I heard a song "As Good As I Once Was" by Toby Keith. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=kp&hl=id&v=ldQrapQ4d0Y&gl=ID There is this part of the lyric that I don't really know the meaning, **"I ain't as good as I once was but I'm as good once as I ever was".** By context of the video and the whole lyric I practically guess "I might not be as good as the younger me most of the time now, but if I could be that good at that time I can also be that good this time". Am I correct? The placement of "once" is kind of confusing me. I get the first "once", but I don't get the function of the second "once". An example of sentence using "once" with similar function would be great.


Commision on stock market

Is it correct to use word commision as a synonym to order on stock market? In meaning: an instruction from customers to brokers to buy or sell on the exchange. I know that commision is a fee or percentage for broker for services rendered. But I found out that is commision synonym for order, or placing. So is it correct in this meaning? I'm asking about noun commision with one 's'.


Which word(s) does "nuclear" modify in "by nuclear action or radiation or radioactive contamination"

Is the word _nuclear_ assumed after the "or" in the following sentence? "by nuclear action or radiation or radioactive contamination" In other words, does the _or_ assume that the _nuclear_ applies to _radiation_ and _radioactive contamination_?


What's the difference between "on the contrary" and "in contrast"

Is there any difference between these two phrases? Is there any context in which we only can use one rather than the other?


What's the difference between "sea port" and "maritime port"?

> Road transport is not the only sector concerned. LNG is also used in > maritime and inland waterway transport. The Commission therefore proposes > the installation of fuel stations in leading European **sea and maritime > ports (for 2020 and 2025, respectively)**. (source) What's the difference between _sea port_ and _maritime port_?


"Charge it by the blink" vs. "charge it in blinks"

Which of these sentences is grammatically and semantically more appropriate? >   * Lawyers measure time and charge it by the blink. >   * Lawyers measure time and charge it in blinks. >


"Is there any proof" versus "are there any proofs"

The stack exchange question "Is there any concrete-solid proofs of this space odyssey?" made me want to edit it to remove the s in proofs (someone with enough flair did), however it made me wonder about the plurality of _any_ and _proofs_. So please enlighten me about which one is correct. > Is there any concrete-solid proof of this space odyssey?   >  Are there any concrete-solid proofs of this space odyssey? If the asker wants to hear about at least one proof, the first one is OK, but what is correct if he wants at least two pieces of evidence?


Proper use of "replete"

Is _replete_ used appropriately in the following sentence? > His office was like a Hollywood museum, **_replete_** with an autographed > photo of Marilyn Monroe. Or should _replete_ only be used with categorical plurals, such as: > His office was like a Hollywood museum, **_replete_** _with autographed > photos of famous stars_.


Pronunciation of the word "wite"

I thought the correct prononciation of the word "wite" is exactly same as "white". But Google Translate pronunciates it like "wit". Which is the exact pronunciation of _wite_?


Is there a more specific word than "linguistics" for the study of idioms?

I've tried my hand at Googling this answer through various terms, and have come up dry. Is there such a specific word for this field? If not, what would could be coined as such?


English equivalent of the French custom "l'apéro"

In France, when gathered with friends, it is customary to drink beers or other light alcohol around 7pm, and this time is called _apéritif_ (or _apéro_ ). Does this custom have an English (UK and/or US) equivalent? How would you say "on se verra à l'apéro"?


What do you call someone who lives for himself? If someone lives his life solely to achieve his own life goals and not want to associate his life with others', what would you call him? I know some of you would probably give answers such as A) hedonist, B) narcissist, but I disagree. Because: A) A hedonist is someone who lives in pursuit of pleasure, and hedonism is a doctrine that the pursuit of pleasure is the highest good. This person in question neither lives for pleasure, nor places pleasure as an important factor. B) A narcissist is someone who is vain, or derives erotic gratification from admiration of his or her own physical or mental attributes. The person in question is also not a narcissist because he does not admire himself; he merely lives for his own good, as mentioned in the question. So once again, what do you call someone who devotes his life solely to achieving his own life goals? Please, he is not a hedonist, not a narcissist, and most certainly not selfish. Assume he is not.


"The very minute after"

In which cases is _very_ used with the same meaning it has in a phrase like "the very minute after"? Is it a set phrase, or are there other similar phrases? > The very minute after I leave, they start taking my books from the shelf, > reading them, and leaving them in the kitchen.


Proof of concept or proof-of-concept, noun or adjective

From the Oxford English Dictionary at OED: > **proof of concept** n. evidence (usually deriving from an experiment or > pilot project) demonstrating that a design concept, business idea, etc., is > feasible; a piece of such evidence; freq. attrib. > > _1994_ San Antonio Business Jrnl. (Nexis) 19 Aug. a4 "We built this center > as a proof of concept." > > _2001_ Today's Pilot Feb. 51/1 "Although the GA-200 is a totally new > aircraft, some heavily modified Pawnees were used as proof-of-concept > aircraft." So is it both a noun and an adjective? I wrote in a document _"(...) successfully evaluated through a proof of concept prototype."_ and now I'm wondering whether I should change it into _"(...) successfully evaluated through a proof of concept."_. I left the dashes out in both cases.


'logical errors' or 'logistical errors'?

I am reading a novel which has lots of those _lol_ , where some of the events do not make sense at all. Should I call them logical errors? or logistical errors?


Phrase for the construction "a, b, c, and d"

I'm looking for a concise phrase for the sentence construction "a, b, c, and d". That is, a comma-separated list of things, where the last comma is either replaced or accompanied by the word "and".


What does "proper" mean in this context?

> What the extra time and money bought, besides headaches and heartaches for > the project’s sponsors and the thousands of patrons who line up for discount > theater tickets every day, is nothing less than a new way of seeing the > Times Square “bowtie,” that dazzling intersection of Broadway and Seventh > Avenue. That is because the TKTS booth _proper_ is topped by a sweeping > cascade of 27 ruby-red structural glass steps, rising to a height of 16 feet > 1 inch above the 47th Street sidewalk, where hundreds of people (as many as > 1,500 if they squeeze in tight) will be welcome to congregate every day > until 1 a.m.


"Doubt" vs. "suspect"

I have never used _doubt_ or _suspect_ properly before. Now I understand that they seem to bear quite the opposite meanings in a sentence. For example, > Everybody believes him, but I **suspect** he is lying means > I **doubt** he is telling the truth. Such pairs of words can be really challenging for non-native speakers to distinguish. What's worse, misuses of them could result in communication disasters. Why is this pair of words so confusing? Are there any more example pairs of this nature?


Correct usage of commas and semicolons

I am writing an essay to attempt help my friends be themselves and stop worrying about what everyone thinks of them. I am trying to make sure I use punctuation correctly. And I was wondering if I'm using semicolons and commas correctly in the following paragraph. If they are used wrong, please highlight them (if possible) and tell me why and how I'm using them wrong. * * * Be whatever you want to be. Whatever you choose to be is beautiful and flawless regardless of anyone else’s opinion. Be proud of whatever you choose to be. No matter what you choose to be, there will be people that try to bring you down and there will be people that try to bring you up. You should always be proud of being you; be proud of what you look like, be proud of how you act, be proud of how you walk, be proud of how you talk, be proud of how you dress, be proud of your sexuality, just be proud of anything you have. These are all beautiful characteristics you have that set yourself different from everyone else. If you have a big nose, rock that big nose, be proud of your big nose, never be ashamed of your big nose; a big nose isn’t ugly, a big nose is a beautiful trait that you have. Never put yourself down because you envy a characteristic that another person possesses. You have characteristics they don’t have and they probably envy you for it as well. People might call your characteristics “ugly”, people might call your lifestyle “wrong”, people might say what you do is “gross” but regardless of what other people think, you and what you do are beautiful because you are you. What society wants doesn’t matter, you be whatever you want to be. Be eccentric, be dull, be exciting, be extraordinary, be yourself, it’s your life, not society’s life. You make the rules of how to live your life, not society. What society thinks doesn’t matter, you’re just being happy being yourself and living life however you want. Your opinion of yourself shouldn’t be hindered by anyone else, your opinion is your opinion, not society’s opinion, not your family’s opinion, and not your friends’ opinion; it is your opinion. * * * I apologize if this website is not meant for checking like this.


Figure of Speech vs. Figure of Thought

Is there any meaningful difference between a "figure of speech" and a "figure of thought". Searching for a definition of "figure of thought" leads to many esoteric discussions relating to ancient rhetoric and philosophy. How can I tell a figure of speech apart from a figure of thought, and why would it be worth distinguishing between the two?


's' or 'z': 'musealisation' versus 'musealization'

As I understand, the term in itself is not consensual, but is there a preferred spelling for musealisation/ musealization, or is it just the 'usual' question of the British/American spelling?


Do my prejudices get "fulfilled"?

When reality agrees with my prejudices, they get __. What's the right word? For example: "I had long been prejudiced against city-dwellers as wayward and spendthrift; and when I saw the lust and lucre of New Delhi, my prejudices were __."


What does "Stable-ish" mean exactly?

I have recently heard in a Tv show that some guy said: > He is stable-ish for now! What does this term mean exactly? couldn't find anything, what's the occasion to use? can we use the -ish suffix for any adjective?


Why do people so often use "jive" when they actually mean "jibe"?

I often hear people use the word "jive" when I'm pretty sure they mean "jibe." It's a subtle sound difference so it's hard to catch. But why do so many people mix these two up?


If the prefix anglo- means "of the English", what prefix means "of the Welsh"?

The title says it all! Even if Anglo doesn't quite mean "of the English" you get what I mean.


Mandatory to NOT something

I'm looking for some type of inverse of "mandatory to _not_ ", as in "mandatory to not have any errors in your exam" or "mandatory to not read foreign words in the book." (Those must sound awful to a native speaker, but I hope the meaning is clear enough.) "Forbidden" or "disallowed" are too strong in this sense, but "optional" is also at the wrong end of the spectrum. Is there a better fit, or should I use a longer explanation?


Meaning of 'duty' here

> His case, though, was rejected by the Court of Appeal, which suggested that > practical and policy reasons militated against allowing him to recover > damages. Lord Justice Stuart-Smith said: > >> In my judgment both as a matter of principle and policy the court should not extend the **duty** to those who are mere bystanders or witnesses of horrific events unless there is a sufficient degree of proximity, which requires both nearness in time and place and a close relationship of love and affection between plaintiff and victim. Would someone please explain how to determine which definition of duty applies here? I can't distinguish. Definition 1 looks correct, if I consider **duty** as 'responsibility of the law'. Yet Definition 3 looks right too, if **duty = payment** (in the form of damages) ? Source: P95, How the Law Works, Gary Slapper


What does "self-deliverance" mean?

What does _self-deliverance_ mean? What I don't get is, _self-deliverance_ means different depending on a context used.   I mainly hear the word in music but not sure what it means.


Is "that've" a valid contraction for "that have"? For example, the sentence: "I've been working with some substances that've been detrimental to my health." It follows the patterns of other similar contractions (like would've, that'll've, and others), but doesn't seem to be any dictionary I could find.


What, in the context of time, is the equivalent of "equidistant"

A location, A, is said to be equidistant from two other locations, B and C, if the distance from A to B is the same as the distance from A to C. What is the equivalent word to use in the context of time? That is, suppose that the distance from A to B is different from the distance from A to C, but it takes the same amount of time to get from A to B as it does from A to C.


Correcting the usage of singular "they" and "their"

_NB This is **not** a question on how to use the said terms. This is **not** a question on what the said term mean. It might just seems like so._ Starting with the following sentences. > It's insulting that OP needs to explain himself for each case. Sometimes he > should but not always. Now, to make it gender neutral, I rephrased to the singular _they_. > It's insulting that OP need to explain themself for each case. Sometimes > they should but not always. The main question is this. What is the name of this rephrasal? I.e. what is the grammatically correct (possible very formal and to most people unfamiliar) term that describes such a transition? My best guess is " _numerus based gender neutralization_ ". Like it? The second question is this. I removed the ending " _s_ " from " _needs_ " in order to follow the plurality of the exchanged words (i.e. I'm intentionally making the mistake to fail to realize that it's a **singular** " _they_ "), although " _OP_ " still is singular. What's that error called grammatically correct? My best guess is " _bogus plurality based numerus incongruence_ ". I don't like it at all... NB My dictionary says that it's called " _numerus_ " but I'm not sure it's the correct term neither. By _numerus_ I refer to the collective set of _singular_ and _plural_.


Why does 'tomnoddy' mean 'dunce'?

I'm looking for the etymology of the word _tomnoddy_ which, according to Wiktionary, either refers to a _puffin_ or _a fool or dunce_. From Tolkien's _The Hobbit_ , > _Old Tomnoddy, all big body,   >  Old Tomnoddy can't spy me!_


What is the emoticon ":hsugh:"?

Some forums have this emoticon: _:hsugh:_ that you could choose to post with your messages. The resulting graphic looks like this: ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/wsI6x.gif) What's the meaning of this emoticon? What emotion does it convey?


Anthropomorphism vs Personification usage

There seems to be a large overlap in the definitions of Anthropomorphism and Personification and they are somewhat interchangeable, but in what context is one of these words preferred over another? Anthropomorphism: ascribe human features to something Personification: the act of attributing human characteristics to abstract ideas


How do I ensure "since" takes the meaning I want?

I have a sentence like this: > Since I graduated, I have been working for xyz in abc. **Since can mean:**   1. in the intervening period between (the time mentioned) and the time under consideration, typically the present.   2. for the reason that: because. * * * As both fit, the sentence is a little ambiguous in my opinion. I want it to mean the first (time duration). How do I make sure it does that? " _Since the time I..._ " sounds valid to me, but is there a better way to put it?


Etymology, ubiquity and synonyms of the phrase "Tribal Knowledge"

I am an engineer by trade, and this phrase is often used in a somewhat derogatory way to indicate knowledge which is passed around in an organization, but never documented or standardized. A Wikipedia article indicates it's use in the six sigma community, which is probably the reason I've been exposed to the term, but I am curious to know if it is used elsewhere, where it came from, and if others use another word or phrase for the same idea.


should i put the in this sentence

I have this sentence:- > Your environment advances the well being of humanity and the society. Should I put _the_ before society, or should I remove it and put it before _humanity_?


What does "to smack of one of your gags" mean?

Here is the full sentence: > This whole story is starting to smack of one of your gags.


What is the correct usage of “vis-à-vis”?

I hear people use the term _vis-à-vis_ all the time in place of what I believe should more correctly be _for example_ or _that is_. What is the most generally accepted correct and appropriate use of _vis-à-vis_ , and what are its origins?


What is the difference between engagement and promise?

If I have a previous appointment, what can I say instead of appointment? Previous engagement? Promise?   And I wonder exactly what they both mean. (I thought they were similar.)


Who is the guardian of the protégé

If protégé is the person who receives, so-to-speak, who is the giver? That is, what's the terms used for the person under whose patronage the protégé is?


What does "where's waldo" mean in this context?

> The student thinks that he can _where's waldo_ their way to the answer Now, does it mean it's gonna be a cinch or a sisyphean task? Again, if I add a little detail, > The student thinks that he can _where's waldo_ their way to the answer by > using the words in the passage. The situation is that a student has to answer a question after reading a passage, trying to figure out whether the options match verbatim with some sentence in the passage.


A single word name for the "I don't know" gesture

I have no idea if it is country specific, but in our country if someone doesn't know something he or she would put their lower lip forward. However, I cannot find a name for this lip gesture. Any help is appreciated.


Is this an independent clause?

From Nate Silver's "The signal and the noise:" > The amount of information was increasing much more rapidly than our > understanding of what to do with it, or our ability to differentiate the > useful information from the mistruths. Why is there a comma before _or_? Isn't the second clause dependent, since it refers to the increasing amount of information (so it's not self-contained)? If it is indeed independent, how exactly do you tell when a clause is dependent?


Principle Of Life

Hi guys I want to understand what is meant by this expression: > **_I often asked myself, did the principle of life proceed?_** This sentence came in the following context: > When I had arrived at this point and had become as well acquainted with the > theory and practice of natural philosophy as depended on the lessons of any > of the professors at Ingolstadt, my residence there being no longer > conducive to my improvements, I thought of returning to my friends and my > native town, when an incident happened that protracted my stay. **_Whence, I > often asked myself, did the principle of_** **_life proceed?_** It was a > bold question, and one which has never been considered as a mystery; yet > with how many things are we upon the brink of becoming acquainted, if What is mean by the principle of life here? And how can this principle of life proceed? There is a meaning underlying in this expression, but I can't understand it.


Why is "agnostic" pronounced "ag-gnostic" as opposed to "a-gnostic"?

Gnosticism, for example, is obviously not pronounced with a hard g. As far as I know the modern English use of agnostic is said to have originated with Thomas Huxley, who surely would have been aware of the correct pronunciation. Is there some odd rule or quirk that explains this? Or has it simply been repeated enough that people now consider it to be the standard pronunciation?


Why is there "the" in "oh the horror"?

I am wondering about the interjection "oh, the horror!". If it should be treated as an interjection directed to "horror" (there are similar expressions in other languages), why does it use the article "the"? There is no article in "Oh Lord!" or "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?", so why in "Oh the horror"?


Does the fragment "almost impossible to underestimate" make this sentence illogical?

I was interested in the following sentence which appeared in an article titled “In Rossellini’s War Movies, the Naturalism Survives" by Dave Kehr in The New York Times (January 22, 2010). > It’s _almost impossible to underestimate_ the importance of these movies, > both for the impact that their startling realism had on the audiences and > filmmakers of the time and for the influence they continue to exert on > directors. Can someone clarify if the fragment "almost impossible to underestimate" makes the sentence illogical? I would reword "underestimate" with "overestimate", but I'm not quite sure on this correction because I'm not able to precisely identify the meaning of "underestimate" in this context, and the word "almost" that precede "impossible" makes the problem entirely incomprehensible (to me). (Apologize in advanced if the question is not good for this site or if it is a dupe of another question. If so, please delete rather than close. Thank you.)


How is "I have come" + infinitive different from Present Perfect?

Consider the following examples: > I **have noticed** that a lot of people are switching to Unity.   >  vs.   >  I **have come to notice** that a lot of people are switching to Unity. or: > The Saddam I **have come to know**   >  vs.   >  The Saddam I **have known** or: > "I **have come to understand** " vs. "I **have understood** "   >  "I **have come to decide** " vs. "I **have decided** " My questions are:   1. How is the meaning different in the above examples?   2. I do not think it's possible to use certain verbs like "run" after "I have come to". So what sort of verbs can be used in this context?


Grammaticality of "the tooltip reads"

Is it correct to use the word "read" in these sentences? If not, what would be more appropriate word to use instead? > The status-bar now reads: Click to run the currently highlighted cell. > > The tool-tip reads: Click to run the currently highlighted cell.


How to semi-formally address a senior academic?

What is a proper way to address a person with the title of a Professor in a way which is less formal than "Dear Professor", but still conveys some respect? For example, suppose I am talking to Professor John Smith. At first, I would address him as "Professor" or "Professor Smith", but after some time he gets tired of it, and suggests that I call him by first name. Because Professor Smith is very accomplished and respectable (and partly because of my Easter European upbringing), I feel reluctant just to call him "John". Do phrases like "Professor John" or "Mr John" sound natural and respectful? Is there a better alternative? * * * I'd be most interested in answers concerning British English, but would also be grateful for insight about other dialects.


Pessimism idiom - opposite of rose-tinted glasses?

In Hebrew, we say "pink glasses" to mean optimistic observation, and "black glasses" for pessimism. I was trying to figure out how popular the literal translations are in English. I found "rose-tinted glasses" as a popular equivalent to express optimism. But is there an analogous expression for pessimism? Googling "looking through black glasses" made it seem not to be a popular phrase. Is this in fact a recognized idiom? Is there a similar, more common one?


"She is speaking" vs. "I am speaking"

> Tom: "Hi this is Tom, May I speak with Linda please?"   >  Linda: "Yes, she is speaking" Can Linda say "yes, she is speaking" or does she have to say "yes, I am speaking"?


"Putative" vs. "surrogate"

How similar or different is "putative" to "surrogate"? The term "surrogate father" is common, "putative father" is fairly so, too. But what may be the difference in connotation?


What is the correct name for this particular unclear-subject error?

An example: the sentence > "Upon finishing these books, I think the reader has a new perspective on > history." Taken literally, it could mean that "I, upon finishing these books, think..." Or it could mean "The reader, upon finishing these books, has a new perspective on history; in my opinion." Even though the second is pretty clearly the intended meaning, I'd like to call this error what it is. Thus, I am wondering what this error is called. I'm drawn to making up a name like "spliced verb" or some such, but I'd prefer to be certain. I know it ought not really matter; but still I'd like as technical and SNOOTy a label as possible. Many thanks.


Less of something (British English Probably)

* Less of this noise, guys!   * Less of that funny talk!   * Less of talking nonsense!   * Less of working late! * * * Does it mean less or stop doing something?


Products will be shipped in the same order they . . . ordered?

What is the correct word in the following sentence? > Products will be shipped in the same order they [. . .] ordered. I am guessing for _are_ or _have been_ , but I'm not sure. Can someone explain? To clarify: the ordering of the products is both in the past and in the present. The shipping will take place _after_ the ordering of all the products.


Questions without a subject

Are there any good explanations for questions without a subject like this: **Why bother to read fiction?**


"At the time" versus "at that time"

I hope this is not a double post. Should I use "at the time" or "at that time" when I want to express something that was known during the time when the events occurred? > Bonco presents the facts known at the time about Fiolo and their > interpretation by various authors. Here I mean "at the time" as "at the moment that Bonco wrote it."


Faced Error or Error Faced

I want to make the following sentence short by removing **we**. Please help me which one is correct form. > The error we faced is "Sorry, you have exceeded the maximum allowed > databases." Option 1 : The error faced is "Sorry, you have exceeded the maximum allowed databases" Option 2 : The faced error is "Sorry, you have exceeded the maximum allowed databases" Please let me know which one is correct, or if both of them are correct provide some references for further study. Thank you:)


Expression for "things we are responsible to share and work out together"?

Is there a word or phrase for "things we are responsible to share and work out together"? For example, we are in a team, so we have to work together and responsibility for every member is the same. Spouses have to share housework. …


Usage of "been to" in perfect tenses and in other tenses

"been to" (be to) is used in perfect tenses - in sentences like the ones below: >   * I have never been to the opera. >   * I have never been to a baseball game >   * I have never been to a Pentecostal Bible rally. >   * I have never been to your house. >   * I had never been to your country. > (Thanks to @Robusto for examples.) Can I use "be to" in any other tenses? What would be the meaning then? Thank you! **NOTE** This question is about _verb of being_ \+ _to_ \+ _location_ : why this is only seen in "perfect" forms, not in simple present or past, such as "I am to Spain" etc.


What is the origin of the nickname "Money Making Manhattan"?

What is the origin of the nickname "Money Making Manhattan" for the borough of Manhattan in New York City?


What is a term for a form that has been filled out?

Assuming the definition of 'form' as follows (see definition #6 here): "a printed document with blank spaces for information to be inserted." What could you call a printed document with the blank spaces filled in, if you were trying to use a word that differentiated those printed documents from the ones that haven't been filled in? **UPDATE** To help clarify the situation a little more, let me explain the two concepts that we are working with. We have several online 'forms' that people fill out in order to provide us with background information about them. We also keep hard-copies of the information they have provided, but these 'forms' do not correlate directly with the online 'forms.' For example, online we have "Personal Information", "Biographical", and "Financial" forms. The printed 'forms' contain information from several of these 'online' forms. For example, the financial form pulls name, address, etc., from the personal information form. So you see, the printed forms are not really submissions because they are created after the 'submissions' have been gathered. They are also not really the 'completed' or 'filled' forms. Also, 'printed' won't work either because, although I mentioned we keep hard copies, they are also used electronically as well. We are looking for very unambiguous terms because of the confusion that has resulted in the past (you would be surprised).


"Available" is to "availability" as "required" is to what noun?

If I want to know if an item is _available_ , I can check for its _availability_. What do I check for if I want to know if an item is _required_?


Present Simple or Past Simple with "today"?

Which of the following is correct? >   * She doesn't go to school today because she is ill. >   * She didn't go to school today because she is ill. > These are the only choices given.


Capitalizing "the" when mid-sentence in a company name?

Consider a company called: > The Association of Examples Ltd. When you refer to this company, should you have to capitalize "the" when it's mid-sentence and would have been used even if it wasn't in the name? It _looks_ odd to me: > In other news, The Association of Examples announced that... > > Sarah is the founder of The Association of Examples and has... But I imagine it's the correct way. For the grammar-conscious, why or why not?    To give you context, I am asking also when branding ones own company like that. The Economist did it (as did Fitzgerald for The Great Gatsby) and Wikipedia authors adhere, but I can imagine it can cause confusion.


The phrase "let alone"

I notice that "let alone" is used in sentences that have a comma. The structure of the sentence is what comes before the comma is some kind of negative statement. Right after the comma is "let alone," followed by the rest of the sentence. What does "let alone" mean here? Does it mean the same thing as "or even?" Can someone explain this phrase and sentences that have it?


perfect infinitives with main verbs

My question is about usage of perfect infinitives with main verbs e.g. > I would like **to have lived** in the 13th century. > > She was going **to have worked** in her mother's business, but decided > instead to continue her studies. It's particularly the second sentence that I don't understand. How does it differ from the following? > _She was going to work in her mother's business, but decided instead to > continue her studies._ PS: Are these forms actually used in speech? They seem quite unnecessarily long and cumbersome to be used in ordinary everyday conversation.


Are "Conditional apology" and "poisoned apology", rude?

I've heard > I'm sorry your frog is dead.   >  I'm sorry if your frog's death causes you pain.   >  I'm sorry my taunting you about your frog's death caused you pain. You > should seek therapy. Do the second and third type of apology ("Conditional apology" and "poisoned apology") have something with it? I mean, does the speaker really feel sorry? Are these kind of apologies, more rude than polite? **EDIT:** I asked the question cause of this article: > An apology should give the sense that you actually feel some form of regret. > "Sorry if" is a conditional apology. Conditional apologies make things > worse, not better.


Does the "and" demand both parts to be in place to require a PFD to be worn?

> A personal flotation device (PFD) required by 14 CFR 91 shall be worn by > each individual on board the helicopter when conducting operations beyond > power-off gliding distance to shore, and during all hovering flight > operations conducted over water sources such as ponds, streams, lakes, and > coastal waters. If the requirements were that _either_ a power off glide distance or flight over water required a PFD, shouldn't "or" be there? Does the use of "and" say that both elements, beyond gliding distant _and_ over a water source _must_ be in place to require a PFD? Is the "and" acting as a "while" since it connects both parts?


Mixed Conditionals

This question is about conditionals > If I had money, I would give it you   * conditional 2 (present tense) > If I had money, I would have given it to you   * conditional 3 (Past tense) But I've come across people mixing conditional 2 and 3 like > If I was there, I would have done that What does this statement mean? Is it grammatically correct? I feel it should be like "If I had been there I would have done that."


Whats a word for a non-communicable (non-contagious) disease that has still spread throughout a population?

Normally I would use forms of the words _epidemic, pandemic,_ or _infection_ but these would imply that the disease in contagious. Are there any words that mean a disease has spread but is not contagious?


Analyst vs analyzer/analyser?

What are the scenarios where the meanings of these differ? What is the difference between their meanings and if any, why? I have observed that the term 'analyst' is specifically used in cases of humans. 'Analyser/analyzer' is used with humans and with others also, such as 'lexical analyzer' in computer science. Also when used with humans, 'analyzer' is used to describe some one's skills/ability (such as in resumes 'good analyzer' can be seen. Whereas the word 'analyst' is mostly seen in job descriptions. Can anyone help me understand the similarities and differences in these two?


Is 'Loneliness is profound on weekends' correct?

_Profound_ being an adjective, is its usage in the sentence below correct? > Loneliness is profound on weekends.


How is "admire" used in "to admire them a great deal"?

I knew that admire can be used in phrases like "admire somebody" or "admire somebody for something", but recently I have found the following sentence in my Collins dictionary: > If you emulate something or someone, you imitate them because you admire > them a great deal. Is the meaning of "admire them a great deal" is "admire them, because they've made a great deal"? Would it have a different meaning, if I wrote "admire them for a great deal" or "admire their great deal"? What are other examples of the use of admire in the same way?


What do the American nicknames 'Dutch' and 'T-Bone' mean?

Does the nickname _Dutch_ have any significance? I know it was Reagan's, and I'm sure I've come across it in other books/films. Also _T-Bone_ , as in _T-Bone Walker_ , _T-Bone Burnett_ : what does that mean? (I realise T-bone is a steak, but why would people be named after a meat cut, and why this one?)


What exactly does "up to 3 months before" mean?

When it says: > You can apply for a visa up to 3 months before your date of travel to the > UK. > > Source: gov.uk Does it mean **the latest** I can apply for a visa is 3 months before the travel date, or the **earliest** I can apply for a visa is 3 months before the travel date?


Which is correct: "Filename", "File Name" or "FileName"?


Why does one count mississippily?

I was watching an episode of _Friends_ where Ross talks about "counting mississippily". I did not get the joke. Why would someone say "Mississippi" after every number? Is there some story behind it?


What is the meaning of the word "rain-maker"? How did this originate?


'Which were a size too small.' or 'which size were too small.' Which one is correct?

The whole sentence is > Mr Boxell had deliberately sold the man a pair of shoes which were a size > too small, knowing he would return them next day! I'm so confused about _which were a size too small_ , whether it is the correct order.


Why do you say "so do I"?

Why is the order of the words in "so do I" or "nor do I" different from the normal order?


Are there different types of Pronunciation Guides?

In dictionaries you'll often see a pronunciation guide next to words like (bakery would be beɪkəri). Are there different standards of these pronunciation guides? Also, where can I learn how to understand the pronunciation guide?


Can you "sound up a room" the same way you can light it up?

I'm trying to say that a certain individual adds noise to any place he goes. When someone, figuratively, enhances the mood of a room he enters we say "he lights up the room". Is there any way to use _sound_ as a verb to get the same idea across but with sound?


What does it mean to qualify a statement or argument

What does it mean by a statement being contestable? - (qualify a statement).


Comma before "and that" in a compound object

>   1. You should have known that he is quite adept at what he does **and > that** he has the best conversion rate. >   2. You should have known that he is quite adept at what he does **, and > that** he has the best conversion rate. > Which of the above two sentences is right? I believe it is the first one, as it appears to be a case of compound object and hence should take no comma. Also, if there can be a case without a compound object and the second sentence has an 'and that' to start off with, what should I do? Is it similar to 'so' and 'so that'?


Using "meantime" as an adjective

Does it make sense to say: > Please consider this email as a meantime brief report. If yes, why? and if no, how can it be fixed? **Edit** By the above sentence, I want to say that this email is not the main report but, in the meantime, I just want to update you about the status and I'll send you another email later.


What do you call someone who is so inappropriate that they are appropriate?

So we have a guy in my office. He can say almost anything. Race jokes, gender jokes, he is just really inappropriate about everything but funny. He is not a racist or sexist and gets along with everyone fine. He has such a history of being inappropriate that basically anything goes for him. Things that would get someone else a seat in HR, everyday norm for him. He just has no filter. But now his inappropriateness has become appropriate for him. **Edit:** I will add that Theodore mentioned "The Office" bosses, both Michael Scott and David Brent. Pretty close I would say. Add in being a little more touchy-feely and not worrying about kissing ass to higher ups and it might be there. The big thing is that people shrug this kind of person off because the person isn't trying to be inappropriate, they just don't know better. So sometimes we get slightly offended, but then we are like... he doesn't know any better. Then we feel sorry for him then people like him more.


The subject or should it be Subject is being moved to a new area tomorrow?

Subject or subject? Which is proper to use if subject refers to person, inmate,etc....


An opposite for apocryphal?

We say apocryphal when something is well known, but is probably not true. I was just wondering if there is a word that describes something that is widely known as only "a rumour" but is probably really true. Is there such a word?


How to call the distribution of coin values within a currency

There are many special words surrounding coins. Wikipedia lists a view. I'm interested in a name for the distribution of coin values in a currency. The Euro has 1ct, 2ct, 5ct, 10ct, 20ct, 50ct, 1€, 2€ pieces. Harry Potter has 1knut, 29knut, 493knut pieces. And I want a name for that. 1 word is appreciated, if there is none, multi- word terms are ok, as well. **Update** : so far, we got(order has no meaning):   * (set of|circulating|range of|available) (coin) denominations    * denomination (set|list|mix)   * circulated denominations    * (denominations|coin types) in circulation   * coinage system   * coin (range|palette|coterie)   * currency genus[proposed, not seen] ambiguous (can also mean mass of all coins existing e.g. all 1ct + all 2ct...):   * coin species   * (circulating) coinage    * coins in circulation


"Employee in accounting" and "employee in accounts"

What's the difference between _employee in accounting_ and _employee in accounts_? Are these correct names for an occupation?


Literary techniques involving sound

What literary sound device/technique is expressed through the phrase " _sudden departures_ ", involving the articulation of the words? (alliteration, assonance, sibilance etc.)


What are the conventional words for characters (A-Z)?

I have just read the newest post of DOGHOUSEDIARIES, and I am wondering whether the words for characters are fixed in the USA or the UK, as I am not a native English speaker. For example: > _A_ as in _apple_


Why use 'way' in this sentence?

> This question is way too vague Why not just: "This question is too vague"? What's the meaning of 'way' in this sentence?


"By" means "compare to something" here?

For this text: > ... dreaming of houses uncluttered by reality, by half a lifetime of > memories, perhaps. What does this mean? It means that the one who was leafing through _Country Living_ magazine was dreaming of houses uncluttered and comparing it to his house in his reality? And perhaps in his half-a-lifetime of memories? The context is excerpted from David Mitchell's novel _The Gardener_ (my emphasis): > Satin white, Persian purple, oil-paint yellow. When I planted these birches > they were broomstick-height, and now look at them. They tap our bedroom > window on stormy nights. Hyacinths on (what I fondly call) my rockery. Boy- > blue and girl-pink. Through the kitchen double-doors I watch you eating > supper – carrot and coriander soup – and leafing through Country Living > Magazine, **dreaming of houses uncluttered by reality, by half a lifetime of > memories, perhaps.** But my, how well you look. White hair endows you with > the demeanour of a friendly witch. Our geriatric radio – a wedding-present > from my brother – is twittering away to itself.


One word to describe being 'committed to the environment'

How can I say that I am committed to the environment in one word?


Do I need to use comparative degree?

> Maybe it's a little long story.   >  Maybe it's a little longer story.


Does "bend your knees, please" have the same meaning as "squat down, please"?

Do these two sentences imply the same action?


what do you call a water tap placed on the outside

What do you call a water tap placed on the outside of a house? ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/DbOGh.jpg) I'm looking for the correct technical term in English. here in sweden there seems to be only one vendor and model, which I'm not so fond of, so with the right technical term I can search the internet for alternatives. Very greatful for any help and input!


Would VS Would Have PP

I have some problems to understand the true usage of “would” and “would have pp”. I have already reviewed many forums and websites, but I have not managed to come to any conclusion. For instance, in these sentences: 1- People in the area had never seen this phenomenon before, but they also reported that there less mosquitoes than they **would have expected** , given the amount of standing water. Why “would have expected”? And to be precise: Why not “would expect”? 2- _Another reason to use a hybrid format is when you want to highlight skills and achievements from earlier in your career that **would otherwise be buried** at the bottom of the second page of your resume_ Why “would be buried”? And to be precise: Why not “would have been buried”? 3- _Without SuperM, I **would never have trusted** my memory to keep a word for 10 days._ Why “would never trusted”? And to be precise: Why not “would never trust”? 4- _People in the area had never seen this phenomenon before, but they also reported that there less mosquitoes than they **would have expected** , given the amount of standing water._ Why “would have expected”? And to be precise: Why not “would expect”? 5- _My life **would have been** completely empty without you._ Assuming ‘without you=if you were not in my life”, is this sentence correct as well: My life would be completely empty without you (if you were not in my life) Please forgive me if my question is a bit basic. Thanks in advance for your kind helps.


What would a cult member call a non-believer?

I'm looking for a term that a crazy cult member would apply to an outsider, a term that implies that such a "non-believer" is ignorant and of lesser worth -- ideally, something that is humorous because it is slightly ridiculous. For example, an Islamic radical might use "filthy infidel" or an over-the-top Catholic may say "hell-bound heathen," but I'm looking for something that may be uttered by a member of a run-of-the-mill Kool-Aid cult.


Is it true that Chinese speakers have troubles with 'r's and 'l's in English words?

It is such a sterotype that Chinese speakers mix up 'r's and 'l's that I always assumed it to be true. Is this the case and, if so, why? The tongue position is totally different.


When was "antimatter" first used?

When was _antimatter_ first used? Who was the person that used it?


Formulation: "I like to see the beauty in ugly things"

What would be a good way to express the following: "I like to see the beauty in ugly things"? (This is related to drawings, paintings and photography.)


What part of speech is "unless" in the following sentence?

> Unless disciplined, a dog becomes a household pest. Is the use of unless in this sentence correct? It sounds to my naive ear to be fine, but I always think of unless as a conjunction, which does not seem to be the case here. I looked up _unless_ in an online dictionary and discovered that it can additionally be used as a preposition in the sense of "except for", but again that would not seem to apply to this sentence as disciplined is an adjective. Since the sentence is taken from _Strunk and White_ and sounds right to my ear, I am sure it is correct, so my main interest is to discover what the underlying construction is here.


Is “tame the infinite” becoming the popular expression or buzz word to mean challenging a difficult question?

I came across the phrase, “ _tame the infinite_ ” in the following sentence of the article of New York Times (May 4) Travel column, titled “Easy China, 3 Ways”: “For the first-time visitor to China, planning a trip to the most populous country on earth can be _an exercise in trying to tame the infinite._ Where to begin? Since most people will be flying into Beijing, Hong Kong or Shanghai, we suggest basing yourself in one of these three cities, each in its own state of frenzied transformation.” I guessed “tame the infinite” means “It’s a very difficult question like challenging the infinite of mathematics” from the context of the sentence, and checked the phrase with Cambridge, Oxford and Merriam-Webster online dictionaries to make sure of its meaning. None of them registers “tame the infinite” as an idiom. Google Ngram shows no incidence either. I found however, the book written by Kim Stewart, titled “Taming the Infinite - the Story of Mathematics” on amazon. Does the use of the phrase (an exercise / attempt /plan to) “tame the infinite” by the New York Times writer suggests that the phrase is getting currency as a popular phrase or trendy expression?


What is the difference between “Must-do” and “Should-do”?

There was the following sentence in the article under the caption “Find your happiness “in iVillage. com.: http://www.ivillage.com/what-learn-annoyingly- happy-people/4-b-479266#ixzz2PiSjFoXw > “If there are two words that are keys to contentment, they are ‘limits’ and > ‘boundaries,’” says Reiss. “Prioritizing **the must-do items** on our lists > is essential, after which **the should-do list** must be narrowed down with > polite but firm no-can-do responses.” It seems the “must-do” things should be prioritized to “should-do” things in making decisions. Is “Must” an order you must obey, and “should” is a mere recommendation that you can always or easily neglect? What is the basic difference of “must-do” from “should-do” in terms of the level of obligation, moral and motivational aspects?


What is a noun modifying clause?

This is actually a question that came up when I was studying Japanese. Unfortunately my grasp of the technical language of syntax is very limited, and I never fully comprehended the idea of a _noun modifying clause_. The phrase given in my Japanese study guide to demonstrate the difference is (without) > I took a photograph. and with > This is a photograph taken by me. Can someone break this example down for me, and perhaps provide a few other examples like this for simple and complex situations (if this even makes sense) to help me understand this construct? It is also possible that the guide has been poorly translated and there is a different name for this. If so, what is it? **Revision** It seems that the question is not entirely clear to some, so although I have my answer I want to add some more information to (hopefully) raise the quality of the question. None of the text above this was edited. The block quoted text is an example lifted _exactly_ from a study guide, not from notes taken in a class, and not translated from Japanese. It appears to have been designed to show a reader who does not know what a "noun modifying clause" is is and how to apply it in English, before doing it in Japanese. To clarify, the first block quote is a sentence _without_ a "noun modifying clause" and the second is a sentence _with_ one.


Origin of plurality of "wars" in phrases like "Star Wars"

There are a number of compounds in English of the form " _noun_ wars," e.g. "Star Wars," "mommy wars," "culture wars." Why do these show "wars" in the plural? It seems like normally "wars" would pertain to a _sequence_ of conflicts with more or less well-defined endpoints, whereas these phrases actually describe conflicts that have been going on more or less continually (I'd hesitate to say the conflicts are _unitary_ since at least the latter two are quite complex and multifaceted phenomena; but then again actual armed conflicts are often complicated too). I wonder if this is perhaps a snowclone; if so, what would the original member of the set be?


On the evolution of the meaning of "few"

Was the word "few" used **exclusively** to refer to groups of **eight** people (or things) at some point of time? There is a well-known verse in the New Testament which implies the plausibility of such a situation: namely, 1 Peter 3:20. This is what we read therein: > Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited > in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein **few** , that > is, **eight souls** were saved by water. What do you people know about this?


When is between inclusive and when exclusive?

It seems that the exact meaning of between is very tied to its specific usage. What should I assume in a general situation about the inclusivity of between. Consider: "Pick a number between 1 and 10." Most people would consider between inclusive. "How many numbers are there between 1 and 10?" Most people would consider between exclusive, i.e. 8 to be the correct answer. Could the meaning of the word _between_ have something to do with the grammatical structure of the sentence in which it is used?


Origin of "don't have a coronary"?

I'm assuming the entire phrase would be "don't have a coronary occlusion" meaning "don't have a heart attack." I haven't been able to find anything useful regarding when or where it might have originated.


which is better, "deformation" or "deformations"?

This is for a thesis title so I want to be sure it makes sense. Would it be more correct to write:   1. "defects and structural deformations" (plural);    as in, there are a number of possible deformations that can take happen, or   2. "defects and structural deformation" (singular);    where I take deformation to represent the 'family' of possible things that can happen?


Origin of the expression "to do someone in"

I've seen the expression "to do someone in" for the first time today and from what I found, it means "to kill someone." Where does it come from? The trailing "in" implies something following and makes the expression sound incomplete.


Can one say, "John Doe for World Cup," meaning "I vote for John Doe to have a place in the national team"?

Or, in the same manner, "John Smith for Olympics" meaning any place in a team, crew, etc? I know that it's common practice to say "John Doe for president," but here "president" is a profession/title, while "World cup" and "Olympics" aren't.


Can "which" and its antecedent be used together in a sentence for reading clarity?

Unfortunately I could not find an authentic example of the rare construct I have in mind, but I am just as sure as I am typing this question that I have read so many sentences from older prose where the relative pronoun "which" and the noun it refers to are _both_ there. In this case, it sounded almost as though "which" were used as "such." Which + its antecedent. The following example is mine, not taken from any authentic author; but it attempts accurately to emulate many sentences I have read: > Yet a certain problem still persists in this society, which problem has been > handed down from one generation to another. Could it be that a writer is allowed to do so to avoid the syntactic ambiguity of whether "which" refers back to "society" or "problem"? Now of course the rest of the sentence may clarify for the reader what the antecedent for "which" is (without having to mention it); meaning that ". . . handed down from generation to another" gives the impression that the antecedent is indeed "problem." But still, could the combination of "which" followed by its antecedent "problem" be used to give the reader a more fluid and smooth reading experience?


Can a past participle phrase stand at the end of a sentence?

For a present participle phrase, I've seen: >   1. Seeking advice from the pros, she visited the website. > >   2. She visited the website, seeking advice from the pros. > > For a past participle phrase, I've seen: > Advised by the pros, she started her own business. But not: > She started her own business, advised by the pros. Does it exist? Thanks.


What do you call glyphs representing kills painted on a weapon or vehicle?

Media depictions would have it that in some militaries, soldiers traditionally paint icons representing enemies they have killed or materiel they have disabled on the weapons used or vehicles operated in doing so. What terminology is used for these images?


Function of Dashes in a Sentence

> **_Today any accessible, fast-moving story written in unaffected prose is > deemed to be "genre fiction"—at best an excellent "read" or a "page turner," > but never literature with a capital L._** I cant understand the reason for using the dash in **_—at best an_ excellent "read" or a "page turner," but never literature with a capital L.** Can you explain this to me and give me the different uses of dashes and their functions in the English sentence?


How is title case applied to idioms containing prepositions?

For title case that does not capitalize articles, conjunctions, and small prepositions, how should one capitalize compound verbs and idiomatic phrases containing one of these elements? For example, > when in doubt, smash it Following the title case I described, it could be written as: > When in Doubt, Smash It However, the "in" is part of the idiom "in doubt" rather than being used alone. Using that logic, it might be more appropriate to write it as: > When In Doubt, Smash It Which way is most appropriate? Do any style guides address this problem or similar ones?


Is " Hammer it home" an idiom?

What does " Hammer it home" mean? I want to know if it refers to a sport event or not.


What is the origin of the phrase "to take a rain check"

I know what it means, but can't really see the reasoning of this phrase. Anyone with an insight?


Is there a name for the fallacy that one vote has no effect on the outcome?

I often hear this in elections where people justify not going to vote, because (according to them) _"their vote doesn't change anything"_ or the like. This kind of reasoning is also used to discard vegetarianism, because _"if I eat meat or not - that cow is gonna get killed"_. Although it seems to be true at first, the decision does have an effect in the end due to accumulation and the butterfly effect. (If everybody would reason that way, there would be nobody doing it.)


Gramatical correctness of a sentence from To Kill A Mocking-Bird

Whilst reading To Kill A Mocking-Bird I came upon this sentence (Full extract below): > It is better to say, built in spite of them. To me, this sentence seems poorly structured, possibly even incorrect grammatically. I wouldn't have thought that a comma should be used where it is. I would've thought it'd be more appropriate to use a colon and perhaps even quotes around the correction. I consulted someone I knew who said that they thought the sentence was perfectly fine as it was. I have thought that it might have been written in this way so as to give the impression of Scout herself saying it but I am unsure. Any opinions on the validity of this sentence will be very helpful, thanks! The full quote is below: > The Maycomb County courthouse was faintly reminiscent of Arlington in one > respect: the concrete pillars supporting its south roof were too heavy for > their light burden. The pillars were all that remained standing when the > original courthouse burned in 1856. Another courthouse was built around > them. It is better to say, built in spite of them. But for the south porch, > the Maycomb County courthouse was early Victorian, presenting an unoffensive > vista when seen from the north. From the other side, however, Greek revival > columns clashed with a big nineteenth-century clock tower housing a rusty > unreliable instrument, a view indicating a people determined to preserve > every physical scrap of the past.


Would you capitalize these words: dean, vice-dean, vice-dean of external affairs, and academic council?

In this text: > The Dean's Office consists of the Dean, the Vice-Dean of Undergraduate > Studies, the Vice-Dean for External Affairs, the Vice-Dean of Graduate > Studies and Research, and the Secretary General. What would you capitalize (or what wouldn't you capitalize) and why? How about in future references? I've found plenty of style guides and examples, but then also plenty of actual documents that don't follow what I've found in the style guides.


Therapy as Coaching OR Coaching as Therapy

I'm trying to write that I'm working as a therapist with a client but using coaching informed approaches. That is you are entering a legal agreement as a therapist and client and we'll be using Coaching dynamics.


How does "if you must know" differ from "you may (might) know"?

In the following Washington Post's article (Feb. 13) reporting the outcome of CPAC 2011, I found the phrase _if you must know_. I think this phrase means _though it may not be essential knowledge that you are supposed to have_ , or _just for your reference_. What is the difference of nuance among _if you must know_ , _you may know_ , and _you might know_ , which is difficult for non-native English learner to discern? > The three-day Conservative Political Action Conference ended Saturday > afternoon with a meaningless presidential straw poll (if you must know, > libertarian gadfly Ron Paul won for the second year in a row).


Does "there is doubt whether it will not ..." confuse the meaning of this sentence?

I was interested in the following sentence which appeared in an article titled “FROM SOUTH CAROLINA.; PUBLIC FEELING IN CHARLESTON THE LEADING MEN IN THE SECESSION MOVEMENT MISGIVINGS ABOUT THE ISSUE." in The New York Times (Dec. 9, 1860). > The ensuing Convention will immediately pass the secession ordinance; but > there is considerable doubt whether it will **not** be made to take effect > at a much later day than was first contemplated. Can someone clarify if the meaning of this sentence can wrongly influenced by the use of the word "not", as I think it is? I would drop "not"; but I'm not sure on this correction because the presence of the fragment "doubt whether" that precede "not" confused me.


Which is preferred?

I am writing a novel and would like to know which is a better choice: > He walks over to the member’s table Or > He walks to the member’s table Thank you!


A word for "rate of change"

Physics problems are usually written like: > The rate of change of the soup's temperature ... Is there a **common** English word that captures "rate of change" or "speed of change" in a single word, other than _derivative_?


What is "soft skill"?

Please elaborate what does it mean by _soft skill_ in term of English language.


Why "who is" sounds "whiz"?

Please elaborate, when we say "who is", why does it sound "whiz"? Also one more example I would like to include: why "visit us" sounds "visi- tas"?


Past perfect of "have"?

What is the past perfect of "have"? Is it * "have", * "had", or * "had had"? And if it is "had had", * doesn't it sound weird and awkward? * when and how do I use it? Thanks.


How to report "Ocean of Knowledge"

I would write an academic research report and i would like to know how to write : > "Ocean of knowledge" to describe an enormous source of knowledge ?


How to obtain "diligence" from crossword clue "horse-drawn vehicle industry"

Cryptic clue: _Horse-drawn vehicle industry_ Answer: _Diligence_ How do we figure this one out?


Meaning of "an identity of thought and being"

> Hegel asserted that in order for the thinking subject (human reason or > consciousness) to be able to know its object (the world) at all, there must > be in some sense **an identity of thought and being**. Could you give me an example?


Better synonym for "actionable"?

In managementese, "actionable" means "able to be acted upon". Unfortunately, its primary meaning is "giving sufficient reason to take legal action" in legalese. I'm looking for a better alternative to the managementese meaning that doesn't have the unfortunate associations, but still has good Sexy Buzzword Value; help? Example sentence per request: "This has now become one of our actionable items." Another, related meaning that's within the range of what I'm looking for is _able to be actively used_. To illustrate, the best alternative to "actionable" that we've come up with in the original context is _deployable_.


To use "being" or not to

Which sentence is correct and why? > The World Cup **is held** every four years. or, > The World Cup **is being held** every four years.


How do you mark a translator's note?

Inside a piece of text, I have a word in another language. I'd like to keep it that way, and add a translator's note with the translation to English. What is the common practice of doing that? I'd prefer to do it inline. I'm thinking of something like this: > _word_ (TN: _translation of word_ ) But I haven't seen this notation used anywhere.


"I just ate them" and "I've just eaten them" — What's the difference in American and in British?

I know there are differences between American and British English in this area. So when answering, please specify whether you speak American or British English.


Which is right — "all the three" or "all three" in a situation of specific objects?

Let's imagine, I'm speaking about someone's three specific cars, which are over there, there, and there. Now I'm saying that I have installed a new sound system in all of them. Which is right: >   * [...] I have installed a new sound system in all the three cars. >   * [...] I have installed a new sound system in all three cars. >


"Should" in the past?

What is the way to say that something "should be done" in the past? I know there is a "should have" structure, but it is used for situations, when something was to be done in the past, but it wasn't. E.g. "You should have called me yesterday. Why didn't you?" So, would it be correct to say "It should have been done" in a situation when something was to be done and in fact it WAS DONE?


Could you help me with the meaning of the phrase “bound together by some necessity of nerve that excluded him” in the extract below? What does "nerve" mean here? Does it mean "courage" or "nervous system?" Please help me. > “...The boy shrugged and got up. He walked off, across the room to the > screen door where he stood looking out. At once Bishop climbed down off his > chair and started after him, putting on his hat as he went. Tarwater > stiffened when the child approached but he did not move and Rayber watched > as the two of them stood there side by side, looking out the door --the two > figures, hatted and somehow ancient, bound together by **_some necessity of > nerve that excluded him_**. He was startled to see the boy put his hand on > Bishop's neck just under his hat, open the door and guide him out of it...”


First-person narrative of a story occurring at the moment

When narrating a story from the first-person perspective in the present tense, would the following be correct? > I wake up at 7 am and see no sunlight entering my room. Thinking I'm up too > early, I decide to rest for a few more minutes. I'm specifically asking whether the _I wake up_ part is correct, or whether it should be _I woke up_ instead.


How do I answer "Where do you work?"

What are **the main purposes** to ask someone 'Where do you work?' apart from to find out the type of place he or she works in? I can answer: > I work in a shop.   >  I work in a hospital.   >  I work in an office. But what other things can (or should) I use as a reply to this question? * * * ### Extra question: sometimes I see > I work **at** a shop. I work **at** a hospital. I work **at** an office. What's the difference between 'at' and 'in' in this case?


Phrase similar to "friend or foe". I want to the reader to ask themselves the question

I am looking for a phrase similar to the phrase "friend or foe". I have come up with _"help or hindrance"_ but I am hoping you might come up with something else. edit - I am writing an article on electronic cigarettes. I want the article to present the for and against - I have already used the friend or foe phrase in a similar article, just looking for something different.


Is "resign with effect from [date]" inclusive?

> I am resigning from my post with effect from 15th April. Does this imply that April 14th will be my last working day, or will it be April 15th?


Origin of the double meaning of "Swear"

It's always been on in mind, how can a single word have two meanings so opposite as "Swear" has? More specifically, how did the word "Swear" assumed its good and bad face? Was it born as good and then started to be used also as bad? The opposite? Citing a comic I read a couple of days ago, if someone tells you "Swear to God", what do you do by default? An oath or a mean sentence? (They may appear as multiple questions but in the end they all go back to the main one...)


"The Drude is on board with this"

In this comment, the author uses the expression _the Drude is on board with this_. What does it mean?


Does syllabus derive from Greek or Latin?

I'm looking for some hard evidence to determine whether syllabus is a word that derives from Greek or Latin. This came about from a discussion asking whether the plural of syllabus is "syllabuses" or "syllabi". We deduced that the plural would be syllabi if it derived from Latin, but views conflicted as to whether the word actually derived from Latin, or if it actually has its roots in Greek. Can anyone come up the answer to this conundrum?


When does an uncountable noun become countable?

I wonder why "fat" "carbohydrate" and "protein" can have the plural form as in the following quotes. Aren't those nouns uncountable?   1. The Russian consumer protection agency said Friday it is taking McDonald's to court for selling foods that contain more fats and carbohydrates than are allowed by national regulations.   2. Carbohydrates, proteins, and fats supply 90% of the dry weight of the diet and 100% of its energy.


"to complete X to Y" OR "into Y" OR both wrong

If I finish something and the object gets transformed into something else during this process, can this be expressed in english by a sentence similar to the following one? I have completed my plan **into/to** a solution to the problem. (by adding some further steps that final manage to get the thing done) Is _into_ or _to_ correct or does the formulation not work at all?


Is it correct to say, "Jamie and I look forward to seeing you and Kate on Friday?"

Pronouns can be so confusing. Is this appropriate or is there a preferred structure other than this?


What is the difference between a "legation" and an "embassy"?

I notice that history books dealing with pre-WW2 times frequently refer to the place where diplomats are to be found as a _legation_ , but nowadays everyone calls this building an _embassy_. Is there any particular reason for this change?


What does the phrase "Fee-fi-fo-fum" actually mean?

> Fee-fi-fo-fum; > > I smell the blood of an Englishman. > > Be he alive or be he dead, > > I'll grind his bones to make my bread. _Joseph Jacobs_ , Jack and the Beanstalk (1890) I've read about the origin of 'Fee-fi-fo-fum' but what does it actually mean?


Should we use "in terms of"?

I have came across this reference: https://www.e-education.psu.edu/styleforstudents/c3_p35.html > This phrase is virtually meaningless, but we often hear it on the news and > in bloated speeches. “In terms of” is really just a wordy and sloppy > transition—usually an unoriginal disguise for a simple preposition, such as > “in,” or a more elegant phrasing, such as “in relation to.” “In terms of the > cost, it is high,” is easily revised to “Its cost is high.” Do not use “in > terms of,” or do so trembling. Is the reference really right? Can I use the following sentence? > The figures are expressed in terms of a percentage/in percentage terms. If so, the phrase "in terms of" seems not to be referred to relation.


Is the use of "among" correct in expressions like "talking/discussing/celebrating among themselves"?

I am not really sure about the use of _among_ , so I have got these expressions which I am not sure are correct: >   1. They were talking among themselves and were completely ignoring me. >   2. These are Giants fan celebrating among themselves their World Series > triumph. > I know I am stretching it too much in the second example to include _among_.


Which is correct..Nothing last forever? or Nothing lasts forever?

Why is 'Nothing lasts forever' correct instead of 'Nothing last forever'?


I would like to know what is the origin of the expression "all over him/her like a cheap coat/suit". I Googled for it but didn't find any relevant entry. Anyone?


What is the grammatical construct using present progressive in relative clauses called?

When I learned this, it had a very distinctive name and allowed to make more interesting sentences. For instance, given the sentence > Fred extended his feet, which stopped the car. It can be rephrased as > Fred extended his feet, _stopping_ the car. How is this construct called and is the comma still necessary?


Clearing the air about taking the cake

I've read conflicting information regarding the meaning of the idiomatic phrase **"take the cake"**. I am quite confused, because based on one source it means something is exceedingly good and according to another - exceedingly bad. Could someone shed some light on which of the two is the actual/prevalent meaning of the phrase? For example which of the two uses sounds more natural? "He drank all the milk and left the empty bottle in the fridge! That really takes the cake!" or "Thanks for all the help! You really take the cake!"


Term for exaggerations such as "always", "never", "constantly", and so on

I believe there is a term for words such as _never_ , _always_ , _constantly_ , and so forth; words that generally exaggerate the situation being described. Unfortunately, I can't recall what that term is if I am correct in that there is indeed such a term. Can anyone help me with this question?


What does the word 'dicta' ('dita'?) mean in the song 'Who's That Chick?'?

The song 'Who's That Chick?' by David Guetta featuring Rihanna features the following line in the chorus: > She's been a crazy **dicta** , disco fever and you wonder... Lyrics websites disagree on the word in bold: 'dita' seems to be a common alternative. To my ear it sounds more like /ˈdɪktə/ than /ˈdɪtə/ or /ˈdɪttə/. (You can listen here \- the chorus starts at about 1:10.) I can't find any definitions of 'dita' (or 'ditta' or 'ditter' etc.) that make any sense in the context of this song. As for 'dicta', there is a sole entry on UrbanDictionary: > A woman that appears to be quiet when you first meet her, but once you begin > unraveling her personality you realize that she scarily independent. While this might fit the song, I can't find any evidence for it apart from an anonymous answer on Yahoo! Answers. The wording of the answer is very similar to that of the UrbanDictionary definition; both may well have been written by the same person. The definition happened to appear in December last year, not long after the song was released. Perhaps the lyricist was out of ideas and decided to invent a new word.


Use of "already" in context or alternative phrasing

On a blog post I (German native speaker) recently wrote the following sentence: > I forgot to tell my boss that the meeting will start already at 2 tomorrow. Someone then posted a comment that the already doesn't make sense and wouldn't be used by a native speaker of English, correcting my sentence to: > I forgot to tell my boss that the meeting will start at 2 tomorrow. Now, adding **already** to the sentence (in German) does one of the following 2 things: Expressing that the meeting, which was originally scheduled to start at 3, has been "preponed". or Expressing that the starting time, yet unknown to the boss, is early from the perspective of the boss/ myself because maybe usually meetings start at 5 or maybe we are about to work till 5 at night today so 2 tomorrow is early for us. If not using **already** , how would either case be expressed in English then?


The Relationship Between an Ex and the Current Partner?

My wife's ex-husband is my __? It sort of felt a bit awkward to see the woman, her current husband, her ex- husband, and her and her ex-husband's children in one room together. They all seem to be at ease and are bonding very well. Anyway, what is the relationship called between the two men?


stop vs stopped?

what is the difference between; "what if we stop X" and "what if we stopped X" We are trying to write an inspirational statement, not so much a question, to provoke thought around stopping X. For example "what if we stop car theft" vs "what if we stopped car theft" knowing that the audience comprises those who are trying to stop car theft.


Which is right, the simple past or past perfect?

I saw this sentence in a book where two events happened in sequence. The first event was described with the past perfect (ex: After I had woken up, I washed my face.) But in Korea, we learned that when two sentences are linked with after or before to show which event happened earlier, we may use the simple past like this "After I woke up, I washed my face." Is this correct?


Does "salt mines" have any specific meaning?

In the movie _Easy A_ , the character Todd said "See you at **salt mines** " to Olive when they met at Melody's party. What does _salt mines_ mean? Does it really mean "a mine for salt"?


Manage abbreviations before parantheses at the end of a sentence

There are already topics very close to my question, but not quite there. Does anyone know what to do about this: > We review our accounts p.a. (at the end of the year). Normally, without the text in parentheses, the "." after "a" would suffice to end the sentence, but then the parentheses come into play. Should there be another period after the parentheses like in my example, or no?


"over his turned temples", from a poem by G.M.Hopkins

From Gerard Manley Hopkins' poem, "The Furl of fresh-leaved dogrose down" > Then over his **turnèd** temples—here— > > Was a rose, or, failing that, > > Rough-Robin or five-lipped campion clear > > For a beauty-bow to his hat I wonder what _turned temples_ mean here. Should we read it as "his head girdled round (="turned") with a wreath (of flowers)" ? That is, does the poet use _temples_ as a synecdoche for "head", because there's a wreath at about the temples' level?


Is the meaning of the acronym "FAQ" generally understood?

When people see the acronym **FAQ** , I wonder if they really know what it stands for or whether they just understand the concept. Is this true for most native English speakers?


About question tags

> He did **nothing***. Which is the correct question tag for the sentence above?   1. _didn't he?_   2. _did he?_ What is the effect of using nothing for negation?


Term for a person who conducts practice lessons

Is there a word in English for a person who conducts practice lessons in a university? In Russia, we call these kinds of lessons "семинар", and people who conduct them "семинарист". Unfortunately, the English words "seminarian" and "seminarist" have different meanings (as I understand, they are connected with study of theology, not with study in general).


Phase after a pilot program

I am looking for a word or phrase that communicates a program's phase after it's pilot phase (sorry for the redundancy) So if HUD has a pilot program right now, but I want to formulate a question of when will this program be (blank this is word I am looking for) Thank you


Any/some in a specific sentence

I know that some/any are used with plural (with some exceptions), but what about this? > I can give you a book...if there is any Is that correct? I want to say that if there is any book, I will give it to him. And what about plural? > I can give you the books...if there are some Or should it be "any?


"Cheer" for a team?

Here I am again to ask a question about a vocabulary item. What word is used to describe yourself as the fan of a team, that you support it, cheer for it and want it to win ? If I say, "I am cheering for the Czech team" it doesn't sound good English. So what should I say? Many thanks in advance for your contribution. Mel.


Which of these sentences is better?

> The user is redirected to your web page after the click. > > After the click, the user is redirected to your web page. Which kind of sentence should be used, the first, the second, or neither?


Is "swop" an acceptable variant of "swap"?

I've always spelt it with an "a". But my friend insists on spelling it with an "o". Is this an acceptable variant?


Multiple hyphens in a word

Is it allowed to have multiple hyphens in one word? I want to use the word _semi-self-sustaining_ in the sentence > However, the ability to produce **semi-self-sustaining** stations is > possessed by up to a quarter of all nations. Should we use _semi-selfsustaining_ or avoid it by using _partially self- sustaining_?


Adjectives and nouns: which modifier should be written first?

If I am writing a sentence where both a noun and an adjective are used as modifiers, shall I write first the adjective, or the noun? > It's a nice C code snippet.   >  ( **?** ) It's a C nice code snippet. Is the same "rule" valid for the following sentence? > Reserved SQL keywords are written in uppercase.   >  SQL reserved keywords are written in uppercase.


Use of "Could you tell what kind of"

What is the correct use of the verb in the following sentences:   1. Could you tell me what kind of qualifications does a deputy coroner **have**?   2. Could you tell me what kind of car he **owns**?    3. What kind of underwear does he **wear**? In the first and second example, I think the question is `Could you`, so the rest of the sentence should be written in simple form. The second example follows this "rule", however, the first insists on adding another interrogative form in `does a deputy coroner have`. In the third example I think that `What kind` is the question, but there is an additional interrogative form at the end. Which one is correct? Thank you!


"He has to do it. Hasn't he (to)?"

> He has to do it. Hasn't he (to)? Is the ' _to_ ' correct/ incorrect/ unnecessary? Is that a case of an infinitive in interrogative tail (question tag)?


Singular of "dice"

After a discussion on the topic I found out that the oxford dictionary describes that > Historically, dice is the plural of die, but in modern standard English dice > is both the singular and the plural: ' _throw the dice_ ' could mean a > reference to either one or more than one dice. and > dice. NOUN (plural same) Source: oxforddictionaries.com Which unsurprisingly surprised me. Now, I have long ago accepted that languages are living things and I am fine accepting change, however in this particular case I am not sure just how accepted this use is. The Oxford dictionary makes no mention of this use being _slang_ which suggests it should be valid in 'proper' English as well and no reference is even made to _die_ except as a 'see also' and the historical use. So, does this mean uses like > We lost one dice whilst playing the game yesterday. and > The 3D artist was developing a dice model, to be printed later. are both valid?


"Once upon a time" vs. "a long time ago"

How is the meaning of "once upon a time" different from "a long time ago"? Literally, is that what it means? There seems to be repetition in _once_ and _upon a time_. How is this sentence broken up?


What does "O'Doul" refer to in this context?

In the latest episode of the sitcom _The Big Bang Theory_ , there was this joke: > I’ve got a lab full of alcoholic monkeys and tomorrow is the day we switch > ‘em to O’Doul’s. I can't really understand the joke, because I don't know what or who O'Doul is. I tried googling, but all I got was a baseball player named Lefty O'Doul, which doesn't help me in understanding the joke.


Can I use an ellipsis before a comma?

On a particular piece of dialogue and I wasn't sure if this was correct or just a matter of style. > "[...] your shield, you don’t deserve..., nor how can I put into the line?” My question is the use of ellipsis in quotes, here 'you don't deserve' is its own clause, is it ok to use the "..." to denote an additional pause, or should I just stick with the comma? Edit: There is more preceding _your shield_ , I just kept it short for brevity sake.


What does "Faustian bargain" mean?

In an article I see this phrase "Faustian bargain". Both I and my teacher were unable to translate or understand it. Can you help me and explain this phrase? Context: > The reason for linking all the modules together in a single address space, > with no protection between the modules, is that designers have made a > **Faustian bargain** : better performance at the cost of more system > crashes. We will quantitatively examine the price of this trade-off below. This comes from the first page of this work: http://docs.huihoo.com/minix/reliable-os.pdf or http://74.125.155.132/scholar?q=cache:_sabEZ3IFvsJ:scholar.google.com/&hl=en&as_sdt=0,5 (preloaded as google html view)


What are appropriate words to describe trends in graphs (e.g. "increase", "growth")?

What is the difference between _increase_ , _growth_ , _go up_ and _rise_? And what is the difference between _decline_ , _fall_ , _go down_ and _drop_? I really don't know which is the best to describe parts of a graph. :/ I can't find information in the dictionary about this. :/


"The feds" has a negative connotation? Who exactly are they anyway?

In the US media, news reporters enjoy saying "the feds" with authority, but this using of a slang term without an agreed upon definition frustrates me. Let me elaborate. Speaking as a native speaker, I've heard each of these groups referred to as "the feds":   * FBI   * DEA   * most everything else in DoJ, but not everything   * IRS My guess is that to be a "fed", you must have standing that overlaps with another organization that exists at the State level? And, all of the "feds" must also be in the Executive Branch of the federal government? After all, the Supreme Court is not "the feds", right? Nor is Congress "the feds", right? Further, my sense is that everyone considers the term, "the feds", to have a _negative connotation_. I sense that the media who demagogue "States rights" created this negative connotation? Yet, I just heard that "the feds" are going to Ferguson, Missouri to investigate an incident there; this is framed as a good thing. And anyway, which "feds" are going to Ferguson? Federal Prosecutors? FBI? Some other people from the DoJ that deal with hate crimes? Rather than say exactly who is going, it seems everyone just says "the feds" are going. Please educate me about the political slang of my own native language. thank you.


What do "The cheese is baked into crust" and "Tweet one’s delight ..." mean in the context of an article about Super Bowl XLV?

For a non native English speaker, the introductory part of today’s Washington Post article commenting on the flood of TV commercials during the Super Bowl contains a bunch of unfamiliar phrases and is quite a puzzle. Can somebody explain me what ‘Have the color and consistency of old gum,’ ‘The cheese is baked into crust’ and ‘Tweet one’s delight that seven-layer dip has become nine,’ in the following sentence imply ? Is a sentence studded with all-Greek-to-me the writer’s special style or just an ordinary pattern of newspaper article? > The effects of 45 (or XLV, if you must) direct slams to the head could be > clearly seen Sunday night on that annual American CAT scan called the Super > Bowl. Whole parts of our collective cerebellum now show up as having the > color and consistency of old gum. Too many insipid Black Eyed Peas songs > will do that to a civilization. The cheese really is baked into the crust. > But willingly, like achy old pros, we returned to the holy rituals of this > brutal game, this billion-dollar boondoggle, tweeting our delight that > seven-layer dip has somehow become nine. Distraction is the real attraction, > which gets a little more true each year.


Which is correct: “expose” or “exposé”?

What is the preferred way to write words such as _exposé_ in English? My Firefox spellchecker even tells me that _exposé_ is incorrect and suggests _expose_. If _exposé_ is correct, then how does this sit in the grand scheme of things? Does this mean that _é_ is also part of our alphabet, or is this word special in that is not formally recognised as being part of the English language?


Use of "as" when describing circumstances

In a sentence with four parts,   1. As sharing crime statistics for   2. the year 2011, the Commissioner admitted that   3. there had been an undue delay in   4. the setting up of an anti-narcotics cell. I am told there is an error in part 1: _as_ should not be used. But I don't understand why that's so. What is wrong with _as,_ and what should go there instead?


What is the meaning of the phrase 'listing off'?

> services > > Listing off registered services (nova-scheduler, nova-compute and so on) and > their current state. The updated_at field is used to determine if a given > service is considered healthy or not. "services" is a database table. If you don't known what a database table is, think of it as a listing.


"Forgotten" or "forgot" as past participle of "forget"

In US and in UK respectively, which is more popular as the past participle of _forget_ : _forgotten_ or _forgot_? Which is more formal/informal? Examples: > I haven't **forgot(ten)** you. > > You will not be **forgot(ten)**.


Word choice: "accept", "sign", something else?

I had sent an express mail to my friend several days ago, which contained some documents. After checking online, I can see the express mail has been delivered. Now I'd like to write an email to my friend to ask her about it. When referring to the delivery, should I ask her if she "accepted the documents", "signed the documents", or something else? In Chinese, we usually say something like "Have you signed and accepted the express mail?" But I'm not sure what the proper way is to say it in English.


Incorrect usage of "prevaricate"?

Today, while reading an online article, I came across the following comment: > Young people regret their mistakes. Old people regret not deciding. **_In > the contest of prevaricating_** between which choices we predict we will one > day celebrate and those we will one day regret and the alternative of taking > decisive action now, it is the latter that should win. Go for it! It seems to me that the word "prevaricate" is being used incorrectly here- my understanding is that the word denotes evasive behaviour. Am I correct in thinking that the above sentence makes no sense? I'm inclined to think that the poster should have used 'vacillate'instead. Thank you.


Difference between "I am doing lunch" and "I am having lunch"

What is the difference between _I am doing lunch_ and _I am having lunch_? Both indicate progress of action.


Can I drop "for" in a short "for almost 5 years" answer?

* How long has your sister played the harp?   * For almost five years. Can I leave off "for" here or it will sound strange then?


"Perhaps, some bird lives in there" or "perhaps, a bird lives in there?"

Imagine yourself walking in the woods with children. One child is saying, "there is a big hole in that tree's trunk." You answer, "perhaps a/some bird lives in there." Would you use _a_ or _some_? Please, elaborate.


Has "freak" always carried a negative connotation?

Many words (such as _imbecile_ and _idiot_ ) used to be technical terms or proper names, however, eventually came to be used mainly for insults, and are today considered negative. Has the word _"freak"_ always carried a negative connotation, or was it once a technical term for meaning "different" or "abnormal"?


"Order of magnitude" for changes in prefix

Order of magnitude usually denotes a change of a factor of 10. Is there a similar term for a change by a factor of 1000? For example: Kb -> Mb Tb -> Gb Edit: I agree that you can just say "three orders of magnitude" but I am wondering if there is a more concise or appropriate term.


"The time and place" or "the time and the place"

> _A. He still hasn't told us the time and place of the meeting._   >  _B. He still hasn't told us the time and **the** place of the meeting._ Q1: Which of the above sentences is correct and why? More specifically, do we say "the time and place of..." or "the time and the place of..."? Q2: Do they sound unnatural or uncommon in any way other than what I already asked in question 1? For example, is it more common to say "the meeting time and place" or "the time and place of the meeting"?


Sentence case in a message

We have created a game where children can learn Vegetables and Fruits. When the child answers a question they receive a notification to tell them whether they got it wrong or right. My opinion is that the capitalization of the letters should not be in sentence case, so for example, > Wrong Answer - Try Again is incorrect in my opinion. I think it should be > Wrong answer - try again i.e. written as a normal sentence. Is there a particular way it should be? For reference purposes, here is the game just in case my question does not make sense. Click on a vegetable to see the message. http://freeteacher.co.uk/game.aspx?qf=game_vegetables


Generalised rule for verb usage in simple present tense using participle

I'm doing a school exercise where I have to give an explanation of the underlined (or in this case **bold** ) verb usage in given sentences, following this format: > **I was waiting.** > > past continuous (or progressive) = subject + was / were + verb + ‘-ing’ (or > present participle) The last sentence I am to anaylse is giving me trouble: > Toyota **cars are made** in Japan. I've indentified the tense as present simple, and cars is clearly the subject, and "are" at least one of the verbs. But what is the rule for past participles in simple present tense? I've done fairly extensive searches online and found grammar websites that give examples of the same format as present simple tense, but none that give any explanation or rule for how the past participle is used in this case. My best guess for the desired analysis is: > **cars are made** > > Simple present = subject + is / are + past participle But this is only an inference, and I don't know if it accurately reflects any actual grammatical rule. Any help will be appreciated. (And don't worry, I'm allowed to use the internet, several links are even included with the exercise, so you're not helping me cheat)


“recce” — the reck which a reckless is lacking

While thinking about good antonyms for _reckless_ , I noticed there’s no _reckful_ nor any _reck_ in English, for that matter. So, what would that _reck_ be? Etymonline offers the following scrap: > _rece, recce_ “care, heed” from _reccan_ “to care” A very pretty word, and I’d love to learn more about it. When did it die out? Did it differ subtly from _care_ as _careless_ differs from _reckless_ , with special connotations? How was it pronounced? Did it function just like _care_ or did it have its own set of prepositions for use in various contexts? Could it be used in role of “tender care”, related to love? _“I recce for thee”_?


Can "network" be a mass noun?

I stumbled upon a video having this phrase in its narration, _"[The university] has been equipped with **computer network** , electric systems, and internet"_. Personally, I never use _"network"_ as a mass noun like the above usage. If it were me, I would rather use _"equipped with computer networks"_ , or _"equipped with computer network access"_. Anyway, it made me curious... Is such a usage good English?


"Optional machines to work with"

My point in the quoted sentence is to introduce a new section where I will list all the machines that are currently available for a given task. > Optional machines to work with Is the sentence above conveying my point?   Secondly, is it idiomatic as written right now?


Are camp followers prostitutes?

My own understanding of the term _camp followers_ was that it was synonymous with _prostitutes_ who followed armies around plying their trade. However, according to Wikipedia: > Camp-follower is a term used to identify civilians and their children who > follow armies. There are two common types of camp followers; first, the > wives and children of soldiers, who follow their spouse or parent's army > from place to place; the **second type** of camp followers have historically > been informal army **service providers** , servicing soldiers needs whilst > encamped, in particular selling goods or services that the military does not > supply, these have included cooking, laundering, liquor, nursing, **sexual > services** and sutlery. ODO's BrE and AmE entries are both identical and similar to the above: > a civilian who works in or is attached to a military camp. Webster, on the other hand, appears to concur with _me_: > a civilian (as a **prostitute** ) who follows a military unit to attend or > exploit military personnel Wiktionary offers a fence-sitting definition albeit one leaning towards my side a wee bit: > A civilian who works for a military organization, **often a prostitute**. None of the dictionary entries explicitly include the families of soldiers in their definitions. So, are _camp followers_ all the civilians employed in the service industry who follow armies around? Or has the term dwindled to only imply those who provide sexual services? I'd also appreciate any information on the evolution of the term, if applicable.


What is the role of the single quote sign in Hebrew transliteration?

What is the role of the single quote sign in transliterations? I have the following example: > Malkat Sh'va in Modern Hebrew   >  (From Wikipedia Queen of Sheba Article) What is the `'` sign called in this context? And what does it do? I have already browsed the internet, but couldn't find an explanation. I have even looked into ISO 259-3, but got only confused.


When 'willing' is added, does this intensify or weaken the meaning of “I bet”?

> Although I could not see it in the fog, I knew that Gibbet Wood lay not far > ahead at the top of Gibbet Hill. It would be wet and soggy in among the > trees, but I **was willing to bet** that the police had not been there > before me. (from _The Weed that Strings the Hangman’s Bag_ ) Oxford says ‘I bet’ is ‘used to express certainty.’ If the word ‘willing’ (Oxford says; ready, eager, or prepared to do something) is added like the example, does it intensify or weaken the meaning of “I bet”?


Can "fornicate" be used as a transitive verb?

(I’m asking this for someone else who doesn’t know about this site (yet).) Could _fornicate_ be used as a transitive verb, as in > We have to keep A from fornicating B. I don’t believe it can.


Which verb tense is used in OR compound objects?

For example: We always get work done, regardless of what mood Bill or I is/am/are in. Which tense of 'be' would be used here?


May I have some examples of “future perfect continuous” from fiction or literature, with references?

Question says it all and again it should be from literature or fiction. I was told that the future perfect continuous does not exist. So I am looking for examples from “real published and acclaimed books”.


What is a term for finding a result?

(Physics) experiments yield results, but I'm looking for a verb for the finding of a result. "Find" seems to underestimate personal input in the experiment. Other words like "Obtain" seem strange. Is there a proper term?


Usage of prepositions with the word "difficult"

Just wanted to know if there are any rules on usage "to" or "for" with the word "difficult".