An apple a day keeps the doctor away

A recent question on Skeptics SE, brought up an interesting debate on the origin of this proverb. Particularly, in the comments to this answer we were wondering whether apple really refers to the specific fruit of _Malus domestica_ or it indicates a generic fruit/vegetable. The OED and various Google searches seem to indicate that _apple_ was used to generically indicate any round fruit, and that is unsurprising, seen its symbolic meaning. The discussion came from the fact that the Italian version of the proverb, _una mela al giorno leva il medico di torno_ , also refers to an apple ( _mela_ ), although in Italian -at least to my knowledge- _mela_ does not generally refer to a round fruit (there is a term, _pomo_ , which has that meaning, but it is not used in the proverb). Moreover, the first report of this proverb in English seems to date back to the mid 19th century, although some (rather dubious, if you ask me) Wikipedia page refers to a XII century medical conference in Salerno as a possible source. Anyone can shine some light on the matter? Which version came first? What does apple mean in this case? **Bonus question** : is there a reliable source for looking at the meaning/derivation of proverbs?


Can a person's name be used to represent a group of people?

Can a name of a person (usually from stories, or history) be used to describe a group of people? For example, can _Cinderella_ be used to refer to girls who are poor and have difficulties in life, but who are then lucky to marry a wonderful husband? Also, are there any more examples like this in the American culture?


"when all is said and done", finger should be "level"

Person A tried to catch a falling patio door and ended up losing a fingertip, a nail, and a broken finger joint as the door slammed his fingers against the dock plate. He went to the ER afterwards and had plastic surgery. Person B then asked him whether the nail will grow back or not and he responded: > Plastic surgeon said I should have half a nail _when all is said and done_. > My first three fingers should be about _level_ from what I can tell. From what I looked up the phrase _when all is said and done_ have more than one meaning and the ones I found are as follows. They all seem applicable, but is there one that's most appropriate to the context? Or does it mean something else that I did not find? >   1. when everything is considered >   2. when everything is finished and settled (I'm guessing settle here means > to decide or arrange something finally?) >   3. in the end; ultimately >   4. used when you are about to tell someone the most important fact in a > situation > Another question I have is, when he said his first three fingers should be about _level_ from what he can tell, what does he mean by _level_? From OALD, two senses of _level_ that I think relates to the context are: >   1. having a flat surface that does not slope >   2. having the same height, position, value, etc. as something > However, both senses doesn't seem to make sense to me because I figured fingertips are curved right? and only one of his first three fingers had a fingertip torn off. And certainly all first three fingers cannot have the same height if I understood definition 2 correctly. So what does he mean?


What do you call it when the current generation thinks the previous is better/more poetic?

It's referred to as the "allure of nostalgia" in the wiki entry for Midnight in Paris.


Vuvuzela: what was it called in American English before the 2010 World Cup in South Africa?

FIFA World Cup 2010, South Africa. The excitement. The tension. The constant sound of buzzing bees. And every one kept talking about this crazy new instrument the 'vuvuzela' making all this noise, so exotic and colorful; even the word is wild. Except that the instrument is totally well-known, at least in the US and at football games, and has been for as long as I can remember. Kids would come back from most any sporting event (ones where you'd take kids with either a pennant, a jersey, a ball, some sparkly thing, or ... well, this thing we currently call a vuvuzela. What was this plastic trumpet thing called before the -word- 'vuvuzela' appeared? Was it so generically called a 'plastic trumpet'? Is that how impoverished things were vocabulary-wise that we had no more evocative term for it, making it so easy for vuvuzela to take over? So impoverished that I don't think there was even a word at all; we just pointed. Even the vendors may not have known, they just sold those things when people pointed at them. "We're almost sold out of ...those things... We'll be getting a box of ...those things in a few minutes?" What did we call ... it before summer 2010?


"Yesterday you didn't tell me John was with Finch last year"

" _Yesterday_ you _didn't_ tell me John _was_ with Finch last year" here why aren't we using "John had been with Finch last year"? (since I spoke to you yesterday and with respect to that shouldn't it be "had been with Finch"). In spoken English why do we often use this structure (i.e. simple past for past perfect?) By 'was with Finch' I mean they worked together in an office .


What does "shot" mean in this context?

> Another shot before we kiss the other side. This is from Lady Gaga's recent song, "Edge of Glory." A subtitled video can be seen here. This is probably better than just reading the lyrics.


What should I say if I am not drunk but I feel that my head is heavy?

Imagine you had several beers, you are not yet drunk but you feel that your head is heavy, you know, feel good. Is there any specific word for that?


Is spelling still drifting?

If you look at texts from a few hundred years ago, they’re almost illegible, what with all the superfluous _e_ ’s and _y_ ’s running about, the long-S’s ( **_ſ_** ), and so on. Texts from 100 and 120 years ago seem only to have cleared up some punctuation issues (in an original Sherlock Holmes story you’ll find _rôle_ and _coöperate_ ) and regularized foreign words ( _Esquimaux_ , _Corea_ — I swear I do read things _other_ than Conan Doyle, but I’m thinking of the best example from him). Novels from the 1950s and and 1960s have very different styles than more modern books, but the spelling seems to be identical. I have two contradictory theories:   1. Spelling drift is constant, but slow, so you need centuries for really noticeable change to occur.   2. Spelling drift has been slowed or halted by modern proof-reading and by technology. If anyone has any evidence for either theory (or a third), I would be glad to hear it.


Difference between "translucency" and "transparency"

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Difference between "transparent" and "translucent" Can some one tell me what is the difference between the words "translucency" and "transparency" (maybe in context)? Or they are absolute synonymous and there is no difference of using. Thank you!


Adjective order: Why is "big" before "beautiful"?

I was reading an English children story to my niece the other day when I came across these phrases said by three different characters: >   * I want a big, beautiful hat! >   * I want a big, exciting computer! >   * I want a big, expensive TV! > Why is the first adjective _big_ and not the adjective expressing an evaluation or opinion? I thought adjectives expressing the speaker's opinion came first and foremost. I am also curious about the comma separating the two adjectives, how does it affect meaning? And finally, if I were to insert _red_ in the first example, where would it fit best and should I keep the commas? > _I want a big, beautiful red hat!   >  I want a beautiful, big red hat!   >  I want a big, red, beautiful hat!_


Is there a difference between the words "zig", "zag", and "zigzag"?

In the book "The Green Mile" by Stephen King, a mouse is described to zig and then zag. What's the difference between the words "zigzag", "zig" and "zag"?               The mouse barley avoid Percy's last two jumps, first zigging and then zagging.      I guess I'm unclear as to the description given of what the mouse did. Is he saying the mouse first went in one direction and then went in another to avoid being jumped on?


Is "have/has lead to" OK?

I found a set of examples where I expect _led_ instead of _lead_. > In recent years the rise in the crime rate has lead to increased concern on > the part of both the police and the general public. While these are just a few examples the number of results on a Google search is impressively high:   * _have lead to_ (8,850,000 hits)   * _has lead to_ (22,000,000 hits) I pondered if using _have lead to_ could mean that someone "has a lead position" and the preposition _to_ introduces a comparison, i.e. subordinate person. But I don't think so. At least the cited example and the sentences in the link contain typos or even grammatical errors. Hence I wonder if there is any specific in _have/has lead to_ or if just too many people don't know that the past participle of _lead_ is _led_?


What is the difference between "archetype" and "prototype"?

I'm very confused by the difference between "archetype" and "prototype", and even more baffled when to use which. Can someone clarify?


Which phrase is correct: "dependent on" or "dependent upon"

Which sentence is correct?   * my project is **dependent upon** your project completing   * my project is **dependent on** your project completing.


What does "Shaking an idea" mean?

I heard this on a TV series, just don't know what it means: > But now I get this crazy idea, and I can't shake it.


A tweet popped up in my feed recently that posed a really good question. On first blush I thought "Oh, I can answer this!" then upon further reflection I realized I can't. In the case of "New Yorkers", we add "-er" to "New York". In the case of "Scandinavian", we add an "-n" to "Scandinavia". And so on. So, to finally propose the question that was asked on Twitter: > What is the proper demonym for someone from Shreveport? I assume it's "Shreveporter" but that doesn't quite sound right. I saw this general discussion, but it doesn't answer this particular question.


What do you call a window that is neither opaque nor transparent?

The semitransparent glass I am thinking of is such that if a person presses the front of his face on one side, the color and shape of the face can be seen from the other side but not the facial features. Is this an opaque window? A semitransparent window? Or is there a better word?


A word that means "element", "alloy" and "compound"

I'm looking for a word that basically means an element, alloy or compound. So if this was the word:               pickle (n)         An element, alloy or compound.      Then copper, iron, steel, glass, tin etc... could all be referred to as 'pickles.'


"vote" vs. "vote on"

Please tell me, what is the difference between > vote and > vote on


The growth of English

English is (to her credit) widely considered a language of .. mixed breeding, seeing as to how she accepts favours from just about anybody and everybody. What I'd like to know is how and by how much has the vocabulary grown since the late Middle Ages (~15th century Middle English)? This was before Shakespeare, the Renaissance, colonialism, and well, science & technology. Are there any related statistics available on this subject, and perhaps also on the number of loanwords in modern English?


Could you tell me why use "telling"?

Is _telling_ grammatical in the following sentence? > Did you get an email **telling** you about this?


In old books, why is the first word of the next page printed at the bottom of this page?

In old books from the 16th to 18th centuries, the first word from the _next page_ is often printed right justified on its own, at the end of the _current page_. It's not in every book of this period, but those that have them tend to show them on every page. This practice seems to have ended in the late 18th century. A 1588 example shows a repeated _that_ : ![Hanging that](http://i.stack.imgur.com/2f9hR.jpg) A hanging _but_ from 1678: ![second but](http://i.stack.imgur.com/j2cCL.png) And a dangling _fairs,_ from 1726: ![dangling fairs](http://i.stack.imgur.com/maoP7.png) What was the purpose of repeating this word? My initial guess is it was to help the book binder assemble the book in the correct order, but it happens even with books with page numbers. When did this practice begin and end, and why did it end?


How to specify dates in a U.S. résumé?

What is the correct (or at least preferred) way of formatting dates in a résumé whenever you don't need to specify a day? For example, I am using the format _“May 2011”_ , but I don’t know whether I should use _“May, 2011”_ or _“May ’11”_ (although this one doesn’t seem too appropriate for a résumé).


"I have no story to be told" or "I have no story to tell"?

The former one is what I heard in Adele's song _Rolling in the Deep_ , is this a common usage? Or is it just for rhyme? update: to make my question more specific:   1. Is the former one grammatically correct? I am only taught the latter form in school.   2. If correct, is there any difference, maybe slightly, between them? The rhyme thing is just my guess.


A "Decadent" Cheesecake?

Is the adjective _"decadent"_ suitable to be used in the context _"a decadent cheesecake"_?


Redundancy: If they should

Today’s horoscope on New York Daily News says (the link may be broken after tomorrow): > **If** they **should** find out something before you had a chance to tell > them, it could cause real friction. How formal is it to say **if** and **should** in the same clause when expressing the conditional mood? Or is that redundant? In speech, I say: > **If** they find out something before you had a chance to tell them, it > could cause real friction. In writing, I say: > **Should** they find out something before you had a chance to tell them, it > could cause real friction. I think I should avoid using them both in one clause if that’s redundant.


When to use "ordain" over "order"?

In the book _Dune Messiah_ , I read: > "The Emperor has said I must die if I set foot on Dune," she said, making a > last desperate effort. "You spoke of this yourself. You are condemning me if > you take me down there." > > "Say no more," the Qizara ordered. "The thing is ordained." A common alternative is "This is an order", but here it uses the word _ordain_. I looked it up in the dictionary and found that they have similar meanings: > or·dain   >  verb \ȯr-ˈdān\   >  Definition of ORDAIN   >  transitive verb   >  1 : to invest officially (as by the laying on of hands) with ministerial or > priestly authority   >  2a : to establish or order by appointment, decree, or law : enact— _we the > people … do ordain and establish this Constitution_ — United States > Constitution   >  2b : destine, foreordain > > intransitive verb : to issue an order So, when should I use _ordain_ instead of _order_?


"The problem is/are Jack and Jill"

Which one of these sentences is correct? > The problem **is** Jack and Jill. > > The problem **are** Jack and Jill.


How to express taking paid time-off in a sentence

I would like to have a sentence to indicate a person is on two days of paid time-off. Could I form a sentence like, >   * "He is on two days paid time off." >   * "He is on paid time off for two days". > Please let me know which one is correct.


Please explain this sentence (a precept, really)

Intuitively, aside from being convoluted, it doesn't seem to make sense. > Power of an imagination can arise from what it refuses to foresee.


What do you call someone who works on requests?

I'm designing an application to handle requests from users. Requests will be assigned to all kinds of people. For instance, a "Request for vacations" would be handled by someone in HR. But a request to repair a door lock would be handled by someone in facilities management. In some complex cases, multiple people could work on a single request. I'm looking for a noun to describe someone who works on requests. A general term that means "someone who does something in a process" would be fine too.


Is this a correct usage of "wait on"?

I've written the following phrase in a technical document: > ... the Task is exposed, so it can be waited on In this context (.NET development), Task is an object instance, and by "waiting on" it, I mean invoking its `Wait` method, so the execution thread pauses until the task is finished. Is this correct, given the specific context? Is there a better construct? * * * _Update based on answers/comments received so far:_ Essentially, what I mean to say is: > ... the Task is exposed, so the caller can wait for it to complete by > invoking its `Wait()` method ...but without the redundancy, and using the method name as the verb.


Is the use of past tense as "let me know if you needed" common?

Here is a literally-quoted passage from **_Martyrs in Paradise: Woman of Mass Destruction_** by Terry Reese Downing: > "How nice of you. And thank you," she again was appreciative.   >  "My pleasure. Go back to rest and sleep. Let me know if you **needed** > something and don't hesitate to wake me up," he told her. Is the use of past tense common in these kind of contexts? Does the use of past here get the point across in a less direct way?


What does expression "speak up to the point" mean?

I just used the expression _speak up to the point_ as a way of saying:   * _Express without blathering_   * _Get directly to the actualy point_ Have I used this expression correctly? Are there any other better expressions suited to this meaning?


Single word for "more than once"

Is there a single word to describe the occurrence of a pattern more than once? > This word exists in a file **more than once**. According to an online Czech–* dictionary, these would be the equivalents in other languages:   * _mehrmals_ in German   * _многократно_ in Russian   * _aliquotiens_ in Latin   * _kilkakrotnie_ in Polish    * _několikrát_ or _víckrát_ in Czech


Is it right to say available valuable?

This sentence is pat from my paper which I would like to submit but I am not sure if it is right? Does it sound correct? Is available here correct? > This study reveals that S and A have complementary performances and that > there are available valuable satellite observed SSM data records over more > than 5 years, which can be used to study land-atmosphere processes.


"Overrode" vs "Overridden"

I got into an argument about the sentence "Have you overrode SomeThingamajig?" I thought that "have overrode" is incorrect, and should be "overrode" or "have overridden", or perhaps "did override". However, I was told that in some contexts, "have overrode" is appropriate. Is "Have you overrode SomeThingamajig?" correct? When is is appropriate to say "have overrode"?


Is there a word for an envious person?

Is "Envier" a word? I don't quite think it is :-/ And I know you can describe him as a jealous person..But that's again an adjective. I'm looking for something like - You call a person who is extremely greedy when it comes to food, a 'Gourmand' or a 'Glutton'.


What do you call the country out of which someone has emigrated?

Emigrant = someone who is leaving their country. ??? = the country from which the emigrant is departing. I want to say Émigré country but I don't know if that makes sense. Maybe country of emigration? But that's too wordy. Is there _one word_?


Word that describes being "patriotic" for something that is not a country?

I'm looking for a word that is similar to _patriotic_ but does not relate to one's country (or state). For what it's worth, I'm specifically referring to "overly patriotic" in a negative sense, to describe someone who has a overly sentimental/cultural or otherwise less-than-rational attachment or devotion to something and makes it part of their very identity. A common example might be an extremely zealous football fan.


Meaning of "How do I respond when confronted by a person you spoke ill about me to a fault?"

> How do I respond when confronted by a person you spoke ill about me to a > fault? What does this sentence mean?


past simple vs past perfect

My question might seem to be stupid enough, it's basic grammar, I believe; however, I'm at my wits' end. Should we use Past perfect or Past Simple in the following sentence: > He promised/ had promised to turn up at 4, but appeared at 9?


Usage of "chip off the old block"

Is this phrase exclusively meant with reference to sons similarities with their fathers or can it also be used to refer to "daughters and mothers" or "daughters and fathers" and other relations like uncles, nephews ?


If an insertion in parentheses ends with a smiley, how do I distinguish between the two?

I know smileys are not part of written language (yet), and any questions about them are irrelevant to linguistics and are kind of not serious. So take my question with a smiley then. It bugs me every time I'm facing this situation: if an insertion in parentheses ends with a smiley, what should I do? >   * A lot of insertions in parentheses (well, if it's not Lisp :) ) can be > annoying. >   * A lot of insertions in parentheses (well, if it's not Lisp :)) can be > annoying. >   * A lot of insertions in parentheses (well, if it's not Lisp :) can be > annoying. > I don't like any of the above. Any (clever) suggestions?


Using or arguing a biased opinion as fact

I'm fairly sure there is a word or phrase to describe arguing emotively from an extreme, or biased, point of view as if your view is fact, but I can't remember what it may be. (I am wanting to use this word or phrase in a reply, I promise it is not a crossword clue.) Any hints?


What does this joke about milk going bad mean?

This is a joke from the TV series "Friends". > — Can I borrow this? My milk's gone bad.   >  — I hate that. I once had a thing of half-and-half. Stole my car. I'm thinking that it has something to do with the ambiguity of "gone bad", but I don't understand what "I once had a thing of half-and-half" means.


Two-part verbs — how to "factorize" a noun

What is the correct way to punctuate the following sentence? >   * X can be explained by and obtained out of Y. >   * X can be explained by, and obtained out of, Y. >


What does "corp." mean in the context of MLA citation?

From this webpage it has a section to enter the information about the author that is labeled "Last / corp." What is corp? Is it short for the corporation, as in the one publishing the article?


Interpreting a clause beginning with "It would happen that..."

I have come across the following clause in "The Corrections" by Franzen: > It would happen that the First and Second Notices were underground > somewhere. I am not sure how to interpret this construction. How does it compare to constructions such as "It happened that...", "It could happen that..." or the simpler "The First and Second Notices were underground somewhere"?


Passive or Past perfect?

> a) The train was left by then. Or > b) The train had left by then. Could you tell me which alternative is correct?


What is free-form data entry?

> If you are creating a column for **free-form data entry** , such as a notes > column to hold data about customer interactions with your company’s customer > service department, then varchar will probably be adequate. If you are > storing documents, however, you should choose either the mediumtext or > longtext type. Could you please tell me what **free-form data entry** is? I know what data entry is per se - when data is fed into some kind of electronic system for processing - but I don't know how to understand the term **free-form**. Any thoughts? Thank you.


I need another phrase to replace "to be a part of helping the program grow."

I have great passion and love for the Music Program and would love to continue to be a part of helping the program grow.


What do we call this noun phrase?

> "My dear Professor, surely a sensible person like yourself can call him by > his name? **All this 'You-Know-Who' nonsense** \- for eleven years I have > been trying to persuade people to call him by his proper name: Voldemort." > Professor McGonagall flinched, but Dumbledore, who was unsticking two lemon > drops, seemed not to notice. "It all gets so confusing if we keep saying > 'You-Know-Who.' I have never seen any reason to be frightened of saying > Voldemort's name. (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone) It seems ‘all this ‘You-Know-Who’ nonsense’ make a main clause in the semantic aspect, and for-clause subordinate one showing the reason for the main clause. But there’s no verb in the seeming-main clause. What do we call this kind of clause or phrase? Is there just omitting of verb? Or can a noun phrase make a clause semantically like an absolute phrase?


What is the difference between "unrelenting" and "relentless"?

Which one do I use for a song that I'm listening in a loop? I asked this on Quora but didn't get a satisfactory clear answer that would justify the difference.


What does "Dollars to <something>" mean in the context?

I found it through the comments below: > What a shame. Dollars to your aunt's cherry the next thing to go will be the > Beach Races - I'd put money on it. And also here in the comments.


Is it correct to use the comparative adjective "blacker?"

You can find "bluer," "redder," "greener," and "whiter" in the dictionary, but not "blacker." This seems mystifying. In his "El Paso" song, Marty Robbins sang, "Blacker than night were the eyes of Felina." During the recent Presidential campaign, some pundits asked, "Is Mitt Romney blacker than Barack Obama? NASA has created a new nanotube material that is "blacker than black paint," according to various published reports. There are several official shades of black, such as taupe and ebony, leading to the presumption that some shades are "blacker" than others. Since "blacker" is not in the dictionary, would the proper usage be "more black."


switching narrative tenses

"When the brothers were reunited, Hans explained how it was that he was still alive. After having been wounded towards the end of the war, he had been sent to hospital and **was separated from his unit**. The hospital had been bombed and Hans had made his way back into Western Germany on foot. Meanwhile, **his unit was lost** and all records of him had been destroyed. Hans returned to his family home, but the house had been bombed and no one in the neighborhood knew what had become of the inhabitants. Assuming that his family had been killed during an air raid, Hans settled down in a village fifty miles away where he had remained ever since." The narrator sets the two situations "was separated from his unit" and "his unit was lost" in simple past tense. My understanding is that it is for reasons of style, because if "had been separated" and "had been lost" were used instead, then there would be too many had-been's one after another in the text. Is my understanding correct? If so, my second question is, how, when we are writing stories, should we make a choice as to which verbs can be switched to the simple past and which cannot for a whole passage in the past perfect ?


Chalkboard and Blackboard Difference?

Can "chalkboard" and "blackboard" be used interchangeably? If I have a green chalkboard, can I still call it a blackboard, or would that be incorrect? Also, I have heard that "blackboard" is used more than "chalkboard" in certain areas, and am not sure about how true this is.


Can we use "highfalutin" to describe a person?

Often, I've seen "highfalutin" used to describe words or speech. But as for word usage, is it ok to use "highfalutin" to describe a self- important / pompous person? E.g.: _This highfalutin guy is getting on my nerves..._


What do variations in “a variety/varieties” of “flower/flowers” mean?

What's the difference between these four phrases:   1. a variety of flowers   2. varieties of flowers   3. a variety of flower   4. varieties of flower I can't quite distinguish the difference between _variety_ and _varieties_. I understand _variety_ as a number of different types of things and it makes me wonder why the plural form _varieties_ even exists. I would appreciate some insights into this.


Which pronoun shall I use in this context?

> Humans ought to treat others as a human being would treat others. Never > should **they** bully and abuse anyone. Since the ultimate goal of **them** > is to let everyone become capable of living an appropriate and decent life, > **they** must pay special attention to the worse-off people, while at the > same time encouraging excellence and creativity, making every individual > capable of fulfilling his own goal.(self-made) Here I am speaking of a kind of universal ethic for human beings. I am using the pronouns _they/them_ because I want to put myself in the position of a disinterested spectator. I am concerned that representing mankind with _they/them_ might be inappropriate.


Differences between "now", "present", "recent" and "current"

When writting a resume, we may put the duration of our current job like this: > 2012 to **Present** \--------- Job ---------Company How about using _now_ instead in this case? And when used as adjectives, what are the differences between them? (except for _now_ , which is not an adjective)


Medical term for deafness

* Anosmia = Loss of the sense of smell   * Anopia = Blindness   * Anaesthesia/Anaphia = Loss of the sense of touch   * Ageusia = Loss of taste   * ? = Deafness I can't find an equivalent medical term for deafness. Is there one? I also find that the word 'deafness' suffers from a dearth of synonyms that do not involve the word 'deaf'. Also, if there are terms that are more apt for the loss of the other traditional senses, please list them as well.


What does "guinea" mean here?

The following lyrics I'm about to post from the song _Virginia_ , rapped by Pusha-T from the now defunct duo, Clipse. For background in answering my question, in the rap, Pusha-T has begun bragging about his home and past life in Virginia, the tough guys from the area he grew up around with, and how well he sold cocaine. > See I turned to the Lord when them times got tough   >  Bullied through streets, powder I pushed and shoved   >  In that ole' Virginey   >  **Out of ten niggas, nine are guinea**   >  No money, all they know is gimme, got semis waitin' My question is: What does _guinea_ mean here? First, though, I should say that I know that _guinea_ is an ethnic slur for Italians, but I really don't think that fits in with the background of the rap -- for one thing, I don't think that Virginia particularly known for a high density of Italians, as say, New Jersey and Rhode Island are, and secondly, Pusha-T, and "niggas" in general, are Black. Moreover, as far as I know, if _guinea_ where being used in the aforementioned sense, it would be pejorative, while here Pusha seems to be using it in a positive sense, to say something like "in my hometown, 9 out 10 of my dudes are tough/brave/badass." I am certain that this is not the first time either, that I have heard _guinea_ being used in a positive sense. So can anyone precisely zero in what sense _guinea_ is supposed to mean here? What's the etymology?


How to write numbers in words

How do we translate _1210_ into words: 1) one thousand, two hundred, and ten 2) one thousand, two hundred and ten or without the commas 3) one thousand two hundred and ten 4) one thousand two hundred, and ten ?


Difference between "Reason" and "Helplessness"

Today i was wishing happy birthday to my friend so i was suggesting to him for not doing bad work because he did a bad work in past. and after wishing the birthday i asked to him for his bad worked, so i wanted to say that what was the "reason" to do bad work? So, Is "reason" word correct to use in this context? or we should put there "Helplessness". Can anybody define those words that where we should use?


What is the origin of the dated British expression "I say!"

It doesn't appear that this expression was a minced oath or something along those lines. Was it shortened from a longer phrase, or did it just enter the vernacular as is (similar to "listen up" or "now hear this")? Is this phrase still used anywhere (besides in poor parodies of Brits)?


Meaning of "9/11 is plain wrong" joke

My friend said to me that making fun out of 9/11 is plain wrong, and then he said it was a joke? Honestly I don't get the joke? Why would it be plain wrong? Doesn't plain mean nothing? I'm confused.


Etymology of "Email Thread"

What is the history of the word thread in the context of "email thread"? You can also say "thread of a conversation". How old is that usage? Some of my colleagues say "email string" and it drives me crazy. Am I being overly pedantic in thinking that sounds stupid?


Use of a comma within a descriptive phrase

In the sentence "Their work involves commercial solar heating systems," should there be a comma after the word "commercial"? These are solar heating systems for commercial use as opposed to private homes, so I see the entire phrase as descriptive of the systems and therefore not needing a comma.


Is ‘Set one’s hair on fire’ a popular English idiom?

Yesterday’s (September8) New York Times carried an article titled ‘ _Setting Their Hair on Fire’_ which was written by economist, Paul Krugman. It is followed by the following sentence: “First things first: I was favorably surprised by the new Obama jobs plan, which is significantly bolder and better than I expected. It’s not nearly as bold as the plan I’d want in an ideal world. But if it actually became law, it would probably make a significant dent in unemployment.” As ‘Set one’s hair on fire’ was unfamiliar expression to me, I searched on Google and found the following post on www.phrases. org: HAIR ON FIRE - ".That odd phrase - believed to have originated among Navy aviators, intended to convey a sense of hair-raising urgency - quickly became the phrase of the day as this week's hearings began before the commission investigating events that led to 9/11...(Donald) Rumsfeld used it, saying such alarm wasn't uncommon: '... From the above definition, I understand ‘Set one’s hair on fire’ means ‘a matter of emergency.' Am I right? The expression reminds me of Japanese popular saying, ‘焦眉の急 -urgency of scorching your eyebrows,’ to describe the urgent need. Since Phrase Finder says ‘it’s odd phrase,’ I wonder how commonly ‘Set one’s hair on fire’ is used. Is it easily understood and widely spoken by both British and Americans today?


Origin of "cream of the crop"

Where does the saying _cream of the crop_ come from? I know it means _the best of the lot_ but I couldn't find anything on how it came to be.


Is the word “formulæ” valid English?

Is the word _formulæ_ , written with an _æ_ at the end, valid in English? I stumbled upon this apparently plural form of _formula_ in the Wiktionary. I had no idea the letter _æ_ could occur in English. Does anyone know the story to this? Are there other examples of English words that contain letters not found in the standard English alphabet?


"Even though none of you have yet to believe it" — grammatical?

Is the following sentence from the TV series _American Horror Story_ correct, formal grammar? > We are powerful. Even though none of you have yet to believe it. In my understanding, it would be "Even though none of you have not yet believed it", which is a double negative. I have never seen "have yet to" used in negatives.


So if I don't see you till then

Often I hear the follow said (or similar variations): > So if I don't see you till then, have a nice vacation. Now I suppose that the intent is that if I don't see you until you leave, then I'll wish you **now** with `have a nice vacation` However, to me the sentence seems flawed if you take it at face value, in that it could sound like the wish `have a nice vacation` is only being given on the condition that `I don't see you till then` So I'm wondering if 1) the given form of the sentence is in fact okay (and not flawed) and 2) Is there an alternative succinct way of saying the same thing?


Hope this helps

I was reply to a email that my office colleague sent just want to know a good reply to phrase "Hope this helps"


Suffered from vs suffered

When should I use from? Example: His company suffered a setback. Vs His company suffered from a setback. She suffered from a heart attack. Vs She suffered a heart attack I realise that sometimes either is ok but are there any rules?


"Get something" vs. "Go get something"

According to one online dictionary, **_get_** can mean “to go to another place and come back with something or someone” (word choice). If so, then why do you sometimes use **_“go** get something”_, prefixing _get_ with _go_? Examples: > May I **get** some water?   >  May I **go get** some water? > > **Get** the soap!   >  **Go get** the soap!


Is a future continuous sentence with an embedded intention a valid construction?

The particular sentence that I have in mind is > I will be going to go to the store once I'm no longer sick. It seems off, but I think it's a valid construction. The sentence > I will be intending to go to the store once I'm no longer sick. carries the same meaning and doesn't sound odd, so I don't see any reason why the first construction should be considered incorrect. Is this a valid construction?


Adjective describing the "finiteness" of something

I'm trying to find another term which means "finiteness". To me, it sounds too clumsy. Part of my mind gesticulates wildly toward a "-cy" suffix word to describe this, like "captaincy" or "valency"... but of course, "finicy" sounds a tad ridiculous and there is obviously no such word. Even if I did use "finiteness", I feel it would suggest too strongly the finite aspect, where as "infiniteness" would just be silly. Obviously, the word should be neutral, but describe the polarisation between finite and infinite. Just as "colour" is a totally neutral word not suggesting _any_ particular colour. Suggestions?


Verb describing chainsaw making that bursting sound when you push the throttle trigger

With the positive meaning, if it possible, just so I didn't have to use adverbs like happily. The only thing I came up- buzzed. Thank you.


Is there a pejorative word for an ethnic appeal?

When ultra-conservative Jesse Helms ran against Congressman Nick Galifianakis in 1972, he is considered to have gained ground with the slogan, "Jesse Helms: He's One of Us," presumably referring to his opponent's Greek background. If his opponent were black, the slogan would be considered racist. What's the corresponding word for this situation? _Ethnicist_ seems too mild but may be best.


Is there a name to describe this type of street?

I am looking for a word to describe a street type. The street is found in city outskirts and the suburbs in the US. The street is (for the most part) three car widths wide. Parking is only on one side. So really if people are parked on that one side then people that are going in that direction have to wait if there is oncoming traffic or passing is very narrow/dangerous. Example: Street goes south to north. Parking is on right side (or east). The people going north have the cars in their way and must navigate around them. The people going south have the right of way. Do we call this a South Through street?


What's a good idiom to describe someone who is included in a group only because they have something the group needs

I want a one or two word title for a character who is included in a group only because he is their "ticket" to get where they want to go. "Ticket" is what I'm thinking now but would love another option. Basically, where the other two are trying to go they can't get through without his permission.


Having a laptop connected to the electrical socket

While asking a laptop related question over on Superuser, I wrote down a list of things I did trying to fix the problem. One of the list items was that I tried running the laptop powered by its internal battery, and from an electrical outlet. I used > Running the laptop both off the battery and off the electrical socket but especially the latter part doesn't feel natural to me. Is there a more elegant, colloquial way to express both modes of operation?


How would you name these two different types of adjectival qualifying?

If I say "Max is quite joyful right now" that would mean that Max is experiencing a feeling of joy, right? But if I say "This needle is rather painful" that would mean that somebody else is experiencing or could experience a feeling of pain because of that needle (not that the needle is having some pain). Thus, in the first case the feeling is "inside" the thing qualified by the adjective, while in the second case the feeling is "outside" of the thing qualified by the adjective. Clearly, we are dealing here with two different types of how the emotive adjectives function: some of them seem to impart the feeling (emotion) to their object, while the others seem to provide their objects with an ability of causing that feeling in others. How would you call the first type? How would you call the second type? Do you know any terms that would describe these two different types of adjectival qualifying? If not, how would you yourself name them.


Meaning of "brave my fire"

As in these Rome - To Die Among Strangers lyrics: > the whores of rome and the kings of france > > have tried to brave my fire > > now the snakes curl up, the curtains part > > will you try to brave my fire? and > keep your treason brittle as glass > > you could have been the first > > could have been the last to brave my fire [Full text][1] I checked all the different meanings of brave in dictionary.com, but this sentence still hardly makes any sense to me... I can only guess.


What are the roots on the verb 'to miss' come from?

I've been wondering what the origins of the verb 'to miss', as in a to have a longing for, come from. Is it anywhere similar to the origins of the verb 'to miss' as in to not hit?


What does "if nothing else" mean?

I understand the meaning of "if nothing else" in sentence A, but couldn't understand the meaning in sentence B. A. "I will go to library this afternoon **if nothing else** to do." B. "Google argues that e-mail recipients have the right to view e-mail messages using the service of their choosing and that on the Internet senders are not required to consent to automated scanning, which every e-mail provider does, for security purposes **if nothing else**."


"Two yellow spots on its wings" vs "a yellow spot on both wings"

* The bird has two yellow spots on its wings. versus   * The bird has a yellow spot on both wings. Do they mean the same? Which one describes more accurately the yellow spots of the following bird? ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/kyYrj.jpg) (Other alternatives are welcomed too).


Waving your shirt to cool yourself off

Is there a word (or short expression) for "the act of waving your shirt, in order to cool yourself off"?


"as they come", a state of a particular thing

Like in its usage in the example below what does "as they come" mean? "Kryn was once physically and mentally as sharp as they come."


"would they ... or they would ...?" or "would they ... or would they ...?"

I don't know how to ask a conditional question using "or" between two questions: "If they deliver the load to recovery facilities as a mixed load, would they be charged according to the mixed load fees or would they be charged less if the facility sort their load?" Thank you for your help


Let's not throw money at lawyers

Is there an idiom for telling my client to leave the lawyers to one side and sign a contract later on in the process -- something like "Let's not throw money at lawyers at this stage"? Thanks, Assaf.


could have vs could have been

can somebody tell us when to use either of these(could have / could have been ). i.e. under what circumstances. Please explain with an example. Is it something to do with active (could have) and passive voice (could have been)? I think if i understand this the same rule applies to (would have/ would have been) and (should have / should have been) too.


someone with special athletic skills

How do we describe someone who has special athletic skills? For example, in Chinese we can say that “Bolt runs like an animal” to emphasize he runs so quick that even surpasses the normal level of human. Are there any phrases / expressions in English that have similar meanings? To clarify, I’m not looking for an adjective to describe someone who can run fast, I just want to know if there's an expression to show that someone possesses a skill that may look like an animal instead of a normal human being. :)


Is the phrase "move over" an official English idiom? And if so, is it only in American English?

Is the phrase "move over" an official English idiom known worldwide? I would like to know:   1. Is it an _official_ English idiom (not slang or colloquial)?   2. Is it known outside of the US (e.g. in the UK, Australia, India)?   3. Does it have any multiple meanings? Does it have any ambiguousness?   4. How likely it is for a non-native English speaker to know what this idiom means?   5. What is its official meaning? (is it "make way" or "move aside") Can it mean "move toward"?


There are _blonde_ , _brunette_ and _redhead_. What's the name for people with black hair?


What do you call words that are misspelled to add effect?

The most obvious example I can think of is the Mortal Kombat series. They replace almost all hard sounding C's with the letter 'K'. A couple other examples off the top of my head are 'Froot Loops', 'The Beatles', the Red Hot Chili Peppers album 'Blood Sugar Sex Magik'. There's a tonne more. I'm just wondering if there's a proper term for these types of words.


How to avoid that "that that" that is so very awkward

In all seriousness, are there any common patterns or strategies people use to avoid having to write a sentence in which "that that" appears? For example: > Evidential decision theory recommends taking the action that you expect will > yield the highest utility, given **that that** action has been taken. I am aware that the construction is grammatical; it's just rather ungainly in written form. Interestingly I find it doesn't usually _sound_ as awkward as it reads, since people usually pronounce the two differently, with a long `a` on the second 'that'.


“Unionized” vs. ”Un-ionized”

I know there exists a term for the _to–too–two_ situation where the words are pronounced the same but spelled differently. Is there a term for the situation of _unionized_ /ˈjuːnɪənɑɪzd/ and _un- ionized_ (sometimes spelled _unionized_ ) /ʌnˈaɪənaɪzd/ where the words are pronounced differently but spelled the same? Also, since I can't find it, what is the term for the _to–too–two_ dilemma as well?


Term for means of communication

Considering such things as   * telephone calls {with/to/from} Raj   * text messages {with/to/from} Raj I want a term that includes calls, texts, emails etc. I can come up only with   * communications with Raj but that seems too “unmemorable” and formal for the software user interface in which it must appear; in this case, the user has to remember the term himself.


Can you use 'correlation' in the following form?

Is this a correct usage of 'correlation"? Studies indicates a correlation **between** A **with** B? Ex: Studies indicates a correlation **between** early exposure to music and song **with** future success in math and language.


Meaning of "for grins"

What does _for grins_ mean in the following? > If the web service says the values are valid, the underlying fields are > updated. If it says the values are invalid, it sets up error messages for > the fields. **For grins** , on an invalid return, it also validates the > level number itself.


How to pronounce "Linux"

A co-worker and I are fairly strongly divided on how to pronounce _Linux_. For a northern Midwest American (Milwaukee area, Wisconsin, to be exact), should it be pronounced lin-uh ks or li'nuks? _pronunciations from: Linux. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved August 15, 2011, from Dictionary.com website:http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Linux_


Term for "Phrase that Ends List"

In an episode of Fawlty Towers, Basil Fawlty uses the phrase "And Bob's your uncle". Unfamiliar with it, I looked the phrase up on Wikipedia, which described it this way: > Typically, someone says [" _And Bob's your uncle_ "] to conclude a set of > simple instructions, similar to the French expression "et voilà!" or the > American slang expressions "...and that's that," or "...and there you go!" Thinking about it more, I can see a variety of phrases going into this slot. Consider the example sentence, > Take the bread out of the bag, put the bread in the toaster, push the button > down, and -- _PHRASE_ \-- you've got toast! In the place of _PHRASE_ I have heard some of the following:   * Interrogatives      * _What do you get/have?_     * _Whaddaya know?_     * _Isn't that something?_   * Sayings      * _Drumroll, please_     * _Badda-bing, badda-boom_     * _Surprise, surprise_   * Interjections      * _(Abracadabra) alakazam!_     * _Ta-da!_     * _Presto!_ A word I learned recently is _phatic_: > a **phatic expression** /ˈfætɨk/ is one whose only function is to perform a > social task, as opposed to conveying information _Phatic_ nearly seems to fit, except:   1. The _PHRASE_ , though less informative than its neighbors, may have another function: to indicate the list is ending   2. Even though some definitions allow for building emotional rapport ( _"of, relating to, or being speech used for social or emotive purposes rather than for communicating information"_ ), which the examples do with suspense or anticipation, the examples I find tend to be about pleasantries such as talking about the weather The examples need not interrupt the list, as shown in the Fawlty excerpt: > [If] it turns out you don't like your room, then we could always move you in > here, but I don't think it's worth doing until you've definitely decided > that you don't like that one as much as this one, and then we can sort of > sit down round a table, discuss it, chew it over and ... and then it will be > a piece of cake. Bob's your uncle...." Most generally, I'm looking for a term with the definition "a phrase (usually with the audience's emotional state in mind) concluding sequential statements." This definition also covers phrases like "And then I found five dollars" (used when the speaker fears they have bored their audience). Is there a term to describe this pattern?


What is the meaning of the idiom "no bells and whistles" and an example usage?

I am looking for some interesting sentences that employ this idiom.


when to use the expression "hanging from the rafters?"

I've heard of the expression "hanging from the rafters" but I am unsure when is it appropriate to use. Has it got any negative connotations?


Situations where to use "Shake and bake, baby"

In which situations is appropriate to use the expression "Shake and bake, baby"?


What does "within 30 days of assuming command" mean?

An Army regulation requires somthing to be done "within 30 days of assuming command". Does that mean it must be done within the time window of the day of assuming command plus 30? Or, does it mean that it must be done within the time window of the 30 days leading up to the day a commander takes command?


Meaning of "within 10 days from when they move"

> must notify this office of their change of address, within 10 days from when > they move Does this mean I need to let them know of my address change before or after I move out?


Does one work in or on an aeroplane?

In an exam paper, there was a picture of an air stewardess in the aeroplane serving passengers. One of my pupils wrote the following: > The air stewardess works _on_ an aeroplane. Shouldn't it be the air stewardess works _in_ an aeroplane?


How to describe “many many of”?

For example: > There are **____** apps in the App Store. Should I use _enormous_? Or _massive_? Or any better one for a formal presentation?


"file name" or "name of the file"?

Which is version is correct? filename or file name helped me a little, but didn't answer my questions, please see below. `program <filename> - where <filename> is the file name you want to process` `program <filename> - where <filename> is the name of the file you want to process` As I know, "file" becomes like an adjective in this case.   1. Is it normal to use the short version in technical documentation (end-user);   2. Is it correct to `the` and `a` articles with the short versions. `the name of a file` == `a file name` and `the name of the file` == `the file name`?   3. Is it correct to use a compound form, like "application executable file name" ("the name of the executable file of the application")?


Can an object after transitive verb be omitted in some cases?

I feel very confused at this question. It may be split into 2 questions. A. Must a transitive verb always be follow by an object? B. If NO is the answer to Q A. , then under what circumstances the object can be omitted? The example is, _Wait a moment, I am going to correct it and update it._ I doubt if it can be rephrased as _"Wait a moment, I am going to correct and update it._ See I am in a dilemma; I believe an object must go after am transitive verb so I think the second one is wrong; I try to find a simpler way to express and the second one sounds all right to me and I feel like it. In short, I want to know whether it is grammatically correct to say **"Wait a moment, I am going to correct and update it."** I think the object of "it" has been omitted after "correct". Longman dictionary says both verbs of "correct" and "update" are transitive.


What is the correct tense to be used in Technical Presentation most of the time?

This is more about the suggestion I am asking here. Please share your ideas/experience which will help me. I am working as a project manager and want to present most of the time about project or technology. I used mixed tenses for the same kind of information which suits sometimes correctly and interpreted the meaning sometimes incorrectly.


Proper use of possessives

If I wanted to talk about treasure owned by **multiple** explorers, how would I write it? > The explorers' treasure. OR > The explorer's treasure. Is the plural form of _explorer_ considered irregular?


The difference between medium and intermediate

I wish to know the difference between **medium and intermediate.** There is an academic use for me trying to describe a physical parameter (a coupling constant of interactions) which is not too strong, but not too weak. Should one use **medium coupling** or **intermediate coupling**? **medium strength** or **intermediate strength**? Many thanks.


Grammatical correctness of the sentence

Here is a sentence which doesn't really sound grammatically correct. I would appreciate if any one can have a look and let me know if the sentence could be improved. > After all, when someone spends a quality amount of money, he would want > every penny spent to count


Should I capitalize "Billion" in a bulleted list?

I have list of values in a report used to highlight demographic information. For dollar values, should I capitalize the word "Billion", or leave it lower case? Here's a sample: > **Appraised Value: $4.8 Billion** > >   * Agriculture $0.1 Billion >   * Residential $3.3 Billion >   * Commercial $1.1 Billion >   * Other $0.3 Billion >


Can anybody define the meaning of the word "Inspiron"?

As you are familiar with the Dell inspiron laptops, I was wondering what does it actually mean , its origin..


What is the word/reference for a paranoid reluctance to answer something because of bandwagoning superstition?

Let's say there's a large group of people who are under a negative influence but are forced to keep quiet about the fact or they may face brutal consequences. My idea comes from the book "Watership Down", when the humanized warren with which the main character "Fiver" envisions a horrid slaughter factor concerning that specific warren. When the warren is asked about it, the questioner is automatically shunned, or is interrupted by a sudden interjection. Is there a word for this type of behavior? What is paranoid reluctance to answer something because of superstition/unnatural concern? **Edit:** Think of a situation in which you start questioning and are suddenly hushed, interrupted or interjected because someone doesn't want you thinking about that, or possibly bringing it up, and that specific reason is kept from the questioner. What is that action/attitude against somebody called? I need it in the context of being of accusation. Like, > You're being [word]. And if there's a specific saying or reference referring to this action, I would like to know that as an alternative.


Syllable Count for Apparent Monosyllabic Words

How many syllables are there in "child," "wild," and field"? If we look at the dictionary, it will tell us that these are monosyllabic words. There appear, however, to be diphthongs in each of these that lengthen the vowels to make them sound as though there are two. What do our experts say?


Usage of 'duplicate copy'

Given a sentence > Please sign on the duplicate copy of this letter. Am I correct in thinking that **either** _duplicate_ **or** _copy_ should be used, **not** both of them?


Russian speakers and "I feel myself to be ..."

I was told that it is a typical mistake for Russian speakers to say **_I feel myself badly_** instead of **_I feel ill_**. I wonder to what extent such constructs sound wrong to native speakers? >   1. I feel myself badly > >   2. I feel myself well > >   3. I feel myself to be a hero > >   4. I feel myself to be an astronaut > >   5. I feel myself to be suppressed (I feel myself suppressed) > >   6. I feel myself sleeping (I feel myself to be sleeping) > > Are they always wrong or just convey a different meaning? Are there examples of native English speakers using such constructs? **UPDATE** Some comments said that there is a erotic connotation in this usage. I would like this to be explained as well.


What is a better (actual) word for "cloner"?

According to some research, _cloner_ is not an actual word, and to me it sounds horrible. (To be frank, it reminds me of the _German_ word for _toilet_ , _Klo_.) What I mean is something/someone that has the task of cloning something that is clonable. In this case it's a programming context (so the _cloner_ is a class), but I think the question is relatively unrelated to programming. Do you have any suggestion?


Must you be successful to be labeled an "assassin"?

Query triggered by this Globe and Mail article: **Headline:** Malala Yousafzai assassin held, freed in 2009 by Pakistan military **First Sentence:** The would-be assassin who shot a Pakistani girl in the head ... As you can see, they are not in agreement. The headline should read "attacker", should it not? TheFreeDictionary also seems to believe that one must actually kill the target in order to be an **_assassin_**.


How to guess the pronunciation of some inconsistencies in English?

I’m not a native English speaker, and I have a lot of problems when is comes to pronouncing words like _archive, archon, zealot, heal, health_. Why is the _ch_ sometime pronounced like a _k_? Why is the _ea_ sometime pronounced like a French _i_ or _è_? Are there rules to follow when it comes to pronouncing these words, or do we just need to know them? ## Edit This question is not a duplicate — sorry if I was not clear. I was not looking for an history course; I wanted rules or tips to help myself when it comes to pronounce these words. @brick's comment was pertinent. I found something in Wikipedia that might be interesting English spelling for this question. But after looking at all these rules and exceptions, I understand why everyone fallback to the easy answer that you just have to know how it is pronounced.


Does "nothing better" really mean nothing better?

What does the expression, "nothing better to do" mean in a metaphorical sense? The definitions are clear enough. But the whole (phrase) seems to be greater than its parts (words).


Can I use the 3rd conditional that way?

Is the sentence given below grammatically correct? > Had you born two days later and it would have been difficult to celebrate > your birthdays. Is it the only option to use the _third conditional_ to express such a situation?


Confusion in usage of verb in interrogative past tense

I know that whenever we use "did" in any sentence, the following verb has to be in present form. But I have a confusion:-   In plain English it should be:- **Did you forget switching it off?**   But if we jumble up the words, should we write it like this:- **_Forgot_ switching it off, did you?** or like this:- **_Forget_ switching it off, did you?**


Changing plurality in parentheses

If a set of parentheses lies between a subject and its verb, and the parentheses contain an substitutive subject whose singularity/plurality disagrees with the original subject, whose singularity/plurality should be chosen for the verb? In other words, in the following example, should " **questions** " (and its verb " **are** ") be singular, or should they remain plural as shown? > Many (if not every) **questions** on this StackExchange **are** answered. My intuition tells me that the two words in question should remain in plural forms, since the text in parentheses only interrupts the sentence (and the sentence would be grammatically incorrect if everything in parentheses were removed and the words were in singular form). On the other hand, when read aloud (assuming one reads the text in parentheses), this has an uncomfortable sound to it, and I've seen others write in what would be the above example's singular-form case, so I'm curious to find out which is correct. And, thinking about it, I suppose the same question would apply when commas are used in place of parentheses.


I can manage myself

If someone offer his/her help, is it possible to answer in polite form like that - "I can manage myself"?


"... help you get oriented for ..." or "... help get you oriented for ..."?

> We will look at just a few key things to **_help get you oriented for_** the > recipes discussed in this chapter. or > We will look at just a few key things to **_help you get oriented for_** the > recipes discussed in this chapter. ?


Bookshop or Book Shop?

i am confused about the word. please tell me which one is correct Bookshop or book shop?


What do you call a person who collects recipes, ingredients or other cooking related materials? Is there a name for classifications like this (like _taxonomy_ etc.)?


How is an "assault" different from "battery" in everyday English?

In legal parlance, the word "assault" historically means an attempted battery (battery being defined as below) or an intentional frightening of another person. No contact is necessary. On the other hand, battery is when the unwanted contact actually takes place. Does everyday usage of these words tacitly acknowledge this difference?


What does "charge" mean here?

What does charge mean here? does it mean a person who takes care of somebody or the person who is being taken care of? > Although none of her charges seemed to realize that she was amassing a vast > body of vital work, ...


Which is correct: "not less than" or "no less than"?

Which is the correct idiom: "not less than" or "no less than"? Example (edited): > There were no less than fifty people at the meeting. > > There were not less than fifty people at the meeting.


is "I does" grammatically correct?

I heard the following in a song: "It's my world, I does what I wish to" I wondered if this is correct and if it means same as "I do what I wish to"


Antedecent of "clear" in "lower ball onto wood blocks with the plates clear"

This sentence is taken from valve instructions: > Lower ball onto wood blocks with the plates clear, and remove the plates > from the ball. What does the word _clear_ refer to? Plates? Can someone explain this sentence a bit?


What is the verb to use?

I am looking for the verb or expression to use to describe when you type quickly and nervously on your computer keyboard to find something (on a search engine for instance).


What does "by way of" mean?

I was watching a TV show, and one man asked another where he was from. The response was "Pennsylvania by way of Illinois", and I can't really understand what it means in this context. Edit: thefreedictionary.com says it means "passing through" but I don't see how it applies in this context.


What does ‘The show is all pump-up, no narrative” mean?

If you didn't know, Charlie Sheen recently kicked off his 20-date tour in Detroit on the evening of April 2nd “to a slew of walkouts and boo.” As the Guardian commented: “Charlie Sheen's remaining credibility was blown out of the water as fans booed him off-stage on the first night of tour." The result seems to have been terrible. Not only the Guardian, but many other press reviews lambasted Sheen’s poorly organized stage and his performance on it. Looking through these critical comments, I stumbled on a phrase, “This show is all pump-up, no narrative,” appearing in a review. What is the exact meaning of “pump-up” and “narrative” in the following by- minute description of the show? Does it simply mean shallow and empty contents? Can somebody translate it for me? > 9:13 – Sheen: “They took my awesome children… They took my sometimes bitchin > job… And when they thought there was nothing left, they tried to take my > titanium heart and brain and spine. But they could not.” Audience growing > restless. This show is all pump-up, no narrative.


Why is X used when we pronounce it Z?

I've seen a lot of words use an X but be pronounced with a Z. Mitch Hedberg put it best: > Xylophone is spelled with an X, that's wrong, xylophone's zzzz, X? I don't > $%(@#& see it. It should be a Z up front, next time you have to spell > xylophone, use a Z. When someone says, "Hey that's wrong," say, "No it > ain't. If you think that's wrong, you need to get your head Z-rayed." It's > like X wasn't given enough to do, so they had to promise it more. Okay, you > don't start a lot of words, but we'll give you a co-starring role in tic- > tac-toe. And you will be associated with hugs and kisses. And you will mark > the spot. And you will make writing Christmas easier. And incidentally, you > will start xylophone. Are you happy, you $%(@#&' X!?! So why is X used like this and where did it start?


Which one is right "Thanks a lot" or "Thanks lots"

I'm really confusing between these two. How can we say many thanks to a person?   1. Thanks a lot   2. Thanks lots


“Tortoise” and “taught us”

I’m reading _Alice in Wonderland_ , and found the following dialogue: > “The master was an old Turtle — we used to call him Tortoise—” > > “Why did you call him Tortoise, if he wasn’t one?” Alice asked. > > “We called him a Tortoise because he taught us.” What is the relationship between “he taught us” and “Tortoise”? Is this some kind of pun or joke?


What does "personally identifiable" mean

I was reading a booklet when I came across the phrase "personally identifiable". What does it mean in the following context (emphasis mine): > As the common household and business router will often display just one IP > address for all of the people connected to it, the IP address will identify > a group of people rather than just one individual. As a result, it is often > hard, if not impossible, to be sure who exactly did what, purely on the > basis of an IP address. > > On the other hand, IP addresses are very often **personally identifiable** , > and so, following a basic precautionary principle, must be treated as such > unless they can definitively proven not to be. First paragraph says that it's not easy ("often hard, if not impossible") to identify the exact person who did something behind a router shared with others. But "personally identifiable" in the second paragraph seem to say the opposite. I think I'm missing a nuance here. **Update:** The booklet can be downloaded from http://www.edri.org/files/2012EDRiPapers/how_the_internet_works.pdf It does not define "personally identifiable".


Looking for an English word to explain a certain business situation

I am looking for an English word to explain the following business situation. A new product or service is offered to the market. There are many small companies that start to provide this service or product. After a while, only a few of them survives. Other companies are either bought out or closed down. The market has xyz. What is the best word to use here in the place of xyz? The first word that pops up in my mind is to converge, but I believe that there is a better word. However, I cannot remember it at the moment.


How do I call something that can be doubled with one word? (double-able)

Suppose that we're playing a card game. One of the rules is that you can double the numerical value of a card if it fulfills a set of conditions. So, there are two types of cards: those that can be doubled and those that can't. Is there a single word that can be used to describe a card that "can be doubled"? Basically, **double-able**. > None of your cards is double-able! Which sounds a bit awkward. I know that I can say > None of your cards can be doubled! But I was wondering if there is a one-word solution.


How to ask for a person to come by?

For example, I'm in an office and I want to see a certain person. How do I ask at the reception to ask this person to come down? In other words, would those sound correct? > Can I ask for Peter, please? > > Would you please call for Peter? > > May I see Peter, please?


Sentence diagramming trouble with figuring out subordinators and relative pronouns

http://imgur.com/a/dyALV for the pictures. In the diagrams my main concern was figuring out if the use of "that" was under the context of it being a relative pronoun or a subordinator. I have trouble distinguishing between the two. I use Max Morenberg's "Doing Grammar, 5th ed" for this class if that helps understand how he uses them. Thank you.


When did it become common to 'double the conditional'?

> _Twins_ is a 1988 comedy featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito as > genetically engineered twins. The fact that they’re genetically engineered > is used to explain the differences between Arnold and Danny, but the movie > would’ve probably worked as well if they would’ve been regular brothers. > > SQB, Science Fiction & Fantasy Meta. _If they would have been_ is something I would never say. In my dialect, _if they had been_ is the correct choice. And I don’t think I’ve ever heard the _if they would’ve been_ construction from anyone here in the middle of Ireland, or even from anyone on this side of the Atlantic, but it is certainly common online. I suspect that this is currently a purely American phenomenon, but I could well be wrong about that. I am not sure what search terms to use to do my own research. The phrase “double conditional” is one I came up with as I asked this question. I’m certain it’s not the standard term used to describe this usage. And most results from a search are about programming languages. However, I did turn up a couple of relevant references. > Dear Grammar Lady: A promnent scholar made the following satement in a > recent article. “If we would regard religion as a work of art — as a piece > of music — we would have a different understanding of it.“ The “would” in > the first clause strikes me as being incorrect usage/phraseology; i.e., I > had expected “If we regarded or if we were to regard.” _(sic)_ Could it be > that even scholars of great renoun are capable of such blatant mistakes? > > ANSWER: You are correct. She is guilty of what I call the “double > conditional.” > > Mary Newton Bruder, The Grammar Lady, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, April 7, > 2000. I also found one discussion on an English-language forum, but it goes off topic almost immediately.


"grammar nazi" or "grammar Nazi"?

Should _Nazi_ be capitalized in the phrase _grammar nazi/Nazi_? While I can't think of any other examples right now, I would like to extend the question to ask if the words which are historically nouns should be capitalized in similar phrases.


British Isles - Acceptable?

Is the term _British Isles_ still acceptable, or is it considered offensive to Irish people who may not consider their island legitimately connected to Great Britain?


will arrive or will be arriving?

> I will arrive in Sydney on 16th September. or > I will be arriving in Sydney on 16th September. As a formal email, which one should I choose? or is there a better one?


Why do some non-English words become English words?

Why do some non-English words become English words even though there is already are English words meaning the same thing that are more universally understandable? For example, > He received **kudos** from everyone on his performance. - > _dictionary.reference.com_ The word _kudos_ [ **koo** -dohz, -dohs, -dos, **kyoo** -] is a greek word [κῦδος] that became an English word _(ref: wikipedia)_. Wouldn't it be more understandable for the non-native listener to just use the _glory_ or _honor_ instead of the original Greek _kudos_? Is the value of the word different when a word from another language is used even though they have the same meaning?


What does "paid to look the part" mean?

As in: > ... admit they're not monks but employees paid to look the part. (from NGM March 2011, p. 101)


What would "Garth Brooks" refer to in a multiple-choice Poll?

I noticed an online poll about marriage, where the person was curious to know what percentage of the current generation are interested in getting married, and the last option is: `Garth Brook`! I know this singer who has been too much on news these days for his canceled concert, and I also checked his _Personal Life_ in Wikipedia out of curiosity, and still couldn't understand why he would be a poll item about marriage! (P.S. Wikipedia says that he was married to someone and they later divorced, and that now he lives with someone else.) This is the poll (the question and the options): > Do you want to get married? > >   1. I want to get married (I’m male) >   2. I want to get married (’m female) >   3. I never want to marry (I’m male) >   4. I never want to marry (I’m female) >   5. Very unsure >   6. I’m already married >   7. Divorced >   8. Garth Brooks >


What is the word for a human 'copier'?

A word processor is the machine equivalent of a typesetter; what is the human equivalent of a copier? This word could describe the jobs of monks who copied the Bible, for instance; they did not author it, but they are writing it. ' _Writer_ ' often has the implication that this is original work.


What is the meaning of the word “larriking”?

From “Holiday Memory” in _Quite Early One Morning_ by Dylan Thomas > Lolling or larriking that unsoiled, boiling beauty of a common day, great > gods with their braces over their vests sang, spat pips, puffed smoke at > wasps, gulped and ogled, forgot the rent, embraced, posed for the dicky > bird, were coarse, had rainbow-coloured arm-pits, winked, belched, blamed > the radishes, looked at Ilfracombe, played hymns on paper and comb, peeled > bananas, scratched, found seaweed in their panamas, blew up paper-bags and > banged them, wished for nothing. I searched the word in Google and in the Thesaurus but that didn’t help much. Could anyone provide the meaning and possibly the etymology of the word?


What does "piracy pirates" mean?

What does the following phrase mean? > In Soviet Russia, piracy pirates YOU. What is implied by "piracy pirates YOU" and what by "IN Soviet Russia"? **Update 1:** My difficulty was because the term "pirate" and "piracy" are senseless to apply to Soviet Russia because there was no, strictly speaking, author rights. Nothing to pirate. Everything is already belonged by everybody. @Ed Guiness, thanks for the link, I have never heard of them. At my youth other themes were popular like:   * American to Russian: 'In the USA, I can come to The White House and cry out: "Reagan is a moron"'    * Russian to American: 'I also can come to Red Square and cry out: "Reagan is moron"'  And those in your link are somewhat unknownat my time and even less now since currently everybody is is quite indifferent to politics. **Update 2:** Subjectively, I gave credibility to George Orwell's 1948's _1984_ , rather more universally known and earlier than Yakoff Smirnoff.


Honorary gifts?

Is it correct to use the phrase _honorary gifts_ to describe gifts that are given to honor someone? The normal usage of _honorary_ is “given as an honor without the normal duties” (as in an _honorary_ degree), which conveys quite a different implication.


"Egoistic" vs. "egotistic"

Does "egoistic" and "egotistic" mean the same thing?


Usage of 'in vogue'

Is _in vogue_ a commonly used phrase in the UK? Background: The famous Med School book _Davidson's Principles and Practice of Medicine_ contains the phrase at least once. A med school book is an unusual place for such a phrase to be used in. The reason why I wonder about the usage of the phrase in the UK is that all the three people who authored the book are from Edinburgh.


What is the synonym of "spy"?

I know the word "watch" is used as a synonym of spy. Are there other synonyms that are used by native speakers?


"Feel like at home"

> Feel like at home. Is it correct or must it be " ** _feel at home_** "? It is in a Euro 2012 commercial, however some experts say it's not correct.


Is there a word for my ex-spouse's new spouse?

With modern high divorce rates, a lot of people get married more than once in their lives. Saying "my ex-wife's new husband" is a bit awkward. Is there anything more graceful? I came across it in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqXGxLWPWMQ. They proposed "ex-in-law" and "outlaw", mostly in jest.


What's the origin of the phrase "God's clean earth", and how long has it been around?

> "It isn't every day a man wakes up to discover he's a screaming bender with > no more right to live on God's clean Earth than a weasel." > > \- Dr. Leech, "Blackadder II" What's the origin of that phrase, _God's clean earth_ , and how long has it been in use? Google NGrams gives me nothing. EDIT: Given it really does seem to come from this, I agree it's too localized and am chucking the final vote in to close it. Thanks again all!


Is this usage of "inside" correct?

This text is taken from a children's reader. It's about some children who find a doll house that is an exact reproduction of their home. > Biff opened the little house. Everyone looked inside. "It looks like our > house **inside** ," said Biff. A student of English as a Foreign Language asked me what part of speech the _inside_ in _"It looks like our house inside,"_ is. I answered that it was an adverb of place, but it strikes me that there's something wrong with this sentence. My intuition is that the problem is that _look_ is a stative verb. Can anyone confirm this? Is there a rule in English grammar that adverbs of place cannot be added to stative verbs?


How should I understand "the idea" in this sentence?

The following is an excerpt from a GRE Verbal exercise: > The hypothesis of an expanding Earth has never attracted notable support, > and if it were not for the historical example of continental drift, such > indifference might be a legitimate response to an apparently improbable > concept. _It should be remembered, however, that drift too was once regarded > as illusory, but **the idea** was kept alive until evidence from physicists > compelled geologists to reinterpret their data._ I don't understand what "the idea" in the sentence refers to. Does it mean the "drift theory" or the opinion that "drift is illusory"?


What does it mean if someone is a "minefield of information"

What does it mean if someone says that "you're a minefield of information" - after you gave them some useful information. Perhaps they meant "mine of information"? What do both those phrases mean?


Does the letter i serve as a consonant in words like "onion" and "view"?

Some more words: _union, behavior, Daniel_. And the second _i_ in _opinion, familiar, brilliant, California_. I am especially concerned with American English.


Is "Englishnization" an acceptable term?

There's a company named Rakuten in Japan, which introduced "Englishnization" a couple of years ago. They adopted an internal policy where all the employees are expected to speak English as an official language. They coined this somewhat bold move as "Englishnization". My question is whether this new term is acceptable or not. Some people say that the 'n' in the middle is quite awkward, and it should have been "Englishization"(without n). I understand that neither:   * Englishization   * Englishnization is accepted as broadly. I am just wondering which makese more sense to coin a new term. IMHO, the fact that Englishization has an entry on Wiktionary: http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Englishization does not make this one more acceptable.


In what senses are 'at' and 'all' used in the phrase "at all"?

I understand that the phrase _at all_ means _in any way_ or _in the slightest_ , e.g. What is the opposite of “to stink” (v)? Is there one **at all**?, or Not bad **at all** I don't understand how the individual words come together to make that meaning. I understand the use of _at_ as a preposition, e.g. > Are there any apples here? Can be written as > Are there any apples at this place? But then what meaning does _all_ take on? > Are there any apples at all? _All_ is not a place, as far as I can see. I tried to think of _at_ in the sense of rate > Cornering is not hard at 100 km/h and that sort of makes sense if you take _all_ to be a shortening of _all rates_ > Cornering is not hard at all but that doesn't seem to fit the generally understood meaning of _at all_. Is there a way to break down the phrase _at all_ into its constituent words that adds up to the same meaning?


'During today' or 'During the day'?

> The instructions will be up during today. > > The instructions will be up during the day. Which one is correct?


What a common abbreviation for two's complement code

What a common abbreviation for _two's complement code_? I've searched on Google, and find _"TCC"_ as a required abbreviation on thefreedictionary. Is it commonly recognized? Or may be there are some other suggestions?


Term for pleasure or joy obtained on top of others' misery or unhappiness

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  An idiom for deriving pleasure from another's suffering We often experience the following: > We feel happy when our fellow classmates get a bad grade and not necessarily > when we ourselves get a good grade. > > We feel excited when our opposing team plays really awful and not > necessarily when we our team plays well. > > We feel pleased when one person we hate experiences some kind of misfortune > and not necessarily when we ourselves get good luck. What is a word or phrase to describe the phenomenon above?


Do you find somebody something?

You do 'find something for somebody', but is 'find somebody something' equally correct English?


Should I say "have a good night" at 5:00 PM?

We're off work at 5:00PM. I've never tried to say "have a good night" at this time of day. In fact, I wouldn't even say it at all unless I'd like to say it to someone who is heading to bed. When I'm done at 5:00PM, I usually say "see you tomorrow". Until recently I've never started saying "have a good night" to my colleagues. Even if I say it every day now, I don't feel it's right. However, most of my colleagues will keep saying "have a good night" to each other, so it's better for me to do the same thing. Also, sometimes when it feels really weird or awkward to say, I will say "have a good one" instead. Is it appropriate to say "have a good night" to colleagues when done at work? Any better way than saying "see you tomorrow"? **EDIT** : I've considered saying "have a nice evening", but I feel it's even worse than saying "have a good night" because people might get the impression that you only wish them well for the evening, and that you don't care if they are good or not after the evening.


Passive of "tried to eat"

OK, so I'm trying to complete the following analogy: > John ate the worms. is to > The worms were eaten. as > John tried to eat the worms. is to > The worms were tried to be eaten. or > The worms were eaten attemptively. ... ? I feel like such an inarticulate fool sometimes. **Edit** : I'm not asking which of the two possibilities is better, but how I might complete the analogy, preferably with "the worms" as the subject. This is so that I can write something like > The worms were stolen, taken to John's house, and [tried to be eaten]. Sorry if my question wasn't clear.


Why are pounds sterling called "knicker"?

I asked the price of an article the other day, and was told that it cost 120 _knicker_. This is a slang term for pounds sterling that always appears in the singular. I have failed find any reason why pounds should be referred to thus (it might also be _nicker_ and I am imagining the silent _k_ ). Is it some rhyming slang I am missing the back half of, or is there some other etymology?


Use of past perfect

We’re having a discussion here on whether or not to use the past perfect in following sentence: > The cargo was visible through the gap and was noted to have (had?) sustained > damage. Which is correct and why?


Why is 'shone' incorrect in this sentence?

Why is shone incorrect in this sentence? > The closer I got, the brighter the light shone.


What is the proper from for punctuation concerning parentheses?

I always learned that the parentheses end inside the punctuation like this: > A sentence about some particular thing (with a parenthetical note at the > end). However, sometimes I find that it is necessary to have a period at the end of the statement inside the parentheses. This makes the sentence terminate oddly if I follow the same rule. > This is example one (where the parentheses contain a short list, then end > with, etc.). > > This is example two (where the sentence might be short, but the > parenthetical note might be quite long. In fact, it may even require more > than one complete sentence, which makes the end of the whole thing look > weird to me because there is a period in the middle but not at the end). So what is the correct way to punctuate a sentence that ends with parentheses in these circumstances? Sometimes, I abandon the parentheses all together, either neglecting the statement, creating a new sentence or splitting with a semicolon, to avoid the uncomfortable feeling I get when it just does not look right.


"Even whiter than before," vs "even more white than before."

> Bathed in the moonlight, her skin looked even whiter than before. > > Bathed in the moonlight, her skin looked even more white than before. Are both forms allowed? Which one is more common and why?


"On or off campus" vs. "On- or off-campus" vs. "On-campus or off-campus"

> It does not matter if a student lives **__** as ... I'm writing a formal report. Which of the following should I use to fill in the blank? Which one is correct and more formal and looks/sounds better? a. " _on- or off-campus_ " b. " _on or off campus_ " c. " _on-campus or off-campus_ " Additional question: Is a. even grammatically correct?


Plural of “lemma”?

_Lemma_ is the singular form. What is the more correct plural form of _lemma_ : _lemmata_ or _lemmas_? What word should I choose for scientific article?


Does "native Japanese" indicate Japanese people or indigenous people in Japan?

I want to simply indicate that I was born and raised in Japan. I think I can say "I am a native Japanese", but when I google the expression, the results include information about indigenous people in Japan. If this expression can mean both mere Japanese people and Japanese indigenous people, how can one distinguish between those two? I thought I could say "I am a Japanese native" for mere Japanese, then I thought this sounds like "I am a native Japanese speaker".


Oxford Comma Conventions

According to the Wikipedia page for the Oxford Comma, "Use of the comma is consistent with conventional practice" and "Use of the comma is inconsistent with conventional practice." Did the Oxford Comma come before its omission, or was the Oxford Comma traditionally omitted? It makes logical sense that every item in a list would be separated in the same way: by a comma. If the Oxford Comma is conventionally correct, when and why did people begin to omit it?


What is the proper plural of the word "freshman"?

Would it be proper to say _freshman students_ , _freshmen_ , or _freshmen students?_ **Edit:** It is worth noting that I have since learned it is more acceptable in educational circles to use the term "first-year students" instead of "freshmen".


"Dear Sir or Madam" versus "To whom it may concern"

When is it appropriate to use the terms _Dear Sir or Madam_ and _To whom it may concern_? The rules I was taught state that _Dear Sir or Madam_ should be used when you're writing a letter to a person about something that person has direct involvement in (e.g. returning a defective product to a customer service department). By the same rules, _To whom it may concern_ would be used for situations in which the recipient is a third party to the topic of the letter (e.g. regarding a letter of reference or recommendation). Was I taught correctly? Is the rule actually something else? Or is this one of those situations where many people have an opinion but there is no real rule?


How should I begin and end an email to an institution (like a Consulate) to request some information?

I'm wondering how I should start and end a letter requesting information from a Consulate. Dear Department / Dear Service / Dear Sir/Madam and Yours faithfully?


Which form of address in motivation letter?

I am writing a motivation letter for a university in London, and I wanted to know which form of address is common? >   * Dear Sir or Madam >   * To whom it may concern > Thanks in advance.


Alternative to "is going to be"

I want to find a synonym to **"is going to be"** in a sentence like: "X is going to be outdated after Y joins X". I could have chosen "will be", but I want something more incisive, and less "in the future"...


Which is the older sense of the word "linguist"?

I have been listening to some rants on YouTube against people learning a bunch of languages calling themselves "linguists". I'm personally interested in both linguistics and languages as a hobby but I have no official training and certainly no qualifications in either. My instinct was that the ranter was kind of right in his opinion that people who speak many languages are not linguists. But I was uncomfortable with his opinion that you had to have certain pieces of paper to be called a linguist, I think "post doctorate" from memory. So I looked up "linguist" in some imperfect online dictionaries and was surprised to find both senses. Here's the defs from `oxforddictionaries.com` (chosen at random): >   1. A person skilled in foreign languages. >   2. A person who studies linguistics. > Now I don't have access to a better dictionary on historical principles from my current location. **I would like to know which of these senses is the original one?** My original opinion was the latter sense but on thinking about it I now expect it to be the former. I doubt the word would be a back-formation from "linguistics". As a side question, would the first sense now be considered to be colloquial or at least nontechnical or outdated?


What is idiom of attacking behind the back?

I have to ask that what will be the idiom of attacking behind the back?


The structure: all be it rare

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Why is "albeit" pronounced the way it is?   >  Why have the subjunctive and indicative converged in Modern English?   >  When should I use the subjunctive mood? Reading the text I came across the following sentence: > The danger, **all be it rare** , is that one may compile the 100th > expression only to find that one recompiles it and has to do the same work > all over again when it may have been done 3 expressions ago. My question is regarding the part of the phrase highlighted in bold. What does it mean? My guess is that it's inversion (inverted phrase "[though] it is all rare") But I don't understand why there is _be_ , not _is_ (all is it rare). And it looks quite strange to me. **Update:** Aedia commented that it's probably a misspelling of _albeit_. I opened an etymology dictionary and found that _albeit_ is a contraction of _al be it_ , "al(though) it be (that)". So, I still can't understand, why there is _be_ (in the original phrase, from which _albeit_ is derived from), not _is_? **Update 2:** After reading the linked questions, I still can't grasp what connotation subjunctive mood carries in comparison with indicative mood in this particular example. In the linked questions one of the answer was that _all **be** it_ = _although it **is** that_ But in the comments to this question there was a remark that **be** and **is** express different moods. To express my question clear, I'll lay it out in the following way: What is the difference with these structures?   * The danger, although it be rare,...    * The danger, although it is rare,...


"Influence of media in our lives," or "influence of media on our lives?"

Which one is correct, "influence of media in our lives," or "influence of media on our lives?"


How to write company name

This is the name of a company: > Taobao Network Co., Ltd. Is it correct that every first letter is capitalised? Also, why is there a comma?


What is the state of a license when one of the terms is no longer met?

We have a piece of software that tracks vehicles. Their license to this software determines how many vehicles they can track. Is there a term to call the license when there are more vehicles registered than allowed by the license? _Expired_ doesn’t really work because that seems to indicate a time constraint. Can a license be _exceeded_ perhaps?


A word for reading something thoroughly until one understands it well?

I was wondering if there was one word in English for "to read something thoroughly until one understands it well"? I am trying to translate a word which has this meaning in Chinese. Thanks.


Is 'Jap' still considered an ethnic slur?

~Seventy years after 'The War', is _Jap_ still considered to be an ethnic slur in the US? Is/was it also considered offensive in the UK?


Connotations of "off the reservation"

I just used the phrase _"to go off the reservation"_ \-- in the context of the workplace, to go in a direction that management might not approve of -- and realized how strange it is. What are the (historical and present-day) connotations of that term?


The nuances of Future Continuous vs Present Continuous

Consider the following: > I ran into a problem and _will be_ staying here[in this house, this room, > etc.] for a couple more days. > > I ran into a problem and _am_ staying here[in this house, this room, etc.] > for a couple more days. Now, when would one use one over the other?


Plural or singular in "between the negotiated and fixed rate(s)"

From http://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/swapspread.asp > Swap spread is the difference between the negotiated and fixed **rate** of a > swap. Should "rate" be plural "rates"?


How would one know when to choose 'preferred' or 'preferable'?

Are there guidelines for favoring 'preferred' over 'preferable' in certain contexts? Dictionaries seem to give nearly the same definitions. Thanks.


Expression to describe error’s way

In the context of a computer system, events that fail to go to their destination are redirected to another one through several steps. I’m looking for an expression to describe the way they take. I was thinking of “error’s way”, “error’s path”, or “path when errors”, but I don’t know which of those if any sounds English.


What do you call someone who makes sausages?

I'm looking for the name of the person who makes sausages. As in, you have a butcher and [the guy makes the sausages].


Storing the data vs Storing of the data

I would like to know if both are correct (if so, in what context and why): > Storing the data is important.   >  Storing of the data was implemented using ABC. I do not know where the "of" preposition is required. The same would be with "displaying": > Displaying the picture.   >  Displaying of the picture.


Difference between "supposedly" and "supposably"

What is the difference between _supposedly_ and _supposably_? Both are real words but seem to have confusingly similar definitions. > **Supposably** : Capable of being supposed : conceivable > > **Supposedly** : According to what is generally assumed or believed


Its respective owners/Their respective owners

I'm wondering which one would be grammatically correct. I think both make sense, however, I do think that one is grammatical and the other isn't. > All credit goes to its respective owners. > > All credit goes to their respective owners.


In "that pig is as solid as they come" what does "they come" mean?

I read this sentence in Charlotte's Web: > That pig is as solid as they come. Can somebody explain what "they come" means, who does _they_ refer to?


"Er" added to name of sport, to refer to a player

When creating the designation for a person who plays a particular sport, I usually add _er_ to the name of the sport. Some examples are _footballer_ , _basketballer_ , and _skateboarder_. Is this acceptable?


What is the correct usage of "myriad"?

The vast majority of the time when I see the word "myriad" it is in a sentence like "He had a myriad of things." However I don't like the extraneous words so I normally use it like "He had myriad things." My boss corrected the latter usage while editing something I wrote. I averted an argument by simply changing the sentence to "He had various things." but was I incorrect?


Why don't Americans write "devor" instead of "devour"?

Why don't Americans write _devor_ instead of _devour_ to be consistent with the pervasiveness of using variations such as _color_ and _armor_?


Is there a word for "people who are computer illiterate"?

Just as there is "computerate" to describe those who show familiarity with, and ability to use computers, is there a word to describe the opposite, those who are computer illiterate? The word I'm looking for includes both those who have access to computers but, for some reason, choose to keep away from them, and those who can read and write but have never seen a computer in their entire lives. I'm not looking for insulting or pejorative terms.