texts:
Although later I was forced to accept the fact that
fairy tale's magic wand which can literally change the whole world in a second was a fiction, I was never conjured to quit my exploitation to seek out the sober (version of) “magic wand” in real life.

By　＂sober magic wand", I refer to very powerful means like marketing, advertisement. I am afraid that the combination of "sober" and "magic" does not make sense. What do you think?


texts: What is the source of "set", meaning balanced?

texts:
In the sport of rowing, a boat is "set" if it's balanced and doesn't wobble. It can also be used as a noun as in "We had good set this morning", or as a verb- "Set the boat, gosh darn it".

I've found a number of definitions in the OED that could be the source of "set" wrt rowing, but nothing definitive.


texts:
I am trying to polish the following sentences:

  The analysis time of an image depends on many factors. The size of an image is not as primary as its nature, because...

The context is:

There are many factors which determine the analysis time of an image.
Among them, we can think of "the size of an image" and "the nature of an image" (but there are still other factors).
For these 2 factors, our remark is that "the size of an image" is not as important as "the nature of an image".

So my questions are:

I'm not sure if "nature" is a good term to use for "image"...
is "primary" a good word here? or maybe we can use "decisive"?

Hope someone could help me write this sentence well, because it is a conclusion and quite important.


texts: Is "illitate" a real word, and what is its etymology?

texts:
I encountered this word while playing QuizUp today, and did a search for it. However, no major dictionaries listed this word, and Google seemed to only turn up a couple of sites. This is a pity, as I feel that this word is interesting and deserves more use.
A German-English dictionary discussion forum had a discussion regarding a sentence containing this word. One poster claims that:

The person using "illtiated"[sic] must be familiar with Peter Novobatzky's
and Ammon Shea's "Depraved English" [New York St. Martin's Press,
c1999. This is so far the only source where I found "illitated", given
as a verb with the meaning "to overdecorate the female face." The
authors warn the readers not to be confused with "irritate", even
though "illitating" might indeed irritate friends, husbands, or
anybody with good taste."

This piece of work on Deviant Art dedicated to the word also references the same source:

(all source material from “Words to Offend and Amuse: Depraved and
Insulting English” by Peter Novobatzky and Ammon Shea)

I do understand that words can be coined (as Shakespeare successfully did), but is this an example of a word that was once used but fell into disuse, or was it a relatively unsuccessful coinage? And in either case, what is its etymology?


texts: Is the word "mechanics" singular or plural? For example, should I say that the skin mechanics vary or varies?


texts: Word which means that a number has magnitude greater than one?

texts:
I am looking for a word which describes a number as having a magnitude greater than one. i.e. numbers such as 1.2, 100, 123456, -4, -1.01

Hopefully it should be usable in a sentence like this one:

  There were a number of scenarios which had negative or greater than
  one coefficients.

Thanks in advance.

I hope this question is suitable for English exchange, otherwise I might try Math exchange.


texts: Difference between conditional and subjunctive

texts:
I am a Spanish speaker. Recently I found the following sentence in linguee.com:

  I had never been married and I was sure that I would never find anyone who would love and accept me, especially …

I also found the following one:

  This amendment cannot be accepted as it would exclude from the Directive anyone who had taken a distance-learning course …

Now, in Spanish we would say the second sentence just as it is written here with "had taken" in subjunctive. Can a native English speaker explain why the first sentence uses the conditional "would love" instead of the past subjunctive "anyone who loved me" just like in the other sentence? Or why the second sentence is not written "anyone who would have written"? what is the difference between them? They are both hypothetical, aren't they?


texts: "Luckily we didn't get too wet because [we wore raincoats/ we were wearing raincoats]."

texts:
Grammatical explanation needed

Which aspect is  correct in this construction?


texts: Are all three of these sentences equally fine?

texts:
Are these all the same?

The more we earn, the less careful we become about money.

The more we earn, we become less careful about money.

The more we earn, the less careful we are about money.

I am confused about the sentence structures used here. I feel the first one makes sense though.
I hope someone can help me understand the rule behind this!


texts: "the" with subjects in subject-verb inversion

texts:
Explanation of what subjects we can use in subject-verb inversion:
From an answer to “Here he comes”, “Here comes he” : The order of pronoun and verb in inversion:

1. On the corner is a cafe. – correct because “a cafe” is new information (due to using “a”) and, therefore, can be transported to the end of the sentence where it receives the most emphasis
2. Here comes he. – odd (not idiomatic) because “he” is in a very prominent position at the end of the sentence. This position would normally be reserved for new entities. But the fact that we are using a pronoun here means that we must already have been talking about this man in the previous discourse.

Examples which contradict the explanation:
wikipedia.org:

3. Out of the tree fell the squirrel.
4. After the speeches came the toasts.

From a textbook:

5. The door opened and in came the doctor.
6. As soon as I let go of the string, up went the balloon, high into the sky.

Following the explanation above:
The fact that we are using "the" with "squirrel", "toasts", "doctor" and "balloon" means that we must already have been talking about these subjects in the previous discourse. Hence we can't place them in a very prominent position at the end of the sentences, as in 3.-6.
But since 3.-6. are correct, then is the explanation given at the beginning of the post wrong?


texts: How to categorize this phrase. Relative clause, Interrogative clause, Adverbial clause?

texts:
What is "Where to go" in the sentence "Where to go is the question."
Is it a adverbial phrase or a relative clause?

And what is "Why go" in the sentence "Why go when you can stay?" - is it a clause?


texts:
I asserted that up is down. That statement is false on its face.

I feel like I've seen at least one single word that means "on its face."  Words with close etymology and meaning

Superficial.  If ficial were a word that would do the job.
Prima facie has the right meaning in actual use: "That statement is prima facie false."  But that's two words.  I'm also not satisfied because it literally means "on first face."  What I am looking for wouldn't be so qualified: It means that the qualified thing is that way no matter how many times or how deeply we look at it.
Close but not quite: Obviously and its synonyms – clearly, indisputably, undeniably.  These all have at least some connotation that the thing so qualified could be or is in dispute, but that the dispute is rejected.  I want a word that refers to the nature of the thing and whose connotation is that no dispute can even be entertained.  E.g., "A false statement is false on its face."


texts: Whats a word for someone who distrusts laymen and believes they always need to leave things to the professionals

texts:
I'm looking for a pejorative word or phrase for a professional who distrusts the abilities of laymen to do things for themselves, and advocates inaction even when it is an emergency and within the person's capabilities. . A "leave it to the professionals" type of attitude, taken to an unhealthy extreme.

Similar to this question, but on the side of the professional.

The best I can think of is a "professional elitist", but that really fails to capture the idea precisely.

Imagine an EMT who recommends against doing CPR, because "you'll mess it up. Just call 911 and wait for us". Or a firefighter who advises against using a fire extinguisher. Or a cop who advises against ever defending oneself in fight: just call 911 and wait for us to come help you (granted that could be potentially be more reasonable depending on the situation).


texts: What is a person living in a hostel called?

texts:
I have heard some people say the word hostelite or hostelide but just not sure if they are proper words.

P.S. I couldn't find it in any dictionary when I googled. Hosteler might be the closest. But I was referring to student hostels. Like accommodations on the campus. According to dictionaries, hostel is a place of temporary stay for travelers or the homeless.


texts: Is the "that" optional in "my idea was that (...)"?

texts: I wrote the following sentence in an essay: "My idea was that, since A is B, B might be A". However, word count matters in this essay, so I'd like to know if the "that" is optional in this sentence. More specifically, I want to know if "My idea was, since A is B, B might be A." is also correct.


texts:
I came across the following line in a newspaper

  Wayne Rooney finally scored his first World Cup goal for England - after 759 minutes, in his third cup and 10th game.

Why is the dash required in the sentence?

If the sentence were written as follows without the dash, what difference would it make?

  Wayne Rooney finally scored his first World Cup goal for England after 759 minutes, in his third cup and 10th game.

I do not see any difference, or perhaps I am missing something.


texts: Difference between "inflection" and "inflexion"?

texts: Is the difference merely a matter of American ("inflection") vs British ("inflexion") spelling? Or is there something more to it?


texts: Use of "unlike" while comparing two things, followed by a comma and "in something else"

texts:
I am wondering, which one is correct:

Unlike in something, in something else it is easy to...
Unlike something, in something else it is easy to...

My instinct tells me both versions could be correct, but I just want to be sure. Plus, I guess the preposition does not matter here, it could be "on", "at" and so on. Does conjunction matter though? E.g. could we replace Unlike with While or any other conjunction used for comparison?
Also, does it matter if we add anything after the phrase?

Unlike in something, where this acts this way, in something else it is easy to...
Unlike something, where this acts this way, in something else it is easy to...

In here, since the parentheses might be pretty long, seems for me it is proper to remind the reader that we are comparing some items. Am i right?


texts: What is a good antonym of "comfort zone", or an expression replacing "outside my comfort zone"? I'm writing an essay and don't want to repeat myself too much.


texts: Does "the motor speed" mean the speed of the motor?

texts: I'm an engineer and I often hear others say "the motor speed" when they are talking about the speed of the motor. For example, one might ask "What was the motor speed?" when he or she wants to know what the speed of the motor was. I've seen similar phrases in scientific journals too. Why is it OK to say "the motor speed" when you are talking about the speed of the motor?


texts: What would be one word for an honorary address, like "Your Highness"?

texts:
What do I call the address I make to distinguished people whom I cannot address by there given names.
For example, I have to call a Knighted Man with the address "Sir".
In Royalty this is termed as style/honorific.

Is there any generic word for this?


texts:
Is the correct spelling travelling or traveling? I’ve seen both in common usage, but I can't find an authoritative source that says one way or another.

Is this a difference between British spelling and American spelling?


texts: Shall I use "I'm" or "This is" in this case?

texts:
I'm editing my personal blog and I added a picture of myself, and under it I'd like to write a short introduction about myself.

I'm starting it with "Hello, this is yzT, a Computer Engineer specialized in Information Security". But I'm wondering whether this is is properly used there, or if it would be better to write I'm yzT.


texts: Comma before "and that" in a compound object

texts:
You should have known that he is quite adept at what he does and that he has the best conversion rate.
  You should have known that he is quite adept at what he does, and that he has the best conversion rate.

Which of the above two sentences is right? I believe it is the first one, as it appears to be a case of compound object and hence should take no comma.

Also, if there can be a case without a compound object and the second sentence has an 'and that' to start off with, what should I do?

Is it similar to 'so' and 'so that'?


texts: What is the use and specific meaning of "-al" adjectives as nouns?

texts:
I was thinking about the tone and syntactic tendencies in scholarly work and I thought of something that may occur in it, but doesn't seem to occur in more casual prose. You may have the word "the" followed by some adjective ending in the suffix "-al". An example of this right off the bat is the title of a book: The Primacy of the Political. You might also get something talking about "the psychosexual" or "the metaphysical"; as I've said, it seems mostly to show up in studious material.
This question asks about the use of adjectives as nouns in a more general sense, with the answer being a combination of metonymy and ellipsis. The trouble I have here is that those examples are very concrete and the ellipsis is easily understood through context, describing people or things. As far as I can tell, the adjectives begin used as nouns that I'm referring to seem to talk about something a lot more categorically broad and abstract. I'm not entirely certain though, and I was hoping someone might be able to weigh in on what exactly this specific type of use of adjectives as nouns means, and where/why it occurs.


texts: Adding website URL in reference section of report writing

texts:
I was wondering what kind of format is standard or recommended style of mentioning URL of a website in report writing.

What I found in the internet after a quick search was

  Cameron, B (Minister for Corrections, Victoria) 2007, Construction
  begins on high security unit, media release, Victoria, 28 March,
  viewed 16 April 2007, http://www.dpc.vic.gov.au.

From this page.

But I don't want it to be that complex and there is no such complex information. I only have link and date on which I viewed that site.

Any suggestion would be really appreciated.

Thank you!


texts: What is the etymology and meaning of "fill your boots"?

texts:
I have a colleague of whom this is a favorite phrase, used in the sense of "knock yourself out", "go for it", "have at it", "go to town", "help yourself". ("You want to add that feature to the software? Go ahead - fill your boots!")

So far, the best origin story I've heard is that of "when plundering, using every available container - i.e., even your boots". It feels as though there may be more to it than this, but I've not discovered it yet. What say?


texts: This is an English question in a Korean SAT mock test. Anyone can help?

texts:
The following is the confusing question..

  Choose the right place for the following sentence among the five places numbered (1) through (5) in the given passage below.

The sentence: "Change, it should be noted, has always been part of the human landscape."

The Passage:

  Today the words stress and change have become synonymous and the winds of change are in the air. Changes in the economy, technology, communications, information retrieval, health care, and dramatic changes in the weather are just some of the gale forces blowing in our collective faces. (1) By and large, the average person doesn't like change because change tends to disrupt one's comfort zones. (2) It appears that the "known," no matter how bad, feels like a safer bet than the unknown. (3) However, today the rate of change has been so fast and furious, without an adequate reference point to anchor oneself, that stress holds the potential to create a perpetual sense of uneasiness in the hearts and minds of nearly everyone. (4) Yet it doesn't have to be this way. (5) Where there is change, there is opportunity, and where there is opportunity, there is comfort.

(I don't have the answer to the question with me now, nor can I think of one myself. So, I hope somebody can help me understand this question. Thank you in advance :))


texts: What is the proper substitute for "Batmanning"?

texts: After planking, owling and leisure dive, now there is the trend which is called "Batmanning". Obviously it is a made-up word. Is there a proper substitute for it? What is the verb that defines the act when a bat hangs from somewhere?


texts: Repeat use of quote marks around unusual usage of a word

texts: I'm currently reading a legal document which refers to 'wet' shipping/work/practices. In the first instance, the meaning of 'wet' is explained. Can the quote marks be omitted thereafter?


texts: This one has bugged me for a while. I've always been under the impression that sympathy doesn't have to mean pity. But everyone else tells me I'm dead wrong. So does sympathy always mean pity?


texts: I am working on an invitation design for a charity. I am wondering which one of these is correct, Young Men's Committee or Young Mens Committee


texts: Origin of "[noun]-shaped object" as a negative phrase?

texts:
I've seen this type of phrase used in many different contexts to mean "something with the form of an object but lacking substance or quality".

Examples:

Wal-Mart bikes are sometimes called "bike-shaped objects" in the cyclist world for their tendency to break down
Valve at one point referred to fake/scam games on Steam as "game-shaped objects"

I tried doing a google ngram search for "*_NOUN shaped object", but it only came back with "disc shaped object", "cone shaped object", etc., suggesting those are referring to the actual shape and not using it as a derogatory remark.

Can anyone find the origin (or an early usage) of this phrase with the given meaning?


texts: Is there a verb describing the process of concise speech or writing?

texts: The opposite of "to bluster," or something along those lines.


texts: How to ask about a person's child when not knowing the gender?

texts:
I know there are a few questions like this, but I have always had trouble remembering whether or not a person's child is a boy or girl. When I meet them again, it sounds awkward and/or brash to say "how is your kid?" or "how is your child?"

Is there a way to ask about a person's child in a gender neutral way that does not sound like an alien trying to communicate with new human friends?


texts: Are there any more poetic synonyms for "snow-white" and "niveous"? I was searching but I've only found "nival".


texts: What's the best way to bowdlerize an expletive but keeping the meaning understandable?

texts:
I was writing a blog post for my website, about the etymology of the word fascist, and I wanted to write about how it's connected to the modern slang curse word for "homosexual" which used to mean "a bundle of sticks" (f-gg-t), but my ethics and, I feel, the integrity of the site would be compromised if I used such a hideous word. Thus, I used dashes as in the aforementioned example, but this brought up a good question.

While researching this, I came across an article from The Guardian by David Marsh, which raised an excellent point that too much censorship can obfuscate meaning. I also learned about grawlixes from Quick and Dirty Tips.com  and What the #$@&%*! is that called?, but when there is little to no context provided, I can't really use [bleep]s or censor an entire word. I'm looking more of a method where it is crystal clear what I'm saying, without actually saying it. Euphemisms obviously won't work here.

I think the big dilemma here is this: how do I allude to a profane word while keeping maximum clarity? Do I censor all vowels, select vowels, all consonants, or select consonants? What would be the best way to allude to the above word (f-gg-t)? Is there any research or are there any linguistic papers written on this? How do I ensure maximum clarity?

Some sources that barely helped:

Correct usage of replacing cuss words with symbols (English Language & Usage)
Symbol Swearing (tv tropes)
What's your favourite way to cuss without cussing? (The EscapistMagazine)
What the Hell Do You Do About Profanity? (Daily Writing Tips)
Why do we still censor swear words? (Quora)

Thank you.


texts:
Can you use "e.g." after you have listed something?

  I've been busy trying to figure out training, WHMIS e.g.


texts: Can 'Alas' be used ironically in the following statement

texts:
Alas! Torm makes a polar voyage to explore the arctic Canada.
Alas! Torm indeed makes the Voyage across Arctic Canada exploring the unexplored, and how does she do it? In style. Always in style!!
-Note: Torm has never made an arctic voyage before and this particular voyage turned out to be a spectacular one.


texts:
I am trying to think of the word that describes something that is new yet old, contemporary yet classic, progressive yet traditional or any other similar meanings.

The word is used to describe a synthesis of two opposing meanings. Eg. That dress is fashionable yet is also a classic.

I read the post that used the word shibui to describe something that is simple but also very complex.

In essence, I am looking for the word that describes something that is contemporary but also timeless.


texts: Is it proper to use "a drop" in such a manner?

texts:
I recently had a discussion with a colleague regarding the phrase "a drop". We came up with the following two examples:

  Can we change the meeting to a drop later?
  Can you move the tab a drop over?

I thought the questions sounded okay, yet my colleague had never heard of the phrase used in such a manner.

In the two example, "a drop" is basically used as a substitute for "a little" or "a bit". It may not be the best word choice, yet is it okay to use "a drop" in such a manner?

Are these sentences grammatical? Is this kind of usage of "a drop" considered slang?


texts:
I am a computer scientist who's trying to analyze and endcode the meaning of morphemes or more higher level of abstraction to be represented and stored in a numerical data.

While processing the morpheme pre-, as in prevalent and predominant; these words are not sharing some conventional use of prefix pre- : as a meaning of before or anterior of something.

It looks much more alike to work as a- as an intensifier, so I want to get some advice about its meaning and why this seemingly deviation has arisen.


texts: Is there a word (or phrase) meaning related words that have the same number of letters?

texts:
It's possible that homomegete is the best, but I'm thinking of things like:

username
password

or

user
pass

and

nervous
excited

I've had other sorts of pairings that I've come across over the years (host/port)... and I really really like that kind of paring, especially when I'm programming. I'd love to be able to be able to say

  Ah, I love writing something when I'm programming!

I could say

  Ah, I love writing homomegetes when I'm programming!

But that's not quite precise enough, I feel.

Is there a word for these parings, or is homomegete the best I'll get?


texts: "It takes" + infinitive vs. present participle

texts:
Is it grammatically correct to say "It took me five hours travelling to the US"?

Most people would say "It took me five hours to travel to the US." I wonder if the infinitive is always the only option, or if a present participle is possible as well.


texts: What is the meaning of "one of those shilling in the slot affairs"?

texts:
In A Taste Of Honey by Shelagh Delaney I found this:

  (She wanders around the room searching for fire.) "Where!" she says. She can never see anything till she falls over it. Now where's it got to? I know I saw it here somewhere . . . one of those shilling in the slot affairs; the landlady pointed it out to me as part of the furniture and fittings.

Is it a metaphor? Does it just mean that it is something that costs money or is there a special meaning?

On the Internet I could find different variations where instead of word shilling were used coins, penny, nickle.

Another example from the Internet:

  This park stretches over 1,000sqkm from Torquay to Princetown and
  boasts numerous picnic and barbeque spots. Some are coin-in-the-slot
  affairs, others are push button and free of charge, while still others
  are the old-fashioned kind: strictly BYO fuel.


texts: The noun for when no individual in a community is doing wrong but the net result of those actions is evil?

texts:
I hope this question is legitimate under the strict rules of this forum?

It is possible that the accumulated effect of a number of good people’s actions can be evil, not just in a discrete situation, but as the result of a change of one social more without awareness of its consequential effect? Is there a word for this?


texts:
According to the Cambridge dictionary, going with the flow is defined as to do what other people are doing or to agree with other people because it is the easiest thing to do.
I am writing a paper and I'm really stumped as to what would be an idiom, or a way to describe a person who is not going with the flow.

Specifically, the sentence which I need this for is this:
I have had to come to terms with a lot of cultural differences which has been a struggle for my ____________ personality.

Note: I am specifically asking about an idiom, and not words such as: inflexible, rigid, stiff, unadaptable, firm.


texts:
I saw this on a map today:

  THE MOST APPROVED MAPS EXTANT;

The Collins dictionary says extant means:

  still in existence; surviving

I hadn't heard the word used, by intuition it seemed to come from a day of seafarers 200 years ago. (Perhaps that is part of the marketing). To me it seemed logically replaced by existing.

My question is: What is the appropriate usage of 'extant'?


texts: “Is this understanding correct?” anything more polite than this?

texts:
Do we have a more polite way to say “Is this understanding correct?”.
I often find it a little tough question to ask to clients.

Anything that sounds more polite and means the same? And also, is the above question grammatically correct?


texts: Do I put a hyphen between the number and unit?

texts:
For example, in the sentence:

  I enforced a 60 minute time limit.

Should it be:

  I enforced a 60-minute time limit.

Which one is correct?


texts: Past or present tense when reporting the views of another?

texts:
When reporting the views of another person, what tense should I use? Here are three fragments of a paragraph from a text I am currently writing:

"Another objection is that Friedman overestimates the importance...",

"Against [this], Wilfrid Hodges protests that... ",

"...many arguments that Kant regarded as purely logical are...".

My intuition is that I use the present tense with contemporary figures and past tense with historical figures, but this seems arbitrary. In other passages, it feels more natural to also speak of the views of a historical figure like Kant in the present tense, as they are on the record (so to speak) and stand for themselves.

Many thanks in advance


texts:
X was interested in one of the most
  important challenges: the lack of
  reliability in bananas' drawings.

I think I read somewhere that, although possible, a colon should be avoided in these situations (in an academic context).

How could I rewrite this?


texts: Looking for a plural noun related to ‘fulcrum’ or ‘pivot’ that denotes multiple things as crucial to success

texts:
The title says it all. I will include an example sentence to contextualise how I want to use this word:

  Cooperation, reciprocity and trust are the _____ to human prosperity—not selfishness.

Of course I can reframe the sentence and just simply say “are crucial to” or “are pivotal to”, but I really want a plural noun that is similar to fulcrum to designate more than one thing as being pivotal to give the sentence extra “punch”.

I checked and found that ‘fulcra’ is the plural noun of fulcrum, but it just sounds a little awkward for my liking and I could not find sufficient examples of it used in sentences.


texts: What do you call the 'intro document' that new employees get on their first day?

texts:
I'm referring to the "master plan document" of how they'll learn all they need to learn in order to start working at company X. Often this is a mega tome of links and sub-links, or lists of lists, sometimes kept in a wiki.

The Hebrew term is תוכנית חפיפות - but the translation of this to English is too horrible to repeat here.


texts: Does "yet" imply negativity in a question?

texts:
As I understand it, English's use of "yes" and "no" are distinct from "true" and "false".

Does arXiV not host papers on biology?

Can be replied with either:

Yes (arXiV does host papers on biology).
No (arXiV does not host papers on biology).

But both answers seem uninformative when a question contains "yet":

Have you yet to dine?

Would "yes" mean that one has already dined? Or that one has yet to dine?
Would "no" mean that one has not yet dined? Or that no, one has already dined?
Apart from the archaic sentence construction, what is missing/wrong about how I understand "yes"/"no" in English?


texts: Can “A fall into the(a) pit, a gain in your wit” mean "learning from mistakes"?

texts:
“A fall into the(a) pit, a gain in your wit” was translated from a famous Chinese proverb that means "learning from mistakes".

From a native English speaker's perspective, can such a translation retain its original meaning?


texts:
I just googled and found there is a book called "Less Is More, More Or Less."

May I ask for a book title, or if it is an article title, is the full stop at the end of the title necessary?

On the other hand, if it is natural to use a full stop at the end, is it also natural to use two full stops ─ like "Less Is More. More Or Less."?

source


texts:
Argument - 1: (denying the use with conjunctions)

    If two or more clauses, grammatically complete and not joined by a conjunction, are to form a single compound sentence, the proper mark of punctuation is a semicolon.
    If a conjunction is inserted, the proper mark is a comma (Rule 4)

    as taken from Codified rules, Strunk & White; found via this answer

  Also,

    Use a semicolon to separate 2 independent clauses in a sentence, closely related, with no coordinating conjunction. Also, use a semicolon to separate items in a series where the series themselves contain commas.
    [source]

Argument-2: (supporting the use with conjunctions)

    The semicolon between clauses suggests a connection between the sentences that is stronger than if there were a period between the two.

    e.g.

    He is the most disagreeable person I've ever had the misfortune to meet, and I dislike his style; but I must admit that he gets the job done.
    [source]

  The most confusing part is probably the below. It supports the use of semicolon with conjunctions with a stronger example.

      Some sentences are ambiguous; however, we try hard to avoid this.

      Some sentences are ambiguous however we try hard to avoid this.

    The first sentence here states two separate thoughts, and points out that one is opposed to the other: "Some sentences are ambiguous" and "we try hard to avoid this".

    The second sentence states that no matter how hard we try to avoid it, some sentences are ambiguous.

    These two grammatically correct sentences differ only in whether we followed the semicolon-and-comma rule you mention, showing its value clearly.
    [source]

In summary, my question is to ask:

Which usage of semicolon is more conventional and suggested for US/UK readers?

If it helps in anyway, I'm a budding researcher in engineering. Any specific usage suites my case of technical writings if used consistently?

Just please help me with a standard answer in a way that I can cite and defend.


texts:
This has to do with indirect objects.  Take these two sentences for example:

The ship's captain gave the crew orders.
The ship's captain gave orders to the crew.

The first sentence is easy to diagram:  subject=captain,  verb=gave, indirect object=crew, direct object=orders.

However, I am having trouble with the second one, mainly the prepositional phrase "to the crew".  It seems to function as an indirect object by telling for whom the action was done, but prepositional phrases cannot be indirect objects.  So is the prepositional phrase "to the crew" functioning as an adverb or an adjective?  It does not seem to function as an adverb because it does not sufficiently answer any of the adverb questions (Where?, When?, How?, How often?, How long?, To what extent?, How much?, or Why?).  So is it functioning as an adjective describing "orders"?  Any help would  be appreciated.


texts: What is the verb in "And what better symbol of that blight than Main Street"?

texts:
I'm reading an article titled The Myth of Main Street by David Opdyke in the New York Times. Below is one sentence from it I have a problem grasping:

  And what better symbol of that blight than Main Street?

Is "symbol" the verb here?
As "Main Street" is noun singular, shouldn't "symbol" be "symbols"?

full article here

Thank you!


texts:
In the contract it says
Thus, the parties agree as follows.
Does this makes sense? In google search it seems i makes sense

But I thought that since parties is a plural, the sentence should be parties agree as follow?

eg. Balls bounce vs ball bounces


texts: The judge decided to allow broadcast of the trial

texts:
The title is a usage example from Merriam-Webster Learners Dictionary...

  broadcast [noun, noncount]
  the act of sending out radio or television signals : the act of broadcasting something

My first thought when I was asked about this in an ELL comment was that I personally would have used the gerund -ing form there (on checking Google Books I find about 201 results for the M-W version, and about 317 for the gerund, so at least I'm in the not-exactly-overwhelming majority).

I'm not saying I think M-W's usage is "incorrect" - but as implied, I feel it's at least slightly "marked". Offhand the only similar case I can think of is traffic, where the uninflected version occurs 540 times, but the gerund version gets only 115 hits for a similar context.

I wasn't surprised by the fact that the ratios reverse for traffic (again, my preference matches the majority, but I don't find the alternative completely unacceptable). But I've no idea why this might be so (unless maybe we tend to avoid traficking because of that awkward-looking extra k).

I don't know if it's relevant, but I think I lean more towards including a definite article with the uninflected noun in the title example and, say, We will legislate against the traffic in illegal drugs.

Can anyone explain why some "uninflected verb used as noun" usages like this occur? Are there are any more examples, and if so, do they have anything in common?


texts: What is the etymology of the word freedom?

texts:
Could anyone answer the question I have entered in the title section of the post?

I mean that 'freedom' is a complex word. The adjective 'free' according to a dictionary means 'not under the control or in the power of another; able to act or be done as one wishes', whereas the 'dom' perhaps means 'domein'--'an area of territory owned or controlled by a ruler or government.' Thus, for example, historically, 'freedom' could bear a social meaning, suggesting a territory where a person becomes free from governance he sees as injustice, unfair etc (in the medieval France such territories were cities). Generally, I think that the historically original meaning of a word still resonates with its modern usage, and in this sense, it is still present in the modern usage as well.

So, I would ask especially native speakers, is the presence of such meaning somehow traceable in the modern usage of the word freedom?

Next, the above 'analysis' is still an assumption; the restoration of an original meaning seems a work much harder than merely looking words up in dictionaries for their modern usage.

Then, perhaps someone suggests an idea on that matter or some acknowledged analysis of the etymology of the word, if any?

I also noticed in 'similar questions' "Liberty" versus "freedom", but it is on a slightly different matter.


texts: What is the word for a Road Sign that shows direction

texts:
What is the right word for the signs in the highways that indicates the correct direction to another city or province for an example?

I thought about the word "road signs", but it is not what I am looking for because it does not imply guiding the driver to the way that leads to another city.


texts: What is the name for the the habit of reciting song titles or clichés when anyone says the first few words?

texts:
I like literary and cultural references, but I can enjoy them without proving that I get the reference by reciting the entire title or quote.

I know that explicitly sharing social experience is the modern poosking, but I find it gauche. I'm not elitist; I'm just introverted.

So, is there a name for the compulsion to announce and explain references, subtle or otherwise?


texts: Looking for a word for an "outhouse" inside the house

texts:
I need a word for a restroom that does not have running water - where there is a pit toilet or a composting toilet instead of a flush toilet.  If it were detached from a house, I am sure it would be called an outhouse.   What is it called when it is in the house?

So the function of the room is the same as a restroom, it is the room where you would go to relieve oneself, but the facilities in the room are incongruous with the present definition of a restroom.

I am sure that people had such room prior to the invention of plumbing, but I cannot find any mention of it.

We have created such a room in our house for when the electric is out - which means we do not have water as we are on an electric well.   But we are at a loss as to what to call it because it is definitely not a restroom.


texts: Are there slanguages counter to “puff piece”?

texts:
I was interested in two word”, “puff piece” and “on the dance floor” both of which are shown in quotes in Maureen Dowd’s article titled “Reince is right” in August 7 New York times.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/07/opinion/dowd-reince-is-right.html?hp

It reads:

  "Films can dramatically alter the way famous people are viewed, making
  them cooler, more glamorous, more sympathetic — and the reverse.
  Clever filmmakers can offer up delicious soufflés of propaganda and
  storytelling, putting a new imprint on the historical record.  (The
  chairman of the Republican National Committee) Reince Priebus has
  complained to NBC and CNN executives about plans for what he calls
  Hillary Clinton “puff pieces” while Hillary is “on the dance floor.”

We call ‘puff piece’ a ‘lantern (holer) article’ – 提灯記事 in Japanese by comparing the article and news a meek servant carrying a lantern ahead of his master and guiding him on the street in the evening.

I'm interested in the opposite expression. Are there colloquial expressions counter to “puff piece” that lets down / harms public figures’ reputation through media?


texts: Was "blue death" a popular term for Cholera in the US in the1800s?

texts:
I'm working on my dissertation on public health. I just came across Robert Morris' book on Cholera called, "The Blue Death". My university library doesn't have access to the book and both Amazon & Google Book previews won't show any internal text. Now, I understand WHY cholera would be called "blue death" -- skin turns bluish gray in most cholera victims (and most diseases got their names from their physical appearance, e.g. jaundice = yellow fever; small spots/pustules/pock marks = smallpox, etc.)
I'm just trying to figure out who was the first to refer to cholera as "blue death" and if this was a popular phrase in 19C America.
AND if there could be any connection between the French word "morbleu" and cholera as "blue death".
I joined this site to ask this question after I came across the "blue murder" thread that makes mention of "morbleu" too. Here's that thread: Why does one scream blue murder?


texts:
I recently learnt that the present simple can be used for timetables and schedules. I also found it is often used for itineraries. Here is a sample in "Complete English as a Foreign":

Travel agent to a customer: A guide meets the train and takes you on a city tour and then the coach leaves you at your hotel...

Some books call the use of the present simple for itineraries as "timetabled future". However, I think itineraries are different from timetables since timetables are more accurate and fixed. So I wonder whether the reason of using the present simple for the itinerary is because those actions will happen one by one like events in a timetable or just because it is more concise to use the present simple instead of the present continuous when talking about a series of planned actions.


texts:
Barely perceptibly, he starts to cry.

Does barely perceptibly mean losing control?


texts: looking for appositive that-which phrases

texts:
I asked sentences having an appositive that-which phrase like the following sentence in
English Language Learners.

  The insect propagates best near "disturbed land," that which is being cultivated by humans.

https://ell.stackexchange.com/questions/24771/do-you-use-the-phrase-that-which-for-the-apposition

But, I wonder how often this syntax is used and would like to see more sentences in which the appositive that-which syntax is used. If anyone saw such sentences, would you tell the sentences?


texts:
As an example of the risk of this pursuit of novelty, Waters told me a
story of working as a junior ad planner on the Milky Bar chocolate
account, which had for many years used the well-loved Milky Bar Kid
character in its TV advertising.

I'd like to know what 'account' means here.


texts: One word for talking with a raised voice (but not shouting)

texts:
I'm looking for a single word that means talking with a raised voice, but still a few decibels short of shouting. Imagine for example the beginning of an argument:

  "I sold our cow for some beans."

  "You did what?" ____ed Jack's mother.

  "Magic beans."

  "You imbecile!" she shouted.

You get the idea. Say and tell seem a bit too weak, whereas shout, scream, cry and the like are a bit too loud.

Perhaps another way to describe it is the sort of voice you use when you'd like to shout, but you're not sure if it's socially appropriate for you to do so (for the moment).

I've considered "call out" but it doesn't quite seem like it fits.


texts: A word for reporting observations without drawing conclusions

texts:
I recently read an article about Navy pilots seeing something they couldn't identify and thought they did a good job of reporting on the incident without making assumptions as to what they were seeing.

I'm looking for a word or phrase to describe this type of reporting in which the observer strictly states their observation without drawing conclusions about, or inferences from, what was observed.

Sample sentence...

I appreciated the witness's _________ style of reporting their observations without making inferences or drawing conclusions as to what it was they were witnessing.


texts:
Which one is correct to use: mmHg or mm Hg? Should it be closed up, spaced out or both are acceptable? The AMA manual has both instances.

For example, "The trial compared outcomes associated with 'lower' (<110 mmHg) or 'higher' (<150 mm Hg) systolic blood pressure targets in 200 participants."


texts: Meaning of "Preparation of x, y and z and ..."

texts:
I have a question related to this example sentence:

  Preparation of Isometrics, bill of material of all lines and supporting details of all lines below 2-1/2" except lines under IBR and get subsequent approval.

From the above:

What are the sizes of lines for preparation of isometrics? Is it for all lines or for lines below 2-1/2"?
Is getting subsequent approval for (a) all isometrics, bill of materials and also for the supporting details or (b) only supporting details?


texts: Choice of words referring to being attacked/assaulted with a glass/cup

texts:
According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary the verb, glass, means to encase in glass.  Recently, it has also come to mean being attacked or assaulted by a glass vessel/container as in this example:

  Another glassing incident... A young woman faces assault charges after allegedly glassing a man in a Brisbane bar early today.

Similar incidents have been reported with a coffee cup, as in this example:

  bizarre coffee cup attack between two elderly men over a woman. ...It is understood the younger man was hit over the head with a coffee cup in a popular town centre pub and was also scalded by a hot drink on Saturday morning.

Would this still be considered a glassing incident, or would it be considered (and I am not trying to be funny here) a mugging or mugging incident?


texts: How would a phrase such as "Does the pope sh*t in the woods" be classified? The closest I can get is "intentional malapropism".

texts: How would phrases such as "Does the pope sh*t in the woods? Does a bear wear a funny hat?" be classified? The closest I can get is "intentional malapropism". Thanks for your help.


texts: How did the meaning of “come off” as “succeed” or “take place” originate?

texts:
Example sentences:

  A television series that never came off (from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary)
  He tried his Chaplin impression, but it didn't really come off. (from Wiktionary)
  The match comes off on Tuesday (from The Century Dictionary)

Why come off equals take place, succeed in these examples?

To come means generally "to approach", while off has multiple meanings, but they are generally contrary to the sense of "approach". These basic meanings give no hint as to why did the sense of succeed develop.

The Century Dictionary (page 1120) lists the senses of

  To depart; move or turn away; withdraw; retreat. "We might have thought the Jews when they had seen the destruction of Jerusalem would have come off from their obstinacy"
  To escape; get free. "If they come off safe, call their deliverance a miracle."
  To emerge from some undertaking or transaction; issue; get out or away: as, to come off with honor or disgrace.

It lists the sense of "take place" only in position 4.

But the meanings of "to get away", "to emerge from some undertaking" seem to contradict the sense of "to take place", "to succeed". The television series in my example 1 have nothing to emerge from, it didn't even start.

What do you think about it? How did this sense develop?

(Without knowing its origin, one just has to memorise it with no apprehension as to why it means what it means.)


texts: What do you call a time without a time zone?

texts:
"2:00pm Pacific Daylight Time" is a specific time of day. In contrast, "2:00pm" is vague; without knowing the time zone, there's no way to know what exact time it refers to.

Is there a good term/phrase for partially specified times like "2:00pm"? "Clock time?" "Wall time?"


texts:
I am alone.

  I am lonely.

Do they have the same meaning? What is the difference between alone and lonely?


texts:
In US legal practice, we often refer to numbered items:  Interrogatory No. 1, Request for Admission No. 3, U.S. Patent No. 5,555,555.

What part of the item should be pluralized?  That is, should one write "Questions No. 1, 2, and 3" or "Question Nos. 1, 2, and 3?"

My preference is the former, because it is the questions that are of interest, not the numbers.  One can imagine a scenario in which the numbers are of interest.  E.g., "The question numbers 1 and 2 are written in arabic format, but question numbers 3 and 4 are written as roman numerals."  But in the usual case, what the author is concerned about is the item, not the number: "Questions number 1-4 have concise answers, but questions number 5-6 may be rhetorical."

I acknowledge that the issue can be avoided by simply omitting "number(s)" and writing "Questions 1-4" or "Patents 5,555,555 and 5,555,556."  But where's the fun in that?

Does anyone have a compelling or definitive answer?


texts: Neutral non offensive alternative to "slanting eyes"

texts:
I was looking for a term to define the eyes shape of oriental people and I discovered  that the term slant-eye is a derogatory one:

  (offensive)
  a person with slanting eyes; especially , one of Asian ancestry

(MerriamWebster)

I checked its etymology and found that :

  Derogatory slang sense of "a slant-eyed Asian person" is recorded from 1943, from earlier slant-eyes (1929).

(Etymologyonline)

It seems that it was a neutral term at first but it became derogatory later. Is it so? What made the term sound offensive?

What alternative neutral expression can I use  instead of "slanting eyes?


texts: "How did I do this" or "how did I do that"?

texts:
Is there a difference between:

  How did I do this?

and

  How did I do that?

If not, is there a preferred one? If they are different, when should I choose one over the other?

I am not a native English speaker.


texts: Are there any other Narcissus-like characters

texts:
Are there other Narcissus-like characters recorded in any mythology? To be more precise, I need a metaphor for an egoistic person who is in love with themself.

I need a proper noun, the name of this person, like Narcissus but somebody else.  I am not looking for common nouns like egoist, egomaniac, and such — only for proper nouns or personifications.


texts: Why is there no comma before "and" before this independent clause?

texts:
This was at a moment when the magistrate, overcome with tiredness, had
  gone down into the garden of his house and, dark, bent beneath
  some implacable thought, like Tarquin cutting the heads off the
  tallest poppies with his cane, M. de Villefort was knocking down
  the long, dying  stems of the hollyhocks that rose on either side of
  the path like ghosts of those flowers that had been so brilliant in
  the seasons that had passed away.

Why is there no comma before the bolded and? My understanding is that there is an independent clause on each side of the bolded and.

By the way, the subject of the two independent clauses is the same.


texts: Does the predicate of this sentence apply to me or you?

texts:
I recently had a linguistically interesting exchange with a friend. I said "Happy Birthday!" and he said "As the only guy on the planet born on Christmas, I'm glad you remembered." While obviously he meant himself when referring to the only guy on the planet born on Christmas, I'm not sure if that's grammatically correct strictly speaking.

In this case, would the 'as the only guy on the planet born on Christmas' apply to 'I' or 'you'?


texts:
(I hope this wouldn't count as a meta question). Is there a verb for asking nuisance questions?

I did check the list of previous questions suggested as possibly having my answer.

Otherwise this is my first step of research.

I'd settle for just being a nuisance. A verb for that, that is.

Thanks


texts: Does "Chinese laundry" have any non-literal meaning?

texts:
A recent ad by Bing Lee had during its ad something like

  You could create a Chinese laundry with that much [washing powder].

  Mum, you can't say that!

  Yes I can, I'm Chinese

Does "Chinese laundry" have any meaning other than a laundry staffed by Chinese people?

A onelook.com search only gives Wikipedia and Urban dictionary as matches for the phrase.

Wikipedia redirects "Chinese laundry" to Chinese Laundries in North America, which states that

  In the United States and Canada in the late 19th and early 20th
  century, the occupation of laundry worker was heavily identified with
  Chinese Americans.

However, a google ngram search has "Chinese laundry" far more common than any other immigrant population (such as Jewish, Italian or Polish) plus "laundry". Does this mean "Chinese laundry" developed a non-literal meaning?

Urban dictionary has an entry about "Chinese laundry", but there's very few upvotes, and even the top voted entry has half as many downvotes.


texts: Is it acceptable to use an exclamation point after a question mark to emphasize the question?


texts: What term to use to refer to a late husband's last name after marrying again and taking the new husband's name?

texts:
When I married my first husband I took his name and used the term "nee" to quickly refer to my birth name.  After my first husband died, I remarried and took my new husband's last name.  Now I want to know what term to use to refer to my first husband's last name, similar to how I would have used the term "nee" before. I suppose I could say "previous surname" but was hoping there was a shorter way to express this.

As an example, in letter I used to sign my name "Elaine Hornung" and follow it with "nee Elaine Rae" for instances where it might be important for the receiver of the letter to know my birth name.  Now I want to sign my name and follow it with the birth name and my previous married name, Wintonyk. The term for that use is what I am looking for.


texts: Is there a medieval term for a highwayman?

texts:
What would you call somebody waylaying in the middle ages? I found the term "highwayman" but that doesn't seem to be any older than 1600 something, so way too new for what I'm looking for. An outlaw seems to be something different again (being an outlaw as a sentence).
What term would you use? Are there any references in old English literature I could refer to?


texts:
What would be the correct verbiage for referring to an outside organization?

For example:  “Your team provided an opportunity for this division to derive change within our larger organization”


texts: How does one pronounce "hath" and "doth"?

texts:
Old English verb forms such as "hath" and "doth" are, I believe, normally pronounced with the /θ/ sound as in the word "think."

But somebody once told me that that is actually a mistake. The words, said he, were originally pronounced as present-day "has" and "does" with a /z/ sound. Pronouncing "hath" as /haθ/ rather than /haz/ is a modern mistake, said my source.

Is this true?


texts: Does "one of the only" actually mean anything?

texts:
I'm a little confused by the phrase "one of the only" - as far as I can tell, it just means the same as "one of the" with the vague implication that the number of things in the set is relatively small.

For example, "Neil Armstrong is one of the only men to land on the moon."  It sounds like he's one of the few men to do this, just without using the word "few".  Because then it's obvious that you're using the vague word "few" and not saying what it means.

"He is the only man to do this" - that's clearly saying that only one person has ever done it.

"A, B and C are the only people to do this" - again, that's clear, there are only 3.

"A is one of only 10 people to do this" - clear.  There are 10 in the set, and A is one of them.

"He is one of the only people to do this" - doesn't seem to say anything at all.  He's not the only one, but there is no clue whether 3 people have done it or 3 million.

"He is one of the few people to do this" / "He is one of the people to do this" - not clear, but at least it's clear that it's not clear.  If you see what I mean.  It's not trying to sound like it's saying something when it's not.

Or does "one of the only" actually have some specific meaning?


texts:
I feel like by and with are both correct but they mean different things and should be used in different context.
for example i would use by if data were collected by someone (a person or a company) meanwhile I would use with if I want to mention instrument I used to collect data.
I'm am struggling with this specific sentence:
"data were collected with a laser scanner"
It is correct? are my assumptions right?


texts: Is "alone" an adverb in "I was sitting alone"?

texts: Is the sentence "I was sitting alone." correct? And if so, is "alone" an adverb? Are there other examples of adjectives being used as adverbs without modification?


texts: Is "read back through the logs" a valid use of the phrasal verb?

texts: Can "back" split the phrasal verb like this to emphasize that one is going through the logs in reverse chronological order? In general, is splitting phrasal verbs a good idea?


texts: difference between American and British /ӕ/ sound

texts:
When I presented British /ӕ/ sound to three Korean English-familiar persons online - they are doing answering English-related questions activities [case 1; case 2], and asked what sound it’s like /ӕ/ or /ɑ/, astonishingly all three of them without hesitation checked out /ɑ/. That shows how difficult it is to differentiate the two sounds for Koreans.

I can perceive both British and American /ӕ/ are made at the front. But the former sound is far more similar to Korean’s “ㅏ” sound. That’s why the Koreans all hear /ɑ/. And this definitely shows, I wonder, that there’s some difference between British and American /ӕ/. Would you let me know the difference?


texts:
Process-oriented organizations break down the barriers of structural departments and try to avoid functional silos.

I was wondering what silo means here? Is it a metaphor?


texts: Can "there is" be omitted in the sentence "Where there is no intention involved, there is no lying involved."?

texts:
Can we change the sentence

  Where there is no intention involved, there is no lying involved.

to

  Where no intention involved, no lying involved.

or more concisely to

  No intention involved, no lying involved.

Generally speaking, where, if at all, can "there is" and similar verbs be omitted?


texts: Which is better, "Bob knows that that is wrong" or "Bob knows that is wrong"? It seems to me that the first "that" is acting as the relation between Bob and the thing that is wrong, while the second "that" is acting as a pronoun taking the place of the thing itself that is wrong. As these are two different functions, I think there should be two that.


texts: Why the word "Circle" doesn't start with "s"?

texts: Today my daughter (goes to kindergarten) asked me this question which made me post here? I felt that was a good question. Can anyone help me with an answer?


texts: How would you call someone/thing who adheres (or not) to a set of regulations?

texts:
Given a regulatory body of some form, what is the term for someone or something that adheres to those regulations?

I'm looking for a noun or collective noun, rather than an adjective.

An example sentence might be: "All of the X(s) must meet the regulations set out by the regulator.", where X is the generic term for one or all of these individuals or groups.

For example, in the electricity market in the UK, the regulator is called Ofgen, which provides regulations for all of these:

Electricity Generators
Electricty Distributers
Electricty Suppliers

They don't necessarily have to be compliant to the regulations, so should be independent of that.

Ideas so far are:

stakeholder(s)
dependent(s)
participant(s)
partner(s)

but none sound specific in relation to the conformance with a set of rules.

This word is for formal use in a business document. A collective term would be ideal, but not essential.


texts: Active to Personal Passive - what do we do with "may be"?

texts:
If I wanted to turn this sentence written in the active voice: "People believe he may be fired", to one with Personal passive structure, how should it sound like at the end?
He is believed to ... 1) be likely fired; 2) may be fired;

3) The whole sentence should be "he is expected to be fired".

Please advise which one is grammatically correct and natural, if none - I would appreciate suggestions.
Thank you!


texts: Can we say that X is "indifferent between" two possible courses of action?

texts:
It strikes me as odd to use "indifferent between" rather than "indifferent to", but am having a hard time rephrasing the sentence so that it includes both options.

The structure of the sentence I'm looking at is:

"X is indifferent between doing Y and doing Z"

Now of course the fact that X is indifferent could allow me to write something like, "X is indifferent as to the future course of action", but I want to include the two options (not least since there may be more options to which X is not indifferent).

I suppose there are two questions here:

Is "indifferent between" truly ungrammatical?
How can I more elegantly phrase such a sentence?

Edit: Since I now see that my simplified example doesn't quite explain what I'm asking, the actual sentence I'm looking at is:

  The risk adjustment should reflect the compensation that an insurer
  requires for bearing this uncertainty and reflects the point at which
  the insurance company is indifferent between fulfilling an
  insurance contract with a range of possible outcomes and fulfilling a
  liability with fixed cash flows.


texts:
I saw the following sentence in today's Washington Post:

House Republicans cleared a hurdle Friday in their first attempt to scrap President Barack Obama's landmark health care overhaul, yet it was little more than a 'symbolic swipe at' the law.

What's the meaning of 'symbolic swipe (at)'? Does it mean a strong strike, but not strong enough to kill (abolish) the bill, which might end up with a resistance just for the purpose of resistance, because it is headed by the phrase 'yet it was little more than'?


texts:
I'm well attuned to the ways of their world.
vs.
I'm well versed in the ways of their world.
Which is better, when 'their world' refers to the culinary/fine dining world?
'well versed' feels lesser and makes my knowledge of 'their world' less comprehensive somehow, to me. While 'attuned to' seems to convey a responsive, mutual relationship that's not really the case here. But it could be interpreted as "I have been" attuned to the ways of their world, which would be closer to what I mean.


texts: Vocation and Mission both translate to the same word in Slovak language. What is the difference? I can not find any suitable definition, except for this one from the definition of Ikigai.


texts: jargon for taking leftover budget funds in one calendar year and using them the next year

texts:
There's a term for taking leftover budget funds in one calendar year and using them the next year, in the context of government budgeting.

I am having a brain freeze and can't remember it or find it on google. I know it's a reasonably short word (my guess is in the 5-9 letter range, 2-3 syllables) and it rhymes with a common word, possibly a food item. Don't ask me why I remember that. :-)


texts:
What could be the meaning of 'by' in the following sentence?

My grandmother was spared the humiliation of those high, grey walls by eight or ten years.


texts: Should I use 'by' as a preposition of time in past/future perfect tenses only?

texts:
In which tenses can I use 'by' as a preposition of time? My teacher told me you are allowed to use this preposition in past perfect or future perfect tenses only, but I ran into a lot of sentences on the web where people use it in past or future simple/continuous tenses. Consider the following examples:

  I will do my homework by tomorrow.
  I will have done my homework by tomorrow.

  They will be working by then.
      They will have been working by then.

  The domestic water use did not change by 1960.
      The domestic water use had not changed by 1960.

Please let me know which of them are correct.


texts:
I have a sentence I'm writing where I describe making a turn, as I run, into an empty alleyway. Here is how I would like to say it:

  I turn into a lonely lane...

The problem I find is that it may mean that I am changing my direction to run into a lane, or it may suggest that I am becoming a lane -- however unlikely that may be, realistically.

Is there a better way to write the sentence without disrupting the flow of my writing? (I understand that I can say, "I make a turn into a lonely lane..." but am afraid that that might cause some incontinuity.)

For example, could I say this?

  I turn in to a lonely lane...


texts: I understand that Sharia is the religious law of Islam. Is the  term “Sharia Law” redundant? I hear and read it all the time.


texts: Should I use "As" or "Since" in this sentence?

texts:
Today, we had an exam and one of the questions was:

  ...... he exercised more and more, he developed stronger muscles. a)
  What      b) Since       c) Whether      d) As

I checked Since because I taught that the sentence could be "He developed stronger muscles because he exercised more and more". But after the exam, our teacher said that it's wrong and the correct option is As because both of these sentences point to same time. I understand his explanation but why it can not be what I say? In my opinion both of these options (Since and As) are correct. Am I really wrong? if so, why?


texts:
Is "an assortment of [something plural]" singular or plural?

Removing the [something plural] makes the answer easier:

  An assortment was here.

makes more sense than

  An assortment were here.

Put in the [something plural], eg. "people", now I'm not sure which way sounds the most correct:

  An assortment of people was here.

or

  An assortment of people were here.


texts: What's the most appropriate preposition to use with the word "status"?

texts:
Say I have application that tracks TODO items; each TODO item has a status, e.g. "Not Started", "In Progress", "Completed", etc.

Which phrasing is the most appropriate to display in the application?

You have 5 items in status "Not Started"
You have 5 items with status "Not Started"
You have 5 items of status "Not Started"

I prefer #1. My rationale is that, I consider "status" to be synonymous with "state," and things reside in a state rather than possess a state. But I am open to persuasion otherwise.


texts: Why can you use "a" for "This/That" --> "That is an excellent book"

texts:
I have been going over this website -
http://www.englishpage.com/articles/a-an-vs-the.htm

It gives the example sentence:

"That is an excellent book."

I am a native speaker so I know this sounds natural, but why isn't "the" appropriate here?

According to this flow chart, it seems "the" should be used since the book is known to the reader (at least I think it is!).

http://www.gallaudet.edu/tip/english-center/grammar-and-vocabulary/when-to-use-a-an-or-the.html


texts: "x is 2 greater than y" instead of "x is greater than y by 2"

texts: Is saying x is 2 greater than y (meaning x is greater than y by 2) acceptable?


texts: How did "s***" and "the s***" come to mean opposite things?

texts:
Your idea is shit

Your idea is bad.

  Your idea is the shit

Your idea is good.

The same does not apply to "the crap" or "the poop", or other profanity like "the fuck".

I can think of examples where adding "the" to a noun makes it descriptive, like "the sux0rs" (bad), "the man" (good). I can't think of another example where a bad word is made good by adding "the".


texts: There are two well-known meanings of "whereas", which are roughly "given that" (legal) and "in contrast to" (common).  The Douglas Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary only addresses the legal usage, which appears to be old. If that is the original usage, where did the now common usage come from?  (Perhaps as a replacement of whyle as?)


texts: Pronunciation: the verb "use" versus the noun "use"

texts:
Compare pronunciations:

"I want to use the bathroom" (yoos)
"I made use of the bathroom." (yus)

My poor attempt at creating a phonetically descriptive syntax is supposed to convey that, with the verb construction, "use" is pronounced with a long u whose sound continues during the speaking of the s. The noun construction is a shorter sound, where the u and the s are distinct.

It suddenly strikes me that this is such a slight change as to be barely noticeable if the listener is not already expecting it, or if the listener is not the speaker himself. So now I'm not sure whether I'm the only person doing this, and it's freaking me out a bit because I hate when I find out I've been mispronouncing terms for years; I'm too picky with my language for that.

So, is it just me forming a different pronunciation for "use" dependant on the context? Is it perhaps a regional thing? Or is everyone, indeed, doing it?


texts:
I saw on the FDA website the following definition of cosmetics. What puzzles me is such term. I have been taught that such is used with singular nouns (e.g. such a book), plurals (e.g. such idiots), or uncountables (e.g. such nonsense).

(i) The term "cosmetic" means (1) articles intended to be rubbed, poured, sprinkled, or sprayed on, introduced into, or otherwise applied to the human body or any part thereof for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering the appearance, and (2) articles intended for use as a component of any such articles; except that such term shall not include soap.


texts: Is there a verb to describe an action which involves an insult to someone whom you just helped out?

texts:
If someone helped me (financially or any kind of assistance) and when it comes to any disagreement, he starts to remind me of his help and brag about it.

Which verb that describes this situation where the subject is "someone" and the object is "me "?

Here is an imaginary conversation:

  Him: Don't forget that I once helped you.
  Me: You keep repeating this day after day. Stop _____ me.

What should I add in the space?


texts:
I tried doing some research,  but couldn't find the answer to my question. My question is simple. In the following sentence; "Everything can be drunk", should I use drank instead of drunk? As this is stating a possibility, I know that there might be special grammar rules applied to this, which is why the links I found are not good enough.

Thanks a lot for your help


texts:
My teacher always says that I cannot use the word contemporary when talking about living people.

According to him you could say for instance: He was a contemporary of Shakespeare, but you couldn't say Merkel is a contemporary of Obama.

The only synonym for contempoary that I've found was coeval. Does that word refer to living or dead contemporaries? In addition, is the word coeval commonly used/formal/informal? I have never heard of it before.


texts: Is it wrong to use 'not" in sentences that have an “all…not” form

texts:
All of the women in the district did not vote for the lone female candidate.

What, if any, is the semantic problem in the above sentence?

I was suggested the following sentence by my senior peers.

  “Not all of the women in the district voted for the lone female candidate.”


texts:
I just finished one episode of an American TV series. An old man in it says, "Been trying all my life to get it right. I'm still screwing up." He's talking about how he failed as a father.

Usually when people say "I'm leaving""I am going to the movies this afternoon", they're talking the things they're about to do. So I am a little confused here. If what he's trying to say is that he used to be a bad father, is it okay to simply say "I screwed up"? Dose the man mean that he's and will still be making mistakes in parent-child relationship when he says "I'm still scewing up"?


texts: I can't think of the word that describes a word snob and use of the word pretty much proves you are one.  Anybody?


texts:
So on this sentence for example it's using (a) to expand on the main subject. It's exhaustive to read, but is it necessarilly wrong. What is the grammatical term for this usage or style (without knocking it). When we expand on the subject in this way.

Laura was trapped in a town like no other, a fantasy town, a town she felt trapped in, a town she no longer wanted to be, a place she could no longer escape, and
she was staying in a hotel, a desolate, dry hotel, a hotel with patches on the sealing, a hotel with broken windows, a hotel she had to leave.


texts:
Comma or not comma? That is the question!

Notice they each tout features like, "Vitamins A, C, and E," "Olive Leaf Extract," and "Sustainable Orange Stem Cells."

OR:

Notice they each tout features like "Vitamins A, C, and E," "Olive leaf extract," and "sustainable Orange Stem Cells."

Also, should there be a comma after "notice"?

Thank you


texts: On the expression "the poverty and lack of opportunity"

texts:
This is a passage from The Economist:

  Unlike townships such as Soweto, which were designated areas for blacks to live in under apartheid, the shantytowns are spontaneous settlements set up by people fleeing the poverty and lack of opportunity in rural South Africa.

This can be read in two ways:

the poverty in rural South Africa and lack of opportunity in rural South Africa.
the poverty of opportunity and lack of opportunity in rural South Africa.

Which interpretation is better?


texts: Which one is correct: Attached file includes or The attached file includes?

texts:
Please advise:
Should I use "Attached file includes" or "The attached file includes?"
Thank you,
Paul


texts: What’s the origin of the use of the word “hard” to mean unequivocal?

texts: For example, in “hard no” or “hard pass”


texts:
I'm looking for a ism word or similar sounding word e.g. racism, sexism, anti-antisemitism, homophobism/homophobic that I can use to describe in general term discriminatory behavior.
I also require for the same word the form of that word to describe the person e.g. racist, sexist, homophobe, anti-semite

  John asked Sally to please step aside so he can pass. She replied. "No, you're an entitled white male". John responded saying "By generalizing without having ever met me, and classifying me with my sex and race instead of who I am, you are a committing [...ism] or being a [...ist]

I can use discrimination and discriminator/hypocrite but it doesn't sound right as discrimination is so broad and she is using a combination of race and gender. I feel a word ending with ism/ist/ic word would be more applicable.


texts:
I am not a native speaker, but I noticed that sometimes people use Bachelor or Bachelor's in some context, although I don't understand the difference:

See for instance also this question click me

For instance I would call myself a Bachelor student, but do I do my Bachelor's studies or my Bachelor studies?

Actually, I don't understand the difference between Bachelor and Bachelor's and I don't know when to use one or the other. Could anybody help me with that?


texts: “Pull in to” or “pull into”? “Head in to”, “Head into”, “head to”, or “head for”?

texts:
My question may sound weird, but what which of these is correct?
“She pulled in to the parking lot”
“She pulled into the parking lot”
“I was heading for school.”
“I was heading to school.”
“I was heading in to the school”
“I was heading into the school.”
Thanks lots!


texts: Is this correct: "Water will be being drunk by Michael"?

texts:
I started with "Michael is drinking water", which I could convert to "Water is being drunk by Michael", which I could change to the past tense as "Water was being drunk by Michael".

That leads me to believe that I could change "Water is being drunk by Michael" to the future tense as: "Water will be being drunk by Michael". Am I right?

(In case somebody suggests "Water will be drunk by Michael", I believe that has a different connotation because I would derive it from "Michael drinks water" to "Water is drunk by Michael" and then change the tense to future to get "Water will be drunk by Michael".)


texts: Please explain the tenses in the second line

texts:
It's a pretty famous poem from Kipling's "Just So Stories." It begins thus:

I KEEP six honest serving-men
 (They taught me all I knew);
Their names are What and Why and When
 And How and Where and Who.
I send them over land and sea,
 I send them east and west;
But after they have worked for me,
 I give them all a rest.


texts: Is English particularly well suited for so-called "natural language programming"?

texts:
Programming languages like sEnglish, Inform7, WolframAlpha, and even AppleScript purport to use the "natural language programming" (NLP) paradigm. Even SQL is a kind of NLP, if you think about it.

Since I've only ever seen these in English, I wonder if the grammar and syntax of English make it a great candidate for programming expressions.

I'm inclined to doubt it, because my beef with NLP is that English vocabularly is overloaded and is particularly ambiguous, whereas programming languages (even NLP) demand clarity and precision of expression. So you get sucked into thinking "Hey, natural language, this should be easy. I already speak English!" And you wind up unconsciously extending the syntax with other constructions that are understood in English by humans, but don't survive the compiler's syntax checking.

Note that I'm not asking if English is "logical," because it isn't. And, as John McWhorter says, "No language makes perfect sense."


texts:
I am bit confused by the use of Indirect questions in the sentence.
Moreover, it is being very difficult for me to use backshift method for interrogatives.
In the given sentence, please tell me if the word order used is correct or not.  And in the end, use of direct interrogative is correct or not.

I want to know who is the subject of global warming and climate change whether developed or the developing countries?
I want to know who is the subject of global warming and climate change. Are the rich or the poor?

finally, do we use question mark with "I want to know .............."?


texts:
Is "short fall" an acceptable synonym for "shortfall"?

  We noticed an important short fall here that no-one else had planned for.

Found on an English-language Korean news website.

I search in my dictionary but it did not have a "short fall" entry. Maybe that is an acceptable word nonetheless?


texts:
Which grammar form is in the sentence bellow?
'You are finally graduated.'


texts: When talking about a physical book, as opposed to an e-book, which is correct: print book or printed book?


texts: One word that conveys stability, unchanging terms, and word of honor in a local context

texts:
I'm looking to send a chat to someone that conveys this message/thought but I simply cannot, for the life of me, remember what word I used to use for this.
The message I'm looking to send goes along the lines of, in a positive light,

I have been able to free up more time recently due to workflow efficiency improvements but for ________ sake I would like to stick to our original terms, which is X days to complete Y milestone.
Her company gave her a generous Christmas bonus and she can return what she owes you immediately. However, in the name of ________, she wants to follow your original amortization terms.

I was thinking of the word "formality" but in the second example, it may have been a simple, informal oral agreement between the two of them. I'm looking for a word that's sort of the antonym of "indecisiveness" and "turncoat".
Edit: I failed to make it clear before. The context is between two/a few parties. The answers and the flagged question holds the agreement to widely-accepted societal morals and standards, which may not necessarily be the case for the agreement the parties might have entered into.
What I was looking for, after additional thought, is

Her company gave her a generous Christmas bonus and she can return
what she owes you immediately. However, in the name of [the agreement
between them, or something that conveys this thought], she wants to follow your
original amortization terms.

This would work for me:

Her company gave her a generous Christmas bonus and she can return
what she owes you immediately. However, [in the name of commitment/for the sake of the commitment between the two of you (non-one word)], she wants to follow your
original amortization terms.


texts: Verb form after "and" -- is there a rule?

texts:
Questions:

In the examples below, is there a rule that says which verb form must come after an “and”?
Should a comma appear before “and” in example 2B? Why or why not? I can’t locate a rule addressing this.

Example #1
A. The mediator was effective at ferreting out areas of compromise that might exist and creating a comfortable conversation among all parties.
B. The mediator was effective at ferreting out areas of compromise that might exist and created a comfortable conversation among all parties.
Example #2
A. The Commander bellowed, taking one hand off the wheel to reach inside his peacoat and pull out an ancient pistol.
B. The Commander bellowed, taking one hand off the wheel to reach inside his peacoat and pulled out an ancient pistol.


texts: the meaning of the expression "on the eye"

texts:
Can someone tell me what this expression means?

"on the eye"

  It accounts for the scene I witnessed in the barracks: after a particularly tasteless dinner, which was left uneaten by most of the soldiers, the unfortunate soldier, lying on his bed, the victim of a practical joke, loudly complained that he was still very hungry and wouldn’t mind a simple meal, perhaps a pair of eggs on the eye

I found it in one of Slavoj Žižek's books and I would like to understand it.


texts: "Should character education be part of the curriculum that perspective teachers are exposed to in their credentialing program?" — is this too wordy?


texts: A good word for people who always seem to make bad choices in life and invite constant drama?

texts:
Is there a good word for describing a person who seems to always make poor life choices and thus lives in a virtually constant state of drama and disarray?  In slang terms, I would think of someone as a "hot mess" but I am looking for a non-slang term that perhaps does not carry (as much of) an implication of insult.

Another way to describe such a person would be to think of the "Classic California blonde stereotype" where the person may be extremely attractive, have access to plenty of money, but seemingly incapable of running his or her own life successfully.

The intended use for this word is as a "general category" for a type of person who would be in need of life coaching or other life advice.

The most options seems to be available through urban dictionaries, but as I wrote, I would like a proper word, not slang.

Thank you, in advance, for any suggestions.


texts: Word(s) to describe the direction of a threshold

texts:
Two types of thresholds exist.

Type One

Values below the threshold are good, and values above the threshold are bad.

Type Two

Values above the threshold are good, and values below the threshold are bad.

Is there a good word to describe the orientation or direction of a threshold? The best I have been able to come up with is "lower is better" for Type One, and "higher is better" for Type Two.

Some definitions imply that a threshold is something to be exceeded. Others definitions describe it only as a point to be crossed. What I want to describe is the direction to be crossed. I'm also open to suggestions for a word other than threshold, for those who think that threshold is a poor word choice to describe something that can be bidirectional.

Used in a Program

public class Threshold
{
    public static int thresholdValue;
    private boolean higherIsBetter; // Is there a more concise name for this?

    public static setThreshold

    public boolean crossesThreshold(int value)
    {
        if (higherIsBetter)
            return value > thresholdValue;
        else
            return value < thresholdValue;
    }
}

Bidirectional Examples

If the success rate dips below 80%, you will have to redo the task.

If the failure rate exceeds 20%, you will not receive payment.


texts: "questions need to answer" or "questions need to be answered"

texts:
It seems to me the first one is fine, as we always say "I have some work to do". Do we say "I have some work to be done"?

If they are both correct, in which scenarios they should be used respectively?


texts:
Red flowers in their season and scarlet berries in the winter-time were offered at his shrine, for he was a god who laid some special stress on the fierce impatient side of things, as opposed to the Woman's religion, which, as far as Conradin could observe, went to great lengths in the contrary direction.

It's from 'Sredni Vashtar' by Hector Hugo Munro.

What's the actual meaning of 'the fierce impatient side of things'?

It's beyond my understanding, regretfully.


texts: Need help identifying subject in sentence with a conjunction

texts:
Currently, I am involved in a disagreement as to interpreting the grammatical meaning of the following sentence:

“Restores 10% of Att as HP in battle.”

Given that “Att” and “HP” are nouns (with numerical values, if that makes a difference), from a purely grammatical standpoint does this sentence mean that either:

10% of “Att” is restored
10% of “HP” is restored
Neither, something different, or is not grammatically correct

Edit for clarity:

  The sentence represents the effect of an item in an MMORPG. "Att" is a
  numerical value for "Attack Power" and "HP" is a different numerical
  value for "Health Points." We are in agreement that the intended
  meaning of the sentence is that "HP" is restored by an amount equal to
  10% of "Att." The dispute is regarding whether the given sentence is a
  grammatically correct way of conveying the given meaning. Under
  assumptions #1 or #3 it would not be correct while under assumption #2
  it would be correct. Hopefully this helps.


texts: I just remembered or i have just remembered?

texts:
Suppose I wrote someone an email and told him something. After a few days, it occurred to me that I forgot to tell him about other things. What is correct in this situation:

Hi marc, I have just remembered that I forgot to tell you about other things...

or

Hi marc, I just remembered that I forgot to tell you about other things ...


texts: Beneficiaries of an action ending with the "-ee" suffix

texts:
To refer to the beneficiary or patient of an action, sometimes one can form a word using the verb and the -ee suffix, e.g.

assign → assignee
employ → employee
refuge → refugee

On the other hand, some forms like givee (the beneficiary), killee (the victim) or massagee (the one massaged) sound inherently stupid. I guess there probably are other -ee nouns that are at least that bad, but which I would unfortunately miss because of my poor English and wild imagination. Are there any usage rules or common-sense methods that would help me to distinguish between the proper, understandable words and the rest?

Any help or some references to on-line sources would be greatly appreciated.


texts: Word/phrase for describing a relationship/association that could be productive and conterproductive

texts:
How to explain such a relationship/association (preferably not in the human context) :

  Approach A could be regarded as an innovative idea to leverage full potential of system B. In the reverse direction, it's possible to leverage concept A to attack to the system B.

Based on the answers of a similar question, such feature may be referred as double-edged sword or mixed blessing. Now, how can we refer to the relationship/association shaped around this feature?

I think "A and B have a double-edged sword like relationship" makes no sense. So, there is need to another word/phrase or even an idiom to describe that.


texts: Does this sentence sound weird in English?

texts:
"Neptune’s natural light coming in through the top windows washed the station in baby blue hues."

I am alluding to the "washed with light" part. Does it sound like a legitimate literary expression or merely something a foreigner would write?

Thank you!


texts: What do you think about using an adjective before a person's name?

texts:
For example:

James snatched the papers out of the flustered Jenifer's hands.

You could say, "James snatched the papers out of the hands of Jenifer, who was flustered," but if the first sentence is acceptable, I think I would prefer it to the second.


texts:
Prepping for the GED RLA test, I came across this sentence (from Excerpt from A Defense of the Constitution of Government of the USA by John Adams):

If we should extend our candor so far as to own

My attempts to find the meaning of own in this context have all failed, so I'm hereby kindly asking for your help.
Here's the full excerpt:

If we should extend our candor so far as to own, that the
majority of men are generally under the dominion of
benevolence and good intentions, yet, it must be confessed,
that a vast majority frequently transgress; and, what is more
directly to the point, not only a majority, but almost all, confine
their benevolence to their families, relations, personal friends,
parish, village, city, county, province, and that very few,
indeed, e?tend it impartially to the whole community.


texts:
Is there a word (other than asshole) to describe someone who always says things in a way that makes other people look incompetent in order to make themselves look better? A different word to describe their language would also suffice.

Edit: for clarification, here are a few sentences they might use:

"I wouldn't have done it that way"
"Do you even know what you're talking about?" (Implying that they do and you don't.)
"Well, it wouldn't have happened if you knew about such and such."

Basically a kind of blame-passing system to cover up the fact that they are the actual problem.


texts: Word or phrase for turning the tide against a rival in a competition in the last moments

texts:
I'm sure there's a more specific word/phrase for moments like in a soccer match when the loser team which is, say, two scores behind, scores 3 points in the last ten minutes to turn an almost certain defeat into a great victory to everyone's surprise.

PS: An alternative context can be a legal dispute or even a military battle.


texts: I can look up the etymology for indubitably... but how did a word like this, which pretty much exactly parallels "undoubtedly," come into use? This might be an unanswerable question, but how did two words with such parallel meanings, the only nuance distinguishing them being that you sound more pretentious if you say "indubitably", come to coexist?


texts: 400mL's IS too much? Or 400mL's ARE too much?

texts:
I'm having an internal debate between using the plural or singular form ('is' or 'are') in the following sentence.

"400 milliliters of water is too much".

Saying "400 milliliters of water are too much." doesn't sound grammatically correct.  Is this because I am declaring the entirety of the subject as a singular noun?

In contrast, what about "Two dogs are too much to take care of" vs "Two dogs is too much to take care of"?


texts: What is the difference between "Getting Started" and "Get Started"

texts: I am writing a technical user manual (for software) and a bit confused about using "Getting Started" or "Get Started" term as a page title. Any suggestions?


texts: Is there a word for the extreme opposite of "irony"

texts:
My understanding of irony comes from the movie "Reality Bites":

  It's when the actual meaning is the complete opposite from the literal meaning

Frequently people use the term incorrectly, applying it where the actual meaning and the literal meaning are surprisingly similar in unintended ways.

A perfect example of the incorrect usage is the picture below.

It's definitely not irony, so what word can we use?

(Just in case the link has broken, it's a picture of a building with a plaque saying "George Orwell Lived Here". Pointing out in front of the building is a security camera.)


texts:
In the sentence:

  "
  I let him take the pen

... are the mentioned functions correct?

I = subject
let = main verb
him = indirect Object
take = the second verb (bare infinitive)
the pen = Direct Object

Of particular interest is whether him is a subject of take or an object of let. Also what is the function of the infinitival clause "... take the pen"?


texts: Left and Right are "Sides"; Front and Rear are "Ends"; Top and Bottom are...?

texts:
I'm looking for a fitting word in the context of design/engineering. We have long structural members that go in an assembly and we need to be able to describe them based on their orientation and location.

EDIT: I'm looking for a word that makes sense in the following context:

EDIT (CONT'D): Someone putting this thing together in the real world should be able to pick up a flange labeled "[word for top-and-bottom] flange" and confidently put it in the right place.

We have an appropriate word for each orientation:

Members oriented front-to-rear: Longitudinal members
Members oriented left-to-right: Lateral members
Members oriented top-to-bottom: Vertical members

However, I'm stumped for one of the words when it comes to location:

Members located on the front or rear: End members
Members located on the left or right: Side members
Members located on the top or bottom: ??? members

Let me give a few usage examples. These are some examples of how we might name members in an assembly:

Vertical Side Flange (a vertical flange located on the sides)
Vertical End Flange (a vertical flange located on the ends)
Lateral End Flange (a lateral flange located on the ends)
Lateral ??? Flange (a lateral flange located on the top and bottom)
Longitudinal Side Flange (a longitudinal flange located on the sides)
Longitudinal ??? Flange (a longitudinal flange located on the top and bottom)

Another way to describe the positions is using the "plural" sense:

The longitudinal extremes are the "Ends"
The lateral extremes are the "Sides"
The vertical extremes are the... ???

As a usage example, we also might put a note to the following effect on a drawing:

"Repeat on both sides"
"Repeat on both ends"
"Repeat on both ...???"

Ideally, I'm looking for a word that can work in both singular plural and contexts, like "end/ends" and "side/sides" do.

We have such fitting words for the left-to-right and front-to-back extremes of something... I find it hard to believe that the English language has no fitting word for the vertical extremes of something. If it really doesn't, I would be strongly in favor of making up one...


texts:
Word for a supporter/believer in the cause of a dictator (but is not one themselves), or the concept of dictatorship in the general sense.

Dictatorist?  Despotist?


texts: What is a polite substitute for badass (used as a noun)?

texts:
Badass and BAMF are both modern words with approximately the same meaning: "Someone who is awesome to an extreme level, thereby leveraging unquestionable authority." Is there another noun or title that would convey the same level of awe, admiration and toughness that calling someone a badass does, without the vulgarity?

Thanks for any help. :)


texts: "There are several reasons proposed for the collapse of the bridge."

texts:
There are several reasons proposed for the collapse of the bridge.

Is this present simple tense or the present perfect tense? I thought it might be the latter since there is a retrospective aspect to the sentence. However, I am quite unsure.


texts:
Which preposition should be used in the following sentence?

  All of my programs are running in/on a 16-core machine.

Google shows both options.


texts: how should several "and"s without any punctuation be understood?

texts:
How should this long sentence with multiple "and"s

  Property taxes and other local taxes and state taxation and spending may not be ... .

be understood?  Notice, there is no punctuation near the occurrences of "and" (actual text is Article IX § 25 of the Michigan Constitution).

Should each item between the "and" be treated completely separate from all the other items?

Property taxes may not be ...
Other local taxes may not be ...
State taxation may not be ...
Spending may not be ...

Or, do you group the "and"s in the only way that can be uniformly done:

  {Property taxes and other local taxes} and {state taxation and spending} may not be ...

or, perhaps slightly different

  {Property taxes and other local taxes} and state {taxation and spending} may not be ...

What punctuation might be added to make a particular reading more clear? (Of course, legally, that can't be done; but it could help make the case for a certain understanding over another.)


texts:
Today, we were having a group discussion in my workplace. There was a part where we all were given a chance to explain how the recent election affected us. During my turn, I referred myself (Asian American) as a part of a "minority" group. Later, our supervisor encouraged the use of "marginalized" instead of "minority".

However, doesn't "marginalized" suggest that the group is being discriminated even though I just want to mean that the group has a smaller population. Which word makes more sense in this context?


texts: Meaning of "who would not let men call their wives their own to kick like Britons"

texts:
From Aurora Leigh:

  I had my windows broken once or twice
  By liberal peasants, naturally incensed
  At such a vexer of Arcadian peace,
  Who would not let men call their wives their own
  To kick like Britons,–and made obstacles
  When things went smoothly as a baby drugged,
  Toward freedom and starvation; bringing down
  The wicked London tavern-thieves and drabs,
  To affront the blessed hillside drabs and thieves
  With mended morals, quotha,–fine new lives!–
  My windows paid for't.

What is the meaning of the phrase in bold? It does not seem to be coherent at all. It's not connected to the previous words.

To whom does "to kick like Britons" refer? To "wives", to "peasants", or to the person pronouncing the sentences?


texts: Company's departments (offices): New York's department (office) or New York department (office)

texts:
What is the proper way to list company's departments (offices) which are located in several cities?

New York's department: +1-212-123...
San Francisco's department: +1-415-321...

or

New York department: +1-212-123...
San Francisco department: +1-415-321...

Is the 's in the end of the city's name required?