texts:
Elsewhere on Stack Exchange I came across the following comment.

  The sorting is based on values, not family. If you value knowledge,
  you will be set to Ravenclaw, for example. Needless to say, if your
  parents value the acquisition of knowledge most and foremost, their
  children are likely to share those values, but it is not a guarantee.
  Correlation, not causation.

I stated that this was causation rather then correlation because the commenter is arguing for a cause-and-effect relationship. The fact the cause-and-effect isn't guaranteed doesn't change that. Other comments have not agreed with me, and I thought rather than an off-topic discussion there, I'd ask over here to see if my understanding of causation vs correlation was correct.


texts: I read this phrase recently in the context of a complex, intense and possibly racially-charged dispute among a group with labyrinthine and possibly incestuous interrelationships. The complete sentence was "What's the Rotherham equivalent of duelling banjos?"


texts: "Cell populations" or "cells populations"?

texts:
A simple question, but I did the answer while googling.
I would like to say "The proposed method aims at delineating cells populations".


texts: I would like to know what connotations the word "galore" carries for native English speakers. I really like the word and it's meaning and have seen it being used in some modern contexts. However, I'm afraid I might sound archaic or something, if I use it.


texts: What is the meaning of "Take medicine with meal"

texts:
I am not a native English speaker. When I see medicines with label stating "Take this with a meal" what does it actually mean?

Before starting the meal
After finishing the meal
In between
Any of the above.


texts:
When sorting my files, I use the folder Presentation, Spreadsheet, Drawing and Database, because I use multiple Operating Systems.

But I don't have a word for Apple Pages / Microsoft Office Word / Libre Office Writer.

I don't like Word Processing, because it is two words, and I don't want to use Writer, because that is bias.

What single word covers all of these?


texts:
I know chemist means someone who sells medicines or drugs. However, we use physicist for someone who studies/researches physics, and so will anyone naturally understand.

But it has always confused me why don't we use chemist similarly, and selling medicines is not completely related to studying chemistry. So what is the word's origins and why did its meaning came to be so unnatural?


texts: Dropping of "was" from "A couple of ministers had to resign too, among them [was] Interior Minister Fouchet."

texts:
A couple of ministers had to resign too, among them Interior Minister
  Fouchet.

I don't know what type of rule is used to delete needed "was" in this sentence. My opinion is that "was" should be used like this.

  A couple of ministers had to resign too, (and) among them was
  Interior Minister Fouchet.

Can someone tell me what rule is used to delete "was"? For example, be deletion, appositive, whiz deletion or etc?


texts: What will be the title for 1 year old boy? will it be Mr. or Master or anything else I am not aware of? Pre marriage girls are addressed as Miss. and post marriage Mrs. is there anything similar to boys?


texts: Can "albeit" be used to reference something plural?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Definition of “albeit” and how it's different from “although” (if it is)
  Why don’t other pronouns get to albe-themselves, à la albeit’s “it”?

Albeit is defined as a way to express the phrase "although it be." But is it correct to use it to express "although they be"? E.g.

  Their techniques were effective, albeit harsh.

Would this be acceptable?


texts: How to describe a level that is a bit harder than "a piece of cake"

texts:
I am struggling to describe a process that is a bit harder than a piece of cake - meaning it will take a little bit of effort to figure it out but not that hard.

Is there any phrase or slang that I could use to make this compact and understandable?


texts:
One of my colleague has emailed and started with line 'Sorry to reach out to you “cold” like this'. I am not quite sure what actually does than mean. Can anybody explain it to me.

Thanks
--sachin


texts: "She stole to keep her boyfriend in luxury"

texts: Could anybody please tell me the exact meaning of it? Is it used in everyday English? And could we use it in written?


texts: How do you pronounce the word "array" in Australian English?

texts: I am learning accents (differences in pronunciation), and I was wondering how to pronounce the word "array" in Australian English, and how it's pronounced in other variants of the language. Is it AH-ray or uh-ray, and which variant does the other belong to?


texts: Why, when people are angry, do they say "I was all but angry" as opposed to "I was angry"? What's the difference between the two and why are they used interchangeably?


texts: Idiom/phrase for acting surprisingly passive

texts:
I'd be greatly appreciative of an idiom/phrase that depicts a subject (e.g. a governmental organisation) that acts surprisingly passive in relation to a given situation.

Context:
The governmental organisation seem to be just observing without taking any concrete actions, while you would expect them to take action since it should be of vital importance to them.

Thank you in advance.


texts: Meaning of "hinder parts" in the 17th century

texts:
While reading the works of William Laud in the edition by William Scott, I came across a description (No 2 on page 345) where it seems the Scots are upset about a ritual in which a priest turns his back to those present.

Laud uses the term "hinder parts," and I'm wondering if it just means his back side (so that they're upset about the priest looking in the other direction), or if it could actually be an expression for "bottom", and the uproar is due to them feeling that the priest is turning his derrière towards them.

Does anybody know a source where I could find out such things? It would be helpful if it is possible to cite the source in an academic paper.

Thanks to everybody who answered! Here's the entire paragraph where the term occurs:

  It seems to be no great matter, that without warrant of the Book of England, the presbyter going from the north end of the table, shall stand during the time of consecration at such a part of the table where he may with more ease and decency use both his hands; yet being tried, it importeth much: as that he must stand with his hinder parts to the people; representing (saith Durand) that which the Lord said to Moses, 'Thou shalt see my hinder parts.'"

William Laud, The History of Troubles and Tryal Of the Most Reverend Father in God, William Laud, Lord Arch-Bishop of Canterbury, in: William Scott, The Works of the Most Reverend Father in God, William Laud, D.D., Sometime Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, Vol III, Oxford: Parker, 1853, p. 345

Note: The title of the chapter has been added by the editor, but the author is still Laud; anyone who is interested can find much of his work digitized on archive.org. This one, for example, can be found here.


texts: What is the meaning of the phrase "for my sins"?

texts:
I have a sentence:

  No, Sir, for my sins, I am not a regular church-goer.

What does "for my sins" mean in this case?  The phrase is from a book but not published yet and I am translating it to Czech.


texts:
I have encountered the phrase "... the knock against [sth.]" from this reddit comment. Does this mean that the person has concerns or problem with [sth.]? Is this expression used commonly?

The full sentence was:

  The only knock I have against Robinhood is their inferior research tools. Otherwise I have had no issues with them.


texts:
Do these two sentences below mean basically the same?

He spoke out of spite.
He spoke in spite.

Would there be a nuance, what would it be?

Thanks.


texts: What does "skimming the cream off the milk" mean?

texts:
Some context:

The physicists Prandtl and von Kármán had a competition to solve an open problem in the field. Prandtl shared his unpublished data, as well as his "lieutenant" physicist, Frank Wattendorf, with von Kármán so that they would be on equal footing. Von Kármán ended up solving the problem first:

  Von Kármán was soon ready to deliver a decisive blow in his competition with Prandtl, who admitted defeat by saying that von Kármán had once again exercised "his well-known talent for skimming the cream off the milk."

I'm not sure what the expression "skimming the cream off the milk" means in this context.


texts: Interdependence vs. interdependency: grammatical number

texts:
Are the two words interchangeable? If so, why is one more common in the singular (interdependence) and the other in the plural (interdependencies)?

# interdependence > # interdependency
# interdependencies > # interdependences

Look at the Google search hit numbers below:

[Edit: Updated the numbers 10-10-18. Note that Google just estimates — based on what it finds in the first moments of its search — the probable number of search results for a given term. But the crude approximation is good enough for this purpose.]

interdependence: 21,200,000
interdependences: 160,000

interdependency: 12,100,000
interdependencies: 3,920,000


texts: But, Except, than + Infinitive with 'to' or without 'to'?

texts:
I have read that after 'but', 'except', 'than', bare Infinitive (i.e., Infinitive without 'to') is used.
But I am confused which one is correct:
(1) We want nothing but to be free.
OR, We want nothing but be free.
(2) Better to reign in Hell than to serve in Heaven.
OR, Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven.
(3) He does everything except/but finish his homework.
OR, He does everything except/but to finish his homework.
Please clarify it with proper grammatical rule.


texts:
I am very interested in British pronunciation, so I am looking for resources about connected speech and IPA in general.

The ideal would be a book with the transcription of dialogues or just sentences, or also something related to connected speech rules.

Thank you in advance


texts: What metaphor do countries that don't play baseball use for intercourse?

texts:
Related question: In sex talk, how many bases are there and what do they all mean?

There are lots of English-speaking (or English-learning) countries where baseball simply isn't played much if at all. Other sports -- soccer, rugby, polo, cricket -- are likely more common. Since language follows culture, I'm curious: what do English-speaking nations with little interest in baseball use as their metaphor for physical relations? Effectively, I'm asking for equivalent metaphors in other English dialects.

Note that, in the baseball metaphor, there is an implicit "escalation" idea baked into the metaphor. As a "player" progresses from base to base, the conduct associated with each point represents an increase in intensity and/or intimacy. I'm hoping equivalent alternative metaphors preserve this.


texts:
When I asked my coworker where the boss is, she answered me:

He is at the meeting.

Is this correct? I thought it should be:

He is in the meeting.

Because he is physically inside the room having the meeting.


texts:
Is the sentence below correct?

  The place is lousy with hippies

I looked it up on merriam-webster.com but they said that lousy was:

  infested with lice

Close, but not quite there...


texts: What is the term for changing a word due to it being deemed offensive? Our vocabulary is being _____ due to over sensitivity

texts: Cockpit is now flight deck and master bedroom is now owners suite.


texts: Draw a horizontal line in a form to indicate an absence of information - what phrase to use?

texts:
I'm translating a document template, to be filled out later for specific purposes. In one of the tables, the person who will fill out the document is instructed to either specify the pharmacopoeial monograph on which his analytical procedure is based or, if he created the analytical procedure all by himself, to just draw a horizontal line so that nobody could later manipulate the document by writing something there.
What do we call it in English when someone is instructed to draw a line in a form in order to indicate an absence?

Regulatory document
(Provide a) Reference to the relevant EP, USP or BP monograph or other document. If the procedure was developed in-house without reliance on other documents, place a horizontal line. (?)

Or maybe it is "use a dash"?


texts: Alternatives to the expression "poor man's "

texts:
I'm looking for a more politically correct substitute for the expression "poor man's", meaning an inferior improvised or makeshift substitute. Usage examples:

"Guncotton is the poor man's TNT"
"Poor man's oyster" (mussels, or coughed up phlegm)

My hesitance is mainly because it is not as gender neutral as perhaps it once was. The closest I can think of is "pauper's", but I don't know many examples of usage.


texts: Is there an adjective that means 'stick-like'

texts:
Using the same setting as this question: Is there an adjective that means 'fruit-like'? (the setting isn't paramount) I would like to know if there is an appropriately 'posh' word for 'stick-like'.

Is there a word for stick-like that could be uttered by an aristocratic gentleman of the 18th Century in a club such as Boodle's without sounding anachronous or ill-befitting of his class?

The only word I can find is sticky but it is too connected to the age-old joke:

  What's brown and sticky?   A stick! / Poo!

The use of adjective sticky also makes the word sticky useless. (Etymologically, they are connected)

Obligatory Example Sentence:

  My dear fellow, let me question you thus: what is brown and [sticky]?   A stick!

Obviously, this ruins the joke

Is there a suitable adjective like 'stick-like'?


texts: Word for something that was once true and is no longer

texts:
Is there a word for something that was once true (maybe at the time it was said or written) but isn't true anymore?

Either an adjective or a noun is fine. "Obsolete" is the best thing that I can think of, but it's not quite right.


texts: Difference between "Education Institute" & "Institute of Education"?

texts: Also, what is this property called? X Y versus Y of X.


texts: "The Hypercube algorithm is so ..." or "Hypercube algorithm is so..."?

texts: I have an algorithm inspired by mathematical concept called hypercube. I use Hypercube algorithm as a name. Now when I write about it, do I need "the" article in front of the name "Hypercube algorithm"? I have similar situation where I call a technique with the name "Most Monomial" where I do not use "the" article because it is a name such as Donald Duck. Is "the" article needed in front of the "Hypercube algorithm" or not?


texts: Why is the plural of array "arrays" and not "arraies"?

texts:
I was always taught that a plural of a word ending in y was slept ies instead of ys.
So for example:

City => Cities
Country => Countries
Bakery => Bakeries

but with Array the plural is Arrays despite this rule, why?


texts:
In OneNote, I don't get spell check errors for "incrementation", but do for "decrementation".

Weird. So are they actual words or not?


texts:
Why there is a 'the' before earlier?

"... demonstrate that the earlier someone learns an additional language the more likely they are to master it."


texts:
What does the phrase,

  "I need to be with myself and center..."

mean?
 It's part of the lyrics of Fergie's Big Girls Don't Cry.


texts: Is there a word akin to "hungry" or "thirsty" that implies a need to urinate?

texts: Sometimes my brain (maybe because I'm not a native English speaker) tends to come up with logical extensions to common formats; in this case, more than once I caught myself thinking (not out loud, thankfully) that I was feeling "pissy". Now, the actual meaning of that word is nothing close to what I meant, but I can't help but feel like there's a gap there. Other people seem to have wondered the same but I don't think I can draw anything conclusive from that...


texts: How can I pinpoint whether a sentence is a run-on?

texts:
For example, this reddit post's title seems like it might be a run-on sentence, or at least have too much punctuation breaking it apart.

The sentence is:

  For the first time, ants have been seen self-medicating - on food rich in hydrogen peroxide - to fight off fungal infection.

My sense is that the proper way to write it is to remove all the punctuation cruft:

  For the first time ants have been seen self-medicating on food rich in hydrogen peroxide to fight off fungal infection.

I'm afraid that it would be considered a run-on sentence. However, if I rewrite it as multiple sentences it seems needlessly long:

  For the first time ants have been seen self-medicating. They eat food rich in hydrogen peroxide to fight off fungal infection.

Is there a rule to determine whether a sentence like this is grammatically correct, or is it a stylistic (i.e., opinion-based) issue?


texts:
How I can replace the word "section" as the meaning of a part of a website? For example: "Friends section", "Event section", "Messages section" etc.
Can I name a small part of a webpage  "a block"?

For example: This "block" of friends on my facebook page.

http://ipic.su/img/img7/fs/kiss_174kb.1390237697.png


texts: Along gender, race and ethnicity, and social class lines

texts:
Inequality in life expectancy exists within a given society along
  gender, race and ethnicity, and social class lines.

What does along gender, race and ethnicity, and social class lines mean in this sentence, and how can we paraphrase it?


texts:
Let's say someone rebukes me for being ignorant of a well-known fact. They say:

"Everyone knows that; it's general knowledge"

when I know that in that context, the normal usage is:

"Everyone knows that; it's common knowledge"

Incorrectly using 'general' when you mean 'common' isn't a malapropism because the words don't sound similar. I'm sure there is a term for this (other than 'error' or 'mistake') but what is it?


texts: When should I use "a little" and when "a few"?

texts:
Hassan spent ages cooking it.
  OK OK.  I'm goimg to eat ___ just to be polite.

Is that (a) a little or (b) a few?

Is there a rule to choose which word to use?


texts:
The question here is what is the meaning of the two:

Scan Method
Scanning Method

My assumption is that the interpretations are, respectively:

A method which describes how the scanning procedure is performed.
A method which has the inherent ability to scan.

While this sounds logical to me, it was pointed out by a colleague that counter-examples exist. For example:

Swimming Pool
Parking Place

What, then, is the correct usage pattern in all of these cases?


texts:
I've written the following sentence but after reading it, it sounds to me like it's wrong.

  The skill-set for iOS and Android development is not common in the current team.

Is it correct to say "common in the current team"? Or should I use "common on"?


texts:
Where is the difference in meaning of these two sentences?
"I wish you wouldn't drink so much" vs. "I wish you didn't drink so much."


texts: Sentences of the form "[A] knew this to be [A]'s weakness"

texts:
Consider the following sentence:

  She knew this to be her weakness.

I've encountered a few sentences of this form in various sources, but none had both pronouns referring to the same subject. E.g., I would find cases of

  [A] knew this to be [B]'s weakness,

but never

  [A] knew this to be [A's own] weakness.

Is there anything preventing sentences of this form from being used in this way?


texts:
I want to say that certain works in a plant need to be adapted according to the specific requirements of each individual operating unit within the plant, and I'm not sure whether both any individual and the particular could be used to say that each unit needs to be considered separately when planning the work:

  Electrical installations need to be adapted to any individual/the particular operating unit in question.

For some reason any individual sounds better to me than any particular in this context, but I'm not sure about that either. I am also not sure if or to what degree in question is redundant in this sentence, i.e. if there's a sense of definiteness lost when it is left out from the sentence.


texts: Word for having a common concept or understanding of something

texts:
There is a word I read some years ago, which was used in a philosophical context to express the idea of people having the same concept or understanding of something. It might have been discussed in the context of semiotics or epistemology, I can't remember exactly.
The idea in that context was: how do we check that we all have the same understanding of X concept or thing. And this word - which may start with the prefix "con-" - designated that specific reality of people having a shared understanding of something. Its connotations implied commensurability and commonality in terms of cognition.
I have one of those "word being on the tip of your tongue" moments, but I can't contextualise this word enough that I could find it by searching it somewhere. It might be a very specialised word, that is only used in very specific contexts where philosophical, semiotic or even scientific methodology is discussed. I think I first heard this word at a university course, that's why I'm thinking it might be related to one of those fields.


texts: past/present tense when telling a story in spoken English

texts:
I've noticed that, in daily conversations, when people are telling stories in the past, they often shift the tense back and forth between the past and the present - even they're native speakers. For example, people might say:

  _It was almost 5 a.m. He hadn't come home yet, and his phone was off. I'd been so worried that couldn't sleep at all. Then I heard the door knocked fiercely. Of course it's him. He's got a bottle of whisky in his hand and smelt like a tramp. He stumbles in, ignoring me at all. I was like, stopping him, asking where he's been. He suddenly turns around, shouts at me, pushing me crazily out of my flat and locks me out. I am totally petrified. I've never seen him like that. That's why I asked you if I could come here._

I made up this scenario because I couldn't come up with an exact example I've heard, but it happens all the time. The tenses shift. On one hand, I don't have any problems understanding the story. I wouldn't misinterpret the timeframe just because I heard the tense jump to the present. But on the other hand, I would feel a bit uncomfortable and think, "isn't it wrong?." Furthermore, when it comes to me telling stories, I've been struggling with this usage. I can't judge if this usage is proper, educated, and "correct." Also, if this is proper, are there any rules I should keep in mind so that I won't confuse the listeners? Should I insert something like "I was like" from time to time to remind the listeners that I'm still talking about the story in the past? Or should I shift to the present tense only when I tend to bring the scene more lively to the listeners? Is it a good idea to tell the whole story in present tense once the time has been set, in this case, after the first sentence? Finally, since I feel the present tense is generally easier to be spoken more fluently, would it be recommended to use the present tense throughout the whole story, given I'm sure the timeframe has registered with the listeners?

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.


texts: Difference between valuable and of value

texts:
Do the following two sentences have the same meaning? Which one looks better or more natural? Thanks!

Organised by xxx, “Ten Good Books” recommends the ten books of the highest value to readers.
Organised by xxx, “Ten Good Books” recommends the ten most valuable books to readers.


texts: Plural / Singular verb in this sentence?

texts:
Recently an editor just changed the plural verbs in my essay to singular ones, but I don't understand why he did so. Please see below:

(Original sentence)
After rising to power through multiple revolutions, the Chinese Communist Party holds a subversive notion and ideology that not only aspire to break the old world, but also aim to build a new one.

(revised sentence)
After rising to power through multiple revolutions, the Chinese Communist Party holds a subversive notion and ideology that not only aspires to break the old world, but also aims to build a new one.

In my understanding, there are two nouns in "a subversive notion and ideology", and that should be followed by a plural verb?


texts: Connotations of "inevitable" versus "unavoidable"

texts:
"Inevitable" and "unavoidable" have near-synonymous definitions per stock Google dictionary searches, and both words stem from the same Latin root, but I've also seen broad acknowledgement that they bear different connotations.

I've always treated "unavoidable" as pertaining to circumstances not relating to time, and "inevitable" as pertaining to circumstances that do pertain to time. That is, an event is inevitable if and only if it is unavoidable over an infinite time horizon. Call this [A].

Other online grammar sites have suggested:

"unavoidable" implies an event will occur because of a choice that was made or because of a failure to take due action (that is, it was not always unavoidable), while "inevitable" implies the event is intrinsically unavoidable [B]
"unavoidable" pertains to small-scale events, while "inevitable" pertains to much larger and more significant events [C]
"inevitable" implies predestination (i.e. fate) while "unavoidable" does not [D]
"unavoidable" is used mainly to stress the fact that an event could not be prevented, while "inevitable" places emphasis on the fact that the event must occur [E]
there is no difference between the words and they're interchangeable in all contexts [F]

Which, if any, of these interpretations is correct, and why?


texts: Alternatives to "In the grand scheme of things"

texts:
I'm looking for alternatives to "...in the grand scheme of things."- either phrases or words, but no full sentences, because I want something I can embed at the end of another sentence.
What could I say instead of: It didn't really matter in the grand scheme of things.
Thanks!


texts:
So I'm trying to make a proper transition to the next sentence and was wondering if I could use "heck" in such formal context.

  The AI will recognize people entering the apartment and greet them with their preference in lighting conditions and room temperature. It’ll play their preferred music and record their favorite shows. It’ll even make them their desired blend of coffee. Heck, It’ll even help me reduce costs by monitoring electricity and gas usage. In short, it’ll be amazing.


texts: Does Capitalization Make Sense in This Context

texts:
I have a lot of experience as a content writer and did a lot of fiction writing in my past; Things like the Onion's rules on semi-colons make me giggle endlessly. I'm out of SEO and working as a programmer now, but I got roped into editing a lot of the stuff that comes from our SEO firm. So this sentence came across my desk today and I honestly can't decide whether or not it's justified. What do you guys think?

  Learn more about [our company name here], the premiere satellite Internet Company.

Our content writer over there, who has made quite a few grammatical mistakes in the past, corrected the lower-case company to Company. Based on the rules I'm seeing, I can't find support for it. Thoughts?

Edit:
I should also clarify, this is sentence not part of a title.


texts: Is there a word for not taking the specific date into account when calculating an age?

texts:
Let's say someone was born June 1, 1984. Today is April 28, 2014.

This person is 29 years old, as June 1 has not come yet. However, if I were merely looking at the years, I would say this person is 30 years old.

What would the practice of (current year - birth year) be called?


texts:
Here are two sentences that look pretty similar:

  The book was written by Hugo.
  The book has been written by Hugo.

Each of them says that the action has been already performed in the past in passive voice.
What I can't understand is the exact difference between the meaning of these two sentences. When is it better or more suitable to use the passive voice of past simple versus the passive voice of the present perfect?


texts: Paragraphs : white space and left indent in the same piece

texts: I understand that I should not use white space in between paragraphs and indent on the left to separate the same paragraph. But is it alright to go in novel writing from one to another? For instance, to use the white space between paragraphs to show passage of time and left indent for everything else?


texts: Is there a term for words that are spelled the same in a foreign language?

texts: Is there a term for words that are spelled identically in a foreign language and have the same meaning (regardless of whether they sound the same)?


texts:
I encountered a polishing cloth that has a line which says

  (This cloth) generates sleeks and scratches on the glass surface.

What is the definition of sleek in this context? I looked up in a dictionary and all it says is gloss, smooth surface, but from the context it seems sleek is associated with scratch.


texts: Word or phrase for "one needing to see it to believe it"

texts: What's a word or phrase that could be used to describe a person who needs to see the evidence for a claim in-person before believing it?


texts:
A. The Senate voted. The people, themselves, did not.

vs.

  B. The Senate voted. The people themselves did not.

Which one is right? A or B? Additionally, is "themselves" non-essential?


texts: Words with meaning: someone who show/deal/focus in a particular area (not expert or enthusiast)

texts:
I read a word this morning it starts with B or W or V. I don't remember it.

When I looked about it in Google in the morning they were no other synonyms below so now I am unable to track it down.

The meaning of the word is 'someone that shows interest/confined/deals with a particular area of interest'.

could you all come up with the words that pertain to the above, it is not a simple daily usage word though.


texts: What is the basic meaning of Credulous , in which context it will be the best to use instead of "willing to believe" ? How formally we can use "Credulous" ?


texts: Generic word for describing a tournament or league

texts:
Im in the middle of designing my database schema and Im looking for a generic word to use for something that could be either a tournament or a league.

Examples

Tournament - Fifa World Cup 2018
League - Premier League

I have a generic database model where one column currently is named TournamentId, but it feels wrong using TournamentId on a League.

What would be a more generic word, competition?


texts:
Which variation of this sentence is correct?

The meeting had gone on for hours and finished ten minutes ago when the partners left.
The meeting had gone on for hours and had finished ten minutes ago when the partners left.
The meeting had gone on for hours and had finished ten minutes ago when the partners had left.

Thank you for your help!


texts: What's a word for someone who likes and praises in front of others, but isn't that way normally to you?

texts:
What do you call that phony person who favours and compliments you in front other people, such as your friends or family, but in general they normally aren't that way to you? They could be aloof and grim even without the company of these people.

I'm guessing "two-faced" or "phony" would seem the appropriate terms here, but is there something more specific and/or more suited?


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Which words may start with “al-”?

The word alright comes from "all right". Where did the second l go?

Similarly: altogether from "all together".


texts:
I am going nuts with the sentence below. I am supposed to fill in the gap with an expression containing the word in bracket SPOT. Can someone help me complete this sentence?

  "I can't understand poetry. I am afraid it is a...............(spot) with me."

I am very confused whether I have to use an idiom like "to be in a tight spot" or a phrasal verb or other. I have tried some expressions but the preposition WITH after the gap makes me think I am far from right in my guesses.


texts:
I'm stuck on the sentence.

May we put an indefinite article in the sentence below if we talk about the object in general?

Here is the example:

Is it possible to find out the height of a triangle if we know the length of its sides?

Here is the article a after the preposition of and I'm not sure is it correct.
Could you point out my other mistakes if I made?


texts: A word for a feeling of having forgotten something?

texts:
Is there any word or phrase to describe that nagging feeling you get when feels like you have forgotten something?

Edit : German words are welcome too!
Edie Edit : i see this question has been asked here before, but i dont find any of  the answers satisfactory, i m moving this to German SE


texts: "which day is Friday" vs. "what day is Friday"

texts:
Thanks to:
"Which" vs. "what" — what's the difference and when should you use one or the other? I know that "what" can replace "which" in the examples below.
But which questions sound more more common?

  Which/what day is Friday? — It's the fifteenth.
  Which/what day is the first of November? Is it Saturday?
  Which/what month is the warmest in your city? — It's July.
  Which/what season is it now in your city? — It's summer.


texts:
I found this text in one of my reading. I wonder what the role of so in the text because I find it hard to translate into my language.

  Since I am a teacher of and consultant in engineering and management, the majority of my contacts are with people who are analytical. quantitative, verbal, logical. These are certainly exellent traits for any problem-solver. However, so is the ability to conceptualize freely, an activity that requires a somewhat broader thinking vocabulary. I am deeply concerned with attempting to better define this cocabulary and with helping people expand in this direction.

Is so still the conjunction or is it carried any other meaning?

Where is the subject of the text (is it eliminated for speficif reason)?

is using so here familiar with academic writing?

are there any other words carried the same funcion as this so?

Thanks.


texts:
I found this explanation: http://www.english-test.net/forum/ftopic38633.html

but what about present?

I continue to work or I continue working? Are they the same?


texts:
(note: please read through what I am asking before taking offense and feel free to edit to make it less offensive)

When I was growing up in the 70-80s it was common for kids to say things like oh, your taste in music is so gay.   Now, I am not saying we were very tolerant either, but at 12-13 we really didn't know all that much about sexual orientation, and we really meant your taste is very lame, but with the intent to do it in a vulgar fashion.  Later on, we kept on using the word, but really very separately from any homophobic intent per se.  This was also often used between people who actually liked each other, more a mock insult than a true one.

Nowadays it's not acceptable to use gay in that sense.  I am not defending that use and I welcome the shift away from that pejorative usage of the word.

But I wish there was something to replace it with.

Is there a suitably obscene equivalent to lame, minus homophobic (or racist) overtones?  Just to vulgarly express strong contempt for someone's choices or tastes.


texts: A single word to define "leave in state of ignorance"

texts: What is a good word that describes the act of purposefully leaving someone else in a state of ignorance with the goal of benefiting from their, well, ignorance?


texts:
Further to my last question about the history of calculus terms, I am wondering about

the etymology of differentiate
the etymology of integrate
why we speak of a "derivative", but we "differentiate" instead of "derive"

Please note that by "etymology" I mean the mathematical history of these terms.

This may get answered en route, but I am specifically interested in what (if any) relationship there may be between the ideas of "differentiating" (breaking apart) and "integrating" (putting together), and the fact that these two operations do in fact "undo" each other in mathematics, which is the essence of the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus.

EDIT: It just occurred to me that while "derivative" would seem to go with "derive", "differentiate" would go with "difference", and in fact "difference equations" were used by Leibniz when he developed calculus (although I don't know if he called them as such) - can anyone verify this?


texts:
I am trying to translate an idiomatic Swedish phrase to British English. The problem is that the phrase's meaning is delivered by subtext.

The Swedish phrase is: 'att vara som folk'. Translated verbatim: 'to be like people'.

Put in a context, a Swedish parent might use the phrase to admonish an unruly kid, by, for instance, saying (in translation) something like: 'I won't take you to the fairground until you learn to be like people'.

A Swedish kid would understand the admonishing part of the sentence in the following way: people = normal people = normal behaviour/blending in = my parent think that I am being unruly and is therefore annoyed = my parent demand that I behave properly.

However, would a British kid understand the same demand in the same way? Or, would it rather cause a baffled reaction ('how could I not be like people?? I've been 'people' since I was born!')?

Assuming that I cannot communicate the Swedish meaning via a verbatim translation to BE - would it suffice to let an adjective precede the word "people"? Would demands like 'learn to be like common people/normal people/ordinary folk', etcetera, be understood by a Brit as carrying the subtext 'learn to behave properly'?

You may wonder: why can I not translate it to 'learn to behave normally'?

It is because the phrase is part of a piece of fiction and the translation has quite strict parameters: short phrase (preferably not more than two words after "learn to be"); colloquial language; not on the nose; the last word has to be "people", "folk", or something equivalent.

So, how could I translate it to BE?

(caveat: as it is fiction - with characters acting over the top - whether the language in question would amount to unrealistically improper behaviour by a BE speaker -  the harsh reactions it could cause - is irrelevant. The only concern here is the literal language, which has to at least work so-so; it should not appear as highly unrealistic in the eyes of a Brit).


texts: A recent L.A. Times brief mentioned that the horse California Chrome's qualification for a race was in question because "he uses nasal strips."  The phrasing caught my eye because, to me, saying "he uses" implies that it is the horse's decision (as opposed to that of his trainers or other people).  Was the paper correct?


texts: What does "and then some" mean and why is it used that way?

texts:
It seems that a good explanation of "and then some" is:

  http://www.thefreedictionary.com/and+then+some

  and then some
   (Informal) With considerably more in addition: This
  project will take all our skill and then some.

Is this a quite accurate definition? (with the stress of "considerably more").  Why is it like that, I wonder -- is it a short form of something, such as "and then some more" or "and then some considerably more amount"?  Actually, just from the word "some", it seems it is a little more or somewhat more, without the meaning of "considerably more".


texts:
Probably some of you have heard of the video game called No man's sky.
To be honest, am not interested in the game, but with its title.

What is the meaning of No man's sky?
To which word does No man... refer?


texts: If You Look vs. If You're Looking: When advertising a Product

texts:
Is it correct to use "if you look for" instead of "if you're looking for" when promoting a product?
"If you look for creamy peanut butter spread, you may message me."
I used "look for" because the progressive tense, "You are looking for" refers to action that is currently happening.
Also, should there be an "a" in creamy peanut butter? I believe there shouldn't be an "a" because spread is an uncountable noun.
Thank you!


texts: Nerve-racking or nerve-wrecking or nerve-wracking

texts:
I have seen all three forms of the term used interchangeably and am confused. Which one is correct? Is it dependent on the context?
Is it okay to say, for instance,

  "The wait is nerve-wracking"


texts: Idiom Request: being overworked, burned out, having too much work

texts:
I'm an illustrator and need some idiom help (obviously visualizing but using existing idioms or metaphors can help). The article I'm illustrating for is about teachers quitting their jobs within 5 years as it's very overwhelming and they're often not prepared enough. There's too much they have to do at once, making late hours and not being able to keep their minds off of work, feeling overexhausted. What are some idioms that fit with this situation?

Thanks!


texts: A word or phrase for "zoomed in" and "zoomed out" narrative

texts:
In my writing, I find that although the level of detail in something I am writing is a spectrum, there are two distinct categories for which most instances fall into only one of the two.

The first category is what I call "close-up" (by analogy with cinematography) or "zoomed in" writing. For example:

  He opened the desk's sole drawer and looked inside; nothing. Next, he ran his fingers along all of the edges, looking for catches that might open hidden compartments. His fingers brushed over a slightly raised area on the desk's underside; he applied a little pressure, and a hidden drawer sprung out from the side of the desk.

The second category I call "zoomed out" narrative; I think about it as analogous to a cinematic "long shot" or "distance shot". The same example as above:

  He searched the desk and found a secret compartment.

Of course, these categories are somewhat relative and you could "zoom out" even further (eg. "A comprehensive search of every minister's office turned up only one hidden compartment in Minister Charles' desk, which held..."), but I think the meaning is clear.

My question: Is there a single word or phrase to describe:

a) A "zoomed-in" narrative or narrative style?

b) A "zoomed-out" narrative or narrative style?

c) The dichotomy of the two?

Please note that there's no shortage of words to adequately describe the above; I'm interested in a word or phrase which specifically refers to them, for use in referring to them in an academic context.


texts: A snappy and inoffensive alternative for "calm your tits"

texts:
I need a non-sexist, non-sexualized aternative instead of "Calm your tits."

Clarification: The question comes from the parent of a pre-teen with Tourette Syndrome. The parent (me) needs some alternatives that will appeal to said pre-teen, but which will be less offensive to the parent, in the style of habit reversal.

The alternative should not be gender specific.

It needs to be something that a 12yo would find at least slightly funny.

Update: "Don't get droopy, Snoopy," is working pretty well as a transition phrase.


texts: S-V agreement: It is not clear what is/are meant by A and B

texts:
In the following sentence, the verb “are” strikes me as odd.

  In paragraph 6, it is not clear what are meant by “the front unit” and “the central element”.

It seems that “. . . it is not clear what is meant by . . .” would be more natural.

However, thinking more about it and flipping the sentence around yields something like:

“the front unit” and “the central element” mean what?

So, it seems that logically the verb should actually be “are”?

What is going on here? Is the plural correct (are)? Or is there actually some other subject in the original sentence, and therefore “is”.


texts: When does something qualify as 'gore', is there a cut-off?

texts:
Context: in chat elsewhere there was some discussion of an injury I sustained. I posted an image of my post-surgery bandaged hand, which has wires in two of the fingers, and there was a little (humourous) debate about whether it constituted 'gore'.

Merriam-Webster has a definition (#4):

  1 : blood; especially : clotted blood
  2 : gruesomeness depicted in vivid detail

I wouldn't have considered the image to contain 'gore', though there is a tiny amount of blood visible if you squint hard at it.

Does that little bit qualify the image as gore in common usage? Is it a binary thing where either it's there or it isn't? Or is it a know it when I see it when the term is used? Would a [bad] injury qualify, even if there is no blood? I guess "gruesomeness" is in the eye of the beholder, but I wonder if anyone has drawn a line somewhere.

The image, for reference: 1. Potential gore warning? It's a bandaged right hand with a k-wire in the index and middle finger tips, where a little dried blood can be seen.


texts: Is "and then some" an offensive expression?

texts:
I started an internal email discussion with the title "Editorial: link issues, some spelling issues and then some".

However, upon rereading my own mail, it occurred to me that this might express something like "I found some link and spelling issues, but really, much more is wrong here", implying finger-pointing to the receiver for how bad it is.

Yet, I wanted to express something like "I found some link and spelling issues and some uncategorized minor stuff".

Is the implied meaning of the original sentence relatively rude to English natives, or would you consider it more or less neutral? How should I rephrase, if at all?


texts:
I often see sentences like

  We are interested in predicting whether an individual will default on his or her credit
      card
  or

  Activate only when your opponent adds a card to his or her hand

Why are people using "his or her"? Would it be correct to replace "his or her" with "their"? For example

  We are interested in predicting whether an individual will default on their credit card

This seems like it says the same as the first sentence, but I never see it used.


texts: In the UK - what does "cheeky half" mean?

texts:
And what is the expression's origin?

(I believe it's related to beer)


texts: Using "connotation of" in an active manner?

texts:
How can I use the word connotation is a more active phrasing?

Often, if I want to say an object that suggests magic, I may say "the object has a connotation of being magical".

But this phrasing is long. If I phrase as "this object has a magical connotation", this gives a very different meaning as the word "magical" in this case is telling people that the connotation is magical instead of the object.

So, how can I phrase in such a way that I don't have to use a preposition so that my sentence is shorter and easier to read?


texts:
What would be the word for something that is opposite its appearance? Let me give you an example. Say there is a button that can be pushed which would instantly destroy most of civilization. Let's say that this button was decorated with a picture of a smiley face, or a kitten, or something equally "opposite".

What would be the word for the fact that the button, which would destroy the world, was adorned with the picture of a cute, innocent, kitty cat?


texts: "Updatable" vs. "Updateable": which is correct?

texts:
Which spelling is correct, "updatable" or "updateable"?

For example, "The file is not updat(e)able."

By the way, I did go to Google and ref.dic.com for this first, and they both seem to indicate that both spellings are correct. If they are indeed both correct, which is more widely accepted?


texts: Term for restricted books in public lending library

texts:
Until a few decades ago many public lending libraries carried certain books which were not made available to the general public -- erotica and controversial political tracts, for example.

In a Dutch book about libraries I encountered the word "gifkastje" -- literally "poison cupboard" -- for the location of such books and I wondered if there was an English term for it.


texts: What is a more descriptive name for an event organized in the following way. I am sure it is not a webinar, although it was called that.

texts:
What would be a good descriptive name for an event organized in the following way.

The participants are sent a YouTube link to a video containing a commented slideshow.
They watch the video in their leisure time.
A week after that, there is a face-to-face moderated discussion on the topic of the video lecture.

It is not a webinar, it is not a webcast. What is it?


texts: What are some synonyms for uncriticisable?

texts:
I honestly can't think of a word for this. The Cambridge British English dictionary doesn't have it listed as a word, other dictionaries online sometimes have it but don't list synonyms for it. I've tried prefixing un to the synonyms of criticise, but I end up with similar neologisms like unchallengeable.

As I think uncriticisable is a bit ugly (and therefore a self referential oxymoron:) would anyone know of there a prettier synonym I can use that is…?

a) in a major British dictionary
b) doesn't need a negation prefixed like un or non etc

It would be used in the following sentence:

  …including those that support and propogate an unreformed, uncriticisable doctrine.

Edit

Here are the primary sources I used:

I used the OSX dictionary and thesaurus. Since it is set to use British English, uncriticisable does not have an entry and unchallengeable has an entry in the dictionary but not in the thesaurus.
I used the Cambridge British English dictionary and thesaurus. Uncritisable is not found. Uncritiseable is also not found. Unchallengeable is not found. Therefore I wasn't going to get any suggestions.
I also tried uncriticizable but that redirects to criticize and you'll note that no antonyms are listed.


texts: What meaning of "get" is in the "get paid" phrase?

texts:
Get has a lot of meanings in English, but which one is used in phrase get paid? Get is often used for describing a change of state, similarly to become. But does get paid fall into this case? From what I know, when used with the verb in ING/ED state it means "begin with". Considering the change of state, should I think of it as that a person who gets paid is "becoming paid", and also his state changes to "paid" when he possesses the money?
An additional question: My textbook says that GET + adjective expresses the change of state but I think it also applies to ppt past participle of verbs, right?


texts:
Caitlin Jenner, when she was Bruce Jenner, was married to Kris, the widow of Robert Kardashian and the mother of Kourtney, Kim, Khloé, and Rob.  Thus Bruce Jenner was Kim Kardashian's stepfather.

But Bruce is now Caitlin.  It seems inappropriate to refer to Caitlin as a "stepfather", but "stepmother" seems even more inappropriate, especially given that Kris, the "birth mother", is still alive.

So what term should be used to describe Caitlin's relationship to Kim and her siblings?

Example sentence:  Caitlin Jenner is Kim Kardashian's ______.


texts:
I'm not a native speaker, but somehow I assumed my English level to be decent enough for me to offer my help with an English text written by a Japanese colleague. I've fixed the most glaring errors, the few that I could find anyway, and at this point I'm pretty satisfied, but there is still this one sentence that lingers.

So, please tell me exactly how weird does this following sentence sound in your beautiful native ears:

  My motivations, the things that always encourage me, are not only that
  I love my own hometown, but also that I want my children to love their
  own hometown too.

What I'm mostly concerned about is the use of "my own hometown." and "their own hometown". At first it sounded strange to me. But after some research it now sounds completely normal to my ears. (As in, I have no clue at all anymore.)

Isn't the "own" there to add emphasis on whose hometown it is? So "my own hometown" makes it completely redundant? But maybe the usage is still okay?
After reading it my mind suggests that "my hometown" and "their hometown" may be separate places, but I don't think this is what the author intended. Do you intercept that meaning as well, or is it negligible?


texts: Confused by the British having “dinner” in the afternoon” and “tea” in the evening

texts:
I’m having problems with meal names in the UK. I’ve just learnt that dinner can refer to the afternoon meal, and that tea can refer to an early evening meal.

Is this specific to a certain area in the UK? Do these terms still exist?


texts: Double "whom" sounds clunky, but is correct?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  What's the rule for using “who” or “whom”?

I believe the following sentence is correct, but am slightly unsure as it sounds a bit clunky - plus, the irony of it being incorrect would be unbearable.

  "Thank you to Bill and Ted, whom I'll never be able to thank in person but without whom my education would not have been possible."


texts: What is the meaning of ‘heart wears thin’?

texts:
If your heart wears thin I will hold you up. And I will hide you when it gets too much.

This is from a song. I couldn’t really find a definition of heart wears thin.


texts:
I had a discussion with a friend about a phrase similar to
"... the perspective each of you has/have...".
But we are not sure which form is correct and why. Can anyone explain?


texts: What do you call the thing some people use to keep their ears warm that looks like fluffy headphones?


texts: What is a word that would mean or can be used to describe rising against someone or something, either from a force/people/trials?


texts: A question about the origin and meaning of 'hours on end'

texts:
We sat and waited in the emergency room for hours on end.

Idioms - The Free Dictionary

The Ngram demonstrates that the frequency of usage of the saying is hours, then days, then months, lastly years - which might have been expected.

Quora, in answer to the question of origin states :

  The idiomatic "on end" -- meaning consecutively, without intermission -- dates back to 1634, according to the Oxford English Dictionary.

But that is not quite correct, for the 1634 reference is not about time at all.

  1634   S. Rutherford Lett. (1863) I. xxxii. 111   And was brought, thrice on end, in remembrance of you in my prayer to God.

OED

The first quote I can find that is relevant is just four lines below the 1634 one :

  1882   W. Besant All Sorts of Men I. vii. 184   Working sixteen hours on end at twopence an hour.

But what does it actually mean ? Is the concept viewing time like a ladder, up-ended, so that we look at the stretchers of the ladder (one above the other) like hour-long slats heaped up ?

[EDIT :]

I wonder if 'on end' originally came from the expression 'end on end' regarding physical objects laid end against end in a line.

The Ngram for 'end on end' shows that it pre-dates 'on end' by twenty years.


texts: What is the meaning of where is it gone/going?

texts:
I was sitting next to a guy. He dropped something on the ground by accident. Then he said to himslef "where is it gone/going?" or at least that was what I heard. Does this sentence ,if I got it correctly, mean where is my thing?
Thanks in advance for any answer.


texts:
I was told that we shouldn't say "I feel painful" and should say "I feel pain". Because "I feel painful" sounds like I cause the pain. If I want to express that I experience a physical feeling of pain, I should say "I feel pain".
But can I say "I feel terrible" to mean that I experience a physical feeling of extreme sadness? Wouldn't it sound like I cause that extreme sadness? It seems quite common to hear people say "I feel terrible". I am just wondering why "I feel terrible" is OK but "I feel painful" is NOT OK.


texts: How should I fix a sentence which says "As X disappears, it is increasingly too late to do Y with X"?  The sentence seems awkward to me, but "too late" is an adjective, so is the sentence grammatically correct?


texts: Word to describe this specific kind of irrational reasoning

texts:
I would like to know if there is a word/idiom to describe a certain phenomenon (maybe social inclination is a better word). I think it's kind of an anti-intellectualism, but anti-intellectualism doesn't cut it perfectly because it's not really "anti" intellectualism. It just doesn't use rational thinking and relies on folk knowledge, words of important figures (often by adding a lot of meaning to its original meaning by... zen-like thinking?), customs etc.

Best concrete example I can think of is the cultural revolution in China, when Mao instructed the people to "learn from the peasants". As I understand, peasants or life as a peasant was glorified during this time and that's basically the reasoning.

Other examples I can think of are from Japan (I am Japanese). The Japanese love the word "effort." When school children learn English, many teachers have them read the English text "a hundred times" and claim that this is useful to understand the text. Similarly, some (thankfully not many) even have the school children memorize the English text book word by word. Sometimes they even use this specific method:

Start from the beginning.
If you make a mistake anywhere while reciting it, start over from the BEGINNING.

The reasoning here is that "effort is important, so doing this would help."

There are probably more extreme examples in North Korea. I don't know any examples outside Asia, but my guess is that there are. So I'd prefer a word that isn't specific to Asia, if possible.

UPDATE:
To clarify, I'm asking a word/idiom to describe the underlying phenomenon that leads to specific social behaviors like encouraging "Rote learning" (thanks Bogdan). So, rote learning is one of the  manifestations of this "thing" I'm asking.


texts: Is there a pejorative alternative to "improvise"?

texts:
I'm looking for a word or phrase that implies improvisation in a negative context. "Jury rigging" comes to mind, but I'm in need of a term that can't be mistaken as anything but pejorative.

The context would be someone remarking at improvisation in annoyance or contempt.


texts: Word for displaying the percentage of works hours logged by employee

texts: In a project we need to display percentage of work done by the employee. For example in a week of 40 hrs, employee only logged in 20 hrs of work. Then we need to display 50%. That percentage can be either due to employee not completing the task or no task assigned. Can you please suggest a suitable word for this.


texts: In which regions of the UK do children "knock on" for their friends?

texts:
As someone who has lived most of his life south of a line drawn from The Severn to The Wash - the great linguistic and cultural divide in England - I was not familiar with the expression knocking on.

My grandson and his friends in Manchester will ask their mums if they can go and knock on for Jack, or report "Ahmed is knocking on for me". Or sometimes they simply just go knocking on for all and sundry. It means that they are going, sometimes from door to door to see if their friends are available to come and play.

So having identified it to Lancashire, where else do they knock on?


texts: Is "absenteeism" really a common used noun in business?

texts: During study business exam level 2, I came across the word "absenteeism" describing an absence from work or office.  Another phrase was "rate of absenteeism" and "sickness absence". Are these really common used ?


texts: Could the term "elephant" have derived from "olfactory?"

texts:
The online etymology dictionary gives "Oliphant" as the predecessor of "elephant."

Dictionary.com defines "olfactory" as "pertaining to the sense of smell."

Given the similarity of "oliphant" and "olfactory," could the first word be derived from the second?

I'll close the loop by noting that an elephant is noted for its "nose" (trunk).


texts: If I were him, I would doubt if she (is/was/were?) serious about this relationship

texts:
Which one is correct?

If I were him, I would doubt if she is serious about this relationship.
If I were him, I would doubt if she was serious about this relationship.
If I were him, I would doubt if she were serious about this relationship.

I presume that (1) is definitely wrong but uncertain about (2) and (3). I see this sentence as a reported speech in the first conditional. My thought, "Is she serious about this relationship?", is reported by myself. Since it's reported, the tense should be shifted back according to the tense of the main clause, "I would doubt." The problem is that the "would" is resulted from a counter-factual hypothesis and without this hypothesized situation, the reported sentence, "Is she serious about this relationship?", wouldn't exist at all. That's why I'm bewildered by choosing (2) or (3).


texts:
I attempted to find another term for it, but it seems that none of them caught my interest.
By the way, I need it for the title of my poem.

I was gonna entitled it as "Boughtless Dreams" but it seems that such word doesn't even exist.


texts: Something that one cannot be faulted for?

texts:
Is there a word meaning something that is objectively bad, but that everyone does and, therefore, no one can fault any one else for doing it?

Or, if there isn't, is there a word for this on a personal, one on one, level. Is there a word for something bad that someone has done, but you can't fault them for it because you have also done it?


texts:
The dark guy took a week to fall down. He stumbled, caught himself, waved one arm, stumbled again. His hat fell off, and then he hit the floor with his face. After he hit it he might have been poured concrete for all the fuss he made.

I just guess the guy fell on the floor (by a gun-shot) wouldn't move like a concret cast???

Any missing word in this sentence, like a preposition?

It's a part of Red Wind by Raymond Chandler.


texts:
Apple of sort X and apple of sort Y are in basket 1 and 2, respectively.

Apples of sort X and of sort Y are in basket 1 and 2, respectively.

Apple of sort X and apple of sort Y are in baskets 1 and 2, respectively.

Apples of sort X and of sort Y are in baskets 1 and 2, respectively.

Which of the options is correct? If possible, please add a short explanation. But I am happy for any opinions.


texts: What is the difference between "counterintuitive" and "contradiction"?

texts:
According to the Cambridge dictionary,

Counterintuitive: Something that is counter-intuitive does not happen in the way you would expect it to

and

Contradiction: a fact or statement that is the opposite of what someone has said or that is so different from another fact or statement that one of them must be wrong

How something was counterintuitive? Someone must have read or proved facts in the past and that is why one will not expect opposite things to happen in future.
If both the words are providing a sense of opposition, then what is the exact difference between them?
Also, what are the appropriate contexts to use them?


texts: Proper way to introduce a term by two names in writing

texts:
When introducing a term that can go by more than one name, it is common to mention the name followed by "or", the second name, and then the rest of the statement, explanation, or what have you. When spoken, there is typically a slight pause delimiting the "or second name" fragment from the rest of the sentence. This pause is important, as it helps to emphasize that the two names separated by the "or" both refer to the same thing, as opposed to giving the impression that you are referring to two separate, yet related things.

To give an example, I wish to express something like the following:

  A member function [slight pause] or method is a function defined as part of a class.

Where member function and method are two names for the same thing: a function defined within a class body to be part of that class.

My question is: how do you properly transcribe this speech pattern? At various points in time, from what I can currently remember, I've seen this pattern written a few different ways:

Delimited with commas

  A member function, or method, is [...]

Delimited with em dashes

  A member function—or method—is [...]

No punctuation

  A member function or method is [...]

Are any of these correct, or is one more correct than another? Is it perhaps even a style preference?


texts: non-condecending term that has the meaning that is usually associated to 'first world'

texts:
I've always thought of the 'first world' as countries with modern technology and science, proper education, viable economies, and freedom from other social issues which allows individuals to enjoy a higher standard of living.  In short the sort of country that would have general similar standards of living as the US or England.  By my personal definition, which seems to be the way most use the term within the US, places like Sweden, Japan,  and pretty much all of the EU would count as a first world countries.

I've meanwhile thought of third world nations as place with severe poverty, poor education or technology, and often other social issues preventing them from modernizing like war, corruption, or famine.

However, I looked it up today and found out that Wikipedia disagrees with my personal definition: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_World.  Essentially a first world nation is officially defined as "everyone the US liked during the cold war".  Japan, meanwhile, is defined as a third world nation; which it definitely would not be under the definition I always used.

Is there a better term that actually defines what I thought of as a first or third world country?  Preferable as non-derogatory as possible in the case of referring to a place as third-world?  I know any term for a place with poverty will inevitably have a negative connotation, but if I want to discuss, for instance, the mortality rates of a disease in 'first world' vs 'third world' conditions (as I use to interpret them) to analyze the effectiveness of modern sanitation and medicine...what is a good clinical term to define such areas?

Related, Do other places outside the US use the terms first world and third world?  if so how do they generally use them?


texts: Phrase to describe a crowd all speaking at once

texts: Looking for some phrase to describe a crowd all speaking at once - like at press conference when all trying to get a question in. Or when a speaker makes a statement the crowd all speak at once in response etc


texts:
I am confused with the usage of "to be having".

He is assumed to be having the diamonds.

or

He is assumed to have the diamonds.

Which one is correct?


texts: How to tell someone (in a funny way) that you are aware that you are (too) emotive while talking about an issue?

texts:
How would you tell (briefly) the person you are talking with when you are flooded with emotions —in a funny way—, that:

you are aware of these sign, and you find it embarrassing
you don’t take your emotion (might be frustration or passions), and
the situation too seriously, despite what it looks like

The non funny way would be:
 - Before the discussion: I apologized in advance if I’ll be passionate
   about it, I tend to be too much passionate about these things.
 - During the discussion: I apologize, I’m aware that I’m too much
   passionate now.

(The “sorry, latin blood”, is in my opinion as shallow as absurd)

Any idea?


texts:
Say I was giving a presentation to representatives from the offices of the Attorneys General of several states.  How would I describe that meeting and why? I think it is the below, but am not sure whether it should be Generals' or Attorneys' or what. And I have no idea why.

Meeting with State Attorneys General's Offices.


texts:
Very often we find sentences which are not structured conventionally in the subject-verb-object format.
Here is an example.

  When they arrived at the seaside, out jumped all the children with a shout of joy

instead of

  When they arrived at the seaside, all the children jumped out with a shout of joy

Are such sentences grammatically correct?


texts: What does the slang "in my arrogant opinion" convey?

texts:
I have seen it on the Internet as follows (abbreviated as IMAO):

  Only the Muggles will find it offensive IMAO.

I know it's contrasted with the common phrase "in my humble opinion," but I still don't know what impression it tries to convey, nor what is the appropriate situation for it to be used. Is it a somewhat unfriendly phrase? How do I use it right?


texts:
I realized all of a sudden that I don't understand why it works like this:

  Your rope is going to tear!

And

  Your rope is going to be torn!

In the first case to me it seems like the rope is going to tear something or somebody.

The second one I just feel doesn't sound natural, so I'm confused.

Which one is right and why?


texts: As narrow is being not wide and not flexible, can it also be upright?


texts:
How to name the people who have been assigned to do some task? I want to give some meaningful name to my variable, but I can't find appropriate word for it. So here is my scenario, there is an admin in app, who can assign roles to users, I need to call these users.

Here is an example:

public function assign(Role $role, Admin $assignee, array $THAT_WORD_WHICH_I_NEED = [])
{

}


texts: What do you call an 'unselfish' action made with a selfish reason?

texts:
There are many examples of this, and I'd like to give a few:

A person who puts a lot of effort to help the community and earns reputation points. But that reputation is the motivation behind helping the community, not because they really want to.
A student approaches a professor, and helps them in their teaching and doing research in order to have a good LOR (letter of recommendation).
To a SEO, the content of the website must be good (well, this one is a little tricky, but you get the spirit.)

I'm not saying that the reputation/LOR/high-ranked is not deserved. It is. I just want to focus more on the selfish reason(s) behind that.

Any kind of answer can be accepted: single word, phrase, proverb or idiom.


texts:
Man has used wheels for about 5000 years.

In this sentence, what is the grammar usage of "about"?
Is it an adjective or an adverb or a preposition?


texts: Why isn't there a comma put here? explain to me please

texts:
I usually 100% of the time put a comma here. Since there is the conjunction being "but" and a subject straight after being "they" meaning that it's essential to put a comma, however, I've been told a comma is not necessary here. I think they are wrong but Grammarly also doesn't add this. Can anybody explain this?

"Boeing is known for airplanes(,) but they actually have a long history in space."


texts:
Hillary Clinton said as follows:

  If the Voting Rights Act is not fixed, Clinton warned, "Citizens will be disenfranchised, victimized by the law instead of served by it, and that progress — that historical progress toward a more perfect union — will go backward instead of forward."

Is "instead of served by it" grammatically correct? Shouldn't it be "instead of being served by it?"


texts:
Please tell me the meaning of  "liquor and leverage"

Just I read Warren Buffett Ideas there I got this sentence.

  I've seen more people fail because of liquor and leverage.


texts: Could you please simplify the highlighted part in simple English

texts:
Lindsey Aloia (Rollins College) and Denise Solomon (The Pennsylvania State University) published their findings in the journal Human Communication Research. Aloia and Solomon studied 50 romantically involved couples and found that the more intense the conflict interaction was rated between the couples the stronger the physiological stress response to the conflict. This relationship, however, was weakened for individuals who reported a higher level of childhood exposure to verbal aggression. For the experiment the couples provided saliva samples to determine their baseline cortisol levels. They were then interviewed separately about the most stressful areas of conflict in their relationship and filled out a questionnaire that asked about their childhood experiences with verbal aggression. Following the interview, partners were asked to sit together and discuss an area of conflict alone for 10 minutes. The sessions were videotaped. After the discussion the couples were separated again and provided two additional saliva samples over a period of 20 minutes after the conflict. Trained judges then watched video recordings of the couples and rated the intensity of the conflict communication of each couple. Finally, cortisol levels were calculated to evaluate experiences of stress using the collected saliva samples.
Previous research has examined the experience of conflict within a multitude of relationships. These studies make it clear that conflict can produce a number of negative outcomes. For example, exposure to conflict has been linked to depression, distress, and anxiety; feelings of hurt and anger; relationship dissatisfaction; and subsequent physical violence. Recent efforts point to the role of physiological processes in understanding the variation in individuals' experiences of interpersonal conflict . Considering the physiological implications for stress and viewing interpersonal conflict interactions as potential stressors highlights how experiences of conflict are shaped by both the demands of the interaction and people's adaptive capacity to handle that stressor.


texts: Is there a word that expresses the idea that someone has been convicted before trial, either in the media or by public opinion?


texts: What are better terms to use than "middle class"?

texts:
There is no doubt that the term "middle class" is used quite differently in America (where about 80% of the population self-describe as "middle class") and in Britain where it carries a cultural understanding, George Orwell proving that it was possible to be a "middle-class" tramp (Down and Out in Paris and London).

And what about that component of the American population who fit the British description of "middle-class" - e.g. who read the New York Times or the Guardian on-line, drink tea with their little fingers extended, take holidays in Europe, aspire to Ivy League education, watch foreign films with sub-titles, and tune in to the public broadcasting networks?

What are they called?

And how is the French word bourgeois used? Is that of relevance?


texts: I'm looking for a positive word for a person who always searches for and finds the best deals before making a purchase, no matter how small

texts: My brother is such a _____________ – he got a night in a 4-star hotel in Paris for $112.  He once got a cruise for half-price, with pudding cup lids.


texts:
I will try to cross the street without getting hit or being hit by a car

Which one is more common?


texts: Does one say "allegory for" or "allegory of"?

texts:
How does one correctly use the word "allegory" in a sentence? For example:

This story is an allegory [for|of] pride.

I have seen examples of both:

the long poem is an allegory of love and jealousy

[Merriam-Webster]

To that extent, are his experiences an allegory for life?

[Your Dictionary]


texts: Should I modify a gerund using an adjective or an adverb?

texts: I know that a gerund is a noun, so it should be modified by an adjective. However, it is also a verb form. Can I modify it by using an adverb?


texts: What's the meaning of "coming to the end of yourself"?

texts: So, what does it mean to come to the end of yourself? Is is related to getting to the point where you are powerless? Or maybe to the fact that you are sick of yourself? Am I even close?


texts:
So there is a picture of three boys lifting weights. Tom is lifting the heaviest one.

  "Tom is the strongest boy of them."

Is this sentence correct in describing the picture?
And if not what exactly is the reason it is not? How about

  "Tom is the strongest of them."

Adding the word 'all' to the end of the sentence seems to fix the problem to my ear but I'm not sure the grammatical reason of why that is.


texts: Preposition stranding: is it possible to remove preposition altogether?

texts:
Here is one phrase:

  This mayhem is not something to put up with.

Here "put up with" is a complete expression, so I cannot simply drop "with" or "up" from the end.

How about this one, a title for a UI element:

  The list to add items to.

Can I drop "to" from the end? Will it still be valid grammar? Will the meaning still be the same?

Similarly:

  The dropdown box to select items from.

Can I drop "from" from the above sentence?

Something from a kitchen:

  A tray to put fruits on.

Can I just say "A tray to put fruits"? (Yes, I know, a "fruit tray" or a "tray for fruits" would be better, but this is not my question).

Is there a name for this grammar form, where a dangling preposition is dropped?


texts: What does "nothing could be further from correct" mean?

texts:
What does nothing could be further from correct mean?

For example,

  It is not OK to stop paying rents. This approach seems to be popular
  with tenants, and nothing could be further from correct. You have the choices of waiting for him to repair the leaking roof, or of moving out when your tenancy agreement expires.


texts: what is the difference between accumulate and cumulate?

texts: I find that these two words can be used to express to collect or gather. what is the difference between them? thank you in advance.


texts: What is the origin of the slang 'kicks' meaning sneakers

texts:
Street culture uses the term 'kicks' to describe sneakers/athletic shoes. I've been using this term for as long as I can remember so I'm comfortable with it's meaning however, as I'm sure I could make an educated guess in terms of the origins of the slang 'kicks', I'm quite curious to learn the authentic origin. I've tried researching online and while I've found the definition countless times, it seems that the back story is scarce. This site is my last stop so fingers crossed, one or more of you have the information I'm looking for.
Thanx in advance :)


texts: "Difficulties with contacting" or "Difficulties contacting"?

texts:
I'm uncertain about the headline below according to its grammar. Do you consider the headline grammatically correct? And do you prefer the headline including the "with" (inside the brackets) or excluding the "with"? Thank you very much beforehand!

"Complaints regarding difficulties (with) contacting Hurrah Airlines"


texts: Is the expression "many fewer combinations" correct?  It only gets about 600 hits on Google, against 1,200 for "a lot fewer combinations".  What would be a correct way of expressing the idea contained in "many fewer combinations"?  would it be best rephrased using something like "a large reduction in the number of combinations", or something similar?


texts:
I read this sentence in a book.

However, it does not solve specific problems relating to a business or a profession.

I, myself, often use related to instead of relating to. Is there any difference?


texts: When the reason for doing something is... Nothing

texts:
I was explaining to a non-native speaker the difference between inspiration and motivation.

  Inspiration - the reason for doing something comes from somewhere inside you.
  Motivation - the reason for doing something comes from something outside you.

Then I was asked, "What if the reason is fear?"

So I explained, inspiration and motivation have a positive association. If the reason is because of anything negative or bad, better use motive

To which she replied, "What if there is no reason?"

I was a bit stuck. So I said, "Everything happens for a reason." I gave 2 examples:

  Preservation - do it to keep what you have
  Desperation - do it because of lack of other options

To which she followed up (paraphrasing here): "What if you do it because that's what you did before, even if the initial reason is now gone?"

I was stuck again. I thought maybe perseverance or persistence, but I was hoping for another -tion word ;)

So I'm here looking for thoughts on how to respond, other examples I can give, and corrections to what I've already said.


texts: English equivalent for the French "procès d'intention"

texts:
The "Procès d'intention" is a fallacy of trying to discredit someone by accusing them of bad and deceiving intentions.

Is there an English equivalent for this? In Romanian it's used quite a lot in the media, I would be surprised if the English language doesn't have something similar.


texts: What's the meaning of "for as little reason", "the favorite suspects of persons who report "suspicious characters" in the following text?

texts:
Don’t let stereotypes Warp Your Judgments

                          by Robert L. Heilbroner

Is a girl called Gloria apt to be better-looking than one called Bertha? Are criminals more likely to be dark than blond? Can you tell a good deal about someone’s personality from hearing his voice briefly over the phone? Can a person’s nationality be pretty accurately guessed from his photograph? Does the fact that someone wears glasses imply that he is intelligent?

The answer to all these questions is obviously, “No.”

Yet from all the evidence at hand, most of us believe these things. Ask any college boy if he’d rather take his chances with a Gloria or a Bertha, or ask a college girl if she’d rather blind-date a Richard or a Cuthbert. In fact, you don’t have to ask: college students in questionnaires have revealed that names conjure up the same images in their minds as they do in yours—and for as little reason.

Look into the favorite suspects of persons who report “suspicious characters” and you will find a large percentage of them to be “swarthy” or “dark and foreign-looking”—despite the testimony of criminologists that criminals do not tend to be dark, foreign or “wild-eyed.” Delve into the main asset of a telephone stock swindler and you will find it to be a marvelously confidence-inspiring telephone “personality.”


texts:
Is there a single-word adjective that means 'of a specific day'?

The contexts I'm thinking of are in the Catholic Church, where particular days are designated as commemorations of one or more saints.

  St Stephen is the _____ saint of the 26th of December.

An alternative context would be the feast day of a god in Classical times.

  Socrates wrote a hymn to an unknown god, the _____ god of the day his trial was delayed by.

'Daily' doesn't work, because it implies that the event is repeated every 24 hours (daily bread).


texts:
According to oxford online dictionary, the word "affect" has the following meanings:

verb:

  1: have an effect on; make a difference to.
  2: touch the feelings of; move emotionally.
  3: pretend to have or feel (something).
  4: use, wear, or assume (something) pretentiously or so as to make an impression on others.

noun:

  emotion or desire as influencing behaviour.

But I came across two sentences that are really weird, and I seek explanation on these two.

The first sentence is:

  Congress decided only to soften it affect by creating SSIA.

The second sentence is:

  ... powerful burst of wind from the base of a thunderstorm, which causes similar affects to a tornado.

Note the three consecutive dots in the second sentence, meaning the entire context is not available.

In the second statement, I think the word affects means the "external appearance" but the first sentence is really weird and I don't know what it means.


texts:
What is the antonym of "to prefer" that does not sound too negative? Merriam-Webster lists several antonyms for "to prefer", but all of them sound a bit too negative to me.

In a situation with many choices, I want to convey a preference towards a specific choice without putting the other choice(s) in a bad light. A long-winded way of writing this down is:

  I strongly prefer X over Y (but if X is unavailable, then I am perfectly fine with Y).
  X is strongly preferred over Y (but if X is unavailable, then Y is also fine).

"disprefer" closely matches what I'm looking for, but it seems not to be a "real" word, so I'm not sure whether "Y is dispreferred over X" can be used in a scientific article.


texts:
Ignore the rest

Somebody Told me in a middle of a Grammar test that A, An, The Are Prepositions. Any Literate person can en-light me, I think I'm Lost in darkness somewhere.


texts:
It is November 2011 now. If I want to refer to something that happened in August 2009, which phrase do I use?

two summers ago

three summers ago

Or is there a better phrase that conveys the relative time span?
(No offense meant to the folks in the Southern Hemisphere for my assuming definition of "summer")


texts:
Please help me improve this sentence:

  I have involved many activities.  This includes attending conference A, conference B....

Not sure if I should use "These include" or "This includes".


texts:
I've just come across a sentence like this and couldn't figure out what dredge is in it:

  Anyway, he lives here, in Texarkana, near here, out by the dredge.

Now in dictionaries a dredge is defined as below:

An apparatus for bringing up objects or mud from a river or seabed by scooping or dragging.

I couldn't find any place called Dredge, either. So does it mean that he lives near the river or something?


texts:
What is the difference between "and all" & "and everything"?

Is that just "all vs everything"?
I am reading The Catcher in the Rye. I think I got the nuance of that expression, but I would like to get an explicit explanation.


texts: Which is proper: "to debate X" or "to debate about X"?

texts:
Which version of this sentence is correct?

  Doctoral students about to graduate, like me, often debate about what qualities make a successful scientist.
  Doctoral students about to graduate, like me, often debate what qualities make a successful scientist.


texts:
I know what bogus means, but I don't know if it is appropriate to use it in certain formal contexts. Specifically, I'm working on a grant application and I found myself writing the following sentence.

  Overall, little effort has been devoted to systematically tracking the distribution of certain variables across datasets. This has led to the formulation of a number of bogus generalizations.

Does this sound too inappropriate/informal/condescending/pejorative?


texts: Any words meaning a situation when you can't joke?

texts:
I'm looking for a word that can be used in several situations:

a moment when you cannot joke
a subject that you can't joke about
a person who doesn't understand your joke

And I wonder if there are any adjectives that represent above situation or moment or subject or person.
What I found so far is "jokeless", but it sounds like "not funny" differ from what I want.
If there is an adjective, 'inhumorable', that might be it.


texts: Indicating Possession Between You and Another Person

texts:
Is there a good way to indicate that something belongs to you and another person when you want to mention the other person by name?

As an example, suppose some friends ask you "Where's the party at?" and the party is at the house that you and Bob share. Then

  The party's at our house.

would work just fine. But what if some of the friends you wanted to invite didn't know that you lived with Bob, and you wanted to make sure they understand that Bob will be hosting the party with you?

In this situation, I've often found myself wanting to say something like

  The party's at my and Bob's house.

This sounds clunky at best, but the obvious alternatives all seem slightly inappropriate to me. For example, you might propose saying

  The party's at the house that belongs to Bob and me.

but I would say that seems a little stilted. Perhaps something like

  You know where Bob and I live? That's where the party's at.

could work, but it certainly isn't very economical. The best option is probably something like

  Bob and I will be hosting the party at our house.

but that sounds a little formal if someone just asks "Where's the party at?"

I know this situation sounds contrived, but I do run into it in various forms from time to time. I think part of the reason it sticks out to me is that there wouldn't be a problem if it was just your house or just Bob's house. You could easily say

  The party's at Bob's house

or

  The party's at my house

In fact, those are the responses I'd expect to "Where's the party at?" in everyday speech. But

  The party's at my and Bob's house

sounds terrible.

What would you say in this situation?


texts:
I'm trying to think of a word that accurately captures the idea of paranoia/over-cautiousness in a positive way.

For example, after the cloudbleed incident recently, a very small number of accounts were potentially compromised. The chance that yours was compromised was slim to none. But I wouldn't describe changing your passwords in response to that incident 'paranoid'.

I originally thought the word 'pronoia' fit this description, but it doesn't seem to mean what I thought it did.


texts: In my example, can I use parentheses in such a way?

texts:
This is for writing a research paper.

Some of the different regressions include higher polynomial orders with (or without) the birthday variable


texts:
Abandon all logic ye who enter here, because we are about to start talking Lucy. You might want to leave reason and science by the door while you’re at it, you won’t have much call to use either of those for the next 90 minutes or so. - giantfreakinrobot.com

So I'm not really sure if this has any literary techniques but if there isn't, what kind of language is the writer using?

Also what would this literary technique be? "People have their minds broken" its more like a literal meaning but I'm not sure what technique it's using.


texts: using "general" instead of "brigadier general"

texts: Suppose Mr. Parker is a brigadier general in the army. could we simply refer to him as "General Parker". In other words, can "General" be used as a generic title for anyone with a high rank in the army?


texts: Question mark or period to end a rhetorical sentence

texts:
Which makes more sense as end punctuation for the following rhetorical sentence—a period or a question mark?

  Maybe you could be a security guard there and enforce whatever the WalMart policy is at that location


texts: Does "injection drug use" always imply the use of illegal drugs?

texts:
From a news report:

  Among those with both HIV and schizophrenia, the population was mostly male (75%), living in an urban setting (91%), had a history of injection drug use (75%), and was at least once on anti-psychotic medication (49%; P <0.001). The population of patients with schizophrenia, but not HIV, reported lesser rates for injection drug use (20%) and antipsychotic medication (39%).

I'm unsure whether they mean "the use of illicit (narcotic) drugs" or just "the use of any active substances, including therapeutic, via the injection route". Is there a way to tell? I failed to find the study on PubMed and found only the PDF of the poster presented at a conference, which fails to clarify the issue.


texts: Why we need inversion when a clause starts with a negative adverb?

texts:
Why is inversion needed when a clause starts with a negtive adverb? When a clause starts with neither, nor, never, we need inversion.

Examples

Never will you go to school.
Nor will I do that.
Neither do I etc.

If I put anything in front of the subject, the verb goes to second position. Why is that?


texts: Are there other numeric adjectives beyond vingt-et-unce?

texts: As numeric adjectives go, we are all familiar with once, twice, and thrice. A few years ago, I did some research, and found quarce, quince, sece, sepce okce nince dekce, elfce duss, and baikce; and, in addition, found vingtaince (20 times) and vingt-et-unce (21 times). Though I doubt that these words have any depth of history (but are merely clever neologisms) I have found several of them useful. Is anyone aware of any words for 14-19 occurrences? What about 100, 500, 1,000, etc.?


texts: How to merge multiple subjects into single negative sentence?

texts:
I'm finishing abstract for my Bachelors thesis. I would like to get rid of not yet known repetition in following consequent sentences:

  Efficiency of these extracts in protection of medical plants is not yet known.
  Impact of these extracts on quality of the product is not yet known.
  Impact of these extracts on the environment is not yet known.

I can't figure out, how to put these three subjects into single sentence.

Which of following compound sentences are grammatically correct and represent the same meaning?

  Neither efficiency of these extracts in protection of medical plants, nor impact on quality of the product, nor impact on the environment, is known.

Or:

  Neither efficiency of these extracts in protection of medical plants, nor impact on quality of the product, nor impact on the environment, is not yet known.

Or:

  Efficiency of these extracts in protection of medical plants, and impact on quality of the product, and impact on the environment, is not yet known.

Thank you


texts: Pronunciation of voiceless alveolar fricative /s/ as ʃ (/sh/) in slang?

texts:
Observed some words get pronounced with a /sh/ rather than /s/ in certain situations.

Stripes as "Shtripes" (from some "The Wire" episode)
Screw it as "shcrew it" (from a rap song)

In both situations, it seems to be a matter of emphasis, but is there some generic etymological root to this, e.g. a yiddish language background?


texts: can you give me a synonym for " accumulated wisdom"?

texts: who can explain for me what exactly the " accumulated wisdom" mean? I mean in this sentence from a play by Bruce Norris" KELLY : Right. I think the point is, I hope? that the accumulated wisdom of your nineteen years might not be all that comprehensive, Okay?"


texts: What is the word to describe a situation when rival gangs come together to figure out who is stronger?

texts:
a very common situation when 2 hostile groups,gangs come against each other to fight and dominate?

It could be a slang word, what is the occurrence of this situation?

I can think of gang fight, but I want to hear more 'slang' word.

May be rumble, shootout, hassle, showdowns? What else?

Thanks


texts: When do nouns convert between mass and count?

texts:
I confess to having the pedantic hangup of refusing to use email as a count noun, but it's a lost cause.

Over the past week I've been working on a modeling and simulation proposal, and I've noticed that the M&S community seems to find code as a count noun to be acceptable usage, e.g.,

  Conservative codes adopt the approach of …

What are the rules that make conversions from mass noun to count noun grammatical? How about the other direction, of which I'm having a hard time producing an example?

  Related Questions
  Explanation for “emails”?
  Is it wrong to use the word "codes" in a programming context?


texts: fast food is about more than just nutrition

texts: What is the structure? It is really hard to understand why they use the phrase "more than just".


texts: Is "That would be great" conveying a touch of unwillingness?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Should I use “will” or “would” when I suggest that something will/would come in handy?

For example:

  Tom: Hey, will you be free tomorrow night to catch a movie together?
  Jane: That will be great! / That would be great!

Often I see no difference. Yet one day it occurs to me that saying "would be great" sounds less certain than does "will be great". I was wondering whether this reply indicates that Jane cannot guarantee that she will make it tomorrow? Or is it totally out of politeness to say so rather than "will be great"?


texts:
We are in the midst of a family disagreement about whether the correct phrase is

  to exact revenge

or

  to exact vengeance.

We could use a definitive answer (if one exists) or, at least, your guidance/best guess as to which one is preferred.


texts:
I searched the web and I see people using the phrase:

Friend Group
Friends Group

(notice the extra "s" at the end of word friend on the second entry) to refer to a group of people that are considered friends. So which one is correct?

The context that I am using the word friend is as follows:

Friend(s) Groups:

Family
Acquaintances
Not very nice
etc

Thanks.


texts: Has there ever been a third-person counterpart of the royal we?

texts:
In certain formal contexts in Middle and Early Modern English, the sovereign of England would use the royal we to refer to themselves. At approximately the same time, English had a T-V distinction where the formal second-person forms "ye" and "you" were also the plural pronouns. So the first- and second-person plural pronouns were both used at one point to indicate respect or social distance.

My question is, has the third-person plural ever been used in a similar manner? Would a peasant in medieval England ever refer to their monarch as they?


texts: -ly adverb at the beginning of the sentence

texts:
I once took a multiple choice exam where there was a section with all possible answers being made up of a single word, an -ly suffix adverb followed by a comma at the beginning of the sentence. According to my own judgement, I answered correctly, but for some reason I failed that portion.

What do you call this type of sentence? Are there in-depth resources about this topic so that I won't fail again when faced with the same problem?


texts:
I have been reading about writing conventions for scholarly articles recently - specifically, physics - and have learned that when writing units, write them out if they are not associated with a numeric value ("how many meters....?" rather than "it is 5 m long").

But what about more complicated units? Take momentum, which is kg⋅m/s. Do I write "Momentum has units of kilogram-meters per second" or "Momentum has units of kilogram meters per second"?

Wikipedia seems to accept both but prefers no hyphen. Can someone give me a reference which actually states a preference of one over the other?


texts:
What is the meaning of "Never see no evil"? I found this phrase on a picture of a teddy bear covering his face with his paws, and there are crosses on the ground. I'm guessing it means if you are not watchful, it's deadly dangerous, but
then I think "Never see evil" would do.

Is this proper English?