Capitalizing Titles/Honors

If I am writing about a historical figure such as a king (or governor or prince), am I supposed to capitalize the word "king" throughout my discussion of him? For instance: "King James initially made efforts to reform and modernize the country. However, the king later revoked his efforts and returned to his former ways." Is "the king" correct here, or should it be "the King" and why? Also, what are these type of words called? Honors? Titles? Epithets? Thanks!


How is "Suzanne" pronounced?

I want to know how to pronounce the name, Suzanne. I check dictionary but I don't find anything please help me right now


What's the meaning of 'bootstrapped' in this context?

From the description of the game called Natural Selection 2: 'Choose to play as a bootstrapped Marine or a beastly alien in the action-packed battle for ultimate survival. Natural Selection 2 flawlessly combines a multiplayer first-person shooter with real-time strategy elements for a game that is addictive, immersive and exciting! The tightly designed shooting mechanics combined with intricate maps create a competitive challenge for all players.' The text comes from: http://www.humblebundle.com/


Is there an incorrect use of "infer" in "Absalom, Absalom!"?

I was taken aback to discover the following in William Faulkner's _Absalom, Absalom!_ on page 157 of my (Vintage International) edition: > the magnolia-faced woman a little plumper now, a woman created of by and for > darkness whom the artist Beardsley might have dressed, in a soft flowing > gown designed not to **infer** bereavement or widowhood but to dress some > interlude of slumbrous and fatal insatiation, of passionate and inexorable > hunger of the flesh (The whole sentence is, predictably, fairly long, so I've only included part of it.) My question is about the use of the word "infer," which I've bolded above. As far as I can tell, this is an example of the classic "infer"/"imply" confusion, but I'm surprised to see it here. So, which of the following do you reckon is correct?   1. I've misread or misunderstood the sentence, and this usage is standard.   2. This usage is incorrect in standard written English but is a standard dialectal usage (in either Faulkner's own dialect or the dialect of the narrator/characters).   3. This usage is nonstandard and is an error.   4. None of the above. (Please feel free to retag -- I'm not sure what's appropriate here.)


What are the differences between -ist, -ite, and -ian

The suffixes -ist, -ite, and -ian all mean a follower of a person or idea. For example, a follower of Christianity is a Christian, a follower of Buddhism is a Buddhist, and a follower of Shia Islam is a Shiite. What is the difference between all of these suffixes?


Why "Greater Toronto" rather than "Great Toronto"

Many big cities have their names preceded by _Greater_. Why not just _Great_? Does _Greater_ indicate that the city is ambitious to expand itself? Why is _Greater_ not used for country names such as _Great Britain_? Is it just due to historical reasons?


What are the primary sources of surnames (other than occupation, descent and geography)

Many surnames in English come from occupations, presumably those of the progenitor or his kin, such as >   * Baker >   * Miller >   * Chandler >   * Smith > Some reflect lineal descent, such as >   * Jameson >   * O'Reilly >   * MacGregor > Some reflect clan location, for example >   * Windsor >   * York >   * London > My question is, where do the rest come from? Some names are homonyms of color, of other nouns, or of terms that have no obvious current common meaning. So what are the principal sources of surnames (perhaps the top two or three) other than occupation, location or parentage? And why are colors or common nouns (other than occupations) used as surnames?


How do I say that I am certified in something in a personal statement?

In my personal statement, under the hobbies section, I am highlighting web development. I wrote something like this: > Among my hobbies, I find web development to be the most interesting and **I > currently hold certification in it from Microsoft.** This doesn't seem good. Does one **hold/achieve/possess** certification? Can someone suggest a better way to phrase this without having to stretch it out into multiple sentences?


Difference between "Education Institute" & "Institute of Education"?

Also, what is this property called? **X Y** versus **Y of X.**


Usage of "before" in "I watched the sequel before the original movie"

Is the following sentence correct: > I watched the sequel before the original movie. It sounds strange to me—something like "earlier than the original" or "before I watched the original movie" sounds better, but I'm looking for a definitive rule for the usage of "before". Can "before" be used together with an object?


What term describes enjambment alluding to a taboo word?

In the schoolyard rhyme "Miss Susie" the taboo word is spoken aloud, so I'm not sure that it qualifies as a _mind rhyme_. Likewise, in the case of a _subverted rhyme_ the expected word isn't spoken. > I will go to heaven   >  And he will go to Hell-   >  O, operator Is there a literary or poetic term for this usage of enjambment?


Meaning of "hyperbole" in "were prone to hyperbole"

> hyperbole: n. A figure of speech in which exaggeration is used for emphasis > or effect, as in I could sleep for a year or This book weighs a ton. Let us read the following sentence: > Well, her boys were prone to hyperbole, and she was not sure how to credit > their stories. (source) Can anybody explain the meaning of "hyperbole" in that context?


Are 'contemporary' and 'contemplate' related words?

Do the words _contemporary_ and _contemplate_ relate to each other in any way?


How to form the possessive case of indefinite pronouns?

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Should I use "everyone's", "everyones'" or "everyones"? I was writing a sentence in Google Docs that contained the following fragment: > ...is in everyone's best interest... The word "everyone's" was flagged as a spelling error and the suggested replacement was "every one's." Which form is correct?


Etymology of "nummy"

If a gourmand chances upon a particularly delectable meal, he might say: "Mm, nummy in my tummy!" Where does _nummy_ come from? From dictionary.com I found that _nummy_ is a form of _yummy_ , formed by _yum_ \+ _-y_ , where _yum_ is short for _yum- yum_. Is that accurate? And, where does _yum-yum_ come from?


Where does the phrase "Scare the Dickens out of..." originate from? And does it refer to Charles Dickens?


pick of a bad lot

> They are the pick of a bad lot. This is a sentence from a 1892 novel. What does that mean?


Loathe. The atypical use of the verb

I have a quick question about the atypical grammar of mine. I am a poet using iambic pentameter. The question is whether the following is grammatically correct: > I she loathes. That I loathe. _Something + someone + loathe._ (The someone loathes something). In other words, she loathes me and I loathe that. It would indeed be the same as saying: > She loathes me. I loathe that. I understand that it would be better to use the second example, yet my only goal is to play with grammar (as long as it's not too much).


"'There is'/'There are' several ..." in this sentence

I was interested in the following sentence which appeared in an article titled “HORSE MARKET" in The New York Times (Dec. 4, 1861). > There is several first-class draught horses in market, held at $150@$175 > each; very slow sales. Can someone clarify if the fragment "There _is_ several first-class draught horses in market" is ungrammatical, as I think it is? As the sentence is dated on 1861, perhaps the grammatical rules governing this form are changed meantime. Are they? However, nowadays, I would reword "is" with "are", but I'm not sure on this correction because the presence of the word "several" confuses me. (Apologize in advanced if the question is not good for this site. If so, please delete it. Thank you.)


Why does "The Punisher" get an article in his name and "Spiderman" doesn't?

Why not > Punisher vs. The Spider-man ? Is the word "the" used however we feel like? Could I call them "Punisher" and "The Spider-man"?


"It might not be adequate and worsen" vs. "it might not be adequate and worsens"

The problem is this sentence: > It might not be adequate in some cases and worsen the results. Is it correct or should I write "worsens the results"? If the effect of _might not_ is propagated to _worsen_ it is correct. Otherwise it should be _worsens_. But I don't know whether it does propagate or not. Are there any rules for such sentences?


What does ‘ticket to oblivion’ mean? Is this a frequently used phrase?

I found a phrase – ‘Ticket to Oblivion’ in today’s Washington Post article titled ‘State of the Union ‘response’ often a mixed-blessing for the responder.’ I understand this phrase refers to difficulty of making ‘Response addresses,’ which tend to be (or destined to be) outshone by State of Union well-prepared in advance. The article gives several examples of failed Response addresses in the past, such as one delivered by Jim Webb (D.Va.) in rebuking the then President Gorge W. Bush’s statement of Union in 2007. However, what does 'ticket to oblivion' precisely mean? Is it a well- established English phrase? What's the origin of the phrase? The article also says ‘Past response speeches show how hard it is to strike the right tone.’ I want to know the meaning of ‘strike/striking the right tone.’ > Every year at this time, politicians say it's an honor to give the > opposition party's "response" to the State of the Union Address. History > proves this is usually false. > > After [President Obama], as America's TV viewers get drowsier, Rep. Paul > Ryan (Wis.) will give the Republican response. This year, Ryan's job is made > even more complicated by the fact that another Republican will give a "tea > party" response after him. > > "Have a 'ticket to oblivion,'" said Allan Lichtman, a history professor at > American University, said about Ryan.


Pronouncing the letter v in words like village, advantage,

I have heard at so many occasions, especially in Germany, that people - frequently including secondary school teachers and students - pronounce words containing the letter v as if the letter were a w, e.g. willage (instead village), adwantage (instead of advantage), etc. Does anybody have an explanation for this?


What do you call nested circles that are not concentric?

The circles in the image don't have the same center, so they are not concentric. Is there a word to describe circles that overlap (completely or not) so that enclosed circles are smaller than the outer circles? ![non-concentric circles](http://i.stack.imgur.com/G5GCG.png)


What does language-neutral mean?

Could anyone please tell me what is this word means? > The ISO 8601 is not language-neutral for the DateTime datatype.


Usage of the word "meet"

I saw some expression like the following : "I met a design problem in .... ", is it a right usage of the word "meet". It just sounds odd to me. I would rather use "ran into" or "encountered" instead. Any advice ?


'to be smart' or 'to get smart'?

I was reading a blog post, titled "7 Ways to Get Smart", and it just come to my mind, If it can be titled also "7 Ways to be Smart". I really feel lost, when I try to distinguish between 'to be smart' and 'to get smart'. Considering the two statments :               - 7 Ways to Get Smart     - 7 Ways to Be Smart      Is the first statment is strongly the right one ? or both are already correct?


"Carrot of profits"

What does the phrase, _carrot of profits_ , mean? The context is > And for smaller companies, using the **carrot of profits** 20 years away > isn’t likely to sway VCs who can see no further than three. _A little of profit_?


The meaning of "you are a smash"

Ok, in the TV series Glee season3 episode 21, I came across this sentence: `you were a smash.` From the context, it might mean `you were wonderful` or something. Then I looked this up online, I found `smash` means `sex` in Urban Dictonary, which is definitely not what I was looking for. So is there a phrase `you are a smash`? What does it mean? well, then I found this smash, slang, which says that `smash` can mean `a successful thing, especially a movie`, so can you use it to describe people?


"Multi tiered parking lot/garage" vs. "multi story/storied parking lot/garage" vs. "multi level parking lot/garage" in AE

Are these terms current enough in AE to be used just about interchangeably in modern prose?


Can I say "the table was covered by a scatter"? Is it correct?


Origin of "world-weary"

As a non native speaker, I thought that the words **world weary** referred to someone who carries the world on his/her shoulder or someone who wears/puts on the world. Then I noticed that the word weary has a different meaning. Is there any relationship between _wear_ and _weary_ in this context? Is there anyone who is able to explain the etymology of this phrase?


What happened to the "knee"?

When describing bends in piping, joints, and in many other contexts the word "elbow" is used. You go to the hardware store and you see 90 degree elbows. The word elbow is used everywhere. Why not knee? Why elbow?


What are words like "Hey Man", "Hey you", "Hey Dude" called

Is there a term for words that summon someone like "Man," "Dude," "Kid" in sentences such as "Hey, Dude," "Listen up, kid," etc? I am sure there is, but I can't really remember what it is.


Is this grammar structure "is at its level" correct?

Can anybody explain for me how this structure "is at its highest level" is correct.   Example : **Confidence in the British economy _is at its highest level_ since the Coalition came to power amid signs the recovery is gathering pace**


Availability and Unavailability

Is it right to say - Because of availability of someone meeting is cancelled or should we say Because of unavailability of someone meeting is cancelled.


What is the meaning of "Ha et cetera"?

In William Golding´s Paper Men, the main character keeps saying "Ha et cetera". What does he mean by this? Is it simply another way of saying "ha, ha, ha" (laughter)?


Is this correct: "I am to be dropped at the train station"?

I learnt (or I think I learnt) that to express the immediate future, you can use _to be_ \+ past participle: >   * I am to make one of the most important decisions in my life. >   * She is to be elected as the mayor of the city. > Is it correct or did I make that up? [Edit: take->make ]


Experience in war vs on war

My question is that should we say I have experience in war or I have experience on war? Please, clear the fog in my head. Thanks


Do Americans leave the ordinal suffix out of dates? By 'ordinal suffix' I mean '-th', '-nd', '-rd', e.g. 'April 17' instead of 'April 17th'. If they do, is there an explanation for this behavior?


Alternatives for "layperson"

We are developing a website and we have different personas (to connect with certain user types). We think layperson is probably not the best and i was wondering if the community here might be able to suggest a few alternatives to "layperson". From our side a layperson would be anyone, a simple site user.


Which is correct, "from a young age" or "from young age"?

Consider this example: >   * People tend to understand and use sarcasm from a young age. >   * People tend to understand and use sarcasm from young age. > Which one of these is grammatically correct and why?


The hole and the whole

Why is **holism** named after some kind of _nothing_ (a hole) and not after the _whole_ , i.e. **wholism**? That's the catchy way to ask the question. The serious way is: Does the "hole" have to do with the "whole" etymologically? (Pun: A howl sounds best in a hole.)


Is it acceptable to add extra words at the end of a sentence, to clarify its meaning?

It's certainly done a lot in every-day speech. But is it acceptable to say: > I'm happy today, me. or, to take it to another level: > He was well behaved, my son, this morning. And, if so, is there a name for this construction?


Unnecessarily Using a Long "E" Sound in Plurals Whose Singular Form Ends in "S"

Singular "analysis" becomes plural "analyses". The e has a long sound because otherwise the two would sound the same. This seems to be a pretty solid rule for nouns whose singular form ends in "is" and plural form changes the "i" to an "e". Some people do something similar to any singular noun that ends in "s". For example, "synapse" becomes "synapses". I pronounce "synapses" SIN-ap- suhs. Some people pronounce it SIN-ap-sees. Please tell me I'm right.


Why is "violent" a synonym of "impetuous"?

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, impetuous can be defined succinctly as "without thought or reason; controlled by emotion rather than thought". However, violent is listed as a synonym, when violent seems to be relegated purely to emotions of malice or rage. Impetuous seems to encompass all emotions (can actions done out of sadness/sorrow be considered impetuous?), whereas violent is limited to a few related emotions. Why are these two synonyms if the domains in which they are correct differ?


Difference between tomorrow never comes and tomorrow will never come

What is the difference between `tomorrow never comes` and `tomorrow will never come`? A friend said that `Tomorrow never comes` is a saying. Then Why is the latter not a saying too? Are their meanings the same or not?


Does this make grammatical sense?

Does the following sentence make grammatical sense?               Unfortunately, my wish has yet to be granted.      If not, what is wrong with it?


What's the difference between these negative sentences?

What's the difference between these two? >   1. "He is not obviously guilty." >   2. "He is obviously not guilty." >


What is the opposite of widow? If A is the widow of B, then B is the ____ of A?

When one of a married couple dies, there's a word (widow or widower) to refer to the survivor, but there seems to be no word to refer to the deceased. My wife was a widow when I met her. How should I refer to her last husband? Saying "ex-husband" implies they are divorced. Saying "dead ex-husband" sounds gruesome, and implies that perhaps they were divorced when he died.


"Know about" vs. "know of"

Recently one of my friends told me that there is distinct difference between 'know of something' and 'know about something' expressions.   * 'know of' is used when you have personal experience with what you are talking about   * 'know about' is used when you have heard about the subject but never had any experience with it. This contradicts with my experience. To me it seems like 'know about' is used in every situation and the use of 'know of' is mostly limited to 'not that I know of' expression. Short google search seems to support my point of view, there are articles named '10 things I know about journalism' where person is speaking from the experience and not that many encounters of 'know of' expression anywhere. So, is my friend's statement true?


With the phrase "good night" do you have to use an apostrophe before the word "night" if you are to omit the use of "good?"

Am I actually contracting the phrase by omitting "good" from it, hence the need for the use of an apostrophe?


Ogooglebar , ungoogleable or agoogleable?

If something cant be found after searching on google.   Ogooglebar or some other term?   Predictions? Is there already an accepted term?


Expressions for a mystery?

I'm trying to help out a friend with something. Is there any expression for when something has been done, but nobody knows whom by? In Dutch there is an expression which translates into "the gnomes must have done it".


Do we ever,really use proper english ?

Advertisements, labels,our texts, the dates on our phones and stuff are usually fragments or are understandable "sentences" that are missing words . For example, when we tell someone the date, we would say," the date is ----". Our phones don't say that so the date is like the fragment of that sentence but we do understand it. Advertisements always put in the most important WORDS. Therefore, they also use sentence fragments as well. Most of the time,when we text or whatever, we leave out a couple words so our messages are also some what fragmented. Not all of our messages are fragmented or they wouldn't make any sense but quite a few of them usually are. For example. I was texting ( I don't think texting is a word :P ) my friend and she said,"K" so I replied saying, " so cold" instead of, "that's so cold." Yet it was still understandable,what I was talking about. So,do we really use proper English when we're speaking and physically writing ? This probably seems like a really stupid question - this is what happens when you have OCD and get confused over something so small -_-


Is a closed question "opened", or "re-opened"?

If a question on a Stack Exchange site is closed and then that closure is reverted for the first time, is it "opened", or "re-opened"? Natural intuition suggests "re-opened", even if it's the first time that a closure has been reverted. Possibly because a question starts out in an "open" state by default.


What's the word meaning the use of the wrong word? For instance, calling a "theft" a "robbery".


Can a tractor or a skid-steer be called a "device"?

I am having an argument with my cousin after I called a tractor a "device." He argues that tractors are machines, but never "devices." Thoughts, folks?


Why is it “Paris’s cafés” but “Massachusetts’ capital”?

I’ve been studying the apostrophe and found this in _Merriam-Webster’s Guide to Punctuation and Style_ : > The possessives of proper names are generally formed in the same way as > those of common nouns. The possessive of singular proper names is formed by > adding _-’s_. > >   * Paris’s cafes > > > The possessive of plural proper names, and of some singular proper names > ending in an _s_ or _z_ sound, is made by adding just an apostrophe. > >   * Massachusetts’ capital >   * New Orleans’ annual festival > I find this contradictory. Why do you form the possessive of _Paris_ as **_Paris’s_** but the possessive of _Massachusetts_ as **_Massachusetts’_** , given that they both end in an _s_ which is not silent? What’s the difference between those?


What is the meaning of "casting a blind eye"?

What do you mean by "casting a blind eye to scenes of misery around them." ?


Is correct to use an adjective as appositive?

> We youngsters admired our grandmother very much. > > You ignorant don't understand what I am talking about. Can I use an adjective as appositive, as in the second sentence?


Are there any differences between "I believe" vs "I think" vs "I reckon"?

These are the three most common ways to say "I think." (At least, I believe so. I mean, I think so. Um...) Are there any subtle differences between them?   Are there situations where one of the three is more suitable than the others?   Can you say you hear a particular form all the time in the streets, while the other two are much less common?


Why English pronunciation differs so much from written language, compared to German?

Given that English is derived mostly from German, when Anglo-Saxons (German tribes) migrated to Britain, how do you explain that   * although German has a strict correspondence between written language and spoken language (the sounds largely follow 1-1 what is written)...   * English has sooo intricate pronunciation rules, sometimes directly at odds with what is written? (Too bored to give examples, but it should be obvious). My pet, tongue-in-cheek theory is that those tribes weren't too literate, didn't have a sound knowledge of the written form of words, so it was easy the pronunciation to follow its own independent path. Anyone with a more informed explanation?


Word for bigotry towards someone of political beliefs

Ageism is the word for bigotry towards people of an age group, racism towards people of a race, sexism towards people of a certain gender, etc. Is there a word for bigotry towards someone of certain political beliefs, such as towards liberals/democrats?


What does "not" modify?

The word "not" is an adverb. I am trying to clarify what it modifies. 1: Consider the sentence: "The person is not smart". Is "not" modifying "is" or "smart"? How can I tell? According to the Stanford Parser, the parse tree is:               (ROOT       (S         (NP (DT That) (NN person))         (VP (VBZ is) (RB not)           (ADJP (JJ smart)))         (. .)))      2: Consider a second sentence: "That figure is not a person". Is "not" modifying "a person"? If so, then "not" would be an adjective, yes?               (ROOT       (S         (NP (DT That) (NN figure))         (VP (VBZ is) (RB not)           (NP (DT a) (NN person)))         (. .)))      In both cases, it looks like "not" is only modifying the verb.


What is the correct one Whose , Who or Which

Q)Fill in each gap with an appropriate word from the list : -The writer ....... novels were translated into many languages won the Nobel Prize. Choices : a)whose   b)who   c)which Thanks in advance i'm very low in english.


What is the geographical origin of the idiom "be a fly on the wall"?

Does the following expression originate from English? > I'd like to be a fly on the wall I discovered today that a similar expression exists in Brazilian Portuguese: " _I'd like to be a fly_ " (with an equivalent meaning). A quick online search indicates that the origin is American English, 1920s. Could it be that the Brazilian phrase is a translation from American English or is there some earlier origin from Latin, Greek, mythology, etc?


Is It Ok To Write "100%" In A Formal Text?

I'm writing a text that is neither mathematical, nor statistical, but rather I want to emphasize a point. For example, I'd say "It's 100% involuntary..." Is it acceptable to employ "100%" in normal nonfiction writing, as a synonym for absolutely or completely?


"as if she had been" or "as if she were"?

I saw the following sentence in Vanity Fair, and have been wondering whether _'as if she were'_ is a better choice than _'as if she had been'._ > _The Lady Blanche avoided her as if she **had been** an infectious disease._ This sounds as if the woman the Lady Blanched avoided was no longer similar to an infectous disease at the time of the avoidance. But it would seem to make more sense if the avoidance and the similarity to an infectious disease occurred at the same time. What do you think?


Use of possessive adjectives in English

When an Englishman wants to refer to parts of the body or to objects of personal use, he will use a possessive adjective. Examples: >   * My head aches. >   * I dropped my glasses. > In the Romance languages, possessive adjectives are not used in these cases. In Spanish, the expression is "Me duele la cabeza" ("The head aches to me"). Or, "Se me cayeron los anteojos" ("The glasses dropped themselves to me"). A reflexive pronoun and a definite article replace the use of the possessive adjective. The same, I think, can be said about French or Italian. Why this heavy use of possessive adjectives in English? Was it already present in the Proto-Germanic language?


Confab still used?

The other day I used the term confab, and the person I was talking to (50-ish, smart) had never heard the term. I know it was a buzzword in the 1980's, and I was amazed that she had never heard of it and doubted it was even a real word. In a sentence: "Today, my boss and I had a confab over the wording of the new policy procedures."


When is "all y'allses" used?

I have a student from Virginia who says she has heard the use of _all y'allses_ ; does anyone know about this? Is it that the second person plural being used is _all y'alls_ (with the _-s_ at the end here not indicating possessive but plural) and then the _es_ is the possessive being added to that?


"Explain the reason why"

Is it natural to say "he explained the reason why he was late"? I suspect that it doesn't make sense. But I reckon "That is the reason why he's sick" is acceptable with "the reason". Could it be that the crucial difference lies in the verb we select? The verb _explain_ has as its object a situation, a problem, etc., not a reason. What do you think?


What is correct: "Instead as" or "Instead of"?

I read a text in my company with the sentence: "Security has been perceived for many years as a disabler instead as an enabler." Is this correct English? Or should this read "...instead of an enabler."? Or are they both correct? Thanks for the help!


Overview of comma and interpunctuation rules

Is there any good summary of comma and interpunctuation rules? I know that English spelling traditionally requires fewer commas than, for example, German, however I am often unsure whether to use a comma or not.


Does the term "comma separated" mean "Goodbye" in any way?

I've received an email from a colleague who is leaving the company — and it's titled "comma separated" along with the usual yadda-yadda. This is the first time I've come across this usage of the term — is it standard? Actual quote: > It is never easy to say goodbye, but comma separated it is.


Did the underscore character exist before modern computers?

I've noticed that in computer programming, underscores are used extensively to create names that are technically one word long but consist of several different words. For example, C++ has `priority_queue` or `get_temporary_buffer`. However, this use case only exists because it's easier for software to split apart source code using whitespace as boundaries. In fact, in every case I can think of where I've seen underscores used, the rationale has always been to simplify some automated process. Did the underscore character exist before computers were invented? If so, what were they used for?


What does it mean to “grow organically”?

I understand what the term as it's applied to Biotechnology, Chemistry. I am not quite sure what it means when it's applied to other area. One example is: > Or do you allow the specifications to grow organically by allowing all of > the developers to write their own tests, and forget about having a Software > Architect? which is taken from this SE Post. Does it mean to grow dynamically with changed requirements or get modified with changed requirements?


What does "off you go" mean?

I came across the phrase **off you go** which has been frequently used in many movies. Especially, the movie _John Carter_ impressed me with this phrase. What does it mean in different scenarios/cases?


Eager to know, synonym - What's he saying?

What are Jeeves' exact words at 13.31 in this episode?


Use of the word "fit"

Is it as correct to say, "That closet will fit all my clothes" as it is to say, "All my clothes will fit in that closet"?


A confusing use of a negative

I'm Russian and I don't understand this sentence: > "It was obvious that there would be no shortage of WPF books in the > marketplace." So, were there books in the marketplace (they exist) or not (a shortage takes place)? (Thanks. I'm learning English.)


Negation of auxiliary

In _He is not right_ , it is usually said that _not_ negates the auxiliary _is_. But why not think of _not_ as negating _right_ instead?


Is it good to use "for you" or "for me" in business communications

While talking to business, how bad it is to use language like "We will do this for you" or "can you do this for me". Are both of these sentences are not acceptable/not good to use


Reviewing documents for technical users

I am working on reviewing a document which details what a software application does. It is supposed to be detailed enough for a non-technical person to understand. A technical user will then translate this document into flow charts and other technical documents for software engineers and database programmers. The technical user will pay attention to nouns, verbs, and adverbs to identify key elements for the application, so I want to be as thorough with my review as I can. Many times I come across documents which are incomplete and leave room for assumptions, which leads to misinterpretation. For example I want to register for a chemistry class...   I want to register for a freshmen chemistry class...   I want to register for a freshmen chemistry class in section 02...   I want to register for a freshmen chemistry class in section 02 for the Spring quarter. The last sentence here gives enough details and leaves no room for assumptions. Is there a specific term for writing such detailed documents which leaves no room for assumptions? Could anyone point me to resources for mastering such writing?


Meaning of the phrase "the wrong side of history"

I've just realized I don't understand what this phrase means. What does "Gaddafi is on the wrong side of history" mean? Does it mean he's about to die, or something else? Here's the relevant quotation: > The Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi, is "on the wrong side of history," said > U.S. president today. In a joint press conference with President of Mexico, > Felipe Calderón, Obama said his country is studying "a whole range of > options" to apply in Libya, but downplayed the possibility of military > intervention, saying that "what want is to have potentially the capacity to > intervene quickly if the situation deteriorates".


In my example, is there a clever way to remove the dashes?

> This raises concerns because people who are 21 years-old and are now legally > able to drink — but were born before the 15th of the month of their 21st > birthday — will not be accounted for.


What does "maze-bright" mean?

From searching online, I haven't found any dictionary entries for this phrase, however it seems it has something to do with Tryon's rat experiment, and it's often used in HR to describe a certain type of attractive hire. I'm not sure what exactly this phrase means though, or what it doesn't mean, because there could be several possibilities from what I've read about it:   * Genetically adapted to something   * Quick to learn   * Intelligent   * Good at running mazes Does anyone have more information about this phrase, its definition and etymology?


I can't understand the meaning of this sentence

> Her class is learning about the environment, and Judy is startled to learn > about the destruction of the rainforest and the endangered species in her > own back yard—not to mention her own family's crummy recycling habits. **So, > never one to take things lying down, Judy Moody gets on the case!** In the above paragraph, I can't understand the meaning of the last sentence _So, never one to take things lying down, Judy Moody gets on the case!_ Can you help me understand the sentence?


'Some kind' vs 'Some kind or other'

I was writing something up when this issue came up. > Everybody is wedded to a clique of some kind > > Everybody is wedded to a clique of some kind _or other_ Can somebody tell me what the difference is between these two? The first sentence is, I believe correct. The rational part of me and my intuition both say it is correct. My intuition also says the second is grammatically sound, but I can't for the life of me figure out how or why. Do both of these communicate the same thing albeit in a different way?


"Negative ideas without any reason"

I'd like to know the single word which can be used instead of "negative ideas without any reason"? For example: > Stop giving **negative ideas without any reason**.


Future Subjunctive

I have a few issues to discuss linked to the Future Subjunctive. 1) Can "If I were you." mean the same as "If I were to be you." In other words, can "If I were you." have the reference to the future which "If I were to be you." has? _If I were you at tomorrow's competition I would win. ? = ? If I were to be you at tomorrow's competition I would win._ 2) Would you understand, if told, that "If I be you" means "If I were to be you"? Is this construction any popular in modern English or is it 100% obsolete? _If I be you at tomorrow's competition I will win._ 3) Is this construction possible? _If I am happy at tomorrow's competition I will win._


Where does the phrase "doctored" originate?

This is a phrase I’m particularly confused about, because it’s used often when something is manipulated or changed. For example, sometimes images surface online that are clearly Photoshopped, but people refer to them as “doctored” images. Why use the word “doctored” here?


"Be without money and job" vs. "be without money or job"

If I want to express that someone is without money and also without a job, how do I phrase it correctly? >   * He's without money and job. >   * He's without money or job. > Please explain your reasoning. === Some idiot edited my original question and completely changed the purpose of it! The edited version seen above is NOT what I was asking. I didn't ask about **phrasing**!!! MORONS! user763554 UNDERSTOOD my question.


Present Perfect, American English and "since"

I'm wondering: I was always taught at school that when using "since", you always have to use Present Perfect (BrE), e.g. > Since when have you played chess? But is > Since when did you play chess? acceptable in AmE? Which option would the AmE speakers rather use?


Reform of English writing?

As is commonly known, English is quite notorious for having a writing system that is far removed from the actual way it is most commonly pronounced. I understand that there are important historical reasons dating back to the Norman invasions, and the influence of French in medieval English courts and elites. My question is historical. Was there ever a movement or attempt at reforming the spelling system in order to bring it closer to phonetics?


Difference between “How do I ...” and “How can I ...”

For example: > How do I install this software? > > How can I install this software? Are they both right/appropriate?


Résumé conventions: present, past, and continuous tenses

When writing a résumé or CV, I’ve read that: >   * Use the present tense when referring to accomplishments that are > ongoing. > >   * Use the past tense (ending in _–ed_ ) when referring to accomplishments > that you have completed. > > Does **_present tense_** mean “present simple” only, or is “present continuous” also right? For example, I want to add a new entry on my CV saying: >   * Awaiting a new assignment as an external consultant. > >   * Researching and taking training on. . . . > > Is that right, or should I use the present simple instead?


What's the meaning of "as your concern allows"

Keep in touch as your concerns allow. This sentence was preceded by the sentence "We seem to be out of sync in reading each other's mind."


How do they express the time, in American and British English?

I don't know if this is a good question. But as far as I know, and as I do it, American English also say "after" other than "past" in expressing times. For example, _a quarter after six_ instead of, _a quarter past six_ as in British English. The other difference I know, so far, is that the British use dots to separate "hour" and "minute" in digital times like "08.35" while Americans use a colon e.g; "08:35". So is what I know, so far, correct? Or are there any other differences that I don't know about?


What does "mushy" mean in this context?

This is the context from Joel Spolsky's blog: > And now I'm going to get a little bit **mushy** , and argue that the most > productive programming environments are the ones that let you work at > different levels of abstraction. The meaning of _mushy_ as in Cambridge dictionary doesn't quite fit in here. What does _mushy_ mean?


Uncertain of what the phrase "The Mighty Yawn that gave you birth..." means in Fitzgerald's This Side of Paradise

I have been reading This Side of Paradise and came across an ambiguous phrase that ends Amory Blaine's little satire in which he mocks his professors. I have reproduced the satire along with an additional passage before that might help clarify sentiments expressed in the satire and perhaps the meaning of the end line: "The Mighty Yawn that gave you birth". > Amory rather scornfully avoided the popular professors who dispensed easy > epigrams and thimblefuls of Chartreuse to groups of admirers every night. He > was disappointed, too, at the air of general uncertainty on every subject > that seemed linked with the pedantic temperament; his opinions took shape in > a miniature satire called "In a Lecture-Room," which he persuaded Tom to > print in the Nassau Lit. > > "Good-morning, Fool... Three times a week You hold us helpless while you > speak, Teasing our thirsty souls with the Sleek 'yeas' of your philosophy... > Well, here we are, your hundred sheep, Tune up, play on, pour forth ... we > sleep... You are a student, so they say; You hammered out the other day A > syllabus, from what we know Of some forgotten folio; You'd sniffled through > an era's must, Filling your nostrils up with dust, And then, arising from > your knees, Published, in one gigantic sneeze... But here's a neighbor on my > right, An Eager Ass, considered bright; Asker of questions.... How he'll > stand, With earnest air and fidgy hand, After this hour, telling you He sat > all night and burrowed through Your book.... Oh, you'll be coy and he Will > simulate precosity, And pedants both, you'll smile and smirk, And leer, and > hasten back to work.... > > 'Twas this day week, sir, you returned A theme of mine, from which I learned > (Through various comment on the side Which you had scrawled) that I defied > The highest rules of criticism For cheap and careless witticism.... 'Are you > quite sure that this could be?' And 'Shaw is no authority!' But Eager Ass, > with what he's sent, Plays havoc with your best per cent. > > Stillstill I meet you here and there... When Shakespeare's played you hold a > chair, And some defunct, moth-eaten star Enchants the mental prig you are... > A radical comes down and shocks The atheistic orthodox? You're representing > Common Sense, Mouth open, in the audience. And, sometimes, even chapel lures > That conscious tolerance of yours, That broad and beaming view of truth > (Including Kant and General Booth...) And so from shock to shock you live, A > hollow, pale affirmative... > > The hour's up ... and roused from rest One hundred children of the blest > Cheat you a word or two with feet That down the noisy aisle-ways beat... > Forget on narrow-minded earth The Mighty Yawn that gave you birth."


What does "behaviorism sentiment" mean?

I have heard a professor say: > The behaviorism sentiment is uncommon within this academy. It is not clear to me. I could take it to mean that some people within this academy are sympathetic to this theory, not yet rationally committing to, or that some have become followers of behaviorism. So what does the professor actually mean?


Meaning and best case usage of 'Out of the blue'

what is the meaning of `Out of the blue`? I just heard a conversation like below; > Jesus. Out of the blue, man. What brought that up? what are the other possible cases that this phrase might be used?


What is the "how" doing in one sense of the sentence "How would you like to die?"

The eighth episode of HBO's _Game of Thrones_ series aired last night, and it was another fine one, full of wit and high drama. One particular scene in the episode, though, prompted an English language question in my mind that stuck with me. In the dialogue, one character, in fear for his life, but known for his wit, puns on the meaning of the sentence: > How would you like to die? by replying, "in my bed, at the age of eighty, belly full of wine..." so as to mean _in what manner would you like to die_? However, that's not the only way the sentence can be interpreted -- his accoster obviously meant it in the sense _do you want to die?_ My question is: What is _how_ doing there? It seems almost superfluous; I can't see how the meaning changes from asking _would you like to die_? Is there a grammatical term for its function in the sentence in that first meaning?


Word for "Click or Tap"

I'm writing a game that will be deployed on both web (mouse-based environment) and Android (touch-based environment). I would like to say, "click here" (but that doesn't make sense in a touch environment) or "tap/touch here" (which doesn't make sense in a mouse-based environment). So is there a word that can mean _both_ , essentially a "click or tap"? Or am I stuck with "cilck or tap"? **Edit:** The exact sentence is "Click/tap anywhere to return to the main menu."


Can I use "therefore", "so", "hence" and "thus" interchangeably?

I was taught that, at least, ' _therefore_ ' and ' _so_ ' and can be used interchangeably, one being informal, the other formal. But, even when written, replacing ' _so_ ' with ' _therefore_ ' doesn't seem correct. > I was tired so I fell asleep. ... > I was tired therefore I fell asleep. Am I even allowed to use _therefore_ as a conjunction here? The dictionary says I can, but it would seem more suitable to say: > I was tired **and** therefore I fell asleep. I realise _hence_ and _thus_ (and even _ergo_ ) are rarely used, but where do they fit into this?


writing a letter for someone else

When writing a letter for someone, what is the best way to say so? Rather than simply use the words, "I am writing this letter for John Smith"


Is there a term for words that have identical singular and plural forms?

Is there a term for nouns that have identical singular and plural forms? For example,   * sheep   * fish   * glasses   * aircraft/spacecraft etc.


Who is ‘Sarah Palin impersonator’?

Further to my question about the meaning of "If you must know" in Washington Post’s article on CPAC conference which I posted this morning in the forum, I stumbled on a phrase: _the Sarah Palin impersonator_. According to the article, the votes resulted in Texas Rep. Ron Paul coming up in the 1st place, and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in the 2nd place. That said, why _Sarah Palin impersonator_ is not _impersonators_. As long as the impersonator is in singular form, who is very Sarah Palin impersonator? It can be simply many republicans who are followers of Sara Palin's credos and her action patterns. But in that case, _inpersonator_ should be in plural form. Am I wrong? Could you explain who the Sarah Palin impersonator is? > The Conservative Political Action Conference is over. The thousands of > activists who converged on northwest Washington have begun returning home. > The Sarah Palin impersonator has left the building.


Difference between the use of "for" and "of"

I am always confused by the difference between the use of _for_ and _of_ in cases like these: >   1. Principal component analysis _of_ microarray data. >   2. Principal component analysis _for_ microarray data. > Which of these is correct? Is it OK to use both? If yes, when should I use 1. and 2., respectively?


"Recover" vs "Recuperate"

Often times, I use to verb **to recover** to state that somebody is returning to normal health after having been ill, for instance: > he is recovering from illness Recently, I've heard somebody using the verb **to recuperate** in the same context and with the same meaning: > he needs time to recuperate from surgery Can **to recuperate** and **to recover** be used interchangeably?   If not, what is the difference?


How should I pronounce "Worcestershire" as a rhotic English speaker?

I'm aware that the English county of Worcestershire is pronounced in Britain as ['wu:stəʃə], more or less. However, this is a **non-rhotic** pronunciation, and it feels very unnatural for me to use this pronunciation when speaking in my native dialect. There are three /r/s in the spelling, and it seems like at least _some_ of those should be reflected in the pronunciation. What is an appropriate way for a **rhotic** English speaker to pronounce the name?


the narrator keep trying vs. the narrator keeps

Is 'keep' or 'keeps' the right word to use in the sentence below: > The documentary we are watching irritates me because the narrator **keeps** > trying to force his opinion down our throats. The subject of the verb 'keeps' is 'narrator', and it is singular, so 'keeps' seems the right choice. The sentence is from http://www.ccc.commnet.edu/sensen/part1/two/writing.html


Order of participial adjective

I'm proof-reading a thesis by one of my friends and there's some recurring construct which I always mark as false but I'd like to check with you. In the comments I was told that the example I provided didn't really match the sentence I found in the thesis therefore I'm adding the _actual_ sentence from the thesis. I'm sorry for the confusion; I'm not a native speaker/in the field of language and thus didn't really see the difference. So here we go. Which of the following is preferable? >   * To illustrate the necessity of some steps a bad representative of the > **taken radiograms** is used. >   * To illustrate the necessity of some steps a bad representative of the > **radiograms taken** is used. > I'd use the latter because it is closer to "[...] of the radiograms taken previously is used". * * * ### Original example In the English language, one can use the (past) participle of a verb as an adjective, this allows for example to _express_ that I'm creating a scrapbook using the pictures that I have taken previously. What's the correct way to state this? >   * I'm doing a scrapbook from the **taken pictures**. >   * I'm doing a scrapbook from the **pictures taken**. > I'd use the latter because it is closer to > I'm doing a scrapbook from the pictures taken _previously_.


Is there a name for the phobia of not having access to the internet?

Nomophobia is the fear of being out of mobile phone contact. Is there a name for the fear or phobia of being away from / not being able to reach the internet?


What's the difference between using the verb "change" transitively and intransitively?

I am confused about using transitive and intransitive verbs for making passive sentences. Especially when that verb can be both (like the verb _change_ ).


Use of "more" with more than two items

Suppose we were to say that "California is one of the more pleasant states on the West Coast in terms of weather." Is this grammatically incorrect because there are more than two states on the West Coast? Would I have to say that "California is one of the most pleasant states on the West Coast in terms of weather?" I feel that the above sentence would somewhat change the intended meaning. Thanks in advance!


How does one define rigorous empathy?

How does one define rigorous empathy? I don't even know where to begin. What does it mean? On their own I know what each word means, but I know it's a lot deeper than that.


What is the difference between the words “stream”, “flow” etc.?

What is the difference in meaning and usage between the nouns “stream”, “flow” (“pour” is excluded from this list based on comments) and probably other words with similar meaning? What is more appropriate when talking about news or other entities of content continuously appearing on a website, other discrete object constantly appearing on one side, moving to other and disappearing there?


Made from vs made up of for dishes

If I want to question someone about what makes up a given dish, which of the following sentences is the most appropriate ? >   1. What is this dish made up of ? > >   2. What is this dish made from ? > > It seems to me that the first sentence is more appropriate when we want to know all of the food found on a dish while the second one is more for ingredients, am I right ? In addition to the proper way to question a person, how can we answer someone who asked us to describe a given dish ? > This dish is composed of eggs, french fries, rice ... Is this construction fine or is there a more proper way to say that ?


Capitalization of "Dictator"

I'm wondering whether the word _dictator_ should be capitalized. Is it just an adjective and not an (official) title?


When traveling abroad, are you "oversea" or "overseas"?

I live in Singapore and I will be travelling to Jakarta. Should I say " _I will be oversea next week._ " or " _I will be overseas next week._ "? Looking at Google Maps, it looks like there are two seas between Singapore and Jakarta. Is there any instance where I should use " _oversea_ "?


Part of quotation used for book title

I am using part of a quote for a book title. Do I need to put quotation marks around the book title and if so, do I need to include anything else to show that only part of the quotation is being used in the book title.


What are the main differences between AmE and BrE phrasal verbs? It seems to me that BrE uses more phrasal verbs than AmE and that the particle of the phrasal verb changes sometimes from AmE to BrE like in the phrasal verb _beat on_ (AmE) to _beat on_ (BrE). Am I right? Is there any rule to make this preposition change?


What is “beer money”?

What is the meaning of the term _beer money_ in the sentence: > People often ask me to describe in detail how I’ve got to be where I am > today, thinking that I’ve spent years earning **beer money** in local clubs, > but the truth is, I’m literally an overnight sensation! I've searched on the web and found that _beer money_ is a card game. Is this what he is referring to, or is it an idiomatic expression?


"Learn" vs. "study" difference

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Is there any subtle difference between "to study" and "to learn"? What is the difference between "to learn" and "to study"? Can you study without learning? For example, if you study complex math as a subject but you don't understand it completely.


Difference between "unnecessary" and "not necessary"

Although they appear to have the same meaning, I somehow feel "unnecessary" has a little bit of negative sense attached to it; "not necessary", however, has neutral feeling. For example, "It was unnecessary." - It was not required to do anyways and you have made it little worse (speaker does not have a positive opinion of the listener).   "It was not necessary." - It was not required, but I don't mind anyways. Can anyone please confirm whether my line of thinking is correct or not? If not, are they **absolutely** replaceable, with no difference in nuance at all?


is it correct to use 'one' in a paragraph beginning then move to 'I'?

In a paragraph, is the following usage of _one_ and _I_ correct? The following are the first two sentences of a paragraph which goes on to stay in the first person: > In primary school one moves outside the family-home environment for the > first time. I meet and mingle with the children of migrants. My best friend > is Dutch, they eat salty instead of sweet liquorice.


Past participle after noun: "proposed cost" vs. "cost proposed"

I have the following two examples: >   1. Our proposed cost is expensive. >   2. Our cost proposed is expensive. > Is there any difference between them? Or is the second sentence wrong?


What's it called when someone forms a general conclusion from something which is aberrant?

I'm trying to think of a phrase that describes someone who is in a certain situation and when an outcome out of the norm comes up then he takes the aberrant outcome and generalizes it, believing it to be the normal outcome for that and similar situations. That is, he's forming an general opinion based on that one instance. Is there an expression which describes that in one or two words? If so, what is it?


Origin of the term "wizard" in computing

In computer user interfaces a "wizard" is a set of screens that guide the user through a process. Does anyone know the origin of this term? I personally associate wizards with magic more than a figure offering guidance.


"at event" vs. "on event"

What is a better preposition for the word " _event_ "?   * at   * on Specifically I want to say:   * Lector at an event   * Lector on an event Which is the correct one?


Analogue of "to the best of our knowledge"

I have seen the following formula when writing an academic article: > **To the best of our knowledge** , this is the first work that shows how to > optimize a non-submodular function for .... I like this construction in a paper, and I am wondering if there is a way to replace **"To the best of our knowledge"** by a similar expression that conveys a similar message, i.e. novelty, as far as one can tell from the literature.


What is the false stop in a music piece called?

For example, Watch around 2:10 here. What is this false stop called? is there a single word?


Years in the galleys

I'm reading a biography of Giuseppe Verdi, and there's a decade and a half long part of his life that is referred to as his "years in the galleys". I've tried to find the exact meaning and history of this idiom, but keep drawing blanks. It's possible this is a direct translation of an Italian idiom that is not commonly used in English, as Verdi himself said it ("anni di galera") regarding this part of his life. Could anyone shed some light on this?


Articles before word zero

"a zero magnetization" or "the zero magnetization" or "zero magnetization"? "a zero magnetic field" or "the zero magnetic field" or "zero magnetic field"? Are there any specific rules for articles before the word zero? Is not "zero magnetization" equivalent to "magnetization 0" which comes with zero article? Thanks!


Antonyms and mutually exclusive words

If _north_ is the antonym of _south_ , then what is the relationship between _north_ and all other _non-north_ directions such as _east, west, south, south-east, south-west_ , etc.? Similarly, if _male_ is the antonym of _female_ , then what is the relationship between _male_ and the other _non-male_ genders such as _transgender_ variants, _female_ , etc.? Perhaps I can illustrate my question as:                       antonym      north<--------->south                    ?     north<--------->everything non-north      They are perhaps _mutually exclusive_. But I expect that there's a semantic term that better describes this relationship. If there's no straightforward technical term available, I'd appreciate non-technical alternatives as well.


If/when in this example?

I am struggling with understanding when I can use if/when interchangeably. The situation is like this, I meet my friend outside who is heading to the dentist. I say (in that situation, knowing he is about to see the dentist in a while): > If you are going to the dentist, you should brush your teeth. But I can say that in general: > Children, if you are going to the dentist, you should brush your teeth. Should it not be better/needed to use 'when' in any of these sentences? I still feel like 'if' means 'maybe it is going to happen' while 'when' 'it is going to happen at some point'.


Why are knobs called "pots" by some sound designers?

I was recently introduced to the term "pots" to mean "dials" or "knobs" in the field of sound design and audio engineering. (It rather took me by surprise; I had no idea what the sound designer was talking about, until it was explained to me.) Later, I looked the term up, and found - well, not much. The dictionaries and thesauri available to me didn't contain this particular meaning of the word. I was able to find the term used in a few forum posts, but what I really wanted to know was how the term came to be used at all. So, I ask: What is the origin of "pots" as a word meaning "dials?" Is it derived from the other meanings of the word? Is it a loanword from some other language? Was it coined from a long-forgotten acronym? I can't help but be curious.


"Having not" vs "not having"

I did a bit of searching on the difference between "not having" and "having not", but I could not find a convincing argument. I typed this sentence; > Congratulations on not having given up yet! It was corrected by a friend to; > Congratulations on having not given up yet! I am certain that my friend has a better command of English and that he is correct. Could someone explain why the first sentence is incorrect?


Meaning of "ratbane"

> But the faithful were not troubled by consistency,'the bugbear of little > minds'- and the **ratbane** of inconsistent bigots. What does _ratbane_ mean? There is a clue on Wikipedia, but I don't understand it. I should mention the sentence is from Eric Temple Bell's _Men of Mathematics_.


"n-degenerate" or "n degenerate"?

In physics, we say that something is "degenerate" when it exists in more than one "equivalent" versions. What is the proper form of saying that there are _n_ versions of X -- that X is "n-degenerate" or "n degenerate"? I have used the first form in my paper, but the editor changed it to the second. It is possible that they were wrong, hence my question.


Is "obscure" the same as "undocumented"?

I posted a question on another SE site that was quickly closed due to issues irrelevant to my current question. My question was about an "obscure" behavior of a programming language called Python. One comment caught my eye: a highly-respected community member claimed that the behavior was "documented, therefore not obscure." This started me wondering if his view is shared by the general English speaker. Is "obscure" equivalent to "undocumented"?


Do you say "please yourself" in a non-sexual context?

In an English grammar textbook, I found this example sentence: > Dinner's at 8 o'clock, but there's nothing planned for the afternoon, so you > can all **please yourself** until then. I googled _please yourself_ and it seems to mean _masturbation_ in some contexts. Do native English speakers use it in non-sexual contexts like the example above?


How should I address someone with a known name and unknown gender?

When communicating with foreign cultures, the gender of the addressed person is not always clear from the name. What would be a professional way to address someone in this situation. ( _Dear Mr or Ms SomeForeignName_ looks awkward). A hack I generally use is to do a google image search for the name, but this isn't always accurate in all cultures. What's the solution here?


Difference between "commentor" and "commentator"

What is the difference between _commentor_ and _commentator_? Is _commentor_ or _commenter_ a legitimate English word?


Is there a gender-neutral prefix for "parent"?

The prefixes "patr-" and "matr-" refer, respectively, to father and mother-- e.g., a patriarch is a father who rules a family, and a matrilineal society is one where property is passed from mother to daughter. Is there a prefix that refers more generally to "parent"?


Can a clause have more than one (in)direct object?

I am fairly convinced that any English clause (and it probably also counts for other languages, but I can't be sure about that) can only contain 1 subject, 1 direct object, and 1 indirect object. This seems lower-grade common knowledge to me, but I don't know if this is an official rule and I can't really find any linguistic authoritative source that says so. Is this indeed true? And if not, what would be a counterexample? Obviously, a sentence can have a compound subject/object such as in: > John and Mary are walking down the street. But in that case, I would argue that there is 1 subject that is "John and Mary".


Should I say "context" or "contexts"?

I just asked about the phrase "Eastern Seaboard" in another question. I used the sentence: > Is "seaboard" used in other contexts? I thought this didn't sound very good, so I changed it to: > Is "seaboard" used in other context? Should _context_ ever be pluralized? Or is it a mass noun?


Origin of "kettle of fish"

What is the origin of the phrase "kettle of fish"? e.g. > It's was a good film. But the sequel is a different kettle of fish. It seems to simply mean "thing", but in a fun and witty way. But I wonder- Did people ever put fish in kettles, and why would this come to be used in such a way?


Origin of "tootsie" or "tootsy" (foot)

I was just sitting thinking I had cold _tootsies_ meaning my toes or feet! This got me wondering, where on earth does the word _tootsie/tootsy_ come from? I did Google this and got definitions (apparently a childish name for foot) but no reasoning where it comes from. Are there any more clues out there about the word's etymology?


On the subject of "bring up" and "raise"

When you use "bring up" and "raise", can those words take _university_ as their subject? For example, > (1) This university **brought** me **up**.   >  (2) This university **raised** those students. In addition, when _university_ educates (develops?) students' academic and cultural ability, do you say the following? > (3) This university brought me up **in study, culture and my character**.


Is “man with the monocle” an established idiom or just a figurative expression?

I saw the phrase “ _the man with the monocle_ ” in the following sentence of the article titled “Five myths about millionaires,” appearing in Washington Post September 24th issue: > “This past week, President Obama tried to sell his new “millionaires’ tax” > to the Rust Belt. But who are the millionaires Obama is talking about? And > will a tax on them help the economy? Let’s examine a few presumptions about > _the man with the monocle_ on the Monopoly board.” The last line revived my vague memory that the chairman of a New York private bank and murderous villain, Bryce Fenston in Jeffery Archer’s mystery, “False Impression” used to wear a monocle. I checked “man with the monocle” on Cambridge, Merriam-Webster, and Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, none of which registers “man with the monocle” as an idiom associated with “monocle,” but Wikipedia provides explanation of “monocle” as: During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the monocle was generally associated with wealthy upper-class men. Combined with a morning coat and a top-hat, the monocle completed the costume of the stereotypical 1890s capitalist. From Wikipedia, I understand “man with the monocle” means “wealthy upper-class man.” However, is “man with the monocle” an idiom or just a figurative expression? If I used “ _man with the monocle_ ” in colloquial conversation instead of “wealthy man,” does it sound odd or pedantic?


Wishing someone good luck in continuing something without yourself without sounding hypocritical or sarcastic

I'm fretting over an email to what was a potential customer. This person announced that he will do the project I pitched on with another company. I sincerely want to wish the customer good luck with the project, but I can't find the correct phrasing. I'm afraid "Wishing you all the best with the project" might sound like the hypocritical uttering of a sore loser who actually wants the project to go flat on its belly. Any suggestions as to how one who 'has lost' can still sincerely write he wishes the very best for everyone?


One-word synonym for "to ride roughshod over"

I'm looking for a shorter verb with more punch. I can only think of nouns or long phrases:   * ride roughshod   * juggernaught   * ramrod   * mow down   * plough   * battering ram What's a better way to say "to ride roughshod over"? **EXAMPLE:** [The larger factor] bowls over / dominates / rides roughshod over [the smaller factor].


What does "provided the translations" mean?

What's the meaning of: > I provided the translations of quotations from non-English sources Does it mean, "I translated the quotations"?


Is it correct to speak of New York dialect?

Is it correct to speak of New York dialect, or should I use a different term when referring to the particular pronunciation used in New York?


Is there a 1950's American accent?

Listening to old recordings, there is a distinct accent that radio and television announcers used that is different from a modern-day "Standard American" or neutral accent. It seems that over the course of fifty years pronunciation has shifted. Is this a documented phenomenon? Or is it more a function of broadcast media being less focused on proper enunciation and diction? (Possibly related, I've noticed some old books spell "Hello" as "Hullo". Is this a reflection of the same thing?)


Is “Better never than late” the saying as popular as “Better late than never”?

There was the following sentence in Maureen Dowd’s column in New York Times (September 1): > We all know Republicans prefer riches-to-riches sagas, and rounding up > immigrants, if the parasitic scofflaws aren’t sensitive enough to self- > deport. That’s why my heart swells to think of the herculean effort the > G.O.P. put into pretending its heart bleeds. Even if it’s been bleeding for > only five days. _Better never than late_. I can easily understand the meaning of ‘Better late than never,’ and I can easily find the definition of this phrase on online dictionaries. For instance Cambridge Online Dictionary defines it as a saying ‘that is said when you think that it is better for someone or something to be late than never to arrive or to happen.’ I understand "Better never than late" is the antonym to "Better late than never," meaning it’s better not to be done (or non-existent) from the beginning, But I can’t find the entry of ‘Better never than late’ in any online dictionaries I’ve checked. Is this phrase as popular as ‘Better late than never’ as a proverb? In what case can I use ‘Better never than late’ for an example other than G.O.P Presidential tickets’ compassionate mention on Hispanic immigrants in G.O.P. Convention?


Distinguishing between "opposites" of "ortho-"

There is a class of transformations in physics called "orthochronous", meaning that they preserve the direction of time's flow. ("Ortho-" from the Greek for 'straight' or 'right'?) As far as I am aware, while there is no _word_ for the opposite---a transformation that _reverses_ time's flow---there is certainly such a _concept_. So I need the word to describe that concept, and I can easily think of two possibilities. But I am unclear about the distinctions between them.   * Heterochronous. ("Hetero-" from the Greek for 'other'?)   * Parachronous. ("Para-" from the Greek for 'amiss', 'irregular', or 'distinct from'?) I would lean toward hetero-, but I'm not entirely sure why. My attempts at establishing the Greek origins are amateurish and tentative, of course. Is there a strong distinction between these two options? If so, which best describes my desired usage; if not, should I just pick one at random? (I'm also entirely open to better options.)


"For the heartbeat he dared to hope."

> For the heartbeat he dared to hope. From a quick search of the dictionary, i was able to gather the meaning of sentence, but am still unsure. (It is from Game of Thrones Song of Ice and Fire.)


Won't or doesn't? If either works, what's the difference?

The weather is windy and the wind is blowing outside. I am sitting in front of the TV, but it …………… turn on and I don’t know what I should do to fix it.


Translating when speakers reference themselves by name

In some cultures, people might call themselves by their name. For example, if a woman's name is May, she might say in her native language > May has a very important thing to say. When translated to English, should it be changed to > I have a very important thing to say. in order to coincide with the common practices of spoken English? Or should it be left in the third person, to more accurately reflect the original utterance?


Usage of "coruscating"

Can coruscating be used as a one word adjective to describe "interesting and exciting"? Basically the usage is "his interesting and exciting research work" which will end up as "his coruscating research work". Referring to dictionary.com gives this: > coruscate   >  verb (used without object), coruscated, coruscating.   >  1\. to emit vivid flashes of light; sparkle; scintillate; gleam. So does this mean "coruscating" cannot be used with an object (research in this case)?


"Tell a story, please" or "Tell me a story please"?

Should I certainly use pronouns like _me_ , _you_ , _him_ , _her_ etc. with the word _tell_? Which sentence is correct?   1. Will you tell _us/me_ about your hobbies, please?    2. Will you tell about your hobbies, please?


To advocate the act of not doing something

I'm looking for a word that gives the same meaning as **advocate** below, but with a negative twist: > He advocates _not doing_ drugs. I want to present this better, and emphasize that "He" stands behind (i.e. advocates) not doing drugs. This sentence, for example, does not work: > He _recommends_ not doing drugs. **Edit:** To be clearer, ideally it would read as if he physically worked against it, like (I'd say) _advocate_ implies.


Use of both adjective and verb in place of object clauses

I've been trying to assemble this sentence, but something feels wrong with every option I've come up with. > This has made me frustrated and lack motivation to go on this way. or: > This has made me frustrated and lacked of motivation to go on this way. or: > This has made me frustrated and made me lack motivation to go on this way. How would you say it?


Is it right to use 'Statesman' to modify an organization and corporation?

I found a case of using _statesman_ in modifying AOL Inc. in the following sentence of New York Times (February 8). Statesman to me means a leading politician_ and I understand the word here was used figuratively. But the phrase, _AOL is the elder statesman of online access_ sounds somewhat odd to me. Is this standard or within the range of received usage of _stateman_? What does _statesman_ mean in this case? > Huffington Post, the liberal-leaning online news site that has been one of > the Internet's start-up success stories, said it agreed to a $315 million > buyout late Sunday night from AOL Inc., the ‘elder statesman’ of online > access and digital content.


What is the difference between "jaunt" and "excursion", "trip" and "outing"? Can we say "secretive outing" or "secretive absence"?

I found the following sentence in today's New York Times. Apparently, _secretive jaunt_ of New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg sounds to carry some speculations. And for a foreign English learner like me, _jaunt_ seems to be a 'less well-worn' word (Is this expression right?). What is the difference of meaning among _jaunt_ , _excursion_ , _outing_ , _trip_ , and _journey_? > **Mayoral Sign-Out Sheet?** Secretive Jaunts Spur a Thought: Angered by > Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's refusal to say where he was during the December > blizzard, lawmakers may consider requiring mayors to acknowledge absences.


Building a phrase structure of "On the weekend ..."

I'm reading Foundations of Statistical Natural Language Processing, and I'm doing one of the early exercises, trying to work out some of the language infliction about the word _'fun'_. >   1. On the weekend the children had fun. > Trying to make a phrase structure parse of the above sentece, I'm not sure how to structure it. All formal grammars I've read describe a sentence as:               S → NP + VP      But I don't see how "on the weekend" could be a noun phrase? So far I've got this, but it doesn't seem right:               (PP On)(NP (D the)(N weekend))(S (NP (D the)(N children))(VP (V had)(NP (N fun))))      Resulting in this parse tree: ![parse tree](http://s17.postimage.org/624qpzxxb/syntax_tree_3.png) So my question is: What's the correct Part-of-speech tagging for (1)?


Metaphorical use of “patricide”

In Swedish, the word for patricide ( _fadermord_ ) is commonly used in a metaphorical sense for the act of the disciple, usually publicly, turning on their teacher or benefactor (which may be a person or an institution). I have consulted several English dictionaries online, but none of them list an English equivalent of this metaphorical use of patricide, only the literal and judicial meaning of the word. My question is therefore, if _patricide_ is not generally used in this metaphorical sense in English, is there another word which conveys this specific nuance of treachery? The Swedish usage usually implies a break with former convictions (passed down from one’s teacher or otherwise). It is not, therefore, a treachery for personal gain, but more often due to a change of convictions or beliefs. In Swedish, it is also a fairly neutral term – _fadermord_ in this sense is not morally despicable, though it may be tactless; it may even carry a note of enviable moral integrity. **Accepted answer:** There are, of course, several ways in which this expression can be rendered in English. Among the answers below, "renegade" or "apostate" seem to be the closest single words, with "judas" a close third. By using an idiom, "the worm has turned to bite the hand that feeds it," though a bit quirky, can come quite close. Since the word in Swedish has context dependent moral implications, which is not the case for the closest English equivalents, the appropriate word will have to be decided by the context.


French Letters and condoms

Repartee (inexact quote) from a TV show: > Person A: Now, we're going to be getting some _letters from French people_.   >  Person B: It could be worse. You might be getting **French letters**.   >  _(laughter)_ Going by ODO and Webster, _French letter_ appears to be a BrE euphemism for a _condom_. How did this come about?


Is the sentence "My pain look like my pride" grammatically correct?

I am a native Spanish speaker but I have been speaking English for more than ten years. That sentence is part of the lyrics of a song. I get the feeling that it should be "My pain **looks** like my pride" but while I think that is correct it might be that there is another rule that I am not aware of. So, is that sentence correct or not? **edit:** I am sorry i had not read the lyrics before this post, i had only listened to them hence why i missed an important aspect of it. the full sentence is a question and it looks like: "Why do I feel like I deserve this? Why does my pain look like my pride?" -linkin park, no roads left. in which case there is the help verb to do and for that reason the second verb is not conjugated. the whole question is irrelevant. sorry about that.


Calling up a cat

In Russian when we want to call up a cat we say _ks-ks-ks_. What is the usual way to call it up in English?


What is the pronunciation for the word 'pluriharmonic'?

Maybe this problem is a bit too trivial for some people. I could not find any dictionary giving me a pronunciaiton for the word 'pluriharmonic'. Google does not work, either. Will someone be kind enough to give me a pronunciation for this word? It is a word from mathematics. I guess since it is a compound word, 'pluri-harmonic' may be its correct form. So will someone give me some information on the 'pluri' part? How is it pronounced? Thank you very much!


Are there other idioms like "a stone's throw away" that both describe an activity and act as a measurement?

If something is quite close by, it could be described as being _a stone's throw away_ ; even closer might be _a hop, skip and a jump_. I'm interested in these "units" of measurement based on human action. Do you know of other similar words, phrases or idioms that **both describe an activity and act as a kind of measurement**? They do not have to be limited to distance measurement.


Two questions with "or"

Which of these is correct? > Shall we paint the room red, or do you want to consider more colors? or > Shall we paint the room red? Or do you want to consider more colors? I tend to think that both of these are correct, and I would usually prefer the latter. But I'm wondering if there are any reasons why one is better than the other, if one of them is grammatically wrong, or if one of them is objectively preferrable.


Can we use "original" to describe an idea that is "less" original?

Suppose someone comes up with a great original idea. Some time later, someone else comes up with exactly the same idea without knowing that idea been conceived already and even without being influenced in any way by the other person's thought. In other words, both of them make the discovery totally independently and not at the same time. For example, Leibniz and Newton invented Calculus this way; Cook and Levin established NP-Complete theory this way. The idea from the very first inventor is no doubt considered original. But what about the same idea independently conceived by others later in time? I have no problem calling the latter original, although it seems less original than the very original one. Would there be a word or phrase that can readily convey the state of being "less" original?


How to correctly write a range of currency

Currency is usually written with the type prefixed, e.g. $52. However, what is the correct way to write a currency range? For example, the inclusive range of 'between 14 and 90 dollars' could be written as:   1. $14-90   2. $14-$90   3. 14-90$


First name initial format "A. B. Lastname" vs "A.-B. Lastname"

Sometimes I see names abbreviated sometimes as **A. B. Lastname** and some other times **A.-B. Lastname**. Is there a difference? Does the former means it is a middle name, and the latter means it is a part of first name?


Proper verb to use with "test"

Assume that somebody has created a test/quiz like this one. Has he _developed_ the test? _put it together_? _wrote_ it? something else? What verb would you use?


What is a “crypto-portrait”?

I have frequently seen the word _crypto-portrait_ popping up in articles on _Wikipedia_ and elsewhere, but I was not able to find a definition for it. Apparently there used to be an article on _Wikipedia_ but it has since been removed (there are dead links to it). Here are some of the places you can see the word used:   * http://thelostdutchman.hubpages.com/hub/The-Van-Eyck-Cryptogram   * http://www.discoverbaroqueart.org/database_item.php?id=monument;BAR;cz;Mon11_F;7;en   * http://www.desipientia.nl/archief.php?nummer=41


Hypernym for "clients", "members" and "partners"

We're building a feature for a website and trying to think of a hypernym for _clients_ , _partners_ and _members_ so that the feature remains generic enough for re-use later on other websites.


Tense for second sentence in conditional statements

I run into the following sitatution: > If he had bothered Mike, he would have bothered him back so much that he > **would have forgotten** about bothering anyone in his life again. Is 'would have' the correct format for the part in bold? Can we use other tenses in the same context?


"Community was here" vs "Community existed"

What is the difference between the following two: > I didn't know if this community existed > > I didn't know if this community was here


How to write the "plural of plural"?

I'm always confused how to write a "something of something else" in English, especially when plural is involved. For example, what would be the correct way to write the following sentences in English: There are three phones, each phone is of a different type:   * Three types of phones?   * Three phone types?   * Three types of phone? Similarly, there are several doctors, and each doctor has a car:   * The doctors' cars?   * The cars of the doctors?


What is the difference between sauce and dressing? Their purpose seems to be the same.


"That" vs "It" as Anaphoric Determiners

What are the specific uses and differences of "it" and "that" in anaphoric reference? Sometimes they can be used interchangeably and sometimes they can't. I am teaching back referencing as a conversational strategy next week, and I was trying to find a way to distinguish the uses of "it" or "that" as a anaphoric determiner. I did a few searchers, but could find no reliable information regarding these words. Looking at a few textual examples, I was able to conclude that   1. "That" refers to a general idea or whole clause   2. "That" can be used for emphasis, whereas the use of "it" would carry no specific emphasis   3. "It" it refers more to actions   4. "It" can also refer to ideas or clauses, but only if these ideas or clauses precede "it" almost immediately so that there is a more temporal reference Here is an example, with anaphorics in bold: D: I bet you were furious.   M: No, not at all, it’s just that…you know, I just don’t want our coffee shop to become another branch of Café Pronto. They’re all the same, aren’t they?   D: **That’s** true. I’m not keen on the idea either. You’re very fond of the place, aren’t you?   M: Of course. I know we don’t go there very often, but I think of all **that work** we did getting **it** ready.   D: How could I forget **it**? All the cleaning and painting and stuff we did with Rob. I quite enjoyed **that** , actually.   M: Yes, me too.


What does ‘a woman with seriously good hair’ mean? Is “Good Hair” primarily applied to American-African ladies?

Further to my question about the use of ‘MFF’ on New York Times article ( Jan.29 ) titled “As State of the Union Nears, Congress Plays Musical Chairs,” I have a question about the meaning of the phrase of ‘members of the Senate with seriously good hair’ in the following sentence: > Mary from Louisiana asked Olympia from Maine because they are BFFs, but had > a backup in Bob from Tennessee in case she was rebuffed. Kirsten from New > York went the Sadie Hawkins route and asked John from South Dakota, and thus > the deal between two members of the Senate with seriously good hair was > sealed. I was intrigued by the phrase, ‘good hair,’ in the above sentence. So I checked Urbandictionary to find its real meaning and found the following definition: > A popular term in the African-American community, used to describe a black > person's hair that closely resembles the hair of a typical white person > (i.e. soft, manageable, long, as opposed to "nappy" or "bad" hair). The > closer your hair is to a white person's, the "better" your hair is. I was confused. On YouTube, both Sen. Marry L. Landriey and Olympia Snowe are clearly white, one with bland and another dark hair. Is Urbandictionary’s definition - 'used to describe a black person's hair' wrong? What does "Senators with _seriously good hair_ ” really mean? Is it a praise or does it involve sarcastic insinuation? Please teach me.


Can one be uninnovative?

Can one be _uninnovative_ , or _un-innovative_? I'm looking for a direct antonym of the adjective _innovative_. I see an entry at Dictionary.com, but nothing at Merriam Webster (innovative, *uninnovative).


What does "put the top down" mean?

Well, I have been searching the meaning of "put the top down", but I didn't find anything useful. Let me show you a little bit the context.               I'm gonna put the top down     I'm gonna talk about old times     I'm gonna put the top down     I'm gonna let myself unwind     I'm gonna put the top down     I'm gonna watch the day roll by     I'm gonna put the top down     This time.      It's the song's chorus. If you want to listen it, click here. I was searching on UrbanDictionary, they have two meanings of `top down` but I consider that they are not so appropriate. If someone have any idea of what this phrase means, I will be happy.


Part of a dentist's chair

What's the name of the part of the dentist's chair used for pouring water into a glass so the patient can wash his/her mouth?


Origin of "as useful as a chocolate teapot / fireguard"

I ran across the expression "as useful as a chocolate teapot" (or sometimes a _fireguard_ ) which is apparently used to denote the utter uselessness of something. It received some coverage on Language Log back in 2004. Where/how did the expression originate?


Does the word "catching" apply to people?

If we can say "I am running to catch the train", is it also appropriate to say that "I am going to the office early to catch the boss"?


Have the words 'horsemanshipp' & 'warr' been used so in writing, in the early 16th Century?

I was looking for origin of the word carousel, and I found the following, > One of the purposes of the Royalle Carouselle, as it was called in a patent > application of 1673, was to give "sufficient instruction to all such > ingenious young gentleman as desire to learne the art of perfect > horsemanshipp with all the usual practices and exercises thereof". http://www.tes.co.uk/teaching-resource/Around-and-about-the-world-of- carousels-Discovery-series-Discover-fairs-308572/ Also in the following book, Images and cultures of law in early modern England My Question is, have the words horsemanshipp & warr been used in writing with a double p & r consistently? Or is it that the usage reflects the way a person speaks those words ?


How should "The Cloud" be capitalized?

_"We are migrating our core systems into (1) The Cloud ... or (2) the cloud ... or (3) the Cloud???"_ I've googled (Googled?) this and found the usual range of differing opinions but as yet no compelling answer so thought it would be worth posting here. Am currently leaning towards (1) to distinguish it as the "one and only" cloud. But could probably be persuaded otherwise and would be interested to see what the general consensus is on here...


'no telling' embedded in a sentence

I was wondering if 'spread out over no telling how many years' is syntactically correct (Please see the quote at the bottom). Through the help of another forum, I now know 'no telling how many years' brings the sense 'it's impossible to guess how many years the decoration would be used' into the sentence, semantically interrupting it halfway. 'Over' should take a time noun here, but suddenly, _BOOOM!_ 'no telling.' It is somewhat a sentence with 'there is no telling how many years' embedded in it. **preposition + no telling/ verb (other than ' _be_ ' of 'there _be_ ') + no telling, conveying the sense of 'there _be_ no telling ...'** Although it might possibly be unorthodox English, I would like to be able to use it. I've tried to come up with example sentences in the other forum in vain. Here are some more I made up after a long thought:   1. The ancient village existed at the tip of the peninsula for no telling how long, but it was there and prospered for sure.   2. Seems like the dog came back with no telling what in his mouth. His tongue is all purple now. But we don't know what it was. There is no trace left other than that. > We were ready for Christmas, and we'd got that way inexpensively --- a word > you use when you don't want to say cheap. The total investment in > decorations, beginning with the free tree, might have reached $20.00 --- a > lavish sum **_spread out over no telling how many years_**. Decorating today > is an ornament of a different color. I Googled "Christmas decorations for > sale" and looked at what's available in modern Yuletide festoonery. ("Hang > That Tree Ornament" --- 'And the merchant who sold it to you' by William > Jeanes, The Saturday Evening Post, Nov/Dec 2011)


What are some effective ways a foreign speaker can improve pronunciation in English?

How can a foreign speaker (where a "foreign speaker" speaks English as a second language) effectively improve their spoken English by improving their pronunciation and reducing their foreign accent. To be more specific, let's assume that the foreign speaker wishes to target a particular regional accent in English. Let's take mid-western United States as an example. Note: this is a cross-post from the Stack Exchange site "Spanish Language and Usage". I posted in both places because I expect the methods for improving pronunciation may differ.


"The same X" and intransitive verbs

As I have had explained to me at great length, _wonder_ is intransitive. That's fine, but it can seem to take an object: > Jim: Yesterday I wondered what that mark on the wall was made by   >  Dave: I wondered the same thing this morning There you see _wonder_ taking the object _the same thing_. This can be shown to be an object because it can replace an object for use with a transitive verb: > Jim: Yesterday I took a torch to the caves   >  Dave: I took the same thing this morning It is clearly not an adverb there because *"I took quickly this morning" doesn't make sense. This seems to work similarly with other intransitive verbs: > This plant ages quickly in sunlight and that plant ages the same way. In the sentence "I walked the same way" is _the same way_ an adverb or a noun phrase? How about "I walked the same route"? So is "the same X" adverbial in some contexts and an object in others? Does this type of construct have a special name?


Why does "going to kip" mean "going to sleep"?

"Night, folks; I'm off to **_kip_**." > _noun_   >  1 _British_ a sleep or nap:   >         _I might have a little kip_   >  [ _mass noun_ ] :   >         _he was trying to get some kip_ > > _verb_ **_(kips, kipping, kipped)_**   >  [no object] _British_   >      sleep:   >            _he can kip on her sofa_ Oxford Dictionaries has it as: > mid 18th century (in the sense 'brothel'): perhaps related to Danish kippe > 'hovel, tavern' Any further etymological info?


Is "enroute" an acceptable variant of "en route"?

Is "enroute" (without the space) an acceptable variant of "en route"?


Is there a word to describe the situation where you call someone and hang up so they call you back? The purpose of this is usually so that they get the calling charges. I was thinking it's kind of like 'poking' or 'tagging' them? Like a 'poke/tag call'. **Answer:** I voted on Tim Lewis' answer as it was the most interesting and it also suggested the answer which makes the most sense. Because we don't have a word for this in the English language, the word _Ping_ can now be used as follows: Ping _(verb)_ : the act of calling someone and then hanging up with the intent of having them call back. **Addendum:** Based on this article Wayne Werner linked to in a below comment, the practice is known as _beeping_. This article lays out the reasons for beeping and the social protocol around it.


Do people's names have meanings in English? If so, where can I look up names to find their meanings? If not, where did these names come from originally?


What does 'quiet laughter' refer to?

Abraham Lincoln in his famous letter to his son's teacher asks the teacher to teach his son _the secret of quiet laughter_. Is this expression an oxymoron (like _deafening silence_ )?


Politically correct term for someone who is Internet challenged?

What is the politically correct term for someone who is not very Internet savvy?


How serious an insult is "wanker" in British English? [NSFW]

In the spirit of this question, _"How profane is it to call someone a 'slag' in British English"_ , how insulting is "wanker" in British English on the spectrum of profanities and vulgarities? What's the typical usage if you wanted to insult someone? (I probably ask because as a word it's quite amusing to me. I don't think it would be unfair to say that in American English, the word isn't very insulting at all; mostly, it would light joshing to me. But frequently in the British movies I watch, _cunt_ , a very verboten word in AmE, is used as almost a playful opener in the repartee of insults, and things only really escalate into trouble when someone calls the other "wanker!" in an exaggerated style. So I'm supposing it must be quite a bit more serious over the pond. On the other hand, they _are_ just movies.)


Please teach me how to use ‘hot diggity’, and the meaning of ‘corkscrew twists’

Theater reviews of newspapers are one of very valuable sources for me to fish for novel and intriguing expressions to foreign English learner like me. Recently, I found two words quite strange to me in New York Times review of the new Broadway musical, "Catch Me if You Can," titled "Scamming as Fast as He Can." One is _hot diggity_ , the other is _corkscrew twists_. Then I have the following two questions:   1. I found the definition of _hot diggity_ as an interjection expressing extra excitement or anticipation, and it came from the title of an American popular song written by Al Hoffman and Dick Manning in Wikipedia and Urban Dictionary.  How popular _hot diggity_ is in day-to-day usage? What does it mean here? Is it something like "Oh my goodness!"? I suspect I can find this word in English language text book in school. Can I use it in formal conversation or in writing as quoted in the following text? > It is about scamming. Its central relationship is between two adversarial > but bromantically bonded men. And, _hot diggity_ , it is set in the booze- > guzzling, chain-smoking, babe-chasing 1960s, an era that with the success of > “Mad Men” on television has become Broadway’s decade du jour.   1. I don’t understand the meaning of _corkscrew twists_ in the following line of the same article. Can you explain me what it means? > Though the real-life story that inspired this show is full of elaborate > deceptions and _corkscrew twists_ , you will never at any point be confused > by its theatrical incarnation.


Is the meaning of "support" in "<product X> supports <feature Y>" commonly understood?

There are numerous examples of the verb _support_ meaning "to be capable of":   * IE9 _supports_ HTML5.   * The database doesn’t _support_ transactions.   * The GPS navigator _supports_ spoken voice directions. I wonder if this use is understood by a less techy audience. Could you say, for example:   * The vacuum cleaner _supports_ HEPA filters.   * Volvo cars _support_ ABS.   * The dishwasher _supports_ water temperatures between 30 and 60 °C.