What is a good phrase to name a periodic excellent employee award?

My company has annual work performance awards with typical names like "Excellent Employee/Team" (3~5 recipients) and "All-star Employee/Team" (1 recipient). We're looking to create a smaller award program designed to be given on an as- needed basis for spotlighting individual acts of excellence, as opposed to the consistent excellence necessary to receive an annual award. An example situation would be an employee who is pretty good all the time, but during a moment of crisis goes well above and beyond what is expected of him to get the job done. These sorts of singular events tend to get forgotten by late December, or are overruled by predominantly mediocre performance, but when viewed in isolation are clearly meritorious. So we have this new program, but we're having a hell of a time naming the damn thing. Complicating matters is that there's no fixed period for award allocation. There might be 2 in one month, then none of 5 months. It all depends on the work at hand. Help? :-)


"On which" or "upon which"

Today, I am writing technical documentation that instructs the user how to install software to a server. I encountered the following sentence and am unsure which is correct: > When installing to a server other than that **on** which SQL Server is > installed, ... Should _on_ be changed to _upon_? > When installing to a server other than that **upon** which SQL Server is > installed, ... It all seems like a mouthful, but appears to be grammatically correct.


What part of speech is 'pooped' in "I am pooped"

I have a wager that 'pooped' in "I am pooped" is not an adjective; however the betting party contends that it is an adjective since "it describes the state of the subject, I". The other party also cites the wictionary entry for pooped as evidence. I have found evidence that pooped is used as a verb, such as this CMU automated grammar parser; however the grammar parser concedes it is guessing at the part of speech (note the [!]) in the output...               ++++Time                                          0.00 seconds (59.77 total)     Found 1 linkage (1 with no P.P. violations)       Unique linkage. cost vector = (UNUSED=0 DIS=0 AND=0 LEN=3)           +-SX-+---Pv--+      |    |       |     I.p am.v pooped[!].v           Constituent tree:          (S (NP I)        (VP am            (VP pooped)))      Could someone explain the part of speech that 'pooped' is above, as well as the rationale for choosing this response?


Look who's talking

English isn't my main language, so maybe this isn't a tough one. Is there a metaphore to say "he's talking about this deed as a wrong one but he certainly does it too"? In Spanish, you could say something like "about ears is the donkey talking".   Is there a similar phrase, in English?


"What did you there"

A common nursery rhyme goes like this: > _Pussy cat, pussy cat, where have you been?   >  I’ve been down to London to visit the Queen.   >  Pussy cat, pussy cat, what did you there?   >  I frightened a little mouse, under her chair._ My question is: Was the formulation _what did you there_ (as opposed to _what did you **do** there_) current in earlier English?


Which is right: "what pants is he wearing" or "what pants are he wearing"?

Since 'pants' is one of those always plural words, I can't figure out which sounds right.


Plural form of 'schema'

**Schema** appears to have two plural forms that are both valid: _schemata_ and _schemas_. Are they completely interchangeable; or are there any guidelines on which one is appropriate for particular contexts?


Peculiar vs peculiar to itself

What is the difference between the following statements? > Most men have peculiar manners. > > Most men have manners peculiar to themselves.


To know something "inside out" or "inside and out"?

As a native English speaker (Australia) I've always known and used the expression "to know something inside out", meaning "to know thoroughly". Just now when editing a post on another SE site that seemed to be written by a non-native speaker I was going to change "to know something inside and out" to "to know something inside out" but thought I'd check first. I knew "inside and out" to have a different meaning and usage such as "The vehicle was fully restored inside and out". I was surprised to find the English Wiktionary has a main entry under "to know something inside and out" and a stub entry only for "to know something inside a" declaring it to be a variant of the former! This was contradicted by a Google search saying the version without "and" was a lot more popular, but a Google Ngram search seemed to suggest that the two had each gone up and down in popularity over time. So I decided this was all inconclusive. So what do real/reliable/print dictionaries and other sources have to say about the matter? Are both considered OK, is one preferred, is one Euro- English that made it into the English Wiktionary, or has the expression changed over time, or does it vary by region?


Is there any difference between "To like for somebody/something to be something" vs. "to like somebody/something to be something"?   1. In the following case there seems to be a difference, because the former seems to suggest that one would like so for the sake of the other, and latter for ones own.  > "I would like for you to be happy" vs. "I would like you to be happy"   2. Here, the above distinction makes no sense, since the weather is inanimate. Is the former a valid thing to say at all? > "I would like for the weather to be nice" vs. "I would like the weather to > be nice"


Present Perfect or simple past?

A student has written: > Still, I have already been aware of most of the information even before > watching the video. It doesn't feel right and I would normally use a past simple here. I'm on my two hundredth script and losing my ability to reason, or to adequately explain to myself why it should be past simple (I think it's 'before' as this puts the time as completed, so he can't use the present perfect notion of unfinished time). What I need to know is:   1. Should it be simple past of present perfect here, or doesn't it matter?    2. Why/why not? All help gratefully received.


What's the unit for a blueberry?

What is the unit for a blueberry? how do you count each blueberries? > ex) 3 pieces of cake   >  2 slices of pizza   >  5 ?? of blueberry Edit: Do the following sentences sound natural?   > Blueberries are so expensive in Korea. They cost almost 1$ for 10 pieces.


"Size" is to "resize" as "capacity" is to what?

Is there a (different) word that has the same relationship to _capacity_ as _resize_ has to _size_? **Edit** in response to comments: I'm looking for a different word for _capacity_ because I need to make a distinction between changing the size of something and changing its capacity. The situation originally came up as a software term as an answer mentions, but I'd be more interested in an answer that could work in other situations as well. (E.g. the size of a container is always bigger than its capacity in real life; I can change the capacity of many things without changing their size. Exactly the reverse in software.) It may well be that there is no such word, in which case that's also a valid answer.


What's the difference between "cup" and "glass"?

Are "cup" and "glass" the same in English? Can I call a "glass" a cup made of plastic?


"Any way, shape, or form"

"[In] any way, shape, or form" is a rhetorical idiom, in which _shape_ and _form_ tend to function as intensifiers. It is normally used for emphasis where the non-idiomatic phrases "[in] any way" or (less commonly) "[in] any form" would otherwise have been sufficient. However, my impression is that _shape_ , specifically, is seldom, if ever, appropriate in any context in which this idiom is used. A web search for the phrase "in any shape" provides at least anecdotal evidence that this is rarely used by itself, typically appearing only as variants of the idiomatic phrase, such as "any shape or form" or "any shape, form, or fashion", which similarly make no use of the distinct meaning of the word _shape_. If one understands this phrase straightforwardly, its emphatic intent is seemingly obscured, rather than strengthened, by the inclusion of an inappropriate or irrelevant term. It could be argued that the emphasis comes from the contrast between the meanings of the various alternatives offered, but if so, it would presumably be understood that at least one of them is usually inappropriate in context and the phrase is a rather self-conscious cliché. So, I would like to ask: when and how did this phrase originate? And was it always an essential pleonasm, or are there any attested, or at least reasonably plausible, cases in which _way_ , _shape_ and _form_ are simultaneously applicable?


Greeting: "Cold enough for you?"

This morning at −32°C/−26°F whilst collecting firewood outside my house, I called to my neighbour (brushing snow off his idling truck): "Cold enough for you?" To which he replied with a nod. Later on, I reflected that the exchange was effectively identical to the following: > "Hello. How are you?"   >  "Cold!" Did my question, "Cold enough for you?" (which I hear _a lot_ around here) constitute a _greeting_ , or did my neighbour and I simply bypass the formalities and get straight to the important stuff? I could imagine a similar exchange in, well, just about any season in the UK: > "Lovely day" (spoken ironically).   >  "Mm" (spoken grimly). Are these exchanges about the weather simply another form of greeting, a replacement to "hi," "hello," "good morning," "how are you?" and so on? Or did my neighbour and I, having a small measure of familiarity, skip the formality in favour of moving on to the important stuff. (Or was it just too cold for us to care?) If I had a staff person and breezed into his office asking if he'd submitted the quarterly report without first greeting him, that would be rude. But if I breezed into his office and said "Cold enough for you?" without saying hello, it seems to me that this would be less rude. My hunch is that this sort of exchange is actually a form of _greeting_ , defined on Wikipedia as "an act of communication in which human beings . . . intentionally make their presence known to each other. . . ." However, Wikipedia's list of greetings on the same page does not include exchanges about the weather. Therefore: do exchanges about the weather constitute greetings? Are there other fairly stock exchanges that also constitute greetings, that aren't the usual "hello" etc.? Or are these exchanges something else altogether?


History/connection/origin of using names as verbs/nouns?

There are a good few words in English that come from names:   * To **jimmy** a lock is to break it.   * To **jack** someone is to rob them.   * To **peter** out is to become tired.   * A **john** is a bathroom, or one who buys the services of a lady of the evening. Is there any connection between how they formed or a common history among them? As an aside, does it happen in other languages?


How to refer on the property of a line which has a sudden change in its direction?

There is sudden (sharp, this means, it's not differentiable at that point) change in the gradient of a line: ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/IMZRG.png) What is the proper way to refer to it, to not sound too mathematical. For example, "this line has a kink in it" seems odd. "The line has a break in it" might mean that there is a gap. **Edit:** what I would like to finally express is _how one adds this property to the line_. E.g: "With this method, you can add a [noun] to the line", or "you can [verb] the line." I don't need to emphasize the abruptness (but don't want it to be misunderstood as making a curve out of it). I would just like to make it clear, in simple terms, what would happen to the line.


How is the spelling of a hyphenated word read?

How is the spelling of a hyphenated word usually read out loud? For example, with "Anglo-Saxon", do we say: > "It is spelt as A--N--G--L--O--dash--S--A--X--O--N." Or do we say: > "It is spelt as A--N--G--L--O--hyphen--S--A--X--O--N."


Is there an English word meaning "the use of uncommon words"?

Is there an English word meaning "the use of uncommon words" or similar?


Word or phrase to describe someone who learns from another’s experiences

Context: I'm 22 years old, I am very bright in a logical way, my whole life growing up my parents struggled a lot, and I took that all in. I took in their worries and knowledge and now exercise it as if they were my own, but every time I meet someone new and we begin talking, they often take my intelligence for granted and rant on about stereotypical young adult mistakes. Like not knowing how to manage their finances, partying late with strangers, eating healthy, and even common sense things. They ridicule comments by saying things like, "Oh, now that you are paying bills someones conscious of turning off the lights!", "You have to save money not blow it all!" things like this despite being enrolled in a matched 401(K) with my job, having two separate checking accounts on direct deposit with mainstream banks(free spending and bills) and a separate credit union with no card for direct savings. I want a word/phrase that isn't just "smart/bright/intelligent". "I'm smart, I know this." because all children say this.


Is there a name for adjectives like "beautiful", "incredible", "amazing", etc.?

Is there a name for adjectives like _beautiful_ , _incredible_ , _amazing_ , etc.? Adjectives that are often generically substitutable when, say, describing vacation resorts, or the like. Preferably a name that doesn't sound salesperson-ey, but I'm curious to know those too, so do comment.


Punctuation for lists

I have a sentence like this: > As you can see, there are two projects "project1" and "project2", where the > latter uses the global wrapper functions defined in "project1" project. My question is how do I correctly write this sentence in terms of enumerating words "project1" and "project2". What I thought of was adding a colon like this: > As you can see, there are two projects: "project1" and "project2", where the > latter uses the global wrapper functions defined in "project1" project. But somehow this doesn't feel fine. Can you please advise?


Why "What's up"?

Why's "what's up" used as greeting among young people? It sounds like asking "what is up there"? > A: What's up? > > B: The sky.


How's it hanging?

Why do some people use "how's it hanging?" as greeting? What is "it" referring to?


American native speaker and perfect tenses

Yesterday I sent my friend a useful gift in online game. Today I can see he has not accepted it yet. Which sentence is grammatically correct _and_ most natural in American English? >   1. "You didn't use the Gift I gave you!" >   2. "You didn't use the Gift I had given you!" >   3. "You haven't used the Gift I gave you!" >   4. "You haven't used the Gift I had given you!" > Somehow option 1 seems most natural, and yet is the least consistent with what I remember from English classes. Option 4 should be grammatically correct, but 2 perfect tenses in one sentence seem a bit odd.


Verb form of "likely"

Is there a verb meaning "to make likely or probable" or "to make unlikely or improbable"? I'm more in need of the latter, but I assume that if the former exists, the latter might too. **Edit:** I'm looking for something that is a less-absolute form of _prevent_. Example: > The old jacket at least prevented me from catching a cold. is too absolute. So, instead I'm trying to use a word meaning "to make unlikely or improbable". > The old jacket at least [———]ed me from catching a cold.


Who is Jack Robinson?

I was reading my dictionary and I came across this phrase: "Before you can say Jack Robinson", meaning _almost instantaneously_ to be used as follows: > Before you can say Jack Robinson, I took the money and ran away. I tried searching it in Wikipedia but it simply says that it's a mythical person. It doesn't help much. It provides some hypothesis but no solid evidence. So, who is Jack Robinson?


What's the meaning of "pick up"?

In a discussion, Person A expresses his view that he finds it irritating that some immigrants in the US could barely speak English even after coming to the country for 15 years. Person B then responds: > Agreed. Here people move into areas that cater to their home language, > street signs aren't in English, store signs aren't in English.. the people > they live with don't speak it, the people they hang out with don't speak > it.. they NEVER actually get put into a situation where they NEED to know > English.. IN FUCKING CANADA. Seriously. If I'm going to travel, I at least > **pick up** a few basics instead of just assuming everyone will cater to me. What does _pick up_ mean above? I'm assuming it means _to learn_? but I just wanted to make sure if that's what it means precisely.


With or without apostrophe?

Why is it "King's Road or Queen's Road" but "Princes Road"? Also Wikipedia says that "Kings Road" is okay but would it be alright to say "Prince's Road"?


Is there a name for the "3d" version of a crescent shape?

Is there a name for the "3d" version of a crescent shape, like there for square (cube), circle (cylinder) etc. Can I call it a "crescent prism" - is this a valid term for it? ![3d-crescent](http://i.stack.imgur.com/bOuJ9.jpg)


Double words in a sentence, what is this called?

Trying to find out what double words in a sentence are called. I know there's got to be a word for it. There is for everything! Examples: >   * I **had had** a good day, until you arrived. >   * We know better now **that that** is complete bullshit. >   * I gave **her her** hat back. >


Repeat the preposition in an "or" phrase, or not?

Which is correct (or better) English: > "Choose lace in neutral pastel tones or also in grey or black" > > "Choose lace in neutral pastel tones, in grey or in black" > > "Choose lace in neutral pastel tones, grey or black"


Word for breaking the fast on Ramadan days

What is the English word used for describing the 'breaking the fast' in the month of Ramadan ?


Use of brackets in legal writing

I see in legal writing the use of double brackets in a quote to indicate part of the quote is deleted, such as: "All work [] makes Johnny a very dull boy." I thought the correct way to do this quote would have been "All work ... makes Johnny a very dull boy." Could you tell me when the brackets with no words between them is used correctly? Thanks.


"Object of" vs. "subject of" -- which one is correct? Does it depend on context?

(Tried to search to see if this question had already been asked, but could not find it amongst the many questions concerning pronoun declension and objects and subjects as parts of speech.) What, exactly, is the difference between the following two sentences? Are they both correct -- or is one considered more correct in certain contexts or constructions?   1. > Jim's wailing child was the **subject of** much scrutiny.   2. > Jim's wailing child was the **object of** much scrutiny. Each of these usages is ubiquitous, and it's not uncommon to see both within the span of a few sentences. (For example, Google estimates over 60,000 results for _"subject of study" "object of study"_.) The difficulty seems to be that both words have several senses, and they are somewhat overlapping in this case. As a lover of grammar, I am frustrated that I cannot resolve this question in my mind. Can anyone help clarify this for me?


What's the difference between the grape, a grape, grapes?

I'm a non-native English speaker. If I want to say, "The green grape is my favorite fruit." is it okay? And is the sentence above different from these two? "A green grape is my favorite fruit." "green grapes are my favorite fruit."


"Nightmare" derivation

I did some research about word _nightmare_. In most cases this is what I've found: > _night_ \+ Old English _mære_ "incubus." I would like to use the word _mare_ for poetic purposes, but its meaning in the modern English is _an adult female horse or the female of other equine species._ Is there any possibility to use the word _maere_ , excluding the grapheme "æ", for _nightmare_?


Historical frequency of expression "and/or": Corpus search

What is the historical frequency of the expression “and/or”? I have a feeling that I almost never see it in older texts, but that it is has become exponentially common in the past five or ten years. However, Google’s Ngram Viewer doesn’t seem to work because of the slash. Any suggestions? Or does anyone already have data on the historical frequency of “and/or”?


What is the opposite of "multitasking?"

"Multitasking" is a commonly-used word in computer science and has a lay meaning as well. What is the opposite of "multitasking?" I tried "unitasking" in a recently letter to a colleague and was met with mock horror. Perhaps "singletasking" or "single-tasking" is more natural? Or another word altogether? * * * [EDIT]   I need the antonym in a computer science document, and "non-multitasking" is quite stilted. _concentrating_ would have a very low probability of being correctly construed by my reader to mean "one task at a time".


about pronunciation of 'g' at end of words

Some people pronounce the _g_ at the end of words like _spring_ and _listening_ as [g] (as in _guard_ ) instead of [ŋ]. First, I thought only some Russians tend to do this, but the other day I heard a British person doing the same thing in a recording. Now I'm confused. Which is correct?


Combination of similar pronouns (indefinite)

Are there any significant differences in meaning or usage between `"everyone"` and `"everybody"`, or `"anybody"` and `"anyone"`? As far as I know, there are some grammatical points involving `"everyone"` and `"everybody"`, or `"anybody"` and `"anyone"`, but books/internet/professors cannot identify any differences of meaning or usage between these two pronouns.


Essay Title Advice

I finished writing an essay about why economists must heed the factual data presented by environmentalists as the future of the world (and us) depend on it and I cannot think of a sufficient and elegant title. My previous title was... odd... probably because I wrote it at 3am but it was "The Crucially Needed Harmonic Convergence of the Economist and Environmentalist" I need help with something that's not so.. peculiar.


Starting a sentence with "In Winter 2010,"

Would that be permissible? It just sounds awkward. Use Cases: > In winter 2010, two penguins, named Jony and Rony, were born. > > In winter 2010, five ice-skaters , each in the 130 lb category, won a gold > medal for their countries. If the 2nd part of the sentence is even longer, it makes it harder to switch around the parts of the sentence.


how to interpret slashes?

I am submitting an application and one of the requirements is: > Copy of bank account statement in country of residence, duly attested by > Indian Embassy/High Commission/Consulate/Apostille in the country where > applicant is located I don't know how to interpret this statement. The person is located in USA and it needs to be sent to India. Does it mean Indian Embassy or Indian High Commission or Indian Consulate or Indian Apostille? Or does it mean Indian Embassy or High Commission or Consulate or Apostille? But then "Consulate" alone doesn't make sense, but neither does "Indian Apostille".


Grammar analysis of this sentence from a magazine

I am reading the latest _Time magazine_ , how should the structure of the following sentence be analyzed? > Taken together, their stories tell not only of the tragedies and rare > triumphs of that day but also of the tumultuous decade that followed. I understand the meaning of this sentence, but I am not sure about the grammar.


Abbreviation for "announcement"?

Is there a common abbreviation for "announcement"? If there is, what is it?


What does "emphasizer vs. adjunct" mean?

"I do not really get to do much topical material." A scholarly paper gives that sentence, and it then comments: "Really" performs the function of emphasizer vs. adjunct. What does it mean by "emphasizer vs. adjunct"? Thank you


"Travel" vs. "travels"

My question is about formation of plural form of the noun _travel_. I have a folder on my PC that contains a photos from my different travels (France, Germany etc.), I want to create a folder structure: Travels → France/Germany/etc → Photos. So, now I'm confused, how to name this folder correctly in English — "Travel" or "Travels"? Should I add an _-s_ in order to show plural form in case of the word _travel_?


Why “me” instead of “my” in pirate speech?

I don’t understand the usage in constructions like “Spare meself, me ship, me crew” in _Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End_. Is it a dialect or “bloody pirate’s speech” or what?


concept/name extraction

I need your help to set **all rules** for extracting names/concepts from a phrase.      for example, in the phrase " _in toshka, it's always sunny_ " the name/concept here is **toshka** , which is a place in Egypt. i found it because it's a **Preposition** followed by a **Noun**      What are other rules for finding entities/names?


What does "Octotastic" mean?

I've seen people writing : "Have an Octotastic day!". I've tried to search online but no useful results. From the context I feel its a synonym for "fantastic". I couldn't see any details on usage of that word? Is it something made-up?


If someone is currently doing an activity, is it wrong to say they were doing that activity?

If you are currently doing an activity, then a moment ago you were doing that activity. So if I am doing something, is is grammatically correct to say I was doing it or do I have to use the present tense until I stop doing an activity? An example:                  I am living.             Yesterday, I was living.             Therefore, I was living.      So, basically, is the conclusion in the example grammatically correct?


Is "to the down of" correct

I was doing my chemistry homework and came across this sentence: "Atomic radius increases _down and to the left of_ the periodic table." It seems awkward to say "to the down of," but, because left and down are the same part of speech, is it grammatically correct?


What is the term in linguistics when a word comes to have a new meaning over time, e.g 'wicked' is commonly used to demonstrate this

I'm not sure what to add here. I think the title says it all. I just need to know and would like to try this service because I believe it's really useful.


Which preposition follows curiosity?

Which preposition follows the word curiosity? Ex. To explore their curiosity (for/about/with) science?


How do I say, "I am willing to relocate", in my CV?

I'd like some help with my CV. I want to add one sentence below my name, telling the company that I am free to relocate to any city. I am not a native speaker and I am not sure about this. Can anybody tell me how to say it? Which way is proper and professional?


Capitalisation of domain names and URLs

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Should I use capitalization when mentioning a domain name? Is there a rule or preference for capitalisation of domain names? I'm aware that folder and file names are case sensitive, but should domain names (particularly with proper nouns) be capitalised? www.joeblogswidgets.com or www.JoeBlogsWidgets.com


Is 'Safari' really an English word, and what are its origins?

We are all used to this word _safari_. I think most people will agree that its usage is ubiquitous when referring to going for holiday (esp. overland travel in Africa). So is this word a true English word? What are the origins?


What does "implement to" mean?

On UEFI page we can read: > Acknowledging that you understand a license is required to implement to the > Specification does not now or in future commit you either to completing an > Adopter's Agreement or to doing any implementation work. If you are planning > **to implement to** the Specification, please complete and return the > separate Adopter Membership Agreement to obtain the proper license. Does this "to implement to the Specification" mean _creating software based on the Specification_ , _creating software using functionality exported by implementation of the Specification_ or _contributing to the Specification_ in this case? And, is the closest synonym of "to implement to"?


A verb that describes an action by someone who is new in town

Is there a verb that describes someone from the countryside (ie: new in town ) who tries to behave , dress and speak like its people to fit in and not be taken for a redneck ?


Quote from the Pirates of Carribean

Here's the scene. Jack and Angelica are in the captain's quarters on Black Beard's ship. They're both looking at a shelf full of bottles that have ships inside them. One of them contains Jack's ship named Black Pearl Jack asks _"Why is the Black Pearl in a bottle?"_ Why does he say **a bottle**? It's quite clear for both of them which specific bottle the ship is in because they're looking at it when asks the question.


"Wear Uniform Clothes"

If I ask a pupil about what clothes he wears to school, which is correct? > Do you wear a uniform to go to school?   >  Do you wear uniform clothes to go to school?


Is the plural form of “Mercedes” a disused word?

In the picture below: > 1) are there two Mercedeses? Or, > 2) are there two Mercedes? ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/yzNb3.jpg) Can we infer from this nGram that the plural noun "Mercedeses" is a disused word, hence the sentence 2) is considered correct? ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/g2xMI.png)


No and double inversion within question tags

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  How to reply to question tags I'm a Dutch native speaker so forgive my English mistakes (that's why I am here). In Dutch it is normal to have a following example conversation: > Person A: You don't want this thing?   >  Person B: No Meaning: person B does not want it. But since the answer is negative, if taken literally it would mean B wants the thing. The answer 'yes' has a similar problem: > Person A: You don't want this thing?   >  Person B: Yes Meaning: person B wants it, but giving a confirmation for the question in fact means the opposite. What is the 'semantic' meaning in English?


Ending sentence with two nouns?

This is from NYTimes: > And again and again, and closer and closer, it returns to a speeding > commuter train, a recurrence that artfully foreshadows the story’s nifty > repetition compulsion. How can this sentence end with two nouns? What does “nifty repetition compulsion” mean?


Etymology of "ripsnorting" / "ripsnorter"?

Etymonline presents us with a rather brief and uninformative > "something of exceptional strength," 1840, probably from rip (v.) + snort > (q.v.). Does anyone have any more detail on the origins of this word?


How can I change the tense of a hyphenated verb?

I'm certain this can't be the only example there is of a hyphenated verb, but it's the only one I can think of right now. How should one appropriately convert "mouse-over" into the past tense? Should it be "moused-over" or "mouse-overed"? Also, are there any other verb-preposition combinations like this that could be used as examples?


"I am thinking to invest" or "I am thinking investing"?

Which of the following sentences is correct? > I am thinking to invest in stocks.   >  I am thinking investing into stocks.


Simple present or present perfect simple with "WHEN"?

From a native speaker's point of view, are these sentences both gramatically acceptable and equally common in spoken/written English?   1. I'll call you when I get to the gym.   2. I'll call you when I've got to the gym.


Exam day or exam's day?

What one's correct? >   * I will see you on the **exam day** > >   * I will see you on the **exam's day** > >   * Today is the **exam day** > >   * Today is the **exam's day** > > And why?


What does this "Of" mean?

He can feel the hurt feelings of the common mass in the amphitheater of his disposition. What does this "of" mean? I think this is the same "of" as "the city of Rome"


Response's 'respectfulness'

I'm in a work environment, and when a superior emails me to 'let me know' of something (e.g., Dear Bob, I'll be absent of the Tuesday meeting because of x.) I don't know what response has a proper tone. My thoughts are that: "Got it, thank you.", "Message received, thank you.", and "Ok, thanks!", sound like things a superior would be responding me (rather than the other way around). I think that even thought phrases 'respectfulness' might vary with people's opinions, there is a standard. (A soldier doesn't go around telling his superiors "Ok" or "got it.") Thus, my question is two-fold: For practical reasons, 1) what response would be proper for a superior, but not so much that it sounds obsequious - or that you're a sycophant. And for pedagogical reasons, 2) what is the area (and proper terminology) of linguistics which studies the language's 'properness'/'respectfulness'. (I assume this to be an area since 'properness' is ever evolving with society).


Is to use hyperbole to be hyperbolic?

eg. > 'You've lost us millions of dollars!' Dave screamed. His statement was > hyperbolic, the losses were really only $32,954.


Is "gadget" always an electronic device?

The Online Etymology Dictionary explains the origin of the word _gadget_ as follows: > 1886, gadjet (but said to date back to 1850s), sailors' slang word for any > small mechanical thing or part of a ship for which they lacked, or forgot, a > name; perhaps from Fr. gâchette "catchpiece of a mechanism" (15c.), dim. of > gâche "staple of a lock." This means that the word was not used for small _electronic_ devices in the beginning. After all, it would be quite hard to find any Blackberrys, Kindles and IPods back in the 1850s... What about the current usage of the word _gadget_? Is it restricted to electronic devices? Or is it still used more generically as in the original meaning of the word?


think it fair criticism (grammar question, can't understand)

_In the past, SQL has been criticized for having an inappropriate name. Structured Query Language lacks a proper structure, does more than just queries, and only barely qualifies as a programming language. You might **think it fair criticism** then, but let me make three comments..._ I can't grammatically understand **_think it fair criticism_**. Is **_it_** the object of **_think_** and **_fair criticism_** an adverbial phrase or something like that? Is this grammatically similar to the construction **_deem it necessary_**? Please, break it down for me, maybe, with examples.


Usage of "Hi" and "hi" in a letter/mail

In the beginning of a letter (or mail) , which is the correct method to address a person/friend..say for example which would be more perfect "Hi XYZ" or "hi XYZ" ? __Kanu


Question on usage on 'Rating Yourself'

Assuming you are the interviewer and would you ask the candidate: >   1. **How** would you rate yourself on the scale **from** 1 to 10? >   2. **What** would you rate yourself on the scale **of** 1 to 10? > Which sentence is more appropriate (is it _how_ or _what_ )? I want to know the right way. In a way, _what_ sounds more appropriate than _how_ , but _how_ is used more often (from Google stats).


"Toilet", "lavatory" or "loo" for polite society

My friend is trying so hard to fit into polite society, and is raising her child to say _loo_ rather than _toilet_. I know it should be _lavatory_ (and I would not say _lav_ ) but we are in the 21st century now. What would be deemed appropriate?


'Have both' -not sure I'm using this correctly

Is this correct? > Have both of today’s meetings been cancelled?


Difference between "movie", "film" and "motion picture"

What is the difference between _movie_ , _film_ and _motion picture_? In school I learned that a _movie_ is played in a cinema, but _film_ is also used to describe this.


Is it grammatical to switch verb tense in a predicate with a conjunction?

I am having a massive debate about whether the following sentence is grammatical: > The tag was created and is printed. The issue is the switch of tense between _was created_ and _is printed_. Some argue that this is invalid English because of the inconsistency of the tenses. However, it seems to me that the presence of the conjunction _and_ allows for this because _the tag_ applies to both verb phrases and makes the above sentence a short hand form of something like: > The tag was created. It is printed. It's possible that this is only the case with forms of _to be_ , however, or perhaps just the passive. For example, the following certainly **_does not_** seem grammatical: > He threw the rock and catches the ball. But there is a fundamental difference between the two examples, besides the forms of _to be_. In the latter, the subject of the sentence is not also the object of the verb as it is in the sentence under question. As such, such a shift in mentality with just a conjunction is not warranted. It gets very confusing. Is it grammatical to switch tenses in a predicate at all? If so, under what circumstances?


"Favorite fruits are grapes" or "favorite fruit is grapes"

I think I understood the general idea of _fruits_ vs _fruit_ , but what about the situation where you're saying: "My favorite fruits are grape"? This made me cringe when I saw it in an English course booklet. Would I be correct to assume that, in this case, we would say: "My favorite fruit is grapes"? The reason being that my favorite fruit _is_. But also, _grapes_ is considered one group or type of fruit here, therefore fruit = is grapes. Did I explain this correctly? Is this the right assumption? I think that "favorite fruits are..." would be used if you're going to say "grapes and apples".


Period after "fax"

What are the rules for putting a full stop after a fax abbreviation? Sometimes I see: Tel.: xxx-xxx-xxx   Fax.: xxx-xxx-xxx Is "fax" here an abbreviation?


Is there a difference between 'I thought to myself' and 'I thought.'?

Is there any need for the ending of ' _to myself_ '? How is it different from the alternative? Can you always replace 'I thought to myself' with 'I thought'?


What makes 'admix' different from 'mix'?

A friend of mine (who, as far as I know, doesn't have English as a first language, though is fluent) mentioned how odd it was that English had the word _admix_ , and quoted a dictionary definition that stated that it was a synonym of _mix_. I supposed that an _admix_ was a _mix_ made **just** by adding two materials together, whereas a _mix_ involved stirring. This is the entry I found: > ad·mix   >  tr. & intr.v. ad·mixed, ad·mix·ing, ad·mix·es   >  To mix; blend. Am I right that the word is redundant, or does it have another use?


"Undelete" vs "recover" or "restore"

I just checked the German translation of _undelete_ on Beolingus and found _wiederherstellen_ , which I could translate back to _restore_ or _recover_. Could these words be used as synonyms for _undelete_ or are they for cases where more has to be done than just to press a button?


"Consistence" and "consistency"

What is the relation and difference between the nouns _consistence_ and _consistency_? For example, which one should be used in the following sentence? > Although he has passed the exam, he is suggested to take the next one, > because they would like to test his **consistence/consistency**.


"Sick and tied" and "sick and tired"

What is the difference between phrases "sick and tied" and "sick and tired"? Is the first phrase correct? Possibilities (summary from comments):   * The standard phrase is definitely “sick and tired” and the other version could be a typo   * maybe some instances of "sick and tied" are parody of "sick and tired"   * "sick and tied" could be a mishearing related to a non-rhotic accent   * searching confirms that “sick and tied” occurs in the wild much more often than most typos do, and as a serious alternative, not a deliberate play on words. Looking at the usage makes it clear that some people really do know the idiom as “sick and tied”. Seems like a classic eggcorn, worth discussing as such


When did things like ‑fu start to spread?

I have looked at the answers to the question Can anyone tell me what the suffix “‑fu” stands for?, and I understand what it means. When, though, did it come into use? Does its spread coincide with the spread of martial arts in the English-speaking world? Are there other examples that appear around the same time, or is this borrowing unique at this time? I have read the Wikitionary article, and I could not find anything in Etymonline.


"Bless you" & sneezing

Why do you say _Bless you_ when people sneeze?   Is there good reason or history? When someone sneeze, if I don't say _Bless you_ , am I rude?


What's the opposite of "Rest In Peace"?

If you want to express hate about someone that passed away, how would you say that?


Where did ::action:: come from?

Sometimes during instant messaging, people will want to express an action, possibly something where an acronym doesn't exist for, yet. The formula is generally opened by two colons, an action-description, and then closed by two colons (:: _action-description_ ::). They will type something like:               :: hugs ::     ::jumps for joy::      What is the name for this and where did it come from?


What does the phonetic symbol after the comma mean here?

I was checking the Pronunciation of enshrine from ODO which lists: > Pronunciation: /ɪnˈʃrʌɪn, ɛn-/ Does it mean that there are two different accepted pronunciations?


What are the connotations of the word "Greetings" when used as a greeting? I am British, and I have rarely heard "Greetings!" used as a greeting in the UK. I associate it in my mind with Commander Data in _Star Trek: The Next Generation_ , because I seem to remember he used it a lot. So to me it connotes geeky, formal and stilted. However, I appreciate this may not be accurate.


If someone talks too low, or mumbles, do you call that 'inaudible' or 'unintelligible'?

To put it more specifically:   * is `inaudible` reserved for when you can't hear _anything_ , or does it also apply when you can't hear _enough_?   * is there a more specific word than `unintelligible` to mean 'acoustically unintelligible'?


"The world forgetting, by the world forgot."

This is from Alexander Pope's Eloisa to Abelard, also appeared in the movie Eternal Sunshine of Spotless Mind(2004). Could anyone parse this sentence for me? Where's the predicate? What does "the world forgetting" mean? I think if it means two worlds forgetting each other, it should be something like: The world is forgotten, by the world (that has been) forgotten. * * * Thanks, you guys really illuminated me. Can you talk about your thoughts on the following lines? > Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!   >  Each pray'r accepted, and each wish resign'd;


it's nearly or about 3 o'clock

What are the ways to say it's nearly or about 3 o'clock? I can think of the following. What else do you know? It's getting on 3 o'clock. Its going on 3 o'clock. It's almost 3.


How do I say "what technologies should be *used* in a project"?

Hey, I'd need a synonym for _used_ in this phrase, because the meaning is from the "long term" point of view, something like: > What technologies should be **employed** in a project for it to succeed in > following 10 years? If I use _used_ it seems like we take advantage of this technology right know; that's not the meaning I need. I'm using this kind of sentence very often in a documentation and I need a substitution for _often_. Regards.


"not meant merely to" vs "not merely meant to"

I don't know which of the two is more correct: >   1. This site is not meant merely to determine the popularity of specific > tools. >   2. This site is not merely meant to determine the popularity of specific > tools. > Cant these be safely used interchangeably?


Are the words "whine" and "wine" pronounced the same?

These two words sound exactly the same to me. Are we assuming the "h" in "whine" is silent?


Deuce and trey - do any other kinds of pip cards have special names?

I was playing cards this evening and found myself referring to the deuce and the trey. I was wondering, do any of the other pip card ranks have special names?


Word for people who live in the same city

What are the people who live in the same city are called? Any words for that? I want to use it in the following context: > I and my ____ are happy.


Repeating the consonant in many words in a sentence or phrase

In the movie 'V for Vendetta' you have for example (bold part): > Evey: Who are you? > > V. : Who? Who is but the form following the function of what and what I am > is a man in a mask. > > Evey: Well I can see that. > > V. : Of course you can, I’m not questioning your powers of observation, I’m > merely remarking upon the paradox of asking a masked man who he is. > > Evey: Oh, right. > > V. : But on this most auspicious of nights, permit me then, in lieu of the > more commonplace soubriquet, to suggest the character of this dramatis > persona. > > V. : **Voila!**   >  **In view humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and > villain by the vicissitudes of fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, > is a vestige of the “vox populi” now vacant, vanished. However, this > valorous visitation of a bygone vexation stands vivified, and has vowed to > vanquish these venal and virulent vermin, van guarding vice and vouchsafing > the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition. The only verdict > is vengeance; a vendetta, held as a votive not in vain, for the value and > veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. > Verily this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose, so let me simply add > that it’s my very good honour to meet you and you may call me V.** > > Evey: Are you like a crazy person? > > V. : I’m quite sure they will say so. How do you call sentences like this?   And do you know some other ones?


What do you call it when the video is not smooth?

What is the English phrase to describe a video that is not running smoothly, but rather has interruptions in it, becoming sort of like a gif? Usually these things happen due to technical problems such as low memory or CPU power, which is why I'm afraid I can't think of a way of demonstrating exactly what I mean (e.g. I cannot paste a link to a video like that). I am not necessarily looking for an adjective. Any phrase will do. I would also like to include another related question in here - what's the word/phrase for almost the same situation with sound rather than video? I.e. when the sound comes and goes (over the phone, for example).


Why football and rugby clubs use "Racing Club" in their names?

There are many sport clubs with the name Racing Club of [ _town name_ ]. It seems that _Racing Club_ is an old name for clubs of runners. But I don't understand why is it used for football or rugby clubs (even if these sports involve running people). I'm also surprised to find that _Racing Club_ is used in Argentina or France.


"as much as you and I" vs. "as much as you and me"

This was posted on facebook and people are saying it is incorrect, it should be: "...as you and I" Which is correct? ![facebook poster](http://i.stack.imgur.com/hqxBc.jpg)


Meaning of "clot" in the following sentence

I've searched all of the reasonable sources for a meaning of _clot_ as the word appears in the following sentence. I've also tracked down a couple of people who shear sheep and neither of them was able to help me. Before going to the effort described above, I assumed that _clot_ meant un-carded, unwashed wool, but there does not appear to be any text that supports my suspicion. Here is the sentence: > The wool produced by the pasturing of sheep was needed in ever-increasing > amounts for the manufacture of clot. After more-or-less coming to the conclusion that _clot_ was a typo and that the correct word was _cloth_ I got some push-back from editors who based their opinion on context. Anybody know what is meant by _clot_? The sentence comes from an historical account of enclosure in 16th century England.


Word to describe killing for deterrence

Is there a word or phrase that describes an event where someone or a group of people are killed or executed, usually publicly, as a means of deterrence? A close candidate is a "scare tactic." Thank you.


Where did the phrase "batsh*t crazy" come from?

I am curious how this term came to be. I've found this question on various forums, but none of them seem to agree where the term came from. The most popular explanation seems to come from "bat in the belfry," but I don't see how the two are necessarily connected.


"Bob and us" or "Bob and we" or "Bob and ourselves"?

In the singular, it is quite clear that one uses "I" when referring to a third party and oneself, as in: > Bob and I are going to build an aircraft. However, in the plural, it is a lot less clear. For example, if a group of boy scouts are talking about their next project and want to include an outsider, e.g. Sarah: > Sarah and we are going to build an aircraft. Or would it be: > Sarah and us are going to build an aircraft. Or even: > Sarah and ourselves are going to build an aircraft. Please help as otherwise I'll have to shelve the whole aircraft project.


Does "whereabouts" function as a singular or plural noun?

> His whereabouts is unknown vs > His whereabouts are unknown Which is correct, or is this simply a matter of preference?


"Aspects" or "respects"?

> In the same respects/aspects, we can say it's right.


"Notebook" or "workbook"?

What's a proper word to use for an item without any printed words, where pupils, for example, may write compositions?


Objects with no name, like "the Sun"

This morning I was pondering the things in the English language which have not been given a name, such as 'the Sun' or 'the Moon'. These do not seem to fall into the same category as 'the ground' or 'the sky' which seem a lot more spatially vague. In cases where an implicit place is referred to, for example: 'we went to the ocean', the thing also has a specific name. Is there a reason why English has not given a name to the Sun or Moon? Other languages seem to have gone to the effort to name the big fiery thing in the sky, for example: Sol, Helios, Güneş.


Can I use "techs" in a domain name instead of "tech"?

Is it normal to use `*techs.info` instead of `*tech.info` in a domain name? Is this correct, or can I not reduce "technology" to "techs"?


Advocate versus Partisan

**Advocate** and **Partisan** are two of the most ambiguous words I have ever come across. I have been researching these two words for almost three hours trying to figure out if they're the same or different. Driving me nuts! * Both are used interchangeably as having the same meaning  * Both are used separately as having different meaning  * Partisan is often used as an adjective for Advocate  * Both are defined in the dictionary as being a supporter of a group > Question: What is the difference between Partisan and Advocate? * If they are the same, then why do people say "partisan advocate"?  * If they are different, then why are they not listed as synonym/antonym in a thesaurus?  * If one supports the other, then why are both defined as an advocate for a group?  * How is it that a partisan supporting a group is biased while advocating for a group is not?


Why is a tie in Tic-Tac-Toe called a "Cat's Game?"

Back in grade school whenever we played a game of Tic-Tac-Toe (X's and O's) and the result was a tie, we would call it a "Cat's Game." I've never heard this term applied to a tie in any other circumstance and was interested in where this term came from and why it seems to be unique to Tic-Tac-Toe.


Plural of "A good night's sleep"

Is it possible to have a plural of "A good night's sleep"? Would "Some good nights' sleep" be correct? **Edit:** I'm thinking specifically in the sentence: "I'm looking forward to a good night's sleep"


Can I write a comma followed by an em-dash?

We have in an 1858 court case: "A curious doctrine this,—a singular kind of subtraction,—to subtract crime from crime, and there remains nothing but innocence." It appears that we are no longer "allowed" to do this. But why not?


What does “blink” in “G.O.P. blinks in standoff” mean?

Today’s (October 16) New York Times reported that “Congressional Republican leaders conceded defeat Wednesday in their budget fight with President Obama over the new health care law.” under the headline, “At 11th Hour, G.O P. Blinks in Standoff,” http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/17/us/congress-budget- debate.html?hp&_r=0 As I am unfamiliar with the usage of “blink” adopted in the way of the above caption, I checked Cambridge, Oxford and Merriam Webster online dictionaries to get used to it. CED defines ‘blink’ as a verb; 1.When you blink, you close and then open your eyes quickly once or several times, and when an eye blinks, it does this: 2.If a light blinks, it flashes on and off. OED defines‘blink’ as a verb; 1.Shut and open the eyes quickly: 2 (of a light) flash on and off in a regular or intermittent way: Merriam Webster defines it likewise: 1.to close and then open your eyes very quickly 2 to shine with a light that goes on and off None of the definitions of the above dictionaries seem to me to be very fitting to “blink” in “G.O P. blinks in standoff.” I think the word in the above caption is used figuratively, perhaps to mean ‘flinched / recoiled’, but I’m not sure. What does “blink” in “G.O P. blinks in standoff” exactly mean? **P.S.** FYI. Today’s (Oct 17) New York Times followed up the above article by rephrasing “blimp” with "back down" in the following headline: "Shutdown ends; Debt limit rises. G.O.P. **backs down** after 16-day standoff.”


"Version" vs. "edition"

What's the difference between _version_ and _edition_?


What is the difference between these two almost identical sentences?

There are even numbers of good and bad things. There are an even number of good and bad things. What is the difference?


Do the spaces between the teeth of a comb have a name?

According to Google, they are called "Umpernaters," but I can't find that word anywhere in dictionaries, so I'm tempted to think it's just a legend. Is there a real term?


"I'm not going to have..." vs. "I'm going not to have..." vs. "I'm going to not have"

Is there a rule that governs when you change around the placement of "not" in a sentence relative to the verb? For example: > I'm NOT going to Spain to have fun. or > I'm going, NOT to have fun, but to look for work. or > I'm going to NOT have fun and study instead.


Why does "Why doesn't it work?" become "Why does it not work?"

When you uncontract _doesn't_ in "Why doesn't it work?" the _not_ moves to "Why does it not work?" This confuses me even more when I use a longer phrase instead of the pronoun _it_ like below: > Why doesn't this simple code example work? Why does the word order change when we use a contraction?


How do I manage periods for abbreviations with parentheses, right before a period?

> "In the case of medical diagnostics, there is a cost associated with each > medical procedure that provides additional information (blood test, x-ray, > etc.)." Should that end with "etc.).", "etc)." or "etc.)"?


Native English inferiority

"Nativity" is a fancy word for "birth", and what makes it "fancy" seems to be that it's derived from Latin. English-speaking people tend to regard words obviously derived from Latin or Greek as more hifalutin than words of Germanic origin. "Substance" is more dignified than "stuff"; "decay" more formal than "rotting"; "predict" more scientific than "foretell". When Arthur C. Clarke wanted to make the names of two characters in a story set in the very distant future seem futuristic, he called them Eriston and Etania, which seem like ancient Greek names (Or do they? I now find something on the web saying "Eriston" is of English origin and means "son of Eric", but I am doubtful). It seems at least somewhat plausible to explain this by saying that people who spoke Latin and were familiar with books in Greek (maybe especially the New Testament?) brought civilization and literacy to British barbarians. I have heard that something similar happens in Korea. Korean names of numbers bigger than 1000 are Chinese words. I know enough about Swahili to know that it's pretty easy to tell which words in that language are derived from Arabic, and among those are all words that would be known only to literate people and unknown only in non-literate communities. The word "kitabu", meaning "book" is obviously of Arabic origin, although its way of being used in Swahili is completely adapted to that Bantu language, as seen in the fact that its plural is "vitabu" (it is one of a class of nouns in Swahili whose singular (in most instances) begins with "ki-" and whose plural begins with "vi-"). I don't know whether Swahili-speaking people feel the same way about Arabic-versus-Bantu as English-speaking people do about Latin/Greek-versus-Germanic-or-otherwise-barbarian. Is there a name for this phenomenon, whereby even after centuries of development into erudite thinking, people feel that words that come from formerly more civilized foreigners are more civilized, literate, dignified, or formal than native words? What other instances of it exist than English and Korean?


"Leader board" vs. "leaderboard"

Is there a preferred spelling for the word "leaderboard"? Should it be one word or two? It would seem that both are correct, but is either preferred?


Present Simple or Present Continious

I have to write an email to inform other people about some error that occurred. I want to write: > It is returning "value1" instead of "value2" when I select something which > is causing the error. My question is, should I use simple present instead of present continuous? > It returns "value1" instead of "value2" when I select something which is > causing the error.


Abbreviation or expression for ‘we will prove that’

In German mathematics, the expression ‘Zu zeigen’ exists, which translates to ‘to show’. It is used at the beginning of proofs (or the answers to exercises) to state what exactly will be shown in the following paragraph(s), for example: > Z.z.: Für jedes `a,b` reell existiert ein `c` sodass `a+b=c`. ‘Zu zeigen’ is often abbreviated as ‘Z.z.’, even Latex code exists to implement a nice ‘zu zeigen’ in one’s proofs. My question is whether a similar short statement, ideally with an accompanying abbreviation, exists in English.


Meaning of "No, yes ..."

I'm not sure if this is something only Americans say, but it has confused me for a long time. If someone is asked a question why do some people respond with something like, "No, yes it was"? What does "no" at the beginning mean? It seems like a contradiction. For example: > I'm not sure if I answered your question or not.   >  No, yeah, that makes more sense, now!


Harry Potter Half-Blood Prince fiasco

> "If I'm having lessons with you, I won't have to do Occlumency lessons with > Snape, will I." ''Professor Snape, Harry — and no, you will not." "Good," > said Harry in relief, "because they were a —" He stopped, careful not to say > what he really thought. > > "I think the word 'fiasco' would be a good one here," said Dumbledore, > nodding. In that excerpt, Dumbledore replaces a word Harry has not said with 'fiasco'. Not being a native speaker myself, however, I've been wondering: what's the word that Harry would have said, had he not considered it inappropriate?


How do you use the expression “to come out in front” (as in "to gain an advantage")?

The usage of the expression "to come out in front", in the sense of gaining an advantage, or succeed in an endeavor (in spite of all odds?), isn't very clear to me. As far as I can tell people use it most often when talking about finances, as in “ _We sold the house and managed to come out in front financially_ ”, but I've also encountered phrases like "how women can come out in front" and similar. I searched TheFreeDictionary, Wordnik, Google and there's no official definition. Is it a colloquial expression? I guess I'm confused as to whether I should use it abstractly and in the context of some sort of deal, or as a valid substitute for "to win/triumph/succeed". For example, in a capsule description of a The Simpsons episode from the SNPP fansite the writer comments at the end > "This is the only episode where the family actually _comes out in front > financially_ at the end of the show." Am I using it correctly if I use it like this? "The police fought the gangs and eventually managed to come out in front." "I didn't study for the test but came out in front anyway." "The politician came out in front thanks to minority voters." "When the player comes out in front, he's rewarded with 1000 experience points and can progress to another level."


"Leadership is our drive. What's your?"

Here, you may find a call to arms of sorts by the Swedish most prominent telco. I was born Russian, and I live in Sweden, so English is just about my third language. And so the following line does not sound right in my head: > Leadership is our drive. What's your? Well, I want to say, _what's yours?_ but that doesn't seem to go with implied _drive_. But for some reason it sounds really wrong to me. I think it's idiomatic in inspiro-speak to leave out the _drive_ -part, so I'm not complaining about omitted subjects and fragmentation. So is _this_ wrong? And if it's not — why do I feel like ending the punchline with _what's your?_ sounds much worse than ending it with _what's yours?_ ..?


The equivalent of baccalauréat diploma for the Anglo-American educational system

In professional life, it is necessary to know the English way of expressing your level of education. As you know, the **baccalauréat** is the diploma awarded to those finishing their secondary education. In America, is it a “bachelor’s degree”, a “high school diploma”, or something else?


Is there a functional difference between "not believing" and "believing not"?

If you tell your friend some incredible story and they say, "I don't believe you!" It seems like they are pretty obviously trying to say that they believe that your story isn't true. I have someone I am talking with trying to telling me that there is a difference between the sentences, "I don't believe that X is so" and "I believe that X is not so." This seems like semantic nit picking though to me. Wouldn't it be much easier to say: "I lack belief that X is so" or "I'm not sure that X is so?" The placement of the "not" seems trivial in relation to the "belief" but I am open to being wrong on that.


Proper use of prolonged

I have seen examples of using prolonged with negative connotations. If a relationship between two countries is cordial and last for more than five centuries is it correct to use the phrase " prolonged relationship"?


'with X and Y' where 'Y' has no article

Okay, a brief grammatical scuffle has broken out on a forum I frequent, where someone used the expression 'with whiskey and cigar', and someone else claimed it was grammatically incorrect, suggesting that 'cigar' should either be pluralised or preceded with 'a'. I'm absolutely _convinced_ that it's correct as it is, but I'm afraid I don't have the in-depth knowledge to adequately explain why, so if someone could clarify this for me, I'd be most appreciative. Thanks! :) EDIT: For completeness, the expression in question is actually the 'tagline' of the forum in question 'Where gaming happens with whiskey and cigar'.


Meaning of "put on" in "the accuser can be put on the defensive"

Reading a text about liars and their behaviour, I encountered the following sentences: > It is hard to prove there was a harsh tone or angry expression. The accuser > can be put on the defensive. "You have heard it that way. There was no anger > in my voice". I failed to find what "put on" could be in this context. The only meaning that would make a little sense would be "to pretend". Also, I think it is a passive voice; but I may be wrong, _put_ has the same form for present, past and past participle. I think it could mean: The liar can try or pretend) to be defensive to the accuser. And I have an additional question: As mentioned in the text, "You heard it that way". Is this more like "You heard it with your own ears, there was no anger" or "It is just you who heard it THAT way, there was no anger"?


If the conditions warrant

## ! Source > 'Central bank securities purchases have provided meaningful support to the > economic recovery,' he said adding later that, 'we should not rule out the > further use of such policies if economic conditions **_warrant_**.' The verb **_warrant_** is transitive. So is a **_it_** or **_that_** missing after **_warrant_**?


Why do some people pedantically cling to dying word forms (e.g. die, oxen)?

The only times I have ever heard the word "die" to refer to one dice are from my mother, and from my primary school English teacher. Every person I ever hear always says, "give me a dice" if they want one, and "give me the dice" if they want two. I used to "correct" people to say "die" if they meant one, but that just makes me look overly pedantic and asinine. So I have personally started using "dice" in the singular, and "dices" in the plural, which people understand, and a few of the priggish ones will try and correct. And on that vein of thought, I thought, why not use "ox" and "oxes" instead of the stupid "oxen". Why is there such a strong pull to hold on to archaic constructs, which don't really add flavour to the language, and in fact, just make it more confusing?


"For <xxx> sake" - which variant is more common?

There are a lot of variations of this phrase, most notably including   * "for God's sake"   * "for Heaven's sake"   * "for Jesus sake"   * "for Pete's sake" Which of those are most commonly used in modern English? Is there any context in which one of them should be preferred? For example, I have never _ever_ heard about "for Pete's sake" before reading "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov, where this term is widely used.


What does the suffix “‑fu” mean?

Can anyone tell me what the suffix “‑fu” stands for in the following sentence? > If you want to take advantage of some other Spring-fu, like some of its > aspect-oriented features, then you’ll need to use this heavy-handed, direct > object management technique.


How should I use "passive-aggressive" as an adverb? My hunch is that this is correct: > Jack passive-aggressively said nothing. What I consider incorrect: > Jack passively-aggressively said nothing. > > Jack passively-aggressive said nothing.


How to introduce someone

If I have to introduce someone in a meeting what should I say? > I would like to introduce X who has joined us from Y company.   >  I like to introduce X who is joining us from Y company.


Nonstandard spellings for dialects

Are there standard ways of indicating dialect, as "I 'aven't," I asked 'is name," and especially "It couldn't 'a' 'appened." Can "have" be indicated with just "a"?


What does 'tape' mean in this sentence?

> HP TouchPad vs. iPad vs. Xoom vs. PlayBook: the tale of the tape.


"Hence", "therefore" and "so" in mathematical proofs

It seems to me that "so" is seldom used in math proofs. Instead, "hence" and "therefore" are used very often, even repeatedly appearing in several sentences in a row. So I wonder if my feeling is correct? What do you think is proper use of these words or similar ones in math proofs? Thanks!


Why "line of business" applications?

In software, why do we talk about _line-of-business applications_ (sometimes abbreviated to LOB)? Why not just _business applications_? So it's useful to distinguish between general software (like email or word processing) and mission critical software specific to the business. But how did " ** _line of_** ..." come to be used for the latter?


word to describe a person who catches the sexual overtone in a normal conversation

I know there is a word for it — I heard it when I was young. What is the word to describe a person who catches the sexual overtones in a normal (non-sexual) conversation? Here's one example I have (I said this and then laughed because it was my comment and went over my own head at the time): I was considering a name for a mobile dog grooming business. I thought ' _Doggie Style_ ' was great. Of course, the room full of my husband's friends laughed at me, telling me I'd never get approved for a license with that name. What word would I use to describe them?


Is /æ/ pronunced like the shortened version of /ɑː/?

Is /æ/ pronounced like the shortened version of /ɑː/? Or are they totally different?


Too, two, and to

Which to/too/two do you use when you are writing, "there are three ways to spell two/too/to in the English language?" My girlfriend has a BS in English and was unable to answer this so I was wondering if you guys had any idea.


How to distinguish when the preposition "BY" refers to the object previously or the whole sentence afterwards

Example: The behavior of a resource is determined **by** which HTTP method the resource is responding to. Is the part "which HTTP method the resource is responding to" the object of **by**? But it seems to me also understandable that the **which** in **by which** refers to the part "The behavior of a resource".


Which phrase is more natural to a native speaker?

"The underlying notions of the problem" or "The problem underlying notions"? Please consider the brevity principle too.


What is meant by "the fifth estate"?

I've found several definitions that seem to be incompatible From http://www.thefreedictionary.com/fifth+estate > A class or group in society other than the nobility, the clergy, the middle > class, and the press. From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifth_Estate > The Fifth Estate is most strongly associated with bloggers, journalists, and > media outlets > that operate outside of the mainstream media http://www.takepart.com/article/2013/10/16/what-is-the-fifth-estate > “Fifth Estate” explains our collective ability to share information, to > create > communities, and to organize social movements through online > networks Does it refer anyone whose job it is to use the internet to spread news?


Is this the right use of "ensure"?

This sentence in some of my company's copy has been bothering me for a while: "The new iDirect X3 modem comes with a one year warranty — which [company] will double to two years — insuring your peace of mind." This question sort of supports it, as does this. But this one from Quick and Dirty Tips, which I used to trust a lot when I used to write on a regular basis, almost seems like it's suggesting assure. I'm pretty sure it shouldn't be 'insure' because it's the peace of mind we're ensuring. So... Insure, assure, or ensure? My gut tells me ensure, but...


Word for research method

I'm doing research for my school and I have to describe the research method that I used. I have had a conversation with a person in the company where I did my internship. But I can't name the research method _interviewing_ because it is not an interview. It's a conversation where the company explained the subject of the internship and answered some questions I had. If I name it an _interview_ , my school will request me to have more interviews, because one interview is not a reason to do something. Does anyone have an idea how to name this kind of research?


Past plans for the future

I am struggling to decide the correct tense / verb usage where one wishes to express some past plan for the then future:   1. > We agreed that, when _xyz_ **happens** , we would do _abc_.   2. > We agreed that, when _xyz_ **happened** , we would do _abc_.   3. Something else? According to Future in the Past, the second form is correct because one must use Simple Past with clauses that begin with time expressions (such as "when"). This assessment is somewhat supported by this answer, which suggests that the past tense must be used since _xyz_ has already occurred and is now in the past. However, to my mind, the second form doesn't quite convey the same contingency that _abc_ would not be done until _xyz_ happened; whereas the use of the present tense in the first form better conveys that contingency. Are grammatical constructs of this sort known by some formal name? What do authorities on English (especially British English) have to say on the matter (citations would be most welcome)?


"There were all kinds" vs "there were of all kinds"

What's is more grammatically correct? > Once in the terminal, I started towards the nearest exit, glancing at the > other tourists. **There were of all kinds:** groups, husband and wife, and > people being waited with a sign. Or > Once in the terminal, I started towards the nearest exit, glancing at the > other tourists. **There were all kinds:** groups, husband and wife, and > people being waited with a sign.


Punctuation when using a list of adjective pairs set apart by "yet"

I'm proofreading something, and came across this sentence: > We believe the strength of our design is in our ability to be dynamic yet > focused, clean yet inviting and organized yet exploratory. It kind of feels like it needs some more punctuation to be more readable, but the only idea I had was to add semi-colons, which made it feel kind of choppy: > We believe the strength of our design is in our ability to be dynamic, yet > focused; clean, yet inviting; and organized, yet exploratory. Thoughts?


Parse tree of "several more successful books"

Let us consider the following sentence: > After that first attempt, she wrote several more successful books. Does this mean she wrote several additional books that were also successful? Or that she wrote several books that were more successful than the first?


"Reveal" vs. "revelation" as nouns

I just posed this question on sci-fi.stackexchange and had my wording corrected from _reveal_ to _revelation_. > I realise that to have said that too early in the film would have ruined the > big **reveal**. Is there some in-universe reason for Palpatine to refer to > Luke's father as Anakin? Some kind of psychological game that Palpatine is > playing with Vader, perhaps? I thought _reveal_ was the correct word but I wanted to check the difference with experts.


"Ongoing" or "on-going"

As per the title, is the proper usage "ongoing" or "on-going" when writing something such as _ongoing research projects_?


"Suggestion" vs. "proposal"

I am currently writing my thesis concerned with the analysis and design of data visualizations. For certain use cases my thesis suggests certain visual interpretations (to which I generally refer as _visualizations_ , this being the term used in the academic field). One of my chapters eventually introduces these proposed visualizations, and I am wondering about the chapter's title: >   * _Visualization Proposals_ >   * _Visualization Suggestions_ > Both come to mind, and I am unsure as to the exact difference in the meaning (or how they _feel_ ). Could someone elaborate on the difference of the two words in the above context? Many thanks in advance.


Is "optimization to" correct phrasing?

I have this sentence in my bachelor's thesis: > _After a paragraph describing an accommodation subprocess (set of > activities)..._ > > **Basically, there are two potential optimizations to this subprocess.** > > _...then a paragraph describing two possible optimizations._ Is it correct to use _optimization to_ in this context? I didn't find any similar expression on the web.


Why one place on stack exchange is called "area51"?

Why this place on stack exchange is called "area51"? Is it a special idiom in English for some places where things are being developed? Does 51 have some special meaning besides being just a number?


“that which" and "did myself the honor" - June 22nd 1798 Letter by John Marshall

> Dear Sir (Source) > > Your letter to Genl Dumas was deliverd by me to his lady from whom in > consequence of it I receivd during my stay in Paris the most polite & > flattering attentions. She deliverd me the inclosd answer which was written > in Copenhagen & forwarded to her. Having heard that Mrs Marshall is in > Winchester I shall immediately set out for that place.   >  Permit me Sir to acknowledge the receipt of your very polite & obliging > letter in answer to **that which** I **did myself the honor** to address to > you from the Hague. `1.` Would someone please expound the differences between "that which" and "which"? Why not "...polite & obliging letter in answer to which I did myself the honor ..." ? `2.` Is the expression "to do the honour to someone" or "to do someone the honour" or both? Why not the other? `3.` http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/do+honor+to says > I. to show respect to. II. to be a credit to. Would someone please explain how "to do honour to" engenders these meanings? Is "do" a synonym of "bestow/convey/impart" here? `4.` How would John Marshall be doing himself the honour to address a letter to George Washington from the Hague?


Difference between "intern" and "trainee"

I am filling out a form in order to get a J-1 visa to the US. One question is to say if I'll be an intern or a trainee (among others). Yes, I could ask the guys that made the form, but my question is more about the general meaning of the two words. In my case, I am going to work in a company to do my Master's thesis. I would say I'm an intern, but I'm not sure :)


Nuances between "extenuate" and "palliate"?

I'm looking for a word which defines the act of "making an offence look less severe". However, this can be done rightfully (because an offence might in reality be excusable because of unfavorable circumstances) or unrightfully (because there are no excuses for the offence, but the offender is trying to get away with it anyway, so this word is most likely pejorative). Are there different words to describe each situation above, that I could use in everyday language, without sounding too formal? What about 'extenuate' and 'palliate'? What other words are there, that have more exact definitions like these two?


Can you have a singular "dreg"?

Is it linguistically incorrect to singularise the word "dregs", as in the following example: > He finished off every last dreg of his coffee. If so, are there any other English words which can only exist in plural form?


"Haven't you?" or "don't you?"

What is the right question tag (in British English) when we use the verb **have**? I have interviewed a few native speakers and none of them could explain why sometimes they prefer "haven't/hasn't" and why other times they prefer "don't/doesn't". Here are 4 different groups of sentences. Which ones are correct and which ones aren't and why? **Group 1**   1. I've got a good voice, haven't I?   2. You've got a dog, haven't you?   3. She's got a new boyfriend, hasn't she?   4. We've got very good friends, haven't we?   5. They've got our address, haven't they? **Group 2**   1. I have a good voice, don't I?   2. You have a dog, don't you?   3. She has a new boyfriend, doesn't she?   4. We have very good friends, don't we?   5. They have our address, don't they? **Group 3**   1. I've got a good voice, don't I?   2. You've got a dog, don't you?   3. She's got a new boyfriend, doesn't she?   4. We've got very good friends, don't we?   5. They've got our address, don't they? **Group 4**   1. I have a good voice, haven't I?   2. You have a dog, haven't you?   3. She has a new boyfriend, hasn't she?   4. We have very good friends, haven't we?   5. They have our address, haven't they?


distinct variations on get/locate/find/obtain to make clear whether the target exists

I'm looking for two different single words (although if there are two or three word phrases that are clearer, I'd prefer them) to make the following distinction for get/locate/find/obtain:   * get X if it can be found   * get X no matter what (if it can't be found, then make or create it) Any suggestions?


Can I say "What you are saying is ‘pants on fire,’" when I don’t trust what my elderly friend says?

There was the following sentence in the article titled, “Romney says inaccurate attack ad is fair” on IowaPolitics.com (November 23), which was studded with several expressions I’ve not gotten used to: " _What's sauce for the goose, is now sauce for the gander_ ," Romney said. "(Obama) spoke about the economy being a huge burden for John McCain. This ad points out that, it's now your turn ... _This economy is going to be your albatross_." > The ad was rated “ _pants on fire”_ by Politifact, a Pulitzer-Prize winning > project of St. Petersburg Times that checks the truthfulness of political > statements. This rating indicates that Obama’s words were distorted.” I can roughly guess what the phrase, “What’s sauce for the goose, is now sauce for the gander. This economy is going to be your albatross," mean. We have a similar (I think) Japanese saying: When you curse someone, you dig two holes to bury at the same time, one for him and one for yourself. However, I’m puzzled about the use of "pants on fire" to serious issue like political and authoritatative research subjects, because my understanding of "pants on fire" is the phrase from children’s game or taunting – “Liar, liar, pants on fire.” Can I say "What you are saying is pants on fire" when I don’t trust what my elderly friend says?


Why is "proceed" spelt "-ceed" and not "-cede" like "precede"?

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Origins of the “‑cede/‑seed/‑ceed” suffix The pronunciation of _proceed_ is exactly like that of _precede_ with the only difference being the _o_ instead of the _e_. What rules of the English language dictate that it be spelt with the ending _-ceed_ instead of _-cede_?


What are the grammatical phrases in this sentence?

I'm analyzing this sentence and scanning it for prepositional, appositive and verbal phrases. In the sentence so far as I can tell there is only one prepositional and no appositive and no verbals (infinitive, gerund, participial). However, a few things do confuse me. # **“He is immortal, not because he alone among creatures has an inexhaustible voice but because he has a soul, a spirit capable of compassion and sacrifice and endurance.”** From what I can tell, the 'among creatures' is a prepositional phrase with 'among' being the preposition. No appositives, but I feel like a sentence like this with such an interesting structure should have more than just a single prepositional phrase. Am I missing something here? What other phrases exist here?


Where did the word "proc" originate?

The word "proc" is used to describe an event that occurs at various intervals and seems to be a term unique to programming and gaming: > When does that event proc? > > If that trigger procs it will cause [...] > > This card has an ability that procs when you play [...] > > When the card proc'ed/procced, it killed off all opposing creatures and won > me the game. The word does not appear in the dictionaries I checked. "Proc" is listed as an abbreviation for words like "proceeding": > proc -- > >   1. procedure >   2. proceedings >   3. process >   4. proclamation >   5. proctor > But these seem completely unrelated to the usage I've noted above. So where did this term originate?


Can degrees be "established"?

I wanted to convey that a university degree is true and valid, but I am not sure if the word "established" can be used for the degree itself.   1. Any suggestions on which words I can use to convey that same meaning for a "degree"?   2. Can I check if it is the word "established" can be used for an educational program?


Pronouncing the "N" as separate syllable at the end of words like "known" and "pattern"

Over time, I have heard people pronounce the "n" on words like "known" (NO-en) and "pattern" (PAT-r-en), as though it were a separate syllable. The instances of my hearing such have been rare ones, but I can't help but think this is a remnant of some regional dialect, or perhaps due to European roots. Where did this pronunciation originate?


Better word for blackmail or extortion

A while ago I used the word _blackmail_ in a situation, just to learn that the word didn't fit. I am left wondering whether there is a better choice. I probably have to explain the situation (I'll try to keep it short). I was playing a board game online. At some point it was sure that I had won the game (and by that I don't mean that I had an edge but that I literally had won). Unfortunately this doesn't mean that the game ends immediately, but it goes on until some criterion is met which ends the game. Under normal circumstances this happens rather quickly but my opponent found a way to artificially prolong the game leaving me with two options: a) I could accept a draw, even though I already had won. b) I could continue playing, probably for hours, doing the same repetitive moves over and over just to collect the win eventually. Normally the game is quite casual and doesn't take longer than 15 minutes. I said that he was "blackmailing" me. However he insisted that I was using the word wrongly, since it is biased to situations where monetary benefit is involved. As you can imagine there was a lot of tension already and the end of the story is not important, but I was left with the question whether there is a better word for this situation. I discussed this question with some friends (including American, British and Australian native speakers) and all agreed that the word isn't really right, but that there is probably no better one. _Extortion_ was another candidate but this word seems to be too harsh. Any ideas?


'pick' as an alternative for 'pick up' (transport)

A lady (of West Indian ancestry) said at a Church meeting this weekend: "He picked me at the station." Obviously, she meant what I would mean by saying: "He picked me up at the station," which would not be the smutty interpretation. I think I have heard this expression used similarly once before. On the 'Wordwizard' website, we have only come up with a few opinions as to whether the shortened form is (a) now generally acceptable, (b) dialect or slang, or (c) erroneous grammar. Certainly, the examples we've been able to find on Google are accompanied almost invariably by obviously wrong grammar or excesses of sentence fragments. Has anyone any experience of (or sound statistics on!) the shortened usage, please?


A word meaning the opposite action of recruiting

If I was starting a club for cool kids only, I would **recruit** all the cool kids by, for example, actively seeking them out and convincing them to join the club. To keep the uncool kids out of my club, I dissuade them from wanting to be in my club by telling them that it's a dumb club and only losers join. Is there a word that describes what I'm doing to the uncool kids?


word for racial polarization (similar to "partisanship")

There is a lot of sensitivity regarding race in the United States. In my view, the topology of this sociological landscape is characterized by one factor-- but I can't think of the word for it. There is a certain "sensitivity" to race that some have that others don't, especially in politics and sociological issues. The best way to describe it is mental "polarization". Some people are oblivious to race, yet others use race as their default reference frame when considering social issues. The word that I'm looking for is similar to "partisanship". This is exactly the word I'm looking for with "race" being replaced with "political party". Partisanship is also not binary: some are more partisan than others, based on the extent to which political party factors into their decisions and their analysis of political issues. I'm looking for the same thing, but instead I'm looking for a non-binary term that describes how much race factors into their analysis of social issues. **Please do not** answer with any of the following or any of its derivatives:   racism   xenophobia   prejudice   bigotry   stereotype   I am looking for a word that describes the polarization based on race, not a word describing people's feelings about it. Stratification is not what I'm looking for either, as that describes an associative polarization which works from the psychology of one's own personal identity. The word I'm looking for does not pertain to social polarization, but mental polarization when considering social issues. It also does not pertain to personal identity.


Word or phrase for clumsy, inaccurate expression

I'm seeking a word or phrase useful for referring to a bad sentence which clumsily, inaccurately and ambiguously attempts to express an idea or concept. Bad-sentence example: "We do a multiplication of 60 of the 10^10 terms to get us to 10^600 and then a multiplication of 10^3 terms to reach 10^603." Phrases incorporating 'mangled', 'tortured ', 'muddled' and 'still-born' may resemble what I want, but seem overly judgmental. **Update** _(Response to questions about example; with 'infelicity' and 'solecism' adopted from an answer)_ _Inaccurate --_ The sentence (from a sci.math newsgroup posting by "AP") is inaccurate or misleading in first using the "multiplication of ..." infelicity one way for the (10^10)^60 calculation, and then a different way for the (10^600)*(10^3) calculation. That is, if the first case means (10^10)^60, the second might be thought to mean either (10^10)^(10^3) or (10^600)^(10^3). _Clumsy --_ The solecisms "a multiplication of 60 of the 10^10 terms to get us to 10^600" and "a multiplication of 10^3 terms to reach 10^603" are longwinded and ambiguous ways to say "compute 10^600 as the 60th power of 10^10" and "compute 10^603 as (10^600)*(10^3)".


heavy or strong taste in doing things

Is there a phrase or word to express "have a heavy/strong taste in doing things or about sex" can I use "hardcore" ijn this situation?


Concatenate vs. Catenate

What is the difference between **_concatenate_** and **_catenate_**? Are the words interchangeable? > _concatenate_ : 1. To connect or link in a series or chain. 2. _Computer > Science_ To arrange (strings of characters) into a chained list.   >  _catenate_ : To connect in a series of ties or links; form into a chain. Background: Which is more natural in the case of a C function like `strcat(dest, src)`:               char* ConcatenateString(char* dest, char* src);        or               char* CatenateString(char* dest, char* src);


How can I describe someone who changes clothes frequently?

Suppose one of your friends puts on different clothes every day. Is there any word or phrase to describe someone like that? I think _luxury_ is not very close to that meaning.


How do I submit a villanelle in MLA style?

I understand how to submit essays in MLA styles, but how do I submit a villanelle?


Rules for hyphens in words and phrases

What are general rules for when hyphens are used in words such as "bad-ass" or "well-deserved". Could someone explain what kinds of words/phrases those are?


Explain "Conditional Sentences"

I need help with the the conditional sentences, please explain there structures with the examples in simple English


Is British English Outdated in Technical Writing?

I learnt English as my second language right from my school level and for the British colonial history of my country, my education was mostly in British English. In fact, during my school years, American spellings were somewhat frowned upon. However, recently I am writing a few academic papers for IEEE and some of my colleagues and reviewers seem to be very much against British expressions. Words like Colour (as compared to Color), Maximise (as compared to Maximize) etc. are being pointed out as inappropriate in an academic paper. Are all these just biased opinions or general trends in the publishing community?


Usage of "certain" in these newspaper articles

Is the usage of "certain" in these newspaper articles correct? Excerpt from Mutual funds for P1,000 a month (Inquirer.net) (emphasis mine): > "Because remember, you're acquiring shares. So it's good for the investor > ... You can never get the timing right when you invest, but if you're doing > it on a monthly basis, you're indifferent to how the market moves, because > your objective is really to reach a _certain_ amount in terms of investment > over a _certain_ period of time," she says. > > Cognizant of the market's demand for better yield, Pami allows switching > from one fund to another. > > "What we're really pushing for is diversification, maybe have a _certain_ > bucket in fixed income, a _certain_ basket in equity-based funds and then a > _certain_ portion in the peso and dollar funds," Morales says. The closest definition of _"certain"_ in this context on Oxford Advanced Learner's dictionary seems to be: " _used to mention a particular thing, person or group without giving any more details about it or them_ ". I would like to ask if this definition applies to the usage of _"certain"_ in this context. Or is there another correct definition that applies? * * * Another example — excerpt from Hazing eyed in death of graduating UP student (Inquirer.net) (emphasis mine): > The village chairman of Talisay, Tiaong, Quezon, Pedro Panopio, who was > designated by the family to speak on their behalf showed the Inquirer a > statement written by the duty guard of the Veteran’s Memorial Hospital > identified as a _certain_ Jonathan Garduce. > > He noted in his handwritten statement that Chris was brought to the medical > facility at around 1:08 a.m. Monday by a _certain_ “Dr. Francisco Cruz” > aboard a white Toyota Innova with license plates ZXB-393, followed by two > other vehicles: a Nissan Trooper (WGL-515) and an Isuzu van (XAS-548). The closest definition of _"certain"_ in this context on Oxford Advanced Learner's dictionary seems to be: " _used with a person's name to show that the speaker does not know the person_ ". I understand _"know"_ in that definition to be the fourth definition of _"know"_ in Dictionary.com: " _be acquainted with (a thing, place, person, etc.), as by sight, experience, or report: to know the mayor_ ". Does it apply to this or to another correct definition? It seems that in this context, though, it is used to state that the names are unconfirmed (not from an official source) or just to emphasize the names. The writer of the news article is not expected to know (be acquainted with) the persons mentioned in the article personally, after all.


When to use "the" before food names

I am new to the English language and I am going to English classes. In the middle of my book, we have a lesson about foods. In this lesson, food names are explained but I do not understand something. We say and write _the sandwich_ or _the hamburger_. However, when we say and write _pizza_ , _coffee_ , _chocolate_ or _noodles_ , we do not use _the_. What is there such a difference?


Tennis jargon: why are some matches "not before" a given time instead of just "after" that time?

I've recently started to follow Tennis matches and championships more closely. Now I often hear schedules mention that a match will occurr _not before_ a given time of day. That sounds odd to me. Below is an example: > Novak Djokovich vs. Roger Federer - 6PM > > Rafael Nadal vs. Gustavo Kuirten - **not before** 8PM I understand that by _not before 8pm_ , the organizers mean that the match will start at 8PM sharp, or after that, if the previous match taking place on the same court takes longer than expected. In this context, **would it be semantically equivalent to use the expression "after" instead of "not before"?** In that case we would have: > Novak Djokovich vs. Roger Federer - 6PM > > Rafael Nadal vs. Gustavo Kuirten - **after** 8PM **Wouldn't it be more direct and preferrable to just use the word _after_?** The only difference I see between the expressions is that the word _after_ excludes 8PM sharp, but to me that wouldn't be enough a difference to warrant the use of a more complex expression just for Tennis matches. Finally, a question that may not be for this community, but rather for the Tennis enthusiasts: **why don't they just simplify things and say "after 8PM"?**


What is the person called whom you give a recommendation?

If person A gives person B a recommendation, can you call A `recommender` and B `recommendee` or are these words made up? I've seen both forms used in everyday language (e.g. magazines), but never in a dictionary or grammar book, or in literature. Also, what is the process of creating `recommendee` or `recommender` out of `recommendation` called?


Hypernym of academia, researchers and topic enthusiasts

Could _academics_ or _acads_ be used to describe the university faculty as well as researchers? What is a better hypernym of academia, researchers and topic enthusiasts?


Word for “all the groups an item belongs to”?

To expand on the title slightly: all of the groups to which an item belongs _directly or indirectly_? That seems to make "parent groups," my first choice, ill-fitting. The key concept here is membership, but that term generally refers to the items in the group, not the groups themselves. ### A bit more explanation: An item's relationship to a group may be direct or indirect because groups are hierarchical. The term would describe all of the relevant groups in the hierarchy. ### An example: Fuji is an apple. Apples are fruit. Fuji belongs to apples and fruit. The phrase I need to construct is along the lines of: _Fuji and "the groups to which it belongs."_ ### Edit As Barrie pointed out, my example involves categorical relationship, but that won't necessarily be the type of membership I'm referring to. The membership is arbitrary and changeable. ### Edit 2 My example caused more confusion than good. The best metaphor for what I'd like to express is: a child has _parents_ and _grandparents_ , who are collectively his **ancestors**. I want to say: a user has _groups_ and _(super?) groups_ , which are collectively ___ **?** _.


Difference between "on the command line" and "at the command line"

What is the difference between _on the command line_ and _at the command line_?


Definition and Etymology of "Diplasiology"

Reading Benjamin Jowett's translation of the _Phaedrus_ of Plato, I have come across the word **diplasiology** : > And there is also Polus, who has schools of diplasiology, and gnomology, and > eikonology, and who teaches in them the words of which Licymnius made him a > present; they were to give a polish. What does this word mean? What are its constituent Greek roots?   1. Am I correct in assuming that di- is the common binary prefix (from δίς)?   2. _Plasi-_ is the stem I am completely ignorant of.   3. I know of course that -logy is from λόγος.