texts: "is" vs "was"... relative clause edition?

texts:
I was doing some exercises when this sentence cropped up:

  I met him in May and it was then that I fell in love with him.

So I'd to rewrite this like this:

  I met him in May, which was when I fell in love with him.

It's simple enough to understand; though, the official answer was slightly different:

  I met him in May, which is when I fell in love with him.

So was I wrong: is it really necessary that the was be is? I thought to myself that all of this, of course, took place in the past, so was should be correct, shouldn't it? There was also another sentence in yet another example given by the authors themselves:

  He arrived at six, which was when the diamonds went missing.

Is or was, that's the question.

Thanks!


texts: Meaning of "three points" in the context of salary / equity

texts:
Alice: What (how much) are you guys getting?
  Bob: Three points each.

Does "three points" mean three thousand/grand in this context? If yes then I assume it would be per month.

update 1: I heard this in the TV show named "Silicon Valley", in which the dudes use lots of informal/slang words/expressions.

update 2: They are also talking about the amount of equity they each get in their start-up company.

Episode transcript


texts: Is there a non-colloquial equivalent term for "cool"?

texts:
As I get older (into my 30s) the less I feel like using youthful slang, and I take extra pride in using professional English. But I can't think of a word that is universally equivalent to the colloquial term "cool" that means "worthy to judgmental youths" or something of that nature.

Could you suggest some more professional-sounding terms that can be used instead? Something that would be appropriate to put in a book or research paper or news report on the topic of "coolness".


texts: Do "it is time for someone to do something" and "it is time someone did something" mean the same thing?

texts:
I know that

It is time (understood: for the speaker or for a group of people including the speaker) to do something.

and

It is time I or we did something.

do not mean the same thing: the first is a simple statement of fact, whereas the second means there is some kind of emergency.

How about these same structures when the action is to be performed by a second or third person?

Does the nuance stated above cease to exist between

It is time for you/him/her/them to do something.

and

It is time you/he/she/they did something.

?


texts: What do you call someone who is always asking for favours?

texts:
What can I call someone (a friend) who is always asking for favours such as:

if you are going downtown, can you buy this for me please or,
can you lend me your car for an hour or,
if you have some spare time,
can you post this letter for me please because I am so busy today

He doesn't seem to realise or,  pretends not to, that there is a limit to asking for help or favours from other people.


texts: Unambiguous alternative to “to consider sth. offensive”

texts:
Main Question

  I consider [noun] [adjective].

usually means that I arrived at the conclusion that [noun] has the property described by [adjective]. However, when the adjective is offensive, this phrase has adopted an additional meaning, namely

  I consider this statement offensive.

is often used to express that one is offended by the statement, which is not the same thing. For example not being Atlantean, I am not offended by the statement “All Atlanteans are mentally challenged and wear underpants on their head.”¹, but I still hold the opinion that it is offensive (or at least that it would be, if Atlantis were real).

With to consider sth. offensive being out of the game, what other concise construction can I use to express that I arrived at the conclusion that a statement is offensive – in a way that cannot be understood such that I express being offended by the statement? With other words: Which other, preferably verb-like phrase can I use to say that I literally consider something offensive?

¹ I am slightly offended by someone belonging to the same species at me uttering this statement, but that’s a different story.

Specific Example

This question arose in discussions about Stack Exchange moderation (which I cannot post here), where different interpretations of finding sth. offensive and considering sth. offensive lead to confusion. For example, a moderator could leave a comment on a post:

  I deleted the last sentence of your answer because I consider it offensive.

As moderators should be neutral and do not act from personal motivation, it is desirable for a moderator to avoid the impression that he is offended and thus personally concerned with the issue. Hence to consider sth. offensive is a suboptimal choice here. I am looking for something to replace this.

Other alternatives that don’t work

  to find sth. offensive
  to regard sth. as offensive

These have the same problem as considering sth. offensive, i.e., they are also used in the meaning of to be offended. I also consulted a thesaurus for possible synonyms of consider, find, and regard that could be used instead, but I found none.

  to hold the opinion that sth. is offensive
  to arrive at the conclusion that sth. is offensive

These express the right thing, but are comparably convoluted in my opinion.

  to literally consider sth. offensive

I cannot be certain that literally is understood as intended or that it is clear on what level I want to make things literal.


texts: Name of a specific room in radiology department in hospital where doctors write images' descriptions

texts:
What is the proper name (if there is any) of the room where doctors write descriptions of various radiology images. This room typically has a bit different light, some special grey-scale-only-monitors to evaluate MRI or X-REY images. It's not a typical "doctor's office"

I have this question because in my country we have a name for it, but I tried to google English equivalent with no luck.


texts: How to refer to the 'sections' of an aquarium?

texts:
When you visit an aquarium, you see different species of marine life in different 'sections.' They are usually surrounded by glass.

I want to build sentences like this:

  I walked to another 'glass/section.' In it, I could see a many
  sting rays."

  The shark whale swam from one corner of the 'glass/section' to the
  other.

  There was a jellyfish in the middle of the glass. (OK, this one sounds weird).

I'm not very sure which is the best word to use here.

EDIT:

For example, this would be a 'section':

Is it right to say, for instance:

  The people are looking through the glass.

or

  There are many people in this section.

(I just need a general term that people would immediately understand. I need this for a novel I'm writing.)


texts: The use of "used to" is much more frequent than "use to", but what about "did used to" vs. "did use to"?


texts:
TL;DR
you can hear very frequently: "am this" "am that", is this wrong?

Very simple query about how to pronounce a basic English abbreviation:

I'm

should this sound as if the "I" was not even there (like "am") or - as I always thought it was - a very fast "Im" where is the central "a" that disappear?


texts: Forming occupational nouns: Why do you say "butcher" and not "butchian" or "butchor"?

texts:
Question: Occupational nouns (butcher, sailor, musician, etc.) have various suffixes in English (er, or, ee, ant, etc.). Is there a set of rules to form occupational nouns from the verbs or their object (butchering, sailing, etc.)?

Explanation:
For example, what are the rules to go from this to this:
Leadership / Leading ---->  Leader
...And not 'Leadian'

In the same way, when we 'invent' occupational nouns, how do we know that some are more correct than others? For instance, how do we know that 'low-self-esteemer' sounds more correct than 'low-self-esteemian'?

I have considered finding a regular expression part of speech tagger to give me a list of noun constructions. However, these do not have a separate category for 'occupation nouns'. More importantly still, they would not explain the rules for forming occupational nouns from verbs/objects, but only for identifying them.

So where are the rules for forming occupational nouns from verbs or objects?


texts:
I was writing a satirical story, and wanted a single word to express the concept of "in a holy way" or "in a holy manner". For example, were it actually a word, a good example would be "holy-ly". For a specific instance in which it might be used:

So, the priest walked into a bar with a rabbi and a monk?
Yes, but he did it oh-so-[in a holy way], so everyone was overawed.

A compound word or phrase would be acceptable. However, I'm not a huge fans of neologisms, so nothing constructed please. I would strongly prefer an adverbial form, but would accept it if no such suitable word exists.


texts:
I am putting a quote on a plaque, but am uncertain how to punctuate it.  Any help would be appreciated.

  This above all:  to thine own self be true

Do I put in a comma (which is in the original quote) or an ellipsis to show the quote continues? Or a period?


texts:
A saviour arrives in the form of Imperator Furiosa, one of Joe’s de
  facto generals and a trusted war-rig driver, who is planning to help
  the warlord’s unwilling brides escape from the Citadel. Though the
  presence of a strong female lead has ruffled some more reactionary
  feathers, Charlize Theron’s Furiosa is brilliant as the film’s
  fearsome centre of gravity, commanding the screen and dominating the
  fight scenes. Max, who was the unrivalled principal in the previous
  films, is surprisingly good at sharing the screen. This is partly
  because he spends much of the movie saying nothing, and what he does
  utter comes out in a voice rather like the unintelligible rumble Mr
  Hardy brought to Bane in “The Dark Knight Rises”. "Each of us in our
  own way was broken," he rasps. "It was hard to know who was more
  crazy: me or everyone else." And it is partly because, having started
  the film as a frenetic ball of survival instinct, he only blossoms
  into something recognisably human—and comes into his own—at around the
  hour mark.

I searched the meaning of the phrase "(ruffled some more) reactionary feathers";  but couldn't find its meaning.

I guess it means to spark controversies or to trigger noises.

Would you help me understand its meaning?


texts: Alternate way of saying "The mass of the mass"?

texts: I performed an experiment in which a mass was hung from a spring. I want to refer to the mass of the mass hung from said spring, but that leads to quite a few awkward sentences. I cannot refer to the mass as a weight, since masses and weights are two different things. Is there some alternate way of saying "The mass of the mass"?


texts: “limitative factor” vs “limiting factor”

texts:
From the Exam book, Cambridge English FIRST 1 (2014), Test 2, paper 1: Reading and Use of English. The aim is to modify the word in caps so that it fits in the gap on the same line.

  Running Speed

  […] For years, it was assumed that simple muscle power determined human speed, but recent research suggests otherwise. The most important (19) ....... factor
   appears to be how LIMIT quickly the muscles can contract and thus (20)..... the time a runner's foot is in MINIMUM contact with the ground.

My private student wrote  limitative for No.19, but the answers at the back of the book say the correct answer is limiting. Although I agree that “limiting” sounds better,  I believe that my student's answer “limitative” is also grammatically correct. The book offers no explanation and no other possible alternative.

  limiting: functioning as a limit
  limitative:  limiting, restrictive

Question

Is limitative grammatically incorrect for answer (19)? I can't figure out why Cambridge doesn't also accept limitative, could someone explain?

Thanks.


texts: Word to describe informing on yourself to your enemy?

texts:
I'm looking for a noun that means a person who unwittingly provides incriminating information about himself to those who will use it against him.

Like a patsy, but not directly used by the opposition. A person who betrays his own cause by blatantly stating information that the enemy uses against them. I heard a word for this, it’s a stupid little word but can’t remember it.


texts: How did 'equity' semantically broaden to mean 'common shares'?

texts:
I ask about its meaning for stocks here, not Equity = Assets — Liabilities. See Personal Finance For Canadians For Dummies (2018), p 217.

  Equity — not to be confused with equity in real estate — is another word for stocks.

Etymonline:

  early 14c., "quality of being equal or fair, impartiality in dealing with others," from Old French equite (13c.),
   from Latin aequitatem (nominative aequitas) "equality, uniformity, conformity, symmetry; fairness, equal rights; kindness, moderation,"
   from aequus "even, just, equal" (see equal (adj.)).
  As the name of a system of law, 1590s, from Roman naturalis aequitas, the general principles of justice which corrected or supplemented the legal codes.

What semantic notions underlie the nouns bolded overhead with definition 2 beneath?


texts: Are past/present progessive and past/present perfect verb form, nonfinite?

texts:
I read that nonfinite verb form end in -ed,-ing or starts with to and another definition where nonfinite verb form show no tense.

But on the other hand, I've read there are past and present progressive verb forms. They start with is/are/am and end in -ing for present tense. In past form they start with was/were and end in -ing.

Similar thing for present/past perfect form except it uses different starting words and ends in -ed.

Are these verb phrase which have forms in the past and present, nonfinite?


texts:
Let's say there's an accepted price range for rent. I would like to charge rent fairly, but I'm renting to a very wealthly individual. I don't mind exceeding the accepted range in my asking price, but I don't want to exaggerate and over-exceed.

Is this usage correct? In my searched I didn't find this phrase used. I don't think this is a pleonasm, because there are different levels in the excession, as I described above.

Edit:

I want something formal that I'll feel comfortable using in a user guide.  I want it to sound professional.


texts: What is the difference between "property" and "attribute"?

texts:
This question has been asked before, but I am not satisfied with the answer. In the course of researching this I developed a theory and now I am unable to verify whether this might be true or against common usage because I am not a native speaker. I will just give an example because formulating it in general is more confusing than helpful.

  Jeff Atwood has the attribute black for the property hair color.

So a property (hair color) is a thing belonging to a class (human) while instances of a class (Jeff Atwood) have a concrete attribute (black) associated with this property.

Does that sound reasonable or unlikely?


texts: Single words for "lesser or equal" and "greater or equal"

texts: The opposite of "lesser" is "greater or equal" and vice versa. Does the English language have single word antonyms for "lesser" and "greater"?


texts:
I'm getting confused about these two sentences:

  The government should provide education to its citizens.
  She has received a great education since high school.

I think education is an uncountable noun.

Why does the second sentence use the article a before education?

It might be a stupid question, but I really want to understand this topic clearly. I looked on many websites but there was no related answer to this.


texts:
I am preparing for an exam and came across the following problems. Since my english is limited in knowledge i am posting it here.

The sentence: This nitrogen dioxide(NO2) plays a role in the formation of acid rain in wetter or more humid climates.

My question: The phrase "plays a role in" is closest in meaning to ?

My answer was "acts the part of". My reason was that since NO2 is a required substance in acid rain, its a part of it.

But the real answer is "serves a function in". How is this Possible? How can it be just a function when without it acid rain cannot happen?


texts: Hangin' on a string / You've got me hangin' on a string now

texts:
There's a song from the 80's whose title is "Hangin' on a string" (By Loose Ends). The singer keeps singning "You've got me hangin' on a string now".

I wonder what it means exactly (You keep me hanging on? You keep me waiting?). Is this just the title of a song or a sort of phrase? I've never heard it exept in this song. Is it still in use nowadays?

I also wonder if the construction "get someone doing something" is correct, maybe colloquial? Are there exemples that are similar to "You got me hangin'". Could I say "You got me laughing?" instead of "You made me laugh"?

I remember another song by Tone Loc (I got it goin' on) and we can mention a phrase such as "Let's get going!". When can I find the -ING ending in a verb that follows GET?

Grammar books don't really deal with the subject. Why?


texts:
Why do you hang "up" when you put the phone down when you're done talking?

I don't get it and none of my friends do.


texts:
Let me draw your attention to a question posted in English Language Learners where
OP has extracted a text from the book "The Collector" by John Fowles that uses the verb lameduck. I can not find any reference to such verb online.

  Violence and force are wrong. If I use violence I descend to his
  level. It means that I have no real belief in the power of reason, and
  sympathy and humanity. That I lameduck people only because it flatters
  me, not because I believe they need my sympathy. I’ve been thinking
  back to Ladymont, to people I lameducked there. Sally Margison. I
  lameducked her just to show the Vestal Virgins that I was cleverer
  than they. That I could get her to do things for me that she wouldn’t
  do for them. Donald and Piers (because I’ve lameducked him in a sense,
  too) — but they’re both attractive young men. There were probably
  hundreds of other people who needed lameducking, my sympathy, far more
  than those two. And anyway, most girls would have jumped at the chance
  of lameducking them.

Have any of you got the original book? Does it contain that exact text? In affirmative case, what does that verb mean?


texts: What type of if-conditional is: “A shop offered us a reduction if we paid in cash.”?

texts:
What type of if-conditional is this sentence?

A shop offered us a reduction if we paid in cash.

As far as I know, the only right conditional sentences are these four:
Zero Conditional:

A shop offer us a reduction if we pay in cash.

First Conditional:

A shop will offer us a reduction if we pay in cash.

Second Conditional:

A shop would offer us a reduction if we paid in cash.

Third Conditional:

A shop would have offered us a reduction if we have paid in cash.

But I cannot tell which of those four it is.


texts:
Which is the difference between the following constructions?

He told me that he would come. (would + base form = present conditional)
He told me that he would have come. (would + have + past part. = past conditional)

For example:

A tell to B: "I'll go to the party this night".
Before the party B says: "A told me that he would come".
During/after the party B says: "A told me that he would have come".

Is it right?


texts:
I have doubts on placing “within [time]” in the following structure. What would be its best possible place?

  Within three months Def Jam changed its mind and cancelled the
  contract.
  Def Jam cancelled the contract within three months because of her racy
  style.
  Because of her racy style, Def Jam cancelled her contract within three
  months.


texts: A single noun for a written article intended to persuade the reader to a particular political purpose?

texts:
I know I've encountered this word before. Examples include almost every editorial and op-ed article.

It's not necessarily written, and it could be a speech.

The article doesn't necessarily persuade the audience, but the writer intends to persuade. It's more respectable and compelling than a screed. It doesn't have the pejorative shadings of propaganda, nor the semi-seriousness of public relations, nor the lofty pretension sometimes associated with eloquence and rhetoric, nor the aggressiveness of argument, nor the passionlessness of opinion.


texts: "Their hunt the roast vegetable sauce": can you parse this?

texts:
An old A 2002 magazine sports the ad pictured below, juxtaposing

Their hunt the roast vegetable sauce.

with "Our roast vegetable sauce." There's something funny going on in the syntax of the former phrase, that actually made me pay some attention to it. I can't put my finger on what it is though.
Presumably this may be an elliptic construction ("their hunt [after/for/of] the roast vegetable sauce"), where "the roast vegetable sauce" would be in a genitive position. Just as well, this might be just a set phrase, no longer productive.
Is there a name for this type of construction, explaining how this syntax links to a semantics, and/or other examples of the phenomenon?


texts: Phrase on expressing opinion on other's draft

texts: I am working on a group project and need to comment on others' entries/drafts/contributions. How could I express "you draft is good and we will go with it?" in a more formal way? Thanks so much!!


texts: What is a concise term for the idea that membership grants special knowledge or expertise?

texts:
I'm looking for a word or term, possibly a logical fallacy, to describe the idea that belonging to a group inherently grants the members of that group credibility in issues pertaining to that group, even when such an assumption isn't necessarily vaild. Examples include:

a person claiming expertise in child development or parenting in general purely by virtue of being a parent themselves
a person claiming that their practice of a given religion makes them an authority on said religion, simply by virture of that practice.
a citizen of a country believing they are automatically more informed about their country than any outsider, regardless of how well or poorly informed said citizen actually is.

Conversely, a medical doctor is self-evidently an expert in medicine, because that expertise is a prerequisite to becoming a medical doctor. This is at least partially the opposite of the "Calling "Cards"" fallacy (dismissing a vaild argument as "playing a(n) adjective card").


texts:
I was playing Monopoly the other day (haven't played for some time) and I bought Leicester Square. However, everytime someone landed on my block, I was unsure as to its pronunciation. So far I've heard two:

  Lei-ses-ter Square
  and
  Lei-ches-ter Square

Which is the correct pronunciation?


texts: Is there funny term or an idiom for this

texts: To describe or criticize a person who is not capable of doing easy tasks but want to do a harder task, just because he sees some professional doing it??


texts: What is the common and/or member pronunciation of 'Marylebone' in 'Marylebone Cricket Club'?

texts: There are lots of Internet discussions on how to pronounce 'Marylebone'. But given the context of 'Marylebone Cricket Club' (MCC), what is the most common pronunciation among UK people and/or MCC members?


texts:
Does saying that someone improved imply that there is a prior deficiency that needs to be remedied?

“She improved her best time again today and still has nationally the fastest time in the women’s division.”  To me, the word improved has a negative connotation that is unnecessary as she started with the fastest time of all competitors.  I would think that something like “bettered her best time” would be more positive.


texts:
I did a bit of searching on the difference between "not having" and "having not", but I could not find a convincing argument. I typed this sentence;

  Congratulations on not having given up yet!

It was corrected by a friend to;

  Congratulations on having not given up yet!

I am certain that my friend has a better command of English and that he is correct. Could someone explain why the first sentence is incorrect?


texts: What is this little section of concrete called?

texts: This concrete/triangle object is the object in question. (Image from Google Maps).


texts:
What is the correct form? Does context play a role?

Are there noticeable trends towards the awkward "noone" or is it just a by-product of careless orthography on the Internet?


texts: If you start an imperative with "you", does it become a statement or stay as a command?

texts:
If you start an imperative with "you", does it become a statement or stay as an imperative?
Here are some examples:

You put the book on the shelf.
You get help.

By the way, I'm still on the "sort-of" subject of imperatives.


texts: What is the origin of the phrase "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade"?

texts: I tried to find the etymology of the cliche "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade" on the Internet, but so far I haven't had any luck. It won't even tell me if it's a maxim or not.


texts:
Is "boinking" an onomatopoeic and/or a blend word?
I would have said so, I believe the word boink refers to the sound of the mattress springs squeaking under the weight of a couple making love. A slang term which derives from a "blending" of boing and bonk. But I have found precious little information to confirm it. Do native speakers use the word "boink" to also imitate the sound of mattress springs or only as a jocular (is it vulgar?) substitution for having sex?
Oxford Dictionaries says:

boing
Origin 1950s: imitative.

bonk
Origin 1930s: imitative.
British; have sexual intercourse (also North American boink)

boink
?

There is no entry. OD directs the visitor back to bonk
Luckily, Merriam-Webster believes boink deserves more attention.

boink
Origin: boink, boing, interjections imitative of a reverberating sound
First Known Use: 1987

Etymology Online has

boink
"have sex with; the sex act," slang by c.2000, perhaps an alteration
of bonk in its popular sexual sense. Related: Boinked; boinking.

bonk
"to hit," 1931, probably of imitative origin; 1975 in sense of
"have sexual intercourse with." Related: Bonked; bonking.

I read somewhere that the actor Bruce Willis first coined the expression boink in the TV series Moonlighting. Is it true? I'm positive I was "boinking" and "boinked" in the early 80s, but not in the 70s because I was only a child.


texts: What's the past participle form of the word exit? Is it exit (irregular, like set)? exited? exitted? On one page I found exited but if that's the case why isn't it exitted (double t) like with the word emit - emitted? Is there a rule when the consonant at the end is doubled and when not?


texts: Is this "as~as" comparison construction acceptable?

texts:
From my understanding, the main formula for an "as~as" comparison is:
(subject + verb)(object) [as {adjective/adverb/noun} as] (complements: clause/noun phrase/adjective/adverb)

For example:
He is as nice as his father.
I read a book as long as the Bible.

However, I'm curious as to why:
He is as nice a person as his father.
is acceptable while:
I read as long a book as the Bible.
is unacceptable.

Are comparisons using the "be" verb acceptable while other comparisons using regular verbs (read) are not?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.


texts: Does a comma always separate the nonfinite clause from the main clause?

texts:
Does a comma always separate a nonfinite clause (particularly one that contains a present participle) from the main clause of a sentence.

"I have called to heaven hoping for an answer."
vs.
"I have called to heaven, hoping for an answer."

Which is the better choice? Thank you.


texts:
What is the best downloadable US-English word list?
Similar to a dictionary without the definitions.

I've found https://github.com/en-wl/wordlist which is the source list for he English dictionary used by many open-source projects, however it doesn't attempt to be a complete list (they avoid adding less common words since it can confuse auto-suggestions).


texts: what does "metaphor" mean in this sentence?

texts:
For the best part of a week, the Suez canal was blocked by a 200,000tonne metaphor.The Ever Given is not just one of the world’s biggest container ships, it is also the emblem of a backlash that accuses globalisation of going too far. Since the early 1990s supply chains have been run to maximise eﬃciency. Firms have sought to specialise and to concentrate particular tasks in places that oﬀer economies of scale. Now, however, there are growing worries that, like a ship which is too big to steer, supply chains have become a source of vulnerability.
As far as I know, metaphor is a figure of speech that is used to make a comparision between two things that aren't alike but do have something in common.But it seems like a name of ship in this sentence.
Thank you for your help.


texts: A boss who rejects questions, or chooses not to discuss reality

texts: What word would describe, "a boss who rejects questions, or chooses not to discuss reality"? He consistently defers to a lighter topic, or flat-out avoids contact.


texts: What is the name for this rhetorical technique?

texts:
What is it called when person A makes an argument, then person B picks on a minor error in A's argument (such as a typo or misattribution of a quote) and uses this small error to argue that everything A says cannot be trusted and (by implication) must be false?

The closest I've got is "straw man", but that isn't quite right, since in this case the error is genuine.

I feel this technique must have a name, since it seems to be incredibly common in real-world debate!


texts: Does the word "hovel" have an offensive connotation?

texts:
I came across the word hovel and I rather like the resonance of it. I'm aware it generally refers negatively to minimal, ramshackle dwellings, but I'm wondering whether or not the word is also politically/emotionally charged? I have no prior context, so just wanted to ask anyone familiar with how it's used more broadly.

Thanks in advance!


texts: Can I use an explicit verb in a comparison clause?

texts:
It seems that I often write something like this:

  The sizes of these datasets seem to grow faster than the processing power of computers does.

Now, a longish text I'd written was proofread (by a non-professional) and in every case the suggested correction was as follows:

  The sizes of these datasets seem to grow faster than the processing power of computers.

(Yes – only the last word was deleted by the proofreader.)

Being a non-native user, I'd like to ask if the way of writing that I've adopted from who-knows-where is always wrong. (Personally, I feel that in some cases – too long sentences maybe – it clarifies my intention slightly.)


texts: Correct punctuation on a caption for a series of photos

texts: I want to include a caption for a series of photos. The caption should say "Vesper...plotting." Is this correct? For context, it is a series of photos of my cat hunting an insect inside the house.


texts: Proper/official pronunciation of “conch”

texts:
A moment ago on Mr. Sunshine, Matthew Perry pronounced the end of a conch shell as in church. I learned it as being pronounced with a k sound.

On WikiPedia, both are listed as pronunciations, but on the Merriam Webster and Dictionary.com sites, the audio clip pronounces with a k.

Is there a proper or official pronunciation, perhaps from a different, originating language?


texts:
Does anyone know the English translation for "farne di tutti i colori"? It's an Italian expression meaning "do all sorts of things" The literal translation would be: to do something in every colour. It usually has negative connotations.

Is there an English idiomatic expression with the same meaning? For example, a good translation of "un altro paio di maniche" is "a horse of another color", which I heard in a movie, whereas "an entirely different matter" is not a faithful translation in my book.


texts: Why do we usually use "a piece of paper" instead of just "a paper"?

texts:
When people refer to a sheet of paper, usually one would say "a piece of paper" instead simply "a paper".

For example, "I am writing on a piece of paper" and not "I am writing on a paper".

Why is this?


texts: Word for "a person who quickly gets interested and quickly loses interest"

texts: I have googled but didn't find. "A person who gets interested in anything very quickly and loses interest in it sooner." What is such a person called?


texts: What is correct, "press the Start button" or "press start button"?

texts:
If we take the letter case into account there are 4 variants:

press the Start button
press the start button
press Start button
press start button

I have seen all of the above on the Internet, so I am confused.

As you probably guessed it is for a technical manual.


texts: Is it necessary to end the sentence after "of which", "to which", etc. with the word linked to proposition?

texts:
To understand my question, let me draw you to the sample sentences I bring from another post: Usage / examples of "of which".

  She discovered so many spiders, of which she was most afraid.
  He answered all the listening and reading exercises, of which the test mostly consisted.
  The team won a silver medal, of which they were very proud.

In all of the above sentences ending words afraid, consisted, and proud are split from of in their normal usage, (e.g. afraid of).  Is it still valid to proceed beyond these ending verbs like these :

  She discovered so many spiders, of which she was afraid more than anything.
  He answered all the listening and reading exercises, of which the test mostly consisted as he has predicted.
  The team won a silver medal, of which they were most proud due to their hard work.


texts: A word for a person who hates and wishes bad when someone tries to achieve or do something new

texts:
Here is an example: I suddenly think about coding (programming) something (I'm a new coder) that I believe I could finish but the other person accidently shows his/her hate and wishes that I fail.
The person I'm talking about is not a coder (programmer).. Just that he/her shows the hate accidently.
Is there a word for such a person?   I'm sure there is but I can't find it.


texts: What is the word to describe something that occurs every work shift? "Shiftly"?

texts:
A work shift is a set period of time that an employee may be expected to work for. A day shift might start at 07:00 in the morning and end at 15:00 in the afternoon. Then we will have an afternoon shift and then maybe a night shift.

If there is a task that must occur on each shift I would like to call that a "shiftly" task. Or if I create a production report that is generated each shift, it would be the "shiftly" report.

However "shiftly" appears to not be a word. What might I use in its place? Or should I ignore spellcheckers and use "shiftly" until they eventually catch up?


texts:
Is it possible to make an adverb out of any adjective? I am aware that not all word forms appear in all dictionaries and while I can find all word forms in some dictionaries, as a non-native speaker of English, I remain skeptical about the actual usage of these words.

Having said that, here are some examples, off the top of my head, of adverbs I (and, apparently, my spellchecker) have problems with:

  She spoke slurredly.

  He stared ruminantly.

  He grunted agitatedly.

  She exhaled relievedly.

I realize that the last one is particularly horrible, but these are only examples. Is it correct to write this? Would a native speaker of English ever say something like that?

This is related to my other question (Use of adjective in place of an adverb to achieve same meaning) and while the related post (Is "anecdotally" a proper adverb?) has a partial answer, I would like a more definite and concrete answer to this particular question.


texts: What is the right word for different "variants" of a product?

texts:
I'm writing an inventory management application that distinguishes between a product (e.g., Coca Cola) and its different "variants" you can buy (e.g., 330 ml can, 500 ml bottle etc.).

What is the proper word for these "variants"? It needs to be expressive yet general enough to be suitable for all kinds of products.

Edit:

More examples of what I'm looking for:

Product: Kingston DataTraveler SE9 USB drive

"Variants":

8GB
16GB
32GB

Product: Dell E6430 Battery

"Variants":

4-cell
6-cell
9-cell


texts: Single word for "the property of having limited assumptions"

texts:
Single-word description
I am interested in finding a single noun that means "the property of having limited or no assumptions". I could also use a noun meaning "the property of having some level of assumption" or "the property of having some level of pre-imposed knowledge".
The sentence I am looking to complete:

The design of the system must balance three forces -- simplicity, robustness, and [assumptivity; assumptiveness].
simplicity -- the level of ease or amount of work to describe or understand
robustness -- the ability to perform well under a variety of cases

What sort of assumptions or pre-imposed knowledge?
This is part of a technical paper, which is describing a data-processing workflow. It is advantageous to make the workflow simple so that it can be understood, tested, and fixed. It is advantageous to make the workflow robust, because the input data might be heterogeneous and the processing should work (ideally) for whatever input data is thrown in. It is advantageous to make the workflow have few assumptions, so the data can "speak for itself" rather than speak for its ability to fit within some model imposed by the workflow.
For instance, (not the real problem) I have a shape template (square) I am trying to find in a field of other shape targets (triangles, circles, squares, pentagons, rounded squares, squiggles). I want to treat each of the targets as equally likely from the onset, not bias the processing to look for targets with 4 vertices, because that is what the square has. The rounded square might be about the same size as the template square, so it is a good match. The target square might be huge, so it is a bad match.
Words I have considered:

Assumptivity
Assumptiveness
Imposivity
Impositionness

These don't feel well-formed.
Suggestions from the comments

Parsimony -- Should work, seems like a very good candidate
Naivety -- Could work, may have too much of a relation to 'novice' or 'ignorant' for what I need.
Presumption -- Not really what I was looking for. Feels like a concrete event, whereas I am looking for something indicating a level, magnitude, or quality.


texts: Is there a term for expressions usually rendered as names but are meant to be humorous?

texts:
The expressions about which I am asking are used often on "Prairie Home Companion" when the narrator delivers a list of "fake" credits at the end of the show or at the end of a comic bit.

For example, I.P. Freely, Iona Ford, Ilene Down, Max A Million, etc.  Is there a technical term for this type of expression.  I guess these could be a type of pun.


texts:
In the following sentence, should there be a comma before and after "in essence"?

Reddit, in essence an outlet for writers, poets and readers, has
emerged as one of the leading hubs for creative expression.


texts:
Many of the children who are employed as helpers, messengers, cash
  boys and minor laborers in shops, foundries, factories, offices and as
  venders, are the mainstay of families that live, God knows how, for
  the one who should be the bread winner is an invalid, a cripple, a
  paralytic, and would be in the charity hospital or the almshouse were
  it not that the instinct of family unity is as strong and admirable
  among the humble as among the rich.

I don't understand what "were it not that" & the last part mean. Does it mean that "it's not because that the instinct of poor families are as strong as the rich families, but thanks to the children, poor families are able to live"?


texts: A better way to say 'every arrow in his quiver'

texts: Is there a better way to say 'every arrow in his quiver'?


texts: adjective denoting the turn of the century?

texts:
I am looking for an adjective that is related to 'turn of the century' or something like that. It seems to start with the letter 'c'. Do you know what it is

I'd appreicate your help.


texts: Is "try taking these ones" correct? (doctor speaking to a patient)

texts:
A patient is complaining that the pills that he had given her a week ago don't help, so he opens a drawer, takes another pack of some other pills and says: "Try taking these ones".

Is it correct to say like this? Does it sound natural?


texts: Word for someone who sticks up for others, even those whom he/she doesn’t know, expecting nothing in return

texts: Is there a word in English for someone who would go out of their way to help those whom he/she doesn’t even know, join fights that are not his in order to help others who can’t defend themselves, and take his/her friends’ problems seriously as if they were his own?


texts:
I was studying English, so I downloaded a comprehension reading test and I found a phrase which I can't understand:

  Seat belts save lives and that's a fact. That's why I don't drive anywhere until mine is on tight.

I think that it's an idiom because I don't find word definitions that help me understand the phrase.


texts: Is there a formal word for when one or more words line up, but are on different lines?

texts: Not entirely sure if this is the best place to ask, but I've always wondered if there is actually a word for this. In the image below, the words "this is" line up. Sometimes this happens when I'm writing notes for my classes, and I vaguely remember hearing somewhere that this was something that typographers would avoid doing. Is there a word for when this occurs, or am I mistaken?


texts:
I'm looking for a word that would describe someone's behaviour or personality which says that they enjoy it when things are fair. So, for example, when they win money as part of a team, they would be happiest if every member got the same amount, or if they were splitting a cake they would be happiest if everyone got the same size.

I've thought of altruist, communist, etc. but these don't quite describe what I'm looking for.


texts: What word is used to describe a huge flank of bacon, before it is cut?

texts:
I used to think "rasher" implied a large portion of (possibly un-cut) bacon.  I recently had my mind blown, when it turned out to really describe only a small portion - possibly even a single strip - of bacon.

So now, I'm trying to figure out if there is a word to describe "a giant portion of bacon."


texts:
Sentence:

  "What is one to do, after being prematurely stuffed into a coffin, when one is still plain as day, on the whole, a breathing, thinking, perfectly living individual?"

Is the above grammatically correct, or does it need to be the wordier:

  "What is one to do, after one has been prematurely stuffed into a coffin -- when one is still plain as day, on the whole, a breathing, thinking, perfectly living individual?"


texts: a single word for someone reliable, who is located where you want something done, and you trust them to do whatever it is for you

texts:
I need a single word or a catchy phrase for such person.
The best I could think of is 'concierge', but it's not good, as it's a complicated word, and not personable.
Someone you could fully trust, that cares about quality of job they do for you (even if it's just an errand sometimes), promptly, as if you did it yourself, even better.

thank you!


texts: "A force is acting on a box until t = 10 seconds". Is the force still acting on the box at t = 10 seconds?

texts:
I have a difficulty to digest any sentence using the word until, especially when it is used to express something related to a point of time or space.

In the physics examination, I have a sentence as follows

  A force is acting on a box until t = 10 seconds.

What can we infer from that statement whether or not the force is still acting at t = 10 seconds?


texts: Alternate spelling of maximize & minimize

texts:
So I was writing a document for a piece of coursework and I started to struggle for the right words when I found this:

You can spell 'maximise' as opposed to 'maximize'.
The word 'maximalize' exists, and is rarely spelt 'Maximalise'.
You cannot spell 'minimalise' instead of 'minimalize'.
'Minimize' and 'minimise' are there too, relative to 'maximize' and 'maximise'.

And so, I was wondering which is the 'more correct' way of expressing something to be made minimal / maximal, and what difference does using Z's instead of S's make?

I have searched all of these and it seems very debatable, sometimes some of these words are corrected and other times they are not.


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
Punctuation around abbreviations

When a sentence ends with an abbreviation, should there be two periods or one?

Welcome to ACME Inc. We are glad to have you on board.
Welcome to ACME Inc.. We are glad to have you on board.

I would assume that only one is appropriate because I've never seen two used (and it looks awful), but if so, does the period "belong" to the end of the sentence or the abbreviation? I ask because I came across this while writing HTML, and the last word needs to be a link, so I wasn't sure if the period belongs within it.

Welcome to ACME Inc. We are glad to have you on board.
Welcome to ACME Inc. We are glad to have you on board.
Welcome to ACME Inc.. We are glad to have you on board.

Usually a link should not include punctuation at the end of the sentence, but should include it as the end of an abbreviation in the middle or beginning of a sentence. Which of these links seem more appropriate?
If only one period is used, who "owns" the period: the abbreviation or the sentence?


texts: What's the difference between "improvement" and "development"?

texts:
Talking about personal growth, an existent product, a non-existent product (to be made).

In which case should I use one instead of the other?

edit: for example, for personal growth which one is better?

from dictionary:

improvement:

noun

an act of improving or the state of being improved.
a change or addition by which a thing is improved.
a person or thing that represents an advance on another in excellence
or achievement:
The new landlord is a great improvement over his greedy predecessor.
a bringing into a more valuable or desirable condition, as of land or
real property; betterment.
something done or added to real property that increases its value.
profitable use, as of a period of time.

development:

noun

the act or process of developing; growth; progress:
child development; economic development.
a significant consequence or event:
recent developments in the field of science.
a developed or advanced state or form:
Drama reached its highest development in the plays of Shakespeare.
Music . the part of a movement or composition in which a theme or themes are developed, or unfolded and elaborated, by various technical means, so as to reveal their inherent possibilities.
a large group of private houses or of apartment houses, often of similar design, constructed as a unified community, especially by a real-estate developer or government organization.
Chess . the act or process of developing chess pieces.


texts: How did 'legacy' evolve from 'contract, law'?

texts:
I was researching legacy {noun} which rechannels to legate {noun}:

  legacy (n.)
      late 14c., "body of persons sent on a mission," from Old French legatie "legate's office," from Medieval Latin legatia, from Latin legatus "ambassador, envoy," noun use of past participle of legare "appoint by a last will, send as a legate" (see legate). Sense of "property left by will" appeared in Scottish mid-15c.

  legate (n.)
  mid-12c., "authorized representative of the Pope," from Old French legat and directly from Latin legatus "ambassador, envoy," originally "provided with a commission," past participle of legare "send as a deputy, send with a commission, bequeath," from lex (genitive legis) "contract, law" (see legal). General sense of "ambassador, delegate, messenger" is from late 14c.

Please help me dig deeper than the definitions, which I already understand and so ask NOT about. I heed the Etymological Fallacy. What are some right ways of interpreting these 2 etymologies, to make them feel reasonable and intuitive? I don't quote the brusque OED.


texts: What construction should I prefer with "assumed"?

texts:
Which of the following sentences should I prefer?

  All widgets may be assumed perfect.

or

  All widgets may be assumed to be perfect.

To my eye, the first seems a little terse and the second rather verbose. What would you suggest?


texts:
Should one use an apostrophe when referencing a decade?
For example, consider the following sentence:

I am looking for an antique pool table from the 1890s.

Should it be as shown above, or rather, as shown below with an apostrophe?

I am looking for an antique pool table from the 1890's.


texts: What's the correct onomatopoeia to refer to a bursting/splattering sound?

texts:
Example sentence:

  The gases inside the whale built up until [...], it burst,
  splattering blood and guts over shops and cars around.

I thought of puff but a native English speaker told me that puff and splattering are mutually exclusive?


texts:
While reading through Etymology of the use of "Drive" to refer to a digital storage medium and its various mentions of floppy disks, it occurred to me that, while drive is in origin a reasonably good and logical word to use for digital storage media, floppy isn’t really a very apt adjective to describe thin, magnetic disks encased in flexible plastic cases.

I understand (or I suppose I should say assume) the reason these were described with an adjective in that general ballpark is that they are in general quite a bit softer than their contemporary counterparts: not only is the magnetic disk itself so thin that it is easily bendable, the plastic case itself (especially the 8” ones) is also not very rigid and can easily be bent and broken.

What I don’t understand is why floppy in particular was chosen.

I’m just about young enough that I’ve only ever practically worked with 3 ½” floppy disks myself, but I have handled (and disassembled) a few of the old 8” disks that Wikipedia says were the first of their kind, and while it’s true that the magnetic disk is softish and easy to bend, on the admittedly few occasions where I’ve taken them apart, even the disk inside was still rigid enough that I would never describe it as floppy. If you hold it out horizontally, it may bend down a good deal just from gravity, but it doesn’t just flap and flop around like truly floppy objects like a crocheted doily or a piece of paper would.

Considering the wealth of descriptive adjectives in English, why did the developers of the early floppy disks (or whoever first thought up the name) choose the particular adjective floppy to describe them, rather than one of the many arguably more accurate adjectives like soft, pliant, bendy/bendable, etc.? Were early, pre-release versions of the magnetic disks perhaps made from an even softer material that did in fact flop loosely about, rather than just bending easily? Or was someone not very big on semantic distinctions and just liked the word ‘floppy’?

What’s so specifically floppy about floppy disks?


texts: Word usage technically correct, but misleading

texts:
An article title states a Black Lives Matter activist is charged with 'lynching'.  When I read the article, what the activist actually did is unlawfully remove a suspect from police custody, in order to protect the suspect.  However, in legal terminology, the definition of "lynching" has been expanded to mean any unlawful removal of a person from police custody.  The activist was subsequently charged with "lynching" based on this legal definition of the term.

This is the original article.

http://www.mrctv.org/blog/black-lives-matters-activist-charged-felony

In my mind, the title is purposely relying on the fact the legal definition and common usage of the term no longer match to attract attention to an otherwise unremarkable event.  A reader such as myself seeing the irony in the title, expects the story to be about racially motivated violence.  Instead, the story is about how an alarming term has been redefined to cover fairly un-newsworthy events so that an activist receives an ironic sentencing.

Is there a word that describes using a phrase or term in a way that is technically correct, is used to evoke connotations related to common usage, but the technical definition and actual event do not match expectation?

Sorry, this is a very involved request, but I cannot think of a simpler phrasing.

UPDATE: For the sake of this question, let's assume the legal usage of "lynch" is correct.  Whether it actually is correct is a separate question.  This is important because I've seen this particular technique used in multiple instances and it'd be handy to have a good name for it.


texts: Is there a word used specifically to refer to all states of water (liquid, solid and gaseous)? Obviously, "water" would technically refer to all of them, but most people would interpret "water" as the water in liquid state.


texts:
Describing that we (as systems' owners) can leverage users' capabilities to do something useful unpaid, what's the best word/expression for?

I'm looking for something rather than Crowdsourcing.


texts: Does the word "seemingly" always have a negative connotation?

texts:
It seems that in most use cases, "seemingly" has at least a small negative connotation. Are there any use cases where it doesn't have a negative connotation?

Some examples:

The man seemingly has a wonderful life.
I seemingly did well on the test.
The bratwurst is seemingly done.

In sentence 1, to me, the addition of the word "seemingly" immediately creates doubt about whether the man's life really is wonderful. It seems that there is no reason to add "seemingly" unless you want to cast doubt on the statement made.

In sentence 2, we can have two scenarios: before receiving the grade and after receiving the grade. In the first scenario, the student feels the did a good job but because of the addition of "seemingly" we know that the student can imagine a world where they didn't do as well as expected. In the second scenario, the student received their grade but because of the addition of "seemingly" we can infer that they are not confident in something about it, maybe they felt they did a bad job and the teacher disagrees for some reason.

In sentence 3, the addition of "seemingly" creates doubt that the meat is either fully cooked which could lead to a terrible time in the bathroom or that it's not quite cooked to a preference which hinders the enjoyment of eating it ("could have been better"). Regardless of which turns out the be the case, it still creates doubt about the status of the bratwurst.

So seemingly it seems to be the case that "seemingly" has a negative connotation. ;) To reiterate my question, are there any use cases where it doesn't have a negative connotation? I guess it's only appropriate to limit this question to talking about "in general" because individual people can have opinions far from the norm (I'm still interested in hearing anyone's opinion though!).


texts: Polite alternative to the term "bitch" when referring to a female dog

texts:
I'm writing an example of constructing logic, and I need to differentiate between an adult female dog, an adult male dog and a puppy and am searching for polite terms.

Unfortunately, the word "bitch" has impolite connotations, so I'd rather not use it, but I'm not sure of any other terms for a female dog. Likewise, I don't know of a gendered term for a a male dog, apart from 'dog'.

Given the linguistic baggage that the term 'bitch' has in non-specialist areas, is there an alternative, polite term for a 'female dog'?

For context: in the logic I'm describing, if the dog is young it is a 'puppy', otherwise if it's female it's a 'term X', or if it's male it is a 'term Y'.


texts:
I am writing an essay where I need to make a reference to the United States of America. Often I hear this shortened to the US, but sometimes people also say the USA. Are there any difference between the use of the two? Is one more formal or correct than the other?

As a random example of what I want to write is Is the US the most beautiful country in the world?


texts: Buried in a sea (of data) - mixed metaphor?

texts:
I wrote something was "buried in a sea of data", and an editor flagged it as a "mixed metaphor".
To me it sounds idiomatic, and I don't see a problem with it.
I figure the strict thinking here is that you're buried in the sand, and drowned in the sea, but it still doesn't sound or feel off to me.
"buried under the sea" is pretty common, and then water is the medium that does the burying - not the sand at the bottom of the sea.
Isn't this a case of being strict to the point of being wrong?
Can anyone provide reference to whether this is correct or not?
------update-------
My understanding is that when a style guide asks to avoid using mixed metaphors, it's because very often they make bad writing.
But when the usage is idiomatic I don't see it as a problem, and I'm not even sure this qualifies as a mixed metaphor.
If there are no two deliberate metaphors conflicting with each other, does it still qualify as a mixed metaphor?


texts:
Which is correct?

  I will transfer the amount on tomorrow.
  I will transfer the amount by tomorrow.


texts: Another way of saying "hanging by a thread"

texts: Instead of using "Hanging by a thread" in the context of someone walking endlessly in the desert and being barely able to continue, what is a better choice of phrase?


texts:
I am looking for one word (formal preferably) that defines the state or period of not being under full legal age, i.e. the opposite of what is asked in this question:

Is there a word for "the length of time from birth to the age of majority"?

Is there such a word?


texts: Can I say "a glade in the mist", meaning a spot where there is no mist or where the mist is not dense?


texts: What is not a "coffin" but used to carry the corpse?

texts:
Coffin is box in which corpse is buried and is also used to carry the corpse to the grave.

But Muslims carry the the corpse in cage sort of a thing, remove the corpse from it and then bury it. So technically the definition of coffin wouldn't apply to it. Is that right?

If so, then what term could be used to describe it?


texts:
What's the origin of the use of by to indicate at/on or before or no(t) later than?

Examples:

Best if used by 8/24/2011.

I'll be there by 6:30.


texts: I am not using nor with neither is that fine or it is grammatically incorrect?

texts:
Sometimes I see that I can't fit "neither & nor" together or it looks like it won't sound correct.

So, would I be grammatically incorrect if I don't use nor with neither in the same sentence?

These posts couldnt help me:
Using "neither" without "nor"

"They do not agree --neither with ... nor with ...": Wrong?

What is the correct way to use "neither" and "nor" in a sentence together?

Hey Perry,

I am not able to see payment box neither I can put the new one here.


texts: A return of money that won't be counted against an order's balance

texts:
I'm developing a system that has an accounting function that stacks together multiple payments (including refunds, which are just negative payments) for an order and comes out with a balance. Something that has been paid for fully has a balance of zero.

Mistakes do happen though and management wants to be able to make a gratuity refund. Akin to saying, "Here's some cash back for our mistake."

This is still technically a refund and goes through the same interface. The manager needs to pick between the two types of refund. One that affects the balance and one that doesn't.

But how do I indicate which does which?

Space is the issue here. I could write a little book explaining the difference —and it will be covered in documentation— but my question here is really, what's the shortest way of describing the above. It has to fit in a little drop down.

So I'm looking for something that fits for one of the following formats:

<type of refund> Refund
Refund (<type>)
<another word that still indicates money going back to customer>


texts: The public that gathered on 19 December at the Maryinsky Theatre - is "the public" used wrongly here?

texts:
The public that gathered on 19 December, 1890, at the Maryinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg gave Tchaikovsky's The Queen Of Spades a very warm reception. (source)

I'm investigating the senses of the term the public and the reasons why it seems to always take the definite article or other determiner, such as the possessive pronoun my. I got interested after reading this question at ELL.

I have the hunch that the use of the public in the quoted sentence is wrong somehow, and the members of the public would've been a better choice. It seems to me that the public is too broad a concept in English to stand for "the group of people gathered in a particular place at a particular time".

Am I right? To a native speaker, would the mention of the public seem out of place in the specific situation described in the sentence?

(Such use is okay in Russian)


texts: Idiom for quality tools not making up for lack of ability

texts:
Is there an idiom that describes the failure of high-quality/expensive tools or materials to make up for a lack of ability in creating something?

For example: using a really expensive video camera to shoot a poorly scripted and acted film, or using high-quality paints and brushes to create a bad painting.

I considered "lipstick on a pig", but I don't think that quite captures it.


texts: polite way to ask someone to be patient?

texts:
I have seen the following line in mail replies from customer care executives -

  Thanks for your patience

They write this when they are not yet ready with a desired solution. They write in the mail that it will be ready after some more time. Writing "Thanks for your patience" in such a mail seems like we are assuming the other person is patient, whereas he actually may not be, and instead, what is probably desired is to ask the person to be patient.

What would be a polite way of asking the same, knowing that the person desires the solution ASAP.


texts:
Lily is an international student who is studying in LA. But, she doesn't want to be one who is always in the Chinese bubble.

Do English native speakers use 'bubble' to describe "a group of people with family, work, or social connections" such as circle?


texts: Question tags at the end of the sentences

texts:
I have 2 questions:

First, Which one is true between:

I'm not your friend, am I?

Or

I'm not your friend, are I?

I was confused since I knew we had to use aren't I instead of amn't I as question tags on positive sentences.

Secondly, and related to aren't I for positive senteces, generally people use ain't I. Is the term ain't I standard?


texts: Which is correct: He is playing the cricket or He is playing cricket?


texts:
N.Y.P.D. needs to cut a few trees.

The speaker is a police officer and she did a lot of overtime to pay her depts.
But NYPD didn't want her to do that and take a lot of money.
So NYPD had a division officer say to her that she should stop doing overtime.
And she said 'NYPD needs to cut a few trees' to a division officer.

My question is, what does 'cut a few tress' mean?
I googled it, but it only says it means felling.

Maybe it means 'a curtailment in the budget'?


texts: what can be the antonyms of "motivation"?

texts:
What words or phrases can work best as containing the opposite (antonyms) meaning of the word,  "motivation(s)"?

I am trying to find a word that describes the "reasons that make a person not want to do something." For example, watching political TV programs motivates viewers to want to vote. The Watching TV is serving as motivation for political engagement in this sense. What would be the opposite meaning of motivation in this context? For instance, if I want to say "watching political commercials makes people not want to vote (I am making up a sentence here)." What would be the noun form for demotivation? Other words or phrases than demotivation in this context?


texts: I was trying to find the original meanings of "atrium" and "ventricle" before they were adopted by heart anatomy. So far I learned that atrium is a word in architecture. But it seems that "ventricle" isn't. What is the original meaning of a ventricle and why is it used together with "atrium" for heart structures?


texts: When you say "plain old" adjectivally, is a comma required between them?

texts:
Examples:

I can't believe he wore a plain old t-shirt to prom.
I can't believe he wore a plain, old t-shirt to prom.

I could only find one dictionary that has it as a phrase:

https://www.macmillandictionary.com/us/dictionary/american/plain-old

That would seem to indicate "plain" and "old" are noncoordinate adjectives and so don't require a comma between them.  I've never heard of that dictionary, though, and I didn't find entries for it in the two universally-accepted-as-establishative dictionaries, i.e., Merriam-Webster's and OED.  That leads me to believe they may be coordinate adjectives, so now I don't know.

Also, does it make a difference if by "plain old" I mean the t-shirt is an ordinary, nothing-special-about-it t-shirt or if I mean the t-shirt has no writing on it and isn't new?  Are those even different meanings?  I'm not sure.  It seems like maybe they actually mean the same thing and I'm splitting hairs.

Or maybe I'm completely off the reservation and they're neither, not coordinate or noncoordinate adjectives, meaning they're not two serial adjectives but one single adjective, a phrasal adjective?  If so, if "plain old" is that instead, then does that mean that rather than a comma I should put a hyphen between them?

Example:

I can't believe he wore a plain-old t-shirt to prom.

Which of the three examples I've given is the right way to write it?  And if there's more than one right way to write it, does writing it different ways change the meaning at all?


texts: In a shop I have found a T-shirt with the sentence: "Brake the rules" (not "Break the rules"). Is it correct?


texts: Difference between "come up with" and "come across" a question

texts:
I was writing an email to the principal of my former school, and
  I [came up with / had come across] a question: "Shall I write "Merry Christmas" or "Happy New Year" at the end of the letter?"

Which phrase should I use?


texts: Is it correct to use "his or her" after "Neither Jake nor Janet..."?

texts:
Is the following sentence grammatically correct:

"Neither Jake nor Janet brought his or her homework to class."

I understand that it has recently become acceptable to use a singular they for ambiguous gender, but in this situation we can assume Jake is male and Janet is female. Is the sentence formally and grammatically correct as it is? Or should I use a singular they? Thank you.


texts: Word for ironically embracing own stereotypes?

texts:
For example, I came across a picture on Twitter of an African American gentleman holding a piece of fried chicken in one hand, watermelon in the other, while pulling the exaggerated smiling face associated with minstrel shows.

A word and phrase I am wrestling with here:

Reappropriation seems to fit, however, could ‘self-reflexive irony’ be sufficient here? I know self-reflexive irony is commonly associated with metafiction and artistic works that reference their own artificiality, but I am gearing more towards this phrase in this context.

‘This image is a great piece of self-reflexive irony’ sounds better to me than ‘this image is a great act of reappropriation’ or whatever.

‘Self-reflexive’ is a term that I have only recently come across, so I am unsure of its flexibility or potential use outside of aesthetics.

Thank you in advance!


texts: My friends are telling me that calling a mission peerless - a unique mission - is not correct. Is that true? I thought that unique is very much equivalent to peerless.


texts: Antonym for “boilerplate” or “cookie-cutter”

texts:
Context:

  Your advice was so valuable because it went far beyond the cookie-cutter tips typical of coffee chats or quick phone calls.


texts: Is it rude to call a gay person "homosexual?"

texts:
I was talking to one of my co-workers today. We have two homosexual persons in our office. I forgot one's name, so I asked my co-worker, "What's his name?" My co-worker said "Who?", and I replied, "one of the homosexual persons."

Then, my co-worker told me that it is rude to call them "homosexual". I used "homosexual" because I thought it was better than "gay". Am I wrong?


texts:
"A testbed is a platform for conducting rigorous, transparent, and replicable testing of scientific theories, computational tools, and new technologies" (Wikipedia).

While Wikipedia seems to prefer "testbed", Merriam-Webster and Oxford  prefer "test bed". I have seen "testbed" predominantly in the scientific literature I have been reading. Should I mirror the literature or add the additional space?

I have read this great Q&A which focuses mostly on hyphenation usage. Rather I am looking for guidelines for open versus closed forms. Most of the answers address this indirectly, giving descriptive rather than prescriptive answers. Many answers also allude to the differing standards of hyphenations in different contexts.


texts: Idiom/proverb: if you keep calling someone a mouse, they might start thinking they're a mouse

texts:
I know there is a similar idiom in English and in other languages like Chinese languages, but I can't remember the exact idiom.

It's something like "if you keep calling an elephant a mouse, it might start thinking it's a mouse."

The meaning is if you keep telling a person they're stupid, one day they might actually believe it and think they're stupid.

Please help.


texts:
'It must not be imagined that a walking tour is merely a better way of seeing the country. There are many ways of seeing landscape quite as good'
What part of speech is 'as good'?


texts: Is "FOIL", used as a verb, understandable outside New York State?

texts:
FOIA = Freedom of Information Act (federal U.S. law)
FOIL = Freedom of Information Law (New York State)

From this, I have frequently heard and read FOIL used as a verb, by journalists and ordinary well-educated people, for example:

I FOILed them for such-and-so information.

What do people say in other states?


texts: Is a thing described by "every" an "it" or "them"? (Within a particular context)

texts:
The sentence in question is this:

  I can't forsee every situation, but I can respond to ____

Where ____ is to be filled by either "it" or "them". The meaning/point of this sentence is that the speaker is not able to predict every situation, but is able to react to any that comes up.

Of course, rephrasing is possible, but what would be the glory in that?


texts: Single word for "to quickly find something"

texts:
There's a single word to say "to quickly do something", namely "to expedite something."

Is there a single or two word expression to convey "to quickly find something", as in to locate, to spot, to ferret out, etc. without an adverb? I'm not getting much luck googling for synonyms of those expressions.

The context is sales copy:

  Our site lets you quickly find the video scenes you like and...


texts:
Are there any mistakes in these sentences?

  Don't count on me being anywhere.
  Don't count on seeing me anywhere.

I think the last sentence should be : Don't count on me seeing anywhere. What's your opinion about this?


texts: Differences between "give" and "give way "

texts:
What's the difference between give and give way.
I'll start with what I know so far, and what I think to be the  case, please set me straight where you think I'm wrong.

Dictionary definitions

Give= yield or give way to pressure --> "the heavy door didn't give until the fifth push"

Give way=if something gives way, it breaks or falls down because there is too much weight or pressure on it

So "give way" is a direct synonym, but unlike "give" ( meaning "to yield"), it takes ( or may not take) an object
 --> " The door didn't give way / didn't give way to pressure until the fifth push"

But , it has several more meanings, derived from this one meaning, where "give" alone  can't replace it. For instance:

-To be followed, succeeded, or replaced by --> ‘Alan's discomfort gave way to anger’ --> In some areas, modern intensive farming is giving way to the re-introduction of traditional methods

(To me, it seems like it implies a certain reluctance (literal or metaphorical) from the party that "yields", and thus the one that replaces the other tends to be more powerful, "forcing" the other aside. In other words - and I'll take an example from above- modern intensive farming holds out as much as possible, but eventually caves in, and farmers stop holding onto it, and bring back traditional methods, having to admit for instance, that they work better or whatever. So to me there's a sense of "overpowering" or " overwhelming", or something along those lines.

-To give precedence to other road users (yield in AE)

Are there any nuances I should be aware of?


texts: Why is the show called "Stranger Things" instead of "Strange Things"?

texts:
Ok, I know this is a dumb question, but since I'm not a native english speaker, I've been wondering about it for a while. haha

I've never seen a sentence using the word Stranger to define things. I did see it to define a person you do not know, but not for things.

So, my question is: In this title, "Stranger Things", does it mean that these things that are happening, are more strange than the "normal" strange? (Does it make sense at all?)

Like, this is strange, but thattt, oh boy, that's STRANGER!

I'll appreciate any help to clarify this stupid question of mine.


texts: Meaning and origin of phrase "wear heart on sleeve"

texts:
What does the phrase "wear (one's) heart on (one's) sleeve" mean?

I would appreciate if you could also tell me the origin of the same.


texts: "Prerequisite for" vs. "prerequisite to"

texts:
When is it appropriate to use "prerequisite for" instead of "prerequisite to"? Does it depend on context, or is it a matter of style?

I googled the two phrases and found 4.5 million hits for "prerequisite for" and 3 million for "prerequisite to".


texts: An English idiom for the common Hindi phrase - 'Ulti Ganga Bahana'(as in Reverse The Flow Of the river Ganga)

texts:
Is there an English equivalent of the Hindi phrase

  Iss Desh mein (In this part of the world) ulti ganga bheti hey
  (Reverse flows the river ganga).

It is often shortened as "ulti ganga bheti"

Which means

  A river wherever it may be located on earth should follow physical laws but in this part of the world at least the world revolves reversely which To go against the law of nature meaning Things which go against the
  law of nature or humanity are accepted.

Example would be

  Even when good-to-use free calling services and accepted at both ends
  and all conditions are meeting, a quirky person fully aware of the
  fact would still go down 1 mile to a shop and make an overseas call to
  speak to the other party out of his eccentricity.

While the above example given is for a person but the Hindi phrase is used commonly to societal or group behavior of such kind yet loosely used for a person too.

Second  and more apt example would be

  Instead of talented and productive employees getting the reward, poor and powerful placed empty suits are being offered new positions and rewards during the ceremony.

This would be mockery so adversely affected talented employees would say "here the ganges follows in opposite" as in there rules of nature here are reverse

  Gravity is not applicable in this part of the world


texts: A word the encompasses errors, issues and inaccuracies

texts:
I'm writing a document on software testing and am looking for a word that means errors, misunderstandings and inaccuracies. For example when testing you are looking for an error e.g. error in formula, or misunderstandings in the data you are using or that the data is inaccurate. All of these will negatively affect the end results.
The sentence reads
" We will be looking at three types of ______ covering ...."
Is there such a word or phrase, would it be 'issues'?


texts: What's the lowered "single quote" lookalike marking in phonetic symbols

texts: I understand that the normal "single quote" marking indicates stress, but what about the lowered one?


texts: "in showers" to mean "in large quantity"

texts:
Is it idiomatic to say something like:

  She was screaming in showers

I googled around for examples and couldn't find any but as long as the meaning is clear, it's good enough.


texts: Is it incorrect to use "belong" as an auxiliary verb?

texts:
Say I used the sentence:

  We belong doing this.

In this case, belong would be the auxiliary verb, similar to should or ought to be, and doing would be the full verb.

Is this incorrect, or simply an uncommon use of the word?


texts: Which word meaning "someone who kills bad substances" can be used in an ad campaign?

texts:
We have an idea to post short ads like "our company is hiring" in company blog posts. The company develops software and one of duties of people we want to hire will be finding, locating and fixing bugs in programs.

Can we refer to such people as "bug assassins"? Won't "assassin" word have some negative meaning?


texts: I would like to know whether the word "Consequently" can be followed by a verb without being separated by a comma!  For instance, "His actions consequently led to the destruction of that beautiful car!"


texts: Synonym of many, multitude, etc., but starting with ph-

texts:
I have been working on my tongue, but not able to get it. The word means many, multiple, multitude and so on. The closest that my brain can think is something rhyming with "phelanthra".

A phrase might be, "phelanthra of objects".


texts:
Should there be a comma after architect in the sentence?

This reminded me of the work of architect Leon Krier.

This reminded me of the work of architect, Leon Krier.

This reminded me of the work of, architect, Leon Krier.


texts: What's the inverse of "scalable" — capable to be broken down further and further?

texts:
If something is scalable that means that the project is able to operate as it gets bigger.

What's the inverse of this? Suppose I have something that is big, but it can be broken down into subsections and it will still be able to be broken down, etc. — something like a fractal. That is, as it's broken down, it still contains the main components.

For example, I have a list that contains 16 items that can be broken down into 4 main categories, and each category can be broken down further into the same 4 categories. I'm looking for a word to describe this.


texts: What do you call an object that goes in a "slot"?

texts:
What do you call something that goes into a slot?

"Slot" here would be (according to Wiktionary):

  A narrow depression, perforation, or aperture; especially, one for the reception of a piece fitting or sliding in it.

Edit for context:

I'm using the concepts in a software program I'm trying to write. In order to help the end users understand the end result, I came up with the physical representation of wooden boxes with an open top, called slots, with corresponding objects to go in these slots on a one-to-one basis. There would be many objects available per slot, but each object would only fit in one slot at a time


texts: Which part of the sentence is parenthesis? Is it "what they say" or something else?

texts:
The students are frustrated by what they say is the inaction of adults, especially politicians, who fail to pass legislation that protect (sic) kids from gun violence.

paragraph 3


texts: Word for continually referencing something in writing (i.e. harp on about)

texts: I think it's an adjective (maybe there is a verb form). It means something like oversaturating writing or speech with references to something. Harping on something. Stuffing or fattening speech with references to a certain subject. I heard it and now I cannot remember it for the life of me. Thanks!


texts:
Example sentences:

I think that studying another day will help me to get a higher mark in the test
I think that studying another week will help me to improve my qualities

This is how I would say these sentence, but now I am unsure whether this form is correct or not, because I see many people use the other form ("help me get").


texts:
I am developing a software application for a Medical Committee which will analyse [medical] examination results and issue certificates based on them. The Committee never sees the person and the exam results may be years old, so 'patient' is not a good term.

What can I call the person who is being evaluated? In Spanish they use Evaluado which may be 'Evaluated' or 'Evaluee' but I don't know which to use or if they are correct.

It would be great to use a single word, not a phrase like 'Person being evaluated'.


texts: What does “Awesome” mean when you are complimented by an Apple-shop salesclerk on your answer to a barrage of his questions?

texts:
“London. Hello, Awesome” is a comparative culture essay written by a writer at large of the New York Times who returned to her post in New York office from England after 18 years, and it wraps up with the following episode she experienced back in New York:

  “I was at the Apple store the other day, asking basic technical questions and trying not to take up too much of anyone’s mental space.

  I told the salesclerk that I had to change my address, since I’d just moved back.

  He asked me a million questions: Why? Where was I going to live? How about my family? How did I feel?

  He considered the whole thing for a moment — me, the move, New York, life.

  “Awesome!” he said. And I think he really meant it.”

Oxford Living Dictionaries defines “awesome” as an adjective meaning;

  Extremely impressive or daunting; inspiring awe.

  1.1 (informal) Extremely good; excellent.

If I take the salesclerk’s reply simply for the latter, what was “Excellent!”—her answer to his questions, or her being back in New York? What does her thought that “he really meant it" mean?

Is this usage of “Awesome” current outside the U.S. as well?


texts:
His voice drifted up, liquid and full of tears, mostly Oh dear with the occasional Oh God or Now it's snow "thrown in for salt".

What does "thrown in for salt" mean hear?


texts: How to abbreviate "section" and "sections" in scientific writing

texts:
What are the correct abbreviation of words "section" and "sections" in a scientific writing?

  Sec. and Secs.

or

  Sect. and Sects.

?


texts: A word for a favor/debt that cannot be repaid

texts:
I just feel like unrepayable isn't actually a word. Thesauri are not being helpful.

Consider a case in which someone saves your child's life. There is nothing you can ever do to pay them back for this favor.

What they have done for you is [word I'm looking for].


texts:
What do you call a person that goes for functionality, yet not for the beauty of set things?

For example in a game, this person builds things that are well made and functioning, but lack on the creative and beautiful side.


texts: Is the tense change of the verb "need" to "needed" mandatory?

texts:
If the tense change of the verb "need" to "needed" is not mandatory, then if it was changed then how would it affect the meaning in the sentences below?

  If they asked for help, I would provide whatever help they need.
  If they asked for help, I would provide whatever help they needed.


texts: What is the difference between the words “stream”, “flow” etc.?

texts: What is the difference in meaning and usage between the nouns “stream”, “flow” (“pour” is excluded from this list based on comments) and probably other words with similar meaning? What is more appropriate when talking about news or other entities of content continuously appearing on a website, other discrete object constantly appearing on one side, moving to other and disappearing there?


texts:
Is the hyphen that we often see in words such as "non-zero", "non-trivial", etc.  optional?

In case the answer is negative, is there any rule of thumb on which one may rely in order to recall when it is OK to leave it out?

Thanks in advance for your knowledgeable replies.


texts: What's the difference between “(Had he not made / If he didn't make) a good impression, he wouldn't be a star today”?

texts:
How should I complete this sentence? (Only with the options given)

He wouldn't be the star he is today ________ a good impression in his early life
A. Had he not made
B. If he didn't make

So, B is type II conditional and A is mixed type conditional. The answer sheet says A, but I don't understand why type II conditional doesn't work here. If he didn't make a good impression he wouldn't be where he is now. This sentence seems totally correct to me. What is my mistake?
Also, does "had he not made" equal "if he hadn't made"?


texts: Is there a specific term for when you get offended by a criticism which wasn't meant for you?

texts:
For example, person A says something not directed towards anyone in particular, but it was a criticism nonetheless, and it was intentionally meant to indirectly tell off some people.

Person B takes offense for whatever person A said, thinking that it was meant for him specifically; even when it was supposed to be for a group of people (which he may or may not be part of).

What has person B done, or what do you call the act of already claiming that you're guilty, even when the criticism wasn't for you alone?

I think I've come across an idiom for this sometime ago, but I can't remember what it was, nor where I found it.


texts: What are the differences between "assume", "presume" and "suppose"

texts:
I believe that "assume", "presume", "suppose" are similar in meaning of to take some facts as a truth without proof.

But it seems to me that "presume" is more formal, "assume" is less formal and "suppose" is the most general word for this meaning. Am I right? Maybe there are other differences in meaning and usage of these words?


texts: The multiple meanings of "any" in different circumstances

texts:
I am confused about the different usages of the word (any* depending on the particular circumstance, and would appreciate some clarification. For instance, if I make the statement

I have more chocolate than any of you.

I would be implying that I have more chocolate than each and every one of you.
However, if I were to instead ask

Is there any of you with more chocolate than me?

I would be asking if even one of you has more chocolate than me.
Is it just the fact that I have phrased it as a question which makes the connotation different? Put differently, is there a systematic way to distinguish between the even one vs every one usage of any?


texts: choosing tense in the If-clause of a mixed conditional

texts:
Suppose A, B and C plan to meet at a place. A and B reach the place in time. C calls one of them to say that he'll be late, because he left just five minutes ago.
A to B:

A: If he had left at least half an hour ago, he would be here now!

Q: I know the above sentence is called a mixed conditional. But do native speakers use simple past tense instead of past perfect in the If-clause of such a conditional sentence where the context makes it clear that the If-clause is talking about a past counterfactual situation? Like this:

If he left at least half an hour ago, he would be here now! (still implying that C did not leave at the said time)

Note: Sentence (2) is not a second conditional.


texts: Word for something that's worth remarking about

texts:
I'm solving a problem that people face every day:

  Developers spend a noticeable amount of time writing this type of code.

Stating it's a "significant" problem seems too strong / an overstatement.

However, it's a problem I expect people to have experienced / be aware of.

Ironically, "remarkable" seems like the perfect word - i.e. it's a problem one might remark about - but this word inexplicably means "astounding" / "marvelous" (I don't know why that came to be...).

"Noticeable" and "comment worthy" seem like appropriate words/phrases.

Can anyone suggest other words?


texts: Do people “go half/halves” on something?

texts: If two people want to buy a car together, would they go half on the car or halves. Example: Let's go half on this car or Let's go halves on this car?


texts: Word meaning doing something wrong without realizing it

texts:
So I'm pretty sure I know this but my mind has gone blank and when I think I've found the word it disappears from my mind. I've tried to google it but it says nothing.

I need to know the word for unintentionally doing something wrong without realizing it. I'm writing a story (don't judge) and here is the line that I need the word for:

  He goes to wipe my face but I move back. In a flash his eyes were blazed with fury. He raised his hand and slapped me harshly round my face. My eyes were wide with fear and I started to shake as he unleashed his fury onto me. "DON'T YOU EVER ...'

It's up to there that i cant figure it out.

Please help people :))


texts:
The title of this video clip is "A Hero Becomes Legend", which phrase is also shown within the clip itself at 0:17 and 0:24.

I think if "legend" here meant "person" that it should be countable and have "a" like "A Hero Becomes A Legend".

But since it doesn't have "a", I think that "legend" here means a "story" as in "Legend has it that...".

Am I right about the meaning of this word?

Also, is it possible to use the word as a countable noun meaning "a person" in this title and in the clip and say "A Hero Becomes A Legend"?


texts:
I was just looking at the verb to be (here) and I saw the subjunctive form "I be".  Other than pirates saying "I be looking for treasure" I couldn't think of a single usage of "I be". Not knowing what subjunctive meant I went and looked it up but now I'm left thinking that "I be" could never be used in a grammatically correct way.

If I understand correctly the subjunctive form is for an irrealis mood which implies that the speaker doesn't know if the action or situation has happened as they are speaking. Surely that makes any sentence starting "I be" a logical contradiction - the speaker must know whether the action has started as they are doing it? Perhaps that is the humour behind the sentence and I'm just the last one in the room to get in!


texts: Word or phrase for things that are only noticed when they break? (or are pointed out)

texts: E.g. the engineering that goes into the roads we travel on, the railways we use, the negative space in a painting, or any of the many systems that we depend on.


texts:
Few weeks ago, while reading some texts a new vocabulary encountred. when translated it via English to English online dictionary, one of the synonym was the word "old"?
To have or to put the aforementioned word in a sensible sentences, it could be:

  ..for the sake of the OLD days.

The synonym found online it contains, as far as I remember, the letter "y".

Can any of you help me to find out what that synonm was?


texts: Word to describe the satisfaction of manipulation

texts:
Recently I've become interested in police interrogations, and noticed a lot of criminals seem to have a smirk or what I perceive as some form of masked enjoyment or satisfaction. It's how I would perceive my reaction to be when I know I'm getting away with being the imposter on Among Us.
Is there a word for the satisfaction or enjoyment of having gotten away with lying or manipulating, or more broadly general mischief?


texts: "He added" vs. "Did he add" (inversion after negative adverb)

texts:
I'm reading a book, and I found a sentence where I don't understand the grammar. It seems as the writer wants to write a statement, but uses the structure of a question. The sentence is highlighted in the following paragraph:

  In the first ten paragraphs, he touted his engineering skills, including his ability to design bridges, waterways, cannons, armored vehicles, and public buildings. Only in the eleventh paragraph, at the end, did he add that he was also an artist. "Likewise in painting, I can do everything possible," he wrote.

  Isaacson, Walter. (2017) Leonardo da Vinci.

Shouldn't that sentence start with "he added" instead of "did he add" since it's not a question? If it's correct, is it something people usually use when they speak, or is it more like something you would find in books?


texts:
What is the common name for amateurs who maintain and repair automobiles, particularly their own automobile?

My understanding is that in the U.S., it is common for people who are not professional auto mechanics to change the oil and do other minor maintenance and repair for their own automobiles and occasionally give tips and advice to their neighbors.

My understanding is that such people are far more common than people who make "improvements" to their own cars (hot-rodding, art cars, etc).

Perhaps a word or phrase that would fit in one or more of the following:

"He does __, but nothing obvious like those hot-rodders."
"Her day job is software development, but on the weekends she's a ___."
"I'm not a __; I'll just take my car to a professional if it needs work."
"Complicated, 'sophisticated' mechanisms that require specialized tools are more difficult even for a professional and nearly impossible for a __ to repair."
"Instruction manuals and videos available on the internet make it easy for even a __ to repair things."

(Please indicate if your suggested term would or would not also apply to maintaining one's own motorcycle, as described in "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance").


texts:
I'm generating some text that on a website that informs the user when a specific event is scheduled to take place. The temporal information is always relative to the current point in time, e.g. 2 days ago or a week from now. In all cases (past, present and future), could I use the static prefix Scheduled for (...)?

Examples:

  Scheduled for a day ago.

  Scheduled for 2 weeks ago.

  Scheduled for a month from now.

  Scheduled for now.

If this is not the proper phrasing I'm welcoming any prefix suggestions that would make more sense =)


texts: Difference between "penetrate" and "compenetrate"

texts:
According to Merriam-Webster:

penetrate — to pass into or through

compenetrate — to penetrate throughout

What is the difference between the two? Are they synonymous?


texts: What word describes answering an unspoken question?

texts:
I am looking for an English word that describes the action of understanding a question that is about to be asked, and answering it before it is verbalized.

For example: this would be without 'it':

  Person 1: I love dogs.

  Person 2: Which breed of dogs are your favorite?

  Person 1: Golden retrievers.

And this would be with 'it':

  Person 1: I love golden retriever dogs.


texts: Is it now standard to refer to February 29th as a "bissextile day"?

texts:
I've noticed the obscure word "bissextile" showing up with greater frequency, especially in the past few leap years.  In the past, the word would occasionally show up to refer to leap years as "bissextile years."  (This seems more common in some other languages, such as French.)

What I find novel is the tendency to celebrate February 29th as a "bissextile day."  Today I've even seen a couple posts wishing a "Happy Bissextile Day!"  (As an aside, these uses often seem to carry a somewhat jocular sense, generally accompanied by jokes about bisexuality.)

But I'm confused by this usage, since I've always assumed the word referred to the bissextus, the doubled "sixth" day counting back in Roman style from March 1st, i.e., February 24th and 25th.  (February 24th was of course the traditional "added day" in the Julian and Gregorian calendars during leap years.)

I looked in a few dictionaries, and it seems some just define the word as "the day added to a leap year," without specification of the date.  At first I assumed those definitions were originally written back when educated people might have known that the added day was February 24th.

But now I'm wondering whether these definitions imply that the word has actually acquired a broader sense of any day added for intercalation.  Despite the etymology, is it now standard to call February 29th a "bissextile day"?  If so, is this a relatively new use, or does it have a longer history?  Could we also apply the term to another intercalated day in, say, a non-Western calendar?


texts: Why are illegal drug organisations called "Cartels"?

texts:
Per Oxford Dictionaries, a Cartel is

  An association of manufacturers or suppliers with the purpose of maintaining prices at a high level and restricting competition.

The example given is the Colombian drug cartels.

While this definition does seem to fit a number of modern organisations, like telecom providers or health insurance providers in the US, it doesn't seem to fit with what I know of the practices of the drug cartels. These are illegal organisations which compete with one another, and the price of drugs is kept high by the fact that they're illegal, not by collusion between the cartels.

So what I'd like to know is how the name Cartel came to be associated with illegal drug suppliers, to the extent that many people define Cartel as exclusively a drug-running organization?