> "But I was patient. I wrote back. I was sympathetic, I was kind. Ginny > simply _loved_ me. _No one’s ever understood me like you, Tom …. I’m so glad > I’ve got this diary to confide in …. It’s like having a friend I can carry > around in my pocket …._ " (p309, Harry Potter 2, US edition) NB -- The speaker, Tom Riddle, is a villain in this story. He is boasting how well he could win Ginny’s heart by becoming a kind of pen pal with her. The author describes his character as an **impatient, unsympathetic, and unkind** one. Therefore, I would think his saying expresses temporal action, not permanent character. He **treated her kindly at that time** and his attitudes got Ginny to **fall in love**. But I feel something strange when ‘I was kind’ and ‘She loved me’ express action, for I’ve run into much more ‘be kind’ and ‘love’ which describe someone’s character or continuing state since I started studying English. So, here is my question. Is there any nuance in ‘I was kind’ when it means ‘I treated her kindly”? In other words, why does the speaker use such expressions, instead of other expressions like ‘treat kindly’?


Word for sensors that collect the same data in two different ways

I need a word that describes two sensors that collect the same features, but in different ways. The raw data may be of different types, but the features would be the same. This word would imply that dodging one sensor does not help dodge the other sensor. An example of two sensors that fit this criteria are visual cameras and infrared cameras. They both measure light with the purpose of seeing what is there, but an attempt to avoid one of them (ex: camouflage) will not help avoid detection by the other one. I've considered both the words "orthogonal" and "complementary", but neither seems to fit. Orthognal implies that the sensors never detect the same thing and complementary seems to imply that one sensor always detects what the other doesn't. Update: I should have mentioned that my target audience is mathematically minded people. When I use the words orthogonal or complementary, they will, in all probability, think of the mathematical definition.


Usage of "ain't" in formal conversation

Is it okay to use _ain't_ in formal conversation? I know _ain't_ can be used for _am not, is not, are not, have not, has not._ So if I can use it in day-to-day life, it will be easier for me I guess.


Has been run vs has been running

If I want to question someone about for how many hours a computer is turned on and running - and by the time of the question it is still running - which of the constructions below is more appropriate? >   1. For how long has your computer been running? > >   2. For how long has your computer been run? > > First of all, I'm not sure if construction number 1 is grammatically correct,   and secondly, in construction number 2 it seems the computer is not running anymore;   am I right?


How to name the hierarchy of my employees

If the employees working directly for him are called his direct reports, how should one call the complete hierarchy of employees who work for him?


Term, blend-word, or metaphor for being social but with boundaries

I'm looking for a term, word or metaphor for being social but within rules or boundaries. I don't like the word _privacy_ as it has a negative connotation. I think the word _social_ is overused or misunderstood, especially in the online realm. I assume real social interactions operate on trust and that certain behavioral rules must be followed. But doing things together bonds people, and they learn more about each other. _Etiquette_ is too stodgy and doesn't encompass all that I am trying to say. Any thoughts on how to combine all of these ideas into one word, a blend-word, or a metaphor, please?


What does "Easy peasy japanesey" mean?

What does this sentence mean? > Easy peasy japanesey! Especially "japanesey", why Japan? It was in the 1994 movie _The Shawshank Redemption_.


"What's the problem with you?" vs. "What's the matter with you?"

Is there a difference between saying _What's the problem with you?_ and _What's the matter with you?_


Is there an antonym for the word "Behold"?

What is the opposite word (or antonym) for the word "Behold" as in the phrase "Behold the mighty ..."?


What are the possible differences between "inchoative" and "inchoate"?

According to dictionaries, "inchoative" and "inchoate" are both adjectives and both denote "initial". I couldn't find slightest difference between them. So I was wondering can they be used interchangeably or are they different in some ways?


What is a good word to describe unchanging?

I want to say something like. This department is getting [Insert Adjective to describe old and unchanging]. I thought of decrepit but not sure if this will really communicate my point


Grammatical rules of prepositions

I read a document regarding to prepositions in English grammar and at the very beginning of this document, it mentions, only way to know the verb "dispose" is followed by the preposition "of" is through experience. It almost sounded like there are no grammatical rules for the topic prepositions and I must experience every single one of them in order to master this subject. Are there recommended path ways to learn deeply about prepositions?


Which sentence is correct and why?

> Each of these CDFIs are finding solutions for communities that lack access > to traditional financial products and services, and the NEXT Awards will > accelerate their success. OR > Each of these CDFIs is finding solutions for communities that lack access to > traditional financial products and services, and the NEXT Awards will > accelerate their success. The difference is, the first one uses "CDFIs are" and the 2nd sentence uses "CDFIs is" Which one is correct? Any why?


Parsing  a complex sentence

The following sentence is from here. It’s too long, and I don’t fully understand it. Can anyone help me parse it? > Simple examples are likely to have far more overhead than the work done > making the performance of the concurrent example far worse than just writing > it single threaded and also the code more confusing.


Is there a single word for "login/register"?

I'm a programmer and often create login/register forms. I'd really like a single word to use to describe a form that lets the user login/register. Sort of like "authentication", but that's really more specific to the login part. The next best I can come up with is "onboarding", but that really applies more to the register part. Does such a word exist? Edit: I'm really looking for this from a coding perspective, not to display on the page (i.e. it doesn't need to be user-friendly). I just want it to be concise so that I can avoid variables like "login_register".


Can you come up with such verb?

> He wounded himself. > > He pinched himself. > > He stabbed himself. > > He looked at himself. In all these cases the action proceeds from the agent (which is also a subject) and is directed at this very agent. Let's call this phenomenon an "short-circuit action" (I am sure there should be a correct grammatical term for this). In all these cases the short-circuit actions are expressed by using '-self'. I wonder if there are such verbs in English that would also express short- circuit action, but '-self' would not be needed then? I know there are such cases in other languages. Can you come up with such verb?


What does “touch off a scramble” mean? Is it an idiom or simple combination of “touch off” and “a scramble”?

I saw the phrase “ _touched off a scramble_ ” in the article titled “Redefining headphone, with more bass” in the New York Times (November 20) followed by the following copy: > “The rap impresario Dr. Dre is behind Beats, a successful line of expensive > headphones that have become a fashion accessory and touched off a scramble > in the industry.” There were other instances of using this phrase, for example:   * The authorization for establishing three of the satellite offices _touched off a scramble_ among members of Congress who want one in their states or districts. - www.statesman com   * The prospect of nearly $1 trillion in cuts unnerves military leaders, troubles lawmakers protective of the Pentagon and has _touched off a scramble_ in the defense industry as contractors look to spare their multibillion-dollar weapons programs. – www.thinkownusa.com There is no entry of “touch off a scramble” in any of Oxford, Cambridge and Merriam-Webster online dictionaries, while Google Ngram Viewer shows the usage of “touched off a scramble” that (suddenly) started in circa 1940, peaked around 1980, and since then is dropping down sharply. I understand “touch off a scramble” means “cause a commotion or sensation.” Am I right? Is it an idiom, or the simple combination of “touch off” and “scramble”? Is this expression actually losing vigor as the Google Ngram curve indicates?


What are differences of meaning among device, gadget, gimmick and gizmo?

Further to today's my question about the words, 'off-the-shelf' used in Time Magazine's feature story titled 'The Best 50 Invention of The Year' (Nov. 11th 2010 Issue), I found the following sentence in the same article: 'One analyst says the iPad is the fastest selling non-phone _gizmo_ in consumer electronics history.' I understand there is difference of meaning between device and gizmo / gadget and gimmick as a group. Are there great difference of meaning and usage among the words, gizmo, gadget and gimmick?


How to specify the letter O, not a zero

Imagine a technical specification that reads: > In the text box, enter "O1" (O the letter, not the number zero) Is there a convention which achieves this explanation more succinctly, or is more immediately clear?


Does the apostrophe in names of diseases drop when the disease name is part of a foundation name?

Many diseases are named after the doctor who identified the diseases and therefore have names like Hodgkin's Disease or Parkinson's Disease. But when a fund or foundation is created to raise money for research on the disease, should the apostrophe remain? In other words, should it be Parkinson's Foundation or Parkinsons Foundation? If the apostrophe is dropped, is it dropped out of necessity?


Mentor and Mentoring

Would someone who is not a professional but knows a subject (such as automotive repair) in depth and offers advice and hands-on assistance with repair procedures be considered a mentor? Is the act of giving advice in this context mentoring?


What does "What price X?" mean?

I've come across phrases like "What price freedom?" a lot. I speak British English and it doesn't read nicely to me. It seems some words are missing. Does it mean "What is the price of X?"? Where did this phrase originate from and why is it used in this way?


More emphatic term for "Expert"?

I've hit a wording problem in the controls for a game that I'm writing. I need two nouns with increasing emphasis for someone highly skilled in a given area.   "Expert" is an obvious choice, so I need a second noun which is:   * More emphatic than "Expert" - it must imply being extremely capable.   * Not gendered. (This is why I've rejected the most obvious choice, "Master".)   * Obvious in its meaning, once read.   * Not too long - screen space is limited.   * Carrying connotations of _skill_ but not necessarily _experience_.   * Applicable to many different areas of skill - professional skills (science, accounting) and personal (leadership, martial arts) It is acceptable to use two words, so there could be a modifying adjective, but in that case space demands that they both be quite short. ("Very skilled" would just work, but "World-famous expert" is out.) (Edited to make criteria clearer) If it matters, the setting is 60s to 80s Bond-movie-villain's lair. Some characters are clones grown by a mad scientist and programmed for their tasks, so terms like "veteran" which imply experience as well as skill won't work. Alternatively, I could use "Expert" in the top slot, to mean extreme skill... in which case I need a replacement word which is _less_ emphatic than Expert, but carries the same connotations and matches the conditions above. It will still need to mean "more than average skill" - the default is "professional competence", and the two terms I use need to describe two increasing levels above this.


Short for "time period in life" like teenage

I am looking for a word to describe a **time period in life** , like _teenage_ , but that would work for any time period, like 11 – 22. I want to say _it is xxxxxx_ in everyone's life.


Why abbreviation for "Definition" as "Def^n" (math context)

I've seen in math and physics lectures delivered in English, that people use to abreviate the commonly very used word " _Definition_ " by " _Def_ _n_ "( _Def_ superscript n). What's the meaning of this _n_? That is, which sequence of letters of phonemes does this _n_ stand for? And, which other words can be abbreviated in the same way? (I've seen more, I just forgot which)


"Operating system" is to "runlevel" as "human being" is to what?

I am looking for a hypernym for the set of different "mental states" or "sedation levels", but I don't know which one (if any) would apply here. I have values like the following in mind:   * is dead   * is sleeping   * is awake but inactively, unresponsively laying around   * can talk but not move   * is fully operational


"Less for more" or "More for less"?

I don't know if this belongs more to User Experience. Pardon me if it does. * * * Which is more suitable for kind of a slogan:   `Less for more` \- The word `less` refers to the prices and money, `more` refers to the quality and amount of the product. Can be understud as that `less` refers to quality and amount of the product and `more` refers to prices and money. `More for less` \- Same as above, just inverted. * * * Which would be the clearer one, that more likely wouldn't be misunderstud?


Noun form of verb "decline"

Is there a noun form of the verb "to decline"? That is, is there a word that follows this pattern:               to accept  -> acceptance     to decline -> ?      I am aware of the word declination which is the closest I've found, but that seems to reflect the meaning of "decline" as related to "incline" and "recline" rather than the synonym of refuse. If not, are there synonyms of "decline" that follow this pattern?


> The furniture of the den, a cement-floored room that ran the length of the > house, consisted almost entirely of his carpentry (shelves, tables, stools, > a ping-pong table) and Nacy's needlework (chintz slip covers that > rejunvenated a decrepit couch, curtains, pillows bearing the legends: > "Happy?" and "You don't have to be crazy to live here, but it helps"). I found this is the book "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote What does "You don't have to be crazy to live here, but it helps." mean?


Word for Someone Who Watches Mountain Weather

I've been working on a paper regarding the Himalays. As part of that, I've been learning about sherpas. I feel like I see these kinds of people watching or monitoring mountains. Either for weather or signs of trouble. I'm trying to figure out if these people that watch these mountains have a title or a name? I'd like to use it in my paper. Does anyone know what these people are called? Thanks


I'm trying to make sure my writing is correct for the following sentence: > The list of functionality has/have to be implemented But I'm confused about **has** or **have** there.


Can you *donate* to a non-charitable cause?

I just had someone insist that a _donation_ can only be to a charitable cause or organization; otherwise, the word _contribution_ should be used. When I objected to "contribution" on the grounds that it sounds like what you send to your favorite politician, he suggested _offering_. But that's not any better - I've only really seen it used in church. Is he right that _donation_ implies _charity_? If yes, what's a good alternative?


Preposition cluster "all up in"

What exactly does the string of words functioning as a preposition "all up in" (many many Google hits) mean in modern American slang usage?


“Cannabis” vs. “marijuana” vs. “weed”

I know all these words have the same meaning and refer to a kind of drug. Also, as far as I know, _weed_ is slang for _marijuana_ or _cannabis_. (Correct me if I’m wrong). What I do not understand is the difference between these words. Is _cannabis_ a formal word, and _marijuana_ and _weed_ both informal? Does one or two of these words come from South America — for example, has a Spanish root — and the others come from elsewhere?


US English - need for determiners (a/an) in each item of a list (already parallel)

I have been all over every grammar site I can find (including this one) and cannot find a definitive answer. I am looking for a rule that says in a list of singular nouns, each noun must have its own determiner - even if they would all be the same one. My employer has invoked parallelism as an explanation, but I do not think that applies here - as they are already of parallel form. Everything I can find on parallelism speaks to verbs and tenses, not nouns. I contend that it's a stylistic choice, as the meaning is clear either way - but I can't prove it. Specific example: "The sensor includes a right-angle infrared LED and right-angle phototransistor..." "The sensor includes a right-angle infrared LED and a right-angle phototransistor..." Are both right? If not, and the determiner MUST be used, where/what is the rule? If it is a stylistic thing, I just need confirmation.


All up in my grill?

Is the phrase > [all] up in $POSSESSIVE_PRONOUN grill which is synonymous with the figure of speech > in one's face an automotive metaphor? If so, would it be more correct to spell the last word "grille"? If not, what does the phrase mean?


Which one to use — "support" or "sports"?

I have read about many times like as given below: > Nokia N8 Mobile **Support** A 12-Megapixel Camera. and > Nokia N8 Mobile **Sports** A 12-Megapixel Camera. So my questions are:   1. Is there any difference in the meaning of those two words here?   2. If yes, then when should one use _support_ and when _sports_?


hybrid adjectives and how to diagram

This query is a follow-up from another question I asked a few days ago. I am still pondering how to best interpret the following phrase grammatically: "my brother's weapon" Could I categorize it as follows: my = Possessive pronoun adjective modifying brother's brother's = possessive noun also functioning as an adjective modifying weapon my brother's = adjective phrase collectively modifying weapon If I diagrammed this, would "weapon" be on the main line with "brother's" descending on a slanted line below it like an adjective? Would "my" be on another adjective line coming off of "brother's"? I'm thinking the flow would be similar to the way one might diagram "the bright red truck"? In this phrase, would you consider "bright" an adjective modifying "red" with the both of them working together as an adjective phrase modifying truck? Thank you in advance for your polite feedback. I'm working hard to clarify my understanding of how these parts of speech function together in context.


Ending a sentence with "because [noun]."

I've noticed an interesting usage where "because [noun]." is used at the end of a sentence to mean "because [...everything that word implies. Nothing more needs to be said]". It often has a wry or sarcastic tone that implies the subject considers the word to be a blanket explanation for something. An example might be "She couldn't drag herself away from the computer because internet.", the implication being that the Internet is seductive. Another example is here where "because sex" is used to imply that a group of people have a simplistic attitude to how sex affects people's lives. The odd grammar causes a clang in my head when I read it, but of course that is the point; the author is showing how this word will stop the conversation dead in its tracks, so it is quite effective. Is this a new or emerging usage, or have I just started noticing it?


What is the origin of the phrase ‘By the by...’?

What is the origin of the phrase 'By the by...'?


What's the origin of using "toboggan" to mean a knit cap?

I'd always know the word "toboggan" to mean a sled. In the last couple years I've met people who insisted on calling their winter knit caps "toboggans." All of these people happened to be from either Kentucky or Tennessee. Wikipedia mentions that > In the United States south and midwest, especially Appalachia, it is often > called a "toboggan". but there's no info about origin. When and where did this usage come from?


Use of "deadpool" as a verb

I recently came across this term while examining a set of properties in a JSON feed relating to a startup company:                ...      "deadpooled_year": null,      "deadpooled_month": null,      "deadpooled_day": null,      "deadpooled_url": null,      ...      I searched for the word, and find several non-authoritative sources (e.g., _The Urban Dictionary_ ), but nothing definitive. I gather it means something like "defunct" or "obsoleted" — handed over to the pool of dead companies which have been surpassed and made irrelevant by other, more successful companies. I also infer that it is a fairly well known term used in the startup lexicon. Yet this is the first time I've encountered it. Can anyone shed some light on the term "deadpool" or "deadpooled"? A citation from a serious publication that uses the term in a way that makes the meaning obvious and unmistakeable? Please, no speculation. I have already speculated enough about this.


"Good to hear from you"?

Is it correct to write "Good to hear from you" ? I have seen it many times but I feel it should be "It feels good to hear from you" or equivalent.


Does "I had done" make sense grammatically?

I was writing my CV but wasn't sure if this makes sense: > At my old place of work I adapted to the new work very quickly (I had never > done pub work before). Does the "I had never done pub work before" make grammatical sense? If not then why?


Usage of 'much more'

Is saying _much more_ grammatically correct? For instance, some purists argue that this is wrong: > I'm much more comfortable with A than B and that it should be: > I'm more comfortable with A than B or, to emphasize: > I'm a lot more comfortable with A than B _Much more_ does sound colloquial but I've seen it used in newspapers and articles so I was curious.


Is the term "blind spot" something that only native English speakers would understand?

Is the term "blind spot" peculiar to the English language, or is it likely to be well understood worldwide, even by people who don't have English as their first language? **Some background**   I'm currently searching for a term I can use in some software I'm developing. The feature in question allows the user to draw rectangles over an image to denote areas they'd like to ignore in a later analysis of the image. I need the user to be able to create and delete as many of these areas as they like. Currently, the areas are called "exclusion areas", but that causes problems when you've got a button labelled "Remove exclusion area". We've seen people being tripped up by the double negative. One thought was to rename the "exclusion areas" to "blind spots". However, do you think this will cause more problems for non-native English speakers?


"One-to-one" vs. "one-on-one"

I said: "Tomorrow will be our **one-to-one** meeting with Mr.XYZ." My friend: "OK, **one-on-one.** " Which is correct? > One-to-one Or > One-on-one


A women's accessory...what's the word?

What is the accessory that is like a net that is worn by women on the head and that comes all the way till the eyes... it is worn on formal occasions and its is quite old fashioned (IMHO). It is not used to hold the hair on anything I think. Sometimes I have seen that it comes attached to the bonnet... Update 1: I remember finding the word in the dictionary once.


Using the word "foible", and its interpretation

There are situations when I get in doubt about the usage of a word, even after having used it for long and on a regular basis. One of those words is "foible". I thought it to be related to character or idiosyncrasy or attitude untill I saw it's real definition today in Oxford dictionary. I casually used to say "hey, I don't appreciate such foible" or "I approve of such foible". Now I know that it might have conveyed the meaning to others and seemed appropriate to me but I have been wrong all that time. I need to know if this word matters that much in everyday usage if, the audience were fastidious about proper language and if they were not. Another question that exhumes out is that whether I should use it as a synonym for weakness or character. Also, in what way will writing or saying, " I appreciate such foible" be understood? Will the reader or listener think that I like the weakness or flaw in his character or I'm just being sarcastic about it or any other thoughts?


Question about the Possessive with Multiple Parties

Suppose I want to refer to the widget owned by me and Susan. Then do I say "you are welcome to use Susan's and my widget"? (Sounds awkward.) Or "you are welcome to use the widget owned by Susan and I"? (Too long, clunky.) How do I say this correctly? I would prefer not to rearrange the phrase altogether to avoid the problem. How do I correctly format the possessive with the multiple parties?


A phone call you ask your friend to make to you in middle of a date

Is there a dedicated expression for a pre-arranged phone call you receive to give you an opportunity to politely get out of a situation (e.g. a dinner date)?


Could you please explain to me what this statement means? And why is it funny? > Syzygy, inexorable, pancreatic, phantasmagoria — anyone who can use those > four words in one sentence will never have to do manual labor.   >  — W.P. Kinsella


Two imperative clauses joined by coordinating conjunction taken as a conditional

I would be inclined to parse the sentence "Nobody move and nobody get hurt" as two commands:   1. Nobody move.   2. Nobody get hurt. In other words, this is equivalent to "Nobody move or get hurt" (for nitpickers: assume conjunctive/inclusive _or_ ). As long as I'm only reading and not in a bank with armed gunmen, in which case I would probably ignore any possible grammatical issues. This answer suggests that this is equivalent to "Nobody move and nobody gets hurt", which in turn is equivalent to "If nobody moves, nobody will get hurt". Other sentences with a similar construction that come to mind are "Nobody move and nobody say a word" or "Nobody move and nobody shoot anyone" (vs. "Nobody move and nobody shoots anyone"). Admittedly all these sentences have a very strong contextual inference. In the last example, "Nobody move and nobody shoots anyone" clearly means "if nobody moves, nobody will shoot anyone", while "Nobody move and nobody shoot anyone" should be directed to the ones holding the guns: "Don't move and don't shoot anyone". "Nobody move and nobody shoot anyone" directed at people not able to shoot anyone and having guns pointed at, clearly doesn't mean the latter, however, is it a grammatically correct replacement of "Nobody move and nobody shoots anyone"? In summary, my question is: can "Nobody move and nobody get hurt" be grammatically taken to mean "If nobody moves then nobody gets hurt" instead of "Nobody move or get hurt". Why or why not?


What does "programming in a vacuum" mean?

I'm not sure what that exactly means. Why do people use the term _vacuum_ like this? Please advise.


Who is "the superficial man"?

> She possesses many other qualities prized by **the superficial man**. My understanding is--whoever says it, doesn't refer to himself by _the superficial man_. The superficial man is some hypothetical person that represents all superficial men in the society. In the same fashion you say "The activities associated with **the common man**." There are three ways to say this: > She possesses many other qualities prized by **the** superficial **man**. > > She possesses many other qualities prized by **a** superficial **man**. > > She possesses many other qualities prized by superficial **men**. Are any of these sentences incorrect? Why is the first one preferable?


Why is the word 'number' abbreviated to 'No.' in UK English and '#' in American English?

Why the disparity? And why use 'No.'? Is it from the French? And the _hash_ or _pound sign_ seems a weird choice too, is there a history or any reason involved?


Antonym for "challenge" (noun form)

I was writing a market research report the other day and listed the **challenges** my company faced in the market in question, then I created a new section header for the... uhh... **easy bits**? That's when I realized I could think of no reasonable antonym for challenge in the noun form. I can certainly describe it -- _characteristics of the market that will be of benefit to our entry_ "Advantages" is close to the mark but doesn't quite capture the idea because I feel that is in reference to our company, rather than in reference to the market itself. To give an example:               Challenges       > customer purchasing power is low       > public perception of our manufacturing location is negative          (Easy Bits / Cakewalks / Happy Things / etc.)       > no competitive product on the market       > strong transportation network with low logistical costs      "Incentives" also seems close, but not quite there. Any ideas?


Are there are more vowels in the American English than in British?

> car, father, jarring ■ man, lad, mast A British guy would pronounce the vowel "a" equally in all these words. But an American would give one sound for the first three words, and the other for the rest. It is interesting to me, that the American English has changed the Brithsh sound "a" in most of the words, but retained it intact in a handful of words. This leads to a conclusion so there are probably more vowel sounds in the American English.


What is an English term for grouping bills and credit notes?

I'm wondering if there is a generic term to talk about bills and credit notes, in other terms, the money I'll receive and the money I owe.


What is the origin of the term "toots" to refer to a woman?

When speaking to my female friends (who know me well enough to not take offense), I frequently use the term _toots_ to refer to them. These are friends who know that I'm using it ironically as part of my enjoyment of using antiquated terminology (especially to sound like a 1930s gangster). In other words, I don't wish to engage in a debate on whether or not I'm a misogynist. (Let me be clear, I'm a misanthrope, not a misogynist. ;P) A few dictionary searches have shown that it is likely a shortening of the word _tootsie_ , but a search on that does not shed any light on the origins. It merely suggests that the origin is obscure (and perhaps related to an obscure usage meaning a worthless person). The usage for the word meaning the sound a horn makes has a clear origins in 16th century Germanic usages. Can anyone point out a credible source of the origins of the usage above?


A synonym for "go online"

What synonyms are there for telling someone to " _go online_ and search for it"? Is there something like _go live_ or similar?


use of distainer office, distrainment proceedings, etc

Is "distainer office, distrainment proceedings, distrain order, ..." correct? Even this spell checker highlights these words as incorrect. Some translations use execution office, executor's office, etc., which I don't find correct. I would also appreciate some examples.


Mounted on or in the ceiling?

Which preposition is to be used in a phrase like: > An object is mounted [in/on/?] the ceiling in the car. and > An object is mounted between the front windows [in/on/?] the ceiling.


What does the phrase "good for you" mean?

What does this phrase mean? And in what cases is it appropriate to use it?


Emend and Amend- What's the difference? They both have the same definition

What's the difference between the words emend and amend? They both have the same definition.


What part of the sentence is "you" in "telling you who that is"?

The object is "who that is", right? And the verb is "telling", but what is "you"? Further sentences:   * Did they give 'him' a reward?   * Will you be able to find 'them' a home?   * I have given 'her' a lot of money, and she has shown 'me' nothing in return.   * I want to buy ink from 'them'. Not from ' **them** '.   * My girlfriend gave 'me' a delicious bag of curry crackers, and I gave 'her' a delicious, curry-flavored kiss.   * His chariot sent 'him' airborne, and the tumble against the ground gave 'him' a cracked rib.


Is "low physique" idiomatic?

Is "low physique" idiomatic? If not, what is the adjective to be used with _physique_?


"Oblivion" as a state of forgetfulness?

I usually think of "oblivion" as referring to a state of being forgotten, as in the expression "consign to oblivion". Wiktionary includes this definition, but also gives "The state of forgetfulness or distraction" as another definition. Is this actually true? Can someone give an example where "oblivion" is used to mean forgetfulness rather than forgotten-ness?


Single word for writing from left to right or the reverse

I am searching for a single word which represents "written from left to right" or "written from right to left". Please make sure that the word should be meaning not only the direction but also meaning direction in case of writing. I want to use it like "This language is X", where "X" is the asked for word.


Trans vs Transgender vs Transsexual

As I understand it, trans means "an individual whose gender identity is different than what they were designated at birth". However, I also hear the terms transgender and transsexual used for similar meanings. I know that personally I only refer to myself as trans or rarely transgender, and never transsexual, and the latter sounds very odd to me. I'm interested in why there are several words for roughly the same meaning, and if they do have different meanings or simply based on geography and time period.


What is the proper emphasis for the word "indent"?

Does _indent_ carry an accent on the first or the second vowel? I've seen both in IPA. My non-native ear would tend to favor the first.


Is there a medieval term for a highwayman?

What would you call somebody waylaying in the middle ages? I found the term "highwayman" but that doesn't seem to be any older than 1600 something, so way too new for what I'm looking for. An outlaw seems to be something different again (being an outlaw as a sentence). What term would you use? Are there any references in old English literature I could refer to?


To "Please" or "not to Please"

I'm writing the text for the order form of the website. The users are suppose to select their preferences with regard to ads and banners which they want to publish on the website. My question is about the word "Please" when guiding the user through the order process. I checked other websites and everyone is using it differently. Should I or shouldn't I use for each step "Please" within the text? Example:   1. Step 1. "Please" select one of the [...]   2. Step 2. "Please" select the menu language [...] or would it be enough to go for :   1. Step 1. Select one of the [...]   2. Step 2. Select menu language I don't want that it sounds like an order to the users but can't "feel" how it sounds for native English speaking users.


Should I write documentation on first person plural or on third person singular?

I'm a Spanish computer programmer and I usually write code and documentation in my native language, but lately I'm trying to migrate them to English. The point is this kind of **writing is quite formal (maybe scientific)** and **oriented third person** to read it (and understand it). I don't know **what should be the best point of view** when I comment the code. I have doubts especially between **first person plural, third person singular** and **if I can skip the subject in these or another cases**. In practice, I'm trying to describe a piece of code that do something (it will be only read by programmers). These are the options (if you think another better I'd appreciate it):   * 1 . // **It removes the files** => This sounds good to me, but I'm repeating "It" constantly   * 2 . // **Removes the files** => Sometimes used by another people, is this correct? (skip the subject)   * 3 . // **I/We remove the files** => I think this is quite objective (but very common in Spanish, sometimes without the subject)   * 4 . // **Remove the files** => Widely used by English, but I'm not sure if this is grammatically correct (because it's referring to the code (third person singular)). If this is fine, it's supposed to be a second person singular (because of the lack of -s)? An special rule? Maybe an imperative? In that case it would be too much direct and we're explaining the code, not you   * 5 . // **Removing the files** => I think this is wrong. In fact I'm going to do it, but I'm not doing it now **So, what's the best way to write documentation in an appropriate style (formal and objective)?**


Word or phrase for premeditated act of self defense

Consider a scenario where a person is forced to act and attack a person who they consider to be a threat even though there has been no display of such threat. I am talking about sensing danger and acting upon it. This doesn't sound like _self-defence_. As usually, self defence is the use of physical force to counter an **immediate** threat of violence. OxfordDictionaries.com defines it as: > the defence of one’s person or interests, especially through the use of > physical force, which is permitted in certain cases as an answer to a charge > of violent crime. _I am looking for a word or phrase that would describe an act of premeditated self-defence, in **anticipation** of a threat._


What is the expected response to someone saying “Happy Vacations” to you?

Someone has messaged me: _Happy vacations_. Are the following replies correct?   * Now it would be good.   * Same to you too! Or should it be   * Same to you too!   * Now it would be good. I want it to sound that my vacation will be all the better for his having mentioned it. What should the proper reply be?


Noun for "send"?

There is a noun for "receive": reception. What about "send"? Is there a noun for this verb? It's about sending SMS messages, so I wish to underline the outgoing nature of the message.


Charles Dickens: "It was the best of times…"

> It was the best of times… How to understanding this usage without using "the" (i.e. instead of "the best of the times")? How can we apply the same usage in everyday conversation? E.g. should we say "it is the best of mankind" or "it is the best of the mankind"?


Condolence message: "I was sorry" vs. "I am sorry"

What is the difference in nuance between the following statements? Which would be more appropriate for a letter of condolence? >   1. I **was** sorry to hear that your mother has passed away. >   2. I **am** sorry to hear that your mother has passed away. >


Is there a reference for the differences between synonyms?

Bill Bryson's "Troublesome Words" is an excellent book for, among other things, learning the difference between many synonyms, such as "prone," "prostrate," "recumbent" and "supine." But it can hardly be called a massive body of reference, and it deals with many other language issues. Having a reference for the differences between synonyms seems like it could be a much more effective way of understanding them than trying to tease out the differences of meaning in two possibly quite differently worded dictionary entries. Is there such a thing?


Is it "on behalf of" or "in behalf of"?

I often hear folks say _in behalf of_ instead of _on behalf of_ , which sets my teeth on edge. Which preposition is correct here, _in_ or _on_?


Austin Powers: "Oh Behave" - what does it mean?

In famous Austin Powers movie series Austin often says: "Oh behave" What does it mean?


Adverb of "gullible"

What is the adverb form of _gullible_? I tried using _gullibly_ but it apparently isn't a word. Is it one of those adjectives that simply don't have an adequate adverb?


"I'm unclear" versus "it's unclear to me that"

> It sounds like your proposal would make a great feature request for the > existing module. I'm unclear why you consider it was not a good idea. Does replacing _I'm unclear_ with _it is unclear to me_ make the sentence more clear?   Are there any contexts where _I'm unclear_ would have a different meaning? Is it used in some regions/dialects to mean something different from _it is unclear to me_?


Article in “having (a) hard time”

What's the difference? > I'm having hard time figuring that out > > I'm having a hard time figuring that out According to Google both are used equally often. Does the article change meaning here?


What words have “‑ei‑” (except in “‑cei‑”) pronounced [i:]?

The rule is that written _ei_ is pronounced [i:] only after the letter _c_ — or that what is pronounced [i:] is written _ei_ after the letter _c_ only. Here are exceptions I’ve found so far:   * _foreign_ (possibly)   * _seizure_   * _either_ (possibly)   * _neither_ (possibly)   * _weird_   * _being_   * _seizure_ Can you add more exceptions to this list? * * * **Update:** I am not so much interested in differences of pronunciation between dialects of English as I am in helpful (for me) mnemonics for written English. **Update 2:** Once more, this question is not on orthography but on mnemonics to help in writing. If you know other helpful mnemonics to deal with spelling words with _‑ie‑_ and _‑ei‑_ , you are welcome to answer this question.


What are the rules about using 'half of' with plural nouns?

Here are some sentences with 'half of' and plural nouns that I consider to be well-formed: > Half of all films are a waste of celluloid.   >  Half of users surveyed said they preferred the old product.   >  Half of the women here are your ex-girlfriends.   >  Half of Americans are uninsured. Here are some sentences with 'half of' and plural nouns that don't feel well- formed to me: > Half of people are women.   >  Half of books are hardback.   >  Half of dogs are neutered.   >  Half of fruits are citrus. To me, the above require 'all' before the noun or some other form of modification to sound correct or at least less awkward. (In fact, part of my problem is deciding whether these sentences sound wrong because of grammar or semantics.) I'd appreciate either:   1. To be told my second set of examples are actually fine (preferably with links to similar examples).    2. A clear rule for when one can use 'half of' with a plural noun. It can't be just about modification if the 'Half of Americans' sentence is well-formed.


What is the etymology of "flabbergasted"?

Online Etymology dictionary suggests it's "likely an arbitrary formation from flabby or flapper and aghast". I'm wondering if anyone has any more insight.


Reported/Indirect speech of "Words fail me."

For all grammar gods, I have a question regarding the appropriate way to use indirect speech to report someone saying, "words fail me." Normally, I would say: "He said that words failed him." This sounds perfectly legitimate and also follows the general grammar trends I teach. However, I found myself defaulting to want to say something else, instead. I kept using the phrase: "He said that words had failed him." This is contrary to what would be taught in a grammar book or a grammar course. This confuses me, but the more I think about it, the second one sounds more correct. Please help.


What is the difference between "legacy" and "inheritance"?

Can someone explain the difference between _legacy_ and _inheritance_?


expression "meat and potatoes business"

I heard of the expression "meat and potatoes business", and when I was explained what it means, I was told is that it referred to a business with no fancy products, just simple products for simple clientèle. Is this a fair description of "meat and potatoes" as an activity?


Subjunctive mood: 'was' usage after 'I wish' and 'if only'

SFX Magazine had declared the sentence below as follow: 1) STAR TURN, 2) BEST LINES.   * > I wish Bernard Cribbins was my grandad. Perhaps he would be willing to adopt?   * > Rattigan: “If only that was possible.”    > The Doctor: “If only that were possible. Conditional clause.” Is ' _ **was**_ ' after ' _ **I wish**_ ', ' _ **if only**_ ' and ' _ **if**_ ' (in conditional clauses) colloquial? Does it be used in formal speech and writing?


Word for counter-efficient

I'm trying to describe the feature my iPad has that is counter-efficient. I'm positive there is a word that means counter-efficient. Does anybody know what that word is?


"knowing you as well as I do"

The situation is that one of my friend's roommates took part in a test of narcissism and got a score of 14. My friend wanted to get in a dig at that guy, so he said"Well, knowing you as well as I do, a score of 14 must be near the top of the scale." My question is, what does"knowing you as well as I do" mean here? I only know that "as well as" means "too", so it's a bit awkward here for me to understand. Many thanks!


"Why are you still in my office? VS Why do you still in my office?

What is the difference between those questions and which one is the correct form?


Can a prepositional phrase be the direct object?

We're covering grammar in English I, and we just got to gerunds. In one of the exercises, I had the sentence "Pilgrims learned about planting crops from the Wampanoags." I'm supposed to find the gerund, and identify its subject in the sentence. I thought that the gerund would be "planting crops". When I was trying to find its function in the sentence, I used a method my teacher gave me; asking "verb what?" to identify the direct object. This gives "learned about planting crops". I was wondering, would the function of "planting crops" in the sentence be the object of a preposition, or would the whole prepositional phrase be the direct object (since the gerund acts as a noun). Or, do I have the whole thing horribly wrong in the first place? =) Thanks! evamvid


a cold vs flu / the flu

**Have you got a cold?   Have you got flu?   Have you got the flu?** Why can't we say _a flu_ or _the cold_ in the previous examples?


What does it mean for something to be "inter-ethnic?"

Does inter-ethnic refer to things that are between different ethnic groups, or within one ethnic group? If it refers to things that are between different ethnic groups, what word would be used to refer to things that are within one ethnic group?


Which tense do I use when I talk about direct speech in texts?

I want to ask questions about a text. The text is written in past tense. When I talk about the text, do I only use simple present or also present progressive? Please, look at the following examples.   * Text: “They were looking for something.” ☞ What do they do in the garden? _vs_ What are they doing?   * Text: “Emma asked: ‘What are you looking for?’” ☞ What do the boys look for? _vs_ What are the boys looking for?


"wouldn't see" vs "don't see"

I recently had a conversation with a friend where I told her the following: > People go out on Friday nights that's why you **wouldn't** see anyone in the > hall. Does the 'would' part make sense in this context? Or should I go with "that's why you **don't** see anyone"


Is the verb 'let' transitive or intransitive?

Is the verb 'let', with the meaning 'to cause to', transitive or intransitive? E.g.: > Do you want to go out for a pizza? Please _let know_. Is this allowed or is it misuse?


What is the English term whose meaning covers both that of *Word* and *Title*?

I am developing an App for which I have need to find a word or term whose meaning would encompass both the words _Word_ and _Title_. Examples of a _Word_ , are "car", "mobile phone". Examples of a _Title_ would be "Car price went up this year" or "Mobile phone sales declined in US" I need to to give a field name for such _words or titles_ , and currently I am using the term "WordOrTitleID". This term is a bit clumsy, so I am looking for a term that would better cover both meanings. If I used `TextID`, that would not be helpful because _text_ can be anything? If I used `ExpressionID`, that would also not be helpful because _expression_ is quite ambiguous, plus users wouldn't be able to relate to it.


"Hot mess" meaning and etymology

A phrase has started to be used somewhat frequently over the past few years: " ** _hot mess_** ". I have heard it in professional journalism (albeit, admittedly, mostly entertainment and/or gossip journalism). There seems to be some confusion over what it means, though. Here are some of the varying commonly held definitions:   * A person who is seemingly emotionally or mentally unbalanced who yet remains alluring, esp. one whose unbalance derives from social debauchery (excessive partying)      * Or one such who does not remain alluring   * A person who is disheveled who yet remains alluring      * Or one such who does not remain alluring   * An item that is dizzyingly chaotic in appearance   * A situation or incidence that is extraordinarily bad Is this an older phrase that has gained new life, or has it come into being in the last decade? If the latter, what was the original definition?


What is the history of the oh-so-common English phrase, "come on!"?

I haven’t any idea of whence the phrase _come on_ could have originated. There seems to be little purely denotative sense that can be made of the phrase. What were the circumstances under which it was first coined, and what is the back-story to this interesting phrase (which I’m sure has some involved history)?


Alternatives to the term "crash course"

I am trying to find alternatives to the term _crash course_ , in reference to a training session that intends to get you started with a topic quickly.


“To be in use” vs “to be at use” vs ”to be of use”

What’s the difference between “to be in use” and “to be at use”? I have impression that former states that something is being used, while the latter means something proves to be useful — the same as “to be of use”.


Word describing the reversal of emotions

> A boy is highly confident one day and the next day scared, timid and shy. > > A girl is emotional one day and emotionless the next. Is there a term for a drastic switching of emotions? A term for the switching to practically opposite emotions? **EDIT:** Just to clarify the emotional changes are not rapid, and are permanent. This rules out bi-polar, because bi-polar involves multiple periods of change. **EDIT2:** I'm looking for a work to demonstrate the steepness or contrasts of change, but having no relationship to the speed of change. Example: > Over a course of 3 years a once quiet boy become the spokesmen of the > school.


Synonym of "incorrect" with as little negative connotation as possible

I'm describing the results of an experiment I did, and I'd like to find a word to put in the blank (I'd also accept alternative ways of phrasing this statement generally): > We ran a computer simulation, using a very simplified model. The simulation > predicted X. When we performed the experiment, we saw that the result was > actually Y, showing that our simplified model was indeed _____. In a different context, I'd normally go with "flawed" or "incorrect", but I'd prefer to cast this in as neutral a light as possible. After all, I didn't do anything _wrong_ ; I knew that using a simplified model would likely mean the results of the actual experiment would be somewhat different. If there is a single word that captures the idea "paints an incomplete picture", I'd probably like that.


I want to say I "re-realized", but not "remembered" and "was reminded"

Here is a sample text of what I wanted to write: > I woke up very hungry this morning. Hunger is good in that it drives you. > But I re-realized that too much hunger is actually destructive. It's an informal blog post, but I'm looking for an actual word that means something between "I reminded myself" and "I was reminded". I realize that I could shuffle sentence structure around to mean a similar thing, but is there a word that I can substitute for "re-realize"?


Origin of "roofies"

I was wondering how the term _roofies_ has come to be. They use the term in many movies and TV series. I know what it means, so I'm not asking for an explanation, but for those who may be wondering, it's a date rape drug. > Date rape drug refers to a drug that can be used to assist in the execution > of a sexual assault, such as date rape. One of these drugs is called > _Flunitrazepam_, most commonly known as **Rohypnol**. One of the street > names for Rohypnol is **roofies**. All the horrible deeds aside, I think the street name, _roofies_ , is pretty funny and I can't connect it with anything. Is the name derived from something, or is it just a random word, unrelated to anything?


Is it wrong to use the word "codes" in a programming context?

Is it wrong to use the word "codes" in programming context? > I shall use these codes.


"Upvote" vs. "up vote" vs. "up-vote"

Should I use "upvote", "up vote", or "up-vote" on SE sites? What about "downvote"? They're not words in the sense that they're in the dictionary, but they are commonly used in this community. Also, "downvote" reads much more naturally than "down vote". > I upvoted the post with ponies and unicorns. Or: > I up voted the post with ponies and unicorns. Or: > I up-voted the post with ponies and unicorns.


Usage of the word "game"

I often hear this word 'game'. One of the questions in the site talks about the meaning of "I am game". Users have replied that "I am game" implies that I am up for the challenge. But I would like to know the exact meaning and context regarding the usage of the word 'game'. I've also seen it being used in Eminem's rap songs saying "I am married to a game". So what exactly is this word word 'game'? What is its context and usage?


What is the meaning of 'in the ether'?

In the following sentence, what is the meaning of 'in the ether'? > Rather than calling some function in the ether and passing arguments, we > call a method on one particular object providing arguments for the other > information. I found the sentence in this article: > http://martinfowler.com/articles/richardsonMaturityModel.html It's an article on programming but I guess the meaning of it is general.


Using a comma before "rather than"

I find that it is very common for some people (typically English teachers, in my experience) to use a comma before a phrase beginning with "rather than" when it falls at the end of a sentence. For example: > We decided to go to the grocery store, rather than a restaurant. In the above sentence, the comma seems to be unnatural and incorrect. I can only think that perhaps they were taught to always use a comma before "rather than" when it is used in an appositive phrase, as such: > We decided that, rather than going out to a restaurant, we would go to the > grocery store. This usage is correct, and I have no problem with it. I **think** that people use the comma in the first example because they are incorrectly applying a rule that should only apply to parenthetical phrases. They might decide that the last part of the sentence is a parenthetical phrase because it is nonessential information, but if you replaced the words "rather than" with "instead of," few people would put a comma there. It just doesn't flow properly. However, the incidence of English teachers perpetuating the first example is so great that I have to wonder if I have missed a lesson somewhere. Have I been incorrectly removing the comma all these years?


"X equals Y" vs. "X is equal to Y"

What's the subtle difference between _X equals Y_ and _X is equal to Y_?


Meaning of inbred in context

This is the line in context from preface of the book Concrete Mathematics: > Abstract mathematics was becoming inbred and losing touch with > reality;mathematical education needed a concrete counterweight in order to > restore a healthy balance. The meanings given in dictionary says:   1. Produced by inbreeding.   2. Fixed in the character or disposition as if inherited; deep-seated: an _inbred distrust of radicalism_. I am unable to decipher the meaning in context here because none of the above two meanings seems to be appropriate in this context. What do the authors mean by " _mathematics was becoming inbred_ "?


What's the difference between "efficacy" and "effectiveness"?

I usually use the word "effectiveness" in conversation, but sometimes I use the word "efficacy" then self-correct with "effectiveness" . Is there a practical difference between them?


Is it really wrong to say "I'm hearing"?

Many grammar books claim that ‘see’, ‘hear’, ‘taste’, ‘smell’, ‘feel’ are verbs that aren’t used in continuous forms, and yet, we do hear and see it quite often used by native speakers. For instance, read the title of this article: > Are You Hearing Enough Complaints? > > The average complainer tells nine or more others about his unhappy > experience. So successfully resolving a complaint is not only likely to > generate increased business from the complainer, but also to restore nine or > more potentially lost opportunities with other customers or prospects. The > point is, if **you're not hearing** any complaints this might be a reason to > worry, rather than to congratulate yourself. I myself would say "I'm hearing more and more people pronounce this word this way" just as much as I would say "I hear more and more people..." Your thoughts, native speakers? Does using the continuous form of this verb feel odd to you?


Comma Rules: Conflicting Rules Concerning the Setting Off of Commas

I've got a sentence where the independent clause is in the front, a contrasting phrase follows, and then a simile is made to modify or elaborate the contrasting phrase. I am wondering where commas should go in this sentence. One rule is to set off the contrasting phrase/ clause from the rest of the sentence. The other is setting off dependent clauses. The sentence is: > **a)** Roman sat, quietly, in his seat, not giggling and chit-chatting, like > the other kids from his school. I believe that the commas setting off quietly are appropriate or not and depend on the meaning I am trying to convey. I am also quite sure that the comma before not is appropriate. If the sentence becomes: > **b)** Roman sat, quietly, in his seat, like the other kids from his school. Then you lose the meaning of the sentence because the other kids were not sitting quietly. If you look at most examples of contrasting phrases that get set off by commas, you will notice that the meaning is not lost: > **c)** She will go to to school in New York, not Chicago, to study law. Excise the contrasting phrase, and: > **d)** She will go to school in New York to study law. Similarly, > **e)** It was her money, not her charm or personality, that first attracted > him. Excise the contrasting phrase, and: > **f)** It was her money that first attracted him. So, what do I do here?


"fought in the World War II" versus "fought in the second World War"

Why is > fought in the second World War or > fought in the Vietnam War correct but > fought in the World War II is not?


What’s difference between “in” + VERBing compared with just plain VERBing alone?

In the following example from page 145 of Frederick Schauer’s _Thinking Like a Lawyer_ , what would differ if the sentence were to start with _Being_ instead of _In being_? > **In being** an empirical response to an empirical claim, this explanation > engages Realism on its own terms, and so little can be said here other than > that if Realism is empirically correct for much of law, then the fact that > Realism may now be substantially disregarded is surprising and disturbing.   1. Is there a name for the structure _in_ \+ gerund?    2. What are the similarities and differences between the version with the preposition and the version without it? I tried Google which revealed nothing.


Using an appropriate article before the word "leadership"

I had a quick question. Recently a co-worker posted a how-to guide entitled "How to be a good leadership at work". To me the sentence seems incorrect. But I can't explain why. Technically leadership is a noun, just like in the sentence "How to be a good person at work" would be correct, because person is also a noun. Perhaps it's one of those things that sounds incorrect to me but really is correct. Can anyone explain this to me?


"Upon" at the very beginning of a sentence

Can a sentence begin with _upon_? Or should it be changed to _on_? For example: >   * Upon a decrease in temperature... [Is this grammatical?] >   * On a decrease in temperature... [What about this?] >


Repeating "to" and "will" in enumerations of verbs

Should I use the second "will" in constructions like this one: "it will definitely help you and **will** make the text more readable" And should I write "to" before every infinitive in enumeration, or only before the first one, e.g. "it helps to develop and test" or "it helps to develop and **to** test"? Could this example be influenced by the fact that "help" can go with to-invinitive and bare infinitive, and with other verbs the rule would be different?


Synonym for "godchild" without religious connotation

In English is there a synonym for "godchild" (or the gender-specific versions) without a religious connotation but without necessarily having other specific connotations? All the words I'm coming up with mean (or at least imply) that the child is living with me, or that I'm acting _in loco parentis_ in some way. I don't want that.   * "orphan", "foster child", "adopted child": these all mean that the child has lost his or her natural parents and is living with a different family or in an orphanage.   * "protégé": this is closer, but to me it still implies that the child lives with the mentor rather than the parents. What I am looking for is something that describes a similar relationship to "godchild" (i.e. I care about the child's well-being, but he lives with his parents, not with me) without actually having the religious connotation or implying anything about the child. (As some commenters mention, "godchild" _is_ sometimes used outside of a religious context these days, but it still carries that connotation; it can't really be separated from its origin.)


"Had been engaged when they married" vs. "were married" vs. "had married"

Which of the sentences below are grammatically correct? >   1. The couple had been engaged for five years when **they married**. >   2. The couple had been engaged for five years when **they were married**. >   3. The couple had been engaged for five years when **they had married**. > Only (1) sounds correct to me, but I am unable to explain why (2) and (3) are grammatically wrong.


Is "dispreferred" a mainstream word in English?

I just recently came across the word _dispreferred_ in a linguistic document. I have never heard the word used before, rather I generally hear something like "preferred something else" in everyday conversation. Is _dispreferred_ a linguistics/language specific term or does it have more widespread usage in non-technical conversations? As I type the word _dispreferred_ , I see a red underline indicating that I have entered a misspelled word.


Use of a pronoun in a neither/nor construction

> Neither Ms. Perez nor Ms. Yanaka believes that watching as much television > as **her** son Sam does will lead to anything productive. Is **her** correct? or should it be **their**?


"Indeed/in deed/indid/in did"

I am not a native speaker and get constantly confused which one to use when I would like to approve some statement or someone's sentence. > A really nice one **indeed**.   >  A really nice one **in deed**.   >  A really nice one **indid**.   >  A really nice one **in did**. I guess the first one is correct, but others may be correct in some other contexts. When do we use each of these?


Is it correct to use "better+verb"?

When is it correct to use "better+verb", for example which one of following sentences are correct? > It better helps [me to prepare than something else]. > > It better makes sense [than something else]. > > It better matches the others. > > You will better understand it if you pay more attentions. ...where better means "more", not "had better" or "better" as verb.


When to use `use` and when to use `utilize` in a sentence?

Some times I go through articles and find the expression `utilize`, I've always been wondering in there are special cases in which it should be used instead of `used`. Also cause google ngram clearly shows that `used` is used (sorry for that ;D) much more. Thanks for your help and happy new year!


What is the shortest term to refer to people whose mother tongue is English?

What is the shortest term to refer to representatives of peoples and cultures whose mother tongue is English? Mothertonguers? Update:   Can't I call them joe?


What grammar is used in "are there" for not a question & "is a compromise view" without a subject?

I have found 2 sentences in a law book, but I cannot figure out what grammar rules are used in them. Please advise.   * 1.) In no state, however, **are there** _[what rule, why such order of the words?]_ specific guidelines as to what constitutes participation in another business . . . The above sentence is not a question, so why is there subject-auxiliary verb inversion? In the following example, why is there no subject?   * 2.) Between these two extremes, however, **is a compromise view**. _[no subject? What rule is this?]_ , which seems . . .


Who excels under pressure?

I am not looking for phrases that mean to keep your poise or have courage. I am looking for something - word or phrase - the succinctly describes someone who is better under pressure. An example would be a basketball player who shoots 3 pointers 35% overall but if he has a guy in his face he shoots 45% and if he has a guy in his face and in a close game in the 4th quarter he shoots over 50%. Is there something that summarizes the relationship between more pressure and more performance? **Edit:** Clutch is a really good term and we had thought about using that. We need a term t:that fits into our database model for football/basketball advanced metrics. Was looking for something that is a little more scientific and not a current cliche but if the shoe fits we will use it. Still open to more suggestions.


"Liberation" and "free"

What is the difference between _liberation_ and _free_?   Are _spiritual liberation_ and _free will_ the same?


what is the difference between charity/foundation/cause/trust

I looked at dictionary but i couldn't understand the difference between charity/foundation/cause/trust with simple examples please


Does "ought to" imply irrelevance?

Does the phrase "ought to" express the irrelevance of the person taking the action? For example, if someone says "Governments which are just, ought to ensure food security for their citizens", are they specifically saying certain governments ought to do so, or is the sentence expressing that governments which are just, **in general** , ought to do so, as in a generic statement that doesn't express the relevance of the person/entity taking the action?


Hello everyone,which one is correct?

please suggest me which one is correct and any other suggestion to make it a better sentence. 1\. We have noted your below email and we are not holding below booking any longer. 2\. We have noted your below email and are not holding below booking any longer. Thanks.


Why do people pronounce "Naomi" as "Niomi"?

The Wikipedia page for "Naomi (given name)" says "pronounced nay-oh-mee" which is how I pronounce my daughter's name, but quite often people pronounce it "nigh-oh-mee" (that is, with a long "i" instead of a long "a" in the first syllable). Is there a reason why so many people pronounce it in this way? I live near Boston, in case that's a factor.


In what context or situation (if any) would the words "try to see me" make sense?

If there is such possible situation, please, describe it. Please don't insert any punctuation between those words and keep their order intact.


What is the meaning and usage of the word "beknownst"?

I've used "beknownst" and "unbeknownst" a couple times but I never really bothered to look it up until now. But it's not in most of the online dictionaries websites I frequent. I'm under the impression that this word is old school; if so, is it still appropriate to use? Or am I better off using some other word that means the same thing?


"Cut their hawsers"

I'm annotating a late 16th or early 17th century English play for publication, and I'm having trouble making sense of a certain incident that takes place. I'm hoping someone familiar with Elizabethan nautical terms can help. Here's the situation. Two pirate ships are grappled together as their captains fight in single combat for the booty plundered from a French merchantman. As they fight, a group of impressed sailors plan to escape by stealing the merchantman. To prevent the pirates from pursuing them, one says: **"We'll cut their hawsers."** The plan goes off, and the pirate captain orders a pursuit, but is told: **"They have cut our hawsers, we cannot budge a foot."** Here's my question. I always understood--and the sources I've looked at so far back me up--that the term "hawser" usually referred to the rope that moored the ship to a dock or to an anchor. In other words, if the pirate ship was moored or anchored, cutting the hawser would set them adrift. It wouldn't _stop_ them from moving, it would do the opposite. So what am I missing? How is it that cutting the hawser prevents you from pulling in the anchor, but leaves the ship still held by the anchor? Or is it the playwright who's confused--always a possibility? If anyone is interested, the play is Robert Daborne's _A Christian Turn'd Turk_ , published in London in 1612.


"Mic" as an abbreviation for microwave

Last week, I was among a group of friends and commented on the fact that someone had removed a sticker from their microwave. I used the word "mic" to abbreviate microwave, and people thought I was talking about a microphone. This made me wonder if anyone else actually says that or if my mixed word usage (I'm from New Jersey, but have been living in California for 6+ years) resulted in an original abbreviation. I'm pretty sure I have been abbreviating microwave this way for quite a while, though. Is it an East Coast thing? Is it a personal thing? I googled for it and checked WordReference, but _mic_ is basically an abbreviation for _microphone_ any way you slice it, it would seem. So is this a regionalism that others share or is it an abbreviation with low general comprehension?


"As long as" for "since" in AE

Some of you might have noticed that I oftentimes use the conjunction "as long as" in my questions and my posts. I was just wondering -- does "as long as" in the sense "since" [=in view of the fact that, considering, inasmuch as] have any currency in AE, and can it be used just about safely for whatever register of language but the most formal prose? You might want to consider the following sources and examples for this: > http://www.thefreedictionary.com/as+long+as > > http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/as%20long%20as > > http://www.thefreedictionary.com/since As long as (= since/inasmuch as) you're not interested, I won't tell you about it. As long as (= since/inasmuch as) you're already here, you might as well stay. As long as (= since/inasmuch as) you have offered, I accept. As long as you've offered your daughter the possibility for information and she's stated her preference, there's no reason to insist. As long as you've provided her with the opportunity to learn, it's best that you wait for indications of her readiness... source


is there any difference between 'it' and 'this' to these sentences?

Do they have same meaning? Is there any difference by intuition? >   1. What does _it_ signify? >   2. What does _this_ signify? >


Do I draw a line or rule on a paper?

When I use a ruler and a pen, is it a line or a rule that I draw? What are the dimensions of the line/rule, length and width, or length and thickness?


Is the use of "all set" exclusive to certain regions?

I grew up in the Northeastern US where the use of the phrase "all set" to mean "ready" or "finished" is common. An example would be, "Are you all set with that?" (perhaps while pointing to an unfinished meal) Another example would be, "Are we all set?" (as in "Are we ready to go?") I never gave it a second thought until a friend from California told me that the usage of "all set" really threw him off when he moved to the Northeast. He had never heard that usage before ... hence my curiosity. Is the use of "all set" exclusive to certain regions in the US? Is it used at all in Great Britain?


Searching for the word for a certain type of book

There are (mainly) fantasy stories where you have to jump on and on inside the story by your decisions. What is the appropriate word for these books?


"Sign in", "signin" or "sign-in"

Which is correct: _sign in_ , _signin_ or _sign-in_ when used as a noun and also as a verb?


Meaning of "yield" in acrostic for 'pray'

Some people expand the word _pray_ as an acronym for: **p** raise, **r** epent, **a** sk, **y** ield. What does _yield_ mean in this religious context?               Original wording of question was: "Some people expand the word pray to mean..."


Subject-Verb Agreement question

You, the employer, **contribute** the most. You, the employer, **contributes** the most. which one would be correct?


To Whom It May Concern, what's the best way to address a group?

I write emails to groups of individuals from time to time, and when I don't/can't address anyone in particular, I will begin the letter with > To Whom It May Concern, Is this the best way to equally address a group of people, in a professional setting?


Sunday as a Week Marker

When someone uses the phrase "the week of the [Sunday's date]" does that usually refer to the week preceding that Sunday or after it?


Is this event ironic or a funny coincidence: (explain why as well) > Bob is walking with Jerry outside after it has just finished raining. Bob > starts on about this time some "stupid, aloof" guy walked right into a > puddle because he wasn't paying attention. Right as he is finishing the > story, he himself walks directly into a puddle of water. A buddy and I were debating whether that's irony or funny coincidence, so we decided to poll the audience to get some clarity on the issue.


"Free of" vs. "Free from"

> _The people were free from the barbaric dictator._ Or: _The people were free > of the barbaric dictator._ > > _The mashed potatoes were free from lumps._ Or: _The mashed potatoes were > free of lumps._ > > _I wish I could be free from this terrible cold._ Or: _I wish I could be > free of this terrible cold._ It seems to me that the terms "free from" and "free of" can be used interchangeably. Do the two have distinct meanings? Is one more correct than the other? Are there exceptions?


What degree of status does the label "office lady" imply?

I'm wondering whether or not "office lady" is commonly used in English- speaking countries? Does it carry a derogatory sense or stereotype women's jobs like "pink-collar worker" does?


A word/phrase to describe something that's under development

Let's say I have an app and it is under development, not yet to be released. **What's the best adjective (or phrase) to describe an app like that?** The first two words that came to my mind are _constructing_ , _developing_. But I found it awkward to use them.


Where does A/C abbreviation for aircraft come from?

I am wondering where did **A/C** abbreviation originate, and especially the slash since aircraft is one word. For instance, I can understand why there is a slash while abbreviating _air conditioning_.


'I need you!' 'So do I' Is this grammatical?

> Evelyn: I need you!   >  Sam: So do I! Is this grammatical? What is the meaning of the response?


Pluralization of nouns left out with conjunction

Can a repeated noun be left out in a conjunction? The particular example I am thinking of is a sentence that starts: > Element A and element B.... Which I would shorten as: > Element A and B... I know I can do this with a definite article or a normal modifier, but if you can't leave out the noun, it should actually be: > Elements A and B... Which is correct?


What is the word to mean to apply attributes of an entire race to a single individual?

Normally _racism_ is used to mean generalizing about an entire race based on a few individual examples, but what is the word to mean to apply attributes of an entire race to a single individual? That is often referred to as _racism_ as well, but I believe they are distinct and would like a more precise word or term. I know the terms for the logical fallacies associated with it, but am seeking a general English term. For example, three nurples bit me, therefore all nurples are biters. This is a case of an overgeneralization. This is the term I'm looking for: Most nurples are savants. Aijan is a nurple. Therefore Aijan is a savant. This is a case of fallacy of division. Is there a more plain word to express the second example, carrying the connotation of _racism_ , but not the word _racism_ proper?


"Bongo is screaming": is "screaming" an adjective?

If I say, " _Bongo is screaming_ ", would _screaming_ be an adjective?


Is the valediction "see you later, alligator" used in English?

I have been reading a book about real English expressions and idioms. The first chapter deals with greetings. According to the section **On departure** , > _See you later, alligator_ is one of the informal ways of saying goodbye to someone. The book says that it's humoristic and the answer would be _in a while crocodile_. Apparently, it's derived from a 50s pop song. My question is: Is this expression common? It goes without saying that I am not a native speaker of English but I usually listen to English music, films and TV shows and I have never heard of it before.


To 'link' or 'relate' two items?

I'm developing a system in which users can 'link' separate items by using a 'Link' button. In the database, this 'link' is called a 'relation'. I'm inclined to change the text of the button to 'Relate' instead of 'Link' because it seems more correct. However, I fear users might be confused due to popular usage of the term 'relation'. For example, you often see a list with 'Related terms' popping up on websites. When you look closely, most of the time this is a list of terms that might have something to do with the current term you have selected, but don't have an actual relation to it. I would rather call it 'Similar terms'. Might 'link' therefore be a better choice after all? Or is 'relation' much more correct?


How to better express the idea of "written communication"?

As compared to "verbal communication" or "visual communication", I was wondering if there was a synonym for "written communication" that is semantically similar to the first two. What throws me off is that written is both a verb and an adjective, while verbal and visual are singularly adjectives. Is this a distinction I should even worry about?


How to say that I have been many years in the IT field

Currently, I'm starting my resume with > Throughout more than ten years within the IT I have gained a broad > knowledge... But I don't know whether that sentence makes sense to native speakers. Should I use **in** instead of **within**? Is there a better way to reword this?


Is there an equivalent of "reverie" where one is lost in unpleasant thoughts?

To say "the noise outside shook her from her reverie" implies she was lost in pleasant daydreams. What if she was lost in worry or unpleasant thoughts? Is there an equivalent term (single word or short phrase)?


Dictionary program/website that has IPA+recording for as many words as possible

I usually use Wiktionary as my English dictionary. The main things that I'm interested in are (1) IPA transcriptions and (2) voice recordings of each word. The problem is that Wiktionary doesn't have those for as many words as I would want. Is there a more complete solution? A dictionary which has those 2 things for more words?


The relative pronoun "which" and the omission in this sentence

The complete sentence: > Yet I should point out before I proceed with this line that when I use > ‘ideology,’ I do not mean to imply the now-familiar sinister connotations of > mischief or falsehood attached to the term; rather, I see Scott’s ideology > simply as a mindset or a belief system which was true to him, and he to it. Please give me some guidance on this part of the phrase; it sounds **terribly off**. > . . . a belief system which was true to him, and he to it. I mean to say that: a) the so-called mindset was true "to him" (meaning "true to him" according to the way he perceives the world); and b) he is "true to his (same) mindset" (as in he stays true to it). The main trouble for me is "which". It refers to "the mindset"; however, it sounds odd with the addition "and he to it", because it should be grammatically unacceptable to use both the relative pronoun and the pronoun. **Should I instead say: "and he to which"?** A good paraphrase to what I am trying to say: > . . . a mindset or a belief system which was genuinely true to him, and to > which he stays so too. Also what do you think of the preposition "of" and "of" in the following? > the now-familiar sinister connotations **of** mischief or falsehood attached > **to** the term The complete sentence


Is "Sad sometimes what happens when kids stop being kids and grow up to become the kind of adults we simply detest" ambiguous?

In the Collins Dictionary entry for the verb _detest_, the following citation taken from a 2003 _Ottawa Sun_ article is given to demonstrate that verb: > Sad sometimes what happens when kids stop being kids and grow up to become > the kind of adults we simply detest. I can’t understand the exact meaning of this sentence. Which of the following is it?   1. One sometimes finds themselves sad at witnessing that children come of age so obscurely, forging their way towards the very kind of adulthood we simply detest.   2. One sometimes finds themselves sad at the way children occasionally behave like the very kinds of adults we usually are inclined to detest. Or is it neither?


What do you call the activities between actual work?

I've noticed that there are many cases where more time is spent on preparation and other things around the actual work that's intended to be done. For example, at school, very little time is spent learning - most of it is spent commuting, going from class to class, doing homework, waiting for the teacher, etc. Similarly, as a web developer, I don't spend very much time actually writing code. I end up spending most of my time compiling projects, looking for bugs with our bug tracking system, updating the status of those bugs, etc. What do we call these activities that aren't the focus of our time, but end up taking up a lot of it anyway? edit: The word "peripheral" came to mind. I'm not sure if this is what I'm looking for though.


"Some is controversial, and some is my opinions" — is this grammatical?

I came across the expression > ... some is controversial, and some is my opinions. Is this correct? I wonder if “... some are my opinions” might be more correct.


What's a good phrase for "refining a process which is hopelessly broken"?

I'm looking for a turn of phrase to describe a situation where the powers that be wish to continue making small improvements to a process which, due to deep- rooted flaws, will never be close to accurate. I'm working on a process for estimating the states of business objects, and there's interest in fixing some edge cases which have been noticed. This could be worthwhile, but because of missing data we're already making heroic guesses. So if implemented, we might get from 80.0 to 80.1% accuracy. If we were at 99.5%, I'd be happy to get it to 99.6%, but in the current situation it doesn't seem productive. We have some CS people on E.SE; what would you call it when someone wants to optimize a two-second process to load data, though once loaded it will be chewed on by an inefficient algorithm for hours? Something like "bailing the ocean" or "fixing a leaky faucet in a burning building" is close to what I have in mind. There's also "rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic," but that carries an implication that the changes are wholly useless, and that events are coming to a head.


Is “have the steel” an idiom in the statement, “Mitt Romney would have the steel to order the 2011 operation that killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan”?

I found the phrase “ _have the steel_ ” in the following sentence of Time magazine’s article (April 30) titled, “Why Obama Owns bin Laden.” “Judging from the Republican response, President Obama's ad asking whether Mitt Romney would have ordered the raid that captured Osama bin Laden raises serious questions There is a kind of biographical line running between those dusty sparring matches a world away and the ad the Obama re-election campaign has released on the question of whether Mitt Romney would _have the steel_ to order the 2011 operation that killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan.” As I assumed “Mitt Romney would ‘have the steel’ to order the 2011 operation” means “Romney had the guts to order the raid,” I checked English dictionaries online to make it sure: Cambridge English Dictionary registers “have nerves of steel, meaning ‘to be brave,’ but not “have the steel.” OED registers “have the nerve to” and “get a nerve doing,” but not “have the steel.” Merriam-Webster registers neither ‘have the steel’ nor “have nerves of steel.” Is “have the steel” an idiom or common usage meaning “be brave” or “have the guts” as I guessed? Can I say “He had the steel to tell his boss ‘you’re wrong’?”


"As far as job is concerned, marriage is no longer an obstacle." Is this a grammatically correct and meaningful sentence?

There was a question in a book: > Do women in your country work after they get married? Does " _As far as job is concerned, marriage is no longer an obstacle._ " mean that having a job is no longer married life threatening for women? Is it grammatically correct?


Another Achievement Verbs with the Progressive Aspect

I am a reading a book called, _The Teacher's Grammar of English_. Achievement verbs have previously been mentioned here. Many of you might be familiar with the matter. The sentences below are examples of ungrammatical sentences, which I don't understand. The book says: Achievement verbs usually cannot occur with stop or start. *He started catching the kitten. (I don't understand this sentence, it seems alright to me.) *He stopped recognizing the thief.


Apostrophes and caps in Happy Mother’s Day / Happy Mothers’ Day

So, I’m writing this as it is Mother’s (or maybe Mothers’) Day today, and I was wondering what would be a correct way to write that. Should the apostrophe come be between the _r_ and the _s_ , or **after** the _s_? And are the following capitalization correct? > Happy Mother’s (or Mothers’) Day! and > I wish you a Happy Mother’s (again, maybe Mothers’) Day! and also > I sure spent a nice Mother’s (maybe Mothers’) Day with my momma!


Connection between 'proxy', 'pronumeral' and 'pronoun'?

I was thinking about the words _pronumeral_ and _pronoun_ ; I realized they both share a prefix, and are both proxies for numerals and nouns. I was wondering if there is any connection between the words since _proxy_ also begins with _pro_. If _proxy_ is unrelated, is there any reason for the two words to start with _pro_?


What is the antonym of "inversion" as in "the inversion of normal word order"?

Is there any word for expressing a normal word order, as opposed to an inverted word order? I prefer the word to be the one mostly used by grammarians.


What's the word for "twelvely"?

If something is nested twice, it's "double nested".   If something is nested three times, it's "triple nested".   If something is nested twelve times, it's ... What? "Dodecly nested?" Edit: Apparently, according to websters-online-dictionary.com as quoted below, the adverbial form of _twelve_ actually is "twelvely", but that form is virtually never used. Is there one that is used? >   1. Virtually never used adverbial inflection of the adjective twelve. >


Should you use two definite articles in "the Wigner-Ville and Li-Katar distributions"?

Which one is right? >   * the Wigner-Ville and Li-Katar distributions >   * the Wigner-Ville and the Li-Katar distributions > Assume that both _Wigner-Ville_ and _Li-Katar_ are distributions.


Best word for "unable to change"

I'm looking for a word that is the opposite of "adaptable." I would like to say "unadaptable," but that's not a real word according to my dictionary. So, what's the best word out there for not-able-to-change? _Update:_ I'm embarrassed to admit I was accidentally searching the Mac's built-in _thesaurus_ , not dictionary, when I checked to see if unadaptable was a word. My bad! I'll still award Jasper the answer for pointing out my obvious oversight. _Update 2_ : To respond to the various calls for clarification, I'm specifically using this word in a report talking about the development of certain kinds of subdivisions, especially very homogenous single-family subdivisions in outer ring suburban areas. In my report I'm referring to a neighborhood that can change at the micro-level, ie. it can improve or deteriorate, but it cannot change what it is: ie. the infrastructure pattern is not capable of supporting a different land use, and it is not economically feasible to retrofit the infrastructure, therefore the nature of the subdivision cannot be changed, while the condition of the subdivision (if it is deteriorating) may cause people to _wish_ that it could be changed. So, with that in mind:   1. Why not immutable?" Immutable is a great word, but I understand it's connotation to mean "permanent, unchanging", in the sense that something simply is not subject to change, not that it might like to change but cannot.    2. Why not "inflexible?" Inflexible connotes being "unwilling" to change, or perhaps being able to be changed (or reshaped / bent) but only slowly and with much resistance. So, in this situation I am looking for an adjective that describes an inability to adapt to changing market conditions by shifting from one land use to another. In this case I specifically use the word "adaptable" in many places to describe the opposite, and given the context I think "unadaptable" will be better understood than any of the other suggestions, even though I am aware of (and agree with) the comments about it's status as a rarely used and therefore imperfect choice. Thank you all for the feedback!


"Try me": Too Sexually Suggestive and "Slangy" for Retail Marketing?

Is the expression “Try Me” inappropriately sexually suggestive and “slangy” for use in retail marketing? A client wants an expression for use on a sticker for an electronic device in a retail store to invite customers to try out the device. “Try me” was suggested as common and effective. However, others have warned that “Try me” is inappropriate as likely to be considered lewd. Which view is correct? And if “Try me” is inappropriate or if the client insists on another expression, what would be more appropriate?


What does 'with all that' mean in this sentence?

The sentence goes as: > Surely, through most of the history of history writing, the dominant mode of > recalling that past has been narrative, **with all that** this implies about > literary crafting and persuasive intent. Should I interpret this as kind of 'and'? The sentence is from _A Biblical History of Israel_ by Provan.


Whereof, wherein, wherefrom, whereupon, whereby, wherewith, wherefore in a contemporary article?

I am publishing an article (research) and I am wondering whether theses words, albeit far more beautiful than their equivalent using which, can still be employed even though the OED described them as archaic. I use whereof and wherein the most. The rest of the set is used as a logical derivation in general (like consequently etc.). I do not mind being formal. My British reviewer did not comment on their usage. Being in science, the field of the article does not use a complicated english (it is a branch of biology). So, besides their clarity, it may be a good opportunity to show how good they are; but if these are already too much, can they all be replaced automatically by their counterparts with there- without changing anything to my sentences ? Yes, this is linked to where- and there- compounds


The target is narrow/ limited / tight?

If I would like to describe a target of a very small group of people, like age 14 to 16 , girls, should I say the target is narrow / limited / tight or any other adjectives? Which one sounds better?


Can I use "appearance" in this context?

I have found the phrase "How Many Times Does a Word Appear in the Bible". In an XML document I do not want to use the verb _appear_ , but rather the corresponding noun. For Example: > Appearance of the word "whatever" in book _Whatever_ :   >  Chapter 23: 3 times   >  Chapter 30: 2 times Can I use _appearance_ in this context?


Is 'deuce' (tennis) a corruption of the French phrase 'à deux de jeu'?

The scoring system of tennis is somewhat arcane and the origins are not well understood. It is likely tennis derives from game played in medieval France in which a clock face was used to keep score. Points in the games were incremented in multiples of fifteen (the 'forty' call is thought simply to be short for 'forty-five', and sixty, the top score, was never called as the game ended when this score was reached). Other peculiarities of tennis scoring include the term 'deuce' and 'love'. Is 'deuce' a corruption of the French phrase 'à deux de jeu' meaning 'two points away from the (end of the) game'?


Word meaning "convert a variable value to a constant value"

Perhaps this belongs on stackoverflow, but since it could have some applicability to non-tech contexts, thought I'd post here. Is there a word that means "make something that is variable constant"? For example, in programming, I might have a variable `queueSize` that could be set to different values for different queues. Later I decide to make this a fixed (constant) value for all queues. What is a word to describe this conversion? _Edit_ A real-world (non-programming) example is converting from a variable tax-rate to a flat (constant) tax-rate. I proposed below that, in light of this example, the word `flatten` could be used to answer my question. However, this word does not conventionally mean "to make constant", and has other meanings in the context of several programming languages. _Edit_ To be clear, I'm not looking for a word/expression the means changing a variable from one type to another (casting). Rather, I mean keeping the type the same, but changing a field from a variable to a constant value.


The following is a GRE sample question. > Jean Wagner’s most enduring contribution to the study of Afro-American > poetry is his insistence that it be analyzed in a religious, as well as > secular, frame of reference. **The appropriateness of such an approach may > seem self-evident for a tradition commencing with spirituals and owing its > early forms, rhythms, vocabulary, and evangelical fervor to Wesleyan > hymnals.** But before Wagner a secular outlook that analyzed Black poetry > solely within the context of political and social protest was dominant in > the field. > > It is Wagner who first demonstrated the essential fusion of racial and > religious feeling in Afro-American poetry. The two, he argued, form a > symbiotic union in which religious feelings are often applied to racial > issues and racial problems are often projected onto a metaphysical plane. > Wagner found this most eloquently illustrated in the Black spiritual, where > the desire for freedom in this world and the hope for salvation in the next > are inextricably intertwined. All of the following aspects of Afro-American poetry are referred to in the passage as having been influenced by Wesleyan hymnals EXCEPT:   (A) subject matter   (B) word choice   (C) rhythm   (D) structure   (E) tone * * * I'm quite sure that the answer should be based on the sentence in bold: > The appropriateness of such an approach may seem self-evident for a > tradition commencing with spirituals and owing its early forms, rhythms, > vocabulary, and evangelical fervor to Wesleyan hymnals. And by the words "forms", "rhythms", and "vocabulary", I think one can rule out D, C, and B. The conundrum is between A and E. I'm not able to determine which one is more related to "evangelical fervor". I looked the words "subject matter" and "tone" in the dictionary and I found that the **subject matter** of something such as a book, lecture, film, or painting is the thing that is being written about, discussed, or shown, and that the **tone** of a speech or piece of writing is its style and the opinions or ideas expressed in it. Neither one, as I understand so far, is related to "evangelical fervor". How should I understand "tone" in this context? Does it have anything to do with "evangelical fervor"?


"He is all of thirty-one" meaning

In the song "Universal Soldier" there is the line: He is **_all of_** thirty-one, and he's only seventeen. What does the expression _"all of"_ mean here?


"The problem is he is stingy"

I have this sentence: > The problem is he is very stingy with his money. But I feel it sounds weird or even wrong with the two _is_ es so close. Is the sentence structure grammatical? If it isn't, how to fix it?


can I say 'a 300-thousand city'

I am looking for a noun meaning 'having 300 thousand inhabitants' so that I could say for example 'a 300-thousand city' instead of 'a city in which 300 thousand people live' or 'a city inhabited by 300 thousand people' etc. can I use the former form, and if not, is it possible to use another noun to do so?


Pronunciation of "butcher"

I was born in the East Midlands where we say “coop of tea” instead of “cap of tea”, and we sit on “grass” rather than “grarse”. I've been arguing with some Londoners about how to pronounce the word _butcher_. We agree that in RP (received pronunciation), _clutch_ and _hutch_ and _much_ should all be spoken as “clatch” and “hatch” and “match” (pardon my clumsy attempt at phonetic representation). But what about _butcher_? As a northener, I would say “bootcher”, so I would expect RP to say “batcher”. But my London friends insist that even in RP, it's still “bootcher”. Are they right? In short: does _butcher_ rhyme with _clutch_?