texts: Is it normal to use “absent” as a preposition instead of ‘without,’ or ‘in the absence of’?

texts:
In the following sentence of today’s Time magazine’s article titled "Obama's Afghanistan problem: Neither Karzai nor the Taliban like the 'Reconciliation' Script," the word absent appears to be used as a preposition having the sense of ‘without.’

“Karzai's independent power base is minimal, as is his ability to influence the outcome of his country's civil war absent direct U.S. involvement. And that gives neither Karzai nor the Taliban much incentive to cut a deal with the other.”

As I don’t think I’ve seen case ‘absent’ being used in this way, I consulted OALD. It defines ‘absent’ only as a noun and verb. The Cambridge online dictionary also defines it as an adjective meaning ‘not in the place where you are expected to be, especially at school or work.’

Is it natural to use ‘absent’ as a preposition as used above? For example, would you casually say ‘It won’t go well absent your help’ in your daily conversation? Is it the same with the usage pattern of ‘short of’?


texts: What does "F" mean in "Mushrooms 3.94 F" of my grocery receipt? I guess it means I paid 3.94 US dollars for mushrooms, but I don't understand why.


texts: The difference between 'will' and 'will be'

texts:
What's the difference between these two sentences?

1) The parcel will be delivered in September.
2) The parcel will be delivering in September.

I highly doubt that the second sentence is grammatically incorrect. But before expressing my thought, anyone has any idea?


texts: Is it correct to use the word 'etiquettes' for plural?

texts:
One of my friends argues with me that the plural for etiquette is etiquettes and for fish it is fishes. I was taught since ever that etiquette is plural as fish does. To support his statement he showed some references of word "fishes" in novels and magazines, however, he couldn't find "etiquettes" anywhere that I would accept (www.morewords.com/word/etiquettes and wiktionary). The disagreement remained because in his argument, he says the word came from french where it is measurable/countable, so should be in English. My argument is that it is just a derived word and does not mean the exact same thing, etiquette in English is not countable/measurable. Or is it?

If he is correct, may I please be provided with some solid references?


texts: Why do we say "I am in a good mood" and not just "I am in good mood"?

texts:
I'm just curious to know, why do we say "I am in a good mood"
not "I am in good mood"? Is there any grammatical rule for that?


texts:
I'm pretty sure that "Every X of mine" is correct, but reading and speaking out "My every X" makes me feel uncertain about it... is it also correct?

If it's not used in formal language or common speaking, can it be allowed anyway as poetic license in writing a song lyric?


texts: Is there a rule or pattern for figuring out which suffix should be used when creating a noun from a verb?

texts:
How can we decide which suffix is used to create a noun from a verb?  Consider these suffixes: -ee, -er, -or, -ment, -al, -ant, -ation.

For example, when we form the noun "examination" the suffix "-ation" is used, not "-al" or "-ant".


texts: Word for an item that facilitates an immoral or illegal activity?

texts:
For drugs, the word is paraphernalia, but if one uses a gun to rob, or uses bolt cutters to break into a place, is there a general term, legal or otherwise for such objects?

EDIT due to request to use-it-in-a-sentence.  "After a search of the premises, police uncovered various illegal items, and many criminal X", where the "criminal X" bit is supposed to imply that the X are not illegal per se, but are commonly used in connection with the commision of a crime.  e.g. they found a crack pipe but no crack, a crate of assault rifles but no bodies, a press for printing money but no actual notes, etc etc.


texts: Is "trollopsing" a word, and if so, how is it used?

texts:
Searches of "trollopsing" brings up a result in Poems and Plays of John Masefield where he uses the word. I also found it used on a Key and Peele sketch.

Otherwise, I can't seem to find any indication that it's a real word.

Is it a word, and what does it mean?

Edit with example: "I stayed at home for the past fifteen years taking care of mom and dad while you've been trollopsing all over the world."


texts: A poetic riddle with the answer sophisticated

texts:
I'm working on a gift for my best friend who is leaving the town soon. She loves poetry but I suck at it (big time).

And my gift is something similar to the concept of Dash & Lily's book of Dares. Her favorite adjective is sophisticated.

Can anyone help me with a poetic riddle for that? The answer should be sophisticated and it should mention, in a way, that it's her favorite adjective.

I know it's not a forum for these types of requests but I need to get this done and I will appreciate you guys taking your time for doing this. A pretty please with a cherry on top. :)


texts: Adjective for "on the scale of a building"

texts:
Municipal means roughly "of the city" or "on the scale of the city."

Is there a word for "of the building" or "on the scale of the building"?

For example, wifi provided by the city is municipal wifi. Wifi provided by the apartment or office building is _ wifi -- fill in the blank please!

edit: This is not a wifi-specific question, as some respondents have understandably assumed. The actual use I'm looking for is for a building-wide network of accelerometers installed in the concrete for structural health monitoring.


texts: No preposition after 'work' in: 'My dad could only work construction'

texts:
Recently I have read one of the stories from Humans of New York and I came across such sentence:

  she fully understood how things work here. She was a news reporter back in the Bahamas. But the only job she could get here was taking care of old people. My dad could only work construction. We moved to four different states just so they could find work. They always told me, 'Just study hard in school and everything will work…

I got interested why there is no preposition after work. I have always thought it is to work in construction/education/finance.

On the English Stack Exchange forum I only found posts connected to different prepositions following work but there were no threads about work standing alone before the name of a job. I couldn’t find any other examples of this kind on the Internet; they were all containing prepositions or the word order was switched into construction work. I’m not sure whether it’s legitimate usage or more slang-ish way of saying My dad could only work in construction jobs.


texts: Which term correctly identifies those who enjoy programming/technology: "geek" or "nerd"?

texts: Which term correctly identifies those who enjoy and are involved with programming and technology, geek or nerd?


texts: What do we call this kind of recursive expression?

texts:
A metaphor is like a simile.

Is there a name for the kind of statement that suggests an infinite recursion?

It is in a way similar to a paradox such as the one with a statement written on each side of a piece of paper. Side one says "The statement on the other side of this page is true"; Side two says "The statement on the other side of this page is false." But the quotation above is not a paradox, an endless contradiction, but an endless reinforcement. What do we call that?

I'm finding it hard even to come up with adequate tags for this question.

And remember: All generalizations are false.


texts:
I have a problem with these two formulations:

  A variety of self-sustained motion mechanisms in nature can be classified into just two groups: motion based on propulsion or on ratchet principles.

or

  A variety of self-sustained motion in nature rely on two  mechanisms:
    movement based on propulsion, or on ratchet effects.

In both cases there are a lot of nouns that just duplicate others:

motion mechanisms, motion principles
motion, movement
mechanisms, effects

Is there a way to say the same more concise?


texts: Idiom/word/saying request: Accepting a situation out of desperation

texts:
How can I say for example:

Individual retailers run out of business when a big fish came to town. So they had accepted that they cannot compete and closed their stores.

In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird, Tom Robinson finally gave in, even though he was innocent. Because the witnesses were against him, he did not oppose the charges (out of desperation).

So I think there may be a word perfect for this. 'yield' is closest that comes to my mind.


texts: What is more appropriate — "hanged" or "hung"?

texts:
Say that you are using some software, and it hangs. In this case, what should I say:

  ... when we execute this command, software X gets hanged [or simply hangs].
  ... when we execute this command, software X gets hung.

From what I know (from the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language):

  Hanged, as a past tense and a past participle of hang, is used in the sense of “to put to death by hanging,” as in Frontier courts hanged many a prisoner after a summary trial. A majority of the Usage Panel objects to hung used in this sense. In all other senses of the word, hung is the preferred form as past tense and past participle, as in I hung my child's picture above my desk.

But I'm not 100% confident on what is more appropriate.


texts: Who, what, where, when, why, how. Why so many "Wh"s?

texts: Journalists are taught to ask who, what, where, when, why, and how. If you answer all of these chances are you have the bones of a story. Why do all these words, with the exception of "how" start with "wh"? Is it coincidence or did they all originate from the same word? Perhaps it was a grunt type word like "huh?"


texts:
the chief of the National Se-curity Guard (NSG), which fought  the intruders, told me   that  he was certain there were six terrorists in-side. He said two terrorists hiding  in the airmen’s billet,which was blown up, could have  been caught alive had leitunent colonel  Niranjan not died while handling the bodies  of the four terrorists killed  earlier.

In this sentence how the speaker using "have been caught alive had".   can u express the meaning of sentence


texts: ...if one of us dropped "our phone" or "his phone"?

texts:
It would be ruinous if one of us dropped our phone in the river, so each of us put their phone in their bag and set them aside.

In the sentence above, is it incorrect to say "if one of us dropped his phone in the river" and "put their phones in their bags"?


texts: Are there or were there any other conjoined pronoun-verb combinations like "methinks" in English?

texts:
And why was this ever considered grammatically correct?  Why not "Ithinks"?

Edit:

When I ask "why," I'm wondering for example, whether or not "me" has always been the first-person objective case in English.


texts: Subjunctive Conditionals in the Past Tense

texts:
Is a sentence such as the one that follows grammatical and logical:

I was worried I would have lost a letter grade if I were to hand in the paper late.

I know the subjunctive, being a mood, can be transposed back and forth between tenses, and my guess is the above sentence works because the conditional refers, not to a past truth, but to a hypothetical within the past. Still, I’m not certain.

Thank you for your help!


texts: How to form better version of one particular setence

texts:
I need to say
"For those who feel the below post pin points you, it is not coincidental or unintentional. It IS JUST meant for you"

Is there a better way I can frame above sentence. I want to share some content where people judge new moms and what I want to put as a intro statement is the above line.


texts:
What is meant by along?
This is taken from an article at NY Times.

Ms. Markel also was the most reluctant participant in the bailouts first of Greece and then of Ireland, as she tried to calm anger over what Germans see as a need to bail out their profligate neighbors.
But after months of feeling dragged along by the crisis, Ms. Merkel in February 2011 made a remarkable about face, declaring her support not only for propping up the euro but creating a more closely integrated economic system.


texts:
I've heard "to light a cigarette" being used a couple of times, but I am still in doubt about two things:

Is this common both in American English and British English?
Are there other ways to say it in American English?


texts: Is it possible put a preposition in front of a relative pronoun what?

texts:
She believed what I was talking about.

She believed about what I was talking.

I believe the sentence 1 is grammatically correct, but I'm not sure about the sentence 2.
Is that okay, too? Thank you.


texts: Can verb tense be changed mid-sentence for something that still exists?

texts:
Look at this sentence:

  I knew that the sky is blue.

To me, it doesn't make sense to say the sky was blue since it still is blue. Even so, is it grammatically incorrect to say I knew that the sky is blue just because the tenses must be the same?


texts: Can you place "so" after an adjective for emphasis?

texts:
Normally you write, for example,

Life is so fleeting.
She's so beautiful.

"so" is used for emphasis.  Can you invert it with an adjective to have more emphasis?

Life is fleeting so.
She's beautiful so.

I think I have seen this kind of use before.  Note this question is for written, literary English, not spoken English.

Thank you.


texts:
Which spelling is better, queueing or queuing? Both words seem to mean the same, but there are two different spellings. My context is:

  Queueing Latency

versus

  Queuing Latency

If both spellings are applicable, when do I use which one of them?


texts:
Here I am referring to TV broadcasting channels such as Sky TV who have a service called 'On Demand', now I have heard numerous people including family members say something like this:

  'We can watch this on on demand'

Note the double use of the word on here, I find this quite unusual as saying it twice just seems a bit weird, does the second on substitute the first one? Or is this just fine?


texts: What does “Pitchforks change hands” and “Pitchforks have their uses” mean?

texts:
The New Yorker’s (March 6 issue) article that came under the title, “Trumpcare vs. Obamacare” begins with the following paragraph;

  The pitchforks are changing hands. In 2009, it was Democratic members of Congress supporting health-care reform who were set upon by outraged constituents. When they passed the Affordable Care Act anyway, it cost their party control of Congress in the 2010 midterm elections

– and ends up with the statement:

  But legislators have no time to waste. Insurers must decide by April whether to offer a plan for the exchanges in 2018, and at what price. That requires certainty about the future. Pitchforks have their uses, but crafting health-care policy calls for more delicate instruments. The basic functioning of the health-care system is at stake. So are American lives.

Oxford online dictionary defines “pitchfork” simply as a noun meaning a farm tool with a long hand and two sharp metal prongs used for lifting hay, without showing any idiomatic usages.

I suspect “the pitchforks” here refers to the efforts / attempts/ measures to reform (healthcare) system. I may be wrong. I don’t understand what “the pitchforks" here represents for, and what “the pitchforks change hands” and “pitchforks have their uses” exactly mean?

Are both of them popular idioms, or the writer’s particular turn of phrases?


texts: What does "even the keel in favour of " in the sentence mean?

texts: Even the legal framework that is supposed to provide a modicum of protection to workers is fraying. For instance, the state’s unwillingness to use the provisions of the Industrial Disputes Act or the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act to even the keel in favour of labour even during serious episodes of labour unrest has been a recurrent feature of the state’s conduct in this period.


texts: Point of difficulty in how punctuation should be handled in and around quotations relating to software logging statements

texts:
I sent an e-mail to somebody in the office this morning that had to do with some logging statements in our software, and I wasn't quite sure how to handle commas and such around the quotation marks.  Generally if you're quoting something or somebody, you handle it like this:

  Sue said, "We don't have to go to work on Tuesday," paused for a moment, then finished, "so I'm thinking that might be a good time to get a few things done around the house."

When you're simply citing a phrase or term or something though, it's often more like this:

  The phrase "to kill two birds with one stone" refers to achieving two goals with only one line of effort.

That being said, take VB.NET source code that looks like this:

Select Case someVariable
    Case 1
        Log("Unable to make appointment - Houses In Use On That Day")
        DoSomething1("Unable to make appointment - Houses In Use On That Day.")
        'Notice the period in the second line; this is the only difference.
    Case 2
        Log("Unable to make appointment - Houses In Use On That Day")
        DoSomething2("Unable to make appointment - Something Came Up At The Last Minute.")
    .
    .
    .
End Select

How then should the following e-mail be punctuated, captialized, and such?  If it weren't simply using phrases where every word was already capitalized in the logs, what kind of impact would that have on capitalization?  We're basically using Southeastern American English in intra-office e-mails:

  For 1, it’s logging, “Houses In Use On That Day,” but for 2, it’s logging a mixture of that and, “Something Came Up At The Last Minute.”


texts: He is also..., writes... - sentence structure, grammar

texts:
Ed is also Technology Editor for Certification Magazine, writes for numerous TechTarget Web sites, and writes a twice-monthly newsletter, “Must Know News,” for CramSession.com. In his spare time, Ed likes to shoot pool, cook, and spend time with his wife Dina and his son Gregory. He also likes to explore the world away from the keyboard with his trusty Labrador retriever, Blackie.

To me it feels like there needs to be the preposition and placed before writes for grammatical consistency. What do you think?


texts: Is there a proper word that can be used to refer to someone (some living/sentient entity) that originates from the Sun? I'm guessing "solar" would not be the proper word for this.


texts: American slang: "to give a girl the time" (in J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye)

texts:
In J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, chapter 6, Holden, who is worried sick because one of his school mates, Stradlater, some kind of sexual predator, went on a date with Jane Gallagher, a girl Holden used to know and get on well with, writes:

  'What'd you do?' I said. 'Give her the time in Ed Banky's goddam car?'

How come 'give a girl the time' can mean 'have sex with a girl'?


texts: What's the English verb/phrase for going back on action when playing chess?

texts: The other day I was playing chess with my friend who constantly went back on his move and ask to restart again whenever he made a wrong move/decision. What's the idiomatic verb/phrase to describe his action of going back on his move?


texts:
How do I quote two non-contiguous paragraphs from a longer article? I want to be clear that they're non-contiguous, but not have an editorial interlude between them. Here's an example quotation from an article by Clay Shirky, with how I want to format it:

Over the decades, though, [higher education has] behaved like an embezzler who starts by taking only what he means to replace, but ends up extracting so much that embezzlement becomes the system. [...]
When the economic support from the Golden Age began to crack, we tenured faculty couldn’t be forced to share much of the pain. Our jobs were secure, so rather than forgo raises or return to our old teaching loads, we either allowed or encouraged those short-term fixes—rising tuition, larger student bodies, huge introductory lectures.

I thought about moving the bracketed ellipsis to its own line, which seems more proper but looks clunky.
I'm also interested in how you might quote this if it weren't a block quote -- specifically, should you close the first paragraph with a quotation mark or not?
(Also, this is in an email, not an academic paper, so I'm worried about readability rather than about adhering to an official style guide.)


texts:
The more thought I give about the order of adjuncts and adjectives before a noun, the less sense it all makes. Not a native speaker, but using English on a daily basis.

For instance, in "Relational database management system", does Relational determine the system, the database or the database management?

Similarly, in "Monthly progress report", is the progress report monthly, or just the progress?

Finally, if we take "plastic food container" vs "organic food container", it is easy to identify what determines what, but in some highly technical texts, I can not always figure out the sequence.

Any rules that would apply?

Thanx,
Gj


texts: A word that means "dependent on the order of items"

texts:
I'm trying to find a word that means "dependent on the order of items".

For example, the list of letters "ABCDEF" and "FEDCBA" contain the same letters.  If order is NOT considered, both lists contain the same letters.  If order IS considered, the two lists are different.

What word indicates that the order of letters must be taken into account when comparing the lists?

Clarification:
The context is computer science. I'm attempting to explain hashing functions. A most basic hash function could simply sum the values of all bytes in the input stream. But this would allow inputs containing the same bytes, regardless of order, to produce equivalent hashes. The next step toward improving the function would be to apply a weight to each position in the input stream, making the resulting hash _______. This is the word I'm looking for, and means "dependent on the order" of the bytes rather than "order-independent". Hope this helps to clarify.

See this conversation.


texts: "But (something) instead" versus "but instead (something)"

texts:
Please consider the sentences:

They do not overpower the city, but empower it instead.
They do not overpower the city, but instead empower it.

I'm doubting the use of but + instead. Is either incorrect syntactically? If not, which one reads better? NB: it is for an academic paper.


texts:
How would I say that I am going to test a product on myself?

For instance "Due to the X testing I will not need to worry about signing ethical forms" (As you might need to sign ethical forms for when testing patients).

Edit (based on a comment by the OP):
it's for an application; if I wanted to get patients to test it I would need to go past an ethics committee to make sure I'm not doing anything bad with their data. But if it's on myself I don't need to go to them.


texts: How to use the word "petrichor" in a sentence?

texts:
What are the ways in which the word petrichor which means scent of the rain, might be used?
Can we use a phrase like "the pleasant petrichor"?


texts: Can ‘on one’s own’ be an adjective, implying 'while one is alone'?

texts:
Can this phrase ‘on one’s own’ be used as a post-modifying adjective phrase like below, meaning ‘while one is alone’?

  The gangsters wanted to catch him on his own.


texts: Does a 'converger' converge to a 'convergee'?

texts:
I am trying to append suffixes to nouns 'related' (is there a more appropriate term?) by a verb. My example is from mathematics. Imagine a sequence S which converges to a limit L. Can I refer to S and L using terms derived from 'converge'? I thought of the words 'employer' and 'employee', and was led to these pages:

http://www.dictionary.com/browse/-ee
Which first says that '-ee' can be appended to an object of a transitive verb. But a quick search suggested that 'converges' in my example is an intransitive verb. So L can't be called a 'convergee'? The -ee link then says that

  recent formations now also mark the performer of an act, with the base being an intransitive verb

If S is performing the act of converging, then does that mean that S can be called a 'convergee'?

http://www.dictionary.com/browse/-er
Suggests that the suffix '-er' can be appended to a verb to form an agent noun. If S is considered an agent, can S be called a 'converger'?

Now imagine that the sequence S is being studied for convergence to a limit L, but it may not converge. Can S be called something like a 'candidate converger/ convergee'?

Even if S does converge, it feels like a natural entity which happens to converge, and odd to think of as an agent. Does this (unsupported) argument make calling it a 'converger', even if acceptable, inappropriate?

I thought of the term 'integrand', but the origin seems to be a gerundive which I couldn't figure out how to use on a quick reading of its Wikipedia entry. Also, an integrand as the object of integration seems different from the convergence example.

Apologies if there are multiple questions bundled up in one. Also, I don't intend to introduce new terms, for the sake of it, to a well-studied behavior in mathematics! The exercise itself of adding suffixes to S and L might be badly-posed. Just curious.


texts: Is it right to say "hastening the time of my own doom"?

texts:
Since hasten means accelerate, I feel the person is saying that he or she is saying shortening the time of his doom of making it pass away more quickly.

The correct way or what I think he is trying to say is "hastening the time before my doom comes"?

Not sure though, because my command of English is pretty bad, as I see it.


texts:
What does this sentence mean?

  What was over there?
  Freaky  pink primates!

Why 'pink' ? What is the exact meaning?

It was in Over the Hedge.


texts: "Would" with a present meaning—is this correct?

texts:
A great example I can think of:

  "Please, leave! I would be alone!"

With would meaning something like, "I want to be alone." Is this correct, or not?

EDIT: To further clarify, I am not aiming for would like to. My original question/sentence is not a typo.


texts: Where is the line drawn with comma splices?

texts:
I was going to ask: where is the line drawn between parentheticals and comma splices?

I've been trying to think of examples, and all the ones I've thought of seem okay, but probably work in a third way again.

"He didn't hate sailing, he loathed it."

"He hated sailing, he was always seasick."

"He disliked sailing, he wasn't good at it."

"John dislikes sailing, Mary dislikes sport of all kinds."

None of these seem like genuine parentheticals, they seem more like subordinate clauses with the subordinating conjunction left out (if that is even a meaningful distinction). But they also seem like common literary AND conversational constructions, even if they are considered wrong.

Are there loopholes whereby what appear to be separate independent clauses can be joined without a conjunction?


texts: Is there a functional difference between "not believing" and "believing not"?

texts:
If you tell your friend some incredible story and they say, "I don't believe you!" It seems like they are pretty obviously trying to say that they believe that your story isn't true.

I have someone I am talking with trying to telling me that there is a difference between the sentences, "I don't believe that X is so" and "I believe that X is not so." This seems like semantic nit picking though to me.

Wouldn't it be much easier to say: "I lack belief that X is so" or "I'm not sure that X is so?"

The placement of the "not" seems trivial in relation to the "belief" but I am open to being wrong on that.


texts: Formal American English form of 'generalization of the generalized'

texts:
I have a question regarding formal American English writing. I constructed a method which is a generalization of the generalized finite element method (GFEM). The fact that it's a generalization is an important message I want to give in the title of my article, but obviously, 'generalization of the generalized finite element method' sounds ridiculous. I can however, not seem to find any synonym for 'generalization'.

My question is, how do I express this in formal American English writing?


texts:
In what cases can we begin noun clauses with a preposition? Is there any rule?

My examples (sorry if they are bad):

1. You need to choose with what you agree and with what not.

2. Don’t tell him what to do. He knows with whom to work and with whom not to work and when.

3. My daughter was obliged to tell me in which park she would go for a walk.

4. Does anybody know (about) until when that shop works?

5. The erection's thought to have been built in 100 BC. By whom it was built remains a mystery.

6. The erection's thought to have been built in 100 BC. Scientists often argue (about) by whom it was built.

7. It's not written here with what sauce we should mix these ingredients.

8. Because of what people all that happened is anyone's guess.

9. Under whose authority they did it remains a mystery.

10. I can't make up my mind for which to go, the red or the blue.

Thanks!


texts:
I understand the phrase, "If I had my druthers..." to mean, "If I had my way," as in:

  If I had my druthers, we'd all have Mondays off and work a half day on Saturdays and Sundays.

EtymologyOnline.com gives the following note for druthers:

  1895, from jocular formation based on I'd ruther, Amer.Eng. dialectal form of I'd rather (used by Bret Harte as drathers, 1875).

But I'm curious how this morphed into, "If I had my druthers." It would seem that the saying would be:

  Druthers have Mondays off and work a half day on Saturdays and Sundays.

Also, I'm curious as to the etymology / first use of the full phrase, "If I had my druthers..."


texts: What is a term for crop/livestock, something raised for indirect value?


texts:
Where does the word "dipshit" originate from?

It seems to be both a noun and adjective.

As a noun

  What a dipshit!

As an adjective

  You dipshit!


texts:
Choose: Six years (seems, seem) too much time to build a house.

I have this question while solving an exam in English, it appears to be "seems" but the plural noun phrase (six years) leading you to "seem".


texts: Why isn't {-able} considered a free morpheme?

texts:
So the question is that if the morpheme, {-able}, is considered a bound morpheme, however, I am not sure why it cannot be used by itself and be considered a free morpheme, i.e. I am able to do this. Also, it is pronounced, ible and not able. But why?

Thanks.


texts: What's the difference between "get it" and "got it"?

texts: They are not "I get it." or "I got it.". They are only "Get it." and "Got it.". I'm wondering what's the difference between them.


texts:
Reading that classic of children's literature, Tiptoes the Mischievous Kitten (a Ladybird book from 1949), I started wondering about the phrase "of course."

Here's an example of what I think of as the typical use of "of course": after getting covered in starch, Tiptoes runs out into the sun where "of course her fur dried in little stiff points... ." If you get mixed up in starch, then it's gonna dry your fur in stiff points -- here, of course "acknowledges the validity of the associated phrase."

But here's another example of "of course" that I think of as less typical and this is the one I'm asking about. Tiptoes's owner carefully closes a door, but, the latch being loose, it swings open again. At this point in the narrative, my two young children know that the very worst thing that could happen is that the mischievous kitten comes along, but "Just then, of course, Tiptoes came silently up the stairs" (and then all hell breaks loose).

This use of "of course" does not acknowledge the validity of the associated phrase: it does not follow from the door swinging open that Tiptoes should happen up the stairs. She could just as well be sleeping in the rocking chair or hunting mice.

It seems instead to mean "as luck would have it," or acts perhaps an idiomatic affirmation of Murphy's law.

I can remember my English grandmother using the phrase "of course" in a similar way, usually in humorous or ironic stories. She'd use an "of course" to introduce that the worst/silliest/funniest possible turn of events was about to happen.

Is this usage mainly mid-20th-century English? Is it any accident that an English book of 1949 reminds me of something my English grandmother (born in 1916) might have said? I don't think I've heard it used amongst my Canadian contemporaries. Do we still hear it today, or has it been replaced by other idioms or even tones of voice? Do we hear it in North America, in Australia, NZ, South Africa, India? Is its use limited to the British Isles, or even to certain regions of the UK?


texts: What is the correct possessive form of names ending in "x"?

texts:
The title says it all.
Should one use Theroux's works or Theroux' works? The Phoenix's Egg or The Phoenix' Egg


texts: word-order with never and already with perfect infinitives

texts:
Why is the word-order different with 'already' and never' in the following cases:

I should never have done it

and

I should have already done it

Can there be any changes in the word order?
Can 'already' and 'never' break the perfect infinitive? Is it correct to say:

They seem to have already done it

and

They seem to have never done it before


texts: Missing part of an idiom or expression I heard "Have you lost the [something] you were born with"

texts: I am writing a story and my character is being scolded for doing something stupid. I have an expression on the tip of my tongue, but part of it keeps evading me! "Have you lost the [thing that keeps evading me] you were born with?" Is it the good senses you were born with? The brain you were born with? I can't remember and it is beginning to drive me crazy... Does anyone know the part I'm missing?


texts: Where does the phrase "possession is ( nine points | nine-tenths ) of the law" come from?

texts:
I've seen dozens of arguments for the correctness and/or precedence of one version over the other, but have not come across compelling sources or well-documented explanations for either.

Does anyone have solid information on which came first, and how it was derived?


texts: Does “work for someone” ever carry negative connotations?

texts:
Can I say that I want him to work for me in the sense  that I want him to work at my company?

Does it have any negative connotations, like association with slavery or objectifying the person?

Is there a better but short way to say the same?


texts: Correct usage of "than" or "as" when comparing two things

texts:
I've found a cited example of incorrect usage in Bill Bryson's "Troublesome Words" which I don't understand because he doesn't explain it, and even going back to the source (Ernest Gowers' "Plain Words") doesn't help.

Apparently, the sentence "nearly twice as many people die under 20 in France THAN in Great Britain" is wrong because it should read "AS in Great Britain".

Could someone please tell me why this is wrong and, if so, explain how you know when to use "than" and when to use "as"? I'm driving myself mad second-guessing myself every time I use "than" in case I should be saying "as"! Thank you.


texts: What's the "tumbleweed" in tumbleweed badge?

texts:
Well I just earned one :). According to the description it's awarded to a question which receives literally no attention in a week. (Snapshot below)

So it led me to the notion that a "tumbleweed" might metaphorically refer to someone or something that receives little or no attention or gets ignored. I searched the OED, which, however, listed only its original meaning

  A plant of arid regions which breaks off near the ground in late summer, forming light globular masses which are tumbled about by the wind.

Even if I must use the word metaphorically, I wouldn't possibly relate it to " getting ignored", which seems to me completely irrelevant to its original meaning.

So what on earth does the "tumbleweed" metaphorically mean in the badge name?


texts: What is the grammatical structure of the expression "F*** you!" and its derivatives?

texts:
I heard that expression along with its derivatives so many times, in movies or otherwise, but I can't get it grammatically, meaning, does it stand for a complete sentence like "I will fuck you!" or "I want to fuck you!"? Or what?

Is it an imperative construction, or part of some other type of sentence with material deleted?

NB: This question is NOT about the meaning of this phrase (amply addressed in other questions on this site, such as Meaning of “f*ck” in the following conversation). It is about the structure of the phrase from a grammatical perspective, along with the common meaning of the expression.


texts: I'm working on a fiction story titled "The War of Tears". Now most people would read the last word, Tears, as the water that comes from ones eyes when emotional. However, I want it to be Tears, as in rips in spacetime (this is a particularly destructive war). Is there a way to specifically note that I am using the second definition of this word, while keeping the simple flow of the name?


texts: Do we sometimes use prepositions unnecessarily?

texts:
Compare these two sentences:

  "He jumped from the bus"

and

  "He jumped off the bus"

With this one:

  "He jumped off of the bus"

Compare also this:

  "Where is Bob?"

With this

  "Where is Bob at"?

The latter examples are mostly favored by Americans.

Are the prepositions in the latter examples unnecessary?


texts: When to use "the" before a group of people

texts:
I wonder which of the following would be correct/preferred:

Regarding the English proficiency of Chinese people, ... (not sure if this is correct)
Regarding the English proficiency of the Chinese people, ... (I believe this is correct)

By "Chinese people", I'm referring to the people/residents of China.

Note: I've seen examples on Google where "English proficiency" is replaced by other descriptions and "Chinese" replaced by British/American/Japanese/etc.

In addition, is there any difference between British vs. American usage in this case?

Thank you very much for your kind attention.


texts: Is it acceptable to call a hot dog a sausage?

texts:
This sounds like a silly question, but I've heard some very strong opinions about this, so I find this intriguing.

A hot dog is a type of sausage (at least according to Merriam-Webster, Wikipedia, and Encyclopedia Britannica), but I find that very few friends and coworkers agree with this, and they go so far as to say that a hot dog isn't a sausage at all. It seems that there is a perception that goes along with the term "sausage" that people refuse to associate with the term "hot dog," even though the former is a generic term for the latter.

I noticed the strength of this perception when watching an episode of American Idol last year. When Jacob says, "A hot dog is a type of sausage," not only did the others disagree, but so did people on Twitter. Enough people tweeted in disagreement with his statement that "sausage" became a trending topic for a few hours. It seems odd to me that there would be that much resentment to his statement, since it was trivial. And technically, he was correct.

I'm curious to know if this is a localized perception or if this extends to outside the U.S. as well. Am I correct in believing that a hot dog is a type of sausage and that it's not widely accepted to refer to it as such in the U.S.? If so, is this unusual perception (that a word is acceptable as a definition but taboo as a substitution) confined to the U.S., or is this sentiment common in other countries as well?


texts: What can a wife call her husband's other wife in polygynous societies?

texts: I am aware that two wives of the same man can be named co-wives. But what can a wife call her husband's other wife? I think calling her my co-wife will not be correct.


texts:
Would you clarify the meaning of the words "wrong to the light" in this phrase (from a poem by Frost):

  "...having knelt at well-curbs, always wrong to the light, so never
  seeing deeper down in the well than..."


texts: Does “housemate” imply a sexual relationship?

texts:
In a recent question, another user expressed concern that housemate has sexual connotations because of this definition at Dictionary.com:

  noun
  1. a person with whom one shares a house or other residence.
  2. a sexual partner with whom one shares a house or other living quarters without being married.

However, I have never heard or seen the word used in that second sense. I would normally expect the a term like domestic partner or cohabitation to express that meaning, not housemate. Furthermore, I could not find another dictionary with a similar sense of the word. Only Urban Dictionary has a related entry, which appears to be a joke and not a serious report of usage (“My friend just housemated with my fellow housemate”).

Is the Dictionary.com entry spurious, or is the “sexual partner” sense of housemate in actual use? If so, is it regional or perhaps euphemistic?


texts: What's the difference between "successive" and "consecutive"?


texts: Is there English equivalent of phrase "If two friends fight the third outsider will take away with the prize shield"

texts:
Is there English equivalent of marathi phrase

  Dhoghanchya bhandnya madhe (Fight between both) tisryacha fayda (will
  yield third's (outsider's) profit).

If two friends fight the third outsider will take away with the prize shield. So the wisdom says you should not fight with each other over something in front of third party otherwise the third party will feign as arbitrator and flee away with the bounty. I suppose there is a fairy tale which i don't recollect probably about a crow if i am not wrong.


texts: How should a question ending in a statement be punctuated, as ending it in a question mark seems a little off?

texts:
In the example in the headline to this question, the statement qualifying the question makes the punctuation seem ill-fitting...

Here's another example:

  Will you be able to make a decision on this, as it’s getting on to a year old?


texts: Use of preposition "from" after "across"

texts:
I need a little help with these sentences:

  The cafe is across from the tailor.
  The cafe is across the tailor.

Which one is correct? Thank you!


texts: Would you say describing somebody as "geriatric" is offensive? I think it's neutral in American English, but the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary describes it as "informal" and "offensive".


texts:
What does left-hand driving mean? Does it mean the steering wheel is on the left side of the car?

  Sure that's not Britain?

  Look at the traffic flow and the direction of the lanes, it's not a left-hand driving country.


texts: In the context of speech, is there a word like *dictator* to describe a person who *dictates* (a person who speaks, says something, etc: *dictator*)?

texts:
In the context of speech, is there a word like dictator to describe a person who dictates (a person who speaks, says something, etc: dictator)?

I tried to research this, but it seems that the word dictator is used only to describe a person who behaves in an autocratic way.


texts: Both are correct forms when we talk about seasons of the year from what I learnt. But is there any difference between "in summer" and "in the summer"?


texts: A word for "to proceed inwards from the outside", like "bottom-up"

texts:
"Bottom-up" means to proceed upwards from the bottom.

"Top-down" means to proceed downwards from the top.

Then is there a hyphenated word meaning to proceed inwards from the outside? "Outside-in" sounds like it means the outside is turned inwards like how we can turn a glove outside-in, so I'm not sure if it's the correct word.


texts: What does "to get in line soldier-style" mean?

texts:
I read the following sentence and was wondering what does the phrase 'to get in line soldier-style' mean in the context -

  A third person familiar with the bank told Reuters that Pandit and O'Neill clashed because the chairman wanted the CEO "to get in line soldier-style."

Does it mean to be obedient and follow orders blindly?


texts: Thinking way ahead and into unnecessary details

texts:
Is there any expression/phrase which means 'thinking way ahead and into unnecessary details'.

An example would be a person thinking about the what color the doormat would be even before buying a house.


texts: Difference between "second cousin" and "first cousin once removed"

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Is there an accepted rule for naming all of our various distant relatives (Kinship Terms)?

What is the difference between second cousin and first cousin once removed? Is "[ordinal] cousin once removed" generally used in English?


texts: What is someone who works with optical fibres and light called?

texts: I would like to know the name of a person who works with lasers and optical fibers? I have tried searching on google and asking people that I could get any answer from.


texts: Word for people of a country who tend to embrace division and sectarian and ethnic profiling?

texts: Is there a word to describe people of a country who tend to embrace division and sectarian and ethnic profiling rather than fighting it? I need a word to describe the people of a country who wouldn't put an effort to fight or fix the issues that have been splitting them.


texts: Why do we say that we "observe" traditions?

texts: Why do we say that we "observe traditions" rather than "following traditions" or some other term?


texts:
There are a serial programming books whose names begin with head first such as Head First Design Patterns, Head First Java, etc.

I'm not a native English speaker. What does head first mean here?


texts:
I found this sentence in the book Artemis Fowl 2: The Arctic Incident:

  Whether he escaped or not, the LAPD would be visiting evety dwarf in the city come sunrise.

I guess it means "when sunrise comes," but is it correct? And is it common usage?

PS: I'm a non-native speaker who never saw this kind of phrase before, and when I Googled “come sunrise” no explanation turned up.


texts: Is there anything wrong with "yet" in this sentence?

texts:
I have a sentence that I was supposed to correct; it wasn't hard to correct, but I couldn't help noticing the "yet" in the sentence: it sounded wrong, but I know that English is sometimes weird.
Here's the sentence:

  We haven't had any snow yet this year. (I changed no to any)

The yet sounds weird in the sentence, almost unnecessary. I know that if I take out the yet, the sentence still works, but I'm wondering if it works if it's in.


texts: I am from India. I am very eager to learn English. So I am used to add some English words with my language. But My friends says that you are having problem with your pronunciation. I tried a lot of times to pronounce well still I failed to pronounce. What should I do to pronounce English well? Kindly help me to overcome this problem.


texts:
I was thinking that the word switched could be used as a noun and maybe an adjective too but I might just be making grammar mistakes. Switched in the dictionary only shows up as being a verb!

Here are the examples and comparison sentences I was using:
The shirts are brightly colored.
The shirts are wool.
The shirts are switched. (This sentence might be incorrect but it is the kind of sentence which I would use off the top of my head in everyday conversation. Switched seems like it's being used as a noun to me.)
The switched shirts are both wool. (Here is how I think that switched could be used as an adjective.)

Please let me know your thoughts on this and correct me if I errored in any way! I am trying to better understand my own language in order to better study another.


texts: I was thinking about the words "today" and "tonight" and trying to think of what "to" means in these words. A cursory Google search turns up no results for "to-" in any prefix lists.


texts:
For context:

  The expression is used to bring up an unsatisfactory aspect of the seemingly agreed statement, thus it is a rhetorical concession.

It's explaining a construct in Chinese Mandarin.


texts: regarding the phrase "carry perspective" and "carry standpoint"

texts:
I've encountered a phrase that I can't make out as yet despite my futile attempts to look it up in several dictionaries, along with browsing several online articles containing such phrase.
It's in a financial related text (so it isn't about gun's shooting distance) and it appears to mean "in the long run," "from a long-term perspective," along these lines.
I'll post some contexts below where the phrase is used in a similar:

(a)Because the de-coupling between cable and EUR/USD does not seem to have been triggered by clear economic event, its hard to say for how long this will continue. However, for the time being, if you want to be long USD this may be best expressed through EUR/USD, but if you want to be short USD, then it looks like cable is providing the extra extra zing (and its more attractive from a carry perspective).

(b)From a carry perspective, we expect AUD’s 2.5% interest rate advantage over the JPY to be maintained for the medium term, which could make AUDJPY an attractive prospect, especially if overall market sentiment remains stable for the next few weeks in the wake of the resolution of the US fiscal crisis.

(c) Asian credit increasingly attractive from a carry perspective (headline)...But spreads over Treasuries remain wide. The current spread is 277.8 basis points (bp), which is around the same level as in late 2009. Five-year treasuries are yielding 0.63%. As such, despite historically low yields in Asian credit, from a carry perspective it remains very attractive..."So the more you think that sub-par economic growth or central bankers choosing to maintain rates low will continue for an unusual amount of time, the more appealing Asian credit will look from a pure carry perspective,"...

It seems to have a positive connotation since in the examples above including the text where I read it in the first place, usually with the adjective "attractive" near it, e.g. Despite...it looks attractive from a carry perspective.
I suspect "from a carry standpoint" shares a similar meaning with this phrase, if not synonymous.

I look forward to hearing from you all. Thank you.

Best,

Alvis


texts: Help finding the name of a literary device

texts:
Circumstance/Background

To express the surety of a particular outcome, a future/forecasted event is spoken of as if it has already transpired.

Question

The aforementioned literary style foreshadows the said event; does the manner in which the foreshadowing occurs have a particular name?

Examples

  The victory is mine

Though a victory has not been secured

  Rome has fallen

Though the battle is not complete


texts: Before the 20th century, how did people express ideas like "X isn't going to happen anytime soon"?

texts:
Something I was writing recently included the phrase "They aren't going to disappear anytime soon." I was a bit unsure about whether to write "any time" or "anytime", so I looked that up and found that either is apparently acceptable in adverbial contexts.

However, I discovered something else that interested me: it seems that, regardless of the spelling, the expression "not ... any( )time soon" only became frequent fairly recently. Here's the relevant Google Ngram Viewer chart (with smoothing of 1):

You can see that there's a huge increase in the use of this expression starting around 1975 or so, only a short time before the spelling "anytime soon" overtakes "any time soon" in American English (the spelling "any time soon" appears to have been more common in British English texts as of 2008).

I'd like to know how people used to express this idea, but I'm not sure how to find out.

The alternative phrasings I could think of off the top of my head were "(are) not about to disappear", "(will) not soon disappear", and "(will) not disappear soon".

The expression "not about to disappear" seems to be only a bit older than "any( )time soon". The Google Ngram Viewer shows a steep increase starting around 1960, with only a few, possibly false hits before then (smoothing of 1):

There doesn't seem to be great data for "not disappear soon", but I think the Ngram Viewer seems to show at least that this expression was not much more frequent in the past than it is today (smoothing of 1):

The chart for "not soon disappear" is more promising in that it shows greater frequency, but it's difficult again to interpret the trends because there seems to be a lot of noise (even with a "smoothing" of 3):

So at the moment, I'm guessing that someone from before 1900 might have written my phrase as "They will not soon disappear", but I'm not sure if that would have been the most natural phrasing or if there's some other synonymous expression that I have forgotten about (or that is no longer used). It doesn't sound quite right to my ears, but I'm not sure exactly why.

Can anyone tell me more about how people used to express the idea "not ... any( )time soon" or more specifically, "X is not going to happen any( )time soon"?


texts:
In an essay, while describing the coloration pattern of some amphibians I often used the word orangey (to modify the principal color). All those times, my teacher erased the word or changed it by reddish, which does not means the same for me.

I would like to know if orangey is an informal word, and, in that case, which word should be used to describe a color with shades of orange.

i. e. instead of orangey brown I should use ...


texts: Word for "exaggerated to the point of no longer resembling the truth"?

texts: Like when a historical event has been retold and changed so many times that nobody knows the truth anymore. Like the Trojan Horse or the legend of Arthur or whatever.  "The event was ___. "


texts: Pronouncing D sound when it's in the middle of the sentence

texts:
For instance. "Daddy"
The first D is a "stop D".
Are the next two "dd's" pronounced as a stop D (Dad+Dy) or with an alveolar flap (like a "flap T" sound)?


texts: A word for asserting your opinion then attempting to end the conversation so the other person can't express theirs?

texts: Looking for a word which describes an attempt to simultaneously assert one's opinion but not allow the other to express theirs. For example, in a conversation about a person, one may express their opinion and then notify the other participant that they can no longer carry on this conversation — so that they wouldn't need to form a proper response to a disagreement.


texts: "Anthropomorphize" against another person?

texts:
Is there another word for "Anthropomorphize" that could be used against another person. For instance, in the West the vast majority are familiar with 3 meals a day, breakfast, lunch and dinner.

However this is far from universal. If I was discussing meals with someone from an Amazonian tribe, I would maybe want to avoid asking about breakfast, lunch and dinner since they may not follow such a system.

But to say that I was "anthropomorphizing" would be offensive and rightly so. That would be saying that I was treating a non-human as a human which isn't true.

Is there a human to human equivalent meaning I am avoiding my own cultural bias when describing the practices of another human?

Many thanks.

I hope this post doesn't come across as offensive, I am really trying to avoid it.


texts: What would you call someone who isn't what people think they are?

texts:
I'm writing an essay about a character within a story arguing that they are different from what people think they are.

The context is the character is Mayella Ewell in To Kill a Mockingbird and I'm trying to explain that she isn't as cruel as the trial makes her out to be. I considered innocent but that doesn't seem exactly fitting for her.

One word preferred.


texts: How to understand the phrase "through its successive approaches to perfection" in the given context?

texts:
I don't understand the bold sentence below. I guess it means "I should not attempt to find the origin of the human's organization by studying its evolution progress." What confuse me is that I don't know the prefection refer to.

Could you interprete this sentence for me, especially the phrase through its successive approaches to perfection.

  However important it may be, in order to form a proper judgment of the natural state of man, to consider him from his origin, and to examine him, as it were, in the first embryo of the species; I shall not attempt to trace his organization through its successive approaches to perfection: I shall not stop to examine in the animal system what he might have been in the beginning, to become at last what he actually is; I shall not inquire whether, as Aristotle thinks, his neglected nails were no better at first than crooked talons; whether his whole body was not, bear-like, thick covered with rough hair; and whether, walking upon all-fours, his eyes, directed to the earth, and confined to a horizon of a few paces extent, did not at once point out the nature and limits of his ideas.

This sentence comes from A Discourse Upon the Origin and the Foundation of the Inequality among Mankind


texts: Name of the high pitch sound produced when objects are hit against each other underwater

texts: For instance, when a spoon or ice cube hits a glass of water


texts: Another expression for "bend over backwards"

texts: I am looking for another idiomatic expression for "bend over backwards" to help others.


texts:
1) Starting a business often requires significant financial sacrifices.
2) Starting a business may require significant financial sacrifices.

These have nearly identical meanings. Why is "requires" used in sentence one, whereas "require" is used in sentence two"?


texts: What do you call someone who acts "cool-headed"?

texts:
I mean someone who acts regardless of his/her feelings, according to what's the best option. I mean tough choices where your brain dictates something but your feelings might say something else.

I'm looking for an adjective that describes a character in a story. The woman leaves her twin baby daughters in a roadside in China because they had better chances of surviving there than if she carried them along - we're talking during the Japan invasion of China.


texts: a confusion about answer "yes" and "no" to some complicated question

texts:
I got confused about the usage of "yes" and "no".

I knew in English,"yes" or "no" should response to the meaning of sentence.

take a example. assuming a stuff is available.

     is it available? -yes.
     isn't it available? -yes.

but I not sure to  say "yes" or "no" when someone ask a complicated question with double-negatives.

     is it unavailable?
     isn't it unavailable?


texts:
In my native language, the English word "develop" is translated to "the process to make something/somebody large/strong/big, and etc.; for example: economic development."

Does develop mean upgrade?


texts: What is the equivalent of 'hungry' for breathing?

texts:
Hungry for eating. Thirsty for drinking. Tired for sleeping.

What can we use for the need or desire to breathe?

I can think of saying "hungry for air," "thirsty for a breath," "gasping for a breath." Is there anything specific for breathe?


texts: If "whenever possible" is in the middle of a sentence, does it need to be preceded by a comma?

texts:
The sentence in question is "We believe that the best way to think about the mentor-mentee relationship is to remember that whenever possible, all adults in a child's life should act as a team.

It seems odd to add a comma before "whenever" as there's no pause intended, and I don't think the phrase, "whenever possible" is truly parenthetical, as without it, the goal isn't really achievable anymore.


texts: Which one is acceptable in an academic paper? Fig 4. show or Fig 4. shows?

texts:
Is it right to say:

  Fig. 4, Show the wireless transmission of data.

Shouldn't it be:

  Fig. 4, Shows the wireless transmission of data.

By the way, another question would be, is it right to use both of mentioned forms in an academic paper? I mean, some one writes Fig. 4, shows in a paragraph and in another, in the same paper, writes Fig. 4, show?


texts:
Imagine you go down to the station at noon to meet your friend Mike there. You sit there and wait and wait for him to show up. Two hours later your
friend finally arrives and says to you:

Sorry I'm late, there was a lot of traffic on the way here.

How would you respond? Which one seems the most or least natural to you, and why?

I was waiting for two hours. (past continuous)
I had been waiting for two hours. (past perfect continuous)
I have been waiting for two hours. (present perfect continuous)

Personally I would use the first option, or perhaps even the second but I’m
not 100% sure about that one.  I might even use the third choice out of natural habit,
but in my mind it indicates that I am still waiting. Are those natural
choices, and in that order?


texts: "To hunt is my favorite pastime." What part of speech is "to hunt" in this sentence?

texts:
The function of infinitives seems to be up for grabs at the last post I commented at. I either need to be schooled or my interlocutors do. May your answers bring some clarity.

These are your choices. There are eight: noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, interjection.

Avoid answers like: subject, predicate, direct/indirect object, complement, etc. These are not parts of speech.

The last post:
What is the part of speech is "the door" in the sentence below?

Some definitions (premises):

1.A verbal is a verb form that functions as another part of speech, i.e., nouns or modifiers (adjectives or adverbs).

2.Infinitives are a subset of verbals.

Therefore,

3.Infinitives (yes, composed of two words) function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs.

As far as I know, these are standard definitions and noncontroversial. I'm simply asking, based on these definitions what part of speech is "to hunt" functioning as in my sentence. I don't know if people are unaware of these definitions or I am seriously missing something, but no one seems to be able to pull the trigger and simply identify an infinitive in a sentence as either a noun, adjective, or adverb though this type of analysis is everywhere on the web and in the grammars on my desk. People seem to be stuck on saying these are verbs because of their form (which is understandable) but ignoring that they are verbals, which never function as verbs. Others forgo parts of speech altogether and jump to sentence analysis, i.e., subject/predicate/D.O./I.O./ complements and so forth.

I believe the fact that an English infinitive technically has two words is incidental and doesn't inhibit it from being analyzed a single part of speech (German, Latin, Spanish, French all have single word infinitives). Wouldn't it be odd that in all these languages, their infinitives could be analyzed as a part of speech because they are single words, but because English has an additional "infinitive marker" we can't? The fact that the "to" (when combined with an infinitive) is not identified as a part of speech should be the clue that it is uniquely bound to the infinitive and that both are functioning as a single word (and please don't say "to," in this case, is a preposition ).

So I'm ready to find better web sources and burn my grammars if someone who knows grammar better than me can resolve this. Thanks to those who have already commented.


texts: Is there a term for an adult without children, similar to "orphan" for the other way around?

texts:
For a child without any parents, there is a term - orphan.
Is there such a term for the opposite - an adult without any children?

This question actually comes out of a software development situation where I have nodes that relate to each other as parents and children - a parent node has zero or more children. If a child doesn't have a parent, it's refered to as an orphan node. I'm looking for a term for a node that doesn't have any children. I considered "childless", "non-parent" etc, but was wondering if there is a proper non-negative term similar to orphan?

Edit: I'm not specifically asking for a word for someone who once had children but now doesn't. While orphan implies not only that a child currently has no parents, but (as a consequence of how life works) also that the child used to have parents but lost them; the same is not necessarily true for the term I'm asking about - a term to describe people without children, regardless of whether they did once have children. Bottom line: it's not about having had but lost children but simply about not currently having children, period.


texts:
I was listening to a song Top of the world by Bridgit Mendler. She sung some words

  I'm weak in the knees when... You're holding me close.. got tingling toes tonight

What does tingling toes mean here?

I know the meaning of both words separately but it is not making sense together for me.


texts:
What's the difference in usage for 'there's a time' vs. 'there's time' vs. 'there's the time'?
Is the last one even correct?
Similarly, what's the difference between 'it was a time' vs. 'it was the time' vs. 'it was time'?
I suspect the last one is only used in fixed expressions like 'it's high time' etc. but I'm not sure of anything anymore.


texts: Why do we qualify "dish washer" or "car wash" but not "clothes washer"?

texts:
In theory, any mechanical device that is used to wash another object could be called a "washing machine". However, the term (at least in the US) is almost exclusively used for machines that wash clothes.

Machines that was dishes and silverware are "dish washers". A Machine that washes automobiles is a "car wash". But a machine that washes clothes is just a "washing machine".

How did that generic term come to be so completely identified with a specific type of washing machine?


texts: An expression to "take advantage of the success of other person" but not in a negative sense

texts:
The idea is that three musicians formed a group "taking advantage of" the success of the new rhythm. But it should not be perceived as negative.

Would "they embrace the success of the new rhythm and formed a group"

or

"they seized the success of the new rhythm and formed a group" be correct?


texts:
Let's take this for example (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porsche_919_Hybrid):

"The car's weight was reduced by 39 kg, now weighing in at 849 kg (1,872 lb) dry and 888 kg (1,958 lb) with driver ballast."

Why not just say now weighing 849 kg ?


texts: Is there any word with the same meaning as in the case of? How we can say it in different ways if in one paragraph we have several copies of in the case of?


texts: Does "associated with" imply a certain hierarchy?

texts:
I have two items that bear a certain connection, and I want to describe this connection using the word "associated".

If I want to say that A is associated with B, does this imply that B is greater/more important than A?
Or can I just as well say that B is associated with A?

As an example, I could say:

  I am associated with Company X.

but it seems wrong to say

  Company X is associated with me.

But is it OK to say something like

  I am associated with my team mate

(where the two of us are equals)?


texts: Something that has a "name and description"

texts:
This is for programming, a variable name.

I have been thinking and searching and cannot come up with anything. I need a single (non-obscure) word that implies having a name, and description. Ex:

The Foo Name
And this is the description part. Goes on and on...

What would I call that pair?


texts:
Bitch niggas always jackin' blood, but I know they fu

What does "fu" mean in this context? I'm sure it isn't "fuck you".


texts: What do broad and narrow mean in the context?

texts: What does broad and narrow mean in a general context suppose Broad traits are x, y, z and narrow traits are a, b, c, broad issues are f, g,h and narrow issues are k, j, h? If a trait suppose X cant be further divided and why do we call it broad?


texts: What does an exclamation mark inside parentheses "(!)" mean?  I saw this in a book review I was reading and I didn't understand what the use of it was.  Can someone help me?


texts: Can “as soon as” ever mean “immediately after”?

texts:
Does as soon as mean "immediately after" in the following sentence?

  He got home as soon as 2 hours.

I know that this could be a tad messy without context, but I found it as an example with the the meanings of as soon as, but in this case, the meaning is not clear.


texts: What adjective means "sequential" as it applies to words or numbers?

texts: Is there an adjective to mean "sequential in ascending order" regardless of object type (word or number)? I need the word to imply "alphabetical" if the object is a word; or "numerical" if the object is a number.


texts:
Source We handle even our plain English with much greater effect if we direct it from the vantage point of a multilingual awareness.

What does this "direct" mean here?
It doesn't make much sense. Does it mean "Look"?


texts: Is the sentence "Neil Young to open up entire online music archive for free", correct?

texts:
I saw this headline today, "Neil Young to open up entire online music archive for free".

Is that sentence correct, and if so, could it have multiple meanings?

In this instance it's clear to me what it means, but couldn't it be misunderstood in other examples?

To me it could maybe be confused as him commenting on opening up his music archive for free.


texts: Why avoid writing one-sentence paragraphs?

texts: I am told to avoid writing one-sentence paragraphs. What are some good reasons for following this rule?


texts: What term do you use for an impulsive reaction?

texts:
I keep thinking about it and I can't remember a certain phrase. It's not 'whim' but more like,

  I didn't mean to laugh it's just my _______ reaction

or

  I didn't mean to hit you it was just my _____ reaction.

I think it's "something" reaction, I just can't really remember it and it's bothering me.

Hope I'm explaining myself right. Thanks


texts: Difference Between Plural And Singular Nouns After "Any" When Asking Questions

texts:
I have a question related to the usage of "any". I have seen "any" is used with both singular and plural nouns when asking questions, though the plural is more common. Could any native speaker please tell me the difference between the two following sentences?

Here are the examples:

This girl named Jane runs very fast. She is so fast that even many boys find difficult to compete against her in running races. Can any boys in this school run faster than this girl?
This girl named Jane runs very fast. She is so fast that even many boys find difficult to compete against her in running races. Can any boy in this school run faster than this girl?

Of the two above sentences, Which one is correct and does sound more natural?

Note that I am at a sports school (which consits of both boys and girls). I am asking this question only to the boys of the school.


texts: "Save the Blue Whale" or "Save the Blue Whales"?

texts: When writing about a breed or species as a whole, which is correct?  I intuitively think the first option sounds better, but I can't put my finger on why that is so.


texts: What is the derivation of "peanuts" meaning "of little value"?

texts:
The phrase working for peanuts is common (at least in American English) to indicate that someone is compensated very little.  The word peanuts is defined by Oxford Online as

  (peanuts) informal A paltry thing or amount, especially a very small amount of money:
  he pays peanuts

Etymonline offers only this

  peanuts "trivial sum" is from 1934.

A search of ngrams for work for peanuts, works for peanuts and working for peanuts yields nothing apposite before 1939 (and that reference provided no guidance).

Can anyone offer insight into how peanuts came mean little money?


texts: The extent to which something is required or mandatory

texts: I can't think of how to express this. Mandatoriness is closest I can come up with but I don't think it's a word.


texts: Confused about proper nouns like Dad and Mom

texts: Im confused because well people say that sometimes you use a capital letter in mom and dad. So when do you use capital letters for mom and dad?


texts:
What is the rhetorical sentence pattern of the sentence, "Facts are to the scientist what words are for the poet."? I really think it's periodic, but if it's not, can I please have an explanation as to why?

Why I think it's periodic:
My understanding is that the noun, "what words are for the poet" is how facts occur to the scientist. To explain further, given my view of the semantics of the sentence, a rephrased sentence would be: To the scientist, facts are what words are for the poet. The definition of a periodic sentence is that the main point is at the end.

My argument is that it is not a balance sentence.


texts: "Neither" and "either" usage in negative sentence

texts:
I would like to make sure I understood the usage of these:

Do you want A or B?

  I do not want either. [none of them]
  I want neither. [Can I say that?]


texts:
What do you say when a password policy is valid?

..is accepted?
..is fullfilled?

Context:

  "Password policy: The password is required to be at least 12
  characters long."

  "Password policy failed - the password does not count enough
  characters."

  "Password policy [...looking for the word here!....], the password is long enough."

In German I'd say (past participle)

  Die (Passwort-) Richtlinie wurde eingehalten.


texts: Is it a metaphor when a writer describes a character as having arms contorted into knots?

texts: When a writer describes a displeased character as having "arms, lips, eyes contorted into knots", is that actually a metaphor?  Sometimes language feels figurative without a strong metaphorical sense.


texts:
I was in some american company and during preparing a coffee I asked some girl with asian face "where is refrigerator?" She got confused and asked me "what do you mean???". I asked with details "where is a milk?", she answered "oh, in freeze".

So my question is if milk is stored in refrigerator why people use freeze word or she is mistaken?

Can somebody spread the light on this problem?


texts: Noun for a person who thrives under pressure

texts: I don't know of any nouns that describes a person who thrives under pressure. In basketball and sports in general, I know people who do well under pressure are called clutch. However, clutch would be an adjective. Are there any nouns that fit this description? If there are no nouns, what other adjectives have this meaning.


texts: looking for a succinct way to describe a book one can never grow tired of reading

texts:
I am writing an essay. In my essay, I am describing how I have gained a new understanding of a book at different ages. At the end of my essay, I conclude this is a book one could never grow tired of reading.

This is the last paragraph of my essay:

"How many times could one read "One Hundred Years of Solitude"? It is a book of __"

A book of my lifetime? A book for life?


texts: Word for someone who promotes a product/idea that he/she is invested in

texts: The general idea is a conflict of interest. But, I am searching for an adjective or noun that describes this sort of behavior. All I can think of is self-serving or egoistic. Any thoughts?


texts:
Could you help, please ? case genitive \ possessive

This exercise is mentioned on the book ( practical exercises in English )
EXERCISE IX.

Distinguish between the following:—

  The President's reception. The reception of the President.

I can understand it or it seems to me the first phrase can mean the President he himself who does the reception ( the focus is on him ) = the President is who welcomes and greeting them to his reception place. The second can mean people do a reception to the president ( the focus is on the reception )

  Mother's love. Love of mother.

This also the focus is on mother that she offers a lovely atmosphere to sons , relatives, husband etc... \ the second can implies love of others toward the mother.

The idea I explain here can be applicable to the rest examples.

  A sister's care. Care of a sister.
  A brother's picture. The picture of a brother.
  Clive's reception in London. The reception of Clive in London.
  Charles and Harry's toys. Charles's and Harry's toys.
  Let me tell you a story of Doctor Brown (Brown's).

What would you say ? Do you agree with me ? I see no other idea can illustrate what the author meant by  "Distinguish between the following "
Thank you in advance

Best wishes to all

Notes : I want the difference in meaning not to give a long description explaining how and why, I know the ( s possessive) can be confined to human, animals and sometimes special usage with things. second question : Can you deny that ( of construction ) is not used to express possession or to imply possession ?


texts: Articles when talking about something certain, yet unmentioned before

texts:
The same sentence as in question Articles in conjuctions:

  As a result, hosting in IIS 5/6 is notorious for instability and the frequent need to reset the server or IIS 5/6.

As far as I understood from comments on my other questions, hosting requires no article because it's an activity. And I think that the word server follows the definite article because it's not just any server, but the one something has been hosted in.
On the other hand, the result of something not being quoted here is sole, absolutely specific and given later in this sentence. However, the indefinite article is used in front of the word result. Could you explain why?

It would also be very cognitive to know why the definite article precedes the need.


texts: How do you pronounce a D at the end of a word followed by a word starting with D?

texts:
Read these sentences?
"The red door."
"The blind date."
"The mad dog."
I would pronounce these as "The reddoor." and the "blinddate". Sort of pausing in the middle of the d with tongue pressed against teeth. In a way this would be how a Swedish person would pronounce the word "reddoor". As in here.
But I have also heard people (mostly announcers of some kind) deliberately try to pronounce the D twice. As in "The redduhdoor." or "The Blinduhdate." or "The madduhdog". As in here at 0:30.
I just wondered for people teaching English or pronunciation, how do would you teach your students to pronounce these words. And is this codified anywhere such as a pronunciation guide?


texts: Is "screw you" an example of a performative utterance?

texts:
Performative utterances often take the form of declarative sentences with which the speaker performs the action denoted by some performative verb (e.g. promise, declare etc.). In so doing, the speaker does not describe the world but changes it.

If I told someone "screw you," am I doing a performative utterance? By saying "thank you," I am doing the action of thanking, but I'm not sure if the same can be said for "screw you." I'm not sure if "screw" can be defined as a performative verb based on the following criteria.

  Performative verbs are verbs that describe actions carried out by speakers.

  They are used in 1st person singular, simple present, indicative, active.

  They can be combined with hereby (cf. Bublitz 2009:75f).

The main problem is the last one, where I'm not sure if "hereby" can be used with "screw." It also doesn't seem to fit the earlier statement of "In so doing, the speaker does not describe the world but changes it." Saying "screw you" doesn't seem to change the world.


texts: What is the difference between "onerous" and "arduous"?

texts:
Is there any difference in the meaning of these words? Which one of them is used the most in everyday conversation?

In my vocabulary for both words I've found essentially the same meaning: "difficult to do and needing a lot of effort".


texts: Is there a better word or phrase to describe ‘exercise’, as in, working out?

texts: The best I can think of is physical training, or physical discipline.


texts: How do you write "and" in very short form?

texts:
Is there a short form of and aside from &? For instance, w/o is a short form of without.

I used to write it but I forgot since I don't live in the US.


texts:
I was a li'l nonplussed to find out that the word wifebeater can mean other things besides "a man who beats up his wife". Its definition reads:

  One who (usually as a repeated practice) beats one’s wife, or a husband prone to violence
  A kind of sleeveless shirt, often but not exclusively worn as an undershirt.
  (uncountable, UK, slang) Stella Artois, a brand of lager beer.

ODO reckons that sense 2 is American and originates "apparently from the association of such a garment with men who commit domestic violence". It does not register the UK slang. I'm guessing that Stellas also have an unfortunate association with domestic violence.

Are these alternative senses popular in their respective countries or are they perhaps nonce words that have lingered on? Any idea how these disparaging associations came about? I expect that the brewers of Stella Artois are none too happy about it.


texts: Specific term for a diet or lifestyle, restricted from consuming products of live animals (e.g. eggs, milk, honey)?

texts:
I'm looking for the specific term, that means a restriction in ones diet of not eating the products of living animals - without any other restrictions.

That is, somebody who would object to eating eggs, milk or honey (which were produced while the animal is alive), but would not object to eating flesh, meat and bone (which are taken from an animal that has been slaughtered).

Example sentence: "I am a(n) word-here, so I'm sorry but I cannot eat anything with eggs in it. No Karen, I also cannot drink your homemade honey-milkshake - as I said, I follow a restrictive word-here diet."

If no word exists purely for a diet, but does for a lifestyle that doesn't use animal produce (e.g. no wool, or other products that don't involve killing the animal); that word would be a sufficient alternative.

For clarity, the person could:

Eat beef
Eat pork
Not drink milk
Not eat eggs
Eat gelatin
Eat blood products, so long as the blood was extracted from a slaughtered animal.
Eat vegetables
Eat fruit
Eat any other non-animal products

Just to avoid any comments asking about the realistic popularity of this "specific" diet; this is something that is not entirely uncommon. Especially as children learn where milk comes from, some make the decision that milk is not for them - but only for calfs. As such, I believe it's likely there is a term that exists to describe it.


texts: expression of the form "I wouldn't trust them with X"

texts:
The following expressions are idiomatic:

1) "I wouldn't touch Z with a 10-foot pole", meaning the speaker wouldn't want to be involved with Z in any way.

2) "S couldn't find his way out of a paper bag," meaning S has a bad sense of direction.

Is there an idiomatic hyperbole of the same form which means "I wouldn't trust Z at all"?

Edit: to be more precise, I'm looking for something where the image/hyperbole is related to being untrustworthy.


texts: Expression referring to assuming different positions based on what is convenient at the moment

texts: In German, we use the expression: "Den Mantel anziehen, wie er passt," in English roughly, "Putting on the coat how it fits." It refers to a person assuming different positions based on what is convenient for them at the moment. Is there an equivalent expression, phrase or idiom in English ?


texts:
When “etc.” is used with a singular subject, such as in the following sentence, should the verb be singular or plural?

  The battery, etc., is included.


texts: Is this adverb modifying a verb or a verb phrase?

texts: Do adverbs modify the verb as well as the phrase in a situation like this? "I played the game quickly." To me, it would make sense for quickly to modify played the game because the person did not just play quickly but did the entire action of playing the game quickly. Am I correct?


texts:
My text definition of past perfect tense tells me that it is used to refer to an action that is completed at some point in the past and before the commencement of another past action. I came across this example : We had stopped the car.
I know this example is past perfect tense but shouldn't there be another past action along with it to be called as past perfect? Please answer..


texts: I'm just curious if there are any "official" rules (or opinions either way) about what form to use when three words can be contracted on either side.


texts: Anyone know how much of the world uses British versus American English?


texts:
This question was posted here "It's a long time that" - correct or not? a few months back and an answer was selected.  The answer given is hardly satisfying, and I feel that the question is worth exploring in more detail.

The OP states that a native speaker corrected him and said he should write "It's been a long time since."

In looking at some of the hits that the OP posted it is apparent that the phrase "It's a long time that" can be used in several ways.  This was from a native English source:

  When you sprain both your ankles, you have to do what you think is right. As I said, if he's healthy, he should play. If he's injured, he should sit. It's a long time that he's been off. He's got to go.

To me, this is ok.  He's talking about the amount of time-off the player has taken.  He's not talking about the last time he took some time-off...a present perfect idea.

The answer that was selected uses this as a reference  Try as I might, I can't understand what the good doctor is saying.

Also, in looking at the OP's question it occurs to me that they might be using the phrase in the sense of the NBA example I provided above, in other words, he is talking about the amount of time spent.  To me, a better way to express this would be "I've been doing this for a long time," or "I spent a long time on that," or maybe "I did that for a long time." but maybe I'm changing the meaning.

My question is: Is the example from google books an archaic way of using the present perfect?  There's no present perfect in the example.  Also, is the sentence "It's a long time that I did that." grammatically correct, and if not, why not?


texts:
I see many mentions of "in regards to" in written and spoken English...by native speakers...but the dictionary says "in regard to"..

Is it a matter of choice?

I checked several online dictionaries and all use "in regard to" and "with regard to"...but not "in regards to" or "with regards to"...

However, I see many English articles and native speakers using "regards"...so I was confused.


texts: What's the origin of "rob someone blind"?

texts:
To rob someone blind either means to steal freely from them, or to overcharge them:

  Fig. to steal freely from someone. Her maid was robbing her blind. I don't want them to rob me blind. Keep an eye on them.
  Fig. to overcharge someone. You are trying to rob me blind. I won't pay it! Those auto repair shops can rob you blind if you don't watch out.

How did this idiom come about? The construction of this idiom doesn't seem obvious to me, so was there some history to this idiom, or is it based on a special meaning of "blind"? Also, what does the "blind" refer to, the manner of the robbing, the results, or something else?


texts: We say much is Positive degree and Better is comparative. How can they be combined?


texts: Term for addictive song, replayed too many times it is hated or neutral now

texts: I looked thoroughly on the internet, but I failed to find a term or single word (if exists any) for a song that is so addictive that you replay it again and again although you know you will hate it soon, or at most it'll become neutral to you. I found earworm, but it is about an unwanted song that is stuck in your head.


texts:
What could be meant by "best centre" in the following:

  I swallowed down my heart in me as I touched the spar-deck, for a single instant balanced myself on my best centre, and then, wholly ignorant of what was going to be alleged against me, advanced to the dread tribunal of the frigate?


texts:
Renaissance loser in this context

Dilbert: Wally, are you free for lunch? I need to remind myself how lucky I am that I don't have your laziness or personality or looks.
Wally: Would you say I'm kind of a renaissance loser?

Does it describe people who have multiple attributes of a loser? So can renaissance be used to address things with multiple attributes like people who know art and science?


texts:
An example for a slider is the scroll bar that lets us move down a long web page. A slider consists of a line and a thing that you can move along that line. What do you call the moving component of a slider?

Example sentence:
"For most sliders, if you click somewhere along the slider line, the ____ will jump to that position."


texts:
Dictionary says that "deploy" means to "move (troops) into position for military action".

But what does it mean exactly? Is "deploy" just about physically moving troops to a certain location? Or does it imply something more, like preparing for battle?

Could you explain what does it mean exactly to "deploy troops"? Could you provide some examples, or possibly links to pictures or videos to troops being deployed?


texts: What is the origin of "fine" meaning a legal penalty?

texts: What is the origin of the word fine meaning a legal penalty involving the payment of a sum of money?


texts: The saying/idiom/cliche Winners are grinners gets my goat and rides it into a brick wall. It's just too obvious. All it has going for it is the rhyme. Is there a term for a saying that is just too obvious and self-evident?


texts:
I was writing an email where I needed to return an item to a person who was not in the office the following day. So I came up with the following and I wonder if it's the the correct way of getting your point across or is grammatical at all?

  As I have one of your books and you are not in the office tomorrow, I was wondering where or who to leave that to/with.


texts: Better hypernym to substitute for “business agenda”

texts:
I'm using the words “business agenda” to describe the set of tasks, documents, processes, features and other artifacts that are related to a single “function” executed by a business. In my language (Czech) the word “agenda” would fit well. However, I feel like misusing “agenda” in English in this context. Further, the particular area I'm addressing is related to document management and collaboration software systems. The typical property of my “agendas” is that they are naturally repeatable (multi-instance in IT terms).

To give some examples of what I mean by “agenda” in various business contexts:

in banking it may be corporate loans — the bank executes a business process to arrange business loans, which involves a ton of administrative work;
in construction it may be the mere act of building houses — for each house the construction company needs to assemble blueprints, permits, contracts, sign-offs etc.;
in project management the projects itself — the deliverables, documentation and tasks that are part of the project.

In some contexts, a locally-relevant term may be used:

in project management the natural choice would be a “project”;
in legal it would be a case.

What would be the appropriate umbrella term (or terms) covering such various “agendas” without the need for specifying a particular context (area of business), and allowing to get rid of the word “agenda”? I will also appreciate specialized terms for other verticals or types of business problems.

UPDATE: I'm considering “workload” as a feasible umbrella term as well.


texts: Why is the use of "becoming" in this sentence correct?

texts:
I said that the error was B (second parentheses) in this sentence:

  Because male lions' manes are (affected by) temperature, (becoming)
  shorter and lighter in warmer weather, they are (of interest to)
  scientists (researching) climate change.

I thought that B should have been changed to, "which become." However, is this wrong because such a change would make the dependent clause refer to temperature, and not to the manes?

Edit: Since "becoming" is right next to "temperature," wouldn't the phrase, "becoming shorter and lighter in warmer weather," describe temperature? Hence, wouldn't B be wrong either way?


texts:
I often have trouble speaking good English when negative numbers are involved. Would it be correct to say that negative five is less than positive two? If not, what expression is most appropriate?

The issue, of course, is that the absolute value of negative five is greater than the absolute value of positive two.


texts: Can someone explain mood of sentence begining with " Can I say of..."

texts:
A paragraph from Charles Dickens' David Copperfield:
"...Can I say of her face - altered as I have reason to remember it, perished as I know it is - that it is gone, when here it comes before me at this instant, as distinct as any face that I may choose to look on in a crowded street? Can I say of her innocent and girlish beauty, that it faded, and was no more, when its breath falls on my cheek now, as it fell that night? Can I say she ever changed, when my remembrance brings her back to life, thus only; and, truer to its loving youth than I have been, or man ever is, still holds fast what it cherished then? "


texts: When should we use "the" before the name of a university or institute?

texts:
Should I write "at Higher Institute for Applied Sciences and Technology (HIAST)" or "at the Higher Institute for Applied Sciences and Technology (HIAST)", and should I write "HIAST" or "the HIAST" in the rest of the text?

Also, what about "Syrian Virtual University (SVU)" and "SVU"?

P.S. I found different opinions in this answer, so I want an answer to my specific question.


texts: What is an Oxford comma and how do you use it?

texts: I didn't even know this existed. What is it? How do you use it?


texts: Why are female wizards called "witches"?

texts:
I was looking up these two words in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English:

Wizard:

Witch:

It's mentioned in the Word Origin section that Wizard comes from "Wise", while for "Witch" it totally has a negative meaning, and all in all, apart from this definition, witch is usually negative, while wizard is neutral (or even positive sometimes?!). Isn't this somewhat sexist?

P.S. Both words imply the same occupation, where the female version is negative and the male one is just neutral or even positive. Is it only bad if a woman does it?!


texts: Choosing prepositions for writing between and within region disparities

texts:
We are working on an methodology, allowing to detect disparities between the regions and within/inside the regions. For example:

There is a two-fold difference in salary between region A and B -
this is a between region disparity.

Only 2% of residents receive a median salary in region C and 70% in region D - this is a within/inside region disparity.

Does the following sentence, using words between and within carry the same message:

Novel methodology for identifying between and within region disparities in income

Or should I use other words?


texts: Is this a correct usage of the word "recurring"?

texts:
After a month's attendance, I noticed how the teacher used a recurring approach to introduce some of the key words.

I'm trying to convey that the teacher used this particular method repeatedly across her lessons, is "recurring" a suitable word?


texts:
The word series seems to generally refer to a group which I would think makes it a singular reference, however the ies ending is also a common way to modify a singular noun into a plural noun (eg., puppies, fancies, harpies).

So is series plural or singular, and if plural, what is the singular version?


texts: "'ve" contraction in Canadian and Australian English

texts:
I'm wondering if in Australian or Canadian English you can use " 've" before a noun phrase in informal style:

I've a car.
They've a great time.

The question is somewhat related to this one. The thread there shows that you can say this in British English but not in American English. Yet no one mentions AusE or CanE there.


texts: What is the meaning of "two-sidedness"? I'd like a direct or indirect definition.


texts: "is head of xyz since" vs "has been [...] since" ? Is "is" ever acceptable?

texts:
Isn't it wrong to write "Mrs X is head of $department at $company since 2015" ?
Shouldn't it be "has been head of xyz since 2015"?
I have seen quite a few examples of "is [...] since" in the brochures and websites of certain organisations - but the individuals are all native English speakers and the organisations in questions are all based in English-speaking countries, which left me quite puzzled.
Thanks!


texts: Origin of "clip" in "clip around the ears"

texts: "Clip" commonly refers to a device for holding things together. One dictionary says it's "of unknown origin, first occurring in the 15th century." In such phrases as "giving him a clip around the ear", where does the word come from?


texts: Is there a single word that defines time is on your part/side/favor?

texts:
These past few days I have had this kind of "luck": every time I'm not ready for something, it has ended up being cancelled. For instance, a surprise quiz came up for which I was not at all prepared, but by some "luck" there was a sudden suspension of class.

Just out of curiosity, I want to know if there's a single word to describe this kind of luck in which time is in your favor.


texts: What kinds of verbal complement does the verb "request" accept and require?

texts:
This verb has me a bit confused. I cannot submit my report personally and therefore have to resort to sending it by post. Now I need a polite way to ask to do this.

I request that I send my report via post.
I request that I be able to send my report via post.
I request the ability to send my report via post.
I request to send my report via post.

Which one of these is correct?

While I am here can you say We all request to change the swimming timetable, or do you have to have a you after the verb request like We all request you to change the swimming timetable even when he will not be doing the changing?