texts:
Consider the following sentence:

  [This] is not important for the younger generation any more.

Now let's suppose that for some reason I am willing or obliged to use the adjective "unimportant" instead of "not important"1. Would the following sentence be grammatical?

  [This] is unimportant for the younger generation any more.

If it's not, is there anything I could replace "any more" with to preserve the meaning but make the sentence grammatical?

My question is purely out of curiosity. What's the equivalent, if any, of any more that can be used in sentences where the verb is affirmative?

1 Instead of not important/unimportant any other similar pair could do, e.g. not useful/useless.


texts: What is 'burning or baiting' about the verb 'stake'?

texts:
stake (v.2)
      "to risk, wager," 1520s, perhaps from notion of "post on which a gambling wager was placed" (see stake (n.2)), though Weekley suggests "there is a tinge of the burning or baiting metaphor" in this usage. Meaning "to maintain surveillance" (usually stake out) is first recorded 1942, American English colloquial, probably form earlier sense of "mark off territory." ...

Alas, I struggle even to guess this metaphor. So what does burning or baiting mean here?

Update: I know that 'stake' can mean a "post upon which persons were bound for death by burning", but Etymonline cites this meaning for its entry on the noun. So how did burning or baiting affect the meaning of the verb above?


texts: Of no subject is this more than administrative law

texts:
What is the sentence structure of the above sentence?
Does it mean “No subject is of more than true than administrative law”?


texts: Word / Phrase request for someone who loves to propagate education among others

texts:
I am looking for a English word or phrase which suits someone who love to propagate education among people by establishing educational institutions or writing books and so on.

In order to translate a text from my mother tongue to English I need such a word but I can not find it so far as I have knowledge about English.I have tried to use some words(for example devoted) for this purpose but they seem inappropriate to me.


texts: What does the word stand mean in this phrase?


texts: Meaning of "appeal" and "at the expense of reason"

texts:
Sentimentality originally indicated the reliance on feelings as a guide to truth, but current usage defines it as an appeal to shallow, uncomplicated emotions at the expense of reason

I cannot understand this sentence. What's the meaning of "appeal" in this sentence? And "at the expense of reason"?


texts: I'm wondering if there is a word for when someone is making an argument but there is no one on the other side of the argument. it's like they've made a statement against an opinion, even though no one has stated said opinion. i want to claim it's a logical fallacy too, but i am unsure. thank you


texts: I've been seeing good movies or I've been watching good movies?

texts:
what would you rather say? Which one is correct?
Thanks,Herman.


texts: "Answer to my question" or "answer on my question"?

texts: What's the right usage: an answer to my question or on my question?


texts: Who originally said this quote, and when?

texts:
I would like to find the original source for the following quote.

  We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life when all that we need to make us happy is something to be enthusiastic about.

Searching online, one finds this quote frequently attributed to Albert Einstein as well as Charles Kingsley (apparently an English teacher in the UK in the 19th century). However, not a single website I've consulted included a source, let alone a year with the quote. Moreover, I've consulted half a dozen standard quotation references, including the Oxford Dictionary of Quotations and the book "The Quotable Einstein". None contained the quote when using a keyword search with "comfort, luxury" or "comfort and luxury". Quotation references indexed by quotee I checked specifically for both Einstein and Kingsley and they didn't list the quote either.

Does anybody know a source of this quote? Do we have to conclude that the two supposed quotees are made up and just have conquered the internet?


texts: "like a German engine" vs. "German engine like": which sounds better at the end of a sentence?

texts:
If someone says that you are "quick" or "efficient" and you want to answer with the following concept "comparison with German engines", what is the better way of replying between this two options:

a) like a German engine

b) German engine like

Are both correct? What are the differences between these two sentences for native speakers?


texts: What is it called when your laptop cursor goes wild?

texts:
Working on the laptop all day, I want a word for when my cursor (pointer) just keeps going on its own even though my hand is nowhere close to the laptop mouse controls.  Profanity is fine!

Note that I have only witnessed this phenomenon when using the native mousepad or mouse control button on a laptop.  If I plugged in a regular usb mouse this wouldn't happen.  I have not noticed this on tablets yet.  But I have had at least 20 laptops and happened with all of them.

Usage: Coworker - "What is taking so long?"  Me - "F*cking mouse thing, wait a minute."

Would like to have a phrase to replace "F*cking mouse thing."


texts: What does "flavor" mean in the field of Information Technology?

texts:
I often notice the word flavor being used on the Web. I'm from Russia, and this word is generally translated into Russian as the equivalent of 'impression', 'taste' etc. However, these translations don't fit the technology contexts in which the word is being used (i.e. Web or software development/information technologies etc).

Here are two links where the word "flavor" is used frequently (use ctrl+f for quick search):

http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2015/02/ubuntu-mate-is-now-an-official-ubuntu-flavor
http://linux.slashdot.org/story/15/03/06/1448247/ubuntu-to-officially-switch-to-systemd-next-monday

Please could somebody explain why this usage is popular, and what it signifies?


texts: Word for the thief's key that can unlock anything

texts:
Is there any specific word that describes or denotes a key, which helps thief to steal anything and anywhere, no matter what kind of lock there is. In a nut shell that key can unlock any locks e.g. of room, wardrobe, bike, etc.
In some parts of Pakistan, people regard such keys in Urdu as under:

ﭼﻮﺭ ﭼﺎﺑﯽ

Translation: 'thieving key'.
In translation, I used the adjective thieving which I got from Internet.

'the thieving key'.

But 'thieving' describes a person, rather than any material... perhaps, there might be an adjective or a noun describing or denoting a key, which can unlock anything, and can open the doors for the thieves to steal easily.

Afterthought:
I thought that the two-worded phrase master key might help here, but it totally connotes positivity of the key, about which I am not after:

master key (noun, From Oxford English Living Dictionaries.)

a key that opens several locks, each of which also has its own key. [IMO, it has positive connotation]

See that, in a hotel, a master key can be held by any hotel workers, and those keys are not made for the thieves.
There should be a word having negative connotation, as mentioned previously in Urdu: thieving key.

The thief had [adjective] key.

Or

The thief had [noun for that key].


texts: his justifying mistake or his justifying of mistake

texts:
(1) I can't understand the student's justifying the mistake.

(2) I can't understand the student's justifying of the mistake.

Which sentence is correct?   Could you help me clarify it?  Thank you always.


texts: What is a good substitute for "can be seen to"?

texts:
I am looking for a phrase that can be used instead of "can be seen to" in an analytical context

e.g. "...each of whom can be seen to represent..."


texts: Proverb about wealth and connectedness/friends

texts:
I remember reading somewhere a proverb. I don't remember exactly how it went. I also vaguely remember it being African, but I'm probably wrong.

In a paraphrased form (in my head) it is: "The wealthy is not the one that has the most, but one that connects the most"

Is there an English proverb or idiomatic expression that express the concept I am referring to?


texts: Isn’t “Eye-glazing” a popular word? Why isn’t it included in major English dictionaries?

texts:
I came across the word eye-glazing in the article of today’s Time magazine (Sept 9) titled ‘Slow Down! Why Some Languages Sound So Fast?’, which I'm sure will interest 'language buffs'.

It begins with (Sorry for a bit lengthy):

  “Here's one of the least-interesting paragraphs you've ever read:

  'Last night I opened the front door to let the cat out. It was such a beautiful night that I wandered down to the garden to get a breath of fresh air. Then I heard a click as the door closed behind me.’

  OK, it becomes a little less eye-glazing after that, with the speaker getting arrested while trying to force the door back open. Still, we ain't talking Noel Coward here.”

I checked online dictionaries to find the exact meaning of eye-glazing. I was able to find many examples of usages of this word, e.g.,

  But the rest of my audience was growing restive, with here and there an eye glazing over. —The Burglar on the Prowl
  I mean, thousands of pages, stuff that's almost eye glazing to read. —CNN Transcript Dec 4, 2002
  The statute has become such an eye glazing mess that it’s easy to forget that in 1965 it was beautifully designed and absolutely essential. —The Volokh Conspiracy

From the above examples I guessed the word means ‘making eyes unfocused, blurred’ (Correct me if I'm wrong), but I couldn’t find its definition in any dictionaries including Cambridge, Merriam-Webster Online, nor Urban Dictionary.

I wonder why eye-glazing which looks as if very colloquial is not registered in any dictionaries, while they accommodate eye-related compounds such as 'eye opening,' 'eye-catching,' and 'eye popping'. Isn’t eye-glazing a popular word?


texts: How did 'attitude' come to mean 'orientation' in travel?

texts:
I read the question WHY (actually) did Rosetta have to go into hibernation for 2.5 years? that uses the term attitude to refer to the orientation of the Rosetta probe:

  It spun itself up to stabilize its attitude, then shut down navigation, attitude control, communication systems as well as some of the heaters

When I read the question, I thought it was a typo for altitude, but now I understand that attitude control refers to:

  ...controlling the orientation of an object with respect to an inertial frame of reference or another entity (the celestial sphere, certain fields, nearby objects, etc.).

Source: Wikipedia

My question is, what is the origin of using the word 'attitude' to refer to orientation?


texts: Word to describe learning or understanding something earlier then most

texts: I remember reading of a word that was used to describe it when a person or thing is able to adopt or learn a concept earlier then most people. I also remember hearing this word in the Imitation Game, if that helps.


texts: What is the degree of strength of the verbs listed below dealing with rules/advice?

texts:
I used to have a list that showed the increasing strength of these words, but I seemed to have lost it.

The words/phrases are: must/mustn't, should/shouldn't, have to/don't have to, can/can't, and are allowed to/aren't allowed to.


texts: Meaning of "so" in the following context

texts:
I need help with the meaning of "so" in the following context. Could you paraphrase it?
Also, what is the grammar applied here?

  These ideas may be developed by children absorbing ideas through the
  popular media. Sometimes this information may be erroneous. It seems
  schools may not be providing an opportunity for children to re-express
  their ideas and so have them tested and refined by teachers and
  their peers.

Much appreciated.


texts:
Is the word 'neo-scholasticism' capitalized in academic writing, or not?
It is lowercase in the Merriam Webster dictionary, but capitalized in the Collins English dictionary. So in a thesis, which would be correct:
Option A: neo-scholasticism
Option B: Neo-Scholasticism


texts: Past or present tense in the clause of an -ing structure?

texts:
I have a question that, as the title suggests, relates to tense agreement between an -ing phrase and its subordinate clause.

I have seen other similar questions, such as
present/past tense in a subordinate clause and
Present tense in the narrative past tense, but I think my question is somewhat different.

Consider the sentence:

  (1) John looks at the photo and remembers Maria telling him that she
  loved him

and the sentence:

  (2) John looks at the photo and remembers Maria telling him that she
  loves him

Are they both grammatically correct [perhaps with (1) implying she doesn't love him anymore, whereas in (2) she still does], or is only (1) the grammatically correct one?

I have this instinctive feeling that only (1) is grammatically correct, but it would be a bit puzzling from a structural point of view, since we have a verb in present tense ("remembers") and an -ing clause. In other words, it's only a semantic element (the function of the verb "remember") that places the action in the past.

Any thoughts on the matter?

EDIT

I thought to start a bounty, so let me clarify the question further.

If it is grammatical to say:

  John hears Maria telling him she loves him

is it also grammatical to say:

  John remembers Maria telling him she loves him

or would we have to use she loved him instead. And if this is the case, can there be non-semantic reasons justifying the choice? In other words, is there anything besides the semantic function of the verb remember, referring to an action that occurred in the past, which dictates the past tense?


texts: Can "without abandonment" mean "with abandon"?

texts:
An author I'm currently reading often uses language in a slightly irregular fashion. I've been trying to decide if it's playful and intentional, which would be intriguing. If it's not intentional, then it's either an error on the author's part (fine) or on the editor's (less fine).

The current book includes the following (presumably wrong) phrase, in a scene where two people try to elude others.

"Without abandonment, she grabbed my hand and pulled me down the pavement"

Given the nature of the scene, I think it's supposed to mean "with abandon" but that doesn't totally fit. The only other guess I have is something along the lines of "without hesitation".

In this context, I think the phrase is used as a state of mind decriptor, not a literal one. Has anyone ever heard the phrase "without abandonment" used in this way?


texts: Is there a term for a compliment at another's expense?

texts:
Is there a term for a compliment that is given by favorably comparing one person to another or by putting another person down simultaneously?

I recently received one and found I lacked a term to describe them and the mix of competitiveness, superiority, guilt, and pity you feel in response.

Edit: There seems to be a little confusion about what I'm looking for, so please allow me to clarify. This should be an actual compliment. The salient point is that it builds one person up while tearing another down. Instead of just saying you're good at something, it says another person can't approach your level of performance (as an example).


texts:
I am wondering whether both of the following sentences are acceptable:

(A) Only water bottles with "caps" are allowed in this area.
(B) Only water bottles with "a" cap are allowed in this area.

If I want to emphasize the importance of having A CAP on the bottles brought into the area, would it be acceptable to put "A" instead of "CAPS"?

Please advise.

Thank you


texts: What is the difference between "exemption" and "exception"?

texts: It seems that exemption and exception have the same meaning. However, they seem to be used differently. When should we use one and not the other?


texts: What's a term or word to describe impassioned arguments or feelings about inconsequential things?

texts:
I feel this is best explained through examples.

The internet constantly fights over the pronunciation over the file format "gif". Some say "gif", while others say "jif".
People have very strong feelings about whether pineapple is a valid pizza topping.

In both cases, people feel very attached to their opinions.  They will often feign (or take actual) offence to someone telling them they are wrong or have the opposite view.  However, neither of these examples are really consequential to anyone in any way, and yet almost everyone seems to have a strong opinion on the matter.  They are seemingly divisive for no reason whatsoever.

Is there a word or phrase that describes these meaningless issues and people's feelings towards them?


texts: What does "stand to" mean in the context of semiotics?

texts:
What does "stand to" mean in the following quotation of Charles Peirce?:

'A Sign, or Representamen, is a First which stands in such a genuine triadic relation to a Second, called its Object, as to be capable of determining a Third, called its Interpretant, to assume the same triadic relation to its Object in which it stands itself to the same Object."

"Stand for" means "to represent, or symbolize"

To me, "stand to" in the above quotation has a military sense: "To take up positions for action", so the sign take up the position of its object as to be capable of determining its interpretant. It really makes sense?


texts: Is it true that the plural of "chad" is "chadim"?

texts:
I was busy at filing tasks today, working the hole punch and manufacturing... er... more than one chad. I consulted the Computer Contradictionary by Stan Kelly-Bootle, which is normally a reliable source for this sort of thing, and it claims that the plural of chad is chadim.

It referred me to the New Hacker's Dictionary and the Jargon File  which are sadly silent on the plural.

Does anyone know if chadim is a recognised plural (even among the l33t haXor community) or is this another of Kelly-Bootle's jokes?


texts: What does "bang in" and "bang out of" mean here?

texts: Kids and dogs bang in and out of the dazzling hot day.


texts:
I have three related questions, all concerning words descriptive of conversational habits.

(1) How would you choose a word to describe someone who likes to talk about things around them and things happening in their whereabouts?

[The opposite of absent minded]

Actually, absent minded though would not do a very good job at describing someone who likes to talk/think, perhaps not on their own, about abstract things or things they imagine).

(2) And how would you choose a word for someone who likes to talk about things happening elsewhere?

(3) And how would you choose a word for describing someone who likes to talk about the past?


texts: Is this a 'justified' double negative? The answer may require some Old English knowledge.

texts:
The following is is my translation of a sentence from Bede's Account of the Conversion of King Edwin. Old English tolerated the double negative, and I am trying to translate the text in such a way that would carry the spirit of the original language. Can I have thoughts on the grammaticality of the translation?  It does sound odd, I know, but it is not supposed to feel like ME. I particularly am interested in feedback about my use of 'neither nothing' which I am highly suspecting to sound 'off'.

The original Text:

  Ic þe soðlice andette, þæt ic cuðlice geleornad hæbbe, þæt eallinga
  nawiht mægenes ne nyttnes hafað sio æfæstnes, þe we oð ðis hæfdon &
  beeodon.

The translation and the construct in doubt

  I truthfully confess to you that I clearly learned that, neither
  nothing of virtue, nor nothing of usefulness does that religion have,
  which we till this day had and practiced.

P.S: I am aware that the forum does not accept translation questions. My question is NOT about the accuracy of the translation; it is more about clearing out the doubt I have about the said construct.


texts:
Is there an error in this sentence?

  When Darun heard the news that his father had been hospitalised he cancelled his trip and returned back to his village.

I think the error is 'back' but I need your confirmation.


texts: Alter vs Modify vs Change (in Legal Documents)

texts:
Consider the quote from "What is a Grantor Trust" article.

  This trust is revocable, which simply means it can be altered, modified, and otherwise changed or even terminated during the life of the grantor, provided that the grantor has full mental capacity.

As far as I could figure out from other forums words "alter" and "modified" mean "to change slightly", and "change" is more generic word and may also mean "replace" or "exchange for something else". The text in bold sounds to me like "it can be slightly changed, slightly changed, and otherwise changed". Are there some differences in meaning between "alter" and "modify" in this context or in general? Are they generally interchangeable?


texts: Origin and explanation of "Operation Yellowhammer" for a worst-case scenario

texts:
The British government called its research on a worst-case scenario in the event of a no-deal Brexit Operation Yellowhammer:

Ministers have published details of their Yellowhammer contingency plan, after MPs voted to force its release.
It outlines a series of "reasonable worst case assumptions" for the impact of a no-deal Brexit on 31 October.

The OED defines yellowhammer as:

a. A large bunting having (esp. in the male) a bright yellow head, throat, and underparts, Emberiza citrinella (family Emberizidae), native to Europe and Asia and introduced to New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa.Also called yellow bunting, yorling, yowlring.

In the United States, the state of Alabama is known as the Yellowhammer State.
There's a book, of the genre chiller, called The Yellowhammer's Cradle, by Sally Spedding, published in 2016, which turns up on Google's NGram with the following tagline:

According to ancient folklore in Scotland and northern England, the yellowhammer bird is said to drink a drop of the Devil's blood every May Day morning . . .

Was the choice of "Operation Yellowhammer" arbitrary, or is there an origin for this use that explains it? Are there previous uses, such as "yellowhammer paper," related to its use as a worst-case scenario?


texts:
What is the correct form of switching from Direct speech to Reported speech in this example:

A policeman says "You will have to turn back because the road is closed"

Shall it be:

1) A policeman told us we would have to turn back because the road was closed"

OR

2) A policeman told us we had to turn back because the road was closed

I am just confused with use of 'would have to' and reported speech.

EDIT:

It is not about "to use backshifting or not", "is the statement still true or not?" Let's say we want to say it in reported speech ... how to handle backshifting correctly here?


texts: Does starting a sentence with "it is" make it passive?

texts:
Suppose I say:

  It is foolish to lick a metal pole.

Is this in the passive voice?

Would this sentence be better as:

  To lick a metal pole is foolish.

How about:

  Licking a metal pole is foolish.


texts: What does "occurred in the sound" means?

texts:
The below paragraph is from a website I came across recently. Could anyone explain to me what the author means by "occurred in the sound' in the below paragraph?

  Because the birds apparently died of starvation, logic follows that the birds were unable to find appropriate food. For these birds, that would be ocean herring and other fish whose populations are known to be in decline. It’s worth noting that herring numbers in particular have been low since the 1983 Exxon Valdez oil spill, which occurred in the sound.


texts:
stock market volatility and concerning signs of a fast-landing by the
  Chinese economy have stoked voices calling for a delay in the Fed’s
  tightening cycle.

I'm not sure about the meaning of the phrase, 'a fast-landing' in the above sentence.


texts: When you call someone, do you say "Is this Mr Smith?" or "Is that Mr Smith?" when that person picks up?

texts:
I feel it should be this since am talking to the very same person, but for some reason I see some people saying “Is that XYZ?”
What are your thoughts about this bit of phone etiquette?


texts: What is "thars" in Dr. Seuss poetry "The Sneetches"?

texts:
The Sneetches, by Dr. Seuss:

  Now, the Star-Belly Sneetches had bellies with stars.

  The Plain-Belly Sneetches had none upon thars.

  Those stars weren’t so big. They were really so small.

  You might think such a thing wouldn’t matter at all.

What's the meaning of thars in the above context? Is it a dialect form of theirs?

I do not remember much "eye-dialect" style from Dr. Seuss children poetry, at least not in this particular poem. Of course I may have overlooked it. However, at least it is not typical for him. Why would he use it right here? Is it (as Hugh suggest in his comment) to express a sneer? Would Dr. Seuss really use it just of the sake of rhyme, as Sven Yargs suggests in his comment ("to enable the fancy sneetches to have stars on their bellies instead of stairs")?


texts: The grammar of '... produces so much more wealth than there are useful things to spend it on that we have to spend it on ...'

texts:
There is a sentence in Longman Advanced Grammar sduty section 2.

  Technological capitalism produces so much more wealth than there are useful things to spend it on that we have to spend it on rubbish.

KrisW explain the grammar point about Comparative deletion very clearly. But I'm still confused about something.

In KrisW's opinion, the sentence is simply comparing the magnitude from the first clause with the magnitude of the second clause. The first clause is "wealth", and the second is "things there are to spend it (wealth) on".

So, why use "there are" ?

Can we modify the sentence as below ?

  Technological capitalism produces so much more wealth than  useful things
  that we have to spend it on rubbish.


texts: Use of "save this day" instead of "save the date"

texts: Can we use the phrase save this day  instead of save the date? The intention is to emphasize an event happening on a special date. For example, a soccer match is going to happen next Friday and I want to say Save this day! Is it correct?


texts: How should we use hyphen to create an adjective with multiple words?

texts:
When saying, in a technical documentation,
XYZ license with a free of charge distribution only clause
should we use hyphens like this:
XYZ license with a free-of-charge-distribution-only clause
to emphasize the 5 words before "clause" is an ajdective ?
What's the general rule in this case?


texts: Difference between "with" and "at" when it comes to percentages

texts:
I have a problem in using "at" and "with" in describing graphs and percentages. I have read many samples in different books, but I am not quite sure that I can use them properly. I even find a similar topic on this other ELU question but it did not help either. So I provide here some examples from different books so that you can answer them:

  Shopping came next at 10%, although this was much less popular than socializing, at 20%.

Can we use "with" instead of "at" in the above sentence?

  Socializing was next at 20%, which was twice as popular as shopping, with 10%.

Can we replace "at" with "with" in the above sentence, and vice versa?

  Both alcohol and drug sales peaked in 1980 with figures of $186 billion and $102 billion respectively.

Can we change it to:

  Both alcohol and drug sales peaked in 1980 at $186 billion and $102 billion respectively.

  Indonesia was responsible for about one third of rice production, at just over 46 million tonnes.

Can we change it to "with"?

  No change was seen in jogging at 31% in the two older age groups for women.

Can we change it to "with"?


texts: Using the pronoun 'one' twice in a sentence for the same person

texts:
I often read sentences that use the pronoun 'one' twice to refer to the same hypothetical person, but I've always felt reluctant in using it myself. Here's an example:

  One's experiences shape one's expectations.

The second one refers to the first, and this meaning is clear from context: Both one refer to the same person. Yet, in this way, the sentence really just says that hypothetical person A's experiences shape person B's expectations (whether or not persons A and B are the same person).

Is this kind of construction tolerated or considered bad form?


texts: What does the phrase "money ahead" mean?

texts:
From You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown:

  At the bike shop, they purchase a poor-quality bike with what they can afford. When Charlie Brown asks if it runs, Linus replies that "even if the bike walks, we'll be money ahead".

What does it mean?


texts:
Let's say I'm trying to describe two things that change. The first changes often and the second changes less often.

Is there a better word than "volatility" to use in the following scenario? Is it even proper in this use?

The first thing has "high volatility"
The second thing has "low volatility"


texts: What does "I don't want to die like X" mean when X is alive?

texts:
Some possible interpretations of "I don't want to die like X" seem to be:

Just like X, I, too, do not want to die.
Taking death non-literally: I do not want to die in the way that X has "died".
I do not want to die in the way X wants to (or will) die.

What is the standard interpretation here?


texts: What is the correct structure for the phrase 'only happens once'?

texts:
There is a statement on my homepage, and I'm not sure the correct order, or if it really matters.

"Your first impression only happens once."

Now should that be flipped around? i.e. ... happens only once.

Is there a correct order here?


texts:
Looking for the word, when someone is talking to someone else about you and tells then you will say something which is actually incorrect. It's "Mis---" something or similar i think - but not "misquote" because it's not actually been said

For instance:

Bob to Jim: Dave will definitely not want to go to that bar

(Dave actually does want to)


texts: entailed him / his being - use of pronoun vs possessive determiner

texts:
The position entailed him/his being in Chicago most of the time.
  The bonuses were based on him/his reaching the quota.
  It had nothing to do with him/his being privy to the information.
  His fondness for sports resulted in him/his assuming that position.

In the above sentences which one is grammatically correct, him or his, and why?


texts:
How do you use possessive pronouns in cases where there are multiple "owners" and "objects" in question? For example would it be:

"I've included my and Linda's suggestions in the file"

or

"I've included mine and Linda's suggestions in the file" ?

Also, should I always include "both" before the first possessive pronoun in the sentence and what should be the listing order: me first or Linda first?


texts: word that encompasses books, movies, tv shows, webtoons, songs, etc

texts:
I am writing a journal containing my thoughts about books, movies, TV shows, songs etc. and I have a problem finding a name for it. The closest thing I have come up with is entertainment journal, but to me that sounds a bit awkward... my friend came up with showbiz, but that sounds even weirder...
Other words that I've considered:

consumerism journal (I saw some other post saying that reading and watching shows means consuming entertainment? idk)
thoughts journal (I think that this is too general)
reviews (does not seem personal to me)


texts: Synonymous idiom for "more x than you can shake a stick at"

texts:
It's very difficult to search the web for synonymous idioms, at least for me. I found Origin of "More X than you can shake a stick at", but I'm really trying to find a similar phrase to it.

  We have an overabundance of noun.

The only thing I could think of was "we got stacks on stacks", but that's not appropriate for many situations.


texts: Which is correct: "the below information" or "the information below"?

texts: I frequently see statements that refer to something later in the text that use a phrase such as "the below information". Is it more correct instead to say "the information below" (or "the following information")?


texts:
Basically I want to know a phrase to tell someone who is very sure about his opinion, stubborn and doesn't want to change it, although he is wrong?

I want something like "yeah sure man, you're right", I don't want to continue arguing with him and just tell him he's right, without it sounding so mean, something you can say to a manager, but without it sounding so respectful, too.


texts:
I saw this word "Blink Dog" in a game.

Is this an acceptable usage? Can a verb been used as an adjective as in this way?


texts: Word for "device that provides constant doses of a liquid/dust/substance"

texts:
Think of a sugar dispenser. It provides an equal "dose" of sugar every time you push its button.

In my native language, Bulgarian, we have a specific word for this kind of object. The literal "translation" of it would be "dosator"/"dosager". The general word 'dispenser' doesn't capture the fact that the dose is equal each time. So is there a precise word for this?

(I needed that kind of word for a metaphor in a class name in a computer program I'm writing)


texts:
You're taking the brunt normally when a storm of bad events hits you the hardest and deals most harm to you.

How would you call it when a storm of mostly unrelated positive events leaves you receiving most (potentially undeserved or unasked for) benefits?

(it doesn't have to be a single word - a neat expression, like would be just as fine)


texts: 'The Queen That Never Was' or 'The Queen Who Never Was'?

texts:
A documentary drama about the American Wallis Simpson (the influence upon Edward VIII causing him to abdicate the throne of England on 10th December 1936) is titled 'Wallis : The Queen That Never Was'.

The piece is written and directed by Paul Olding, a British writer and director.

Immediately I saw the title, I paused as I would have expected it to say 'who never was', since Wallis Simpson was a person and the usual pronoun regarding persons is 'who', not 'that'.

It is true there is a mixture of concepts, here.

The title is not questioning the historic existence of the person, but is stating that she never became Queen of England. So the title is stating something about the office of Queen. That office was never upon that historic person.

In which case the title of the piece actually means 'The Woman who never became Queen'. And in that case, one would not say :

  The Woman That Never Became Queen

but rather :

  The Woman Who Never Became Queen

Should not the pronoun be 'who' in this particular case ?

Edit : The Ngram suggested in @Peter Shor 's answer is interesting and I have added 'a/the woman who// a/the woman that' which shows a significantly greater modern weighting for 'the woman who' and an even greater modern weighting for 'a woman who', which is notable for with the indefinite article the phrase, supposedly, becomes less 'specific'.

Ngram additonal.

Edit: The suggested duplicate does not answer my question as this situation is specific to the mixed concept of person and office and it is clear from answers and comments, thus far, that the language is changing in regard, especially, to the use of 'that' and 'who' in relation to women, as can be seen from the Ngram.

I believe that this question has highlighted something interesting happening within the language and I believe that the subject is worth pursuing further.


texts: Difference between "I've got a cold" and "I've gotten a cold" in American English

texts:
I once heard there is a difference in meaning between these two sentences in AmE. Is there any?

The possible duplicate Difference between "I have got" and "I have gotten" does not address this particular case.


texts:
In the following sentence is it correct to use the present tense ("when he grows up") with a story that is basically told in the past tense?

  Don dreamed of becoming a doctor one day, when he grows up.

Can "dreamed" (in the past) go with ("when he grows up") in the future?

I don't think that "grew up" can fit, but "grows up" sounds a bit awkward as well.

Tnx, Tommy


texts:
A pagan is someone who holds religious beliefs other than the main world religions.

Propaganda is misleading information.

Pagans could be ostracized for holding different beliefs and being labelled as "misinformants".

Also, where did the "da" ending come from?


texts: Correctness of "Thank you for your time and looking forward to your response."

texts: I see "Thank you for your time and looking forward to your response." in my co-workers emails. Is it correct? What about "Merry Christmas and wishing you well."


texts: What are these pieces of cooking equipment called?

texts:
I decided to write down all the recipes I know to my website in English. However, I realized that I do not know what many common items are called. To make things even more confusing, I do not know if all the foods (or the equipment to prepare them) even exist in English-speaking countries. I have found various translations, but they do not seem to be very exact and it remains unclear what kind of an item I am speaking of.

How should I call these items so that it is clear what I'm talking about?

Item 1: glass or metal, diameter about 24-30cm. Height about 5cm. Used to bake salty or sweet pies (or at least we would call it a pie).

Item 2: metal, used to bake sweet... cakes? that are dry. Diameter about 25cm.

Item 3: metal, used to bake sweet cakes that are not dry. Diameter varies, usually between 20 and 30cm. Removable bottom.

Item 4: usually glass, used to bake a variety of foods (not pies or cakes) in the oven.


texts: What is a question with multiple answers called?

texts:
A multiple choice question is the one with several choices of which only one choice is correct.

What type of question is the following? It has multiple answers.

  Which of the following are planets?
      1) Jupiter
      2) Moon
      3) Mars
      4) Earth
      5) Sun


texts: What is the meaning of this sentence from Inorganic Chemistry?

texts:
I was studying Inorganic Chemistry today and I read a statement for which I wasn't able to understand the meaning.

  When Plaster of Paris is wetted with water,it forms a plastic mass which sets in from 5 to 15 minutes to a white porous hard mass.

I can understand that Plaster of Paris is treated with H2O. I cant understand next sentence . Can anyone explain this is in simple English?


texts:
Is the following expression common among native speakers:

  If you don't enroll now, there is a chance of losing the semester.

Any better alternative?


texts: Is there a word for someone who tied a game akin to "winner" and "loser"?

texts:
Someone who wins a game is a winner.
Someone who loses a game is a loser.

Is there a word for someone who tied / ended a game in a draw?


texts:
Am I just crazy, or is there some ambiguity in the phrase "feeling well"?

Example:
Billy has a genetic defect that causes him to lose sensation in his fingertips every few days, or so. "How are you feeling today?" is a question that Billy might answer in such a way as to indicate the quality or degree to which he can feel.


texts: A phrase for "As the opportunity arises and its mutually convenient"?

texts:
In my course syllabus I have office hours.  However, I am happy to answer student questions if we run into each other in the hall, or if they drop by my office when I am in.  However, between switching offices in buildings and a slew of committee meetings I can't say (other than my office hours) exactly when and where I can be found.

I would like a succinct phrase that conveys that my office hours are "Mondays 9-12, Tuesday 2-5 and whenever you and I happen to run into each other and it's convenient for both us to chat and you have a question".

The phrase "Mondays 9-12, Tuesday 2-5 and whenever you can find me" suggests that I am playing hide and seek.

The phrase "Mondays 9-12, Tuesday 2-5 and by mutual convenience" doesn't quite sound right to me, and not very welcoming.

Suggestions?


texts: Should the word "stereotype" sounds like /ˈster.i.ə.taɪp/ like in the dictionary, instead of "stereo"+"type" which is the way I felt most peoples are pronouncing with? If so, is there any meaning for the silence O?


texts: Is there a noun or adjective for someone who makes trite remarks as if they were new and original?

texts:
Usually at the end of a speech, as if such remarks were fresh, and special for the occasion, e.g.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: hasty climbers have
sudden falls

I'm against all that, and you know why? Give them an inch and they
will take a yard

...and remember my words: there's no smoke without fire


texts: Whats a word/phrase for stuck between two worlds?

texts: STuck bewtween two different worlds, like 2 differenct cultures


texts: Is there a word for "wild animals that aren't afraid of people"?

texts:
I'm looking for a word or phrase to describe wild animals that are not afraid of people.

I don't believe that tame fits, as it seems to be the opposite of wild. Domesticated doesn't fit either.

For a more specific example of the case in question:

  The groundhogs and squirrels on campus are crazy! Sometimes they even let people pet them.

These animals would be called what?


texts:
Consider

  (…) and they were getting stronger with/for every day

What's the difference/the correct one to use?


texts: Schools Pupils' Reports or without apostrophe?

texts:
Not finding a solid answer on google.
This title:

Schools Pupils' Reports to Parents
School's Pupils' Reports to Parents

Which one is correct?


texts:
I am writing the acknowledgement section of my thesis. Could someone please let me know if I am using the word "perk" correctly in the following?

  I want to thank my great friends in our lab, especially Ph.D. candidate Jason Wright for making the lab environment pleasant and rewarding. Coffee breaks with him were a great perk.

Should I use something else instead of "perk"? If perk is not commonly used, how can I say that coffee breaks with his were very useful? Thanks in advance.


texts: "Lends way" as an alternative to "lends itself to"

texts:
Is "lends way" an accepted alternative to "lends itself to"? I'd imagine the only difference is the former is less formal than the latter.

I was surprised how uncommon "lends way" is:

google search for "lends way" returns 10,900 results
google search for "lends itself to" returns over 6 million results
the ngram doesn't even have data for "lends way"

Am I better off removing it entirely from my lexicon?


texts: Expression for someone who doesn't like to eat

texts:
Is there an expression for a person who eats very little, doesn't like eating, avoids it?

I don't mean the medical condition of anorexia, I mean a common preference, like kids who need a lot of convincing to eat their lunch or adults who can run a whole day on a single donut and realize this is wrong but simply don't care and won't eat a solid meal unless you shout at them.

Very informal or even slang words are okay.


texts:
Today any accessible, fast-moving story written in unaffected prose is deemed to be "genre fiction"—at best an excellent "read" or a "page
  turner," but never literature with a capital L.

I cant understand the reason for using the dash in —at best an excellent "read" or a "page turner," but never literature with a capital L. Can you explain this to me and give me the different uses of dashes and their functions in the English sentence?


texts:
Recently I'm thinking which one got correct grammar?

Mail written for Bob

or

Mail written to Bob

Notice mail is noun.

Both two sentence sounds correct, but why most people say mail written for Bob not mail written to Bob? Do mail written to Bob has correct grammar or it's wrong?


texts: "Promised to be exciting, but ended being boring"

texts:
Although it promised to be exciting, it ended being boring/dull/useless.

Any idiom for the above phrase?


texts: I went to jog / I went for a jog / I went jogging

texts:
Sorry if this is a stupid question to ask here, but I don't have much formal knowledge of grammar.

I just want to know if "I went to jog" is grammatical, and if so, are there any differences between "I went to jog", "I went for a jog", and "I went jogging"?


texts: Looking for a word that shows connection, perhaps medically

texts:
Hope this is a proper site to post this type of question , apologies if not.
Having no luck remembering a word that describes one condition leading to another condition .
In a medical sense in my particular situation, but interested in any word that might work.
Used this word years ago, might begin with the letter c, but I am just not sure.
Thank you all for any assistance .
Peace and health


texts: Short phrase meaning "Area of study, activity, or interest where a particular technology or method is used."

texts: I feel like I know a phrase like [...] of [...] that is often used on the tip of my tongue, but can't spit it out.


texts: Why is the exclamation mark called a "bang"?

texts: Why is the exclamation mark called a bang? Bang is used to mean the sound of something falling but these days I hear it frequently used to mean the exclamation mark, especially in IT related texts.


texts: What is the difference between candidly and honestly?

texts:
In almost every dictionary, candidly and honestly are explained as having the same meaning.

Still, I'm pretty sure there must be some difference, whether big or tiny.
Any reasonable tip would be much appreciated!


texts: A server is to a client, as to serve is to?

texts:
A server serves a client. A client ??? a server?

It can be stated as: A client "gets served from" a server, but this is in terms of the server. What would it be in terms of the client's action and not that of the server's?


texts: Relative pronoun, the use of comma, and subject verb agreement

texts:
Ex. There are many interesting stories attached to the drink, which exclusively belong to the brand only.

Is above sentence correct? Or it should be

Ex. There are many interesting stories attached to the drink, which exclusively belongs to the brand only.

I use a comma before relative pronoun because I want to denote ‘Interesting stories’ with the relative pronoun ‘which’. So the verb will be plural – ‘belong’.

If I omit the comma and write the sentence as:

Ex. There are many interesting stories attached to the drink which exclusively belongs to the brand only.

Here ‘which’ denotes drink and so the verb will be ‘belongs’

Am I right here?


texts: Is there a word meaning "my child's spouse's parents"?

texts: If I am introducing someone to my daughter's husband's parents can I say "Hi, I'd like to you meet my ___". In-laws would not work here because they are my child's in-laws not my own. Is there a word for this relationship?


texts:
"I am not a Feminist or I wouldn't tolerate you people."

I read this in the captions of a movie trailer and I found it hard to understand. There are two negative words and the use of the word or.

Does "I am not a Feminist or I wouldn't tolerate you people" mean "I am not a Feminist; if I was I wouldn't tolerate you people"?

Would either of these be considered better?

"If I were a Feminist I wouldn't tolerate you people."
"I am not a Feminist or else I wouldn't tolerate you people."

Is the original sentence considered good English?


texts: Does Bill Pugh's last name rhyme with 'tug', 'few', or something else?


texts: Capitalization of "you are here" on maps?

texts:
I understand that capitalization "rules," aside from capitalizing the beginning of a sentence and so forth, are less steadfast rules and are more (somewhat arbitrary in my opinion) style guidelines that differ across established styles, etc.

But so my question has to do with the "you are here" marker found in maps occasionally. Is there an established or preferred way to capitalize this phrase? When I google maps with this marker, I can't find any preference for this.

Some capitalize it like, "You are here," like this map:

Some capitalize it like, "You Are Here," like this map:

And then a lot of google results have all letters capitalized, seemingly in order to avoid the issue altogether.

I also found this picture, which while not a proper map is still a way of capitalizing I did not consider until I saw it, "You are Here."

I ask this question because I am checking the translation of a map and the capitalization style seems inconsistent on the legend, i.e. it starts capitalizing every word since there are like titles/items but then it only capitalizes the first word of each item. But then it has the icon for "you are here" in the legend too and for some reason my gut tells me that should stay as "You are here" as it is currently rendered, but now I'm confused if that will make it weird if the other words are all capitalized.


texts: Is there a website/game builds a sentence for the given word?

texts: I just got a request from someone the request is for a website/game which you gave it a word it builds you the sentence. I know it might not be a good way to learn but maybe for a while or for some instant usage. I looked up Google but nothing helped.


texts: Is it correct to write 'an'in the sentence "proud of being 'an' LSRite", where LSR is an acronym?


texts:
When someone says,

  The changes have to be updated.

someone may reply,

  Those changes need to be made but the plan to make those changes does not yet exist. (as sometimes found)

Is it grammatically correct? Why shouldn't it be something like the following?

  The plan to make those changes has not yet existed.

Moreover, sometimes "still" is seen in place of "yet" such as.

  Bill has still not arrived.

Shouldn't it be

  Bill has not yet arrived.

I'm not talking about the conjunction (yet/still) used to connect two simple sentences.


texts: Difference between "you can't do nothing" and "you can't do anything"

texts:
I have heard people say for example:

  You can't do nothing to me

is it the same thing as

  you can't do anything to me

If no, what's the difference?

I personally think the latter is correct. Would love to hear you guys thought on this.


texts:
The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language (Huddleston and Pullum) says under the section "Past time could" at page 197 that it is possible to say

(1) I could hear something rattling. [actualised ability (says CGEL)]

but not possible to say

(2) * I could hear something rattle.

because rattle would be "perfective", says CGEL.
CGEL specifically says that "could does not normally appear in affirmative contexts when it is a matter of actualisation of a single situation viewed perfectively."
CGEL has another set of examples on this issue:

(3) Last night I heard the clock strike two. (marked grammatical in CGEL)
(4) * Last night I could hear the clock strike two. (marked ungrammatical in CGEL)

Now, here's a conversation from an American movie "Real Steel" (2011):

Max Kenton: Charlie, I need you to teach him to box.
Charlie Kenton: Are you kiddin' me? He's no where near advanced enough to handle Noisey's voice command.
Max Kenton: Yeah, so we need you moves, your commands. Start over.
Charlie Kenton: Forget it, kid.
Max Kenton: From the ground up.
Charlie Kenton: Forget it.
Max Kenton: You were a boxer Charlie.
Charlie Kenton: Yep.
Max Kenton: Yesterday at The Zoo, you could see things happen before they even happened.
Charlie Kenton: I haven't boxed in a long time, I'm not starting now.
Max Kenton: You can teach him to fight.
Charlie Kenton: You're doin' fine, Max. You don't need me, sorry.

How come it's not "you could see things happening" in the movie?
Is it some sort of BrE/AmE thing? Or is the movie script just being sloppy in its grammar?


texts: Where does the term "Grand Slam" come from?

texts:
The four majors in tennis are known as Grand Slams.

The "Grand" part clearly defines the prestige/size of the event but where do we get the word "Slam" from in this context?

Basic research shows that it originated perhaps in bridge/whist-type card games.

Does it carry the same history as the Scandinavian slamra for the verb "to slam"?


texts: What are the differences between "sex education" and "sexuality education"?


texts:
I am a software programmer and I'm preparing my CV and I want to mention projects that I conducted entirely by myself. but I'm not sure about the wording, see italicized text in these example:

Project: "Title Of the project" (Independently and entirely by me)

OR

Project: "Title Of the project" (Developed Entirely Independently)

It has to be one line sentence, it is actually a bullet point

Any idea?

Thanks.


texts:
I'm looking for a word that describes a situation where not making (or refusing to make) a decision is equivalent to choosing one of the options. I considered "ultimatum", but it seems overly aggressive for my use case. I looked over the synonyms for "ultimatum", but they were all worse.

A compound word or short phrase could be acceptable.

An example situation that may be described by this word would be the decision between doing something (that you aren't currently doing) versus not doing that thing. In such a case, not making a decision is practically equivalent to choosing to not do that thing.


texts: sentence construction where non-restrictive clause uses a conjunction

texts:
It gave John, a new hire to the company and now a director, a good start.
It gave John, a new hire to the company who is now a director, a good start.

The non-restrictive clause uses "and" to connect two phrases. Somehow MS word does not like the first construction. And the second construction is not elegant to read.
I could try this but too many commas and two non-restrictive clauses are also not easy read.

It gave John, a new hire to the company, now a director, a good start.

What could be good substitutes while still using the non-restrictive clause?


texts: When was the word "scroll" first used as a verb?

texts:
We all know that a scroll is a roll of parchment used in ancient times. A scroll can be rolled up or down, and that must have been the metaphor the creator of the computer-term "scroll" had in mind.

But in English, is it acceptable to say you can scroll (verb) a scroll (noun) up and down? As far as I know it should be "roll up/down" in this context, so how is it that we use "scroll" as a verb in computer terminology?

When was the word "scroll" first used as a verb, and how is it that we don't rather use the appropriate scroll-metaphor (the object), which would be to roll  the page up and down?


texts: Does this piece of text comply with English's grammar and fluency concepts?

texts:
I'm at odds about whether the following text is grammatically correct. While it obviously uses quite 'extravagant' words that one wouldn't use in everyday life, I actually think that the text lacks proper grammar, and also fails to comply with English fluency.

I also think it makes more sense if you read it in Indian English rather than British English, which is technically based of an older form of British English used during the colonial era.


texts:
The following article from CNBC.com states:

Fauci says Covid could be under control in ‘back half of 2021’ if enough people are vaccinated.

I assume that by “back half” Mr. Fauci means “second half”, but I wonder if this is a common  usage, possibly an AmE one, or just a figurative, one-off,  usage.


texts: What is the meaning "love someone deliberately"?

texts:
What is the meaning of "deliberately" in this context?

"I take you to be mine in love. I promise to love you deliberately each day, to feel your joy and sorrow as my own"
(From the book "Option B". This is the vows a bride and her groom recited)

I've read this book 3 times but I cannot understand the meaning "deliberately" although I tried to look up the dictionary and googled it.

Can you help me?


texts:
In Bob Dylan's song, "like a rolling stone", he says, "you only used to get juiced in it".

In a various rap songs also, they talk about "having juice", "being juiced", "juicing [someone else]", "getting juiced up", "getting [someone's] juice", &c.. Googling rap lyrics with juice yields a wealth of such songs. Often it seems that losing juice is a negative experience, and obtaining or having juice is positive.

What does "juice" mean, and why should I juice others or prevent others from juicing me?


texts: Family business name apostrophe 's or s'

texts:
My brother and I are setting up a painting and decorating business and there's a small dispute to where our apostrophe goes. Initially, I thought "Sheppards' Painting and Decorating Company" would be correct showing that Sheppard is plural with the two of us. But other people are saying it's just Sheppard's because it's the family name? please, someone put us out of our misery for good.

Many thanks,


texts: UK English pronunciation of word "language" please?

texts:
What is the correct British English pronunciation of the word language please?

Throughout my education in New Zealand and South Africa the first g was a soft sound as in bang?  Here in Australia, on the ABC English pronunciation radio programme it is pronounced lanGuage with the first g being a hard emphasis.

Eager to learn.


texts:
Somebody mailed me something, and now I want to confirm if I understand him correctly or not. Hence, which of the following sentences is correct?

"To make your recent answer clear for myself, could you please confirm the following comprehension: Bla Bla Bla..."
"To make your recent answer clear for myself, could you please confirm the following perception: Bla Bla Bla..."

If you're going to suggest a whole new/better structure, and you think the words comprehension and perception are not good choice for my case, could you please consider to answer the following question as well:

Is there any word in English that I can use it to refer to "what I got/understand"?


texts: Is "Read other than mathematical books" grammatically the same as "Read books other than mathematical books"?

texts:
These days I have come across lines similar to "He reads other than mathematical books" or "Please discuss other than political matters", for which I feel the correct forms are "He reads books other than mathematical books" or "Please discuss matters other than political matters" respectively.

How far is the first form correct? Is it wrong to use that form?


texts: Is this sentence correct? Tanya is a team member who holds expertise in chat support

texts:
Tanya is a team member who holds expertise in chat support.

I'm in a doubt specifically about whether it should have 'the' in place of 'a'. Feel free to notify other mistakes as well.


texts:
I'm having a hard time making sense of the third sentence in this quote by Mike Judge (the film producer/writer/director):

  It seems like there's a lot of people who just do not understand satire. They think it's weird. There's people who just don't understand you portray something or just explore a character, it means you're condoning it, saying this is the way to live. It's just so simple-minded.

The only thing I can think of is that he meant to say that when you portray something it doesn't mean you condone it, but that would sound like the exact opposite of the sentence, so I am confused.


texts: What does "one [something] at a time" in the context of a pitch?

texts:
For example:

  Join us in taking design to the next level, one pixel at a time.

I usually see this kind of impression in a one-sentence pitch etc.. I believe it is used figuratively in this context, and usually means something good. Can someone help me understand what it actually means? Thanks :)


texts: I did some search online but couldn't find an answer, How do you call husband's brother-in-law?


texts: Any idiom in English for a husband who has been betrayed by his wife?

texts: Is there any idiom in English for a husband who has been betrayed by his wife? (I mean she slept and is occasionally still sleeping with her lover). Or maybe not an idiomatic expression, but just one word that is commonly used for such a person?


texts: What is the word for trying to do someone else's job, to get them fired eventually?

texts:
I have been searching a lot for this, but can't find the expression. I'm wondering if there is a phrase that is used a lot for this.

At work, it happens a lot in many organizations that people try to do someone else's job to show off themselves and their capabilities. The motivation behind this is usually either to get a raise, or to show their boss that the current person is not doing their job well enough, and they can replace that person.

Is there a phrase or expression for this act?


texts:
What is the difference between first conditional and second conditional?
1) if i know her, I will tell you
2)If i knew her, i would tell you

how  somebody can  use the second conditional at the time of speaking when the if clause is in past tense which means it happened earlier?

Sometimes to me, it seems that second conditional is equal to third conditional? somebody please tell me the difference. I searched many websites but didn't find a reply which satisfies me.


texts: I am aware of the difference between content and contents and usually the distinction is clear to me. However I am wondering whether file content or file contents is more correct. On the one hand, the content of a file is a finite sequence of bytes, hence contents would be appropriate. On the other hand, those bytes represent some entity (an image, for example), to which I would refer as the file's content. Is this distinction correct, or am I complicating things too much?


texts: how to understand the sentence "There are many advantages to hosting your own WordPress blog"

texts:
During my English lessons, I was confused by this sentence:

  There are many advantages to hosting your own WordPress blog.

It seems that in my memory, my English teacher told me that it was correct to use to host rather than hosting in this sentence, so is there anyone who can tell me how to correctly understand the grammar of this sentence?


texts: Henceforth, heretofore and notwithstanding thenceforward wherewithal

texts:
I love * these kind of words:

  Moreover, therefore, heretofore, hereto, however, notwithstanding,
  furthermore, henceforth, wherefore, nonetheless, nevertheless,
  although, withal, howbeit, albeit, thenceforward, suchlike, so on and so
  forth...

Many are conjunctions but then there examples like:

  Wherewithal, withstand, hereafter...

They are mostly composed of smaller words joined with each other, but personally, I don't think 'breakfast' or 'cupboard', for instance, have the same quality.

What, if any, is the term for this kind of word?

* used sparingly, they're really useful to communicate complex ideas efficiently, but overuse makes you sound a bit like a twat magisterial, or potentially betray a lack self-esteem (or at least awareness)  ...

P.S. please feel free to edit and help with tags on this one.


texts: What are two people from the same town called?

texts: We usually use the word 'countryman' or 'countrywoman' for the people who live in the same country. What word do we use for the people living in the same city or town?


texts: A word for a smile that is hard to repress and/or easily provoked?

texts:
I have used "irascible smile" when talking of a friend who is almost always smiling. I was asked to define the word by someone unfamiliar to its use, and reached for the dictionary (electronically) to explain it, where I found the latin-derived definition of 'quick to anger' in various paraphrasings.

I know the words from reading it as I have mentioned, and from phrases such as 'irascible old man', 'irascible youth' so I understood it to be more along the lines of 'easily provoked' where the context makes it clear in what way (joy, anger, etc).

Am I alone in this misunderstanding? Is this a valid use of the word? If not, can you suggest words that fit better for my intended meaning? (I have thought of irrepressible as a good alternative).


texts:
I generally see the definition of "bemused" to be synonymous with "confused" or "puzzled", and that it is wrong to use it as a synonym of "amused".  However I tend to see it used — as Obama did today — as sort of a mixture of "puzzled" and "amused."  Like when you shake your head and chuckle at people who get hung up over a silly issue.  Which is how Obama seemed to be using it, and how I would tend to use the word myself.  After all, there isn't another word that captures that meaning.

Am I correct in this interpretation?  Is the meaning of the word subtly changing over time, possibly because it sounds sort of like "amused"?


texts: Meaning of the quote by Helena Christensen

texts: I was born in high heels and I’ve worn them ever since- Helena Christensen


texts:
The local cinema do not even consider screening this movie.

In the above sentence, "cinema" is employed to denote one or more of the staff who determine the programme.

My question is, does it work?

The doubt is whether the sentence sounds odd in the desired meaning. I rather think it does, and have failed to find analogous examples lying around.

I am using the term collective noun for lack of a better classification. If acceptable at all, one might argue for a synecdoche or a deferred reference in order to determine the figure of speech, but I am not quite sure about the classification of the noun.


texts: The use of the word "the" with certain nouns

texts: Specifically, British people go "to hospital", while American English speakers say "to THE hospital".  We say, "go to school", so why not "got to hospital"?


texts: "Would you have a suggestion?" Vs. "Do you have a suggestion?"

texts:
If you were asking for suggestions, say at stackexchange, what would be the most polite grammatically accurate version:

Statement of the problem followed by:
 1. Do you have a suggestion?
 2. Would you have a suggestion?
 3. Would you happen to have a suggestion?

I didn't think of this till I used (2) today morning. When I re-read the question after a couple hours, the construction sounded odd to me. Is (2) grammatically correct? Is it more polite than (1)? Is it old-fashioned? Why does it sound a bit odd?

Would you have any thoughts?
Do you have any thoughts?
Would you happen to have any thoughts?


texts: What is the difference between "activist" and "activism" when they are used as modifiers? What is correct - "activist project" or "activism project"?


texts:
In the following passage, is "These are a piece" grammatically incorrect? It feels odd to change it to "Theses are pieces" but that would seem more consistent.
"The word politics may conjure images of capital buildings, government officials, and language steeped in legal jargon. These are a piece of our politics, but fundamentally politics is the activity shaping the way we organize our shared life together. To shape our shared life in a way that is truly just and peaceful we must bring our full selves. Only a politics steeped in love can breathe life into law. When we engage in passionate politics, our politics will become less about legal structures and more about the people inside of them. The question we ought to ask is then: in what direction will we point our love?"


texts:
I understand that Envelope is the noun and Envelop is the verb but, as I understand it, the verb envelop has more to do with the literally and figuratively surrounding of something.

If I’m enveloping a letter, what do I use? For example, I’m trying to describe a service where I will “Write, Envelope, and Post” a letter, is it envelope or envelop in this case?


texts: "Less" vs. "Fewer" when referring to a percentage of a countable quantity

texts:
Judging by the consensus over at this question, one should use "fewer" over "less" for countable quantities.  What about in this situation?

  [Less or Fewer] than 10.7% of the people were happy.

Here, a percentage is not countable (because it is a real number of arbitrary precision), whereas the noun "people" is countable.  My instinct tells me that "fewer" would be preferred, because the percentage must always correspond to a rational number (which is countable)—unless of course fractions of people can be happy!


texts:
I'd like to know the meaning of this phrase from a song by TheLastFiveYears:

  If I didn't believe in you
  I couldn't have stood before all of our friends
  and said, 'This is the life I choose-
  This is the thing I can't bear to lose.
  Trip us or trap us, but we refuse to fall.'
  That's what I thought we agreed on, Cathy

Can anyone explain what trip us or trap us means in this context?


texts: What type of question is "He's right behind me, isn't he?"

texts:
This sort of question He's right behind me, isn't he? is popular on comedy TV shows.

It's usually said by somebody just after they've been poking fun or talking badly about someone to group of other people. The group of people are all laughing at the butt of the joke/abuse and then fall silent. At this point the ringleader notices that the group has gone quiet and asks He's [the person being made fun of] is right behind me, isn't he?

It's not exactly a rhetorical question because the ringleader doesn't know for sure but they are very confident that the answer is yes.

I am asking if there is an English grammatical or linguistic categorization for this type of question. I'm not asking about the use of this type of question on TV or film or stage.

I now know what a tag question is, and this is a tag question but I would like to know if it also another type of question

It is very close to a rhetorical question but it isn't because it does matter what the person being asked replies.

I don't think it's a leading question because it's not really encouraging anyone to give either a yes or no answer that suits the person asking the question.

My question is: what category of question is this?


texts: Where is standard American English derived from?

texts:
I have a book that explains how to speak in standard American English (American Accent Training — Barron's).

What does the term standard American English refer to?

Is there a region in the United States of America that has a pronunciation similar, or closer to standard American English (in the same way standard Italian is derived from a dialect spoken in Tuscany)?


texts: "Attribute" as a noun, pronounced in American English

texts:
I was recently in a discussion with a friend about the pronunciation of "attribute" as either a noun or a verb.  I resorted to OED's authority to back up my own suspicions, and found the pronunciations:

Noun:  /ˈatrɪbjuːt/
Verb:  /əˈtrɪbjuːt/

For the most part, particularly with regard to the syllable that carries emphasis, this makes sense to me, but I was somewhat surprised at the noun. I'm rather new to the study of pronunciation, but my understanding is that /ˈatrɪbjuːt/ would sound like "Ah" + "Tribute."  The first syllable, if I understand correctly, would rhyme with "Rot."
As a native American English speaker, I think of the first syllable of the noun form as rhyming with "Cat," and so it seems to me that there should be an AmE transcription as well, along the lines of:

/ˈætrɪbjuːt/ (bold emphasis mine)

My question is twofold:

Is my understanding of the OED pronunciations accurate, that its given noun transcription would rhyme with "rot," at least in BrE?

Should there be a separate pronunciation notated for American English?  And would /ˈætrɪbjuːt/ be the common accepted form?

I will note that a similar question was asked here (Pronunciation of "Attribute") but it does not address what I am asking (and it has no answers).
For a little extra clarification based on comments, here is what I am seeing in the noun entry for "attribute" in Oxford English Dictionary:


texts: Synonym for "not the kind of" or "not the type of"

texts:
Is there a synonym or more succinct way to say "not the kind of" or "not the type of" as in:

"This wrench is not the kind of wrench that can be used to open this machine."

or

"This vitamin is not the type of vitamin that provides high levels of vitamin C."


texts: What does the phonetic symbol after the comma mean here?

texts:
I was checking the Pronunciation of enshrine from ODO which lists:

  Pronunciation: /ɪnˈʃrʌɪn, ɛn-/

Does it mean that there are two different accepted pronunciations?


texts: Where and what is the well those cheap drinks come from?

texts:
In the U.S. when someone orders a 'well drink' they are typically intending to order a drink (i.e. "vodka tonic, well") with the cheapest of the liquor the bar has available

Where did the "well" come from? It is distinct from what is called a "call drink", which is when the customer specifies the brand (i.e. Stoli tonic). Since well liquor is also distinguished in contrast to middle- and top-shelf liquors, is "well" perhaps being used as a reference of altitude (e.g., a well is a subterranean water hole)? Is it coincidence or is it etymologically pertinent that the Hebrew word "be'er" means "well" in the sense of shaft/recepticle?

To emphasize, this question is asking for information on the origin of the word "well" in its sense and usage behind a bar. Where does this usage of "well" derive from and how was it adopted for bar usage?


texts: Is it rude to say "how did you end up here"?

texts:
Is it rude to say, "how did you end up here?" to a teacher?

I said it to my English teacher, and then thought, "damn, I don't know if I'm supposed to phrase it that way or not."

So, is it?


texts:
I have been using this idiom as a synonym for "passing gas" ever since I heard it in the cult comedy classic, Kung Pow: Enter the Fist.

Here's the usage:
Kung Pow: Killed the Dog

I happened to say it recently with someone who had no idea what I meant.

I couldn't find a reference on its origin so I'd love it if someone can provide some background.


texts:
I want to know whether this sentence is grammarly correct or not:

  As a person who is 50 years old and who has been working in this field for 27 years, he is an expert for sure.

I was thinking should it be:

  As a person who is 50 years old and has been working in this field for 27 years, he is an expert for sure.

The sentence I want to write has the same structure as the first sentence. Is it correct to use two "who"s like that?

I know I can place the "50 years old" in front of the "person", but I am interested in knowing whether this kind of structure works.


texts: Word for when you scrunch up your face in frustration

texts:
I am trying to find the word for when you screw up your face in annoyance, frustration/exasperation or worry. The phrase in which I want to use it is as follows:

  Ryan ____ his face in frustration. He knew he should have never taken his eyes off of her for even a second and now she was missing.


texts: What does "time folds in on itself" metaphorically refer to?

texts:
I wonder if it metaphorically refers to time coming to a halt. There are several examples of this phrase in books.

"Time is folding in on itself. No, I correct myself. Time is always
folded in on itself, the past like shadows we can’t shake off, and now
I feel them surrounding me, wraiths drawing in to choke me."
"When you are in darkness, time folds in on itself, surreal and
elastic. It bellows like an accordion, stretching and then
collapsing."
"The minutes slip by strangely, like time is folding in on itself, too
fast and too slow all at once."
"Time folded in on itself until I couldn't tell if I was homesick for
the moment I'd left behind, or already missing the time I was
currently in but might have to leave."


texts: Is Google's definition of Acronym incorrect?

texts:
According to Dictionary.com, acronym and abbreviation are two distinct terms that are commonly confused with each other.

  Can be confused

  abbreviation, acronym, initialism.

  Dictionary.com definition of Acronym

Contrastly, Google defines an acronym as a specific type of abbreviation.

  Acronym:

  an abbreviation formed from the initial letters of other words and
  pronounced as a word (e.g., ASCII, NASA ).

  Google Search Results for "define acronym"

I know that not all abbreviations are acronyms, but there seems to be contradicting information on whether the reverse is true.

There are some acronyms which take longer to say than their original phrase. As FumbleFingers points out, despite being shorter to write, it takes longer to pronounce www (9 syllables) than world wide web (3 syllables).

Are all acronyms a type of abbreviation, even if the abbreviation takes longer to pronounce when spoken?

A similar question claimed that acronyms and synonyms are both two distinct terms, but does that mean that Google's definition of acronym is incorrect?


texts: Should "days" be abbreviated when in the context of other abbreviated words?

texts: When writing "1 week 3 days," if week is abbreviated to wk., should days also be abbreviated? If so, what should it be abbreviated to?


texts: Comma before "than" [What better way to celebrate.., than...]

texts:
I'd really appreciate some help on this one.

Do I use comma in the following sentence?

  What better way to celebrate 30 years of [name of my local football club], than with a win against [name of our next opponent]!

Context: We have a game coming up on the same day as we're celebrating 30 years and there would be no better way to celebrate it, than with a win against our rivals.

Thanks!


texts:
What is the difference between consequently and consequentially?

My usage being what it is, and also according to the dictionary sample sentences I've found so far (thank you for the helpful comment @Thomas), I think they can be used interchangeably, usually intended to mean "As a consequence [of some action described in the preceding sentence], ...".


texts: "I suggest you not go there" or "I suggest you to not go there"

texts: Should I say I suggest you not go there or I suggest you to not go there? Or are they wrong and I need to say "going" instead of "go"?


texts:
A colleague of mine, who is Nepalese, mentioned an expression he knows - roughly translated:

They don't feel the pain of the chopping board

Which is meant to describe that the user who is chopping something is oblivious to the constant thrashing being dealt out to the board. The context was within a conversation about middle management and the guys underneath them.

I am looking for an equivalent phrase in English to express the frustration that subordinates feel when middle management seriously underestimates the effort required in the tasks they set.


texts: "They were seduced" vs. "They were swayed"

texts:
I ran across the verb "sway" a little while ago and I was wondering about its usage. See:

  They were seduced by the low cost of the house.

And

  They were swayed by the low cost of the house.

Both are correct, right? But in this context, which one fits better? Perhaps either? If so, then what's the difference? I understand its meaning, in this specific case, as something similar to "influence" – am I wrong to think this way?

Now, see the following scenario:

  I was seduced by her lips.

And

  I was swayed by her lips.

In this case, do "seduced" and "swayed" express the same thing?


texts: Should it be Miles of Roads or Miles of Road

texts:
In the context of:

The town has twenty "miles of roads" to maintain.

Cambridge Dictionary says it is both count, and non-count.


texts: "Look! The sun rises" vs. "Look! The sun is rising"

texts:
I know that theoretically you can use both statements in English:
a) Look! The sun rises.
b) Look! The sun is rising.

But is anybody (who is a native speaker) saying "Look! The sun rises."?

In German, for instance, it is absolutely normal (and common) to use the equivalent of statement "a".


texts: Use of ‘such a lonely work’ instead of ‘such lonely work’

texts:
A sentence of William Zinsser in "On writing Well" goes like this:  “Writing is such lonely work that I try to keep myself cheered up.”

Does it make any difference or is it a wrong usage if I use ‘such a lonely work’ instead of ‘such lonely work’ in the above sentence?


texts: "The (Cobra)" vs. "An (elephant)", articles with nouns denoting a class

texts:
[ 1 ] tells on p.5 that "Singular nouns denoting a class" are preceded by the definite article "THE" (Example: "The Cobra is dangerous"), while on page 7 (Table 6. THE INDEFINITE ARTICLE) it tells that "Singular countable nouns denoting a class" are preceded by indefinite articles ("An elephant never forgets").

I could not get what is the difference between the two cases mentioned.
Why can't I write according to the same rules "A Cobra never forgets" and "The elephant is dangerous"?

[ 1 ]
PRACTICAL REALISATIONS OF ENGLISH DEFINITE AND INDEFINITE ARTICLES

p.5 (of 8)

=================================
 4. THE DEFINITE ARTICLE
----------------------------------
 USES          EXAMPLES
-----------------------------------
 Singular        The Cobra is dangerous
 nouns
 denoting
 a class
=======================================

p.7 (of 8)

=================================
 6. THE INDEFINITE ARTICLE
----------------------------------
 USES          EXAMPLES
-----------------------------------
 Singular        An elephant never forgets countable
 countable
 nouns
 denoting
 a class
=======================================

Update:
Irene asks:

  How about the following example:

  Is the happiness of the
  majority more important than the
  rights of the individual?

  According to "First Certificate
  Language Practice" by Michael Vince
  this is the only way to say it. But
  couldn't you also say:

  Is the happiness of a majority
  more important than the rights of an
  individual?

  As I see it majority and individual
  both represent a class and an example
  of a class.


texts: Are there english words for a person who sincerely thinks of himself as an expert but in reality (by common standards) is not?

texts:
Are there english words for a person who sincerely thinks of him as an expert but in reality (by common standards) is not?

Source: Recently, in my native place, a very popular movie actor (let us say his name is extrem) started a music band and held a live show during a government sponsored program which was widely criticized and made fun of. Nowadays, if someone claims to be something he is not, the media refers to it as extremism jokingly.


texts:
For example:

How far is it?
How tall are you?
How much does it cost?
How long does it last?

I understand things like prepositional phrases where the phrase actually specifies a place or relationship to an object, as "over the hill" and "on the lawn" and "under the blanket." But I don't remember how quantity-related phrases are described. Would they simply be a subclass of interrogative phrases or sentences?


texts: Is there a word for someone whose life was possible because of another's death?

texts:
Examples

A child who was only conceived because of the miscarriage of his or her older brother.
Someone who survives a gunshot because their friend took the bullet for them.

As in Example 1, the person may not have been saved by someone else, but another's death lead to their life.


texts:
He is tired of that work

vs.

  He is tired from that work.

I think the two sentences are almost the same.

If there is any difference, could anyone explain?


texts: Let me know when a good time for you to do X

texts:
As an IT person, I quite frequently have to schedule availability based support calls with remote users.  I'm looking for the grammatically correct way of asking this question:

  Let me know when a good time for you to do a remote support session is.

I found this similar question that makes me think I could probably just say this:

  When is a good time for you to do a remote support session?

But I don't think it emphasizes that I need a specific time returned to me rather than a generic "I'm usually available around lunch time" response.  To accomplish this, do I have to expand on my question and break it down into sections?

  I'd like to schedule a remote support session with you.
  Please tell me a date and time that you can be available to demonstrate the problem you encountered.

I also found a discussion on thefreedictionary.com where one of the users describes the difference between using the word "when" as opposed to the word "what".  That user claims that "what" is much more specific and may be the word I should use.  Here's one attempt at asking my question based around what that user said:

  What is the best time to schedule a remote support session with you?

Frankly, I'm at a loss as to how to word this question.  Every method I can think of just doesn't sound right to me and the last thing I want is for my question to be confusing to the people I'm trying to help.

Thanks,
Fiernaq


texts: Will grammar errors become correct after enough people use them for enough time?

texts:
First let me state the obvious—based on my own experience—that hordes of people are confused about certain basic grammar principles. For example, I so often see mistakes in choosing the pronoun to use with direct objects, especially when introduced by and with another person, as in "Joe talked about the book with Anna and [I/me]." Another one is the near 100% usage of "lay" instead of "lie" (and "laid" instead of "lay") nowadays, even in published sci-fi books that most certainly had professional editors proofread them.

Do you see these kinds of changes as predictors of the future? Will they become correct after enough people have used them long enough?  Both of these problems drive me bonkers, and I fight my own little battle against them when possible.

I know that dictionaries are descriptive rather than prescriptive. They're technically history books. But grammar and style books seem less so, to me. Those seem as though they ought to be prescriptive in order to reduce the erosion of structured and meaningful language.

In this tension between "what people are doing" and "what people should be doing," are we doomed to forever bear these errors just because too many people don't know the proper way? Is it worth fighting against them? Do I capitulate to the people who are quick to accept any mass public usage as a fait accompli?

Update

I don't imagine for a second that my own writing is error free. The difference with me is that when I do learn I have something wrong in my mind, I immediately change once I clearly understand it.

I also am not imagining that language is static or ignorant that today's correctness is all too often yesterday's error. The whole point of my question here, then, is: is there value in slowing the change, and if so, how is that done and how effectively?

Another way to look at what I'm trying to ask is that in a way I am hoping to define the limits of pedantry. If being pedantic is slavish adherence to outdated rules in the face of actual and foregone changed reality, then when do we conclude that a change is a foregone conclusion?

Poking fun at my own errors to highlight supposed pedantry on my part is to miss everything I am trying to say.

Update 2

It may not be an easy question, but since language change actually does or does not happen, and every person acts with more or less intention in regards to language change, there must be an answer. What I wanted to explore is the value in efforts to teach the "proper way" vs. the opposite end of the spectrum where any new usage is not just accepted but welcome or even sought out. You know, I'm reminded of something: the conservative/liberal scale:

   |------+------+------+------+------+------|
radical              moderate             radical
liberal                                 conservative

The funny thing about those at the ends of the spectrum is that they both want things to change. The radical liberal wants language to change to something new quickly, just for the sake of newness or evolution or some other not-necessarily-realistic ideal. Similarly, the radical conservative wants things to change just as much, but back to the way it used to be, just for the sake of sameness or continuity or some other just-as-not-necessarily-realistic ideal.

I'm not particularly asking where we should be on this scale as that's purely subjective. I'm trying to ask about something purely practical and real-world: what is actually effective? Is language change inevitable, and how fast? Are efforts to reduce its rapid morphing either effective or worthwhile in any measure? All these things considered, what position with respect to language evolution is livable, practical, and sensible?

Feel free to edit my grammar. No comment necessary.

Update 3

Something that may be of interest to both my supporters and detractors: this 'Kinetic Typography' video by Stephen Fry. I enjoyed it. I don't disagree with him, but I am not sure I am wholehearted in this lack of disagreement.


texts: Indefinite article: a vs an preceeding numbers with multiple prononciations

texts:
Is either of the following usages correct or incorrect (in writing)?

"An 1100 seat stadium"
"A 1100 seat stadium"

1100 is commonly "read"/pronounced as both "eleven hundred" and "one thousand, one hundred" ("one" in the latter case has a consonant sound "w").
To me neither usage is an unreasonable. Thoughts?


texts:
What's the past tense for cast away?
Is it right to say 'I was cast away 3 months ago'?

I am a bit confused about this after reading this:
Can "casted" be the past tense of "cast"?


texts: What is the synonym/antonym for "feminist"/"feminism"?

texts:
I am looking for a word or phrase that are to men's rights as the words feminist/feminism are to women rights.

And will the word or phrase be called a synonym or antonym?


texts: Why use an indefinite article in “It’s a hot and uncomfortable 33 degrees”?

texts:
I heard this sentence on the radio:

  It’s a hot and uncomfortable 33 degrees.

Does the indefinite article in that sentence suggest “this certain type of day”?

Is it just a variation on “It’s a hot and uncomfortable 33-degree day”?


texts: solo photo – what would be understood by this?

texts:
It's an error message that should signal that in the provided photo there is more than 1 person and the user should upload a photo where they are alone. Can I use in this context the word "solo" to describe the kind of photo we need? Or does it mean that the photo was done by the user without anyone's help? Is there any other word/phrase that describes the kind of photo where you're alone?
Sentence:
Upload a solo photo of you.
VS
Upload a headshot photo of you alone.
Does the "solo photo" sound weird in this context?


texts:
What is the correct usage in this case:

A:

  Say goodbye to all the tedious manual steps and countless of hours spent finding and correcting code errors.

B:

  Say goodbye to all the tedious manual steps and countless hours spent finding and correcting code errors.

C:

  Say goodbye to all the tedious manual steps and countless hours of time spent finding and correcting code errors.

C feels wrong, isn't time implicit? According to Google "countless hours" got more hits. To me, "countless of hours" sounds better in this case.


texts: "To tame" for "to cultivate [vegetables, a land, etc.]" and "to domesticate (or farm) [poultry, fish, etc.]" in AmE

texts:
Harrap's New Shorter French and English dictionary Ed. 1985, defines both verbal and adjectival "tame" as Americanisms for respectively "to cultivate" and "cultivated", as of a plant or a land [adj. 1.(b) NAm: (of plant, land) cultivé (cultivated, farmed, tilled)] and [v.tr. (b) NAm: (of plant, land) cultiver (to cultivate, to till, to farm)].
But then, checking on the definition online and searching the Net for examples, I realized these terms could also encompass respectively the sense "to domesticate" and "domesticated" -- i.e. to convert to domestic uses, as of farm animals -- but also, occasionally, coincide quite strangely with the sense "to farm, to raise" and "farmed, raised", as in "Our wild salmon compete with the organic tame salmon."
The subtlety to all of this is that in France we use "domestiquer" [to domesticate] as the general term to mean to reduce an animal from the wild to a domestic state. Then -- specifically -- we use:
"élever" [to raise] for farming;
"apprivoiser" [to domesticize, to housebreak] for pets, [to tame] birds, wild animals;
"dresser" [to tame or to break] for large or fierce or erratic animals (like elephants, horses, ornery dogs, etc.);
"dompter" [to tame] especially for lions and tigers;
and "cultiver" [to grow, to till, to cultivate] for plants and lands.
And so, saying "tame" for a plant or a farm animal (e.g. tame carrots, a tame lamb, tame salmon, etc.) sounds kind of unnatural to my ear.
Do any of these senses have any currency in AE today?
If "yes", how does saying "to grow (a carrot), to cultivate (a land)" and "to domesticate (a lamb, salmon)" differ respectively from saying "to tame (a carrot, a land, a lamb, salmon)?
Consider these sourced examples:

"Domestic bird" means any tame poultry raised for food or as a pet, including but not limited to turkeys... source
He rendered about twenty-five pounds of tallow of each bear and discovered that it took less salt to cure bear bacon than it did wild or tame beef, venison... source
There is a debate in the relationship of "wild" and "farmed or tame" salmon. source
Trying to tame tomatoes? I am. I'm a beginner to growing veggies and fruits... source
One word of caution tho -- if you have wild carrots in the area your tame carrots will cross with them. source

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/tame


texts: American English equivalent of casual employment

texts:
In Australia, casual employment refers to someone working with no fixed hours, and with no guarantee as to the permanency of their work, typically in unskilled labour. Someone who's studying at university and working at a supermarket a couple of shifts a week would be an example of this.

Wikipedia says that the general term is "contingent work", but I haven't heard that expression.


texts: What is the origin of the phrase "racing cert"?

texts:
I had encountered the phrase, “racing cert”, the other day, and I had to go look it up. The only definition I immediately found was one from UD:

  English colloquialism. Born from gambling talk and used to indicate a statistical or logical outcome that appears to be a foregone conclusion.

It seems to be mostly related to horse racing, and used even in news articles as a jargon term (e.g. “Racing cert: The 400-year history of Perth racecourse”), but I had found no confirmation of that definition, nor explanation whence it came from exactly. If it has anything to do with so-called “racing certificates”, I could not even find meaningful explanation as to what that is, especially pertaining to horse racing. In other racing (auto, or sailing, for instance) it appears to be a sort of manifest clearing the participant (car or a boat) for the race after inspection, and for animals it also seemed to include veterinary check up. But I fail to grip how does that imply the “foregone conclusion”.

Note. As of this note, I picked a winner, although I thought all three answers were very helpful in understanding, and I upvoted them all. There are some question still unanswered (When did the meaning of this phrase went from ironic to literal? Are there any other examples of usage of “racing certainty” around 1834 St. Leger Stakes?), and if others add or improve their answers, I might reconsider. but generally, good answers.


texts:
I recently completed some pseudoscience based team training designed to define each team members personality.

I've been asked to provide a “visual metaphor” with a blank page to do so on the feedback form.

Only problem is I can't find a decent definition after having looked around (Wiktionary, Wikipedia, Google Define etc.). Would appreciate a straight forward definition.


texts:
Is there a single word that means "writing from memory?"

Just as when one recites a poem or speech, he or she reproduces it from memory verbally, is there a single word that expresses the same reproduction, but via written text?

One option might be rewrite, but depending on context, this either does not imply from memory, or implies that the reproduction is deliberately inexact.

Another option might be transcribe, especially in the context of being dictated to, but similar to rewrite, this often does not imply being done from memory.


texts: Word to describe a person who always tries to find excuses to not do something

texts:
Is there a word to describe a person who always tries to find excuses to not do something even if they end up doing it. The reason behind this could be laziness or no interest.

Also is there a word for a person who always throws excuses regardless of situations.