texts: Does this OED citation of "third-rate," and the origin of the idiomatic term, relate to the British Royal Navy?

texts:
According to Wikipedia, this site, and etymonline, third-rate derives from a term related to ships, particularly a rating system in the British Royal Navy.

However, etymonline dates the term to 1814, while this site cites Wikipedia, and Wikipedia attributes the term first to "the 1720s," but later describes the rating system as originating in 1620.

But the earliest actual citation I can find is in the OED, which gives no explanation of the contextual development of the phrase, but provides a date earlier than etymonline with a context to which I am unsure the British Royal Navy relates, because the publication is about housing and land.

  third rate  n.

  1656   H. Phillippes Purchasers Pattern (1676) A iv b   An house of the third rate.

This citation is all that is given for the compound "third-rate" in the online edition of the OED, there is no definition provided or additional notes.

Does the OED's declination to attribute the term to shipping in combination with a lack of citations related to shipping that antedate the citation related to housing and land indicate that the direct connection to the British Royal Navy is dubious?

Is there evidence that "third-rate" referred to ships before it referred to houses, as Wikipedia claims without in-line citations, while providing no cited texts using the term?  Or are there other reputable sources that establish the validity of the British Royal Navy connection -- particularly sources that might help explain the OED's lonely attestation?


texts:
Our proofreader, a native speaker of American English, just won't let me use this word. Every single time I try to sneak it onto one of our sites, she replaces it with three times. Now, I do realize that thrice is quirky, but how quirky is it really? Is it awfully archaic? Is there a chance that native speakers won't understand it at all?

I know I could just search a corpus or five, but I don't feel like looking at cold stats (or the Wiktionary usage notes, for that matter). Instead, I am asking members of this community for their very personal, highly subjective, extremely biased opinions.


texts: What is the part of a bow tie marked in the picture called?


texts: How to obtain "diligence" from crossword clue "horse-drawn vehicle industry"

texts:
Cryptic clue: Horse-drawn vehicle industry

Answer: Diligence

How do we figure this one out?


texts: Where in the world are cabinets called cupboards?

texts:
I understand the difference between cabinet and cupboard.

However, I have spent part of my life redoing houses and I have only ever heard of kitchen cabinets.  In fact if I order "cabinets" the stores and manufacturers refer to them as kitchen cabinets.

I do remember my grandparents using the term cupboards when younger but never hear it anymore in the US.  Is the term cupboard outdated?  I would like to know if it has any usage.

[This question stems from me traveling in Europe the past few weeks.  All non-native English speakers were taught cupboards.]

Just to give the most uncupboard type example.  Something like the picture below was called a cupboard in three different countries over the past week.  Trying to be really specific here.  I am wondering if this is an actual term used, or if it is a term from books that were outdated used to teach English.

To add some of my background I went to the three biggest home improvement store sites (in the US) for some insight.

Lowes (Kitchen Cabinets)
Home depot (Cabinets)
Menard's (Kitchen Cabinets)


texts: What is the origin of the counting prefixes: uni-, bi-/di-, tri-, quad-, etc.?

texts:
Many English words use the prefixes uni-, bi-/di-, tri-, quad- and so on to mean one, two, three, and four. For example:

  A unicycle has one wheel, a bicycle two, and a tricycle three.

I presume these prefixes are either of Greek or Latin origin, but from what little I know of these two languages, neither uses these prefixes as their numbers. That is, in Greek you wouldn't start counting by saying, Uni, di, tri, quad, ...


texts:
So many newly-weds have this practice of calling one another ridiculous but affectionate names i.e. honey-bunch, or 'bunny-boo' etc.

Is there a single-word term for this practice?


texts: A synonym for "picky" with a positive connotation (food)?

texts:
We're very picky about the ingredients we use.

In that context, what's a synonym for "picky" with a positive connotation, that denotes that we care very much about the quality of the ingredients?

Selective lacks emotion.
Choicy is a bit over-the-top.

Drawing a blank here.

I saw the other question about "picky", but the context is not the same:
Adjective for exclusive/selective/picky with positive connotations


texts: Is the sentence "It is removed" grammatically correct?

texts:
There is another form of the same sentence — "It has been removed".

But in the sentence "It is removed," the last word is an adjective so I believe it is correct as well. Am I right?


texts: Which one is correct for the usage of "s" suffix for multiple name exposition word case?

texts:
Assumed A, B, and C are book name, which one of the following sentence is correct for the usage of "s" suffix in "book" word?

Are the A, B, and C books inside the box?
Are the A, B, and C book inside the box?
Both 1 & 2 are correct.
Everything is wrong (then say something about it ^^)


texts: A word (verb) used when media purposely withholds details

texts:
St Louis Rams WR Stedman Bailey is currently recovering from two gunshots to his head. So, staying true to the tradition of sports media coverage, the details of the incident have been "____1____" (I guess that'd be an adverb..?) in an attempt to "___2____" the public/fans of the Rams and the NFL in general..

1:
edit: After writing "withheld" further down in this post, I thought perhaps that's the right word, and I'm just over thinking it. Initially, the word I was looking for is something intentionally avoided/suppressed/hidden...kind of like the cups & balls trick street magicians perform, which is accomplished by distracting and misleading.. "the media's details of the story have been WITHHELD in an attempt to MISLEAD or DISTRACT"...

2:
MISLEAD readers. That doesn't feel like the right word to me.. It seems like the word you'd use when you can't think of something more specific and fitting to your particular context.

Any help is appreciated! This is my first post / thread, so I apologize for any newb-ness.


texts:
I am confused about when one can omit the article "the"/"a" in front of a noun. Examples are

During (the) observation, it was noticed that ...
The results of (a) quantitative evaluation are listed in table 2.
(A) quantitative analysis shows that ...
(The) execution of the algorithm is very fast.

In all of these, omitting the article feels more natural to me. I tried to verify my gut feeling by comparing the sentences to the rules presented here, but I can't find any rule that justifies the articles' omission.
Are there other rules that apply regarding the omission of articles before nouns? What is the correct way to formulate the above examples? Does including/excluding the article change the sentences meaning?
Related questions:
Why do people omit the definite article?, Omitting article before "evaluation"


texts:
Technical and Technological

Technically and Technologically

Can these be used interchangeably? Is there a difference?


texts: Does this sentence have incorrect AND/OR inconsistent use of punctuation?

texts:
Apparently, the text in bold of following sentence uses either inconsistent or incorrect punctuation/sentence formation:

  The designer envisions the game's fundamental elements: the settings, characters, and plots that make each game unique, and is thus a primary force behind a video game.

When I first saw it and even after two or three rounds of evaluation, I still struggle to see any inaccuracy or inconsistency. Any ideas as to why this is the case?


texts: What's the word for a word that suddenly becomes famous?

texts:
What's the right word for a word that suddenly becomes famous?

I know buzzword. Are there any similar words or common phrases, like shot up word?

My specific context is that I am looking for some suitable word for the heading title of a section which shows charts of words that have suddenly become hot and used a lot in the media (TV, magazines, radio, etc.).


texts: Is this a case of suitable ellipsis, or grammatically correct?

texts:
Is the following sentence considered correct or acceptable?

  The crash cart was originally designed and patented by ECRI Institute founder, Joel J. Nobel, M.D., while a surgical resident at Philadelphia's Pennsylvania Hospital in 1965.

This sounds strange to me. I guess I would have written something like:

  ", while he was a surgical resident..." - or
  ", while he worked as a surgical resident..."

I tried thinking of some other examples of this construction, such as:

I made hardly any money while busking. (This sounds correct)
I made hardly any money while a busker. (Is this correct?)
I made hardly any money while I was a busker. (This sounds correct)

Is the sentence in (2) correct or acceptable? What's the explanation behind it? I'm tempted to say that the omission of (I was) is a case of ellipsis, but I'm not sure if this is the case, as the verb (was) is not mentioned anywhere previously. The sentence starts "I made..." and then the part after the "while" is "I was". However this is also the case in:

  I drove home while drunk. (This seems fine)
  I drove home while I was drunk.
  I drove home while being drunk.

Omitting the "I was" seems fine even though the verb "was" isn't mentioned previously.


texts: Do you write a new sentence following quotation marks?

texts:
In non-story related works, do you write a new sentence with a capital letter after you quote something? For example, let's say I write a sentence quoting a question: The first question that is asked is "What is the meaning of life?"

Then I want to write another sentence after it, such as: The second question that is asked is "Why do we wonder about this?"

Do I  put it after the first sentence that ends with a quote, like this:

The first question that is asked is "What is the meaning of life?" The second question that is asked is "Why do we wonder about this?"

Or do I start a new paragraph?


texts:
If I wanted to combine these two sentences with and.  There are five documents on the table. There are five pens on the table.
Might I say There are five documents and pens on the table? Would the first five here represent the second so that I would not need to say five twice?


texts:
I'm trying to explain the origin of the non-standard word "conversate" that is used in some circles. My theory is that it came out of an attempt to make the commonly used noun "conversation" into a verb by adding the suffix "ate" in the same manner that other standard english verbs are derived.
For example:

  noun: donation
       verb: donate

  noun: allocation
       verb: allocate

  noun: appropriation
       verb: appropriate

What is the specific linguistic term for applying a perceived rule/pattern to other words incorrectly?

This is an example of ______?


texts: What is a word for someone who pushes you down so they can benefit?

texts: For example: they say bad things about you or make you mess up on a project so their's looks better. Almost like a bully, but not quite.


texts: Are there any differences between "I put the clothes on" and "I put on the clothes"?

texts:
I want to know the difference between "I put the clothes on" and "I put on the clothes".
Is there any difference in meaning?


texts: How can I describe an assumption of a past event?

texts:
Assume that Alice took an exam last week and she got its result yesterday. So she knows whether she passed the exam or not.

Now here is Bob. He does not know the result of Alice's exam yet. And Bob is explaining Alice's situation to you:

  If she did not pass the exam, she has to leave the collage.

I think that this sentence is wrong, because the IF-part sounds a subjunctive mood, so Bob would not believe that Alice passed the exam. But at least Bob can imagine both situations.

How can I correct Bob's statement?


texts: What does "with your horns up" mean in this sentence?

texts:
It’s in your nature to read self-help books like this with your horns up,
ready to pounce on any idea you think is flawed.
It’s easy to be a cynic. It requires no energy to be skeptical or
negative.

I tried to search this on dictionary and google, but no accurate result found.


texts: In "Who would have thought he could do it!", does "could" mean "was able to" or "would be able to"?

texts:
In the sentence

"Who would have thought he could do it!"

Does "could do" mean "was able to do" or "would be able to do"?


texts:
Consider this example sentence:

  His efforts will go in vain.

I want to make this sentence precis while adding a single verb, such as:

  His efforts have been ______ .

Can I include the verb waste or spoil in place of go in vain? like this:

  His efforts have been wasted/spoiled.


texts:
When using quotes to notate a name or title of something, does punctuation go inside or outside the quote?

For example:

This approach is at the center of Harvard's research on "Learning in Action", which demonstrated that the best...

OR is it

This approach is at the center of Harvard's research on "Learning in Action," which demonstrated that the best...

I'm typing in a restricted template that doesn't allow for underlining or italics, so solely curious about where the comma goes.


texts: Is there a rule for which suffix to use when creating adjectives from nouns?

texts:
There are many suffixes that are used to create adjectives from nouns (-al, -ic, -ive, -y).
Are there any rules used to create adjectives from nouns?

In example, why is the adjective excessive, and not (?)excessal, or (?)excessic?


texts: Is there a word or phrase for someone who tries to avoid hearing bad news?

texts:
Such as hearing about people's personal life problems or watching the news due to all the sad stories in it. Emphasis on the word avoid rather than just be "upset by".

I prefer not to talk politics or share my problems with people who are ____ because most people are empaths who end up feeling sad if they hear any topic of conversation they deem to be negative or unfortunate. It ruins their day, they become sadenned and they say it burdens them.

The words snowflake, empath of sensitive is not suitable.


texts:
I have sometimes heard people using won't
 where I feel is not should be used

For example
Someone is not coming out , so they say "He won't come out" instead of "He is not coming out"
So here , doesn't won't mean "He will not come out"
But shouldn't the correct sentence be "He is not coming out" ?


texts: A real-word synonym for the non-word "trustedness"

texts:
I always thought that trustedness was a word, but apparently it isn't. What's a real word that means the same thing, namely the quality of being trusted? Note that this is a different meaning from trustworthiness, which means the quality of being deserving of trust, not of actually being trusted.

To clarify, I am looking for a word which divorces popular judgment from my personal judgment. If 99% of people trust a person, but I don't, I would say that he is trusted, but not, in my opinion, trustworthy. I'm looking for a noun form of the former specifically, or a synonym if it doesn't exist (I don't think it does).


texts:
What is the meaning of this, i have tried to search on dictionary but couldn't find it.
Context as in image attached.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=cheap+person

Savior is referred to the person she is attacking.


texts:
Does the sentence

  It was arousing

have a sexual connotation?


texts: Structure and usage of the construction - BE of

texts:
I have seen various sentences like this:

The availability of two reasonably complete mammalian genomes is of great help to gene finders. - The New York Times

I do my utmost to dress the actors very differently from one another, and this is of great help, both in adding beauty and in facilitating the understanding of the plot. - Encyclopedia Britannica

I looked into this thread and came to know about the meaning of such construction and also came to know that not all nouns are allowed in place of "help" in such construction and mostly in that matter this construction is kind of "an idiom".
In A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language by Quirk et al on page no 732 Section 10.11 I found some little discussion about this construction:

Some prepositional phrases are semantically similar to adjective or
noun phrases functioning as complement:

That is of no importance.

Furthermore, unlike clear instances of obligatory adjuncts, they can
be used as complementation for copular verbs other than BE, a
characteristic of adjective phrases functioning as subject complement:

That seems of no importance.

Now I tried to change the modifier before "help", like instead of "great" I tried to use "a lot of" but came to know that the following is ungrammatical:

He would be of a lot of help. [INCORRECT]
He would be a lot of help. [CORRECT]

Now my question is why "He is of great help" is correct but not "He is of a lot of help"?


texts: Can the relative word 'what' mean "the person(s) that/who"? If so, when can it and when can it not?

texts:
The fused relative word 'what' generally means "the thing(s) that/which".
But there are some instances where this 'what' seems to refer to "person(s)" as in these examples:
(1) From a Bustle article titled "Julián Castro On Exploring A 2020 Run & The Possibility Of Becoming Our First Latino President":

Bustle's Alicia Menendez spoke with Castro about his decision to explore running, the stakes of the election, and the possibility of becoming America’s first Latino president.
Alicia Menendez: You are the first of what many anticipate will be about a dozen Democratic hopefuls to officially announce an exploratory committee. Why do it now?

(2) From a CNBC article titled "America’s foreign policy is seen threatened by James Mattis’ exit, feeling of chaos in Washington":

Mattis was seen as the lone remaining grownup in Trump’s Cabinet, willing to push back against a commander-in-chief who disdains the government’s foreign policy apparatus, and has little use for traditional diplomacy.
“Secretary Mattis represents the last of what we might call the mainstream foreign policy thinkers in the Trump administration,” said Jim Lindsay, who recently co-authored the book The Empty Throne: America’s Abdication of Global Leadership. “His departure is going to shape the balance of advice the president gets. And I think it is also going to change how American foreign policy is viewed overseas.”

In the above examples, does the 'what' mean "the person(s) that/who" instead of "the thing(s) that/which"?
EDIT
It seems no one objects to interpreting the 'what' in the above examples as "the person(s) that/who".
But it doesn't seem that it can always mean "the person(s) that/who".
If that's the case, when can it mean "the person(s) that/who" and when can it not?


texts: The only thing I can think of that it is like - A question of English grammar

texts:
Such a peculiar odor, too! I have spent hours in trying to analyze it, to find what it smelled like.
  It is not bad—at first, and very gentle, but quite the subtlest, most enduring odor I ever met.
  In this damp weather it is awful, I wake up in the night and find it hanging over me.
  It used to disturb me at first. I thought seriously of burning the house—to reach the smell.
  But now I am used to it. The only thing I can think of that it is like is the COLOR of the paper! A yellow smell.

From "Yellow Paper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1892)

I just wonder the above sentence is grammatically correct.
Could it be re-written as "what it is like is" ? Or am I missing something here?


texts: How to use "We require to know" or " We need to know" in an official correspondence? How it is used when correspondence being done a. Within the organization and b. Outside the organization.


texts: What do you call a politician that is nice but not smart?

texts:
Some politicians nowadays are twice as nice but half as smart. Most voters end up choosing the nice guy instead of the brilliant one.

Is there a term to this kind of politician, or any person that has a job that needs to lead a group of people like managers, businessman, etc?


texts: I found that 'Unfinalize' is not a dictionary word. I want to use a word for the button that when clicked, shall restart/reopen a process or a page. Can you all help me with a good word that is concise, and user friendly? Thanks in advance.


texts: When did the colloquial "bro" come into use?

texts:
I did research and came up with nothing.  It only shows "brother".  I'm talking about "bro" as a colloquialism, when reffering to a guy, like saying "dude".  For example:

Pass the chips, bro.
Hey bro; you coming to the party later?


texts: I am working for (company name) or i am working under (company name) which is correct?


texts:
Is this sentence correct?

  When she comes back, I would tell her.

I know this is correct, because the would acts as the future tense of the past tense.

  When she came back, I would tell her.


texts: How do I describe an unstable network of connected pieces?

texts:
I'm looking for a word or idiom which describes an unstable, may-break-at-any-time collection of related/connected items.

For example,

  That framework's really fragile; it's just a _____.

or

  Be careful what you change, or else the _____ will fall apart.

I'm looking to use this is a software development context, but something tech-agnostic would be great. I'm trying to describe the gigantic tree of dependencies and hacks that make up many cross-platform mobile development frameworks (Cordova, Ionic, etc.) and their respective plugins.


texts: Is this sentence grammatically wrong? If so, why?

texts:
When it comes to rules, not only should you make them clear but realistic to live by.

I'd like to know if following sentence means totally different from the above sentence.

  When it comes to rules to live by, you should make them not only clear but realistic.


texts: Does the order of adjectives, "fresh" and "fried", affect meaning?

texts:
Fresh fried fish
  Fried fresh fish
  Fish fried fresh
  Fish fresh fried
  Fried fish fresh

What's the difference between the ways of writing the same idea above?
What are the differences in meaning?


texts: What is the meaning of phrase "Why on earth"

texts:
I was watching a movie "Tangland" and one character says to another:

  "Why on earth I would do that."

Could anyone please tell what is the meaning of this phrase and how I can use it in different scenarios.


texts:
I am looking for expressions close in meaning to the idiomatic "how the sausage gets made". Something that conveys the idea of looking at the hidden, gory details of some process.

(Note: I know that particular expression works well. I am specifically looking for alternative ones.)


texts: Word that means "to fill the air with a bad smell"?

texts:
I'm sure there's a word for it. Example sentence:

  The air was still __ with the smell of dead animals.

But I'm not a native English speaker, so I'm not sure.


texts: What is a better word/term for "so-called"?

texts:
I was thinking of a term that would replace "so-called" as it has a negative connotation like that of "alleged" and "supposed". My sentence is: Based on the so-called great circle distance, Beijing and Shanghai are closest to the city of ...

The reason so-called was added was because the term "great circle distance" sounds quite unusual because of the word "great" but it is an official term.


texts:
A sudden loss of nerve when embarked on a venture is called cold feet. Does anyone know why that should be? An etymology is suggested at englishdaily626.

  If your 'feet' are 'cold', you can't walk or move forward very well - you are frozen in one place.

Is it correct? It doesn't seem to me particularly convincing.


texts: What is a word for someone who prefers to be lonely?

texts:
A word that means someone isn't a people's person, someone who feels much more comfortable without the need of friends or family and keeps to themselves.

Example: I have a talent in music and drawing. There's tons of instrumentals I want to put words to. I'm also trying to hone my skills to draw free-handed which will take a significant amount of time. And as if the dozens of anime series I haven't finished watching wasn't bad enough; in addition there are a great number of other TV shows  that I want to catch up on. I don't have the time for nor the inclination to lead  a busy social life.

In short, "I'm sort of a ________. You could say, I've got too much on my plate".


texts: commas with asyndeton (series without 'and') at beginning of sentence

texts:
We don't put a comma between a subject and verb phrase, even with a series:

  My Dad, my sister, and my brother came home together.

What about after a series that is an asyndeton, where the 'and' is omitted?

  My Dad, my sister, my brother, came home together. [with comma]
  My Dad, my sister, my brother came home together. [without comma]

I am editing an old text with lots of these, some quite complex. We don't want to change the writer's style. I started removing the comma before the verb phrase, but then with the complex ones, it seems to need a comma, e.g.:

  The reading of holy scriptures, torturing the body in various ways, donning robes of various colours, running away from one’s duties and obligations, seeking the seclusion of forest retreats and mountains, can never bring salvation.

Should the comma before 'can' be omitted?


texts: Is there a suffix to form a noun from an adverb?

texts: I want to know if we have a suffix which can be added to an adverb to form a noun. I have searched about that and I could not find anything about it.


texts: How did you know when to say "thing haveth or something"?

texts: I have been watching Hocus Pocus and wondered how people in the 1800s knew when to add eth on the end of words.


texts:
Which of the two is more correct and why?

What I'd really appreciate right now is that everybody would stop complaining about it.
What I'd really appreciate right now is that everybody stopped complaining about it.

If none are correct, how would you say it if you’d want to start with “What I’d really apreciate...”


texts: As the title states, how do I pronounce the word "Linearly"? I did some Google searching on this but I was not able to find any guidance.


texts: Alternatives to "Good Night" when sleeping in the afternoon

texts:
It seems to be a silly question but I was puzzled when somebody bid me good night, when I was
going to sleep at 1:00 PM. If somebody goes to sleep in the afternoon, is it correct to bid him "good night"? I think this is wrong.


texts: Tense simplification in subordinate clauses - past perfect instead of would have

texts:
in Michael Swan's "Practical English Usage" he states in entry 580.6 ("past instead of would ..."): "would, like will, is avoided in subordinate clauses; instead, we generally use past verbs". He also gives the following example:

-Would you follow me wherever I went?

However, if I wanted to refer to an unreal past situation in a subordinate clause (and by that, I mean not only an if-clause), would it be correct to use a past perfect form. For example, if I modified Michael Swan's example so that it refers to an unreal past situation, would this sentence be correct?

-Would you have followed me wherever I had gone?

My point is, Michel Swan just talks about using past verbs instead of would in subordinate clauses, but he doesn't mention anything about using past perfect forms instead of "would have".

I really appreciate every answer. Thank you in advance


texts: Is this an example of a dangling modifier?

texts:
Dangling modifiers occur when it is unclear to which word a descriptive part of sentence applies. A classic example would be "She left the room fuming" -- is it "she" or the room that's fuming?

But how about this sentence:

  I found her in the library, studying history.

Could the intended meaning -- it was her who was studying history -- be misinterpreted to mean that I found her while I was studying in the library? Likewise, could the sentence be parsed to lead to the absurd interpretation that the library was doing the studying?


texts: The opposite feeling of oily when it comes to scalp

texts:
I came across this question when I want to describe the feeling after using a shampoo.

  The scalp usually feels oily or ????? after using a shampoo

When we feel oily it seems the shampoo is mainly nourished effect. On the other hand, some shampoos are mainly for cleaning your scalp, you will feel very dry. Does this sense of dryness have a better expression?


texts: Are published books to be considered an official reference for spelling?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
Regulatory bodies and authoritative dictionaries for English

Many times I searched across several books for the usage of some words and many times I've found my results quite contradictory. For example, if you look for the plural of "sorry" you will find many dictionaries that don't even consider "sorries" or "sorrys" as a word, but you can find others that do, and/or find many references in books to such terms (both of them in this case).
So, which one to believe?
And how is one to back that decision up?
Try this case:
sorries
sorrys
and you won't find any of those terms in the Collins English Dictionary for example.


texts: I couldn't think about a word which would describe a mercenary-minded person, a huckster, who with the right haggled price would sell his mother.


texts:
Which one is correct?

  at/in/on a more general level

having discussed some implications of my theory for some particular debates, now I want to talk about one more general broadly important implication of it. Should I start the sentence with at/on/in a more general level?

According to Ngram the expression with "at" is more popular while it is not used as all with "in". Ngram


texts:
According to the dictionary, an equation is "a statement that the values of two mathematical expressions are equal."

More specifically, can the word "equation" properly denote a particular formulation of two equal expressions, the more abstract notion represented by that formulation and all equivalent ones, or both?  For example, when asked to "place the equation x = .5y in slope-intercept form," are "x = .5y" and "y = 2x" really two forms of the same abstract notion of an equation, are they two different equations that merely share their solutions, or is "equation" defined in both ways?

The word "statement" in the definition might seem to indicate a requirement of being formulated in a particular way, but I'm suspicious that this would press the definition for more technical precision than was intended.  If "equation" does turn out to be more or less synonymous with "equation form," what word can be used to describe the more abstract notion that mathematically equivalent equation forms are meant to reflect?


texts: What's the name of this literary device?

texts:
Suddenly, the theater became silent. Just like the breathless spectators.

I'm very much interested in how this rhetorical device would be classified.

At first, "the theater" is a totum pro parte for the spectators. However, by later mentioning "the breathless spectators" as if talking about another entity, the literary device is dismantled, as it were. I'm interested in this dismantling, and if it has a name.

I came across two candidate solutions, but they do not quite seem to fit. A paraprosdokian does not necessarily pertain to a literary device in the first part of the sentence, and a pataphor goes on to strengthen rather than weaken the previous metaphor. My personal best guess would be a subversive metonym, although I find some usage of this term for different cases of metonymy.

Does anybody here perchance have knowledge of a name for such a figure of speech?


texts:
I'm looking for a logical explanation of how we use the preposition "with" in the following context:

The company took the first place with their competition a distant second.
North America had the greatest number of travellers over the 5-year
period with Central and Eastern Europe showing a similar pattern.

I suppose my main question is how do I explain the phrase (it's not a clause) that follows the "with"? and how do I explain the function of "with" in these sentences?


texts: Have the boys already finished the fight?

texts:
Firstly, I'm Brazilian and this question may sound silly.

Imagine the following situation: two people arguing about a subject so that they are not reaching any agreement. They are not angry, but they have opposite opinions.

I being your friend, I try to make a joke of the situation by asking the following question:

"The boys have already finished the fight?"

My question would be if this phrase could be seen as a form of joke? Or there is another more objective phrase that is ironic but not aggressive.


texts: Another way of saying "running from place to place"

texts:
I'm looking for another way of saying that I have been busy, moved around a lot  this year as have been preoccupied.

  This year has been  filled with emotions and full of new exciting
  challenges,

  `  (a lot of running from place to place.)

  The most hectic year of my life.


texts:
The plural of tooth is teeth but the plural of booth is booths.
The plural of goose is geese but the plural of moose is moose.
The plural of  foot is feet but the plurals of root, boot, and toot are roots, boots, and toots.

I have ascertained from my research that whenever an oo word changes its plural form to ee, that word traces to West Germanic. The counterexamples come from different languages.

Questions

How did these irregular nouns come to be?
When was an oo to ee change first attested, and why didn't the West Germanic speakers simply add an s?
Is there any significant linguistic research on this topic?

Some places I researched:

Oxford Dictionaries: Why is the plural of ‘moose’ not ‘meese’?
 EL&U: "Goose"–"geese" vs. "moose"–"moose"
 SpanishDict: Why moose in plural is moose, and goose in plural is geese?
 Quora: If the plural for goose is geese, then why isn't the plural for moose "meese"?
 Why is it feet and not foots?
 Yahoo! Answers: Why isn't the plural form of "foot" simply "foots"; just like everything else on our body? (i.e. Hand/hands)
 Wikipedia: West Germanic languages
 Encyclopædia Britannica: West Germanic languages

This is not a duplicate because the post in question, Why is the plural form of Moose not Meese?, doesn't answer my question: I want to know how the oo-ee change occurred in West Germanic, and the answer on that only briefly touched on this topic.


texts: What is the word for vocalists singing "out of time"?

texts:
I'm not sure if I should post this question here in English Language and Usage or in one of the music-specific forums...

The word for (sometimes deliberate) "sour" notes or semitones is "dissonance." Some musicians use this technique to good effect, such as Orleans on their song "Still the One" and Me First and the Gimme Gimmes on many of their songs.

What about deliberately singing "off time" though (ahead of or behind the beat)?

A prime example of someone who uses this technique often is Willie Nelson. And it's an interesting juxtaposition to his almost overly-precise enunciation/phrasing.

What is the word for this hesitation/gun-jumping while vocalizing? Is there one? If not, I submit "dischronance." And a picture of Willie should appear in the dictionary at that entry.


texts:
Which one of the following is correct?

  Allen is one of the few people who understands the importance of hard work.
  Allen is one of the few people who understand the importance of hard work.

Does understand(s) refer to Allen or to the few people?


texts:
In Heidegger's view, man has a tendency to lose himself in his world and "forget" his mortality, and by extension that of his world. He falls in with the crowd (the "they"), engages in idle chatter, lets himself be absorbed by average everydayness all in order to avoid the fundamental question of his existence and its responsibility. We are inauthentic creatures: […] Heidegger claims, a confrontation with our finitude, an "authentic being-toward-death." It would mean heeding the call of conscience, to exhibit "care" toward the manifestation of Being. And above all, it would demand a new “resoluteness”, which signifies “letting oneself be summoned out of one's lostness in the ‘they.’”

Could you please help me with understanding the bold passage from the above excerpt. It comes from Heidegger's Being and Time. (I am especially confused by the phrase "to be summoned out of".) Does it mean that the man to live the authentic life should gather one's strength and experience his/her lostness outside of the crowd, outside of the other people?


texts:
What's a better word for "evoke" in the phrase "evoke a realization"?

The context is a technical article about a catch-all module, and the wording is:

"A glance at the feature set <evokes> the unsettling realization that this module was used as a singular dumping ground for all kinds of varying features"

Evoke doesn't capture the meaning, something more like inspires, conjures, can't quite get it. And what process do people use to determine these things?


texts: "to think about" in the beginning of a sentence

texts:
Can someone explain to me what this sentence means?
I got confused about why it had "to think about" at the beginning of a sentence.
"To think about income elasticity analogous to a price
elasticity of demand."


texts: I’ve spent a fair amount of time in Michigan because my grandparents live there.  By today’s standards, they have very heavy accents, with full Canadian raising and the northern cities vowel shift.  They also say ben for been. I understand the first four features but the feature that always perplexed me was that words with a short I sound would become an ee-I sound, similar to how the southerners say pin.  So English would become englee-ish to them.  This is not the pen-pin merger because they say pen and men with the normal short e sound.  Is there a name for this phenomenon and if there is, how did it come about?


texts: What is the meaning of combination "from in front of "

texts:
"He could watch the Governor twist arms, offer incentives and drop, one by one, with matchless guile, the veils from in front of threats."

What is the meaning of the last clause? Why author uses such a strange combination "from in front of"?


texts: Apostrophe after number to differentiate quantity from year.

texts:
How to tell the difference between  1984 songs (a quantity) from 1984 songs (musics composed in that specific year)?  Is it correct to use 1984's songs?

thank you !!!


texts: Difference between undoubtably and undoubtedly?

texts: These two words are often used interchangeably, but I don't believe their meaning is identical. I think I  generally know how to use them in context, but could someone explain what he difference is supposed to be?


texts: When is it right (and non-pretentious) to use the word "concomitant"?

texts:
The word concomitant is present in a lot of academic writing. I find myself wanting to use it frequently, but I usually find that other words like associated are just as suitable and are somewhat less pretentious.

An example from the New Oxford American Dictionary:

  She loved travel, with all its concomitant worries.

I find that this says the same with less jargon:

  She loved travel, with all its associated worries.

In fact, I couldn't think of any situations where it would be clearer to use concomitant. So, when is it right to use concomitant? Are there some instances where it says more than a substitute word like associated?


texts: When can I omit “for” before a time duration?

texts:
Do not watch television [for] more than one hour a day.

Is omitting the “for” okay or is that grammatically incorrect?


texts:
I'm building a software application where I calculate which way to take between two different places. I call the complete path for a Route (correct?). But what do I call each part of the route?

The user wants to go from A to D, but to reach D the user must take the path A -> B -> C -> D.

What is part A->B called?


texts: Possible negative connotation question on constructed word

texts:
I'm a native Spanish speaker. A long time ago, I came out with the name Phonify for a product related to mobile services, text messaging, etc.
It came as a good name in Spanish as it is easy to remember.
However, when I was thinking of extending this name for worldwide audience I noticed that the constructed word phonify is very close to the word phony, and by just how it sounds phonetically it made me think if the name phonify may sound like the act of amplifying/making phoniness! which is of course not what I'm intended to do. It would be a very unfortunate name if that is the case.
I don't know if this line of reasoning is the one a native english speaking person would do or it is absolutely clear that the name is in reference to the word phone, even if it sounds fōnē-fy and not fōn-fy and therefore a safe name to use for the product.
What are your thoughts?


texts: Which is correct, "why should people be aware of..." or "why people should be aware of..."?

texts: I just want to know which one is correct. I have asked the same question to someone and she said that the latter is more acceptable but the first one's not wrong but can be changed for it to be "better".


texts: Are there other constructs such as "[sic]" in quotations or otherwise?

texts:
In quotations and other similar contexts, I often see [sic] included used to mean I am quoting this verbatim, they made a mistake here.

I am not sure if there is a general category for this kind of a term so I can't search for this but I'd be interested to know if there is.

For example, one could foresee a few siblings to [sic] to mean I don't agree with the author, I will change this later, or to even just signify doubt.

Maybe there were other terms at some point in the history of the language, or maybe there are now that I am just unaware of.

I am mostly asking this question for the sake of curiosity, I of course don't intend to use a word no one knows about in my actual writing.

Thanks in advance.


texts: What is the origin of the word "efforting"?

texts:
I hear this word used in place of words or phrases like "trying to" or "attempting to".

What is the word origin of this verb?

Research:

Article regarding the word "efforting"

Urban Dictionary - Efforting

Is it worth the “efforting”?


texts: Using past simple in main clause with since - Is it correct?

texts:
I read an article on a website and found a sentence that I need to know whether it is correct or not.
Can we use simple past tense like in the following sentence (in bold). Is it correct? Don't they have to use present perfect tense if they use "since" because of a non-specific time started in the past and still contines?

A set of four tiny combs from the Polynesian kingdom Tonga might be among the world's oldest tattoo kits.
The tools had been sitting in storage in an Australian university for decades. A team of researchers recently reassessed the artifacts and found that the combs — two of which are made from human bone — are 2,700 years old.
Archaeologists have known that tattooing was practiced in several cultures since prehistory. Mummies from Siberia to Egypt have been found with tattoos visible on their flesh. Ötzi the Iceman, a 5,000-year-old mummy found in the Alps, has dozens of tattoos on his body, which some researchers think were inked on for therapeutic purposes.


texts:
I understand that sometimes the "t" can be omitted or replaced by a very short pause, as in "just the..." "lost the...".

However, what about the verbs like "touch"? I believe there can be a big difference sometimes between "touch the" and "touched the" as they indicate the different time of the event... In this case, should I omit the last "t" sound in "touched" [tʌtʃt] as well?

I find it pretty hard to pronounce things like "touched the", they slow me down a lot every time.

Thank you in advance!


texts: What is the equivalent for this Persian expression "The cat can't reach the meat, says it smells bad"

texts:
The expression, which implies the meat is placed on a counter too high for the cat to reach, is used when someone who can't achieve a position which is notoriously high or expensive, would pretend they don't like it.
"Gorbeh dastesh be goosht nemireseh migeh boo mideh"
Example: I don't like Ferraris, seats are too low. (said by someone owning a Fiat 500)
Or: I don't like to own that $20M house up the hill, it's a long drive to get there.(said by a non millionnaire).

Thanks for the answer... "The fox can't reach the grapes, says they are sour." is an acceptable equivalent. Although in Persian it's used as an expression and a proverb exactly as mentioned above while the sentence with the fox is actually never used as is, but rather "sour grapes" as a reference to the fable.
This is not a duplicate of the Jealousy question IMO. They are not jealous, maybe hypocrite. A duplicate is when the same question is asked. You can't consider any question related to jealousy as duplicate! I wanted to know the equivalent to that specific proverb and I got it. I hope the admin will not bury this inside a mass of jealousy related questions so that it helps others.


texts:
To make something opaque is to 'opaquen'?

How about to make something transparent? Is it 'transparentize'?

Edit 1
This is for a computer code library that manipulates colors. I have verbs to describe the actions like Brighten and Saturate, but I also want to find a nice words to describe making something more or less opaque.


texts: plural possessive form of a mutated plural?

texts:
Here are two examples of mutated plurals:
more than one goose= geese;
more than one man= men

1)Say you had 2 or more groups of geese. I.e. group #1= African geese & group #2=buff geese. If you wanted to associate these groups together but still observe the fact that they are different types of geese, would you say geeses? (Buff geese + African geese = geeses)
Taking this one step further, if these two distinct groups of geese share in the possession of something, would geeses' be correct? Say, one type of illness is common to two sorts of geese. [illness common to Buff geese(=Buff geese's illness) + the same illness is common to African geese(=African geese's illness)    --> geeses' illness? ]

2)Say you had 2 or more groups of men: men from France(Frenchmen), men from England (Englishmen), and men from Ireland (Irishmen). Let's say you want to refer to the "European charm" that these groups of men have in common while still noting that there ARE different and distinct groups of men involved(i.e. different people groups--> peoples). Would you say the mens' charm?

I guess I'm just curious if you can make the sum of multiple groups possessive while keeping a distinction between these groups intact.
(distinct GROUPS with similar possession)


texts: What is the difference between a Whiz deletion and using the present participle as an adjective?

texts:
The sleeping babies are adorable.

and

  The babies sleeping are adorable.

To me, the two sentences are identical in meaning. However, this doesn't seem to be the case in the following sentence:

  The singing sensation is a teen heart throb.

and

  The sensation singing is a teen heart throb.

To me, the subject of the first sentence is a singer whereas the subject of the second sentence is in the process of singing.

Is there a rule for when using a present participle as an adjective does not carry the same meaning as doing a whiz deletion?


texts:
Consider following situation

  You are a polite person and you hold a door open for someone that comes immediately after you. He/she says: "Thank You!"

What is the correct expression to reply to him/her? I was thinking of Here you are but I am not sure.


texts: Can the Oxford Comma be used with a list of adjectives of the same type?

texts:
I was wondering if a list of classifying adjectives of the same type could use the Oxford Comma.

For example: social, political, and economic problems is it a correct expression? I was checking a book and the expression they used is social, political and economic problems.

Another example: The tulips were yellow, orange and red. Can I use The tulips were yellow, orange, and red?

Does the Oxford Comma rule apply in those cases? Are they both valid?


texts: Is it strange to use "dilemma" when not referring to two difficult choices?

texts:
Definition:

  dilemma

  a situation in which a difficult choice has to be made between two or
  more alternatives, especially ones that are equally undesirable.

  a difficult situation or problem.

Source: Google.

Example sentence:

  The dilemma of modern life: trying to find an outlet outside of your
  house.

I guess this sentence fits the second definition. So is it correct? (Or should I use another word instead?)


texts: My friend and I watch the same TV show, but she's on 5th season and i'm on 2nd. so she tells me what's going to happen next, what do i say here "God, i got a long way to catch up " or what, to say that i want to catch up , or be in the  same season she is on. Help me please.


texts: Is there an analysis of the construction "my friend she is nice."

texts:
I am researching syntactic idiosyncrasies of verbal communication and am interested in a construction in which a noun is reiterated with a pronoun.
As children, we're all taught to avoid constructions that introduce a subject and follow it with a pronoun. But while this is forbidden in prescribed grammar, it is also ubiquitous in spoken English.

My friend Jane, she ate half the cake in one sitting.

This example is a simple one, where the speaker places the pronoun "she" after "my friend."  But this construction appears more frequently in complex forms.  It's not hard to find examples in speeches by public figures.

They’re saying the obstructionists, how do we get them to vote for us?

In this example quote, the message conveyed is as follows.

They're saying, how do we get the obstructionists to vote for us?

This is not as simple as the example in the question, where the pronoun comes immediately after the noun.  But the concept is the same, in that the noun is introduced first, and then referred to with a pronoun later.  It seems similar to the difference between these sentences.

The obstructionists, they will vote for us.
The obstructionists will vote for us.

Is there any term for this bit of verbal linguistic flair or any sort of analysis that explains why it is common in speech and taboo in prescriptive grammar?


texts: Where can I read old English text with new English explanations

texts:
I like old English like "Coole their heeles", "thee" ,"thy" ,"ye" etc.

Where can I find old English text but with explanations and meaning?

I would also like to read old text, can you list them too, like top 100 classical English texts. Will be a big plus if available on Project Gutenberg.


texts: What is it called when you use something in a sentence that will be replaced?

texts:
For example say I have this sentence:

  The following sentence uses ________:
  You can find the program in [DOWNLOAD_DIRECTORY] where
  [DOWNLOAD_DIRECTORY] is your default download directory.

What is is called when I used something like [DOWNLOAD_DIRECTORY]?

What would I put in the blank?

Normally I would say a Macro, but is this correct?


texts: Dimensionality vs dimension? (in physics context)

texts:
A question perhaps different from previously asked

Should I say:

In Gaussian units "sigma" has the same dimensionality as frequency...

(meaning that "sigma" is measured in the same units as frequency)

or

In Gaussian units "sigma" has the same dimension as frequency...

(sorry, this poster is not a native speaker...)


texts:
Let's say I received an 8/10 grade for my thesis. In the sentence

"I successfully defended my MSc thesis with an 8/10 grade,"

does "with" refer to the thesis defence or the thesis itself?


texts: Why does the police use "K-9 Unit" instead of "dog"?

texts: Throughout North America, I keep seeing police cars labeled "K-9 unit". I know "K-9" is a homophone of "canine", but why don't they just use "Police dog"?


texts:
Would you like me to re-schedule to today instead?
  Would you like me to re-schedule for today instead?


texts:
In a photo caption, if we use the elliptical 'My kids and me', would 'me' be correct, or would 'I' be correct? It seems as though it could go both ways.

[This is a picture of] 'My kids and me' or 'Me and the kids'.

Or,

'My kids and I' [are in this picture]

Which is the correct choice -- 'me' or 'I' in these elliptical constructions?

Thank you


texts: Why are some of the words capitalized even though they do not refer to God or something Godly?

texts:
I am fairly new to poetry and I understand from the Bible that something related to God/God is usually capitalized.

Why is it that in the Milton's poem, When I consider how my light is spent, the words Land and Ocean capitalized? Also the word Talent. Is it because he is referring to the Parable of the Talents?

When I consider how my light is spent,
   Ere half my days, in this dark world and wide,
   And that one Talent which is death to hide
   Lodged with me useless, though my Soul more bent
To serve therewith my Maker, and present
   My true account, lest he returning chide;
   “Doth God exact day-labour, light denied?”
   I fondly ask. But patience, to prevent
That murmur, soon replies, “God doth not need
   Either man’s work or his own gifts; who best
   Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best. His state
Is Kingly. Thousands at his bidding speed
   And post o’er Land and Ocean without rest:
   They also serve who only stand and wait.”


texts:
I'm looking for a word to distinguish digital artwork from non-digital artwork.  I've already looked at various suggestions for the opposite of the word digital, but none seem to fit the concept.

"Analog art" doesn't seem accurate: would you call Monet "analog art?"

"Traditional art" seems really snobby and also dumb, since digital art has its own traditions.

"Paper art" is too specific since it only applies to paper.

"Hand art" also implies certain specific types of artwork.

Thank you!


texts: 'MURDER" or "MURTHER" ? -- Question on when distinct (archaic) spellings for words were used and when not

texts:
Salutations, I am currently writing a play that is being regulated to the very distinct notions of authentically replicating the English language and its archaic spellings during its usage in London, early 1600s. For this, I have primarily focused myself by perhaps the most illustrious of poets from the time period: being Milton with the original text of Paradise Lost and of course Shakespeare's first and second folio. I have noticed a few peculiar spelling distinctions and differences printed in Shakespeare's first folio. For example in page 67 of the first folio (Romeo and Juliett) the word "murder" and again a few words later as "murdered" in Romeo's line of,
"As if that name shot from the dead levell of a Gun,
Did murder he, as that names cursed hand
Murdered her kinsman (....)" is printed with the modern-day spelling of the word (Murder).
and yet in multiples instances, an example being found on page 337 of the same first folio (Othello)
the word "murder" is spelled "murther" in the following line: "Helpe, helpe, hoa, helpe:
The Moore hath kill'd my Mistris. Murther, murther."
Just for another example, and there are quite a few of these spelling differences, of the peculiar and to what I could reconcile rather "Mindless" changes in spelling is the word "Tragedy."
Take to account how the word "tragedy" is spelled in its modern-day spelling in the first folio as "The Tragedy of Cymbeline" or even "The Tragedy of Richard the Third." And yet in the same folio, the word is altred to the archaic spelling of "tragedie" for example in the "Tragedie of Julius Cæsar" or "The Tragedie of Macbeth."
I am interested in authentcially replicating the language of the period for my play to the most fine consideration which is plausible, and so if anyone has any insight on the distinct and rather exceptionally evident changes to the same word within a single text I would profoundly appreciate it.
I know quite thoroughly the minimal distinctions in text from 1600s like the change of "spoke" to "spake" and the added -e to enunciate stress onto a word, but I am interested in knowing the more distinct changes: especially the one on the spelling of "murder" which I need for the play I am completing.
Anyways,


texts: What was the first swearword that got a [letter]-bomb?

texts:
What was the first swearword that got referred to as a "[letter]-bomb"?

Google NGrams indicates that "n-bomb" became pretty common in the 1960s, but that could be referring to nuclear bombs, as opposed to "nigger".

Onelook bombed out in searching for information about the suffix, and Wiktionary doesn't have an entry about the suffix, nor does Online Etymology.


texts: One word for "bringing someone up to speed"

texts:
I'm trying to explain the following thought:

  She has been tremendously helpful in training new employees in the company...

only instead of "training", I would like to use a word that emphasizes the fact that employees "know what to do" after she's done with them :) Like "bringing up to speed" but with one word.


texts:
I can't understand the meaning of these statement.

  The need of the hour is to promote good cinema and for this it needs
  to be incorporated in the academic curriculum.

can anybody help me to know that?


texts:
When learning the infinitive construction, my teacher told us that if “but, except, besides” serves as a preposition and before them there exists “do” or its other forms (did, does), “but, except, besides” will be followed by an infinitive with “to” being omitted, such as “He wants to do nothing but go out.”
I am wondering if you could give me an example about “besides” followed by an infinitive with “to” being omitted.

In addition, I found this sentence in a dictionary “Besides making money, the company aims to set high standards of quality and design.” I thought “besides” could be followed by an infinitive and gerund. Am I right? Is there any differences? In addition, can "but" or except" be followed by a gerund ?

Thank you so much!


texts:
I do not and have never used "meth" or any of its variants.  It is horrible stuff.  Imo, drugs should only be prescribed by a doctor to resolve a health-related need.

One of my very nerdly friends used to say of me when a technical problem grabs me and I can't let go that I was "gacking" [1]. He meant it well, and it is the only term that I know.  He meant it about the taking about the VCR to clean it, (and I put them back together and they work) and not the drug use.

He would say things like:

EngrStudent you are gacking again. (to me)
EngrStudent was gacking, and we came up with this. (and we present awesome thing)

Another example is this (link) in Numb3rs with Charlie Eppes.

Can you describe a word that is okay in very high tech professional use that is a rough synonym of the behavior that is not (remotely) related to drug use? The deep obsession that it grabs me and doesn't let go.  It is okay, but not necessarily desirable, if it is a high-function Asperger's related term.


texts: multiple number change, at a rate? with a ratio? fold?

texts:
A (a=1, b=2, c=3)
  then,
  B (a=1.5, b=3, c=4.5)
  C (a=3, b=6, c=9)
  D (a=0.5, b=1, c=1.5)

As above, based on the amounts of the elements in group A, the elements of B, C, and D were changed (increased or decreased) by multiplying A by 1.5, 3, and 0.5, respectively.

How can I express these changes to B, C and D collectively?

So far I have these options:

  The amount of each element in each group of B,C and D was increased or decreased at a specific rate as compared to A
  The amount of each element in each group of B,C and D was changed with a specific fold increase or decrease as compared to A
  The amount of each element in each group of B,C and D was changed by a specific ratio in relation to A

Or any better answers?


texts: How did 'sanction' come to have two opposite meanings?

texts:
Sanction is an unusual ambiguous word to me. In some cases it means to approve some action, while in other cases it means to prohibit or punish some action; and there being near opposite meanings, context is especially essential for correct interpretation.

What is interesting to me is: historically, how did sanction come to capture two opposite meanings like this? The etymology seems to trace back to the single Latin word sanctio, meaning a decree. But did sanctio have strong opposing meanings or connotations like our modern word sanction? Or how and when did the divergence occur over time?


texts: Does the term “gay” refer to bi-sexuality as well, or is it explicitly referring to homo-sexuality?

texts:
The reason I am asking is because I am touching upon answering a question elsewhere which would debunk the claim that said person is gay on the grounds that he would most likely only be bi-sexual due to him having a wife and many children. However I do not know if this is correct.
I have done a little google research which does confirm that hetro-sexuality, homo-sexuality and bi-sexuality are three different categories. However it does not confirm whether or not the term "gay" in its modern usage refers to only homo-sexuality or both homo-sexuality and bi-sexuality.


texts:
What are some other ways to say, "I can't get the message across?" This is explaining a situation where someone doesn't communicate what they're thinking, or they try to communicate what they're thinking, but the recipient doesn't understand what what the speaker wants them to understand.

I'm looking for words to replace "get the message across", not an entirely different phrase.


texts: Can I always use "unless" interchangeably with "if not"?

texts:
I have been bothered by the question whether 'unless' and 'if not' can be used interchangeably. I think they can have the opposite meaning, but I am not sure. Could you support my opinion with some examples or theory?

I was also presented with a sentence:

  Unless I had lost the umbrella, I would have go out now.

But I know unless is used to refer to the future, anyway, might it be correct?


texts: Difference between a Notice Board and a Bulletin Board?

texts:
Can anyone please help me with this?
Are the two words have the same meaning or they're different?


texts: "Recommend someone to represent..." vs. "recommend someone represent..."

texts:
Looking at the sentence below I have a feeling it is wrong, though I can't explain why:

  I highly recommend Dave to represent you in Korea with your software.

I have thus rephrased it to the following:

  I highly recommend Dave represent you in Korea with your software.

Am I correct?


texts:
I came across the picture below (http://comics.likeyou.me/he-has-wifi/1586/).

Despite the fact this is a comic, I'm wondering if the word "WiFi" is being used correctly here. Shouldn't it be "wireless" rather than "WiFi"?

I have done some searches before asking, with this results (Merriam Webster):

  WiFi: used to certify the interoperability of wireless computer
  networking devices.

  wireless: having no wire or wires.

Has "WiFi" become synonym of "wireless" in some informal contexts?


texts: Passive Voice with ''to be to be and past participle''

texts:
This Association’s standards are to be used globally for all ABC related Engineering issues.
My question is that is ''are to be used'' passive structure? And if it is, what type is it. Because I can not see this kind of structure when I check the passive voice chart.


texts: What is the best adjective to describe a well received product (movie, book)

texts:
Often I read about "under-appreciated" books. Being an author myself, I am putting together my resume in English and I am unsure what word to use to describe a book that has had positive reviews and apparently was sucessful.   Should I say "appreciated book dealing with.."?
Also do I need to use articles?

  Title of the book
   (An) appreciated book dealing ..


texts: Can “dystopian” be accurate for artistic works based largely on truth?

texts:
For example: It seems to me a bit sketchy to categorize the movie The Lives of Others (2006) as such, even though it is a work of fiction and set in a negative world - - because it is largely based on East German surveillance that really happened.

Likewise, it would seem ~any~ [art loves to find cracks] possible historic, artistic permutation of Nazi Germany can't really be accurately called “dystopian”.  (Unless it turns out Nazis hid on the dark side of the moon and re-take the world, if you follow my general drift.)

As I understand it, utopia is by definition an imaginary ideal.  Does/should the subsequently minted dystopia have the same general exactitude?

So, we should not be hearing about “dystopian” novels and movies set in the present or past unless they are set in an imaginary alternate universe.

Am I completely wrong in this understanding?  It seems to me people just fluff the word “dystopia” towards any work with a negative unlikable society.

Note: I'm specifically talking about the context of categorizing novels, plays, and movies.  I'm sure that there are news articles talking about “dystopian” drone attacks on civilians and the like.  These seem like melodramatic exceptions that prove the rule, so to speak.


texts: Is “X, so Y” a compound or complex sentence?

texts:
Is this a compound or complex sentence?
I think it might be compound because it has “so”.

  My car battery died, so I called to have it towed for repairs.


texts: "It was the kind of story that / where you had to be there." -- Are the relative words 'where' and 'that' interchangeable?

texts:
Consider this exchange:

  A: Your story wasn't funny at all.
  B: Maybe it was the kind of story where you had to be there.

I encountered something like that a few days ago, and wondered if the relative word where could be replaced with that:

  ?Maybe it was the kind of story that you had to be there.

It sounded strange a bit, but I was reluctant to say it's wrong, because there are analogous examples where a that relative or bare relative could be used instead of a where relative clause:

  The place I went running was a few blocks away
  This is not the place I will die.
  It's pathetic to live in the place you grew up.
  If you would have told me a year ago that I'd be in the place that I am now, I would have been like, good joke.
  Why does poetry become the place that you can say it?

  examples from COCA

So, when is it possible to use the relative words that and where interchangeably?


texts: How do I describe a person who is consistently attentive?

texts:
I was trying to compare two coworkers work habits.

One is a sprinter, he works hard for months at a time but eventually gets bored with projects that go longer than a few months.
The other is a marathoner, he works hard on projects day-in and day-out even if they go on for a year or two.

I thought of a bunch of words that describe focus, but they describe short-term focus. Words like:

Attentive
Attention-span
Concentrate
Focused

But if I say the sprinter "has a limited attention span", most people would think he gets distracted by Facebook or the TV. What words or phrases would help me compare these two work ethics?


texts: It sounds like a marketing term. Does it mean "However there are some points to take note"?


texts: Another unique way to say "other end of the spectrum"

texts: Something like "on the other hand" but unique or with an interesting twist.


texts: How, or where, did "Ye God" become "egad"?

texts:
Looking up the etymology of 'egad' I saw that it is an archaic, euphemistic form of 'O God' or 'Ye God.' I assume this was a one off evolution, and the 'how' was some idiosyncratic shift in the interjection (if it is specifically known how it happened please include in your answer.)

Did this 'egad' catch on in a certain region for some reason, leading it to become more popular? Was it used in some popular form that helped it catch on?


texts: Is the term "face-lift" perceived negatively?

texts:
While working on a software user interface update, I used the term "face-lift".

I was now told to rephrase my sentences and avoid the term "face-lift", because it is associated with mostly negative feelings in American English use.

According to Merriam Webster I am using it according to the second definition:

  2 : an alteration, restoration, or restyling (as of a building) intended especially to modernize

which doesn't sound bad to me.

Unfortunately, Merriam Webster does neither give me an indicator on how often the term is use, nor how it is perceived.

Can someone confirm that negative sentiment of the term "face-lift" in the US (ideally with a credible source, not only another personal opinion), or is it just a single person's opinion I should not take too seriously?


texts: Deference vs Respect: What's the difference?

texts: Can I use the words 'respect' and 'deference' interchangeably?


texts:
I am writing a paper, and I don't know if the following sentence is grammatically correct...

  For years dichotomies have controlled humanity in multiple areas: mind and body, truth and falsity, male and female, and democrat and republican.


texts: What do you call the stuff that animals use to mark their territory?

texts:
For instance, lions use their urine to mark their territory.

What's the common way to refers to these "marks"? Territorial marks? (Not sure if this is common usage, though, since Google Books only returns 328 results.)


texts:
Ad hoc is defined as:

  formed, arranged, or done for a particular purpose only.

I have created a computer system to allow distributed machines to connect and run simulations as they become available.  Would it be valid to say the machines run ad hoc simulations?  My gut tells me this is correct, since the simulations are completed in the moment as necessary, but it may be incorrect, since the "particular purpose only" is scheduled.  I may also be completely incorrect.  Is this a valid situation to use ad hoc and why or why not?


texts: Use of "separation of church and state" in non-Christian countries

texts: Does the term separation of church and state also apply in non-Christian countries, for example Egypt? Can we say separation of mosque and state? Is there a generic, politically correct alternative that works for any country?


texts:
People say the verb inquire can be bitransitive (i.e., ditransitive) and also monotransitive. I can find many examples of its monotransitive use, but none about bitransitive.

Could you show me how it is used as a bitransitive verb?


texts: What is the term for replacing a letter with a number in a word?

texts: What is the term for replacing a letter with a number in a word, such as UNREAL being written as UNR34L?  Quite often seen on licence plates, it is almost satirical misspelling, but the definition of that does not seem to include substitution of letters for numbers.


texts: Onomatopoeia for sirens (police, ambulance, fire engines)

texts:
I came across these two sentences in Peopleware

  The Furniture Police at one company we know even listed a number for spilled coffee on the Emergency Numbers decal affixed to every phone. We were never there when anyone called the number, but you could probably expect white-coated maintenance men to come careening through the halls in an electric cart with flashing lights and a siren going ooogah-ooogah.

I've never seen ooogah-ooogah written for sirens sound before, but I quite like it.

I, myself, as a kid remember saying something like nee-nore, nee-nore — but I don't know if that's regional or just kiddy speak.

is there a "proper" onomatopoeia for sirens?


texts: Word for pending project or collaboration

texts:
What word could I use to describe a future project or collaboration that isn't guaranteed to happen?
I was emailing someone that I had talked with very briefly about collaborating on a project together. I hope that this person and I are able to work together, but this all depends on our schedules, how well we enjoy working together, and the subjects we both want to focus on.
What adjectives describe our project/collaboration? Is there a noun for this?
The exact sentence I wanted to insert the word into was:

Would you like to tell me more about your ideas for our [word] collaboration/project.

I'm not sure which word I would like to end the sentence with either, hence the "/".

I want to work with this person, so I didn't want to say: "our possible project", because I felt that I came across as indifferent as to whether or not we actually worked together at all.
I also didn't want to use the word pending because I felt as though I was pressuring the reader to respond and rushing the process so that I could remove the pending status.
EDIT
Why I chose the accepted answer -
I felt like the word proposed had the best fit because it didn't make the project feel like it really depended on something or needed something to be cleared up.
It put the least emphasis on the decisions or effort that had to make the proposed project, a real project.
I didn't choose pending because I felt like that was almost rude to say in this scenario. It sounds like either I should supply the information needed to make the project go from pending to a work in progress, or that I'm expecting the other party to now supply what is needed from their end. I didn't want to say "Oh hey, you remember that pending project? Yeah... just waiting on you to see about that..."
I didn't choose prospective because I thought that it was very similar to the case above with pending. It was the same as telling the other party you were waiting on them, but it was like telling them you aren't sure if you're going to go through with it or not. As if they have to offer some incentive for you to make up your mind.


texts:
While researching the source and use of mathematical formulas to calculate the radius of the earth, I came across this passage:

  Mitchell also showed that the mean radius of the earth was defined by
  the ancient geodeters as being the meridian circumference divided by
  44/7...

Online dictionary resources held no reference to the word geodeter. Using Google returned 4 indexed page results that contained an exact match, but the original language of each page is Swedish.

Is geodeter an actual word? If so, what is the meaning and etymology of the word?

Source passage


texts: Is "This project aims to…" logically correct?

texts:
My (engineering) students often start an executive summary with a phrase such as

  This project aims to… [create a system which can…]

I sometimes correct them to write

  The aim of this project is to…

But I don't have good evidence this is any better; I'm worried that it might simply be a stylistic preference. (I prefer only to comment on writing style, where it deserves comment, rather than coerce it to my own.)

My feeling is that a "project" is not an agent — it cannot have aims (nor desires, etc.) of its own. Is there something more concrete I can refer to either back up my reasoning or discount it?


texts: Usage of 'in comparison with' when comparing features (adjectives)

texts:
I have a problem with an expression of the form "[Adjective1] [Noun1] and [Noun2] in comparison with [Adjective2] and [Adjective3] [?]", when all adjectives are features of the given nouns and we want to compare [A1] with [A2] and [A3].
e.g. Romanian literature and culture in comparison with european and global [?] |literature and culture| Normally I would put in the place of [?] "ones" or maybe repeated "literature and culture" (as above), but I don't think that would be formal enough. Any ideas? Thanks.


texts:
There is an interview from David Milch - the creator of the TV series "Deadwood". At the final part, he said ( seems ):" All of those things for me remind me as I sort of lived into the story that the reason is about 17th on a list of the attributes that ??defines us?? as a species and as far as I'm concerned they can lower no problem a I just like to see the way we behave.".

I have no idea what he means by "17th on a list of the attributes that.." I might have heard it wrong. (as I typed above)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1O2GW9G1h5A

(PS. the transcript seems incorrect but I paste here as reference anyway)
all of those things
for me remind me as a shorter lived in to this story
a that reason is about seventeen
analyst the attributes that the finances
as a species)

I also deeply wonder who transcribe the whole text for this video. If  it's robot, it's too accurate. If it's human, it's amazingly incorrect. Maybe one time speedy catch-up deal).


texts: Term for pleasure or joy obtained on top of others' misery or unhappiness

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  An idiom for deriving pleasure from another's suffering

We often experience the following:

  We feel happy when our fellow classmates get a bad grade and not
  necessarily when we ourselves get a good grade.

  We feel excited when our opposing team plays really awful and not
  necessarily when we our team plays well.

  We feel pleased when one person we hate experiences some kind of
  misfortune and not necessarily when we ourselves get good luck.

What is a word or phrase to describe the phenomenon above?


texts: Word that counters "expiration" of a thing

texts:
Let's say I have an object such as a user account or some kind of certificate that is about to expire. What is the most idiomatic noun that describes the act to make it last longer and not expire?

I want to use it in an issue tracker in the ticket title, so my actual example "sentence" would be something like:

  ... of user account for service xyz

...where that user account is due to expire and its expiration date should be postponed. A complete sentence might be:

  The ... of the user account was denied because the service has been superseded by [another].

The most suitable words I have found so far are "extension" and "prolongation". The examples from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary for both seem to fit (extend a contract, prolongation of human life). Although it sounds to me as if prolongation goes more with nouns that denote a time span, such as "life" and "holiday", rather than things that have an expiration date (I do not consider an account to denote a time span). On the other hand, "extension of a user account" sounds a bit strange to me (as a non-native speaker), as if I wanted additional privileges be granted to that account, or some other kind of upgrade.


texts: In sonnets from the Elizabethan period, "move" rhymed with "love" although they don't today.  Recognizing that changes in spelling rarely keep up with changes in pronunciation, how were "move" and "love" pronounced in Early Modern English?


texts: How do I hyphenate an open-form compound word with another that should be hyphenated?

texts:
I'm confused about how to combine an open-form compound word with a word that would normally be hyphenated. There's excellent guidance for making the open vs. closed vs. hyphenated decision, but I don't see how to apply this when hyphenating the open-form word looks wrong.
For example, make a compound word out of North, America, and based. North America is open formed and something-based is hyphenated. Is Coca-Cola a...

North America-based company: this seems very wrong as it de-emphasizes North America as a proper-noun place and makes it sound like the company is based in the North part of America (which is neither accurate nor the intent of the phrase).
North America based company: feels jolting to read and omits what seems like a necessary hyphen before "based"
North-America-based company: looks best(?), but has hyphenated the open-formed compound "North America", which unlike "well-thought-out plan" still seems wrong, despite the guidance at the linked answer above regarding phrasal adjectives*.

* the aforelinked answer says every word is hyphenated in phrasal adjectives , but for some open-form words this looks wrong
Note: I think my question could be improved with an example that looks even more egregious, but I can't think of one.


texts:
Which is correct?
Everyone here at xyz wish you a happy holiday or
everyone here at xyz wishes you a happy holiday?


texts: "Sheltered Housing" in American English?

texts:
Sheltered housing is a British English term covering a wide range of rented housing for older and/or disabled or other vulnerable people.
  -Wikipedia

Is there an American equivalent for this kind of housing? Retirement home and Assisted living don't seem to match, but I can't imagine this concept exists only in Britain, but when I search for it (or for retirement housing) I get websites with "co.uk". What is this called in America?


texts: Which noun express the action of solving a problem?

texts:
When I want to express the action or process of solving a (mathematical) problem, I always doubt among using "the problem resolution", "the problem solving" or "the problem solution". Which is the most suitable one?
For example, in the phrase "the problem resolution can be very challenging due to the expensive iterations of the algorithm", I believe that "problem solution" would not be correct: the solution is not challenging (it can be can be very simple, for example, the number 25), it is the process of finding the solution that is challenging.


texts: I'd like to know whether the pronunciation of nominalizations from a participle + -ness, such as fixedness (putting aside adjectives with full pronunciation such as 'wickedness') is similar to that of adverbs from participle + -ly, as supposedly /səˈpəʊzədlɪ/, that is with that syllable being fully enunciated -èd-.


texts: How do I quote nonconsecutive sentences from a lengthy quote?

texts: I am writing a book compiling multiple quotes from various authors.  On occasion I do not want to use all of the quote; maybe 2 or 3 lines at the beginning; one in the middle; one in the end. Do I need to call that out by "... ??


texts: Usage of the phrase 'make one's eyes bleed'

texts:
I googled the phrase "make one's eyes bleed". It seems to me that this is a sort of idiom.  I am not quite sure in which situations you say this. Is this expression often used in English, or it is rather rare?  I also found the expression 'bleed from the eyes' in the urban dictionary.

  'Bleed from the eyes' is used when one really doesn't want to even consider doing something, as it may cause them brain trauma. Can also be described as being more appealing than the activity they are trying to get out of.

As it seems to me, this definition contains two opposite meanings. On the one hand, it is used when someone considers something annoying, dull or tedious or even ugly. On the other hand, it can be used to describe something pleasant, attractive as compared to other things. Am I right? In my opinion, this definition is ambiguous in this dictionary.

Is it possible to express the opinion on some aspects of linear algebra, using this expression?

  Matrix operations are so boring that my eyes begin bleeding every time I deal with these things;

or

  I find matrices unbearable, they make my eyes bleed.


texts: What is a term for someone who prohibits the importation of foreign words into their language?

texts:
I was thinking about how when the Italian Fascists were in power they often turned loanwords into Italian words. They wanted to conserve the Italian nature of the language:

  Under Fascism an Italian chauffeur became an autista; soccer turned into calcio; a bar was rechristened qui si beve (here one drinks). Shakespeare’s name, like other foreign appellations, had to be pronounced as if it were Italian: Shah-kay-spay-ah-ray.

I understand too that there is a similar movement in France to guard against the encroaching force of loanwords.

What is a term for this?


texts: "vary from person to person": most people or everyone are different?

texts:
Having done research on the internet, I still failed to find a source that addresses my questions (below).

Dietary needs vary from person to person.

My question is what is the exact scope of people that the prepositional phrase refers to?
i) some people's dietary needs vary from some others.
ii) most people's dietary needs vary from others.
iii) everyone's dietary needs are different.
Thank you very much for your time.


texts: Is there a name for the time after dinner?

texts:
A coworker recently taught me a Spanish word, sobremesa, to describe the time spent at the table after a meal, relaxing with one's companions.

Do we have a single word or stock phrase to describe this in English? If not, can we coin a very good one?


texts:
The sentence was found in the lyrics of a song from a Dutch-born Chinese singer so given her origins I am not entirely sure it is correct English.

On the other hand the seemingly correct expression "Life is tiring" may sound a bit too grave/over the top in a lyrical context? Again I defer to the crushing verdict of you native speakers.


texts: Why is the indefinite article inappropriate in time constructions?

texts:
Why is the indefinite article inappropriate in time-telling constructions with the word half, like the following:

  It's half past five.

But

  It's a half past five.

sounds extremely odd.

Why is that? An hour is composed of two halves (duh), and it certainly makes sense to talk about a half of an hour.

Things would be fine if the whole phenomenon was just ellipsis, but how on earth does ellipsis make the full form odd-sounding?


texts: single word that means which can be constructed at home

texts:
What is the word that means “that which can be fixed up at home”?

For example, I buy parts from a store, bring the parts home, and then can construct the thing out of those parts by myself. What is the word that means such an object, one that can be made at home in a do-it-yourself style?


texts: Would "temporal proximity" be an effective way to label the axis of a graph?

texts:
I have a bunch of events that vary in duration and also vary in how recently they occurred.  I want to graph these events so that they look like a typical bar graph, with all the bases resting on the X axis and the Y axis representing time.  This way it will be easy to see which events lasted longer than other events (the taller the bar, the longer the duration of the event).  But I also want to express how far in the past each event took place.  More recent events would be closer to the origin than the ones further back in history.
I think "duration" is a good label for the Y axis, with "hours" being the unit of measure.  As for the X axis, I'm having a harder time deciding on a way to describe the property that it will represent.  The units of measure will be "days", but I want a word or short phrase to use on the X axis similar to the way "duration" characterizes the Y axis.  The best I could come up with is "temporal proximity".
Does this work, or is it going to sound stilted, contrived, pedantic... etc.?


texts: What's the subject of 'mind not so much to know' ? (1670 UK, Isaac Penington)

texts:
Source: Para 5, Isaac Penington to Widow Hemmings (1670), by Isaac Penington

  The Lord so guide thee, manifest himself to thee, help thee, and lead
  thee by his Holy Spirit and power, as that thou mayst come undeniably
  to experience, and to be satisfied by him about these things. And mind
  not so much to know, as to be obedient <445> [sic] and subjected to the
  Lord, both in thy heart and in thy conversation also, in the least thing that he makes manifest.

1. What's the subject of the verb mind? How do you determine/deduce this?

2. Does this para reveal what is the least > thing that he makes manifest?


texts: Noun for rule to strengthen a preexisting one

texts:
I was wondering if there is a noun built off the word strengh the same way we find the word corrective as built off the word correct.
The context would be a term for second rule or law which is created specifically to add strength to a preexisting one.


texts: Outside of the scientific sense (cohort study), does the word cohort have positive, negative or neutral connotations?  The dictionary defines it as a group of people or single companion and it originated as the name of a division of men in a Roman legion.  However, I feel that nowadays it is usually used to describe a group of people who are up to no good.


texts: Someone who knows he is too small to change politics, but still wants to fight

texts:
What is the word for someone who wants to fight against corruption in politics, but he knows he's too small to really change anything?

For example many artists are like this:

What do you call an artist who does his best to fight against politics even though knows everything is ruined beyond repair?


texts: How do you say "wake up" to someone who is not sleeping but fainted?

texts:
For example:

  Adam faints. Steve goes there and tries to (wake up?) him.

What do you do with someone who fainted?


texts: How do you refer to the act of a delegate resigning?

texts:
When a president resigns, they might entitle their resignation letter "Resignation from Presidency."  A councilor might entitle their letter "Resignation from Council."  What would a delegate entitle their resignation letter?

Here are some contenders that I encountered on google:

"Resignation as Delegate"
"Resignation from Delegacy"
"Resignation of Delegacy"

Is one of these (or a different version) more correct than another?  If so, why?


texts:
I always get confused which of the following is correct:

  Is it for when?
  When is it for?

Or are there further ways to ask for when something is needed.

The it in question is an enquiry, in case that matters. Please tell me whether these questions are grammatical.


texts: Math word for an object not centered at the origin?

texts: Is there a word that can describe a geometric figure such as a circle or ellipse that is not centered at origin (0, 0) in cartesian space? I'd like to find an agreed upon mathematical word, but if it doesn't exist then a substitute "non-mathematical" word would do as well.


texts:
Is this paragraph correct in its usage of "population"?

  The 100 million population in the Philippines is ranked 12th in the world and projected to grow 1.89% per year. The emerging middle class range of the populations are bound to drive forward the beauty trade industry in the Philippines.


texts: Can you explain to my daughter's second grade teacher why this is a complete sentence?

texts: "Pound on that door to open it." Can you explain why this is a complete sentence?


texts: "The elder" and "the younger" are often used for historical figures instead of Junior and Senior. Is that intended to imply that they are not a father and son, or is that the accepted usage for historical figures from the ancient Roman period?


texts: What is the proper term for names typically assigned to people in countries using the first-middle-last format?

texts:
In countries where English is common, people typically have names in the format <given name> <middle name> <family name>.

Is there a general term for this structure of name, as opposed to <family name> <given name>, which is sometimes used in Asia?
If I meet someone from Canada, who has a name in the <given name> <middle name> <family name>-format, should I say they have a "Canadian name", and "English name", a "Western-style name", or should I use some other term?


texts: Diagramming phrases of form “two miles from [something]”

texts:
How would you diagram “After the taxi dropped me off two miles from my apartment, I walked home”?
I’m mostly wondering about the phrase “two miles”—would it make more sense to think of it as modifying the verb “dropped” or the preposition “from”?


texts:
I've seen constraint and restriction used quite often in scientific literature.

For example,

  This algorithm needs to be further improved due to severe space
  constraint and restriction.

I simply can't figure out the subtle difference between constraint and restriction. They seem to be circularly defined according to each other. I assume that they must be different in some way. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been used together so often. If they were really close enough in meaning, why not just drop one and use the other? Or are they used in combination to  place an emphasis?


texts: Is there a special term for when a noun is used to describe another noun?

texts:
Is there a term for when a noun is used as an adjective, as in:

Click the button to open the configuration dialog.
I need to stop at the car wash.
The train station is right next to the bus station.
Do you have documentation for the setup process?
I'm throwing a party, and the entire ELU community is invited.
Hopefully, the party won't get busted by the grammar police again.

Is there a word to describe that?

Also, are those even adjectives? Or are they adverbs or something?

(I feel like this must be a duplicate (?) but I could only find questions about when adjectives are used as nouns, not the other way around...)


texts: How to ask a question to get an ordinal number answer

texts:
Possible Duplicates:
  How to phrase an asking sentence that must be answered with an ordinal number?
  Framing a question whose answer is an ordinal number

Given that I want to know Barack Obama is the 44th President of U.S.A, how can I frame a question like:

  The how manyeth president is Barack Obama?


texts: I am looking for an expression that conveys the meaning Who is watching the watchdog?


texts: A word for: something good that came out of something bad

texts:
I need a single-word to describe something good that (unexpectedly) resulted from something bad. This good thing could not have occurred without the bad event happening first, as a precursor.

Example sentence: "I got in a horrible car accident and broke my leg, but falling in love with my nurse at the hospital was the ____," (something like that).


texts: I want to say this person likes to be sarcastic to me. Is it, "He always rubs it in on me" OR "He always rubs it in me"?


texts:
I'm trying to translate this sentence:

This focused review encompasses an overview on alkaline proteases, mainly of
microbial sources in a handy module.

but I can't understand what does "in a handy module" mean.


texts: puzzled in one part of speech known as "adverb"

texts: Difference between hard and hardly? Is hardly an adverb? [Duplicate]


texts:
Over on Math.SE, a question exists regarding the usage of the word "that" in the following sentences:

Assume that A = B.
Assume A = B.

A well-known author suggests that users elect Option 1 in mathematical writing.

A discussion arose whether or not Option 1 is perfectly acceptable usage of the subjunctive, with a caveat: that the glyph "=" be read "equal" and not "equals."

The author of the book in question also further suggested that the word "that" be used only if it helps parse a sentence, "Assume that A is a group" vs. "Assume A is a group." This point was less contended, but in the subjunctive discussion, contrary concerns also arose whether the usage "Assume A be a group" is correct archaically, is correct presently, or has never been correct at all.

First question: given that "Assume..." is functionally equivalent to necessity in mathematical writing, is the sentence "Assume that A equal B" a proper use of the subjunctive?

Second question: Is, or has ever been, the usage "Assume that A be a group" been proper conjugation of "is" in a properly-used subjunctive?

Third question: Is there anything structurally unsavory about the use of the conjunction "that" in the form "Assume that A equals B" (note the s)?


texts: What is the correct way to state which category is collecting an aggregate?

texts:
I would like to know how can I say correctly an aggregation on a certain category, for example, let's say that I want to collect event data and display the amount of events for each user. Then, is it correct to say "I am aggregating events on a per-user basis"?
Is it maybe more correct to say "I am aggregating events per-user?
Can the prefix per- be used for any possible category?
Am I maybe overusing it, while some other form might be preferred?


texts:
In one English student's book i encountered the following sentence:
"The weather was no obstacle to my expeditions."

As i understand the essential constrain is:
[1] Subject + is + no + noun

Apparently it's a kind of negation. But i can't find any grammar rule for this constrain.

It's similar to "The weather was not an obstacle to my expeditions.":
[2] Subject + is + not + a + noun

Or "The weather had no obstacle to my expeditions.":
[3] Subject + has + no + noun

But seems it doesn't fit into them. What a grammar constrain is it? Which one of ([2] or [3]) constrains is it closer to?