In my example, how do I use an adjective and a verb to describe a plural noun?

In one of my graphs, I have label called "Aggravated Assault Arrests". Is it correct to say I do not need a hyphen between the words - "aggravated" and "assault"? If I refer to this in my writing, is it correct for me to say "aggravated assault arrests" without any hyphen?


Best way to call an artist that is not famous

What is the best way to call an artist that is not famous?   * Emergent artist   * New artist   * Any other


Is there a connotational difference between "Reality" and "Actuality"?

The motto for the TruTV channel has always bugged me: _Not reality, actuality._ At least from online dictionaries I have looked up these words on, they seem equivalent. The definitions even reference one another. > ac·tu·al·i·ty > >   1. The state or fact of being actual; reality. >   2. Actual conditions or facts. > > > re·al·i·ty > >   1. The quality or state of being actual or true. >   2. One, such as a person, an entity, or an event, that is actual: >   3. The totality of all things possessing actuality, existence, or essence. >   4. That which exists objectively and in fact. > Is this motto just silly, or is there really some connotation to these words that I am not aware of that makes them distinct?


Communication technique which transforms our point of view by looking at the same situation from different perspectives

How is it called a communication technique which transforms our point of view by looking at the same situation from different perspectives, as it is described in sentences below? > “Your mother constantly interferes into your life.” > > “Your mother would like to thus protect you.”


Difference between "attended to by" and "attended by"

In following, what are the differences between these two sentences?   * I was **_attended to_** by a specialist doctor.   * I was **_attended_** by a specialist doctor.


Difference between “purpose”, “aim”, “target”, “goal”, “objective”, and “ambition”

What is the difference between “purpose”, “aim”, “target”, “goal”, “objective”, and “ambition”? I found these questions:   * Difference between “aim” and “purpose”   * Difference between “purpose” and “goal”   * What's the difference in meaning and usage between “target” and “goal”? But I still do not understand: which word should I choose in what circumstances? I would like to see a generalized rule to select one of the six options.


"Function defined on/over the set A"

For the mathematically inclined fellows: If _f_ is a function whose domain is the set _A_ , do you say that _f_ is defined on _A_ or over _A_? Do both prepositions apply here or is the use of one of them decidedly wrong?


What's the meaning of "refer" and "introduce"?

What's the implication of the following sentences? >   * Could you refer me to the job? >   * Could you introduce me to the job? >


A term for someone who distributes flyers

I am looking for a single word to describe someone who distributes flyers. **Distributor** doesn't seem right, **part-timer** may not be true, **labourer** is too generic. Is there a job title for such a role?


In what dialects does "often" rhyme with "soften"?

I believe in most English dialects _soften_ is pronounced without a **t** sound. In some dialects, _often_ is similar, but in others a _t_ sound is quite evident in _often_. I'm interested not only in which areas of the world fall into each camp, but also whether there has been a recent transition going on in the pronunciation of the _t_. In the American dialect I grew up with, the _t_ was silent, but in the last 10 or 15 years it seems to the _t_ sound has become frequent. It may even have become predominant, but perhaps my brain has only been registering the pronounced-t instances since they are dissonant to my ear. My impression comes mainly from American broadcast media.


"Many of my friends" vs "many friends"

I was writing a complaint to an Indian website and got confused between: > I recommended your website to many of my friends versus > I recommended your website to my many friends I am not a native English speaker, so please feel free to add points, alternate phrase to convey the same message or comment on my email writing.


From the viewpoint of us/we, the people?

From the viewpoint of us, the people / From the viewpoint of we, the people Hi guys, I'm not sure which one is correct. I'm trying to say that I am also part of the people, and I'm not sure if I should use 'us' or 'we'?


The placement of "only" in a sentence with perfect continuous tense and "been"

I was just wondering if there is a significant difference between placing "only" before and after the word "been". Examples: I've only been fixing cars since I was young. vs I've been only fixing cars since I was young. What I wish to convey is that something has consumed someone so much that they haven't done anything else noteworthy in their life. Because "only" qualifies the object after it, I believe the latter is correct, but determining whether or not "been" affects its placement has proven difficult. Thank you.


I have just bought a book: ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/AbQwC.gif) What's the meaning of 'In easy-to-read type'? Does it mean it's not the original version, but a simplified one?


What is the origin of "fine" meaning a legal penalty?

What is the origin of the word _fine_ meaning a legal penalty involving the payment of a sum of money?


What's the difference between "a picture of the king" and "a picture of the king's"?

> A picture of the king. > > A picture of the king's. What exactly is the difference between the two?


You can spend all your love making time?

"You can spend all your time making money; You can spend all your love making time." from the song _Take it to the limit_ by The Eagles, the phrase "love making time" makes me wonder. Does it mean someone refuses to make love (supposed that takes a long time on dating) in order to spend more time to make more money? I mean, "love-making" is a phrase to decorate the word "time", just like "you can spend all your precious time". or Spend love to make time, just like "Spend time to make money"? This becomes obvious when I read the answers to this question. So my question: How can one spend love to make time? Love is what you gain after spending a lot of time with other (if lucky), how can you spend love if you don't gain it first by spending time?


What is the structure of the sentence 'const to the rescue'?

The following is the context: > Despite my fastidious coding habits, I have made a silly mistake and typed > += when I meant to type +. As a result, when concatUnsafe is called, it will > modify the arguments out and s1, which may come as surprise to the userwho > would expect a concatenation function to modify one of the source strings? > > _const to the rescue._


"I let him do it" and "I allow him to do it", why exactly does one require 'to'?

> I let him do it. and > I allow him to do it. Why does the latter require _to_? What are the "rules" of using _to_ with an infinitive? When is it necessary?


Single word for "thin slice"

I thought of _slither_ , but I ruled it out as it has negative connotations that I wish to avoid in the context. I would use the word in a phrase like "a thin slice of bread" or "thinly sliced carrots."


Infinitive Clause For "Curious"

I need some help about the infinitive clause that comes after "curious".   Let's say that I am "curious" about a locked room. Then, could I write this: > I am curious to open the door. I checked a few dictionaries, and they say that the infinitive clause after "curious" should be along the lines of "to know", "to find out", or "to see", not "to open".   Does that mean my example is wrong?


"Good bye", "Bye", "Bye bye"

I'm a non-native English speaker and sometimes it's hard for me to pick up the right word in some situations. Could you, please, explain when it's better to use **"goodbye"** for ending a conversation, when **"bye"** fits well, and is it appropriate to use **"bye bye"** at all? When is it better to use other options, for example **"see you soon"** , **"see you later"** and the like?


Why is the "a" in "cocoa" silent?

Not being a native speaker of English, one of those words that tripped me up is “cocoa”. Besides having its vowels inverted from “cacao”; it also is pronounced exactly the same as “coco”, whereas “cacao” isn't pronounced “caca” and “boa” isn't pronounced “bo”. So why is the “a” in “cocoa” silent? Phonetic spelling from a dictionary: > **cocoa** |ˈkōkō|   >  _noun_   >  1 a chocolate powder ... > > **coco** |ˈkōkō|   >  _noun_ ( pl. -cos)   >  1 [usu. as adj. ] coconut : coco matting ... > > **cacao** |kəˈkou; kəˈkāō|   >  _noun_ ( pl. -os)   >  1 beanlike seeds from which cocoa ... > > **boa** |ˈbōə|   >  _noun_   >  1 a constrictor snake ...


Why do I so often want to replace "happen" in sentences?

Consider the following variant sentences: > Colloquia and seminars both happen in an academic setting. and > Colloquia and seminars both occur in an academic setting. Using _happen_ to describe ongoing events often sounds very wrong to my ear -- I usually prefer _occur_ or some such variant, but I have no idea why that preference should be justified. Is using _occur_ (or something like that) actually better here, or am I being overly pedantic? I'd love an explanation.


"strongly" or "strong"?

Is _strongly_ correct in the following, or should it be _strong_? > ... and had a strongly Protestant and unionist identity. What is the explanation in grammar terms? Context.


Spelling "Yeah" and "Yea"

When I read the words _"yea"_ or _"yeah"_ , each spelling can mean two different things.   * An exclamation of joy, as in,  > _Yea[h]_ for ice cream!`   * Assent, like "yep" or "yes", as in,  > _Yea[h]_ , Mom, of course I fed the dogs. The two meanings not only have different pronunciation, but they're also not differentiable using context clues. For example, folks will commonly say _"Yeah"_ as a one-word answer in a chat or a one-word comment in a forum. Is there a better way to spell these so as to differentiate them without context? Or, perhaps, do these two different spellings have two different meanings, and I just didn't notice?


Where does alphabetical order come from?

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Is there a reason behind the ordering of letters in the English alphabet? Alphabetical order seems something obvious, we do not usually ask ourselves if it is the best possible one, why it is this way, and most of all what is its origin. As the title says, what is the historical origin of the alphabetical order?


'I knew you are John's brother' vs 'I knew you were John's brother'

Suppose you are John's brother, and I talked with you several days ago. I knew that when I talked with you. Now I'm meeting with you again and want to tell you I knew then that you are John's brother. Which of (1) or (2) should I say? >   1. I knew you are John's brother >   2. I knew you were John's brother >


What's a word meaning somebody who does things that are publicly noticeable?

I'm trying to come up with a synonym for "outspoken" with a connotation of "makes a scene about something in public", but I can't find it.


I mean person who administrates something is called administrator. Person who manages something is called manager. How to call a person who works with statistics?


Is there a way to transform "found" to stand for "things which have been found"?

I can think of use _discoveries_ as the _things which have been found_. Is there a way to do that by transforming the word _found_? Like we can say "things which belong to you" as "your belongings".


have/teach classes

If I can't be at work and have classes with my group, and I wan't to ask my colleague to substitute for me. Can I ask: Can you **have classes** with my group? Can you **teach** my classes? Thank you!


“Have you no shame?”

Are these questions grammatically correct?   1. Have you no shame?   2. Have you no money?    3. Has he a friend?  or it is not allowed to use _have_ and _has_ (in this situation) to make a question?


should i say the attached has 6 files or the attached have 6 files?

I have two question for the following sentence: "the attached document has 6 files ,if none of them suited what you are looking for let me know. " Q1: should i say the attached has 6 files or the attached have 6 files ? Q2: is it right to say "if none of them suited what you are looking for"?


Can I say “the Iowa caucus result may ‘tip Newt Gingrich off’ GOP presidential ticket”?

Further to my question about the meaning of “Work on your issue” in Time magazine’s article, “Playing favorites,” there was another phrase I’m unfamiliar with in the subsequent sentence; “One 2007 Norwegian study showed that firstborn have a 3-point IQ advantage over later siblings, partly a result of being the exclusive focus of their parents’ attention in the earliest part of life. These benefits accrue like compounding interest. A small IQ advantage may yield a similar edge in SAT scores, which may _tip firstborn off the Harvard waiting list_ and into the entering class. I looked for the definition and usage of the phrase, “ _tip somebody off someplace_ (Harvard waiting list / position, situation, whatever) in English dictionaries at hand, but was unable to find any relevant answer. They show “tip A off (off A)” as an idiom meaning “secretly inform a person / police about (against) something,” which I don’t think applicable to the above sentence. From the context of the above sentence, I guess “tip somebody off someplace” means to place somebody successfully (or luckily) to someplace or status, but I’m not sure. What does “A similar edge in SAT scores may tip firstborn off the Harvard (entitlement),” exactly mean? Can I apply the phrase to other instance, e.g. “The Iowa caucus result may tip Newt Gingrich off GOP presidential ticket”?


Other words that end with 'come'

Drake has lyrics that go _as long as the outcome is income_ It was a nice play on words and I'd like to write a new headline for a law firm that speaks to them being the guys to go to in understanding how the national budget affects businesses. The problem is that they can't claim to make their clients money so I was wondering what other words start with something else but still end with -come. i.e. Out-come, In-come. I know I'm asking for something tricky here but would appreciate any help regardless.


'Oldest' for age vs. length of time

This discussion arose around the statement _"PersonX was my oldest high-school friend"_ The intention was to refer to length of time known (roughly the opposite of 'most recent') as opposed to meaning that the friend was older in years (age). After reading this thread on eldest vs oldest it seems that oldest would, indeed, by the right word to describe most-aged friend. Was the original statement incorrect? If so what is the proper term?


Beating them "with my gloves on"

This is a comment made on a discussion on a roadrage incident, > Anyone attacks me in traffic while I'm on my bike, I'm beating the f-ck out > of them with my gloves on. What does he mean by "with my gloves on"? I looked it up and I found that there's an idiom _the gloves are off_ , which is, > used to say that somebody is ready for a fight or an argument or, _with the gloves off_ meaning > With or ready to dispense rough treatment. But _with the gloves on_ does he mean he will beat the attacker not as roughly, or unexpectedly? What does he mean? Edit: This is the actual full comment: > Wonder if you could have pulled a gun on that guy and watch him sh-t > himself. Anyone attacks me in traffic while I'm on my bike, I'm beating the > f-ck out of them with my gloves on. And the comment was made based on this video of the incident.


What is it called when a character is portrayed opposite the stereotype for comedic effect?

Many character roles have stereotypically defined behavior, e.g. macho soldiers or helpless princesses. Sometimes authors intentionally defy those stereotypes for humor, and to call attention to readers' usual assumptions. What is the name of this literary device, where an author flouts a stereotype for humor? I can't think of an appropriate word (or even short phrase) for the life of me. Any thoughts appreciated. * * * For example, the following comic depicts Shaolin monks, but instead of following their stereotype of being silent and serious, there is corny humor and a spit-take. http://www.shilongpang.com/?number=225 Other examples: http://www.everydaynodaysoff.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Abe-Lincoln- Riding-Grizzly-Bear-Holding-Gun.jpg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qa1rjCZxtxo&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tYLb3teB14 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0H2W1lK7P-I


What's the meaning of 'haler'?

This doesn't seem to be general reference, because in the context I've seen it used tonight (the London riots), it certainly isn't referring to a coin, or 'a person who hails'. I've heard it used several times now by mainstream media reporters; they saw someone with a "loud haler". Here's an example from Twitter: > 5 live producer reports seeing rioter with loud haler - calling for friends, > seems very organised Does anyone have any idea what they mean here by 'haler'? Even Urban Dictionary doesn't seem to have a satisfactory definition. My best guess is it's some London street slang for 'megaphone', but can anyone confirm?


What word defines a category suited for both header and footer?

So there I was, trying to ask a question (now on SO) on Webmaster.SE partly involving a ' _header_ ' and a ' _footer_ '. One part of my code defines shared aspects of both the header and the footer. Anyway to cut a long story short, I became somewhat stuck as to what I wanted to name the class they share. All I could come up with was Xer, HeaderFooter and sandwich. Similar word groups like ' _suffix_ ' and ' _prefix_ ' give me the same issue, coming up with Xfix which is just awful nomenclature! > What categorically describes both headers and footers? > > Further edit: I want to emphasize that I am _not_ concerned about the web > design/coding aspect of this at all. I could easily just name it > _div.CantThinkOfName_ if that were the issue. I'm referring to header/footer > as it applies to any document or setting in the English language. > > **Final Results** : Best coinage is **_Running Marginals_**. I've chosen > Running Sections as the correct answer as this phrase is already in use > while awarding bounty to Marginals (which eventually became running > marginals) as this is a more relate-able terminology.


Opposite of "prediction"

What is the opposite of the word _prediction_? I thought of _retrospect_ but that refers to events that already happened.


Word for "stepping stone" or "lemma"

I seem to remember reading a definition for a word that conveyed the idea of "an instance of doing something that prepares one for something else". Something like a _lemma_ but not restricted to mathematics. Did that describe a word you know? I'm 95% sure there's actually a simple noun that specifically denotes something that you use to get ready for the more challenging version of the same thing. My question isn't limited to what I'm writing right now, I'm just curious - but here is a little more context: I'm introducing the reader to game theory. I take her through two games. One prepares her for the other. It isn't practice, it's just getting familiar with it. I'd liken it to the climb to Everest base camp. In fact, you could use that, "The climb to Everest base camp is a __ ___ for the climb to the summit."


We think we have a top-seller on/in our hands?

I know this on our hands/in our hands discrepancy has been discussed here in a broad way, but since it's idiomatic, I think it would be helpful to consider a few specific examples, like the one here. Would you use "on our hands" or "in our hands" here, and why? It refers to something you invented and produced, and you're guessing it will do well on the market. So you're not having anything literally in your hands. You don't know if it's a top-seller yet, you just think it will become one. That's why "on our hands" seems right to me. Am I wrong?


What is the definition of "You're so far behind, you think you're first"? Should a dictionary entry of this expression be "One is so far behind, one thinks he is first"?


What does “Come-to Jesus (moment / stage / meeting)” mean? Is it a popular word?

There was the following sentence in Maureen Dowd’s article titled, “The spies who didn’t love her” in New York Times (March 11). > Barack Obama-- vowing to clean up the excesses and Constitutional corrosion > of W. and Cheney, will now have to clean up the excesses and Constitutional > corrosion in his own administration. And he’d better get out from between > two ferns and get in between the warring Congressional Democrats and > administration officials - - because it looks as if the C.I.A. is continuing > to run amok to cover up what happened in the years W. and Vice encouraged it > to run amok. Langley needs **a come-to-Jesus moment** — pronto. > > http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/12/opinion/dowd-the-spies-who-didnt-love- > her.html?hp&rref=opinion&_r=0 As I was unfamiliar with the meaning of the word, “come-to-Jesus moment, I checked CED, OED, and Merriam Webster.” None of them carries this word. However, online dictionary site, weblio provides the definition of “come-to- Jesus” as:   1. to experience or display a conversion or recommitment to Christianity or to undergo a related ritual, especially public confession of one's sins or weaknesses.   2. to become committed or display commitment to a cause. And Dictjuggler defines it as ‘unwilling / reluctant (to do),' e.g. a come-to- Jesus meeting. I understand Langley is the CIA headquarters. But what does “Langley needs a come-to-Jesus moment” exactly mean? Does it mean simply a ‘trial,’ or ‘investigation’? Is “come-to-Jesus” (moment / meeting / stage) a popular phrase? Can I say “I feel like come-to-Jesus meeting to present the annual sales plan to management for their review?”


Word for tower used for keeping watch by security

What word can I use for a tower where security personnel stand to keep watch on an area?


"Pick up something" or "pick something up"?

I have difficulties with word order: >   * I have picked up the pencil from the floor. [says my dictionary]   >  ?I have picked the pencil up from the floor. [could be?] >   * ?I will pick up it. [sounds weird]   >  I will pick it up. [sounds right to me] >


Is describing something as 'detailed and concise' an oxymoron?

For example: > The instructions must be detailed and concise.


Is there an adjective for people who prefer seeing diagrams rather than reading words?

I have a friend who prefer seeing diagrams rather than reading words. Is there an adjective to represent his character?


How should apostrophes be used with parenthetical plurals?

The following two sentences make sense; the first is where there's one system with one or more associated databases, the second is where there's multiple systems with one or more databases:               Backup the system's database(s).          Backup the systems' database(s).      What convention should be used when there may be multiple systems? e.g.               Backup the system((')s(')) database(s).


a year later VS a year on

When one wishes to say that something will happen in the future, one would say, for example, either _ten years later_ or _ten years on_. What I would like to know is if there are any semantic or stylistic differences between _a year later_ and _a year on_. Or can they be used interchangeably? I would also like to know which of the following sounds more natural in English: 1a. Some years later, I did... 1b. Some years on, I did... 2a. It was not until a year or so later that I... 2b. It was not until a year or so on that I...


word for something like blessing

Consider these occasions where I don't know what word should I use : > Keep on giving part of your income to charities. It will give your money ... > and causes your wealth to increase. and > Letting disabled people to work for your company will give your wealth ... > and brings more fortune to you. I'm not a preacher but I want to know what is a proper word for these situations. Is there any very suitable word to fit into theses sentences ?


Assembler, Installer, Fitter

Say, you buy some new office furniture. You get the furniture parts delivered including the service to put the different parts - for example the desk top and the desk legs - together to complete furniture ready for usage. Is the person who carries out this service called `"Assembler"`, `"Installer"` or `"Fitter"` and is his service called `"Assembly"`, `"Installation"` or `"Fitting"`? Are the words interchangeable? Do they have different connotations? Are there other contexts where they are not interchangeable?


What preposition should be used with the 'wrap' verb?

* I want to wrap it WITH the paper   * I want to wrap it IN the paper   * I want to wrap it BY the paper


What does 'later this month' mean?

1. If today were April 30 (actually it is), what does 'later this month' mean?   2. If today were April 15, what does 'later this month' mean?   3. If today were April 1, what does 'later this month' mean? ADD: If today is Monday, when I say 'this Friday', I would mean the coming Friday. So, I thought 'this' might have some meaning relevant to some future. For question 1, I thought the answer could be later half of May, couldn't it?


Is the usage of a hyphen in "ad hoc" acceptable?

I know that "ad hoc" is a Latin phrase and I've typically seen it used without a hyphen. However, many technical articles use a hyphen. For example: http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/A/ad_hoc_mode.html "Ad-hoc mode is useful for establishing a network where wireless infrastructure does not exist or where services are not required." Is "ad hoc" always the correct usage? If it can be "ad-hoc", is the usage of the hyphen specific to certain circumstances?


Are “Pull away the punch bowl from somebody’s hand” and “Leave punch bawl out there” an established English idiom?

I found the phrase, “pull away the punch bowl out of X” and “leave the punch bawl in X” in the following sentence of Time’ magazine’s article (May 17) titled “Is the Fed to blame for JPMorgan’s $2 bill blow-up”: “It is said that the job of a central bank is to * _pull away the punch bowl before it gets out of hand._ While the Fed pays close attention to inflation, it has _left the punch bowl out_ in the chase for risk assets and is contemplating spiking it even further.” When I consulted the usage of “punch-bowl” with Oxford Advanced Learners’ English Dictionary, it simply states its definition as ‘a bowl in which punch is served.’ There was no mention about its idioms. The definition was almost same with other English dictionaries at hand. I assume “punch bowl” here signifies the merit, benefit, advantage, offer, and anything people are attracted to. Am I right? Are “Pull away the punch bowl from somebody’s hand” and “Leave punch bawl out there” idioms? If not, are phrases using “Punch bowl” as a metaphor in such way frequently observed in writings and daily conversation?


A word or succinct phrase for "capable of producing financial income"

I have a bullet point list describing some requirements for a game I will be producing. It is written as follows: The game will be:   * Requirement 1   * Requirement 2 ... One of the requirements is "capable of producing financial income", but this is a bit of a mouthful. At the moment I have the word "monetizable", but that is a bit of a miserable little word. Are there any better suggestions?


Reaching a conclusion before formulating an argument

What is a good word for saying that a person has reached a conclusion before properly formulating an argument? For example, a logical train of thought would be 'My current computer is slow, this is decreasing my productivity, so therefore I would solve this by buying a new computer', whereas a person using this type of reasoning would say 'I want a new computer, let's think up reasons why this would be good. I know, I think I'm not working as well as I possibly could be.'


Any better word for "upsell"

My company provides more value to my clients by offering them services that could enhance their business/process. The process involves:   1. I point a void (improvement scope) to the client.   2. I look out for personnel in my company, if we could cater it.   3. I pitch to the client, if we could fill that void. And we term this whole process as UPSELL. **Note:** This personnel would mean more cost to the client. Its not necessarily free. For reasons, it doesn't sound like adding value. It sounds like benefiting my company alone, not the client. Is there any better word for the same, which means adding value to the client as well?


Is there a word for fake kindness or hospitality?

Is there a word for faking kindness/hospitality to sound more tactful and decent than you really are (which could be categorized as some sort of hypocrisy)? For example, saying: Pay us a visit sometime! when you don't really mean it (you are just trying to **sound** hospitable). I know this is not a nice thing to do but sometimes people tend to do it, so I thought it would be useful to know if there is a term for describing such an action or to find the closest possible word or phrase in case there isn't one.


If X was not part Y, I'd like it - meaning

I'm trying to fill out a survey that asks me about features that should or should not be included in a smartphone app. The actual questions are confidential, but it's in the style of a sentence like this: > "You can control the temperature of the room you're in" followed by these options (of which you can choose one) ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/SOJ2q.png) Assuming I'd choose "I would like it" for the second row. Does that mean find it positive that the feature is not part of the app, or rather that if it's not a part, I'd like it to become one? Similar with the "expect" answer. Would I expect the feature not to be part of the app, or would I expect it to be and miss it if it's not a feature? I was sent the link by a "noreply@foo.bar" mail, so I don't know whom to ask. I'm passionate about the topic, though, and would like to answer this as precise as possible.


Is "kicking ass and taking names" an offshoot of an older idiom?

Is this idiom an offshoot of an older idiom? I have heard something that sounds similar to this, but the words were slightly different.


"Tolerably + *adjective*"

Does e.g. "tolerably disgusting" mean the degree of disgust involved is tolerable or intolerable? Or "tolerably vile" - does it mean the vileness involved is tolerable or intolerable?


Is “erect around” an idiom, or simply a verb＋adverb?

I came across the phrase “ _erect around_ ” in the following sentence of the article titled “Campaign 2012: China or America” appearing in New Yorker magazine (April 6), which deals with the elections of the top leaders of two superpower countries in the world taking place this year: “In the United States, modern political parties strain to project spontaneity and authenticity onto that which is, in fact, highly ritualized: an onward procession of bumps and setbacks and gaffes that rarely veers outside the lines. In China, it is the other way around: the Party strains to project solemn ritual onto that which turns out to be brutally untamed. This year, the artifice of calm _erected around_ the hidden cut-and-thrust fell away at the hands of Chongqing Communist Party boss, Bo Xilai.” I don’t think I’ve ever met the expression, *“ _erect calm_." Though I'm familiar with "stay (keep) calm," I'm unfamiliar with the expression like " _erect calm_ ," or "erect serene / tranquilness / noise / clamor" _around something_. To me "calm" doesn't seem to be the thing to be "erected," though it can be secured or built. Is " _erect calm" around something_ a popular expression? What does the line, “ _the artifice of calm erected around the hidden cut-and-thrust_ fell away at the hands of Chongqing Communist Party boss” exactly mean?.


Which is correct or more common when talking about medicine: "buy drugs" or "buy medicine"?

I mean it in the sense of buying medicine, for example for common cold or other diseases. When talking about buying medicine, which of these sentences is more correct or more commonly used:   * "go to the drug store to buy drugs"   * "go to the drug store to buy medicine"


Why the shortening of "fitted" to "fit"?

Which is more correct, "it fit really well" or "it fitted really well"? The short form is something I encountered when moving to the US, I never heard it in the UK.


semi transparent, what in between?

How do you write the word semi transparent (meaning partially transparent)?   1. semitransparent   2. semi-transparent   3. semi transparent I found each of them on the Internet and none of them in my English dictionary.


What part of speech is "that" in this phrase?

I know that "that" can function as many different parts of speech, so what part of speech is it in the phrase "the stuff that dreams are made of"?


Which native English speakers are linguistically the most "germanic"?

English is a Germanic language. Another significant Germanic language is of course German. Which native English speakers are the closest to German basing on the following criteria?   * accent-wise (South Africa?)   * German words and phrases (US? e.g. "to schlep" for "to carry")   * grammar-wise (US again? e.g. slang "If I would" for "If I was")


Is "fish's" correct to use when referring to something that the fish owns?

Sorry if this is a remedial question for the level of English that I see here, but I'm writing an essay and need to know if this is correct. I'm trying to refer to a body that is owned by a fish. Is "fish's" correct? It sounds odd to me.


Letter shared by many words

I'm looking for a word describing the sharing of an object (for example a letter) by other objects (for example words) such as:   * The **B** in _Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid_ as shared on the 3-dimensional ambigram on the book's cover.   * The **A** in this game of Scrabble.   * The **I** shared by _WIKI_ and _IGOR_ in this crossword puzzle.


Meaning of "press upon"

In Abraham Lincoln's Inaugural Address, > I now reiterate these sentiments, and in doing so I only **press upon** the > public attention the most conclusive evidence of which the case is > susceptible that the property, peace, and security of no section are to be > in any wise endangered by the now incoming Administration. Is _press upon_ used as a phrasal verb here? Or is it a verb (press) + preposition (upon)? What's the meaning of _press upon_?


What's the meaning of "delivering up" here?

Context (Abraham Lincoln's Inaugural Address), > There is much controversy about the **delivering up** of fugitives from > service or labor. The clause I now read is as plainly written in the > Constitution as any other of its provisions: I couldn't find _deliver up_ in the dictionaries. So I just want to make sure with a native speaker -- Do you think that the construction here is actually _deliver + up_ , and _up_ is just used here for emphasis? See _6\. b —used as an intensifier_ in Merriam-Webster.


Use of "measles" as an interjection

I have a friend from Illinois USA who uses _measles_ as an exclamation of frustration or disappointment. For example, > Measles! My flight was just canceled. I find this odd. Is it commonly used this way?


When to capitalize careers/degrees

I'm writing bios for a company newsletter. If I were to write Mr. Smith is a graduated engineer in electrical engineering or Mr. Smith holds a PhD in Electrochemistry - how do you know when it is appropriate to capitalize these things?


What's a word for a person who loves old or ancient things?

I am looking for a word to contrast with _neophile_. Just as a neophile loves novelty for the sake of it, I want to describe a person who loves old or ancient things (may include the abstract, e.g. tradition or bygone mannerisms). A _neophobe_ is ruled out, since that is merely a rejection of newness. _Antiquarian_ comes to mind, but that seems to be specifically for human history (its objects and trivia). The word I'm after could refer to someone who loves fossils or ancient rocks (of which there are many. . .). So, what word describes a person who loves an object or concept on account of its age? Perhaps _archaeophile_ or _paleophile_?


Does the Oakland Athletics logo misuse the apostrophe?

For years I have thought the Oakland Athletics baseball team has misused the apostrophe. I've always thought the "A" is an abbreviation for "Athletic" and the "s" makes "Athletic" plural. Is my thinking correct? If not, why is "A's" an acceptable shortening of "Athletics"? ![Oakland Athletics Logo](http://i.stack.imgur.com/XrVch.gif) The same is true with multiple versions of the Baltimore Orioles logo. ![Baltimore Orioles logo](http://i.stack.imgur.com/IyQBS.jpg) I would like citations for reasoning. Thanks.


Hypernym for "addition" and "subtraction"

For explaining operator precedence in an algorithm, I'd like a hypernym for addition and subtraction.


"Indexes" or "indices"

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  What is the plural of the word "index"? I have a vague thought that _indices_ would be used when _index_ refers to a position in a sequential collection of some sort, but _indexes_ is used when _index_ itself refers to a collection of values. > One index in the sequence. Several **indices** in the sequence. > > One book index. Many book **indexes**. Is this correct?


An interjection/expression for expressing nostalgia

What is an interjection/expression to use to express nostalgia? I was listening to a song which reminded me of my adolescent days, feeling nostalgic for those times. Are there kinds of nostalgia? What interjection/expression can be used for expressing nostalgia in different contexts?


Which is right, "bananas and apples" or "apples and bananas" or both?

My English teacher just asked us to write a random sentence in English. Off the top of my head I wrote "I like to eat apples and bananas". She highlighted "apples" and said: "man, this is blatantly wrong". "Uh, what's wrong, M'am?" "It should be _bananas and apples_. English people always enumerate things in reverse alphabetical order. Always. Just like when they enumerate parts of the body, they always converge to the heart. Always. We do that automatically, without even thinking about it. Not doing it is wrong". Granted, I'm not a native speaker, but I've never heard anything like this before. Bullshit or what?


When did "creep" get associated with computer controlled units in games?

I first saw this term in use for neutral units in Warcraft 3 (released 2002), and then that got carried through derivatives such as Dota (2003). Was Warcraft 3 the first time _creep_ was used as a reference for this class of units or was it in use prior? Example usage from Defense of the Ancients 2 (2010) wiki: > Creeps are a type of unit within Dota 2 that heroes can interact with, but > do not have direct control over by default (see Chen, Enchantress and Helm > of the Dominator). There are two types of creeps: lane creeps and neutral > creeps. Both types of creeps can be killed by players for gold and > experience. Example usage form League of Legends (2009) wiki: > Minions, also known as creeps, are expendable allied units that are > generated automatically to charge into battle with the purpose of attacking > enemy units in the lanes they are assigned.


"The later part of the 20th century" vs. "the latter part of the 20th century"

For the sentence fragment: > "...during the later part of the 20th century" using "latter" sounds better to me: > "...during the latter part of the 20th century" But most websites I find have _later_ as the option that deals with time, e.g. http://grammar.about.com/od/words/a/latergloss.htm Which word is more appropriate in this case?


Word identification - unfriendly smile while talking

How is it called when someone is talking and cracking a smile at the same time, but in a way that only one side of the mouth is moved upward, like those villians in japanese mangas.


Using 'Gravity' As A Verb

Does anybody else use 'gravity' as a verb besides people in mining and engineering? Example: We have to move the tank up the hill so water can gravity to the flotation cells rather than needing to be pumped.


Streamer/Ribbon Difference Question

Just a different question but it's bugging me, I need an answer. I used to come from France to the USA when i was a boy to visit my family, and to my great annoyance (they thought it would suit my blond hair) and embarrassment my two American female cousins managed to put me in a dress and attach something to my hair. I can't figure out the name of what they attached to my hair back then but I think it's called either a ribbon or a streamer and it was in American flags. Is there a difference between the two?


Usage of whenever is so

Can I write it like this : > The output is black whenever the input is so. Or is it enough to say > The output is black whenever the input is.


There are two phases in sequence - correct?

I know that "in sequence" means "one by one" or "one after another". I want to express that there are two phases (A and B) and that they are exactly in this order and do not overlap. Would this be correct? > In this game, there are two phases in sequence: A and B. Is that correct?


Relative clause

She has hair the colour of pale honey. Is the above sentence correct, in strict grammatical sense? The clause 'the colour of pale honey' doesn't seem like a relative clause.


“Silence” and “silently”: What is the name of the relation between these words?

Consider:   * _Silence_ is a noun.   * _Silent_ is an adjective.   * _Silently_ is an adverb.   * _Silence!_ is an interjection. Not sure how these words actually evolved, but they were likely all derived from the noun _silence_. What is the name of this noun-derived relationship?


When did 'permission' become popular as a therapy term

Permission has several uses, but somewhere around the 1990s it became common to hear it in the context of therapy sessions as in "you need to give yourself permission to..." do this or that. When did this happen?


Is "I believe x does not equal y" the same as "I don't believe x equals y"

Given x and y could be any phrase, do these phrases always mean the same thing? If not, what's the difference?   * I believe x does not equal y   * I don't believe x equals y


A word that comes close to "something that needs to improve/would benefit the end result if you'd do it differently/more efficiently"

Is there a better word to describe what the supervisor says in this examle? Someone has just finished a, by materials built, project and is presenting it to his supervisor. This person is very proud of his end result which he believes to be faultless and can't wait for the supervisor to give him the highest grade for it (however, his project is actually not so great.) The guy who has built the project goes: "Here it is, this is the "name of project"." The supervisor goes: "I can see that (as in "yeah...but it's not as great as you try to present it"), but still, it needs to improve/would benefit the end result if you'd do it differently/more efficiently." (I.e. there is something about this project which wasn't done cleverly, hence it would have been better if a different/more efficient approach was used in building it.) Is there a word that comes close to or describes what the supervisor has said, something which "needs to improve/would benefit the end result if you'd do it differently/more efficiently"?


Term for written paralanguage?

Is there a term for words filling in for body language (*sigh*) and/or for typography being used to express tone or intonation (THIS IS SHOUTING)?


Is there a better way to refer to "Real Life" when chatting online?

When having a conversation through an online service, you may encounter a scenario like this: (Messenger chat)   * Me: Hello Stranger!   * Stranger: Hello!   * Me: What do you think of Barack Obama?   * Stranger: He's a good friend! We play tennis together!   * Me: Oh? You meet him in real life? Whenever I say "real life" or "in reality" during this kind of online conversations, I hesitate and have this horrible itch where I tell myself "gosh, this doesn't make sense at all, how is this NOT **_real life_**?" Is there a better term to use in this kind of situation? I don't want to say "in reality" because, well, even an online chat _is_ reality...well, even if you disagree with that, is there an alternative anyway?


"on par with" vs "on a par with"

Which of "on par with" and "on a par with" is the more correct way of saying that two things are of equal value, and why? Examples from a couple of google searches:   * "His verbal intelligence was not _on a par_ with his maths"   * "Arctic sea ice melting _on par with_ 2007 record"


much and more comparative superlative

I know that _much_ is used with uncountable nouns and _more_ with countable nouns. There is no connection between _much_ and _more_ with the comparative and superlative, right? For example, if we take the word _better_ , what would be its corresponding comparative and superlative forms? Comparative would be _much better_ , but what is the superlative? Is it _most better_? Also, is it same with _more_ when talking about its own respective comparative and superlative forms?


What is the word for when members of the same group attack each other?

I've noticed this in a few South Park episodes, so that's what I'd like to give an example from. I'm sure other artists have depicted something similar. Note that I'm not necessarily agreeing with the opinions depicted in the following, I am merely using it as an example of what I mean. In an episode called Go God Go they have depicted a future with no religion. In this future, there were only atheists and they were fighting each other over how they should be called. The rest is irrelevant. In another episode, It's Christmas in Canada, in one scene, they depicted French Canada folks singing something along the lines, "there's no Canada like French Canada, the other Canada is hardly Canada". Again, an example of one nation fighting "itself." Is there any word, phrase or term for this?


Is there a context where 'to neglect' and 'neglecting' are not compatible?

I believe that to infinitive as a subject can be replaced by a gerund form, which is why > To get up early is good. always has the same meaning as > Getting up early is good. But a colleague of mine tells me this isn't always the case. I did not have a chance to have him elaborate on that. He cited the following sentence: > Neglecting others means ignoring and only said that because of ' _ignoring_ ', you cannot use ' _to neglect_ ' instead of ' _neglecting_ '. Is he right? If so, why?


The difference between these two sentences?

1. Would you mind arranging to travel with us   2. Would you mind to arrange travelling with us


What’s the etymology of “beholden”?

I know the word _behold_ means to look upon. So why does _beholden_ mean obligated, indebted? Can someone tell me how this phrase came about?


"Disappointment is the nurse of wisdom."

Is this an English proverb? On quotations websites, it is often attributed to Sir Boyle Roche, but it is not listed on WikiQuote (I added it to the list of unsourced quotes on the discussion page). Another website says its a German proverb, but I couldn't find it (my German is very basic though).


"Have you ever been" to France? vs. "Have you ever gone" to France? vs. "Did you ever go" to France?

Which of the grammatical constructions above is (or are) more typical of what is commonly said and heard in colloquial AE? If all three options work, is there any difference to them meaningwise? Also -- excluding grammar rules and switching to nonstandard -- what would be the typical response(s) from John & Jane Doe in casual speech to the question: [FYI I'm asking this question in consideration of the following source http://www.antimoon.com/forum/t3137.htm focusing on the various ways to respond to a present tense question starting with "Have you got..." in casual speech, and so I wish you could tell if the same ungrammatical "rule" might also apply with present perfect questions.] > Have you ever been (or gone) to France? > > Would it be: > >   * Yes, I have/No, I haven't. >   * Yes, I do (have been to...)/No, I don't (have been to...). >   * Yes, I did/No, I didn't. > - > How about if I say: Have you been to the dentist? > > Would the usual, most commonly heard response(s) be: > >   * Yes, I have/No, I haven't. >   * Yes, I do (have been to...)/No, I don't (have been to...). >   * Yes, I did/No, I didn't. > If all of these options are possible, is there any difference to them?


How can I fix the passive voice error in this sentence?

> To combat this, new security measures **have been implemented** such as > identification checks and on-site police officers. The error is in bold. I've been reading online about passive voice but every time I come up with a new sentence, it has another passive voice error somewhere else. Thanks.


Ambiguity in Negation: "John did not come because of the rain"

> John did not come because of the rain. This sentence seems to allow the following two completely different interpretations.   1. John did not come. And the reason was the rain.   2. John came. But the reason was not the rain.  Questions A. How does this ambiguity arise? Is it because of negation? B. What is the easiest way to avoid this ambiguity?


What does "to the prejudice of discipline" mean?

I am reading a book and I came across a phrase I don't understand: > A newspaper office seems to attract every conceivable sort of person, **to > the prejudice of discipline**. I don't know what to make of _"to the prejudice of discipline"_. Can someone please explain? Please search the text of the book for the context.


Why is it that "I called for confirmation that ..." but "thank you for confirming that ..."?

For example, it sounds natural to use the noun form in this sentence: _This morning the hotel called for confirmation that I will stay there._ But in this sentence it sounds better to use the gerund: _Thank you for confirming that you will stay at our hotel._ Thank you for your help.


Improper use of "premier"

I often see text like "... has been a premier service provider for many years" in advertisements. Sometimes I'll see "Your premier SUCH AND SUCH" These strike me as nonsense phrases unless they were the first, or one of a few early, service providers. Am I correct in my understanding of this phrase?


punctuating So and Then at the beginning of a sentence

I am confused when to put a comma after "so" and after "then" at the start of a sentence. i.e., And then that's when you went to the store? i.e., Then at McDonald's you were only there for a year, year and a half? i.e., And she has to be able to get everything down. So, if we talk over each other, it won't be clear. i.e., So, the last seven years you worked for Dollar General, correct? Thank you!


Term for a word that is unintentionally made up of two or more other words?

For example, _therapist_ may be split into _the_ \+ _rapist_ , neither of which (arguably) has anything to do with the original words. Another example would be _conflagration_ : _con_ \+ _flag_ \+ _ration_. Or _weather_ : _we_ \+ _at_ \+ _her_. Note that words like _threesome_ and _purebred_ would not qualify, because the parts are intentional and contribute to the original word's meaning. It seems to me there might be a word for this, which I would describe as "accidental lexical componentry" — but I'm not sure there is one. And if I do think of one I will be sure to add a _supplemental_ ( _supple_ \+ _mental_ ) section ( _sect_ \+ _ion_ ) to this question ( _quest_ \+ _ion_ ).


"Our subconscious" or "our subconsciousness"

Example: > There are many hidden things in the unreachable depth of our > subconscious/subconsciousness. What's the most common choice? Is the first option ungrammatical?


What words mean "not located yet"?

I am doing a persuasive essay for English. I want a word that means "not located yet", as in if you know something exists, but have not yet found the boundaries where it exists. As in genetics, where you don't know the chromosome or area that a specific gene is found, therefore you cannot genetic-test for it. The sentence is: > Instead of performing studies on many pairs of twins for the hope that one > pair might have the [word I am looking for] gene, you could clone an > individual already exhibiting the trait.


Language Evolution: Use of 'It'

If, as it is written in Oxford Dictionaries, 'it' can be used to identify a person, 'it’s me', 'it’s a boy', why are 'she' and 'he' still used and, furthermore, why are people still discussing as to whether they should be replaced with the singular 'they'? If any, let us use 'it' then, no? Under a different point of view, do you, expert minds of EL&U, think that the use of 'she' and 'he', the last barricade of gender in English, is declining and that 'it' is taking their place?


What different types of rhymes are used here?

In this video with rapper Eminem, he makes the following rhymes: > "I put my orange, four inch, door hinge, in storage, and ate porridge with > george." Following the Types of Rhymes wikipedia article, I can only connect a few types of rhymes used here: imperfect (or near), assonance, and consonance Am I missing other types of rhymes he makes?


What do they mean saying "thumping through the brush"?

I came across a phrase given by Lennon during his bed-in session. Here is the context > Also, of course, we live with rattlesnakes. You just can’t **go thumping > through the brush** , thinking of what you’re going to do tomorrow. You have > to realize that you’re intruding on their territory. What does go thumping through the brush mean?


Idiom for trying and failing, falling short and being disapproved

In one of my native tongues, there's an idiomatic expression, the semi-literal translation of which is " _the 'being close' of yours won't shoot the hare_ ". In another, there's something along the lines of " _one can't strike down a bird with an 'almost'_ ". Both expressions are used to comment on someone's failure followed by a presentation of an excuse aiming to explain said failure as being so close to a success that it might as well be regarded as the such. Expressing disapproval by the observers can then be carried out by pointing out that _being close to success_ or _almost succeeding_ isn't actually being successful. I.e. one doesn't get the hare by shooting **close** to it and one doesn't get the bird by **almost** striking it down. The animals will most likely take off and the only thing one sees is their butts decreasing in size. Correspondingly, getting a score of 499, when the number required to pass is 500 or more, can be seen as **being close to a success** but still, strictly regarded, admitting the examinee to the same group as other failures. If such person tries to point out that they were **really, really close** to passing, a disapproving recipient could point out that they'll still have to retake the exam, independently of how close to a success they were (c.f. by how little they have **failed** ). What is the idiomatic way to express that in English, if such exists?


Are focusing adverbs exceptions of adverb definitions?

> “Adverbs characteristically modify verbs and other categories except nouns, > especially adjectives and adverbs.” (The Cambridge Grammar of the English > Language, p.563) > > “The basic division, then, is between words that modify nouns, and words > that modify other categories (categories of words or of larger > constituents). The noun modifiers are adjectives, and the others are > adverbs.” (A Student’s Introduction to English Grammar by Huddleston & > Pullum, p.123) Even though adverbs are excluded, by said definition, from modifying nouns, the so-called focusing adverbs are found in CGEL and COCA, that modify nouns, proper nouns and pronouns. > You are the **only** boy.   >  **Only** Kim resigned.   >  **Only** he knows.   > Can they be regarded as exceptions of the definition? Or is there a certain reason, for example, the focusing range being movable or sometimes ambiguous we cannot say definitely that the adverbs modify only nouns?


Why do English men's names almost always stress the first syllable?

While looking at names of American Presidents I noticed that English men’s names almost always stress the first syllable. Barack Obama is unusual in that he’s only the second President (after Ulysses Grant) whose name does not have a stress on the first syllable. I then looked at all the Vice Presidents, and it’s the same – every one of them has a first-syllable stressed name. Looking at first ladies’ names the story is different. Taking the search away from Presidents and just looking at first names in general, what I found was that there’s an overall trend that while women’s names may be stressed on either the first or second syllables with about equal frequency, men’s names are almost universally stressed on the first. This is not the case in every language, or even in just in western languages. Take a name like “Louis”. Pronounced in French, the word is stressed on the second syllable, but the same name in English is stressed on the first, and there are countless examples of this if you compare English names to French, Spanish, Italian, etc. It may be a trend with Germanic languages. German men’s names tend to stress the first syllable as well. My question is – why? Where does this trend come from? Has it always been this way? Is there some reason why only men’s names have this common trend and not women’s?


Usage of "w.r.t." in academic papers

Is it possible to use the abbreviation "w.r.t." in academic papers?


If "hexa-" is a prefix representing six

Why does the word "hexadecimal" have the prefix "hexa-" if it has a base of 16, not 6?


Single word for one who imagines positive things which fail to materialize?

How do we call someone who imagines positive things ahead which never come to pass?


The difference between per person and each person

What's the difference between the two? > 'It costs $50 per person' > > 'It costs $50 each person'


The plural of One

I have a statement: > 'The writer says we must all feel excitement and strangeness at the idea of > going to sea.' Now I have to remove "we" here and replace it with "one" or any other third person. What can I do? I am thinking of replacing 'we' with 'one' but is that good?


Can I use one word to mean "what is even worse"?

I'm describing the harm that a thing causes. > First, it creates more losses. What is even worse is that it creates > instability issues. Is there one word that I can use to represent "what is even worse"?


he/she or what else could fit in a sentence referring to a transgender

The **transgender** , who secured 75 per cent in B.A. through distance education programme, said **she** had applied for the examination soon after the publication of the notification. On reading the above line in a newspaper, I had a doubt about the usage of "she" for a "transgender" here. Is this usage correct or is there a better way ?


What's a good word for a lack of concentration?

I'm looking for an adjective that describes not concentrated.   Something like "flying around", "not really here".      _In hebrew it would've been מעופף._


Why is there such confusion over a and an?

Recently while reading technical blog posts on the net I have started to see more frequently the incorrect use of 'an'. My understanding from learning English as a child and English grammar in school is   * 'an' should be used before a word begining with a vowel sound. This is most words that begin with a vowel and some that don't such as 'hour'.   * 'a' should be used in all other instances. More and more I am seeing 'an JSON file' , 'an Yearling' and various other examples I haven't recorded. Is there a reason for this trend (a change in education, a misunderstanding) or is it simply 2nd Language usage getting mixed up?


meaning of "haul up"

I read this sentence from the book "REVOLUTION 2020" > I remained under a banyan tree, exhausted by my daily ritual of **hauling > up** the men every two hours". I got the meaning for haul up as "to come to a halt" . but i dont thhik this will be fit for this sentence. can anyone explain this.


Correct verb tense to use when referring to a law effective in the past

What is the correct tense to use when I'm referring to something which was in effect in the past, like a law or an act, but which now is not. Which of the following is better?   1. The Statute of Anne used to grant ...   2. The Statute of Anne granted ...


"Release", "free", or "delete allocated memory"?

>   1. release the allocated memory. >   2. free the allocated memory. >   3. delete the allocated memory. > What are the differences between them?


"Tease" or "tease with"

Does this headline from Toms Hardware use a correct sense of the verb "tease" (the main sense of which in this area being _to tantalize especially by arousing desire or curiosity often without intending to satisfy it_ ): > Gigabyte Teases LED-Lit X99-UD4 Motherboard I thought it should have been "teases with", because in this form it is not clear whether the brand teased the product, or teased people with the product. Thoughts?


Confusion from “men” , “the men”, and “the woman” in a same sentence

I was confused when I came across a sentence in “The Body Politic” in _New York Times_ (June 28). The emphasized one. > The legal dos and don’ts suggest that the law of the father has been partly > overthrown, even if the naughtiness remains hidden, away from the glare of > the outside world. The club is something of a playground, a place where > women and men teasingly, raucously switch traditional roles. _Yet there’s a > serious undertow to their interactions because the women pay men for a > sexual pantomime that the men live off of._ (The plot also involves Dallas’s > plans to open a bigger club in which he’s promised Mike equity, a pledge > that keeps Mike dancing and distracted from his own dreams.) From the way > that Mr. Soderbergh shoots the opener, the lights shining into the camera > and your eyes (you may flash on “All That Jazz”), it’s clear everyone is > playing a role, including you. In this sentence, “the men” are strippers who live off of sexual pantomime. And “the women” are clients who pay for their sexual pantomime, right? Why not say “the women pay _the_ men for a sexual pantomime that the men live off of”? Actually, I don't know why this can be an undertow to their interactions. Since they have already switched traditional roles in that club, it is only natural to see female clients pay male strippers for sexual pantomime. Can that be an undertow?


Meaning of "holidays of hay"

What does this phrase, from Pynchon's novel _Gravity's Rainbow_ , mean? > Schnorp, his hair blown like holidays of hay… There are no references to "holidays" or "hay" in the preceding several pages.


What do "a sort of moral attention" and "riotous excursions" mean in this quote from the Great Gatsby?

> “When I came back from the East last autumn I felt that I wanted the world > to be in uniform and at a sort of moral attention forever; I wanted no more > riotous excursions with privileged glimpses into the human heart” Does "at a sort of moral attention" mean the same moral level or something else? What's the meaning of "riotous excursions"? I cannot find this phrase in a dictionary.


Is "wanna" more common with non-native speakers?

Is the word "wanna" (as opposed to "want to") more common in the writing of non-native speakers than in the writing of native speakers of English? Is this effect more pronounced when you exclude casual conversation, and also exclude quotation of speech?


that feeling where you feel like you need to do something but can't remember what it is

You know when you feel like you need to do something but you can't remember what it is? You almost feel a little anxious because you can't remember what you were going to do / what you need to do. Is there a name for this feeling?


What is the exact meaning of "compensation" with respect to monetary expenses?

For example, in this sentence: > pursuing goals that reflect genuine human needs, like wanting to feel > connected to others, turns out to be more psychologically beneficial than > spending one’s life trying to impress others or to accumulate trendy > clothes, fancy gizmos, and the money to keep buying them. **The latter quest > may amount to using compensation to try to compensate for something more > meaningful.** Actually, I can’t understand what this sentence means. Can someone explain that?


Correct usage of "to" + verb

I have an interface which limits users' access. I want to write a phrase that expresses it differently. Here is what I come up with > The interface offers the option to pick which ones* to authorize client > access. ones refers to clients. I feel that the sentence is not right, as I'm not sure if the usage of "to authorize" is correct. Looking for feedback on this; different formulation are certainly welcome!


Why isn't there a verb following can?

I have read a sentence in America Scientist (May 2014, p45): > No longer can skeptical clinicians dismiss the approach as likely to be > viable for only a few specific kinds of tumors... Why isn't there a verb following can?


What is a sub-base?

I found the term _sub-base_ in _To Have And Have Not_ by Ernest Hemingway (1937): > "We'll have to steal the boat. You know they ain't got her fixed so I can't > start her."   >  "How you going to get her out of the **sub-base**?"   >  "I'll get her out." I can't find this word in any dictionaries, either online or offline. I guess this is a kind of basin for boats or yachts. Is it a building for holding boats?


What does ‘Konrad Lorentz’s observation was “one sentence”’ mean?

New York Times (May 20) introduces a study of Dr. Johanna H. Meijer at Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands that proves mice are really enjoying wheel-running in the article titled, “Mice run for fun, not Just work, research shows.” I was drawn to the phrase, “the Lorenz observation ‘was one sentence’” in the following sentence: > As a “brain electrophysiologist” studying biological rhythms in mice, she > relished the chance to get out of the laboratory and study wild animals, and > in a way that no one else had. > > She said Konrad Lorenz, the great-grandfather of animal behavior studies, > once mentioned in a letter that some of his caged rats had escaped and then > returned to his garden to use running wheels placed there. But, Dr. Meijer > said, the Lorenz observation “ **was one sentence**.” > http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/21/science/study-shows-that-mice-run-for-fun- > not-just-for-lab-work.html?hpw&rref=science I surmise 'Lorenz observation “was one sentence”' means his observation scratches only an aspect of whole, imcomplete, or just superficial, but I’m not sure. What does observation (view, remark, conclusion) is “one sentence” mean? Is the phrase, “one sentence” used very often in this way? For instance, can I say “It’s one sentence of the politician, we cannot conclude he is nationalist.”


"along" in "the wolf passed something along to me"

Here is a quote by _Jack Nicolson_ from the movie "Wolf": > Since it happened I feel as though the wolf passed something **along** to > me. I wonder why is _along_ needed in that sentence? What difference does it make? How would the whole sentence sound without it?


To make a lengthy process instantaneous

What is a word that describes the process of speeding up a lengthy process, so that it can be described as instantaneous? In a sense of _to remove any delay_. _Instantiate_ comes to mind, but it is also a programming term, which may sound confusing. Is it the correct word, though? If not, what is? Example: "The reaction takes 4 seconds to complete, but I bet we can _make it instant_ ". What verb can be used to turn " _make it instant_ " into " _(verb) it_ "?


How do I properly use [sic] for a phrase? Or do I use it at all?

The actual sentence I am quoting is: > Company A will provide regular communications to Company B on the status of > level of effort in comparison the projected monthly amounts contained in our > contract. Obviously there is a word missing. This is how I think that sentence should be quoted: > Company A will provide regular communications to Company B on the status of > level of effort in comparison (to) [sic] the projected monthly amounts > contained in our contract. Is this even close? I am just not sure.


Seasonal parsing: "enjoying Re-run's of Christmas' past" — fragment, pluralization and ownership

> enjoying Re-run's of Christmas' past I just saw this posted as a Facebook status update, and it has boggled me as to how it should be considered or how it should be rewritten. If re-runs belong to Christmases of the past, and if the past owns Christmases then there is ownership present. What about Christmases' ? I'm not focused on the fact it's a fragment of speech. Maybe that imbues some ambiguity upon it in my mind's eye and prevents me immediate resolution. What's the most accurate, or else, your best interpretation of this fragment?


"All the faith he had had had had no effect on the outcome of his life" is it correct

"All the faith he had had had had no effect on the outcome of his life." Is this a grammatically correct sentence?


Use of "may need to" when you actually need to

In software documentation, I recently read: > If you move a job to a different folder, you may also need to update > configuration that was referring to that job. But _if_ you have a "configuration that was referring to that job" you _need to_ update it (or really _should_ ). Not doing that will result in broken configuration and ultimately, broken behavior. Is this use of "may need to" really correct? Is there a valid reason the documentation is phrased like this, instead of "…, you also need to update"? Doesn't the current documentation through the use of "may" imply that there are situations where you're not required to update configuration because it handles the job move correctly?


Is there a comma before the word until in the sentence below?

In this sentence: > They are not taking their team photograph until Friday at 7:30. On my son’s punctuation test, he did **not** use a comma after _photograph_ , and his teacher marked this “missing” comma as an error, claiming there needed to be there. Is there some rule that would explain the teacher’s position, or was it incorrectly marked incorrect?


Meaning of the valediction "Yours, &c."

When the valediction "Yours, &c" is used at the end of a letter (for example in Jane Austen's novel _Pride and Prejudice_ ), what is the "&c" standing in for? I realize that "&c" is shorthand for _etc._ or _et cetera_ , but that is not the purpose of this inquiry. When "Yours, &c" is used in a valediction by a writer (letter or novel), it is not unreasonable to expect that he or she assumes the reader will understand exactly what has been abridged. Which may have been the case for 19th century readers, but it is not the case for at least this humble reader today. Is there a standard, long-winded expansion of this valediction? Or are there many possible expansions? Wikipedia's entry regarding this topic is a bit terse and unsatisfactory.


There are seven days in a/the week

What is correct and why? Both, or only one of the following sentences? > 1 - There are seven days in **a** week. -> _One single_ week consists of seven days. 1 week = a week = 7 days. > 2 - There are seven days in **the** week. -> "The week" as a _general notion_. The only `Week` class for for all the single instances. Having 7 days is a class property, not an instance property. Similarly: **A** cat has four legs _or_ **The** cat has four legs? **A** star consists of hot gases _or_ **The** star consists of hot gases? In the last two examples I can imagine also a plural, so **Cats** have four legs _or_ **The cats** have four legs? As for the week, the sentence " **Weeks** have seven days" sounds strange. Why?


Is there a word to describe someone who apologizes for or feels bad about success or good fortune?

For example, an American who apologizes for the wealth and power of the United States?


Academic way of saying "On the other hand"

I have two paragraphs in my paper, the previous paragraph ends with > This shows that TF-IDF is still an important feature for text analysis task and my next paragraph starts with > **On the other hand** , various studies suggested that LDA may not work on > short documents due to insufficient context Is there another way of begin my next paragraph instead of saying _On the other hand_ but keep the meaning of contrasting?


Why is 'allopathy' not an accepted synonym for 'mainstream medicine'?

According to Wikipedia, > Allopathic medicine and _allopathy_ (from the Greek prefix ἄλλος, állos, > "other", "different" + the suffix πάϑος, páthos, "suffering") are terms > coined in the early 19th century by Samuel Hahnemann,the founder of > homeopathy, as a synonym for mainstream medicine. > > Never accepted as a mainstream scientific term, it was adopted by > alternative medicine advocates to refer pejoratively to mainstream medicine. One will, however, come across the terms, _allopathy_ or _allopathic_ quite often in India – where _homeopathy_ and _ayurveda_ therapies have gained big popularity recently, so much that a majority of language purists regard _allopathy_ as mainly an Indian English term (– I read that in a magazine recently). That may be subject to argument, but _'allopathy'_ does seem to be a term that many across the world refuse use in referring to _mainstream medicine_. What I would like to know is: Why is _allopathy_ not acceptable as a term in that sense? And personally, do you use it to refer to _mainstream medicine_ or is there a different term you prefer?


Using "our" in this situation

I asked my gf if her family was okay due to a natural disaster in her hometown. She replied to me, "our family are okay." To me, I can't help smiling. I feel like she counts me in. In fact, I know that she doesn't mean that way. Both of us are not native speakers. So, is this reply grammatically correct? Is it okay to use that way? I am not sure native speakers will think the way I am thinking.


Omission of a verb?

This is from George Orwell's Down and Out in Paris and London: > "Thereupon a whole variegated chorus of yells, as windows were flung open on > every side and half the street joined in the quarrel." (pg.1, Penguin > edition). It is the first part - "Thereupon a variegated chorus of yells" - which I am interested in. I am under the impression that "chorus" is used here as a noun; therefore, there is no verb in the phrase at the beginning of the sentence, yet it gives the impression of a clause. If the sentence were as follows, "Thereupon a variegated chorus of yells.", it would still make sense to me despite the absence of any verb. Is a verb implied?: "Thereupon a variegated chorus of yells (erupted)", for example. If so, is there a name for this? I am sure I have seen it before.


Is "farth" a word in any language?

Due to a misreading, a group including myself have searched for the definition of the word "farth" and come up with nothing. We now know that the original text did not actually use this word, but the word still strikes us as feeling eerily familiar and somehow fitting of the context in which is was found - a geographic feature found in uncivilized wilderness. The original quote (we thought we read) was: > North past forest, farth, and furrow > > You must go to reach the feathered mound We later found out that the word that was meant to be there was **farm**. Nonetheless, we have found a fascination with this potentially made-up word. Is "farth" actually a word in any version of English, Latin, or other Roman- character-using languages?


First use of "bunk"

My question is simple: Which came first, bunk as in "bunk beds" or "to bunk" as in to find a place to sleep? Almost suredly, the definition of one created the definition of the other by association, however I was wondering if anyone knew which came first. Thanks.


Formatting for having one noun used twice in a sentence-- once, implied

I was writing some definitions for a summer project, and I came up with this sentence: > In The Metamorphosis, by Franz Kafka, the protagonist is Gregor Samsa, with > events being centered around- , and the story actually being told by him. I'm not sure how to format the break between `around` and `, and the...`. In Psuedocode, here is what I want to know how to format-- Specifically, the `{implied him}` part. > [PNoun is the Noun, with the Noun being Verb(Past) by {Implied him} and the > Noun being Verb(Past) by him.] ALSO: `I am doing the thing - You know the one - without it.` " - " or "-"?   `I am doing the thing-- without it.` "-- " or "--" or " -- "?


Referring to images in blog in layout neutral way?

I write blog posts where I need to refer to product images without knowing exactly where they are (layout wise) in relation to the text I write, meaning that the images might be above, below, or to the side of the text. Is there a single word I can use as a label that makes it clear that the text which follows is regarding the image(s) in the post? How about _depicted_ or _products_?


"Officious Little Prick"

Taken from here > As early as the opening line - **"Jack Torrance thought, officious little > prick."** \- Torrance comes across as adversarial. He is a damaged man whose > deep flaws have damaged others. A recovering alcoholic, Jack is given to > fits of temper and rage; addiction seems to be less a cause than a symptom > of his deeper character issues. Once, when his son Danny spilled a can of > beer over his important papers, Jack yanked him away and accidentally broke > his arm (the imagery of alcohol damaging Jack's work is not accidental). > Later, while sober, Jack beat up a student of his for slashing his tires; > alcohol is not necessarily a trigger for these outbreaks, merely an > accelerant. When Jack agrees to take the position of winter caretaker at the > Overlook, it is quite literally his last chance to change and prove himself > responsible. I have to think it over to get the real meaning of _"Officious little prick"_ in this context. I am thinking of:   * A person who pretends to know a lot, in fact he does not (loudmouth).   * A busybody.  In case those do not imply the knowledge level, what should _"Officious little prick"_ be interpreted as exactly?


Should the word "state" be capitalized when it describes a type of tax return.

On my resume I have a line that reads: -Prepared Federal and state tax returns for individuals...... Should state be capitalized? I usually capitalize Federal in my job when I write "Federal tax return". Should Federal be capitalized?


Is there a polite way of saying "people like you"?

It seems that "people like you" is almost always used as an insult (similar to "your kind"). e.g. A shop owner might say to an annoying customer that doesn't buy anything, "Go away, I don't have time to deal with people like you." Can it be used in a polite sentence, or due to the associated negativity with the phrase, would it be better to use an alternate phrase?


Intuition - 'eminent' and 'imminent'

I'm not asking about their definitions, but rather, how to derive them from the etymology? I researched that from this the root is **minere = to project** and in- = 'upon,towards'. Etymonline avouches **ex- = out** , but isn't the prefix just e- for eminent?


Why is "women" pronounced the way it is?

As far as I know, it is the only word where _wo_ is pronounced as _wee_. What is the reason for this? Does it have to do with the origin of the word?


Word for something that can be jumped off of

Is there a word for something that can be jumped off of? For example the ground can jumped off of, but you can not jump off something which is falling through the air. I'm looking for an adjective.


A or An in "a (relatively) obscure meaning"?

I've just come across this sentence here at "english.stackexchange.com". > "The writer should have taken care not to hide such a (relatively) obscure > meaning underneath an obviously silly one." Could the indefinite article "an" be used here, instead of "a" ?


“To go” in the meaning of “to poop”

Here is a quote from article: > The largest animals ever to have lived on Earth, blue whales are colossal in > every respect — including, it must be said, the scatological. When a blue > whale goes, it goes big. I’m not native speaker, but it is pretty clear to what does it mean “when it goes, it goes big”. But it is clear for me only because of the context in which I’ve encountered this phrase. My question is: As for native speaker, is this very phrase clear without any context provided?


Is this that-clause for set comparison or a relative?

> [i] It was lucky that Harry had tea with Hagrid to look forward to, because > the Potions lesson turned out to be the worst thing **that had happened to > him so far**. > > –– Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone > > [ii] a. Ed made the most mistakes of them all. b. It sold for the highest > price ever paid for a Cezanne. > > –– CGEL, p.1101 > > [ii] is called set comparison, for “one member is picked out as being at the > top of the scale. In [ii] the set is identified by the NP them all: the > comparison is between the members of this set with respect to how many > mistakes they each made, with Ed ranked at the top of the scale. It is > possible to omit the PP of them all, in which case the set being compared is > identified contextually. In [iib] the comparison is between the prices paid > for painting by Cezanne, and again one is picked out as being at the top of > the scale - CGEL,1102”. It seems like [i] is a kind of the set comparison, but I’m not sure for [i] has that-clause that could be understood as a relative one. Is the that-clause a set one or a relative?


Is there a single word that can describe something that breathes/produces fire?

I'm looking for a word that I can use to describe something that "breathes" ( **out** ) fire. If there is no such word, I can create it myself, much like Stephen King created Pyrokinesis. Is there such a word? **To clarify:** I am using the word as an adjective, and as part of a description in a document related to a novel I'm writing (sci-fi). So, for example: ## Blablablabus Blabladens **Size:** 2feet   **Height:** 1foot   **Social Structure:** antisocial   **Notes:** bla, bla bla.   **Diet:** bla.   **Special Features:** bla bla bla bla.   **Pyrogenetic(?) Abilities:** Breathes fire using blablabla organ. See where I use Pyrogenetic? That's where I want to use the word. However, I'm not sure what word would be correct, and I don't want to use "Fire-breathing" if I don't _have_ to. ## After some deliberation and the highest voted answer so far: I decided to create my own word(s): Ignigenesis/(Ignigenetic).


How to use "when" vs. "while" on the following occasions?

Please have a look at these sentence pairs: >   1.     * When I worked as a teacher, I met a good friend. >     * While I was working as a teacher, I met a good friend. >   2.     * When I had a dream, I thought of the idea. >     * While I was having a dream, I thought of the idea. > Which ones are correct? And why?


single word for one who eats the same food all the time

Is there a single word for someone who always eats the same food? E.g. Hard boiled egg for breakfast, tuna fish for lunch, chicken breast for dinner. Every day.


"Key to" vs. "key for"

> Key to exercises. Today I saw the quoted sentence when looking at the keys _to_ exercises, and afterwards that sentence got me thinking why the preposition _to_ is used here instead of _for_. The way I see it is that the key purpose is to match our answer with the correct one; hence, _for_ would fit here nicely. Am I right?


British English phrase "dot and carry one"

I've been re-reading 'Treasure Island' by Stevenson, and, at one point a character says, "... my pulse went dot and carry one" meaning, I think, that his pulse started racing. Has anyone heard this idiom before? Can anyone tell me specifically to what it refers? The 'carry one' seems mathematical.


Omission of "to" with deontic "have to"

In the following sentence from The New Yorker (emphasis added) > Sarkozy [...] has spent much of his campaign trying to woo voters away from > Le Pen [...] and he is only going to **have grovel** for them more there seems to be the omission of "to" with deontic "have to," with the intent to avoid the sequence of "to ... to." Is that so or is it just a misprint?


Simple English for "filling hunger"

I'm looking for a (preferably) one-word term to describe a meal that's filling.   1. I'd like to avoid ambiguity with the substance put inside cakes, also called _filling_.   2. _Satiating_ appears to be too difficult a word, while also having sexual connotations.   3. I was thinking about _filler_ or _big-dish_ , but they sound awkward.


Can we say "in common sense way"?

"To understand this principle in common-sense way...." I heard a German teacher using "common-sense" this way, I think it is a little bit odd. Suppose I want to retain his idea, and modify the sentence, how should I say. "To understand XX from the perspective of common-sense"; "To understand XX from the point of view of common-sense"? I think "from the perspective of an Asian/.." is good, as long as it is of people, "from the perspective of.." will be fine. Also, suppose man have normally different ways of viewing things, they might feel, argue, contemplate. These can be perspectives. So we can also say "from perspective of reason, psychology, motivation..." Psychology, motivation.. are immanate attibute of men. So, either from the perspective of people, or from the perspective of their common ways to know things. Therefore I think "To understand XX from the perspective of common-sense" is odd as well. Maybe we should say "to understand it by common-sense, with common-sense"?


Thursday vs on Thursday

Which of these is incorrect? Or, if both are fine, which is preferred? > She resigned Thursday. > > She resigned on Thursday.


Is it "<verb> on Mondays to Fridays" or "<verb> from Mondays to Fridays"?

I want to state that I cook on Mondays, Tue, Wed, Thur, and Fri, in my house every week. Should I say "I cook on Mondays to Fridays" or "I cook from Mondays to Fridays", or something else?


What does adding quotes to an expression do to its meaning?

I always thought it meant sarcasm when someone wrapped quotation marks around a word. > "Thank you" for coming over... That _thank you_ now was said sarcastically and was a passive-aggressive way of saying that the writer wasn't truly thankful. This morning I got a email sent to the entire office from my boss as such: > "Thank You" for your commitment, dedication and the support Does it mean sarcasm or emphasis?


Is "subject to a theft" a thing?

Is it acceptable to say something has been "subject to a theft"? The only use case I can find is in this policy document from Lloyds Bank. Has it been adopted elsewhere?


"in the summer" or "in summer"

Both are correct forms when we talk about seasons of the year from what I learnt. But is there any difference between "in summer" and "in the summer"?


What are the most common symbols or words used to refer a reader to a glossary?

What are the most common symbols or words used after difficult words in a text to refer a reader to a glossary for a definition?


What does "in before" mean?

Can anyone please provide a simple explanation of the phrase "in before" with some common-usage examples. Is it appropriate to use this phrase in a context such as "This happened and then this happened **in before** I realised that I have to do this."?


"Absolute" or "absolutely"?

This question is related to programming, but this seemed a better place to post it than Stack Overflow. To style HTML pages, we frequently deal with positioning, and two common values for the CSS `position` property are `relative` and `absolute`. When answering questions on Stack Overflow, sometimes I wonder how should I refer to those values as adverbs. For example, take this sentence from a question I just answered: > Unless you'll be **absolutely** positioning something inside the div later Is this correct English? It sounds strange to me, but "absolute positioning` would also sound strange.


Very unusual meaning of "abortion"

The following use of the word "abortion" got my attention. It is from Graham Greene's _The End of the Affair_ , published in 1951. Here is the context: > "...Listen. I met a man on the Common today with three legs." > > "How terrible," Henry said seriously. "An abortion?" Most definitions of "abortion" I've checked focus mostly or exclusively on the termination of pregnancy which, at least in North America, is the most common meaning. There are a few definitions given which appear to correspond to Henry's use: Merriam-Webster: MONSTROSITY (http://www.merriam- webster.com/dictionary/abortion) Oxford Dictionaries: "2 an object or undertaking that is unpleasant or badly made or carried out." And way down on this page on Dictionary.com: "6. a person or thing that is deformed" But otherwise, as far as I can tell from the etymologies on the above links, and from this question, it looks as though the the word _abortion_ has always referred to the early end to a pregnancy. My question is, was Greene's usage ever common? I can't very well search Google Ngrams since it would be impossible to differentiate the intended meanings. Would a British reader in 1951 have made any association at all with an early termination to a pregnancy, when reading the exchange above?


what is the origin of the phrase "a penny for your thoughts"?

Googling for the origin of " _A penny for your thoughts,_ " I have only found the origin of a likely-related phrase " _my two cents_ " and simple dictionary entries for " _a penny for your thoughts._ " What is the exact origin and meaning of this phrase?


What does 'had been took with fits and held down in 'em' mean?

The following appears in _The Haunted House_ by Charles Dickens. What is the meaning of the bolded phrase? > This very concise summary of the facts was all I could learn, except that a > young man, as hearty and likely a young man as ever I see, **had been took > with fits and held down in ’em** , after seeing the hooded woman.


What does this text from The haunted house by Charles Dickens mean?

> "Who is--or who was--the hooded woman with the owl? Do you know?" > > "Well!" said Ikey, holding up his cap with one hand while he scratched his > head with the other, "they say, in general, that she was murdered, and the > howl he 'ooted the while." > > This very concise summary of the facts was all I could learn, except that a > young man, as hearty and likely a young man as ever I see, had been took > with fits and held down in 'em, after seeing the hooded woman. **_Also, that > a personage, dimly described as "a hold chap, a sort of one-eyed tramp, > answering to the name of Joby, unless you challenged him as Greenwood, and > then he said, 'Why not? and even if so, mind your own business,'" had > encountered the hooded woman, a matter of five or six times._** But, I was > not materially assisted by these witnesses: inasmuch as the first was in > California, and the last was, as Ikey said (and he was confirmed by the > landlord), Anywheres. > > The haunted house, Charles Dickens


Ourselves vs us?

>   1. I am simply haunted by the fear of my family not having enough money to > support _ourselves_. >   2. I am simply haunted by the fear of my family not having enough money to > support _us_. > The _ourselves_ and _us_ refer to my family. Which one is correct?


"a truce to sport.." from a poem by Paul Laurence Dunbar

From "A Lazy Day" by Paul Laurence Dunbar: > No ripple stirs the placid pool, > > When my adventurous line is cast, > > **A truce to sport** , while clear and cool, > > The mirrored clouds slide softly past. What is the meaning of "a truce to sport"? What part of the sentence does it refer to?


Is "legit" a legitimate word?

Is _legit_ an actual word, or is it a slang word that has been shortened from _legitimate_?


Why are the people of the United States called "Americans" when the whole continent is "America"

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Why are the United States often referred to as America? Is it because there wasn't a proper adjective like _"United Staterns"_ or something? Why Canadians are not called Americans (or the rest of the inhabitants in the continent for that matter) Isn't it like calling France "Europa" and French people "Europeans" and implying that British people, Spaniards or Germans are not Europeans although they _do_ live in "Europa" ? I have always had this question.


What does "America" mean?

Citizens of the USA naturally refer to themselves as Americans and refer to the country as America. When speaking to a person from Canada, he argued that it was incorrect to call the country America. Instead, I should be saying the United States (of America). Is it incorrect to refer to the country as America? And even if it is, won't people from around the world understand that the USA = America?


Can I use "US-American" to disambiguate "American"? If not, what can I use?

Based on this question, I wonder: as an alternative to _USAian_ (which is very nonstandard) is it OK to use _US-American_ to more clearly indicate "inhabitant of the USA"? According to Google Ngram, this phrase has grown in usage since the 1960's. The problem I'm trying to solve is that _American_ can relate to either an inhabitant of the American continent(s), or an inhabitant of the United States of America. (In fact, the one Brazilian person I know does refer to himself as American, or at least would like to be able to do so.) I'm looking for a word that specifically means "inhabitant of the United States of America". I can see that in German, 'US-Amerikaner' is certainly not uncommon (see e.g. Wikipedia). Also, see also the Wikipedia article Names for United States citizens. Alternatively, if it turns out that "American" _always_ means an inhabitant of the USA, what word can be used for inhabitants of the continent?


Is the phrase Comfort Room to mean rest room acceptable in English?

In the Philippines, people label the "rest rooms" with the letters CR which stands for "Comfort Room". Is this acceptable?


"Get everything together"

Right now my life is kind of in a mess I'm unemployed and barely have a place to live. If I want to tell my friends that I will meet and hang out with them once I sort myself out. Does "get everything together" have a similar meaning? Like "I will shoot you a message once I get everything together".


I want to use a definition from dictionary.com but I can't find it anywhere else.

My essay is about the Greek Tragedy "Oedipus the king". I want to use the term cosmic irony in a paraphrase but I am unsure whether or not it would weaken my argument. Since I can not find support for this idea in another credible website. > "Main Entry: cosmic irony Part of Speech: n Definition: **the idea that > fate, destiny, or a god controls and toys with human hopes and > expectations** ; also, the belief that the universe is so large and man is > so small that the universe is indifferent to the plight of man; also called > irony of fate Example: Crane uses the theme of cosmic irony." My sentence would be: "Consequently, this demonstrates how fate victimizes Oedipus and hints the idea of cosmic irony" then followed by a quote/paraphrase of the definition. Should I use this term or not? Would there be a better way to phrase my argument?


Is "Upload from XML" valid in English?

Imagine an example.xml file that contains some data. Then there's a website where you can type or upload this data, so there are a few links such as "Manual Input" or "Upload from XML". Which one of these options is the best, do they all seem valid to you?   * "Upload from XML"   * "Upload from list of values"   * "Upload from CSV"   * "Upload from comma-separated values" (aren't they both horribly wrong?) And this looks valid to me:   * "Upload XML"   * "Uload list of values" Unfortunately lots of pages uses "Upload from XML/CSV" so I'm a bit confused. It's basically "Upload from Extensible Markup Language", I might be wrong but it just feels awful.


Better word for the "source" of a remix?

For "remix" in the general sense, e.g. "everything is a remix". Is there a better word than "source" for describing the thing that got remixed? ("Source" is just ambiguous in many contexts.) Thanks! Edit: "original" also has the connotation of the most upstream. If C is a remix of B, which was a remix of A, what would you call B w.r.t. C?


Meaning and origin of "rally peters out"

Positive reactions from stock markets can be described as the markets "rallying peters out". See this guardian article for an example of this usage. I don't quite understand this proverb. Where does it come from and how to interpret it? Is it linked to St. Peter for instance? _EDIT: I edited the tags, as this is not about a proverb_


Take this question with a grain of salt

Where did this ubiquitous phrase come from? Usually it is used in conjunction with either disputable of downright dubious information but I can't think of how _salt_ helps the situation. The only thing I can think of is that since salt had a higher value in ancient times, that maybe the speaker is trying to almost bribe the recipient ("here is some info and here's some salt for your trouble") but I am just theorizing, take it with a grain of salt.


Can "I are" be shortened to "I're"?

I just received a message containing "I're": > Glad April and I're so different. I've never seen this used before (I suppose as it's so unnecessary, saving just one character when writing) yet I can't find anything which claims that this _isn't_ correct English. Can "I are" be validly shortened to "I're"?


the meaning of on its own terms

What does "On its own terms" mean in this context? > Paulson isn’t that kind of wordsmith. In his interview with Ross Sorkin, he > patted himself on the back for having acted quickly in the fall of 2008. > That’s fair enough. The bailout worked well **on its own terms** , and the > banks quickly repaid the government for the capital it invested in them.


How to specify from "this" college in "this" university?

I am confused how to write "B.E. with 80% from this college at this university" in formal language