texts:
First speaker:

  You do not have to hit me to prove your point

Reply:

  Yes I do

Is this conversation valid? Valid in the sense that if a conversation like this should occur, there is no error?

Just to put things in perspective, this is a friendly conversation between two people, but a third person speaks up, saying the reply is inaccurate because "have to" expresses past tense. Consequently, the proper reply should have been "Yes I did."


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Is “either” only used with two options?

I'm trying to find a way to express that there are three alternatives in a sentence. For example, if there were two alternatives, I could say:

  That person could be either Alice or Lily.

But what if I want to add a third person? Can I say:

  That person could be either Alice, Lily or Lucy.

I looked up in the dictionary and it says:

  either/or: an unavoidable choice between two alternatives.

Well, how do I express an unavoidable choice between three or more alternatives?


texts: Is there a single word for Money Lender?

texts:
I'm looking for a single word describing a person who lends money to dynasties or kingdoms in large amounts? who does not lend small amounts to anyone, hence they generally do not lend to individuals.
In most cases such people lend money for interest and against some guarantee like house, land, gold or something on those lines.
Most probably a word should be old and may or may not be in use today.
do we have any single word describing such a person?


texts: If I wanted to write about 1899, would I call it the turn of the 19th century or the turn of the 20th century? Basically: does 'turn of the century' refer to the beginning or end of a century?


texts:
In a recent episode of TV series Suits (which revolves around Lawyers) character Mike says the line:

  You heard Cahill. He needs an answer yesterday.

Isn't it incorrect English? Can yesterday be used for tomorrow? If so what are the rules?

I heard a similar use of yesterday in the same TV series in a very old episode but took that to be my weaker understanding of English grammar then.


texts: Divergence in meaning of "just about" between UK and North American English

texts:
Does anyone know anything about how the meaning of "just about" came to have opposite meanings in the UK and North America.

For example, in the UK, The team just about won. means that the team won, but it was close (ie The team barely won.). However, in North America, it means that the team almost won.


texts: Words or phrases related to obvious hidden agendas

texts: I'm strugging to describe the concept of when someone is indirectly trying to influence another person to do or say something, but in quite a blatant or cliched way. One particular example is when someone theatrically winces or groans in order for another person to ask if they're alright/ask what's wrong.


texts:
Q: Is the italicised verb form correct in this sentence?

  Jane's pale face suggested she could be ill: her parents suggested
  that she have a medical examination.

  A: The sentence is grammatically correct. The subjunctive remains in
  force even though it is likely the patient will follow the doctor's
  advice. To actualize the blood test with "has" would be telling an
  untruth. The subjunctive holds the notion of a suggestion in place.
  Thus does grammar make its own modest contribution to truthful
  speaking.

I don't see how this sentence can be grammatical. Please could you offer any comments.


texts: What is the history of the noun 'false banana'?

texts:
What is the earliest usage of the noun 'false banana'?

The earliest use of the noun 'false banana' I can find is on 1837, but I expected it to be around 1700.

Also, I would like to know what the history of the noun is (who first used it, how the noun spread, etc)


texts:
ESL students, whose L1 is Spanish, have a hard time paying attention to the /z/ sound, especially in end position: please, eyes, surprise. Learners assume that what sounds at the end is the /s/ sound.
When the /z/ sound is at the beginning or in mid-position, the are likely to hear it: zero or result.
What's the reason for this? Is there a phonological concept shedding light on this?


texts: Is the sentence "I didn't marry you because you were rich." same as " I married you not because you were rich but for another reason."


texts: How should I structure sentences in a series

texts:
Lets say I have the following sentences...

  Cake is really bad for you. It contains a large amount of sugar. It contains common allergens. It looks silly.

Additionally, lets say I wanted to connect all three of these thoughts together in a similar manner...

  Cake is really bad for you. It contains a large amount of sugar. It contains common allergens. And, it looks silly.

Now, I know that using an "And" at the beginning of the sentence is poor grammar. I also realize this is more of a paragraph structure, so I could do some word-smithing to make it work that way.

However, this feels a lot like a series of items, and I would really love to treat it as such...

  Cake is really bad for you:  it contains a large amount of sugar; it contains common allergens; and it looks silly.

Is there a structure in the English language that provides for this? Is the above the proper usage?

Thanks!


texts: How did the adjective “just” come to take on so many adverbial meanings?

texts:
Just is a pretty useful adverb. It can carry several different meanings:

  very recently: I just finished the novel.
  exactly: That’s just what he meant.
  by a narrow margin: He just missed me with the snowball.
  only: Bob was just a dishwasher until he met George Lucas.
  quite or very: The weather is just beautiful.
  directly: Just west of here.
  perhaps or possibly: Your plan just might work.

(With thanks to Dictionary.com and Merriam-Webster Online for these examples.)

There are also a variety of phrases using just, including just so and just about. I’m sure I haven’t covered everything here.

I’m curious about how we got all these adverbial senses of just. I checked the Online Etymology Dictionary for just and found this:

  just (adv):

  “merely, barely,” 1660s, from Middle English sense of “exactly, precisely, punctually” (c.1400), from just (adj.), and paralleling the adverbial use of French juste. Just-so story first attested 1902 in Kipling, from the expression just so “exactly that, in that very way” (1751).

How the heck did the adjective just spawn such diverse adverbial meanings?


texts: The meaning of "You practice fidelity for kicks"

texts:
The sentence below comes from Mr. Playboy; Hugh Hefner and the American Dream.

  A sly sense of humor often lightened the mood. Hefner once quipped to
  the dignified Spectorsky, “I’ve figured out why you and your wife are
  so sophisticated. You practice fidelity for kicks.”

In this passage I want to know the meaning of the bold-faced sentence.
Let me tell you what I figured out so far.

First, 'sense of humor' say the sentence in question is a humorous expression.

Second, 'fidelity' refers to faithfulness to one's spouse.

Last, 'kick' means an exciting effect, as in I get a kick out of driving fast cars.

Am I right in figuring out the meanings of each word presented above?

Still, I don't get the meaning of the whole sentence. I know it's used for some humorous effect but I don't know why Spectorsky's practicing fidelity for kicks is humorous.


texts: what does "bygones, sporto, bygones" mean?

texts:
Sanctuary TV series, Episode "Out of the blue":

Will: Ok, but why bring us here? I mean, why not just bring us to the Sanctuary?
Foss: Clock was ticking from the second you guys got hit. If the venom was acftive in your system too long, there was less chance that we could save you
Virgil: He made a call. I opened my doors to friends.
Will [sarcastically]: Yeah, that was really sweet of you, Virgil.
Virgil: Bygones, Sporto, bygones. I got a big heart.

I am not getting it. Why does he call him "Sporto"? And why does he say "bygones"? Does he mean "let bygones be bygones"?


texts: What is the correct pronunciation of the name Ceri?

texts: Is it incorrect to pronounce the name Ceri — which is of Welsh origin I think — as seri instead of keri?


texts: Do I add " ’s " after the number on a pope/king’s name? (e.g. Pope Paul VI’s)

texts:
Which of these is it supposed to be?

  Pope Paul VI's

or

  Pope Paul's VI

I know that the second one sounds funny (and silly), but isn't the number technically not a part of the pope's name?


texts: Is this correct: "Aloof the hallow things shall always be"?

texts:
I'm writing a poem, and I wondered if, to a native speaker, this would sound awkward (or grammatically incorrect):

  Aloof the hallow things shall always be.

As a variant of

  The hallow things shall always be aloof.

Is my phrase grammatically correct (for a poem)?


texts: Asking a non sensical question in response to another questions, meant to stump the original asking person. What is the name of such a question?

texts:
Is there a name for a question such as the one on line 3 below?

Rocket Scientist: Hi, how can I help you?

Dummy: Hi, there's a clunking noise coming from the left front rocket booster of my spaceship.  Would you be able to please run some tests to determine the cause?

Rocket Scientist: What kind of tests would like me to run?

Obviously, "Rocket Scientist" is the expert here, and dummy isn't asking the right soft of question to begin with.   However, is there a legal or English term for the kind of question asked on line 3?
Regards,
CJ


texts: What does the phrase refer to after the comma?

texts:
The line below is taken from an article published in The New York Times.

  In 2012, Fran Lebowitz, the humorist and noted nemesis of Michael
  Bloomberg, who was then New York City’s mayor, sneered that the
  billionaire businessman and philanthropist could not stand the thought
  of someone having a bigger job than his.

I can't understand weather the phrase who was then New York City’s mayor refers to Fran Lebowitz or Michael Bloomberg. Please help me figure this out.


texts: Are 'accuracy' and 'precision' interchangeable nouns?

texts:
The dictionary for accuracy says:

  The quality or state of being correct or precise.
  The ability to perform a task with precision.

And for precision:

  The quality, condition, or fact of being exact and accurate.
  Marked by or adapted for accuracy and exactness

Are these nouns interchangeable? If not, how to decide whether to use one or another?


texts: I still remember it as if it ... yesterday

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Tenses after “as if”

What is the difference of the following sentences?

I still remember it as if it was yesterday.
I still remember it as if it were yesterday.
I still remember it as if it had been yesterday.
I still remember it as if it happened yesterday.
I still remember it as if it had happened yesterday.

Which one would you rather use when you look back at your life? (So you look back at events that might be years ago.)


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Usage and correctness of the term “Better than Best”

  The fresher than fresh slogans of our relentless advertising

What does fresher than fresh mean? Does it mean more and more fresh?


texts: How can I refer to a man using his first name while showing some respect? Can I say  "Good morning, Sir William or Mr William" like Monsieur in French?


texts: Using the perfect infinitive in this way?

texts:
Is it correct to use the perfect infinitive in this way?

"I want it to have been finished by that time" instead of "I want it to be finished by that time".

"

"I wanted it to have been finished by the next day" instead of "I wanted it to be finished by the next day"

Or with people:

"I want you to have finished your homework by the time I get home"
"I wanted them to have prepared the assignment for when it was going to be necessary."


texts: Is there a name for a "non-rectangular matrix"?

texts:
According to Wikipedia a matrix in the mathematical sense is a rectangular array of numbers.

So this:

  1 2 3 4
  5 6 7 8
  7 8 9 10

would be an example for a matrix, while the following would not be a matrix:

  1 2 3
  4
  7 8

What would be a good term for the latter, which is also a 2-dimensional field of numbers like a matrix but not rectangular?

Regarding the comment that I could just add zeros, actually that is not possible and would be a different thing, since this does come from a technical background where any element of one row can be chosen at random and increasing the length of one row has other side effects that aren't intended.
It's also not a partial matrix the elements in the shorter rows really are not there and are not free to be chosen.


texts: Using prepositions and conjunctions in a sentence

texts:
Which one of the following example sentences are correct/more appropriate?

It is better to laugh than cry.
It is better to laugh than to cry.

Some general tips would be helpful.


texts: What’s the proper word to describe this?

texts:
Do you know what word I can use to describe a situation where you cry while reading a letter then your tears dropped to the paper and unfortunately, since that letter is a printed one, some parts of the letter are gone/got blurred?
Anyway, it’s the act of the tears wiping out the parts of the paper that I’m talking about.


texts: Why A is pronounced differently in "opacity" and "opaque"

texts:
When I look at pronunciation guides for opacity and opaque I see the following:

  opaque: oh-peyk (a hard A)

  opacity: oh-pas-i-tee (a soft A)

Since their root seems to be the Latin opācus, why do they have different pronunciations?

Aside, I've been pronouncing opacity  as oh-pey-si-tee (hard A) for most of my life, so I'm a little embarrassed.


texts: How to say that something is (not) random

texts:
I want to compare two things, one of which is random and the other is not, in favor of the latter. I'd like to do it in a more sophisticated way than simply using the word "random".

Like, for example,

  In this case, your pay will not depend on the roll of the dice.

But Google Ngrams doesn't find a single occurrence of "depend on the roll of the dice", so I guess there's something wrong with this particular phrase. What would be a better substitute?


texts:
The purpose is not to dance like an elephant.

I see two ways of interpreting this sentence:

It is incorrect to say that "dance like an elephant" is the goal.
The objective is to prevent dancing like an elephant.

How should the sentence be re-written to avoid the ambiguity, if the desired meaning is (1) or (2), respectively?

Edit: perhaps I should give more context info about how this question came to me.

I want to write a document which should be referred to as a guideline rather than hard rules. I describe my intent with:

  The purpose of this document is not to enforce rules or regulations.

However, I want to avoid the interpretation "the author wishes to stop enforcing rules and regulations".


texts:
Okay, it’s on my the tip of my tongue. I was watching interviews where they ask people what is their strongest point etc. If they’re asking about their weakness, the noun is ‘What is your Achilles heel?’ and when they’re asking about their best quality, they go, ‘What is your cup of tea?’

I’m looking for a word which means something you can’t stand, that annoys you. Usually interviewers ask them, ‘What is your ____?’
For example, the answer to that question is ‘Biting nails.’


texts:
I asked what she dreamed. Jenny Tier Bishop laughed and ruffled my wet hair. "You," she said, "are an inquisitive little boy."
"Yes, ma'am," I said. These sentences are from "Dreams Do Come True" by Jim Bishop.
I'd like to know what the full form of "ma'am" is in the sentence. Is it an English word or Irsh word or other? Thanks in advance.


texts: Phrase for overusing just-learned skills?

texts: Is there a saying or word for indicating the overuse of something you just newly learned? Say you were happy with a hammer and a nail and then somebody taught you the virtues of a screw and screwdriver. From then on, every problem incorrectly looks like it can be solved only with the screwdriver.


texts: An alternative term for ' increasing competition'

texts: The context is the tech market where there are frequently  new products and companies have to face an ever increasing competition. I am looking for a similar  expression to 'increasing competition' to express the concept described.


texts: How can a run-on sentence be valid as, say, a rhetorical device?

texts:
On run-on sentences, Wikipedia says:

  This is generally considered a stylistic error, though it is occasionally used in literature and may be used as a rhetorical device.

At the end of the article it describes how run-on sentences are used in literature. For example, some authors use them to depict stream of consciousness. Is that a rhetorical device or just an example of it used in literature? What valid uses are there for run-on sentences?


texts: One word for upgrade and downgrade (or similar)?

texts:
As a software developer, I am working on a project with service tiers, such that a user may opt to switch their current subscription to a tier above or below it. A single module handles both "upgrade" and "downgrade" operations. What would be the appropriate name for this module (as seen on a user interface)?

My Google searches have found a couple of options, the closest one pointing me to this question.
I do not think "regrade" is particularly appropriate for this use case.

As used in a menu on the user interface, it would be something like:

Edit Profile
[Word] Account
Delete Account

If possible, I would ask that it be one word.

EDIT: A word or brief phrase that basically means "change payment plan" is acceptable.


texts:
I am looking for a sentence to say when you are in a situation where you want to put some drops of water from your wet hands onto someone else's body, by flickering your fingers. What would be an appropriate verb instead of "to spray"?

Thank you


texts: Another word for pretending to be something they're not

texts:
What do you call someone who pretends to be something they are not? I was thinking "pretentious" but I looked up pretentious in the Merriam dictionary and think it's too strong. I want a milder term. Something that does not connote arrogance.

1.) self-consciously trying to present an appearance of grandeur or importance

2.) having a feeling of superiority that shows itself in an overbearing attitude

(https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretentious)
p.s. it doesn't have to be a single word really


texts:
I have two product names, say AAA and BBB. In writing, I want to start sentence with them:

  The AAA and BBB are two notable products that apply this technique.

Or

  AAA and BBB are two notable products that apply this technique.


texts: Is the wording "haven't have had" correct?

texts:
The other day I started looking for the time of this sentence, I ended up wondering if it is right. I believe I've seen it in some literature, possibly in a movie, but I don't remember the scene or the context it was inserted on, maybe the character was stressed and the phrase would be to show its stress and nervousness.

My first question is: Is the sentence correct? If so, please, can you tell some context in which it is appropriate to use and, finally, which time does it represent?.

The phrase would be "haven't have had". Below is a sample of its use I found on the internet.

  Television is an important product of the Electronic industry YET increasingly difficult to sell ( We haven't have had any 'easy' sales on television yet).


texts:
I am developing an application where people will submit a filled forms. I would like to give a success message after submit. So I compiled three sentences which is more appropriate, need your guidance

Thanks for your application.
Thanking you for your application.
Thanking You for showing trust on us.

Regards
VK


texts: Is the possessive apostrophe "s" added to family?  "I am a friend of Conor's and his family.    vs  I am a friend of Conor's and his family's?


texts: Is this phrase correct? "SNP erases dads from family life"

texts:
I recently saw the following headline on the front page of a national newspaper:

"SNP erases dads from family life"

While I have little confidence in my knowledge of grammar, and doubt a national newspaper would make such an obvious grammar mistake on their front page, the sentence doesn't sound right to me. It seems to be like it should read:

"SNP erase dads from family life"

Is the use of "erases" correct in this context?

For reference, the SNP are a political party.


texts:
I know the phrase "doomed to failure" exists.
I also found someone here who suggests that both, "doomed to failure" and "doomed to fail" can be used for a specific situation:

"I'm doomed to failure" expresses a final state of outcome.
"I'm doomed to fail" expresses an inevitable action.

Questions:

Would someone (a native speaker?) actually use "doomed to fail" instead of "doomed to failure"?
How can this be applied to other verbs (even if it doesn't make a lot of sense in the first place), e.g. "to live"/"life". Would it be "doomed to life" or "doomed to live"?


texts: Can possession be applied to "Somebody and I" rule such as "Somebody's and my/mine"?

texts:
I have learned that rather than saying "me and somebody", it is correct to use "somebody and I". This can be done by removing the other person and see the sentence still makes sense.
e.g.

Somebody is going to work.
I am going to work. (Not me going to work)
Somebody and I are going to work.

Can the same rule be applied to a sentence with a possession? Is the sentence below correct?

Somebody's boots were muddy when we were going to work.
My boots were muddy when we were going to work.
Somebody's and my boots were muddy when we were going to work.


texts: When did 'the D' for penis come into common use?

texts:
I had never heard of this until last year, but suddenly everyone on the internet is using it. I was wondering where it came from and why it took off so quickly.

eg.

  She wants the D.


texts: Correct usage of "so would" and "a priori"

texts:
Is this phrase syntactically correct?

  Because X may take different forms, a priori so would Y.

I am especially asking about the usage of "so would", but also about the place of "a priori".

Maybe it is better to say

  Because X may take different forms, a priori it would be the same for Y.


texts:
According to the  American Heritage Dictionary  'it takes two to tango' means:

  The active cooperation of both parties is needed for some enterprises, as in
  We'll never pass this bill unless both parties work out a compromise—it takes two to tango,

and it adds that:

  This expression dates from the 1920s, when the Latin American tango became a very popular dance. It was popularized by the singer Pearl Bailey in her 1952 hit song of that name written by Al Hoffman and Dick Manning.

It takes two to tango (etymonline):

  Phrase it takes two to tango was a song title from 1952

Acually two versions of the song appeared that year, one by Pearl Bailey and the other by Louis Armstrong.

Ngram shows instances of its usage  from the late 40's/early 50's.

Questions:

Is there evidence that the expression was actually used for three decades before it was popularised by the famous song?
Was its figurative meaning taken from the Argentinian expression, or did it develop once it was adopted by the English language?


texts:
Quoting businesswritingblog.com:

  The girls' and boys' teams are both in the playoffs. (Both girls and
  boys have their own team--both have their own apostrophe.)

  The girls
  and boys' team is excited about being in the playoffs. (One team of
  girls and boys--one apostrophe.)

Is there a sentence that could be formed using

  girls' and boys' team — i.e. plural boys with apostrophe; plural girls  with apostrophe but a singular team?


texts:
Conspicuous means: 1. Easy to notice; obvious: a conspicuous flaw in the construction.
2. Attracting attention, as by being unusual or remarkable; noticeable.

Ostentatious means: characterized by pretentious or showy display; designed to impress.

Both the above words are shown as synonyms to each other, however, I doubt if they are clear synonyms and can be used as replacing words for each other.

Kindly explain with the logic of usage and why or why should not these be used as synonyms to each other?

(*meanings are taken from the web dictionary using google search help)


texts: Is there a more appropriate word to use when ‘variablizing’ a data point (i.e to make something a variable) since the word variablize (or variabilize) does not seem to appear in the Oxford English Dictionary (yet), and it's a word people might use in certain contexts.


texts: Any complete rule on the usage of " 's " for possession?

texts:
This has been bothering me, ever since I started learning English. It is concerning " 's " ; Which one is correct for the following examples ?

Car steering wheel or car's steering wheel

Door knob or door's knob

Computer screen or computer's screen

Dog house or dog's house,

Cell membrane (used in textbook) or cell's membrane

Road surface (used in textbook) or road's surface

Berlin streets or Berlin's streets

There are thousands of others, so I am looking for an "official rule".
Thank you


texts: Is there a word in the English language that means slightly surprised?

texts: Surprise can occur in varying levels of intensity and valence. Flummoxed, flabbergasted, astounded, staggered, startled, stunned, thunderstruck, aghast, taken aback, dumbfounded, dumbstruck, stupefied, dazed, gobsmacked, astonished, shocked, appalled, speechless.  These synonyms all have a heightened degree of surprise but none seem to define slightly surprised. The closest I think is jiggered, which is a British slang.


texts:
I'm working on some project that deals with natural disasters. I need to find the most proper word that can be used to refer to someone who either was injured or died in a disaster.

Can I use casualty? Or maybe involved is better?


texts: What is a word or phrase for a sort of "de facto bias"?

texts:
I'm struggling to find the words to convey the concept even now, but perhaps it would make more sense to illustrate by example.

Certain communities like Reddit and Quora tend to be liberal-leaning and have other attitudes and opinions not entirely reflective of the population as a whole, in large part simply because they are populated by the kind of people who can find these communities. Your average computer engineer is much more likely to be familiar with Reddit and use it regularly than your average janitor or priest, and especially more than someone without reliable Internet access.

Similarly, Wikipedia articles or tumblr blogs are unlikely to be written by your grandparents, and thus reflect a certain subset of content and attitudes by virtue of the people who use them most.

I thought about implicit bias, but it doesn't seem to quite reflect the unintentional barrier of entry in these cases, although it's the closest I could find off-hand.


texts: "My name is X and I come from Syria" vs. "My name is X and I am from Syria"

texts:
I am trying to edit English subtitles for a short video on an educational project. A person there says something (in Swedish) which the Swedish copywriter translated as

  My name is Hamdi and I come from Syria.

For me this feels slightly odd; I am suspicious that this is just a word-by-word translation from Swedish; hence I am inclinded to correct it to

  My name is Hamdi, and I am from Syria.

but then I am not a native speaker of English myself (German background), so I am not sure about it.

Clearly subtitles in a video documentary have to be as short, simple, unambiguous and accessible as possible, or in other words: the sentence should be as straightforward as they come.

So, which one is better?

(Note that this question is not about grammar. Both sentence are acceptable in terms of grammar. It is about stylistic appropriateness for the purpose.)


texts: Concept of "none" in the English language

texts:
None of them are/is

I don't know if this is the place to ask, but:

In German you would say "none of them is" and it totally sounds wrong to me to say "none of them are". As German and English are both Germanic languages, I can't explain how they have a different concept of none, especially because in French and Italian it's singular as well.

Does anyone know how/why this turned out this way?

Edit:
Before this gets put on hold ;-) I have read a lot of threads about none, my question is: how did it become this way? I haven't seen any other threads on that.


texts: Can I say “Coming!” for “I am coming!”, and why?

texts:
In some languages we can remove the subject (and sometimes a verb too) from a sentence. In Toy Story 3, the kid says "Coming!" instead of "I am coming!" to her mother.

  My questions are:

  1) Can I say "Coming!" instead of "I am coming!" in English?

  2) If I can, when can I remove the subject and verb?

  3) And would this be considered standard English?

(NOTE: The OP's question involves the topic "Ellipsis of subject pronoun + auxiliary", which is topic that often comes up on grammar forums and linguistics sites. This thread is no longer a duplicate since the other thread no longer exists. And please don't again mark the OP's question as already answered since the thread that had the supposed answer didn't actually have the answer to the OP's question. -- F.E.)


texts:
Some verbs require subjunctive, as in:

The UN has demanded that all troops be withdrawn.

A student has written:

...my sense of responsibility demands that I can't do that.

What is the negative subjunctive?:

...my sense of responsibility demands that I not do that.?


texts: "For Heaven's Sake" or "For Heaven Sakes"?

texts: I hear these used almost interchangeably.  To me "for heaven's sake" makes sense grammatically, but is there something I'm missing?


texts:
How would you call a date when a company sets its price? I. e. a carmaker will set the price for its new model on a certain date.

The context is a legal contract. In particular, does it sound right to say, "the date of new price setting" or "the date of the new price declaration"?


texts:
I recently read somewhere a single word that described a person who enjoyed an argument - in the sense of a lively debate. It may have been a word implying a positive or neutral context but I don't think it was negative or derogatory.

A complex word (uncommon in colloquial use), medium length (7-8 letters), possibly ending in -ic. One or more of these points may be a false memory.

Any ideas?


texts: What kind of sentence is "Do your work, John"

texts: I am having an arguement with my children about whether or not this is imperative.  It seemed to be, but then we found rules that imperative sentences must have "you" as the subject.  It doesn't appear to be declarative, and is decidedly not either of interrogative or an exclamation.  I have found mention of third party imperative, but I cannot tell if that is the correct description for it.


texts: What are the difference between "get married" and "be married"?

texts:
In the dictionary

get married: to become joined in marriage
They're planning to get married in October.

married (adj): having a husband or wife

So, this is what I think
we often say "I'm married" which means "I have a husband or wife", we don't say "I get married".
We say "I was married" which means "I had a husband or wife in the past but I may or may not have a husband now"
We say "I got married" which is nearly the same as "I had a wedding"

get married (=to have a wedding)
Did you know that they are going to get married?


texts: Difference between "how you want" and "how you will"

texts:
Is there any difference in meaning betweeen these two?
Is one a valid grammar construct and the other not?


texts: Is there a general rule for which types of nouns end in -archy vs. -cracy?

texts: Why do we use democracy vs. demarchy and anarchy vs. anocracy?


texts: A word for when you just learned a new word and suddenly you notice it everywhere

texts:
You're watching TV or something, and you hear a word1 that you've never heard before.
You look up the meaning of this word.
This new word is suddenly popping up everywhere!

You're now seeing the word on social media
People you know are now saying it
It suddenly seems like its popping up everywhere but didn't even exist a day ago!

Is there a word for that?

1 "word" - it can be a word or a phrase (etc.)


texts: When you see a cute animal or something and you let out a "Dawww", or something similar, what's the verb to describe it?


texts: Alternative expressions for "Our university is strong in [medicine, languages, social sciences, etc.]"

texts:
This is in the context of a university president verbally promoting the departments in his university which are nationally or internationally competitive.

One way, although I admit it is a bit clunky, to express this idea is the sentence mentioned in the title: "Our university is strong in [medicine, languages, social sciences, etc.]."

What are some alternative sentences with the same meaning, that is, changing the "is strong in" to another verb phrase?


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Should I put myself last?

I get this mixed up so often. Should I say:

  Me and Rob are going swimming.

or

  I and Rob are going swimming.

I know the latter sounds REALLY awkward and I'd probably never say it that way but

  Rob and I are going swimming.

sound perfectly fine (confusing because Rob and I aren't grammatically different here).

In the original sentence both I and Rob are the subject, so why use the accusative me?

Also why do we say:

  She and Rob are going swimming.

but not:

  I and Rob are going swimming.

?


texts: Difference between "injunction", "mandate" and "verdict"?

texts:
Could someone please tell me the difference between injunction, mandate, and verdict? I think they are synonyms, but their usage is different.

I have software for learning English vocabulary, where it's implied that injunction means mandate. However, from what I have concluded based on different dictionaries, injunction is some kind of court order. On the other hand, mandate seems to be an official order that someone gives to someone else. For example, voters give a mandate to an elected president.

So I think that an injunction is always some kind of mandate, but a mandate is not necessarily some kind of injunction. Please correct me if I am wrong.


texts: How to say "the quality of being accomplished"?

texts:
"to tire" is to become exhausted. "tired" means exhausted. "tiredness" is the state of being exhausted. Similarly, "to accomplish" means to complete a goal (let's say), "accomplished" means completed, "*accomplishedness" is the state of being accomplished? What should go there?

More generally, how do you noun adjectives that you can't add -ness to? Related to this question.


texts: Which tense is this sentence?: „I don‘t think I did very well in my exams.“


texts: Why is "blood" pronounced the way it is?

texts: I mean, why isn't it pronounced "blue-d" rather than "blud". And this applies to "flood" too, but not "glood" or "clood" I imagine.


texts:
Literally speaking "unspecific" is the opposite of "specific", though I don't think it fits my intended use well.

Math is an abstract concept. There is nothing physical about math. Though it is very abstract, it is still very specific in the sense that everything is very well defined. What word could be used to describe something that is the opposite of the specificity math has? I'm looking for words similar to "open ended" or "loosey-goosey".

Another example would be how politicians tend to talk in vague terms without specifics.


texts: "Take long for me" versus "take me long"

texts:
Which form is preferred in the following sentence?

  It didn't take long for me/me long to realize that traditional exercises failed to adequately meet the needs of persons with disabilities.


texts:
What is the word for specific people with whom we just interact in day to day life?

They aren't friends, colleagues, relatives or customers etc.


texts: "Why couldn't" vs. "why couldn't you have"

texts:
Reading Harry Potter 2, I came across the following, and I wonder if the use of couldn't have is the equivalent of couldn't in this context?

"I have got a question, Oliver," said George, who had woken with a start. "Why couldn't you have told us all this yesterday when we were all awake?"

If we change it to the following, how does it change the meaning of it?

"I have got a question, Oliver," said George, who had woken with a start. "Why couldn't you tell us all this yesterday when we were all awake?"

And what is the difference between the following?

If you couldn't do it, you should have told us yesterday.
If you couldn't have done it, you should have told us yesterday.


texts: In British English, a common way of expressing a polite request for a person to repeat what they just said because you didn't hear (all) of it is to use the interjection, "sorry?".  I was wondering how common this is outside of British English.  Is this as common in the US, Australia, etc.?  Would it be understood as a perfectly normal thing to say, or as a quaint British expression?


texts:
Example:

  1999 was the year I devoted myself fully to marine biology.

  In 1999, I devoted myself fully to marine biology.

Is there any difference between the two sentences? Do they have a different focus? Or they mean basically the same thing?


texts:
Which of the following sentences is more common? Are they both acceptable?

It's twenty-five past seven am.

It's seven twenty-five am.

I wonder if the usage of am/pm is okay when using the past/to format to tell the time.

A native person would be more likely to say:

7:25 am -> Seven twenty-five am. / Twenty-five past seven am.

7:47 am -> Seven forty-seven am. / Thirteen to eight am.


texts:
The actual word "swearing" is considered to be inappropriate in IELTS's acadamic writing.

Then, what is the most suitable synonym for "swearing" in academic writing?

I'm now taking an IELTS course. I wrote "swearing" in my writing task; my teacher said it was inappropriate language. Therefore, I have to look for a another word!


texts: Is there a word for the situation when everybody shuts up and stares at you?

texts: Perhaps you say a bad joke or you make a really awkward noise, and everybody suddenly stares at you?


texts:
Is the plural for changes in velocity delta velocity's or deltas velocity?
Basis for confusion:attorneys general.
Each stage in a rocket has a set amount of delta velocity, or the amount the velocity can change over any amount of time. If I want to get the delta velocity for the first stage and the 3rd but not the second what plural form do I use.


texts:
Which one is correct?
In the Middle Age a lord’s intricate wall hangings were more than mere tapestries

; they were

and were

a measure of his consequence and wealth.


texts: "Red-marked copy": A draft text with changes highlighted?

texts:
I always thought of "red-marked copy" as a standard way of referring to a draft text in which the changes from a previous draft are highlighted. After casually using it when talking to a fellow member (BE as first language) of the university lab I am working at and generating confusion, I looked it up on Google and discovered that there are only about 2k results found.
So I am wondering:

Is "red-marked copy" a common expression? Is there any meaning other than a copy tracking changes by highlighting?
Is there a more universally accepted term to refer to a copy tracking changes to a document?

Thank you very much in advance!


texts: What is the expression for rules that are typically flouted?

texts: I seem to remember that it involves the word "observe", but I can neither recall it nor find it in a thesaurus.


texts: There is a whiteboard near me with a "Word of the day". Today's word is "G.A.R.P." Does this count as a word? Is an acronym a word?


texts:
In the movie by the same name, the characters pronounce Madagascar, /mædəɡæskɑɹ/. However, dictionaries only list the pronunciation /mædəɡæskəɹ/. Just as peculiarly, many pronounce templar as /tɛmplɑɹ/, while dictionaries only list /tɛmpləɹ/.

Is this an American convention, a mispronunciation by people trying to pronounce the words as they're spelled, or something else?


texts: What is a single word to describe 'Extremely Delicate'?

texts:
I want a suitable single word to use in the below sentence. I've included a few phrases which try and express the intent I wish to convey.

As the twilight passes in front of me, casting its saffron glow through a gap in the door, I hear your mellifluous footsteps in the (gossamer thin) (extremely delicate) hallways of my self.


texts: Does "What is this injustice?" make sense as a rhetorical question?

texts:
I guess I'm not completely clear on what "What is this _" means as a rhetorical question. I can tell it has a connotation of mild horror and mock exaggeration.
For the purpose of stating something is unjust, should it be "What is this injustice?" or "What is this justice?"


texts: Why is 'without' sometimes followed by the -ing form of a verb?

texts:
Gentlemen,

I have a problem with the preposition 'without'. Why does it modify verbs into the continuous tense?

Here are a couple of examples:

  I can stand on one foot without falling. Why not without fall? Why does it modify the verb into 'ing?

  I can watch a movie without crying.


texts: Why is the inhabitant of a country called a “citizen”, instead of a "countrizen"?

texts:
Why is citizen used to describe an inhabitant of a country when the word is derived from the Latin for city (civitas) and originally meant a city dweller?

Wouldn’t the nouns derived from ‘country’ or ‘nation’ (national) be more appropriate?


texts: Is the clause after 'and' in the sentence "His voice was serious and his manner solemn." valid?

texts: Is the sentence "His voice was serious and his manner solemn." grammatically correct? I've seen 'be' dropped in some sentences like this one.


texts:
Is that correct to say that I have completed several courses with full marks?

I want to say that I have finished some courses that I obtained full marks in exams.

Does it make sense to use the phrase "finish courses with full marks"?


texts:
When Christopher Hitchens debated Bill Donohue on Hardball the discussion got heated and for lack of moderation they often talked over each other. Donohue (presumably Irish-American) said first that

  An Englishman has to be quiet when an Irishman talks

and then a bit later when the same situation arose he said similarly that

  as an Englishman, again, you have to be quiet when an Irishman... I'm an Irishman.

But what is the story behind this expression?

When I went looking for an explanation I noticed that even native English speakers who'd blogged about this debate seemed perplexed.


texts:
Non-native speaker here. Be kind :)

From TLOTR Book 1, Chapter 7, "In the house of Tom Bombadil"

  'Let us shut out the night!' she said. `For you are still afraid,
  perhaps, of mist and tree-shadows and deep water, and untame things.
  Fear nothing! For tonight you are under the roof of Tom Bombadil.'

I have doubts about the exact meaning of "for" in the previous sentences.

I believe the first time it indicates causation. Something like "Because you are still afraid ...". Am I right?

The second one is more difficult for me. In this case, it could be causation (the reason why the hobbits should not fear is that they are in a safe place), or just used to set  a specific time (tonight) like in "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face". Which one is correct?


texts: The area underneath a rainbow ? (Picture)

texts:
This rainbow ( a double one, just) appeared above my house today and I noticed, yet again, as I have done so before, that the area beneath the rainbow, that is to say the area within its circumference, is a slightly different hue from that above it, that is to say outside of its circumference.

Is there a word which describes this area ?

Sample sentence :

The ________ is slightly lighter/darker than the sky above the rainbow.


texts: Is asking a question with intonation {rather than the usual inversion} grammatically correct?

texts:
Is asking a question with intonation only grammatically correct?
I had a discussion with colleague about the correct formal way to ask a question in English language. The usual, formal way:

"Is that your mug?"

However, someone claimed that

"That is your mug?"

is grammatically correct, despite the fact that it has the form of a statement,  and that intonation alone can be used to indicate the question. So, is the latter grammatically correct in formal language?


texts: What does a "non-cooperate and prepare for civil disobedience" mean in this speech?

texts:
[[26]]Mussalmans are not a minority as it is commonly known and understood.  One has only got to look round. Even today, according to the British map of India, out of eleven provinces, four provinces where the Muslims dominate more or less, are functioning notwithstanding the decision of the Hindu Congress High Command to  non-cooperate and prepare for civil disobedience.
Source: Presidential address by Muhammad Ali Jinnah to the Muslim League, Lahore, 1940

What does "non-cooperate and prepare for civil disobedience" mean in this quote?


texts: In terms of poetry, what is the Thomas code?

texts:
I was reading a book review of Wittgenstein's Mistress on goodreads, and I came across the sentence, "Without such accessible lecture notes, I may not have ever cracked the Thomas code and may never have become such an avid reader of poetry."

I am fairly sure that this has to do with poetry, but no amount of researching brought me to any concrete conclusions; a rabbit hole, you might say.


texts: Being + P.P construct as progressive form of -ed participle or passive form

texts:
Regarding Being + P.P construct:
In The Grammar Book it is described as Progressive:

but the same construct in Cambridge Grammar of English is described as Passive:

Which one is correct?


texts: Should the subjunctive form have been used in this sentence?

texts:
I read this in a Facebook post today:

  "If his participation in the Kardashian circus wasn't already a sign that
  he were mentally ill, then this is the slam dunk."

I would be grateful if somebody could tell me if this is correct usage of the subjunctive form (it doesn't sound right to me), or if it should read: "he was mentally ill," or alternatively, as he is still alive, "he is mentally ill."

Also, a brief explanation of why would be great.


texts: What does “wooden clothes” contained in “Comfort bag (assorted present kit) and the sender of it “have had themselves” mean?

texts:
Toru Hashimoto, Mayor of Osaka’s comment asserting the “Comfort women” system during wartime was ‘A necessary evil’ was appalling, and I feel deeply shameful of his sensless remarks as a Japanese. But most of all Japanese reject his anachronistic view, which was evidenced by the crushing defeat that the political party, “Japan Revolution” led by him suffered in the latest election of Tokyo municipal councilors.

We discussed his remarks and ensuing apology in Tokyo Foreign Correspondent Club in our English speaking circle recently by using a report of the status of “comfort women” in Myitkyna in Burma after its fall in August 1944 compiled by Psychological Warfare Team of United States Office of War Information in October 1944 as a part of reading materials.

Utterly independent from political or moralistic argument on this issue, I’m submitting questions on the meaning of two words I came across in the following statement referring to “Comfort bags –assorted present kit” in the report:

  “The soldiers would often express how much they enjoyed receiving
  magazines, letters and newspapers from home. They also mentioned the
  receipt of “comfort bags” filled with canned goods, magazines, soap,
  handkerchiefs, toothbrush, miniature doll, lipstick, and wooden
  clothes. The lipstick and cloths were feminine and the girls couldn’t
  understand why the people at home were sending such articles. They
  speculated that the sender could only have had themselves or the
  “native girls” in mind.

Questions:

I wonder what wooden clothes is. Is there clothes made of wood or wooden materials?
I thought it could be wooden clothe pegs or linen handkerchiefs, but I can’t tell.
What does “the sender could only have had themselves,” mean? Who are "themselves"?

Ronald Harmon’s “Talking American Dictionary of Informal Words and Expressions" defines “have had it” as a colloq;

be worn out, no longer function or useful, be disgusted or bored with
be bored with, can no longer tolerate sb, stg.
be doomed, be assured of ruin or defeat,

but I’m unable to link anyone of the above definitions to the text.

No other dictionaries at hand carry “have had it (or oneself)."


texts: How to say in one word about object being referred to?

texts:
In programming there is a term "reference" which means that the first object refers to the second object. How can I name the second object in one word?

At first, I remembered about forms like "employer" - "employee", but "referer" - "referee" doesn't work, since the referee means something very different.


texts:
What is the origin and/or original meaning of the joke when somebody gives an out-of-place "Yes" answer to a specific question?
Examples:
Engineer: "How large should the rims be on the new model?"
Audi: "Yes"
Buddy: "How much weed are you taking with you?"
Snoop Dogg: "Yes"
and so on.
And while these are often funny, the exact meaning of the joke escapes me. Where did it come from, and what is the exact meaning or implication, if any?
P.S. Please do not reply "Yes" to my question.
UPDATE
After some digging elsewhere, I do believe it came from an old TV show or something. I recall it even in an episode of The Benny Hill Show, which went something like this: "Which of the girls would you take on a date?". Benny - "Yes!".
I'm beginning to think that the joke is meant to imply that the person who answers is so ecstatic and preoccupied about the subject of the question that he ignores the question itself. At least this would seem consistent across all the situations that I encountered.


texts:
I found this phrase in some Chemical Brothers lyrics:

  I thought we were going
  To go up the field a ways
  To join all the other living souls
  But you never came

English's not my first language and I can't wrap my head around this. First, it looked grammatically incorrect to me, but a quick google landed me on a similar question here, discussing correctness of "a ways to go", but that was too unrelated.

I guess my question is: what does that line mean? I mean, without digging into interpretations of the song itself - I'm aware this is not a place to discuss meanings of lyrics. :) Or in other words, what would be a rephrased, grammatically correct alternative form, with the same semantics?

Thank you!


texts: What’s one word that means “worth visualizing” or “worthy of visualization”?

texts:
I’d like to find a way to explain in just one single word (it can be a neologism) that something will be so awesomely good-looking that it’s “worth visualizing”, that it is “worthy of visualization”.

This single word should be built around the word visualization.


texts: In English grammar "weak" verbs are those that have regular "ed" endings in the past tense; "strong" verbs are those that have irregular endings. But these terms are now commonly used to denote inferior and superior verbs. The concept has developed that some verbs are more forceful that others because they are "strong," but is this a misreading of the grammatical definition of weak and strong? Obviously one should try to find the most exact verb for a construction, but are there really verbs that are inherently "weak" or "strong" outside of the strict grammatical definition of "weak" and "strong"?


texts:
The driver of the van brakes sharply at every red light or junction and guns the engine when we move off. I begin to sweat—travelling sideways isn't helping.
   Apple Tree Yard

"To gun the engine" is a new expression for me. I would have said the driver "revs the engine" but because the author, Louise Doughty is British, it must be well known in the UK. However, I have a feeling it's a recent coinage.

Is there a difference between rev and gun an engine? Can I say: "I gunned my car"?
OR "He gunned the vehicle as if his life depended on it"? Do you only gun an engine?


texts: Are the idioms Blow a fuse and Blow a gasket commonly used in American casual speech. And if not what do we use for a sudden bout of anger on knowing, seeing, or hearing about something.


texts: Be at school assembly or in school assembly

texts:
I need to describe a picture of students attending a school assembly.

Which one is correct ?
The students are at school assembly.
The students are at the school assembly.
The students are in school assembly.
The students are in the scool assembly.

Thank you for your help.

Nat.


texts: A word for: Someone who can never make time for you

texts: I'm trying to find a word for someone who can never make time for you. Preferably with the connotation that the person could easily find the time if they wanted to.


texts: I wonder if the usage of mend regarding cars is okay. There were some discussions on other sites, but there is not a really clear answer. So, is it okay to say 'This guy mends cars' (this is his profession) or one risks sounding like a grandad?


texts:
I read this at the economist, and it's the 2nd sentence in the 2nd paragraph.

  That is small consolation for an Israeli establishment still hankering after the much easier rapport it had with Egypt's ousted Mubarak regime, especially in matters military.

At first I thought "matters" here means "important", because I tend to understand it this way: "especially in military that matters". Then it occurs to me that phrase like "something good" has the "noun + adjective" structure, so I guess "matters military" means "military matters". But it really costs me a lot of time to figure it out, and I would have put it as "military matters" instead. Because my limited language sense tells me I can postpose an adjective (phase) only when it's used with unspecified pronouns such as "anything, everything or something", or when the phrase itself is too long.

So question one: In this case, which one sounds more comfortable to you? matters military or military matters?

Qustion two: When can I postpose an adjective and when is it imperative?


texts:
In a brief article I read, it is stated that:

  For civil libertarians, the NDAA is our Mayan moment: 2012 is when the nation embraced authoritarian powers with little more than a pause between rounds of drinks.

Could anybody shed any light on what an author is likely to mean when referring to something as "our Mayan moment"?


texts:
When I write something like this:

  I am a man that is doing these things.

Is it correct to shorten it like this?

  I am a man doing these things.

And does it require commas?


texts: The relativized element of a relative clause?

texts:
“Wh” and non-“wh” relative clauses - Page 5:

“wh” relative clauses (“The bag which he put there was stolen.”)

“that” relative clauses (“The bag that he put  ______  there was
stolen.”)

bare relative clauses (“The bag he put  ______  there was stolen.”)

In each of these three examples, there’s an anaphoric relation with
the antecedent “bag”. In the first, it’s from the relative pronoun
“which”; in the second and third, it’s not from any word that’s said
or written. But in all three, “he put R there” is understood.
Each of the three has a relativized element. In the first, it’s overt
(“which”); in the second and third, it’s covert.

It seems that that doesn't have an anaphoric relation with the antecedent bag. Also, in page 6, in the example of that relative “a computer [that ______ cost too much]” you can see there's a gap indicating the presence of the relativized element, as opposed to the example of which relative “a computer [which cost too much]” in which there is no gap because which is the relativized element.
Why is which a relativized element but that is not? Is it because of the informality of that?


texts:
In chapter four of The Great Gatsby, Nick Carraway gives a list of people who attended Gatsby's parties.  He mentions a Doctor Civet:

  ...and Doctor Civet who was drowned last summer up in Maine.

I'm interested in the use of "was drowned."  From my understanding, "was drowned" is the passive and implies an agent.  However, to drown someone is somewhat violent, and from my point of view doesn't seem to fit.

Is "was drowned" an older expression for "drowned?"  In other words, in more current vernacular we might say "He drowned while swimming." and an accidental death is implied because no one murdered the person directly.  If the person was murdered, we would say "He was drowned while swimming."


texts: Someone who speaks very little but uses precise and direct words in short sentences

texts: I'm looking for the adjective to describe a person that speaks very little, but when he/she does, his / her sentences are kept to a minimal length and words are sharp, precise and powerful. Think of those "Clint Eastwood" type of movie character that use one-liners and use as few words as possible to get their point across.


texts:
One who creates is a creator. What is one who updates?

An updater?
An updator?

The last one seems more logical, but also wrong.


texts: Is this proper usage of the word "talks about"?

texts:
We were on the subject of borders within the EU/Europe; we were not talking about the actual EU and Europe borders.

  Europe and the EU are two different things. "Europe has open borders"
  works as a sentence but talks about more countries than "EU has open borders".

Is talks about usable in the way it is used here?

This is for casual conversation.


texts: Does "A guy named Tony" mean the same as "A guy who's called Tony"?

texts:
I know the passive structure and I know its application. But I've always noticed that a few sentences which have a structure similar to the passive, although they are not exactly passive. For example:

  I met one really nice guy named Tony

according to my incomplete knowledge, I could rewrite it as

  I met one really nice guy who is called (or) was named Tony

Now, I would like to know what the exact grammar point is here.

If I wanted to translate these two sentences in my own language, they would have exactly the same meaning, so do they really mean the same in English ?


texts: A word or idiom similar to sour grapes but simply not hating the object you cannot obtain?

texts:
I am looking for a word or idiom which can express a feeling similar to the sour grapes idiom but instead of putting down or hating the thing you cannot obtain, you just simply do not want it anymore.

You know, when you don't get anything you want at all that simply any desire to want something or future things simply disappears. Something similar to not caring but deep down it still affects you a little and you know you won't get it/ achieve it.


texts: To refer back to "one or more", should I use "it" or "them"?

texts:
In one computer program, there is an option to specify one or more arguments (software packages in this case). I am writing the help documentation, so I'm wondering what phrase to use to explain that fact:

  This option allows one to...

  download one or more packages without installing them.
  download one or more packages without installing it.
  download one or more packages without installing it/them.

Is any of them the above three options correct? Are there better alternatives?


texts:
I'm looking for a word -a verb, noun and/or adjective- that means a gross oversimplification to the point of misleading, misrepresenting, or dismissing.

The third 'requirement' -dismissing- may be a different word, but I request that too.

As an example, to paraphrase Ernest Rutherford, "biology is just stamp collecting."

thanks.


texts: Is "iterate over" being used correctly in "we briefly iterate over related work"?

texts:
Is this a correct use of the phrase "iterate over'?

  In Section Three, we briefly iterate over related work.


texts: Alexithymia refers to a state wherein a person cannot understand or describe his or her feelings, and means literally "without words for emotions". Is there a term (psychological, medical, or otherwise) for someone who is overly conscious of and articulate about his or her emotions?


texts: Problems with the meaning of the word 'even'

texts:
I understand the meaning of this word in general, but there's just one question. Here are two examples:

  We painted even the floor.

AND

  We even painted the floor.

Are they correct and if so, do they have the same meaning?


texts: the official responsible, the responsible official

texts:
EU legislation is full of 'responsible officials' and 'responsible persons', 'responsible authorities' and the like (e.g.'at least one responsible person must be resident in Estonia' 'a responsible official body must carry out the checks), where 'responsible' means (I am quoting the ODO) 'Having an obligation to do something, or having control over or care for someone, as part of one’s job or role'. For me, and, it seems also for the ODO, which describes this meaning as 'predicative'as well as for Macmillan and Collins, responsible officials are those who are not irresponsible. In order to render the required meaning, responsible should be placed after the noun - or should it? If so, does the same distinction hold in the US?
This question is clearly different from the previously answered question 'Why do some adjectives follow the nouns they modify'. It refers to a question concerning the meaning of a specific adjective depending on its position and the usage on both sides of the Atlantic. Neither of these questions are broached in the previous post.


texts: Which came first when saying numbers: "one hundred AND one" or "one hundred one"?

texts:
I'm asking about how to say numbers, specifically the highlighted and in the following examples:

  101: One hundred and one
  234,500: Two hundred and thirty four thousand five hundred

Based on my experience, Britons, Australians and New Zealanders say the "and", and North Americans do not (ie "one hundred one", etc).

I believe most other English speaking countries say the "and".

Which version was used first?

What is the earliest respected referenced usage of either version in support?

There is a perhaps interesting/relevant reference; the 1956 British book The One Hundred and One Dalmatians", and the corresponding 1961 American movie titled One Hundred and One Dalmatians, which retained the "and" - was this the usage in vogue at the time or was this for copyright reasons?

The 1996 remake neatly sidesteps the issue with the name 101 Dalmatians.


texts: What is the difference between ‘I got to thinking about something” and ‘I got to think about something’?

texts:
I was amused by the line “I got to thinking about something” in the following answer to the question, “You don't want to answer this word-placement question, now do you?” which I saw this morning in my inbox from Stack Exchange:

  “Prompted by this question I got to thinking about the placement of
  the word now. If it's placed before the comma, it refers to an
  immediate condition: You don't want to answer this word-placement...”

Does “get to doing [something]” mean “come to doing [something]” or “begin to do [something]”?

Though I think it’s a too naive question for native English speakers, how different is “I got to thinking about something” from “I got to think about something”? Does it become totally different with and without the ‘ing’?


texts: "Can" or "could", which is grammatically correct?

texts:
I'm a call center agent. When I ask to transfer the call to the authorized person, which form should I use:

  Can I speak to...?

or

  Could I speak to...?


texts:
I'm confused regarding uses of this idiom as clause
For example

If I were in your shoes , I wouldn't have done that .

Well clearly the speaker is talking about something that has already happened and he can do anything about it
But Couldn't the if clause be " If I had been you " since they're referring to a past condition


texts: What does "done wore out one" refer to in casual Southern US American?

texts:
In the highly racist and despicable, although humorous, song "Alabama n-word", apparently from the 1960s in the Southern USA, at 1:30 into the song, the lyrics go like this:

I'm glad this tune came along; we done wore out one n-word song.

(All instances of "n-word" in this question is actually the offensive word itself.)
Is this meant to refer to them having previously only sung/played the same one song about n-words, thus happy that they now came up with a new tune for a new song?
Or does it mean (as I always assumed until today) that they refer to having created so many songs about n-word that they are happy that this new tune came along, them finally gaining some inspiration after the "artistic block"?
Basically, is the "one" used as part of an expression/filler word, or does it refer to literally one (song)?
PS: I can't tell who made/sung the song; I believe it's miss-attributed to "Johnny Rebel".


texts: Consider this scenario...Sam ate 4 cookies. Now if someone asks Sam How many you had, then Sam will reply 4. But how should the question be formed so that the answer Sam gives will be 4th instead of 4?


texts: When is it appropriate to use "its" and not "it's" (and vice versa)?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  What is the best way to explain how to choose between “its” and “it's”?

Hello,

I am always confused when is the usage of its or it's appropriate. Basically when should I use its and not it's (and vice versa).


texts: Should it be "has" or "have" in this sentence?

texts:
Your examples of faith, love, partnership and trust has given us...

or

  Your examples of faith, love, partnership and trust have given us...


texts: A word or phrase for an unremarkable event that occurs with uncanny frequency

texts:
I am looking for a word or phrase for an unremarkable event that occurs with uncanny frequency.

To give a specific example, one might be seeing a random shopper drop their bag every time you enter a certain grocery store. Similarly, one might find that a certain movie is on TV far more frequently than they would expect.

I suppose it's sort of like déjà vu, the uncanny feeling that something has happened before, except that the something actually did happen and it's uncanny because it happened again when it was unremarkable and occurred at a much higher frequency than expected.

Although I'm aware that there are aspects of psychology that would explain this, such as confirmation bias, I'm more interested in a word that would describe the event itself in relation to it seeming uncanny.

Does such a word or phrase exist?


texts: Which word should I use to describe the noise made by an electronic device?

texts:
The noises made by electronic devices (lamps, electronic chargers, etc.) sound to me like a high-pitched，barely audible "zzzzzz".

In my mind is the word "buzz". Beyond that I don't really know.

What word should I use to describe them?


texts: What lexical category are the wh- question words?

texts:
As in title, can anyone tell me what lexical category the words 'who, what, why, where, when, how' are in?

  Who are you? What are you? Why are you here? Where did you come from?
  When did you come? How is that possible?

I have read 'adverb', but there seems something unusual about them and that this isn't quite specific enough or necessarily correct.

Thank you


texts: Modal verb in the beginning of a sentence

texts:
I am reading The Lord of the Ring where I found this sentence:
May you have joy of the sight, my good dwarf!

Is it a correct usage of modal verb? I have not found any grammar rule for this case.

Thank you.


texts: What's the word for "running with your arms outstretched as though flying"?

texts: I caught this on an 'odd words' sort of program on public radio, but didn't hear the full word pronounced, just that it started with an 'f'. I studied the unabridged OED for a bit, but couldn't find it. Can anybody help me? To be clear, this was a single word.


texts: Correct adjective for "Cannot be ordered according to (criterion) A"

texts:
For example, talking of a criterion to order pebbles named the Zwet criterion:

  Despite its strengths, it should be noted that most pebbles cannot be ordered according to the
  Zwet criterion.

Because the "Zwet criterion" is used many times in the surrounding text, I would have written:

  Despite its strength, it should be noted that most types of pebbles are not Zwet ordanable

that is, if "ordanable" was an adjective. My question is, what is the correct adjective to use in place of "ordanable".


texts:
I have an English-language version of my Finnish birth certificate. It is called an "extract from the population system".

The last paragraph, showing the name of the issuing autority, the place, date and stamp, is headlined by

  For true extract from the Population Information System in Finland

This is the complete headline.

I assume what it means is that it's an official document - it has a seal and all. But is "for true" really valid English? I have never heard it used this way. Or is it a mistake?


texts: What is the figurative meaning of "pivot towards"?

texts:
I read a sentence in Voice of America news:

  Clinton's dominating victory in South Carolina’s Democratic primary allows her to pivot towards a general-election campaign message.

What does pivot towards mean here? I know pivot means turn, but I still can't understand...


texts: Did "Fool" used to mean "mentally handicapped"?

texts:
In 1861, JS Mill wrote in his book Utilitarianism:

  it is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied.

I'm curious what he meant by "fool". In contemporary language it would mean someone with a slightly below average intelligence (or maybe even someone with normal intelligence but who acts in a silly manner), but looking at some dictionaries it seems that the word used to be applied to people with more severe cognitive deficits.


texts: I heard someone (whom I wasn't able to ask to explain the meaning) use the idiom "[blah blah blah] was central to their value proposition".  What does that mean?


texts:
I've been reading a book by Sue Grafton titled "W is for Wasted" and have encountered a phrase "to pickle the average adult"

I have looked up the meaning of the verb and that's what the Oxford Dictionary provided me with:

1) preserve (food or other perishable items) in vinegar or brine

2) immerse (a metal object) in an acid or other chemical solution for cleaning

However, I still don't understand the meaning of the phrase.

  he'd enjoyed alcohol in sufficient quantities to pickle the average adult

I guess it's a North American slang or something.


texts: Why is the plural of "basis" "bases" and not "baseis"?

texts: Looking at the noun basis on Wiktionary.com, it indicates that the plural is either bases or baseis.  It looks like the rare baseis comes from the Greek, but the common bases just refers back to basis and that does not explain the plural etymology.  Is there a standard rule at work here, or is this just an exceptional case that arose over time by convention?


texts:
What does the sentence below imply?

  "I wouldn't have studied even if I had got the book."

As per my knowledge, implication should be – I wouldn't study regardless of condition; the first phrase is independent of the second phrase, no matter the condition, the action of studying wouldn't be done.


texts: When can/should 'quite a few' be used instead of 'some'?

texts:
You will see a lot of mistakes from top to bottom of my thread. These
  may be a burden because I have quite a few questions which needed to
  be answered.

Why was quite used before a few questions? What's the difference between using some questions instead of quite a few questions?


texts: How did you use that information to help solve/solving the problem?

texts:
I have recently read someone saying:

How did you use that information to help solve the problem?

so my question is, what's the grammar rule that makes this right as opposed to

How did you use that information to help solving the problem?

Is there a meaning alteration between the two sentences?


texts: Would someone advise if there's any Expression or term which means 'to argue illogically only to argue'


texts: Does the statement "the lack of belief of X" mean that X exists?

texts: Does the statement "the lack of belief of X" mean that X exists and that not believing in X is a failing?


texts:
I played the game Fantasy Maiden's Odd Hideout. The game has "Let's do halves" as Meaningful Echo.

One usage example in the game:

  Both main characters have a do(ugh)nut. They share it, and say "let's do halves".

I have done some research, I found Do people “go half/halves” on something?. The question asks about "go" instead" of "do". According to answer, "Let's go halves" mean 50% contributions each (work, money, investment ...). However, from the usage of "Let's do halves" in the game, I feel like it means share thing equally (you and me, each have half of the donut).

I would like to know:

How the sentence can be used in real world, in writing, speaking,
both formal and casual.
Is it an idiom (I have not found any evidence so far)?
What is it mean ? ( please explain as detail as possible)
Is the sentence similar to "Let's go halves" ?. (Can we interchange
"go" and "do" without changing its meaning?). If "Let's do halves" is different from "Let's go halves", what is the difference.


texts: What does "bad-ass wives" exactly mean? Why did "bad-ass" come to mean "tough and aggressive"?

texts:
Time magazine carries the list of ‘Top 10 Bad-ass wives’ (in the world, or in history) in its July 21 issue with the lead copy:

  When a comedian tried to throw a pie in her husband's face, Wendi Deng, wife of Rupert Murdoch, leaped into the fray, blasting the man with a fierce right hand. TIME takes a look at other wives who kick ass.

In the “Top 10 bad-ass wives” included are The Egyptian Queen Cleopatra, Queen Isabella of Spain, Eleanor Roosevelt, Sarah Palin, Michelle Obama, and Elin Nordegren who wielded a golf club, chasing her husband, Tiger Woods around their mansion in Florida—"That's pretty bad-ass," according to the writer.

Though I interpret “bad-ass” wives as “tough or aggressive,” as Oxford Online Dictionary defines, I'm not sure if the word is used in a positive sense or in a sarcastic tone, because another dictionary, Merriam-Webster, defines “bad-ass” as (1) Ready to cause or get into trouble, followed by (2) of formidable strength or skill. Is the meaning of “bad-ass” in “bad-ass wives” and “That's pretty bad-ass” the same?

Also, I wonder how ‘bad-ass’ came to mean ‘tough and aggressive’ or ‘ready to cause trouble,’ whichever. I searched the origin of the word on Google in vain. Can somebody teach me?


texts: Can you use "cynicism" in the same way as "witticism"?

texts:
The word "witticism" can be used to refer to a specific witty statement. You could refer to such a statement as "a witticism".

But the word "cynicism" seems to be used differently. For example,

  H.L. Mencken was famous for saying cynical things like, "Nobody ever
  went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public."

While clearly that sentiment is exhibiting cynicism, could I also describe that particular quote as "a cynicism"?  Following the pattern of "witticism" this seems like it should be acceptable grammar, except that I'm not familiar with the word actually being used like that.

While the suffixes of these two words are obviously the same actually the reason I was thinking of this is how they are both used to describe the content of statements or communication. It just seemed reasonable that they could be used in the same parts of speech.


texts: Order of "sometimes" relative to the subject of a sentence in the passive voice

texts:
I have a doubt that is the following one:

I have two alternative sentence transformations of this sentence below and, I wonder if it is possible to write the adverb "sometimes" before the subject "the shopping" in the first sentence and, if its grammatically correct as a sentence that is transformed. On the other way round, I also would like to know if the second sentence is correct. Many thanks!

  He sometimes does the shopping. (active voice)

Sentence transformed::

The shopping sometimes is done by him. (first option)
Sometimes, the shopping is done (by him). (second option)


texts:
Is it fixed that words will always take a specific preposition after them?
I am reading a book "High school English grammar". It says for example

  The following nouns take preposition for after them. :- ambition, blame, aptitude candidate, match, ...

and

  The following nouns take preposition of after them. :- assurance, charge, distrust, doubt, failure, ...

and same for other prepositions

Is that so? I am not a native English speaker but I doubt what is written in the book, I think prepositions are used according to meaning of sentence and are not fixed.


texts: Should I use an article for the word 'nature' here?

texts:
I always have trouble when to use articles in sentences.

The sentence I am trying to write is 'Taking inspiration from Nature to address problems such as xyz...'

Should it be 'the nature' or 'Nature'?

Thank you.


texts: How to spell and find razzu/razoo and its origin

texts: My Mom used to say "wild razoo" when she was talking about someone attempting or trying something in a frantic way. She was of Irish descent. I don't know how to spell it. I sure would like to know how to spell it and its origin.


texts: Hyphen between All and India in for example, All-india Medical Institute

texts: Do we need a hyphen between All and India in, for example, All-India Medical Institute?


texts:
I see this a lot on Facebook. Two people doing a thing, and the picture captioned with:
"John and I waiting on the bus"
"Mary and I at the Beyonce show"
"Sally and I with our awesome guide Sven"

I think it should be "Joe and me" but I'm not sure why. Is there an implied "this is" at the beginning of each sentence, making Joe and me the object rather than the subject?


texts:
may I ask if the following expressions describing discount sound natural? Many thanks!

A) to rent a house with a discount of 20% off

B) to rent a house with a 20% off discount

C) to rent a house with 80% discount

D) to rent a house at 80% market price

E) To rent a house for 80% of the market fee

F) To rent a house for 80% market fee


texts: Enumeration of different parts of speech

texts:
I assume it is bad style but I'm not sure whether it is grammatically incorrect to have an enumeration with different parts of speech (for example a prepositional phrase and an adjective) like:

"He was at a disadvantage and not good enough."


texts:
In the Elizabethan era, "thou" was universally used as well as "you".
"Thou" represents intimacy.
In French, "tu" is still used.
The same for German "du".

Why did "thou" become obsolete?


texts: How to suggest contrary solution politely?

texts:
Theoretical case: client suggests some non-optimal solution. How to offer another, better solution politely with indirect question? Is it ok to say "Don't you think doing it this way would be more efficient?" or using "Don't you think" implies that client might be incompetent in a way that he might have forgotten to consider the solution I offer?

P.S. I forgot to add - it's a written dialog, via Skype or email.


texts:
So I'm looking for a single word to describe someone or something such as a wandering scholar, or a person who travels to obtain knowledge, or even a mobile repository of information.

Preferably something archaic and eclectic.

Thanks


texts: Spelling rule for drug compounds' names: 'n' or an 'ne' at the ending

texts: Does anybody know if there are any rules to guide whether to spell a drug compound's name with a simple 'n' or an 'ne' at the ending? E.g. sumatriptan, indomethacin, naproxen, aspirin vs. adrenaline, ergotamine, domperidone...


texts: Question tags — "did you" vs. "didn't you"

texts:
Typically, when we ask for confirmation/denial of a statement, we say something like the following:

  We turn left here, don't we?
  You have a cat, don't you?
  We've met before, haven't we?

pairing a positive statement with a negative question, or

  We don't need that, do we?
  You don't know anything about this, do you?

pairing a negative statement with a positive question.

However, sometimes positive statements are paired with a positive question

  We take a left, do we?
  You had to be a big shot, did you?
  You've been to Prague, have you?

Is this correct? Does it change the meaning in any way? Are the three forms interchangeable?


texts: Past Perfect Continuous vs Past Continuous

texts:
Which one is correct? and why?:
1. Where had Robert been working since 4 o'clock yesterday?
2. Where was Robert working since 4 o'clock yesterday?


texts: When someone says something in a foolish, excited, or incomprehensible way for a brief moment

texts:
Is there a word that describes when someone blurts out something quickly and excitedly and in a sort of foolish way? For example, the word babble describes the act of "talking rapidly and continuously in a foolish, excited, or incomprehensible way." The word I'm looking for is similar, but doing it hastily and only for a short bit.

For example, the context I'm using it in is a soldier saying a quick, incomprehensible prayer before the eve of battle that no one around him really catches the meaning of. I could say that he "babbles a prayer," but if he only does it for a short moment, it doesn't really fit the context.


texts:
In a context of an academic publication addressing readers favoring British English, what would be the better way to denote the "Questions and Answers" genre?

I am looking for a more specialised way of addressing that literary genre, as a title or subtitle of an academic work in the humanities.

To clarify, using as comparison the nuance between Discourse/Talk: by perusing the bibliography related to Buddhist Studies, it seems to me it is preferred to use titles like, "The discourses of the Buddha" instead of "The talks of the Buddha".

In that vein, I was wondering if such more precise distinction exists for the genre "Questions and Answers" as well.

Is there a more proper way to denote the question-and-answer literature, as title of academic work?

[This question has been edited for clarity, thanks to the comments below.]


texts:
I'm creating a worksheet for my students, and one of the questions asks them to identify which expression from three given expressions is correct. I am not sure how to pose the question, but I think it should in one of the two following ways:

Which of the following type of symbols will give the right answer?
Which type of the following symbols will give the right answer?

Which is the grammatically correct one? Maybe there is no difference at all? If so, why? At first, the first way seemed more natural to me, but then it occurred to me that I maybe should have "types of symbols," but I only want them to choose one type (that is, one answer). That's when I though of rearranging the sentence, but in the second case it seems a little bit clumsy to have "type" almost at the beginning, and maybe even there it should be "types."

To give some more context, this is for a math class, and I have given them three choices, all of which are incomplete (in a sense - the choices are missing the actual numbers to give a concrete answer, but they are set up in different ways), and I want them to choose which type of choice is the right choice.


texts: Word referring to process of curing meats?

texts: I remember watching an episode of Floyd on France some time ago which described a French town as famous for their cured meats. I believe the word began with an 'H', and referred to the process of curing meat. If anyone could remember the term, I would sleep easier.


texts:
You can say he's a former teacher, to refer to someone who used to be a teacher but not now.

But can we say "your former teacher" to refer to "your last teacher"?

Are the both the same or is there a difference between them, even a sutble one in meaning?

Thanks


texts:
I am used to thinking that it is a good thing for someone to be a prodigy. Mozart, for example.

But yet, this glossary of ancient Roman religion indicates that the ancient Romans felt that prodigies were demonic in nature and should be killed.

At what point in the historical etymology of the word prodigy did the word prodigy begin to have a positive meaning? And why did the word's meaning become positive?


texts:
http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/2008/11/stop-me-if-you-think-youve-seen-this-word-before.html:

  I'm not sure this kind of experiment would fly against
  today's Google, but it worked in 2004.

What does 'fly against' mean in this case?


texts:
Why is it 'three score years and ten' almost half the time and not always 'three score and ten years'?
Note: I edited the question body and title in light of comments and answers pointing me to a Google phrase frequency chart which indicates that the two versions are used about equally often right now.
I had never heard AFAIK, 'three score and ten years'.


texts: One of my colleagues replied with a suggestion in the group email. I agreed with his suggestion. The other colleague in the group responded "perfect - lets fold that in Andy."


texts:
In the etymology age where every possible expression seems to have been run down to its true source, 'Liar, liar, Pants on fire' stands apart because I just googled it and nobody knows its origin fo' sure!

  Google search for "liar liar pants on fire" origin

It is usually attributed (inconclusively and without much evidence, as far as I can make out) to an over-200-year-old poem apparently by William Blake, which is itself suspected of being a fake. Can some etymology wizard at ELU provide an authoritative answer backed by appropriate citation?

Peculiar usage: an old person in my hometown, who loved American colloquialisms, used to twist this around and say, "if it looks like pants and it seems to be on fire, then it's probably a liar!" [He later left India to join his son in the USA.]


texts:
I forbade him to enter my office.

If 'to enter my office' is an object complement, then why is it 'to enter my office' in stead of 'not to enter my office'? If it's an object complement, shouldn't it be describing the object's future? So, therefore I think it's a direct object. Am I right?


texts: How did "snookered" become a slang word for "to cheat or to steal"?

texts: In this question we discussed the etymology of the word "snooker" as a noun, based on a game played on a pool table.  But dictionary.com references a form of the word, "snookered" as a slang verb that means to "deceive, cheat, or dupe: to be snookered by a mail order company." (I wonder what the editor had against mail order companies?) Unfortunately, the word's origins are unknown to that site.  Any ideas?


texts: Ellipsis followed by another statement - Is it still correct English/use of punctuation?

texts:
In transcripts (mainly screenplays/dialogue scripts and some web pages), I see the following:

  "You could try to do this... or that."
     CHARACTER gestures at the alternate choice; a big red button.

Or:

  "Wow. He killed himself... What an idiot."

As opposed to:

  "You could get your entire armada to push every human off their rooftops to their deaths, or alternatively press the big red button attached to a sample of human blood."

Or:

  Wow. He killed himself.
     What an idiot.

Is it correct usage of an ellipsis to:

be used to simplify a long explanation of what "this" is?
Basically: Is it used correctly as an omission of further ideas/explanation or to cut short the statement?
be used as a pause?
not capitalize the letter after the ellipsis? (If the statement after it isn't a proper sentence)
link two statements or ideas? (but not like a semicolon, but rather like a broken conjunction)


texts: Synonyms for "healthy" in "healthy foods"

texts:
In the editorial I am writing, I repeatedly say "healthy foods". I searched healthy up in a thesaurus so my paper would not sound so repetitive. The results were ones such as

    fit, active, lively, robust, strong, etc.

http://www.thesaurus.com/browse/healthy

I am not looking for "healthy" that means athletic or fit, I am looking for healthy that means good for you.

The sentence in which "healthy foods" is used is

    Eating healthy foods and drinking water five to seven times in a day is essential to an active brain and body.


texts: How many adjectives can be chained without sounding weird?

texts:
In spoken and written language, in colloquial and formal context. Is there a general rule to use in sentences like the following:

"How many broken yellow plastic toys?"
"All those old yellowish lost scholar books."


texts:
So we know "omni" is a prefix indicating encompassing of everything. We could say, omnidirectional for example, which is "receiving signals from or transmitting in all directions."
What would be the counterpart for just a single direction?
I just found this resource so maybe the answer is "uni"?


texts: What does "having a confirm for someone" mean?

texts:
The context:
"Thanks for your message.
Sorry for that you haven't received the item yet.
I understand you truly, but please don't worry; we will fix the problem for you smoothly.
Could you please give me your shipping address for us to have a confirm for you? Then we will give you an answer quickly.
Looking forward to your reply.
Kind regards!"


texts: Past participle as adjective without verb 'to be'

texts:
Looking at the clause

  "... to talk to two separate people or groups involved in a
  disagreement"

is the word 'involved' an adjective here? If it is, shouldn't it be 'that are involved'?


texts: We don't use any helping verb after "as soon as" but we use hv after no sooner at first in a sentence, so what is the sensible reason behind it

texts:
I have a question in mind since 2 years and even now I don't get a satisfied answer because nobody wants to think it deeply but now I hope you will who is reading my note
My question is-
(1)  as soon as I reached the station the train left
(2)     no sooner did I reached the station the train left.
In the first sentence we don't use any hv after "as soon as"
But in the 2nd we used why


texts:
*

"I don't like this," I said.

She hadn't heard me.

*

Can the "hadn't heard" be replaced with "didn't hear"?


texts:
The expression "take me places" other similar phrases are used in many pop songs and seem to refer to somthing about relationships or sex. However, I have been unable to find a definition of the phrase in neither conventional nor slang dictionaries. What does it mean when it is used like in these songs:

You don't have to pretend
I don't care where you've been
(Get Low)

So, shame on me now
Flew me to places I'd never been
(I knew you were trouble)

When we lie so still, but you're taking me places
Holding me onto you
(Capital Letters)

To clarify, I'm not asking about the meaning of any of the songs in particular, but the phrase itself, as it appears to be a common and widely understood expression.


texts: Is it incorrect to omit the "to" after the object after "round" like "Round your answer one decimal place"?

texts:
I came across a math homework assignment that said,

"Round your answer one decimal place."

Interestingly, they decided to not omit the "to" in another phrasing:

"Round your answer to two decimal places."

I wonder if the "to" is optional. Personally, omitting the "to" sounds awkward to me, but I'm not sure if it's a personal preference or a general guideline.
The assignment is published on an official website called WebAssign, owned by Cengage, so it's not a single instructor handwriting/hand-typing these. These assignments are the standards of homework that are required in some courses in colleges like math and physics courses.


texts: What does "until now" mean in the context?

texts:
I was doing a listening practice and came across the material:

Professor: Recently there was an archeological excavation in Egypt, on the Nile River around where enters the Mediterranean Sea where they discovered an ancient glass factory.

Robert: I thought our textbook said the Egyptians imported their glass from other countries.

Professor: Well, until now that’s what the evidence seemed to suggest. I mean, we have some evidence that suggested that the Egyptians were making glass objects, but not glass.

Robert: Ok. Am……Am I missing something? They are making glass but they are not making glass?

Professor: I said they were making glass objects, right? You see, it was previously thought that they weren’t actually making the raw glass itself that they were importing unfinished glass from Mesopotamia.

The professor says "until now that’s what the evidence seemed to suggest.". Does the evidence include the recently found one? In other words, did the Egyptians make raw glass at that time?


texts:
Is there any conceptual difference between "Liquid refuse" and "Liquid waste"? What are the differences, if any? Is any of them used more than the other?

It feels to me that "liquid waste" is more used in common language.

If there is no conceptual difference, I'll go with the most commonly used. If there are conceptual differences, though, I'm chosing the one which most closely refers to waste in liquid state as it is discarded in industrial/residential pipes. If my word choices are not the best ones and there is a third even-better one, please enlighten me.

[EDIT: adding contextualization]

Maybe I should provide some contextualization.
I'm describing the following scene: it's raining and one person is disgusted because the water that is spilling on his face are not just raindrops, but it is mixed with water/greywater/waste water/liquid waste/whatever disposed from the buildings above him. He does not acknowledge them being industries or residential buildings, but he knows he's not being under pure raindrops. In this context, what better describes this generic dirty water? Greywater? Waste Water? Liquid Waste?


texts: Pronunciation differences between "finite" and "infinite"

texts:
In my experience, "finite" is pronounced (IPA) ˈfaɪnaɪt while "infinite" is ˈɪnfɪnɪt.

In general, the prefix "in" negates an adjective, but does not change the pronunciation. Based on this, I would expect ˈɪnfaɪnaɪt.

Is there a reason for this "deviation from the norm"? Are there dialects/regions that actually say ˈɪnfaɪnaɪt (or ˈfɪnɪt, for that matter)?


texts:
Is there something wrong with this sentence?

  The Dad is fishing.

In my opinion. It sounds wrong using Dad as the subject.

This is the context: A student was given the task to make a declarative sentence describing a picture where a father and his son are fishing.

He answered:

  The dad is fishing.

In this context, is the "The dad is fishing" still wrong?


texts: Correct usage of "infringement of copyright"

texts:
Does the term infringement of copyright apply in the following situations?

I am attending a training session
conducted by a third-party training
company. I want to audio record the
sessions. Will this come under infringement of copyright?

I would like to raise an another question.

Say I am attending a meeting in my
company. What if I want to record
those meetings in my mobile phone
for later writing notes?
Is this subject to infringement of copyright?

I have gone through Wikipedia to find the definition. But these are some situations where I cannot find any real-time references.


texts:
I was meeting a lot of people while I was working in London.
I met a lot of people while I was working in London.
What is the difference between them?
I'm not sure about these sentences.
How to clear them?
Please, explain it easily.


texts: Is the following a well-known idiom? "The legal team buried them in paper"

texts:
Slang Legal Terms
I have heard the expression in movies but  it is not represented as an idiom in computer searches.
I want to use it in a legal case in which I am involved
A similar question occurs in another posting.


texts: Why is "wassup" pronounced /ˈwɒsʌp/ but /ˈwɒzʌp/?

texts:
Oxford https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/wassup

Collins https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/wassup

"Wassup" stands for "What is up?" and "is" is pronounced "iz" so I think "wassup" should be pronounced /ˈwɒzʌp/. Any ideas?


texts: Which sentence is grammatically correct? This is the email John sent Or This is the email that John sent

texts:
I'm not sure which one is grammatically correct.
Any input is highly appreciated.
Thanks.
"This is the email John sent
Or
This is the email that John sent"


texts:
I was elementary school student

vs

  I was an elementary school student.

Why is the first sentence incorrect? And why do we need that "an"??


texts: What is the difference between summarizes and summarises?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  “-zation” vs “-sation”?

  Each post has an indicator which summarises who the post is shared.

What is the difference between these two terms?
Should I write summarises or summarizes?


texts: Punctuation of the phrase "in this regard"

texts:
Should there be a comma after the phrase "in this regard", when the phrase is used in the beginning of a sentence?

Eg: In this regard it is submitted that the assessment took place before the amendment of the said legal provisions.


texts: What is the correct term for someone who works on/with WordPress?

texts:
I'm trying to figure out what the best way to describe someone who works with/on WordPress. Some people use WordPresser but that seems a little bit clunky for me. It's easy to say WordPress developer, designer, etc but if you wanted to talk about how to talk about lots of people who work on WordPress what would be the best way for form the correct word?

Example of usage: "he was the best WordPresser of them all" etc.

I've been thinking it might be appropriate to formulate it like you would a person of a specific nationality - i.e. Italian, or whatever. But I'm not sure what would be right, both grammatically and to make sure it doesn't sound clunky.