing.


Should I answer the phone with “Mr. Beltz’s office” or “Mr. Beltz’ office”?

How would you pronounce the following when answering a phone for a boss whose last name is _Beltz_? Some people are saying _Mr. Beltz **’s** office_, pronouncing the extra _s_ , and someone else thinks you should just say _Mr. Beltz office_. Which one is it?


“To have to” vs. “should”

I wonder which one to choose here: >   * My father **should** drive carefully when it’s raining. >   * My father **has to** drive carefully when it’s raining. >


Why does owl-eyed mean intoxicated?

The _Survey of College Words and Phrases_ by Eugene H. Babbitt published in 1900 lists the word _owl-eyed_ to mean _intoxicated._ Any ideas as to why an owl-eyed person is an intoxicated person?


Indian-English usage of "Kindly"

I have noticed that the word "Kindly" is used a lot by some Indians speaking English as a second language. Does anyone know the origin of this?


What term can I use to express the delay between two connecting flights?

What term can I use to express the delay between two connecting flights in the following situation: I fly down to one airport and wait there without exiting until I take another flight to reach my destination.


Connotation of "proud"

Does the word _proud_ have a bad connotation? I want to use 'proud+something' as a company and website name but I'm not sure what connotation it can have.


What is the plural form of "weremoose"?

From The Kingdom of Loathing: > The Pretty Good Escape Subject 37, in the Cobb's Knob Menagerie, wants some > spit from one of the weremooses on Level 2. He also wants to know the right > way to pluralize "weremoose."


"TV": is it formal or informal?

I would definitely say that the term _TV_ is informal (while _television_ is formal), however I have found "TV" in some formal compositions.


Word describing 'not content with small achievement, but working hard to achieve higher level'

I am looking for a single English word which describes the mental quality of being not content with small achievement, but working hard to achieve higher level. For example, an artist who is not satisfied with winning a prize or fame, but focusing on his art of work and trying to discover a new way of impression and inspiration in his work.


What is the longest palindrome word in English?

I want to know what the longest palindrome word is.


How do I write "all-in-one" correctly?

How do I write "all-in-one"? Should it have capital letters? Should it have hyphens? I have done some googling, but I have not found a consistent result.


"I'd be a * if anything" meaning

What does "I'd be a * if anything" mean exactly? Examples: #1: > Let's see, I bought a Phenom 1 motherboard, and two Phenom II motherboards > recently. Can't remember how many between 486 and the FXs I bought. I've > probably owned more AMD motherboards than Intel, so personally, **I'd be a > fanboy of AMD if anything**. #2: > He didn't know me personally and just assumed things and I felt more like > **I'd be a slave than a team member if anything**.


Synonym for "main topic" (of a book)?

I have a book that is divided in 5 main topics. What would be a good synonym for "main topic", in a formal document? **"Main theme"** or **"Main subject"** would be better? Also, if I wanted to replace "main", what should I use? I want to stress how "vital" these topics are.


Connexion pronunciation & verb

> Connexion is the original and variant spelling of "connection", common until > at least the 19th century, and still occasionally used in British English > (it was the house style of The Times of London as recently as the 1980s). It > is derived from the Latin connexio, hence the spelling, unlike most words > ending in "-ction" which are derived from Latin words ending in "-ctio" > (e.g. "protection" from protectio). 1) How do we pronounce the above word, _connexion_? Like connection, its successor can be pronounced as con-nek-shun, how can we pronounce _connexion_? perhaps con-neg-zhun? And if it is the same as _connection_ , then why so? the spelling and origins are different. 2) How do we pronounce its verb, _connex_? (But is connex even the verb of connexion?) Like connection's _connect_ can be pronounced as con-nekt, how can we pronounce _connex_? can it be con-neks? or simply con-nekt, but there is no sound of _k_ or _t_ in the spelling. Lastly, as British English user, is it acceptable to use this word as a substitute to _connection_ in formal English or is it completely taken over by _connection_?


When should I use "by" in present participle?

I often encounter a problem when writing sentences in mathematical contexts, where one "does something" in order to "obtain something." These sentences typically have the form "using _X_ , one can do _Y_ ," where generally _X_ is a mathematical rule or function, and _Y_ is its result. I never know if I should put "by" before the present participle. I have this problem mainly with the verb "using," but this is not the only verb that gives me trouble. Here are some examples:   * (by) using Theorem 2, one can prove that...   * We obtain the result (by) expanding the function ...   * (by) differentiating w.r.t. the 2nd variable, we obtain ...   * (by) taking the integer part of F, one can compute...


Is 'quiescing' a valid word? What does it mean?

What does _quiescing_ mean in the following context? > Quiescing a Database http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/B19306_01/server.102/b14231/start.htm


How best to write this sentence. Grade | Mark | Score related

I'm trying to figure out how best to write that I've been awarded for obtaining the second best (is it better to say _highest_?) grade|mark|score. I'm talking about the final grade|mark|score of a degree (not of a single exam), which is represented by a number instead of a letter. So far I've been writing "Award for the second best mark", but not sure whether it's correct or may be improved.


Less vulgar synonyms for "circlejerk"

Someone asked in the Math.StackExchange chatroom what a "more refined word for circlejerk" might be. UrbanDictionary defines this (in our desired usage) as: >   * [...] pompous, self-congratulatory discussion where little to no > progress is made. > >   * A group discussion or activity between like-minded individuals that > validates mutual biases or goals in a non-confrontational environment. > >   * Sometimes used to describe an internet forum thread where forum members > all give each other kudos (Or rep where a rep system is present) for some > non-event that has occurred. > > I guess it's related to "intellectual masturbation" or "echo chamber" but these don't quite fit the bill.


What's the rule for writing sentences with parallel clauses?

I've sometimes seen very nicely written sentences that have 2 clauses: the first is a full sentence, while the second, which is supposed to have a similar structure, was shorten into a special structure. Something like this: "A1 use B1 to do C1, and A2 B2 C2." For example:   * "My brother goes to school by bus, and I by bicycle."   * "I'm going to the supermarket to buy a can of milk, and you the hardware store a hammer." I'm not sure if these are even grammatically correct or not, but just to show what I mean. Does this kind of sentence structure have a name? What are the rules? Please forgive my English as I'm a non-native Engineering-based speaker. EDITED: I've managed to find one sentence: "The winds will blow their own freshness into you and the storms their energy, [...]". Here, "and the storms their energy" was very nicely written. I'd like to know more about how to write such a sentence.


Using If as a question word

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Is the question mark misused in affirmative sentences? Is it correct to use "if" in this way? > I want to know if I can borrow your car?


Question marks at the end of declarative sentences

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Is the question mark misused in affirmative sentences? I often see declarative sentences ending with question marks, like these: > I tried your solution but it didn't work? or > This seems to be easy but I'm out of ideas? , assuming a request like "could you help me please?" or "what to do with it?" but not expressing it explicitly. Is it standard English grammar?


If you can be "discombobulated", is it possible to be "combobulated"?

I've often heard the word "discombobulated" used. But I've never heard of something being "combobulated", and it's not in any dictionary I've looked at. If "combobulated" is not word, where did "discombobulated" come from?


How can the word 'priori' be used?

I am only familiar with 'a priori', such as 'a priori conditions'. Now a friend uses the word as follows: > "the supremacy of nature and the priori and inevitability of death and of > history." I do not know if maybe they mean 'priority', or maybe they mean something esoteric and beyond me.


Just how offensive are the terms "retarded" and "gay"?

My college-age son and his friends use the terms "retarded" and "gay" pretty much interchangeably to mean substandard, bad, lame (in the sense of ineffectual or weak) or just plain wrong. I've suggested that he might want to be careful about where he uses such language, but he clearly isn't worried about being offensive with those terms. Now add this to the equation: Last night we watched a recorded version of Comedy Central's "A Tribute to Sam Kinison." Comedy Central censors a lot of words, including names of body parts (although, curiously, they let "dick" remain unbleeped), terms for sex acts, and so on. And we could clearly see that the word "retarded" had been bleeped (it's a very easy word to lip-read). Note that Comedy Central does not censor the word "nigger" on the Dave Chapelle show, although this is a word Jon Stewart goes to great lengths to avoid saying on his own show (also, of course, on Comedy Central). So I wonder: is the word "retarded" really _that_ offensive? How about "gay" in the context described above? **UPDATE** From an Associated Press story (Young Jaded by Online Slurs) reported in the Boston Globe today (Sept. 21, 2011): > WASHINGTON - Young people immersed in the online world see racist and sexist > slurs and other name-calling that probably would appall their parents and > teachers. And most consider it no big deal, a poll says. > > ... > > When the question is asked broadly, half of young people surveyed say using > discriminatory words is wrong. But 54 percent think it’s OK to use them > within their own circle of friends, because “I know we don’t mean it.’’ And > they don’t worry much about whether the things they tap into their > cellphones and laptops could reach a wider audience and get them into > trouble. > > ... > > Demeaning something with “that’s so gay’’ is so common that two-thirds of > young people see it used, and the majority aren’t offended at all, despite a > public-service ad campaign that tried to stamp out the anti-gay slang. > > A similar effort by the Special Olympics and others to persuade kids not to > use “retard’’ hasn’t hit home with half of those surveyed, who don’t find > the word even moderately bothersome. Twenty-seven percent are seriously > offended, however. > > Some teens just text the way they talk. Calling each other “gay’’ and > “retarded’’ is routine in high school, says Robert Leader, 17, a senior in > Voorhees, N.J. So teens text it, too.


different usage of the word "only"

What is the difference between the following sentences? Basically, I would like to understand how the meaning changes with the usage of _only_ in each of them.   1. He **_only_** speaks English.    2. He speaks **_only_** English.   3. He speaks English **_only_**.


Present Participle(adjective) vs Progressive tense

Mangoes are refreshing. An adjective form is needed here. But "auxiliary verb" + " verb-ing" act as progressive tense. It may imply that mangoes are refreshing(something, if transitive OR even if intransitive, they are just refreshing). So is "refreshing" acting as an adjective here. If yes then is it not violating the general concept of "auxiliary verb" + " verb-ing", acting as progressive tense? Definitely, "refreshing" is not a gerund here.


A use of "should"

I don't get to understand the meaning of "should" in this sentence. > She stared out of the window with her lips pinched together, and it seemed > quite natural that the rain should have begun to pour down in slanting lines > and splash and stream down the window-panes. Does that mean the same as "the rain had begun to pour down"? If so, is this use of "should" common in everyday speking? I didn't get to find a site that describes that use of "should."


What is the difference between "job" and "work"?

When is it better to use "job" and when "work"? For instance I am writing text on the logo saying "Still do your job manually? Then ask us to help you." Is it correct to use "job" here or "work" is more suitable one? Why? What is the general rule of using these two words?


Is "Why Steven Sinofsky is out at Microsoft" correct?

The title of this _Ars Technica_ piece reads: > Why Steven Sinofsky is out at Microsoft Concretely, I'm wondering why (if) "out at" is correct – I initially thought "out of" would be the correct option.


Englishman or English man?

Which group is correct (in British English)? Is there any difference? And which group do you use? Group 1 (the one I use)   1. English man, English woman, English men, English women   2. Irish man, Irish woman, Irish men, Irish women   3. Scottish man, Scottish woman, Scottish men, Scottish women   4. Welsh man, Welsh woman, Welsh men, Welsh women Group 2 (from the dictionary)   1. Englishman, Englishwoman, Englishmen, Englishwomen   2. Irishman, Irishwoman, Irishmen, Irishwomen   3. Scotsman, Scotswoman, Scotsmen, Scotswomen   4. Welshman, Welshwoman, Welshmen, Welshwomen I am not a native speaker and I would like to know if what I use is wrong or less correct.


keeping maiden name after marriage

If a woman keeps her maiden name what is the proper way to address her? Mrs, Ms, or Miss? I have seen it done multiple ways, but am unsure what is the proper way.


How to best express synchronous/asynchronous in layman's terms?

I want to express in a description of **personalized language instruction** that some activities are **synchronous** , i.e. require a person-to-person meeting in realtime (e.g. in person, telephone, video-chat, texting) but other activities are **asychronous** , i.e. each person can complete communication on his own time (e.g. e-mails, website posting, dialogue journals that are exchanged, reading articles, correction of texts). Instead of " **Synchronous Activities** " and " **Asynchronous Activities** ", which are **technical** and require too much explanation, what are two other terms that would communicate to anyone the sense that the first group requires two people to be available at the same time, and the second group does not? None of these are satisfactory:   * "Meeting Activities" and "Non-Meeting Activities" ("non-meeting" is awkward)   * "Same-Time Activities" and "Different-Time Activities" (awkward)   * "Shared-Time Activities" and "Own-Time Activities" (awkward)   * "Meeting Activities" and "Personal Activities" (maybe)   * "Interactive Activities" and "Non-Interactive Activities" (maybe, but asynchronous activities can still be interactive [e.g. a dialogue journal that is passed back and forth])   * "At-Meeting Activities" and "Out-of-Meeting Activities" (ok, but I don't want the second group to be defined as the negative/opposite of a meeting)   * "Meeting Activities" and "Independent Activities" (this seems to be the best so far) **What 's the best way to express "Synchronous Activities" and "Asynchronous Activities" in a way that anyone immediately understands the above meanings of the terms?**


What does "hedgy" mean?

I think I just heard the word "hedgy" (rhymes with "edgy") used in conversation, with the deduced-from-context meaning of hesitant or tentative. It was something like > The news came in but everyone in the capital was a bit hedgy. I looked it up in the usual places but did not find anything. Is this a word? Does it mean what I think it means? Does it have something to do with hedging one's bets?


What are games with phrases used by English speaking people?

What are word-games used by English speaking people? Mention any! Links to online games or descriptions are welcome! Context of question: something similar to How would an Englishman join “Awake and awkward” into one word?


Mnemonic for remembering how to spell "mnemonic"

It is ironic that the name of a mental device which is supposed to make our lives easier is itself so hard to spell. Is there a mnemonic for the spelling of _mnemonic_?


"Oath" vs "pledge" vs "vow"

Oath, pledge, and vow: What is the difference between these words and where should I use each word? A simple example would help me to understand.


"If there were" vs. "if there was"

I saw that there were already examples on this, but I didn't find any specific enough. My problem is this sentence: > If there were anything that he didn't want, it was to hurt me. I previously had the sentence written as: > If there was anything that he didn't want, it was to hurt me. But both seem a little awkward to me.


How to form this tag question?

We always use a positive tag question after a negative sentence: > You shouldn't take this medicine, should you? We use a negative tag question after a positive sentence: > She must leave early, mustn't she? But when there is a negating prefix on the adjective (impatient vs. patient) after the verb "to be", then the sentence is negative in meaning. Does this mean the tag should be positive? Which is correct, A or B? > A: I am impatient, am I? > > B: I am impatient, aren't I? > > A: The class was dismissed, was it? > > B: The class was dismissed, wasn't it?


What does "sweet spot" mean?

Not the sport definition, but this one: > In our survey, the **sweet spot** for Windows are organizations with 300 to > 1000 employees.


How should we write the phrase "one of a kind"?

I have seen two kind of written format of "one of a kind" phrase,   1. one of a kind   2. one-of-a-kind I'm confused, which one is the proper way of writing "one of a kind" phrase?


Can we use both British English and American English in the same article?

Can we use British English trends and American English trends (such as spelling, or turns of phrase) in different sentences in the one topic?


How can one determine if the opposite of an agent noun exists?

We know that the employer employs the employee and that the tutor tutors the tutee, but how do we know if the shooter shot the shootee? Is there a simple way to determine if an agent noun can be made into the object of the agent noun's action? In some cases, this is plainly obvious. We have runners but definitely not runnees and we have jumpers but not jumpees. There ought to be a way can we easily determine if the shooter shoots the shootee since a _shootee_ is intuitively the person who gets shot by a shooter. _Note: Since the meaning of shootee can be intuitively determined by any English speaker, it isn't technically **incorrect** according to a descriptive linguist, but how would a prescriptive grammarian feel about it?_


Use of dash or comma in bulleted list?

I have been charged with taking over a monthly prayer letter which had been managed by several different staff members. Each had a different way of handling a bulleted list. One used a dash while the other used a comma. One used a period at the end of each statement while the other omitted punctuation. I appreciate feedback as to the proper format for separating the students' names from the prayer requests as illustrated below (comma or dash?) and also if punctuation (periods in this case) are correctly omitted from each request. Students: • Iris - asking for prayer for her older sister to make right choices in life • Velzi - that her family remains united • Isabel - for healing for her mom who is not feeling well lately • Jenny - for her family • Zoila - for her as she gets ready for the new school year OR Students: • Iris, asking for prayer for her older sister to make right choices in life • Velzi, that her family remains united • Isabel, for healing for her mom who is not feeling well lately • Jenny, for her family • Zoila, for her as she gets ready for the new school year


"What does it mean?" vs. "What does that mean?" — what's the difference?

I tried to find an answer to this question. But no luck. Can somebody explain it to me? An American friend of mine said, "I've never heard about 'What does it mean?', I've always used 'What does that mean?'". My other English friend said: "It depends on context." I asked, what context? He tried to explain but couldn't. So now I'm asking you: What is the difference between "What does it mean?" and "What does that mean?" in common speech?


Parsing the first two lines of "Western Wind"

The 16th century poem "Western Wind" goes as follows: > Westron wynde, when wilt thou blow,   >  The small raine down can raine.   >  Cryst, if my love were in my armes   >  And I in my bedde again! Or, to in modern spelling and punctuation: > Western wind, when wilt thou blow,   >  The small rain down can rain?   >  Christ! That my love were in my arms   >  And I in my bed again! What I'm trying to understand is the sentence "Western wind, when wilt thou blow, the small rain down can rain?" I cannot for the life of me parse this sentence to understand what it's actually saying. How should this sentence be parsed; or, how would one paraphrase it to be more clear as to the actual meaning?


"stopping to refill his cup when she did"

Consider the following sentence: > She got up to get some of the coffee he had made, stopping to refill his cup > when she did. What does the subordinate clause in this sentence mean? Does it mean when "she" has got coffee, she stops getting coffee and starts to refill "his" cup or some other meaning? But my interpretation seems a bit strange.


"Thunderstorm" vs. "tempest" in common usage

When did "thunderstorm" replace "tempest" in common English usage? I ask the question because my great-great grandmother, who lived in South Weymouth, Massachusetts, used the term frequently in her dairy of the year 1905.


"Arm stroke movements" vs. "arm stroke motions"

I have the following phrase: > This article analyzes freestyle arm stroke movements. However I wonder if using _motions_ wouldn't be better: > This article analyzes freestyle arm stroke motions. Or are both forms interchangeable? The context is competitive swimming.


"Irony" vs. "happenstance"

If I were to leave my country because there is a high chance that I will get shot here, and then got shot in the country I immigrate to, would that be ironic or a happenstance?


Why is the word "misadventure" not "misventure"?

I came across a news article mentioning a coroner's diagnosis of death as "death by _misadventure_ ". And I wondered what the word **misadventure** actually meant. Here's the dictionary definition : > **misadventure** [ˌmɪsədˈvɛntʃə] n > >   1. an unlucky event; misfortune > >   2. (Law) Law accidental death not due to crime or negligence > > This surprised me, as I would have expected it to essentially mean "an **adventure** that went wrong". That doesn't seem to be the case. It seems to mean "an incident that went wrong". So wouldn't it make more sense for the word to be **mis-venture**? Why is this not the case?


"are created equal" - helping verb or linking verb?

In the following clause, > **that all men are created equal** , is "are" serving as a linking verb (in which case you could say "the created (to be) equal men") or as a helping verb for main verb _created_ (in which case one could ask...I think, not completely sure about this, sounds kind of weird... "how did the men create?" and you could reply "to be equal")? Or better yet, is there any correct answer? [I tried to start thinking about this... one question I had was, is it possible for men to "create" (in the sense that "create" == "spawn", or something like that)? Or does create mean something else in this case? Or am I missing something blindingly obvious?]


A phrase for something that is beyond our reach or unattainable

“Sir Francis Chichester was knighted by the queen. But for his other circumnavigating counterparts, a knighthood is _beyond reach_...” What is an alternative term for _beyond reach_?


Present perfect and present perfect continuous

Do you agree with the explanations to this question and statements? Judy: How long have you been in Canada? Claude: I have been studying here for more than three years. or I have studied here for more than three years. 1.Depending on where the two friends meet in Canada or in another country, the question can imply that speaker B is or is not in Canada at the moment. The first answer implies that the speaker B is still in Canada or was recently in Canada. (Maybe to suggest that she was in Canada recently it would be better to use 'there'. I think 'here' suggest that the person is still in Canada) The second answer implies that the person is not in Canada anymore.The action is complete. I asked this question on a different site but I haven't got a useful answer.


What highway exit does "Next Exit" refer to?

Example: If you have not yet reached exit number 5 is the "next exit" referring to exit 5 or exit 6? "This exit" is clearly exit 5. Similar to the "next Tuesday" question Which day does "next Tuesday" refer to?


Why is it called "blind baking"?

This weekend I learned all about blind baking a pie crust on the Cooking SE site. They were stumped on why, exactly, it's called "blind baking", however. For the uninitiated — the highlights of the Cooking answer: > Blind baking is indeed just baking without a filling — it can be fully or > partially. Typically you do this because your filling will either need to > bake for a shorter time than your crust (a quiche for example) or not at all > (a pie filled with some kind of pre cooked/set custard). It can also be done > to help 'set' a crust against a filling that will make it rather soggy. > > I have no idea _why_ it's called blind baking, but the English.SE site is > notoriously good at word origins. Anyone have any theories or ideas?


What does "part of a settlement" mean here?

> Locke tends to get linked up with rebels...He is a part of the settlement. > (heard from an English professor) He was talking about John Locke's life. How to understand "he is part of the settlement"? Does it mean that he participates in the process of reaching it, or that this settlement highly influences his life?


Patience satisfied

I'm looking for a word which describes the resolution of patience. Example 1: If someone is waiting (being patient) in a room for his/her name to be called and it finally happens. This also might include the act of running out of patience Example 2: If someone is waiting (being patient) in a room for his/her name to be called and the office closes before the patient is called and the patient is forced to leave. What is that resolution or action called?


What do you do to a gap?

> I failed to find a way to **reconcile** the gap between reality and my > ideal. I tried two expressions, 'bring down the gap' and 'overcome the gap', but I realized that the gap cannot be brought down or overcome. Therefore, I changed it to 'reconcile'. What would be the right word instead?


What is the full form of RSVP?

I just wanted to know what is the English full form of "RSVP", a word which we usually use on invitation cards? I read somewhere it's a French word. So I wanted to confirm if it has any English full form and if it does, what it is? I googled the same but didn't get the correct thing, so thought of asking here.


Is "Agreed." a complete and correct sentence?

Is it correct to write, > Agreed. instead of, > I agree. I am confused by this single-word sentence. Why is it in the past tense? Or is "Agreed" a (past-participle) adjective, like "Gone" or "Done"? Can I thus write, > Concurred. > > Consented. > > Withdrawn. > > Been. Sample conversation: > He: "Agreed." is a complete sentence. > > She: Concurred.


Is just "no." a valid sentence?

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Shortest complete sentence in English I seem to remember (back in the day) being taught sentences must have an object and an action and that the shortest possible was something like "do it.". Can someone please formalise this and explain whether simply "no." is valid?


Verbless sentence

I thought I heard my teacher said: 'Don't construct a sentence without a verb.' Is there such rule in english grammar?               She looks like 70 years old. Perhaps older.      How about the question above? Is it correct? Is there any book that can be used references for wide range of topics in grammar(including syntax, morphology et cetera)? I have finished oxford grammar in use recently and think it wasn't enough for me.


What is an antonym for the term "straight-A student?"

I'm looking for a word or phrase that implies stupidity in the context of academics in the same way the term "straight-A student" implies intelligence.


Exclusive "from" or "to"

If I want to let a customer know that she/he can only buy spare parts from us, and put this into legal documents by using the word "exclusive", which proposition should I use? "from", "to" or something else? The sentence I have in my mind is: > All spare parts shall be exclusive from [our company name]. Will the meaning be different if I change the preposition "from" to "to"? Is this correct? Or is there other ways to express it still using the word "exclusive"?


Where do people pronounce "ank" as /eŋk/ vs. /æŋk/?

Let's use "bank" as an example. Some Americans pronounce it /bæŋk/, using the vowel of TRAP. Others pronounce it /beŋk/, using the vowel of FACE. Where are these two pronunciations found?


What is the difference between "as per" and "according to"?

See the following two sentences. > As per my knowledge it is right.   >  According to my knowledge it is right.   1. Are both the sentences right?   2. What is the difference and use of "as per" and "according to"?


Explain the choice of the verb "dip" in "dip your lights"

Does the phrase "dip your lights" mean to turn them off or something else? Why is the word _dip_ used? Quote: > If you drive with your headlights on full beam in fog, the light will just > reflect back on you. Dip your lights — it will be much easier to see.


Origins of “head” as a synecdoche?

When, where, why and how did the term _head_ come to be used to describe quantities of cattle, animals, people, and so on?


The difference between "focus on" and "concentrate on?"

This is one question in my book: Our company don’t **___ ___** on profits only. A. Concentrate B. Focus The key gives B but I don't think there is a difference between them in this context. What do you think? Thanks.


What is the difference between these "clause separators"?

Here is an example sentence: > At the start of the day you may (if you like) make yourself a slice of > toast. Are the brackets appropriate to separate the clause "if you like" from the main sentence? Is there a fundamental difference between the following alternatives? > At the start of the day you may, if you like, make yourself a slice of > toast. (commas)   >  At the start of the day you may -- if you like -- make yourself a slice of > toast. (em-dashes) Are there rules which state when each should be used?


Why are all acronyms accented on the last syllable?

When saying acronyms out loud, almost always the last syllable is accented (no matter how long the acronym is): US*A*, U*N*, RSV*P*, etc. Accenting any syllable but the last makes you sound silly (try it). Why is this the case?


A question on superlatives

If we say, > 'Jim is the youngest of (his) six brothers" how many brothers does Jim have? Are they six as Jim is included, or just five?


Do Americans say 'cheers' to mean 'thanks'?

I find myself these days saying 'cheers' all the time as a kind of mild form of 'thanks', and I heard it said a lot round here (Northamptonshire, England). It's not even a commoner thing, I'd say the middle class are likely to use it a lot. Is it used this way in the US, or would you always consider 'cheers' as something to say when toasting?


The suffix -hood

I am using the suffix -hood as both base and suffix to derive poetical meaning in an interplay of the words "...child and adult hood." Though this may offend the ear of the modern day reader, I believe its earlier usage was separate from its base, and I'm not so sure it would, on the surface, be much of a technical blunder anyway. What do you think?


The Usage Domains of "why" and "how"

This question was inspired by the this thread over at physics.se. What are the correct uses of "why" and "how" as interrogatives? Do questions that begin with "why" necessarily pursue answers which lie beyond the realm of empirical data or natural fact? If not, is it possible to rephrase those "why" questions which _can_ be addressed by the experimental sciences as "how" questions without changing their meanings?


what does "You have to ignore the elephant in front of you" mean?

In context it is used: > The probability that a startup will make it big is not simply a constant > fraction of the probability that they will succeed at all. If it were, you > could fund everyone who seemed likely to succeed at all, and you'd get that > fraction of big hits. Unfortunately picking winners is harder than that. > **You have to ignore the elephant in front of you** , the likelihood they'll > succeed, and focus instead on the separate and almost invisibly intangible > question of whether they'll succeed really big.


"Fresh water" and "Sweet water" - are these phrases completely equivalent?

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  "Freshwater" as opposed to salty water I know that non-salt water is called fresh water. But also from time to time I've seen the expression `sweet water`, for example: > Lake Geneva is smaller than many other European lakes, however, with its > average depth of 153 meters, it is unusually deep, and happens to be, by > volume, the largest **sweet water** reserve in Western-Europe. Can we claim that these two expressions are completely equivalent?


Idiom/phrase which means "to pretend not to understand or know"

Sometimes (well, often) people pretend not to understand what's going on (or pretend not to understand what the other person means, etc.) when in fact they do perfectly well. For example, Person A is hoping that his friend Person B would let him crash at his place for a couple of days, but, so as not to appear too intrusive, he wants Person B to invite him instead of asking directly. So, he says to his friend: > Hey, Person B! I've just been kicked out of my house and I have nowhere to > go. I really have to figure out where to stay the next couple of days. Person B understands that Person A is hoping that he would offer him to stay at his place. But he chooses to pretend not to understand, and, instead of saying sorry and explaining why Person A cannot stay at his place, person B says: > There's a nice hotel near here, and it's not very expensive. I can give you > the address. Another example. Person B has secretly stolen the wallet of Person A. Person A has figured out that it was person B and when they meet, he says: > My wallet was stolen the other day. Person B says: > Really? Oh, that's so unfortunate! What idioms in English would one use to describe the behavior of Person B in the sample situations? I.e. pretending to be stupid or pretending not to understand something rather obvious, or pretending not to know something that you know; in other words, consciously imitating ignorance, indifference, or innocence. In Russian, the idiom is _to pretend to be a fire hose_ (прикидываться шлангом) or _to pretend to be a boot_ (прикидываться валенком). The Armenian idiom is _to pretend to be a donkey_ (իրեն էշի տեղ դնել). For me, these phrases are not quite unimaginative and cause a certain amount of amusement. I am hoping to find an English equivalent (or equivalents) that would be informal and/or sound funny(-ish), but that's not essential. Naturally, I tried to look up the translation in the dictionary before asking, but to no avail, presumably because the phrases mentioned above are rather informal.


Is "Motivate your answer" correct English?

Me and a friend were having an argument recently over "Motivate your answer". He said this: > see it like this, motivate = force that drives you, okay? motivate your > choices = arguments you considered that have driven you towards that choice So it appears to be a more literal translation, like: > Give reason to your answer. Is this the case, or is just simply wrong?


What does this strange sentence mean?

They do but flatter themselves. What is this sentence structure?


Do "the alpha and the omega" and "from A to Z" have the same meaning or something in common?

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, as one can read it on The Free Dictionary, says: > **alpha and omega** , noun:   >  1\. The first and the last: "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the > ending, saith the Lord" (Revelation 1:8).   >  2\. The most important part. It is a noun that resembles to the Italian, literally, "from A to Z", an expression used to say that a certain thing is complete. "The report is complete from A to Z" means that it doesn't lack anything, and probably it is the same in English. After reading the above definition, in the light of what I said, I began wondering if the two expressions, "tha alpha and the omega" and "from A to Z", mean the same thing. 1) "I was forced to read the alpha and omega of 'The Principia Mathematica', written by Alfred North Whitehead" 2) "I was forced to read, from A to Z, 'The Principia Mathematica', written by Alfred North Whitehead" Can anybody explain the difference in meaning between 1) and 2)?


sow the seeds for (whence definite article? )

I have a quote from an article in The Economist: > But they could re-establish a grip on large parts of the south and east of > the country, give succour to al-Qaeda, and sow **the** seeds for a new civil > war. Please explain why we need to put the definite article before "seeds": it seems to be a generic reference, and so either "the seed" or "seeds" seems to be OK. There's no particular species of seeds that lead to civil war, a civil war may be caused by all kinds of "seeds" in the metaphorical sense; so why "the"? Do we need the THE because it is idiomatic usage in this case?


How do we call the style of a word/sentence with series of underscore?

In Computer Programming, the programmer most often declare a variable or function with series of underscores.For instance,   * english_dot_stack_exchange. Is there a style name for that kind of sentences/words with series of underscores/understrike/low line/low dash? **EDIT:** I would like to know the style's name.Just like **camelCase**.


How much use did the word 'delete' get before the technological boom?

For as long as I can remember, I've only used the word 'delete' in a technological context. I'm fairly certain, most kids--or the generation before them--know exactly what the word means. Did this word get much use in other literary works?


Why is "q" followed by a "u"?

Is there a particular rule that states that _q_ should always be followed by a _u_? Because in certain cases like _Qatar_ , or _qawwali_ , this so-called rule is violated. What do you folks say?


"Much obliged" — Old-fashioned? Polite? Pedantic?

I've heard someone say "Much obliged!" a couple of times, instead of the usual "Thank you!". A common phrase in Portuguese ("Muito Obrigado") and maybe other languages, but certainly unusual in English. My question is: is it old- fashioned? Polite? Or pedantic?


Weir vs. Low water dam

I came across the word _weir_ today. It appears that we here in the USA refer to this same device as a _low water dam_. I’m curious why we don’t use the same word the English do, instead preferring this unwieldy construction. Is it a matter of the people who emigrated here not coming from the parts of England that used weirs, and thus not personally having that word in their vocabularies? Or was there some subtle difference I’m not seeing that required a different term?


Is it correct to use the phrase "pay attention" with "that"?

Is it correct to say "Pay attention that..."? or must I use "Pay attention to..." For example: "An attention should be paid that this is a one-way street".


what is a word for seeing inside someone

I am looking for a word to describe the layers of a personality or person. I am trying to describe how one could actually see into another person.


"I didn't know you liked her" or "I didn't know you like her"

I have a friend who insists that > "I didn't know you _like_ her" is more correct than > "I didn't know you _liked_ her" if the liking is still taking place. But to my ear, only the latter sounds correct. Which of the above (if any) is correct and why?


Speculable or Speculatable?

In the field of programming, we know a function is "safe to _speculatively_ execute" if it has no side-effects. Is there a single word which can describe this attribute? _Speculable_? _Speculatable_? Something else? (I prefer to avoid anything which does not include any variation of "speculate", in fear of drifting away from a term which is familiar in this context).


The meaning of "short of the cut-off"

I have heard this term a lot and in different places but I do want to know the exact meaning. Googling didn't reveal anything that I could understand the meaning.


Is there an English word which means 'entrepreneur'?

Can anyone think of a suitable English translation for the French 'entrepreneur'?


Has there been an interrogative word to ask for a quantity or amount?

English uses _how much/many_ to ask for an amount or a quantity. Has there been an interrogative word in Old, Middle, or Modern English to convey the meaning of _how much/many_ (i.e., an equivalent to the Spanish _cuánto_ or the French _combien_ )?


Where should I place the adverb?

Where should I place the adverb?   1. Potentially, it could be moved back to where it was.    2. It could be potentially moved back to where it was.    3. It could potentially be moved back to where it was. Should it directly precede the verb "moved"? Or ahead of "be moved"? Or in front of the whole statement?


Do we ask a waiter if we could have or get?

I have noticed a tendency among the younger generation, when ordering in a pub or restaurant, to say 'Please could I get beer-battered cod and chips', whereas I would and do say 'Please could I have beer-battered cod...'. Is 'get' nowadays acceptable English, even in a very posh restaurant? I mean one where you wouldn't order cod and chips!


"the writing is on the wall" vs. "the handwriting is on the wall"

This morning I heard on NPR someone mention that: "The handwriting is on the wall". I had a notion that it was a biblical allusion, which was confirmed by: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_writing_on_the_wall, but I don't know if there is a different in connotation. when I was a kid I don't ever remember the "handwriting" version and it seems strange to me... but it appears to be in common usage.


Technical writing sentence correction/suggestion

Is the following sentence grammatically correct? What could be an appropriate form to imply the similar meaning in technical writing? > _Use one of the following relations depending on whether X is used with or > without reference, respectively._


What does this sentence mean: "Troubles are poor things to hug. They've got too many prickers."

This is a sentence from a book for children. I'm trying to translate it into Chinese. Not sure what this means. DO we want to hug troubles or not?


Subscribe button label

In an administration panel, I have a "Subscribe" button, which will send a mail each time a new user registers to the application. What would be a correct way to name the button label? >   1. Subscribe to new registrations >   2. Subscribe to registrations >   3. Subscribe for new registrations >   4. Registrations subscriptions >


I should think you'd have

> -When you going back to kindergarten, Otis?" some one had asked. > > -"Me? Day Bernice gets her hair bobbed." > > -"Then your education's over," said Marjorie quickly. "That's only a bluff > of hers. I should think you'd have realized." _Source:_ Bernice Bobs Her Hair by F. Scott Fitzgerald I don't understand why the girl used "should think you'd have done" in the example. I understand that 'You would have realized' belongs to the third conditional. But why was it used with "should think".


"Call" vs. "Call at"

Consider > I will call your office some time in the evening. vs. > I will call **at** your office some time in the evening. Which is correct — the version with 'at', or the version with no preposition?


How refer to the "strands" of algae and their movement in a current?

I'm referring to the algae attached at the bottom of a river. The one with long "leaves/stands." How are those "extensions" called? And which verb to use to describe their movement with the flow of the rive (I need everyday terminology not scientific one.) Examine: > I saw some algae at the bottom of the river. Their [...] were [...] with the > current.


Is the English language used by the European institutions the British one?

I find here an article on the use of English within EU institutions. It says: "our publications need to be comprehensible for their target audience, which is largely British and Irish, and should therefore follow a standard that reflects usage in the United Kingdom and Ireland" (page 4). Is it true that the target audience is UK and Irish native speakers? Is it not English the _lingua franca_ of Europe and therefore is it not the non-British (and non-Irish) audience which is the larger target? Is there an academic guidance at EU level concerning the use of English as European _lingua franca_? (That is: is Euro-English to be more than subject for jokes like this one?)


Etymology of "embarrass"?

It would seem that the Random House dictionary and the World English dictionary have different ideas about the etymology of the word _embarrass_ , neither of which make it particularly clear as to how it got its current meaning: > **Random House**   >  1665–75; < French embarrasser < Spanish embarazar < Portuguese embaraçar, > equivalent to em- em-1 + -baraçar, verbal derivative of baraço, baraça cord, > strap, noose (of obscure origin) > > **World English**   >  [C17: (in the sense: to impede): via French and Spanish from Italian > imbarrazzare, from imbarrare to confine within bars; see en- 1 , bar 1 ] So which is correct, and how did it come to have the meaning of making somebody self-conscious and abashed?


When writing about a true court case. When should defense be capitalized?

**Example:** Christine returned to the defence council with my refusal of the offer to settle.


English parts of speech — better new treatments

Can anyone please recommend a better treatment of English parts of speech / word classes than that offered by most traditional grammars? Many of the latter stick with the sacrosanct 8 of antiquity, or perhaps allow for one or two more, while POS Tagsets may contain many hundreds of tags (catering for subsets such as plural nouns, verb forms etc). Demanding that we stick with eight for sentimental reasons seems like saying 'Let's just have four (chemical) elements, like they used to do, because that's easier.' Some parts of speech — 'function words' — are distinguished according to function — or called adverbs if they show a vague resemblance in some respect and we don't like having more than 8 (or 12 or 24) classes. However, having 750 classes as a working model does seem to be erring the other way. Does anyone _please_ know of a sensible (Goldilocks!) treatment?


A word for "somebody who is sponsored"? Sponsee?

Is there a word that means "somebody who is sponsored"? E.g. if I sponsor somebody, that person is my ______? Google results for sponsee have scattered definitions in unreliable sources, so it does not appear that is a real word. I'm looking for something similar, a single word, preferably American English. The specific context is a social group membership application where new members must be sponsored (as in definition 2, here \- _"one who assumes responsibility for some other person or thing"_ ) by existing members. I am looking for a single word to describe the target of such a sponsorship.


Meaning of "club"

Is "club" here used figuratively? > Mr. DiCaprio’s choices may be unusual, but he does have his own version of > sticking with what works. The characters are mostly tortured, unsympathetic, > larger-than-life guys created with the help of a tiny **club** of A-list > directors, most notably Martin Scorsese. A urine-collecting Howard Hughes in > “The Aviator.” A Zimbabwean smuggler in “Blood Diamond.” A mental patient in > “Shutter Island.” A dream extractor in “Inception.”


What is the term for using an ancestral given name as a surname?

This is NOT a question about people who have surnames that are usually found as given names, such as Rand Paul. My question relates to the process of Americanization of surnames. For example, I have done genealogical research about descendants of Harry Krewiansky who took the surnames Harris and Harrison, and descendants of Bernard Gogolinsky who took the surname Barney.


How did the prepositions up and down both come to be associated with writing?

Per this question "Writing things down" vs. "writing things up", it is clear that things can be written "up" (typically in respect to longer entries that are being thoroughly considered) or "down" (typically in respect to quick notes.) My question is more etymological - the prepositions used would seem to be directional. I would have thought "about" or even "on" would be more logical. And, while one can write "about" a topic or "on" a subject, the prevelance of Up and Down cannot be denied. So, how is it, etymologically speaking, that things came to be written up or down? Did these happen more or less simultaneously, or is it just a happy circumstance? And why up and down?


Single word for "embrace and extend and possibly corrupt ideas of a political movement"

What would be a single word for the process in which political parties (or other groups that have something to gain) embrace and extend (and maybe corrupt) the ideas of a political movement that started and grew outside of the regular channels? Recuperate?


Is there a term for the sound of a bicycle bell?

A bicycle bell is a percussive signaling instrument mounted on a bicycle for warning pedestrians and other cyclists. Wikipedia says that a bicycle bell produces a _"ding-ding" sound_ , and so, since I'm not sure that _"ding-ding" sound_ is the better choice currently in use, I wonder whether there is a single term with which one can more properly indicate this sound. After some searches I focused my attention on "clang", "to make a loud metallic ringing sound", but I'm not sure it is the right term. Thus, my question is, is there a term for the sound of a bicycle bell? * * * ![](http://i.stack.imgur.com/7CSza.jpg)


Context on using available vs accessible

Consider the following two sentences: 1) Please put the medicine in the living room so that it is **available** to everyone. 2) Please put the medicine in the living room so that it is **accessible** for everyone. If both sentences are correct, is there any difference in meaning between the two? It seems that _available_ and _accessible_ are more or less synonyms but can one always be used instead of the other?


Distinction between with/by means of

Consider the following examples:   1. Data are usually input _by means of_ a keyboard or scanner.   2. The variation of the distance was measured _with_ a magnetic position detector.   3. We can change this value _by means of_ the up and down arrow on the keyboard.   4. To move the visible region without resizing it, drag it _with_ the cursor. Under what condition is _with_ used instead of _by means of_?


Can Someone Tell me if This Sentence is a Pun?

My friend and I are walking along a nude beach. There is an exposed man directly in front of us. My friend asks me what time it is. My response is "It's 12 o' **cock**." Pun or bad joke?


What is the difference between "in my opinion" and "to my taste"?

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/to+my+taste http://dictionary.reverso.net/english-definition/for%20my%20taste I don't see in those links any mention of opinion, it's not even a synonym. Are those two expression totally different and what is the difference? What about to use "to my taste" metaphorically for the same meaning as "in my opinion"?


"Named for" vs. "named after"

As a Brit, I'm used to the phrase **named after** being used to say how something got its name. For example, in Wikipedia's List of eponymous roads in London, we read that Addison Road is named after the English essayist, poet, playwright and politician Joseph Addision(1672–1719). But sometimes I hear or read **named for** , where it's clear from the context that the intent is the same. It seems to me that this latter usage is exclusively American. Is this so? And in what sense is **for** being used here?


"Enervate" and "intimidate"

What is the difference between the words _enervate_ and _intimidate_? Both mean _to weaken or to make timid_.


"no hell" or "no hang"?

I think "NO HELL" can be used to describe something that isn't bad, or not very tasty. Like a meal that tastes so-so but looked good. I heard at the dinner table last night that my wife said the corn was "no hang". What is the correct expression? Has anyone else heard different?


"Absent" as a preposition

I've recently seen some people use _absent_ as if it were a preposition. One example, which I found in the Christianity forum of Stack Exchange, is as follows: > A Sinful nature provides an irresistable [sic] compulsion to sin, but even > **absent** that, one can still partake in sin. I cannot find the prepositional use of _absent_ in any dictionary. Is it a new usage?


Difference between "inspiring" and "inspirational"

What is the difference between the words _inspiring_ and _inspirational_? In which context should one choose one over the other?


Horse of a different color

I recently heard someone use the expression "Now that's a whole different bag of dog food". While highly unusualy, the meaning was well understood by the audience. I know there is an actual idiom/expression used more normally than this one, but I cannot recall what it is. "Horse of a different color" comes to mind, but I don't think that's it. Is there another equivalent expression in common use? I'd prefer one centered around the words "whole different/whole new", since I believe this expression was a play one such a phrase.


How do I know when a word with "ch" is pronounced hard or softly?

I'm hard-of-hearing, so when I read, I pronounce things phonetically because I don't hear a lot of soft sounds (like /sh/). To my surprise over the years, I've been continuously corrected on words that have a "ch" sound in them. For example, "parachute" is pronounced "para shoot" \ˈper-ə-ˌshüt, ˈpa-rə-\ and not "para chewt". Are there any indicators of when I would use a hard "ch" sound (like in "choose")?


"Hypothesize" vs "postulate"

When writing a scientific or engineering paper, how do we choose between _hypothesize_ and _postulate_?


Does the verb "Unstar" exist?

I'm creating an application for the iPhone where the user has the ability to _star_ an item, i.e. adding a star to the item. Now I am wondering whether I can also use _unstar_? Or should I go with something different - if so, what?


What's the correct way to write "foodservice"?

The Cambridge Dictionary writes it in two words while the Wiktionary writes it in one. Wikipedia mostly writes it in one word, but sometimes in two. Should it be written "food service" or "foodservice"? Or is there a special rule over this? ps: I'd link to the Wikipedia article, but I don't have enough reputation. Sorry about that.


Word for a misused word

I am looking for a word that describes the mistaking of a word for one that sounds similar. For instance "you aren't allowed to do that, but I guess we can make a deception." Obviously, "deception" should be "exception." The words don't sound the same, but they're pretty close.


Word for describing the emotion of helping someone

I am looking for a word which describes the emotion that one experiences on helping someone (friend, colleague, family, stranger). This helping out is not in the context of charity, but more of as helping out a social/societal equal. Is there any such word ?


How to avoid repeating a word already contained in "RAID"?

I was recently answering a question on Super User about RAID. In this context _RAID_ means "redundant array of independent (or inexpensive) disks". I wanted to point out to fellow user that he should make sure that computer is set to boot from the array. I used syntagma "RAID set" but I'm not sure if it fits. I felt that the best way to say what I wanted would be to use "RAID array" but then we have the array array problem. I've seen that the _automated teller machine machine_ problem is solved by simply dropping the second _machine_ , but here I also had _RAID card_ so using just _RAID_ wouldn't work and I wanted to avoid just saying _array_ because I think that it's unlikely that any of the settings which would need to be changed would contain RAID in its expanded form.


What's a word for "quickly and not very carefully or thoroughly checking"?

If I want to say I just quickly check a paragraph of text and didn't find typo, but the checking is quick and not careful or thorough. What is a good verb for that?


Why are we supposed to say the “a” as an “e” in “any” and “many”?

I speak Australian English, but I seem to pronounce the words _many_ and _anything_ differently from how the vast majority of people here do so. I pronounce it using an _a_ sound rather than an _e_ sound like they do. Nobody has been able to tell me an existent rule that deems my pronunciation incorrect. Why would I be pronouncing this differently and thinking _meny_ and _enything_ sounds wrong? Please help!


Substitute for F*** in emphasizing disbelief, anger, etc

How do I replace F*** while expressing fully my disbelief, anger, etc? E.g., "I think Homer Simpson is incredibly sexy" My reply "Get out of here! That's f***ing ridiculous."


Is "something appetite" correct as a noun?

Trying to find a name for a restaurant using _appetite_ word. As my native language is not English, Do combinations such "Apple Appetite", "Pizza Appetite" make sense?


Mixed person subjects and verb agreement

Please consider this sentence. "Not for as long as I or Patricia Smith _live_ will you be allowed to forget that." In this sentence, I've chosen to write _live_ as I believe it is more correct as it agrees with the speaker, I. But try this. "Not for as long as I or Patricia Smith _lives_ will you be allowed to forget that." Now _lives_ agrees with Patricia Smith and sounds much more natural as it agrees with the subject immediately in front of it. The sentence is to be used in dialogue and can not be rearranged as it is precisely what the speaker wants to say. Can anyone throw any light on which would be considered the correct grammar, or whether you agree that the second option is wrong, but sounds right so run with it.


Catchall term for HTML, Javascript and CSS

A web server responds to requests **[1]** with three types of files **[2]** : HTML (the page structure), Javascript (the page code) and CSS (the page styles). Is there a single word or an expression that can describe all three types of files? * * * [1] _Web servers can serve all kinds of files, but keep to only those three_   [2] _The later two can be inside specific tags inside the HTML_


Questions about abbreviations

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  "PIN Number" — why do we say it? Assume we abbreviate _"Orthogonal Multi-user Channel"_ as OMC. Is it correct to use the phrase _"OMC channel"_ since _channel_ is already contained in OMC?


What is this an example of: "I couldn't fail not to disagree with you less"?

Eisenhower used it constantly to fend off reporters. Is there a term to describe this type of phrase?


What does "sizing" mean in this example?

What does "sizing" mean in the following quote from http://www.wikihow.com/Press-a-Shirt: > Lightly spray the hanging shirt with sizing or spray starch (optional) then > remove the shirt from hanger. My understanding is that in "spray the hanging shirt with sizing", "sizing" seems to be some fluid that will be sprayed on the hanging shirt. But as far as I know, "sizing" means an action of changing the size of something. Thanks!


What's a good word for a "line of ink spread sideways"?

I want to know correct word for a "line of ink spread sideways."


How to phrase topic sentence

I am writing an essay on why time travel is actually possible; i.e. actually has a chance of happening in the future. I don't know what my topic sentence should be. "Time travel is possible" doesn't sound strong Would something like "Time travel has a significant probability of occuring in the future" be okay? I need it to sound strong.


Cadaver/corpse/body for a dead human body

Currently listening to the audio book "Digital Fortress", I came across the word "cadaver" in reference to a dead human body for the first time. Somehow it struck me as a degrading way of referring to it. So I started wondering what governs the choice of the three words _body_ , _cadaver_ and _corpse_ (and potentially _stiff_ and _lich_ ) for a **dead human body**. I.e. would _cadaver_ carry a more formal or medically correct connotation compared to _body_ or _corpse_?


Difference between "understand" and "comprehend"

Is there a difference in the meaning or the usage of the verbs _understand_ and _comprehend_? Which one would fit best in the following sentence? > In order to speak and **understand/comprehend** a language, there has to be > a representation of the words.


Alternative adverb to "sectarianly"

Is _sectarianly_ an acceptable adverb in the following sentence? > Northern Ireland is a **sectarianly** charged area of the world. If not what can be used as an alternative adverb? The word _sectarianly_ is not listed at www.merriam-webster.com but mentioned at dictionary.com as a link to _sectarian_. In addition, the British National Corpus does not seem to have any results for it.


What is the origin of "slam-bang"?

What is the origin of _slam-bang_? > I walked slam-bang into this character.


What is another way to say "working on"?

I don't want to repeat "working" in the following sentence: > We are working on a working arrangement.


Can one "go against" an objection?

There were a few examples on google, but very limited and mostly blogs and the like. I'm thinking that words like "ignore" tend to be used with "objections." But is there a word like "defy" that can be used with "objections"? "Go against" is the best I can think of, but it really just doesn't sound quite right to me.


Can you distinguish the permission to do something from the license, an official document?

According to the dictionary, licence/license refers to an official document which proves you are permitted to do something. What, then, is the word for the permission itself? I'm from Korea, and in Korean the document and the permission are two different things; that is, the formal permission by the authorities is called 면허, and the document is called 면허증.


Is there a grammatical error in the following sentence?

The monthly rent shall be enhanced up to 10% every year The monthly rent shall be enhanced by 10% every year Note : used 'up to' instead of 'by' in above sentence.


What is a word that describes both adding and editing data?

Often when making websites, I will create an HTML form object that I will use in two places: once on a page that allows a user to add a new object, and once on a page that allows a user to edit existing objects. What is a word that describes such a form? It isn't so much a management form, since managing implies that the object is already created. It isn't a creation form, since that implies we are only making new ones. More generally, it's common to have a workflow capable of adding new data and editing existing data. Is there a common English word or phrase to describe such workflows clearly?


Is there a single word for "taking (or take) one for the team"?

Is there a single word that sums up "taking one for the team"? In this instance specifically doing work alone that would normally be done by a small group, so that others can rest.   * Loyalty   * Dedication   * Integrity   * Sacrifice all seem to (me to) be sub-par.


What does “LFS” mean in “Charles Dickens wrote about his own LFS”?

In association with my question about the meaning of “found-in-a-cabbage-patch look” in the Time magazine’s article, “Playing Favorites,” there was an episode that Charles Dickens experienced a bitter humiliation from his parents’ favoritism to his older sister when he was young. It reads: > “Charles Dickens wrote poignantly about his own LFS, which he experienced > most accurately during a period in which his family had only enough money to > send his older sister to school while he worked in a boot blacking factory. > Even as a highly celebrated adult, he never fully got past the experience.” What does LFS stand for? Does it mean some traumatic syndrome? I checked the definition of LFS on Google. There were so many definitions of acronyms of LFS that I was unable to close in on the pertinent definition.


He admitted that it took... Or, He admitted having it

Consider the following example: A man wrote a book in 2 days. He admits it. Should I say:   1. "He admitted that it took him 2 days to write the book"   2. "He admitted that it had taken him 2 days to write the book"   3. "He admitted having it taken 2 days to write the book"


What's the difference between "lingo" and "jargon"?

To what extent, if any, do _lingo_ and _jargon_ differ?


"No problem" or "no problems"?

I study English and I ran into a problem. What version is correct:   "no problem" or "no problems"? P.S. Is "ran into a problem" correct?   P.P.S. Is version correct word for this situation? May be "variant"?


Can "casted" be the past tense of "cast"?

'The Hindu,' an Indian daily, reports: > Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitely _casted_ his vote at > Chimanbhai Patel Institute opposite Karnavati club. Does the verb _cast_ has a form as _casted_?


A more formal word for "tech-savvy", relating to IT technologists in particular

Good morning. I'm struggling with formalizing this sentence: > Online password managers are popular among _tech-savvies_. This is too casual--I would like a better word for _tech-savvies_ , preferably describing someone knowledgeable about IT/computers, i.e. a _power user_ of sorts.


"tabloid" or "tabloid newpsaper"?

Is it considered informal to refer to tabloid and broadsheet newspapers as a "tabloid" and "broadsheet", as opposed to "tabloid newspaper" and "broadsheet newspaper"? I'm writing a piece in the style of a broadsheet editorial for my coursework, and trying to save words, but I still need to write within genre and want to know if "tabloid" or "broadsheet" on its own sounds too colloquial for a broadsheet publication.


The logic behind "better safe than sorry"

It struck me that the phrase "better safe than sorry" is somewhat illogical, or perhaps more accurately, it is _so_ logical and obvious that it seems to carry no meaning at all. My problem with this phrase is that is compares two things (being safe, and being sorry), one of which is obviously good, while the other is obviously bad. Clearly, being safe is better than the "base state", which in turn is better than being sorry. This is in contrast with another common phrase "prevention is better than cure", in which both prevention and cure presumably carry some cost, and the costs are compared in a very logical manner. Could someone please explain why "better safe than sorry" makes sense? (assuming that it does)


___, ___, and I am/are…

What is the proper way of saying: "Jim, John, and I am going to the beach." Whenever I say "Jim, John, and I are going somewhere", I stumble over "I are going". Should it be "am" or "are", or should the "I" come first, or should it be "me". When reading everyday messages, I usually see people write "Me, Jim, and John are going somewhere", avoiding the stumble, but that doesn't seem correct at all.


Adjectives with Latin etymology when noun has non-Latin etymology

As a non-native English speaker, I always wondered why, for example, you say _moon_ , but then you say _lunar_ (same goes for _side_ and _lateral_ , _hand_ and _manual_ and so forth): in some cases, the noun is not the base of the adjective, which derives from the Latin root instead. What is the reason for this phenomenon?


Meaning of 'All doubtless nourish the soul, but not all fatten the wallet'

I was going through an article on The Economist about returns of higher education and comparison of returns of various fields of study when I encoutered aforementioned phrase. It was quoted in the context of comparing the returns from liberal arts and humanities to those from engineering degrees. Can somebody explain what it means? I get the 'fatten the wallet' part, but what is meant by the first part of the phrase?


What is the correct pronunciation and spelling of "asterisk"?

Every now and then I get caught out by a spellchecker around the word _asterisk_. I can accept that this is the correct spelling, however I hear a lot of people pronouncing it as _asterix_ also. Is it just me and this is a gradual changing of the word and most people are doing it or am I hearing things because I make the mistake myself? Is the popularity of Asterix the Gaul responsible for this mispronunciation and spelling or is it due to natural changes that happen in any language?


Are there any tools for finding words that commonly modify other words?

For example, the most common modifiers for the word "car" might be "used", "stolen" and "rented". I think this could be a very useful tool when you are writing and you are looking for a particular word, but you can't remember what it is. A web tool would be ideal, but that's not necessary


Can a number be given the attribute 'physical'?

This question initially arose while translating a technical document from German. The original text was 'physikalische Heizzonenummer', literally 'physical heating-zone-number'. My immediate reaction was to think of heating zones which are numbered 1 to n but which can be addressed in other 'logical' ways. However, the German does seem to mean that the number itself is 'physical'. For me, a number is a concept and cannot be physical (except for those digits you can screw on to your front door). You can have a group of physical apples or heating zones but a number allocated to each one is surely in itself not physical itself. Am I wrong here? Perhaps the original German is a bit clumsy and imprecise but it just set me wondering about the concept of numbers. I would be interested to hear other opinions :-)


Why does the gorilla weigh exactly 800 pounds?

It is common in American English to refer to a powerful person or organization as an _800 pound gorilla_. The expression makes sense -- a gorilla of that size would certainly be intimidating -- but what's so special about the number 800? Seaching " _n_ lb gorilla" on Google for various values of _n_ results in many more hits when _n_ = 800 than when _n_ is any other quantity. Also, the Google Ngram Viewer finds notable occurrences of the phrase "800 pound gorilla" in texts starting around the late 1970s; other sized gorillas don't seem to be mentioned at all. The Wikipedia entry for the idiom claims that the phrase is rooted in a riddle ("Where does an 800lb gorilla sleep?") but that's just passing the buck. A 700lb or 900lb gorilla would be equally entitled to sleep wherever he wants to. Interestingly, the Wikipedia entry for Gorilla states that the average male gorilla weighs about 400lb, occasionally reaching 500lb in the wild. Only obese gorillas in captivity have attained weights of 600lb. So the number doesn't even seem to be related to gorilla biology (except that it is safely larger than any known gorilla, save King Kong). **Given that it's an arbitrary figure, is there any reason the number 800 would be more popular than any other?** More generally, is there any relevant research into why some numbers would be more popular or pleasing than other in contexts like this?