What did they call illegitimate children in Old English days?

I know that the word _bastard_ in this sense appeard only in 13th century. So what was the normal term before that?


Can I say "What's the sense of (something)"?

I came across this usage in a sentence from an exercise, which is: > What's the **sense** of having a public open space where you can't eat, > drink or even simply hang out for a while? Does the usage here sound natural? And how is it different from "What's the **point** of (something)"?


A word which means the opposite of "something that works in parallel"

If I want to describe two things happening at the same time, I can use the words `parallel` or `concurrently`. In some cases, `simultaneously` would also work. More suggestions are available in the opposite question, already answered. In technical writing, most of the time, it is sufficient to identify a process or thread that is parallel; a lack of parallelism is assumed in absence of specificity. But in some cases, the ordinary expectation for something is parallel, so the reverse requires denotation. The word `sequentially` implies some of the same things as `concurrently`. But I'd really like a word that denotes the opposite and can be used in the same way as `concurrently`. Here's a few examples:   * "That procedure runs concurrently, so the system doesn't wait for it to finish before moving on."   * "That procedure runs `???`, so the system waits for it to finish before moving on."   * "The math library does all of its processing concurrently, so matrix multiplication is faster on a multi-core machine."   * "The math library does all of its processing `???`, so it doesn't matter how many cores you have."   * "The backup runs concurrently with the import, so the system doesn't experience any downtime."   * "The backup runs `???` with the import, so the system will be down until it completes." The audience can assumed to be reasonably technical, though not necessarily domain experts in multithreaded programming. (Bonus points if the word is also useful as a part of function names while programming.) This question is very well straddling the line between here and StackOverflow, but its more about English than programming, I think. So, does the word I want exist?


Meaning of "individual" in "dystopian texts [...] emphasize the importance of the individual"

I'm trying to help my son understand an essay question but am having trouble understanding the question myself. He's studying George Orwell's 1984 and the essay question is this: > Dystopian texts are valued because they emphasize the importance of the > individual in his or her particular context. I'm not looking for an answer to the actual question but rather an explanation of what it's actually asking. In particular who is the individual — do they mean the author? And if so, do they mean the importance of the author at the time the book was written, importance to literary history, or something else?


Etymology of "well" in "treat people well"

I wrote _treat people well_. In trying to feel more deeply about this, I wondered where the word _well_ came from in this context. Why was this word chosen to explain and convey so much?


What does visceral means in this context?

> Some people’s imagery is largely nonvisual: visceral or emotional or > kinesthetic or something else. What does visceral mean?


"Help in doing something" or "Help doing something"

Is the preposition **in** necessary or abundant? To be specific, which of these two sentences sounds better/is correct? > _This helps in achieving better fuel economy._ or > _This helps achieving better fuel economy._ I know of this question, however I am not sure how much it applies to my problem.


"Cleats" vs. "soccer shoes"

I used to say _cleats_ but found it uncommon for some people, though I had no trouble with _soccer shoes_. I have always lived in a Spanish-speaking country (Nicaragua) so I find it hard to know why that is. Are _cleats_ only used in some places? Wikipedia also mentions _football boots_.


Is an ellipsis interchangeable with an em dash?

I know than an ellipsis can be used to show a broken sentence, the same way an em dash can be used. What I don't know is that if the two are interchangeable and it is writer preference or if different meaning is conveyed by their use. Are ellipses and em dashes commutable?


Can I say this in English: "Hard- and Software"?

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Use of hyphens when writing repeated compound words that has common parts In German we can use a hyphen as indication that there is a continuation of the current word somewhere else in the sentence, such as in "hard- and software". Other examples: "de- and reconstruction", "boy- or girlfriends", … I haven't seen this use of a hyphen in English. But is the use of a hyphen allowed?


Hyphens in enumerations of compound words

do I write "and, or and not operator" or "and-, or- and not-operator". Similarly is "reading and writing phase" or "reading- and writing-phase" correct and why? (Sadly, I was unable to find an answer online) I hope you can help! thanks in advance, Ronny


Is it possible to use a hyphen in a listing (in a sentence) for abbreviation, even if the compound word consists of two separate words

I'm currently asking myself if it is possible to use "-" for abbreviation in a listing in a sentence to emphasize the togetherness of the previous words and the word in the end, even if they are two separate words or do not contain a hyphen. Example:               (...) baby-, owner- and product names.      Background: I would not like to harm the spelling of i.e. "product names" because it is spelled this way in a certain context. However i would like to make it clear that not "babies" or "owner" but "baby names" and "owner names" are meant. Thank you,


How can you omit repetition of words with prefixes, e.g. "inputs and outputs"?

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Use of hyphens when writing repeated compound words that has common parts I am looking for a general way of shortening the repetition of words with prefixes like "upwards and downwards", "inputs and outputs", "upscale and downscale", etc. Is there an accepted way to shorten this in writing? In spoken English we do something like "up and downwards" or "in and outputs".


"There isn't" vs. "there's not"

They both expand to "there is not" but for some reason "There's not" sounds indescribably uncomfortable for most situations. Can anyone elucidate why this might be? Or am I wrong? **EDIT** : Let me provide an example to see if anyone agrees. >   1. There's not anyone there.   > >   2. There isn't anyone there. > Number 1 doesn't sound wonky to you?


E-mail signature etiquette with a "With regards," line

What is the more correct use of a "With regards" line with an e-mail signature? > With regards,   >  \--   >  [First name] [Last name] > \--   >  With regards,   >  [First name] [Last name] Is there another standard to follow? Does it even matter?


Literal meaning of "to give a run for someone's money"

According to the Free Dictionary, the figurative meaning of _to give a run for someone's money_ is "to be as good as someone." But what's the _literal_ meaning of the sentence?


What are these wheels called in English?

I've been looking for the name of the wheel of which a few are visible on this picture (not the object itself, but the wheels that are used on it!): ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/5fxJk.jpg)   I've been looking for terms like "counter wheel", "counter reel", and so on - but can't seem to find anything that names the actual wheels themselves. I know that these wheels have a name as I've seen it before, but I can't recall what it was. If I had to describe it, "a numbered wheel that represents a counted digit, either stand-alone or as part of a larger number".


What's an antonym for the noun "critic"?

I need an antonym (a noun) for the word "Critic", ie. a noun for someone who praises.


"periphery" and "perimeter" — are they the same?

I looked up in the dictionary and found they both mean the boundary of a closed curve, or the extended meaning “not the center”. Are they synonyms?


What does "What are you up to?" mean?

I overheard my manager asking "What are you up to?" What does that idiom mean? Is it an informal/negative way of asking??


Word for the relation between two different generalisations

I'm looking for a word for the relation between two concepts that are both different generalisations of the same concept. As an example, take the scalar product and cross product between vectors, from the product between scalars.


What does the kitten get?

Jeff Atwood writes: > Vote For This Question or The Kitten Gets It ... every time you forget to > vote a great question up, or a bad question down — a kitten gets it! The kitten looks awfully sad, but why would it be sad for getting a question? ![kitten](http://blog.stackoverflow.com/wp-content/uploads/or-this-kitten- gets-it.jpg)


Phrasal verbs with "go"

I'm doing the Cambridge Upper-intermediate English course and there is a lection on "go xxx" phrasal verbs. > Go ahead - to start to do something > > Go on - to start operating / to continue or move to the next thing I don't really understand when to use "go on" and when to use "go ahead" meaning to start something if there is any difference? > Go off - to stop liking or being interested in someone or something > > Go for - to like or admire Could you give me example sentences, please? Are these phrases often used? I have never seen the first one hold this meaning. I know its meaning to be "(of a warning device) to start to ring loudly or make a loud noise". As for the second one, I know it like "Go for it" or "Take it" or thing like that.


What does the phrase "DV-Undefined" and the phrase "DV-MPS General" mean in book titles

I'm looking at a couple of books on Amazon and the they have some weird parts in the title. see:   * http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0735611319/ref=cm_rdp_product   * http://www.amazon.co.uk/Code-Hidden-Language-DV-MPS-General/dp/073560505X Does anyone have a clue what the phrase "DV-Undefined" and the phrase "DV-MPS General" mean in book titles? Which is better?


How offensive is the expression "I am sick of you"?

**Question 1:** What is the meaning of "I am sick of you" exactly? **Question 2:** Does the meaning of this expression change depending on the context? **Question 3:** How offensive is this expression in comparison with some alternatives having similar meanings?


It can be happened.. is it false to utter it?

is it wrong to use this expression " It can be happened...". In fact many of colleagues said that the right expression is " It can happen". Do you have any comments on this?


Word for person who loves to share knowledge

What is a word for a person who loves to share knowledge? So far I have _educator_ in mind. Is there any other word?


What is the word meaning "going on and on for miles and miles"?

_Edit: I was walking down an intolerably long sidewalk one day, and every time a mounted another hill, I saw more of it seeming to stretch out before me. It got me to thinking: is there a word for "going on and on for miles and miles?"_ I'm looking for a single adjective that is aptly descriptive of a road that stretches for miles and never seems to end. I tried various words already; for example, it can't be _ramifying_ because that word means _branching out in different directions._ Neither is it _redounding,_ which has the idea of repetition. _Long_ or _lengthy_ would be too plain, while at the same time not saying enough. So what I'm asking for is a single adjective (or present participle) that applies to a road or path and describes it as _stretching out ahead for miles with no end in sight_ in a single word. Does this word even exist? If it does, what is it? Example: _It was a long road, stretching and **____** _ing as it went, and it seemed like it would never end._


"They be paid" or "they should be paid"?

Here is a sentence that I am trying to understand grammatically:- > Defrauded depositors of XBANK staged a protest march from the New Town hall > to the Fountain circus this afternoon demanding that they be paid > immediately. How can we just use:- > they be paid In my understanding, the correct way should be:- > they should be paid immediately


'How dared you?' versus 'How dare you?'

A book I'm reading has this sentence in it: "How dared you go and see her without me?" Is the usage of the past tense 'dared' here grammatically wrong or just odd given the established phrase "How dare you?"


Is “Give (get) space” a common usage for “give (get) flexibility / freedom”?

NSNBC (March 26) reported that President Obama was overheard telling Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to “ _give him space_ " until after November during his meetings in South Korea on missile defense, and Time magazine (March 26) called Obama’s ‘ _Space’ Case_ “Gaffe of the Week.” ABC news reported: At his 90 minute meeting with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev Monday, President Obama said that he would have “more flexibility” to deal with controversial issues such as missile. I have once heard “have elbow room” used to mean have freedom / flexibility of action (decision). Is “ _give (get) space_ ” commonly used as the equivalent to “give (get) flexibility”?


Sing Song - nursery poem definitions

My wife was reading me this poem for our kids' homeschool > A city plum is not a plum; A dumb-bell is no bell, though dumb; A > statesman's rat is not a rat; A sailor's cat is not a cat; A soldier's frog > is not a frog; Sing Song - Christina Georgina Rossetti I know what a dumb bell and a captain's log are (weights and a diary), but what's a city plum; what is a statesman's rat; what is a sailor's cat; and what is a soldier's frog?


Every 30 minutes on the sharp

If the firework happens every 30 minutes from 7:00 7:30, 8:00, 8:30, ... 19:00 Can I say: There will be a fireworks display every half hour on the sharp.


What is the opposite of modal?

Is there a word for the opposite of _modal_? Particularly, is there a word for the opposite of _modal_ in the logical sense of relating to the modality between propositions? In other words, is there a word for denoting that of _not_ relating to the modality between propositions?


Is this hypothetical (if-clause) question grammatically correct?

I came across the following question at a chat room: > If I were an admin responsible for the security of an organization's network > who were using X products in their network, **how would I know for sure > whether there were backdoors in them**? Is the above question grammatically correct?   And for the part in bold, is it a real question (as in asking for an answer) or is it rhetorical?


I can see us agreeing on many points "in the article" or "from the article"?

I want to provide a reader with a link to an article and say that we would agree on a lot of points therein. What's the best way to state that and which one in the below versions is correct? > I can see us agreeing on many points _in_ the article. or > I can see us agreeing on many points _from_ the article.


single word to describe futuristic and modern building

what would be a word to describe a building that is modern and futuristic. a term that would mean something like ' **building of the next decade/century** '


"Questions to" or "Questions for"?

I am writing a list of questions to be asked in an interview, and was wondering about the title of my list. Is it supposed to be called "Questions to Artists" or "Questions for Artists"? What is the right form, presuming it is me who is going to be asking the artists questions?


"Where should I put the question mark (?)(,)" asked RoDaSm(?)

"Where should I put the question mark(1.?)(,)" asked RoDaSm(2.?) If I place the question mark at the end of the first clause (1.), I should start the second clause with a capital letter and make it a new sentence, but _Asked RoDaSm_ is not sentence. so I'm left with either of the two options written below. Could someone shed some light on whether the alternatives are correct or considered acceptable usage? 1."Where should I put the question mark?" asked RoDaSm. 2."Where should I put the question mark," asked RoDaSm? Would the same rule apply for a sentence such as: "What am I'm supposed to do with that," said RoDaSm?


Don' t ask a policeman what time it is!

There are 24 hours in a day, but only the military, police and computer programmers use the 24-hour clock. Source LEO Network. How come that the common practice of using the 12-hour clock is not followed by the Police and the Army, as generally done by common people and other institutions?


Antonym of prior to?

Given the following sentence, in the context of a video about flying a plane: > The heading remained unchanged prior to 02:50 Reversing the meaning of this: > The heading remained unchanged after 02:50 Is there another word you can use other than "after"? Aside: this is possibly a bad example, since "after" isn't a bad fit in that sentence.


What meaning does "hardly" impose in this context?

"The jury was hardly moved by the man’s plea that his loneliness was an extenuating factor in his crime of dognapping a prized pooch" What did it end with? was the jury finally moved? or not at all?


loud, aloud, loudly?

Which one of the following should I use ?   1. Speak loud.    2. Speak loudly.    3. Speak aloud. I heard once a teacher say 'speaker louder', so I think 'speak loud' should be no problem. What's more, recalling 'lol'(laugh out loud), I think the first one is correct. What's your opinion ?


British English vs American English

As an English learner it always make me confuse to know that a specific word / phrase use in which English language countries ? Is there any way that I can check a word or phrase to know that it uses in America or England ? because there are a lot of words and phrases that came from different sources and I really do not know where the base of writing come from ? Thank you very much Matt


Meaning of "... so much of what ..."

I am getting confused about the meaning of the following sentence. > The talk about the end of ideology only confirmed intellectuals from these > countries in their opinion about the pervasiveness of the ethnocentric bias > in **so much of what** passes for sociology in their Western world. What exactly does the author mean by the phrase _so much of what_? Does it emphasise some contradictory or approving fact?


what is a generic term for any work to be marked by teacher

As the title mentions: what is generic term for any work to be marked by teacher (exam, test, assignment, report) ?


What's the difference between "big" and "large"?

What's the proper way to say: _a large family_ or _a big family_? What's the difference between them?


"Without any problem" or "without any problems"

What is the correct form:   **"Without any problem"** or **"Without any problems"**?


What is "Godspeed"?

Title says it all. What does it really mean? What is its origin?


"As everyone" vs. "like everyone"

Which sentence is more correct? >   1. **As** everyone I dream about travelling to other countries. >   2. **Like** everyone I dream about travelling to other countries. >


Is Venice built on poles, piles, or pilings?

Which term should be used to describe the wooden support system of Venice?


Pronunciation of "xenophobia," "xenon," and "Xena"

I've heard all of the above words with X as _zeh_. Is that an American English thing? What's the correct way to pronounce each word?


Can "how not" stand for "of course"?

In Spanish, "how not" can mean "of course". I'm not sure whether one can translate literally that expression. Is the following correct English? > When I went to the spa I chatted with Ann for a while, and then, how not, I > took a bath. My intent in the example sentence is to express that "taking a bath" is an obvious or predictable action to perform, given the described situation.


When can you use 'a same'?

When will we use 'a same', instead of 'the same'? Is it grammatical to say:   1. We wore a same hat yesterday.   2. We talked to a same teacher everyday.


"Thru" vs. "through"

Could anyone explain the differences between "thru" and "through"? Is the difference only in spelling? Is "thru" some sort of slang?


We were all wounded at "Waunde:d" Knee

We've all heard the song. I'm just wondering whether it's wounded or "waunde:d" knee. Is there a river in the vicinity of "Wounded Knee" that is twisted or turned (waunde:d) or is the site named after the battle where everyone was wounded?


What is the term used when a government official / politician goes from one gov position to another?

In Spanish it's called "transfuguismo".


Visit us at (the) booth 24, (the) room 56 etc. It's wrong, but why?

I know that "the" is wrong here, but I can't explain why it's wrong to my friend here, and I have trouble formulating a google search to find some descriptive "rule" or something. Help please?


Is it considered good style to use "retail" as a noun, rather than an adjective?

This paragraph from Wikipedia makes me cringe, because of the first sentence, using the phrase "in retail". > Planograms are mostly used in retail. A planogram defines which product is > placed, in which area of a shelving unit and with which quantity. The rules > and theories for the creation of a planogram are set under the terms of > merchandising. Manufacturers often send planograms to stores ahead of new > products. This is useful when a retailer wants multiple store displays to > have the same look and feel. Often, a consumer-packaged goods manufacturer > will release a new suggested planogram with their new product to show how > the product relates to existing products. I work for a retail company, and realize that this is a conventional way of speaking within the industry. But it seems to me to be on par with industry jargon, and out of place in intelligent and thoughtfully edited writing. Is my opinion widely held, or is this sort of thing considered acceptable? (For instance, would the New York Times ever use language like this?)


Is "physically based rendering" grammatically correct?

Physically based rendering is a relatively new but established term in computer graphics that refers to rendering that tries to closely mimic the laws of physics for more photorealistic results. The term sounds weird to me. I would rather have called it "physics based rendering". Is "physically based" equally correct? Are there any other examples of phrases with "-lly based" or something similar?


Synonyms for "default"

I've been looking for other words to describe a pre-selected option that can be changed by the user but must have a value. Everyone uses the word "default" to describe that, but in searching for synonyms I always get a list of synonyms related to the legal definition--a failure to meet an obligation. I don't like the word default because computer people use it everywhere. Are there any good single word alternatives?


Would "aftermath" ever be used to mean "a reaction of crackdown"?

In the context of revolution, there often comes the word "aftermath," usually meaning the bad consequences of a given revolution on the long run. Can I, however, use it to mean the immediate reactions of crackdown revolutionaries often get from their state? AN IMPORTANT clarification: I insist on the word "aftermath" because it contributes to a rhyming effect. So I want my "thing" to sound like this: ". . . . . . . . . . Squares replete with a revolution of wrath, A revolution by those who fear no aftermath." By "aftermath" I mean crackdown, injuries, deaths, homelessness, etc. In other words, I mean that the revolutionaries fear no such things. Simply put, they are brave. Can I have your thoughts on my use of "aftermath?"


anything / everything but

With reference to a commonly bad behaviour (e.g. corruption), may I write/say: "it seems to be everything but an Italian bad habit only!"?


Using 'will' vs. 'would' in this sentence

I'd like to know which one of the following is correct: >   * I would like to have a job which I **will** like and which **will** earn > me a lot of money. >   * I would like to have a job which I **would** like and which **would** > earn me a lot of money. > My guess is it's the second one, but I'm not sure.


"My one" vs Mine

I've heard someone say "Here's my one" instead of "Here's mine". Is the former grammatical? It seems like it's a shortcut for "Here's one that is mine".


Is 'verbiage' still considered to be insulting?

All the references I'm finding says that 'verbiage' is used when trying to insult a work or person for being too wordy. My experience with the word (by my own usage and the usage of others around me) have always meant that verbiage was a generic term for the words used, i.e. "I got that information from the email's verbiage." Have I been using 'verbiage' incorrectly all my life?


"Consequently" versus "consequentially"

What is the difference between _consequent **ly**_ and _consequent **ially**_? My usage being what it is, and also _according to the dictionary sample sentences I've found so far_ (thank you for the helpful comment @Thomas), I think they can be used interchangeably, usually intended to mean "As a consequence [of some action described in the preceding sentence], ...".


What does a phrase "Plunder for all!" mean?

A fleet of ships is going to attack other fleet and on the meeting of capitans of the ships from first fleet one capitan tells "Plunder for all!". What does that mean? **Added** I've looked plunder in the dictionary, but that doesn't seem to make sense, they are not going to take anything from other ships, they are going just to destroy them. I thought it could have been a kind of special phrase, that is common in marine speech and rarely appears in dictionaries (in the book, from which I took this phrase it is quite common) **Added** Alright, I'll accept that there is no other meaning. I finally decided that he meant "It would be good for all of us to destroy these ships".


What does ‘One’ in “Detectives slapped handcuffs on her. “You know you did it,” she said one later shouted at her. “Just admit it.” mean?

I felt the article of New York Times N.Y. Region section (July 25) titled “A Revenge Plot So Intricate, the Prosecutors Were Pawns” reporting a woman being framed by her boyfriend into the charge with carrying out a series of armed robberies very intriguing. But I was hung up on one minor point – the function of the word, ‘ _one_ ’ in the following sentence of the article: > “One night, Ms. Sumasar was pulled over by the police. Before she could > speak, detectives slapped handcuffs on her. “You know you did it,” she said > _one_ later shouted at her. “Just admit it.” What does ‘ _one_ ’ here mean? Does it mean ‘one of the detectives’ or ‘ _a_ second later’? I am confused.


Punctuation around the word "namely"

It seems somehow tricky to apply the right punctuation when it comes to the word _namely_. I got the following advice: > Search globally for "namely", and add a comma after it, as well as a comma, > a semicolon, or a period before. On the other hand, this link and this one suggest that there might be more to consider. So, what are the rules for punctuating around the word _namely_? Please try to prove your claims by including references.


Is there a word for someone being both 'Spectator and Participant'?

I was wondering if there is a single word for someone being 'both spectator and participant', as in "In the grand scheme of universe I am just another identity who is both a spectator and a participant". Observer (though not accurate) is a good replacement, but it is somewhat a common term. A more unique/fancy/special word would be desirable. Thanks


A situation may arise, for example, when parents refuse to give the child something he asks for. Then the child won't speak to parents unless they try hard to convince him. What is the English word for this behavior? In Hindi/Urdu we call it _roothna_. If my question is unclear, you could watch this video and give the word for how the Grandmother is acting: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueJRRmVCBiI


How should one pronounce the "rofl" in "roflstomp" or "roflcopter"?

"ROFL" stands for rolling on the floor laughing but has been mushed into other words with their own meanings. Two examples: > Ouch, that was a roflstomp. > > I'm on a roflcopter! While these are in questionable status as English words, should I pronounce them?


"Feeding" data or "entering" data: which one is correct?

Which is the better verb to use with _data_ : _feeding_ or _entering_? Furthermore, which is more common in the literature of the field and which do people who work in the field say more often? Are they used for different kinds of input systems? If the data are automatically continuously input by a machine (e.g., the Mars probe), is feeding data used, but if the data are individually input by someone at a keyboard (e.g., entering data into a user database), is entering data used?


which one of the following phrase is correct?

Which phrase is correct? >   * The shipped order has been dropped >   * The shipped order have been dropped >


Simple past vs. past perfect

Which is correct to use in the following example, simple past or past perfect? >   * We were completely in the dark after the wind _blew_ the candle out. >   * We were completely in the dark after the wind _had blown_ the candle > out. >


Can the word "he" be used to refer to a woman?

In the song “Extraordinary Girl” by Green Day, you can notice that the vocalist sings about an “extraordinary girl”, sometimes referring to her as _he_ , and sometimes as _she_. For example, at 2:51, you can hear: > Some days _he_ feels like dying, some days it's not worth trying … _she_ > gets so sick of crying. As far as I know, only _she_ can be used to refer to a female. Is using _he_ to refer to a female valid?


What word describes someone who isn't exactly optimistic, but has a positive outlook?

I need a word to describe someone who knows better than to expect the best, but can be happy in unfortunate circumstances. I know phrases like "positive outlook" and "good disposition" could describe such a person, but I don't know any single words that would. To differentiate between an optimist and the person I'm trying to describe: When asking for a promotion, an optimist will expect to receive the promotion. The other person will hope for a promotion, but won't be disappointed without it.


Fashion color matching or fashion matching colors

I am working on an app that gives suggestions on how to match colors for your clothes and I am looking for a tagline for the app. Which is better? "Fashion color matching" or "Fashion matching colors" or "Matching fashion colors"? Or is there a better choice of words? I am not a native English speaker so I don't know which formulation sounds more natural.


Can  "do a haircut" be used colloquially to mean "have a haircut"?

Can _do a haircut_ be used colloquially to mean _have a haircut_?


Is there a specific word for "jolted from naïveté"?

In the example quoted below, I used _surprised_ with intended meaning "jolted from naïveté", but wasn't satisfied with it. Also, I wanted to avoid implying that discovering the mentioned fact made me omniscient, jaded or both. The fact wasn't just something I didn't know, it was something I didn't know because I hadn't bothered finding out about it. Here is the instance where I used _surprised_. It was on another SE site, so rather informal: > I was actually **surprised** to find there is a whole field devoted to > researching and mitigating jury biases, though their research could arguably > be easily used to exploit jury biases. (I study psychology, so not knowing this was kind of ignorant.)


Found vs Find Correct sentence

Which of the following is correct? **1.** > What would you do if we found life on Mars? OR > What would you do if we find life on Mars? * * * **2.** > He hasn't still find out the secret OR > He hasn't still found out the secret Please give some explanation with answers.


Difference between "killing spree", "killing streak" and "killing spree streak"

Often I see "killing spree" but is there any difference between "killing spree" and "killing streak" ? Or is it "killing spree streak"?


The 'hum' of conversation

This is a well worn phrase I'm trying to avoid in my writing. I'm looking for another word to replace 'hum', which I take to mean the background noise resulting from people talking. I came up with 'murmur', but ideally, I'd like a word that suggests a deep pitch. You see, I'm writing about a group of men, and in my head, I compare the sound of their voices to sounds stones would make as they bounce off each other while being carried along by a river. 'Trundle'? I thought 'gravel', but then, I plan to use that word a short distance away, and I _hate_ clumsy repeats. Any suggestions?


Correct translatation of the German word "Folgeverhalten" in the technical domain of control feedback systems

I have asked various online dictionaries about the translation of the German word _Folgeverhalten_. At these dictionaries it is translated as "subsequent behaviour" or "following behavior". I am in doubt that this is the correct translation because the example that are given there seem to target another domain. I will use this term the field of control feedback systems (engineering). I would describe this as the "control feedback quality of a step response". Google did not help, either. Perhaps I'm using the wrong search terms. I also read some English literature about this topics, but I could not find the English counterpart of it. Is there one at all? Same applies to the german word _Störverhalten_ (also term in control feedback) What is here the correct translation of _Folgeverhalten_ and _Störverhalten_? * * * **Edit:** Based on the answer of mplungjan I found the translation.   * _Tracking performance — Folgeverhalten_   * _Disturbance rejection performance — Störverhalten_ It is for example used here: http://www.mathworks.de/de/help/slcontrol/ug/tune-pid-controller-to-balance- tracking-and-disturbance-rejection-performance.html


Verb for removing from end or beginning

We use "append" and "prepend" for adding to the end and to the beginning respectivly. Is there a word for removing in same place


Proper to add tense to acronyms, abbreviations and initialisms

What is the correct way to pluralize an acronym? asked about pluralising acronyms, abbreviations and initialisms, but is there a standard way to add verb endings e.g. -ing and -ed (what are these called?), at least in informal English? For example, which of these is/are best?   1. I'm SMSing her.   2. I'm SMS-ing her.   3. I'm SMS'ing her. I know I can rephrase it to "I'm sending her an SMS." but I wish to use SMS as a verb. Similarly,   1. He FUBARed.   2. He FUBAR-ed.   3. He FUBAR'ed.   4. He FUBAR-d.   5. He FUBAR'd. In the latter set, as the verb is actually the F ("foul", or something more explicit) — the expanded sentence being "He fouled up beyond all recognition." — should it even be "He FedUBAR." or similar?


"Lately" and "recently" in Present Perfect

If I use Present Perfect Progressive and Present Perfect with an expression of unfinished time, it implies that the action is continuing. But what about _recently_ and _lately_  — when used with Present Perfect Progressive and Present Perfect do they imply, like expressions of unfinished time, that the actions are still continuing? And if _lately/recently_ are not used in a sentence (with either Present Perfect or Present Perfect Progressive) would it imply that an action is complete? E.g. >   * Recently/lately, I have been feeling really tired.   >  Recently/lately, I have felt really tired.   >  I have been feeling tired.   >  I have felt tired. >   * She has been watching too much television lately.   >  She has watched ... lately/recently.   >  She has been watching too much television. >   * Have you been exercising lately?   >  Have you exercised lately?   >  Have you been exercising? >   * Mary has been feeling a little depressed.   >  Mary has felt depressed lately/recently.   >  Mary has been feeling a little depressed lately/recently. >   * Lisa has not been practicing her English.   >  She has not practiced her English recently/lately.   >  Lisa has not been practicing her English lately/recently. >   * What have you been doing?   >  What have you done? [a completed action] > What have you done recently/lately? What have you been doing recently/lately?


The lady's not for turning

In Margaret Thatcher's speech, she says: > To those waiting with bated breath for that favourite media catchphrase, the > U-turn, I have only one thing to say: You turn if you want to. **The lady's > not for turning**! How to understand the word _for_ in the highlighted section?


Can I put the job position in front of the name?

In military contexts you often see sentences like this one: > "General Montgomery decided to..." I am now writing an evaluation about a sale my company had had, and I want to credit several people while quickly mentioning their role in the operation. So, is this... > "We sent an email to Store Manager Kenneth Johansson in order to..." ...or that... > "Thanks to Booking Coordinator Elin Dansbo's work we were able to..." ...readable and grammatically correct, or should I instead put their position in parenthesis after their name, or use some other kind of structure?


Equivalent of "see in a new light" for hearing?

Is there an equivalent of the idiom "see in a new light" for hearing rather than sight? For example, suppose the thing you are talking about is a piece of music. It seems a bit inappropriate to describe "seeing it a new light", as the sense involved is hearing, not sight.


"The example was not leading" -- definition of "leading" here?

I have come across the expression "unfortunately, the example was not leading" in the context where someone asked a question accompanied by an example and someone provided an answer that addresses _the specific example_ but not the question in general. Given this context I understand what "the example was not leading" conveys. It's also easy to see a parallel with e.g. Wikipedia's definition of "leading question": > In common law systems that rely on testimony by witnesses, a leading > question or suggestive interrogation is a question that suggests the > particular answer or contains the information the examiner is looking to > have confirmed. So by the same token "not a leading example" would mean "an example that does not specifically illustrate the particulars of the problem". My questions are:   1. Is this a well-known expression, just as "leading question" is?   2. Is the definition I reached above correct? If not, what would a better one be (with references if possible)?


What is the number written at the end of some names?

As far as I can tell there is [Title/Suffix] [First Name] [Last Name/Surname] [Number]. I am confused on two things really:   * What do you call the last part of someone's name like "III" for 'the third'?   * Why do they call Mr./Mrs./etc the _suffix_ of a name when it is actually the first part of the name?


Etymology of the word "remove"

What is the origin of the word "removed?" It appears to have the prefix "re-", which generally means "repeating something again," although that does not seem to fit. "Moving again" would actually be the opposite of removing something - it would suggest continuing to utilize it as opposed to deleting or destroying it.


"I remember the day where" vs. "I remember the day when"

What is the difference between "I remember the day where..." and "I remember the day when..."? I think both are used in both written and spoken English. Can we say that "when" makes more sense when we are talking about a specific point in time?


looking for a verb to use with `benefit`, to describe something like benefit is lost/damaged

I'm looking for a verb to use want to describe something like benefit is _lost / damaged_. > If you use this technology, your work will be finished earlier. But if you > are lazy, the benefits due to this technology will be _damaged / lost_. I know _damaged / lost_ is not proper verbs, so what verbs should I use to replace it?


What is the antonym of "boldface"?

Is it nonboldface? Is bold's antonym nonbold? Is it unemboldened? Is it hyphenated? What word do I use to mean text that is not in boldface style?


What is the name for punctuation marks such as commas and periods that separate things like clauses or sentences?

When I'm editing people's writing, I recently started writing the comment "put an article here" rather than "put a 'the' or 'a' here". Similarly, right now I have to put, "you need a comma or period here" ... is there one word that can encompass both 'comma' and 'period'? I don't want to put something so general like "you need a punctuation mark here"


Is this expression right "he won the Grand Slam in the same season when she won her maiden title"

Basically what I am trying to ask is, can I use expression an expression like > ... in the same season when she won the title. instead of > ... in the same season she won the title in. I can extend these examples for same day, same year


would have and would in non conditional statements

Can we use both _would have_ and _would_ in non conditional past statements? For example: > Last year during the summer, I would go home on weekends. _past habitual_ > > Last year during the summer, I would have gone home on weekends. > > Last year during the summer, I would have completed three projects every > month. What are the differences between these usages? And how to differentiate if it's conditional or not?


What is the meaning of "divinity that hedges sublimest woe"?

I found the above phrase in the book "The story of my life" by Helen Keller. The actual sentence is below. > It has been my privilege to meet a few great actors and actress who have the > power of so bewitching you that you forget time and place and live again in > the romantic past. I have been permitted to touch the face and costume of > Miss Ellen Terry as she impersonated our ideal of a queen; and there was > about her that **divinity that hedges sublimest woe** I am having a hard time grasping the meaning of "divinity that hedges sublimest woe". What is the exact meaning of it for the given context?


take / take on + responsibility

I'm having a difficult time choosing between "take + responsibility", or "take on + responsibility". Please see the following sentences(written by Chinese learners of English):   1. DINK couples refuse to play the role of parents and (take /take on) the responsibilities to cultivate offspring.   2. Mother is getting old, but I haven't (taken/taken on) the responsibility for supporting her.   3. She is ready to (take/take on) the responsibility of a wife bravely. (Note: Her husband is seriously ill in the hospital. ) Qestions: 1\. Which is the right expression to use in each context: “take” or “take on”? 2\. If one of them is correct, then why? 3\. If both are correct, then any differences in meaning between “take” and “take on”? Many thanks in advance!


Looking for a folk saying or proverb that reflects "the closer, higher the competition"

I am looking for an American or UK folk saying or proverb that reflects the following idea:   1. the closer are the players, the higher is the competition **or**   2. the more level the playing field, the more intense the competition **or**   3. the more homogeneous the group, the greater the rivalries ... I think the general idea is clear, if there is no folk saying the fits it then perhaps a Biblical proverb or some classical (Greek or Roman) maxim would be equally helpful. Or even perhaps some short citation that encapsulates the idea in 1, or 2 or 3.


I am Iron Man. (Ascriptive vs. Specifying Use)

In Iron Man the movie, Mr. Stark said: > I am Iron Man. to reveal his concealed identity. In which case, the sentence was used to identify who he is. (specifying use) Now, if he was trying to brag about how "great" he is, as is often the case, could he be saying the same sentence to those who already know he's Iron Man? (ascriptive use) > I am Iron Man. And you know I can do things that you can never imagine. In case my question above is not clear to you, I was asking whether "I am Iron Man." in the latter example does not identify who he is but ascribes the property of "Iron Man" to the subject "I".


Adjective for this kind of personality

What's a word for someone who likes the finer things in life - classy taste, but makes do and replicates that expensive taste with cheap things?


Is there a dictionary guidebook?

I know books of episodes of OED, and short guides for a few dictionaries, but I don't know a dictionary guidebook.   The book has more than 200 pages, and a long list of viewpoints to evaluate dictionary, and fascinating essays about reading dictionaries, and finally a score table comparing more than 20 dictionaries. In Japanese language (my mother tongue) there is such a book, and I want to know English equivalent. Thanks.


Usage of the phrase " just because" at the end of sentences

Usually, _because_ links the premise and the conclusion. But there is one usage of the word I come across often, not in contemporary writings but older works. These are of the form: "[subject did something] just because", where the the phrase "just because" is used to imply that the doer's actions were not guided by any purpose and the act was performed only for the sake of it, or on an impulse. How can this usage of the word _because_ be explained?


Is this use of whomever correct?

> I take pride in my ability to deliver a warm and friendly welcome to > whomever I meet. My reasoning is that I am doing the meeting and the object is merely being met, hence _whomever_.


Do short time symbols need to be pluralised

We are wanting to know how to shorten time symbols/words in an open source code library. The code will emit: `1 second`, `2 seconds`, `1 hour`, `2 hours`, `1 week`, `2 weeks`, etc. Is the correct shorthand `1s`, `2s`, `1h`, `2h`, `1wk`, `2wk`, for example? I.e. should any of the short forms be plural?


How do you call a "Director's cut/minority report/dissenting opinion" if it regards a report/book?

There is "Director's cut" for movies and "minority report/dissenting opinion" for legal issues. What do you call a (longer) report, where the author states some things a little (or very) different than the official, published version? Think of a company selling hammers and publishing a report titled _Hitting a Hammer On Your Thumb is Not Dangerous_ , where the conditions "padded hammer, padded thumb, just slight touch" have been edited out. If the author is even allowed to publish her/his own version, you would not call that book a "Director's cut" (because it is a book and not a film). This is not a single-word-request: The answer may consist of several words (but, if it is possible, not of a whole paragraph, please). In case there really is a single word for this type of report/book, I would also accept that, of course.


Is there a better, existing word for “antifragility”?

Nassim Taleb, on a recent episode of _Econtalk_ , talks about his upcoming book that aims to coin the word _antifragility_. The essential meaning is close to the phrase “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” — a system or process that benefits from volatility, stress, or uncertainty. Examples: > Human bones are _antifragile_ ; they benefit from the stress of gravity and > weaken without it. > > In terms of forest fires, forests are _antifragile_ — too much firefighting > can cause more damage in the long run. Taleb writes about why he needed the word: > So let us coin the appellation "antifragile" for anything that, on average, > (i.e., in expectation) benefits from variability. Alas, I found no simple, > noncompound word in any of the main language families that expresses the > point of such fragility in reverse. To see how alien the concept to our > minds, ask around what's the antonym of fragile. The likely answer will be: > robust, unbreakable, solid, well-built, resilient, strong, something-proof > (say waterproof, windproof, rustproof), etc. Wrong — and it is not just > individuals, but branches of knowledge that are confused by it; this is a > mistake made in every dictionary. In short, words like _robust_ and _resilient_ don’t suggest favorability toward adverse conditions. My question: is there a better word that exists?


The whys and the hows

Are apostrophes needed in this phrase? > The whys and the hows I searched for duplicate questions, but the closest I found was in regard to words inside quotes.


Apostrophes and plurals of words-used-as-words (e.g., "why's and wherefore's" vs. "whys and wherefores"

I'm reading the English translation of Perfume by Patrick Süskind (translated by John E. Woods) and came across a sentence containing the phrase "the why's and wherefore's." With concern that this is a very well-worn topic around here — that is, the (mis)use of apostrophes to form plurals — I wonder what this august community thinks of the apostrophes used in the phrase, "why's and wherefore's," and whether (and why) "whys and wherefores" would be better or worse. I have seen article `[“Do's” and “don'ts” or “do's” and “don't's”?][1]` but the fact that "don't" is a contraction confuses the issue.


What is the Use of an Adjective of the Same Word Twice in the Same Sentence called?

Is there a name for this type of usage using words (in this case adjectives) repetitively in typical sentence formatting? There has got to be. This is killing me. BTW, I'm no English professor. Just wondering. For example... In the movie, "The Big Lebowski", _Brand_ says the line, Brandt: [laughs] They're not literally his children. They're the Little Lebowski Urban Achievers - inner city children of promise but without the **necessary** means for a - **necessary** means for a higher education. So Mr Lebowski is committed to sending all of them to college. http://www.metacafe.com/watch/an- KDCBtmmthbb7u/the_big_lebowski_1998_a_tour_in_lebowskis_estate/ He uses the adjective, necessary twice. It's not a heteronym, I know that since they word necessary has the same pronunciation. Any help? I don't think it is stuttering though. Philip Seymour Hoffman and the Coen Brothers are way to brilliant I believe to just stammer through their lines...at least I think so. He uses the derogatory or negative word, "without", as it pertains to them not having the necessary means to attain something that is necessary...a higher education. What is this type of sentence formatting called?


Do “here” and “hear” have the same phonetic transcription in the same country?

Is there any accent that makes a distinction when pronuncing “here” and “hear”? From Wiktionary:   * Here     * (UK) /hɪə(ɹ)/     * (US) /hɪɹ/   * Hear     * (UK) /hɪə(ɹ)/     * (US) IPA: /hiːɹ/ So, according to that, US accent pronounce in a different way “hear” and “here”. According to Dictionary.com, hear and here are pronunced /hɪər/, and according to updn.com, both are /hɪr/ /hɪr/. Having in consideration that Wiktionary can be edited by anyone, is there any place in the world that makes a difference when pronuncing these words?


To friend vs. to befriend

I overheard a mother correct her child who said something to the effect of > There was a new kid in my class today and I friended him. The mother said _befriended_ and I was inclined to mentally agree (given the kid was maybe six or seven, it's unlikely that he was referring to social networking). However, with a little Googling, I discovered an article from _The Atlantic_ which suggests that 'Friend,' as a Verb, Is 800 Years Old. >   * "Make no purses, for to friend yourself therewith." -- the Guide for > Anchoresses, early 13th century >   * "And after soon friended were the King David of Scotland and Stephen, > king then of England." -- Andrew of Wyntoun, _Chronicles_ , c. 1425 > This answer regarding the _be_ prefix offers: > The general form is: >   >   >        be + [quality] >   > > and the corresponding meaning is: >   >   >      to turn into + [quality]. >   So, I guess my question, then, is what is the difference between the verbs to friend and to befriend? Was the kid right?


What is a good word that means "group of groups?"

If you have a bunch of groups of different things, and you group the groups into a bigger group, what do you call the _bigger group_?


Use of "felicity" in a sentence

How do we use the word "felicity" in a sentence? Is the synonymous with "joy" or "happiness"?


Is there a word for the 'pitter patter' of speech?

Consider how you can hear the announcer of a sporting event in several languages, even those you do not know. Or even when it is turned down too low to understand in your own language. You still know this is a sporting event. The same seems true for talk-radio, types of TV shows, sermons vs motivational speech, etc. I think that The Sims' Simlish captures the differences rather well. I just call it "pitter patter" (kind of like rain), but is there a more precise term?


What is an alternate word I can use other than "field?"

Grammaticists: I have a data set with many records and many fields (the records are rows of the spreadsheet and fields are columns). Each field has a name, for example _income_ or _town_ or _home neighborhood_. I am trying to refer to unusual values in the column called _home neighborhood_ and the sentence I currently have is: > There are problems within the “home neighborhood” field. but that makes it seem as though it's a sports field or something. So my question: what word can I use other than _field_? Please note I cannot accept _column_ or _variable._ Of course I tried the thesausurus- no luck. Please provide recommendations as you see fit. FYI: > **field** : _noun_ 10 a particular area (as of a record in a database) in > which the same type of information is regularly recorded _from m-w.com_


"Something suffices the condition that" vs. "it suffices that something"

In a book I am reading there is a sentence: > Our initial version of Cauchy's theorem begins with the observation that it > suffices that `f(z)` [a function] have a primitive in a region Ω In this sentence, I think the author wants to say > `f(z)` suffices the condition that it have a primitive in the region Ω but I don't understand why the author writes > it suffices that `f(z)` have a primitive in a region Ω


Does "was sent flying off the horse" imply bumping?

Here is a quote from Wikipedia's page on "Made of Honor" movie (as it was on January 9th, 2011): > When questioned about Tom's sudden departure shortly before the wedding is > to take place, Hannah informs Colin that Tom is just afraid of losing her. > On the way home, Tom realizes that he must stop the wedding and goes back on > horseback. Just when the priest asks for objections, Tom is sent flying off > his horse and through the chapel doors. Seeing her best friend on the floor, > Hannah rushes to him. Is it clear for native English speakers from this passage that Tom's horse bumped into something (it was a fence around the chapel), so this was the reason why he was sent flying off his horse? If I were to read this passage for the first time (without having previously watched the movie itself), I would definitely be puzzled as to why Tom was sent flying off the horse. But, perhaps, this expression ("sent flying off the horse") automatically implies to native speakers that the horse must have bumped into something.


Etymology of "dong" and "dongle"

_Dong_ as in _ding-dong_ is clearly onomatopoetic as confirmed by etymonline.com: > ding dong   >  imitative of the sound of a bell, c.1560. and similarly for _ding_: > ding (v.)   >  1819, "to sound as metal when struck," possibly abstracted from ding-dong, > of imitative origin. The meaning "to deal heavy blows" is c.1300, probably > from Old Norse dengja "to hammer," perhaps also imitative. Meaning "dent" is > 1960s. Related: Dinged; dinging. What, then, is the origin of _dong_ to mean _penis_? Etymonline.com is no help here: > dong (n.)   >  "penis," 1891, of unknown origin. We also have a much more recent word, _dongle_ , which has no entry at etymonline.com but wiktionary claims it is: > Apparently from dangle. This leads me to the theory that the anatomical and onomatopoetic _dongs_ are not related and that the former usage, like _dongle_ , derives from _dangle_. So, my questions are:   1. Is that so? Does _dong_ (penis) derive from _dangle_? Sounds reasonable enough but I have found no definitive sources for it.   2. Does _dongle_ derive from _dangle_? It makes perfect descriptive sense for _dong_ but the USB devices called _dongles_ do not dangle but instead protrude quite rigidly, so I feel that _dongle_ being derived from the cruder meaning of _dong_ makes more sense.


What is it called when a snake is showing its head when angry?

What is the apt word to be used when a snake has its head looking straight towards us and shows its tongue outside vociferously, _probably when it is about to bite_?


What’s the meaning of ‘they don’t make them like that’?

(As an incredibly beautiful girl with silvery hair crossed the Hall, many boys gaped at her.) > "I’m telling you, that's not a normal girl!" said Ron, leaning sideways so > he could keep a clear view of her. " **They don’t make them like that** at > Hogwarts!" > > " **They make them okay** at Hogwarts," said Harry without thinking. Cho > happened to be sitting only a few places away from the girl with the silvery > hair. > > (p252-253, Harry Potter 4, US edition) **NB** – Hogwarts, the school of Ron and Harry, is having a lot of guests for Triwizard Tournament. **The beautiful girl** is one of the guests in a guest school. **Cho** is a pretty girl in Hogwarts. Harry likes her very much. I’d like to know   * who ‘they’ are.   * who ‘them’ are.   * what ‘make’ means. In other words, the whole sentence! I’d be happy if you could help me.


Relationship words for a 'Semantic Network' and also a Sentence Dilemma

The two sentences below are for a user input form for a _semantic network_. It is a standard, HTML-based form with two drop down menus (the square brackets represent the drop-down menus). Users use the form to correlate their new 'knowledge nodes' into the network. > 1) " _This new node [points to, is pointed at from] the existing node._ "   >  2) " _The 'pointer' is [a, a kind of, prerequisite to, a part of, an > example of] the 'pointee'._ "   >  (Phew, it hurts to read those.) I would like to accomplish two things:   1)I would like to combine those sentences into one sentence (I think it will read easier).   2)I would like to know of any lists of words/phrases for the 'relationship' words that are typically associated with a semantic network (two common ones are 'is a' and 'a kind of').


Is this phrase "now processing..don't terminate this program" correct?

I'm developing an application in English, but I'm not a native English speaker, so it's hard to put some English phrases in my app. The following message will appear when my program is processing, so users will have to wait until the process ends. > Now processing...don't terminate this program. I don't know if the phrase is used correctly. Can anyone help?


What's the word for a word that suddenly becomes famous?

What's the right word for a word that suddenly becomes famous? I know _buzzword_. Are there any similar words or common phrases, like _shot up word_? My specific context is that I am looking for some suitable word for the heading title of a section which shows charts of words that have suddenly become hot and used a lot in the media (TV, magazines, radio, etc.).


A word or phrase for "temporarily not working"

Is there a word or phrase for _temporarily not working_ since one has gone on vacation? I thought _out of work_ could be used but that means unemployed or having lost one's job **EDIT** I am looking for a more general word that is applicable that may also be used when one is sick or just taking leave to stay with family


A word for changing shape/size?

For an assignment this term I have to come up with an anti-cliché superhero. I am going to do a superhero that changes shape from thin to big and was wondering if anyone knew a word for this change of shape/size.


Raise and Rise revisited - But what if it's a noun?

I come to you again from the cooking site. I see this: What is the difference between "raise" and "rise"? and it comes close to answering my question, but not quite. In my world of the cooking obsession, the words in question (or at least one of them) can also be a noun, as in "the bread's second rise". This is a quote from my most recent answer on the cooking site, "When you're ready to bake, punch down the dough again (if necessary), shape, and allow to rise as if it had never taken its little nap in the refrigerator. Of course this raise is going to take longer than non-refrigerated dough as it reaches room temperature." Those lines are clumsy as hell, but are they grammatically correct?


Semicolons at the end of list items

In school, we were taught to end each list item with a semicolon. But I have never actually seen this. Can somebody please confirm this? Should we end each list item with anything at all? I've seen people use periods after each list item, colons, and even commas. But I've never seen a semicolon at the end of each item — and even if I have, it would be that rare that I've forgotten. Example:   * item;   * item;   * item;   * item


What do you call the person who always picks up the phone when you need them?

Looking for a word that someone would use to describe this person. eg. "Michelle is my ___ _. She's always there when I need her"


Is the 'fore' in 'forewarn' redundant?

In what situation would you use 'forewarn' instead of plain old 'warn'? The 'fore' part seems redundant to me.


Difference in usage between "Dependent" and "Reliant"

Based on the comments on a question on another SE site, I'm trying to define the difference between something being "Dependent upon something" and being "reliant upon something". The sentence in question was: "It is well know that if you feed animals that they become dependent." The comments devolved into a debate over whether the animals were _dependent_ on the provided food, or whether they were _reliant_ on it. One contention was that the former is a subset of the latter - if you rely on something you can find other sources, but if you depend on it, you can't. The other was that they were entirely equivalent, which the dictionary seems to support. Is there a correct usage? Are there implied differences that a straight dictionary lookup doesn't provide? **Edit:** Answers based on the verb forms ( _depends_ and _relies_ ) would be fine, if they transfer over to these adjectives, but not ones based on the positive adjective form ( _dependable_ and _reliable_ ).


Pronunciation of "banal" in British English?

How is "banal" properly pronounced in British English? I know three ways to pronunciate banal but I don't know how to write them here.


Specific numbers as pronouns

As "none" and "some" are pronouns, so can specific numbers function as pronouns: How many students failed? In "none failed," _none_ is a pronoun. In "seven failed," _seven_ is a pronoun. But in what category of pronoun do numbers belong? The categories I know of are personal, demonstrative, interrogative, indefinite, possessive, reciprocal, relative, reflexive, and intensive—and specific numbers would not seem to belong to any of these.


The adjective "dashing": can it be used to describe a woman?

Can you say of a woman that she is "dashing", meaning that she looks stupendous, graceful etc.?


When do you use what word to express that something consists of something else?

There are various ways of saying that something consists of something else:   * composed of   * comprised of   * ~~contained in~~   * consist of Maybe there are more. Are there hard and fast rules when to use which or are they synonyms?


Pronunciation of trailing "i" in Latin-derived words

Some pronounce the trailing "i" in Latin-derived words (e.g., "Gemini") as a long "e" and others pronounce it as a long "i." I was taught the long "e," but is this mere preference or is there a firm basis for one or the other?


The correct way to title a work of art

Should a work of art have an author first, and then the title, or the title first, and then the author? Answer: (...less than 10 rep ATM..) A work of art may have the author first, and then the title. Or, it may have the title first, and then the author. Both are correct usages of English. (P.S. I asked this before.. apparently it was deleted. So, I am re-asking and re-answering to make both the question and answer more specific..)


Noun to describe a "typo-filled" letter

I am changing my e-mail signature on my phone to read: > Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S4. Please do not mistake my brevity and/or > misspellings for apathy and/or ignorance. I am looking for a better word than misspellings to describe my email that might be filled with typos. "Misspellings" makes sense, but it doesn't feel like it truly fits in. _I think it's because all the other nouns describe a quality (mass, or non-count nouns), while "misspellings" describe an actual, physical thing (count noun)._ "Error prone" sounds better, but doesn't make sense lexically. Is there a word that fits here that sounds like it fits with the rest of the nouns in the sentence? _I am more looking for a word that describes an email that is "full of typos", not a synonym for the typos themselves._ Thanks! * * * From suggestions, this is what I have changed it to: > Sent from my phone. Please do not mistake my brevity and solecism for apathy > and ignorance. Thanks for all your help.


Descriptivism and widespread misspelling

If you search google for "fuscia" it asks "did you mean fuschia?". The correct spelling of the word is "fuchsia". (This was pointed out on the xkcd blog a while ago.) So enough people are spelling fuchsia wrong that it's polluting Google's autocorrection algorithms. Now this got me thinking. If you're serious about your descriptivism, then it seems like you have to accept "fuschia" as a legitimate alternative spelling. Lots of people use it, so it's right, right? What do you think of this? _Is_ "fuschia" acceptable? Is there some way to discount those misspellings and insist on the correct spelling? This isn't some anomaly of the way google's autocorrection works. There are 10m hits for fuchsia, 4m for fuschia... Is this enough usage to make "fuschia" a legitimate alternative spelling? If not, what criteria do you use to decide when a misspelling becomes acceptable?


Comma placement following a coordinating connector

Is there a de jure standard in print media for comma placement following a coordinating connector? > The situation is perilous, but if we are prepared to act promptly, there is > still one chance of escape. Vs. > Josie originally wanted to be a teacher, but, after finishing university, > she decided to become a lawyer instead. > > Josie originally wanted to be a teacher, but after finishing university she > decided to become a lawyer instead.


Is there an English phrase for an inability to actually *leave* already?

There is a Hungarian expression, _küszöbgörcs_ , which literally means "threshold-cramp", and is used to describe that long conversation you have in the entryway, with all the guests awkwardly holding their coats and purses, and every so often somebody says something like "Ok, we _really_ have to leave now, but just one more thing...", and then the conversation is good for another half an hour at least. I've searched in vain for an equivalent idiom in English, yet I feel sure it must exist: I know English speakers are equally susceptible to this malady, it's not a uniquely Hungarian thing. I will sometimes use literal translations, like the aforementioned _threshold-cramp_ (or _doorway-spasm_ ), but then I need to explain it, and that's less than satisfactory. (Plus it leads to more threshold cramping.)


Lost in the Midst vs Mists of Time

Which of the following is more correct, and why? My attempts at Googling haven't produced a definitive answer, and all seem as sensible as each other going from base definitions.   * Lost in the _mists_ of time   * Lost in the _midst_ of time (or, possibly, _midsts_ )


Why is “definitely” so frequently typoed?

_Definitely_ seems to be one of the most frequently typoed words in written English on the Internet, enough to bring somebody to create d-e-f-i-n-i-t-e- l-y.com. ~~Simon~~ Google says, in a completely unscientific manner:   1. `defini tely` ×105,000,000 (43.4%)   2. `defina tely` ×  80,000,000 (33.0%)   3. `define t ly` ×  21,900,000 (  9.0%)   4. `defina t ly` ×  18,300,000 (  7.6%)   5. `defi ant ly` ×  15,900,000 (  6.6%)¹   6. `definant ly` ×       858,000 (    .4%)   7. `definent ly` ×       217,000 (    .1%) Why is this the case? What are the reasons behind these misspellings? Are those mistakes limited to the Internet, or are they also present in handwritten English as well? 1Defiantly actually is a word, so that obviously skews the numbers.


Why do you write "occurred" but "listened"?

The past tense of _to occur_ is _occurred_ (not _occured_ ), but the past tense of _to listen_ is _listened_ (not _listenned_ ). Why? What is the general rule that is applied to make the past tense of a verb?


Is it necessary to begin a new paragraph after a person speaks?

When I was in school, I was taught to always begin a new paragraph after a quotation or after a speaker concludes a segment of dialogue. However, in recent years, I have seen authors abandon this rule, continuing a scene's description after a quotation. To clarify, I'm not asking whether I should create a new paragraph when changing speakers. Rather, I'm asking if a paragraph such as: > Joe said, "This is a placeholder sentence." He wrote the same statement on > the chalkboard. is correct as is, or if the second sentence should begin a second paragraph.


How does the word "that" function in this sentence?

It's the last sentence of the 6th paragraph from an article at yale.edu. > In fact, as population grew, another pattern of human history emerged > **that** of overpopulation, which led, unfortunately, to over-exploitation > of resources. I guess " _that_ " is an appositive word refering to " _pattern_ ", but I feel somehow farfetched to understand it this way. Because I always subconsciously think the sentence should have ended at the word " _emerged_ ", and the whole sentence will be better without a " _that of overpopulation_ " since it reads more comfortable and fluent. The way of this phrase showing up is so abrupt and uncommon to me, and I'm not quite sure about " _that of overpopulation_ ". There's no predicate, no punctuation, like the author just casually dropped it here, and I even doubt if this is a grammar mistake. So how does " _that_ " function? If you think it does refer to " _pattern_ ", could you please give me some more examples of using "that" in such a way?


What do you call someone who is always looking for loopholes?

As someone who is always looking to find their way out of or through a situation with the use of loopholes.


Usage of "yet" and "but"

I want to convey "Something is important. But it is hard to achieve". Can I use "yet" as in the following sentence? > It is an important yet non-trivial task. Also, can I use "yet" to connect sentences with opposite meanings? For example, > This book is very well-written, yet few people know about it.


Are all Congressmen idiots?

Really couldn't resist the question title :-) This question asks about the famous quote by Mark Twain:               Suppose you were an idiot and suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.      which I'm sure most people here know. When I first read it I obviously interpreted the meaning as "All congressmen are idiots" - but when trying to actually reason through the construct in a comment for the question, that actually doesn't work out I find. Let's go for a slight formalism with propositional logic:   * `I` means that the person is an idiot.   * `C` means that the person is a congressman. Now Twain states that the person is an idiot so we know that `I` is true. Then he states `C`. So far so good, `I ^ C`. But the next sentence is: "but I repeat myself" which I can only interpret as "but the second statement doesn't add any new information to the first". So this means that `I -> I ^ C` (since otherwise saying `C` is true would add information). This can be simplified to `not I v C` and since we know that `I` is true, this means that `C` must be true - nothing surprising there. So now the options are: Did I make a mistake in my reasoning? Did Mark Twain screw up in his and actually wanted the opposite order or I guess #3 did Mark Twain really want to imply that every idiot is a congressman?


What is the definition of plain cereal? What is the definition of plain wheat germ?

Searching on the internet left me with no answers. Later edit : plain cereal in this context : http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/breakfast-cereals/1562/2


This word doesn't make any sense in this context

Cowley's Poems: > But I within me bear alas too great **allays**. What does this 'allay' mean? This poet says, _I wish I could be overheat with praise!_ , so this man is unhappy. However, _allay_ means 'to soothe'.


Is this usage of "lest" possible?

The only danger is, lest it should be Too strong a remedy ...Source Can this "lest" be used in this way? Like this... My apprehension is lest my advice should kill her motivation.


What does ‘regimen’ mean in English grammar?

I happened to find that definition of the word, ‘regimen’ has the meaning of ‘governing word’ such as prepositions (sic from Reader’s English Japanese Dictionary) besides a popular notion of ‘a set of rules about food and exercise or medical treatment to stay healthy, or improve one’s health.’ What does ‘regimen’ as a grammatical term mean? What are they? How do they function? Are they different from simple modifiers such as adjectives and subordinate clauses?


Doing Nothing More Than Doing "Nothing"

What would be another way of saying "It'll do more harm than good" but in the context of "it'll do nothing for you?" Here's some context. > The common mistake, however, is believing that only lifting weights multiple > times a day will get us to where we want to be. This is **wrong, and > unfortunately, it may even do nothing for you**. I'd like to rephrase this to match and compare like "Nothing more than something" but that sounds really stupid.


Need help replacing "connected" with a more informal word in the following line: "Preeti connected with neighbors on Chats and Discussions." Connected to me sounds like a very "enterprise" term. Please suggest.


Can a noun (such as “duct tape”) be used as a verb?

I found the phrase “duct-tape together” in the following sentence of a _Washington Post_ (June 21) article written by Chris Cillizza under the title “Gingrich campaign hit by more departures.” The sentence in question is a quote from Newt Gingrich’s former spokesman, R.C. Hammond: > “We are going to duct-tape together one coalition of Americans after another > that believes in his large, bold vision of change.” As it was the first time that I came across ‘duct tape’ being used in verb form, I consulted several dictionaries at hand and online dictionaries to check whether it can be used as a verb or not. None of them shows the usage of ‘duct tape’ as a verb. For example, Wikipedia Free Encyclopedia simply defines it as > n. duct tape is cloth-or scrim-backed pressure sensitive tape often sealed > with polyethylene. Audio English Net. defines it > a wide silvery adhesive tape intended to seal joints in sheet metal duct > work but having many other uses without any mention as a verb. Is it normal or taken for granted to use ‘duct tape’ in verb form as quoted in the _Washington Post_ article?


An exact word for the opposite of academic progress?

I have been confronted with a word so many times for which I couldn't find any equivalent in English. What is an opposite term for _academic progress_? I mean specifically when one is no longer doing well at school or university, like one did before. What do we call this? I do not mean dropping out of school or academic failure. **edit** Imagine you're describing one's academic standing. So, can we say he has had "academic stagnation"? The results I found for _stagnation_ showed it's not often used in this context. I also searched for "academic probation", which seemed a good option. Is it a good option for the opposite of "academic progress"? "Academic failure" does not suit my situation. I want words that suit a formal situation.


What does "brought up by hand" mean?

In the book Great Expectations, Pip narrates: > My sister, Mrs. Joe Gargery, was more than twenty years older than I, and > had established a great reputation with herself and the neighbours because > she had **brought me up ‘by hand.’** What does this term mean? Is it an idiom?


Which is correct: "...infinite ways..." or "...an infinite number of ways..."?

"There are infinite ways to..."   "There are an infinite number of ways to..." One of my colleagues wrote the first sentence, but it didn't sound quite right to me. The second version seems more grammatical to me. Are both of these grammatically correct or is one version preferable to the other?


"Dissociate" vs "disassociate"

Both "dissociate" and "disassociate" are defined as removing an association but is there a difference between the two? Does the "associate" part of "disassociate" imply a stronger former connection missing in "dissociate?"


Why is "plaid" pronounced "plad"?

Why is there an 'ai' in _plaid_ if it is pronounced "plad"? That's a word that used to trip me up when I was a little tyke. ( _This_ time, unlike my previous question, I hope I'm right in saying that this word is an oddity in having an 'ai' pronounced as 'a'.)


What is the meaning of the phrase "X° of frost?"

I ran across this phrase in The Cherry Orchard: "3 degrees of frost," and I assumed it was a colloquialism for 3 degrees AND frost, or something of the like. But I just ran into "45° of frost" elsewhere, so it is not a colloquialism and "of" does not represent "and," for that would be impossible, right?


"-ic versus -ical" what's the difference in meaning between adjectives ending in -ic or -ical?

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Why is it “geometric” but “theoretical”?   >  “Ironic” vs. “ironical”   >  “Comic” vs. “comical”   >  “Historic” vs. “historical” What's the difference for instance between _ironic/ironical, rhythmic/rhythmical, historic/historical, comic/comical, economic/economical_? If these adjectives are identical in meaning why the need for the different endings?


What is the difference between words like "historic" and "historical," and "instructive" and "instructional?"

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Why is it "geometric" but "theoretical"? They're all adjectives, so how do you know when to use one over the other? Does it matter? I think it does...


Why is it "geometric" but "theoretical"?

I just came across a course name: _Geometric and Theoretical Optics_. The mismatched endings bug me. Why do we have both -ical and -ic endings? Is there any difference in meaning between, say, _theoretic_ and _theoretical_? I know that _acoustic_ and _acoustical_ mean slightly different things, but is this difference inherent in the words, or is it just usage — we happen to use the former for sound, and the latter for ceilings?


What is the difference between "neurologic" and "neurological"?

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Why is it "geometric" but "theoretical"? A Google search was not immediately helpful, but I found this document: http://www.aan.com/globals/axon/assets/3078.pdf According to this, a Standards Guide by the American Academy of Neurology, _neurologic_ is preferred over _neurological_. Is there any difference between these two words? If so, what is it? When should I use which and why?


What are the rules for the use of words that have a variant ending in -al?

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Why is it "geometric" but "theoretical"?   >  "Electric" vs. "electrical" I think I'm clear on the difference between word pairs such as elector and electoral, where the latter pertains to the former, I'm not sure if the same rule applies to the following examples:   1. Numeric vs. numerical   2. Electric vs. electrical Is the relationship between these the same as e.g. _elector_ and _electoral_?


Failing sometimes for unknown reason

_Context:_ I have an automated test that sometimes fails for unknown reason. It's a sort of false positive: the feature it tests is not broken. Most of the time, either it succeeds or fails for right reason (the feature is broken). How would you describe this phenomenon of doing the expected job most of the time, but failing a few times for (apparently) no reason?


Hyphen in physical quantities before nouns?

In cases where a physical quantity (consisting of a number and a unit) is used like an adjective to describe a property of an object, should it be written with or without a hyphen between the number and the unit? Examples:   * "A 2 kilogram potato" or "A 2-kilogram potato"?   * "We use 4 Gbit memory devices" or "We use 4-Gbit memory devices"? Is one of the forms correct, or are both forms possible? The second example is supposed to refer to an unspecified number of memory devices with 4 Gbit (gigabits, of capacity) each, rather than four memory devices. Does any of the following modifications make difference?   * The quantity is written as a word instead of digits, i. e. "A two kilogram potato" vs. "A two-kilogram potato" ("two" instead of "2")   * The unit is abbreviated rather than written out, i. e. "A 2 kg potato" vs. "A 2-kg potato" ("kg" instead of "kilogram")   * The quantity is a decimal fraction, i. e. "A 1.5 kg potato" vs. "A 1.5-kg potato"   * The quantity is a simple fraction, i. e. "A 1/2 kg potato" vs. "A 1/2-kg potato"? Furthermore, would it ever be correct to use a hyphen in a case like "This potato has a weight of 2-kg" (or "2-kilograms")? An answer to this question (which discusses a different case) states that when there is no ambiguity, hyphens may be omitted. Does that statement apply to this case? Note that this case is different from the case where an ajdective is explicitly given (another example).


"flat" vs. "apartment"

_Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, 8th edition_ **Flat:** noun. [ countable ] ( BrE ) a set of rooms for living in, including a kitchen, usually on one floor of a building. **Apartment：** noun. ( especially NAmE ) a set of rooms for living in, usually on one floor of a building Does that means _Flat_ is used in BrE and _Apartment_ is used in AmE? And is there any other difference for the two words when one uses it? I feel that _flat_ is used more widely, is that right?


Why is a mule driver called a "skinner"?

An AmE synonym for muleteer is "mule skinner". Where does "skinner" come from in this term, and why does it only apply to mule drivers and not cattle or oxen drivers? The closest I can come is some anecdotal evidence, namely that mule drivers would make the animals bleed when whipping them, thus exposing their skin. The same term, skinner, should apply to cattle drivers, but it doesn't. So, I'm guessing there is more to it. Does anyone know the derivation of skinner in this context, and why it only applies to mules?


View "Content" or "Contents"

We're providing a web service where users can create topics and categories. A category can either just be a list of topics or have authored content(s) in addition to a list of subtopics. It is therefore possible to view a category in two modes: "List" (showing subtopics) and "Contents" (showing authored content). I'm not native English and I don't know how to label the links that switches between "List" and "Contents" view mode. Should it say "Content" or "Contents"? I've tried searching for an answer to this and for example read this q&a but due to the lack of knowledge in English from my part I still cannot figure out which one to use. Perhaps we should label those view modes differently all together, i.e not use "List" and "Content"/"Contents" at all? Any help/suggestion would be appreciated.


Word for top and bottom of range

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Term for minimum or maximum Is there a word that can apply to both ends of a range; for instance, either the youngest or oldest child in a family, or the largest or smallest number of a group of numbers?


"Styles" for Mr/Dr/Hon

Apparently the word "styles" can be used for the list of honors someone has during one's life. For example: > Styles:   >  Mr. John Smith (1950-1960)   >  Dr. John Smith (1961-1970)   >  Dr. John Smith MP (1971-1980) Is this correct? And where does this come from?


Can 'revert' be used as a synonym of 'reply'?

I am a native speaker of American English, and I have only ever heard this usage of the word _revert_ from one person. This person is not a native English speaker (he is from India), so he may just be mistaken, but I'm curious if anyone else has seen/heard this usage. He will write an email, bringing up a point for discussion. He will explain the issue, and then end the paragraph with something like _Please do analyze and revert on the status._ The best I can tell, he is asking for a response, and not asking for the something to be undone, or changed back to the way it was before (which is the meaning that I associate with the word _revert_ ). Is _revert_ used with different meanings outside the US?


"[Brand] Terms and Privacy" vs. "the [Brand] Terms and Privacy"

I just developed a sign-up form for my website, but as English is not my native language I'm not sure which wording of the following sentence is correct: >   * I agree to [Brand name] Terms and Privacy. >   * I agree to the [Brand name] Terms and Privacy. > I've searched on several big websites, but I've come across both.


"Habitat selection in/of birds", "concept in/of statistics", "theme in/of evolution"

It seems to me that _in_ and _of_ work equally well in sentences such as these: >   *     * Habitat selection **in** birds is frequently studied. >     * Habitat selection **of** birds is frequently studied. >   *     * Variation is a key concept **in** statistics. >     * Variation is a key concept **of** statistics. >   *     * The function of behaviour is an important theme **in** evolution. >     * The function of behaviour is an important theme **of** evolution. > Should either _in_ or _of_ be favoured in the above sentences?


Correct usage of "to this effect"

Is this a correct usage of "to this effect"? > I plan on coming to your soccer game on Sunday. Unfortunately, I cannot make > any guarantees to this effect.


Ones as Pronoun Reference

Take the following sentence: > Are mathematically proficient students, or even mathematically brilliant > students, always motivated? Can _students_ be replaced by _ones_? > Are mathematically proficient students, or even mathematically brilliant > **_ones_** , always motivated? My intuition says yes. If it is acceptable, does it make the first sentence unacceptable?


Adverb for "multiple"

Say that I have a Pokemon with 2 types: Fire and Flying. One could say this Pokemon has "multiple types." That is because the designer of this Pokemon "typed" it that way. Is it correct to say the Pokemon was "multiply typed," where "multiply" is an adverb describing how it was typed? Is there a better and succinct way of describing this typing process?


"I like number 2 and 3" or "I like numbers 2 and 3"?

What is the **correct form** and what is the **exact name** of this phenomenon. I tried looking it up myself but I could only find a German explanation that might also explain the English problem. An example could be: > Please read page 1 and 2 vs > Please read pages 1 and 2 or > I like number 2 and 3 vs > I like numbers 2 and 3 and another one: > I managed to solve question 6, 7, 8 and 9 vs > I managed to solve questions 6, 7, 8 and 9


"Concatenate" vs. "merge" vs. "join" in scientific text

I wonder what the difference is between _concatenate_ , _merge_ and _join_ from the lexical point of view. These words are often used in scientific or programming text. It seems to me that different authors use any of them with slightly different meaning. How should they be used from the language point of view?


Basic or base?What's the correct one?

"I speak basic french" or "I speak base french"? "My french knowledge is at a basic level" or "My french knowledge is at a base level"? I know that basic is just an adjective, while base can be an adjective, a verb and a noun. Nevertheless, when you want to express your knowledge of a language or your ability level in any discipline what's the most correct one?


Can one observe an absence of something?

It seems to me that because there is an absence of something, it should be impossible to observe it. Therefore, if I wanted to say > This is supported by the experimentally observed absence of... what word would I use instead of _observed_? I need to keep the implication that no experiments have observed this particular phenomenon, but the word observed itself seems oxymoronic.


What is the difference between "beneficial" and "beneficent'? They seem to have the same meaning of "helpful".


Let's go hike/hiking at the park

Which is correct and why? `Let's go hiking at the park.` or `Let's go hike at the park`. On the second example ( _hike_ ), should that actually be `let's go to hike at the park`? Also works for things like: skate/skating, bike/biking... (I'm not sure if this is a duplicate because I'm not exactly sure what I should be searching for...?)


Is there a female or gender-neutral equivalent to the colloquial "man"?

I don't know how to define the usage of man I'm talking about*, so I'll do it with examples: > Hey, man, what's up? > > C'mon, man, don't make me do this. Is there a female or gender-neutral alternative for this word or is this sort of talk restricted to men only? Is "man" in the examples a normal noun or is it a different grammatical phenomenon, maybe an interjection of sorts?


Which is correct: "for you who loves knowledge" or "for you who love knowledge"?

In this case, the "you" is singular. Further, does adding a comma after "you" make a difference? Thanks.


Why a u-turn instead of an "n-turn"?

I'm sure we all know what a "u-turn" is. However, people seem to go from the top of the U. Wouldn't an "n-turn" make more sense, because driving logistics force you to go in more the shape of a lowercase "n", from your perspective.


Better word for "bidirectional"

In the physical public forums where democracy began (the Athenian Agora, etc.), the "public conversation" was face-to-face, meaning anyone capable of hearing it was also capable of speaking into it. This meant that each citizen's engagement with the public conversation was "bidirectional" - they were constantly being informed by the thoughts of others, while inserting their own thoughts where they please. They are both speaking and being spoken to on an ongoing basis. What's a better word than "bidirectional" to describe what I'm trying to describe here?


Where does the use of "why" as an interjection come from?

Examples: >   * Why, I'd love to. >   * Why, of course! > I get the concept of starting a sentence with a word not completely related to the overall response, but this one seems to be a particularly odd choice — is there any semantic meaning I'm missing?


Meaning of 'Why?' interjection?

i wanted to ask that,Is "why" an interjection if it's an interjection so please tell me that what"s it means while using it in sentence as an intejection...?


Origin of "Why, hello there"

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Where does the use of "why" as an interjection come from? This is a common English phrase that I'm sure everyone has heard before. However, I find it puzzling that the phrase begins with "why" but isn't a question and doesn't end with a question mark. If there is any story or explanation behind this, I would love to know.


Choosing a section title for scientific papers: "How it works" or "How does it work?"

I am writing a scientific paper and confused with choosing the correct form to use as the section title. Which one is the correct one? > How it works or > How does it work?


"Mortals" vs "Human Beings"

There is a book titled _Running for Mortals_. I didn't recognize word _mortal_. Then I looked up it and get the meaning as below. > **mortal** N - A human being I wonder, is _mortal_ widely used as _human being_ or it is used only for special areas like sports, medical, etc?


Arrange, settle, reconcile — could these words be used before "their differences"? What are the differences in meaning?


Patterns for words with "iev" and "eiv"

I usually misspell words like "believe" or "receive". For words like these two I would usually google it first to see if I got the spelling right. Is there a pattern for words like these?


Meaning of a ubiquitous sentence in patents

I noticed this sentence in many patents: > _Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part > appear hereinafter._ What exactly are the authors trying to say by "be obvious"? For examples of how much this sentence can be found, search for "other objects of the invention will in part" (even in quotes, it returns over 1 million hits).


**So if you're making a game that a person who plays Limbo might like, you should....** I heard this in one of the videos by Totalbiscuit. He's a game commentator on youtube. I'm pretty sure the guy is from Newcastle. Just in case if it matters. Limbo is a video game. My question is, is it ok to have a relative clause inside another relative clause?


Is rephrased sentence for "subject to" correct?

I originally had "Changes which a Product shall be **subject to** as part of its life cycle", but felt that using "subject to" was bad form and rephrased the sentence as follows: > Changes to which a Product shall be subject as part of its life cycle. Is the above correct? Somehow, "subject to" sounds better, although it may be wrong. I feel separating the two words leads to loss of the meaning. PS: How would I tag this question?


"City air," or "city feel?"

> The neon signs brought a **city feel/city air** to the countryside. Which alternative is more adequate? Or is there a better option? The example above means that _the neon lights made the countryside feel like the city._


Can I say “he lost his brave face”?

_"Put on a brave face"_ is to express that someone try to hide it's feeling and pretend to be alright. What if someone tries but fails, can I say, "He lost his brave face after that"? Or what would be a better word or phrase to express this situation?


"from where I hail" vs "where I hail from"

When to use the two? Is the sentence "England is from where I hail" grammatically correct? (It sounds ok to me but it looks funny.) Or do I have to write "England is where I hail from"?


The use of "or", "and" and commas in a sentence where various verbs should be correlated to various subjects

Assume you have a sentence where nk verbs v(1), ..., v(nk) should be correlated to n subjects s(1), ..., s(n), and you would like that, for each i = 0, ..., k-1, v(ni+1), ..., v(ni+k) are correlated _only_ to s(i). Can anything in these lines be accomplished by an appropriate use of "or'', "and'', and commas? A concrete example would be as follows: > [...] the obvious advantage of the underlying philosophy is, in fact, that > various constructions, or questions, or theorems and conjectures can be > conceived and performed, or formulated and answered, or stated and/or proved > once and for all, without any need to replicate them in each case as if they > were completely unrelated. Here, the subjects are "constructions", "questions", and "theorems and conjectures", and the corresponding verbs are "conceived" and "performed", "formulated" and "answered", and "stated" and "proved". Does the sentence sound correct? An alternative phrasing would be as follows: > [...] the obvious advantage of the underlying philosophy is, in fact, that > various constructions can be conceived and performed, and questions > formulated and answered, and theorems and conjectures stated or proved once > and for all, without any need to replicate them in each case as if they were > completely unrelated. But for some reason this sounds even more weird to me. Thank you in advance for any help or suggestion.


Can “itch” be a transitive verb, i.e., can an itch be itched?

Can _itch_ be used as a transitive verb? In other words, can you _itch an itch_ as you would _scratch an itch_? Dictionaries differ, with the bigger hitters saying no. Are they bearing the proper standard or just playing it conservative?


What is an appropriate word for someone's "humanness"?

Is there a word that references someone's "humanness"? Something that one would posses, that would characterise them as human. I wouldn't say "human" in terms of morals, but "human" in the most literal sense. I'll give an example: > "He demonstrates extreme physical ability, to the point where I question his > **__** ". What would be the most appropriate way to express this?


"For every day" vs. "with every day"

Consider > (…) and they were getting stronger **with/for** every day What's the difference/the correct one to use?


"Living in the South" or "Living in the south"?

The sentence I'm wondering about: > Living in the [S/s]outh during the early 1900’s, the most decisive factor of > a man’s life was determined at birth: the color of his skin. Should South be capitalized because it's a noun?


Everything shimmered "through" the heat haze OR Everything shimmered "in" the heat haze

Which is correct? > Everything shimmered **through** the heat haze   >  OR   >  Everything shimmered **in** the heat haze