texts: Why does Future Perfect Tense "sound" as though it didn't happen?

texts:
Consider these sentences:

  They will walk before breakfast.
  They will have walked before breakfast.

The first sentence expresses an action that will end before another action occurs in the future. No issues with that.

The second sentence must also express the same information. But somehow it seems to me that it conveys a past action that didn't happen/failed to happen. I know this is incorrect, but I'd like to know more about why this particular tense is throwing me off. Appreciate any help. Thanks.


texts: I have a grammar assignment and the question is "Rewrite the sentences below by correcting the errors in the prepositions" The sentence is "Everyone was meeting up with me at my house" I don't see what's wrong in the sentence and I do not know which word is the preposition.


texts:
This is a term I read recently, but I didn't understand what it meant. I can't remember the exact context except that it had nothing whatever to do with Mexico.

Edit: ElendilTheTall suggests this might be "Mexican Standoff". Which it could be, I suppose. So could anyone explain what either of these things are?


texts:
Why is the sometimes-used expression to urinate "take a leak" or "take a piss", instead of "give a leak" or "give a piss".

I looked it up using a search engine, and didn't find any good answers.


texts:
I have just come across the following sentence:

  Our team has cataloged 30+ [design patterns] across various areas of the framework so far.

I have often seen the pattern "number + plus sign" to refer to an unknown quantity above the given number. When I read that sentence I usually "translate" the expression as "more than 30", so I would read:

  Our team has cataloged more than 30 design patterns across various areas of the framework so far.

But now I'm curious. Do you usually read the sentence like that, or read it like "30 plus" or "above 30" or in some other way? Is there a common, standard way to read the "number + plus sign" construction when you find it in sentences? Or is that construction discouraged? (Example: it may be unfriendly for sight-impaired people trying to use text-to-speech software.)


texts: I need help with commas and conjunctions

texts:
Is it correct to add a comma before but in the sentence below? An explanation as to why this sentence is correct or incorrect would be appreciated.

  If you have a weak stomach, I would not recommend that you watch this film, but if you have no problem seeing blood and guts, then this film will be perfect for you.


texts:
I wonder if I punctuated the adj order correctly. I think, steady and incompressible are coordinating adjectives which need a comma between them, however, I am not sure about three-dimensional.
here is the sentence:

"The numerical computation has been performed by solving the steady, incompressible, three-dimensional Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) equations"


texts: A word to describe a changed relationship

texts:
Suppose a boy & a girl were in a bosom relationship at one time, but now they are just good friends. With which word we can define this change in their relationship?

Example: We are ______ now.

Which word should I use here to describe that our relationship has now changed?


texts: Grammatical structure of this complex sentence

texts:
Lately, I have been working on my SOP for university admissions. Here is one sentence which seems correct to my knowledge but, I have a feeling that something's missing. Any help in reframing or correcting it would be appreciated.

"At Stanford, the range of courses available in subject areas of information theory, signal, image, and video processing will not only provide me the adequate mathematical and computer skills but will also train me well in niche areas of communications and networking with their extensive list of electives"

Thanks in advance.


texts: Can I omit the verb 'to be' when writing passive?

texts:
I am writing the minutes of a meeting. I wrote 'minutes opened at 13:19' and someone corrected me to 'minutes were opened at..'

Then I wrote 'Elections held by secret ballot. Results revealed after the Chairman finished counting,' to, once again, be corrected to 'Elections were held' and 'Results were revealed.'

I hold the opinion that the verb 'to be' is of little importance in the context, especially when writing minutes. I came here for expert opinion. Please refer me to an answered question if there is one. I have failed to find the answer to my question through search.

Thank you.


texts: A single word for the state of extreme inner melancholy and wistfulness

texts: I am looking for a word that refers to the state of extreme, deep melancholy mixed with pain, anxiety, and wistfulness; the state in which one feels that their hearts are going to burst with sadness.


texts: How to differentiate the usage of "number" in situations that "number" represents "index" and "quantity" respectively

texts:
Number has both meaning of "index" and "quantity". I am often confused by this in writing sentences such as:

The conversion between the number of books and total pages is simple. (quantity)
The number of book on that shelf is 5 counting from left. (index)

My questions are:

Is the second sentence grammatically correct?
How to discriminate these two scenarios?

UPDATE:
According to this dictionary, number can be used as "position in series" or "quantity". For sentence:
Room number is 5

Is that correct to turn this statement into questions like:
what is the number of room? (what position)

As Stuart comments: "Using singular vs plural indicates whether you're talking about book number 5 or five books.", if I want to question the quantity of rooms, should I say:
what is the number of rooms? (what quantity)


texts:
I'm writing an essay on Reconstruction for English and stumbled into this problem.

"the South had been heavily institutionalized ___ slavery"

What would the correct preposition be in the blank? Into seems to work, but not quite. For doesn't seem to be correct either.

Is there an idiomatic answer?

Thanks!


texts: Noun for something that is randomly chosen?

texts:
Example:

  Since the murderer didn't know the victim, the detectives assumed the
  murder was a [...].

This is just an example, though, I'm not looking for a word for that kind of crime. Just a noun that means "something that is randomly chosen".


texts: Is "star wars" equivalent to "wars of the stars" ? Then how about "world war"?

texts:
I have some questions:

Why "star wars" and not "stars wars"?
Is "star wars" equivalent to "wars of the stars"? In French it would be "les guerres des etoiles", what about the English version?
If question 2 is true, why doesn't "world war" mean "war of the worlds"?


texts: Is there a phrase in English for moving your forefinger close to someone's face in a bossy way?

texts:
This picture shows clearly what I'm looking for.  Is there a phrase for that?

In French there is a phrase for it, with the French word for finger, "un doigt remuant" Is there any in BrE and in AmE?

EDIT - For Clarity - The person moves his finger up and down, in a threatening way, as if he wanted to touch the other person's nose. Also, he often moves it rhythmically, as he speaks. The only vídeo clip I found about "finger in the face" shows what I'm not looking for. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peJ2veop1bk


texts: Is it better to say "research under Prof. Aho" or "research under supervision of Prof. Aho"?

texts:
When a professor advises and supervises a PhD or MS student to complete their research, is it advisable say?

  The student is conducting his study under Prof. X.

Or

  The student is conducting his study under supervision of Prof. X

I have heard similar usages of under as in "Under Obama, this country ...", etc.


texts: Is the word "management" singular or plural?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Is a company always plural, or are small companies singular?

Which one of the following is correct?

  Management gets its ideas from its employees.
  Management gets their ideas from their employees.


texts:
I have been revisiting English grammar lessons for a test & I'm reading Pronouns. During a self test I came across this sentence "My dog can run much faster than ___".
I selected "me" & computer said its wrong.

Is "My dog can run much faster than I" correct?


texts: What is a more formal way to say "Don't get me wrong"?

texts:
I think the phrase "Don't get me wrong" in conversation means, "I'm about to say something that you might misunderstand, so don't."

I'm looking for a similar phrase that sounds better when speaking to a group of people.  I sometimes use the phrase "Don't take this the wrong way", but that seems even clunkier.


texts: Rule/pattern about using loan words for monarchs?

texts: We call the monarchs of Germany, Russia and Ancient Egypt "Kaiser", "Tzar/Czar" and "Pharaoh" respectively, but the monarchs of France, Spain, China and Japan "king" or "emperor".  Is there any sort of pattern or rule about when loan words are used or not for monarchs, or is it just random?


texts: Engineering term for the "coherence between drawings, products and BOM(Bill of materials)?"

texts:
As the title says, is there any engineering term meaning 'coherence(or consistency) between technical drawings, products and BOM(Bill of Materials)?'

This concept is used in manufacturing to say that the technical drawings, products and BOM should match.

It is also used in electrical engineering to say the schematics, PCB and BOM(or parts list) should match.

Is there any English word for that?
I wanna say simply like "(that term) is satisfied" or "Check the **" or " is checked"


texts: "to learn and to persevere" vs. "to learn and persevere"

texts:
Which one of the following two sentences is grammatically correct?

I can attest to how my willingness to learn and to persevere through hard work will help me quickly grow to become an exceptional [job title].
I can attest to how my willingness to learn and persevere through hard work will help me quickly grow to become an exceptional [job title].

As you can see, I'm confused to whether the second verb (persevere) requires a preceding 'to'.

Thank you very much.


texts: English definite article THE and its usage

texts:
Is a definite article THE needed in front of ordinal numbers in sentences like these:

4th case can be used with or without prepositions. If you are doing something, it’s likely this meaning will need to be expressed in 4th case. This is a preposition that can only go with 2nd case. The nouns and adjectives in the sentence will require 2nd case.

Are ordinal numbers always preceded with THE or are there any exceptions?


texts: the difference between "with time", "over time", "during time"

texts:
what is the difference between the following sentences, and which one is preferable in what occasions:
Its characteristics changes with time
Its characteristics changes during time
Its characteristics changes over time


texts: I'm a little nervous about seeming arrogant (Solved)

texts: Is there a better way of saying 'is that okay?' or is that phrase itself okay to use. I'm just worried about appearing arrogant, It's never been mentioned that i could be until my last 1 to 1 with my boss... so please help.


texts: Will Today word change the sentence tense?

texts:
According to book I ma using, the author introduced the difference between past and simple as following:

My question is: if I didn't change today to yesterday will it makes difference?
I was in class today.

Please I am learning English. If you encounter any mistake help me to correct it :)


texts: Meaning of "implying" in the following sentence

texts:
The capacity to cause or change certain types of human behavior by implying or using physical or psychological means to induce compliance.

I consulted various dictionaries but the definitions given do not clarify the meaning.

to suggest that something is true, without saying this directly
if a fact, event etc implies something, it shows that it is likely to be true
if one thing implies another, it proves that the second thing exists

So my question is, how do you imply a means to do something.


texts: Should the introductory sentence of a bulleted list end with a colon or a period?

texts:
Which of the two examples below is the right way to punctuate the introductory sentence before a bulleted list where each list item is a complete sentence ending with a period?

Example 1

There are a few things to note about the integer 2.

It is the smallest prime number.
It is the smallest even number.
It is the only even prime number.

Example 2

There are a few things to note about the integer 2:

It is the smallest prime number.
It is the smallest even number.
It is the only even prime number.

Here are my questions:

Should the introductory sentence end with a period or a colon?
If both forms are correct, then which one is more popular?
What do various style manuals say about this?


texts: How should I understand “the fact” and “quality” in definition of a word

texts:
I’m a foreign learner of English. I usually learn new words by looking at their dictionary definitions, and I often see “the fact of” and “quality of” in the definition of words. I get confused about what they mean.
In my native language, it just feels not right that these two words are used this way. As in this example, the definition of

variance: the fact or quality of being different, divergent, or inconsistent.

[Lexico]
So how can I understand these two words in a natural way? In addition, is it best to learn all new words by remembering their definitions?


texts: What are reading comprehension tools that can generate or suggest plainer language?

texts:
I'm looking for ways to simplify a document for better comprehension after I have already gone through an editing process myself. It could include suggestions easier synonyms, grammar optimization (adding commas or rearranging sentences), or plain language in general. I've only found a few resources:

Okapi
This highlights difficult words according word whitelist from Spache (Grade 1-3) and Dale-Chall (Grade 4 & up). It can only handle 200 words at a time.

Microsoft Word can provide Flesch-Kincaid Reading Ease score (0-100) and Reading Level (about school grade) after doing a SpellCheck if you have enabled this option in preferences.

I know that software, algorithms, and automation will never quite accomplish everything, like finding for example:

How complex the ideas are
Whether or not the content is in a logical order
Whether the vocabulary is appropriate for the audience
Whether there is a gender, class or cultural bias
Whether the design is attractive and helps or hinders the reader
Whether the material appears in a form and type style that is easy or hard to read
[ from http://plainlanguage.com/newreadability.html ]

But are there tools other than those in Microsoft Word, a thesaurus, or the OKAPI tool that would help improve a text document?


texts: When to use "onboard the ship" and "on board the ship"?

texts:
When do we use "onboard the ship" vs. "on board the ship"?

From https://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/news/2020/03/09/maryland-confirms-its-sixth-case-of-coronavirus.html:

  All of the people onboard the ship will be sent to military bases in Texas and Georgia to be quarantined.

From https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/23/world/europe/viking-sky-cruise-ship-evacuation.html:

  Nearly 1,400 passengers and crew members on board the Viking Sky were being evacuated on Saturday after the ship lost engine power.Credit...


texts: Using multiple meanings of the verb "appreciate"

texts:
Native English and Marathi speaker here. I was thinking of literal translations where there can be multiple meanings of a certain word.

For the verb appreciate, the most common interpretation is along the lines of recognizing worth. Another meaning is when something inanimate rises in value, such as a stock appreciating. Can it also be used as an operative verb, for eg. "I appreciated the stock by making a great deal" meaning to say that through my action/inaction I raised the value of something?

I've never seen an example of this and it seems wrong intuitively, but I am interested to hear y'alls thoughts.


texts:
When should you use "the" in book titles?

For example "The Lord of The Rings" is about that one lord of those rings.

So just in terms of grammar, are both "The Lords of the Rings" and "Lords of the Rings" correct? In this case I imagine the latter implies there are a bunch of lords of the rings. If I'm wrong please correct me, thanks.


texts: What does “big league” in President Trump’s remarks mean? Is it common to use “big league” in English as an adjective or adverb?

texts:
I was drawn to the usage of the word, “big league” in Mr. Trump’s remarks in his
press conference held on February 16, where he told;

“So we've begun preparing to repeal and replace Obamacare, and are deep in the midst of negotiations on a very historic tax reform to bring our jobs back, to bring our jobs back to this country. Big league. It's already happening. But big league.

“Big league” appears in other instances:

In a write-up of its Trump interview earlier this month, CNN transcribed Trump saying the following: “I'm a believe, big league, in God and the Bible.” “Mexico is ripping off the United States big league, and we have to do something about it.” They’re not skimming a buck off the top here or there, they’re emptying the vault into burlap sacks.

This statement is followed with the following paragrapgh:

So which is it—bigly or big league? Or does he flip a coin each morning to determine which one he’ll go with that day?
"It’s big league,” Trump campaign spokeswoman Hope Hicks tells Slate. Oh? OK then.

So my question:

Is it common for native English speakers to use “big league,” which seems to be a noun simply meaning “Major league” to me in the context of “bigly” or “extraordinarily" as an adjective and adverb?

“I'm a believe, big league, in God and the Bible / Mexico is ripping off the United States big league" - Are they proper usages of the word, big league?

P.S.

I observe a thread of arguments about “Bigly or big league: What exactly is Donald Trump saying?” on google, but no conclusion.


texts:
How do you you parse this sentence?

Here's my attempt:

subj: It

verb: seemed

comp: to be a man (infinitive)

is the whole infinitive phrase the complement or is "a man" the complement, and "to be" an expletive?


texts: fashion or clothing industry jargon for a pattern’s age range: toddler, child, adult

texts:
In a database of clothing items, I need to distinguish between those cut for 'girls' and those cut for 'women'. There are no offerings for 'toddler' or 'children', but this category would encompass them if there were.

What is a word for the categories infant,toddler,child,girl,woman?

I am using 'life stage' right now. But it invokes thoughts of insects or something; I don't like that.

Edit: Sorry, I was fishing a bit for words. The following are words I have tried and rejected.

Size describes small,medium and large. But a girl's size small is different from a woman's size small. So 'size' is not the term.

Age could be used, except it implies a numeric age.

Cut might be the term used in industry, I am not sure. I think cut refers to something like shorts vs boot-cut vs capri.


texts: Assessing Formality via the Root of the Word

texts:
Firstly, I'd point out that as this is a slightly open-ended question I'm not certain how well it fits in with the guideline. I'm hoping that the fact there's a way to define an answer means that it is not necessarily wrong.

So, the question came to me after reading this article here: English is not normal. What stood out for me was how the author described that a method of judging the formality of what is being said is through the origin of the word used -- the author also brought two distinct examples ('help'/'aid'/'assist' and 'kingly'/'royal'/'regal') where the Old English > English word is the least formal of the possible options, the French word is the middle ground and the Latin derivation is the most formal.

What other pairs of this kind exist, and is this the best way of determining formality? Does this mean that the best way to make a statement less/more formal is replacing words with their synonyms based on the origin of the synonym (example: "Kingly help was given"/"Royal aid was presented"/"Regal assistance was provided")?


texts: Is it correct to say: the cat and the mouse are puppets played by Bobby.?

texts: I don't know if this is correct because "are" is present tense and "played" is past tense.


texts: Proper punctuation for include, but are not limited to

texts:
I am writing my thesis and am struggling with punctuation for this sentence:

  The set of primitive actions these agents can perform include but are not limited to move, attach and clear.

First I thought adding commas would do the trick, i.e.:

  The set of primitive actions these agents can perform include, but are not limited to, move, attach and clear.

But this looks and reads weird, so I figured I'd add a semicolon, i.e.:

  The set of primitive actions these agents can perform include, but are not limited to: move, attach and clear.

But this also feels wrong. What is the actual proper way of punctuating this sentence?


texts: Is "nearbys" the right word to express "places/ objects that are nearby"? Or does a better word exist?

texts:
This came up in a programming context. A group of objects, that are nearby another one, was simply called:

nearbys

These could be actual places/ locations or really random objects.
This raised questions in me: Is this nominalization actually valid or used in everyday language use? Also would it need to change the y in the plural form?


texts:
What are the age group names for each increment of a decade,starting from 0 and up?  i.e. Octogenarian or teenager ??

Thanks


texts:
What would be the equivalent of the word quadrant when referring to 1/2 and 1/8 of an area?
I'm looking for a more specific term than simply a half.

To give more detail, I'm looking for a term which can refer to a node of a binary tree data structure. In a quad tree data structure, you can refer to each node as a quadrant. I'm looking for the equivalent reference in a binary tree. It would be incorrect to refer to a node in a quad tree as a quarter or a quarter-plane, likewise for a binary tree it would be incorrect to refer to a node as a half or half-plane.


texts:
I saw the following sentence by a contributor at alt.usage.english.
I am puzzled by his usage of 'have gone to'. Why didn't he say
'have been to'? I always think 'have been to' is about experience,
whereas 'have gone to a place' means someone is in that place and
hasn't returned. But he seems to use 'have gone to' to indicate
experience.

  The only place I've ever gone to and had no choice on what I was eating without advanced warning was a family-style Italian restaurant in San Francisco


texts: Is “of” indispensable to the sentence, “’Is it true,’ asked Josef of his mother ‘that he is not our brother?’”

texts:
To non-native English speakers, usage of preposition is always a headache. When I consulted the definition of “of” with an English Japanese dictionary at hand, it gives 16 different patterns of usage starting from 1. possession, 2. attribution / belonging, 3. relationship / contents / limit, 4. equality / apposition, to 13. distance / range, 14. subject of action, 15. object of action, 16. causes / motives. It's far beyond my ability to master all of them.

With that said, I was interested in the function of ‘of’ in the following paragraph of Jeffrey Archer’s “Kane & Abel”:

  After the feast Wladek enjoyed distributing gifts from Christmas tree,
  laden with candles and fruit, to the awestruck peasant children –a
  doll for Sophia, a forest knife for Josef, a new dress, a new dress
  for Florentyna – the first gift Wladek had ever requested of* the
  Baron.  ‘Is it true,’ asked Josef of** his mother when he received a
  gift from Wladek, ‘that he is not our brother, Matka? ‘No, she
  replied, ‘but he will always be my son.’

I can understand the use of ‘of*’ The dictionary gives an example – He requested of his guests that they sit down.

But with the second ‘of,’ the Kodansha’s English Japanese Dictionary defines “ask A of B” as “demand A (thing) to B (person) as in ‘That’s asking too much of John.’
However, in the above quote, Josef is simply asking a question to his mother, not demanding a thing.

Is ‘of**’ indispensable in the sentence -‘Is it true,’ asked Josef of his mother ‘that he is not our brother?
Doesn’t it make sense at all, if I wrote ‘Is it true,’ asked Josef (to) his mother,’ by omitting ‘of’?


texts:
Rewatching Batman animated series, I came across this line in the episode "on leathery wings", where Bullock wanted to net Batman.

  [Detective Bullock] Just make sure the D.A. 's office can give me an airtight case, sir.

The question is the meaning of give me a case.

My first guess was that the case here means argument to support Bullock's arrest of Batman. But why give me(Bullock)? If there is a give in court, the receiver, if I understand correctly, should be the judge and jury. "give Bullock" does not make sense to me.

My second guess was that considering the receiver is Bullock, the case here might mean advocacy or support. But the law dictionary of M-W does not approve this guess.

My third one was that I was taking the sentence too literally and give me a case just means give the case(for me).

My last guess was a wild one. I'm guessing that Bullock pictured a court scene where Harvey Dent would give the case and prove that Batman is guilty, a scene that feels like a show. The show will be "given" to all the audience, including Bullock.


texts: What do you call the different "versions" of a newspaper's specific issues?

texts:
Let's say there is a newspaper called "ACME News".

When they make a new "number" of ACME News, that is called an "issue". As in, issue 1, issue 2, issue 3, etc.

However, for a given day, they might publish several slightly different "versions" of issue 1. For example, the "initial version", the "updated version" and the "final version". I have seen these referred to as "editions", especially as in "final edition".

Is "edition" the right terminology for different "versions" of an issue? Where they have maybe corrected typos, added small updates to existing stories, but don't make any major changes until the next "issue" (which will have a entirely different set of news)?

The problem I have with "edition" is that it seems to overlap with other concepts, such as "Sunday edition" (which should be "Sunday issue" if you ask me), or "British edition", "American edition", "Canadian edition", etc. I don't want to use the word "edition" to refer to more than one concept, to avoid confusion.

So, are different versions of the same issue called "editions", period? Or can they be called "versions"? I'd like to stick fairly closely to established conventions for this.


texts: Traditional vs. classical pronunciation of Latin words in English

texts:
Has the traditional pronunciation of Latin fallen completely out of favor in English, or do any prescriptivists still recommend it? Is it any more common in British English than in American?

A quick look through dictionaries reveals that Merriam-Webster is inconsistent, sometimes, but not always, omitting the traditional pronunciation altogether, whereas Oxford tends to list both.

I'm not asking about the position of classicists on this matter, but rather the position of Englishists.


texts: If I am quoting text messages where the person continuously uses abbreviations such as u instead of you or ur instead of your, when I quote these am I supposed to put [sic] by them to show I am not spelling them incorrectly? Or do the quotation marks already show that they are written exactly as the original? Thanks so much!


texts:
In the following sentence, are the words that and which interchangeable?  In general, where to put that and where to put which?
The sentence:
At the end of this course, students will be able to

Analyze circuits that function as filters.

Analyze circuits which function as filters.


texts:
I want to make a sentence with "wish".

If someone is leaving tomorrow and I want him not to leave. What sentence should be correct using "wish":

I wish you were not leaving tomorrow

OR

I wish you would not leave tomorrow.


texts: Who is "Martha" alluded to in "Eight Cousins"?

texts:
Early in Louisa May Alcott's novel Eight Cousins, a character is described thus:

  Aunt Plenty was utterly dissimilar, being a stout, brisk old lady, with a sharp eye, a lively tongue,
  and a face like a winter-apple. Always trotting,
  chatting, and bustling, she was a regular Martha,
  cumbered with the cares of this world and quite
  happy in them.

I suppose "Martha" here is an allusion to some well-known literary character who has become less well-known since 1874.  Who is she?


texts: As an example of domestic violence, she referred to his (him) beating her up

texts:
I came across the following sentence in this [link] (When to use the gerund form of a verb after "to"?).

"As an example of domestic violence, she referred to his beating her up".

Could someone help me understand why it's "his beating her up" and not "him beating her up"?

I was not able to find similar examples online ...

Thank you!


texts: Why is "I didn't mean to, not miss it" incorrect?

texts:
I know someone who initially typed the phrase, "I didn't mean to not miss it." After I pointed out that this had a double negative, he corrected this to "I didn't mean to, not miss it"

I believe this second phrase is both grammatically incorrect and conveys the incorrect meaning. I'm not sure how to explain the incorrectness of the phrase. Could someone help?


texts: Is 'artisks' a word? (I met this word in 'The Invisible Man')

texts:
In 'The Invisible Man' by H.G.Wells, there is a sentence;"Wait till the summer," said Mrs. Hall sagely, "when the artisks are beginning to come. ..."

Mrs.Hall is the wife of Mr.Hall, who is the owner of the inn where the invisible man(whose name is Griffin) is staying. Mr.Hall does not like Griffin so whenever he can, he expresses that they should evict him. The quoted sentence is the response of the wife when Mr.Hall said so in the late April.

What is 'artisks'? Why is there the definite article 'the'?


texts: Rare when referred to meat not cooked for very long

texts:
According to the online Cambridge dictionary, rare when referred to meat means "not cooked for very long and still red".
As a native speaker of a Romance language I clearly understand the other meaning of rare, that is "uncommon", I'd like to know why rare is also employed to describe a not cooked for long piece of meat…


texts: What does "period" mean at the end of the American phrase?

texts:
What does period mean at the end of a sentence?

For example:

  The stronger your core the easier your YRG(yoga) is gonna get period

I couldn't understand the sentence clearly because of the speaker's American accent.


texts: I'm sure we all know what a "u-turn" is. However, people seem to go from the top of the U. Wouldn't an "n-turn" make more sense, because driving logistics force you to go in more the shape of a lowercase "n", from your perspective.


texts: Is "either" being properly used in the following sentence?

texts:
I'm not a native English-speaker. For some reason, I'm not sure about the usage of either in the following sentence:

  And it's not that I’m against traveling or studying abroad. It's just
  that I'm not against staying in a same place either.

Is it being used correctly?


texts: What does "Would he had blotted a thousand!" mean?

texts:
I come across this passage in Bill Bryson's book, "Shakespeare":

"His mind and hand went together,' they [John Hemings and Henry Condell] wrote in the introduction to the First Folio, 'and what he thought he uttered with that easiness that we have scarce received from him a blot in his papers.' To which Ben Jonson famously replied in exasperation: 'Would he had blotted a thousand!'

I do not quite get the meaning of this exasperation.


texts: What is the "fundamental" difference between ‘search’ and ‘seek’?

texts:
So why do human beings spend so much time playing? One reason is that we have time for leisure; animals have very little time to play as most of their life is spent sleeping and (2)________ food.

  Source: Cambridge English, FIRST 1 (2014): Test 1, Reading and Use of English paper

The following options are given:

A. searching ;    B. looking;  C. seeking; D. gaining

The answer given in the book is C, which is fine by me, in fact in the EL&U archives I found this question: "Seek" vs."search"; the accepted answer with twelve upvotes says:

  […] However, they are really quite different. One fundamental difference is that the object of seek is the item you are trying to locate, whereas the object of search is the place you are looking in. […] Also, seek implies that the seeker knows that the item they are looking for does exist. Search has no such implication.

Which confirms the "correct" answer is seeking. The other reason for it being the only answer possible is that  we normally use the preposition ‘for’ with the verb search.

‘search food’ (NO)
‘search for food’ (YES).

Which brings me back to the EL&U question. If ‘food’ is the object of seek, as stated in the accepted answer,  and a fundamental difference between seek and search; why do native speakers tend to say search for food?

The above Google Ngram seems to strongly suggest that searching for food is perfectly grammatical.

If native speakers say seek food, and search for food;  what is the fundamental difference between the two?


texts: Should I use "the" in this case and why?

texts:
"Download (the) React repository".

I think "the" shouldn't be used in this case, because we already have the name of the repository.

But:
"Open React. Download the repository." - download the mentioned repository.

And:
"Download a repository." -download any repository, doesn't matter which.

Am I right?


texts: "You gotta do what you gotta do" and similar expressions

texts:
You gotta do what you gotta do.

  It's there because it's there.

  Stuff, because stuff.

Does this pattern of expression have a name? Existential assertion, maybe?


texts: What does it mean to "be in ...but not of...."

texts:
I've recently been watching workout advice and the gentleman who was in the video said the phrase "be in the gym but not of the gym" and initially I thought I understood that but after pondering a while about it I came to a conclusion that I did not.

I've done some googling and found few bible references of the phrase "be in the world but not of the world" but couldn't make sense of their philosophical explanations.

So What does it mean to "be in [something] but not of [something]" ?


texts:
We all know that before normally means "earlier in time", but I've been thinking about the opposite meanings of those expressions:

The days before now (the past)
The days before us (the future)

I'm aware that some other European languages have similar usages, too, so I would like to understand when and how such contrasting meanings developed in English.


texts: Do you put capital letters to the first letter of a quotation if it is in the middle of a sentace?

texts:
For a statistics assignment, I am writing an essay on the difference in marathon performance between older and younger athletes. One of my sentences is this:

  Richard Askwith argued that the experience which comes with age can make older athletes still competitive, stating that “your perception of time changes with age. You become more patient in training and in racing … rather than fretting about the distance, we just cruise along in a more relaxed frame of mind”.

Should the first letter of the quotation (your) be capitalized?

Thanks


texts: Article - "a" or "the" or plural for countable nouns?

texts:
I think a countable noun are usually of the following 3 forms:

the + countable noun (single form)
a + countable noun (single form)
countable noun (plural form)

I am confused about which to pick for the following sentence. Should it be

  The map is usually a crucial prerequisite for location services.

OR

  A map is usually a crucial prerequisite for location services.

OR

  Maps are usually a crucial prerequisite for location services.


texts: Difference between "greater than" and "greater then"?

texts:
What are there a difference between the following sentences?
They are pronounced the same or? Maybe it depends on the dialect?

A: Are you sure 'x' is "greater than" 'y'.
B: Are you sure 'x' is "greater then" 'y'.

I guess that 'A' should always be used, but wouldn't 'B' do just fine?
Would 'A' imply relative to size vs 'B' relative to time (since)?


texts: Which words are modified by "so long forgotten" in this sentence?

texts:
In the main hall a bar with a real brass rail was set up, and stocked with gins and liquors and with cordials so long forgotten that most of his female guests were too young to know one from another.

(from The Great Gatsby)

Which words does the phrase "so long forgotten" modify in the sentence above? Does it mean just the cordials are so long forgotten or all the gins, liquors and cordials are also so long forgotten? How can you rewrite the sentence to emphasize each case?


texts: What’s the word for an unnecessary statement that must be true given an earlier comment?

texts: For example, “it was 3am in the morning” or “i saw with my own eyes”.


texts: Is there a word or a term for when you say you don't know how to do something when you actually do know?

texts: For instance, when someone asks for you to fix their computer or their cell phone and you just say that you don't how to solve that problem, even if you do know.


texts:
What does the word "Rep." mean?
What's meaning of the 'Rep.'?


texts: Word for someone trying to be the best by ruining others

texts:
I'm looking for the word to describe for someone who's so insecure about being the best, that they would go to great length to sabotage other peoples chances just to be the best.

For example, Lisa Simpson is known for this because whenever someone is better than her at something (music, school etc.), she'll get jealous and try to sabotage them.

Another example is Jerry Smith from Rick and Morty, who was willing to risk a whole eco system just to pretend he's right (pluto being a planet).

The word I've heard over the years was pretentious (attempting to impress by affecting greater importance or merit than is actually possessed) but I discard it because I didn't see the sabotage others in it.


texts: What is the word for "intially resisting, but eventually accepting that it's not right"

texts: I once knew what it was but I've  forgotten it. I need a specific word for resisting at first but eventually admitting that you're wrong


texts: A word for things or properties which are often found together

texts:
If you find the first thing there's a high chance that you'll also find the other thing.

An example sentence: "Cats have three main properties: They're mammals, they give live births, and the internet loves them. Among house pets those first two are common and even [word-goes-here], but the third one is more rare." (Yes, this is a terrible example sentence. I'm sorry for this. The actual sentence is quite technical and has irrelevant (to the current discussion) details. The process of mapping over to this constructed example has lost some character but I hope you understand which meaning I'm going for)

My instinct is to call them "correlated" but that's not quite right. If the second property was never found in the same places that you find the first property that would also be a correlation.


texts: How did "gesundheit" work its way into common American usage?

texts:
Once upon a time I was hanging out with a fairly international group of people. Somebody sneezed, and one of the Americans reflexively responded, "Gesundheit!"

A German in the group seized on the opportunity to ask, "How do all Americans know this word?" Apparently he had been puzzled for quite some time by the number of Americans who know one, and only one, word of his native tongue. Some of them don't even know that it is a German word!

None of us could come up with a satisfactory answer.


texts: How did “to entail” shift semantically to mean 'involve (something) as an inevitable part'?

texts:
to entail = 1. Involve (something) as a necessary or inevitable part or consequence:

Per the following, what semantic fields underlie 1 and 2, and explain 1's semantic shift to 2?

  [ Etymonline: ] [1.] mid-14c., "convert (an estate) into 'fee tail' (feudum talliatum)," from en- (1) "make" + taile "legal limitation," especially of inheritance, ruling who succeeds in ownership and preventing it from being sold off, from Anglo-French taile, Old French taillie, past participle of taillier "allot, cut to shape," from Late Latin taliare  (see tailor (n.)).
  [3.] Sense of "have consequences" is 1829,
  from [2.] notion of "inseparable connection." [...]


texts:
I have the following process implemented by a software component:

a file is created by a designer
the file is distributed to multiple systems, where the component runs
the component creates a copy of the file and then it inserts data and charts
the resulted file is sent for further processing

How should I call the file created by the designer?
Is "boilerplate" a good term?


texts:
Is it correct to use "were" or "was" in the following?

  whenever either of two somethings [were/was] applied [...]


texts: What should be used for additional information? Comma or Semi-colon?

texts:
Which of the following is correct?

  My family is part of the Miami tribe; a Native American people with strong ties to territory in present-day Ohio, Indiana and Illinois.

OR

  My family is part of the Miami tribe, a Native American people with strong ties to territory in present-day Ohio, Indiana and Illinois.


texts: What is a word that means "does not collapse?"

texts:
For example:

Although there was an earthquake, my house did not collapse.
Although there was an earthquake, my house [positive action verb].

I've considered "withstood," but it sounds strange to me on its own: "My house withstood the earthquake" is fine, but "Although there was an earthquake, my house withstood" sounds kind of clunky without an object.
Thank you!


texts: Word for something that represents, but is not, something abstract

texts: A while ago I heard a word that means something representing something abstract, but not actually being that thing. It was in the context of Java's Class objects - that classes in Java are loaded into the JVM in a special way, but that Class objects exist to represent those; they're _____. I feel like it started with an R? Thanks!


texts: Difference between "commentor" and "commentator"

texts: What is the difference between commentor and commentator? Is commentor or commenter a legitimate English word?


texts:
The following quotation is from Greg Egan's novel Permutation City:

The terrace house, one hundred and forty years old, was shaped like a cereal box. It had originally been part of a row of eight; four on one side had been gutted and remodeled into offices for a firm of architects; the other three had been demolished at the turn of the century to make way for a road that had never been built.

I'm wondering why the Past Perfect is so heavily used in the second sentence? I know that quite often P/Perfect and P/Simple can be used interchangeably:

The past perfect is neutral as regards the differences expressed by the past tense and present perfect. This means that if we put the events further into the past, they both end up in the past perfect...
When describing one event following another in the past, we can show their relation by using the past perfect for the earlier event, or else we can use the past tense for both, relying on a conjunction (e.g. after, before, when) to show which event took place earlier...
(Geoffrey Leech and Jan Svartvik - A Communicative Grammar of English)

So, it seems the quotation from Egan's novel might be rendered as follows:

The terrace house, one hundred and forty years old, was shaped like a cereal box; two stories high, but scarcely wide enough for a staircase. Originally it was a part of a row of eight; four on one side were gutted and remodeled into offices for a firm of architects; the other three were demolished at the turn of the century to make way for a road that had never been built.

Is there any difference in meaning? Which of the variants seems better worded? I don't know English well enough to be able to assess such nuances. For my ear Egan's style sounds a bit heavy. He uses Pluperfect very intensively which results in phrases like this one, for one more example:

When he had asked for a package of results that would persuade “the skeptics” about the prospects for an Autoverse biosphere, he hadn’t been thinking of academics in the artificial life scene. He’d wanted to convince his clients that... and so on.

Why not put it simply?

When he asked for a package of results that would persuade “the skeptics” about the prospects for an Autoverse biosphere, he wasn’t thinking of academics in the artificial life scene. He wanted to convince his clients that...

What is your opinion?


texts: Is it correct to say "We [...] will be present at  at  [...]"?

texts:
I am writting an email in English for a website.

As you can see, my English isn't quite perfect.

And one of the emails must be saying something similar to:

We confirm that we will be present at <destiny> at <time> to pick you up.

Is this the right way to say it?

Saying at twice sounds..... wrong and awful.


texts: What is the correct tense to be used in Technical Presentation most of the time?

texts: This is more about the suggestion I am asking here. Please share your ideas/experience which will help me. I am working as a project manager and want to present most of the time about project or technology. I used mixed tenses for the same kind of information which suits sometimes correctly and interpreted the meaning sometimes incorrectly.


texts: what is a person who is unusually interested in others' misfortunes

texts: What is a phrase for a person who is unusually interested in others' misfortunes and enjoys gossiping about such?


texts: Pronunciation of "lorry", "worry" and "sorry"

texts:
I have always pronounced lorry as "lur-ee" (as if to rhyme with worry), for as long as I can remember. Everyone else I know pronounces it as "lor-ee" (as if to rhyme with sorry).

Which one is correct, and why would the pronunciation of the vowel differ between sorry and worry when their spellings differ only in a consonant?


texts: What would you call a person who has a bad reputation and tends to attract gossip?

texts:
I want to describe someone who has a bad reputation and tends to make people talk about him (in a bad way) because of how he behaves, before saying that he's actually passionate and kind. Overall, he simply gets badmouthed a lot because of his strong behaviour.

If possible, I'd like an adjective.

I was thinking of something alone the lines of scandalous, but in a less pejorative way. Would badmouthed be idiomatic?

Context:

  This allowed us to meet Jean, a notoriously [adjective] person, who actually turned out to be quite kind and invested.

How would you go about this one?

Thanks in advance!

Edit:  I think disreputable fits the description, but it might be too much to describe someone that is in fact a great person, and I wouldn't want my wording to worsen his reputation. In the end, the person I'm describing could be one of the readers of the piece I'm writing.


texts: Are there English equivalents to Japanese and Chinese proverb meaning “sell dog meat by displaying the head of lamb?

texts:
The saying, “A pig in a poke” quoted in Maureen Dowd's article in New York Times (August 10) referring to Donald Trump’s incendiary remarks in Presidential campaign debate
(See https://english.stackexchange.com/users/3119/yoichi-oishi?) reminded me of a popular Japanese proverb – Yoto kuniku, which is a direct translation of Chinese proverb, gua yan tou mai gourou-“sell dog meat by displaying the head of lamb at the store-front,” meaning a crooked business practice.

I think “A pig in a poke” and “sell dog meat by displaying the head of lamb” are similar in spirit, however, the former hides the pig, the latter on the contrary shows off a false bait, namely false description of contents in legal terms.

Are there any English counterparts to Japanese / Chinese saying, “Sell dog meat by displaying the head of lamb”?


texts:
You  are  too kind  to  me.

  You  are  very  kind  to  me

I  have  found the  entry   You  are  too kind  to  me in  Michael  Swan' s  Practical English  Usage. But  it  was  not  explained   when  it  was  used.But  it  was  said  that  You  are too much  kind  to  me  is  wrong.

I think too  kind  connotates  some  negative  interpretation  and  very  kind  is  used  is  to  express  thanks  or  gratitude.

I  would  like  to  know  the  contexts where  you  are  very  kind  and   you  are  too  kind  are  used.

What  is the  difference  between  you  are  too kind  and  you  are very  kind?


texts: Singular noun after "or," or is that in dispute?

texts: In the sentence "A junk vehicle is any vehicle, or parts of a vehicle, which meets at least three of the following criteria...," shouldn't "meet" be singular due to the preceding "or"? I've encountered some alternative treatment of situations like this so am confused. Thanks in advance.


texts: Is there a word for preparation with a negative connotation?

texts:
Is there a word, or tightly constructed phrase, that means prepared or pre-planned, but has a negative connotation?

The idea being that in some circumstances, it is better to be in the moment and improvising instead of forcing preconceived ideas.

An example use would be something like:

  That guy can't let go of the ideas he had when he came in today. He's being totally _____.

Update: While there have been many close and helpful suggestions, the key element that is still lacking is the concept of pre-existing plans. It's entirely possible for someone to be close-minded or stubborn while improvising new ideas of their own.

It may well be that a term like this doesn't exist, but the right term would not only mean resistant to new ideas from others, but necessarily include having pre-existing ideas as the cause.


texts: In AE, is "tin" used instead of "can" to designate an eco friendly BPA free can of sardines?

texts:
I've always thought that "can" was the typical term to refer to a can of sardines (or the like) in AE, and "tin" the BE equivalent, until I recently stumbled across "tin" used instead of "can" on a US website to designate a can of smoked trout.

And so, I was wondering whether "tin" could have migrated across the Atlantic from the UK to the US, and gained ground into regional or mainstream AE to designate -- along with "can" -- a small airtight flat container adapted for storing a pack of processed fish. Or, does "tin" have a specific meaning to it in AE?

I thought it might designate a can made of special metallic alloy suitable for food products, and also good for the environment.

  Consider the Web page in question: source


texts: Term for street meant for cars and pedestrians

texts:
Is there a term for a street that has no adjoining sidewalk and is instead intended (the street itself) for vehicles and pedestrians to share? Such a thing is called a רחוב הולנדי, literally a Dutch road, in Hebrew, but that term doesn't seem to exist in English; is there some other name for it?

To be clear, I'm asking about any street (or a residential street) designed for cars and pedestrians. Typically, at least in such streets that I'm familiar with, the surface will be different from that of a normal street, so as to call attention to its being meant for pedestrians also (and perhaps to slow cars down). I'm not asking about a pedestrian mall, which is meant for pedestrians only even though it otherwise may be just like a street: what I'm thinking of is for vehicles also.


texts: Why is the phrase "I hope this computer work" unacceptable? The word "hope" makes the phrase subjunctive, so why isn't it correct to use the infinitive verb form?


texts: Difference between "at this weekend" and "this weekend"

texts:
What's the difference between "at this weekend" and "this weekend" when they are used in a sentence. How do we use them correctly?
For example, can I say " I am going to visit my friends at this weekend." OR "I am going to visit my friends this weekend." Which one is correct? Is there any difference between them?


texts:
I am a bit unsure about putting a verb in the "ing" form when it follows "as well as". Can somebody please explain which one (A or B) is grammatically correct and which one sounds more natural?

  A. He documented a number of processes and workflows as well as
  liaising between the development team and its internal clients.

  B. He documented a number of processes and workflows as well as
  liaised between the development team and its internal clients.


texts: What's a good way to describe the professional occupation of someone who is a street hustler, without using derogatory terms?

texts:
I am filling in a form for someone who basically does a variety of odd jobs to make a living, including reselling items, but "Sales" is not really an accurate way to describe their occupation. I am thinking of describing them as "self-employed" but that's a bit too vague.

Thanks for your suggestions.


texts: What's the word for someone who can read/write/speak a language without understanding it?

texts:
I know how to read, write and speak Arabic, yet I don't understand it. I tried to look for a word that describes my predicament, yet I can't find one. Since many share this issue I am convinced there is one. Thus my question: does such a word even exist? If yes, what word is it?
I know the phonetics. For example: if you were to give me an Arabic text I would read it out loud correctly, but I would have no clue as to what it is I am saying.


texts: What does it mean "to queer the pudding"?

texts:
In today's Observer, columnist Jonathan Bouquet mentions Jon Snow on Channel 4 News while interviewing Jacob Rees Mogg, having used the expression  to queer the pudding. Bouquet refers to it as a "new phrase", to which Rees Mogg is said to have "cocked an eyebrow".

I am quite certain I have heard it, and that it means "to introduce unnecessary complications and confusion to an issue". But I cannot find a reference to it anywhere on line. The only response Google gives me is a reference back to Bouquet's article.

Please would someone confirm that I am not imagining things when I say it is a well-known saying, perhaps dated, but certainly in 20th century use.


texts: An analogy to describe an individual who merges traits he finds from others in order to develop his own identity?

texts:
I am writing a research paper in which my thesis concerns how a character matures through his merging of characteristic traits in his relationships with other characters. How can I introduce this topic with an analogy "attention-getter" that demonstrates this idea of merging things together to form something new?

In another words, I'm looking for an analogy that compares how an individual who combines attributes that he acquires from his relationships can actually create a new, and better, identity for himself.


texts:
What is the difference in the meaning between following sentences:

John was to have picked strawberries yesterday but the downpour made  the field too muddy.
John was to pick strawberries yesterday but the downpour made the field too muddy.
(Source: modified example from BBC
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/learnit/learnitv103.shtml)

I've read in Learn English BBC that the form "was to" and "was to have" is used for past plan which wasn't fulfilled. But what I haven't understood is that these forms look similar to me. I'm in a dilemma which one (was to, or was to have) is used for past and which one is for unfullfilled past.

So, what are the differences between the constructions

was/were to + infinitive
and
was/were to have + past participle?

Does it mean 'was to+infinitive' is used for fixed plan in the past which either did happen or didn't happen, so, the further justification is needed to know this.

On the other hand, 'was to have+p.p is a construction which itself implies that the fixed plan(sheduled in the pas) in the past didn't happen? Please make it clear with examples ?
 I would appreciate your helpfull answer.


texts:
Sorry if the title is bad, I didn't know how to put it.

Take the following sentence, "He flipped the pancake so vigorously it got stuck on the ceiling".
When we think about the word "on", we usually think of "on top of".

So is there a word that doesn't sound as weird that could be used in place?


texts: second or third person: addressing a single person in an email to a group

texts:
How do I address a single person in an email sent to a group?

We are discussing a project in an email thread that has multiple members.

What is the correct way to address a single sentence to only one of the thread members (although I am still interested in all reading the email and I am still sending to all).

First try, using second person:

  "As to your suggestion, John, its advantage is that it dramatically
  reduces costs while not impacting the customers in that area, but you still
  need to work on it and improve it so it passes certification"

Second try, using third person:

  "As to John's suggestion, its advantage is that it dramatically reduces
  costs while not impacting the customers in that area, but he still needs to work on it and improve it so it passes certification"

Is there a right way to do it, or is it a just an issue of preferences and style?


texts: Meaning of 'imaginatively' in this sentence from Bertrand Russell

texts:
The adverb imaginatively is defined as 'in a way that shows creativity or inventiveness' in dictionaries.

Now, please consider this sentence from Bertrand Russell:

  in any very large organization, and above all in a great state, officials and legislators are usually very remote from those whom they govern, and not imaginatively acquainted with the conditions of life to which their decisions will be applied.

What does he mean by the word imaginatively here? Does acquainting with 'the conditions of life to which their decisions will be applied' need creativity or could be done creatively? Could imaginatively be replaced with very much here with no significant change in meaning?


texts: A word like "hundreds" but for multiples of 10

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  How to use “tens of” and “hundreds of”?

Take this example:

  Hundreds of pieces were used to create it.

What if the amount were something like 20 or 30? What would the equivalent sentence be that would sound natural?


texts: What's the single-word for "left or right handed"?

texts:
'Male'/'female' is to 'gender' as 'left-handed'/'right-handed 'is to...?

Is there a word to describe this? For example, if I ask a guy

  What's your ____?

It should mean I'm asking whether he's left or right-handed.

Another example could be

  Our designs are not biased  against your ____.

Basically, I'm looking for something that means the state of being left- or right-handed which could be used analogously as gender.

EDIT: Sorry for the delay in the edit, but I was tied up. There are some points I'd like to clarify:

I'm not looking for a way to paraphrase my questions. I'm looking for a single word. I know people normally ask something along the lines of "Are you left-handed or not?" People also ask "Are you afraid of the dark?" instead of "Are you scotophobiac?". The word for it, along with 3 others still exists, right?
It has been pointed out that I should go with Our designs are not biased against left-handed people as that is what I mean. But that is not necessarily what I mean.

For example, let's say there is a washbasin with the tap on the right. Clearly, it's biased against lefties. Sometimes, you come across a washbasin with a tap on the left. (The logic being: you use your left hand to turn the tap as your right one's dirty). But, your right hand might not always be dirty, in which case, it's biased against righties.

A washbasin with the tap on the center is, then, handedness-blind or chirality-blind, if you will. (I foresee that some would dwell on Our designs are symmetrical. Please don't.)

I'm looking for a term that would be applicable here, as well as in the 1st example.

My favorite so far is chirality, suggested by Dan Bron in a comment (with 25 upvotes!) But, I'm reluctant to use it because there's no hard proof it's used in that sense

If we are talking about male-female, gender works perfectly. What's your gender? and Our designs aren't biased against your gender. , both work perfectly here.

Sorry for the late edit again. If the consensus is that I rollback, I will. Let me know in the comments.


texts:
I'm looking for an English word or short phrase to convey a meaning which is similar to “union representative” or “shop steward”, except that the person in question is not (necessarily) associated with a union. That person is an employee of a company who is elected by his fellow employee to represent him in various relations with the employer.

The point is to distinguish between two concepts in French labor relations: a “délégué syndical” (lit. “union representative”), and a “délégué du personnel” (lit. “representative of the workforce”). While it is possible for a délégué du personnel to also be a délégué syndical, they are separate roles, and the délégué du personnel does not have to be a union member, and even if he is he does not speak for the union in his role as a délégué du personnel.

IATE is decidedly unhelpful here, suggesting only “shop steward” and “trade union representative” for délégué du personnel, both of which are wrong. Linguee offers suggestions, but none that strike me as clearly making the difference between union and union-agnostic representatives. There evidently is no similar concept in labor relations in English-speaking countries, so I'm looking for a good enough approximation.

What would be a good way to translate délégué du personnel into English (taking care not to imply a union representative)? A way to describe this role in a sentence or two that makes sense to UK and US audiences would be appreciated too.


texts: Is there any difference between a 'Web slide Show' and a 'Carousel'?

texts:
Are Web slideshows and carousels the same thing? If not, what is the difference?

For Web slideshow, I mean HTML image galleries like:

Flexslider by WooThemes
Nivo Slider™
Juicebox


texts:
I was typing inarguably, but my spell checker complained and corrected it to unarguably. It's probably not the best spell checker, because I thought "inarguably" unarguably exists. I tried to Google it to see if there was a difference, but my search was inconclusive.

  As adverbs the difference between inarguably and unarguably is that inarguably is indisputably; certainly, definitely; without the possibility of argument or debate while unarguably is not subject to question or doubt.

Source: https://wikidiff.com/unarguably/inarguably

To me that just sounds like two ways of saying the same thing. So I wanted to ask if there is an actual difference, if one is preferred over the other, and if they are favoured differently in different countries or regions.


texts: Differences between "sledge", "sleigh" and "sled"

texts:
Is there a difference between a sledge, a sleigh and a sled?

Dictionary definitions suggest they are synonymous, but it certainly sounds wrong to refer to Santa Claus on a sledge.


texts:
In the sentences:

She begged him [not to leave her].
The colonel commanded his men [to charge].
How can we encourage a baby [to use that toy properly]?

Are the to-clauses subordinate – and if so, are they thereby regarded as objects?


texts: Get hold of, get ahold of, get a hold of

texts:
Under what circumstances would you prefer one of the following over the other two?

Get hold of
Get ahold of
Get a hold of


texts: What's the word for "expressing something completely unfamiliar in familiar terms"?

texts:
When a speaker is trying to express something that does not have the right representation is his language or even environment, they use something resembling an analogy or a metaphor. For example, tribes that had never seen a railroad before may call it an "iron horse" because they don't even have a concept of a railroad. Is there a better word for this figure of speech or the process itself?

Edit: another example. Imagine that people from some primitive culture witnessed a landing of a spacecraft and saw astronauts coming out of it. To describe what they saw they would have to say something like "A shining boat descended from the sky and gods in shiny furs came out of it" because they have no notion of space travel or clothes made of anything but fur. Maybe "primitive metaphor" is the right way call this? Or is there a better word?


texts:
For quite some time I have greeted foreign/english girlfriends with "good morning, beautiful" in the morning - I'm from Germany, so English is not my first language, hence the question:

Today I wondered if "beautiful" is correct? Should it rather be

1) "Good morning, beauty"  or is

2) "Good morning, beautiful" (implying "good morning, beautiful woman")

correct as well?


texts: Is censorships a legitimate word? Obviously it could be used to mean multiple censorships for something.


texts: Is there a special term for a person who unwittingly creates problems for every one around

texts:
Which english (american, british, any other flavour; noun or adjective, no matter) term would you use to describe a person who despite of being full of good intentions somehow always manages to make life tougher for all around.

Sometimes just because he is unlucky, sometimes because he lives in his own world and he does not realise how real world ticks, sometimes because he is not able to work in concert with people around (in spite of the fact he wants to work in concert). No matter what is the reason any activity he is engaged in always brings complications and creates problems for other people.

He may be a not unpleasant person but you would certainly prefer not to have him around nonetheless.


texts: Etymology of "dutchman" to mean a carpentry patch?

texts:
The term dutchman is used to describe a repair patch used in carpentry. Various dictionaries define it along the lines of

  Something used to fill or cover a gap, especially a block of wood or stone set into a larger piece to replace a damaged section.

American Heritage

These are examples of the type of construction

(original found at this site)

(original found at this site)

The dictionary definitions give no etymology, and this usage does not appear on etymonline.

A common sense guess might associate the usage with the story of the Dutch boy placing his finger in a hole in a dike, an oft published story from the mid-19th century, and repeated in  Hans Brinker; or, the Silver Skates: A Story of Life in Holland, a novel by American author Mary Mapes Dodge. Wikipedia.

But that is nothing more than a guess. Does anyone have guidance as to the origin of this usage?


texts: Is there a single word for date of death?

texts: Since we have a single word like birthday, is there a corresponding term for the date of someone’s death?


texts: Is there an English word for a person who shares your name?

texts:
In Sweden, if your name is Sven Andersson and there is a person of interest (for any reason) that has the same name as you, there is a slightly affectionate word you can use where you say that this person (that you often don't know at all) is your namne (namn means name).

Is there a similar word in English, and how does the usage differ, if at all?


texts: What noun means "an unabashed, incorrigible person"?

texts:
Let's say I know a person that unabashedly engages in behavior that is seen as undesirable (but not necessarily immoral or eccentric; for example, someone that is very brazenly nerdy). I am specifically focused on this person exhibiting such behavior without embarrassment or regard for others' opinions, i.e. someone that is not afraid to stand out. Is there a word (noun) for such a person, preferably one without strong negative connotations?
Some words I think don't quite work:

"Nerd" (and e.g. "geek", "dork", etc.) suggests a specific behavior/trait that isn't correct for my usage, and doesn't usually suggest brazenness.
"Reprobate" has strong overtones of immorality. "Libertine" similarly has negative connotations.
"Rebel", "renegade" and "maverick" all suggest that the person is actively violating rules, which isn't necessarily the case (and, again, are often seen as negative).


texts: Is there a word for taking a (possibly undeserved) authoritative tact?

texts:
I feel like there's a word that I know but can't locate in my brain for regarding someone from a position of authority.

The word, in itself, is neutral (not negative or positive) so it's not really synonymous to condescending, but it's in that family.

Specifically, it would be the way a teacher would approach a pupil.  Provided that that is the relationship, there's nothing negative about the interaction.

However, if one were to take the same tack in a situation where the party being addressed is not assuming a lesser expertise or authority than the speaker, then the speaker comes off as... [ this word ].

Any thoughts?


texts: What does "Remember me to one who lives there" mean?

texts: We've all heard the song, even if it wasn't from S&G. "Remember me to one who lives there / she was once a true love of mine." But what does that phrase mean? Remember isn't ditransitive; it takes no object. Is this a poetic way to say "remind"?


texts:
I'm currently reading Flann O'Brien's At Swim-Two-Birds and come across this term in one of Sweeney (Shuibhne)'s verses (p. 82, Penguin Classics 2001). Here Sweeney seems to be lamenting his misery and using this term to refer to his own condition (i.e., turned by St. Ronan's curse into the shape of a bird):

  Forgive me Oh great Lord,
  mortal is the great sorrow,
  worse than the black grief -
  Sweeney the thin-groined.

(At Swim-Two-Birds, p. 82, Penguin Classics 2001)


texts:
From http://artofmanliness.com/2011/04/06/how-to-iron-shirt/

  Iron around buttons, never over them. Even if there is fabric laying
  over the button, as in the case of a pocket with under-buttons or a
  dress shirt with a hidden button down collar.  You can create a
  permanent impression that will ruin the look of the shirt.  Be sure to
  remove shirt stays as well.

I can't find a meaning for "stays" from those listed in Google dictionary. I wonder how to interpret it? Thanks!


texts: Can I omit part of a compound word when it's repeated?

texts:
Is it correct to omit term in the following sentence? Or must I repeat it like in sentence 2?

The short- and long-term projections are completed.

The short-term and long-term projections are completed.


texts: word or phrase for pursuing a losing argument in a certain manner

texts:
Is there a word or phrase for describe the action (or the actor) of pursuing a losing argument,not conceding any points, but rather trying to win on legalisms or pedantry?

I don't mean starting out on pedantic points, but from a sincere position, which, through the course of the argument, became clearly untenable, with the other side clearly more persuasive on its merits. But the proponent, instead of conceding, instead switches tactics and tries to score points against the other side about legalism, minor mistakes, etc., tries to make their argument as presentable as possible, etc. Basically going through the motions of arguing, and doing it well, but not actually conceding.


texts: general term for airspeed for objects traveling in a fluid

texts: Airspeed is the speed of air relative to an aircraft. Is there a general term for this that applies to any object in any fluid (that is in motion)? For example, if a car were to be driving 10 mph into a 20mph headwind, air would be moving past it at 30mph. Saying that the car has an airspeed of 30mph seems appropriate. But what about a fish swimming in a river?


texts: "Coward" vs. "cowardice" — why was France labeled a "cowardice" rather than a "coward"?

texts:
Listening to a BBC News Podcast today, there was interesting part that started with Jeb Bush's remarks on Marco Rubio (in the Republican debate) that he should resign from Congress because of his poor voting record. Bush said, "When you signed up for this, this was a six-year term. And you should be showing up to work. I mean literally, the Senate, what is it like a French work-week? You get like 3 days where you have to show up?"

In the middle of checking facts (about French work-week), a journalist working in France (with a thick French-English accent) mentions, "The French are used to being commented upon, especially by the Bush family bacause a brother of Jeb, George the former President, 12 years ago labeled France as a cowardice when it came into the war in Iraq."

Question 1: Cowardice means:

  fear that makes you unable to do what is right or expected : lack of
  courage [Merriam-Webster]

and there is no indication that it can be used interchangeably to mean a "coward". Are my understanding and research wrong?

Question 2: Is there a possibility the journalist used a "cowardice" because it rhymes with "France" or because it is a country rather than a person?

Question 3: Is it more perjorative to call someone/a country a "cowardice"?

Question 4 (Most important question): Did the word "cowardice" used to mean "coward" etymologically in the past and has it lost the meaning? Which of the two words became an English word first and how have these 2 words evolved?


texts: Meanings of "legacy incumbent" and "back-end"

texts:
I read a report and encountered two terms "legacy incumbent" and "back-end". Here is the text:

"Workday is continuing to demolish the legacy incumbents selling HR software to large enterprises, and its accounting product is now awaiting an evangelical customer to accelerate adoption. Workday is one of a number of enterprise IT companies that seem to be combining consumer internet behaviour (product/user focus, rapid iteration, web interface, mobile delivery) with an enterprise sales force. Unlisted Docusign is of similar ilk with a consumer-oriented product, but an enterprise back-end and sales force."

I think legacy incumbent is kind of legacy/heritage company. But I'm not quite sure about the back-end. Is it a term in software engineering like this https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Front_and_back_ends or is it just an enterprise support force who works behind?


texts:
A part of Circular Staircase, by Mary Roberts Rinehart:

  However, I did the best I could.  When Gertrude got past the hair-ribbon age, and Halsey asked for a scarf-pin and put on long trousers--and a wonderful help that was to the darning.--I sent them away to good schools.  After that, my responsibility was chiefly postal, with three months every summer in which to replenish their wardrobes, look over their lists of acquaintances, and generally to take my foster-motherhood out of its nine months' retirement in camphor.

Was it a misspelling or dead expression?
I can't find any proper meaning of this word in any dictionary to fit in the above sentence.


texts: What is the name of a particular poetic foot, unstressed, stressed, stressed?

texts: There are six well-known feet in English poetry--dactyl, spondee, anapest, iamb, trochee, and pyrrhic. However, is there also a name for the foot with unstressed, stressed, stressed, and/or is it usable? Also, why is it that other combinations of stressed/unstressed syllables are uncommon? Is there a particular metrical reason why such other forms are not considered often? This form of meter is used in the Persian epic shahnameh and elsewhere in the  Middle East. An example, whether it has a name or not, of its usage in English poetry (assuming there is a usage) would be appreciated as well.


texts: "Stood up from the dressing table chair" OR "Stood up from the dressing table"?

texts:
Laura stood up from the dressing table chair/stood up from the dressing table with a gun in her right hand.

Which is understandable for you? Can I write it without the "chair"?


texts: What are the rules of "Having + Verb in third form?"

texts:
I know "having + verb in the third form" indicates any task that has been completed and the event or action after that task. But can I use it to indicate something to talk about a present or future incident?
For example, are these sentences grammatically correct?

Having seen you, I am not happy. (Present)
Having lived in London, I know its climate very well. (Present)
Having completed the novel, I will come to see you. (Future)
Another sentence:
Which one is correct?
Eating my dinner, I will come to meet you.
Having had my dinner, I will come to meet you.


texts: Subject + "have had" + bare infinitive ... ever correct?

texts:
In writing an email today I came up with the following sentence:

"We have had two other ladies express an interest in the room."

I'm a native English-English speaker and this felt fine to me. My partner (who is Spanish) felt that the bare-infinitive 'express' in conjunction with the 'have had' was wrong. She felt the closest acceptable option would be the gerund form ie:

"We have had two other ladies expressing an interest in the room."

To me that sounds less normal and a slightly different meaning.

It is something to do with the 'had' specifically, because she felt (as I do) that with a different verb it could be correct, eg:

"We have heard two other ladies express an interest in the room."

I searched online for grammar reference sites and the closest I could find to an example matching my construction was specific to having someone do something for you, for example:

"I have had my lawyer look into it"

(and it was noted that this was an American English construction)

But is this valid in my case?

I'd like someone to confirm or refute whether my original phrase is correct, preferably with an external reference :)


texts: Is Working a noun or a verb in this sentence?

texts:
"Working for the man".  Does "Working" act as a noun, verb or something else in this case and why?

If I said, "I am working for the man." Then clearly working is a verb.  However, I'm confused by the colloquial phrase "working for the man."  It seems to have a "poetic" tone if you will.  Because the subject does not exist I wonder if "Working" is a state of being in this case?

As "Peter Shor" pointed out Maybe the answer is that because this is not a complete sentence then we don't know what role "working" plays in the sentence.

FWIW, I'm imaginging how I can translate the phrase into Japanese.  Which word I use for "Working" depends on whether it is a noun or a verb.


texts:
Can I reply “Glad to hear it” to the email saying -“ thanks for appreciation”

He is appreciating my encouragement towards his written story.


texts: Is there an antonym to anthropomorphic meaning "The attribution of characteristics and behavior of inanimate objects to that which is alive"? I found "zoomorphism," but it doesn't have quite the definition I want.


texts:
I wonder whether the word "collaboration" has negative connotations dating back to WWII years where this word was often used in phrases like "collaboration with Nazi Germany" and similar contexts.
Is it safe to use the word "collaboration" in phases like "collaboration between our institutions" or will "cooperation between our institutions" be a better choice?
Sorry if the above sounds a bit paranoid, but it's better to be on the safe side...


texts: What is this language technique called? Example: I don't think we don't love each other

texts: I don't think that I don't, is this sort of like a double negative? Repetition? Obviously used for emphasis of confusion.


texts:
Best wishes is very popular ending for emails and replaces best regards in almost all emails I've received from academics in Cambridge (UK).

At the same time I've never seen this used by American English users.

Is this just my experience? Is there some reason for this? Is this just email or was this present in paper letters before?


texts: What is the meaning of DISTINGUISHED in a given context?

texts:
Excerpt from the book

  "A friend of ours was talking to a theatrical agent who was not particularly distinguished for the range of choice of his vocabulary."

I have consulted the online Merriam Webster, but none of the meaning (according to me) describes the meaning of distinguished in the above given context.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/distinguished

marked by eminence, distinction (see DISTINCTION sense 5), or excellence
befitting an eminent person

I personally think that "distinguished" in the above context means "known for".

Can you help me understand the meaning of the word in the given context?


texts:
What is the difference between impractical and impracticable? The former is the word with which I am familiar.

The dictionary definition seems to indicate that impracticable relates to the inability to accomplish something rather than the merits of doing so. However, other grammatical references, such as Grammarist, indicate that "Impracticable is a synonym of impractical in the definition of being unfeasible or impossible to use."

Is this a matter of degrees, or is there a clear difference?


texts: How to write lengths of time in a short way with numbers

texts:
I am writing statistics results and I want to put a list of lengths of time.

In decimal values it will be, for example, 1.90 hours but this is not very human friendly.

Then I think I can use 1 hour and 54 minutes but it is very long and difficult to compare with other lengths of time.

I would like to have something like: 1:54 but I don't know how to express the units. Would it be 1:54 hours or would it be 1:54 minutes? both feel wrong.


texts: In this sentence, should "in" or "at" be used before "colleges", "parties", and "family reunions"?

texts:
She talked about shoes all the time: [...] college, [...] parties, and
  even [...] family reunions.

Which one should I use in the sentence above? (should I also include while?)


texts: schwa and /æ/ in 'can you can a can as a canner can can a can'

texts:
Can somebody tell me when the sounds 'schwa' and /æ/ are used in the following tongue twister:

Can you can a can as a canner can can a can.


texts:
What is the proper way to ask this question?
When should we expect an answer or When can we expect an answer


texts: Is there a word to describe someone that receives a bill?

texts: When a client of mine offers their services, they have to determine to whom to send the bill. Is there a word to describe that person/organization?


texts: What punctuation should be used in the end of the direct speech before "but"?

texts:
There have already been several questions here about how to use punctuation properly in the direct speech. I've looked through most of them and didn't find an answer to my case. So here I go with my case:

What punctuation will be correct in the following sentence:

  He did say, "I am going to visit Jack
  today.", but nobody believed him.

I am especially concerned here about the proper punctuation between today and but

EDIT:

To make it more clear I am replacing personal pronounces with a name:

  Tom did say, "I am going to visit Jack
  today.", but nobody believed Tom.


texts:
In software development planning, a roadmap is used to describe what lies ahead. In our industry, we say: "put it in the roadmap". But when it comes to maps, I would search "on" a map.

Do I say something is "in the roadmap" or "on the roadmap"?


texts: Term that describes the technique in which an artist repeat lyrics from their previous work

texts:
I just want to preface this by stating I'm not sure if this would be better suited for the music stackexchange site, though I feel it's probably still appropriate here because my question mainly concerns identifying a term.

Question: Is there a term that describes the technique in which an artist repeats lyrics from their previous work in their other/future songs? I know you could technically say they're alluding to their past work, but I'm wondering if there's a more technical term for this.

Note that I'm looking for a term which is neutral in connotation as opposed to something which implies they're being lazy and recycling their lyrics. Also, just to clarify, this is less about an artist reusing the same ideas for the songs and more about them inserting subtle references to their older songs in their lyrics.

Examples:

1) One of Lana Del Rey's songs is titled "Young and Beautiful" (2013). The chorus begins with:

  Will you still love me when I'm no longer young and beautiful?

A later song, "Old Money" (2014), has the following two lines:

  Will you still love me when I shine? / From words but not from beauty

2) Another one from Lana Del Rey. Her 2011 song "Video Games" has the following line:

  Heaven is a place on earth with you

One of her later songs, "Ultraviolence" (2014), has the following similar, albeit shorter, line:

  Heaven is on earth

3) Eminem's song "Lose Yourself" (2002) repeats the following in the hook:

  You better lose yourself in the music / The moment, you own it, you better never let it go

He says something remarkably similar in "Sing for the Moment" (2003):

  That's why we seize the moment / Try to freeze it and own it, squeeze it and hold it

And in "The Monster" (2013)

  Somebody once told me to seize the moment, and don't squander it

I can't really think of any more examples off the top of my head--these three are the first that come to mind. I'm sure there are lots more, though.


texts: "cologne" and "aftershave" for "fragrance for men"

texts:
Per Farlex Trivia Dictionary,  perfume or parfum is 20–40% oil and the highest concentration; eau de toilette is 10–18% oil, and cologne or eau de cologne is 3–9% oil.

Leaving aside the technical aspect of those terms, does the meaning of "aftershave" and "cologne" overlap in common usage with that of any kind of fragrance for men, whatever the concentration level of perfume?

To put it differently, is John Doe more prone to refer (colloquially) to his fragrance as aftershave or cologne rather than perfume, because the latter might have strong gender connotations to it?


texts:
I can’t figure out whether the following sentence needs the word on or not:

It was getting crowded, impeding our ability to move around.

It was getting crowded, impeding on our ability to move around.

For some reason, both sound just a little bit wrong to me.


texts: I seem to recall coming across a word for things that were once thought to be impossible. I just can't remember what it was. Any ideas?


texts: Why is the use of "as effective as" wrong here?

texts:
From the SAT:

  Not many authors have described the effects of environmental pollution as effective as Rachael Carson, whose work is still a model for nature writers.

It said that as effective as is wrong here. Could someone explain why to me?


texts:
I was reading through a book when I came across this sentence:

But looking at the disastrous state of the kitchen, hopefully what she's making won't turn out to be so... staggering.

The adverbial clause "looking at the disastrous state of the kitchen" is describing the speaker, but can it stay there and the people reading it would understand that it's describing the speaker without the presence of a "I" as the subject of the sentence?
Thanks for your help!


texts: Difference between 'holdings' and 'estates'

texts: I am reading a table related to production of rubber; the title of the table is Productions By Holdings And Estates. In this context, what is the difference between holdings and estates?


texts:
I am wondering if the following sentences are right or formal in written.

We have to strike a balance between A and B.
A balance between A and B has to be struck.
A balance has to be struck between A and B.

If they all are formal in writen, which one is the best between 2 and 3?


texts: "You can learn the basics in three lines or so" - Is that correct?

texts:
You can learn the basics in three lines or so.

I want to say that you can learn the basics by reading a few lines of something (e.g. a text). Is that phrase correct?


texts:
So far my ideas were: started, mused

The context:
[[The narrator, born and raised in the States, is visiting her family in a foreign country for the first time. She and her cousin are at a shopping mall.]]

In the middle of my explanation of dating norms in the States, he tsked at me and asked, “Why you walk so fast?"

“Don’t tell me you're too tired to keep up, now!” was my playful reply, but I paused. Why indeed? I explained hesitantly, “I guess this is how fast I normally walk. We have seven minutes between classes at my school, and it's a big building.”


texts: "Changing and improving are not always the same thing" or "Changing and improving is not always the same thing"

texts: Are both valid? I think the first is the only option, but I have been challenged on this and I can't explain exactly why the second is wrong. It does make sense, I suppose.


texts: Is there a noun for a used credit token?

texts:
It's possible to informally use the word credit to mean a token that can be exchanged for something.

Is there a noun that means a used credit token?


texts: Which one is correct "delivered to" or "delivered at"?

texts: Should I say Food delivered to your doorsteps or Food delivered at your doorsteps?


texts: What is the term for someone that blames you for breaking something that you never touched?

texts:
This happens to me all the time in the tech world and I'm sure there is some kind of term to describe this behavior. Here are some examples:

With website hosting, you move a website and it's not functioning properly or the same way it did before even though it is.

A client wanted to move their email and web hosting. They gave me their current hosts login and before I could touch anything, they complained they couldn't connect to FTP and their email stopped working and they try and blame you (this has happened many times to me).

A clients computer is running slow from spyware, malware, whatever the case is. You clean it up and then they complain it's running slower.


texts:
What were some of the distinguishing features of the Congresses and political landscapes in the 1965, 1981, 1993, and 2009 time periods?

In what context is the phrase "Political landscapes" used in this sentence?

I know what a landscape means but i am unable to figure out how political landscape is defined here. what i have inferred from the definition is "broad scope of political happenings throughout the country. Such things as party in power, issues being discussed by most people, election process and much more" Is this correct or i am wrong on this?


texts:
I'm looking for a good antonym to discombobulate. I'm aware that the word is made-up American slang and as such there is no such thing as to be combobulated.

If a person is anything but discombobulated, quite the opposite, are they clear headed, enlightened, in control? Or is there a more fitting description?


texts: Is “Can’t wipe one’s ass if somebody don’t hand paper,” a pattern phrase, or just a one-off play of words?

texts:
In association with a couple of questions about unfamiliar expressions used in Jeffery Archers fiction, “The Fourth Estate,” I was amused by the phrase, “can’t wipe one’s ass if somebody didn’t hand paper,” appearing in the scene (Page 281) where one of the main characters, Dick Armstrong, British Army captain who rose from an illegal immigrant from the Czech in W.W. II and now controlling German newspapers published in British sector of Berlin bets with Max Sackville, American Army captain who controls German newspapers in American sector on Max’s capability of sacking Julius Hahn, the owner of Del Berliner, the largest German language newspaper in American sector.

  “Julius Hahn claims he knows you.”

  “Yeah, sure does,” said Max. “He’s responsible for bringing out the paper in this sector. Not that
  I ever read it.”

  “He seems pretty successful,” said Armstrong, dealing another hand.

  “Certainly is. But only thanks to me,” said Max.

  “What do you mean’ because of you’?” Armstrong asked.

  “He couldn’t even wipe his ass in the morning if I didn’t hand him the
  paper. I issue his monthly permit. I control his paper supply, I
  decide how much electricity he gets. I decide when it will be turned on
  and off.”

I understand the statement, “He couldn’t even wipe his ass in the morning if I didn’t hand him the paper,” is linked with Max’s control of paper supply to Julius Hahn, but I wonder whether “One can’t even wipe one’s ass” can be used as an idiom or stand-alone expression in English, or it’s merely a one-off play of word.

Incidentally, we have a Japanese word, ‘尻拭い- literally 'wipe one’s ass,’ which means to take one’s own or other’s responsibility in association of self-disposition of one’s discharge, e.g. We have to wipe our government’ ass - the national debts amounting to US$ 9 trillion being accumulated through their lax financial management over time.

Archer’s “Can wipe one’s ass” is ability to do a job, Japanese “Can wipe one’s ass” is ability to take responsibility. The same turn of word, but different meaning by language.


texts: What is the difference in meaning between "commission" and "fee"?

texts:
I have a case where a certain amount of money is paid to a payment system for the transaction (like if you send money overseas you pay like $20 per transaction to a SWIFT company).

My colleague translated this as "fee" and this seem to be ok. But somehow this looks like more a "commission" to me.

What is the difference in meaning between these terms?


texts: The context of this phrase is following: "I am happy to have a catch with you to discuss this in more detail."


texts: Can I say "she made a good baby" to say "she was a good baby"?

texts: I know we can say "someone makes a good leader."  But can the same thing be used in past-tense  "he made a good leader." ?


texts: Word for a difficult situation that can seem meaningless

texts:
I'm looking for a word for a difficult situation or process that can seem meaningless at times.

Example: Unlike Beowulf, the Secular movement did not defeat its enemy (Faith) in a glorious battle but through a ____ dialog through the ages.

Words rejected:
Meaningless - the subject is not meaningless.

Feudal - feudalism is meaningless.

Trivial - the subject is important/has value and it doesn't express the difficulty of the subject.


texts:
Now and then, I here this:

  From the conceptual point of view ...

However, I still can't get its meaning. I think it is somehow related to the way to think about a particular subject, but I'm not sure.

What does it mean?


texts: "Infer" vs. "imply" — can "infer" imply "imply"?

texts:
Okay that's a crazy title, but bear with me.  Got into a good natured discussion with someone on another stack exchange site, and I was "correcting" him on the use of infer vs. imply.

(The discussion can be found here: https://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/8471/did-eleanor-roosevelt-say-that-the-jews-brought-the-holocaust-on-themselves/8485?noredirect=1#comment60705_8485)

He pointed me to a dictionary entry for "infer" that seems to use the definition for imply.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/infer

The 4th definition that is given there reads:

  suggest, hint  -  "are you inferring I'm incompetent?"

That, to me, is a classic example of where someone should not use "infer", but should use "imply".  But maybe I'm wrong?

Granted, it's the 4th of four definitions, and so presumably less common, but I thought the two, "imply" and "infer" had totally distinct meanings.  According to definition #4 on that link "infer" can imply "imply".

Am I nuts?  Am I the only one surprised by this?  (very possible...I'm often surprised by English).  Or is it possible that the dictionary is...something less than accurate?  It's not a mom-and-pop shop, so that seems unlikely...but I throw it out there as a possibility...but if the dictionary is wrong, where do you go to to find evidence of it?  (Who watches the watchmen?)


texts:
Is there a difference between a picture of me and a picture of mine?
As far as I know, a picture of mine is correct. I wonder if we can use 'a picture of me' in a particular context.


texts: Who started the trend of removing ing from gerunds and what is the motivation?

texts:
I've noticed a trend developing over the past few years where gerunds are being emasculated (cutting off their "ing-alings" by golly!!!)

On my credit card's website: "spend analysis"
All over the web: "compute resources"
In American football: "run game"
In the Colorado Driver Handbook: "drive test"

Who started this trend, and why?


texts: how many conditional sentence types are possible?

texts:
I wonder how many conditional sentence types are possible. Basically, there are four main and two mixed types. By mixing tenses, it could be up to nine of them. Are the rest viable?

I came across the following examples in Full Spate Pre-Profficiency Primer:

After you have just sold alcohol to a young guy. If he is if under eighteen, you should not have sold him the alcohol.
If he promised to bring the drinks, he will.
If you will take a seat, the doctor will see you shortly. (Likely, the former will demonstrates politeness only.)
I would be grateful if you would tell me a little about your friends. (The same politeness, but would instead.)
If he will keep eating all those biscuits, he can not expect to stay as slim as he used to be.

I would be grateful if someone could shed more light on the topic.