Is a schwa ever stressed?

Is there a word in RP (Received Pronunciation) where the stressed vowel sound is a schwa?


"to differentiate whether"

Is it valid to say to `differentiate` in combination with `whether` or can I only `differentiate` `between` things? Examples: > He was not able to differentiate whether that wine was an expensive or a > cheap wine. or > The client is not able to differentiate whether a request comes from the > server or another client.


Is there any difference in meaning between these sentences?

>   * A: Positive and negative numbers cannot satisfy the condition. >   * B: Positive or negative numbers cannot satisfy the condition. >   * C: Non-zero numbers cannot satisfy the condition. >


Is there a way to say "the opposite of a statement is not true"?

"the opposite of a statement is also true" can be said as "vice versa". Is there a way to say "the opposite of a statement is _not_ true"?


Word for someone who gets angry the other person for being proved wrong or pointing out something wrong

A roommate of mine always confuses me. I'm trying to put a word to what she does. When she drinks others milk, eats their food, and they point it out to her (after watching her do it), she just yells "FUCK. FUCK. Fine. I'll buy you a new one. Everyone's always blaming me for taking their stuff. SHIT.", then continues to bad mouth the person who pointed it out when they leave the room. Then a few minutes later, she realizes that she did indeed use the wrong milk carton, and all is back to normal. That brief moment of random anger and hostility instead of rational behavior is what confuses me. Or if she is proven wrong about something, or has a tough time writing a paper, the same emotion comes out. It's really weird.. and I can't describe the irrational emotions.


More on charting tenses

I saw an interesting post on here that shows tenses in a chart. I use an even more schematic chart to explain active tenses to foreign students. Given that you are all linguists I'd like to know what this community thinks of this chart. I am aware that some of you may not see tenses in this way and may even take exception to my scheme. In my defence, my students rarely make mistakes when selecting a tense. Given that the tenses often do not match those in their languages this is no mean feat. I also give them this chart when they first come to me so that as they learn new tenses they know where they fit in the overall scheme of things. Tenses are traditionally taught sequentially, leaving the student to learn each tense in isolation and based on application. By giving the chart at the very start I am able to give the student a way of expressing time in many different ways very rapidly. Typically my students are using all but the bottom row by the end of year one. The other advantage to this chart from a teacher's point of view is that it also makes the explanation of auxiliary verb usage very straightforward: none in the top row, To Be in the second, To Have in the third and both Be and Have in the fourth. It can be seen at a glance that Be is required in the continuous tenses and Have is required in the Perfect tenses. So here is a simplified version of the chart showing the 1st person of the verb To Work: ![Tense Chart](http://i.stack.imgur.com/swIQD.jpg) I look forward to your comments. Tom


Why does the word "tortilla" refer to three distinct types of edibles?

The crisps[BrEn]/chips[AmEn] that are made of corn (and probably not deep- fried) are called _tortilla_ : ![enter image description here](http://www.auchandirect.fr/static/images/products/detail/91788.jpg) The wraps with that special taste, are called _tortila_ : ![enter image description here](http://corsarionegro.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/tortillas.jpg) And then, the omelet-like meal is called _tortilla_! ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/4Aq3C.jpg) I can understand that the first usage is probably derived from the second, since I saw something saying that frying the wraps, you can make the chips; but the third usage is not related to these two at all. What's the commonality among these three that has made the English use the same word for all of them? Or is it just a random confusion/carelessness after borrowing the edible + the name from Mexican and Spanish in different periods of time?


A word for a relationship in which one thing (or state) must exist in order for another thing (or state) to exist

I can't think of the word to fill this blank: > More importantly, now we've got ourselves an "organic" roadmap—that is, one > that follows the natural order of our concerns, rather than a logical order > such as ____. Though unrelated to my context, an example of such an ordering would be:   1. a bride and groom   2. a wedding   3. a wedding cake A wedding cake wouldn't exist without a wedding, which in turn wouldn't exist without its bride and groom. (I'm sorry, the real example is technical and complex, and I can't think of a better example at 3 in the morning.) I want to say _predecession_ but that's not a real word. Does anyone know the word I'm looking for?


Is there a word or phrase meaning to plant my idea in someone else’s mind?

Is there a word or phrase that means to plant my idea in someone else’s mind so they think it is their own idea? Just like what happened in the movie _Inception_.


How do you pronounce 'ate' in American and British English? I cannot find it...


Is it good to begin my response with "Good One"?

I am planning to respond a comment in one of the other **forums** in StackExchange! I was wondering if I can begin my response by saying **_"Good one, .."_** to confirm that it was a **_"Good suggestion"_**. In general what are other good choices for similar occasions that are both polite and common in English. * * * **EDIT**   Since I did mention, it is in the forum environment I didn't think it will be considered as a broad question. I suppose in general in the forums users are communicating in a mix formal-informal way (which I guess is closer to the formal).


Is this right "People must vote for someone to be executed"?

Is this right to say the following sentence? > People must vote for one of these prisoners to be executed. Is _vote_ a bad verb for this sentence?


How do I identify "infinitive clauses/phrases" and "subjects"?

In sentences such as the following, there is (as I understand it) an infinitive clause and an infinitive phrase. Which part is the infinitive clause and which part is the infinitive phrase? And what is the subject? Examples: > One thing to do about this is to stop feeding animals junk food. > > One way to improve your dancing skills is to practice on a hot tin roof.


Where did the "unavailable" meaning of "Out of Pocket" come from?

The phrase "out of pocket" is often used in my office to mean "unavailable". I've found reference to this on the internet as well, but no obvious clue to where this meaning comes from. Where does this particular meaning come from?


Etymology of Sleep like a Top

An explanation for the English expression "sleeping like (or as sound as) a top" is here. Apparently case closed. It derives from the Italian expression **Ei dorme come un topo** with **topo** being wrongly translated as top rather than mouse. However mice aren't known for sleeping, only dormice are, and the Italian for dormouse appears to be **ghiro**. The expression **Dormire come un ghiro** (To sleep like a dormouse) also seems common. The root giro/gyro in English indicates spinning (gyroscope, gyrocopter, autogiro). Is this just a meaningless coincidence? That two words for mouse in Italian (topo and ghiro) are both cognate with spinning things in English? Or is ghiro involved in some way in the mistranslation?


"From an attic of a building" vs. "from the attic of a building"

Could you choose the most natural sentence, please? >   1. As a kitten, she fell from **an** attic of a nine-storey bulding into a > ventilation shaft. >   2. As a kitten, she fell from **the** attic of a nine-storey bulding into > a ventilation shaft. >


Who, what, where, when, why, how. Why so many "Wh"s?

Journalists are taught to ask who, what, where, when, why, and how. If you answer all of these chances are you have the bones of a story. Why do all these words, with the exception of "how" start with "wh"? Is it coincidence or did they all originate from the same word? Perhaps it was a grunt type word like "huh?"


Origin of the word "elder"

I was wondering if this word is in anyway related to some ancient diety or religion, if so which ?


Is it correct to append "no" to a question?

I have always been puzzled by some sentences people make that end in a _no_. For example, let's say someone instructed you not to leave your post before they arrive. Then they return but you're not there. When you finally meet them, they say: > So you decided to wait for me elsewhere than we had agreed, no?. What is the meaning of _no_ and what should I answer?


How did the slang meaning of "flog" come about?

I've searched multiple dictionaries and Etymonline but the only origin for "flog" that I can find is: > 1670s, slang, perhaps a schoolboy shortening of L. flagellare "flagellate." This clearly relates to its proper meaning, to whip or beat. However, in (British, and perhaps other) slang, the verb "to flog" has come to mean "to sell" with an implication being that something being flogged is being sold quickly or cheaply. The meaning is confirmed in several dictionaries, but I am at a loss as to why the meaning has arisen. And so I turn to you. **-Update-** I've not managed to find any further links between flogging and selling, which has led me to consider this possibility: Is it possible that the two meanings are unrelated? I had made the assumption that the "selling" variant was somehow derived from the same word which means "to whip or beat", but perhaps it's not. Judging by the demographic from which the word appears to come from (first referenced by authors from around London), and given that its original meaning implied the illicit sale of goods, perhaps "to flog something" (in the sense of selling it) is a form of contrived rhyming slang. Could anyone back this up?


Examples of spoken phrases where the tone used changes the meaning

I'm looking for examples of phrases & sentences whose meaning changes depending on the tone of voice used. For example, 'Follow me.' (Said with a falling tone) would be understood as a command. 'Follow me?' (Said with a rising tone) would be understood as a question (ie. do you understand me?) The longer and more grammatically correct the better!


Origin of the word "Jellyfish"

Does anyone know the history of the word _jellyfish_ and how it was defined and popularized? OED lists a usage in 1707, but that is referring to a gelatinous vertebrate fish. They start showing uses as we know it today (albeit hyphenated) around 1841. The reason for asking is that from a scientific perspective, it is a poorly- defined, non-taxonomic category. Some animals clearly should be called jellyfish, but lots of other things (siphonophores, comb jellies, even salps) are lumped in there where they may not belong. Related, Latin languages use _medusa_ (or similar) for English "jellyfish". What are some other common names in other languages?


Term between 'mentoring' & 'rubber ducking'

This may be a Programmers Stack Exchange question, but I don't think so, because I don't believe there is an accepted term for this in the industry, so I turn to all of you for suggestions. Say I'm at work, and a co-worker doesn't know what to do, and comes up to me to ask a question. If they are explaining the question, and half way through, they suddenly realize what the answer is, we call that "Rubber Ducking" (because all I do is sit there and nod my head like a rubber duck in a bathtub, and by explaining, they have to think about the problem correctly). If they finish explaining the question, and they don't have that moment of clarity, but I know what the answer is, then I'm being an "expert". If I can see how they should have figured it out for themselves, and I make a suggestion like "In cases like this, I usually find it helpful to ask myself ...", then I'm being a "mentor". Ideally, they get half way through answering the question and they once again have that moment of clarity, and they've not only answered the question but learned how to figure it out themselves next time. The question for all of you is: What do you call it when they ask their question, and you realize that the problem is too complex for you to figure out the answer, but you see a few ways forward, so you start this conversation consisting of questions, suggestions (feelers, really), stories, etc., all attempting to get them to have that moment of clarity when they answer their own question? It's sort of an enabler, or a brainstormer, or something. I'd love a phrase or a word for this. I'd prefer that it makes it clear what I am talking about, but I'd accept a term that I can use in interviews that would trigger the interviewer to ask me what I mean by it, so I can describe the situation like I have above.


What is the term for this illogical action?

When you are so mad at someone that you make a bad decision, even though you will be harmed by it as well, in order to harm that person; is there a good term for this? For example burning $100 because he owns $20 of it.


Is there any rule about splitting phrasal verbs?

I thought of this question right after I posted a tweet about a service upgrading me to a free student account since I am in college. I said " _That really helps a broke college student out._ " I actually paused for a second while I was writing that to decide if I should say > That really **helps out** a broke college student. or > That really **helps** a broke college student **out**. Are there any prescriptive rules about splitting phrasal verbs like this? I know this breaks the "don't put a preposition at the end of a sentence" rule, but that "rule" has an exception for phrasal verbs. To clarify:   1. Is there any rule that says phrasal verbs can't be split, even if it is just an imposed, prescriptive rule?   2. Does splitting a phrasal verb to put a preposition at the end of a sentence fall under the phrasal verb exception to the prepositions at the end of a sentence rule?


Why is a disastrous mess called a "pig's ear"?

Looking at the results of yesterday's programming effort, I concluded that "I have made a right _pig's ear_ of this." I then wondered, why a _pig's ear_? Does anyone know why _pig's ear_ is used to mean something messy and useless?


Pronunciation of the word "laboratory"

Can anyone please give a detailed pronunciation method for the word _laboratory_? I mean, is it labo-ra-tory or labo-ra-to-ry?


Capitalizing First Letter of Word in Continuing Dialogue

I have a rather tricky question - I'm a writer, about to send my manuscript off to agents and publishers, and have noticed I have a rather strange writing style, particularly when it comes to dialogue. I tend to do this: > "We can't know for sure," he mused, leaning back in his chair, "Not until we > ask more questions." I capitalize the first letter of the first word in continuing dialogue. I can't stand using a lower-case letter (as below). > "We can't know for sure," he mused, leaning back in his chair, "not until we > ask more questions." It doesn't look right to me, but am I committing some horrible _faux pas_ here? I do the same with interior monologue. > _I have to get out of here,_ he thought, _But there's not enough time._ I also don't like putting full-stops everywhere. Most readers probably wouldn't notice the difference, but I'm afraid an Editor might look at the work, scoff, and toss the whole thing in the bin. To complicate matters, I'm an Australian, writing in American English, but submitting to both British and American agents. Somewhere in there, I'm sure I've butchered up my grammar, but this is the most striking thing I noticed throughout my novel. Any advice? Editing an 88K novel to find all the instances of dialogue might take a while, so is it really worth my time? Thanks in advance!


Open for "anyone"? Or open for "everyone"?

Is the tournament open for "anyone" or "everyone"?


Archaic conjugation of common verbs?

I'm looking for an online resource to list conjugation of some of most common English verbs ( _to be, to get, to do, to have_ etc.) in their archaic (Early Modern) forms. In particular, I'd be interested in conjugation for various tenses - I can easily find "am, art, is, are" and similar, but finding conjugation of "did" is not nearly as easy.


How to pronounce "worried"?

I have no idea whatsoever about IPA, so I apologise now for any ambiguity or difficult-to-understand-ness in this question. Me and a friend both disagree on the correct pronunciation of "worried". I pronounce it "worried", he pronounces it "wurried". I shall expand:   1. My pronunciation: if you will, rhymes with "lorry". Lorry, worry (woh-reed)   2. His pronunciation: if you will, rhymes with "curry". Curry, worry (wu-reed, wuh-reed) Once again, I apologise if you think these explanations are awful, but they were the best I could do. (We speak standard English, at least I think we do). We have no northern, western, midlands etc. accents. We come from the south east, if that's of any help. I'm also not passing the fact that they could both be correct and that it doesn't matter, but it'd be interesting to know which one is correct.


What does “Press the point” exactly mean?

The New York Times (March 14) Fashion & Style column reports under the headline, “Walking the Walk to Increase Diversity” that Bethann Hardison, the fashion industry gadfly is to receive the Council of Fashion Designers of America’s Founders Award in June, and comments “Most thorns get plucked. This one is getting a trophy. (I like this line)” It follows; > “She then became a modeling agent, founding Bethann Management in 1984\. It > was, she said, a “white agency,” but it also represented many models of > color, among them Veronica Webb, Roshumba Williams and Tyson Beckford. When > designers were disinclined to at least consider any but white models, she > was inclined to **press the point.** > > http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/16/fashion/Fashion-diversity-bethann- > Hardison-diversity-coalition.html?hp&_r=0 OED carries “press the button,” meaning “pressing an acupressure point,” but not “press the point.” CED carries “pressure point,” meaning “a place on the body where an artery is close to the surface of the skin, where it can be pressed to partly stop the flow of blood,” but not “press the point.” Google N Gram shows the incidences of “press the point,” which peaked during 1920 through 1960, and has been tapering off to a low 0.0000054780% level (in 2007). To me “press the point” is strongly associated with acupressure point because of the Asian familiarity with Chinese medicine, but what does it mean otherwise?


Do you pronounce "read" in "management (read: fools)" like "reed" or like "red"?

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  What words are commonly mispronounced by literate people who read them > before they heard them? I do believe the question is pretty selfish planetary and needs no further comets!


"Who him?" as a stand-in for "Who is he?"

I'm curious: is this valid under some rule of grammar I don't know? Was it ever valid, or was it slang or a personal idiosyncrasy? Or (I shudder to think) was it invented by later authors, as a phrase that sounds sufficiently outlandish to add "flavor" to a novel? I've run across this construction in several "period" novels set in the 18th century, most recently in _The Yellow Admiral_ by Patrick O'Brian: > 'I shall just have time to run up to the House for the committee meeting, > deliver my thunderbolt, and then post down to Torbay, where Heneage Dundas > will touch before the change of the moon, landing Jenkins -, > > ' **Who him?** ' > > 'My jobbing captain, my temporary replacement,' said Jack, and from his tone > and the set of his face Stephen gathered that he did not think highly of the > man. I'd like to clarify: I am **not** talking about "Who, him?" ("are you seriously talking about THAT guy?"), nor am I talking about the poetic reversal of verb and object, as in Spenser's _Faerie Queen_ : > At last, when as himself he 'gan to find   >  To _Una_ back he cast him to retire:   >  **Who him** awaited still with pensive Mind.   >  Great thanks and goodly Meed, to that good Sire,   >  He thence departing gave for his pains Hire.   >  So came to _Una_ , **who him** joy'd to see,   >  And after little rest, 'gan him desire,   >  Of her Adventure mindful for to be.   >  So leave they take of _Caelia_ , and her Daughters three. I ask because... well, I rather like the sound of it, and have been tempted to slip it into my own conversation. But I'd like to have cover for the inevitable discussion afterward!


How do you call auto parts that are meant to fit specific vehicles and those that aren't?

Some auto parts are tailor fit for one or more vehicles while others aren't. Is there a universally understood name for those two types of parts?


What does "I fort" stand for?

In Terry Pratchett's _The Truth_ , Mr Tulip says "I fort" 5 times.   * "I fort that at the start"   * "I fort so!" (twice)   * "I fort you said this city was a -ing pushover?"   * "I fort we wanted to find.." Is this a kind of mispelling for "I thought" or something else?


Is there a term for simultaneous snow and rain?

I'm from Australia where we don't have so many kinds of precipitation. I'm familiar with these:   * rain   * hail   * snow   * sleet As I understand it, _sleet_ refers to frozen rain but I'm not totally familiar with it. Right now I'm not in Australia but Georgia, the former Soviet republic. And at the moment it's raining but not just rain. There's also some mushy snowflakes falling. I've never seen this before and wonder if we even have a word for it in English. Would it be referred to as sleet after all? It's 2 degrees above zero centigrade now so frozen rain seems unlikely.


a hundred to one

I heard of the expression 'a hundred to one'. and I am perplexed. because I heard of that the expression has both positive and negative meaning at the same time. I can't understand it. And moreover, as for its positive meaning I don't accept that one of hundred(1/100) has the meaning of 'certain, probable'. In my mother tongue, eight or nine of ten(80/100 or 90/100) means 'nearly certain'. It has not worked out in my brain without somebody's help. so please help me.


Why are country names localized and city names not?

As discussed here, names for the same city in different languages tend to be just variant pronunciations. By contrast, a country that is known by (even roughly) the same name in most languages is the exception rather than the rule. I have some theories about this, but no real facts. Theory 1: Country names often incorporate common nouns, city names more rarely. For example, it's easy enough to translate "Great Britain" into "Grande-Bretagne", or "United States" into "Estados Unidos", but what can you do with "London" or "Chicago". This theory would explain why New York is often called "Nueva York" in Spanish, but leaves Germany rather mysterious. Also, I've noticed that Spanish-language names for American cities are _never_ translated. Los Angeles isn't called "Les Anges" or "die Engel". San Francisco has a Chinese name but it's 旧金山, Jiùjīnshān, meaning "Old Gold Hill", not 亞西西的方濟各 (Yàxixī de fāngjìgè -- Francis of Assisi) which would be the literal translation. Theory 2: City names, and cities, are stable, whereas countries, their borders, and their names are more fluid. Damascus and Rome have existed for most of recorded history; Syria and Italy are fairly modern inventions. When a country flickers in an out of existence, its name may survive in other languages and be (inconsistently) applied to a successor country. This theory _would_ explain Germany, but it certainly doesn't explain Syria and Italy, which seem to be called pretty much the same thing by everybody. Theory 3: Country names are changed for purely political reasons, and those reasons may not be respected by other countries. This would explain Burma and the Koreas, but nowhere else that comes to mind. It also raises the question of why, when city names are changed for political reasons (St Petersburg, Gdansk), those changes are tracked, fairly assiduously, even by countries that disagree with the underlying politics. These theories are all _post hoc_ and none of them explain China or Egypt. The hypothesis might not even be true but just a symptom of my patchy knowledge of the subject. Any suggestions or links to scholarship on the subject are welcomed.


US news articles missing out "on" when referring to a day

When watching US television news or reading US news articles there is this affectation where instead of saying: > "Spotify music-streaming service to launch in U.S. **on** Thursday" (CNN) or > "Leading credit rating agency Moody's said **on** Wednesday that the U.S. > government's impeccable credit..." (Fox) The **on** preposition is missed out. Is this just a peculiar US journalistic "news speak" shortcut or do American non-journalist writers write this way too?


Comma Splice? "I'm curious, what is the time?"

I asked a question earlier regarding alternative ways of structuring indirect questions (please refer to this link). Forgive me if I'm over analyzing this, but I never write sentences like this so I am not sure about the punctuation. > "I am curious, what is the time?" Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the definition of a comma splice when you join two independent clauses without a conjunction? Both "I am curious" and "What is the time" are complete sentences. Normally if I were to say this statement, I would put a pause between the two clauses. If i said it faster, I would say it as an indirect question such as, "I am curious what the time is" or "I'm curious about the time". The responses in my previous post said to use either a comma, colon, or a dash. **Would a comma really be okay, or would this be a comma splice?** Second question is this: **Since you start with the statement, "I am curious" wouldn't you have to end the sentence with a period?** By the way, the context of my question would be for formal emails with a conversational tone, and I would be writing in the 1st person.


Expression "counterprogramming" also for social events?

Would it be adequate to use the term "counterprogramming" also for non-TV events like counterprogramming a party at the same time of another one? For example: > I am sorry I didn't check the date for your party, I didn't mean to > counterprogramme it with mine. or something to that effect :-)


Is "girls" a suitable complementary term to go along with "guys"?

Trying to keep the discussion about language and meaning, and hopefully not getting socio-political, is "girls" a valid counterpart for "guys", as in "guys and girls"? The intention is to describe a mixed group of men and women in suitably casual terms. "Guys" is unproblematic. However, "girls" could be taken to be diminutive. I personally don't, as I understand the intention to simply be equivelent to "guys", but I can see how some might take issue with it. It seems that a generation or so ago it was common enough to say "guys and gals", but "gals" seems archaic now. If not "girls", then what? Also, it seems that "guys" _can_ be used to mean both men and women, without having to specify the presence of women. However, I think the default assumption is still an all male group. In any case, I'm looking for an uncontroversial casual term for a group of women on the same level as "guys".


What's the origin of saying "yoo hoo!" to get someone's attention?

A character in D.H. Lawrence's novel _Women in Love_ (published 1920) calls out, "Shu-hu!" to hail her sister in a crowded place. This must be the same as "yoo hoo". What is the source of this exclamation?


Is there a difference between "select" and "selected"?

When flying, I often read phrases like the following: > Special Meals only available on select flights […] Then again, wouldn't it also make sense to say > Special Meals only available on selected flights […] What's the difference between these two? When should I use one over the other?


Is there a term I can use for a boss's favorite employee?

Over dinner tonight, one of the guests was describing herself as her boss's favorite employee, and asked for a term to describe this. As the only guest who spoke English as a first language, the question fell on me, but I could not think of any such term. Is there one? It would be similar to "teacher's pet" to describe a teacher's favorite student, but in the professional realm. "Boss's pet" just doesn't seem to fit.


Without vs before

In order to answer a question I have to take a look at a document that is not with me by the time that question was raised.   Which of the below sentences is more suitable to express that idea? >   1. I am not able to answer your question without taking a look at document > X; > >   2. I cannot answer your question before taking a look at document X; > > Feel free to suggest any other sentence that you may think appropriate.


find something gone or find something has gone

Are both of them right?   1. _Next morning when you wake up, you find your kidney has gone._   2. _Next morning when you wake up, you find your kidney gone._ If they are all right, what's the difference?


Where does the nounification of 'spend' come from?

For example, > the estimated _spend_ for Q3 is a million dollars.


"You have successfully registered and logged in." vs "You have been successfully registered and logged in."

After the user press the submit button and everything in the registration form is correct he is automatically registered and logged in. And the message is shown in a pop up window. However, I am not sure which form is better to use. Please, explain which sentence is better and why. Thanks. > You have successfully registered and logged in. or > You have been successfully registered and logged in.


What is the origin of "up and did something"?

Consider the examples from the Free Dictionary: > That summer, she **up and died**. > > He had lived here for twenty years, and then one day, he **up and left for > good**. Is this a contraction of a longer phrase, making "up" a particle (as in "get up")? Or is "up" meant as a verb, but mysteriously not inflected according to tense/person? (in which case, how did it end up not being inflected?)


"Verse" or "Verses"?

A lot of people say this when they are challenging someone else: > I'll verse you. I thought this sentence was grammatically correct. However one day my computer teacher got into an argument with us about it. He whipped out a dictionary and began searching the word "verse" and told us the definition and said that saying "verse" as in challenging is wrong. It should be used as in _Home verses Guest_. Is that right? If it is, why does the majority say it this way?


Usage of a comma in a dedication

Does the dedication "To my beloved John" need a comma after "beloved"?


Opposite of "verbose"

One definition of _verbose_ states: > characterized by the use of many or **too many** words; wordy: a verbose > report. Some (including the above link) suggest that the opposite is _concise_ or _laconic_, however both mean _covering much_ in few words. Is there an opposite of _verbose_ which means the use of _too few_ words? Here's a blog post about this, although it doesn't offer an alternative.


Origin of the word "duh"

What is the origin of the word "duh" as in the interjection: > — It's hot in the desert.   >  — Well, duh! If it is of onomatopoeic origin and only appears in modern English as some sites suggest, I would be interested to know when it started appearing in English writing.


Are meals classified by time slot or sequence?

I've heard that breakfast is the first meal of the day, but I have also heard it is a meal in the morning. Lunch I understand to be the meal that takes place between eleven and one. Assuming I do not eat anything until eleven, when I finally eat, is it considered breakfast because it is the first meal of the day, or is it lunch because it takes place during lunch's time slot?


Passive form questions

Note: English isn't my main language.   I have a question about the passive form, I think the following paragraph has a strange "form" of a passive context, here it is: > Prodded by hunger, the female dolphin approached the ships which harbored > next to the island, despite the danger posed by them. I was asked to point out the passive verbs and point to the "makers" of the actions and the "receivers". So I got confused here: > ... despite the danger posed by them. You could see it as the danger is the reciver and them (the ships) are the "makers", but when I thought about the full 'idea' of the text I thought that it would be better to address the whole section like this:   1) The danger is a situation that is a derived state coming from the ships to the fem dolphin.   2) If I were to look at that section as a separate sentence then it is right to say that the danger is in fact passive (in my opinion), but if you take into consideration the context of the paragraph it could be seen as:   -The female dolphin was posed danger by the ships, making the dolphin in the passive state.    Or:   \- The danger posed by them affected the dolphin.   **My question is, could you say that the passive form is also in relation to the dolphin, and not just the danger?**


"Patronize this the _____" when talking about food

There is a word in a video that I cannot figure out and have trouble hearing. The phrase as I hear it is (excuse me for inaccuracies): > "Now don't be afraid to go out on into the lobby and patronize this the > **__** and buy some licorice sticks and mass pumpkin pie." I'm assuming this is either an idiom that I am not aware of or he is talking about the place the film is being shown. The youtube video is here.


Changing verb tenses in a sample paragraph

I'm trying to clear some confusion I have when writing in different verb tenses. I found Purdow OWL's tutorial, but the explanation is not clear to me. Here's the example from the website: Example 2: Simple present narration with perfect and progressive elements In this scene... > By the time Tom notices the doorbell, it has already rung three times. As > usual, he has been listening to loud music on his stereo. He turns the > stereo down and stands up to answer the door. An old man is standing on the > steps. The man begins to speak slowly, asking for directions. Purdue OWL explanation: In this example as in the first one, the progressive verbs _has been listening_ and _is standing_ indicate action underway as some other action takes place. The present perfect progressive verb _has been listening_ suggests action that began in the time frame prior to the main narrative time frame and **that is still underway as another action begins**. The remaining tense relationships parallel those in the first example. I've bolded the part that's confusing to me. The present perfect progressive action began prior to the main narrative time frame (this part I understand, it's referring to the the present tense _notices_ ) but I don't know what is that " **another action** " that begins while Tom _has been listening_. What is that " **another action** " that begins while Tom _has been listening_ to loud music in his stereo? Thank you!


Imperative vs. Declarative (can a third grader or his parents tell the difference?)

My 3rd grade son was supposed to write a series of sentences, and write whether they were "imperative" or "declarative" (or "interogative" or "exclamatory", but those aren't relevant for this question). The sentence he wrote was "You must join with the giants." My thoughts were that, despite the fact that this sounds like an order, that this sentence was declarative. My wife insisted it was imperative. My third grader was confused as all get out by our contradictory opinions. Her thoughts were that an imperative tells someone to do something...that's what this sentence is. QED. I was thinking that although it sounds like an imperative type order, by changing the words slightly, say changing the "you" into "I", or "must" into "should" or "might" it becomes more obvious (to me) that the sentence is making a declaration of state, rather than an order for immediate action. I _think_ I'm right, but would like to be sure (or be told why I am wrong). I'd also like the correct terminology pointed out to me where I've doubtless messed it up.


“Acted in the benefit of ” vs. “acted for the benefit of ” vs. “acted to the benefit of ”

I am not sure about this quote: > As to whether the president acted **for the benefit of** the majority, 35 > percent of the respondents said that he did not, 30 percent that he only > partly acted **in the benefit of** the majority. Shouldn’t it be _to the benefit of_ instead of _in the benefit of_ ? And what about _for the benefit of_ ?


What is the origin of the different pronunciations of C and G before different vowels?

In English the letters C and G usually have different pronunciation before a/o/u and before e/i. The same is true for Romance languages - French, Spanish, Catalan, Italian etc. What is the origin of this? I guess that it has something to do with different pronunciations of these letters in Latin, but is there a proper source that explains how did this happen in Latin and how did it come do English, too? Thank you!


Can there be two consecutive dots at the end of the sentence?

What to do, when the sentence ends with an abbreviation. For example: > The following results are by Deb et al. or > The following results are by Deb et al.. Are two consecutive dots ok?


"Since I last saw you" or "since I last have seen you"?

Which of the following two sentences is correct? >   * It's been long time since I last saw you. >   * It's been long time since I have seen you. >


Phrase "I will not fail you"

This phrase "I will not fail you", Is it formal or informal? What are the other words used to convey the same feelings?


Usage of "provided" and "providing"

I'm not sure if I used the word "provided" in a right way in the following example: > In general, this algorithm solves Fibonacci problem with higher scores > rather than the original algorithm, provided/providing reasonable values are > selected for stack size and array length. In this text I want to say that if user choose reasonable variables then it is rightly expected that the mentioned algorithm works better than the original. Finally, please can you tell me that are "provided" and "providing" the same? which is better to use for scientific papers?


Word or phrase for a person who is impatient and likes studying new things by example?

Is there a specific word or phrase to describe a person who is   * impatient learning new things   * dislikes reading lengthy passages   * always likes learning by example plus doing experiments in parallel?  Note that I am the person in question.


Walking and Talking L's

I have a friend who always pronounces the l's in _walk_ and _talk_. Is this regional? Is there anywhere that standardly pronounces the l?


Proper usage of "themselves"?

Could anyone please tell me if I used "themselves" properly in this sentences: > Such artificial samples can also potentially reduce distortions ... that are > due to varying properties of the samples _themselves_. I'm not a native speaker but my sprachgefühl tells me that there should be this "themselves" at the end of the sentence -- can't really tell why though. If this is wrong, please let me know how you can tell. Thanks!


Use of "I am having" in SO sites

I use Stackoverflow a lot and have noticed a certain trend that I myself got caught up in at one time of using the phrase "I am having a problem" in place of "I have a problem." I would use this phrase for an event in the future "I am having a steak dinner tonight," but for a problem that I need solved and am asking for a solution, I'd use "I have a problem..." What would force us to use this phrase? Is it even valid English for the present tense?


Island of "Name" vs island "Name". Proper usage of the preposition.

For example why people use "Island of Jamaica" and "Macquarie Island". The latter doesn't use any preposition. When the preposition should be used and when not?


Origins of "Now, get off my face."

My son picked this phrase up from a TV show {possibly Scrubs} but a simple search of the internet suggests several meanings. We usually have it as "That was friendly {a kiss, cat licking your face, baby's touching your cheeks}, now back away and give me my personal space back {tired of your breath, tired of your fur in my nose, your chocolate covered fingers on my face}." Where did this phrase start? And how long has it been around?


What does ‘make a buck off’ mean?

I found the phrase ‘ _make a buck off’_ in the following lead copy of the article of Time magazine (July 15) titled ‘Carmaggedon: It May Be a Bust, but It's Already a Bonanza,’ reporting the chaos caused by July 16–17 closure of the 405 freeway in Los Angeles: > “Hysteria is everywhere, but that may just mean that people will stay off > the roads. In any case, lots of folks are out to _make a buck off_ > fearmongering about the 405.” I did not find the definition of _‘make a buck off_ ’ in dictionaries at hand, but was able to find the examples of usage such as ‘Eight ways to make a buck off vacationers,’ ‘make a buck off sluggish dollars,” and ‘make a buck off winter’s weird weather’ in Google. From these examples I guessed the phrase means ‘to take advantage of,’ or ‘make a profit from.’ Am I right?


Punctuation for title and caption

I'm displaying a title and caption along with an artist's painting. Are the quote marks correct like this? > Title: “The Tree” > > Caption: “A black tree in the wild”


Doubly hyphenated words

Consider the word _quasi-first-class_. Are the hyphens used correctly? Should the two hyphens be of different length to denote the distinction of the _hyphenation_? Is there a general rule to deal with such doubly hyphenated words? This tells me that I should _avoid_ an _en dash_ in this case.


Are older senses of "anent" still alive in any dialect?

The obscure preposition _anent_ has a long history, going back as far as _Beowulf_ : > him **_on efn_** ligeð ealdorgewinna [line 2903] ("beside him lies his great > enemy") It has carried many meanings, including "near", "beside", "toward", "against", "among" and "on behalf of". Today the usual sense is "about" or "concerning", as in: > More movement on the seesaw **_anent_** the further transfer of powers to > Holyrood - but no clear view yet of the endgame. from the BBC's Brian Taylor. This meaning seems to remain alive in Scotland, and even elsewhere (though it may be seen as affected). The OED has, as the only other non-obsolete sense, "Of position: fronting, opposite, over against, close against, close to" with the note that "many northern dialects now have _fore-nent_." Their most recent quotation is from _The Dark Huntsman_ (Charles Heavysege, 1864): > The huntsman came after, full fleet as the wind,   >  **_Anent_** me a moment, tall, tarried behind My question: Is this meaning of _anent_ (or _fore-nent_ ) still current in any dialect of English - or should it now get the †dagger too?


"Police have found what appear to be human remains." versus "– What's in the box? – Chocolates to die for!" Why the different agreement?

In my CD-ROM version of the _Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English_ , an example sentence for the verb 'to appear' is: "Police have found what appear to be human remains." Gruesomeness apart, what I find shocking is the agreement of 'appear' with a 'what' that is plural, 'human remains', whereas in the sentence "– What's in the box? – Chocolates to die for!" the agreement is in the singular even though 'what' also represents a plural noun: 'chocolates'! Why the different agreement?


'Those that couldn't let go'

"Those that couldn't let go" is the title of a quest in an online MMPORG. Is this correct or should it be "Those whom..." or "They that ..."?


Eleusian vs. Eleusinian (and, to a lesser extent, Elysian)

Both Eleusian and Eleusinian are used in relation to _mysteries._ I've only seen Elysian used in relation to Elysian Fields. Given that the suffix -ian denotes "of or belonging to," I'm wondering if there is a rationale behind the use of Eleusinian. If I wanted to describe something 'of or belonging to' Eleusis, it would seem that Eleusian would be the most obvious choice. Is Eleusinian used specifically to denote a meaning broader than originating from Eleusis? I'm wondering what (if any) the linguistic basis is for this.


What is a tool that encrypts data called?

If I have a software that encrypts data, how do I refer to it? 'Encryptor'?


To gain insight (on/into). Two examples

1) I gained insight ___ _ working practices of such companies 2) I gained insight ___ _ how a software project is done from scratch


Meaning of "stands there" in "[The word] stands there, easily repeated back"

I do not understand the "stands there" part related to the word: > It is much harder to deny having said an angry word. It stands there, easily > repeated back, hard to disavow totally. What would be a synonym for that? I need to understand. So far I have come up with "stand" in the meaning of "be valid" — it was said and thus it is valid, you cannot take it back. But it does not go well with "there".


In “an idea of Hölderlin’s”, is “of” a partitive or a genitive?

We often use these constructions. _A friend of mine_ is probably the most common. I have often wondered, being an English teacher, whether the function of the preposition _of_ in such contexts is that of a partitive (it implies an idea of splitting something into parts, so _a friend of mine_ is a part of the whole of my friends) or a genitive (it implies the idea that something belongs to something else, so _an idea of Hölderlin’s_ would mean _Hölderlin’s idea_ ). I realize the distinction is subtle. Is there a professional scholar in linguistics here who can clarify?


"In my younger years, early days, early years, and earlier years"?

I just wanted to express the period from when I was born to my recent days until I realized something. I initially put "in my earlier years." Then I wasn't sure if the meaning of the phrase that I made communicate precisely as I intended. So I looked up and got few more similar expressions such as, "my early years", "In my early life", "In my younger and vulnerable years", "in my younger age", etc. Yet, I sensed all of them insinuate more like a childhood, not necessarily includes, for instance, my few weeks ago until I realized something. Is there any proper expression or phrase for a such case?


etymology of eavesdropping

there's this word eavesdropping or eavesdrop, which I looked over in oxford and several other places. the closest I got to understanding it was that it originated from an obsolete noun "eavesdrop", meaning the ground on to which water drips from the eaves. But how did come to it's current usage? I'm curious. anyone else?


Better words for "open-ended" and "multiple choice"?

I'm writing documentation for some code at work and I am trying to describe some parameters that must be specified by the user. Some of the parameters are specified with one word from a list of possible choices (e.g., "true" or "false"; "ags" or "wms"; "json", "xml", or "text"). Others are more "open- ended" and the user specifies anything they'd like (parameters like this include name, identifier, URL, etc). I'd like to describe each of these two types of parameters. Are there words that describe one as open-ended and one as multiple choice? These descriptions I'm using don't seem to do it justice. They also seem to imply there is some kind of question involved when there isn't. Does anyone have any ideas of what words I could use in my documentation to describe these two types of parameters?


"Seize the night" vs. "Enjoy the night"

I was listening to "We Own the Night", by "The Wanted" and I realized the phrase "we are only young if we seize the night". _Seize_ , in this case, sounds like _enjoy_ , right? But, what's the contextual difference between them?


Word for the ability to solve issues with the most fitting solution

Professionaly someone, when facing a challenge, an issue, a job that needs to be done, has different ways to face it. What word could define the ability to pick the best approach for a given problem?


What are the common misconceptions of active/passive voice? How can I understand these better to help improve my writing? (How does using active voice versus passive voice make writing stronger?)


English generator algorithms

This may be an odd question for this site, but tonight I've been enjoying myself by creating a small script that produces (is supposed to produce) sample sentences that resemble English, while being total gibberish. The idea came from reading a question on StackOverflow.com which involved word wrapping of a text. Some people would use the Lorem Ipsum quote to generate a sample text for demonstration purposes. I thought, why this would be a nice use of a random text generator. The very intriguing Wug test was also at the back of my mind, and the fact that it is relatively easy to read a sentence with scrambled words, as long as beginning and end letters remain the same. For example: > Ocne uopn a mndihgit derary, whlie I peonredd waek and warey oevr mnay a > quinat and ciruous vumole of fgtorteon lero, I have done some research on (concerning English):   * Word length distribution (Using an approximation of Zipf's Law I found online)   * Letter distribution and first letter distribution Adding some random punctuation and capitalization, it is looking pretty, but I need some simple algorithms to make the words more realistic looking. Here's a sample text: > Ynssdto lcianche ttlkise aaricod oawsepje. Hast tvnvcfaiesont eteoy prae > wwecofuothenroo nmtnhglw lmhwefc etlugloe. Ywio odhw, chlt dhpei tiaqirter, > sorrdstg aontli kayhut, tnust, berv dosp wrhhys sblfm. Nkttrbfoeret thpit > atea aoecwb ctwrhfae oneeot selm teihug ttolgktrwwmc, wwrleil sga, isdeedeo > adnrsi, aydhd asroino dhddonn, lrctp gckort ikhcvo. Tvte hzmdosnd wsad a > cwfndoac drnsrtsaths Obviously, words should contain at least one vowel. It might in fact be idea to make vowel insertion a distinct part of the process. Some consonants should not follow each other (e.g. `tvnvcf`), and should not be too many in a row. I was looking for a distribution of the last letters in English words, but that may not be applicable, since word endings can be fairly similar (`ing, ane, tion, able`, etc), and that might add some familiarity to the sentences. I'm looking for ideas. Links to resources. Rules of thumb. What can I do to make my script spout more legible gibberish? In short, what are the general rules for building an English-looking word?


What's the exact usage of "that of"

I think in the following sentence: > Adam's answer was similar to **that of** clergy. "That of clergy" can be replaced by "clergy's" or "clergy's answer": > Adam's answer was similar to clergy's. So, if my understanding is correct, can we say the following two sentences are grammatically equivalent too? > This is my book.   >  This book is of me. Since in the first sentence, "of clergy" was indicating possession, I expect "of me" to mean "mine" and indicate another form of possession too.


Why do you say "to place a call"?

I know _to make a call_ and this makes sense to me. But recently I read in an article: > [...] if you are actually placing calls. I wonder about the verb _to place_. NGram Viewer shows that this phrase is in use for about 100 years now. Where does it come from? ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/bXrrc.png)


Apostrophe  in “beginners guide”

In the phrase _beginners guide to …_ , where should the apostrophe go?   1. Beginner **’** s Guide to […]   2. Beginners **’** Guide to […] In my particular case, this is the title for a presentation so there are multiple beginners that are being addressed.


"A Beginner's Guide" or "Beginner's Guide"?

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Where should the apostrophe go in the word "beginners" in "beginners > guide"? Hi, Is "Beginner's Guide To Something" Correct?


crawl in a hole and pull it in after me

This phrase occurs surprisingly frequently. I assume, based on contexts, that it means roughly 'I am so embarrassed'. What I wonder is what it is that 'it' refers to. What is to be pulled in? Any ideas? There are hundreds of examples that can be found by googling: > hole "pull it in after" E.g.: > It made us miserable, urgently wanting to find a hole in the universe, crawl > into it, and pull it in after us. It is also a line in the movie Sunset Blvd (1950) ![screenshot](http://i.imgur.com/y63XmYv.jpg)


Determining main verb of a sentence which match with subject + verb + to + verb pattern

If I have sentences >   * Member is allowed to change himself back >   * I want to go to school >   * He needs to stop > What are the predicate of these sentences? Are they **allowed - want - need** , or **change - go - stop**? What do we call this **subject + verb + to + verb** pattern? Thanks,      ## Edit: What I really want to know is the **main verb** of sentences which match with **subject + verb + to + verb** pattern. Based on three sample sentences above, we can say that the main verb are second verb, i.e. verb after **to**.   Do this assumption apply to all sentences which match with pattern above?


What to call the area where the hair directions all change on the head? In Russian that term is _макушка_ , and looking for the translation I find it to be _top_. However, that is not a satisfactory answer, since some people have two areas on their head where the hair changes its direction. Also, sometimes these areas are not on the top of their head.


Meaning of "but if I can't do better, how is it to be helped?"

The following is an excerpt from the novel, Jane Eyre. I don't quite understand the meaning of the italicized sentence. Would someone please enlighten me on that? > "It is a long way to Ireland, Janet, and I am sorry to send my little friend > on such weary travels: _but if I can't do better, how is it to be helped?_ > Are you anything akin to me, do you think, Jane? > > I could risk no sort of answer to by this time: my heart was still. > > "Because," he said, "I sometimes have a queer feeling with regard to you -- > especially when you are near me, as now; ...


Are "steer away from" and "steer clear of" interchangable?

> "‘Steer clear of Strait Steet,’ he advised wryly, turning away, ‘otherwise > you may be wrong. " > > "I purposely steer away from‘political messages." These are two sample sentences in I found in BNC. "Steer away from" can be used in boat-steering. "Steer clear of" is more used as a verb phrase to mean "keep away from". But the two cases I gave, the former phrase just was used the way the latter was to be used. And the latter used the way the former used. So does this justify me treating them as being interchangeable?


Word for consciously doing something without knowing that it is already a thing

I'm looking for a single word, possibly ending in "-consciously", that represents doing something socially common that you were not aware had a name or a greater context. For example, many people have played Huckle buckle beanstalk (the hotter or colder finding things game) without knowing the name or thinking that it is even considered a game. Someone learning the term for the first time might say "I've _subconsciously_ played that game with my friends for years." But that's not quite right since they were consciously engaging in the activity, they just didn't know it was a proper game. Is there a word that can replace _subconsciously_? (I know that something like "I've never heard that term but I've been playing that with my friends for years" would also work, but I feel it could be shorter.)


What is the origin of != in the meaning "not equal to"?

As a programmer I have always assumed that using != as meaning _not equal to_ when writing text (usually on the internet) came from programming languages. Is this true or is the origin different?


What is the origin of the pluralization "virii"?

However wrong it may be, lots of people have pluralized _virus_ as _virii_. I'd understand _viri_ , but what misconception could lead one to write _virii_?


Which of these sentences using "can" or "could" is better?

1. If you **could** increase your number of hours to 48/week, it **will** help you become a more fluent speaker.   2. If you **can** increase your number of hours to 48/week, it **will** help you become a more fluent speaker. The first sentence sounds more natural to me. Which one is correct and why?


What's the term for introducing an error when you edit a sentence?

Several years ago, I recall learning an English term that described the following sort of error:   1. I write (or begin writing) a sentence without error.   2. I decide to change something in the sentence.   3. I forget to change the rest of the sentence to fit with the changes I made. For example, let's say I write the following (step 1): > I ate both an apple and a banana. Then I remember I didn't actually eat a banana, so I erase _and a banana_ (step 2): > I ate both an apple. But I forget to erase the word _both_ (step 3), so my sentence becomes ungrammatical! I'd like to be able to refer to this kind of error. Unfortunately, I've forgotten the term I learned, and I've also forgotten exactly where I read it. I'm fairly certain it was somewhere on Usenet, possibly in sci.lang.japan or alt.usage.english. And though I've searched around on Google Groups, I'm afraid I've been unable to find the post in question. What bits I do remember are so hazy that they're probably useless and unreliable, but I suppose I can add them anyway: I think it was a copy editor who shared the term. And while trying to remember, I had the feeling that it was around eleven letters long and contained the letter 'G'--though I'm afraid these details are likely to be mistaken. (And of course, I would welcome an answer that differs from the term I'm trying to remember, as long as it fits what I've described.) Anyway, I feel like this would be a pretty useful term to have, even if I end up defining it for people. Is there a usual term for this sort of error?


Word for getting service from friends/family unofficially

In Russian, the term _"sv'ázi"_ ("связи") is used to describe something like business connections but it is not that exactly. _"Sv'ázi"_ usually does not refer to friends made through business, but it normally refers to someone you know who could provide you with a service in an unofficial capacity. Russian phrase sounds like _"Someone has sv'ázi somewhere"_ and means that he or she has friends or relatives working in mentioned organization and they could help to achieve an extra or better service from this firm or state organization like getting something without waiting a common queue or simply more quickly, cheaper, getting a job and so on. So knowing them is not a consequence of your business, but because you know them, you can get something done. Is there an English word or idiom that captures this idea of having friends or family in an organization to help turning interaction with this organization more easy and effective than in official common way?


What does "swear polyglot" mean?

In the novel Dracula I came upon this sentence: > "The captain swore polyglot, very polyglot, polyglot with bloom and blood, > but he could do nothing." Judging by the dictionary definition of polyglot I think it must be related to using multiple languages. But I really can't understand what it means in this context. Nor indeed what the whole sentence must mean.


Having some kind of grit

What does the expression, "You have got some kind of grit," mean? Is it sarcastic, like being a bit crazy?


What is the meaning of "every once in a while"?

I have read this sentence, but cannot understand the meaning of _every once in a while_ : > My dad, he's on Facebook every once in a while. Can anyone explain it?


Does ‘Hit a new low’ have the meaning other than ‘number’ and ‘record’?

I saw an article titled “Obama Campaign Says Mitt Romney Is Either a Crook or a Liar” in July 13 Time magazine. The article reports that Mitt Romney’s campaign manager, Matt Rhoades has demanded President Obama to apologize for his senior campaign adviser, Stephaney Cutter’s calling Romney a potential crook. It read; > “Matt Rhoades said: President Obama’s campaign _hit a new low_ today when > one of its senior advisers made a reckless and unsubstantiated charge to > reporters about Mitt Romney that was so over the top that it calls into > question the integrity of their entire campaign. President Obama ought to > apologize for the out-of-control behavior of his staff, which demeans the > office he holds.” I am interested in the specific usage of “ _hit a new low_ ” in the above quote. My understanding of the idiom, “hit a new low (high)” is it regards “numerical” record such as the prices of stocks, oil, sales, and poll numbers. But here it seems to be suggesting “the lowest possible debasing demeanors” of Obama campaign that went over the top. Is it metaphoric expression? Can “hit a new low (high)” be used in the context other than number and numerical records?


Future Passive Progressive?

Does some future passive progressive tense exist, such as: > He will **_be_** _**being_** interviewed by police." as a counterpart to the past passive progressive tense, such as: > He **_was being_** interviewed by police."


Why “buy things secondhand,“ not “buy secondhand things”?

I saw the word ‘secondhand’ come after ‘things’ in the lead copy of July 17 Time magazine’s article, titled “10 Things You Should Be Buying Used”, as follows. > Buying things secondhand can save a few bucks and help keep junk out of our > landfills. Though I think ‘secondhand’ is used adverbially, and modifies ‘buying’ here, “Buying things secondhand can save a few bucks’ was confusing to me at the first because I took ‘secondhand’ for a post-position to ‘things.’ Although it’s essentially a matter of taste, isn’t it more straightforward and plain to say ‘Buy secondhand things,’ ‘I bought a secondhand book’, ‘I bought a second hand car at a used-car shop,’ ‘I got firsthand (secondhand) news from my colleague,’ rather than saying ‘Buy things secondhand,’ ‘I bought a book secondhand,’ ‘I bought a car secondhand at a used-car shop,’ and ‘I got the news firsthand (secondhand) from my colleague.’?


Figurative alternative to "have the conch" (the right to speak)

> **Conch** noun   >  Remote Control. From the shell in _Lord of the Flies_, the person holding > it having the authority to speak at council meetings. I may be pushing the envelope in my own usage (I'm happy to say _"I have the conch"_ simply to (re)assert my right to speak and be heard in _any_ discussion context, not just "council meetings"). But for no particular reason I just wanted to convey that _without_ the somewhat literary reference. I couldn't think of an alternative metaphoric usage. Did we have a generic term for such a symbolic "talisman/totem" before **_conch**?_


A positive word for self-doubt in a dubious belief system

I'm looking for a positive word or phrase - though ideally, a single word - that suggests that old dubious beliefs are being re-examined and questioned. "Self-doubt", has a negative connotation and I would like this to indicate a sort of personal growth. For example, it could describe someone who used to be paranoid and believe that everyone was conspiring against them learning to become more trusting.


Word that means "plagiarism" but only in relation to plagiarized ideas

I'm looking for a word that has the same meaning as "plagiarism" but in relation to plagiarized ideas only, i.e. not related to writing, art work, drawing etc.


Usage of "in the flesh"

I found the following sentence here: > Consulting experts, whether in the flesh or through their published work, is > a normal and expected part of doing research. The part I am having a problem with is _whether in the flesh_. I think it means _whether in person_ (?). Is that good usage? I mean can I use it in spoken English? Will I sound ridiculous if I do so?


What is the grammatical term for is?

What is the grammatical term for "is"? For example if the sentence is "Jane is Drawing", "Jane" is the Noun and "Drawing" is the verb, but what is "is"?


How is X-ray capitalized?

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Capitalize X in x-ray? I see in the OED and on wikipedia that 'X-ray' can be both 'x-ray' and 'X-ray'; is there a preferred version for American English?


Meaning of "there are many and several"

What does the phrase "there are many and several" mean? > ...which represent the highest quality properties in the market of which > **there are many and several**.


"... is gift" vs. "... is a gift"

This is something that has always intrigued me. What part of speech is "gift" in > Faith is gift. versus > Faith is a gift. In the second case, "gift" is a noun, the subject complement of the copula verb "is". But what is it in the first case?


Word for the emotion behind "D'oh!"

What is the name of the emotion that you feel when you accidentally make a mistake? Such as when you clumsily drop a bowl and it shatters? In the Simpsons, Homer says "D'oh!" when this sort of thing happens. I don't think it's "regret", because you didn't do it on purpose. "Chagrined", perhaps? Is there a more common word for this emotion?


"Is that more clear?"

RE: I said something confusing in an email. Then I restated it in a second email, and I followed this restatement by "Is that more clear?" It doesn't sound right. What would you say?


Meaning of "saved my sanity"

What is the meaning of the phrase _saved my sanity_? > I attempted another sip and winced. He smiled and poured more water in my > drink to dilute it. It ruined the scotch but **saved my sanity**. The general meaning of _sanity_ is _having a reasonable or healthy mind, or showing good judgment and understanding_. Does it mean _saved my health_ or _saved my pain_?


How to use of "the" with some equations?

I am thinking which one you should use ## A > Lorem ipsun which is the Wigner-Ville transform. ## B > Lorem ipsun which is Wigner-Ville transform. Some says that the first but I like the last one because it is shorter and because the first letter of the transform is capital. **Should use the article _the_ in the above example?** * * * I have had an idea that if the first letter is uppercase, then you do not need **the** , because of the following other example ## AA - right according to my teacher > Here in Equation (11) and Figure (2). ## BB - wrong according to my teacher > Here in the Equation (11) and the Figure (7).


What does “I’m done” in Serena William’s counter shot to John McEnroe, “I just have people picking on me. I’m done.” means?

There was the following sentence in Time magazine’s article titled, “Serena Williams and the theater of public apology” being followed by the strap, “Her recent **spat-with-followed-by-olive-branch** -to Maria Sharapova was prudent but also pointless.”- http://ideas.time.com/2013/06/24/serena-williams-and- the-theater-of-public-apology/#ixzz2XD3sXGXt > Onetime tennis champion John McEnroe pulls Serena Williams aside to tell her > that he thinks she got screwed by a bad call during Samantha Stosur’s upset > of Williams at the 2011 U.S. Open final. “I think you got screwed,” we hear > him say. - - > > “Why do I have to apologize?” we hear Williams ask McEnroe, after he tells > her she’s “the best thing we have in tennis.” “I’m tired of apologizing. For > something that’s not even like…I kinda feel, I just have people picking on > me. **I’m done**.” I can’t find the meaning of "I am done." in English dictionaries at hand, but there are several English language sites carrying the meaning of the phrase: Wordreference. com. defines "I am done," means I have finished some task or activity. wiki.answers.com defines it means “I have finished” and “I am exhausted (e.g. from work),” as the slang usage. answers.yahoo. com. defines the phrase means "the person speaking has completed a task --has finished a meal --has read a whole book, article, or other work --has nothing more to do. However, it doesn’t seem to me that William meant she completed her task at all in this specific occasion, but she said she was sick and tired of being picked on, gossiped about each of her utterances by people. Here are my questions:   1. What is really meant by her “I’m done.”?   2. Does the expression have many shades of connotation other than “I finished my task”? Additionally, Is “spat-with-followed-by-olive-branch,” which I think a fancy expression a popular idiom or set of word?


What did we say before "clockwise"?

Before there were clocks, what did people say to describe the clockwise and anti/counter-clockwise directions? Whilst we're on the subject, when was the word "clockwise" first used?


What is the difference between "lay" and "lie"?

How do I know when to use _lay_ and when to use _lie_ , and what are the different forms of each verb? I'm always getting them confused.


What's wrong with these sentences?

My workplace has presented me with the opportunity this month to attend a "grammar" webinar that is suppose to help me enhance my grammar skills. I thought they were good already... I don't have time to attend so will probably miss it, but I feel I should attend because of what was in the email for registration we received. It gives a list of sentences and asks what's wrong with them, and that if they look correct _you_ should attend! Could someone explain what is fundamentally wrong with the following sentences? >   1. The firm is proud to have served our clients for fifty years. >   2. Martin and Deborah's reports were both submitted on time. >   3. If you don't feel well, go and lay down. >   4. This is a very unique situation. >   5. I felt badly when my friend lost her job. > They look fine to me and that worries me. The only reason I can think of to attempt corrections is because the email suggests that they are wrong!   **My corrections:** For example, in the _first_ sentence are they using "served" in the wrong tense so they're saying they don't serve clients anymore? In the _second_ sentence is the apostrophe 's' suggesting that Deborah owns both the reports like a possessive ( _I think that's what it's called_ )? I've always followed a rule ( _I know..._ ) that if I could switch the sentence parts where the comma is and it sounds normal then the comma is OK like in the _third_ sentence. "Go lay down if you don't feel well" sounds normal to me. Does the _badly_ in sentence _five_ need to be replaced with "bad" because of the trailing _-ly_?


Should we use "lay" or "lays" in this context?

I found this sentence in Longman dictionary: > The crux of the problem **lay** in the lack of equipment. I think it should be " **lays** " instead of " **lay** ", but even when I googled, I noticed there are more results for "lay" than are for "lays" in this context. Could you please explain which one is correct?


Was I “laying” on the bed, or was I “lying” on the bed?

Should this sentence use _laying_ or _lying_? > Last week at this time, I was **____** on Sarah’s bed. Can someone fill in the blank for me?


Imperative of 'to lie'.

At our regular supermarket this morning I noticed that they have put stickers on the check-out conveyor which say 'Lay bottles this way' with an arrow indicating that they want them parallel with the belt. I don't think one can form the imperative of 'lie' in that way. 'Laying' wine bottles sounds potentially painful on the abdominal muscles. I think they should say 'lie bottles this way'. Does anyone agree?


"to lay on my stomach"?

He told me _to lay_ on my stomach and play with my brother’s electric train set. Is _to lay_ a typo? If I'm not mistaken, one can only _lie_ on one's stomach, not _lay_ on it. _For this to be a duplicate question, I would have had to ask, again, what are the differences about the intransitive verb **to lie** and the transitive verb **to lay**. But this is **not** what my question is about. Since this question is not about the textbook differences between these two verbs, it cannot really be a duplicate question as some people on this site vehemently, though pointlessly, have been arguing. Rather, my question is **contextual** , not **theoretical**. I don't want to know what these difference are **in general** (as they're theoretically laid out in every English grammar). I merely want to know why **in the context of the excerpt I've quoted** the verb that was used is not in keeping with the grammatical guidelines laid out in the answer to the question that my own is supposedly a duplicate of. So anyone insisting on saying that a contextual question is the same as a theoretical question is just ill-meant and ignorant of the actual thing that I have in fact asked. I hope this is a clear enough edit for everybody on this site._


When is the proper time to use "lie" vs "lay"

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  What is the difference between “lay” and “lie”? Which one of the following examples is correct?   1. Lie down on the bench.   2. Lay down on the bench.


Why do we refer to the "yellow pages"?

Why was the color yellow chosen? Why not the green pages or blue pages?


Does the pejorative "welfie" exist?

Inspired by a possible mishearing of "wealth" as "welf" I recalled the word "welfie" to describe someone currently on welfare. The context was always extremely negative and seemed to hint at someone with "welfare babies." Searching for _welfie_ , _welfy_ and _welfare baby_ isn't revealing much. NGrams suggests "welfare baby" _is_ used with spikes in the late 60s and throughout the 90s. No results for "welfie" or "welfy" were found. A OneLook search for `welf*` pointed me toward "welfare mother" (Urban Dictionary) and "welfare queen" (Wikipedia). The latter is most similar to what I think the term "welfie" implied: > A welfare queen is a pejorative phrase used in the United States to describe > people who are accused of collecting excessive welfare payments through > fraud or manipulation. Having done due diligence, I am kicking this to the curb. Has anyone else heard "welfie" or have another avenue I can search? I most likely heard the term spoken and most likely in an East Texas city of roughly 20,000 population.


Looking for etymology or information on the alternate meaning of "I don't care to X"

Unless I'm mistaken, in most of the English speaking world, the phrase " _I don't care to X_ " indicates that the speaker prefers not to do the particular activity. However, as I was reminded during a visit recently, in some parts of the southern US, it actually has another meaning that's roughly opposite. That is, that the speaker doesn't mind doing the activity. For example: > I don't care to get dirty. would normally mean that the speaker doesn't like getting dirty, and would presumably try to avoid it. However, it was clear from context that the speaker meant that unlike others with whom she was comparing herself, she would be willing to participate in an activity that would get her quite dirty. Does anyone have any information on the history of this particular meaning? Did both meanings come into existence simultaneously and one became non- standard or did one enter later? Are there other areas/dialects that use the alternate meaning? Any other information you happen to have would be appreciated.


Word for the object of adoration

What would be a word for the object of adoration? E.g., a public speaker, a movie actor or a character in a novel. In short, if I am a fan of X, then X is my ___ _. Please note that the adoration here is not excessive, and therefore I am looking for a word weaker than ' _idol_ '.


"To be retired" vs. "to be a retiree" vs. "to be a retirant"

Are both of these responses in current use in modern day AE to the question: > What's your job? Is it > I don't have a job, **I'm retired**. Or > I don't have a job, **I'm a retiree**. Also, does the term of "retirant" have any currency in modern day AE? > Source: source>/


Difference between "acquittal" and "false accusation"

I encountered a phrase with a word "acquittal" in a context of criminal law. In Wikipedia, its meaning is described as following: > In the common law tradition, an acquittal formally certifies that the > accused is free from the charge of an offense, as far as the criminal law is > concerned. In my understanding, this is same as "false accusation", which means that prosecution is found to be false. I want some ideas about how different these two expressions are.


"Ridgy didge" — what's that mean?

Australia day is nearly upon us! And that means it's time to throw another steak on the barbie and say _real_ Aussie things like "ridgy didge". Flaming heck, what's that even mean, "ridgy didge"? I've been saying it for years in sentences like, > I'm true blue, fair dinkum, ridgy didge, dinky die Aussie. Does anyone know what "ridgy didge" means and where it came from?


Single word or two or any substitution for "collection of movie titles"

I am writing software to manage movies and TV shows which contain the list of titles seen by you. I need some name for it resembling something like:   * " **list of movies** "   * " **personal movie collection** "   * or " **a place where you keep your movie collection** " Can anybody help me to find the correct phrase for it or the tell me where else to search for this? Thanks


What's a phrase for abstract / eloquent / euphemistic prose?

I'm looking for a phrase like "transcendental language", but meaning eloquent rather than other-worldly. In particular, I want to refer to a [literary] sketch as " ___ language". This sketch is _A Gotham Reverie_ by Fanny Fern, in which a prostitute is referred to [revealed as a prostitute] in very abstract terms, such as "her name was Magdalen" (I'm paraphrasing), "her own unrelenting, unforgiving sex", etc.


Word for the person who has a favorite

I am wondering if there is a word for a person who has a certain favorite. Consider the following example: A person, Jack, has two favorite fruits: _apples_ and _oranges_. Another person, Jill, also has two favorites: _bananas_ and _apples_. Now there are two persons with the _apple_ in their list of favorite fruits. Said another way, the apple has two “favoritees”. Is this a good word for this relation, or is there a better one? Thanks in advance!


Which of the following sentences is/are incorrect? ("Permit" vs. "allow" vs. "let")

Which of the following sentences is/are incorrect? Why?   * The visa permits you to study for two months.   * My father would never allow me to study English   * Let me to go. You're hurting me. This is question from an English learning book. All the sentences seem right to me. Do you know which one is incorrect and why?


What do you call a statement like "How to perform a change of ownership"

What do you call a statement similar to the following? > _"How to perform a change of ownership"_ I wish to request user input by asking a question such as: > _"Please enter your title in the form of a ..."_


Differences between "coordinate" (n.) and "co-ordinate" (n.)

I can't seem to spot any differences or usages where one would use the hyphenation version versus the non. According to Online Etymology they both point to coordinate. I can see co-ordinate (v.) being used like co-pilot or co-chief, meaning a daulity or partner version. Example: Would you please co-ordinate with Bob. Meaning Bob is already ordinating and if you would also ordinate with him. Yet I don't see that transferring over to the noun version meaning a location, especially in reference to mathematics and geography. Is it simply a mix-up, or perhaps a localization issue (UK uses -, USA doesn't) or am I completely off base here?


Is "restructuralization" a word?

I found this word _restructuralization_ on a project report and was wondering whether this word exists in the English language.


What is the definition of definition?

Does a definition need to provide a unique or near-unique description or can non-unique descriptions also be categorized as definitions? For example: Is the statement "An apple is a fruit" a definition of apple? Is the statement "A car is something that gets people from place to place" a definition of car? Are these simply descriptions (or categorizations) of the objects in question or are they also poor definitions?


What is the meaning of "judgmental comments"?

What is the meaning of "judgmental comments" and where can it be used?


A word for the meaning of "abuse of the authoritative/political power"

I need a single-word for the meaning of "abuse of the authoritative/political power".


Why is there "Germany National Team", not "German National Team"?

Why is the team from Germany called "Germany National Team", not "German National Team"? On official Internet sites, it is the same for every official national team; Germany National, France National, Poland National, Russia National etc. etc. What truthfully bothers me is why not _German_ , _French_ , _Polish_ , _Russian_ etc?


Does "She’s scarce any hose or shoes to her feet" mean dressed unkempt?

What's the meaning of this sentence? From the book "A History of the Cries of London", page 101: > Have you observ’d the wench in the street, She’s scarce any hose or shoes to > her feet; And when she cries, she sings, ‘I have hot Codlings, hot > Codlings.’


A trail of colons

I find I often, when writing, want to string colons together. Here is a recent example: > These two moments would be likely candidates for retelling: they both > connect the people of San Andrés Tuxtla to great civilizations: the pre- > Hispanic Olmec and the Spanish, when they were at the height of their power. Now, fret ye not! I eventually replaced the first colon with a period. I find, however, that after using one colon I often want to use another. Of course, this could just be my own little grammatical quirk. Maybe I find colons a little like Lay's and can't have just one. I am curious, though, if there is any grammatical or linguistic explanation for this desire? Does a colon regularly induce a sentence or clause that also seeks a colon?


Get hold of, get ahold of, get a hold of

Under what circumstances would you prefer one of the below over others? a) Get hold of, b) Get ahold of, c) Get a hold of


usage of the word "premise"?

Are the usages of "premise" correct .What words can I use here ? 1) A premise like commitment can help an individual to grow. 2) Integrity is one of the most important premises that a man can have.


Adverb vs. direct object

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  What exactly is an “adverb”? Consider the following sentences: >   * She went home. >   * He swam yesterday. > Are the words "home" and "yesterday" adverbs or direct objects? Why? They both seem to modify the verb, but they are also both nouns.


Is downtown an adverb of place?

What is the explanation for why we say "I'm going downtown" instead of "I'm going to downtown?"


Why is the term "depressed" often used to describe a button which is pressed?

In several books that mention GUI, keyboard, or mouse buttons (e.g. the book **Programming Windows** by Charles Petzold), the authors refer to the state of a pressed button as **depressed**. Why is this term used instead of the word **pressed** , which has a simple and intuitive meaning? Some alternative terms that could be a better fit are **pushed** , **clicked** , or **activated**. As someone who is not a native-English speaker, the term **depressed** is unintuitive to me because it resembles the opposite meaning: **not pressed**.


Word for whether a product is genuine or sham

What word should be used to fill in the blank? > We don't know whether a product is genuine or sham means > The product's ___ _ is unverified.


Is there a difference in pronunciation between "wood" and "would"?

My friends and I were debating whether _would_ and _wood_ are pronounced differently. Are they?


Origin of the term 'under influence'

How did 'under influence', as in in _driving under influence_ , get equated to 'intoxicated'?


Does "good" weigh a little bit more than "nice"?

I came across the descriptions of badges in this Q&A site, and was curious about which word weighs more, "good" or "nice"? Here are the two descriptions that interested me: > "Good Answer": Question score of 25 or more. > > "Nice Answer": Question score of 10 or more. Seems like "good" weighs more than "nice", will that always be the case? "a good person" will be a little better than "a nice person"?


Origin of the term "by the way"

There are many other terms and expressions and relating to "way" for example, _sidetrack_ , _out of the way_ , _roundabout way of speaking_ , etc. Where did the term _by the way_ come from? I've googled it, to no avail, and may be its because it's been coined in a book or something. Does anyone know anything relating to this saying? And maybe explain the popularity of terms relating to "way".


Can just a noun phrase be a complete list item?

In the following extract: > [A number of issues had to be considered.] Firstly, the scope of her > responsibilities. ... “the scope of her responsibilities” is just a noun phrase used as a sentence which is part of a list. Is that sentence grammatically correct? Does correctness depend on context? If not, what needs to be added to fix the grammatical error?


Single word for the holder or location of an item?

I'm looking for a single word to describe the place or person an item is assigned to. The context is basic asset management, where you have a list of assets (such as computers, software licenses or consumables) that can be assigned to people or locations. For example, a laptop can be assigned to its user, a location (storage cupboard with spare laptops) or a company (because it's been sent there for repairs). None of the words I've come up with quite fit all of the above situations:   * **Assignee** , **Holder** or **Bearer** don't work very well for locations   * **Location** , **Whereabouts** or **Station** don't work very well for people **Update:** I'm looking for this word not only to label things on screen and in a database, but also to make the concept of assigning _things_ to _people/locations_ as obvious as possible. The right word would make this concept immediately obvious.


a single, fairly sophisticated word that describes one's desire to be unique

Or honestly, desire to be any particular trait, specifically one trait (ex. Wanderlust: the desire to travel and experience the world.) I'm not looking for any sort of contextual consistency here. Just wondering! Reverse look ups are hard.


A dictionary based on word occurrence frequencies

Since there are so many language resources on the internet nowadays, I was wondering if there is an online dictionary(or any other language tool) that would list the words not only in the alphabetical order, but also by the frequencies of their occurrence. I don't care how the frequencies are calculated - it may be based on something as primitive as google search results count or it can be based on occurrence in newspapers/books only. The reason I am looking for such a tool is that I have been searching for an efficient means to enrich my vocabulary for a while. The best I found so far is vocabulary.com. The problem with vocabulary.com, however, is that it more often than not suggests really strange (not to say weird) words that a lot of native speakers don't even know. I have nothing against learning literary words, but I think I should get to it only after I've covered most of the mainstream words. That's why I am looking for a tool which would arrange words according to their occurrence. I would then pick the next N words each day from that list, feed it to vocabulary.com and learn them using their technique. So, is my request too absurd or is there hope I could find what I'm looking for or at least something similar?


Is the phrase "Best of luck ahead! " grammatically correct?

"Best of luck for your future ahead!" - can this phrase be shortened to "Best of luck ahead!".


Why people use past tense when talking about something always true

Examples: _xxx was the founder of ..._ _xxx was the first ..._ This does not limit to living person/person passed away, but also items. To me the status of _the first_ , _the founder of_ etc. does not change and stays there forever. Its always true. Something that changes e.g. _yyy was the fastest computer_ makes more sense as the fastest can be replaced with something more modern.


Is the moment come?

> "You comfort me so much! I am so ignorant. Am I to kiss you now? Is the > moment come?" I came across the sentence above on page 480 of the novel _A Tale of Two Cities_. I've never seen the usage of **Is ... come** before. Could someone please elaborate on this?


"Now I am become death, the destroyer of worlds"

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  "Is become" vs "has become" This is a famous quote from J. Robert Oppenheimer after the successful detonation of the first nuclear weapon. The quote comes from the Bhagavad Gita, a sacred Hindu scripture. This quote has bothered me since I first read it. Is it grammatically correct to say _Now I am become death_? Shouldn't the quote say _Now I have become death_ or just _Now I am death_?


Is "pain" a noun or a verb?

For example, which of the following sentences is correct: >   1. My eyes are paining. >   2. There is a pain in my eyes. >


Etymology of "goon"

The etymologies of "goon" that I've looked up seem to center on _Alice the Goon_ , a "slow-witted and muscular (but gentle-natured) character" created by E.C. Segar (Popeye's daddy). But it seems like at least one of the senses of the word, as in "hired company goons", could very well be derived from the Hindi word _gunda_ (pronounced _goon-daa_ ) meaning hoodlum or bully. Any insights or information on this?


What's the difference between the various dialects of English?

I've read and heard "British English", "American English", "Australian English", etc. I know there are differences in accents and word choices but is there a larger difference that makes nationally-named Englishes any different than regionally-named Englishes? For example, I grew up in Pittsburgh, PA, USA and that area speaks Pittsburgh English. Is that still considered American English, or is it a dialect within American English? Is there a family tree of sorts to show how/where all the different Englishes arose from?


Is this incorrect; am I mixing tenses here?

Is this correct? > I don't miss my deadlines, even when I worked for a high pressure > educational software company, which required quick, effective reasoning > without compromising the quality of the end result. It seems equivalent to this, which sounds awful: > Even when I worked for a high pressure educational software company, which > required quick, effective reasoning without compromising the quality of the > end result, I don't miss my deadlines.


Possession and personification

Is the act of _possessing_ an example of personification if attributed to inanimate objects? Here, "possession" means the possession of physical things as well as the possession of virtues or qualities by any inanimate object. For example, is the sentence "The book's cover is pretty old." an example of personification? (I am unsure whether the apostrophe usage in case of inanimate objects is grammatically correct.) Possession, according to me, is as much a human quality as it is a natural phenomenon (natural as in applicable to all objects). This should mean that inanimate objects can possess things and qualities without being personified. A related question is, if we ascribe the 'action' of possessing to a synecdochic reference to a human, will that be an instance of personification, now that the object to which the _possession_ is attributed is not technically speaking, inanimate? For example, "His stomach's capacity is exhausted." or "The last remaining relic of his brain's prowess was steadily depleting."


"Jeeez, is March National Truth Movement Dead Horse Month?"

Searching on Google for something, I found this expression new to me. > Jeeez, is March National Truth Movement **Dead Horse Month**? As there's nothing else on the page that helps understand the phrase 'dead horse month', I went back to search and found Terry Breverton's _The Pirate Dictionary_ and other sources. Q: Do we still use the idiom ' _dead horse month_ ' today? I could find no other such instances yet.


A word for someone who "imbues"

I'm making a fantasy game, where one of the character classes is supposed to be called a "Arrow Imbuer". Yet it is marked with a red line on my PC, so I guess I'm writing a word incorrectly. A short description of what an "Arrow Imbuer" does: a character that can imbue an arrow head with magical powers to deal extra damage. Is there a word for someone who imbues something?


A colon after "following"

When I reference to the next sentence or sentences using the term _following_ , is the preferred way to use a colon or a full stop? An example: > Consider the sentence 'I wash the clothes'. Replacing the letter _h_ with > the letter _o_ in the previous sentence results in the following sentence. I > waso toe clotoes.


No possibilities are ruled out

Suppose that two binary (yes-no) qualities are being considered. Often (yes, actually!) I want to express that all four combinations are possible: yes-yes, yes-no, no-yes, no-no. Is there a concise way to convey this? I _don't_ want to say that the two are independent, because they often are not: merely that no possibilities can be ruled out. Example: A person is from Party A or Party B, and votes for or against Party A's bill. (The person might be on either side, and could either defect or vote with her party.) Non-example: A number is negative or not, and the number plus one is negative or not. (The combination "x is not negative, but x+1 is negative" cannot occur.)


verbs with two direct objects

In German the verb _fragen_ takes 2 direct objects. Is it the same in English? > I ask you something. Or is the person being asked considered an indirect object? If so, can I reformulate it using _to_? > I ask a question to you. Also, are there examples for verbs that take two direct objects?


Is this an example of extrapolation?

I saw a joke on facebook today where professor cat states: > There are two types of people in this world: Those who can extrapolate from > incomplete data My brother thinks that this really isn't extrapolation. M-W defines _extrapolate_ as: > to infer (values of a variable in an unobserved interval) from values in an > already observed interval. The joke seems to fit this definition, but I'm not convinced one way or the other. What do you think? Is there a better word for this kind of reasoning?


What's the difference between "diary" and "journal"?

What's the difference between _diary_ and _journal_? They seem like they could mean the same thing, but I'm probably wrong.


Origin of the noun-forming suffix "-hood"

How did _-hood_ evolve into the noun-forming suffix commonly used in words such as _childhood_ , _priesthood_ , or _neighborhood_ — and including certain pseudonyms such as _robinhood_ which could easily be construed as a _brotherhood of robbers_?


What is the difference between "alleged" and "so-called"?

>   * These alleged experts are no help. >   * These so-called experts are no help. > Can anyone explain the difference?


What does the phrase “even a fool gets to be young once” mean?

In the movie _American Gangster_ , Frank Lucas said > Even a fool gets to be young once. What does this phrase mean?


What is the past counterpart for "scenario"

Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scenario) says > In this sense, scenarios should not be used to speculate on what has > happened in the past. Oxford advanced dictionary says >   1. a description of how things might happen in the future. > So what pithy word should I use to describe an event that could have happened in the past?


What is the difference between a marque and a brand? For example, why would one use the expression "car marques" instead of "car brands"?


What does "Clyst" mean?

I live in the south west of England and there are many villages and roads that feature the word "Clyst". For example, Broadclyst, Clyst St Mary, Clyst Honiton and so on. What does clyst mean, and where does it come from?


Another word for "apply"?

I'm in the middle of creating a web form, where users can apply for a certain service. In order to do so, they are clicking the _apply_ button. Then they fill out a form and submit it. Later on, they can view their _application status_ , which indicates whether the application has been processed or not. Are there other words for _apply_ and _application status_ which could be used in this situation? Please note, this is not a sign up process, since not everybody meets the asked requirements.


Etymological analysis of swearwords

I'm writing a thesis about the etymological analysis of swearwords (profanity) in the English language; that is, I need to compare British and American English regarding the etymology of their swearwords. I am aware that there is a substantial amount of swearwords in both languages and I'm wondering what is the predominant source language from which swearwords evolved. I can't seem to find any etymological analysis of swearwords online, even though many articles mention how this area is thoroughly studied. I'm quite desperate. Any suggestions on literature are most welcome. :)


When we entered, he had been there

So I heard this sentence and also few contradictions about that. Does it mean that when they entered, he was already gone because he had there been before them? Or he just was there before them and still is..


What does "knowledge nugget" mean?

I understand that it's a "piece of information", but does it also imply, that the information is valuable? Can a paragraph of text about a subject be a knowledge nugget? If so, can it contain several small pieces of information, or it must be information about single subject? In other words: knowledge nugget is just one simple fact, or several facts about single subject? Is this a common, neutral expression, used in daily life, or it sounds odd?


"don't" vs "didn't"

Someone sent M a package. So, M didn't receive the package. When I asked M, "Have you received the package?" What should her reply be? "I don't receive the package", or "I didn't receive the package"? Please explain why.