texts: Word for people easily influenced by propaganda

texts: What is the word that describes people who are easily influenced by propaganda or always do what all other people are seen to be doing without much thinking?


texts:
I guess the website got this wrong. It says that the Earth is a common noun. In my view it should be a proper noun. Please see the screenshot.

  The earth moves round the sun.

  • Earth is a common noun
  • Earth is an abstract noun
  • Earth is a proper noun


texts:
I'm reading the play "Dumb Show" by Joe Penhall. (See on Google Books)

Almost at the beginning of the play one of the characters uses this phrase: classic money handshake. What does it mean?

(Barry and Greg shake hands).

Barry: Hello. You're not a mason. There was nothing funny about your hand shake.
       That was the classic chop from the top. That was a classic money handshake.
      (does it).
      'I'm going to dominate you and take all your money'. And this is a
      showbiz handshake.

What does the classic chop from the top mean?


texts: a better expression or single word for "developer usabilty"

texts:
I am looking for a better english expression or single word that describes this:
developer usabilty:
the quality of language, tooling, IDE and APIs for frictionless development.
example usages:

The developer usabilty of our clould offering is very bad because our users need to know way to many details.
The developer usabilty of the APIs in that library could be improved because noone can remember these long names.
We are like Apple Inc. but for developers. We care deeply about the developer usabilty of our SDK.

A collocial term is OK, but it should be widely understood.


texts: Preposition ON or IN to proceed 'Monday's workshop'

texts:
I'm a bit confused by the following phrase "To all students who participated in/on Monday's workshop..." and I can't quite get my head around it... Which preposition should I use, "in" or "on"?

I know we should use "on" for days of the week, but in this case we normally use the structure "participated in" when an activity is involved, such as the workshop.

In advance, thanks for your help!


texts: Comma usage to express the point in time

texts:
I was typing a sentence that confused me a bit. Any help would be appreciated.
I'm noting down what's needing completed before the meeting.

What would this mean?
What I want to communicate is that I am noting down a few bullet points to discuss and I am doing that before the meeting. I fear the sentence might sound like the things need to be completed prior to the meeting.
Adding a comma between seems confusing too.
I'm noting down what's needing completed, before the meeting.

Any pointers?


texts: What's the proper usage of apostrophes in plural abbreviations?

texts:
If I were to abbreviate the word university, I would most likely write uni — or would uni’ be more correct?

If I wanted to say universities, would I write unis or uni’s?

My gut instinct would be to go with unis, but are there any particular rules regarding this?


texts: Is it correct to place comma between successive adjectives?

texts:
When a noun has more than one adjective some time I see comma is used between them. Is it just an incorrect use of comma? e.g "Unwind by a nice hot bath" vs "Unwind by a nice, hot bath".

Also "There is a big, flat, windy beach." vs "There is a big flat windy beach."


texts: What is the origin for the phrase "Lend a hand"?

texts: does anyone know the origin of the phrase "Lend a hand"? I'm working on a paper about phrases and idioms and can't seem to find any history about it.


texts: "Would it be okay for you" | Verb tense past or present

texts:
As a non-native speaker, I wonder which, if any, of the following would be correct:

Would it be okay for you if I attached the document?
Would it be okay for you if I attach the document?

The inquiry is about the future, so I have not attached any documents by now.


texts: Correct usage of "is" or "are" in this sentence

texts:
Which is the correct usage?

Another thing to consider is your search results.

Another thing to consider are your search results.

Thanks!


texts:
I would like to use the word only in my sentences. However, I am always confused how to use it correctly. For example:

The method of the author was only applied to a specific area.
The method of the author considered only a specific type of food.

Are my sentences correct? Any help, please?


texts: What is the meaning of the expression "we have a ball game"?

texts: I've heard the phrase, "We gotta ball game". It could also be "We have a ball game". But I don't understand the meaning of "having a ball game". If anyone has heard this expression before, please help. I'm so very confused after guessing about this for a long time. The person who said it couldn't even tell me what he meant by this.


texts:
What would be the correct name for the following formula:  is + past participle.  Would this be the present perfect?

An example sentence would be- The meat is stored in the freezer.


texts:
Would valid to make sense when refering to an expiration date?
I've got this text right now:

Valid from: 01/10/2014
Valid to: 10/10/2014

It doesn't sound correct. Should it be until?

In which cases can I use to and not until?


texts: What's the equivalent idiomatic English expression for "verba volant, scripta manent"?

texts:
The Latin proverb Verba volant, scripta manent which literally it means "spoken words fly away, written words remain" is quite commonly used in Italian.

This phrase seems to come from a speech of Caius Titus of the Roman Senate, who suggests that spoken words might easily be forgotten, but written documents can always be conclusive in public matters.
A related, more common,   meaning is that if two people want to establish a formal agreement about something, it is better to put it in writing, rather than just having an oral agreement.

(Wikipedia)
The proverb doesn't necessarily suggest mistrust between the parties involved, but that clarity and points that have been discussed and could be forgotten or misunderstood after some time need to be fixed.
I recently used the proverb during a business conversation in English but I realized I was not understood so I had to explain it. I later checked and saw that it actually is not commonly used in English according to Ngram.
A usage example could be:

"I suggest we write down our agreement as soon as possible, you know…verba volant."

Is there a common equivalent proverb or other idiomatic expressions in English to suggest the meaning stated above?


texts:
This is a problem that has long troubled me.

Imagine that I have a block of prose organized in three paragraphs. I want to construct a single quotation that contains only the first and third paragraph.

I use ellipsis if I want to tell readers that I am skipping sentences in a quotation. How do I tell readers that the quotation is skipping a paragraph?


texts:
The term hog, as defined below, is an informal word.

1.3 informal A greedy person.
‘Our King was, in a simple statement, a greedy, power-hungry covetous hog.’

(Oxford Dictionaries)
Obligatory SWR example sentence:
How would Brenda (Queen Elizabeth II) say 'hog'?

Phillip! You're [hogging] all of one's bed!

My example is a bit tongue-in-cheek but I would prefer something one could say naturally; it doesn't have to be in Royal English.
Is there a formal word for this?


texts: "cross one's mind" and "enter one's mind"

texts:
To my knowledge, both of them imply that someone thinks of something in a short time, but is there any difference between them? For example

It never crosses my mind that he is lying to me.
It never crosses my mind that we might lose.

I think using enter my mind here is fine.

It never enters my mind that he is lying to me.
It never enters my mind that we might lose.


texts: Term for office holder who is paid without doing any actual work

texts:
I read an article once that used a one word term for an office holder who is paid without doing any actual work.  I can't remember the term.

I believe it referred to a beneficiary of patronage or cronyism.


texts:
"You received a message in early April that indicated you would receive a decision regarding your admissions into our program on May 7th, 2020. Due to the overwhelming amount of candidates that have submitted supplemental information we will be releasing decisions in waves until June 1st, 2020."

Does "in waves" mean all at once or in multiple times? Also, does "until" here mean I should be expecting the decision sometime before June 1st or exactly on the 1st?

Thanks.


texts: Why is "irreparable" spelled without an "i"?

texts: Pretty simple question, I think. Where does the "i" in "repair" go when spelling "reparable" or "irreparable" ? Is this just a "color"/"colour" type situation, or some deeper conspiracy?


texts: What does "Take a collective look" mean?

texts:
Surely the fortieth anniversary is a good time to take a collective look at this problem.

What does Take a collective look mean?


texts: Where did this ubiquitous phrase come from? Usually it is used in conjunction with either disputable of downright dubious information but I can't think of how salt helps the situation. The only thing I can think of is that since salt had a higher value in ancient times, that maybe the speaker is trying to almost bribe the recipient ("here is some info and here's some salt for your trouble") but I am just theorizing, take it with a grain of salt.


texts: "youse" as a plural second person pronoun

texts:
The 'official' plural second person pronoun in English is you.

There are several ways in English to manufacture plural you, one of which is youse.

According to etymonline.com  youse is a :

  dialectal inflection of you, 1876, not always used in plural senses.

This seems vague and weak definition.

Is youse even correct English and what is its true etymology?


texts: Is "'em" short for 'him', 'them' or both?

texts: I know that the apostrophe can be used to denote the omission of letters in a word, so I'm wondering then if 'em can be used to denote the colloquial shorthand for him, or if it would be more proper to use 'im (and that 'em is really just shorthand for them).


texts: A word for a temporary change of employment duties, but no change in position

texts: I am hearing this work around the office that there is a position for a temporary 6 month change of duties while remaining in the same Job Title. It is pronounced sa-common. I cannot find the actual spelling of this word or its official definition. Thank you.


texts: Single Word Request - Supremacy Based off of Arrogance

texts:
I am looking for a single word (or small phrase) to express the idea of someone being racist/sexist/generally supremacist for a specific reason; namely a version of the supremacy from a "logic" along the lines of "I am great, therefore people like me are good, and people NOT like me are bad".
I am looking to describe a fairly flexible sort of thing where instead of thinking "My people are superior", they think "I am superior and that person is like me".
I would not say xenophobic as that seems more focused on disliking outsiders, instead of naively overvaluing themself.
In a sentence one might say, "He's not racist per se but more accurately ______".
Does such a word or phrase exist?
Edit: spelling
Update after a few answers: Chauvinist and Supremacist alone carry the outward attitude I am trying to find but a key aspect of what I am looking for is a level of personal narcissism as the (possibly sole) driving factor.


texts:
I permitted him to use my car./I forbade him to enter my building./I ordered him not to play the terrible song.

Why does the grammar see these to-infinitives as object complements when the verbs can take the structure, v+o?


texts: Is the expression "see you when I see you" impolite?

texts:
Once, I have received feedback that using "see you when I see you" is not very polite.

Do you have the same opinion?

What other expression should I use in case I have no clue when I will see the other party?


texts:
when it comes to an English, article really trips me up so I ask another question regarding article(definite/indefinite).
I was studying English grammar and ran into below sentence:

"Make sure the indefinite pronouns and verbs agree in number"

hmmmmm number.. is a noun.. and it's countable(????)

I expected this to be "in a number".
Shall I think that because pronouns and verbs are plural, this is describing more than 1? and there for no article was used?

Based on assumption, is below statement correct?

"Make sure the indefinite pronoun and verb agree in a number" ?

Also, can someone please recommend some site or grammar book best suited to describe all this? (Most grammar book that I saw does not go deep into article(complex case)).
Also, do typical native english speaker know noun is countable vs none countable in real live dialog? I don't understand how this works.

Many thanks in advance!


texts: meaning of indecipherable part of a novel

texts:
“I ain’t a beggar, marm, an’ I don’t want nothin’ o’ you. I was
  cal’latin’ ter work, of course, fur my board an’ keep. I wouldn’t have
  come ter your old house, anyhow, if this ‘ere girl hadn’t ’a’ made me,
  a-tellin’ me how you was so good an’ kind that you’d be jest dyin’ ter
  take me in. So, there!” And he wheeled about and stalked from the room
  with a dignity that would have been absurd had it not been so pitiful.

The quote above is from  Eleanor Porter’s Pollyanna, published in 1913.
It is hard for me to catch the meaning of the emphasized parts.


texts: IS this a simple sentence or compound sentence?

texts:
I know that a simple sentence is a sentence with one complete idea and that a compound sentence is a combination of independent clauses where each independent clause delivers a complete idea. How about the following sentences? Are these compound sentences or simple sentences?
Love is like a bullet: It kills everyone on its way.
I have very little time to learn the language: my new job starts in five weeks.
A college degree is still worth something: a recent survey revealed that college graduates earned roughly 60% more than those with only a high school diploma.
All three of their children are involved in the arts: Richard is a sculptor, Diane is a pianist, and Julie is a theater director.
The sentences carry one complete idea; therefore, they are simple sentences.
There are two simple sentences; therefore, they are compound sentences.
Which view is right?


texts:
I think I understand what he wants to say, but cannot figure out the sentence structure or I just don't know such a phrasal verb.

"I thought of the Lake Como what I had thought of Lugano."


texts: Is “get one’s pants off” a popular idiom or an eyebrows-raising slang?

texts:
I came across the phrase “get one’s pants off” impossibly in association with Confucius analects in the following sentence which I found in a website, but forgot to jot down the source:

  What kind of leadership will help to restore the credibility of our financial institutions? Perhaps we should try to listen to Confucius. No, he didn’t say, “If you keep your feet on the ground, you can’t get your pants off ”. But many of the things he did say are about what it takes to be a leader who wins respect while getting things done.

Although I found definitions of “take (your) pants off” in urban dictionary and “getting her pants off” in www. theatraction forum, I wasn’t able to find the definition of “get one’s pants off” in any major dictionaries. However, Google NGram Viewer shows growing incidences of this phrase since its emergence in 1925 and temporary drop-down of usage during 1955 through 1965.

It’s possible to interpret “If you keep your feet on the ground, you can’t get your pants off” in the context of leadership in restoring credibility of financial institutions in either way: (1) If you keep your feet firmly on the ground, you’ll never be perplexed, or (2) If you stick to the status quo, you’ll never make any change (or take an action). I don’t know which way I should take it. Perhaps there would be other ways of interpretation.

Though I don’t think I can use this phrase in front of ladies, is this a popular phrase, or a simple slang which is rarely used?


texts:
What should we say in reply to a person who welcomes us to a particular place, for example one says:

  You are welcome to ABC company.

or

  I welcome you to our home.

or

  Welcome Mr. Abc to this party.

Would "Thank you!" be the reply?


texts: Does the word "like" take the meaning of "to the extent of"?

texts:
I know the preposition like means "in the same way as". But, can it also mean "to the extent of"? Say for example,

  I love editing like I love my wife.


texts:
Has the language really changed this much in twenty years?  "None of your students have showed up" - a sentence supplied by this very website as a proper one - seems wrong on two counts to me.

Twenty years ago (or in my high school and college) "none" took a singular verb, as did "no one" and "nobody" and "nothing."  And the past perfect of "show" was "shown." Show, showed, shown.  They will show up. They showed up yesterday. They had already shown up.

In this example sentence ("None of your students have showed up...") I cringed two times. Shouldn't it read, "None of your students has shown up..."?

Or am I really that old?


texts: Is it correct to use crash as a transitive verb ? And is there a less awkward sounding way to say for example; the pilot crashed the airplane ?


texts: Is there an -ically suffixed word to describe a duration?

texts:
We know about chronologically to describe order by time, but is there a word to describe duration?

I want to say something like "school is x-ically taxing", as in, school is heavily taxing on an individual's available time.


texts: Word for "innocently" directing attention to damaging information

texts:
An example to clarify:
Say John made a drunken fool of himself at the office party, which not everyone attended.  On Monday, at the company lunch, Mike says publicly, with feigned sincerity, "John, I just want to let you know, we've all been there, and there's no reason to be embarrassed today."  With this, even the absentees will inquire what happened, and the story will be retold.
There ingredients here are:

Mike's intention was to highlight the episode with the aim of further humiliating John
Mike's literal statement is the opposite of his intention, since intentionally embarrassing John would make him look bad
Merely saying the thing is enough to accomplish goal 1.  That is, what's important is directing people's attention to the subject.

Is there a word to describe this specific type of underhanded statement?  Either a verb as in "Mike ____ John by pretending to comfort him at lunch".  Or a noun as in "Mike's comforting John at lunch was an expertly executed ____"
Some clarifying notes
I'm after something far more specific than irony or misdirection.  I'm really looking to name a specific social tactic for "innocently" directing attention to damaging information


texts: Is lexical stress mostly consistent across accents of Standard English?

texts:
According to Wikipedia, lexical stress in Standard English* is "phonemic" (whatever they think they mean by that), using the minimal pair insight/incite as an example. My hypothesis is that, across Standard English, lexical stress is mostly consistent. I am however not very familiar with the many different English accents, so I wonder whether this is true.

Note that I'm specifically not considering prosodic stress, or how stress is realised (inflection, vowel length, etc.) in different accents. I'm only asking about one part of the puzzle: if Standard English speakers are asked to mark the stress of words, would they mostly agree**, regardless of their accent?

* I know, this is a vague term. I'm mostly concerned about what's called "native English" in North America, the British Isles, Australia, and New Zealand. If you believe that's too narrow of a definition, please don't hesitate to comment on that.

** If you need a metric for agreement: the correlation of the placement of primary lexical stress for each word (only distinguished by exact spelling and part of speech, to account for details like heteronyms and unexpected spellings), weighed according to that word's frequency (in a corpus of your choice, which usually also comes with a preferred PoS inventory).


texts:
When an Englishman wants to refer to parts of the body or to objects of personal use, he will use a possessive adjective. Examples:

  My head aches.
  I dropped my glasses.

In the Romance languages, possessive adjectives are not used in these cases. In Spanish, the expression is "Me duele la cabeza" ("The head aches to me"). Or, "Se me cayeron los anteojos" ("The glasses dropped themselves to me"). A reflexive pronoun and a definite article replace the use of the possessive adjective. The same, I think, can be said about French or Italian.

Why this heavy use of possessive adjectives in English? Was it already present in the Proto-Germanic language?


texts:
My purpose is to ask if the reader of the phrase has any questions regarding the topic. Are both of these sentences correct? To me, it feels like "Got questions?" is more active - as if it implies that some questions may have popped into your head; if yes - let us know.
Got questions?
Have questions?
Note with more details about the context:
If the reader has any questions, they should contact the support team. The language should be informal. For example: "Got questions about maths/services? Let us know and we'll help you out."


texts: Should I refer to the following as a "handrail," "guard rail," or a "wooden handrail?"

texts:
I might be mistaken, but I feel odd calling the following "wooden handrails", since handrails are supposed to be made of metal.

Is it OK to call it "handrail", "guard rail", or a "wooden handrail"?
Or is there a better term for it?


texts:
I'm writing a code challenge, and in the challenge description wrote:

  It can be a function, or full program.

This slipped by me for almost a day now, but now that I reread it, I'm wondering if the wording is wonky. It sounds like there should be a "a" before "full":

  It can be a function, or a full program.

This might just be so it mirrors "a function", but it sounds weird if you drop the "a" before "function".

Which is considered more correct?


texts:
There is a set of sentences:

"I love pictures on my phone. The pictures are nice."

In a thread

I love pictures on my phone - what does zero article imply?

I was told that the meaning of the first sentence is more likely that I like having photos on my phone.

Buy can I use this set of sentences, when I mention those pictures for the first time in the first sentence, talking about real pictures, with no article, assuming the listener doesn't know that I have any pictures on my phone, and then say "the pictures"? Is it appropriate then?

Thanks.


texts: How should the punctuation work for "and, therefore,"?

texts:
I'm unsure where to place the commas:

  [some argument], and, therefore, [blah blah].

or is it

  [some argument] and, therefore, [blah blah].

or is it

  [some argument], and therefore, [blah blah].

or none of the above?


texts: What is the difference between “Change we can believe in” and “Change we can believe in tomorrow’”?

texts:
The article of today’s (August 27) Washington Post titled, “Obama offers 2012 election supporters change they can believe in — next term” begins with the following sentence:

  Three years after storming the White House with the “fierce urgency of now,” President Obama has a new message for his reelection campaign: Be patient, democracy is big and tough and messy.
  “When I said, Change we can believe in,’ I didn’t say, ‘Change we can believe in tomorrow,’ ” Obama told a crowd of 2,400 during a birthday celebration in Chicago this month.

For a foreign English student, it’s difficult to comprehend and discern the difference between “Change we can believe in” and “Change we can believe in tomorrow.’” What was wrong with President Obama for Americans to make change they can believe in tomorrow,”? I think most people want to believe in tomorrow, not only living today.

Can somebody elaborate the difference of meaning of “believe in,” and “believe in tomorrow”?


texts: Is this dependent or independent sentence?

texts:
"Making trial of everything, with trust in new joy, and stirring the human kindness in all eyes that looked on her."

If it is an independent clause, could you please tell which is the subject and which is the verb.


texts: The comma, the full stop, but an asterisk, and an ellipsis?

texts:
For what reason Wikipedia lists comma as the comma, full stop as the full stop, ampersand as the ampersand, but asterisk as an asterisk, and ellipsis as an ellipsis?

For what reason Wikipedia use different articles for them? Does it mean that it is assumed that the last two are probably unknown to an average reader?


texts: Does the expression "dark jewel of something" mean a good or a bad feature in something?

texts:
Does the expression "dark jewel of something" means a good or a bad feature in something?

Example:

  The dark jewel of Hume's epistemology is his sceptical argument
  against induction and, while I cannot accept that argument, my largely
  fruitless efforts to refute it have provided a primary focus for my
  own philosophical work.

– "The Epistemology of Testimony", by Peter Lipton


texts: In a formal document, may the hyphen be omitted from "e-mail"?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  “Email” or “e-mail”?

For a formal document such as a CV, would it be acceptable to use the term "email", or is only "e-mail" acceptable?


texts:
I am wondering whether we use "user" or "users" in a technical document; specifically a user guide or specification document in those sentences like " with this feature user can issue . ...." or " this feature helps user ...."?
My work is checking and editing technical documents, it feels like both of them are correct but which one is standard?


texts: If a game makes someone anxious, how do you explain that game

texts:
For example;

The feedback form on a game says, "Please rate your experience of the game"

And uses the following words:

Not fun at all - Very fun
Not boring at all - Very boring
Not challenging at all - Very challenging
Not frustrating at all - Very frustrating
Not exciting at all - Very exciting
Not anxious at all - Very anxious

Now the last item, describes how you feel when you play the game, not the game itself. The game is not anxious.

So, if the game "makes her feel bored" you could describe the game as "boring".

So if the game "makes him feel anxious", how would you describe the game? What word would imply it makes people feel anxious?


texts: Difference between "on the command line" and "at the command line"

texts: What is the difference between on the command line and at the command line?


texts: Is there any special word for the smell of old books? I know about the use of musty to describe them. But I thought there could be a special word too, just like petrichor for the smell of fresh earth following rain.


texts: Shall, third person singular, archaic form

texts:
The second person of will and shall are wilt and shalt in the archaic form. The third person singular suffix is -eth, so we get willeth but what about shall?

Thank you for your answers!


texts: "IT specialist" vs. "computer scientist"

texts:
I talked to my English teacher about what to name a person who works with computers. For Germans: Informatiker. As far as I know, the job is called "computer scientist", that's what most translators say. But my English teacher keeps telling me that the term is "IT specialist". "Computer scientists" are academic IT specialists, while the general worker is an "IT specialist".

Which is the correct form, now? When I should use either?

EDIT:
I need to clarify my problem.
I just finished my apprenticeship. As I said in my comment below, at the end of the apprenticeship, we all have the same degree, we are called in german "Informatiker". I made the apprenticeship in Switzerland, so maybe it is different in other countries. It doesn't matter if I work as a Java developer, so software engineer, or if I am working as a system engineer or, as oerkelens in his answer said, what ever you do in the nearly endless list of "computer worker", at the end, we all have the same degree.

As part of an order in my english school class, we need to write an application letter on english for a fictitious job offer. So I need to translate my degree "Informatiker". When I search for "Informatiker" on the german Wikipedia (http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Informatiker), and switch then the language to english, the article about the computer scientist will be displayed. But my english teacher marked it as wrong, because of the reasons said above.

I agree to write the exact role like application engineer if you currently working as such one. But in my case, I'm not an application engineer. I'm a general IT-specialist | computer sientist.


texts: Formal way of saying "when you are in need"

texts:
How can I write following in a formal way?

It will help you when you are in need.
It will help you when it is required.
It will help you when needed.
It will help you when you required to be helped.
It will help you when you are required to do such task.

Edit

A person is denying to perform a task/job on computer and insisting that he only needs to do it for few days and then the job/task will be no more required so i do the job for him. While I am going to request him to do it himself because he may require to do the same due to any reason in future and doing so will make him know how to do that job.

Now i need a formal statement to communicate my concerns to him.


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

texts:
Let he who believes in this prophet speak now what he knows.
  Let him who believes in this prophet speak now what he knows.


texts: Does the professor think that I'm pregnant?

texts:
Yesterday, I handed my assignment to the professor as I was reaching the deadline. For some reason it took a while for her to check my paper, which made me uneasy, but eventually she looked at me in awe, mouth agape, and said:

  Wow! You really surprised me! Now I think I don't know you at all. Who are you? Seriously!

Startled by her question, I blurted out:

  Just an ordinary person?!

She nodded in disbelief and said:

  No, you're more than one ordinary person!

Now I wonder what she really meant by that. Did she mean I'm better than an ordinary person, or she was teasing me as if I'm pregnant? After all, she could use "an" instead of "one"?


texts:
If the user was to store data....

(or)

If the user were to store data....

we normally use
If I were, If they were but this usage confuses me. I've tried searching in search engines but haven't found any answer!


texts: Use of preposition 'to': 'to the advantage of'

texts:
Please explain use of to specific to this sentence

  An idiological deficit is to the advantage of Congress party.


texts:
I searched the meaning of reel in a couple of dictionaries and
 got the meaning as

  to walk, moving from side to side, looking like one is going to fall.

but still I am not able to understand it. What does it mean? Can I have an example in favor of that word?


texts: Is there any idiom about the problems so bad that cannot be solved?

texts: Do we have any idiom in English stating such a concept? "the problem got so bad/complex that it cannot be solved anymore"


texts:
I know that when you introduce a statement with 'if,' you are speaking in the subjunctive and therefore use 'were' instead of 'was' (e.g., "If I were to do this thing, something else would happen.").

And the same is true if a statement is introduced with 'wish' (e.g., "I wish it were warmer."). As it is if you begin with 'as though' (e.g, "He said, as though it were cold.").

But it doesn't seem appropriate to use 'were' in all cases of uncertainty (e.g., you wouldn't say "I thought it were cold."). Does saying you thought something was the case simply not qualify as an uncertainty, meaning you shouldn't use the subjunctive? Or is there some subtler logic behind when the subjunctive form is used in English?


texts: Can I say, "Building tunnels" or "new ring roads" can also do?

texts:
Building tunnels or new ring roads can also do.

Is using "do" in this way ungrammatical? "Do", in this sentence, would mean "work":

Building tunnels or new ring roads can also work.


texts:
Not a native speaker...

Which one is correct?

The website "gets deploys" or "get deploys" automatically everyday morning.

Or does it the sentence even make senses?


texts: What is the difference between 'disaster', 'catastrophe', and 'calamity'?

texts: Disaster, catastrophe, and calamity all seem to have very similar, if not the same, definitions in dictionaries. So, how do they, if at all, differ from each other?


texts: What is the correct preposition in "a real genius in/for/at mathematics"?

texts:
Which of the following is correct grammatically?

He has a real genius in mathematics.
He has a real genius for mathematics.
He has a real genius at mathematics.


texts: Is the percent symbol okay in this construction?

texts:
Direct quote, so I cannot alter.

  He said, "We've seen a 10–20 percent a year increase in revenue."

Could the percent symbol work?

  He said, "We've seen a 10–20% a year increase in revenue."

Are both good (in your estimation)?


texts: What category is an apostrophe in that a comma or a semicolon is not in?

texts:
Apostrophes, commas and semicolons fall under the "punctuation" category. Is there a subcategory, however, that distinguishes between apostrophes and commas/semicolons/colons...?

Thank you!

Edit: hyphens would go with apostrophes and question marks, dashes, etc. with commas. Basically, I'm trying to distinguish between the punctuation that puts a term together (e.g. "I'm", "k-means") and the rest, which don't characterize single terms (like commas, question marks, etc.).


texts: Difference between "therapy" and "treatment"

texts: What is the difference between therapy and treatment?


texts:
The modifier here:

  Seeing the potential in data, the industry has already started to employ cognitive computing.*

Grammarly identifies Seeing the potential in data as a dangling modifier. However, I feel that this sentence modifies the subject. For example (the industry sees the potential in data).

Am I wrong?


texts: Why is "forward slash" not spelled "forwardslash"?

texts:
The phrase "forward slash" contains a space, while its equivalent "backslash" does not.  This seems inconsistent; should "forwardslash" not be a valid word?

From Wikipedia I discovered that slash, rather than being a group term, is actually the correct name for a forward slash; with the forward qualifier simply being added for clarity.

Is there a rule underlying the use of the space in "forward slash" but not in "backslash", or is it just down to typical usage?


texts:
Please, it drives me crazy.

I message a quick question to an English speaker the following question:
"How did you celebrate Black Friday Festival?"

He told me it's cute/funny...kind of laughing at me.

1) What is the correct question to ask? (maybe because I forgot to add the "S" Black Friday's Festival)?

2) Is there any other implicit meaning for what I wrote? what's funny?

Thanks for the quick response,
Aimee


texts:
My question is only aimed at written English, and my only guidance is that using less words is generally better [source: 6th grade English teacher]. Hence:

  The system is responsible to define standards for the construction of
  the architecture.

vs.

  The system is responsible for standard definition guiding architecture
  construction.

It seems to me that in the first sentence, using "to" "the" "for" between each noun makes understanding the meaning very easy, but it feels a bit clunky.

In the second sentence, I tried to condense the actual content somewhat. But I imagine that having 5-6 such sentences in a row makes for hard reading, because the role of each noun is not as clear anymore.

Am I correct in my assumptions? The style I am aiming for is "academic".


texts:
Looking at the definitions for once and nonce. they appear very similar to me.

Under what circumstances would one or the other be a more appropriate word choice?


texts: Verb to refer to objects that are orderly positioned side by side?

texts:
Like, say, books in a bookshelf. Example:

  The books were [...] perfectly side by side.

If objects are orderly positioned vertically we say they are stacked. What's the word to use when they are positioned horizontally?


texts: More precise word or phrase for neutral connotation of racism

texts:
Racism in the dictionary means

  a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule others.

Is there a word or phrase that means

  a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement

without implying "the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule others"?

None of the other answers are relevant.


texts: Why is common law referred to as "at common law"?

texts: While researching the differences between modern penal codes with common law I noticed that in many places it is written as at common law. An example is, "A crime at common law defined as unlawful sexual intercourse with a woman by a man without her consent and by means of fear or force." Does anyone know why it is worded this way?


texts:
I was looking for a colloquial way to call a cigarette in English, and the only one that I found was "ciggie".

Can you think of a different one?

Or is the "ciggie" what native speakers would actually use?


texts:
I took an English assessment test online and this was my answer:

  Someone suggested to go for a walk.

My answer was wrong and this was the correct sentence:

  Someone suggested going for a walk.

Can someone please explain why my answer was wrong?


texts: Why do we pronounce a long second vowel in "decide", but a short second vowel in "decision"?

texts: The "i" in decide is pronounced [aɪ], whereas the first "i" in decision is pronounced [ɪ], at least in American English. The same with pairs like collide/collision, divide/division, etc., despite the fact that the stress is on the second syllable in both words. Is there a more general rule this vowel change is following? Does it come from the lengths of the original Latin vowels, or is it rather arbitrary?


texts: What is the scope of the quantifier "some"?

texts:
I am writing a term paper in English and am not sure which of the two sentences below is correct:

some apples and pears
some apples and some pears

What I mean to say is that there are some apples and that there also some pears. 1. seems (to me, a non-native speaker) more correct than 2. and 2. gives me the feeling that the second "some" is redundant. Do you have any suggestions?


texts: Why is "have" pronounced with a "short a" sound?

texts:
As far as I'm aware, every word of the form consonant-a-v-e has a long a sound - cave, Dave, fave, gave, lave, nave, pave, rave, save and wave - every word except have.

What is the story behind this alternate pronunciation for have?


texts: Why is it called an Asynchronous method?

texts:
I was looking for an antonym for asynchronous (for documentation purposes) when I discovered that asynchronous means "not in parallel".

To me an asynchronous call was always one that effectively ran in parallel with my other code. I know this isn't really true as only one instruction can be computed at a time. But if an asynchronous call is not in parallel, what is code that runs right after another? Why are asynchronous calls derived from a word that means non-parallel if they appear to be even more parallel than normal code?


texts: How do I describe a match between two parties that are more or less equal in strength?

texts: As far as I know, there's an idiom 'David vs Goliath', so what is the opposite called? Say, how do I describe a war between two equally strong players?


texts: differences between remind of& remind about?

texts: My workmate says "remind sb of " is the same as "remind sb about". But I have looked up the dictionary which shows that " remind sb of "and r"emind sb about" are different. So what is the real answer?


texts:
While writing, I am often tempted to write sentences as:

  It is, moreover, clear that...

or

  We have, in addition, other things to take into account.

Is the use of the conjunctive adverbs and locutions (also furthermore, additionally, besides) allowed between commas, as it is in other languages? Also, does it sound weird or incorrect when found in a written text?


texts:
Here are a few attributes that a text may have: "name", "length", "quality", etc.

What's the name of the text attribute that refers to the text itself? Would that be the text's "content", the text's "body" or something else?


texts: Do religious people avoid all exclamations that start with "holy"?

texts:
When I googled  exclamations beginning with "Holy", I found that there is a character on an educational show for kids who said "holy cow" when he saw an elephant

Does that mean that exclamations that start with "holy" are not profane if they're not with the name of the Lord?


texts: "Object of" vs. "subject of" -- which one is correct? Does it depend on context?

texts:
(Tried to search to see if this question had already been asked, but could not find it amongst the many questions concerning pronoun declension and objects and subjects as parts of speech.)

What, exactly, is the difference between the following two sentences? Are they both correct -- or is one considered more correct in certain contexts or constructions?

  Jim's wailing child was the subject of much scrutiny.

  Jim's wailing child was the object of much scrutiny.

Each of these usages is ubiquitous, and it's not uncommon to see both within the span of a few sentences. (For example, Google estimates over 60,000 results for "subject of study" "object of study".)

The difficulty seems to be that both words have several senses, and they are somewhat overlapping in this case. As a lover of grammar, I am frustrated that I cannot resolve this question in my mind.

Can anyone help clarify this for me?


texts: Saying something is "for real" vs just saying something is "real"

texts:
I have a silly question that's been stuck in my head for a little bit. There was a movie that came out a little while ago called, "Heaven is for real" ... and something about the word "for" in that title bothered me. I've heard the expression several more times about something being "for real" vs just "real" .... what is the point of the word "for" in that context?

Something about the usage of the words "for real" makes me feel like the phrase is trying to convince me (in kind of a common folksy kind of way, almost childlike way) that I should be convinced of somethings "realness". (You might disagree with this...) but some part of me feels like that using the word "for" in "X is for real" is an attempt to manipulate the listener into validating the claim. Is that unfair?

I guess my questions are: What is the proper grammar concerning "X is for real" vs "X is real" ??? And my second question is what is your interpretation of the word "for" in the term "X is for real"... why use the word "for"  in that context?

Sorry if this is a silly weirdo question... thank you for any comments or answers.


texts:
I am confused: on the one hand, many of my native-speaker friends keep telling me that the f-word is very, very bad. Much worse than the s-word for example. On the other hand, I see it being used everywhere; for example, in the blogosphere, even by respectable economic blogs (e.g. http://www.zerohedge.com/article/guest-post-fuck-deficit-or-will-deficit-end-fucking-us).

Is the former intensity of the word decreasing? Is its usage becoming more acceptable in everyday language?


texts:
I have often wondered if there's any common view on using a question mark on a statement meant as a question, such as "I assume you've watered the plants?". Is it right/wrong/merely a written representation of something that sounds perfectly fine in spoken language? I personally lean towards the last.

Cris


texts: This one is probably fairly obvious for native speakers, but I'm always confused. I am writing an article and I want to say that such and such methodology is described in/on a table, a figure or a scheme.


texts:
What meaning of "stunned" applies to the following sentences where stunned modifies abstract nouns forming an adverbial?

what is the linguistic term for such a behavior?
What other adjectives act in a similar way?

I sat in stunned silence,
 I reacted to the news with stunned disbelief


texts: Subject and Verb Agreement: either/or, or neither/nor

texts:
According to the rule "The verb in an or, either/or, or neither/nor sentence agrees with the noun or pronoun closest to it," is the sentence below correctly phrased? "I" is a singular subject but are is a plural verb.

  She, my friends, and I are not going to the festival.

?


texts:
I'm trying to write the following sentence:
This understanding comes as a contrast with a, then, dominant belief system...
 Can I use the adverb 'then' between the article and its noun as in the case above?


texts:
Why this sentence is correct:
"That is the house whose door is painted brown"
Shouldn't it be :
that is the house whose door has been painted brown"
I mean if "is painted" is a passive voice based on the English I've learned so far it should be used in sentence like this :
This door is painted every day
So as a non-native this use of "is painted" here is vague to me
Can somebody explain this please thanks in advance


texts:
When asked for preference between two things, e.g. today or tomorrow?

I feel like "either is fine" is dominant among native speakers. What about "both are fine"? Somehow I'm more inclined to say the latter, but not sure of its legitimacy.

Clarifications:
The exact question is like this: Shall we go today or tomorrow? Meaning to choose only one of the two.

The definition of both is "to refer to two things", example is "both his parents indulged him". Follow this logic I can describe a common property of two things by saying "both days are fine". Right? I sense this is the logic of my language faculty when producing the answer.


texts: What is the adjective of "daughter-in-law" if she is "the wife of my younger son"?

texts: Here, I am confused. I cannot say "younger daughter-in-law" as the order of sons is defined by their age but we can't say that about their wives. So shall I say "my second daughter-in-law"?


texts: Is the following sentence written in a conditional sentence structure?

texts:
is this sentence correct?  It starts a small paragraph. My question is, does it violate any English rules?  If it does, which ones?  If it doesn´t, which rules validate it? It sounds perfectly fine to me, but someone told me it did not follow correct conditional sentence structure. I´m a little confused.

The sentence is:

  Payments coming from a pension trust account are taxable.

Someone told me it would have to be, "Payments that are coming from a pension trust account are taxable."

The first sentence seems perfectly fine to me. Just can´t find any English sentence structure rules to validate it. Is it fine to omit the verb to be? If it is, then when is it ok to do so?  Any input would help.


texts: Is there any etymological connection between Aries and Ares?

texts: I am wondering if there is any etymological connection between Aries, (the zodiac sign which is said to be ruled by the planet Mars, named for the Roman god of war) and Ares (the Greek god of war)?


texts:
What does "attempted together" mean in the following sentence.

  The problems of all the stages attempted together are enough to swamp anyone.

Also please clarify whether it refers to the stages or the problems.


texts:
I have two statements to make:

Note that records are keyed on their name, not an integer
Note that records are uniquely identified by their name, not an integer

I considered combining these with the latter as a clarification in parentheses:

Note that records are keyed (uniquely identified) by their name, not an integer

I am not sure why, but the above combination sounds correct despite the fact that ignoring the parentheses would make the statement wrong.

Which is correct, if either?

(Sorry I don't know the terminology. This is slightly in the realm of computing where it may be made up, though I don't know how much impact that has on the language. I have heard equivalents of both these phrases be used in the industry.)


texts: What do you call "people of centuries ago"?

texts: I heard ancient people doesn't always mean our ancestors, but I don't understand the difference between the two. Besides, I'm not sure primitive people and remote ancestors are much the same.


texts: Would Limnlight make sense instead of limelight?

texts:
I am familiar with the term limn:

  limn
  /lim/Submit
  verbLITERARY
  past tense: limned; past participle: limned
  depict or describe in painting or words.
  suffuse or highlight (something) with a bright color or light.

I heard the phrased "limned in the same light" and immediately started wondering if I'd been spelling "limelight" wrong my entire life; looked it up to see if it was "limnlight".

  limelight (n.)
  1826, popular name for Drummond light or calcium light, a brilliant light created by the incandescence of lime (n.1); adopted for lighthouses and later for the Victorian stage, where it illuminated the principal actors, hence the figurative use of the phrase in the limelight "on stage, at the center of attention" (1877).

Citrus is the correct mnemonic, but I can't help but wonder...

Could I use "limnlight" to convey the same meaning, despite the correct/accepted usage being "limelight"?


texts:
From "Literary Devices" (literarydevices.net)

  A simple sentence in grammar has only one main or
  independent clause and no dependent or subordinate clauses. Comprising
  a subject and a predicate, this short and independent syntactic entity
  intends to convey a complete idea or meanings of an idea.

  Example #2: The Awakening (by Kate Chopin)

  “She was becoming herself and daily casting aside that fictitious self
  which we assume like a garment with which to appear before the world.”

  This is another excellent example of a simple sentence without the use
  of commas. It is just a single sentence without dependent clauses.

The question: Does the above example sentence not include a dependent clause?

If no, what is "which we assume like a garment with which to appear before the world" in the sentence?


texts: Is it wrong if I don't omit 'the' when there are multiple 'the' items?

texts:
Someone claims that the following is ungrammatical:

  We focus on the parameters of the representative frequency, the composition of sounds and the sequence complexity.

They claim it should instead be,

  We focus on the parameters of the representative frequency, sound composition, and sequence complexity.

Another example:

  No effects were observed on the cell growth, the cell proliferation, the cell cycle distribution, and the gene expression. [allegedly incorrect]
  No effects were observed on the cell growth, cell proliferation, cell cycle distribution, and gene expression. [allegedly the only correct version]

Is this true? I doubt the validity of their claim. Indeed, I think both versions are equally grammatical.


texts: Is there such a thing as a compound noun?

texts:
I am trying to decide if I can use this phrase to designate a non-profit organization in Africa:
"Living Water Team, Nigeria and Uganda Villages"

OR does it need to say:
"Living Water Team, Nigerian and Ugandan Villages"

Thank you.


texts: "First flight" is to "maiden voyage" as "final flight" is to....?

texts:
I'm looking for a word to describe the final flight of an aircraft (or other vessels if there is no direct equivalent) such as the final flight of the space shuttle.

Does anyone know if a word like this exists? Thanks!


texts: a verb for saying/understanding something in some terms

texts:
Sometimes we say phenomena in terms of debates in some fields of knowledge.

For example:

  In epistemological terms, the problem is the lack of process
  reliability.

What to put in the blank in the corresponding question?

  How to ___ the problem in epistemological terms?

It is about talking or understanding the problem in terms of the debates in epistemology. I have "construe" in mind, but I am not sure if it has not ambiguity. "understand" seems a good fit too, again not sure if it is not ambiguous.


texts:
The french kiss is a kiss where the participants' tongues are used to touch the other participant tongue or lips. This is an expression I have heard since I'm little, but I am very curious about the possible origin of this expression. It seems that the expression is British, as there is a lot of expressions there using the word "french", such as French letters, to take the French leave or excuse my French.

Wikipedia seems to describe the etymology this way :

  A French kiss is so-called because at the beginning of the 20th century, the French had a reputation for more adventurous and passionate sex practices.

But is that really all ? Is the expression that recent ?


texts:
I am writing a poem and though "alas" is an interjection, would it be correct or understood to say "alas on me" or "an alas on me", almost like the "a plague on them" (as Shakespeare used it best) but rather than a "plague" an expression of "alas" and instead of the wishing to be done onto someone else, it would be the wishing of something to be done to oneself.
Of course, when it comes to poetry these regarded English confines are usually to be entombed and wholeheartedly disregarded, but I nevertheless would like to know.


texts: Hardware Modes: Prepositions, Articles, Capitalization

texts:
I have a lot of uncertainties regarding how to address hardware modes, when it comes to computers, cell phones, circuit boards, etc.

Google provides all kinds of contradicting thoughts and answers either.

I would like to break down my question into the four following statements:

The device is in airplane/standby/silent/sleep mode or on airplane/standby/silent/sleep mode.

        My observations say that in is used more frequently.

The device is in sleep/standby or on sleep/standby.

        As far as I can see, it is most often in sleep, but on standby. Why is it so?

Capitalization of modes’ names.

        It seems that some people/companies treat modes’ names as proper nouns and capitalize
        modes’ names. Others even capitalize the word mode itself.

        Put the circuit board in Sleep Mode / Sleep mode / sleep mode.

The in front of airplane/standby/silent/sleep mode.

        Most of the time, there is no article and I am ready to accept it. But, this aspect should be
        looked into to make the question exhaustive.

Thank you in advance!


texts:
Is it "first-degree-murder charges" or "first-degree murder charges"?

Is " first-degree-murder" bundled together to modify "charges"? Or is
"first-degree" bundled together to modify "murder charges"?

Or are both technically correct?

Thank you.


texts:
I am looking for a dictionary (program / app) that tells me about the plural form of a word.

I have tried Dictionary.com, Meriam-Webster and OED but they are not.

I know if I look for media, it will tell me it's plural of "medium", but is there a dictionary which does it the other way round? Thanks


texts: Slang word or term for WWII food ration stamps?

texts: Does anyone know of a slang word or term that was used for food ration stamps in WWII?


texts:
Is it idiomatically correct to say
1.) "a town with a spanish feel"
2.) "a town with a spanish vibe"?
Are 1.) and 2.)  slightly different in meaning?


texts: What is the term/expression for when someone responds with a complaint vs an answer to a question?

texts:
I’m trying to find the term or expression to describe the behaviour when someone responds to a simple question with a complaint vs the answer.
Eg
Person A:) (setting the table, trying to get the right count of place settings ) “Is Becky here for dinner tonight?”
Person B:) (hostile response) “I’ve told you 10 times, Becky is on night shifts on Wednesdays!”
Note it often requires the first person to re-ask the question as no clarity was provided in the response... which just causes more disgruntlement.
I’m guessing the term is close to “belittle” or “disparage” but I suspect there is a more accurate term.


texts: This question is either about etymology or language generally, as names have this feature in other languages too, but I'm just curious how the practice of naming towns in proximity to bodies of water with a built-in reference to those bodies of water came about. Obviously it's not strange to me that a town on the Hudson would be called "-on-Hudson" etc., but what "determined" or at least influenced whether a town's name ended up having a reference to a body of water as well? It's not Chicago-on-Michigan or Philadelphia-on-Delaware, so why so many "-on-Hudson" towns?


texts: What is the difference between the phrases "lose touch with reality" and "out of touch with reality"? And can I use either of them to describe people who are addicted to video games?


texts: What does "Our climate is indisposed to favour us even this once" mean?

texts:
Please help me to understand the meaning of this expression:

  Our climate is indisposed to favour us even this once. (The Cherry Orchard).

What does "even this once" mean in this phrase?


texts:
I'm looking for a -ness-like word that describes how centralised something is (say, a bee colony).

That is, a very centralised bee colony would have a very condensed hive, and a very decentralised colony might even be geographically disparate.

Example: "Level of centralizedness: very decentralized"

Does this word exist?


texts: How do you punctuate elliptical constructions?

texts:
I have trouble punctuating elliptical constructions. Which of these is correct?

Asterix defeated seven Romans; Obelix, three.
Asterix defeated seven Romans, Obelix, three.
Asterix defeated seven Romans; Obelix three.
Asterix defeated seven Romans, Obelix three.

What if I include the conjunction?

Asterix defeated seven Romans, and Obelix, three.
Asterix defeated seven Romans, and Obelix three.
Asterix defeated seven Romans and Obelix three.

Is the punctuation different for shorter constructions?

Obelix missed her, and she him.
Obelix missed her, and she, him.
Obelix missed her and she, him.
Obelix missed her and she him.


texts: Names of word usages like “dead end”, “pitch black”

texts:
I’ve been wondering how there are some expressions made up of two words where the first word modifies the second one, but the first word is not necessarily an adjective that is commonly used to emphasize the meaning other words, for example:
 - Stark contrast
 - Pitch black

Are there any names related to this kind of language usage in English??


texts: Comma before "and" where "and" is not a conjunctive joining clauses

texts:
I see many people, many professionals on this site in particular, use a comma after an "and" that does not act as a conjunctive in a compound sentence; for example, many people would place a comma here:

  I went to the nearby cafeteria, and ate quite a lot of food

A far more witty example of this would be the use of a comma after the phrase "and also", where there clearly seems to be some sort of a pause - especially in longer or compound sentences or in ones where different verbs are used:

  From this we can see that the author was trying to emphasise the good relationship between the two protagonists of the story, and also used the  technique of alliteration for that purpose

What I think about this is that "and also" may be acting the same role as "namely" in sentences such as, "I was playing football with my friends, namely Geoff and George" - like a conjunctive to join a main clause and a subordinate clause. However, this still wouldn't explain why comma is used before "and".


texts: Is that an adverbial participle? Should there be a comma?

texts:
I found the following sentence:

  In part of my spare time, I work on fun projects.

I am not sure as to whether there should be a comma. If it is there, then this obeys some rules, for example on adverbial participle (is that the correct term?).

If it is not correct to put a comma here, then maybe the following sentence would be correct?

  When I have spare time, I work on fun projects.


texts:
Firstly I am not very good in English, so pardon me, is my question sounds too silly.

Why we use "thereof"?


texts: Is there a word for when you don't understand something?

texts: Is there a word for when you don't understand something but you cannot exactly pinpoint or explain what you don't understand?


texts: Is a building said to be along the road or on the road?

texts: In my country (Zambia) I hear adverts saying, "Our offices are along X Road". Is this correct? Should it not be on X Road? Along implies motion, like "driving along the road". unless the buildig covers the entire stretch of the road, like trees (There are trees along X Road).


texts:
'Cause I was an asshole
And I hate that
And I never got to say that
So let me come over
And be with you one more time

In this lyrics,
What is the meaning of "I never got to say that"?
I know gotta=got to=have to.
So, does it mean "I shouldn't say that (but I didn't or I did.)"?
Or "(I had to say that but) I didn't say that."


texts: Spain and United Kingdom's ... Response or Responses?

texts:
I'm not quite sure which would be right.

(i) A comparative study of Spain and United Kingdom's Response to EU Mechanism
(ii) A comparative study of Spain and United Kingdom's Responses to EU Mechanism

Also, should it be comparative study of or into? In this paper, I'll be discussing the different explanatory variables shaping the two countries' different responses to the scheme.

I hope I'm clear, and I appreciate any help with this!


texts:
Which sentence in below is correct grammatically? In my case the event take place at past, and now i'm telling this to someone ...

"I became so immersed that i completely lost track of time. "  or
"I become so immersed that i completely lost track of time."


texts:
which of them should be preferred in academic British English?

2 times higher

2-times higher

and would how to write a ranging difference

2-3-times higher


texts: How to end a question with 2 objects and 2 prepositions

texts:
1)
a) What did you want to talk to me about?
b) What did you want to talk about to me?

2)
a) Who do you want to talk to about this problem?
b) Who do you want to talk about this problem to?

I saw 1a in the TV show Grimm and the sentence set me thinking and there you go.
I know sentences usually end with a preposition in English. Therefore 1a and 2b should be correct. However we've got 2 prepositions in each sentence so I'm not sure what to do and which ones would be correct. Maybe they all are. To my mind, 1a and 2a sound better but that's all I can say. How flexible is that kind of structure?


texts: What is the difference betwwen "the '80s" and "the 80's"?

texts:
"The 80's" is a song made by Robbie Williams - Rudebox.

My question is what is the difference betwwen "the '80s" and "the 80's"? (what does it mean for the different positions of apostrophe?)


texts: When one feels grimly amused,  exactly what kind of emotion is described? It seems to me that grim and amused are mutually contradictory so they do not conjure any consistent image in my mind. Thanks in advance for any explanations.


texts: How to describe when someone repeatedly does something so that people ask about it

texts:
An example of what I mean is if someone had a new pair of shoes for instance and they wanted someone to ask about them so they could talk about them (not exactly ostentatious as it’s not to brag but they just want more people to know about the shoes) and so to this end they do things like putting their feet up on objects to make the person notice their shoes but without directly saying they have new shoes.
I know the term attention seeking would apply to this but I was hoping for a more honed term to this type of situation


texts:
I'm writing an essay and am wondering whether the following sentence is correct: "I investigate the tension between self-interest and other-regardingness."

Is other-regardingness a word? On the one hand it's in the Oxford dictionary. On the other Chrome gives me an error, and when I search Google for "define other-regardingness" the only dictionary definition that comes up is Oxford's.

(And if it exists, are there any synonyms, just in case some people aren't familiar with it?)


texts:
I am looking for a single word which can be used in the following sentence:

My biggest [annoyance] with that is the diagrams are drawn lazily in that book.

Essentially I'm looking for a synonym for annoyance but a more natural one. The ones I found in dictionaries are not what I'm looking for.
I also thought of the word hitch, could that work?
Thank you!


texts: What grammar is used in A:"I am happy for you. B:"Are you?"

texts:
I have found some sentences from an English book, for which I can't find any grammar.

Example 1:

A says:

  I am very happy for you.

B says:

  Are you (or you are)?

Example 2:

A says:

  I like this book.

B says:

  Do you?


texts: I am not an English native. I am working in the field of medicinal plants. I like to know why we don't use term "medical plants"? What is the difference between them?


texts: What is the word for using one part of speech where another would be more grammatical?

texts:
There's a Greek word that means using the wrong part of speech somewhere in a sentence, as in:

  I don't know the who or the how or the when.

Where "who", "how", and "when" are being used for nouns.  What's the word for this?


texts: can i say "operate a programing language"?

texts:
I've heard usages like "operate a programing language" from another non-native English speaker. And it sounds odd to me, especially for the verb "operate" here. Even though it's grammatically correct and I pretty much knew he meant "use" by "operate".

I wondering whether native speaker would  find this usage correct or accurate enough. And if not, would there be a better alternative than "use" for "operate".

Thanks.


texts:
Would you say both are correct? I have a doubt about "open-source", but I've seen it quite a lot.

Thank you.


texts: I've always wanted to know if we are "comfortable in English" or "comfortable with English". I have searched quite a few websites but none are helpful when it comes to suggesting a preposition for speaking in a language.


texts: Are there words for the subject and the object in a merger& acquisition?

texts: Say company A bought company B, is there a pair of antonyms to refer A and B? E.g. merger and mergee (I know this pair is not right, only try to make a point here)


texts: "Instantiate" vs "substantiate" vs "reify"

texts:
Do they mean the same thing?  I just came across instantiate for the first time in an email by someone who said a certain action instantiates charity.  I think the person should have used reify instead but now I'm not sure.  And then there is substantiate.  I want to reply back to them but since I have to address that issue, I want to know the usage so that if I use substantiate instead, it won't sound weird.

Dictionary.com gives

instantiate: to provide an instance of or concrete evidence in support of (a theory, concept, claim, or the like)."
substantiate: to establish by proof or competent evidence; to give substantial existence to.
reify: to convert into or regard as a concrete thing, like reify a concept


texts: Can the contracted form of "will" be used after "and"?

texts:
Is it correct to write:

  hope you enjoyed the demo and'll consider the idea

Or I must all the way use the entire word for "will" in that phrase?

Thank you in advance for clarifications


texts: "Gassy emissions from these giant dinosaurs" vs. "... by these giant dinosaurs"

texts:
Reading a science article on Huffington Post, titled "Dinosaur Farts, Prehistoric Climate Change Linked In New Methane Gas Study", I came across the following sentence:

  The gassy emissions from these giant dinosaurs may have been enough to warm the Earth, the researchers say.

I'm wondering, if the farts are produced and emitted by dinosaurs, is it proper English using 'from' instead of 'by' in that sentence?


texts: What is the logic behind "better suited"

texts:
I'm confused about the expression "better suited." I'm editing a piece that addresses how to write a particular type of article for a particular website. Logically, which is better:

Structurally, the news format is better suited to the customer success story ...
Structurally, the customer success story is better suited to the news format ...


texts: What does the phrase "it does not become you" mean?

texts:
I have heard it used in a negative sense. For example, "rudeness does not become you" etc.

Is this phrase used in a positive context as well? (like "generosity becomes you")?


texts:
I'm reading an article about intention recognition in computing areas and somehow robotics. I came across  this sentence:

  This problem has been discussed as the difference between “intended and intentional action”.

But unfortunately I can't understand the difference between intended action and intentional action.

According to dictionaries:

  intended: planned or meant
  intentional: done on purpose; deliberate

But they are also marked as synonyms. So could someone clarify the difference between an intended action and an intentional one?


texts:
What is the general rule concerning capitalisation of a word in parentheses that immediately follows the first word of a sentence and acts a "clarifier" for this first word? In other words, the word in parentheses provides more precise information.

Example:

(i) Set (Align) the discs.
vs
(ii) Set (align) the discs.


texts: How do you interpret "one near or in each end"?

texts:
I am reading European pressure vessel design standard and in a line it is written that

"2 large sightholes, one near or in each end or 1 handhole in the the central third of the cylindrical section."

it is for the option of using sightholes instead of handholes and according to it, I understand that I can use

two sightholes one in the left end and one in the right end
one in the end and one near the other end
one in the end and one near the same end
two near each end

How do you interpret this saying?


texts: comma or semicolon before "that is" and repeating 'that'

texts:
In the following two sentences

We need to show that Phrase; that is, that Phrase A'.
We need to show that Phrase A, that is, Phrase A'.

Which one is correct or more natural?

Phrase A and Phrase A' are two sentences that express the same thing. That they are the same are obvious to see and is not our concern. Add an example for sentence 1. (We are not going to show that "a+b=c is the same as a=c-b", which is trivial.)

  We need to show that a+b=c; that is, that a=c-b.

Thanks a lot.


texts:
Is it correct to write the sentence below?

All participants gave good cooperation in the workshop.

Please suggest.


texts: coming to the shops or going to the shops?

texts:
Which of the following sentences are correct?

  Do you mind COMING to the shops with me?
  Do you mind GOING to the shops with me?


texts: the meaning of "peripheral glow of our prosperity"

texts:
I read a National Geographic's article about light pollution and I have a question about a certain phrase, "peripheral glow of our prosperity."

In his article "Our Vanishing Night," Klinkenborg states that "For the past century or so, we've been performing an open-ended experiment on ourselves, extending the day, shortening the night, and short-circuiting the human body's sensitive response to light. The consequences of our bright new world are more readily perceptible in less adaptable creatures living in the peripheral glow of our prosperity. But for humans, too, light pollution may take a biological toll."

At first, I thought the use of the word 'peripheral' seemed kind of vague and confusing to me, so I looked up the dictionary. It says 'peripheral' means 'on or near an edge or constituting an outer boundary; the outer area.' But after reading this paragraph several times, I have come to realize that it is not nessarily meaning "the outer area of our prosperity = outside of cities that many creatures live in." Does the phrase have a more profound, some kind of metaphor, like the world we live in with lots of lighting, which was created by our prosperity? Then, why does the writer use the word "peripheral" instead of "secondary" in his article? I guess the phrase "peripheral glow" carries some implications, but my interpretation of "something created by our prosperity" might go too far...


texts: No one feeds a starving dog - is it a saying?

texts: I grew up in a small down full of orginal settlers and kin from england- This was  saying in our small town - did it originate with us, or does it have origins elsewhere.


texts:
The verb let means  “allow”, “permit”, “not prevent or forbid”, “pass, go or come”  and it's used with an object and the bare infinitive.

  Are you going to let me drive or not?
  Don't let him off the hook.
  Before we let our children surf the Internet, they have to do their homework.
  She lets the cats out before leaving.
  He let us into the house.

The full form let us can be used similarly

  Let us know as soon as possible.
  Please, let us help you.
  They will never let us forget.

None of the above can be contracted; however, when let us is used for making a suggestion; giving self-encouragement; expressing a consequence or plea,  it is often contracted to let's

  Let's go out
  Let's have a party
  Let's see what happens
  Let's stand together in this emergency
  Let's not forget those who sacrificed their lives

Questions

I believe that let + us is the only instance where this type of contraction occurs. Is there an explanation as to why verbs such as (i) give + us, (ii) get + us or (iii) take + us were not similarly contracted?
When was the apostrophe used to replace the omitted letter "u" in let us?
What is the origin of let's?


texts: Would a golfer say, "I shot for 200 yards"?

texts:
I'm wondering if "for" is the correct word to use in the phrase, "I shot for 200 yards".

This is in relation to a golf video game I'm working on. After the shot, the computer tells you, "You shot for 200 yards!" to inform you how far the ball went.


texts: Is there an idiom for a pair of things, one interesting and one boring?

texts:
I'm trying to describe two kinds of mechanics in a game, one kind that is rather boring, bland and simple, and one that is more rich, complex and flavourful. I'm trying to figure out an idiom / phrase to illustrate the point, but all the ones I can think of have a different meaning - "meat and potatoes" and "bread and butter" for example both allude to "the most basic thing", rather than a contrast between two things.

The kind of sentence I'm looking to make is "The A and B of game mechanics - the boring stat increases are A, rather bland and simple, while mechanics that change the game are the B, interesting and flavourful", or something along those lines.

What would be a good idiom / phrase to express the contrast between two things?


texts: Is 'unwind' an appropriate term for describing the shrinking phase of a recursive process?

texts:
Can we say, for instance, that once the base case for a recursive procedure is reached, the recursive process consisting of the evaluation of the procedure 'unwinds'? Here, the term 'unwind' would roughly mean "collects all deferred values until the entry point of the recursive procedure is met."

I understand that 'unwinds' may hint at a 'winding' process occurring beforehand, which happens to be the evaluation of the procedure up to the point of reaching the base case, however, I would not feel comfortable with using 'unevaluates' in order to maintain linguistic symmetry.


texts:
Is there a word or phrase in English that describes people who always prioritise self-interest over other matters, have a weak sense of responsibility, and are inclined to find excuses?

For example, as a manager, you ask this guy to complete the task 100% and he promises to do it. But later, it turns out that he has just finished 90% by the due date and gone for a vocation. You then complain to him and he replies, "It doesn't matter. Just 10%!". Then, you might want him to come back and fulfil his promise, but he suddenly gets very upset and says, "Fine! You are so annoying!". How would you describe this kind of person according to his behaviour, imagining that it happens often?


texts: I know this is biblical, my question is whether this is correct or not. Can it be used in modern day? Example : Much like our lives, only by dedicating undivided attention to our people can we teach ...


texts:
I am an art historian from Denmark, and I have trouble with English abbreviations - I hope someone can help me.

I have a lithograph without date, how do I write 'undated'? (n.d.) ?

Best Diana


texts: What is this called: British oven pot holders connected by towel

texts:
I'm a Yank, and I often see on British TV a pot holder or oven mitt like this: two square mitts (terry cloth?) connected by a dish towel or tea towel, so it's all one piece. What are they called?

The ones I've seen, on Great British Baking Show for instance, are not gloves. They are two square pot holders that you slip your hands inside, connected with by an additional piece of cloth. Maybe the cloth helps prevent burning your forearms on the pan?

I cannot find out what this is called, and we just don't seem to have them in the USA. I'd really like to know where to get some.


texts: What do ‘a little Marilyn Monroe drag,’ 'whassup,’ and 'worked her derriere off' mean?

texts:
The Washington Post’s article on the 83rd Annual Academy Awards on ABC written by Hank Stuever under the headline, At Oscars, the kids were all right and the 'Speech' was well-prepared was full of Greek to me who have little knowledge about American culture and entertainment world.

As I cannot pick up all the words and expressions I felt difficulty in understanding, I just want to make sure of the meaning of three phrases:

NYU, whassup
a little Marilyn Monroe drag
worked her derriere off

What do these phrases mean? Though I guess whassup is ‘What’s up,’ and work one’s derriere off means ‘Work very hard,’ I’m not sure.

Is it very rude if I tell somebody, particularly to a lady, that ‘I worked my derriere off in the office?’

Here's the context for the above-mention phrases:

  Anne Hathaway hosted the 83rd Annual Academy Awards on ABC Sunday night. And her co-host, James Franco, did what exactly? (Besides be handsome? Besides a little Marilyn Monroe drag? And besides shouting "NYU, whassup!" to the Best Live Action Short winner? What, that's not enough?)

  Hathaway worked her derriere off and Franco came off like that lacrosse boy you wish your daughter didn't hang out with so much.


texts: What does “him as writ plays” (etc.) mean in old newspaper clipping?

texts:
Quotation from A history of the cries of London ancient (p23).

  ... famous theatre afterwards to be so widely known. The sunshiny time of our literature and life, making a red-letter period in happy old England's history. We were interrupted by a kindly-faced, round-shouldered man of the bargee type, who asked us ‘if it was Shakespeare, him as writ plays, we was a torkin’ on ; if so be it were, he could show us the werry ’ouse he used, least ways, all as is left on it.’ After a twisting tramp through Cardinal Cap Ally, we were brought out opposite the public-house known by the name of the ‘ Smith Arms,’ which had just then only escaped entire demolition from fire by a very near chance—(the damage done has since necessitated the rebuilding ; so the sketch stands as a bit of rescued old London.)

Especially，I don't know what is meant by “him as writ plays” and “the wery ’ouse”:

  who asked us ‘if it was Shakespeare, him as writ plays, we was a torkin’ on ; if so be it were, he could show us the wery ’ouse he used, least ways, all as is left on it.’


texts:
Duplicate of:
  What is the correct way to use infinitive after the verb “help”: with or without “to”?
  “Could help avoid” vs. “could help to avoid”
  “Helping you do something” or “Helping you to do something”?
  Infinitive without “to”?
  Is it correct to say “John helps you talk with people”?

My sentence fragment possibilities are

  ... can help rule out false alarms
  ... can help to rule out false alarms

I feel like both are technically correct, and that the latter sounds somewhat more formal while the former may be a little more clear.  I often come upon the general issue of when to use "to [verb]" or just "[verb]" — is there a general rule?  Is only one of them actually correct?

(Even if someone can explain how to describe the difference between these cases would be appreciated, i.e. "infinitive vs. ____" )


texts: Difference between "a few minutes" and "few minutes"

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  “A few” vs. “few”

What is the difference between "a few minutes" and "few minutes"?

For instance, how do these statements differ?

  She has a few minutes before the train leaves.
  She has few minutes before the train leaves.


texts: Is "lessening the amount" an appropriate expression?

texts:
I came across the expression "lessening the amount of" several times, even in some formal contexts. But I think the word "lessen" itself has a notion of amount as it means "to become or make something become smaller". Isn't it  redundant to say "lessening the amount of"?
Please suggest.


texts: How widespread is the pronunciation of "Parmesan" as /ˈpɑɹ.məˌʒɑn/ instead of /ˈpɑɹ.məˌzɑn/?

texts:
The letter s in the word Parmesan (meaning the cheese, named after the Parma region of Italy) is pronounced quite widely (Br & Aus AFAIK) as a /z/, per Wiktionary:

UK, also found in the US: /ˈpɑɹ.məˌzɑn/
found in the US: /ˈpɑɹ.məˌʒɑn/

And in Australia (no reference, just experience) it's /ˈpɑɹ.məˌzɑn/ (maybe heading for /ˈpɑɹ.məˌsɑn/).

However, in Seattle WA and Portland OR, the locals all (IME) pronounce it with a soft /ʒ/ sound, like in the French je, so /ˈpɑɹ.məˌʒɑn/

Is this a "northwest only" variation? How much of the US says /ˈpɑɹ.məˌʒɑn/?

Does this also occur in other countries?

I note that Merriam Webster includes the spelling pronunciation "-zhan" (albeit last) as an alternative pronunciation.


texts: What is the difference between “Strike the match” and “Strike a match”?

texts:
In reference to my question about the meaning of “It’s one thing to dance like Fred Astaire, but Ginger did it backwards in high heels,” on the Time magazine’s article (June 29) of John Roberts’ ruling on Healthcare, I found the phrase, “strike the match” in the following sentence in the same article, “Roberts rules.”

  “When Roberts took his seat at the center of the bench on June 28, the final day of the court term, and began reading aloud his opinion, he sounded at first as if he were striking the match. The conservative critique of the so-called individual mandate was correct, he intoned: Congress lacks the power to require citizens to buy insurance they don’t want.”

To me whose mother language totally lacks the concept of article – a/an, the, non-article - in its language system, interpretation and distinction of definite / infinitive/ non-article is always a serious headache.

Although I see “strike a match” and “strike the match,” both of which are in constant currency since around 1980 in Google Ngram, I can’t find either of them as an idiom in Cambridge, Oxford and Merriam-Webster.

Only McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs defines “strike a match” as to light a match by rubbing it on a rough surface, with an example, Mary struck a match and lit a candle.

What does “John Roberts was striking the match” mean? Was he lighting a match to fuel the serious dispute, or bringing the dispute to the end?

What is the difference of “strike the match” from “strike a match”? Are they exactly same or totally irrelevant idioms or expressions?


texts: In referencing Webster's dictionary of 1828 I came across the entry for the word 'Han'. The definition was stated as: "for have, in the plural." Source: Spenser. What does this mean and how was it used way back then?


texts: These days I have been encountered with people use both "most likely" and "mostly likely." Which one is correct? Grammatically I think both are correct but the grammar check tool on my computer also marked "mostly likely" as a grammar error, which is confusing to me.


texts:
It's from a GMAT sentence correction question, and the correct answer is:

According to scientists, human expansion and human appropriation of
Earth's finite resources are the cause of what maybe the most sweeping
wave of species extinctions since the demise of the dinosaur 65
million years ago.

Since "human expansion" and "human appropriation" are the two reasons, why does the sentence use "cause" instead of "causes"? Why is it in singular form?
I'm so confused, any explanation would be really appreciated!


texts:
Is this sentence grammatically correct? If so why is the word "while" omitted?
I saw my name on the packages he was taking off the boat.
Thanks a lot.


texts:
For some time now I'm hearing more and more people saying "that's one of the more interesting things I've seen", "that's one of his better dishes", etc.

Even when talking about something very close to the top or something of a very small group, where there can't be more than one best, let alone more than one "better ones".

Did using the superlative to express ones interest, admiration or feelings in general go out of fashion?

To me as a non-native speaker it sounds like people using these phrases want to be too cool for the room, along the lines of "yeah it's good, but I've seen better."

Is there an explanation as to why this came about only recently (let's say 2-3 years), or has this been going on forever and my impression, that this is relatively new, is completely off?


texts: I am studying English and I want to know the main difference between “Have you got?” and “Do you have?” questions. Are they the same? Is one more formal than the other?


texts: I remember meeting him yesterday. In this sentence, why is the gerund form of meet used instead of 'to meet'? Is there any rule for such use?


texts:
"I have completed my homework, and have nothing to do now."

Placing the comma before 'and' would be incorrect since the second clause is dependent and therefore doesn't require a comma, right? I was just wondering what this mistake would be called in technical terms or if it's just called a misuse of a comma.


texts:
I came across a website/facebook page which posts famous quotes and i wonder what does "Porn" mean in this situation ?
I also search many websites but they all believe that it has something to do with pornography but i don't think it's relevant to that ..
what do you think ?


texts: What do you call a person that is consistent in her beliefs despite the difficulties they might cause?

texts:
I am sure there has to be a more precise word to describe a person that is not giving up on her beliefs no matter what other says. You could say consistent in her beliefs, but I am looking for something more elaborate.

An example of such a person might be Margaret Thatcher.

Thanks


texts: Is "acediast" too rarefied to be acceptable in literature?

texts:
I'm editing a manuscript where the word "acediast" appears a perfect fit, but Merriam-Webster is the only online dictionary I can find that lists it as a word, with the exception of a few scrabble word finders. In fact, searching for the word in Google brings up only ~6k results, compared to ~800k for "acedia."

Question: Does there come a point where a word is considered too archaic to be used, even in literature, and are there any reliable sources that go into detail on this subject?

Edit: As some have pointed out, this question was based on the false premise that "acediast" was an archaic word, when instead it is a neologism that never caught on.


texts: Can anyone please suggest a single word which represents the quality of a person who can turn an obstacle into an opportunity. The person will be strong even in the worst situations and will convert every situation into an opportunity. I would need a one word adjective or noun which describes the above skills. I can accept this word from any language. Thanks in advance for your help.


texts:
How can I say - think yourself (думай сам in russian)
Help please.
Thank you.


texts: Explanation and rules for adding and subtracting 'r's in British pronunciation?

texts:
For example, the sentence, "The Premier of China drank vodka and beer in his car with Obama." A BBC presenter would pronounce it like:

The Premieh of Chiner drank vodker and bee'h in his ca' with Obam-er.

In other words, they add 'r's where they don't belong and eliminate them where they do.

Is there any linguistic explanation for how this evolved? Are there any formal rules regarding this?


texts: Am I a “rising junior” or a “rising sophomore”?

texts:
On an application it’s asking which rising class standing I am.

I’m in college and came in with a full semester (half a year) of credits. Thus after finishing my first semester and at time of application, I will be a sophomore. However, over the summer I will still be a sophomore. Only after finishing the first semester of my second year in college will I be a junior.

Which “rising” am I?


texts: Is there a word similar to “verbatim” but means "too many meaningless words used"?

texts:
Is there a word similar to verbatim but means "Too many meaningless words used"?

I am looking for a word which describes the statement is meaningless with too many words.


texts: I watched a tv show, a quiz program, the name of the program is "Who wants to be a millionaire". Well I don't want to be a millionare, at least not right now, but the title always makes me curious somehow, I thought the correct sentence would be "Who does want to be". What are their differences then ?


texts: US Equivalent to the Oxford English Dictionary

texts:
Apologies if this question is inappropriate for the site.

In the US, what would be equivalent to the OED? The de facto standard. I know there's the New Oxford American Dictionary but in the US does this have the same gravitas as the OED has in the UK?


texts: adults’ English teacher or adult’s English teacher?

texts:
In this sentence, “I would like to apply for the post of adults’ English teacher,” do you say “adults’ English teacher” or “adult’s English teacher”?
If this sentence is totally wrong, could you paraphrase the sentence in a way that the meaning remains?
Thanks in advance.


texts: Who or whom in a sentence with multiple verbs

texts:
Would it be correct to use "who" or "whom" in the following sentence?

Industrialization in the USSR did not provide a better life for many soviets, especially the peasants, who(m) Stalin claimed would benefit most from a communist nation.

I believe it would be "who" because it is the subject of "would benefit," but I'm still a little bit confused.  I also tried to use the heuristic where you replace "who" or "whom" with either "he" or "him," and I believe it would be "...Stalin claimed he would benefit most..."
Thanks for your help!
Note: I know that there are many “who vs. whom” questions already on this site, but I believe that mine is distinct because there are multiple verbs.  I have searched for similar questions before, but I couldn’t find them (maybe I just didn’t search well enough).  I think that calling this question a duplicate (unless there is another question very similar to mine) would make it harder for people like me to find an answer to their question.  Thanks!


texts:
I have a difficult time finding the right word for the following situation:

On the drawing, there are some dimensions instructed, and extra length is set for one range for workability. That extra length is “absorbed” (trimmed?) to meet the instruction. “Absorb” is the direct translation from my language, but does it make a sense?
Is there any right word for it?


texts: Is the phrasal verb "sober up" interchangeable with "sober down"

texts:
I understand that phrasal verbs are extremely idiosyncratic.

If I have to replace -Sober up or calm down, would sober down be an appropriate choice, and a formal alternative.

Edit: Or can i conclude that the underlying logic only involves metaphorical meanings of the adverbial particle (i.e., up/down etc.)
and therefore, phrasal verbs referring to increment tend to use 'up'
(fire someone up, be hyped up, rev up, etc), while 'decrease' is one of the meanings of phrasal verbs with 'down' (calm down, settle down, die down, etc).


texts: How long has the expression 'underage woman' been in use, and is it an oxymoron?

texts:
A blog entry posted today at The Atlantic online—"The Myth of the 'Underage Woman'," by Megan Garber—argues that "underage woman" is an oxymoron:

  The phrase is wrong in every sense: There is no such thing as an “underage woman.” Underage women are girls.

This led me to wonder how long the notion of "underage woman" has been floating around in English. A quick Google Books search finds instances from at least as far back as Jürgen Haller, Hormonal Contraception (1972), which includes this passage:

  Basically, a physician must decide for himself whether or not he is willing to prescribe oral contraceptives for an unmarried and legally underage woman.

It seems very plausible that the term "underage woman" arose in connection with legal notions of a person's "age of consent"—whether with regard to marriage, access to contraceptives or abortion, sexual activity, or something else. But it is unclear to me what the original context for this expression was. Hence my questions:

When and in what context did the term "underage woman" originate?
Is "underage woman" an oxymoron, as the Atlantic blogger asserts, or is there a way to understand it as a meaningful subcategory of the much larger category "woman"?


texts:
I'm a software developer, and as such I often come in contact with situations where I need to name variables related to the following context:

  4 apples for $3 each equals $12

My problem is the word amount because it feels as natural to write amount of items (4) as amount each ($3) or total amount to pay ($12). But obviously I can't use the word amount for all of them and would like some guidance on what word to use in each situation.

English isn't my native language and I guess that's where my problem begins. What I basically would like to know, is:

What is the best word to describe when you're counting items? My backup plan is NoOfItems but it's a bit complex with three words, I was hoping for a single word or something else more intuitive.
What is the best word to describe when you're describing a value? I can't use sum because sometimes it's a single value that hasn't been summarised.

Thanks a lot...


texts:
Michael Leiter, NBC News National Security Analyst, was explaining what he thought would be the most important information in the recent MH17 incident. He stated what was more important than how was who.

  "The new U.S. sanctions that the president put in place a few days ago are really in response to a view that Russia has not backed down at all, it has sent troops and it has sent specially weaponry, like these surface to air missiles to the separatists,” said Leiter. “So, from that perspective, the U.S. knows he’s been doubling down, the question now for the intelligence community will be: Is there any crack in that? Does he look at this situation and say this is so bad, that there might be an off-ramp to deescalate. I don’t think that’s the most likely outcome given Putin’s background, but I think there’s at least some chance, and that’s the leadership-intention piece that the US intelligence community will try to discern over the coming days.”

At first reading, I couldn't figure out which meaning of crack he intended; I didn't understand to what he was referring. I take it he's intending this meaning of crack:

  a narrow opening or fissure

If so, I'm still having difficulty understanding to what crack refers. Is it the alliance between Russia and the separatists? Or is it something else?


texts: Meaning of "run its course"in this sentence

texts: The American War of Independence was first viewed by the British as a minor rebellion that would soon run its course.I don't know how to paraphrase 'run its course' in this sentence.


texts: What is the history of the idiom 'Sick as a dog'?

texts: This phrase is often used but was intrigued to find out it's history.


texts: Can I use an ellipsis (three dots) when I'm about to tell a story?

texts:
Consider the following sentence:

So how this method is useful, you might say. Here's the story.

and then I'm telling the story from a new paragraph. So my question is can I use an ellipsis at the end of the last sentence, like this:

So how this method is useful, you might say. Here's the story...

or is just a dot enough?