A stand-alone list of independent clauses as a sentence

Clearly, in some cases an isolated list cannot be a sentence. For example, > Apples, oranges, and bananas. is not a sentence. But what about a list of independent clauses following a declarative sentence? Consider the following: > Autumn is an excellent time to enjoy the outdoors. The weather is warm, > campsites are abundant, and insects are scarce. Is it acceptable to let the second sentence above stand alone as such? Or must it always be joined to the first sentence with a semicolon? Other alternatives would be to append "...for several reasons" to the first sentence, or prepend "The reasons for this are that..." to the second sentence. EDIT: The original version of this question incorrectly identified certain clauses as "adjective phrases". As EdwinAshworth pointed out, I am claiming that the first example above is not a sentence because it does not have a complete subject and a complete predicate.


What is a G2K company?

What is a G2K company? I assume G2K does not mean _good to know_. > SMB/SME companies don't have the resources to hire 1-3 social managers, > incorporate listening and engaging platforms like a G2K company. Context.


Looking for a word which means "relating to the order in which things are written down or expressed"

I am looking for a word (which may not exist!). It means something like "relating to the order in which things are written down or expressed"; not, however, the the order in a dictionary (that would be "lexicographical") but rather the order in normal writing. So, if the word was "freddographical" I could talk about English and French being freddographically different because in English one says "blue car" but in French it is "auto bleu". Equally, in the UK we write a date 30/04/2011 but in the US they write 04/30/2011; I would call that a freddographical difference.


Using "on" before days or dates

I've noticed that on many American TV shows, the speakers generally don't use the word "on" before names of days or before dates. For example: I'll see you Monday. Shouldn't it be:   * I'll see you on Monday?   * The movie is coming out June 14th. Is this usage exclusive to American English or this grammatically correct in British English as well?


I want to murder all humans

Ok, not really. But I was wondering what the appropriate word is for that; "Genocide" applies to murdering all people of a certain race, while "Omnicide" means ending all life. What is the correct word for wanting to kill all members of a certain species? (Does it matter if it's humans, or would eliminating the dodos also use the same word?)


"Any news for" vs. "any news on" vs. "any news about"

It seems all three are widely used on the Internet according to Google, but "any news on" seems to take the lead. Are all three correct? If not under what situation, or what subject behind it should we use one of the three?


How to use tag questions in sentences containing: 'as well as', 'along with', 'neither....nor'... etc.?

I need the rules of using tag questions in sentences containing: _as well as_ , _along with_ , _neither....nor..._ , _either....or_... etc. For instance: > I as well as my friends am going to the party, ___?


If not directions, what are items in the set {northbound, eastbound, southbound, westbound}?

Is there a word that describes an item in the set _{northbound, eastbound, southbound, westbound}_ as distinct from an item in the set _{north, east, south, west}_? > Washington (place) → Washingtonian ( **demonym** ) > > West (direction) → Westbound ( **???** ) Bonus points for figuring out where _clockwise_ and _counterclockwise_ fit.


Is "used in anger" a Britishism for something?

On a different board, someone referred to a computer language that had achieved popularity beyond the academic world as "used in anger", the way a shot fired in combat instead of on the practice range is said to be "fired in anger". A Google search returned only people wondering, effectively, wtf? Is this an actual expression or I am being put on? **EDIT** I think I didn't make myself clear: I've heard "used in anger" in plenty of cases where anger seemed more or less appropriate -- weapons, armies, that kind of things. Does anyone have a cite where the phrase has become detached from any aggressive context?


Where does "use it in anger" come from?

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Is "used in anger" a Britishism for something? Several years ago, a British friend of mine introduced me to the phrase "use it in anger." Until that time, I had never encountered the phrase in my limited travels in the United States. My understanding from his usage is that it means to really use something, or try something out completely, or apply something to its fullest extent. (Feel free to correct me on this.) I must confess, I actually like the phrase and tend to use it myself. My question is simply, where did it come from? I am guessing it is of UK origin, but what what the first use of it in anger?


Which is the correct wording when describing a question?

Which of the following is correct: > People ask me, what google.com is? or > People ask me, what is google.com?


Is it proper to state percentages greater than 100%?

Technically, "percent" should mean "for every hundred". So, I would think that it's perfectly fine to say "150%". However, in common usage, people rarely say percentages greater than a hundred. Is there an official grammarical rule for this?


The initialism1 IMHO stands for "in my humble opinion". It's commonly used in text-based communication (chat clients, forums, _popular Q &A platforms_). Here's an example: > Person A: What do you think about implementing this new feature request? > > Person B: The cost for that change outweighs the relatively minor benefit > IMHO. I feel that:   * On one hand, mentioning one's own humility seems a bit...ironic (or possibly even sarcastic), which _is_ rude.   * On the other hand, it's possible that, for most people, this reads the same as "IMO" (in my opinion) - which sounds more neutral, and thus _is not_ rude. Is "IMHO" a rude thing to say (or type)? Why or why not? I'd appreciate answers with facts, references, or _significant_ personal experiences if possible (as opposed to just opinions), as I realize this is somewhat subjective. 1: I just learned this word today!


Abbreviation for Perspective-Based Algorithm

Which one is an appropriate and good-looking abbreviation for Perspective- Based Algorithm: PBA or PA or PbA?


In this circumstance, which would be the most correct / natural answer? Person 1: I don't eat meat Person 2: Neither do I / Nor do I / Me neither / Me either This says both neither do I and Me neither are often used. But I have also heard / read "me either" and "nor do I" in multiple scenarios. Which then is the correct way of saying it? Are the others wrong or just not used?


Words with multiple allowable pronunciations

Long time listener, first time caller. I was chatting with some friends, and GIF and nuclear came up. GIF is pretty unique, we considered, as we allow both /dʒɪf/ and /gɪf/ for its pronunciation. Both are interchangeable, and I would say we hear both of them rather evenly distributed in my tech company. Nuclear shares the same trait of multiple "allowable" pronunciations /ˈnukliəɹ/ and /ˈnukjulɚ/ . However, some speakers ascribe a certain undesirable quality to the latter pronunciation. This made me wonder. How many other words are there for which we allow distinct pronunciation in English? Are we more likely to find that these examples are largely devoid of stigma, as with GIF, or the opposite, as with nuclear? I realize this may be regional, but I'd like to eliminate questions of accent (cot-caught, sit-set etc), and limit it to places of articulation and orthographic interpretation leading to the pronunciation differences for a single word. Thanks for the help!


"Carved from the living rock" — since when was rock ever alive?

According to Etymonline, _living_ dates to the 14th century, and refers to > "the fact of dwelling in some place," from O.E. _lifiende_ , prp. of _lifan_ But we hear the phrase "the living rock" used all the time. For example, in George R. R. Martin's _A Storm of Swords_ : > Down a twisting passageway he went, narrow steps carved from the living > rock, down and down. I get that this is used in the sense of _dwelling_ , as in the rock _dwells_ in some place, but it still seems curious to me, even though I've accepted it every time I've encountered it in print my entire life. Webster's 3rd New International Dictionary gives the expression "living rock" to mean > remaining uncut or unquarried: NATIVE <in places the track was hewn out of > the ~ rock — _Geo. Journal_ > That just regurgitates what we all know it to mean. But can anyone shed some light on where this was first used, or how it came to be such a standard trope?


What's the difference between "intent", "intention" and "purpose"?

As a noun, all three have the same meaning. What is the difference, especially between _intent_ and _intention_?


Is the term "baby kitten" / "baby puppy" superfluous?

If "kitten" is a juvenile domestic cat, and "puppy" is a juvenile dog, are "baby kitten" or "baby puppy" superfluous or just extremely specific?


Subject + "have had" + bare infinitive ... ever correct?

In writing an email today I came up with the following sentence: "We have had two other ladies express an interest in the room." I'm a native English-English speaker and this felt fine to me. My partner (who is Spanish) felt that the bare-infinitive 'express' in conjunction with the 'have had' was wrong. She felt the closest acceptable option would be the gerund form ie: "We have had two other ladies **expressing** an interest in the room." To me that sounds less normal and a slightly different meaning. It is something to do with the 'had' specifically, because she felt (as I do) that with a different verb it could be correct, eg: "We have **heard** two other ladies express an interest in the room." I searched online for grammar reference sites and the closest I could find to an example matching my construction was specific to _having someone do something_ for you, for example: "I have had my lawyer look into it" (and it was noted that this was an American English construction) But is this valid in my case? I'd like someone to confirm or refute whether my original phrase is correct, preferably with an external reference :)


why is googling the definition of "aviance" so difficult?

I was just checking on the spelling of "aviance". However, google is giving me very surprising results. Please type "aviance", "aviance definition", and "what does aviance mean" into the google search engine to see what I mean. The "aviance of a restaurant" is pretty common phrase to say. "Aviance" sounds French, so I could understand why English dictionaries do not have a definition for it. But, a broad google search turns-up nothing regarding "aviance" meaning "atmosphere". I mean, "aviance" is not that simple of a word, so I would have expected that non-native speakers would have asked tons of questions about its meaning, and usage. But, there is nothing. What is going on?


Usage evolution of "indubitably"

I can look up the etymology for indubitably... but how did a word like this, which pretty much exactly parallels "undoubtedly," come into use? This might be an unanswerable question, but how did two words with such parallel meanings, the only nuance distinguishing them being that you sound more pretentious if you say "indubitably", come to coexist?


Fair and Reasonable: Is there a difference?

Is it possible to be fair without being reasonable? Or vice versa?


Is the term "would-be" just an Indian usage or universal?

I've noticed that Indians use the term _would-be_ in place of _fiancé/fiancée_. Usages like "Meet my would-be" and "This is my would-be" are common in introductions. I used to wonder if this is just an Indian usage or if we got it from the British. I have never heard it being used in American movies or on TV. (I also used to wonder if people used "He/she is my would- have-been" if the wedding was called off after the engagement. :-))


Is it true that if you use a preposition and then a verb, it must end with "ing"?

I've read a grammar rule. If you use a preposition and then a verb, it must end with "ing" Is it always true, or there are exceptions?


Capitalization of biological abbreviations at the beginning of a sentence

In the beginning of a sentence, should I capitalize abbreviations such as the following:   * hPSC (human pluripotent stem cell)   * mESC (mouse embryonic stem cell)   * rDNA (recombinant deoxyribonucleic acid) I have seen both lower and upper case for the two first, while rDNA always seems to be in lower case. I'm curious which is the linguistically correct form.


"To service" vs. "to serve"

I seem vaguely to recall that a long time ago, _servicing_ was something a bull did to a heifer or a boar to a sow. But it seems to be creeping in to general usage as a synonym for _serving_. Has anyone else noticed this, and, if so, could they shed any light onto why this should be?


What is "Pop art blue"?

"Across the hills in the pop art blue" Could I understand "blue" as sadness, depression, like "Across the hills in the sadness of the pop art" or something like that? How can I understand it? This sentence is a quote from a song named Pop Art Blue from the band Zero 7. I can't understand the "blue" of this part, which is in the name of the song as well. The full lyric can be found in here: http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/3530822107858799922/


What is the source of "Long time no see," and when did it enter U.S. English?

A question from almost two years ago asked "In which countries is that “long time no see” greeting common?" The question drew a number of answers that were squarely on point, but also a couple that hazarded explanations for how the phrase arose and caught on. One comment suggested that it was "a direct loan- translation of Mandarin 'hao liu bu jiam'." Another nominated Hollywood westerns as the phrase's probable source. I ran a search in the Ngram Viewer matches for "long time no see" and found a number of matches from 1922 and before: **1.** William F. Drannan, _Thirty-one Years on the Plains and in the Mountains_ (1900): > When we rode up to him [Captain Jack, the renowned Modoc Indian leader], he > said: "Good morning. Long time no see you," and at the same time presented > the gun with the beach foremost. **2.** Jeff W. Hayes, _Tales of the Sierras_ (1900): > Approaching the unsuspecting George, Mahala [a Paiute Indian servant] > ejaculated in her guttural tones, distinguishable to all in the room: "Ugh, > you squaw, she long time no see you; you go home mucha quick." **3.** Chester B. Fernald, "John Kendry's Idea," in _The Outing Magazine_ (1906): > "His manner, greeting the son of a friend by whose benefits Chan Kow had had > enabled his extraordinary rise in America, was that of a prince, for its > ease, its urbanity, its confidence in the entertainment his guest would > receive. > > "You boy—long time no see—what for?" he sang deeply, through his thick lips. **4.** From _Our Navy, the Standard Publication of the U.S. Navy_ , volume 5 (1911) [snippet]: > Yokohama at 1:15 p.m., 580 miles from Nagasaki. Sampans showing up from all > directions, and before long our Oriental friends were greeting us with > "Ohio's" and "Long time no see your handsome face," and the like. **5.** From _San Joaquin Light and Power Magazine_ (1915): > L. Meisel, chief clerk of the Merced office was a visitor in the Fresno > office during the month. He happened in the same day as Berro was here, and > the two renewed their acquaintance after a "long time no see." **6.** Eugene M. Rhodes, _West Is West_ (1917): > "Hello, you! Long time no see. Have a cigar," said Whitly. **7.** Arthur Stringer, _The Prairie Mother_ (1920): > And that started me maun enlarging on the names of Indians he'd known, the > most elongated of which, he acknowledged, was probably "The-Man_Who-Gets-Up- > In-The-Middle-Of-The-Night-To-Feed-Oats-To-His-Pony," while the most > descriptive was probably "Slow-To-Come-Over-The-Hill," though "Shot-At-Many- > Times" was not without value, and "Long-Time-No-See-Him," as the appellative > for a disconsolate young squaw, carried a slight hint of the Indian's genius > for nomenclature." **8.** Fanny H. Lea, "An Old Flame," _Good Housekeeping_ , volume 71 (1920): > Andy shook hands with her warmly. > > "Long time no see!" he commented with his most likable smile. > > "Please, Jimmy dear, tell Keno she may serve dinner in about ten minutes," > Adrienne instructed. **9.** From _The Chinese Students' Monthly_ , volume 16, number 7 (1921): > Mr. Shen has accepted a position in the National Electric Lamp Association, > Central Falls, R[hode] I[sland]. Mr. King left for China. As a compensation > to the loss of two, we welcome back in our midst Mr. A. S. Liu, who recently > returned from three months' engagement with the G. E. Co. in Pittsfield, > Mass[achusetts]. With the presence of this jolly good fellow, "long time no > see," we are certain of a jolly good time together. **10.** Hal G. Evarts, _The Settling of the Sage_ (1922): > Deane crossed over to Billie. The music started but she shook her head as he > would have led her to the floor. > > "Sit down. I want to talk with you. Long time no see 'um after to-night," > she said. "It'll be daylight soon and I've a long tale to tell." **11.** From _Sunset_ , volume 48 (1922) [two snippets]: > "How Din Hock," said Ben Downs. "Long time no see." > > The Chinaman rolled his puckered eyes... > > ... > > "Hi, Din!" he called now as he caught sight of the Chinaman in the dust > behind his mules. "Where the hell have you been?" > > "Long time no see?" asked Din Hock, as if to supply the other with a > forgotten phrase. **12.** "South Sea Islanders," From _The Friend: A Religious and Literary Journal_ (1837): > I was kept from reclining on my welcome mat, by the conversation of one of > the most interesting and intelligent young chiefs with whom I had yet had > intercourse. His name was Riromainva. He was nearly related to Malietoa, and > esteemed by the old chieftain so highly that he consulted him upon every > subject of importance. He had just then returned from a journey, and was > impatiently waiting my arrival. On entering the house, to my surprise he > saluted me in English, with "How do you do sir?" I instantly replied, "Very > well, I thank you, sir; how do you do?" "O," he answered, "me very well; me > very glad to see you; me no see you long time ago; me away in the bush > making fight; oh! Plenty of the fight; too much of the fight." To sum up these instances, three (#1, #2, and #7) are attributed to Native American speakers (and include "you" or "him" at the end of the phrase); two (#3 and #11) to Chinese immigrants in the United States; one (#4) to native Japanese speakers in Japan; five (#5, #6, #8, #9, and #10) to native (or at last English-fluent) English speakers in the United States; and one (#12, which isn't an instance of "long time no see" at all but a comparable formulation) to a native South Sea Islander. Clearly, by 1915, some native English speakers (at least in the western United States) were using the phrase among themselves, and by 1920 it seems to have caught on as a casual greeting that wouldn't startle the readership of _Good Housekeeping_. I have three questions: 1. Did "long time no see" arrive in U.S. English from forms of pidgin English spoken separately by both some Native Americans and some Chinese immigrants? 2. When did this turn of phrase first gain the recorded notice of an American English-speaking author? 3. When did the phrase cross over into use by native U.S. English speakers among themselves?


The one before the prior one?

Say I'm comparing different models of a particular car. There are four models in total, each released a year apart. The current model would be the newest one, and the "prior" model would be the one before the newest one. Is there an equivalent adjective that describes the model _before_ the prior one? I could call it the "second-generation" model, but then that's no longer relative to whatever generation the current model is (unlike "prior," which always means "the one before the current one").


Is  “the girls are want to gossip” correct?

Is this the correct use and placement of _want_? > The girls in the office are want to gossip. Does anyone have a reference citing this use?


What is the corrrect term for a shape with only two sides?

Something that is shaped something like an L such as a bracket. What is the proper term to describe this shape geometrically.


"Positive" synonyms for 'problem' or 'worst'

I need to find a positive synonym for 'problem' or 'worst' for some copy I am writing. The context is that these are ratings for student performance in a tabular format (as in, "problem topics: lorem ipsum" or "worst topics: lorem ipsum"), and while I want to indicate that the topics I am describing need improvement, I don't want to sound overly negative. There is a good chance that the students have had exposure to basic economic theory, so I am considering "marginal" (especially since the topics being described are being prioritized to maximize the marginal benefit of studying). But this does not seem to be a standard usage. In fact, outside of economics, marginal seems to indicate the opposite of what I'm looking for. Any ideas?


What term has suddenly replaced the term "physically challenged" from 1996?

Why has the term "physically challenged" been used less and less since 1996-97 (ngram), while the term "mentally challenged" continues to have a positive trend? What term has gradually replaced the term "physically challenged" since 1996? ![](http://i.stack.imgur.com/tl2Hj.png)


State of being in a particular shape

Are there single words describing the "state of being in a particular shape"? [For Example: "State of being Cylindrical" ]


Mnemonic for "complement / compliment"

This is the only similar spelling mix-up in English that gets me _every freakin' time_. I can never remember which is which. One is a mathematical notion; the other is a nice thing to say. Does anyone know of any clever mnemonics for _complement / compliment_ to get this one straight?


Passive voice in this sentence

I am a bit confused about these sentences below. The word "encumbered" baffles me. "Encumbered" is usually used in passive sentences. I am not able to understand the agent in these following structures. What confuses me is when the agent is not animate, that is, the object in the passive sentence followed by "by" is not a person. For instance,   1. Mike was killed by Rob.(Passive) 1.1 Rob killed Mike.(Active) The use of "encumber" in following sentences,   1. Women tennis players are not encumbered by long, heavy skirts and high necked blouses.   2. We were encumbered by equipment and supplies. Here, the thing that does the action is not animate. What could be the active voice sentence? Are the following constructions correct? 1.1 Long, heavy skirts and high necked blouses encumber women tennis players. 2.2 Equipment and supplies encumbered us. I am referring to this dictionary. Please advise.


"Shopping basket" or "shopping cart"

We need to label our shopping basket/cart on our Hotel & Tour Booking website. People can add products (rooms or tours) to their basket, and reserve after reviewing. What should this be called: a Shopping Basket or a Shopping Cart?


Meaning of "over them"

> I took out the reports. He pored over them. In this sentence, what is the meaning of "over them"? I guess it would be "fully".


Removing a comma from a comma-parenthesized subclause

I have written the following: > The credentials, checked by the gatekeeper, take the form of... But my wife says that "it would read better without the first comma". Is what she suggests allowed by the rules of grammar?


What does "not having a pair" mean?

From http://blog.peta2.com/2011/05/coming-out-twice.html?c=peta2_enews: > I had been trying to keep my vegan tendencies on the DL for years by that > point, but it was getting harder and harder to come up with excuses for why > I didn’t want my dad’s scrambled eggs or my mom’s chocolate cake. Looking > back on it now, I hate how much I hurt my parents by rejecting their cooking > for what can only be described as (and excuse my delicate and ladylike > etiquette) **not having a pair**. I can't make any sense of it.


What is the origin and history of the word "motherf---er"?

I'm not a native English speaker, but I would like to know how and why people started using _mother fucker_. Today it seems it has lost its meaning because people use it all the time, but was there a time in history when _mother fucker_ meant something different? I know we see it in the movies sometimes, but did people call each other _mother fuckers_ 100 years ago? How about 500 years ago? what about 1000 years ago? And why don't we have _father fuckers_? Is mother fucker only used on guys?


Future tense and future perfect tense

Given two sentences: > If we goad him into doing what he should have been doing all along, then it > _will be_ a smashing success. and > If we goad him into doing what he should have been doing all along, then it > _will have been_ a smashing success. What is the difference between?


What is "Web Copy" and why does everyone refer to it without an article?

I recently read a blog post that talks about "Web Copy". I have never heard of this term before, so I did some searching around. I'm still not sure what the meaning of this is. What bugs me is that everyone who uses it refers to it without the use of an indefinite or definite article before. For example, in the blog post mentioned, the author says "How do you learn to write web copy?" instead of "How do you learn to write **a** web copy?". Other places use it in this 'proper noun' usage (though it isn't capitalized). Can someone please define the term and explain why there is no article?


Punctuation after the interjection "by heaven"

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Exclamation marks in the middle of a sentence How would you punctuate the following phrase with "by heaven"? It was used by a cricket commentator. >   * By heaven that's a good stroke! >   * By heaven! That's a good stroke! >   * By heaven, that's a good stroke! >


Does a comma have to be used before a quotation?

If before the quote the word "saying" or "said" is used, does a comma always have to be used before it? When does a comma not have to be used?


Comma before the word "as"

This is my sentence: > The A & P’s regular customers are depicted as "scared little pigs in a > chute." Daily, they live the same monotonous existence. Microsoft word insists that there should be a comma after "depicted". I don't think it makes sense. What say you?


Omission of commas after speech tags?

I'm seeing commas omitted after dialogue tags in writing. Examples _Zachary said 'I'm tired of his rudeness'._ I often see the comma omitted after the speech tags 'He said', 'She said' at the beginning of a sentence as exampled here. Is this acceptable? _'I'm tired of his rudeness' Zachary said._ I often see the comma omitted after the end of the quote as exampled here. Is this correct? Does anybody support this lack of punctuation in both sentences, and would you write them in this manner?


Commas with quotes

I read the following sentence1: > He rallied the Senate with the plea **,** “It’s time to change the Senate > before this institution becomes obsolete.” I’m wondering whether a comma should be placed after _plea_ , before the quotation that follows. This question is not a duplicate. * * *   1. Originally uttered by Senator Harry Reid, U.S. Senate Majority Leader, as reported by the Associated Press in many newspapers on November 13th, 2013.


Is there a comma needed before quotation?

> Sam developed an annual sweepstakes promotion entitled “The Free Gas Punt > Return Game”. Do I need a comma after _entitled_ or not?


"He has a tendency of being aggressive" or "He is aggressive tendency"?

I want to describe someone who has a tendency. Should I say > He has a tendency of being aggressive. > > He is aggressive tendency. Or are both wrong?


Is “Am I needing to. . . ?” grammatical?

In the course of answering this question, we have evoked some dispute over whether the phrase > Am I needing to read this book? is grammatical. I think it is correct, although not common, but others think differently. Is this a correct grammatical structure, albeit perhaps a bit odd? * * * **EDIT** : I think I should clarify further. I don’t disagree that this phrasing is unusual; in fact, that’s what I said in the other answer. What I am interested in is whether it is _correct_ or not. I think it is because of its uncommonness that I am not certain. It might be more straightforward to ask it this way: > Is the sentence “I am needing to read this book” grammatical? If not, why > not?


What answer is expected by "May I have your name ?"

I'm quite fuzzy about the information asked on the phone by people asking "May I have your name ?" Do they want the first/given name or the last/family name ? Please answer for both UK and US culture.


"Further, ..." versus "Furthermore, ..." at the beginning of a sentence (meaning the same thing)?

I am not a native speaker (my mother tongue is German). In the context of a technical paper (computer science), is there a difference between _Further, ..._ and _Furthermore, ..._ at beginning of a sentence. It is use in the context of continuing a sentence. I wasn't sure, so I ask an american english native speaker. He said to change the "Further, " to "Furthermore, ". Is it correct that the two phrases are not interchangable. My guess is, it would be safe to change all "Further, ..." to "Furthermore, ...", but the opposite is not true? Also, is there a difference betweeen British english and American english between *Further, " and "Furthermore"?


arrogate vs arrogate to

Can the verb **arrogate** stand alone? http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/arrogate only publicises **arrogate + to**. For example, would it be right to omit **to** in the following by Thomas Jefferson in July 11 1819: > my opinions, given without intention or suspicion have been sometimes handed > to the public, but always with out my consent, except in one or two special > cases. I hope therefore you will be so kind as to accept of this my apology > and reason why, after I shall have read the book, I shall not **arrogate > to** myself the office of saying to the public whether they should read it > or not.


Comma between a double adverbial phrase introducing a sentence

Is a comma required when there are _two_ adverbial phrases introducing a sentence? Like so: > One day, after I had my breakfast, the postman came. Or is it fine to omit the first comma? > One day after I had my breakfast, the postman came. Same way: > In the olden days, in Rome, people were nice. Vs > In the olden days in Rome, people were nice. I have searched for examples but couldn't come to a conclusion—in spite of it being possibly a common occurance.


What does "find someone well" mean?

I got some email from a stranger that contains: > I hope this email finds you well. So what does "find you well" means here? Does it mean "Are you well" or "The email find the right guy"? I'm a little confused here.


An antonym for "what you might have assumed"

It is right on the tip of my tongue, and I have searched the online thesauruses but I can't come up with it. What's the word that could fill in the blank: > He came to the **___ __** conclusion that you must be willing to serve if > you want to truly lead. The best I could come up with is "non-intuitive", but that just doesn't sound right. I know there's a better one. I want a word that means "this is not what you would expect", "this goes against your intuition". Something that approaches "nonsensical" or "irrational" but without the disparaging overtones, yet more forceful than "surprising".


Is “curate the market” common usage of “curate”?

I found New York Times (November 25) article titled “Helpful definition of modern author” intriguing. It provides humorous definitions of book-related terminologies such as authors, publishers, publicists, readers, books, bookstores, Amazon.com, etc. For example: > You, Author: Act as Book’s Publicist, responsible for promotion. Your > Publicist: Acts as your Mom. Tells you that you’re special and talented but > makes you do everything for yourself. Your Mom: Acts as Book’s Audience, > buying most of the copies. > http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/11/25/helpful-definitions-for- > modern-authors/ However, I was drawn to the usage of the word, “curate “in the following sentence: > "Your Publisher creates book’s mold ahead of time, in so far as it **curates > the existing market** into which book must fit. (Additional duty: being > dumbfounded by that market.)” I’ve seldom seen the case of ‘curate’ being used as a verb in such a context to mean assess or evaluate. As I checked dictionaries online; Cambridge English Dictionary defines ‘curate’ only as a noun to mean ‘a priest of the lowest rank, especially in the Church of England, whose job is to help the vicar, with _no mention on verb usage._ Oxford Dictionary defines it as ‘a member of the clergy engaged as assistant to a vicar, rector, or parish priest.’ _No mention on verb usage._ Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines it as noun: a clergyman (or assistant clergyman) in charge of a parish, and ‘to act as CURATOR of a museum’ as a transitive verb. Is it common to use ‘curate’ as a verb like “curate the market the book fits in,”? Can I say just casually “You must carefully curate the offer whether you can fit the job before applying for it,” or “I seriously curated her whether she fits to my life-long partner,” without raising your eyebrows?


What are the main differences of swearing between American and British English?

Can anyone please tell me what are the main differences of the swearwords usage between American and British English?


"In a broad range of positions" or "on a broad range of positions"?

I'm writing a cover letter and need to know the proper way of saying this: > Over the last ten years I had the opportunity to work for multinational > companies **in/on** a broad range of management positions.


"by" before the gerund, when is needed

Please consider the follow two sentences: >   1. It is hard to agree that **by** increasing sports facilities is the > best way to improve public health. > >   2. The best way to improve public health is **by** increasing the number > of sports facilities. > > Why the first sentence does not need the preposition "by" while the second one does.


using a preposition after verbs such as "enter" and "control"

consider the two sentence below: "Elizabeth Taylor entered the room" and "she entered into the room". here is another pair: "the rebels control the city" and "they control over the city". my question is whether the second sentence in each pair is appropriate, and therefore correct. should we not use a preposition after verbs such as "enter" and "control"? I can say that "her entry into the room" and "their control over the city" is correct. but what about those I mentioned above. I admit it looks odd but what is the real deal? .


Is 'entrance ticket' used metaphorically?

I want to say something about parenthood being constructed in our culture as the thing that allows one to enter adult society. Could I say parenthood is an entrance ticket to adult society? Would a native English speaker say that?


What is the difference in meaning between "I play" and "I do play"?

What is the difference between _I play_ and _I do play_? For example: If someone were to ask to me, do you play soccer?


"I understand you" vs "I do understand you"

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  What is the difference in meaning between "I play" and "I do play"? What is the difference between "I understand you" and "I do understand you", and what kind of grammatical structure is the last one?


sentence pattern clarification

I am really confused with indirect and direct object...   I am in need to find the sentence pattern for this sentence. _He showed kindness to his parents._


Parenthetical statement that expresses a condition

I am studying a book and one of the lines (which was written in the 30's) is, > We had admitted that we were powerless over alcohol -- that our lives had > become unmanageable. My question is whether or not it is to read this as two separate statements -- meaning one could be true and not the other; or does it mean if the first is true then the second is also true?


What term describes "a loss of immersion" while reading?

If a book is good, readers can easily imagine the story and forget they are reading. If they encounter a problem, perhaps a spelling error or something unbelievable within the universe of the story, the reader suddenly loses this immersion.   * Is there a formal term which means "something which causes a loss of immersion"?   * Is there a technical or more formal phrase meaning "to lose immersion"?


Veracity in terms of accuracy

I want one word which indicates "Something with great veracity". Here, the emphasis of veracity is more towards "accuracy" than "truth". It's a thing, an instrument that has good veracity. I want to use this word as a name for such an instrument.


What is more commonly used in US? "Cum Laude" or "With Honors"?

I understand that the terms _Cum Laude_ and _With Honors_ are interchangeable, but which one is better understood in US and more commonly used?


Does "What did you get up to?" make sense?

Someone texted me the following > What did you get up to? And when I asked what that meant, told me it meant _What are you doing tonight?_. Now to me that doesn't make any sense, but I'm not a native speaker. The other person is. Before I entrench myself in an argument, I want to make sure I'm right. Does that make sense?


Meaning of “make labor of”

When someone says _not to make labor of it_ what does it mean?


What are the different kinds of objectionable contents?

I am working on a project which categorizes the different articles by its objectionable content types. Is there a list of objectionable content types available in english? I tried googling it, but the closest thing i found was this from wordnik. Its quite different, where it shows the words similar to the word `objectionable`, but what i want is different words those categorizes different `objectionable` contents? check out the list which shows different objectionable contents (its not 100% correct, feel free to correct).               {         "Objections":[             {                 "name":"Inaccurate",                 "desc":"The statements expressed in the underlying content is not correct. "             },             {                 "name":"Misleading",                 "desc":"The content is giving the wrong idea or impression"                           },             {                 "name":"Offensive",                 "desc":"The content is very offensive and hurtful"             },             {                 "name":"Controversial",                 "desc":"The statements expressed in the underlying content is controversial"                           },             {                 "name":"Derogatory",                 "desc":"The expressed content in the article is intentioally offensive and demeriting the subject"             },             {                 "name":"Inflammatory",                 "desc":"The expressed content in the article is intentioally arousing violent feelings"             },             {                 "name":"Religious hatred",                 "desc":"The expressed content in the article is proposing blasphemous and arousing public violence"             },             {                 "name":"Disgust",                 "desc":"The expressed content in the article is showing something unpleasant"                            },             {                 "name":"Racism",                 "desc":"The expressed content in the article contains racist statements"                        },             {                 "name":"Corruption",                 "desc":"The expressed content in the article somehow encourages corruption"             },             {                 "name":"Anti govenrment",                 "desc":"The expressed content in the article is propaganding anti government sentiment"             } ,             {                 "name":"Terror",                 "desc":"The expressed content in the article is encouraging terrorism"             },                       {                 "name":"Adult",                 "desc":"The article/video showcasing the adult content without the adult rating"                             },             {                 "name":"War crimes",                 "desc":"The content expressed in this article/video showing war crimes"         ]     }      any help much appreciated!


Can I replace "that is/are (supposed) to" with just "to"?

Is this sentence grammatically correct? > [This method] binds a handler to one or more events **to be executed** once > for each matched element. source Is it just a contraction of the following sentence? > This method binds a handler to one or more events, **that is (supposed) to > be executed** once for each matched element.


Is “Now I lay me down to sleep” grammatical?

This is in a song I’ve heard. Is it grammatically correct?


Australians and SR1

This Article in question. Do Australians still use the Spelling Reform 1 (SR1) officially or unofficially? > It calls for the short /ɛ/ sound (as in bet) to always be spelt with E. said→sed, jeopardy→jepardy, bury→bery, etc.


What does "sell x for value" mean?

In the sentence _"We sell you clothes for value."_ , what does "for value" mean? Is the above sentence even grammatically valid?


What's the difference between "inferencing" and "inferring"?

I have encountered the words "inferencing" and "inferring" in literature on educational research. Is there a difference in meaning between the words _inferencing_ and _inferring_? Just as an example, > "The teacher asked the student to **infer** some detail from the text." If " _inference_ " is used instead, does that change the meaning?


Should we treat "information" as a plural term in the following context?

I'm writing a thesis on web information extraction. I use the term information a lot in my thesis, but I'm not sure I should treat it as a plural term or singular term. The following are some cases where I have doubt. > How are faculty member information presented in web pages? > > Information extracted from multiple sources are integrated based on some > rules. As you can see from the examples, I use it as a plural term in the context. However, I don't feel right when I actually read it. Anyone please shed some light on this?


Should I put a definite article before a scientific term?

Which is (more) correct? >   * (I am with the) Laboratory of Biochemistry of Hydrobionts. >   * (I am with the) Laboratory of the Biochemistry of Hydrobionts. > Is there any rule for using or not using _the_ before _Biochemistry_?


What term describes a story set within a foreign culture, but described by an outsider?

Many stories and films contain elements of foreign cultures, or are supposedly set in foreign lands, yet were written by outsiders to those cultures. For example:   * _Tikki Tikki Tembo_ was set in ancient China, but was written by an American author.   * _Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat_ was set in ancient China, yet was written by Canadians.   * _Avatar: The Last Airbender_ , contained many subtle references to Chinese and Japanese cultures, but was written by Americans. Is there any term which could be used to describe such works collectively or to describe the resulting "culture not-quite-matching-the-real-thing"?


How to merge two sentences?

I need your help in merging these two sentences in one and short.                 For the evaluation, three statistical criteria were used: correlation coefficient        (R), root mean squared difference (RMSD), and bias. Global R, RMSD, and bias maps         were averaged taking into account contrasted biomes and vegetation (via the Leaf           Area Index; LAI).


"At" or "in" the office?

When do you use _at the office_? And when do you use _in the office_? What's the difference between the phrases?


Adjective "displaced" applied to an object

Can I apply the adjective _displaced_ to an object, when I mean it is being used out of its typical environment? For instance: "the displaced ball floats around". (Assuming we're talking about a ball used in a football match played on the moon. Typical usage would be on earth, with gravity.)


What term means "to imagine one is someone else"?

I am looking for a professional term, used to describe a situation in which a person imagines that they are someone else. E.g., someone playing a first- person game will imagine that they are within the game, and "super-impose" their personality onto that character. Or, a child might imagine they are a superhero from their favorite story and consider what they would do with the superhero's abilities. The term "role-play" is related, but not precisely what I am looking for. "Role-play" seems to emphasize the "playing" or "acting" aspect. I want a term that just means, "imagining you are someone else".


what does it mean to be cheerleading a project when you are the boss?

I've heard the expression "the boss is cheerleading a project" where the boss is not really managing the project, but is just encouraging their people for the project to happen. Where does this come from and why would the boss be the cheerleader when he/she is still the superior?


Everybody had a different opinion. Is there an idiom for this?

I'm searching for an idiom (in a negative sense) that means that a group of people have different opinions, so it's difficult for them to solve a problem, to decide on something or agree on something. Example: >   * They couldn't decide where to go, because everyone had a different > opinion. >   * Since the members of the political party have different opinions about > its name, we'll have to wait before designing the campaign. >


What is the correct usage? "Ever so often" or "Every so often"

A colleague asked to check in with me every couple of weeks. I would like to respond that it would be wonderful if they checked in ever so often. But, I don't believe that sounds correct. How should I phrase it?


What are the rules of capitalization and article usage with building names?

What are the rules for building names? In particular, does the word "building" need to be capitalized when a part of a building's name? How about article "the" - what are the rules for using it as a part of the name, and does it get capitalized in the middle of the sentence? For instance: is it "the American Radiator building" or "The American Radiator Building" or "American Radiator building"? How about when the address is the name of the building, like 7 World Trade Center?


How should I refer to people who have had something shared with them?

In the application I am developing, I'd like to refer to people who have had something shared with them (link, photo etc.) but I couldn't figure out what word or phrase to use.


What is the difference between "citizen" and "denizen"

Citizen: 1. A legally recognized subject ornational of a state or commonwealth, either native or naturalized. 2. An inhabitant of a particular town or city. Denizen: 1. An inhabitant or occupant of a particular place. Same thing?


Difference between "computation" and "calculation"

If the words _computation_ and _calculation_ are not perfect synonyms what is the difference between them? Which one describes more accurately what is done by a person computing or calculating something on a piece of paper?


Why "themselves" and "himself"

In the earliest grades of elementary schools, students learn that "hisself" and "theirselves" are not words. I do not understand why this is. If you wanted to refer to 'his' sock, you would say "his sock," not "him sock." Similarly, you would say "their socks," not "them socks." Why do you not call 'his' self _hisself_ and 'their' selves as _theirselves_?


"Invoke" and "invocation"

We invoke something using an invocation. Is the use of a _k_ and a _c_ in words of the same root like this unusual? Might I reasonably expect _invocation_ to be spelled _invokation_?


Having or eating one's cake

Which is it? "You cannot eat your cake and have it, too," meaning you can have it or you can eat it, but once it's gone there's no cake left to eat. "You cannot have your cake and eat it, too", meaning, as I understand it, you actually own the cake, so you can eat it if you want to. A brief Google search suggests the second option is common usage (though I would argue misusage.)


Can a hypothetical "could" main clause stand on its own without an expressed conditional?

I have been reading Meaning and the English Verb (Leech, Geoffrey N. 2004). I like its systematic treatment on tense, aspect, mood, and modality. I think it's a must-have for any advanced ESL learners. It's just amazing and extremely accessible, really a perfect complement to Practical English Usage by Swan. But only one thing I still feel uncertain about is whether **could** can be used alone without adding "if-clause" to express irrealis thoughts. I know it is true of **would** (e.g. it would be fantastic to get to the moon), but I'm not sure it's also true of **could** or **might**. > Meaning and the English Verb §183 > >> HYPOTHETICAL POSSIBILITY. Used hypothetically, **could** and **might** are substitutes for **may** in expressing factual possibility (see §121): >> >> There **could** be trouble at the World Cup match tomorrow. | The door **might** be locked already. | Our team **might** still win the race. >> >> The effect of the hypothetical auxiliary, with its implication ‘contrary to expectation’, is to make the expression of possibility more tentative and guarded. Our team **might** still win the race can be paraphrased ‘It is barely possible that…’ or ‘It is possible, though unlikely, …’. > > Meaning and the English Verb §186 > >> To conclude, the following sentences illustrate this multiplicity with examples of **seven different** meanings of **could** : >> >> #1, #2 and #3 are omitted here.   >  #4. Hypothetical equivalent of can (= ‘possibility’) (cf. §176)   >  The house is one of the most beautiful that **could** be imagined.   >  #5. Hypothetical equivalent of can (= ‘ability’) (cf. §176)   >  Do you know anyone who **could** repair this clock for me?   >  #6. Hypothetical equivalent of can (= ‘permission’) (cf. §176)   >  I’d be grateful if I **could** borrow your electric drill.   >  #7. Tentative equivalent of **may** (= ‘factual possibility’) (cf. §183)   >  The weather has been terrible up there in the mountains. You **could** find > climbing very difficult. >> >> The last meaning is rather more **anomalous** than the others, as it shows could extending its range of meaning into the epistemic territory of ‘factual possibility’ which is the domain of may, not can. I would think Leech is making clashing points here. Isn't the usage of **could** in the three examples in §183 identical with that in #7? If so, why does Leech say #7 is more anomalous? or, to put it another way, why does Leech separate #7 from #4 and #5? I would think #7 is the most common usage of **could**. Is the usage of #7 derived form #4 or #5? For #4 and #5. I would think they are just the same as: > The house is one of the most beautiful that **can** be imagined.   >  Do you know anyone who **can** repair this clock for me? What are the unexpressed conditionals implied in #4 and #5 respectively? If we used **can** , would any nuances be suggested? Why bother to use hypothetical mood there?


Word for transportation of only people and goods and not data?

Is there a word for transportation of only people and goods, and explicitly not data? Example: "On the internet you can't transport physical and material payload like passengers and cargo."


Why use the term "Sister sites" instead of "Brother sites"?

This came up recently on programmers.SE, when someone (a Russian, presumably non-native English speaker) asked why we used the term "sister sites", instead of "brother sites". Of course, I'm a native English speaker, and I have no idea _either_ , hence this question. The full question, for context, was "Several of our sister sites have taken to featuring Questions [...]". It does seem odd, considering that English (usually) uses masculine terms as the default.


Is "what a badass of a barber!" correct?

If one wants to informally exclaim about the excellence of someone, say a barber, using the word _badass_ , should one say "What a badass of a barber!"? Or is "What a badass barber!" more correct? Are both correct enough? Are there other alternatives one should consider?


What does "with" mean in this sentence?

In the sentence: > He just called me to confirm everything with his father and also they have > selected which company they will contact "he" is a third person pronoun and "his father" is the father of "he". So "they" is "he & his father". What troubles me is the preposition "with" in this context. Does it mean: he called me to confirm everything **_together_** with his father, or does it mean that his father also confirms everything?


Does one "laugh out of enjoyment" or "laugh of enjoyment"?

Does one "laugh out of enjoyment while watching a movie"? Or does one "laugh from enjoyment"? Or "laugh of enjoyment"?


What does “I don’t think we figured in his day at all” mean?

In the film 127 hours (screenplay) the character Kristi says: > Know what? I don’t think we figured in his day at all. What does she mean by _I don’t think we figured in his day at all_?


Is there a term for referring to an organization by its city rather than by its name?

This happens specifically often in the technology press: >   * There's no point trying to ascribe motives to what Redmond [instead of > "Microsoft"] does. >   * We'll see shortly if Cupertino [instead of "Apple"] thinks likewise ... > I'm certain its use is much wider though I can't think of many examples right now. Using "Detroit" as another name for the US auto industry is slightly wider: >   * Who says that Detroit does not sell cars Americans want to drive? > Anyway, I have a suspicion there is a name for this so what is it?


What is the figure of speech called when there is a conjunction of things that are actually in subset relation?

For example "animals and cats", "plants and flowers", "stars and suns" etc. It’s similar to tautology but the things aren’t synonym. Is there a name for this figure?


Is there a specific word or term for the two dots (":") between hours and minutes?

Is there a specific word or term for the two dots in this "14:23"? Edit. I know it's a colon. :-) I mean specifically related to date and time display.


Synonyms of "that's it"

I often use _that's it from me for today_ to summarise and finish my report on daily standup. Are there any other, similar phrases?


Posting a letter and sending it via e-mail

I am sending a formal letter to a recipient by registered post and e-mail. Is it convention to include within the e-mail/PDF such text like: "As sent via post on " or something similar to inform the recipient to also expect the letter via the postal system?


Can a human "bless" anything?

Does the word "bless" apply only to God? For example, can a human bless anything (such as "bless the day")? Or can only God bless? Note, I am asking about the usage of the word "bless", and not about religion. Is there a definition of the word _bless_ that describes an accepted usage of the word in a secular way?


Is there any alternative phrase or sentence to -with reference to the subject above-while stating an official communication?

I have been using the sentence -with reference to the subject above- for all my official communication. Is there any better sentence to start a official note with?


Odd, affected pronunciation of "realtor"

A while back, I noticed that the voice-over on a commercial repeatedly used an odd pronunciation of the word realtor - "real-TORE", with a long O as opposed to "real-tur", like "doc-tur" or "inven-tur". The pronunciation was plenty rhotic, so it's not like it was a British English thing. Anyhow, I wrote it off as a single strange person until I heard the head of whatever the national organization of realtors is use the same odd pronunciation. All I can figure is that there must be an influential figure in the realtor community who is pushing hard for this odd pronunciation. Does anyone have any thoughts on this?


What is the "material holding" in a company'?

I am working on a text and it confuses my mind. I do understand the meaning and yet can not be sure about it. It says: > The arbitrator holds shares, either directly or indirectly, which by reason > of number or denomination constitute a **material holding in** one of the > parties or an affiliate of the parties that is publicly listed. Is there any other word for material holding, or is it the same thing with 'to material influence on a company' ?


Are words like "freaking" and "flippin'" adverbs or adjectives when used like this?

As far as I understand it a present participle used like the one in the example ould be functionally an adjective > The barking dog. I am wondering about intensifying words like "freaking" or "flipping" or "god damn" > Take the flippin' train. To me, they don't convey very much about the noun but rather something about the speakers thoughts that go beyond the statement. As such they feel just the same as their adverb-instances > Just freaking go. Seeing that "freaking" does not have the usual "-ly" ending, I have the following questions.   * Is the first use really an adjective?   * Are intensifying words categorized totally disregarding their semantic function?   * What are they?   * What are they in combination with verbs?   * If adverb, why not "-ly".


Looking for idiom/expression to describe an instance where one makes something seem better than it really is

Maybe the example would help to describe the expression I am looking for: Say - a sub-par school or organization makes a promotional video, whereby they make the school look way better than it really is. They accomplished this by interviewing a few successful students, showing only the best parts of the school/classes, picking a few angles, and omitting 80% of what really represents the true situation. I have heard the following expression, but not sure whether it's appropriate, or even phrased correctly: > Turn chicken into a chicken soup. EDIT: actually the expression was > Make chicken salad out of chicken $#!%" coined by Brock Lesnar. Obviously it's less befitting than others mentioned on the thread.


"chance" as a verb in context

In the following text, is "chance" a verb or a noun? > Very few did better than chance in spotting which was which. Could I replace it with "guess"?


Where does "can't be arsed" come from?

I've only heard it from Kiwis, but I am told it's used in other countries as well: "I can't be arsed" means (IIUC) "I can't be bothered". Where could the expression come from? It's the only expression I know of that uses "arse" as a verb -- assuming that is the correct spelling. Is it from "arse" (British English for "ass") or some weird mangling of "ask" or something even stranger? Also, do the Brits even still say "arse"?


How should I interpret the word "read" when it is in parentheses?

I understand that in the following sentence, "read" in brackets is meant to indicate that the adjective outside the brackets should be replaced with the adjective within the brackets:               His approach was lacklustre (read: terrible)      But what I'm wondering is whether "read" should be, well, read as the past tense of "to read" /rɜd/, which would make it short for the declarative "This is read as..." or the present tense /riːd/, which would be short for the imperative "You should read this as...". Not that it matters terribly, but I'm curious: could anybody shed light upon this?


What's the proper way to dedicate a paper with a "to the memory of"?

I am writing a scientific paper and want to dedicate it to my former supervisor who passed away recently. The standard practice in this case is to write the dedication phrase just below the title of the paper. What I am not sure as I am a non-native speaker is the exact wording. It would be terrible if I write something offensive or inappropriate out of my ignorance. I have the following suggestions:   1. To the memory of ...   2. Dedicated to the bright memory of ...   3. Dedicated to the memory of ... My questions are   1. Is option 1 ok without the word "dedicated"?   2. Is the word "bright" fine here? I like this choice, but my worry is that it might be reserved for the people who were very close to him, or "bright" would imply some strange meaning that I am unaware of.   3. What would you write?


Questionee? Inquiree? Interrogatee?

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  What do you call somebody who asks a question and somebody who answers a > question?   >  What do I call a person who is participating in a survey? What's a proper but simple one-word description of a person to whom a question is being asked?


What do you call somebody who asks a question and somebody who answers a question? I have exhausted the thesaurus with no real luck... any ideas? EDIT: It is in reference to this - or any other StackExchange - site in which the question is posed by X and answer is submitted by Y. EDIT 2: In the context of StackExchange, and the fact I need plurality (something I neglected to mention oooops), I have decided upon "Posters" and "Respondents"...


Terminology of roles in a Q&A: The "asker" and "answerer"?

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  What do you call somebody who asks a question and somebody who answers a > question? If you have one person in the role of asking questions, and another person in the role of answering questions, are there one-word names for their respective roles? In other words:   * The term for someone who asks a question = ('Asker', 'Questioner', ?)   * The term for someone who answers a question = ('Answerer', ?) They all seem like awful terms- is there another way to refer to them?


What to call a person who replies to your comment

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  What do you call somebody who asks a question and somebody who answers a > question? In a conversation, if person A replies to person B, what do we call A and B? EDIT: Sorry I wasn't clear. I need to know what to call "A" and "B". I'm involved in a project to create a comment system. So, B makes a comment... A replies to B's comment.


Is "Forgive my being late" grammatical?

Is it grammatically correct to write "forgive my being late to this discussion" as an alternative to "sorry that I'm late to this discussion"?


Should "that" and "the" be used in these situations?

I'm always uncertain whether or not I should use "the" and "that" in the following cases: > There is no guarantee **(that)** measurement values are the cause of . . . and > Which will lead to **(the)** correct evaluation of the measure . . . Yes or no?


the verb of taking from before and putting after

Let's think we have 3 bottles. A bottle of cola, a bottle of milk and a bottle of water. We put them in line. First is cola, second is water and third is milk. Now, I change the place of cola with milk. I put milk before water, and cola after water. What did I do? I ??? cola and water... Do we have a verb to replace with `???` in that sentence?


"I would have never said" vs. "I would never say"

I know a lot of questions have been asked about _would_ or _would have_ but I haven't found any answers that help me understand this three-party conversation, with C possibly a native speaker: > A: How do I ask for a cup of tea in the USA?   >  B: Bring me the tea, please!   >  C: No, I would have never said that. or > C: No, I would never say that. What's the difference? Which form is preferred by native speakers?


Proverb or expression for someone taking on too much

What is an appropriate proverb or expression that means one has:   1. Taken on too many tasks   2. Set out to do something that one isn't qualified to do and hence probably will fail   3. Set out to do something that probably is impossible to begin with


Usage of "break off one's plans"

I have heard the expression _break off one's plans_ in the context of breaking off one's holidays due to an emergency. > He had to **break off** his holidays to come back for the meeting. What are other examples of its usage?


Present continuous to discuss action's frequency

I saw the following on an ESL test: > John: How often …………… ?   >  Dave: He …………… at least five days a week. > > a) does he exercise - swims   >  b) is he exercising - is swimming   >  c) is he exercising - swims   >  d) does he exercise - is swimming I think both _(a)_ and _(b)_ are acceptable and the test isn't standard. Please correct me if I'm mistaken.


Number that should be used here

Ok, this question came from another question, in which my answer has a "problem". In this question, three conditions were given. In my answer to this question, I stated: > You have listed a very specific criteria... However, at the bottom, in the comments, a user stated that "Just FYI, the singular of _criteria_ is _criterion_ ", seeming to indicate that I should use "criterion" instead. Which would actually be correct to use in this case, "criterion", or "criteria" (I'm pretty sure that since there's multiple conditions, _criteria_ should be used, unless there's an exception here I am not acquainted with). And can someone please explain how the grammar behind all this works.


How do you call the crunching sound from bone joints?

When I wake up and do stretching I hear some sounds from my joints. How do you call this crunching sound from bone joints?


Is there a polite alternative to "No thanks, I'm full"?

English is not my native language, but when I was studying in the US, I was always trying to find an alternative to > _I'm full!_ I felt that it was a very improper way to express that I have eaten enough, especially when I was invited for dinner. I remember having difficulties demonstrating my gratitude towards my hosts when using this expression. Being _full_ feels to me a bit like a car that has been filled with gasoline and gasoline is just used to continue working. That's not what I want to say... Is there a better word I can use? I haven't found one in the dictionary. There are, of course, long forms: > _I have had enough [, thank you]._ that I have learned to use, but I wonder if there is a short one. Other Languages have _rassasié_ (French), _sazio_ (Italian) and _satt_ (German). Should I use _satiated_? * * * **Update:** Thank you all for the overwhelming response! After 13 answers, I feel I got a better understanding of the phrase. I'm grateful for _@Andrews_ answer, because he took the cultural aspect into consideration. This was the decisive part that I missed. I can also understand @MT_ Head that saying _No thank you, I'm full_ while smiling isn't offensive at all. Thanks for that. I conclude that there is not a single wide spread word I can use which doesn't sound stilted or strange (or even has a touch of sexual pleasure). I now have a repertoire of polite responses available. I'm accepting the most helpful answer for me, but most of you got my up-vote. :)


A data compromise

I know that security people use the verb "to compromise" with the meaning of "to break", for example in "the integrity of the account has been compromised". But is it okay to also use the noun "compromise" in this context? My dictionary only has that meaning as a verb ("to weaken"), but the noun seems to be reserved for "middle state between conflicting opinions". On the other hand, you get a lot of hits on Google for "data compromise".


What does "run of house" mean with regard to hotel room type

I have seen a room type at a hotel like below; > Family Room 2 Bedrooms & Living Room Run of The House Everything is OK except the `Run of The House` thing. What does it exactly mean here? AFAIK, it is whatever room is available when you check-in. Is that true? Or does that have some other meanings?


"For all" or "for each"

In mathematical context, or in the context of mathematical logic, is there a difference between: > This is valid for _each_ x. and > This is valid for _all_ x. ? If both have the same meaning, which is preferable?


When a question is followed by a bulleted list, where does the question mark go?

Where do I put the question mark when I want to ask about a list of items? For example: > Should we mention other books by Charles Dickens, such as: > >   * _A Tale of Two Cities_ : a novel describing the chaos of the French > Revolution from the perspective of a handful of people from England and > France. >   * _A Christmas Carol_ : a novella following Ebenezer Scrooge as he is > haunted by spirits that teach him what his avarice is doing to those around > him. > In particular, the question mark doesn't seem to have a home because:   * The text at the beginning can't be punctuated by a question mark, since it wouldn't form a complete sentence. A workaround might be to go ahead and ask the question, followed by "Examples include:" .   * The list items are sentences of their own, rather completing the beginning of the question in alternative ways. Although the points above offer ways to avoid this construction, one or both might not work for a given scenario (e.g. if the bullet points consist of several sentences each, not just one). Is it possible to keep the construction above and put the question mark somewhere, or do I have no choice but to reword in some situations?


"Sites like Facebook do/does use ..."

When I am talking about plural ("Sites"), should I use does or do? In case I'm talking in plural, I should use "do". But "like Facebook", is singular. So which one is correct?


Post-hyphenation of split compound words

Assuming that these two words > off-topic > > on-topic _must_ be hyphenated, which of the punctuations in the following sentences is correct? (crucial part emphasized) > Regardless of whether it is an **off or on-topic** example, it is a > brilliant consideration in the definition of this proposal. > > Regardless of whether it is an **off- or on-topic** example, it is a > brilliant consideration in the definition of this proposal. I know you can get around this with a verbose constuction like _off-topic or on-topic_ , or by not hyphenating either and treating _off_ and _on_ and _topic_ as separate words, but neither suggestion really does anything to answer my question.


Is the first hyphen in "Anti- and pro-American", "bi- and tri-monthy", "country- and state-specific" correct?

Those prefixes "Anti", "bi" etc would look odd as separate words, but then, even complete words like "country" or "state" ending with a dangling hyphen look odd. So what is the correct rule for this? Should I play safe and use it like "Anti-American and pro-American"? Please suggest the correct way to do it. Wikipedia article on English hyphens was of little help over this.


What word describes a university class in both the UK and the US?

In the US words like _class_ , _subject_ , _course_ are used to describe a university class, while in the UK, words like _subject_ and _course_ are used to describe the name of the whole university degree. Instead in the UK words like _module_ or _unit_ are used to describe a university class. Is there a word that will be understood by both British English speakers and American English speakers? UPDATE: by university class I meant a series of lectures on a topic e.g. "Economics 101" or "Introduction to Statistics".


Is the saxon genitive missing in the song title "Hells Bells"?

I am confused by title of song by AC/DC: _Hells Bells_. Shouldn't it be _Hell's Bells_ (meaning "bells from hell") or _Hells' Bells_ (meaning "bells from hells")? Or is it just a slack language common for rock songs lyrics?


Does this sentence seem weird?

A line from William Golding's _The Lord of the Flies_ : > All round him the long scar smashed into the jungle was a bath of heat. Is it just me or does the sentence seem grammatically off?


Usage of "elliptical" sentence

Please explain an "elliptical" sentence. Is it used as a shortcut of implied ascription?


Is there the gerund of the verb "can"?

I would like translate a Portuguese phrase into English: > Esta técnica é bem poderosa, podendo ser extendida para várias outras > questões. In English I got: > This technique is very powerful and can be extended to several other > questions. _Podendo_ is the gerund, in Portuguese, of the verb _poder_ ( _can_ , in English). It looks like there's no gerund for the verb _can_ , in English. Is this correct? What's the suggestion to translate this phrase?


Meaning of a mixed metaphor from "The Gift of The Magi"?

This is from _The Gift of The Magi_ by _O Henry_ (William Sydney Porter). > Oh, and the next two hours tripped by on rosy wings. Forget the hashed > metaphor. (part 4, paragraph 5 in the reference above) I fail to understand what the _hashed_ Metaphor is, in the context of this story. Apart from this line, the rest of the plot is clear to me (and so is the context). I found a reference according to which the metaphor was actually a _mixed metaphor_ , but I am not well-versed with the types of metaphors and their relative differences (or meanings). I also went through a reference which stated that this metaphor might have stemmed from the fact that this story was written while meeting a strict deadline. I fail to see the connection between the meaning of this metaphor and the haste with which it might have originally been written.


"Dad's corner" or "dads' corner"

Which is right: _dad's corner_ or _dads' corner_? I see _dad's corner_ used regularly so I am assuming that's right, but in my mind _dad's_ is singular whereas the corner belongs to multiple dads as it's a place for dads to go to meet.


Plural of "fleece" when referring to fleece jacket

Is the word _fleece_ when referring to a fleece jacket also the plural form, or is that _fleeces_?


How to pronounce LINQ?

How to pronounce LINQ? Or should I just say L-I-N-Q? (LINQ is a .NET extension for queries.)


Meanings of 'killing moon' and 'killing time' in song by Echo and The Bunnymen

I was wondering what the meanings of the expressions _killing moon_ and _killing time_ on the song _Killing moon_ by Echo and The Bunnymen are. > Under blue moon I saw you So soon   >  you'll take me Up in your arms Too   >  late to beg you or cancel it Though I   >  know it must be the killing time   >  Unwillingly mine > > ... > > In starlit nights I saw you So cruelly   >  you kissed me Your lips a magic world   >  Your sky all hung with jewels The   >  killing moon Will come too soon I assume the song does not refer to some sort of ritualistic murder on full moon. What then are the meanings intended for these expressions?


What's the meaning of “astrung”?

What is the meaning of _astrung_? I’ve read it from this passage from _Of Human Bondage_ : > She was terrified. She wanted him to reassure her; She looked at him > pleadingly, not daring to ask for words of comfort but with all her nerves > **astrung** to receive them: he had none to offer her. In the dictionary I have there is no word such as _astrung_. What does this word mean? Actually, I am afraid it’s just misprinted.


How do you usually interpret "egregious"?

OED's entry about "egregious" indicates it can mean remarkable in both good and bad ways. Vocabulary.com's entry, in contrast, emphasizes to not use it for meaning positively outstanding. How do you usually interpret and use "egregious"?


What is the point of prescriptive grammar?

There seems to be a distinction and even rift between descriptive and prescriptive grammar, though wikipedia points out that they can apparently "inform each other": > Despite apparent opposition, prescription and description can inform each > other,[3][page needed] because comprehensive descriptive accounts must take > into account speaker attitudes (including prescriptive ones), and some > understanding of how language is actually used is necessary for prescription > to be effective. But I've just never really understood prescriptive grammar -- it seems like language is constantly being added to (and to a lesser extent, losing some words because they're becoming so archaic it's not even really the same language anymore), so saying what's "right" or "wrong" in terms of grammar is basically choosing some specific moment in time and arbitrarily deciding that that's the "proper" form of the language, and the one to strive for. It just seems like an inherently losing battle, and one that makes no sense to fight -- if 100% of people understand a word, what's the point in saying it shouldn't be used? E.g., "I ain't" is definitely not considered correct, but there's no real reason it shouldn't be allowed as an alternative to "I'm not". I understand one reason for prescriptive grammar, essentially to make communication possible. It essentially establishes rules, and speech would quickly get confusing if we had no rules. But some of the things it prohibits seem to have little to do with facilitating communication, and more with just upholding some arbitrary status quo. "Swag" is a really annoying word, but it doesn't really make sense to say it's not an "official word" or something if millions of people are using it and all know what it means among each other. Why exactly do prescriptivists even really want this? Is it some sort of weak attempt at "seeking permanence in an impermanent world"?


"One of the courses I took that year was x" where "x" is a unique identifier

I have a vague feeling that there is something wrong with this sentence I wrote: "One of the courses I took that year was John Doe's Introduction to Literature." I feel that the following sentences are OK: "One of the courses I took that year had very difficult exams." "One of the courses I took that year was taught by John Doe." "One of the courses I took that year was titled Introduction to Literature." But the first sentence I gave doesn't sound right. I thought the reason for this might be that when you say something like "One of the courses was x." and "x" defines the course uniquely (like "John Doe's Introduction to Literature" does), there is no way there could be two such courses, and thus "one of them was ..." is bad usage. But I'm not sure this is a valid reason to reject this usage, and I don't know whether this explanation really captures the reason behind my feeling that this usage is wrong, or at least, not ideal. So my question is: Do you think this usage is indeed less than ideal, and if so, do you think the reason I gave is the right one? (I'm a non-native speaker of English.)


Proper usage for the word "obverse"

I believe "obverse" has several meanings, with one being "the flip side of something (coin)." I'm trying to cleverly contrast opposite approaches of a person's management duties. "From a wide angle view, she oversees the organization's operations and business developments, while obversely attending to the concurrent needs of individual clients." Is this the right usage of the word "obversely" to contrast "wide" with "individual?" Is there one word that means both obverse and concurrent? What I'm trying to say is "while on the flip side at the same time." Is there more eloquent way to make the statement. I really want to juxtapose the manager's effectiveness in her broad (wide) management duties against the individual (narrow) needs of clients. Thanks to all who respond!


Why is this wrong? I have become sick for 2 days

I am an Assistant English teacher and today my co-worker(main English teacher), asked me why this sentence is not ok; **I have _become_ sick for 2 days**. I told him that you should use **been** instead of **_become_** , but I could not tell him why.


Four-word phrase stress

I'm interested to learn why the following four-word phrases have stress on different words. >   1. "Little Red Riding Hood" (stress is on little and riding) >   2. "Infamous National Rifle Association" (stress is on infamous and rifle) >   3. "heavily bearded young man" (stress is on heavily and man) > Here are the sentences: >   1. There was a cute little redhead named Little Red Riding Hood. >   2. She was a recently paid-up member of the infamous National Rifle > Association. >   3. The heavily bearded young man jumped out. > Only the third sentence has its stress on the last word of the four-word phrase: "man". Can someone please tell me how the four-word phrase stress works based on the examples provided above?


struck out the one time he was at bat - meaning

> How did Timmy do yesterday?   >  He struck out **the one time** he was at bat.   >  Aw. That's too bad.   >  I know. He did his darndest though. I can't understand that line I put in a bold-type font.


Why were "skin" and "niggle" slang words meaning to hurry?

I've read in a book _From Flappers to Rappers: The Study of American Youth Slang_ two words used commonly within the same decade 1900-1910 meaning to hurry were "skin" and "niggle". I'm puzzled as to why these words would be selected and used to mean hurry: "Let's skin!" or "Let's niggle!". Any ideas?


Inconvenient though this might sound, ... phrase structure

> The value of $_inputType is set internally by the class at the time of > instantiating the object. If you attempt to change it directly, PHP > generates a fatal error, bringing everything to a grinding halt. > **Inconvenient though this might sound** , this preserves the integrity of > your code by preventing an attacker from tricking a validation routine to > handle variables from the wrong type of source. Does this type of phrasing sound alright to you as native speakers of English?


Is there a more formal term for a "hand-waving explanation"

I wish to describe an explanation, which is broadly correct, but which glosses over some potentially important details. The nearest term I can think of is "hand-waving explanation". Is there something more formal I could use instead?


Word/name for rhetorical technique to give appearance of expertise where none exists?

For example, the speaker states "Anyone that has taken probability and statistics in college _knows_... blah blah blah", implying the speaker has such a background, with the intent to assert some authority in the subject / lend more weight to the rest of the statement, when in fact the speaker has no such expertise. Is there a word or name for such a device?


The expression "not so much"

I have noticed the appearance of the phrase "not so much" in the language recently. It strikes me as both grammatically incorrect and humorous when used. For example,"Jim is very smart; his brother, not so much." Or,"That girl has a beautiful face; her figure, not so much." Has anyone else noticed this new colloquialism?


Why do rivers 'burst' their banks?

We have had a lot of flooding in the UK in the last week or two, with reports, among other things, of rivers 'bursting their banks'. The verb 'to burst' implies 'breaking or splitting as a result of internal pressure or puncturing' (ODE). But that is not what happens when a river floods. The water simply rises above the banks and floods the surrounding countryside. So why do rivers 'burst' their banks? What would be a more accurately descriptive way of saying it?


"Simple marketing software" or "Simplified marketing software" - which is correct?

I have built http://www.inboundio.com/ which is a simplified marketing software. Now I am not sure in < title > tag of home page if I should use > Simple inbound marketing software OR > Simplified inbound marketing software ? which is more correct ? I am using simplified till now but curious to know what the English SE community think Thanks


Use of the word "panic-stricken" for self

which would be the correct use of the word "panic-stricken" in the two sentences below: > I was panic-stricken at the thought of missing my trip to usa OR > I got panic-stricken at the thought of missing my trip to usa Also, please explain why! Because I'm trying to improve my English vocabulary and usage of words in everyday English. Thank you


"On Mac OS X" vs. "in Mac OS X"

The NY Times uses both "on Mac OS X" and "in Mac OS X". Can someone explain which one seems more appropriate if there is no difference?


"I feel bad for you" versus "I feel badly for you"

What is the correct usage? Apparently it is "I feel badly", but but wouldn't that mean you have an inadequate ability to feel?


Bad or Badly, which is correct?

Consider this sentence: > I want to join the contest.. Which is more correct, "so bad" or "so badly"? I'm leaning towards the latter because it is an adverb and an adverb is required to describe a verb or an adjective. As with the case above, badly should describe want. I am not sure though if the former is acceptable. And if it is, why so?


Can we use "bad" as an adverb in writing and formal speech?

Should a lecturer say > "He felt bad" or "He felt badly"?   >  "His tooth ached so bad he couldn't sleep" or "His tooth ached so badly he > couldn't sleep"? Are both forms acceptable in formal speech?


The use of "bad" vs the use of "badly."

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  "I feel bad for you" versus "I feel badly for you" Which of the following is more grammatically correct? > I feel bad for her. or > I feel badly for her.


Origin of "eye teeth"

Today in a UK court Mr Justice Cooke, in passing judgement over three disgraced cricketers, said > The image and integrity of what was once a game but is now a business is > damaged in the eyes of all, including the many youngsters who regarded you > as as heroes and would have given their **eye teeth** to play at the levels > and with the skills that you had. I understand that giving your eye teeth means that you want something a lot, but what is the origin of the expression? (As a native English speaker, I had always thought the expression was "hind teeth" — as in the ones at the back that are painful to extract. It seems that I was wrong in this.)


Is there a word better than "exotic" to describe languages that are little known and little studied but have many speakers?

I'm looking for a word to describe languages which are not easy to study or find books about in Western Europe or North America. On example language, which I'm currently immersed in, is Georgian, with no major related languages and its own alphabet, most people have never heard of it though it is a national language with millions of speakers. I'm looking for a word that can work OK everywhere, even in the countries where the languages are not in the minority. Georgians for instance are aware most people might not have heard of their language but it's certainly not a minority language in Georgia. **Is "exotic* the right word to use or is there a better one?** * * * **Here's some other languages I think of in the same way:** Albanian, Armenian, Burmese, Hungarian, Khmer, Kurdish, Lao, Latvian, Lithuanian, Mongolian, Persian, Sinhala, Tibetan. (I used the tag "single word requests" because I couldn't find a better one. It doesn't have to be a single word.)


Why "off to hell in a handcart"?

I can understand the meaning of the phrase _off to hell..._ , but I was wondering why, of all the possible vehicles that may have been chosen, it came to be in a _handcart_?


Is this correct English?

If the sentence "My thoughts on religion exactly" correct or is "Exactly my thoughts on religion" correct?? Or are both correct??


Using a comma before with "with"

I am trying to document some code and this sentence sounds confusing. > Replaces the existing item associated with the provided key with newItem. I am tempted to put a comma here but I am not sure if it would be correct. > Replaces the existing item associated with the provided key, with newItem. If it's incorrect, how can I state my intention clearly?


"Strikes me a great deal" in a negative way

Is it correct to use the above expression that connotes a negative feeling. > The rude behavior of the officer _struck me a great deal_. I didn't expect > this from a professional person.


Why does the word 'calculative' not exist in the Oxford dictionary?

My friends and I have been using 'calculative' and not 'calculating' to describe a person given to doing or planning things only for their benefits; but it seems like we have been wrong for so long. Anyone with the same problem?


The expression "Pitch a loaf"

I would like to know where the expression "pitch a loaf" came from, what its origin is, and if people really use it nowadays. I heard it in a movie, and I believe it means to go to the bathroom, by its context; it's just that I have ever in my life heard someone say that.


"Lyrics to a song" vs. "lyrics of a song"

I've seen both being used interchangeably. Are both valid? Is only one correct? >   1. Lyrics **to** a song. >   2. Lyrics **of** a song. >


Past Simple or Past Perfect Continuous?

If an action started in the past and lasted for some time, which tense should be used Past Simple or Past Perfect Continuous? For example, I worked out for two hours yesterday or I had been working out for two hours yesterday?


Use of "nay" - still current?

I get the sense that the interjection _nay_ is seen as outdated and used only for humorous effect. Is this assumption true, or is it still acceptable in serious writing?


"accuracy" or "accurateness"?

Do "accuracy" and "accurateness" have the exact same meaning? When is one of them preferred over the other one? "accurateness" does not exist as an entry in Oxford Dictionary of English and Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (the iPad version of these two). It does however appear in Merriam Webster dictionary (the online version) as the noun for "accurate". Is "accurateness" a new-born word (perhaps in American English)?


What is the etymology of the word "snooker"

I have heard that the word "snooker" originally meant "beginner" and was coined at the time when the game was first invented. Is there any truth in this theory?


Origin and usage of "nu-" (e.g. nu-metal)

Not every dictionary I checked has "nu-" but here are a few examples: > **nu-** > > dictionary.com -- indicating an updated or modern version of something: _nu- > metal music_ > > Bing -- new: new, or modern > > Google -- respelling of ‘new,’ used esp. in names of new or revived genres > of popular music. Where did this orginate? Etymonline shows no entry. Also, how does this differ from "neo-"? > neo- -- a combining form meaning “new,” “recent,” “revived,” “modified,” > used in the formation of compound words: _Neo-Darwinism_ ; _Neolithic_ ; > _neoorthodoxy_ ; _neophyte_. Why do we have "nu-metal" instead of "neo-metal" or "neometal"? Would it be appropriate to use "nu-" for non-musical genres (e.g., classifying films as "nu-western")?


In which countries is that “long time no see” greeting common?

I used to hear this greeting several times a day when in Singapore. In other English-speaking countries, is this idiomatic expression known, do people consider it funny, or just a terrible misconception of English?


Meaning of "precise-looking"

In George Orwell's novel _1984_ , Part one, Chapter IV, there is a sentence: > In the corresponding cubicle on the other side a small, **precise-looking** > , dark-chinned man named Tillotson was working steadily away. I've looked up 'precise' in dictionaries, but still cannot understand what a precise-looking man is like. Can you guys help?


Can I say "Draw a triangle around the strawberry"?

Can I say "Draw a triangle around the strawberry" when I want someone who is reading a book, in which there is a picture of a strawberry, to draw a triangle in that book in such a way that the strawberry is inside of the triangle (in which case the triangle must, of course, be bigger than strawberry)?


Word that means that someone is too powerful

More specifically, if they have the power to wiretap your communications, powerful as in power, not as in strength. > A _**___ __ ___ _**_ [powerful] person who holds a menacingly huge amount of > power who makes them _**___ __ ___ _**_. _This is the 2nd question where I had to disclose that I used Google to research, before asking this question. I searched for "word that means having a lot of power"_


What does “adorkable” mean? How popular is this word? To what kind of objects and occasions can I apply “adorkable”?

I happened to find the paperback book titled _Adorkable_ , by Sarra Manning, on the GoodReads site. There is no entry for _adorkable_ in the Cambridge, Oxford or Merriam-Webster dictionaries, or in GoogleNgram, which often carries words and phrases that dictionaries don’t. A Japanese online English-Japanese dictionary happens to register this word with the definition as an adjective combining _adorable_ and _dork_ and meaning “野暮 ( _yabo_ \- "unrefined") but かわい（ _kawai_ -"adorable"). From this, I wonder if “ _adorkable_ ” is similar to a Japanese word recently getting international currency: _Kawai_ , meaning "unrefined (childish) but lovely." Its implication is positive and affirmative, but _Kawai_ is used most often in conversation among young females and high teens. What exactly does _adorkable_ mean? To what kind of objects or occasions is _adorkable_ applied? Is this an adult word, as against a youngsters’ word like Kawai? Sara Manning is a British woman; so is this a just a recent British English neologism, whose life may be ephemeral? For instance, what kind of characters - person, animal, item, or whatever object can be called "adorkable"?


Term for "a pattern that repeats once induced"

For example, let's say that I went to sleep one night at 5:00 am. Out of exhaustion, I would most likely sleep until the late afternoon. Since I woke up so late, I wouldn't be tired until very early in the morning, maybe 5:00 am again. This pattern would repeat over and be hard to break out of. My question is, what would we call this type of pattern? Another example would be smoking; you begin to smoke and it's very hard to stop. I'm not looking for "addiction", because that implies that I am physically and mentally dependent on the object.


"If someone...they can" vs. "if anyone...they can"

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  How to know when to use “someone” or “anyone”? In what contexts would it be correct/appropriate to say, "If someone [does or wants to do something] they can" as opposed to "If anyone... they can"?


There is / are; Questions > Answers; is > are ; are >is

If someone asks me **Are there any phones in the room?** Can I answer **yes there is / no there isn't** to possible indicate .... let's say that there's just one phone or none or for any other reason If someone asks me **Is there a phone in the room?** Can I answer **yes there are / no there aren't** (same idea as the first example)


Origin of "on the QT"?

I was watching the movie L.A. Confidential last night, and was reminded of the phrase "on the QT", which Danny DeVito's character says several times. > Off the record, on the QT, and very hush-hush... I was wondering if anyone can shed any light on the origin and meaning of this phrase.


Are curly braces ever used in normal text? If not, why were they created?

Are they actually used in normal text? I mean something like a 'normal' book (not a manual, or a technical document). I don't think I've ever seen them yet they clearly predate programming which is the context in which I tend to use them. Wikipedia only mentions technical uses (such as music and mathematics) or > In mathematics they delimit sets, and in writing, they may be used > similarly, "Select your animal {goat, sheep, cow, horse} and follow me". However, that example is not something I would expect to find in a novel for instance. So, are curly braces `{}` ever used in normal text and, if so, when and how? If not, why are they standard? Did they become so only with the advent of computers and programming? A brief history would also be appreciated (when were they introduced to the language for instance).


Is “either” only used with two options?

Does “either . . . or” apply to only two options? For example, can I say, “It can provide _either_ 100, 150, or 400 amps of power”? Or should it just be “It can provide 100, 150, or 400 amps of power”?


How to express three alternatives?

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Is “either” only used with two options? I'm trying to find a way to express that there are three alternatives in a sentence. For example, if there were two alternatives, I could say: > That person could be either Alice or Lily. But what if I want to add a third person? Can I say: > That person could be either Alice, Lily or Lucy. I looked up in the dictionary and it says: > either/or: an unavoidable choice between two alternatives. Well, how do I express an unavoidable choice between three or more alternatives?


Correct use of either

Can either be used with a lists? Example: > A process can be either in the state A or state B or state C ?


What's the best way to use "either" on more than two options?

I've searched for whether "either" can be used in a context on which the possible options are made of more than two, and found the answer here over English Language Usage. It says that it is informal to use "either" on more than two options, but is used widely especially in oral communication. However, he didn't mention that what is the best alternative to "either" in three or more options in formal context, and hence I posted this question here. So, on the situation where there are multiple options possible, how should I express my sentence? For example, I want to know the alternative to this sentence:               I classify all pitches as either fastballs, breaking balls, or off-speed pitches.


What is meant be, "I've have taken a stab at editing"?

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Meaning of "take a stab at doing something" Recently, a guy edited a question asked by me on SE network and commented: "I've taken a stab at editing it to (hopefully) clarify what you are looking for." What does the usage of a word like "stab" means here? Is there well- attested etymology for the expression "take a stab at"?