Difference in terms of location between "been to" and "been in" at the time of speaking(now) in sentences using present perfect

I would like to ask a question about the proper use of **"been to"** and **"been in"** in sentences using present perfect. Currently I'm reading English Grammer in Use (2nd Edition Cambridge Press - Intermediate level). At page 14 here is what we can read: > Note the difference between **gone (to)** and **been (to)** : > >   * Jim is away on holiday. He has **gone to** Spain. ( = **he is there now > or on his way there** ) >   * Jane is back home from holiday now. She has **been to** Italy. (= **she > has now come back from Italy** ) > What I understand from the above example is that when we use **gone to a location** the person **is still in that location or is heading there at the time of speaking.** On the contrary when we use **been to a location** the person **is no more at that location at the time of speaking (now)** Then, at the next chapter there was the following exercise: > Read the situations and write sentences as shown in the example: > >   1. Jack is driving a car but he's very nervous and not sure what to do. > > You ask: Have you driven a car before? > > He says: No this is the first time I've driven a car. > >   2. Maria is in London. She has just arrived and it's very new for her. > > You ask: .................................................. > > She says: .................................................. > > Here is how I answered the 2nd Exercise.               You ask: Have you been in London before?     She says: No this is the first time I've been in London      The reason of my choice was the following: **gone to** doesn't seem to be appropriate as it indicates just some movement/motion, a trip to London rather than a long/short stay in London. Also **been to** cannot work because if we use it that would mean that **Maria is no more in London now** and she has come back. I arrive at this conclusion based on the example in the grammar book that I provided above (Jane has come back from Italy) Therefore I thought using **been in** London would be the best choice. However, when I checked the answer at the end of the book, the suggested solution was: >   1. Maria is in London. She has just arrived and it's very new for her. > > You ask: Have you **been to** London before? > > She says: No, this is the first time I've **been to** London > > I really don't understand the choice of **been to** here. It has been specified explicitly at the beginning of the exercise: "Maria is in London". So if at the moment of speaking she is in London how it is possible to use **been to**. Wouldn't **been in** be more appropriate in this context? Could you kindly make some clarification on this? Thanks in advance


Word for 'Lacking a subject'

The poet Medbh McGuckian often lacks subjects in her sentences, for example: "From behind the moon boys' graves \ bleed endlessly" ~ From _Love Affair with Firearms_ She doesn't ever define the subject of the sentence, is there a word for this or literary device?


When should scientific disciplines be capitalized?

When writing motivation letters like SoP, or any other formal text, I don't know whether I have to capitalize sciences or areas of research. For example: >   * I have been introduced to Neuroscience. >   * I have been introduced to neuroscience. > Are there any criteria for capitalization?


"Because of" usage.

What is “Because of” used for? 1) It is cold in Arizona **due to** the westward storm coming from Arizona. Rule 3: The expression ‘because of’ is used to modify entire clauses. Thus, you can use this expression to present reason for an action in the clause. Sentence 1 above can be corrected by replacing ‘due to’ with ‘because of’. Now ‘because of’ modifies the clause presenting the reason why it is cold in Arizona. My question: Isn't "the westward storm coming from Arizona" a phrase and not a clause? There isn't a complete subject+ verb so it's a phrase right? Also, when is "because of" best used?


"Take account of" vs. "take into account"

Is there any difference in meaning between: >   1. take account of >   2. take into account > Or do they both mean "to take into consideration"?


what "ranging" means in "He was a veteran of a hundred rangings"?

This sentence is picked from "A Song of Ice & Fire:A Game of Thrones". I have no idea of the phrase"a hundred rangings". I'm not a native English speaker. I appreciate if someone can help me.


Jewish American word for stuffed cabbage

The word used by non-American and many American Jews for stuffed cabbage is 'holishkes'. There are a few variations. But I heard someone use a word that sounds like 'hole-up-tious'. I cheched numerous spellings such as _holupzes, cholupzes_ , etc., but could not find anything. I am assuming it is an American word used only in English because this family have been in the US for over eight generations (originally from Russia — but it is not a Russian-Jewish word). Has anyone ever heard it before? There was one reference that looked similar in sound but it was quite obscure. I am wondering whether this is a regional word from a small group of Jews in NY, or perhaps just a family word.


Why some abbreviations ended with a period, but some not?

![Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary](http://i.stack.imgur.com/PCret.jpg) I have just bought an Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. This is it's first page showing some abbreviations used in the dictionary. My question is: why some abbreviations ended with a period (such as: abbr., adj.), but some don't (such as: C, sb, pt)?


What is the opposite of "to stink" (v)? Is there one at all?

Specifically I'm looking for an antonym of the infinitive rather than the noun. For example, "fragrance" is an antonym of "stink" (the noun), but you can't say "Wow, that fragrants" or "Wow that fragrances" in the way you can say "Wow that stinks".


Using "connotation of" in an active manner?

How can I use the word connotation is a more active phrasing? Often, if I want to say an object that suggests magic, I may say "the object has a connotation _of_ being magical". But this phrasing is long. If I phrase as "this object has a magical connotation", this gives a very different meaning as the word "magical" in this case is telling people that the connotation is magical instead of the object. So, how can I phrase in such a way that I don't have to use a preposition so that my sentence is shorter and easier to read?


What's a "consumer-tech weblog/website", and why is it called that way?

When people say _consumer-tech_ , what exactly do they mean? What's a "consumer-tech weblog" / "consumer-tech website" (and why is it called that way)?


What does "soundness of judgment" mean?

Could anyone explain what exactly does "soundness of judgment" mean? I understand this as when you can judge something and take in count all possible exceptions that are involved in the evaluation of a certain matter/object, but I'm not sure I got the term right


Difference between "purpose" and "goal"

What does this sentence from _Star Trek: The Alternative Factor_ mean? > Jim, madness has no **purpose** ... or reason ... but it may have a > **goal**. As far as I know _purpose_ and _goal_ are synonyms. How about this case?


Word For "People You Are Following"

I'm developing an app with "following" functionality similar to Twitter, where you can follow someone to see their updates, but it doesn't have to be a mutual "friend" situation like Facebook. My wording issue is I need to be able to say something like what, on Facebook, would be "5 friends liked this," but saying "5 People You Are Following Liked This" is too long. Is there a single word, or shorter phrase, that could replace "People You Are Following?"


The meaning of "They have emerged with accounts of something"

I can't figure out what "They have emerged with accounts of something" means! No dictionary contained this phrase. Thanks.


Is it common to use MRT to refer to subways all around the world?

According to The Free Dictionary: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/mass+rapid+transit > Noun 1. mass rapid transit - an urban public transit system using > underground or elevated trains rapid transit public transit - a public > transportation system for moving passengers I found strange that the Wikipedia MRT entry only lists certain countries, mainly in Asia. Is MRT a common word to refer to subways all around the world? (Because I used MRT to describe the subway system in Japan. I want to know if the use was inappropriate. If it was, which word should I have used?)


Is "This is from xxx" correct usage?

I placed a phone call and introduced myself this way: "Hi, This is from " and a coworker pointed out that the sentence is grammatically wrong. While I understand that it sounds a bit weird, I'm wondering if it is entirely wrong. Is it? If yes, What are alternative correct usages that do not require me to provide my name?


"Split in" vs "split into"

In the sentence > I have a bibliography page which I'd like to **split in/into** sections which would you rather use: _split in_ or _split into_? Why?


What does “I believe in making America safe for old-fashioned light bulbs and not those weird curly ones,” mean?

I saw the line, “That’s all I believe in. That and _making America safe for old-fashioned light bulbs and not those weird curly ones_ ,” in the speech of Michele Bachmann quoted in Maureen Dowd column in today’s New York Times (August 9) titled “Withholder in Chief.” > The president has been so spectacularly unable to fill the leadership void > in Washington that the high-spirited Michele Bachmann feels free to purloin > Obama’s old mantra. ‘The power behind our campaign is hope and a future,’ > she chirped to a sparse crowd Monday in Atlantic, Iowa. “That’s all I > believe in.” _That and making America safe for old-fashioned light bulbs and > not those weird curly ones._ To me, “make America safe for old-fashioned light bulbs and not those weird curly ones,” appears to be a metaphor indicating Bachmann’s attachment to American establishments’ values as against liberal value, but I cannot get across the exact idea of this message. Could anybody paraphrase the line for non-native English speaker like me easily to understand? By the way, is the sentence, “That’s all I believe in. That and making America safe for old-fashioned light bulbs” grammatically correct? To me, it’s confusing.


What are some examples of adjectives expressing varying levels of intensity using the same root or unit word

What adjectives express varying levels of intensity using the same root or unit?


"Mutexes" or "mutices"?

When we create new words ending in _-ex_ ( _mutex_ being short for _mutual exclusion_ ), should we (may we?) use the Latin plural form because the suffix is similar to the latin suffix _-ex_? (Personally I've always favoured the _-ices_ form.)


One word for "any time after this moment"

I was just wondering if there is some sweet and apt word for the phrase " _any time after this moment_ ".


Why did author use a different sort of articles in sentence, which describe a picture?

I am not a native speaker. I am doing a exercise " _Answer the questions about the pictures_ " from my Grammar Book and I checked Keys at end of the book: I saw: >   * In A **the** man is lying on **the** floor. In B he is standing on > **the** chair. >   * In A **the** woman is writing ( **a** letter). In B she is reading **a** > book. >   * In A **the** man is running. In B he is riding **a** bicycle. >   * In A **the** woman is driving ( **the** car). In B **the** man is > driving ( **the** car). > I know, that the article "the" indicates that I am referring to a specific instance. Could you please explain for me: Why did author use indefinite and definite articles? Why did author see a difference between phrases: "a bicycle"(indefinite article) and "the car" (definite article), "the chair"(definite) and "a book" (indefinite)?


What is the meaning of the expression "A one paper kid" or "One paper kid"

This is a country song title by the late Walter Martin Cowart and has been covered by several artists. Is this a local expression or slang term perhaps used in the American southern states?


A word or neologism for doing an action together

This is for a community initiative. I initially thought of pan-action but this would have more to do with the idea of something global or widespread. Also, con-action doesn't sound right with the alternative meaning of the "con" particule. Do you have any suggestions in terms of a word or perhaps short paraphrase ?


What's the meaning of "as ignorant as the last joined drummer boy"?

I encountered this expression here > Napoleon once described Ney as 'ignorant of my projects as the last joined > drummer boy', yet he still made him Commander of the Army's left wing at > Waterloo. I find this expression weird. How can "the last joined drummer boy" be related to ignorance?


Using "tell me" word on callI

I usually use the "tell me" on calls. For example when I pick up call I like to answer in this way: "Yes John, tell me" Is it a good practice to talk on call in this way?


An American English idiom for "die of happiness"

Is there an American English idiom for Russian "die of/from happiness"? > I thought I would die of happiness when I heard this wonderful song!


Zero article after "of" in "a change of place"

Given the sentence > The use of apples instead of pears is unexpected in the dish. I don't think we can use _apple_ instead of _apples_. (Correct me if I'm wrong.) But then, how come we can say the following? >   * I need a change of hotel. >   * A change of situation will give another result. > In the above two cases, both _hotel_ and _situation_ are countable nouns. Why is the indefinite article omitted before them?


What does “blow a dismount” mean?

I heard it in a recent TV episode. Someone walks with a limp (probably a ruptured Achilles' heel), and the doctor mentions that he had the accident “blowing a dismount on a keg stand”.


"I met" vs "I've met"

What's the difference between the following?   * I met him in the UK.   * I've met him in the UK. Does the second sentence mean that the event was happened recently?


What is the word for transliteration into the Greek alphabet?

Is there a specific term for transliteration of a different script **into the Greek alphabet**? There are equivalent terms for transliteration of other alphabets into the Latin alphabet (romanization) and the Cyrillic alphabet (cyrillization). However, I can find no counterpart for transliteration into Greek. My closest guess would be _hellenization_ , but that term is already used in historical contexts, referring to conversion of other nations to Greek culture (rather than transliteration into the Greek alphabet). I would like to know the term for this, as I am trying to find a transliteration scheme for converting English into the modern Greek alphabet, but searching for _Greek transliteration_ only yields information on Greek romanization (which is the inverse of what I want). Any word or phrase will do, so long as it unambiguously refers to transliterating a script into the Greek alphabet, and not to romanization of Greek.


Article "the" with relative clauses

I am not confident about my judgement as to whether or not "the" is required if a relative clause is used in a sentence.   For example, > The data can be collected on all the computers on which the software is > installed. I think it must be "all the computers " and not be "all computers" because "computers" is specified by "on which the software is installed". Please help me confirm that I am right.


Difference between "all the" and simply "all"

In a mail from my professor, I read > you need to specify all the fields. Here, he gave us a form with about 25 fields. He asked us to fill out the fields. I'm skeptical about the usage of _the_ in his statement. I assume that it's used when we are particular about a single object, not for a group of objects (plural). I smell something odd with professor's sentence. Am I right?


Attorney at law, is there any other kind?

I have wondered from time to time about the phrase "attorney at law." Are there other kinds of attorneys? Attorneys at arms? If not, why do we specify?


Why do we say "attorney at law" and what is the difference between attorney and lawyer?

Basically I was just struck with the term 'attorney at law' as being a somewhat odd English construction. I can't think of any other time where we refer to another profession this way. In other words, can one be an Attorney at Butchery, or perhaps an Attorney at Plumbing? Aren't all attorney's "at law"?      Which also made me wonder is there any difference between Attorney and Lawyer? I know that they are colloquially used to mean the same thing, but perhaps they were originally more (or less) specific? Or is it simply a redundancy?


"Just" versus "simply"

To which extent is _just_ interchangeable with _simply_ , as in the example? > It's becoming more than just annoying.   >  It's becoming more than simply annoying. Is _just_ synonym of _simply_ in just any case or are there situations where the two adverbs convey slightly different meanings? Also, Google gives 1,800,000,000 results for _just_ and only 295,000,000 results for _simply_. Is one preferred over the other?


Why is there so much diversity in how English nouns are pluralized?

Where did English get all its plural forms? Why are there so many nouns that are outside the rules? Most nouns get an "s" when pluraziled Pass me a cup. The store has a sale on cups! Some nouns don't change when pluralized Check out that deer! Look at that herd of deer! Some nouns have their own special plural forms Lets eat a goose! I was chased away by a gaggle of geese! Then you get some latin plural forms thrown in for good measure... What gives?


"high rate of speed" or "high speed" to mean going fast

Why do reporters (and sometimes police officers) say that somebody was going at a _high rate of speed_ when they actually mean _high speed_? In physics, speed is already the rate of distance over time, otherwise known as velocity. Rate of speed is velocity over time, otherwise known as acceleration. By saying _high rate of speed_ they would be implying picking up more speed. Is there a social reason for using _high rate of speed_ rather than _high speed_?


When I say "comment out", does it mean to uncomment something or comment it?   What is more better, or correctly, used? PS: I'm talking about source code.


Which sense of "out" is used here?

What's the meaning of _out_ in this case? > Oh and out on watching the vid. I learned my lesson on that.


Origin of the expression "part and parcel"

Does anybody know the origin of the expression "part and parcel"? Where and when did the word "parcel" start to be used?


What word would you use for movement of bushes?

Say there's a small animal hidden among bushes and it causes the branches (if they can be called that) of the bushes to shake/move slightly. Now the sound of this could probably be described using _rustling_ , but what word would use to describe the visual shaking/movement of the bushes?


How do you name the process of collapse/expand in one word, or fold/unfold

How would you call the process of expanding/collapsing in one word? I need to name a Method (in programming) which will make a group collapse or expand based on it's current state (collapsed or expanded).


Is there any difference between the -logic, -logical, and -logous suffixes?

For example: _tautologic_ , _tautological_ , and _tautologous_.


A correct English expression for heavy and aching head

There is a Russian expression referring to the feeling of heaviness and pain in the head that translates literally as "head is buzzing" or "head is humming" (голова гудит). Is there any similar English expression? I saw an expression "brain buzz", but it seems to have a completely different meaning.


Is there a name for the game where you can ask a question only after answering one?

In Roger Zelazny’s _Blood of Amber_ , Merlin and Vinta Bayle are playing the mutual interview game, in which one gains a right to ask an opponent a question by first answering the opponent's question. Is there a name for this game?


"Definite ninety-nine" - UK English meaning

I've been browsing through older lyrics of Judas Priest songs, namely Rocka Rolla, which has the following lines in a verse: > Barroom fighter   >  Ten pint a nighter   >  Definite ninety-nine   >  Diamond cluster   >  Knuckle duster   >  Feline on the borderline Context: the song is basically about a woman with "tough" image, i.e. frequently abusing alcohol and drugs, breaking the law, which probably would be a good pair for some kind of same thug-like "tough" guy. Timeline and origin: this song was written and published around 1974 in UK. I understand almost everything in this verse, except for "definite ninety- nine". I've done some homework, crawling around for the ideas, but being no native UK English speaker, I'm kind of at loss for what's the original meaning of this phrase. My guesses:   * "99" being "99 miles per hour", i.e. "going very fast"   * "99er" as in "a person who exhausted all of their 99 weeks of unemployment benefits", but this is most likely incorrect, as this is US term and was introduced relatively recently, i.e. it didn't exist in 1974   * "99" in some sexual context?   * "99" as in slang for cocaine   * "99" as in hot body temperature in Fahrenheit, i.e. meaning just "hot"


Is 'that-clause' an adverbial clause or a complement clause?

> "I’m glad that we’ve won the match." An English-Korean dictionary says that-clause above is an adverbial clause. However, from the definition for complement by Oxford \- “one or more words, phrases, or clauses governed by a verb (or by a nominalization or a predicative adjective) that complete the meaning of the predicate” - I can guess this that-clause might be said as a complement clause. Can both be proper for this case?


Expression for "preaching to someone who already agrees"?

Is there any phrase/expression to express the situation where someone is preaching or giving advice to someone who already understands and agrees with them and the whole speech is unnecessary. Something like "Barking up the wrong tree", but this expression conveys something different and not what I am looking for.


I would like to use the phrase "living hand to mouth" as a title of an art piece. However, just looking for the phrase mostly results in uses where the origin is explained. What are notable uses of the phrase "living hand to mouth"? Are there other major literary of art uses of the phrase, and if so what are they?


Part of speech: "I am disappointed with"

In a construction such as, "John is disappointed with Alice", what part of speech is _disappointed with_? It appears to me that the "am" is a linking verb. Similarly, "Jessica is sad", it seems to me that "sad" is the same part of speech as _disappointed with_. One paper I'm reading claims that these are adverbs, but I am pretty sure this isn't the case, as "disappointed" doesn't describe "is". They feel like adjectives, but yet it's not assembled like a typical adjective would be ("Sad Jessica").


"I'm starving" vs. "I'm starved"

I've heard on some American TV shows "I'm starving" instead of "I'm starved". What is the correct usage of both sentences?.


In England, do people use "people" or "persons" more? And do you use the phrase "Keep it on your person"?


What does the meaning of the phrase "couldn't be more"?

I have a question about the word "optimistic" from the Peter Klein's resignation letter. He wrote: > One noteworthy characteristic of Finance is the regularity of its rhythm – > month end, quarter end, year end. Every one of those milestones marks the > passage of time. And as time passes, and milestones are marked, we all > periodically reflect on our lives, our goals, and our priorities. As we > approach the end of the fiscal year, I have been reflecting in that way. And > I have decided that now is a good time for me to step away from Microsoft > and take some time to spend with my family in a way that I haven't had the > opportunity to do in the 30 years I have been working. > > This has not been an easy decision. I love Microsoft. I love my job. When I > joined Microsoft 11 years ago I had this loosely held belief that people > were one of the most important elements of any job or any company. I had no > idea how profoundly true that is, but I do now. People are everything. > Microsoft is the most amazing collection of talented, passionate and caring > people I could ever imagine being associated with. It's been an honor and my > good fortune to have been part of that. > > I am proud of the work that Finance has done and the impact we have had on > the Company. One reason that now is a good time to leave is that the > organization is very strong, and I am delighted we will be naming an > internal candidate. **I couldn't be more optimistic about both the Company's > and Finance's future.** > > Looking ahead, I have no specific plans. In the short term I will work to > ensure a smooth transition. After that I intend to spend time with my > extended family which is dispersed throughout the country and hopefully get > to some long deferred travel. For the last 11 years Microsoft has been my > family and now I am going to focus on my other family. > > Thanks for being such a great team – I will follow your success with great > interest and pride. > > Peter From my understanding, the word "optimistic" mean to expect that a good thing will happen in the future. But from the bold sentence, it sounds like he doesn't hope that good things will happen at Microsoft.


Is "I'm being angry" ungrammatical?

I am arguing with friends about this question. According to what I learned in school, there are some adjectives that cannot be used in the progressive form. I think this one is ungrammatical because angry describes an emotion, which is a temporary state on its own. Therefore, it is redundant to use it in the progressive form. Am I correct?


Is there a term for two differently phrased sentences with the same meaning?

Is there a term that describes the relationship between different sentences with the same meaning, in the way "synonym" describes the relationship between different words with the same meaning? For example: > He's heavier than I am. and > He weighs more than I do.


"10 Commonly Misunderstood Words In English"

We have all probably misunderstood words and then used them in the wrong context from time to time, so a little update might come in handy. This infographic from Grammar called > **10 Commonly Misunderstood Words In English** might surprise you. There are a lot of people out there who use `“your”` and `“you’re”` incorrectly, but that particular error can be easily corrected if you just think about it logically. But when it comes to the meaning of a word, it can sometimes look like it means something other than what it really does. ![10 Commonly Misunderstood Words In English - INFOGRAPHIC](http://i.stack.imgur.com/wRhcY.jpg) **Main Article:http://www.bitrebels.com/lifestyle/10-commonly-misunderstood- words/** Yet one ELU user has commented, "We tend toward descriptivism rather than prescriptivism: a word's definition is based on how native speakers use it. This list is somewhat erroneous in that regard." So, at what point should the editorial board of a dictionary "give in," and list a new meaning of a word, based on its widespread misuse by the culture at large? Put another way, are these words truly misunderstood? Or would it be more accurate to say that whoever put this list together misunderstands these words, in that the meanings in red are (or should be) acceptable uses?


What is the plural of “stiffness”?

I’m proofreading for a friend (not that I am an expert on English or his subject matter!), and he has used the word _stiffnesss_ in an engineering context. I believed the plural should be _stiffnesses_ , but a quick Internet search suggests that _stiffness_ might be a noun without a plural, such as _sheep_ or _furniture_. Excerpted examples: > connected to its neighbour by spring and bending stiffness’s > > these stiffness’s and the damping encountered are calculated by


What does 'sanding a doorstep' mean?

> sanding a doorstep. Does it mean polishing the doorstep? Or filling it in with sands? I read this from the book of Charles Dickens, _The Haunted House_ where it says, "I found the landlord of the little inn sanding his doorstep."


Is "In such a case" wrong?

"In such a case" doesn't sound right. Is it necessary to use "a" ? Is it wrong if one omits it?


Etymology of charlâtanerie

Can anyone provide me with the etymology and details of usage of the word _charlâtanerie_ ? I came across this word while reading _The Murders in the Rue Morgue_ by Edgar Allan Poe.The following passage is from from Wikisource > There was not a particle of **charlâtanerie** about Dupin. "I will explain," > he said, "and that you may comprehend all clearly, we will first retrace the > course of your meditations, from the moment in which I spoke to you until > that of the rencontre with the fruiterer in question. The larger links of > the chain run thus—Chantilly, Orion, Dr. Nichols, Epicurus, Stereotomy, the > street stones, the fruiterer." A Google search for the meaning gave me only a single result. Can anyone provide me more information so that I can add this word to Wiktionary, the community powered dictionary?


Word or phrase for hogging the left lane

Frequently on two-lane freeways, at least in the US, people drive in the left lane at exactly the same speed next to a car in the right lane, thus blocking the road. Cars tend to back up behind these oblivious people. Is there a word or phrase for hogging the left lane?


What does "cost hit to something" mean?

Please help with understanding phrase "cost hit to something" The original sentence "Is there a cost hit to registering a new account for existing ones?"


When is the correct time to use 'granter' or 'grantor'

We have a site where we have people grant each other favors. Within the site, we have copy that says when you grant someone a favor you are a '?'. Should the person who grants a favor to another person be called a 'granter' or a 'grantor'? It seems from looking at the dictionary that either would fit, but I'm wondering which one is the best to standardize on.


Origin of the word "sport"

I wonder what is the etymology of the word _sport_. Vasmer says that it is from _disport_ "amusement", a contraction from Middle English _disporten_ from Old French _desporter_ "to take away", "to distract from the work". But Starostin's Starling gives another etymology: Eng. _sport_ < Old Eng. _spyrd_ , Goth. _spɔrd-s_ "racing" < Proto-Germ. * _spurd_ < PIE * _sperdh-_ "run competition" It gives as cognates Hittite _ispart-_ , Avest. _sparǝr-_ Old Indic _-spūrdhán_ , _spárdhate_ "competition" So who is correct? Note also that Vasmer connects Russian _spor_ "dispute" to Avest _pǝrǝt-_ and Old Indic _pŕ̥tanā_ "struggle" so that the s- in PIE * _sperdh-_ could be s-mobile. Also take into account the root * _per-_ meaning "first", "in front", "against" and Proto-Slavic _perdъ_ "before, in front of" < PIE * _per-dʰ-o_.


"You're not the boss of me" vs "You're not my boss"

For some years now I've heard **You're not the boss of me** increasingly more often relative to the more "correct, natural" (to me, at least) **You're not my boss**. Thanks to the magic of NGrams, I've confirmed my suspicions that it's not just the company I keep... ![graph](http://i.stack.imgur.com/Ozk2I.png) At first I just thought the "boss of me" version was just a childish equivalent, but now I'm not so sure. If I extrapolate the graph (bearing in mind NGrams doesn't quite reach today yet anyway), it seems likely the new variant is already (or soon will be) the standard form. What's going on? In case that's not considered a proper ELU question, I'll rephrase it as "What if anything do people perceive as different about the new version, which might be causing them to prefer it?".


How to compare frequency of word use over time between British and American English?

Google Ngram viewer allows one to compare the frequencies of a set of phrases over time. It even allows you to restrict that comparison to an American corpus, or separately to an English one. What I am wondering if there is any way to compare the frequency of one word/phrase over time between American and English? Either through Google Ngram or something else. I couldn't really find anything on google (itself or by using it).


"Inputted" or "input"

I have used the word _inputted_ in an assignment and am being forced to change it to _input_. However, both the Oxford English Dictionary (I am in New Zealand so this is most relevant) and MS Word list _inputted_ as acceptable. Do others regard _inputted_ as acceptable? > The scope of this project will be clearly defined in that it is to strictly > provide positive movie recommendations to users who have **inputted** a > sufficient amount of data.


What is the correct way to express the ordinal form of a large number?

If I want to express... > The 1114th person ...with the number in words, would it be best to do... > The one thousand, one hundred and fourteenth person ...or hyphenated... > The one-thousand-one-hundred-and-fourteenth person ...or something else?


'Did see' and 'Saw'

The blog post here uses the title > “Isn’t this just the cutest thing you ever **did see**?” I am sure this is correct, but my question is, but what difference it would have made had he used the following version instead: > “Isn’t this just the cutest thing you ever **saw**?”


Transitive verb meaning "to author a strong and direct refutation of or response to"

Wiktionary defines _polemic_ as: > A strong verbal or written attack on someone or something. I need a verb that means "to write a polemic of". Anyone knows one?


Proper placement of suffix while using the first name only

Ordering a gravestone and want to make sure the suffix is used correctly. While the last name is on the bottom to be shared by spouse, I need to put Edward H. II up top. The proper name is Edward H. Jones II.


Etymology/word formation of "program" (as in computer program)

The word is obviously derived from the noun 'programme' however I can't work out which way it's most likely to have been created. I'm thinking its either descended from the British spelling of the 'programme' and is therefore a semantic shift and a clipping or is was formed in America where the spelling is "program" for all meanings of the noun and is therefore only a semantic shift. I'm thinking of the former as the other tenses of the words eg 'programming' and 'programmed' still contain the double 'm' but I'm unsure. Any help?


"Heat up" or "heat"

It seems they have same meaning but why are we using the phrasal verb? Or they have same meaning?


Adverbial clause of concession in brackets?

I am doing a formal scientific paper writing and unsure of the following sentence: > The representatives are visualized as the skeleton of the corridors (not > necessarily the centerlines though). As can be inferred, the adverbial clause of concession in the brackets is not important enough to make me bring it out. It just acts like a tip. I wish to know whether this way of expressing concession is correct or not. Is there any way of improving it?


Using "get" in place of "start"

Can we make up such a sentence which means "start liking something"? > I get to like this pastry. And also should it be "get to like" or "get liking"?


Words Inspired by Television

In 2001, the word "d'oh" was added to the Oxford English Dictionary after years and years of being Homer Simpson's catchphrase on the American TV show _The Simpsons_. Are there any other words that were popularized by a television show or movie enough to be officially included in the English language? I am not aware of any, but surely there must be a few others.


Trailer vs. Teaser?

I've often seen that films have _trailers_ and music tracks have _teasers_. Is there really a major difference? Which one would be better for a piece of a music track?


"Currently, sales report .... " vs. "Currently, THE sales report ..."

I read and compared with this question: Are there any simple rules for article usage ("a" vs "the" vs none) However, either I am missing something here ... or the first construction is plainly wrong with regard to the answer given there (and still heavily misused all around). In constructions like this one: "Currently, sales report is executed automatically every hour" vs. "Currently, THE sales report is executed automatically every hour" ... I see both versions around quite frequently, both with or without "the". Do I understand correct that according to the answer given on the other thread, only the second approach is correct?


Is usage of "near to" wrong?

Is usage of _near to_ wrong? For example, which is correct? > This place is **near to** London. > > This place is **near** London.


Why “What if I told you…” and not “What if I tell you…”?

Exactly in which category of grammar does this type of sentence fall? > What if I told you … Why don't we use _tell_ instead of _told_ , as it sounds this event has happened in past. Can anyone explain this in detail?


By some counts, only 600 of the 6,000 or ___ languages in the world are “safe” from the threat of extinction

On my exam I had this sentence: By some counts, only 600 of the 6,000 or **_____** languages in the world are “safe” from the threat of extinction. The answer (fill in the blank) is "so", which I believe might be replaced with "less" or "more", since all 3 make sense. Can someone confirm this, since this is the official exam in my country and I have 1 more day to file my complaint. Thanks in advance!


How to describe the smell of a stagnant pond in hot climate?

When you have a stagnant pool of water (like a pond) in a hot climate, the water smells a bit. Stale perhaps, but not quite reeks or stinks or foul. How do you best describe this smell?


Change "The boys kicked the ball through the window" into passive voice

I was wondering which one would feel more natural. >   1. The ball was kicked through the window by the boys. >   2. The ball was kicked by the boys through the window. > Personally I feel "kicked" should be followed immediately by "the boys". But I'm not a native English speaker, so I would like your opinion. Also, it said in the direction that it's not always necessary to include who carried out the action. Should I include it here? Thank you.


Indefinite Article Preceding Noun "Wind"

It's common to say "a gentle wind", but is it OK to say "a wind"? I just noticed that there's a novel named "A Wind in the Door", in which case I guess "A" could be used here due to the modifying "in the Door". So in general, can the article "a" be used to modify "wind"? In which case yes? In which case no?


AmE Phonetics: T-voicing after <l>

Cut to the chase: While listening Eminem's track _Headlights_ I've noticed a kinda voicing process in the sentence "You're still beautiful to me" around 1:13 on the song, where the preposition seems to be pronounced with a voiced sound. Could somebody clarify the issue in phonetic terms? You can listen to the record here


“If that was/were the case”

The subject: "We have never voted on ethics and morals." Which is correct?   1. If that was the case    2. If that were the case


Why do prehistoric animals seem to lack articles?

Why do we say "this is a cat" or "this is a forty spotted pardalote" but "this is velociraptor" with no _the_ or _a_?


Difference Between "View" and "Viewpoint"?

Suppose the context is people giving their opinions in a discussion. How are " _view_ " and " _viewpoint_ " different? Some dictionaries seem to say they are the same. What do native speakers think?


Why is it “the worst round one care to remember”?

I am interested in the usage of “care to infinitive verb” in the following sentence in Jeffery Archer’s fiction, “Kane & Abel”: > “By the time they reached the eighteenth, Alan was eight holes down, and was > about to complete **the worst round he cared to remember**. He had a five- > foot putt that would at least enable him to halve the final hole.” Oxford Dictionary and another dictionary at hand define “care for/to do something” as “like or be willing to do or have something.” It sounds somewhat logically uncomfortable to me. We want to erace unpleasant memory _by human nature._ If it is the worst round (or thing), don’t we hate to remember instead of ‘care (willing) to remember,’ and in Alan’s case, “Alan was about to complete the worst round he’d never care to remember? Or, is this just the same logic with the expression, “It’s the last thing I hope,” meaning 'I **never** hope it.'


"Loosen up", "tighten up"

"To loosen up" means "to become not nervous". Could the phrase "to tighten up" be a good opposite and mean "to become nervous"?


Complacency vs complacence, stagnancy vs stagnance, etc

I could only find this blog that suggests that complacence is " _is a calm satisfaction with oneself_ " whereas " _complacency means a self-satisfaction but coupled with a lack of awareness of what is happening around it._ " Is there a difference between the two and if not, is one more proper than the other? What would be the grammatical term for such a difference in the ending of a word? I just remembered that stagnation is probably the preferred word, so perhaps ignore the stagnancy vs stagnance part (stagnancy seems to be entirely incorrect anyway).


we don't ride same day

A USA friend say that we don't ride same day, we saddle. Does he mean we have time difference? I know the meaning of'ride' and 'saddle', but I don't know they can be used like this.


What is the usage of "need to want"?

**_"Indeed, whoever buys this needs to want a tablet and laptop in more or less equal measure."_** "Needs to want"? Isn't it a kind of unnecessary way around saying: _"I think that people buy this if they want a tablet and laptop in more or less equal measure."_? Or am I missing something?


What is the right verb to use in “I have just ( ) 15?

I was baffled when I happened to pick up an English drill book of my granddaughter who is high schooler, and found a question asking to fill the sentence, “I have just ( ) 15.” I’ve never thought of seriously what is the right word to use to express reaching a certain age. Though it must be a self-evident question, I, as a non-native English speaker am not confident of what is the right answer to this question, when asked in face. Is it ‘gotten’, ‘been’, ‘reached’, ‘grown to’, ‘come off, become’ or what else? What is the right verb?


What is the opposite of "digital"?

I was reading an article: > While Bitcoin's power lies in its ability to transfer fast and securely > through software, the rest of the financial world does not operate like that > (contrary to popular opinion). **Money is surprisingly analog in many ways, > and scarily digital in others.** Is analog actually the opposite of digital? What other better alternatives are there?


What is the correct grammar?

Which phrase is correct grammar? At a recent funeral of a married couple whu died 2 days apart, the funeral home printed the following phrase on the bulletin. "2 life's well lived" Or "2 lives well lived" Which phrase is the correct grammar? Thank you


Why “can” not “could” in “She was one of those people who can. . . .”?

The following sentence is from George Orwell’s _Nineteen Eighty-Four_, occurring in chapter 5 of part 2: > She was one of those people who can go to sleep at any hour and in any > position. Why is _who can_ grammatically correct when used with _was_? Shouldn’t it be _who could_?


"Such being..."

I read in Ivanhoe by Walter Scott the following: > Such being our chief scene, the date of our story refers to a period towards > the end of the reign of Richard I.,... I'm curious about the construction at the beginning of the sentence: _Such being our chief scene..._. I have a general understanding, but how should I parse it? What is the tense? Is it a kind of adverbial clause? How could this be restated?


What is another word for amount that doesn't mean a portion or dose?

The word amount means a " _quantity of something, typically the total of a thing or things in number, size, value, or extent._ " - Google. It gives the feeling of a contained amount of something. I need a word that doesn't give the meaning of contained amount, but it should mean an uncertain amount that'll only keep rising. For example a daily " _dose_ " means a daily fixed amount. I need is to say, " _your daily _ of technology_ " so dose doesn't fit there and amount doesn't either. **EDIT:** It should mean something like: _Receive your exceptional, daily _ of technology._ In the context of a subscription form.


How should we put a website address into a sentence?

Is the following a right way to put a website address in a sentence?               You can visit the website http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/ask for English          grammar problems.


Un-(adjective) but In-(noun) -- does it ever go the other way?

Many pairs of words use un- as a prefix for the preferred adjective but in- as a prefix for the preferred noun (e.g. unstable/instability, unequal/inequality, unable/inability, unjust/injustice, ungrateful/ingratitude). I was wondering if anyone has encountered the reverse phenomenon? Where the in- is a prefix for the preferred adjective but un- is the prefix for the preferred noun? If not, any explanations?


Pronunciation of "the" before a long u sound

All my life I have been hearing and pronouncing /ði/(unstressed) in "the US", "the UK" and "the UN", but I'm not sure that was correct. How do you pronounce "the" before a long u sound? I searched questions and answers in this forum and over the Internet, but could not find any _rules_.


"Borrow me" vs. "Lend me"?

Is it appropriate to say "Can you borrow me your ax?" instead of "Can you lend me your ax?" I hear the prior usage in the Upper Midwest quite often.


Quintessential vs essential?

While quintessential means 'representing the most perfect or typical example of a quality or class' [OED], it defines essential as 'absolutely necessary; extremely important'. I have noticed frequent instances of the two being used interchangeably. How did this come about?


Can the word 'formatting' be used as a noun?

Can the word `formatting` be used as a noun like in the following sentence:               Consider the formatting of this JavaScript code...      Or is it a gerund which should be used without an article:               Consider formatting of this JavaScript code...      Here is the context of the example sentence.


Do you "call an audible" when you "play it by ear"?

I recently overheard the phrase, "call an audible" and mentally likened it to, "play it by ear." But when I went to look it up, I discovered that the general consensus is that the former hails from (American) football, whereas the latter takes its cue from music. Surely two such similar phrases have common etymology! Alas, I cannot find any evidence of it on the Internet. Does anyone here?


Is this a correct latitude and longitude notation?

Is the example below correct notation of latitude and longitude in English?               Coordinates:    50.0833 x 14.4667 (latitude x longitude)      Thanks! (I hope the question is still in the scope of this website.)


Is there an "opposite" to the idiom "throwing the baby out with the bathwater"?

"Throwing the baby out with the bathwater" means that something essential is lost in the process of getting rid of something unwanted (and relatively minor). I'm looking for a phrase that means that one brings something greatly negative upon oneself in the process of obtaining something that is wanted (and relatively minor). Is there one? EDIT: Slight elaboration: The phrase should mean that the process of obtaining A (the relatively minor positive thing) unavoidably brings with it B (the big negative thing). It is entirely possible that A might be obtained in another way, by the way. As I write that, I think I know the phrase, but I'm not sure it exists in English (I'm Swedish). It is something to do with fixing minor problems with hand grenades, e.g. "Like fighting house rats with hand grenades". I don't know if there is an original, standard version however. Has anyone got an idea?


Meaning of "deep pointlessness"

From the last line of About Me page of Martin Fowlers' website : > I enjoy living in the US even though I miss the beer, the deep pointlessness > of Cricket, and the English countryside. If he feels that the game of cricket is pointless why would he say that he is missing it or am I missing something here ?


Can 'see' meaning 'meet' be used intransitively in the same way?

This sentence came up in a conversation with a friend... > What time are we going to see? When I asked what it was we were going to see, he explained that he was using 'see' to mean 'meet'. So he was asking when we were going to meet... At that point a full blown argument started about the validity of using see for meet in this exact structure. My question is... is this sentence structure with the intention of meaning MEET correct? can SEE ever be used to mean MEET in the exact way above? I am not asking about informal or spoken language or implied meanings. I want to know if this is a valid in a formal written communication.


what is the name or term for someone with a faulty way of arguing?

What would be the term for some one. for example , who starts an argument by suggesting something absurd, or exaggerated - then as soon as i begin to speak OR begin to point out how obvious the suggestion\claim\grievance is nonsense by ways of simple fact - interrupted because "they dont want to argue" , and i started the argument in the first place, henceforth leaving me the one guilty starting an argument which i have also now lost??? or someone whos method of arguing is not giving the opposing person any chance to say anything, interrupting before 3 or 4 words are said in defense?


Can the word "cloister" be applied to a Buddhist monastery?

My mother told me she visited a Buddhist monastery (before I was born), simply because there were so many of them in China, and it couldn't hurt just to visit one and check it out for fun. She didn't exactly use the term "Buddhist monastery", because she described a place where Buddhist monks and nuns bow down to the Buddha with incense sticks. I inferred that she went to a Buddhist monastery and went to Yabla Chinese to search for the appropriate English words. Anyway, is it appropriate to call this building a _cloister_ , even though it may not have a cloister? Or are cloisters only referring to a specific type of monastic building that was prevalent in Medieval Europe?


Do the -ing and to-infinitive "verbs" that follow catenative verbs always take the grammatical function of "noun"?

I'm wondering whether or not the verb form that follows a catenative verb has the grammatical function of a noun or of a verb, and whether or not it depends on the first catenative verb. "I like to run" "I like running" the -ing and the to infinitive can easily be switched in this sentence, and it seems to be implying "I like [the act of[running]]", so both the infinitive and the gerund are nouns. "I like to run marathons"/"I like running marathons" These seem like they might still be nouns but need "verb powers" to take the object, and then these sentences really turn into "I like [the act of [running marathons]]"/ "I like [to be in the state of [running marathons]]". Is this true for both the -ing (and so it would be a gerund) and the to- infinitive? Are they, sort of, initially verbs so that they can take the object, and then the verb + object becomes a noun phrase? If this is true, I'm also wondering if the same rules apply for a catenative verb such as "start". "I started to run in the mornings" "I started running marathons in 2008" "start" is a catenative verb that isn't a cognitive/emotion verb, and specifically suggests action. So what is the grammatical function of the to- infinitive and -ing verb forms? are they verbs? are they nouns? It just seems incorrect to say that their grammatical function is a noun, but everything I've seen on the internet is pretty vague. I've also seen that to-infinitives are _never_ verbs, but only from one source and it just doesn't seem right to me. So any ideas on the true grammatical function of the -ing and the to- infinitive after a catenative verb? And is it universal across catenative verbs, or does it depend on the verb category?


Extending a sentence with a semicolon

Which version is better, grammatically? How can I improve this? Is the grammar legal? I want to extend the end of a sentence, like so- "Life means I have a choice at every turn; every moment." "Life means I have a choice at every turn, every moment."


Is there a term to refer to the potential of something to be repeated (or not)?

Like, say an ordered pair can have repeats such as (1,1), whereas a set can't - {1,1} isn't a valid set. I don't mean a word to describe whether a thing has or has not been repeated, but whether it's possible for a particular thing to be repeated. (1,0) is an ordered pair without any repeat elements, but because it's an ordered pair, it's elements _could've_ been repeated. A set's elements would never have this possibility. The closest word I could come up with is just "repetitive", but that's not quite right - saying (1,0) was repetitive would likely raise eyebrows, so I've since dismissed it.


Looking for a dictionary that would provide information on the "flavor" of the word

I'm working on my chatbot program and it could really use an extension to its vocabulary. Currently it picks words out of a list of just a few hundred, all entries containing data like the word itself, the context this particular entry applies for, how polite, blunt, fancy or aggressive (and many other characterizing attributes on a scale of 0 to 1) it is. All painstakingly filled out by myself. Since by my estimate, to cover the whole of commonly used English, the database would need at least 600,000 entries, doing that my myself would be madness. I'm looking for resources to pull on, anything that describes words with numbers or at least booleans (like for instance this word is nice and this one is not so nice). Doesn't matter if the format is ready to be fed into a number crunching machine, I can build my own parser for that. Thanks in advance.


What is the exclamation "have at you" actually saying?

I recently encountered the phrase "have at you". I know it's generally used as an exclamation, that is shouted when someone is about to attack someone else. Wiktionary seems to agree with me: > **Interjection** > > **have at you** > > (dated) An exclamation indicating that one is about to strike the person > addressed, typically with a sword or other hand-held weapon. > > [ _quotations_ ] > > -Dark and sinister man, have at thee. Barrie JM (1904), Peter Pan. And it got me thinking.... What does the phrase actually mean? Who or what is being "had"? Acccording to RegDwighт, As well as being used by J.M. Barrie, "Have at you" is also used in Shakespeare: >   * "Have at you now!" — Hamlet > >   * "Have at you with a proverb [...] Have at you with another;" — Comedy of > Errors > >   * "Have at you!" — Henry VIII > >   * "Have at you, then, affection's men at arms." — Love's Labour's Lost > >   * "Then have at you with my wit!" — Romeo and Juliet > >   * "since you have begun, / Have at you for a bitter jest or two." — Taming > of the Shrew > >   * "Come, both you cogging Greeks; have at you both!" — Troilus and > Cressida. > So where on earth did this phrase come from?


"North Building" or "the North Building"?

Our company has two buildings and they are referred to in internal communications in various forms. e.g., "the north building", "the North building" and "the North Building". I am aware that "north" as a direction is not capitalised. In our case the building names are North Building and South Building so both words should be capitalised. Should the definite article be dropped? e.g., "Please proceed to North Building." vs. "Please proceed to the North Building." Any examples?


What's the word for paper "decaying"?

Imagine an old map, a map with a path to a treasure, like the ones you remember from cartoons. The map's partially destroyed, because it's so old, and it has been exposed to air, and heat, and water, and people touching it, you name it. My question is: what **happened** to the paper? Which **verb** describes it best? I mean the proces of paper getting thinner and more delicate, to the point where a touch can make it turn into powder. Does paper _decay_? _Decompose_? I guess not in this case, as the two IMHO refer to what happens when bacteria "feed" on organic matter. So what is it?


Usage of the word suicide - validity of 'suiciding'

Is 'suiciding' a valid word by itself ? I have very rarely come across suicide being used in this form. Mostly, you see it being used with the prefix 'commit' as in 'committing suicide' rather than 'suiciding'.(The dictionary editor flags the words 'suiciding' and 'suicided' in red anyway!) I want to know if it is valid but very rarely used, or if it is wrong alltogether.


"Best is enemy of the good" (Russian idiom/saying)

What are English equivalents for following Russian idiom: "best is enemy of the good"? In Russian it means that if you are going too much after perfection you may make things even worse instead of achieving of something good.


What is Poetry? What does not count as Poetry? Help me get a grasp of it

**Background:** Yesterday afternoon I overheard two people chatting, I think one was reading or reciting a poem. It was quite emotional, and actually quite lovely. Later I saw several poems on TEDTalks and a few poems on youtube by Sylvia Plath. All lovely stuff, never thought I would be so into it! But for the last four hours (it's 4am now) I've been trying to get to grips with what Poetry actually is... a google "define:poem" did not give me much closure: > poem: a piece of writing in which the expression of feelings and ideas is > given intensity by particular attention to diction (sometimes involving > rhyme), rhythm, and imagery. The deinition feels too vague I mean even this post could count as a poem then surely. I thought perhaps instead of a definition I could get more of a intuition by watching and reading several commentaries and critiques of Sylvia Plath's poems... but I am left with more questions than answers and I am not even sure what I heard yesterday was a poem anymore. I feel like I am over-thinking it and going mad now, maybe it's just a useful name for a type of thing one can only learn to get a feel for when one reads more of them? **Questions:**   * What is a poem?    * When it (whatever it is) does not rhyme how do I **know** it is a poem?    * If I write my thoughts onto a page is that a poem?    * If so then why call them poems? Why give them such a fancy name, why not just call them artistic thoughts?


Why is “accidentally” pronounced “accident-ly” instead of “accident-tal-y”?

Why is _accidentally_ pronounced _accident-ly_ and not _accident- **tal** -ly_? Incidentally, some other adverbs have this same phenomenon, where some dictionaries show the second-to-last syllable as being optional.


Correct expression for "time of the day" greetings?

What is the correct description of good morning/good evening/good afternoon, etc? Are they called _greetings of the day_ , or _time of the day_ greetings? If not, what are they called?


Why is the “L” silent when pronouncing “salmon”?

Why is the letter _l_ silent when pronouncing _salmon_ properly?


Is "I'm not racist, but ..." more common in Australian English than other dialects?

Is the phrase "I'm not racist, but ..." more common in Australian English than other dialects? The phrase is used as a prefix to something that's likely to be interpreted as racist, probably because it is. Urban Dictionary entry, Things Bogan Like entry. Both "I am not racist but" and "I'm not racist but" flatlined when looking at "American English" in Google NGram, but "I'm not racist but" got a graph when looking at "British English", which may suggest its usage varies. If it's uncommon in American English, what are some more common phrases in American English? I wouldn't use it to preface something, but more to draw an analogy about someone who says that he or she isn't prejudiced against (some people), but ...


"High-schooler" vs. "high schooler"

My initial attempt to settle the question with a google search didn't help as much as I'd hoped:   * A search for 'high schooler' revealed approximately **4%** of results employing the hyphenated form.   * A search for 'middle schooler' revealed a significantly higher rate: **20%** of entries employed the hyphenated form. (Including this recent article.)   * A search for 'elementary schooler' revealed no use of the hyphenated "elementary-schooler" within the first 100 entries. (I stopped looking after that.) So, effectively, **less than 1%**. Based on this search, it would seem that "middle-schooler" is somewhat acceptable and "elementary-schooler" is not acceptable. "High-schooler", however, is unclear. What I'm needing to decide right now regards the usage of "high-schooler" which I personally prefer to "high schooler". **Even though google search trends suggest "high schooler" is used much more frequently, can I get away with using the hyphenated form as a stylistic choice?** My feeling is that if "middle-schooler" is allowed, then "high-schooler" should be just as permissible. After all, someday I might have to type something about a "high high schooler", and I'll wish I had been using the hyphenated form all along.


Where does the phrase "the bee's knees" originate from?

So the phrase "the bee's knees" approximately means "it's fantastic" (my definition at least!). But how did this phrase come about?


Is 'until' a tautology?

The OED's definition of the word 'until' lists the following as its etymology: > Middle English: from Old Norse und 'as far as' + till (the sense thus > _duplicated_ ) Etymonline similarly states: > c.1200, from O.N. _und_ "as far as, _up to_ " (related to O.E. end; see end) > + till "until, _up to_ ". Looking at the two entries, it seems that until is made up of two roots which mean the same thing, rendering the word something of a tautology (' _up to up to_ '). Or does it? Etymonline also states that it is related to the word _end_ which would effectively make the etymology of _until_ mean, ' _up to the end_ '. This makes some sort of sense. The OED (online), however, does not list _until_ as being related to _end_. Moreover, Etymonline does not mention _und_ in its entry for _end_ either, which makes things a little confusing. So, is _until_ something of a tautology? If so, is it unique in this aspect?


On the brink/verge/edge of

With _on the brink/verge/edge of_ , is there a distinct difference between these, or do they have more or less the same meaning? Which one is the most informal? Is it all about context?


At/For a Distance Of

Somebody asked me about the usage of the word _distance_ in a sentence. I have my own ideas about it, particularly the difference between _at a distance of_ and _for a distance of._ Unfortunately, I’m afraid that the whole answer is in fact connected to something else: a bit of knowledge of road markings perhaps. So I hesitate to talk about only the grammar aspect. My friend wants to express this: > Do not paint 50 m on the right and left sides from the ends of the ramp, and > plus the width of the ramp. My friend thinks she can say this: > Do not paint the edge line of the road along every ramp **at** a distance of > 50 m on the right and left turns. This is how far I’ve gotten in reconstructing it in my head: > Do not paint the edgelines of the road **for** a distance of 50 m on both > sides of a ramp Am I still on the right track?


What is the meaning of "pole of time" here?

In the translation of a story by Daniil Kharms, I see the following sentence: > Thirty-five poles of time elapsed and mine host brought Ivan Ivanovich his > entrecote on a round wooden platter. Two phrases are not clear to me in this context. The first one is "poles of time". Does that mean "units of time"? If so, the sentence starts with "Thirty-five units of time elapsed..." which is not an unusual expression for a Kharms story (but, I suppose, an unusual one in general). The second phrase is "mine host". Here, "host" is the host of a hostelry. Is this an old saying/ phrase that's used when telling stories? The full text of the story can be found at http://chneukirchen.org/tmp/www.geocities.com/Athens/8926/Kharms/Incidences.html towards the end of the page.


What does this proverb mean and what is the origin

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  What does this mean: ‘Chuck Norris can lead a horse to water AND make it > drink’? Why is it funny? > You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink


Looking for a word for a rodent

I am looking for a name of a rodent. It is two words of three letters each. The rodent is somehow related to the rat and guinea pig and "it is not white coated despite its name". The question comes from the game IAssociate, so the rodent is probably popular in the United States.


Why do we call some full moons "blue" when they're not?

I've heard the phrase "once in a blue moon" used to mean "once in a great while". Looking it up on Wikipedia revealed that "blue moon" originally meant the third full moon in a season with four full moons, but that a popular mistake caused it to mean the second full moon in a calendar month (which is a definition I'd heard before). But that didn't dispel all my curiosity: I've seen a "blue moon", and it's not any bluer than any normal full moon. So why is it called "blue"? Wikipedia becomes vague here: > The most literal meaning of _blue moon_ is when the moon (not necessarily a > full moon) appears to a casual observer to be unusually bluish, which is a > rare event. The effect can be caused by smoke or dust particles in the > atmosphere, as has happened after forest fires in Sweden and Canada in 1950 > and 1951, and after the eruption of Krakatoa in 1883, which caused the moon > to appear blue for nearly two years. Other less potent volcanos have also > turned the moon blue.   >  ...The key to a blue moon is having lots of particles slightly wider than > the wavelength of red light (0.7 micrometre)--and no other sizes present. > This is rare, but volcanoes sometimes produce such clouds, as do forest > fires. What does the color of the moon after forest fires or volcanoes have to do with its name when it happens to be the third full moon in a season with four full moons?


"Today is Joe's birthday" or "Joe's birthday is today"

Perhaps some of you have already observed that Facebook reminds one of friends' birthdays using > [xyz]'s birthday is today. To my ears, > Today is [xyz]'s birthday sounds better. I guess both usages are correct. But which one is preferable?


Etymology of "Points" as a mark or unit of scoring

What is the etymology of the word "points" when used as a mark or unit of scoring. (i.e. "If you answer this question correctly you will get points").


"He does more than (is) necessary."

Can someone diagram the sentences   1. He does more than necessary.   2. He does more than is necessary. please? (Say, using an X-bar tree.) Also, there seems to be a secondary clause in the sentences (or at least in 2): what's the name of that kind of clause?


Ordering of English sound changes in verbal morphology

As we all know, the Early Modern English 3sg verbal ending _-eth_ has become _-s_ in Modern English. This presumably happened in two steps:   1. Elision of the unstressed _e_ in the final syllable   2. Changing final _-th_ to _-s_. But do we know **what order** these changes happen in? Do we find intermediate forms like _speak'th_ (with elided vowel but no consonant change) or _speakes_ (with consonant change but the vowel preserved)?


What does it mean to mind your P's and Q's?

During office discussion two turns of phrase came up in close proximity: "peace and quiet" shortly followed by "mind your P's and Q's". What is the meaning of P's and Q's? I wondered if it might be related to peace and quiet.


Should I use adjacent parentheses or a semicolon (or something else)?

In scientific writing it is common to use parentheses to refer to the details of statistical analyses at the end of a sentence. However, it is also common to refer to figures or tables this way. Often I find that the same sentence requires both a reference to statistical details and a figure (example below). Should I use adjacent parenthetical references or separate the statistical information from the figure reference with a semicolon? > Treatment A contained significantly greater mass than treatment B (p = > 0.001)(Figure 1). OR > Treatment A contained significantly greater mass than treatment B (p = > 0.001; Figure 1).


what is the meaning of "shrink with intimacy"? Borderlands are where the space between two individuals shrinks with intimacy is it meaning that it cause friendship between people


Do native speakers ever use the expression "problems crop up"?

I would like to ask you if the expression "problems crop up" is ever used by native speakers or if it's some kind of an archaism. Whilst being quite a nice expression, I have never heard it before.


should I use a colon or semicolon here?

My sentence (roughly—it's in a scientific document and i have simplified somewhat): > It is more relevant to calculate A relative to B: although C filters the > observation, B describes the true information content. Do you think I should replace the colon with a semicolon? I used a colon because the latter part of the sentence is an explanation of the first clause. Someone has suggested a semicolon instead.


What does the phrase "trying to snow" mean?

What does the phrase _trying to snow_ mean? E.g., > Trying to snow the audience ... I think it is more of a slang usage. I am looking for a meaning other than weather related.


"to be of" vs "to be"

> [Finally, Marshall pointed to the judge's oath ... Part of the core of this > reasoning is found in the following statements from the decision: (source, > around fifteen lines above the heading Criticism) > >> ...   >  So, if a law [e.g., a statute or treaty] be in opposition to the > Constitution, if both the law and the Constitution apply to a particular > case, so that the Court must either decide that case conformably to the law, > disregarding the Constitution, or conformably to the Constitution, > disregarding the law, the Court must determine which of these conflicting > rules governs the case. This is ♦ **of** the very essence of judicial duty. > If, then, the Courts are to regard the Constitution, and the Constitution is > superior to any ordinary act of the Legislature, the Constitution, and not > such ordinary act, must govern the case to which they both apply. Would someone please explain the preposition _of_? Is the word _part_ missing at the lozenge? What would change or differ without _of_? I'm asking about English and not about law.


"brain-cramp" vs "blank-out"

When mind lapses instantly I call it blank-out. Recently I have come across brain-cramp and it is providing almost same meaning as blank-out. Are both same ? Cramp word is not playing big heavy dice here? Since English is not my native language that is why I am asking this.


Antonym of heartbreaker?

In one of my short stories, I have to compare a guy who is a heartbreaker to someone who is exactly the opposite of him. Instead of describing the opposite character of the guy, I am looking for a word that I can give to this non- hearbreaker character.


Being Clever vs Being Wise

A sage is wise. That young woman is clever. Both of them (I think) are good at not getting into unwanted trouble, and both are good at solving problems. So.. Is there a difference between being clever and being wise?


"Which do you like best?" or "Which do you like most?"

Is there any difference in usage between these two sentences? >   * Which do you like best? >   * Which do you like most? > I've read there is a slight difference in usage - a subtlety - and would like to hear what native speakers have to say about it in 2014.


What is the difference between "not that X is going to Y" and "X is not going to Y"?

>   * Not that running away is going to solve everything. >   * Running away is not going to solve everything. > I am not a native speaker. Is there a difference between the two?


How to say in a formal way that a car outside of the building is ready?

At work today I wanted to tell our guests that a car was waiting for them. Is there a formal way to say that? Are "The car is waiting for you" and "The car is ready" correct?


"I (had) hated her for long before we split" — Simple Past or Past Perfect?

I'm not certain whether using 'had hated' here is totally correct or not. And if it is not, please explain why.


Analyzing Will Ferrell's "I Thought" joke

I'm reading Will Ferrell's Twitter where he wrote > Just thought a thought but the thought I thought wasn't the thought I > thought I thought. Does the sentence still have the same meaning if you remove the last "I thought"? Is this grammatical word play possible with other words? Is there a name for this other than a play on words?


What does ‘Long on looks, short on spirit’ mean?

I found the phrase ‘Long on looks, short on spirit’ in the Washington Post article written by Ann Hornaday (http://www.washingtonpost.com/gog/movies/jane-eyre,1164774/critic- review.html#reviewNum1). What does ‘ _Long on looks, short on spirit_ ’ mean? To me it sounds like saying ‘Have a big picture, but be realistic’, but I don’t know. Is this a well-worn English cliché or Charlotte Bronte’s coinage? In what occasion can I use this phrase?


Finish off your meal, or finish up your meal?

In the situation where you want to tell a kid about the expected order of activities, which phrasal verb is correct?   1. You have to _finish **off_** your meal before you may watch the movie. or   2. You have to _finish **up_** your meal before you may watch the movie.


Is 'doo' a cajun term of endearment?

Paul Simon's zydeco-flavored song _That Was Your Mother_ starts like this: > A long time ago, yeah > > Before you was born dude > > When I was still single > > And life was great ... At least these are the lyrics that I find online. The use of "dude" strikes me as unlikely, incongruous, and sort of funny. Anyway, I don't hear "dude", I hear "doo". It seems to fit the song better if that phrase is a Cajun term of endearment. Is there such a term in the Cajun dialect?


Which cardinal came first: the priest, the bird, or the color?

I'm wondering about the etymology of the word _cardinal_. I know that _cardinal_ can refer to any of the following:   * A top-level priest in the Catholic church that sometimes wears red and a crested hat   * A bird that is red in color and has a crested head   * The color red, worn by both Catholic cardinals and cardinal birds Clearly each definition is related to the others, but in which order did these definitions come to be?


A machine spits out the product

So what's the opposite of feeding material to a machine? Are products ejected or discharged? While I think this may apply to a fast process where the product gets tossed out or dumped onto a hopper/bin, what is an appropriate term for a slower process? > The oven __ the pizza.   >  The pizza is __ from/by the oven.


Semantics and frequency of use of different adverb orderings

Is there any semantic difference between these two sentences? Also, is any of them more "correct" or frequently used than the other? > This problem **has been recently** addressed by several authors **vs** > This problem **has recently been** addressed by several authors


Difference between "at date" and "to date"

Two Examples: >   * It is the social networking giant's biggest acquisition **to date**. > >   * The deal to buy it includes $4bn in cash... plus an additional $3 > billion in stock to WhatsApp's founders and employees **at a later date.** > >


Does "unfold with something" mean "unfold like something"?

Here's a sentence I don't completely understand. > The story leaps back and forth in time with crisp juxtaposing of scenes set > in disparate places. The production nevertheless unfolds with the seamless > fluidity of one of those electronic stock tickers smoothly spinning out > numbers on financial news channels. In this, does "unfolds with the fluidity" mean "unfold like the fluidity"? Or does it mean "the production made the work with the fluidity..."? Or something else?


Meaning of "as close as you can get with safe sex"

What does "as close as you can get with safe sex" mean? I read this sentence in "Hannibal" from Thomas Harris, the original is > Our informant's close to the family situation, like, he's very close, as > close as you can get with safe sex. Is this phrase an idiom?


'In a form' or 'of a form': how to express that something must conform to a given format?

Which one is valid: > A date field should be in a form 'MM/DD/YYYY'. or > A date field should be of a form 'MM/DD/YYYY'.


Is 'what' both relative adjective and relative pronoun?

> The body was no longer twitching. The skin had taken on a milky bluish > tinge. The corner of the mouth seemed to have stopped bleeding, and **what** > little blood **was** still visible now **appeared** very slightly darker and > thicker, although the red, green and amber bulbs of the footlights might be > influencing my color perception.   >  [ _The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag_ ] There are two verbs after what-phrase. In this case, (1) is relative pronoun ‘that’ omitted after blood, or (2) does ‘what’ take two roles of a relative adjective and relative pronoun?


Is there a term for using a word twice in a row, but in a grammatically-appropriate way?

For example: "I could tell he had had a great time at the circus." If you're not repeating the word for emphasis, is there a term for the sequential usage, other than "coincidence"?


Can "make something out of ..." mean what I want to mean here?

Life for this sparrow is very hard, but even so, she had a pleasant character. Then an eagle fell in love with her. He explained to her: > I did not adore you because you could **make an adorable sparrow merely out > of discomfort** , distress, and even sorrow. No, you could not. I love you > because you had built such an attractive and agreeable character, on such an > imperfect and precarious basis. （self-made） My purpose is to say that adversities themselves did not make the sparrow cute, but the fact that she became a cute on adverse conditions. I doubt that “make… out of” means the same as “build…on the basis of”, and thus that all my words finally means nothing.


Why is “stuck in a rut” different from “stuck in a groove” in meaning even though “rut” and “groove” are akin as a line of track?

I found the expression “the economy remains _stuck in a rut_ ,” in the article titled ”What would Maynard Keynes tell us to do now – and should we listen?” which appeared in October 10 issue of New Yorker. It appears in the following sentence: > “In such a (depressed) situation, the economy could easily _remain stuck in > a rut_ , until some outside agency – the government was Keynes’s favored > candidate – intervened and spurred spending.” From the above context, I guess “remain (be) stuck in a rut” means “remains at the standstill” or “caught in quagmire.” I consulted both Cambridge and Merriam-Webster Dictionary to make sure of my interpretation, neither of which has entry of “ stuck in a rut,” while the former carries “ _stuck in a groove_ ” with definition, “to be bored because of doing the same thing for long time". As I checked Google Ngram, emergence of both phrase of “stuck in a groove” and “stuck in a rut” were already observed in mid 1800s, but the usages of “stuck in a groove” picked up in and after 1940s and “stuck in a rut” in early 1960s. I wonder why “stuck in a rut,” of which usage is notably on increase for a half century is not registered in both well-known dictionaries (maybe I should ask this to the editors of both dictionaries, not EL&U users)? Hasn’t it still acquired enough currency as an idiom? If my interpretation of “stuck in a rut” “ as “remains at standstill” is in groove or passable, why the meaning of “stuck in a “rut” and “groove” turns out different even though using a similar “track” concept? Or, are they interchangeable?


Using "should be" meaning like "will be"?

CloudEdit is an extremely simple document editing app. Here are the specs: > Users should see a list of the latest documents. To edit, the user clicks > the document in the list. Users should be able to edit documents with a > title and body, and should be able to save their edits to the server. Users > should be able to create new documents. In the paragraph above, we can see that the auther using should be, but It's kind of means "will be", means something like "if you open it, you will see...blah". What is the grammar behind this?


A word for when a word is used incorrectly (grammatically) but can still be parsed in a grammatically correct way?

Does such a word exist? An example: _Do good._ Supposing that my intention in saying "Do good!" was actually "Do well (on your test)!", the sentence still parses correctly as "Do good (deeds)!" I will attempt to think of more examples and update this if/when I do. This seems related to a pun in some way, but I was unable to find information about it. (Without knowing the word to begin with, I find it very difficult to navigate wikipedia when looking for "pun-related" words. I.e. It took me forever to find _tom swifty_ and _paraprosdokian_.)


How to refer to the position where you bend to the floor with your hands covering your head?

So basically, the position you take while hiding under a table during an earthquake. I think it was something starting with "clu" or "cru"." Of course, I could be mistaken.


"aim life with money"

I am planning for a tattoo with image of target logo. and the caption I thought is " **Aim life with money** " Money being an arrow and the life being the "center of target". I wanna make a point as in.. "live life fullest and is only possible with money so focus on your career" Blah blah... **My question is am I getting it (the caption) right?** Well.. firstly I am not asking for tattoo advice.. **_I am comparing my caption with my intention._** Secondly.. I am 25. worked for 2 years.. and jobless since 1year.. and so missing all my outings, parties and FUN, unable to do whatever I want to, completely loaded up with responsibilities blah blah... Now trying to focus on something so that I can get back to my normal life but couldn't focus straight. I believe the sole purpose of life is on three cap letters **F-U-N** well I am missing it now just because of the above reasons.


"Are any classes taught on..." or "Is any class taught on..."

Should I say: "Are any classes taught on Wednesdays?" Or should I instead say "Is any class taught on Wednesdays?" Which one is correct/more appropriate?


Is "more informed decisions" or "better informed decisions" the more correct form?

I'm writing some copy for a marketing campaign that promotes the use of a software testing tool by demonstrating how the results of the tool provide you with a greater wealth of information on which to make business decisions. In relation to this, I'm using the term "informed decisions" and my initial wording included the phrase "help you make more informed decisions". The phrase "more informed decisions" is one that is common to me and from a Google search appears to be common in the context in which I am using it, that is to denote that with additional evidence a decision can be more informed than without. I considered whether this phrase runs the risk of being misinterpreted or being confusing due to a slight ambiguity. The phrase "more informed decisions" could be interpreted as meaning decisions that are more greatly informed, or it could be interpreted as a greater number of informed decisions (e.g. here is _one_ informed decision, here are _more_ informed decisions). I then considered the phrase "better informed decisions". I feel this has the same intended meaning but removes the above ambiguity. It could refer to decisions that are better informed or it could refer to informed decisions that are better. Both are on subject and would be fine to me. A quick Google search suggested that the phrase "more informed decisions" is significantly more commonly used than "better informed decisions". I have a feeling that "better informed" is more grammatically-correct than "more informed" although I have no formal basis for this. Out of the phases "more informed decisions" and "better informed decisions", is there a more correct form?


"Avenge" vs. "revenge"

The recent release of Avengers' Trailer reminds me of an old question which has puzzled me for long. What is the difference between _avenge_ and _revenge_? The translations in my language (Mandarin) for the two words are exactly the same.


"Benediction" vs. "blessing"

Is there a difference in meaning between the words _benediction_ and _blessing_? Why would one be used over the other?


Can "albeit" be used to reference something plural?

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Definition of "albeit" and how it's different from "although" (if it is)   >  Why don’t other pronouns get to albe-themselves, a la albeit’s “it”? _Albeit_ is defined as a way to express the phrase "although it be." But is it correct to use it to express "although they be"? E.g. > Their techniques were effective, albeit harsh. Would this be acceptable?


Why don’t other pronouns get to albe-themselves, à la albeit’s “it”?

* YES: "Euthanizing this particular kitten was a traumatic, **albeit** humane necessity."   * NO: "The geese, having pooped everywhere, made for hideous pets, **albethem** delicious as an entree."   * NO: "Most of the pigs were oblivious, **albethose** closer to the pen showed increasing anxiety." Why does _albeit_ have no pronoun kin? ( _Albeshe, albethis_ , etc.)


Is it correct to say "I fancy your photos"? If yes, what would that phrase mean? How different would the meaning be from "I like your photos"? In what context would "I fancy your photos" sound natural?


What would you call a person who is always confused?

It struck me today what would be the word for confused people. One of my friends is always confused in her daily life, she just can't decide what to do. If I call her, saying "you're a confused person" then it sounds more general. I am just wondering is there any single word for these kind of people?


Phrase to describe person who seeks 100% achievements in game

After completing a mission or beating a game, an achievement or trophy will pop up. How do I describe such a person who sticks with it, to unlocking all the achievements of a game, no matter what time or effort is required? I've considered **achievements maniac** or **achievements addictor**? Other options? **EDIT:** I mean to describe someone's personality. That kind of person maybe take too much time on beating challenges in game but never get bored - sort of perfectism and obsession. The word or phrase needs to be considered **derogatory**.


What does "and the like" mean?

What does `and the like` actually mean and how do I use that in a sentence properly?


Title starting by "questioning"

I'm writing an article which I entitled "Questioning theory X as the basis of theory Y". I no native speaker and I would like to know if such phrasing is correct in English.


How to correctly express an intention to work on a certain day instead of working on another day?

How to say "I will work on Saturday instead of working on Tuesday" in a more natural fashion? I guess the verb will be constructed like "work or make" + "out or off or ?", but what is the exact construction?


Where does the phrase "holy crap on a cracker" come from?


Have grammar rules changed through the history of the English language?

When I want to know what form a word has say in 12th century (end Old English, begin Middle English), 14th century (end Middle English), or any other time in England history, I only need to track the word's etymology, and I've got the evolution of said word. But what about the grammar? Should I assume similar rules as the current ones? Is there also any consideration depending of the caste of the person speaking, such as a peasant in comparison to a clergyman or a noble? Is there any interesting reading or online resources on the subject I should know about? (If the scope of the question is too broad, area of interest are 12th century and 14th century.)


The place where the railroad crosses the road

What do you call those places where a railroad crosses an automobile road?: ![alt text](http://i.stack.imgur.com/FoAT8.jpg)![alt text](http://i.stack.imgur.com/LvOtN.jpg)![alt text](http://i.stack.imgur.com/LhBPj.jpg) Of course, I've heard what they are called in English, but I suspect that they are referred to differently depending on whether the speaker is from UK, USA, Canada or Australia. So, please, specify in your answer what type of English you mean. I also heard that these places can be referred to differently even within one country because of some subtle differences pertaining to those places. I don't really know what those differences are. It may be the width of the automobile road, or the difference in height between the level of the railroad and the automobile road, or, perhaps, the presence/absence of that red-white thing that goes down and up every time when the train passes. Also, what do you call that very red-white thing itself? Especially, how would you describe its motions in this kind of sentence: "At the (place), when the (thing) finally (lowered), it was obvious I would be late for the party" What words you would substitute for those used in parentheses above?


Why present perfect in "How many points have you scored this season"?

Normally we use the past simple instead of present perfect when an action happened at a specific time in the past and is not linked with the present. Why is the below sentence grammatically correct? > How many points have you scored this season? Don't the words "this season" indicate a specific time here? Why can't I use past tense instead? As in, "How many points did you score this season?" Why is the latter wrong?


What's the difference between 'group' and 'grouping'?

I'm not a native English speaker and I was wondering the difference between those two terms. From what I understood so far 'group' is a generic word used to denote a number of persons/things considered related in some way. 'grouping' is used to denote a group of people sharing a common intent or interest. Is this the case? It seems that 'grouping' has a more specific meaning and that 'group' can be used always in place of 'grouping' (because it's a more general term). So in which case do you use 'group' and in which one do you use 'grouping' instead?


What do you call the target of ‘purge’?

I find the word, ‘purger’ in a popular English-Japanese dictionary (Kenkyusha's Readers English Japanese Dictionary) as a derivative from 'purge,' without definition. I took it for those who purge someone who is harmful or undesired to an organization or country, though it can mean 'pulifier'in correct sense. Please correct me if I'm wrong. If purger means someone who purges an unacceptable person, how do you call the target of ‘purger’ other than ‘the purged’ which I can think of? Like ‘persecutee’ as the target of ‘persecutor’, which I find in the same dictionary, can I say ‘purgee’ to this effect?


Is "IN" in this sentence correct grammatically

I wrote this sentence: > My professor **in** many subjects during my studies at Damascus University > and my fourth-year-project sponsor. I don't know if _in_ is correct. Or would it be better to use _for_? Also, is _fourth-year-project's_ good grammatically ?


Is this the opposite of 'making a virtue out of a necessity'?

We all know what it means to 'make a virtue out of a necessity'. The only bananas on offer at the supermarket are 'fair trade', so we buy them and then pretend to ourselves and others that we have done something virtuous. Or a company is obliged by its employment contracts to pay double the statutory severance terms, but it parades the fact of having done so as generosity on its part. But I am thinking of a slightly different situation. Let us consider the case of low-energy light bulbs. It is my contention that they do not give off as much light as the old equivalent high-energy ones. But we are using them as a contribution to saving the planet from global warming. But what I find particularly annoying is people who will insist that the bulbs give the same light value. One sees this attitude all the time. Because something has virtue, yet incorporates drawbacks, some people will insist that the drawbacks do not exist. Does this amount to the corollary i.e. does it 'make a necessity out of a virtue'? Or how else do we describe such thinking?


Definition of  "throw the gauntlet down"

What is the definition of "throw the gauntlet down"? I googled for it and only got examples where it's used, but no actual definition of the phrase.


Do the German 'von' and English 'from' share the same root?

I was wondering whether _von_ and _from_ shared the same common root. They do have a quite close meaning, and the pronunciation sounds similiar too. **EDIT** I had already looked at the relative Wiktionary entries (1,2), and they didn't seem to be that connected after all; that's why I was curious.


Which is clearer: "Achieved on 50 days" vs. "achieved 50 times"?

One explanation: > Hit the daily reputation cap on 50 days Another explanation: > Hit the daily reputation cap 50 times Which is clearer between the two? Which is more prone to lead to confusion? Does it depend on English background maybe?


Should "the" precede "word"?

What is the rule on using articles in front of "word"? For example: > Please remove the word "judge" from your vocabulary.


What is a "Victorian audience"?

So I came across a sentence while reading the book _On The Map_ : > His[Eratosthenes’] world map was drawn in about 194 BC. No contemporary > version exists, but the cartographer’s descriptions were interpreted for a > Victorian audience, and this remains the generally accepted and widely used > reproduction. It really makes me wonder what does "a Victorian audience" mean. If the map was drawn in about 200 years BC, how could it be firstly interpreted only during the Victorian era, some 2000 years later? What does "a Victorian audience" here really mean?


"Choose among" vs. "choose from"

I am unsure on when to use _from_ instead of _among_ and vice versa. Here is the question that I missed on an exam: > The man had to choose [ ___ _] 6 ties for the interview. I chose _from_ which apparently was wrong, even if, to me, _from_ sounds correct as well as _among_ sounds correct. I have tried to look this up on the Internet with no avail, so any help would be appreciated.


What does it mean Shan't & won't

What does it mean and what is different between Shan't & won't I need the answer with example thank you


Does a second meaning of "Hypotenuse" exist?

I've recently read this joke: > You may be right, Pythagoras, but everyone’s going to laugh if you call it a > “hypotenuse”. Does "hypotenuse" have a second meaning? What's funny about the word? Is it something about a wrong pronunciation?


Are there simple rules for use of “in”, “on”, “at”, “from” and “for”?

I often get confused how to use **in** , **on** , **at** , **from** and **for**. Examples: > I have a phone in/on/at my bag. > > Meet me at/in/on this hotel. They sound kind of right but I'm not sure which is correct. Is there a simple way to remember how to use those?


Meaning of "just as much" and "just as"?

Could someone please tell me their meanings? I know these two have different meanings. And I have been trying to Google them, but they are no help. Can we replace much in the first phrase with any other word too? How does this work please tell me


Is this grammatically correct? “We were thinking of holding a meeting...”

The following sentence seems incorrect to me, but I am not entirely certain: > We were thinking of holding a meeting next Tuesday.


Looking for a word similar to "proverbial", but referring to fables or folk stories

I would like to reference something a character said in a famous childhood story, e.g. The Boy Who Cried Wolf, or, Goldilocks and the Three Bears etc. amidst normal writing. For instance, I'll use "proverbial" below, but I'm neither sure it makes sense, nor positive it's grammatically correct. I'm also unsure a drop-in replacement exists, but I'm hopeful. > Ex.1. Don't keep crying for the **proverbial** wolf, Dave, or us villagers > on the marketing team might just stop paying attention. > Ex.2. Looks like that part of our software isn't tuned correctly. The > **proverbial** porridge might be just a little too hot. I'll get it just > right by next Friday. Thanks, Nik


"Same as I do" or "same as I have"

_She has the same book as I have._ Isn't it supposed to be _She has the same book as I do_? But I often hear the former. Why?


Correct sense of "practical"

The definition of _utilize_ is > to use something, especially for a practical purpose. What does _practical_ mean here? Definitions of _practical_ from OALD: > connected with real situations rather than with ideas or theories > > right or sensible; likely to be successful > > useful or suitable > > sensible and realistic


Meaning of "appreciate the calm"

From a web development book: > Instead of taking a moment to appreciate the calm, developers have taken > advantage of the stabilizing front-end platform to pile on a whole new wave > of front-end complexity


What does the expression "body shop" mean?

I recently encountered the expression "the man in the body shop", and I have absolutely no idea what it means. All help is welcome.


What does "catch the sun" mean?

What does _catch the sun_ mean?


Why is New York City also called "the Big Apple"?

I have heard many times people say _the Big Apple_ to mean _New York City_. What is the origin of this nickname?


What does "keen" in "keen intellect" mean?

> her keen intellect What is the meaning of _keen_ in the phrase?


Is it "flotation" or "floatation"?

Is the difference between _flotation_ and _floatation_ a US/UK difference or something else? I think I did see _floatation_ in some physics book.