texts:
The word indict is not pronounced as it is spelled (big shocker in English, right?).

It looks like it should be pronounced in-dikt, but it is pronounced in-dite.

Why is it pronounced like this? Are there other words that combine ict to make an ite sound? I can think of others that are, instead, pronounced as they are spelled (eg. edict).


texts: What is a word that describes someone who acts virtuous to attract people but really isn't

texts:
I'm looking for a word that describes someone who pretends to be virtuous in order to please or gain people's trust.

I'm looking for a word that precisely has this definition. I've thought of words like hypocrite, sanctimonious, and insincere but they don't encompass all the components in the definition I gave.

Thanks


texts:
Is there a single word in English that conveys the "immortal glory" aspect of Kleos as opposed to the "hereditary glory"?

Wikipedia:

  Diotima ... makes specific references to Alcestis that died to save Admetus, or Achilles to avenge Patroclus, and to Codrus, as examples of heroes in search of fame and immortal renown.

(Emphasis mine)


texts: Meaning of the line in simple words - "Wow,it doesn't pay to pisss off the freezer queen. You end up an entree"

texts:
The line is from a Netflix documentary Evil Genius. I am trying to figure out what the person is trying to say in simple words.

Just explain me in simple words what one implies when he says the above line.


texts: Does this slang originate from half asked, since the difinition means exactly that.  You only did half what I asked you.


texts: What does "I'm game" mean and what is its correct usage?


texts: Is an ellipsis a distinct punctuation mark?

texts:
The ellipsis looks like three consecutive periods, but many type faces have a distinct glyph for an ellipsis. Is this an aesthetic distinction, or is the ellipsis actually a different punctuation mark?

The reason I ask is I wonder if it's grammatically incorrect to use three periods (...) instead of an ellipsis (…) when typing.


texts: Should I use "as a song goes" or "as ...went"?

texts:
When I was a small boy, or as a famous song went (goes), when I was
  shorter than a Christmas tree, I fell in love with a little girl.
  (self-made)

The “as song went” seems to match the tense of the whole sentence. But  the song might not be generated back when the story happened, it is adduced to by me now. So how to express my idea grammatically in terms of tense?


texts: Another way of saying "escaping/running away from home"?

texts:
I know you can say breaking out from prison. How about ways of saying escaping/running away from home? Example:

  Speaker A: “What?” I said to Tom on the phone. “What do you mean
  Mary ran away?”

  Speaker B: “Exactly that: she [...] from home.”


texts: What tricks and techniques are available to me to help simplify and decompose dense prose?

texts:
I'm having trouble understanding the following paragraph from Thomas Hardy's "Return of the Native." Using this as an example, what tricks and methods might help me simplify complex passages like this and expose the meaning?

  Could Thomasin's mournfulness now and Eustacia's serenity during life have been reduced to common measure, they would have touched the same mark nearly. But Thomasin's former brightness made shadow of that which in a sombre atmosphere was light itself.


texts:
When someone says,

  I barely understand that.

Does he mean:

  He almost doesn't understand [which means he understands a bit]
  He almost understands [which means he doesn't understand]

Or if someone says:

  Your brain is barely used.

Does he mean:

  Your brain is almost not used [which means, it is used, but very rarely]
  Your brain is almost used [which means it isn't]

I used to think that it was the first option. But a friend, out of the blue, said it was the second one.

Which one is it? Or have my friend and I got it entirely wrong?

Are there other words with similar meanings to barely? Is nearly one of them?


texts: Standard abbreviations of “portrait” and “landscape”?

texts:
The terms “Portrait” and “landscape” are used to describe the orientation of content relative to a page or screen.

For the sake of keeping file names short and concise, what would be the best way to abbreviate these terms?

I am thinking “vert” and “horiz” could be good, for vertical and horizontal. But I'm not sure if they would add to confusion, since they deviate from the standard terminology.

I am also considering “port” and “land” as well, but I don't like that those words have their own meanings by themselves. It could cause confusion.

Maybe “y” and “x” corresponding with the longer of the axes? Or is that simplifying too much?

For English speakers receiving a file that will look something like jobname_print_a4_des01_landscape_0221 for example, it seems inefficient having the longest word in that string be only for the purpose of describing the orientation.

Is there a commonly agreed upon way to abbreviate these words? Web searches have turned up nothing for me.

A non-English-speaker asked me for advice on this and I couldn't give a good answer, so the files went out with a number corresponding to each of the two orientations. But for the future the question still stands, because I feel like it's the sort of thing that would have a convention.

In Japanese the orientation would be expressed with a single kanji character for each (縦, 横), and even if adhering to an alphanumeric file naming convention, they could be written as “tate” and “yoko”  respectively (concise, and understandable to a Japanese recipient). To a typical English speaker these would just look like people's names.


texts:
Grammar is driving me crazy.

What would crazy be in this sentence? Is it an indirect object?


texts: Does this type of grammatical construction give an ambiguous meaning?

texts:
A girl was found in a house belonging to one of two criminals; is it correct to express this in the following way:

The girl was found in one of the criminals' houses.

Does the plural use of 'house' suggest that the criminal in whose house she was found has more than one house? Or is it ambiguous meaning that he could have one or more houses?

Another example:

The drugs were found in one of the men's cars. ?

Does the meaning suggest, as in the other example above, that the man in whose car the drugs were found has more than 1 car? Or again, is it ambiguous suggesting that he may or may not have more than 1 car?


texts:
I was watching Dumb and Dumber, and Lloyd said "Water under the fridge" instead of "Water under the bridge" ( That's all water under the fridge now, Har. Think of the bright side. You're finally getting to meet her, and you never had to change all those poopie diapers )

I believe the expression is 'bridge,' not fridge, is it a misquote common expression for comedies to sound stupid ?


texts:
What does "a civil official" mean in the following context?
How goes a marriage by a civil official?

  In a 2,500-person nationally representative survey commissioned for my book, I found that weddings with religious leaders of different faiths are rare: Only 4% of interfaith — and, surprisingly, 2% of same-faith — couples employ them. Instead, interfaith couples are much more likely to have used a civil official.


texts: How would you say (write) "Where are you going?" in a Yorkshire dialect?

texts:
I think that this might be close to: Wɪər ðæ gɔːwɪn? This would roughly be Wi-er tha gaw-in? In this example, the first word would be the two words where and are put together Wɪər, but somewhere in my memory, I have maybe heard an s find its way in to give something like Wɪərs ðæ gɔːwɪn?(Wi-ers tha gaw-in?), but I am not not so sure about this.

Now I know that Yorkshire is a big place with many different regions and dialects, but I'm sure we can keep this topic peaceful. (No Lankies allowed)


texts: Is there an English idiom that is equivalent to "throwing stones at sewage will only spoil your dress"?

texts:
There's a colloquial saying in Tamil that I am used to,

If you throw stones at sewage, it's your dress that will get spoiled"

It means if you try to change the opinion/behavior of a stupid/adamant person by offering them some good advice, only your reputation will be lowered because they won't be willing to listen to you. Apart from not paying heed, they would probably name-call or badmouth you in front of others causing embarrassment to you.
Just to give you some context on how this is used, let's say you spot a school going kid smoking cigarettes. You politely walk up to him and advise that smoking is dangerous to health and environment. But he is too arrogant and starts loudly abusing you in public.
That is, trying to help a person who is not willing to listen will only prove to be detrimental for your own good.

I found "You can lead horse to the water"TFD very close but I feel it doesn't convey the repercussions(sewage spoiling the dress).

Also, to shoot oneself in their foot seems equivalent but I think it is applicable to scenarios where you planned to harm the other person but ended up getting harmed. In my scenario, you approach someone with good intentions but end up abused.

Are there any other phrases that I can consider?

Update:
A possible duplicate has been raised citing Are there any English idioms to describe “futile benevolence?”
I am not sure about the other question but I should clarify that in my context, the person knows that their actions (benevolent or otherwise) could potentially backfire. Yet they decide to go ahead and confront. The original saying has a slightly humorous or warning undertones to it.
Example:

A: Oh my God! Look at those ignorant folks raising slogans against Vaccination...I will go and explain them about all the Vaccination benefits.
B: I suggest not. If you throw stones at sewage (attempt to correct things), it will only spoil your dress (causing harm/embarrassment/ill repute etc.)

Hope this clarifies.


texts: Does underneath imply a greater level of depth than beneath or below?

texts:
I was trying to find the origin for the word "beneath" to see when it should be used instead of "below" and I found that it originated from be - neothan and was directed to see the definition of "nether":

–adjective

lying or believed to lie beneath the earth's surface; infernal: the
nether regions.
lower or under: his nether lip.

I concluded that to be beneath, is to be below.
With this in mind, does that mean that the word underneath implies a greater level of depth than either beneath or below as it would literally mean "under low" instead of simply "being low"?


texts: What does "painting posters" refer to in 1960s USA context?

texts:
In the 1967 song "Status Back Baby" by Frank Zappa, some of the lyrics go:

  The other night we painted posters
  They played some records by the Coasters
  BOW WOW WOW WOW!
  A bunch of pom-pom girls looked down their nose at me.
  They had painted tons of posters; I had painted three.

What does "painting posters" refer to here? Surely they had photo copiers/presses in the late 1960s? They had to "paint" posters manually? I get the mental image of a bunch of jocks and cheerleaders sitting around in a room in their school and manually painting large paper posters with paint, probably related to some kind of event in their school and/or for the community.

Was it like a "social thing" to paint them manually or what? They could have copied them, but that felt too "dead" and maybe cost too much? Am I way off? Is this even what's being referred to? Or is "painting posters" yet another "code phrase" which really just means "making out"? Like "doing homework" apparently meant that as well?


texts: Word meaning profitable and looking like "ludicrous "

texts:
There is a word meaning profitable and looking like  "ludicrous". I couldn't recall it. Maybe lucri..?

Can you help? or are there some websites for searching look-alike words?


texts:
English schools are introducing some assessment tests for all children.  Some people are unhappy with this.  A politician was interviewed on the radio about it, and was asked one of the questions. (This is for 10 and 11 year old children).

  "I went to the cinema after eating my dinner" - is "after" a preposition or subordinating conjunction?

There is a clip here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03syxdv

Is "after" in the quoted sentence a subordinating conjuction, or a preposition?


texts:
In dictionary, they said

if you do something in person, you go somewhere and do it yourself,
instead of doing something by letter, asking someone else to do it
etc:
You have to sign for it in
person.

But what about "You are taller in person than in pictures" & "you're much paler in person"
So "in person" means "yourself"?


texts: Does the phrasal verb”go off” have a meaning of “give birth”?

texts:
Does the phrasal verb "go off" have "give birth" as one of its meanings?

I found this meaning in an English-Japanese dictionary that is available online. In the dictionary, only the meaning "give birth" is written as one of the meanings of "go off". There’s no example sentence on it.

Does anyone know how to use "go off" with the meaning "give birth"?


texts: Short form to indicate coordinate phrases

texts:
As I am not a native speaker of English, I often get stuck in terms of "phraseology" (indeed). So I'll try to make it clear using example.

  People with high rate of A often tend to memorize a lot, while
   people with low rate of A often tend to forget a lot.

Two sentences are logically parallel, but converse in meaning (each one is only part of fact).

I am wondering if there are some expressions that can replace such long clause (just like vice versa and so on).


texts: What’s the difference between ‘as much, if not more, than’ and ‘as much, if not more, as’?

texts:
When I found as much, if not more, than, I had an impression that than might be wrong at first because the phrase looked like a variation of as much as. However, there’re a lot of examples of both of them on the Net. Do they have different meanings?

as much, if not more, than (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (5) [US Version]: p501)

  He was no longer their sullen host of the summer; now he seemed determined that everyone should enjoy themselves as much, if not more, than they would have done at Hogwarts, and he worked tirelessly in the run-up to Christmas Day, cleaning and decorating with their help, so that by the time they all went to bed on Christmas Eve the house was barely recognizable.

as much, if not more, as (From Google search)

  The imports in 1877 amounted to as much, if not more, as in 1876, though I have not been able to procure the exact figures.


texts: "New York is a great place to live." (no preposition?)

texts:
New York is a great place to live.
New York is a great place to live in.

I've seen the former usage a lot and I've started wondering what the grammar aspects of it are.
The main question I'm asking involves the grammar when the preposition in the end of the sentence is deleted. Is it equally formal or correct to omit it? What are the grammar properties of this?
Some more examples of similar usage:

This organisation is a great place to work.
This is a great place to stay/sit/study/travel/go.

Just to show that 'live' isn't special in this case.
Note: I'd posted the same question on ELL before, but the answers were not satisfying enough (the answers there did not seem to provide the precise grammar aspects of this, those that could be in a serious grammar book), so I'm posting this here to get some more views on the question. I hope it is acceptable.


texts:
It was a prospective, randomised clinical trial in which 245 volunteers participated in.

Does the above read / sound correct?

Would it be better to say:

  It was a prospective, randomised clinical trial which 245 volunteers participated in.

or even:

  It was a prospective, randomised clinical trial in which 245 volunteers participated.


texts: I've had vs I've been having (+ I've been vs I've)

texts:
What's the difference in meaning between the following 2 sentences:

I've had a lot of problems this year
I've been having a lot of problems this year.

Second example:

I've been waiting for an hour
I've waited for an hour

All four link the past to the present. Do all sentences mean the same? If not, what are the differences? The second example especially is the one that confuses me.


texts: Correct grammar / style for segments that share the same (lengthy) prepositional object

texts:
I'm having trouble with a sentence that uses two (or more) prepositional phrases, which share the same prepositional object. For example, I would like to turn these two statements:

  A main theme in this thesis is the proper use of X in Y.
  Another main theme in this thesis is the safety profile of Y.

into:

  The two main themes in this thesis are the proper use of X in, and the safety profile of, Y.

The above format is based on advice found online HERE (relevant section reproduced below):

  Segments that share the same prepositional object

  Use commas to separate off sentence segments that share the same prepositional object.
  E.g.   ‘She flew over, and he sailed under, the Wordsmith Bridge.’

  Choosing Your Mark, p. 25 (15)
  Style Manual p. 82 (6.60)

However, while I find that this approach works with their sentence, I find that (subjectively) my example above is much less aesthetically pleasing.

At the risk of sounding like I'm asking for opinions rather than confirming / exploring suitable grammar options, is this the right / only way to do this, and if not what are appropriate alternatives?

For instance, are m-dashes / 'interruption' n-dashes allowed / preferred / recommended? E.g.

  The two main themes in this thesis are the proper use of X in --- and the safety profile of --- Y.
  The two main themes in this thesis are the proper use of X in--, and the safety profile of, Y.

PS: Note that while the 'comma' and 'n-dash' methods would allow for more than two segments, the 'm-dash' method does not, but this is not a problem for me in this particular instance. But please share your thoughts either way.
Edit: -> PS2: In response to Edwin's excellent comments, I'm reluctant to duplicate Y in that sentence because in my case it corresponds to a very lengthy object which would result in a very bad sentence. (Title edited appropriately to reflect this).


texts:
On this Economist article, the journalist uses the word loth in the following sentence:

  (...) they are loth to do this.

Checking the definition online I found: adj. unwilling; reluctant

I get the meaning completely.

But is this a formal, obscure word?
Is it used orally (outside of academic or formal circles)?
What is the tone that it expresses?

I have never come across it and was curious to understand.


texts:
Fowler’s Dictionary supports examples like the following in the passive, but not their active counterparts

The committee is being recommended to approve the proposals

However, it says about double passives as follows

Such constructions (no greater thrill can be hoped to be enjoyed) are awkward because they have no active
counterpart, *We hope no greater thrill to be enjoyed.

What's the reason for this discrepancy?


texts: singular or plural? The whole of A & B is/are?

texts:
"The whole of society and the religious world was strongly impacted by this new religious view."

What should be put here, "was" or "were"?

How should this sentence be interpreted, and under each circumstance, what should be used, singular or plural?

1) "the whole of society" and "the religious world"  was/were strongly impacted by this new religious view.

2) The whole of "society and the religious world " was/were strongly impacted by this new religious view.


texts:
What is a word that means "relating to spiders" in the same way that arboreal means "relating with trees"?

My first instinct would have been something like arachnean but apparently that's not a word.


texts: Simple phrase for the business model of 'secretly' worsening terms of service?

texts:
Let's say an online service worsens its subscription terms (e.g. charges extra for some hidden fees) once they reach some sufficient market saturation. Many users will not read the general terms of service updates, etc and only notice many years later. This is not really fair business and many users will feel betrayed once they realize that the service that used to be good has cost twice as many in the last few years etc.
What is this step called when a business switches from competitive to greedy without real upfront communication? The word or phrase does not need to necessarily reflect bad intent just this kind of 'making money by worsening the terms at the expense of long time customers'.
Example usage (I will use 'greedy switch' as placeholder):

John is regularly reviews his subscription plans' terms to make sure the business partners don't [do this greedy switch].

Jane recommended this banking service to her friends for its good terms a few years ago but since then they [greedy switched] and we are better of without them.


texts: Word that describes embracing imperfection

texts:
What is the English word for people who embrace their mistakes and flaws? It is to be used as a name for a team/group.
I have thought of the word 'flawed' but it's kind of too literal. I'm looking for something that says the beauty of flaws in a more sophisticated way and with deeper meaning than just the word 'flawed'. It doesn't necessarily have to be a single word; a short phrase would suffice as well.


texts: Simple Past vs. Present Perfect for recently completed actions

texts:
In the following dialogue:

  A: Look! I have bought a new hat.
  B: Nice! Where did you buy it?

or

  C. Nice! Where have you bought it?

Which is correct, b or c? Or both?


texts:
Recently I came across the expression "coarse hand" and couldn't find its meaning. For example,

  — Can you read?
  — No, only coarse hand.

What does this mean?

Edit

This is a term Twain used in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

  I was a good deal astonished, but when I got my breath I asked her what the paper was about, and she asked me if I had read it, and I said no, and she asked me if I could read writing, and I told her "no, only coarse-hand," and then she said the paper warn't anything but a book-mark to keep her place, and I might go and play now.


texts: Which preposition to use with the word 'divest'? (Should it be 'divest of,' 'divest from,' or no preposition at all?)

texts:
I am wondering which preposition would best fit this usage of the word divest. In this case, the word is being used in the third subsense of the first sense found in Merriam-Webster:

a : to deprive or dispossess especially of property, authority, or title
b : to undress or strip especially of clothing, ornament, or equipment
c : rid, free

Here's the word in its context:

My experience of not feeling like I was feminine enough was validated by those who had experienced the same, and I began feeling like I could divest myself [from] the feminine beauty ideal.

I can find examples that use divest of and divest from, but I also see divest being used without any preposition. Merriam-Webster has an entry for divest of, where it seems to apply specifically to money or physical possessions. And the majority of examples I see for divest from seem to be specifically about fossil fuel divestment.
Which preposition is appropriate when using divest in a more figurative way?

Perhaps divest isn't even the right word though... Is the word disinvest more appropriate?


texts: Is "Winston tastes good like a cigarette should" still considered ungrammatical?

texts:
I was reading The Tipping Point this morning, and the author spoke of how Winston's slogan in the 1950s that went "Winston tastes good like a cigarette should" was very memorable because of its ungrammaticality. Apparently, back then, this was noticeably incorrect, but when I first heard it, I didn't think anything was wrong with it. In fact, I hear "like" being using in this fashion quite often and "as" much less. In my own writing, I typically use "as" as opposed to "like," but I would personally phrase the slogan as "Winston tastes as good as a cigarette should." That has a slightly different meaning, but the correct version of the slogan sounds odd to me.

As I am much more an advocate for descriptive linguistics than prescriptive grammar, I have to come to the conclusion that using "like" as a conjunction in that way isn't "incorrect" because broad stretches of the population now use it, but do grammarians now consider it to be correct?

Here's more information about the controversy over this slogan: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winston_tastes_good_like_a_cigarette_should#Grammar_controversy


texts: Difference between "day after tomorrow" and "day after next"

texts:
According to the internet's wisdom, the term "day after next" means a day that might never come - basically some day in the future, if any at all.

However, in Covert Affairs (S04E14) they seem to use that term to denote the day after tomorrow. Can the former be used as the latter as well? Is that a cultural thing?


texts:
In Mark Ravenhill's The Cane, there is a line which I think it's a slang, but I can't find any references on the net. Please help me:

  Maureen: Which is why I’ve invited the Head here today. I want his assurance that the staff will lend their full support to protect everyone attending the farewell and to prevent any disruption or physical attack.
  Anna: If he just apologizes.
  Maureen: If you leave now
  Anna: I understand how to put together a form of words
  Maureen: Go before the numbers build.
  Anna: that will operate as an apology without recognizing any legal...

What are their means? Especially Maureen's line.


texts: What's the right prosody/pronunciation in "possessive + gerund" constructions?

texts:
From a previous post, I’ve seen that both (a) and (b) are acceptable, the difference lying in the register (formal vs colloquial) each sentence conveys.

  (a) She resented him being invited to open the debate.

  (b) She resented his being invited to open the debate.

As a non-native English speaker, I find this sentence structure especially puzzling. Most of my concerns have already been answered in previous posts, except for the way this sentence should be pronounced. I have a vague feeling that him in (a) should sound stronger than his in (b), as if the stress of the dependent clause should fall on him in (a) and on being invited in (b).

…Or rather, as if there should be something like a short stop in the places indicated by the slashes:

  (c) She resented / his being invited to open the debate.

  (d) She resented him / being invited to open the debate.

To illustrate better what I mean, consider the following phrases:

  (e) He’s counselling students.

  (f) His counselling students.

Phoneme by phoneme, they should sound almost the same, but the prosody is certainly different. I feel that he’s should sound stronger than his, or that it should carry the sentence stress –if there is such thing– in (e), whereas students should carry the sentence stress in (f). So my questions are:

Are (a) and (b) pronounced the same, prosody-wise?
Should a (very) short stop be made in the places indicated with the slashes in (c) and (d)?
Is “him” in (a) comparable to “he's” in (e), and “his” in (b) comparable to “his” in (f), prosody-wise?


texts: A question about the word 'blood' meaning 'a close relative'?

texts:
In an article about a family in Queens, New York, a young man, seventeen years old, who had lost both his father and mother to Coronavirus, and, together with his sister, had contracted the disease yet recovered, stated :

“Because it’s just me and my sister [left], we sort of have to rely on each other," he said. “We were the only blood left.”

MSN News - 22nd September 2020
I had not come across the word 'blood' used in this way, but then I am a Brit.
Does it mean, simply, a close relative ?
Is this an American English expression ?

EDIT : I have a vague recollection of hearing someone address someone else as 'blood' but that may be a false memory triggered by association.
P.S. I know my header title is a little ungrammatical but the system did not allow me to put a full stop. I had to add a question mark, for reasons that I fully understand.


texts:
Cut to the chase: While listening Eminem's track Headlights I've noticed a kinda voicing process in the sentence "You're still beautiful to me" around 1:13 on the song, where the preposition  seems to be pronounced with a voiced sound.

Could somebody clarify the issue in phonetic terms?

You can listen to the record here


texts: Word for feeling extremely embarrassed for someone else

texts: I am looking for a word that evokes embarrassment in oneself through others, for example, watching a really bad performance on stage, it might not necessarily involves the humiliation of one party in public, the party can also be oblivious to what he is doing, but evokes a sense of embarrassment upon observation by someone else.


texts: Are achievements 'unlocked', 'completed' or [...]?

texts:
So in a game when you do a specific task you might 'unlock' or 'complete' an achievement, so which one is more correct or more commonly used?

Take the following sentence:

  You have [...] the achievement 'First things First'!

If there is a better alternative that would be suited, then that is welcome too.


texts: A word that means to intentionally overlook something, but only temporarily?

texts:
I am looking for a word—specifically, a single word verb—that means “to intentionally overlook, excuse, condone, or ignore some offense, but only temporarily, in order to serve a larger purpose.”

For example, someone examining a suspect of a criminal offense might temporarily cease a line of questioning and give them the benefit of the doubt so as to ask them about something else, but they are not pardoning the suspect, simply putting the matter aside for the moment. The connotation I’m looking for is mostly neutral, but it could also have some negative undertones.

Here are some example sentences that could use such a word:

“Given the urgency of the situation, the committee voted to ____ the violation of procedure.”
“Seeing as the argument was going nowhere, Ms. Smith agreed to ____ the man’s point and see what else he had to say.”
“It can be politically dangerous to so much as ____ opponents’ points of view on strongly partisan, hot button issues.”

Also, here are some words I have considered for this purpose but ultimately rejected:

absolve, commute, condone, excuse, exempt, overlook, pardon, remit, reprieve — All of these are too permanent and do not imply the conditional, temporary nature I’m looking for.
parole — This is a bit closer in connotative meaning to what I’m looking for, but its denotative meaning is too specific, and it still implies the offense will be permanently excused if no further offense is committed, which isn’t right.
waive — This seems to have less inherent finality to it than some of the words above, so it’s closer to what I’m looking for, but on its own it still doesn’t have the right meaning.

I am ideally looking for a word with a formal, legal flavor to it, not something slang, but I’d also like to avoid something totally esoteric if possible. The word doesn’t need to be commonplace to English speakers, but ideally it should be at least recognizable.

Does such a word exist? Or will I have to use something slightly wordier?


texts: Is there an English phrase for an inability to actually *leave* already?

texts:
There is a Hungarian expression, küszöbgörcs, which literally means "threshold-cramp", and is used to describe that long conversation you have in the entryway, with all the guests awkwardly holding their coats and purses, and every so often somebody says something like "Ok, we really have to leave now, but just one more thing...", and then the conversation is good for another half an hour at least.

I've searched in vain for an equivalent idiom in English, yet I feel sure it must exist: I know English speakers are equally susceptible to this malady, it's not a uniquely Hungarian thing. I will sometimes use literal translations, like the aforementioned threshold-cramp (or doorway-spasm), but then I need to explain it, and that's less than satisfactory. (Plus it leads to more threshold cramping.)


texts: Use of an adverb or an adjective as a subject

texts: I read the chain on whether "the information below" or "the below information" is correct usage- consensus was that both are, although I distinctly prefer the former.  I have noticed a really irritating relatd trend, mostly in email, where the sender references simply "the below" without including an object.  I work a lot with Indian colleagues, and it is rife in their communications, but I have also seen it increasingly in US based communications, including in a delivery notice email from FedEx ("To help ensure successful delivery of your shipment, please review the below.").  Before I ban my team from using it ever again, I just want to be sure that it is grammatically incorrect.  I think it's a great example of how electronic communications are changing our language, beyond texting lingo. I am not sure pointing out that it is incorrect will change anything, but it just drives me crazy everytime I see it.


texts: How would you use "only" or "alone" to denote whether something happened exclusively in one place? For example "It happened only in the United States" or "It happened in the United States alone". The second one "seems" right, but is the first one wrong? How would I explain this to a non-native speaker?


texts: What function does this prepositional phrase have in this biblical sentence?

texts:
From Mark 7:13:

  Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.

Although this sentence may be incomplete, I am wondering what component the part "of none effect" acts as in this sentence. Is it object complement?


texts: What's an idiom for doing something in an unnecessarily complicated way?

texts:
For an example, I'll quote C.S. Lewis' The Voyage of the Dawn Treader:

  One day the cat got into the dairy and twenty of them were at work moving all the milk out; no one thought of moving the cat.

Is there an idiom for this type of situation?


texts: Why do Americans find the word "request" to be rude?

texts:
I was reading somewhere that Americans find the word request to be a rude gesture. You must directly ask them a question instead of using the word "request".

For example, in this Quora post, "Don't request, ask a question":

  I get emails with lines like this fairly often:

  I request you to share your ideas on various options.
  Request you to make necessary changes or take action on that.
  I kindly request you to verify my resume.

  Be aware that, in this context, "request" will come off as aggressive and rude to most Americans (and, quite possibly, to people in the UK too).


texts:
I have recently learned that it is okay to have a sentence appear as such, "I have seen that movie more than anyone ever has, or ever will, and it has never stopped being funny to me." The "or ever will" part of the sentence should be in commas because it is not necessary to the sentence; it could be removed and the sentence would still make sense. But what if that would come at the end of a sentence? What is on the right side of a comma is not an independent clause. But should it have a comma before it?

"That causes more damage than anything ever has, or ever will."
"That causes more damage than anything ever has or ever will."


texts: Why is an interrogative pronoun not an adverb?

texts:
Consider these two sentences.
A. Which museum did you visit?
B. Which did you visit?

In the first case the word "which" functions as an adjective modifying museum and in the second an interrogative pronoun.

Why isn't it an adverb modifying "did visit" in the same way that the first one is an adjective?


texts: What do you call it when a baby raises his/her lower lip when he/she is about to cry?

texts: Is there a word for this action? The action could lead to a full on crying or not.


texts: Is there a term that describes the joy you get from something that you consistently love?

texts:
I'm trying to find the word that juxtaposes with novelty. Novelty is usually to describe things that are enjoyable because they are new. I'm looking for a term that describes things that are enjoyable and are NOT new.
For example, you see your partner everyday. You see them and it brings you joy every single time. The feeling is subtler than the quick happiness of novelty, but much deeper and intimate.
Here is an example sentence: I enjoy browsing Facebook for the novelty. I enjoy listening to my favorite song because of the [INSERT_WORD]
Here are the words I've considered and why they don't work:

Nostalgia: Very similar, except nostalgia has a negative connotation with the wistful desire. This is a tad bit different because it's not a wistful desire as much as it is a fulfilled happiness.
Homecoming: Emotionally similar but awkward
Hearth: Has the right vibe but not the right associations
Home: Same as hearth

The best word would be a noun that describes the feeling most accurately.
I would prefer a single word, but I suspect that there isn't a single word. I would accept a compound word or a new word.


texts: Can you use Present Continuous for non-habitual actions with exact time?

texts:
I'm already aware of the difference between these two sentences:

I work for this company.
I'm working for this company.

However, I'm not very sure if this is the same for actions with specific time. Let's say I'm on a week-long vacation and I'm going to the same restaurant every evening. Which of the following would be correct?

I go to this restaurant at 9 PM
I'm going to this restaurant at 9 PM

The "going to at 9 PM" part sounds jarring but I don't see why it would be incorrect.


texts: Putting a phrase like "in particular" before a negative statement

texts:
In a sentence starting with a word like nowhere, inversion is necessary like in the sentence

  Nowhere in this document is the use of other instruments even mentioned.

But what happens if I add a phrase like "in particular"?

  In particular, nowhere in this document is the use of other instruments even mentioned.

Is this correct?


texts:
(from an article in The New Yorker about Donald Trump's campaign)

  Asked by the Associated Press about the possibility of a Trump Presidency, she said, “I don’t want to think about that possibility, but if it should be, then everything is up for grabs.”

Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the noun grab  as

  : a quick attempt to take or get something
  : the act of taking something in a forceful or illegal way

Is perhaps the expression “up for grabs” derogatory?
Is it an American English saying? What would a British English person say instead?
Does "everything is up for grabs" mean the same as You can grab up everything?


texts: What differences are there between "impact," "effect," "consequence," and "reaction"?

texts:
When the volcano erupted, the___of the explosion was such that thounsands of trees fell down

a.impact

b.effect

c.consequence

d.reaction


texts: In search of a word: Contingent but without fail

texts:
I'm in search of a certain word which I cannot find in the dictionary or the internet, but I found something like it.

The word is contingent.

  con·tin·gent  (kn-tnjnt)
  adj.

  Liable to occur but not with certainty; possible: "All salaries are reckoned on contingent as well as on actual services" (Ralph Waldo Emerson).
  Dependent on conditions or occurrences not yet established; conditional: arms sales contingent on the approval of Congress. See Synonyms at dependent.
  Happening by chance or accident; fortuitous. See Synonyms at accidental.
  Logic True only under certain conditions; not necessarily or universally true: a contingent proposition.

  (From http://www.thefreedictionary.com/contingent)

The difference from this word and the word I am looking for would be that the meaning/definition of the word would go as follows:

  adj.

  Only under certain conditions or circumstances but without fail, it will always succeed.
  Is not accidental, nor by any means of luck but is conditional.
  Does not require chance, To occur without fail, but only if certain conditions are met.

To expand on 3 a bit more, what I mean by "Does not require chance" would be that it's going or not going to happen; that if luck were to play in it that the outcome would still be the same no matter how lucky you were.


texts: The wild flowers looked like a soft orange blanket _______ the desert

texts:
The wild flowers looked like a soft orange blanket ______________ the desert.
  A. covering
  B. covered
  C. cover
  D. to cover

I chose C. I thought that 'looked' is a past participle and 'cover' would be the predicate.

Why is 'looked like' the main verb and not a past participle?


texts: Parenthetical commas and foreign English

texts:
I advise a friend on her writing, despite not quite knowing an adverb from a proverb (kidding (kinda)).

Invariably, parenthetical commas such as the following:

  Jane, my assistant, opened the door.

are written as:

  Jane, my assistant opened the door.

Is there some foreign grammar she is drawing from, where this is common? Australian English or British English perhaps?


texts: "Hey you! Yes you!" or "Hey you! Yes, you!"?

texts:
I am getting married and we are having save the dates made with the wording - hey you, yes you! Our mom and dad are getting married, so save that date!

  Hey you! Yes you!

or

  Hey you! Yes, you!


texts:
What is correct form:

  I wish I were a king.

or

  I wish I was a king.

I need some explanation.


texts: An -ing ending adjective that doesn't have a base verb form

texts:
Is there such an -ing adjective in English that would not have a counterpart in the list below?:

interesting  -- (to) interest
amazing -- (to) amaze
disgusting -- (to) disgust
easy-going -- (to) go
winding -- (to) wind
annoying -- (to) annoy

Or is it like all -ing adjectives are essentially present participles, that is, forms of a verb, so there will always be a base verb-form for each one of them?


texts: Right word for "convince somebody to do something softly"?

texts:
I would like some help with a word which means convince but which indicates that it takes quite a lot of gentle effort to achieve the desired result.

  My name is Gopal and I love Aarthi. She loves Raghav.

  Ever since Raghav lost his job, Aarthi hadn't met me too often as she wanted to be with him. Finally, on her weekly holiday I ____ her to meet up

Which of the following words fits best for the above blank with that meaning? Here are the dictionary definitions for the words that I have found.

  Cajole = persuade someone to do something by sustained coaxing or flattery.
  Persuade = cause (someone) to believe something, esp. after a sustained effort; convince.
  Coax = persuade (someone) gradually or by flattery to do something.
  Wheedle = employ endearments or flattery to persuade someone to do something or give one something.
  Palaver = prolonged and idle discussion.
  Blarney = talk that aims to charm, pleasantly flatter, or persuade.
  Sweet-talk = insincerely praise (someone) in order to persuade them to do something.
  Inveigle =persuade (someone) to do something by means of deception or flattery.


texts: What does ''empirical bite'' mean in this context?

texts:
''Whether computationalism has empirical bite depends on how we construe the notion of computation. ''
I am having trouble understanding this. What does it mean? I checked the phrase itself (empirical bite) and then checked the word itself (bite) since there might be some uncommon meanings of the word that I did not know, but nothing fits the context. I have an idea that ''empirical bite'' may mean something like ''empirically testable'', but I am helpless right now.


texts:
Both sentences are in the past, what is the difference?

Mr X had driven them home.

Mr X has driven them home.


texts: Pronunciation of /b/ before /t/ as in 'obtain'

texts: According to dictionaries, there is a sound /b/ before /t/ in the word 'obtain': /əbˈteɪn/. To me it seems impossible to pronounce /b/ in this position. To my ear obtain sounds as /əpˈteɪn/ where /p/ is just a stop and it is not released.


texts: More formal alternative of "good" for describing some work

texts:
What is a more formal alternative of saying "good" for describing a work? e.g. "The work looks good."
I don't want an adjective with more intensity than "good" such as "remarkable", "outstadning", etc.
Ideally, an alternative with the same intensity as good, but more formal.


texts: What's a saying for "haggling/arguing about the details of something that you ultimately won't interact with or buy?"

texts: Something like, "you're arguing about the drapes but you don't even want to buy this house." Haggling over a deal that you don't want to close (or isn't yours to close). That sort of thing.


texts:
If I say "I parked at a few streets distance from the stadium", should 'streets' have a possessive apostrophe? ("…a few streets' distance")

"…a few streets distance" can be rewritten as "…at the distance of a few streets". But 'streets' doesn't really own the distance. Now, I understand that 'possessive' is a misleading term. If I say "my city" I don't mean that I own it. But here, I can't see that the streets have any essential relationship with 'distance', they are just a measure.

So my thinking is that there is no apostrophe. I'd struggle to justify that conclusion, though...


texts: Why has the word 'margarine' dropped out of fashion?

texts:
Why do people go to awkward lengths to call butter substitutes by their brand names? (would you like butter or Flora, luv, in yer baked potato?)

I presume they are all technically margarine (which as far as I know was never a brand). So why do we not use the word margarine, as my parents did in 1948?

In the late 1940s it was probably a matter of some embarrassment to say you ate margarine, as it may have indicated you were poor or (in Britain) did not have enough ration coupons to buy butter.

But nowadays when people prefer it for health reasons, why is there not a satisfactory and generic name for it? I am constantly aware that people, in restaurants, shops etc are fishing around for what to call it.


texts: Is “Hold rule near and dear” an established English idiom?

texts:
I found the phrase, ‘hold the rule near and dear” in the sentence of the article of New York Times (August 4) reporting the scheme of Nik Wallenda, the world record holder of farthest distance travel by bicycle on a high wire for walking across the gorge of Niagara Falls balancing on a steel cable.
As the headline of the article says ‘Before a Walk across Niagara Falls, a Balancing Act,” the Niagara Parks Commission regulates such scheme as a tawdry stunt.

The text follows:

  "But the Niagara Parks Commission, the Canadian agency that oversees the parkland adjacent to the falls, traces its creation in 1885 to the desire of local officials to reduce the “increasingly carnival atmosphere” at the falls. Even though the mayor of Niagara Falls, Ontario, is a Wallenda supporter, the Parks Commission prohibits “stunting” at the falls, and “holds that rule near and dear.”

I found the definition of ‘hold dear’ as a verb meaning ‘be fond of, be attracted to, cherish’ in Freeonline Dictionary, but there was no entry of ‘hold something near and dear’ in any dictionaries I’ve checked. Is “Hold rule near and dear” an established English phrase or just neologism?

An additional question. Isn’t the Niagara Parks Commission at the beginning of the above sentence lacking a predicate to the effect of ‘bans?’ Did the author omit the verb to avoid redundancy with the ‘prohibits’ that come in the following clause?


texts: Using the preposition "like" in a sentence

texts: Can I say: "You can apply this method to like types of problems". If not, why?


texts:
How does one say in English, “to make a stroke” (when counting objects)? The classic example is when you “make a stroke” for each year you've spent in prison. (I think that's called “fences”?)

Thanks!


texts:
I am looking for a specific word describing obliviousness to love, or romance. This is fairly popular in many shounen manga where the protagonist is often completely oblivious to the advances of many girls who are his friends or part of his harem, etc.

I was wondering if there was an adjective to best describe "oblivious to love"?


texts:
I'd like to know the single word which can be used instead of "negative ideas without any reason"?

For example:

  Stop giving negative ideas without any reason.


texts: Punctuation of dependent clauses with a common subject

texts:
I am wondering whether the following sentence is punctuated properly:

From the previous section, the operator A is skew-adjoint; has compact resolvents; and thus has the required conditions.


texts: Is there a sentence that contains every English phoneme?

texts:
An example of a sentence with every letter of the alphabet is:
"A quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dogs."

Is there an example of a sentence which contains every English phoneme? I realize accents would skew this. I would be happy to see a sentence in American English accent.


texts:
For example...

The Animal Control representative described the lost puppy as a golden retriever wearing a silver collar weighing 150 pounds.

In this case is "weighing" used correctly? My book says this sentence contains a misplaced modifier but I don't know which modifier is incorrect.


texts: Looking for a better phrase than "caught up in the minutiae"

texts: Although it is very appropriate for the appraisal that I am writing, it has become overused in our workplace.  Any suggestions for alternate wording is appreciated.


texts: "Did what I say/said make sense to you?"

texts:
Which is correct?

  Did what I say make sense to you?

  Did what I said make sense to you?


texts: Difference between medium and long sized hyphen?

texts:
Is there any difference between a 'long' and a 'medium' sized hyphen?  (I don't think so, but I am just checking to make sure)

We all know the very short line, namely, the 'dash': -

Then there is also the hyphen, which I just recently found two versions of:

A medium hyphen
A long hyphen

For comparison, I added the the dash to the right.


texts: What does "occasional bowel movement" mean?

texts:
I am reading a new comics book about Geralt of Rivia and there is a phrase in the dialog about his horse:

  Some food, room to run and the occasional bowel movement,
  that's all she really needs.

What does occasional bowel movement mean?
I found the meaning of "regular bowel movement" and "loose bowel movement", but I still can't get the meaning of the phrase.


texts: I'm looking for a word that applies to all the things a person can wear, e.g. clothes, shoes, accessories, etc. It musn't be too generic, e.g. product, item, etc.


texts: Why doesn't "completely" work in the sentence "My first choice is completely Oxford"?

texts:
My student said "My first choice is completely Oxford" but I corrected it by changing the word "completely" to something else such as "absolutely".

I said that it would be more natural, but I'm not sure how to explain why I made that correction in detail.

Can someone please help me explain it better?
Thank you!


texts: The phrase: "It was the better part of our conversation": does it mean qualitative or time spent?

texts:
I've always intuitively assumed that the phrase "better part of our conversation" would mean the topic on which more time was spent.

This is in contrast to ranking and grading the other aspects of the conversation.  E.g.

  "After he said I love you, he spent the better part of the conversation talking about household maintenance, chores etc"

Obviously they aren't saying chores are more important that "I love you".  So is my usage of this phrase inconsistent with the meaning of better?


texts: "Use something to your advantage" in one word?

texts:
How would you say "use something to your advantage" in one word?
Something like "benefit from" with a positive connotation.


texts: Which expression isn't an old way of speaking: Fell to, Fell on, Fell onto, or Dropped to

texts:
My linguistic teacher told me I am speaking like the people who lived hundreds of years ago, when I told him, "The paper fall to the ground when I pass it by," this afternoon.
Please tell me which form below is correct when speaking? In addition, which expression seems more modern in conversational English?

1.The paper fell to the ground when I passed by. (fell to)

2.The paper fell on the ground when I passed by. (fell on)

3.The paper fell onto the ground when I passed by. (fell onto)

4.The paper fell onto the ground when I passed by it. (add it behind by)

5.The paper dropped onto the ground when I passed by.

Please select one answer from these 5 or type another one that you think is better and more appropriate than them.


texts: If you want to express hate about someone that passed away, how would you say that?


texts:
If you apply after 1200 hr (Monday to Friday), or on Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays, you can collect your cashier's order after 1200 hr on the next business day.

Dear users, I saw the above statement on a bank website which instructs its customers on when to collect their pre-paid cashier's orders. I found their use of "1200 hr" very  strange. Actually, I mistook it as 12 hrs (a duration) at first. I wonder if representing the time of day as "#### hr" is conventionally accepted in formal context? Does it convey the exact same meaning as "12:00"? Thank you.


texts: Discussing blood alcohol levels in English

texts:
Which units/terms are usually used to discuss blood alcohol levels in English? Wikipedia suggests that people use percent in the US and basis points in Great Britain. On websites devoted to the topic, I found the expression BAC (blood alcohol content) followed either by a percentage or a number. In my native language German, the unit permille is typically used, but I don't recall seeing permille used in English in this context.

How do native speakers express the fact that a person had a certain BAC, that is, how would they complete sentences such as

  According to the police report, his blood alcohol content was ...

or

  The legal limit for driving a car is ...

(Strictly speaking, there are several ways of expressing a certain BAC because there are several different units. However, I am most interested in the expressions used in everyday English, rather than those used in legal or scientific documents.)


texts: Must + present perfect in a narration about past events

texts:
As far as I understand, the construction must + present perfect is used to make presumptions about past events with the connection to the present:

  Look, somebody must've been here - the stove is still warm.

But what about narration which is put in past simple? Can I use the same construction like this:

  When I woke up and cast a glance on the ceiling, it must have been the
  early morning.

Is it correct?


texts:
I was reading 'The Hound of the Baskervilles' for the sake of improving my English and have not found the definition of the phrasal verb in bold:

  ‘I don’t know much about the tariff and things of that
  kind,’ said he; ‘but it seems to me we’ve got a bit off the trail
  so far as that note is concerned.’
  ‘On the contrary, I think we are particularly hot upon
  the trail, Sir Henry. Watson here knows more about my
  methods than you do, but I fear that even he has not quite
  grasped the significance of this sentence.’
  ‘No, I confess that I see no connection.’
  ‘And yet, my dear Watson, there is so very close a connection that the one is extracted out of the other. ‘You,’ ‘your,’
  ‘your,’ ‘life,’ ‘reason,’ ‘value,’ ‘keep away,’ ‘from the.’ Don’t
  you see now whence these words have been taken?’
  ‘By thunder, you’re right! Well, if that isn’t smart!’ cried
  Sir Henry.
  ‘If any possible doubt remained it is settled by the fact
  that ‘keep away’ and ‘from the’ are cut out in one piece.’

I contextually suggest this phrase means 'concentrated in one place/extract', but what is its dictionary definition? Moreover, is this expression considered old-fashioned or not?


texts: "If I am to pick a favourite" or "If I were to pick a favourite"

texts:
I will try to keep it short and simple.

How do you answer the question if this was asked as a question in person - “What is your favorite song?”
 I want to say I have many but if I had to select one, it will be Numb by Linkin Park.

So what is the best way to say this?

  I have many favourite songs.

  If I am to select one, it would be Numb by LP
  If I were to select one, it would be Numb by LP


texts: I always pronounce words like "accelerate" and "eccentric" as "asselerate" or "eesentric". I don't know why but the "ks" that I hear in common pronunciation irks me. Is it correct to pronounce the c's as "ss" instead? I have heard once or twice the aforementioned pronunciation of "eccentric", but never of "accelerate".


texts:
Which of the following is/are correct?
A. I only answered two questions.
B. I answered only two questions.
C. I answered two questions only.


texts: Use of article in referring to carboxylic acids in a generic sense

texts:
Premises: Carboxylic acids are a class of organic acids. Both acetic acid and lauric acid are examples of carboxylic acids.

In example 1, 10 g of acetic acid was added to the solution. In example 2, by contrast, 0.1 g of lauric acid was added.

  The amount of carboxylic acid added is much greater in example 1 than in example 2.

  A smaller amount of carboxylic acid was used in example 2 than in example 1.

The term "carboxylic acid" is supposed to be a countable noun because it can refer to many different kinds of acids and the usage above bothers me.  Should there be an indefinite article before "carboxylic acid"?  In other words, should the italicized parts read "amount of a carboxylic acid"?

Thank you.


texts:
As far as I know, a period is commonly used for an abbreviation (e.g., Feb., Mon., Inc.). But I can also see a slash in these cases: w/, w/o.

Is there any grammar rule for an abbreviation? or is latter case an exception?


texts: Word for blaming your partner for (you) missing out on something

texts: What is the word for when you are in a relationship with someone and because of it you feel like you missed out on some experiences, so you (blank) your partner? I know there is a specific word for it that I cannot think of. Like you are wondering what could have been, and blame them for your fomo. Not direct blame or regret, but a subconscious scorn towards them for what you missed out on.


texts: "To which extent?" vs. "To what extent?"

texts: Is there a difference in meaning between "to which extent" and "to what extent"? Are they used in different geographical areas?


texts:
In my own idiolect, "fantastic" can mean "having fantasy elements" or, metaphorically, "very good," while "fantastical" can only have the literal sense.  So, for instance, a fairy tale might be "fantastic" or "fantastical," with the latter likely being preferred, but a very good meal could only be described as "fantastic."

To my surprise, dictionary.com does not agree with me, simply listing "fantastical" as a variant form of "fantastic."

This doesn't seem right to me.  Are there people who say "last night's meal was simply fantastical"?  Is the distinction generational and not reflected by dictionaries?  Is my usage pattern idiosyncratic and not well attested by other sources?  In short, do most English speakers, or most English speakers of a certain age or region, distinguish between these words, or are they entirely interchangeable?


texts: Difference between "introduction to" and "introduction of"

texts:
What exactly is the difference between "introduction to" and "introduction of"?

For example: should it be "Introduction to the problem" or "Introduction of the problem"?


texts: Using a dash, parenthesis, and comma (weird example)

texts:
Saldana—Choi’s lawyer—started the argument.
Saldana (Choi's lawyer) started the argument.
Saldana, Choi's lawyer, started the argument.

Sometimes I have trouble figuring out which one I should use. Can someone please explain to me when I should each one of these? The definitions I've found online are very similar to each other.


texts: Is there any way to convey a certain pronunciation in the English language?

texts:
Take the sentence:

  I want to give you the best customer experience possible.

How can I change a part of the sentence so that the "the" is pronounced as "thee"?


texts: What is the name for group of people who line up to create a corridor?

texts:
What is the proper name for group of people who line up in two lines to form some kind of a corridor for other people to pass between the two?

http://mc-k26.ru/images/com_fwgallery/files/62/livcor_02.jpg


texts: Consider this sentence: " they are both one year my seniors" should I just use 'senior' instead of 'seniors'? or should I use the plural form given the fact that I am talking about two people?


texts:
Is there a difference in usage between "In memory of" and "To the memory of"? For instance, is one used for full sentences and the other used for fragments and dedications?

"This book is dedicated (to the memory of/in memory of) my father"
"(In memory of/To the memory of) my father"

Ngrams shows that "to the" was historically more common but that has changed as dedications become less common.


texts: A word for "wanting everyone else to suffer the same as you"?

texts:
Let's say I have the following situation:

Student: Professor, do you have the answers for the questions on your textbook?
Professor: No. When I was a student like you, we had to struggle to answer them on our own.

If the professor decided to do so solely because he wanted everyone else to "suffer" the same as he did, did he/she do it out of _____?
As far as I have searched here, I did not find a specific word for this kind of "forcing an empathy".


texts: When to use "essay" vs "assay" (as a verb)?

texts:
By the dictionary definition as a verb, I can see that essay and assay have the same meaning, i.e. "make an effort or attempt".

I'm wondering if they are totally interchangeable, or is there a difference in degree associated with each?


texts: What did Steve Jobs mean by “Technology married with Liberal Arts” in his last speech?

texts:
The Asahi, Japan’s leading newspaper quoted the following famous closing words of Steve Jobs’ in his last speech at the iPad 2 event in March 2011 in its popular editorial column, “Vox populi, vox Dei” on its April 22 issue. It deplored in the column that today’s Japanese management lacks great vision and big dream as Jobs had:

  "It's in Apple's DNA that technology alone is not enough. That it's
  technology married with liberal arts, married with the humanities, that yields us the result that makes our hearts sing."

In the column, the Asahi translated the phrase, “technology married with liberal arts” as “technology married with kyoyo (教養:culture, refinement, education)” in Japanese.

I’m not sure whether the Asahi’s choice of word, kyoyo- meaning culture and education exactly fits the notion Steve Job meant by “liberal arts” in his speech.

Oxford Dictionary Online defines “liberal arts” as:

  chiefly North American arts subjects such as literature and history, as distinct from science and technology.
  (historical ) the medieval trivium and quadrivium.

Cambridge Dictionary Online defines it as:

  mainly U.S. College or university subjects such as history, languages
  and literature.

What does “liberal arts” mean in general? And what did Steve Jobs mean by “liberal arts” married with technology in his speech?

Are there difference between general perception of the word, “liberal arts” among public and specific usage of “liberal arts” by Steve Jobs in his speech?


texts: When can I use "as well" as a synonym for "too" or "also"?

texts:
I remember that I can use "as well" as a synonym for "too" (or "also").

Is there any case in which I can't do this?

Am I safe using either of them?

This is partly related to these questions:

You are in Jonathan's circles "too" or "as well" or "also"
The correct usage of "too" and "also"
"Also" and "as well" for conversational context


texts:
After I found this website, I have a chance to ask questions I used to hesitate to use in a sentence as I am not a native English speaker even though I am really interested in learning English.

Anyways,

Can these sentences be legit and give the same meaning?

I feel something towards her.
I feel something against her.

Do they have same meaning and also where can we not use against and towards interchangeably if we can use them interchangeably sometimes.

Edit:

Okay, it seems while feelings are coming to play they cause different meaning but where can I not use them interchangeably when there is no feelings involved?


texts:
In AE, can "put over" interchange with "put off" in the sense "postpone" in all contexts, or only in some specific ones?

I'm all the more anxious to know the answer as I didn't get any hits searching Google for "put over my (and your) appointment".

By 6:00 P.M., the arbitrator put over the meeting...
http://www.yonkerstribune.com/2013/01/arbitration-case-in-city-of-yonkers-vs-firefighters-local-628-postponed-to-february-1-2013-by-hezi-a.html


texts:
I saw a headline:

  Do the media exploit personal tragedy?

This sounds wrong to me, I would've have written "Does the media exploit personal tragedy?".

Which is correct?


texts: I've looked it up in Hindi dictionary that tells me that the is an adjective. I googled but couldn't get that is an adjective


texts: Is there a name for the assumption that people in past ages were less able to reason?

texts:
In arguments involving past decisions or tradition, people frequently blow off a claim to tradition by using the (false) assumption that people in days gone by, or even ancient history were less able to use their powers of reason.

Is there a term for this assumption?


texts: Which is correct, 'self-employed' or 'self employed'?

texts:
In the sentence

  Self-employed [or Self employed] farmer Belle Vue has lived in the state of Washington all her life.

should there be a hyphen between Self and employed?


texts: What is “dress” in “helped knights dress”?

texts:
In below sentence:

  Pages also helped knights dress and carried messages.

What is the grammatical relation of dress?


texts: Trying to coin a name for a structural linkage or junction feature

texts:
I am trying to coin a name for a feature of a particular three-dimensional (molecular biological) structure. The nature of this is irrelevant — I just need an English term (everyday, technical as in engineering, or Latinate) that might serve as a metaphor.
Consider an object attached at one point to a rope or cord. I am looking for a name for the point at which the cord joins the object. My current working term is “tether”, but I’d like to see if I can find something better.
I did consider umbilicus, using the imagery of the attachment of the umbilical cord to the foetus, but the term tends to be used for the navel, which is an indentation and inappropriate in this case. However the object need not be spheroid, like a foetus, but can be flat or cylindrical. I have considered words that simply mean connection — and there may be appropriate ones I have missed — but I’d like to convey the idea of unity more than separation.
I know for a single-word-request — and it must be a single word because of repetition — I am obliged to provide an example. Here it is, but it won’t help very much:

The ........... is a structure found at the edge of a sheet containing a
disruption that causes the strand to emerge at right angles
to the sheet.

Difficult, but I’d really welcome suggestions, however outrageous.


texts:
How can I say the opposite of "keep track"? I was trying to keep track of something but something happened and I lost the track.

I'd like to say "lose track".  Is it possible to say it this way or is it just my funny attempt to speak English? :-)


texts: Why do we say, "keep a stiff upper lip"?

texts: I've never understood the origin of the phrase, "keep a stiff upper lip".  Presumably it's something to do with avoiding crying (as it means to remain stoical), but if anything it's the bottom lip that may wobble before one cries; generally the upper lip always stays stiff anyway.  So, why do we say this to indicate stoicism?


texts:
Suppose something unknown is in a black box (upd. I mean a simple box, imagine some kind of TV show, where someone has to guess what is inside that box). I give a description of this thing and then ask listeners: "Can you name/call it?".

I understand that I can use both words, but I don't understand if is there any difference between the two.


texts: "You are not your f***ing khakis" - What does "khakis" exactly mean in the Fight Club movie?

texts:
You are not the car you drive
  You are not your fucking khakis!

I absolutely love Fight Club - this is a cult movie.

I know that khakis mean a special color used for army dresses; but I want to know what it means in the context of the movie. What did Tyler Durden mean by this?

What does khakis mean?


texts:
I am looking for a word which would apply to the groupings of periods of time, for example:

Daily, Weekly, Bi-Weekly, Monthly, Annually etc

For example, "this task happens daily" where daily is ... the periodicity?


texts: Word encompassing all transformations of a word (conjugation, plurization, etc.)

texts:
Is there a singular word or phrase which encompasses all of the many types of transformations you may perform on a word, such as conjugation, pluralization, nominalization, adjectivization, etc.?
The best I've come up with so far is "transformations," but that is a very generic word. Having a word that is more precise would be great.
I would have thought I'd have been able to find the word by hunting around with those keywords, but I had no such luck.


texts: What does '{I gave one to} [the] both of you' mean?

texts:
How does one reflect the difference in meaning between 'I gave one to both of you' meaning you gave one to each of them, and 'I gave one to both of you' meaning you gave one item for the two to share?

When, if ever, is the term 'the both of you' relevant?


texts:
I'm struggling with how clumsy the term "back and forth" sounds.  Is there a word that essentially means a repetitive back and forth motion?

I.e:

  The machine ____. (moves back and forth, or operates on a back and forth style of motion)

  I waved my hand ____ly. (in a back and forth manner)


texts:
What's is the difference in nuance between visceral (relating to deep inward feelings rather than to the intellect) and emotional?

How do we decide when to use one over the other?


texts: "In charge of" for "under the care of" in AmE

texts:
Checking on the validity of "to charge" as a correct fit for "to claim", "to assert" in some previous OP, I came across the expression "in charge of" pointed up by the Collins dictionary -- besides its shared meaning [having responsibility for] -- as an Americanism for "under the care of".

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/in+charge+of
34. In charge of: a. Having responsibility for -- b. US: under the care of
Collins English Dictionary, complete and unabridged, Ed. 2003

The funny thing to it is both meanings of "in charge of" obviously go in opposite directions, to such an extent that -- with an unclear or unspecified context  -- saying "The old lady was in charge of her grandchildren" could mean that the old lady had responsibility for her grandchildren (for instance, because both parents
are dead), but also just about the contrary, i.e the old lady was under the care of her grandchilden (both parents are dead and the old lady [their gramdmother] suffers from severe Alzheimer's).
Which of those meanings of "in charge of" is actually more common to modern day AmE?
E.g.

Parents can safely leave their children in charge of the babysitter. source


texts:
I was taught that we have to keep time tenses consistent throughout a sentence in English. I am writing a paper, and I wasn't sure of this.

"I came to realize that information security is becoming much more important as technology has become an indispensable part of our lives, and it would continue to grow along with technology."

Notice that I used "came" in a past tense, but I am using present continuous and perfect present later in the sentence. Does it matter?

or should it be like this:

"I came to realize that information security was becoming much more important as technology had become an indispensable part of our lives, and it would continue to grow along with technology."

I prefer the first one, because I want to point out the fact that the development of technology and security is still in progress, not something that happened in the past.


texts: How does an "agency" differ from a "company"?

texts:
When should a company be called an agency?
Typically advertising and recruitment companies call themselves agencies, is there a reason other than tradition for this?


texts: "At least make this" vs "make this at least" - which is grammatical?

texts:
Which one of the following sentence is grammatically correct?

Can we at least make this predictable?
Can we make this at least predictable?

What is the grammar rule?


texts:
So far I had never found "somehow" used with "in". Is still this the normal adverb? Could I use "somehow" alone?

  Ex: I'll fit you in somehow.


texts:
I'm putting together a loan application form for a bank. Part of the information that needs to be collected from loan applicants are their:

Mortgages
Credit cards
Loans
Overdrafts

What is a collective term for the above? The best I can think of is financial liabilities, but I feel it may be too overreaching (there are other kinds of financial liabilities that are not "loan" in nature, like child support).

Also, what is a collective term for loan amount (e.g. you get a mortgage for $500,000 -- that's the loan amount) and credit limit (e.g. you have a credit card that can be maxed to $20,000, which is your credit limit)?


texts: What's the difference between the following sentences:

texts:
"The door is locked. It must require a password."
And
"The door is locked. It must have to require a password."


texts: Is there an active verb for being awake?

texts:
For example, one can say both “he sleeps” and “he is sleeping”. You can think of the difference as, in the first case, the subject actively sleeping, while in the second example, him simply being in a state of sleeping.
Is it possible to express a subject’s active state of being awake with one verb? That is, is there, in English, an active verb version of “he is awake”?
When I say that a verb is active, I mean it in the sense as described in the following article: https://www.lexico.com/grammar/active-and-passive-verbs
In the sentence "he is awake", to quote the article, "the subject undergoes the action rather than doing it". I'm curious if there's a way to express being awake in such a way that "the subject of the verb is doing the action"?


texts: A word for two very different things juxtaposed?

texts: Is there a word for when, say, in an artwork, there are various items that are completely different to each other, or anachronistic? Like, for example, a watch from the 1800s and a Snoopy figurine?


texts: Why are there two "to"s in "from ... to ... to ..."?

texts:
To denote that something applies to a wide range of items you can use the phrase "from ... to ... to ...", e.g.

  Animals can live anywhere, from forests to deserts to
  deepest pits of the oceans.

I don't see how should I interpret the phrase. Are the forests and deepest pits of the oceans extremities of a range, with deserts being a middle ground? If so, why is the same preposition used twice to mean two different things?


texts: Is there a word for an intentionally obvious lie?

texts:
At times when someone doesn't want to hang out, they usually say

Person 2: Can we hangout?

Person 1 :Uhmm.. I have this thing , that i have to do

Person 2: "Yeah me too,Bye"

In this case Person 1 doesn't really have something to do and is subtly lying to person 2, to avoid hanging out. Person 2 pickups on the disinterest and ends the conversation.

Is there a word for what Person 1 did. Which is essentially lying in hopes that the repondents pick up on the bad lie as a hint to avoid further confrontation/questioning.
Or a word for the the intentional obvious lie. Almost being similar to passive aggressive but not quite.

Can be single word or phrase

Example in a sentence

John always makes _____  when asked about work.

or

John always _____ when asked about his love life.


texts: Usage of "all" in phrases like "how all" and "where all"

texts:
I'm an Englishman with friends all over the world, including two from Florida. I've observed both using the word "all" in a manner that appears unique to the area – certainly I've never read of its use online or heard it spoken aloud. The usage is as follows:

Where all have you visited so far?
What all bands are you into?

The addition of the word is quite intentional; it is used to explicitly indicate that the speaker wishes to hear the sum of all possible answers to the question where a word like "other" or "else" would imply a fair selection to be sufficient.
Grammatically I have my doubts about the usage of the word in this context, but it's clearly in use, chiefly (it would appear) in Florida, making the "right/wrong" argument both moot and unnecessary. I would like to know, however, how popular this particular usage is and where (if anywhere) the readers of this question have heard or seen it in use.


texts: Which one makes more sense Swap or Trade?

texts:
I am building a website where you can give a thing you own and get another thing of the same kind in return. Say you give a stamp in exchange of for another stamp, so you change stamps with someone. Stamp is just an example, it could be a book, a game etc. Fundamentally what you do is giving and taking things of the same kind, you cannot give a book and get a game. You give a book, you get a book.

So, what I am wondering is which word would be the best to indicate this kind of exchange. Swap of Trade? What is the main difference between these two words?

Thanks a lot...


texts: In trouble understanding contexts from Pride And Prejudice

texts:
Elizabeth could safely say that it was a great happiness where that was the case, and with equal sincerity could add, that she firmly believed and rejoiced in his domestic comforts. She was not sorry, however, to have the recital of them interrupted by the entrance of the lady from whom they sprung. Poor Charlotte! it was melancholy to leave her to such society! But she had chosen it with her eyes open; and though evidently regretting that her visitors were to go, she did not seem to ask for compassion. Her home and her housekeeping, her parish and her poultry, and all their dependent concerns, had not yet lost their charms.

This paragraph belongs to chapter 38. I somehow could not manage to understand what the bold sentence actually means. Does that exemplify her detest towards Lady Catherine de Bourgh? Or that just shows Elizabeth's concern over her friend any one confirm that?


texts: Usage of "Prohibited" vs "Prevented" in a given sentence

texts:
Is the following usage of "prohibit" correct?

  The disk crash prohibited me from saving the file.

I have an opinion, but want to hear what others think before I share it.


texts: Is there a word that means "impressionable," but from the point of view of the impresser?

texts: For instance, something that easily puts an impression on others. Note this is slightly different from "impressive," though that word also fits the meaning.


texts: What does the enterprise to “feed the duck on Epsom Downs” mean?

texts:
There is the following sentence in the ending part of Jeffery Archer’s “The Forth Estate,” which I waded to after months.

In the showdown of the media owner Dick Armstrong and Sir Paul Maitland, Chairman of the media, who is critical about Armstrong’s foolhardy takeover at a board meeting, Armstrong says;

  “Perhaps I deserve some praise for this monumental achievement rather
  than the continual carping criticism I get from a chairman whose idea
  of enterprise is to feed the duck on Epsom Downs.” – P 672.

I surmise an idea of the enterprise to “feed the duck on Epsom Downs” means to consider the activity of the enterprise as a petty charity, but I’m not sure.

Is “feed the duck on Epsom Downs” a popular phrase? Does the name of place (Epsom Downs, a pond, the lake) vary by the locale?


texts:
From dictionary.com:

Spiritism - the doctrine or practices of spiritualism
Spiritualism - the belief or doctrine that the spirits of the dead, surviving after the mortal life, can and do communicate with the living, especially through a person (a medium) particularly susceptible to their influence

Is there any precise difference between the two, ie, if they are switched in a sentence, would it make much difference?
On that topic, is there any difference between Spiritist, and Spiritualist?


texts:
In my English textbook was a sentence,
"One person decided to get a new cat to replace a beloved one that had recently died"

This "beloved one" is his cat or his wife or husband?


texts:
I recently encountered this word while reading an article and found that its two basic definitions are "Bewildered" and "Unfazed." How can the word mean both these things as they seem to be direct opposites of each other?

Should the sentence in which it's used always explicitly reveal the intended meaning?

  And while many of us might be a little taken aback if Mom showed up at
  our offices, Secrist is utterly nonplussed, even happy about it. source

In the above sentence, it's obvious that Secrist is "unfazed" without even knowing the definition of nonplussed.

Instead of adding clarity to the meaning being conveyed, "nonplussed" seems to just add confusion. Then again, maybe I'm missing something. Thoughts?

My first post here so please edit/re-tag as appropriate.


texts:
Edited:
"Like hell, I'll be there."
"Like hell I'll be there."

I'd appreciate fellow English speakers' opinion on how different these two sentences above sound.

The only difference here is the comma (used in the first sentence and not used in the second).

I believe it changes the meaning completely as "like hell, I'll be there" is interpreted as "hell yea, I will be there", considered as an affirmative response to a question or an invitation, while "like hell I'll be there" should be understood as having a scornful/ironic undertone to it, meaning "I am not gonna be there at all", thereby saying the exact opposite of "like hell, I'll be there". What o you guys think?
What is the difference between "like hell**,** I'll be there" and "like hell I'll be there"?

Thank you! :D


texts: Difference between "unnecessary" and "not necessary"

texts:
Although they appear to have the same meaning, I somehow feel "unnecessary" has a little bit of negative sense attached to it; "not necessary", however, has neutral feeling. For example,

"It was unnecessary." - It was not required to do anyways and you have made it little worse (speaker does not have a positive opinion of the listener).
"It was not necessary." - It was not required, but I don't mind anyways.

Can anyone please confirm whether my line of thinking is correct or not? If not, are they absolutely replaceable, with no difference in nuance at all?


texts: What does "the distinction is ultimately semantic" mean?

texts:
I was reading a book where I came across the following sentence. The understanding of the sentence below eludes me, and I was wondering if someone could help me deconstruct it.
The world would perhaps not be made literally unrecognizable by that flooding, but the distinction is ultimately semantic.


texts: "Queuing twice for a cup of coffee is once too many." Is this correct?

texts:
Or should I say "(...) once too often" or "(...) one time too many" instead? Or perhaps, "queuing twice for a cup of coffee is one queue too many?"

My issue with once too many is that it makes once sound like a countable noun; and with too often is that is this context it sounds more natural to ask "how many times (...)" than "how often did you queue?" But I surely like once after twice.

And yes, in some cafés you have to queue to pay, and then join another queue to get served.


texts: The meaning of "orifice" in a line from a show

texts:
I was watching "The Office" show. The Vice and the head of one departments are deciding on a health plan. The Vice argues for choosing the cheapest plan, and the manager responds: It's not gonna be a popular decision around the old orifice.

What does orifice mean here?


texts: Initial capitalization of foreign surnames when starting a sentence

texts:
In the book, "The Crystal Shard," by R.A. Salvatore, a character is surnamed "de Bernezan." Which of the following complete sentences uses the correct English-language capitalization:

de Bernezan entered the room.
De Bernezan entered the room.

The Wikipedia page on "de Vries" capitalized "De Vries" as a standalone, but writes "Marc de Vries" when using the full name.

Edits in response to comments:

The book starts sentences as "de Bernezan," which seems incorrect. Hence my question.
The Wikipedia page is neither authoritative nor clear. It seems to refers to "De Vries" as the correct capitalization of the surname, except when actually used as a surname. Since I am not Dutch, I do not know how their names work, especially when used in an English-language context. Again, hence my question.


texts: Phrase expressing a positive future or destiny

texts: A French friend of mine is looking for an phrase or expression (for a tatoo...) that expresses optimism for the future.  The idea that anything can happen but that she's hopeful that things will be positive.  With a sense of nothing being set in stone.


texts: One word to describe "one hair that grows on someone's bald head"?

texts:
Is there a single English word for a single hair that grows on someone's head which is practically bald?
I found a picture like this one, this is a movie character:

See that one hair? Is there an English word that describes that hair? [Not just that is one, but also a hair.]


texts:
You Sunk My Carrier: How the Navy Could Sink China's New Aircraft Carriers
That means war. Here's how it goes down.
by James Holmes

National Interest.org
Although It is certain that an event is imaginary and the writing is in the news' header, I felt it a little bit awkward for the writer to have written the sentence "You Sunk My Carrier" as above.
If it means "If you sank my carrier," then it might be written as "You Sank My Carrier."
If it means "If you have sunk my carrier," could it be correct as "You Sunk My Carrier"?
If it means "If you sink my carrier, " could it be correct as "You Sink My Carrier"?
Thank you in advance for any suggestion.


texts: What is the difference between nap, snooze and doze?

texts:
In the Macmillan's dictionary

doze (verb)
to sleep for a short time, especially during the day

nap (verb)
to sleep for a short period of time, usually during the day

snooze (verb)
to sleep for a short period of time, especially during the day

Are these three words really equivalent? I was taught in childhood, that no absolute synonyms exist. But it was not told about English...

I have tried different dictionaries, but mostly one of these words is explained through another one. Or simply, as in Macmillan, the same definitions are given.


texts: Can or Could - which one is correct to usein question

texts:
Can you please shift a little? or Could you please shift a little?

which one of the two is correct?


texts: "No point in" vs. "no point of" vs. "no point to"

texts:
Point in, point of, point to. (Point in the sense of "purpose".) What are the differences among these — in meaning? in usage (each is used in certain constructions or with certain collocates, say)? in dialect? in register? etc.

Some examples (though I'm asking more generally than just about these examples):

  (1a) There's no point in going.
  (1b) There's no point of going.
  (1c) There's no point to going.

  (2a) Is there a point in his action?
  (2b) Is there a point of his action?
  (2c) Is there a point to his action?

  (3a) What's the point in that sculpture's being there?
  (3b) What's the point of that sculpture's being there?
  (3c) What's the point to that sculpture's being there?


texts: Verb to describe a way of talking to people as if they owed you something?

texts:
I've looked for this verb on many occasions, and also asked this question several times but the only answer I ever got was that no such verb existed.
It does exist in my native language, and we also have lots of proverbs or fables that involve it, which is why I am interested.
For example, imagine you get someone a present, and after a couple of days you start talking to them in a way that sounds like you are demanding gratitude. In their eyes, you are probably gloating and bragging. Like, "see what a good friend you have!" or something like that.
Another example is a humorous fable in which a king accidentally falls into a well and calls for help. A passerby helps him get out, and the king decides to give him a generous amount of money. Despite that, the person who saved the king's life rubs it in the king's face and says "I did good, right? Had I not done that, you'd still be in the well suffering from hunger or cold", "See what good deed I did!" And before they go to the kingdom, the king is tired of that, so he purposefully gets back into the well, saying "Better be in a well again rather than listen to one talking at me as if I owed him a big one and bothering me with those words all the time for a lifetime."
I hope these examples make sense.
I also used my dictionary to look up the literal translation of the verb, and it suggested reproach — which really doesn't seem to fit at all here. Reproach is more like reprimanding, telling off or criticizing, as in a parent reproaching their kid, or a teacher reprimanding their student.
The dictionary also showed me the verb flatter which seems to fit even less.


texts: Is there a positive synonym for "indecisive"?

texts:
Is there a word that describes a person who tries to get as much information as possible when making a decision for fear of committing a mistake that might affect both him and others in a negative fashion?

The only word I could think of was indecisive, but it has a connotation that suggests hesitation and irresolution when making decisions, which is not what I'm going for, since I want a sense of absolute commitment when making the decision.


texts:
I know some ways for time notation.

10 am
10:30 am
10.30 am
1030 am (superscript)

I try to understand, is it correct to use superscript in time notation on international website?


texts: I'm trying to find a word which means that someone is curious about something. For example, technology inquisitor. Except that inquisitor means that someone is trying to find something in a harsh way and I just want it to mean that they are interested in this.


texts: What's the word for when you are told to do something but you don't do it?

texts: for example- father is mad at me when I ***** what he told me to do.


texts: Does the word 'Dropout' have negative connatations?

texts:
My question is whether the word 'Dropout' has negative connotations?

I would like to express in a job resume how I 'dropped out' of University during the first semester but my proofreader thinks withdrew is a more appropriate word.

This question led me to reconsider how I have used 'Dropout' to describe myself in my social media profiles as well as to people, as a quick indicator of my past experience at University.

Do you think embracing this term if it has a negative connatation may impact my public image?

Thank you


texts:
According to my grammar book, here are some usages of was able to and could

could can be used to refer in general that someone has a skill.
e.g. At that time I could still read without spectacles.

In that sentence, could could be replaced by was able to?
Would there be any difference in meaning ?
When could is used with words such as hear, see, understand, etc., it means that someone can do something specific.
e.g. I could hear the phone ringing.

In that sentence, could could be replaced by was able to?
Would there be any difference in meaning ?
When could is not used with *hear, see, understand,*etc., it can't indicate that someone has the ability to do something specific.
e.g.:

After treatment he could return to work. ( wrong )
After treatment he was able to return to work. ( correct )

Why is the first sentence wrong?
What if it comes to someone gets approval to do something? Which form is better in that case?

Can was/were able to refer both to having the skill or ability to do something?

When are could and was/were able to  interchangeable?

I would like to know how native speakers use these two terms in daily life.


texts: Why do we call a computer or TV display a "screen"?

texts:
I was wondering about why we call TV and computer displays "screens", and couldn't find any clear etymology for the term's use for displays.

A screen is used to prevent things like bugs and leaves from going through a window, and goes across the window frame.
A screen is used in a printing method, and is typically stretched across a rectangular frame.
A screen is a shield or protective barrier.

My guess has to do with the hardware used in early displays. Perhaps the fields of tiny red, green, and blue cells looked like the screens used on windows and such, and the term stuck even as the hardware changed?


texts: Singular vs plural when listing multiple items

texts:
Mutation of the human genome results in three classes of genomic
variant: single nucleotide; short insertions or deletions; and large
structural variants (SVs).

Is this case, should genomic variant be singular or plural? More importantly, why is it so?


texts:
There are a number of systems for citing various materials (MLA, APA, etc.). These vary by discipline, country, journal, level of formality, and so on. Obviously one should know which system should be used for citing a particular source.

That said, when is it best to use the phrase "courtesy of..." when citing? If it isn't ever best, when is it acceptable?

If it matters, let's narrow the context to presentations/lectures.


texts:
I've read (in the Elements of Style) that, while genitives of names ending in ‘s’ may have an additional ‘s’, as in "Ross’s", this oughtn't
to be done with ancient names:

  Exceptions are the possessives of ancient proper names in -es and -is, the possessive Jesus', and such forms as for conscience' sake, for righteousness' sake. But such forms as Achilles' heel, Moses' laws, Isis' temple are commonly replaced by

  the heel of Achilles

  the laws of Moses

  the temple of Isis

What is known about the origin
of and reasoning behind this distinction?


texts:
I'm formatting a bulleted list of benefits covered by a dental plan. I believe the text originally came from the insurance company's official "schedule of benefits" document, which is written in legalese. A bunch of the benefits are limited to "once each" some number of months, as in:

  Bitewing X-rays once each six months
  Study models and casts used in planning treatment once each 60 months
  Periodontal surgery once per quadrant each 36 months

That sounds quite strange to me. Is there a technical distinction between "once each n months" and "once every n months?" I think the need for legal precision — or a fear of legal imprecision — is the most plausible reason why someone might choose the unusual phrase "once each" over the more common "once every" or "once per," but I am not a lawyer.


texts: Should I use "impressed with it" or "impressed by it"?

texts:
With it or by it?

For example, take these two sentences:

"I wasn't impressed with it."

"I wasn't impressed by it."

Which would be more formal/proper?

Also, say you wanted to have....

"I wasn't too impressed"

or

"I wasn't that impressed."

Which would be more formal/proper?


texts:
I know it looks so naive but I don't really quite understand "subject to" + verb pattern. Such as :

  These computers are subject to change.

What exactly does it mean?


texts: Is there a word for “near in time” (both past & future) that doesn’t also imply geographical proximity?

texts:
I’m currently writing a program that finds the “nearest sensible job”, in terms of time. The only problem is that that phrase could also mean that the program is finding the nearest geographical job.

Is there a concise way of referring to the nearest job in time? For example, I’m looking to replace the word nearest in a sentence like:

  The nearest job to 12:45 was the run at 12:40. The next-nearest was the run at 12:55.

The nearest sensible job is five minutes away from the target time; the next nearest is ten minutes away in the other direction. Even there, it seems to be necessary to use spatial terms!

To clarify, I’m looking at both the past and the future, otherwise something like soonest would be perfect.


texts: What does "run of house" mean with regard to hotel room type

texts:
I have seen a room type at a hotel like below;

  Family Room 2 Bedrooms & Living Room Run of The House

Everything is OK except the Run of The House thing. What does it exactly mean here? AFAIK, it is whatever room is available when you check-in. Is that true? Or does that have some other meanings?


texts:
I stumbled upon the following sentence in a vacancy ad on a newspaper.

"Please state the position on the subject that you are applying for."

Is this correctly put? I thought of the following alternatives but they don't seem right either. Please help me out.

"Please state the position that you are applying for, on the subject."
"On the subject, please state the position that you are applying for."


texts:
Is there a word for when you hear what you want to hear rather than the word(s) one actually said to you?

Basically, I'm imagining a Freudian slip except you don't actually say anything aloud.


texts:
What is the etymology of the term Butthurt?

This link suggests a relevance to anal rape. But the reference is not explicitly described as etymological. Merely suggestive. And the comments point out some logical problems with anal rape as the etymology.