Why is the word "engineering" used in "social engineering"?

The word "engineering" is usually used for something constructive and innovative, for example, mechanical engineering, software engineering, aerospace engineering. But "social engineering" denotes something malicious, why is it so?


Any idea of the origin of using the term 'gucci' for parts?

A number of the guys who ride near me and have been riding bikes (mtb) since the 90s still refer to high spec parts as being 'gucci'. It's an effective term and easy to understand what they mean but interested in if there was any real history behind the term. Does any one know the origins of it? I did some research and it seems in wider use than just New Zealand but couldnt find any history. I know Bianchi and Gucci did do a collaboration but that seems pretty recent.


What is a better antonym pair than “upmost” vs. “deepest” for blood vessels?

I’m thinking about the opposite ends of a blood vessel, so perhaps the “upmost” blood vessels and “deepest” blood vessels. My problem is that I like neither word quoted in the previous sentence. What pair of opposing words would work better in this sort context?


"Climbed up over ..." vs. "climbed over ..."

I found that _climbed up over_ is used in the following sentence of the 'excerpt' “The Amber Spyglass” in The New York Times. > "Ama and her daemon _climbed up over_ the rock shelves and around the little > cataracts, past the whirlpools and through the spectrum-tinted spray, until > her hair and her eyelids and his squirrel fur were beaded all over with a > million tiny pearls of moisture." As _climbed up over_ does not have many hits in Google nGRAM, I am wondering, why should we prefer _climbed over_? To be clear, what is the grammatical rule that we should consider to choice between _climbed up over_ and _climbed over_? See the following nGRAM: ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/1hYm7.png)


What is the origin / reason for adding asterisks within swear words like f**k?

Several variants of this topic have already been covered here, such as: What name for bowdlerisation with asterisks (e.g., “f*ck”)? What the #$@&%*! is that called? However, these deal with the naming of this convention or with replacing whole words with asterisks / obscenicons / grawlixes, not with the partial censoring of still-visible and understandable words. My question is: **Why and when did we start censor words such as f**k with partial-asterisks** but still retain the same word length/structure/opening- closing letters so the word is still understandable but yet deemed 'safe' in this way? What is the origin of such a method (and, more of a separate question, is the same thing done in non-English languages?) Google NGram seems to show the first instance of f**k from 1959 but doesn't show any context, or where this actually was used.


Trouble understanding the meaning of sentences with “unless”

I am having trouble understanding the meaning of sentences using _unless_. Here is an example: > Unless I hear from you by 6pm Friday I will send the letters to main office. What does the above sentence mean? Are they expecting me to reply?


Why does legal English continue to remain archaic?

Perhaps this is a question for Law.SE if one exists, but I am asking here as there are other nice questions on English history. There is some historical development account presented in Wikipedia, but I find it grossly inadequate to answer the question. English has always been a language that borrows and enriches itself, but retains its original flavour all the same. Why has a similar linguistic edification not happened with legal English? The question, in its elementary form:   * Why has legal English simply not moved on?


paraphrase this sentence

Please help me to paraphrase this sentence. Because of their insect origin, the Myrmidons were blindly loyal to Achilles, so loyal that they would die without resisting if ordered to.


"Result in" or "result to"

I am trying to help a friend to write his CV. I don't know which preposition to use in the following paragraph: > Advance Marketing Staff Knowledge & Skills Which Lead To Dramatically > Increase In The Branch Customers. And Also **Result In** Several Competitive > Branches In The Same City To Close. Should _result in_ or _result to_ be used? I feel like it should be _result in_ but I am not sure. Any suggestions or improvements are also welcome.


Name of wordplay similar to a pun but where one word is made up

An example would be most clear: Let's say a company finds a new way to help people communicate. They call their company `kamunik8r` Since `kamunik8r` is a made up word that is meant to sound like 'communicator', does that make this a pun? What is this?


Is there a term for those large, half-cocked hats with flower-like embellishments British high society seems to favor?

Is there a term for those half-cocked hats with large flower-like embellishments British high society seems to favor? I'm seeing quite a lot of them watching a live stream of the Royal Wedding, and would like to call them by their proper name.


What to call someone who always sincerely shows on the outside how and what he feels on the inside?

So, this person is very open, honest and brave to display his vulnerabilities and feelings (because that's what feels natural for him, and as a good thing, to do) whether he's out in public, with strangers, or not. He's being particularly open about his feelings and vulnerabilities, even when it may not be asked for or necessary to do so. There is nothing fake or deceiving about this person. You're always directly connected to whom this person really is.


What is a "clout"?

I came across this sentence in Froude's _English Seamen in the Sixteenth Century_ discussing the actions of Queen Elizabeth... > She preferred to let her subjects discover for themselves that the terrible > Spaniard before whom the whole world trembled was but a colossus stuffed > with clouts. I was wondering what a _clout_ was. Consulting the dictionary here produces a number of meanings, including a strong blow, an archery target and a piece of cloth, but none of these seem to fit, nor does the slang meaning of a turd (as in _horse clouts_ ). Does anyone know what a _clout_ could be in this context?


What is the difference between "little" and "a little"?

I would like to know how these two words differ in usage. Which one is singular? Which one is plural? I would greatly appreciate if you could provide me with a sample usage of these phrases.


Whence the phrase, "in short order"?

In British English, at least, it's quite common to hear that something will be done 'in short order'. For example, _He's going to finish that paperwork in short order._ or: _He'll be leaving the office in short order._ It basically means 'shortly', perhaps with the implication of hastily. Does anyone know the etymology of this phrase?


Is using "get on developing" correct in this phrase?

> You could get on developing this project and help me to add more features to > that.


Word order with "just" and "only" meaning "merely"

Marking a German student's test I have encountered the following problem: > The relationship between the two adolescents is one-sided. Just the boy > really feels something, the girl hates him. Can _just_ be used here? My gut feeling says it should be _only_ , although both words can mean "merely" and do in this case.


Is it "as God is my witness,“ or "as God as my witness"?

I have seen both "as God is my witness", which makes sense but sort of puts God in a supportive role, and "as God as my witness", which sounds wrong to me but I don't know, might be an olde tyme phrasing that is only used in that phrase.


What does the sentence "say hello to karma" mean?

It's a part of a Dilbert's strip you can find here: ![Dilbert strip](http://i.stack.imgur.com/DX9Fr.gif) I understand every word. But not the joke as a whole. Can you explain the irony?


"Den" and "living room"

I was wondering what the difference is between a den and a living room. What does _a den_ really mean? For example, an apartment with two Bedrooms, two Baths and one Den: ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/NFeMw.jpg)


Why does to "cheek it" mean to bluff?

_From Flappers to Rappers: American Youth Slang_ by Dr. Thomas Dalzell cites the 1930s expression "cheek it" as meaning to bluff. I don't quite understand why and I'm hoping someone on here may help me to better understand this.


Should the word after "e.g." be capital

If you are using a word that normally wouldn't start with a capital letter, should it be lower case after an _e.g._? Also should _e.g._ have a capital _E_ at the start of a sentence? Example phrases: >   * Should I always plug in electrical items? e.g. Electric hairdryer, phone > charger... >   * Should I always plug in electrical items? e.g. electric hairdryer, phone > charger... >   * Should I always plug in electrical items? E.g. Electric hairdryer, phone > charger... >   * Should I always plug in electrical items? E.g. electric hairdryer, phone > charger... >


Why does to "take a powder" mean to run away or to leave?

_From Flappers to Rappers: American youth slang_ by Dr. Thomas Dalzell cites "take a powder" as a 1930s expression meaning to run away or to leave. Does anyone have any ideas why taking a powder would mean running away or leaving?


If someone is electrocuted, do they have to die or can they just be injured?

Is it correct to say I electrocuted my friend if he was only injured by electricity?


New Orleans Accent

I'd heard that New Orleans residents are more New York- than Southern- sounding. Recently, I saw some of the Khan Academy videos, and noticed that Salman Khan, who, as Wikipedia says, is from New Orleans, does not sound even remotely Southern. Is this the typical New Orleans accent? Here's one of his videos.


Annoyed that new way to do something is broken and have to go back to perfectly good old way

Is there a name for that annoyed (yet slightly ashamed for being annoyed) feeling you get when the new and improved way of doing something breaks for some reason and you have to go back to doing it the old way, which worked perfectly well for many years and wasn't really that bad?


Is there a word for a person who takes on his own challenge?

A challenger? I'm not a native English speaker but I think when people hear that word they naturally assume the challenge is not set by the challenger. I don't want to imply that. If no such word exists, a synonym (informal if necessary) for a courageous person (in one word) would be the next best thing.


Is there any alternative expression to “Brace Yourself ”

I have translated an article into English. The author of the original article uses a “Bumpy ride on a plane in a hazardous weather” as an analogy to predict an unfavourable political development in a certain location. He advised the citizens there should “sit tight” (a literal translation here) and be prepared. I could have translated the phrase _sit tight_ as _brace yourself_ , but it would lose the mental picture of the analogy. Besides, _sit tight_ means something entirely different in English: to be patient and await the next move. It’s not a good idea to use _sit tight_ to mean _brace yourself_. So, is there any alternative phrase to _brace yourself_ that conveys the same meaning while retaining the picture of the original phrase?


Is "et al." acceptable for citations with exactly two authors?

I have a bunch of information from a source, but the authors names are particularly long; is it acceptable (in MLA) to use "et al." for exactly two authors, e.g., > “The Corpus juris not only preserved Roman law for later generations but, > after the twelfth century when it came to be known and studied in western > Europe, provided inspiration for most European legal systems.” (Lehman et > al. 4)


What's the difference between "technically" and "technologically"?

What's the difference between _technically_ and _technologically_? Can you give example sentences which clearly show the difference?


What happened to the word "awesome" between 1760 and 1790?

Recently I noticed a strong increase in the usage of the word "awesome" between around 1760 to 1790. Then this word became again absolutely uncommon for a while. See the usage graph below. ![](http://i.stack.imgur.com/GZ2RP.png) What happened there?


"running a fever" origin

> I'm running a fever/temperature. I have a student who likes to ask where idioms come from. Since the meanings are not literal, it is challenging for her to remember them. It often helps her to attach a story or explanation to an idiom, even if it is only folk etymology. I've not had any luck searching on EL&U or in any dictionary for the origins of the phrase. It's always present in dictionaries but for etymology just refers the reader to `run`, which never explains the specific meaning in `running a fever/temperature`. If anyone knows where the phrase actually originates, it would be helpful, but even a non-referenceable* etymology would be useful. * * * *i.e. heard from some guy down the pub; learnt a long time ago but I forget where; made-up; etc.


Writing an email to ex-employee requiring resume info?

Email body. > Hello Mr. X, > > I hope you remember me from the time when I worked in your team as > Information Security Trainee in year 2008 along with Mr. A and Mr. Z who > were part of Business Development team. > > My name is Ali, and for past 1-2 weeks I have been looking to contact you to > acquire information which I can put in my resume. You would be pleased to > know that I have recently, passed the CISSP exam and as part of endorsement > process I have to include reference / contact information of my ex- > employees. I was lucky enough to get your email from Mr. M from abc-cOMPANY > Pakistan. However, as part of requirement I may also need your contact phone > number. > > I hope you are in the best of health and having excellent professional as > well personal time there in U.S. > > Looking forward to hear from you. All looks fine to me, except the line               > I hope you are in the best of health and having excellent professional     > as well personal time there in U.S      Is there a better way to say this? Thanks.


Equivalent phrase/single-word for `prognosis (without intervention)`

Consider a situation when without any effort/intervention into the process consequences are predefined to be bad. How do you call such a `bad-prognosis`?


Hanging Bats type of phrase

what kind of phrase is hanging bats in this sentence **Hanging Bats populate most of the caves.**


Future perfect or Future perfect continuous in the following sentence?

I am not sure why this sentence is incorrect from tense's perspective. > It is certain that the construction of the road will be completed by the > winter of 2014. Also, according to my book its incorrect. According to my book, the sentence should have taken the future perfect form as emphasis is on completion. But they are re-writing the sentence as: > It is certain that the construction of the road will have been completed by > the winter of 2014. But this sentence takes future perfect continuous form. So I think it should be **will have completed by the winter of 2014.** Please correct me if I am wrong.


logic and reasoning

My sentence: > Sometimes a question can have multiple answers where all of them share some > kind of evidence but none of them can be a [strict — right — 100% sure that > it is the answer — what else?] answer. Things that I have been thinking about but I do not want to use:   1. if the study of science is called _reasoning_ , which means giving evidence (I am thinking of using "reasonable answer"). But reasonable answer does not mean that it is 100% accurate answer.   2. the word _logic_ can involve math and philosophies, so it is not a word that I can use — because there is no "right" philosophy. What else I can use for the word before the last in my sentence?


What are the parts of speech of "at" and "least" in "at least"?

As in “It travels faster than sound at least.” After considering the alternative _at the very least_ , I'm thinking _at_ is a preposition, and _least_ is — well, stumping me. Can we have it be as normal, a superlative adjective simply standing in place of the noun phrase a preposition calls for? Or is it somehow a noun, or do prepositions not always require noun phrases, or do I just need to count *at least— as two words that somehow form an adverb? The last option would be difficult, as I'm doing some part-of-speech tagging for a corpus I'm building. CLAWS web service auto-tags this phrase as `at_AV0 least_AV0`, which would indicate both words are adverbs, but that seems _very_ wrong, unless that's what they mean by it. But then I don't know how to distinguish tags indicating “these two words are one adverb” from “these are two adverbs”.


The name of an honest woman

Could someone clarify the meaning of the following proverb? > The name of an honest woman is mickle worth. (the entry in the _Oxford Dictionary of English Proverbs_ is not very helpful)


A word that describes goofing off at work that can be used as an adjective in front of the word activity?

For example: > The unreliable employee often engaged in **__** activities like smoke > breaks, smalltalk with his fellows, and playing Solitaire during work hours. > > On Friday afternoons, the employees would often goof off and perform **__** > activities. > > Fred's mind often wandered while performing menial tasks and he thought > about **__** activities he would rather be doing. Best candidates so far: > counter-productive/non-productive/unproductive > > unprofessional (?) **Bonus** : Come up with a word that eliminates the need for the word activity altogether: > The project will not get finished any sooner if you keep wasting time on > **__**.


Is this correct way of replying with available dates for an interview

I trying to reply for an email with my available dates and times for the interview "I'm available on the dates and times mentioned below. Please let me know if any of them works for you." Does this suffice (or) Is there a better/shorter way I can reply?


Best word for "Complete Interpersonal Transparency"

Once upon a time a friend used a word meaning: > An approach, attitude, or expectation of complete openness or transparency > in an interaction or relationship. If I remember correctly, it seemed to carry positive connotations, including simplified communication, schematic consistency, etc. I enjoy this logos, but can never find the word to clearly represent it. > No, I wasn't surprised when the pop-media reported his tryst. We practice > **_______**. p.s. _forthright_ was suggested, but is a little off-target in that it speaks more to how _direct_ someone is, than to how _revealing_.


Can I say "many of the United States"?

If it is clear from the context that we are referring to USA, we might simply say > _Many states_ have deserts/laws against gay marriage/more men than women. But if it is not clear, and I prefer not to say something awkward like "Many states in the United States", can I say instead: > _Many of the United States_ have deserts/laws against gay marriage/more men > than women.


Succinct phrase that covers both “not started” and “previously started, later stopped”

I maintain a web page that tracks tasks for my team. There is a column currently called "not started" that we use for tasks we haven't started yet. We would also like to use that column for tasks we started, but didn't complete, that no one is actively working on for the time being. However, people are reluctant to move it back to that column because the label implies no work has ever been done on that task. A fourth column isn't really an option due to space constraints. What's a phrase that succinctly captures both meanings?


Footwear: Runners. Sneakers. Trainers

There's a type of shoe which I, being Irish, would call _runners_. They're comfortable for running or walking in. The British call them _trainers_ , probably because they can be used for sports or training. The Americans, meanwhile, call them _sneakers_ , presumably because, being soft-soled, they're suitable for sneaking around in. What are the actual sources of these words, and what words are used in other English-speaking areas, such as Australia and South Africa?


What does "trostle" mean?

In the poem _Pi,_ by Wislawa Szymborska, there is this line: > in which we find how blithe the trostle sings! A Google search for _trostle_ turns up a few hits, mostly as people's last names. Urban Dictionary [nsfw] has two definitions, both of which were voted down. And Webster's Online Dictionary says it's a misspelling of throstle. I understand that poets are licensed to make up words, but this poem is otherwise very plain. In fact, this whole line seems out of place. Can anyone explain the author's meaning?


Is *th* ever used not as a thorn outside of portmanteaus?

Pretty much every occurrence of _th_ I can think of see are pronounced as _/θ/_ or very similar sounds (sometimes slightly closer to _f_ or _s_ ). Still, does _th_ appear in any English word pronounced as two distinct phonemes, _/th/_ ? I can think of some portmanteaus where the first word ends with _t_ and the other begins with _h_ (e.g. "pothead") but does it ever appear _naturally_ as that pair of phonemes in words, not brought together as part of portmanteaus or blends?


Capitalization with quotation marks

I have this sentence: > We recommend that parents consciously convey the message, "Everybody needs > to follow the safety rules" rather than "Do what the babysitter says." My inclination is to lowercase _Everybody_ and _Do_. What are the style rules for capitalization of this kind of quote, especially in the middle of a sentence?


What are the historical processes of preposition coining in English?

RegDwight's excellent answer showing the historical usage of _despite_ got me thinking about the processes by which new prepositions are coined. Prepositions are generally considered a closed class, and there are no active derivational processes for generating new ones--yet new prepositions do occasionally arise. The 17-century examples in the linked question show _despite_ being used as a sentential adverb taking a complement with _of_ , though contemporary usage has _despite_ as a preposition that directly governs its object. At some point the _of_ started to disappear from "despite of", and the word _despite_ was reanalyzed as a preposition rather than an adverb. This got me thinking:   * What other words are documented to have transitioned from adverbs to prepositions?   * Do any words other than adverbs ever make this leap? Are there any nouns or verbs that have somehow transitioned to prepositions?


She is a girl vs it is a girl

There is a photo of a baby girl with her brother but the baby can't be much Of differentiated as a girl or boy.   What would it be right to say?   It is a girl. Or   She is a girl.


Double meaning?

Taken from "A Quiver Full of Arrows": > "The flowers have lasted well," she teased, and left him to make the coffee. Does the sentence clearly imply that **_she_** left to make the coffee? Or could it also imply that she left him so that **_he_** could make the coffee? **Edit:** The third sentence "She returned after a few minutes with a coffee pot..." makes the meaning abundantly clear. I just want to know how the first sentence stands up on its own.


Invoices status, Invoices statuses, Invoices' status or Invoices' statuses

According to this, statuses is the plural of status. However, I am not sure here which one to use, my logic is statuses is more proper as each invoice has different status. But seems awkward word or unpopular at least. Further, I'm not sure if I have to use the possessive s or not. **Example** > Invoices statuses have been updated accordingly.


Is "in the old decades" grammatically correct?

An example sentence would be like: "In the old decades, banana was the main type of food". Is this sentence grammatically correct? If so, does the phrase "in the old decades" have similar meaning to "a few decades ago"?


How to pronounce "integer"?

Does it have to sound like in _ginger_ or _finger_?


What is an English word which means 'bêtement'?

_Bêtement_ is a French word whose literal meaning is 'in the manner of an animal'. It is often used metaphorically, to describe an action carried out in a robotic fashion – without thinking. How would you translate this sense into English? Perhaps _robotically_ is the answer, but can anyone think of anything better?


Clause applying to first part of sentence when 'and' is used?

> The requirement referred to in the first subparagraph shall not apply to > fund of funds structures and master-feeder structures where the underlying > funds have a depositary which provides ownership verification and record- > keeping functions for this fund’s assets. In this sentence, does the clause "where the underlying funds have a depositary which provides ownership verification and record-keeping functions for this fund’s assets" also apply to "fund of funds structures" (before the _and_ )?


Wanting input on inputs

I am uncomfortable with the use of _inputs_ as the plural noun of the previously non-countable _input_. Is this a recent computer-related development (as used in many posts on this site) which has spilled into wider use, or is there a subtle demarcation of use happening? I am thinking especially about situations where input equates with a contribution or feedback. For example, I've seen sentences like: 'The organisation responded to the customers' inputs', and it feels completely wrong. For me this type should always be _input_ whether plural or not. As an aside I am very comfortable with _inputs_ as the plural of the sockets into which plugs can be put, but again this is a very different meaning.   What is the state of play?


Under (the) circumstances

I wonder, if I need to place definite article here: _Under (the) circumstances, we change every second_ , if I mean no specific circumstances, but want to express some general idea? I mean, it's a silly question, but somehow it sounds strange without article.


generic reference, specific reference, and "particular reference"?

_Webs are beautiful._ (I'm sure it is a generic reference.) _The web is beautiful._ (I'm sure it is a specific reference.) _The Web is beautiful._ (This web refers to the World Wide Web, a specific web in the world. It differs from the specific reference, where the web is only known in the context of the speaker and not for the reader. In other words, the web should be some specific web, but for the reader, nobody knows which exact web it refers to. Is this called " **particular reference** " or is there another name for it?)


Should there be a comma after "i.e."?

If I remember correctly from English class, then one should put a comma after "i.e.", i.e., the Latin abbreviation for id est. But lately I've seen the comma after "i.e." dropped in books. So what is the rule or consensus here if any?


Can one say "find sanctuary"?

I'd like to use the expression _find sanctuary_ instead of _find refuge_. Would it be fine?


Why the use of 'clock' in the following sentence?

"Bob clocked Joe right in the nose."   In this sentence, "clocked" indicates that Bob punched Joe directly in Joe's nose. How did 'clock' come to be used in such a way? Is it colloquial/vernacular to a specific region?


is "like so" correct?

Reading blog entries about computing I often see "like so" instead of "like this". Is this correct english? It sounds to me like a word by word translation from german ...


"transcend" in a negative context

Can transcend be used to imply a negative condition? For example, "an unappointed ruling elite that transcends both of the member groups." The implication would be that the elite group is comprised of members from the two different groups but is not beholden to the groups. Not in the sense of say, statesmanship, but in the sense of manipulation. Is there a better word than transcend to use to connote that meaning?


Meaning/origin of "You bet" as a response to "Thank you"

In a radio show (such as APM Marketplace), when a host interviews a guest, the conversation ends with the host saying "Thank you" and the guest saying something similar in response. Usually it is "Thank _you_ " or "Great to be with you" or "My pleasure". Often they respond with "You bet", which really puzzles me. I am aware of the idiom, but even that doesn't make sense in this situation. My questions are:   * What exactly is that supposed to mean here?   * How did it become one of the standard responses to "Thank you" in this context?   * Is it a good response to "Thank you" in real life, i.e. outside of the radio show?


Negation in English

In English there are at least two ways to express negation, for example:   — I don't have money   — I have no money or   — No objects were found   — Objects were not found or   — No restrictions are applied   — Restrictions are not applied Questions:   1. What is the difference between these two forms?   2. Is it only the matter of style or there is more significant differences in the meaning of the sentences?   3. When should we use the first-one form and when the second?   4. Does these two forms stress a difference between British and US English?


Is it better to use a plural noun or definite article?

For example: **Multicopters** belong to a family of aircraft called rotorcraft, which also includes **helicopters** , and although they appear to be similar, the multicopter's design is mechanically much simpler. **The multicopter** belongs to a family of aircraft called rotorcraft, which includes **the helicopter** , and although they appear to be similar, the multicopter's design is mechanically much simpler.


What is someone who leaks a surprise called?

What is someone whose tendency/act is to leak the surprise called?


Standard English proverb for "When you see a useful resource, you feel lazy to work."

What would be the standard English proverb for something like this: Your leg starts to ache when you see a horse. OR When you see a useful resource/means, you feel lazy to do the job/work. EDIT: It essentially means, I think, that a 'lazy man will find many excuses to avoid work'. Here is the original Kannada language proverb: Kudure kandre kaalu novvu. Which literally means: "Your leg starts to ache when you see a horse." OR "When you notice a horse, you act limp" SevenSidedDie explains it below quite well: "Nice car! Oh, uh, I suddenly have a cramp, can I get a ride?" (Note: Proverbs are pieces of traditional wisdom passed down to us from previous generations - kinda like universal truths, while quotes are just opinions of one or more persons. "A bad workman quarrels with his tools" is a proverb while "I can resist anything but temptation" is a quote. What I want is a proverb, not a quote, thanks.)


Is there a better word than "colorizable"?

In part of the software my company develops, the user is presented with a list of black-and-white images. The user can select one of these images and then can select a color for it, changing it from black and white to the color they selected. We are currently calling these “Colorizable Images”, as opposed to the alternative list of “Existing Color” images. But I am not sure that _colorizable_ is a real word and am concerned people may not understand. Is there a better term for something for which one can change the color of? We considered _colorable_ but the definition seemed completely wrong. An example might help. The user will see: ![a black and white image](http://i.stack.imgur.com/2k8Zn.png) And when they choose to colorize that blue, they get: ![a blue and white image](http://i.stack.imgur.com/jyyEc.png)


Grammatically correct use of criteria

The established criteria on which to make these determinations was recommended by the Committee. These criteria are as follows: ... or should I write, ....Those criteria are as follows:... Jenn


Is "Less than perfect" always used in a sarcastic and negative way?

I always use the phrase _less than perfect_ in a sarcastic way, meaning that something is not good at all. For example: > My date was obviously less than perfect. She was late and in a hurry, and > she kept talking about her ex-boyfriend. But I start to wonder if this phrase can be used in a non-sarcastic way, as a parallel to _almost perfect_. As an example, could it be used in this context? > Enjoy your day to its fullest. If anybody in the office makes your day _less > than perfect_ , go and talk to them.


What is this ‘-ing’ structure?

Consider the following sentence: > The Bactrian camel is well adapted to the extreme climate of its native > Mongolia, _having_ thick fur and underwool that keep it warm in winter and > also insulate against summer heat. My question is about the italicized part. My usage of English is grounded mostly in “what feels right” and not in solid grammar knowledge, so I am struggling with this one. I have been using such structure quite frivolously myself, but I never knew an ‘official’ name for it, nor when it is appropriate. Here is a generic example: > Bob is a great guy, wanting to do great things no matter what the > circumstances are. Is this correct? What is this _-ing_ ‘thing’ called, if it has a name? Could you briefly list when it is or isn’t appropriate to use a verb+ing form, perhaps noting the most common misuses or mistakes?


Is the use of Simple Past correct in "Although I didn't study for the test, I got a good grade"?

As both actions refer to the past, shouldn't we use Past Perfect to refer to the action that happened first (or rather didn't happen in this particular case)? That is, I am thinking the appropriate sentence should be: > Although I hadn't studied for the test, I got a good grade. Am I wrong? Why?


What part of speech is the word "found" in the sentence below

A whale **_found_** dead on the southern Spanish coast was found to have swallowed 17 kg of plastic waste, including plastic bags. I assumed it was a verb, as in a reduced passive form (a whale that was found dead), but the test said the correct answer was: "adjective" Any ideas?


How to avoid using the subject of a sentence more than necessary

My English grammar is rusty and I have not kept up with grammar rules. So, please bear with me, while I struggled to frame the title of my question. What I want accomplished is a paragraph that is short, sweet and one that does not confuse the reader with repetitive detail. I get the feeling that my sentences below could be framed better. I have the following paragraph:               **To start building the system, begin with a phrase or one sentence summary        that defines the system.       “The Heat system models a two-dimensional heat diffusion experiment”        - This one-sentence summary characterizes your system. **      I am going to be using the above paragraph in a Powerpoint slide. So, I want something that conveys the idea quickly.I am aware that I am using either some form of narrative (first, second or third person??)   Any help in making it better is welcomed. Sorry if I have not done my research very well.


Term for turning "Florida" into "Flo Rida"

What would be the name for dissecting a word to create a phrase — the opposite of a portmanteau? Like the rapper Flo Rida made his name out of Florida. Is there a term for that?


Is "Please advise" a real sentence?

Is > Please advise really a sentence? If so, is it because there is an implied subject (I am not sure if that even exists)?


Right meanings of 'form'?

> When legal decision-makers like Justice Peckham, who are actually ... making > a policy or political choice act as if there were no choice to be made—when > they treat a policy choice as simply an exercise in knowing the plain > meaning of a word—their behavior is sometimes described as formalistic. They > act as if it is the **form** that matters, but in fact it is substance that > is doing the work. > > It is, to be sure, formalistic to take the literal meaning of the words > “prior to December 31” in _United States v. Locke_ as dictating a result > other than what seems to be the most sensible one, because it is to treat > the **form** of a legal rule as more important than its deeper purpose, or > more important than reaching the best all-things-considered judgment in the > particular context of a particular case. Is it definition 1 or 4 or something else at http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/form?q=form? I'm guessing that the meaning of form is the same in both examples? Also, please explain your thought processes/deductive steps, so I can try to improve doing so and need not ask here? Source: P30, Thinking like a Lawyer, Frederick Schauer


I have a question regarding present perfect and simple past

**I have this example:** > Have you ever lost something valuable? > > The answer is : No, I haven't, but my brother **___ __** his camera on a > trip once. My question is this. With what should I fill the space? When should I use present perfect and when should I use simple past? Do I write lost or lose? I am confused between them.


What's the difference between "persuade" and "convince"?

When should "persuade" be preferred over "convince", and vice versa?


Either and vs. Either or

(1) In this question on math.SE a question about the meaning of 'either' before a list which ends with 'and'. The meaning of               either a, b, c, or d      is from this answer sort of clear in that it means a or b or c or d. Even if _or_ can mean all included, the _either_ seems to indicate an exclusivity. so _exactly_ one of them. But what does               either a, b, c, and d      mean? Is this even current English? (2) in the same question there is the question about what               any one of a, b, c, and d      means. So I would also like to know what               any one of a, b, c, or d      means?


How to cite when describing a protocol?

I am writing a paper that involves the description of numerous internet protocols. Because of the rigidity of these protocols, it's difficult for any one description to sound much different from any other. The approach I've taken is to read many descriptions of the protocols, including the official standards, and make an effort to deeply understand the protocols first. Then, without referring to any source, I write out the description of the protocol in the way I understand it and using my own words to describe its operation. How do I cite something like this? The problem I'm running into is that none of the words or sentences I use are direct quotes from any of my sources. However, the overall structure and description is very similar to all of the sources.


What is the outer part of building called (figure)?

What is the part of the building (usually skyscraper) extending out called? It's the spot where superheroes are shown to be sitting when contemplating about their lives (looking down at the city). For instance: http://blog.frieze.com/uploads/blog/MID021A-03_thumb.jpg http://www.uni.illinois.edu//og/media/archive/photos/2007/05/01/spiderman-3.jpg I initially thought of **ledge** but I'm not sure this is the exact answer.


What does the bolded part mean?

The call produced a high-shouldered young fellow, with a round red face, a short crop of sandy hair, a very broad humorous mouth, a turned-up nose, and a great sleeved waistcoat of purple bars, with mother-of-pearl buttons, **that seemed to be growing upon him, and to be in a fair way — if it were not pruned — of covering his head and overrunning his boots.**


Is Vouchering a valid synonym for "time booking" or not?

I have an ongoing dispute with someone who insists on using "Vouchering" in official documents as a synonym for "time booking" - (as in making entries on a time management system against booking numbers). As the on-line OED returns "No such word in the English Language!" I feel that we should not be using it but thought I would ask here if there is any evidence that this is a valid usage. Almost all the on-line resources that I have found that mention the word consider it a valid word for Scrabble but I can find no mention of it in the context of time booking.


"Varies" or "vary" in this sentence

I was interested in the following sentence which appeared in an article by Andrew C. Rewkin titled “Misperceived Paths to Energy Savings" in The New York Times, The Opinion Pages, (August 17, 2010). > It is difficult to identify the actual energy someone saves by turning off > the light each time they leave the room, for a few reasons: **the types of > lights people use varies** , it’s difficult to measure how many times the > lights are turned on and off per day, and if the behavior has been > maintained over the long-term. Can someone clarify if the fragment "the types of lights people use varies" is ungrammatical, as I think it is? I would reword "varies" with "vary", but I'm not sure on this correction because I'm not able to identify the subject of the verb. (Apologize in advanced if the question is not good for this site. If so, please delete. Thank you.)


Is it offensive to refer to someone as a bird? Is it similar to calling someone a chick in the US? What's the difference?


What's the Word for a Token Job?

What is the word used to describe a job given to a person just to give him/her the status of being in employment? The role does not effectively fulfil a purpose other than status and prestige. I read this word in an article months ago and have not been able to find it. I am referring to an adjective, not nepotism or tokenism, and the concept is more general.


Use of "/" character in a list

Does / mean "of"? What does "Audit / Contract Monthly report/ Toolbox meeting Minutes /signed attendance sheet" mean? It is a cell of a table.


What proof is there in pudding?

Yesterday I heard an English baker on a cooking show say that "the proof is in the pudding." I've heard the expression before but I can't imagine how pudding would prove anything. How did the idiom start, what did it mean originally, and how is it correctly used today?


present perfect continuous passive

On the etiquette of my favourite beer you can read: Affligem abbey ale is being brewed in Belgium according to an old method since 1074. I would like to ask a native speaker whether the used tense is all right. Wouln´t it be better Present Perfect Continious: Beer has been being brewed in Belgium since…?


Difference between "I was being careless" and "I was careless"

Is there any significant difference between saying > I am/was **being** _adj_. (careless, busy, etc)... _[treating "am/was" as an auxiliary verb]_ and > I am/was _adj._ (careless, busy, etc)... Personally, I consider adding the word _being_ a bit fussy but is there actually an effect of doing so?


Is English the only language that distinguishes thumbs from other fingers?

A Russian colleague of mine recently told me that English is the only language that actively distinguishes between fingers and thumbs by having a completely separate word. Her phrasing of it was "English is the only language where you have 8 fingers, in all others there are 10!". This surprises me. I'm sure that there must be _at least_ one other language out there that does distinguish between them. I did a quick Google to find out if this was true, but the results were inconclusive. Some results supported the conclusion, others went as far as saying that there is even a Russian word for "thumb", but didn't actually specify what that word was. A possibility that I find plausible is that a lot of languages _do_ have such a word, but its use is not very frequent or the word is archaic. So, do other languages have 8 fingers too, or are we just strange?


I knew we shouldn't trust him

I ran into this sentence in a movie: > I knew we shouldn't trust him. But I don't know if it's correct. I'm assuming it is, for the movie is american. But I'm used to seeing something like this rather than the sentence above: > I knew we shouldn't **have** trusted him. Could someone please explain why the first sentence is correct?


What do you call a freelancer working predominantly at home?

According to Farlex Financial Dictionary, an _e-lancer_ is an independent contractor who performs their duties predominantly or exclusively online, at home, communicating with clients and colleagues via phone and e-mail. So, since in others terms an _e-lancer_ is a kind of freelancer working at home, I would like to call a character participating in my next novel a 'homepreneur', which seems a word in current usage ("Three's the magic number for Kristy Sturgess, a homepreneur from Vineyard."). But, alas, I didn't find that word in dictionaries, so I wonder:   * Is 'homepreneur' a valid word, a word that I can use in a novel?   * If not, what do you call a freelancer working at home?


What are the possible meanings of 'hub' when it is included in the name of a website?

This is the definition of _hub_ : >   1. The central part of a wheel, rotating on or with the axle, and from > which the spokes radiate. > >   2. A place or thing that forms the effective center of an activity, > region, or network. > > https://www.google.com/search?q=hub+definition I was wondering what are the possible meaning of the word when it is included in the name of a website. Because it seems to me that any website can act as a 'hub' (a network/activity site). (One example is GitHub).


Usage of the word "denominator"

I have heard many historians use the word _denominator_. I know its significance in maths but when and why is the word used in other contexts? And what are its synonyms in those contexts?


How to refer to a space/community/website where people can post something and get feedback?

I want to create a community site where people can post their poems and get feedback, comments, and critique. I would like to know if there is a (monosyllabic if possible) word that refers to a place/website where you can post something and get feedback (metaphors are OK too). Any suggestions?


Is "a lot of" used generally in English, or is it colloquial?

I find a lot of people in Holland think 'a lot of' is too colloquial for use in academic work. Is that the case?


How do you call an event which is held every 4 years

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  If annual means one year, is there any word for two,three, four.. year ...like Olympic Games or World Cup. Is there a word to describe their periodical characteristic or just simply "every 4 year"? There are words like `Annual`, `Biennial`, `Triennial` (every 1, 2, 3 years) but `Quadennial` seems not to be a valid word.


Correct title given to the highest authority of described organization

I am wondering what the right title is of the highest authority of the organization that have these specifications:   * It's an organization that was required by the government office to show 1 million of the country's currency from the organization's bank account plus assets (house, vehicles, etc)   * The organization is registered at Securities and Exchange Commission, Department of Trade and Industry and Intellectual Property Office As of the moment, the highest authority of the organization has the title "President" where I'm not really sure if it is the right title. I've been thinking that the "President" title is only given to a system of organization where the member elect the person. As far as I know, there is no election in the organization I have described above. I'm actually inclining to "Executive Director" as the right title to be given to the highest authority given to the the organization I have described above, but I am not entirely sure. This is the sole reason why I am asking about this. Can somebody kindly clear what is the appropriate title that is given to the highest authority of such organization I described above? Edit: I would not really say it is a company but more of an organization


Why is "victuals" pronounced "vittles"?

This doesn't make sense to me. Is it just laziness?


a network of engines that enables Vs that enable

ABC operates **a network of multilingual job search engines that enables** individuals to find suitable jobs across multiple countries. VS Recruit.net **operates a network of multilingual job search engines that enable** individuals to find suitable jobs across multiple countries.


determiner "the" followed by adjective - parts of speech

In English, adjectives usually cannot function as noun or pronouns, at least not to the degree it is possible in German where you can do it without thinking. > The old car sucked. The new is better. In English, we'd need a "one" here to make it grammatically correct. Now, in "Game of Thrones" they keep saying the following > By the old gods and the new. Here are my questions:   * Is this old fashioned English?   * Are there more examples like this?   * Is there maybe a rule when such constructions are possible? and finally:   * How is the grammatical analysis of this? What is "new" here? Is it considered a noun? Or is it an adjective with the noun missing?


Is "snoot" really a word? Where did it originate?

I have seen the word (or term) "snoot" defined as a person who is punctilious about words, grammar, punctuation, pronunciation, and allied linguistic skills. I'm told that snoot is less off-putting than such pejorative terms as grammar nazi, word nerd, syntax snob, or language police. David Foster Wallace called those terms "outright dysphemisms" and defined a snoot as "somebody who knows what dysphemism means and doesn't mind letting you know it." See Wallace, "Tense Present," Harper's, Apr. 2001, at 39.(PDF) But is snoot a real word or a coined term, and if the latter, how was it coined?


Use of "should have" in conditional sentences

In _Return of the Soldier_ (1918) I came across what appears to be a conditional sentence: > I never **should have** got this telegram if me and my husband hadn't been > down there last September and told the folks [...] who I was. Why have I never seen conditional sentences formed this way before, and why is it not covered in the relevant Wikipedia article either? What is the grammar behind it?


The penny dropped slowly

In Germany we have the saying "der Groschen ist gefallen", which exists in the English language, too: > The penny dropped. But there is also a variation for slower thinking, "der Groschen fällt pfennigweise", which would correspond to: > Ten pence drop a penny at a time. Is there any saying like this in English?


Abbreviation of "(a)synchronous"

How should one go about abbreviating _(a)synchronous_? Is the most correct form _(a)sync._ or _(a)synch._?


How to write previous surname when married?

What is the correct way of writing previous surname when married? E.g. John Johnson (former Davis) Is it correct to use 'former' or should it be 'previous' or any other word, or just '(Davis)' without any preceding word? Than you.


What is a "Web tailer"?

Yet another question from Salinger's _Ocean Full of Bowling Balls_. Holden writes to his brother from a camp: > Ask him if he ever read corinthans. Corinthans is in the bible and is very > good and pretty and Web tailer read me some of it. What does "Web tailer" here refer to? Is this a cultural reference, a typo, or a religious concept/post? Full context can be found here Google didn't give much due to the popularity of words "web" and "e-tailer". Google Books search wasn't fruitful either.


How to shorten "look at"?

I need to find a shortened format (abbreviation) for the words "look at" (to be used when referring people to another website). For example: > Example given → e.g


opposite of digital, but not analogue

I'm currently writing a security guideline for my company, and I need to make different rules for digital files and documents on paper. I was wondering if there were any good words to mean "on paper". Analogue is obviously not the word. Non-digital seems alright, but it somewhat give too much emphasis to digital files. It makes it seem as if digital is one thing and there's the rest, and that's not the case. I would really appreciate it if you could find the word that would fit just right.


How often are tonic syllables incorrectly chosen in English?

Understanding its accenting rules (though they've changed to worse very recently), it's quite rare to not know how is a given written word is stressed in Spanish. In French or Italian, the tonic syllable is always the last one, so issues should be infrequent as well (can't assure it though). English has no one of either assets so as a non-native speaker, it seems very likely to me that there are differences between social or regional groups in this regard. Is this true or not really?


"And" vs. "or" when specifying a collection

If I am looking for one or more of A/B/C, but nothing else, and I want to tell that to somebody, do I say "I am only looking for A, B, _and_ C" or "I am only looking for A, B, _or_ C"? An example with some context: > I would like some definitive information about frumblebumps. I am only > looking for articles, links, _[and | or]_ first-hand accounts. Does the "and" version imply that I am looking for all three and will not accept a partial set? Does the "or" version imply an exclusive or? If "and" is the appropriate word, then how do I differentiate that from the case where I _am_ looking for all three items as a set? If "or" is the appropriate word, then how do I differentiate that from the case where I am looking for exactly one of the items?


What is the meaning of "ugg"?

What does the word _ugg_ mean? Does it mean _made in China_? Here is an example from a Skype group of my company: > A: ... sesion ...   >  B: misspelling of session -> sesion   >  C: ugg! A is a Chinese, B and C are both native English speakers.


Can I use "way how to" to express a method of doing something?

I always thought that this phrase is wrong. That I can use either " _the way to_ do something" or " _how to_ do something". However, I find the phrase _way how to_ very often in various places and that puts me in doubt whether this is correct or not. Can you think of a proper usage example or are a lot of people just wrong when they use the phrase?


"how the data is accessed" and "how is the data accessed", which one is correct?

Of the two sentences “how the data is accessed” and “how is the data accessed”, which one is correct?


"Can have" vs. "could have"

One often hears primarily people from the UK using the phrase _can have_ in certain past tenses. What exactly is the difference between using _could have_ and _can have_? I used to believe that _can_ turns to _could_ in past tense, but from what I understand there is actually a case where _can have_ is correct usage and has a slightly different meaning from _could have_.


Does this type of grammatical construction give an ambiguous meaning?

A girl was found in a house belonging to one of two criminals; is it correct to express this in the following way: _The girl was found in one of the criminals' houses_. Does the plural use of 'house' suggest that the criminal in whose house she was found has more than one house? Or is it ambiguous meaning that he could have one or more houses? Another example: _The drugs were found in one of the men's cars._ ? Does the meaning suggest, as in the other example above, that the man in whose car the drugs were found has more than 1 car? Or again, is it ambiguous suggesting that he may or may not have more than 1 car?


Phonetically, "lanapeel," what is this word? (marine animal)

My fiancée, who speaks what might best be described as a “distinctly rural” dialect of American English (she sounds like she grew up near Larry the Cable Guy), has related stories to me of a marine animal she calls a _lanapeel_ (phonetically, like _banana peel_ ). This is (allegedly) an aggressive and venomous (or otherwise poisonous) fish or fish-like animal sometimes mistaken for a catfish or dogfish, with yellow and white coloring, and which is possibly able to convey itself on land if out of the water. I’ve had no luck finding any of several variant spellings I’ve tried, so I thought perhaps this word might be familiar to someone in this community. What is the word I’m hearing, if not _lanapeel, lanipeel, lanopil_ , or some such related term? Is it perhaps a common mispronunciation of the correct term, whatever that might be?


Why does "do you read me" mean "do you hear me"?

Why does "Do you read me?" mean "Do you hear me?" This phrase is used (in movies) during radio communication, for example.


Not only X but also Y are (is?)

At first glance, sentence 1 below seems more correct because there are two subjects. However, something seems more natural about sentence 2. Maybe there is something abbreviated, elliptical, or adverbial in sentence 2. In sentences of this structure, should the verb be singular or plural? >   1. Not only a book, but also a pencil are on the table > >   2. Not only a book, but also a pencil is on the table. > >


Difference between “undertone” and “overtone”

Is there any meaningful difference between the terms _undertone_ and _overtone_ with regard to an utterance in the sense of an implicit meaning?


What is wrong with phrasing like "configure how"?

I'm doing some editing and one sentence I'm navigating says "You can configure how the thing appears." (That's a paraphrase.) I think it is wrong because "configure" is a transitive verb and needs a direct object. "How" is not an object. I'm not entirely sure that that's the clearest explanation of why this construction is wrong, however.


What is the meaning of the phrase ‘in timely fashion’?

> It was very disturbing to learn that Google will not open source Android 3.0 > **in timely fashion**. What is the meaning of _in timely fashion_?


Difference between "warrior" and "soldier"

Is there any difference in meaning between _warrior_ and _soldier_? Are they totally synonymous?


"stay home" vs. "stay at home"

Consider the following: > I'll probably stay at home. > > I'll probably stay home. Is the second sentence still grammatically correct? Is there any difference at all?


Meaning and origin of "That dog don't hunt"

Is _That dog don't hunt_ an American slang expression? What does it mean exactly and where does it originate? If possible, please give some examples.


Word for "disqualifier"?

Is there a word that would mean "disqualifier" if "disqualifier" were a word? Alternatively, let's say someone presents a list of qualifiers   1. x   2. y   3. z and says you do not qualify if any of them apply to you. I would call these "disqualifiers" but apparently that is not actually a word. What is the right name for them?


Pronunciation of "Blessed"

Is there any difference in meaning or usage when pronouncing "blessed" with two syllables rather than one syllable? Two: **bles** -id `[blɛsəd]` One: blest `[blɛst]`


Alternative to "skin in the game"

Is there an alternative idiom with the same meaning as "skin in the game"?


What's the difference between "buy up" "buy down" "buy" and "purchase"

What's the different between:   * Buy up   * buy down    * purchase    * buy When they're all supposed to mean "to pay money"?


Why is American English so wedded to the subjunctive?

In the sentence 'She suggested that they go to the cinema' there is no way of telling from the sentence in isolation whether it means that the speaker gave advice on attending a moving picture show, or whether the speaker believed that some people were already in the habit of enjoying cinematographic entertainment. The same is true in relation to an individual when the past tense is used, as in 'She suggested that he went to the cinema.' We depend on context to tell us which meaning is intended. Now, when we come to the third person singular in the present tense, I understand that American English distinguishes between the mandative subjunctive ('She suggested that he go to the cinema') and the indicative ('She suggested that he goes to the cinema') to express the two meanings. Why does American English insist on an inflectional distinction in the third person singular here when it is obliged to rely on context elsewhere?


"Unpleasant smile" vs. "unhappy smile"

Is an unpleasant smile the same as an unhappy smile? What does an unhappy smile look like? If they're not the same then what does an unpleasant smile look like?


Which is larger a "chasm" or a "gulf?"

For the meaning: > _figurative_ : a profound difference between people, viewpoints, feelings, > etc. Is a chasm or a gulf generally interpreted as being a larger difference? > **A:** The gulf between rich and poor has grown into a chasm? > > **B:** The difference is not merely a chasm, but a gulf.


What is the correct abbreviation of "continued"?

Assume that I give my work information in my CV with the date (year) intervals. My last position started this year and is continued at the moment.               Example Co.  ABC Manager    2012 - cont.      How should I abbreviate _continued_ here? Is _cont._ correct?


Meaning of "roll"

What's the meaning of _rollin_ in this context? > **Ridin** > > They see me **rollin** > > They hatin > > Patrolling they tryin to catch me ridin dirty > > Tryin to catch me ridin dirty > > Tryin to catch me ridin dirty This is from _Ridin'_ by Chamillionaire, featuring Krayzie Bone.


Where does the term "three sheets to the wind" originate from?

What is the origin of "three sheets to the wind"?


Prefix or adjective meaning "one and a half"

Is there a prefix or adjective that means "one and a half", as "tri-" or "triple" is for "three"? The exact usage I have is to describe "18" in terms of a dozen. Where I live they've started making 18-egg cartons, and the local grocer was wondering what name to give them in his computerised cash register, hoping for a single word. Even slang, informal or invented term would do if there isn't such a term already.


Searching for a literary term for “if this, then I’m a this” statements

I’m reading Shakespeare’s _Henry IV (Part 1)_ right now and I’m noticing that Sir John Falstaff has a propensity of saying “If this, then I’m a this” sort of statements. A few examples to clarify: > … An I   >  have not ballads made on you all and sung to filthy   >  tunes, let a cup of sack be my poison > > An I have not   >  forgotten what the inside of a church is made of, I   >  am a peppercorn, a brewer’s horse > > if manhood, good manhood, be   >  not forgot upon the face of the earth, then am I a shotten herring > > If I do not beat thee out of thy   >  kingdom with a dagger of lath, and drive all thy   >  subjects afore thee like a flock of wild-geese,   >  I’ll never wear hair on my face more Is there a particular literary term for these sort of sentences?


What is the name for a person who raises turkeys?

Some agricultural professions have specific names assigned to them. For example, a person who raises sheep is a shepherd and a person who raises cattle is a rancher. What would a person who raises turkey (or perhaps poultry in general) be called?


Simple Past or Past Participle

Between 1990 and 2000, the number of people living in the UK had increased from 10 million to 50 million, whereas that in Africa had decreased by 50%. or Between 1990 and 2000, the number of people living in the UK increased from 10 million to 50 million, whereas that in Africa decreased by 50%. (A graph that shows information regarding the world population between 1990 and 2000)


Why ride? Over ride or pilot?

* Why do you ride a horse and a bike, rather than drive it?   * Why do you pilot a plane, rather than drive it?   * Why do you drive a car, rather than pilot it? You can go for a ride in a car, but only if you're not the one driving it. As you ride a horse, does that mean the horse it really in charge? Follow that logic to riding a bike, does that mean the bike is in charge?


Is it acceptable to use "to be" to describe possession?

I recently was explaining a couple of Marathi phrases to my friend, and I realized that the language doesn't have the word "to have". We have multiple different ways of expressing posession, but I found a particular one rather interesting: When I want to say "I have a pen", I instead say "My pen is" (literally translated). The moment I translated it, I realized that this construct was pretty interesting. The verb "to be" is rarely seen without any object -- if at all. The phrase "My <something> is" in English sounds a bit poetic to me. I've never heard it being used myself, but it may be something that's fallen into disuse. My question is, is this a valid1 way of expressing possession? Is it OK to use "My pen is" in place of "I have a pen"? A more general question2 is: When is it acceptable to use the verb "to be" without any object? 1\. Poetic license aside 2\. Which may be too broad, so this is a bonus question :)


Which definition of "atheism" is the proper usage?

This seems to be a creeping problem in that two competing definitions are being used for the term "atheism" that aren't necessarily compatible with one another. One the one hand we have what appears to be the classical definition of "atheism" which describes it as the solid position that there is no God by describing at as the "belief that there is/are no God(s)" **Support** : Stanford On the other hand there are some selected groups (and many atheists that you ask on the internet will tell you) that the term is the "absence or lack of belief in God(s)." **Support** : Wikipedia Which definition is the proper usage? Are these competing definitions untenable and contradictory or can they be inclusively used as the Wikipedia article suggests? What are some of the implications of "lack of belief" definition? Under that definition would babies be atheists? What about animals? Could inanimate objects technically be described as "atheistic?"


“waste time" and " pass time"

In this sentence, why people say "if reading is to accomplish anything more than passing time, it must be active?" Why isn't "wasting time" a right answer?


Time: Move "backwards" or "forwards"

Let us pay attention to the terms **back** and **forward** in the quote below. > On the 4th of June they had the drill for independence day. But if you **go > back** further you'd find that around **mid-May** , they were nowhere near > planning the event. But if you **move forward** (to around the **end of > June** ) you should find yourself in shock with the level they've reached. Observe that I refer to **back** as going further into the past and **forward** , into the future. Strangely though, I found some colleagues (teachers in one of the scools I used to work with), using the words differently like this: > This is still September. So let's have our prize-giving around mid-November. > On the other hand, let's **move it forward** to around October. But then > again we don't want the sports event causing any trouble so let's **move it > backward** to early December. I find this very difficult to accept. They even argue that the 10th of a month is after the 5th and thus it's behind. Thus my question: Is this how the terms are used in most countries or is this unacceptable?


Why did /x/ change to /f/ in English?

As we know, the English language doesn't have the /x/ phoneme anymore (at least in an everyday kind of context*) and the sound seems to have been dropped in many words, such as in _light_ or _eight_. However, consider the following words: _laugh_ , _tough_ , _rough_ and _cough_. It strikes me as very odd that what was once a /x/ would turn into /f/; it seems much more likely to me that it would have shifted to /h/, /ʃ/ or even /g/ — but definitely not to a fricative at the front. My question is: **Has it been attested that /x/ shifted to /f/** in certain situations **? Is there an explanation for this phenomenon?** _laugh_ is _lachen_ in both German and Dutch with a /x/-like sound; _rough_ is _ruig_ in Dutch and _ruuch_ in Swiss German (both with /x/). So there is some relation between /x/ and /f/, but it perplexes me. (On an irrelevant note, I also notice that _shaft_ is _Schacht_ in German, but the whole `ft` vs. `cht` at the end of words seems to be more complicated and possibly independent from the /f/ in the words I mentioned in the second paragraph. There are some Dutch-German pairs where they systematically differ: { _kracht_ , _Kraft_ }, { _lucht_ , _Luft_ }, { _stichting_ , _Stiftung_ }. This is odd, too, but not in the scope of this question — or of this site for that matter.) * * * * disregarding all annoyed teenagers who use "ugh" excessively ;)


"be given offters of help" or "be given willingness of help"

In this sentence, " a woman is often given more___of help with her broken-down car when she is dressed attractively than when she is dressed less appealingly." The answer is "offers", but why not willingness? Is it because that the "willingness" is not written in a plural form?


The correct positioning of a sentence adverb in a sentence

>   * Three days? I think that it is not **simply** enough time. > >   * Three days? I think that it is **simply** not enough time > > What rule of grammar informs acceptable _word order_ in this case?


An expression that adds little information

There is a family of expressions called oxymorons which contain contradicting meanings. What about expressions that add little meaning like "fatally injured"? What are these expressions called?


"is to" + verb, "was to" + verb

I've got a sentence that I can't quite well understand. My problem in the sentence is the "were to play" part. How does it change the meaning of the sentence? Does it mean that this was an action in the past that had not taken place? The sentence is: > These Jägers were to play a significant role in subsequent events. Another one: > This was the beginning of a civil war between the Whites and the Reds that > was to last for nearly four months. Could someone help me to understand the idea of "am/are/is to" + verb | "was/were to" + verb | (etc..)? Any help would be appreciated! UPDATE: I've found an article on using "is to" + verb and "are to" + verb. Is the explanation right in this article about the usage of this form?


Possessive apostrophe for owner of owner of owner of

I've read Preferred way to apostrophise in case of dual or multiple ownership by distinct entities and "Nikki's and Alice's X" vs. "Nikki and Alice's X", but my question is a little different. Not sure if the title is correctly chosen or not. So the question is, if something belongs to a person, whose name I don't know for example, then I would say: >   1. It's my uncle's sister's nephew's object >   2. It's my uncle sister nephew's object > I suppose the first one would be correct, but it looks strange. Can anyone point to a rule that specifically states how to deal with the possessive apostrophe in those situations?


What's the word for when a word means what it seems like it should mean?

I'm not talking about onomatopoeia—I don't mean a word that describes a sound—I mean something along the lines of an aptronym, i.e. a perfect name such as Anthony Camera for a photographer (true story). What is the word for when a word just sounds like exactly what it means? I heard the word for this once, long ago, and have since forgotten it. "Push" and "Pull" might be examples, in that the sounds they form evoke the physical actions denoted.


Commas around non-parenthetical name like "The famous playwright, William Shakespeare, was born…"?

I commonly see commas used like: "The famous playwright, William Shakespeare, was born in Stratford-upon-Avon." It bothers me, but I'm curious to hear explanations of why this is done, and if it can be considered correct English. Is there any style manual that approves? I would accept "The famous playwright William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon" or "William Shakespeare, the famous playwright, was born in Stratford-upon-Avon". However, when phrased like "The famous playwright, William Shakespeare, was born in Stratford-upon-Avon", I read the name as parenthetical. But that sentence doesn't make a lot of sense with the name removed, as "the famous playwright" looks definite, but is undefined. It suppose it _could_ make sense in a context where the subject is mentioned previously, something like "Once upon a time, there was a well-known dramatist. The famous playwright, William Shakespeare, was born in Stratford- upon-Avon." In that case, the name really is parenthetical. But I've seen commas used this way without such a context, and often, I believe, in the very first sentence of a text.


Multiple comparatives of different types: how to choose?

I have an eight-month-old daughter. Her experiments in mobility led me to contemplate phrases like > the dirtier and messier, the better. What happens if one (but not both) of the adjectives before the comma is replaced with a word that forms a comparative with "more" rather than the suffix _-er_? For example, replace "messy" with "dangerous." Neither of the following sound quite satisfactory to my ear: > the dirtier and more dangerous, the better   >  the more dirty and dangerous, the better Is one of these actually correct? Is there some other solution that isn't coming to mind?


Is there a word for someone who has others do all their work for them?

In a way like a slave master. More though like say someone who had robots do all their work and they were never themselves productive and had no drive. If you've read R.U.R. you'll understand the question better. I'm looking for a word with more definition than just lazy. Update 1: It think I may actually go with drone if anything. I think that definition fits what I'm looking for the best. I also liked the definition of the British term layabout that one person mentioned, but I will probably use drone. Thanks for all the help and sorry if I was confusing or unclear. Update 2: I needed this word for use in an essay I was writing which I have now handed in. Thanks for the help guys. No more suggestions needed.


in case I won't *

A very quick question: Is it correct to say " **In case** I **won't** be able to watch that"? If it's acceptable to say that, what type of sentence is it? **UPDATE** : As a clarification, I want to say "Can you give me that in case I won't be able to have it later". Probably, it's more a supposition than a conditional.


What does "rooster tail"(ing) mean?

"The Winnebago galumphs across the landscape, scattering cows. It catches a wheel and sprays a rooster tail of red dirt." "catches a wheel"? And "rooster tail"?   1. If "Catches a wheel" means the obvious, what's the proper english term that describes that situation? ie., "A wheel catching"   2. What connotations do the latter line (rooster tail) of concern have? What does "spraying a rooster tail.." mean? What does it imply? Some sort of a pattern?


What is the reasoning for the idiom "in and of itself" having the meaning it has?

"In and of itself" is a phrase I find myself using all the time. But in and of itself, the phrase "in and of itself" has no meaning. That is, the individual words don't seem to contribute to the whole meaning of the phrase.


regarding the meaning of a phrase

what is the meaning of the following phrase? _once too often_ like **he did it once too often** Thanks in anticipation.


What you call the action of when someone does not do something for you quickly?

They give you a lot of excuses for not doing it but never actually say they won't do it.


Present, present, and present?

> Please **present** your next idea. > > Did you buy her a **present**? > > No vacancies at **present**. Do all the bold words have the same spelling, yet all of them have different meanings based on the context?


Period of time, a bit or a while

If I want to place my luggage at the hotel for a few hours, how is it best to ask if I can do this? Should I ask the receptionist: "Can I place my luggage here a bit?" or "Can I place my luggage here a while?" Which one is more correct?


What is the equivalent of "susceptibility" in medical literature, but to a healthy condition?

In medical literature the word `susceptibility` collocates with negative adjectives or nouns -- negative prosody. Likewise, the word `predisposing` factors or state is mostly associated with negative nouns: cancer, disease, and so forth. I want similar words, but for a healthy condition or a healthy phenomenon that _can_ take place in _some_ individuals after acquiring certain infection, let's call this phenomenon `H`. There is individual variation in displaying this healthy phenomenon. so similar to below sentences, but in the context of health rather than disease: > Some individuals are more susceptible to develop H in their stomach. > > Only subjects with a predisposing state will develop the H phenomenon. > > These factors are most likely to be responsible for having the > susceptibility to H in some individuals.


"What/When is the best time to call back?"

Which is better, and what is the difference? > What is the best time to call back? > > When is the best time to call back?


What's your name?

My question may not be related with English language. It might be more of correct usage. Which one of the following is correct? _Your name, please?_ or _Your **good** name, please?_ `// as if there is a bad name.`


What does "listing" mean?

In the following context, what does "listing" mean? I couldn't find its definition online, there were a few suggestions but none of them fit. > There has been considerable external demand to buy into it but this > privilege is currently exclusive to our current shareholders under their > preferred OPTIONs only. On completion of the **listing** , any OPTIONs not > exercised by our shareholders may be allocated to non-shareholders, > institutional investors and investment banks. In reality, this corporation > will ultimately raise more funds by selling its shares to the public prior > to **listing**.


Idiom for "very little, compared to real value"?

Norwegian has an idiom that means roughly "small change compared to the real cost or value", which would translate literally as "buttons and scraps". Is there a similar idiom in English? Some usage examples translated from Norwegian:   * "We cannot accept that our part of the country would be left with [buttons and scraps] while valuable resources disappear before our eyes" ( _Local politician in a discussion on oil._ )    * "Offered [buttons and scraps] - that's why we're going on strike" ( _Newspaper headline_ )   * "Unless they are in the porn or games business, media companies must accept that their future income from internet content will remain [buttons and scraps]" ( _Newspaper opinion piece_ )  If you are on the buying end the English idiom "for a song" ("I got it for a song") is pretty much the same, but I don't think it can be used in contexts like above. Is there an idiom that can?


What does "made it up on the spot" mean?

What does the phrase "made it up on the spot" mean?


What's the etymology of the word "zilch"?

What's the origin of the word "zilch" and how it came to mean nothing?


Where should the text in parentheses be placed?

In the sentence: > The constant IO::SEEK_CUR assumes that the offset is relative to the current > position (which may be negative). `offset` is meant to be negative, not `current_position`. Is the above sentence correct or is one of the following the correct one: > The constant IO::SEEK_CUR assumes that the offset (which may be negative) is > relative to the current position. or > The constant IO::SEEK_CUR assumes that the offset, which may be negative, is > relative to the current position.


Why call them infinite/finite verbs?

The _infinite_ , in my understanding, means huge/countless. So in what sense can we call a verb _huge/countless_?


Can a semicolon be used to separate questions?

>   * Did you see Survivor last night; it was crazy, right? >   * Did you see Survivor last night? It was crazy, right? > Can a semicolon separate questions? Which one is correct?


Worshippers of the rising sun

I heard the expression in the title once around 10 years ago, when my English teacher defined it to mean "people who worship wealth, success, and the like". I haven't heard anyone else use it anywhere else. And I can't find this anywhere on the Web today. I wonder if my memory of the expression is wrong or I was taught wrongly. Can you throw more light on this expression and its usage, if any?


Why do we say "[expletive] ALL" for "nothing"?

_Damn all_ , _Bugger all_ , _Sod all_ etc., etc. What does _all_ mean here? How did the expression originate? Was there a single original term (expletive or not) preceding _all_ in this usage? At the risk of overbroadening the question, does the underlying linguistic mechanism that gives rise to this expression generate others that are very similar? And are there close parallels in other languages?


What does "granular" mean in computer articles?

I have seen a lot of articles in which they use the word _granular_. For example this one : > The site has granular authorization checks for pages and directories. or this one : > Web controls, user controls, and resource access code are all partitioned in > their own assemblies for granular security What does this word mean in computer science ?


"1st Prize" or "1st Rank"?

I was just updating my CV when I noticed the following lines in the 'Interests and activities' section: > ● 1st Prize for ‘Best Performance’ in State Drama Competition.   >  ● 1st Rank in inter-colleges ‘Antyakshari’ competition. So I have a few questions:   * Can "1st Prize" and "1st Rank" be used interchangeably, or is one more appropriate?   * Are both sentences grammatically correct?   * Can I get some more strong sentences instead of these?    * What is the English word for 'Antyakshari'? (This is just for users understand **Hindi** )


expression "to catch a chill"

Can the expression "to catch a chill" be used informally today or has it already past its peak in usage? I have seen it mentioned referring to people living in the 19th century.


Adjective/noun to describe a small but extremely useful thing

I'm looking for an adjective/noun for a thing (e.g computer) that is small/not fully functional compared with other, similar such things, but whose performance is extremely advanced. [Updates] My English may not be good enough to express my idea, but I find @sameyeam's is the best fit for my unclear question. "Pared down and **streamlined** , the thing's great performance has been unleashed by shedding features you don't need." Also helpful: **Streamlined emphasizes efficiency and ease of use** more than specific but powerful functionality. I'm still looking for an noun to describe it. **Peppy** may be a fit, but I need more suggestions.


Difference between nation and folk/a people

I'm not sure if this questions belongs in the philosophical forum or here, but I'll give it a try anyway: what is the difference between nation and people? Is there an overlapping meaning or do they just happen to coincidentally exist on the same instance? Or is it even an exact synonym? note: I'm not talking about the meaning of nation as country.


What is the origin of the rule for omitting the suffix of a hyphenated word?

I can't remember where or how, but I was taught that one can/should omit the post-hyphen (suffix?) part of a word if it is being grouped with another hyphenated word with the same post-hypen portion. For example, this sentence: > Is the project low-budget or high-budget? Becomes: > Is the project low- or high-budget? However, I've rarely seen this done by other people, and was wondering if perhaps it's a localized thing. What's the origin of this rule? Is it commonly accepted? Does it have a name?


Should pronunciation of the r in "heart" be the same as r in "rabbit", in UK English?

My 5 yr old daughter was given a task by her teacher to "find as many things as she can that have the sound r" with examples of rabbit, barrow, and ruler (all r's were underlined in the 3 words). She was criticised by the teacher for answering with the word "heart", because "it's the sound r not the way the word is spelled". This bugs me because I'm not 100% sure whether it's correct! We are in New Zealand, and I have to admit we generally pronounce words like heart and harder as haat and haada. If we were to use (reasonably) strict UK English, would the r be carefully pronounced or can it be essentially silent?


Regarding the "i" in "think" vs "bit"

This is a phonetics question. I am teaching English as a Second Language. In phonetics, we all know the "i" in "think" is a "short i" sound. Additionally, the "i" in "bit" is a "short i" sound. However, when many of my students pronounce "think", "link", "stink", and so on - they pronounce the "i" in those words in an unnatural fashion (as if they are taking the "i" directly from other "short i" words and putting it into these words). To my ear, and my pronunciation, the "i" in "think" is far different from the "i" in "bit", even if it is short. In the same way, the "i" in "-ing" is different from the "i" in "bit" (or "sit", "grit", "fit", etc.). I believe this has a lot to do with the "n", but I'd like some technical explanation regarding the nuances of the system and how I can explain different pronunciations of a "short i" sound (instead of just having them listen and repeat).


Use of the word 'lawmaker' when referring to elected representatives

Over the last few years I've noticed more news stories referring to elected representatives as 'lawmaker' rather than Senator, Congressman, Member of Parliament or whatever specific title they might enjoy. I presume that it must be a matter for a local style guide that various organisations habitually use it; I first noticed it with Bloomberg (e.g.), but if you search any major news website, you will probably see examples. In many situations the people being described are more than just lawmakers, they represent a constituency, sit of committees of oversight and similar roles that are at least as important as making laws. In the UK, they are members of Parliament, not just 'lawmakers'. I have taken quite an irrational dislike to the word and I'm looking to make my opinion more rational. Why should 'lawmaker' be used, given that it seems to represent only a part of the responsibilities of the people generally described?


Is there an idiom about wasting money and a window?

Is there an equivalent to the french idiom > _Jeter l'argent par la fenêtre_ which means throwing money through a window? (I'm not sure about the translation, especially _through_.)


"I went into a restaurant, and the waiter..."

"We went into a restaurant. And the waiter introduced us to seats upstairs." In this sentence, when the speaker said "the waiter," does it necessarily mean there was only one waiter and he/she showed them the way to upstairs? "We went into a restaurant. And the waiter in black tuxedo with a red necktie introduced us to seats upstairs." Is this sentence, on the other hand, telling the reader that there was either only that waiter alone or several waiters were there but that particular waiter led them to the seats?


"Latch onto [something/someone]" for "obtain, get (hold of) [something/someone]" in AE

I just rediscovered the colloquial expression "latch on to [something]" online and would like to know the story to its meaning of "obtain, get", which is presented by CD as AE and CE. > http://www.thefreedictionary.com/latch+on > > http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/latch+onto What I wish you could tell is if this idiom is appropriate for any sense of "obtain, get hold of" (i.e. come into possession, get, acquire, procure, find, as through effort or request). Or is it only suitable for specific contexts, and for certain registers but the most formal ones? E.g. He latched onto a fortune in the fur trade. source I latched onto a good book about repairing plumbing. source I have to latch onto a hundred bucks by Friday night. source I don't know where Jane is. Let me try to latch onto her. source She had already latched onto a new job with the Colorado Association of School Executives... source Or they managed only in their memories, from a time when people latched onto a good job and then did everything in their power to keep it. source I, however, latched onto a good little portable typewriter, which I brought with me back to France. source I even latched onto a nice little leather Coach bag which I think is going to be a good Pad carrier. source Meanwhile, the golfing world will have to latch onto a substitute, a fill-in, someone to pack the galleries. source


Respectful alternative to "Madam"

_Madam_ is the word to call a woman with respect. Of course it has another meaning. Is there another word used to call a woman with respect?


Quoting Inexactly

How does one quote something inexactly, for example, changing the tense of the sentence a bit. For example, with the quote > _enlarge our thoughts and free them from the tyranny of custom_ I want to instead use > _enlarges our thoughts and frees them from the tyranny of custom_ Is giving an inexact quote okay?


"...that ultimately make your life." Or "...that ultimately makes your life." Which one is right?

> Life is too short to regret of not “living your dreams” that ultimately “ > **make** your life” Or > Life is too short to regret of not “living your dreams” that ultimately “ > **makes** your life” Which one is right? The whole sentence is, "Life is too short to regret of not 'living your dreams' that ultimately 'make your life'." Please correct where I'm wrong... :) or if it's right? Would be very grateful..


Where does "Don't bogart that joint" come from?

I've looked on Google for several minutes, but I can't find a plausible reason, nor any immediately useful things to follow up. (I understand _"Don't bogart that joint"_ to mean _"Pass the [cannabis] joint over to me!"_ ). Any explanations as to where it came from?


When do we say 'problem' or 'difficulty'; when do we say 'issue'?

My car has a funny knocking sound in the engine, so I telephone the garage. What do I say? 'I have a problem with my car'? or 'I have an issue with my car'? My cousin is suffering clinical depression. Is this an 'issue' or an 'illness'? My computer keeps crashing. I call the support people. Do I say my computer has an issue or that it is not working properly? The dinner is burning in the oven. Sorry, dear, there is an issue concerning tonight's meal? Right or wrong? A child is being bullied at school by an older child. Is this a 'pupil relationship issue' or is it 'child abuse'? My neighbour's dog keeps barking and keeps us awake at night, so eventually I go to the neighborhood mediator. Do I tell him there is an 'issue with the dog', or that the 'bloody dog needs shooting'? If there is dog's muck on the recreation ground where children play, is this an 'issue' or a 'disgrace'? The word 'issue' has become ubiquitous, and things that were once 'problems' and 'difficulties', or needed fixing, are now 'issues'. Sooner or later I am going to bawl down the phone at someone who says 'I understand there is an issue with a delivery of a parcel to your address'. Yes, there's an issue alright, it hasn't been delivered! When is a problem a problem, and a fault a fault, a breakdown a breakdown, a failed delivery a failed delivery, and when is it an 'issue'? Your ideas please.


A word for showing a bit of anger that you are not satisfied with what is offered?

"Thanks for your favor" means that you don't need it, but here actually you would like to take what is being offered but you are not at all satisfied and would like to resign yourself to what is being offered. Please also tell me a word, in the opposite case, that you would not like to take the offer, and show off a bit of anger. A phrase other than - "thanks for your favor, I don't need it".


What does "Blast" mean?

I'm having trouble understanding this word's meaning. On Google Translate, it means _explosion_ or something like that. But when I see that word in a sentence, there's no relation, at least for me at my current knowledge. For example, what does this sentence say? > In August, Java was blasted as an unsafe plug-in that should only be used... (Source: http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2012/10/19/apple-kicks-java-out-browsers- in-os-x-update/)


Is 'of' as in 'drink of' an old usage?

> I drank **of** the jar. Is this ' _of_ ' an old usage?   But I can't find the proof for that.


A noun adjunct / the possessive case

Sometimes it’s possible to use _either_ a noun adjunct _or_ the possessive case. > **the shop door**   >  **the shop’s door** However, in certain phrases it’s not OK to do so. > the _ship’s crew_ (the _ship crew_ is **wrong** ) The questions are:   1. How can one find out what to use in such cases as “the shop(’s) door” when a noun adjunct option and the possessive case option are available?    2. How can one know which option is wrong in order to avoid the construction “ship crew”?   3. Is there a difference in meaning between (a) the shop door (b) the shop’s door?


What does "sex sells" mean? (and its origin)

The meaning might look obvious but I'm asking in a broader sense. Is it only pertaining to sex in advertising and is it only related to selling products? What is the origin of this phrase? When did it go beyond advertisement industry? Did it gain a broader definition and widespread usage with the increasing popularity of internet?


What's the origin of "rob someone blind"?

To rob someone blind either means to steal freely from them, or to overcharge them: >   1. Fig. to steal freely from someone. Her maid was robbing her blind. I > don't want them to rob me blind. Keep an eye on them. >   2. Fig. to overcharge someone. You are trying to rob me blind. I won't pay > it! Those auto repair shops can rob you blind if you don't watch out. > How did this idiom come about? The construction of this idiom doesn't seem obvious to me, so was there some history to this idiom, or is it based on a special meaning of "blind"? Also, what does the "blind" refer to, the manner of the robbing, the results, or something else?


Plural of table leaf

In the context of a table leaf, what is the correct plural term, "table leafs" or "table leaves"?


Origins of the south-western Pennsylvania slang word "Yinz"

A common slang word used in south western Pennsylvania and the forefront example of of what is commonly known as "Pittsburghese" is the word: ## Yinz Pronounced: > | yinz | Or alternatively it is less commonly used in long form, **Youins** : > | ju ɪnz | To use it in a sentence would be similar to the slang conjugation **Y'all** when addressing or questioning an unnamed or understood group of people informally in a sentence. > Are yinz comin' out to our place before we head to the Steelers game? > > Are y'all coming to the speedway for the NASCAR race? As a native of Pittsburgh, we proudly use this word in conversation despite the seeming confusion and disdain that outsiders seem to have for this word. Two separate friends, one from Boston and one from Brooklyn, both criticize me when I use the word as well as other common regional differences like "this task needs finished..." or "I left the warsh rag by the sink". They say it makes me sound unintelligent and that I should teach myself to lose regional diction for the sake of my career. I was often curious about the origins of the word. With south western PA being an old melting pot of original English/Scotch/Irish settlers, Italian, Polish and Slovak immigrants coming to work in the steel mills, I have heard from Italians that it came from the Polish, while the Polish claim it was from the Italians (I am mostly Italian and Polish by blood so I have both cultures in my family). Others still claim it was a derivation of African-American slang that everybody picked up because all of these different peoples worked closely in the same factories and mills. Is there an official analysis on the origins of this word or is it forever to be a mystery lost in cultural history?


Is the connotation of "naughty" always sexual?

Does the word "naughty" always have a sexual connotation if it is used between adults? I'd like to use it in a notification-text of a smartphone app, e.g.: `No naughty apps selected`, where it's supposed to refer to things like Angry Birds that you shouldn't play during work/class/etc. It's meant to be playful rather than sexual. Is this usage possible?


"Come through with" for "come up with" in AE

Does _come through with_ sound like a perfectly acceptable idiomatic alternative to _come up with_? > "He came through with an answer, not immediately, that made so much sense." > – source


Terminology for multi-cause changes

Is there any terminology or wording to describe the type of fundamental change of a system that is not the result of a single cause, but rather caused by many influences at interplay pushing from several directions that jointly make the status quo unsustainable, reaching a tipping point to force change? So in a way, the opposite of a simple cause and effect relationship in say physics, and more the sort of causation in society or politics.


During the "Cold War", did Americans/Westerners call it such?

I am old enough to remember the fall of the Soviet Union, but not old enough to have had any interest in world affairs in the times before. Did Americans/Westerners refer to the "Cold War" by that name _during_ the Cold War? Note: I am not asking about the origin of the phrase. I'm sure it was coined long ago. Specifically, it seems odd to refer to the historic event in a present sense, especially since the Cold War was marked by a _lack_ of war-like activity. Saying "the war in Afghanistan" makes sense, because it is happening, and war- like things are taking place. But in the modern context, saying "the Cold War" refers to an era, not an event (or set of events). In short, did people, during the Fifties, Sixties, Seventies, or Eighties, commonly refer to the the state of Western-Soviet affairs as the "Cold War"?


why is "their" the wrong usage in this sentence?

Why is _their_ in the following sentence wrong? > The modern American family differs in many significant ways from their > nineteenth-century counterpart.


How is the usage of 'during' as opposed to 'while' explained?

"While" is a conjunction and "during" is a preposition, but how is the different usage explained? For example, why can the following not be said: > "While the project I learnt a lot." Obviously, it has to be "During the project..." but why? Preposition plus noun and conjunction plus noun plus verb, or what?


Did they "ask" or "pose" a question?

I am currently in the process of writing a paper in computer science and I wanted to know if I solved a question _posed_ by those guys or _asked_ by them. > When should I use " _posed a question_ " and when should I use " _asked a > question_ "? In specific, my sentence is currently the following: > [...], thereby answering a question posed by Scientist et al. in the > negative.