Does the word, ‘napkin’ have a metaphoric or symbolic meaning other than a piece of cloth or paper used at meals?

There was the following sentence in the New York Times (April 5) article titled, “Steak for Two, Please, With a Side of Bribes” dealing with a recent bribery case of a New York State Congressman and a City Councilman. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/06/nyregion/steak-for-two-please-with-a-side- of-bribes.html?nl=nyregion&emc=edit_ur_20130405&_r=0 > “The link between corrupt politicians and steakhouses would appear to be so > obvious that corrupt politicians would avoid them altogether, especially > since there are apparently as many hidden microphones as shrimp cocktails at > a given table. But still they come. **Experts on either side of the napkin** > offered theories. “They’re men,” said Ben Benson, the owner of a steakhouse. > “Men go to steakhouses. The power lunches, the power dinners — it’s what the > steakhouse is all about.”” Though it seems ‘Expert on either side of the napkin” simply implies restaurant business expert to me, what does it exactly mean? Does the word, “napkin” have any specific metaphoric or symbolic meaning other than “a small square piece of cloth or paper, used while you are eating to protect your clothes or to clean your mouth or fingers” defined by Cambridge English Dictionary? Is “Expert on the napkin” a word on everybody’s lips?


What is the meaning of "coarse hand"?

Recently I came across the expression "coarse hand" and couldn't find its meaning. For example, > — Can you read?   >  — No, only coarse hand. What does this mean? **Edit** This is a term Twain used in _The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn_ > I was a good deal astonished, but when I got my breath I asked her what the > paper was about, and she asked me if I had read it, and I said no, and she > asked me if I could read writing, and I told her "no, only **coarse-hand** > ," and then she said the paper warn't anything but a book-mark to keep her > place, and I might go and play now.


Does the verb 'rain' belong to some special class of verbs since its subject is always 'it'?

The subject of the verb ' _rain_ ' is always ' _it_ ' when the referred sense of the verb is ' _rain fall_ ' > _**It_** rained heavily last night. > > Do you think **_it_** will rain again this evening? It looks as though the pronoun ' _it_ ', despite functioning as the subject of the verb ' _rain_ ', is merely acting as some sort of structural complement without adding anything to the meaning of the sentence. Does that make the verb ' _rain_ ' distinctive and add it to a special class of verbs?


"Lunch" vs "luncheon"

What is the difference between _lunch_ and _luncheon_? Is it just American spelling vs British spelling, or do they have some sort of formal/professional touch to them, say, a casual midday meal with friends is called _lunch_ while that with your colleagues/business clients is called _luncheon_?


Which is the correct idiom: "First thing's first" or "First things first"?

I've gotten into a debate over which usage of an apostrophe in the phrase "first thing(')s first" is correct. My thinking is that one would take the first _thing_ and give it priority, hence the first thing _is_ first, and that _thing's_ is a contraction of _thing_ and _is_. Her thinking is that there may be multiple _things_ that need doing first, so the phrase should be "first things first". What is the correct idiom?


Asking questions without subject-verb inversion — a new trend?

I don't know what it is called but I have seen people using the sentence which is the answer of some question as question itself. For example: > You are going to play tennis? (this isn't much common still not wrong) > > I am looking good? > > You will prefer tea or coffee? Is it just a new trend or some old style of speaking?


Need explanation about demonstrative determiner

Does the demonstratives refer to the next word or previously mentioned statement? > The medieval center is Prague Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral. An evening > view of **these** illuminated landmarks is one of the most memorable sights > in Europe. In the above sentence, does _these_ refer to "Prague Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral" or to the "illuminated landmarks"? I'm a little confused about this. A clear explanation would be great. Also, what's the difference between demonstrative determiners and demonstrative pronouns?


Is there a specific term in English for the smell of the early morning?

I'm not looking for words like "freshness" for example, but a word that is used exclusively to denote this specific smell.


Use of "permission" in technical writing

In a request for proposal (RFP) I am attempting to edit the following sentence-fragment which isn't grammatically correct:               "...except for staff permissioned to update..."      My problem is with the word "permissioned." The correct english word is "permission" and it should probably read:               "except for staff with the permission to update..."      That doesn't seem correct for an RFP though. Is there a better word or phrase to use that conveys the technical meaning of permissions for an IT system?


What's an adjective that means "has high expectations"

If you were to describe a person as someone who has high expectations or standards (of their work, peers, or subordinates), what word would you use? "Demanding" is the closest I have come but that's not quite correct. That leads to words like "stringent" and "exacting" which also aren't what I'm looking for. Context: the classic resume word-choice struggle As always, when nothing comes to mind I'm tempted to head back to the drawing board. Resume writing is such a silly exercise.


Capitalization of "the Company"

I am writing a business plan. It is lengthy, so instead of always mentioning the company by its full name, I will write, "the company provides...". Another writer wants me to capitalize "The Company" everywhere it is written in the document. I don't believe that is correct as _company_ is not a proper noun. Help.


Word for 'end of an era'?

I'm looking for the correct term for the "end of an era", preferably a single word. Essentially I'm looking for the antonym of **epoch**. Google's dictionary defines **epoch** as > The beginning of a distinctive period in the history of someone or > something. I'm looking for a word that means the following: > The end of a distinctive period in the history of someone or something. None of my searches have turned up anything. This is my first question here, please let me know if I'm doing it wrong.


"IT specialist" vs. "computer scientist"

I talked to my English teacher about what to name a person who works with computers. For Germans: _Informatiker_. As far as I know, the job is called "computer scientist", that's what most translators say. But my English teacher keeps telling me that the term is "IT specialist". "Computer scientists" are academic IT specialists, while the general worker is an "IT specialist". Which is the correct form, now? When I should use either? **EDIT** :   I need to clarify my problem.   I just finished my apprenticeship. As I said in my comment below, at the end of the apprenticeship, we all have the same degree, we are called in german "Informatiker". I made the apprenticeship in Switzerland, so maybe it is different in other countries. It doesn't matter if I work as a Java developer, so software engineer, or if I am working as a system engineer or, as oerkelens in his answer said, what ever you do in the nearly endless list of "computer worker", at the end, we all have the same degree. As part of an order in my english school class, we need to write an application letter on english for a fictitious job offer. So I need to translate my degree "Informatiker". When I search for "Informatiker" on the german Wikipedia (http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Informatiker), and switch then the language to english, the article about the computer scientist will be displayed. But my english teacher marked it as wrong, because of the reasons said above. I agree to write the exact role like _application engineer_ if you currently working as such one. But in my case, I'm not an application engineer. I'm a general IT-specialist | computer sientist.


What is the word for a person who causes disruptions in electronic equipment?

I once saw reference to a noun that identified a person whose physical presence disrupts equipment, particularly electronic devices. Any ideas?


Is "With [noun], [subject] [verb]" acceptable instead of "[subject] [verb] with [noun]"?

As an example, is "With grace, she danced." instead of "She danced with grace" proper? It seems to me that "with grace" is an adverb phrase, similar to "gracefully", so it should be able to be used in the same way. ("Gracefully, she danced.") Somehow, it doesn't seem right to me though.


What is a one-person business called?

I'm wondering what is the term for the person, that is doing business on his/her own and has tax liability. It's different in each country, I'd like to know how they are called in USA and UK.


What is the correct usage of 'worse' and 'worst'?

I've noticed a lot of people who, according to the way I was taught, misuse the words 'worse' and 'worst'. The way I understand it, 'worse' is for comparisons, and 'worst' is the superlative. But more and more I see people using them in the exact opposite positions. > That's the worse thing I've ever seen. > > This can't get any worst. This specific thing seems to occur a lot more than any mistakes, so I'm wondering what's up with this.


Difference between Thee and thou?

What is the difference between _thee_ and _thou_ and how are they used?


For a reflective essay, I need a substitute for the word "I"

I am writing a reflective essay for school and my teacher corrected me that I was repeating too much the word "I". He said: "I know this essay is about yourself, but is there another word than can be substituted for I? Overuse of any personal pronoun will wear down the reader. Keep working at it." How can I replace this pronoun?


What is the opposite of 'a false dawn'

What is the opposite of a false dawn, a false dawn being "a promising situation which comes to nothing". The sentence I'm thinking of would be something like: They started off well and it was not a false dawn it was ...?


What is the difference between "check something" and "check on something"

For example if in answer to the question, "what time does the shop close?" a tourist information officer might say, "I'll check on that for you." Why wouldn't they say, "I'll check that for you."?


revise/revision (British)

In American English _revision_ is used in the sense of redaction, but in British English it’s used in the sense of studying for exams. So what do British English speakers say when they want to talk about “ _revisionist_ history” or “ _revised_ the terms of the agreement” or “ _revised_ his answer”?


Meaning of "I'm kind of on a clock here"

In the TV show _Friends_ , there is the following conversation: > — Did you ask him?   >  — No, I haven't had a chance yet.   >  — I'm kind of on a clock here.   >  — Oh, Fonzie.   >  — You know who I always liked? Mork. So what does _on a clock_ mean? Does it mean "in a hurry"?


The grammar of the parenthesis clause

Among the following sentences, which is right? >   * John, when work alone, is very productive. >   * John, when working alone, is very productive. > And also, what is this kind of clause called?


One word for "change of requirements"?

In software or in Any Industry the change of requirements is often seen. Is there a particular single word that can describe the "change of/in requirements". Apart form updation, editing, amendment etc.


Difference between 'Forgetting' and 'would forget' in this sentences

Is there only an issue of style difference between the following sentences:   * > If he had to describe himself in five words, he'd say he's curious, forgetting to give you four more words.   * > If he had to describe himself in five words, he'd say he's curious. And then forget to give you four more words. Does it make sense to think that the second example emphasizes that he has forgotten to give four more words, rather than that he is curious? Note: I'm not sure whether the first one is grammatical, and the second one is very hard to understand for a non-native English speaker.


Is "for all who" grammatical?

The context is: > The blog for all who want to learn German. I feel like this is not correct, but the only alternative I can think of is: > The blog for all those who want to learn German. While just being one word longer this feel boring and stiff to me. Is the original sentence perhaps grammatically correct, after all?


Can a statement be both negative and positive after saying "Whatever you do..."?

Sometimes you are given advice. Sometimes in the form of > What ever you do, _statement_ Can this statement be both positive and negative? E.g. > Whatever you do, don't take off your seat belt while driving. > > Whatever you do, keep your seat belt on while driving. > > Whatever you do, don't ignore your customers. > > Whatever you do, always listen to your customers. The positive statements seem odd.


Why "the Sun Tzu" instead of just "Sun Tzu"?

I am reading a military history text that repeatedly refers to "the Sun Tzu" but does not give similar treatment to other authors (an example is "Clausewitz and the Sun Tzu disagree on ..."). I have never seen this usage of the definite article with the author's name, and it seems incorrect to me.


Definite article usage: "I'm going to mosque" Or "I'm going to the mosque"?

AS Hornby says in one of his books that we should always use **the** before **mosque,** and **temple** unlike **church**. When we go to a church for prayer, we say > _I am going to church_ while we say > _I am going to the church_ when we go to a church to whitewash it. I thought, until I read Hornby that the same rule applied to **mosque** and **temple**. But Hornby says that we should say > _I am going to **the** mosque_ whether we are going there for prayer or not. To make it clear one should add a phrase with the sentence like _for prayer_ or _for whitewashing it_. Another British grammarian named Hewings says in his _Advanced English Grammar_ that the same rule as that of **church** applies to **mosque**. In his opinion one should say > _I am going to mosque_ when he is going there for prayer and > _I am going to the mosque_ when he is going there for some other thing than prayer. Both are British grammarians of English. Who is to be followed, Hornby or Hewings?


What's the best way to say: "which one is more true or more accurate"?

What's the best way to say: "which one is more true or more accurate" when talking about 2 words?


"will you be going home" vs. "will you go home"

What's the difference between saying; > Will you be going home this summer? > > Will you go home this summer? Are there any differences between these in written or spoken English?


If an adjective is removed, what's the consequence?

OK. I am going to mess with the Constitution and remove the word "several." Would the meaning of the Commerce Clause be the same? > The Commerce Clause refers to Article 1, Section 8, Clause 3 of the U.S. > Constitution, which gives Congress the power “to regulate commerce with > foreign nations, and among the **several** states, and with the Indian > tribes.”


Is "steepness" a proper word?

I am a marketing writer and am working on a product description, which would be as follows: > We track cool metrics like location, duration, speed and steepness. Is that use of the word correct? Any insight would be wonderful.


How do you rephrase a quality about yourself as a skill, specifically, being detail oriented?

I am filling out questions for a job application on-line. I am to list the top skills I used in my last position. The job I had was somewhat like editing, but for item records on a library circulation system. Mentioning my linguistics training doesn't exactly fit the bill. However it absolutely required a detail oriented eye. What say you?


Opposite of "literal"

I was listening to the radio today, and someone said, "The couple came across a literal 'pot of gold.'" It made me think: how do you say the opposite of that? I'm looking for a statement or phrase that lets you know that an idiom is an idiom and not to be taken "literally."


Is "British" a noun or an adjective in "British PM"?

While reading through this question another occurred to me. If a headline reads > British PM says no to inflatable cars. Is _British_ a noun or an adjective? Granted, there are other noun forms of British but how about _French_ in > French PM says yes! The example from the original question quoted > Yemen PM Escapes Assassination Since the adjective for the people of Yemen is _Yemeni_ , this is clearly a noun adjunct. However, in those cases where the noun and the adjective forms are the same (British, French, Greek, Italian etc.) as in the example above, are these adjectives or nouns? They can be taken as either.


"When X is" or "When X will be"?

I always have a tough time with this. Suppose the following: > The software will be installed when the computer is ready. versus > The software will be installed when the computer will be ready. Technically, both events are in the expected future (the computer being ready as a premise for the software being installed), but which one is right, or if they are both right, what nuance do they convey?


What are all the words that make up a complete list of linking verbs in English? My English teacher from what I can remember listed them as follows, am I missing any?   * is    * am   * are   * was   * were   * be   * been   * being   * has   * have   * had   * do   * does   * did   * may   * might   * must   * can   * could   * will   * would   * shall   * should   * seem   * become   * appear   * look   * smell   * taste   * sound   * feel Thank You Mr. Weber of Era, Texas for being the best English teacher in the world.


Why are spies called "spooks"?

In many books, I've seen the word 'spook' used to mean some kind of spy. Definition 5 on dictionary.reference.com confirms this usage, but is not very helpful about the origin. Does anyone know how this definition came about? More details (does it only refer to American spies? only spies friendly to the speaker?) would also be appreciated.


The word 'Yahoo'

In my country, people use the word "Yahoo" as an expression of enthusiasm, joy, jubiliation and victory. What is the origin and original meaning of the word yahoo? As for that matter, what is most commonly accepted meaning of the word today? Is it commonly used as an expressive word nowadays? Or, is it the case that it is just the popular website, and the word has otherwise become redundant?


What is the origin of the phrase "Eastern Seaboard"?

Today upon hearing reports about how Hurricane Earl was going to hug the Eastern Seaboard I couldn't help but think how strange this phrase is. Is "seaboard" used in any other contexts? What is the origin of this phrase? Does anyone in the US west coast considered their coastline the "Western Seaboard"?


Difference between “with”, “at” and “for” with a business title and a company name

The prepositions “with”, “at” and “for” are also used to associate a business title with a company's name. It seems that they are interchangeable, with no (significant) difference in meaning. The following examples taken from The New York Times website seem to confirm that: > Until now, said Justin Nielson, a **senior analyst for** the media research > firm SNL Kagan, “there really hasn't been any direct competitor . . . > > “The consumer is still deleveraging,” said Jason Goldberg, a **senior > analyst with** Barclays. “It's not a lack of supply; it's a lack of demand.” > > “There’s the party of fear and the party of despair,” Nikos Xydakis, a > political analyst and an **editor at** Kathimerini daily, said. Are they really the same as for meaning? If it isn't so, what is the difference between them?


Meaning of "kick out the last jam of the set"

I can't clearly get this phrase. Is it related to the "kick out the jams"? Or "jam" means the song/jazz improvisation, so what does "kick out" mean in that case? The context is "they are kicking out the last jam of their set".


We, he and I vs. us, him and me

The sentence is, > Our Supervisor finally noticed that it was we, **Kim and I** , who always > turn in our reports on time. Should it actually be _you and me_ or _you and I_?


English Subjunctive: An Imposition from Latin?

Often English grammar (as well as Koinê Greek, e.g "deponent", and probably others), has often been ruled by what I call "totalitarian grammarians" who impose Latin structures on it rather than doing a thorough internal study of the language; this is part of why the rules of classic English grammar can be so convoluted. (My father couldn't make any sense out of grammar in grade school but after studying linguistics is now a grammarian). Has English historically had a subjunctive, or is that an imposition of a Latin form upon the English construct that translates it? In other words, is there a more accurate description of what is often termed subjunctive in English?


Single term to include children from multiple births

I’m wondering if there is single term to indicate that a child is a twin, triplet, quadruplet, etc., without specifying the exact number of siblings in the multiple birth. For example, a “multiple-birth child”.


Is “the exchange (between Perry and Romney) was not the clear winner” a common English expression?

I noticed the line “ _the exchange was not the clear winner_ ” in the following sentence of the article titled “The Take: Perry’s challenging road ahead” appearing in Washington Post Sept. 24 issue: “On Thursday, Social Security was a principal point of contention between the two, and it illustrated Perry’s problems. _The exchange was not the clear winner_ that Romney might have hoped, but that ‘s largely because Perry’s position remains something of a muddle.” To me, the expression “ _exchange = (not) clear winner_ ” sounds somewhat illogical, because “the exchange” can’t be equal (or not equal) to “the clear winner,” though the result could be. A person can be a winner or loser, but can the abstractive noun like 'exchange' be a winner or loser, unless used as a metaphor? Shouldn’t it be something like “The exchange did not show (prove / result in / turn out) the clear winner. Maybe I’m nit-picking, but I wonder if this kind of expression; “His argument was a winner,” “Ryo Ishikawa’s play was a loser” “Obama’s Middle-East talk was a loser,” “Sarah Palin’s speech was a creater,” are common English expressions?


"X is me" or "X is myself"

Which is correct? > The English Stack Exchange user with the ID of 5481 is **me**. > > The English Stack Exchange user with the ID of 5481 is **myself**.


Seem out to do something - meaning

Source: http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2014-04-04/putin-s-rejection-of- the-west-in-writing?cmpid=yhoo > In fact, after Moscow's Crimean adventure, the West **seems out to prove** > this point of view correct. By talking of "containing" Russia and breaking > off all kinds of cooperation, from trade and visa liberation talks to Group > of Eight meetings to joint programs with the National Aeronautics and Space > Administration, Western governments cast themselves in the role of wolves > shedding their sheep's clothing. What does **the West seems out to prove this point** mean?


Is there a word for an example that is wrong? That is, using an example in an argument that is either a misrepresentation or does not illustrate what the arguer suggests it does. Is there a word for this kind of false example?


What is the plural of 'sorry'?

One apology --> many apologies. One good deed --> many good deeds. One sorry --> many **_** ?


“If this, and if that.” With or without Comma?

> I’ll appreciate it if you wash the car, and if you take out the trash. Should I use a comma before _and_ , or not?


What does “more cowbell” mean? Has it gotten the currency as an idiom or a buzz word?

I saw the article reporting 2011 Mark Twain Prize giving ceremony held on October 23rd at Kennedy Center, under the title “At Mark Twain shebang, _comics clank a cowbell or two_ for Will Ferrell” in the October 24 issue of Washington Post. I was arrested with the expression “comics clank a cowbell or two,” and then found another “cowbell” in the subsequent sentence: “If you are a fan of the SNL sketch “cowbell,” you have got to tell Will,” Andy Samberg told the audience, “since the entire world still beg him for “ _more cowbell_.” As I wasn’t clear about what “clank a cowbell or two” and “more cowbell” mean, I checked some online dictionaries and found the following definition of “more cowbell” in the Urban Dictionary:   * more cowbell - A quote from a Saturday Night Live skit featuring Blue Oyster Cult members recording "Don't Fear the Reaper" with a producer telling them to add "more cowbell". A funny pun on the cowbell in the song by BOC. Billy: "It needs more cowbell!" Joe: "LOLLERSKATES!" From this I guess “more cowbell” means “more animation (ginger or substance)" or "sound volume" though I’m not sure. Tell me if I’m wrong. But what does “comics clank a cowbell or two” mean? Why is “more cowbell” in singular form while "a cowbell or two" is in countable (noun) form? Is it because the former is used as an abstract noun and the latter is a material noun? Is either “more cowbell” or "clank a cowbell" getting (or has it gotten) currency as an idiom or a buzz word? The “cowbell” is clamoring for me to ask a spell of questions.


Questions containing "or"

> Do you prefer to stay home, or do you want to come with us?   >  Should I prepare dinner, or are we going to go to the restaurant? Are the questions correctly written?   Is there a preferred way to write such questions?


Is there a difference between the pronunciation of a teenager, and the pronunciation of an adult?

In my travels in the USA (on Long Island), I noted that the pronunciation used by a teenager sounds different from the pronunciation used by an adult. Does such difference exist, or is it just my impression?


When Americans say someone has ''no accent'', what do they mean exactly?

As in my title question. Do they mean a specific region of the US, something else?


When & Progressive Tense

Well, the answer to the question I'm going to ask you might have seemed evident to me before but now after I've been thinking about it for some time I've got stuck. Here below ther're 4 sentences.   1. A man shouldn't think about risk when a lady's asking for help.   2. A man shouldn't be thinking about risk when a lady asks for help.   3. A man shouldn't be thinking about risk when a lady's asking for help.   4. A man shouldn't think about risk when a lady asks for help. Here're my thoughts:   1. A man shouldn't think about risk (ever, there's sort of regularity here, that's why I'm using a Simple Tense) when a lady's asking for help (to me the action of asking for help is more prolonged than the action of thinking, at the same time the action of asking for help is the one interrupted by the action of thinking; thus, I'm using a Progressive Tense here).   2. A man shouldn't be thinking about risk (at some certain moment (a Progressive Tense) which is expressed by the 2nd action) when a lady asks for help (a regular action (a Simple Tense)).   3. A man shouldn't be thinking about risk (is the action which is going together with the 2nd action) when a lady's asking for help (these 2 actions are kind of parallel, that's why I'm using a Progressive Tense in both cases.).   4. Both actions are regular and are a kind of a rule, that's why I'm using a Simple Tense in both cases. Would be grateful for your answers!


What is the meaning of the phrase "cut five sides in [something]"?

I was browsing the Elvis Presley page on Wikipedia when I read a strange sentence: > During a two-week leave in early June, Presley **cut five sides in > Nashville**. I've never heard this phrase before. It doesn't really come up on Google, except in copies of the Wikipedia article. In context, it seems like it could mean something similar to "went on a whirlwind tour", but I'm not sure. I would like to change the sentence to use a more common phrasing, so it can be understood by a wider audience, but I can't change it if I don't know what the original thought was!


Relative Clause: 'that' & 'which'

Here'are two sentences:   1. It's not beer WHICH destroys people, it's beer WHICH does it to them.   2. It's not beer THAT destroys people, it's beer THAT does it to them. Pretty weird sentences but they are qoutes from a Russian movie translated into English :) Which sentence sound more natural? To me both are okay as both, 'that' and 'which', may introduce a restrictive relative clause. Here's what Oxford says: http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/words/that-or-which Thank you for your answers!


Women and children

I keep seeing and hearing the expression _women and children_ in print and on NPR when referring to a set of people in a war zone. Do they literally mean _women and children_? Or has that become an expression to mean something else, like maybe _civilians_ or _vulnerable members of society_? Of course I know what women and children are, but why would a government official or military leader interviewed on NPR refer to that particular group of people literally? It sounds silly to me, so I'm wondering if maybe this is an accepted way to refer to a certain group of people in a war zone or conflict who aren't directly involved in it.


Capitalisation of nouns in English in the 17th and 18th centuries

It seems to have been common practice in the 17th and 18th centuries in Britain to capitalise the first letters of nouns in English, e.g. > At which Time he prov'd himself the Noah's Dove, that finding himself no > Rest anywhere, was receiv'd again into his own Ark, and brought a peaceable > Olive-Leaf in his mouth. Most original sources I can find on the net have used modern rules for capitalisation, so what I'd like to know is:   * was the practice used for all nouns (note _mouth_ in my quotation above isn't capitalised)?   * when did this practice begin?   * when did it end, and why?


Did English use to have capitalization rules similar to German's current rules?

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Capitalisation of nouns in English in the 17th and 18th centuries I was looking up an article of the constitution of the United States of America, and I noticed in the exact transcription that almost every noun is capitalized. > All **Bills** for raising **Revenue** shall originate in the House of > Representatives; but the Senate may propose or concur with amendments as on > other **Bills.** > > * * * > > No **State** shall enter into any Treaty, Alliance, or Confederation; grant > Letters of Marque and Reprisal; coin **Money** ; emit Bills of Credit; make > any **Thing** but gold and silver **Coin** a **Tender** in **Payment of > Debts** ; pass any Bill of Attainder, ex post facto **Law** , or Law > impairing the Obligation of Contracts, or grant any Title of Nobility. The emphasis is mine, but the capitalization is present in the original text. Many of these nouns seem like they would not be capitalized today, especially, _Thing._ Did English once have capitalization rules like German has today, or is this 18th-century legalese?


Help me parse this sentence, please?

> Observable as a tendency of our culture is a withdrawal of belief in > psychoanalysis: we no longer feel that it can solve our emotional problems. This is from GRE verbal tests. From what I guess the author want to say, I parse it like this: > Observable as a tendency (of our culture is a withdrawal (of belief in > psychoanalysis)): we no longer feel that it can solve our emotional > problems. But in that way, the part before the colon ("Observable as a tendency") lacks a verb. How do you guys think?


What is the origin of the phrase "hunky dory"?

What is the origin of the phrase “hunky dory”?


Why do "consulting engineers" advise, not consult?

I am interested to find if the two terms _consulting_ and _advising_ are interchangeable, particularly in business. Generally, one consults someone else, who advises. That is, the seeker of information is consulting, and the giver of information advises. However, there are firms of _consulting engineers_ and other similar outfits. They don’t consult, they advise, so it appears that the terms are indeed synonymous, at least in certain circumstances. What are those circumstances? The dictionary definitions I found (linked above) don’t mention that _consult_ can mean _advise_ or _counsel_.


Prompted by this question I got to thinking about the placement of the word _now_. If it's placed _before_ the comma, it refers to an immediate condition: > You don't want to answer this word-placement question now, do you? You might want to answer the question, but the situation is not urgent. You could answer it tomorrow. In fact, it might preferable to answer that question tomorrow if, say, it was your lawyer talking to you and your answer was going on the record. But if you place it this way, > You don't want to answer this word-placement question, now do you? it hasn't anything to do with time. _Now_ functions in a different capacity, but I'm not really sure what that is. An interjection, perhaps? Something else?


Word for "creating laughter"

I'm looking for a literary word which means "to create laughter". Is there such a word in English? I'm going to use this word in the following title: > Philosophical Theories of "Creating Laughter" and Study of Adaptive Samples > of His Humor


What's the meaning of 'one after the other' in this sentence

An illness to which man is prone to any age, claimed the one who was **one after the other** abbot, officer, scholar, writer, banker, con artist, magician, infantryman, spy, diplomat, but always claiming his Venetian origins. I think it equals 'among', am I correct?


"Work" vs. "working" (noun)

What are the differences between _work_ and _working_ when used as nouns? For example: > Advocates claim that **work/working** brings a lot of benefits for young > people. Which one is correct? I have searched in a dictionary but they are defined with nearly the same meaning.


Difference between "selfish" and "self-centered"

Is there a difference between the meaning of _selfish_ and _self-centered_? I have seen some using them identically. If there is a difference who would you like to hang out with: a _selfish_ person or a _self-centered_ person?


Why is there no article in "The Child is father of the man"?

_The Rainbow_ by William Wordsworth: > My heart leaps up when I behold   >  A Rainbow in the sky:   >  So was it when my life began;   >  So is it now I am a man;   >  So be it when I shall grow old,   >  Or let me die!   >  The Child is **father** of the man;   >  And I wish my days to be   >  Bound each to each by natural piety. I am trying to understand, why there is no "the" before "father" in this poem? Would you please explain the reason?


What's a punchline?

What's a punchline in a paragraph? Is it the same as topic sentence, or is it a conclusion sentence? Can you provide a concrete example of punchline?


Word request: section of a book dealing with odd miscellaneous topics

I vaguely remember that there's a term for a section of a book which deals in odd miscellaneous topics -- not exactly the same as "appendix". Any suggestions? The words I can think of are all dancing around this idea: "arcana", "apocrypha", "errata".


Use of the term “Sharia Law”

I understand that _Sharia_ is the religious law of Islam. Is the term “Sharia Law” redundant? I hear and read it all the time.


"But (something) instead" versus "but instead (something)"

Please consider the sentences: > They do not overpower the city, _but empower it instead_. > > They do not overpower the city, _but instead empower it_. I'm doubting the use of _but + instead_. Is either incorrect syntactically? If not, which one reads better? NB: it is for an academic paper.


How do native English speakers respond to "Thank you"?

In my school and university I was taught to say **"Not at all"** or **"Don't mention it"** in response to **"Thank you!"**. Now I rarely hear these phrases used, but rather something like **"You're welcome"** , **"It's OK"** , **"My pleasure"** , or **"No problem"**. My real life conversation experience is very poor. I often listen to some English learning podcasts, and watch some films in English. So I listen to dialogs, which are probably not from the modern real life world. How do native English speakers tend to respond to "Thank you!" now? What I should care about, when choosing from the available options?


Different ways to say "you're welcome"

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  How do native English speakers respond to "Thank you"?   >  Can “Sure” be used to respond to “Thanks”?   >  Is “not at all” still alive and doing well? I'm getting thanked a lot these days and want to find lots of different ways to say _you're welcome_. Could _for sure_ mean _you're welcome_?


'Lack of Side' as used by Dick White, former Intelligence Chief of MI5 and MI6

> During Dick White's post-Oxford academic career he traveled to Ann Arbor, > Michigan in 1928 to continue studying history at the University of Michigan. > Upon arrival at the campus White was warmly greeted by the President and > other officers of the university. In Tom Bower's biography of Dick White, > 'The Perfect English Spy' White is described as being overwhelmed by his > hosts' **'lack of side'** and 'the American way'. He was genuinely impressed > with his hosts' spirit of generosity and equality. **'Lack of side'** didn't appear in any slang dictionaries. I interpret it to mean White's hosts did not display any pro-American bias or attitudes of superiority, as might team members of a football club would sing the praises of their own 'side'. Did I get this right?


Our being vs. the fact that

While editing a writing sample of mine, my boyfriend made the following correction: > When we are more active online, **our being** solely distributed in the > Greater Detroit area will be inconsequential. > > When we are more active online, **the fact that we are** solely distributed > in the Greater Detroit area will be inconsequential. I've always been taught to avoid the "the fact that" construction. Is "our being" grammatically incorrect here?


Does this semicolon work here?

Can a semicolon be used here? "Hello Justin; this is Rebecca." Or is it just a comma that should be placed there? Or do of them both work in a sentence?


"Take a rest" or "have some rest"?

Which one of the above is the correct, or can I use both? Or is there any better way to say that?


To acknowledge or clear an error condition?

I thought I've asked this question somewhere before but I cannot find it. When a machine enters an error state, e.g. a printer runs out of ink, it will usually display an error message and stop working until the user has noticed the error condition and maybe, done something to fix it (e.g. replace the ink cartridge). Printers may re-initialize when the housing is closed again, a digital camera may require an input in order to retry moving a stuck lens. I have to label a button that starts this re-initialization process on a machine, or that causes it to retry whatever it failed to do previously. What would that be called?


How old is "Bollocks!"?

As a non-English native it took me years to grow up and understand, what meant "Never Mind the Bollocks" as the title of Sex Pistols album. Using "bollocks" as "rubbish", "crap" or what so ever took much more. And after that I somehow automatically bound "bollocks!" with Sex Pistols. Suddenly I understood, that it is so just in my world. Or isn't? Is there some etymology of the idiom(?) ? How old it is in English?


A word for something that's done only half-consciously

In writing fiction, I find myself using the word "absentmindedly" a lot, but I don't think it's really the word I'm looking for. I'm not looking so much something done in a _distracted_ manner, but something done sort of half- consciously, without really thinking about it. Not habitual either, but perhaps _almost_ instinctual. For instance: > As James watched the other girl climb higher, he shuddered to think of his > own sister being in such danger, and put his arm _absentmindedly_ around > her. What I'm trying to relate is that he wasn't making a conscious move to comfort or embrace his sister, he just did it without thinking.


Present perfect tense

When changing a sentence to present perfect tense, is it compulsory the verb changes tense too. For instance 'David begins his training today' changes to 'David has begun his training already'. Does the sentence 'David runs every day' changes to 'David has run as many as five miles today' or 'David has ran as many as five miles today'


What's the preferred style for a résumé?

I’m in the process of converting my CV into a résumé. I have a few options for the bits about where I worked and what I did.   1. I implemented X, I used Y to do it, I coordinated Z.   2. (current CV format, kinda) Implemented X. Utilised Y. Coordinated Z.   3. Third Person: He did X, He used Y He coordinated Z  I hate 1 and 3 as options. 1 reads like a junior-school essay “wot I did on my holidays”. 2 is the current format for my CV, bulleted list with lots of “action verbs”. What’s the _right_ way to do this for an American-style résumé?


Is there a word for "flashbacks within flashbacks"?

Is there any single word in English for **flashbacks within flashbacks**?


"To develop" vs. "On developing"

I am writing a school project report and I came across the following. What is the difference between the two? Which is more preferred if there is no difference in meaning? > Our focus is _on developing_ a model that is both easy and extendable... > > Our focus is _to develop_ a model that is both easy and extendable...


Correct words for transitional and non-transitional

I'm trying to explain two different ways of doing something and can't remember the correct words. I have a stock room full of items Way 1: > Every week count how many of each item there are, write this down. Way 2: > When items come in/leave; add or take from the current stock level. I want to call these transitional and non-transitional but am certain there are correct words to describe these two different approaches. What are they?


Best synonym for "unraveled"

> That means decision-making, particularly with guard Russell Westbrook and > forward Kevin Durant, 23-year-old All-Stars who came **unraveled** in last > season's playoffs when they advanced to the conference finals for the first > time. What's the best synonym for _unraveled_? How about using _falling apart_ or _undone_?


What does “Leave the accent behind? Your accent gives you away,” mean?

I came across an interesting web site that teaches non-native English speakers how to speak like an American. The catch of the site reads “Leave the accent behind. Your accent gives you away.” I understand it means “Part with your local accent. Your accent gives you disadvantage.” Dictionaries at hand carry both idioms of “leave stg. behind” and “give stg. away,” but I find none of the listed definitions that seem to be pertinent to the above particular phrase. Can you explain what “leave something behind” and “Something gives somebody away” mean and the scope of usage of these two idioms?


'Blowing Dixie double four time' and 'He can play the honky tonk like anything' meaning

in Dire Straits "Sultans of Swing" what is the meaning of these two lines: In the first verse: > You get a shiver in the dark   >  It's been raining in the park but meantime   >  South of the river you stop and you hold everything   >  A band is **blowing Dixie double four time**   >  You feel all right when you hear that music ring As I understand _blowing Dixie_ means something like fooling around. But what is _double four time_? And then later: > And Harry doesn't mind if he doesn't make the scene.   >  He's got a daytime job, he's doing alright.   >  **He can play the honky tonk like anything,**   >  Savin' it up for Friday night. What does it mean? Is he playing really good but saving it up or doesn't do it very well? Thanks.


What is noun to adjective conversion called?

Are there any terms used to describe the conversion of a noun into an adjective and vica versa?               redundant -> redundancy      Synonyms are when two words mean the same thing. Is there a term similar to this for these purposes?


What does "I’ve had a little bit too much" mean?

I don't understand this sentence: > I’ve had a little bit too much. What does it mean? PS. My native language is Ukrainian (Russian)


"Appointed as" or just "appointed"?

Is it more correct to say > a) John was appointed as manager of ACME. or > b) John was appointed manager of ACME. Or are they interchangeable?


Variations in meaning between "Last week" vs. "The last week" vs "The last n weeks"?

Similarly between "Last month" and "The last month". Last week implies, at some point during the _previous_ week. Not inclusive of the current week. What exactly does the last week mean? Is that inclusive of the current time? Same question for the last _n_ weeks? Or are phrases ending with _ago_ the only qualifier for being for being inclusive of the current week? _A month ago_ pretty obviously implies a period of 30 days going back from current time. Thanks in advance!


Does "the attached updated User Guide" sound wrong?

I updated a User Guide, and according to my company's processes I have to send the document with tracked changes to our operations. So I wrote this email: > Dear operations, > > Please take a look at the attached updated User Guide and let me know blah > blah. > > Blah, > > Blah Blah. Does the sentence sound right or had I better rephrase it so as to avoid "attached updated"? For example, > Please find the updated User Guide attached and let me know blah blah.


Is it correct to use this expression in an email: "Attached you may find ..."?

Is it grammatical to use the expression "Attached you may find ..." in an email? For example: > Dear Sir or Madam, > > Attached you may find the documents you requested. > > ... If this is proper, should there be a comma just after "Attached"? > Attached, you may find the documents you requested.


'and to' quagmire

Consider: > Her goal is to pioneer the idea of gardening in small or urban environments, > and to inspire and educate people everywhere to grow their own organic food > and live sustainably. The comma is not warranted as _and to inspire and educate..._ is not a main clause. How could it be made grammatical? For instance, is it valid to consider her goal (goals?) to consist of a list of two items:   1. _pioneer the idea of gardening in small or urban environments_   2. _inspire and educate people everywhere to grow their own organic food and live sustainably._ It would then instead be (removing the comma and the second _to_ ): > **Her goal is to** _pioneer the idea of gardening in small or urban > environments_ **and** _inspire and educate people everywhere to grow their > own organic food and live sustainably_. Alternatively, considering the last part as a third item, it would be (using a serial comma): > **Her goal is to** _pioneer the idea of gardening in small or urban > environments_ , _inspire and educate people everywhere to grow their own > organic food_ , **and** _live sustainably_. Source.


How did "ropey" come to mean "of poor quality"?

Rope is typically long, strong and fibrous. So how did us Brits come to use "ropey" to describe something of poor quality? > _British informal_ of poor quality:   >       _a portrait by a pretty ropey artist_ While we're on the subject, why do we also say we "feel ropey" when we're not too well or hungover?


Past or Future?

Every so often, I see a death-notice for someone who was deceased on the following date. However, understandably, it feels grammatically problematic to remark that someone had "died yesterday". What is the correct grammatical approach for referencing events which have occurred but are still in the future when either the date or time is taken into account?


Windbag vs. demagogue

I was told that a person who delivers long speeches but no information is called a _windbag_. A demagogue is a political leader who represents popular tendencies (it has a negative color likewise we do not have the democracy and true democracy is bad). Meantime, a prominent writer and theorist of logical debate, Paul Graham says > An eloquent speaker or writer can give the impression of vanquishing an > opponent merely by using forceful words. In fact that is probably the > defining quality of a _demagogue_. It seems to me that he meant to say _windbag_ here. I am asking because I use the Greek work demagogue for windbag. Might be the demagogue and _windbag_ are just synonyms (and we must blame the vocabulary compilers that they do not include windbaning notion into the _demagogue_ article)?


Is there a shorter alternative for "Enjoy your meal"?

The French have "Bon appetit". In Belgium and the Netherlands we have "Smakelijk". Is there a short way to wish someone a good meal in English?


"View", but for hearing

I know a lot of words, but it's driving me crazy that I can't think of one for this. I'm sure there must be one. I want to be able to say: > I had not only a great view of the ocean from that room, but also a great > ___ , where the blank means that I could hear it well as well as see it. Does such a word exist? (Rather, does it exist in the lexicon of "words regular people would recognize as being English" — that's what I'm looking for, not an extremely archaic word or one you made up. )


What do you call both persons involved in a transaction? E.g. Alice gives 5$ to Bob, Bob is a recipient. But what name can I give them both?


Is "or so they say" idiomatic?

Icame across a long sentence followed by elipses and the phrase "or so they say", is it idiomatic?


Is “a choice between one of two options” grammatically correct?

In: > a choice between one of two options I would like to know if this is correct _grammatically_. I came across it in a scientific paper. I think the “one of ” part should be removed. Am I correct?


Meaning of "Which two of the following...?" versus "Which of the two following...?"

I've just taken a multiple-choice test and one of the questions read like this: > "Which of the following two statements about effectiveness of control > measures are false?" To answer this question, 5 statements were presented, of which I was requested to tick all the ones I thought were true. Since 2 of the 5 statements were false, shouldn't the question have been written as: > "Which two of the following statements about effectiveness of control > measures are false?" Apologies if this question is trivial, but I'm just looking for reassurance, since I'm not a native speaker.


Is there an alternative expression for 'opening band' or 'opening act'?

The question says it all. Together with a colleague we were looking for this. We both had the feeling that there's another way to say it.


The term used for short form of a word

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  What is the term for neglectful spelling of words such as "you" as "u"? what is the proper word to say words that is being used as in chat.eg:- like = lyk. the = da, etc. example sentence is given below. I am going 2 dat guy 2 say abt it.


Is there a word for the opposing ends of a tangible scale, as there are "obverse" and "reverse" to describe the physical sides of a coin-like object

I feel that obverse and reverse are too "Geometric" to properly describe more complex ideas in society where something is not in reality in a completely opposite position in relation to another. For example we use left wing and right wing politics to simplify politics based upon the seating of Republicans and Royalists in the first French First Republic's Assembly, but today a Conservative is not the opposite of a Reformist- there are stages in between and one cannot state that they are completely separated and are not on the same side. Am I just over complicating this?


Is a phrase 'your happy being' correct?

My friend asked me to the beach by a sentence; 'The beach is waiting for your happy being.' Is the sentence he used correct?


in function of - unrelated to math

Please, take a look at the following: "Friends" and "foes" are, according to Carl Schmitt, defined **in function of** their capacity to respectively enhance or diminish the power of one's own state. Does "in function of" equal something along the line of "in relation to"? I'm aware that the "in function of" thing was once covered here, but I'm afraid there was no answer there I'm now looking for. EDIT: THANKS EVERYONE FOR THE ANSWERS.


Alternative to "yeah" as an acknowledgement

I'm trying to stop myself using the word "yeah" in certain contexts where it seems too informal. But I'm not sure how to replace it. Consider this example:               > "I need to cancel our meeting on Monday"     > "Yeah, it gets busy this time of year"      "Yeah" is generally considered a more casual "yes", but here it serves as an acknowledgment. "Yes, it gets busy..." would sound weird because there was no question that was asked to say yes to. Is there an alternative word that can replace "yeah"? I suppose I could rewrite the sentence to: "It really gets busy this time of year", but the difficulty with this is that you need to think of a way to rephrase each sentence that uses "yeah" rather than there being a general rule.


Can we interchange phrases " What's the date today?" and "what day is it today?"

Can we interchange the sentences " What's the date today?" and "what day is it today?" In grammar is it correct to use these sentences interchangeably? For example "What's the day today?" and "what date is it today?"


The right word or phrase of an act of telling false bad stories about someone deliberately?

My subordinate at the workplace has a problem of not accepting reprimand when she has done wrong. She always becomes shaking with anger threatening to leave her job and then spreads the false stories about how she is being handled at the workplace by her supervisor, me. So I would like to have the relevant word of her act of **spreading false accusations about me** in my report to our employer for protection.


What is the difference between "anticipate" and "expect"?

My understanding is the following:   * > I anticipate everyone will come here by 10. = "I hope it's gonna happen, but I'm not so sure about the result".   * > I expect everyone will come here by 10. = "I do believe it's gonna happen, because I've made sure with everyone ahead. Just like it's the time we will rally up here for sure." Is this distinction correct?


Why is the letter J so common in names of people who go by their initials?

I've met a number of people who use their initials as a name. Almost all of the ones I've met have a "J" as one of the initials. I've asked a few friends, and so far, anecdotally, it seems that this observation holds true. "J" is of course a common initial, but not common enough, I think, to explain this. My question is in two parts: Does the observation hold true for you? That is, of the people you know who use their initials as their name, do the overwhelming majority have a "J" as one of the initials? And: can you explain why this might be?


Noun for for u-shaped bend on electrical component's pin (wire) to aid in placement (Beading / Ribbing / Crimp)?

I'm trying to find the correct noun for a u-shaped bend in an electrical component's pin. Is there a generic technical term that may usually refer to a deformation to reinforce e.g. an (angle) bracket made of sheet metal, where the 90° bend has been given a groove? If you provided a few sentences using potential synonyms I would be grateful.


What should I call the "list of answers" a student gives in a test?

I'm programming an e-learning web application. Among other things, it involves tests (examinations). On the context of this application, a _Test_ is a list of _Questions_. Each _Question_ is a list of _Options_ , of which only one is correct. When a student performs a test, he must choose the options he considers as valid for each of its questions. I can call every selection an _Answer_ , but I'd like to find a name for the "list of answers" of the student, just like a _Test_ is a "list of questions". Is there an English word for that? Right now, I'm using "AnswerList", but I'd like to make it more concise.


Should I say "another ones" or "another one's"

Since I'm implying possession should I say another one's and your's? > The book could either be yours or another ones. Is it "yours" or "your's" and "another ones" or "another one's"?


What is the origin of the term "Couch Potato"?

I know the meaning of "couch potato" is a person living a mostly sedentary lifestyle who likes to watch TV while lying on the couch, but why potato?


Is this sentence correct? "I let you know...."

Is it correct to say the following? "I let you know that I have sent you a letter." Or is there a better way to say this sentence? For example: "I inform you that I have sent you a letter." Thanks!


Difference between "to grab" and "to grasp"

What's the semantic difference between "to grab" and "to grasp"?


Is it correct to use the past simple with 'Since'? For example: > I didn't see him since 1990. I wouldn't say that as a native speaker but would always use the present perfect: > I haven't seen him since 1990.


Is there anything like unsleeping bag

"Once as a kid he'd gone out behind the house, into the wilds of pecan trees and hedges and, following a night zipped into an army-surplus **unsleeping bag** , had attempted to fry bacon over a Sterno can, managing only to cook his thumb." Is there anything like unsleeping bag or is it just a sarcastic phrase?


Where does the -en come from in misshapen?

We can say both **misshapen** and **misshaped**. Where does the **misshapen** form come from? What other words use this form?


Usage, prevalence of “rooster sauce” and “cock sauce”

**Sriracha sauce** is a kind of chili sauce named for Si Racha, Thailand, but in the United States many people call it **“rooster sauce”** or **“cock sauce”** after the prominent rooster logo on a popular brand of the sauce. ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/UAKUu.jpg)   Photo by Memphis CVB Most people I know in the San Francisco Bay Area just call it “Sriracha,” but I occasionally hear the nicknames too. I originally assumed that more serious folk would only use the “rooster sauce” name, with “cock sauce” reserved for jokers and provocateurs* because of the _double entendre_. As food blogger Alan Sytsma notes (emphasis added): > After all, how many condiments have their own nicknames? Ketchup? No. > Mustard? Not a chance. But Sriracha? In a nod to its bottle many > connoisseurs simply call it **“cock sauce,” a name that is as bawdy and > virile as the sauce itself.** However, I recently heard a man in Green Bay use the “cock sauce” nickname quite matter-of-factly, with none of the usual vocal cues that would indicate irony or innuendo. That got me to wondering just how prevalent those nicknames are – and in particular, how many people use “cock sauce” without sniggering. How widespread are the “rooster sauce” and “cock sauce” nicknames for Sriracha sauce? Are there any significant examples of English speakers or writers using the latter term in more sober contexts? * * * * Like me.


"Group" vs. "community" usage

### Question 1 When we have a certain number of people that share the same interest, do we refer to **them** as:   1. interest **group** or   2. **community** [sharing same interest]? What would be preferred and more correct? Maybe there's a third option that would be even more appropriate for this context? ### Question 2 The word _group_ by itself can be associated with anything — people, things, etc. _Community_ , on the other hand (as far as I know), is generally associated with people, right? ### Question 3 When we use the term _group_ , does it already imply a certain size or not? Is the word _group_ used more frequently with smaller numbers or can a group's size be any number larger than two?


Do I need to use 'the' in this sentence?

> I would like to limit my dissertation to three spheres: economy, politics, > and culture of America. Do I need to add 'the' before economy, politics...?


Adjective for 'pertaining to (social) class'?

How would one refer to the description of a (socioeconomic) class? For instance, _racial_ and _cultural_ would be adjectives referring to race and culture, but what would you use for something pertaining to a (socioeconomic) class? Neither _classist_ nor _classical_ would work, as they both convey something completely unrelated.


'Edge of time' meaning of phrase

What is the meaning of _at the edge of time_ in the following sentence? > At times they spent hours chatting in the office, while the house seemed > suspended at the **edge of time**.


Word to describe something that focusses so ostentatiously on its purpose that it fails to achieve its goal

For example, if I go and see a movie that I perceive to have placed so much effort on the artistic merit of the acting and cleverness of the storyline that it is difficult to call it a success as a movie.


Difference between "needed" and "necessary"

What is the difference between those two words? Example sentence: "this can greatly reduce the **needed** | **necessary** effort". I found some posts saying that necessary is more urgent?! Are there more differences?


Origin of "Very Good, Sir!"

It's quite likely you've read a P.G. Wodehouse book. Well, then you'd also know about Jeeves, and something he says quite often: > Very good, sir. Jeeves is a butler. And he isn't the only one to reply with those words, whenever asked to do something. I've heard many butlers (all in TV shows, or movies, or books) say it. Where did it originate from, though?   _Very good_ in its literal sense is a phrase to indicate approval. How did it come to imply acknowledgement of orders? I tried online, but all I got was usage, not origin.


What's the difference between Have you ever tried canoeing? Did you ever try canoeing?

Is **ever** appropriate to use in past simple questions? Is there a difference in present perfect questions using ever meaning a time period up to now and the past simple use of ever in a question? If there is a difference in meaning what is it please?


Can an inanimate object "claim" to do something? Like a car that "claims" 45 mpg?

Excited to find this website! Is it incorrect to say that a "dietary supplement claims to treat" a condition, or that a car "claims to get 40 mpg"? I thought that as these are inanimate objects, you would need to say "a supplement _with_ claims to treat..." or a "the manufacturer claims the car gets 45 mpg..." but I hear this phrase frequently, where an object "claims" something. Which is correct? Thanks!


What does "if you were already set for life" mean?

From this blog post, the author writes: > What’s your passion? What would you blog about if you were already set for > life? I don't quite understand — what meaning is the author trying to convey? Can someone explain that sentence?


what is formal way to ask "may we know why this happened and how it happened?" is this phrase correct .What is the formal and better way of asking this


Which is correct: "I am drinking ice cream" or "I am eating ice cream"?

Assuming there is no material in ice cream to be chewed, which is the correct sentence? > I am drinking ice cream. > > I am eating ice cream.


Is there a term for a noun that is the "-er" form of a verb? For example, one who races is the "racer", and the one who writes is the "writer", so "racer" and "writer" can both be classified as what kind of noun?


Why do people say "to be honest"?

For quite some time, I've been hearing the phrase "to be honest" almost every day. I've heard friends say it, characters on TV shows, and even an NPR reporter said it in an interview. Example: > "To be honest, I don't like spaghetti." Why do people have to specify when they are being honest? Or I've thought maybe the phrase is actually supposed to mean "to be blunt" or "let me tell it to you straight." How did the word "honest" get in the mix?


Is there a phrase or idiom for "being defeated by future problems"?

One needs to anticipate and plan for problems before starting a large project. What is it called when one becomes so caught up with planning for possible problems that one never sets out? "Negativity" or "defeatism" is very close, but imply a kind of depressed state of not even trying in the first place. I'm looking for a phrase or idiom about applying mental effort or planning to try to solve all possible problems, and then becoming overwhelmed by all the possibilities of failure such that one does not actually try to solve the problem. Something like "tripping over a rock that's far down the road". The antithesis of this concept might be "a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step" or "we'll cross that bridge when we come to it." A commonly-recognized American English phrase or idiom would be perfect, but I'll take something else that's reasonably intuitive. * * * Wow, so many great suggestions! If it helps, I'm visualizing Wally from Dilbert, "agreeing" to a project for the PHB, and then rattling out a thousand ways it could go wrong until the boss says "never mind" and leaves Wally to go back to surfing the web. The idea is that someone is being obstructionist, specifically by citing all the infinite possible risks. It's a kind of passive-aggressive behavior seen in technical settings.


How does one write the possesive form of stock ticker symbols ending in "s"?

How does one write the possessive form of stock ticker symbols ending in "s"? These are neither acronyms nor initialisms (/TLAs). For instance, does one write **RAS'** earnings, or **RAS's** earnings?


Usage of quotes in the letter writing

I have included this quote with single apostrophe within a sentence amidst letter writing. Is this allowed? > Amidst his speech, I still remember his famous quote (saying): ‘Customer > experience is the driving factor to choose right technology, It is not the > technology that we force to sell in the market’, “iPhone” being one good > example from this quote.


Usage of apostrophe in this sentence

As per this statement, Does the usage of apostrophe looks correct? > Thanks to "abc news" for this broadcast of memorable gathering of late CEO > with his employees.


"In" vs. "of" after the superlative form of adjectives

> Hanna's the youngest member **of** the team. Why isn't it " **in** the team"? The rule that we covered in out textbook _New Total English pre-intermediate_ says that we use _in_ with groups of people and places but _of_ with everything else. I do understand that it does sound perfectly well this way: "a member of". _Member_ collocates with _of_ , not something else. But how does the rule apply here?


Wondering how “Students avoid boring professors” is ambiguity? I know there is one meaning of this sentence, "stay away from". Is there any other possible meanings?


This is part of the lyrics of the song "Save the hammer for the man", what does "Save the hammer for the man" mean in this context? > I hurt the gentlest souls, I robbed my wife and son   >  I turned my back on troubles, troubles I'd begun   >  I cut a swath of pain and loss in the hallways of my home   >  In the quiet of my room I know the things I've done   >  Save the hammer for the man, save the hammer for the man   >  It's the calling of the wretched   >  It's the rising of the damned   >  Save the hammer for the man > > Tom Morello & Ben Harper


Plural of "staff" (stick) — "staffs" or "staves"?

Which would be the correct use in the following sentence. > I'm a Shepard and I have many staffs/staves.


I want to know the meaning of " to be"

There are two sentences   1. She appears to be stupid.   2. She appears stupid. What is the difference between the two sentences?


"Extended" vs. "extensive"

What's the difference between these two? I found the following after some research, > “Extended” has to do with time, “extensive” with space. An extended tour > lasts a long time; an extensive tour covers a lot of territory. But in the definition of "extended", it seems that it can also mean to enlarge or stretch in space. Any ideas?


is + past participle

What would be the correct name for the following formula: is + past participle. Would this be the present perfect? An example sentence would be- The meat is stored in the freezer.


"With/under the guidance of the world-class faculty"

I am writing my statement of purpose. Which is better: _under the guidance of the world-class faculty_ or _with the guidance of the world-class faculty_?


What does the phrase that 'I've all but..' mean in this sentence?

I found the sentence below in a book I'm reading: > I've all but given up dating because I'm so tired of the pain and > humiliation. What does _I've all but_ mean in this context?


Should ordinal indicators be inline?

Recently, I received a few corrections on my research article. One of them was that the ordinal indicators like 'th', 'rd', etc., should be inline with the number and not as a superscript. For example, _25th_ is correct whereas _25 th_ is incorrect. Is this a universally accepted convention?


Is there a word for "air can pass through it"?

If light can pass through an object, or if you can see through it, it is _transparent_. Is there a similar word for "air can pass through", or you can breathe through an object? This adjective would be used to describe a screen door, or certain types of fabric.


“Practise the piano” vs. “practise medicine”

* Someone who _practises_ medicine is a professional.   * Someone who _practises_ the piano is still learning. How have these two apparently opposite senses of the word _practise_ arisen?


Dependent clause/ prepositional phrase in second clause with comma

Am I right in punctuating the sentence this way? Joe and Jim walked down the street, and, at the corner, Joe found a nickel. This is just an example. More importantly, I need to know in general case scenarios. Also, does this apply to an 'if clause' starting the second part of the sentence?


Constraint vs. Restriction

I've seen _constraint and restriction_ used quite often in scientific literature. For example, > This algorithm needs to be further improved due to severe space constraint > and restriction. I simply can't figure out the subtle difference between constraint and restriction. They seem to be circularly defined according to each other. I assume that they must be different in some way. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been used together so often. If they were really close enough in meaning, why not just drop one and use the other? Or are they used in combination to place an emphasis?


Etymology of "to coin a phrase"

Quite simply — who coined the phrase "to coin a phrase"? I'm sure it wasn't one person, but it's the origin that is of interest.


How to use "what kind of"

If I look at a book about vehicles, can I say “What kind of vehicle is it?" to get the answer “It’s a bike." (or a truck, a car, a motorcycle, etc)? Is that question correct or not? How should I ask?


What is a polite way to call something a conspiracy theory?

"Conspiracy" has ~~acquired~~ a negative connotation.   [Edit: As pointed out in the comments, it has always had a negative connotation.] If you tell or even insinuate to someone that what they are saying is a conspiracy theory you can be assured that the conversation will soon be coming to an end and the person might begin to dislike you. Perhaps there is a conspiracy in this, but the word itself has become tainted with terrible imagery. When you hear "conspiracy" you start thinking of a bearded crackpot wearing a tinfoil hat living in a cabin the woods with no internet connection and a shotgun by the bed. If you tell someone that you think what they are saying is a conspiracy theory they will start to think you are seeing them as the bearded crackpot. They might think you do not respect them (who respects that type of character?) which can lead to resentment and eventually dislike. This is fine if you are talking to someone you don't like, don't know or have no intention of becoming friends with. But when you are talking to friends and / or family members this is not the desired outcome. Even when you don't think this about your friend of family member they can still become offended. **So the question is** , how can you tell someone that you think what they are saying is a conspiracy theory without offending them? Thank you.


Question about interrogations in past tense

In regard to this answer, my question is similar but that answer is not clear. I want to know why we use base form of verb, e.g. 'go' to form the past tense instead of past form such as 'went'? > Question: Did you go to a bank? (Why we use 'go' here, rather than 'went'?)   >  Answer: I went to a bank. Am I confusing verb forms with tenses? Please note that I'm not a native speaker so some clarification or reference on this would be helpful.


How to use verb with did

I have a question on using verb. >   * Did you call me yesterday? >   * Did you called me yesterday? > Which one is correct? _Did_ says the incident happened in past so I don't know if I can use _called_. Please advice.


Which of the two is correct usage?

> What **did** they **have** for lunch? or > What **did** they **had** for lunch?


"Did you contacted them" or "did you contact them"

>   * Did you **contacted** them? >   * Did you **contact** them? > Which of above sentences is correct? If both are correct, what's the difference between them? In which scenarios can I use them?


doesn't has to /have to

Why do we use _have_ instead of _has_ with _doesn't_ like in the following sentence: He **doesn't have** (not has) to go there. Please explain the grammatical reason behind it. Thanks


Is there a more modern way to say "it's a pity"?

Is it okay nowadays to use the phrase **"it's a pity"** in the everyday conversation in the contexts like in following example: > "Please how do I get to airport?"   >  "It's a pity, I don't know." If not, what would be an appropriate equivalent? **Edited (added):** As it follows from answers, this phrase is almost never used by native English speakers. Could you please specify how this phrase sounds for native speaker - as too formal or as archaic or anything else?


Onomatopoeia Across Languages

Every language has its stock of onomatopoeic expressions, but they vary across nationalities and cultures. For example, the American “bow wow” (a rapper’s name) has its Japanese equivalent in “wan-wan.” And the Korean equivalent is probably “mong mong.” The American “pitter-patter” has “para-para” in Japanese. American “chugalug,” Japanese “goku-goku.” And many others. Of course the Japanese expressions above are written in Romaji or Western script, but there’s no denying that the whole reception of sounds is different. My question is: Is there any technical term (or subfield) that can be used to refer to or that can best summarize this phenomenon? Of how almost exactly the same events would lead to completely different onomatopoeia across languages?


"Before" vs. "in front of"

Especially in speeches I often hear a sentence like > I stand here before you... However during my English classes in school (I'm German) we were told that **before** should only be used if you're referring to the passage of time ( _before_ we arrived at the party we left our home). When referring to a location **in front of** should be the choice of words (Peter is standing _in front of_ me, so I'm standing behind him). So, what's the answer to my confusion?


How should I end sentences with a URL as the last word?

For example, > The website I was referring to is hosted at > http://english.stackexchange.com. How should I place the fullstop at the end?


When was "goodbye" in its most modern form first used?

I've seen when the word transitioned from _Godbwye_ to _goodbwye_ , but when did it become _goodbye_?


Origin of "good night"

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  What is the origin of the word "goodbye"? These are probably the most used two words in our day-to-day conversations. We normally use superlative degrees all the time to emphasize something strongly. That being the case why we don't use "better night" or "best night"? How did "good night" become such an integral part of our usage when we had other options?


Does "carnival barker" mean the opposite of "barker"?

I saw the following line in an article in _Forbes_ (April 27) dealing with President Obama’s release of his long-form birth certificate: > "We're not going to be able to solve our problems if we get distracted by > sideshows and carnival barkers." -President Obama, on the controversy, stoked by Donald Trump, over whether he was born in the United States As I was unfamiliar with the phrase _carnival barker_. I looked for the meaning on on-line dictionaries, and found the definition: "one who hangs out outside a party and warns people **not to go _in_ for any reason"** (my emphasis) at Urban Dictionary. _Barker_ , as I understand, means "a person who stands outside a place where there is entertainment and shouts to people to _go in_ ," as Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary defines. I was puzzled why _barker_ , who is supposed to solicit people to _come in_ , comes to mean one who warns people _not to go in_ simply by being prefixed with _carnival_. Can somebody explain to me why? Is the definition at Urban Dictionary right?


Confusion over "respected" in the following sentence

I'm confused what this sentence means. Does it mean that many people consider X respected, or that a few people consider X respected? > not a few people consider respected and X to be an oxymoron Side question: is this sentence structure convoluted or is it just me?


What is the longest word you can come up with that the letters are all in alphabetical order?

It's Friday again, how about some fun to get us into the weekend? What is the longest word you can come up with for which all the letters in that word are in alphabetical order? Rules:   * English words only    * Can't be a name of a place, person or other proper noun.    * if it contains the same letter twice in a row, that does not disqualify it.    * No fair looking it up on Google! Update: One more rule to help you guys out.   * The word can be in either ascending or descending alphabetical order.


Meaning of "slow boring of hard boards"

What is the meaning of "slow boring of hard boards"? The full text is given here.


A single word meaning doubt and unsettledness

What is a single word suggesting doubt in the heart coupled with unsettledness? One could doubt without being unsettled by an affair - I want a single word combining the two.


Why is there a definite article before "Hague"?

Teaching definite and indefinite articles to Slavic students is very challenging because they don't have articles in their native languages. For instance, I have quite a few students who use "the" liberally, i.e., before names of cities ("I live in the Prague."). I often tell my students that names of cities usually aren't preceded by the definite article. In fact, I can only think of two exceptions: The Hague and the Vatican (though the latter is probably short for the Vatican State). Which leads me to my question: Why do we say "THE Hague"? Thanks a lot!


How do you write an ellipsis following an abbreviation?

Consider the following sentence (off of the top of my head just to illustrate an example): > I hate the N.C.A.A....but I understand that it's a necessary evil. When following an abbreviation with an ellipsis, should you have three or four dots? Should the period following the last "A" in "N.C.A.A." be omitted or included, given the ellipsis right afterwards?


When a sentence starts with "e.g.", should the e be capitalized?

When a sentence starts with _e.g._ , should the e be capitalized? Neverminding that it might be better to start with "For example," ... Thinking of SE posts and comments, should the starting e be capitalized?


Parentheses vs. double commas vs. dashes to provide additional detail

When do you use commas and when do you use parentheses to provide more detail about something? For example:   * The suspect, Tom Wilson, is now being charged with murder.   * The suspect (Tom Wilson) is now being charged with murder.   * John Smith, a member of the jury, agreed with the verdict.   * John Smith (a member of the jury) agreed with the verdict.   * The first example, the one about the fox, is the more valid one.   * The first example (the one about the fox) is the more valid one. I realize that the first example, the one that uses parentheses, is probably more valid in this case (if anyone has a better example, please include it), but when, if ever, would you favor parentheses? **Update:**   I realize that dashes are sometimes used for similar situations, so I'd appreciate information on these as well. For example:   * The children—who are wearing shoes—will go on the trip   * The children, who are wearing shoes, will go on the trip   * The children (who are wearing shoes) will go on the trip


Am I using commas for parenthesis properly here?

I read an article about using commas for parenthesis and I want to make sure that I understand it properly. So can you guys tell me if I am using commas correctly in the following examples? Examples: My Mum, Jane Smith, is a nice lady. Jake Mole, who is from Manchester, was arrested last night. My daughter, Louise, is very helpful. ( Would this change to no commas if you had more than one daughter? For example if you had three daughters, how would you know which one is being talked about? ) My dog, which has one eye, is my best friend. Those are my examples. So, am I using them right? If not, if you guys could explain to me how to properly use commas as parenthesis then that would be great. :)


Two questions about question tag

I want to ask about two sentences, and what would be the correct way to form a question: > It's very important that we eat healthy food, ...........?   * Which would be the correct question tag: ( _isn't it_ ) or ( _don't we_ )? > It's a must that all applicants follow the rules of the competition, > ..........?   * Which would the correct question tag: ( _isn't it_ ) or ( _don't they_ ) or ( _mustn't they_ )? Please could you tell me the correct answers, and, more importantly, why those are correct?


How can I use “must have been”?

_Must have been_ can have two meanings— it depends on the text. _Must have p.p._ doesn't always mean that, for instance, something did not occur— it might occur. For instance: > Clerks must have been in the garden. > >   1. Clerks who have to be in the garden, but they were not. > >   2. Clerks who have to be in the garden were in the garden. > > Am I right?


"In" or "At" sole discretion

We're drafting some legal stuff, and our lawyer used this phrasing... > ...whether any particular enhancement is to be categorized as such shall be > made **in** the sole reasonable discretion of [company]... I always thought it was " **at** the sole discretion of..." Are there situations where "in" is permissible or preferred?


What's the difference between "dissatisfied" and "unsatisfied"?

Is there a clear-cut difference between _dissatisfied_ and _unsatisfied_?


Is there any word or phrase meaning that internet connection is unstable?

If you can read Chinese, what I want to ask is translate this "我的网络很卡." to English. For example, I want to use a native expression describing a situation about downloading a file from internet, like sometimes the download speed is over 500 k/s, sometimes is less 5 k/s, it changes frequently. Another example is that like I am playing internet game, sometimes it's fluent , sometimes the character is not moving. I am not sure you can understand my words. **By the way, in Chinese it is an adjective with meaning that is prone to negative.** Thanks so much.


What does "taking mock offence" mean?

What does "taking mock offence" mean? It is said in brackets in a play as a kind of comment how the character behaves or says the following words. I can't find it anywhere.


Is there any phrase like "with the idea of" > _**with the idea of_** reducing the complexities, we introduce an added > smoothing step. I was googling to find example usages, but couldn't. so please any one give some alternatives if this phrase is not valid. some synonim phrases are also welcome to learn. thanks


How popular is ‘Contrafibularities’ as a day-to-day English word?

I found the phrase “My sincerest contrafibularities, Tim” given to one of the comments to my question about the word, 'Cromulent' in EL&U site. As I was totally unfamiliar with the word, ‘contrafibularities’ (as well as 'Cromulent'), I checked Cambridge, Oxford, and Merriam-Webster online dictionary. None of them registers ‘Contrafibularities.’ GoogleNgram doesn’t carry this word either. However, I was able to find the definition of this word as ‘A form of congratulations as used by Edmund Blackadder to mock Doctor Samuel Johnson, author of the dictionary’ in www.urbandictionary.com, and its origin; Blackadder: "Allow me to be the first to offer Dr. Johnson my most sincere contrafibularities! I am anaspeptic ... Contrafibularities: Obviously from contra, against, + fibula, the smaller of the two bones in the lower leg. Means 'pulling one's leg,' in www.reviewers-choice.com. I don’t understand why combination of prefix ‘contra’ and ‘fibula’ come to form the meaning of ‘Congratulations.’ But as it looks like the salute giver used this word quite casually (I think) to congratulate a comment poster, the word (contrafibularities) wouldn’t be any unusual word. However, I would like to make sure of popularity and usability of this word. The word may be taken for granted as casually among native English speakers even among cab-drivers and burger-shop waitresses (I use these jobs just for the purpose of reffering to an average person). But, if I speak this word in conversation with or use in writing to native speakers, am I ridiculed or jeered by them as being awkward?


Inverse for the word "define"

Is there a word that is the inverse of "define"? Like taking a definition and giving the word? For example. If you said "The action of propelling one self from a surface using leg muscles", and I said "Jump", I would have done _this_.


'Expired' or 'Passed away'?

When someone dies, do we say they _expired_ or _passed away_? Does the word _expired_ give any more respect when used? Or less respect than _passed away_?


Participles? Present participles? Are they nouns too?

A participle is just a infinitive verb + ing right? A participle is also used as an adjective a lot of the time right? For ex: "She looks at the rising sun". The present participle here is an adjective here right? The participle can also be a noun right? For example: "Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall". So "failing" and "rising" seems like verbs to me. How can you help me see these words as nouns? I don't get why they are nouns.


Is 'I will definitely be living away from the shop' correct?

I want to say that I'm definitely going to change my address and live elsewhere, but I don't know the exact day when I'm going to live there, it will happen in a time of one year. Or should I use: 'I will definitely live'? Thank you.


Using the article twice or once in "a more practical and a useful approach"?

>   * In this regard, heating seems to be **a** more practical and useful > approach. >   * In this regard, heating seems to be **a** more practical and **a** > useful approach. > What is the general rule for use of _a/an/the_ in these type of cases?


What does "barely" imply?

When someone says, > I barely understand that. Does he mean: >   1. He almost doesn't understand [which means he understands a bit] >   2. He almost understands [which means he doesn't understand] > Or if someone says: > Your brain is barely used. Does he mean: >   1. Your brain is almost not used [which means, it is used, but very > rarely] >   2. Your brain is almost used [which means it isn't] > I used to think that it was the first option. But a friend, out of the blue, said it was the second one. Which one is it? Or have my friend and I got it entirely wrong? Are there other words with similar meanings to _barely_? Is _nearly_ one of them?


What do you call something that reads and writes files?

In programming, it's common to write a class that both reads and writes files. What do you call this type of thing? Is it a file handler? A file parser? A file provider? A file streamer? How about a filer? Or do you just call it a file reader and leave it at that?


What's the meaning of "as it did" in this sentence?

> Islamic law is the result of an examination, from a religious angle, of > legal subject matter that was far from uniform, comprising _as it did_ the > various components of the laws of pre-Islamic Arabia and numerous legal > elements taken over from the non-Arabnpeoples of the conquered territories.


Place interrogation mark within question with "dashed"-comment

I'm trying to figure out where should I place an iterrogation mark in the sentence below. First, what I want to say:               Does X mean X, or does it mean Y? As we talked before about X meaning Y.      And here is the way I'd like to write it:               Does X mean X, or does it mean Y -- as we talked before?      Although I write things that way very often, I'm not sure this grammatical construction is allowed. Is the `?` correctly placed (gramatically, I mean), or should I write it differently? This way looks very strange to me:               Does X mean X, or does it mean Y? -- as we talked before.      but sometimes seems more correct than the first one. Any references on where to place an interrogation mark while writing a question with a _dashed_ -comment? P.S.: I'm not a native english speaker, yet I actually do not know the answer for this question neither in english nor in portuguese (my native language).


A word that means "un-waning''

I wanted to use the word "unwaning" (or, perhaps, un-waning), as in "for his unwaning enthusiasm". However, no decent (online) dictionary I've consulted seems to recognize it. What other word would you use? Does "unwaning" sound weird, or does it sound right to a native speaker?


Adjective + "of them"

My wife and I were discussing whether it is allowable to put an adjective in front of "of them". For instance, I could say "I want 5 cats" and "I want 5 of them". However, while it sounds perfectly normal to say "I want 5 new cats", "I want 5 new of them" doesn't roll of the tongue very smoothly. If it is incorrect to place an adjective in front of "of them"?


Should I capitalize the "G" in "God Particle" when referring to the Higgs Boson particle?

I'm researching the Higgs Boson particle and have always preferred to call it the "god Particle" or even the "Champagne Particle". But the capitalization of the "G" has thrown me off. I'm conflicted on giving this a capital "G" since it appears to be the assumed proper noun for the particle, and has nothing to do with the monotheistic religion. An earlier answer on this site has a great comment of : > "Capitalize the word god when it is used as a proper name as the name of the > god of a monotheistic religion, such as the god of Christianity or Judaism, > and not capitalize it when it is used as a common noun" What should be done to avoid confusion, and not get into a religious debate?


"advert" and "adverse": same etymoloty but unrelated meanings?

From Wiktionary and other similar sources like etymonline, the meanings of "advert" and "adverse" are: > advert: turn attention > > adverse: Unfavorable; antagonistic in purpose or effect; hostile; actively > opposing one's interests or wishes; contrary to one's welfare; acting > against; working in an opposing direction. "ad-" means "to", while "verse" and "vert" both mean "turn". How shall I understand that they share same etymology but have unrelated meanings?


"Lay on the bed" vs. "lay in the bed"

Which one is more grammatically correct? >   * I lay _on_ the bed. >   * I lay _in_ the bed. >


Usage of "contributive" vs. "contributory"

Which of the two is more correct? > _contributory capacity_ or _contributive capacity_ (referred to the capacity of a province in ancient Mesopotamia to contribute to state demand for foodstuffs)


Differences between "world-view" and "ideology"

These terms have slightly different nuances in meaning and connotation. Would you use _world-view_ in an academic discussion? What is the correct context? For example, would you say creationism is an ideology, atheism a world view? What is a simple criterion to differentiate usage?


Is there a word for "drab" with a positive connotation?

Let's imagine that I want to say the following, replacing the word _drab_ : > This painting is beautifully drab. I'm particularly thinking of when you describe a piece of art. Usually something lacking in color _is_ drab, but occasionally the lack of strong colors is appropriate and positive, if that makes sense. I have searched through the thesaurus for synonyms of "drab" and antonyms to synonyms of "colorful". As far as I can tell all of the results are generally negative in meaning. Is there a word or am I searching for something that does not exist?


Is ‘beetle-black eyes’ expressing their owner’s character?

> Hagrid's real intention, however, was to talk to Harry away from the rest of > the class. He waited until everyone else had set off with their skrewts, > then turned to Harry and said, very seriously, "So – yer competin', Harry. > In the tournament. School champion." > > “One of the champions,” Harry corrected him. > > Hagrid's **beetle-black eyes** looked very anxious under his wild eyebrows. > > (p294, Harry Potter 4, US edition) There’s not so many varieties in eye color in people of my country and therefore in novels, except for in figurative expressions. This might be why eye-color descriptions draw my attention. ' _Beetle_ -black eyes', not just black, is sometimes referred in the story as if it is Hagrid's trademark I searched the Net for beetle-black and had an impression that the color is bright and pure black. Now I'm just wondering it might be connected to Hagrid's character and mentioned when the writer wants to emphasize his pureness. However, this is just a wild guess because I don't know English speaking people commonly connect eye color and people’s character, just like astrology. I'd like to know if 'beetle-black eyes' is related to Hagrid's character. I'd be happy if you could help me!


Changing active to passive?

Given the sentence: > They took some pictures of me in the park. What is the passive form of this sentence? I have tried: I was taken pictures of in the park. Is this correct expressions in English?


Which is more affirmative: "I think" or "I guess"?

In South Asia, we tend to use "I think" when we are almost sure about something; or sometimes use it ironically like in example "I think you should have done this yesterday". "I guess", on the other hand, is used when the person is not sure himself like in "I guess you come here often". Now as I talked to some North American people, I noticed that they use the two terms oppositely. That is, "I guess" when they are almost sure and "I think" when not. So I want to know which is the correct way to use these terms? Or are they just equivalent?


Should an ending semicolon be underlined?

Should the semicolon at the end of an underlined heading also be underlined?


"had me a blast" - what use of "have" is it?

Reading the Summer love lyrics, the lyrics go as follows: "summer love, had me a blast". I know that "have a blast" means to enjoy etc. But I do not think I could say "it has me a blast".


Various meanings of "mind and do" which can mean "be cautious/careful to do", "take notice/give heed and do", and "behave obediently and do"

How would you native speakers define the meaning of "mind and do" in the following examples: _I will **mind and do** as I am told, Master Yoda_... _**Mind and do** your work properly_... _As long as you **mind and don't get** in the way_... http://www.abilitymaine.org/breath/win14d.html _Please **mind and don't bin** (=wreck) your LHD headlights_... http://www.300zx.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?152694-Not-a-good-day-!!!!!! _Please **mind and do** something for those guys_... http://forum.justac.net/index.php?topic=1168.0 _Please **mind and not fall** into the platform gap_... http://des- talk.blogspot.fr/2012/06/please-mind-platform-gap.html _Please **mind and let** us know_... http://katieleungfan.com/page/2/


Is there a word for a job role created that gives no practical benefit?

I'm trying to find if there is a word or term for a job role that has been created by a manager that gives no real practical benefit to the business, but was done to give the illusion of change. Say for instance a manager of a failing factory wants to convince the owners he can still turn the business around. He makes a change by creating a new deputy foreman role and says this will increase productivity, but in reality he is just reallocating existing duties from other posts to buy time. The closest word I could think of was stooge, but this doesn't sound right as it describes the person not the job. Any ideas?


Word for two things that are opposite yet the same

Is there a word or short phrase that describes two contrasting ideas the ultimately end up the same? Like two ends of a spectrum that can wrap around? I'm using it to describe two foils for a character that ultimately end up being in the same boat. This could also refer to examples such as Fascism and Communism, where the ends are very similar, but all other aspects are entirely different.


"What kind of a person" vs. "what kind of person"

I often hear people saying _what kind of [singular noun]_ rather than _what kind of **a** [singular noun]_. Are we not supposed to use an article ( _a_ ) before noun?


Connotation of "appease"

Is "Bob did what he could in his capability to appease them" a positive or negative comment about Bob?