texts:
I am new to this site, but I know there is a similar question on it, it's just not quite the same.
What I mean by "all things X" could, for example, be like this:
"He was interested in all things baseball." meaning that s/he is interested in everything that has something to do with baseball.
In this example there is a noun after "All things..."
Now, would it be proper for an adjective to replace the X?
I.e. s/he did all things possible but still couldn't find the solution.
Thank you in advance


texts:
"On one of the mornings of disposal, a man from a second-hand bookstore visited us, bought several hundred books, and told us of the death of his brother, the word cancer exploding in the living room like a time bomb detonated by his grief"
E.B. White, The Points of My Compass, Goodbye to 48th Street, Turtle Bay, November 12, 1957

Is cancer an appositive of "the word"? If not then what?


texts: Can Some Proper Nouns still be Considered Phrases?

texts:
From Oxford Dictionary, we know that:

  A phrase is a small group of words that forms a meaningful unit within
  a clause. There are several different types.

And another definition from ChompChomp.

I understand that some proper nouns such as Albert, Isadora Duncan are not phrases.

But how about these proper nouns?

Lord of the Rings (the title of a novel)
the Pacific Ocean (the name of an ocean)
Band of Brothers (the title of a series)
North Dakota (the name of a state)

They all have idiomatic meaning, but they are now names of something. Is it possible that a proper nouns still belongs to other forms as well (in this case, phrases)?


texts: Transformation of sentence into negative

texts:
I have this sentence:

  This is all I can say.

I have to turn it into a negative statement.

I have tried a few things and ended up with:

  I can't say more than this.

Am I right in rewording it like this? Are there other possibilities?


texts:
My English teacher has taught me to use "Concluding" when writing the end part of certain texts (next to other words).Example:

  Concluding, we can say that...

To me it somehow sounds curious. "Concludingly" sounds way better. And we say "Unfortunately" and not "Unfortunate", right (although this similarity might be related to the "-ing" suffix of "Concluding")?

Could someone shed some light on this controversy?


texts:
Generally the verb following
who agrees with the subject or object that precedes the who. This makes sense and is expected. When the subject or object that the who refers to is singular, the verb is singular; when the subject or object is plural the verb is plural

Such does not seem to be the case, though, when me precedes the who. We instead treat me, in this instance, as a singular non-first-person subject: "It seems to me, who never knows anything, ...", "She kisses me, who has wanted her kiss for so long", etc. These examples are awkward but replace the italicized verbs with first person present form (know, have) and it gets even more awkward.

To make sure this isn't just a personal grammatical tic and to not rely on my ear only, I went to Google Ngrams:

I searched with the verb to be because it is the most easily distinguished by person; with other verbs it would be difficult to differentiate first person singular and first person plural mes—as in, whether the me is a part of a group or not.

It appears that people have said both rather equally since the mid-1800s—though even before that there wasn't consensus—and then the non-agreeing took off in the 1970s. (I am well aware there might be another explanation of this graph and these patterns, but I haven't identified one.)

Why does "me who" take a non-first-person singular verb form (aka an -s)?


texts: Is it common to use the plural when the subject is an organization?

texts:
I have seen several occurrences of the plural for the name of an organization of company, but also occurrences of the singular. For example, "Mango Ltd. have just put their new 'mPhone 8' on the market, go buy it now!" (imagine "Mango Ltd." is a famous company that manufactures mobiles phones).

  Mango Ltd. have just put their new 'mPhone 8' on the market

Is this sentence correct? or should it be

  Mango Ltd. has just put their new 'mPhone 8' on the market

or maybe both are correct?


texts:
Jack Reaper: So he works here?
  Sandy: Ya. It's bullshit though. He cooks crystal.

I saw this conversation in the movie called Jack Reaper. What does "cooks crystal" mean? From the context it seemed like it means the work is of bad quality, but I'm not sure.


texts: Is this usage correct - quite literally at the eleventh hour?

texts:
I'm trying to write a sentence which is supposed to mean that something is being done at the last moment.

  Sentence - The endleofan gathering was called, when something threatened the very existence of humanity, as an act of last resort,
  quite literally at the eleventh hour.

While reading this, it appears that I'm saying that the meeting is occuring at 11 O'clock and not what I intend it to say - "at the last moment when no other options are left".

Is there any way I can make the sentence more clearer, to convey the intended meaning? Feel free to modify the sentence.


texts:
Are the rules of grammar pretty much like the laws of, say physics or mathematics?
In mathematics, for example, a new area of research is necessitated because the known branches are inadequate in explaining a certain problem. Newton invented calculus because it dealt with a variety of problems more efficiently than did the then-known branches of mathematics.
Is it the same with grammar? Just to illustrate, I often notice here that whenever a question on gerunds or participles is asked, there are two schools of thought— one that deals separately with these two; and the other school, which clubs them together as gerund-participles. There is seldom a convergence of views unlike in physical sciences where different schools of thought ultimately arrive at the same general conclusion despite difference in approaches. Perhaps, this explains the gerund vs participle treadmill.
What difference does it make if we stick to the traditional approach (treating separately gerunds and participles, for example)?
I would highly appreciate your answers.


texts:
Dictionaries say that the past tense of glide is glided.

  ‘a few gondolas glided past’

But in my dialect, I say glode and sometimes glid and most people I know also do but apparently glided is used by most people.
I find that “He glode over the dale” sounds much nicer to me.

Why is glide a regular verb, when ride (rode) and slide (slid) are irregular?


texts: Literally vs. figuratively: how literally is literally?

texts:
I'm sensitive to the fact that in light of recent events, the example discussed in this question may be unsettling to some.  For that, I apologize, but I cannot think of an effective alternative.

In a Modern Marvels documentary on The History Channel, the narrator says, "[...] bombs have evolved into devices that can literally blow mankind off the face of the earth."

It's difficult to tell whether "literally" is appropriate in this instance.  On one hand, the narrator likely uses the word literally to emphasize that although it may have been common for many years to talk about bombs as being powerful enough to blow up the world, in the modern age of weaponized hydrogen fusion it really is possible to eradicate all of mankind.  On the other hand, bombs don't blow people "off" the planet, they merely destroy them and leave their scattered remains.

With that in mind, my general question is this: when using the word literally, is it important that every word or phrase be meant to take on its most technically literal interpretation?  Or is it enough that there exist two, reasonable, alternative interpretations of the sentence, one of which is a more literal rendering, and that the more literal of the two is intended?


texts: What's the shortest abbreviation for "see attachment" or "see enclosed file" in an e-mail?

texts:
I often send empty e-mails with just some attachments. Since some e-mail clients don't show the presence of attachments very clearly, I prefer to indicate that the e-mail contains attachments.

In French I just write "cf pj", which means "see attachment". What's the shortest abbreviation in English for "see attachment", "see enclosed file" or anything equivalent in an e-mail? The best I have found so far is "see att".


texts: Field of vision equivalent for other senses?

texts:
Often we'll refer to something as being "in my field of vision". How would you refer to something in the "field" of what we can hear, smell, taste, or touch?

Perhaps another way to put this question is: vision is to seeing as <what?> is to hearing/smelling/touching/tasting. (But it should still make sense in the context of the expression "field of vision".)


texts:
I have become a more honest person.

Is there a way in which I can replace the word honest in the above sentence with an adjective with the same root as integrity?


texts: Is “reoccurring” a word and is there any semantic difference with "recurring"?

texts:
The internet seems divided on this one.

Although, e.g., the Merriam-Webster dictionary does not list the word "reoccurring", dictionary.com does list it as a variant of "occur", and the Oxford dictionary even has a separate entry for it.

The Grammarist defines a distinction between "recurring" and "reoccurring" in terms of meaning:

  Something that recurs happens repeatedly, perhaps at regular intervals. Something that reoccurs happens again, but not necessarily repeatedly or at regular intervals. For example, the sunrise recurs, and an unpredictable event that happens to occur more than once—such as an earthquake or a financial crisis—reoccurs.

Perhaps this is a difference between American and British English?


texts:
"grand-" means "big".
"grandiose" and "grandeur" have different meanings. So I would like to know what their suffixes "-iose" and "-eur" mean respectively?


texts: How is this sentence correct? "How does this machine work?"

texts:
Which is the correct one, and why?

How does this machine work?
How does this machine works?
How this machine works?


texts: separability, and a question of emphasis

texts:
The sentence in question:

  In short, the so-called “balance of power” is nothing but a policy that masks beneath a desire to preserve a favorable nuclear status quo designed to keep an entire region in awe.

While I want to place emphasis on "an entire region" by having it come immediately before the full stop, the lack of separation between "to keep" and "in awe," by removing the object "an entire region" from the in-between position, sounds off to me.

[ . . . ] a favorable nuclear status quo to keep in awe an entire region*.

Any thoughts?


texts: (The) TIF is (the) IRT analog of (the) CTS theory. To use or not to use definite articles?

texts:
I have no clue whether to use "the" or not in such academic examples. Is there a definite correct choice for these sentences?

(the) TIF is (the) IRT analog of (the) CTS theory.
It depends on the choice of (the) ability parameters and (the) number of ICCs.
They investigated the performance of (the) X technique.
It is a unique technique in (the) optimization of (the) RBF depths.


texts: When was the phrase "smoke-filled room" first used in politics?

texts:
Smoke-filled room is used in politics to mean:

  a room (as in a hotel) in which a small group of politicians carry on negotiations

Merriam-Webster

The phrase originated in the U.S. to describe decision making done behind closed doors, cloaked in secrecy, and in the early 20th century, probably clouded in literal tobacco smoke.

Merriam-Webster and other sources point to 1920 as the origin date of the expression.  Indeed, early uses of this that I can find phrase appear to be in reference to the 1920 Republican nomination of Warren Harding, but I can't find any text references that actually date back to 1920 or the closely subsequent years.

For example, this clipping refers to "the 'smoke-filled room' nomination of Harding."

  The old guard dominated, or nearly dominated, republican conventions from that time on.  Its members had much to do with the steam-rolling of Roosevelt in 1912 and the "smoke-filled room" nomination of Harding in 1920.

1933 - Marshfield News-Herald (Marshfield, Wisconsin) 22 Feb. 3/3 (paywall)

Searching book and newspaper corpora, I found that most references to the phrase "smoke-filled room" in the 1920s were literally discussing fires.  In the 1930s, the meaning related to politics seemed to become more prevalent than literal uses.

Question

Given how often this phrase is explained as a reference to the nomination of Harding, are there examples that can be found in print showing that the term itself was used at the time to describe the nomination process, or did "smoke-filled room" come to describe the nomination contemporaneously?  And is it possible to tell approximately when was the term generalized to refer to private political meetings unrelated to the Harding nomination?


texts: Is there a better term for a "dumbphone"?

texts:
Phones that only let you make phone calls and send and receive messages are often called "dumbphones". This is in contrast to Internet-enabled phones with advanced capabilities running operating systems like Android and iOS, those are called "smartphones".

I personally don't like using the term "dumb" to mean unintelligent or idiotic, and I make an effort to avoid using it that way. Similarly, I would like to find a better term then "dumbphone".


texts:
I encountered a curious phrase in a copyright waiver form: I grant [...] a [...] license to my [...] performance in any [...] recordings [...] taken of me by or on my behalf.

I do not understand what does by my behalf mean. I never encountered this expression before, and is did not even sound English to me.

Google search for the exact phrase "by my behalf" turned up little, but the full quoted expression "by or on my behalf" resulted in many other copyright waivers and similar legal papers, but that did not clear up its meaning at all.


texts: What are the substitutes for "it should be noted that", "consider" and "As it was mentioned previously"?

texts:
Could you please tell me what are the good substitute for

  It should be noted that?
  Consider
  As it was mentioned previously

I don't want them to be repeated many times.


texts:
I have some friends, and they say “Yo!” when I call them. I haven”t heard this response until quite recently (somehow), and I thought it was some word coined by rappers in their songs, and was adopted as a response by other people (like my friends, who happen to listen to rap).

So I was rather surprised, when looking this up on Wiktionary,  I read:

  (military slang) Present! Here!
  Sergeant: Smith? Private Smith: Yo!

I thought to myself, “Obviously this ain’t coined by them rappers!”

Then, I saw  a similar question on Yahoo Answers, with an answer stating (one link provided):

  Yo is an American English slang interjection. The origins of the word may possibly be traced back to 14th century England. However, it was highly popularized after being commonly used among Italian Americans and African Americans in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Clicking on the link provided, it turns out to lead to Answers.com. But the funny thing was, the new source included this information:

  An exclamation used as a greeting, to express excitement, to attract attention, or as a general sign of familiarity (originating among young African-Americans). (1966–) .

I am inclined to think that the word yo came from the 14th century, but have no real evidence to say so. Can anyone provide solid stuff? That is, did it come from a military response, or a word used among young African-Americans in 1966?

Edit: I am asking specifically in relation to yo being used as a response/reply.


texts: Is there a single word to describe a solution that hasn't been optimized?

texts:
I am working with some code, and I would like to describe the difference in its performance when it is optimized versus when it is not optimized. Unfortunately, I can't find a word to describe the code before it is optimized; "sub-optimal" might work, but I want to emphasize that this is the first iteration of the code. If "unoptimized" were a word, I would use that, but I haven't found any references to it in any dictionary.

Perhaps "raw" or "original"?


texts: recently I thought of getting a new dictionary. What is the dictionary that has the most examples (especially sentences examples)?


texts:
What does "to 1 part in 2x10^5" means in this sentence?

  A bridge circuit enable us to measure the change in capacitance to 1 part in 2x10^5, equivalent to a rotation angle of 8x10^(-8) rad, with an integration time of 1s when the device is in a vacuum.


texts: Is there an English version for “Unum castigabis, centum emendabis”?

texts:
The Latin saying Unum castigabis, centum emendabis  is commonly and currently used in Italian as “punirne uno per educarne cento”.

Literally the expression means “punish one, to correct one hundred”. It may apply to different contexts where a leader or a boss wants to convey a strong message to a group of people. An employee, for instance might be  fired without being given a second chance just to show other employees that they may be fired too if they don’t give their utmost. It is a way to intimidate.

Is there an English saying that conveys the same concept?


texts:
This is the meaning of hogget in the Collins English Dictionary:

  a sheep up to the age of one year that has yet to be sheared
  the meat of this sheep

So, is a lamb a hogget? This shouldn't be true. I also know sheep are shorn every year, so that part of it doesn't really help.

Can someone provide a good meaning which can be differentiated from lamb?


texts: Idiom about something being very different

texts:
I need an idiom for two things being very different in amount (price) for negotiating.

I’m trying to remember something along the lines of moon and ground/sky and ground, but I can’t remember the exact idiom/phrase.

The point is to highlight two prices being very different (one very high the other one very low)

Tried googling it but found nothing.

It’s really simple I just can’t remember it.

Ideas guys?

EDIT: context, I want to say “The price is negotiable, as long as it’s not ________ and __________, where the first is something really high and the other one is something really low, to highlight the difference.
Hopefully that make it clearer.


texts: expression or idiom for a person who knows every detail about something

texts:
I was wondering if there's an idiom or expression for a person who knows everything there is to know about his field of interest or expertise, practically no detail is unknown to them.

I thought of the expression: knowing like the back of hand, but I guess that has a geographical sense to it and is used for cities, streets and neighbourhoods. (Please correct me if I'm mistaken.)

I hope I was clear. Thanks in advance.


texts:
I'm looking for standard IPA but every book, even dictionaries implement it differently.

for example [ɑ] and [ɑ:] or this symbol [ɛ] vs [e].

Some books omit the [i] sound which is the last sound of word happy, and some books say that this symbol equals [iː].

This also happens to [uː]. I know that colons like symbols are for length, but why is there so many differences? Even Wikipedia says:

  Please note that several of these symbols are used in ways that are specific to Wikipedia and differ from those used by dictionaries.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English

Where is the standard form that every text should obey?

And what's the role of these ones in the game? Bold ones.

[ɑ] AH

[ɜ] UR

[ɔ] AW


texts: what figure of speech/ literary device is the following?

texts:
When something is implied but we still state it to reinforce the idea, I suspect it might be tautology but isn't tautology repetition of idea in different form ? implication is not required in tautology I think

free gift
cold winter


texts: Idiom/Phrase for "results without work/effort"

texts:
I'd be greatly appreciative of a cleverly devised idiom/phrase that depicts the following concept:

  Results without work/effort.

...and/or...

  My Work/Effort; Your Result.

Any idioms/phrases you can recount or conceive would be of use.

Contextual Edit:

The idiom/phrase should be in the context of service offering/hiring or task delegation, not free-loading as most answers thus far have understandably assumed. E.g.

  [You hire me for] My Work/Effort; [My work/effort produces] Your
  Result.


texts: Why has the "plague" on our houses become a "pox?"

texts:
There is a famous phrase in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, spoken by Mercutio:

  A plague o' both your houses!

This phrase is often alluded to in contemporary writing.  But in the 20th century, many of the allusions replace the word plague with pox.

Reaching for quick examples is not hard. This quote from a letter in The Providence Journal was published less than one hour ago as of this writing:

  That said, a pox on both our political parties. They have frittered away our future with their inability to control their desire to spend other people’s money.

This article in the Sun Herald appeared less than 12 hours ago:

  The whole goal of both parties is power. Link that to campaign contributions. A pox on all their houses!

This article on CNN.com was published on November 28, 2017 and quotes the phrase spoken by a U.S. Senator:

  "I think the American people will look at all of us and say 'I can't believe you people didn't pass this bill. How did you make it out of the birth canal? A pox on all your houses,'" Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy said.

My question is pretty straightforward: Is there a reason this phrase is often alluded to with the word "pox" replacing "plague?"  For instance, was the phrase with "pox" used by a significant author or spoken by a prominent figure in a way that prompted the phrase to become increasingly used in altered form?

Additional Notes

eNotes writes:

  Mercutio's famous line might not be exactly the one Shakespeare wrote: instead of "a' both your houses," various old editions have "on your houses," "a' both the houses," "of both the houses," and "a' both houses." The line as I've given it here is merely editorial reconstruction—in other words, a good guess at what the "original" might have looked like, if there was only one original.

However, there seems to be wide agreement that the original text uses the word "plague."

This nGram graph shows that the change appears to have taken place in the 20th century.


texts: What word or phrase should be used to describe this website line?

texts:
This website has a line that says "David -> Labs -> Lab".

What word or phrase should be used to describe this line?  A menu line?  A navigation line?  A page path line?


texts: Would you rather vs Would you rather see

texts:
I saw the following sentence on a website:

Would you rather Ronaldo or Messi in your team.

This sounds weird to me, I would say: Would you rather have/see Ronaldo or Messi in your team

Is it okay to just use ''rather'' without anything behind it, because it sounds quite unnatural to my ears.


texts: How do I differentiate between decade and century in phrases like "the late 1600s"?

texts: If I wanted to say something occurred occurred between 1627 and 1629, I would use "the late 1620s". However, if I wanted to say something occurred between 1607 and 1609, I couldn't use "the late 1600s" because that would imply it occurred between 1670 and 1699.


texts: What is meant by saying that someone feels possessed by something?

texts:
I
  suffered an attack of sneezing, my skull hurt, and I had a fever, but I felt possessed by a strength and determination
  I'd never  had at any age or  for any reason.

The text as it now stands seems to suggest that the narrator is possessed by the feeling rather than having possession of it.
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (v. 5) has the following similar combination:

  be possessed of something:
    (literary)   to have a particular quality, ability etc :
  She was possessed of a fine and original mind.

Does "be possessed by something" have the same meaning as preceding sentence or does it have another meaning?


texts:
I'm learning how to use 'as same as'.

It's as hot as it was yesterday.
It's as hot as yesterday.
I go to the same school as you do.
I go to the same school as you.

I think only 4. is wrong. The clause can be omitted only if it's 'someone/something is' but not 'someone/something does'.  Is this correct?


texts:
See title.
Is the correct sentence
“Guess whom I wrote this for?”
or
“Guess who I wrote this for?”
I prefer the former.


texts: My wife is Guyanese and she tells me that in Guyana they are taught to pronounce "to" as an American would pronounce "toe." Guyana was a British colony (the most recent invaders) and their educational system and language are mostly British. Is this the way the word is pronounced in British English?


texts:
Is there a word that can shorten "will become easier"? For example in this context:

  Moving boulders will become easier as better wheelcarts become available.


texts:
I am looking up these two words and they seem to have the same meaning.
I thought that they mean same.Reading one of each definitions of these below, I undestood they meant same.

unparalleled -  bigger, better, or worse than anything else
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English | LDOCE
unprecedented - never having happened before, or never having happened so much
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English | LDOCE

But (some) people tell me that they don't mean the same. I don't know how to see the words to make myself understand that they mean different. From what perspective can I also see that they mean different?
For me, they are the same like these two sentences below mean the same.

This is more exciting than any other thing that I have experienced.
I have never felt this excited.

Both sentences end up meaning "This is the most exciting thing.", right?
Any obvious answer or comment is helpful.


texts: "I was going to" expression. How to use it correctly?

texts:
I was going to pick you tomorrow from the airport (not a big deal to me,
  really), but remembered that tomorrow I'll be teaching the class, which ends at
  8.

in above example, I am trying to say that earlier I planned to pick you up (tomorrow), but now I remember that I have prior commitments tomorrow, and hence can longer do it.

What's the best way to say something like this and use I was going expression.

thnkas


texts:
Is the following correct English?

The next train is the Stratford?

I like the construction of this sentence because it avoids repeating the word "train", but I am unsure if it is a valid construction.


texts:
An effective metaphor will help your readers understand, remember, and ___________ your idea.

I have been looking for a single word to fill in that blank that means "take interest in." Why? Perhaps because a single word will feel nicely parallel.

Thesaurus.com gives me synonyms for the sense of "enjoy" or "be fond of," such as admire, approve, cherish, love, fancy, relish, dig, etc. But the meaning I'm looking for is not really "enjoy" or "be fond of."

Synonyms for "interest," as in "attraction" or "curiosity" include concern, enthusiasm, and passion. But the verb forms of those nouns certainly don't work in my sentence, with "your idea" as the object. Nor do the verbs fascinate or involve.

Isolating the "interest" idea and using the verb form, I might say "An effective metaphor will interest your reader," but that means the metaphor itself is interesting to the reader, not the idea that it illustrates.

So... is there a single word for "take interest in"?


texts: Which one is correct: “to have verbed” or “verbing”?

texts:
I have two confusing sentences and I am in two minds whether the first or the second is more grammatically correct:

He was by far the most knowledgeable person to have commented on the subject, so it would have been foolish to disregard his opinions.
He was by far the most knowledgeable person commenting on the subject, so it would have been foolish to disregard his opinions.


texts: Distinguish between verb+ing as Noun and as Adjective

texts:
Verb-ing words can function as nouns, adjective and verbs.

Growing plants is my hobby.

Growing plants in your back yard need more care.

I am growing aromatic plants in my garden.

In the first sentence, “growing” is a noun, in the second, it’s an adjective, and in the last sentence together with “am”, it is a verb in present continuous tense.
Now consider the following 2 sentences

1.) Growing plants in your back yard need more care.
2.) Marketing baby products in the internet world requires a cohesive message to be spread through traditional print and social media.

In 1st sentence, “growing” is the adjective that presents a characteristic of the “plants”. In 2nd sentence, “marketing”, the verb-ing word acts as a noun and forms a big noun phrase “Marketing baby products in the internet world” that is the subject of the sentence.
Now my question is why the verb+ing modifier is different in the two sentences when they have the same structure of Verb+ing modifier+ noun+ prepositional phrase. How i can distinguish between two ? Is there any rule?


texts: Can we use 'shall have been' + present participle?

texts:
In the  perfect continuous tense, shall have been is not used. Can you tell me why?

When I searched on Google, it showed the form as

  subject + will have been + v (ing) + object.

I just want to know  why we are not supposed to use shall have been and the reason behind it.


texts: Is there any word for the upper inner part of a sock?

texts:
I was about to answer a question on this thread, and I wanted to refer to the inner upper part of a sock. Something like this:

  Put a small label inside the inner upper part of your socks.

But this seems very vague. Is there any single word or a good phrase for it?

This will make it clear:


texts: United Kingdom's three-name-cities; is there a generic way to write them?

texts:
There are city names in the United Kingdom like "Stratford-upon-Avon" or "Newcastle upon Tyne". Then, I wonder: is there any general rule on how they should be written?

Case: In general, I see the second name is written in lowercase.

Dash:  However, I wonder if a dash should or should not be written in between each pair of words.

Hence, what is more appropriate, if there is any standard?

Name1-name2-Name3
Name1 name2 Name3

More names I came across:

Stoke-on-Trent
Oldbury-on-Severn
Wotton-under-Edge
Wells-next-the-Sea
Sutton-cum-Lound
Southend-on-Sea
Newbiggin-by-the-Sea
Newport-On-Tay

in Geonames I could find more than a hundred.


texts:
I just moved from the suburbs to my first apartment building a little less than six months ago, and I was wondering how I could could concisely refer to all the other residents of the building. I can, of course, use the phrases "upstairs neighbors" and "downstairs neighbors", but I live in the middle of the building, and I would feel awkward saying "upstairs and downstairs neighbors" or "same-building neighbors". Is there a word for this?

EDIT: I would just say "neighbors", but I would like to make it clear that I mean just the people in my building, not other people in my region of Manhattan, or people in adjacent buildings.


texts: there WOULD be at least 10 people and out of that 10 people at least 2 WOULD

texts:
Context- I was teaching a child about how the economy is being effected by the corona-virus. I pointed at a street with some stores and restaurants and said:

"If it weren't for the virus there would be at least 10 people out there and out of that 10 people at least 2 would buy something."

I've never used this kind of structure before where there are two 'woulds' one after another. Did I use it correctly?
And is there any better way of saying it?


texts: "Speed of light" vs "Speed of the light"

texts: We use "the" when there's only one of something but why do we use "Speed of light" instead of "Speed of the light"?


texts: "Seems like a plan" vs "sounds like a plan"

texts:
"Seems like a plan" vs. "sounds like a plan"

Which one is more frequently used and/or correct? Does it depend on whether it is spoken or written?


texts: Meaning and origin of "Get someone's shirt out"

texts:
I was wondering to myself about the word "shirty". It seemed so curious a word. After all, what did its meaning have to do with shirts. "Were the two words even related?", I wondered.

So I looked up "shirty" in the dictionary...

  shirty  (ˈʃɜːtɪ) — adj  ,
  shirtier , shirtiest  slang chiefly  ( Brit )
  bad-tempered or annoyed
  [C19: perhaps based on such phrases as to get someone's shirt out  to
  annoy someone]

This led me to another question. I have never heard the phrase "get someone's shirt out". So I looked up this, to find out a bit more about the phrase.

And what I found was that the only places it seems to be used were in dictionary definitions of the word "shirty"!

It seems that the phrase means "to annoy someone". But where did this phrase come from and why does it mean that?


texts: Is this construction grammatically correct?

texts:
I was going through an essay and found this sentence:

  Contrary to many people beliefs, many of those BIO buyers, a recent study shows  that the nutrient content in the organically grown food isn’t very different from that of food conventionally grown.

After reading it a couple of times I've reasons to believe many of those points to the wrong word and it makes it harder to understand the meaning of the sentence. Is that the case?


texts: Is there a terminology to describe a user (in computer science) who doesn't need to think to do its job?

texts:
To be more specific, an example:

The customer relationship department of a company has 100 people to work on customer requests. This company has a system in which almost everything is automated for the user, and their only job is to answer simple "questions" on the screen, like if the customer has sent a specific document or not (a "yes or no" question).

The system user doesn't really need to think or have any critical thoughts about the process.

In portuguese we call this kind of "dumb" user a "button masher". I searched this term on Google, but all I got was results about simple games which require little effort from the user. But I wonder if this terminology can be applied to a non-gaming context as well, to describe the user.


texts: Are these sentences considered grammatical?

texts:
So here is the question:

His eyes, still on me, were blazing with fury.

I know for sure this sentence is correct. But what about these:

Still on me, his eyes were blazing with fury.   and

His eyes were blazing with fury, still on me.

These sentences look quite unnatural to me, even clumsy. Can you guys tell me if these sentences are correct?


texts: Is there an English word for looking contemplatively at water?

texts:
A friend of mine swears that he saw this word for looking contemplatively at water once.

However, I have been unable to find it, and as this activity is a favourite pastime of mine, I would like to see if it actually exists. It could very well be an extinct or old English word.

I am looking for it specifically to name a sailboat, which is why I am looking for a single word.


texts: Has the word "manal" (instead of "manual") ever actually been used? If so, how?

texts:
Recently, I've been going through checking how many Latin words ending in -alis have corresponding English words ending in -al. It seems there was a Latin word mānālis meaning "flowing" (as well as a separate word meaning "of or belonging to the Manes"). So I looked up "manal" in OneLook Dictionary Search and found that there are three dictionaries that have an entry for "manal".

But oddly, the definitions they give are unrelated to the Latin "flowing" word. Instead, the English word "manal" is supposed to have a meaning related to hands (evidently based on the Latin word manus, which is a u-stem noun, and the base of the much more common adjective manual).

Because of the apparently irregular derivation, I'm feeling a bit suspicious about this word and I'm wondering if it ever had any significant use. It's not in the Oxford English Dictionary. The three OneLook-indexed dictionaries that have an entry are:

Wiktionary (entry created  October 2006): no examples are given of actual use
The Phrontistery: it's just in a list. The Phrontistery FAQ says

  With very few exceptions, every word in the International House of Logorrhea and every word in all of the glossaries is a real English word found in at least one major English dictionary. There are a couple of dummy words included to thwart those who would copy my site in toto, but these will be obvious if you find them.

It doesn't appear to be an obvious dummy word.
Wordnik, which references the Wiktionary entry mentioned above as well as an entry in The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia. None of the examples in the sidebar seem to be legitimate: they are all misspellings of the noun "manual" or proper names or transliterations of non-English words.


texts: Is there an original etymology for "Xenomorph" outside of the origin in the movies?

texts:
This question on a different SE site asks the question of what the etymology of the word "Xenomorph" is, and the consensus, from the comments at least, is that it has none - that it was purely invented for that movie.

My question is, is this true?  Did this word purely exist as a creation of the movies, as a portmanteau of two separate words?  Or is there an origint that dates back to before the creation of these movies?

I realize this is the ELU stack exchange, so I don't expect a detailed explanation of the etymological origins movie-side, I'm simply curious if there is any evidence that this word existed prior to the Alien franchise.


texts:
If someone asks me about a person I don't know, can I say, for example?:

Hey, do you know Mark?
Mark? No, I don't. Who's he?

Maybe it's a stupid question, but I just wanna make sure about. Thanks in advance.


texts: Phrase for a child moving around -- "ritching around"?

texts:
Whenever a child was fidgeting or moving around, my grandmother would tell them "stop ritching around!" When I used this phrase recently, my wife told me that it was not an English expression, and I was surprised that I could not find it on Google.

Is "ritching around" an English expression for a child moving around? Is it instead some Pennsylvania Dutch dialect that my grandmother picked up from learning English in Pennsylvania?


texts: does any word have the meaning of "overwhelming" but in a positive nature?

texts:
I want to say I was a brand representative and attracted a surprisingly high volume of students' awareness by organising different activities. Below is my whole sentence.

  "As a brand representative of ABC Company, I have successfully raised the brand awareness of the firm with an unexpectedly overwhelming response from student through organising various of promotion activities "

I find that the bolded part seems a bit confusing. Could anyone please give me some suggestions on how should I improve this sentence?


texts:
I came across this phrase twice while reading the play Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare in the following contexts:

1 - "Out upon it old carrion, Your flesh rebels at these years?". A character Solanio is mocking the Jew Shylock by asking sarcastically if he is still having sexual urges at this age.

2 - "Out upon her! Thou torturest me". Shylock's daughter Jessica stole money from her and Shylock is speaking to another Jew and is probably insulting her in this particular line.

Both times, the phrase is used following a negative backdrop, and I suspect its some sort of an insult in old English. Any clarification would be helpful.


texts: When should we use "can", "could", "will", "would"?

texts:
Most people say I wish I could, I wish you would.

Can we use I wish I can, I wish you will?

I'd like to know what the main differences between the usage of can/will and could/would are when wishing.

Is it related to the subjunctive? Because one says “I wish I were”, not “I wish I am”, so are would and could the subjunctive forms of can and will?

Or is it something else entirely?


texts: Is there a polite way of saying "people like you"?

texts:
It seems that "people like you" is almost always used as an insult (similar to "your kind").  e.g. A shop owner might say to an annoying customer that doesn't buy anything, "Go away, I don't have time to deal with people like you."

Can it be used in a polite sentence, or due to the associated negativity with the phrase, would it be better to use an alternate phrase?


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


texts: Can I say: "Hardly were there any people at the concert last night" instead of "There were hardly any people at the concert last night"


texts:
Why do we sometimes use "there is" for a plural form in our sentences? Example:
"There is some cars".
Is this true?


texts:
Please fill in the blank with the correct word and explain your choice.

I am __ G-d made me.

A. who

B. whom

Some people have suggested I elaborate on this question so here goes.

The above was not copied from any test. It is a question about basically two things: (1) whether an objective complement should be in the same case as the subject ("I" => "who") or as the object of the verb ("me" => "whom"); and (2) whether the verb to "make" [someone into something] should properly be considered a linking verb (~a form of "to be") (or, if not, whether this sentence has an implied nonfinite linking verb, and, if so, whether that would indeed exige the predicate nominative: "I am who G-d made me [to be]" => "I"? Or conceivably--since "me" becomes the subject[?] of the complement clause-- =>"me"?).

There are many other implications, just some of which are discussed here. It is a serious question that seems not to be addressed by any general overview of who/whom on this site.

There is another question about a similar construction, "When to use what or who", but the answers there don't address the topic of case.

My question may be addressed in linguistics and may have different answers according to different linguistic models.

Cf. "She is with whom I practice." "It is she I want to be like." "That's who I want to be like."

  Related:

  Which is grammatically correct: "Let he who..." or "Let him who..."

  What rules make “Remember me, who am your friend” grammatical?

  https://ell.stackexchange.com/questions/48701/subject-of-imperatives-starting-with-let

  Carry we who die in battle

  https://ell.stackexchange.com/questions/124307/is-i-killed-him-who-carried-a-gun-grammatically-correct

  Issues with predicate nominative

  https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/let-he-who-is-a-latin-teacher-instruct-him/article747363/


texts:
What are the differences between the following?

  He is planning to do something.
  He is planning on doing something.

When to use each?


texts:
I need a word to fit the meaning "Groups together certain rules that determine one decision."

For example

groups together those rules/considerations that determine a job-applicant's salary
groups together those rules/considerations that determine a person's eligibility for a loan

Is "decision point" or "decision subject" a good word? Are there alternatives?


texts:
Is it better to say,
'the injury caused a deterioration in his physical function',
or
'the injury caused a deterioration of his physical functioning'?


texts: Word for an object within another object

texts:
I am looking for a word that defines an object or thing within another object or thing.

Like in the movie Inception: a dream within a dream.


texts: What is the plural form of "whitespace"?

texts: I ask this because Firefox suggested that whitespaces is not a valid word; rather it gave me whitespace or white spaces.


texts: How did "pissed" come to mean "drunk" or "angry"?

texts:
How did "pissed" come to mean "drunk" or "angry" in expressions such as: "I'm pissed" OR "I'm pissed off"?
All dictionaries I consulted just gave that definition.
So, does it have anything to do - even just figuratively - with "urine" (i.e. the common usage of "piss")?

P.S. Also do the expressions "Piss off!" (meaning "Go away!") & "take the piss [out of someone]" (meaning "make fun of someone") have anything to do - even just  figuratively - with "urine"?

If there is a relationship between being pissed or piss off and urine, then what is it?


texts: a relative pronoun/adverb as an adverbial

texts:
He collects some cars that are antique.

I know the relative pronoun “that” is the subject of “are” here.

This is the letter (that) my mother sent me.

I know the relative pronoun “that” is the object of “sent” here.

But I'm not sure of this one:

I don't remember the year (that / when / in which) I bought my first car.

We can have the relative pronouns "that" and "which" here and also the relative adverb "when".

"That", "when" and "in which" (or just "which" ? ), they all act here as adverbials (adjuncts if more precise) of the relative clause "I bought my first car".

Also I'm not sure of this one:

I don't remember the year (of when) I bought my first car.

We can have the relative pronoun "when" here. "When" acts as an adverbial (an adjunct if more precise) of the relative clause "I bought my first car".

Am I right and if not, then why?

Thanks!


texts:
User A: Is everyone facing the slow internet and intermittent disconnection?
User B: Yes
User C: Yes
User D: Yes

In the above, are the answers provided by users, B, C, D correct?
Seeing as B, C, D do not represent the complete number of affected people.


texts: Why is there a US idiom of using China to mean far away?

texts:
I live in the UK, and a lot of US culture reaches us in the form of film and TV.

There seems to be a trope of referring to something as being in China to mean it's a long way away. Things like:

"I've done so much jogging I could have reached China by now."
Super hero flies off and casually returns eating Chinese food.

In England this is usually Australia, being a large country at nearly the opposite end of the globe to us.

Using https://www.antipodesmap.com/, Here's what I'm seeing.

Antipodean to London, the sea south of New Zealand.
Antipodean to New York, the sea west of Australia.
Antipodean to Los Angeles, the sea east of Madagascar.

So why does American culture choose China to be allegorically far away when you can get much further away on the globe? Wouldn't Madagascar be better?


texts:
What is the correct spelling of the expression "lip sync[h]," which refers to miming singing over a recording--usually in a public performance and with the intention to mislead?

Google has approximately 13,700,000 results for "lip-sync," and only ~465,000 for "lip synch" (presumably, it ignores the hyphens). It also suggests "lip sync" as a correction for "lip synch." However, Webster's, Cambridge, and Macmillan give "lip synch" as a headword, and list "lip sync" as a variant or not at all.

What, then, is truly the preferred spelling according to (American-) English convention? I am interested in an answer that makes a compelling argument for one choice or another--informed by knowledge and example of the morphological norms of English, and particularly the rules of clipping--rather than argue that both are acceptable.

Related, but not a duplicate (as it does not treat the fixed phrase with "lip-," but instead other uses of "synch"): "Synced" or "synched"


texts: Is "of" obligatory when writing "In August of this year"?

texts:
I saw there was already some discussion on here about "in this year" vs. "this year." I have a similar question, but this time regarding the use of the word "of," and the answers to the previous question don't seem to address this case.
The sentence I'm grappling with to a stupid degree is: "In August this year, the Belarusian poet published an op-ed..."
I believe we need the preposition "of" before "this year" to indicate possession, no? "In August of this year" reads more naturally to me. But now I'm going crazy trying to find a rule that says using the preposition is really necessary in this kind of construction. Is there such a rule that would provide guidance for this example?
I'm also wondering if the construction sans "of" is more idiomatic in British English...
Many thanks for any help anyone can provide!


texts: Identifying the antecedent of an integrated(restrictive) relative clause

texts:
The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language has this (Page 1061):

In [11], CGEL doesn't analyze the determiner no as part of the antecedent of the relative clause.
Let's compare [11] with [11a] and [11b]:

[11a] No one who scored 40% or more was ever failed.
[11b] Some who scored 40% or more were failed.

Simple Question
In [11a] and [11b], what's the antecedent of the relative clause who scored 40% or more?
Detailed Questions
In CGEL's grammar, just like nobody, no one is a compound determinative, which always occurs in a fused-head construction. In traditional grammar, no one is a pronoun. In either grammar, therefore, no one is a syntactically inseparable unit.
Does that mean in [11a] that the antecedent of the relative clause has to be no one, and therefore that the antecedent has a negative meaning to it?
If so, how could you explain the fact that the antecedent in [11a], but not in [11], has a negative meaning?
If the antecedent is one in [11a], what's the antecedent in [11b]? Is it the covert nominal people?

Background Info on CGEL's grammar
(1) The integrated relative clause in CGEL refers to what traditional grammar calls 'restrictive relative clause'.
(2) CGEL basically says that the antecedent of the integrated relative clause is not an NP but a nominal.
(3) CGEL's definition of the term 'nominal' is completely different from that of traditional grammar as follows (The red underlines indicate what CGEL defines as 'nominals'):


texts: What is a word meaning "a non-instantaneous event"?

texts: That is, an event which has some positive (possibly infinite) duration.


texts: "Do You Dreams Come True": A clever pun or just bad English?

texts:
There's a Japanese band called "Dreams Come True", and on March 21st (2009) they released an album entitled: "Do You Dreams Come True".  The title of the album has troubled me since this time.

src: http://cdinfo.s201.xrea.com/media/1/DreamsComeTrue_DoYouDreamsComeTrue.jpg
"Do You..." here is being used in the sense of "Do You Rock" or "Do You [some transitive verb]" (which is improper but somehow acceptable), and this is being combined with the phrase "Do [Your] Dreams Come True?".
Now, I simply can't imagine an American band actually using a pun like this as an album title.  In fact, I can't imagine this pun being used by a native English speaker at all.  That said, I also can't precisely tell you why this is the case, except to guess that "acceptable puns" in colloquial or formal English should rely on less obvious grammatical errors.  Is there a technical reason why this pun "feels wrong"?
(By the way, let me know if this question is unacceptable or off-topic and it will be deleted ASAP)
[Update] There is a short Google.groups discussion from 2009 regarding this album title and the verbification of DCT: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!msg/honyaku/Fbshb4i0sEI/czUx51VR3v4J


texts: How does "How much do I have to pay" sound to your ears?

texts:
I was told by a native speaker of English that "How much do I have to pay?" should be avoided in a certain situation. For example, after me and my friend ate supper at a restaurant, I went to the washroom.  While I was there, he paid everything including mine as it was crowded and some were waiting for the bill to pay.  After I came back, I said, "How much do I have to pay?"  Do you think it's not appropriate though grammatically correct?  Should I have said, "How much do I owe you?"  ( This is what he suggested that I should use. )  How different are they?

Thanks for all the comment! I understood what my friend meant by saying, "How much do I have to pay". And I also realized how much one's native language affect the foreign language in its meaning.


texts: What is the most appropriate punctuation in the example sentences: colon, semicolon, or other?

texts:
First off, I apologies for the redundancy of this question. I am aware that there are already several questions dedicated to the use of colons and/or semicolons. However, non of the questions I saw seemed to address sentences with grammatical structure similar to my own and I was unable to determine what punctuation I should use. Should I use a colon, semicolon, or some other punctuation? (I will indicate with a question mark the location of the punctuation in question.)

Far from an encumbrance, he regarded her aspirations as an occasion to mold himself to the cherished contours of her heart ? to let her rupture his soul into metamorphosis.
It was the only way he knew to requite the scandalous honor she had bestowed upon him in her obstinate determination to wed him ? an unprecedented impropriety that had incensed her family, but one which would always wreathe his memory in pleasure.

In neither example do I feel confident that the resulting halves as divided by ? are independent clauses or complete sentences (a requisite for semicolons, I believe). At least, I do not believe that starting from and following to let her rupture & an unprecedented impropriety are stand alone sentences (given the manner in which they begin). So I am hesitant to use a semicolon. However, I am not sure that either of these examples are congruent with any of the grammatical structures outlined in other questions as warranting the employment of a colon. Irregardless, I feel that a mere comma would be insufficient.


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

texts:
This is a sentence in a letter to request waiving a fine. The sentence is:

  I offer the following plea for a caution in this instance.

Also, it seems to me that caution is more correct than a caution. Am I right?


texts: Is there an idiom for when you ask someone for help, and instead the person blames you?

texts: You ask someone if they can help you with a problem, and instead of giving you a simple yes or no answer this individual uses the opportunity to attack you and says if you hadn't done that, or if you had done that before, this would not happen to you.


texts:
Fellow Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota took a similar
  tact as she spoke at the rally.

I believe the CNN writer meant to use the word 'tack' like in the phrase ‘take a different tack’.

Would the sentence also be correct using tact since the word can mean ‘dealing with difficult situations’?


texts: What's the etymology of 'Deck' with a pack of cards?

texts:
The word deck has several meanings, most of which seem to have some logic behind them. I am stuggling to find any sensible reference to deck being the word to mean a set of cards.
An earlier question/answers makes reference to a 'deck of slides', but I reckon a pack of cards existed well before slides.
Any logical reason why 'deck' has become the word for a pack of playing cards - on both sides of the Atlantic?


texts: Is there a word to describe someone as striving to be the best version of himself he can be?

texts: I am trying to describe someone with the mentality NOT of trying to be better than others, but rather to be the best version of himself that he can be. So a sort of striving and determination, but without competition with others. Any suggestions? Thank you so much!


texts: I'm studying for the SAT and ran into this issue on a practice test. My prepbook says that commas shouldn't be used between an independent and dependent clause in that order. To me "creating..." constitutes a dependent clause. This is more apparent when the gerumd creating is replaced with to create. I'm not understanding why the correct answer choice (which I agree is the best answer) uses a comma before creating. This is not an official test from college board so a typo/error is possible in the answer choice. I simply want to know if this is the case. I'm also curious to whether the phrase "creating a landscape" would be a gerund or participle phrase in this sense.


texts:
Recently a friend of mine, a native British English speaker, said:

  .... more infrequently...

I asked him, why not 'less frequently,' and he said that would sound weird and that his version was perfectly fine. Now, I do know that the grammar is fine in both versions. What I'd like to know is if a teacher would mark that as poor wording or not. To me it just sounds strange but as the English grammar with regard to adjectives calls for this, maybe for a native it is not weird at all.


texts:
The word "Latinx" seems to be the English shorthand for saying "Latino and/or Latina", where Latino includes men and Latina includes women.

How does one pronounce "Latinx"?


texts: What's the best way to say "while *working on* Project X"

texts: I'm looking for a synonym for "working on" in this sentence. I feel like there has to be a more concise way than to say "Joe has contributed a lot while working on Project X, Y and Z".  Joe has worked on many projects and I am trying to highlight a few specific ones he did very well on.


texts: This is not correct, right? Mixing present tense and past tense makes me think it is not correct but I see it so often on signs that I'm not even sure any more. Is there a specific reason why it's often said like that or is it just consistently overlooked?


texts: Question on “subject to being disproved by the person accused”

texts:
The appeal court said that in criminal cases where it is necessary for the prosecution
  to prove intention, they must always do just that. Intention can never be presumed, subject
  to being disproved by the person accused. Hence the phrase that everyone is ‘innocent
  unless proven guilty’.

Doesn't the bolded clause contradict the other sentences? The first sentence connotes that intention is subject to being proved by the prosecutor. Since the accused person is presumed guilty, he/she has to prove or disprove nothing?

Source: P68, How the Law Works, Gary Slapper


texts: Circle is to cylinder as ellipse is to what?

texts: What do you call the geometric shape obtained when you give an ellipse thickness? Or in other words, a circle is to a cylinder as an ellipse is to what?


texts:
I understand the definition of remit; so I am not asking about it. I just want to delve in deeper. I also recognise the Etymological Fallacy and its various drawbacks.
So how should I interpret or rationalize its etymology, in order to intuit or naturalise it, and to help me remember?

1. remit = [chiefly British] The task or area of activity officially assigned to an individual or organization
2. An item referred to someone for consideration
Etymonline: late 14c., "to forgive, pardon," from Latin remittere "send back, slacken, let go back, abate," from re- "back" (see re-) + mittere "to send" (see mission). Meaning "allow to remain unpaid" is from mid-15c. Meaning "send money (to someone)" first recorded 1630s. Related: Remitted; remitting.

For instance, how does re- fit the 2 definitions above? Both refers someTHING NEW to someONE NEW. Yet back implies a reappraisal; so what's sent back?
Footnote: I encountered remit, in the last sentence, of the last para, of p 7 of 16 here.


texts: Is it common to teach kids about the jumping letters?

texts:
When I was a kid I remember distinctly this lesson on how to pronounce a word. If there is only one consonant between two vowels like in the word "make" then the e jumps over the k and the a yells its name "eh" instead of its sound "ah". For a word like "little" there are a bunch of consonants there so the e can't jump and make the i say "I".

I know about "whole word" vs "phonics" is an ongoing debate but is the jumping letter concept a phonics thing? Or did I just have a creative teacher?


texts:
I have come across this phrase a time or two and can't seem to make any sense out of what it means.

As a web developer and in the context of this graphic, I have a little idea what it may mean, but I'm not sure...


texts: Is "master-slave" polite name for software library?

texts:
I am going to write an opensource software library for web sites developers.

With help of this library, web application opened in several tabs will be able to hold connection to server from one "master" tab, and the rest of tabs will be "slaves" without direct connection to web server.

So, is "master-slave.js" good name for  the library? For developers this name describes the functionality of the library and is practical.

But maybe it is too offensive and I need to change it to "primary-secondary" or something else.
Thanks!


texts:
Should I use "have" or "has" in this question?

  Does she have to go to school?

or

  Does she has to go to school?

If I should use "have", then what is the rule which makes me not use "has" here?


texts: What's the deciding factor for which form of a word you choose before the word "skill"?

texts:
I wanted to tell my friend that I had skills in persuading people. I stood for 5 minutes just thinking whether I should say "persuading skills", "persuasive skills", or "persuasion skills". Also, "manipulative skills, manipulation skills, manipulating skills"? To decide which one to use, I went searching online dictionaries, and it just created further  confusion.

I have noticed that when the word has no verb form or its verb form is not very popular, we use its adjectival form before the word skill such as
Political skill / athletic skill / artistic skill /mathematical skill / technical skill / tactical skill / social skill

When the word has the gerund as a noun, then it is the word that precedes skill such as
reading skill / writing skill / hunting skill / shooting skill / wrestling skill / fishing skill

However, when the case is neither of those, confusion arises. In the following cases, how would you decide which one to use?

  Persuading skill / persuasion skill / persuasive skill
  Manipulating skill / manipulation skill / manipulative skill
  Negotiating skill / negotiation skill / ..
  Interpretive skill / interpretation skill
  Investigating skill / investigation skill / investigative skill
  Navigating skill / navigation skill / navigational skill?
  Performing skill / performance skill


texts: What does "corn" refer to in English-speaking parts of Asia?

texts:
In North America, "corn" refers to the crop some call "maize", Zea mays mays.  I'm told that this is the meaning of "corn" in Australia and New Zealand as well.

Contrarily, in the British Isles, "corn" refers to other grains, especially the primary grain of the area, be it wheat, oats, or any other grain.

What does "corn" refer to in Asian varieties of English, as in India and Singapore?


texts:
Can assert be synonymous to 'apply' or 'implement' in this context?

  He asserted his  power on his subordinates/countrymen/party members etc.

I'm aware of the other meaning :- to state smth confidently, sometimes even when there is a lack of evidence.   (Feel free to rectify  any mistakes I've made  :) .


texts: Can someone tell me which sentence is grammatically correct between the two?

texts:
Is it

  Pacific Ocean is the largest and the deepest ocean in the world

or

  Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest ocean in the world


texts: Idioms: Should it be " the internet is a seemingly infinite well of information" or "the internet is a seemingly infinite wealth of information"

texts: The title says it all. I have heard the phrase used either way, but "well" makes more sense to me. My editor and I are both at a stalemate with this one.


texts:
Bysshe, Bysshe, Bysshe! What are we going to do about you? I hope
  you'll pardon this mesonoxian and inaniloquent lamprophony from a
  nihilarian pronk; it is not so much a phenakist scopperloit as it is a
  finnimbrun, an infinite floccinaucinihilipilification (The Guardian)

I found it, as comment, in The Guardian. After a lot of efforts to decipher its meaning, I encountered some hard trouble problem in searching for "scopperloit."

In Google "define scopperloit" does not produce serious hits.

Can anybody explain the meaning of "scopperloit"?


texts:
Is the act of possessing an example of personification if attributed to inanimate objects? Here, "possession" means the possession of physical things as well as the possession of virtues or qualities by any inanimate object.

For example, is the sentence "The book's cover is pretty old." an example of personification? (I am unsure whether the apostrophe usage in case of inanimate objects is grammatically correct.) Possession, according to me, is as much a human quality as it is a natural phenomenon (natural as in applicable to all objects). This should mean that inanimate objects can possess things and qualities without being personified.

A related question is, if we ascribe the 'action' of possessing to a synecdochic reference to a human, will that be an instance of personification, now that the object to which the possession is attributed is not technically speaking, inanimate? For example, "His stomach's capacity is exhausted." or "The last remaining relic of his brain's prowess was steadily depleting."


texts: Comparison grammar: repeating the main verb vs. using a helper verb

texts:
Is the following grammatically correct?

  Corporation X spends a larger percentage of its revenue on insurance than Corporation Y does on employee salaries.

Should it not be:

  Corporation X spends a larger percentage of its revenue on insurance than the percentage that Corporation Y spends on insurance.

Doesn't there need to be parallelism here? How can you compare "does" with "spends a larger percentage of its revenue"? Or is that just the meaning of the word "does"?


texts:
Which of the following phrases is correct?

  Everything is in some context.

or

  Everything has some context.


texts: a word equivalent for "mettle/material" that describes the qualities of a person

texts:
I was going to translate a phrase into English.
The phrase talks about how doing something changes one's characteristics and material.
like if you do such and such a thing, all your sensitiveness, anger, irritability, ... will fade away and you become a calmer and happier person. (a permanent change)
So, the writer was using a word that would literally translate as "material" for such a context.
but, is the word "material" really usable for human beings?
in other words, can we say, if you do such and such a thing, your material will change and you become a better person?


texts: I have an RPG environment and I'm looking for words that sound better than "buff" for positive modifier and "debuff" for negative modifier. I simply don't like the words but I'm having a hard time finding more appropriate words.


texts: Is it appropriate to use the word "alimony" as in-marriage financial support?

texts:
Nafaqa in Islamic laws refers to the financial support given by husband to the wife during their married life. I have seen this translated to alimony, and maintenance in English. However, as the following entries from OALD (8th Ed.) for alimony and maintenance state, alimony and maintenance refer to the money paid by the husband after divorce

  main • ten • ance      BrE   / meɪntənəns /  NAmE   / meɪntənəns /
  noun

   word origin   example bank    [ uncountable ]    1   ~ (of sth)   the
  act of keeping sth in good condition by checking or repairing it
  regularly  The school pays for heating and the maintenance of the
  buildings.    car maintenance    2   ~ (of sth)   the act of making a
  state or situation continue  the maintenance of international peace
  3   ( law ) ( BrE )  money that sb must pay regularly to their former
  wife, husband or partner, especially when they have had children
  together  He has to pay maintenance to his ex-wife.    child
  maintenance    a maintenance order  (= given by a court of law)
  see also  alimony

Under alimony, it says,

  ali • mony  BrE   / ælɪməni /  NAmE   / ælɪmoʊni /    noun

   word origin   example bank    [ uncountable ]  ( especially NAmE )
  the money that a court orders sb to pay regularly to their former wife
  or husband when the marriage is ended     compare  maintenance ,
  palimony

The above and this suggest that Islamic Law has no financial obligation on the man after divorce in terms of financial support for the woman.
All in all, is it still acceptable to use alimony in this context i.e. when provisions are given only during marriage as opposed to the given definition of regular post-marriage payment? Or should another term such as financial support be used?


texts: Is "arts" (a subject in schools) a singular noun?

texts:
When used as subject, is the word arts considered a singular noun or a
plural one?

Art is my favorite class at school this term.
Arts is? my favorite class at school this term.

Why can’t we just say we’re taking or studying art in school? Why do we
ever say arts as though it were plural but then use a singular verb
anyway?
Does the answer vary by locality, such as in the United Kindom or Ireland,
Australia or New Zealand, the United States or Canada, India or Singapore,
or South Africa?


texts: What is the expression you make trying not to smile?

texts: I have been trying to see if there is an expression for this for a while now. You know when you're about to laugh or smile at something, but that would be inappropriate or embarrassing, so you force a frown but your eyes are still smiling? Is there an expression for this?


texts: Word for arms "outstretched, overhead, in y-shape"?

texts: Just as "arms akimbo" has a very specific meaning, is there an "arms __" that specifically means what I described in the title?


texts: Simple present used to describe past events as a list of actions?

texts:
In relation to you not meeting me at the train station yesterday:

'I wake up early, travel all that way, wait for you in the rain, and you don't meet me!'

Is this not the simple present being used with a past meaning?


texts:
I think my question is rather a stylistic one, but it really bugs me.

From a grammatical standpoint, "the" should always precede ordinal numbers. However, articles are usually omitted in headlines. So I am asking if it is appropriate to strike off articles from a résumé or cv.

In other words, should I write "The 5th Conference on Machine Learning" or just "5th Conference on Machine Learning" as a heading/subheading under the experience section of my résumé/cv?


texts: Is there an English word meaning "snacks eaten as an accompaniment while drinking alcohol"?

texts:
I'm currently travelling in Korea and Japan and learned that both languages have words specifically for snacks that accompany alcoholic drinks, or at least go with beer and spirits such as sake or soju. It can include but is not limited to chips and nuts, sometimes salty or spicy. But it occurred to me that English doesn't have an equivalent word. The best I can think of are "snack", "munchies", "nibbles", and "finger food".

For those wondering, the Japanese word is "おつまみ" (otsumami) and the Korean word is "안주" (anju).

What's the best English word for a drinking snack?


texts:
My favorite food is apples.
Or my favorite food are apples.


texts: Is there a list of all English words (singular and plural) anywhere on the net?

texts: Does anyone know of a resource online that lists all known English words, including plural and singular forms of a word?


texts: Word or Phrase for Indirect Verbal Deception

texts:
Is there an English word or phrase which describes conversations intended to be overheard by others, which primarily contains misinformation meant to be believed by those who overhear?

Example:

During an office conversation between Tim and Carlos, Tim says out loud, "Jeff will go to Singapore after leaving Hong Kong".

It's subsequently discovered that Tim knew Jeff was not going to Singapore
Assume that Tim merely wanted those who overheard to think Jeff was going to Singapore

"Deception" is possible, but seems too generic.  I'm more interested in specifically describing the indirect nature of the event (i.e. Tim does not say this directly to those he wants to deceive).


texts: Should the IPA of the word "conscious" be /ˈkɑːnʃəs/ or /ˈkɑːntʃəs/?

texts:
Ok, see the word "conscious" has the IPA /ˈkɑːnʃəs/ in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary

However, when you listen clearly, you will feel like it should be /ˈkɑːntʃəs/ not /ˈkɑːnʃəs/.  So it should read /tʃ/ rather than /ʃ/.

In some other dictionaries, which use different transcription systems, they give the entry "ˈkän(t)-shəs" , for example in the Merriam Webster online dictionary. Here we see it with a /t/.

So, should the IPA for the word "conscious" be /ˈkɑːnʃəs/ or /ˈkɑːntʃəs/?


texts:
Quote from the "Learning Python":

"It consists of Python’s original creator — Guido van Rossum, the officially anointed Benevolent Dictator for Life (BDFL) of Python — plus a supporting cast of thousands."

1) Does author meant "caste of thousands"? If not, what is an exact meaning of this phrase?
2) Does cast = caste?

Thank you!


texts: Why are words like "actor" and "waiter" considered male?

texts:
What is it about words like "actor" and "waiter" that causes them to be considered male, so that they have female counterparts (i.e. "actress" and "waitress")?

Why are they not gender-neutral like "doctor" or "nurse" or "manager"?


texts: What's the word for "something that we've been looking for?"

texts:
I need a word for when someone is trying to buy a new shirt, but hasn't found anything suitable yet.

For example: He searched everywhere but couldn't find his...........

Note: this applies to more than clothes, and I'm trying to find a translation of  "مبتغى" or "غاية", an Arabic word which Google translates as destination, although in Arabic it is also used for anything that you've been searching for, or wanting. Example: Victory was our(......)


texts: Use of ‘or’ when it means ‘and’ in negatives

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  How does negation affect the use and understanding of “or” and “and”

If I want to negate a sentence such as

  I like beer and whiskey. [Most commonly understood as, I think, I like beer and I like whiskey.]

I have to convert the and to an or:

  I don't like beer or whiskey.

There's no sense of an or in the second sentence, so its inclusion seems a bit perverse. I realise that I could say

  I don't like beer and whiskey.

but that would mean something different:

  I don't like (beer and whiskey).

rather than the intended

  (I don't like beer) and (I don't like whiskey).

So my question is: what's going on here? Why do we have to make this change?


texts: I know it's an idiomatic synonym for "make a guess" or "take a guess," but what is the underlying basis for the phrase? Is "hazarding a guess" more dangerous than "taking a guess?"


texts:
Is there a word or common phrase that expresses the idea that two works have some but not all authors in common?

For example if I have these papers

  (1)How to Count Red Bottles, Gee M. S., Queen H. R. H., Bacon K., Damon M.
  (2)Bottle Counting Meta-analysis, Queen H. R. H., Damon M., Goldblum G., Kendal F.

Is there a word or idiomatic way to say

  Partially same authors argue in (2) that...

Partially same authors does not seem a common phrase after searching Google.


texts: Use of italics and BrE single quotation marks

texts:
I'd like to know when to use italics and when to use single quotation marks should be used.  For example:

  The word he was looking for was ‘abjuration’.

vs

  The word he was looking for was abjuration.


texts: Article usage in compound predicate nouns

texts:
When using a compound predicate noun where both parts would normally be preceded by an article, is it correct to leave one article off? Is it correct to use both? Is it a matter of preference? If so, is one way generally preferred over the other?

For instance:

  This book is a help and blessing.

or:

  This book is a help and a blessing.


texts: What do you call an organism that is dying out (failing to evolve successfully)?

texts:
In evolution, a successful organism can be said to have adapted or evolved. What about an organism that is clearly going to die out?

The example I have in mind is a parasite that kills its host.


texts:
Like it or not, . . . (Whether you like it or not)

I've come across this kind of phrase many times, but this is the only one--among no-subject subjunctives--that I can be sure it's common and right to use. So, I want to know how far it is allowed to use no-subject subjunctives and how common it is. By far, I mean, is it okay to use any verbs and any objectives instead of like and it to make such a subjunctive? And how commonly is it used in daily conversations?

My examples of the question one:

(Whether you) Went there or not, it's not my concern.
(Whether you) Be here or not, you should never break the oath.

Are these okay to use?


texts: What is a good synonym for "sounds good"

texts: Is there a good, versatile substitute for "sounds good"? "OK" isn't as positive. "It would be my pleasure" is too positive. "Yes" doesn't quite work. "Okey dokey" is too silly.


texts:
Could you please give advice on whether a comma is needed before the and in the following  sentence?  And if it is, why?

  This autistic dance group has made history at the European
  championships, and now they want to change the way we all see young
  people with autism.


texts: What are the grammatical rules for phrases like "Rome Victorious"?

texts:
Some people seem to use this phrase. The adjective 'Victorious' seems that it is being used as if it is part of the noun.

Would this work in other cases? e.g. "Rome Sacrosanct".

Is it technically correct English?


texts: Is the expanded form of "UTC" ever spelled with an diæresis?

texts:
I've always seen "UTC" expanded as Coordinated Universal Time. In addition, both the Wikipedia and Encyclopædia Britannica entries, as well as pretty much every reference to it I've ever seen that I can remember, spells it as such.

However, I often write diphthongs with diæreses. And, although for most if not all practical purposes I think most people would understand quite clearly what I mean if I write it as Coördinated Universal Time, from a technical standpoint is it the same thing?

After all, Coordinated Universal Time is a proper noun, which means it has a more rigid linguistic identity than common nouns, which can have homonymic alternatives; proper nouns often are less likely to have as such.

Thoughts?


texts: Can a colon be preceded by a conjunction or: Is the title of Dr. Strangelove okay?

texts:
The full name of the movie often called "Dr. Strangelove" is Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.

I find it odd that there is a colon after a conjunction like "or." Is that correct usage in a ordinary sentence (i.e., not a title)? If so, are there other examples?
I understand that this is a movie title and titles aren't subject to the same rules as ordinary sentences. I'm just wondering if this usage is fine in a sentence.


texts: Edited vs emitted - why one t vs two t's

texts: Why does "edited" have one "t" and  and "emitted" has two? "Edit" and "emit" are so similar in spelling and pronunciation.  I keep wanting to type "editted" for some reason.


texts: What are the rules for deviation from the Subject–Verb–Object rule?

texts:
English is taught as a strict Subject–Verb–Object, but I have seen quite a few exceptions to this rule. I noticed that I really enjoy such exceptions; one of my favourite ones is this phrase:

  – Off you go!

  And off she went.

This probably can be understood as "moving a word to the beginning as a way to emphasise". In this case the Subject is right next to the opening word. Other examples of Subject having the second place would be (sorry, no good quotes come to mind in this hour, so I'm half-googling them, half-making these up and so may be making mistakes):

  Usually I didn't wonder at all whether spaghetti could talk.

  Rich as you may be, you can't buy sincere friends.

There're other possibilities, however, with the Verb remaining on the second place:

  Seldom have I read such a good book.

  Foolish were my attempts to contest the rule.

I thought this was just a matter of taste until learning German, in which you can move almost anything at the beginning of the sentence, provided that you always keep the Verb on the second place. Maybe there's a norm after all: what are the rules?


texts: Why is it "Honey Badger don't care!" and not "Honey Badger doesn't care!" ?


texts: Is saying 'who cares' rude or maybe even disrespectful?

texts:
Two people are talking about what tasks should be finished on time, and what tasks should be put off until later. The conversation was like below:

  A: I don't think those tasks are important. We can put it off for a month. Let's focus on the remaining tasks, they are the most important!
  B: Hang on. If we don't finish those tasks, some customers will not be satisfied with our software.
  A: How many users?
  B: Roughly 200 - 300.
  A: 300? Who cares? It is less than 0.001% of all customers we have. Let's focus on 99% and we will deal with those 300 later.

The second situation is about culture — picking your nose.

  A: Why are you picking your nose in public?
  B: I have boogers in my nose.
  A: You should go to a restroom and do whatever you want. It's socially unacceptable.
  B: Who cares?

the third maybe:

    A.'Oh, yesterday the funniest thing happened!'
    B. 'Yeah, what happened?'
    A. 'Ummm, sorry i wasn't talking to you.'
    B. 'Oh well, who cares anyways!'

I think that 'Who cares?' is rude or impolite, as the person who was talking cares about it but the person who is saying this phrase is being disrespectful and maybe is implying she/he was wrong.

Is saying "who cares?" OK or commonly used in everyday conversation?


texts: How and when did the phrasal verb "hit on (someone)" come about?

texts:
Like in..."He was hitting on her"

I couldn't find any info on this.


texts: What does Herman Cain’s “Bull’s-eye” exactly mean? Is it simply “a scorched black hole” or “a hole of bullet rightly hit on the mark”?

texts:
The Washington Post (October 31) carried GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain’s remarks on allegations of his sexual harassement of two former female employees as head of the National Restaurant Association in its “Today’s Quote of The Day.”

In denying the allegations of harassment as “totally baseless and totally false,” he said:

  "This bull’s-eye on my back has gotten bigger. We have no idea the source of this witch hunt, which is really what it is."

I had a hiccup in interpreting the implication of Herman Cain’s “bull’s-eye. Doesn’t “bull's-eye” give, or have a risk to give an impression as if the allegation is on the mark, that is true?

Readers Plus (Japanese publisher’s) English Japanese Dictionary at hand defines “bull’s eye” as:

  n. Center of the mark, crux, decisive one.
  int. That’s right. Exactly.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines is as:

  The center of the target, also central or crucial.

Cambridge Dictionary defines it as:

  The circular center of the object aimed at in games such as darts, or shot that hits this.

All of the above definitions tempt me to interpret “bull’s-eye” as the shot that hits right, or correctly, thus, the allegation is on the mark, exact, and true, which though the candidate should never intend to say.

Therefore it comes back to the captioned question - Does “bull’s-eye” simply mean a hole made by a bullet (or an arrow), without the notion of rightly hit (answer, remark, allegation)?


texts: Are inserts and interjections the same thing?

texts:
I'm reading Biber's Longman Student Grammar of Spoken and Written English.
At some point the author lists families of words, which are: lexical words, function words and inserts.
And then, after the unit devoted to function words he describes a 'special classes of words', among them single-word classes, wh-words, numerals and interjection.
I'm just starting my adventure with studying English grammar thus I'd like to know whether these two notions are one and the same thing.


texts: Word for something that is the last thing that shows that something existed

texts:
What word do I use when I want to say that something is the last thing that shows that something existed?

Exact Scenario: There is a rod that extends from an electric pole, that was once there for trams.


texts: I'm creating a computer program to simulate a snack vending machine. However, I'm having trouble with naming. I have rows and columns of different kinds of products. A singular snack is held in a slot. However, for any given row and column (e.g. B9) there are multiple slots containing many of the same product. What could I name this depth that contains multiple of the same product?


texts:
I am trying to write a sentence in English, even though it is not my native language.  So I would like to know if it is possible to write

  Those are virtual work and fun environments.

in order to comunicate both the following ideas at the same time:

  The first is a virtual work environment, the other is a virtual fun environment.

Do the proposed sentences have meaning in English? Is the first sentence correct?


texts: Why is "hopefully" treated so mercilessly?

texts:
Is the word "hopefully" unjustly treated? We don't like the sentence:

"Hopefully, my ship is just over the horizon and due in real soon now."

But we don't mind saying:

"Happily, the tree fell on that eyesore shed."

"Sadly, the swallows have not returned."

Why is "hopefully" so unwelcome at the adverb party?

ObJoke: From The New Yorker a few years ago, to illustrate proper use of "hopefully:"

Dad (shaving):   Ouch! Damn!
Son:             What's wrong?
Dad:             I cut my chin!
Son (hopefully): Off?


texts:
I already have giant steps / huge strides

in the context of

'Having previously taken tentative, half-hearted baby-steps Sophia began taking -------- towards attaining her life's ambitions'.


texts:
That's what she said is a saying that flips a normal statement into a sexual one. Example:

  "If you blow it too much, it'll explode" [A balloon]
  That's what she said!

How did this phrase come about?


texts:
What is the true antonym of "successive"?

Did the the "true" sound weird?

Well everywhere I looked, I only found subjective antonyms like Broken, Discontinuous, Infrequent, Intermittent, Interrupted, Unconsecutive etc..
But what is the "true" antonym?

For example, if the subjective antonym of "Concentrated" is "Dilute", then the True antonym of "concentrated" is "dispersed". Hope you understand.
Or the True antonym of "Forward" is "Backward" or "moving in reverse"

Likewise, if "successive" was understood as something in relation to "progressive", what is its antonym? Definitely something in the lines of "anti-succession" or likewise.

If it does not in fact exist in the English vocabulary, will I be wrong in the convenient neologism "anti-succession"?

The premise is where I was drafting a question in the Microsoft forum, answers.microsoft.com, in which I wanted to know how to view elements in the clipboard. The elements are supposed to be stacked and displayed in "succession" but I was only seeing the last element (that was stored in succession to the previous element(s) that was strangely extant). So to draft the question I had to address the elements that were lost or not displayed, that were in fact stored previously/opposite to succession.

So what is the true antonym or opposite of succession? Thanks immensely!

well sorry, my bad. well here it is:
I don't just want the programmers at Microsoft to know that, the "previous elements" seem to have dropped out of display (of which I could have just said "the elements prior to the only one displayed are not.. err don't seem to be there). I want to specify that the "order" of elements don't "stretch back" from the one's displayed. Now I hadn't hoped to expect that the Programmers at Microsoft are "linguistic morons". The correct word usage may be essential in their coming with the accurate response ye?
here it is Trevor. Well what I meant was this:
the clipboard programme is supposed to list out all the clipboard elements in order of their employment. so imagine the carriages of a train, starting from the engine (if the engine is the "middle" carriage). there are 5 carriages before/behind the engine and 5 after/in front of the engine. in my case, the problem is not the carriages in front of the engine, but the carriages behind the engine. I want the programmers to know that the carriages behind the engine are not displayed, and not just "displayed", but they are not displayed in the way they should: in order. or the backward order. now is there a word for backward order? "reverse order" could be a solution, but is there a word, an antonym for the forward flow of things, or "succession". there. cheers!

counter-successive sounds perfect thanks indeed Kris. But I still haven't come across the availability of a single word. but thank you all!


texts: To request "signed photographs" vs "signing photographs"

texts:
I was doing a Cambridge English Advanced, Use of English, Part 3 task today, when I came across the following sentence:

  Though fans continued to hound her with requests for SIGN photographs
  seven decades lates, letters went unanswered and requests for
  interviews were seldom granted.

What I had to do is change the word SIGN appropriately.

According to the answer key, the correct formation should be signed. However, couldn't signing work as well? From what I can see in Google Ngram, the former is preferred; however, the latter also exists as a collocation. Therefore, I was wondering if we could go for signing as well, if we were to be a bit flexible with the context.


texts: I love "how" or "that"(?) you take care of the dog

texts:
I love how you take care of the dog.
  I love that you take care of the dog.

Which is correct?

If they're both correct, do they mean the same thing? What's the difference between how and that in sentences like these?


texts: "put an article on the word" is this sentence awkward?

texts:
I'm a Korean student and my high school test went wrong.
I wrote "Samsung is a company's name, so we don't put an article on it". the word 'article' refers to the grammar one.
I was not given a full point because the teacher thought the use of the article 'on' is awkward in the sentence.
Is the use of the article 'on' wrong?


texts:
Which of the following should be used?

"While in office in 2002, Andrew did not intend to touch that issue."
"While in office in 2002, Andrew had no intention of touching that issue."


texts:
How would you punctuate:
Me. That's what I want to share with the community.
or
Me--that's what I want to share with the community.
or
Me; that's what I want to share with the community.


texts: Can you replace the words "such a" before the noun with the words "as such" after the noun?

texts:
For instance:
are these sentences equal in meaning and clarity?

  This isn't the time to delight oneself with such a luxury.

  This isn't the time to delight oneself with a fine luxury as such.


texts: What is considered "best practice" when making a quote memorable?

texts:
So I have this quote I'm working on:

  Information has moved from the tip of the tongue to the tip of the fingers.

There is an alternate version I've made that reads as follows:

  Information has moved from the tip of the tongue to the fingertips.

This quote has to do with how much we now rely on technology for gathering/reciting information.

My question is, which quote makes more sense, and which quote is more memorable? I like the idea of having tip of the tongue align with tip of the fingers but tip of the fingers just doesn't work as well as fingertips. Especially when you think of the internet being the world at your fingertips.


texts: What's the difference between three of cups and three cups?

texts:
Is there a significant difference between two expressions?
Is it okay to use the former in the context like "I found the three of Holy Treasures"?
I've never heard the former in everyday contexts and I'm not sure if it's gramatically right or wrong. Unlike the phrases like three of us, three of them, or three of hearts as in playing cards, it rather sounds unfamiliar to me.
I want to know if it's possible to use the phrase like "three of somethings" and if so how it's different from just "three something."


texts: Term for new or inappropriate phrases that appear when you remove the spaces between words?

texts:
I'm looking for a term, if it exists at all, that describes a new word or phrase that appears when you remove the spaces from a phrase.

Lots of websites have fallen into this trap, for example:

Old Man's Haven —> oldmanshaven.com

Who Represents —> whorepresents.com


texts: And he was off, describing all about the four balls and the positions of the seven players


texts: Is 'this follows from~' grammatically right?

texts:
I have never heard of this expression, 'this follows from~.' Is it grammatically correct? I can't say I rely on the article in Wikipedia.

  SMS language is similar to that used by those sending telegraphs that
  charged by the word. It seeks to use the fewest number of letters to
  produce ultra-concise words and sentiments[2] in dealing with space,
  time and cost constraints of text messaging. This follows from how
  early SMS permitted only 160 characters and some carriers charge
  messages by the number of characters sent.[3]

  It also shares some of these characteristics with Internet slang and
  Telex speak following from how its evolution is rather symbiotic
  to the evolution of use of shorthand in Internet chat rooms.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMS_language


texts:
We are creating an English brochure where we put our slogan, "gan ni makenai shakai wo tsukuru" (がんに負けない社会をつくる）, looking for a most appropriate English expression for ”がんに負けない”. We don't mean coping with cancer is a win-or-lose battle but do want to express more positive attitude of cancer patients and the society.
Any help of advise is most welcome. Thank you.


texts: Does the highlighted sentence use the Subjunctive mood?

texts:
I cannot fathom why were is used in the below highlighted sentence. Why can it be used in this way? I have got suggestions that this sentence is typical of the subjunctive mood to hypothetically discuss what has not existed yet, roughly meaning that if a vaccine for Covid-19 were available now, it would protect those vaccinated from the disease. But is it?

Looking forward to your insights. The following text is an excerpt from the Briefting section of the lastest the Economist issue, just to give you enough context of the sentence in question.

  For a vaccine to get from phase I to phase III trials in just ten months, as rvsv-zebov did, was unheard of at the time—a startling example of what urgency and organisation can do. Now a repeat performance, ideally taken at an even faster tempo, is the sum of the world’s desire. In the middle of April more people are dying of covid-19 every three days than died of Ebola in west Africa over three years. A vaccine would not just save lives; it would change the course of the pandemic in two separate, if related, ways. It would protect those who were vaccinated from getting sick; and by reducing the number of susceptible people it would prevent the virus from spreading, thus also protecting the unvaccinated.


texts: I've never quite got the hang of this one. Money is the object, but what's the difference between for example 'fiscal policy' and 'financial policy', or are they indeed merely synonyms?


texts: What is the word for the small elements that make up an orange segment?

texts:
An orange is made up of segments, but what is the word for the small tear-drop shaped pieces that comprise the segment itself — within each segment membrane?

If you break a segment in half you can see these pieces all stacked together.
This structure and elements are common across all citrus fruits so I would expect there to be a name for them.


texts: How will the new Oxford "Academy of English" appoint its members?

texts:
The new Oxford Academy, announced yesterday, we are told will draw members from around the world. Mirroring the Academie Francaise it expects to become the authoritative guide to spoken and written English within five years.

How exactly will it select its academicians?

Just been announced, it's to be given Royal Academy status, comparable to the Royal Academies of Science, Music, Art, Dramatic Art etc. They will be given the designatory letters RAL -Royal Academy of Letters, for use after their names. (RAE was not available due to possible confusion with the Royal Aircraft Establishment)

So they will be known as Royal Academicians and appointed by the Queen and her successors. But the question remains, how will they be selected?

Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Monash (Australia), and all the Russell Group Universities in Britain are to grant accreditation and recognition of the leading role of Oxford in this venture, in view of the existing status, staff and resources, of the Oxford English Dictionary.

Commentators say the most surprising thing of all is that recognition has been received from Cambridge.


texts: what does "falling into the pit of success" mean?

texts:
I can see its literal meaning, but I don't know its extended meaning. I saw this in the introduction of stackoverflow:

  We believe finding the right answer to your programming questions should be as easy as falling into the pit of success.

Could anyone help me understand?


texts: Is it right to say "It was nice playing with you in the same team" or "It was nice playing together in the same team"?