Antecedent Precedence?

**Background:** I was working on a project and was having a colleague of mine proof-read a piece of documentation. He said that one sentence was ambiguous because he couldn't determine what the antecedent was (actually _he_ knew because of the context, but said that to somebody else it might be ambiguous). **Sentence:** > The server picks up the emitted fax via ModuleA, which forwards it to > ModuleB. To me it's clear that the _which_ of the sentence refers to ModuleA, but apparently other people may be confused as to whether it's the server or ModuleA that does the forwarding. In my experience I've always made the assumption that the noun that's closer is the implied antecedent, but I couldn't find any rules to follow in determining the antecedent to use. **Question:** Are there rules that unambiguously determine what antecedent is referred to by a pronoun without having any contextual information?


What is the most pejorative phrase we can come up with for soccer foul fakers?

You know the ones: association football player flailing on the ground in world-class screaming agony; yet the TV replay shows he was not even touched – and it's an Oscar performance bid. 60 seconds later he's up and running full speed and as effective as ever. What is a phrase that captures the magnitude of the shamelessness and pathetic nature of this phenomenon? Is there a phrase you know of that stands out as perfectly descriptive of this? “Chutzpah” comes to mind.


In which countries are sentence diagrams used in teaching English?

Until I watched "Weird Al" Yankovic's Word Crimes, I hadn't encountered a sentence diagram. (I was born and raised in Australia) Are they only used in teaching English in the United States, or in other countries as well?


Length of answer!

When should I answer in short and when should I answer in long? In real life which of following answer is used? > Did you read that book? > >   * Yes. >   * Yes, I did. >   * Yes, I read it. >   * Yes, I did. I read the book. >   * No. >   * No, I did not. >   * No, I did not read it. >   * No, I did not. I did not read it. >


Use of singular or plural verb in a list joined by "or"

In a list of singular items with an "or" should the verb be singular or plural? e.g. > Sometimes the fence, the wall, or the ditch (was/were) destroyed.


"extension" or "relaxation" of last date?

Sometimes, there are deadlines for events and sometimes they are extended. In case of such an event, is it correct to say "extension" of last date? But, how can a date itself be extended? I guess relaxed is a more appropriate word. Please suggest.. Also, if "relax" is the proper word, then should it be - > relaxation "of" last date? Is "of" correct here?


What / Which would you like more of?

If you present someone with four options to choose from (and they can only choose one), should you say: "What would you like more of?" or "Which would you like more of?" Would the answer change if you were offering nouns (pie, coffee, etc.) or intangibles (power, speed, etc.)?


Is it proper to use dashes to set of parenthetical phrases in a comma-separated list?

I'm in need of a complex sentence that lists out three requirements, and the facts that satisfy those requirements. Here's an example of what I'm referring to, using the "motivation, means, and opportunity" elements of a murder: > The prosecution had all the evidence they needed for a murder conviction. > Alfonso had the motivation to see his friend dead--full control of the > company--,the means to kill him--a whole lab with poisonous chemicals--, and > the opportunity to do so--the dinner party. Is this a proper emdash and comma usage? I could use a semicolon instead, like so: > The prosecution had all the evidence they needed for a murder conviction. > Alfonso had the motivation to see his friend dead--full control of the > company; the means to kill him--a whole lab with poisonous chemicals; and > the opportunity to do so--the dinner party. But then the three requirements get mixed up with facts, visually, making the list harder to parse. A final option would be using parenthesis: > The prosecution had all the evidence they needed for a murder conviction. > Alfonso had the motivation to see his friend dead (full control of the > company), the means to kill him (a whole lab with poisonous chemicals), and > the opportunity to do so (the dinner party). But the use of parenthesis here seems out of place with the drama of the facts. Is it proper to use emdashes and commas as I did in the first example? What would be the best construction of the sentence?


How to understand "-metr-", as a root?

_-Metr-_ , as a root, from http://www.prefixsuffix.com/rootchart.php: > metr: admeasure, apportion. E.g., metrics, asymmetric, parametric, telemetry "Admeasure, apportion" means distribution. So I can't understand: how is this meaning of _-metr-_ demonstrated in the examples "metrics, asymmetric, parametric, telemetry"? _Metr_ , as a word, from http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/metr: > metr: meter (unit of length). measuring tape, measuring rule. I feel this meaning of _metr_ makes more sense in the examples "metrics, asymmetric, parametric, telemetry". So how shall I understand the first source?


Word for supplementary text detailing notation, assumptions and conditions

When setting out an equation, it is common to have a block of text that details the notation used, assumptions made and conditions under which the equation is valid. For example, Newton's Law of Gravitation needs some qualifiers if you want to use it to tell you the force on an object due to another's gravity: > _**F = (G M m) / d 2_** > > where: > >   * F = attractive force >   * G = gravitational constant >   * M, m = mass of two objects >   * d = separation of the objects' centres of mass > > > This only applies when the objects are not subject to relativistic effects > and we assume no other forces act on the objects. The word I'm looking for describes the text from "where:" to "objects". I had considered _rubric_ , which means more "special instructions", but I don't believe this applies to descriptive, rather than instructional, text.


Am I wrong here?

Our English teacher told us to frame a sentence using the word lively. I wrote: > He was a lively person But she said it was wrong and couldn't be accepted. Is she wrong, or am I?


Is 'thought it to be' grammatically correct?

Does > If man continues to scathe all of Earth and its seas, then this isn’t the > world I thought it to be make sense? Or should I just replace the 'to' with 'would'?


What's wrong with 'due to'?

Under defn 1 does http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/due_1 avouch: > Some people think that it is more correct to use **owing to** to mean > ‘because of’ after a verb or at the beginning of a clause, as **due** is an > adjective. What's the infringement here? Isn't **owing** also an adjective? What's 'more correct' ?


Is it necessary to discern between 'owing to' and 'due to'?

I recently wrote a paper, and the examiner picked me up on using 'due to' when apparently I should have been using 'owing to'. I understand that there is some difference between them, as was discussed here. My question is however, should I worry myself with using one in place of the other? Has their distinction fallen out of popular discourse?


What is the difference between "owing to" and "due to"?

"Due to" seems more common than "owing to" in modern English. Is "owing to" simply an old-fashioned way of saying the same thing, or is there a rule to using it?


Is 'already' + (simple past) + (time of action) correct?

meta: I asked this question yesterday but it was marked as a duplicate of a previous question. But none of the answers to the previous question answered what I wanted to know. So I deleted that question and added this new one with some additional details to make it more specific. * * * Is the following conversation correct? > A: _You will need to finish the report before you leave for the day._   >  B: _I **already** did it yesterday._ I am not asking whether _already_ can be used with past simple as opposed to present perfect. From what I know, we cannot use present perfect tense when time is mentioned and here we are mentioning the time of action. What I want to know is whether _already_ can be used with past simple where time is mentioned. For example: > A: _You will need to file your taxes before the end of this month._   >  B: _I **already** filed my taxes two months ago._ The second speaker in both of these cases wants to _a._ emphasize that the action has already been completed, and _b._ mention when it was completed. If this is incorrect, is there any other way to achieve the same effect?


Does the word "gentleman" retain the distinction "of leisurely lifestyle" anywhere in British English?

I've been watching a great deal many British period films lately, and having done so has made me grow acutely aware to the nuance of the word _gentleman_. Once upon a time, a gentleman wasn't just some ordinary man off the street, as we might likely apply the word to nowadays, oh no; the gentlemen I watch typically   * "go out to the country" to one of their palatial country homes   * have an "allowance" from some vast checkbook, and spend precious little time working   * have many servants to dote upon them and many sashes about their houses to summon those servants   * typically walk about in exquisitely manicured gardens and parks   * always have a "club" to relax in, and "society" dinners to attend to From what I can tell, a _gentleman_ isn't necessarily of aristocracy, or nobility; the primary characteristic of them all is that one needs to keep up _the appearance_ of not having to work, even if one does. And, what I've also noticed is that in the many films I've watched, up to the Second World War period, this distinction of _gentleman_ is always well observed by all characters present. So, if you'll excuse my long-winded digressions, I have a simple question: Is this usage still current anywhere in British English? Are there certain groups of people who still observe that not everyone is a gentleman, and that it requires a particular lifestyle?


Can the word "unsolicited" be used as a verb?

Consider the following: > He replied to us even when _not solicited/asked_. Can _not solicited_ be replaced with _unsolicited_?


Is this sentence correct? If wrong what is the correct form?

> I lie certain times(1) but not all the time(2). Should (1) be times or time? and Should (2) be time or times? What is the correct form of the sentence and why?


What does “media (news) disruptor” mean?

There is the following passage in the article titled, “Why disruptors are always white guys” in New York Magazine September 10 issue: > “It’s happening again. There’s a list of “ **media disruptors**.” It’s > predominantly white dudes. It need not be. And people are fed up. For, in > the new-media renaissance of the past few years, there are women and > minority “disruptors” everywhere if you only take the time to look. There’s > Jane Pratt of xoJane; Ben Huh of Circa; Sharon Waxman of the Wrap; Sommer > Mathis of CityLab.” And, it goes on and on. http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/09/why-disruptors-are-always-white- guys.html Coincidentally, there was an article titled “ **News Disrupters** ” in Vanity Fair (September 10) that began with the paragraph; > “Who needs a boss anymore? The latest vogue in journalism is to leave cushy > jobs at established news organizations—or else establish an autonomous power > center within one.” http://www.vanityfair.com/business/2014/10/media- > industry-disrupters I can’t find neither “media disruptor” nor “news disruptor” in English dictionaries at hand, nor the relative definitions on google search. GoogleNgram doesn’t show incidence of “media, nor news disruptor.” Are “Media / news disruptor” internet jargons or new words? What do they mean in a short word?


To specify an object while using the phrasal verb "put on"

When the object is obvious, do you usually cut it out? Examples: >   1. Put your glasses on (your face). > >   2. Put your shoes on (your feet). > >   3. Put your watch on (around your wrist). > >


Term for aboriginal people of Canada in a historical context

The tribes that inhabited Canada before European contact are generally known as _First Nations_ today. From what I can tell, this term is fairly new. What term could I use to refer to First Nations people that:   1. can refer to indigenous people from different tribes, and   2. would have been understood by someone from the 1800s, and   3. would not be offensive to people today?


Origin of the expression "you can't make chicken salad out of chicken something else"

I discovered this expression: > You can't make chicken salad out of chicken _something else_ I heard this expression from one of the NBA basketball TV commentators on Fox Sports Oklahoma, who uses it in the affirmative, and uses _something else_ instead _shit_. He uses it when a basketball player manages to score from a play situation that didn't look good at all: > The player made chicken salad out of chicken _something else_. I would like to know what is the origin of the expression and where does it originate from. Any ideas?


Comma in a sentence just before the start of a list

If I am asking a complex question, I would write it like this: > Do you have, by chance, three pennies on you? Should I write a complex question that turns into a list without the comma? > Do you have, by chance: > >   * 3 pennies? >   * 2 shillings? > or like this > Do you have, by chance,: > >   * 3 pennies? >   * 2 shillings? >


A Semi-Independent Chapter (of an organization)

I have a chapter of an organization that would like to position itself as less strongly affiliated with the parent organization. They want to be under the umbrella but not as consolidated as full chapters are. Less guidance, less on message, less formality. Guesses on what they should call themselves? I'm looking for something like a semi-independent chapter.


Placement of "just" in "we just need minified and concatenated files"

I was talking to my client. I wanted to convey that "we need the minified type of files and the concatenated type of files; nothing other than that". I quickly wrote this: > we just need minified and concatenated files. Thinking on it later, I felt like perhaps "we need just minified and concatenated files", or perhaps "we need minified and concatenated files only", would have been accurate. I want to know:   1. Is the usage of _just_ appropriate in such a situation? Or should I use _only_?   2. How does the placement of _just_ modify the sense of the sentence?


Using 'very' with a noun

Are these correct ways to use _very_ with a noun? > She is the very girl I want. > > On the very year of 2012, comes the end of the world. > > This is the very company everyone wants to work for. What I understand is that _very_ can be used to emphasize the importance of a noun.


Is "fair-skinned" politically correct?

I have recently seen "fair-skinned" written to mean the opposite of "dark skin". In other contexts, "fair" usually sounds to me as judgemental, implying it is better.   _Example: fair weather_ Is "fair-skinned" politically correct?   Should I prefer another term? _Here is an example of the term being called questionable: First comment by heltonbiker tothis question._


"without needing to <verb> + ..." vs "without the need of <verb + ing> + ..."

I don't see which one is fits best: > it is awesome because you can do it **without needing to send** e-mails or > it is awesome because you can do it **without the need of sending** e-mails Also, are both correct or just one (or none...)?


"I beg leave to assure you" — letter by John Marshall

> Richmond May 1st [17]99 (Source of Letter) > > Dear Sir > > You may possibly have seen a paragraph in a late publication, stating that > several important offices in the gift of the Executive, & among others that > of secretary of State, had been attainable by me. Few of the unpleasant > occurrences produc’d by my declaration as a candidate for congress (& they > have been very abundant) have given me more real chagrin than this. To make > a parade of profferd offices is a vanity which I trust I do not possess, but > to boast of one never in my power woud argue a littleness of mind at which I > ought to blush. > > I know not how the author may have acquird his information, but I **beg > leave** to assure you that he never receivd it directly nor indirectly from > me. I had no previous knowledge that such a publication was designd, or I > woud certainly have suppressd so much of it as relates to this subject. Under Idioms, this page from the Oxford Dictionary says: > beg leave to do something (formal) = to ask somebody for permission to do > something Could someone please explicate and elucidate **beg leave**? I can't grasp how one would ask person X for permission to assure person X of something (particularly in this context). Wouldn't one just assure person X directly of whatever thing it is?


Where does the word “sh**” come from?

Once upon a time in America, particularly during the 1970s, if you asked an American whether they ‘fancied a shag’, they might well have thought of this: ![shag carpet pic](http://i.stack.imgur.com/3C6FE.jpg) And therefore declined the offer for fear of rug-burn. Meanwhile their kids, being still innocent, would have likely assented to the request, hoping that Scooby might be part of the offer: ![shaggy and scooby pic](http://i.stack.imgur.com/02bLB.png) But then the British Invasion poisoned all such bucolic memories once _Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me_ hit the American cinema: ![austin powers poster](http://i.stack.imgur.com/woZ6C.jpg) Lest any doubt remain about what is being discussed here, the following scintillating dialogue should wipe all those away: > Vanessa Kensington: Look, I know I'm being neurotic, but I can't shake off > this suspicious feeling about that Italian secretary. You know, Miss Fagina. > I don't want to sound paranoid, but I've had some bad relationships in the > past, and I have been known to be jealous. I'm sorry. > > Austin Powers: No, don't be sorry, baby. You're right to be suspicious. I > **shagged** her. > > Vanessa Kensington: What? > > Austin Powers: I **shagged** her rotten, baby, yeah! > > Vanessa Kensington: I don't believe you, Austin! I mean, she was repellant. > > Austin Powers: Saucer of milk, table 2. Meow. > > Vanessa Kensington: Well, did you use protection? > > Austin Powers: Of course. I had my 9mm automatic. > > Vanessa Kensington: You know I meant 'did you use a condom'? > > Austin Powers: No. Only sailors use condoms, baby. > > Vanessa Kensington: Not in the 90's, Austin. > > Austin Powers: Well they should, those filthy buggers. They go from port to > port. My question is, where did this sense of _shag_ come from? The OED calls this copulatory sense “of obscure origin” and provides a first citation dating from Grose’s _Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue_ of 1788, in which the modern sense is first given. But where does it **really** come from? Surely if it made a vulgar dictionary in 1788, there must be possible antedatings of the written not merely oral form.


"Flatly denied that he had copied" vs. "flatly denied the charges that he had copied"

> The student flatly denied that he had copied in the examination hall. The above sentence is not correct, I found that it must be "flatly denied the charges that". Am I thinking in the right direction?


Noun for both false positives and false negatives

> Algorithm X was applied to the data. There were neither false positives nor > false negatives. I'd like to replace the second sentence with > There were no _______. Which word covers both _false positive_ and _false negative_ and fits a technical report?


How to use 'persevere'?

I need to translate a sentence and I cannot figure out a good way to do so. Can I use the word 'persevere' like this, or are there better ways? > Vincas consistently deepens his knowledge, he is not afraid of any > difficulties that may arise, but perseveres **by means of** determination > and work. Do I need to change the highlighted part to anything else, or is it good as- is?


Do 'learn by heart' & 'learn by rote' mean the same?

Here in India, both the phrases _learning by heart_ and _learning by rote_ are taken to have the same meaning, i.e., blind memorisation without true understanding. However, some sources say that to learn something by heart implies that one knows something so well that it has been thoroughly internalised and imbibed. So is it wrong to conflate the two?


verbs not followed by that clauses

Where can I find a list of verbs like 'to want', which must be followed by an infinitive (other verbs by a gerund), but cannot be followed by a that-clause? I got from your website that there are Exceptional Case Marking verbs and Object (can't remember what…) verbs. Are there others? They are of importance to learners of English, as, in French, for instance, you must say 'I want that he does sth' and you cannot say 'I want him to do'. Thank you


Using an apostrophe; Centres or Centre's?

My sentence says > Coventry city centre's main transport links. but there is a red line under "centre's" in MS word. Is it "centres" or "centre's"? I thought that you use an apostrophe for belonging. Thanks in advance.


Do these two sentences mean the same thing or is there a grammar rule I am unaware of that distinguishes a difference?

What's the difference in meaning between the following two sentences and is one more correct than the other? > I was wondering if it's OK to once in a while come to Wednesday morning > running practices? > > I was wondering if it's OK to once in a while come to a Wednesday morning > running practice?


would+have+have...Is it correct?

So i watched this scene in the show called 'the vampire diaries' and heard one of the main characters say this line: 'And I would've gladly have given it to you...' Is that correct? Do people actually say that? I'm bit confused because I've always been good at understanding would+have. Don't really think I misheard.


"lie on the basis of" versus "lie at the basis of"

I often read in scientific papers a sentence of the form "X lies on the basis of Y." or "X lies at the basis of Y." to indicate that Y is caused by X in some fundamental way. Are both forms valid and common? (Maybe both are poor English?)


Write an e-mail to reply for a changed planing

I have write an email to replay on a changed planing sent by my english school and why i can't come. this is bellow what i wrote but i didn't send it yet, any correction or something to add or any inappropriate expression ? Mr. Julio, I am writing with regard to the next programed session that will take place on sunday 27th to inform you that's confusing with another pre-programed trip outside of France. I would like to be present and assist to the complet session, but as you know, it will be impossible. Hoping that my sincere apologies will be kindly accepted i miss the endining of the email and i dont know to end it (any expression please) Thanks


"Don't/Won't/Wouldn't want to"

When do we use each of the following? > I don't want to ... > > I won't want to ... > > I wouldn't want to ...


Why do exciting things "rock"?

> **Rock (v):**   >  **6.** Slang. to be very good, impressive, exciting, or effective: _This > show really rocks._ So where did this odd usage originate?


Is it incorrect to use non-comparative adjectives while comparing two things?

Is it required to use comparative adjectives while comparing two things like this? > Wireless networks, compared to wired networks, suffer from slow(er) > connection speed, long(er) delay, and (more) dropped connections.


An expression for "a little thing that adds to common good"

Like recycling, some little things together make a big positive impact. What's an expression for "a little thing that adds to the common good"?


What is the origin of the phrase "racing cert"?

I had encountered the phrase, “racing cert”, the other day, and I had to go look it up. The only definition I immediately found was one from UD: > English colloquialism. Born from gambling talk and used to indicate a > statistical or logical outcome that appears to be a foregone conclusion. It seems to be mostly related to horse racing, and used even in news articles as a jargon term (e.g. “Racing cert: The 400-year history of Perth racecourse”), but I had found no confirmation of that definition, nor explanation whence it came from exactly. If it has anything to do with so- called “racing certificates”, I could not even find meaningful explanation as to what that is, especially pertaining to horse racing. In other racing (auto, or sailing, for instance) it appears to be a sort of manifest clearing the participant (car or a boat) for the race after inspection, and for animals it also seemed to include veterinary check up. But I fail to grip how does that imply the “foregone conclusion”. _Note._ As of this note, I picked a winner, although I thought all three answers were very helpful in understanding, and I upvoted them all. There are some question still unanswered (When did the meaning of this phrase went from ironic to literal? Are there any other examples of usage of “racing certainty” around 1834 St. Leger Stakes?), and if others add or improve their answers, I might reconsider. but generally, good answers.


Where does the suffix "-tine" come from?

Where does the suffix **-tine** come from? For e.g., _Ovaltine_ , _Creatine_ , etc. all have a _-tine_ suffix. What is the meaning connoted to the noun attached?


"They perform" vs. "they are performed" in specific context

> Our experiments include simulated falls by several subjects. They > **perform** in a user-independent setting, where, for each test video, the > subject appearing in the test video does not appear in any of the training > data used to detect falls in that video. In the above sentence, is the usage of _perform_ correct, or should I use "they are performed" instead?


What does “key off” somebody’s column mean?

Mark Helperin’s article titled “Romney’s Conservative Critics” in Time magazine (September 28) begins with the following sentence: > “On “Morning Joe,” I _key off_ Charles Krauthammer’s column to talk about a > key part of Romney’s challenge: “ > > If you watch conservative media, read Krauthammer, watch Fox, or talk > privately with any Republican politician, it’s hard to find anybody, even > some people, as you all know, inside the Romney campaign, who think they’re > doing the right thing now, that they’re on track to win despite Governor > Romney saying that.” Though I find “key in,” “key on,” “key to,” and “key up,” I cannot find the entry of “key off” in any of Cambridge, Oxford, and Merriam-Webster dictionary, despite all of them register “off-key” as adjective and verb. Only wikitionary provides the definition of “key off” as a computing terminology meaning “to take as a controlling input datum.” What does “ _key off_ ” somebody’s column exactly mean? Does it mean to pay special attention to something? What is the currency of “key off” as a verb? Is it popular as “key in (on, to, up), or special to this writer in trying to key “key off” to “key part”? In other word, is this well-received English word?


Is this usage of "however" with an adjective correct?

Is the word "however" correctly used in this sentence? If not, how could it be rephrased? > This program, however comprehensive, hasn't been updated for a long time. Is there a better construct to say that a good attribute of an object is outweighed by a drawback?


What's the meaning of "large hug" in definition of "bearhug"?

Context: > I have an uncle who is huge and any time he hugs anyone in the family, it's > so tight that they are almost choked. We call this the _bearhug_ among the > family. Researching the term, and seeing its origins in wrestling > a wrestling hold in which the arms are locked tightly round an opponent's > chest and arms My question is on this definition > any especially large, tight or enthusiastic hug, usually friendly Does the **large** here imply the hugging person is bigger and stronger than the hug-ee (like a bear) or is it the length of time of the hug, or something else? Does the usage give the impression of Hagrid from Harry Potter? It does to me, but I don't know if thats the right idea.


Word usage of 'query'

Is there anything wrong in the following sentence : > I **queried** Sonia about her Personal Computer. The sentence is akin to : > I **asked** Sonia about her Personal Computer. Am I right ?


Mid next week, mid week

I see people write middle of next week as "mid week" or should it be "mid next week?"   What is the simple and correct way to write " the middle of next week". May I write - "I will send the package before the middle of next week" as "I will send the package before mid next week"?


What is the difference between "meaning" and "definition"?

They seem to be used interchangeably, yet somehow, I feel there is a difference. Are there situations when one would use "definition" above "meaning", or "meaning" instead of "definition"? For example: > He gave the definition/meaning of the word "blow". as well as > The dictionary gave definitions/meanings of all words starting with 'o'. In the second example, why does "definition" sound more correct to me? Is there a kind of distinction when to use one or the other?


Saying that the mail has an attached form filled up by me?

Let's say I'm writing a letter to a university and my mail has an application form attached to it. How can I say it in a more formal and concise way than "Please see the attached application form that I filled up." or "Please find attached my filled-up application form." I would appreciate it if the answer starts with "Please see..." or "Please find attached..." Thank you!


Is this usage of 'curiously' correct?

I recently used a sentence similar to the following: > Curiously, do you prefer black? Some people found it grammatically incorrect. That was a surprise, for I thought it was perfectly okay. Someone even came with an alternative: > Out of curiosity, do you prefer black? Is the second sentence actually better? Is there a real difference (bar the number of characters)?


Emphasis is put on relation of A and B, instead of/on

Having the following sentence, I'm not sure how to use prepositions after 'instead': > The emphasis is put on the relation between A and B, instead of on A and B > themselves. Is "instead of on" correct? Also not sure about the usage of "themselves here".


Using 'When' + past participle 2

Is this sentence (a caption for a question/article) grammatically valid? > 'Getting 403 http code _when routed_ to the site's root' When is it suitable to use **WHEN** \+ **PARTICIPLE Ⅱ**? Should I use _being routed_ instead?


Ambiguity when a sentence contains multiple possessive pronouns

I have a question related to another one that I have asked. In the following sentence, whose father is being referenced? > Billy’s friend and his father were there. In the following re-structured sentence, whose friend is being referenced? > Billy’s father and his friend were there. Clearly, there is ambiguity about the second (or subsequent) nouns. Is there a better way to structure such sentences to remove the ambiguity?


"To charge (that...)" for "to claim/to assert" in AmE

While browsing my bilingual dictionary, Ed. 1985, I stumbled upon the verb "to charge" in a meaning defined as an Americanism [ _3(b) U.S.: **to charge that..._** _alléguer que..._ (to assert that)] without any further clarification. And so, I would like to know if "to charge" is currently used in the sense "to claim/assert" in modern day AmE, and also if it's appropriate in all but the least formal prose. Consider the following sourced examples: > Sarah Palin charged that Sen. Obama's tax plan is "so phony that it's > already starting to unravel"... source Critics charge that Mr. Obama misjudged Putin. source > Sen. Al Franken charged that "Republicans want to go back to the dark side > of the Bush administration". source When alarmists charged that the polar bear was being hunted to extinction... source > Glenn Beck, today, charged that Fox News is the home base for a horde of > liberals. source A registered nurse charged that there would be "legal genocide" if healthcare reform passes. source > Another doctor charged that such healthcare program are a bargain only for > people with two or three young children... source One critic in the New Yorker pointed out punctuation errors in her own work; another critic -- this time a teacher -- charged that... source > The humanities professor charged that Cattell had a lifetime commitment to > fascist and eugenics causes and should not be given the award. source Arthur Bester, a former teacher, charged that the diminished emphasis on fundamental intellectual discipline was anti democratic... source Ngram source http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/charge


What does “another” mean in this sentence?

If someone says “Tom broke another lamp,” does it imply that Tom already broke a lamp or that another lamp was previously broken by someone?


What's the English version of the German "oder?"

In German, you often add the question word _oder_ after a statement (", oder?") to ask whether the statement's correct. What is the equivalent of _oder_ in English? I always begin sentences with this scheme and then don't know how to finish them. Must I change my question structure for such questions? I know that you can ask whether a statement's correct by asking a negative like this: > You were in school last week, weren't you? With this, you also have to restructure your sentence in most cases How about this?: > You were in school last week, right? Is this structure used often or is this just a bad solution to the problem?


Can an object be assigned to multiple *categories*?

I am thinking about the very generic word _category_ and was wondering: Does the definition of the word _category_ relate more to kind of a box (an item may only be in one and only one box at a time) or more to some kind of a tag (an object may have multiple tags)?


If you send an email that you already sent, can you say you "resent" it? Same as "resenting" someone?

I resent my email. I resent my mother. I resent my email to my mother. Odd, isn't it?


Word for a person with the same opinion on everything?

There's a person I know who has the same opinion on everything. It never wavers from "very good" e.g. > That was a very good movie > > Brazil played a very good game > > The weather was very good yesterday They're not really an optimist per se, as a term such as the one I'm looking for could easily apply to someone with the opposite "very bad" opinion of everything. What I'm wondering is there a particular term for someone who has the same opinion on everything? * * * This is a similar (but not the same) question, and although some of the answers here (such as yeasayer) could work in certain contexts, they don't fully answer my question.


Word for varied with equal spacing

I'm looking for a less clumsy way to say: > The phase advance in the measurement plane was varied between the corrector > lenses and the measurement screen. Also with the additional constraint that the variation has to be equally spaced which is defined in the next sentence. I would prefer to put all the information into one sentence. The context is a scientific paper.


How can I rephrase "the best tool that reaches every corner of the world"

I'm doing some proofreading of a text written by a non-native English speaker regarding a project. This text is in the project's mission statement, saying they want to create a tool that will be used globally, especially in underdeveloped countries. I don't like this sentence, I think "the best tool that reaches every corner of the world" sounds translated, but I can't think of a better way to phrase it while conveying the same message. I thought of changing it to something like "an exceptional tool that reaches every corner of the world" but "exceptional" is not "the best". I thought of saying "the best tool for (whatever) that reaches every corner of the world" but I cannot sum up this huge program in one or two words as it has a huge number of features. Ideally I want to be able to change "the" to "an" with an appropriate word, but any other suggestions are helpful. Update: I wanted to upvote more answers but I apparently don't have enough reputation. There were some good suggestions, but I wanted to keep my language simple as it'll be mainly non-native speakers reading this text. Thank you all for your help.


What is the difference between "Employment" and "Job"?

I cannot understand the differences between the nouns (they both seem to mean "work"). For example: when we hire an employee, we have to define payroll and benefits for them. So which word better describes payroll and benefits, "Employment" or "Job"? Any help would be appreciated!


Why does "mash me a fin" mean loan me/give me five dollars?

I've heard mash me a fin used before and understood it to mean "loan me five dollars"; however, I don't understand why mash me a fin means loan me five dollars. The only example I could find of it was here in the Jive Dictionary: http://www.cabcalloway.cc/jive_dictionary.htm. Does anyone know why mash me a fin means loan me five dollars?


"is" or "play" for a role?

i heard someone say "Music is such an important role in my life." I have always thought "role" should be used with "play / have / take", so it goes like "Music has an important role in my life." Is it possible to say like the first sentence?


a word for an unfamiliar situation

Is there a single word for an unfamiliar situation or a better way of wording this? If a situation is unfamiliar to you.


How do you call the part of the food stand that displays the food?

How to you call this? ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/mMWpE.jpg) Like for using an a sentence like: > On the front, the [...] displayed all kinds of sushi.


Is there a verb in "Possibly the more possible possibility."?

I uttered the phrase "Possibly the more possible possibility." and wondered whether or not there was a verb in it, and therefore, whether or not it was actually a sentence at all? Did I mean "It is possibly the more possible possibility." and, therfore, the verb is "is" or "to be"?


Infinitive without "to"?

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  What is the correct way to use infinitive after the verb "help": with or > without "to"? Today I found this headline on bbc.co.uk > How one family is helping their son win the fight. which made me wonder when exactly it is allowed to omit the _to_.


Is it correct to say "John helps you talk with people"?

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  What is the correct way to use infinitive after the verb "help": with or > without "to"? Sorry if this is a stupid question, but English is not my first language. For me it seems that it is incorrect and it should be: _John helps you **to** talk with people_. But I'm wondering if it's correct without the _to_?


use of "to" after "helping one"

What is correct: > helping one to accomplish the dreams? OR > helping one accomplish the dreams? The question I have is about the use of **_to_** in the first sentence?


Different sentence structures

I helped him to get it done. I helped him get it done. Which one is better and the reason for preferring one over the other.


"Help rule out" vs. "help to rule out"

> **Duplicate of:**   >  What is the correct way to use infinitive after the verb "help": with or > without "to"?   >  “Could help avoid” vs. “could help to avoid”   >  “Helping you do something” or “Helping you to do something”?   >  Infinitive without “to”?   >  Is it correct to say “John helps you talk with people”? My sentence fragment possibilities are >   * ... can help rule out false alarms >   * ... can help to rule out false alarms > I feel like both are technically correct, and that the latter sounds somewhat more formal while the former may be a little more clear. I often come upon the general issue of when to use "to [verb]" or just "[verb]" — is there a general rule? Is only one of them _actually_ correct? (Even if someone can explain how to describe the difference between these cases would be appreciated, i.e. "infinitive vs. ___ _" )


"Helping you do something" or "Helping you to do something"?

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  What is the correct way to use infinitive after the verb "help": with or > without "to"? In the phrase "Helping you to master Russian", is it correct to use "to" before "master"?


Does "help" take the preposition "to"?

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  What is the correct way to use infinitive after the verb "help": with or > without "to"?   >  "Help rule out" vs. "help to rule out" I've seen the verb "help" be used transitively and intransitively - in the latter case, followed by the preposition "to" - in various sentences. For example, these should have identical meaning: > I'll help you do it. / I'll help you to do it.   >  Jim helps run the shop. / Jim helps to run the shop. Should it be used intransitively in this way, though? If we have a transitive version, doesn't it make sense to use that instead if we're using this verb with an infinitive? It also seems to me that using "help" intransitively in this way can lead to ambiguity; for example: > It helps to buy holidays. ... could mean that some previously stated thing helps with the process of buying holidays, or that buying holidays - in general - helps something. What would be the more likely meaning of the above sentence?


"Could help avoid" vs. "could help to avoid"

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  "Help to do" or "help do"? Is it correct to say: > The right sitting posture could help you avoid back problems. OR > The right sitting posture could help you **to** avoid back problems.


Is a bare infinitive acceptable as the object of a verb?

I came upon the phrase, "writing helps develop a child analytically thinking." Is this grammatically correct? Is it OK to use just _develop_ instead of _to develop_?


Help me get vs help me to get

Example sentences:   * I think that studying another day will help me to get a higher mark in the test   * I think that studying another week will help me to improve my qualities This is how I would say these sentence, but now I am unsure whether this form is correct or not, because I see many people use the other form ("help me get").


Two verbs used consecutively

Is it correct to say > Tsunami coupling in the code 'helps determine' human casualty i.e., is use of multiple verbs consecutively correct? Also, is it 'help determine' or 'helps determine'?


Helping improve or help To improve

Is "Helping Improve Lives"ok or should it be "Helping TO improve lives?"


Is it acceptable to use "become" without "to" before it?

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  What is the correct way to use infinitive after the verb “help”: with or > without “to”? I will use a condensed version of the actual sentence I'm working on: > We offer services throughout the county including helping families become > familiar with free counselling in their cities. I'm not happy with the 2 "-ing words" next to each other, but I'll deal with that later. A boss told me I ought to put in the _to_ before _become_ which is what I'm asking about here. It seems it could be used either way.


What does it mean when too much formality can appear menacing? Consider the responses when one asks for a lemon: > "Do you have any lemons in your fridge?"   * "No, sorry"   * "Nah"   * "No, I don't think so."   * "Nope."   * "Why? Do you need one?" These responses seem normal or even friendly for some reason. Yet, if I ask, > "Do you have any lemons in your fridge?" and the response is   * **"No."**   * **"No, I don't."**   * **"Why?"** These sentences seem different in tone. Something about their length makes them seem much more hostile. Is there a name for what I'm talking about?


Compound subject whose parts are joined by "and" and verb agreement : when is the singular correct?

I am in doubt as to whether the subject-verb agreement of the second sentence of this paragraph is correct : > Unfortunately, there is no such thing as the ideal home workshop because > most people are limited by the space available and by their budget. > > However, the information and diagram here acts as a guide to help you > formulate a sensible workshop layout and a machinery “wish list”. I suppose if the compound subject is seen as a single unit, then the sentence can be considered as correct. A little further in the same book, another sentence has a singular verb with a compound subject : > Alternatively commandeer a garage, or build yourself a substantial workshop > if outdoor space and permission allows – however, do consider the impact of > machinery noise on your neighbours. Can "outdoor space and permission" be seen as one thing, or would this be considered a mistake ?


Difference between "governorate", "province" and "state"

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  What are: province, territory, protectorate, state…? Canada has provinces, the US has states and Egypt has governorates. What's the difference?


Can I use “You say Tomato, I (we) say X,” in the exactly same manner as “We agree to disagree,” in day-to-day conversation?

I found an interesting phrase, “You say Tomato, I say X” in the headline of the article of Time magazine (June 9). The headline and lead copy read: “You say Tomato, I say Bailout: How Spain agreed to be rescued. Knowing how bailouts doomed the governments of other countries, Madrid insists it has accepted a massive "loan" to recapitalize its banks. Others, however, are calling it as they see it.” I found out also that “You say Tomato, I say Bailout “ is a twist of the phrase, “You like tomato and I like tomahto;” in the verse of the song by George and Ira Gershwin, "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off." (1937) through Google. It says the song was a pretty old, of 1937. Is this still popular phrase that I can use in day-to-day conversation, or even at a formal meeting to express “We are different in opinion”? For instance, people’s opinions are sharply split in Japan today as to which should come first, government’s spending cut, or consumption tax increase. Can I say to our govenment “You say tomato, we say government’s spending cut”?


"As a side note" vs. "on a side note"

What is the difference between > "as a side note" and "on a side note"? Are they interchangeable? Which one is preferred over the other?


Pluralization of Germanisms

The German noun "Ansatz" is widely used (at least) in physics and, less frequently, in math texts in English. I have seen it always in singular though and now I must use its (English) plural. The German plural of this word is "Ansätze". Which of the following plural forms is the right one for the Germanism "Ansatz"?   1. Ansatzs (perhaps the expected one)   2. Ansätze (too exaggerated?)   3. other unexpected, like "these Ansatz are..." (unchanged)


What's the etymology of "harelip"?

I know it's no longer used much, having been replaced by the more clinical "cleft lip". The spelling makes me suspect it's named for the animal, as rabbits have a similar feature on their faces, but couldn't find any decent evidence thereof.


How to make a citation for a sentence that is used in my own context?

I have read something from an author and I think I would like to use part of his idea in my own context. But how should I cite the author so that it isn't misleading? Let me give an example. Suppose I have read this and wanted to use this idea from Dunne & Raby in my article: > Critical design uses designed artifacts as an embodied critique or > commentary on consumer culture. Since my article is written in my own context, I may end up using the sentence this way: > The design of Product X is an embodied critique on the consumer culture. Now, if I were cite Dunne & Raby: > The design of Product X is an embodied critique on the consumer culture > (Dunne & Raby, 1999). This may appear as if Dunne & Raby said that Product X is an embodied critique on the consumer culture when they were actually commenting about something more general. I can't put quotes either since I'm lifting it entirely from its original statement. Would how I have cited the author correct in the form of APA citation? If not, how should I cite it so that it would be clearer?


Find the error in this sentence?

I have the following sentence from SAT practice. Fran **(A) would be happy** to assist Brad, had he **(B) simply** requested help **(C) early enough to give** her time **(D) to complete** her own assignments. There is either one error in this sentence or no error at all; the error must be within the parts in bold (A, B, C, D). Is there any error in this sentence? Thanks!


I need a single word meaning "to keep silence"

The Hermitic tradition names four powers attributed to the Sphinx: to know, to dare, to will, and to keep silence. I am looking for a short word which means "to keep silence" to use in a graphic design along with the short words for the other three powers. My current design drafts use "know", "dare", "will", and "hold", but "hold" doesn't quite fit the intended meaning; and neither does "hide". Both "hold" and "hide" physically work well within the design, however. An ideal candidate would be similar in length to the other three, be a single word, and not be outright silly. (I.e., "zip it" would could fit, but it is two words and idiomatic, although it is short enough to fit within the design constraints.) In context, the phrase "to keep silence" refers to "a prudence which nothing can corrupt and nothing intoxicate" in the words of the occultist Eliphas Lévi.


Is there a word or expression for a small crush on someone?

I am not very sure if the word _crush_ ("an intense and usually passing infatuation") can be used between two strangers. For example, a man sees a beautiful woman for the first time in his life. Could he have a _crush_ on the woman? It seems to me that the word _crush_ is too strong. If I want to express a feeling in the heart–some small movement in the heart caused by seeing the woman–what word would I use? It's just a temporary flash in the heart. It seems the heart is moved by some force. How does English address such feelings other than by saying: "I had a _temporary heart-moving crush_ on you"?


Why can't I say "I have a brown hair"?

Why can't I say, "I have a brown hair," to describe the colour of my hair?


Past participle of a verb created from an acronym

> Standard GPL would require that those applications be GPL'd (or compatible > licensing), whereas LGPL requires only the library's source to be made > available. Is the use of words like _GPL'd_ common to other acronyms?   Is the meaning of such words understandable from common people?


Etymology of million vs. millennium

Why is it that a period of one thousand years is a millennium, but one million is a thousand thousands?


All X is Y but not all Y is X

I am looking for a specific word to describe a concept such that its meaning is linear and one-way. Such is the case for the title of this question. X would be of this concept and Y would not, Y would be the opposite of this concept. For example, all automobiles are motor vehicles but not all motor vehicles are automobiles. I cannot seem to find any word to relate to this. Any advice/guidance is very much appreciated.


"Ph" for the /f/ sound; Is Old English responsible for this swap?

Is Old English responsible for creating the /f/ sound from _ph_ , as in _Philip_ , _Pharoah_ , _Physics_ , _Sophia_ , etc? Many European countries keep the _f_ for all of their /f/-sounding letters, as in _Sofia_ and _Stefan_ , for example.


Where is the subject and verb here etc.?

The sentence "The principle is, the farther from the scene of horror, the easier the talk." looks and sounds fine to me, but if I wrote it my internal editor would worry vaguely. To make things less vague here are some questions: Is "the principle" the subject? Is "is" the verb? Are the phrases "the farther[...]" and "the easier[...]" adverb phrases or prepositional phrases or something else?


hands on training

when can we use "hands on training" ? Does it mean that you have some thorough knowledge or a practical knowledge about that particular thing ?


Does "lying" only refer to something you know is not true at the time you speak it?

Is it proper to use _lying_ to refer to something one says one will do (or not do) and then later fail to follow through on, either due to neglect or forgetfulness? I have heard twice in the same week, in completely different circles, people use _lying_ to refer to something other than the intent to deceive. I corrected it, the first time. When it came up the second time in a different context I wondered if I was missing something! **So sorry to even have bothered you all with this. Apparently these were folks making use of one particular definition of lie and ignoring or not aware of the obvious primary definition. You're right! It is right there in the dictionary!**


"Crisis", "drama" and similar words in the news

Today I read the economist headline: > On to the next crisis. Automatic spending cuts took effect on March 1st; > more drama is to come I startled at the word ‘drama’. It would be regarded as inappropriate in my mother tongue, German, to use the word ‘drama’, because it would have too much connotation of a theatre play. One would either use some alternative generic term like ‘crisis’, which has a grave connotation in German, or get more specific,like ‘recession’, ‘tense times’, ‘unemployment’. On the other hand, German media frequently use the term ‘drama’ whenever people are trapped or being held captive, like in ‘rescue drama’ or ‘hostage drama’. It seems that ‘hostage drama’ loses by numbers against ‘hostage crisis’ in the English language, according to Search engine fight. Similar with ‘rescue crisis’ and ‘rescue drama’; see Another search engine fight Question: Is ‘drama’ an appropriate word for serious problems? Question: What are the conventions or commonalities in using the words ‘drama’, ‘disaster’, ‘crisis’, ‘calamity’, etc., in the news? How do these reflect in non-journalist speech?


What do we call an adjective made of a verb?

What do we call adjectives formed from verbs? For example:   * _Lost_ is an adjective made from _lose_ ,   * _Forgotten_ is an adjective made from _forget_ ,   * _Broken_ is an adjective made from _break_. What is the technical term for such adjectives? Do they have a name at all?


Description of physical labor

Looking for a phrase that means putting your back or muscle into a task, like rowing. Is there another word for "it", as in "put your back into it"---is there another way to say it, such as "leaning into..."


What does ‘Stubbed toes” mean in the sentence, “Curse words used to be reserved for “stubbed toes,”?

I came across the sentence, “Curse words used to be reserved for private conversations or stubbed toes,” in the article in Education section of New York Times (February 1), titled “Have curse words become so common they have lost their shock value?” The article begins with the following lines: > “Curse words used to be reserved for private conversations or **_stubbed > toes_** , but over the past few decades they seem to have solidly found > their way into popular culture — into hit songs and television shows, even > book titles and company names.” I know “stubbed toes” is an accidental but painful injury on the toe. Is it common to use ‘stubbed toes’ in psychological connotation in this way apart from physical injury accompanied with an acute pain that was my original perception? P.S. As I reflect my misinterpretation of “stubbed toes,” it might come from behavioral (or cultural) difference of expressions of pains used between Westerners and Japanese. When we Japanese stubbed toes, pricked hands, pinched fingers, stamped a nail, whatever, we don’t or seldom curse, though sometimes we blurt “Chikushou畜生 –God dam.” We simply shout “itai-痛い!” “Oh ite-e おお痛え!” meaning “Ouch.” It didn’t come to my mind at first that “Stubbed toes” can be associated with swear words.


When making a decision, how many "choices" are there?

Suppose I put a coin on a table. I can do this in two ways: heads up or heads down. > **Question** : How many choices do I make? It looks like I have one choice in the sense of having one _decision_. But, at the same time, I have two _options_ (which is a synonym for "choice"; ref. Wiktionary, Thesaurus.com), so we could also say that I have two choices too. This grammatical situation arises frequently in combinatorial mathematics; some random examples are > When you have n things to choose from ... you have n choices each time! -- > MathsIsFun.com and > You can count the number of permutations of a set of n elements in the > following way: there are n choices for the first item, then (n-1) choices > for the second item, and after choosing those two, (n-2) choices for the > third item, and so on. -- Albyn Jones In both of these cases, there is a single decision to be made at each step, but there are (in general) multiple options.


How to refer to a specific floor of a building

Are there any differences between "floor" and "Floor" when talking about areas of a building? For example, "The children book section is on the 4th floor" or "The children book section is on the 4th Floor" And I found a sentence like "Computers are available on the 5th and 6th _floors_ "? Why is "floor" plural?


what does it mean when some one says " I was calculating your cake penalty"?

Someone sent me an email with the following phrase. I was wondering if this is a known phrase. > I was just calculating your cake penalty.


Is it possible to regard -id as a suffix forming adjectives in Modern English?

The morphemic status of -id can be proved by its regular occurrence in Modern English adjectives (mostly of Roman origin): horrid, stupid, rapid, acid, sordid, valid, solid, etc.


What does "last month" mean?

Let me explain the situation. Today is Oct 31, 2012. After I got my October pay-slip yesterday I had the following conversation: > Me: Hey guy, I have a question to ask you about the pay-slip of the last > month. I think the number is incorrect.   >  X: It is $10, is it correct?   >  Me: No, I mean last month (I mean September) not this month.   >  X: Last month? Okay. I want to know, did I use "last month" correctly in this case? I used "last month" because this month is not passed yet, so I used it to refer to the month before this month. And if it is incorrect, what word should I use.


Synonyms for "curate" in US English

What synonyms are there for "curate", as in (to quote here) to > select, organize, and present (suitable content, typically for online or > computational use), using professional or expert knowledge I'm from the UK – I just passed a sentence under the eyes of a US friend who said it didn't sound quite right. The best alternative we could come up with was "pick and choose". I'm wording a press statement, so I'd like something succinct. The contexts are > Blah today introduced Blah, a revolutionary experience on the Apple® iPad > that curates the best ... for the user. > > Blah learns what you like, and curates streams of it for you


"The pair was ..." or "the pair were ..."

I've recently read a blurb from a local paper that included the following: > The pair was drinking prior to the shooting. To me, this appears wrong and I would say that the proper way to make the statement would be: > The pair were drinking prior to the shooting. Is the original article correct?


Usage of "if and only if" as a nontechnical term

The phrase _"if and only if"_ (`iff`) is commonly used in the field of mathematics (`⇔`) and computer programming, as a conditional expression in classical (Boolean) logic. Within that scope, it might not mean the same as a simple _"if:"_ > If it rains, I will get wet. _I will get wet if it rains, but, there are numerous ways to get wet._ > I will get wet, if and only if it rains. _Only rain, exclusively, can make me wet._ Do these distinctions apply in this way (example above), outside of the aforementioned domain?


Expression for "cold headhunting"

Is there an expression for the case when someone receives an email from a recruiter with whom he had no previous contact? I am looking for a term other than _headhunting_ , like _salesman knocking on cold doors_ , as it's said in other languages.


Past Perfect vs. Simple Past Usage

I've been brushing up on the past perfect tense recently, and after reading the following sentence on a website, I feel like it's missing a key element: > "Many progressives, who thought well of Wilson's dream of a new world order, > drew back in revulsion when the terms of the treaty were published." Shouldn't there be a _had_ after _who_?


Usage of “as per”

Could you show me how to use the word _as per_ in a sentence? Can I make sentences something like the following: > I changed the image _as per_ the suggestion of my boss. Or could you give me an alternative to the phrase?


"Had changed destiny"

I want to write something that means the same thing as "had changed destiny." I was going to use those words, but something didn't seem right. I googled that phrase, and came up with only one thing. So I don't think it's grammatically correct. Is it? What could I say that means the same thing?


Use of "would" for subjunctive phrases

This has been bugging me for some time; I tried to look for previous questions here but my language tools may not be sharp enough to phrase my query correctly so please forgive me if this has already been posted here. Speakers of English as a foreign language tend to incorrectly use the word "would" when using some particular subjunctive constructs. Here is one example (this time presumably by a native English speaker): > If that would happen, you won’t be alone. (One correct version being "If that happens, you won't be alone".) I have detected this in speakers of a number of languages so I feel this is more likely to be a feature of the English language itself than a carry-over from their native language. I have a faint intuition that this is because the English subjunctive is not very distinctive, and it certainly doesn't help that a number of correct forms _do_ have subunits like that, but I can neither make that precise nor even really phrase a concrete question. Can someone shed some light on this?


The word order and prepositions in an example

Background to the sentence: a system activates itself after temperature has been deviated for [X] seconds. Now I want to describe what X does and I just cannot figure it out. My best attempts are: > The value X specifies the time period for which the temperature has to be > deviated. > > The value X specifies the time period during which the temperature has to be > deviated.


Is "non-vegetarian" a correct word?

I've heard that the words "non-veg" and "non-vegetarian" are not legal English words (i.e aren't in the dictionary). Is this true? If so, what is the right way to say that something contains ingredients that are not pure vegetarian or that someone eats meat?


"[wh-word] X [verb] Y?" in Indian English

In Indian English, you will often hear constructions like the following: > Why Lord Ayyappa isn't a avatar of Lord Mahavishnu?   >  Why each day of the week is dedicated to a particular god?   >  Why lord Shiva has a crescent moon on his head? That is, rather than being of the form "Why [verb] X Y?", we have "Why X [verb] Y?". This occurs with all kinds of verbs (not just stative ones), e.g. "Why you went there?" for "Why did you go there?"; and also with other wh- words, e.g. "What you are doing?" for "What are you doing?". I don't think I natively speak any variety of Indian English, but I've heard enough of it to know that the "[wh-word] X [verb] Y?" construction is considered perfectly grammatical (albeit I think it is proscribed in writing?). "[wh-word] [verb] X Y?" would probably be acceptable in Indian English, though I suspect it would mark you as a non-native speaker (of that dialect). Now, as we know, this construction is ungrammatical in British English (and also American, for what it's worth). What I want to know is this: **how did this construction come to be common and even grammatical in Indian English?** Is this word order "calqued" (so to speak) from Hindi or something like that? (If nothing else, I can say that the Dravidian languages probably have nothing to do with it - they're all SOV languages.)


Is this list punctuated correctly?

I am in the process of writing my CV/Resume and want to list my skills with a brief explanation of how I learnt them. So far I have been using:   * Marketing Experience - Gained from owning a small online business.   * Flexible Worker - A basic requirement of my previous role as a general assistant.   * IT Skills - Gained from 2 years of software development as a hobby.   * etc... Is this correct? I thought about using a colon instead of the dash but would that be grammatically incorrect?


What is the word for inserting additional letters when pronouncing a word?

A while back I ran across a word that described the act of inserting additional letters or sounds when a person pronounces a word (which results in a mispronunciation). What is the word that has this meaning? Update: My original example wasn't very good, but Brian Donovan provided a good example--decathlon pronounced as "decathalon" (inserting a second "a" sound where there is no "a"). Another example: hamster pronounced as "hampster"


Commutative, or "semantically palindromic" sentences

Being a mathematician with mathematician friends, my friends and I occasionally like to joke about the peculiarities of the English language. This one came up recently: Obviously, most English sentences and phrases cannot be read backwards and forwards and maintain the same meaning. For instance, "watch this" and "this watch" have clearly different meanings. In mathematics, we call this _non- commutativity_ , and it is deeply interesting. So the question is, can anyone think of a phrase or sentence which has the same semantic meaning when the _words_ are read from right to left?


Is there a term for the phenomenon of adding more words to a sentence makes it less clear?

This article ends with "Judicial races in Washtenaw County are nonpartisan ...". This is technically accurate, but is also misleading (or is it?) as it implies races elsewhere (such as Wayne County) _are_ partisan. (They are not, **all** judicial races in Michigan are nonpartisan). Writing the sentence as "Judicial races ~~in Washtenaw County~~ are nonpartisan ..." is also correct, and with fewer words; and presumably (?) less misleading.   1. Is the original sentence misleading?   2. If so, is there a name for the unintuitive phenomenon where **adding** words makes a sentence _less_ it accurate?


Is “shall” an appropriate word for a scientific thesis?

May I use the word _shall_ in my scientific thesis? As in > The relevant ones shall be introduced in the following. Or is _shall_ considered slang or outdated?


Does "the way around" means the same thing as "the opposite"?

A talks with B, A says, the universe revolves around the earth. B says, no,it is the way around. Is this use of "the way around" comprehensible, just meaning the same as "it is the opposite"?


Why "step into a car" but "step onto a plane"

Why do we say _stepped into a car_ with cars but can't say the same with planes? Instead we say _stepped onto a plane_.


synonyms for "copying a person"?

Hey could someone please tell me what is the word or synonym for "copying someone's pose, style , get up"?


"Whip" in British politics

In Britain (and perhaps former British colonies) the term "whip" is used in a number of different ways in politics. The below article, in particular, talks about "losing" or "removal" of the whip. There are 3-line whips, and other references to the term common in British politics. ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/ll5xg.png) Can someone please explain the origin, etymology, and the variety of usage of the term in common political parlance?


"To search for something" versus "to look for something": are these verbs synonyms?

Are the verb phrases "to search for something" and "to look for something" synonyms?


For an unlimited time or For unlimited time or other ways

Is there any other way of saying 'unlimited time'? We are giving away a product for free for unlimited time. The actual sentence looks like these: Now FREE for Unlimited Users for Unlimited Time. Do I have to add an 'an' before unlimited or just leave it as it is? Or, is there any other way of saying 'unlimited time'?


“Woman” is to “coquette” as “man” is to what?

_Wiktionary_ reads: > **coquette:** a _woman_ who flirts or plays with _men_ ’s affections. Is there an English word which fits the following definition? > **???:** a _man_ who flirts or plays with _women_ ’s affections.


Continuous present tense in the place of simple present tense

Given the following sentence in the continuous present tense. > Are you doing your work regularly (or daily)? It is a major source of my confusion. It is very unlikely to have such a tense. Although it is the event that occurs regularly (mostly occurs daily), some speakers use such compositions especially those who study in English medium schools in my country, I do not know anything about native English speakers (It should **not** be mentioned here but very unluckily, I could not join a school because of some unavoidable circumstances, I am a self-learner). In my native language, I have never seen such a sentence, neither in speaking nor in writing. We always use the following composition in the simple present tense. > Do you do your work regularly (or daily)? How likely is it possible to have such a sentence in English (the first one)? In which particular situations, is it used?


Idiom/expression for "responsible for what happened."

Example: > I doubt the kids are responsible for what happened. What idiom/expression can I use to replace the _responsible for what happened_ part? Something that isn't as straight forward as the example.


Is there a word for the day after a due day?

Is there a word for the succeeding day after the last day of a period? Let’s say I had to do a homework assignment and I had to submit it before a specific date. One that due date passes, I may be subject to penalties according to the number of days late. Here is another example. Suppose I had to pay a bill until a specific date. I'm running late by one day. I can still pay, but I have to pay interest too, according to the number of days in late. If it was one day late, is there a word for that? What if it were two days late? Is there a word for the second of the two, or for both these days together?


"Advise" vs. "advise that"

> ... and I want to **advise** they, too, come for a session. > > ... and I want to **advise that** they, too, come for a session. The first is how I first wrote it. Do I need _that_?


"Let's/We let A be a variable"

Suppose I am giving a math talk and I am going to write on the board _Let A be a variable_. What do I say while I write? Can I say _Let's let A be a variable_ or should I write _We let A be a variable_ and say the same thing?


Equivalent for "inhumane" in regard to animals

It's probably appropriate to use the word _inhumane_ when referring to the improper treatment of animals, but I was just curious if there was another term in the English language that refers to the improper way to treat an animal. Generally speaking, _inhumane_ simply means _lacking qualities of sympathy, pity, warmth, compassion, or the like; cruel; brutal_ , but it can also mean _not suited for human beings_. But I think that the ethical standards for treating a human are slightly different than the standards for treating any other animal, so it would be appropriate to have its own word. Does such a word exist?


Origin of the idiom "If ifs and buts were candy and nuts..."

I'm interested in the origin of the idiom: > If "ifs" and "buts" were candy and nuts, we'd all have a merry Christmas. Furthermore, how should its meaning be interpreted? Are there alternate endings?


Omission of "and" in headlines

What is this phenomenon called? Is it common in all English-speaking countries?


What is the name of the truck shown in this picture?

I noticed that questions on trucks are generally welcome on EL&U. The truck in the picture below is called "bisarca", a single Italian word. Translating "bisarca" with Italian-English dictionaries, I found "transporter" (a large vehicle used to carry heavy objects) and "car transporter" (a large vehicle used to carry cars). The former seems very general to me, and the latter is formed by two words. I'm therefore wondering if a _single_ English word exists to name this kind of trucks: ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/DL8nn.jpg)


Is it a good practice to refer to countries, ships etc using the feminine form?

While talking about ships and countries, is it a good practice to use the feminine form? For example: "Her economy" - while referring to a country's economy "Her flag (or deck etc)" - while referring to a ship Is this practice common? Is it used today?


Why are some English nouns referred by "she" but never by "he"?

> **Possible Duplicates:**   >  Is it a good practice to refer to countries, ships etc using the feminine > form?   >  When referring to a noun, when does the gender matter? What is the origin of referring to some nouns by "she" but never by "he"?   Can I refer to Internet as "she"?


When referring to a noun, when does the gender matter?

In most languages, gender plays a much more important role than in English. Nevertheless, it _is_ possible to refer to a noun using its gender. > The ship was launched on 4 October 1853. Tayleur left Liverpool on 19 > January 1854, on **her** maiden voyage. How does one know that "ship" is feminine? Are there masculine nouns?


What is the origin of the phrase "you've got another thing/think coming"?

What is the origin of the phrase "you've got another thing coming"? And — perhaps more importantly — is it more correct than the alternative "you've got another think coming"?


> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  What is the origin of the phrase "you've got another thing/think coming"? Which is correct: "another think coming" or "another thing coming"? I have seen/heard both. Is one correct or more common?


Why are bacteria referred to using botanic terms (flora, blooming)?

I've seen a lot of information lately about _intestinal flora_ or _gut flora_ but I was under the impression that _flora_ refers exclusively to plant life. So how did bacteria come to be called flora? I am aware that they aren't really animals either, but naming them after plant life seems... wrong. To confuse matters further, aquariums often suffer from a condition called _bacterial blooming_ which has nothing to do with flowers. P.S. There is indeed a Yahoo Answers! post about this topic, but it would be nice to have a more language-based discussion.


Is there a verb for remaining silent?

Dutch has the verb _zwijgen_ , which means _remaining silent_. _Ik zwijg_ means _I remain silent_ or _I say nothing_. It is also often used as an imperative, similar to _shut up_. I have been discussing this with some native English speakers who have sound understanding of Dutch, and we couldn't come up with a verb in English. Does it exist?


Divided by half - meaning

If someone says "Fifteen divided by half", I would interpret that literally to mean 15/0.5, or 30. However, I usually see it interpreted as 15/2, or 7.5. Which interpretation is correct?


"Recommend you to" vs. "recommend that you"

> I recommend you to define those parameters beforehand.   >  I recommend that you define those parameters beforehand. Are both sentences grammatically correct? If yes, do they mean the same thing? If yes, which one should I use?


Usage of 'customs' in lieu of 'immigration'

Over at the Travel SE beta (it's in private beta so I'm not sure how many here will be able to access it), I came across a question whether the OP uses _"clearance through US Customs"_ when I'm assuming s/he actually means _US immigration_. (Here, I'm relying on the definition that 'immigration' handles visa clearance, 'customs' handles tax collection for goods.) I have come across this particular usage earlier too, mostly among American travellers. Is this usage US-specific - and is it an 'error'*? (* An error in the sense that the actual department at the airport, say, is US Immigration but people mistakenly call it 'Customs'.)


How did oxytonic come to mean “final accent” rather than “acute accent”?

In Samuel Martin's _Reference Grammar of Japanese_ (1975), the author describes the location of lexical accent on Japanese words using the following terms:   * _Prototonic_ : The accent is at the beginning of the word.   * _Mesotonic_ : The accent is somewhere in the middle of the word.   * _Oxytonic_ : The accent is at the end of the word.  _Prototonic_ and _mesotonic_ seem clear enough to me, literally meaning something like "beginning tone" and "medial tone". But _oxytonic_ is less obvious to me. It seems like it should mean something like "final tone", but when I look up _oxy-_ in dictionaries I instead find something like "sharp, acute". This is explained somewhat in _The Oxford English Dictionary_ in the definition for _oxytone_ : > **oxytone** , _a._ and _n. Gram._ , chiefly _Gr. Gram._ > > (ˈɒksɪtəʊn) > > Also **oxyton**. > > [ad. Gr. ὀξύτον-ος having the acute accent, f. ὀξυ- sharp, acute + τόνος > pitch, tone, accent.] > > **a.** _adj._ Having an acute accent on the last syllable. **b.** _n._ A > word so accented. So it seems that _oxy-_ refers to an "acute" accent. But I must confess it's still not entirely clear to me. How did this word come to be used for an acute accent on the **final** syllable specifically? Weren't acute accents used historically on **non-final** syllables as well? Was there a language where acute accents only fell on final syllables? In short, how did _oxytonic_ come to mean "final accent" rather than "acute accent"?


Differences between "different", "divergent", "disparate" and "distinct"

What are the differences between _different_ , _divergent_ , _disparate_ and _distinct_?


How to write a proper research paper with the use of pronouns referring to myself?

I am writing a research paper or report that is based on the development of my own product. Traditionally, the University I study in recommends that a research paper or report must be written by groups of 3 at least; however, due to the lack of students in my own college, I have to do mine alone. I am developing a certain product that has several types of functionality, attributes and features, and I am required to document all of it. Usually, I would write a paper that would only involve the "author" and the "reader" with the pronoun "We". For example, > "It is likely that we will experience several improvements.." My problem is that I came across a section of my paper to which I must explain to the reader that "I" myself have prepared a table that will further explain the product's functions in details. Is it right that I use the phrase, > "In order to better explain the features and functionality of this product, > I have prepared a table that simplifies and broadens the information > regarding the aforementioned subjects." Or, is it better to only refer "we" being the author and the reader? I know it probably depends on the actual author, but I am curious to know which might be the best to recommend.


A person who finds peace or pleasure in seeing other people in same trouble that he is in

Consider a person who is in pain, sad and in a difficult position/situation, and finds another man in the same situation and feels happy. What would we call such a person? There is a word having its roots in German, "schadenfreude", which means "to derive pleasure from someone else's misfortune", but this does not fit exactly here as _schadenfreude_ does not take the situation of the subject into consideration. It cannot be sadism either, as that is when the person revels in inflicting pain. There is a sense of camaraderie in this situation where the person relates to the pain of the others and somehow his own pain is alleviated. Is there a more precise word to fit the bill?


Why numbers are sometimes pronounced as individual numbers?

456 four hundred fifty-six. four, five, six. Is there any rule or something? Is the second one just for faster pronunciation?


Recognizing a Welsh accent

For an American, I'm pretty good at UK dialects. I can immediately tell an Irish or Scottish accent from a typical (educated, Londoner) English accent. But I'm on shaky ground with _Welsh_ accents, which I hear are also distinctive.   * What phonological characteristics are distinctives of a Welsh accent?   * Are there any good recordings I can listen to in order to hear the difference between Welsh and English accents? **Edit** : To clarify, I'm not asking about the Welsh language, but about the English language as pronounced by people from Wales.


What's the difference between "universality" and "pervasiveness"?

The meanings of these two words seem the same, but their spellings are very different.


Smileys inside or outside quotation marks?

Should smiley be merged into quotation marks as if it were punctuation? > I don't like to "move it, move it ;-)." > > cf. Did she say "you shall?" Or be kept outside quotation marks, as a word? > I don't like to "move it, move it" ;-) > > cf. Sure you can "move it, move it" _wink_


"Please let me know."

Is it okay to answer "Please let me know", short (without "when...", "if...", "what...", etc.)? Consider for instance > \-- I can check that for you tomorrow morning. > > \-- Yes, please let me know.


What is the earliest recorded pun in the English language?

So, I'll admit I love a good pun. Done correctly, it is humor for the clever that builds up rather than tears down. Plus, it beats an emetic in the right situation. That said, I wonder how far back puns go. My assumption is that all languages have puns, but even still, it would be fun to know how far back they go. Is there a commonly accepted "Ur-pun" that could be considered the first in the English language?


"It is black's turn" or "it is blacks turn"?

Is it _black's turn_ to move in chess, or is it _blacks turn_?


"Please, cut the apple in halves." or "Please, cut it in half."?

I've heard native speakers use "half" but never "halves" in such sentences. If we cut an apple into two identical pieces, we get two halves. It shouldn't, therefore, sound wrong if one used "halves". Would it be wrong to use the plural here?


Is there a term for co-opting one word into a secondary, derogatory meaning?

Is there a term for when a word is co-opted and converted into a derogatory variant of the original term? For instance, "OCD" is defined as: > Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder characterized by > intrusive thoughts that produce uneasiness, apprehension, fear, or worry; by > repetitive behaviors aimed at reducing the associated anxiety; or by a > combination of such obsessions and compulsions. Symptoms of the disorder > include excessive washing or cleaning; repeated checking; extreme hoarding; > preoccupation with sexual, violent or religious thoughts; relationship- > related obsessions; aversion to particular numbers; and nervous rituals, > such as opening and closing a door a certain number of times before entering > or leaving a room. But if you actually _hear_ the term OCD it is almost always in a context similar to: > Lol, I always organize my library alphabetically. I'm so OCD... > > I organize things by color. OCD, I guess. This cultural redirection has very little to do with _actual_ OCD but it is an incredibly popular usage. The term I am looking for would fit into the following sentence: > OCD originally referred to a serious anxiety disorder but was [word] into a > description roughly meaning "appreciates order and organization." The reason I mention it being "derogatory" is because most of the time I hear this alternative usage it is a self-derogatory manner or somehow poking fun at a self-consciousness around the (not actually OCD) behavior. Other terms I have heard get used this way:   * retarded -- originally a description of someone's IQ but now a blanket description for any foolish or stupid thing   * ADD/ADHD -- originally a diagnosis around having severe concentration problems but became a blanket description for anyone that _could_ become distracted   * dyslexia -- originally a learning disorder focused on learning to read but became a description of isolated instances of spelling errors * * * This is somewhat related to How do words become derogatory or politically incorrect? but I'm looking for a very different word.


How did 'oyster' come to mean 'an extremely taciturn person'?

Merriam-Webster definition #4 of 'oyster': ' _an extremely taciturn person_ '. Since Online Etymology Dictionary says nothing about, can anybody say when and how 'oyster' assumed that meaning?


Syntax of have - already - yet

I am not sure about the last bit of the following sentence whether it is grammatically correct or not. Isn't the usage of the two words "already" and "yet" tautologous? I think one of each is actually enough to express what I want to say > Thus, to avoid any clashes I would be very grateful if you could inform me > about any dates you may have already arranged yet. Many thanks!


Common word for discount and supplement

I need a common word that in its meaning include either _discount_ or _supplement_.


Usage of brackets/parentheses

When and how do we use the different kinds of brackets/parentheses — (){}[] — while writing English (not code)?


Retroflex approximants in AE dialects

While looking up the best way to describe the aboriginal pronunciation of Uluru (`/uluɻu/`), I stumbled across retroflex approximants. The linked Wikipedia page states: > The retroflex approximant occurs in **American English** , Mandarin Chinese, > Pashto, a few Brazilian Portuguese dialects ... It then proceeds to state that red is pronounced as `/ɻʷɛd/` in certain American dialects. Going by the audio sample provided on the page, I find this a little hard to imagine. The article links to another wiki on English phonology which confirms that: > Depending on dialect, /r/ may be an alveolar approximant [ɹ], postalveolar > approximant, **retroflex approximant [ɻ]** , or labiodental approximant [ʋ]. So, who in the US pronounces _red_ as `/ɻʷɛd/`? How did this come about?


Why is the feminine equivalent of an earl a countess rather than an earless?

A comment by Tim Lymington notes that the wife of an earl is a _countess_. Why is this so? Shouldn't it have been _earless_? Was this perhaps a conscious decision due to its homography with ear-less? Did a jarl ever have a _jarless_? Ah. Perhaps not.


Is it “a company who makes ...” or “a company that makes...”?

Regarding the fact that a company is made up of people and we use _who_ for people, is it proper to use _who_ here?


"I'm going to help you like I promised." Good English? Informal? Only colloquially acceptable? Wrong?

I've often heard this kind of sentence where one substitutes the conjunction "like" for "as". Is it acceptable in written English? Is it considered wrong in spoken English?


Meaning - 'of us'

Would someone please explain its meaning? Also, what's the antecedent of 'which'? > In his Commentaries on the Laws of England, William Blackstone contended > that the distinction between private wrongs and crimes was: > >> ... As if I detain a field from another man, to which the law has given him a right, this is a civil injury, and not a crime; for here only the right of an individual is concerned, and it is immaterial to the public, which **of us** is in possession of the land: but treason, murder and robbery are properly marked among crimes; since besides the injury done to individuals, they strike at the very being of society; which cannot possibly subsist, where actions of this sort are suffered to escape with impunity. Source: P138-139, How the Law Works, Gary Slapper


What is the word for a person who does the opposite of what he speaks?

I am looking for a word to let others understand that somebody is a person who does exactly the opposite of what he speaks. Is there any word for this?


What does "Had X not Y" mean?

In this sentence, > It should have, had the umpire not been intimidated by the reputation of the > man who had come in to bat why "had" is being used here? what is its meaning in the above context? Can I write this instead? > The umpire should have not been intimidated by the reputation of the man who > came in to bat.


1. What the hell did I marry?    2. Why the hell did I marry?    3. When the hell did I marry?   4. Where the hell did I marry?   5. ... Can all question words be followed by "the hell"?


The attachment has "already been sent" or has "been already sent"?

While writing an email to my finance, I tried to convey that i had previously sent the referred attachment. Is there terminology that signifies a previous "File Attachment" Could anyone please help me to understand?


Should "et al." be in italics?

Should "et al." be written in italics, or not? My impression was that it was, but http://www.ece.ucdavis.edu/~jowens/commonerrors.html and http://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/2011/02/et-al-when-and-how.html says it should not be italicised, but I previously thought it should be, as does this side-remark in this answer.


When do we use "sports arena" and when "sports hall"?

What is the difference between "sports arena" and "sports hall"? It seems that both are sometimes used interchangeably.


Is it 'juice', 'bouillon', 'soup' or what?

I've just opened one can of canned corn. Besides corn there is always some liquid inside — just like in case with any other canned vegetable. So what is that liquid? How would you call it? Juice, bouillon, soup?


A Photoshop term for "body double" or "doppelgänger"

I saw a tutorial on TV. The tutorial was like this: > Take your snap sitting on chair, another standing on left side of chair and > then last one standing on the right side of the chair. Now, use Photoshop to > merge these three pics. After everything it will be three look alike on the > pic. Now, I want to search this tutorial on web but I don't know what to write for "How to create ___ _ in Photoshop"? Please suggest. **Edit** I tried _body double_ and _doppelgänger_ but it is not the word I am looking for.


What does "not for nothing" mean?

Is the meaning of the phrase "Not for nothing" literal, or idiomatic, and if idiomatic, what does the idiom mean? If you have a reference more reliable than urban dictionary, please share it. Here are two quotes using the phrase in which its meaning seems literal: > Not for nothing had he been exposed to the pitiless struggles for life in > the day of his cubhood, when his mother and he, alone and unaided, held > their own and survived in the ferocious environment of the Wild.   >  -Jack London > > It is not for nothing you are named Ransom.   > -C.S. Lewis However, this phrase comes up all the time in Aaron Sorkin's writing, especially the TV show The West Wing, and its usage there seems more idiomatic. For example: > Not for nothing, but, you know, we're gonna have to get into the thing at > some point. > > Josh Lyman: We elect these people. And not for nothing, but if we'd been the > world's policeman in the thirties, you and I...   >  Toby Ziegler: We'd have had a lot more relatives. In the previous two examples, the sentence structure was `"Not for nothing" <verb> <rest of sentence>` but in the last example, the structure is: `"Not for nothing", <but>, <full sentence>` I suspect that the phrase is being used idiomatically in the last example, but I am unsure of the meaning in this context.


Word meaning 'someone who has received a lot'

What's a generic word for someone who has been given a lot [of good things]? We were playing a party game last night wherein we were to describe our life in one word. Later, as we drove home, my wife said the idea she wanted to get across was that she received a lot in different areas of her life, but that the word 'blessed' wasn't quite the right word. Blessed has too much connotation of set apart or special. Is there a word for a person that has been given many good things without being especially deserving or noteworthy as an individual? (Note: I do think she is special and wonderful, but that doesn't help us think of a word that fit the description)


"This essay was translated from the Chinese" — what does this "the" do?

> Chen Guangcheng is a special student at the U.S.-Asia Law Institute at the > New York University School of Law. This essay was translated from **the** > Chinese. Why don't they write: "This essay was translated from Chinese"? (Omitting the "the" before "Chinese".)


Conditional sentences

What type of conditional sentences should be used in a context like this? (This person graduated from school many years ago.) You know, my mother went to school and said that until she(the teacher) had apologised I wouldn't have attended her classes.


Are names of games proper nouns?

Are names of games such as "cricket", "football" considered proper nouns? And should the first letter of these words be capitalized?


Could anyone explain the meaning of the following sentence

In my offer letter there is one section named "End of Contract". In this section there is one item which I don't understand clearly. This is as follows: **Your service could be ended by giving thirty (30) days' notice or recompense one (1) month salary as replacement of notice.** Q: Could anyone explain the meaning of this sentence.


Difference between "Merchandise" and "Goods"

In an economics and accounting context, what is the difference between _goods_ and _merchandise_ ?


Do we add a full stop after an ellipsis at the end of a sentence? eg ‘There is a problem...’.


Word for young mustache?

How in one word do you describe the soft, thin, first-time mustache that grows when a boy goes through puberty? Tender? Immature?


Speak Slower or Speak Slowlier?

AFAIK the correct grammar for "speak slow" is " _speak slowly_ " (slowly being an adverb). Please correct me if I am mistaken. But in daily life I have not heard anyone saying " _Speak slowlier_ ". I think I heard folks saying "Speak slower" but I also think it is incorrect. Which is the best or correct form to convey the message? Could that be the longish " _Speak more slowly?_ "


"I like cat" type of sentences

The sentences seems a bit wrong but when you replace **cat** with something else it sounds right: I like A (Do you like A or B?).   I like apples (Do you like apples or oranges?). but... I like cat. (Do you like cat or dog?) What rule applies to these sentences?


"Vitriol" vs "caustic comments"

In choosing whether to use the expression > He spewed his usual **vitriol** or > He spewed his usual **caustic comments** does one carry more weight than the other?


Origin of the of the phrase "feeling blue"

Where did the expression "feeling blue" come from?


Does the word Effortless imply a negative or a positive comment?

I watched a TV show where a group of dancers were performing a number. After that, the host interviewed one of the audience and he was told that the Group A's performance was _effortless_ and gave a low rating to that group. However one of judges questioned the audience why did he gave a low score if the performance was effortless.


Names for automatic machines' programs

A machine can be programmed, and different programs can be chosen for different tasks. One such task may be to initialise the machine, while the main purpose of the machine is to manufacture something. Could such a program, that causes the machine to process/manufacture something be called a "work program" or "working program"? What other scenarios / classifications of programs can you think of?


€10 = "ten euro" or "ten euros"?

Which is the correct form: "ten euro" or "ten euros"?


"[Noun] upon [noun]" — singular or plural?

I am copy-editing a manuscript in which the author has written the following sentence: > Rank upon rank of theologians has envisioned God the Father as the > omniscient and omnipotent one. "Rank upon rank" suggests plurality, so my instinct is to change "has" to "have". Am I right? Alternatively, I'm tempted to suggest a more invasive change to avoid the awkwardness altogether. I suspect, however, that I personally do not understand how to handle countable and uncountable nouns with verbs, and I don't want to push this author unfairly toward a less creative sentence in the meantime.


"Content" or "Contents"?

_Content_ or _contents_ — when do I use which form? I realize that the one is the plural form of the other, but they seem to be used interchangeably.


Is "Everyone tends to get the best of my worst" a valid sentence?

Is there any alternatives to the above sentence? I just needed to know how to say : "everyone tends to find my worst qualities easily" in a subtle way. And i really had no what to tag it with :)


When should I use "can" and when should I use "will"?

This sentence talks about capability. > I can never do that. This sentence talks about a choice. A personal preference maybe? > I will never do that. Is this correct or can we use it interchangeably?


The camera adds ten pounds?

While trying to understand the term 'photogenic' better, I came across this Wikipedia page which mentions the expression _'the camera adds ten pounds'_. > With a camera, the subject is viewed through a single lens, and thus much of > the three dimensional qualities of the face are lost, and the face may > appear to be fuller than it actually is in real life(which is the reason for > the expression that "the camera adds ten pounds")... Does this expression refer to people looking 'bigger' in their photographs than they actually are or to refer to people looking 'better' in them? Since _adding pounds_ usually refers to putting on weight, I would think the expression suggests that people look heavier in the photographs. But is that photogenic?


Which acronyms do you use for epochs? Where do you place the acronym?

For example, I usually use   * 560 BCE   * 1066 CE As opposed to the traditional:   * 560 BC    * AD 1066 Some people, when using AD, place it after the year:   * 1066 AD I'm interested in how other people denote epochs?


"For Heaven's Sake" or "For Heaven Sakes"?

I hear these used almost interchangeably. To me "for heaven's sake" makes sense grammatically, but is there something I'm missing?