texts: Why do you "let out the clutch" when you technically "engage" it?

texts:
In a simplified view, there's a motor and a gearbox and when they both are connected the gearbox makes the motor work. You only can shift the gear when both motor and gearbox are disconnected.
For this part, there's the clutch. The clutch is the connection between motor and gearbox.

To engage means to fit two parts of an machine together and the opposite to disengage is then to free those parts.

From a technical point of view, when you engage the clutch, the motor and gearbox are connected and you are able to drive and when you disengage the clutch, the motor and gearbox are not connected.
Thus, if the clutch is engaged and motor and gearbox are connected, it's not possible to change the gear.

But I found this example in OALD:

  Engage the clutch before selecting a gear.

Technically, this means you put motor and gearbox together and then change the gear. That's not possible as discussed above.

And this is taken from Merriam-Webster's Learners Dictionary:

  I have to learn how to let the clutch out smoothly.

Actually, the part you need to do smoothly is to lessen the pressure onto the pedal and eventually to take the foot away. But by taking the foot away, you rather put the clutch between motor and gearbox; hence, technically you let it in and not out.

And in Collins Learner's Dictionary, they say:

  Laura let out the clutch and pulled slowly away down the drive.

You can only drive when the clutch is between motor and gearbox, so actually you can't drive when the clutch is off.

In my mother-tongue we literally say to clutch out when we put our foot onto the pedal and to clutch in when removing our foot from the pedal. This corresponds to the technical function.

I wonder why in English the terms seem to be used opposite to what they actually represent. Why do you let the the clutch out when actually putting it in, and why you engage the clutch when actually take it out?


texts: What do you call a parenthetical word / phrase / letter that changes the meaning of a sentence?

texts:
Common uses of parenthetical statements are equivalent to i.e. or e.g. appositives. This includes elaboration or examples that clarify but don't change the meaning of the larger phrase or sentence they appear in. Many definitions of "parenthetical" or "parenthetical statement" include only this type of use.

There is a less common use of parentheses or brackets in written English where the inclusion or exclusion of the parenthetical content changes the meaning of the sentence, and it is meant to be read as either or both meanings. What is this called?

Examples:

[I hope] It is not going to rain.
I will [pretend to] enjoy this movie.


texts: What does “Turn a lemon(s) into lemonade” exactly mean?

texts:
In association with my question about possibility of using Etch-a-Sketch as a verb,
I found the expression “turn a lemon into lemonade” in the related article of Five Star.
It says:

  Etch-a-Sketch had a dilemma as it faced one of three choices:

  Say and do nothing, and wait for the story to go away.
  Object to the use of the Etch-a-Sketch brand in such contexts, and publicly reinforce its core brand values.
  Seize an opportunity to turn a potential lemon into lemonade.

  Happily, the folks at Etch-a-Sketch chose the last option.

As I was interested in the expression “turn a lemon into lemonade,” I googled, and found the following example of usage:

“How to turn lemons into lemonade. Bob Chambers. Most of us are so busy building our business that we often forget some of the simple principles that will turn our business into a powerhouse.”

We have Japanese sayings 災いを転じて福となす or 奇貨とするmeaning “turn disaster into fortunateness.“ But “turn lemons into lemonade” seems to imply to make an ordinary thing into a special or superior thing. Am I right? Is this a popular English phrase?


texts: Is there an antonym for “capitalize” (as in letter-case)?

texts:
A word that starts with a lower-case (lowercase?) letter can be capitalized, but what is the converse action?

Google has only one page in the top results that addresses this and the closest thing to a proposed answer is decapitalize, which trips spell-checkers, so de-capitalize.


texts: Word or phrase that everyone knows or has heard of, but no one knows its underlying meaning

texts:
What word or phrase can describe terms like:

Wi-Fi
AM/FM
AM/PM
RSVP
"etc."
"i.e."

and so on? In other words, what word or phrase could be used to describe a word or phrase that "everyone knows the word, but no one knows what it means/stands for/et cetera?"


texts:
According to Dictionary.com the word nautical means:

  of or relating to sailors, ships, or navigation

Is there a single word that might mean something similar to "of or relating to train operators, trains, or railroads"?

Examples:

I want a nautical themed room.
I want a [train] themed room.


texts: Wikitionary mentions offhand that "q.v." is used to reference material, but the definition it gives is far too sparse for my taste.  My question is, what does "q.v." stand for and when should one use it? How does it compare with "cf.", for example?


texts: 'The person whom I ask for help is clever'

texts:
Does 'whom' work here?

The person whom I ask for help is clever.

I don't think it does: ask for has already an object.


texts: Is using "short of something" to express "missing/lacking something" grammatical?

texts:
I have heard two conflicting opinions on the following:

  They want to play football but they are short of one man.

The intended meaning was that they were missing one player.

Now, a colleague from the US told that this is not grammatical and should really be "they are one player short" or "short by one player".
On the hand, a friend of mine from England finds that perfectly normal and correct.


texts: Should "culture"  in "Somali culture" be capitalized?

texts:
Should I capitalize culture in the following sentence?

  I am proud to share Somali culture with the community.

I know that proper nouns should be capitalized, but culture seems to be a generic noun with a proper modifier. Hence, I am unsure of what to do.


texts:
In the following paragraph, the main discourse started in present tense(ask), but then switched to past tense (might). Why is such a switch allowed?

  Microeconomists and macroeconomists ask different types of questions.
  A microeconomist might be interested in answering such question as:
  How does a market work? What levels of output does a firm produce?


texts: "generally good practice" - Where to place an article?

texts:
Sometimes we need to say that something is a good practice. I don't understand where to place an article. I checked multiple sources and it seems they use it differently: before "generally", before "good", or none.

This is a generally good practice for any URL embedded in webpages or emails that might have any side-effects when invoked. - developers.google.com

Having said that, I do have to agree with what Amy said, "Chinese parents assume strength, not fragility," and it is generally a good practice. - The New Yorker

This is bear country, but by late fall all but the oldest males have headed into hibernation. It is generally good practice, however, to pack food in a tightly sealed container and leave it well outside the tent. - The New York Times - Travel


texts:
"Heard me [infinitive]" vs. "heard me [present participle]"

  At that time, you wouldn't have heard me talk about it.
  At that time, you wouldn't have heard me talking about it.

  At that time, you wouldn't have heard me condemn it.
  At that time, you wouldn't have heard me condemning it.

Which one of the above sentences are incorrect and why?


texts: Present Perfect vs Present Simple (Murphy)

texts:
Murphy 4-th edition, additional exercises
page 303, ex 2, question 12:

  This is a nice restaurant, isn't it? Is this the first time (you are / you've been) here?

It seems I have heard the first variant (with "you are") several times and I have never heard the second. What do you think: is it possible to say "you are"? At least in oral speech? Or this is not correct?


texts: Phrases like "so sorry", "very sorry" are commonly seen, but "quite sorry" sounds odd to me. At first I thought it might be because "quite" doesn't usually go with words representing negative meanings. for example, "quite good" sounds common to me, yet "quite bad" somehow sounds off (maybe I would say "not quite good" instead). I know there's nothing grammatically wrong with "quite sorry", so I'ld like to know how others feel about the word "quite" going with words representing negative meanings. Thank you!


texts: Was the word “communist” used prior to Marxist/Leninist writings?

texts:
The word 'communism' and 'communist' were certainly popularized by the title of 'The Communist Manifesto' by Mark and Engels.

But was the word 'communist' used prior to Marxist writings? Or was it coined for use in the Communist Manifesto?


texts:
Does some future passive progressive tense exist, such as:

  He will be being interviewed by police."

as a counterpart to the past passive progressive tense, such as:

  He was being interviewed by police."


texts: Pronunciation of "Sarah", "Sara" and other names with the letter "a" before "r"

texts:
In Britain (or perhaps just Scotland) the names "Sara" and "Sarah" are pronounced different.

  Sara: Sah-rah ("a" as in "bat")
  Sarah: Se-rah ("a" as in "air")

In the US and Canada, Sarah and Sara are both pronounced like "Sarah".

In addition, there are other examples which are pronounced the same in North America (NA).

  Marry is pronounced like Mary and Merry ("a" as in "air")
  Harry like Hairy
  Barry like Berry
  Carry like Jim Carrey

Question: Is there truly no distinction between the two pronunciations of Sarah/Sara in NA?

How did English lose its open "a" sound when tied with an "r"?


texts: How to respond to "I'm sorry" appropriately

texts:
One thing that's been bugging me about English recently:

Let's say I stole Joe's gym socks. Then a month later I went to Joe and said "I'm sorry I stole your socks."

Joe's typical response would be "That's ok" (even though he actually doesn't think it's ok that I stole his socks) or "I forgive you" (which implies that he was holding a grudge against me the whole time, and hadn't forgiven me until that point), which he wasn't.

Basically I can't figure out an honest way to respond to "I'm sorry," where the other person actually did something bad that the victim is not really holding a grudge about—at least not without a lengthy diatribe.

Another common response is "No problem"—which doesn't exactly address the issue at hand.

What he wants to say is "I forgive you, but you shouldn't have done that, even though I never really worried about it."

It makes me want to look at other languages for appropriate responses.


texts: How to fix sentences where it is unclear whom a verb is referring to?

texts:
From addicted2succces.com the following sentence reads awkwardly in my :opinion

  He quickly noticed that all of the other friends he had hated hard
  work and had no desire to improve themselves.

When I first read it, I thought it meant the person had hated his friends, but then I realized the intended meaning is that all but one of his friends hated hard work. In situations like this, how can the meaning be made clearer without rewriting the entire sentence?


texts: What is a word to describe a toxin that is ubiquitous but in trace amounts?

texts: What is a word to describe a toxin that exists ubiquitously in small amounts?


texts: using ''require'' or synonyms in a cover letter

texts:
I have a doubt about the correct use of the verb to require and its synonyms in a cover letter.
My doubt is: require sounds almost like it's something that you are forced to do (therefore expresses a negative feeling/connotation).

So, what are the best synonyms to say in a cover letter that a jobs ''requires'' you to have multiple roles and skills?

I am tempted between involve and call for. But since it's a formal cover letter, I want to make sure I insert the correct one
(btw, I'm Italian).

The sentence I have in mind is:
My current position as a DA is a multifaceted position that requires me to play a broad range of roles using a full spectrum of skills.

Would it be better to replace requires with one of the following: involves/calls for/demands/necessitates/???
Which one would best fit into a formal cover letter but at the same time express a positive feeling???

Thank you so much in advance. Still learn English :)


texts:
I came across this sentence while I was reading an article and it got me very confused as to the definition of the word "niche"

  The bitter, terrible reality of the media world was clear to me even then. My pudgy face didn't fit. I didn't have enough glamour for Anna. In retrospect, perhaps my suggestion that The Blues Brothers should be shown every day at midnight was a bit niche. But that didn't matter.

I don't think I understand understand the definition of "niche" here. Is it a noun or an adjective? What does it mean in this sentence?i don't seem to be able to understand it... Does it mean it was not the correct time slot on TV? or that it was not the right tip?


texts: Is it alright to use logical punctuation?

texts:
Since I have been writing, I have been using what I thought was just the British style of punctuation. However, I realised that it is actually called 'logical punctuation'.
I have used this style of punctuating since I first started to write and I cannot imagine myself not using it.
As in:
"Hello", he said. "How are you?" (Logical - the way I write)
Or
"Hello," he said. "How are you?" (The other way - I am not sure what the technical term for it is).
A few British English speakers have actually said my style of punctuating is wrong and the idea of having to change my style and rewrite my entire book terrifies the life out of me.
I have read a few articles and Quora answers and it seems it might be okay, but I need to double-check.
I also tried looking at literary works from British authors and a lot of them seem to the second style. Why is that?
Thank you in advance.


texts: "Numeric" is to numbers as X is to dates. What is X?


texts:
When a hotel gives a description of the rooms in the facility, which sentence is correct and why?

  All the rooms are equipped with a free internet connection.

  All rooms are equipped with a free internet connection.


texts: What is the deciding difference between "field", "industry", and "sector"?

texts:
I have seen the three words frequently used to express similar meanings.
But what exactly is their difference that tells me which is the most suitable one in a certain case?


texts: What is the meaning of the expression "I prefer the enchilada"?

texts:
Context:
I met a well-traveled and -educated man. Upon him leaving I asked, "Chris, right?" He responded, laughing, "Christopher. I prefer the enchilada."


texts:
As informed by you we will keep the cheque with us once the customer lets you know if he will collect it from our office.

I need to know if I should keep the cheque or deliver it to the office where the customer will pick the cheque from.  So tell me if the above sentence is grammatically correct.


texts:
Because PaymentX stores the user's credit card details for you and sends your server a token to charge the card, if you use our SDK, your PCI compliance scope is greatly reduced compared to the case when your servers were handling the card details directly.

What's the best way to phrase the sentence above? I know an english rule is to never start a sentence with Because.


texts: "How long have you [had/been having] this?" - Cont. or Simple?

texts:
I'm studying Present Perfect tenses at the moment and have been wondering what tense should I use in this example:

  How long have you [had/been having] this thing?

So I know that in some cases (with verbs like know, like, seem and another dozen of those) it's preferred that you don't use Cont. like "I've been seeming", even to me it sounds very unnatural.

But what about the "have" verb? I'm studying with "English Grammar in Use" by Raymond Murphy and his book doesn't have the word have in the list of those exception verbs that you should use with Present Perfect Simple instead.

Though there's an example:

  How long have you had that camera? (not have you been having)

What should I stick with? In which cases and why? "Have you been having" seems to be a normal construction for me, but my experience is surely insufficient.

Is it just an exception like "I've known for a long time" instead of "I've been knowing for a long time"? Is there any cases where I should still stick with Present Perfect Continuous while using the have verb?

Thanks in advance!


texts: What is the correct place for an adverb that modifies a predicate adjective?

texts:
Which of the following is more correct?

When I speak, what I say is grammatically correct.

or

When I speak, what I say is correct grammatically.


texts: Where should an adverb be positioned when converting from active to passive?

texts:
Please consider this example sentence:

  Karen spoke rudely to the manager.

Should the corresponding sentence rearranged into the passive be:

The manager was spoken rudely to by Karen.
The manager was spoken to rudely by Karen.
The manager was rudely spoken to by Karen.
The manager was spoken to by Karen rudely.

Are any of those wrong answers, or are they all of them right answers?  Are there other valid word orders for this?

What makes the wrong ones wrong, if there are indeed any that are wrong?

If more than one can be considered right, do those all mean the same thing and are they all equally common? Which would a native speaker use? Do any sound funny?

Is it even right to create a passive out of a sentence whose verb lacks a direct object, one that has only a prepositional object instead like this case?


texts: Cherry-picking -- from a bowl, a tree or a cake?

texts:
I'm looking for information on the background of the cherry-picking metaphor -- cherry-picking as in: to select only the best of something. The image of 'picking cherries' is clear, but where are the cherries being picked from -- a bowl, a tree, or a dessert (including cake)?
So far what I've found is inconsistent. Etymonline doesn't have anything helpful, while Wikipedia and Wiktionary have different explanations.
Wikipedia

The term is based on the perceived process of harvesting fruit, such
as cherries. The picker would be expected to only select the ripest
and healthiest fruits.

Wiktionary

Etymology A metaphor, from the idea of picking through a bowl of
cherries and seeking the best for oneself, or the idea of picking off
the cherries for oneself from a cake or dessert.

Finally, I need to put the correct word in (something like) the following sentence:
If you are going to cherry-pick successfully, you've got to keep your sights on the whole _______.
(the idea being that when picking the best from a selection, you still need to know about what you are not choosing)


texts: Can something be a parent or child "to"/"of" something?

texts:
I am writing some software documentation. There are data structures that are organized in trees and every element in the structure can be child or parent "to"/"of" every other element.

I am not a native speaker and my instincts are pretty divided on the matter themselves, so I guess I have to turn to higher powers to answer that question. Hence, I turn to you:
Is it "to" or "of" in that case?


texts: What is the female synonym for the word "buddy"

texts: Two men may use the word "buddy", but can a man call a woman "buddy"? If not, what is the equivalent for women?


texts: What is the difference between the infinitive and present participle?

texts:
I already know the difference between "stop doing something" and "stop to do something".

I really don't know what is the difference between "like doing something" and "like to do something".

And is it "gerund" or "present participle"?

This is not a duplicate question. That answer doesn't fit (in my opinion) to this question. Actually, I want to know the difference between saying, for example: "I like to drink soda" and "I like drinking soda", and which is the correct if there is a correct construction.


texts:
I have a question regarding the usage of "but".

Suppose a person plays cricket. He does not play football. Which of the following is correct?

  He plays cricket but football.
  He plays cricket but not football.

I think the first one to be true. But it seems weird. Most of the time, I've seen the second statement to be used.


texts:
Is the following use of "we" in an informal conversation incorrect or ambiguous:

Mary: How did your day go at work?
John: It was good. I had a meeting early in the morning and we had lunch with Jack to discuss the project...
Mary: Who's we?
John: Me and Jack.

The alternative would be for John to say: "I had a meeting in the morning and I had lunch with Jack to discuss the project".


texts: Origin of "Innocent" to mean "Sexually Inexperienced"

texts:
I was thinking about the way "innocent" is often used (in both casual and moderately formal contexts) to mean "sexually inexperienced/oblivious", and came to the conclusion that using the phrase in such a way would imply that persons who have some degree of sexual experience are guilty of some trespass. Because this is an idea which does not align with my beliefs, I am trying to remove this phrase from my personal vocabulary.

Before I do so, I was wondering about the origin of the usage of the word "innocent" in this manner. Can anyone shed some light on the history of this usage? Or, if that is a question that is too broad to answer here, what sort of resources would I look into if I wanted to learn more about the history of a word's usage in a particular manner?


texts:
I’m writing a piece of mail to the manager of some other company, and I wanted to ask him:

  On a different note, I wanted to know how you are doing [something].

I was wondering, is there a more formal way of saying I want to know?

Would it be correct to say I am keen to know?


texts: The use of "as" in "Wasting money as it does,..."

texts:
I came across the following sentence in a practice book:

Wasting money as it does, I don't know how this business can succeed.

When I looked it up in dictionaries, the closest use I found for as in this case is to show constrast, similar to although. For example: Angry as he was, he couldn't help smiling.

So, is the above sentence correct? It doesn't show contrast.

If it did, it would be:
Wasting money as it does, the business still succeeds.

Or can as be used that way to add information?

Thank you.


texts: Lay or Lie in "what powers lies between their hands"?

texts:
This is for sure a duplicate question, but I'm sorry I'm just getting confused no matter how many articles I read. In the sentence,

  And still they are not aware what powers lies between their hands!

Should this be lays, lies? And what should it be if the tense were changed to "were not aware"?


texts:
I found this phrase in an article of The New York Review of Books, June 11, 2020, named “The Sickness in Our Food Supply”. The original text is

The renaissance of home cooking, and baking, is one of the happier
consequences of the lockdown, good news both for our health and for
farmers who grow actual food, as opposed to commodities like corn
and soy.

I have searched this phrase in google, but the results were generally relevant to “actual food cost and theoretical food cost”. So corn and soy are not actual food? What does “actual food” mean?


texts: Why a stream full of trout but not a stream full of newt?

texts:
While there are many fish words that are pluralized by adding an -s (sharks, minnows, guppies, etc.), there are also many which do not inflect in the plural (trout, cod, bass, salmon, etc.)
This contrasts strongly with the other animal classes. A few mammal words do not inflect (e.g., sheep, moose, deer), but the vast majority do. And I am not aware of the non-inflection of bird, insect, reptile, or amphibian words (although there may be some):

? a sky full of crow
? a field full of butterfly
? a pit full of snake
? a stream full of newt

There are some questions about the pluralization of fish elsewhere on this site, (https://english.stackexchange.com/search?q=fish+plural) but none that I can find answers my question:
Why is it typically only fish words that do not inflect in the plural?


texts: What does the term "nonrecourse deduction" mean?

texts:
What does the term: nonrecourse deduction(s) mean?

In legal documents I have seen the term nonrecourse deduction(s) used as it pertains to taxation and other economic factors. It is not clear to me from the context what the term is meant to convey.

For instance, from a Founders Agreement found on docracy:

  The Company will allocate any item of nonrecourse deduction to the Founders equally; provided, that any Founder’s partner nonrecourse deductions for any fiscal year or other period will be specially allocated to the Founder who bears the economic risk of loss with respect to the nonrecourse debt to which such partner nonrecourse deductions are attributable. [...]


texts: Is my realative clause "for which" used correctly in this sentence?

texts: I wanted to say that the material that was used to store documents were made of animals' bones and skins in Shang Dynasty. This is my sentence: "Bamboo strips books were invented as a replacement for the materials that stored documents for which they were made by animals’ bones and skins". Thank you very much, guys,


texts: University's possession or possession of the university

texts:
When we state that something belongs to a university, for instance requirements, we should use university's requirements or requirements of the university?

I remember learning like a thing that belongs to a non-living thing should be written as something of something instead of something's something. However, I see usage of university's something all over the place.

Pardon for the number of "something" in my questions.


texts: Can a piece of dialogue be treated as a noun and be made plural?

texts:
Although they did prefer to keep conversations short, and after some “How are you”’s and “Isn’t the weather lovely today?”’s they tended to return to whatever it was they had been doing.

Is this allowed, with or without the speech marks? If not is there any way to convey a similar meaning, of certain phrases being used many times?


texts: What is a word that means "belief in the good nature of humankind"?

texts:
I am looking for one word that is explained as "the belief in the good nature of humankind".
It is not philanthropy or humanitarianism; rather, I am looking for one word to describe one's belief in philanthropists.


texts: Replacement for the annoying habit of saying "I was like"

texts:
I am new here, so my first question would be to ask about an annoying habit that I, as well as many other people out there, seem to have...

During the telling of a story I will often say this one phrase: "I was like" (and I was like, "Don't be dumb, it's not weird to say it at all!").

I would really like to throw something into my brain that would replace this. I hate using this term, it disgusts me...


texts:
I'm wondering if this is correctly spelled or is there something wrong with the phrase itself.

  Patient will be placed on IV steroids with compression stockings for lymphedema should physical therapy be cleared by cardiology for manipulation of that region. Documentation of spinal fluid will be obtained under fluoroscopy. Her glucose and blood pressures must be carefully monitored.

The question they ask me is :

  How will lymphedema be controlled should physical therapy be undertaken?

Are they missing some commas or it's just me not being able to read this correctly. Asking this because, from what I understand, the lymphedema will be controlled with "IV steroids with compression stockings". But, how about the "compression stockings for lymphedema should physical therapy be cleared by cardiology for manipulation of that region". I'm really confused.


texts: What does "in the final sense" mean in Eisenhower's Chance for Peace speech?

texts:
I'm a native-level English speaker but the meaning of this phrase is not obvious to me.

Context (emphasis mine):

  Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed.

My first guess is that it means the theft is final because it destroys economic value irreversibly, but I'm not sure whether it's correct. Another guess is that it means that it will be judged as theft in the eyes of God (i.e., the final judgement).


texts: Difference between "notebook" and "laptop"

texts:
Definition of Notebook :

  a small, lightweight laptop computer.

  Definition of Laptop :

  a portable, usually battery-powered microcomputer small enough to rest on the user's lap.

In this case, a notebook is defined as a laptop, so does "notebook" = "laptop"?


texts:
My mother used the word 'stewer' to refer to the pot that you cook stew in, but I have only rarely seen it used this way.

Can you tell me what the origin is of this usage?


texts: Correct usage of the possessive in the name "Christiaan Huygens"

texts:
I'm writing a lab for a simple diffraction experiment, and I am stuck on this grammatical point:

Is it more appropriate to say "Huygens' Principle" or "Huygens's Principle"*? A cursory glance at Google seems to indicate that the most common usage seems to be "Huygens' Principle"; but as the apostrophe is at the end of the word as in the plural possessive, my inner grammarian is screaming that it should be "Huygens's". Which is correct?

*I know it can also be rendered as the Huygens-Fresnel Principle, obviating the need for my query.


texts: Why is "Do you have anything in mind?" correct?

texts: If "What's the time in your watch?" is grammatically inconsistent (as time is an abstract concept so it should be "by your watch"), why is "Do you have anything in mind?" correct even though that "anything" could be abstract as well (Why is "in" used there)?


texts: "Advice I wish I'd had ears to hear" — is this phrase in common use? Origins?

texts:
Productivity writer Merlin Mann often uses the phrase "ears to hear" on his podcast. An example from his writing:

  "a discursive mishmash of advice I wish I'd had the ears to hear in the year or five after graduating from college"

Clearly, this means "advice I wish I'd been ready enough, or open minded enough to listen to".

Is this a common idiom? I've not come across it elsewhere.

Does it have any particular origins? I wonder whether it's related to this Bible verse:

  "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear."


texts: What is the proper written plural possessive form for nouns that do not take -s, -es, or -ses upon pluralisation?

texts:
For most English words, the rules for construction of possessive forms are fairly simple.

Singular nouns are possessivised by adding -’s to the end (even if the word already ends with an S):1

cat → cat’s
bass → bass’s
CVR → CVR’s

Most plural nouns are possessivised by adding a lone apostrophe after the -s, -es, or -ses taken upon pluralisation:

APU → APUs → APUs’
Jones → Joneses → Joneses’
bus → busses → busses’

Pronouns have special possessive forms, which do not use apostrophes (her, his, their, hir, our, your, my, its, etc.).

However, not all English nouns are pluralised simply by adding an -s, -es, or -ses to the end (although, for some of these, an -s/-es/-ses form, although not the usual method of pluralisation, is still available as an alternate plural form).  All have possessive forms that include an S somewhere, as is obvious when listening to spoken English, but, for some, the shape this takes in written English is far from clear.

If the plural form is irregular, but does still end in an S, the possessive is formed by adding an apostrophe to the end:

octopus → octopodes → octopodes’

If the normal plural is the same as the singular, and an -s/-es/-ses form is available as an alternate plural, the possessive is formed by tacking on an apostrophe to the end of the -s/-es/-ses form:

fish → fish [alternate plural fishes] → fishes’

For many, however, the normal plural alters the stem of the noun in a manner not present in the singular or the alternate -s/-es/-ses form, or there is no -s/-es/-ses form available at all, even as an alternate, giving rise to a couple of annoying corner cases:

minimum → minima [normal plural] → ...?
minimum → minimums [alternate plural] → minimums’
aircraft2 → aircraft → ...?

I can think of a few possible ways of possessivising these irregular -s/-es/-ses-less plural nouns (but all have serious problems):

Adding -’s onto the end, as one would do for a singular (applies a singular form, rather than a plural form, to a plural noun):

minimum → minima → minima’s?
aircraft → aircraft → aircraft’s?

Adding a lone apostrophe onto the end, as one would do for most plurals (inconsistent with spoken English, as it fails to produce the terminal S that is evident in speech, requiring that a phoneme that is both present and audible be rendered invisible on the page):

minimum → minima → minima’?
aircraft → aircraft → aircraft’?

Adding -s’ onto the end (effectively pluralises the noun twice over):

minimum → minima → minimas’?
aircraft → aircraft → aircrafts’?

Which of these methods, if any, is the correct one for generating the plural possessive forms of these irregularly-pluralised nouns?

1: Possessivisation of nouns is one of only two uses for apostrophes anywhere in the English language (the other being the formation of contractions, like don’t and wouldn’t’ve).

2: A word of special importance for someone who spends a large portion of her time over at Aviation.SE!


texts:
There are two main or obvious possible reasons:

Achilles died of a wound to the heel, from a poisoned arrow shot by
Paris/Alexander. This is sometimes fabled to be the only spot where he could be wounded, thanks to a magical invulnerability elsewhere due to immersion in the Styx (which failed to wet his heel because his goddess mother was holding him by that part).
Achilles pierced the slain body of Hector between
this tendon and the underlying bones (tibia and fibula) so as to
pass through the thongs by which he dragged the body behind his
chariot.

The first would seem to be the more popular notion, but it is completely un-Homeric—the invulnerability thing in particular would make nonsense of Iliad 18, and neither epic mentions the wound in the heel at all—while the second is authentically Homeric (Iliad 22.395–404).

Brewer’s 1898 (courtesy of Bartleby) is no help, nor is Free Dictionary, and Wikipedia hedges its bets (and ignores the question in Talk). OED cites the following, which clearly favors #1, but nowhere casts its authority behind that origin-story:

  1703 tr. P. Dionis Anat. Humane Bodies Improv’d ii. x. 422   That String is call’d the Tendon of Achilles, because, ’tis said, he dy’d of a Wound in that Part.

P.S.: Irene, commenting on a question regarding whether the expression needs an apostrophe, alleged that the Greek origin involved the adjective Ἀχίλλειος, but Liddell & Scott indicate that the tendon in question was simply called ὁ τένων ὁ ὀπίσθιος, the rear tendon, while their entry for Ἀχίλλειος does not mention any tendon. Wikipedia traces the expression to a decade before the OED example previously given:

  The oldest-known written record of the tendon being named for Achilles is in 1693 by the Flemish/Dutch anatomist Philip Verheyen. In his widely used text Corporis Humani Anatomia, Chapter XV, page 328, he described the tendon's location and said that it was commonly called “the cord of Achilles”, now also called “tendo achillies” by anatomists. (“quae vulgo dicitur chorda Achillis”)


texts: Meaning of "one order of magnitude improvement"

texts:
There is no  single development, in either technology or management
  technique, which by  itself promises even one order of magnitude
  improvement in productivity, in  reliability, in simplicity.

What exactly is the message trying to say? What exactly does it mean by one order of magnitude improvement?


texts: How are invented names like “scrypt” pronounced that include nonstandard abbreviations?

texts:
In technical contexts, I often come across terms that are invented names where some underlying meaning is not spelled out but can be inferred. This inferred meaning would often be lost if one tried to pronounce the term purely based on the letters comprising it. It seems to me that one cannot get such issues right, because any choice probably looks objectionable either to a very literal or a very technical person. What is the proper pronunciation for such terms?

A good example for the kind of terms I am thinking of is scrypt, a computer algorithm for computing cryptographic hashes that enjoys tremendous popularity among geeks. In case the inventor's intention matters, his company's webpage about scrypt seems to be the best source of information available but still does not address this issue. Neither does the Wikipedia article about scrypt. What I think I can infer only serves to complicate the decision: There are other, older algorithms for essentially the same purpose that follow the naming convention of having a single letter followed by crypt, of which bcrypt is widely known but not the only example. There are good reasons to suspect that the initial letter in scrypt might be intended as an abbreviation rather than just a random distinction. The rest of the name almost certainly has its roots in computer history. See the Wikipedia articles for two meanings of crypt, the computer library function crypt(3) and the utility program crypt(1). Both are closely related to scrypt.

I've only started thinking about this question due to an identical question (put on hold for being off-topic) on the Bitcoin branch of StackExchange. The two submitted answers, including my own attempt at explaining my personal preference, indicate that there is no consensus. Since there the topic is almost tangential anyways (scrypt is used in some alternatives to Bitcoin but not in Bitcoin itself), I have tried asking the same question on the Information Security branch of StackExchange, where one commentator gave what he claimed to be a definite, if unexplained, answer yet simultaneously declared the question off-topic.

Is this the right place? And how does one decide such questions for which I would, naïvely, have assumed that technical background knowledge is required to decide if something is special enough to be granted exceptional status regarding its pronunciation?

On the same subject, what makes not capitalizing the proper noun scrypt or crypt acceptable? There seems to be widespread consensus amongst computer enthusiasts to never capitalize at the very least certain commands, specifically those that in their usual application as computer commands are case sensitive, meaning that they do not work as intended when typed in capital letters. Whilst to somebody using such commands it indeed seems very natural to follow this convention, seeing it done at the beginning of a sentence, as in the first sentence of a Wikipedia link already given above, does not feel quite right, either. Is the usage as in that Wikipedia article, employing a different capitalization for the same initial word in the title and the first paragraph, in any way proper?


texts:
As a tenant, one might say to their landlord

It has been a pleasure staying under your ____

What word might fit here?


texts: Can "stylizable" be used in this context?

texts: We need a term to describe an element with an customizable look (for example, if it's a text, one can customize its font and foreground color). Can we use the term "stylizable" for that?


texts: top left vs. upper left, lower-left vs bottom left, which are more common?

texts: Top left vs. upper left, lower-left vs bottom left, which are more common? Or all of the combinations are right to use in any text?


texts:
I have been wondering what it means when people use "respectively" in, before, and after sentences. For example:

  We are looking for a babysitter to pick up and supervise our kids ages
  6 and 3, respectively, on Monday and Friday.

I don't know if this person used it correctly, but if they did what does it mean? If they didn't use it properly what would be the proper usage?

Thanks in advance.


texts: Is "Graduate Of" the same as "Undergraduate Of"?

texts:
If I had completed a bachelor's from Harvard, would I be able to say I was:

  a graduate of Harvard University

Or does the term "graduate" apply only to those who have completed a master's or doctorate?

Would it more accurate--less ambiguous--to say I was:

  an undergraduate of Harvard University

Or are both terms interchangeable?


texts: "Converted PDF file" - what does it really mean?

texts:
I can press Ctrl+P on my keyboard and save this HTML page as PDF. Would it be correct to call such a file a converted PDF file? Or does the word converted mean that the file was converted from PDF to something different?
In other words,

converted PDF file = HTML file saved as PDF (or Markdown file converted to PDF using Pandoc)
converted PDF file = PDF file converted to e.g. DOC

Which version is correct, 1 or 2?


texts: The difference between relative adverb and relative pronoun

texts:
What's the difference between a relative adverb and relative pronoun ?

Like in a sentence This is the place where he was assaulted. how where is modifying the verb was assaulted. I have been reading Wren and Martin for grammar it just says that the adverb modifies the verb but not how. I have also watched videos regarding the relative adverbs and in one video by KHAN ACADEMY, David who is the tutor just says "technically the adverb where is modifying the verb" but does not explains.

I want like a complete description like in this way it is modifying a verb or something like that.


texts: Adjective for something that is medium-lived

texts:
I am looking for an adjective that can be used to describe something that is somewhere between ephemeral, transient or temporary and persistent, permanent or continual in length of time. That is, I want to give the impression that something can last for a while (not fleeting), but that can change at any time and can or will have an ending. Thus even persistent sounds too permanent for what I'm looking for.

Some ideas I've come across so far that seem too long / too permanent:  preserved, protracted, prolonged, lasting, long-lived (maybe medium-lived?), durable. And some that I think are potential candidates: retained, sustained, maintained, stable, durational. My current favorite is durational, which seems to give the right feel. On the other hand, it feels awkward to me when I use it in a sentence. I'd love to hear other suggestions or recommendations.  Also, please let me know if you agree or disagree with my interpretation of the choices mentioned here or in the comments.

I'm looking to contrast a temporary selection (like a user doing a mouseover or hover to see a tooltip) with a durational selection that implies the user has chosen some things to look at for a time, but may modify that selection at any time as they desire.

So which of these sound like something that will last a while, but you're free to modify or delete or undo whenever you like:

a retained selection
a sustained selection
a maintained selection
a stable selection
a durational selection
an impermanent selection
a semi-permanent selection
an epochal selection (ok that does sound long!)


texts: Has the verb "to convene" ever been commonly used to mean "to be convenient to"?

texts:
Some Romance languages' own cognates for our Latin-derived word convene and convenient can be verbed, like verb phrase to be convenient is used in current English:

Não me convém.               (Portuguese)
No me conviene.                (Spanish)
Ceci ne me convient pas.        (French)

Those all translate literally “This does not convene to me",  to mean “This is not convenient to me”.

Has English ever similarly used same sense of the same verb? Has it ever been common to say

  It does not convene to me?


texts: Is there a difference between "cash paid" and "cash tendered"?

texts: I notice that some receipts have the words "Cash Paid" while others have "Cash Tendered". Are there differences between them? Can they be used interchangeably? Are there situation(s) where one of them will be more suitable than the other?


texts:
Why is the "r" doubled in "arrhythmia" relative to "rhythmia"?
I'm guessing it's because English resists hyphenation of prefixes and suffixes ("a-rhythmia"), while direct prefixation by "a" would imply the wrong pronunciation: "arhythmia" looks like it should be pronounced "ah-rhythmia". However, "arrhythmia" also looks like it should be pronounced "ah-rhythmia", so that doesn't explain things...
I can't think of other cases that double the initial consonant when preceded with "a": the antonym of "tonia" is not "attonia" but "atonia", for example. The antonym of "regular" is "irregular", but the prefix is, I think, considered to be "ir", not "i". Maybe that simply means that the antonym prefix of "arrhythmia" is "ar", not "a", even though the word is pronounced "'A'-rhythmia", not "arr-rhythmia"?


texts:
I have my page and my mobile number is shown there.
Which one is correct ?

  You can contact me through the Viber or WhatsApp.

or

  You can contact me through Viber or WhatsApp.

Thanks beforehand.


texts: Is "ethnic cleansing" an inappropriate euphemism if mass murder isn't involved?

texts:
I have heard about "ethnic cleansing" as an inappropriate euphemism. Is it only inappropriate when it's referring to mass killing, or is it also inappropriate when talking about the forced expulsion of ethnic groups from an area?

For example, can I say "It's nice that Bhutan is 60% forest, but they have also committed ethnic cleansing"? If not, what should I use instead?


texts: Can I use the verb "constitutes" in this fashion?

texts:
For example: Being a member of the team constitutes to an amazing experience.

Would this be correct?


texts: Non-jargon alternative to the term "content" when describing articles, videos, photos, etc

texts: Web publishers often refer to articles, videos, photos, etc. as "content" or "online content", but I feel as if this term is hackneyed jargon and also fairly vague. What alternatives are there?


texts: Is “A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream” correct English?

texts:
Shakespeare’s play is called A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

So is A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream correct English?

If not, what would be the correct English?


texts: "I thought they have taken it off" vs "I thought they took it off"

texts:
What is the difference between the usage of simple past and present perfect in the following:
Update: Here is the conversation.

A. I am going to get some food. [Apparently the food was there] B. I thought they have taken it off.
Or B. I thought they took it off.

Is one preferred over the other if there is no difference?


texts: Why there are three different sounds for -ed?

texts:
Following this question on the pronunciation of the final -ed.
What is the reason why there are three different pronunciations (/ɪd/, /t/ and /d/)?
I'm well aware that phonetic shifts exist, I study linguistics. I just wanted to know how this particular shift happened.


texts: What is the noun that describes the urge to harm someone?

texts:
I am writing about the character Roger in William Golding's Lord of the Flies. If you have read the book, you would know that this character is one with an urge to harm other people.

So my question is whether there is suitable single word for "urge to harm someone"?


texts:
Can anyone nail down the origin and first usage of the phrase...

“barking mad”
(also, just "barking")?

Basic research shows two possible answers:

Barking, England supposedly had a mental institution attached to the abbey back in the medieval period.

However, according to the author of one post on -phrasefinder.org

  ”The problem with the asylum tale is the date - it is far too early. 'Barking mad' isn't medieval and began to appear in the language only around the beginning of the 20th century
  The first record of it that I can find in print is from the USA. The 11th November 1927 edition of the Oklahoma newspaper The Ada Evening News….”

This would seem to be incorrect.
I have found a number of passages from the 19th century going back as far as 1826, mostly from BrE texts.

As well, I have only seen it in BrE usage such as in the Harry Potter series:

  "Barking," said Uncle Vernon, "howling mad, the lot of them. You'll see. You just wait."

  "Barking mad"
  - Ron on Hermione

  "It's not my fault she's barking mad"
  - Harry referring to Madam Pince

Also, there is the obvious reference to a “mad dog”, as seen in the 1826 text.

  “A very respectable paper in this county, too, only three years ago, published an account of a horse bitten by a presumed mad-dog, going barking mad. Who, after this, can depend on newspaper records of Hydrophobia ”

Is there any source lurking out there behind a pay-wall or other print media that could indicate the origin of this phrase?


texts: " 's " or "of something", without an idea of ownership

texts:
I've seen this question asked many times but there are so many particularities that I did not find an anwser to my case. I'm a french student writting a science speech, and I hesitate between writing  :

... used to map the dolphin's absence...
... used to map the absence of the dolphin...

and I have the same problem with :

... recorded the size of the groups of dolphins
... recorded the size of the dolphins'groups.

Thank you very much, and have a nice day !


texts: Term for insulting words which sound grand?

texts: I don't mean euphemisms or backhanded compliments (or the reverse). It's the words which sound grand, but actually have a bad meaning (e.g., jumentous: smelling strongly like a beast of burden). Is there any word to define this conceptually?


texts: Shouldn't it be "horror filled halloween" or "spooky halloween"?  It fits the purpose of the day. Why "happy"? By the way "Happy Halloween everybody!"


texts: Does the phrase "I hung my head in shame" mean that the person hanged himself? Suicide?


texts: What is the correct grammar to use for this common style of speaking?

texts:
Oftentimes when people want to emphasize something, an idea is repeated three times, but without closing it as a full sentence. I am not sure how to write this in a formal essay.

Here is my example:

  The effect is that radioisotopes are often thought of as something to be frightened of, something with ominous powers, something that is an unseen ninja equipped with a poison beam gun.

You see the effect I am trying to make with the repetition of the word "something"; is there any proper grammar for this instance?


texts: A suspended hyphen in a list with only one hyphenated word

texts:
Consider the list:

  experimental economics, behavioral economics, cognitive economics, evolutionary economics, and neuroeconomics.

Well, I am editing a submission with the above list rendered by the author as:

  experimental, behavioral, cognitive, evolutionary, and neuroeconomics.

I don't like that. But, I thought, "neuroeconomics" is also acceptable as the hyphenated "neuro-economics." So I wrote out this as a possible alternative:

  experimental, behavioral, cognitive, evolutionary, and neuro- economics.

Anyone think that's a reasonable solution?


texts:
What is the negative of reciprocate? I need a word which means reciprocate but has negative connotations.

I searched its antonyms but they didn't help me.
Merriam Webster says requite, repay and recompense but they don't convey the meaning I want them to convey.


texts:
This is the name of a company:

  Taobao Network Co., Ltd.

Is it correct that every first letter is capitalised? Also, why is there a comma?


texts:
All three nouns are derived from aberrant, the latter two are not used often I suppose considering that spell check considered them misspelt.

What are the difference between the three? Are they interchangeable?


texts: "On [Subject]" vs. "Of [Subject]" in Titles

texts: I see "On" and "Of" in the titles of many essays, and was wondering what the difference between the two is. For example, what is the difference between, "On Sadness" and "Of Sadness"? "On Grief" vs "Of Grief"?


texts:
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.


texts: Punctuation with definitions like "what x means by y"

texts:
I would like to know if in the following examples punctuation is primarily opinion-based or whether there are rules or standards.

  Milcot defines power as a dynamic process.

  1) By dynamic, Milcot means ... (without single quotation marks)

  2) By 'dynamic,' Milcot means ... (with single quotation marks)

And does it make any difference if the defition is a quotation?

  Milcot defines power as "a dynamic process."

Thanks again!


texts:
I have doubt about the usage of the term arbitrary limit, which confuse me with its initial definition from the various dictionary.

The definitions for arbitrary from the major dictionaries could be grouped in two ways, which are random and dictatorial.

I am confused with the usage of this term in some of the speeches that I have searched that provides 2 different meanings.

Example
The government's arbitrary limit will deprive the economy of skilled workers it needs but barely dent overall migrant numbers.

The Statement above would tell a limit set by an absolute authority, or rather would be random with own preference limit.

The usage of this term has been around, and it's common to be used in the study of Science.

Do appreciate any insights about the clarification of usage.


texts:
For my academic essay title, I wish to use the term "Hypervigilance".

The context I'm using it is "an Era of Hypervigilance".

By "an Era of Hypervigilance", I want to describe the present period in time where people are keen to be social justice warriors— i.e. jump at any perceived societal evil and use any means possible to demonstrate the fact that they are "woke" (sometimes without knowing if perceived facts are truthful).

A few (two or three) sites on the internet do indeed refer to hypervigilance in this sense (that I intend). However, the term primary seems to describe a medical condition where being "hypervigilant" means being in "an enhanced state of sensory sensitivity".

My question specifically is this— would you understand the word "hypervigilance" if used in the context that I intend to.

If not, please can you suggest any suitable alternatives?


texts: Word to differentiate the spiciness of chilli pepper and mustard

texts:
We use the word hot or spicy to describe the kind of sensation you'd experience with chilli pepper. A burning of the mouth and throat.

But is there a separate word for the kind of sensation you'd experience with mustard or horseradish? The fizzy nasal feeling you get when eating things like this.

E.g. Chilli is hot, mustard is _____, and ginger is both hot and _____.


texts: Is there a term to describe someone who is rarely at home?

texts: I'm referring to someone who travels a lot, completely consumed with his job.


texts: Generic term for 'one who is being told a story'

texts:
So we have the term "storyteller" for anyone who is telling a story, be it via a book, verbally, the silver screen, or some other media.

Do we have a generic term for the audience specific to storytelling?

The generic 'audience' would cover anyone from somebody watching the 5 o'clock news, to somebody reading a dental pamphlet, to somebody reading a work of fiction, and I'd like something more specific.


texts: Phrase for a guest enforcing their culture/rules on the hosts

texts:
Imagine a certain Bob from Somethingistan whose native culture forbids wearing hats. Now Bob immigrates to Somelandia where it is perfectly normal to wear hats. However, not only does Bob not wear hats, but he also publicly preaches that wearing hats is wrong and even abuses locals for just wearing hats.

How can Bob's behavior be described in English?

There is this Russian saying: со своим уставом в чужой монастырь не ходят, which can be literally translated as "Do not bring your rules into others' monastery". Anything similar in English?


texts: MLA: block quote following an indented first line of paragraph - must I 'double indent' the block?

texts:
I am writing a paper in MLA style, where the first line of each new paragraph is indented once. However, I wish to use a block quote on the second like of a paragraph, which must also be indented once on every line of the quote, as I understand.

However, this looks confusing as the first line of the paragraph could be mistaken as being part of the block quote. Does this mean that I should indent the block quote twice in order to differentiate it from the first, indented line of the paragraph, or would this violate the MLA style?


texts: What is the radical difference between ‘this’ and ‘a’ when telling a story?

texts:
The following quotation is a line from Ron to Harry after the first stage of the Triwizard Tournament. (p359, Harry Potter 4, US edition)

“You were the best, you know, no competition. Cedric did this weird thing where he Transfigured a rock on the ground … turned it into a dog … he was trying to make the dragon go for the dog instead of him. Well, it was a pretty cool bit of Transfiguration, and it sort of worked, because he did get the egg, but he got burned as well – the dragon changed its mind halfway through and decided it would rather have him than the Labrador; he only just got away. And that Fleur girl tried this sort of charm, I think she was trying to put it into a trance – well, that kind of worked too, it went all sleepy, but then it snored, and this great jet of flame shot out, and her skirt caught fire – she put it out with a bit of water out of her wand. (The rest is omitted.)

I consulted dictionaries.

・(informal) used when you are telling a story or telling somebody about something.
eg) There was this strange man sitting next to me on the plane.
eg) I’ve been getting these pains in my chest.

It seems to me that I can use ‘this’ for a change whenever I’m bored with ‘a’.

・(Informal) an emphatic form of a or the: used esp on relating a story
eg) I saw this big brown bear

I can’t understand what it emphasizes. What does ‘an emphatic form of a’ mean?
I’ve seen this type of ‘this’ in some stories, but they are used only once in opening scenes, if I’m not mistaken. I tried to swallow ‘this’ by thinking it is needed for an opening scene which is very important in the story. But I can’t delude myself any more when seeing three ‘this’ in the above quotation. What kind of effect repeating ‘this’ have?
Let me get it straight. I’d like to know

What makes you choose ‘this’ over ‘a’?
What kind of effect does repeating ‘this’ have as in the above citation?


texts: Is it correct to use "all this" instead of "all of this"?

texts: I frequently see people write "all this", instead of "all of this". Is this a grammatically correct phrase? My intuition tells me that it's wrong (the spoken phrase "all this" is really a contraction of "all of this"); but I'm having a hard time finding any evidence to support the claim.


texts: Is there a word to describe the process of finding your own materials and tools to produce a work?

texts:
Is there an English word that describes the process or time spent finding your own materials and/or tools to produce a work?

For example, what would you call all of the following similar processes?

Becoming a master (in medieval guild systems) required crafting a masterpiece using your own tools and materials
Making a Wiccan wand requires finding your own branch and materials
Earning a doctorate requires doing your own research and findings to produce a thesis or dissertation

The term "rite of passage" comes to mind, but that's more associated with an event or ceremony for a life transition.

Edit: Using it in a sentence could be "I'm ______ a masterpiece/wand/dissertation" if a verb or "It is a requirement to ______ to become a master/wiccan/doctorate."


texts: I've heard the Latin phrase imperio in imperium used in political discussions a few times. While I understand what the phrase literally means in Latin ("by command into command"), I'm not sure what the intended meaning is when the phrase is invoked in English as a discussion of political strategy or reality.


texts:
I am working on implementing a Q&A platform and I am trying to find some catchy figure names for the following: how many questions were asked by non-staff (non-admin) and how many answers were provided by non-staff.

What I was able to come with so far:

"Socratic index" - related to questions (inspired by the Socratic badge).
"Knowledgeable index" - related to answers

Any idea about how to grasp the meaning I want?

I am interested in phrases related to questions and answers concepts only and it should not matter how I compute it.

Question: What terms to use for figures related to questions and answers?


texts:
In what way is "are us" used? Like: what does "toys are us" mean.. Or what does "heavy weights are us" mean?

Does "are us" always refer to several people? Or can one also use it when referring just to oneself?


texts:
While this may be pedantic, I'm curious about the proper usage, if any.

We have a piece of software that opens a file, increments a counter in the file, and closes the file. This piece of software is called Incrementor, but it looks funny to me. I think it should be called Incrementer, as it is one who or thing that performs an increment.

I am a software developer (one who or thing that develops software), not a software developor.

I pay rent, I am a renter, not a rentor.

I increment numbers, therefore I am an incrementer, not an incrementor.

Any thoughts or rules that can help out?


texts: "An autonomous being" vs "autonomous being"? When to place an indefinite article?

texts:
He treats her as property rather than an autonomous being.

or

He treats her as property rather than autonomous being.

Which of the above sentences is correct and why?


texts: What do you call the word used in prose to describe the surroundings to make prose richer?

texts:
There is a word in English which is used to describe the technique used by authors where they describe the surroundings (like sight, sounds, smells, etc.) to make the scene more rich.

Like "there was fresh sand between the driveway paving stones and a diminutive sapling on the lawn" to describe that the house is new.

What is that word?


texts: Is there a word for releasing a fish or an animal into a (natural or artificial) habitat?

texts:
I can always say "put a fish in a bowl" or "release a hare into the woods". But I wonder if there is a more specific word for this.

The point is that, after the action is taken, the animal will become less restricted and more happy than it was immediately before.

Examples:

"The fisher took the goldfish from the hook and put it into a bottle." (Big enough and full of water. As unfortunate as it is, he may still fry the fish when he comes back home, but for the time she feels more comfortable than when she were hanging from the line.)
When the puppy had grown up to become a wolf, the villager released it into the forest. (Tears flowing down his cheeks, but the wolf is going to be happier in the long run.)


texts: "As becomes obvious" or "As it becomes obvious"?

texts:
An essay of mine has been corrected so that my original sentence:

  As it becomes obvious, going to the market has not been my favorite thing to do.

becomes:

  As becomes obvious, going to the market has not been my favorite thing to do.

I must admit that the first sentence (my original) sounds much better to my own ears. A quick Google search returns 400k results for my version, 35k for the corrected one.

Whom do I believe, my gut instinct and Google (feel free to laugh) or a professor of English (a native speaker)?


texts: What is the average reader most likely to guess that “If they don’t have A or both B and C” was exactly intended to mean?

texts:
There is a sentence saying "If they don't have A or both B and C,"

I interpret it means "If they have no A or if they have neither B or C". Am I correct?

The condition seems to me that having only B or C alone is not enough, but having A alone is OK and having both B and C is OK too even if A is missing. I am not sure.


texts:
Consider the following sentence:

Have you been watering the plants?

Is the above sentence grammatically correct? Or should it be something like:

Have you been watering the plants for 5 minutes?

i.e. when you see the use of 'have been' with present participle form you also use the time of start.


texts: Syntactic Characteristics of Coordination

texts:
Is it grammatically correct to say

John plays the guitar and Mary, the piano .....

when it comes to the syntactic features of Coordination


texts: Single word for inveigling someone to lower their guard

texts:
I’m looking for a verb with the rough meaning of softening someone’s guard, leaving them more open to attack. However, it should be a verb that means to make a target soften their guard.

It’s for the name of game ability, in a cycle with similar abilities (all with one-word names).

Ideally it would be the opposite of “intimidate”, but more elegant than “unintimidate”.

For nerd context, it’s a Pokémon Ability that lowers foes’ Defense, instead of their Attack like Intimidate. So ideally it would be a verb that the user performs, instead of one that the target does.

The Ability is for Pokémon that look weak, cute, or otherwise nonthreatening, so that their opponent doesn’t take the fight as seriously, making them less wary.


texts: Describe method of solving a problem that succeeds where past methods failed

texts:
There's a problem we wish to solve. Past methods for tackling the problem have failed. Newly developed methods are effective in solving it.

What's the adjective or noun for the new methods that succeed where past methods failed? I want to emphasize that the methods are modern and effective while old methods are not.


texts:
I received an email from someone I haven't known. It's a letter related to my job, in other words - a business one.
How would you write him an answer highlighting that you don't know this person and your possible actions depend on who he is.
In a hurry I sent something like: "I'm sorry, but I don't know you, so...", but I think it sounds rude.


texts: Is there a specific term to refer to a word associated with specific part of speech?

texts: I'm looking for a term I can use to refer to words tagged with a specific part of speech. Let's say the word run may be used as a verb and as a noun. So, run (n) and run (v) are ... of word run. Is there a term I can use to fill in the gap?


texts:
In football, the expression "one-two" (or "give-and-go") means: Player A passes the ball to Player B, who immediately passes it back to Player A.

Why is this called "to play a one-two"? Where does this expression come from? Does it originate from the boxing term "one-two punch"? Or does it originate from somewhere else?


texts: Looking for a translation for the German "hellhörig" / "ringhörig"

texts:
The German adjective "hellhörig" (sometimes also "ringhörig") describes a badly or insufficiently soundproofed building or room; i.e. being able to hear your neighbors through the walls because they're so thin.

What's an equivalent English adjective for that?


texts:
I've been having a very difficult time figuring out the grammar behind the following sentence:

  Desertion can also be explained by the animalistic nature of soldiers; it is only when soldiers confront the face of death that they recognize their own mortality and escape the dangers in the battlefield before them.

There's something about the second part that just doesn't feel right. How do I fix the part after the semicolon in order to make it just better/gramatically correct?

Thanks.


texts: Quote unquote (or end-quote), unseparated by the actual quotation

texts:
In spoken English, people often say "quote-unquote" (or "quote-endquote") to indicate that part of what they are saying is a quotation (scare or otherwise). Sometimes the quoted material will go between quote and unquote, and occasionaly it will precede the quote-unquote. Often, though, "quote unquote" introduces the quoted material.

Why does quote unquote precede the quotation?

It would seem that quote opens the quoted text and that unquote closes it, but then why would we close the quotation before actually providing it. It would be the equivalent of writing your quotation marks together, "", rather than around the quoted text.

What are the origins of this construction?

Three years ago ChrisR asked this well-received question on whether it is correct to use quote, unquote. The answers did not deal with origins, but one commenter suggested that quote-unquote is a corruption of quote-on-quote, but he provided no evidence, nor any real explanation.


texts: Recordkeeping, record keeping, or record-keeping

texts:
In the following sentence, a reviewer claimed that record keeping is a spelling error that should be corrected to recordkeeping.

  Service providers shall manage information using agreed upon metadata tags that can be adapted to changing missions and record keeping practices.

My dictionary (and Dictionary.com) list recordkeeping as a noun only, so I am inclined to say that the spelling should be record-keeping since the term serves as an adjective (I would use record keeping for the verb form). I can find no "definitive" source to cite.

In a Google query, at least one Yahoo Answers article agrees with me, but I could probably find ones that do not. This article also claims that recordkeeping is a financial term not widely used in other contexts. A Google ngram search doesn't resolve the issue, but record keeping is more popular.

What is the preferred spelling in the quoted sentence? Is recordkeeping a financial term? Does anyone have a source I can cite in my response to the commenter other than Yahoo Answers?


texts: Is there a name of the flying bionic bird?

texts:
I have seen this flying robotic bird on youtube few days ago. Unlike other flying machines/robots, it flaps its wing to fly.

Doing google, I came to know that they are called bionic bird. But, bionic bird may not necessarily fly. They can be used as a spying robots sitting on a wall.

What do you call a robot or a machine flying like a bird?


texts: Should I use "software defect" or "software bug"?

texts:
The "bug" word seems to be so popular that it overshadows "defect" (in search results, in tags somewhere, even Wikipedia article is called "Software bug") despite of looking jargonesque.

Is the word "bug" official term for this or it should be used only in informal occasions?


texts:
I know my question may be somewhat basic but stick with me for a second. I've looked online at various websites explaining what this word is, but I just can't understand it.

The reason I need to clear this word is for a programming language. I'm somewhat an unintelligent person that finds it hard to understand things.

Can anyone put this in a simple way, that even an idiot would understand?

I've looked on various websites such as Urban Dictionary, google definitions and the Oxford dictionary.


texts: Typically we don't use articles with city names, e.g. "Seattle" and not "the Seattle." I know at least one exception though which is The Hague. Are there any other city names which we use with the article?


texts: What is the word for students under the same advisor

texts:
I'd like to know what is the word to describe students under the same advisor in graduate program, e.g. PhD program. Normally, students in the same department who attend the same classes are called classmate.

But I can not find a word for students under the same advisor in English. However, this exists in some languages. For example, in Chinese, it is known as 师兄弟 or 师姐妹.


texts: Oxford dictionary defines passive as accepting or allowing what happens or what others do, without active response or resistance. What would we call a non-smoker who resists but still has to inhale other people's smoke[because nobody listens to him or whatever may be the reason]?


texts: "Lobby", "foyer", "front (of house)/front room", "entranceway", "entry", and "entryway"

texts:
"Lobby", "foyer", "entry(way), "entranceway" and "front (of house)/front room" seem to be used to designate an area or a room near the entrance to a public building such as a hotel, where one can wait, and sit and relax and talk. But, are there any differences to these terms or do they mean pretty much the same and, as such,  can be used just about interchangeably?

Additionally, are any of these more typical of an English variety than of another?

Besides, "foyer", "entry(way)" and "entrance(way)" seem also to be used to designate an area by the entrance to a private home. Are there any differences to these or do they mean just about the same?

Also, are any of these terms typical of a particular variety than of another?


texts: Proverb for: solving a problem creates a bigger one

texts: Ever heard of a proverb that reflects on "solving a problem creates a bigger one"?


texts:
“Very sorry, sir. I didn’t mean to, er...”
The embarrassment was still reddening Jackson’s cheeks when he found the paper-knife at the bottom of the case.
“I think I’d better keep this though, if you don’t mind, that is, sir.”


texts: Why is it "I did that wrong" instead of "I did that wrongly"?

texts: It seems that "in a manner such that it is wrong" should be "wrongly", not just "wrong"...


texts: Why does fMRI start with a lowercase letter?

texts:
Why does fMRI start with a lowercase f?
As it stands for functional in functional magnetic resonance imaging.

The fMRI Wikipedia page has a history section, but it does not explain why a lowercase f was used, nor when the term was first used.

Is there any other example?


texts: “One is done for you” or “One has been done for you”?

texts:
While I was writing a textbook I gave an exercise for students. Since the exercise was difficult, I gave an example and gave the instruction

  One (example) is done for you

The editor corrected it as

  One has been done for you

I would like to know whether my instruction "one is done for you"
is wrong or not.

I have referred to many textbooks and found both constructions. Later, I consulted a famous linguist who told me that both are correct but had a difference in meaning. The linguist was Rod Mitchel whom  I consulted on LinkedIn. He gave an elaborate explanation which I now forget and the link is broken. I can remember only vaguely.

The first one means the example is ready for you. You can have a look at it if you like.

The second one means I have taken care to give an example for you and you can do the exercise with its help.

I hope you would be kind enough to answer my question


texts: Are there any visual phrases similar to "struck a chord"?

texts:
I've noticed there are a number of idioms for familiarity that refer to audio phenomena (e.g. "strikes a chord", "rings a bell", etc), but try as I might I can't think of any vision based phrases. It seems a bit strange to say something like "that picture rings a bell", so I wonder if there are any similar idioms that don't reference sound?

I looked up a list of the most common english idioms, and they all seem to be either sound related (e.g. "barking up the wrong tree"), or about a specific object or action (e.g. "take with a grain of salt", keywords: "take" and "salt"). None of them involved seeing or images.

Am I just bad at thinking of things, or does english really show an aversion to vision-based figures of speech? If so, what factors influence the types of idioms adopted?

And what (if any) is the visual alternative to "strikes a chord"?


texts: Non-pejorative term for 'alcohol aficionado'?

texts:
Is there a non-pejorative term analogous to "foodie" but in the context of alcoholic drinks?  Everything that comes to mind suggests some form of alcoholism or affinity for binge-drinking.

More concretely, I am looking for a term that describes a person that enjoys making or trying new, possibly eclectic drinks, but is not interested in doing so solely for the buzz.

"Foodie" almost fits, but it seems too broad.


texts:
I saw a road sign today saying:  "Follow the alt route signings."   It struck me odd.  I would expect: "Follow the alt route signs."

Signings is obviously a legitimate word, but it's usually used when there's an act of signing involved, like with book signings or hearing-impaired signing.   I suppose one might consider a road sign to be an "act of signing/signaling" but it seems like a stretch.

Is this a common use of the word I've just missed out on?  Construction jargon?   Or just a construction worker's peculiar choice?


texts: is it correct to say "though" in this context

texts:
I want to ask my manager something. i tried this

  I have some questions, though I do know that I have asked you a lot and I am so sorry for losing your time.

is though correct in this context?


texts: Following the Chicago style guide, would I capitalise 'professor' in the phrase "He became a professor"?

texts:
I'm struggling a little with knowing when to capitalise words under the Chicago Manual of Style.

In the phrase "He became a professor", would I capitalise the word 'professor'?

My thinking is that I'd capitalise it if it were referring to a specific individual (e.g. "Professor Smith") but not in this case. I've looked but can't find anything definitive from Chicago so would appreciate any help!


texts: What is a word or phrase that means "cut off from the outdoors"?

texts:
I'm looking for a word or phrase to describe a place that is cut off from the outdoors.

This is the situation: my desk at work is not near any windows, so I can't tell if it's sunny, raining, light or dark outside. Sometimes I like this state of affairs (such as when it is pouring outside), and sometimes it would be nice to feel more connected to the outdoors (such as when it is gorgeous outside).

What is a word or phrase that describes a location like this?


texts: Preposition use: multiple prepositions to the same noun

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  How to combine in a sentence two verb + preposition pairs that have the same object?

Which of the following sentences is correct?

  I listen, go, read and learn from experts.
  I listen to, go with, read and learn from experts

I talk here about prepositions (to, with, from) related to the word experts. What is the best use?


texts: Name for a singular noun that is used like a plural?

texts:
Is there a word for a noun that is singular but can be used like it is plural?
For example...

Q: How is your team doing?
A: They are doing great.

Or

Manchester United are at the top of the league table.

Another

Liverpool have won a lot of games this season.

"Team" and "Manchester United" are both singular but they are regularly referred to like a plural.
I have no idea why I fixated so much on Football based examples... I don't even like football.


texts: Difference between 'in the whole of Europe' and 'in Europe as a whole'

texts:
What if I compare the two 'Germany' and 'Europe' in a paragraph but not in a sentence. I would like to write a sentece about Europe in that paragraph.

Should I write: "Nuclear energy was the main fuel for electricity in the whole of Europe " or "... in Europe as a whole" or simply "... in Europe"?"

In another question (Expression 'Europe as a whole' or only 'Europe'?) I was told to use 'Europe as a whole' if I compare Germany and Europe within one sentence.
But what shall I do in this case?

Update: Hi, I just have a follow up question: Do I have to say 'In Europe as a whole, nuclear energy was the main source...' or 'For Europe as a whole, nuclear energy was the main source ...' I'd really appreciate any comment and your help.


texts: Can anyone tell me the reason vessel names, boats or spaceships for example, always appear in italics?


texts: What is "If you're tired" called in this sentence?

texts:
"If you're tired, you should sleep."

What is the name for the phrase "If you're tired" in this sentence?  Obviously "you should sleep" could stand alone as a sentence.


texts:
What is the term when a researcher uses theory/tools generated in an unrelated field?

Say, for example, marketing folks use "ethnography" and "ethnographic research" to explain and understand marketing phenomena?

Or, researchers in business supply chain use economics' principal-agent theory for their own needs.


texts:
I apologize in advance if my question is not put in a way that is grammatical enough.

I have to example phrases:

  "1) The Dawning of a New Age"
  "2) Transfer of Power in the Eighteenth Century"

If I were to arrange each heading in two lines: Where would it makes most sense to split the phrase and why?

I came to the following tentative solution:

  "1A) The Dawning / of a New Age"
  as opposed to
  "1B) The Dawning of / a New Age"

I opt for 1B because the preposition "of" rather belongs to the first noun phrase than to the second.

  "2A) Transfer of Power /in the Eighteenth Century"
  as opposed to
  "2B) Transfer of Power in / the Eighteenth Century"

I opt for 2A because the preposition "in" rather belongs the second noun phrase.

Is my reasoning reasonable in grammatical/syntactic terms?

Or would it be more suitable just for reasons of aesthetics (regardless of grammar) to split the phrases consistently before/after the preposition in order to put the heading into two lines for my paper?

Thank you!


texts: How to informally address a mixed gender group of people?

texts: How to informally address a mixed gender group of people in the UK? Any alternative to 'guys' in 'would you guys like to do this and that?'


texts: Difference between "needed" and "necessary"

texts:
What is the difference between those two words?

Example sentence: "this can greatly reduce the needed | necessary effort". I found some posts saying that necessary is more urgent?! Are there more differences?


texts: We were given an assignment in an University program course which is not related to that course. Can I call the assignment as "extraordinary class assignment"?


texts:
Why does one use shall+be+ing instead of will? What are the functions of be and V+ing?

I shall be focusing on the mechanisms that govern individual`s choices at and beyond school-leaving age and trying to explain why some pupils leave while others stay on,..


texts: Is "Our fears were put to shame" good english?

texts:
I visited a supplier, with mixed expectations to their competency. However, all of my fears were put to shame.

Does it make sense and is it good English to say that sentence? "Our fears were put to shame"


texts: Word for “awful,” in the old sense, for life-and-death power

texts:
The jury has a ____ power, a ____ responsibility. With the stroke of a pen, it can change lives, even end them. Same for a judge, a military general, the president.

I want “awful” or “awesome” in their older literal sense, but these are too overused down now.

I want to capture the breathtaking importance with which this power is wielded, also some sense of the solemn and sacred responsibility.

A word like “dreadful” or “terrifying” might work, but those contain a sense of fear that I don’t necessarily want.


texts: What is a word to describe someone in another organization which you collaborate with?

texts:
So basically, if I were to say something like 'That guy working on behalf of organization x, has said that he would relay information within 3 working days', what would be a word or term for 'that guy working in/for organization x'?

At first I thought the term 'party' would be appropriate, but when looking up it's definition, it's defined only for political parties (and frat boy parties xD). Furthermore, there seems to be many terms to describe those working in the same organization as one's own, the most formal I can think of being colleague, but none that seem to describe those working as part of another organization that one's own organization is collaborating with.


texts: specific and unspecific future: use of 'tenses' with 'by'

texts:
According to ENGLISHPAGE.com, if the Past Perfect action did occur at a specific time, the Simple Past can be used instead of the Past Perfect when "before" or "after" is used in the sentence. The words "before" and "after" actually tell you what happens first, so the Past Perfect is optional.

Specific time:

She HAD VISITED her Japanese relatives once in 1993 before she moved in with them in 1996. (Correct)

She VISITED her Japanese relatives once in 1993 before she moved in with them in 1996. (Correct)

However, if the Past Perfect is not referring to an action at a specific time, Past Perfect is not optional.

Unspecific time:  Here Past Perfect is referring to a lack of experience rather than an action at a specific time. For this reason, Simple Past cannot be used.

She never SAW a bear before she moved to Alaska. (Not Correct)

She HAD never SEEN a bear before she moved to Alaska. (Correct)

Reference: http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/pastperfect.html

My question is, is it the same way with Future Perfect and Future Simple tense?

Specific time:

By 11:00 am, I will + VERB(infinitive). (correct)

By 11:00 am, I will HAVE + VERB(Past participle). (correct)

Unspecific:

By this time tomorrow/By the time he arrives, I will + VERB(infinitive). (Incorrect)

By this time tomorrow/By the time he arrives, I will HAVE + VERB(Past participle). (Correct)


texts:
If I said, “losing the race..it is a tragedy...a loss.a shame...if I fell during the race.”
What does the “it” pronoun refer to? Does it refer to - Losing the race? Or the event of me falling during the race?


texts:
For example:

  The building is accurate to its schematics

Is this invalid use of the word "accurate"?


texts: Why does the 'i' in 'explain' disappear when written as 'explanation'?

texts: The word 'explain' has an 'i'.  Why does that 'i' disappear when we write it as 'explanation'.


texts:
In the aftermath of the space shuttle Challenger explosion, where seven crew members were killed, the NASA program underwent a massive examination of priorities.

My SAT grammar book claims that where is incorrect and should be replaced with in which.

I tried googling the difference, and the answers have been saying those two are practically the same. I was wondering if it was not the case with this sentence?


texts: A better way of saying: "Gesturing in the air with your hands to show your imagination."

texts: For example, if I am building a huge golf course, and I am talking to a friend, at a restaurant, and I am showing him the map of my golf course by gesturing in the air with my hands (there is no real map). Kinda like how grand my golf course will be, and here will be the swimming pool, and here the bar, etc etc.


texts:
I'm designing an album cover, and I'm listing the contributing artists and their instruments. I was wondering if it's correct to say that someone's 'on vocals'? I mean, it's easy to imagine that someone's 'on guitar' but how does that work for vocals?

Thanks a lot.


texts:
I was in a chat discussing the translation of our project and one of the developers made a joke:

  You'll find that the Commonwealth
  spelling [of "member"] is "membre" :)

This is not the first time I've heard the phrase "You'll find that...". What is it supposed to mean and where does it come from?


texts:
In the following two sentences "did" and "were" seem to be conveying the same meaning. If that's the case, what is the difference between the two and which one is more preferred?

If you studied, you would pass the exam.
If you were to study, you would pass the exam.


texts: Why do southern evangelical Christians in American churches say "how that" instead of how?

texts:
Why do evangelical Christians in American churches say "how that" instead of how?
Ex. 1:

Let me tell you a story about Billy Beaumont and how that, for our sakes, he joined the war to fight the commies for our freedom.

Ex. 2:

Joey: Pa, why have our pecan trees lost all their leaves?
Pa: Well son, you know how that the woodpeckers will peck all kinds of holes in the trees?
Joey: Yep.
Pa: Well that kills the trees and that's why they ain't got leaves no more.

In my understanding, correct usage of "how that" would be:

Well Joey, I'll you how that happened: woodpeckers killed the trees by putting all kinds of holes in 'em!

I had not heard the former usage in the two examples until I moved from Portland, OR to Alabama. Now I hear it everywhere, especially in the churches, but also just in casual conversation. I was just wanting to understand where that usage originated, what the reason for it is, and how widespread it is.


texts: Can there be a wiggle in a static wave-like pattern?

texts: A friend of mine recently showed me a scientific plot. It is essentially a function that goes up and down like a Sin wave or a Cosine wave. He described it as a wiggle in the data. But this "wiggle" is not moving. All definitions I have seen define wiggle as a kind of movement/motion. This function is certainly not wiggling but can this static wave-like pattern be called a wiggle? Is there a wiggle in the data?


texts: When is dropping the definite (or indefinite) article permissible and why?

texts:
I seem to be obsessed with those today.

Okay, here goes:

From The Ballad of Reading Gaol, by Oscar Wilde:

  And I and all the souls in pain,
  Who tramped the other ring,
  Forgot if we ourselves had done
  A great or little thing,
  And watched with gaze of dull amaze
  The man who had to swing.

From The Raven, by Edgar Allan Poe:

  Open here I flung the shutter,
  when, with many a flirt and flutter,
  In there stepped a stately Raven of the saintly days of yore;
  Not the least obeisance made he;
  not a minute stopped or stayed he;
  But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door—
  Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door—
  Perched, and sat, and nothing more.

Most native speakers here would know these two poems by heart (and, I suspect, some non-native ones would too): we read them over and over and commit them to memory as kids. It would not therefore be immediately obvious to everyone that the articles are missing. But they are. How is this justified?


texts: Is "disputable exceptions" apt in this sentence?

texts:
With some disputable exceptions, he did not understand that ....

Could I use "disputable exceptions" in this context? This extract is from an academic text I am editing. The phrase feels clunky, but it is hard to explain why.


texts:
What is the meaning of us’es in this passage below?

  The only thing they have to look forward to is hope. And you have to give them hope. Hope for a better world, hope for a better tomorrow, hope for a better place to come to if the pressures at home are too great. Hope that all will be all right. Without hope, not only gays, but the blacks, the seniors, the handicapped, the us’es, the us’es will give up.

The text is from Harvey Milk’s “The Hope” speech.


texts: Does "I don't know" have a question mark after know?

texts: Does"I don't know" have a question mark after know? I'm writing a story so that's why I am asking.


texts:
Why is an adversary an opponent or enemy?
Etymologically,shouldn't the word mean "turn toward",giving the sense of an ally or friend?
Consider the word attorney,which seems etymologically similar,and which has the sense of an ally and/or advocate.


texts: When and why did "patronize" gain the meaning of condescension versus being a customer?

texts: To patronize an establishment is generally a good thing, but to be patronized is bad.  I assume that the former meaning was the original, but when did the other come into being and why?


texts: How do I properly write a decesed female name that was married twice?

texts:
Lavalle E. Thielker was married to a Lester M. Arentz and he died and then she married a Thielker.  Her maiden name is Lueck.  Is this the correct way to show her whole name?

Lavalle E. Arentz-Lueck Thielker
or
Lavalle E Lueck-Arentz Thielker


texts: Difference between 'retreated into' and 'retreated back into'

texts:
What is the difference between retreated into and retreated back into?

  They retreated into Pakistan


texts:
Ok, this site says

  The preposition is almost always before the noun or pronoun and that
  is why it is called a preposition

Now, this oxford dictionary says

  here (adverb)

  used after a verb or preposition to mean ‘in, at or to this
  position or place’

  I live here.

  Put the box here.

  Let's get out of here.

  Come over here.

So, the dictionary says "here is an adverb & we can put a preposition before here"

Eg: I am in here

I would say the dictionary is not correct, "here" in "in here" is a pronoun or noun. But I am not sure.

The same thing happened to "there".

Eg: he is in there; he is up there

Can a preposition be before an adverb?


texts: What do you call the area of a park that has children's play equipment?

texts:
I'm looking for a word or phrase to describe the area of the park that has swingsets, jungle gyms, and other sorts of children's play equipment.

"They went to the [word or phrase] to go play on the jungle gym."


texts: What is the English term for an all-boys or all-girls school?

texts: Is there any English word referring to a single-sex school (either all-male or all-female schools or colleges)?


texts: 'The excusatory causes which are not real are such as are not grounded in what is just'?

texts:
I was looking at the meaning of the word 'excusatory' on dictionary.com and I found this sentence in examples, which is just hard to read and understand:

'The excusatory causes which are not real are such as are not grounded in what is just, although in the appearance of what is just.' ~ The Delights of Wisdom Pertaining to Conjugial Love, Emanuel Swedenborg

That doesn't sound right, the part with 'are such as are not grounded'. Can it be written better as 'The excusatory causes which are not real are not grounded in what is just, but in the appearance of what is just'?

Is that an error at all? In the original sentence.


texts: Difference between "proscribe" and "prohibit"

texts: For a long time, I've been looking for the difference between "proscribe" and "prohibit". Unfortunately, I couldn't find any exact answer to my question, though I inferred from a passage that "prohibit" is related to law.


texts: ... regarding the advertised position of a researcher in the ... department

texts:
Which of the following should I use:

I'm writing to you regarding the advertised position of a researcher in the ... department
I'm writing to you regarding the advertised position for a researcher in the ... department

I'm also interested in which of the following is more appropriate in letter writing to Europeans:

... regarding the advertised vacancy
... regarding the advertised position


texts: Is "more commonly" the same as "most commonly"?

texts:
"Though the prosecutor's fallacy typically happens by mistake, in the adversarial system lawyers are usually free to present statistical evidence as best suits their case; retrials are more commonly the result of the prosecutor's fallacy in expert witness testimony or in the judge's summation".

What does "more commonly" mean here? Just "most commonly"?


texts: Too many "ands" in one sentence create ambiguity

texts:
Cloning must be researched and funded, however, its human involvement must be limited to prevent a veritable onslaught of ethical and legal battles, and promote its potential health and societal benefits.

Am I right to feel like there is something wrong with the sentence above?
Something with the number of "ands" and comma use, right?


texts: Are “this” and “next” demonstrative determiners?

texts:
Question 1: In the following, is this a demonstrative determiner:

  I will go to the store this week.

Question 2: If so, then what class is next in the following:

  I will go to the store next week.

Question 3: It seems that both serve the same grammatical syntax and function here; are they therefore classified the same? (If not, why not?)


texts:
I am giving a competitive exam. During my exams my brother got ill, so all my family members went to the hospital in order to examine my brother. Home alone, I learn that they will not return for two days, then I got ill with a serious allergy so that I can't even write my exams.

Is there any proverb to explain above situation?

Editing to above context is valid.


texts: What is the meaning of the sentence "you have to be possessed which you can't will"?

texts:
There is this video on John Baldessari and he says there's three things a young artist should know. I couldn't get the second one because I could not figure out the sentence. Take a look at it:

  You have to be possessed which you can't will

If one wants to see the tip in context, it appears at 4:58 in this 5:54 video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eU7V4GyEuXA

Many thanks!


texts: In a conditional sentence where the condition contains a list, which serial punctuation mark is used in the list?

texts:
For example,

  If Bobby buys a pencil, an eraser, and a pad of paper, then he can write his essay.

To remove the ambiguity in the final comma, my instinct is to write:

  If Bobby buys a pencil, an eraser, and a pad of paper; then he can write his essay.

Is this syntactically correct?  Is there a preferred convention?  Is there a general convention on replacing commas with other marks when they're ambiguous like this?


texts: The referent of relative pronouns [grammar]

texts:
"The boss expressed his displeasure about the absence of the staff at the meeting yesterday , which had caused the delay of projects approval."

Is the sentence grammatically correct ? if so , the "which" is referring to the boss's displeasure or the absent of staffs ?