"You didn't build that" — but what was Obama referring to by "that"?

During the opening night of the Republican National Convention, many speakers took to the podium and took advantage of a phrase spoken by President Obama that some are calling a grammatical error. In a July 13 campaign appearance in Virginia, the president told an audience: > “If you’ve got a business — you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that > happen.” At least that's all the GOP would have you believe he said. The party has repeatedly used just those two sentences in campaign materials. In fact, the excerpt is part of a larger message: > “If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. There > was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create this > unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. > Somebody invested in roads and bridges. **If you’ve got a business — you > didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen.** The Internet didn’t get > invented on its own. Government research created the Internet so that all > the companies could make money off the Internet. The point is, is that when > we succeed, we succeed because of our individual initiative, but also > because we do things together.” In a video released in late July, the Obama campaign says that "that" refers to the compound noun "roads and bridges." But as the sentence is constructed (is that an em or an en dash?) mustn't "that" refer to "business"? And who put the dash in there? Is it from an official transcript provided by Obama's team or was the speech put into print by the press or the Romney campaign?


"The Tengwar are an artificial script..."

Reading up on Tolkien's Tengwar, I stumbled upon this sentence introducing its Wikipedia article: > The Tengwar are an artificial script created by J. R. R. Tolkien For me, mixing plural Tengwar with singular script makes this an awkward sentence, and I'm not entirely sure how it's even a correct one. I would rather have written "The Tengwar are artificial scripts...".


How can I increase my focus and pleasure in reading English?

After working on my oral skills in English for a couple of years, I know more interested in learning written English, specially by reading. I have been reading a couple of books over the last months (Game of Thrones, the whole Sherlock Holmes, Lord of the Rings, some Stephen King...) and articles (the Guardian, the New York Times, the Atlantic, mostly). But although I've felt some improvements in my understanding, and learned lots of words, I'm still not enjoying reading English as much as I do enjoy reading French (which is my natural language), and I'm not even what you could call a literary (checking my other stackexchange affiliations would prove you that...). When reading English I just follow the plot, but I'm really totally insensitive in the style of writing, in the choice of words, ... I hardly realized that when reading a few pages of French the other day, it's even way easier to focus on what I read when it is French than English. Fellow who learned English as a second (or third, or more...) language, have already felt that? Have you been through that? How long did it take? Or is it just a never ending job in progress but I'll never reach the ease I have with French?


When to choose em dash over parenthesis for parenthetical phrases?

According to Wikipedia: > The em dash, m dash, m-rule, or "mutton" (—) often demarcates a break of > thought or some similar interpolation stronger than the interpolation > demarcated by parentheses Okay, but what constitutes "stronger"? Does the length of the parenthetical phrase come into play? The distance of the diversion from the main thrust of the sentence? Some kind of qualitative gut feel? All of the above?


Double parentheses ((. . .))

I wonder why the author used two parentheses in the sentence below: > While touring the Center for Agrobiotechnology at Monterrey Tech, its > director, Guy Cardineau, a scientist from Arizona, remarked to me that, in > 2011, “my son-in-law returned from a tour of duty in Afghanistan and we > talked about having him come down and visit for Christmas. But he told me > the U.S. military said he couldn’t come because of the ((State Department)) > travel advisory here. I thought that was very ironic. Is there any special rule regarding parenthetical statements? Isn’t one set sufficient?


Spelling and plural of abbreviation "hi vis"

We regularly use these "hi visibility jackets/vests": ![picture of the item in question](http://i.stack.imgur.com/qyvSp.jpg) We use them often enough to informally abbreviate it to simply " **hi vis** ". I am struggling as to how to pluralise such a term. In speech it sounds moderately okay to say "hi vises" but as you can see it looks terrible in writing. Any better suggestions? Also would such a term be hyphenated?


Any authoritative source on British rules on space before question mark?

A space before a question or an exclamation mark. Can it be correct? is affirming what I always use, but now some translators at my office said that I always need a space before. I am sure they are French or something but before I answer them, I would like to see some British source confirming it. UPDATE: No, Wikipedia is not authoritative unless it has a link to a publication that is. The people I need to correct are likely native English speakers who sat too long next to French translators or something. I need some heavy tome to throw at them :) UPDATE: The translators ate their words. All is well in the world.


Losing bottles and bottling out

ODO's definition for _bottle_ includes the following: > **2** _[mass noun] British informal_ the courage or confidence needed to do > something difficult or dangerous:   >  _I **lost my bottle** completely and ran_ > **bottle out**   >  _British informal_ lose one’s nerve and decide not to do something:   >  _the Minister has **bottled out of** real reforms_ Where does this use of the word _bottle_ come from? Both the examples in the ODO definition are negative in connotation; are there positive ones too? Can someone _have the bottle_ to do something?


Etymology of the word 'finesse'

According to Merriam-Webster, one of the definitions of the word _finesse_ is as follows: > refinement or delicacy of workmanship, structure, or texture Now, based on the fact that the Latin base _fin_ means _end_ in English, I always intuitively assumed that the word had connotations with such concepts as: "finishing touch, attention to the end-product, and taking special care of the final details in a craft or situation". Are my perceptions of the word's associative properties a stretch of the imagination, or correctly guided?


Does "'tis" means "this is" or "it is"?

I have found much trouble identifying the old word _'tis_. Does it mean "this is" or "it is?" I have done some research and found that the dictionaries conflict. One said 'tis :An old English word used in the place of this is ; a contraction of this is. I showed this to my brother and he showed me another one it said 'tis :an old English contraction of the words it is. as in: > 'tis(this is) the voice of the lobster....or > > 'tis(it is) the voice of the lobster.... So how?


Ways to say 'try very hard'

I was wondering what some ways are to say one tries very hard. For example, can I say > I gave myself (all) out last year.


"The omelette is already cooked"?

Today I saw a proverb introduced in a book. The writer said, " "The omelette is already cooked"means it is too late to change what has already been done. I think the phrase is similar to "there is no use crying over spilled milk". I googled the phrase and however no page about this phrase has existed. I looked the word up in Cambridge Dictionaries Online and it has the entry "You can't make an omelette without breaking eggs", but not the one abovementioned. Can some native English speakers be so kind to say whether "The omelette is already cooked" really existed?


What is wrong with this sentence

Calpurnia is Atticus’ housekeeper. She plays a large role in Jem and Scout growing up- almost like a mother figure to them, and most definitely the biggest female role that the children are exposed to.


first prize, without "the"?

I saw a sentence today: Lily was speaking so excitedly and so fast about winning first prize in the Mark Six. WHy is "first prize" without the definite article "the"?


A word that describes something as simple, yet effective in picking up the nuances of something else. For example: "Disclosure makes **__** electronic music, as their songs are simple pops songs with the nuances of good electronic music." Or, to put it differently: "the solution was simple yet drew upon all essential elements of the issue."


'How comes it' or 'How come is it'?

I was reading this paper and I came across this sentence, which I found quite odd. > In the words of Bertrand Russell, the problem is this: “How comes it that > human beings, whose contacts with the world are brief and personal and > limited, are able to know as much as they do know?” Shouldn't it be 'How come is it' ? It just doesn't sound right, maybe because I am not a native speaker.


What's a word for someone who recruits new members and reminds people to take part in events?

In particular our student group/club in college has a new officer position that performs these duties, but we don't have a good name for it yet. "Recruiter" captures the first part, but it doesn't seem to capture the second part.


Can I say "as a part of" here?

> As a part of my community, I will do everything that needs be done to resist > the evil project of the oil company. (self-made) I am not sure whether “as a part of” is appropriate or not, because “as part of” seems to be more idiomatic. But here I want to emphasize my existence as a individual. So can I write that “as a part of” ?


A word to describe the next level of action

Is there a word to describe the next level of action? I know there is but I can't remember the word. For example, if plan A fails, plan B is the next level of action to take. And if plan B fails, the next level of action to take is plan C. So in this case, plan B is a _what_ of plan A, and plan C is a _what_ of plan B. The _what_ is the word I'm trying to find.


Which was the first doctor, M.D. or Ph.D.?

For which title was the term "doctor" first given? Was it originally meant for the medical doctor, or for just anyone holding a doctoral degree? Also: When did the later usage become common, and why?


"So" as a conjunction

I'm a teacher of English as a Foreign Language, and I would like to get some information on SO as a conjunction. As far as I know, it's a coordinating conjunction, and it's part of the FANBOYS group. I know that SO THAT is considered a subordinating conjunction. However, I've heard a fellow teacher affirming that SO can also be a subordinating conjunction depending on its meaning. Is is true? This would change the way in which we analyse and classify sentences into "simple", "compound", "complex", and "compound- complex". Thanks in advance, Mary


Is there a term for a word of one meaning but variable pronunciation?

For example, "advertisement", and "component". edit: Here's the full list that I have compiled that I had in mind: advertisement Arkansas asterisk athelete auxiliary Berkeley builded component coupon data either employee February forte kilometer library Lima mature medieval meme miniature mischievous neither niche nuclear often ornery pecan probably ribald route sherbet temperature temperament Tijuana vegetable vehicle verbiage zoological zoologist


Are both "foodstuff" and "foodstuffs" valid?

I suppose that I could probably summarize that to "Is foodstuff a mass or count noun?" but I wasn't entirely certain if that would get me the wrong answer. I've always used "foodstuffs" when referring to actual components for recipes, but I could see an argument only using the singular since, after all, it's a noun which covers all of the components at once. I thought of submitting it to "The Word Detective" but it seems like more of a case of usage. Dictionaries seem to indicate it in the singular without noting pluralization, but there are also many example sentences which use "foodstuffs" such as the Tarzan quotes I found here: "The she was for Tarzan--all that he desired was to bury his snout in the foodstuffs of the Tarmangani." and "They appeared to be raiding parties, for they drove goats and cows along with them and there were native porters laden with grain and other foodstuffs."


Is "burning (something) in effigy" used only for representations, not the actual thing?

The phrase "to burn (something) in effigy" means: > To burn or to hang an image or picture of a person, as a token of public > odium. Would it be appropriate to use this phrase about an inanimate object? For example, if you had a car that was constantly breaking down, could you say you'd like to "burn it in effigy" upon buying a new car, or is this phrase used exclusively used for _representations_ of objects of disdain?


Is it a "driver license" or a "driver's license" or a "drivers license" or...what?

I've often wondered why my Ohio license is called a "driver license". It is awkward to say it like that. Wouldn't something like driver's license be more appropriate? Or driving license (like hunting license)? ![results from the almighty google](http://i.stack.imgur.com/QTWS9.png) (Note: image above shows `driver`, `driver's`, and `drivers` variations.)


"Much feces" vs. "many feces"

I want to know which word I should use in the following sentence: > How many/much feces does a human produce in one year? I found that both versions exist on the Internet. Any help would be appreciated!


What does “exercise their desire out of them” mean?

> “I’m not sure whether they hibernate or not,” Hagrid told the shivering > class in the windy pumpkin patch next lesson. “Thought we’d jus’ try an’ see > if they fancied a kip … we’ll jus’ settle ‘em down in these boxes….” > > There were now only ten skrewts left; apparently **their desire to kill one > another had not been exercised out of them**.(Harry Potter 4 [US Version]: > p.41) [Bold font is mine] **N.B.:** Hagrid is a Care of Magical Creatures teacher. The skrewt is a dangerous magical creature. I can’t understand 'exercise' in the above citation. There seems to be three major definitions of ‘exercise’ (verb). 1\. use power / right / quality; 2\. do physical activity; 3\. be anxious I’m thinking No.1 is likely. I tried finding ‘be exercised out of’ on the Net. > As a May 1, just over 3 million 30 cent options **had** already **been > exercised out of** the total of 744 million originally issued. [Bold font is > mine] But I can’t find any examples which have ‘desire’ as an object of the ‘exercise’. So, at one point, I thought it meant ‘physical exercise of skrewts couldn’t remove their desire out of their bodies by applying No.2 meaning. Would you tell me the true meaning of “their desire to kill one another had not been exercised out of them”?


Is there any difference between ‘it’ and ‘so’ as a complement of ‘she looks’?

> D’you – d’you want to go to the ball with me?” said Harry. Why did he have > to go red now? _Why?_ > > ”Oh!” said Cho, and she went red too. “Oh Harry, I’m really sorry,” and > **she truly looked it**. “I’ve already said I’ll go with someone else.” > (Harry Potter 4 [US Version]: p.397)[Bold font is mine] I can understand ‘she truly looked it’ means ‘she truly looked sorry’. But if I write this kind of sentence, I’ll probably write ‘she truly looked so, as I’m familiar with ‘I think so.’ Is there any difference if you write ‘she truly looked so’ instead of ‘she truly looked it’?


Phrase that means "untranslated, in its original language"

I'm looking for a phrase that will allow me to say things like this: > Having learned English allowed me to read more books [in their original > language].


floating dose behind the boat

I am reading 'The old man and the sea.' I've read this sentence as follows. 'But the bird was almost out of sight now and nothing showed on the surface of the water but some patches of yellow, sun-bleached Sargasso weed and the purple, formalized, iridescent, gelatinous bladder of a Portuguese man-of-war floating **dose** beside the boat.' In this, What's the meaning of 'dose'? In dictionary I have, It only is remarked as 'a measured amount of it which is intended to be taken at one time.' With this meaning, I can't make sense of above sentence. please help me.:)


word that means: causing a paradigm shift, new era, revolution

I can't think of the word and it's driving me nuts. I'm looking for a word that can be used when some technology is discovered, way of thinking, or even event happening that causes a big change in society. Examples might be: discovery of electricity, industrial revolution, nuclear power / bomb, the internet. Some similar terms I can think of are: dawn of a new era, a new age, or paradigm shift. EDIT: I just want to add that I'm thinking of a lesser used word, although _revolutionary_ fits it's not specific enough nor the word that I'm looking for.


Meaning of "top" in "to sleep as sound as a top"

From "The Early Bird", by George MacDonald. > A little bird sat on the edge of her nest; > > Her yellow-beaks **slept as sound as tops** ; > > Day-long she had worked almost without rest, > > And had filled every one of their gibbous crops; What is the meaning of _tops_ here?


What does "Tell me if you love me" really mean? I have two interpretations, please tell me which one is correct: 1) Tell me whether you are in love with me or not. 2) Tell me about XXX, to prove you love me. > e.g. Babe, what's the answer to that riddle? Tell me if you love me. \-----------------------edition line--------------------------------------------------- Sorry for not elaborating the question clearly, actually, I am asking if there is a grammatical or punctuation rule that makes the sentence have one or the other meaning that I suggested. I am not a native speaker, in English, the word "if" can be used to replace "do, did, does" in a question like: "Tell me. Do you love me?"--->"Tell me if you love me." But in my native language, we can't do that because the word "if" has only one meaning and use, so I am curious how English native speakers distinguish between the two meanings "grammatically".


What is this "should?"

There are two things that men **should** never weary of, goodness and humility; we get none too much of them in this rough world among cold, proud people. Is this the same as "It should be sunny tomorrow?" Source


what is the function of "have" in this sentence

I have a problem to recognize this sentence "I have it cuts every weeks". So, what's the function of "have", and also the name of grammar(if any) or any sentence pattern for similar sentence, and what's the meaning of that sentence? Thank You.


What does "this" refer to?

What does "this" refer to in the following quote from the Wikipedia article on Learning Curve? > The learning curve can also represent at a glance the initial difficulty of > learning something and, to an extent, how much there is to learn after > initial familiarity. For example, the Windows program Notepad is extremely > simple to learn, but offers little after this. On the other extreme is the > UNIX terminal editor vi, which is difficult to learn, but offers a wide > array of features to master after the user has figured out how to work it. > **It is possible for something to be easy to learn, but difficult to master > or hard to learn with little beyond this.** _Edited to highlight the original sentence as given, to distinguish it from the context that was supplied later._ —Robusto


How to punctuate a sentence that begins with a list, then explains it?

I want to know what to do when a list and the clause that introduces it are reversed. For example: > The wrinkles around his eyes, the deep lines that marked his brow, the gray > streak at his temples[?] everything he saw in his reflection told the story > of a long life he didn't remember living. My first inclination was to use an em dash, but I couldn't find any specific rules concerning this particular usage. Since the list isn't an independent clause, I'm fairly certain it wouldn't be a colon; still, I can't shake the nagging feeling that there's a better way to punctuate it. I'd be grateful for any help you can give me!


Beneath snow, under snow, or something else

How can I explain briefly (like in a headline) that the city is covered with snow? Are the following examples correct, or do you suggest something else? > Istanbul beneath ( _the?_ ) snow ( _piles?_ )   >  Istanbul under ( _the?_ ) snow ( _piles?_ )


Is it correct to say "I feel painful" to mean "I feel pain"? Please note that I mean only those cases, in which the phrase is a complete sentence. There should be no words after the last word in each quote (like in "I feel painful pulses in my head", "I feel painful burning sensations in my stomach", etc.) If it's correct, what is the slight difference in meaning there?


Biweekly, bimonthly, semi-confused

There seems to be a fair amount of confusion surrounding the meaning of the prefix `bi` when used with units of time measurement. Biweekly, according to dictionary.com, can mean either "occurring twice weekly," or "occurring once every two weeks." Falling within the same realm of confusion are bimonthly and biannually. As of late, it seems that we've begun replacing the `bi` prefix with `semi` when the intended meaning is "occurring twice within," while continuing to use the former when the intended meaning is "occurring once every other." Though this is a step in the right direction, there still seems to be confusion around proper usage. Whose genius idea was it to start using the `bi` prefix to mean two very different things? If my employer told me my pay periods were bimonthly, should I assume they meant semimonthly or once every other month?


"poses" or "pose" in this sentence?

> The activation and deactivation of features at runtime poses challenges for > ... Is the above sentence correct? Or does activation & deactivation require the plural, i.e., "pose"?


How to end a question with 2 objects and 2 prepositions

1)   a) What did you want to talk to me about?   b) What did you want to talk about to me? 2)   a) Who do you want to talk to about this problem?   b) Who do you want to talk about this problem to? I saw 1a in the TV show Grimm and the sentence set me thinking and there you go. I know sentences usually end with a preposition in English. Therefore 1a and 2b should be correct. However we've got 2 prepositions in each sentence so I'm not sure what to do and which ones would be correct. Maybe they all are. To my mind, 1a and 2a sound better but that's all I can say. How flexible is that kind of structure?


What do you call a disease with an unknown cure?

We call a disorder with an unknown cause or etiology as _idiopathic_. But what about a disease with an unknown cure — is there a single-word adjective (or phrase) that captures both the current unknowability and future possibility of a cure? I am specifically trying to avoid "incurable" and its synonyms, as it precludes the possibility of a future medical breakthrough that would render its object preventable or curable.


Is "po-TAH-to" an acceptable pronunciation for "potato"?

Immortalized in the George and Ira Gershwin song "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" is the nitpicking of pronunciation differences: > You like potato and I like potahto,   >  You like tomato and I like tomahto,   >  Potato, potahto, tomato, tomahto! According to Wikipedia and other sources, the English do pronounce _tomato_ as tə- **MAH** -toh rather than tə- **MAY** -toh. But this doesn't seem to be the case when it comes to _potato_. > _(From the O.E.D.)_ > > tomato – Pronunciation: /təˈmɑːtəʊ/   >  potato – Pronunciation: /pəˈteɪtəʊ/ Is "potahto" actually an acceptable way to pronounce _potato_? Or is the song just wrong?


"Reflexive only" verbs

English can use a lot of verbs in a reflexive context. Even ones that usually are used intransitively. > I laugh myself silly. However, it seems like there are very few – perhaps no – verbs that ONLY work in a reflexive context. Are there any?


Double relative clause

In a sentences like this: > I know people who are good at this and who can help you. I can drop either the second _who_ or _and_ the sentence will still be ok and make sense. I can't drop them both though. I'm pretty sure about it. Correct me if I'm wrong What I'm not sure about is this kind of sentence because we've got 2 kinds of relative clauses > I can name a few people who I'm friends with who got a job in that company. Does it sound ok and correct?


use of hyphen to apply an adjective to non-hyphenated compound word

Do I write "non-power of two" or "non-power-of-two", where I assume "power of two" is a non-hyphenated compound word. I hope you can help! Thanks in advance. Ronny


Shouldn’t “art” be “is” in “Our Father who art in heaven”?

The Lord’s Prayer begins in English: > **Our Father who art in heaven** ,   > hallowed be Thy name,   > Thy kingdom come,   >  Thy will be done   >  on earth as it is in heaven. Shouldn’t it be _who is_ there, not _who art_? You would have said _thou art_ and _he is_ at the time this was written. See the Wikipedia article on _Thou_ for example.


Connotations of "pertinacity"

Does the word _pertinacity_ have positive or negative connotations?


Why is "help wanted" phrasing used in job ads?

It's quite typical to see "Help wanted" signs in cases some business has an open position. That can be some temporary position or even a permanent one. Why is it called "help"? Why not "we're hiring" or something? I mean, "help" usually means some unpaid activity—why is this word used when referring to a job?


How the infinitive is used?

Here ,I have some question in which how to use infinitive and rewrite them:               1)Let us pray.     2)I heard her sing.     3)Men must work and women must weep.      Can any one say about it?


What's the adjective for the Republic of Ireland (Eire)?

What's the adjective for the country of Ireland (Eire in Irish) that specifically excludes Northern Ireland? For example when referring to the accent of people from the the Republic of Ireland but not to Ulster. Ireland is geographically the whole island and politically consists of two countries:   * in the north is Northern Ireland, or Ulster   * in the south is the Republic of Ireland, or Ireland for short, and Eire in Irish Language Log lists only "Irish" as the adjective to refer to the Republic of Ireland. For Ulster, "Northern Irish" is sometimes used as the adjective but "Northern Ireland" is 10 times more common (plus "British" is sometimes used). You could write "Southern Irish" but I think this is wrong because it suggests the name of the Republic is "Southern Ireland", which it is not. I think "southern Irish" is better as it doesn't make this suggestion, although it leaves some ambiguity: it could instead refer to the south of the geographical island of Ireland (just the southern parts of the Republic of Ireland). Is capitalised "Southern Irish" in any way offensive to Irish people? Is "southern Irish" any better? Or is this just a matter of style? Of course, there may be no simple, unabiguously clear adjective; the whole subject of the overlapping political and geographical names of Ireland and Britain is complicated as is clear from Language Log and Wikipedia, as are distinctions between British and Irish/Scottish/Welsh/English.


Does the quirky spelling in English actually make it easier to read?

I just finished reading the question asked by Bobnix, in which RegDwight referred to another question with an interesting answer by Kosmonaut. Kosmonaut refers to the great number of pictograms (Kanji or Hanzi) available in Japanese and Chinese, and mentions that the task of memorizing our weirdo spellings pales in comparison to learning vocabulary in one of those languages. That got me to thinking. When I first started studying Japanese, I first learned the two written versions of the syllabary, _hiragana_ and _katakana_. And when faced with the formidable task of memorizing thousands of characters and their various readings, I wondered why, given the phonetic language, Japanese still stuck with all those originally Chinese characters. Were they just masochists? But I dug in, and as I learned more and more kanji a strange thing happened. I realized it was actually easier to read the language _with_ the kanji than without them, because so many Japanese words sound alike (or at least their parts do) and to render them in _hiragana_ would force me to slow down and try to figure out which ほう (hou) they meant: 保, 俸, 倣, 剖, 報, 方, 法 or any of the others. Learning the more complicated writing method actually let me read faster, and to understand words almost pre-apprehensively. By that I mean something a little like looking at the hands of an analog clock and understanding the time without relating it to a numerical equivalent. Now for English. We have sound-alike words like _to_ , _two_ , and _too_ (or even _tu_ , if you count Shakespeare's imagining of Julius Caesar's dying line). If we went to a strict phonetic spelling system, all those would be spelled the same. I think there are cases where such a thing would actually slow us down. And it may be that the more difficult and idiosyncratic the spelling is, the more likely we are (as Kosmonaut said) to remember it. Further, _having_ remembered it may mean we are more likely to recognize it more easily. Or something like that. This is just a supposition on my part. It has plausibility and feels right to me, but that doesn't mean it _is_ right. I'd be interested if anyone knows of any information or research done on either side of this argument.


What's the difference betwen a jacket and a coat?

The words "jacket" and "coat" are generally used interchangeably, to mean a garment that's heavier than a sweatshirt or a sweater and goes over them and other "tops," principally to keep the wearer warm and dry. But clearly there's some sort of distinction, as you never hear about a "leather coat" or "fur jacket". So what's the difference?


What's a word for seasonal holiday decorations?

What is the word that describes seasonal holiday decorations that people sometimes put up in their offices or desks to mark certain holidays? I feel like I know there is a word for it but I can't remember it however hard I try now. I thought of a pageant - but that is really a procession or ceremony.


Sentence search engine

A couple of weeks ago I came across a sentence search engine that allows you to search for a word or a phrase and would show sentences with said phrases, plus (user contributed) translations into other languages. You could also just search for a verb, and sentences with different conjugations would show up. I did not bookmark it and now can not seem to find it anymore... Maybe anyone knows what I am talking about?


What does “Sunshine,” when it’s placed at the end of sentence mean?

I came across a peculiar (to me) usage of the word, “sunshine” that was placed at the end of sentence in the short story, “High Heels,” written by Jeffrey Archer. “Sunshine” appears in the following exchange of words at the last scene where the shoes trading company owner, Des Lomax who seemingly set fire to his building and Alan Penfold, training actuary of the fire insurance company who suspects him as the arsonist confront for showdown: > “I will be recommending that my client settles for two million, but it will > be up to you to make the final decision, sunshine,” said Alan. > > “I don’t give a damn about your recommendation, sunshine.” said Lomax. What does “sunshine” mean in the above context? Is it an addressing word or interjection? Is “Sunshine” casually used in this way in both British and American English, or is it peculiar to British English? And, what is the origin of this usage?


"I will meet" anapest substitute

I have the following song verse, which needs to be composed in Anapest (unaccented unaccented accented): I will meet (i-WILL-meet) Annabelle (an-nuh-BELLE) In my dreams (in-my-DREAMS) What would be a different way to say "I will meet" in a more anapest way? The third word should start with a plosive ( /P/, /B/, /K/, /G/, /T/, /D/ ).


Meaning: to back into

The title of a section of a book by Robert Nozick is: *How to Back into a State without Really Trying". I've never come across the word _back_ as a verb, except _to back up_. I can't find this phrasal verb in the dictionaries. What is the meaning of **to back into**?


Which is grammatically correct to use in a discussion?

Someone told me that I shouldn't use the phrase **discuss about** , but should say, instead, **discuss** _(the topic)_. He said _discuss_ means _talk about_ and using _discuss about_ is like saying _talk about about_ , which is redundant. Is he correct? Could somebody elaborate on this?


Why are you "reading" a particular subject at university?

I've always wondered why the verb "read" is used to basically mean "study" when describing somebody's university course. They might say: > I'm reading History at university. And it might be said of them: > He's reading History at university. Why "reading"? Traditionally, university has been about more than just reading; in the past perhaps even more so than now, a lot of it was about face-to-face tutoring. How did "reading" become synonymous here with "studying"? Also, why does it always seem to be used in the present tense? People don't tend to say "I read History at university 10 years ago"; once they've got the degree, they're more likely to say "I studied History at university 10 years ago". This usage of the verb "read" may be peculiarly British; it is certainly widespread here in Britain; not sure about elsewhere.


What's the word for the "back arm" if there is one?

We have the word "forearm" — but what's the other half of the arm called by itself? Does it have a corresponding positional name?


What constitutes a double negative?

Is "not unpleasant" a double negative, and hence bad grammar? See the first answer (by Ham and Bacon) to this question, for the basis of this question. Are all "not un..." forms incorrect? They are very widely used, much more so than the blatant "not not" or "didn't not", etc.


Words like "threshold"?

Threshold is pronounced like "thresh-hold" as noted in this question, however, what is interesting is that there is only one _h_ in the word, and it serves two phonetic roles (being part of _sh_ and as a regular _h_ ). This is different from words such as withhold, which have a separate h for the _th_ and _h_ sounds. While I suspect that this is due to a mixture of etymology (as threshold comes from the middle English "thresshold" according to Merriam- Webster) and pronunciation (the _h_ sound in threshold is unstressed), I am not sure. My question is: are there any similar words in English (i.e. words that have one letter serve as two phonemes)?


What comes after "octuplet"?

After singletons, twins, triplets, quadruplets, quintuplets, sextuplets, septuplets, and octuplets, what comes next?


"the" before "condition"

Should we write "the" before the word "condition"? that is,if two conditions A and B are known which of the following is correct? Conditions A and B. or The Condition A and B.


Is there a word for "without any reason" but a more formal one

A sample sentence would be: > Why did you ban me without providing a reason? Is there a single word to replace "without providing a reason" with? _Indiscriminately_ is not an option for me.


What's the difference between "Blood group" and "Blood type"?

Do _blood group_ and _blood type_ refer to different classifications of blood (A, B, AB, O vs. something else), or are they used in different contexts to refer to the same thing?


What does it mean to “offer a plea for a caution”?

This is a sentence in a letter to request waiving a fine. The sentence is: > I offer the following plea for a caution in this instance. Also, it seems to me that _caution_ is more correct than _a caution_. Am I right?


"Isn't it?" vs. "isn't she?"

1. That is the woman who married Tony, isn't it?   2. That is the woman who married Tony, isn't she? Are both sentences correct? If they are, what is the difference in meaning?


Closest in meaning confusion

I am preparing for an exam and came across the following problems. Since my english is limited in knowledge i am posting it here. The sentence: This nitrogen dioxide(NO2) **plays a role in** the formation of acid rain in wetter or more humid climates. My question: The phrase **"plays a role in"** is closest in meaning to ? My answer was **"acts the part of"**. My reason was that since NO2 is a required substance in acid rain, its a part of it. But the real answer is **"serves a function in"**. How is this Possible? How can it be just a function when without it acid rain cannot happen?


Understanding "as of", "as at", and "as from"

I'd appreciate your assistance in helping me particularly understand how to use the phrase "as of" properly. What is the proper interpretation of the following sentence? "I need you to get me all transactions as of January 23rd"   1. That I need all transactions from the beginning of time (so to speak) till January 23rd, or   2. That I need all transactions from January 23rd to now? Would "as at" be more appropriate to express (1)? Would "as from" be more appropriate to express (2)?


One word for Christmas?

Is there a single word that means "Being merry at Christmas" but excludes being merry or happy at New Year? ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/TFVnT.png)


Using Manifest correctly

Can I use the verb manifest in the following sentence? > We would quickly learn that obstacles can manifest in any neighborhood. Google's Definition: > display or show (a quality or feeling) by one's acts or appearance; > demonstrate. > > _"Ray manifested signs of severe depression"_ > > synonyms: display, show, exhibit, demonstrate, betray, present, reveal; > formalevince > > _"she manifested signs of depression"_ Thanks.


Word for "completely fascinated"

What is a word for _completely fascinated_? I want to convey the same meaning but using only one word if possible. Using two big words for this seems like an overkill.


Just wanted to "confirm my hunch"

Someone replied to me with: "Just wanted to confirm my hunch." What is this expression usually used for?


Ignorantly dishonest

What would be a good single-word for: Someone who tells a lie but he doesn't know he's telling a lie. Someone who, because of his own ignorance, spreads incorrect lies as universal truth.


"Follow evolution" vs. "follow the evolution"

Is the article _the_ needed in the following sentence and why? > Want to follow [the] evolution of the project?


Why can't "happy" be used everywhere where "sad" can be used?

Why can I say "that story had a happy ending"? But I cannot say "that story was happy"? On the other hand, I can say "that story had a sad ending" and I could say "that story was sad"?


Use of "on" or from" with list of dates

Are these both grammatically correct? "ON September 23 through 26, 2013, birds were observed on the lake." or "FROM September 23 through 26, 2013, birds were observed on the lake."


What do you call a person who motivates or inspires?

My choices so far:   * motivational source   * inspirational source   * source of motivation   * source of inspiration Being a non-native speaker, I don't know which one to use. What I want to say is that somebody has been motivating me since 2008, so the whole sentence would read: >   * John Doe was motivational source since 2008. >   * John Doe was the source of motivation since 2008. >


Collective noun for a group of healthy people?

What's a good word or expression to describe a group of people who:   * eat well   * exercise regularly   * generally take good physical care of themselves ?


When describing a person without siblings, should I say "the -" or "an only child"?

I understand the phrase "only child" means the only person born from or adopted by a set of parents in a family, or a person with no siblings. I often hear the term used as "an only child," which does not appear to be grammatically correct, but does appear to be the correct usage of the term. I have sometimes used "the only child" instead. Which phrase is correct? Is "the only child" incorrect?


Has the use of these prepositions evolved?

I have been working with an extract from an 1861 newspaper (in Queensland, now part of Australia) concerning an act of mass insubordination by seamen. The text reads > The whole of the men, I am told, belonged to the same "watch", and they > adopted this manoeuvre in order to get three months imprisonment, and so > free themselves from the ship, the men having a particular dislike to the > mate appointed over them. I am intrigued by the construction "having a ... dislike to...". In modern writing, I would expect " **taking a dislike to** " or " **having a dislike for** ". Was the forming **having ..to** once common, and when did it change?


"Transitioning" vs. "transitional" phase

I am wondering if it is correct to say: > This is a transitioning phase. Personally, I would say > This is a transitional phase. but my friend insists that the above is **just as correct** as my version. Any insight would be greatly appreciated!


What do I do to a door knob to open the door?

I want to know the verb that describe the action that rotate or move or twist a door knob to open the door. I talked to my friend and said "please press the button before move it (the door knob)" and it sounded incorrect to me. What word should I use to describe this action?


Can this be more concise?

How do I say this more concisely and more effectively in one sentence? "The baseball and the basketball(s) should have the same shape, or the shape of the basketball(s) should be the same with the majority shape." To make things clear, I don't know the majority shape yet. Also, "(s)" means I don't know whether there will be many or just one basketball made.


Dollar sign necessary in "$16 LD"?

I'm editing a book that mentions Liberian Dollars (LD) and U.S. Dollars (USD). Should I put a dollar sign in front of the number or not? ($16 LD or 16 LD? $10 USD or 10 USD?)


"There's no.... " and " it's no .... "

Is there any differnce in meanings between the following pair of sentences? 1) a. There's no denying the fact. b. It's no denying the fact. 2) a. There's no point denying the fact. b. It's no point denying the fact.


Which is the preposition to go with “best”? Is it “best at”?

Is it right to say: > We take pride in doing what we are **best at** , delivering unsurpassed > levels of service, so our customers can do what they are **best at**.


Symmetric term for engaging with someone over SMS or Email

I want to make a natural language question answering that can answer > when did I speak with Raj   >  when did I Talk to Raj This term _speak_ is symmetrical, it is not implied who initiated the call; while "A texted B" is directed. I want a similar phrase for: > [Message/ Email with] Raj that is also symmetrical. Being a phrase users have to utter themselves, it must be memorable for them.


Is English considered a trade language/lingua franca?

English is used in commerce around the world.   Is it officially considered a "lingua franca/trade language? If yes, is there a way to find out what percentage of non-English populations that have English as the trade language, know English as a second language? Just because a language is a trade language does that mean the average folks of the other nations know it?


Difference in meaning: "would have had to be" vs "would have had to have been"

Being a non native speaker, I cannot spot the difference here:   * He would have had to have been there.   * He would have had to be there. The only thing that comes to my mind is that in the first case, there is the past infinitive which would imply that it requires him to have been there (before something), while in the second case it requires him to be there at that moment.


Is this sentence correct - "what an ephemeral rendezvous we had"?

I met some girls last month, and recently I came in contact with one of them. And I really wanted to say something about our first meeting. Can you please tell me if the following sentence is correct and grammatical? > What an ephemeral rendezvous we had at the hotel.


What is the difference between "dispute" and "argue"?

There were two English teachers who told me different answers. I'm confused. When I want to talk about two persons having different opinions, I have to say that "they dispute with each other" or "they argue with each other." One of my teachers said we didn't use _dispute_ with people, but we use this word for politics and law. Another teacher gave me the following examples while we are learning the S.A.T. word _dispute_ : >   * They got into a dispute over the phone bill. >   * She will dispute any suggestion you make, because she doesn't like you. > Are the teachers right? Can I use _dispute_ when I want to talk about people?


Rules for three sets of quotation marks

What rules are there for when you have three sets of quotation marks? “I saw that Julia was really annoyed when Mike answered, “‘Blade Runner,’”” John said. (‘Blade Runner’ in singles. Mike answered in doubles. John said in doubles.) “I saw that Julia was really annoyed when Mike answered, ‘“Blade Runner,”’” John said. (Mike answered in singles. “Blade Runner” in doubles. John said in doubles.) Rewriting might help a little. “When Mike answered, “‘Blade Runner,’” Julia looked really angry,” John said. (Mike answered in doubles. ‘Blade Runner’ in singles. John said in doubles.) Basically, I’m wondering whether you alternate, or start small and get bigger until you can’t get any bigger. The conventions may vary according to British or American usage, so please state which one you are refering to.


Weekly, Daily, Hourly --- Minutely...?

What is the correct word for "happening every minute"? How do you pronounce it?


What do we call a person who is obsessed with cleanliness?

Is there any word for a person who is very , very much concerned about cleanliness and keeping things hygienic and even point out faults in clean things and explaining that they were dirty ?


How to change the following sentence to reported speech?? The mother said to the girl,"This is how you make a pizza."


Meaning and usage of "be of"

I see such sentences all the time and I'd like to learn more about their grammatical structure (e.g. how they are described in grammatical terms), their meaning and how to use them in different contexts. > Please let me know whether I can **be of** help. The part that I am interested in learning about is _be of_. There is a similar question here but the questioner was asking only whether it was correct or not, but I would like to learn the meaning more broadly as I described in my opening sentence.


On the difference between "noun + infinitive" and "noun + present participle"

Infinitive and present participle can be used to modify the noun: >   1. Infinitive:   >  I had no time **to read** those books. >   2. Present participle:   >  There should be a law **banning** abortion. > In (1), "to read those books" modifies time, and in (2) "banning abortion" a law. It is often said that _infinitive_ is used to refer to the event in the future, while _present participle_ is used to refer to the event happening in reality. In (2), however, the sentence refers to the future because there is no law which bans abortion when this is uttered. Nevertheless, the _present participle_ is felicitously used. The same thing holds of (3): >  3\. I don't want a nanny **bringing up** our baby. — Sydney Sheldon, _Tell > me your dreams_ In (3), also, the event of a nanny's bringing up a baby belongs to the future. Nevertheless, the present participle is used. In these cases, can you say "there should be a law to ban abortion" or "I don't want a nanny to bring up our baby"? If the answer is no, why the present participle, but not infinitive, is used?


Have lived vs. Have been living

What is the difference between the followings? > A. I _have been living_ here for 5 years. > > B. I _have lived_ here for 5 years. Am I correct that these two represent the same event, but A emphasizes the continuity of living while B simply states a fact that you lived there from 5 years ago to the present? Is it true that the difference in present perfect and present perfect continuous is whether a speaker intends to emphasize continuity or a fact?


Condition interpretation - Mathematics

Condition is read as below:- Where juniors who have completed their qualifying or eligibility service are being considered for promotion, their seniors would also be considered provided they are not short of the requisite qualifying or eligibility service by more than half of such qualifying or eligibility services or two years, whichever is less and have successfully completed their probation period for promotion to the next higher grade alongwith their juniors who have already completed such qualifying or eligibility service." Now please clarify output. If requisite qualifying or eligibility service for senior is 10 years. How many qualifying or eligibility service is required for senior in case where juniors are considered for promotion? i.e. 8 years or 5 years or 2 years?


On the one hand ... on the other

_Drawing an equivalence between X and Y_ is a standard English expression which runs into problems when X and/or Y is itself a comma-delimited list. > Slave_jed, "slavery", in BDSM terms, really should be written in inverted > commas. It's a completely different thing to real slavery. Drawing an > equivalence between torture, false imprisonment, and rape on the one hand > and a sexual kink on the other is highly insulting. In the quote above, I framed X and Y with _on the one hand_ and _on the other_. Is this the best way to fix this or is there a more elegant phrasing I could have used?


Using the figure of fire in describing your fear of something

What's the right way of using the figure of fire in describing how you are afraid of something? > those algebra tests that I was scared of **like of fire** > > those algebra tests that I was scared of **as of fire** > > those algebra tests that I was scared of **as fire** > > those algebra tests that I was scared of **like fire**


Is this usage of "all" considered archaic?

I was writing, and this happened: > It was a beautiful afternoon in mid-autumn, all chill air and dazzling > sunlight. Is _X, all Y_ considered archaic? I use this construction occasionally, but it seems slightly purple if not actually downright old-fashioned. Then again, the more I speak with people from other areas, the more I realise why people call New England speech quaint! For some reason I associate this usage of _all_ with the use of _full_ as an adverb meaning _fully_ or _the embodiment of_ ; to me, _X, all Y_ implies _X is wholly given to or characterised by Y._ Chaucer provides the first example that comes to mind of the use of _full_ I've mentioned: > Bifel that in that sesoun, on a day,   >  In Southwerk at the Tabard as I lay   >  Redy to wenden on my pilgrymage   >  To Caunterbury **with ful devout corage** ,   >  ... That is, _with full(y) devout heart/spirit._ Thoughts?


"Go ahead" vs. "Carry on" in AE usage

Back when I was a student, I can recall my nonnative English teachers -- after discussing a certain word, or phrase, or passage from a text with the class -- saying for me or some other guy to please "carry on" (with the reading). Now, what I wish you could tell is if "to carry on" has any currency in AE usage in the sense "to proceed with something after a stop"? Or is this usage typically BE, and an American somehow would be more likely to say instead something like "you may (or can) _go ahead_ ", "you can _go on_ ", or "you can _proceed_ " with a certain task? If indeed "carry on" is sort of more typical of BE than AE in this sense, how do Americans usually use that expression? > http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/carry+on?s=t > > http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/go+on?s=t > > http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Proceed?s=t > > http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Go+ahead?s=t


The meaning of nailed in the conversation

From the below conversation what is the meaning of nailed: > Summer: Tristan, stop. > > Tristan: You are making me chase around the party. > > Summer: Just trying to have fun. > > Tristan: You won't talk or dance with me. Why the hell did you come with me > to the party? > > Summer: Stop yelling. > > Tristan: Summer, please, can we just go? > > Summer: No, I am sick of fighting with you. > > ... > > Summer: I think we should break up. > > Tristan: I want to go outside and talk about this.. > > Summer: Then go. Bye. > > ... > > Tristan (to Rory): You just loved it, don't you? > > Rory: loved what? > > Tristan: Seeing me **nailed** like that. I did the research. Here is what I found: _pin someone down_ ( _on something_ ) and _nail someone down_ ( _on something_ )   Fig. to demand and receive a firm answer from someone to some question. (Alludes to shifting from answer to answer; commit to one answer or another.)   * _I tried to pin him down on a time and place, but he was very evasive._   * _Don't try to pin down the mayor on anything!_   * _I want to nail her down on a meeting time_. Punching them in the face.   * _"Man I really nailed that guy in the face."_ Or having sex with them   * _"I'm telling you dude, I totally nailed that chick last night"_ Or if you catch someone in a crime or want to   * _"I'm gonna nail that bastard who shot my partner"_ Or accidentally hitting someone with a nail gun   * _"Oh man I'm sorry dude I didn't mean to nail your face to the dog"_ So it would be like "punished" when doing something wrong. Right? The last one seems to be closer in meaning. But I am not sure.


Is "catenate" used in IT parlance?

When I was doing my IT degree in the 80s we learned that, in programming terms, concatenation was the act of joining two strings together. Recently I was reading a technical manual and came across the word _catenate_ in the same context. A quick look at dictionary.com seems to indicate that catenate is used in a biological context. Another post on this site discusses _concatenate_ and _decatenate_  — the use of _con-_ and _de-_ as prefixes on _catenate_ to indicate the construction or destruction of string sequences. I'm curious as to whether IT professionals are now using the simpler word _catenate_ when talking about concatenation?


Avoiding “is that” when adding an explanatory subordinate clause to a sentence in academic writing

Consider the following sentence as a starter of the final paragraph of an article: > While previous studies have proven to be valuable, a potential drawback of > the type of methods used **is that** they evaluate . . .. When I read that sentence out loud, it sounds a bit “clumpy” perhaps even a bit informal. Is there better way to phrase such a sentence? Alternatively, am I worried for no reason here?


Is "hang" really short for "hang out"?

I saw this entry in Urban Dictionary (I know, not the best place for formal English, but it does do a pretty good job at collecting slang). > 1.hang > > short for "hang out" > > "I'm just gonna hang at Lolita's place today" My question is, do people really use "hang" for "hang out"? i.e. do people really say "Let's hang some time". I have never heard of people saying it, and it sounds awful to me. It sounds like you want to hang yourself.


Inversion + past tense

There is a sentence: > No sooner had he sat down than he fell asleep. I just do not understand, is this an inversion? And if so, I still do not understand the sentence.


Word for software which has been killed or is no longer supported

When describing a piece of software on a list I have the following information: SoftwareName Released: 2013-12-12 ????: 2014-12-12 The ???? is like the opposite of Released. Maybe I could use _killed_ (but that is too strong), or _no longer supported_ , but I would prefer a single word.


"please forward us the amount owed" - Is this expression ok for a letter?

I am trying to figure out a formal way of asking for a payment. Is the phrase: > Please forward us the amount owed. too formal, too outdated or not clear?


The difference between using a comma or a full stop

What's the difference between "I see, I see" and "I see. I see"? Can one use a comma in between? The first sentence could be used in formal writing, right? What about this one: "My house, my rules" instead of "My house. My rules"? What's the difference between these two sentences and are both grammatically correct?


What is the meaning of "he is late on his front"?

I saw it in a subtitle of a movie. I searched Google for it, but found nothing. So I thought it might be wrong or it is not quite uncommon. Then I decided asking here. The context is: a guy #1 owes someone some drug pill, and the one who said this, said that the guy #1 is late on his front, as he is owing him money.


To "lay lodged" — what does it mean?

I've googled and looked it up in every dictionary I know, and I can find "lay" and I can find "lodge", but I can't seem to work out the meaning of the two words together. The context is this poem by Robert Frost: > The rain to the wind said,   >  You push and I'll pelt.'   >  They so smote the garden bed   >  That the flowers actually knelt,   >  And _lay lodged_ \--though not dead.   >  I know how the flowers felt.


How to rewrite the following sentence?

"She is exhausted today because she did not get any sleep last night." And the given word is "Had___________________________________" I don't know how to rewrite the sentence.


If I measure myself am I only measuring my size?

In Italy when people say they **_measure themselves_** , they are not only measuring their height, or their waistlines. Instead they are measuring how well they do something in a challenging or difficult situation. It's like saying, I _measured_ my expertise. It is similar to _put yourself to the test_ but it doesn't quite convey the same meaning. _Put yourself to the test_ is about seeing where your limits lie. **_Misurarsi_** (measure oneself) on the other hand, isn't so much about competing against yourself, it's saying whether you will _sink or swim_ in a specific situation. Will you cope? Do you have enough skill/knowledge/expertise to overcome this challenging episode? I'm sure there is a phrasal verb or idiom that means you can "measure yourself" in a difficult situation, I just can't think of it.


The phrase 'give you me'

There was another sentence that I wasn't sure about: "Rather, O blessed one, **give you me boldness** to abide within the harmless laws of peace, avoiding strife and hatred and the violent fiends of death." Is it okay to say "give you me"? Does that phrase mean give me something that is from you?


What do you call someone who studies calendars?

I was looking for a word that describes someone who is an expert in or studies calendars, and I couldn't find anything. For more context, I am looking for the word you would call someone who knows how to calculate the number of days between a date in the distant past, when different calendars were used, and a date in the modern calendar. I thought _historian_ , but I'm not sure that's adequate.


What is the etymology and reasoning behind the US Military term,"D-Day"?

Today is the 70th anniversary of D-Day, the day Allied forces in WWII invaded Normandy. It just occurred to me that I have nothing better than guesses for what the "D" actually stands for, and my initial searches turned up a number of reasonable guesses. ("Deployment," "Designated," etc.") EDIT: It seems that the "D" is generally thought to refer to "day," so the obvious question is "Why call something D-Day if the the D simply makes it mean 'Day Day'"?


Two words in this sentence “Primroses, lipstick-red and butter-navelled.”

What are the meanings of these two words: _lipstick-red_ and _butter- navelled_? Do they mean the color of primroses?


The last time I saw you was ages/has been ages ago

Do I say, _The last time I saw you was ages ago,_ or, _The last time I saw you has been ages ago?_


Shake hands or shake hand?

which of the following is correct? I will **shake hands** with him OR I will **shake hand** with him.


What does “Lose the Drama” mean as one of 7 ways for women at work to negotiate?

In an interview of co-host of NBS Morning Joe, Mika Brzezinski by Erin Skarda of Time magazine, Brzezinski gave 7 tips for women to take into their next career generation starting “Don’t act like a man,” “Be authentic” to “Be ready to walk,” and “Shoot for respect first, friendship later.” http://ideas.time.com/2013/03/08/women-at-work-seven-ways-to-negotiate/ In the interview, she used the word, “Drama” three times seemingly in different meanings in the no.5 and 6 tips. > V. **Lose the drama** > > Knowing your value means knowing when your stock is low. You have to go into > at a high-value moment in your career. Don’t play **the drama card** unless > you’re ready to follow the next step. > > VI. Be ready to walk > > Suze Orman said that women should save up for eight months before they think > about leaving a job. Be ready to walk in some way, shape or form. If you’re > not, it’s just **drama** , and nobody’s going to buy it. I don’t understand what “ _Lose the drama_ ” does mean. Though OALED provides definitions of ‘lose’ under 12 different headings, my understanding of the verb “lose” basically means ‘to fail to win, fail to keep stg.” Can you tell me what’s good for ‘losing drama’ as a tip for successful deal? To me “drama” of “Lose the drama” and “drama” of “It’s just drama” seems to have different meanings. Additionally; Is ‘drama card’ an alias of trump as a terminology of card-playing? What does '“walk in shape or form” mean?


Word for a follower of a Pied Piper

The phrase Pied Piper is often used to suggest one who leads others down a questionable path. I cannot, however, think of the best term to use to describe a "child" following said Pied Piper, in a analogous usage of the story. What are some ideas for this? Ideally one could use it in a way that someone would rapidly understand the analogy, without requiring a detailed explanation from yourself.


Omitting "that is/that are" and "its/their"

> The two works are similar and it is not just because they are both from > franchises (that are) notorious for (their) poorly-written characters. Is it acceptable to omit the "that are" in the above sentence, and if so, what is doing so called? Similarly, is it acceptable to omit the "their", and if so, what is doing so called? My gut tells me yes to both, because it "sounds fine." However, why then does omitting those words sound so wrong in the following examples? > The two works are similar and it is not just because they are both from > franchises (that are) notorious. > > The two franchises are notorious for (their) badness.


Job requirements. Why do they write words with capital letters within sentences?

I noticed the capitalization within sentences. For example, > Great experience in Java, Android SDK with core knowledge of Object Oriented > Programming principles and Design Patterns. Is there a grammar rule explaining the capitalization? **Update #1.** Now we have the following opinions. **@ _Jim_** and **@ _Sweet72_** > They're all proper names of things. > > The names of Proper nouns always begin with capital letters. Java, Android > SDK, Object Oriented Programming, Design patterns ; all refer to proper > nouns **@ _Xerxes_** > Neither "object-oriented programming" nor "design patterns" is a proper > noun. The author of the piece merely means to emphasize these terms and does > not know how to correctly do so. **_My opinion_** Android SDK and Java are proper names. Object Oriented Programming, Design Patterns. I think employers just want to place emphasis on these key words. I may be wrong.


"Have you gone" vs. "have you ever gone"

When talking about past experience, what is the difference between these two sentences? >   * Have you gone to Hong Kong? >   * Have you ever gone to Hong Kong? >


Use (or non-use) of articles before abstract nouns

I know I have asked a similar question before but this time I have examples taken from COCA and they do puzzle me. I would love to hear explanations from native speakers. The following (incomplete) sentences taken from COCA show three different ways of article usage before "reduction of _something_ ". (1) $1.5 billion could be used for things like restoration of fish and wildlife, the reduction of mercury pollution and greenhouse gas reduction. (2) Fasting imposes a reduction of calorie intake, which is particularly significant if the hours of darkness are few (3) A key goal of the optimization phase is reduction of communication over- head via a range of techniques, including execution of communication in parallel Can you say "a reduction of mercury pollution" instead of "the reduction of mercury pollution" in (1)? Likewise, can you say "the reduction of calorie intake" instead of "a reduction of calorie intake" in (2)? If you can, what difference in meaning would that make in each case? My guess is that, in using "a", the speaker (or writer) has in mind some image of what is to be reduced, whereas in using "the", the speaker (or writer) has in mind more of the fact of reduction itself than what is to be reduced, lacking a better description. Even if my guess is right, (3) still remains to be explained. Is the lack of article before "reduction of communications over-head" a case of ellipsis? If not, why don't you need an article here as in the other two examples? What difference does the absence of an article make in comparison with "the reduction of communication over-head" or "a reduction of (in) communication over-head"? Can you or should you use "a" or "the" in this case? In addition, there is another issue in (1). There is no article in front of "restoration". Why is there no article here, whereas there is a definite article in front of "reduction"?


Is "swimming" a gerund in "I went swimming"?

What is the function of _swimming_ in the following sentence? > I went swimming with some friends yesterday. Is _swimming_ a gerund here? If it is, what is the grammatical function?


"Unexpected" quotation marks: Why?

I frequently run into uses of quotation marks on public display that simply baffle me. I have no idea who or what is being quoted, what the original reference is, or why it's necessary to indicate that this is a quote. ![Quotation marks and ALT text don't mix](http://i.stack.imgur.com/yY9a2.jpg) Clearly it's no accident: **the quotation marks take effort to add**. Someone had to go to the trouble of putting them there, someone who felt he had a reason to do so. If it were a one-off occurrence, I would chalk it up to miscommunication. But this is so common a practice that I wonder if there's some common misconception, or perhaps convention in a foreign language which leads people to place quotation marks where they are not, in English, traditionally expected. Alternately, is there some meaning communicated here that I am missing? Do these quotation marks actually indicate something of which I wasn't aware?


"Distribution worker" vs. "distributed worker"

I cannot differentiate the meanings of the two words. Could you please clarify? In general, when should I use a noun ( _distribution_ ) or an adjective ( _distributed_ ) for verbs similar to _distribute_ , like _organize, create_?


What on Earth does "cheap at half the price" mean?

I hear this all the time, "cheap at half the price", to indicate that something is cheap (mostly in an ironic sense, but often used literally), but it makes no sense to me. Of course, if something was half the price it could probably be considered cheap, especially when compared to its actual price. But it is not half the price, it is the price it is.


proper phrasing for "avoid X in favor of Y"

I'm having a brain cramp: if cookies should be avoided, and carrots are preferable instead, is it correct to say: > Avoid cookies in favor of carrots. or if not, what's the correct way to phrase?


What does "morally important" mean?

I didn't understand the usage. What does it mean and when can we use it?


"All X are not made equal" - ambiguous meaning?

A phrase commonly heard in English (at least informal English) is something like the following: > Well, this car is good, but all cars are not made equal! This would be commonly understood by most English speakers to mean the following sentence, which is what I'd use: > Well, this car is good, but not all cars are made equal! Isn't the first sentence ambiguous? It could mean what most English speakers would take it to mean, but it could also mean (and I'd argue this is what is _should_ mean): > Well, this car is good, but every single car is made differently! Another of the many variants on this form of words is where it is identified that not all members of a class are the same as a specific member, for example: > This might be bitter, but all fruits are not lemons! Again I'd take this to mean: > This might be bitter, but not all fruits are lemons! And again I'd say that the first phrase is in this case not only ambiguous, but plain wrong. It should literally mean: > This might be bitter, but NO fruits are lemons! When did this curious form of words start to be used, and by whom? And, are my literal meanings correct, or is there a grammatical sense in which, for example, the latter phrase could mean something other than "NO fruits are lemons" when interpreted strictly?


"Piece" as a verb, meaning to snack?

When I was growing up in the 1950's, my mother used "piece" as a verb, meaning to snack on something outside of mealtime. She might say "Do you want to piece on something?" while offering me a cookie. Or she would tell me not to piece too close to dinnertime. I have never heard anyone else say it excepet members of her family. She was born in southeast Kansas in 1926 to people of German and British descent.


All X are Y. Then Some Y is X?

I have the following statement: All the actors are girls. All the girls are beautiful. The conclusions are given below: **Conclusions** : 1)All the actors are beautiful. 2)Some girls are actors. My text book says that Both (1) and (2) conclusions follow's from the given statement. There is no doubt in (1) conclusion. But how come the second conclusion will become true. If it's become true then it indicates that if a statement is given in form `All X are Y. Then Some Y is X` is true. Is it so? In what all cases does this contradicts?


What is the meaning of 'this is not here'?

What is the meaning of the phrase "this is not here"? I saw this on a door in a John Lennon video and wonder if this is a Zen phrase or specific English usage.


Past continuous or past simple?

In this sentence, should I use past continuous form of the verb or past simple or it in the gap? > Last night, I was sleeping in my bed, when I ------- (hear) a terrible > noise. I ------ (get up) immediately and ------- (run) outside.


Writing "A , so B, so C..." for series of implications

Is it correct to write _A, so B, so C..._ to represent a series of implications? For example, > He is sick, **so** he is on leave, **so** you have to do his work, **so** > you cannot leave now, **so** please let her know. If not what is a good way to express this?


Is there a word specifically referring to the stand upon which a large book is displayed, opened to a page?

I'm thinking in particular of dictionaries or illuminated bibles being displayed on these stands, which are at least waist-high on a standing person, constructed of wood. Is there a particular word for this, other than "book stand"?


why differences in Object vs Subject

We have different pronouns to express objects vs subjects: he vs him who vs whom etc. What's the point? What extra information is communicated by expressing object vs subject? Shouldn't it be better to standardize on one form of pronouns and disregard objects and subjects?


Is there a word to describe an offensive term reclaimed by the offended group

Is there a word to describe the process, or result of the process of, an offended group reclaiming a word for themselves. For example, it is common for gay people to call themselves queers, or sexually liberated women to call themselves sluts, or black people to refer to themselves by various offensive terms. I seem to remember there is a term for this process. Wikipedia suggests "reappropriation" but I seem to remember there is a more specific term.


What does "Graduates from business school or Economics with mathematical background" mean?

Hello I have a question about "English logic". For instance on a job offer I see this requirement: > Graduates from business school or economics with mathematical background. So If I understand the sentence it means: ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/JI65c.png) ## However, how to say : ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/2GBP8.png) Being a non native English speaker I would say: > Graduates **from** business school or **from** economics with mathematical > background. Am I right? Moreover, is there any field who deals with that kind of question. If possible any fields who would use the kind of notation I'm using?


Word for not feeling part of a social or economic class

Is there a word for a feeling or person that is part of a social class, but doesn't feel like they belong in that class? Say someone was poor their entire life and won the lottery. People they may associate with, and are friends with, poor people but may live around and attend functions with people in their economic class. In those cases they feel out of place.


Participial clauses

Can you explain which one is true and why? > 1) Founded in 1636, Harvard is one of the most famous universities in the > United States > > 2) Being founded in 1636, Harvard is one of the most famous universities in > the United States


Difference between speculation and guessing

The background to this question is in the comments below this answer on Sci- Fi. Is there a difference between _"speculating"_ and _"guessing"_? My understanding is that they are pretty interchangeable but _guessing_ is broader. Eg you can _guess_ the next roll of a die but you can't _speculate_ what it would be. So I think that _speculation_ is an _informed guess_. Is that correct?


saying "hello" when somebody asks something obvious

What exactly does it mean, when somebody answers "hello" to my (perhaps naive) question? Also, I have heard people say "hello" when they are outraged about something, such as for instance "for all his effort, he got absolutely no reward. Hello ???) or when saying something shocking. Are there some other situations, when people might say "hello" ?


Idiom: to hesitate when something is nearly finished

I have an idiom on the tip of my tongue, or at least I think I do — **the meaning I want is roughly “to hesitate or falter on a task, when it’s almost completed”**. The phrase that first came to my mind was “to balk at the last jump”, but (while certainly serviceable) that doesn’t seem to be an established idiom, nor do any of the variations of it I’ve tried searching for. Can anyone place such a phrase?


Why used 'occurrence' in the sentence?

The sentence is > Removes the first occurrence of a specific object from list. I don't understand why 'occurrence' is used.   Is its meaning like 'encounter', so the sentence could be rephrased as below? > Removes the first encountered object from list. Their meanings are the same?


What is the name for the class of computer programs that act as a front end for a database?

If you are writing a computer program that manages a large database of clients, like a rolodex, or a program that stores medical records for patients. What is that "class" of program called. The specific term my company uses for the software it develops is "Practice management software" but I am looking for the next broader up in specificity, as I want to use this word in a non medical software context. A good example of this type of program would be Microsoft Access.


Why does "air conditioning" always mean "cooling" and never "heating"?

For that matter, _air conditioning_ could include humidifying or dehumidifying, but it doesn't: only cooling. Why weren't air conditioners called _air coolers_?


respectful owners ? Is that right?

I am reading on many many websites or videos something like: > "All rights goes to their respectful owners"   >  "Jack and other characters mention are property of Dreamworks and > respectful owners"   >  "All characters are copyright to their respectful owners"   >  "All Photos belong to their respectful owners and are being used..." I am puzzled. Should it not be "respective owners" ? Well I am sure there should be owners who "show respect", but I am suspecting they are just misspelling a word in this context. Is that wrong ?


Hypernym for "trimester" and "quarter"

I am looking for a hypernym for _trimester_ and _quarter_.


A word encompassing both an IP address and the port used?

For example, if I were to connect to a service with the following address: `68.146.63.194:3609` Is there a word for this type of address? I suppose I could call it just a generic address but I was wondering if there was a word for this specific type of connection..


If you're starting a sentence with "and" or another conjunction, must you follow the conjunction with a comma?

When I was a kid, I was always told that starting a sentence off with "and" was improper. However, now it seems as if the consensus amongst members of the English cartel is that it is totally acceptable with one addendum, "you must always follow the conjunction with a comma." My girlfriend just started a sentence with "and" and she didn't use a comma. Was she wrong? Could someone elucidate on "and", and conjunctions at the start of a sentence, and subsequent commas? Here is the exact context, > Did you see those people giving us the finger? And the counter protest? Should that _and_ have been followed by a comma?


"in order to" vs. "for the sake of"

These two phrases seem to be interchangeable in most cases. But I found one case where it seems that "in order to" works, and "for the sake of" sounds like it's not as good a choice of words. Example:   1. I've probably continued to sing _in order to_ write these words.    2. I've probably continued to sing _for the sake_ of writing these words. To me, _in order to_ seems to be a better choice. _For the sake of_ doesn't seem to be as good a choice, because it doesn't seem to be a good choice in general for things that you're going to do in the future. _For the sake of_ seems to be more appropriate for **things that already exist** , not actions that are going to take place in the future. For **actions that are going to take place in the future** , _in order to_ sounds sort of more appropriate. Am I right? Is there anything to what I'm saying?


Hypernym of "triad", "tetrad", "pentad"

Does the English language have a hypernym for words like "pair", "triad", "tetrad", and "pentad"? I'm not sure where to look.


Phrase for order is done or order received?

I am developing a mobile application, which gets orders from client and sends it to us. What I am wondering is what kind of a statement can I use in order to inform the user that we have received his order. It must be a short statement as well as informative.   * Order Is Done   * Order Received   * or?? Since I am not a native English speaker I think I need some help here :)


Upstairs/downstairs neighbors

I just moved from the suburbs to my first apartment building a little less than six months ago, and I was wondering how I could could concisely refer to all the other residents of the building. I can, of course, use the phrases "upstairs neighbors" and "downstairs neighbors", but I live in the middle of the building, and I would feel awkward saying "upstairs and downstairs neighbors" or "same-building neighbors". Is there a word for this? EDIT: I would just say "neighbors", but I would like to make it clear that I mean just the people in my building, not other people in my region of Manhattan, or people in adjacent buildings.


Does the washing up fairy exist outside of Australia?

Just to clarify, I'm not talking about the Lush product of the same name. In Australia, the washing up fairy is a mythical creature. People leave their dishes unwashed overnight, and lo and behold, the next morning the dishes are clean thanks to the washing up fairy. Sadly, she (I assume it's a she) is more often noted in her absence than her presence. As in "The washing up fairy didn't come, I'll have to do the dishes now." An example of her being mentioned: > Her theory is simple – we must replace the behaviours we don’t want with > those we do. For example, leaving dirty dishes on the kitchen bench for the > washing-up fairy to tidy should be replaced with loading the dirty dishes in > the dishwasher. Her existence has been documented neither by Wiktionary nor Urban Dictionary. Is her distribution limited to Australia, and presumably New Zealand, plus the households of those who have moved from these countries?


"Internship at" or "Internship in"?

Which one is correct in what case? I have found someone suggesting that you use "at" for organizations and "in" for fields or disciplines, e.g., > I've got an internship at NATO, and he's got an internship at Red Hat, but > she's going for an internship in engineering. These are clear, but there are corner cases less clear to me. For instance, would you say:   * _"I've got an internship **at** the department of psychiatry at a hospital in Boston"_; or   * _"I've got an internship **in** the department of psychiatry at a hospital in Boston"_? ...since here we are speaking of a place, however the emphasis lies on the discipline. Or are both fine?


Origin of 'jive', 'jive turkey'

What's the origin of the word 'jive'? I'm partly confused because I thought "to jive" meant "to go well with," like "that approach jives well with me." Then someone called me a jive turkey. Is that the same "jive"? Looking at dictionary.com it's defined as "deceptive, exaggerated, or meaningless talk", "to engage in kidding, teasing, or exaggeration," etc. That works for "jive turkey" but not for what I originally thought "jive" meant. I think that meaning exists, though, as evidenced by the all-powerful google.


What Does 'Share and Share Alike' Mean?

What Does 'Share and Share Alike' Mean?


Why are baseball statistics called "sabermetrics"?

Loosely defined, sabermetrics is the study/usage/development of baseball statistics. I get the "metrics" part of the word, and I know what a saber is. But, what do sabers have to do with baseball? My only idea is that the baseball bat is kind of like a saber, but that seems to be a stretch.


Phrase that means "gaining money for someone" in a negative context

In German, we have a phrase _"jmd. in die Tasche spielen"_ , literally _"to play into someone's pockets"_. I am looking for a fitting English equivalent. The phrase means, you are causing a third party financial gain with your actions. These words are nearly always used in a negative context. For more details read on:   In a story, a character is asked to do a small favor, but by doing so an unnamed third party would gain money. Sarcastically, he responds: _"Sure, I'll play into their pockets"_.      I'm looking for an actual phrase that keeps the meaning but is valid English.


What is Mongolian Trait ? when referring to medical scores of a newborn child in USA

What is Mongolian Trait? I have been unable to find the meaning to this My Niece was classified as having Mongolian Trait ..


How to express "Help someone secretly"

One of my friend always helps me but does not want me to know that he helps me. Is there a word or phrase to describe this _secret helping_? Also, if someone wanted to thank the secret helper, is there an expression to do so? The expression that comes to mind is > _Thank you for always helping me silently._ But seems this expression does not seem as if it would be used by a native speaker. I have also come up with some expressions like >   * _Thank you for always helping me in the background_ >   * _Thank you for always helping me under the hood_ > Are either of these acceptable? Is there a even better expression?


Is the second period necessary after an abbreviation?

Which one of the following is correct?   1. only in the continental U.S.A. For all other countries...   2. only in the continental U.S.A.. For all other countries... I am not sure if I need two periods after "U.S.A." or just the one.


Is 'co-conspirator' redundant?

I've noticed in the news that multiple individuals involved in a crime are referred to as co-conspirators. Etymonline gives the origin of conspire: > **conspire** (v.): late 14c., from Old French conspirer (14c.), from Latin > _conspirare_ "to agree, unite, plot," literally "to breathe together," from > _com_ \- "together" (see com-) + _spirare_ "to breathe" (see spirit (n.)). > Or perhaps the notion is "to blow together" musical instruments, i.e., "To > sound in unison." Related: Conspired; conspiring. Given that the _con_ portion of the word means with or together, is the _co_ redundant?


This statement is false

**This statement is false** : What does this one liner mean? I just read this in a site of one-liners. Though this is grammatically correct, I wonder if it will have a solid meaning. Can we use such a sentence?


Usage of "would" for future

Where can we use "would" for future without conditional sentences? Please describe with example of sentences.


Expression for a transaction where there was no change or advantage

I'm looking for an expression to describe a situation where there was a transaction where some kind of advantage was expected but in the end there was not actual change or advantage. I was trying to describe a scenario where one owns a business, say a pawnshop, that involves multiple complicated transactions, but for various reasons, in the end of the month she finds out all her trades resulted neither in profit nor loss. I've considered _status quo ante_ but I see that expression mostly applied to situations where a change was attempted on a situation, and not for transactions between two parties where a trade of some sort is attempted. There's also _six of one half a dozen of the other_ , but I understand that as a comparison of two things that are identical, but not outcomes of situations.


Have I used too many commas for this sentence?

Here is what we are trying to say: > Before you hit any of the URLs below, please, make sure you have logged into > the application first using your default browser. Are the commas correctly placed? How else would you fix this sentence?


sorry that I did something, sorry for doing something, or sorry to have done something?

Should it be: 1) "I am sorry (that) I did this to you." 2) "I am sorry for doing this to you." 3) "I am sorry to have done this to you." From what I have learnt about 'sorry', I would exclude 3) 'sorry to have done this to you' because 'sorry to do' is like 'regret to do' – with the regrets coming before the deed – as opposed to 'regret doing', where the regrets come after the deed. Consequently 'sorry', like 'regret', shoud not be used with a perfect infinitive. Am I right? Then, which to choose between 1) and 2), and why?


Why are words such as "that" and "those" not considered articles?

According to Wikipedia (disclaimer: of course I realize that Wikipedia should not be regarded as an absolute authority, but I generally consider it to be a fairly accurate and reliable resource): > Articles specify the grammatical definiteness of the noun . . . I guess I can understand how the words _the_ , _an_ , and _a_ fit this description. But what about words such as _this_ , _that_ , _those_ , etc.? It seems these serve essentially the same function (specifying definiteness), but unless I'm mistaken, they are categorized as demonstrative adjectives. I find this _particularly_ puzzling in light of the following two excerpts from Wikipedia: > Every noun must be accompanied by the article, if any, corresponding to its > definiteness, and the lack of an article (considered a zero article) itself > specifies a certain definiteness. > > [. . .] > > In languages having a definite article, the lack of an article specifically > indicates that the noun is indefinite. It seems to me that, in light of the above two statements, an expression such as "those boots" should somehow be considered indefinite (since there is no article), but isn't this absurd?


"Favorite" vs. "favourite"

Excuse my stupid question, but do "favorite" and "favourite" mean the same thing?


What is the meaning of "This will be shown to all users but John"?

What does the following sentence mean? > This menu will be shown to all users but John. Does it mean that the menu will be shown to _all users except_ John or _only to_ John?


How to read aloud a sentence like 'In the year 18.. they decided to move to Bricktown'? Such sentences are common especially in Victorian literature. My only option is 'eighteen and something' but I feel that it will not do when reading aloud formal texts, e.g. citations from legal documents included into some fiction books.


Simple past or past perfect in this example

In the following examples:   * When I was five years old I had a dog. Is this a past perfect sentence? Here, I know that the 'dog' is not a verb and because we use third form of verb after 'had' so this got me confused.   * I just had a meal. Is this a simple past sentence? Here, 'meal' is also not a verb.


Where is great in "Great Britain" coming from?

Is it just because of the colonial history of Britain?


Use of "leave good memories"

Is it correct to use _leave good memories_ for someone after a particular experience or event? Are there any other options or examples?


Word for large, short, wide, roundish, fat bottle

What word would you use to describe a large, short, wide, roundish, fat bottle, the kind used for some wines: _tubby_ or _chubby_? This kind of flask called _growler_ would match my request, but I'd like to learn what adjectives could describe this shape. ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/0E5ex.jpg)


*Deja vu* all over again

" _Deja vu_ all over again" is an example of either a semi-literate (when the speaker does not know what _deja vu_ means) or a jocular use (when the speaker tries to be funny). Can you give similar examples of (possibly double) usage?


The stages of history

Is there a word or short phrase that encompasses the three main stages of Western history: ancient, medieval, and then modern?


Storage for abstract things?

Are there any synonyms or alternatives for the words _store/storage_ in context of storing abstract things? For example: > **storage** of user's posts > > to **store** functions


What is the pronunciation of mutinous?

What is the pronunciation of mutinous?   I looked at the pronunciation reported in a dictionary, which uses /ˈmjutn=əs/ as American English IPA transcription, but I don't understand which sound should be associated with /=/. I have already seen /ː/ used in British English IPA, but it is the first time I see /=/.


Word for "stating the obvious?"

Is there a word or term commonly used to describe the act of stating the obvious (or a person who continually does so)? > He constantly states the obvious, he is such a ___ _. > > She is always ___ing.


What's the difference between "I'm happy" and "I have a happy heart"?

What's the difference? Could you say that romantically? About an infant?


Usage of “in” vs. “within”?

I am writing about activity happening inside an organization. Should I use the word _in_ or _within_ their organization?


Which sentence structure is better?

Which sentence structure is better?   1. Completed his education at the Basic Vocational School for working people at the "ELWRO" Wroclaw Electronic Company in Warsaw in the profession of turner.   2. Completed his education at the Wroclaw Electronic Company Basic Vocational School for working people in Warsaw in the profession of turner.


What's the meaning of bulk rate?

As per this joke, what's the meaning of _bulk rate_? > ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/u5HhK.png) I understand "bulk" is a bunch of elements, but does it mean in this context that _you get a better price if you buy many_?


Can "installation" be used to mean software installed in a computer? (e.g. portable or stand-alone USB installation) Example sentence: This feature works in my standard installation of the software, but not in the portable USB installation. If not, what word could be a good alternative for "installation" in my example above? I am wondering about this because some software installers, like Opera's (screenshots: example 1, example 2), seem to use "installation" to mean software installed in a computer. But dictionaries like Oxford's Advanced Learner's Dictionary and Wiktionary, don't seem to include that definition for "installation", despite including the technical, computer definition for "install": OALD, Wiktionary.


How do I complete these fragments?

Simply Put, I have the following(similar) sentences:               Transducer Introduction.     An introduction to Transducer/Sensor.     A methodology to meet the deadlines.     Introduction to XYZ.      **All** of these are marked **GREEN** by _Microsoft's grammar check_. Those Green lines are really **_Annoying_** . Whats the proper way to write these Fragments so that the _Grammar Check_ spares me. Update I learned from some answers that _Microsoft's Grammar Check_ is way too sensitive. And it has a habit of annoyance. Still, is there some way I can solve the problem?


Word for compact, parenthesis-writing style: A (B) is x (y) for A is x, B is y

In English, is there a word to describe the compact writing style in the example below? > The highest (lowest) recorded temperature was 20°C (5°C). meaning > The highest recorded temperature was 20°C, and the lowest was 5°C. I encounter this sometimes in academic texts, particularly when there is a strict word count limit. I quite dislike it. Does it have a name?


Is there an equivalent of the spanish "que hueva" slang expression in English to denote that you feel lazy about doing something?

In Spanish slang, particularly in the west, the expressions "que hueva" or "me da hueva" are used, respectively, to convey that you are lazy about doing something. The context might be as follows: A: "Do you want to play soccer?" B: "Que hueva" [meaning something like "noo, feeling too lazy right now for that"] In the latter case ("me da hueva") literally translates to "it gives me hueva" and is like saying that something (perhaps a homework assignment or menial task) "gives you" that lethargic feeling.   Are there possible equivalents in English or expressions/constructs similar to the above?


Helper: loose vs. lose

Does anyone have a good way of remembering when to choose _lose_ instead of _loose_? I often find myself mistakenly using _loose_ in emails and such when I really mean _lose_ (which, in my mind, should be pronounced _loss_ ).


Period before or after short form for inches

When writing a sentence that contains the short version of inches as a double quote, (e.g. _the box measured 14"_ ) does the period come before, or after the quotation mark?


Something can be estimated therefore it is "estimatable"?

While the meaning of the word _estimatable_ is quite clear, it is not a real English word. Is there such a real English word with the same meaning? In case it helps, this is based on the INVEST user stories in Agile. The E stands for _Estimatable_ aka "should be be possible to estimate". I am, of course, happy for such a word not to exist. If so, how would you phrase it so that it still makes sense in the above context?


What do you call two words that contradict each other in a sentence?

I'm having trouble as to what you call two words that contradict each other. For example, "That was weirdly normal." I think this kind of word play is used in puns and jokes. But I do not know how you call this king of word play. Also, I think this can go beyond just using two words, like two phrases in a sentence or two clauses in a sentence that contradict each other. My questions are: How do you call this kind of weird play? Is this type of word play used in Jokes(Well, I think it is but I'm asking you guys)? Lastly, can you give me examples of this kind of word play?


Is "to take part to join us" a valid sentence?

I've seen it quite many times but it sounds like it repeats same thing twice?


I'm looking for an incredibly obscure word meaning "obscure / holy / hidden away"

I am fairly certain it starts with the letter 'd', but if not, it at least has that letter in it. Other words that describe it: recondite / cryptic / secret / arcane / "not many people are allowed access." A friend told me what it was it a ways back. Apparently it was the word-of- the-day on dictionary.com once. (I have not been able to find it there...)


What is the difference between "equal" and "equitable"?

I read a presentation note today mentioning that "space is divided equitably between each cell nucleus". Would it make any difference if it was "equally" instead of "equitably"? Or are the two identical in usage?


"In spite of" vs "other than."

I would like to know which sentence flows better. This one: > I was a taken aback by Limei's little confession. **In spite of her > impulsive personality, she seemed like a normal girl, leading a normal > life.** Could she be more exceptional than I thought? or this one: > I was a taken aback by Limei's little confession. **Other than her impulsive > personality, she seemed like a normal girl, leading a normal life.** Could > she be more exceptional than I thought? Suddenly, I'm unsure which one to use. What I want it to say is that, _except for her impulsiveness, Limei seems like a normal person._


What is the correct verb for 'driving' a ferry?

The captain of a ferry appears to _steer_ or _drive_ it. What is the correct verb for this?


Are there any differences between fund and funding when used as a noun? They seem both to have a meaning of "money made available for a particular purpose", and I was wondering why we need "funding" when "fund" means the same. Is it because "funding" is the gerund of the verb form of "fund", and therefore more emphasizes on the action than fund(n.) does?