Would or Could, in a list of questions, is the first verb always the correct choice?

Here is an example of what I am wondering about: > I wonder why or how someone could kill a person. In this sentence we have two questions, _why_ and _how_. They both require different supporting words: _would_ and _could_. Here I have chosen _could_ , but _would_ also sounds fine. Which is correct? Does the order of _why_ and _how_ in my sentence matter? Finally, what is the name for _why_ and _how_ in this sentence? Edit: I think this is a Syllepsis, and thus correct.


"Parametrise" or "parameterise" a curve?

In British English, which one is correct? Does one _parameterise_ a curve or _parametrise_ it?


Juggernaut or Dreadnought

Which one sounds more dominant by definition? Juggernaut - something (such as a force, campaign, or movement) that is extremely large and powerful and cannot be stopped. Dreadnought - "fear nought". Mostly the largest British warships after the "age of sail".


What is the word for the combined senses of an organism?

I'm having difficulty recalling the word for the unique sensory space of an organism. Or it might be the word for the impression derived from those unique senses, I'm not totally sure. It would be used as follows: *The human **_ _**is comprised of sight, smell, taste, touch and sound, and differs from the **__** of a bat.*  I believe I encountered it in Valentino Braitenberg's "Vehicles: Experiments in Synthetic Psychology."


Does this sentence contain an introductory clause?

> I could do this myself, but I suggest you follow the manual. In the above sentence, does "I could do this myself" count as an introductory clause? Or does the conjunction modify it? Also, is it wrong of me to use the comma after 'myself'? Or a matter of choice?


Does this phrase mean what I want it to mean?

I want to say that "the value decreases at a rate at least x" (i.e. faster than or equal to x). Does the phrase "the value decreases at minimum rate x" mean the same thing? If not, is there any other way to rephrase it?


What's the difference between publisher, published, and published by?

As I understand, a publisher is an organization which prints a book. But I'm still confused between _published_ and _published by_. Is _publisher_ and _published by_ the same thing? Does _published_ mean the date of publishing?


"Comical" v. "Comedic"

Is there any semantic distinction between the words _comedic_ and _comical_? I usually use the former to describe people and the latter to describe things, situations, etc.


What does "This change has been a long time coming" mean?

> This change has been a long time coming. So what does this sentence really mean — the change has taken a long period of time to finally occur? Or something different?


Merriam-Webster's Jeopardy! session at "yeah"

The overview definition of "yeah" in Merriam-Webster's free online dictionary is obviously wrong ("—used in speech to show that you are surprised by or disagree with what someone has said"). However, this wrong definition was certainly not consciously entered for this word. Instead, presumably an editor misplaced the overview definition of some other entry there. So, the question is, can someone guess, correctly, what entry the spurious overview definition came from?


Is it offensive when using the word 'animals' (in this context)?

I have read this question on Travel.SE, and I am kinda confused about the use of the word _animals_ in that question: > These are entirely different classes of travel. Portugal+Spain is an easy > trip within the usual Western world, close to home and without any > significant apparent dangers other than the usual pickpockets and the > expensive Euro zone. You can easily get home if needed (regular flights from > Madrid and Barcelona directly to TLV, connections through all around Europe > from everywhere else). > > Russia, Cuba and China are different kinds of **animals**. > > Russia is an unstable place, other than in......etc Was it meant to be offensive or not? if not what did he mean?


Is "very crucial" redundant?

This came up as a multiple-choice question in an exam. Is using "very crucial" redundant?. . . or tautology?


What do you call someone who likes controversial things?

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  What do you call a person who does/thinks the opposite of the crowd for > just that reason? For example, there is an almost-normal person, but this person has a special quality, (s)he likes things that go against "normal people", for example he likes Hitler, but stating that will begin and endless debate about morals. Hipster may be a word, but is there a better word for that?


Verb agreement in the sentence

I suspect my verbs do NOT agree =) In the below sentence, I'm trying to say that I've asked this girl out for drinks in the past. However, every time I'd ask, she would agree at first and later bail out. > I've asked this girl (BTW, she is a lawyer) out for drinks several times; > she is 7, nothing special. She would express interest at first, and later > bail out. Please suggest. The source of my post: http://www.reddit.com/r/seduction/comments/e3m3g/dealing_with_a_flake/


What does the word "rich" mean in the reactionary sarcastic phrase "That's rich!"?

What does the word "rich" mean in the reactionary sarcastic phrase "That's rich!" (Google shows 67M hits). I take it to mean "rich" as in "rich in irony". What it is the source of the phrase and how long has it been used? EDIT: It looks like it is rich as in a rich source of entertainment or delight.


How to express a group suggestion? "I would like for us all to ..."

I am writing an email to my work colleagues regarding a current project. I am the lead for the project, and also one of the workers. I want to describe an activity that I think the whole group should take part in, but I am not in a position to say "do it this way", and even if I was, that's not how I would want to act. What is the best way to express this idea? My current draft reads as follows, but I don't think it sounds right: > I would like for us all to _X_.


Comparative and superlative adverbs?

I'm a native speaker of English, and I don't know how many times I've wanted to say "happilier" instead of "more happily", or "happiliest" instead of "most happily". Is there any record of such comparative/superlative adverbs (-lier, -liest) being used, even if it is in weird experimental literature? Interesting problems arise with words already ending in "-ly", e.g.:   * `sillily`: in a silly manner   * `sillilier`: in a sillier manner   * `sillilily`: in a manner suggesting a silly manner (double-adverb)   * `sillililiest`: in a manner suggesting the silliest manner possible (Typeset in fixed-width not because I think it's right, but because otherwise it's impossible to read "sillililiest".)


History: Relationship between happy and lucky

Why are the words happy and lucky so closely related, historically? Looking at the etymology, the **hap** in **happy** is the same as in **happenstance** , **happen** , **hapless** , etc. The etymology, according to dictionary.com is "ME < ON happ luck, chance." What also makes me ask this is that it seems to be the case in other languages, as well. For example, in German, **gluecklich** still means both happy and lucky. In Russian, **счастливый** is the same - both happy and lucky. Did people use to think that happiness meant good luck?


Is "class Xth" instead of "class X" ok?

Many people say, e.g., "Class Xth," "Category Xth," "Part Xth," "Street Xth," instead of "Class X," "Category X," "Part X," "Street X," respectively. Is the former right?


What does "The devil take the waltz, my only regret is for the coda—I wish that had been a success!" mean?

> "The devil take the waltz, my only regret is for the coda—I wish that had > been a success!", Johann Strauss II said I don't understand what he said, and what he means to.


Is there a difference between 'eventually' and 'in the future'?

I was at a yoga class and the instructor said something about how a posture will 'eventually or in the future allow you to roll your spine out.'. And then I wanted to know, is there a difference between the two phrases? Is there more certainty in one, or maybe one implies a ''sooner'' time?


Word that means "First Among Equals"

I am trying to come up with a word that would describe someone who is the first among equals. I did a quick search on the term on Google, and didn't come up with anything really satisfactory.


What's a word for an instance in which one has an opinion about something without having tried it?

What do you call it when someone has a strong opinion about something without having any experience with that thing? For example, if someone writes an entire newspaper article about how disgusting pie is without having ever eaten pie. The word lodged in my brain is "hypocritical", but I know that's not correct.


Forum/s, Topics, Discussions and Posts

There are many internet forums out there and I am wondering which would be the most correct way to structure one's own forum. For example, many forums are stated as "Forums" (even more use the singular "Forum" form or "Board"), then coming up with "Categories", "Discussions" or "Topics" and finally "Posts" or "Comments". I would like to know what you would prefer and if you would make some distinction between some forms of "Forums" when naming their structure.


Please, do also... or Please also

How should this sentence be phrased? _Please, do also visit this house._ _Please also visit this house._ It seems like that the answer might be dependening on the actual context, however, in that case, which context does each of these sentences belong to?


"Before date" versus "by date"

Is it incorrect to say "Please do this before Tuesday"? Is there a difference between that and "Please do this by Tuesday"?


Verb + not = do not verb ? What is the gramatical explanation?

I have long been puzzled by the usage of 'verb + not'. For example, Kennedy said, "... my fellow Americans, _ask not_ what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." The Bible states, " _Give not_ that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you" (Matthew 7:6 KJV). I think 'verb + not' equals 'do not verb'. Is that so? Can anyone tell me grammatically? Is 'verb + not' only used orally? Is it a formal expression or not?


Correct preposition for "porch"

I would like to know whether 'I park my car ' ** _on_** the porch' or ' ** _in_** the porch' is correct?


How do I say "send a code to every friend"

I have 10 promotional codes that I want users to send to their friends, but I want the users to understand that I need them to send one code to every friend.... I mean this: I have 10 codes, suppose this: AAA, BBB, CCC, DDD, EEE, FFF, GGG, HHH, III and JJJ. I want the user to select 10 friends and send AAA to friend 1, BBB to send 2, etc. When I say "Send one of these codes to every one of your friends", it seems to me that the user will understand that he/she has to send AAA to all friends, or all 10 codes to all friends. What is the best phrase to say to make it clear that is one of the codes to one friend, another code to another friend, etc., up to 10 friends? thanks.


Phrase for "human handling time"

I want to say the product reduces the "human handling time" from 1 hours to 5 minutes. I googled "human handling time" (the whole phrase), but only 21 results are shown. What I should use to replace "human handling time"?


"To be" differences with other languages

I am a native speaker of Portuguese, and in latin languages there are two verbs representing "to be", one which is a permanent state of being ("esse") and another that is a transient state of being ("stare"). My question is, what is the best way to convey this difference when there is a single verb available?


What does "Eat our peas" mean - where does it come from?

In a recent speech about the national debt, Obama said it's time to "Eat our peas". What does it mean - where does it come from?


Origin and usage of "for choice"

I recently encountered the phrase "for choice" to mean "by preference". At first it didn't look like idiomatic English to me, but a web search turned it up in a few other places. Is this common in some dialect other than mine (in British English, perhaps)? And is it native to that dialect or borrowed from some other language?


"systematize" vs. "systemize"

Merriam-Webster defines "systemize" as an alternate spelling of "systematize." Is there any reason to choose one over the the other (besides "systematize" sounding a little weird to my ears)? I did notice that the spell checker in my browser is marking "systemize" as incorrect, though Word says it's fine (U.S. English).


What does "Man of the room" mean?

I am in the process of translating Sister Sledge's "B.Y.O.B" song into Russian. Could you please help me to grasp the meaning of the "Man of the room" idiom used in this song?


”See/wonder if +(a negative)” vs. “See/wonder if + (a positive)”

I’ve asked a similar question about ‘wonder if’ before, but I’ll give it a second try to learn more about a difference in nuance between a negative clause and a positive one. Just look at these examples. >   1. He snapped it shut again, worried that the sound would attract Filch, > wondering whether that hadn’t been Cedric’s plan – ( _Harry Potter 4_ [US > Version]: p.461) > >   2. See if she can’t break the habit of writing horrible lies about people. > ( _Harry Potter 4_ [US Version]: p.728). > > I’m vaguely thinking in the above cases, _wonder whether_ and _see if_ are figures of speech, and those sentences have other meanings, for example, like this. >   1. If Cedric were here, I would like to say to him, “That hasn’t been your > plan, hasn’t it?” (hopefully) > >   2. If she were here, I would like to say to her, “You can break the habit, > can you?” (peremptorily) > > Also, I’m thinking positive ones have no such meanings, kind of neutral. I might be reading too much, but I have a reason to become sensitive to negatives. (Does the sentence of “Don’t you …?” have a connotation of accusation?) Let me get it straight. Here are my questions. **1\. What’s the difference between a positive and a negative in wonder/see if clauses?** **2\. Is it determined by the form or by the context? (I’m asking this one because both of my examples have a similar context that the speakers have a bone to pick with him or her.)** **3\. Does the same go for other verbs, for example, _ask, doubt, know, tell,_ and _be not sure_?** I’d be happy if you could help me!


Why is it "how come" and not "why come"?

When someone asks "How come?", the person answering actually answers the question "why?". "Why?" and "How?" are very different questions. I was wondering how "how come?" came to be an alternative way of asking "why?". Perhaps "how come?" is short form for something else? I'm trying to understand the reason the word "how" came to be used in the phrase "how come". Why not use "what come", "who come", "when come" or "why come"?


What is the origin of "rock" meaning "utilize"?

Urban Dictionary example: > "you can have the bed, I'll rock the couch" Earliest example I can think of: > RUN D.M.C. "It's Tricky" -- "It's tricky to rock a rhyme . . . " Now it seems pervasive. Is there something else that put it on the map or did it just take 25+ years to slowly filter into the mainstream from Ebonics (unlike, e.g., "Word Up," which seems to have risen and fallen over the same period).


Is there a difference between "select of your own choosing [something]" and "select [something] of your own choosing"?

What is the semantic difference between "select of your own choosing a partner" and "select a partner of your own choosing"? Slightly awkward grammar aside, the first seems to suggest that the choice is whether or not to participate in the selection process, while the second seems to suggest that the choice is of the partner, but is there any real difference between these two wordings?


I would like to know what is the origin of the expression "one eye on the past, one eye on the future". After googling for it, all I get is references to songs.


What does "canonical" mean?

Sometimes I read a sentence containing the word _canonical_ , but I cannot find appropriate meaning of the word. For example, in this link: > Returns a **canonical** representation for the string object. It's hard for me to find an appropriate definition from Google Dictionary: > ca·non·i·cal Adjective /kəˈnänikəl/ > >   1. According to or ordered by canon law >     * the canonical rites of the Roman Church >   2. Included in the list of sacred books officially accepted as genuine >     * the canonical Gospels of the New Testament >   3. Accepted as being accurate and authoritative >     * the canonical method of comparative linguistics >   4. (of an artist or work) Belonging to the literary or artistic canon >     * canonical writers like Jane Austen >   5. According to recognized rules or scientific laws >     * canonical nucleotide sequences >   6. Of or relating to a general rule or standard formula >   7. Of or relating to a cathedral chapter or a member of it >


Why A is pronounced differently in "opacity" and "opaque"

When I look at pronunciation guides for _opacity_ and _opaque_ I see the following: > **opaque** : oh-peyk (a hard A) > > **opacity** : oh-pas-i-tee (a soft A) Since their root seems to be the Latin _opācus_ , why do they have different pronunciations? Aside, I've been pronouncing _opacity_ as _oh-pey-si-tee_ (hard A) for most of my life, so I'm a little embarrassed.


Why is the plural acronym "CSS" treated as singular?

CSS stands for Cascading Style Sheets, which is a plural phrase. One would say: > Cascading Style Sheets _are_ used to provide a central location for all of > the stylings of a project. However, it seems to be the prevalent usage to say: > CSS _is_ used to provide a central location for all of the stylings of a > project. Why do we do this, and is this correct? Would anyone ever say "CSS _are_ used to provide a central location for all of the stylings of a project"?


Does American "condominium" as applies to building ownership have an equivalent term in British or Australian or other English dialects?

An American "condo" is a building, usually residential or industrial, that is owned in condominium by multiple parties. I've recently learned that this term isn't used in conversation in Britain or Ireland. Does it still exist as a legal term there? What is the equivalent conversational term?


What does the word "seether" means?

I am trying to translate Veruca's Salt song "Seether" and I can't find this word's translation, or, at least, meaning. > Ow!   >  Seether is neither loose nor tight,   >  Seether is neither black nor white.   >  I tried to keep her on a short leash,   >  I tried to calm her down.   >  I tried to ram her into the ground, yeah. Google Translator translates it in Russian as _Огнечар_ , but I haven't found this word's meaning either. It seems it is some kind of proper name; if so, from where?


The meaning of "a cottage industry of people"

What does "a cottage industry of people" in the following Washington Post article mean? > All of the early machinations by Republicans and Democrats who want to be > the next president — even though President Obama won reelection just 292 > days ago — have spawned a cottage industry of people wondering whether this > is the earliest start ever for a presidential race and whether that’s a good > or a bad thing.


What does "match X against Y" mean?

I just read a post that says: > When Angular bootstraps your application, the HTML compiler traverses the > DOM matching directives against the DOM elements. What does "match... against" mean? How should we should use it?


Plural after comma in complex sentence

What's correct? "The fact that he wears a hat, and recent observations of him in red boots, **suggest** to me that he has a sense of fashion." OR "The fact that he wears a hat, and recent observations of him in red boots, **suggests** to me that he has a sense of fashion."


Less technical term to describe how often a recurring schedule repeats itself?

Defining a recurring schedule requires two steps:   1. How often the schedule repeats itself (e.g. weekly, every 2 weeks, every 3 weeks, etc.)   2. Inside each repetition, when the recurrently scheduled event actually happens (e.g. 1:00PM on Tuesday and Thursday of the first week, and 3:00PM on Monday and Wednesday of the second week) The combination of these two things can be called "schedule" or "frequency" or another simple term. But what is a good name for step #1 alone? Microsoft Outlook calls it "Recurrence Pattern" which to me seems intimidatingly technical. Is there a plainer English term that will work instead? The word will be used as a label in a website form where users choose how frequently (how many weeks) the schedule repeats itself.


Single-word adjective for "which should be repaired"

I'm looking for a term to characterise things which _should_ be repaired. I am also looking for an antonym to go with it. Imagine I have two boxes, one with phones which should be repaired and the second with others. I have to label each box with a single short word because the boxes are very small. _Repairable_ does not work because it describes things which _can_ be repaired. So what are your recommendations?


'Investigation of' or 'Investigation into'?

I have a phrase: > Investigation of catalytic phase structure using SEM and TEM methods I always thought that "investigation of" is a correct way of saying it. But I am told that it is actually "investigation into". Browsing the net, I could not find the answer about the difference of these two. So my question is: does "investigation into" even exist, and if so, what's the difference between it and "investigation of", and where can each be used?


"On aisle two" vs. "in aisle two"

In supermarkets in the United States, I tend to hear this often: > Cleanup **on** aisle two [or some other number]. Would _in_ be as good as _on_? How is _in_ different from _on_ in this context?


Because of in the beginning of a sentence

Is this sentence right? " I eventually go to that restaurant. Because of the prices I can't afford to go there very often" Can I start a sentence using "Because of"?? Thanks


Meaning of the phrase "I am all ears"

I was going through Stack Overflow and I noticed this phrase. > I am all ears Is it some spelling error of "I am all yours" or does it mean something like "I am eager to listen"? What is meant by this phrase & what do you call this type of phrase?


Word for when one uses the wrong word in a sentence

Specifically, I'm looking for the term for when a person uses a word correctly, but intends a different meaning. For example: > I empathize with you. When the person really means: > I sympathize with you. Both sentences are grammatically correct. They both have meaning, and as sentences they are both "correct"...they're just incorrect in this case.   This isn't a case of a malapropism where a similar sounding word is inserted with ludicrous results, nor is it a parapraxis, eggcorn, or mondegreen (as I understand them). It's simply a case where a person either misunderstood the difference between the two and thus chose the wrong word or the person did understand but believed (in this case) they empathized when in fact they only sympathized. I'd like to say something like "You made a grammatical mistake/error" - except in this case it isn't grammar...


Meaning of 'confer upon'

> The only objects which can constitute [the space-time framework essential to > interpersonal communication] are those which **confer upon it** their own > fundamental characteristics.


Where does the term 'board' come from in 'room and board'?

Where does the term 'board' come from when its used in the 'room and board' context?


Can I name one client of my application "tenant" if I have multitenancy?

I'm a software developer and want to add the feature "multitenancy" (German: _Man dantenfähigkeit_, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multitenancy) to my application. Each entity in my application has several attributes. Now I want to add an attribute and give it a good default name. I could use "company", "subsidiary", "client" or maybe "tenant"? _Tenant_ sounds odd to me because it is immediately associated with renting an apartment. I've googled for lots of terms but never found a way to describe in one word what I'm searching for, so I'm asking here. Can I just call this attribute/form field in my application "tenant"? I don't want to use "client" because that words means so many different things in the IT department. At the moment I'm using "client organization".


What's the best way to find the subject in a sentence? How do you define a subject? I am especially curious about such cases, in which the subject seems to be represented by more than one word: The majority of people didn't mind the new policy. A great number of students went on strike yesterday. Addition: and such cases where the passive voice is used: The man was bit by a dog. Children were frightened by the wolf. Also, please, consider such cases with ergative verbs: I broke my chair. The chair broke. The chair was broken by me.


What does "punch line" mean?

I read this sentence and I don't understand what "punch line" means here: > Most people recognize this Amazon: Jeff Bezos's hyperproficient Borders- > killer; one of the few dot-com initial public offerings that didn't end up a > **punch line** ; ...... I know the literal meaning of "punch line". So in this sentence, does it mean that most dot-com IPO companies failed like jokes, so they "end up a punch line"? This explanation sounds awkward to me. Could somebody please explain the usage of "punch line" here?


-ship vs. -hood

What is the difference between nouns naming states of being or positions ending in -hood and those ending in -ship? In practice, if one were neologizing such a word how would one decide which suffix to use? Examples: Apprenticeship; proprietorship; friendship; childhood; falsehood; statehood


What does ‘Knicks have to go through another week of “jelling on the fly”’ mean?

I came across the phrase ‘jelling on the fly’ in today’s New York Times’ article titled, ‘The Knicks are racing to blend talent into a team.’ As I don’t understand the meaning of ‘jell on the fly,’ I checked several online dictionaries and found only one definition for ‘on the fly’ at whatis.techtarget.com that reads: > In relation to computer technology, "on the fly" describes activities that > develop or occur dynamically rather than as the result of something that is > statically predefined. I don’t think this definition applies to my case. Can somebody teach me the exact meaning of going through ‘jelling on the fly’? The original text containing the phrase reads: > Despite an abundance of talent, the reconfigured Knicks will have to get > through another week of jelling on the fly, especially on defense. But > D’Antoni had already offered a reality check: He said he did not expect the > Knicks to be cohesive until the N.B.A. playoffs begin next month. “It just > takes a while,” he said.


Sentence to Indicate Change (That is not a cliché)

I have a sentence that I need to replace; one that is somewhat cliché. What would be a good sentence (Or perhaps a phrase) that could indicate change in a somewhat stale/monotonous environment? Sentence: > Like a breath of fresh air.


"Book time off for some days"

I want to book some past days as time off via a time tracking system, and there is a reply message: > Cannot book time off **for** past days. (Meaning that I should have booked time off before leaving, not after leaving.) I wonder whether _for_ is used correctly here. I just see "book something for someone", "book something on some day", and have never seen "book something for some day" before.


Is it OK to add a question mark to show inflection?

When asking a question you generally have to raise your voice at the end of the sentence, is it okay to stuff a question mark in order to show inflection? A couple examples:   * 'That really happened?'   * 'I'm going to miss it again?'   * 'You did that?'   * etc...


"You went there?" in English

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Is it OK to add a question mark to show inflection? Can we say in a conversation "You went there", and by stressing the statement, mean "Did you go?" I know one normally asks, "Did you go?". But is the above form also a possibility?


Is there an English term for "L'esprit de l'escalier"?

_L'esprit de l'escalier_ or _l'esprit d'escalier_ (literally, _staircase wit_ ) is a French term that describes the predicament of thinking of the perfect comeback too late. Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it as follows: > Definition: > > A witty remark thought of too late, on the way home; the clever comment you > wish you had delivered > > Example: > > "When he bragged about sleeping like a baby, I should have added the bit > about waking up crying every two hours, but that's just esprit de > l'escalier. At the time I just nodded and said nothing." Is there an English term for that?


Is "solutioning" a correct word in a technical context?

I'm a translator from English into Italian language. While translating a British patent I found the following sentence: > The large heat treatment window seen in the ThermoCalc simulation also > suggests that it [the alloy in question] will respond with full solutioning > without incipient melting for the solutioning and HIP procedures associated > with most base alloys when it is used as filler alloy for welding. What do you think about "solutioning" as used here?


What is a gender-neutral alternative to the expression "man-days"? I thought of "work-days" but am wondering if there might be another term. The use would be, for instance, "This project requires staffing of 1000 man-days over a six- month period."


Is there a particular rule for conjugating verbs in cases of semi-ambiguous subject?

"A school of fish swims away" vs "A school of fish swim away." Enough said. What's the rule under such circumstances?


Pronunciation of council/counsellor

I have heard sometimes the [æ] vowel in either _concil_ [kaʊnsl/kounsəl] or _counsellor_ [kaʊnsələ(r)/kouns(ə)lər], as in this British pronunciation of _counsellor_. It sounds rather like _cat_ [kæt] than _cow_ [kau], but I'm not sure if it's really [æ]+[u]. Am I hearing wrong?


Are there any dictionaries that meet the criteria below?

Suppose I wanted to write a computer program that replaces a word with its definition. Some dictionaries, such as the Google dictionary, would not work for this task; for example, if one tries to define the word "this" on Google, it says: > used to identify a specific person or thing close at hand or being indicated > or experienced. If I wanted to modify the phrase: > I love this weather! ...by changing the word _this_ to its definition, I would get the inappropriate sentence: > I love used to identify a specific person or thing close at hand or being > indicated or experienced weather! Of course, thesauruses are out there; but I am specifically interested in something that gives a full definition for a word--not just a single synonym. So is there a more literal-minded dictionary out there--i.e., one where the definition could literally just be swapped in for the word? If not, and a thesaurus is my best bet, why not? An example of the kind of definition I _do_ like is: > **die** , (as in singular of dice) _noun_ : a small cube with each side > having a different number of spots on it, ranging from one to six, thrown > and used in gambling and other games involving chance. > > "I rolled the dice." -> "I rolled the small cube[s] with each side having a > different number of spots ranging from one to six, thrown and used in > gambling and other games involving chance." Thanks!


Can I use a plural last name as my company name?

So let’s assume my last name is Norton and I’m starting a publishing company. I want it to be “Nortons, Limited”. It is quite common to use plurals in company names — for example, _Waterstones, Halfords_. However, I did a bit of research and didn’t find any media or publishing company that uses a plural last name. Instead, it’s usually something like “Norton Media”, but I don't like that. Any help? Or should I stick with the “Nortons”?


Word for "willing to try new and unfamiliar things"

Example: > A: Hey, do you like to do bungee jumping? > > B: Um, OK. Haven't done it before, but let's try it. I'm not looking for adventurous or something similar. That word should also fit in less action-packed activities: > A: I've a new board game. Do you like to play? > > B: I don't know this game and, actually, I don't like these varieties of > games but I will do. Maybe it is funny. First I thought about _open-minded_ but I think this means more _willing to listen to people, think about their ideas, arguments, ... and accept them (not necessarily agree)_. What word describes a person who is willing to try activities he don't know or hasn't experienced before?


Who/What decides if a word is "proper" English?

I was taught since kindergarten that "ain't" isn't a proper English word. I was wondering, who determines which words are acceptable and which words are not? Do words ever go from "improper" to acceptable? What are some examples and what caused the change?


What did the English call alcohol before they had the word alcohol?

Presumably the English knew that there existed a compound common to fermented or distilled liquids that caused intoxication, but before they had the word alcohol, what did they call this chemical compound?


Meaning of "Schemas are changed infrequently, if at all"

As the question title implies, the following is a simple sentence written in plain English. >   * Schemas are changed infrequently, **if at all**. > Where _schema_ is a special term used in Database Management System - DBMS implying _the overall logical structure of a database_ or simply say _the overall design of a database_. A _database_ can be thought of as a collection of well-structured, well-organized and **interrelated** tables that may contain a huge collection of **related** information in the form of rows (or records - an older term) and columns (or fields - an older term) in each of the tables. The terms _row_ , _column_ and _table_ in DBMS are especially designated by the terms _entity_ , _attribute_ and _entity class_ or _entity set_ respectively. An _entity class_ in DBMS is also called _a relation_ in **very special** contexts (for example, normalization). The terms _record_ and _field_ were especially used before the advent of DBMSs. * * * The meaning of the main clause is obvious but I really don't get the meaning of the subordinate clause or if-clause. It appears that something is deliberately disguised in the _if-clause_ for some specific reasons. What does **_if at all_** mean in this sentence?


What is the difference in meaning and usage between "gather" and "collect"?

I was wondering what the actual difference between these two expressions is, since I recently read about "collecting mushrooms" but also about "gathering berries". Is there even any?


What is the ranking of these synonms in terms of a sense of importance?

As far as I can tell "imperative", "critical" and "utmost importance" are synonyms. Are any stronger than the others in terms of conveying a greater sense of urgency or importance? I fond the following definitions: imperative: of vital importance; crucial.   critical: having the potential to become disastrous; at a point of crisis. utmost: most extreme; greatest (all of these definitions were found from typing into Google.com "define:" followed by the word, I don't know how to link to them)


How to paraphrase “I feel cheated!”

What is another way to phrase the following: > I feel cheated!


Is "thankyou" acceptable as a single word?

I was doing a small piece of language translation in Google Translate, and it detected the use of "thankyou" in the text and asked "do you mean - thank you". Is the single word version - thankyou - an aberration?


Should I use 'cards' or 'a card'?

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  "Are there any <plural noun>" vs. "is there any <singular noun>" My question is on whether you should use _nice cards_ or _a nice card_. All these sentences are written on the assumption that he sends one card to each of his friends at each event. (It is quite normal, isn’t it?) They say it should be _cards_ , with [1] and [2].   1. He always sends me nice cards.   2. He always sends me nice cards at Christmas.   3. He always sends each of his friends a nice card/ nice cards.   4. He always sends each of his friends a nice card at Christmas. Do the last two sentences still have to use _cards_?


How did "sinister", the Latin word for "left-handed", get its current meaning?

_Sinister_ is the Latin word for _left-handed_. What evolution of meaning turned _left-handed_ into _evil_ and _threatening_?


What does "The painfully obvious with Olive Penderghast...the fake school slut" mean?

Is there anyone can tell me in _Easy A_ why Brandon says Olive should teach a course of this name? I don't get the idea of the title. > Brandon: Are you saying that I should act straight so people will like me? > > Brandon: That's groundbreaking. You should teach a course at The Learning > Annex. It could be called " **The Painfully Obvious with Olive > Penderghast...the Fake School Slut.** " > > Olive: I was just suggesting that maybe these kids we call peers are onto > something. You know, like Marianne Bryant. Maybe that whole stuck-up, Jesus- > freak thing is an act. You know? It's nice of you if you can explain the whole situation of the dialogue. I hope someone who has watched this movie answer it.


Is there a word/phrase for "unperformant"?

As a software engineer, I need to sometimes describe a piece of code as something that lacks performance or was not written with performance in mind. Example: > This kind of coding style leads to unmaintainable and **unperformant** code. Based on my Google searches, this isn't a real word. What is the correct way to describe this? ## EDIT My usage of "performance" here is in regard to speed and efficiency. For example, the better the performance of code the faster the application runs. My question and example target the negative definition, which is in reference to preventing inefficient coding practices.


What is a "Gutenberg mind"?

I came across this phrase in yet another novel-is-dead kind of article, where the author refers to literary critics as the "possessors of Gutenberg minds". I was wondering if anyone else has heard this phrase, and what it may mean? The author references Marshall McLuhan as its source, so it seems to come from that man's philosophy, which deals with the effects of mass media and communications in the 50's and 60's.


Comma in a series of words?

I am confused if I should use a comma in the following series? Note that there is no "and" in the series, and all the three adjectives, i.e., powerful, high- throughput and low-complexity are modifying the word "decoder". This requires a powerful high-throughput low-complexity soft-output decoder for LDPC codes. or This requires a powerful, high-throughput, low-complexity, soft-output decoder for LDPC codes.


Is this an objective complement or adjective phrase?

In ‘catch me off guard’, is the ‘off guard’ an objective complement or adjective phrase that modifies ‘me’? > My Great Uncle Algie kept trying to catch me off guard and force some magic > out of me -- he pushed me off the end of Blackpool pier once, I nearly > drowned -- but nothing happened until I was eight.


What does “Sleep through the Second Coming” mean?

There is the following statement in Jeffery Archer’s fiction “Kane & Abel,” in which William Kane, one of the two heroes looks at his wife sleeping soundly on bed unaware of his big problem: > He put the phone down and looked across at the sleeping Kate, blissfully > unaware of his latest problem, how he wished he could manage that. A curtain > only had to flutter in the breeze and he would wake up. She would probably > **sleep through the Second Coming.** He scribbled a few lines of explanation > and put the note on her bed side table, then he dressed, packed, and set off > for New York. OALED defines ‘the Second Coming’ as a day in the future when Christians believe Jesus Christ will come back to earth. Wikipedia says > “The Second Coming” is a poem composed by Irish poet William Butler Yeats in > 1919 ... The poem uses Christian imagery regarding the Apocalypse and second > coming as allegory to describe the atmosphere in post-war Europe. Near the beginning of the second stanza of “The Second Coming” we find: > Surely some revelation is at hand;   >  Surely the Second Coming is at hand.   >  The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out   >  When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi   >  Troubles my sight: ... However, I’m not able to relate the above definitions of ‘the Second Coming’ to merely sleeping as used in the above lines of Archer’s. Does “Sleep through the Second Coming” simply mean to sleep soundly, or have specific meaning? Why has it to be ‘the Second Coming’?


Proper punctuation of "three to five page essay"

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  How to write dashes in “a 2-4-room-apartment”? Which is the best way to write the quotation in the Question Title using numbers?   1. 3–5-page essay   2. 3 to 5-page essay   3. 3–5 page essay   4. 3 to 5 page essay   5. Other Are any of the above absolutely wrong?


Difference between "deny doing something" and "deny having done something"

What is the difference between "deny doing something" and "deny having done something"? The context is as follows: > While being questioned on the court, the man denied [taking/having taken] > the old lady's necklace. Which one is correct, or are both? Is there a difference in meaning?


Etymology of "settee"?

I was reading Cochrane's _Memoirs of a Fighting Captain_ when I came across this:- > However, at 3.00pm, as a large settee was running into the mole of Ciotat, > we discharged two shots at her, which went over and fell into the town. I was momentarily disconcerted by the notion of _a seat, for two or more people, with a back and usually with arms_ sailing around the Mediterranean, pursued by Cochrane's frigate, but I persisted and turned up _a vessel with a very long, sharp prow, carrying two or three masts with lateen sails_ , which makes rather more sense. This leads me to wonder why a _settee_ (the vessel) is so-called. Its name can't surely be connected with the item of furniture, can it?


When saying "nominations are in", what does "in" mean?

What does _in_ mean in the following sentence? > MTV Europe Music Awards nominations are in and Lady Gaga leads It feels like "announced", but does it refer to "in the news" or something? Where does it come from?


A word meaning collaborate

Looking for a short(ish) word approximating "collaborate." The word might also be a clever metaphor or symbol for the idea of collaborating / working as one.


Chambers of Commerce?

When referring to more than one chamber of commerce, would it be correct to say chambers of commerce?


differences between different noun forms of same adjective

What is exactly the difference between nouning an adjective different ways? Some only have one form, but others have both. Examples:   * hilarious: **hilarity** vs. **hilariousness**   * virtuous: **virtuosity** vs. **virtuousness**   * clandestine: **clandestinity** vs. **clandestineness** As an aside, what causes some to only have one form, like cheap --> **cheapness** , and what causes others to have two? And some have none, it seems. For example, accomplished --> * **accomplishedness**.


"archival" versus "archivable"/"archiveable"

What is the difference between archival and archivable? Archival appears to be an acceptable word among official sources, whereas archivable/archiveable does not appear to be a valid entry. Is the correct form of the word describing something's ability to be archived archival or archivable? Are the two redundant, or are the official online lexicon sources just not up to date or comprehensive enough?


"Can never" vs. "never"

Is there any difference between the meaning of "can never" and "never " in the following sentences: > 1) They can never have. And > 2)They never have.


"Was talking" vs. "Has been talking"

An online instructor was asked by a student at the end of their conversation: Which of the following is correct and why?   1. It was nice talking to you.   2. It has been nice talking to you. Is _talking_ a gerund here?


Words describing extent/ degree of 'jeopardy?'

I am writing a letter to describe the future of a country is in serious jeopardy, in the sense that all cultures, economies, rules of games and so on will be lost in a second. Which adjectives I can use with _jeopardy_? Are there any other words describing the extent/ degree of **jeopardy**?


What is an adjective to describe something that caused a problem?

I have an error message that describes the cause for a problem/crash in my application. What is an adjective I can use to refer to that error message? I would like to say something like this: > This is the [adjective] error: To mean this: > This is the error that caused the crash: Is there a good adjective that clearly indicates that the noun it is describing to is the cause of the problem the speaker/writer is referring to?


Adjectives used with intransitive verbs in lieu of adverbs

I certainly wouldn't argue that "I feel good" should be replaced with "I feel well," but I have forgotten what we used to call the adjective in this type of construction. Adjective predicate? Adjective nominative? Phrasal adjective?


Do I need to use "to" in sentences such as these?

> What I want is (to) go to the cinema. > > What you should do is (to) shut up and dance. I know that "to" is frequently omitted in such cases, but if you were to write a formal paper, would you include it or not? Thank you!


A word or expression that defines a senior guy trying to look younger

I am looking for a word or expression to define those mature guys, often over 60, who usually wear fashion items ( shoes, shirts, jackets), dye their hair, and do their best to keep fit. The overall result is sort of younger look which often clashes with the real age of this persons. I am not looking for a derogatory term but possibly a politically correct one.


Are there English equivalents to Japanese word, ‘有名税－Tax on the famous’?

When you are famous, you are always the target of gossip, curiosity, and ridicule. We call that “yu-umei-zei - 有名税” in Japanese, for which the literal translation is “tax (imposed) on being famous.” It sounds somewhat akin to the Japanese proverb, “the nail that pops up is always hammered down.” I posted a question about an English equivalent long before, but they are quite different in meaning. The former means acceptance of cost / disadvantages of being famous, the latter means an admonition not to be too conspicuous among peers. It’s also different from “noblesse oblige.” When a politician, famous actress, singer, football player, or whoever famous makes a gaffe which would be taken for granted if it was done by an average citizen, it is picked up in TVs and newspapers hyperbolically, and people make a fuss by attributing it to “yu-umei-zei - tax on the famous.” Are there English equivalents in a short word to “yu-umei-zei” which comes up as only three characters in Japanese?


What is the correct pronunciation of the word "solder"?

I have been listening to a podcast where the host pronounces the word _solder_ as "sodder" or "sod-der", even "saw-der". Same thing happened when the lecturer of one of my EE classes pronounced the word _solder_. As for me I pronounce the word _solder_ as "sole-der" with a distinct L and a longish O.


Difference between "garbage" and "trash"?

What's the difference between _garbage_ and _trash_? Is the difference significant?


Is there a word for numbers between 10 and 99?

I'd like to find such a word instead of saying "greater than 10 but less than 100".


Is saying "someone who is in trouble and who can’t be talked out of it" a quite natural expression?

I found the expression in a story about a 24-year-old pilot who landed his plane on a beach and who "'could not be talked out of it' when he was in trouble." It was in today’s _New York Times_ , in an article titled, “A Beach Landing? Well, He’d Seen It on TV.” To me "could not be talked out of it" sounds unfamiliar, though it may be quite natural to native speakers. Does this mean he simply did not respond to the air traffic controller out of the plane because of panic? Why is _talk_ used in passive form? Can I replace “can’t be talked out of it” with “can’t be contacted with“ or “can't be called up”? The sentence including this phrase goes as follows: > A 24-year-old pilot with an airsick passenger who landed his single-engine > Piper Warrior on Rockaway Beach in Queens on Monday night could not be > talked out of it, no matter how hard an air-traffic controller tried, > according to a recording. The pilot, Jason Maloney of Cornwall, N.Y., later > told the police that he had gotten the idea from a television program called > “Flying Wild Alaska” that depicted rough landings.


'Irrealistic' or 'unrealistic'?

I basically learnt that words that start with a 'm' or 'p' get 'im' as a negative prefix, whilst words starting with 'r' get 'ir' in such a case (irreverent, irrelevant). However, I stumbled upon 'realistic'. I'm almost sure it is 'unrealistic'. A quick search on Google revealed 13 million hits for 'unrealistic'; 'irrealistic' on the contrary only results in 14.000 hits. Therefore, is 'unrealistic' an exception to this rule?


"Left the starting gate"

> "The problem, of course, is that no one can agree on how to measure quality. > This might be an intriguing question to untangle, if it weren’t for the fact > that the quality measurement field has long since **left the starting > gate**. Despite a lack of agreement on how best to measure quality, metrics > are being applied broadly, with concrete consequences for doctors, nurses, > hospitals and patients." Could someone explain to me what the author means when he says, "left the starting gate"?


How can I ask about a confirmation?

Two heroes are available. > Hero #1: Please, send me an URL to that site.   >  Here #2: Go to www.bla.bla. Is it true that you look for? Is the phrase "Is it true that you look for" correct? How can I say this differently?


Understanding independent clauses

My understanding is that semicolons are used to separate independent clauses of a sentence, and also to delimit a list wherein one or more members contain a comma. Regarding the first usage, my understanding is that an independent clause can stand on its own as a complete sentence. Something like "It's getting late; we should head home." I'm having a bit of trouble squaring that with this sentence from page 1 of `Eats, Shoots & Leaves` > By all means congratulate yourself that you are not a pedant or even a > stickler; that you are happily equipped to live in a world of plummeting > punctuation standards; but just don't bother to go any further. Being a mere computer nerd visiting here from Stackoverflow, I was hoping some of you English gurus could help me understand how "that you are happily equipped..." and "but just don't bother to go any further" can qualify as complete sentences. Both, and particularly the latter seem like fragments.


What would Prof. William Strunk Jr. say about writing saute vs. sauté today?

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Diacriticals and non-English letters in anglicized loan words: keep 'em, > dump 'em, italicize the words, or what? I have no idea what I’m doing. Catch as catch can. “Saute” seems correct to me, but I was _clobbered_ by someone who insisted I was “just ignorant”. (I won’t argue that.) I assume purists will insist the accent pretty much always be used for foreign loan words. But... I’m writing in _English_. It just seems like it should be okay to incorporate “saute”, and the other words, as native English words pretty much as soon as you start using them and people know what you’re talking about. This seems to me less of an offense than, say, willfully “misspelling” tire vs. tyre. I prefer Strunk’s application of the serial comma for logical reasons, yet this goes against common accepted practice. So I don’t see all such things as black and white. I’m just curious if a case can be made for saute? [And I can stuff this thread up my friend’s rather beautiful upturned snoot!] Sure, at first glance it’s just “ignorant” (we are so petrified of _that_ ), but on the far side is it not better to accept simplicity if still clearly understood? I guess I will qualify this as an American usage question – specifically about the word saute. (I’d like to thank and excuse all jurors originating from the British Isles and France.) What does the Chicago Manual of Style say? What do _you_ say?


What is the relationship name of my wife's brother to me?


"Satire" versus "sarcasm"

I looked up the two words on wikitionary & got this: satire: > A literary technique of writing or art which principally ridicules its > subject often as an intended means of provoking or preventing change. Humour > is often used to aid this. sarcasm: > A form of humor that is marked by bitter mockery, often using irony, and > sometimes conveyed in speech with vocal over-emphasis. With irony, it is > insincerely saying something positive which is obviously the opposite of > one's intended, cruel meaning. On the other hand it may be a direct taunt > where the jibe means exactly what it says. At first glance, they seem equivalent to me. Is there a clear distinction about when to use one & when to use the other?


Are you exercising tonight or Do you have an exercise?

I have a US Army friend and he had a military exercise a few months ago. I texted him > Are you exercising tonight? during exercise period. I learnt that present continuous can be used for future tense. for example > We are having a party at my house on Halloween This is why I used present continuous in the sentence. However, I read a grammar book again and it said I should use present tense when plans are fixed like a timetable. I guess a military exercise is a fixed plan. Should I have texted him > Do you have an exercise tonight? using present tense instead of present continuous? > Are you having an exercise tonight? also wrong in that situation?


"Nowadays" vs "today"

I'm taking an English academic writing course. My teacher recommended using _today_ as it is more accepted compared to _nowadays_. I asked her if this is accepted in American English (she's from US) or in general. She said _in general_. Then I asked her why it was recommended. Her reasoning was: > When you publish an article your audience will be the whole world and not > everyone in this world is a native English speaker, so it is recommended to > use _simple English_. Is replacing _nowadays_ by _today_ really recommended? I'm looking for a source that can prove or disprove the above statement. I am a non-native English speaker myself, trying to learn English from different sources.


Name for type of adjective such as "porcine"

Is there a specific name for adjectives such as **porcine** that are special forms of words meaning "relating to" some other thing? They are often:   * based on classical words and end in 'al' and 'ine'   * can exist separately and mean differently than tyical English endings used to create adjectives (such as 'y' or 'ly', or 'ish')    * more literal and restrictive than English endings when both exist For example:   * **floral** means "relating to flowers", even though **flowery** is a valid and more English word. But floral means more strictly and literally "relating to flowers" while flowery is often used in a figurative sense, such as "flowery language".   * **porcine** means literally "relating to pigs", while **piggish** and **porky** are more English words but almost never meant literally.    * **piscine** means literally "relating to fish", while **fishy** is the obvious English word that has both literal ("salmon is less fishy than cod") and figurative ("a fishy situation") meanings. Their origin in English probably comes from scientific use, where literal and specific meanings are important, and classical sources are almost always used to create new terms. Still, is there a name for this? For bonus points, are there any examples that are not clasically derived words?


Is there a season's greeting for Halloween?

There is "Season's greetings" or "Merry Christmas" for Christmas. But is there something for Halloween? "Happy Halloween" just does not sound right to me because of the contrast between "happy" and the "pseudo-horrifying" nature of Halloween. And neither does wishing a "horrifying Halloween" seem appropriate. (I'm neither a native speaker nor located in a country with English as common speech.)


"ng" in "wrong of me" pronounced [ŋɡ]

"ng" is pronounced normally [ŋ], but for some people it becomes [ng] when followed by a vowel. What's the phonological rule about this? Is it a common feature of all dialects of English?


Is there a word that encompasses the concepts of cursor, caret, and selection?

In the context of computer software -- you can have a "cursor" for a position between two characters of text, or a "selection" for a region of text. Is there a word that means "cursor or selection"? Sort of like a "brother or sister" is a "sibling."


"I give it to him who came first" vs. "to he who came first"

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Which is grammatically correct: "Let he who…" or "Let him who…" Should the pronoun be "him" because it's the object ( _gave it to him_ ), or should it be "he" because it is subject of the subordinate clause "he who came closest." Also, what is "who came first" described as, grammatically? I should know, but I don't, and it bugs me.


How to describe the smell of fish

Some fish such as blue fish have a kind of strong smell. What words (noun, adjective, etc) can describe specifically this kind of fish smell? _Stench_ seems to mean any smell that is unpleasant.


Is 'rest' singular or plural?

When 'rest' means what is left after everything or everyone has gone, been used, dealt with, or mentioned, is it singular or plural? My guess is, this depends. When 'rest' refers to countable things and the number is more than one, it is plural; otherwise it is singular. For example, suppose there are five boxes. You carry two; then there are three left. We can say 'the rest ARE three.' suppose there is one bottle of salt. You sprinkle some; then there is less salt. We can say 'the rest IS less than one bottle.' Is my description correct?


Is a question beginning with "How to" grammatically correct?

> How to fix my computer? > > How to save money? Are these grammatically correct questions?


does 'A' in 'Easy A' (movie) mean "ei"?

English is not my first language. I have just watched the movie _Easy A_. I understood its content a little bit but I don't understand what the title means. I often hear many Native English speakers put the sound " _ei_ " after an adjective when they express the degree of an attribute of a certain thing, something like,   * ' _it's easy ei_ ',    * ' _hard ei_ ',    * ' _cool ei_ ',    * ' _she's good ei_ ',    * ' _he's bad ei_ ' …,   especially in Australia. Does 'A' in _Easy A_ mean " _ei_ "?


What is a wallop of money?

What does _wallop of money_ mean in the following: > That is one hell of a wallop of money It is from a BBC film about Warren Buffet.


Plural nouns in nominal compounds

I wonder whether there are rules or guidelines regarding plural nouns in nominal compounds. For example a compound _university students list_. If there are many lists and many universities is it grammatically correct to say _universities students lists_? Must all elements be in the plural form or can some be left in singular, even though the meaning is plural? I've seen an expression _universities student lists_ ; is it correct?


Why are not all grains called “grains”?

In most languages, the word used for a single caryopsis seed is a good equivalent of _grain_ — it is not only the translation for this kind of seeds, but also the translation for other meanings of the word, such as _a grain of sand_. In English, this is used for _grain of rice_ and other cereals, and even for botanical non-grains like amaranth. But then suddenly, other similar seeds are called by other words whose primary meaning is much less suited than that of _grain_. The examples I have in my head are _kernel of maize_ and _wheat berry_. Why this strange mixing of words? A grain is well aligned with maize and wheat not only in its meaning as a caryopsis seed, but also the other meanings like _grain of salt_ exhibit some similarity, as this is a single very small discrete dry piece of something encountered as a large mass, which has fluid- like dynamics as a whole (you can pour salt, and you can even have phase separation with two different sizes of grains). Many other languages follow this logic. A _kernel_ as I understand it is something which is at the middle of a thing, somehow giving it definition. If you want a look at it, you have to extract it from its outer layers. Also, there is definitely only one of it, just like a human has many bones, but only one skeleton. This is true to some extent for both “normal” plant kernels (like peach kernels) and the new meaning of an OS kernel. I think that the mathematical meanings of kernel follow this metaphor, like the kernel of a matrix. But maize — which should logically have grains — has kernels, which are unlike all the other objects I have heard being called kernels. A _berry_ is a word I like, too. While I am aware that botanically, the fruits we call berries belong to different categories of fruit, they have very similar culinary properties. They are always juicy, taste best when raw, combine a sweet and a sour taste, are small, not starchy at all, and make good jams. The color is also mostly somewhere between red and blue. But they don't have a shape in common — compare the classically heart-shaped strawberry, the round blueberry, and the agglomeration called a raspberry. And then we have wheat, which differs from true berries in all points I listed — and somebody calls its grains _wheat berries_. **Edit** : I was probably too mired in descriptions to state the question clearly. While there probably isn’t an all-encompassing reason for all existing cases (but if there is one, I’ll be glad to hear it), I’d like to hear the reasons for the two specific cases I listed, as in kernel of maize and wheat berry. Why was an exception made for exactly these two, and why was the specific word chosen for them?


Why is it called "slippery dick"?

No, no, it is not what you think! It is a poor fish called **slippery dick** : > The slippery dick, Halichoeres bivittatus, is a species of wrasse native to > shallow, tropical waters of the western Atlantic Ocean. ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/MKEcp.jpg) So how on the earth this fish is named " **slippery dick** " in English? What is the origin of this name? Note: I'm afraid that the answer would be the obvious metaphoric connection.


"two kinds of" or "two kind of"

In the sentence: > The two methods require two different kinds of prior information a colleague of mine suggests that it should be "kind of" instead. I was quite certain that the first form was correct, but reading various online sources on singular vs. plural use in relation to "kind of" has got me confused. Still, it seems to me that the examples where it is a bit ambiguous are those where the quantity is implied by how you interpret the sentence. In the current case, I still lean towards "two kinds" because it seems it is explicitly "kind" there are two of. Which one is right? NB: I am not a native English speaker.


How was sexual intercourse referred to before 'sex'?

It seems that the word "sex" in the context of sexual intercourse is a fairly recent development. How would sexual intercourse have been referred to before the 1920's? Coitus? Is there a more casual word, or was the word 'coitus' casual at the time?


What's the meaning of Goofy is a Dawg?

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/978/if-pluto-is-a-dog-what-is-goofy Says that goofy is a dawg, not a dog. Well, dictionary says that dawg is black people. http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=dawg So what's the connection? http://nws.merriam- webster.com/opendictionary/newword_display_alpha.php?letter=Da&last=50 says that dawg also means dog. So what's Cecil meant when he said that Goofy is not a dog but a dawg?


Reciprocal of "conformant"

Is there a word or short phrase to express the reciprocal of "conformant"? For example, if the production processes at my factory are conformant to ISO 9001 standards, then ISO 9001 standards are _(what)_ in relation to such production processes? I would like to avoid nouns that connote the notion of standards, since whatever you conform to may not be a standard at all. Thank you.


What irregular verbs are there in Early Modern English?

Can anyone tell me, or direct me to a site where it would have a list of, irregular verbs in Early Modern English? I understand verbs such as "to be" or "to have", but how many more are there, and what are they? I wonder this because I conjugate "can", and I know that it is "thou canst", but for some reason "he/she/it canneth" sounds really odd to me.


"Layman" and gender equality

Is it correct to write: > He wants to explain _X concept_ to the layman, not before warning _him_ ... Or should I write: > He wants to explain _X concept_ to the layman, not before warning _him_ or > _her_ ...


What is the difference between 'make an experiment' and 'do an experiment'?

I have come across both _make_ and _do_ with the noun _experiment_.Are there any differences in meaning? Thanks.


What is it called when someone uses a particular expression very often?

Many people have a habit to use a specific word or phrase frequently in their speech. For example I use the word "Actually" a lot to begin my sentences with. Some people use "For example" a lot. If you record five minutes of their speech and count the number of repetitions of "for example", it can be ten times in just five minutes. In this case I want to say "For example" is ..... of this person. Or "Actually" is my .... . What should I put in the blanks. What is this frequently repeated word called in English?


"always be" vs "is/are always"

Are the following sentences grammatically correct? I think #2 is correct, but I'm not sure.   1. My room _always be_ clean   2. My room _is always_ clean


Enumeration with 'and'

Could you tell me which is correct in the following situation: I have one parrot, its feathers are of different colors. Which is the correct way to speak about the parrot: >   1. I have a parrot. It is blue and white and green and yellow. >   2. I have a parrot. It is blue, white, green, and yellow. > Some say that the 1st variant is obsolete, the second is correct. Others tell me the 1st is correct, while the pattern of enumeration in the second option suits the situation when one speaks about several objects, not one. So which one is correct? May be you can suggest a grammar book where this rule is stated?


Is "notations" a proper English word?

Some of my colleagues use the word "Notations" as the title of a section of a paper which defines their terms. I think the proper word is "Notation". I could not find notation on any list of words with the same plural as singular (but I did find the phrase "marginal notations," which I believe is correct, although not commonplace). Is "notations" an acceptable plural for "notation"? Same question for "informations".


Does 'for' here mean despite? and Does 'lightness' here mean light-minded?

> She had gathered these things from time to time when she had gone to the > Sunday-school with the children, and had laid them up in her memory more > carefully than she had done with those other words and phrases; and she had > studied them deeply, for her good and ours. One may see by this that she had > a wise and thoughtful head, **for** all there was so much **lightness** and > vanity in it. (Mark Twain, _A Dog's Tale_ ) Does _for_ here mean despite? and Does _lightness_ here mean 'light-minded'?


Meaning of "dogmatic" in "there was a dogmatic gathering in the neighborhood"

> and whenever she heard a large word she said it over to herself many times, > and so was able to keep it until there was a **dogmatic gathering** in the > neighborhood, then she would get it off, and surprise and **distress** them > all, from pocket-pup to mastiff, which rewarded her for all her trouble. From _A Dog's Tale_ by Mark Twain. Is it safe to assume that _dogmatic_ in this context has nothing to do with _dogma_? Also, does the word _distress_ mean "impress" here?


What's the difference between 'cutlery', 'silverware' and 'crockery'? Are there any differences between them?


What is the word that describes ethical smartness?

Intelligence can be used as a means to deceive and exploit vulnerable people. I believe, however, that proper thinking should always lead to righteous deeds. What is the word that describes the intellectual ability which produces only virtuous acts?


Why is "can I get" replacing "could I have"?

I noticed the other day when serving the public that when asking for something, people were saying "Can I get an xyz, please". The previous time I had such a job it was "Could I have an xyz", or "May I have..." if they were being very polite. Does anyone know when this trend started and what caused it?


Lately, I keep hearing and seeing "embarrassed of..." used instead of "embarrassed by..."

It seems very awkward to me. You never hear "thrilled of you", it's "thrilled by you," so what happened to "embarrassed by you"?


Is the second "to" grammatical in "I plan to help build and then to start"?

I wrote this sentence: > I plan to help build a strategic vision for Arabic digital content and then > **to** start implementing that vision. I want to produce value-added > information in a specific context bla bla bla. Is the _to_ grammatically correct in that position?


What is the difference, if any, between 'porn' and 'porno'?

I had never thought of a potential difference between 'porn' and 'porno' until I encountered the following dialogue from Family Guy Season 9 Episode 9(thanks to FumbleFingers for reminding me the correct TV show and episode): > `Priest:` Leave this House of God! > > `Lois Griffin:` But... But I love the Church! It's an important part of my > life! > > `P:` Maybe you should have thought of that before you made a porn! > > `L:` But Father, I didn't mean - wait, did you say 'a porn'? > > `P:` Yes. > > `L:` Oh... Well, that's kind of weird. > > `P`: Why? > > `L`: I mean, you either say "You made porn" or "You made a porno". You don't > say "made a porn". It just... it hits the ear wrong. This implies that, as a noun, porn is uncountable meaning pornography in general, and porno is countable meaning a pornographic movie/tape. Both Merriam-Webster and The Free Dictionary define 'porno' as a perfect synonym for porn. The Urban Dictionary isn't of much help either: the first six definitions are jokes, and the seventh says that it's just another way to pronounce 'porn'. So,   * Is there any difference between 'porn' and 'porno' or not?    * Can both be used both as a noun and an adjective? (if yes, provide examples, please)   * Can either of them be used as a countable noun? (if yes, provide examples, please)   * Are there any differences specific for American, British or any other variety of English?


What's the opposite of "oxymoron"?

What's the opposite of _oxymoron_? That is, two words put together that seem identical?


Is there a thesaurus which indicates the language of origin of each word?

I would be interested in using a sort of etymological thesaurus. Imagine a normal thesaurus, but with each word in an entry somehow marked to indicate whether it comes ultimately from Latin, German, Norse, Welsh, Irish, etc. Perhaps this could be done with little icons, or typographical style (Romance words in serif, naturally, Germanic words in sans, Norse in rune-flavoured small caps, Irish in Gaelic script, onomatopoeias and neologisms in Comic Sans). Different but related origins could be conflated or distinguished to some extent (upright serif for Old French, italic serif for Italian and Latin). Does such a thing exist? Mostly, I would find this interesting rather than useful. But occasionally, I feel the urge to use a good solid Anglo-Saxon word for something, rather than something French, and this would be the tool for the job. In particular, since I work as a computer programmer, I often find myself needing to name something (a variable, a class, a computer, whatever), and the ability to pick words of different origins for different kinds of things (perhaps Romance for identity classes, Germanic for value classes) would be, if not exactly useful, exactly the kind of pointlessly arch thing which I delight in inflicting on my colleagues.


What is the basic meaning of 'dozy pillock'?

A character on "Last Tango in Halifax" often calls people a "dozy pillock" (not sure about the spelling for dozy.) I was trying to find a meaning for dozy and a better one for pillock than just knowing it is derogatory, and that is how I found your wonderful website. I'm American (Albuquerque, New Mexico) and have loved TV shows and movies from Great Britain all my life, though I am often confused by their English and usually try to find an answer to my confusion. Thanks for your help.


About the word 'finite'

> Everything is transient and finite, existing in the medium of time   >   1. What's the _finite_ thing?   2. Do you agree with it?


How to interpret this kind of sentence?

I have a question related to an example sentence below. I always have slight doubt in interpreting sentences which have this kind of clauses being connected. Consider this sentence: > The book covers the fundamental building blocks of digital design across > several levels of abstraction, from CMOS gates to hardware design languages. Here, to which part of the first clause in the sentence is the second clause — "from CMOS gates to hardware design languages" — related? I mean whether CMOS gates and hardware design languages are   * fundamental building blocks of digital design, or   * several levels of abstraction.


Is there a single word that is the opposite of "want" (i.e. "do not want")?

Is there a single verb that means "do not want"? E.g. "I want that object" or "I want to do this" vs. "I _____ _(do not want)_ that object" or "I _____ _(do not want)_ to do this"? Also in the case of casual writing, when you might write "Let's not talk about what you want/don't want, let's take action instead" or "Let's not talk about what you do or do not want, let's take action instead", is there a single-word opposite of "want" that could be dropped in and used in combination with "want" in that type of sentence?


Is it a comma splice if followed by an incomplete sentence staring with an 'ing' word? I don't know exactly how to explain this properly or clearly, so I'll put up a few examples. I have seen it a lot in online writing, but that doesn't make it right. Would the following be considered incorrect: > Jenny replied, forcing her eyes away from his. > > Michael put on his skates, slipping his feet in carefully. > > I held the cone above my mouth, licking up the dripping cream. > > We hurried home, jumping into the car without looking back. Sometimes I don't want to make two sentences or use 'and, so, then, etc'. What should I do in that case?


"State of the art"

**"State of the art"** Why the word _'art'_ is used while it refers to an advance technology? Does it always mean up to date? Is it really not related to art, in any case? the art of making, for instance.


Meaning of "the price we must pay for progress"?

In this sentence : > The loss of biodiversity is **the price we must pay for progress** " Or another sentence : > Part of **the price we must pay for progress** is to recognize the degree of > pollution that our progress has brought into our water, food and air. I think the expression " **the price we must pay for progress**." is being used as an idiom, meaning "have to accept". Is that correct?


"…that enriches people's everyday life" or "…that enrich people's everyday life"

What is correct: "…that **enriches** people's everyday life" or "…that **enrich** people's everyday life"


What does "an A/B metaphor" mean?

I wonder what "an A/B metaphor" means, for example, in the following quote from Wikipedia about formal language: > "In some applications, especially in logic, the alphabet is also known as > the vocabulary and words are known as formulas or sentences; this breaks > **the letter/word metaphor** and replaces it by **a word/sentence > metaphor**." In the example, what is used as a metaphor of what?


How to deal with quoting a grammatical error?

What should you do if you’re quoting someone, and that quote has a grammatical error? Say for example that I’m quoting this line from the American Pregnancy Association: > The term used for a pregnancy that ends on **it’s** own, within the first 20 > weeks of gestation. The proper way to write this is without the apostrophe. I know that, and you know that, but the Association’s proofreader apparently missed it. The question is what I should do now: how can I quote this without sounding like I’m the one committing a grammatical error?


How should one address a police officer in the US?

> **Possible Duplicate:**   >  What is the correct form of address for a police officer? What is the correct way to address a police officer in the US in a non- emergency situation (such as asking directions)?


How are names ending in “-s” perceived?

Most English nouns are inflected for grammatical number by adding _-s_ — e.g., _cat_ and _cats_ , where _cats_ is and sounds plural. So, I wonder, since _Lucas_ , _Nicholas_ , and other English names end with _-s_ , do they sound plural, or evoke plurality, to a native listener?


What is the English counterpart to 'Binboyusuri' - keep jiggling one’s legs during conversation sitting on the chair?

There are persons who keep jiggling their legs sitting on the chair during conversation or being interviewed. This motion is annoying and seen as the indication of the speaker’s tension, weakness to pressure, timidity, and lack of self-confidence. We call it derogatorily ’貧乏ゆすり/ binboyusuri - poor man’s (leg) shake’ in Japanese, and were told not to jiggle legs when sitting on chair before people, even during a meal from the childhood by parents. Kenkyusha’s English Japanese Dictionary translates ‘binboyusuri’ as ‘tap one’s foot nervously.” When you do ‘binboyusuri’ in front of interviewer(s) while job interview in Japan, you are 150 % sure to flunk. Is this _'leg-speciffic_ motion' seen as negatively in western world too? Are there short words to express ‘Binboyusuri’ as a noun or verb, say in two words?


Complement of digress?

Is there a verb that means "to return from a digression"? The best I can think of is a phrase like "Getting back on topic, . . ."


Distinctly vs Distinctively

I use the latter most of the time, but I am unsure where the former is more appropriate. What are the different uses of "distinctly" vs "distinctively"?


What does Albert Einstein’s epigram, “Many of the things you can count, don't count. ...” mean?

This year’s Nobel Prize in Physics were given to American physicists, Dr. Saul Perlmutter and two other American physicists for “the discovery of the accelerating expansion of the Universe through observations of distant supernovae." Their work is said to have proved infallibility of the hypothesis of Albert Einstein’s ‘cosmological constant.’ Speaking of Einstein, it reminds me of his well-quoted remark, “ _Many of the things you can count, don't count. Many of the things you can't count really count_.” I know this epigram, but not its exact meaning, because you can count “number (related with physics such as quantum, diameter of cosmos),” as well as you can count (regard) something as important. You can take it either way. I searched for explanation of this epigram on internet. Only Quotationbook.com carries a note – “This quote is about money,” which I can not swallow easily. Can you tell me what Einstein really tried to say, in what context (hopefully, the source) with the words, “ _can count, don’t count, really count_ ,”?


What is the structure in "as best you can"?

I instinctively translate it "as best _as_ you can", however this makes no sense. What is the real structure behind this phrase? I'll include an Ngram to illustrate the historical presence of this phrase: ![](http://ngrams.googlelabs.com/ngrams/chart?content=as+best+you+can%2Cas+well+as+you+can&year_start=1800&year_end=2000&corpus=0&smoothing=3) Whatever the structure is, I'm guessing that it has something to do with 19th century grammar.


Meaning of "to wrestle places from their surveillance grids"

> His concern is tracing the individual and personal history in the seemingly > banal, and wrestling anonymous places from their recording and surveillance > grids. What could "wrestling something from their something" mean? Does it mean that the person is struggling to get the anonymous places out of their surveillance grids? Or does it mean that the person is struggling against the anonymous places in their surveillance grids? Or does it mean something else entirely? I'm reading through an artist's introduction and there are so many expressions I understand only partially. I do get the "nuance" of the expression, but if I were to put it in my own words, I could not. What could that sentence possibly mean?


What to call a winged unicorn?

I've heard a few ways of describing such a fantastical beast, but I don't know which is correct. ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/D05Jm.gif) They are known as both Alicorns (Ali supposedly from ala (wing) and Corn meaning horn), as well as Pegi(a)corn, a portmanteau of Pegasus and Unicorn (I've seen both an _i_ and an _a_ used). which of these is most 'correct' and did one come first? Furthermore wikipedia says that > ## Alicorn > > The horn itself [of the unicorn] and the substance it was made of was called > alicorn, and it was believed that the horn holds magical and medicinal > properties So that would make my supposed etymology above wrong.


Capitalization in "the University has 1000s of students. "

> The University of London is huge. The **U** niversity/ **u** niversity has > 1000s of students. Is it correct to leave out the capital _u_ in the second sentence?


"Gain in popularity" vs "Gain popularity"?

I've got the following sentence: > These issues have allowed for alternatives, such as Spotify and Pandora, to > gain in popularity. A friend expressed concern and believes that it would be more correct to say: > These issues have allowed for alternatives, such as Spotify and Pandora, to > gain popularity. Is there a de-facto correct usage here?


What is an antonym of improved/improvement?

Consider these sentences:   * "I improved my essay."   * "I made an improvement to my essay."   * "How much did you improve your essay?"   * "What improvements did you make to your essay?" What would I say, if I meant the opposite, like   * "I changed my essay in a negative way."   * "I made a change to my essay that negatively affected it."   * "How much did you change your essay in a negative way?"   * "How many negative changes did you make to your essay?" Ideally, this would be a word or short phrase that would work well in other sentences too. * * * **EDIT** Additional example:   * "Most improvements were due to me, but this one was made by John." I'm looking for a verb and a noun. (They don't have to share the same stem, though that'd be great if they did.)


"To call" vs. "to ring"

What is the difference between the verbs "call" and "ring" in the meaning of telephoning? For example: >   * I will ring you back shortly. >   * I will call you back shortly. >


Where does the phrase "more than a fluke" come from?

Can you tell me where "more than a fluke" comes from?


Meaning of “shelves” in an accounting ledger

I'm a Romanian student trying to translate one of George Orwell's essays, “Books vs Cigarettes”. I came across this:               Bought                               36    9    0     Gifts                                10   10    0     Review copies, complimentary copies  25   11    9     Borrowed and not returned             4   16    9     On loan                               3   10    0     **Shelves**                           2    0    0     Total                                82   17    6      I have problems with understanding what _shelves_ refers to in the given context. While we’re at it, I would also kindly ask for help regarding _review copies, complimentary copies._ I'm having trouble with their exact meaning so I cannot find a proper equivalent in Romanian.


Can the word 'loo' mean bathroom (with bath and shower and all)

English is not my first language, so I may be completely wrong, but I always thought that 'loo' meant 'toilet', the thing itself as well as the small room with just a toilet and maybe a small sink, and not 'bathroom'. And yet I read stories in which people brush their teeth in the loo. So am I right or do people actually take a bath in the loo?


Is "like" used as an adjective by native speakers?

Do native speakers use like as an adjective? Is it a preferred usage?


Is it appropriate to use "father" in a legal context?

In a legal petition, how do you describe, in a formal manner, someone being the father of another person? Is this example acceptable? > John Doe, deceased, **father** of the plaintiff.


What's the appropriate word for "ending a streak"?

I'm looking for the verb that best fits this situation. > You promise yourself not to eat chocolate for 7 days. However, on the fifth > day, you eat it. You could say you _interrupted_ the streak. Is there a more elegant and appropriate word to replace _interrupted_ in the sentence above?


In time or On time?

Which is the correct way of saying: > Do (sthg) **_on_** your free time. or > Do (sthg) **_in_** your free time. Both variations are being used a lot.


Street, road, crescent, lane, drive, way and more

The English language is rich in ways to define a motorway, but what about _square_ ; can you help me find other definitions of it, or square-like spaces?


Words: paucity vs scarcity vs dearth

I see these words use interchangeably in various contexts. Is there a formal difference or preference? Please supply relevant examples.


How flexible is "a dozen"?

How flexible is the measurement "a dozen"? If there are nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand people at a rally it is acceptable to say one million people attended, but if eleven people are arrested is it acceptable to round up to a dozen?


What is the difference between "low-hanging fruit" and "firing fish in a barrel"?

Do these two phrases have the same meaning?


Why is "birthday" one word as opposed to two? "Wedding day" or "graduation day" are two

A birthday is the day of your birth, much like graduation day and wedding day. Why is _birthday_ one word?


Phrase which describes falsely improving something

Is there an aphorism or proverb in English which describes attempting to improve something fundamentally flawed by dressing it with a lot of ornament?


Why do words like "expectorate" sound more posh than words like "spit"?

I think English is unique in having a set of "bad words" each which has its "more refined" equivalent, e.g.: > spit -> expectorate > > piss -> urinate > > shit -> defecate > > f*ck -> fornicate/copulate and even: > kiss -> osculate What is the origin and etymology of this?


Developing a crush or infatuation

For "crush" in meaning: > **2** _informal_ a brief but intense infatuation for someone, especially > someone unattainable   * What word would replace the terribly technical _developing_ a crush?   * Does one only _get infatuated_ or is there a less generic word than _get_ to signify developing infatuation? The particular sentence for which I need this is > "Do you sometimes fall in love with a character from a book?” I'm feeling " _love_ " is too strong here. _Crush_ or _infatuation_ would both be better, but while you _fall in_ love, what do you do with these two?


What's the meaning of 'deflating mots' in this sentence?

I'm graduating in translation and one of my 2nd semester's works is a movie review about _Philomena_. I am stuck, however, at this part: > (He's an) expert purveyor of deflating mots on any subject, including his > own atheism: “I don’t believe in God and I think He can tell.” I don't understand what " _deflating mots_ " means. What's the meaning of " _mot_ " in that context?


1000 Day "Anniversary"

"Anniversary" comes from Latin: "anni" [genitive of _annus_ = year] + "vers(us)" [past participle of _vertere_ = to turn]. I am interested in constructing a similar word which means "reoccurring every 1000 days". "One thousand", in Latin, is _mille_ and the genitive plural of "day" is _dierum_. Hence: mille-dierum-versary. However, this doesn't sound brilliant -- I know very little about Latin, so am not sure how its affixation works -- so does anyone have any better suggestions?


I am so confused by, for example, "People love their life or lives."

I am always confused by these tricky-in my opinion-ones as below. For example,   1. People love their life or lives.   2. Girls always love their boyfriend or boyfriends.   3. People think of their college or colleges as an enjoyable place or enjoyable places. My point is that every time I come across such things, I am not sure about whether an objective or a complement has to be plural, every time the subject is plural. Actually, in the ex1 sentence, I think both of them are what I have seen before. However, the rest 2 sentences are not so sure if I let them be singular. In the ex2, every girl has one boyfriend-IN MOST CASES. Also, in the ex3, everyone attends one college. In that sense, since the subjects are plural, should the objectives or the compliment be pluralized? Or, is it okay if I leave them single as the ex1 sentence? The problem is, though, if I leave them singular they sound like they have ONE boyfriend to share or they go to the same college. It sounds weird to me. Is it just me or is this incorrect?


word meaning anticipatory disappointment

We were setting up a long-awaited, much anticipated new stereo the other day. When we initially turned it on, the sound was terrible. I immediately got that sinking feeling and started to think that the stereo might turn out to be a lemon (it wasn't). Afterwards, I was looking for a word to describe that creeping feeling of dread that a much desired thing or event might turn out to be less wonderful than anticipated. The best I could come up with was "anticipatory disappointment" and that's not even a single word. The word I'm looking for describes that combination of fear and hope that might have one both praying and swearing at the time. Any thoughts?


Old Greek vs ancient Greek

I learned the language of Plato and Sokrates at school - is it 'old Greek' or 'ancient Greek'?


A phrase for "to get heavily involved in something"

I'm looking for a phrase or an idiom meaning "to get heavily involved in something" or "to become passionate about something" where "something" could be a hobby, lifestyle, a music genre etc. One possibility would be simply "to get into something" but this doesn't seem to convey being passionate about the thing in question. Another one is "to get sucked into something" but a Google search indicates that this tends to mean "to get involved in something against one's will" which is not what I am after.


What is the meaning of 'dismiss'?

I cannot understand the meaning of 'dismiss' in this sentence. 'Dismiss' doesn't mean 'ignore' or 'fire'? In this context, I guess 'dismiss' would have the positive meaning, but the meaning in dictionary doesn't match with that. "Some [school] districts have found ways to identify, improve, and as necessary, **dismiss** teachers using strategies like peer assistance and evaluation that offer intensive mentoring and review panels. These and other approaches should be the focus of experimentation by states and districts."


Usage of "I'm sorry" and "thank you very much" outside of obvious settings

Why do people say "I'm sorry" at the beginning of a sentence? For example: "I'm sorry, but I don't care for her one bit." On the same note, I would like to understand the meaning of "thank you very much" at the end of a sentence, thus: "I said I'll take it to go, thank you very much!" Any light shed will be greatly appreciated.


Do you use both my home and our home to your friends?

> I want to hear about your first week. Send **us** an answer back with Hedwig > [Harry's owl].   >  (A note from Hagrid to Harry, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)   > > > Oxford(British English, informal) **me** : Give us the newspaper, will you?   > Hagrid uses ‘us’ instead of ‘me,’ and the dictionary says it’s not only Hagrid’s expression. Then when you say to your friend that ‘would you like to come my home?’, do you also say ‘would you like to come our home?’? (In Korean, I can say even 'our mother' to my friend, indicating mine. Is it also proper in English?)


what is the meaning of the phrase "In the interest of honesty"?

Recently I came up on a question: > In the **interest of honesty** , are you minimizing any important details > that your prospects should know? What is the meaning of the phrase in this context ?


What is the correct way to write "To all who handles" or "To all whom handles"?

What is the correct way to write "To all who handles" or "To all whom handles" or "To all who is handling" ?


How is the English Subjunctive Composed?

Yesterday, I read about the English subjunctive mood. I tried to, but couldn't, discern a concise conception of it. What do you regard as a useful and concise conception of the subjunctive mood?


Any connection between akimbo, askance and atremble?

I came across _akimbo_ and _askance_ today and wondered if they were related, with the opening 'a' signifying something. Apparently not:   * Akimbo — to stand "with hands on hips and elbows projecting outwards", from the C15 _in kenebowe_ , "literally: in keen bow, that is, in a sharp curve"   * Askance — to look sideways, obliquely, especially with suspicion or doubt; origin obscure. Other words take an 'a' prefix meaning a negative:   * > a- or an- [Greek a- and an- un-, non-] Negative, not (abiotic, acaulescent, acephalia, aphasia, asexual, atrophy, anorexia). > But 'a' is also used as a prefix in words that are not negative, for example _his knees were all atremble._ What is the meaning of 'a-' here? Could it have connections with _akimbo_ and _askance_?


Why use the word "chasm" instead of just "gap" or "hole"

With every example sentence I've read so far, I can't see why we can't replace _chasm_ with _gap_. Is there any other meaning of the word?


"Certainly" and "Of course": what is the difference?

Is there any difference in expressing consent and assurance using adverbs "certainly" or "of course"? What would be more appropriate one in everyday conversation?


One word for "stealing something on its way to the recipient"

I am looking for a word which means stealing something on its way to the recipient. For example, suppose you sent a gift to your friend. And suppose someone steals it before it reaches your friend. Is there one word (other than simply _stealing_ ) to explain this action?


How to say email "mis-sent" in a business manner?

If I want to tell my colleague by email that I've sent an email to some business clients unintentionally and would like to notify my colleague, how should I say the action "mis-sent"? I thought about "email sent unintentionally", but I think it involves too much personal feelings. Can I have another word which is more business like (or objective)?


Adj + Noun + Verb to be + Same Adj

Is this a natural grammar or some kind of joke/internet meme? > Cute girl is cute.   >  Poor child is poor.   >  Troll topic is troll.


Issue brought up in the meeting or at the meeting?

Which preposition is correct? _In the meeting_ or _at the meeting_ when I am trying to say > Issues brought up in the meeting will be discussed within 5 working days. should I say at the meeting instead?


"Assign a variable to a value" or the other way round?

I was wondering which of these phrases is/are correct:   * assign a variable to a value   * assign a value to a variable I'd say the second is correct, but I'm not a native speaker. A quick Google search reveals thousands of results such as "assign a variable to the file content", but another search returns a lot of results for the other word order ("assign a value to HTML input field"). Which of these two phrases is correct? Or are both correct?


Identifying nouns with "of"?

This is a portion of a sentence: > ...rose suddenly and shockingly a dazzling strip of bright blossoms, clumped > together in enormous mounds... Would these be the nouns? > ...rose suddenly and shockingly a dazzling strip of bright **blossoms** , > clumped together in enormous **mounds**... or > ...rose suddenly and shockingly a dazzling **strip** of bright **blossoms** > , clumped together in enormous **mounds**... ...in other words, does "strip" count as a noun in this case? Also, are there any other errors that I have made in identifying the nouns?


The verb "to get" + particle ...?

In the phrase "to get all crazy" am I correct when I say that the "all crazy" is a particle phrase? Example: > I'm up for tonight's party. I'm going to get **all crazy**.


Noun for the desire to sleep?

I have had this thought on many sleepless nights: is there a word specifically for the desire to go to sleep? Not in the sense of being sleepy or tired, but actively wanting to become asleep. If a person is in bed desiring and attempting to will themselves to sleep. Does this desire have a name?


What's the meaning of "to render/give plausibility to the myth"

What's the meaning of: "to render plausibility to the myth" The mere possibility that we can choose and replace our rulers appears sufﬁcient to render plausibility to the myth that we are ruling ourselves


local knowledge of the territory

In business language, how could you say: `local knowledge of the territory`? As in: The company has a deep knowledge of the territory, i.e., logistics, suppliers, clients and people knowledge, etc.