Usage of "giddy" and "dizzy"

I pinged a friend saying that _I am feeling giddy and dizzy_. She mistook me for being happy and thought I was expressing a positive feeling, while I was actually feeling sick and disoriented. Do we use the words _giddy_ and _dizzy_ to express happiness or excitement?


Unintentional Lies and Misinformation

Imagine a scenario where Jim provides a piece of information to Sue. Jim believes this information to be true and correct, but is later proven to be mistaken. Some might say that Jim lied to Sue. I believe this to be the wrong word, because the misinformation was unintentional. Is there a better word for this type of unintentional "lie"?


Does the word "master" denote masculinity?

The other day, I had a little argument with a friend. He asserted that if the principal of a school is a female, she would not be called a "headmaster", rather - a headmistress. But I disagreed with him, saying that headmaster is a gender-neutral term. I couldn't believe that people still used the word "headmistress" Turns out I was wrong. So my question is about the word "master" - does the word have some masculine origin? Or is it that "mistress" goes with "mister"?


What is the word to describe the placement of two contrasting ideas next to each other?

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  A word for two very different things juxtaposed? What is the word to describe when two ideas (often contrasting) are placed next to each other to enhance the situation or idea being presented? I believe it could describe the placement of two words or ideas in a poem, or two melodies in a song, or two objects in a piece of art.


Does "due to" tend to have negative connotation?

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Difference between "due to" and "thanks to" Looks like "due to" usually has negative connotation - _a plane crashed due to fog_ , _unemployment increases due to automation_ , etc. Suppose I want to say "Thanks to this very cool technology everyone wins" - can I use "due to" in place of "thanks to" or does "due to" always mean some negative attribution?


Why do BBC News use so many 'quotes' in headlines

I have noticed a that the BBC News website seems to use quotes in their headlines in places where I can see no reason to do so. Take the following story: Julius Malema: South Africa issues 'arrest warrant' Which on the front page, even more noticably is headed > S Africa issues Malema 'warrant' Why does the word "warrant" warrant quotes? Surely there's no legal or attributional 'reason' to do so? Surely these are just plain facts? If you're going to put quotes around "warrant" you might as well put quotes around "issues" too. I find this very 'annoying' because to me it reads like they're casting doubt on the news they're 'reporting'. (Arrgh, it's 'catching') EDIT: Of course I know the reason for the use of quotes in newspaper stories. I am asking why the BBC in particular uses them so much. In an attempt to reopen this question, I submit another example: Turkey trial: Three army generals jailed for 'coup plot' In this story, the three generals in question have been sentenced. So why the quotes? Apple promises maps app will 'improve' In this story, sure "improve" is a quote from an Apple source, but I don't understand why it should be put in quotes. Surely the "Apple promises..." part makes this clear?


Make a slogan sound native

My friend contacted me to help him to translate a slogan into English. The slogan is for the company, that is manufacturing food under its own brand. And the slogan in Russian ("едим сами, кормим семьи, советуем вам") says something like: "we eat it ourselves, we feed our families with it, we recommend it to you". How to make it sound native? Some variants we have in mind:   * Eating it ourselves, feeding families, advising to you   * We eat `<brand>`, we feed `<brand>` to our families, we offer `<brand>` to you   * We eat `<brand>`, our families eat `<brand>`, now we offer `<brand>` to you but I'm not sure which of them (or none?) is more stylish and correct. What's your opinion? In particular "to feed to families" jars my ear on some reason. I don't like how it sounds. Can you help?


What is a word for food preferences?

What single word would you use to describe a list of food preferences, which includes:   * Allergies (e.g., shellfish)   * Sensitivities (e.g., lactose intolerant)   * Dislikes (e.g., Brussels sprouts)   * Likes (e.g., chocolate) Some examples include "preferences", "consumables", and "edibles". For example, if you had to say that Johnny is allergic to peanuts, cannot drink milk, really doesn't like bitter vegetables, but likes sweet candies... What is a word to describe the subject matter of Johnny's food preferences? Is there another word I'm missing?


Any adjectives for the noun 'Renaissance'?

I have a blog titled 'Renaissance' which means revival of art and literature. I was keen on slightly changing the title of the blog by adding a proper adjective to the noun 'renaissance' but I could hardly find any poetic or catchy appropriate adjectives for the word on the web. I presume there are not many adjectives for the same. Can you please suggest me some?


What is the word for a phrase which uses a homonym with two of its meanings?

For example, the phrase "I'm stuck on Band-Aid and Band-Aid's stuck on me" or "He books time to read books".


Perspired as a passive verb?

Can the word "perspired" be used as a passive verb, e.g., "his body was heavily perspired"?


Why in a phone call we use "this is" instead of "I am"?

Why is the right form > Hello, **this is** yzT from english.stackechange.com. instead of > Hello, **I’m** yzT from english.stackexchange.com. I guess non-natives tend to use the latter due to literal translation, but why do natives use the former? You are identifying yourself, telling who you **are** ; that’s why I don’t understand why the latter is wrong.


Word for corporate and educational?

What is a word for corporate and educational as opposed to social? For example, social networking site, corporate networking site, educational networking site…


What does ‘alpha’ mean in the phrase, “A plea came for the President to be more alpha.”

I find the articles of New York Times’ columnist, Maureen Dowd, a treasure house of English expressions unfamiliar to non-native English learners. It’s stud with knotty expressions and new words to me. In her article titled _Dystopia and Alpha_ (August 2), I stumbled on the word _alpha_ in the beginning line > President Obama was on the way to Alpha when a plea came for him to be, > well, _more alpha_. The first _Alpha_ is obviously the name of a town in Illinois, but what does the second _alpha_ mean? Is it used as a noun, or adjective? I checked the _Cambridge Dictionary_ to find the meaning of _alpha_ and simply found its definition as ‘the first letter of the Greek alphabet.’ Aside the same definition, _Merriam-Webster_ provides the meanings as adjectives:   (1) closed in the structure of an organic molecule to a particular group of atom   (2) socially dominant, especially in a group of animals.


Hesitation to use "girlfriend" in reference to old people

I have a good friend in his late 60s, and I've made an interesting observation that absolutely no one in our social circle will refer to the female he is (indisputably) dating with the term "girlfriend". A frequent comical substitution is "lady friend". I wonder what it is about the word that makes people not want to use it in reference old people. I would think that term goes hand in hand with "dating" and would imply exclusivity, romantic interactions, possible courtship to marriage, and maybe sex. In the case of my older friend, no one appreciably doubts any of these points (oh dear have I said too much), so what causes people to not use it? There has been a similar question What is a synonym for "girlfriend"?, which really just strengthens my case. The difference is that I'm asking why someone would want to avoid this, whereas that question is asking how to avoid it. **Question:** What about the history, definition, or nuances of the girlfriend-boyfriend relationship terminology causes people to not want to use it regarding old people? * * * I get the feeling from some comments that I need to express what my own use would be. I have generally associated "dating" with "girlfriend"/"boyfriend", and considered them to be the most basic and direct way to refer to those things. As such, I would find applying this terminology to any unmarried couple to be preferable. I believe that the hesitation I refer to in the title applies to all demographics.


Word for “watched” videos and “read” articles

Is there a generic way to say that an educational resource (an article or a video) has been read or watched by a student and is expected to be familiar to her, like in _lessons learnt_? I'm looking for an adjective that can come after _is_ as in _is learnt_. > Programmers:   >  Think a database field `is_*` for a `Resource`, should also be a good fit > for an URL: `/resources/*/`. In Russian, _absorbed_ is used in this context but I'm not sure I can say _absorbed knowledge_ without sounding too chemical.


I have questions coming out the yin-yang about yin-yang phrases!

_Yin Yang_ is the Chinese philosophy of Light and Shadow, often signifying the need for balance or that everything exists in balance. But the (reasonably enjoyable to use) phrase > Up the Ying Yang or > Out the Ying Yang Doesn’t really make sense in this context (and it seems the spelling in the phrase has changed too) as it means to do something in the extreme, or to have a profusion of something. It sounds like it should be referring to a long river that someone has to travel up, connoting an extreme of something. I can’t find an online etymology of this even after Googling and looking on Wiktionary amongst other online dictionaries, only a few ‘discussion’ here and poor explanation here. Where did this phrase come from? Am I using it right?


Using these or those to refer to a previous sentence

In the question What's the difference between "these" and "those"? it's said that the choice between "those" or "these" is distance (physical or perceived) from the object. But, which one would I use to refer to the subject of a previous sentence, as in the following example: > As discussed previously, there may be apples that emit light of longer > wavelength. **Those** red apples can’t be used in grandma's apple pie, as > the recipe specifically demands green apples.


Is the usage of "in" in the following sentence correct?

Is the usage of _in_ in the following sentence correct? > She sacrificed her own life in to teach my father a lesson and hoped to keep > us alive. I am reading a book that one of my friends wrote; she asked me to read it & see if there is anything that needs to be edited. Although I am not the person to do this job, but I am doing my best to fulfill this wish for her.


What is a word for a person who throws a "fake smile"?

Most people, especially receptionists and air hostesses have the ability to smile in a fake way. Being professional, their smile isn't real. Inside they cry and die a thousand dead of tensions but they smile like a fresh mango. Well, I appreciate this for their job. I wanna know what such a person is called who smiles fake?


How do you conjugate Early Modern English verbs (other than present tense)?

I was wondering how one might conjugate verbs in early modern English in various tenses. I am aware of the fact that for second person and third person singular specifically, the verb endings are _-est_ and _-eth_ respectively, but once you move away from simple present tense, it seems to get a bit trickier. I recall reading somewhere that if you want to make a verb past simple, you add _did_ between the noun and the verb. For example, > He ? _dideth walk_ to the store. As opposed to the modern English, > He _walked_ to the store. And as opposed to how I might say it: > He ? _walkedeth_ to the store. Unfortunately, I haven’t learned quite as much of English as others may, but I know enough to suspect that “He dideth walk to the store” might be a different tense entirely from “He walkedeth to the store”, at least in modern English. I am an aspiring and amateur writer, and there is a character that speaks entirely in Early Modern English, and so the answer to this would be quite helpful.


What do you call a person who always has what you need?

For example I seem to always have what everybody needs/wants, from Advil to bobby pins to a deck of cards. What would you call me?


Cheersing vs cheering

I have come across the word "cheersing", with an "s", as opposed to what I believe to be the correct form: **cheering**. I think it comes from a misguided verbification of the exclamation "cheers!", as in the plural of the noun "cheer". However since there is already a corresponding verb, "to cheer", I don't see why anyone would need to force a plural noun into a progressive verbal form like "cheersing". Besides, it's impossible to conjugate and hilarious to even try:   I cheers   you cheers   he **cheerses**   we cheers   you cheers   they cheers Please tell me that cheersing is only a made up word.


What does "pillow-plumping romance with the press" mean?

I came across the phrase “pillow-plumping romance with the press” in Maureen Dowd’s article titled “Liability Index” in _New York Times_ August 11 issue. It reads: > The president survived a “raised by wolves” upbringing, as Michelle has > called it. He retained the monastic skills that sustained him through the > solitude of his years in New York. His “winning smile,” as Jonathan Alter > wrote in “The Promise,” “obscured a layer of self-protective ice.” His > staffers respect him, but he doesn’t inspire the kind of adoration that the > Bush presidents got. And the _pillow-plumping romance with the press_ is > over. All three online dictionaries of Cambridge, Oxford, and Merriam-Webster I use to consult with carry _pillow talk_ , but none of them registers _pillow- plumping_. OALD simply defines _plump_ “having a soft, round body” as adjective, and “to make sth larger, softer and rounder” as transitive verb. I assume _pillow-plumping romance_ means “close and friendly relationship” with press from the context, but am not sure. What does _pillow-plumping_ mean? Is it very popular word? Can I say “Sonny’s pillow-plumping romance with Hollywood is over”, or “Tom had a pillow-plumping romance (or relationship) with the shop clerk.”?


What does "incognita" mean?

American Heritage Dictionary reads: > **incognita** > >   * _adv & adj_, with one’s identity disguised or concealed. Used of a > woman; >   * _n_ , A woman or girl whose identity is disguised or concealed. > So, is it correct to say “Giselle Regan, an American reporter, went in incognita and used hidden cameras”?


"Why isn't this line formatted correctly, but formatting work(s) here on Meta?"

If you look here, you can see last revision, from Cody Gray, that he changed "this line of code does not work correctly on stackoverflow but work`s` here on" to "this line of code does not work correctly on stackoverflow but work here on" How did he know that it will be "work" and not "works". Because it's already once before in that sentence?


Is "wear collar and tie" an idiom?

I found this in this sentence: > He wears collar and tie for work. If I don't think of this as an idiom, I presume that he wears something that has a collar and a tie separately from it.


> “Harry! Good-o!” said Bagman happily, looking around at him. “Come in, come > in, make yourself at home!” > > Bagman looked somehow like **a slightly overblown cartoon figure** , > standing amid all the pale-faced champions. He was wearing his old Wasp > robes again. > > (p349, Harry Potter 4, US edition) According to a dictionary at hand, ‘overblown’ means ‘exaggerated’. I’m thinking ‘overblown’ in the above quotation is used to contrast against ‘pale- faced’ champions. However, I can’t get what is exaggerated for sure; The color of robes? His happy face? Therefore, I can’t imagine such cartoon figure at all. What does “a slightly overblown cartoon figure” mean? What kind of picture would you get from it?


How to pronounce "AKA"?

How do you pronounce the acronym _AKA_ ( _also known as_ )?


Can a sentence start with " due to"

I think a sentence cannot start with **due to**. But if i need to say **due to this thing something is happening** how can I say it? How can I write the following sentence correctly? > **Due to** the changes of polygon shapes, similar error cannot be obtained > when computing the residuals with respect to each other. thanks in advance.


Difference between "magnitude" and "multitude"

What is the difference between _magnitude_ and _multitude_? > Quantity is a kind of property which exists as **magnitude** or > **multitude**.


What does "the deed is done, the doers undone" in a headline mean?

The New York Times’ Theater Review of ‘Macbeth’, being performed by John Douglas Thompson at the Duke on 42nd Street, starts with the headline, “The deed is done, the doers undone.” What does this line mean? Does it mean that players performed their role, but just in mediocre way? Is Ben Bradley, the writer, being critical about their performance? Just for a taste, the beginning part of this article reads: > See that big guy over there? Almost Herculean, isn’t he, with his sinewy > arms and swelling chest, the kind of man you can easily imagine as a master > of war and of women. But look again, closely. There’s doubt in his face, > too, as if he were not always sure of what he’s doing or even who he is. I > bet you this Hercules could crack. You sure wouldn’t want to fight him, but > then you wouldn’t want him on your team, either.”


"I'll see you" is the same as "I'll miss you"?

In a drama, there is a goodbye scene and the dialogue between sister and brother like below. > sister: Thanks, Kevin... I guess it's that time.   >  brother: I'll see you, Sis. Don't get lost. (his sister is going to go to > drive across the country, and they will not see each other for a long time) What does "I'll see you" mean? Is it the same as "I'll miss you"?


What does "undoable" mean?

When something is undoable, does it mean that it has the ability to be reverted back to its previous state or does it mean that it's not feasible? > I broke something on my computer and a fix is undoable. :(   >  I broke something on my computer but it's undoable. :)


Meaning of "native speaker of English"

Who is considered a _native speaker of English_? I am a little confused by the various answers found online.


Cheering words for friends preparing for the exam

1. What do you say to a friend who is preparing for the bar exam to cheer him/her up? I can only think of the sentence "keep up the good work", but are there any other phrases that I can use?   2. In the above situation, if I also happen to be preparing for the same kind of exam, what would be the common cheering words that I could say to my friends? "Let's keep up the good work" sounds somewhat awkward...


What is the meaning of 'exhausting the evidence' in the sentence?

Here is the sentence > ... let us call the relevant, overall sets of scientific belief ‘theories’; > different, conflicting theories are consistent with the data; the data > exhaust the evidence for belief; therefore, there is no evidential reason to > believe one of these theories as opposed to another. What is the meaning of this (should I say subsentence?) 'the data exhaust the evidence for belief'? Should that have been `'the data exhausts the evidence for belief'`? If so, I think what it means is that the existent data is completely fulfilling, or sufficient enough only for our belief. But then, it doesn't seem to fit the context of the argument as a whole. Maybe I'm missing something! Here's the link from where the sentence is snipped - http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/scientific-realism/#UndTheDat


Are the terms "welsh" or "welch" (as in reneging on a bet) derogatory toward the Welsh people?

From the casual research I've done, it's assumed to be offensive (like "gyp" for Gypsies), but I've not found anything definitive. I'm also curious when it first entered the language with this meaning and why.


Word choice: An example that is used throughout a thesis

I am writing a thesis in which there is an example that will be used throughout the thesis (repeatedly) to illustrate various methods or various aspects of the theory. I will introduce the example in the first chapter and want to use an adjective for it to emphasize the fact that it will be used throughout the thesis. But I don't know the word. I'm thinking of "standing example" or "recurring example" but they don't sound right to me. Which word should I use in this case?


Is there a word for a great price paid in exchange for a great gain?

For example, let’s say that, in return for a Ph.D., the hero had to give up ten years of life. I’d thought of calling that a _blood price_ but maybe there’s a better word? Seems like maybe some Saxons or Picts would have worked some quite dramatic tradeoffs into their folklore – so, just like Irish folklore gave us the wonderful word _geas_ , maybe there’s a short, non-Latin word for a … (substitute in for _blood price_ ) … .


Single word for attributing inappropriate motives to others' actions?

Is there a single word to describe someone who often attributes inappropriately trivial/cheap motives to another person's actions? I'm thinking along the lines of someone who puts himself briefly in that position and usually assumes the easiest/least flattering motive for other people's behavior. I know "cynical" might be of use here, but I'm wondering if there's a narrower/more specific word to describe this? For example: Person A and person B both take a test that can be passed or failed. Person A calls person B on the phone in hope of getting the test results only person B (for an irrelevant reason) has access to. Before person B discloses the results, person A asks if the situation is bad, referring to whether they both failed. Person B claims the situation is worse, as a matter of fact, person A failed and person B passed the test (clearly assuming person A will see the situation in the same way). Person A actually thinks this is an objectively better situation and puts person B's success over the comfort of not being worse than them.


How do you describe something that has "just enough" details?

I want to describe something that is neither too broad and general, nor too detailed. It may be fit to just describe it as "a detailed analysis of so-and- so..", but I want to emphasize the fact that it is not too detailed because I want to point out that it's an advantage that the level of detail lies around the middle of the spectrum. Is there such a word or phrase that would accomplish that? EDIT: It may help if I try to express what I want to describe. I have a software model that simulates the behavior of a real-life mechanism. I want to emphasize the fact that it is detailed enough that the simulation is accurate, but it's not so detailed that it freezes your computer (or takes a long time to run)


Is there a word for side-by-side translations?

A lot of translations are done side-by-side, such as the following example:                In principio creavit Deus   In the beginning, God created        caelum et terram            the heaven and the Earth      Is there a special name for when the translation is arranged like this, i.e. _a ___ translation_? I seem to recall there being a special name for this, but I can't recall it.


What do you say when you want to express that the only hope is gone?

I want to use the phase "ray of hope". But I'm talking of the situation when earlier it was there but not anymore. Do I say "killed the only ray of hope" or "doused the only ray of hope" or "take away the only ray of hope" or "the only ray of hope was gone/lost/killed/doused/taken away"? What is the correct verb to express loss of hope?


A word to mean "To murder your colleague"

`Suicide` is to kill yourself.   `Genocide` is to kill a genus.   `Homicide` is to kill a human.   `Matricide` is to kill one's mother.   `Patricide` is to kill one's father.   `Parricide` is to kill one's close relative.   `Regicide` is to kill a king.   `Uxoricide` is to kill ones wife.   `???` is to kill your colleague? _Added extras fromAndy's comment_


Metaphor to describe a person who lacks charisma

I'm looking for a good metaphor or idiom for a person who is completely uncharismatic. I'm preferably looking for a phrase that compares the person's charisma to something, such that it would fit the pattern "he had the charisma of **_** ". For example, "he had the charisma of dry paint". The phrase would be used to describe a public figure in a satirical and slightly insulting manner.


count of the number of times

I found this expression in a book. "This is a count of the number of times SomeDB had to   follow an index pointer to the actual document on disk." It sounds weird to me but I am a non-native speaker. Is this correct or incorrect or correct but weird?   Could it be said in some better way? To me, as it stands it sounds equivalent to "This is a count of the count of times"   or   "This is a number of the number of times"   which are definitely weird.


What's the shape of the upper half of a sphere called?

The shape of a cap, a igloo, and that sort of things. What's that shape called? (It's there a common way to refer to it?)


What is an "anecdote" as opposed to a "joke"?

I've always thought that an anecdote was a short funny story that had actually never happened, but was rather created by common people in order to satirize, ridicule or to laugh at someone. But recently I noticed that native English speakers usually call it simply "joke". For example "Let me tell you a joke. One day a French, an American and an Italian meet at one restaurant..." If it's really the case, then what is an anecdote then? Would the word "anecdote" mean something else or, perhaps, something more specific for native English speakers? How often they use this word?


What's the difference between "to frighten" and "to scare"? I've heard both, but have never been able to figure out the difference.


What's the difference between "client" and "customer"?

I already asked a similar question (customer vs. client vs. user vs. consumer of on-line service) but, I believe, there may be some differences between technical and legal jargon and general usage of English. I'd like to find the distinct most appropriate and unambiguous terms to distinguish the users of on-line services:   * malicious bot vs. entity using programming tools to access online services;    * general public vs. registered for a free service user;    * registered for free service user vs. user who paid for a fee-based additional on-line service;  Well, the terms under consideration, so far, are:   * user    * consumer    * client  What is the difference between _customer_ and _client_?   What are other possible pertinent terms?


When to put "of" after "all"?

What’s the difference between _all_ and _all of_? When should one use _of_ following _all_ to make _all of_ , and when should one drop the _of_ and just use _all_ all by itself? For example, in this sentence: > How come I can understand spoken American English better than British > English **in all its variants**? Is an _of_ required after the _all_ , making it _all **of** its variants_ instead? Dunno why but my instincts tell me that I shouldn’t put the _of_ in right there. But I am unaware of source of my instinct.


What's the differences between "all" and "all of"?

Context is as follows: > All of the trains were sold out of tickets. VS. > All the trains were sold out of tickets. Are there any differences between those two?


"All X" vs. "all of X" vs. "all the X"

Is there any difference between "all X", "all of the X", "all the X"? E.g., >   * all friends >   * all of the friends >   * all the friends >


How do I correctly punctuate the phrase "that is" in the context of an explanation?

I find myself wanting to use the phrase "that is" or "that's to say" but often can't figure out what sort of punctuation I use with it. I _think_ it's an explanatory phrase, but I'm not sure. > I mean, it happens all the time, **that is, birds eating and ants crawling > about,** but I felt connected to those beings if for just a moment. Another alternative that doesn't feel right to me at all: > I mean, it happens all the time. **That is, birds eating and ants crawling > about,** but I felt connected to those beings if for just a moment. Likewise, I think I might be able to justify an em dash, but I'm always nervous about using them for lack of proper understanding. > I mean, it happens all the time– **that is** , birds eating and ants > crawling about–but I felt connected to those beings if for just a moment. **Can someone provide a good example of how to use that phrase?**


Commas around 'Too'

I see it both ways with a comma before a sentence-ending 'too' and a comma on each side of 'too' when it's the second word in a sentence. Are these commas really needed? Would you personally use them? I think we could leave these sentences as is without the commas. Do you concur?   1. _He too makes a few unforced errors, and we're at deuce._ (Comma needed before and after 'too'?)   2. _She too admired his looks and his courtliness._ (Comma needed before and after 'too'?)   3. _She admired his looks and his courtliness too._ (Comma before 'too'?)   4. _He wanted to go too but decided not to._ (Comma before and after 'too'?)   5. _He wanted to go too, but he decided not to._ (Comma before and after 'too'?)   6. _He too puts commas around 'too'._ (Comma before and after the first 'too'?) Headline: _Obama Says He Too Is a Poverty Fighter In D.C., He Offers Contrast With Edwards_ (Comma before and after 'too'?)


Meaning of "put it down"

What does "put it down" mean in Brandy's song? I tried googling it, but all I got was the song's lyrics.


Difference between "Upscale", "high-toned/tony", "fancy", "high-end", "select", and "exclusive"

Can these terms denoting something expensive, elegant and/or fashionable be used just about interchangeably, or are there any subtle differences to them? E.g. > Alone in a tony restaurant...source > > In a high toned restaurant...source > > People have to be taught how to behave or dress in a fancy restaurant.source > > The novel's claustrophobic premise is the gathering of two couples for > dinner in a high end restaurant.source > > We had a leisurely dinner in an exclusive restaurant...source > > One could assume they were in an upscale restaurant...source > > Dinner at a select restaurant...source>/


What is the origin of "Color me confused"?

I drowned in the search results of articles using "Color me confused" phrase. What is its meaning and origin?


Is it OK to say "There is no problem if you do it next week."?

I need to reply to a commercial email where my "colleague" says that he we will do the job next week. Is it good English to say "There is no problem if you do it next week." ? Is there another way to say it ? Edit: Would this one be better : "It sounds good to me if you do this next week. " ?


"Was it a girl?" or "Was that a girl?"

Here's a conversation. > "I saw a salesperson there" > > "Was it a girl?" Is it OK to use "it" when you refer to the salesperson? Or should you use "that" instead of "it"?


Frequency: Every three weeks or more / At least every three weeks / etc

I would like to express that an action should be done every three weeks, but that longer periods are also acceptable. Which of the following is the simplest, clearest, and most natural way to express that? And if any of the expressions below are problematic, in what way are they? Take the pill: >   1. Every three weeks or more >   2. At least every three weeks >   3. Every three or more weeks >   4. Every three weeks or longer >   5. Every three weeks or less frequently >


Is "dominant in microsoft office" correct?

I'm filling a resume and i want to say that I am good in word,excel and powerpoint. is saying "dominant in microsoft office" or " dominant in microsoft word and excel" correct?


How can a run-on sentence be valid as, say, a rhetorical device?

On run-on sentences, Wikipedia says: > This is generally considered a stylistic error, though it is occasionally > used in literature and may be used as a rhetorical device. At the end of the article it describes how run-on sentences are used in literature. For example, some authors use them to depict stream of consciousness. Is that a rhetorical device or just an example of it used in literature? What valid uses are there for run-on sentences?


Is there a verb to express moving files within a cloud, similar to "to upload" and "to download"

Writelatex is an awesome cloud solution to write LaTeX documents online. Through one of their dialogs one can "upload" files to the cloud. However, when looking at the options offered, all but one - i.e. "My Computer" - are actually not an "upload", but more a transfer of files between clouds. ![screendump of write latex](http://i.stack.imgur.com/r9P20.png) A related answer, states > Downloading/uploading is generally used when you connect the computer to a > distant source, for example a server on internet. If you use it for small > devices, it's not as obvious which direction is up or down. In the case of writelatex there isn't a direction up or down, either, except of course the first option where files are effectively uploaded. Is there a synonym for both "upload" and "download" that would reflect what actually happens, that is files are transferred from one cloud to the other?


"(zero article) failure" but "the departure": articles before mass nouns

A quote from The Economist: > In Iraq failure to reach a similar security agreement led to the sudden and > premature departure of all American forces. Here we have two nouns which may be either mass or count according to Oxford Dictionary. One has a zero article (failure), the other takes THE (departure). Filling in articles (which were pre-cut in a text editor), I've committed two mismatches with The Economist's version, as follows: > In Iraq *the failure to reach a similar security agreement led to *a sudden > and premature departure of all American forces. I thought that the noun "failure" here is a mass noun, yet modified enough (which failure? - "to reach a similar..") to merit the definite article. Concerning the "departure", I'd consulted Oxford Dictionary which states that the word may be used as a count noun: "she made a hasty departure". Besides, the troops' departure may well be unknown to the reader, hence "A". Assuming both nouns are mass nouns in this sentence, I have two questions:   1. Can we still use "THE" with "failure"? Or does it need to have an "of-phrase" modifying it in order to take THE? ("..the failure of the government to reach..")    2. Can we use zero article with "departure"? (despite the post-modification by an "of-phrase"; It seems to me that "of-phrases" are powerful inducers of THE-ification.)  And still it puzzles me why "departure" here cannot be a count noun, like in "she made a hasty departure".


Antonym of "insightful"

What is the antonym of _insightful_? I want to say that the information provided is not insightful. I searched in various dictionaries. The most common antonym is _unperceptive_ , but that does not exactly carry the meaning of _un-insightful_.


How to punctuate a quoted question within a question?

How would I punctuate the bold portion? > "Who are you?" she asked. > > "Wait," I replied, "did you just ask me **Who are you?** " I would use the following: > "Wait," I replied, "did you just ask me **, '** Who are you **'**?"   * Comma before the quote   * Quoted with single quotation marks (instead of italics, which I'd consider another option)   * Closing quotation mark before the question mark   * Only one question mark (for my question, not the quoted one) Is this correct?


Central determiners "some" and "any" used with singular count nouns

I couldn't comment on Irene's post here, so I decided to make a topic. I'd like to know whether this phrase: "I can give you any book that's left" is grammatically right since "some" and "any" are supposed to be used with noncount and plural count nouns. The rule I'm referring to can be found in Quirk's grammar on page 256


Usage of 'realize'

Does the word _realize_ always include the process of becoming cognizant of the matter at hand? e.g. I realize that the iPhone is a popular device. Does this mean the speaker become cognizant of this fact upon the statement? Or does he means: I 'know' that ... I have this question because I recently came across the following: > I realize that the iPhone is a popular device but its technical inferiority > comparing to others is apparent. Why does the speaker uses _realize_ instead of _be aware_ , _know_ , _understand_?


How would you substitute English vulgar words in foreign phrases?

Subquestioning "Substitute for F*** in emphasizing disbelief, anger, etc":   How would you substitute the vulgar English word in foreign phrases like in:   1) brand name:   "Fucking beer"? or   2)in village name ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/SUt0S.jpg)


Origin of "You made my day!"

What is the origin of "you made my day"?


phrase request-'Luckily, it could have been worse'

It's like you just don't have money, but suddenly you realised you did put a note somewhere deep in your bag and you grab that out and just feel the mixture of being lucky and relief and pessimistic about how it could be if you hadn't put that note in. What phrase can be used to desribe this feeling?


Using "respectively" with "and" vs. "or"

Is it acceptable usage to use "or" with "respectively", or is it possible only with "and"? Example: > If the light changes from red to blue or from blue to red, you must catch or > throw the ball, respectively. I've seen lots of construction with "and" but none with "or".


What is the word to call a buddy who only helps you, but  never asks for help?

I want to know a good word for a buddy who only helps, but never takes any help, and he is with you only to help you.


Is "in fact" always set off by commas mid-sentence?

Is "in fact" always set off by commas mid-sentence because it's a parenthetical interrupter? I see no need to use them. The only time we'd do so (I think) is with one comma after "in fact" when it starts a sentence: _In fact, I think we should remind him of the possible repercussions._ Do you support the omission of commas around 'in fact' in the following three examples? Examples: _Correct:? 1. Mike said that he did in fact support the new policy._ _Correct? I was surprised and appalled by her actions when she did in fact curse my grandmother._ _Correct? I will in fact question her about the theft._


What does "off the top" mean in this context?

I was reading a _Design Patterns in Java_ programming book and came across a new phrase. I'm wondering what does **off the top** mean in this particular context. **Excerpt from the book:** > **Keep Learning** > > Somehow, you had the opportunity, drive, and ambition to acquire and read > this book. All we can say is, "Keep it up!" Decide how many hours a week you > want to spend on your career. _Take 5 hours **off the top** and pay yourself > first_. Spend that time away from the office, reading books and magazines or > writing software related to any topic that interests you. Make this practice > as regular as your office hours. ..... I've heard of the idiom - off the top of your head. But what does **off the top** exactly mean in this context?


TV broadcast with only speech

I'm looking for a word that would refer to TV-series which is plain voice. To be exact, there's someone reading you a book, no any kind of video even though it is broadcast through TV. Would "narrated TV-series" be wrong? EDIT: asking this since in my first language we have a special word for this. A TV-series would be either "TV-ohjelma" or "TV-sarja", and a TV-series like I described "puheohjelma" (with or without the TV prefix). EDIT2: If I use "radio", people will assume the wrong type of device used to transmit the speech.


"The aims are promoting and protecting" vs. "the aims are to promote and protect"

Which of the following two constructions is correct? and why? >   1. Some of the important aims of the UNO are to promote peace and protect > human rights. >   2. Some of the important aims of the UNO are promoting peace and > protecting human rights. >


Can I say "I will work for this company for some time"?

I mean I will continue to work for this company for maybe some months or some years, so can I use "for some time" as I mentioned in the title. What would a native speaker say? Thanks in advance.


"Seeing visions" versus "having visions"

In the episode of Fringe called _The Road Not Taken_, the protagonist is having visions once in a while, seeing alternative realities for a few seconds. In one of the conversations, she asks: > Why am I seeing these visions? The grammar behind the question struck me as extremely strange. I think the proper way of forming such question would be: > Why am I having these visions? Are both correct? If yes, is there any difference between them?


How to indicate "Our remark"?

I have a sentence: > Before the Greeks, the ancient Egyptians used it (Golden Section - remark is > ours) in the construction of their great pyramids. In that sentence the words "Golden Section" was written by me - not by the author of the sentence. In which words (remark is ours; note ours or something else?) do I say (designate) that the notes inside a quote are mine?   What are the most common words (phrases) for such cases (except "italics mine," "my italics," and such; I am not interested in that)?


Which was the original word- "pock" or "pox"?

I once laughed when a child with chicken pox pointed out to me a single spot, calling it a "pock". I had been under the impression that they had mistakenly thought the word "pox" was plural, and so could be singularised. Turns out I was wrong. "Pock" is a perfectly valid word. That got me thinking about which word came first. Was the word "pock" invented, based on the existing word "pox"? Or did "pock" always exist, and "pox" is merely the shortened version of the plural "pocks"?


What’s one word that means “worth visualizing” or “worthy of visualization”?

I’d like to find a way to explain in just one single word (it can be a neologism) that something will be so awesomely good-looking that it’s “worth visualizing”, that it is “worthy of visualization”. This single word should be built around the word _visualization_.


"40-50 years old" vs. "40-50 year olds" when referring to a group

In formal research, which is more correct, and why:   * the group of **40-50 years old** OR   * the group of **40-50 year olds** In any case the phrase in bold is to be treated as a noun only, as in: > The middle group of executives, ie. _40-50 years old_ is well balanced.... Without a range, the hyphenation rules I am used to would suggest "15-year olds" for instance. However "the **15-25-year olds** ..." doesn't present well, does it? There are related questions here, but none that seem to exactly address this topic. Eg. Pluralization rule for "five-year-old children", "20 pound note", "10 mile run" The main difference perhaps is that I need to use ranges, which already use a hyphen.


Outward vs Out-swing door

I am curious what the proper use of language is when your talking about doors. Should a door that swings out be called "Out-swing door" or "Outward swing door"? I'm not sure if there is a proper use or a more accepted use of this term.


Gender, generally associated with "toad" characters in English fiction and folklore

Common noun for a _toad_ ("жаба") is of female gender in Russian. From all English literature that I read, I can remember only one toad-like character: _Mr. Toad_ from _The Wind in The Willows_ , and he is a male. I wonder, is this an idiom, or a coincidence? When you encounter an anthropomorphic toad character in English fiction, without gender-specific hints in text, should you think that it is a _he_ or a _she_? (I know that real-world toads can switch genders from male to female, but I doubt that most of fiction / folklore take that in account.) _Update:_ I can't comprehend the third, genderless possibility (I can accept that it may be true, but I can't wrap my mind around it): > If I were presented with a toad character without any hints as to gender, > I'd have to suspend judgement. > > _— (From the comments)_ ...Can someone think out a query to the Google Ngrams to get a statistics on this? _Mr. Toad_ vs. _Mrs. Toad_ yield zero results both. (Perhaps that is not a good tool then, toads are not _that_ popular.) In common Google search, _Mr. Toad_ is 489 000 results and _Mrs. Toad_ is 7 590. But that probably does not mean anything, since _The Wind in The Willows_ popularity will affect the search too much. It is curious that _toadess_ (12 900 results) beats _Mrs. Toad_... ...Maybe conduct a poll somewhere? _Update 2:_ Maybe I've found a way to get statistics. Search for _toad "gender: female"_ yields 697 000 results, _toad "gender: male"_ — 576 000. (My assumption is that this search should hit forum profiles for users with relevant nicks.) Without the word "toad": _"gender:male"_ is 18 800 000 results, _"gender: female"_ — 12 000 000. This _may_ indicate that toads are more female than male... Not sure if it proves anything though...


"Today" in the past

Let's say I'm talking about some day in the past. In formal writing, I would use: > Earlier **that day** , I had lunch with my boss. But is the following also correct? > Earlier **today** , I had lunch with my boss. **Clarification** : I'm not talking about something that happened _today_ (as of the date when I'm writing), but some day in the past... last week, 3 months ago, etc. Can I still write this? > It was the 1st of April, 2006. **_Today_** had been the worst day of my > life...


Pronunciation: ‘lousy’ vs. ‘mousy’. Why?

Inspired by comments on _Proper use of the word “lousy”?_: The word _lousy_ is traditionally pronounced with a /z/ sound, as though it were _louzy_.* Contrastingly, the word _mousy_ is always pronounced with an /s/ sound. The difference seems to be pretty consistent and well-established: these are the only pronunciations listed in the OED and Merriam-Webster for each. But their root words, _louse_ and _mouse_ , are pronounced identically, both with /s/. Indeed, these words are parallel in almost every other way: they form analogous plurals — _lice_ , _mice_ — and have very similar origins. So how and why did the pronunciations of _lousy_ and _mousy_ diverge? And are there any other analogous words that also form analogous adjectives? ( _House_ doesn’t form _*housy_ ; and _blousy_ exists, but _blouse_ is not analogous to the other words.) *: It seems that recently, since the literal meaning “infested with lice” has become rare, it may sometimes get pronounced with /s/ in this sense, as a spelling pronunciation.


A single word for labelling someone a disbeliever in a particular religion despite them adhering to it

Can anybody provide a single word for labelling someone a disbeliever in a particular religion despite them adhering to that religion?


Relic and relics

> Reliquary is a receptacle, often made of precious metal and richly > decorated, in which a religious relic or relics are kept, as a small box, > casket, or shrine. In this sentence that I copied from OED, why does the OED editor say "relic or relics" instead of "relics"?


What would you say?

Is the following sentence grammatically correct? 'I smelled that our dinner was burning.' I don't think I've heard that 'smell' as a verb is followed by that-clause. What do you think?


When do you underline a title?

What types of titles do you underline and what types of titles do you put quotations marks on?


What are questions like “why did the chicken cross the road” called?

What are questions like > Why did the chicken cross the road? called? I want to know if there is a particular term given to these type of questions.


Will I love you forever? or Will I love you for ever?

http://youtu.be/cgNMSJTevAk?t=2m10s This test states that the correct answer is: "Will I love you for ever?" There are numerous songs\articles on the internet that say that "forever" is the right choice. Example: http://oaadonline.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/dictionary/forever I'm inclined to thing that the author of the test is wrong. Am I right?


Why is a restaurant bill called a "check"?

Why is a restaurant bill called a "check" (as in "Check, please!")?


Why do we say "write in" a journal instead of "write" journal?

I noticed that we always say "write in a journal" instead of simply "write a journal." Why is this?


Is there a less colloquial word (noun or adjective) to describe an "attention whore"?

It could be a noun or an adjective, and either could describe a person or an action. For example: _"Did you hear Eric's wedding toast? He wouldn't shut up!"_ _"I know, he was being a complete _______"_


"I was really thinking" vs. "I really was thinking"

Which one of the following is correct? >   * I was really thinking to do that. >   * I really was thinking to do that. >


How to say two dates are the same?

I have a prompt that allows the user to input a date used to generate a report. The date is used to find records.   * date is **on** MM/DD/YY   * date is before MM/DD/YY   * date is after MM/DD/YY   * date is between MM/DD/YY and MM/DD/YY My question is for the first prompt. The word **on** doesn't seem correct to me, and using the phrase _is equal to_ sounds to technical. What would be the best way to write "date is on MM/DD/YY". NOTE: I can not remove the third word. So "date is MM/DD/YY" is not an option, because "on/before/after" are part of a drop down selection. See sample image below. ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/tYg1O.jpg)


Is this Adverbial a complement or an adjunct?

According to Wiki, Adverbials are typically divided into four classes: **adverbial complements** (i.e. obligatory adverbial) are adverbials that render a sentence ungrammatical and meaningless if removed. John put the flowers in a vase. **adjuncts** : these are part of the core meaning of the sentence, but if omitted still leave a meaningful sentence. John and Sophia helped me with my homework. **conjuncts** : these link two sentences together. John helped so I was, therefore, able to do my homework. **disjuncts** : these make comments on the meaning of the rest of the sentence. Surprisingly, he passed all of his exams. In the sentence, " He is charged with murder", is "with murder" an adverbial complement or an adjunct?


Valid to use "more conceptually" at the beginning of a sentence?

Suppose I have the following two sentences... > The equation can be expressed in terms of the (insert complex but slightly > conceptual gibberish here). More conceptually, the heavy cow moves slower > than the lightweight butterfly. Is is considered proper to begin a sentence with the phrase "More conceptually" or is there a better way to phrase this?


"Seems like an overkill" vs. "seems like overkill"

I’m wondering if an article is used with the word _overkill_ :   * Something seems like an overkill (to me).   * Something seems like overkill (to me). Which is grammatical?


What is the name of the ambiguity in the phrase "I want to visit clubs with attractive women"?

> I want to visit clubs with attractive women. This phrase can be interpreted in two ways:   * I want to visit clubs myself, but the clubs I visit should have attractive women.    * I want to take attractive women to clubs; the clubs themselves may or may not already have attractive women.  Is there a name for this ambiguity? It seems fairly common. I want to say "dangling participle", but I'm pretty sure that's wrong. Is this the equivalent of Grouch Marx's "I shot an elephant in my pajamas... how he got into my pajamas, I'll never know"?


Oddness of sentence containing "since"

> The considerable debt of gratitude I have incurred to Mr X since I have > known him, has continued to grow during this last period. Is the use of _since_ in the above sentence grammatically correct? Does the oddness I feel about it have to do with the tense? Also I would like to know if this sentence sounds somehow cumbersome as a whole, because I just tried to translate it from another language.


"My last couple of years" — singular or plural?

Should I use "wasn't" or "weren't" in the following sentence? > My last couple of years as an Edison Eagle wasn’t all about fighting and bad > friendships.


What does the umlaut mean over the E in the name "Zoë"?

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  “Zoe” or “Zoe”: which is the correct spelling? The ë in the name Zoë suggests that the e should be pronounced as a long a. The name is from the Greek goddess of life and the Greek word for life. My name is Zoë. It was my birth middle name, and I changed it to my last name. Many people discuss the proper pronunciation, but the correct answer should come from the person who has the name. My mother gave me the name, and that was her pronunciation. I discovered that the French pronounce it that way; however, my family wasn't French. Also, I know that Americans pronounce it Zo with a long o. The Greeks pronounce it Zo-e with a long e and accent over Zo.


A confusing set of verbs

Pick out the Verbs in the following sentences:   1. After loitering for ten minutes, the boy walked away.   2. Since winning the prize, he has been boasting about it to everyone.   3. Having settled himself into the armchair, he picked up the newspaper to read. First pick out verbs then kindly explain: Are _loitering_ and _winning_ used as nouns in these sentences?


Difference between "far" and "far away"

> The library is **far**. > > The library is **far away**. I was told that _far_ and _far away_ are both fine and express the same meaning in the above sentences. But, I was told that only _far away_ can be used in the following sentence ( _far_ is wrong). > On top of the mountain, I can see things **far away**. > > *On top of the mountain, I can see things **far**. Why? I haven't got a good explanation.


To be in fine fettle

It means to be in good health, good spirits. The origin seems to be from the OE word fetel, meaning "belt". Can anyone help in understanding how it got to the current meaning please.


What is the origin of "dirty money"?

On Wikipedia we read: > **dirty money** : (idiomatic) Money that is illegally gained, illegally > transferred or illegally utilized. Especially money gained through forgery, > bribery, or thievery. Is there a precise origin of the idiom "dirty money"? Why has the word "dirty" replaced "illegal"? (perhaps because an author has used it an important novel?)


Adjective to capture "Tell the gossipers and liars, I'll see them in the fires"

In the English language, what adjective can be used to describe the underlying personality of a person saying > Tell the gossipers and liars, I'll see them in the fires (Taken from Johnny Cash) From what I have researched righteous comes close but as the person in question assumes damnation himself (he/she will see them in hell) it is not adequate. The theme ( _I'll see you in hell_ ) seems fairly common in English literature and/or movies. Usually (but not always) presented with a positive connotation related to a somehow damned hero figure so I assume this is a common concept with an adjective that can be associated with it.


Can a sentence starting with "While, ..." be grammatically correct?

I have a colleague who often writes sentences in the form "While, [these circumstances would make X seem unlikely to be the case], [these other circumstances show that X is in fact the case]. For example: "While, it looks warm outside, there is actually a cold breeze so it is not warm at all." Or take this real life example: "While, the Ports Access Regime does not expressly stipulate that access can be provided on different terms and conditions, the mechanisms in the Regime support the commercial negotiation of individual access arrangements, and access on different terms and conditions is not precluded." Surely that is incorrect? One gets rid of the comma following the "While," in all cases, correct?


People usually use "typical" in place of using "difficult". Does "typical" also mean "difficult"?

_Typical_ actually means "of a particular type" but that particular type may not be difficult. What do you people think?


‘He decided’ vs. ‘He had decided’

> _He decided that I could have the apartment before he looked at my credit > report_. I found that sentence in an exercise, and I wonder why it isn't: > _He **had** decided that I could have the apartment before he looked at my > credit report_. because the past perfect simple is used to describe one action that happened before another action in the past.


Is the phrase "spherical ball" redundant?

In a computer science course, our professor was explaining the idea of object oriented programming using the analogy of soccer. While reading the Wikipedia article on Association Football, it said this: > Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport > played between two teams of eleven players with a **spherical ball** If ball is connotated with a round, spherical object, is saying "spherical ball" redundant?


What's the idiom for getting lost in a (malfunctioning) bureaucracy?

In German, the noun "sand"1 has a verb form, _versandet_ , which is used to express how items get completely lost in the bureaucracy of administration, and even are not done at a later stage. Is there a direct English equivalent of this verb? Failing that, what's the closest idiom? I am trying the following translation: >   * German: Die Anfrage ist im Gebtriebe der Bürokratie versandet. >   * English: The request got lost in the bowels of the administration. > But I am not happy with it because my impression is that the verb _got lost_ expresses that something unexpected happened, whereas the original German meaning is that the administration is not properly functioning. Also, I want to make it clear that the problem is not with the request - it's not getting lost because it's too complicated or anything like that. 1 Yes, it's exactly the same word, with the same meaning, in German and English


Why do so many people misspell lose as loose?

I see this mistake happen so many times, and I do not know why. At only four characters it is such a simple word, and even if you do make the mistake, why is the rule so hard to learn?


Is calling a homosexual person “gay” offensive?

My native language is German but I’ve been watching a lot of TV in English. During a conversation about the English language, a question about the term _gay_ came up. Is calling a homosexual person _gay_ offensive? Meaning, using "gay" - not in a general contents (as asked in other questions) but to describe the sexual orientation when using it in a sentence like:   1. Talking about someone: He/she is "gay" [...]   2. Talking to someone: I didn't know that you're "gay" [...]


Word for forcing someone to take drugs

In a preview for an upcoming episode of the American TV show _Graceland_ , it appears that one of the main characters is a heroin addict — but not of his own free will. What I mean by that is the original dose of drugs was forced upon him, causing the eventual addiction. Is there a word for this? The first thing that came to mind was something like “Addiction Rape” or “Drug Rape”, but that feels more like rape committed on a drugged person. Any suggestions?


Difference between "not every" and "every ... is not"

I've always understood that you can order the words `not` and `every` (or similar words) in the following two ways to convey distinct logical meanings.   * Every human is not a man. _There is no human being who is a man._   * Not every human is a man. _There are human beings who are not men._ Being a non-native speaker, I learn most of my English by reading things on the internet. The thing is that I almost never see people doing it this way and this made me question my understanding. For example, a comment on another Stack Exchange website reads: > Everything on DOS is not plain-text! To my understanding, this sentence means that there is nothing on DOS that is plain-text, but it is clear to me that the author of the message intended a different meaning. I would correct this sentence to: > Not everything on DOS is plain-text! Am I correct and is this mistake very commonly made or do I have a fundamental misunderstanding of this sentence structure?


A child is breastfed or breastfeeding?

I'm having trouble deciding whether you say:   * A child is breastfed until ...   * A child is breastfeeding until.. I have heard a native speaker used to second option, but to me that sound as if the child has a child of her own, who she is breastfeeding. Also, consider this case:   * She was breastfeeding at that age   * She was being breastfed at that age


What does "With a team" mean?

Does the phrase "with a team" imply that the speaker is on the team, or rather that the speaker is explicitly _not_ on the team (of course it may also be ambiguous)?


"Open source" as a verb

I encountered a problem when I started to write a report including some notes on open source software. The problem I have is if I can use _open source_ as a verb like: > We open sourced some software product. How should this be written — I mean in one word or with hyphen, etc.? Is there a different way to express the same idea? Is there a standard English expression for this?


How did the phenomenon of doubling words come about?

I am referring to phrases such as: "Do you _like_ her, or do you _like_ like her." Can someone provide an explanation of this? There are many more examples but none come to mind at the moment.


Idioms / Proverbs - forgetting bad things, value of an ordinary life

I've got two questions but they're very similar - looking for English idioms / proverbs. (1) A proverb that means about the same as 好了疮疤忘了痛 (Chinese, lit. to forget the pain after the wound is healed). (2) A proverb about the value of living an ordinary / uneventful life. I'm ... pretty sure there's semi-common equivalents in English? I really can't think of them, though, so I'd like to ask you guys for help. c: Thanks!


Can the word "special" have a negative connotation?

I am involved with a group that works with children aged about 7, who've been through some difficult things. One of the sessions focuses on how "every one of you is _special_ ". Recently, somebody's teenaged son pointed out that in his school the word " _special_ " is used as an insult. I guess it refers to being special-needs. Is this use common-place? Is there a better alternative that we could use?


What's the word for learning the wrong thing?

There's a word like mis-learning or mis-training where rather than learning something correct, you learn something incorrect. For example, if you were learning English as a second language, and constantly read people using alot a lot, and as a result used that word, even after you found out the correct spelling because of habit or muscle memory, what would that be called?


How to call attention to "I" without "I myself" or the pretentious "even I"?

I find that in persuasive conversation, whether written or oral, it is sometimes useful to draw attention to the _"I"_ in the sentence, giving the connotation that you are confessing or conceding to some degree. There are two common ways to do this, that I can think of: > **I myself** have done this once in a while... or > **Even I** have done this once in a while... The first just feels like bad grammar. The second seems far too pretentious; often giving the connotation that the speaker is normally "above" such behavior. Is there another way to communicate this meaning without such negatives?


What kind of human character or regional trait does the habit of “the g-dropping” represent for?

Further to the question I posted today about the meaning of the expression, “treat somebody pretty ugly,” which appeared in New York Times’ article (September 17) titled “Rick Perry, Uber Texan,” I wonder about implications of the term, _g-dropping_ , a question I earlier put aside. The term _g-dropping_ appears at the beginning of the article: > YOU think of Rick Perry, you think of Texas. And more Texas. Perry the > cowboy coyote-killer, the lord of the Texas job-creation machine, the > g-dropping glad-hander with a “howdy” for every stranger in the room. He > barely exists in the national mind outside of the Texas connection. I understand g-dropping means the habit of dropping _g_ in pronouncing –ing. However, what does this trait represent? That is, what sort of people habitually drop g's? I've heard Texans drawl. Does g-dropping represent a particular talking style, character of speakers, educational background, regionality, or something else? If not, why did the author insert the term, g-dropping, in describing the character of a Presidential candidate?


What is an adjectival complement in English?

How can one determine what an adjectival complement is in an English sentence? Are there are any subcategories to this classification? I'd love concrete examples, to help me better understand this aspect of grammar.


"Walk", "talk": forms not in any other language

I've heard that the words "walk" and "talk" do not have cognates in any other known language. That is, neither of these very common words in English have similar forms in other languages, Germanic, Romance, or Celtic (those that have large overlap in vocabulary etymology with English). So my question is of two kinds:   * what are some other (common?) words that -do not- share etymology with words in any other language?   * what are some ways to such a search automatically? (I feel like oed.com used to allow plain old test search of any entry so that one could have looked for 'unknown' or something similar). Also are there any online English word lists that have some etymological info?


What do you call oxidized fruit?

I was just wondering if there was a specific term to refer to fruits when they have undergone oxidation. That is, their flesh turns a yellowish-brown. This usually happens when the fruit has been left in the open air. I seem to remember that a few years ago, someone told me it was called "rust". However, I think "rust" usually refers to a plant disease that is fungal, isn't it? Or does rust refer to both? I've searched up the dictionaries, but it doesn't seem to be so. Is there a single term for this?


What is the difference between 'despair' and 'hopeless'?

These two words seem to have the same translation in my native language (Cambodian). What is the major difference between these two adjectives?


When to use point vs dot?

I was wondering when should I use point instead of dot and vice-versa... Could anyone help me with that? Thanks :) In the sentence I had to write that made me think about this, I was going to say that the user entered a value with dots (i.e. a monetary value)


Any reference on the usage of a backtick and single quotation mark like `this'?

Why do I sometimes see a backtick with a single quote `like this'? What's the name of this usage? What are some good references so I can find more information by myself?


"Why do not you come here?" vs "Why do you not come here?"

I have two questions.   1. What is the difference between "Why do not you come here?" and "Why do you not come here?"?   2. Are both of "Why do not you come here?" and "Why do you not come here?" grammatically correct?


Condescending "we"

What is the term for the condescending usage of "we" that essentially means "you"? For example, when talking to a child, you might say "we need to be on our best behavior." A slight variant could be the instructive tone commonly found in mathematical proofs, e.g. "we see from _(xxx)_ that _(yyy)_ , which tells us that _(zzz)_..." I thought for quite some time that this was the meaning of "the royal we", but it turns out that is a different thing. What is the condescending usage actually called?


"Go by this side" vs. "go from this side"

Which of the following sentences is grammatically correct? >   1. He always goes **by** this side. >   2. He always goes **from** this side. >


Word for foreigner or person of another race mistaking you for someone?

When I am traveling Europe I often get mistaken for someone (maybe famous). I believe it has to do with the foreigner maybe not knowing the person's looks that well but I think it is more of not being able to hone in on attributes that are outside of their race/ethnicity. Is there a good word or phrase that sums this up? I took 4 pictures with random people when I was in Europe for a month a few weeks back, and I was supposed to be 3 different people. Note: Just to be clear, this isn't someone in a different country saying, "You look like so and so." This is them really believing that you are that person.


"Twin brothers" and "cousin brothers"

Is "twin brothers" correct? Or is it also incorrect like "cousin brother"?


Is it "Yours faithfully" or "Yours sincerely"?

When should one sign a letter with "Yours faithfully" or "Yours sincerely"?


What does a series of dots (elipses) mean after a sentence?

For example you send an email to a acquaintance or friend. "I've been busy. Recovering from unexpected surgery. My recovery is going well. I will send information on that hobby to you soon. Hope you're day is wonderful." Their response. No problems. Thanks for the note. Hope surgery went well.... Rest up... What do the dots signify or mean? Thank you for your input! :)


Meaning of 'an academic air'

What does 'gave her an academic air' mean in the following sentence: > He opened the door without knocking, and there she was alone at her desk, > absorbed, serious, with the new eyeglasses that gave her **an academic > air**.


Metonymy in Professional European Football (Soccer)

Wikipedia has a great definition of metonymy here, but I have a more specific question. Can I have a list of metnonyms used in Professional European Football (Soccer), particularly the English Premier League (EPL)? I'm relatively new to EPL fandom and want to understand more of the references used in commentary and conversation about the sport.


Pronunciation of "i" in the words like "direct", "organization", etc

I'm a nonnative speaker of English and I've always been unsure about the pronunciation of "i" inside words like _direct_ , _organization_ , etc. I was thinking that it's a matter of choice between American and British usage to pronounce that "i" as `ɪ` or `aɪ`, or even `ə`, but looking at some dictionaries made the situation more complex for me. For instance, MacMillan dictionary gives the American English pronunciation of "indirect" as > /ˌɪndɪˈrekt/   >  /ˌɪndaɪˈrekt/ whereas the British English pronunciation is given as > /ˌɪndəˈrekt/   >  /ˌɪndaɪˈrekt/ So both of them include two versions and `ɪndaɪrekt` in common. I thought that only British English had `ɪndaɪrekt`. The same dictionary given the pronunciation of "organization" as `/ˌɔrɡənɪˈzeɪʃ(ə)n/` for American English and `/ˌɔː(r)ɡənaɪˈzeɪʃ(ə)n/` for British English. Is there a prevailing rule in international English for this kind of pronunciation? What do native speakers think and suggest?


Rhetoric vs. Mathematics: ellipsis/ellipse, parable/parabola, hyperbole/hyperbola

Do _ellipsis_ , _parable_ , and _hyperbole_ from rhetoric have anything in common with the geometric curves _ellipse_ , _parabola_ , and _hyperbola_ used in mathematics? There are **three geometric curves** known as conic sections:   1. Ellipse: a curve on a plane surrounding two focal points such that a straight line drawn from one of the focal points to any point on the curve and then back to the other focal point has the same length for every point on the curve.    2. Parabola: a two-dimensional, mirror-symmetrical curve, which is approximately U-shaped when oriented as shown in the diagram.   3. Hyperbola: has two pieces, called connected components or branches, that are mirror images of each other and resemble two infinite bows. There are also **three terms in linguistics** with _analogous_ names (in many languages with the _same_ names, actually):   1. Ellipsis: the omission from a clause of one or more words that are nevertheless understood in the context of the remaining elements.   2. Parable: a succinct, didactic story, in prose or verse, which illustrates one or more instructive lessons or principles.   3. Hyperbole: is the use of exaggeration as a rhetorical device or figure of speech. **Do they have anything in common?** Is there any etymological or other reason connecting each pair together? Does the _ellipsis_ remind the _ellipse_ in any way, etc.? Is there any analogy between them?


What phrase is used for computer scan distortion like in funhouse mirrors?

The Google Books computer optical scan of page 92 of **_With the yacht and camera in eastern waters_** , by the 9th Earl of Cavan, exhibits some distortion, probably due to page motion during scan. What is this kind of distortion called, or how is it referred to? ![page 92 of book](http://i.stack.imgur.com/Z9qxW.jpg) _**Edit 1:_** (Pursuant to Eduardo's comments) Scrolling down to page 98 one can see what appears to be part of the page-flipper device raising the left- hand page, causing it to crease along the line at edge of distortion. ![bottom edge of page 98](http://i.stack.imgur.com/qhW0p.jpg)


Pronunciation of "-ed" endings

I noticed that the final _-ed_ has different pronunciations. What's the general rule for knowing the correct pronunciation?


"Many books" vs. "many of books"

Is it correct to say "Many of books are in English" or should we say "Many books are in English"?


Synonym of "game assistant"

Well, I'm asking this for two reasons. First, because of my combined clumsiness for sports and English. And second, because due to the whims of my boss I have to keep using flowery terms in the scientific paper that I'm writing. Even if I can be done with the generic word "agent", I need to put a metaphor of a "game" for something as mundane as a "stochastic process". I basically need two words, one of them can be "player", although it doesn't hurt if it needs to be different, and the other something that roughly means "game assistant", "game facilitator", "batboy" (I can't use this because my boss will think is too vulgar), in practically any sport. I'm asking for a word like this.


Is it correct to put "bros" before "hos" or before "hoes"?

I'm wondering about the pluralisation of "ho" (as in slang for prostitute) in the phrase _"Bros before ho(e)s"_. To me, **hos** makes sense because it's consistent with **bros**. **Hoes** could also refer to a particular type of gardening equipment, although given the context of the phrase there should be no ambiguity. On the other hand, **hos** looks like it's pronounced "hoss" whereas **bros** doesn't really suffer from that problem. A Google Trends search between "hos" and "hoes" shows that the words by themselves are used equally frequently. However a Google Trends search between the phrases indicates that _"Bros before **hoes** "_ is more popular (note the scaling), barring a large seasonal spike in _"Bros before **hos** "_. In the latter case, it's almost as though brothership and camaraderie is strongly tied to Christmas cheer, but on closer examination it seems to be because of a World of Warcraft holiday achievement. Even then the phrase is a play on _"Ho ho ho"_ and not to do with ladies of the evening. So I'm still undecided between **hos** and **hoes**. Can anyone "help a brother out"?


Is "To proceed setting up your website, click here" a proper sentence?

Is the following sentence grammatical? > To proceed setting up your account, click here. I'm suspicious of the word _proceed_ in this context — isn't the word _continue_ a much better fit?


What is the term for starting an essay with a story or anecdote to pique the reader's attention?

I am looking for the formal academic term for this - not "opener" or "opening." I want to refer to it in a presentation about creating hooks to pull in the reader. I once knew the term but cannot now remember or find it.


What is the difference between "graphic" and "graphical" as adjectives?

Are the two adjectives completely interchangeable, or is there a distinction between them? Does it matter which I choose?


Single word for shopping after comparing price and features across multiple shops and product types

I'm looking for a phrase or a single word that denotes the act of buying an item after analyzing the price and features of different products across several shops. The closest I could get to was "discerning" shopper. I would like to have a word that directly refers to the act of extensive research done before buying a product. Thank you


What's a good term to denote a fixed cost?

I'm looking for the X in the following sentence: > Cost: $5 per item plus $20 X The X is a fixed cost paid once, no matter how many items are bought. This line is for a formal business documentation.


Law term that means that some document, paper or deal has no power in law. In Russian it is ничтожность (ничтожный договор), in Ukrainian it's нікчемність (нікчемний договір). I've already asked it on otvety.google.ru but I'm not sure that they are right.


How to end a letter beginning with "To whom it may concern"

How should one end - ie, sign-off - a letter that begins with "To whom it may concern"?


Opposite of Dying

What single word means the opposite of dying, in other words, the "verb of becoming alive/living from the subject". Context: Today while writing code I commented that one part of it was the "Dying" code for an object, but then I tried to comment the other part of it, the code that runs when the object is being created. Perhaps there would be an analogy to the dying ember, of say, a fire. Opposite of dying is arguably "birth", but I feel that's wrong, probably naively due to the lack of an "ing" at the end. And may it's not the "origin" but "growing/strengthening aspect that I'm looking for in the opposite.


"Suffer" vs. "suffer from"

I would like to know the difference between "suffer" and "suffer from". From the dictionary, I cannot distinguish between them. In particular, which of the following should I use: >   * suffer interference from other transmitters >   * suffer from interference from other transmitters >


Does “Turtles all the way down” mean endless continuation / exercise of something like ‘peeling onions,’’ or it represents for sophism?

I learned the phrase “Turtles all the way down,” popularized by Stephen Hawking in an answer to my latest question asking the meaning of the phrase, “Mercy within mercy within mercy." Jmereno suggested that Thomas Merton’s famous phrase is similar to “Turtles all the way down.” Does “Turtles all the way down” mean endless continuation or exercise of something like ‘peeling onions’ skin’ and ‘Russian matryoshka doll,’ or it represents for dodging a question, or a simple sophism? I’m unable to judge it from explanation of Wikipedia. I should have asked this to the answerer, but I venture to put it as a question as this is different subject from my previous one.


what is the meaning of 'to leave somebody's side"?

I found this phrase in some poetry. The lines are as follows, > ...   >  a rose on the other side of the room,   >  side of the rose on the wall of the other room inside,   >  the side of the slide that opens on the wound   >  I leave her side on a rose of blood   >  ... another one is like, > I will never leave your side.   >  Even if you push me away, and tell me it’s not right.   >  These are times and moments, where love takes a stand.   >  ... I want to know the possible meaning of the phrase "to leave someone's side".


Adverb or adjective?

In this sentence, is "declining" an adverb? Gerund (noun that uses a verb + ing form)? Or adjective? > The university's board of trustees, being worried over declining student > enrollments and their failing to secure additional funding from the state, > has formed a committee to determine what cuts need to be made to staff and > programs. Is there a parallelism error here between "declining student enrollments" and "their failing to secure...". How would you fix it?


Grammar parsing for "if need be"

I have a following question. There is an idiom 'if need be'. The meaning is clear, but I can't comprehend it from a grammatical point of view. How should I parse it? 'if [smth] needs to be'? Why not 'needs' then? The question probably is silly...


"Got promoted" vs. "Was promoted"

Should I use _got_ or _was_ in the sentence below? _Many years thereafter, he`...` promoted to [...]_ This might be somewhat related to this question, but I'm not sure. **Edit:** After reading some of the answers, I realize that I should have specified that I am writing a paragraph for a formal, business-related biography. If I would like to emphasize that the promotion was _earned_ ; would it be more natural to use _got_? I am asking, because people seem to perceive _got_ as the less formal option, whereas, to me, _was_ implies an "effortless" promotion. To me, it becomes a debate of what I would like to emphasize: _"They promoted him because he deserved it."_ (Got) _"They promoted him because they had to."_ (Was)


A word for the job a cashier does for each customer

> A cashier in a grocery store has ___ _ 80 customers today.   * _Expedited?_   * _Served?_   * _Handled?_ I have a feeling there's a better word.


Expect a dog: figurative meaning

What does this mean? I stumbled across it here: "If the design requires a million trips to the server, expect a dog." (The last sentence in the paragraph titled **Efficiency**.)


Which is correct: "What kind of CDs" or "What kinds of CDs"?

Is it correct to say: > What kind of CDs do you have? or > What kinds of CDs do you have?


What does "gin-and-water reporter" mean?

The term is from "The Difference Engine" by Bruce Sterling and describes a certain kind of journalist. The story is set at the time of Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace/Byron. What does it mean?


When Should I use 'the' with months, seasons?

Should I say: > There are four seasons of (the) year? > > Today we will talk about names of (the) months.


Why is "schism" preferred over "demur" in this sentence?

This is a verbal reasoning question in a GRE book. Obviously, the correct answer could only be A or B. And the explanation on the text book is "the correct answer is B". > Unenlightened authoritarian managers rarely recognize a crucial reason for > the low levels of serious conflict among members of democratically run work > groups: a modicum of tolerance for dissent often prevents **__**. > > A. demur B. schism C. cooperation D. compliance E. shortsightedness I know that _schism_ does impose a stronger feeling, but I do not understand why I cannot choose A.


Is there a more eloquent way to say this?

I'm writing a Salutatorian speech, and would like to say something to the effect "I'm up here and I don't know why." However, I don't know how to say it without offending anybody or seeming rude... help?


Problem interpreting a question

I saw a picture of a student's test where one of the questions was "Write down Einstein's equation.", and the student answered "Einstein's equation". I know it is a joke, but is this a wrong interpretation ? Is there any ambiguity ? From the context, it is clear what the teacher is asking. If the question was "Write down Einstein." then it is clear that the answer is "Einstein". What should the question be if I want the student to answer "Einstein's equation". Is it " Write down 'Einstein's equation'. "


What is the difference between 'Use' and 'Make use of'?

When should I use which? E.g.: > To use something. vs > To make use of something.


What is the preferred way to write this type of sentence?

Sally (the mayors daughter) donated to the Salvation Army yesterday. or Sally, the mayors daughter, donated to the Salvation Army yesterday.


Does there exist an online dictionary in reverse alphabetical order?

A final "s" in a word is usually pronounced \z\, so it is an interesting that the final "z" in "quartz" is pronounced \s\\. (I mention interesting quirks like this to my ESL students.) I was wondering if there were any other instances like "quartz". If an on-line dictionary in ordered by the last letter of the word existed, this would be easy to check for, but the concept of a "reverse dictionary" seems to be limited to the (very useful) idea of going from definition/concept to headword. Searching for "dictionary in alphabetical order by the last letter" didn't seem to get me anywhere, but maybe I haven't searched diligently enough.


Is there a name for a "non-rectangular matrix"?

According to Wikipedia a matrix in the mathematical sense is a rectangular array of numbers. So this:                 1 2 3 4         5 6 7 8        7 8 9 10      would be an example for a matrix, while the following would not be a matrix:                 1 2 3       4         7 8      What would be a good term for the latter, which is also a 2-dimensional field of numbers like a matrix but not rectangular? * * * Regarding the comment that I could just add zeros, actually that is not possible and would be a different thing, since this does come from a technical background where any element of one row can be chosen at random and increasing the length of one row has other side effects that aren't intended.   It's also not a partial matrix the elements in the shorter rows really are not there and are not free to be chosen.


What is the meaning of the phrase "chance would be a fine thing"?

I've heard this phrase used many times. e.g. > -Got a completion date back on your new conservatory? > > -Ha! Chance'd be a fine thing. I think I have a general idea of what it must mean from its context. But I just don't see how it makes sense. What does it actually literally mean, and why? It doesn't seem to make sense to me. What does "chance" have to do with anything?


What is the purpose of using the word "why" in "why, thank you"?

I sometimes have heard somebody replying with _Why, thank you._ instead of _Thank you_. What is the meaning of the first phrase? What is the difference between the two phrases?


Is "Pick up those blocks" grammatically incorrect?

I had someone correct me today as I instructed my child to "pick up those blocks." This person insisted that it should _just_ be: > Pick up those. since "those" is already plural. Is this person correct?


Using "will" twice in a sentence

Is it correct to use _will_ twice in the following sentence? > When you **will** come to see me we **will** have dinner together.


What does "if only" mean?

Like in this sentence: > The influence of the Titnaeus among early philosophical thinkers was > pervasive, **if only** because it was the sole dialogue available in Europe > for almost 1,000 years. (Emphasis added.)


Let me out or let me through?

What should i say to a person sitting next to me (in a bus or a plane), if I need him to let me out? Let me out, please or let me through, please?


What is the word for somebody who does action/is action owner

In my web application inside code I must find a word for somebody to whom certain `Action` belongs to(he/she did it). How to call such person? Contributor? Action owner? Participant? Context: I log all actions registered users made in my application. For instance clicked certain button. Then I hold info: who did it, when it happenned and what happenned.


In Britain the word 'normalcy' is ridiculed

Does anyone use 'normalcy'? It is ridiculed in Britain as an American affectation, especially since there is a time-honoured word which means exactly the same thing i.e 'normality'.


Is "disclude" a word and what authority says a word is a word or isn't?

So far this is what I found from Wiktionary and Merriam-Webster except the latter doesn't have _disclude_.   * _Exclude_ — To keep something out.   From Latin _excludere_ , from _ex-_ , “out”, + variant form of the verb _claudere_ , “to close”.   * _Preclude_ — To prevent something from happening.   From Latin _praeclūdere_ , “to shut up”, from _prae-_ \+ _claudere_ , “to close”.   * _Disclude_ — To shut apart.   Latin _discludere_ , “to shut apart”.


"Not able to" vs. "unable to"

Which phrase is more suitable to convey one's inability to do something — "not able to" or "unable to"? For example, >   * not able to join the meeting >   * unable to join the meeting >


The usage of pronoun "so" and "that"

What is the difference between "I don't hope so." and "I don't hope that."?


What does "the thesis of this dissertation" mean?

> The thesis of this dissertation is that managing and accessing the > Structured Web poses unique difficulties which neither traditional database > systems nor search engines address. This is from Dr.Cafarella's doctoral thesis. I assume that thesis and dissertation have very similar meanings. The expression "the thesis of this dissertation" confuses me.


Can a single metaphor be 'mixed'?

M-W has the following definition for _mixed metaphor_ : > a figure of speech combining inconsistent or incongruous metaphors Hence a requirement is that a 'mixed metaphor' contains more than one metaphor. Eric Lippert comments in another thread: > "mixed metaphor" is more commonly used to describe the result of > accidentally combining two metaphors in a way that does not make sense as a > whole. "For me it was stormy in the great sea of life, but then I came to a > crossroads." He does not claim that this is a _necessary_ condition, and I'd agree. I've just written in another thread: ' "John is a real tiger" works, but "That lion is a real tiger" is best avoided.' Each of these two statements contains a single metaphor. Does any definition of 'mixed metaphor' apply to the inappropriate (incongruous juxtaposing of tenor and obviously related vehicle) metaphor in the second sentence?


Difference between "no" and "nope"

When is it correct to use _no_ and _nope_? Is there any difference between them?


-ing vs -in' ending

I wonder if the " _g_ " in the -ing forms is pronounced. When I hear it it seems as if it's not pronounced sometimes or just slightly, though sometimes I've been told that I should pronounce " _g_ " for example in "meeting" just to avoid saying _"mitten"_. So how should I pronounce "- **ing** "? Sometimes -ing is written in an informal way as -in' such as: > taking > > takin' Is the letter " _g_ " in each case pronounced differently?


Single term for "elephants going berserk"

Is there any single term for **"Elephants going berserk"**? Can we say that _the elephant got wild_ and started destroying whatever is in its path? Is there any term for that? Hope you understand my question...


"Nose" is to "nasal" as "ear" is to what?

If the adjective relating to the nose is _nasal_ then what is the adjective relating to the ear? I don't think it's "aural". I think it begins with _ot_ -.


What's it called when you lose contact with reality when watching a movie?

Sometimes, when I watch a (real good) movie, I feel like the movie "sucks me into the screen". I feel that I am really inside the movie, really watching real persons acting in real situations. I do not really see what happens around me anymore, I get some kind of tunnel view and see only the screen. It's like being in John Malkovich's Head, just not seing the borders that are around me from that weird cave. I wanted to know if there is a word for this kind of experience. Also, I'd like to know if there is a word for "re-gaining" reality. After a few seconds or minutes in this weird state, I feel like my field of vision is growing larger and larger (just as if I was about to leave Malkovich) and then I'm "back in reality". It's a hard to describe experience for me, not only because my mothertongue is not english but german, but also because, afaik, german lacks words for this, too. But when I have the english words, I believe, I may find the german ones as well.


Synonym for "turn to"

What is a good synonym for the phrase _turn to_ used to mean the firm intent to do an action after having completed a previous action such as in these examples? > He completed the reports then **turned to** the accounts. > > We've discussed the vacation - now let's **turn to** the salaries.


How is “to be standing” used in this paragraph?

I found this paragraph in one of my reading. Why did it use “to be standing” and how do I use this structure? > The crowd, I noticed, was mainly old ladies of the blue-haired type, the > kind that play bingo and drink Bloody Marys at Sunday brunch, though I could > see Eric sitting with all my friends near the back row. It was downright > eerie, if you know what I mean, **to be standing** in front of them while > everyone waited for me to say something. Still, please explain why it used **"to be standing"** instead of using **"to stand"**?


Where does “goodness me” come from?

The expression “my goodness” always seemed clear to me, as it is a simple bowdlerisation of “my God”, as are many expletives. However, I have heard many times the expression **“goodness me!”**, which Google confirms exist (and is less used than “my Goodness”): ![ngram](http://i.stack.imgur.com/rkafM.png) This expression doesn't make any sense to me on the construction. _Goodness_ is a noun, so why is it formed that way? Is it an alteration of “my goodness”, or was it formed somewhat independently? Is it a shortening of a longer expression, which would explain its weird grammatical form?


Usage of the article 'the' in the phrase Internet of Things

I am writing a paper on the topic, Internet of Things as a part of my curriculum. I couldn't help but wonder as to why every article, conference paper and journal publication refers to it as " ** _The_** _Internet of Things_ ". If my memory serves the is added to a noun (common noun) or a phrase if it weren't specific (or precise) enough. There are cases wherein proper nouns also take the article 'the' like names of geographical locations such as rivers, oceans, mountain ranges etc. However I don't see a need for using 'the' in this context. The name of the topic in itself is precise enough and leads to no confusion of subject after all. **I know there is a question about usage of articles properly, that has been answered. However, it doesn't answer my question accurately. So I implore the readers to not jump the gun and mark this question as duplicate.** _References:_   1. Wikipedia   2. Cisco   3. Techopedia   4. Tech-target


Should “Hell” be capitalized?

I am of the belief that Hell should be capitalized because real or not, it is the name of a place, and thus a proper noun. It should be capitalized correct? I have seen it written without capitalization plenty of times, but I suspect that most of those were just due to laziness or illiteracy (it tends to be written with a lower-case ‘h’ mostly on the Internet–sigh). Other uses, including expletives seem to use it as a place name as well: >   * _What [in] the Hell‽_ > >   * _Go to Hell!_ > > Google gives mixed results and checking the WikiPedia entry for Hell to get a proper definition does indicate that it is a location, but even on that same page, there are plenty of instances with a lower-case ‘h’. Is there a situation in which it would not be capitalized? What about uses as an adjective: > _that job was Hell_?


What's a more professional term than 'blow your mind'?

I'm looking for a phrase that describes the experience of limits, preconceptions and world-views being challenged, exceeded and revised. I convey this if I say something "blew my mind", but there is a casual and left- field tone that I'd like to avoid. What's a more sober and professional way to describe this experience? The intonations of personal transformation and the revision of self-boundaries are important elements that I'm looking to include.


Why is the letter after "Mc" in names capitalized?

For example, McDowell, or McDonald, or McKenna, etc. Is it necessary to capitalize that letter following "Mc"? And if yes, why is this so?


Researchers and universities are to Academia as covert operatives and secret compounds are to...?

The domain or the world of academics - teachers and researchers in universities and colleges - is referred to as academia. What do you call the domain of secret agents, spies and covert ops teams, with secure and secret compounds, under-the-radar government sections and the like? **Note:** If possible, a term with a Latin flavor would be nice.


The opposite of "one size fits all"

Is there a neat word or phrase that summarizes the opposite of "one size fits all"? "One size does not fit all" is not an option. What am looking for is something that means "different sizes for anybody, for every occasion etc.".


Term of endearment for either parent?

For father, we have daddy, dada, papa, poppy, etc. For mother, we have momma, mommy, mama, etc. Is there a term of endearment that fits either role? I've racked my brain thinking of one and I can't. For children, the only gender neutral one I can think of is 'kiddo', or 'kid' to some people.


How did the word "settings" acquire its modern meaning?

When did it pass into common usage to refer to a device's "settings"? It makes perfect sense to call them that, since you "set" them, but such things didn't really exist until the age of electronics. When and where did that term originate?


What's the English name for this three-wheeled manual pedal vehicle in China?

What's the English name of this transport vehicle commonly used in China? ![Three-wheeled manual pedal vehicle in China](http://i.stack.imgur.com/ClewO.jpg) Note this vehicle is commonly used to transport items, such vegetables by sellers, a TV bought from a shop, etc. If no English word exists, what's the best approximation? Thank you


Looking for a word or phrase that conveys the modification of something in a certain way

We have a piece of software that takes client provided data and processes it. A lot of times our client's data will fail because the data in a particular field is either too long or missing altogether. We're creating a system that will truncate the field value if it's too long or infer the value if it's missing. The data may still fail validation at some later point but we don't want the data to fail because it's too long or missing. This will be done before anything else is done to that data. I'm trying to think of a name for the new system that will represent what we're doing. I don't want to name it something like "ModifyField" because we modify the data for other reasons as well. To be more specific, I'm looking for something that can serve as a method or class name in the code.