Is the word, ‘nerdocracy’ just a nonce word, or becoming current?

I was drawn to the word, ‘nerdocracy’ appearing in an article in New York Times’ TV Watch section under the title, “Start-Ups and Upstarts.” It reads; > “There is a relatively new social order disrupting the peace, a **Palo Alto > nerdocracy** ruled by boy billionaires and Internet upstarts. “Silicon > Valley,” a new and very funny HBO series that begins Sunday, taps into the > foibles and pretensions world.” > http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/04/arts/television/nerds-get-their-due-on- > silicon-valley-and-veep.html?src=dayp I’ve seen the word, “(Palo Alto) nerdocracy” for the first time. It must be a portmanteau of nerd+cracy as same as ‘democracy,’'bureaucracy' and ‘meritocracy,’ and I can guess what it means. However, none of CED, OED and online English dictionaries carries this word, nor Google Ngram covers ‘nerdocracy.’ Is ‘nerdocracy’ a just one-off journalism coinage, or getting current recently?


Can I use “I have asked something”

I wonder whether “ask” can be used as verb in past or present perfect tense. I used “I have asked something from somebody” in email, but this sentence sounds a little weird to me. So I want to check whether the grammar is right.


Nightlife or night life (BrE)

What is the correct spelling of the word " _nightlife_ " (e.g. _social activities in clubs/bars_ ) in British English? Is it nightlife (one word) or night life (two words)?


What does “it’s not going to suck itself ” mean?

In Goa, I see tourists wearing t-shirts that have the following text on them, along with a red arrow: > It’s not going to suck itself What does this mean?


"Intents and purposes" versus "intensive purposes"

I know that "for all intents and purposes" is the correct saying, but I often hear/see people say/write "for all intensive purposes". I was under the impression that the latter is completely incorrect, but when I discussed this with some friends, we could not reach an agreement. Is "intensive purposes" considered correct even though it is a deviation from the original turn of phrase?


How does the word "cardinal" relate to "cardinal numbers"

> Cardinal number > > In linguistics, more precisely in traditional grammar, a cardinal number or > cardinal numeral (or just cardinal) is a part of speech used to count, such > as the English words one, two, three, but also compounds like three hundred > and forty-two > cardinal (adj.) > > "chief, pivotal," early 14c., from Latin cardinalis "principal, chief, > essential," from cardo (genitive cardinis) "that on which something turns or > depends; pole of the sky," originally "door hinge," of unknown origin. What's the relation between the two?


Is there an English word for "awaiting approval"?

I'm developing a web application. Some of the entities on that application require to be "approved" before they are considered "valid" by the system. I need to name the state in which they are "awaiting approval". Is there a shorter construction to convey the same meaning as "awaiting for approval"?


Can one say “gotten to like him”?

I came across the phrase _Gotten to like him_ in one of the English movies. Is it appropriate and grammatical to say the following: > Sarah has gotten to like him.


How much exactly is increased when it is "increased by 1.1"?

I saw it in a text book, and a similar problem that also appeared in the book is "3 times faster", which is already asked. Simply speaking, the book says: > Unfortunately, it increases the CPI by 1.1. Where CPI is for clock cycles per instruction, if that matters. According to the choices the question provided, it actually means the increased value is 1.1 times of the original one (10% increase). It's the first time I have seen "by" meaning "to". Is it acceptable in daily English?


What is the difference between “venom” and “poison”? Both in usage and in meaning.


"Time is of the essence"… of what?

I'm having a hard time understanding the purpose or meaning of the definite article, _the_ in the common phrase, _Time is of the essence._ My first thought is that it refers to the task that is time-sensitive, but certainly time or timeliness is not the essence of that task (unless perhaps the task is to set a clock). Can anyone shed light on this formulation?


A question on narration in the past

This is a bit of a complicated question. The context is that someone gave advice to someone else. The whole situation is narrated in the past. I fear that by using the past tense, the reader may understand that the advice was taken heed of (since the verbs are all conjugated in the past), when it was actually completely disregarded right from the start. Sentence: > Someone suggested I deliberately - if not duplicitously actually - switch to > my mother tongue as I spoke English in the meeting, making it look as though > I were so nervous in defending myself that I involuntarily inserted a few > words from my mother tongue; then follow that insertion with “uh, uh, I am > sorry, I mean, uh, . . .” Now the issue is that this advice was NOT taken heed of. However, because of the past narration (as in 'inserted' and other verbs), I fear it may look like it was. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.


What does "non-authors" and "canonical redirects" mean in this sentence?

> Prevent sniffing out user names of non-authors by using canonical redirects? What does _canonical redirects_ and _non-authors_ mean?


difference between firm and organization?

Recently during a conversation I was corrected by one of the clients when I used the word 'firm' to refer to his...firm/organization/company which is basically an international bank. The sentence was : " has mr. X left the firm?" He corrected me : " Organization." until now I was using these words interchangeably... can somebody put some light on the differences between the two and their usage.


What does "gold is where you find it" mean?

> Gold is where you find it. Can someone please give me an example of how to use this expression?


Verb for "to form the union of A and B"

You can say _"to intersect A with B"_ for _"to form the intersection of A and B"_. But is there also a verb for _"to form the union of A and B"_? _"to unite A with B"_ doesn't seem right, at least in the context of set theory.


Shared root to "bobech", "bobbin" and "bobby"?

Is there a shared etymological root to the following words?   * _Bobech_ (glass collar on a candle)    * _Bobbin_ (in a sewing machine)    * _Bobby_ [pin] (woman's hair pin)  I just learned the word _bobech_ last night, and it made me wonder, simply due to the phonetic similarities.


How can I say "I know him well" in a formal way

I need help in formal writing. Can somebody tell me how to say "I know him well after 2 year teaching him" formaly? Thanks in advance.


What is “narrative nonfiction”, exactly? Isn't every nonfiction narrative?

I came across the term “narrative nonfiction” in the New York Times article titled “What should children read?” (November 22). It seems to be a journalist’s and book editors’ favorite jargon from the following sentence: > What schools really need isn’t more nonfiction but better nonfiction, > especially that which provides good models for student writing. Most > students could use greater familiarity with what newspaper, magazine and > book editors call “ **narrative nonfiction** ”: writing that tells a factual > story, sometimes even a personal one, but also makes an argument and conveys > information in vivid, effective ways. What does “narrative nonfiction” really mean? I recognize it is immediately followed by a definition, but I feel like I am still missing something crucial. Why the qualifier "narrative"? Isn’t it a given that nonfiction (story) is narrative on its own, obliterating the need to expressly mention "narrative"? What is a typical format of “narrative nonfiction”? Or is this perhaps some kind of umbrella term for personal essays on daily matters and private diaries on the one side, and news reports and expository comments on the other?


Word for "to make profound"

What is a word that means "to make profound"? For example, > This onion will [ _infinitive_ ] the stock. > > These colors [ _3rd person plural_ ] the painting. _Deepen_ doesn't quite cut it, and I can't use the imaginary words "profund- _ize_ " or "profund- _iate_ " in a formal setting. Any suggestions?


"wanna" or "wanna" to?

Sometimes I hear "wanna do something," but other times I hear "wanna **to** do something." In the dictionary, I found that _wanna_ means "want to." Why do some people use "wanna to"?


Multi-word prepositions and short prepositions

When it is possible to use short prepositions instead of multi-word prepositions, should I use the shorter one to make the meaning clear?   * As a consequence of = because of   * In addition to = besides   * In the course of = during   * In order to = to


When is "-less" used, and when is "-free" used?

When is the suffix "-less" used, and when is the suffix "-free" used? My initial assumption was that "-free" is used when the absence of something is good, such as "care-free", and "-less" is used when the absence of something is bad, such as "careless". But while looking up -less in Wiktionary, I came across words like "blameless" and "cordless". If the above logic were used, it'd be "blame-free" (the word gets some google hits, but nowhere near as many) and "cord-free". Is there any logic to when "-less" and "-free" is used?


"Nine out of 10"

Most style guides call for spelling out numbers less than 10, and using numerals for those 10 and over. While reading a magazine today, I saw the phrase _nine out of 10_ , and it struck me as wrong even though it technically adheres to the standard. It seems like an exception is called for in this case, instead of the distracting mixing of word and numeral. Do style guides address this issue?


"Which one is you?" vs "Which one are you?"

Imagine I'm looking at a photo containing a number of people's faces and I can't tell which one belongs to a certain friend of mine. I could ask him one of two things: > "Which one is you?"   >  or   >  "Which one are you?" Which is correct?


Did "slave" ever apply to anything other than people?

Modern use of slave has evolved to include electronic devices in a "master / slave" configuration. Did this use of "slave" ever exist before electronic devices used it? Did the word "slave" ever apply to things other than humans?


Is this "as" a relative pronoun?

> The caged eagle, whose gold-ringed eyes cruelty has extinguished, might look > **as** looked that sightless Samson. (Jane Eyre)   > Is _as_ a relative pronoun that has _the caged eagle_ as its antecedent?   (It seems as-clause is a complement in the whole sentence, and it is also a subject in its clause. So it could be said a nominal relative clause. This idea seems plausible, yet I can’t find the use of as.)


What is the meaning of "paint it black" and when to use it?

I stumbled upon the phrase "paint it black" in a tv series (Elementary) and was wondering what does it exactly mean? Also, in which situations would you use it normally? Except when you tell the painter which color you want your oven. :p Asking Google always returns to the Rolling Stones' song and people talk about depression, but I don't feel like that really fits here. Also the person in the series is using the sentence to give his snipers the green light for an attack. Is it understandable for everyone to start firing when you hear the sentence or is it more like a codeword they must have agreed on beforehand? Any explanations and insights are mostly welcome!


"Extract" v. "Extricate"

I was having a debate with my family about the differences between the usage of _extract_ and _extricate_. For example, can one extricate a non-living item? Can one extricate a hair? We have heard of extricating oneself, but can one extract oneself? Or extract a living person? And dictionary.com does not do this justice, unfortunately.


Is a salutation necessary in an email to an unknown person?

I am submitting an unsolicited article to a magazine by email. The publication's website provides an email address but not a name. Rather than starting the email "To Whom it May Concern", "Dear Sir or Madam", or "To the Editor", I am inclined to omit a salutation. Would this be appropriate? This question differs from related questions that I was able to find. While another question asks about choice of salutation for unknown individuals in email (as does this question), omitting the salutation is not discussed. Another question asks about omitting salutations in emails to known individuals but not unknown individuals.


Is the word "clinic", as in a basketball clinic, a natural and "warm" choice compared to alternatives such as "camp" and "program"?

I'm developing a website for a client who provides physical education programs for elementary schools. The client frequently uses the word _clinic_ to refer to his more targeted sports programs for kids, _e.g._ a _basketball clinic_. Of course the client is referring to the following definition (from Merriam Webster online): > a group meeting devoted to the analysis and solution of concrete problems or > to the acquiring of specific skills or knowledge <writing _clinics_ > <golf > _clinics_ > However, this usage feels unnatural to me. I've only heard the word _clinic_ used in the context of hospitals, patient care facilities, laboratories, and the like. I worry that the imagery triggered by the word _clinic_ is not as "warm" as alternative words like _camp_ , _course_ , and _program_. From a marketing perspective, I feel that an alternative word should be used. I'm asking on English.SE in case I'm simply ignorant, or at least ignorant to a difference of language in generations. That is, I'm in my mid-20s, my client is in his 30s or 40s, and the target audience would be in the client's age group: parents, teachers, principals, and coaches. Given that I'd like to use _their_ generation's language, is _clinic_ a more natural choice?


What does this "solely" explain?

What does this "solely" explain? "NPR is solely responsible for its content." Is it, "NPR is responsible only for its content, so we don't know about other info." Or "Only NPR is responsible for its content, so CNN or other media companies are not involved here"??


Antonym of "Gospel Truth"

What would be the antonym of the phrase "Gospel Truth" be? Consider the usage in the sentence: "Don't consider articles in the newspaper as the gospel truth" what would the opposite be? Specifically I'm looking for some sort of evangelical/biblical references which would depict falsehood.


How should the first "o" in "operator" be pronounced?

I've always been taught that a vowel before a double consonant following another vowel should have a short sound. Conversely, there are many situations where a vowel preceding a single consonant and vowel gets a long sound. Short Sounds:               Mississippi    - All I's except the last get short sound     Communication  - First O gets short sound     Oppose         - First O gets short sound where second O gets long      Long Sound:               Ape            - A gets long sound     Popery         - O gets long sound     Oppose         - First O gets short sound where second O gets long      Yet, I hear people use a short O in "operator" when using the word. Is this the correct pronunciation?


How to pronounce "720p" and "1080p"

How do you pronounce _720p_ and _1080p_? Because I don't live in a country that uses English, I haven't heard it yet. I guess it doesn't have a rule.   * seven hundred twenty p   * seven twenty p   * seventy two zero p What's the one which most people use? And how about _1080p_?


"At step" or "in step"

When I searched I found many usages of both "in step" and "at step". For example, Google returns:   * "at each step" — about 55,000,000 results   * "in each step" — about 45,000,000 results But which one is better to use in scientific papers?


"First come, first serve(d)"

What is the correct version of this common phrase? >   1. First come, first **serve** > >   2. First come, first **served** > > Gramatically, I believe 2. is the correct form. However, it seems that 1. is commonly employed in spoken and even written English.


What does “suck it up and go” mean?

I came across the phrase, “ _suck it up and go_ ” in the columnist’s answer to a question from a reader of Carolyn Hax's column in Washington Post’s “Lifestyle” section (July 2nd). The Q&A titled “Ever the aunt, never the godmom” begins with the following sentence: > “Dear Carolyn: We just got an invitation to the baptism of my seventh nephew > on my husband’s side. Once again we were not considered as godparents. I > felt snubbed. -- Is this a legitimate snub? Should I talk to my sister-in- > law about it?” and Carolyn answers: > “Boycotting the baptism in a wounded huff would be petty, yes, and that’s > the main reason to _suck it up and go_ \- but you also need to go because > nothing would undermine your own purpose more tidily than staying home.” I checked the meaning of “suck it up and go” in English Japanese dictionaries at hand only to find one of them shows “suck it and see” meaning “to try” as a British and Australian usage. Online dictionaries register “suck it (up) and “go suck,” but not “suck it up and go.” What does “ _suck it up and go_ ” mean? Is it an American version of “suck it and see”?


Curious about the type of humour employed by Twitter's @AntiJokeCat?

Despite my general disregard for Twitter and its adherents, I very much enjoy AntiJokeCat's brand of humour. His/her gags are funny because they seem to subvert the notion of what a joke is and confound our expectations of what the punchline is going to be, usually in a dark way. Sometimes a genre joke e.g. a racist or sexist one is subverted at the last moment. ### Some Examples   1. Yo momma's so stupid, she took an IQ test and scored pretty low on it.   2. Two muffins are in an oven. After ten minutes at 325 degrees, they were pulled out, allowed to cool, and then eaten.    3. What did the homeless man get for Christmas? Hypothermia.   4. What's yellow and good at Math? A yellow calculator. More examples may be found at AntiJokeCat's Twitter page. Can anyone provide a ~~better~~ more academic classification of this type of humour aside from 'anti-joke'? I am detecting some `bathos` there at the very least. And where did this deconstructionist humour originate?


The correct word for adoption of a law by the National Assembly?

Since I am not a native English speaker I am not sure what word should I use for adoption of a law. The closest to my language is "adoption", but "promulgate", "enact" or some other word may be more appropriate.


Is "I can have cheeseburger?" really grammatically correct?

As I was looking for a grammar and style plugin for a word processor to help catch my grammar and style errors. I found LanguageTool. On that page I typed the phrase "I can has cheeseburger?". The correction it made was from has to have. Is the phrase "I can have cheeseburger?" correct or is this not a good tool to use?


What does the "eggy" in "eggy data" mean?

I heard that raw data is also sometimes called eggy data. I personally has never used it or heard anybody else using "eggy data". What does "eggy" mean in this context?


The use of vs using ....?

I am unsure if I can use this two forms interchangeably (simplified sentences): > We did that, hence **using** the object is the only way. versus > We did that, hence **the use of** the object is the only way. What would you prefer?


Are the verb suffixes -eth and -est always present tense? Wondering if these suffixes imply present action.


What’s the etymology of the word “unstable”, in the context of software?

Approximately when in the history of computing did _unstable_ come to be commonly used to refer to computer software? Can this time in history be linked to the release of a certain product (no jokes please, unless the truth is sadly funny). Is it a euphemism synonymous with _buggy_ or subtly different? If different, then how?


Capitalization of User Interface Buttons

Being an amateur programmer and a bit of a perfectionist, I often find myself wondering about capitalization in user interfaces. If you look towards the top of this very website, you'll notice the links under the "English Language & Usage" banner are all capitalized. Every word, in fact; not just the first word of every link. However, the ones at the very top of the page ("log out," "chat," etc.) have no capitalization. What is the correct form? Furthermore, when describing the buttons in a manual, should they be capitalized as if they were proper nouns? For example: _Navigate to the "First Example" pane and click the arrow next to "Second Example." This will bring up a dialog. Now click "Third Example" to perform the task._


Is 'lightning' here a noun or an adjective or even an adverb?

Oxford Dictionaries has this example under ADJECTIVE 'lightning': > (1) _Roman is **lightning** quick and improving every day in practice, and > Bean showed playmaking ability in the preseason._ The adjective is categorized in the dictionary as [ATTRIBUTIVE], which the same dictionary defines as: > (Of an adjective or other modifier) preceding the word that it modifies and > expressing an attribute, as old in the old dog (but not in the dog is old) > and expiry in expiry date. Contrasted with predicative. At first glance, this **_lightning_** in (1) does not seem to be used attributively. For starters, the _quick_ clearly is not a noun modified by the _lightning_. Then, is it used predicatively somehow not following the dictionary's own categorization as [ATTRIBUTIVE]? The only possible way to make that happen is as if the _lightning_ were in coordination with the _quick_. But that's unlikely, because without the _quick_ , it sounds funky: > (1a) _Roman is **lightning** and improving every day in practice, and Bean > showed playmaking ability in the preseason._ (?) Merriam-Webster Learner's Dictionary says that lightning in similar cases is an adverb: > — lightning adverb > > — used in combination > > (2) _an athlete with lightning-quick reflexes_ > > (3) _making lightning-fast adjustments_ This just sounds absurd. And I'm thinking maybe it's just a noun. But I need some feedback on this. Any thoughts?


Is this a dependent or an independent clause?

This is the second half of a sentence that uses a semi-colon, and it appeared incorrect to me because I thought this part was a dependent clause. But I am not sure. > They launched into a war that shaped America to be what it is today; **a > strong powerful country, who will fight for their rights.**


Can ‘although’ be used in this way?

> We still haven't got a sponsor although the fact that we've written to > dozens of companies. What's wrong with ‘although’ in the sentence above?


Assume or Imply?

There is one sense in which these two words have a similar meaning. What is the difference in this _meaning_ , rather the difference in grammatical usage? A assumes B > Smoke assumes fire. This sentence doesn't work. A implies B > Smoke implies fire. If there is smoke, then there is a fire.


A non-negative, non-prejudicial term for state of being without a significant other, single?

What do you call the state of being single, without a significant other?   * Singlehood?   * Singleness?   * Singledom?   * Solity? I don't like the single+suffix varieties. Notes:   1. I want something equality applicable to both men and women, and LGBTQWhatever, so no 'bachelor'-based stuff.   2. I do not want imply that the norm is to be married, or that people should get married (or should stay un-married).


Which one is correct — "at the city" or "in the city"?

I want to know the correct preposition to use with the word _city_ in the following context: >   * He arrived in the city. >   * He arrived at the city. > So which one will be correct?


Contradictory Idioms

I stumbled across some contradictory idioms, and it made me wonder how many idioms can be contradicted with other idioms! Some that I've collected so far: > The pen is mightier than the sword > > Actions speak louder than words * * * > What you see is what you get > > Don't judge a book by its cover * * * > A stitch in time saves nine > > Good things come to those who wait * * * > Many hands make light work > > Too many cooks spoil the broth


Is "all but one" singular or plural?

Do you say “All but one person **forgets** something” or “All but one person **forget** something”? I'm assuming that if _all_ means five people, for example, then the example can be rewritten as _Four people forget something_ , so the latter sentence would be correct, but I'm not sure.


How old is the phrase "A Healthy Pee" (or "A Healthy Piss")

What is the earliest usage of the phrase "a healthy pee" or "a healthy piss"? The letter "P", or its spelled form, "pee", used euphemistically for "piss" (because "piss" begins with that letter -- as, similarly, in modern times, sometimes we hear one say "Go F yourself"), seems to be poorly dated. But when did people start applying the adjective "healthy" to any act of urination?


paste = mashed potatoes?

Is **paste** a correct term to refer to **mashed potatoes**? I heard it today from a non-native speaker from **India** and I was a bit surprised.


Should this noun used in a possessive sense be singular or plural?

Consider the following comment in a C++ source file:               /* These members are documented with their associated property. */      Should the word _property_ be singular or plural? Each member is associated with exactly **one** property. However, because there are multiple members, there are multiple properties.


Is there a North American English language authority?

If I took the SATs and they marked something wrong that I thought was right and because of that I didn't get into Harvard so I sued that I wanted my SAT score increased because they were actually wrong and it was a antonym or something, then who would be the arbiter of what the language means?


What does "mostly" modify?

"My friends are mostly non-smokers." Is "mostly" a focusing adverb that modifies "non-smokers"?


Which kind of logical fallacy is this?

A blogger writes of the artisanal movement that it is born out of a preference for things that are hand made. He points out (presumably as a criticism of this) that in the 16th century a gentleman would distance himself from manual industry. He later avers that "...it is as if we now believe artisans are 'free range', happier in their work, and more likely to deliver quality," and that he is mystified as to what this "dangerous assumption" means. Nevermind the slipperiness of calling it the artisanal "movement", but what is it called when you use an out-dated (from the 16th century!) example to refute a position? And is his final comment a straw man argument, positing something superficial, general and easy to mock that his opponents (cleverly disguised as "we") supposedly believe? Or just an example of a 'dangerous assumption' on his own part? Apologies in advance if this is covered elsewhere.


Using the word "Default"

I am a computer programmer and I come across the word "default" a lot, usually a statement would say: **Default A to B** , and I understand it as follows: **A has the value B by default** is this a correct understanding? What is the difference between this statement and **Default A from B** \--Edit to explain more, consider the following paragraph: > The user clicks on the registration link, fills in his personal details > (Name, address..), clicks the "Next" button, the account owner details page > will be displayed. There is an "account owner name" field and a "default > account owner to the user's name" link, if the user clicks on this link, > **default the "account owner name" field to the current user name**. Does the last sentence in the paragraph mean "set the value of the 'account owner name' to be the current user name" or Does it mean "get the current user name value and set it into the 'account owner name'"?


How is "I'm sick of something" grammatically correct? The "of" operator seems to denote ownership. The capital of america is DC. So how does "sick of" or something similar work?


A word that refers to a "half-smile"?

I need a word to describe something like this: ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/Q9i1T.jpg) _Disclaimer: I'm not aSmallville fan._ A half-smile or a sappy smile. Any suggestions?


The use of since and for

When we use since and for in the present perfect and in the past simple e.g. He lived here next door to me for three years. why didn't we use has lived or has been living?


"Across" + "from" structure

1. **Across** the street.   2. **Across** the street **from** ...   3. **Across from** the street.   4. **Across from** the street **from** the church. I know what the first phrase means but I have problem with the rest. What they mean? Edit: Examples: >   1. He argued that it was **across from street** and I had given wrong > address then. > >   2. Entrance to the Front Beach **across from** street **from** our house. > >   3. The two-story, 232,000-square foot facility sprawls on 50 acres along > Route 108, **across from street from** stately mansions erected on... > >   4. Hayward stayed at a hotel in South Jersey **across from street from** > the Garden State Racetrack > >


Meaning of " you run your ass off"

> You run your ass off. Can _ass_ be the object of _run_? Why isn't it just "you run"?


What's the difference between "bliss" and "happiness"?

What's the difference between _bliss_ and _happiness_?


Word for the longest time in spent in a group

A friend and I were discussing what would be an appropriate word to describe the person that has been in a group for the longest. I suggested the word elder, but that seems to apply the age of the group member is older than the others. The word we are searching for wouldn't imply that they are older, just that they have been in that group for the longest time. Any suggestions for a good word for this?


Fine semantic differences between "thus" and "therefore"

I have seen a few Q&A's with this title but none really reflects my question. I am aware both are adverbs and so forth and how they syntactically can be used equivalently, but what about connotations? Are there places where "therefore" is preferred over thus and vice versa? Are there any fine differences in usage?


Where should the apostrophe be for the singular and plural possessive forms of user?

My understanding of apostrophe usage for possessive forms of the word "user" is this: Referring to a single user - user's. Referring to multiple users - users'. Is this correct? If not, what is? Links to authoritative references appreciated.


"All that is needing" vs. "all that is needed"

I've read the following quote from _Game of Thrones_ : > Opening your eyes is all that is **needing**. The heart lies and the head > plays tricks with us, but the eyes see true. English is not my mother tongue, so I'd like to understand why _needing_ is used here instead of _needed_.


What is the precise meaning of "Pretty Good"?

Once I used "pretty good" as a reply to one of my friends' question "How are you today?", I was under the impression that the "pretty good" will weigh much more than just "good", means "very good" or "awesome". But after a quick conversation with her, I got to know that "pretty good" has a flavor of sarcastic, thus it might mean "what a busy day!" or "Too busy to be good." in that specific context. Is that a good practice to reply with "pretty good" to the question "How are you?", and expecting no sarcastic meaning conveyed? If the answer is no, then can I use "pretty good" if I had got a sore throat for all day long?


Different subjects for the word "drive"

> She drives well on a highway. This sentence makes sense to me, but so does the next one: > This car drives well on a highway. I'm not sure why. The car can't drive on its own but second sentence isn't saying that it's simply saying a driver can drive the car well on a highway. Let's say if I want to say "Drivers are not allowed to drive tow trucks on a highway". Can I rephrase it and say "Tow trucks are not allowed to drive on a highway"?


Word for the satisfaction of curiosity

There is a good feeling you get when your curiosity is satisfied, especially if is about a question you found interesting or important, or have spent a lot of time and energy trying to answer. Depending on how much I wanted to know, this feeling can be quite pleasing. Is there a word specifically for either the satisfaction of a curiosity, or the feeling that results?


What French phrase is the origin of "gardyloo?"

The word _gardyloo_ is a warning cry uttered before throwing wastewater (literally and euphemistically) out of a window. Every source I've found has traced this word back to some French phrase translating as "watch out for the water." However, the specific French phrase seems to vary. I've seen the following:   * Wiktionary: "Garde à l'eau"   * The Free Dictionary: "Gare à l'eau"   * oxforddictionaries.com: "Regardez l'eau"   * unusuedwords.com: "Garde de l'eau" or "Gardez l'eau" I'm not a French speaker, but from what I remember, I would expect that the imperative "look out" or "watch for" would be given using the "-ez" ending (second person plural / formal) versus the "e" ending (second person singular / informal), so I suspect that it's probably "Gardez" or "Regardez." However, I don't know enough French to know whether "Gardez l'eau" or "Garde à l'eau" would be grammatically or semantically correct. What French phrase actually gives rise to "gardyloo?" If it's not entirely clear, could someone at least enlighten me as to which of the above phrases would be grammatically and semantically correct? Thanks!


What is the meaning of "one must of necessity"?

I have read this sentence. But, I can not understand the meaning of "one must of necessity". > To be a great leader and so always master of the situation, one must of > necessity have been a great thinker in action. Can any one explain it?


Is there a historical trend towards shorter sentences?

From my own reading of older books (eg. 18th, 19th century) in various styles (novels, philosophical treatises, scientific publications), it seems that sentences were longer back then. Is there good hard data on this? Have sentences in fiction shrunk faster than sentences in, say philosophy journals? (I expect so). What explanations can be given for this trend?


Whose usage determines correctness?

I will illustrate this question with an example, since I think it's much easier to see what I'm asking there, rather than from an abstract question. I am a native English speaker. I was, for a while, an expatriate living in Luxembourg. On wikipedia articles about Luxembourg and Luxembourg-related things, the adjective "Luxembourgian" was often used. I edited this out whenever I saw it, since it was a word that no one (native speaker or otherwise) ever says in the English speaking community in Luxembourg. (Luxembourgish or sometimes Luxembourgeois are accepted). However, despite my fairly limited efforts, "Luxembourgian" still gets used on wikipedia, and I've heard people (when forced to guess what the adjective might be) plump for this ugly sounding word. So here's the question: do the native English speakers living in or near Luxembourg have some kind of privileged status when determining what constitutes correct usage for Luxembourg related words? Or to put it another way, if enough people who know very little about Luxembourg think it's probably "Luxembourgian", does that trump the ex-pats considered opinion?


Pronunciation of "hypokeimenon"

How should _hypokeimenon_ be pronounced? * * * P.S. For the curious, a sci-fi book I'm reading used several words I did not know. When I looked them up, I also ran across _hypokeimenon_ and wondered about it.   * supernal   * dolose   * haecceity   * morological   * accipitrine   * limbus   * _Odobenus rosmarus_ These last six were within two pages. I only knew anything about one of them.


"Find ten apples and oranges" Do I find 10 or 20?

If I read the sentence > Find ten apples and oranges. Do I need to find ten or twenty pieces of fruit?


"Is there living in space?" vs "Is there life in space?" what is the rule or convention?

My Russian-speaking friend recently used this one in asking me a question: "do you think there is living in space?" while using the gerund "living" in place of a noun. To me it sounds horribly wrong--I would say: "do you think there is life in space?" or "do you think there are living things in space?" but I'm having trouble justifying this with an actual rule or convention on why. I want to say that the definition of "living" as a gerund or noun refers to the condition of being alive and not a living thing itself, and can't be a replacement for the word "life", but I'm not confident that this is really the reason.


Can "nuisance" be an adjective?

According to Wiktionary there is a noun _nuisance tax_. Does this suggest _nuisance_ can be an adjective? Is it?


Spelling History: Dying vs Diing

As I recall, when I was in Grade School (40 years ago), the spelling of the word _dying_ was taught as **_diing_**. Am I losing my mind or was that possible?


Is there a name for when the same word is used at the beginning and end of different phrases/sentences?

Is there a name for when one phrase ends with a word that starts the next phrase. For instance: > life is a peach and cream Or > sunscreen in the eye for detail Or (from Dave Eggers' _Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius_ ) > JFKFC


Can I use "it" to refer to a person?

Is using "it" to refer to a person ok? If it is, why? > Q)Who is your teacher? > > A)It is Mr. Red.


Is there any relationship between the English word "seize" and the French word for "16"?

The number 16 is "seize" in French. Based on research through standard channels, I find it unlikely that our English word "seize" derives from this, but I've always been curious about the connection between the two. Do these two words share some unlikely but common origin, or is it just a coincidence/false cognate?


"Location" vs. "locality"

I can't seem to find a good explanation of what the differences are between the words _location_ and _locality_. Are they interchangeable, or are there certain contexts in which one or the other must be used?


Is using "all" instead of "all used up" a regional thing?

My inlaws from Central Pennsylvania will say, "The milk is all" instead of "The milk is all gone". Another very common example, "Can you bring me some cookies?" "Sorry, the cookies are all". Anyone familiar with the usage?


Is a comma needed after "a, b and c"?

Does a sentence like this need a comma where the question mark stands? > Sunshine is an app for smartphones, tablets and computers [?] that lets you > track and post weather news to blogs, social networks and other services.


What is the correct way to format an author's name in an APA citation when only a username is known?

I am trying to cite the image at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Shoe-parts- en.svg. However, how would I cite the autors/contributors, since I don't know their actual name. Do I just cite their username? Possible complications:   * Some online services allow users to change their username.   * Some services change the capitalization of usernames depending on the context.   * Some services allow special characters to be included in usernames, which may include formatting marks (of the sort used to delimit the author's name from the rest of the citation).   * Usernames are not necessarily consistent across different online services. NOTE: I actually just found the page on wikipedia dealing with this, at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citing_Wikipedia — it says to not cite any authors. (So it doesn't actually answer the question I stated above, it just solves my situation)


There is a question with two options: "English as mother language" and "English as second language". I learned English as third language. What does "English as second language" mean? Second as 2nd or it means non-mother language?


What is the category name for words like notwithstanding, forthwith, etc...?

These words all have something in common: heretofore, forthwith, notwithstanding, therefore, etc... what are these kinds of words called? And where can I find a list of them?


What is the scope of using shelved, postponed, adjourned, put off?

* postponed   * shelved   * adjourned   * put off  Exactly as in this question, I have a problem with choosing the scope of using those synonyms of _postponed_. What is the scope of using each of them?


Usage of "either" or "both"

When you hate both books, do you say ● "I don't like both" or ● "I don't like either" ?


How did southern US blacks address whites post-emancipation and pre-civil rights?

You hear it in movies like "The Help" all the time, but I'm trying to look for words like "missuh" and not finding any. Anyone familiar with the early 20th century African American lingo? I'm only using "The Help" as an example where blacks addressed whites in a "subservient" fashion. I was looking for anything post-emancipation and before the civil rights era. I was hoping to find a list of such words and in what manner they were used.


> They had almost reached the door when a voice spoke from the chair > **nearest** them, "I can't believe you're going to do this.” I guess **_nearest_** is at the place of preposition. Can a preposition have the form of superlative?


Origin of "s**t one's pants"

How did the expression _shit one's pants_ appear? Why is the word _in_ left out before _one's pants_?


Word for person who became rich by cheating others

Is there a word for a person who became rich by cheating others? I want to use it in formal language.


Reverse of an Amount and counting

We use this phrase to announce some voting-like results: > 1 million and counting This is for something which we expect to increase in the future, but what phrase can we use for something that will decrease in the future, like time, For example, for the phrase _50 days are left_ , > 50 days and reverse counting Is this the phrase to use, or is there any other term or phrase that can be used?


Which of "couldn't", "can't", and "doesn't" for 13/13/13?

I recently came across an English learner saying that 12/12/12 is the last time such a repetition of day/month/year (or month/day/year, or year/month/day) will occur in the Gregorian calendar for a long while "Because 13/13/13 wouldn't exist." I don't know whether "couldn't", "can't", or "doesn't" would the best word to use, from a prescriptivist perspective. Based on personal recollection, I assume "can't" would be suitable for a real object that is unable to do something: > My car can't start Or you could use "don't" for something that's possible, but doesn't happen: > I don't travel via the tollway. But the problem is that 13/13/13 is not like a car. As well as being an abstract noun, it's also a logical contradiction. Does that mean I should use a subjunctive? Assuming that "couldn't" and "wouldn't" are subjunctive, this answer seems to suggest "couldn't" would be a better fit than "wouldn't", as it's an "Equivalent of "can" (possibility)". Also, what would be the most common expression from a descriptivist, as opposed to a prescriptivist, perspective? Based on a google search of `"13/13/13 * exist"`, it seems to be "doesn't" - does that sound plausible?


"Related work" or "related works"

Which expression should be used as a section heading of an academic paper: _related work_ or _related works_? This is a question that has been bothering me for years, as googling shows that both have a large number of usages.


A better way of articulating 'ataractically candid'

I'm trying to convey the sense of a rare moment of tranquility in the mind of a confused, flawed and tormented character. > This is the most ataractically candid thing I've ever written. This occurs at the end of a sincere, formal letter to a business partner asking for forgiveness. I want to convey that the candour comes from the rare state of ataraxia the character is feeling at the time. Rare because they suffer from extreme bipolar disorder, and they are out of their mind more often than not.


When do you leave a space in a paragraph and when do you not?

I am not fully sure if this is the right place for this question but I am guessing has something to do with structure and usage so hopefully it is alright here. Apologies if not. I am getting confused when I write long reports and essays about when I should be writing paragraphs with a space separating and when I should have them following one another without a space. I have been putting a space when it looks like too much of a wall of text but I am finding that paragraphs without spaces between them, look a bit weird. Is it just when you start talking about something completely different that you should put a space, or should they follow on, too? Should the space even be there or is it just something people do?


Difference between "value" and "valorize"?

Beyond the definitions of both words, I can't find which is best in which context. If I mean giving impontance to something, which one should I use? If I mean giving more value ($) to something, which one should I use? If I want to mean both? By example: Valorize your data / Value your data ? Thank for your help.


Who came up with "mascara lights" on cars?

_Mascara lights_ are LED daytime running lights or lamps, typically in a wavy or curved pattern: This photo shows DRLs on an Audi A4-B8: ![From Wikipedia](http://i.stack.imgur.com/WeijO.jpg) When and where did this term originate? Is it an Audi coinage?


Is "shvisle" a real or made up word?

I've come across the word in this captchart: " _Yo, my nizzle, can you pass me that shvisle?_ ". Is it supposed to mean something?   I've easly found the meaning of nizzle, but I'm at a loss with _shvisle_. I've found out that the guy on the picture is a rapper called Snoop Dog and that _shizzle my nizzle_ is one of his catchphrases. Is _shvisle_ a made up word from _shizzle_ , in that case is " _Can you pass me that shvisle_ " supposed to mean anything? And is it supposed to be funny? I'm asking this last question because on that TED talk (7:18) people laugh, are they laughing because of the captchart or because of the speaker's comment : " _they contain Snoop Dog_ " in which there might be a pun I don't understand?


Slash or hyphen in constructions that imply a combination?

Would you use hyphens or slashes in constructions that imply a combination? Examples:   * A yard group / yard steering conflict (meaning a conflict between a yard group and yard steering)   * A building week / structure week / platform combination   * The Program A / Program B communication (where "Program A" and "Program B" are names of software programs)


Negative questions vs positive questions

I'd like to know if negative questions are used very often in English. For example, in Spanish, negative questions are used very often just to offer something, to ask about something you're not sure, to ask telling off somebody, etc. For example: > Don't you want something to drink? (offer) > > Isn't she going to come? (doubt) > > Don't you have to go to school today? (ask and tell off) Are negative questions used a lot or do you prefer positive questions? When are negative questions used more than positive ones?


How to phrase multiple descriptions each applied to multiple objects

Let's say I've got two departments: Sales and Marketing. Each department generates Reports and Recommendations. To refer to all of that, I've written: "Sales and Marketing Reports and Recommendations". However, that sounds kind of ambiguous to me. Is it grammatically correct? Is there a better way to phrase this that makes it more clear while not becoming too unwieldy?


What's the meaning of "troop on"?

What's the meaning of _troop on_ in this comment? > _Troop on_ , brotato. Get well soon. The comment was made in response to someone who's suddenly gotten really sick and has to stay in the hospital. Is this some kind of slang?


... 'can be found in' 'can be found on' ? (Prepositions)

Which is the correct way of saying, the document can be found **in** www.example.com/ark or the document can be found **on** www.example.com/ark   or the document is located **at** www.example.com/ark


What's the shortest word that can stand for "to leave a legacy"?

The idea is to represent the concept that while an individual's life is finite and accumulated knowledge or wisdom will disappear after death, the result of one's actions can make a difference for others in the long run, therefore yielding a positive balance of one's existence. Some expressions may allude to this, such as the classic "standing on the shoulders of giants", but I specifically would like a short word; ideally a **one-syllable** one, because this is to be part of a list of such concepts that I would want as concise as possible. Moreover, due to the way I managed to shorten the other concepts, I would need this to be a **verb**. For instance, some of the other terms I already have are "learn" (for "amassing and sharing knowledge", "keeping an open mind", "constant learning", "preserving curiosity"), and "join" (for "collaboration", "contributing one's 2 cents"). So far, I settled for " **mark** " (the verb) as a metonym for "leaving a legacy", but I am not really satisfied with it, and indeed after some testing among my friends I've confirmed that the meaning isn't immediately clear for others. * * * **edit** : replaced "transcendence" with "legacy" in the question title, as suggested by Jed Oliver's answer (and at least two commenters before). I was thinking about the "transcending death" meaning, but admittedly, it wasn't very clear.


Should I prefer "asker" or "questioner" for a person who asked a question?

Should I prefer _asker_ or _questioner_ for a person who asked a question? Another question and answer on this site give a link that _asker_ is quite legitimate. On the other hand I wonder whether _questioner_ can be used for any person who asks a question rather than an interrogator. P.S. The context can be taken as referring to the people who ask questions on this site.


Is it correct to say "under the shelter of X, a Y was taking place?"

Is it correct to say the following? > All that could be heard was the wind blowing, and giant waves crashing > against the rocks in the beach. **Under the shelter of the inn, a barbecue > was taking place.** Meaning that some people are having a barbecue right in front (or behind) of the inn. And this is partially protecting them from the wind.


How would you concisely express 'the range of dates in which something is expected to happen'?

I need a conside expression for "the range of dates in which someone expects something might happen". For instance, > I called John to ask him for a more precise period in which he estimated he > might host his party. I am looking for a noun or a phrase that expresses the meaning of the quotation more elegantly.


When could you take the "Urban Dictionary" seriously?

I have always had a serious problem with Urban Dictionary as I do not know when to take it seriously and when not! Sometimes it seems very useful to me to understand what ordinary people on the street, teenagers and jerks are talking about, but sometimes I find it like a joke! An out of control joker laughing at everything with bold sexist and chauvinist phrases, expressions, slang and definitions though, doesn't give you enough trust to believe it. Now, the question is: Is there any method or solution to find which definitions in the Urban Dictionary are false and doubtful and which definitions are correct and according to the reality which is going on on the street, in culture and the language of the masses in English language countries? As a non native who has never lived in these countries I don't have the ability to find out it by myself.


Capitalization of lowercase variable in title

Should a lowercase variable be capitalized in a title? For example, how should "x-axis" be written when used as a title? In a sentence, I tend to avoid the situation altogether by not starting with a variable, but options are much more limited in a title. Thanks in advance.


Is there a word to describe when a person with a non-English name adopts an English name, because it happens to sound very much like her real name?

This is especially common with the Chinese in America or Hong Kong.   * **Example 1:** A Chinese person called _Lu Xi_ comes to America and adopts the name _Lucy_.   * **Example 2:** Or those named _Mohammed_ from the Middle East and North Africa sometimes abbreviate their name to _Moe_ while in America. I’m wondering if there’s a word that describes exactly this. (Similar to how the word _onomatopoeia_ does its work.)


A Grave Accent?

`' ‘` See the two characters above. I've placed the single-quote there for contrast. Out of curiosity what is the first character called? It seems to give me a lot of trouble in my software. Is it called a Grave Accent? Either way when should it be used?


What does the phrase 'off of' mean in the following sentence?

> This threshold is currently eight, so if count is less than or equal to 8, > the vectored I/O operation occurs in a very memory-efficient manner **off > of** the process’ kernel stack.


"Feel it in my bones"

Does "Feel it in my bones" sound natural? I have never seen or heard any native speakers use something like that, except in a subtitle of a movie I watched long ago. What are other phrases, or common ways to state something similar?


What does "10 years sober" mean?

Here is the full sentence: > You’re from Orinda, your father’s in commercial real estate and your > mother’s 10 years sober.


English word forms not having cognates in any other language

I've heard that the word "dog" does not have cognates in any other known language (checked with etymonline ). That is, this very common words has similar forms in other languages, Germanic, Romance, or Celtic (those that have large overlap in vocabulary etymology with English). So my question is of two kinds:   * what are some other (common?) words that -do not- share etymology with words in any other language?   * what are some ways to such a search automatically? (I feel like oed.com used to allow plain old test search of any entry so that one could have looked for 'unknown' or something similar). Also are there any online English word lists that have some etymological info?


What does "I like girls just fine" mean?

I watched a movie about a boy — and someone asks him: > — You don't like girls, do you Nathan? _( **Edit:** with a smirk)_   >  — I like them just fine. I confused with 'just fine'. What does it mean exactly? **Please give some examples** that contain 'just fine' to make it clear.


Which is correct, "does go to" or "does goes to"?

Which is the correct statement? >   * Does she goes to Gym? >   * Does Rita go to Gym? >   * Does Rita goes to Gym? >


How do you pronounce the H in "an historian"?

A lot of people I know argue that you should use the article "an" before words such as "historian", "history", "hotel", "hospital", "heretic". I don't want to debate whether or not this is correct or merely pretentious affectation, but I'm curious about how it should be pronounced. If I decide to use "an" before "historian", should I pronounce the H? Should I say "an historian" or "an istorian"?


Use of the word "issue" as a euphemism for "problem"

I am submitting to a journal, and the guidelines require me to avoid use of the word "issue" as a euphemism for "problem". Thing is, as far as I know the two words are (or can be) synonyms: > problem 2a: an intricate unsettled question > > issue 6b (1): a vital or unsettled matter (2): concern, problem I have frequently been constructing sentences like "An outstanding issue is...," and now I am confused whether that is a valid use of "issue" (at least according to the journal), or whether I should be using "problem" instead. Could you make clear when to use "issue", and when to use "problem"? Or is there a third word I could use to avoid the ~~issue~~ ~~problem~~ question entirely? (Oh, wait, I think I just answered that last question myself.)


''Honey'' Usage Question

my friend (he's from Europe, white in his 20s) was in the U.S. a while ago and went to a diner a few times. A woman there (in her late 40s, most likely), kept calling him ''honey'' and ''sweetie'' every time he entered the diner. He did not know how to respond and found it polite, but kept wondering if it's not giving him some sort of emasculating treatment at the same time. To be fair, he does have a bit of feminine features, but nothing in-your-face. So, what do you think? Was it just politeness or was that also a show of dominance, some sort of weird flirt, maybe? Cheers!


Can you have a "meeting" with friends?

"Meeting" (noun) sounds formal to me - correct? "Meet-up" is defined as a informal meeting. Is there a single word that can be used in both formal and informal situations? e.g.   * I'm having a `[..]` with a business partner.   * I'm having a `[..]` with my friends. * * * Sorry if my question wasn't clear enough - I am looking for a noun.


Some employees or all of them (Articles)

-Have your heard anything about Nick?   -Yes. He found a job in a Swiss company. (The) employees don't like him much though **(The) employees.** Does the absence or the presence of a definite article change something? 1) Theory number 1 **The employees** means all of the employees of the company and **Employees** means some of them. 2) Theory number 2. **The employees** would be correct and **Employees** would be wrong because we're talking about the employees of this Swiss company and a definite article doesn't imply all the employees


Is there a word that means "the person who is to receive a report"? I'm looking for the equivalent of _assignee_ with the difference that it would describe the person who is to be reported to. Example: >   * The assigner assigned the assignment to the assignee. >   * The reporter reported the report to the [reportee?]. >


It's a little low on grist

In the movie _Easy A_ , Emma Stone's character has the following conversation with her parents: > Mother: _What's the rumor mill churning out these days, anything > interesting?_   >  Girl: _You know, not really. Not really, it's a little low on grist._   >  Father: _Whoa! Clever wordplay. I like it very much. You must be related to > me._   >  Girl: _Only by marriage._   >  Father: _Give it to me._ I want to know the meaning of 2 phrases:   1. It's a little low on grist    2. give it to me


The phrase 'Africa of Blue'

I was reading Martin Amis' 'London Fields' and I came across this sentence - > 'The sky was also empty, blown clean, an Africa of blue'. I could not understand it. So, can anyone explain to me what it means?


What's the difference between "method" and "fashion" when they both mean the ways you doing something?

In the dictionary,"fashion" means that if you do something in a particular fashion or after a particular fashion, you do it in that way.So what's the special for "fashion"?


"A friar's hand"?

I'm reading "To Rise Again at a Decent Hour" by Joshua Ferris, and the narrator/author talks about looking over the shoulder of someone studying the Bible on the subway, and noticing that there are "notes in a friar's hand" written in it, along with highlighting and underlining. The text seems to intimate that the studier did the highlighting, so I'm assuming they also made the notes. I don't think I've encountered that phrase before, and googling it returns excerpts from this book or Shakespeare snippets with 'friar' in them. What does this mean? Is it a misprint? I'm guessing it means careful penmanship or something like that.


What does 'Ibid' mean in reference/footnotes?

Every so often I read a book with footnotes, and I've seen them use Ibid. followed by page numbers - but I have no idea what this term means. At first I thought it was a reference to a classical author (spurred on a little bit by the character of Ibid in a Discworld book), but I realise now that it must have some technical meaning for referencing sources.


What are "duelling banjos"?

I read this phrase recently in the context of a complex, intense and possibly racially-charged dispute among a group with labyrinthine and possibly incestuous interrelationships. The complete sentence was "What's the Rotherham equivalent of duelling banjos?"


Elusive meaning of "affects"

> Pandit affects a down-to-earth demeanor. What does _affect_ mean in this sentence?


What is the thought process to solving anagrams à la Countdown

I'm not sure if this best belongs on this Stack Exchange site, or some psychological one, but here goes. I'm wondering what the thought process behind solving anagrams is, as in, pulling words out of random letters, like in the game Countdown. I am never very good at this game, and I think it's because I'm not going about it in the right way. I look at a letter, "D" for example, then think of words I know that begin with D, and go through them ruling each out as a letter in the word isn't in my group of letters. It's obviously a very poor way of doing it. How do you find words in a collection of letters?


How to use "I love you"?

In Italy, you have two options to say "I love you", I'll try to translate them the best I can:   * I love you ( _Ti amo._ )   * I want you to be ok ( _Ti voglio bene._ )    The fact is that in English, both _ti amo_ and _ti voglio bene_ are translated as _I love you_. But in Italian, there are lot of differences:   * _I love you_ is used to express love for another person which is, or you want her/him to be, your girlfriend/boyfriend.    * _I want you to be ok_ is used to express still something love-related but just a little bit less love-related (It's hard to say it). _I want you to be OK_ is used by parents to their sons/daughters or vice versa or by a friend to another friend. I do watch some TV shows in English and I find that sometimes two friends tell each other _I love you_ and they just go back to their jobs (= _I want you to be ok_ ) and sometimes one of them says _I love you_ and the other understands that he/she wants her/him to be his/her girlfriend/boyfriend and that it's love-related (= _I love you_ ). Why?


On Track vs On Tracks

I would like to say a project is going well but am not sure whether I should use plural for track(s)   Which is best?      **We are on tracks** vs **we are on track**?


Use of the expression "Stop it! You are too cute"

In what context would you use "stop it!! you are too cute"? Isn't that negative to say "stop it!! first? Is there a degree or a connotation to it? (i.e, flirty, embarrassed, flattered, etc) There are two contexts.   * romantic — a girl saying to a guy "Stop it! This is too much" but she's not annoyed.   * "stop it!! This is too cute" about a kid doing something cute.  I don't understand why you need the "stop it".


In English, what is a 'being', and what things cannot be called 'beings'?

Maybe this a philosophy question. But this is also an English question.


Is "we had better continue her piano lessons" awkward?

> We had better continue her piano lessons. I know that the sentence "We had better let her continue her piano lessons" is better, but is the first sentence awkward or ungrammatical?


the meaning of 'evil which seem blessings to the memory'?

Soon after this eventful day, I became the husband of Bertha. I ceased to be the scholar of Cornelius, but I continued his friend. I always felt grateful to him for having, unaware, procured me that delicious draught of a divine elixir, which, instead of curing me of love **(**sad cure! solitary and joyless remedy for evils which seem blessings to the memory**** ), had inspired me with courage and resolution, thus winning for me an inestimable treasure in my Bertha. A part of "Mortal Immortal" by Mary Shelley How come evil has blessing to memory? It doesn't seem to be very logical...


What is the name for the wall around the land

There is a wall around my land(Garden). What is the correct word to call it?   * parapet   * parapet wall   * rampart   * truss   * wall   * Any other ![Example:](http://i.stack.imgur.com/BpoVm.jpg)


"Exigent" derivation

I'm working through a book in which I'm to define words using their prefixes, suffixes, and roots, and I ran across "exigent." > adjective \ˈek-sə-jənt\ : requiring immediate attention : needing to be > dealt with immediately In the books glossary, the parts are defined: > ex - out of, from   >  ig - to do, move, urge on, put into motion, drive   >  ent - that which, one who So I put it together as "out of that which urges," but it still seems off to me. I'm curious if anyone could help me make sense of how better to translate the parts into a definition.


What's the meaning of " a blue berserk"?

Dis married Jokul Ironback, **a blue berserk**. From "The Saga of Thorstein Viking's Son" by R.B.Anderson. It's a norse saga that I'm reading. What's the meaning of "a blue berserk", I know the word "berserk" is a Norse warrior, but "blue", I really don't know. Thanks.


An alternative term for ' increasing competition'

The context is the tech market where there are frequently new products and companies have to face an ever increasing competition. I am looking for a similar expression to 'increasing competition' to express the concept described.


Difference between "to enhance" and "to improve"

What is the difference between the verbal synonyms " **to enhance** " and " **to improve** "? Do they have exactly the same meaning?


Is “Hold rule near and dear” an established English idiom?

I found the phrase, ‘ _hold the rule near and dear_ ” in the sentence of the article of New York Times (August 4) reporting the scheme of Nik Wallenda, the world record holder of farthest distance travel by bicycle on a high wire for walking across the gorge of Niagara Falls balancing on a steel cable. As the headline of the article says ‘Before a Walk across Niagara Falls, a Balancing Act,” the Niagara Parks Commission regulates such scheme as a tawdry stunt. The text follows: > "But the Niagara Parks Commission, the Canadian agency that oversees the > parkland adjacent to the falls, traces its creation in 1885 to the desire of > local officials to reduce the “increasingly carnival atmosphere” at the > falls. Even though the mayor of Niagara Falls, Ontario, is a Wallenda > supporter, the Parks Commission prohibits “stunting” at the falls, and > “holds that rule near and dear.” I found the definition of ‘hold dear’ as a verb meaning ‘be fond of, be attracted to, cherish’ in Freeonline Dictionary, but there was no entry of ‘hold something near and dear’ in any dictionaries I’ve checked. Is “Hold rule near and dear” an established English phrase or just neologism? An additional question. Isn’t the Niagara Parks Commission at the beginning of the above sentence lacking a predicate to the effect of ‘bans?’ Did the author omit the verb to avoid redundancy with the ‘prohibits’ that come in the following clause?


Is it 'express shipped' or 'shipped express'?

Which one is correct? >   * He should have express shipped it to me. >   * He should have it shipped express to me. >


Definition of "scolt"

We found a gravestone in Ashby MA. with an old word on it we could not understand. > "Lot, son of ... was scolt to death Decr. 8, 1806, aged 2 years and 10 > months.". We are not sure what _scolt_ means - has anyone else come across this word before? Google was unhelpful.


What is a word for a gap that is too large to close? I don't like **_insurmountable_** because that is a mountain and **_impassable_** just doesn't do it for me. Any ideas?


Is the answer to this question "neither" or "either"?

> She doesn't think so or you don't think so? Is it grammatically correct to respond with > Either. or > Neither. to this question? Or does this depend on the meaning intended to be conveyed with the answer?


Deciding between "eponymous" and "titular"

William Gibson has a short story collection titled _Burning Chrome_. One of the stories in this collection is also titled _Burning Chrome_. I was recommending the book to someone and I wanted to say that of the short stories, the _titular/eponymous_ story _Burning Chrome_ was my favorite. I believe both words are okay in this context but feel one would be more appropriate. Which one? For titular, I'm using the 2nd definition found here: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/titular?s=t The book _Burning Chrome_ is named after the titular story within. For eponymous, I'm using the only definition here: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/eponymous?s=t The short story, _Burning Chrome_ , gives its name to the larger collection of short stories, _Burning Chrome_.


Using apostrophes correctly

I've read a great article about the usage of apostrophes. But there are still some points that are unclear. Why do we say...   * _school project_ but not _school's project_?   * _car service_ but not _car's service_ or even _cars' service_ (plural form)?   * _apostrophe usage_ but not _apostrophe's usage_ or _apostrophes' usage_?


What does "yadda yadda" mean?

In a phrase like _the usual yadda yadda_ , what does _yadda yadda_ mean?   What is its origin? > Please read, this is not the usual yadda yadda! Three things: > > Because the dumps are quite a bit of work for us, we’re moving to a bi- > monthly schedule instead of monthly. Meaning, you can expect dumps every two > months instead of every month. If you have an urgent need for more timely > data than this, contact us directly, or use the Stack Exchange Data > Explorer, which will continue to be updated monthly. —Creative Commons Data > Dump Jan ’11.   >  […]


Who is "Martha" alluded to in "Eight Cousins"?

Early in Louisa May Alcott's novel _Eight Cousins_, a character is described thus: > Aunt Plenty was utterly dissimilar, being a stout, brisk old lady, with a > sharp eye, a lively tongue, and a face like a winter-apple. Always trotting, > chatting, and bustling, she was a regular Martha, cumbered with the cares of > this world and quite happy in them. I suppose "Martha" here is an allusion to some well-known literary character who has become less well-known since 1874. Who is she?


Is it "is arranged" or "has been arranged"?

Is there any difference in meaning between the following two sentences? a. Construction on a new wing at the museum will resume as soon as additional funding **is arranged**. b. Construction on a new wing at the museum will resume as soon as additional funding **has been arranged**.


In sex talk, how many bases are there and what do they all mean?

I always hear people say "I hit the third base" or "I hit the second base" (sex related). I am not 100% sure what they all mean. Additionally, in one of the House MD episodes, there was a dialogue: > Dr. Wilson: How are things going with Cuddy?   >  House: Great. We've gotten to fifth base. That's two home runs, and then > she gives me back a triple. In one of the American Dad episodes, I remember Steve saying something along the lines, "did I just hit the second base?" after holding hands with a girl.


Word for relative movement of inner and outer

I want to describe the movement or position of an inner material inside an outer sheath, as the inner moves through the outer. Can anyone think of some kind of verb, spatial preposition or any other word or phrase? For example, I'd like to describe the relative position of a cob of corn inside a bun, or the movement of a worm inside its tunnel. In particular, I have something like an infinitely-long core of lego-bricks inside an infinitely long tube of different-sized lego-bricks, and I want to talk about the movement of the core along the tube. I can't talk about the absolute position, as there's no end-points to compare to, so I have to refer only to the relative positions of the bricks themselves. Thanks for any help.


"It was great because of improving my English." A non-native speaker produced this sentence recently in a piece of writing, “it” being an English language course that she had attended a few years ago. The sentence seems to follow the rules (mostly) but, for me, the sentence feels uncomfortable. One could, of course, correct it to: "It was great because I improved my English." But I have been trying in vain to find a way to make "because of + non-finite verb+ing clause” work in this instance. Strangely, in a similar sentence a “despite + non-finite verb+ing clause” works: - “It was good despite not improving my English.” Or: “It wasn’t good despite improving my English.” So why can’t we do the same with “because of”? Is it that this conjunction doesn’t sanction verb+ing clauses? Is it restricted to noun phrases only. For example, it seems okay to say: “It was good because of the improvements (that I/it made) to my English.”


"Infer" vs. "imply" — can "infer" imply "imply"?

Okay that's a crazy title, but bear with me. Got into a good natured discussion with someone on another stack exchange site, and I was "correcting" him on the use of infer vs. imply. (The discussion can be found here: http://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/8471/did-eleanor-roosevelt-say- that-the-jews-brought-the-holocaust-on- themselves/8485?noredirect=1#comment60705_8485) He pointed me to a dictionary entry for "infer" that seems to use the definition for imply. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/infer The 4th definition that is given there reads: > suggest, hint - "are you inferring I'm incompetent?" That, to me, is a classic example of where someone should _not_ use "infer", but should use "imply". But maybe I'm wrong? Granted, it's the 4th of four definitions, and so presumably less common, but I thought the two, "imply" and "infer" had totally distinct meanings. According to definition #4 on that link "infer" can imply "imply". Am I nuts? Am I the only one surprised by this? (very possible...I'm often surprised by English). Or is it possible that the dictionary is...something less than accurate? It's not a mom-and-pop shop, so that seems unlikely...but I throw it out there as a possibility...but if the dictionary is wrong, where do you go to to find evidence of it? (Who watches the watchmen?)


What's the correct way to format a date range, time range, and days of week in a single line?

I'd like to write the date and time for an event that runs for one week. Currently I have:  > June 3-7, 2013, 8:30am-5:30pm; Monday-Friday Is this stylistically acceptable? Is there a better way?


"Got Notifications" vs. "Received Notifications"

For some reason the phrase "Got Notifications" seems rough. "Received Notifications" sounds a bit more natural. Is there something wrong with the phrase "Got Notifications"? Is there a principle behind this that can explain why I get a funny feeling about it?


Is "overly" necessary?

Somehow, _overly_ never struck me as a cromulent word. _Over_ is already an adverb. You can write “This sentence is over-long.” Is there really an advantage to writing “This sentence is overly long”? Is there a context in which _overly_ is right and _over_ is not? (Edit: already an _adverb_.)


What does this passage from "Great Expectations" mean?

I was reading _Great Expectations_ the other day, and came across this passage that I couldn't make any sense of whatsoever: > Why should I loiter on my road to compare the state of mind in which I had > tried to rid myself of the stain of the prison before meeting her at the > coach office with the state of mind in which I now reflected on the abyss > between Estella in her pride and beauty and the returned transport whom I > harbored? The road would be none the smoother for it, the end would be none > the better for it, he would not be helped, nor I extenuated. (ch. 43) I've been able to decipher Dickens and his unbelievably long sentences so far, but I'm stuck with this one.   What does it mean?


Usage of "voted in"

Is it correct to write _voted in_ in the following sentences? >   * Members may vote in a new leader. >   * Board members will be nominated and voted in by the team. >


What kind of noun is a picture?

I'm not sure of the right place to ask this, but I got confused trying to understand how the computer will interpret the sentence: > This is my picture. In actual sense, the real owner of the picture should be the photographer _not_ the person who was photographed... or am I getting something wrong? So, it seems the confusing thing about 'picture' is determining who the real owner of the picture is. So is there a special category for these kind of nouns or an official clarification somewhere? Thanks


Correct spelling of "can too" in response to "you can't"

If someone says "you can't do that" there's a colloquial response of "can too". Is it "can too" or "can to"?


Vans or cars which sell breakfast, what is this called?

I was doing some translating from Chinese to English. I don't know what English native speakers call them. Please give me a hand.


Born to a very humble family?

I was reading one's bio, finding the usage of _humble_ in that sentence confusing to me. Here's the context. > Born to a very humble family, Charles Zhang’s parents were residential > physicians at a small arsenal near Xian, China. Does it mean that Zhang's family is not well off enough or Zhang's family members are humble(modest)?


In my example, did I use parentheses correctly?

As mentioned before, Table 1 is evidence that alcohol consumption was reduced by 9.2% (with statistical significance at the 1% level). Should I remove or leave the parentheses?


Why is there an "in" in "she'll be in the first woman to hold a top position in the government"?

I just don't know why there's an _in_ in the following sentence: > If she succeeds, she'll be **in** the first woman to hold a top position in > the government. Taken from this CNN story. Why must there be a preposition and does it make any sense? What will be different if the preposition is omitted?


A simple word for 'things we dont do'

I need a simple word defining 'things we dont do'. Tell me as many words because I need to do an assignment. Please help me out. Thank You.


Using "got" in present tense?

> They set unbelievably hard tasks to do, to see which one of us _got_ the > best deal. - _Top Gear_ (TV show) I don't understand; what is "got" doing in present tense? Or am I misunderstanding the sentence?


Adding "on" to many verbs

We have a local newscaster who inserts the word "on" into almost every sentence. For example, he might say,"The rain will move on out." The extra preposition grates on me, but I have not been able to find a rule which says that his grammar is incorrect. Is his usage appropriate?


"What I'm looking for is"

Which one of the below is correct, or, if both are correct in certain contexts, which is the preferred one? > What I'm looking for _is methods_ that help... or > What I'm looking for _are the methods_ that help... I know this may seem a duplicate of previous questions like Is it “5–6 weeks are a lot of time” or “5–6 weeks is a lot of time”?, but I think this - not being about collective/mass nouns (?) - a somewhat different question. (No, I'm not a native speaker of English. :))


Difference between "come here" and "come over here"?

I'm not a native English speaker. I am having difficulty with some words. Could anyone please tell me if there's any difference between the above mentioned short sentences, as I'm a little confused.


Sufficient or sufficiently?

> When we compare this with his [Milton's] later prose writings, when he moved > closer to the victorious Cromwellian ascendancy, we find that pragmatism > usurped idealism, not completely but **sufficient** to suggest that for > Milton the Civil War was a horribly educative process. The above is from A Milton Sourcebook, by Bradford. The bold emphasis is mine. It seems to me that 'sufficient' should modify a noun phrase, eg 'the almost complete usurpation of idealism by pragmatism is sufficient to suggest...' Yet the original construction quoted above seems to need an adverb - 'usurped it sufficiently to suggest'. In your opinion, is 'sufficient' an acceptable synonym for 'enough'? Is the construction grammatically correct? Is the metaphoric packaging (usurpation suggesting; war = process) confusing the structure? Is the use of 'sufficient' here specialist in some way?


"Money transfer" or "Wire transfer"

Which one is more correct? > Money transfer or > Wire transfer * * * **EDIT:** the context is the typical web form where a user can choose the type of payment. "Credit card", rather than "Paypal", rather than "Money/Wire transfer". In Italian there is a specific name for such type of transaction (the Money/Wire transfer, this is the reason why I'm asking).


Mongoloid with reference to Down's syndrome

Could we use _mongoloid_ with reference to Down's syndrome in informal English?


Etymology of "norton"?

The conversation took a turn towards Monty Python yesterday, and in particular the _Life of Brian_. This film featured as a character (Brian's putative father) the Roman soldier _Nortonus Maximus_ , a name derived from _norton_ , a slang word for penis. I was naturally curious as to how a penis could come to be called a _norton_ , but when I went to look it up I was surprised to find the word doesn't appear in Farmer & Henley, nor in Partridge, nor in Green. It isn't even in Urban Dictionary, and I can't find this definition anywhere online. But I can distinctly remember using the word before the _Life of Brian_ was released, and the scriptwriter clearly expected the joke to be understood by the audience. So, does anyone know the etymology of this word? And does anyone know why it seems to have been overlooked in the standard references?


Can I use the past progressive here?

Let's say I am at the train station and I missed the train, I still see it driving off. I would naturally say to myself: 'Damn, that was the train I was hoping to get.' Would that be wrong? If not, why is the past progressive used here? I have been taught that you use the past progressive when you are either talking...   * about a longer action that was interrupted by a shorter action   * about actions that were happening at the same time   * about an action that was in process at a specific time in the past However, my sentence doesn't follow any of the rules above (at least I don't see that). Another sentence that I can't gramatically explain... Context: You told your friend David that Fred would not behave good when he is drunk before going to a party at which Fred gets drunk and then behaves bad. Later you say to David 'See? That's what I was talking about.' What's the grammatical explanation of this? Can anyone give me a rule why these sentences work? Thank you in advance!


A word to refer to the sound that an elevator makes when its cables are having problems?

Sometimes when you are going up an elevator, you kind of hear this sound as if the cables that are lifting the elevator are having some difficulties. Like the sound that a car makes when it abruptly stops. What's a word to refer to that sound? All I could think of was something like "a **grinding** sound came from above." Any other suggestions?


Proper verb to denote 'consistent-ize'

Is there a verb I could use to condense "make consistent" or "consistentize" in one word? E.g.               another item to <consistentize> across different groups in our process is...


Does “housemate” imply a sexual relationship?

In a recent question, another user expressed concern that _housemate_ has sexual connotations because of this definition at Dictionary.com: > _**noun_**   >  1\. a person with whom one shares a house or other residence.   >  2\. a sexual partner with whom one shares a house or other living quarters > without being married. However, I have never heard or seen the word used in that second sense. I would normally expect the a term like _domestic partner_ or _cohabitation_ to express that meaning, not _housemate._ Furthermore, I could not find another dictionary with a similar sense of the word. Only _Urban Dictionary_ has a related entry, which appears to be a joke and not a serious report of usage (“My friend just housemated with my fellow housemate”). Is the Dictionary.com entry spurious, or is the “sexual partner” sense of _housemate_ in actual use? If so, is it regional or perhaps euphemistic?


Mixing contracted and uncontracted phrases in the same sentence

Is there anything wrong with mixing contracted with uncontracted phrases in the same sentence? Examples: > **I'm** not sure **it is** possible. ("I'm" is contracted, but "it is" is not). > I **am not** sure **it's** possible. ("I am" is not contracted, but "it's" is). I know that it is not grammatically incorrect. But is it not recommended? Or is there any other reason to not use it?


"Shall" and "will" in legal requirements

What is the implication of using _shall_ versus _will_ in writing a specification document? For instance, lets say I have the paragraph, "upon by all parties involved." > All information between persons involved in this project **will** be kept > confidential and limited distribution of information only to persons agreed > upon by all parties involved. Have I just exposed myself legally to allow a breach of confidentiality because I didn't use _shall_? What would use of _shall/will_ in this paragraph imply? Related, but does not fill my need: 'shall' and 'will'.


How to compare between two incomparable things, yet similar in some aspects?

I want to compare between results seen in healthy cells and in tumor cells. The same finding was seen in both types of cells. I know that this is not like apples-to-apples comparison, but still both cell types can share some cellular properties that are not yet affected by the tumor development. In this case the comparison is to some degree tenable. Now I want to express this in a short phrase, the nearest thing came to my mind was:   1. Although the comparison between cells A and B is not straightforward, there was an agreement between the two to show...    2. Despite the fact that cells A and B are not directly comparable, they were in agreement to show...    3. Despite the different nature of cells A and B, both were in agreement to show...   4. (I am more inclined to use this, but I am not sure how, here is my trial):   As much as the comparison allows between A and B cells, both cells showed... I am not sure which one fits more in this context, may be there is a more professional way to say it? thank you in advance.


Verb for "frequently editing a post to make it appear at the top of the forum"

Is there a word (Internet slang welcome) for "frequently editing a post to make it appear at the top of the forum"?


What does this line in the chorus mean?

From _New York Girls_ by by Finbar Furey > Shipmates listen unto me, I'll tell you in my song   >  Of the things that happened to me   >  When I come home from Hong Kong > > CHORUS: > > **To me a-weigh, you Santy** , My dear Annie   >  Oh, you New York gals, Can't you dance the polka? What is "a-weigh" and what is a "Santy"?


Pronunciation of voiced "th" triggers a consonant shift of "d" and "r"

There is a class of words, mainly such as > _the, this, that, these, those, though, although, then, there, thus,_ > > the archaic _thou, thee, thy, thine, thyself, thence;_ which I always find myself pronouncing with a stopped sound intermediate between a "d" and the smoother (fricative) sound of "th" in words such as > _father, mother, brother, other, bother, rather, feather, dither, breathe, > loathe, smooth._ This seems fairly common in American English, but many people always pronounce a voiced "th" smoothly, and some think that speech that sounds too much like "dis, dat, deze, doze" is uneducated or not correct. This pronunciation seems to push the "d" further back toward the "r", (for distinction's sake?) and the "r" even further back, deep against the soft palate. I'm curious as to where and when this slight consonant shift has taken place in English, and where it is considered standard or not, as the case may be.


Onomatopoeia/interjection for snatching something?

E.g. "the dog went [?snatch?] and away it ran with the Frisbee". The word indicates a sudden and unexpected move made to catch or grab something.


Should the "half" in "half-Chinese" be capitalised?

Is it correct to write _half-Chinese_ or _Half-Chinese_?


Property of "doesn't-pass-the-laugh-test"

What kind of property does _doesn’t-pass-the-laugh-test_ have in the expression > which escalates unreliability to the **doesn’t-pass-the-laugh-test** level taken from this article? Is it an adjective or a noun?


Usage and correctness of the term "Better than Best"

I have heard the term "Better than Best" used at few places. How is it different than saying just "best"? For example :   a) He is better than the best.   b) He is the best. 1) How are (a) and (b) different?   2) Can they be used interchangebly?   3) From (a) it looks like it implies (b) .. Is it always the case ? Any Exceptions?   4) What is the correct usage of the term "Better than Best"?


Usage of "he himself"

> The boy's innate goodness will withstand the challenges because unless _he > himself_ wants to turn evil, [...]. My teacher thinks that commas should set off the word "himself", but I disagree. Who is right, and why?


What's the origin of Pig Latin?

Having studied Latin at High School and not being a native English native speaker, I have trouble understanding what the point of Pig Latin is. The text transformation _rules_ , indeed, bring to something that is nowhere near the spelling or the pronunciation of _real_ Latin. For example: > _Youay ootay, Utebray, ymay onsay_ vs _Tu quoque, Brute, fili mi._ What is the origin of Pig Latin? Is it really aimed to be some form of _latinorum_?


Visceral English words

I often hear that other languages like Russian, Romanian, French, etc, have words that are more "powerful" or evoke more feelings than English ones. Example: "war" doesn't sound that bad, really, but in Romanian, "razboi" with a hard rolled r and an accent on the 2nd syllable sounds more powerful. What are some English words that are evocative?


Possessives of a title in italics

If one writes a word in italics, say the name of a movie, and wants to put apostrophe s at the end to form the possessive, is the apostrophe s italicised with the title? _Chinatown's_ or _Chinatown_ 's?


Meaning of "surrealistically" in an NYT article

I was reading this article from the New York Times and I came across the word `surrealistically`. I know surreal means something resembling a dream. But I am not sure what is it that the author wants to express. Here is the context: > In any breakup, there is this moment when a person who was a part of you > just an instant ago becomes a surrealistically familiar stranger. Can someone please enlighten me?


Adjective to best describe sense of helplessness

I am writing a small piece on the current financial and economic crisis, and I am looking for adjectives or short expressions that describe the sense of helplessness that seems to hang over many people these days, like a sense of having no way out from the current difficult economic and political situation. >   1. People feel **____** in current economic environment. > >   2. Workers think they are **____** because of economic crisis. > >


Better English equivalent for "set of methods"

In the philosophy of science, there are three terms which are used to describe three different related notions. In both Polish (pl) and German (de), these three terms are unique such that there is no risk of equivocation. Briefly:   * metoda (pl); Methode (de)   an ordered sequence of actions chosen to economically and efficiently achieve a desired end   * metodyka (pl); Methodik (de)   a set of methods chosen for the purpose of achieving a common end or related ends (e.g. the cluster of methods used in molecular biology)   * metodologia (pl); Methodologie (de)   the science whose proper objects of study are the previous two In English, metoda is _method_ , while both metodyka and metodologia are _methodology_. In English, we have the word _methodic_ , but this is an adjective, and if I were to invent a word such as _methodics_ or the noun form _methodic_ , it would appear, given the Greek etymology of similar terms (concerning the -ikos ending, e.g. mathematikos, logikos, physikos) and the meanings of words with similar endings in English, that the word would suggest a field of study. Oddly enough, _methodology_ , etymologically speaking, does concern a field of study and is thus the wrong word to describe the second term above. Is anyone aware of an alternative that would work? If no such alternative exists, any ideas about what new word could be coined to better suit the intended meaning? EDIT: If anyone is able to read Polish, here is a PDF with definitions supplied by Herbut.


'packed like sardines' vs. 'chock-a-block'

> The fans were packed like sardines at the music festival. > > The fans were chock-a-block at the music festival. Are there differences in meaning between that two sentences? In a equal space, does 'packed like sardines' imply more or less people than 'chock-a-block'?


Quote from a movie: "To make a pounce"

While watching the excellent 1972 picture "Cabaret", I came across an interesting quote using the expression "to make a pounce". The context it is used in can be found on subzin.com. While I have never heard the expression, its meaning becomes somewhat clear from the context to mean "to make advances to/at someone". When googling it, however, it seems the expression is used very rarely and there is hardly any mentioning other than the quote from the movie itself. "Cabaret" plays in 1931 and I was therefore wondering whether the expression is just outdated or if it really is not used at all. How does it sound to a native speaker? Would you use it in an every-day conversation? Thanks!


"What a beautiful day" or "what the beautiful day"? And exactly why?

Although we know that day which we are talking about, why don't we say "What the beautiful day!" instead of "What a beautiful day!" ? In addition, a friend of mine have already said the following, but in my mind it is not persuadable- It couldn't conceive me yet. I am confused. Generally, we use 'a' for a generic thing, when many of them exist, and use 'the' when there is only one of them. This also depends on the context. Here, we've experienced many other days, and will most likely experience many more, so it's 'a' beautiful day. For another example, you might go to purchase 'a car' (since the place you're going has many), but might take 'the car' to work (if you only own one car yourself). In politics, you would have 'a Senator' (since there are 100, and two to each state), but 'the President' (since there is only one at a time).


Is "to split up" or "to break up" colloquial?

Are "to split up" and "to break up" colloquial if I want to say that somebody ended a relationship? If they are colloquial, could you give me non-colloquial synonyms except "to end" a relationship?


Adjectives that describe the general shape of fishes

My question has to do with the adjectives one can use to describe the very general shape of a fish if we think of these three axes:   * tail-to-head axis   * back-to-belly axis   * side-to-side axis **Question 1** What adjectives shall I use to describe the fishes on these 3 axes?   * tail-to-head axis      * long vs short   * back-to-belly axis      * tall vs …     * deep vs shallow   * side-to-side axis      * wide vs thin (I expect you to replace the adjectives "wide", "shallow", "thin", "long", "tall", etc… by appropriate adjectives) **Question 2** How can one describe the two extremes of the ratio of the tail-to-head distance over the back-to-belly distance?   * tail-to-head/back-to-belly ratio      * long vs round **Question 3** Can we say that this ratio expresses the "roundness" of the fishes?


Origin of pluralisation of verbs and nouns in English

From this question, I was just wondering why **plural** nouns use the ending _-s_ , while the exact same ending is used for the third person **singular** form of verbs. How did we get into this weird situation? Why don't we use the same plural ending for both nouns and verbs?


"Computing" vs. "computation"

Can anybody explain the difference between computing and computation? Which one is correct:   * computing/computation node (to refer to a server)   * computing/computation power (to refer to the FLOPS of a machine)   * computing/computation to communication ratio The Internet seems to favour _computing_ for the first two and _computation_ for the latter:   * http://www.netspeak.org/#query=%255Bcomputing+computation%255D+nodes   * http://www.netspeak.org/#query=%255Bcomputing+computation%255D+power   * http://www.netspeak.org/#query=%255Bcomputing+computation%255D+to+communication+ratio


"To keep an ear to the ground" vs. "to have a word in someone’s ear"

> If Susan had kept her ear to the ground, she wouldn’t have missed the > opportunity for a promotion. > > If Susan had had a word in someone’s ear, she wouldn’t have missed the > opportunity for a promotion. Are there differences in meaning between that two sentences?


When Things Used To be "Worth 'X' Millions"

I was reading Raymond Chandler's _Farewell, My Lovely_ , and a character described a rich man as > "Worth 20 millions". At least in AmE, we don't use "millions" in the plural anymore in this context. Nowadays, a person is "worth 20 million" or "20 million dollars". A cursory ngram search shows that this usage dropped off in the mid 1920's. It definitely sounds dated to me, and I wonder why. It seems a bit of an arbitrary change, especially since a phrase like "worth five thousands" or "worth five billions" sounds completely foreign and produces zero results in any google search. So, was this just a stylistic flourish with the word "million(s)", or were there other ways in which a numerical value was expressed in the plural in the following structure? > verb+number+numerical denomination.


Is "much" used for emphasis in "much to your surprise"?

What is the main difference between these sentences: >   * To your surprise, he is alive. >   * Much to your surprise, he is alive. > Is _much_ only used to emphasize your surprise? Can I have a conversation with a buddy like this? > — You tried to kill your husband last night?   >  — Yup, I think he is dead.   >  — _Much_ to your surprise, he is alive.   >  — Oh.