“Are” Vs “Is” in the following sentences

I'm confused what verb would concord in the following couple of sentences: > The number of students and the number of teachers **are/is** decreasing day > by day in the school. > > Either a number of teachers or a number of students **is/are** participating > in the college's festival. According to my understanding _the number of_ is always followed by a singular verb even two _the number of_ are joined with _and_. Also, _a number is_ always followed by a plural verb. So I think the former will take _is_ while the latter concord with _are._ But I'm not sure.


Word for a moment in time defined with beginning and end?

This is for a database system where people have predefined time spans that are defined with a beginning and an end point in time (like 2014-04-11 22:15 UTC until 2014-05-22 18:22 UTC). I don't find a decent term for that. The best I could come up so far is "time frame".


"increase", singular or plural?

In the following sentence: > Furthermore, the tools require intensity data provided by an external > software which, along with possible file conversion, _increases_ the total > execution time. Should _increase(s)_ be singular or plural?


Is it common to use "between" with the preposition "to"?

Is it natural to say the following: > There is going to be no office hours between 12:00 _to_ 13:00. I got this in an email and the use of _to_ seems a bit awkward to me. I think of two better alternatives: either change _between_ to _from_ or _to_ to _and_. What do you think?


Express a phrase as compound

I need to express this phrase as a short compound to be used as programming variable name (this phrase is in the context of a software user interface): > the block showing current chatters I have the following options:   1. Current Chatter Block   2. Current Chatters' Block Which option would carry better sense? Option 1 is shorter but it doesn't seem to carry the correct meaning as the block contains a list of multiple chatter names, not just only 1 chatter name. However, the second option when written as variable name, it would be: Current_Chatters_Block, this comes without the apostrophe, does it look ok?


How is this not a run-on sentence?

> Although short sentences tend to be dismissed as amateur or juvenile, there > are times when short sentences work well, _when a work can even demand such > a style._ I come across sentences like this often and I'm not sure how the italicized bit above is added to the sentence. Isn't it a run-on sentence?


Is this grammatical?

Look at the following sentences. > If I had have had to have, having had have previously had, it wouldn't be so > difficult. But since I have not had to have, not previously having had, it > will be difficult. Are they grammatical?   Can you think how that would be represented using contractions?


"You'll find that..."

I was in a chat discussing the translation of our project and one of the developers made a joke: > You'll find that the Commonwealth spelling [of "member"] is "membre" :) This is not the first time I've heard the phrase "You'll find that...". What is it supposed to mean and where does it come from?


Correct word choice for "get a new subset from set"

I am trying to choose a title. I have a big data set and I will get subsets of this data set using statistical techniques (random sampling etc.). Which one of the following is correct? If more than one is suitable, is there a nuance between them?   * create subset data sets   * construct subset data sets   * get new subset data set I am not a native speaker; therefore if all of them are wrong, I am open to suggestions.


What is a word for a place to study and rest?

My father wants to name our house as a place to study and rest. Is there any single short word which means this. Any suggestion are welcome.


What does "mechanical" mean here?

The definition of _fasteners_ as stated from Wikipedia is: > a hardware device that mechanically joins or affixes two or more objects > together. Is the definition of _mechanical_ here sense 10 from Dictionary.com? I was confused because I figured the use of fasteners doesn't necessarily require machinery so if it's not the definitions related to machinery then it must mean the physical forces that you apply to the fastener when used to join things together? ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/Q4kML.png)


Is there a word that means "full of spiders"?

I'm just wondering if there exists such a word that means "full of spiders"?


Difference between "hypnotic" and "hypnotizing"

Is there a difference between _hypnotic_ and _hypnotizing_? I believe they are synonyms but I think of _hypnotic_ as being more metaphorical, and _hypnotizing_ as being used, at least sometimes, as a clinical (or at least factual, non-metaphorical) term.


Double acronym: acronyms that stand for two things simultaneously

I am looking for a term that describes an acronym that has two possible expansions, but both expansions refer to the same thing. The term "double acronym" doesn't appear to be widely used and is confusing. Some examples: In human-computer interaction, there is a single tool called CPM-GOMS, where the CPM stands for both "cognitive, perceptual, motor" and "critical path method". Additionally, a popular cognitive modeling tool called ACT has both "Atomic Components of Thought" and "Adaptive Character of Thought" as its meanings. In both cases, these are not two distinct tools that coincidentally share the same acronym. They are acronyms that purposefully have two distinct expansions that refer to the same tool. The usage might also apply to companies who have changed the words in their acronym while keeping the original initialism, such as:   * Marvel's SHIELD   * the programming language PHP   * the chain store TCBY   * the college exam SAT However in these cases one expansion is clearly non-standard. There are also unofficial acronyms, such as DVD, which appears to be used equally as "digital video disc" and "digital versatile disc", despite that neither is standard. It may also apply to translations in which the initialism is preserved, such as the car company BMW which stands for Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, but is often written as Bavarian Motor Works. There is no wikipedia for "double acronym" and < 6,500 google results for the same search term. Is there a standard term for this usage that I am not aware of? If not, what short phrasing could be best used to describe this usage? Note I am primarily interested in a phrase that captures the first usage (e.g. CPM and ACT).


How to properly identify adverbial modifiers?

![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/zQMkG.jpg) I do not fully understand what they mean by structure of the adverbial modifier or type. Does 'type' mean the question it answers i.e. where, when, how? Below I listed the adverbial modifiers which I think qualify as adverbial modifiers, but I am not 100% sure and am confused. Any help to understand these is appreciated. Thank you               1. hard - How?      2. every morning from ten till two - When?     3.     4.     5. well - how? , like a child - how?, be bellowed with laughter - how?     6. on one leg - how?      7.     8.


is 'on submit ' grammatically correct?

Can we use **_on submit_** in the meaning of **_after validation_** ? > On submit value a notification will be displayed


Is there a term for speaking English with a foreign accent to make it easier for foreigners to understand?

I was just recalling Joey Barton's interview with the French media in which he speaks with a French accent, seemingly to make it easier for his audience to understand. As humourous as it may be, is there a term for this?


It never rains but it pours

This popular saying meaning: When troubles come they come together, (especially if you are unfortunate). has a clear negative connotation. I am looking for a saying or expression that convey just the opposite idea, sort of " lucky things happen continually to lucky people".


What is the difference between "X is needed" and "X is necessary"?

Do the following two sentences mean the same? > A: If you improve the quality of your data, less data is **needed** to > achieve an error rate of 30%. > > B: If you improve the quality of your data, less data is **necessary** to > achieve an error rate of 30%. What are the differences of those two words (especially in the two senteces above)?


"Sharing of knowledge" vs. "knowledge sharing"

As the title of a scoping document for a major project, which is better? >   * Delivering mutual benefit through sharing of knowledge >   * Delivering mutual benefit through knowledge sharing > Is either version better structured than the other?


How do you pronounce "what did you" in "So what did you dream about?" and other similar questions?

> **Tina** : I had a strange dream last night.   >  **Jack** : Well, dreams are always strange. I've never had an absolutely > "normal" dream. So what did you dream about?   >  **Tina** : I dreamed about a skyscraper devouring a small "Starbucks". How would you pronounce "So what did you dream about?" here? I am especially interested about the _did you_ part. Is it like _di you_ or _d'you_ or what? (In case my example is poor, please think of any question then that would start with "So what did you…"—the most important thing for me is that this question must not be simply one separate question, but should rather be a part of someone's dialogue line—it should therefore be pronounced quicker than if it were just a question on its own.)


Salt tastes salty then water tastes ....?

I want to know what word should I use to describe the taste of water. I always say it tastes nothing to mean that it does not have taste, not sweet, not salty, not spicy, and not sour.


What is the formal way of saying "You have got something wrong"?

Let's say that I am working with my manager; he made some mistake which I have identified, and I want to point that out to him. So is there any polite way of saying "You have got it wrong."? (By the way is the tense right in the question? I mean should it be > he has made a mistake which I would like to point out. or > he made a mistake which I would like to point out.)


"Worse comes to worst" or "worst comes to worst"

Which is correct: _worse comes to worst_ or _worst comes to worst_? The former seems more logical but the latter is what appears in _Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary_.


Difference between "abase" and "abash"

It seems as if both words mean _to humiliate and degrade_?


What do 'media hog' and 'sweet baby' mean, how offensive are they?

I happen to see the following three episodes in today’s Washington Post, all of which seem to me related to derogative usage of words or actions:   1. The Navy is expected to relieve Capt. Owen Owen Honors as commander of the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise as a part of an investigation into a series of videos made by Honors that use anti-gay slurs and mimic masturbation.   2. Despite the fancy sounding name, the Oversight and Government Reform Committee has almost zero legislative authority. All they can do is hold hearings. While most members of Congress have no interest in being on the committee, it seems to be a dream post for media hogs like Issa and Joe Lieberman.   3. ESPN host calls reporter 'sweet baby': ESPN, the sports network where male announcers have repeatedly faced disciplinary action in high-profile episodes of sexist behavior, has benched yet another host for his remarks to a female colleague.  Although Quote 1. is self-explanatory, what does ‘media hog’ of Quote 2. mean? Does it mean “those who wish to stand out in media exposure? How derogatory the word is? What kind of connotation “sweet baby “in Quote 3 have in this particular case? How offensive is it? I’m afraid my questions are insensible, but it is difficult for non native English speaker like me to fathom exact degree of destructiveness of derogative English words.


Referring to X (plural) units of Y as an "it"

I am reading _The White Spider_ , a book on mountain climbing, and I got hung up on this passage which sounded wrong, although I can see why it isn't... > Herman couldn't be expected to hear him in that raging tempest; nor could he > have come down a hundred feet of hard-won ground again, after such a > struggle to climb **them**." "Them" is agreeing with "a hundred feet" in this sentence, but would it be wrong to replace "them" with "it" because 100 feet represents a unit of distance more than it does individual feet? Or would "it" be preferable on the grounds that the entire noun phrase "a hundred feet of hard-won ground" should be considered the unit? Or is it simply correct as is? The reason it stands out to me is because I commonly hear runners in conversations where the following is said: > "How far did you run today?" > > "I ran about 20 miles." > > "How long did it take you to run _it_?" > > "About three hours." In this case, 20 miles represents "the run," a single event taking three hours. The 100-foot descent seems more meaningful as a unit and not a collection of feet. On the contrary, I would never use this logic if I were talking about eating sausage links at dinner. > "I ate nine sausage links." > > "How long did it take you to eat them?" Is it just lazy English to mistake the numerical agreement, or does it come down to the way we contextualize units? The post script is that the book, _The White Spider_ is translated from German.


Is "obscure" autological?

I remember that I had a question similar to this a long time ago (when I was in elementary school, I think), and it popped up in my head again today. Is the word "obscure" obscure itself?


Is "gilded" usually associated with gold as an element or as a colour?

I know that _gilded_ means > covered or highlighted with gold or something of a golden color So it can be associated both with gold as a chemical element or just the colour. Some situations might give away which of these interpretations is the correct one (e.g. a gilded car is hardly covered in gold), but what about ambiguous ones (e.g. gilded earrings)? **When you read _gilded_ in a sentence without further specifications, do you think about an item covered in real gold or just painted in such colour?** I'm looking for a "standard" interpretation (if there is one) on the matter, but also personal opinions, if properly supported, are accepted.


In which way is /dɑːtə/ more formal than /deɪtə/?

Wiktionary lists two different UK pronunciations of data: >   * /deɪtə/ (UK, US) > >   * /dɑːtə/ (Australia, UK formal) > > Under what kind of circumstances would the /ɑː/ sound be used? Which pronunciation is considered RP?


Can I say "great move" to mean "good job"?

Can you use the phrase: "great move" instead of the phrase "good job" or vice versa? Are "good job" and "good work" similar phrases?


"He" / "she" vs. "it" regarding beloved objects

Is that normal to regard a beloved object (an animal, a car, a book) as he/she? If yes, what gender should be used in this case? One comment in this question touched the tendency to humanize things we love, but it was never upvoted properly, so I decided to ask a it as question. I'm Russian and here gender really matters. In Russia calling my friend's dog as "it" may sound as insult. And calling a dog, which is of a male gender, "she" is a mistake. BTW, in Russian "England" is a "she". And "United Kingdom" is an "it" :)


expect, anticipate , or look forword to life

I want to express a sentence "expecting your life" It's the feeling you eagerly want to see your lover and can't wait.   It's the feeling you get up happily because you know that something will make you happy today.   It' the feeling you live full of curiosity and great mood. Which word should I choose?   expect, anticipate , or look forword to ? Or is there anonther word or sentence get close to these feeling??   Thank you


In the classic old cowboy song, "I Ride an Old Paint", what are the meanings of the terms, "fiery" and "snuffy"?

In the classic old cowboy song, "I Ride an Old Paint", what are the meanings of the terms _fiery_ and _snuffy_ , in the chorus? > Ride around little dogies, ride around them slow / For the fiery and snuffy > are rarin' to go


What is the difference between American and British pronunciations of "world" and "girl"?

I can definitely hear a distinct difference but I am not sure if it is from the long vowel or from the "r".


Is there a single word to mean "rate of procrastination"?

Take the following contrived sentence: > Our staff's productivity has doubled since we upgraded their computers. And now this one: > Our staff's _[rate of procrastination]_ has doubled since we gave them new > smart phones. **Is there a single word to fit within the italicised section of the second sentence?** As you can see I initially was looking for some sort of form of the word "procrastinate", but "procrastination" doesn't sound like it fits properly on its own (does it?), and I don't think the word has a valid form that is equivalent to "productivity", by which I mean that: your _productivity_ is a measure how much you _produce_ , while _[what?]_ is a measure of how much you _procrastinate_.


Meaning of "cross"?

> There is a related group of drugs known as cephalosporins that exhibit a 6% > **cross** sensitivity reaction to penicillin allergy sufferers. What's the meaning of _cross_ in this sentence?   Is _sensitivity reaction_ used to mean _allergy_?


What do these confusing lyrics mean?

What does the phrase, > "I need to be with myself and center..." mean? It's part of the lyrics of Fergie's _Big Girls Don't Cry_.


Synonym for "aforementioned" without the past-tense connotation

Is there a word that can be used when discussing something and wanting to refer to it in the manner of "the aforementioned", but without the temporal aspect making it sound like you've moved on and are referring back to it? The item under discussion is the _current_ matter-at-hand and I'd like a word with the feel of "aforementioned", but the present-tense of "matter-at-hand" or "current subject matter". For example, when discussing someone's statement/idea/syllogism, I don't want to say so-and-so's aforementioned statement, because it's the current subject matter that we're presently discussing.


What are the grammatical rules for use of "these", "those", and "them"?

> I am unclear of the use of [these|those] objects. I am unsure when to use > [these|those|them]. Please someone help me tell me which is correct in the previous sentences. This is not a dupe of What's the difference between "these" and "those"?


How do you Spell: Smused? Smoosed?

How do you Spell: Smused, Smoosed? As in: "Bill Smused the clients. Warming them up for the spiel from marketing."


single word which i can use to describe all objects we use in a day such as car, cups , backpack

I need to explain that a boy cannot identify daily routine stuff such as cups, cars, or plates. I need a single word which I can put which signifies these items.


What does “cocktail chatter wisdom” mean?

Jennifer Rubin’s article titled “Did the South win Pickett’s charge, Sen. Cruz?” in the Washington Post (July 30) begins with the following sentence: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2013/07/30/did-the-south- win-picketts-charge-sen-cruz/ > “Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) isn’t about to let history stand in the way of a > self-destructive fight. In support of his brainstorm to shut down the > government over Obamacare funding, he declared: “The sort of **cocktail > chatter wisdom** in Washington that, ‘Oh, the [1995-1996] shutdown was a > political disaster for Republicans,’ is not borne out by the data.” Ngram shows emergence of the usage of ‘cocktail chatter’ in mid 1930 followed by a sharp rise of its currency then after. Though I surmise “cocktail chatter wisdom” implies a rash or still-not-refined idea / plans hatched through conversation during a cocktail party, what does it exactly mean? Is it something like the idea or hint coming up from what we call 井戸端会議 - water-fountain-side conference in Japanese? Is ‘cocktail chatter wisdom (idea, plan)” a popular phrase? Can I reject it when someone brings up a half-boiled or unrealistic idea, by saying “Your idea is a sort of cocktail chatter wisdom - no back up."?


What does it mean?

"Thou hast been smitten?" https://www.google.nl/search?q=What+does+Thou+hast+been+smitten+mean%3F Doesn't deliver real results.


What is a term for the hierarchical relationship between parent and child configuration options in software?

Frequently we see configuration options with a hierarchical structure, often shown in a tree view. When enabling a parent option, all of the child options are enabled. When disabling the parent option, all of the child options are disabled. A user may be able to enable a subset of child options without "fully" enabling the parent option. I am writing instructions/documentation and would like to explain this behavior in a simple, concise manner. > "Enabling or disabling the parent option, by `__________`, enables or > disables all child options as well." I've thought of "by design," "by association;" but neither of these express my meaning as intended. What would be an appropriate word to use here, or a proposed rewrite of the statement to accomplish my goal?


"The last movie I played" vs "the movie I played last"

On a chat channel today I was reading two people talk about some of the more popular movie formats and movie players available. One of the interlocutors said something that got me thinking. I will cut quick to my question. Is there a semantic difference between the following two phrases: > ... the last movie I played ... and > ... the movie I played last ... To my non-native English ears and eyes, I fail to see a difference. But reading these two phrases again and again makes me uneasy. The more I read them, the more I feel that the first phrase gives off a whiff that would suggest that the speaker/writer does not watch movies very often, while the latter would identify someone who watches movies all the time. What do you folks think?


Rule for questions like "Or is it?"

I just saw two sentences like > Doing this is right. Or is it? To me it looks like the first sentence rephrases a common belief while the second announces the belief to be proved wrong later. Am I right? The strange thing about this construction is that both sentences are positive. Logically I'd expect the question to be something like "Or maybe is it wrong at the end?" - this way it could be expressed e.g. in German. Is there an explanations while the English construction goes "the other way round"? * * * OK, it's metanoia, but I'm still stuck with the exact phrasing. Nowhere I've seen this form. Would a phrase like > Doing this is right. Or isn't it? be correct as well and mean the same?


How do I interpret "emissions of car operated over" in this sentence?

I was trying to answer a question on _skeptics.stackexchange.com_ , where we found this paragraph in a scientific report: > This compares to 1,374 tons per day statewide for passenger cars. While > reductions from gasoline SI marine engines are not included in California’s > SIP as a planned measure for meeting attainment goals, the impact of > outboard and personal watercraft engines on the state’s total emissions > inventory makes control of this category of emissions necessary. Table 1 > lists the relative contribution of outboard and personal watercraft exhaust > emissions in California in tons per day. **As a comparison to other sources, > the exhaust emissions from two hours of personal watercraft operation is > equivalent to the emissions from a 1998 passenger car operated over 100,000 > miles.** The sentence in bold created a lot of confusion, since Stienstra (1998) wrote an article, cited the report and paraphrased it like this: > **The state Air Resources Board is also considering taking statewide action > against personal watercraft, after a staff report said that two hours of > exhaust emissions from a Jet Ski is equivalent to the emissions created by > driving a 1998 automobile 100,000 miles.** While users in _skeptics.stackexchange.com_ interpreted as: > **Two hours of use of a jet-ski produces the same pollution as two hours of > driving a 1998 car with 100,000 miles on the clock. (And not driving a > 100,000 miles with that car).** Another user here found another interpretation: > **All the watercrafts operating in California together produce in 2 hours > the same pollution as one car driven 100,000 km.** Is Stienstra (1998)'s interpretation the intended meaning and why? Could we be 100% sure? * * * Stienstra, T. (1998, Jul 08). U.S. park service seeks ban on jet skis 950 square miles of bay area waters would be affected. San Francisco Examiner. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/270486538?accountid=8555


If a word has two different meanings, is it two different words or one word with different meanings?

My brother and sister-in-law are arguing about whether "train" meaning locomotive and "train" meaning teach constitutes one word with two different meanings or if it's two different words. I said that the etymology appears to be the same, so it would be one word with two different meanings ... but the more I think about it, the less sure I am that this is correct. One's a noun, the other is a verb, so ... does that make it two different words? Help!


"extension of" or "extension to"?

What is better English:   * "We describe some extensions **to** the basic model" or   * "We describe some extensions **of** the basic model"? In a Google search, I found both of them, so maybe both are legal in different contexts?


Is "raises question marks over" a correct and common phrase?

Is a sentence like > Dynamic method invocation raises question marks over the way existing > instances should be handled. correct in a technical paper (computer science)? (I think it is in the _Economist_ data base, so it should be correct.) I guess _raises questions over the way_ is just a lot more common. If it is correct, is this only common in British English or is it also common in American English? (By the way, I am not a native speaker.)


Comma in "still is, and will always remain"

> Manchester United **still is and will always** remain a force despite these > setbacks. Do I need a comma after _is_ here? I personally don't think so but would like to be sure.


Independent and Collaborative

I am trying to formulate the following sentence: > The general framework is composed of two independent and collaborative > modules What I mean is that the two modules work independently but their end result is used in common to make a decision. I find that this sentence is really contradicting itself. How can I make it more understandable?


What alternatives are there to 'de-facto?'

I'm looking to describe something that people use for no particular reason, other than that other people use it. It is popular because it is popular. _De-facto_ seemed like a good fit at first, but my friend pointed out that it sounds haughty. Are there any synonyms that effectively communicate the "in practice" concept?


Is “non-view” versus view a received English word?

I found the phrase, “ _views and non-views_ ” in the following sentence of the New Yorker article (October 15) titled “Are Debates Good for Republican,” which was written by its senior editor, Amy Davidson on recent Republican candidate debates live telecasted from Las Vegas: > The wheel (of Republican candidates debates) always seems to have stopped > and settled on Mitt Romney; and then it is spinning again, along with our > heads, and we are watching videos of Herman Cain in a white robe singing a > song about pizza that seems taken from the last episode of “Lost.” The song > has the virtue of being less discordant than Cain’s _foreign-policy views, > or non-views_ , but only barely. I think " _non-view_ " is used as an antithesis to “ _view_ ,” and I guess it means absence of a solid view. However, when I tried to get clearer idea of “non-view” from dictionaries, no dictionary including Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster and other online dictionaries carries the word, “non-view(s)". Are “non-view(s)" and “views and non-views” well-received English word and phrase? Does "non-views" stand alone without "views"? I know “non” as a prefex to be used as in nonbank, non-stop, non-politic, but feel somewhat odd when it comes out as “non-views” just like "non-comment" and "non-answer" as against "no comments" and "no answer." Why the writer doesn’t plainly say “Cain’s foreign-policy views or lack (or absence) of views”?


"Game server" or "games server"

This question can seem trivial but I'm not a native English speaker. I'm hosting a server which hosts games and I was wondering: is it called a _game server_ or a _games server_?


Is there a term for a self-fulfilling sentence?

I am wondering if there is a term for sentences that describe what the sentence accomplishes. For example, the phrase "I'm warning you." The sentence simultaneously does the warning and says it is warning.


Is it correct to say "…battle between x versus y"?

Today I heard someone on television say this: > In the battle between x _versus_ y, x won. Is this correct? In my opinion, this would sound better/be more correct: > In the battle between x _and_ y, x won. What should have been said?


Is 'Sold Count' a good term

I am writing a technical document, and in it I want to refer to **the number of units sold for each product**. I want to make it concise, and 'sold count' comes to mind. Does this term sound right? Are there better alternatives?


What is a word for someone who wants to preserve others' cultures?

I'm searching for the word for someone who believes in the preservation of other people's cultures. Does anyone know of a good word for this? I don't think "anthropologist" is a good word, as that indicates the study of the cultures, but people can have this belief without studying them.


The right word for someone with a higher rank in military

What is a general word for someone in the military who has a higher rank than someone or a group of people ? For example someone can be a commander or captain, etc, but when an officer wants to generally address that person and does not know what exactly that person's rank is, what can he/she say ? like "he is my ...."


What's the correct grammatical term for clauses expressing the goal or a target of an action expressed in the main clause? For example: Jack gave me his cell phone so that **I could call my Mom**. Dad was telling me this story so that **I didn't fall asleep**. **To keep flowers growing** , florists water them every day.


"I live on beans and rice" vs. "I live off beans and rice"

I wanted to refocus a related question on ell.se. towards a possible deeper and direct relationship to "on vs. off". Consider the following two phrases:   * I live off beans and rice. (Approx 94,000 results Google Search)    * I live on beans and rice. (Approx 67,000 results Google Search) In addition to the subtle difference in meaning, I'm particularly interested in where the semantics of the differences might come from. Can we trace the semantic difference between "live on" and "live off" to a fundamental, "definitional" aspect of "on vs. off"? * * * _Below, I've answered my own question as an afterthought. It was additional thoughts that needed to be moved to an answer, and is in no way intended to be definitive._


Is “a glut of” well-established idiom, or simple combination of “glut” and the subsequent word?

Recently I often came across the phrase, _“a glut of_ ” as such “ _a glut of_ heroine and denial” (Reuters), “ _a glut of_ hiring alternative” (Business Week), and “ _a glut of_ foreclosed homes” (New York Times - May 23) in the following sentence: “The nation's biggest banks and mortgage lenders have amassed _a glut of_ foreclosed homes that threatens to deepen the housing slump” As far as I consulted English Japanese dictionaries at hand, none of them lists “ _a glut of_ ” as an idiom akin to “a lot of.” So I checked the definition of “glut” in Cambridge Dictionary Online, it simply says “a supply of something that is much greater than can be sold or is needed or wanted” but doesn’t show any reference to “a glut of.” Is “ _a glut of_ ” well-established idiom meaning abundance or excess, or simple combination of “glut” and the subsequent word?


What is a word that means "belief in the good nature of humankind"?

I am looking for one word that is explained as "the belief in the good nature of humankind". It is not _philanthropy_ or _humanitarianism_ ; rather, I am looking for one word to describe one's belief in philanthropists.


Word for a belief in extra-terrestrial rights

Looking for a word that means, " **a belief in goodness and liberty toward sentient aliens.** " The use of "humanitarian" doesn't seem to fit due to the use of "human" in it, and I am not entirely convinced that "xenotarian" is a valid word (although it might be.)


When should "literally" be used?

We all know that _literally_ is being overused currently. I want to know if _literally_ should only be used in contrast to situations which are normally figurative in common usage. For example: > It **literally** took him an hour to get here. (not a figurative expression) > > I am **literally** starving to death. (Figurative expression made literal > because the person is actually starving to death.) _Literally_ is used for the latter example, correct?


What is the difference between '..at 20 percent' and '..with 20 percent'

Consider the following two sentences: America has the highest oil consumption rate **at**...% of the world total. The Middle East has the largest oil reserves **with**...% of the world total. What is the difference between using _at_ and _with_ in those examples.


Word for a group of "like-minded" people

I know there's a word for "like-minded" people, generally used in a negative context. For example, you could say employees of the CIA are **___ _**, in that they all want to ensure the security of the nation, whatever the price/cost. I think it starts with a "c", it's on the tip of my tongue and I can't think of it. Any ideas? Just editing this a bit. Thanks everyone for your responses. It may not start with a "c" but the word "cadre" is close to what I'm looking for, but once again with a potentially more negative association.


"Both which" or "both of which"

"This can be done using the technique of Peters, and using the technique of Matthews, both which involve mathematics" Having searched _both which_ and _both of which_ in Google, it appears _both of which_ is more often used. 1) Why? 2) What does the _of_ do? 3) If the _of_ is necessary, why is it not necessary in: "This can be done using the technique of Peters, which involves mathematics"?


Would be glad to

I was writing an email and faced the following situation: > I am coming to Oxford this summer. If you _are_ still around, I _would_ be > glad to hang out with you. Now normally we don't construct the conditional statement like the one above, where a present verb is followed by _would_. But if I change the second one to _will_ it kind of becomes very direct and that's not what I want. So is the construction above still correct or should I go with something else? If it's correct, could someone explian the technical details behind it?


When can you omit the possessive on an honorific?

I was considering honorifics and I realized that sometimes we include and sometimes we omit a possessive in front of them. I was wondering if there was a formal rule for such? For example: > Your highness, the French delegation has arrived. vs. > Highness, the French delegation has arrived. Obviously, the _your_ has been omitted here (or perhaps elided). But, there are other honorifics where this is never done. For example: when addressing the mayor or a judge (in AmE), you might say "Your Honor", but you'd never say, "Honor". Rather, you'd say Mr. Mayor or Judge in those cases. Is there a rule to this, or is merely that _your_ has been elided in the above example, and it should have been written with an apostrophe: > 'Highness, the French delegation has arrived. Note: I'm deliberately ignoring the honorifics that never carry a possessive: Mr., Mrs., Dr., etc.


What does "in the space for movement thus conquered" mean?

What's the meaning of this phrase of Michel Foucault: "in the space for movement thus conquered". The full sentence: > **In the space for movement thus conquered** , and broadening and organizing > that space, methods of power and knowledge assumed responsibility for the > life processes and undertook to control and modify them.


What does "ghetto login route" mean?

Marc Gravell recently provided this answer to a question on Meta Stack Overflow: > If you try Jeff's link above, and everything reports OK but it still doesn't > work, please let me know. In the interim, there is a ghetto login route:   >  http://{some site}/users/chat-stackexchange-login > > for example:  http://stackoverflow.com/users/chat-stackexchange-login What does _ghetto login route_ mean, here?


What is the difference between "set phrase" and "catch phrase"?

What is the difference between _set phrase_ and _catch phrase_?   Do the expressions describe something without relation with each other?


What does "beggars belief" mean?

What does _beggars belief_ mean, in general and in this sentence? > It beggars belief that removing the tag was so urgent that you couldn't wait > for a response more than 40 minutes before removing it.


What do you call those man-made "wooden paths" that are usually found in mountains?

This what I'm referring to: ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/woGQO.jpg) I guess the starting section can be called wooden steps, but as it goes further, it's no longer a step but a "path." What do you call the whole structure? (I'm looking for a common-easy-to-understand term, rather than a technical one).


Does this have an indirect object?

> I met a kind person As far as I know: subject = I; met = verb; But seems like "kind person" is a direct object. Is there no indirect object?


What does a “talking-head-and-flapping-gums” sector of TV/Radio mean?

New York Times (May 6) reports that Mike Rogers (Mich.), the House Intelligence Committee Chairman decided to leave the House for a media gig as the radio host of Cumulus under the title, “Radio killed the political star.” It comments: > Traditionally, when a fed-up congressman decided to step aside, it was for a > more sober, public-minded and highly respected pursuit, like lobbying. Even > when politicians have joined the **talking-head-and-flapping-gums** sector, > there is usually an intermediate step. Joe Scarborough, for instance, left > the House in 2001 and practiced law for a few years before winding up at > MSNBC. Now his **breakfast nook** of a broadcast, “Morning Joe" is a far > more potent brand than he ever was as just one of 435 members of the U.S. > Congress. > > http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/11/magazine/radio-killed-the-political- > star.html?hp&_r=0 What does “talking-head-and-flapping-gums” mean? Additionally, what does “breakfast nook” mean? Is it a “morning variety” slot?


What does Twain mean by "tares" in the last sentence in a letter to Walt Whitman?

I know the dictionary answer is vetch, an alfalfa-like plant. Is he making a comparison between "wheat" and "tares?" I realize this sounds like a homework question, but I'm over 60, and maybe a little nerdy. > We have among us 600 years, good & sound, left in the bank of life. Take 30 > of them—the richest birth-day gift ever offered to poet in this world—& sit > down & wait. Wait till you see that great figure appear, & catch the far > glint of the sun upon his banner; then you may depart satisfied, as knowing > you have seen him for whom the earth was made, & _that he will proclaim that > human wheat is worth more than human **tares_** , & proceed to organize > human values on that basis. Mark Twain to Walt Whitman on the occasion of Whitman's 70th birthday, May 24, 1889


What is a polite substitute for badass (used as a noun)?

Badass and BAMF are both modern words with approximately the same meaning: "Someone who is awesome to an extreme level, thereby leveraging unquestionable authority." Is there another noun or title that would convey the same level of awe, admiration and toughness that calling someone a badass does, without the vulgarity? Thanks for any help. :)


Is it correct "Will ask more questions if needed required"?

I wrote in a mail > Hi ABC, > > Thanks for providing helpful information. Will ask more questions if needed > required. Is this statement correct? Please help


How to convert this sentence to passive form?

Sentence: `The manufacturer promises to repair or replace the product if necessary within warranty period` I want to convert the above sentence into passive: sentence 1: `The product was promised by the manufacturer to repair or replace if necessary within warranty period` sentence 2: `The product was promised to be repaired or replaced if necessary within warranty period by the manufacturer` i feel like the sentence 2 is the right one, but that is my feeling as I am not sure. For the sentence 1, I only changed `promise` to passive form while I changed both `promise` & `repair` & `replace` into passive form. So, can you tell me what is the right way to change the above sentence to passive form?


Is "annoyed" passive?

If I say "I am annoyed", is that in the passive voice?


What does "Nothing doing as he took it right to him" mean?

I regularly read chess articles on chessbase.com and quite often I find myself struggling with the English they are using. Sometimes it just doesn't feel correct. OK, I am not a native English speaker so how can I judge... However, one sentence I have read today was just a bit too much for me and I have decided to show it here: > One would have thought Caruana would have played a containing strategy, > squeezing the life from his opponent, **but nothing doing as he took it > right to him**. It is the bold part of the sentence that confuses me. Can you please help me to understand it? I have tried Google translate but it translates into a complete nonsense.


Plural error or set phrase? -- a Games for everyone

This job ad posted by the London 2012 Organising Committee ends with the sentence: > London 2012 is a Games for everyone, so we want you to apply regardless of > your age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, faith or disability. Is "a Games" a set phrase?


Sprung or unsprung trap?

When a trap is set up to be active, is it "sprung" or "unsprung"? I'm confused by the ambiguity of the verb "spring". That is, a trap that is set up and active could be "sprung" in the sense that a spring is compressed and ready to launch, but it could also be "unsprung" in the sense that it hasn't yet sprung to action because its spring force has yet to be released. And after a victim walks into the trap and causes it to spring, the same ambiguity (in my mind) seems to apply.


Alternative of "unvalidated"

Given something in a state of not having been validated or invalidated, its validness is, as yet, unknown. Can it be said to be _unvalidated_? If not, what is the proper term?


Words describing the pat acceptance of a thought or practice simply because "that's how it's done."

I believe that several words or phrases exist to describe the practice of thinking in a certain way or performing a certain action simply because "that's how it's always been done." Another way of phrasing this thought model is "We do this because it's best," with no proof of if that thing is in actuality the best. An absence of total failure or complete disaster is often given as support for the behavior. Also, the implied circular reasoning is "It's best because we do this." Ultimately, the actions are taken because the situation has never truly been studied and the best course of action has not yet been discovered. I'm curious if there are   1. Words to describe a **_person_** who thinks or behaves in the manner above.   2. Phrases to describe the **_general thought process_** of the above manner. ## Synonyms I'll offer up my own phrase (that I only just now recalled as I typed the above paragraph):   * Cargo Cult     * Cargo Cult Programming (describing the thought process in general)     * A person could be said to be a "Cargo Cultist" or to be "Cargo Culting." ## Antonyms Some possible antonyms to this concept would be:   * Empirical / Empiricist   * Didactic (Intended to teach as opposed to the above thought "intended to be a conformed to without thought")   * Deductive (based on deduced premises)


"Who turned off the lights?"

> Who turned off the lights?   >  Who are you? Why do the words in those questions have a different order than the following questions? > Does she like ice cream?   >  Where do you live?   >  Where do you come from?   >  Where are you?


Redundancy in American Usage

Why do Americans use so much redundancy? Is it because of their schooling or their every day influence? Or is it something totally different? Examples:   * It was an even tie. (They reached the finish line together, making it a tie.)   * Other countries abroad.


Reported speech question

What would be the indirect speech form of the following sentence? > **John told Sean, "Let me help you"** (It's not a homework question, I'm preparing for my exam tomorrow. I just stumbled upon this question in a book.)


Testing software by giving the output back as input

I want to apply an integrity test to a software by giving it input which is based on its output of a previous calculation. If the new output is then again the same as the previous output, the software has passed this check. Is there an English term that describes this kind of test? Integrity test? Self-consistency test? Or more on the technicality of the test something like feedback test? EDIT: It is a scientific model fitting software, where the result is a best- fit model, and the input an observation. So I simulate an observation of the best-fit model and put that back into the fitting software. Then I want to see if the result is the same as the previous best-fit model. If the test fails, the results might e.g. 'drift-off' (if the model would be the percentage of male vs female students, feeding an observation from the last result might increase the percentage of males, and an observation of that fed back into the software might increase the percentage further). I realize from the answers and comments that this test might not have a common/well-known English name, so I might ask on statistic or software QA. **Fixed point test** seems to be the term that describes best what I'm looking for. However, some answers are clearly **not** what I was looking for: **regression testing** does not refer to giving a (modified) result back as input, but just to compare archived results with current results. **recursion** seems to apply an algorithm, not a test. Also, in recursion algorithms, the idea is mostly that the result changes over time.


What's the difference between 'addictive' and 'addicting'?

Some people use 'addicting game' and others use 'addictive drugs' - What's the proper usage?


"Free bacteria!" on mineral water bottles

When I was traveling in Vietnam 15 years ago, I had great fun discovering on mineral water bottles the proud advertisement _Free bacteria!_. Is it common in English that the position of the adjective (before or after a word) changes drastically the meaning of the sentence? I'd like to read more examples.


Can something be "exactly" and "probably"?

I was watching a breakfast show the other day and a reporter was at a museum where they had an exhibition that the lady said was: > _Exactly_ like what the scientists think the surface of Mars is probably > like Is this possible? Can something be _exactly_ like something that's probable?


Is "best" an adverb?

In the sentence below, is _best_ an adverb? If so, what does it modify, _left_ or _are_? > We’re best **left** alone.


Origin of using "clocked" to mean "noticed"

The word "clocked" can be used to mean "noticed", as in: > Bob: I'm gonna park here a minute. Did you see any traffic wardens about. > > Geoff: Actually, I **clocked** one down the road on my way up. I'm not sure how widespread this term is, but it's very common here (The Midlands, UK). I've always thought it a bit of a curious term. Can anyone suggest as to how this usage came about. It is something to do with "time" (i.e. "clocking" someone on a stopwatch)?


Correct usage of "so would" and "a priori"

Is this phrase syntactically correct? > Because X may take different forms, **_a priori so would_** Y. I am especially asking about the usage of "so would", but also about the place of "a priori". Maybe it is better to say > Because X may take different forms, **_a priori it would be the same for_** > Y.


"The" and superlative of uncountable noun — "the clearest water"?

Uncountable nouns are usually used without an article. Superlatives require definite article. What comes out of these 2 rules when superlative meets uncountable article? We need an example, I hope it is good: > This lake has clear water. > > This lake has clearest water. > > This lake has the clearest water. When I searched the web I found both "clearest water" and "the clearest water". I read on this site, that in informal speech _the_ is frequently omitted, so let's concentrate on formal speech or writing. If there is Am/Br specific it would also be interesting. Please comment on the examples and in general. Thanks.


"What/when is the right time for doing this?"

Which one of the following sounds more natural? >   * **What** is the right time for doing this? >   * **When** is the right time for doing this? > It seems like these both mean the same thing. If they convey different meanings, what is the difference?


Word meaning excess pieces of fabric

There’s a word I’m trying to recall, it means something such as “extra pieces of fabric hanging from clothing.” I believe it ends with _-gibles_ or _-gables_ , and perhaps it starts with _im-_ or _ex-_ , and it’s a noun. I’ve spent the last hour trying to figure it out.


Difference between "vague", "unclear" and "ambiguous"

What is the difference between "vague", "unclear" and "ambiguous"? All three have the same meaning to me, so when should each be used?


origin of the expression "never argue with someone who buys ink by the barrel"

What is the origin of the expression "you argue with someone who buys ink by the barrel"? I heard it on the news and I would like to know who coined the expression.


What's the correct term for horizontally and vertically on a map?

The horizontal (left-right) dimension is called longitude. The vertical (top- bottom) is called latitude. However, I'm not sure how to adjectivize and adverbize those terms. The best shot expressing the meaning I can think of is " _latitude-wise_ " for the vertical case. Here, I have two questions. Is there a more sophisticated term for that? And if not... What is the most recommended way to express the work-around of mine?   a. latitude-wise   b. latitudewise   c. latitude wise   d. latidudelly   e. lati-what-ever-else-combo-might-be-conceiveable Of course, the same wonderings go for the horizontal dimension, i.e. " _longitude-wise_ ". However, I'd be strongly surprised if it differed in principle from the vertical one.


Indenting Lettrines or Drop Caps

A lettrine or _drop cap_ is a large initial letter (usually with some illustration) at the start of a chapter in a book. In the English language, which is preferable: "lettrine" or "drop cap"? Incidentally, is it correct to indent a lettrine?


"Is idle" or "Is idling"

I'm working on an app which displays status messages, like:   * "XY is now available"   * "XY is now offline" I'm wondering which of the followings is correct:   * "XY is now idle"   * "XY is now idling"


Can I also use 'outsource' to refer to goods, not just work or service?

I know _to outsource_ is to subcontract work to another company. But for example if company A, a TV maker, wants to buy panels from a panel making company B instead of producing panels themselves, can we say: > Company A outsources panels from company B. If not, how else can we put it?


What's the meaning of "Bueller" as a joke?

Somewhere on the internet I've read about a guy ordering a coffee in the name of " _Bueller_ ". Apparently, the cashier called out that name repeatedly. I've looked up the term but it gave me no clue as to why it's so hilarious. Is that a cultural reference or a linguistic one?!


When 'business' means a 'company', how do I use the word?

_Business_ can sometimes mean _company_ or _firm_. However, can it be used in the way _company_ or _firm_ are used? For example, can I say:- >   * "He is the CEO of the business." > >   * "It's a TV business." > >   * "A business dealing with drugs." > >


Expression for "Respect them and suspect them"

There is a Hebrew expression explained here: > A common Hebrew expression is "Respect them and suspect them". We should > always act in a respectful way towards others, but that doesn't obligate us > to trust them with our property. The source of this is in a story of the > Talmudic sage Rabbi Yehoshua. A complete stranger asked to stay the night. > Rabbi Yehoshua obliged him by giving him a room in the attic, but also > exercised prudence by removing the ladder so that the guest wouldn't be able > to sneak out. The guest turned out in fact to be a thief; he wrapped all the > valuables in the top floor in a cloak and tried to sneak out, but fell in > the dark because of the missing ladder, and was caught red-handed. > (http://www.aish.com/ci/be/48918612.html) Do we have an expression in English to this effect?


Correct usage of "help" and parallelism

I want to combine "A helps B to Verb1." and "A helps C to Verb2." into one sentence. However, "A helps B Verb1." and "A helps C Verb2." are also correct sentences. ("to" can be omitted.) So, my question is: Are there any incorrect sentences among the following?     1. "A helps B to Verb1 and helps C to Verb2."   2. "A helps B to Verb1 and C to Verb2."   3. "A helps B Verb1 and C Verb2." Here are examples.   1. This test will help students to find their talents and it will help their parents to understand them.   2. This test will help students to find their talents and their parents to understand them.   3. This test will help students find their talents and their parents understand them.


hand-holding versus holding hands

An author has this sentence: > Kids should not be forced to show physical affection through hugs, kisses, > roughhousing, lap sitting, or handholding. I checked the dictionary* to see if _handholding_ needed a hyphen, and saw that the definition in the dictionary related to the metaphorical use of the term to mean "solicitous attention, support, or instruction (as in servicing clients)." Is there not a way to use the -ing form of the word to mean the literal act of holding hands? Do I need to change the sentence to _holding hands_ to avoid confusion? > Kids should not be forced to show physical affection through hugs, kisses, > roughhousing, lap sitting, or holding hands. * * * *Updated in response to comments: I actually checked two online dictionaries: _Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary_ and _Merriam-Webster's Unabridged Dictionary_ , which includes _Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged_. Both gave only the definition I quoted above.


Name for number format used in "Section 3.2.1"

Does that kind of numbering style have a common name or names? To be fair, it is really more of an "identifier" since it certainly not a scalar (one- dimensional) number. It isn't fair to call it a floating point number either. If I were to hazard two guesses, I would say:   * a document identifier (but that seems so vague)   * a multi-dotted number (silly, yes, but it gets the points across) So in reality, I've got nothing.


Would you start this with "however" or "but"?

The Chicago Manual (2013) calls _however_ a "ponderous" way to begin a sentence, while _but_ is more direct--it has more "impact." So let's put this stricture to the test with a sentence from UPenn's "National Map" of American dialect. What would you English Language Users choose to start the third sentence? > "Many scholars believe that there are no discrete dialect boundaries, and > that there are no clear and discrete dialect divisions of a language. That > is the explicit position of Carver 1987, whose location of American dialect > boundaries on the basis of regional vocabulary is not radically different > from our own. **However** , the results to be given here show clear and > distinct dialect boundaries, delineating areas with a high degree of > internal homogeneity."


Is "gonna have to" an Americanism?

First of all, I have read the answers about "gonna have to" usage, and they are quite clear: > _I am gonna have to vs I have to_ and > why-prefix-a-request-with-im-going-to-have-to-ask-you The answers say that the extra words work as a politeness device. OK. But I have heard _gonna have to_ only from American English speakers, so my question is: Is it an Americanism?


Confusion with 3 forms of the same sentence

I've a doubt about the formation of a sentence. There are 3 forms of the same sentence which I'm confused with. >   1. This is your plan which is what I'm a part of. >   2. This is your plan which is I'm a part of. >   3. This is your plan which I'm a part of. > Can anyone explain which form is the correct one & why ?


expression "get above/off your sofas"

Is the expression "get above your sofas" equivalent to "get off your sofas" or have they got different meanings? PS: I was sitting on my sofa when I heard that...


What does "flush to the top" mean?

"Place your hand around the neck of the bottle, so that your hand is flush to the top". From WikiHow.


What does "to whip the burn with a cardinal" mean?

In "Five Red Herrings," at least in the BBC TV adaptation, Lord Peter Wimsey declares at one point that he plans to "whip the burn with a cardinal." He seems to be referring to fishing. The _burn_ is a stream; we suppose _whipping_ refers the motion of the fishing rod, maybe a particular technique. But what does he mean by a _cardinal?_ None of the usual senses of the word (a bird, a church official, a number) seem to make sense here. Is it some sort of red bait or lure? Later on, Wimsey catches a trout, if that helps at all. P.S. I found this line of fishing reels called Cardinal, but I have no idea whether they're old enough to be known by Wimsey.


Born(e) (out?) of the desire

I'd be most grateful to anyone who could tell me which of the following is right   * xyz was born out of the desire to...   * xyz was born of the desire to...   * xyz was borne out of the desire to...   * xyz was borne of the desire to...   * xyz was born of desire to...   * xyz was borne of desire to... The context is is an explanation of how/why a software utility was created.


What meaning does the word "remaining" add to a sentence?

From a paragraph that I was reading about the inoculation theory had this sentence: > Those receiving a one-sided message showed almost no **_remaining_** > attitude change after they were exposed to counterpropaganda. What confuses me in this sentence is the word _remaining_. By reading the sentence without the word remaining, it reads as "showed almost no attitude change", which means the attitude of the people stays the same. Now, with the word " _remaining_ " added, I don't quite understand what extra meaning is added to the sentence. Does the sentence mean there is " _almost no attitude change_ " or " _a great change in attitude_ "? Similarly, in the _paragraph's_ following sentence, probably talking about its converse, using the word "remaining" again: > In contrast, those receiving a two-sided message showed almost as much > attitude change **_remaining_** after counter propaganda as they did when > they were not exposed to counterpropaganda. Again, the word "remaining" confuses me about the logical of the sentence. Does it mean that there is a change or not change?


Does the word "discussion" imply any length?

Does a discussion among two or more people have to have a certain amount of words or sentences or people involved? I'm interested in both the technically correct definition and the way people use the word. I always thought that every person said to be involved in the discussion must speak more than one sentence for it to be considered a discussion. Is this right or could a person asking a question and another replying constitute a discussion? The dictionary definitions I read didn't say anything about length. This is why I ask about common use. I presume most people would agree one person saying to another "we need more chairs" without the other person giving a response, is not a discussion, though it seems to fit the dictionary definition. **Edit:** so then where is the distinction between speech and discussion or a speech with a question period at the end? For example in school you wouldn't say a class is a discusion with the teacher just because the students have the opertunity to ask a question.


How should I fill these blanks on an agreement? The agreement starts like this; **__ legally represented by ___** , residing at **__ on __** hereinafter referred as "Contractor"... 1)Name 2)as the person not company herself/himself? 3)Address 4)? Is "residing at ... on ..." a common usage? I searched but couldn't find anyting like this.


What does the reviewer mean?

I submitted my paper in a journal and after five months the reviewer replied as follows. I cannot understand him. Would you please let me what is really he means ( **bold** words below). Words are omitted ('even [if] an intruder', p. 3), misspelled ('asses' instead of 'assess', p. 4), and **extraneous** ('a multi-objective problem is about to find a vector', p. 6). Some of the carelessness is **substantive** (e.g., the definition of pareto dominance, p. 7). In my Paper: ![In my paper](http://i.stack.imgur.com/BLj8o.png) Thank you for your help.


Impugned and pugn'd

In Jingo, by Terry Pratchet, Lord Vetinari says: > "... Sergeant Colon and Corporal Nobbs have never _been_ pugn'd in their > entire lives." What about "pugn'd"? Is it just a contraction for "impugned" or there is pun that a non-native like me can't spot?


Origin of the word "mainframe"?

What might be the origin of the word "mainframe" for describing a type of computer?


"Deliver using/with/by the certificate"

In the fragment "to complete and deliver construction works to the customer using the Certificate of Work Completion", how can I change the word _using_ (in the sense of "by what means")? Should I write "with the Certificate" or "by the Certificate"? Or is there a better option still?


When we should use "freak out" & when "afraid"

What is the difference between _freak out_ and _afraid_? When should we use _freak out_ and when _afraid_?


An adjective which suggests "does not support itself"?

I'm looking for an adjective which suggests that the noun it modifies can't support or justify itself, thinking mainly in terms of an argument. There is "self-defeating", but this isn't the sense I'm looking for. I don't want to suggest that the argument has proved itself _wrong_ , but rather it has failed to prove itself _right_. E.g. > A.J. Ayer's verification principle is [failing to support itself] because > the statement "Only verifiable statements are meaningful" is not itself > verifiable."


"Scratch-work" synonym

Mathematicians often have to perform calculations on paper (maybe often is an understatement). To describe this, I have always referred to it as "scratch- work". Is there any alternate way I could refer to this in a more formal or professional way?


What is a "paying gig"?

I was invited to do a project for someone, and she mentioned " _Obviously this is a paying gig._ " What exactly would this mean?


Is Australian English closer to US English or British English?

It would seem obvious to me that Australian English is closer to British English due to the historical events that led to English people living here. But it seems when differences occur that US English aligns more. Is this due to content from the US vs. Great Britain?


Is it rude to call a gay person "homosexual?"

I was talking to one of my co-workers today. We have two homosexual persons in our office. I forgot one's name, so I asked my co-worker, "What's his name?" My co-worker said "Who?", and I replied, "one of the homosexual persons." Then, my co-worker told me that it is rude to call them "homosexual". I used "homosexual" because I thought it was better than "gay". Am I wrong?


Antonym of altruist

I'm trying to find an antonym for altruist but Google searching has been fruitless. The section of sentence is "... a population of altruists will therefore be fitter than a population of _non-altruists_." Would **egoists** work?


Proper term for people from eastern Asia

I once posted an article on the web in which I referred collectively to people from China, Japan, and the Koreas as "Oriental". I got an email from someone who informed me that this is an offensive term and that I should call such people by the specific country of origin -- "Chinese" or whatever -- or collectively as "Asians". She claimed that "Oriental" refers to an object, like "an Oriental vase", and is insulting when applied to a person. I consider "Asian" inappropriate as it would include Siberians, Afghans, Pakistanis, etc. And of course "Chinese" is unacceptable if you want to include Japanese, Koreans, and related cultures. So my question is: Do people from this part of the world really find the word "Oriental" offensive? If so, what term do they prefer for themselves? I'd be particularly interested in hearing from someone who actually is of Japanese, Chinese, etc., background, rather than an American or European saying what he thinks someone else thinks. (Frankly I thought the argument about "Oriental" applying to an object was a little curious. I call myself an "American". I don't find it at all offensive that the same word used to describe me as a human being is also used to describe objects, like "American cars", "American food", etc. Both people and objects can be from the same physical place, so I don't see any problem with using the same adjective to describe both. But maybe there are different connotations to the word "Oriental". )


Is "embiggen" considered a formal or slang word?

If my memory serves me correctly, I first encountered the word _embiggen_ a year or so ago. I thought it seemed odd, but in context, the meaning was quite obvious. Since that time I've seen this word with progressively greater frequency. I tried to Google the word and I can find references to it in both Wiktionary and the Urban Dictionary-- both are not professional, formal dictionaries so that would lend me to believe that the word is certainly slang. However, in almost every context that I have observed this word in use, it has been within a professional or semi-formal environment. Is _embiggen_ considered a formal or slang word?


Is there an -ically suffixed word to describe a duration?

We know about chronologically to describe order by time, but is there a word to describe duration? I want to say something like "school is x-ically taxing", as in, school is heavily taxing on an individual's available time.


Word for both questions and answers

I'm preparing for an exam by answering some questions in an assignment, however, I am writing the answers in the same document as the questions. I would therefore like to name that file appropriately.   * `Solution` seems misleading, as the file does not contain only solutions, but the questions as well!   * `Assignment` seems like it's the opposite of one above, and therefore doesn't fit either. **What word is used to describe both questions and the corresponding answers?** The current name of the file is `questions and answers`, which is a bit too verbose.


Expression to say that you did something better than before

I remember that there's an expression in English for this situation but I can't remember which one. Three weeks ago I did my best drawing ever, and now I did one better. This is what's coming up "I think I topped it off with this one" but I don't think it's the correct one. Which one is the correct one?


What is the technical term for the area within a fort?

I would like to know what is the name of the area within a _trace italienne_ fortification, i.e. item 38 in the image here below (which unfortunately was omitted in Wikipedia): ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/gDEB7.png)


"The crying baby gets the milk"

Where does the saying "The crying baby gets the milk" come from? I don't think it's from English.


Hypernym for "day", "month", "week", "year"

I would like to know if there is a single-word hypernym for _day, month, week_ and _year_.


Is there a consensus usage to refer to the contents of linked text?

Everyone is familiar with what I am talking about though it's easiest to show by example: Three versions that differ only in how they refer to the linked-to document:   * _The performance of each of the leading web servers was compared inthis careful study._   * _The performance of each of the leading web servers was compared in a careful study locatedhere._   * _Nicholas Piel recently published theresults of a comparative study of web servers._ I don't claim that the correct answer is one of these three--rather these are just three common implementations to illustrate my Question.


"How are you" in America

People in America ask "how are you" a lot. Many people would reply with "I'm good." If I am feeling OK, I would say "I'm well." Which version is right?


How to place pauses in a sentence when speaking?

I would like to know how to place pauses in a sentence when speaking (besides pauses on comma and semicolon) to deliver a better message to audiences. I researched this for a while but I don't find any formal documents on this subject on the internet. Here is an example I found: > Now that you have reduced the word count of your presentation // you need to > prepare your message in shorter, // simpler // chunks. To do this well // > you need to consider where to place stress in words and in sentences, // > where to pause naturally in your speech // and where // to pause for effect.


Can “zealot” have a positive connotation?

A zealot is a person who is _fanatical and uncompromising in pursuit of their religious, political, or other ideals_. I have never seen this word used with positive connotation, but could it (without causing raised eyebrows)? For example, “Gandhi was a zealot and should be admired by all who believe in non-violence.” Also, do “zealous” and “zeal” carry the same connotation as “zealot”?


What's the etymology of "props"?

Props can mean compliment / respect / credit, for example: > Erika gets props for the great work she did on the music. Wiktionary states that _props_ is: > ( _slang_ ) _proper respect_ or _proper recognition_ for another person; an > expression of approval or a special acknowledgment; accolade or accolades; > praise.   > \- _I've got to give **props** to Roger for the way he handled that > situation._ How did this word come about? What is its etymology?


"To Sam and to Tom" vs. "to Sam and Tom"

Which would be correct? Or are they equivalent? >   * I present this award to Sam and to Tom. >   * I present this award to Sam and Tom. >


"Moved to trash" vs. "moved to the trash"

Would you choose as a notification message displayed to a user on a website "your messages have been successfully moved to trash" or "... the trash"? What is the difference and which one is more accurate?


Writing deadlines

I'm currently using the following date format for setting deadlines: > Monday, 27 January 2014, 3 PM My questions are:   * Should I mention time at the beginning or leave it at the end?   * Should I keep the commas?   * Should I write _a.m._ instead of _AM_?


Verb meaning "to robust"

I am looking for a verb meaning "to make something more robust", especially in a software engineering context. Is "to robust" correct and understandable? "Robustify" seems to be another candidate but does not seem so common.


Less ambiguous synonym for "hold up"?

The fundamental, simple meaning of the phrase "hold up" is "keep in upper position" or close derivative meanings: "keep it active", "keep it running", especially in situation when _it_ would stop/drop by itself without _holding_. Unfortunately, due to it being a phrasal verb with a truly impressive list of meanings, using _hold up_ in its simple meaning becomes awfully ambiguous, especially if there's no context to qualify the meaning. In particular, I need to name a hold-up time, the time during which a signal remains active after its normal activation source is gone, and not have it confusable with the meaning of _hold up_ as _something that prevents start_. Can you help me find a neat synonym for such a meaning?


Would this be the correct way to punctuate this?

I know a more common way would be to say something like, > That crane is a beautiful animal, isn't it? But if one were going to word it as follows: > It's a beautiful animal, isn't it, that crane? Would this be the proper way to punctuate the sentence?


What is meant by the action to ‘curl up your fingers’? Is “Curl up one’s fingers” an English idiom?

I came across the phrase “His cheeks reddened as he curled up his fingers” in the scene, a six-year-old Ruthenian boy, Lubji Hoch, who later becomes one of the world’s most powerful media moguls, tries to buy an expensive brooch for his mother with small changes at a jewelry shop in Jeffery Archer’s novel, “The Fourth Estate”- P.35: > “The old man didn’t laugh, but gently explained to Lubji that he would need > many more coins than that before he could hope to purchase the brooch. > Lubji’s cheeks reddened as he **curled up his fingers** and quickly turned > to leave. What does it mean to “curl up one’s fingers”? I curl in (or inward) my fingers to sqeeze my hand, but I don't think I can curl up my fingers backward without being forced? Is “curl up one’s fingers” an idiom or cliché to describe special emotions such as an extreme tension or embarrassment, or just a plain description of a bodily reaction?


Stage direction like "Enter Hamlet"

I'm wondering about the grammatical structure of a stage direction "Enter Hamlet". Is "Enter" in the imperative mood or the present subjunctive mood? If it is in the imperative mood, who is the person that receives the command? The actor who plays Hamlet or the director who directs the play?


"Regret telling" vs. "regret having told"

Is there a difference between: >   * She regrets telling him (that) she didn't like his mother. >   * She regrets having told him (that) she didn't like his mother. > To me, the first phrase sounds more practical as I've heard it a lot, but when it comes to comparing the meanings, I don't really know the difference. Can someone clarify it please?


What's the meaning of "Ye Olde Timers got Ye Olde Tired of this."?

In a blog article posted by Joel Spolsky, there is a sentence saying "Ye Olde Timers got Ye Olde Tired of this." I don't know what the meaning is. I've checked the definition of "Ye olde" in wiki, but still couldn't understand. English is not my native language; can anyone explain the meaning to me?


determining the right grammatical form

below is a question from Manhattan gmat. Why are these considered wrong: "the winner was determined through a coin toss" and "the winner was determined from a coin toss". I cannot make out what exactly and why!


"Listening up and down?"

Is "listening this music album up and down" correct English? It's supposed to mean "listening over and over again", but I've never seen it used.


Usage of "she herself" or "he himself"

As I understand it, _he_ and _him_ are etymologically, and for purposes of grammar, different cases of the same word. If it's the same word, wouldn't it be sufficient to use _himself_ alone—with maybe the redundancy reserved for emphasis?


How to Properly Cut Content and Show Content is Cut

I hope this is the proper place to ask this question: I have a news article that I am citing for a post online. I am quoting part of the article but I am going to quote the first part of the article and then quote the very end. How do I properly show that the middle of the article is cut out? IE: > Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Phasellus > condimentum commodo purus. Vestibulum eget adipiscing mi. Morbi in consequat > urna. Vestibulum imperdiet ullamcorper risus vitae vulputate. > > [Cut Content] > > Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Phasellus > condimentum commodo purus. Vestibulum eget adipiscing mi. Morbi in consequat > urna. Vestibulum imperdiet ullamcorper risus vitae vulputate. I will provide a link back to the full article.


How else should I avoid using "under" at the end of the sentence

Although it's acceptable to use prepositions at the end of the sentence, it's not favorable to grammarians or grammar teachers. How else could I rephrase the question: > Which license are airplan models licensed under?


Is there a word for an individual item within a cache?

Is there a particular word that represents an individual _item_ within a cache, particularly from a programming perspective? Is _item_ the best choice in this particular context? Or do you generally need to know the type of objects within a cache ( _i.e. [object] cache_ ) to refer to them any other way? For example: _Weapon cache_ \- contains individual weapons. _Entity cache_ \- contains individual entities.


Is there a word for people who are afraid of change?

We would like to know if there is a single word to describe fear of change.


On TopGear, why is "Who would like to see. . . ?" replied to with "yes"?

I was always wondering, why is "Who would like to see [something]?" replied to with _yes_ or _yeah_ by the crowd on TopGear? Is it just for the sake of convenience or lack of better expression for this situation in English? Maybe the presenters are asking the "wrong" question? Or is this common? Examples:   * http://youtu.be/qexo0eI3eE4?t=2m2s   * http://youtu.be/kFnVZXQD5_k?t=6s


take the second road

**Edit:** I'm sorry for this question, it isn't correct question here. I haven't known about English Language Learners site. I can't understand what should I do in the next 'sentence'. 'If you take the second road on the left, you'll come to the post office.' What does the phrase 'the second road' mean?


The object of "I don't like people telling me what to do"?

In the sentences > I don't like people telling me what to do.   >  I'm fed up with you telling me what to do. What are the objects of _like_ and _with_? Is it "people" or "people telling me what to do" for the verb _like_? Why can't I use a sentence just after _like_ or _with_?. That is to say: > I don't like people tell me what to do.   >  I'm fed up with you tell me what to do.


Combine upgrade and downgrade

Is there an appropriate way to shorten the phrase "upgrade and downgrade"? I am writing a paper and have to use this combination frequently. I am trying to find a succinct way to let the reader know I'm referring to both upgrades and downgrades without making them read the phrase over and over again. I was thinking something like up-/down-grade, but if that is the case, I'm not sure what the appropriate punctuation would be. Edit: Forgot to add that this is for a scientific paper so meaning and brevity take precedent over style. Here is a sample sentence: > An _up/downgrade_ refers to an objective comparison of the consumer’s > currently owned product and its potential replacement.


How did "snookered" become a slang word for "to cheat or to steal"?

In this question we discussed the etymology of the word "snooker" as a noun, based on a game played on a pool table. But dictionary.com references a form of the word, "snookered" as a slang verb that means to "deceive, cheat, or dupe: to be snookered by a mail order company." (I wonder what the editor had against mail order companies?) Unfortunately, the word's origins are unknown to that site. Any ideas?


use of articles

I am always unhappy when it's time for geometry class. I am always unhappy when it's a time for geometry class. I am always unhappy when it's the time for geometry class. which one is correct? If the first one is correct then when do we generally use articles before noun and when we don't?


"Do you know where I might find them" VS "Do you know where I may find them"

What is the difference among the following questions: > Do you know where I **might** find them? vs > Do you know where I **may** find them? vs > Do you know where I **could** find them? vs > Do you know where I **would** find them? vs > Do you know where I **will** find them? vs > Do you know where I **can** find them?


Word meaning "narrow minded person" that ends in "an" if such exists

I'm looking for a word which is opposite or similar to _Cosmopolitan_ and also ends in "an". I'm trying to title something opposite or related to Cosmopolitan the magazine which sounds similar. So the goal is either an antonym or something that rhymes and is masculine. I am specifically looking for an antonym for the word, but barring that such does not exist that ends in "an" at least in sound, I'll go with any word that rhymes that is in some way a masculine word. From dictionary.com cos·mo·pol·i·tan/ˌkɒzməˈpɒlɪtn/ Show Spelled [koz-muh-pol- i-tn] Show IPA adjective 1\. free from local, provincial, or national ideas, prejudices, or attachments; at home all over the world. 2\. of or characteristic of a cosmopolite. 3\. belonging to all the world; not limited to just one part of the world. 4\. Botany, Zoology . widely distributed over the globe. noun 5\. a person who is free from local, provincial, or national bias or attachment; citizen of the world; cosmopolite. 6\. a cocktail made with vodka, cranberry juice, an orange-flavored liqueur, and lime juice. Antonyms: narrow, narrow-minded, specific So are there any words that mean "narrow minded person" that end in "an"?


Can't 'fail' have noun as its direct object?

> He failed to appear.   > > > (1) ✲ What he failed was to appear.   > (2) What he failed to do was appear.   >  (Angela Downing, English Grammar: A University Course) Oxford has the case that _fail_ takes noun phrase as its direct object(She failed her finals), but the book above says ‘He failed to appear.’ can’t be said as (1). Does the usage of _fail_ without infinitive clause be limited only to certain meanings, like exams, tests?


Verb agreement in the sentence

> Every morning right after I **went** to the bathroom, I **tell** myself In the sentence above should _went_ and _tell_ agree? Is above correct?


Why does "information" not have a plural form?

Why doesn't the word _information_ take an "S" in English even if the meaning is "plural"?


What meter is best for songs, especially hymns?

I realize that this may be somewhat open-ended, but although I am not a poet, I want to try my hand at writing a song, perhaps a hymn, and wonder if perhaps iambic pentameter is best, or perhaps tetrameter? Shakespeare did a lot of iambic pentameter, I understand, but his works were not intended to be sung. Can you put Hamlet's Soliloquy to music? Anyway, I will accept the most erudite response which convinces me what meter to use for my poem/song.


When does the "historic/historical" in "historic/historical records" refer to the documents or to the events?

After checking many Web sites, I found much inconsistency in whether "historic records" or "historical records" is used.   * Which of these terms simply means "a document, created at any time, which describes the past"?   * Which of these terms means "a document of much significance, itself considered an important part of history"?   * Which of the terms means "a document of much significance in itself, which also contains descriptions of prior events"? Why is it "geometric" but "theoretical"? describes the meaning of the "-ical" ending found in "historical", but I could not see how to determine its usage in this confusing context.


How do I footnote an item that appears twice on the same page?

I need to add a footnote to an item that appears twice in the same page. For example, if I need to provide a footnote for the following **bold** terms: Lorem ipsum **dolor** sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do... Duis aute irure **dolor** in reprehenderit... Do I need to call attention to the footnote in both instances where the text appears, or is it sufficient to only put a superscript (or other footnote indicator) next to the first instance on the page?


Why does the incorrect plural "aircrafts" seem to be occurring more often?

My first reaction to _aircrafts_ was to think it was a typo, but I just checked usage on NGrams... ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/72hRt.png) ...and compared it to usage for the singular / collective noun form _aircraft_... ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/nIJ6o.png) ...which seems to indicate that the "regular" plural form is gradually being taken up. Does this represent a tendency for English speakers to enforce regularity on the language? Are there any other examples? I'm not expecting to find that "sheeps", for example, is displacing "sheep" for the plural meaning, but maybe there are other "less established" usages that could be changing. **EDIT** Please note that I'm _not_ asking whether "aircrafts" is correct, or common. I'm asking if there's any reason why it seems to be occurring more often over recent decades (even though it's still pretty rare). And whether this effect occurs with other nouns having "non-standard" plural forms.


What is a collective noun for "a set of policies"?

I'm having trouble find a collective noun (or similar word) that describes a "set or collection of [business] policies" for some documentation I'm writing for my domain of work (without going into specifics, I'm involved in reselling inventory for clients/suppliers). My initial thought was "contract", but that already has an established meaning in our domain (a contract is an agreement with a supplier). The word I'm looking for is to describe the set of specific policies tied to an individual piece of inventory (i.e. "return policy", "terms and conditions of use", "pick-up instructions", etc.). Any other ideas?


Is "consistently helped" grammatically correct?

Which is better (and why)? > I think you will agree that I am a conscientious professional that has > **consistently helped you**.   >  I think you will agree that I am a conscientious professional that has > **helped you consistently**.


"Thousand Dollars Worth" or "Thousand Dollars' Worth". Is this a Possessive?

I was writing the following sentence: > Five thousand dollars worth of equipment does not a professional > photographer make. Apart from the other questionable syntax in this over-stylized sentence, what occurred to me, courtesy of Microsoft auto correct, was that "thousand dollars" may need to be in possessive form, though it's not immediately occurring to me why this would be. So which is correct: > Five thousand dollars worth of equipment does not a professional > photographer make. or > Five thousand dollars' worth of equipment does not a professional > photographer make.


maybe you don't already know that/maybe you don't know it yet

are there any differences between these two construction? I've heard a native speaker say 'maybe you don't already know that'. The context implied that if I didn't know that thing, then he would explain it to me.


"Soccer mom": why soccer?

...why not _football_ mom, _baseball_ mom, or _basketball_ mom? **_Soccer mom_**, as far as I can tell, is an American term made popular during the 1996 presidential elections, used to describe a key demographic - mothers who, by spending lots of time shuttling their children to and from soccer practice, demonstrate that they were concerned about their children. Other attributes often associated with this demographic are _suburban_ , _married_ , _busy_ , _drives a minivan/SUV_ and so on. What puzzles me is the choice of sport in the term: why soccer? Globally, soccer is an extremely popular sport, but there are many sports more popular than it in USA, and I imagine this would extend to after-school activities. I see that in Canada there's the equivalent term _hockey mom_ which makes more sense. Was the term coined in a place and time where soccer was a more natural choice? Is soccer a more prominent sport in the after-school world? Or was there some other historical accident?


Should I write "calling himself in this/that way" here?

In my text I am trying to say, that it is not clear what intentions the person had, by calling themselves in a certain way (let's say Foobar). My question is should I use "calling himself this way" or "calling himself so"? Here is my sentence in context: > Many unsuccessful attempts have been made to explain the meaning of Foobar. > To this day it is not clear what Mario meant by calling himself so. Or: > To this day it is not clear what Mario meant by calling himself in this/that > way. Is it clear what this sentence means? I am not sure if a person can "call" himself... Perhaps I am over-thinking it.


What is the meaning of "two-sidedness"?

What is the meaning of "two-sidedness"? I'd like a direct or indirect definition.


Is there a single word or phrase for "inability to say no at a behavioural level"

I have an aquaintance who is unable to say no directly. Any conversational transaction which would lead to them saying no is redirected toward the questioner. Is there a single word or phrase to describe them. It's not cultural. It's a (learned?) behaviour. _Indecisive_ is not the word I'm looking for. Neither are these. The use case was that a person was giving out to a group of friends, treats from a recent trip to the USA, and they were offered a packet of sweets (Jolly Ranchers) which they don't like. The gift was non-personal and other members of the group were happy to receive them. No rudeness would have been perceived by directly refusing the gift or taking another offering. E.g "Sorry I'm not into those. Someone else can have them" would have been the quickest conversational route. Instead of saying no directly the receiver then entered a long negotiation to say no without actually saying no. This inability to say no directly is a repeating pattern in their interactions in general hence the curiosity about a description.


Comma in a two-item list?

How would you punctuate list of two items that has the word AND in the title? For example: > ... two documents with titles of Power of Attorney and Living Will and > Appointment of Health Care Agent.


Should we say "borrow from" instead of "borrow off"?

I hear and read the term "borrow off" frequently however I say "borrow from" as that makes more sense to me. Is it grammatically incorrect to say, "may I borrow the book off your friend"? In my mind this sounds as though the book is on the friend? Edit: The use of "off" and "from" isn't solely related to the word "borrow". I hear "off" used in sentences like "I bought it off eBay".


Usage of "Trainers having experienced working with XYZ organisation"

I am preparing a creative brochure for a workshop, where I need to mention our trainer's experience as "Our trainers have experience working with XYZ(elite organisation)". Could any one help me to get a better way of writing the same in a more creative and attractive way.


Is "details" singular?

Which one of the following sentences is correct? >   1. Here is the details you requested. >   2. Here are the details you requested. > Having googled "Here is the details" and "Here are the details", I've got 18m+ results for the former and 11m+ results for the latter.


"Sport" as an informal appellation

I was watching a film ostensibly set during the American Progressive Era (1900 to 1918 or so), in which two teenaged boys used the line > "Ah, be a sport, Charlie!" That got me to thinking, was the term "sport" or "be a sport" in use in that way, that early? Around which time did the word "sport" become used to describe, as my dictionary puts it, behavior in a "good or specified way" in response to teasing or defeat? What resources could I use to learn the answer to that question?


Does "Paraphernalia" have a negative connotation?

By definition, the word _paraphernalia_ does not portray either negative or positive emotions. Does it, in everyday usage? In my particular case, I am making a website about programming. I have a section called   _Pleasant Programming_ **___ __ ___ __**. I thought it would be nice to have a 'p' word as the last word. However, I didn't want it to seem like negative thing. (In fact, it was supposed to be upbeat).


When the subject of a sentence is the same as the object of the previous sentence

What is it called when the subject of a sentence is the same as the object of the previous sentence? For example: > _I'm going to Freddy's house. Freddy lives down the block. The block is > paved with gravel. The gravel is jagged._


How to use " as .... as " to mean something is beyond someones experience

I found the following means something AT the limit of someones experience > "The wooden stair descending to the Capitol's subbasement were as steep and > shallow as any stairs Langdon had ever traversed." So I was wonder how to use similar expression to say something is beyond someones experience.


What is the meaning of the word "savvy" in this context?

I'm not a native speaker of English. I wish to know what the word _savvy_ means in this context: > network-savvy


Why don't Americans refer to Indians (and others from the subcontinent) as Asians?

I know there is a related question here, but I am not seeing an answer to "Why is there a difference?" Merely that an explanation of what is used in each country. I am a speaker of American English, and I understand why the British refer to people from India as _Asians._ This is quite sensible given that the Indian subcontinent is located in Asia. But, we in America use _Asian_ only to refer to people from the Far East. ( _i.e._ China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Laos, etc.) We completely exclude all people from Asia Minor, the Indian Subcontinent, etc. And, I'm given to understand that the British and many other countries use _Orientals_ to refer to the folks we refer to as Asian. In America, this term is only applied to inanimate objects, and is considered rather offensive to be applied to a person (since the rise of the PC movement in the late 1980s, in any case.) Historically, Istanbul was considered the Orient (therefore the Orient Express). So, why is this term applied to people of the Far East, instead of the Near East? Can anyone point out the reason for the divergence in terminology? Or is this yet another case of two nations separated by a common language?


Finish, complete, submit, or finished at the end of a short drag and drop word bank quiz that isn't graded?

What term's better for the finish or submit button at the end of a short, optional, test quiz? The quiz is a drag and drop with a word bank, and the button I'm talking about will check their answers, and tell them if they're good to go, or might want to go back and review the material before continuing. I thought of the following:   * Finish - A little informal, and I think there's a slight connotation of being required to do so and so, or considering it a chore when the word finished is used. These are optional.   * Finished - Past tense seems a little more awkward than future tense, and the same issue as above.   * Submit - The short quiz is not to be graded, rather it serves as one of many practice interactive pages to break up the monotomy of reading through a 70 page course and give the user a small recap of the last several pages. The word submit makes me think something is formally being handed it for grading or review. The button does serve to check the answers, give the use a score, and tell them whether they're ready to move on, or may want to consider reviewing the last section first.   * Complete - Similar issue to the word submit. It seems a little like this is important, is required, or might count towards the students grade in the class.


What is the origin of the word "What"?

Where does the word _what_ come from? Why do we say **wot** when it's spelt the way it is?


How to use possessive apostrophe with words in quotation marks?

How to us possessive apostrophe with words in quotes? For example, ...a few days later I discovered that those five little boys were not that well-behaved (as I firstly thought). In fact they were quite mischievous and conniving. The broken tree next to my house and the cat with its legs tied were all their "inventions". And Lilly, as it later turned out, was able to get to Denver so fast not without those **_"little inventors'"_** help.


English for academic purposes

Sorry if this is not the place to ask this question. I would like to ask if there are any online resources that could help me to learn English to pass all the assignments and thesis. Thank you in advance.


Is there a verb "refactor" meaning "doing refactoring" in English?

Code refactoring consists of changing the structure of the code without changing its functionality. The term _refactoring_ is currently used by software development industry to refer to this process. But what about the verb _refactor_? Does it exist in this context? Can I say, for example: > After two weeks, I finally _refactored_ the code of this library. or: > Tell the management that we can't work on the spaghetti code like this. We > must _refactor_ it first, which will take a few months. By the way:   * Microsoft Word spell checker accepts the term _refactoring_ , but considers _refactor_ as a mistake, suggesting _refractor_ , which has nothing to do with refactoring.   * Wikipedia avoids using the verb _refactor_ and prefers using combined terms as _perform refactoring_.   * When searching for pages containing _refactor_ but not _refactoring_ , the first results are either using _refactor_ as a proper name, like a name of a product, or have nothing to do with software development.   * Other sources are not helpful. Spell checker in Chrome considers _refactoring_ as an invalid word. The same is the case with Google Translate and several other online translators.