"Give the real temperature" vs. "give real temperature"

I would like to know if I should use the second the in the following sentence. >   * The thermometer does not give **the** real temperature. >   * The thermometer does not give real temperature. > And I would like to know if there's a criterion, a rule to know when I should use *the or if I'm abusing it.


Right format for time of day when corresponding with Germans

I'm writing to some German folks in English, and I'm referring to the time of day -- an event that starts at 10 o'clock in the morning. I know that if I were writing to other Americans, I'd use _10 am_ , _10:00 a.m._ or _10 o'clock_. But for Germans who have learned English there, what is the right format? I've seen everything from _1000_ to _10h00m_.


When has the phrase "dirty sex" started to be used?

We say 'dirty sex' nowadays,quite often. When we're referring to hardcore sex that includes role play, bondage, sex toys and whatever else goes beyond the simple act of copulation, we say 'Dirty sex'. But when has this phrase first started to be used? Is it something people would say in North America at the beginning of the 20th century?


What does the phrase 'I feel like a pig in a wig' mean?

I heard this phrase in an interview: > I feel like a pig in a wig. I understand from the context that it is like nothing, ugly or something similar. I have read that they use words that sound good together to express a feeling or so. Could you help me understand this better?


What is the most common word for indicating a source of the citation? (e.g. Source:/Reference:/From:)

For example, > The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. > > **From** : Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun What is the ~~best~~ most common word for the above bold part? From, Reference, Source, or else? Not depending on the certain genre or style guide. The context is a PowerPoint slide like this: ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/FcqV7.jpg)


difference between American and British /ӕ/ sound

When I presented British /ӕ/ sound to three Korean English-familiar persons online - they are doing answering English-related questions activities [case 1; case 2], and asked what sound it’s like /ӕ/ or /ɑ/, astonishingly all three of them without hesitation checked out /ɑ/. That shows how difficult it is to differentiate the two sounds for Koreans.   I can perceive both British and American /ӕ/ are made at the front. But the former sound is far more similar to Korean’s “ㅏ” sound. That’s why the Koreans all hear /ɑ/. And this definitely shows, I wonder, that there’s some difference between British and American /ӕ/. Would you let me know the difference?


Correct way to phrase something that varies by type and degree

In the first instance, what are the grammatically correct ways to phrase the statement below? Second, if more than one is correct, which one seems the more appropriate or natural-sounding? > Typhoons [differ/vary] [in/by] the degree and variety of damage (they > cause)"


Would have done

Please read the following passage. I will post my question at the end of it. Here is the passage: > At home I locked myself in. Jason, my lawyer and lyn sent texts > simultaneously at the point the announcement was made. Lyn **would have been > sending** texts consecutively for 15 minutes. Apparently 35 newspapers in > the world carried the news on the front page, including the New York Times. > There were 10-and 12 page supplements in the British papers. My question is this: Why is it "Lyn _would have been sending_..." and not "Lyn _would be sending_..."? In other words, isn't **would have done** used in conditional sentences such as > If you had taken a taxi, you would have arrived here in time.


Could I address someone by first name in business emails if he/she addresses me by first name?

I am really not sure about when it is appropriate to use someone's first name in business emails. If someone addresses me by my first name, but signs his email officially — full name, plus title, department and contact information —, should I address him by first name or still by "Mr. X"?


Origin of the greeting "Sweet dreams".

Does anybody know the etymology of the phrase "sweet dreams"? I tried googling but did not find anything satisfying. Is this a relatively new phrase of the modern world or has this been in use for some time? I think it's the latter one.


Alternate spellings and modern usage

There are accepted alternate spellings for English words and phrases, example: pajamas -> pyjamas. This is an assumption, so please correct me if I'm wrong: The editors of the OED and other dictionaries do accept changes to spellings, meanings, and word usage. The acceptance is primarily based on "the commonly used" criterion. I think this means 'extensively used and understood' equals 'primary criterion' for inclusion or modification of items. Cartoon character Homer Simpson's "doh" is an example of a recent OED addition. In Albuquerque New Mexico the State Department of Transportation has erected billboards with 3m high letters consisting of single words: "DNTEXT", "ENDWI" This campaign is aimed at young drivers to curb texting while driving and drunk driving. Question: Can this kind of semi-phonetic text-spell eventually qualify for dictionary inclusion on the grounds of common usage? Or, do you see this "stuff" appearing in any kind of standard reference? It is undeniably common.


Enjoys his fair share to work hard and smart to meet commitments

Received a resume lately. One of the sentence, in summary section, doesn't look right to me. It may be not a very obvious mistake, or may not be a mistake at all. But I can't say anything for sure, as I am not a native speaker and neither I find myself eloquent in writing English. > .... blah blah. A reliable team member who gets work done and enjoys his > fair share to work hard and smart to meet commitments. blah blah .... Now, if you tell me to correct it, because I think it's not well written. Then I would make something like below, using the same words without trying to make it spiffy, > .... blah blah. A reliable team member \-- very smart to meet commitments, > who gets work done and enjoys his fair share in working hard. blah blah .... What do you folks think? Is there something wrong with the original sentence structure?


What does "have nothing on someone" mean here?

From what I know "have something from someone" means to know secret or damaging knowledge about someone, I was reading this article on espn.com and it is an excerpt from that article > Carl Pavano for $40 million, A.J. Burnett for $82.5 million and Kei Igawa > for $20 million have nothing on Rodriguez for $275 million. I don't understand what "have nothing on" means here. Even though it is fairly obvious what the article is about, and what the comparison is here, but I cant quite figure out the meaning.


Cool rush of air uphill

Do you know the word to describe a cool rushing current of uphill air? I think it has something to do with the air coming from a cool place on a warm day.


When using complete sentences in parenthetical e.g. or i.e. situations, should the first word be capitalized?

In a bulleted list of very technical sentences, where each bulleted item has one or two parenthetical examples or restatements which are complete sentences, should the first letter of each e.g. or i.e. sentence be capitalized or not? Example:   * Here is my technical sentence. (e.g., **S** hould the first word of this e.g. be capitalized like this?)   * Here is another technical sentence. (i.e., **t** his really isn't a i.e. different example to highlight whether the first word should or should not be capitalized after a parenthetical i.e.)


Usage of "accrue" in "it accrued to me to gently ask"

A newage hippie Facebook friend just sent me this. I was just wondering if it was syntactically correct, > It accrued to me to gently ask if you could consider extending the same > respect, you would obviously extend to this man, to Theists in general. _Accrue_ is supposed to be a transitive verb, it doesn't seem to be operating on something though. I take it, this is incorrect? Or, am I wrong?


To lose someone something

A headline today reads _UBS Says Rogue Trader Lost Firm $2 Billion In Unauthorized Dealing_. Apparently, the meaning is that because of this trader, UBS lost $2 Billion. Yet, the headline somehow sounds strange in my ears, but that could of course be because I am no native English speaker. I realize that it's okay to say _Someone gives someone something_ , so maybe this is the same construct ( _Someone loses someone something_ ). Anyway, is this headline correct and proper English?


Parenthetic Apposition or not?

Please settle a debate for me. Here is the sentence in question: > Excessive, incorrect, use of the word "like" is unbelievably irritating. The criticism is against the comma following the word "incorrect". The defense was made that it is parenthetical apposition. Wikipedia says that apposition's are "normally noun phrases", is it ever acceptable for them to be non-noun phrases? If so, is this an example of that? Would you judge this sentence as Poor or Acceptable?


Can a remote conditional have "might" in the protasis?

In the _Cambridge Grammar of the English Language_ by Huddleston and Pullum, the authors write: > A remote conditional must have a modal auxiliary as the apodosis verb > (usually _would, should, could_ , or _might_ ) and a modal preterite or > irrealis _were_ in the protasis. (p.739) A remote conditional is a conditional sentence using past or past perfect subjunctive mood. I'm wondering if "might" can be used in the protasis of a remote conditional. I could find examples of remote conditionals whose protases use "would, should, or could", but could not find an example using "might" in the protasis.


Why Abraham and not Avraham?

In the Hebrew scriptures Abraham's name is _Avraham_ and not Abraham ( _אַבְרָהָם_ ). Is has a _v_ and not a _b_. The same goes for Rebecca, who is called _Rivka_ in Hebrew. Both _v_ and _b_ sounds are represented by the same letter, the letter _ב_ , but the sound _b_ is represented by the letter with a dot inside (known as dagesh) and then it's called _bet_ , while the sound _v_ is represented by the letter without the dagesh and called _vet_ (Wiki article for the letter). Here is how they look: _בּ_ vs _ב_. In Arabic, Abraham is called _Ibrahim_ , also with _b_ , but the Arabic language has no _v_ sound so it's understandable that it's replaced. What is the source for the change is the sound?


What is the noun to describe whether a word is subject or object?

Just as "number" describes whether a noun is singular or plural, is there a noun that describes whether a pronoun is subject or object? For example: > The number of the first-person pronoun "I" is singular. > > The ___ _ of the first-person pronoun "I" is subject.


The meaning and usage of "be against this background"

The sentence I saw it in is: > It was **against this background** that Mitsubishi approached KFC with a > proposal to start a joint venture in Japan. It seems to mean "in the case", but I'm not sure and I cannot find a clear definition of it.


What's the difference between "colloquium", "seminar", and possibly other such words?

I was wondering what the differences are between   * _colloquium_   * _seminar_   * and some other possibly interchangeable words you might think off top of your head ... I get such notifications regularly from a certain person, and get confused when and why he uses which.


Changing "abroad on permanent accommodation" to sound better

Is it correct to say "to go abroad on permanent accommodation"? It doesn't sound right to me. What's the right way to say that? My pupil has written "some people go abroad on permanent accommodation". I assume he means that the people don't come back to their home country but become residents of other countries.


"I was wondering what/which are ..." or "I was wondering what/which ... are"

I can understand saying "I was wondering how is A doing?" is not grammatically correct. Instead we should say "I was wondering how A is doing?". On the other hand, I was wondering which one or both is grammatically correct:   1. "I was wondering what are the differences between A and B?"   2. "I was wondering what the differences between A and B are?" In my opinion both are correct, and the first one seems more balanced the the second, as A and B can be long.


"Everyone" or "everybody"

Are the words _everybody_ and _everyone_ interchangeable?


Where is "pejorative" pronounced " ˈpejəˌrātiv"?

Upon looking up the word _pejorative_ , I noticed two rather distinct pronunciations: > pəˈjôrətiv   >  ˈpejəˌrātiv I naturally assumed the first (which is apparently the more common), but was wondering in what parts of the world the second pronunciation is commonly used.


Contentment with "Settling for Less"

I'm looking for a word to describe an emotion in fictional lawyer Horace Rumpole. Several characters try to goad him into finding a better-paying, more prestigious job in law. He entertains the idea momentarily but looks at his life, ideals, and principles and then decides he's better off where he is. What I understand Aristotle's _eudaimonia_ to mean -- happiness derived by living according to virtue -- is close. But it does not always imply that there was cost (or loss of gain) in living so. For generality, I would rather the word not have the religious connotations of _righteousness_ or _martyrdom_. Ideally it could be used to describe a "He didn't take the money" situation that I see in some films: The hero agrees to do a job for money, but later (usually privately) refuses the agreed pay because of his principles. The hero (maybe reluctantly) understands that ultimately this is the way he wants it to be. Is there a single word to describe "contentment in a choice that costs you"?


Can I use indefinite article with superlative adjectives?

In most russian grammar books there is a rule saying that definite article must be used with superlative adjectives. However from time to time I see people using indefinite article. For example, a title of the film "A Most Wanted Man". Can somebody explain this?


Is the phrase "in common" a noun?

Is "in common" a noun? Some dictionaries say adjective, but some (Longman) have a 2nd definition for "in common" as a noun.


What is the closest match to 'Ignore' that keeps the passive nature?

The closest question searching found was Connotatively neutral alternatives to "ignorant"? which doesn't really help me. I'm trying to find synonyms for the word "Ignore" that don't change the meaning pretty drastically. Looking on http://thesaurus.com/browse/ignore pulls up the following as the top choice: > Avoid But in context this don't seem accurate to me, take: > I ignored the dog while I was walking. > > I avoided the dog while I was walking. One has a certain active feeling to it. I actively avoided the dog. Ignore is much more passive. By definition: > Ignore: refuse to take notice of or acknowledge > > Avoid: keep away from or stop oneself from doing Which confirms the idea. Ignore is without notice or acknowledgement. Avoid must have noticed or acknowledged to then keep away from. So, the question is what would a better synonym be for Ignore that keeps the passive nature? For the sake of question what I plan to use it for is along the lines of: > Unlike RF Tags, our advanced laser system ignores all RFI. > > Our advanced laser system was developed to ignore all duplicate tags. You can quickly see that Avoid doesn't work: > Unlike RF Tags, our advanced laser system avoids all RFI. > > Our advanced laser system was developed to avoid all duplicate tags.


Is there a symbol I can use as a substitute for a word or part of a word (similar to how ◌ is used for diacritics)?

I am making a chart that illustrates prefixes, suffixes and middles of words in Braille, and I was wondering if there is a symbol I can use to represent word, part of word or rest of word, similar to how `◌` is often used in diacritics examples. I would like to avoid the hyphen as there is some specific Braille for dealing with that. For example (just using ◌)   * ◌tion   * dis◌   * ◌dd◌


How can I rephrase "enough rope to shoot yourself in the foot"?

Some time ago I have a read a very famous book of Allen I. Holub "Enough rope to shoot yourself in the foot" (this book on openlibrary.org). I have read it in Russian and the book was titled with exact, i.e. word-by-word translation of the original English title. And, as you can imagine, it was totally nonsensical. Then I became interested in the meaning of the original title. I found out that this is a nice play of two idioms: **_give somebody enough rope (to hang themselves)_** meaning _to allow someone to do what they want to, knowing that they will probably fail or get into trouble_ **_to shoot yourself in the foot_** meaning _you do something that damages your ambition, career, etc._ I started to think about better translation, but the question is: can you think of a short phrase in English without idioms to keep the same meaning? It would be also interesting if there are proverbs or set expressions with the same idea.


Should thin spaces be used between numerals and units

After starting to use the siunitx package for typesetting units (and the numerals before the units) in LaTeX, I noticed that it typesets a single space between a numeral and a unit (a space that is not as wide as a normal space). I have tried unsuccessfully to find a proper reference that calls for this. Wikipedia mentions it on Space (punctuation), but the external reference given on the Wikipedia page, which is in this online .pdf brochure, does not say anything about thin spaces. It only mentions that there should be a space between numerals and units, but says nothing about the size of that space (in which case I think it is reasonable to assume that a normal space is referred to). I have added a question about this in the talk section for the Space article. What is the proper size of spaces between numerals and units? It would be interesting to know the source for the usage of thin spaces in siunitx, and if that is the way it "really should be".


Colloquial definition of "douchebag"

Obviously "douchebag" has a literal meaning - however if we see someone wearing sunglasses indoors, we would call them a douchebag. I'm trying to explain this to a friend. How do you verbalize this meaning of the word?


Do these adjectives refer to ice?

In this sentence from Wuthering Heights > I declined joining their breakfast, and, at the first gleam of dawn, took an > opportunity of escaping into the free air, now **clear** , and **still** , > and **cold** as impalpable ice Do the adjectives "clear", "still" and "cold" refer to "ice" which is used as a comparison to the air? Or is it only the adjective "cold" that refers to ice because it is preceded by a comma which separates it from the adjectives? What if the sentence went like this > I declined joining their breakfast, and, at the first gleam of dawn, took an > opportunity of escaping into the free air, now **fragrant** , and **light** > , and **cold** as impalpable ice Would you say that it is clear that "cold" only refers to the phrase "as impalpable ice" or is it possible that a reader would think all those adjectives are like impalpable ice?


Is there a difference between a "way" and a "means"?

From my workbook: > If you think that this is the most effective **means** of conveying our > brand name ... Does using _way_ instead of _means_ make sense? Also what is the difference between those two words and why _means_ is preferred in that sentence?


Grumbling vs Grumble (as nouns)

According to my dictionary, "grumbling" is a complaint about something, but "grumble" is also a complaint about something. I am used to using the "normal nouns - verbs as nouns" not gerund form as a noun. Someone told me that in the following sentences, "grumbling" must be used instead of "grumble", but they can't say why. > We didn't hear any grumbling about the food. > > She paid up with some grumbling. Again, I would use "grumble" instead.


What better way?

With this sentence > **What better way to** celebrate the peace **than** with a fight? Is "what better way to" an informal phrase? Would it be better to write > What is better than fighting as a way to celebrate the peace?


Is this a complete sentence?

There was an ad on telly I saw, saying > Relax, knowing your home is safe Is this a complete sentence that is grammatically correct? Could this go in an essay? What is the technical word for "knowing"? I know it's a verb. Would you call a present continuous verb and that's it? What about this sentence > Become part of this website, exploring new worlds and games Is this an okay sentence?


What is the difference between "He seemed to be angry." and "He seemed angry."?

I want to know the difference between the following sentences:   1. He seemed to be angry.   2. He seemed angry. I heard that when I use "to be" in the text like in above sentence, "to be" means "subjective". When without "to be" means objective. When somebody says "She seemed to be beautiful", It means she is beautiful to someone." When somebody says "She seemed beautiful?, It means that everybody thinks she is beautiful. Is that right?


What does "Suit yourself" mean?

I found this on SO and googled the idiom "suit yourself", but I couldn't find a matching translation. The context was that the questioner was nitpicking and the answerer lost his patience.


Should I use a singular or plural "one" here?

Sometimes I get confused over how and when we should use plurals. For example, should we say: > They are the only one who _is_ capable of doing this Or > They are the only one who _are_ capable of doing this When to use is/are? Why?


"flavorx" v.s. "flavors"

I wrote something about the food. And I use **flavors** for plural flavor, however my foreign English teacher corrected it as **flavorx**. And he considers that I also should read 'flavors'. I googled the word 'flavorx', but I almost can't find it used in the articles. Is 'flavorx' the right spell in that context? **Update on Jan 18** , I'm communicating with teachers via email. So I don't know who answered me. I raised my concern to the teachers again. The new reply says I can only use flavor or flavors (plural) as in taste or tastes.


Are the abbreviations IMO and IMHO synonymous to each other?

Is there a difference between IMO (In My Opinion) and IMHO (In My Honest Opinion)? You see both forms frequently being used in online conversatiosn. Do they mean the same, or is there a slight difference in meaning?


What's the longest monosyllabic word? And disyllabic?

Another question on the site made me take notice that _through_ is monosyllabic, but quite long. Are there longer monosyllabic words? What's the longest disyllabic word in English? **Edit:** so, Wikipedia has a page for monosyllabic words, but none for disyllabic ones. Anyone can think of any long disyllabic example?


Meaning of "one order of magnitude improvement"

> There is no single development, in either technology or management > technique, which by itself promises even one order of magnitude improvement > in productivity, in reliability, in simplicity. What exactly is the message trying to say? What exactly does it mean by _one order of magnitude improvement_?


Are there any other English syllables without vowels, besides "thm"?

As far as I _knew_ *, all English syllables have a vowel sound and all of them are spelled accordingly, except for "thm" as in **rhythm** and **algorithm**. Are there any others? And are there any etymological reasons why this / they exist(s)? * See JSBang's answer.


Etymology of “dude” and progression in language

On this one, etymonline really let me down. It says: > **dude**   >  1883, "fastidious man," New York City slang of unknown origin. The vogue > word of 1883, originally used in reference to the devotees of the > "aesthetic" craze, later applied to city slickers, especially Easterners > vacationing in the West However, Google Books research shows prior use in a few cases, including _Wit and humor of the age_ (1880): “There are three kinds of dudes in New York”. So, knowing not whom to turn to, I ask you: what more can be said of the origin of _dude_? Why was it first introduced to refer to “devotees of the ‘aesthetic’ craze”? And, how did it later progress in the language?


What's the difference between a 'Sourcer' and a 'Recruiter'?

In HR terms, what's the difference between a 'Sourcer' and a 'Recruiter'? Why is one preferred over the other?


When did "Pensylvania" become "Pennsylvania"?

On the Liberty Bell, it's spelled _Pensylvania_. Likewise on plenty of maps from the colonial days. When did it become _Pennsylvania_ (with three _n_ 's)?


What is the difference in usage between "lethal" and "fatal"?

This cropped up when I was in a conversation with a friend. I guess _fatal_ must talk of something which has necessarily resulted in death, while _lethality_ is more about potential to cause death. Yet I am not convinced by this explanation, because _lethality_ is associated with specific agents of death, like injection, dosage of medicine, weapons, etc. Could someone pin the exact difference in usage between these words? Are the following sentences alright, for instance?   * He has been diagnosed with a lethal type of cancer.   * He died after getting hit by the fatal weapon.


Are "excerpt" and "excerption" interchangeable?

Can _excerpt_ and _excerption_ replace each other in a particular sentence without changing its meaning? For example, given these two sentences: >   1. He presented **excerpts** from William James' philosophical writings. >   2. He presented **excerptions** from William James' philosophical > writings. > Do both these nouns give the same meaning or change the sense in any way? Or is either of these two sentences wrong?


Origin of the phrase "filthy rich"?

What is the origin of the phrase "filthy rich"?


Bachelor thesis or Bachelor's thesis

During my final year at university, I wrote what I thought was a "bachelor thesis". Right before printing it I stumbled upon several documents stating the name "bachelor's thesis". (Here we do not call it a dissertation just yet, so this question is only about the possessive _bachelor's_ vs. _bachelor_.) A couple of Google search queries later, I had not found out which of these terms is correct. Which should I use?


Can I use excluding at the end of expression of interval?

I want to express the fact that first part one of an XML file extents from the beginning to the Parameters section, but it does not include Parameters section. Can I express it like this: > The first section extends from the beginning of the file to the Parameters > section excluding? If not, is there some other way of using word **excluding** in such expression?


Hypocrisy, sincerity, and?

By definition **hypocrisy** is: > the practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one's > own behavior does not conform To illustrate an analogy, hypocrisy means that you claim to be 100, when you're 50. (higher number means better) Search for hypocrisy's antonyms and the most mentioned word I could find, was **sincerity** , which is: > the quality of being free from pretense, deceit, or hypocrisy. Again, using numbers illustration, it means that if you are 50, you show 50. I'm searching for a word to describe that you're 50, but you show 25. I can think of **modesty**. However, just like hypocrisy which is a negative trait (with negative connotation), I'm searching for a negative word. **Modesty** is good. I would enjoy being called a modest person. Maybe modest can be compared with **self-confident** , which is to show yourself bigger, but in a positive and welcomed way. What word can describe _showing less, but in an unpleasant way_ best?


The delivery may be accelerated?

I'm writing a quotation and have to estimate a delivery date. My estimate is that we will make the delivery at January 1st. However, this will be impacted by when the project starts. It is in our interest to start as soon as possible and want to express this in a subtle way. > The delivery date is estimated 01.01.2015, but may be accelerated if the > commencement of the project is earlier than 07.07.2014. According to my good friend, google translate, the "delivery may be accelerated" is the proper way to express this. Google returns 62000 hits for this phrase, so I won't be the first to write it that way, however, I'm not so sure it's the best way. Also "commencement of the project is earlier than" feels a bit wrong. I would actually like to write accelerated there, but in that case I can't use accelerated in the first part..? I don't want to write: "The delivery date will be impacted by the commencement date" as I want to focus on the positive (it can be done sooner but not later). Any views on this?


Is it possible to say so very and very so?

I know that it is correct to use: > Thank you **so very** much. As much as I know an adverb can be theoretically used to modify another adverb, so my question is: > Is it possible to say **very so much**? Or even, if something is "so very red", can it be "very so red"?


Using short adjectives as adverbs, such as "easy" & "short"

I know that some adjectives (such as easy & short) can be used as adverbs in some situations, but when can this happen and what adjectives does this apply to? This definitely works: "He stopped short" But does this?: "He fell pretty hard"


"Its" as a Possessive Pronoun

Since _its_ can be both determiner possessive pronoun and nominal possessive pronoun, an example of _its_ as determiner possessive pronoun would be: > We saved this question for last because of _its_ complexity. Because _complexity_ is a noun, so _its_ must be a determiner possessive pronoun in this sentence. I'm looking for an example where _its_ is used as nominal possessive pronoun in a sentence as above.


"cost incurred before" vs "cost incurred until"?

I am wondering which of the following is correct/preferable: > We need to take into account the cost incurred **until** action is finally > taken. vs > We need to account for the cost incurred **before** action is finally taken. For a bit of context: this passage refers to an hypothetical scenario where someone procrastinates until they finally address the issue at hand. The sentence wants to draw attention to the fact that there **are** costs associated with this delay in taking action.


Usage of the Past Perfect of "to be" for 2 (discrete) past events?

>   1. He **wasn't** resolute thus he confabulated with her. > How would I rewrite this sentence using the past perfect tense, because I sense that the sentence above currently is flawed? The first action was his lack of resoluteness, so **wasn't** should be in the past perfect. Yet this sounds wrong. Is it? > `2.` He **hadn't been** resolute thus he confabulated with her.


Is "public" plural or singular?

I wonder if the word "public" is plural or singular. Does anybody know?


Actual hours [is/are] greater than the estimates

Should I use **is** or **are** in this sentence? > Actual hours **[is/are]** greater than the estimates.


How did the "double consonant to shorten vowel" thing come about? ("furry" vs. "fury")

In English, a doubled consonant most commonly means "shorten the previous vowel", where "shorten" means map phonemes like this:   * [aɪ] -> [i]   * [oʊ] -> [ɔ]   * etc For example, fury is pronounced [fjʊri] but add another 'r' and you get [fəri]. Now, obviously this doesn't make much orthographic sense. So there must have been some historical reason for it. Anyone know? Relatedly, when a [k] sound shortens the previous vowel, the doubling is not even written 'kk', but rather 'ck' ('cracking') - why? This feature is in many Germanic languages too.


Is "redact" an acceptable substitute for "delete" or "omit?"

I am constantly reading comments and documents from people who use the verb _redact_ to refer to the act of _deleting_ or otherwise _censoring_ content. This never _seemed_ correct to me, but until today it never actually occurred to me to look up the dictionary definition. I just did, and this is what it says: > _**–verb (used with object)_**   >  **1.**   to put into suitable literary form; revise; edit.   >  **2.**   to draw up or frame (a statement, proclamation, etc.). Nowhere does this seem to indicate anything about _deletion_. I suppose that, in a very limited set of circumstances, redaction in the context of "editing for publication" might indeed involve the deletion of certain content, but that aspect seems incidental rather than fundamental. That said, I accept that plenty of "common English" hasn't made it to the dictionaries or style guides yet, so I'm wondering if maybe I missed a memo, because the "delete" definition seems to come up almost everywhere I look. For example:   1. > ...before sharing board minutes (or shareholder or committee minutes) with auditors or other third parties, carefully review the minutes and **redact (delete)** sections containing privileged information to avoid waiving the attorney-client privilege. [AllBusiness]   2. > The term **redaction** may not be a household term, but is often used in the legal community. **It's the practice of removing confidential or sensitive data before giving the document to others.** [ProductivityPortfolio]   3. On synonyms.net, it is actually defined as "edit" but has several "delete" synonyms listed: > cast, **edit out** , edit, blue-pencil, **cut** , redact, put, frame, couch, > **delete**   4. Adobe Acrobat even has a feature named Search and Redact that _deletes_ results. So... what exactly is going on here? Is this usage:   * Inane corp-speak parroted by people who have no idea what it means?   * Jargon that escaped from the legal profession and made it into common use?   * The result of most types of redaction being deletion, leading to natural confusion due to frequent use?   * A more mundane form of confusion - possibly with the similar-sounding _retract_?   * Just another case of the dictionary being at odds with the informal/spoken language? Basically, what I'm trying to understand is: **Is this really an acceptable usage of the word, and if so, then what is its real origin and/or justification?** Note: I'm having a little trouble making sense of the tagging conventions here, so please feel free to retag this if necessary.


What does "oi to ___" mean?

In the No Doubt song Oi to the World are the following words spoken: > He'd say "Oi to the punks and Oi to the skins > > But Oi to the world and everybody wins" So what does the phrase mean? It seems to mean "screw them" in the first 2 instances, but that doesn't fit in with the last one.


"Lick on a trick for a Rolex" — meaning?

I heard this line in the rap song _Ghetto Bird_ by Ice Cube (full lyrics here) and I'm completely puzzled by its meaning. > My homey's here to **lick on a trick for a Rolex**   >  And let me try the four next   >  Now the four I was driving was hotter than July   >  looked up and didn't see it whippin' in the sky   >  Saw a chopper with numbers on the bottom   >  "Calling all cars, I think we've got em." I learned that _lick_ can mean "easy money", and _a trick_ can mean "a naive person", "a sex act with a prostitute", or "a robbery". I could come up with several combinations of these meanings that would make sense on their own, but none of such combinations makes sense together with the following lines. Could somebody enlighten me what this line really means?


Why did only English undergo the Great Vowel Shift, making pronunciation stray so far from spelling?

Lots of people have wondered why English seems to be one of very few languages with such irregular spelling, far from its pronunciation. The answers include the Norman invasion, and the Great Vowel Shift. Ok, cool. But why did all those _other_ languages not have the same thing happen to them? German, Spanish, Italian, all Slavic languages, etc. They don't have a silent 'e', they don't have the day/date poke/soak treat/tree vowel dualities, etc. They still ascribe vowels the same sounds they ascribed them many centuries ago. Is it because England had more trade contact and colonies? Or because they're on an isolated island? Or why?


"Decision" vs. "resolution"

I read the following sentence: > We can defer a resolution, but not a decision. ...and I would like to know what the differences are between "decision" and "resolution" in that context.


Can the word Gentoo be used in a derogatory way?

I was reading a Wikipedia article on Gentoo Penguin and came across the following Paragraph. > The application of Gentoo to the penguin is unclear. The Oxford English > Dictionary notes that Gentoo used to be an Anglo-Indian term used as early > as 1638 to distinguish Hindus in India from Muslims. The English term > originated from the Portuguese gentio (compare "gentile"); in the 20th > century the term came to be regarded as derogatory. I am particularly interested to know why the Portuguese word gentio from which the English Term Gentoo originated is regarded as derogatory. In the similar context does the same English Term would also be regarded as derogatory similar to the root word? **Context** We have named our baby "Gentoo" and now I have realized that the term may be pejorative.


Event: "archived" vs. "filed" vs. "shelved"

I'm coding a database that has an Events table with a status field. When an event's date has not yet passed, the status is _Published_. I would like to use a term to mean that the date of the event has passed, something like _Archived/Filed/Shelved_. Which is the correct way to express it?


'Seen as' or 'seeing as'

Look at these examples: > You should clean the milk **seen as** you spilt it.   >  You should clean the milk **seeing as** you spilt it. Which one is correct, and how is it grammatically defined/termed?


"Game money" vs "Play money"

In this blog post Tobold uses the term "play money" to indicate money that is used in games such as MMORPGs. Is this a correct term to name such money? If not, what is the correct one?


reporting statements: that-clauses

How would you write the negative statement of: > She declared the item to be faulty, the police reported the girl to be > missing. Would it be: > She declared the item not to be faulty, the police reported the girl not to > be missing. or > She declared the item to be not faulty, the police reported the girl to be > not missing. or > She declared the item to not be faulty, the police reported the girl to not > be missing.


Term for someone who keeps rejecting ideas without specifying what they want

Is there a particular word or phrase for when you keep giving suggestions and advice to someone about a broad topic and that person keeps rejecting the ideas but won't specifically say what they want to hear? Example: During a brainstorming session, I offered a couple of ideas, which were dismissed. Months later, it turned out the group leader only intended to pursue one avenue. (I wish he would have said so at the meeting.) What do you call a person who is deliberating coy about something and allowes others continue to labor under the illusion that they're being productive when they are secretively not really interested in suggestions that don't align with his idea?


Is it correct to use 'against of' in the following sentence?

Please read the following sentences. > 1) We are against of removing our resource when there is no work. > > 2) We are against removing our resource when there is no work. Which sentence is correct? Also: I think 'sacking' is not a polite word. Am I right? Thanks,


What is the origin of "Couldn't hit a cow's arse with a banjo"?

This picturesque expression, meaning 'not a very good shot with a rifle' or (of a footballer) unable to score any goals, has cropped up a few times recently in my reading. Does anyone know where it originated?


Indicate title without italics or underline

How do you indicate the title of a major work if neither italics nor underline are available? Would you fall back on quotes or should you use something else? Text messages are an example of where this may come up.


Causative infinitive “get”

I have the following sentence: > I've got a lot of things to get done by this weekend. Is it correct? Is _to get done_ a valid causative form?


When to use under and over as prefixes rather than adverbs with past participles

Is there a rule on when under and over are used as prefixes rather than adverbs when attached to past participles (and whether or not they are hyphenated)? In general, it seems that both words are sufficient as adverbs, e.g., "this paper is under cited." However, we often see under and over attached as a prefix, e.g., "this paper is under-cited." In addition there are certain words where under/over are "built-in", e.g., "this company is understaffed." Is this simply a matter of convention or are there clearer rules on how the words should be paired? Are there differences in meaning when under is used as an adverb rather than a prefix (e.g., does "under cited" mean something different than "under-cited")?


came/come to an end

I am writing a letter, but got confused with "come/came to an end". Here is my scenario. Few years back I was working for a company then switch to another company. Right now I am writing a letter about it. > My tenure at XYZ **came** to an end, when I decided to broaden my knowledge > by working for ABC. Is this statement correct?


Pronounciation of with

For me its quite hard to pronounce 'with' correctly, especially when I try to speak faster. For example saying 'with sauce" nearly breaks my tongue. Do you have any advice for me? Can I reduce the with somehow? Like saying "wi.. sauce"?


When can I use an interrobang‽

I have only ever seen the interrobang discussed as a novelty; I've never seen it used in context. Is there a situation in which its use is acceptable?


How to say "the quality of being accomplished"?

"to tire" is to become exhausted. "tired" means exhausted. "tiredness" is the state of being exhausted. Similarly, "to accomplish" means to complete a goal (let's say), "accomplished" means completed, "*accomplishedness" is the state of being accomplished? What should go there? More generally, how do you noun adjectives that you can't add `-ness` to? Related to this question.


What do you call a subordinate clause that follows its main clause but is wrongly punctuated as a separate sentence?

“This compelled the chancellor to shut down the whole program. Which was an outcome no one really wanted.” I suspect that what underlies this error is the sense that in spoken English a substantial pause (or even a change of speaker in conversation) might well precede the subordinator. If this suspicion is correct, then the correction most true to the writer’s intention would be to combine the two sentences into one, perhaps with a dash instead of just a comma, rather than to edit the second sentence into independence (here, by substituting “This” for “Which”). I find this sort of thing lamentably common in student writing lately, and have accordingly felt the need of a term for it. The term I came up with is “continuation fragment”—that is, a continuation of the preceding sentence wrongly punctuated as a separate sentence. Is there, however, a more established or usual term?


actual / wise or both

We had an exam today and here is the question on which I was confused. > Fill in the gaps. > >> Justin is a very hardworking student. His ideas and words are ___ __and useful. There were 2 options: _wise_ and _actual_. As you might guess, about 50% of us chose _wise_ and others chose _actual_. We want to know that which one of these can not be used in this sentence?


“On the principle” versus “Under the principle”

Is there a significant difference between the two? As far as I can tell, they seem to be used interchangeably.


Word for words expressing utterances

Is there a term for the sort of words that sometimes precede dialogue or quotations, like _say_ , _ask_ , _write_ , _answer_ , _cry,_ and _reply_?


Other ways to say "I have a bad hunch"

I'm looking for ways to say "I'm having a bad hunch", or more like a bad feeling about something upcoming. The gut-wrenching feeling that something bad will happen.


Is the word 'request' by itself as polite form of asking for something?

Is there a difference in the degree of politeness between saying 'I request that you...' and 'Could you, please, ...'? I realize that I could say 'I kindly request...' or 'I would like to kindly request...'. WHY I ASK FOR CLARIFICATION: Someone is using word 'request' on a regular basis without words 'could you', 'would you', 'please' or 'kindly' and whom I suggested to consider using softer forms of language in communication with others (not necessarily with me). That person sent me back the following explanation: * * * re·quest /riˈkwest/ **Noun** An act of asking politely or formally for something. **Verb** Politely or formally ask for. Nothing "rough edge" about that, is there? This is actually a word used often everywhere, as I had received communications with it from my OT school and jobs and from friends. So perhaps maybe it's just rough edge for you? * * *


Name of the high pitch sound produced when objects are hit against each other underwater

For instance, when a spoon or ice cube hits a glass of water


meaning of "grunt" when it comes to towing

The title of the humorous story is "The Sun got stuck" > “I don't suppose you could give us a tow, could you, sister?” > > Luna's eyebrows shot up, “How? With what? The sun's 400 times larger than > the moon, and even if I could give you a tow, it'd take me 8 light minutes > to get there! And besides, I may have lowered it and put a supercharger in, > but I'd never have enough **grunt** to tow it! Sorry, sis, but you're on > your own. You can fix it, can't you?” I tried the usual (Wiktionary, Merriam-Webster, The Free, Dictionary.com) and none of the definitions (foot soldier, sound, menial worker, fish, dessert), seem to match this kind of usage. What does _grunt_ in this context mean?


Capitalising when starting sentence with digits

This might be more a typography related question than actual language question, but I didn’t know where else to turn. First of, I am perfectly aware that it’s generally considered bad form—regardless of style guide—to start a sentence with digits. However, therein lies the problem; it’s a date The style guide in question specifies that in this instance, one should use digits. So what does one do in such an instance, where you have to start a sentence—for whatever reason—with a digit. The options, as I see them, are;   * Capitalise the date, lead with a titling figure and keep the rest in text figures.   * Use only text figures, and breaking the rule about starting a sentence in the wrong case.   * Use only titling figures and make your body text look silly.   * Toss the style guide and avoid the problem. (Albeit a perfectly valid option, I don’t want to do that, mostly because _I really want to know how one should capitalise digits_.) The date format in question, using today’s date: 21 October 2013. For the sake of argument, let’s exclude the “prefixing the date with ‘the’,” option, shall we? Edit: Examples illustrated as per request, in order mentioned. ![examples](http://i.stack.imgur.com/38yzG.png)


"I care for you" versus "I care about you"

I would like to know if there is a semantic difference between _I care for you_ and _I care about you_.


Is there a better term for a male pig [literal sense--the animal] than "boar"?

I googled `male pig word` and got results that said the word was _boar._ I thought, "That's odd; I thought that was the word for a _wild_ pig!" So I visited Dictionary.com and sure enough, it has both meanings: > boar [bawr, bohr]   >  noun   >  1\. the uncastrated male swine.   >  2\. wild boar.   >  adjective   >  3\. South Midland and Southern U.S. (of animals) male, especially full- > grown: a boar cat. So I was wondering, since there exists a term that _only_ means _female pig-- sow,_ does such a word exist that _only_ means _male pig_ and nothing else? I'm looking for a unique term.


Can I use a colon twice in one sentence?

Can I use a colon twice in a sentence. For example, 'These are hugely important factors for S. Oliver Canada as we’re dealing with a brand: 1) that is unknown in our market and: 2) that is known for low prices.'


What is a term for using a large word that the speaker/writer clearly thinks means something other than what it does?

A lot of times I'll hear a politician or see a commenter in a public forum where they clearly think the meaning of one or more words they use is something other than the real meaning. Is there a term for this type of "near miss?"


A general word for weapons which are not considered firearms

Is there a general word for an assault weapon which cannot be considered firearm? For example knives, knuckles, a piece of metal, etc. Could 'Stabbing' be the right word for it?


What would you call a former criminal who has been released from prison?

What do you call a former criminal who has served their sentence and been released from prison? I thought of “convicted criminal”, but that might imply the person is still a criminal and/or serving a sentence.   * Does “convicted criminal” fit this definition?   * Are there other--better--words that are more accurate?


Origin of the term "fat chance"

The phrase "fat chance" can be used as a way of sarcastically describing the impossibility of something, but where did it originate from? I've googled it several times, and it always comes up with the definition, not the origin.


Is it "flavor saver" or "flavor savor"?

I recently got into an oddly heated discussion about whether a specific style of facial hair around a man's mouth is called > Flavor saver, as in "saving the flavor for later" or > Flavor savor, as in "enjoying the flavor over time" Urban dictionary has both spellings. Is there a definitive answer out there? Are both really correct? Or is it, as someone else suggested, neither of these. Rather, it's `flava sava` and the ambiguity "makes it more delicious." (Although when I looked up Flava Sava, I got Flavr Savr, which is apparently a breed of tomato.)


Is it true that "tuppence" refers to a woman's vagina in British English slang? If so, why?

I was looking up a definition online, as I often do, in this case the British slang word _tuppence_ ; I got the standard "a slang reference to a coin denomination" definition from Wikipedia, but stumbled on these interesting ones given at The Urban Dictionary: > **tuppence** > > Olden day word for a little girls [vagina]. Was once also slang word for > money in ye olde england. > > _Fanny wiped her tuppence with a dish rag. Tally Ho._ > > * * * > > Another word for a females Vagina. > > _A man has a winkle and a woman has a tuppence._ On one hand, those are two presumably independent contributors giving the same definition. On the other hand, you often can't trust The Urban Dictionary on some types of words, especially ones that have sexual meanings, because it's titillating for some people to give outrageous sexual definitions. Some my questions are: Are the definitions given by these two correct? If so, what's the thinking behind the term?


What is the meaning of the name Zacharias Mulletstein?

I saw the name Zacharias Mulletstein in a newsgroup and thought "what a peculiar yet interesting name." When I mentioned this name to a friend (because the post by this fella was amusing) they said "Oh come now. That person really needs to get a better name." So I'm wondering, what is the meaning of this name? I couldn't find anything useful from Google aside from more postings by this person, and I neglected to ask my friend why they thought that about this name. Thanks a lot for any insight you can provide, even if only for one half of the name.


Which one is better, a matter of urgency, or simply urgency?

> It becomes a matter of urgency to establish the accountability of the public > officials. > > It becomes an urgency to establish the accountability of the public > officials. Which one is better? I think “a matter of urgency” is both redundant and unclear.


Is "morality in conduct of .."" a natural expression?

Which one is better? > There is a deep gap between morality in personal conduct of the officials > and the public expectation for it. vs. > There is a deep gap between the behavior of the officials and the public > expectation for it. I doubt that the expression “morality in one’s conduct” is redundant. It occurs to me that behavior and expectation can be a pair to form a good contrast.


Ophthalmic usage in Great Expectations

In chapter 10 of Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, it says: > Yet I do not call to mind that I was ever in my earlier youth the subject of > remark in our social family circle, but some large-handed person took some > such **ophthalmic** steps to patronize me. I searched up the word "ophthalmic" and I got "of or relating to the eye and its diseases." What does this mean in the sentence?


Which question tag below is correct? Apparently the second is correct but I want to put emphasis on first part of the sentence " I take it ..."

1. "I take it that your question has to do with what my perception is of being a good teacher, isn't it?"   2. "I take it that your question has to do with my perception is of being a good teacher, hasn't it?"


Is the word “comparator” widely used outside of IT and computing — say, in statistics?

I came across the word “comparator” in the report of International Monetary Fund under the title, “Can women save Japan?” (WP/12/248) co-authored by Chad Steinberg and Masao Nakane   “Japan has FLP rates similar to comparator countries for women in their early twenties, but the participation rate drops off sharply for women in their late twenties and thirties.” As I have never heard of such word as “comparator countries / territories/ companies,” I checked Google Search, and found out definitions; ●www.weblio.jp Computer /IT terminology Dictionary: Generic term of precision measurement. Comparative measurement devices that determine the length of the object by comparing measuring object and standard scale by using microscope. ●Wikipedia Free Encyclopedia (Electronics term)An element that can switch power output by comparing two different voltage or electric current. The word is also applied to the apparatus that compare two different data. ●dictionary.goo.ne.jp › A device designed for measuring minimum length with extreme precision. Comparative measurement instrument to determine the difference of the length of object and standard gauge by using high powered micro-scope. ●www.kab-studio.biz Interface for class comparison processing. To me, none of the above definitions seems to be applicable to the quoted line, “Japan has FLP rates similar to comparator countries for women in their early twenties.” At the same time, I don’t believe the writers of authoritative organization like IMF makes misuse of word. So, what does “comparator countries” mean? Does it mean the object countries of research, or simply the countries surveyed in this specific survey.? Is it **very common** usage of the word “comparator” in comparative, or vital statistics, or even in daily conversation? If possible, I’d like to listen to the specific opinion from statistic specialists.


Is ‘misunderestimate’ a received (American) English word?

I found the word ‘misunderestimating’ in the article written by Peter Catapano under the caption 'Don't stop believing' in Opinionator’s Column section of New York Times (April 29). The word is not entirely unfamiliar to me, because I think I’ve seen it in Sarah Palin’s speech before (if my memory is correct). However, as combination of ‘mis’ and ‘under’-estimate seems to me somewhat redundant, I checked up several English Japanese dictinaries at hand together with Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary and Cambridge Online Free Dictionary, and found that none of them carries the word, ‘misunderestimate.’ Are ‘misunderestimate’ and ‘misunderestimation’ received English or received American English? - - because, it’s been used by big guns like Sarah Palin and NYT columist. The word appears in the following ending line of the above article: > “Or what does it say for us? Are we misreading the man that Spy magazine > famously dubbed the “short-fingered vulgarian” way back in the 1980s? Are we > _misunderestimating_ the man who has monopolized an outsized portion of a > vast media space in recent weeks and forced the hand of the President of the > United States?


What's the difference between "finance hub" and "financial hub"?

Though the phrase "financial hub" is much more widespread (according to a Google search), I have seen "finance hub" as well on news sites. Does the second have a different meaning?


"It is" + present simple

> If **it is build** here, it will be next to a large housing estate. Can anyone tell me if "it is build" in the above sentence is correct? And if so, why isn't it in the form "it is" + past participle? Shouldn't the correct form be "If it is _built_ here..."?


Logical fallacy brain-freeze

There must be a name for this sort of after-the-fact non-argument. Sorry, this is the only way I could find to describe it. * * * Debbie finds a kitten. Kitten has been burned over half its body, but it's alive. Debbie says, 'The kitten wants to live!' and takes it to a vet. Bob says, 'The kitten is suffering and will continue to suffer horribly, the kindest thing would be to euthanize her.' Debbie refuses; the kitten continues to suffer for months but in the end manages to survive. Bob says, 'The kitten suffered unnecessarily.' Debbie then says to Bob, 'The kitten would now be dead had it been up to you. You have no respect for life.'


Use of the word "beeves"

In what sentence would you need to use the plural of _beef_? The plural is _beeves_. > Plural form of _beef_ (sense 1 of the noun). I have tried every sentence that it could be necessary but I cannot find one.


Should we avoid a "double passive"?

Does it sound strange to say "An emergency meeting is expected to be held soon." or "The new highway is proposed to be built across the swamp." Should we avoid this type of construction ?


What is a good synonym for "badass" that would be usable in a high school setting?

I'm looking for a better way to say "orchestral brass musicians are badass" that doesn't use any words that could be considered profanity. (If you're not sure what I mean by orchestral brass musicians, as far as I'm concerned they're the equivalent of Samuel L. Jackson.)


"Scheduled to" vs. "scheduled for"

If there is this: > source   >  He is **_scheduled to_** a confirmation hearing on January 24, 2013 before > the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the same panel where he first > testified in 1971, and of which he is currently the head; he must then be > confirmed by the full Senate. Could "scheduled **to** " be an error? Should it be replaced by "scheduled **for** "?


Words having two prefixes incorporated

There are prefixes of time and order (pre-, post-), of location (sub-, super-), for expressing the reversing of an action (de-, dis-), and go on. English words may take prefixes from one or two of those groups. Words of the latter types are, for example, _unpremeditated_ or _antidisestablishment_. Is there a name for words, like _unpremeditated_ or _antidisestablishment_ , having two prefixes incorporated?


Quantification of Frequency Adverbs

This is a list of common frequency adverbs in English with rough estimates of their absolute frequency someone has posted on an ESL study site: > Always (100% of the time)   >  Frequently (about 90% of the time)   >  Usually (about 80% of the time)   >  Often (about 70% of the time)   >  Sometimes (about 50% of the time)   >  Occasionally (about 40% of the time)   >  Seldom (about 20% of the time)   >  Rarely (about 10% of the time)   >  Never (zero percent of the time) Clearly, the usage of "never" (0%) and "always" (100%) as it relates to an absolute frequency would never be in question, but it is unclear if it is possible to say a given usage of a frequency adverb was correct if the exact absolute frequency or range of frequencies it represents were known. For example, take the word "sometimes" - how would you know that 20% or 80% "of the time" would be a poor usage of the term, but 50% would be okay? Clearly, statically speaking there is a huge difference between 20% and 80% of the time, but it is unclear how a given frequency adverb's usage with an absolute frequency or frequency range would be accessed to be appropriate, or for that matter, inappropriate. Is it ever possible to prove that the usage of frequency adverb is valid or invalid based on knowing the absolute frequency or range of frequencies it represents, and if so, how? Which is to say, is it possible to assign a range of frequencies to a frequency adverb and know they're correct, and if so, how? If so, is the list referenced above correct, and if not, why?


“Is this understanding correct?” anything more polite than this?

Do we have a more polite way to say “Is this understanding correct?”. I often find it a little tough question to ask to clients. Anything that sounds more polite and means the same? And also, is the above question grammatically correct?


He has just been offered or he was offered

What are the differences in meaning between the below two sentences: >   1. He _was just offered_ a well-paid job with Radio Four. (Past Simple > Passive) >   2. He _has just been offered_ a well-paid job with Radio Four. (Present > Perfect Passive) > Both are grammatically correct, but what are the real meaning if I use #1 / #2?


what does drew imply in the following

Consider the following: > She _drew_ the curtains. What does drew mean here? Does it mean that she closed or opened the curtains? According to _American English Thesaurus_ , draw could imply both _open_ and _close_. >  4\. she drew the curtains: close, shut, lower; open, part, pull back, pull > open, fling open, raise. If it implies _close_ , what will be the opposite of _drew_? I am looking for something better than _open_.


Meaning of "scan" in "that doesn't scan in English"

In an answer to another question this sentence was proposed: > Was it specifically mentioned as part of their teaching, or they just > happened not to have killed anyone? In comment, another user wrote: > That doesn’t scan in English. Sorry. **What does _scan_ mean in this context?** I've searched the online dictionaries I normally consult (NOAD, M-W, Dictionary.com, TheFreeDictionary.com, Oxford Dictionaries Online, Cambridge Dictionaries Online), but cannot find a meaning other than "(of verse) conform to metrical principles" (NOAD).


What does "Many, many happy returns of the day" mean in context of a birthday?

Today I saw a birthday card which says: > Many, many happy returns of the day. Can you help me understand what it means?


Is this a sentence fragment...?

Ok, so here is an example sentence. "I hoped to lose the race so I wouldn't have to run against him." Here's my dilemma. I was questioning whether a comma was necessary after "race" to separate the two independent clauses connected by "so," the coordinating conjunction, but then it occurred to me: Is "I wouldn't have to run against him" an independent clause, or is it dependent? If it were standing on its own, would it be considered a fragment? Can someone please explain?


What's the meaning of "pushing at the boundaries of"?

Following is a passage from this article: > Heterosexual men flirted with me, and I never bothered to correct them. In > my mind, it wasn’t a lie unless my words actively misled. I was **pushing at > the boundaries of gender**. Or so I told myself. What does the phrase _pushing at the boundaries_ mean? I have looked it up the phrase, but couldn't find a source that defines it clearly.


Difference between IPA ɚ, ɹ, and ɝ

Wanting to be more Californian and trying to correct my accent, I'm looking at the sound for mother, in the North America column. What is the difference between IPA symbols for ɚ, ɹ, and ɝ. (ɝ is not on the page but the difference between ɚ and ɝ is what I was looking for in the first place.) I cannot really hear a difference between Standard Canadian and Standard American, for example.


"in case of" + "respectively"

I would like to write something like: > In cases of the A and B models, the run-time analysis of the algorithm is > shown in Figures X and Y, respectively. I mean:               A model -> Fig X     B model -> Fig Y      Is it correct? I would like to say it in one sentence if possible.


What word describes the opposite of 'elevated'?

Assume things are graded in some way and some level is assigned the attribute 'normal'. Things which stay (always) above this level are called elevated (relative to the norm). Things which stay (always) below this level are called what? Edit: I have intentionally omitted a closer context because I am interested in the most general applicable word. But: the word should be used in a technical, neutral sense, not in a moral judgment. Edit 2: The answer I choose is in fact a comment by @FrustratedWithFormsDesigner: "There is no canonical generally applicable word."


how to properly express "begin not to do something" for example: > I begin not to be worried about him   >  something like: I begin to stop worrying about him > > I begin not to love her   >  something like: I begin to stop loving her are there any other expressions? thanks


"Analogy is the Delaware of Cognition"

I come across this expression in this public lecture "Analogy as the Core of Cognition" by Douglas Hofstadter. (http://shc.stanford.edu/events/calendar/2006-2-6-douglas-hofstadter-analogy- as-the-core-of-cognition.html). Roughly 15-20min into the video. When Doug made this humorous remark, laughters erupted in the room. I do not quite get the joke though. Could anyone explain the significance of Delaware here?


Difference between "Thanking you" and "Thank you"?

I always use in my letter "Thanking you in advance for your time and consideration." But one of my colleagues said _thanking you_ was not correct usage of English, it should be _thank you_. So my question is: can I use _thanking you_ or should I use _thank you_?


"present perfect" because "simple past"

Is this grammatically correct? > The teacher has sent several students home because they cheated on the quiz. Or does it have to be like this? > The teacher has sent several students home because they have cheated on the > quiz.


What is the first part of a joke called?

How does one refer to the first part of a joke? The follow up is often referred to as a punchline but I'm unsure how to refer to the first part. Is it a 'joke' or does a 'joke' include the punchline?


What's the usage difference between 'quarter' and 'quadrant'?

Are these two words interchangeable in most usages? My specific example is: > It smells bad in this [quarter/quadrant] of the building this morning. Could both words be used correctly in this sentence; would they have the same meaning?


Having or has? What is the best way to say that sentence

I have one question, what is the best way to say that sentence below? Are both grammatically correct? > He has been working on mobile development for 4 years and has published more > than 15 apps. or > He has been working on mobile development for 4 years, having published more > than 15 apps.


Pronunciation and meaning: "wind" and "wound"

I find it curious that there exist two words spelt _wind_ ("a breeze" vs. "to turn") and two words spelt _wound_ ("an injury" vs. the past participle of _wind_ ), and that the words in each pair are unrelated in etymology and are pronounced differently. Did these different pronunciations come about to differentiate between the meanings? The OED says of _wound_ : > The original ŭ was normally lengthened before nd , but in the standard > pronunciation has been prevented from developing into ou (as in bound , > hound , ground , etc.) by the influence of the w (in contrast to wound , > past tense of wind v.1). The pronunciation /waʊnd/ is however given by some > dictionaries of the 18th century (Kenrick, 1733; Jones, 1798), is widely > current in dialects, is implied in various forms of wounds int. and zounds > int., and was common in the adverb woundy adj.1 How would the _w_ prevent the /u/ from developing into /aʊ/, and why did it only affect one of the two _wound_ s?


"In the last month" vs. "last month"

>   1. I have seen that movie six times **in** the last month. >   2. I have seen that movie six times last month. > Why?


A question about ignorance

I'm interested in the more intricate meanings of the term "ignorance". In my experience, it is being used primarily to express someone's _state_ of not knowing. Somebody can be ignorant and innocent of it at the same time. In German, the same word exists ( _"Ignoranz"_ ), but with a different approach: It describes someone's conscious decision to ignore the facts - usually that's a facet of arrogance (or, less often, stupidity). It's more a description of _attitude_ than _state_. Not knowing is only the result of it. In any case, you cannot be innocent of _"Ignoranz"_. Does the same subtext exist in English? If not, what would be a better match for the German word?


“Oojakapiv”: what does this word mean?

A lot of people in my family use this word, not regularly, but enough for me to ask what it means. I know it’s not a “real word”, but how come people from different sides of my family use it? It must mean something. The way the word is used is for a word that doesn’t mean anything, like _gobbeldygook_.


Use of conjuncts in formal communication via email, letters etc

How much should we use the conjuncts (words like _besides, however, nevertheless, otherwise, so, therefore, still, yet, though_ ) in formally communicating via email, verbally etc? Any suggestions in what kind of communications we should lessen their use? I just want to know more about them.


Translation of foreign company names and abbreviations

How do I deal with translation of names of foreign organisations or company names and their abbreviations? I have an example where I want to refer to the Swedish television company SVT, which is an abbreviation for Sveriges Television. I will need to refer to this a lot in the text, so I'm thinking I will define SVT the first time it's used and then just refer to it as SVT later in the text. So my problem is how do I define it the first time it is used. Surely, English readers will need both the Swedish abbreviation "SVT", the Swedish full name "Sveriges Television", and the English translation "Swedish Television". But how do I write all these three together. There are many combinations. For example: > In Sweden, the Swedish Television company (Sveriges Television, SVT) is a > public service broadcaster. or > In Sweden, the Swedish Television company (SVT)[1] is a public service > broadcaster. Where [1] is a footnote where I write "Sveriges Television". or > In Sweden, Sveriges Television (SVT) (Swedish Television) is a public > service broadcaster. There are other combinations too. How would you suggest that I write it? Also, I'm getting a headache over whether to italicize or not.


What do you call an old-fashioned poster pole?

I am searching for the right name for those old-fashioned, very wide poster/add poles. Here's one, e.g.: ![wide poster pole](http://i.stack.imgur.com/WCNDc.jpg) They are often shown in movie depictions of the Victorian era, with an umbrella-like roof. It seems too wide to be called a pole and it's not a typical billboard or poster wall, because it's circular. I'm guessing there must be some word that was used (or still is) to address this object. I searched Wikipedia entries on advertisement and poster history, thinking it might be mentioned somewhere, but I couldn't find anything.


Should "each" be followed by a singular or plural possessive?

If a possessive noun, which is plural, is preceded by "each", then should it use the singular or plural possessive form? For example, which of the following is correct?   * spend time in each other's presence   * spend time in each others' presence


Is there any expression that is the opposite of "slippery slope"?

_Slippery slope_ is a subtle and powerful English expression. Are there any expressions that are opposite or contrasting of that expression? The sense of slippery slope I have in mind is _Small compromise, e.g. moral, leading to debasement of principles_. So an opposite sense might be _fortitude in the face of laxity leads to greatness_.


Non-affecting the main the property of interest

Suppose that we analyse the speed of a car. Then important (lower level) properties of a car to consider are: an engine, aerodynamics, weight, etc. But there are also other properties of a car that are important for some other use, but do not affect the speed of a car in a direct way, e.g. the availability of airbags concerns the safety (rather than the speed) of a car. Note, here the properties of the speed and safety are at the same level of an abstraction of a car. The properties lower from them, an engine and an availability of an airbag are at the same level of an abstraction of a car too. I would like an English word (a noun or an adjective) for a property that:   1. does not affect the main property P1 of interest,   2. has a clear purpose and affects some other property P2 where the properties P1 and P2 as attributes concern the same level of detail.


Speaking of the alleged inventor of the hamburger, someone asked me > Can you guess what one of his tasty ingredients were? It is understandable, particularly in context, but it still feels wrong. Shouldn't the final word be "was" since the sentence is about one ingredient out of many? Or is this acceptable due to the plural ingredients we are choosing from? Is there anything else wrong with this sentence?


The first step "on becoming" or "to becoming" an employee

Do you say: > The first step on becoming a permanent employee ... or > The first step to becoming a permanent employee ...


Poison coursing through one's veins

I have seen this phrase many times, yet when I tried searching for _coursing_ , the phrase was nowhere to be found. Example from The Free Dictionary: > **Coursing** is the pursuit of game or other animals by dogs—chiefly > greyhounds and other sighthounds—catching their prey by speed, running by > sight and not by scent. Coursing was a common hunting technique, practised > by the nobility, the landed and wealthy, and commoners with sighthounds and > lurchers. In its oldest recorded form in the Western world, as described by > Arrian, the sport was practised by all levels of society, as remained the > case until Carolingian hunting law (Forest Law) appropriated hunting > grounds, or commons, for the king, the nobility, and other land owners. I can imagine this meaning fit into the phrase, but that still doesn't explain the utter lack of any information on it, at least on the web.


On the use of "both"

I keep running into this debate with my thesis advisor. Are both of these forms correct? > It can be seen that _both the_ users are able to... or > It can be seen that _the both_ users are able to...


Is there a phonetic difference between the final vowel sounds of "butter" and "action" in Australian English?

The Macquarie Dictionary lists the following pronunciations: butter /ˈbʌt **ə** /, apart / **ə** ˈpaːt/ & action /ˈækʃ **ə** n/. Wiktionary lists them as butter /ˈbʌ.t **ə** / (RP), apart / **ə** ˈpɑː(ɹ)t/ (RP) & action /ˈæk.ʃ **ə** n/. However, to me they sound like butter /ˈbʌt **ʌ** /, apart / **ʌ** ˈpaːt/ or / **ə** ˈpaːt/ & action /ˈækʃ **ə** n/. If I try to pronounce "butter" as /ˈbʌt **ə** / it sounds weird to me although "action" sounds fine either way. To me the /ə/ sound in "action" is the true schwa sound but "butter" has the same vowel sound twice. Also, the difference between the two vowels in "apart" just sound like a difference in length to me: / **ʌ** ˈp **ʌː** t/. (I just noticed that http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Phonetic_Alphabet_chart_for_English_dialects lists [äː] for "palm" and "father" and [ä] for "strut", "run", "won" and "flood" for AuE, so using that my "apart" would become either / **ä** ˈp **äː** t/ or / **ə** ˈp **äː** t/.) Are there any studies showing a split in what is normally considered a single phoneme, or am I just weird :-) ?


"Hooker", "whore", "prostitute", when to use which?

"Hooker", "whore", and "prostitute" all mean _whore_ ; what are the differences between them?


Is the term "very average" correct?

In general does the phrase "[adverb] correct" follow the rules of proper English? For example I asked of the water level of a forest and someone replied "very average for this time of year".


What is the role of phrase "as many as" in "... as many as five commands ..."?

I have a sentence as follows: > You may need as many as five commands to draw a simple triangle when using > the basic layer. My question is: Is the phrase "as many as" crucial ? Will the meaning change if I remove it from the sentence? Does the phrase mean "at most"?


What does "vanilla" mean in the context of gaming?

Consider this comment: > I've been playing WoW(an online multiplayer game) since vanilla. I'm an > older white male, my first toon was female, created with my wife coaching > me. We did it just for fun. What does _vanilla_ mean here?


How does "to subsist in" come to mean "to be attributed to"?

What's the logical derivation behind this definition of _subsist_ [Definition 2.1] > Be attributable to: _the effect of genetic maldevelopment may subsist in > chromosomal mutation_ In that link, the etymology is listed as: > mid 16th century (in the sense 'continue to exist'): from Latin subsistere > 'stand firm',   >  from sub- 'from below' + sistere 'set, stand'. How does this etymology lead to the meaning "to be attributed to" ?


Should this sentence have a singular or plural object?

Is the correct version this: > But in general such verses have rarely been accepted as a genuine part of > the book. OR this: > But in general such verses have rarely been accepted as genuine parts of the > book.


What does "broken lives" mean?

The following is a comment made by a poster in response to this article: > Absolutely correct. Intentionally obscuring who you are and what your > desires are may lead to heartache and in rare occurrences **broken lives**. > I personally, unlike this articles author never ever want to come close to > breaking another individuals life. What does it mean when your life is broken, or to break someone's life?


Word for: 'Because of war'

I'm looking for, as I feel there probably is, an adjective that means something along the lines of 'as a consequence of war'. e.g., "The women were bored by the X lack of men." Where X implies that the lack of men is due to some war.


What's the second part of the word "colophon"?

According to Wiktionary and Etymonline, I only find the ultimate Greek word " **κολοφών** ", leading to my question. The **first part** of "colophon" is "colo-", which derives from PIE ***kolən-, *koləm-**. I want to find out the Greek or PIE root of "-phon", the **second part** of "colophon". **_colophon_** ( _Wiktionary_ ) > from Ancient Greek **κολοφών** (kolophon, “peak or finishing touch”) **_colophon_** ( _Etymonline_ ) > 1774, "publisher's inscription at the end of a book," from L. colophon, from > Gk. kolophon "summit, final touch" (see **hill** ). **_hill_** > From Middle English, from Old English hyll (“hill”), from Proto-Germanic > *hulliz (“stone, rock”), from Proto-Indo-European ***kolən-, *koləm-** > (“top, hill, rock”). Cognate with Middle Dutch hille, hulle (“hill”), Low > German hull (“hill”), Icelandic hóll (“hill”), Latin collis (“hill”), Old > English holm (“rising land, island”). More at holm.


Word for person who can't remember paths?

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Term for person who forgets directions or routes   >  Is there a specific word for describing a person who gets lost easily? What to call a person who can't remember paths and roads?


Is there a specific word for describing a person who gets lost easily?

When we travel around, some people get lost much more easily than others, since they cannot remember directions correctly. Is there any specific word for these kind of people?


What is the origin of "wake up and smell the roses"

Where did this saying come from, and what is its true meaning?


meaning of two , four and eight in this conversation

I was watching _How I Met Your Mother_ when I heard a conversation between some actors and it just bounced over me. But from the background I could hear people laughing and I was sitting static without getting a single point: It started like this: > Robin: Look at that guy, I had a crush on him long back > > Ted: [sarcastically] That guy is like a four. > > Robin: Oh , if he is like a four then what are you. > > Ted: Then I am eight and... a half. Later that guy [sarcastically] talking to someone on phone about Ted. He is "a two." Can anyone please explain what does this conversation imply?


What does 'lump' mean in the phrase 'You can like it or lump it'? As in the example: 'I am going on holiday and if you don't agree you can like it or lump it.'


"Muppet" in American English

I see an event is being organised in Washington, DC, called the Million Muppet March. In British English (at least) a muppet has no very positive a connotation:- > muppet (ˈmʌpɪt) — n slang a stupid person Is that also the case in American slang?


Which event does the sentence refer to about the love-letters?

Quotation from _My Life Autobiography_ of Havelock Ellis: > The love-letters of the Brownings have been used to exploit the indignation > of the superior people who make this protest. I have looked into those > letters; they were all written before marriage by two people who had never > had any opportunity of being intimate; **they might all** , as my wife once > exclaimed in a different connection of a letter she had herself written, > **have been stuck upon the stable door**. Which event does "the stable door" refer to in _The letters of Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett Barrett_? (vol 1 \ vol 2)


Where can the Longman communication 3000 (most common spoken and written words) just starting on 2000?

I want to review my vocabulary by checking the longman list of most spoken and written words from 2000 to 3000 (from 1 to 2000 I assume I know). Here I found the complete list: http://www.lextutor.ca/freq/lists_download/longman_3000_list.pdf I wanted the 2000 to 3000 separated from the other ones.


Ambiguity in use of relative pronouns

> The animal ate the father of Jay, who was an engineer. So who is the engineer here? Father or Jay? How can I use _which, that, who_ to refer to the whole object or only to parts of the object?


"Not quite yet" vs "not yet"

Does the phrase 'not quite yet' mean that something will be done shortly? Does this imply less time than just 'not yet'?


Do 'inq' and 'ink' sound similar?

Do 'inq' and 'ink' sound similar? I want to register a domain name which is related to data (writing stuff). Is it okay to use 'inq' rather than 'ink'?


Usage of the abbreviation of a specific-type short phrase

Could you tell me how to abbreviate few-word phrases as in the use of "mobile" for "the mobile business" in the sentence > "Company A's lagging position in mobile is the most pressing challenge?" When I come across such an abbreviation, I wonder why it should be "mobile," but not "mobiles" nor "the mobile" (shorthand for the mobile _business_ ). I would like to know the rationale behind this particular type of abbreviation.


Can a personal pronoun refer to a subject that is never explicitly mentioned?

I'm having trouble accepting as legitimate this sentence: "In her new book, Jane Doe's sister Sally struggles with poverty." (This was offered as correct in a tutoring guide to SAT Writing Section.) Isn't the subject Sally, and therefore "In her new book..." is a modifier not correctly applicable?


What is the opposite of “Overridden“

I am looking for short word that I can use instead of “not overridden”. For example: “ _All promotions that are not overridden at the store level are included in the forecast._ ”


Loudly is Complement or adverb/adjunct in the sentence The cat / scratched / loudly

Loudly is mentioned as Complement when it is actually an adverb or adjunct in the site, http://changingminds.org/techniques/language/syntax/clause_arrangement.htm . Is it right or wrong? I have given the below based on my understanding. Is it correct? The cat / scratched – S / V   The cat / scratched / the door – S / V / O   The cat / scratched / loudly – S / V / A   The cat / scratched / at six o'clock – S / V / A   The cat / gave / the door / a scratch – S / V / IO / DO   The cat / scratched / the door / loudly – S / V / O / A   The cat / scratched / the door / at six o'clock – S / V / O / A   The cat / scratched / the door / soft. – S / V / O / C   The cat / can scratch / in straight lines. – S / V / C


Inverse/Reciprocal word for "affiliate"?

e.g. If I am an Amazon affiliate, what is the term for Amazon's relationship to me?


Is it still an indirect object if you're taking something away?

So Jim is the indirect object in the sentence "Sally gave Jim a sandwich." But is Jim still the indirect object if the sentence is "Sally took the sandwich from Jim"? And if the sentence were to become "Sally took the sandwich from Jim for herself" would Sally now be both the subject and the indirect object? Thanks. Additional (silly) question: did I format the quotations correctly in my second and third sentences or should I have not omitted the periods at the end of the quotations?


Word or phrase for "seeing meaning where none exists"

Is there a word or a phrase to describe an instance where meaning is ascribed to something where there is no such meaning or where the interpretation is particularly fanciful? For example, when reading Shakespeare in English class or when viewing modern visual art in Art Appreciation class, someone mentions the 'phallic imagery or symbolism' of anything cylindrical in what is being read or viewed.


'which is' or 'one is'

I have sentence. > Algorithm is classified as a probabilistic algorithms, which is used for > solving [name of problem] problems. Can I say: " _Algorithm is classified as a probabilistic algorithms. One is used for solving [name of problem] problem_ " ?


What's the meaning of rub it in your face?

p1 posted his bank account info and was excited to announce that he has paid off his mortgage. He is asking others to post their bank accounts as well. p2 "I have more than that but I have enough tact not to rub it in your face."


Word for the driver of a horse drawn carriage

I am writing a story where the main character travels by a 'horse drawn carriage'. He has a short conversation with the 'driver' of the carriage. My questions:   1. Is 'driver' the formal term to describe the person who is 'driving' the carriage? (to illustrate the seriousness of the word choice, I can think of pilots - not drivers - who fly planes!)   2. Is it called a horse carriage or a horse driven carriage?


Does adverb placement affect meaning?

>   1. He swam slowly to the island. > >   2. He slowly swam to the island. > > Some experts say that there is a “slight difference” in meaning. Would you please tell me that difference?


What is the difference between 'dictionary' and 'thesaurus'?

Do 'dictionary' and 'thesaurus' exactly have the same meaning or is there some difference between them ?


What is the accepted definition of the following words in this sentence?

Quoting DailyWTF: > The Matrix! No, not the the uburbulous deprodication errebelously conceived > by “The Architect”. What is the accepted definition of the following words in the above quote?   1. _uburbulous_   2. _deprodication_   3. _errebelously_


Answering questions with a negation at the end

How are you supposed to answer a question like this (assuming you're from Minnesota)? > You are a Minnesotan, no? Are you supposed to give the same answer as your answer to this question or give the opposite answer? > You are a Minnesotan, yes?


Opposite of caregiver

I want to write a book about the unfair expectations of a caregiver. A caregiver refers to somebody to looks after somebody else. What is the term for that 'somebody else'. 'Patient' doesn't seem all encompassing.


How to say: "I will try to move it to an earlier time" or what is the opposite of "delay"

I have a meeting that I think should be moved to an earlier time. What is the best way to say it? E.g. if I wanted to move it to a later time, I can use the word "delay": > "I would like to delay the meeting" How do I say the oposite? > "I would like to ___ _ the meeting" (to advance? to precede? none of them > sound right)


Using two "it"s in a sentence

So I am pretty bad at English which I put down to apathy/Dyslexia when I was younger as you are about to find out. I was writing a sentence on Skype just now to my friend and it did not seem right, it went as follows. "Yeah the more I see of it it seams over hyped" Now having 2 "it"s in a sentence can not be right, where have I gone wrong and what would be the correct way to write it?


Can "the chickens have come home to roost" have positive as well as negative connotations?

In answering a recent EL&U question (Idiom for the phrase "someone who gets what he deserved"), I cited the phrase "The chickens have come home to roost," and said that it "applies whether the person deserved good results and got them or deserved bad results and got them." But an astute commenter observed "I don't think I've ever heard that idiom used in a good context," which led me to wonder whether I was wrong in claiming that the saying focused strictly on the justice of the chickens' homecoming and not on whether their presence was injurious or beneficial to the person (or thing) so visited. I subsequently found that the phrase is indeed strongly tilted toward the suggestion that that the metaphorical chickens are undesirable results of past conduct or action. Specifically, the phrase seems to have originated with a proverb equating curses to chickens returning home to roost. But is the connection of the phrase to curses being lost in modern, informal usage? Can the phrase reasonably be used today to express a notion of either positive or negative consequences flowing from correspondingly positive or negative actions? And finally, what is the origin of the proverb about curses resembling chickens that come home to roost?


Should "A-Player" Be Hyphenated?

Stupid term, but still: Is it hyphenated or not? > Bob was really happy to have hired Alice; she was an 'A-Player' from the > world of private equity and would add a lot to the firm.


What does "it tastes like horspy" mean?

I heard an expression today but I did not know how it is written or what it is. And I could not find it with Google. It's something like: > it tastes like horspy Any pointers?


Origin of "waited on hand and foot"

I've just used the expression "expects to be waited on hand and foot", meaning someone who "expects others to do all the work of looking after his personal needs". A typical example (not necessarily true) being the suggestion that Prince Charles has a servant to put toothpaste on his toothbrush. I'm struck by the rather odd juxtaposition of hands and feet. Does it derive from the personal attendants once known as _handmaidens_ and _footmen_? When was it first used, and has it always had pejorative implications?


Why "he knows it" and not "he know it"

Why is it _I **know** it_ and _They **know** it_ but _He **knows** it_? But then _I **knew** it_, _They **knew** it_ and _He **knew** it_?


What is the meaning of "run someone out of town"?

I know it's hard to understand a sentence without context, but what situation comes naturally to your mind when you hear the following sentence? > She ran the mayor out of town.


When did the U.S. President become "Mr. X" instead of "President X"?

When I was much younger, I remember the press always referred to the U.S. president using the title of the office: "President Nixon" was followed by "President Ford" then "President Carter". Now that seems to have fallen out of favor and the common reference is: "Mr. Obama". My question is: when and why did that change happen? Was it associated with a particular president?


What does it mean by "It's been good because it's been bad"?

Once I asked my friend 'how's the summer treating you?', he replied 'It's been good because it's been bad.' What does it mean? Good or bad?


Is 'why wait?' a correct usage?

I need to write a short tag line for an ad. 'Why do you have to wait?' is too long. instead can we use 'why wait?'


Single word for logical but obstructive responses

Consider the following situation. A prosecutor in court is asking questions of an expert witness. The responses are all negative with the expert always adding another explanation to the prosecutor's conclusions/diagnoses. The expert witness's attitude could be interpreted as obstructive but logical. The questioning continues and the responses are appropriate for the question but continue being negative. > The prosecutor feels that the witness is being [adjective I'm looking for] > in their responses. I know the word exists, but I've forgotten it.


What does "any or any" mean in a legal text?

I have been going through several legal documents lately and have realised that a lot of them use the fragment "any or any" within some sentences. > Failing to place a guard or fence or warning signs so as to give any or any > adequate warning it was in a dangerous condition and a trap to persons > lawfully using the same Any ideas what purpose "any or any" serves here? I mean, when one uses the word "any" that doesn't need to subsequently be qualified as it is all- encompassing; well, at least that's what I thought.


Is this usage of 'nor' correct?

Without the accompanying **neither** , it can be difficult to know whether or not to use **nor**. Is this correct, or should **or** be used here instead? > We do not have the equipment needed to measure buoyancy **nor** air volume.


Is it okay to start a sentence with a Greek letter (variable)?

Is it okay to start a sentence with a variable? Do I need to rewrite a sentence just because the subject is typeset as a Greek letter? For example: > Φ is treated in a special way. vs. > The variable Φ is treated in a special way.


Looking for a formal equivalent phrase for the adverb "personally"

Which one is correct: "personal basis" or "individual basis"? I want to use it in a formal letter. I want to say: "I don't know Mr. X on a personal basis (or individual basis) and I have not had an opportunity to work with him". I want to avoid saying "I don't know Mr. X on personally". In fact, I am looking for an equivalent phrase for the adverb "personally". Could someone help me?


Canadian spelling: why?

As a Canadian, I feel that our spelling tendencies—sometimes British, sometimes American—fit quite well with our geographic, historic and cultural placement between these two bigger countries. I have enjoyed this question about differences between Canadian English and American and British English, especially the quite extensive answer given by user @ghoppe. But @ghoppe's answer got me wondering _why_ there are some quite consistent tendencies to American or to British spelling in Canadian English. For example, why do we tend to standardize on -ize endings rather than -ise? Why do we tend to favour -our endings rather than -or endings? I took to the internet to find if there are historic reasons. On this blog post I found the following comment by a reader: > the fact is, Canadian English was rapidly becoming American in the early > 19th century, thanks to massive immigration into Canada from the States […]. > Prominent Canadian cultural authorities intentionally re-established some > British norms as standard, most notably -our and -re words, partly for > patriotic reasons […]. That's a start, although it is not referenced. Wikipedia's page on Canadian English has another tantalizing little detail: > Canadian spelling conventions can be partly explained by Canada's trade > history. For instance, the British spelling of the word cheque probably > relates to Canada's once-important ties to British financial > institutions.[citation needed] Canada's automobile industry, on the other > hand, has been dominated by American firms from its inception, explaining > why Canadians use the American spelling of tire (hence, "Canadian Tire") and > American terminology for the parts of automobiles (for example, truck > instead of lorry, gasoline instead of petrol, trunk instead of boot). As you can see, Wikipedia has determined a citation is needed on the first part (the second part comes from the Canadian Oxford Dictionary). I'd love to know more than just these little details. Is there an article or book out there that lays out more comprehensively the _whys_ of Canadian spelling?


Possessive use of company name with product name

The name of the company is SOE. The name of the product is Clarity eBallot Delivery. Would you say: SOE Clarity eBallot electronic ballot systems makes it easy to.... or: SOE's Clarity eBallot electronic ballot system makes it easy to....


"Neither of the box of chocolates is suitable as a gift"

Is the use of _box_ in this sentence correct? > Neither of the **box** of chocolates is suitable as a gift.


What is a toit?

From the compound word hoity-toity meaning ' _thoughtless giddy behaviour_ ', where hoity is the word hoit, meaning ' _to behave thoughtlessly and frivolously_ '. However, I can't seem to find the meaning of **toit** in any English dictionary. I'm able to find meanings in French, Finnish, Estonian, and, Gaelic. This leads to a lot of confusion, and I'd like to know how this term came about, and especially the meaning of a toit in this context.


Meaning of the word 'orthodox' in sentence?

> "If I can not succeed in an orthodox way, at least I can succeed in a > criminal world." What does the word `orthodox` mean in this case ?


When to use split and split up

What should be used in below sentence: “split” or “split up”, and why? > We need to **split up** the background image of the website into two parts.


What's a word for lack of confidence?

I'm trying to find a word that describes a lack of confidence. Something that gives a sense of worthlessness maybe. I've dried looking up in Thesarus.com for similarities to lack of confidence and antonyms to self-worth, but with no luck. Anyone have some ideas?