Are there any words I can use to disambiguate "biweekly"?

We have two words for events occurring in periods of years - _biannual_ meaning twice a year, and _biennial_ meaning once every two years. However, my colleagues talk about having meetings _biweekly_. This causes a lot of confusion, since it can mean either once every two weeks or twice a week. We can use _fortnightly_ to indicate once every two weeks and help disambiguate that way. Are there any other words we could use which could help, particularly words which mean "twice a week"? I'm looking particularly because some of my colleagues speak English only as a second language, and find _fortnightly_ difficult to remember.


Can the word "opportunity" be used as a non-countable noun? Can I say "a lot of opportunity" like in "a lot of exposure" or "a lot of pressure"?


What is the word/phrase for someone between expert and novice?

I come across various people within my field (software developer) and people who are related to my field (the marketing/business people). Many a time when I want to opine or express my question/answer, I find that I need to tell them what my current position in the field is. Am I an expert? Am I complete novice("n00b")? But most, if not all the time, I feel that I am at an intermediary position between the two. A person who is familiar with the technical terms and has sufficient knowledge to talk about it, but not with deep understanding of each and every aspect of it. (To put it other way : I know what I am talking about, and I am sure the person in front of me has no expertise in the field, but I want to sound modest and keep a loophole by saying I am not an expert). I find my self at loss to express this fact and I am afraid that without expressing this fact, the other person will not get the context and complete meaning of what I am trying to say/explain. (And might get back to me when things dont go as expected :P) Kindly suggest a word or a phrase for this. It would be really cool if you can allow expressing different shades/colors to it (close to expert or close to novice) Edit : I know the term 'intermediary' or 'intermediate' level, but I am looking for more expressive word than that (read the brackets, basically I want to sound modest by saying i am not an expert yet I want them to feel that I am an expert)


What is a clear and precise way to describe a plan to build a system based on a particular COTS product?

I am writing an experience report about a recent technology consulting engagement. The intended audience is not necessarily familiar with consulting, the bidding process, or even particularly technical. In the summary I wrote the following statement: > While working at [X Inc.], I co-authored a successful proposal to develop > the system based on a business process management system called [Foo]. Several reviewers of the report were confused by that sentence. Foo is a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) product business process management system that can be customized to a particular application. Some were unsure whether Foo was a requirement specified in the request for proposals or if it was something my team at X Inc. proposed. (It was something we proposed). Others were unclear what exactly it means to develop a system based on Foo. (We customize Foo to the particular application). What can you suggest as a replacement?


Singular or plural form of "digit" when referring to digits of individual numbers?

"Jim and John have strong right arms." I believe the usage of plural form of "arm" here is correct. Now, I am confused about we should use singular or plural form of "digit" in the following sentence. "All multiples of 10 have 0 as their units digits." How about this? "All even numbers have even units digits." Also, please explain the grammar rule along with the answer.


Should "So", "Therefore", "Hence", and "Thus" be followed by commas?

Often, I have come across sentences that begin with "So". Should such an usage of "So" be followed by a comma? Are the following examples correct.   1. He is very good at computers. So, I think he can fix your computer.   2. When we multiply an even number with another even number, the result is an even number. So, the square of an even number is an even number. What happens if we choose to use "Therefore", "Hence", or "Thus" instead of "So"? Do the rules still remain the same?   1. When we multiply an even number with another even number, the result is an even number. Therefore, the square of an even number is an even number.   2. When we multiply an even number with another even number, the result is an even number. Hence, the square of an even number is an even number.   3. When we multiply an even number with another even number, the result is an even number. Thus, the square of an even number is an even number.


Which is the correct sentence: "I like living by ocean" , "I like living by the ocean" or "I like living by the sea"? I want to say I love ocean and I like staying nearby ocean. **Update:** I had been living in east coast cities of North America. Now I live in a west coast city of North America. I would love telling people I always living nearby ocean because I love staying nearby ocean.


Difference between "On your mark, get set, go" and "Ready, steady, go"

Watching _Kipper_ with my son tonight, I was struck by the phrase "Ready, steady, go!" I don't often hear this sequence. In my upbringing, it has been mostly "On your mark, get set, go!" I had thought the difference might be between British English and North American English, but when I search for "Ready Steady Go," I get a whole lot of unrelated hits related to music. Is there a regional preference in the usage of these phrases to start a race, or are they perhaps associated with particular sports?


"Know" and "know not"

I don't recognise the name Herb Sutter. >   * I don't know him. > >   * I know him not. > > What's the difference?


What's the name for period of arrival ahead of time?

I need the antonym of delay - name of the period before early arrival/departure and the scheduled one. A bus that arrives five minutes _late_ has five minutes of **delay**. A bus that departs five minutes _ahead of schedule_ has 5 minutes of (what?) Note, it's not about surplus when you have saved up extra five minutes, but about a violation of schedule, when you arrive to the stop on time and can only shake your fist at the bus vanishing in the distance. Technical or scientific, formal terms are most welcome although common are acceptable too.


Mow the lawn, cut the grass, mow the yard, cut the yard ...what is correct?

This weekend I mowed the yard. My neighbor says he cut the grass. Did I cut the grass, or maybe I mowed the lawn, or did I cut the yard? When does one mow, and when does one cut? Is it grass, or yard, or lawn?


Word for survival probability between ages

What is the term for the odds of someone dying by a given age if they are already some age? For example, the odds of them living to 100 if they are currently 90, or the odds of living to 60 if they are currently 10.


Modern etymology of "embedded"

Oxford Dictionaries Online defines _embedded_ in the meaning I'm interested in as: > Definition of **embed**   >  _verb_ ( **embeds, embedding, embedded** )   >  [ _with object_ ] > >   * (often as adjective **embedded** ) design and build (a microprocessor) > as an integral part of a system or device:   >  _it eliminates the need for an embedded controller on the plotter_ > Etymonline traces the word back to a geological term, but I doubt system engineers reached to geology in coining this meaning, and while nowadays the use is widespread and common, as I think about it, there are other ways to phrase this kind of relationship/property that must have felt just as, or more intuitive — _integral_ , _intristic_ , _bound_ , _inherent_ , _ingrained_ , _nested_. I'm interested in origins of this use of this word. Who, when, in what context used it first in this meaning? Any backstory/motivation?


"Restricted quality" vs. "limited quality"

I want to express that an entity has different levels of quality concerning some criterion and these levels are ordered. For an example, I have five different levels: Entity X is of   1. high quality   2. medium quality   3. limited quality   4. restricted quality   5. no quality I am unsure about the ordering of _limited/restricted_. Can _limited/restricted_ be used to make a difference in this context or do they mean the same? Is there a better choice of words that refer to _minor_ (less than medium) quality, but which can be ordered in the above fashion?


Where does the term "tuck shop" come from?

We used to a have a tuck shop at school that sold sausage rolls, pens and pencils etc. Where does the word come from?


Superlative + noun + "possible": why does the adjective come after the noun?

Does someone happen to have an explanation or theory for why in phrases like "the best method possible" the word 'possible' comes after the noun?


Is the phrase "a stark contrast" redundant?

Merriam-Webster defines stark as _"sharply delineated."_ The same dictionary defines a contrast as a _"juxtaposition of dissimilar elements."_ Doesn't it follow then that _"a stark contrast"_ essentially means _"a juxtaposition of very different different elements?"_ If so, would _"a great contrast"_ make an acceptable substitute?


Can the word "hair" be used in a sentence without any adjective modifying it?

Our teacher of linguistics gave us this example: > "the beautiful girl has got a long dark hair" and said that "beautiful" was a necessary complement, and that "long", "dark" and "hair" were modifiers. I found that illogical, and thought that the complement was rather "hair". But in this case, if the remaining words are modifiers, and "the girl", "has got" and "hair" are necessary elements of the sentence, would the sentence > "the girl has got (a) hair" ("hair" is uncountable, isn't it?) be correct?


Is schmuck really an obscene word?

_Schmuck_ is supposedly an obscene Yiddish term for the male sex organ, yet it appears all of the time in the media as an American idiom for a jerk. Can one use it in polite company?


Is it "Ministry of Economy" or "Ministry of the Economy"?

Recently, a government official gave me a business card that stated the official's department as "Ministry of Economy." I did a double take, because, in my mind, I took that to mean "Ministry of Thrift" or "Ministry of Frugality" rather than the department that oversees a nation's economy. As a non-native English speaker, I would have used "Ministry of the Economy" to refer to the latter concept. However, a quick search online showed the usage "Ministry of Economy" to be rather prevalent. Could anyone please clear this up for me?


Difference between "size" and "magnitude"

Following the comments to this answer to another question, what is the difference between _size_ and _magnitude_? I know there's a difference, but can someone put it in a nutshell for me?


What does "waive off" mean?

I understand that when you _waive_ something you forego it or give it up. e.g. > I waive my [right to] free coffee. I also understand that a _waiver_ is a document stating that you waive your rights to something, but I read the phase _waive off_ and I don't quite understand it. The context was > personA: Live slugs! > > personB: Waive off! Waive off! This is just a practice run! I see that _waive off_ means _stop_ , or _go away_ or something like that but I can't exactly put a specific meaning to it. What does _waive off_ mean?


Can we use "workaround to this" instead of "solution to this"?

While searching for the meaning I got this. > **Wordkaround** \- a method for overcoming a problem or limitation in a > program or system. Which means almost the same as " **solution** ".   So, can we use " _workaround to this_ " instead of " _solution to this_ " in a sentence? For example-   * This issue is getting more complicated. I want a **workaround to this**.   * Math is not real fun unless you have the **workaround to these equations**. Is it okay to use this combination in a sentence? Does it hold a different meaning?   And what are the other precautions?


What's the word for the reversability of equal and opposite actions?

I'm trying to describe a desirable behaviour in user-interfaces (computer interfaces and machine interfaces) such that if you do the action and its opposite action once or more than once (assuming you don't reach an edge/limit) you should end up in the same state. For example:   1. Pressing **right** moves the cursor right one character and pressing **left** moves the cursor left one character. If you press **right** five times then **left** five times the cursor will be in the same place, because **right** and **left** are `______`.   2. **Undo** and **Redo** are `______`. If you **Undo** 3 times then **Redo** 3 times you should be back to the same state.   3. Of a tool where the effect of one control depends on the current value of another control: The **length** and **radius** controls are NOT `______` when used together. **Length** is `______` while **radius** remains fixed and **radius** is `______` while **length** remains fixed, but adjusting either breaks the `______ity` of the other one. Answers to this question offer some good hints, but I don't think any of those are quite right. "Commutative" and "Associative" seem somehow appropriate, but are clearly specific to mathematics.


Is "mandatoriness" a commonly used word? I am intending to use it in a technical paper.


Words that result from a gradual distortion of other words

Among others, I've heard the following words and their supposed origins:   * Beef: Comes from the french word "boeuf".   * Marmelade: Contraction of "Mary" and "malade" according to some story about a doctor using a mixture including oranges to treat Mary Queen of Scots.   * Mayday: Could come from the french expression "M'aider". Is there a technical term to describe words like this that come from the gradual distortion of other words (either more ancient or of foreign origin)?


Need a word for the inability to feel anger

I need a term for the inability to feel anger. Features desired:   1. Single word   2. Prefer connotations of incapacity rather than benefit   3. Prefer reasonably clear specificity to anger   4. More clinical tone slightly preferred over less clinical To illustrate what I mean by #2 and #3, I considered _serenity_ , but that word has positive connotations rather than connoting incapacity, and implies the absence of emotions besides anger (fear, for example).


Is it "superior of" or "superior to"?

Is it "superior of" or "superior to"? In a sentence: > We conclude that our proposed model is _superior to_ the base case. or > We conclude that our proposed model is _superior of_ the base case.


Punctuation of a list within a list

I'm trying to form a list like the following: > I'm interested in new technologies such as web development using various > javascript packages including: node.js;meteor.js;backbone.js, contributing > to open source projects on github, and getting my hands deep into code. Is the way I list the three javascript packages correct? Or would you suggest something different?


"I'm Spanish" or "I'm a Spanish"?

Which one is correct? I am quite sure about "I'm Spanish", but is it wrong if I add an "a" before "Spanish"?


Would you regret "of" not doing something?

"Would you regret of not doing something?" Is this sentence ok? using "of" is correct? or using "for" or nothing? Please help :)


"The European raw materials" or "European raw materials"?

I am confused about the usage of "the" before _European, British_. I am able to find situations where "the" before European, to denote the people of Europe, and the European army to denote the army of Europe. However, I was equally able to find "the" not being used before European when they are denote non-living or emotional things. Like "European raw materials". Please advise me on this!


Pluralization of savings and costs (plural expressions of plural quantities)

I have a list of savings, expressed in terms of the items that necessitate the original costs. For example, say that I have to purchase sewing material. My first question is: in expressing the amount of money required to obtain this material over the course of a year, should I say _Sewing Material Cost_ or _Sewing Material Costs_? In the act of purchasing material, there is a set _cost_ per unit of product. However, when discussing the cumulative money spent on material in a year -- the sum of multiple purchases -- do you use the plural? Now, I want to express the amount of money saved in my material purchasing expenses. I would say _Savings of Material Costs_ (savings of material cost doesn't seem to make sense to me), which ultimately becomes _Material Costs Savings_. This, for some reason, seems weird to me. Something resembling _material costs savings_ is where I want to end up, but I'm not sure if my grammatical composition is correct.


Word for thing with positive and negative consequences

What word can I use for a thing with positive and negative consequences? For example, taking a cab rather than driving has its advantages and disadvantages.


Accurate British English term for an oblong deck from shore out into a lake where you tie your rowing boat

This is a typical image of the structure in question: ![the structure in question](http://i.stack.imgur.com/JJmvV.jpg) There are also some variations, shown in this Google image search. But I'm after the often not very wide, some 20-30 feet long wood construction a family builds (or hires someone to build...) for their summerhouse. For the kids to get out a bit so they can dive in the water or do some fishing, and to tie their small rowing-boat or motorboat to (not yacht). It's rarely the big, square deck with chairs to sit and look over the lake; usually no more than 5-6 feet wide; just for walking out to the boat or the front of it to jump in the water. What I've come up with so far is landing-stage, but a Google Images search for this brings up big entertainment piers and some other things, so I'm unsure. **Purpose/context:** This is for a translation into British English of a text concerning construction of decks, front steps, "landing-stages", gates and other objects using the same product: pressure-impregnated lumber. I'm after the synonym that you think conjures up the image at the very top in the mind of British readers. It can be an accurate term or collective term; as long as it's distinct from "deck". If not a construction term, at least a term for the construction, as opposed to "object for doing x". I need to describe the construction/object itself, not a place or a generic word pertaining to function (without it ALSO meaning the concrete object itself). Using a term for the construction in which poles are driven into the lake bed is fine, although some float they have poles with rings to hold the construction in place horizontally. **Which one of pier, jetty, or landing(-stage) is most apt?** Which of these can one person order deck planks, joists, and screws for, and build using normal tools and apply oil on with a paintbrush? This is what I'm after.


What does "credit card sized" mean?

Just about any site mentioning Raspberry Pi computer will say it's _credit card sized_. Yes, length and width of Raspberry Pi exactly match those of a credit card, but a creadit card is 0.76 millimeters thick and Raspberry Pi is 17 millimeters thick and so it's 22,4 times thicker. In my native language being 22 times thicker than a credit card disqualifies a thing from being credit card sized even when length and width match those of a credit card. In English what exactly does _credit card sized_ mean? Does it include all dimensions or only length and width?


Do most languages need more space than English?

I saw the following statement on User Experience: > Supporting multiple languages can break the user interface, because most > languages need more space than english This seems to be a gross generalisation. Does anyone have any data on this?


"Suited to" vs. "suited for"

Is there a difference between _suited to_ and _suited for_? For example, > Japan is suited for agriculture. > > Agriculture is suited to Japan. In my above examples, can I interchange _for_ with _to_? I feel like there is a difference, but I cannot figure it out.


English spelling and grammar exercise database

I have a little odd question, probably borderline applicable to stackoverflow... What I am looking to do is to write a Windows program, which I will give my kids to exercise in English spelling as well as grammar. I want it to be in a quiz-like format (like: If we _*_ [to cycle] to Dresden, it will be a fantastic trip). However if there are too few different sentences in a quiz, kids would just remember those, and they will be filling them mechanically instead of learning, so I need to get an access to a big pool of exercises, and those should be in a program-accessible format - xml, or database, or some text with a clear format. Is anyone aware of any English exercise database available in such form?


What is the time average American male spends ‘on hold’?

In the Time magazine’s article (May 8) titled, "Five lessons about work you won’t learn in school," there was the following amusing statement: “Over the course of a lifetime, the average Americans male spends roughly five months complaining about his boss. This is approximately the same amount of time we spend _on hold_ , and more than twice as long as we spend having sex.” I was interested in the fact that average American males spend time complaining their boss more than twice as long as having sex. But I’m more interested in knowing the meaning of ‘ _on hold’_ in the line, ‘This is approximately the same amount of _time we spend on hold_.” ‘On hold’ of time for what? Kenkyusha’s Readers English Japanese Dictionary at hand defines ‘on hold’ as an idiom meaning ‘stand ready, or pending.’ If so, what is the exact time or thing they spend ‘ _on hold_ ’ i.e., ‘stand ready for’ in their lifetime?


If “latter” comes first, and “former” comes second, what comes third? Or fourth?

If we had an hour long discussion, and discussed 5 topics: A, B, C, D and E in order, to the extent that we are talking about "E" right now, if "D" is the latter, and "C" is the former, what is "B" to be called, following this "latter, former" syntax? Does such a word exist? Bonus question: \- What about A? EDIT (for the regulars, the editors, the potential downvoters): If you think that "former" and "latter" are "only allowed to be used when referencing 2 objects", you're right, yes, "former" and "latter" _are_ only to be used for referencing 2 objects. _However_ , there is always a third object which comes before the former object. You say the former object came first per the definition of "latter" but that's obviously not true in all cases (conversations, interactions, etc). In some cases, the former object might want to reference it's antecedent if it indeed has one. If you've only had two prior interactions with a person, the former would indeed be the first. But if you've had three prior interactions, then there would be an object before the former, wouldn't there? If now is t(0), then the latter is t(-1), the former is t(-2), and the word I'm looking for is t(-3). The bonus, of course, is t(-4).


Why are there two different ways to spell "expediter"?

There seems to be two different ways to spell "expediter":   * expedit **e** r   * expedit **o** r A quick Google search reveals a nearly equal split between the two spellings. Are the two spellings specific to a particular region or culture? Is there some subtle difference in meaning that I am not aware of? Why do we have two different spellings?


Is "right to collect" a phrase that acts as a noun?

Some business folks have asked us to name an "entity" as "Right to Collect." We need entity names to be nouns. To me "Right to Collect" doesn't sound like a noun. What would you best describe this phrase as?


What does "fundamental tenants" mean? (not occupant)

In the following sentence, I'm guessing "tenants" means "design goals" (based on the context): > One of the fundamental **tenants** of Log4j 2 is to use immutable objects > whenever possible and to lock at the lowest granularity possible. I'm not familiar with this usage of "tenants" (there's probably another meaning I'm unaware of) versus this meaning: > **tenant** [ˈtɛnənt]: > > _n._ > >   1. One that pays rent to use or occupy land, a building, or other property > owned by another. >   2. A dweller in a place; an occupant. >   3. _Law_ One who holds or possesses lands, tenements, or sometimes > personal property by any kind of title. > I guessed that it was a typo, but searches for "tennant", "tenent", and "tennent" yielded no results. Can someone please provide the definition (and/or a link)?


Tense agreement in reported speech

> Jack didn't tell me that he **__** my chocolate. > >   1. eats >   2. ate >   3. had eaten >   4. has eaten > I have a hard time figuring out which one to choose and why.


"You are welcome" or "You are welcomed" or "You welcome"

What is the right thing to say ? "You are welcome" "You are welcomed" "You welcome"


Difference between "I've added" and "I added"

Could anybody describe me difference between _I've added_ and _I added?_


"Not bad either" versus "not bad neither"

There are more Google matches for the first sentence, but the last one sounds better to me. Which one is correct?


"ere'" or "before"?

I found "ere" was used a lot by Tolkien and some other authors. When can I use "ere" and when "before" in the following sentence? > Let's go ere I change my mind or > Let's go before I change my mind Is "ere" still used in English?


Does a phrase exist that one uses to another person who is about to sneeze?

"Bless you" or "God bless you" are commonly used **after** a sneeze but does one exist (or was one once commonly used but no longer) when a person is obviously **about to** sneeze?


"I am from" vs. "I am with"

I want to say that I work for Company A or represent it. I see 2 ways to express this:   * I am **from** Company A   * I am **with** Company A Which way is correct one? What are other ways to say it? Specifically, I am using it as username in e-mails to distinguish my e-mails from others that used simply name so recipent of my e-mail sees it in their inbox before opening e-mail. ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/9jluc.png)


/i/ sound before ng and nk

I'm a substitute teacher and recently was teaching a kindergarten class about long i sound. They were crossing out words without long i, circling words with long i. One of the words was ink. I told them no, listen , we don't say i nk (say it with a long i to see what I mean ) and they crossed it out. Later , looking at the teacher's edition, it had ink circled. I thought it was just a mistake then I saw that an ink bottle was actually used as an example in the book for the long i sound . I thought something was terribly wrong so I looked it up in the dictionary--it shows i in ink as a long i sound (I looked at many dictionaries, all were the same). This can't be right but I'm wondering if it's one if those things that's just been accepted and not questioned . Or if it's a category that hasn't been explored yet as needing a separate sound to clarify, like words with r-controlled vowels. Any comments on this would be extremely helpful. **Edit:** I realized I made a mistake with my original post and used long I all the way through. I meant to say that in ink, think, pink, thing, ring, king, etc ., in other words, words ending in nk and ng, the i is usually pronounced more like a long e sound, like e in meet. At least, that is how I have always pronounced it and heard it pronounced. I'm from California so this could be regional, but I've never heard it pronounced with a short i like in it. Fumblefingers listed words in which a short i occurs, including ink, pink, bit, fit. I definitely hear short i in bit and fit , sounds the same. In ink and pink, i does not sound the same to me, nor have I heard people say it with the same i sound as in bit. Unless the i is getting so quickly blended into the ng that it is almost ignored, in which case it should have a special sound category like we teach r controlled vowels. The pronunciation rules could be very different between the US and the UK .


Are the endings "-zation" and "-sation" interchangeable?

What is with words that have forms that end both in _-zation_ and _-sation_ , such as _localization_ and _localisation_? Many spell checkers recommend _-zation_.


Correct use of "ise" vs "ize" at the end of words

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Are the endings "-zation" and "-sation" interchangeable? I am writing some software code and the rule is that we use UK English in all comments. Now, I need to use the word "Initialize" within it and I had a sudden doubt as to whether I should be using the ise or the ize spelling. I did some web searches and it seemed the ize is definitely American English but that it is perfectly acceptable in UK English also. I don't know if this applies to other words that end in the same way so could do with some help. Thanks


Politics: singular or plural?

Which is correct, "politics _is_ out of scope" or "politics _are_ out of scope?"


What is the difference between a "singular noun" and a "plural noun treated as singular"?

I'd always thought that words like "physics" and "mathematics" were singular: after all, we say "physics **_is_** the study of…" etc. But apparently, according to the comments on this question about "news", each of these words is actually a "plural noun [usually treated as singular]". What makes these words plural? Is it the fact that they end in s? (Surely "bus" is not plural?) Is it history? (Were they used as plural at some time? How far back in history does one go to decide whether a noun is singular or plural?) Is it the fact that they don't have any distinct forms treated as plural? Most importantly, why do we even have a grammatical category of "plural nouns treated as singular"? What purpose does it serve, and how are such nouns functionally distinguishable from nouns that are actually singular? When/if the reason is history, is there a rationale for saying "plural nouns treated as singular" rather than "singular nouns that were formerly plural"? **Edit:** My question isn't just about "-ics" words, but all words in the category "plural nouns treated as singular" (assuming that the category isn't just -ics words).


Is "robotics" a plural noun?

> **Possible Duplicates:**   >  Politics: singular or plural?   >  What is the difference between a "singular noun" and a "plural noun treated > as singular"? Which is the correct form, "Robotics **is** no longer […]," "Robotics **are** no longer […]," or "Robotic **is** no longer […]"?


Why is physics pluralised? Why do some countries use 's' and others 'z' in some words?

> **Possible Duplicates:**   >  ** _zation vs *_ *sation?   >  What is the difference between a "singular noun" and a "plural noun treated > as singular"? My question came from looking at this one Why is "math" always pluralized in British English and singular in American English?. Why are words like Mathematics and Physics pluralised? On a side note i just noticied that i used an 's' instead of a 'z' in pluralised. Why do some countries use 's' and others 'z' in some words?


Virtualisation vs Virtualization

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  ** _zation vs *_ *sation? So, there seem to be some contradicting opinions on this matter. Can anyone shed some light on this case? Might be similar to visualize vs visualise, etc. I thought it might be a British vs American English matter.


"Picking up your litter puts road-workers at risk" — is this strangely-worded road sign grammatically correct?

Yesterday I came across a road-sign (just coming onto the M40 at the Oxford services, if you're interested!) that seemed to read rather strangely. It read: > Picking up your litter puts road-workers at risk. I think I can work out what it is meant to mean ("Don't drop litter on the motorway so other people have to pick it up- it's dangerous!"), but probably only because I had a fair idea in advance what it was likely to mean. It's hard to put my finger on exactly what is wrong with it. Do others agree that it is phrased oddly? Is it grammatically correct? What would be a clearer and equally succinct way to say this. **Update** : Just noticed this article about this sign (and others). Seems like I'm not the only one who finds the sign confusing. > Driver Rob Davis says... "In future, I won't pick up my litter. I certainly > wouldn't want to put any workers' lives in danger by doing so."


Etymology of "punk"?

I was wondering where the noun _punk_ stems from. Obviously, it's used for members of a certain subculture, but has the word been in use before the invention of said subculture and been adapted for it, or has it been made up specifically for it?


Conditionals with multiple verbs

I'm an ESL teacher. Normally I teach lower intermediate but I also teach a mixed level grammar review class. I pride myself on being able to explain things clearly but today I found myself in THREE sticky situations all in the same class! I'll explain here the two problems involving conditionals. First Case: Is it better to say... If he knew that I WERE/WAS home now, he would call. OR If he knew that I AM home now, he would call. Does the second verb in the if clause also take the subjunctive form because it is in the if clause or should it take the present simple form because it is not a hypothetical (I am home now is not hypothetical, his knowledge of it is.)


Can I say "peerless mission?"

My friends are telling me that calling a mission _peerless_ \- a unique mission - is not correct. Is that true? I thought that _unique_ is very much equivalent to _peerless_.


Where does the phrase "dead simple" originate?

It feels like there should be a story behind it, or perhaps a type of slang, but I can't find anything in various Web searches.


Origin of dead giveaway

I was answering a question at ELL and used the phrase "dead giveaway" and thought that it might not be clear to a non-native speaker. This thought lead me to wonder, where did we get that phrase. I searched a little on Google, but did not find an answer.


Using "inter alia" in non-legal language?

I've been reading many opinions from the United State Supreme Court and discovered the phrase "inter alia," meaning "among other things." I have not encountered this phrase outside of these opinions. Is the phrase "inter alia" primarily localized to legalese? Or would it be acceptable to use it in general writing?


How should I understand this sentence?

How should I understand the following sentence? > Missing until recently were fossils clearly intermediate, or transitional, > between land mammals and cetaceans. This from the excerpt of an article: > It should be obvious that cetaceans---whales, porpoises, and dolphins---are > mammals. They breathe through lungs, not through gills, and give birth to > live young. Their streamlined bodies, the absence of hind legs, and the > presence of a fluke and blowhole cannot disguise their affinities with land- > dwelling mammals. However, unlike the cases of sea otters and pinnipeds > (seals, sea lions, and walruses, whose limbs are functional both on land and > at sea), it is not easy to envision what the first whales looked like. > Extinct but already fully marine cetaceans are known from the fossil record. > How was the gap between a walking mammal and a swimming whale bridged? > _Missing until recently were fossils clearly intermediate, or transitional, > between land mammals and cetaceans._ **Added:** Is "clearly intermediate, or transitional, between land mammals and cetaceans" a clause? It seems that something is omitted here.


Is there a word or concise phrase for this type of question?

Some questions appear clear, but are deceptively difficult to define, and their answer is very sensitive to the exact technical definition of the question, in such a way that it renders the original question almost meaningless. What would you call such a question? **Examples** _How many islands are there in Denmark?_ According to wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denmark#Geography_of_Denmark), there are 72 inhabited islands, 443 named islands, and 1419 islands above 100 square meters. However, it does not list how many islands there are in total, since it is so hard to define what constitutes an island. Some islands would be extremely small, and others tidal. Islands are created and destroyed by geothermal activity so you would have to specify a time or take it as the time of asking. Also, sometimes a peninsula (e.g. Jutland) may be considered an island if it is separated from the mainland by rivers. _How many words are there in English?_ It depends on which dictionary you look at _What proportion of the laws of the United Kingdom are made in the European Union?_ This was a subject of an article on the BBC's Radio 4 programme 'More or less'. It is difficult to define what is a law, since there are statutory instruments and various regulations that may or may not be counted. Also, some laws implement European Union law, others just refer to it. I believe the program said the total could be between 7-50%, depending on your definition.


What's the difference between these names of moving water?

What is the difference between these forms of moving water?   * Creek   * Brook   * Stream   * River Are there other forms of moving water that I am missing?


What does "kind of sums things up” mean?

I came across the phrase, _kind of sums things up_ in the article written by Dana Milbank in Washington Post (July 20) under the headline _The new party of Reagan_. The phrase appears in the following remark of the House Democrats, caucus chairman John Larson. > “The Congress’ brinkmanship threatens the holders of government bonds and > those who rely on Social Security and veterans benefits. Interest rates > would skyrocket, instability would occur in financial markets, and the > federal deficit would soar. The United States has a special responsibility > to itself and the world to meet its obligations.” > > “ _Kind of sums things up_ ,” Larson said, playing the same clip again at a > news conference." I also found a similar usage of _kind of sums things up_ in the quote of Unambig.com. > “ _This kind of sums it up for me_. Are we still counting silly things like > carbon footprints and measuring every theoretical cloud of carbon and > methane created by existing and breathing on this planet.” What does _kind of sums things up_ , mean? I have no idea. Is it a popular English phrase?


What is the word for adjectives like 'correct' which may not provide complete meaning without previous sentence?

While working on my project, I came across this sentence: > Obi is correct My question is can we say that 'correct' in the above sentence defines the state of a man, since _is_ is a form of 'be' - which usually defines the state of the subject or existence of the object. If yes, can we say 'correct' is a special type of adjective, since a man cannot _normally_ be described as 'correct' or in a 'correct' state. Are there any other examples of such adjectives?


Simple word for "Convert data strings to bytes"

I'm searching for a short term of "Convert data to bytes".   It has to be a verb, because it should tell that it's a operation.   I thought of something like "byteify" - but that looks ugly to me... The conversion I'm talking about is, for example, from a 32 bit floating point value like `567.89`, or a string like `"123.4"`, to an array of bytes as output. Same conversions for any other type (int, short, ...).


Does "ass" mean something else than what I think it does?

The only meaning of "ass" I knew until today was the fleshy body part. But what I read today on a shopping receipt shocked me. One of the items mentioned there was **Other ass**. Surely that shop doesn't sell body parts. So does this word have some other meaning or is it just a spelling mistake?


sentence fragment with colon

http://www.economist.com/news/united-states/21588388-georgias-governor-faces- ethics-questions-not-first-time-raw-deal > ...., he has two options: accept the charges or rebut them. Is the sentence fragmented, as gerunds or "to" are needed when you have verbs inside an appositive. Should the sentence rewrite as the following: > ...., he has two options: to accept/accepting the charges or to > rebut/rebutting them.


Should I really strive for mastery of my English or only stick with common words? It is confusing to always meet unknown words

It frustrates me to always find new unknown words, idioms when I read some book. **I want to reach level when I understand 95-98% of all info I read - finally I FEEL LIKE KING, FINALLY MASTERED**. Now I can relax and 2 statements you always hear from linguists:   * even natives dont know all words   * all languages grow and add on new words Or maybe I must simply choose to use common words - avoid slang, idioms because nobody cares if I know, i.e no one to impress?


Should I use "or" or "nor" in the following case?

> I wasn't forcing myself to say anything, or/nor trying to be funny. "Or" sounds more grammatically correct to me. But "nor" has more Google results. So I'm confused.


How to express: a PC that has no role OR no user

When I say: a PC that has no role or user. The meaning seems to be: the PC has no role, and the PC has no user. But my intention is: the PC has no role, or the PC has no user. How can I express that conveniently?


Is this use of "pervades" correct?

I want to write that some specific philosophy "pervades" (or "permeates") my personal view of some topic. Is this understandable or does exist a better word to express this?


Particle or preposition?

I'm studying Spanish and I have some questions about the grammatical parallels in English. > Le gustan **cocinar** y **hornear**. > > He likes **to cook** and **(to) bake**. When an infinitive is used in Spanish, there's no ambiguity, because an infinitive has a unique spelling from the rest of the forms of the verb. So my question is this: > I'm here **to** help. Is _to_ part of the infinitive _help_ or is it a preposition? In Spanish, this type of construction would use a preposition: > Estoy aquí **para** ayudar. or > He yells **to** alleviate stress. > > Él grita **para** aliviar el estrés. You could rephrase these sentences to say "for alleviating..." or "for the alleviation of..." which is what really makes me want to say it's a preposition, but I'm still doubtful. This obviously isn't a major issue but it's a thought that pops into my head a lot.


Is it awkward to start an email with "I am [my name]. I am writing to ask you...."?

I saw a job announcement (faculty position), which usually says "questions regarding this position should be addressed to [name and email.]. I want to ask a few questions about the position, and wonder what would be the most natural, correct, polite way to start the conversation. Is starting with "My name is [name]" awkward? Should I start by saying "I am [name] at [name of my current school and my job]? -Alice-


What is the meaning of "rendition" here?

What does "rendition" mean in the following paragraph? > References to the pea jacket appear in American newspapers at least as early > as the 1720s, and modern renditions still maintain the original design and > composition. This comes from the article about pea coat at Wikipedia. I have an idea that this could have something to do with the design of the coat? I could not find a definition that's appropriate to the context.


Single word for "time of the day"

Is there a single word for _time of the day_? A collective expression for morning, afternoon, evening, etc. * * * An example I can think of to better explain what I'm looking for: > Good **____**! - Insert the correct time/part of the day here to greet > someone at 11 AM. In the above sentence, I would like to replace "time/part of the day" with a single word.


Using "in" and "with"

Although I know the clear meaning of commonly used prepositions in English, sometimes, I'm a little confused with them and cannot understand the difference between them. A week or so ago, I asked a question on StackOverflow which was titled by me as follows.   * Varargs in method overloading in Java. In this simple question title, Java is a programming language as everybody knows, "Varargs" (abbreviated to variable arguments, specifically **var** iable number of **arg** ument **s** ) and "method overloading" are two concepts used in the Java programming language. Before I asked the question, I was not sure at all whether the question title should have been as it is mentioned above or it should have been modified as follows.   * Varargs **with** method overloading in Java. Which one is grammatically correct, both or none of them?


What is a prefix that means near?

For instance, if I were to describe someone as being * _near-_ *carnivorous, I'm have the goal of depicting them as being a heavy meat eater that includes very few forms of non-meat based food in their diet as opposed to being one who exclusively consumes meat.


Identifying verb types, nouns, adjectives and adverbs in a sentence - 5th grade

While helping my son, who happens to be in the 5th grade, with his English grammar, I have realized that I am confused. The following sentence, that I gave him as an exercise, he has identified the components i.e. verbs/verb- types, adverbs, adjectives and nouns as follows: Sentence: "Jack is going to have a car of his own." Identification of grammatical parts:   * Jack - Proper noun   * is - Being verb   * going to - Action verb   * have - Possession verb   * a - article (not taught yet, my identification)   * car - common noun   * of - prepositions (not taught yet, my identification)   * his - pronoun   * own - adjective Is the above correct identification ? My main doubts are about the verbs and verb types, since I believe that contrary to how my son has been taught to identify verb types, some of the types change contextually, and some of the verbs are contextually adverbs.


Can "in the scope of" and "in the field of" be used interchangeably?

I am wondering if "in the scope of" and "in the field of" can be used interchangeably? Such as:   1. ... possesses knowledge and skills in the field of general problems of computer science as well as technical skills in **the scope of** information systems.   2. ... possesses knowledge and skills in the field of general problems of computer science as well as technical skills in **the field of** information systems. Thank you in advance.


Which is the correct past tense of "spin": "span" or "spun"?

All the while I was writing my answer to this question, something was bothering me about this excerpt from the quotation: > When Adam delved and Eve span, The past tense of _delve_ is properly _delved_ , but to keep the symmetry in tense, shouldn't the past tense of _spin_ be _spun_ here? Why is it not?


What is the correct verb to imply the move of a moveable bridge?

Moveable bridges are the ones that can move, to allow the boats, etc. pass, like this one: ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/bX5l7.gif) For such purposes, the traffic on the road needs to be stopped, so that the bridge *move*s and allows the water traffic to pass. Once when I was cycling, trying to cross the bridge, I noticed they had blocked the entrance to the bridge by putting signs and bands. I asked one of the technicians over there _if the bridge is going to be opened_ , (meaning to see if they will fold(!?)/move the bridge away), to which he replied: " _It will, but after midnight. You better take the other road_ ". This conversation was quite confusing, since each of us meant something totally different by the two words " _open_ " and " _close_ "; and " _move_ " is somehow more general because it can refer to the both status changes, rather than specifying the current/next state; especially if you're having a conversation about this later to someone who wasn't there to see the situation. Is there a clear alternative to use for this situation (when the bridge moves away), other than _open_ , _close_ , or _move_? **Update:** I've already seen the Wikipedia article on moveable bridges, including the various bridge types and the names, and the verb _move_ that's been used generally all over the article, but I would like a clear, preferably single-word verb to explain this **independent of being on the roadway or the waterway** , and avoiding using a phrase or a whole sentence to explain this.


What does it mean "I am not around"?

When I asked my friend, "would you like to come to the party tomorrow?" he answered, "thanks, but I am not around" does it mean he is not in the NYC or just not around the hood??


What is the function of this "to" here?

> Old people did not know enough once, perchance, to fetch fresh fuel to keep > the fire a-going; new people put a little dry wood under a pot, and are > whirled round the globe with the speed of birds, in a way **to** kill old > people, as the phrase is. I think this is "in a way that kills old people." But I've only encountered this version: "the way to do something...". Am I right? Is this usage not common?


Opposite of a "southpaw"

The term _southpaw_ comes to mind for describing a predominantly left-handed person. Is there a similar term for a right-handed person? Aside from the obvious _right-handed_ and _left-handed_ , or the more archaic _dexter_ and _sinister_ , is there a term for one's dominant hand?


talking about a schizophrenic!

Theoretically, could this sentence be correct when talking about a person with schizophrenia? "he/she is talking to each other" I suppose 'herself' or 'himself' would be the better word to use instead of 'each other'. Just a thought.


Noun (or alternative) of thought-provoking?

I'm planning to start a blog. And before every post, I'm planning to add how thought-provoking I think that post is. So I was thinking about something that I can call `thought-provoking-ness level`. However, I don't think `thought-provoking-ness` is an English word. So my question is: Is there a noun for `thought-provoking`, and if there is not. What could be an alternative?


Is “recordee” a word?

Does _recordee_ exist in English? The word doesn't exist in Oxford and Cambridge dictionaries, but I was hoping to use it as "someone who is being recorded".


When to use "nude" and when "naked"

The question is quite clear. Is there any difference (semantically or connotationally, if that's a word) between _nude_ and _naked_? _Nude_ seems more formal to me, but I'm not quite sure. Interesting: Merriam-Webster link from naked, to nude > Definition of NAKED 1\. not covered by clothing : nude


Should there be punctuation before "and" in this sentence?

Perhaps this is a better sample: > J, says, **“No!” and Page** furrows her **forehead, and walks** with J to > the other side of the room. Would either of these be better? > J, says, **“No!” Page** furrows her forehead, and walks with J to the other > side of the room. > > J, says, “No!” and Page furrows her **forehead. She walks** with J to the > other side of the room.


"Just as clear as mud as ever" — proper grammar/usage

A co-worker asked,"How's it going?" to which I replied, > Oh, it's just as clear as mud as ever! The context for this is regarding client requirements convolution. The requirements are still unclear. Now 'clear as mud' is a metaphor or colloquialism (don't know which or if either but it's a saying...) My question is: If I were to write about this, is the above sentence structure correct, or would it be more correct as > Oh, it's just-as-clear-as-mud as ever! Or is there an even better way?


Deny him and measure out

I can't understand the meaning of this sentence - "But she knew it was unfair of her, given that she barely saw her father, given that she continued to measure out her contact with him, whether to deny herself or to deny him, she could not be sure."   1. What is the meaning of "measure out"? I guess it means to measure. But again I am not sure what it means "to measure out her contact with him"   2. What does it mean "to deny herself or to deny him"? It does not sound complete. Deny him what?


Crank call vs Prank Call

What is the exact difference between the two? When and how to use them on specific occasions?


Grammar: Forming Possessives

I have a document about a problem description where that description is given step by step, like this: >   1. RED entry >   2. BLUE entry >   3. ... > Now, I want to explicitly refer to two entries in that document, but I'm not sure about the most grammatically correct way to express myself: >   1. In problem's description at RED and BLUE' entries the word X must be > replaced by Y. >   2. In problem's description at RED and BLUE's entries the word X must be > replaced by Y. >   3. In problem's description at entries RED and BLUE the word X must be > replaced by Y > Which one of that is the most correct ?


Origin of “as all get out” meaning “to the utmost degree”

At reference.com, _all get out_ is glossed as “in the extreme; to the utmost degree”, and at thefreedictionary.com as > an unimaginably large amount; “British say ‘it rained like billyo’ where > Americans say ‘it rained like all get out’” Of _get-out_ , etymonline.com says only “to indicate a high degree of something, attested from 1838”. A thread at ask.metafilter.com includes several speculations about the origin of the phrase “as all get-out” but I think has little or no convincing evidence to support any of the theories. Is there any good evidence about the origin of this phrase?


What's the difference between "successive" and "consecutive"?


Is the usage "off for lunch" correct?

Is the usage _(someone) is off for lunch_ correct? I think the above usage is right but I am not pretty sure. Related question


Question formulation sentence structure

I wish to improve this sentence, which sounds bad to me but maybe acceptable: > Are traditional investors at disadvantaged against high-frequency traders? should I say: >   * Are traditional investors at disadvantaged versus high-frequency > traders? >   * Are traditional investors at disadvantaged relatively to high-frequency > traders? > any other suggestions?


We was gonna have some fun

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  "You was trouble"? In the movie "Thelma & Louise", Thelma says: > You said we **was** gonna have some fun, so let's have some! So my question is why does she say "was" instead of "were"? Is it meant to indicate something like the woman is illiterate?   And what would people think of me if I talked like that?


Can plural you be followed by was, not were?

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Historical usage of “was”/“were” with “you”   >  We was gonna have some fun ‘All’ below may be regarded as the singular, but can the plural of ‘you’ be followed by ‘was,’ not ‘were’? All anyone knows is, he turned up in the village where you was all living, on Halloween ten years ago.


Historical usage of "was"/"were" with "you"

I was reading letters from a surgeon to his wife during the Civil War and noticed he used "was" as opposed to "were" on many occasions. Examples: > I truly wish you was here with me. > Was you planning to visit...? Other than this strange (to me) usage, his language was very formal and correct. Has there been an evolution in the accepted usage of _was/were_?


Meme expression synonyms / explanation

Could someone please disambiguate / deconstruct all the nuanced meanings of the following types of expressions originating in internet meme culture. At some point it becomes obvious there's more than the literal meaning. "Greedy gambler is greedy" "Stupid brother is stupid"


Can a declarative, independent clause be considered an introductory element?

Consider this question: > Are you going to the birthday party? I know that the following response can be punctuated correctly in at least two ways: > "I hope so. I have already bought a present." and > "I hope so; I have already bought a present." But I'm not sure about punctuating it like this: > "I hope so, I have already bought a present." Although I would be inclined to write the third version without thinking, on reflection it seems possibly/probably incorrect. The only way that I can see it being considered correct is if "I hope so" can be considered an introductory element. Is this acceptable?


What's the term for the feeling of anguish one feels before leaving for a long trip?

I often get a growing feeling of anguish and discomfort and why-did-I-put- myself-into-this-perhaps-tomorrow-morning-will-be-a-day-like-all-other-days- ever on the day before leaving home for someplace else. It's like preemptive home-sickness. This occasionally spreads to my familiars. This typically stops once I _do_ leave, however, so it appears to not really conform to the definition of homesickness I found on Wikipedia: > Homesickness is the distress or impairment caused by an actual or > _anticipated_ separation from the specific home environment or attachment > objects. [...] Homesickness is especially common in youth. Young people may > experience a sense of dread, helplessness, or separation anxiety on _their > first day of school_ , summer camp, or on a protracted summer vacation away > from the family. (Emphasis is mine.) Does this feeling have a name?


Recurring difficulty finding a concise definition of "reasoned compromise"

Today, in an attempt to clarify my thoughts on a political argument I had with a friend, I searched for a concise definition of the term "reasoned compromise". A short Google search turned up several instances of others using the term, but I was unable to find a single clear definition of the term. I am asking because this is not the first time that I have run into this exact type of problem while searching for the clarification of a term. This instance especially disturbed me because I have just finished listening to a lecture on the current economic crisis by Bill Moyers in which he explained that, in spite of the fact that it is one of the founding principles of our society, the concept of "reasoned compromise" (along with several other foundational concepts) is no longer a part of the public school curriculum. My central question is:   * Can anyone please recommend a site that may contain an easy to access , concise , clear definition of the term "reasoned compromise" and terms like it or were i may find some useful references to the term in question ?


What's the word for HTML Coder profession?

Updated: **Graphics Designer** would be someone focused on making an awesome graphical image of a Web Page. **Frontend developer** works on a dynamic application and interaction with sever. There is another job which must be done. The graphical presentation must be converted into HTML/CSS code. Sometimes it's done by Designer, sometimes by frontend developer, whoever got this _skill_ I am looking for a word to precisely describe this skill/job - slices up HTML, typesetting or coding CSS/HTML. How would you call a person focused on this task in a larger design agency? How to call this process properly?


An archaic form?

I'm reading an abridged version of The Age of Innocence (i.e. reader) and I came across the following sentence: "(...) and [she] made what people thought was a most foolish marriage to Julius Beaufort." I don't know what it exactly means. Is "make marriage to somebody" an archaic for "get married"?


The meaning of should

"Why shouldn't I be able to use all the resources here?" Is this "should" the same as "I should go it." or "Why should I believe that story?" Thank you.


Personal pronoun - Using 'it' when introducing a person

On the NPR radio program Wait Wait Don't Tell Me (http://www.npr.org/programs/wait-wait-dont-tell-me/) Peter Sagal introduces the week's panelists using 'it's,' as in "She'll be performing Friday at the Comedy Club, _it's_ Paula Poundstone." I'm not sure it is grammatically incorrect, but it doesn't seem appropriate to refer to a person as "it." Wouldn't it be better to say "she is" in this case? Or better yet, use another phrase, such as "we welcome..." or "say hello to..?" I have heard similar usage on other radio and television programming as well when the gender is known to the speaker, where "it is" replaces "she/he is/has." Is this now acceptable usage?


Is a thumb also a finger?

The _thumb_ has a different name compared to the other fingers ( _index_ , _middle_ , _ring_ , _little_ ) and it does not end with "finger". Also, when referring to the hand, I have seen literature where it is described as "5 digits on each hand" and that is probably more accurate. In light of that,   * Is saying that I have "5 fingers on my left hand" technically just wrong?    * Or is the thumb a "special" type of finger and so it is acceptable to treat it as a finger in general? Are there any rules/guidelines related to this in English that anyone can throw light on or is it that I am just nitpicking?


'Took a lot of breakin' down' in Yellow Slugs by E.C. Bailey

> He gazed at Bell with large, solemn eyes. “His wife! He’d schooled her > thorough. Ever hear anything more miserably appealing than her on her dear > babies and poor old Mrs. Wiven? Not often? No. Took a lot of breakin’ down.” A part of _Yellow Slugs_ by H.C. Bailey. The dialogue was between the detective and police superintendant, after the detective solved the case. In many cases, Bailey's style is too brief, omitting subject or verb in the sentences. But what's the real meaning of _took a lot of breakin' down_ in this paragraph?


Question mark when ending sentence with "I wonder"?

I know that when a sentence begins with "I wonder" followed by a question, it is typically ended with a period. > I wonder why that is. However, when "I wonder" is moved to the end of the sentence, does the same rule apply? > Why is that, I wonder? It seems harder to deny the writer a question mark in this case if one is felt.


Opposite of witty

So today my friend gave a really good line about leftovers. I personally thought it was very witty. I tried to give a witty response, but it ended up being kind of lame and not making much sense, hehe. I thought to myself, "I tried to be witty... but I ended up being **_** ". And then I couldn't fill in the blank. I wanted to say corny, but I wasn't sure if that was correct. So what is the opposite of witty?


A jilt whose ear was never whispered close (From "On Fame" by John Keats)

I've met an ambiguous line in Keat's "On Fame": > FAME, like a wayward girl, will still be coy   >        To those who woo her with too slavish knees,   >  But makes surrender to some thoughtless boy,   >        And dotes the more upon a heart at ease;   >  She is a Gipsey,—will not speak to those   >        Who have not learnt to be content without her;   >  A Jilt, **whose ear was never whisper’d close,**   >        Who thinks they scandal her who talk about her; What could this mean, "her ear was never whispered close"? Nobody has ever shared their secrets with her? But how could that emphasize or confirm her position as a jilt? I could imagine a jilt whose ear has been _whispered close_ in that sense and still that would not prevent her from being a jilt. The line seems so out of touch with the rest of the poem that I feel there must be something I've failed to notice.


A word for 'sampler' suitable for international readers

For a large software package we are providing a small program giving small reference examples of [how to use] the capability of the main product. My mental image I have of this is akin to a needlework sampler (typically showing the alphabet font and some reference patterns). For a modern technical audience the word _sampler_ is unsuitable because of:   * ambiguity with an audio sampler and other hi-tech derivatives of _sample_   * the antiquity of the application of _sampler_ I'm trying to convey - even for most Western colleagues it is meaningless   * The audience is likely to be Asian, so needs to be something a non-native speaker of English would at least recognise for what it is Immediate suggestions were:   * _Demonstrator_ but that has connotations of showing off the most exciting elements, not providing a reference set. It's a story not an alphabet. We will be separately providing a set of demos.   * _Examples_ , _Illustrations_ , _Specimens_ all suggest a complete unit (again a 'story' using my analogy, and not necessarily using all the letters of the alphabet). In any case I need a single name for a collective package. I want to provide one sampler to show many minimalist examples. Other collective words such as _compendium_ or _collection_ again fall foul of the implication that each entry is complete and not just a sample fragment. _Library_ also suffers from this, in addition to being ambiguous in the software world. In summary, I'm looking for a word that suggests a **single** package of **multiple** minimal examples. Any suggestions? * * * Edit: For the avoidance of doubt I want a word for the collective, not the contents, therefore any plural word is not going to be suitable for my needs. We've considered (and rejected) _anthology_ and _digest_ but something along those lines would be good. Edit 2: Apologies, I'd assumed it would be taken as read that the software will have user manuals, data samples, training material, demos and example applications. My problem is that this "sampler" needs a name that makes it distinct that it **isn't** one of the others.


Whose tense is it, anyway?

I have questions which perhaps should be posted to Linguistics.SE; but since my primary concern is to discover what terminology in discussing English grammar and usage on ELU (and in similar contexts), I hope I may be allowed to post them here. Back in the early ‘60s, when I was learning to distinguish tense, aspect and mood in Latin and English, it was explained to me that (despite what the schoolmarms were telling me) I should regard these categories as attributes not of _verbs_ but of entire _sentences_ , realized in Latin primarily through verbal inflection but in English mostly through constructions employing a variety of lexical and syntactic components. This way of thinking about the categories has always made sense to me, and it is echoed here and there in my old _Introduction to Theoretical Linguistics_ (Lyons, 1968). For instance: > Tense is therefore a _deictic_ category, which […] is simultaneously a > property of the sentence and the utterance. (305) In recent years, however, I have on several occasions been chided for using the term _tense_ in this manner. I am told that it is properly applied only in cases where temporal reference is expressed through inflection. I have not been made aware of any similar restriction in the use of _aspect_ or _mood_. I am painfully aware that my understanding of English grammar and syntax is by now two generations out of date. So I’d like to ask:   * Is the term _tense_ today only properly used in the restricted sense, in formal discourse about English grammar?    * Does this restriction similarly apply to 1) such terms of tense-distinction as _past_ , _present_ and _future_ , and 2) the parallel categories _aspect_ and _mood_ and their corresponding terms of distinction?    * In cases where such restrictions apply, what terms should be used to name the categories and distinctions when they are expressed through some means other than inflection of a verb?


What do you call a person who does not take risks (or who does not like taking risks)?

I want one word which best suits a person who does not take risks (or one who does not like taking risks).


One word to describe the meaning of life?

I'm writing some literature, and I'd like to grab the reader's attention in the first sentence by asking what is the meaning of life. Except, I'd like to know the best word (or short phrase) to use to ask such a question. For example, I'm asking the question "What do you think of your destiny?" But is "Destiny" the best word to use here?


When can the word "Noel" be used?

I came across the word "Noel" in a Christmas song recently. I only knew the French word "Noël" before so I looked "Noel" up in Leo. > [Leo states]   >  **Noel** _also:_ Noël _French - used especially in refrains of carols_ Are carols the only context in which "Noel" can be used without appearing out of place?


Has “Fat Belt” been established as a metonymy for the Midwest? Doesn’t it sound derogatory to the Midwesterners?

I found the word, “ _Fat Belt_ ” in the headline of the article in Time magazine (October 11 issues), titled “Salad restaurant chains sprouting up even in the _‘Fat Belt.’_ ” The article reads: > “Salad restaurants are thriving on the East Coast, but a novelty in the > Midwest — what investors call _the fat belt_ ,” John. A. Bornoty, a 42-year- > old entrepreneur, tells the Detroit News. “Our focus groups told us people > are craving a fresh, healthy menu at affordable prices.” Urban dictionary (though I know it is unpopular among EL&U users for the lack of credibility) explains “fat belt” as the word describing the status; “It is when some girl is wearing pants (i.e. jeans skirt) and thereis a roll of fat hanging over the edge. This gives the illusion that the fat is actually a belt...... something very gross.” However, this definition appears to be irrelevant to “ _Fat belt_ ” appearing in the above article and used as the metonymy of the Midwest. Does ‘ _fat belt’_ mean the geographic belt of areas where the ratio of obese people is significantly high? Is it a relatively new word? Doesn’t the word carry a smack of derogatory implication? Can I use it lightly just like the Bible Belt, the Corn Belt, and Rust Belt in front of the Midwesterners?


"To be" or just "be"

Which of these two are more correct? > 1) When clicking the Edit customer button, I would expect the changes be > transferred to the edit view. or > 2) When clicking the Edit customer button, I would expect the changes **to** > be transferred to the edit view.


What does "France going arms" mean?

In an episode of Friends, the subtitle read: "France going arms". What does this mean please? I couldn't find this phrase in the dictionary or on the Internet.


"Followed by a second," or "followed by a second one?"

Erica lowered her pen to the blank page, wrote a verse, followed by a second (one). In the example above, do I have to add that last **one**? Or just leave it as it is?


> "Ask her to wait a moment - I am almost done. " Carl Friedrich Gauss > (1777-1855), while working, when informed that his wife is dying. Why can we use "die" in the present progressive tense?


Meaning and origin of "get a grip"

What does _get a grip_ mean and where does it come from? I think it is usually addressed to someone who doesn't understand the obvious, like in the third paragraph of this book review: > I am amazed at the 1-star ratings by "intellectuals" who charge that this > book stands on very shaky philosophic ground, and that it does not live up > to the high caliber of true scientific studies into communication > fundamentals and/or gender differences. **Get a grip!** That's not the > purpose of the book!


What is the word for "money I want to spend in the future"?

What would be the short English term for "money I want to spend in the future"? I ask because I've created a simple app for personal finances, where a user can add all the predicted spendings. Right now I call them "Predictions". I'm not sure if it's the right term. Someone suggested me "Expected Outgoings" or "Future Expenditures" but I would like something short and self-describing. For example: Fun 300 Lunch 200 Groceries 10 Each item from this list is a prediction.


"He started paying Carol to look after me"

Can anybody help me understand this sentence? > He started paying Carol to look after me... Does it literally mean he started to give her money for looking after me or is there some other meaning of this phrase?


What case follows 'of' in this phrase - nominative or accusative? (i.e. 'of he' or 'of him'?)

> . . . the way of being of HE who is without end This feels wrong - surely it should be > . . . of HIM who is without end . . . ?


Word for this type of question?

I am wondering if there is a word that characterizes this specific type of question. Given this series of questions, it would be _understood_ that one must continue answering if the answer is no, or stop once the answer is yes. Example (the question **type** would _imply_ the parenthetical instructions): >   * Can you do A? (If no, proceed. If yes, stop.) >   * (If no,) Can you do B? (If no, proceed. If yes, stop.) >   * (If no,) Can you do C? (If no, proceed. If yes, stop.) > > > The following is a [ **TYPE** ] question: > >   * In forum X, can I post a message about jobs? >   * In forum X, can I post a message asking about forums where I can post > about jobs? >   * Can I get some information about a forum where I _can_ post a message > about jobs? >


Inventory Report - Item and Quantity

Greeting, I work in Korean Company and having some trouble trying to make English translation of Inventory Status Report. Suppose I have 5 different kind of items (=5 different item number), and each item has 2 quantity in stock, so I have total stock of 10 item quantities like the list below, List of Item (each in stock quantity)   Item A(2), Item B(2), Item C(2), Item D(2), Item E(2) Will it make sense to everyone if I make summary like this? Inventory Summary:   Total Number of Item : 5   Total Stock Quantity : 10 Or could you suggest me better phrases to put in for 'Number of Item' and 'Stock Quantity' to make clear understanding? Thank you!!


Binary counterpart to decade

In logarithms, a decade is a range of values from N up to 1o×N. What term should be used to describe a range from N to 2×N, when using binary numbers? A musical octave covers such a range of audible frequencies, but that term is probably too foreign. Googling "binade" turns up a Wikipedia page, but also evidence that it's not a real word, but rather a neologism that's happened to get coined a few times. I feel like I'm forgetting something from engineering school.


Genitive plurals

What is the difference between the following?               room's window     room's windows     rooms' window     rooms' windows      I'm mainly interested in the last two constructs.


Term for words indicating capability other than "adjective"

The words _edible_ and _manageable_ are adjectives, but is there a more specific term for such words indicating capability?


"Demands on your time" vs. "demands for your time"

I am attempting to acknowledge that someone is extremely busy with various things needing his attention. However, I am uncertain of the phrase for this. Is it: > I acknowledge that you have many demands on your time and thus may not have > got round to doing this yet. or > I acknowledge that you have many demands for your time and thus may not have > got round to doing this yet. and does it make a significant difference?


Future Continuous and Perfect Continuous tenses in Passive Voice

I've read a lot of books/articles which says that Future Continuous in Passive Voice and Perfect Continuous in Passive Voice are not possible, but there are some examples of such combinations at this page. Also there are some samples of Future in the Past in Passive Voice. So my question is it valid to put following tenses in passive voice?   1. Perfect Continuous   2. Future Continuous   3. Future in the Past Tenses (all of them)


Wherefore/whence the incorrect grammatical use of "code" ("a code was written")?

I've noticed a seemingly increasing number of students now refer to the end result of programming to be "a code" rather than "a program", "a script", or even "some code". For example, taken from a report I'm currently reading: > Next, code was written to put all of the values in SI units. […] A new code > was then written just to provide the density outputs […] The first use of the word "code" I'd consider to be correct; the second not. (It goes without saying that they're not referring to literally a single command given to the computer.) My impression is that this error is a new mistake that "kids these days" are making for some reason. This leads me to wonder:   * Is this actually a new error that students are making, or have I just not hung out enough in the past with people that don't know how to refer to programming? (This might not be possible to answer.)   * But on a more basic level, what is causing people to make this mistake in the first place? The use of the word "code" to me seems quite natural but evidently it's not (or is no longer).


Is "At which address should I come?" correct?

The sentence is, > **At** which address should I come? Which preposition should be used? Can I use "on"?


I watched news about turkeys this morning and instead of calling them chickens the news anchor called them birds. In my opinion, turkeys are sub-type of chickens. They are not a bird because they cannot fly. (In my native language, most birds can fly.) What is the difference between chickens and birds? Why did they call turkeys birds, not chickens?


Morphological structure of 'misrepresent' and 'consideration'

I've been wondering about the morphological structure of ' _misrepresent_ ' and ' _consideration_.' In ' _misrepresent_ ,' is _sent_ , _present_ , or _represent_ the stem? It's quite tricky! _Consideration_ is also a little confusing - when analyzing its morphological structure, should it be broken down into _Consider_ \+ _-ate_ \+ _-ion_ , or should it be _consider_ \+ _-ion_? * * * [EDIT] I checked Webster and dictionary.com, and from what I have found, "represent" comes from the Latin 'representer.' When we analyze the structure of 'misrepresenting' does that mean the stem is 'represent' and not 'present'? 'Consideration' comes from the Latin, Considerare (Google define function), while 'considerate' (v) is considered archaic. Should 'consideration' be broken down into consider + ation then? I apologize if my questions are somewhat elementary - I'm new to language study and I'm still trying to grasp the basics of it.


word meaning before or after?

This is my first time on the English portion of Stack Exchange I'm creating a function that gets events from a table. One of the parameters of the function is whether the event is in the future or in the past. `function getEvents($param)` I'm looking for a word that means in the past OR in the future. My mind is blanking out on having one and have had little luck finding one online. Any thoughts?


What does “Not to be a dick, but - - -“ mean? Is “Dickishness” an accepted, stand alone English word?

There was a recommendation of a new book,” How Not to Be a Dick: An Everyday Etiquette Guide” in www.Goodreads com. followed by the next sentence: > “On the one hand, **nobody wants to be a dick**. On the other hand, dicks > are everywhere! They cut in line, talk behind our backs, recline into our > seats, and even have the power to morph into trolls online. Their powers are > impressive, but with a little foresight and thoughtfulness, we can take a > stand against **dickishness** today. I know the phrase, “every (any) Tom, Dick and Harry” meaning every (any) body, but I’m not sure whether “’dick’ whom nobody wants to be” means, a ‘mediocre,” “unimportant,” “irrelevant to me,” or “officious and impertinent” person, or simply “nuisance.” Cambridge English Dictionary carries definition of 'dick' only as a man’s genital. Oxford English Dictionary defines it as 1. (British) a stupid or contemptible man. 2 [mass noun, with negative] (North American) anything at all, beside a man’s genital. What does “dick” exactly mean when you say “Not to be a dick, but - - -“? Are “dickish” and “dickishness” accepted derivatives from “dick,” though I can’t find them in any of Cambridge, Oxford and Merriam Webster English dictionaries? What would you apply to in paraphrasing “dickishness” in a single word?


Pronouns of "somebody", "anybody", etc

I am a little confused about the usage of pronouns. I often see people using "their" with words that seem to be singular, for example, "somebody" and "anybody", which looks weird to me. (I.e., one person has recently said to me: "If **somebody** is hating on someone due to the pitch of **their** voice...") I would rather say: "...to the pitch of his/her voice...". So who is correct?


Are these the same " In five of the six disciplines" and "in five out of the six diciplines"

As in the title mentioned above Are these are the same? > In five of the six disciplines and > In five out of the six disciplines Are these of the same meaning? Otherwise, which phrase is correct?


What does 'cut each other off' mean?

What does 'cut each other off' mean when it is in the context of driving or walking?


Grammaticality of “all things are become new”

> Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are > passed away; behold, all things **are become** new. (II Corinthians 5:17) I'm stuck on the use of _are become_ here. Is it grammatical or is it just old English?


Can one "decrease" or "increase" sound volume?

My daughter's English teacher insists that synonyms for "turn up" and "turn down" (volume)do not include the words increase and decrease. We wondered if we had been using increase and decrease incorrectly for years or....?


Origin and meaning of "every cloud has a silver lining"

> Every cloud has a silver lining. Please provide some historical perspective and meaning of this expression.


"very pleased to read your posting" -- pleased=happy vs. pleased=satisfied

In a formal context, I would like to tell the author (whom I admire) of a posting that I was happy that I discovered/found it because I did not expect it. > I was very pleased to read your posting in last week's issue of ... I am concerned that _pleased_ might come across as _satisfied_ , like I am his boss telling him that he did a good job. I have also thought about > I was very pleased to _have found_ your posting in last week's issue of ... Any comment would be appreciated. (I am not a native speaker.)


Does a road that "snakes" always imply a "winding" road?

If one says that a road _snakes_ , does it necessarily imply that the road is _winding_? Or can it also express that the road is _long_ and _stretched out_?


"Dead, and never called me mother!"

I was watching the Secret Service Dentists sketch by Monty Python, and in the video, The Big Cheese says the following after shooting his pet rabbit: > There -- poor Flopsy's dead, and never called me mother! For the full context of the quote, you can use this link instead; it will skip past all the nonsense directly to the relevant part. I was curious, what precisely does this phrase mean, especially in this context? Google didn't assist me a great deal -- there are lots of references to _East Lynne_, the novel that the quote is often attributed to, but I didn't see any actual explanation of what the phrase means.


What does ‘Pinkie-sized’ mean?

I found the word, ‘Pinkie-sized’ in the following examples. From the definition of ‘pinkie’ as ‘small –Scottish / child talk in a dictionary at hand, and ‘small finger’ in Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, I guess it ‘small-sized,’ though I’m not sure. ‘Pinkie’ gives me an image just like pinkish, therefore strange combination with 'size.' What does it mean? Is it a technical term?   1. Pinkie-sized laser-powered video projectors coming soon ... Resolution is standard definition at 640 x 480, so it's not exactly going to be running your home theater, but that's not the intended use. ...   2. The brain's pinkie-sized hippocampus, which helps to archive memories, shrinks naturally as we age. But studies indicate that aerobic activities such as walking not only may help the hippocampus stop shrinking, but might even help it grow.


Which dialects pronounce "pen" as "pin"?

I recently encounter someone who said _pen_ exactly as I would say _pin_. I looked in my dictionary only to find these pronunciations: > pen -- `|pen|` > > pin -- `|pin|` No crossover was listed or alternative options presented. I have heard of people doing this before but I was surprised at how exact it was. It wasn't said _similar_ to "pin"; it was said _exactly_ like "pin". Is there a specific region or dialect where this is common? Are there other instances of `e` being replaced by `i` or is it just this one word?


Is there any adjective synonymous to "to the point"? For example, "Jack's and Jill's answers are quite **to-the-point** , but Mary's answer is the **most-to-the-point** one" EDIT: A better example: Teacher: "Can anyone come up with a good logical syllogism proving that all humans need the Sun?" Linda: "I got it! Here, in my encyclopedia page 345 says, 'All fish need water and the Sun' I think it's exactly what we need!" Jack: "All humans need to live. The Sun doesn't live. So, all humans need the Sun" Jill: "All humans like fish. Without the Sun, all fish will die. So, all humans will be sad without the Sun" Mary: "Anything alive needs the Sun (otherwise, if there is no Sun, anything alive will die). All humans are alive. Thus, all humans need the Sun" * * * so, Jack's and Jill's answers are quite **to-the-point** , but Mary's answer is the **most-to-the-point** one


Is there an idiom for people who boast too much?

I am looking for **idioms** or informal/slang/colloquial expression for some people that make you think that they are able of building a skyscraper, constructing a spaceship, playing the piano better than Mozart or something very fancy that requires remarkable skills, but when it comes to practice they prove to be completely inadequate.


Do I need an apostrophe in "These trees’ roots"? For example, "Wow!!! These trees' roots are so long!" In this example the speaker can see both roots and the trees themselves.


"Guess the animal" or "Guess what animal it is"?

A child is talking to another child: > "Hey! Guess what animal it is. It is white and black and has a long neck." or > "Hey! Guess the animal. It is white and black and has a long neck." Which one is correct?


Is it proper to capitalize after an acronym?

By intuition, I would say that after writing an acronym, one need not capitalize the first word after it. However, after seeing how writing-software capitalizes any word which follows the acronym, doubt surged.


What is proper use of "coiffed"?

Would writing "well-coiffed" automatically imply nicely styled hair, or do you need to say _well-coiffed hair_ or something similarly specific?


Breaking comma rules to emphasize a pause in a character quote or elsewhere

My wife is writing a book, and just got a draft back from an editor. The editor noted extra commas in numerous sentences like this: > He looked at her closely, but all she said was, "I am truly glad we will be > living in a nice, safe fort, and not one of these wild frontier towns." The extra comma in question is after _fort_. The argument was that the comma was not needed because it was separating dependent clauses. My wife put the comma there to create a verbal pause. There were other places for which similar commas were not within character quotes (a character wasn't speaking). This may be a different animal: > Dani had begged for a day to rest some, and to catch up on the numerous > small duties she'd not been able to see to during the past week. She's gone through all of the grammar and style guides she has access to, and hasn't found whether it's permissible or not. I'd guess at least that it should be done consistently one way or the other, but don't know which way.


A single word describing a person who is impossible to live with

Is there a single word describing someone who is impossible to live with because of their bad manners? Such as in the example: > 'John, my housemate, has terrible manners; he's an awful person and > _impossible to live with_.' I thought about using the words 'unlivable person' but that sounds a bit strange to me and it's not a single word.


Difference between "full professional proficiency" and "native or bilingual proficiency"

When I logged on to LinkedIn the other day, I was prompted to add information about which language I speak and at which level. I consider myself to be pretty fluent both in written and spoken English, although I probably have a noticable Swedish accent when I speak. But how do I know if I have "full professional proficiency" or "native or bilingual proficiency"? ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/7tHbB.png)


Is to "tell off" a particularly British expression?

I'm translating a short story from Spanish into English. A small child says (literally): > Why don’t we knock?” I asked. “They’re gonna tell us off.” (The Spanish is: _Nos van a regañar._ ) I've already translated the story into a mostly American English and would like to keep that register, but can't think of another expression to use. Is "to tell off" a normal, acceptable American expression, or is it specifically British?


Origin of "smooth operator"

I'm interested in the origin of the term _smooth operator_. Does anyone know where it came from? What kind of operation?


when should I use the following sentence. I am little bit confused:   1. "May I help you?"   2. "What can I do for you?" What is the difference between above two sentence and when I can use them? Please explain.


Why do drug dealers "move" their product?

The process of selling drugs - either to a reseller, or the end-user - seems often called "move" in popular (American?) culture - for example in the TV Series, Weeds. Transcripts from the show are hard to find but here's a synopsis describing an episode: > Nancy wants to move product while working the shop, so she "interviews" all > her former Agrestic people to see what they can move. [...] Where does this originate from? Does it have its roots in a more legitimate field like agriculture, or is this limited to criminal activity? It seems to be used widely in connection with smuggling (Example: Colombian traffickers moving drugs in submarines) but that is not _selling_. The word definition at Merriam-Webster doesn't seem to offer any explanation.


What does get to mean in this sentence?

Gorilla babies and elephant babies and human babies are not so different, except that a gorilla gets to spend the day riding on his mother's back. What does get to mean in this sentence?


I want to know if this sentence is correct

> Jake decided to learn as many different artists, styles and works as often > as possible. I think the first 'as' is not needed. OR 'and' is needed between 'works' and 'as'. Let me know if the sentence itself is right or my thought is right.


What is the appropriate response to "I appreciate it"?

What is the appropriate response to "I appreciate it" ? I get this often and saying "No problem" just doesn't seem like the proper response. Maybe I'm wrong?


Which words of foreign origin kept a distinctive feminine?

The feminine of **confidant** is **confidante** , probably due to the French origin of the word ( _confident_ , whose feminine is _confidente_ ). I wonder which other words of foreign origin commonly used in English have kept their original feminine? _Edit:_ so there may be entire categories of such words, of course, I should have thought of that. Do people have examples other from languages other than French, Italian and Latin? I was trying to think, for example, of a pair of such words of German origin, but can't find any.


Why are so many terms nautical in origin?

I have joked that whenever I don't know the etymology of a word, I reply "of indeterminate nautical origin" (that's right - it's party 24/7 at my crib). What is it about the nautical tradition in the 18th century that seems to have spawned a wildly out-sized portion of our vocabulary? It's not as if there weren't other highly specialized professions with their own jargon.


What are some nice words to describe a very old age of a person

I wonder what some nice words are to describe a very old age of a person? I guess directly using the word "(very) old" may be interpreted as being impolite, such as following: > Are you saying your grandma still has grandparents? They must be very old. So I am looking for an alternative but nice way to show my surprise on the age.


Subject versus object in a sentence: how are they determined?

For example, if I tell > “I'm write-only” am I perceived as subject (who is writing) or as an object (who is written)? Related question:   * How do I determine subject and subject complement in “A side-effect is the spread of commercialese to other domains.”?


Is there a verb for "adding something in front"?

I was wondering if there exists a verb that is equivalent to saying 'adding something in front'. For example, if I have the numbers 1234, then I _add in front_ 9 and I will get 91234.


"Finite" and "infinite": another example?

_Finite_ and _infinite_ come from the same root word, but the prefix of the latter completely changes the pronunciation. Speaking English as a second- language and reading a lot more than I listen, it makes me nervous that I might be missing other such changes. Is this an isolated occurrence?


How do you pronounce "tuple"?

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  How to pronounce "tuple"? I had always thought tuple rhymes with "couple". But I recently came across pronunciations like "tew-ple" and "too-ple". Which is right?


Is the use of the word "irony" correct in this paragraph?

I recently came across a Facebook post, about a city in India known as Patiala. I was arguing with the admin, about the correct usage of the word irony. Is the word correctly used in the following paragraph? If yes, what kind of irony is it? > Congratulation to Patiala as Royal City turns 250 year Older on 12-2-2013. > > It is an irony that Patiala will enter its 250th anniversary all alone, with > none to throw a party and none to congratulate it for the feat that it is > poised it achieved on Tuesday. It is an irony that nobody remembers the > ‘birthday’ of one of the most amiable cities of Punjab. Neither the district > administration nor any other organisation has planned any celebrations to > commemorate the historical feat.


When is "no rest for the wicked" used?

I've stumbled over some dialogue in a textbook, where some people have a chat at work, and at the end, when they get back to their urgent tasks, one character says (emph. mine): > Well, I'd better let you carry on then. _No rest for the wicked._ Now, I've found out where the phrase comes from, but I do not quite follow in which context it can be "used for mild comic effect".


What does "an apparent majority" mean?

What does "an apparent majority" mean in the following sentence? > An apparent majority of the public no longer believes this budget is > sufficient. Which of the following interpretations apply?   1. It seems that a majority of the public ....   2. It is clear that a majority of the public ....   3. any other interpretation


Could 'otwards' or even 'hotwards' ever be accepted into the language?

I've just woken early from a vivid dream. (must be the local ale - we are in Yorkshire at the moment). I was in an inferno of an industrial kitchen where they were manufacturing 'ready-meals'. One large individual with rolled up sleeves and sweat pouring down his arms was shouting above the din. Portion- sized food was going past on conveyors. Some was going toward ovens and some away from them. The noisy director of operations was shouting instructions for all he was worth. One word that he kept saying baffled me and, I couldn't fathom its meaning. It sounded like 'otwards'. Then I realised that what he was saying was 'hotwards' (he had a Cockney accent so it sounded like 'otwards) meaning in the direction of heat, or the ovens. When I awoke it occurred to me that this might be a good question for you folk. Is 'hotwards' an acceptable word in the English language?


Masculine/feminine nouns in English

Have there been any **significant** tendencies to distinguish nouns for male and female in English? Let's say in the past 100 - 200 years? E.g. you have only a bunch of them: actor/actress hero/heroine etc. Have there been any tendencies in English to make more nouns become male/female distinguished. E.g. actor will became               actoro(male)     actora(female)      or               acter or actorer (male)     actera or actora (female)


Math word for an object not centered at the origin?

Is there a word that can describe a geometric figure such as a circle or ellipse that is not centered at origin (0, 0) in cartesian space? I'd like to find an agreed upon mathematical word, but if it doesn't exist then a substitute "non-mathematical" word would do as well.


Should I use "even though" or "although" in the following sentence?

> Even though we were becoming closer and closer, we remained just as friends. > > Although we were becoming closer and closer, we remained just as friends. Which is the one above correct?