Is there any full form for NEWS?

Many people tell me that the full form of NEWS is North,East,West and South. For quite a long it looked convincing to me as the full form seemed to cover all the direction giving an impression that any thing happened in any direction in reported by the News. After a little pondering however I found that the base of the word may be just "new". It simply means what is new. Later on may be convey specifically about new information it might have got changed to news. Is it correct or I am missing some thing over here?


What does "cramp one's style" mean?

> Dude -- you're cramping my style! What does it mean?


Can the word "footing" be used in regards to an inanimate object?

For example > The toolbox fell over because it didn't have a solid footing on the bench. Merriam-Webster has the definitions >   1. a stable position or placing of the feet >   2. a surface or its condition with respect to one walking or running on it > But neither really clarifies whether it can only be applied to living things. Is there more leeway for objects that have feet _of sorts_ , like a chair, or can I claim poetic license in stretching the definition?


Can 'nothing' ever be preceded by a plural verb?

I've had it drilled into my head that _nothing_ is always singular, since it's essentially another way to say 'no thing'. However, in the following sentence, I'm having trouble ascertaining whether the preceding verb should be singular or plural: > There are nothing but liars in here. Is this sentence acceptable? I'm inclined to believe that _nothing_ is being used as an adverb rather than a pronoun, so it is correct to use 'are' rather than 'is'. Here's another example sentence: > They are nothing but petty thieves. In this case, since the subject is simpler, it becomes more clear that the plural should be acceptable. Am I understanding this correctly?


Multiple strands of hair

Is there a word that connotes _multiple strands of hair_?


Use quotation marks or italics for written quotes?

In narrative writing, should I use quotation marks or italics when I quote something someone _wrote_? I would go with italics to differentiate written from spoken quotes: > “I know who the killer is,” she said and hung up the phone. > > _I know who the killer is_ , she wrote, but she never managed to send her > message.


Can we say "probable" where we have to say "possible"?

Can we say _probable_ where we have to say _possible_? What is the exact meaning of that? I have searched this, but I didn't get the perfect example of that.


How do you express a natural habit of a species?

I am curious to know about the plural/singular form of addressing a species. For example, which expression is correct or more appropriate: > Lion does not eat wolf > > Lions do not eat wolves Or do you use _never_ for expressing such negative attitude of habit as > Lions never eat wolves


Singular form for “headphones”?

Can you wear _headphones_ (plural) in only one ear? Or would I have to use a singular form? > She wore headphones in one ear and listened to him with the other. **EDIT:** I want to show that even though she has a _set of headphones_ , she's only wearing a singular piece of it in one ear.


(The/-) measles virus

I have some doubts when it comes to describing viruses causing infectious diseases. I have consulted a couple of very well-written medical reference books, where the authors consistently drop the definite article in the names of viruses, so that the text reads: "The virus is most widespread in Europe. Measles virus is transmitted by..." What are the reasons for omitting the article in this case? The way I understand it, we should talk about “the measles virus”, as we are distinguishing it from other types of viruses. I’ll be most grateful for every hint.


Synonyms for "previous"?

I looked up the synonym for _previous_ up in the dictionary, and found > preceding, former, earlier, etc. Are there other synonyms for this word which can be used in writing a scientific paper? For example: In the _previous_ studies...


Is 'that is' optional?

When I write something like this: > I am a man that is doing these things. Is it correct to shorten it like this? > I am a man doing these things. And does it require commas?


Phrasal verbs: single entity?

I am teaching English to my cousin, but I am not sure how to explain phrasal verbs correctly. For example "take off". I explain it as two words but a single entity. When I ask her to name a verb in the sentence _The plane is taking off_ , I expect to hear "to take off", not "to take". Do I understand this concept correctly? **Update:** In the sentence "She put her hands around her hear and squeaked." Is "put around" a phrasal verb or there are separate verb and preposition?


Etymology of 'slap-up'

Apparently this is a peculiarly British term, but we'll sometimes use the phrase 'slap-up' to mean 'excellent', as in: > That's a slap-up meal! or > They held a slap-up do. What's the origin of the term slap-up? Nothing obvious comes to mind.


When should I capitalise the first inital after a colon?

I've read a few question and answers on this topic but, to make assurance doubly sure (as it were), here goes. Is the capitalisation correct in the following two instances? >   1. Chapter 7 examines the impact of intra-household inequalities in access > to food and addresses questions such as: How do poor agricultural families > cope with food insecurity during seasonal troughs in the agricultural > production cycle? How do they cope with calamities such as drought and > famine? Does the burden of coping fall equally on all family members? > >   2. This is justified on the grounds that: ‘In the African way, we speak to > the man who is the head of the house and assume he will pass on the > information to other members’; and again, ‘Being men, it is of course easier > for us to persuade men’ (Staudt 1975–76: 91). > > In instance (1), had there been only one question, should I have lowercased the initial h? Chapter 7 examines the impact of intra-household inequalities in access to food and addresses questions such as: how do poor agricultural families cope with food insecurity during seasonal troughs in the agricultural production cycle?


judging the intended meaning of the two sentences below

* james is max's supposedly Irish ancestor.   * james is max's supposed Irish ancestor. what can we interpret from these? which is the correct one? I understand that "supposedly" modifies the adjective "Irish" and "supposed" modifies "ancestor". But it doesn't help me reach a conclusion about the uncertainty factor of the sentence. Is there uncertainty about james being Irish or max's ancestor? no context, just the two independent sentences.


what is the meaning of "the family dynamic" and "Textbook Case"?

I encountered the terms “the family dynamic” and “Textbook Case” in the play _The Pain and the Itch_ by Bruce Norris. I want to know what they mean. At page 58: > Clay: Kelly was abused.   >  Carol: Oh, Kelly! Ohhhhh.   >  Kelly: True.   >  Carol: I didn't know that! Oh, how awful.   >  Kelly: The family dynamic. Yeah. Textbook case.   >  Carol: Ohh, how horrible. I hope that's not true!   >  Clay: It is true. It absolutely is.   >  Carol: Ohh, ..."


Term for converting to black&white

Is there a single word to denote reducing the color palette of an image to two colors: black and white? For instance, navy becomes black and beige turns into white. I know there is _desaturate_ , but it's too broad, can mean even a slight reduction in color.


Meaning of "Skull" as Insult

I am reading _The Last of the Mohicans_. A group gets lost on their way to Fort Edward. Then they meet Hawkeye the scout, who accuses their guide of misleading them. Hawkeye believes the guide's heritage confirms this when he says: > "A Huron!" repeated the sturdy scout, once more shaking his head in open > distrust; "they are a thievish race, nor do I care by whom they are adopted; > you can never make anything of them but **skulks** and vagabonds. Since you > trusted yourself to the care of one of that nation, I only wonder that you > have not fallen in with more." I cannot find a definition of _skull_ to match this usage. A definition I've found in dictionaries that is closer to Hawkeye's intent than the common meaning of "bone of the head" is this one from MacMillan Dictionary: > INFORMAL a person's head, or their mind Especially if used in this derogatory sense cited from CED: > _derogatory often_ the head regarded as the mind or intelligence: _to have a > dense skull_ Hawkeye is not shy with his criticisms of this tribe. In the above passage alone he accuses them of thievery, aimlessness, and treachery. It is possible that by using _skulls_ he is insulting their intelligence too. But this argument seems weak to me, because the traps and ambushes Hawkeye fears the guide leading the group into require some sophistication to execute. A supposition I think has more merit is that this _skull_ is related to _skulduggery_ , which MW defines as > underhanded or unscrupulous behavior; _also_ : a devious device or trick The _skul_ in _skulduggery_ ("apparently an alteration of Scottish _sculdudrie_ 'adultery' (1713), _sculduddery_ 'bawdry, obscenity' (1821), a euphemism of uncertain origin") appears to have a different etymology than the bone-related _skull_ ("probably from Old Norse _skalli_ 'a bald head, skull,'..."). But I cannot find any sources to confirm the connection of Hawkeye's use of _skulls_ to this _skul_. What does Hawkeye mean by calling the tribe "skulls"? **Edit** : As Leon Conrad points out below, I misquoted the Google book I cited. The correct word is _skulks_. (I have changed it above.) I have e-mailed the source I read from about the typo.


Are "commentable" and "categorizable" proper?

Can I say "commentable and categorizable"? If not, what are some one word alternatives to use, to say that something can be commented on or categorized? I would like to use the words for database column names, so there is no actual context. But if you want I could use this sentence: > The content is commentable and categorizable. I just wanted to know if these words are acceptable terms or if I misunderstood something.


Using 'the' in front of proper nouns?

This may be an incredibly stupid question but I'm having a bit of trouble with it. If I want to write: > I transferred flights at the airport. Then I know I need to use 'at the' as 'airport' is a noun. but what if I want to specify the airport to be Sydney Domestic Airport? I'm of (the perhaps wrong?) belief that 'Sydney Domestic Airport' is a proper noun and so you shouldn't need the preceding 'the'? But reading it out loud either way seems correct. So what fundamental rule am I obviously forgetting from primary school? Go easy on me!


What is the closest idiomatic antonym to ‘foul the nest’?

There was the following sentence in Washington Post’s (January 5) article titled “Rick Perry is no George W. Bush” with a subhead line, ‘Perry’s dubious award.’ > Perry, who looks likely to fail at his presidential campaign, has also > _fouled the nest back home_. The January issue of Texas Monthly magazine > hands him the annual “Bum Steer’’ award — a major poke in the eye for the > state’s top officeholder. The magazine’s “dishonor’’ has been given to a > sitting governor only once before, in 1976. I’m curious to know the exact idiomatic antonym(s) to “foul the nest back home.”


Use of "it" and "them"

Can the pronoun _it_ refer to plural as in the following sentence? > Secrets of Wealth and Provision and how to increase it. Or should it be: > Secrets of Wealth and Provision and how to increase them. I would myself use _them_ rather than _it_ , but I just want to make sure if _it_ could sometimes refer to the plural.


"Your" vs. "you're": Why the confusion?

I have seen many comments on different blogs and forums where English native speakers spelled _you're_ as _your_. I'm not a native speaker, but I know and understand the difference between the two. Why is there a confusion? My initial guess is that _your_ and _you're_ have similar pronunciation and because I carry some accent from my native language (Romanian) I can identify the difference better. _Edit_ (thanks Chris): The same can be asked for other homophones: _there/their/they're_ , _its/it's_.


Some other or another

I wonder if "some other" means exactly the same as "another" in the following sentences. Is there any difference between them? >   1.     * There must be _another_ explanation. >     * There must be _some other_ explanation. >   2.     * In this case we will go to _some other_ city. >     * In this case we will go to _another_ city. >   3.     * After that they saw _some other_ house. >     * After that they saw _another_ house. >


What is the word for multiple letters that behave like a single sound?

I'm trying to find a list of something like this:               ck     ph     kn     ch     sk      etc. Basically, they would be pronounceable and are often used to make up words. I think there is a term for this. Like 'ph' can be made in to 'phone'. 'Ch' can be made in to 'Check'.


Meaning of "as" in following sentence

I am not sure of the meaning of this sentence: > The significance of culture and identity in development has to do not so > much with the cultural factor in the process of development **as** with > abandoning Eurocentric development thinking. I'm not sure what the use of _as_ is supposed to convey. Does it mean "development has to do not so much ... as with abandoning", i.e. not as much as abandoning? Does the abandoning have more to do with it? And the second question: Why does it use "has to do not so much". Why not "has not so much to do"? Is "have to" a verb?


A phrase to show that something is deeply personal

The context here is that I'm translating from Spanish a phrase which has a wonderful suggestion of deep intimacy. I want to keep the translation as literal as possible but also to maintain the emotion of the phrase. The Spanish phrase is "siempre seguirá perteneciendo a tu intimidad", which roughly translates as "it will always remain personal to you". However, to my ear, that translation loses all the sensuousness of the original phrase, but I'm struggling to find alternatives (other than adding for example "deeply personal"). Any suggestions? Do we even have a word in English with the same connotations as "intimidad" in this sense of emotional, personal profundity?


Usage of "to canter through a topic"

What are the types of uses of the expression "to canter through a topic or issue"? I heard it in this context: > I don't have much time to go through this section now, so I'll canter > through the next few pages and concentrate on explaining the subsequent > section. Does this use of the expression have an implication of "not being bothered" to explain something in more detail, and so, with the possibility of having a negative connotation to it?


"Will be gone" vs "Will have gone"

1) "By the time you arrive, I'll already be gone " 2 ) "By the time you arrive, I'll already have gone " I think both are grammatically correct but Are there any differences in meaning? And which one sounds better(more natural)?


"Any vs. "any other" and "every" vs. "every other"

Can you please clarify what difference in meanings exists between the sentences in the following two pairs: >   1.     * Tom is taller than any boy present in the class. >     * Tom is taller than any other boy present in the class. >   2.     * Tom is taller than every boy present in the class. >     * Tom is taller than every other boy present in the class. >


Is there a word that conveys 'keeping someone wondering purposely'?

**Scenario:** Someone publicly says, " _We have made a decision_ " in reference to an important choice, but no matter how many people ask what the decision was, the person does not say. Later, when asked about why they refused to disclose what their decision was they reply with " _Because I don't want everyone to know_." **Question:** Is there a word that conveys 'keeping someone wondering purposely' or describes a type of person who does? **Note:** I am aware that _a**hole_ fits nicely as an answer, but I'm looking for something a tad classier.


"woman" or "women" as a stand-in for the adjective "female"?

As in, > Emily Dickinson was a great **woman** poet or > Emily Dickinson was a great **women** poet in order to mean > Emily Dickinson was a great female poet Think I may have seen this adjectival usage of "women/woman" in a feminist art criticism paper, wondering if there's an accepted spelling...


Is the sentence “It provides people an easy way to communicate.” grammatically correct?

My inclination is to say that the sentence needs to be “It provides people **with** an easy way to communicate.”, but I'm struggling to explain _why_. Certainly _provide_ can be used transitively (“I provide food.”) or intransitively (“The government provides.”)—is it a question of valency?


Is it okay to use Present Perfect Tense right after "to see how"? For example, > It is both sad and funny to see how these guys have never really got to the > core of the matter.


"What exactly" vs. "Exactly what"

What are the differences between these two phrases? For example, how would you qualify the difference between these two sentences: "What exactly is that book about?" and "Exactly what is that book about?".


What does David Cameron’s “You did Britain a service, and kicked that useless voting system off,” mean?

British Prime Minister David Cameron delivered a speech to the annual Conservative Party Conference held on October 5th in Manchester. The New Yorker magazine (October 5) introduced some of clips from his speech with sarcastic notes in the article titled, “David Cameron: An Annotated Guide.” Because it was a simple collection of fragmentary quotations, it was hard to guess any gist of his speech from this article. Among them, there was a clip followed by the following annotation: > “You did Britain a service and kicked that useless voting system off the > political agenda for decades to come.” > > Points for style: American politicians should adopt “useless,” more often > heard here in reference to philandering husbands and remote controls, as a > term of public contempt. I don’t understand what “You did Britain a service” in Cameron’s line means. What is “a service” in this context? I mean what service did “You” - Conservative Party or the nation offer Britain? And what is a connection of “philandering husband” and “remote controls” in the annotation? Can somebody decipher for me?


Which is correct: "while away" or "wile away"?

Instinctively I wrote "wile away the hours", but on reflection that didn't seem right, given what "wile" is usually taken to mean. Then again, "while away" doesn't seem to make much sense either. Which usage is correct, and why?


Derogative vs Offensive

Is a derogative comment an offensive comment? To what extent are these two words synonyms?


Meaning of "boroughs of New York City"

What does borough mean?   Does the word have a different meaning when used in _the five boroughs of New York City_?


Origin of the name Manhattan

What is the origin of the name Manhattan?


Opposite of verb "abstract" and noun "abstraction"

The opposite of _abstract_ (adj) is _concrete_ , but what are the opposites of other forms of the word _abstract_ , such as:   * _abstract_ (v) - E.g.: We can abstract away the implementation details.   * _abstraction_ (n) - E.g.: I will provide an abstraction to simplify this. I'm interested in this from a computer science perspective. Abstraction is an important concept and I often find myself needing the opposite when explaining/modeling something. I'm currently using _implement_ and _implementation_ , but I feel this isn't quite correct.


What is the etymology of the expression "so far, so good"?   Why is the meaning of "so far" in that phrase different from the meaning it has in "it's so far"?


What is a "feal"?

I have been reading Scott's _Waverley, or 'tis Sixty Years Since_ , and in that book, a lawyer is describing an estate surrounding a manor house. That estate is said to include... > the fortalice and manor-place thereof ..., tofts, crofts, mosses, > muirs—outfield, infield—buildings—orchards—dovecots—with the right of net > and coble in the water and loch of Veolan—teinds, parsonage and > vicarage—annexis, connexis—rights of pasturage—fuel, feal, and divot—parts, > pendicles, and pertinents whatsoever I have run down the meaning of most of this, but I am stumped by _feal_. The Online Dictionary defines _feal_ here to be an archaic word for "faithful", but that doesn't seem to me to be terribly relevant. Does anyone know what _feal_ is in this context?


What do you call the directions orthogonal to uptown/downtown in Manhattan?

While in many places, the notions of "uptown" and "downtown" can be somewhat fuzzy and vague, in Manhattan, these two words have clear definitions - if you are standing on _n_ th Street, then uptown is in the direction of _n+1_ th Street, while downtown is in the direction of _n-1_ th Street. What do you call the directions _orthogonal_ to that? That is, if you are standing on 8th Avenue, what do you call the direction you travel to get to 7th Avenue or 9th Avenue? (In particular, what do people who actually live in New York call these directions? It's not difficult to come up with reasonably clear ways of expressing these directions [see below], but I want to know what natives call it.) * * * Possible options (but I have no idea which of these, if any, are actually used by New York natives):   * Just **east** / **west** (since Manhattan is sort-of-but-not-really oriented to the compass directions)   * **towards the Hudson River** / **towards the East River** (but does anybody actually say this? Seems unlikely.)   * something based on roads that run along the Manhattan coast, like **towards the FDR** / **towards Henry Hudson Parkway** (but again, does anybody say this? Doubt it.)


What is the difference between weight and heft?

There’s a dictionary saying _heft_ means _weight_ , but what does _heft_ mean in the phrase of “weight and heft”? Is it "weight and weight"? I think there might be some difference between weight and heft, but I don’t know for sure. I’d be happy if you could help me.


What is the meaning of "A.C. or D.C.?"

In Heinlein's _A stranger in a strange land_ , there is a moment when nurse Jill kisses Martian man named Mike and another man, Jubal, puts a comment on it. It comes as follows: > “Son,” he said, “you amaze me. I would have expected you to curl up in one > of your faints.” > > “I so did,” Mike answered seriously, without letting go, “on first kissing > time.” > > “Well! Congratulations, Jill. A.C., or D.C.?” > > “Jubal, you’re a tease but I love you anyhow and refuse to let you get my > goat. Mike got a little upset once—but no longer, as you can see.” The only meaning of AC and DC I found was alternating current and direct current, but it is about electric power distribution and is definitely not my case. I have no idea about meaning and genesis of Jubal's mockery. Can anyone, please, explain it to me? Don't pay attention to Mike's strange language - he is the Man from Mars and has a different native language and way of thinking.


What is the difference between "being in" and "being down"

I've come across both sentences and was wondering if there is any difference in their meaning. Here are the sentences where I met them: To be down: > Give me a call if you're down To be in: > Who's in for the show tonight? Can one switch them without any impact as in `if you're in` and `who's down for` ? Edit: a new challenger joins the list, `to be up to`: > Tell me what you're up to Also, I would point out that I've read/heard that in America and English is my second language. Now the main question becomes: **Can we interchangeably use " _to be in for_ ", " _to be down with_ " and " _to be up to_ "** ? Can we also switch the extra words such as "to be in with", "to be down to", "to be up for" ? If you have any concrete example where one or another could be more appropriate/meaningful, please let us know!


When did 'venereal disease' become STI?

Why is it that the term _venereal disease_ has been dropped in favour of _sexually transmitted infection_ , or 'STI' for short? The change seemed to date from the advent of AIDS. Was it that the word 'venereal' was associated uniquely with heterosexual relationships?


Is there a simpler, more poetic term for "the detritus of animal life"?

Forensic scientists collect DNA from cast-off bits of people such as skin cells, blood, and hair. In many magical traditions, such as Voudoun, bits of a person can be used to direct a spell - blood, nail clippings, saliva, etc. Is there a term that covers "all the bits and pieces that make up a person or animal"? The context is mythology, so an obsolete or archaic word would fit in just fine. _Detritus_ is the closest I've come up with, but I'm not quite happy with it. I don't necessarily mean "bits which have been cast off," but really all the elements of an animal. A word or phrase which means "fur, skin, feathers, and/or bone" would be about right. "Organic matter" has the right technical meaning, but it's, well, too technical. Clarification: I don't actually need a single word, a short phrase would be fine. There doesn't seem to be a tag for "word-requests" alone.


What do you call a blanket used for moving?

When renting a moving van you can also rent or buy blankets to wrap around your furniture to protect them while moving. They are typically not too pretty, most often gray, made from cotton fibers from recycled fabrics. What are such blankets called? ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/HmXFl.png)


Equivalents for "She's got a lovely singing voice"

> _She's got a lovely singing voice._ I'm sure they're a lot of other ways to say someone's singing voice is good. How do you restate the above sentence? I'm looking for any equivalent sentences (Formal/Informal/Slang).


What's the difference between "obscene" and "scatological"?

This question was inspired by the Malvolio's answer to this question.   1. What is the actual difference? In English-Russian dictionary there's almost no difference if speaking about tricky phrases. And according to Malvolio's answer there's a big difference in meanings of these two words.    2. How to chose when to use "obscene" and when to use "scatological"?


Uses of “to scathe”

Would “We took down the foreyard and commenced to scathe it” make sense to a sailor?


"Do you want to live forever?"

There's a famous story about a Marine sergeant at the Battle of Belleau Wood shouting "Come on, you apes. Do you want to live forever?" It's been attributed to several people; a character in _Starship Troopers_ says it; but what does it _mean_?   1. "You are acting as if you wish never to die; in fact, you should desire to fight and to die fighting."   2. "If you fight, your life may be shortened but you will achieve metaphorical immortality -- 'live forever' -- through your valor."   3. A deliberate ambiguity between (1) and (2). **EDIT:** I didn't make something clear. I am not taking a _poll_ here. A sound argument for one alternative or another would be good; a cite would be better; but an opinion is famously like that body part that everyone has but no one else wishes to see or hear about.


"Finally, there is/are the mechanics of the essay."

* _"Finally, there_ **_is/are_** _the mechanics of the essay."_ Should I use the verb **_are_** or **_is_**?


Difference between elucidate and explicate

I read the definitions of these two terms rendered by various dictionaries and concluded that   * _elucidate_ denotes 'to make perspicuous or intelligible (especially by explanation)'; whereas,   * _explicate_ denotes 'to elaborate on a theory in a manner that makes it more perspicuous or intelligible'.  I can't discern a distinction other than the possibility that explicate is the more appropriate word when the object is a theory (e.g. one might explicate a theory but elucidate a process). Is that the distinction between these two words? If not, then what distinguishes these two words from each other?


Phrase help for do's and don'ts

While I am writing some health tips, I used a phrase do's and don'ts, in describing my activities. I wonder, if there is any equivalent word to do's and don'ts. I believe this phrase is archaic. Are there any phrases that can be used in place of them. **Update:** Here's the context where I am using Do's   * Sleep early and wake up early Don'ts   * Keep away from brewed beverages


one word for shocking and clever?

I am looking for one word which means both shocking and clever. Example sentence: Shocking and clever revenge story.


What does 'McKinley Moment ' mean?

I saw the following sentences in today's Washington Post and another article found in a web site. What does 'McKinley moment' mean? I don't find this word in any of English Japanese dictionaries at hand. What's the origin of this word? Is this a word often used? -If any good can come of the horror in Tucson, it will be that this becomes a McKinley moment for Sarah Palin and her chief spokesman, Glenn Beck.  -And that was before the McKinley moment. While Republican congressional leaders joined President Obama in Monday morning's moment of silence, Beck mocked it as an Obama photo-op. His show was on commercial break during ...


Is the use of ellipses... rude?

Coming from the UK and in my experience in writing to people on-line, it seems that some cultures that use the English language do not understand that ellipses in communication can come across as sarcastic or gloomy, or a variety of other feelings that usually feel negative to the reader. I’m sure I’m not alone when I say this but I usually find _dependent on content but most of the time coming across as negative_ that the use of ellipses in instant messaging is rude. What is the bottom line? I hope there is an answer to this...


Is there a difference between the phrases "I am fine with it" and "it is fine with me"?

In my experience there has been a diachronic split between these phrases: > It is fine with me. > > I am fine with it. The latter has overtaken the former in usage although they continue to compete for the exact same meaning (which is discussed here). Is there a meaningful difference between the two phrases? Is the first one indeed on its way out?


Why was it necessary to divide alphabets into vowels and consonants?

This may be an extremely simple question. I know pretty much what do we do when we see any vowel but I am curious why were these two classes created in the first place. I beg pardon for another question : Why were only these letters chosen as vowels : **a , e , i , o , u** ?


Origin of the phrase "for the win"?

Just curious as to where "for the win" (commonly abbreviated FTW) originated?


What does the phrase "You're out of your element" mean?

I heard it in The Big Lebowski movie, when Walter yells at Donny, "shut the fuck up, Donny"; then he exclaims, "You're out of your element!".


Is there a word that means English-Language-Centric?

There was an argument about how someone spelled "Revolution" and they said "No, I did not write it incorrectly. I used the Spanish version: 'Revuloción' without the accented o to make my life a little easier." The thing that came to mind was wow, how Anglocentric, but then I remembered that it was more about the Culture of England than dealing with the language at large that's also spoken in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United States, etc. So, is there a word that means English-Language centered/-centric? If there is, I would thank you very much for obliging me. Otherwise, I think I am afraid that I am indeed at a loss for words. I know there is "Anglophone", but it only conveys someone that is an English speaker, not someone that thinks that the entire world should cater to those that speak the English language and speak English around them even if they are in a foreign land [Mind you, this is only a rather extreme example of it, but it does more or less convey the feeling of what I am attempting to have others understand in a written format].


Can anyone tell me the tense changes in this sentence

I saw this in my school's newspaper--what are the tense changes? "Starting Thursday February 6th, sports fans around the world had been on the edge on the edge of their seats as the Winter Olympics went underway"


What's the meaning of "stained with a blue bag" in this text?

In a story titled "Prelude" written by "Katherine Mansfield", I came across the following paragraph: > After tea Kezia wandered back to their own house. Slowly she walked up the > back steps, and through the scullery into the kitchen. Nothing was left in > it but a lump of gritty yellow soap in one corner of the kitchen window sill > and a piece of flannel **stained with a blue bag** in another. Please somebody shed some light on the meaning of " **a piece of flannel stained with a blue bag** ".


"Times of their choosing" or "times of their choice"

Should we use _choosing_ or _choice_ in the sentence below? > You may find that engaging the required range of participants requires > traveling to participants' home or workplace, at times of their > **choosing/choice**.


Is "mellifluous" onomatopoeic?

> mel·lif·lu·ous /məˈliflo͞oəs/ Adjective: (of a voice or words) Sweet or > musical; pleasant to hear. As in the title: is "mellifluous" onomatopoeic or is the definition of onomatopoeia stricter than that?


“Era”, “age”, and “epoch”

What are the differences and relations between _era_ , _age_ , and _epoch_? For example, should I say one of these?   * We are now in the digital _era_.   * We are now in the digital _age_.   * We are now in the digital _epoch_.   * We are now in the Internet _era_.   * We are now in the Internet _age_.   * We are now in the Internet _epoch_. Or should I use some other word? I found this comparison, but it is all about geologic history.


How do you refer to the act of a delegate resigning?

When a president resigns, they might entitle their resignation letter "Resignation from Presidency." A councilor might entitle their letter "Resignation from Council." What would a delegate entitle their resignation letter? Here are some contenders that I encountered on google:   * "Resignation as Delegate"   * "Resignation from Delegacy"   * "Resignation of Delegacy" Is one of these (or a different version) more correct than another? If so, why?


Spelling out numbers in written dialogue

I cannot locate accurate answers anywhere regarding these. My explanations are below each example. I believe that all examples may be correct but am unsure. I'm just looking for some confirmation. In which, if any, would you change the punctuation? (1) _Mike said, "The team needed ten point five million.”_ [No hyphens because 'ten point five million' isn't modifying anything. Good as is?] (2) _Mike said, "The team needed ten-point-five-million dollars."_ [Hyphenate because 'ten-point-five' is modifying dollars, correct?] (3) _Mike said, "The figures represented a ten-point-five-million-dollar-a- year increase in revenues."_ [Hyphenated because 'ten-point-five-million- dollar-a-year' is modifying 'increase'. Good?] (4) _"Mike said, "The figures represented a ten-point-five-percent increase."_ [Hyphenated because 'ten-point-five-percent' is modifying 'increase', correct?] (5) _Mike said, "The figures represented a ten-point-five-percent-a-year increase."_ [Hyphenated because 'ten-point-five-percent-a-year' is modifying 'increase', yes?] (6) _Joe said, "She displayed one-hundred-and-ten-percent commitment."_ [Hyphenated because 'one-hundred-and-ten-percent' modifies 'commitment'.] (7) _Dave said, "I'll give it one hundred and ten percent."_ [No hyphens because 'one hundred and ten percent' isn't modifying anything.] (8) _Louise said, "The interest rate is at twelve point seven."_ [No hyphens because 'twelve point seven' isn't modifying anything, correct?] (9) _Louise said, "The interest rate is at twelve-point-seven percent._ " [Hyphenated because 'twelve point seven' is modifying 'percent', right?] (10) _Louise said, "I need one-hundred-percent commitment from you."_ [Hyphenated because 'one-hundred-percent' modifies 'commitment', correct?]


What is the correct verb that follows "as well as?"

Which of the following sentences is correct?   1. He as well as they are in the wrong.   2. He as well as they is in the wrong.


Does a truism need to be true to be a truism?

I frequently hear people quoting widely-used idioms or proverbs as if they are fact, simply because they are used frequently by many people. For example, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." Can these be called a "truism" even if not true or must they be actually true to be called a "truism"? Are there more precise terms for the two meanings, "widely believed ideas, which really aren't true" and "widely believed ideas, which really are true"?


Antonym of "confirm" that refers to facts and not opinion

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  What is the opposite of the word confirm? In some cases, the antonym of _confirm_ would be _deny_. > I **confirm** that the rumors are true. > > I **deny** that the rumors are true. However, in a scientific sense, that doesn't make sense to me. > By careful observation, I have **confirmed** that the earth orbits the sun. > > By careful observation, I have **denied** that the earth orbits the sun. The use of _deny_ here seems to imply that I'm talking about my opinion on the subject, as opposed to me having established a scientific fact.


Looking for a term that is the opposite of "location-based crowdsourcing"

When referring to services that provide access to crowdworkers to perform tasks to be done on a computer with an internet connection (e.g., Amazon Mechanical Turk), in contrast with those that allow for tasks to be performed in the physical world (e.g., TaskRabbit), how would you call one vs the other? I'm set on using the term "location-based crowdsourcing" for the type of crowdsourcing that is performed in the physical world. I am trying to use "online crowdsourcing" for the type that is done only online. But part of the problem with that is that, both are facilitated by online technologies. Another option is to call it "virtual crowdsourcing." Any other suggestions?


Why do we no longer refer to Muslim and Hindu women as being 'in Purdah'?

The term _purdah_ is used metaphorically in Britain for anyone who stays out of sight. The Chancellor of the Exchequer is said to _go into purdah_ (away from the press)before he delivers his annual budget statement. But although there are many Indian, Pakistani, and Arabic women who wear the full _hijab_ , (facial covering), in Britain, I never hear them referred to as _in purdah_. In former times when Britain governed the sub-continent, _purdah_ was an important part of the language, referring to the practice of women over the age of puberty remaining out of sight of men, other than their immediate family.


"As big as you please"

What is the meaning of this expression in the following contexts? **1.** “I think we have too many clothes on Sammy.” Sam nodded and pushed Dean off of him, shucking his pants as quickly as he could, Dean getting undressed hurriedly right in front of him. Sam watched him hungrily as Dean's body was revealed to him, and Sam reached out and pulled Dean to him, their naked bodies finally pressing against each other, all hot skin and needy hands. Dean grinned **as big as you please** as he touched his forehead to Sam's. “Whatcha gonna do with that mouth of yours Sammy?” **2.** I'll never forget how Petey looked, setting up there on that stool **as big as you please**. She was flirtin' with that guy for all she was worth. She pulled out that ... **3.** “Men,” it said in bold letters **as big as you please**. Damn. She had walked straight into the men's room. How utterly embarrassing. She turned and fled into the ... **4.** From rowdy Creole and Cajun feasts to romantic dinners with sparkling wines, you can go **as big as you please** (but we hope you have your dinner ressies for ... From what I can understand, this makes no sense, at least to me, with a literal meaning. So this might be an idiom. In the forth context it seems that it means "as you please". Although they all seem to have different meanings.


How does one parse 'woe betide'?

How would one parse the sentence 'Woe betide anyone wearing the wrong colour'! 'Betide' is clearly the main verb, meaning 'happen'; as in 'they waited wondering what might betide'. But clearly 'betide' is not conjugated like other verbs, otherwise it would be 'woe betides'. But in this usage of 'woe betide...' it doesn't even seem to me to be acting like an indicative verb. It is most frequently delivered as an imperative warning, a bit like 'look out!'. Should the full form be 'Woe will betide anyone....'


"Off on a tangent" vs. "off tangent."

Tonight I heard someone say, "We're going off tangent here." I take this to be a mistaken conflation of "off on a tangent" with "off track." However, is a shift occurring? Is "off tangent" developing some currency? Is it becoming accepted? Or is it still fundamentally incorrect?


What's the difference between "awesome thanks" and "thanks very much"?

I've found "awesome thanks" in a forum reply. I wonder if there is difference between these two expressions? >   * awesome thanks >   * thanks very much >


Is it correct to say "I go here", when referring to attending a school?

I've often heard teens and grown ups saying "I go here" when referring to attending a school or an educational institution. For some reason, I want to correct them and have them rephrase it as, "I attend here" or "I come here." Which is the right way of saying it?


Can king's court be "stationed" in a city?

I want to say that when the Frederick II with his court, was in the city of Pisa, some person got a chance to see him. Can I say "stationed with his court in", like so? > Approximately in 1225 when Frederick II was stationed with his court in > Pisa, Milo was granted an audience. Or does **stationed** only apply to military units?


Is past perfect necessary when you are talking in chronological order?

I have a question about using past perfect. I know that it's used when you want to refer to an older past event while talking about a more recent past event. But if you begin talking about past events in chronological order, is past perfect really necessary? For example, I want to write the following sentence: > "When I called her last time, she told me that she wan't feeling well due to > a cold. So when I saw her in the hallway this morning, I stopped her to ask > her how she was doling." The thing is, people have told me that I should use past perfect in the above sentence and I just can't seem to understand why. I'm confused as ever!


"By" vs "Per". Which one should I use on expressions like "P&L/Geography" or "VaR/Asset"?

In the finance field, it is quite common to express some measures in relation to some grouping criteria. Some groupings can be temporal (year, month, etc.) and others like greography, asset class (e.g. a financial product), strategy (used in trading), and others. Which one is the most appropriate preposition to apply in this kind of expression ?   * "VaR per asset" or "VaR by asset"   * "P&L per strategy" or "P&L by strategy". Is there any well defined rule behind the most appropriate use ?


Saying that refers to not going overboard in solving a problem when a simple solution exists

So I know I've heard this saying in American English before but I just can't quite find the original. I have come up with several made up variations like:   * I don't send the Navy (or whole army, or a battalion) when all you need is a diplomat.   * Don't buy the whole cow when all you need is milk. What's the more commonly heard saying/phrase for this of expression?


Is the usage of this semicolon correct? Should I replace it with a colon or dash?

I am getting ready to have my first tattoo and, as a fairly strict grammarian, I want to make sure that I get it right. I plan for the tattoo to look like the following, but I'm not totally sure about the semicolon (perhaps it should be a colon, dash, or something else instead?). ![Is the semicolon in this used correctly, or should it be replaced by a colon/dash/other?](http://i.stack.imgur.com/HUtHZ.png) The words are taken from a song (Wake by The Antlers) and just adjusted slightly. Originally, it was "When your helicopter came and tried to lift me out, I put its rope around my neck. And after that you wouldn't bother with the airlift or the rescue- you knew just what to expect." Basically, I am trying to communicate a cause/effect relationship (in that "they" will not bother with an airlift etc BECAUSE they know just what to expect) which is kind of throwing me off. Any thoughts?


Pronunciation of "cache"

I have been pronouncing the word "cache" as "kaysh". I know a few people who pronounce it more like "cash" or even "cashay" or "catch". After consulting a few dictionaries, it turns out that the correct pronunciation of the word "cache" is "cash". My question is, are the other pronunciations of "cache" (kaysh, cashay, catch) not totally acceptable? Which one do IT people prefer?


Capitalisation of geographical entities in lists

I cannot seem to find an agreement on the proper capitalisation of geographical entities that use common nouns as part of their full name. Specifically my example is: > ...was found in the Pacific, Southern, and Indian Oceans. since both **Pacific Ocean** and **Indian Ocean** etc. are the correct terms. or should it be: > ...was found in the Pacific, Southern, and Indian oceans. As, strictly speaking, **Oceans** (plural) is not part of either name?


Should the names of different sorting algorithms be "<qualifier> sort" or "<qualifier>sort"?

Should the names of different sorting algorithms be `<qualifier> sort` or `<qualifier>sort`? The titles of Wikipedia articles of these sorting algorithms are not consistent with respect to this. See the listing. From English grammar (correction: orthography) point of view, which is better?


Is it acceptable to use "them" with two objects?

Is this allowable? It is fairly clear what is meant, and yet one cannot know for sure which object is being referred to each time "them" is used. e.g. > Sweets are bad for your teeth. If you eat **them** , it could damage > **them**. or even the other way around.... > Sweets are bad for your teeth. You could damage **them** if you eat > **them**.


Is it correct to say 'struck an example'?

When teaching people, is it correct to say: 'The author **_struck_** an example.' ? Can anybody give me another word used to mean 'give an example' when using examples or parables to teach people.


What does "therf werre eyght bokes" mean?

I've been told that the following phrase is valid English, although Google Translate marks each of the words as wrong. > Therf werre eyght bokes. What does this phrase mean in common English?


Asking questions, Past vs Present

What is the difference between the following: > What is applied mathematics? If you were to summarize it in a few words? > > What is applied mathematics? If you are to summarize it in a few words? > > What is applied mathematics? If you summarize it in a few words? > > What is applied mathematics? [Like] If you were to summarize it in a few > words?


What does "values that visitors seek the park mean" in this sentence mean?

This is from Garett Hardin's essay on the Tragedy Of Commons. The National Parks present another instance of the working out of the tragedy of the commons. At present, they are open to all, without limit. The parks themselves are limited in extent--there is only one Yosemite Valley--whereas population seems to grow without limit. **The values that visitors seek the parks are steadily eroded.** Plainly, we must soon cease to treat the parks as commons or they will be of no value anyone


What's the difference between "rent" and "hire" in British and American English?

The tip I used to teach was the verb, _hire_ , should be used for things which are transportable hence, you hire a car, sports equipment, a boat, a bike etc. _Rent_ , on the other hand, is primarily used for property, e.g.; _to rent a holiday residence_ ; _"office space for rent"_ ; and _"We're living in rented accommodation"._ But I realize that tip doesn't cover everything and here's why. * * * In the UK, when I was a child and before credit cards became the norm; families who couldn't afford to pay the full price of household furniture, electrical appliances; including colour TVs, and even alarm clock radios were "bought" on **HP** (hire and purchase) – once popularly called the "never- never". Recently, I discovered that in the US a similar system for purchasing goods exists but is known as **Rent-to-Own**. link The same discrepancy lies with **_car rentals_** in the US and **_car hire_** in the UK but in neither case do you end up purchasing the vehicle. We **hire personal trainers** (I suppose they are transportable and for a limited period) but we also **rent designer dresses** and **rent movies** or **videos** (BrEng).   * So when do I use _hire_ and _rent_ in the UK and the US?   * Are there any other differences I should be aware of?   * Are they interchangeable?


Use of "to be having"

I am confused with the usage of "to be having". He is assumed to be having the diamonds. or He is assumed to have the diamonds. Which one is correct?


How or When is the Lozenge symbol used?

I could find articles in Wikipedia that explain what each typographical symbol means and how it is used in print (e.g. pilcrow, section, dagger) but I couldn't find any information about the Lozenge mark/sign/symbol/character (◊ or Unicode U+25CA). I know it's being used in modal logic and math, but is it (or has it ever been) used in **English** text?


"Lambast" or "lambaste"

I looked up both _lambast_ and _lambaste_ in several dictionaries, but came up with no conclusions about which one is AE and which BE (if this distinction can ever be made). Moreover, the different spelling entails different pronunciations: _lambast_ [læmˈbæst] vs _lambaste_ [læmˈbeɪst]. The Macmillan Dictionary s.v. states that this verb is mainly used in journalism, so I suppose that it's a relatively recently-formed word. Are there any diatopic variations between the two forms? That is, is one mainly British and the other mainly American? If there are no such variations, which one is more correct or widespread in terms of pronunciation and spelling?


How to translate: university application sentences

I would need to know whether the following is correct: > I applied for study of mathematics and physics. or do I need to say it like that: > I applied for admission to university to study mathematics and physics. Is the first enough to express the meaning of the other sentence? Thanks


Actual meaning of "abstract"

I see people often use _abstract_ as a synonym of _strange_ , but what does it actually mean? I've looked up a definition: > thought of apart from concrete realities, specific objects, or actual > instances: an abstract idea. But it makes no sense to me and seems a bit vague. For example, what does it mean when people say that games are just sets of abstract rules?


When should the word "English" be capitalized?

I am often confused how the word "English" should be written in phrases such as "English language", because I have seen both variants: capitalized and starting with lowercase letter. What is the most accepted usage: "English language" or "english language"? And what about other possible usage of the adjective "english"?


Breaking last word in the lines

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  What are the rules for splitting words at the end of a line? In printed texts, especially those with narrow columns, it's necessary from time to time to divide the last word in the line, and put some of it on the line below. The computer's automatic word-breaking system can execute this, but sometimes the output is 'wrong': _tran + scend or trans + cend, des + pite or de + spite, the + rapist or ther + apist_ and go on and on. Yet dictionaries are far from unanimous about word-breaking. That being said, I wonder if there are any 'rules' or guidelines that can be helpful in word-breaking actions.


"Please" and comma

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  In what cases should I use a comma after "please"? Do I have to use comma after "please" in the beginning of the sentence? E.g. "Please, specify the reason." or "Please specify the reason."


What is the correct term for a story that sits alongside another one in time and place?

What is the correct term for a book that sits alongside another book in time and universe, sharing some characters and events? Not after (a sequel) or before (a prequel), but parallel. Example: I've just read "Ender's Shadow". It's a [something] of "Ender's Game".


Is "who did what" grammatically correct?

Sometimes I wish to know what each person in a group of people did, or where each person went, or which book goes where. Is it correct to say, >   * Who went where? >   * Who did what? >   * Who told whom? >   * Which book goes where? > If not, what is the grammatical way of framing such questions?


Correlation vs Causation

Elsewhere on Stack Exchange I came across the following comment. > The sorting is based on values, not family. If you value knowledge, you will > be set to Ravenclaw, for example. Needless to say, if your parents value the > acquisition of knowledge most and foremost, their children are likely to > share those values, but it is not a guarantee. Correlation, not causation. I stated that this was causation rather then correlation because the commenter is arguing for a cause-and-effect relationship. The fact the cause-and-effect isn't guaranteed doesn't change that. Other comments have not agreed with me, and I thought rather than an off-topic discussion there, I'd ask over here to see if my understanding of causation vs correlation was correct.


"New lease of life" vs "new lease on life"

I have encountered both forms of the idiom _new lease of life_ and _new lease on life_. Is there an interesting story behind the difference?


It will be done at that point in the future vs It will have been done at that point

I am struggling with understanding the difference here:               It will be done at that point in the future.     It will have been done at point in the future.      I know in theory what future perfect tense means but here I cannot see the difference.


"Neither can live while the other survives"-- does it make logical sense?

At the end of the fifth book of Harry Potter, "The Order of Phoenix", there is a prophecy concerning Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort: > The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord ( Lord Voldemort) > approaches ... born to those who have thrice defied him ( that's Harry > Potter), born as the seventh month dies ... and the Dark Lord will mark him > as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not ... and either > must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other > survives ... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born > as the seventh month dies ... I am confused over the phrase > neither can live while the other survives What does it mean? Does it mean anything? On the surface it seems it does. But upon further thinking this phrase is self-contradictory. If neither Potter nor Voldemort lives, then by logical deduction, the second phrase "while the other survives" is certainly false. Similarly, if either Harry Potter or Lord Voldemort survives, than it follows that the first phrase "neither can live" is logically false. Juxtaposing two contradictory statements together in a single phrase makes the phrase completely meaningless. It's like saying "I am A, but I am not A"-- is this phrase true or false, or neither true nor false? Similarly, "neither can live while the other survives" can this phrase be true, or false, or can neither be true nor false? Do I miss anything? Harry Potter's author JK Rowling's English is subtle indeed!


What do you call a computer window when it is not maximized or minimized? I have been using _unmaximized_ , but I feel there is a more precise way.


How to phrase “define analyses” using only nouns?

English is not my mother tongue, and I am wondering how to best phrase _define analysis_ using two nouns. It could be _define analyses_ , too: it doesn’t matter whether it’s plural or singular. To me, _analyses definition_ sounds odd. However, _analyses specification_ sounds not right. Can anyone come up with a better phrase?


Exact adjective of "conundrum"

I am about to coin the word 'conundrous' because I needed it (and I think it deserves a place in the dictionary)! I would like comments on what you think about that (in the context of a serious article, or I wouldn't have to ask), but the question is as stated — if you can supply one or more adjectives that are synonymous with such an adjective, that's the answer for me. :) If there are none, I will be happy to accept close synonyms — the Merriam- Webster definition (of the noun) is here: conundrum I'm after the "difficult problem" (but not the "pun") synonymity. It's used to describe a word from an ancient text which is seemingly not in the dictionaries; hard to find information about. There's _enigmatic_ , but it's just a mystery for the moment; it's not something that is by definition mysterious. There's _elusive_ , but I think that carries the connotation of forever escaping one's reach.


"In the middle" of a time span – will "middle" work? Better ideas?

I am translating a German text into English. It contains a sentence that translates roughly to > In the middle of life, you stand alone. I'm unsure about "middle" here, and can't think of a more fitting substitute. "Life" is related to the time span of a single human life. Therefore, "center" is out of the question of course. Or is it? Would you use "middle" in this sentence? Do you have a better idea?


Avoid using 'at' twice while addressing subset programs/centers

I was wondering if there is a better way of saying the following sentence: > I received the ABC scholarship **at** the PQR center **at** the University > of Education. I have seen this in many places, but I was hoping to have a better way if possible.


Why "ladybird"?

In case you don't know, in British English, the little red-with-black-spots insect is not called a "ladybug", as in North America, but a "ladybird". This seems rather a poor act of classification, all things considered. Does anyone know why the ladybird was given such a name? Was it purely whimsical, or is there any reason why this insect should seem more avian than the rest of its kin? On a possibly related note, why was President Johnson's wife called Lady Bird Johnson? I guess Lady Bug Johnson might have been insufficiently dignified for the First Lady of the United States...


Requested ship date

A company has the words _This order will ship on 9/14/2010 from our Virginia location_ on their website. The user could request a ship date in the future. The internal, recommended replacement is _This order is requested to ship on 9/14/2010 from our Virginia location_ but the readability of the statement is in question. What is the correct way to combine a requested ship date and a location statement in a single sentence?


"No" vs. "not" for negation

I am not clear about the use of _no_ and _not_ . I have come across two sentences like: >   * All I asked was time, _not_ money. >   * I met this person about a month ago. I remember his name, what he was > wearing and his hair texture, but _no_ face. > In sentence 1 _not_ is used whereas in sentence 2, _no_ is used. Why so? Can anybody explain?


Word/slang for "I have just committed the source code, please update your working copy"?

I usually send this message over SMS to my coworkers, well, very frequently. I think maybe there is a slang term that I can use so I can type less.


An event that occurs only once

What do you call an event that occurs only once in its environment? For instance, **birth** and **death** are two events that occur only once in the lifetime of a living thing. I am looking for a word or phrase that would be synonymous to " _non- repeating_ ".


How do you pronounce "would've", "should've" and "could've"?


What is the term for this ambiguous sentence?

I apologize that I don't know how to search for this question--it may be a duplicate, or maybe I just should have learned it in English class! I'm a teacher, and in another StackExchange, I wrote the following, in regard to a policy that I discuss during the first day of class: > I mention that I won't tolerate [grade-grubbing] on the first day of class. After re-reading it, I realized that I could mean, "I won't tolerate grade- grubbing if it happens on the first day of class." Instead, I meant "On the first day of class, I mention that I won't tolerate grade-grubbing at any time during the course." What is the term (or explanation) for this kind of ambiguity?


Use of Past Simple vs Past perfect in sentences with since

> Ann admitted that she hadn't seen her parents **since she left** London. Is the above sentence OK or do I have to write > Ann admitted that she hadn't seen her parents **since she _had_ left** > London.


Verbed color names and "-en"

"whitened", "blackened", and "reddened"; but "yellowed", "grayed", and "blued". Is there some rule or is it just one of those things? "Greened" makes sense; no one is going to say "greenened". "Pinked" or "pinkened"? "Purpled" or "empurpled"? First person to _not_ make an _Arrested Development_ joke gets a +1 from me.


Idioms for strongly disagreeing to the point of seeming a lie

I was thinking today about the term "hogwash", which I would define as an idiomatic term meaning something along the lines of "I disagree so strongly, I suspect you may be lying". This is also the definition I would give to some uses of the word "bullshit"; and it occurred to me that these are both rather agricultural. Are there any other idiomatic words/phrases which have this same meaning, and if so, do they share the agricultural origins or is that just a coincidence?


Where should the apostrophe be placed in "Goats Milk"?

Milk from goats is available in supermarkets. On the shelves of our local store in England, I have found cartons boldly labelled all three of   * Goats Milk    * Goat's Milk    * Goats' Milk Most brands use no apostrophe at all, which does not seem right. Brands which use "Goat's" seem to imply that the milk comes from precisely one goat, which seems unlikely. Brands which use "Goats'" may have it right; however, every molecule of milk in the carton did, originally, come from precisely one goat, a molecule of a goat's milk. Is there any hope of finding a "correct" position for the apostrophe in this case? Must we forever live with this example of the greengrocers [sic] apostrophe?


"Will discuss the matter" vs. "will discuss on this matter"

I received an email with the following sentence: > The meetings will be discussing on this early next week. I have two questions:   * Should we use _will discuss_ rather than _will be discussing_? I don't know the purpose of the future continuous here, or the general purpose of the future continuous tense.   * Should we use _will discuss the matter_ or _will have discussion on this matter_ (I guess that was a mistake to use _will discuss on_ here)?


What is a "cracker-barrel sage"?

What is a cracker-barrel sage? Context: > The influence of many years spent in America talking to (and often down to) > Americans also gave his performance a kind of Barnum quality: Hitchens the > **cracker-barrel sage** selling snake oil dressed up as urgent verity. Does it originate in the article _The Cracker-Barrel Sage_ by F.P. Wortman or does it pre-date that? And what actually is a cracker barrel, for that matter?


What does "shades" mean?

Quoted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_emoticons, here is an explanation of some emoticons: > 8-) shades I was wondering what does "shades" mean here? Does it mean smile?


What's a word for "to eliminate the need for"?

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Is there a word that means “make someone (or something) redundant”? I'm looking for a word that I can use in a context where I say something like > If you let me look in your garage it will **eliminate the need for** a > warrant. Even if I have to rearrange the sentence, I wouldn't mind.


A positive alternative to "smelling" to describe something with a pleasant odor

When one hears that something _smells_ , one would generally assume that it smells bad. Isn't there a word which wouldn't bring to mind the idea of a bad odor? For example, how would you describe _pot-pourri_ (assuming you like the smell of pot-pourri)? If possible, I would like an adjective, or a word that could takes the place of an adjective.


manically laconic

Given that I know what "manically" and "laconic" are, I don't understand how the description "manically laconic" coincide with the sentence following it. > "Dick came out personally to get us, out of no evident motive but kindness. > (he also talked nonstop the entire way, with a very distinctive speaking > style that can only be described as **manically laconic; the truth is I now > know more about this man than i do about some members of my own family"** (Taken from "Consider The Lobster" by David Foster Wallace")


What is the origin of "Pipped at the post"?

Why pipped? I guess that the post is to do with horse racing - as in the post was the finish line? I could be totally wrong there.


Reported Speech "Will" vs "Would"

I recently got confused with the following choices while talking to a friend after class: > I sent her an email that I wouldn't come to the class. > > I sent her an email that I wouldn't be coming to the class. > > I sent her an email that I won't be coming to the class. > > I sent her an email that I won't come to the class. Can we use the third and fourth sentence by any chance or is it completely ungrammatical? Some websites including the NYTimes have instances where both the past and future are mixed in their reports.


Punctuating illustrating questions

I am writing an academic report and I am trying to figure out how to punctuate the following: > The previous results cannot provide an answer to questions like, _what is > the probability of_ X _given_ Y _and_ Z _?_ , because the precise > correlations between the variables are still unknown. My questions are:   * Should I use italics for the question, wrap it with quotes or not use any indication on it?   * Should I put a question mark at the end of it?   * Do I need commas before and after the question? I have read the answers to this related question: How to puncutuate when using self imposed questions in a declarative sentence. However, I'm not sure this is the same case, as it is not really an internal though but more like an open question to the reader. Reformulations of the sentence are also welcome. PD: I'll kind of abuse the question here, but just checking, that usage of regular font within italicized text to emphasize the hypothetical variable names is ok, right?


Correct use of "happen"

A friend of mine told me that the following sentence is incorrect (copied from an exercise) > Do all sentences tell us what the speaker would like to happen? He claims that it should read: > Do all sentences tell us what the speaker would like **for it** to happen? Is he correct? Why?


Word for item or concept which has permanence?

I'm interested in a word (noun) to use to refer to an object or concept which has permanence. For example, substituting ###, I would say > "Many of the objects we interact with in real life are ###s, if you leave a > ### for a while it will still exist when you come back. But some things, > like an ice cube, a bad smell, a virtual particle in physics or a local > variable in programming, are not ###s." The antonym, a word for an item which displays impermanence, would be interesting as well. * * * [EDIT]   The motivation is that I want to name an abstraction in my computer program. It is a type of container to put data in, instances of this container will hold data that (has) more permanence than a typical data (element) will. Typically, you name an abstraction after the thing it represents. If you have an abstraction that holds data about one person, you name the abstraction itself "Person". While trying to name this abstraction, I got curious to know if there was a generic word.


What is the students’ jargon or abbreviation to mean a report made up by only putting data downloaded from internet together in English, if it exists?

Japanese students call a report and essay made up by only putting data downloaded from internet e.g. Wikipedia together without including their own thought or creative ideas a “コピペ-Kopipe,” which is pronounced as 'kopipay.' It is a compound of ‘copied + pasted + paper’. Incidentally ‘copy ,’ ‘paste,’ and ‘paper’ are all adapted to Japanese language, and pronounced as ‘kopi-i, ‘paisuto, and ‘paypah’. To me 'Kopipe' is plagiarism, but it doesn’t have criminal tone as plagiarism has. It seems to be just a labor-saving editing or blending job for students. I heard they say in the train “I submitted a report in time by ‘kopipeing’ articles” innocently just like playing a game.. Is there a similar student jargon or abbreviation of ‘Kopipe’ in English?


performance: plural vs singular?

I am confused with the use of plural or singular with the word "performance". My context is the following: I am running multiple experiments in order to evaluate the performance(s?) of an algorithm. I want to say that using method A is not relevant to evaluate the algorithms in term of performance(s?). In my native language (French), that would be plural, but I think the logic is different in English. Is it uncountable? Is it always the case? In the sentences above, should I write performance or performances?


Synonym for: It may take longer than expected (ie. a meeting)

For instance: > I have a meeting today that is scheduled until 15h00 but it may take longer. In dutch we would say: Het kan uitlopen. How would I say this?


What is a "Tamazie party"?

I found the term "Tamazie party" in a play by Joe Penhall. Is it a party related to drugs? Or does it have an idiomatic meaning? If it is a special party, is it just in Britain?


"Poison" is to "poisoned" as "venom" is to what?

As the title says, _poison_ is to _poisoned_ as _venom_ is to what? I tried looking up _venomed_ but it means something different. Is there such a word?


Is "by the second" a correct phrase?

I heard it many times and I could infer that it means "all the time" or "without pause", "constantly". (Am I right?) But when trying to look it up, none of the dictionaries define it. Is this a correct English phrase?


Fell out of the car

The following is taken from a website: > Sir, do you realize your wife **fell out** of the car several miles back? The expression **fell out** here, as I checked in the dictionary, doesn't make any sense.   Does it mean **fell off**?


Regarding word usage

Obviously, wise is a word, and so is 'wisdom'; also, unwise is a word (all in the English language). Is 'unwisdom' a word? Also, is there a difference between misinformation and disinformation (if these are correct words)?


Is there a word that describes 'the study of measuring distances'?

When talking about distances (miles, kilometers, etc...), is there a word that describes the field that specializes in those sort of things. I remember someone told me about this last week. I Googled it but couldn't find anything. I would also like to know if that (possibly existing) word is popular or not. Edit: I'm sorry about changing the checked answer. Next time I'll make my question clearer.


What does "if you will" mean?

A TV program says, > they started this accounting gimmick, if you will, and they... What does "if you will" mean? Is it a short form of "if you will [a certain verb]"?


Looking for an idiom describing age

I'm translating a script for a cartoon into English. In one of the scenes a grandpa's talking to his granddaughter. It goes something like this: _GRANDPA_ _Indeed! I have forgotten! Apparently, your grandpa’s getting **a bit long in the tooth**. Anyway, would you give your old grandpa a hug?_ _She turns around slowly. She sees her grandpa **with long teeth**. She rubs her eyes and the vision’s gone._ Seems clear, right? The thing is in my native tongue we don't say "long in the tooth", we say something along the lines of "be like a mushroom" (= be old). And, unfortunately, that's what you see when you're watching the original episode - a grandpa covered in mushrooms (not with long teeth). As there's no way the producers are ever going to agree to change the original scene and make it work for the English audience, I need to come up with an idiom combining **old age** and **mushrooms** (a tree with fungi, possibly?) Any ideas?


Should proper nouns used as verbs be capitalized?

When a proper noun like "Skype" is used as a verb ("Skyping"), should it be capitalized? My thinking is that it should be capitalized because the root is a proper noun. Does anyone know of a rule about this question?


origin of new meaning of whitewash

I recently came across "whitewash" used to refer to a (racist) practice of erasing visible minorities in film and advertising by making them appear more white (or even replacing them with white actors). Here are some examples of this use of the word:   * The Daily Mail referring to controversy surrounding an alleged lightening of Beyoncé's skin in an advertisement "Beauty brand L'Oreal accused of 'whitewashing' Beyonce".    * A blog "stop whitewashing" definition from blog.   * A lot of discussion surrounding the latest Star Trek film, since Khan is being played by a white actor. My questions:   * Can anyone provide some references as to when this meaning of the word a appeared?    * How widely accepted is this meaning? How [in]formal is this? The Daily Mail put quotes around it in their headline. Why?  It strikes me as a very playful modification of the older meaning (cf. Wikipedia definition), transforming the meaning of "white" in "whitewashing". (In the older meaning, one is covering over a filthy barn with a thin layer of chalk, to hide cow dung. Everyone agrees that a white barn looks better than a dung-splattered one, but the accusation is that the filth is still there underneath... by extension, the superficial appearances look good while hiding evil underneath. In the meaning I an describing, what is being hidden is actually of value and it is the act of hiding what is underneath that is the evil.)


notionistic education / teaching?

What's the right word to indicate a type of education based on memorizing facts or a superficial understanding of things, without real insight or critical mind development? In my native language (Italian) we have expressions like "nozionismo" or "educazione nozionistica" or "didattica nozionistica". But, after I looked in the dictionary, it seems to me that the word "notion" in this case is a "false friend". In fact, "nozione" seems different from "notion", which is rather like an opinion.


Word for almost black and almost white

Or, a word for really dark grey or really light grey.


I work in a hospital. I want to know what we should call the proof of appointment. And I want to know the name of the place where we pay the bill after treatment.


"Offence threat" vs. "offensive threat"

I was watching an NBA game. After Omer Asik missed an easy shot, the commentator said that Omer was not much of an offensive threat. I used to say _offence threat_ often. Which usage is more established or more correct?


"Do you want" vs "Do you not want"

I recently came across a funny picture with these questions: Do you want som drugs? No Do you not want some drugs? Presumably the answear is supposed to be "no" since you always say no to drugs, but does not both these questions result in him saying no to drugs? http://buttersafe.com/comics/2013-11-07-Drugs.jpg


About the 'as in'

> if "minus" is conceivably an operator, **as in** "the band reunited, minus > one member", you would use the singular. Which is preposition? the 'as' or 'in' or both as a whole is preposition? In English, can two preposition be used one after another?


To add someone "to" Facebook or "on" Facebook

Which one is correct and why: > It was the first time a girl asked me to add her **on** Facebook Or > It was the first time a girl asked me to add her **to** Facebook


What does it mean to use a single quote to abbreviate things?

I see people use the single quote every now and then. I know common phrases like _can't_ , _you'll_ , _I'd_. But otherwise, I am quite confused why, when and how it should be used. To name a few,   1. Sweet Child o' Mine (A song from the band Guns N' Roses)   2. Jammin' (A song from Bob Marley)   3. 'cause (short for because) Update: after reading the links provided in the comments. I still have some questions. That is, how do I know when to use them? Or, when I saw them, how do I know what they stand for? Can I create omissions arbitrarily?


A better word for "synchronised"

I'm struggling to find a better and less "harsh" word for _synchronised_. I'm trying to convey a message of simplicity for our product which synchronizes viewing of documents on multiple iPads. (The same file opens up simultaneously on multiple iPads, ready to be discussed.) Anybody has any ideas?


Origins of the phase "smash-and-grab capitalism"

I want to find the first use of the phrase "smash-and-grab capitalism." (I want to use the expression but I want to make sure I am not unwittingly quoting Ronald Reagan.) I have googled "origin 'smash and grab capitalism'" and similar phrases, but this comes up with current usages of the phrase, and I'm not really sure as to how to improve the search. I also tried to make a google ngram but both `smash-and-grab capitalism` and `smash and grab capitalism` seem to give zero usages, strangely. Also, since it is a phrase, a dictionary doesn't seem very helpful. Does anyone know the origin of this expression? If you can advice as to how I can improve my searches to help myself, then that would be great too.


What would you call someone who makes no lasting impression?

What word would describe someone who doesn't generally leave much of an impression on people?


What is the origin of "pan" as a slang term for "face"?

I was think of posting a picture of my ugly _pan_ here instead of the gravatar, when I started to wonder, why is it my ugly _pan_? The slang term _pan_ meaning face occurs chiefly in phrases such as _ugly pan_ and _smack in the pan_ , suggesting that is not very complimentary. Green's _Dictionary of Slang_ has several different meanings including the female pudenda, the mouth, the head and the anus but suggests no etymology. Does anyone have any idea where the term came from?


“Solution to” vs. “solution of ”

What is the difference between saying _solution **to** the problem_ and saying _solution **of** the problem_? Are they both equivalent, or is there some difference?


Appropriate word for a young person who behaves like a cynical old person?

What is an appropriate term for a young person (child, or teenager) whose words and actions mimic that of a much older person from a previous generation? Such a youngster would demonstrate strong nostalgia for the past, despite never having lived during that time period. An example I can think of is a 12 year old boy who observes that "children nowadays spend all their time with their faces glued to smartphones", or who prefers to write letters rather than emails "like it was done in the good old days". This child would never have a Facebook or Twitter account, because they are "silly fads of the 21st century".1 A possible phrase would be _mature beyond his years_ , although that does quite capture the characteristic in question, in particular the underlying contradiction, cynicism and nostalgia. I can think a perfectly fitting term from another language, but not English... 1The motivation behind this question is an interesting youngster I know who makes these statements!


Word for a portion of house for guests

Is there any specific word for a portion of a house either attached with main building or at the back of the house having one or two rooms specifically for guests?


sensible, sensitive, and sentient

Despite the apparently same meanings of the three words (which I looked up in Wiktionary), I would like to know if my interpretation is correct regarding their differences. "sensible" is used to describe a person who can be perceived and understood by other people. "sensitive" is used to describe a person who can perceive other people or things. I am not sure about "sentient". Is it the same as "sensible" or "sensitive"?


Can you kindly elaborate on which option can be correct and why?

Mr. Hill decided to offer the position to Henry, ………… .   1. Having rejected his job offer by Bill   2. Bill having rejected his job offer   3. Bill rejecting his offer   4. Being rejected his offer by Bill


Accents of characters in Downton Abbey

To continue the question started in identifying accents of British actors, there is one popular current cultural artifact with an excess of non-standard British accents, and that is The BBC series Downton Abbey. For one very specific example, Anna Smith pronounces the word 'money' not as in standard English 'MUH-nee' (IPS /'mʌ nij/) but instead says something like 'moo-NAY' (IPA /mʊ 'ne/). 'Upstairs' I figure the accents are entirely RP except for Lady Grantham (with the well discussed General American/RP mix). But I'd very much like to know what each of the 'downstairs' characters' accents are. A google search says nothing more than what the IMDb FAQ about the show says: > Some of the servants (eg Mr Carson, Mrs Patmore, Anna and Sarah O'Brien) > speak with northern accents (either Yorkshire or Lancashire). And there is dialog and/or plot that identifies Branson as Irish and John Bates as Scottish. What I'm looking for is something more definitive. So, excluding the upstairs characters, what are the regions/accents of the following? (if possible please be specific, that is if you can tell the difference between, say, Mancunian and Yorkshire). (for identities, consult IMDb )   * Charles Carson - butler   * John Bates - the earl's valet   * Sarah O'Brien - the countess's maid   * Anna Smith - Lady Mary's maid   * Thomas Barrow - footman   * Mrs. Hughes - housekeeper   * Daisy Mason - cook's aid   * Mrs. Patmore - cook   * Tom Branson - chauffeur   * Joseph Molesley - footman   * Dr. Clarkson - physician   * Ethel Parks - maid   * William Mason - footman A simplified answer is sufficient. If all are Yorkshire (whatever that is) except for Branson and Bates, then I'd like that confirmed. But if more can be said then so much the better. (e.g. Dr. Clarkson sounds 'different' to me, but I just can't tell.)


Meaning of "mentor in a box"?

Is **mentor in a box** an idiom? What is the meaning in the following context : > This book is, in a sense, a "mentor in a box," allowing you to benefit from > our experiences, both positive and negative...


What does "drive-in teller" mean?

What does _drive-in teller_ mean in the following sentence? > It's as those pneumatic canisters you see when you go to a drive-in teller > at a bank.


What is the difference between "It is raining" and "'It is raining' is true?"

"It is raining." "'It is raining' is true." Does "is true" make any difference? Thanks. This link gives context to this question and testify that I'm not a nut (yet).


More traditional / professional word or phrase for 'Plan of Attack'

I'm currently writing up a design document which is essentially a 'plan of attack', however this doesn't strike me as a particularly professional or eloquent term for what I mean and my mind's gone blank as to the alternatives. 'Plan of action'? ...Still sounds too casual.


What is the origin of 'yes siree!'?

We all know it from cowboy films and the like but where does the 'siree' come from? Is it a deliberate mispronunciation of 'sire' ?


Whose conclusion vs concluding

I'm attempting to state the conclusion authors drew from a study. At first, I had written my sentence like this: > Reardon, Arshan, and Attebery detail a study in which Texas teachers > selectively diverted resources based on test scores, whose conclusion was > that “there were little to no gains among the least academically advantaged > students” (498). However I changed it this, but it seems just as awkward: > Reardon, Arshan, and Attebery detail a study in which Texas teachers > selectively diverted resources based on test scores, concluding that “there > were little to no gains among the least academically advantaged students” > (498). I've also considered but "coming to the conclusion". Which one seems most correct?


Using a comma to avoid using "and"

In my writing I often use a comma and the past progressive tense (I think) to make sentences more concise. For example: > The new design was more intuitive and user-friendly, reducing user errors. Is this grammatically correct? Are there better alternatives?


Do I capitalize s on "son" when it's used casually such as "Say hi to your pa for me, son."?

"Tell your pa I'm here, sonny." or "Tell your pa I'm here, Sonny." (When the boy's name is not Sonny.)


Plural noun and plural adjective

Which is correct?   * If the editors start being **pedantics** then news won't reach us on time.   * If the editors start being **pedantic** then news won't reach us on time. And why?.   P.S-:the confusion arose from phrases like all time "greats"...I have heard this phrase a lot ,when an adjective is used as an noun , I thought the case was same here and had no idea about a word called "pedant"


"You reduced me to tears", What does it mean?

It is from an old movie. I don't remember the title but this sentence is also used in 'Grace Kelly' of Mika. Does it mean 'You made me cry'?


What is a "magnetic shaped charge"

Just reading this article and in one of the first sentences it says: > A few days ago, 32-year-old Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan died in his car, after two > motorcyclists attached a magnetic shaped charge to the door. I'm trying to understand what "magnetic shaped" means or what is a "magnetic shaped charge", if it is some special term?


Ambiguity about passive in my textbook

In my textbook, it said > "In an active sentence we need to include the agent as subject; using a > passive allows us to _omit the agent by leaving out the prepositional phrase > with **by_** " Ex:   Jackson threw me _into the dungeon_   I was thrown _into the dungeon_ The prepositional phrase is still intact, so why does it say " _leaving out the prepositional phrase_ "?


What is meant by "to him" in this title?

The title of a chapter in Herman Melville's _Moby Dick_ is named: > Enter Ahab; to him, Stubb What is meant by this title? (I can't tell by the chapter's contents, it simply tells of the interaction between two people, Captain Ahab and Stubb) Can this use of _"to him"_ be used the same way in a sentence, or is it just a result of "shortening" often done in titles?


How to say this using catch-phrases: "Test A requires a lot of tissue samples, whereas test B doesn't."?

I am about to prepare a talk that would compare two tests in the medical field. The old test requires 5 different sites of the organ to be sampled in order to have a result. The other test (which is the newly proposed) requires only one and gives more meaningful results. If I were to say this in bullets how can I express this idea in short? The nearest thing came to my mind is:   * Test A is _sample-demanding_ while test B is not.  OR   * Test B is five times more _tissue-sparing_ than test A.  I am not sure which one sounds correct, or is there any better way to say it? **Note:**   I am surprised to find one of the answers disappearing. The answer that disappeared was the correct answer and I cannot accept any other answer unless the same one who disappeared comes back to accept his answer.


Literal Meaning of 'Gosh'

'Gosh' is a common substitute for the word 'God' in phrases such as 'Oh My Gosh' or 'By Gosh' or just 'Gosh'. Is this just a corruption of the word 'God' or does it have some other provenance? How long has it been in use?


Etymology of "Given up the ghost"

What is the origin of the phrase "Given up the ghost"? > e.g. "After 10 years, my DVD player has finally **given up the ghost**." Does it have a religious connotation?


Subtle distinction between "at once" and "all at once"?

According to OALD both " _all at once_ " and " _at once_ " can mean _at the same time_. > I can't do everything all at once > > I can't do two things at once. > > Don't all speak at once! These examples give me the idea that " _at once_ " could be used when referring to a countable thing (in the latter example _all_ is countable because it refers to a specific count of people, e.g. a class) while " _all at once_ " is taken when referring to a non-countable thing (of course, _everything_ could possibly be a countable thing). Are they always used interchangeably or is one preferred in certain contexts?


"Both are not," or "neither is?"

Straight forward question. Are both correct or is one better. "Both are not." "Neither is." Also, are they interchangeable or are there correct times to use one or the other?


Error vs mistake and transmission vs transfer

I original message: > Create a log file when mistakes occurred during transmission data between > device and PC I think this wrong and should be: > Create a log file when errors occurred during data transfer between device > and PC Can you prove/correct it?


Helping with a book?

I have been reading a book about programming and i came across a sentence which says: > but if you don’t reuse some of what you’re doing, you’ll eventually wear > your fingers down to painful stubs through overtyping. And i don't get this part: What does "Painful Stubs" mean? Thanks.


The counterpart to "overheard" when reading?

What is the counterpart to _overheard_ , when I did not heard, but read something in passing? _Overread_ is rather the opposite, namely > To read over, or peruse. Possible alternatives I could think of are _notice_ and _found_. From: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Overread


Pray as if he sees you vs. Pray as if he is seeing you

When we want to write or say about something general as in the following, which sentence makes more sense over the other? And what could be the differences? > When you pray to God, pray in a way as though he **watches/sees** you.   >  When you pray to God, pray in a way as though he **is watching/seeing** > you. > > When you pray to God, pray as if you **see** him.   >  When you pray to God, pray as if you **are seeing** him.


Is it correct to say, "I strive for quality"

I'm trying to apply to a software engineer job, and I'm trying to write a phrase something like: > I always strive for quality. I try to improve and find a different way for > every program that I work on. Is there any way to improve this phrase, or better alternatives?


'equity' in finance

I'm not asking about its formal definition (a windy one here) or its general definition in English, the latter of which states: > Stocks and shares that carry no fixed interest: Instead, I'm asking how definition 1 implies or relates to definition 2, the one for finance?


Self-conscious vs. self-aware

I've often wondered why the words _conscious_ and _aware_ are synonyms, yet _self-conscious_ and _self-aware_ have such different meanings. Is there any reasoning behind this stark contrast in meaning between two compound words with such similar roots? Were their meanings always so different, or did usage cause their connotations to diverge over time?


"I hate when..." vs "I hate it when..."

Growing up in Australia (and with an English mother) we would say "I hate it when " It seems, based on TV and movies, that in the USA it's more common to say "I hate when " The two phrases mean the same thing, but the word "hate" is used slightly differently; one seems directed (they hate the bad thing) where the other describes the emotion. Is one more correct, or is it just a case of common usage? Is it related that I find the phrase "write me" or "I'll write you" odd? We tend to say "write to me" or "I'll write to you". Though we do say "[phone|email|text] me" not "[phone|email|text] to me"


Difference between "larder" and "pantry"

What is the difference between _larder_ and _pantry_? Is it size? Or content? I found very similar definitions for both terms, something like > a room/place in which food is stored. Which of the words is better for a separate room next to the kitchen, and which is better for a food-dedicated cupboard? Or even for a separate house for food storage, like they used to have in castles?


How to describe a document that is a "near-plagiarism" of another?

I'm looking for a word or phrase to describe a work that is a sort of "inferior copy" of another work. For example, one can often find published scientific papers in China that avoid direct plagiarism, however, re-perform or copy the same experiments, with very minor modification, and then analyze the results in the same manner as the previous research paper. Here, "derivative work" or "derivative copy" seems to grant the concept of some originality... I'm looking for something that more strongly implies the lack of any real originality, a kind of "near plagiarism" that would almost get a high school student in trouble.


May I use the word "miscreant" in my thesis?

I am writing my thesis. May I use the word _miscreant_ to refer to people who create viruses to spread them on the Internet? Or is it a slang term that I must avoid?


What are some uncommon but valid portmanteau words that people use? Example: Turducken is a portmanteau of turkey, duck, and chicken or hen. People outside US are not familiar with this.


Don't understand the connotation of the modal verb "may"

In the sentence > there may be no legitimate form of reasoning to the best explanation > understood as an alternative to inductive reasoning. does _may be no_ mean   * that it is possible that there is no legitimate form of reasoning    * it is impossible that there is any?


"Fixing to" at the beginning of a sentence

Use of _fixing to_ at the beginning of a sentence is prevalent in the southern states of Amerca. Is this the right usage? And is this only a southern US thing? Examples: > Fixing to call her. > > Fixing dinner. > > Fixing to leave the house.


What is the name given to organisation that hosts other organisations?

There are many businesses that hosts other related or unrelated business as part of their service. Example a plaza/shopping mall will have various stores, owned and operated by others, a university may host other organisations such as book stores, restaurants, computer stores etc. The University of Technology, Jamaica has an organisation/business called the Technology Innovation Centre (TIC), that is a business incubator. TIC itself hosts various businesses not relating to the University. All these hosted businesses uses the address and name of their host as part of their own address.What name is given to these type of businesses that play hosts to other businesses?


Looking forward to follow vs. following

I was reading this today: _We look forward to following your progress._ Am I correct in thinking that it is missing a _be_ or -ing should be removed? So _We look forward to be following your progress._ or _We look forward to follow your progress._ Interestingly I get the same jarring feeling when reading the examples here What's the difference between "I look forward to" and "I'm looking forward to"?


Suitable adjective for implying romantic connections?

I'm looking for an adjective which I could use in the following situation for example: "Don't try to understand the joke Joanne said to George; it's a in-joke between romantic partners." becomes: "Don't try to understand the joke Joanne said to George; it's a [X adjective] in-joke." Does the X adjective exist? Is it defined in a thesaurus? P.S. Sorry if the format or nature of the question does not comply this is my first time posting here.


What is an 'Iron Ring Event'

In a recent podcast of .Net rocks (at 45 minutes 29 seconds), regarding the future of software craftsmanship, it is postulated that there will be an 'Iron Ring Event' (if I heard it correctly). From the context it seems that this is an event where very bad things happen due to poor workmanship. Is this is a common term? What is its origin? What does it mean?


Hyphenating complex physical units

I have been reading about writing conventions for scholarly articles recently - specifically, physics - and have learned that when writing units, write them out if they are not associated with a numeric value ("how many meters....?" rather than "it is 5 m long"). But what about more complicated units? Take momentum, which is kg⋅m/s. Do I write "Momentum has units of kilogram-meters per second" or "Momentum has units of kilogram meters per second"? Wikipedia seems to accept both but prefers no hyphen. Can someone give me a reference which actually states a preference of one over the other?


Is there an established term to describe quarterly repeating transactions?

I'm the developer of a personal finance app for iOS called My Finances. The app supports repeating (daily, weekly, monthly and yearly) transactions and presents a summary of the repeating settings to the user e.g. _Every week on Sunday._ I want to add quarterly and half-yearly repeating transactions and I'm not sure how to summarise them correctly. Would it be correct to summarise a quarterly repeating transactions starting on April 3rd like this: _Every quarter on 3rd day in 1st month_? Same goes for half-yearly transactions. **Update** : Rephrased question.