texts: Which is correct: "If it were I" or "If it were me"?

texts: I'm fairly sure it's the former, but it sounds even more stilted than the usual cases in which "I" is less common, but more correct.


texts: "Do" vs. "does" with multiple singular subjects

texts:
How does serverfault, stackoverflow and other stackExchange sites connect together?

Is that does or do?
Because I'm talking about multiple items, it would be do. What is more correct?


texts: Proper word to describe the time spent on delivering a mail by post

texts: Grateful if you would share with me a proper word/term to describe the period of time used for processing and delivering a mail.


texts:
He held his dog on a lead

or

  He held his dog on a leash

Both of these are acceptable English sentences. The words 'lead' and 'leash' in this context are synonymous. But what's the difference between them? Some say there's no difference at all; others say it's a British/American difference; yet others say it's a dog-lover/'layman' difference. I hope the experts at ELU.SE can settle this issue once and for all!


texts: Poetic usage of "scream" and "way out of the door" to convey a meaning

texts:
In the following sentence:

  The kid was laughing out loud, as those three frightened adults
  "screamed their way out of the door" and vanished.

-Can I use the above sentence "as is" to convey the meaning with or without the quotes?

To convey the following meaning: that the men, who just came into the room, were so very scared, so they screamed, and they shut the door with fear.

Would like to use it as is, but not sure if it sounds correct to be a poetic variation.

Thanks,
Tommy.


texts: Difference between "run into", "come upon" and "come across"

texts:
These phrasal verbs have a similar meaning (please correct me if not):

run into
come across
come upon

Are there any nuances to choose between them? For example, I might be wrong but I mostly see run into used for meeting a person unexpectedly.

Update:
My understanding of responses so far:

come upon is not very common any more
run into is the most frequently used one
run into might or might not have a negative connotation (No consensus as I see it)

Perhaps working on some concrete sentences might give a better result. For example, which one would you use for (in parentheses are my first thoughts):

Unexpectedly meeting a dangerously fierce pack of dogs on the street (run into)
Unexpectedly meeting a very beautiful girl whom you don't know on the street (come across)
Unexpectedly finding a book that you had lost (come across)
Unexpectedly finding a grammar mistake in a blog that you'd love to point out (come across)
...

Maybe I should've mentioned stumble upon too.
By the way, sorry about the length of the post. I had to expand it to clarify the context.


texts: What is correct form of writing: "users names" or "user names"?

texts:
Let me ask you a question which I've derived from my programming practice:

Let's assume, I have a number of users represented by their names: John, Pete, Stanislaw, Marc, ...

What words should I use to name such collection of names of users: user names, or users names?

Thanks.

To provide more context, here is similar example for programmers:

JSON of objects: [{"id": 1, ...}, {"id": 2, ...}, {"id": 3, ...}, ...]

How should I name a variable representing a collection of identificators (ids) of given objects:

var objectIds; // or
var objectsIds;

var objectIdentificators; // or
var objectsIdentificators;

?


texts:
For a ring ceremony invitation, I want to refer to my grandmother, who died after my grandfather and so she died as a widow. How do I refer to her in the invitation card?

For example:

Late Mrs. FirstName MiddleName LastName
Late FirstName MiddleName LastName

Or anything else?


texts: How can something be "fuller" or the "fullest"?

texts:
Consider the definition for full (Source):

full [foo l]
adjective, fuller, fullest.

completely filled; containing all that can be held; filled to utmost capacity: a full cup.

complete; entire; maximum: a full supply of food for a three-day hike.

[More definitions exist, but they all seem to be variations on being at the maximum. If there's an important difference, I don't see it.]

Note that there exists the compartive form fuller and the superlative form fullest.
But how is this possible? By definition, something that is full is at its maximum. So how can one thing be fuller, or more at its maximum, than another thing also at its maximum? And how can one thing in a group be the fullest, or the most at its maximum, than other things also at their maximum?
In short, how can something possibly be "fuller" or "fullest"?
(For what it's worth, I've seen these words in the wild: the local school district has the motto "All students will achieve their fullest potential". Students and teachers alike are unsure of whether or not that makes any sense.)


texts: What is a single word for "to completely root out a disease"?

texts: Please tell the single word for "to completely root out a disease".


texts: Is the verb "cast" in acting, metalworking and programming the same verb?

texts:
An actor is "cast" in a role: Jane Lee is cast as "Jo Smith".
A sculpture is "cast" in bronze: molten bronze is poured into a mould.
A variable is "cast" as a certain type of information in programming: is 1 the number one, or a string consisting of the character '1'? You "cast" it to resolve that problem.

Are these all the same verb at the root?
Here are the relevant verb definitions from Oxford Dictionaries Online:

1 [usually with adverbial of direction] chiefly literary Throw (something) forcefully in a specified direction: he cast the book down on to the chair angrily the fishermen cast a large net around a school of tuna figurative individuals who do not accept the norms are cast out from the group
4 Shape (metal or other material) by pouring it into a mould while molten: when hammered or cast, bronze could be made into tools
4.2 Arrange and present in a specified form or style: he issued statements cast in tones of reason
[unnumbered, noun] The actors taking part in a play, film, or other production: he draws sensitive performances from his inexperienced cast

Here's a definition from Merriam-Webster Learner's Dictionary for cast as a verb in relation to actors:

4 a  : to assign roles for (a play, movie, etc.) to actors. cast a play
b  : to assign (an actor or actress) a role in a film, play, etc. She was cast as a college professor who becomes a spy.


texts: The next century will begin on the 1st of January 2001

texts:
In a test, I was asked to choose between will and be going to forms in a sentence expressing futurity:

  The next century __ (to begin) on the 1st of January 2001.

My guess is that the choice lacks a third option: Present Simple. Am I right, or is it fine to use "will" in order to express inevitable events?


texts: Polite way of saying "stop smoking here"

texts:
Which one of the following is correct :
Would you mind "no smoking" here
Would you mind "not smoking" here


texts: What should be used instead of 'PTO' for contractors?

texts: When a full-time employee takes time off from their job, they often send an email titled 'PTO Friday', for example. PTO meaning paid time off. However, contractors like myself don't get paid time off. We get paid hourly, so we don't get paid for the days we take off. What should I title my emails when I need a day off?


texts: Should I use a pronoun in the second sentence?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Is it acceptable to omit “I” when it’s the subject?

I'm chatting with my friend, and I want to say to him that I want to go to shower and I'll be back soon.

What is correct:

  I'm going to shower. Will be back soon.

or

  I'm going to shower. I will be back soon.

or other variant?


texts: "Italian stock market" vs "Italy stock market" and "Hong Kong stock market" vs "Hong Kongese stock market"

texts:
I have seen both "China stock market" and "Chinese stock market" multiple times. But I never saw "Italy stock market" or "Hong Kongese stock market" once.

Moreover, I found a paper titled An analysis of the January effect of United States, Taiwan and South Korean stock returns.

It's no consistent, I mean, why it's "South Korean stock returns" rather than "South Korea stock returns"


texts: Negative Passion - What is a word or phrase for an effort someone puts themselves into greatly, but is not enthusiastic about?

texts:
A noun.

For example, I am obligated to my job, and spend a lot of time outside of work thinking about it, but am not very enthused, emotional, or ecstatic about it - so I cannot say it's a passion of mine.

It's not just a hobby -- as that has neutral connotations and potentially excludes work and other obligations.

More of a negative passion?


texts:
When people say that a road has "two lanes"?

Two lanes total, one travelling in one direction, and one travelling in the opposite direction?

Two lanes travelling in one direction, and two more lanes travelling in the opposite direction?


texts: Expression for an abrupt change in height

texts: Is there an expression for an abrupt change in height? I’m looking for a word for the edge of the change, like in the German word Geländekante.


texts:
I intend to say "They would cry after me (my death).".
Here is the sentence:

"I didn't know how to live my life, yet I would be cried after so damn good."

Is this correct? If not, could you please give me a hand on this?


texts: Which is correct — "I told you" or "I said you"?

texts:
I often hear people using "I said you" in Asia, but people in America use "I told you".
Is there a difference between the usage of said and told? And to be more specific which is correct English — told or said?


texts: A term for products whose "secret" features are well-known (but not publicized)

texts:
What do you call those household items whose selling features are purportedly practical, functional and ‘innocent’ but instead are often bought for completely different, and sometimes ‘naughty’ reasons?

In time the makers hear of this secondary use and exploit this “extra” feature, or modify the design in order to meet public demand, without confessing the real reason behind it.

I'm thinking in particular of those massage instruments sold for “back pain” such as the one below. Nowadays, we'd simply call it a vibrator, but until the mid-fifties these gizmos were called massagers

Today on supermarket shelves there are certain roll on deodorants (for both sexes) whose size and friendly ergonomic shapes are unequivocally sexual. I suppose there aren't that many taboos left but the fact that one can openly display a deodorant stick in one bathroom's cabinet without embarrassment is very convenient…

On a much more serious note, there are certain cough medicines that are sold over the counter that customers discover have secondary/hidden benefits (initially anyway).

  Some over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription cough and cold medicines contain active ingredients that are psychoactive (mind-altering) at higher-than-recommended dosages and are frequently abused for this purpose.

  • Dextromethorphan (DXM), a cough suppressant and expectorant found in many OTC cold medicines. It may produce euphoria and dissociative effects or even hallucinations when taken in quantities greater than the recommended therapeutic dose.

  • Promethazine-codeine cough syrup, a medication that contains codeine, an opioid that acts as a cough suppressant and can also produce relaxation and euphoria when consumed at a higher-than-prescribed dose.

  …  cough syrups, pills, and gel capsules containing DXM—particularly “extra strength” forms—are frequently abused by young people (who refer to the practice as “robo-tripping” or “skittling”).

  National Institute on Drug Abuse

What do you call products whose hidden or secondary function is really its selling point? I might call them double entendre  products, but do manufacturers have their own jargon?
What do you call any product whose secondary use (or abuse) is accidentally discovered and then becomes its raison d'être. Any product can fall in this category. In the comments below,  Tushar Raj suggested bubble wrap which has become famous for being a stress reliever, and less so for its primary purpose: wrapping fragile objects.


texts:
I would like to choose between these two options. In my use-case, I refer to the date/time when a specific message was received. Which one should I choose ?

Date of Receipt
Receiving Date

And why ?


texts:
We are going to be closing early (or all day) during the holidays.
Would it be more appropriate to say:

  These are the changes from our usual schedule:
      Monday Close at 5, Tuesday Closed, Wed...etc

or

  These are the changes to our usual schedule:
      Monday Close at 5, Tuesday Closed, Wed...etc

More importantly, why is one more correct than the other (assuming they're not both okay!)?


texts: I am looking for a word or phrase for behavior that outwardly shows respect while actually showing the reverse - i.e. where every word, tone and action is not actionable as disrespect but the listener knows that that is what is intended.


texts: What does “sitter” refer to in babysitter?

texts:
According to Etymonline the noun babysitter is from 1914:

also baby-sitter, "person who looks after a child or children while the parents are away," 1914, from baby (n.) + agent noun from sit (v.). Short form sitter is attested from 1937.

While the verb  babysit,  from babysitter, is from 1947.
Curiously, other sources such as Wordwizard and Wikipedia  for instance, suggest that:

The term "baby sitter" first appeared in 1937, while the verb form "baby-sit" was first recorded in 1947.
Thus the verb was derived from the agent noun rather than the other way around, and represents a good example of back-formation.

As for the terms sitter/sit there are two main assumptions:

The use of the word "sit" to refer to a person tending to a child is recorded from 1800. The term may have originated from the action of the caretaker "sitting on" the baby in one room, while the parents were entertaining or busy in another. It's also theorized that the term may come from hens "sitting" on their eggs,   thus "caring for" their chicks.

I couldn’t find any etymological reference of sit for  the two senses described above, but certainly , the idea of hens “brooding” on their eggs conveys  the concept of taking care of the little ones.
Questions:

what’s the more likely first usage year  of babysitter, given that the sources cited above offer quite different views.

does  “sitter” refer to broody hens or are there other more plausible origins of the term?


texts: What's the point of omitting the "e", as in "sceptered" going to "scepter'd", in English poetry?

texts:
These are a few of my favorite lines of Shakespearean poetry:

  Methinks I am a prophet new inspir’d,
  And thus expiring do foretell of him:
  His rash fierce blaze of riot cannot last,
  For violent fires soon burn out themselves;
  Small showers last long, but sudden storms are short;
  He tires betimes that spurs too fast betimes;
  With eager feeding food doth choke the feeder:
  Light vanity, insatiate cormorant,
  Consuming means, soon preys upon itself.

  This royal throne of kings, this scepter’d isle,
  This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars,
  This other Eden, demi-paradise,
  This fortress built by Nature for herself
  Against infection and the hand of war,
  This happy breed of men, this little world,
  This precious stone set in the silver sea,
  Which serves it in the office of a wall,
  Or as a moat defensive to a house,
  Against the envy of less happier lands,
  This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England.

What I don't understand, though, is the removal of the 'e' by Shakespeare, and other poets who do this, like Tennyson.  I've always read diacritics are applied by some poets to change the pronunciation, so as to keep the meter, but how on Earth is inspired pronounced differently from inspir'd, or sceptered from scepter'd?  Why are they doing this?


texts: Which expression should be used as a section heading of an academic paper: related work or related works? This is a question that has been bothering me for years, as googling shows that both have a large number of usages.


texts: The omission of "should" in a clause sentence

texts:
I would like to ask if the sentence below is grammatically correct. If yes, could anyone that is familiar with this rule of usage explain how to use it and cover the complete usage?

  It's a matter of urgency that the plan be implemented.

As can be seen from this sentence, the word "should" is omitted. As far as I learned about the usage of should, it's omitted when it's used with some verbs such as advise, suggest, command etc.

Thanks in advance.


texts: Usage of comma before ‘but’ in a long / complex sentence

texts:
I’m subtitling a spoken word piece, and the phrase, which is an answer to a question, is

Identifying and accepting something not in its true form but as something else.

I think there should be a comma before ‘but’:

Identifying and accepting something not in its true form, but as something else.

The strict rule of grammar would be that a comma is only permitted before an independent clause, which “as something else” obviously is not. But the phrase “Identifying and accepting something not in its true form” is one concept and already quite complex. “but as something else” is a qualifying statement and a counterpoint to the first phrase. So when you see the text without any punctuation, the mind has to work that out through reading it through to the end and then work out that that’s what it means. If you have the comma, that gives you a shorthand to tell you that there are two different phrases which counter each other. So you can immediately approach it like that. It speeds up your comprehension which is important in a subtitle, and meets the purpose a comma to separate concepts into logical segments so the sentence can be readily understood.
What do we think - should the sentence have a comma or not? Thanks.


texts: How does the phrase "Is something the matter?" make sense?

texts:
Is something the matter?

I've read or heard this usage of matter many times. For instance, in The pleasure of finding things out, R.P. Feynman writes:

I could tell that something was the matter.

This usage doesn't seem right to me. It's hard for me to pinpoint what exactly bothers me, but I think it has to do with the use of the definite article "the" when the existence of a problem hasn't even been confirmed/acknowledged yet.
I know this usage of matter is accepted by many, but how does it make logical/grammatical sense?

Instead of:

Is something the matter?

I would much prefer

Is there a problem?

Instead of

I could tell that something was the matter.

I would prefer

I could tell that there was a problem/issue.

Note that my issue is with the choice of article, not with that of the noun.


texts:
I was trying to write a poem in an old fashioned way and I wished to use the verb forseek in a verse, but when I searched about this verb I found that it isn't widely used not even in old texts (if it is at all) since I found only a few dictionary entries for it.

So, I want to know if the following verse makes sense or if I really must replace forseek for a more usual verb:

  "They forsought something that were their own, something that (...)"

I'm not an English speaker.


texts: "He's coming on next week" vs "He's coming out on next week" which is more natural when speaking?

texts:
I have heard some people say "coming out" instead of "coming", is it native English when you speak?
Is "He's coming out on next week" correct or may be I heard it incorrectly?


texts: Word or phrase for showing great skill at something without formal training in it

texts:
Is there a word or phrase to describe someone who is not formally trained at something — yet he/she is good at it?

The person could be good at drawing/art, or mathematics, or carpentry, or boxing, or a musical instrument, etc.

I thought the word for what I described is "untutored" because according to Collins Dictionary:

  untutored, adjective. "If someone is untutored, they have not been formally trained to do something, although they may be quite skilled at it."

One of the two example sentences Collins offered was:

  'This untutored mathematician had an obsession with numbers.'

So because of Collins's definition, I took "untutored" as having to do with innate abilities, like a kid who happens to draw so great, or have a knack for a musical instrument — before any formal training.

But the problem is no other dictionary defines "untutored" this way. All the others define it along the lines of "lacking in schooling".

So any help in describing being good at something without being trained in it would be appreciated.


texts: Using archaic (obsolete) words for decimal penny

texts:
So, is it possible to use words such as the "threepence", "elevenpence" etc. for sums in new pence (introduced after 1971)?
For example, to read the value of £6.03 as "six pounds and threepence" (pronounced as "threppence" or somehow similar) - how (in)correct it is?

Thanks for the answers.

I'm sorry for my English, it isn't native for me (I'm Russian).


texts: Meaning of "She was a girl who for a ringing phone dropped exactly nothing"

texts:
Can you tell me what the following means?

  She was a girl who for a ringing phone dropped exactly nothing.


texts: A saying that means a bad judgment often is reduced by understanding the reason of somebody's behavior or words.

texts: There could be several reasons for somebody’s behavior or words, Understanding those reasons are essential to make a correct judgment (good or bad), having incomplete or incorrect information results in incorrect decision or judgment.


texts: How to abbreviate a double-barrelled surname?

texts:
I have the initials D S-K as I have a double-barrelled surname, and this has always been how I have written them. I was recently reading through The Lord of the Rings, and realised that a character's double-barrelled name (being Sackville-Baggins) was said to have had the initials S.-B. which made me think about abbreviations. Is it right nowadays to use both dots and a hyphon in a double surname? Even Tolkien himself uses dots to show abbreviation in J. R. R. Tolkien, but I have never used them for my name before let alone a hyphonated name.

So should my name be abbreviated as D. S.-K., D.S.K. or should I even use the dots at all? I never really see them being used in names now and never have used them myself, are they even used anymore?

Even then, I am not even quite sure if it would be JRR, J. R. R. (with spaces) or J.R.R. (without) or if they are all acceptable?

Thanks!


texts: Is "girls" a suitable complementary term to go along with "guys"?

texts:
Trying to keep the discussion about language and meaning, and hopefully not getting socio-political, is "girls" a valid counterpart for "guys", as in "guys and girls"? The intention is to describe a mixed group of men and women in suitably casual terms.

"Guys" is unproblematic. However, "girls" could be taken to be diminutive. I personally don't, as I understand the intention to simply be equivelent to "guys", but I can see how some might take issue with it.

It seems that a generation or so ago it was common enough to say "guys and gals", but "gals" seems archaic now.

If not "girls", then what?

Also, it seems that "guys" can be used to mean both men and women, without having to specify the presence of women. However, I think the default assumption is still an all male group. In any case, I'm looking for an uncontroversial casual term for a group of women on the same level as "guys".


texts: Is "twin brothers" correct? Or is it also incorrect like "cousin brother"?


texts: Difference between "I've added" and "I added"

texts: Could anybody describe me difference between I've added and I added?


texts: Should "Ladies" be marked with an apostrophe in the noun phrase "Ladies beer"?

texts: What should it say on a label: Is it "ladies' beer" or "ladies beer?"


texts:
Why it is called "Over the Counter" and not "On the counter"
What is the difference.
Can you explain in detail pls.

when i check the meaning and usage for "Over" on the net, i found that over can be used to mean
1) More than.  e.g 1. I worked there over 5 years.
2) run across.  eg.2 The fox is running over the mat.
But here for "Over the counter" comes in what category. or it is just an idiom.


texts: Avoiding confusion with the word "before"

texts:
I wrote this sentence:

  I do not trust what has been written before me.

Now, I was trying to use 'before' in the sense of 'prior to,' but just realized that 'before me' might also be taken to mean 'in front of me.' What might be a better way to reword this? I have thought of omitting 'me'--would that be correct?


texts:
I am enthusiastic
I am an enthusiast

As far as I know enthusiastic is an adjective and enthusiast is a noun.
"I am good"
"I am a boy"
are both correct I think in that sense  enthusiastic  and enthusiast  are both appropriate in this case.
Is my observation correct?


texts:
A native English speaker said to her students that "I and my wife have ..." is wrong & we have to say   "My wife and I have ..."

Why did she say it's wrong?


texts: What should i call a "Paragraph with a header"...?

texts:
What should i call the set of "brief paragraph with a header".
In a single word, ex - Segment OR Paragraph OR Section OR anything else..?


texts: "Opulence is the end": has this a double meaning?

texts:
This quote in its context means "death caused by the opulence (wealthy life)". Opulence is the end because it can make people do things they wouldn't do otherwise.

My question is: can this quote also reference to an achievement I want to goal? Like "the opulence is my objective! (the end)"?


texts: Title/word for an individual that came up with the idea/plan for a new division/subsidiary of an existing business?

texts:
As part of a semester long project my senior year of college I came up with an original idea for the creation of entirely new subsidiary/new company/new division of a Fortune 500 company. At the end of the semester I presented a 50 page report of my research, findings, and suggestions, in addition to an hour long oral presentation to several of the executives of this Fortune 500 company. There was a lot of work and thought that went into this.

The executives loved my research, ideas, and plan for a new division and new way of doing business. What I came up with was entirely new to them and their way of thinking. Since this presentation six years ago, the Fortune 500 Company did create an entire new subsidiary/new company based off my idea and plan. This new division has over 100 employees now, operates as a subsidiary to the parent company, and has had a significant impact on the company, and their industry as a whole - competitors have tried to copy this idea as well.

However, after I presented my ideas and findings, I was almost immediately commissioned into the military upon graduation and I never formally went to go work for the Fortune 500 company outside of my four months of research, planning, and idea generation. So while I came up with the entire idea and plan for this new company, I cannot claim I aided much in the execution of the idea within the company beyond the original idea, plan, research, and persuasion/influence of key figures. It's been almost six years since I came up with and presented this original idea, plan, and research, but I'm leaving the military soon and I'm looking to update my resume. I want to accurately describe my involvement in what I did and accomplished.

Am I the Founder? Originator? Mastermind behind this? Co-Founder? Architect? Consultant? Pioneer? Entrepreneur?

Humility and not being overly concerned with getting credit for the things you've done are values I grew up with and values I still try to live out today. So, I genuinely don't want to overstate my involvement or title, but I also don't want to understate or downplay my involvement - that's not humility either. I think I can accurately and humbly say this new company would not exist today if it wasn't for me, but I can also say the same thing about the executives that bought into my idea and pushed my plan forward within the company. There have been other key figures in pushing this forward and executing the plan.

I'm wondering if there is an accurate word or a title, that in good conscience, I can put down on my resume to describe my role in the story of this new subsidiary/new company??


texts: Can I use "than" without comparative adjectives or adverbs?

texts:
I'm wondering whether I can use "than" without comparative adjectives or adverbs like the following sentence:

They actually benefit from not having pets than having them.

It sounds right to me. But I cannot confirm that it's correct. I've tried to search for the answers in the net and some grammar books, but have been unsuccessful.

Chirapat


texts: Is there an idiom for: "a list of things that you know will not be completed but you are asking anyway"?

texts:
Sometimes in a written text I express a ton of things I would desire for something to have even though I know it is absolutely impossible to fulfill those desires.

For example in Spanish we can use: "La lista de los reyes magos" which means something along the lines of: "Santa's letter". It has a small component of irony in it.

The purpose in the context I'm using the sentence is: "I know that I'm asking for too much. I'm adding a lot of requirements for you to have more context in the direction I want to take. I know this is unfeasible.". That is why I want to give that small component of expressing that the result is impossible to reach.


texts: Can we call something a "word" if it doesn't have a vowel?

texts:
It seems self-evident to me, but in the heat of a Scrabble game (no surprise), my opponent claimed that "sh" was a word. I think it's a diphthong, but the printed dictionary definition of "word" didn't resolve the issue.

I know that Scrabble-related questions on this site are generally regarded as infra dig, but the event really did cause me to wonder what truly qualifies as a "word" and what doesn't.

[I also understand that this question sits just atop the divide between meaning and orthography, but hey, whtvr.]


texts: Antonym of "assume" or; a synonym of "assume" and its antonym

texts:
As the title implies, I am looking for a good, simple, single word antonym of "assume".  Alternatively, if no good antonym exists that satisfies the requirements below, I am also open to suggestions for a synonym of "assume" and its antonym.

EDIT: the definition of "assume" here is that of "belief".

The specific context is as a function name in a programming language, where the user can, for instance, assume X is zero.  The antonym must follow the same pattern, i. e., _ X is zero and ideally be an "obvious" partner, i. e., when reading it should be clear to most people that it undoes the assumption.

EDIT: this is for symbolic manipulation, not a variable binding.  Assuming X is zero is a very different concept from binding X to a value that is zero—the latter is a much stronger assumption.  This is also not an assertion, i. e., checking whether the assumption holds.  In all the cases I have encountered in the literature, the antonym is either always implicit, or negated by use of something akin to "if we no longer assume X".

I looked in a thesaurus, and the only good candidate I could find was "forget".  The problem with this word is that I don't think it is immediately clear that it undoes an assumption, and I would struggle to remember it (ironically).  Another word that I have considered is, "unassume".  It is not in any dictionary, but I think it is fairly obvious from the context what it means, and I find it memorable.


texts: A phrase for selecting multiple options with mouse button down

texts:
In a desktop application or a website we may have a UI element called multiple select. The user may select multiple options by holding the mouse button down, like so:

Is there a word or a phrase that can be used to describe this specific action? The other way to make a multiple selection is to hold Ctrl and click individual options, but I'm talking about the method where you hold the mouse button down and move the cursor to make the selection.

A technically inclined friend suggested simply multiple select, but it seems too broad, while a non-nerd native speaker said highlighting, which doesn't seem to fit the bill either.

In Finnish, this is commonly called painting the selection, with the mouse acting as a makeshift paintbrush, indicating the selection by painting the options with a different colour.

I believe that a similar action, selecting, for instance, a group of files from the desktop with the mouse button down is called lasso select, but it is different in that the lasso is actually visible.


texts:
What does this sentence mean?
"I'd go full Gitmo on the old biddy"
I hear it in a movie


texts: singular verb or plural verb for working hours

texts:
It makes sense to say, "My working hours are from 9 am to 6 pm."

But is it right to say, "My working hours is from 9 am to 6 pm."

My argument is that from 9 am to 6 pm can be treated as a singular subject, as is "butter and bread".


texts:
I recall reading an instruction manual to an old FPS (first person shooter) game years back, and it noted a particularly destructive cannon being the "ultimate in fire and forget weaponry", since it essentially destroys everything in a large room, sometimes including the player wielding this portable cannon.

Is there a more accurate term than "fire and forget" though? The general use of this term seems to revolve around the ability of the user to open a door, blast the weapon, and close the door before the splash (area of effect) damage destroys the wielder along with everything else in the room.

While technically accurate, it's to my understanding that "fire and forget" describes the ability of a projectile to automatically track its target, such as guided missiles; rather than the ability of the user to use it and not concern themselves with the result since aiming isn't a concern.


texts: What is the difference between decreasing and reducing?

texts:
In the question

  The average age at which people die of heart diseases are decreasing

The answer says that reducing will come instead of decreasing

How to differ between reducing and decreasing as both are similar in meaning.


texts:
I’m writing about a feature that allows Russian freelancers who are registered as self-employed citizens to report their income made through our platform online to the tax authority.

Should I use the word “declare” or “report” in that regard? It seems like the former is more commonly used in Great Britain while the latter in the US. Is this correct?

Can you clarify this for me, please? Thanks.


texts:
In the BBC radio drama The Archers, the following conversation takes place:

  A:             David, you are not going to say what you saw. You love your family, right?
  David:   What?
  A:             Because if you do, then do exactly as what I had said.

Why past perfect in this conversation? Can’t we simply say one of:

Do exactly what I said.
Do exactly what I have said.


texts:
Sorry if this has been asked before, but it just came to mind.

There is a name for "I", "you" and "he/she/it" - 1st person, 2nd person and 3rd person respectively, but is there a name for "one"? I assume it would fit in the 2nd person category, but how would you distinguish it from "you"?


texts:
Is it a disguised command, when someone starts a sentence with; 'Maybe you could...' e.g. 'turn on the heater'; 'add more salt'?

If you remove 'maybe you could' from the sentence, you are left with the command;'turn on the heater'.


texts: Did English ever have a subjunctive mood?

texts:
Coming from this answer and comments under, I realized that all Germanic languages have only the present tense and the past tense. Many also have a full set of subjunctive moods.

To reduce ambiguity, "tense" or "mood" here implies inflected or conjugated (e.g. French j'aurai), not constructed (e.g. j'ai eu). Since other Germanic languages all have subjunctive moods, I think English should also have one, but it apparently doesn't nowadays. Subjunctive mood is formed in various ways like if I were, if I had been and that I should be.

Did an inflected subjunctive mood ever exist in English?


texts: "It's not raining today, isn't it?" vs. "it's not raining today, is it?"

texts:
Which is correct:

  It's not raining today, isn't it?
  It's not raining today, is it?


texts: Is there any word for the person who is running the business of "Prostitution"?

texts:
Is there any word for the person who is running the business of "Prostitution" ?

Who indulge or force, girls or woman in the business of prostitution?


texts:
Can as well as be a conjunction that connects two independent sentences?
The reference to the relevant rules and similar threads would be much appreciated.

  The training program will be introduced more easily, if
  the video materials are offered, as well as it is possible to involve skillful specialists demonstrating response strategies in practice.


texts: What's the difference between "You have my word" and "I promise"?

texts: What's the difference between you have my word and I promise?


texts: What does children mean in “Familiarity breeds contempt - and children.“?

texts:
Consider this quote from Mark Twain:

“Familiarity breeds contempt - and children.”

Does it mean having children is a bad thing?
Could you explain what the children imply here?


texts:
Which is more correct?

"is helpful for you" or "is helpful to you"

Context: Closing line of an email. eg. "I hope this information is helpful for you."


texts: Any slang word for "debt-collector"?( specially among gangsters & criminals!)

texts:
According to dictionaries, A collection agency, also known as a debt collector, is a business that pursues payments of debts owed by individuals or businesses.

But I have seen in movies that criminal organizations ( Mafias) hire some obnoxious men as ( illegal) debt-collectors whose job is to collect the payments by force and violently, if necessary!

I'd like to know if there is any slang word, term , phrase or idiom among those Mafias members for calling these "debt-collectors" or not!

PS:

1-I have found a British English word "bumbailiff" but it refers to officers whose job was collecting debts,in the past;  so I'm sure I cannot use it for those men hired by Mafias as debt-collectors!

2-In the duplicate question, Morteza is looking for the "debt-collector", but I am looking for its slang equivalent! So please open my question!


texts: How to say "My wife and I did something, then our friends and we [wife and I] did something else" correctly?

texts:
Which is best?

"My wife and I just got back from the beach. Before that, her sister and we visited Grandma".

vs.

"My wife and I just got back from the beach. Before that, her sister, she, and I visited Grandma".

vs.

"My wife and I just got back from the beach. Before that, her sister, my wife, and I visited Grandma".


texts: "Imagine there is ... " or "Imagine that there is ... "? Which option is better?

texts:
Which one is the better choice at the beginning of a sentence:

  Imagine there is ...

or

  Imagine that there is ...


texts:
I left my bag in my friend's room. How do I ask for it
Can you bring it tommorow ? OR Can you get it tomorrow?


texts:
What is the origin of primrose used in the idiom primrose path, as  defined by the Oxford Online Dictionary?

  primrose path

  The pursuit of pleasure, especially when it is seen to bring disastrous consequences.
  [Lexico]

Merriam-Webster's entry has sexual allusions

  a path of ease or pleasure and especially sensual pleasure

The phrase is credited to William Shakespeare's  Hamlet (1599-1602)

  Ophelia: But, good my brother,
  Do not, as some ungracious pastors do,
  Show me the steep and thorny way to heaven;
  Whiles, like a puff'd and reckless libertine,
  Himself the primrose path of dalliance treads,
  And recks not his own rede.  (Act 1, 3)

But I did not find any explanation for why primroses were traditionally associated with hedonistic and promiscuous  behaviour. They seem so charming, sweet and innocent to me.

The Phrase Finder credits the coinage to Shakespeare but only adds the following

  Shakespeare later used 'the primrose way', which has the same meaning, in Macbeth. This variant is hardly ever used now

Why did the primrose have such a negative reputation? When did English first use the primrose as a symbol of debauchery and overindulgence?
Was William Shakespeare the first to associate primroses with deceit and casual love affairs?


texts: Sentence construction for a past incident

texts:
Is the below sentence correct?

"The receiver of my wireless mouse was still plugged into my laptop when i lost it(laptop)?"


texts: What is a word/term for rendering highlighted text as normal text

texts: We can definitely "Highlight" a section of text. But is there a word or a phrase that defines taking highlighted text and, um, de-highlighting it? "low-light" doesn't seem to capture what I'm talking about.


texts:
Let's say I'm trying to measure some variable, like GDP. The unit I'm measuring this in is dollars, and the type of unit is currency. Is there a word to describe things like "currency" in this scenario?

As another example, a variable could be stomach size, the unit is kilograms, and the thing I'm trying to describe is "weight"


texts: as English isn't my first language, I don't really 'feel' whether bunch of girls/buncha girls is offensive, friendly, etc.? Could you tell me what's the proper meaning of the phrase? I hear it in movies, in different contexts, and it often seems negative, but I'm just not sure.


texts: Subject-verb agreement: bloom/s and grow/s

texts:
Is the subject verb agreement in this sentence correct?
I hope that your love for each other blooms brighter and your commitment grows stronger with each passing day.
How is it different when you say:
May your love for each other bloom brighter and your commitment grow stronger with each passing day?
Thanks


texts:
Since English is not my native language, I have a hard time understanding some expressions I hear in movies. From what I gather, it's possible to start a question with "say", such as "Say, do you know any good restaurants around here?"

What is the proper usage for this structure? Do people frequently use it in conversation? Is it a rude thing to say?


texts: When asking someone his nationality, do I include an indefinite article?

texts:
For example, do I say:

  Are you a Russian?
  Are you an American?

– or should I say:

  Are you Russian?
  Are you American?


texts: Is "new face" a way to say a new person?

texts: I'm french and in my language we use an expression whose naive english translation would be "new face", meaning a new person. Is it an actual thing I can say?


texts: How do I punctuate this sentence? A stamp cost three cents a gallon of gas twenty

texts: Do I use a semicolon or a comma? I do not want to add a conjunction or replace the missing "cost" after gas. Both are intentionally removed.


texts: Is there a better way to write 'do-it-yourselfer'?

texts:
I find English punctuation wholly unsatisfactory in times like these.  I want to add an '-er' to the phrase 'do it yourself', to refer to someone who does things himself instead of hiring out the work to a professional builder, and the best I can come up with is

  do-it-yourselfer

The reason this is unsatisfactory is that, if I add parentheses to show the structure (using the parentheses the way you would in a mathematical formula) I'd come up with something like this:

  ((do it yourself)er)

Having hyphens between the words of 'do it yourself' seems fine, but then the '-er' attached directly to the word 'yourself' suggests this structure

  (do it ((yourself)er))

which is obviously wrong.

Do we have any better option than 'do-it-yourselfer'?


texts: What is a word or phrase for an attitude that focuses on improving the future/favours delayed gratification?

texts:
I wish to express within a word or two an attitude or way of living that sacrifices for the foreseeable future and strives to reap better long-term rewards at the expense of short(er)-term effort. This attitude emphasises purposeful living, looking towards the future and (sort-of) favours delayed gratification. I guess the biggest emphasis is one of improving, investing in and preparing for the future, not the sacrificial part. I do not mind single word or phrase suggestions, I'm trying to get a best fit.

Intended sentence: "It is also of interesting sociological note that what X interprets as the best attitude towards living is one of purposeful creativity and ..." I am unsure whether or not I will retain the "purposeful creativity" if I get better words for the sentence.


texts:
If I write "rocket at moment X", "rocket in assembly", "in flight", how do I say when it's about to be launched?

"At launch"? Sounds like "I eat rockets at lunch".


texts:
Often when I am on a flight, nearly every sentence I hear from the flight attendants contains an unnecessary emphatic auxiliary in its main clause; that is, an altogether unnecessary do or unnecessary emphasis on other auxiliaries:

  We do apologise for the delay, which was due to technical issues, but we will be taking off shortly, and we do hope you enjoy the flight. We do ask you to fasten you seatbelt now, and if you do have any questions, we do hope you won't hesitate to ask us.

What is the purpose of this constant emphasis? My guess is it's supposed to somehow elevate their language to a higher register, but why do flight attendants in particular seem so fond of this?


texts: Is being "low on the totem pole" good or bad?

texts:
The background for this question is that I'm watching the latest episode of NCIS, and in this episode it is mentioned that the term "Low on the totem pole" actually is a good thing, reserved for the most honored carvings. As such, saying that someone is "pretty low on the totem pole" is a compliment, not a way of saying that you're low on rank or importance.

However, I haven't been able to find any sources online that says the same, and it seems most usages of the term use it in the meaning I thought it had, ie. low importance, rank, or similar.

So what is right?

Does the term "low on the totem pole" mean "low importance or rank", or does it mean "high importance or rank"?


texts:
When referring to someone from a different geographical area and a different time, what is the proper phrase to refer to them? "Back then" or "back there"? Does it depend on if your intended meaning is to highlight the time difference, or if you are highlighting a geographical difference?

Example: referring to first century Roman attire

  "Back then, men wore togas" vs "Back there, men wore togas"

Example: referring to 19th century British fashion

  "Back then, men sported long side-whiskers" vs "Back there, men
  sported long side-whiskers"


texts:
I'm not sure which one of these is the correct one:

Many natives have found their courage deep within, cultivated it, and become aware of what was going on in their country.

Many natives have found their courage deep within, cultivated it, and became aware of what was going on in their country.

Thank you.


texts: What is the meaning of 'by the month of April'? Does it mean full month of April?


texts: Is there a difference between "each of which/some of which" and "each of them/some of them"?

texts:
Is there a difference between the expressions "each of which" and "each of them", and also for "some of which" and "some of them"?
For example:

The paragraph is composed of sentences, for each of them (or for each of which) the style is analysed.

The paragraph is composed of sentences, some of them (or some of which) are nominal sentences, the others are verbal sentences.


texts:
Is this sentence correct?

  I want to execute the/a part of my code for once, and exactly the
  moment  when the key is pressed and a clicked is occurred.

Also, what kind of grammatical structure is used above?


texts:
I set a test with the following direct sentence, which the students were supposed to put into reported speech: Interviewer: "Are you fluent in English?"
I expected the students to write: The interviewer asked me if I was fluent in English.
However, some students wrote: The interviewer asked me if I were fluent in English.

I know that "was" and "were" are sometimes both possible, like: If I was/were rich...
But to my knowledge this is used in unreal situations. Is it correct to say:
The interviewer asked me if I were fluent in English?


texts: Is there a better term than "dummy" to describe a non-functional part of a program?

texts:
I'm searching for a different or more neutral term than "dummy" to describe a non-functional or non-interactive part of a program.

I've been using this term to refer to code in interactive charts and data visualizations that has no meaningful value, but helps render visual effects that would be hard or cumbersome to create using outside code or more complex methods.

For example, if one series in my chart is just there to add a set of arrow-shaped markers, I've been calling it a "dummy series" (always in quotes).

The third definition of "dummy" on Wiktionary (https://simple.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/dummy) seems to agree with my usage ...

  A dummy is something that is not there but people act like its there for some purpose.

... but I'm not 100% comfortable using "dummy" due to its alternate meaning of "stupid" or "unintelligent."

Thank you in advance for your suggestions.


texts: Can an English sentence have a 'dative subject'?

texts:
I have been thinking about this for a while.  It seems to me that, sometimes, the subject plays a dative role in that it is the recipient of something.  Take the following active sentence.

  He gave me a gift.

If it is made passive, it normally changes as follows.

  A gift was given to me (by him).

In which case a gift is clearly nominative and to me clearly dative.  However, I often see the following passive construction used instead.

  I was given a gift (by him).

In which case I appears to be a sort of nominative-dative, yet I can't quite explain a gift or what it does in the sentence; it is certainly not accusative.  Semantically, I understand the sentence, but I cannot make syntactic sense of it.

After a quick search on Google Ngram, it seems that gift was given me is the oldest possible construction, which makes sense, followed by gift was given to me, which also makes sense.  The first instance of I was given a gift appears to be in 1920, from which point it has risen steadily.  So it seems quite obvious that it is a new usage.

Is this a 'correct' usage, so to speak?  How did it come about?  Most interestingly to me, how is it explained grammatically?  Can it be adequately explained with traditional grammatical terms? or does it require an altogether new analysis?


texts: Is it "is" or "are" in "There is/are two of us here"?

texts:
I have a question, which one of these sentences would be grammatically correct, or can they both be?

  There is two of us here.

Or,

  There are two of us here.


texts: Usage of the word "implies" when sure of a result

texts:
If I have a proven without a doubt that drinking cyanide means certain death, is it correct to write the following?

  The result of the study implies that drinking cyanide leads to certain death.


texts: What is the correct punctuation for this whimsical sign I bought?

texts: The sign reads "Beer, the reason I wake up every afternoon". In order to be humorous and not pitiful doesn't it need a pause after the "up"? Comma or period or semi-colon? Thanks


texts:
Here I read this:

  Since ES2015, JavaScript has the Map object which is an Object on
  steroid and can easily be used for caching.

Could someone explain what is the meaning of the bold expression?


texts: What's the difference between "licensing" and "licensure?"

texts:
On the new Engineering SE, we field questions about professional engineering registration. The tag categorizing these questions is "licensure" and I usually find myself referring to the topic by that word but there are times when I feel like I should use "licensing" instead. I feel like the two words carry slightly different implications but I have trouble identifying the specific way in which they are different.

For example, I much prefer "licensure" here:

  This question concerns professional licensure.

but it does not work here:

  The Board for Professional Engineers is a licensing body.

and either seems to work here:

  The organization deals with professional licensing issues.

  The organization deals with issues of professional licensure.

Are these words synonyms? They don't seem to be equivalent in every formulation; how can I decide which is more appropriate for a given sentence?

I don't think this is directly related to the license/licence distinction.


texts: What's the more appropriate substitution for "give a f**k/d**n/s**t"

texts: I want a more appropriate phrase that has the same form ("give a **") and meaning as the offensive "give a f**k/d**n/s**t". Is there any?


texts: The Governor's voice was a WHIPLASH now.., meaning of whiplash here. The line is from my grade 12 book


texts: Can one abbreviate the Spanish given name José María to José Mª in English, like in Spanish?

texts:
According to the English Wikipedia,

  José María (abbreviated José Mª) is a Spanish language male given name, usually considered a single given name rather than two names[.]

[Related, possibly helpful, but ignorable, questions to the title question:] Is the symbol (?) 'ª' even recognised in English? Do otherwise Spanish-speaking North-Americans use it, also in English?


texts: ''happiness is only real when shared'' or ''hapiness only real ...''

texts:
When we can avoid to put the verb to be?

In this case are both correct or ''happiness' only real....'' because of the double ss at the end of the word we can avoid to write it down? because the sound is complete

thank you :)


texts: cancelled with two L's a generation thing or regional thing?

texts:
In the United States, we spell canceled with one l (or at least I grew up learning and using canceled with one l).

However, now I see more and more people especially in blogs using cancelled,  and have also noticed that on the TV I watch cancelled is the preferred spelling. And a few of my few colleagues (mostly around my age, or a few years younger) kind of informed me that one l is incorrect.

I now wonder: are different forms of cancelled taught in different regions of the country? Or has it become trendy for the younger generation to use the British form of spelling?


texts:
I cant find what that thing is called if at all there is a word for that. Does anyone know what it is?
This is some sort of load lifting device. Slings go in between the plates and well, there is a description:

  used together with rope or textile slings and serves for
  simplification of unslinging process of represents a frame with the mobile
  probe After installation of load on the place is done and sling is weakened of a sling, the probe is pulled out and load is released.

And here is another picture:

In Russian it is called literary "Smalles'(name of the inventor probably, but i couldn't find anythins on him) lock".

I found this patent. Similar device is called "device for remote unslinging". But maybe there is official name for that? Here it is once again.


texts:
So there's an article about the Cybertruck that starts out like this: "The Cybertruck is already here and it doesn't look like any pickup truck that you've ever seen."

My (Russian native) friend says that you can replace 'that' with 'which' and it's gonna mean the same thing. But this doesn't sound good to me, I feel like it breaks the sentence somehow

I did my research, I was trying to find whether it's possible to do or not but I'm pretty much stuck. Can you actually do that? If so, what rule allows it? Thank you


texts: What's the word for "someone that doesn't know something but pretends to know it?"

texts: This guy thinks a person is arrogant when he knows nothing about that person and just telling everyone about how arrogant that guy is. So what is the term for this kind of person?


texts: Using "subject to" with a verb other than "to be"

texts:
Is it possible to use subject to with a verb other than to be?
for example:

The self-image is subject to changes. (Obviously OK)
Being bound to our self-image we react subject to behavior patterns. (Is it OK??)

Are there any good alternatives to this construction?


texts: Word that means "losing through becoming aware"

texts:
I'm looking for a word that fits this quote from the Sun Also Rises (without context; I don't remember the context):
"You'll lose it, if you talk about it"

I'm having difficulty creating an example sentence, but perhaps something like this:
"Don't say this is beautiful because you will spoil it by ___"


texts: Can we use though and although interchangeably? Somebody told me that the difference is that though cannot be used at the beginning of a sentence. Is that the rule?


texts: Any connection between "escheat" and "cheat"?

texts:
According to Google, "Escheat is a common law doctrine which transfers the property of a person who dies without heirs to the crown or state. It serves to ensure that property is not left in "limbo" without recognized ownership."

I'm wondering if it has any etymological relationship to the word "cheat", as in to swindle someone.


texts: Punctuating a list of direct non-question quotes

texts:
What is the correct way to punctuate a list of spoken quotes?  For example:

They had a variety of excuses for missing the meeting, such as:

“We weren’t really sure we were meeting tonight. Were we?”

“Good thing I see you all the time anyway.”

“I know you understand how demanding my job is.”


texts: Verbs that switch thematic roles, but not surface structure

texts:
Are there any English verbs that are ambiguous with regard to their thematic roles, although they are the same on the surface?

To clarify, in John worries Mary, John causes the worries, but in John worries about Mary, John experiences the worries. I'd like to know whether there are also verbs that show the same pattern, but without a change in surface structure (the addition of about in this case). It's not necessary that one of the senses is causative.

One example I've found is speak to, but it doesn't work well in the sense of appeal to when the subject is a person, instead of, say, a painting.


texts:
Finishing my first in class assignment in an English uni, I struggle with the name (especially  with "the" and "of" words). I developed a website X and the document should describe the whole process.
I was thinking about:

The X site solution development report

X site development report

The development report of the X site

Which would be the best or what would you write? THanks


texts: Parentheses vs. double commas vs. dashes to provide additional detail

texts:
When do you use commas and when do you use parentheses to provide more detail about something?

For example:

The suspect, Tom Wilson, is now being charged with murder.
The suspect (Tom Wilson) is now being charged with murder.
John Smith, a member of the jury, agreed with the verdict.
John Smith (a member of the jury) agreed with the verdict.
The first example, the one about the fox, is the more valid one.
The first example (the one about the fox) is the more valid one.

I realize that the first example, the one that uses parentheses, is probably more valid in this case (if anyone has a better example, please include it), but when, if ever, would you favor parentheses?

Update:
I realize that dashes are sometimes used for similar situations, so I'd appreciate information on these as well.

For example:

The children—who are wearing shoes—will go on the trip
The children, who are wearing shoes, will go on the trip
The children (who are wearing shoes) will go on the trip


texts: Need a word that means taking a tradition and changing it for the worse

texts: I'm looking for a word that describes what a corporation is doing when it takes a long standing tradition of a business and then changes it so that it becomes cheap and no longer represents what it once stood for. Sort of like the concept of selling out.


texts: noun-modifier word order in 'date certain'

texts:
One will occasionally hear the term date certain (meaning 'a fixed, definite date') in legal or business contexts. e.g.,

  The Courts have continually emphasized that the Act demands primary NAAQS achievement by a date certain.

How long ago does this usage date to and how did it get its unusual word order? (I am guessing a calque from French). I have made good faith efforts to learn the answer by myself, documented here, with no success.


texts: Is "so-so" correct usage for "more or less"?

texts: I took a trip down to Mexico last week and I heard "so-so" in response to "Do you speak English?" Now, I'm used to hearing "so-so" more in the context of "all right" or "OK", but not as in "more or less". Is this usage correct or is it a lack of good teaching?


texts: What does "fortuitous with respect to viruses" mean?

texts:
Page 154 of Secrets and Lies has this snippet:

  In some ways we've been fortuitous with respect to computer viruses;
  all the ones we've seen are targeted against large computers, not
  peripherals or embedded systems.

What does "we've been fortuitous with respect to computer viruses" mean?

Substituting "fortuitous" with it's literal meaning "accidental" does not make much sense; i.e. We've been accidental with respect to computer viruses.


texts:
From Garner's Modern American Usage 3rd Ed. :

No other . . . than. This phrase often gets mangled into no other . . . except, which is a piece of illogic. The correction is typically no . . . other than—e.g.:
 “The Bruce Willis supernatural thriller has grossed $20 million for the fifth consecutive weekend, accomplishing what no other film has done except ‘Titanic’ [read what no film other than ‘Titanic’ has done or no film has done except ‘Titanic’].”

Is it really illogical? No other film has done except ‘Titanic’ vs no film has done except ‘Titanic’. The illogicality of the former eludes me, it seems to me that no film is no other (than BW's thriller) film. Where am I wrong?


texts: Comma issue: noun of direct address in the middle of the sentence after conjunction

texts:
Another nitpicky comma question that I hope you will help me to resolve.
How does one need to punctuate the noun of direct address (or vocative) in the middle of the sentence that goes directly after coordinating conjunction connecting two independent clauses in a compound sentence? Are the bracketed commas required in the examples below?
Examples:

I was going to accept your resignation later, but[,] John, have you considered all the options first?
I will be flying with the executive committee to London, and[,] John, will you be coming with us?

Ignore the actual examples. I just want to understand the punctuation.
My research and some other threads on this site seem to suggest that eliding the middle 'after-conjunction' comma is allowed as the style decision in cases where the conjunction used to connect two independent clauses is followed by an introductory or parenthetical phrase (some references at the bottom). But would that be allowed for nouns of direct address as well, and if yes, could we then conclude that it's an acceptable style to drop the first bracketing comma after conjunction irrespective of the type of the bracketed element (introductory, parenthetical, aside, noun of direct address, etc.)?
Would this style be allowed in formal, technical documents?
References from a few sources below.
Dr Charles Darling:

When a parenthetical element — an interjection, adverbial modifier, or even an adverbial clause — follows a coordinating conjunction used to connect two independent clauses, we do not put a comma in front of the parenthetical element.

Science and Technical Writing: A Manual of Style:

An introductory word, phrase, or clause following a coordinating conjunction in a compound sentence leaves the writer with several options:
Option 1: The curves in figure 2 are less familiar with geometrical objects that those in figure 1, but, other than the top curve, they have a reasonable shape.
Option 2: …in figure 1, but other than the top curve, they have…
The first option includes all the punctuation that the sentence structure suggests. However, at least one comma could be eliminated (second option) without sacrificing clarity.

Morson's English Guide for Court Reporters:

When a parenthetical or unnecessary expression precedes the second clause in a compound sentence, keep the comma before the conjunction and use one comma after the parenthetical expression.
EXAMPLES
l.  I liked him very much, but to tell you the truth, he was a liar.
m.  He was standing on my left, and if I remember correctly, he wore a gray overcoat.
n.  I wondered how I missed seeing her, and as a matter of fact, I still do not believe she passed my desk.


texts: What is the meaning of "a trouvaille, mon cher"?

texts:
I was reading A Model Millionaire by Oscar Wilde and came across this line. Can someone explain it to me?

  "An amazing model?' shouted Jain at the top of his voice; 'I should
  think so! Such beggars as he are not to be met with every day. A
  trouvaille, mon cher; a living Velasquez! My stars! what an etching
  Rembrandt would have made of him!'


texts:
Content or contents — when do I use which form?

I realize that the one is the plural form of the other, but they seem to be used interchangeably.


texts: Giving an example of a "problem" where the example is plural

texts:
I've got this sentence here:

  The most recent problem I can think of is personal knowledge management systems.

That seems grammatically incorrect because of the mismatch between the singular problem and the plural systems, but I can't just change it to

  The most recent problem I can think of are personal knowledge management systems.

or

  The most recent problems I can think of are personal knowledge management systems.

The only one that seems correct is

  The most recent problem I can think of is the problem of personal knowledge management systems.

I think this equates the singular problem to the also singular problem of personal knowledge management systems. But it's extremely awkward. Any suggestions on how to handle situations similar to this?


texts:
Do you windsurf and kitesurf on the lake or in the lake?
Do you windsurf and kitesurf on the sea or in the sea?

Which preposition is used for the sea and which for the lake? I need help.

  I practice windsurfing and kitesurfing in the lake.

or

  I practice windsurfing and kitesurfing on the lake.


texts: what would be the appropriate word in this passage? possibly loosely related to "conflate"

texts: i'm looking for a word that means intentionally attempting to conflate/situate two apparently contradictory ideas/beliefs etc.- for example, "as a practicing psychiatrist, is it possible for me to ___ my feminist ideology with my chosen career?"


texts: How can I change the tense of a hyphenated verb?

texts:
I'm certain this can't be the only example there is of a hyphenated verb, but it's the only one I can think of right now.

How should one appropriately convert "mouse-over" into the past tense?  Should it be "moused-over" or "mouse-overed"?

Also,  are there any other verb-preposition combinations like this that could be used as examples?


texts: Why is the state of being resident "residence", but the state of being president "presiden-cy"?

texts:
Resident : Residence seems like the normal pairing to me. Residency isn't exactly unknown (see here), but it's far less common.

But with President the derivatives are reversed and then some. Presidency is virtually universal. I'm not sure Presidence even qualifies as a word, outside of misspellings for precedence.

Why is this?


texts: 'Independence between the hands' - express this better

texts:
I teach people how to play the piano.  I have also published a couple of books that help absolute beginners to get started.  One of the major challenges that piano players encounter is playing simultaneously different patterns with each hand.

Developing this pianistic skill is a major purpose of one of my books. In the blurb about the book I say that the exercises and pieces it contains  help students develop independence between their hands. Although this description does work for me, I have often wondered whether it can be said better.


texts:
There was the following passage in a newspaper article, which I failed to take note of the source:

  If he (Trump) seems better than expected, either by throwing Clinton
  off her game or appearing calmer than a wound-up opponent who gives a
  dense six-point answer to every question, he might achieve something
  similar to Reagan’s ‘There you go again!

Although I guess “six-point answer” means "full marks, a perfect answer," I’m not certain.

According to www.religionacts.com, 'six-points' stands for the six days of creation, and also represents the six attributes of God: power, wisdom, majesty, love, mercy and justice, but I don’t know how it relates to "six-point answer," or anything else.

What does “six-point answer (question, offense, defense, performance, whatever)" mean?

I’m also interested in the use of the adjective, “dense,“ which seems a bit incongruent to the word, answer, to me. Can I say “It’s a dense answer” colloquially in place of a perfect answer?


texts: "It will be more of a sucks for him ..."

texts:
I've seen the disparaging sense of sucks as a verb ("sucks to be you", "that sucks!"), but this particular usage from Price Caspian seems a little odd:

  Lucy heard Edmund say, "No, let me do it. It will be more of a sucks for him if I win, and less of a let-down for us all if I fail."

My interpretation was that It'll be a sucks for him is intended to convey "It will be a victory for us", with strong implications of humiliation and embarrassment for Trumpkin.

However, I can't find a dictionary definition which quite matches this use of the word.

  eat crow, Informal. to be forced to admit to having made a mistake, as by retracting an emphatic statement; suffer humiliation: His prediction was completely wrong, and he had to eat crow.


texts:
Here is an excerpt from Ishmael Beah’s essay A Long Way Gone.

When we were walking, I turned around to see the village one last time. It was yet to be born for that day. A cock crowed to dispatch the last remains of night and to mute the crickets that couldn’t let go of the darkness of their own accord.

In this context, what is the meaning of the word “born”?


texts:
I have a question regarding the usage of present continuous and the form "going to".
Which is the right expression between:

"We are leaving tomorrow at 9"
"We are going to leave tomorrow at 9".

In my opinion both of them are correct, but probably there is a subtle difference.


texts:
I am taking IELTS exam and I was marked wrong in the following question:

  Preferred location: in the Northwest

Apparently, the correct answer is "North-West."

Notice that officially, IELTS supposed to support both British spelling and American spelling. For example, both "color" and "colour" should be marked correct. I check the Merriam-Webster dictionary and I am pretty confident my spelling is the correct American way of spelling. According to Merriam-Webster,

  northwest, capitalized: regions or countries to the northwest of a specified or implied point of orientation.


texts: What is the plural and singular form of people you follow on social media?

texts:
I'm developing a social network which has a feature similar to twitter's follow/following setup. At the moment I have the following (hehe) terminology on the site:

follower - someone who follows you
followers - group of people who follow you

I'm also using following at the moment to describe a group of people you are following. However, this also has the meaning of a group people who follow you.

So what is the correct terminology for:

a group of people you follow on social media?
a person you follow?
and how can you refer to the photos uploaded by the group of people you follow?

The only thing I can find so far is 'who you follow' which is a bit wordy.


texts:
Does anyone know the word for shapes caused by wind blowing long grass, where light and dark appear to move across the field?

I'd like to say "He watched the _____ move across the field in the wind."

[Image from Chris Hawking via YouTube. Click to play the video.]


texts: What word is better to use in the article - sex or gender?

texts: what is better to use in the scientific article - sex or gender? I am describing the findings of a poll and I am concerned about which word is more suitable to be used?


texts: What do "Tea-Paw" and "Tea-Paw Tax double header" mean?

texts:
I found the word, ‘Tea-Paw’ in headlines of articles of both Time magazine (March 31) and StarTribune (March 1st).

Time's headline says "The Tea-Paw tax double header," followed by the lead copy, "Minnesotan heads to Boston on Friday ahead of Des Moines on Saturday."

StarTribune’s headline says "Tea-Paw: Birth of a candidate?" followed by the lead copy, "Minne‘Former Minnesota Governor, Tim Pawlenty released a new video Tuesday highlighting his speech at a weekend tea party convention in Phoenix.

What is Tea-Paw? Is it a combination of ‘Tea party’ and “(Tim) Pawlenty”? If it is (or not), what is “Tea-Paw tax double header”?
Does the word 'Tea-Paw" pass itself as the common currency?


texts: Should "ohmmeter" be stressed on the first or second syllables, or both?

texts:
Question:

Which syllable or syllables are stressed in the word ohmmeter?

Context:

I tried to say the word ohmmeter out loud today and realized I am unsure of the correct pronunciation. The double m is confusing to me.

From some research on various ‑meter types, some seem to split the words, whereas others pronounce it in a "run-on" format (for lack of a better description). Like multimeter is usually said as *múlti míter" with stresses on the first and third syllables, but altimeter is usually said with different stress pattern like all tímiter, stressing only the second syllable.

Would it be óhm méter with two stresses or óhm iter with just one, or something else?

References:

For reference in case you are unfamiliar with this device: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohmmeter

And also here is a list of measuring devices so you can see what I mean by the various "X-meter" type words: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_measuring_devices


texts: What exactly does "up to 3 months before" mean?

texts:
When it says:

You can apply for a visa up to 3 months before your date of travel to
the UK.
Source: gov.uk

Does it mean the latest I can apply for a visa is 3 months before the travel date, or the earliest I can apply for a visa is 3 months before the travel date?


texts: Unsure on the pronouns/verbs/tense to use here

texts:
This question came up when answering tickets today at work. A client says they've been having one singular problem across multiple entries. How should I phrase my response?

"Which entries was this happening on?"
or
"What entries was this happening on?"

Neither of these sound right. Is the issue tense? i.e.:

"Which entries has this been happening on?"

I'm pretty sure 'which' should be correct because I'm asking for specific entries from a list.

What's the correct option here?


texts: I am curious if anyone is aware of a list of different types or categories of independent clauses. By comparison, there are four types of sentences (simple, compound, complex, and compounds complex), and many types of subordinate clauses (comparative clauses, that-clauses, contact clauses, etc.). However, I haven't been able to find a breakdown of different types of independent clause. I'm especially interested in a categorization by structure. For example, some sentences have compound subjects, others have compound predicates, others have the verbs omitted, etc. I have tried on my own, but I fear I'm reinventing the wheel. Your help is certainly appreciated.


texts: What kind of literacy device is "“Amen” stuck in my throat."?

texts:
So what kind of literacy device is "“Amen” stuck in my throat"? This quote is found in Shakespeare's Macbeth.
Macbeth says:

But wherefore could not I pronounce “Amen”? I had most need of blessing, and “Amen” Stuck in my throat.

He is treating a word as an object and as if it stuck on this throat. What could this be?


texts: "What does this achieve?" vs "What will this achieve?"

texts:
Are there any differences between "What does this achieve?" and "What will this achieve?"

Do both sound like questioning "this"? That is, do they sound negative?


texts: Difference between "to foot the bill" and "to fill the bill"

texts:
I already knew the expression, "to foot the bill," and there is also, "to fill the bill."  I initially thought this was just a variant, but on closer examination it seems to be an altogether different idiomatic expression.

So what's the difference?


texts:
What's the word for "common understanding"? I am trying to find a single word that describes a common understanding of values inside an organization.

The company's values are widely recognized by all employees.

All of the employees have a common understanding of the company's values.


texts: What kind of abbreviations are "Bee Gees", "Eminem", etc?

texts:
The "Bee Gees" is actually a stylised expansion of the initials BGs, which in turn refers to initials of Barry Gibb, DJ Bill Gates and Bill Goode (or simply means Brothers Gibb).

"Eminem" comes from M&M, initials of Marshall Mathers.

Similarly, "Emcee" from pronunciation of M.C., abbreviation of master of ceremonies, a noun phrase attested from the 1660s.

In my place I see a lot of companies titled similarly, PeeKays (from initials PK), CeePee electronics, Kay Pee Em tours and travels etc.

Now, my username NVZ is an initialism. What if I expand it into En Vee Zee?

What is this type of naming called?

I don't think it's simply an acronym, or an initialism.


texts: What's the literal definition of currency?

texts:
The word seems like it should mean a measure of how current something is, i.e. "The currency of the year 2017 makes it more relevant than 3017."

The words seem to be in the same family.

Has currency been used so much over time, in regards to money, that it's lost its original meaning; or, am I mistaken?


texts: Grammaticality of “all things are become new”

texts:
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things
  are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (II Corinthians
  5:17)

I'm stuck on the use of are become here. Is it grammatical or is it just old English?


texts: What preposition is used with "sit" and "computer"?

texts:
I personally would say "to sit at the computer", but a friend of mine said he heard "to sit on the computer" from a native speaker. That does not sound right to me at all, and I trust my guts, but still, Google results for "sit on the computer" are quite numerous (even more numerous than "sit at the computer"), and I wonder if on sounds right to native speakers out there.

Thanks for your input!


texts: Single word that parallels "Recent" when discussing the near future

texts:
I've been racking my brain for a single word that would apply to the future in the same way that "recent" applies to the past.  I looked up antonyms of recent but that was a dead end as it led to words describing further past rather than near future.

  There was a recent event at the town hall.

VS

  There will be a XXXX event at the town hall.

I've thought about "future" however that is ambiguous on when.  It is sometime between a moment from now and the end of time.  "Shortly" works if we are ok using an adverb and reordering the sentence.

Is there another option that I'm missing?


texts: Why is this considered a sentence fragment? Please help

texts:
A reward and punishment system to help enforce safety equipment use.

The sentence above was kicked back to me as a sentence fragment. I feel it is a sentence. If this is a sentence fragment, can someone please explain why?


texts: My sentence is: "Our generation work (because "generation" is a collective noun and here I use it in the plural) mainly on computers, we/they/it do(es) not need...". Which pronoun should I use?


texts: Using present continuous passive (is being) for describing repeating (undesirable) actions

texts:
I am trying to understand if it is possible to build sentences in such a way, I feel like I have seen somewhere using this tense in the same way I am trying to use it.

Is it possible to use Present Continuous Passive for describing (undesirable)  behaviour of something that began in the past and I am still dealing with?

For example, this program has began to crash (and it is still crashing).
Is it possible to say in a case like this

  Program is being crashing when I click button.

Or it is better to use present simple

  Program crashes when I click button.


texts:
In a grammar book that I'm reading, an adjective is defined as:

  A word that modifies a noun or a pronoun. (To modify is to limit or
  point out or describe: that book; another chance; the blue
  ribbon). For convenience the articles a, an, and the are usually
  classified under adjectives.

When I looked up in dictionary,

a, an, the, that etc. are known as determiners. How can they be classified under adjectives?


texts: What does this sentence mean "lockdown isn’t an end unto itself. It's simply a means to an end."

texts:
If you need context for this sentence Refer to the Article from which this has been taken :
https://finshots.in/archive/business-uncertainty-and-the-ellsberg-paradox/


texts:
I'm looking for a preferably short idiomatic verb phrase meaning "fail, through poor execution, to be rewarded by an unusually easy opportunity."

An example scenario would be, the hottest girl in school having a crush on some plain, unpopular guy who goes on to fumble a date with her, losing her interest.

Intended use:

  Keep in mind, you can still ____________, so it doesn't mean any hopeless dimwit could win this.

I've looked at lists of idioms for Chance, Luck, and Opportunity, LUCK - OPPORTUNITY, SUCCESS and FAILURE, EFFICIENCY - COMPETENCE, and MISTAKES - ERRORS, but nothing seems to fit right.

Some I've considered:

"Miss the boat" suggests a loss by inaction rather than ineffective action, and also doesn't express the luckiness of the opportunity.
"Drop the ball" perfectly expresses the ineffectiveness of the action, but again fails to express the luckiness of the opportunity.
"Let X slip through your fingers" is a little long, doesn't fit the sentence structure without providing X, and also doesn't strongly suggest that what you've let slip was unusually opportune.
I thought of "throw away a good hand" as coming fairly close, except that (i) it could suggest that the opportunity was intentionally rejected or not taken at all, and (ii) in some card games, this is actually an advantageous strategy in some situations, which is not the intent.


texts:
." Here is a more detailed account of a massacre near Blamont: "All. the villagers fled: it was terrible; their beards thick with blood, and what faces! They were dreadful to look at. The dead were all buried, numbering sixty. Among them were many old men and women, and one unfortunate woman half confined the whole being frightful to look at. Three children were clasped in each other's arms, and had died thus.

The above is a part of newspaper, dated November 14, 1917,
The Coffeyville Daily Journal from Coffeyville, Kansas, describing German atrocities in WW1 in Blamont (Belgium, I think).

I simply can't figure out the expression 'half confined' in the above
paragraph. Was it a typo or it has some other meaning beyond my guess?

Thanks in advance.


texts: Why is it that Frisian is considered the closest related language to English?

texts:
It is commonly asked "What is the closest language to English?" and the equally common answer is

  Frisian

Except that there is rarely a reason given for this connection; the most that is given are baldly stated 'facts' (e.g. "English and Dutch are in the same 'Low German' group")

Can anyone give any substantive reasons? For example, an comparative overlap of vocabulary, a distance metric of phonology, privately shared syntactic rules among all the rules in West German languages.


texts:
Did they come to you and immediately make you feel a relationship was
  being offered with the Russians that you’d like to develop? Or did you
  seek it from your end?

I found the phrase in this article: http://www.theartsdesk.com/classical-music/qa-special-pianist-barry-douglas


texts: Why is reciprocal correct here? She loves him so much, but I am not sure it is (mutual/reciprocal)

texts: I have come across this example in an exercise - She loves him so much, but I am not sure it is (mutual/reciprocal). I looked into both words' definitions and could not say why mutual is incorrect here.


texts: Is there a single word for "Parts of Speech"?

texts:
Is there a word that refers to the different forms of a word, or a word's following four parts of speech—verb, adverb, noun, adjective?
For example:

confuse verb confusedly adverb confusion noun confused, confusing, & confusable adjective

What word should be inserted if I wanted to say: "I'm looking for all the [forms/parts of speech] of confuse." or "I want to use a [form/part of speech] of startle that is not in the dictionary; bestartlement, for example."
I think the answer to my question might be here Word form dictionary/system/tool, but I couldn't understand the descriptions of Inflection and Conjugation well enough to be certain that either is the word I am looking for.
EDIT:After reading through the links on declensions and derivational morphology provided by Benjamin Harman and John Lawler respectively, I agree with Lawler that declensions are not what I am talking about. I think I want to refer to the set of any given content word's semantically associated parts of speech, i.e. all the various derivational morpheme altered forms of a given content word (and sometimes to just one of a content word's corresponding forms in a different lexical category).All these terms are new to me, so I apologize if I used any of them incorrectly.


texts: "Fine, then", "That's it, then", Let's go, then" etc, do we need a comma before "then"?


texts: "Do you like my present" vs. "do you like your present"

texts:
When my daughter received the present I bought to her, I asked her:

  Do you like my present?

Is this correct? Or I should say:

  Do you like your present?


texts: Pronunciation of "thank" using ð (voiced th) instead of θ (unvoiced th)

texts:
Both my younger siblings pronounce "thank" using ð, voicing the "th". I have never heard any other native speaker pronounce it this way. Both my parents, my older sibling, and I all pronounce "thank" using θ, not voicing the "th". I am really wondering where they got this pronunciation form from. From what I have found, the standard pronunciation of "thank" is always with θ.

Has anyone else ever heard "thank" pronounced using ð? Are there any English dialects in which this might be correct?


texts: Why is there no inversion in "Who do you think you are"?

texts:
Look at these 2 sentences

Who do you think is the richest man ?
Who do you think you are ?

Try omit "do you think" and we can see the conflict. Because people often ask "Who are you".
But with "do you think", it has no inversion

I see they are the same structure, but why is there no inversion (subject and verb) in the second sentence ?


texts: Any difference between “I have a lot of work to do” and “I have a lot of work to be done”?

texts:
What is the difference between “I have a lot of work to do” and “I have a lot of work to be done”?

Does sentence one mean that “I” do the work?

Does sentence two mean that “someone else” does the work?


texts: Should I use a hyphen, an en dash, or an em dash to define or introduce a word?

texts:
I have looked up online and studied usages for the hyphen, en dash, and em dash. I still haven't found an answer if I can define words with a dash in English.

The backstory on dashes defining vocabularies

I am bilingual in Russian and English. Back then when I was in a Russian school, we wrote dashes to introduce and define words in a notebook.

The following example is the usage of dashes to define words in grammatical Russian:

  Gravity — the force that attracts a body toward the center of the earth, or toward any other physical body having mass.

  Mass — a substance that has inertia and occupies physical space.

I did not know what type of dash they required but long enough to be em dash in handwriting was acceptable. Due to that, em dashes will be used in examples.

English equalities are "is." Russian also have equalities, but dashes are far more favorable and readable than ", it is."

All examples below mean the same in their respective language with English translation:

  Russian: Mass — a substance that has inertia and occupies physical space.

  Russian: Mass, it is a substance that has inertia and occupies physical space.

  English: Mass is a substance that has inertia and occupies physical space.

The last line is, to my knowledge, the acceptable way of introducing and defining a word in English.

Question

Is it grammatical to use dashes to introduce and define a word?

Below is a clear, readable example of a short glossary:

  Gravity — the force that attracts a body toward the center of the earth, or toward any other physical body having mass.

  Mass — a substance that has inertia and occupies physical space.

  Integrity — the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness.

If an answer is: yes.

What type of dash should I use: hyphen, en dash or em dash?

If an answer is: no.

Are there any clear, readable alternatives for defining words while creating a glossary?

  Gravity is the force that attracts a body toward the center of the earth, or toward any other physical body having mass.

  Mass is a substance that has inertia and occupies physical space.

  Integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness.

Without dashes it's more difficult to differentiate between paragraphs and a glossary list. It's also more unreadable.


texts: What is a phrase/idiom that means "it's not easy being the leader" or "governing isn't easy"

texts: I think there is some idiom for this like "It ain't easy being king" or "it's not easy running the world". Can't remember. Thanks.


texts: Should we say "they are high enough as they are" or "they are high enough as it is."?

texts: I've heard on TV: "We really hope property taxes won't be increased; they are high enough as they are."  Would it be ungrammatical to say "...they are high enough as it is."?


texts: Is “before defining the derivative” a dangling participle in this sentence?

texts:
Someone reviewing an article of mine claims that this sentence begins with a dangling participle.   Is that true?   Is the meaning of the sentence ambiguous?

  Before defining the derivative, it is useful to first define
  nullability.


texts: Has "Error 404" acquired a meaning in everyday English?

texts:
So, we've all seen the web page message "Error 404: Not found."

Apparently, this has now been extended to non-http contexts, and 404 now means a stupid person. Is this true?


texts: Word for an entity, specifically a city, which is of the same nationality as you?

texts:
Is there a word to describe a city (or any entity) that is part of the same country or state, similar to the meaning of compatriot, but as an adjective.

"Allied" is close, but it is too distant as it could be an entity of a friendly state, not necessarily part of your own.


texts: how to refer to a single author in a first-person plural narrative

texts:
In an essay written by two nameless authors speaking in plural first-person narrative, how would one refer to a single one of the two authors? For example, suppose Alice and Bob are the authors of the following, but the reader is not expected to know Alice or Bob's name:

  We went to Mexico for our honeymoon. _____ [Bob] had never been to Mexico.

It could be written:

  We went to Mexico for our honeymoon. Bob had never been to Mexico.

But that doesn't work because the reader doesn't know Bob's name yet. (Here, it's pretty obvious to the reader from context, but in another situation it might not be.) It also seems to imply that Alice is now speaking for herself in singular first-person.

  We went to Mexico for our honeymoon. My husband had never been to Mexico.

That doesn't seem right either, because "we" conflicts with "my," again changing the sense of the narrator.

Is there a clever grammatical resolution to this?


texts: Is it right to say "Every ten hours", "Once in ten hours", or "Once in every ten hours"?

texts:
It’s a website where a listing is updated only once in a hundred hours. But when a user activates paid features, his listing can be updated ten times faster meaning once in ten hours.

Which is the correct version to state such a thing?


texts: "Many people" vs. "much people" — which one should be used?

texts:
There's so many people in here!
  There's so much people here!

Which one should be used, and why?


texts: How to write "IDs of persons" without using "of"?

texts:
I never know how to write this correctly. I can think of several ways to write it but which is the right one?

person IDs
persons IDs
persons' IDs


texts:
What would be an antonym of "hillbilly" and "redneck"?

E.g. what slang word could replace "urban" in this context?

Why would an urban/city-dwelling guy be interested in agricultural techniques?


texts:
What is origin of 'dap' as name for canvas shoes which is used  in parts of England such as West Country & Wales?

The Chamber Dictionary has the following entry but no suggestion for its origin:

Dap:

  Dap (dialect) n. a gym shoe, plimsoll.

Does anyone have more information on its possible origin?


texts:
Which is correct English, "you have minus one dollar in your account" or "you have minus one dollars in your account"?

Is the rule general?

For example, which is correct, "you have minus one diamond in your account" or "you have minus one diamonds in your account"?

I note that number-word.calculators.ro gives "minus one dollar", and that of course "you have minus two dollar in your account" is wrong while "you have minus two dollars in your account" is correct. Further "please minus one dollar from my account" is correct, while "please minus one dollars from my account" is not.


texts:
Looking for a word that describes "Paying attention to the smallest details, though they might not matter".

Starts with the letter "P"


texts: Does another comma belong somewhere in this sentence?

texts:
In conclusion, their failure to properly house their animals and educate the human population are just two reasons why zoos are not as good as they claim to be.

I'm trying to say that their failure to properly house their animals and failure to educate the human population are two separate reasons. Should I just put failure after the "and" instead to make it more clear?


texts: What does “adorkable” mean? How popular is this word? To what kind of objects and occasions can I apply “adorkable”?

texts:
I happened to find the paperback book titled Adorkable, by Sarra Manning, on the GoodReads site.

There is no entry for adorkable in the Cambridge, Oxford or Merriam-Webster dictionaries, or in GoogleNgram, which often carries words and phrases that dictionaries don’t.

A Japanese online English-Japanese dictionary happens to register this word with the definition as an adjective combining adorable and dork and meaning “野暮　(yabo - "unrefined") but かわい（kawai -"adorable").

From this, I wonder if “adorkable” is similar to a Japanese word recently getting international currency: Kawai, meaning "unrefined (childish) but lovely." Its implication is positive and affirmative, but Kawai is used most often in conversation among young females and high teens.

What exactly does adorkable mean? To what kind of objects or occasions is adorkable applied?

Is this an adult word, as against a youngsters’ word like Kawai?

Sara Manning is a British woman; so is this a just a recent British English neologism, whose life may be ephemeral?

For instance, what kind of characters - person, animal, item, or whatever object can be called "adorkable"?


texts: What is a word that means I enjoy human and/or animal interaction?

texts:
I don't know if there is a word for the above question or not, but if there is please help.

I enjoy human or animal interaction, and without such I begin to feel extremely bored and lose interest in most everything, even stuff that would normally help a person be free of that boredom.

If nobody is around, I feel bored and usually stop the game I'm playing, or book I'm reading, begin talking a bit less, and just don't feel up to doing really anything. However if there is someone around, or if there is an animal around like a cat or dog, I lose that bored feeling and begin talking more and doing the above things stated previously.

What is the word I'm looking for? I honestly do not know.

If someone could get back to me quickly, that would be much appreciated.


texts: When I change Travel to Travelers, what is that? Is that some sort of participle? Also, how is this accomplished with Exodus? As in 'Exodus-ers'. Does one use the Latin ablative?


texts: Is "was always with you" or "had always been with you" grammatically correct?

texts:
In those days wherever you went I had always been with you like a shadow.
  In those days wherever you went I was always with you like a shadow.

Which one is grammatically correct?


texts:
How much of a difference in meaning is there between these three sentences, and are any of them better suited to formal writing than the others?

  They must [do things] before they can begin to understand these concepts.
  They must [do things] before they can understand these concepts.
  They must [do things] before they understand these concepts.