When is it important to use the plural of "system?"

When would **system** need to be pluralized? Say you offer two products that serve the same function. Do you offer two systems or one system? To try and give an example... I have an integrated facial recognition system built into the camera. Few years passed and I developed a new camera that also has my facial recognition. I offer both options. Would I say: "My system integrates facial recognition..." or "My systems integrate facial recognition..." Is there a rule for determining something like this? By sound I lean towards it being a singular system. My colleague believes it needs to be plural.


"As explained in Section 2" vs "As will be explained in Section 2"

As the title. When writing to a report, should I refer to a section of the report located later by writing "As explained in Section 2" or "As will be explained in Section 2"?


Word request: exploration of frontier research/science ideas?

I'm looking for a word that describes new ideas in a particular scientific field that aren't necessarily based on research or science but still interesting to discuss. So the word should encapsulate thinking such as: "I don't know how or if this is relevant to our field, but there's something interesting I read about and which I would like to discuss with you people." EDIT: Or imagine a researcher reading about an interesting concept related to a completely different field/discipline/area that he thinks might be useful to discuss within his own field (for instance, the computer scientist who reads about a technique in opera singing that might be applied to computer science).


Using a singular or plural verb after "and/or"

If the subject of a sentence is separated by "and/or", should the verb be pluralized, as with "and", or agree with the rightmost subject, as with "or"? For example: > His co-workers and/or his boss was at fault. vs. > His co-workers and/or his boss were at fault.


Is it right to say “in the open sky’ instead of “outdoors”?

Can _outdoors_ and _in the open sky_ be synonyms? I find these two terms really confusing.


"Optimal" vs. "ideal"

I was wondering when to use which because both _optimal_ and _ideal_ convey the same meaning to me. For e.g., comparing these two usages: >   1. This is the optimal temperature for the machine to work correctly. >   2. This is the ideal temperature for the machine to work correctly. > When referring to people, I do generally use _ideal_ , e.g. > He is an ideal husband.


What. Is. This. Style. Called?

I see this style rather frequently and in the past decade many print advertisements have apparently decided that it makes their sentences. have. more. impact. I can tell that the style is trying to mimic a very specific spoken word pattern that accentuates every. single. word. But I don't know if this writing style has a name. I am specifically interested in the _written_ variant that uses periods throughout a sentence in order to emphasize each word.


Comma Usage using Titles

My sentence is as follows: > Carol Ohmann discusses in her article _Daisy Miller: A Study of Change in > Intentions_ how the main heroine of Henry James' novella brings rise to > arguments. Do I have to set the title of the article off in commas or leave it as it is written?


"We are all of us engaged in..." What does 'all of us' mean here?

I read the following sentence in Chicago Sun-Times's review of the movie In Time: > We are all of us engaged in the trade of buying and selling time. The sentence sounds grammatically weird to me. It seems to me that it should be: > All of us are engaged in the trade of buying and selling time. Another way for me to make any sense of this sentence is adding a couple of dashes (or maybe commas, I'm not good at punctiation): > We are — all of us — constantly engaged in the trade of buying and selling > time. Or does "all of us" have an adverbial meaning? Or maybe "we are all of us" is a set phrase? Please throw some light on this curious issue :) **Update:** If it is a grammatically correct sentence, how is it parsed? I assume "We" is the subject, "are engaged" is the predicate. What is the function of "all of us"?


Should "popperians" be capitalized?

Popperians being people who are sympathetic with Karl **Popper** 's views? In general, should groups of people who take their collective name from a proper noun in turn capitalize their name?


What does "wishy-washy" mean?

**Question:** What does it mean when something is "wishy-washy"?   Is it informal? Is it American English, British English or both?


Is there a verb meaning 'to fail to discern analogies between things'?

I'was looking for a verb meaning 'to fail to discern **analogies** between things', but, after a bit of searching, I realized that 'confound', which first came to my mind, is not the right term because Merriam-Webster defines it as 'to fail to discern **differences** between' things, not **analogies**. Thus, my question is, is there a verb meaning 'to fail to discern **analogies** between things'?


What’s the difference between “how” and “how so”?

Please tell me the difference between these two questions:   * _how_   * _how so_ Do those two mean the same thing? If they do not, please explain with examples.


Are prefixes, as bound morphemes, always separable from their root words?

The root words in the examples below look fine even without a prefix: > un + **bearable**   >  ir + **regular**   >  dis + **able**   >  mis + **fortune** ... but not in these: > pro + **gress**   >  pro + **mote** Possibly, I don't understand what a prefix really is. **–pro** in the above two examples may or may not be a prefix at all. But I would like to have these two points clarified. 1) Is it not always possible to separate a prefix from its root word because doing so will cause the root word lose all meaning? 2) Is it alright to look at **–pro** as a prefix in the above two cases because it's a prefix anyway and being detachable from its root word is not really a criteria for it to be a prefix? Please discuss.


Are “rescind”, “repeal”, and “annul” perfect synonyms?

What are the best places to use these three verbs:   * rescind   * repeal   * annul Are these all exactly similar in meaning, or are they supposed to be used for different purposes?


Is the tense change of the verb "need" to "needed" mandatory?

If the tense change of the verb _"need"_ to _"needed"_ is not mandatory, then if it was changed then how would it affect the meaning in the sentences below? > If they asked for help, I would provide whatever help they **_need_**.   >  If they asked for help, I would provide whatever help they **_needed_**.


Appositive or other things?

> Bidentate (also called didentate) ligands bind with two atoms, an example > being ethylenediamine. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denticity Is "an example being ethylenediamine" a inappropriate appositive? As far as i know, appositive is usually to define the preceding noun. > My youngest sister, Meghan, will be visiting soon. "Meghan" is an appositive describing the preceding noun(sister). So, is the sentence in the beginning exemplifying a different grammar structure than appositive? thanks


Any difference between “Are you done?” and “Are you done yet?”

I see people in movies saying > Are you done? and > Are you done **yet**? And I wonder what that the addition of _yet_ might mean or suggest in the second version which is absent in the first one. Are those two versions completely equivalent, or is there some subtle distinction?


Role of a person in charge of the casting of a film

Let's say this is the information related to a film: > **Written by:** John Doe   >  **Produced by:** Mary James   >  **Casting by:** Peter Smith, Sarah Jones   >  ... Then:   * John Doe is a **writer**.   * Mary James is a **producer**.   * Peter Smith and Sarah Jones are **...** ?


What is the meaning of the word 'navitis' in the second edition of 'Introducing html5'?

The word 'navitis' shows up a lot in the book _Introducing html5_ , and I didn't find it in a dictionary. The sentences are: >   * 'I was previously guilty of navitis—the urge to surround any links to > other parts of a site as <nav>.' > >   * 'When tempted to use a “fat footer,” consider whether such links > actually need <nav> at all—navitis can be hard to shake off.' > >


Can I say "due call"?

If there is a phone call I forget to make, can I say this call is a "due call"? Or is there a better word which can describe it?


Word to describe an object in continuous cycle that is eventually ejected when it matures

I'm trying to find a word or phrase that best describes the _process_ of an object or entity that enters a continuous cycle until it grows large enough or matures to a point of self-sustainability. _**Example:** A person who enters rehab for help on some problem and stays within the system until the person has matured or grown to some point (after undergoing repeated examinations) that the subject can once again enter society._ _**Example:** A college paper that starts as a rough draft, submitted for review by a peer, and returned with improvements. This cycle is ongoing until the paper is (mostly) cleared of flaws by peers and the author, finally graduating to a final draft ready for submission (the ejection from the cycle)_


Orienting or orientating?

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Oriented vs. Orientated Both orienting and orientating seem to be in common use. Is there any difference in meaning or usage? Is orientating just a common misspelling?


Is orientate a word? Does it matter where you are when using it?

Is orientate a word and if so how is it different than orient? I found this definition of it says "Generally considered an error in American English." does this mean it is not wrong for British English? I'm not sure if there's a right or wrong answer to this, but is it incorrect to use British English in North America? For example is it flat out poor English if a British man was giving a speech and referred to the "boot of the car" or is somehow more right since he is British?


regarding “Oriented” vs. “orientated”

I couldn't help but add an additional frame of reference. Though I personally find the utterance of "orientated" to be a failed attempt at the proper word "oriented", the collective commentary is indeed food for though. Commonality of the use of this incorrect word seems to be the explanation (justification?) for calling it an acceptable word. While this may drive crazy those that pride themselves on being moderately adept at identifying improper english, the reality is language evolves in this very way. Put another way, if an "incorrect" word is used commonly enough, by a large enough percentage of the population, and over a substantial enough period of time, it often becomes acceptable. Common error is one of the reasons why multiple spellings for certain words, slang, and other verbal "anomalies" are added annually to the English dictionaries of the word.


Proper/official pronunciation of “conch”

A moment ago on _Mr. Sunshine_ , Matthew Perry pronounced the end of a _conch_ shell as in _church_. I learned it as being pronounced with a _k_ sound. On WikiPedia, both are listed as pronunciations, but on the Merriam Webster and Dictionary.com sites, the audio clip pronounces with a _k_. Is there a proper or official pronunciation, perhaps from a different, originating language?


"Legend" or "key"?

What is the difference between a legend or a key? Is it still called a _legend_ if it is located at the top, rather than the bottom of results?


Differences between "price point" and "price"

Apart from its use among the bean-counters who talk about maximising company profits, I can't understand why _price point_ has spread so widely in popular American parlance. As far as I can tell, the term is exactly synonymous with _price_ ; do people use it the way they do the word 'monies' — to sound clever on the cheap — or is there actually a difference between the two terms?


page : paginate :: paragraph :?

Is there a verb that means "to typographically format a paragraph" the same way that `paginate` means "to typographically format a page"? I'm inclined to coin `paragraphinate`.


What do you call second-party quotes within a quote?

On NPR this morning I heard a newscaster say a phrase something like this: (paraphrased) > … Bank declined to interview, but in a phone call said, "We are making > (quote) every effort (unquote) to …" I assume that the bank spokesperson didn't actually say "quote" and "unquote", and that that was added by the journalist. It seems to me that the journalist (consciously or unconsciously) wanted to communicate his own doubt about the meaning of "every effort". I'm curious what this journalistic/rhetorical device might be called. Is there a word for it?


Should "The history of X" be followed by "began" or "begins"?

This BBC page states > The history of life on Earth **began** about 3.8 billion years ago... Similarly, this one states > The history of Canterbury's religious significance **began** with the > Romans... However, this page states > The history of Rastafari **begins** with the colonisation of Africa... as does this: > The history of the march **begins** in the village of Tolpuddle... Which is correct/preferred, or are both equally acceptable?


Antedecent of "velocity u" in "particles moving in a medium with macroscopic velocity u"

In the following sentence, whose velocity is `u`? The particles or the medium? > For particles moving in a medium with macroscopic velocity u: The normalized > Maxwell’s distribution function (Eq. 1.38) can be written as, ..."


Something happens because clause A, and clause B.

I wonder whether **because** can introduce two or even more reasons; if yes, how they are connected. For example, > John came late because he woke up late, and his bicycle was broken. Is the sentence above correct? Thanks!


What does "biased in your favour" mean in this sentence?

I checked several dictionaries and googled and checked previous _biased_ -related questions here including Is it "biased towards" or "biased against"?, Word for being biased "towards the other direction"?, What do you call a person who is regionally biased? (unrelated), Moreover, subscription-only LDOCE says: > ### **biased (adj.)** :   > > >   1. unfairly preferring one person or group over another:   >  _Of course I'm biased, but I thought my daughter's paintings were the > best._   >  _racially biased attitudes._   >   >  **biased against/towards/in favour of**   >  _news reporting that was **heavily biased** towards the government_ > >   2. more interested in a particular thing than in another: **biased > towards**   >  _The majority of infants are biased towards being social rather than being > antisocial._ > > OED says: > **biase (v.):** _To give a bias or one-sided tendency or direction to; to > incline to one side; to influence, affect (often unduly or unfairly)._ ,   >  **biased:** Influenced; inclined in some direction; unduly or unfairly > influenced; prejudiced. But I still can't understand the meaning of the following sentence: > I appreciate that you took the time to contact me. You are great in my > opinion! But then I am very biased in your favour! Does the sentence imply that: a. The person saying this, is somewhat being unrealistically nice at their own expression of the addressee being great (in a negative way); or b. Do they mean that they're not great enough to be able to return the favor (in a positive way being keen on the addressee's greatness)? I also notice that LDOCE uses " _favour_ " rather than _favor_ , which probably indicates that this usage is British only?


English name of "Maegami tomeru" (前髪とめ〜る)

"Maegami tomeru" (前髪とめ〜る) is a Japanese velcro-like product that keeps womens' hair in place. Is there a commonly accepted English translation of this name? Bang Blocker found it hard to find a good translation > Enter Dariya's Maegami Tomeru... Front Hair Stopper. No. Bang Blocker... > Hmm... Fringe Foiler? > > Talking velcro and **** translations aside A trademark application for the device said > Goods and Services: > > Hair tapes; hair accessories, namely, devices for holding hair in place, > namely, hair grip sheets, hair barrettes, hair tapes and hair ornaments; > hook and pile fastening tapes While a friend suggested "Fringe tape". ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/ninTi.png)


Name for a website page with all kind of posts mixed

Imagine a website with many kinds of posts: announcement posts, offer posts, question posts etc. For each kind of post there could be a page listing them. How would you call a page that lists all the posts of all kinds? All I came up with is "cumulative page", but that sounds obscure.


"Awesome" vs. "Awful"

How did the English language come to this? > The play was awful. Is the complete opposite of > The play was awesome. But if you break it down to **awe** followed by **ful** or **some** , it doesn't make sense at all.   Can someone shed a light on this? Is there a rule to this, or is it one of those things you need to just memorize?


How should "Home sweet home" be punctuated?

A quick survey of the internet reveals many instances of "home sweet home", no punctuation. But doesn't "home, sweet home" make the most sense?


Is it normal to separate hyphenated words on different lines?

I'm typing in Microsoft Word, and it automatically separated the word T-shirt when it ran out of room: > blah blah blah, Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, I have a T-   >  shirt leaving just the letter "T" on one line. This doesn't look right to me at all, or for any compound, hyphenated word, yet basically all text boxes will split words at a dash on separate lines if needed. I would prefer: > I have a   >  T-shirt I know it would be fine if I was splitting words in a narrow column, like the newspaper, but is there a rule about what you're supposed to do to words like this? Is my way always right, or Word's, or either? (How to get Word to actually stop doing it is a totally different question...)


Explain this sentence to me please

I'm taking this true or false questionnaire for work. One question is > Most supervisors accept that you cannot always call in for an absence. > > true or false


"I may know where it is" vs. "I know where it may be"

I am wondering if the following two sentences have different meanings. >   * I _may_ know where it is. >   * I know where it _may_ be. >


Should there be a comma in "The heading reads, 'a chart heading.'"?

I have a sentence along the lines of > The heading reads, "a chart heading." The comma seems a bit awkward to me, but I cannot seem to find any explicit guidance in the Chicago Manual of Style on whether or not it should be there, and a couple of searches of CMoS's Q&A find instances both with and without the comma (and a number of instances with a colon instead of the comma). Is this better with or without the comma? Why?


How do the words "stare" and "gaze" change the meaning of the sentence in the given context?

Please consider the excerpt below. > I felt awkward discussing such issues with Aarti’s dad, so I kept quiet.   >  “I know how the education business works, Tiwari talks intellectual, but he > wants his share. I hope you guys won’t get me involved with that.”   >  “Not at all, sir,” I said. “Even I don’t deal with that stuff. I only look > after the college.”   >  “So all such work is done by Shukla-ji’s men?” Aarti’s father asked.   >  “Yes,” I said, as I **___ ___** at the floor. I need little help how the words _stare_ and _gaze_ changes the meaning of sentence in the given context. Please find below the dictionary (ODO) meanings of those words: > **Stare** = look fixedly or vacantly at someone or something with one’s eyes > wide open.   >  **Gaze** = look steadily and intently, especially in admiration, surprise, > or thought.


What does "b/f" mean?

What is **b/f**? My friend sent me this. I searched on google, but couldn't find a satisfactory answer.


Plural subject - singular object

This is the same grammatical issue raised in another thread, except the examples there were not ideal, so the syntactic problem was side-stepped in favor of the semantic one. Consider this example instead. A man has a car. His wife has a car. Together, they have two cars. He says: > "We both have a car." Sounds perfectly natural, right? Unambiguous, even. Yet the mismatch between "We" and "car" is weird when you think about it, at least to me. Luckily in this case, there are ready alternatives: > "We each have a car."   >  "We both have our own cars." Both sound vastly superior to me. Sometimes, however, there are no obvious alternatives. Take, for example, the opening of the song Different Drum (delightfully sung by Linda Ronstadt, by the way): > You and I travel to the beat of a different drum. Well, actually, I suppose you could say: > You and I travel to the beats of our different drums. But there have been cases where I couldn't readily apply my fixes. I just can't think of them at the moment. My requests for you:   1. Does this issue bother you (whether before or after my pointing it out)?   2. If not, why not? (I'll be grateful if you can convince me and liberate me from these pedantic concerns.) If it does bother you, then do you approve of my proposed solutions. Feel free to suggest some of your own.   3. (optional) Make up a sentence that doesn't lend itself easily to the already mentioned solutions, and suggest a way to fix it.  Thank you.


Strange sentence structure from a piece by Paula Gunn Allen

This lesson is in a pattern book. I want to know why the word _about_ is repeated quite a few times in the text: > My mother told me stories about cooking and childbearing; she told me > stories about menstruation and pregnancy; she told me stories about gods and > heroes, about fairies and elves, about goddesses and spirits; she told me > stories about the land and the sky, about cats and dogs, about...


Is there a single noun, preferably not a gerund, for the act of exceeding or surpassing? In editing test reports and similar technical material, I come across the notion of exceeding or surpassing a limit, threshold, or expectation. My dictionary searches have yielded only gerunds. I've considered "exceedance" but cannot find evidence that it is a word.


What is the etymology of "board" as found in "room and board"?

How did board come to be associated with meals? I am referring to this definition of board:   * regular meals or the amount paid for them in a place of lodging (noun, Wiktionary)   * daily meals, especially as provided for pay (noun, reference.com)   * to furnish with meals, or with meals and lodging, especially for pay (verb, reference.com)


"Unsociable" vs. "unsocial" in the following sentence

I got stuck in my exam when there were two options which look similar in meaning. Interestingly, the examiner gave two synonyms. The sentence was: > The hockey team could not deal with his **unsociable/unsocial** tendencies. Both mean _having or showing a lack of desire for the company of others_. Could anyone tell the difference between the two?


Staying up at night

I'm trying to describe two people who stay up at night to get some work done. Are the following sentences all grammatically correct and equivalent? > Without sleeping we go on to finish our work. > > Without sleep we go on to finish our work. > > We unsleepingly go on to finish our work. Is there anything wrong or awkward about any of the above?


Is "may or may not" redundant?

(Note: I'm **_not_** talking about the same kind of redundancy as in this question). Is "may or may not" correct, or is it a redundant version of "may or not"? I've seen both, and I don't know which one(s) is (are?) correct:   * The position of lecturer is occasionally given to individuals [...] who may or not have a doctoral degree.   * The position of lecturer is occasionally given to individuals [...] who may or may not have a doctoral degree.


"Any club cannot use . . ." vs. "No club can use . . ."

Here in Japan, many of my students use "any" in a negative sentence like this: > "Please note that any club/group cannot use the copy machine after 8:00pm." I believe this is grammatically incorrect, or at least unnatural and should be: > "Please note that no club/group can use the copy machine after 8:00pm." My question(s) is/are:   * Is the first sentence grammatically incorrect or is it just a matter of natural style?   * In the case that it is grammatically incorrect, what is the rule regarding such a sentence construction? (Any . . .cannot vs No.....can) I would like to give them a reason for changing their work beyond "It's just a native-English thing". Thank you very much for your help on this. GT in Japan


Is "with" or "by" the correct word in the phrase: Replaced ________ a new printer

English is my second language. Which of the following is correct? >   1. Replaced with a new printer. > >   2. Replaced by a new printer. > >


Expected is to actual as expectee to what?

> A value that is _expected_ might be nounized to an _expectee_ awaited by the > _expector_. Is there a formal term corresponding to that for the adjective _actual_? > A value that is _actual_ might be nounized to a _what_ received by the > _whom_. My suggestions for _what_ are either _actual_ or _actuee_ and for _whom_ they're _actuator_ or _actuator_. Am I anywhere close to being correct? Is it understandable to NSEs (if yet a bit artificial and formal)? What'd be a better way to express these formally?


Naming a chat group with The Lee or Lee's

I want to start a WhatsApp group and I don't know which of the following names is grammatically correct: Lee Family   The Lee Family   Lee's Family   The Lee's Family.


Usage of "walking out clean"

Is the following sentence grammatically correct? "I just hope he walks out clean from the probe" If not, what is the correct form? **EDIT: The context of the above sentence is a situation where you wish someone comes out of an investigation (say, by the police) being acquitted.**


"Corner" vs. "nook"

Are the nouns "corner" and "nook" synonymous? I just saw them employed in an enumeration as if they meant different things: > ... has a funny shape, with ledges, corners, nooks,... What are any differences between them?


When did "out of" come to mean "in"?

When I was a child, I learned that the term "out of" could be used to apply to a person or thing to describe where he, she or it was from. For example, a ship docked in Miami could be described as "out of Boston" as a means of describing that ship's hailing port, Boston. By the same token, a professional football player on the Denver team, playing in Dallas, might be described as being "out of Purdue" as a means of describing where he played college football. But now, I hear newsreaders say that a company is based "out of" a particular town. For example, they will say, "The Apex Corporation is based out of Philadelphia." This causes me to wonder, "Well, if they aren't based in Philadelphia, then where are they based?" Of course, the newsreader actually meant to say, "Apex Corporation is based in Philadelphia." As best as I can remember, the term "out of" came to be the preferred alternative to the word "in" sometime during the early 1980s, as I don't remember hearing this error prior to that. I'd be interested to know if there is a documented example of it appearing before that time. For those of us who learned the language long before the 1980s, this is especially confusing as the term "out of" means the exact opposite of the word "in." Why would someone use a two word combination (out of), that means the exact opposite of what they really meant to say, when a single word (in), that describes what they really do mean, is a better choice of words?


the difference between company and a companion

In what situation would you use _company_ or a _companion_ in the following sentences? > I have a dog and it's my company.   >  I have a dog and it's my companion. Can I use _company_ instead of _companion_ in "a traveling companion"? For example: traveling company.


How do I refer to the top few contenders in a tournament?

For example, how do I refer to the top three or four participants in a tournament. _The victorious_ doesn't apply; would _finalists_ be the best choice here?


What's the difference between "cheat" and "deceive"?

Is there any nuance that exists between the two words? I would like to hear from linguistics if there is any subtle difference.


What does "long" mean before a name?

What does _long_ mean before a name? Like _Long John Silver_ in _Treasure Island_ or _Long Susan_ in _Ripper Street_.


What is the correct way to define an acronym when its first appearance is plural?

The question and answers posed in What is the correct way to pluralize an acronym? deals very nicely with acronym (and possibly initialism) usage. What about the case when you are defining the acronym? For example:   1. ...automated teller machine (ATM)... - Easy enough.   2. ...automated teller machines (ATM)... ?   3. ...automated teller machines (ATMs)... ? If the singular form will be used later then option 2 seems poor. Generally option 3 appears to be best, but is it clear to the reader that we will write the singular form as "ATM"? This idea is touched upon in Defining an acronym when using the plural of the term? but it is not complete.


What's the opposite word for "sin"?

I would like to know if there is an opposite word for _sin_ in English. I mean, how could I say the opposite of > I committed a sin other than using a negation?


Antonyms of "sin" and "poison"?

Are there any exact opposites of _sin_ and _poison_? I have tried to find suitable words but I can't find an exact opposite.


What is the exact opposite of 'sin'?

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  What's the opposite word for "sin"? Well, I have got the answer 'virtue' from most people I asked. But still the answer is not satisfactory to me.


One word for "opposite of 'sin'"

I have checked many dictionaries but there is no one opposite of 'sin'.


"James while John had had had had had had had had had had had a better effect on the teacher" Correct Sentence?

How **"James while John had had had had had had had had had had had a better effect on the teacher"** is Correct Sentence? Can anyone explain?


Capitalise 'squadron'?

Should the word 'squadron' be written with a capital? In some contexts it seems more appropriate than in others, but I'd like to do it consistently. > The 12th squadron set sail. versus > The 12th Battle Squadron of the Imperial Navy Sources seem a bit contradictory, and even the Wikipedia people have not agreed upon a consistent style, it appears.


What phrase or word can I use to describe a bad mix of action?

This is in a Saudi YouTube series that I'm subtitling; I came across a colloquial word which means literally 'a mixture of melon juice, mango juice and corn', and figuratively expresses a bad course of action, a messy action or bad and uncontrolled management. For example: > Tim was a bad boss, his administration was the worst of its kind he gave > false promises and spoke about imaginary projects thats why we going to call > them شمنجاحبش which is the name of the mix juices


Proper adjective to use with the word "chance" ("low", "small", "slim", etc.)

What is the proper adjective to use with the word _chance_? Can chance be _low, small, slim_? What would be your suggestion?


Is an "acronoun" a real concept?

In discussing pronunciation of difference kinds of acronyms and initialisms, I recalled the term "acronoun." However, I can't find any reference to this term on the Wikipedia Acronym page, nor in google searching. I am questioning where I would have heard this before and if it is a real concept. If I had to guess at a definition, it would be an acronym that is pronounced as a word and used like a noun. However, that might be true for most acronyms or there might be a different word for this. I am looking for any insight or evidence this either is our could be a concept.


put forward in explanation or put forward to explain

A hypothesis is a supposition put forward in explanation of observed facts. Is this sentence wrong??and if it is then why? In a grammar book the right form of this sentence is given by this way - "A hypothesis is a supposition put forward to explain observed facts." or "A hypothesis is a supposition put forward as an explanation of observed facts."


When uncertain if refering to multiple or single should the plural form or singular form be used?

If asking a question or giving instruction towards a group of objects where the number is unknown (and possibly could be one) what is the correct way to phrase the sentence? Which of the following sentences are more correct: > Has there been any studies regarding this and if so what has been the > conclusion? OR > Has there been any studies regarding this and if so what have been the > conclusions?


How to properly use "lump sum"

How is the term _lump sum_ properly used? Do I work for a lump sum or on a lump sum? Can I work lump sum based, or can I offer a lump sum price?


The dog is (a) half wolf

Which of the following is correct? > (1) The dog is half wolf. > > (2) The dog is a half wolf. If (1) is correct, is "wolf" an uncountable noun or an adjective?


What is an automobile "aftermarket"?

In a discussion on car wheels, someone commented that "Stock wheels are usually more expensive than aftermarket." When I looked up _aftermarket_ on Google definition states that, it is > The market for spare parts, accessories, and components, esp. for motor > vehicles. However, I'm confused as to which sense of _market_ it applies here to the definition, for example one of the sources I searched was AHDE: >   1. A public gathering held for buying and selling merchandise. >   2. A place where goods are offered for sale. >   3. A store or shop that sells a particular type of merchandise: _a > vegetable market_. > >   4. (a) The business of buying and selling a specified commodity: _the > soybean market_. > > (b) A market price. > > (c) A geographic region considered as a place for sales: _grain for the > foreign market; the West Coast market_. > > (d) A subdivision of a population considered as buyers: _cosmetics for the > upscale market_. > >   5. The opportunity to buy or sell; extent of demand for merchandise: _a > big market for gourmet foods_. > >   6. (a) An exchange for buying and selling stocks or commodities: > _securities sold on the New York market_. > > (b) The entire enterprise of buying and selling commodities and securities: > _The market has been slow recently_. > > Or is there another suitable definition that's not on this list?


When to use Affect and effect?

i had a hard time in using these similar looking words at appropriate places. some help would be appreciated. Thank you


How to Remember the Difference Between Effective and Affective?

> **Possible Duplicates:**   >  What's an easy way to remember when to use "affect" or "effect"?   >  Effect vs. Affect I always confuse the two and I have no way of telling them apart! Help!


What's an easy way to remember when to use "affect" or "effect"?

Is there an easy way to remember when to use the word affect or effect in a sentence? It is very confusing, and I still get them mixed up.


How to explain the difference between affect and effect?

I don't know how to explain the difference between effect and affect to someone. I've tried explaining that effect is a noun, and affect is a verb, that "to affect" is to make a change, and "effect" is the change that was made, but these explanations haven't made sense. (They're 17 and very intelligent, so please don't be rude.) Could you please suggest other ways of explaining this?


Where did the practice of using apostrophes for possessive nouns but not pronouns originate? For example, possessive nouns (both proper and common) are written with a apostrophe before the final _s_ : >   * _Bill’s_ , not _Bills_ >   * _Sarah’s_ , not _Sarahs_ >   * _the bear’s_ , not _the bears_ >   * _the lizard’s_ , not _the lizards_ > On the other hand, several possessive pronouns do not have apostrophes before the _s_ : >   * _his_ , not _hi’s_ >   * _hers_ , not _her’s_ >   * _its_ , not _it’s_ >   * _theirs_ , not _their’s_ >   * _ours_ , not _our’s_ >   * _yours_ , not _your’s_ > When and where did this usage originate? Was there any technical advantage of this usage?


Is there a way to refer to the biblical state of Israel in another name?

The biblical and modern day states of Israel have the same name, even though they are not the same entities. Is there a name for the biblical state of Israel which is diffrent from Israel? Like the name _Israelite_ refers to the ancient Jews/people of Israel and not to the citizen of modern day Israel (which are called _Israeli_ ).


Why this phrase "When your program breaks, you get to keep both pieces." is used in the warning?

I came across this phrase in source code files open-sourced by Apple. Here is one such example: ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/OSSLk.png) The warning basically means the source code is internal to Apple and is subject to change. We (software developers who use these files) should not expect the 'interface' to stay the same between version. If the interface is indeed changed, any program that depends on the file will be broken. What I do not quite understand are: 1) Is the phrase "When breaks, you get to keep both pieces" a common one? If so, how is it usually used? 2) Does 'both pieces' means 'two pieces' here? 3) Is it supposed to be playful in tone? Is there any other implied meaning based on the context?


Nouns and determiners

Are singular non-proper countable nouns **always** preceded by a determiner ( _a, the, some, any, this, that_ )? > ORIGINAL QUESTION: " _Dose singular no-proper_ [Are singular common] _nouns > always preceded by an article (a, the) or are there some situations that > this is not true?_ "


A dictionary that systematizes commonly accepted combinations of words

Where can I find a dictionary that contains words along with their commonly accepted "neighbors"? I had one, but it's not for English language. The structure of this dictionary is the following. Take a noun in this dictionary. Along with its brief definition, the dictionary shows what adjectives, verbs, and other parts of speech are appropriate to use with this noun. E.g., a "day." Possible adjectives: "sunny," "long," "bad," etc. Verbs: "spend," "waste," etc. And so forth for many instances. Quite a handy thing for writing. What English dictionaries offer similar capacities? PS: It's not about simple collocations or corpuses and ngrams that don't differentiate parts of speech, like Corpus Concordance English. It's important to have this part-of-speech distinction. **UPDATE:** Brief list of dictionaries from the answers:   * Online version of Oxford Collocation Dictionary


Where did the word "buckle" come from?

_Buckle_ is used mostly for the thing that's on belts. Where did the word come from?


How can I express "sacrificing ease for quality" in a common expression?

I'm really having a hard time to even phrase the sentence I'm looking for, sorry! Examples would include:   * A programmer telling someone he wrote a small piece of code directly in assembly instead of C++ for increased performance.   * Telling someone you could have used duct tape, which would have been quick and easy, but chose fiberglass for a longer lasting solution. In general, the person is willing to sacrifice easy task execution in exchange for increased quality in the end result. I'm not looking for someone to write a sentence for me, I'm looking for a common way of expressing something.


Why isn’t the definite article used in "The commission commanded that work [...] should cease"?

In this sentence: > The commission commanded that **work** on the building should cease. Why isn't _the_ used before the word _work_? It seems that the work is specified by _on the building_. Another example is, > **Construction** of the building will start next week. I understand construction here is something like putting up the building, and so the construction isn’t general in meaning. But the definite article isn’t used here, either. I’ve asked about this several times, but none gave me a good answer.


Terminology - What is the exact word to describe 'being skeptical of something/someone'?

What word do we use to define someone who is accusing someone/something for everything going around him or her. For example, lets say Jack accuses Jill for everything happening to him. He falls off his bike, Jill sabotaged it. He caught fever, Jill poisoned food. How do you call Jack's action towards Jill? Phobic or Skeptical or blaming? I don't get the exact word to precisely picture this character.


Is there a difference between "plagiarizer" and "plagiarist"?

Dictionary.com lists plagiarist as the noun form of plagiarism and lists plagiarizer as the noun form of plagiarize. I do not see the distinction of the separate entries and expected both words to be listed as noun forms.


Using "to" twice in a row

In the sentence "Who should I talk to to learn about that?" my grammar checker says I have a repeated word. I admit that it sounds a little awkward, but I'm not sure it's incorrect. I realize I could rephrase it in at least a dozen different ways, but is it valid in its current form?


Can the word “deceiving” stand for “positive”?

I was puzzled with the line “(President Lyndon Johnson’s) appearances can be deceiving,” in the Washington Post’s (April 2) article titled “President Lyndon Johnson did indeed attend an Easter Egg Roll” with a photograph showing President Johnson at an Easter event at the White House on May 7, 1964. My confusion arose from the contradiction of the phrase, “Appearances (which can be taken as 'attendance') can be deceiving” and the picture evidencing the obvious appearance of President at the site. > “A March 29 Loop post said it appeared that President Lyndon B. Johnson had > not attended any of the White House Easter Egg Roll gatherings. But > **appearances can be deceiving**. Marilynn Eaton, whose husband William > Eaton covered the White House during the Johnson years for UPI, sent us a > signed March 30, 1964 photo of Johnson and some kids, including her > daughters Susan and Sally — seen sitting at the far right of the stage.” Why is it “deceiving,” not “positive” or “obvious” when appearnce / presence / attendance of Jonson were evidenced by a photograph?


Is “he is a proven commodity” a common phrase?

I find many unfamiliar phrases in readers' comments on the statements of political figures and articles on news sites these days. I can't tell if they are accepted usage. Comment posters could be native English speakers or non- native speakers. I cannot judge, and it is frustrating. In _The Washington Post_ ’s “Comment of Today” (May 13), I came across the phrase, _he is a proven commodity_. The comment was in response to Chris Cillizza's "The most eventful week of the 2012 Republican primary race": > Put the pieces together and Ron Paul has a very good chance of winning the > Republican nomination. The GOP is suffering from an enthusiasm gap with the > rest of their 2012 possibilities. No one excites the base like Ron Paul. And > he is a proven commodity in terms of raising funds and knowing the ropes of > running for president. I understand “a proven commodity” is a metaphor, but can a person be called a _commodity_? Is the expression, _he is a proven commodity_ normal American English that I can use to describe any of my friends in conversation with my peers over a drink?


What is the meaning and etymology of the adjective "jammy", of Yorkshire English?

What is the etymology of the adjective _jammy_? As in, > Thou art a jammy bugger! I confess I've never seen the word before. When I looked it up, I found confusing etymologies: one source says it comes from the construction _jamais de guerre_ and an ordinary dictionary source says it comes from the word _jam_ ; I wouldn't imagine the two are related. Which is it?


Sequence of tenses?

Can you please help me with this thing called "sequence of verbs"? From what I'm understanding, if I use "would," I have to keep "would" throughout the sentence. Example: "I would go visit my cousin if he would come visit me as well." But in a situation like my example below, is it okay not to keep the same tense throughout? > "I went to this store called 'K' yesterday." > > "What kind of store was it?" > > "It was a store that sells jewelry." The last sentence is my question. I think I've heard people usually say "Yesterday, I went to a store that sold jewelry". But since I'm just explaining what kind of store it was/is, is it okay not to say "it was a store that sold jewelry"?


Origin and correct meaning of "make political book"

Re-watching old episodes of the X-Files. In which Agent Mulder says: (paraphrasing) > just pseudo-science used _to make political book_ (Transcript here) _(FYI The Episode was written by Mat Beck)_ I can infer that it means, to add (false) weight to a political agenda or argument. (ie. making it a safer bet.) I recall hearing the phrase before, sounds like a Hunter S Thompson, or beat era style phrase, but I'm unable to find any reference to it. Can anyone help with **definite** meaning and/or etymology? _Edit: Please don't offer conjecture, I can guess all by myself._


Usage of a participial construction in a specific interrogative sentence

I cannot grasp the construction and meaning of the following sentence. "What do Company A and Company B intend to achieve, anticipating that their intentions may be somewhat different?" Could you please teach me the construction and who is anticipating in the sentence? I have never seen this kind of sentence before. I have no idea what is the subject of "is anticipating." Thanks in advance.


Pronunciation of "especially"

In some podcasts (it seems the speaker was from California) I heard that the word "especially" was pronounced with "ks" sound like "ikspeshally". What was it likely to be, personal way of pronouncing this word or a local dialect?


Suck with a nose

What word is there in English for sucking with your nose? There are people who do not sneeze but instead have a bad habit of sucking with their nose snot in again. However, the English dictionary definition for sucking refers to the mouth.


What does "to invite oneself" mean?

I usually have lunch alone but yesterday I asked my colleague to join their lunch by saying > "I will join your lunch." (I usually join them one or twice a week.) Then one of them told the other guy in the group that > "XXX (my name) invited himself today." Is it the same as saying "he will join us today?" or does it imply something?


Use of preposition "with" after the word "marry"

Is it right to use the preposition "with" instead of "to" after the word "marry or married" under any given circumstances if we change the position of gender being mentioned? For example: "She is married to John" Can we also say: "John married with her" OR "John is married with her" I highlighted this mistake in the notes of an educationist which he gave to his students. I raised this point with him that "to" is the only preposition which is used after the word "married". However, he argued that use of preposition depended on the position of gender being mentioned, thus the change in the position of gender also changes the preposition and it is right to use the preposition "with" after the verb "marry". Can anyone explain?


Use of preposition 'to'

I hope to understand the use of the preposition **_to_** gerunds and the overall structure of the following sentence. Normally the use of **_to_** is to specify a destination or a purpose but here the way it is used is unfamiliar to me. * * *               The report was relentlessly hostile to the scientist,     interpreting one complex event after     another to his discredit.      * * * I await your answers.


Is it "re-offend" or "reoffend"?

I want to know whether there is a hyphen in the word _re-offend_ , or if it is spelt _reoffend_. I looked in Oxford English dictionary and the word "reoffend" appears, but then I checked Merriam-Webster and the word is not in there. So is _reoffend_ a word or is it _re-offend_? I'm in Australia where we observe UK English if that matters.


Question on lack of comma usage

My English teacher took some points off on a recent paper of mine based on improper comma usage, so I'm coming here for clarification. Here are the examples. The [x]'s indicate where the commas were deemed missing and I was marked down accordingly. > When I was younger[x] I skipped the superhero phase, and never really > thought twice about it. > > At this point[x] the character becomes ridiculous as he becomes a God. I was under the impression that commas are generally used to indicate pauses in speaking, connect independent clauses, delimit lists, or signal appositives. For example, many authors and speakers may use commas more frequently than others to indicate many pauses in speaking, whereas others prefer a more rushed manner of speaking (Had I been in a more pensive mood, I may have included the commas, but my manner of thinking at the time felt the chosen method more accurately represented what I was attempting to depict.) Is one wrong and the other not? Is my teacher correct? Are there set-in-stone comma rules that are to be consistently followed in order to be proper? If so, are only creative writers and authors allowed to break those rules? Thanks for reading.


Long way to catch up?

My friend and I watch the same TV show, but she's on 5th season and i'm on 2nd. so she tells me what's going to happen next, what do i say here "God, i got a long way to catch up " or what, to say that i want to catch up , or be in the same season she is on. Help me please.


Is it correct to write a noun once while listing two related (verbs) activities?

For instance, in the sentence: > Without adding new items and modifying existing items. Would it be correct to completely remove the first reference to the noun items? as in: > Without adding new and modifying existing items. It sounds wrong. Is the only correct alternative replacing the explicit noun with an implicit reference as in: > Without adding new items and modifying existing ones. Is there a more elegant way to avoid writing the explicit noun twice in this sentence? I read this: Mixing adjective and noun enumerations but did not find it very useful.


Should I say "Your order is now complete" or "Your order is now completed"?

When a user finishes an order on my website, what's the correct way? >   * Your order is now **complete**. >   * Your order is now **completed**. >


Should I use 'by' preposition of time in past/future perfect tenses only?

In which tenses can I use 'by' as a preposition of time? My teacher told me you are allowed to use this preposition in past perfect or future perfect tenses only, but I ran into a lot of sentences on the web where people use it in past or future simple/continuous tenses. Consider the following examples: > I will do my homework by tomorrow.   >  I will have done my homework by tomorrow. > > They will be working by then.   >  They will have been working by then. > > The domestic water use did not change by 1960.   >  The domestic water use had not changed by 1960. Please let me know which of them are correct.


Is there another word for 'listening' to an answer?

We 'listen' when we're being told something. Is there another verb for 'listening' to an answer to a question we asked? Is 'receiving' an appropriate word for it? It sounds reasonable in the context of the answer being in a written format > "I have received an answer" But it doesn't sound right if the answer happens to be in an audible format (think two people face to face, instead of the answer being a recording) P.S.: I'm not looking for 'hear'. I'm asking if there's a verb that carries the same weight as 'listen', but applies specifically to the situation of being given an answer.


What occasion should use the word "affection"

Hi this is my first post !! Salute to y'all nice people!! I am not a native English speaker so sometimes I concerned about if I picked up the correct word. The word today is "affection". I try to describe a guy holds a little boy and like it as much as his own son, so I use `He shows him(the boy) much affection like to his own son.` I am not sure that's the correct phrase, the reason I use this word is the guy is not the real father to the kid so `love` sounds too much and `like` sounds dull. But I am not sure if `affection` make the guys sounds perverted, from a man to a kid. Because nowadays people need to be careful to show fondness to kids...and my native language does not has a equivalence as this word, we generally use "like" all the time :) Also I am always confused about this word, it sounds like a little more than like but less than love but with some "love". So what is the normal occasion to use this word? Only to kids? a thing? Thanks in advance.


Term for mentioning X by saying "I will not say X"

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  What is the origin of the phrase "not to mention …"   >  Is there a name for "I don't mean to…, but" phrases? Is there a term for the rhetorical device of making a statement by disguising it in the context of saying that you will not in fact make such a statement? I'm thinking of a politician announcing "I will not stoop to calling my opponent an adulterer" and, in effect, doing exactly that.


Is there a name for "I don't mean to..., but" phrases?

> "I don't mean to change the subject, but..." but you are changing the > subject. > > "I don't mean to interrupt, but..." but you are interrupting. Is there a name for these type of "polite" phrases?


Talking about not talking about the topic—name of figure of speech

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Is there a name for "I don't mean to…, but" phrases?   >  Term for mentioning X by saying "I will not say X" I am looking for a name of a figure of speech which expresses a desire to recommend something by talking about not talking about the action. Example (coined from a real example that happened on IRC). The topic is a certain animation which the speaker would like to recommend to another person. > Well, ok, it is not a drama, so I am not going to try convincing you it is > worth watching. I understand that people have different preferences as to > what to watch. Not knowing its plot is not punishable after all… (yet). And > the authors haven't got a Nobel prize for it either. So, don't worry, I am > not going to say how much you are losing by not watching it right now. I think it's related to Suspiciously Specific Denial TV trope, but I've seen this specific way of recommending things many times and I am wondering if there's any nice description of this kind of figure of speech.


"India's army, in numbers, is second only to China's and America's."

The odd sentence > India's army, in numbers, is second only to China's and America's. appeared in the article _Contest of the Century_ in the current issue of _The Economist_ (August 21-27, 2010). Should the author have written **third** instead of **second** , or is it fine as it stands?


What is the difference between "monologue" and "soliloquy"?

Just a random thought as to what the actual difference between _monologue_ and _soliloquy_ might be.


What does it mean "to port over"

I ran across with phrasing "to port over" in some articles. What does it mean? >   * _There have been a few instances, where **porting functionality over** > to the Zend Framework resulted in immediate performance gains._ >   * _the initial **port over** tends to perform a little slower* >


How to correctly express volume units

I have to replace imperial units with metric units in a text, and since this is not technical writing , I have to maintain the prose style and clarity. This is a troubling phrase: "...the air in **1 cubic foot**...". I think I can do that: "...the air in **a 30-centimeter cubic region [or cubic volume]**...", but since I've seen units being used wrongly before (like saying that 1 cubic foot = 30 cubic centimenters), I would like to have your opinion on this. BTW: I'm not a native English speaker, nor have I used imperial units daily (my country uses metric). **EDIT** : I can't use liters because this is describing a cubic area of space, and 30 liters (or 28 liters) is hard to picture as cube. Take a look at it on another way. When I say "this is a two-feet cubic volume", how big do you think it is in cubic feet? Also, did you understand the diference between saying "X-feet cubic volume" and "Y cubic feet"? **EDIT2** : Here is a new doubt, what is the more correct way of writing this: "the space of a 30-centimeter cube" or "the space of a 30 centimeter cube" (the difference in the hyphen).


Is it reasonable to use "by so far"?

Is it reasonable to say: "This is going to be the most amazing day by so far!" ? I mean the "by so far" part. English is not my first language, but I caught myself typing so and started wondering where did I get that from. It's just without the "by" I feel like something is missing.


What is the social context of "pizzazz"?

The word can also be written "pzaz" and "pizazz". I have found some definitions, but I want a synonym. As English is not my natural tongue, I also don't exactly know what it means socially. Is it the same as _je ne sais quois_?


Is “At the foundation of everything good is (the cause of goodness / success) a popular idiom, or just a set of words?

Time magazine (December 16) introduces Mitt Romney’s new TV campaign commercial as follows: “New Mitt NH TV spot hits twin goals: Romney as economic savior and Romney as a man who can relate to working people. Romney: "We’ve got to get this economy going again. _At the foundation of everything good is a very strong economy_." I’m interested in the expression, “ _At the foundation of everything good is a strong economy._ " Is “At the foundation (base) of everything ＋adjective is (predicate) a popular idiom, or just a set of words? Can I say conversely “At the foundation of everything bad is a very bad economy (management, waste of money, a person, e.g. you, president of a company) without being felt awkward?


"State of Maryland" or "state of Maryland"?

When referring to a U.S. state in a formal document, is it correct to capitalize "State," or should it remain uncapitalized? For example: This school is accredited by the State of Maryland OR This school is accredited by the state of Maryland


Should "State" be capitalized on its own?

Say we had the following: > Higher Education spending, clout, and influence in New York State is > substantial. Within the **State’s** borders... Should the latter instance of _State_ be capitalized or not?


Capitalize "state?"

Do you capitalize the word "state" when saying, "In Washington State, individuals who are unemployed may apply for treatment through DSHS."


What are the uses for 'quick'?

Is the word quick ever used in reference to candles eg the quick of the candle? I know about the quick of the nail and obviously about the wick of a candle but I have a memory of the quick too being something to do with candles.


Word whose definition is "words that have multiple meanings"

What is a word whose definition is "words that have multiple meanings"?


Correct placement of articles

My supervisor corrected the draft of my thesis, inserting a lot of articles here and there. I have doubts if he was correct. Could someone comment on the following sentences? > Over the last decade a lot of companies recognized [the] importance of data > warehousing and business intelligence technologies to their businesses. > Complex queries can significantly decrease [the] performance of a source > system. [The] Availability and quality of data is crucial for this process. > Because of [the] standardization of SQL, [the] technical heterogeneity could > be solved automatically.


Figuring out what's wrong with the sentence

I took a quiz given in the BBC magazine. it had the following sentence. > The Queen arrived at the castle with the King by her side, in a dress > adorned with hand-sewn embroidered dragons. please explain what is technically wrong with the above sentence.


"Turn out the light" vs "Turn off the light"

What is the difference between "turn out the lights" and "turn off the lights"? Are they interchangeable? Which one seems more appropriate if there is no difference?


Why does "contrary" have two different pronunciations?

I have the impression _all_ Anglophones pronounce **contrary** with stress on the second syllable _(cont-RARE-ee)_ when applied to a person's actions or disposition, as in: > Mary Mary quite contrary,   >  How does your garden grow?   >  With silver bells and cockle shells   >  And pretty maids all in a row. ...but it's nearly always stressed on the _first_ syllable _(CONT-rər-ee)_ in all other contexts. It's still the same word, and I can't really see any difference in meaning apart from that which arises naturally by virtue of it being applied to a _person_ , rather than something abstract/inanimate. Is my impression correct? If so, is there any reason? It can't just be for the sake of that well-known nursery rhyme, can it? I know I probably shouldn't ask, but are there any other cases where "the same word" has a different stress pattern according to context? (I'm not counting things like You don't **haff** to do that, where the consonant can change according to whether the word is stressed or not.)


Does English allow a zero copula in subordinate clauses?

In a casual search of the web, I found a few indications English does not allow zero copulas (http://linguistics.stackexchange.com/a/1468). However, I frequently see sentences with subordinate clauses that juxtapose a noun phrase with an adverb phrase, such as the following from a contemporary sci-fi author: > Kai stares up at me from the grave, **his eyes hard as obsidian**. If this clause were made into a sentence, it would take an obligatory verb: > *His eyes hard as obsidian.   >  His eyes are hard as obsidian. The original clause seems to contain an implicit "to be." Is it an example of a zero copula? If not, what is this construction called?


'As I heard' vs. 'When I heard'

Which of the following sentences is correct English, and why? > As I heard that Greenday got a new CD, I went to the store to buy it. > > As soon as I heard that Greenday got a new CD, I went to the store to buy > it. > > When I heard that Greenday got a new CD, I went to the store to buy it.


What's the difference between "rise" and "arise"

What is the difference between **rise** and **arise**? When and how should I use each one? Note: similar question


Is x plotted against y or is y plotted against x?

Given a diagram where the x axis is the horizontal one and the y axis is the vertical one. Which of these alternatives are the right and or best way of writing it:   1. plotting x against y   2. plotting y against x   3. plotting x versus y   4. plotting y versus x My (Swedish) brain wants alternative 1 or 3 but there are sources pointing in other directions. Could this be a case where different languages do different ordering? I would expect these mathematical 'things' to be standardized among languages but now I am not so sure...


What is the difference between “I earn $500 each month” and “I earn $500 per month”?

What is the difference between these two sentences? > I earn $500 _each_ month   >  I earn $500 _per_ month


Citing publications with stylized titles

In a situation where the title of a work is stylized, e.g. "Choose the Red Pill _and_ the Blue Pill", should this title be fully italicized as _Choose the Red Pill and the Blue Pill_ when cited? It would obviously leave out the emphasis from the title. Are there conventions on how to tackle these situations?


Are there any differences between "I put the clothes on" and "I put on the clothes"?

I want to know the difference between "I put the clothes on" and "I put on the clothes". Is there any difference in meaning?


Is it acceptable to drop the comma in "Thanks, John"?

I grew up learning that the comma must be placed there, but it seems like an unnecessary interruption in a phrase that isn't ever spoken that way.


Really nice, Mat

I see a lot of people saying things such as > Nice work, Nick Or > Thanks, Mat Is the comma really needed? I'm not 100% sure because my spelling and grammar is not great, but I think it reads very strange.


Commas between interjectional elements

If one wanted to say something like > `no commas`: Hello Pete, how are you? or > `commas`: Thanks, Julia, this will be helpful! would he need commas separating the different elements in the interjection or just the comma separating the interjection from the rest of the sentence/clause?


Looking for a single word for 'blind worship'

Is there a single word for 'blind worship' as in worshiping an actor blindly notwithstanding the bad performance?


'Given by' vs 'Given with'

Is this sentence correct? > The equation of a line is given **with** [SOME EQUATION] ... I want to use it instead of: > The equation of a line is given **by** [SOME EQUATION] ... Can I use 'with' instead of 'by'?


Homonyms of word 'Tudor'

So as the title says - can you please suggest me homonyms of word 'Tudor'? I cannot find anything so far. Tried using rhymezone - http://www.rhymezone.com/r/rhyme.cgi?Word=tudor&typeofrhyme=perfect&org1=syl&org2=l&org3=y In that site - there are similar words, but homonyms should sound the same. I am doing an exercise and the author says 2 is fair, four is good, five or more is excellent. But I cannot find even a single one. **Update:** I have read in Wikipedia what is homonym, not the whole article, but to get an idea. I don't want just rhyme, as I understand that is not necessarily a homonym. I think I can accept words that only some people may agree on possibly only in certain contexts. I do not understand what is a "mock" homonym. **Update 2** Noticed that there can be homonym which is the same word but having different meanings - From wiki: > polysemous homonyms, or polysemes, which have a shared origin, such as mouth > (of a river) and mouth (of an animal) So as google.translate shows - there is noun and The adjective of word Tudor, so we already have one homonym.


Meaning of 'full reality to change'

> Therefore, classic ontology denies any **full reality to change** , > **which** is conceived as only accidental and not essential In the above sentence, which is the object(or complement) of the 'deny'? what is the 'to change' to modify? what is the 'which' substitutes?


Is there a specific term for "conditions treated as though there are OR operators between them"?

I'm writing a program that generates playlists from a large pool of mp3 files. The program can keep track of total playing time, number of tracks and total size of the files, and can be given upper limits on each of the three. What I want to make clear in the documentation is that even though any combination of the three limits may be specified, the program will quit after any one of them is reached. Effectively, it treats them as though they were specified with the boolean "OR" operator. Is there a programming term to describe this? My uneducated guess would be to use "the conditions are treated disjunctively" i.e. the logical operation of disjunction is performed on them, but I don't know if this is accepted (or, for that matter, existing) terminology.


Technique relating environment and emotions/personality

I was wondering what is the technical term for the technique relating a physical environment to the mental state. For example, I am writing about how the dim lighting and cluttered workspace of Deckard in _Blade Runner_ reflects his detached/apathetic nature etc. What is the term used to describe this? (sort of similar to pathetic fallacy...)


I need a synonym for "transfer" which makes clear that the recipient has initiated the transfer

I have following situation: There is a software system for managing to-do lists for a team. If a team member sees that a coworker has too much on his list, she can decide to transfer the feature to her own list in order to help him. But if I just say "The software allows users to transfer todos between lists", it sounds like they are able to push their own tasks to other's lists. I need a word for "transfer", which makes clear that the new task owner has initiated the transfer, so it sounds nice. A long explanation won't do, as it is bad for marketing, it should be a single verb. Something like "take over", but "take over" doesn't feel right to me - or is it OK?


Founders vs Co-founders

What is the correct term to use, or what is the difference between the two? For instance, if you describe yourself as a founder in a resume it sounds like you founded something alone. In plural form (founders), it suddenly seems more like co-founders - that you didn't do it alone. But I don't know if co-founder alone maybe sounds as if you didn't have a leading role in the founding part. Hope anyone can clear up my confusion here! Thanks CC (From Denmark - if the grammar isn't perfect I apologize in advance ;)


What is a word that means "a person or thing which is small yet capable of defeating big giants"?

What can I call a person or a thing that is very small yet capable of defeating big giants? I need different words that can be connected closely to this meaning. It can be related to success,war, or anything else.


Is a comma required in "Until now X, that it is about time we do Y"?

I am wondering if I should leave the comma in the following sentence: > Until now he has been behaving so badly, that it is about time we do > something about it.


What does the expression "for crying out loud" mean?

What does the expression "for crying out loud" mean and where does it come from?


What does "wipe your chin and walk away" mean?

In the movie _The Social Network_ Sean Parker says in his first meeting with Mark: > Sean Parker: "And they want you to say 'thank you' while you, excuse me, > wipe your chin and walk away." I never was quite able to figure this one out , so what exactly does **_wipe your chin and walk away_** refers to? If you wish, you can see to the YouTube clip of the conversation  here.


Correct pronunciation of "career"

Is it car-rear? Or, is it carry-er? The word is very commonly used among Japanese with the same meaning, and we say it like carry-er, which I suppose is wrong.


Correct pronunciation of "Can"

How to correctly pronounce word "can" in British English and in American English? Here's somehow related answer but it is more about differences between "can" and "can't", and I'm interested how to pronounce "can" in American English and in British English.


What preposition should follow "jealousy"?

My favorite on-line dictionary tells me that it is > jealousy (of so.|sth.) - die Eifersucht (auf jmdn.|etw.) I check just-the-word and there is only given > jealousy between > > jealousy about > > jealousy at But _of_ only precedent to jealousy. Looking at the examples for _jealousy about_ and _jealousy at_ it seems to me that _about_ and _at_ is the preposition which is taken when referring to the reason why someone is jealous. > ... that it was jealousy about her ideas. > > ... jealousy at the younger man's superior talents As I introduced, the dictionary says it is possible to say _jealousy of sth_. In my understanding _something_ can just be the reason but not _the thing I'm jealous of_.   * (Q1) Is it _jealousy of sth_ or _jealousy at sth_ or _jealousy about sth_ when referring to the reason why someone is jealous?   Note: I mean is it possible to say _jealousy of the talents_ or must it be _at_ as in the given example. I don't find any serious sources which show the use of _jealousy of sb_. I know that it is correct since there are many examples for _to be jealous of_. > They're all jealous of me.   * (Q2) Is it common to say _jealousy of sb_ when referring to the person of whom I'm jealous? Supplementary question: How do I combine in one sentences telling the person of whom I'm jealous and the reason why I'm jealous?   I could use genitive as in _Peter's car_ but maybe my jealousy does not refer to the car or Peter himself but to his money or his parent's money (imaging they spent him the car). How could I handle such a thing? * * * I'm sorry for combining a couple of questions into one question but they are too related for being separated.


Correct abbreviation of "engineer"

What is the correct abbreviation of _engineer_? In my organization, some of my colleagues use _Eng._ and some use _Engr._


'Think in' expression - correct or not?

It might sound like a newbie question, but... Today on my English lessons I argued with the teacher whether you can say 'think in' or not. For me it's obvious that you can (there's even a book 'Thinking in Java'), but now I have to find it in a reliable source (I don't even know what is a reliable source, since she said that oxford's internet dictionary is not one). Thanks in advance.


Differences between "sledge", "sleigh" and "sled"

Is there a difference between a sledge, a sleigh and a sled? Dictionary definitions suggest they are synonymous, but it certainly sounds wrong to refer to Santa Claus on a **_sledge_**.


Positive euphemism for "harped on"

How can I replace _harped on_ with a more positive expression? > The production manager harped on the new quality assurance regulations for > nearly an hour.


Should there be a preposition between "at a loss" and the following question word?

Examples: I am at a loss who to blame. OR I am at a loss of who to blame. OR I am at a loss on who to blame.


Is an article an adjective?

I have always believed that articles (a/an, the) are a special type of adjective.. In watching a TV show recently (Smarter than 5th Grader) - A question was - "How many adjectives are in the following sentence: "Sierra ran down the hill."? - They claimed the answer is 'zero'! I would have said 'one'. Who is correct?


In golfing terms should Ambrose be upper- or lowercase?

Is the _Ambrose_ type of play named after someone and therefore uppercase?


"Wallpaper" vs "background"

In terms of electronic screens (computers, cell phones, PDAs, tablets) what would be more accurate to say: _wallpaper_ or _background_?


What is the difference between "count" and "matter" in this quote?

I came across a quote today, it is, > As a person it's what's on the inside that _counts_. It's what's on the > outside that _matters_. Please explain the quote for me. Are _count_ and _matter_ opposites?


Another word for "large in numbers"

What is a single word denoting the fact that something is very large in numbers, something like _proliferated_ but not quite? > While certainly not as [ **proliferated** ] as B2C apps, business to > business...


What is the mean of Converted Leads

When i found job on job website, i found the term `Converted Leads` job(Related to marketing). Please explain to me what it mean and what are the tasks will be done by this job? Any information would be appreciated!


What does "further embodiment" mean?

I am reading a legal paper and I see this "further embodiment" a lot. I wonder what it means? Thank you


Does exaggeration imply intent to misrepresent?

I've looked up a few definitions (Oxford, M-W, dictionary.com), but none make it explicit. E.g., (one I made up) > "When professional tennis players were asked to rate the fitness of > professional and amateur tennis players, most correctly guessed that > professionals were fitter than amateurs. The did, however, tend to > exaggerate this difference." Does the use of the word "exaggerate" in the second sentence imply any of the following:   1. That pro tennis players have intentionally misrepresented the difference?   2. That pro tennis players were aware that they made an overstatement?   3. That pro tennis players were somehow motivated to make an overstatement? I'm considering this in terms of clarity. For example, I think using "overestimation" instead, implying that they've made a guess as opposed to a statement, would more obviously avoid a lot of the above.


Why present perfect in “When the night has come”?

In the song “Stand by Me”, we see a sentence like “when the night has come.” I was taught that in a _when_ clause, we use the past tense, yet the present perfect has been used in the sentence cited above. Why is that?


How to pronounce the "v" sound?

I live in Thailand and we pronounce "w" and "v" the same. When I spoke to American people they told me that the "v" sound was different from "w". They told me to move my lower lip to the upper teeth, then say "v", but I don't get it. I want to know how to pronounce "v" in English. If you can suggest me how to practice it, that would be great!


Past participle form of "break-even"

_Break even_ is commonly used in economics to refer to the point where cost and revenue are equal. However, instead of using the long way of saying that > Firm X had reached the point of break even is it possible to say > Firm X had broken even? I realise that _broke even_ is in common usage today, but somehow _broken even_ just doesn't sound right. Is it correct or is there a better way of saying it?


is there anything wrong with "from my perspective"

Is the expression "from my perspective" good English? I was always under the impression that "perspective" refers to what someone else can see (i.e. a third person), and that if you wanted to refer to what you yourself can see you should say "in my view". What do you think?


"Close the light" — regionalism or mere oddity?

If I want the room in darkness, and wish to announce my intent, I would say > I'm going to turn off the light. But occasionally here in America I hear people say > I'm going to close the light. It's happened too often to chalk up to mistake or happenstance. I'm just wondering if anyone knows if this is a regional usage and, if so, what region?


A rude equivalent to a "TV box" term

I am looking for an American English term for a "TV box" as a source of zombification and brain killing. Maybe "boob tube" is the right one? The shorter, the better.


Is "camp" short for "campaign"?

Someone on Stack Overflow says "open source camp" is one of his interests. At first sight, I was confused by the use of "camp" here. Now I feel that it might refer to the word "campaign", which seems to make the best sense to me among others. Am I correct? If so, is the use of "camp" as a short term for "campaign" well accepted? I can't find any entry for "camp" from online dictionaries that is related to "campaign".


An idiom/phrase for someone whose opinions must be accepted by other people

(As a follow-up to the question,) Suppose there is a group of people, and suppose in this group opinions and ideas of a specific member of the group is always accepted by other members and they obey what he/she says. Is there an idiom/phrase for it? > [...] We had had a special respect for my father in my family and his > opinions and ideas were always accepted by other family members and as they > put it, [the requested idiom or phrase]. In my native language, we say: > He always says the last word. (The child is the one I mentioned in my previous question)


What is the acronym for a minor in a subject at a university?

I'm filling out a resume and need to list my education. For my bachelor's degree, it's just "B.S. Whatever", no problem. I also have a minor. What is the acronym that I should use for this?


What tense to use when writing about an ongoing action in a text which will be published / read in the future?

What is the correct form, if any? If no form is correct, please advise. > I'll start by underlining that this article is typed on a Logitech G15 > keyboard. vs > I'll start by underlining that this article is being typed on a Logitech G15 > keyboard. vs > I'll start by underlining that this article was typed on a Logitech G15 > keyboard. The article will be published a few days after I write the text, and, of course, read anytime between then and the next year.


Sought solace Vs sought for solace

I see the above two phrases used interchangeably. Google n-gram viewer prefers "sought solace". Are they both correct?


"I don't think so" vs. "I think not"

I've recently been told that "I don't think so" is, in the U.S.A., a southernism, whereas "I think not" is considered more acceptable everywhere else. Is this true? Example: > Q: _Is your wrist broken?_   >  A: _I don't think so._ / _I think not._


Word for "after one's career"

_Posthumous_ is the word used to denote that something occurred after someone's death. Is there a word that could be used for after one's career? The best I got is _postcurricular_ , but I think that is more specific towards after one's schooling. Here is an example of what I am shooting for: > He received the award posthumously. > > He received the email post ___ _? As a side note, I could use _post employment_ , but that is not what I'm looking for.


Does the term "avoid" leave room for exceptions?

For instance, this sentence: > Avoid the "Reply All" option. Which of the following paragraphs better describes the above sentence? > **Paragraph 1** : Don't use the "Reply All" option. > > **Paragraph 2** : As a general rule, don't use the "Reply All" option. > However, there exist certain scenarios where it's acceptable to use this > option. Is the second paragraph a proper interpretation of the sentence?


Could I say "I'm looking at the project"?

Someone is examining an Internet project at Codeplex.com.   Can he say "I'm looking at the project 'Project name'", or it is a mistake? What is the best way to say it?


Relatively to each other — less awkward word?

I'm rating the performance of things in different dimensions on a scale, e.g. `[--, -, 0, +, ++]`. This ranking only describes the relative performance in one dimension, without referring to other things in the outside world or one of the other dimensions. If I say, > ... the performance of the things in the dimensions is rated relatively. , I'm not sure that this concept gets conveyed to the reader correctly. Is there a more fitting word to describe the confinedness of the ratings?


Definite article before schools, colleges, and universities

Is _the_ always used before the name of a school, college, or university?


In some scientific papers, we see that some professors write "University of Bla" on their papers, while others write "Bla University".   What is the difference between "University of Bla" and "Bla University"? Are there any differences at all?


Do I need "the" before the name of my university in the header? Header: > Politechnika Wroclawska - name of university in my language > > (the Wroclaw University of Technology) - translated name of university in > the brackets This header is contained in the official document.


Definite article "the" before name of university?

If I write article "the" before name of university, it would be a mistake? > The Poznan University of Life Sciences Thank you for your help in advance.


Do I need "the" before the name of my university?

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Definite article before proper nouns I was updating my LinkedIn tagline and thinking about whether I should put the article before the name of the university. > Student at **the** University of […].   >  Student at University of […]. I am leaning towards the former but I am not sure.


University names?

I have some questions concerning names of university.   1. What is the difference between "The Poznan University of Life Sciences" and "Poznan University of Life Sciences"?    2. Are there any grammatical rules for a university's name?   3. Where and when should we put "the" before the name? Thank you for your help in advance.


When is there a "the" at the beginning of a university's name? For Example,   * Cornell University or the Cornell University,    * Brown University or the Brown University,    * Johns Hopkins University or the Johns Hopkins University, (I saw the latter is used often, and not sure about the former)   * Carnegie Mellon University or the Carnegie Mellon University,    * University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign or the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign,   * Stanford University or the Stanford University. Thanks!


'XYZ University' vs. 'The University of XYZ'?

I was wondering about the use of the word 'university' with city names and/or special proper nouns. So, for example, what's the difference between 'Aleppo University' and 'The University of Aleppo'?


Is there any difference between "switch" and "swap"?

Is there any difference between _switch_ and _swap_?


How to pronounce New Orleans

I presume this must be an exception to "pronounce it like the locals", since what I hear is something like 'Norlin'. Or is this just the movies? Is it a mistake to attempt to pronounce it like a local?


How to pronounce Louis Armstrong

I think the standard Irish/British pronunciation is as in Louis the king. But musicians seem to say "Lewis". I've heard people say Joe Louis as in the king as well. Is this wrong?


Ms. or Mrs. if you don't know the marriage status

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  When is it appropriate to use the title "Miss" as opposed to "Ms."? To my understanding:               Ms. => Not married.     Mrs. => Married.      However, if one doesn't know the marriage status of the other party, what is the correct term to use? Ms/Mrs may be a possibility, but I am wondering if there is a one word version such as "Mr" regardless of their marriage status.


“Might” vs. “Maybe”

Is it a correct form to say while talking?   1. "I might go" => i.e., _maybe_ I will go   2. "he might be available" => i.e., _maybe_ he will be available.


What do you call a person who is never content with anything that is given to him?

I am looking for an adjective for a person who, no matter what you give him/her (materially or otherwise), is never content and always expects more.


'Click/tap' or 'click or tap'

I'm writing documentation for an online system, with sentences like this: > Click/tap the ‘cog’ icon of a content filter to edit it. This does not go down well with Microsoft Word. The grammar checker advises me: 'Consider revising'. However, when I change it to: > Click **or** tap the ‘cog’ icon of a content filter to edit it. ...all is well. Which makes me wonder: is it bad to use a slash here? Is there perhaps a formal rule about this?


Which verb is used to tell: check and pass it

I'm looking for a _verb_ that when I'm saying: **_XXX it_** , then I would mean: **_Check it and if it was valid, pass it_** What should be the **_XXX_**? Or any verb that have a similar meaning as the mentioned sentence. EDIT: I removed the **_to me_** from the sentence.


Which of the following two sentences is more correct?

Please help me with next: Which kind of sentence is more correct: > a. We decided to present you Jim, Department Manager of Sam, as a contact > person for ... > > b. We decided to present you Jim, Department Manager which employs Sam, as a > contact person for ...


Why do I have to say "want you to do" instead of "want you do"

example: "I want you to eat fish" instead of "I want you eat fish" or "I want that you eat fish". Can you explain to me what is te grammatical reason for this?


"Buy at an acceptable price" vs. "buy for an acceptable price"

Is it correct to say "buy for" or "buy at" if we are _not_ talking about location?


meaning of 'call to aid your fancy'

“Well then, Jane, **call to aid your fancy** :—suppose you were no longer a girl well reared and disciplined, but a wild boy indulged from childhood upwards; imagine yourself in a remote foreign land. . .” (Jane Eyre) What’s the meaning of ‘call’ in the highlighted part? Does it mean ‘come to aid your fancy’?


What is the meaning of "she can be obtuse"?

A friend of mine once described a mutual acquaintance in this way: > She can be obtuse. The dictionary definition of "obtuse" seems to suggest a "lack of intellect or intelligence". However, this really seems to be unlikely to be what she meant, since it seems a very harsh way to speak about anyone. And also it does not describe the acquaintance whatsover, since she is a very smart woman. The context of the sentence would seem to imply that it had something to do with stubbornness. Is that a possible interpretation?


Understand the meaning of "tall order"

I was wondering why a "tall order" means a formidable task or requirement? Is it a metaphor? If so, how shall I understand it?


"Time of (the) day"

I am confused about the article usage in the phrase "time of (the) day". From my research, I understand that "time of day" ( _day_ with the zero article) is more common and probably more idiomatic. It's also a part of an idiom not give somebody the time of day. But I'm interested in its more literal usage and sense. Is there any difference in usage or meaning between "time of day" and "time of **the** day". I went to the COCA for examples but I still haven't been able to come up with any reasoning when to prefer one over the other: With _the_ : > What's your biggest vice? - Dark chocolate. I'll have it at any *time of > _the_ day*; it's never too early or too late. Without **the** : > These morning menu favorites taste good any _time of day_


Mix of Sun and Clouds

In weather forecasts in the US, the phrase "a mix of sun and clouds" seems to be common whenever the forecast does not clearly predict rain or shine. In my recollection, forecasts used to have phrases like "partly sunny", "mostly sunny", and related variations "mostly cloudy", "partly cloudy". My main question is, when did this transition occur? Google trends and n-grams don't tell. I should probably stop there, but a second question nags me, which is, why? Granted, weather prediction is not an exact science, but the "mix" forecast seems like a cop-out. P.s., if this question seems more suited to a more scientific channel I'm fine with that, but please consider I am firstly wondering about when the phraseology changed. P.p.s., I am mostly thinking of media forecasts (particularly radio and TV). NOAA, from whom I suppose many of these outlets derive their forecasts, maintains the "partly sunny" etc. phrases.


You "show" someone a picture. You "---" someone a song?

In Maltese, we have a verb meaning "to show" corresponding to "to see/to look", and we have a different verb corresponding to "to hear/to listen": > inti **tara** stampa (you look at a picture.) ---- jiena **nurik** stampa (I > show you a picture) > > inti **tisma'** diska (you listen to a song.) ----- jiena **nsemmgħek** > diska (I 'show' you a song) In English, do you "show someone a song" (sounds weird to me) or is there a verb that corresponds more directly to the Maltese _insemmgħek_?


Is “who all is” grammatically correct?

I often tend to say something like > Who all is coming to the movies? And my friends correct me that I should be saying > Who all **are** coming to the movies? So which one is correct?


How does one write "day in and day out"

I work like a dog day in and day out. day-in and day-out? day in, and day out? , day in and day out? Please advise.


Referring to some attribute of an inanimate object — use "who's"?

This came up in describing an input to a function: > A handle to the daemon who's name is desired. (Daemon is a type of process on a system.) Somehow, "who's" just doesn't seem right because it's not a who, but a what. Could one say "... the daemon what's name is desired"?


Why do newspaper headlines use strange syntax rules?

Newspaper/news article headlines usually have different syntax rules, for example   1. No copula. _North Korea trip 'successful'_   2. Past events written in present. _Qantas cancels flight out of frozen Heathrow_   3. Predictions written with infinitive. _Britain's 'crossbow cannibal' to die in jail_   4. Very often not in complete sentence.   5. No indefinite/definite articles. _Ivory Coast Faction Squeezes UN Force_   6. Using a comma instead of "and". _Romania, Bulgaria face delay in joining Schengen._ Why these rules and are there any other rules?


Coordination in "both...and"

Here's one sentence from "The grammar book. An ESL/EFL teachers course by Celce-Murcia and Larcen Freeman. > In some preliminary research Bergsnev(1976) has shown that abstract nouns > derived from verbs and adjectives often have **both a mass and a count > form** for expressing a generality in English,e.g:… The bold part of phrase is what sort of puzzles me. Coordination is a vast subject consisting of numerous different points and nuances that pretty often may result in ambiguity and vagueness. Both a mass and a count form - at first sight seems to be okay. As may be noticed, this is just ellipsis of the word "form". But, shouldn't it be "a mass and a count forms - then? That has never given rise to difficulties for me, but now having started analyzing the sentence and trying to look up "coordination" in "A comprehensive grammar of the English language I'm being rather doubtful. So the question is - what is the rule of coordination that's being used in this example and why not use the plural form of the noun?


"Published on ..." or "Published ..."?

So, in an article on a web-page, I want to provide information about the date when the article was published. I am not sure if there should be an "on" after the word "published". > Article title... > > Published... > > Article text... So, below the article title, should I write: > Published on January 1st 2012 or > Published January 1st 2012 ?


What is the word for cronyism based on favoring an ethnic or religious background (not friendship)

Is there a word, similar to _cronyism_ and _nepotism_ , that means “favoring people of a particular culture, religion, or ethnicity, regardless of their expertise”. I was thinking _racism_ , but I’ve always understood that as the belief that one race is superior to another. But cronyism isn’t the belief that your friends are superior to others. They just get preferential treatment. So racism doesn’t seem right. For example: a Russian person gets appointed as a hiring manager, and over the next year 60% of the staff have been replaced by Russians.


Correct way of saying "errands to run"

Which is the correct way to tell someone that I have errands to run? Are all of these fine to say in person and in an email? > I got some errands to run or is it > I have errands to run or > I need to run errands


What is the meaning of the expression "we have a ball game"?

I've heard the phrase, "We gotta ball game". It could also be "We have a ball game". But I don't understand the meaning of "having a ball game". If anyone has heard this expression before, please help. I'm so very confused after guessing about this for a long time. The person who said it couldn't even tell me what he meant by this.


Follow the signings?

I saw a road sign today saying: "Follow the alt route _signings_." It struck me odd. I would expect: "Follow the alt route _signs_." _Signings_ is obviously a legitimate word, but it's usually used when there's an _act_ of signing involved, like with book signings or hearing-impaired signing. I suppose one might consider a road sign to be an "act of signing/signaling" but it seems like a stretch. Is this a common use of the word I've just missed out on? Construction jargon? Or just a construction worker's peculiar choice?


How do you refer to a member of a biological taxon in the singular?

If I wish to refer to, say, an Owl in the more generic form as a member of the biological order Strigiformes, what is the correct modification of the apparently plural word into a singular form? For instance: > Upon entering the forest, Jonothan was immediately assaulted by an angry > [singular strigiformes]. Or: > The Manduca Sexta is a [singular lepidoptera] which feeds on a [singular > solanaceae] during the larval phase, normally a Tobacco plant.


I'm currently writing my PhD thesis in computer science and often need to refer to algorithms, which are depicted in figures as shown below. ![Example algorithm](http://i.stack.imgur.com/tmAay.png) So far, I used phrases such as _Algorithm X shows / depicts / presents Euclid's algorithm_. However, I do not want to use these three phrases over and over again and I'm running out of ideas. My question, therefore, is: What is an elegant way to refer to a figure displaying an algorithm?


Inverse of "being a fan of"?

"Y has 1250 fans" means there are 1250 `X` for which `X` is fan of `Y`. If there are 12 `Y` for which the "X is a fan of Y" relationship holds for a given `X`, what's a word or phrase to say "X has 12 ___ _" ? Similarly, if "X is a fan of Y", then what's the equivalent way of saying this with Y as the subject and X as the object ("Y ___ _ X") ?


How did the verb 'leverage' evolve to mean 'use borrowed capital'?

What's an intuitive derivation behind ODO's definition that helps to internalise its meaning: > **to leverage** = Use borrowed capital for (an investment), expecting the > profits made to be greater than the interest payable: Etymonline relates only to a physical/mechanical 'lever', not this meaning in finance.


"Is of the view that" vs. "is of a view that"

Is there any significant difference in the meanings of sentence 1 and sentence 2 below? >   1. Mr. Jones is of a view that the project is unnecessary. >   2. Mr. Jones is of the view that the project is unnecessary. > Sentence 2 seems more natural, but sentence 1 does not seem absolutely wrong; “is of a view that” gets many hits on Google. However, looking for a similar construction, I would say “I am of the opinion that X is Y”, but not “I am of an opinion that X is Y.”


What preposition should be used with "intention"?

Which of the following is correct? Is it > I have no intention of handing in my resignation. or > I have no intention to hand in my resignation. Searching Google for "intention of" versus "intention to" shows a preference for the former, but the latter seems more natural to me (and is also heavily used).


"Of" and "For" Before "-ing"

What are the rules for choosing whether to use "of" or "for" before a word ending in "-ing?" Example: > We propose a method **of** simplifying algebraic expressions.   >  We propose a method **for** simplifying algebraic expressions. I have seen it written both ways, and would like to know which way is proper. Or is this a case where "it depends?"


Meaning of "a window to the world"

What does the phrase "a window to the world mean"? Is this the correct format of the phrase. How can I use it in a sentence? (e.g. The plants in this garden provide a window to the world of flora diversity)


"more close to"

For this sentence, > By allowing the customization of user interface, the user interface _are > more close to the need of user_ , since every user has different style of > preferences. Is it correct to use "more close to the need of user"?