texts: "is only mentioned" or "is mentioned only"?

texts:
The list was mentioned only at the meeting.

or

  The list was only mentioned at the meeting.


texts:
If I issued a payment to a company, and I wanted them to notify me when receiving the payment, could I say 'please acknowledge the payment when receiving it?'
Is the word 'acknowledge' alright to be used here?


texts: "Closet" vs. "Wardrobe" Why is the first more common in the US?

texts:
I believe that speakers on both sides of the pond (i.e. the Atlantic Ocean) are familiar with the terms closet and wardrobe. The first is distinctly American, and the latter is used in the UK. Oxford Dictionaries offer the following tidbits

  closet
  North American
  1. A tall cupboard or wardrobe with a door, used for storage.
  ‘he has a closet full of designer suits’

  Origin
  Late Middle English (denoting a private or small room): from Old French, diminutive of clos ‘closed’

and

  wardrobe
  1. A large, tall cupboard or recess in which clothes may be hung or stored.
  ‘All of the bedrooms have fitted wardrobes and wash hand basins while one rear bedroom also has an en-suite shower room.’

  Origin
  Middle English (in the sense ‘private chamber’): from Old Northern French warderobe, variant of Old French garderobe

I do not live in the US nor in the UK but I would like to know whether Americans ever use the word "wardrobe", in the sense of furniture,  instead of closet.

Similarly, if both terms are derived from Middle English, and both are French loanwords why did "closet" catch on in the States but not in the UK? For example, was the term "closet" more commonly used in England at the time when the Pilgrims left Plymouth and boarded the Mayflower in 1620? Has the meaning or its usage changed in the last fifty years, etc.?

Clarification note

I am not interested so much in the different meanings and idiomatic usages of closet and wardrobe, but as to why one term for a piece of bedroom furniture was preferred to the other.


texts: Error vs mistake and transmission vs transfer

texts:
I original message:

  Create a log file when mistakes occurred during transmission data
  between device and PC

I think this wrong and should be:

  Create a log file when errors occurred during data transfer between
  device and PC

Can you prove/correct it?


texts:
In writing my dissertation, I want to describe that I have repeated the analysis using slightly different measures as a robustness check, but i did not report the results in text and hence what is the word to use.

The results (untabulated/unreported) show that group A remains to perform well.

Should i use untabulated, unreported or otherwise?


texts: Are "might" and "should" past tenses of "may" and "shall", respectively?

texts:
According to the dictionary definitions (e.g. in Merriam-Webster) , "should" is the past of "shall" and "might" is the past of "may":

But are these modal verbs really used as such? I know they are frequently used with other meanings (as confirmed by their other definitions in the dictionary), but my question is if they are really used with their original meaning of past tense for "shall" and "may".

I give two examples below. Do the present and past versions have the exact same meaning (except for the tense, of course)?

1) MAY / MIGHT

Present: When he is at school, he may not go to the bathroom without asking for permission.

Past: When he was at school, he might not go to the bathroom without asking for permission.

2) SHALL / SHOULD

Present: He thinks that they shall go the restaurant.

Past: He thought that they should go the restaurant.


texts:
I'm trying to translate this famous quote from Churchill

  Never give in--never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small,
  large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good
  sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently
  overwhelming might of the enemy.

Sir Winston Churchill, Speech, 1941, Harrow School

In order to do that I want to gain a better understanding of what he really means, so that I can translate it properly. It's hard because it's very deep, here is the video, I've listened to it like 100 times, it never gets repetitive it's like a poem.

So I have some questions here

1- Is "giving in" the same thing as "giving up?",  what's the difference?

When you stop fighting in a war, are you giving in, or giving up?
Is it in this context the same thing as surrendering?

2- What does "Never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense" exactly mean?

Does it mean only give in when your honor is preserved, or for a good cause?
If you wanted to say the same thing with different wording, what would it be?


texts: present simple and adding s after the Sentence

texts:
why do i have to add s after the word causes in the follow Sentence i know that it is because causes is present simple but when i look at the grammar it say i/we/you/they take drive/work/do etc. he/she/it take drives/works/does etc
but the Sentence dose not start with any of them

  Bad driving cause(s) many accidents.


texts:
I'm new in this website so if my question is inappropriate, obviously tell me.. Sorry in advance :D

I'm writing a sentece and in this sentence there are two words that are near. These two words are: self-esteem and group-esteem.

Is it correct in English to put this words like this: self and group-esteem ?

(the complete sentence is: The process of comparison is automatic when there is a categorial distinction whose aim is the increase of self and group-esteem)

Thank you! :)


texts: What did my dead English opthalmologist write that looks like pziou or pzio9?

texts:
I received a registered mail of all my charts from my dead opthalmologist's office. He was Caucasian. He had yellow hair. He spoke English with  the Received Pronunciation.
I found this hand writing  but what does it mean?
I called his office, but they already disconnected their phone line. Any optometrists or ophthalmologists here?

Is this "oa"? "ou"? What does this mean?

Is this pzisou? pzjou?  pzio9? pzjo9?


texts: Is there a difference between using me and I in those sentences?

texts:
(1) Annie and me went to the theater
(2) Annie and I went to the theater


texts:
Look at the four letters (A,B,C,D) that indicate where the following sentence can be added to following passage.

This explains how, for example, alpine cushion plants have been found growing at
an altitude of 6,180 meters.

Where does the sentence fit?

Above the tree line there is zone that is generally called alpine tundra. A
Immediately adjacent to the timberline, the tundra consists of a fairly complete cover
of low-lying shrubs, herbs, and grasses, while higher up the number and diversity of
species decrease until there is much bare ground with occasional mosses and lichens
and some prostrate cushion plants. B Some plants can even survive in favorable
microhabitats above the snow line. The highest plants in the world occur at around
6,100 meters on Makalu in the Himalayas. C At this great height, rocks, warmed by
the sun, melt small snowdrifts. D

The answer is D, but I see that the choice C is also make sense. Could you please help me with this problem? Thank you so much!


texts: what is the appropriate answer to this clause?

texts: I got this question, but I'm very confused between A and D.


texts: Help me understand the structure of this sentence from Virginia Woolf To the Lighthouse

texts:
I have some knowledge of English syntax with tree diagrams. Now, I'm learning traditional sentence diagramming. Of course, I want to challenge myself, and I chose to understand a sentence from Virginia Woolf's novel To the Lighthouse. The sentence is:

Since he belonged, even at the age of six, to that great clan which cannot keep this feeling separate from that, but must let future prospects, with their joys and sorrows, cloud what is actually at hand, since to such people even in earliest childhood any turn in the wheel of sensation has the power to crystallise and transfix the moment upon which its gloom or radiance rests, James Ramsay, sitting on the floor cutting out pictures from the illustrated catalogue of the Army and Navy stores, endowed the picture of a refrigerator, as his mother spoke, with heavenly bliss.

I figured out we can see it as a subordinate sentence and the main sentence:

[Since he belonged, ...], [James Ramsay, ..., endowed the picture of a refrigerator, as his mother spoke, with heavenly bliss.]

The main clause I understand. The subordinating clause on the other hand is quite confusing. I can remove the main clause and make the subordinating clause the main clause for a simpler analysis. I can also remove some nonessential phrases:

He belonged to that great clan which cannot keep this feeling separate from that, but must let future prospects cloud what is actually at hand, since to such people any turn in the wheel of sensation has the power to crystallise and transfix the moment upon which its gloom or radiance rests.

Now I see there is a compound "which" clause which I can break into two independent clauses:

He belonged to that great clan which cannot keep this feeling separate
from that. He belonged to that great clan which must let future
prospects cloud what is actually at hand.

Now, I am confused about the remaining subordinating clause:

since to such people any turn in the wheel of sensation has the power to crystallise and transfix the moment upon which its gloom or radiance rests.

Does the above subordinating clause go with:

He belonged to that great clan which must let future
prospects cloud what is actually at hand, since to such people any turn in the wheel of sensation has the power to crystallise and transfix the moment upon which its gloom or radiance rests.

Is this correct? What type of clause is this one?


texts: How to express my attitude towards a thing? treat, view, see, regard

texts:
If I want to express my attitude towards something, what is the right way of saying it?

I treat the delivery fee as a cost of saved time.
I view the delivery fee as a cost of saved time.
I see the delivery fee as a cost of saved time.
I regard the delivery fee as a cost of saved time.

Are any of these examples correct or incorrect?
What is the most casual way?


texts: What’s the right inflection for the verb “deserve” in this sentence?

texts:
What is the right inflection for the verb "deserve" in this sentence?

"On balance, that sentence gives me more credit than I - or any villain - deserves."

"deserve", which agrees with the singular "I"?

"deserves", which sounds more natural, even though it's agreeing with "villain"?


texts: What does ‘Go for a three’ mean in the basketball?

texts:
In New Yorker magazine (April 25) titled “A marriage counselor tries to heckle at a Knicks game” -http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/shouts/2013/04/a-marriage-counselor-tries-to-heckle-at-a-knicks-game.html- there was the following statement:

  “Laughter and joke-telling is healthy and can be used to convey
  messages that may otherwise be too difficult to express!

  Melo, you suck! - - Ref, are you blind? - - FOUL? Are you kidding me?

  Get your head out of your ass, you must be the most flexible person
  I’ve ever seen!

  Go for a three! I want to see this game go to overtime! I know it’s
  difficult to hear, but I believe there is a future for you both!"

For me as an utter layman of pro basketball games, it seems a fervent New York Knicks fan is sending a yell to Melo who was robbed his play by the ref, but what does “Go for a three” mean? I was unable to find the hint for this phrase on Google search.


texts: What's the most common expression for "rovesciata" in the UK?

texts:
On Wikipedia, I see a few options that can be used for the Italian word "rovesciata":

Bicycle kick
Overhead kick
Scissors kick

The 1st and 3rd expressions exist in Oxford's dictionary, but the 2nd one doesn't. In addition, the origin of "bicycle kick" refers to an American newspaper.

I also searched on BBC, but it didn't hint much.

Which one is the most common expression in the UK?


texts:
I'm a bit confused about this. They both sound correct to me.

Quite rather weird
Rather quite weird

Which of the two is correct?


texts: Superlative + noun + "possible": why does the adjective come after the noun?

texts: Does someone happen to have an explanation or theory for why in phrases like "the best method possible" the word 'possible' comes after the noun?


texts: The use of "en-" vs "em-" as a verb prefix

texts:
The prefix en- (from French) has a variant spelling em-. (This is also associated, although I believe imperfectly, with the use of the sound /m/ in the pronunciation of the prefix.) Although the general pattern of its use seems fairly clear (it shows up before labial consonants such as P and B), I've been finding it hard to give an exact description of its occurrence.

The Oxford English Dictionary says

  In modern orthography and pronunciation en- becomes em- before b and p, and occasionally before m.

  This rule was not fully established in spelling before the 17th cent.; in Middle English, as in Old French and Old Spanish, enb-, enp- are more frequent than emb-, emp-, though the latter may perhaps represent what was the actual pronunciation.

One thing that I find interesting is that even though this prefix is related to and often has been interchanged with the Latin-derived in- prefix, the rules for which forms to use are not entirely the same for both of these prefixes. The in- prefix regularly assimilates in English to ir- before R (as in irradiate) and to il- before L (as in illuminate), while the en- prefix does not (as in enrich, enlarge). And the rules for these prefixes are different from the rule for the native English prefix un-, which is regularly invariant, being spelled with N regardless of the identity of the following sound or letter.

One thing that isn't covered in the OED entry is possible exceptions or "edge cases". Can anyone give a more detailed description of the distribution of the two forms of this prefix? I'm hoping to have a comprehensive description of the use of en- vs. em- in present-day English; any further information about the use of these two spellings in earlier stages of English, and how the spelling of the prefix developed/changed over time, would also be welcome.

For this question, I'm only interested in the verb prefix, not the etymologically distinct negative prefix that is found in a few words like enmity.


texts: what is the difference between everywhere and anywhere

texts:
I checked the difference between anywhere and everywhere in the Longman dictionary. I have understood that when the place is not important we have to use anywhere for example:

  You can find a man anywhere but not a businessman everywhere.

But I do not know how to use this general rule in all times. For example, what is the appropriate word for the gap:

  I lost my glasses. I looked ________, but I couldn't find them.

Is it true that generally the usage of anywhere is in negative and question sentences?


texts:
I am unsure which is the grammatically correct one in the following context:

  ...trying to find a programmer with who / whom I could collaborate.

Which one is the correct usage?


texts: A word for improper, but not sexual, interest

texts:
Sometimes I find myself being curious about or reading through personal or internet drama, not out of true concern to the parties involved, but because it's entertaining. I find this somewhat shameful, because the issues are serious to others and not to me.

I am looking for something like "morbidly curious" without the connotations of death, or a "prurient" or "voyeuristic" interest without sexual connotations. I've used "indecorous" before, but I was wondering if there might be something more idiomatic. The part of speech it fills is not important to me, but ideally it would be something like:

  Sorry if I'm being ____ [or my question is ____], but what did he say next?


texts: "all the best" - distinction, comma or no comma?

texts:
How can one distinguish between:

A) "We wish you all the best!"

and

B) "We wish you all the best!" ?

We wish you all, the best! - is that correct for version B)?


texts: Which one is (more) correct: "might very easily have had a different result" or "might have very easily had a different result"?

texts:
Which one is (more) correct?

  might very easily have had a different result

or

  might have very easily had a different result


texts: What is the word that describes knowing something, but not acting on it?

texts:
I'm looking for a word that describes knowing something, but not acting on it. For example:

  I know eating healthy food is good for me, but I don't do it. I'm guilty of
  ____________.


texts: What is the translation of the French word "erre"?

texts:
In French, there is a word erre which is the residual speed of a train, a ship or a car (or whatever is moving and needs propulsion).

For example, if you see a red light in your car, you stop accelerating, but you don't brake either; you just let the car move on its own. You can say that your car is on erre.

For a ship, if you cut the propulsion of the engine, you are on erre.

In a train, it is used if there is a switch of electrical alimentation. For a hundred meters, the train is no longer fed with electric power, and it continues moving with its residual speed. The train is on erre.

What is the best English expression for this?


texts:
Which is the correct one ?

How can I get to the gate D32 ?
How can I get to gate D32 ?


texts:
The OpenStreetMap Sign Up page advises new users on its password policy:

  With OpenID a password is not required, but some extra tools or server [sic] may still need one.

I've added [sic] immediately after the error in the middle of the sentence.

When I read the sentence, I immediately thought "Which extra tools or servers need a password?"

How do I express this while quoting the original text, so that I may bring attention to the error?

Do I put [sic] inside the quote like this:

  Which "extra tools or server [sic]" need a password?

Or put it outside the quote like this:

  Which "extra tools or server" [sic] need a password?

Or do something else? (Would it be petty to call out a small error in this way?)


texts: Does the former have a typo or are they synonyms? Do they always have the same meaning? Please enlighten me as I am confused on this matter.


texts: What word would have been used in-place of 'even' during 17th century London

texts:
Good evening, I am in the midst of completing a time-placed stageplay and I am being exceedingly pronounced on its authenticity, in accordance with the language and word-choice, to the 1660s in London. Now, I have just realized that the word "even" was used a few times in my play with the later arisen context of the word meaning "to express something rather surprising or extraordinarily extreme": "even the power-lusty King's allies were at risk."
Now my question is, during 17th century London what word would have been used, commonly, which resonated the same context of our modern-day use of the word "even," which from what I have gathered meant, at the time, "equal" and "harmonious."
this is an example from my play with the word "even" which must be corrected:
"...and even they wouldst, shortly after, forget of what it did taste like"


texts:
In conversations people often use "not bad". How to interpret this?

Are they feeling good or just not bad or somewhere in the middle?
Does it depend on the context?

E.g.:

  X: How are you doing today?
  Y: Not bad. You?

Does "not bad" mean "good"?

E.g.:

  X: How was the food in that new restaurant?
  Y: Not bad.

Are there examples showing "not bad" doesn't mean "good" either?


texts: phrase or theory that describes "if he can do it then so can I"

texts:
What is the phrase or psychological term that describes someone who gains confidence based off of another's performance? Moreover, they use it as a motivational foundation and it relates to behavioral confirmation/self-efficacy.

--Example--

Alex Smith:"Bro, you should register for the Ironman Lanzarote in Spain next week."

Colin Kaepernick:"No way. That's deemed one of the top ten hardest triathlons on Earth."

Alex:"Joe's baby brother is in mediocre at best shape and was able to complete it easily last year."

Colin:"What!? Man, if he can do it then I sure as hell can do it."

Alex:"I'm just kidding but that confidence you just suddenly acquired is called ________."


texts: What is the literary device that describes phrases like "faithfully unfaithful"?

texts:
I came across a Wikipedia page a few months ago that described a literary device that had two opposite words side by side in a sentence.

Unlike an oxymoron ("horribly kind", "run slow"), this page described words that were almost identical, but one word was the "un" of the other word. For example:

She was faithfully unfaithful to him

It is still a type of oxymoron, but I know the word I was thinking of to describe them that I read on the Wiki page was different.

Note: I'm not thinking of a tautology either. In the sentence above, "faithfully" adds more context to the unfaithful - she was faithful to her unfaithfulness.


texts: "for good" expression in an unfortunate event?

texts:
I just heard an expression while watching a TV series yesterday.
Someone just died and they said:

  He is gone for good

I googled it and found that "for good" means "forever" in this context. But it still sounds odd to me to describe something unfortunate this way.

Is there a deeper reason behind this expression?


texts: Can the verb "underline" be used to emphasise a word?

texts:
Example:

  You will never do that again and I underline never!

Probably "and I mean it" is used this way.


texts: Is there any single word to name the people who are in an exodus?

texts: We know about the situation called - exodus. But is there any single word to name the people who are in that exodus? I mean, is there any single word to describe people who are leaving a place in mass for better situation or for any otehr reason?


texts: How to pronounce/say the abbreviation 'i.e.'?

texts:
I know that 'i.e.' is an abbreviation of 'that is'. But, my question is about pronouncing it perhaps,

in normal speech,
reading from a piece of text containing the abbreviation, etc.

In the US, most people (I have interacted with) pronounce 'i.e.' by uttering the two letters 'I' and 'E'. So, it would sound like 'eye ee'.

However, I have heard very few Americans say 'that is' instead of 'eye ee'. I have observed this when I saw them read a piece of text like a news article. It's like they replaced 'i.e.' with 'that is' in the text and then, read it.

How common is the latter pronunciation in the US? How is 'i.e.' said in the rest of the English-speaking world?


texts: "One in 5 people is" OR "one in 5 people are"

texts:
Which of the following is correct:

  One in 5 people in that area are Chinese
  One in 5 people in that area is a Chinese

I am confused as different resources provide a different answer.

One of the resources says that people is not the subject of the sentence. One is the subject and in 5 people is a prepositional phrase. Since “one” is singular, therefore the correct usage is
“One in 5 people in that area is a Chinese.”

However, I am not convinced with this argument. I have found the other usage almost everywhere else.


texts:
Would you say “a bigger” OR “a larger question”?

I am not sure which one is grammatically correct.


texts:
I hear "Me, myself and I" idiom from time to time.

Here this idiom is described as emphasis only. Are there any other meanings? What cases is it suitable for?


texts: What is an adjective for an action that was performed well under pressure?

texts:
I've heard the word "clutch" used with this meaning (eg: "That was clutch!"), but is there a more sophisticated or well-codified word for such?

Example: "That was [adjective] when you answered the question correctly after the teacher so rudely shook you awake."


texts:
I want to know which one is the most fitting one and if all of them are grammatically correct.

I was a clown, but I was more like an elephant.

I was a clown, but was more like an elephant.

I was a clown, but more like an elephant.

And in this case.

This is not a straw man but more like a spectre.

This is not a straw man but is more like a spectre.

This is not a straw man but this is more like a spectre.


texts:
A colleague of mine asked me what is the importance of word order in phrase "In God We Trust"

And I could not answer. Is it a shame?

Update:
Would it be correct English to write:

  In God - we trust


texts: Word for a style of argument pre-excluding a particular answer as impossible

texts:
I'm not sure if this is a type of fallacy, or merely a noun or adjective for a type of (obstinate) argument.

I'm looking for a word that describes a situation where a person is demanding an answer or output, but has already decided that one answer or output is unacceptable - and demands continued attempts at devising an argument or process that will generate an answer or output that is not the "forbidden" one.

I believe I've come across a term like this before, but cannot remember it. If I did come across such a term, it probably would have been in the context of computer programming, or data analysis, or philosophy.


texts:
What words can I use to express a "great time"?

I am trying to write an essay and I just need words that expresses a great time to make the essay sound interesting.


texts: Both Wikipedia and TheFreeDictionary list the term hike as an alternative term for snapping the football at the beginning of play. Where does it come from?


texts:
(Child of the 70's here...) While in conversation with a millenial yesterday, I used the word "fink" to describe a low, sneaky, two-faced um, fink. She'd never heard the word. "Ratfink"? Nope. "The Wizard of Id...'The king is a fink'?" Nope.

Now, I know what happened to "gyp", (which was as commonplace as yo-yo's and bubble gum, in my day) but, why abandon a perfectly innocent word like "fink"?

I tried the N-gram thing - didn't get far. I found a blurb on this site by FumbleFingers (hoping you can lend a hand here, FF)

I recently relocated, so this may just be a regional anomaly... But, I am curious... Has "fink" disappeared from the AmE lexicon?


texts: What is the word for not showing your own opinion while informing someone about a subject

texts:
For example: Informing someone about the government shutdown without revealing your own opinion about the shutdown.

I wanted to stay ... so I don't influence your opinion.

The word I'm thinking of is not objective but it has somewhat of a similar meaning.


texts:
This is a concept I often find myself trying to articulate in political discussions.  You have a situation that everyone openly acknowledges, but it is so entrenched that people may paradoxically behave as though it were completely unimportant.

As a contrived example, for centuries the people of Helmetvania have all worn 6-foot-wide spherical helmets.  There are lots of car accidents, neck problems are endemic, and people often complain about how silly it is to wear helmets.  The hot topic in this year's election is whether non-helmet-wearing should be addressed by longer sentences, or better education on the importance of helmets.

It's somewhat related to the frog in slowly boiling water, or to not seeing the wood for the trees, but what I'm talking about is not a failure of perception; rather, it's a failure to take one's own perceptions seriously when they seem to be at odds with the world.

Are there good words, phrases or even extended references for this idea?


texts: "possessive" can't be in front of the word "weight"?

texts:
I lost my weight vs I lost weight.

I heard that the former sentence is wrong, because "possessive" can't be in front of the word "weight".
If so, why?


texts:
What does "out" mean after words?

"work out"
"check out"
"point out"


texts: "Isn't that..." expanding to "Is not that..."

texts:
Sorry if this has been asked (multiple times) before already, but it's one of those things that's extremely difficult to search.

Basically, my question is whether the use of "isn't" in sentences of the form "Isn't she lovely?" a rule, or an exception to a rule?

Because if you expand the contraction out, then you have "Is not she lovely?" which is obviously(?) wrong. You would say "Is she not lovely?" I think...?


texts: Word for a person who represents everyone

texts:
I'm looking for a word to fill in the following phrase on my school elections. "Foreign by birth. __________ for all." In the blank I was thinking "people's person", "representation for all".

I want a word that means a person who represents everyone and everyone's wishes.

Not anything like politician.


texts: Why can "bill" mean (almost) opposite things?

texts: Bill is somewhat of an auto-antonym, since it can mean either a piece of paper which has positive monetary value (i.e. a note), or a piece of paper which has negative monetary value (though it only applies to a certain person).  Maybe I'm reading too much into the usages, but it seems strange that the two meanings of bill are nearly opposite.  Does anyone know why this is?


texts:
I was wondering why a "tall order" means a formidable task or requirement?

Is it a metaphor? If so, how shall I understand it?


texts: Does anybody use the elative degree in modern speech?

texts: I read that English has the following degree of comparison: positive, comparative, superlative (with definite article) and elative (with indefinite article). I'm wondering, whether sentences like "it is a most brave action" can be used in modern speech or it will be said "it is the most brave action"?


texts: Is there a difference between saying a place is "well-lighted" versus "well-lit" or is it just stylistic?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  What's the difference between “well-lighted” and “well-lit”?

I feel that "well-lit" means there is enough light whereas "well-lighted" implies someone actually set-up the lighting and did it well. Of course, really, "lighted" is just the regular version of the irregular "lit", so I suppose they should mean the same thing assuming we accept "lighted".

What is the reality when it comes to these terms?


texts: Can Billie go alone, or did he say he needs someone to go with him?

texts:
There is a little debate going on in Puzzling StackExchange on this post: A river crossing puzzle
The issue is with this sentence:

Billie shouts: "They're also pretty small. I will only go with Devin alone."

Does Billie mean that he will only go if Devin is with him (as in he won't go alone), or does it mean that he will only go with Devin and but can also go alone?
I think it's the latter; Billie merely stated who he would and wouldn't go with, not whether or not he would go alone.


texts: Name of the cut-outs in the side of a printed dictionary at each letter

texts:
Paper dictionaries often have cut-outs in the pages that make it easier to turn to (words beginning with) each letter.  Here's a picture:

I know there's a name for these things but I can't remember what it is and it's remarkably hard to search for information about dictionaries — the search engines insist on bringing up dictionary definitions of the keywords you try.  Anyone know the word?


texts: In "her tea is a pale brown", is the indefinite article "a" used correctly?

texts: "Ultimately, as always, we compromise and her tea is a pale brown". Isn't the "a" redundant here? It sounds wrong to me.


texts: Why does a pronoun as the predicate of an indirect object (e.g. "I gave her it") sound wrong?

texts:
Forgive me if I've used the wrong terms in the title, I did my best given my middle-school grammar lessons and Wikipedia.

"I gave her the book" sounds just fine, but "I gave her it" sounds stilted and awkward to me, and I don't know that I've ever seen that construction, with "I gave it to her" taking its place.  It's not the two pronouns either, because "I gave Joan it" also sounds odd.

Is there a grammatical reason that such a construct isn't often used?  Historical?  And are there any other instances where simply substituting a pronoun makes a sentence similarly awkward?


texts:
It is even possible I somehow sensed those qualities which I have since discovered to be so significantly a part of her.

Does the sentence above have an extraposed subject? If so, which of the following clauses would be the extraposed subject?

I have since possibly discovered those qualities to be significantly a part of her.
I somehow sensed those qualities which I have since possibly discovered to be significantly a part of her.

  It is quite possible that we had a perfectly civil exchange before I began my retreat back to my own table.

Does example (2) above have an extraposed subject. If so, is the subject as follows:

That we  had a perfect exchange before I began my retreat back to my own table is quite possible.


texts:
What's the difference, if any, between "hit the mark" and "hit the spot"?
They're defined everywhere very much along the same Lines, that is "have the desired effect, be successful".

Do you use them differently, and if yes, what makes you pick one over the other?

The only definition that marks one out from the other comes from Longman, defining "hit the spot" as:

  informal to have exactly the good effect that you wanted, especially
  when you are hungry or thirsty


texts:
"Every lesson is established on a model of personal power, a network of personality,
character, and credibility; and firmly rooted in trust as its foundation."
Or should it be
"Every lesson is established on a model of personal power; a network of personality, character, and credibility; and firmly rooted in trust as its foundation."
I'm thinking there should be semi colons because the lessons are established on 3 things: a model, a network, and trust which are then all expanded upon.
Or should there be no semicolon at all?


texts: Mondegreens for normal speech - is there a specific word for them?

texts:
I know that the term "mondegreen" (the term used for mishearing a word, coined by author Sylvia Wright when she famously misheard a lyric in The Bonny Earl of Murray) can technically be used for any misheard word, but I found myself wondering lately: does anyone know of a specific term used to describe misheard words outside of song lyrics?

To be clear, I mean if, say, you said to someone

  You can't carry that, you have a bad back.

And they thought you said

  You can't carry that, you have a backpack.

I haven't been able to find any other terms in my online research, but I'm really curious as to whether there is one. Have at it, StackExchange!


texts:
What is the correct punctuation for a question that in itself contains an explanation as to why it was asked? For example:

"Is the book long - I might read it just for fun?"
"Is this dress new - I really like it?"

Should there be a comma or a semicolon instead of a dash? Is it considered bad style to break up such sentences into two? Like this:

"Is the book long? I might read it just for fun."

The two-sentence version changes the rhythm, it adds a break between the question and the explanation. Sometimes you want to say (or read) it in a single breath.
Is there a special name for these type of questions?


texts: What's the best way to say: "Brands who trust our work"  or "Brands that trust in our work"?


texts: A single word for the expression "One Thing In Common"?

texts:
Is there a single word to replace "one thing in common"? I feel it might appear more professional, to be used say in academic work.
examples:

They've got one thing in common.
They have one common shared foundation.
They have one thing in common—the user experience.


texts: What would the British term in 1954 have been for "snogging"? "Making out" is American. "All over each other" doesn't seem quite specific enough.


texts: Different Ways of Asking about Future Possibilities

texts:
Your friend is going abroad. You want to know if it's possible for you to see them next year. You ask them one of these questions:

Am I going to see you next year?
Would I see you next year?
Will I see you next year?
... (If you know other ways to ask this question, please add it)

Will you questions are not included, because they are about your friend's intention, not about a future possibility.

What are the differences between these structures? In what context should each one be used?


texts: What is it called when you lose a tooth but still have most remaining ones?

texts:
I know the word toothless means, according to Google:

  having no teeth, typically through old age.

I'm wondering if a kid or an adult loses one or two teeth is also called toothless. As I understand it, toothless means having no teeth, not losing some teeth.

What is it called when someone loses a teeth or two due to the process of growing up, or an accident, or something else. But they still have a number of teeth.


texts: How Was "Feast" Pronounced in Early Modern English?

texts:
In Romeo and Juliet, Capulet delivers a speech to Paris about his consent for him to court Juliet. With the exception of the first three lines, his speech would follow a coupled rhyme scheme...

16 But woo her, gentle Paris, get her heart.
My will to her consent is but a part.
An she agreed within her scope of choice,
Lies my consent and fair according voice.
20 This night, I hold an old accustomed feast,
Whereto I have invited many a guest
Such as I love. And you among the store,
One more, most welcome, makes my numbers more.
At my poor house look to behold this night
25 Earth-treading stars that make dark heaven light.

However, this pattern is broken with the third couplet feast and guest. This happens again towards the end of the scene, which leads me to believe that feast should be pronounced /fest/. Is there any other evidence of feast being pronounced as such during this time period? The etymology shows that feast was derived from the French, feste, in the 13th century, but that was 300 years before Shakespeare was born...


texts:
people often use the word "rich" to mean someone who has a high income, regardless of their assets, cash flow or net worth.  is there a more appropriate word? or is the phrase "high incoming earner" as good as it gets?

e.g. "the tax concerns of a rich person are distinct from the tax concerns of a high income individual."

update: i have accepted "lucrative", and intend to use it to contrast "lucrative people" and "rich people".  i think a nice runner up is "high earner", and h.e.n.r.y. is a pleasant sidenote.

thanks everyone for the help :)


texts: Which generic word to use in a table of responsibilities to describe "action, work"?

texts:
I have a table of responsibilities under a short project. I cannot quote the real table in Russian, so I composed a similar one:

Would "execution" fit the purpose? Whereas in the line "Plan of work" we have more specific descriptions of what each person does, in other lines I just need a word that describes generic action (perform tests, log deviations, grant an approval etc.) The Russian word in my original document is выполнение.


texts: What's the meaning of "visiting fellowship"?

texts:
What is the meaning of "visiting fellowship"?

For example:

  He also held visiting fellowships at Goldsmiths College in London


texts: Examples where English is "more Germanic" than German

texts:
English is a so called a Germanic language, as are German, Yidish, Dutch, etc.

In a way it seems natural to believe that German is "more Germanic" than English. But here it is not clear what "more" is supposed to mean since "Germanic" is just a linguistic description of the inner working engine and the roots of a language.

In this context I am looking for examples that are "the other way around", i.e. where the original Germanic form is used in English and another (e.g. Roman) form in German.

The most prominent examples are the following ones:

  English: window from Germanic Windloch (wind hole)
  German: Fenster from Latin fenestra

What would be a good source to help easily find (such described words)?


texts: What term best describes the "mentality" with which an API is designed?

texts:
As someone whose mother tongue is not English, I'm sometimes having a hard time having the correct feeling towards the meaning of some words. This is one of those situations.

I'm looking for a term that refers to how an API (an application programming interface) is designed. For example imagine a piece of text with such statements:

  For every *_new function, there is a *_delete function.
  All functions creating shared objects take a name parameter as the first argument.
  All int *error arguments used for returning error code are optional and come last in the argument list.

How do you refer to the text containing these statements? For example, is it the style definition of the API? Are these the conventions of the API?


texts: I need help with possessives: should this be [center + noun] or [center's + noun]?

texts:
At the beginning of the school year, students are required to take measures that will include the standard University Center’s assessment battery.

Should it be Center's or Center?


texts:
One of my favorite quotes is by Alvin Toffler which says:

  The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read
  and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.

The way I understand "relearn" in the quote is to learn something new that is different from what was originally learned.

I'm wondering in general if "relearn" convey learning the same thing again, or a different thing, or it depends on the context of the sentence. Is the same thing true for "learn again"?


texts:
"sets A and B" or "A and B sets" is the same meaning in a statement? For examples:

We combine sets A and B. or
We combine A and B sets.

Can anyone help to differentiate it? Tq.


texts: Expression to describe the curse of being at higher positions in a workplace

texts:
Rising up the corporate ladder is good, it comes with increased salary, reputation and other good things but there are also certain curses associated with such a change. For one thing, your friends will become less easy-going towards you as you become part of a new elite group whose dealings you cannot comfortably share with everyone. You will also make less new friends simply because the pyramid narrows as you go up. Company processes that you used to make fun of in past, you might find yourselves having to impose the same processes on your subordinates, some of whom might still be your friends and may point out that you didn't support these processes either while you were one of them. You can be asked to give feedback on your friends who now report to you and it might be hard giving a negative feedback for a friend who really is not-so-good. And no matter what you do, people will hold you partly responsible for their poor appraisals.
Consider an example conversation like below:

A (manager) : Hey B, you are supposed to complete these weekly reports by Friday evening. Today is Monday.
B (managee) : Come on A, you know no one is going to look at them before month end. I have plenty of time left, I will do it later.
A : No, that's not acceptable. You should have finished it by Friday only. Please finish it first thing today itself.
B : OK man, I will do it. I have to say you are becoming more and more like one of them with every passing day.
C (neutral observer) : My sympathies are with A. He .............

What does C say? Are there any idiomatic expressions in English to represent this curse of being at the higher position in a workplace?


texts:
Which is correct, and why?:

  If my daughter was born a boy, I would have named her Harry.

Or

  If my daughter was born a boy, I would have named him Harry.

I'm sure my reasoning for both is self evident, but just for completeness:
"her" makes sense, because it is talking about my female daughter.
"him" makes sense, because it is talking about my daughter, who is a male in the hypothetical scenario.


texts:
Generally, o's at the start of a word are either short (as in 'operation') or long (as in 'open'), or related sounds. However, the word 'one' has a very different initial sound, which (as far as I can tell, from playing around with Mathematica's WordData constructs) is unique apart from related words like 'once', 'oneness' and 'oneself'.

How did this o come to be pronounced this way? Or, alternatively, how did this /wʌ/ come to be spelt with an o?


texts:
Has autistic become an accepted cool  pejorative through constant misuse?
While I usually would not bother with Urban, the theme was taken up…

Autism is typically said with a negative connotation. For this reason, people like to use autism as an insult, which would make sense if autism was actually bad.

…and for once I think they are doing a public service.
Also see;

For example, the following answer still exists on EL&U.SE with 4 upvotes  for "someone who takes things too literally"

slow on the uptake, obtuse, autistic

..in the post:
Is there an expression for someone who often takes things too literally?
another example, although deleted as offensive to a question (lo qual no me recuerdo en este momento)
and one comment was:

User: You can call them autistic
Cascabel: Are you using that as an insult?
User: yeah well I guess I am.

Just as “spaz” and “retard” were used in the 60s and 70s as an insult, has autistic taken over their place as a cool insult?


texts: Is there a term for an acronym "parody" / "backformation" / "re-purposing"?

texts:
I've engaged the task of trying to legitimize the presence of a listing of DRM standing for "Digital Restrictions Management" on Wikipedia's disambiguation page for the acronym DRM.

(This is a case where the original term stood for "Digital Rights Management", which is considered by the activist cause as whitewashing the true implications; as it may only limit/restrict and never grant any rights on the digital media to the users if the limitations were not present.  It is advocated as a replacement meaning for the acronym by the Defective by Design movement.)

I'm not sure what to call an acronym with this character.  The terms that came to mind were "parody", "backformation", or "re-purposing".  Is there a more general term for taking an acronym that was marketed and understood as meaning one thing and promoting an alternate meaning?


texts:
"What they refer to as the habit of dreaming by the Aborigines, is not what the Aborigines themselves believe them to be."

"Them" is referring to dreams. Is the use of 'them' in the second part of the sentence grammatically correct since "habit of dreaming" seems singular to me.
"They" is "Westerners"

Note: The quote in the original version of the question had What Europeans . . . rather than What they . . .


texts: Terms for game mode depending on number of players

texts:
Suppose you have a game with following modes:

a human player with no opponents
a human player with a computer/AI opponent
multiple human players

The third mode is referred to as multiplayer. The term single-player could apply to both first and second one. How one usually differentiate between the two? If there is no established practice, what terms would at least stronly suggest this difference?

The Wikipedia has an article on "single-player" games. Google search yields mostly "single player" results. Are both correct and is "singleplayer" acceptable (similarly to "multiplayer")?

Update

The best I could come up with was "solo" or "solitary mode" for the first option (only because it brings to mind "solitaire" or "peg solitaire" games which are just that: games without opponent). "Puzzle mode" (as suggested in comments) in the case of logic-strategic game sounds OK, because you usually don't solve puzzles against someone. Most of the other suggestions would be acceptable only if paired with the term for single-player mode against computer, which is most problematic here for me.

I'm beginning to think that there are no appropriate terms for that. Perhaps it's because there aren't that there aren't that many games with no-opponents options. The only ones that come to mind are simulations or economic games with a never-ending or long running "free-play" modes.


texts: How to express a list within a sentence?

texts:
I always forget how to express a list within a sentence. Let's say I have the following sentence:

  I attached two files, files and database.

Can I use a "-" or a ";" instead of the comma?

Please advise me.


texts:
British mathematician and logician Augustus De Morgan has De in his name. But the French physicist Louis de Broglie has de in his name.

Why so? Something to do with being French or British?


texts: Medical word for finding an unexpected/unrelated condition

texts: What's the word when doctors, whilst treating or investigating one condition, stumble across another?  For example patient has a heart attack and during treatment it is discovered he has cancer.


texts:
What do you call the tip on an umbrella?

Yes, since tip means 'the usually pointed end of something', I know that tip itself can be used for — i.e. umbrella tip —, but I'm looking for a single word which has that meaning?


texts: "can't do anything except eating" vs. "can't do anything except eat"

texts:
My dog is so lazy. It can't do anything except eating food.
  My dog is so lazy. It can't do anything except eat food.

Which one is right?
We asked this question in two different forums but we received different answers. Some said #1 is correct and some said #2 is correct. Look at their responses:

A selection of answers taken from WordReference

  No. Except or but is followed by the bare infinitive here @e2efour
  The clue is in the first part of the sentence:
  The structure is "they could not  except .
  I suppose, in full, it would be They couldn't do anything except they could blame others. @PaulQ
  Q70. He is not interested in doing anything except watching movies
  You see now? Here, "ing" is used instead of bare infinitive. I think it's because of the word "doing"
  Am I right? (The OP @xiaoen)
  If you say watch, it could mean that he avoids watching movies at all costs.
  If you say watching, it means that he is only interested in watching movies. @e2efour

However, in the  The Free Dictionary Language Forums > English Grammar, someone else offered the following explanation.

  'Except' is a preposition.
  My dog is so lazy. It can't do anything except eating food
  @Víctor Lplz

Now we are confused. Which one is correct, and why?

Thank you.


texts:
This is forbidden. An exception is/are situations where you...

The word exception is singular but the word situations that follows is plural. Also I'm not sure what is the subject and what is the object in this sentence but I think subject vs object may affect the answer to my question.

Edit: To clarify, I'd like you to let me know if either is version is correct, or are version is correct, or both, or none.


texts: Its a word I've forgotten, but its a way of describing someone which is tactful and diplomatic. Like "Instead of saying she's quick to anger, I would say she's passionate, which is a _____ way of describing her."


texts: I do not know if it is correct to use a hyphen between the words wrap, and around, in describing a porch that wraps around a house.


texts: Is this sentence from Orwell's Animal Farm grammatically sound?

texts:
Should been really have been included in the following passage from George Orwell’s Animal Farm, or was this somehow an erroneous insertion of a spurious word?

Illustration from p. 17 of the 1990 hardcover edition from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt – fair-use copyright exemption

  The harness-room at the end of the stables was broken open; the bits, the nose-rings, the dog-chains, the cruel knives with which Mr. Jones had been used to castrate the pigs and lambs, were all flung down the well.

I thought it should be one of these two alternatives:

with which Mr Jones had used to castrate the pigs
with which had been used by Mr Jones to castrate the pigs

But Orwell’s sentence seems to be a mix of my two rewritten portions.


texts: Inserting a comma before attributing a quote to a hypothetical speaker

texts:
"Who cares why dealers love leases?," you say. "All I want is a low monthly payment."

Is there a comma required before attributing the quote here, or not?


texts: 'He told her that he loved only her.' vs 'He told her that he loved her only.'

texts:
Neil Guthrie DPhil English (Oxon), LLB (Toronto).  Guthrie’s Guide to Better Legal Writing  (2017).

p. 65

Question 1. How does 6 differ from 7?

Question 2. Joanna Weselby (BA (Hons), English Literature and Creative Writing, Nottingham Trent University) thinks that they:

  are perhaps the most similar, as they express largely similar sentiments, but even here, the implication of the latter is of an earlier time; a different manner of speaking [I bolded.].

But how is the bolded phrases true for 7?


texts: Suitable terms for something created or caused by God

texts:
What terms can I use for describing something as created or caused by God?

For example, if I wanted to say "There's nothing God-created about HIV" (context: someone claiming God gave gays HIV), I could say "There's nothing divine about HIV", but it feels awkward, because "divine" is commonly used to mean "good", apart from the phrase "divine retribution". Are there any more suitable alternatives? Alternatively, is "divine" acceptable?

Wiktionary lists as synonyms to "divine" the words "deific", "godlike", and "godly", but none of them seem suitable.


texts: What is the sentence pattern of "I think that she is intelligent"

texts: I understand that the sentence "She is Intelligent" would be pattern SVC, but what is the pattern when the sentence is "I think that she is intelligent". Because both "think" and "is" are verbs, I am confused. Is there a sentence pattern with two verbs that are not next to each other? Would it just be ASVC?


texts: In my native language, we have this idiomatic expression - one has seven Fridays in a week

texts: This idiomatic expression is applied to an inconstant person who does not keep his/her word, fulfill promises, often changes his/her mind and isn't trustworthy. Is there an equivalent idiomatic expression in English?


texts:
As a non native English speaker (I speak German), I'm frequently confused by the usage of the word "disappointed". When someone tells me they're "disappointed" that something didn't happen, the obvious meaning is they really wished / expected for that something to happen.

My question is, when I was the reason for that something not to happen, how  often is there a connotation that hints at that person reproaching that I should have really made that something happen for them?

I'm interested in both the interpretation of the above:

By native English speakers
By non-native English speakers who might inadvertently convey that reproach from their usage of the translation of "disappointed" to their own native language. E.g. I believe that this connotation exists in the German word "enttäuscht".


texts:
Is there a word for the quality of something "holding up well over time"?

For example, some blockbusters from years past have special effects that are still fairly good when compared to today's movies.

I would also consider the term when referring to classical works such as Shakespeare, etc.


texts: "I'm Alan Freed, and this is Rock & Roll!" Origin of the term?

texts:
Cleveland radio station WJW personality Alan Freed didn't coin the term, Rock & Roll. He popularized it, and gave it the present-day meaning.

Originally, rock and roll was a seaman's term. When a ship pitched front and back, it rocked. Side to side, it rolled. When perusing the taverns on shore while the ship was docked, sailors would say, "Let's check out that tavern. It's really rockin' and rollin'!" Basically stated, the music was energetic, folks were dancing, and the tavern was a source of merriment and activity.

The words appeared in a song by a Cleveland rhythm & blues singer/saxophonist. Alan Freed would ask the station music librarian for the song by title. Then, he'd simply ask for that rock and roll song. The music Alan played defied categorizing. It was a genre all its own. When asked what to call his selection of music, Alan replied, "Rock & Roll."

What is the title of the song and the performing artist?


texts: A less metaphorical word for 'losing game'?

texts:
When you have two options to chose between and either would not benefit you, so whichever you chose will be bad.

Like the word 'destined' with a more permanent bad destination.

  Example:It would make no difference to choose X over Y, they would both kill me. It was a (word)


texts: Term for graphical representation of sound

texts: What is this called? How do we say oscillogram of the sound in one word?


texts:
I would like to praise a lady who is always cheerful.

Should I use "She's cheerful at all time." or "She's cheerful at all times."?


texts:
In Belgium there are three stories about the etymology of French fries. And I'd like to know once and for all which one is correct.

The most popular story is probably the following, because it allows us to tell people French fries are actually not French at all, but Belgian instead:

  During WWI the allied soldiers tasted French fries in Wallonia,
  because the people there speak French, they thought that they were in
  France instead, and thus called them French fries.

The second and third story are somewhat related and sound more logical to me. It either refers to:

  1) Frenching, which is a method of cutting foods

or

  2) French frying, which is a method of frying foods


texts:
In letter writing, there are four different titles to address:

  Mr.
  Mrs.
  Miss.
  Ms.

What does Ms. stand for? Apparently as Mrs. and Miss already stand for female titles, Ms. stood for "Master", the title for a boy or a young man, similar to Miss. But the other day, my friend told me it stood for "Miscellaneous" and could be used for anyone. Is this true?


texts: Do you still hear the expression 'make no bones (about something)' in American English nowadays?

texts:
Defined by cambridge as follows:

  make no bones about sth.
  not to try to hide your feelings:
  He made no bones about his dissatisfaction with the service.

Here's what a search on Ngram yields.


texts: walk-through, walkthrough, or walk through?

texts:
Referring to something that means a step-by-step tutorial, which is the correct word / term ?

walk-through

walkthrough

walk through

I'm under the impression that the dash version "walk-through" is correct as that seems to be the most commonly used.  Most spell checks flag "walkthrough" as not a word, so I'm pretty sure that's out.  Most grammar checks to not seem to flag the spaced version "walk through", however, so I'm not 100% sure.

Thoughts on this?

-- EDIT --
Not sure why somebody linked to a post about "well-being" vs "wellbeing" clearly not the same word(s) I'm asking about.


texts: Why do we talk of 'spoiling for a fight'?

texts:
According to the OED the sense of spoiling for a fight/argument etc is of US origin.

Does anyone know the provenance of this use?

OED

  to be spoiling for (a fight, etc.), to long for, to desire ardently or
  earnestly. Also const. inf. orig. U.S.>

  1865   L. Stephen Sketches from Cambr. 67   We are in the condition
  which the Yankees call ‘spoiling for a fight’.

  1890   R. L. Stevenson Lett. (1899) II. 191   The native
  population..chronically spoiling for a fight.

  1893   Nation (N.Y.)  16 Nov. 368/2   Dr. James Martineau, who, in
  spite of his eighty-nine years, seemed still to be ‘spoiling for an
  argument’.

  a1960   E. M. Forster Maurice (1971) vii. 42   Durham..would be found
  at all hours curled up in his room and spoiling to argue.


texts:
Is there a verb for the motion of a sailboat in a marina or harbour when the yacht or dinghy is solely powered by an engine, not the sails?

For example: "Peter's dinghy slowly xxxxed from its mooring in the harbour until it could set sail in the open sea".


texts: Does "Paraphernalia" have a negative connotation?

texts:
By definition, the word paraphernalia does not portray either negative or positive emotions. Does it, in everyday usage?

In my particular case, I am making a website about programming. I have a section called
Pleasant Programming ______.

I thought it would be nice to have a 'p' word as the last word. However, I didn't want it to seem like negative thing. (In fact, it was supposed to be upbeat).


texts: I am trying to come up with a word that would describe someone who is the first among equals. I did a quick search on the term on Google, and didn't come up with anything really satisfactory.


texts:
In an autobiographical book, the narrator, an American, tells about a period he spent in Kiev:

  The front door of my building opened onto the bustling but cozy street of Zhitomirskaya, and it was an easy walk to Saint Sophia Square. There was also a nice terrace park where the young and hip of Kiev would gather in the late afternoon to throw Frisbees, play bongo drums, and drink beer in the glow of the sunset.

What is a "terrace park" (I mean it as a common noun, not as the name of a specific place or town)? Is it actually a park extending on terraces?


texts: What's the difference between a hemisphere and a semisphere

texts: Is there any difference between hemisphere and semisphere?


texts: Word for a person that never looks back (to the past)

texts: I'm looking for a word to describe someone that never looks to the past. Someone that never considers whether the choices they made were the right ones, someone that cares only about what is currently happening and about what will.


texts: What are the differences of meaning between device, gadget, gimmick, and gizmo?

texts:
Further to my earlier question about the words off-the-shelf used in Time Magazine’s feature story titled “The Best 50 Inventions of the Year” (from the Nov. 11th 2010 issue), I found the following sentence in the same article:

  One analyst says the iPad is the fastest selling non-phone gizmo in consumer electronics history.

I understand there is some difference of meaning between device and gizmo / gadget and gimmick as a group. Are there great difference of meaning and usage between the words gizmo, gadget, and gimmick?


texts: Do directives to "go jump in the lake" or "off a pier" allude to drowning?

texts:
Some expressions of dismissal or insult such as "go jump in a lake"
or "take a long walk off a short pier" direct the recipient to fall into a body of water.

Is the figurative idea in such expressions that the person should remove themselves from the scene in a way that is merely picturesque and uncomfortable, or dangerous and potentially fatal?  In the first interpretation the meaning is something like get out of here now,   or be silent and stop annoying me, and in the second more like I hate you.


texts:
I am not a native speaker of English. I came across many articles which used the phrase "pun intended". In many cases I am not able to grasp the meaning of the sentence as what this phrase mean in the context. For example,

  Behavioural experts say it is not just the wiring that causes the ‘differences’ (pun intended).

I am totally clueless about what the meaning of the phrase inside the braces is. What does it mean?


texts: Meaning of "court" in "court languages of Latin and French"

texts: What is the meaning of court as used in as did the court languages of Latin and French?


texts:
Why is it that everybody wants to help me whenever I need someone's help?
  Why does everybody want to help me whenever I need someone's help?

Can you please explain to me the difference in meaning between these two questions? I don't see it.


texts: What do you call words that look like a negation but are not?

texts:
I can be nonplussed (in fact that is practically the ground state of my existence), but not plussed. I can also be indifferent; but if you are different, that doesn't mean you care, either. What do you call it when a word looks like the negation of another word but is not? The kind of words that Terry Pratchett takes delight in?

(possible 2nd question) I had started by looking up wittingly, seeing that I've never seen it used except in the phrase "wittingly or unwittingly", or ironically, as the opposite of unwittingly. There might even be another class of word like "wittingly", words that are only ever used with their opposite.


texts:
How should I punctuate numbered lists in British English? Are all the colons, semicolons and punctuations correct?
In the earlier submission:

We presented a new statistical methodology.
We showed major regional disparities.

The new submission additionally
(1) introduces the benefits of lognormal modelling;
(2) provides the code used in analyses.


texts: The use of the colon before enumerations

texts:
I would like to check the correctness of two constructions containing enumerations. The first one is as follows.

Let us note the following two aspects: First, here comes the first aspect. Second, here comes the second aspect.

Is it acceptable to begin with a capital letter after a colon? Also, is it acceptable to keep one item together with the corresponding introduction whereas the other one comes as a separate sentence?
The second construction is as follows.

Let us note the following two aspects:
First, here comes a separate paragraph with a long explanation of the first aspect.
Second, here comes a separate paragraph with a long explanation of the second aspect.

Is it acceptable to end a sentence with a colon followed by two paragraphs?
The correctness of the structure of my question is also a question.
Thank you!


texts: Should it be an "English Professional Editor" or "Professional English Editor"?


texts: "At the least" to start a sentence seems right but

texts:
The sentence I am trying to construct will be read with the assumption that finding that a bug exists in unfortunate. This is what I want to say, paraphrased:

  We found a bug in the code. At the least, it causes this negative effect, but it might cause others.

My question is on the use of "at the least." The reason I am questioning this is because I have not heard this phrase very much. The two other similar phrases I have heard do not seem to convey the idea in the same way.

  We found a bug in the code. At least, it causes this negative effect, but it might cause others.

When the reader gets past "at least," he or she will be in the mindset that a negative thing has happened (the bug was found), but there is a bright side. Generally, after a negative statement, "at least" is used to "look on the bright side" and mention a positive aspect of the situation. However, this is not what I am doing, so the sentence will read weirdly.

  We found a bug in the code. At the very least, it causes this negative effect, but it might cause others.

Reflecting on the way that I am familiar with this phrase, I feel that, when the reader gets past "at the very least," he or she will think that I am about to suggest the least that we should do to fix the problem, but that is not what I am doing, so the sentence will read weirdly. Also, personally, I think this phrase is over-used and is a bit sensationalist with the "very" in there.

For those reasons, I feel "at the least" is the best option. However, I am still stuck on the fact that it is an uncommon phrase. This makes me hesitant to use it and makes me wonder whether it (or even "at the very least") is grammatically correct. Is this grammatically correct? If so, does it read so strangely that it rivals the magnitude to which the others read strangely?

I would appreciate most an answer concerning the phrase "at the least," but alternative ways to phrase the sentence would be helpful as well. Also, this is my first post, so any suggestions on my posting behavior/style would be helpful.


texts:
I think it should be

  "I laugh for 10 minutes"

and yet online I found versions with no for:  "I laugh 10 minutes".  Is that form grammatical?


texts: How to describe an individual who always speaks in a "matter of fact" manner

texts:
I have a friend who always speaks in a very matter-of-fact manner.  On numerous occasions, he has mentioned how it was "the best BLANK" he has ever had, or "the best BLANK in the city."

Everything he speaks of is absolute in a overly self-assured manner (almost to a fault, since he is not always correct or has contradicted himself because of previous statements...how many bars in the city can have the best cocktail?).  But on the other hand, he is very convincing/charismatic so it is easy to get swept away by his passion.

Anyway...are there any good idioms, or single words that might sum up this type of individual?

The following adjectives are the best ones I could come up with to describe this type of person: "very matter-of-fact" and "absolute" (but to a fault) but since he is so "self-assured", "charismatic" and "convincing" it's hard to see through this.


texts: Definition, Origin, and Extent of "Matter" as a title in Literature

texts:
Why was "Matter" chosen for the Matter of Britain, the Matter of France and the Matter of Rome?

What would the exact definition of "Matter" be in this instance? Written/Printed Material, or a Theme/Group of Themes, or (obsolete) the essence; the pith; the embodiment? Whereas it seems to refer to topics, we often hear it used as a proper noun to describe the Literature itself, such as "in the Matter of Britain we often read of..." So what did it mean in its original context and what has it come to mean - exactly - in the English language?

Who coined this term and when? Was it the old French poet Jean Bodel (c. 1165 – c. 1210) who classified "The Three Matters" ["N'en sont que trois materes a nul home entendant / De France, et de Bretaigne, et de Rome la grant."], or was the term commonly used in regards to bodies of literature before him? And when if ever did it's use fall out of vogue?


texts:
Which of the following two structures is grammatically correct? Why?

I'd hate to be questioned by the FBI.
I'd hate being questioned by the FBI.


texts: Sentence structure of "It is time we found out"

texts:
I've heard in a lot of movies they use this format :

"It is time we found out"

Now I would like to know if the sentence " It is time we find out " incorrect and why we are using a past tense in the first place although the action has not taken place yet.


texts: "will you be going home" vs. "will you go home"

texts:
What's the difference between saying;

Will you be going home this summer?
Will you go home this summer?

Are there any differences between these in written or spoken English?


texts: Which is the correct usage - " the line is breaking off " or " the line is breaking up"?

texts: When you are having a conversation over the phone and the voice keeps getting cut off because of poor signal strength, what is the appropriate term for it?


texts:
What does "in disgrace" mean in the following headlines?

"Keith O’Brien, Catholic cardinal who resigned in disgrace, dies at 80"
"President Nixon Resigns in Disgrace"


texts:
I keep hearing people say everything is not… which frustrating because it is ambiguous. It could mean either

  Nothing is… (for the set of all things, no thing is…)

or

  Not everything is… (for the set of all things, some things are not…/not all things are…)

I have been hearing it more and more in the past few years. In fact, when you Google the phrase everything is not, you get Selena Gomez’s rendition of the Wizards of Waverly Place theme song which only further popularizes it with the youth.

Is this phrase grammatically correct/legitimate (ie, would an English teacher complain?), and if so, which is the correct meaning (if any)?


texts: The use of the grammar structure "if" + "would" in context

texts:
I stumbled upon it in this video. It is at 1 hour 21 minute and 42 second.

  If the Israelis would ever once just say we got screwed in 1948, and we are sorry it happened, we would be willing to make peace.

I think it is quite clear that the sentence is conditional, thus it is not correct to use would in the if clause. Did the lecturer say that by mistake? Or is that some kind of grammar I am not aware of? And by the way, what does get screwed mean there?


texts: Direct to Reported Speech - a scenario of ambiguity

texts:
The question is:

How would one convert

  He said, "My name is Harry"

to reported speech?

Rules do say that the converted sentence reads

  He said that his name was Harry.

The factor causing discomfort is the 'was' part of it. So it means that his name 'was' Harry and nothing is said about what his name 'is'! So there is a radical change in meaning!! In that light, the converted sentence should read

  He said that his name is Harry.

Isn't the latter the correct conversion?


texts: Describe a fallacious opinion regarding one's own ability

texts: What's a phrase that describes a unfounded tendency of a person to think that he or she is smarter or possesses more skill than average in a competitive environment such as the stock market or say, the casino, and as a consequence is entitled to great financial gain at the expense of others, although the same belief is more likely to instead cause him/her to lose badly?


texts: "The" for superlative referring to more than one object

texts:
Which one of these sentences is correct?

The best countries to live in are ...

Best countries to live in are ...

EDIT: The reason this question is being asked is that this Wiktionary article says the definite article should be used with a superlative, it and that superlative refer to one object: that apple pie was the best.
Now, what about those apple pies were the best?


texts: What's a nice word to say "we considered your input and will not go forward with it"?

texts:
I'm in charge of a database where engineers can voice their concerns. We can close out tickets with the following resolutions:

"Mitigated" - we actively worked to fix the concern
"Accepted" - we have to accept the fact that the concern is valid and we won't/can't do anything about it
"Invalid" - this isn't a concern
"Duplicate" - this concern was already covered.

Up to this point, things that aren't a concern have been closed as "invalid" because they're not a concern. But it was pointed out to me that if an engineer keeps having concerns and they keep getting closed as "invalid", they might not feel great and stop sharing their concerns. But an "invalid" disposition may be the result of something obvious OR it was something that was seriously considered and decided that the concern isn't valid.

Is there a nicer way, with 1-2 words, to communicate to our engineers that we considered their thoughts and decided that the concern isn't valid?


texts:
By table I mean that thing with rows and columns. How do I say correctly: "I'll add a record to the student table" or "I'll add a record to the students table"? Also what's right: "I'll add a record to the student list" or "I'll add a record to the students list"? What are grammar rules for these examples?

EDIT: Not the table that belongs to some student, table that contains information about students.


texts: Why are there two pronunciations for "either"?

texts:
A few weeks ago, I had a conversation with an individual who told me that pronouncing the word "either" is wrong when pronounced like \ˈī-thər\ instead of \ˈē-thər\ , but I didn't argue the point because I'd done no research on it myself. So I looked the word up on Merriam Webster Online and wasn't at all surprised to find that both pronunciations are in fact legitimate.

Which brings me to my question: what is the history of this word? How was it pronounced in old English? Were both pronunciations common hundreds of years ago? I was unable to glean much from Merriam Webster Online apart from some small fact that the word is somehow related to whether.

EDIT:
I dug up some additional information about the origins or either, and I'm hoping that someone can shed some light upon what it means.

  O.E. ægðer,  contraction of æghwæðer  "each of two, both," from a  "always" + ge-  collective prefix + hwæðer  "which of two, whether."
  Modern sense of "one or the other of two" is early 14c.

I took this directly from Dictionary.com, but I have no idea what language those words come from.


texts: Meaning of "gamecock" when referring to a person

texts:
I was watching a south korean drama (Youth of may), second episode, and the scene is:
The guy is waiting at the restaurant for a blind date. The girl arrives late and as soon as she seats in front of him, he says: Gamecock.
The guy and the girl are wearing suits. I already looked into dictionaries, but the meanings I've found doesn't seem to match. The only one would be from urban dictionary:
4.)Someone who, after starting a fist fight with themselves, could still find a way to lose.
But also, it doesn't seem like that's the meaning.


texts: Is there any suitable word for describing the highest point of a difficult situation?

texts:
Words like apex, peak, pinnacle or acme are usually used to describe the most successful, powerful or exciting part of something.

Is it okay if I use them for the maximum point of a bad situation? If not, what word can I use then? (any word other than maximum)

For example:

In 1870s, the sense of frustration reached its ............. .


texts:
Here’s the context:
Finally, if an institutionalized child is transferred into a family setting, can he or she recoup undeveloped capacities? Implicitly, poignantly: Can a person unloved in childhood learn to love?
I think it should be "explicitly" because the following question is more explicit and straightforward.
If even more context would help:
In the decade after the fall of Ceauescu, the new Romanian government welcomed Western child-development experts to simultaneously help and study the tens of thousands of children still warehoused in state care. Researchers hoped to answer some long-standing questions: Are there sensitive periods in neural development, after which the brain of a deprived child cannot make full use of the mental, emotional, and physical stimulation later offered? Can the effects of “maternal deprivation” or “caregiver absence” be documented with modern neuroimaging techniques? Finally, if an institutionalized child is transferred into a family setting, can he or she recoup undeveloped capacities? Implicitly, poignantly: Can a person unloved in childhood learn to love?


texts:
What is the correct term for a collection of mathematical formulas in the form of a (small) handbook? I'm looking for a translation of the German noun “Formelsammlung”.

Several dictionarys suggest the word “formulary”, but the disambiguation page on Wikipedia does not indicate a meaning of this kind. Wiktionary does support this meaning, but only as one among several. It appears that a pharmaceutical meaning is more common than a mathematical one. So I suppose that I should disambiuate the term. But I'm unsure whether to choose “mathematical formulary” or “mathematics formulary”. Or perhaps something completely different, like “mathematical handbook”.

Which term is most common or best suited to describe this kind of book?


texts:
I'm a voracious reader.  I collect a multitude of quotes and article snippets.  My reason for doing this is that I frequently find an idea expressed by an author that is precisely what I've had in my mind, but could never put into words.  I collect these quotes to have my own library for future reference in my own conversations and writing.

What single word (up to three if necessary) could be used in place of "I could not have said it better myself?"

Example sentence:

When I read the article, the author expressed my thoughts so perfectly, I thought ______.


texts: Let's say someone has been accepted by the Make-A-Wish foundation. Before entering the process of having the wish, the person is called an applicant. How about after his or her wish has been accepted by the foundation?


texts:
How do I decide whether I should use "in no way" or "by no means"? Are they different in any way? Should either of these terms be used at all?

For example:

  In no way am I suggesting that...

  By no means am I suggesting that...

or should I stick to something like:

  I am not suggesting that...

Thanks ahead of time!


texts: Ways of conveying existence other than 'there is.'

texts:
What are some different ways of stating existence in a sentence (does not necessarily have to be one/short clause) other than clichés such as there is/are, there exists ...
How may these sentence parts be rephrased?

There is too much debate about...
There are various views of...
It is believed that...

Is it possible to not use the verb to be?


texts:
I am tripped up with the correct usage of 'are' or 'is' in the following sentence. Any quick explanations as to why this simple sentence may cause confusion?

Here 'are/is' the list of scholarships and the application.


texts:
I would like to learn whether or not there is any connotation held by the phrase 'after which' when used to start a sentence.

I recently read 'The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of The Window and Disappeared' where this is heavily used. The overall tone in the book, which seems to be somewhat humorous and unserious to me, makes me think that the wording in question possesses an comical undertone.

Is this true?

  'After which Allan retired for the night.'

Note that I am not a native-speaker, thus I'm having hard times understanding such 'undertone' every now and then.


texts: "stuck" vs "sticking" vs "stick" - Why is this third sentence weird? Issue of: Participles or Aspects?

texts:
Lots of people have his photo stuck on their wall.

Lots of people have his photo sticking on their wall.

Lots of people have his photo stick on their wall.

The third sentence doesn't necessarily seem ungrammatical but it feels wrong. Asking for a friend, can't figure it out.

At first I thought it was an aspect(and maybe tense) issue, but now I think it's participles. The first two are past and present participles respectively (stuck, sticking), but "stick" isn't a participle. Is this the reason?


texts: Cowboys, cowpokes, cowpunchers, wranglers, vaqueros, and buckaroos

texts:
Depending on where you are regionally located in the US, can these terms be used just about interchangeably in the sense "a hired hand (a cowhand) who tends cattle and performs many of his duties on horseback"?

In addition, can any of these terms be used interchangeably to refer to cowboys in western movies? Or to historical cowboys and gunslingers back in the old days when people had to rely on horses to carry them?

By the way, how come mature cowboys in horse operas are not referred to as cowmen but still as cowboys?


texts: Do I need to add "the" to a plural noun?

texts:
I am confused by whether or not to add "the" before a plural noun. For example, do the following two sentences mean something slightly different from each other?

(1) We analyzed the potential implications of such practices for consumers.

(2) We analyzed potential implications of such practices for consumers.


texts:
How to say "I don't believe you" in a more academic way?

I need to say it to my teacher and I do not know how to say it, not to make her mad...


texts: On the combination between "to be allowed to" and "to be entitled to"

texts:
We have:

  I am allowed to do something.

and

  I am entitled to doing something.

When we combine the two of them, do we have:

  I am both [allowed] and [entitled] [to do] something.

or

  I am both [allowed] and [entitled] [to doing] something.


texts:
There was the following paragraph in the article titled “Welcome to the post-truth presidency” in Washington Post (December 2).

  “As Politico’s Susan Glasser wrote in a sobering assessment of
  election coverage for the Brookings Institution, “Even fact-checking
  perhaps the most untruthful candidate of our lifetime didn’t work; the
  more news outlets did it, the less the facts resonated.” So there is
  no reason to think Trump is about to suddenly truth-up. Indeed,
  all signs are to the contrary — most glaringly Trump’s
  chockfull-of-lies tweet that “I won the popular vote if you deduct the
  millions of people who voted illegally.”

Though Google Ngram indicates that the word, “truth up” is current even before or since the beginning of the 19th century with its peak of usage in mid-1800s, neither Oxford nor Cambridge online dictionaries carry this word.

Does “truth up” mean to try to be more truthful and show integrity? What does “truth up” mean? Is it a popular word?


texts: Should I use the article 'a' here? Or nothing at all?

texts:
Which variant is better?

  We have a chance to get new experience talking to new people.

or

  We have a chance to get a new experience talking to new people.


texts:
Apologies in advance for this question being only indirectly related to the English language, but I find it fascinating.

I note with interest that the English words "mother" and "mama" have similar sounding equivalents in almost all languages, even those that appear to have no historical recent relationship.

http://www.mothersdaycelebration.com/mother-in-different-languages.html

Not even mentioned in that link is the Mandarin word "māmā", a language I always assumed had no relationship with English whatsoever.

This suggests to me that "mother" / "mama" could be one of the oldest surviving words, belonging to some lost parent language from which most modern languages derive.

My questions are:

Is this theory remotely plausible, or just fanciful thinking on my part?
Are there any other "universal" words like this? (Could "OK" be considered such?)


texts: "Business user" and "non-business user"?

texts: I need to categorize users of a software system based on whether they use the software for work purposes or in their personal life. What should I call those categories? Here are some alternatives: business user, at-work user, commercial user, and respectively: consumer user, private user, personal user.


texts:
"Remember the first time you went to a show and saw your favorite band. You wore their shirt, and sang every word. You didn’t know anything about scene politics, haircuts, or what was cool. All you knew was that this music made you feel different from anyone you shared a locker with. Someone finally understood you. This is what music is about."

What does it mean by "scene politics"?


texts:
I'm in the middle of creating a web form, where users can apply for a certain service. In order to do so, they are clicking the apply button. Then they fill out a form and submit it. Later on, they can view their application status, which indicates whether the application has been processed or not.

Are there other words for apply and application status which could be used in this situation? Please note, this is not a sign up process, since not everybody meets the asked requirements.


texts: Is "such as occurred in" in a parenthetical sentence correct?

texts:
In the following sentence, is the such as occurred in Katrina part  grammatically correct?

  Eyewall replacement cycles, such as occurred in Katrina as it approached the Gulf Coast of the United States, can greatly increase the size of tropical cyclones.

Context

An alternative,

  Eyewall replacement cycles, such as those that occurred in Katrina as it approached the Gulf Coast of the United States, can greatly increase the size of tropical cyclones.

seems to be clumsy.


texts:
Example: - It's stuffy in here. Shall I open the window? + Do.
Example: - Do you mind if I look at your paper? + No, please do.

What is the grammar behind this structure? When can it be used?


texts: Does “landfill” refer only to the landfill site, or also to the material?

texts: In particular, is it proper to say “10 tons of landfill”, or do you have to say “10 tons of landfill waste” or similar?


texts: This market was finished rebuilding - correct grammar?

texts:
On one of the corners of Spitalfields market in London, there's a sign that reads:

  "This market was finished rebuilding by R. Homer 1893"

Is this a clumsy sentence? Is it grammatically correct?

Wouldn't

  "R. Homer finished rebuilding this market, 1893"

be more correct?

I'm confused by the 'rebuilding' - is it a noun here? Is there some intransitivity in the verb 'finished'?


texts: "Do you wanna talk about it?" vs. "Do you wanna talk about that?"

texts:
Recently, I've been thinking a lot about the everyday usage of "it" and "that". For instance, "Mate, it sucks."
              "Mate, that sucks."
              "Yes, I saw it."
              "Yes, I saw that."
In terms of meaning, is there any difference? Is there any given rule that has to be applied? Thank you for your replies!


texts: I had just complimented my cousin on her hair when my mom told me that my cousin's mom was very upset because her daughter's hair was falling out. I was shocked and it seemed weird. What would you call this situation? Ironic?


texts:
What are the origins of the word orientated?

As far as I know, the correct spelling is oriented and orientated is not an alternative spelling but an error that is in common use.

Is it for example more commonly used in a certain country or by a certain people? Is there a reason for people choosing to say or write orientated instead of oriented?


texts: Meaning of the word "Dog" in this sentence

texts:
This is a conversation between two individuals that I found on Twitter:

  A: Is it necessary  B for several countries to bomb Syria?

  B : Dog I sure hope so. (In reply to Person A)

Both A & B are from US.

Does the word dog in this sentence mean that B is calling A an unpleasant, contemptible person?


texts: Should I use in 'has' or 'have' in sentence

texts:
If I have a sentence that reads: ''Consequently, industrial use and academic research have employed the product on this basis.''

Should I be using ''research has employed'' or ''research have employed''?


texts: would've make harder vs would've to make harder

texts:
I have these two formulations, and I don't know which one is the correct form and why, can you help me with this.

I could've chosen to speak, but that would've make harder the problem.

vs

I could've chosen to speak, but that would've to make harder the problem.

Is there a correct form ? or both are valid, if so what's the difference ?


texts: Two people holding fingers (not hands), one leading the other

texts: Is there a word or phrase to describe the act of taking someone by a finger or a few fingers, but not the whole hand, to lead them somewhere/to show them something? It's an intimate and sometimes seductive gesture and not necessarily the same, in my opinion, as taking someone by the hand. Here is an example:


texts: "Boatload of things" - singular or plural?

texts:
One of those automated grammar checking tools pointed this out to me.

I have a sentence, "There are a boatload of other options."

The are in this sentence gets flagged as not agreeing with the form of boatload as singular.

boatload in this usage would seem to be plural, and saying is a boatload of other options sounds strange.

Which is the correct usage?


texts:
Where does the "that" go?

"This notice is to inform you that, in accordance with blah blah blah, I am proposing to suspend you."

"This notice is to inform you, in accordance with blah blah blah, that I am proposing to suspend you."


texts: English Word Request for a Certain Type Of House

texts:
I am looking for an English word to describe a house that is square or rectangular but has a hollow center similar to a courtyard. Looking online I can only find links for houses in my area and other such search results. It is very difficult to find pictures for the type of house so below is a floor plan of the type of house I am referring to.

Thank you in advance!


texts: "In our tent are thousands of beetles". Is it correct?

texts: Ran into the title sentence in a Babbel Learning French application. I would have said "In our tent there are thousands of beetles". Is it really possible to omit "there" here? Is it common? Are there any other examples where it is possible?


texts: "All your commas are belong to Array" and similar — is this grammar form "proper"?

texts:
I've often come across "weird" sentences like, say, instead of:

  All of your commas belong to Array.

It writes:

  All your commas are belong to Array.

It's not just once or twice, I actually see it all the time.

Is this usage actually grammatical or is simply a joke grammar?


texts:
What does "Which of the many" mean in the quote below?

During the past 35 years, opinions on unemployment have significantly influenced our thoughts about the process of economic development in low-income countries, the economic strategies appropriate for governments committed to accelerating that process, and the best way for the rich nations to assist in that endeavor. Which of the many and sometimes conflicting opinions of economists regarding the magnitude, causes, and costs of unemployment in LDCs reigns as the conventional wisdom at any given time is not determined by purely scientific criteria.
Unemployment and Economic Development
Albert Berry and R. H. Sabot,
Economic Development and Cultural Change
Vol. 33, No. 1 (Oct., 1984), pp. 99-116


texts: Difference between "pajama", "pyjama" and "paijama"

texts:
Which is the correct word: pajama, pyjama or paijama?

Is there a difference between these three?


texts: Is there an adjective to describe someone who has access to all the facts, news or insider information?

texts:
Looking for an adjective to fill in the blank below:

I was talking to my stock broker. I wanted to say: I am not as _ as you who has access to all the facts, news and insider information (about the stock).


texts: What are the differences between personality and character?

texts:
The LDOCE defines character and personality as follows:

Character: the particular combination of qualities that makes someone a particular type of person
Personality: someone’s character, especially the way they behave towards other people

My only takeaway from these is that personality may be an aspect of character but not vice versa.

So what are the differences between character and personality? Which categories do traits like generosity, kindness, rashness, sensibility, humorousness, persuasiveness, charisma belong to. Illustrative examples would be appreciated.


texts: Is there an animal equivalent to "anthropomorphism"? That is: ascribing animal traits to non-animals

texts:
I'm watching them demolish a building near me and thought that the JCBs were rather animalistic – almost dinosaur-like.

Anyway, it just got me onto thinking that it's not anthropomorphy if I want to give a non-human (animal) trait to an inanimate object.

Another example is that the comedian Isy Suttie once described an elderly person, hunched over and using a pair of walking sticks as resembling an insect (except she was funny). I suppose this is the same thing.

The only thing I can think of that might fit is "xenopomorphism".

Any ideas?


texts:
For him not going to party was a big mistake.
His not going to party was a big mistake.

I think in the first sentence gives a sense that he is sad as he missed the party.
The second sentence gives a sense that someone was in the party and enjoyed, now he is trying to say how wrong his decision was.
Maybe, I'm thinking too much on these sentences. There is no context, just these two sentence.
Would you please explain the actual meaning and the grammar behind these sentences, if I'm not thinking right.


texts: I was recently speaking to my friend over the phone. She asked about the whereabouts of my other friend, to which I replied "I don't know. I went home already." (Keep in mind that while saying this, I was already at home. After hearing this, my mother proceeded to comment on my incorrect grammar in the above dialogue. I was just wondering if 'I came back home' should be used instead of 'I went back home', and if the latter is grammatically incorrect in my situation. Thank you for answering.


texts:
Consider:

You should do it.
You have to do it.

Does should show suggestion and have to show compulsion or motivation?


texts: How should I greet a close friend from the United States?

texts:
I (male) have a very good (female) friend over in the south-western United States that I met one year ago and we're exchanging mails or messages from time to time. We're both not older than 22 and I consider her a very open person. Note that this is not about dating her—just casually writing mails.

What would you suggest to end the mails with? It shouldn't sound too stiff, but also not too intimate. I definitely don't want to send "Kind regards", but also no "kisses".

In addition, I'd like to know if "cheers" is possible with US-American people?


texts: Using "of" before "whether" and general usage of "whether"

texts:
I was reading a mathematics text, and I came across a phrase which I thought was written incorrectly. There was a part of a sentence:

  ... it begs the question whether or not A=B.

and I feel this is incorrect, but I'm not sure. I think it should be written like this:

  ... it begs the question of whether or not A=B.

Or maybe there that's also incorrect, and there is a better form altogether? Maybe taking out the "or not" would make it even more correct, but I'm still not sure. My main problem is that I think there should be an "of" before the "whether" but I don't know why.

So, what is the correct form of this expression?


texts:
Since we have already found out the correct pronunciation of either, why not take a stab at how again should be enunciated?

Obviously, there are some words where both of two pronunciations are valid. Take the, for example. The word is usually pronounced /ðə/, but becomes /ði/ if it precedes a vowel or vowel sound.

What about /əˈɡɛn/ versus /əˈɡeɪn/? Is one more valid? Are both valid, but in different circumstances?


texts: "After taking a rest, I get ready for job"

texts:
Is the following sentence grammatical?

  After taking a rest, I get ready for job.

I think the statement above sounds informal.  I'm also unclear as to what it means.

Would English native speakers understand this phrase, is it clear? Should I say the following instead?

  After taking a rest, I be ready for job.