texts: Name for making the first few words in a chapter small caps?

texts:
What do you call the style of making the first few words of a chapter (or book, article, etc.) uppercase?

Here is an example from J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye:

To clarify, I'm not talking about the capitalized "I", which is a lettrine/versal  (thanks @ChrisH).  It's words immediately following it that I'm asking about.


texts: Someone told me "fair" is the "F" word, they don't like it in their house. Should I avoid using it?

texts:
I used "It's not fair", but someone told me "fair" is the "F" word, and they don't like it in their house. Should I avoid using it?

ps: sorry if my question offended someone, I didn't mean to it.


texts:
Yesterday my boss called our design person on the phone and asked her about designing a /fave-eye-con/. She asked him to repeat it a couple of times, and then finally (after a convoluted explanation about favorites and icons), the lightbulb came on and she said, "Oh! you want a /fav-ee-can/!"

Now, presumably the design person is the one more likely to have encountered the accepted pronunciation of favicon - she gets to actually make the things, while the rest of us only notice them if they're missing. However, /fav-ee-can/ just... doesn't work for me.

Is there any sort of consensus on how this word ought to be pronounced?


texts:
Is this sentence grammatically correct?

  Shall I get us a Chinese for dinner tonight?

I saw this in a book and it looks a bit strange to me. Should there be an article before the word Chinese?

Thank you!


texts:
Quoted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_emoticons, here is an explanation of some emoticons:

  8-)   shades

I was wondering what does "shades" mean here? Does it mean smile?


texts:
I was just watching TV and one of the characters in the show said something like "I don't know what happened there, but it'd've better been good".
Realizing that the deconstruction of that sentence is "it had have better been good" sounds like a tonguestwist, my first impression is that it's incorrect, but if it is, then what construction is actually correct to express the idea of "it would be desirable that it was good"?


texts:
‘Behind us in the caves of the Deep are three parts of the folk of Westfold, old and young, children and women,’ said Gamling. ‘But great store of food, and many beasts and their fodder, have also been gathered there.’

JRR Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Volume 2: “The Two Towers”, Book Three, Chapter VII, “Helm’s Deep”

By three parts, Gamling means “three parts of four”, or “three quarters”. Or, at least, so I assume. Why do I assume that? It’s an assumption built in so deeply that I have no idea where it comes from. Is it a correct assumption? How long has the assumption that everything has four parts (or, rather, that a part means a quarter) been around? And is it still safe to use language that way today?


texts: What's the difference in usage between "annoyed at", "annoyed with", and "annoyed by"?

texts:
When is it appropriate to use annoyed at? Can I say I'm annoyed at you or should it be annoyed with you? What about annoyed by?

I've read somewhere that annoyed with is for people and annoyed at is for the rest but I haven't been able to find a link to a supporting document/textbook.


texts: What is the origin of the word "affine" in the context of mathematics?

texts: I am learning about affine functions and I do not understand why a certain type of functions ( functions that are in the form of f(x)=a*x+b  ) are called affine functions. I read about the word affine and i know it means related by I do not understand how is it related to this type of functions.


texts: What is a person called who likes to use big words to make others think they are superior?

texts:
What is a person called who uses:

Complicated vocabulary when a simple answer would be sufficient?
Uses complex vocabulary to make others think they are highly educated
Is unnecessarily verbose


texts: Proper etiquette for addressing comittee members

texts:
I am writing a formal letter to three committee members, that I would like to address by name. Instinctively, I chose to address them in order of importance/pertinence, but I am also considering ordering them alphabetically.

For anonymity's sake, let's say I'm writing to Drs. Bob (important), Karl (more important) and Whale (less important).

Should my header be ordered by importance...

  Dear Drs. Karl, Bob and Whale,

...or alphabetically?

  Dear Drs. Bob, Karl and Whale,


texts: What are the leaves that are connected to a rose stem called?

texts:
I'm wondering what the leaves that are part of a rose is called. Not the petals, but the little green leafy things that are connected to the stem.

Are they leaves? Blades? Petals? What?


texts: Is ‘Set one’s hair on fire’ a popular English idiom?

texts:
Yesterday’s (September8) New York Times carried an article titled ‘Setting Their Hair on Fire’ which was written by economist, Paul Krugman. It is followed by the following sentence:

“First things first: I was favorably surprised by the new Obama jobs plan, which is significantly bolder and better than I expected. It’s not nearly as bold as the plan I’d want in an ideal world. But if it actually became law, it would probably make a significant dent in unemployment.”

As ‘Set one’s hair on fire’ was unfamiliar expression to me, I searched on Google and found the following post on www.phrases. org:

HAIR ON FIRE - ".That odd phrase - believed to have originated among Navy aviators, intended to convey a sense of hair-raising urgency - quickly became the phrase of the day as this week's hearings began before the commission investigating events that led to 9/11...(Donald) Rumsfeld used it, saying such alarm wasn't uncommon: '...

From the above definition, I understand ‘Set one’s hair on fire’ means ‘a matter of emergency.' Am I right? The expression reminds me of Japanese popular saying, ‘焦眉の急 -urgency of scorching your eyebrows,’ to describe the urgent need.

Since Phrase Finder says ‘it’s odd phrase,’ I wonder how commonly ‘Set one’s hair on fire’ is used. Is it easily understood and widely spoken by both British and Americans today?


texts: A more formal way to say “is a good idea” in a science paper

texts:
I would like to know how to say ¨is a good idea¨ in a formal setting.

After reading your comments, I add some context:
I have quoted a sentence from a soil scientist in a paper that I have submitted to a well-known International Journal.
Sentence:

  Increasing soil organic carbon (SOC) is a good idea in any situation to generate or maintain healthy soils.
  Lehmann, J., 2009. Biological carbon sequestration must and can be a win-win approach. An editorial comment 459–463. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-009-9695-y

A peer reviewer of my manuscript from that International Journal, in his suggested corrections, wrote:

  ‘Please, substitute “is a good idea”. You should use formal English’.


texts: What can I wish a person who recently had a haircut?

texts:
In my native language, we use a phrase that roughly means "get well" if we notice that someone has had a haircut. When I encounter such a situation with a friend living in the UK, I really don't know what to say.

Is there any phrase (or expression) that includes a wish rather than a compliment?


texts: "To dress less attractive/flashy" to not "make yourself stand out as being more important than someone else"

texts:
I'm looking for (phrasal) verbs that describe these two actions.

Imagine in a music concert, if yor're a guest singer that is invited by the main singer, you're usually going to want to dress less attractive/flashy than the main singer because you don't want to stand out as being more important and draw all the attention to yourself. So is there a verb/phrasal verb that describes "to dress less attractive or make yourself look less attractive", and a verb that describes "to make yourself stand out as being more important than someone else" or "make someone else appear less important/worse than yourself"? I.e.

  He is [...] because he doesn't want to [...] the main singer.


texts:
There was an american patient in a Japanese doctor's house. He was cured and treated well. Now, he was recovering. But, the Japanese doctor had been disliking the man, for he was american. On the third day after his operation, the doctor came and saw his patient sitting on bed on his own. He scolded him and told him to lie down. He did it, closed his eyes, turned his face to the wall and said

  "Okay"

Then the author says:

  His mouth a bitter line.

What's the meaning of bitter line? line? Web's empty.

Edit:

I got something: This shows that "line" can be thought of as "an approach", so the patient approaches the doctor in a bitter way. That is, he was hurt, in anger, he was showing hate to the doctor. Could it be ever well?


texts:
Which of the following is correct to say?

  "House prices will be rising as soon as the economic crisis is over"
  "House prices will rise as soon as the economic crisis is over"

Likewise

  "people will go to the shops less often in the future as internet shopping becomes more popular"
  "People will be going to the shops less often in the future as internet shopping becomes more popular"

I would use in both the future simple, but couldn't tell why the continuous tense is incorrect. Perhaps it isn't?


texts: I'm presenting a quick power point showing a venue's revenue stream. I don't want to give specific numbers, so I'm generalizing with numerical abbreviations. Revenue is over a million, but the remaining costs and balances are in the hundreds(or tens) of thousands.  Is it acceptable to convert $1,059,000 million in revenue to $1,060K so that it looks more cohesive with 450K, 600K, and so on?


texts: Correct question form with "supposed to"?

texts:
I am wondering is following question correct:

Is it what was supposed to be done here?

Thanks in advance.


texts:
I've recently come across a phrase unknown to me: "cup and Chaucer". What does it mean?

Obviously it is connected with the popularity and influence of Geoffrey Chaucer as the Father of English literature, and perhaps also with his most known work, The Canterbury Tales.

EDIT: As noted in the comments, there also a appear to be a lot of cafés with the name "Cup & Chaucer", but the context I found this phrase is from the FreeBSD fortune database:

  A man was reading The Canterbury Tales one Saturday morning, when his
  wife asked "What have you got there?" Replied he, "Just my cup and Chaucer."


texts: Is there a word for the second part of a story title after a main character?

texts:
I commonly see the format:

  Main Character(s) and some other important idea

Story titles:

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
The Three Little Pigs and the Somewhat Bad Wolf

Band names:

Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two
Fitz and the Tantrums
Florence and the Machine

And even slight variants:

Sex and the City

Is there a name for this common construction?

Do the two parts have technical names?


texts:
Is there an aural version of a photographic memory?

I have never encountered the term "phonographic memory". And while photographs are still a thing, phonographs are practically dinosaurs. The word itself feels outdated.

I'm actually looking for a term (idiom or phrase) that means "remembers the exact words that were spoken".


texts: "Feeding" data or "entering" data: which one is correct?

texts:
Which is the better verb to use with data: feeding or entering?

Furthermore, which is more common in the
literature of the field and which do people who
work in the field say more often?

Are they used for
different kinds of input systems? If the data are
automatically continuously input by a machine (e.g., the Mars probe), is feeding data used, but if
the data are individually input by someone at a
keyboard (e.g., entering data into a user
database), is entering data used?


texts: When did the alternative meanings of 'beard' start being used?

texts: I read that beard can mean something like "confront someone".. When did a word that means a little facial hair turn into a hostile verb?


texts:
Can one be uninnovative, or un-innovative? I'm looking for a direct antonym of the adjective innovative.

I see an entry at Dictionary.com, but nothing at Merriam Webster (innovative, *uninnovative).


texts:
Can we use not able to instead of not allowed to in the following context/sentence?

Not being able to leave the house (lockdown restrictions) has an upside which is...


texts:
I've been watching the movie "King Arthur", and I heard Arthur asking "Which is X?"

Is it correct to say "Which is Jay?" instead of "Who is Jay?"?


texts:
Is it correct to say "Would you mind to do something?". I've seen this usage in a few places, but it doesn't sound right to me. I would guess that it's proper to use "Would you mind doing something?" instead.

Yet there are other verbs we could substitute here that make it sound correct with "to". For example, "Would you like to do something?" and "Would you care to do something?"

Could someone explain why "mind to" doesn't sound correct in this context, while "like to" and "care to" sound exactly right?


texts:
What is a "symbolic narrative"?

I know a narrative is a story. But what exactly is a symbolic narrative?

Upon Googling, I have found that allegories and myths are symbolic narratives, but no real definition of what constitutes a symbolic narrative itself.

For some context, I have some reading comprehension exam study material and we are given a passage and asked to categorise it as a 1) logical abstraction, 2) personal reflection, 3) symbolic narrative, or 4)philosophical argument. But I can't figure out the exact meaning of symbolic narrative.


texts: Can 'embellishing' be used adjectivally?

texts: Can one use embellishing as an adjective? For example, “He gave an embellishing speech.”


texts: Equivalents for "She's got a lovely singing voice"

texts:
She's got a lovely singing voice.

I'm sure they're a lot of other ways to say someone's singing voice is good. How do you restate the above sentence? I'm looking for any equivalent sentences (Formal/Informal/Slang).


texts: What's the meaning of "to" in "Love you to"?

texts: There's a Beatles song called "Love You To" (not To Love You nor Love You Too). I've never understood this grammar construction and I don't understand what the title actually means. Is it just a poetry resource to say "To Love You"? Or does putting the "to" at the ens of a sentence change its meaning somehow? Maybe is it a way to emphasize? Are there other examples of putting "to" at the end? Thank you.


texts:
"Show your support for the XYZ (Organization name) this season" or "Show your support of XYZ (Organization name) this year"?

I have seen support of and support for both being used.  Is there a rule?

"Show your support of our clients" or "show your support for our clients"? (Support to be used in the context of making a donation)


texts: Can a "who" act as both a pronoun and a conjunction at the same time?

texts:
Example:

  I will sue the person who murdered my neighbour.

In the preceding example, should we treat who as a relative pronoun, a conjunction, or both?


texts: Identify the subject and verb in the sentence

texts:
Please where is the subject and the verb in the following sentence:

  Slavery and the slave trade bulk large in this work.

Is it grammatically correct? And what kind of the word is 'large' in this sentence -- is it an adverb or ...

Thank you


texts: Is it an affixed word? Affixated word? Affixation results in a ______?


texts: Which is correct: "you and I" or "you and me"?

texts:
I was told the correct usage is for example:
"My wife and me" but I hear often "I and my wife" or "my wife and I".
Google gives 34M results for "My wife and I" and 909K results for "My wife and me"
Which is the correct form and why?
It occurred to me that maybe it could depend on the rest of the phrase? (subject or object)

"My wife and I are eating an apple"
"You can see my wife and me in this
picture"


texts: English greeting with religious connotation

texts:
Since the English language has a number of idioms and phrases that involve references to religious figures (e.g., godspeed), I was wondering if
there an English equivalent of the German greeting

  Grüß Gott

which translates roughly as (see also here)

  May God greet you

or any other greeting that originates from a religious context.

Edit: despite its literal meaning, the German Grüß Gott is used quite freely, even if no reference to God is intended.


texts: Is there an idiom for, " Making decision all by yourself without involving or consulting others and expect them to accept it"?

texts:
I know there are some idioms meaning that you do a job alone or sth. But what I'm looking for is the one in which a person is supposed to consult with others before making final decision but he just does it all by himself and think that the others will accept the decision and all is done!

For example: When she realized that he had made all the decisions before asking for her opinion she lost her temper and said, "Hey, you just [THE IDIOM]? Don't you think we should all have a say in this?"


texts: Where do East End / Gangster slang terms for numbers relating to money originate?

texts: Words like 'monkey', 'pony', 'ton' and so on are used by East End villains and Cockneys to denote numbers - ton is one hundred for example. Examples abound in popular culture (The Krays, Only Fools and Horses, Guy Ritchie movies). Where do these terms come from? And how could the words possibly connect to the amounts?


texts: A word for feeling simultaneously anxious & calm

texts:
I'm searching for a word that means feeling both scared and relaxed at the same time. The reason why is because I'm looking for music that evokes particular emotions I can't describe.
Here are some examples:

C418 - Chirp (SLOWED) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOrsad_cXOQ

Nichijou OST - Helvetica Standard Sono 3 -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YBTCkJrerM

Small Shock (SLOWED) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqWixE_2_CE

Tonight You Belong To Me (SLOWED) -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hl1FBIIb03s&list=PL7l59LvQNSCrShhnDn5OQ83onhID5wWZl&index=6

Instupendo - Six Forty Seven - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHlcmmkiwbU&list=PL7l59LvQNSCrShhnDn5OQ83onhID5wWZl&index=3

All of these songs evoke the same emotions that are too tricky for me to pin point. But I do know they are all relaxing yet unnerving in their own unique way.


texts: What's the best way to describe someone you do not know

texts:
I am currently writing a University report disucssing a project I worked on. The project consisted of 7 people, including myself. The other 6 team members were essentially strangers, although I had seen them before, and in some cases, had a very brief exchange of a few words.

In the report I am very keen to avoid the term stranger, as I do not think it works in the context of the report, but I need another term to describe them. This is my current sentence:

  In second year, I was placed in a team of six other students, of which
  I had never interacted with.

I would like to reformat the sentence into something along the lines of:

  In second year, I was placed in a team of six strangers.

Any ideas a word that would be better suited?


texts: How Can I Describe the Realization of a Passion?

texts:
What is the best way to convey a moment of realization/clarity or an epiphany? I am writing a college essay and I want to describe the moment I realized that my passion is math. I am essentially detailing how anxious I was when socializing and presenting to the class. However, at the moment I am describing, I am teaching my classmates how to solve a two-step math equation and my heart isn't racing, my hands are barely trembling, and my voice is calm and unhurried. I then go on to describe how at some time in the future I realize that math and science is my passion in life.
I do not want to say "I discovered my passion was within the world of numbers and science"... I want to describe the feelings and thoughts I felt at the moment I discovered my purpose in life. I want to let the reader see and feel for themselves that what I am describing is my moment of realization. I wouldn't mind describing the moment in a metaphorical way but, again, I do not know how to not be cliche. How can I best do this in the least cliche way possible? Thank you!
EDIT: I want to talk about how the next day I reflected on the relief I felt when I finally did not experience overwhelming anxiety when presenting to my peers. I felt a lightness on my shoulders and I looked forward to math class the next day.


texts:
I find it a very curious thing that the phrase "hell of a" seems to be suitable to describe both good and bad things.

e.g.

  It was a great party. We had a hell of a time.

vs

  We sold the house eventually. But we had a hell of a time.

I certainly hear it more commonly used as in the first instance, but I imagine that this is a regional thing. But I wonder which sense came first. What is the etymology of the phrase?

And, with this in mind, how should I interpret a sentence with very little context?

e.g.

  We had a hell of a time when we visited my parents over Christmas.


texts: Words similar to "undervalue(verb)" or "underestimate"

texts:
I'm looking for a word that means something like "to think of as less important" such as in the following sentence:

  Theory is more important than practice; of course, this is not to completely 'word' the value of practice.

So far I found "belittle", "depreciate" and "discredit", but they don't work in the previous sentence. I'm looking for a word that is not too hard as in "vilify". Something that means "think of as less important" or "think of as insignificant".


texts: What's the word for someone who avoids answering a question with their opinion instead?

texts:
For example -

Questioner: What do I need to know about the system of emigrating to New Zealand? I hate the weather here...

Answer: Moving to New Zealand because you hate the weather isn't a good reason to emigrate...[continue to express their opinions on your decision].

Instead of addressing the question, the answering individual decides to express an unsolicited opinion on the decision or motivations for the person asking for advice about a particular action. The questioner didn't ask his opinion about the reason why he is emigrating, but more so 'how' to emigrate.

This type of behaviour tends to be very commonplace in both the real world and in online forums.


texts: I want to say that a technique is still in its early stages. Is it correct to say that such a technique is "immature"? Or is it bad practice to use "immature" in relation to nonliving objects/things?


texts: is the phrase "leave all worries" correct?

texts:
Is the phrase "leave all worries" right ? Or should it always be "No worries"

when saying to someone who is disappointed with something ?


texts: Is “treat somebody pretty ugly” a common and colloquial English phrase?

texts:
There was the following line in a New York Times article (September 17), titled “Rick Perry, Uber Texan”:

  “Then he was off to talk some more about economic growth in Texas. And lambastes the chairman of the Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke, by saying that he would be treated “pretty ugly” in Texas. Some aides seemed surprised to find this was not regarded as presidential language, since Perry says that kind of thing in Texas all the time.”

I don’t know the idiom, “treat somebody ugly.” Although I guess it means something like beat up (in Texas), or socking a person (Ben Bernanke) on the jaw, what is it in plain English?

Is “Treat somebody ugly” a common and colloquial English phrase that I can use in day-to-day conversation? I’m asking this because the author (Gail Collins) brackets the word “pretty ugly,” in her article, and Perry’s aides were surprised to find the phrase wasn’t regarded as presidential language outside Texas, which suggests the phrase isn't a national currency.


texts: How should I use quotation marks in sections of multiline dialogue?

texts:
If I want to introduce a “pause” between lines of dialogue from the same person by inserting a spacing line, how should I use the quotation marks correctly to indicate continued dialogue? I really don’t want to write it in a gossipy “he said, she said” way!

I have noticed that closing quotations aren’t always placed on the end of a line.

What are the rules?


texts:
Would you place a comma in the following sentence ?

"If you wish to confirm, please send us a deposit".

Thanks.


texts: What are the implications of "at my disposal"

texts:
I found myself using the phrase "[something] is at my disposal" as a way of indicating that a particular resource is available for my use.

My question arises from the word disposal. It seems to imply that the resource is gone once it is used. As in, "I disposed of the trash".

Another use would be, "He was going to help me, but was already disposed". In that case, it seems to mean "otherwise occupied" or "not currently usable".
@mfe pointed out that this usage was incorrect.

So I can say, "The tool is at my disposal". This naturally seems to mean that while I am using it, others probably can not.

If I say, "The firewood is at my disposal". It would mean that I am able to permanently deplete the firewood by using it.

So the question is, if I'm referring to a resource that can not be used up and a particular use of it does not prevent furtherer use (such as a concept in the mind), is it correct to say that it is "at my disposal" simply because I am able to use it?

Its also possible that I'm confusing similar terms. Can anyone help me straighten this out.


texts: To my surprise, there's a missing question about this particularly interesting verb, dare. All I know about it is the fact it can be in two forms, as an auxiliary (without to: "I dare not mention their names") and main (with to: "Did anyone dare to admit it?") verb and the difference has something to do with agreeing with subject. Can somebody explain in a greater detail?


texts: "Half-Blooded Prince" vs "Half-Blood Prince"

texts:
We all know there is the novel called "Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince"

"half-blood" is compound adjective modifying Prince.

But, what is difference when we use "half-blooded Prince" instead of "half-blood Prince"? Are they the same?

I hope to receive your advice. Many thanks in advance.


texts: What is a term describing "contrarian" but "neutral"

texts:
The word 'contrarian' means taking the position of minority or against the popular version. In some questions (or in their answers rather), this word is also described as attempting to appear intelligent or refined by taking an unpopular opinion?

I am looking for a word, if exists, a 'contrarian' who isn't contradicting an opinion (possibly popular) for the sake of opposition but for bringing things in perspective by being objectively neutral in position.

Can someone suggest such a word?


texts: In/on prepositions when referring to a front or back-end (computing)

texts:
When writing about computing, should I refer to a component in the front-end or on the front-end? For example:

  It was decided to place the function in the front-end

Or should it be

  It was decided to place the function on the front-end

Is it the same preposition for the back-end?

I will appreciate any help with this, as grammar-checking websites consider both sentences correct, and I see many instances of both in and on the front/back-end on books.google.com/ngrams.


texts: why do we use 'prepared' in a sentence like this

texts:
The sentence below says something that's yet to happen, but the word prepared is in the past tense. Any suggestions on what to read to understand this will highly be appreciated. Thank you.

  Always be prepared for the unexpected

I also heard someone in a movie say: "She be presented on her birthday"


texts:
The following is from the NYTimes.

  "What has been especially galling to me has been the cynicism surrounding the efforts to get the toll increases. First, the Port Authority said that unless it could increase the tolls, it would have to “slow or stop” the construction of 1 World Trade Center. Though this scenario was highly unlikely, it got the construction unions duly aroused, as it was intended to do. They began calling in favors among the politicians."

I've looked up the definition of cynicism, but could someone explain the definition in this context?


texts: The phrase: "Find out more information about it at . . . "

texts:
I hear this on local radio in northwestern Pennsylvania.

"You can find out more information about it at ..."

This grates on me a bit.  I expect "Find out more at . . . "  or "Find more information about it at. . . "

The phase I often hear seems to be a strange combination of the two I find acceptable.

Am I wrong in thinking that this is unusual if not incorrect usage?
Is it a regional dialect thing of is it widespread?


texts:
What is an appropriate answer to the phrase "till later"?

In my case I think I could not answer "See you", because it is a chat, so we are going to chat without using the camera.

So the only answer I could think of is "Bye", which seems to be a little bit cold.


texts:
It seems there is a relatively recent trend of using expression "〈verb〉 off of":

https://www.google.com/search?q=%22*+off+of%22
https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=off+of&year_start=1800&year_end=2000&corpus=15&smoothing=3

Is this really a new trend or my illusion (English is my second language)?
Is there some explanation of the two peaks in the Google n-gram popularity plot?

UPDATE: Typo in the first URL corrected.


texts: Does the word, ‘decorator’ have a special meaning other than a person who designs (or paints) the interior and exterior of houses?

texts:
I was intrigued to find the former President Nixon’s gaffe, “San Francisco is full of ‘fags’ and ‘decorators’” in an old article of Time (June 9, 2010) titled “A brief history of political profanity.”

It appears in the following statement:

  “Richard Nixon holds the unofficial record for being the most openly
  profane U.S. President. - - In a taped 1971 conversation between the
  President and two of his sides, Nixon called Mexicans “dishonest, “
  said that blacks lived “like a bunch of dogs” and that San Francisco
  was full of “fags” and “decorators.” And that was just one
  conversation.”

I’m curious to know why “fags” and “decorator” are placed in a pair and in parenthesis.

CED defines ‘decorator’ simply as “a person whose job is to paint the inside or outside of buildings and to do other related work. OED defines it as ‘Am Eng. a person whose job is to design interior of houses by choosing colors, carpet and furnishing. There’s nothing profane or derogative with the definitions of this word.

Does “decorator” have a special meaning other than the above definitions?

I’m interested to know how someone would respond to President Nixon’s usage of the word, ‘decorator’ in his comment, if he or she happened to be a decorator.


texts: The difference between 'to reverberate' , 'to resonate' and 'to resound'

texts:
In my book, I came across this sentence:

  "The revolution of 1848 reverberated throughout Europe, resulting in a
  series of revolutions, most powerfully in..."

Because the subject is the history of 19th century in Europe, many revolutions and ideologies was born and affected other countries beside the country they were born in.When I read it,  the book uses different verbs to explain to this spreading of ideas. For example ; to echo, to resonate, to spread, to resound and last but not least to reverberate.

I'd  like to know only for this sense in the context of the sentence, what would be change if we replaced  to reverberate with other verbs  in the original sentence in terms of meaning its convey. Did the writer just try to use different words or there are subtle difference in terms of effect .

"The revolution of 1848 resonated  throughout Europe, resulting in a series of revolutions, most powerfully in..."

"The revolution of 1848 echoed throughout Europe, resulting in a series of revolutions, most powerfully in..."

"The revolution of 1848 spread throughout Europe, resulting in a series of revolutions, most powerfully in..."

"The revolution of 1848 resounded throughout Europe, resulting in a series of revolutions, most powerfully in..."


texts: I'm confused about the word "against" in such sentence

texts:
This sentence extract from Spring document which is a developing framework of program language JAVA.

  However, once the call has finally reached the target object, the
  SimplePojo reference in this case, any method calls that it may make
  on itself, such as this.bar() or this.foo(), are going to be invoked
  against the this reference, and not the proxy.

The translation software trans the meaning as "don't use proxy, but use this (this is a program term)". but the word against in my thought is used for indicate opposite, I don't understand.

And why there is an and after the comma to lead the last sentence? this should be a transition if the translation software is right, why not but?


texts:
We have a system in the app we are building whereby admin users can be invited to events and they, in turn, can invite users under their control to the same event. If that's allowed for any particular event we say that an event is "relayable" but we're not convinced thats either a real word or indeed a good word for the job.

What's an alternative word for this idea?


texts: Can the preposition "in" be used instead of "for" in the following sentence?

texts:
English grammar books say that when you express a period of time in present perfect, the prepostions such as "for" or "since" should be used.
Example sentences:

I have lived here for 20 years.
I want to do something I haven't done for years.
I have studied French for three years.

Can I use "in" instead of "for" in these sentences? Are they interchangeable?


texts: Is the phrase “Corporate Daddy” getting currency, or is it just a one-off coinage?

texts:
I was attracted to the word of the headline, “The Corporate Daddy: Wal-Mart, Starbucks, and the fight against inequality” of an article in New York Times (June 19), which was written by Timothy Egan, New York Times' co-editor.

The article deals with Starbucks and Wal-Mart’s new labor incentive programs, in which Starbucks announced a company plan to reimburse the cost of college tuition for employees, and Wal-Mart known for its low labor wage, pledged to spend $50 million over three years to offset some of the cost for any employees who enrolled in a for-profit, online university in 2010.

Timothy Egan summarizes such efforts and roles of big companies for assisting their employees in advancing educational career levels in the word, “Corporate Daddy.”

Is “Corporate Daddy” easily understood by English speaking people in absence of the context? Is it gaining currency? Or is it just a one-off coinage?

If “Corporate daddy” applies to educational assistance of big business to their employees, can “Corporate mamma” be applicable to the companies who offer nursery assistance such as provision of in-house nursery facilities and services to their employees?


texts:
What preposition usually follows the verb "training"? Given a particular piece of software on which the staff is going to receive training in the boardroom, should one use "training on", "training about", or some other preposition? Or to use an example:

There will be a session for staff training about [Software title].
There will be a session for staff training on [Software title].


texts: When exactly are we looking back at the past from future. Is it at the start of the due time or at the end of the due time?

texts:
My question is simple and specific. Please look at the following
What is the difference between

I will submit the report by 5 pm tomorrow.

I will have submitted the report by 5 pm tomorrow.

If they are not the same, then please tell me what the difference is between them.
If they both are one and the same and the difference is one of POV, then please look at following.
When I say, I will have submitted the report by 5 pm tomorrow. My question is what time am I referring to? Is it at 5 pm tomorrow or starting from 5:01 pm and not before. I mean this also includes the possibility of me submitting the report at 5 pm also? Am I right?
And also, when I say

I will submit the report by 5 pm tomorrow.
(Looking from now)

I will have submitted the report by 5 pm.
(Looking from 5:00 pm or 5:01 pm? I think after 5:00 pm because according to you by 5 pm includes either 'before' or 'at')

Do the two sentences have the same meaning? Is the difference based on POV? If not, then please tell me what the difference is between them.
This has been confusing me for almost two days now. I have spent almost two days on this and still I am clueless about this.
Thank you so so much.


texts: Using commas in cases of "extreme contrast" (commas in compound predicates with "but")

texts:
It seems to me that many, including myself recently, are applying this "extreme contrast" rule to the wrong cases (see #2; purdue.edu).

Specifically, I mean...you can't put a single comma between the two verbs of a compound predicate just because the second one follows "but" and seems 'extremely contrasty' (more than "but" can handle alone?), can you? That's comma abuse according to the source linked above (see  #13).

Basically, I was taught rules like the ones found in these links (writingcenter.unc;
grammarly.com).

But I thought they might be outdated, so I started abusing commas, I think, like in a recent comment I made:

  That's what I was thinking, but couldn't articulate--the "or" being inclusive...

That doesn't seem correct to me (most of the time), and this is definitely wrong, I think:

  I tried, but couldn't do it.

But, for whatever reason, I have no problem at all with this:

  I tried and tried, but couldn't.

Clearly, I'm confused about it now (i.e., what's modern vs. what's just wrong). I couldn't find a similar context (concerning rule #13) in the 40+ questions on this site (concerning a comma before "but"), so thanks in advance if you can help with this. Good evening.


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  When “etc.” is at the end of a phrase, do you place a period after it?

What is the proper way to end a sentence with "etc."?  Should there be two periods or just one?


texts: Difference between "he said something" and "he mentioned something"

texts:
(a) What is the difference between he said something and he mentioned something? Can they be used interchangeably?

(b) Is it proper to respond to Did I tell you X? with Yes, you mentioned it?


texts: should articles be used after conjunction?

texts:
Which one is correct?

He is an amateur and/or/but a hobbyist photographer.

or

He is an amateur and/or/but hobbyist photographer.

I'm asking this as different articles are used before amateur and hobbyist.

Does it depend on the conjunction?


texts: What's a better word for "part" in this sentence?

texts:
The new technology divided the world - or at least the part that could pay - in two: those who [blah blah blah] and those who [blah blah blah].

I would use "or at least those who could pay" but I refer to people using the word "those" in the second part of the sentence, so it would seem repetitive. But I don't think "part" is quite right - or is it just me?


texts: What does "wait for the laughter to die down" mean? and when we can use it? is it an idiom or a slang? Please provide me with an example.


texts: Word request for 'visual style guide' / 'visual nomenclature' / 'visual system'

texts:
What do you call a system of what visual items mean? Visual items include symbols but also line thickness, color, etc. It could be used for either production or consumption of a designed piece.

For example, you are designing a book and you want a consistent use of typefaces and lines throughout the book. A certain font always means an explanation, another means citation; a certain line always means movement, another means causation. This is standard practice but I can't think of the word.

The word could refer to a physical rulebook of sorts, or just to the visual system even if its never written out anywhere.

  "I developed a ____ for the website so that all the designers would make a consistent product and so that readers would easily understand what everything means."

Possibilites

Visual style guide works a) I believe a better word exists that I am forgetting and b) it seems to refer more to a rule book than to a system.
Visual system is too vague.
Visual nomenclature is perhaps the closest by way of analogy. Is there anything that wouldn't require visual in front? Also, nomenclature might not make sufficient reference to an internal logic.


texts:
' I went to place that I wanted to go to'

I've just read the sentence above from some test papers, and it looked really awkward.

I've already heard "I went to the place where I wanted to go" sounds more natural.

by the way, it was a test,
and it was the case like I must use a relative pronoun 'that',
Could I say "I went to the place that I want to go"  instead of saying " I went to the place that I want to go to"  just without 'to'?

If it's possible to say like that(saying without to), please let me know how grammatically it works


texts: "Two and two makes four" vs. "two and two make four"

texts:
Two and two makes four.
  Two and two make four.

Which is grammatical? Please provide your reasoning.


texts: Under what circumstances may the noun 'ambush' not be preceded by any article?

texts:
In particular, I wish to know if they were attacked from ambush and they were attacked from an ambush are equally in fashion. The articled form is is definitely more familiar, but look at the first definition in https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/waylay .
Might one say that the unarticled usage is passé ? Please cite current usage examples if you can.


texts: difference between "help to live longer" and "help live longer"

texts:
Is there any differnce in the meanings and/or nuances between the following two sentences?

Exercise helps to live longer.
Exercise helps live longer.


texts: An adjective for a film or book with very long dialogues

texts:
Is there a word to describe a film (or book) that features very long dialogues and most of its scenes or passages revolve around dialogues? I came up with the word "dialogue-y" but that obviously doesn't exist. Ideally, the best answer would be a single word, but a phrase or expression will do too.

Thank you very much


texts:
I've heard sentences such as "I, too, did something," in which I would have used "I also did it," or "I did it as well," or "I did it, too." In school I've been taught I have to put 'as well' and 'too' at the end of a sentence and 'also' after the subject.
Was I taught correctly or do those rules apply only on a case-by-case basis? (I don't mean 'me too,' which isn't wrong, but informal).


texts:
I asked the following question:

Do all English language schools in your city believe that all people can learn English if they want to?

He replied:

I think so.

What does that phrase "I think so" mean? How is it different from the answer "Yes"?


texts: What is a adjective that can describe a person who thrives on and seeks negative emotions?

texts:
For example, in Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, Miss Havisham is actually proud of having a "broken" heart.

Example:

  She was very ____; she placed objects around her house reminding her
  of her recent breakup.


texts: What does "punchout" mean in e-commerce?

texts: I am doing e-commerce website development. Somebody often talks about Punchout Orders. But I have no idea about it.


texts:
i have question. I would like to ask my friend something, he is on holiday.

First sentence: Do you have any interesting activities there? - or should i use have you got?

Second: Have you ever got letter from this country?

Are theese sentences correct?


texts: Word for "dark" with positive connotation

texts:
What word in English would convey a lack of light in a positive manner?

I am specifically wondering what the Empire would have called "the dark side of the Force" if the Star Wars story were told from the point of view of the Empire and not the rebels. The English translation* of the phrase which describes the Empires' associates use of the force has obvious negative connotations. As presented to us from the rebel's point of view, even Darth Vader calls the his use of the force "dark", so it is reasonable to assume that either the same term is used by both sides, or similar terms are.

The closest that I could come up with would be "shrouded" or "mysterious" but I cannot imagine Vader having said "come to the shrouded side of the Force". What would have been the likely English translation had the Empire been the one to bring to us the story?

*English most likely did not exist a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.


texts:
What is the difference between a catch and a handle? Ain't they the same thing?

But here it said they got no handle but a catch:

  It was very dark and dusty and
  draughty and they stepped from rafter
  to rafter without a word except when
  they whispered to one another, "We're
  opposite your attic now" or "this must
  be halfway through our house". And
  neither of them stumbled and the
  candles didn't go out, and at last
  they came where they could see a
  little door in the brick wall on their
  right. There was no bolt or handle on
  this side of it, of course, for the
  door had been made for getting in, not
  for getting out; but there was a catch
  (as there often is on the inside of a
  cupboard door) which they felt sure
  they would be able to turn.


texts: What is the name of the stylistic device where you begin and end a text with the same metaphor?

texts:
There is a stylistic device where you begin and end a text with the same metaphor. I'm sorry I don't have a "real-world" example in English, but I'll try to describe what I mean.

Let's say there's an article on software development. The article begins by likening the development process it to the construction of a car. Then it goes on talking about software, and in the last phrase it goes back to the car metaphor, achieving a "closure" effect.

Is there a proper name for this?


texts: "A" or "an" in front of a number that can be read in two ways

texts:
Consider the following sentence.

We are selling ___ 1,800 sq ft office.

I would write an, because I say eighteen hundred.
But someone else would say a, because they say one thousand eight hundred.

For 2,000 it's easier, because it's always two thousand.

For 2,100 it can again be twenty one hundred, or two thousand one hundred.

So what is grammatically correct, what do I write so that I don't confuse my readers?


texts: Which one is correct? Or are they both correct? If so, please explain why

texts:
Devin passed him, his shoulder skidding across the side of the smaller boy's head.

Devin passed him, and his shoulder skidded across the side of the smaller boy's head.


texts: Name for the difficulty of finding information you have no knowledge of

texts:
Example 1: Anecdote (couldn't find reference online) Designers of astronaut suits struggled with knee/elbow joints... until someone ELSE told them of the armor of (I think) Henry VIII.

Example 2: An irrigation system fails because the designer had not known about phenomena (and thus their countermeasures, already in use elsewhere) that occur in those specific circumstances (geological, or wildlife, etc).

Example 3: [edit: removed, misleading]

Example 4: Searching for inexpensive but hard containers for microsculpture tools / works-in-progress, spending months rejecting tool boxes and solutions for modellers and hobbyist jewelry makers, finally settling for a DIY solution... and years later learning of the very low wholesale price of single-use medical equipment like PP vials, especially Eppendorfs

Example 5: Product designers trying to avoid infringing on patents: must first find anything potentially related before addressing it.
5.a) Being sued because the patent infringed on was on an algorithm used in a totally different branch of industry

Example 6: The intention behind an "Is there anything else I should know about" question

Example 7: Trying to find out whether "an" is the correct artcle to use before the quoted part in Example 6, without knowing the name of the grammatical role that part plays, whether it is an exception, etc - reducing the effort to browsing in hopes of finding a similar enough example

Example 8: Spending 60 hours searching for the official name of this phenomenon, asking around, reading Wikipedia (starting from "logic", "information", "knowledge", "paradox", ...), judging it salient enough to be named - though just maybe not, and how am I to know?

[edit]
The emphasis is NOT on unpredictability, but on information/knowledge already extant, known to someone, somewhere, being very difficult (short of chance or external input) to find because you can't know the questions to ask without already having some knowledge of the answer.


texts: Why must 'galore' be used postpositively?

texts:
Just a short while ago, I discovered that the English adjective 'galore', as Merriam-Webster reads, must be used postpositively — e.g., 'bargains galore'.

Thus, my question is, what is the reason why, differently from all? other adjectives, 'galore' must be used postpositively?


texts:
I have heard expressions like "It was yay big" or "It was yay by yay." a couple of times now, always accompanied by a gesture indicating the size of something. Does anybody know where this word comes from? Can it be used in other situations? Is it older or newer than the word that?
If it's of any help it is frequent in the UK.

Edit: I obviously tried searching for it myself but my results seem to be dominated by the word yay as an expression of joy. I assume the two are completely unrelated.


texts: Single word to use instead of "can't" or "won't"

texts:
I'm looking for a single word to use instead of can't or won't.

(Single also meaning no hyphenation or conjunctions/contractions. The differences between the words in regard to being unable to vs. being unwilling to can be ignored)

Edit: Some background into this question, when writing Unit Tests in C# I have found it very easy to misread method names that differ solely based on Can vs Cannot. Since many times a unit test will exist with both the pro and contra side. Contractions aren't acceptable for the fact ' is not an allowed character in a method name.


texts: Apsotrophe for plural possessive noun. E.g. Company Name

texts:
Consider the following exemplary company names:

  Texas Coffee Grounders
  Mighty Chicken Wings
  Super Pooper Scoopers

Should one reference the possessive form of any of the above company names, where should the apostrophe be placed?

E.g.

  Texas Coffee Grounders's head office is based in Houston.

...or...

  Texas Coffee Grounders' head office is based in Houston.


texts:
A two-year program is one that lasts for two years. Say, Sally’s in year 1 and she’s starting the program. In year 2, she will end the program. That’s not what I’m looking for.

I want an adjective to describe a program that will be offered to Sally, who’s in year 1, and at the same time, to Jack, who’s currently in year 2. It’s a program that will happen only once.

I’m doing some world-building and designing an academic program that’s offered to two years/grades concurrently. How would I describe such a program?

  A ________ program.


texts: How does one mention “first class honors” and GPA correctly on a résumé?

texts:
On my résumé, I have the following:

  -----Bachelor of ABC, Institute of XYZ, Country-----

    "first class honors" and GPA

I can't construct this line in a way that sounds completely correct. Which of the following is the right way?

Graduated with First Class Honors and a GPA of X.
Graduated First Class Honors with a GPA of X.
Graduated with First Class Honors with a GPA of X.
...

Also, should it be capitalized first-class, First-class, or First Class?


texts:
For example,

  I like chocolate, vanilla, and lemon and orange ice cream.

Indicating "lemon and orange" is a combined flavor, as an item in the list needing an initial and.


texts: "All who can understand..." or "All whom can understand..."?

texts:
I understand the concept of using the he/him rule for who/whom (he = who, him = whom), but I am not sure about how to go about the following sentence for an art project:

  All who can understand and accept that are welcome.

or

  All whom can understand and accept that are welcome.


texts:
Is it always necessary to use a falling tone in referring expressions?

I know that it is sometimes used but do native speaker sometimes ignore it?


texts: Endebted v. indebted: is there a difference in meaning?

texts:
I was recently told by a senior academic that I ought to replace the word indebted with endebted in an essay during which I suggest one text alludes to another.

I have searched the web (no help) and looked in 1991's Compact OED (the entry for endebt directs readers to  indebt).


texts: A possibly modern derogatory term for housewife

texts:
I need a derogatory term for housewife. I couldn't find any in online dictionaries and I'm not sure I have ever heard of any in any language I'm familiar with.
But I'm thinking there must be something with modern connotations, in the sense that it is used for someone who prefers motherhood over a career or freedom of choice.
What I want to say is tied to the way I wrote the character. After the failed marriage, she battles depression, she bounces back and starts a career in science. She sees her previous choice of being a homemaker as stupid and the career empowers her. Being a housewife feels like a prison, hence the "freedom of choice" bit.


texts: Word for a message that most people find plain but a smaller group see as supportive

texts:
I feel like there's an idiom for this, such as if someone makes a comment that might seem innocuous at face value so you dismiss it, but another group of people who are more extreme might see as a sign that the person is on their side.

Something like "Well, some people, criminals, who are coming into this country don't belong here." Where a racist or a white nationalist might think "He supports our vision of the pure race," but the rest of us would think "Yeah, I don't want criminals coming into our country".

I feel like it's similar to "false flag" or something, but I can't remember quite the right word.

An example sentence, in response to a statement by someone else to call them out on their ____-ing:

  What you're doing here is saying "This is Mexico's fault" but that's a ____ for people who don't think Mexicans belong here.


texts:
Should i write

  Bachelor of Engineering from [Place]

or

  Bachelor of Engineering in [Place]

Seems both sound right to me, or might be i am not good in my English language usage.


texts: "hypothetically speaking" vs "theoretically speaking"

texts: What is the difference between the phrases "hypothetically speaking" and "theoretically speaking"? If one wants to make a point using an example that would likely never happen, which phrase would be more appropriate?


texts: Not using 'like' for similes --- where does this come from?

texts:
I just got back some feedback on a piece of work of mine from a proofreader. One of his comments is that I use like in similes a lot, and I shouldn't do that --- I should be using as if instead; he says that like most accurately means is similar to. For example, in this phrase I used:

  It accelerated away like a bullet down the barrel of a gun.

I've never come across this before. I know that my proofreader speaks fairly old-fashioned British English, and I speak fairly modern British English, and as far as I'm aware, like is perfectly acceptable here. But I'm not aware that it was ever not acceptable (in relatively recent times).

Can anyone find my a reference for what he's talking about here? Some basic searching doesn't come up with anything, but like is practically ungoogleable.


texts:
I find that I have a sort of "personal dictionary" of words that I  like to use. I use "salient" a lot. I use "hence", "perhaps", "incapable", "fortuitous" frequently. I store a sort of "cache" of words - both common and uncommon - that I use regularly as a part of how I speak.

I figure this is the case for everybody - certain friends use some words more than others in regular communication, etc. I'm sure you have your own set of words that you tend to "fall back" on.

So the question is - what is the name for this cache? What is the word or phrase for "collection of words or phrases a person commonly uses to communicate"?


texts: what is the meaning of "co-indexed" in English?

texts:
I know that English people use "co-" prefix to show something is "joint" or "jointly Verb" with something else . But I encountered a key sentence in a article and I cannot understand it well:

  "we use this classification method to represent images' attributes,
  and co-indexed images into a new file according to their
  characteristics"

what the "co-indexed" means in this sentence?
An image is jointly indexed with what? I think it should be something like this

  X is co-indexed with Y

does it mean that every pair of images is jointly indexed?

The phrase is not a technical one.


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  “Does it make sense?” or “Do you understand me?”?

"Do you get me?", "Do you get my point?", etc?

What is the courteous alternative of "Do you understand what I say?"?


texts: Term for either the Earth's Moon or Sun?

texts:
Is there a term (compound word or phrase would be acceptable)  one could use to refer to either the Moon or the Sun depending on the time of day? Other than the big shiny thing in the sky.

I'd use it in a sentence like: "The Sun/Moon is green because..."

The Sun is a star and the Moon Earth's satellite so I can't say planet or star. They both emit strong light toward the Earth so maybe there's something about that.


texts: Aren't adverbs related to the closest word? What about other modifiers?

texts:
Aren't adverbs related to the closest word?
Does nightly in nightly business report refer to business?

Update:
I am still confused.
Is relation of non-adverb modifiers different from that of adjective?
In First Certificate Language Practice by Michael Vince  the "first" is related to the nearest modified word (without dephis application)

I am not interested in specific case of "Nightly Business Reports" (only), I'd like to understand a rule/pattern with possible exceptions in order to reuse it in my writing.


texts:
Can the word "dabble" be used in a positive sense?

As in,

  A true "master of all trades", he has
  dabbled in several fields &
  contributed to numerous scientific
  advances.


texts: What words are commonly mispronounced by literate people who read them before they heard them?

texts:
Quite a few words are mispronounced by under-educated people, or people learning English as a second language. Some words are often mispronounced by quite educated people who read, and began reading high-level literature before they heard the vocabulary spoken.

This can lead to a vocabulary dissonance, occasionally leading to the belief that there are two words (the known spelling of one, and the verbal hearing of the same) where only one exists. Epitome is a common example that springs to mind.

Answer with a word and its proper pronunciation (and potentially, the commonly mistaken punctuation).


texts: Someone sociable who prefers a quiet environment when outside

texts:
Someone I know who is fairly sociable, prefers unbusy (i.e no crowds) environments  when they're outside.

They prefer to go, say shopping, in the late hours in order to avoid other shoppers. Or they prefer commuting in empty streets. And they act on their preference and do the above.

Is there a word/phrase to describe such a person?


texts:
E.g:

I can't trust the likes of these politicians.

I can't trust these politicians and their ilk.

Why is it incorrect to say *like instead of likes  or *ilks instead of ilk?

Also, does like derive from ilk?


texts: Shortening a frequently used phrase in a paper

texts: What is the correct term for referring to something as X throughout the remainder of a paper/article? For instance, I'm writing a mock memorandum to a client in a tax class I'm taking and I would like to refer to the phrase "our meeting that took place on 10/10/14" as "Our Meeting". Is there a certain format that needs to be followed for it to be done correctly?


texts: What is the meaning of "Set us up the [noun]"?

texts:
Why would someone frequently say "Someone set us up the (thing)" when referring to things done to or for them.

For example:

"Someone set us up the breakfast."

"Someone set us up the game."

"Someone set us up the fail."

Is this a common phrase?


texts:
What does it mean to bust on somebody? For example,

  I bust on my girlfriend.


texts: What's a word that means "making fun of" with a positive connotation? Like the comment is not harmful

texts: I'm trying to say that my classmates "tease" me for always having so much enthusiasm regardless of the amount of work we have. My goal is to show that my enthusiam is a good thing. Is tease a good word here? Is there a better alternative？


texts:
To the question, "How much does this cost?" which of the following answers is/are grammatically correct (at least informally)?

  Two pound forty.
  Two pounds forty.
  Two pound forty penny.
  Two pounds forty penny.
  Two pound forty pence.
  Two pounds forty pence.

Is the answer the same if "pound/pounds/penny/pence" is replaced with "dollar/dollars/cent/cents"?


texts: When is the use of "north" more appropriate than "northern" and vice versa?

texts: North, South, East, West, can be used as adjectives, but so can Northern, Southern, Eastern, Western. What rules, if any, govern which is appropriate when?


texts: Word for "aver the primacy" or "make essential"

texts:
Is there a single word (or better set of words) to express e.g.:

"liberalism avers the primacy of the individual", or
"Johannes renders his masculinity essential?


texts: What does the phrase "It's tough to be let down when you don't expect sh*t" mean?

texts: Sorry for my language, but my student has just found this phrase somewhere and I'm not quite sure how to explain it.


texts: What does the phrase "just a bagel" mean in Chicago (the musical)?

texts:
In the 1975 musical Chicago, the song Razzle Dazzle has the following lines:

Throw 'em a fake and a finagle
They'll never know you're just a bagel

What does it mean to be "just a bagel" in this case? In context, it seems like something negative and/or insignificant. However, I can't find any other instances of "bagel" being used this way.
I've searched google for "just a bagel" in quotes, but most are references to the food. There are also a few references to "bagel" as slang, such as this site or the tennis term, but none of them seem to fit the context of the musical itself.
An ideal answer would have some basis in American English during the 1920's, which is the era in which the play is set, or during the 1970's, which is when the play was written. Of course, I'd be willing to accept any valid answer too.


texts:
As a Spanish employee of a German multinational company, I have always cringed at my German colleagues' tendency to give 'ongoing' a predicative use, e.g. 'The meeting is ongoing'. I was sure that this was at least poor style, and very likely ungrammatical, and that 'ongoing' only worked as an attribute (e.g. 'The ongoing meeting').
However, a couple of years ago I began to hear American fellow workers (English native speakers) occasionally use 'ongoing' in the same ear-grating way. Is this just a case of contagion out of empathy with the German fellow employees? Or is it the result of a recent trend in the English language? Has it perhaps always been correct?


texts:
Are there rules of usage when using the ampersand "&" instead of "and"?

Are they completely interchangeable?

The ampersand seems more casual, but I'm not sure.


texts: Why is the opposite of 'ascension' still 'descent', and not 'descension'? (Reference. NB: fully aware the answer may be convention, as it is with many things in English.)


texts:
Is it right to use double possessives like

a good idea of Tom's

Are they correct? And when do we use them?


texts:
This is the sentence from a newspaper:

  Gu Kailai, wife of a Chinese politician at the centre of a major scandal, did not deny murdering a British man during her one-day trial that ended on Thursday with no verdict, a court official said.

It seems like there should have been a comma after ‘wife of Chinese politician’ and another one after ‘a British man’. Please correct me if I am wrong.


texts: Can I use "adjournment" as antonym of "inauguration", is there a word for "last time use"?

texts:
I would like to know if there is an antonym to inauguration? By inauguration I mean "first time use of".
I googled this and thesaurus provided me with "adjournment". Can I use it in the following sense?

Fifteen years ago I was treated to the inaugural dream journey provided by my
bed. Tonight I sleep once again in my
bed, it will be its adjournment. (last time used)

If this is correct can I then use "adjournal" as in "the adjournal dream journey"?
There is no more context than this really, I just stumbled upon this line of thought as I am moving abroad soon and it is the adjournment(?) for many of my belongings. So it is simply a question to better my English. :)


texts: No definition or usage of whence relates to time, but to place.  One would therefore expect it to be some form of where, not of when.  What caused when to pertain to time, and whence to pertain to place?


texts:
I've heard people said both terms to mean that when the taxi driver is trying to rip you off by tampering the meter or taking a detour. But which usage is more common or correct in terms of nomenclature? Taxi fraud or taxi scam?

(I found that Google returns "taxi scam" 52,700 results while "taxi fraud" returns only 4,460, but not sure if that just means fraud is more uncommon or is actually incorrect)


texts: Verb form of "spontaneous human combustion"

texts:
In English there are plenty of examples of noun-verbs. What are the rules for making more complex compound noun structures into transitive verbs? In particular I would like explanations involving the phrase spontaneous human combustion.

Would the following work?

  He spontaneously human-combusted.


texts: Is it correct to say "The reason is because ..."?

texts:
In a statement like

  The weeds have grown overnight. The reason is because it rained yesterday

Is "the reason is because" good grammar? Isn't it better to say

  The weeds have grown overnight because it rained yesterday

The second form seems simpler and the words the reason is seem to add nothing to the sentence. Is there any technical reason to avoid the longer form?


texts: a word that contains every vowel contigiously

texts:
I want a word that contains every vowel aeiou in a CONTIGUOUS fashion.

Bonus points if it ends with y. ;)


texts: "What is in it" vs. "what is there in it"

texts:
What is the difference between these two sentences, if there is one?

"What is inside the box?" and "What is there inside the box?"

A native speaker once told me they are the same, but the former is grammatically more correct. But I've come across the latter in some grammar books.

To clarify my question, I'd like to put it this way: What is are the best questions for these statments? "There is a toy in the box" and "The toy is in the box"? I was thinking they would be: "What is there inside the box? -There is a toy in the box." and "What is inside the box? -The toy is inside the box."


texts: Expression for "getting 'aha' moment after long time of failing explanations"

texts:
I'd like to recall that there's an expression along the lines of "coin dropping down" used to described the moment when an explainee finally reaches the verge of grasping a concept after the explainer tediously has gone through the pains of presenting a multitude of examples, approaches and pedagogical tricks.

Googling it gave me no hits and searching on SO for "coin" resulted in way too many. None of that was of relevance, though.

Can I use the following phrase in correct English to describe that I'm trying to explain a bit more because I see that the subject is about to get the "aha moment"?

  I was about to give up but I felt that the coin was about to drop down.


texts:
I have therefore whereof I may glory through Jesus Christ in those things which pertain to God. (Romans 15: 17)

I would like to know what whereof means in this context. I would also like to know what part of speech it is.


texts: What do you call a window that is neither opaque nor transparent?

texts:
The semitransparent glass I am thinking of is such that if a person presses the front of his face on one side, the color and shape of the face can be seen from the other side but not the facial features.

Is this an opaque window? A semitransparent window? Or is there a better word?


texts: Word for reminder of inconvenient truths

texts:
What do you call a person who constantly tells others things they don't want to hear even though it's true? (Maybe even revels in their dismay)

Something along the lines of Person A telling Person B that Person B's laziness is B's problem for something. Person B is in denial of it even though it is true, and hates hearing it. Person A likes telling B and others things like these that they hate to hear, but are true. What is Person A?

Another example would be someone who unwarrantedly goes into detail about the things that can go horribly wrong when someone dies(like being falsely remembered as a criminal), to people who are squeamish about it, fear it, had some bad experiences with relatives in that position etc.

I thought "doomsayer" at first perhaps, but that's more about predicting inconvenient events or disasters, not about the way things are now or about something people hide that someone else uncovers or narrates to their dismay. "Abuser" isn't specific enough. "Gloater" is more about the speaker's ego and prestige, while this is more about one person trying to sort of tear others down.


texts: 'Yet' in affirmative statements in American English (except in 'is yet to' and 'have yet to')

texts:
I know for a fact now that 'yet' is heard used in American English in affirmative statements like the following. 1 and 2 (and perhaps 3) are okay but 4. I just can't seem to see the rules with this. It has got to do with 'time' being early, and 'yet' has to be placed at the end of the sentence and right after the time expression. But I can't figure out why 4 is off.

A: We've got to hurry! B: Oh, calm down. It's early yet.
A: Is he coming back soon? Has he finished his job in Beijing? B: No, he has two years yet.
We have a long time yet. We still can go to the gym.
We are only thirty minutes into the work yet. But I'm already tired.

Added queries: (1) the word or phrase before 'yet' --- what would you say other than 'early' or the time expressions like 'two years,'a long time' etc.?
(2) Would you say, "There is three hours yet" to mean "We have three hours yet"?


texts: How is called when someone carries his birth city as surname?

texts:
Sometimes history figures are called by its birth city as surname. Example: Milon of Croton, Thales of Miletus.

How is this called in English? Is this an Epithet?


texts:
I am currently writing an user manual for a software tool, providing step-by-step usage instructions. I am aware that pressing a button is a perfectly fine expression. However, I'm trying to find synonyms for the term.

Hitting the button came to my mind, but this is something I more or less associate with, say, hitting the answer button on a game show. That is to say, a fast, maybe almost violent motion. Is this applicable to the simple (non-violent) clicking of a mouse button?

To clarify the question in terms of platform and OS: The software is designed solely for PCs and (so far) exclusively for Microsoft Windows.

Apart from that, I'd be happy about any suggestions of further synonyms for the term, if you know any.


texts: What does "in low water" mean in this context?

texts:
I came across this phrase reading E.M.Forster's Maurice,

  He(Clive Durham) had neither the blind faith in tutors and lec-tures that was held by Maurice and his set nor the contempt professed by Fetherstonhaugh. "You can always learn something from an older man, even if he hasn't read the latest Germans." They argued a little about Sophocles, then in low water Durham said it was a pose in "us undergraduates" to ignore him and advised Fetherstonhaugh to reread the Ajax with his eye on the characters rather than the author; he would learn more that way, both about Greek grammar and life.

According to Collins dictionary, "low water" means "low tide; a situation of difficulty". Methinks it doesn't really fit in this context. Does it have other meanings?


texts: What is the historical process by which words formerly considered vulgar become simply rude words?

texts:
I have noticed a pattern involving vulgarities where the previous generation's evil words become accepted as merely off-color or rude in the following generation. Is this merely each generation's small rebellion against their parents? Does society get bored with certain blacklisted words and move onto different choices?

It seems that some offensive or vulgar words maintain their status far longer than others while some don't last too long. Am I simply suffering from an odd form of selection bias?

Other interesting observations are the choices of insults that particular communities choose to use. Online video gaming has become quite fond of "rape" which is probably a completely inappropriate word to trivialize as meaning pwned. That community seems particularly attracted to violent or overtly offensive terms. Is there a historic precedence for this? Are such communities related to the aforementioned shift in what is considered vulgar?


texts: Problem with choosing between singular and plural nouns

texts:
I would like to find out how to use singular and plural nouns correctly.  I have tried grammar books, but I can't find anything on agreements of nouns in the object position.  Please kindly explain to me whether the sentences below are correct and whether there are any differences between their use.  Also this type of grammar problems if filed under what names in grammar books.  Thanks!!!

A)

I can't offer any simple solution
I can't offer any simple solutions

B)

I want to get better school results
I want to get a better school result

C)

They can't obtain a sense of accomplishment
They can't obtain senses of accomplishment

D)

Students should do more sports to help them build a healthy body
Students should do more sports to help them build healthy bodies


texts: Which one is better in a technical manual: "to obstruct" or "to hinder"

texts:
I'm trying to express in which conditions alarms do occur and can't decide which term would sound more official/technical in a technical manual.

Which one sounds better (or is there another better suiting term):

"Alarms occur when ... which obstruct the operation of the machine."
"Alarms occur when ... which hinder the operation of the machine."


texts: Why future tense? “This is the last time he’s going to stand me up”

texts:
Why does the second part of the phrase use future tense? Although the event “the last time” is happening now, we refer to it using future tense. It also works with “will:”

“This is the last time he will stand me up.”

Any ideas?


texts: A word to describe someone or something that is not last?

texts:
I'm looking for a word that describes the state of not being last. A word that would apply to everything in an ordered list that is not the last thing in that list.

From

  I wasn't the last person to finish the race.

to (the phrasing is off, but it seems to illustrate my point)

  I was .. person to finish the race.

One word that comes to mind is "intermediate", but I don't think that includes the first item in a list.


texts:
Recently the Duchess of Cambridge gave birth to a healthy baby boy. The announcement from Buckingham Palace said "The Duchess of Cambridge has been delivered of a son."

This struck me as a very odd grammatical structure that I don't quite understand. Of course I understand what is meant: "She gave birth to a male child" and I presume it is put this way for the purposes of delicacy. But I was wondering if someone could explain how this grammatical structure works.


texts: What is the word for the way someone is speaking to you like this?

texts: The subject of the conversation is sensitive and controversial and the adult child of the other person is very passionate and being preachy says something like “You know that’s blank blank?  I hope you appreciate blank blank.” What is the word to describe the way in which the adult child is speaking to their parent? This could be between any two people.  This is just the actual situation that just occurred.


texts: Is the phrase "the subcontinent" well understood?

texts:
In the past, I have used the phrase "the subcontinent" in conversations but it has not always been clear if people know what I'm talking about. I find it a useful term as it covers (amongst others) India and Sri Lanka; the IT industry has a lot of people from those countries thus it covers a lot of the people I work/play with.

It would appear that English consider those countries Asian. I have also heard Americans referring to Indians as Asians, though not as commonly. This is not common in Australia.

So, is this a term I can use safely?


texts: Reflexive love: where does "love me some ..." come from?

texts:
It seems trendy to use a reflexive-like construction with love or hate plus some, like this:

You know I love me some cheese!
I hate me some cold and the temperature is dropping.

Where did this come from and why has it become popular?


texts: Bodkins and bodkin - Same word different context?

texts: Does bodkins in odd's bodkins mean the same as bare bodkin, which appears in Hamlet?


texts:
Could someone please verify the grammar in this sentence? Particularly the use of 'her' (should it be she?) and the implied 'her' after the and. Should there be a second 'her'?

"They sought treatment for symptoms related to her already diagnosed Generalized Anxiety Disorder and marked episodes of anger and oppositional behavior. "


texts: "Listen to music" vs. "listen to the music"

texts: English is not my mother tongue. I once came across information that listening to music and listening to the music mean something different. Listening to the music would mean you put whole heart into it, which can be evident by dance, other similar behaviour like improvised accompaniment or changes in face expression. Is this true?


texts: I wonder whether the past tense is interchanged with the present tense

texts:
The reason I stopped smoking was that all my friends had already stopped smoking.

The reason I stopped smoking is that all my friends had already stopped smoking.

-

I wonder if the verb "was" is replaced for "is", which reflects the present time. I think it's not possible because the time I stopped smoking was the past, and the cause inspiring the determination to stop smoking was also the past thing.

Is it right?


texts: Less awkward word or phrase for "university community"

texts:
I'd like to refer to a group of people that includes professors and PhD students that I worked with on a particular project. Me being not part of that community.

Is it ok just to say "We collaborated with the XYZ university community" or "with a group of people from the XYZ university"?


texts: "Long" with telic intransitive verbs expressing duration

texts:
When I try to express duration with intransitive verbs indicating a complete event, like "expire" or "melt", it works if I add "long" like:

  The license has long expired.

But not:

  The license has expired for two years now.

or

  The snow has melted for two days now.

How is it that adding the indefinite time expression "long" makes the sentences sound more natural?

(I know that there are a lot of alternative ways to say this same, like: "The licence is two years past its expiry date" or "The license hasn't been renewed for two years now" or "The license expired two years ago" or "There hasn't been  snow for two days now"..)


texts: What's a common way to refer to the algae that is attached to the bottom of a stream/river?

texts:
I'm referring to this:

What's a common name to refer to it? Or is algae common enough? (I know seaweed isn't very proper since it's not in the sea).


texts:
What does this phrase mean and where does it originate? How does putting one's hand on one's heart (at least on the region of chest where your heart is) achieve anything?

The phrase is usually extended to something like 'put your hand on your heart and tell me truthfully that ...'.

I think it is because if you put your hand on your heart when you say something that has a significant meaning, you can feel any fluctuations in your heart beat caused by lying, i.e. a primitive form of the lie detector.


texts:
1)
put the phone down = put down the phone

2)
put a baby down = put down a baby.

3)
put an amendment down = put down an amendment.

Does the preposition 'down' in those phrasal verbs have a flexible position around the object?

If not, why not?


texts: "Curious to learn" vs. "curious to learning"

texts:
I know that in case of "looking forward to" I have to use the gerund form. So e.g.

  I am looking forward to hearing from you.

Now I am not sure about this sentence:

  I am always curious to learning new languages.

Is this correct? Or should I use:

  I am always curious to learn new languages.


texts: Meaning: If beauty is her Yin, then intelligence is her Yang

texts:
I've always assumed that the phrase "If X is her Yin, then Y is her Yang" meant two positive traits, X and Y, that were not extensions of each other, but rather opposites that complemented each other.
Upon looking up Wikipedia, I came to realize that while Yin and Yang are opposing forces, Yin is typically negative and Yang is positive(see note 1. below).
Is that right? Can I still use if to describe two opposing but positive traits, or is there a better phrase for it?

This is a Wikipedia entry on Yin & Yang.

In Chinese philosophy, yin and yang, which are often shortened to
"yin-yang" or "yin yang", are concepts used to describe how apparently
opposite or contrary forces are actually complementary,[Note 1]
interconnected and interdependent in the natural world, and how they
give rise to each other as they interrelate to one another. Many
tangible dualities (such as light and dark, high and low, hot and
cold, fire and water, life and death, male and female, sun and moon,
and so on) are thought of as physical manifestations of the duality of
yin and yang. This duality lies at the origins of many branches of
classical Chinese science and philosophy, as well as being a primary
guideline of traditional Chinese medicine,[1] and a central principle
of different forms of Chinese martial arts and exercise, such as
baguazhang, taijiquan (t'ai chi), and qigong (Chi Kung), as well as in
the pages of the I Ching.


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

texts:
Here is an example of what I am wondering about:

  I wonder why or how someone could kill a person.

In this sentence we have two questions, why and how. They both require different supporting words: would and could. Here I have chosen could, but would also sounds fine.

Which is correct? Does the order of why and how in my sentence matter? Finally, what is the name for why and how in this sentence?

Edit: I think this is a Syllepsis, and thus correct.


texts: How correct/common/proper is "pretty" as an adverb? It is hard for me to see, since it's my native dialect, but I say "pretty often" pretty often, and "fairly often" fairly rarely. Does "pretty" mark me as informal or uneducated or rustic?


texts: Does English have written words for each letter in the alphabet?

texts: In Spanish or in Catalan (not sure if also true in other Latin languages) we have a word for each letter in the alphabet. For example, letter "H" is written as "hache", in Spanish or "hac" in Catalan. Can you do that also in English? How would you write the name of "H"?


texts: In English what's the difference between forward and toward

texts:
I would like to know which sentence is correct, regarding the difference between the usage of forward and toward.
Should I write:
I'm looking forward to September.
 Or,
I'm looking toward September?

Thank you.


texts:
Is given sentence correct?

  "I tried my best to convince her but failed."

In some book, I read we use first form of verb after but. So the sentence given above is correct, or not?


texts: why "and then some" means considerably more?

texts:
I've googled the phrase "and then some" and am told that it means "considerably more".

But just how to comprehend this? The phrase literally means "some more" -- how does it come to mean "much more"?


texts: What does the phrase ‘back the road’ mean?

texts:
Could someone explain to me the meaning of the phrase ‘back the road’ in the following sentence: “My father still lives back the road past the weir in the cottage I was reared in”?
Does it mean ‘next to the road’ or ‘near the road’ or ‘past the road’? Is it synonymous with the phrase ‘up the road’?
P.S. The sentence is taken from the book written by an Irish author.


texts: What word means “the important events in one's life”?

texts: I am looking for a single word which refers to the important events of a person's life. This might include birth, marriage, changing jobs, or anything else that the person feels is significant, but preferably when observed by looking at one's entire life.


texts: Which is correct, hadn't even existed or didn't even exist?

texts:
He had treated me as if I [ hadn't even existed / didn't even exist ] .

Which of the two is correct?   Could you help me clarify it?   Thank you always.


texts:
Looking for a single noun to title a funeral picture board where photos show the subject dancing, eating, drinking, reading, and laughing.  I want to portray this man's love of life.  Other photo board titles include athlete, jester, friend, so I would like a parallel part of speech (a noun).

I found "biophile", but it just sounds so clinical.  Any help is appreciated.  My dearly departed was truly a lover of the English language.


texts:
It seems somehow tricky to apply the right punctuation when it comes to the word namely. I got the following advice:

  Search globally for "namely", and add a comma after it, as well as a comma, a semicolon, or a period before.

On the other hand, this link and this one suggest that there might be more to consider. So, what are the rules for punctuating around the word namely? Please try to prove your claims by including references.


texts:
In Dorothy Gladys “Dodie” Smith’s 1956 children’s novel, The Hundred and One
Dalmatians,
the author writes:

But though you can call a cook ‘Cook’, the one thing you cannot call a butler is ‘Butler’

Why is this?

The surrounding context follows:

      Before their marriages, Mr Dearly and Pongo had lived in a bachelor flat,
where they were looked after by Mr Dearly’s old nurse, Nanny Butler. Mrs
Dearly and Missis had also lived in a bachelor flat (there were no such
things as spinster flats), where they were looked after by Mrs Dearly’s old
nurse, Nanny Cook. The dogs and their pets met at the same time and shared
a wonderfully happy double engagement, but they were all a little worried
about what was to happen to Nanny Cook and Nanny Butler. It would be all
right when the Dearlies started a family, particular if it could be twins,
one twin for each Nanny, but until then, but were the Nannies going to do?
For though they could cook breakfast and provide meals on trays (meals
called ‘a nice egg by the ﬁre’) neither of them was capable of running a
smart little house in Regent’s
Park, where the Dearlies
hoped to invite their friends to dinner.
      And then something happened: Nanny Cook and Nanny Butler met and,
after a few minutes of deep suspicion, took a great liking to each
other. And they had a good laugh about their names.
      ‘What a pity we’re not a real cook and butler,’ said Nanny Cook.
      ‘Yes, that’s what’s needed now,’ said Nanny Butler.
      And then they both together had the Great Idea: Nanny Cook
would train to be a real cook and Nanny Butler would train to be a
real butler. They would start the very next day and be fully trained
by the wedding.
      ‘But you’ll have to be a parlourmaid, really,’ said Nanny Cook.
      ‘Certainly not,’ said Nanny Butler. ‘I haven’t the ﬁgure for it.
I shall be a real butler – and I shall valet Mr Dearly, which
will need no training as I’ve done it since the day he was born.’
      And so when the Dearlies and the Pongos got back from their joint
honeymoon, there were Nanny Cook and Nanny Butler, fully trained, ready to
welcome them into the little house facing Regent’s Park.
      It came as something of a shock that Nanny Butler was wearing trousers.
      ‘Wouldn't a black dress with a nice frilly apron be better?’ suggested Mrs
Dearly – rather nervously, because Nanny Butler had never been her Nanny.
      ‘You can’t be a butler without trousers,’ said Nanny Butler ﬁrmly. ‘But
I’ll get a frilly apron tomorrow. It will add a note of originality.’ It did.
      The Nannies said they no longer expected to be called Nanny, and were not
prepared to be called by their surnames, in the correct way.  But though
you can call a cook ‘Cook’, the one thing you cannot call a butler is
‘Butler’, so in the end both Nannies were just called ‘Nanny, darling’,
as they always had been.


texts: I was wondering why there are multiple prefixes for the same meaning

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Why “unequal” but “inequality”?
  Origins of negative prefixes like in-, un-, il-, ir-, dis-, a-

There are a lot of prefixes for meaning "opposite". For example, dis-, un-, in-.

dissatisfied
unstable
incoherent

I was wondering why there isn't just one prefix meaning "opposite" that could be used for all words. Is there a specific reason behind it? I found this link:

http://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/prefixes.htm

It sort of explains what each prefix means, but still un- and in- seem to have a lot in common. I am just wondering why have more than one.


texts: Could Arkansas be considered an "Arch Kansas"?

texts: The prefix arch- means "super" or "stronger than normal" as in the word archenemy. I looked up the etymology of the word Kansas. It said that it is an ethnonym meaning "people of the south wind". Arkansas is located to the south of Kansas. Because Arkansas is to the south of Kansas, could it be called "the arch-Kansas" because it is south of the state with a Native American meaning of south?


texts: Is there a single-word alternative for "healthy dissent"?

texts:
I am looking a single-word alternative to use in the following example sentence:

  There is ______ [a healthy dissent] in America about our current course of action, a dissent that is not only intrinsic to our values and our freedoms, but intrinsic to the checks and balances that keep us from drifting to extremes.

Note that the meaning of dissent (as per Dictionary.com) is the following:

  verb (used without object)

  to differ in sentiment or opinion, especially from the majority; withhold assent; disagree (often followed by from):

  Two of the justices dissented from the majority decision.
  to disagree with the methods, goals, etc., of a political party or government; take an opposing view.
  to disagree with or reject the doctrines or authority of an established church.

  noun

  difference of sentiment or opinion.
  dissenting opinion.
  disagreement with the philosophy, methods, goals, etc., of a political party or government.
  separation from an established church, especially the Church of England; nonconformity.


texts: "Who's going to the movies?" "[Person] and I." or "[Person] and me."

texts:
This is weird.

I always heard the rule about removing the other person's name, but what's the deal in this case? "[Person] and I." would be the subject, so that seems like it is right, but I don't think I would just say "I." in response to the question.

Edit: My question was flagged as maybe a duplicate. I suppose it is different because I am asking if I were to include another person in the answer.


texts: Why was the Past Perfect put in this sentence?

texts:
Saw it in a song (the lyrics) and was wondering why.

"Oh, Those funny shows I cried watching once, and all the music that had changed my life. None of them speak to me anymore"

Don't we use the Past Perfect to talk about an event in the past that happened before another event?


texts: Potential error on ACT practice question

texts:
The chemistry that Bacon first learned was really more like alchemy that used poetic, esoteric language to describe the interactions of metals and minerals.

A) NO CHANGE
B) alchemy, which used
C) alchemy using
D) alchemy, the use of which

The correct answer (according to ACT) is B, but I chose A. The poetic, esoteric language used to describe alchemy is a restrictive clause and therefore requires the word "that" as opposed to "which."


texts: Word for a person who is taking/doing an exam?

texts: Is there a specific word for a person who is taking/doing an exam?


texts:
I'm not a native speaker. A pupil wrote "wanna" at the end of a sentence:

  You can go if you wanna.

It sounds odd to me, as if something had to follow wanna (as opposed to want to/ want, which can stand alone)?

Please note that this question is not asking about the acceptability of 'wanna' as a written 'analogue' of 'want to' in general. That has already been thoroughly covered in other questions, notably in various answers at kinda sorta coulda shoulda lotta oughta betcha tseasy etc. This is solely about the acceptability of ending a sentence with 'wanna'.


texts: An idiom to describe "missing an opportunity or deadline"

texts:
I'm writing a marketing copy and encountered the need for an idiom that means "forgetting and thus missing an opportunity or deadline". The expression I'm looking for is informal. The target audience is mainly North Americans.

I found the phrase "miss the boat", but came to the conclusion that it's not very commonly used. I'm looking for something that's at least as common as "drop the ball".

Another reason why I don't feel "miss the boat" is appropriate is that the opportunities I'm talking about here are smaller opportunities — nothing life-changing. Examples include forgetting to follow up with a client or not filing tax on time.

An example sentence would be "Never ___________ or feel overwhelmed again."


texts: Why are commas needed in the following sentences?

texts:
I have difficulty understanding comma usages in the following sentences:

  Mr Hirai had already announced that Sony's TV production goal would be halved, from 40m units to 20m. (The Economist)

Why is the comma placed after "halved?" In the following sentence, which is also from a British newspaper, no comma is used:

  As reported, the charge for crossing the bridge will be halved from £3 to £1.50 for cars.

  -2. And while unemployment is a modest 6.4% and declining, inflation has picked up sharply, to an estimated 6.5%, more than a point higher than last year. (The Wall Street Journal)

Is the comma after "sharply" necessary? What the difference in nuance with and without the comma?

  -3. The government of Prime Minister Naoto Kan has proposed doubling, to 20%, the tax on capital gains and dividends. (The Wall Street Journal)

Why is "to 20%" set off by the commas?

Could anybody shed light on these comma usages?


texts: I told my friend, today I went for shopping. He replied me “Good for You”. Is it rude or normal?


texts: Is the word 'lousy' used more often in the UK than in the US?

texts:
It seems to be considered a peculiar word to use in the US (like 'queue' or 'spectacles' or 'pail').

And more generally, is there any resource I can use to compare how frequent any particular word is used in the UK vs the US?


texts: Why is it incorrect to answer "because I have to finish my report by the end of this week" to the question "Why do you work so hard?"

texts:
I am working on an English book to improve my English skills and the book only gives the answer without explanation. The instruction is "Choose the best reply between A and B."
The question is: Why do you work so hard?

Answer A: Because I am only happy when I am busy.
Answer B: Because I have to finish my report by the end of this week.

In my opinion both answers are correct in term of grammar, but answer B gives more clarity of the reason why I have to work hard.
Am I right? If no, why?


texts: What is the correct way to pluralize an initialism in which the final word is not pluralized by adding the letter "s"?

texts:
In computer science we discuss an abstract machine called a "deterministic finite automaton". The standard initialism for this term is "DFA". This makes sense in the singular usage of the initialism.

However, the pluralization of the word "automaton" is "automata". One speaks of "an automaton" or "many automata". Consequently, it seems intuitive to form an initialism of the phrase "deterministic finite automata" as "DFA".

This does not seem correct, as "DFA" could be either plural or singular. On the other hand, "DFAs" also does not seem correct because it would seem to expand to "deterministic finite automatons", a phrase which no self-respecting computer scientist would ever utter.

This appears to be a duplicate of the question here
What is the plural of the abbreviation of "multiplicity automaton", "MA" or "MAs"?

But that question was never clearly resolved. What to do?


texts: When to add "the", "a" or when not to add "the" or "a"?

texts:
What's the difference (or correct way of saying it) between the followings:

"Review plan" vs "Review a plan" vs "Review the plan"?
"Agree on plan" vs "Agree on a plan" vs "Agree on the plan"
"Implementation of the plans" vs "Implementation of plans? vs "Implementation of plan"?

I suppose it boils down to when do you add "the" or "a" or not add it at all?