texts: I have a friend who is a teacher but she looks down on her job. She finds it of little value. Is there a single word to describe her feelings for her occupation?


texts: "They knew what mercy is" vs. "they knew what mercy was"

texts:
They knew what mercy is.
  They knew what mercy was.

Mercy is something that always exists so can I say is  as in the quoted example?


texts: Placement of "just" in "we just need minified and concatenated files"

texts:
I was talking to my client. I wanted to convey that "we need the minified type of files and the concatenated type of files; nothing other than that". I quickly wrote this:

  we just need minified and concatenated files.

Thinking on it later, I felt like perhaps "we need just minified and concatenated files", or perhaps "we need minified and concatenated files only", would have been accurate.

I want to know:

Is the usage of just appropriate in such a situation? Or should I use only?
How does the placement of just modify the sense of the sentence?


texts: What does the phrase "spell out the zeros" mean?

texts:
I was reading the back cover of Donald Trump's book The Art Of The Deal and found these lines:

  He isolates the common elements in his greatest deals; he shatters
  myths; he names names, spells out the zeros, and fully reveals
  the deal-maker's art.

So what does the phrase spells out the zeros mean? And is this phrase still in use or is it dated? Thanks.


texts: "No sooner do I sit..." Why does this have "do I" when it's not a question?

texts:
I have no idea what kind of grammar this is.

  No sooner do I sit at the foot of my bed than one of the beginning trainees comes to the door.

How can they use do I in that sentence and still not end it with a question mark?.


texts:
I am seeing an episode of a British sitcom, The Thin Blue Line, where an officer makes a remark

  Just once in a while, I'd like to nick someone whose balls have dropped!

What does this sentence mean exactly? I understand that this is an offensive remark, but please excuse me for that.


texts:
Can I write:

[...]
No, that was not it. Jack felt something at a much deeper level, he felt betrayal.

Or do I have to write:

He felt the betrayal.

Or something like:

He felt the betrayal of it all.

Is there a better way to write this?


texts: Need a single term for a set of sleeping people

texts: Can I write 'Do not wake the asleep'?  Or does it have to be 'Do not wake the sleeping'?  I am looking for a single term for a set of sleeping people.


texts: What is the word for the feeling of loss that is experienced when you wake from a dream?

texts: I seem to remember that there's a word for the feeling you get when you are having a dream thats vivid and happy, then you wake up and thats gone, its a sadness and its not necessarily fleeting. It may be one of those non-english words that has no english equivalent. Does anyone know?


texts: What's the meaning of "It also helps to clarify these understandings and to distinguish licensing from other forms of governance"

texts:
In the following sentence, I'm confused about how to understand the sentence "It also helps to clarify these understandings and to distinguish licensing from other forms of governance".
Does "It" refer to "Pierre Issalys and Denis Lemieux’s definition" or does "It" refer to "to distinguish licensing from other forms of governance." as an impersonal pronoun?
If the latter one is correct, is it grammatically correct in that it has no object in the sentence.
Thank you in advance.

I have therefore adopted Pierre Issalys and Denis Lemieux’s definition
of a license as “a permission, often subject to conditions, given by a
public authority to a natural or legal person, to carry out an act or
to exercise an activity that would otherwise be illegal.” I have
chosen this definition because it largely corresponds to commonsense
understandings. It also helps to clarify these understandings and to
distinguish licensing from other forms of governance.


texts:
I wrote the following:

  Eri was still staring at the screen, but her eyes were expresionless,
  as if in a trance.

  Her father laughed. "I admit it was a shocking footage. But Eri, you
  look like you've just seen a ghost."

  "Oh," Eri said, snapping out (of it). "It's nothing. I just had a long
  day."

Should I just write, snapping out, or snapping out of it?


texts: What is ”A regular sound change” in old English?

texts:
I found this term in Herisson’s answer to the question: How did “Pappa” become “Pope”?

I am wondering what a “regular sound change” is and why would it mean people stopped saying Pappa and began saying Pope?


texts:
What is the meaning of "usher" as in usher death?

More than sex, more than faith, even more than its usher death, grief is unspoken, publicly ignored except for those moments at the funeral that are over too quickly.


texts:
When one checks (something), would the purpose not be to ensure/make sure? What other purpose does checking have? Even if this a false assumption/argument (purpose equals definition), are there other ways to prove that "check to make sure" is a tautology?

Edit:

@FumbleFingers's comment reminded me of the exact usage I had in mind: e.g. "Check to make sure that there are no errors in this document."


texts: "a" vs "an" before parenthesis: which indefinite article should I use when adding parentheses before the subject?

texts:
I want to write a remark in parenthesis between an indefinite article and the rest of the subject. If I didn't write this clarification then using the "a" article would be correct; however for the clarification alone "an" should be used.
Which one of the following examples is correct? Both sound weird to my ears.

This experiment used an (arguably small) set of data.
This experiment used a (arguably small) set of data.


texts: Word-choice question: "His camera accompanied him everywhere/wherever he went in the world."

texts:
Which sentence sounds better? Why?

His camera accompanied him everywhere he went in the world.
His camera accompanied him wherever he went in the world.


texts:
How do we correctly (APA style) end a sentence that ends in a quote and requires a citation?

  The manual explains it as, "a method for doing something (author, year)."

or

  The manual explains it as, "a method for doing something."  (author, year)
      Next sentence begins....


texts: There are blonde, brunette and redhead. What's the name for people with black hair?


texts: Word meaning not to do something for a while to get a different feeling once you do it?

texts:
What would be a word or short phrase meaning not to do something for a certain period of time in order for it to feel better, or stronger, once you finally do it?

I'm looking for a better way to say this, for example:

  What are the effects of not eating foods of a certain flavors for a few weeks in order to develop a more developed taste for it?

Though this of course makes me think of delayed gratification but I don't think it really applies here.


texts: Four officers drove by in a car while he stood to attention and saluted.    What is the meaning of ‘drove by’?


texts: "As humans gifted with intelligence," or "As humans are gifted with intelligence,"?

texts:
I recently wrote an essay during my exam about the environment and our responsibility. In one of my paragraphs, I wrote: "As humans gifted with intelligence, it is our duty to protect the flora and fauna that cannot do so." My teacher corrected it to "As humans are gifted with intelligence," insisting that the verb to be was necessary.

My question is: Is there a significant difference in either?

Many thanks in advance!


texts: Why is the sentence "A strong light is necessary to sew well" gramatically wrong?

texts:
So I was trying to refresh my memory about grammar using English Grammar for Dummies and I came across this sentence.

  A strong light is necessary to sew well

According to the author, this sentence is grammatically incorrect because it lacks a subject even though it sounds right.

Isn't "A strong light" the subject, "is" the linking verb and "necessary" the predicative
What is the difference between for example

a strong light is necessary

and

I am Chinese

Thank you for your time

edit: I added a picture of the relevant page to provide more context.


texts:
What is the name of a verse consisting of 7 syllables? I thought it was called a heptameter, but that seems to be something different.

Example:

  I like chocolate cake with pears.


texts: possessive-before-gerund: "him sleeping with" or "his sleeping with"?

texts:
Did gypsies cut off man's penis in revenge for him sleeping with one of their girlfriends?

Shouldn't that be his sleeping?

Is the possessive-before-gerund rule still a rule on both sides of the Big Pond, or only on the left side?

Would anyone care about grammar while reading this headline?

Ouch!


texts: What is a word that means "a span of six months"?

texts: Is there a word that means "a span of six months"? That is, I want to connote a stretch of time that lasts half a year, not an event that happens every six months.


texts: Phrase for a situation where a problem disappears when you are about to fix it, but reappears later

texts: For example, the car mechanic can't replicate the problem you are having every day, but when you drive it off the service dept, there it is again. Or, when seeing the dentist, the tooth ache goes away, and comes back when you leave.


texts:
The following quotation is taken from an article by Fintan O'Toole titled This glorious and unruly English language that lets everyone in (The Observer, Sunday 15 September 2013).

Does the word hardly modify the verb feel"?   In my opinion, if so, and feel must be or feel , and if not, and feel should be but feel. Am I right?

  Toibin and Catton hardly read Crace (or Shakespeare, Austen or Dickens) and feel that the riches of English are "his before they are mine".


texts:
I think probably the expression means to find job for someone, Is it a common expression or a word made inside the movie?

  I talked to him. He said he can "throw some work my way".


texts: Punctuation inside of quotation marks with technical phrases

texts:
If I am not mistaken, one should insert a period, question mark, etc. inside of the quotation mark in quoted speech.  For example,

  The man continued, "The sky is purple today."

My question concerns the use of punctuation when the thing within the quotation marks is a specific technical thing.  For example,

  The correct computer password is "AbCd!".

Should the period be before or after the final quotation mark in the last example?


texts: What would be english equivalent of Hindi proverb char aane ki murgi barah aane ka masala-Chicken is dirt cheap but its ingredients are costing a bomb

texts:
What would be english equivalent of Hindi proverb "char aane (Rs. 0.25) ki murgi (Chicken) barah aane (Rs. 0.75) ka masala (spice)" is an old phrase around 60's and the 70's India which mean Chicken is dirt cheap (say 10$) but its minuscule spice ingredients costing a bomb (say 300$)

Example 1: Wow, two thousand dollar wheel rims on a three hundred dollar car.
Example 2: 208 hrs worth paperwork and teamwork on a 1/2 hrs project. (Office setting).
Example 3: 1 hours of interview and you 2 1/2 months of preparation.
Example 4: 1 hours of exhibition for the VIPs and three month of refurbishment and $ 90,000 spent for what.


texts: Are "final decision" and "last decision" interchangeable?

texts:
Looking into a dictionary entry for last, I come up with:

  1) Final, ultimate, coming after all others of its kind.
  2) Most recent, latest, last so far.

Looking up final:

  1) last; ultimate
  2) Conclusive; decisive

Now I'm wondering what's the difference between final decision and last decision, were one to be strict and pedantic.

My theory:

last decision - ambiguous - may mean "final decision" or "most recent decision in a chain of decisions yet to follow
final decision - not ambiguous - means only "final decision"

Am I correct here or am I somehow mistaken?


texts: Is re a prefix in respect or just a part of the word? Any guidance on this would be appreciated?


texts:
Is this correct:

"It's parents who choose kid's future".

"Parents" is plural, but as for me "it's" seems fine here. I don't even know which other verb to use with plural noun here.

This case is completely different from, say, "it's raining" case. Because there it's pretty clear what "is" is refer to, some subject, weather etc. Here we have plural noun, and I wonder is it correct to use "is" with it.


texts: What is the correct term for the viewing hole in a door?

texts: Doors often have a small hole with a fish-eye lens for security purposes. They are commonly called 'peepholes' but I'm sure I have come across a formal architectural term for this type of aperture, possibly Latin or Greek. I can't find it though!


texts: Does it makes a difference to say whether he is rather than whether he isn't?

texts:
In other words, since the use of the word whether, automatically assume one thing in both ways (like he is or he isn't), does it matter or makes any significant difference to say it one way rather than the other?

The question popped up when I read sentences like it in a book.

An example is:

  I wonder whether he wasn't also right in telling me that I should always arrive on time.


texts: Should I use 'a' or 'an' when the following word is within parentheses?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  “a/an” preceding a parenthetical statement

I'm asking a question on Stack Overflow now, and I'm unsure about this:

  I have an (Ruby on Rails site's) API which returns JSON data.

'API' starts with an 'A' so I should use 'an': an API …
'Ruby' (within parentheses) starts with an 'R' so I should use 'a': a (Ruby …

Must I use 'a' or 'an' in this case?

In other words, is the 'a' or 'an' only dependent on the following word not within parentheses?


texts: 'At' vs. 'on' when referring to a temperature

texts:
Assume you have a chemical solution and you want it to be frozen and kept at a temperature of -4 degrees, or you want an action to be taken on the solution at -4 degrees, what would you use then?

Would you write 'freeze at -4 degrees' or 'freeze in -4 degrees',
would you write 'execute the action at -4 degrees' or 'execute the action in -4 degrees'

I know I have kind of answered myself inside my question but I want to know that I'm not mistaken, as I'm writing an academic article and I don't want to hassle my professors with
grammar.


texts: Synonym for "specially crafted", deliberately made-up example

texts:
I remember I've come across an adjective for a "weird computer program, obviously made-up to prove a point".

Any idea what that word might have been?


texts: How does one write the possessive of "Elizabeth II" or similar usages?

texts:
Monarchs are often identified by Roman numerals, as in "Henry VIII" or "Elizabeth II".

How does one write the possessive for this usage? "Elizabeth II's" looks right but feels somehow wrong, as if it expands as "Elizabeth Two's".


texts: The phrase 'soup up' is slang that basically means 'to increase the power of' something.  Why do we use 'soup' here?  It seems similar to the phrases 'beef up' and 'pep up', which literally come from the foods beef and pepper, so is it as simple as the fact that it's a variation on those phrases that uses 'soup' as the food?  But why soup?  Is soup considered particularly 'hearty'?


texts:
I need a phrase which has a meaning of a question that is very easy to answer and requires very little thought. I think it might have something to do with word no-brainer.

I don't know if a no-brainer question is grammatically correct since both are nouns.

Is it actually correct or not? Is there any alternative?


texts:
Let's say I have just written an argument for something in a text, and I then add: "Last argument implies that..."

Is that correct? Or should I add "That/the last argument implies that" or "The previous argument implies that..."

What is more correct, and more importantly, more formal? Thanks in advance.


texts:
I have noticed people use this sentence to reply to written mails but I often ask myself; why use "hear" when you "read" ?

Is it just a generally accepted phrase or people do use it wrongly ?


texts: "crash" vs. "wreck" for [road/air] accident in AmEng

texts:
What's the difference between those terms in relation to a road or air accident?

crash

  verb

  (Aeronautics) to cause (an aircraft) to hit land or water violently resulting in severe damage or (of an aircraft) to hit land or water in this way
  (Automotive Engineering) to cause (a car, etc.) to collide with another car or other object or (of two or more cars) to be involved in a collision

  noun

  a collision, as between vehicles
  (Aeronautics) a sudden descent of an aircraft as a result of which it hits land or water CED

wreck

  noun An automobile or railroad collision or accident: witnessed a wreck on the highway.

  verb To cause the destruction of in a collision: wrecked the car by hitting a tree. American Heritage® Dictionary

Please, compare the following examples:

  His parents died in a car/plane crash.

  His parents died in a car/plane wreck.

-and-

  I crashed the car by hitting a tree.

  I wrecked the car by hitting a tree.

-and-

  The helicopter/truck crashed into their home.

  The helicopter/truck wrecked into their home.

-and-

  He witnessed a terrible crash on the highway.

  He witnessed a terrible wreck on the highway.


texts:
I'm writing an article which I entitled "Questioning theory X as the basis of theory Y".

I no native speaker and I would like to know if such phrasing is correct in English.


texts: Wording a question that might have one or more answers

texts:
I have a multiple choice question that might have only one answer or all of the above might be correct. Since I'm teaching kids I want to avoid wordiness, below are my two attempts:

  What is the difference or are the differences between a base 10
  counting system and a base 16 counting system?

or...

  What is/are the differences between a base 10
   counting system and a base 16 counting system?

Does anyone have a better approach to this? I feel there must be!


texts:
I would like to understand which is the correct short answer to the question:

Have we got ... ?

I found in my child's English book the following example:

Have we got a dog?
Short Answer: Yes, you have / No, you haven't
It sounds strange as I would answer
Yes we have.

Is this correct ?
Is there a grammar rule to answer with "you" ?


texts:
"Indeed, whoever buys this needs to want a tablet and laptop in more or less equal measure."

"Needs to want"? Isn't it a kind of unnecessary way around saying:

"I think that people buy this if they want a tablet and laptop in more or less equal measure."?

Or am I missing something?


texts: Difference in pronunciation between "your" and "you're"?

texts: I'm a native English speaker (Texas counts, I suppose), and I pronounce "your" to rhyme with "core", and "you're" to rhyme with "cure". Is it just me or did I pick this up somewhere?


texts: Expression to introduce an immodest statement

texts:
Portuguese has the expression "modéstia à parte" (literally: "modesty aside"), which is used to (still rather bluntly) introduce  statements where the speaker praises himself. Is there something similar in English?

Most translations here actually miss the mark: "without being immodest" and "modestly speaking" actually have the opposite meaning. "Not to say modestly" seems to be the better one, but I don't know how idiomatic that is.


texts: How do you say the saying "Para o povo, não há cangalha que sirva." in English?

texts:
In Portuguese, the expression "Para o povo, não há cangalha que sirva" is used to describe a situation where people blame others for their own failure even being obvious that the results are their own.

"Cangalha" is something used to carry heavy objetcs in a donkey or horse, so the reason for slowing down.

A literal translation is "For the people, there is no saddle which serves."

The scenario for this expression would be, for example, a group of people who does not want to work in a company, saying that they don’t earn enough for that, so the boss give them a raise. Later, they start arguing and stop working again saying that they don’t have ar conditioner, so they receive it. Again after some time they stop working saying that they need to sit in order to work properly...and goes on .. by the end they stop working and argue that they are not coming back to work unless they hire someone to work for them!

Is there an equivalent expression about it in English?


texts: Why are over-the-counter drugs so called, when it is the prescription drugs that are actually dispensed over the counter?

texts:
The phrase over the counter is widely used to characterise the drugs that can be legally bought without a physician's prescription, and is so used in the countries in which these drugs are not in fact bought over any kind of a counter, in the literal sense. They are displayed on self-service shelves and the customers simply pick them up and pay for them; the payment may be done at a counter, but the transaction does not involve their being handed over the counter.
That is, of course, not particularly puzzling in itself: one could point out that, once upon a time, such drugs were handed to the customers over the pharmacy counters (as they still are in many parts of the world), and that the phrase then remained after the modernisation of the pharmacies. It is not at all uncommon for the meaning of an expression to be stretched in such a way. After all, the phrase over the counter itself is also used in the world of finances, and the kind of stock to which the phrase refers is not bought and sold over any kind of counters in the literal sense.
What is, however, puzzling about the use of the phrase in the context of drugs is that its only purpose is to convey that the drug in question is not of the kind for which a prescription  is required, and the drugs of the latter kind are always dispensed over the counter, in the literal sense. To obtain such a drug a customer has to walk to some counter, hand the prescription to a pharmacist who is standing on the other side of the counter, and the pharmacist then, after getting the drug ready, hands the drug over the counter to the customer.
So the question is not how did the phrase end up being stretched beyond its literal meaning (that itself wouldn't be strange), but why was it chosen as the term for something (non-prescription drugs) that stands in contrast to things to which it readily does apply in the literal sense (prescription drugs).
General-purpose dictionaries provide the meaning of the phrase, but are of no help in resolving this puzzle. Readily available sources of general information about over-the-counter drugs do not discuss why they are so called.


texts: Can you find a noun for the word "diminish"?

texts:
What I meant by "diminish" is the reduction in value of something abstract.

For example:

  The purpose of the principle is to set a standard of morality
  according to the promotion or __ of happiness among the individuals.

The blanks above should be filled with the noun of the verb "diminish".

Based on what I found on several sources on the internet, I found the noun: decrease & decline. But I cannot replace the blanks with "decrease" or "decline" because it seems to match in more concrete context such as numbers, graphs, etc. (If I don't sense it wrong).


texts: Where and when did the use of the word Canary to represent an early version of software originate?

texts:
For example, Google Chrome has a version called Chrome Canary where changes are made to allow errors to be identified, before the changes are released into the main version of Chrome.

Where did this use of the word in software originate and what was the first use?  This useage is clearly based on the idea of a canary in a coal mine that was used to detect gas because canaries are highly sensitive.

Thanks


texts: What do you think when these words come up: "populace", "population", "people", the "mass", the "public"

texts:
When would be the best usage of those words?
When do we do/don't use it?
What is the message conveyed when we use Populace/Population; People/Mass; Mass/Public?

1.Populace vs Population

2.People vs Mass

3.Mass vs Public

=======================================

1.The 'Populace' means:

According to Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary:
[Formal] the ordinary people who live in a particular country or place
(there is no entry for only 'populace' word)

According to online vocabulary.com :
People in general considered as a whole
[Usage History]
Populace, in its original use, was a negative way of referring to ordinary people, as opposed to rich, privileged, or royal people. A king might try to understand the mindset of the populace, but it's likely that he had no idea what their lives were really like. Populace can also be a neutral term that refers to a group of people living in a particular place

My question:
Is it true that the 'Populace' brings negative connotation and nuance when used compared to the 'Population' which both refers to the People lives in a particular place?

2.Population means:
According to Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary:
-All the people living in a particular country, area, or place.
According to online vocabulary.com:
Population means the number of people in a geographic area. It can also be used for subgroups of people or animals.

1.n the people who inhabit a territory or state
2.n (statistics) the entire aggregation of items from which samples can be drawn

3.People vs Mass

People:

According to CAL:

  a.Men, women, and children
  b.Used to refer to everyone, or informally to the group that you are speaking to.
  c.Men and women who are involved in a particular type of work

According to online vocabulary.com:

  Human beings are people. Individuals, folks, humankind — we're all people.
  1.(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
  2.the body of citizens of a state or country
  3.the common people generally
  4.members of a family line

Speaking about people, I recall the term 'Folks' and 'Kins' where it is associated more to closer people (who has familial relationship).

4.Mass

  CAL: the masses: the ordinary people who form the largest group in a society.
  online vocabulary: the common people generally (a crowd of mass?)

5.Public

  CAL: (Noun) -> the public: all ordinary people.
  Online vocabulary: people in general considered as a whole

What about if we want to convey the meaning of each person in a 'people' community? What word would you use?

I'm not English native speaker, but I am keen to comprehend English language 'feeling' (I love languages!) and right now is writing formal paper containing these terms.
Any of your help/answer/comment is greatly appreciated!


texts: Exploration as an idiom: foray vs forage

texts:
I know one of either "foray" vs "forage" is used idiomatically, to mean "to explore something new/exciting". It has adventurous connotations.

It would be an interesting foray into the underlying truths.

It would certainly be an interesting forage of the underpinning truths.

What is the correct word, and what is the most common expression of this idiom?


texts: Should I say "declutter" or "unclutter"?

texts:
Which verb is more appropriate (and older) for clearing out my desk: declutter or unclutter and why?

  I should declutter my desk
  I should unclutter my desk

Dictionary.com defines declutter

  verb (used with object), verb (used without object)
  1. to remove mess or clutter from (a place).

The entry fails to mention its origins but directs us to clutter

  Origin 1550-1560; variant of clotter (now obsolete), equivalent to
  clot + -er

Merriam-Webster for unclutter says:

  transitive verb:
  to remove clutter from:  make neat and orderly, unclutter the garage

  First Known Use  (1930)


texts: Meaning of the expression, "...hey for Saffron Walden"

texts:
Patrick O'Brian, in his novel The Far Side of the World, uses the phrase, "...hey for Saffron Walden."  What does he mean?

  'This is capital,' he said to Pullings and Mowett. 'I do not think we shall have to cruise here for so long as a week, even if Norfolk has had very indifferent breezes. If we stand well off, keeping the double-headed hill on our beam, she should pass inshore, which gives us the advantage of the current and the weather-gage, and then hey for Saffron Walden. Not that I think that she would decline an engagement, even if she were to windward of us.'


texts:
Well, I was watching Gone Girl and there's an scene where you can see this text on Amy Elliott-Dunne's dairy (Rosamund Pike).
I've asked people that I know about it, but the only answer that I got was that it means something more like: I thought I'd (I would) like to buy a gun.
Also I was told that this is pretty common during daily conversation. I think it has a name or at least its tense has a name.
I'm not a English native speaker so I'll really appreciate if someone could advise me, and maybe if I made a mistake (grammatically or orthographically) I'd really appreciate your corrections as well.


texts:
I created a twitter account and put this in the bio:

  free soul, dreamer.. adventurer. forever young!

but someone told me that more correct it will be:

  free spirit, dreamer.. adventurer. forever young!

but he is not a native English speaker, so I need your advice.


texts: Is there a word for something which will run before and after an event?

texts:
If concurrent means two things running at the same time, is there a single word for something which will occur before and after an event?

E.g.
Running concurrently with the show will be a bar open for refreshments. /
The bar will be open [before and after] the show for refreshments.


texts: Use of the definite article: "restricts flow" or "restricts the flow"

texts:
We are writing technical documentation and a sentence looks more or less like this:

  "The inside diameter of the pipe is reduced and thus restricts flow of water."
  "The inside diameter of the pipe is reduced and thus restricts the flow of water."
  "The inside diameter of the pipe is reduced and thus restricts the flow of the water."

Which is correct/false or better/worse?


texts: Why in British spelling do verbs ending in a vowel plus l double the l when adding endings that begin with a vowel?

texts: As we all know, Americans typically use dialed, canceled, councilor, cruelest, modeling, traveler, and traveling. However, British English usage is dialled, cancelled, councillor, cruellest, modelling, traveller, and travelling.


texts: Does "Thanks a Lot" sound too casual for showing gratitude to someone in a higher position

texts: I'm thinking probably... because of "a lot"


texts: Word for a parasite except that it has no effect on the host

texts:
I'm looking to name a variable. The variable in question contains an object(A) that is favored by the presence of another object(B) but unlike a parasitic or a symbiotic relationship, B is completely unaffected by the presence of A.

Few examples:

Mountain goats live in the mountains. The mountain provides an ecological niche to the goats whereas the goats have no effect on the mountain.

Early human settlements formed around fresh water sources. Proximity to fresh water makes life easier for the humans whereas the early humans have no real effect on the water source.


texts: What does “I could have loved you” mean? And what is the tense of that sentence? Is it a clause or a sentence? I found one if-clause sentence on google “If you had let me, I could have loved you.”, could I use “I could have loved you” alone without using “If you had let me,...”? Can it still be meaningful?


texts: Can I use "Engage List" instead of "Engagement List"?

texts:
In a sales context, can I use "Engage List" for a list of prospects instead of "Engagement List", which sounds more like a wedding list?

This is to be used in a web service to define a list of potential customers (i.e. prospects) with whom the user may "engage in social channels".

I know that in sales and marketing, "to engage", "customer engagement" etc. are broadly used, but I am not native and not sure how "Engage List" sounds. This is a key part of a new web service we are launching.


texts: What is the correct way to format a title within a title/headline/header?

texts:
The Chicago Manual of Style and the AP Stylebook generally disagree about how to format book/movie/album titles in a paragraph of text:

Chicago: The person is reading The Grapes of Wrath today.
AP: The person is reading "The Grapes of Wrath" today.

That much is clear, but I'm having difficulty finding information about how to format titles within titles. (Or, alternatively, titles within headlines or titles within webpage headers.) It seems pretty clear that AP would recommend keeping the quotes around the title, but what does Chicago say about "titles within titles"? Here are the three variations I can think of:

New Edition of The Grapes of Wrath Out Today

New Edition of "The Grapes of Wrath" Out Today

New Edition of The Grapes of Wrath Out Today

Does Chicago stick with italicized text within a title, or do they relax their italicization rules within titles/headlines/headers?


texts:
I love everybody, but it is your ignorance that which I cannot stand.

Can I say that which in the statement I made?


texts: What's the term for distributing a video something on YouTube?

texts:
For some reason I'm having trouble coming up with the verb for distributing a video via YouTube or similar internet video site. By analogy with TV my instinct is to use the word "broadcast" or "telecast" but those don't seem accurate. For example:

This event is being recorded for later _____ on YouTube.

Is there some standard word for this? Maybe "distributed" or "publicly disseminated"?
I'd like to emphasize the sent-out-from-YouTube-publicly aspect (more than the uploaded-to-YouTube part). We should clearly indicate that it's a public video, not a private one, for example.


texts: Did the definition of Misogynist change?

texts: I was looking in the library at my university, and found a yearbook from somewhere in the 1870s-80s. For the graduating class, the put their major, political party, religious denomination, and 'remarks'. Some of them were 'normal' stuff like "British Citizen", or "Believes in co-education of sexes". But one of them that stood out to me simply said "A misogynist". Did that word have a slightly different meaning in the 1870s-80s? Or is this a better question for a history stack exchange, to ask if this was a 'normal' thing to say back then?


texts: Is it awkward to use the word "aubergine" instead of "eggplant"?

texts:
According to Google Ngrams eggplant is far more common (although in British English aubergine seems to have a small advantage over eggplant).

So, not being a native speaker of English I wonder whether using the word "aubergine" would be considered smug or weird by native speakers.

The thing is that I find the word "aubergine" a bit more natural because it's basically the same as in German (Aubergine) -- which happens to be my native language.


texts: "Neither should we…" vs "We should neither…"

texts:
I have some grammar confusion about the sentences below.

In which ways are the following sentences correct?

  Neither should we cut any trees nor burn them.

  We should neither cut any trees nor burn them.


texts: I came across the sentence "Fortunately their are a variety of different offerings out there with zounds of features." Disregarding the misuse of "zounds," how would Elizabeth I have pronounced the word? To rhyme with "God's wounds?" Or otherwise?


texts: "The feds" has a negative connotation? Who exactly are they anyway?

texts:
In the US media, news reporters enjoy saying "the feds" with authority, but this using of a slang term without an agreed upon definition frustrates me. Let me elaborate. Speaking as a native speaker, I've heard each of these groups referred to as "the feds":

FBI
DEA
most everything else in DoJ, but not everything
IRS

My guess is that to be a "fed", you must have standing that overlaps with another organization that exists at the State level? And, all of the "feds" must also be in the Executive Branch of the federal government?  After all, the Supreme Court is not "the feds", right? Nor is Congress "the feds", right?

Further, my sense is that everyone considers the term, "the feds", to have a negative connotation. I sense that the media who demagogue "States rights" created this negative connotation? Yet, I just heard that "the feds" are going to Ferguson, Missouri to investigate an incident there; this is framed as a good thing. And anyway, which "feds" are going to Ferguson? Federal Prosecutors? FBI? Some other people from the DoJ that deal with hate crimes? Rather than say exactly who is going, it seems everyone just says "the feds" are going.

Please educate me about the political slang of my own native language. thank you.


texts: Is there a proverb to express "You are too late and it's your own fault."?

texts:
In Lithuanian language there is a proverb that translated word-for-word would say "The train does not wait for the shitting ones."

While sounding somewhat rude, it is perfect for expressing: "You are too late, and that's your own fault."

Is there any proverb in English that could convey the same idea?


texts: Should I use 'other' or 'others' as an option item?

texts: I am going to make a list of options. Which the correct form to use as an option: 'other' or 'others'? The option may contain several members.


texts: What does stackexchange mean? I have checked out this link to read about the Stack Exchange Network.


texts: Single word to describe someone who is overly sensitive

texts: I'm looking for a word to describe someone who is sensitive to the point that other have to tiptoe around her. In other words, someone who can't handle routine jokes, normal criticism, or a comment that can possibly be interpreted in a negative way, even when it wasn't meant like that.


texts: When did letter "R" lose its "rolling" pronunciation in English, and how?

texts: In most Latin languages (Spanish, Portuguese, Russian...), "R" is pronounced in a "rolling" way. For example, "relájate" pronounces like "llle-la-ya-tee", "русский" pronounces like "lllus-kia". This pronunciation does not apply to English, and it's obvious that it hasn't applied to English since a long time ago. It looks like the non-rolling pronunciation in English is actually the minority. So why is this happening? And when did the change take place?


texts: What are some words to describe "spat/fight" of different levels of seriousness and intensity?

texts:
Looking for words to describe:

Argument of very mild nature over who gets the front seat in a car.
Trump and arnold twitter spat.( i think spat would be correct here if I am not wrong)
Mild argument b/w husband and wife.
Very intense and serious fight between husband and wife.

Feel free to correct/rephrase my question if need be.


texts: Is "fine" one of the strangest words in English language? How did it come to be this way and are there other examples?

texts:
Many words have multiple meanings but not many words have different meanings in the same context. Fine can mean both very good-to-excellent and acceptable but probably below average. For example, the phrase "that is a fine retelling of the story". Which version of fine is meant? You only really know based upon the context of what is used. Are there examples of other words like this?

Edit 1: As an example, as an undergrad I went to a school with narrative evaluations. As a student, you'd write a paper. If the prof would say, "You used good examples — a fine paper" it would mean acceptable. "You used very good examples — a fine paper"; it would mean exemplary (somewhat implying that 'very good' is understating it.


texts: What is the status of being dead or alive called?

texts:
Having a bit of a discussion at work. We have a label that needs to be answered with deceased or alive, however we're not sure what to call the label. Status seems to be a bit too generic.

Is there a word to indicate the state of life of a being?


texts: Can possessives in the middle of a word exist?

texts:
According to one online dictionary, the apostrophe-s combination is

  an ending used in writing to represent the possessive morpheme after most singular nouns, some plural nouns, especially those not ending in a letter or combination of letters representing an s or z sound,

Note the opening, "an ending". Does this mean that an apostrophe COULD NOT be a possessive elsewhere? I have been reading up on the words "bridesmaid" and "groomsman" and according to that same source, the s in the middle is a possessive. (Other sources make the s an "unetymological [which] began to appear by 1794")

I'm asking a theoretical question -- could the word be written "bride'smaid" (and/or "groom'sman") or is there a hard and fast rule that possessives are only indicated at the end of a word? (I have yet to find other words besides bridesmaid(s) and groomsma(e)n to which this would apply)


texts: Is there a single word for "taking (or take) one for the team"?

texts:
Is there a single word that sums up "taking one for the team"?

In this instance specifically doing work alone that would normally be done by a small group, so that others can rest.

Loyalty
Dedication
Integrity
Sacrifice

all seem to (me to) be sub-par.


texts: Why is the accent on "petrol" and "patrol" different?

texts:
Petrol and patrol are written very similarly, though completely and obviously different in meaning. My question here is actually about the accent on these words.

Why is petrol stressed on PE, and patrol stressed on TROL? What are the grammar rules applied here?


texts: "It's been days since I last ate" or "It's days since ..."

texts: I've read that the second option (It's days since ...) is correct, but being an ESL learner I don't understand at all why this is so. Does anyone know? Thanks!


texts: Clause analysis of "He was red in the face"

texts:
I'm wondering if anyone could tell me how to analyse a clause such as "He was red in the face" – what is "in his face" here? Is it an adverbial, or a complement of "red"?

Thank you!


texts:
I have recently found this video online from Merriam Webster saying the plural form of octopus is in fact octopuses. The video explains how octopus comes from the Greek language and thus it would be incorrect to say octopi since that is a latin plural form. The Greek plural of octopus would be octopodes, but octopus actually turns into an English word which makes the plural octopuses.

With that being said, why do dictionaries have octopi listed as the plural form if that is incorrect? Is the plural so widely misused that they just threw in octopi in there?

And then there is the Latin word radius. No one ever uses the word radiuses however it is listed in the dictionary. In fact, even my google chrome and firefox spell checker tells me radiuses is incorrect. Is this word never meant to be used? Despite radius also being an English word, people will always say radii for the plural version.


texts: Is there a casual way to say "this can wait" on a positive note

texts:
Is there a short and casual way (one or two words or the like) to express that whereas something is truly important, the exact timing of when it gets handled or completes does not greatly affect overall plans?

Saying not urgent isn't useful because that implies everything else is urgent which would really be a distortion and lead to a digression into strange discourse. It also implies we only do what's urgent which would be a rather grim way of describing a mode of operation unless you're in emergency mode all of the time.

Maybe something like postponable but I'm not sure this is a very proper or accessible word, it's also tilting towards a negative connotation. In mathematical style the answer may have been something like not time-sensitive or something like that, but that only resonates with about 0.2 percent of literate human beings or less...

The meaning I am after is something positive that also conveys 'this will be great and awaited but time is not a factor relative to other things'. Only much more concisely if possible....


texts: What does the phrase "They would clash with my drapes" mean?

texts:
I have come across this phrase in the sitcom, Hot in Cleveland wherein a gay man is asked if he had kids to which he responds with this phrase :"They would clash with my drapes." I tried looking it up on the internet but I have had no luck finding the meaning.

I would be glad if someone could kindly tell me as to what it means.

Here's a link to the episode and you could hear the phrase at 6:30

Video


texts: Whether to use "enable" or "enables" after mentioning two different types of the same thing

texts:
Take this sentence: "The portable inkjet printer and wireless color photo printer included in XYZ enables ABC."

Should this be enable as you're referring to two different things, or is it enables because you are referring to two singular things?

Also, If I were to instead say" "The portable inkjet and wireless color photo printer", should printer be plural or singular there? I'm guessing if it stays singular then it would be enables and not enable.


texts: Who vs. Whom for: "...Satan, who/whom everyone imagines with horns."

texts:
Possible Duplicates:
  What is the correct usage of “whom”?
  Using “who” and “whom”

I'm not sure what the clause is called, but it usually describes something (such as Satan). I would think it's "whom" because, in this context, everyone is imagining him with horns. They don't imagine he with horns. That's how I reason it, but it's confusing at times.

Thoughts?

What if it were: "...Satan, who/whom everyone imagines has horns"? Would you use "who" or "whom"?


texts: "We weren't all happy" — does that mean some of us or all of us?

texts:
We weren't all happy with the result.

Does this mean "All of us weren't happy with the result" or "Not all of us were happy with the result"?


texts: What is the name for making stuff up from texts?

texts:
I have seen done with various "holy" books etc., where by a relationship between alphabet/characters/number of occurrences of alphabet/word etc are related to some new scientific breakthrough/prediction you name it is pointed out or correlated with.

I considered charlatanism but that assumes some sort of gain is obtained, in the case I am looking for, it seems as if it is hobby/trolling.

I think some academic proved that given any text, one can make up some rules that would relate/map the text to any arbitrary text, but I can not remember the name ( if there was one coined for the process).

Edit: As an example consider this: in book X, Section Y, letter F has appeared 9 times, in Periodic table F is for fluorine and appears at the 9th spot! All behold the miracles of book x of religion z.

I did not want to pick on a specific religion, therefore x,y,z, but this type of conjuring can be applied to any book x of any religion z.

Edit: sophistry seems to be the too broad.


texts: What is a term for an item that can both be inserted and removed?

texts:
I'm looking for a term to describe an item that be be inserted (Addition) into or removed (Deletion) from a list of other items.  The closest I can think of is "swappable," but that implies I am interchanging the items, which is not the case.

Thanks!


texts: In the sentence, "my dog ran up to me, wagging its tail," does "wagging its tail" modify "dog" or "ran"? Does rewriting the sentence as "wagging its tail, my dog ran up to me" change anything?


texts:
Which one is grammatically correct?

  She is the most talented teacher THAT I've ever known.

or

  She is the most talented teacher I've ever known.


texts: Word for someone who wants to do good but consistently fails

texts:
The word would be an antonym for someone who is efficient, reliable, and whose actions produce consistently positive results.
In other words, a bumbling, well-intentioned person - but I'm looking for a single word adjective.


texts: Word a male can use to refer to a female that is not old or young (girl/lady/woman)

texts:
I'm a married male in my mid-thirties and meet a woman of a similar age and talk about business.

I want to refer to this meeting later, and it feels weird to say "I met a girl today...," (feels like it describes someone younger or it was romantic) or "I met a lady today..." (feels like it describes someone older.)

Is the best term just "I met a woman today..."?


texts:
I heard this phrase in the official call of duty ghosts reveal trailer:

  All we have is each other

A quick Google search also reveals about a hundred thousand occurrences, but it sounds really strange to me.

I was under the impression that "we" is plural, and "all" is plural hence it should be

  "all we have are each other..."

Can you please explain which is correct?


texts: How should I interpret the present perfect in "In no society has nonmarital childbirth been the cultural norm"?

texts:
The following is a sentence from Families Without Fathers by David Popenoe.

  In no society has nonmarital childbirth been the cultural norm.

It should mean

  there hasn't been a society where nonmarital childbirth was the cultural norm in any period in its history.

But, if the present perfect "has been the cultural norm" is taken as an expression of a state, it seems to mean that

  it is possible there was a society where nonmarital childbirth was the cultural norm for a limited time in its history.

What is the correct interpretation?


texts:
I want to describe data that is easy for a human to understand but very difficult for a machine to understand.  Like, raw unfiltered user input.

For example, suppose I have a column in a table that indicates a location (sf_locations). One of the rows has the text "from 2nd to 5th" for that column.

This may be easily understandable to a human who knows the context is San Francisco, but a machine would not have a clue how to process that without hacky special-case logic or NLP.

Are there any good words to describe this kind of data (with regards to machine readability)?


texts: If I starred something as interesting, would I unstar it as interesting or as uninteresting?


texts: What does "ROCKET IN MY ROLLS" mean on a toy slot machine?

texts:
When I was a kid, I got one of these one lucky Christmas. Needless to say, it fascinated me for endless hours and was a major highlight of my childhood. (Which perhaps might be a bit sad, but I remember it as a very happy memory.)
However, I could never figure out what the text meant:

ROCKET IN MY ROLLS

Rockets... in its rolls? There were no rocket symbols used. And what does that even refer to? Is it the name of the actual slot machine it's a miniature version of? If so, what does it mean originally? Is it even English?


texts: What is the origin and meaning of "to be a square"?

texts:
I read an answer on another question where the answer was 'square' as opposed to 'not hip'. E.g. "Don't be a square!"

I have always been under the impression that the term came about because you are a 'square' if you're never 'a-round', implying that a 'square' person could just be aloof rather than solely 'not with it'.

But that may just be something my subconscious made up, I was not alive during the time period when this term was popular. Is my understanding of the etymology of the term square in this context incorrect?


texts: Is there a word or expression which defines a text or sentence which does not explain all of its terms?

texts:
I think I summed it up in the title, but to be more specific, check this sentence:

  "ECM is an umbrella term covering document management, web content
  management, search, collaboration, records management, digital asset
  management (DAM), work-flow management, capture and scanning."

In this case, "collaboration", "DAM", "work-flow management" are all very generic terms which can give us an idea about what is being explained, but if you don't know the specific usage of these terms, you'll end up clueless about what really is an ECM.

This simpler sentence, instead, is more "self-containing":

  "ECM is a formalized means of organizing and storing an organization's
  documents, and other content, that relate to the organization's
  processes."

In short, is there a word or expression which defines a text full of (difficult or not) words, expressions and acronyms which the reader cannot understand without further information about the subject?


texts: How to avoid ambiguous wording: "Each has the same number of each type of flower"

texts:
I'm editing a math word problem that has the following ambiguous set up.

  A florist has 18 carnations, 24 daisies, and 12 lilies. She wants to
  make flower arrangements that each have the same number of each type
  of flower.

The question is about greatest common factors, so the intended interpretation is that each arrangement has c carnations, d daisies, and l lilies. However, the second sentence can also be interpreted as meaning each arrangement has n carnations, n daisies, and n lilies.

How can I reword the second sentence to ensure the first interpretation without resorting to technical descriptions like above?  (Added difficulty: the question is for 6th graders.)

Edit:
I should add that test items are best when they are clear and concise.  I'm looking for a solution that is both.


texts: Word used to describe a feeling felt by two people at the same time

texts:
What is the word used to describe  the feeling where you feel something about someone and apparently the person feels the same...for example...you feel that something bad is going to happen to your friend...apparently yoir friend is feeling the same too.

Or you feel that a friend is sick and it turns out to be true when no ome has told you


texts: What is a single word for "Currently Working"

texts: I'm listing all my work experiences on resume but for my current job I added a little label which reads "Currently Working". For some reason this doesn't seem right to me. What's the best way to specify this ?


texts: Difference between "Putting in one's papers" and "Putting down one's papers"

texts:
I have come across these two phrases and both appear to mean almost the same.

As mentioned here:

  Putting in one's paper means voluntary separation from employment.

and as I read here:

  Putting down one's papers means resignation.

I heard both of these phrases are mostly used in India but what is the difference?


texts: Looking for a one word or phrase for making someone feel bad

texts:
One word or phrase for making someone feel bad.

Context: during a normal conversation between two people an unintentional comment was made which made another person felt really bad like almost on the verge of crying. Other people have been criticized or been judgmental on that particular topic in past of which the speaker was completely unaware of.  That person wasn't expecting such comment from the speaker.

The speaker's insensitivity, made him/her felt _________ .


texts: What is the purpose of adding an asterisk (*) at start and end of word?

texts:
What is the purpose of enclosing words in asterisks a.k.a. stars (*)? For example:

  The other that *must* be kept correct.


texts: Use of “As well” in the beginning of a sentence

texts:
Is it improper to start a sentence with “As well,” to mean “In addition”?
Some grammar books say “As well,” should be used only at the end of the sentence. Is it so?


texts: Word for the aspect of an object which makes it different from a group of otherwise identical objects

texts:
Say I have these three statements:

"John likes pasta."
"Mary likes pasta."
"Joseph likes pasta."

For these three sentences with the format "[name] likes pasta", I'm looking for a word for the "[name]" with respect to the fact that this particular part of the sentence is the only thing which makes it different from the other two.
The usage I would imagine is this:

The word of sentence 1 is "John".

For context, the word I am looking for is to be used as a parameter name for a function which takes a string and embeds it into a template string, similar to the following:
function embedInSentence(word_here) = word_here + " likes pasta."

I remember a book I had about cars when I was younger described "exterior identification points" of different models, which could be used to tell that particular one from another model/trim level. It's the closest thing I have to a fitting word or phrase, but it's quite long and doesn't fit my use case – I'm looking for a more abstract term, such as "identification point" but as a single word.


texts: What is the meaning and origin of the common phrase "the world is your oyster"?

texts: What does the world is your oyster mean, and where does it come from?


texts: When was the term "gender essentialism" coined, and when did it come into common usage?

texts:
When was the term "gender essentialism" coined, and when did first it come into common usage?

I was under the impression that the concept originated though the feminist existentialism work of authors such as Simone de Beauvoir but GoogleBooks Ngram shows the term start to show up in published works in 1987. I did a Google search but could not easily find an authoritative source for the origin and initial spread of this term.


texts: Is the word "particularly" an odd choice?

texts:
I came across this sentence in something I am editing:

  ... his opportunities in the manufacturing industry are particularly lower than expected.

Am I wrong to object to the use of “particularly” in this sentence? I think it sounds odd, a little stilted, and I would like to recommend that the writer use “much” instead:

  ... his opportunities in the manufacturing industry are much lower than expected.

That sounds more natural to me. But does the sentence lose something by switching from “particularly” to “much”?


texts: "5 votes {was/were} chosen to be the number of close votes needed...": Which is correct?

texts:
"5 votes was chosen to be the number of close votes needed to close a question on Stack Exchange."

Grammarly says that I should change "was" to "were," but it doesn't sound right to me. What's the correct conjugation to use here, singular or plural?


texts: Does "Could I ...?" always sound more polite than "Can I ...?"?

texts:
For example, if I say

  Could I borrow your pen?

Does it sound more polite than

  Can I borrow your pen?

I am not a native English speaker, but I rarely hear someone says "Could I ...?". Isn't saying it natural?

Is there any situation that using "Can I ...?" is better (or more natural)than "Could I ...?"


texts:
She is being mistreated. She has been being mistreated for five years.

Is the second sentence grammatically correct? Or should the being been be contracted to just been? I. e. She has been mistreated for five years.

  She was mistreated. She has been mistreated.

If so, how to disambiguate it from the above formation? The original has a progressive connotation, and the one right above is simple.

I came up with the second sentence by converting was to had been and leaving the being as is. That's because that's what I do with sentences such as She is eating -> She has been eating (I leave the eating as is).


texts: Is the comma correct? Or should it be two separate sentences or should I use a semicolon?

texts:
Is the comma correct in the following statement?

  Stay skeptical of news about foreign countries, especially news about countries with which we are not allied.


texts: Definite article when referring to named works

texts:
If I've watched a named film, let's say "Ice Age".
Is it incorrect to say:

"I was watching Ice Age film"

Without a definite article?
As opposed to:

"I was watching the Ice Age film".

If you have to include "the" - why is that?


texts: What is the difference between "promotion tool" and "promotional tool"?

texts:
I checked the grammar: "promotional" is the description of tool, thus "promotional" tool is right while the first is wrong.

Is it true? Why are there so many cases that those two are exchangeable?


texts: What is the etymology of the phrase "leave me be"

texts:
The phrase is synonymous with "leave me alone".

I guess it's "leave someone/something be".

I've also heard this as "let me be".


texts: Is saying "Thank you for the results" grammatically correct?

texts: I have received an e-mail about some test results from other company. So, T would like to know how to say "thank you" to them politely? Do you have any better sentences?


texts:
I wonder if it is correct to say "some same thing/person", in order to mean some thing/person same as the one just mentioned earlier? If not, what is the correct way to express the meaning?

My concern is that: is "same" always preceded with "the"?


texts:
It's winter here in New York, and my driveway was a sheet of ice yesterday. Today, the ice is softer, and a bit slushier.

Is it an icy slush? or a slush that is icy? Or just a slush, indicating that a slush is composed of ice and water?


texts: What’s the meaning of “fee-simple titles”?

texts:
What’s the meaning of fee-simple titles in:

  Late in the nineteenth century, Mexicans, whose claim to their land was
  based on royal decrees of the Spanish Crown (rather than the fee-simple titles
  familiar to North Americans), were confronted by shrewd traders.


texts:
I came across the word shpritz in the following sentence of a New York Times article (May 12th) titled, "At 100, Still a Teacher, Quite a Character":

  At 100 years old, Ms. Kaufman is
  still shpritzing jokes, Jewish and
  otherwise, which is in her genes. Her
  grandfather was the great Yiddish
  storyteller Sholem Aleichem, a writer
  who was able to squeeze heartbreaking
  humor out of the most threadbare
  deprivation and wove the bittersweet
  Tevye stories that became the source
  for “Fiddler on the Roof."

As I am unfamiliar with the word shpritz, I consulted several English dictionaries. Neither Cambridge Dictionary nor Merriam Webster Dictionary had entry of this word. Readers English Japanese Dictionary defines it as

  vt. attack, slander. n. a bit.

Urban Dictionary defines it as

  A word of german language origin - similar meaning to that of semen, or spunk. Now used in popular English to describe the act of being impressed, aroused, happy, or ecstatic, upon seeing or tasting a person/substance/product. More commonly used to describe uncontrollable release of excitement or joy

However, neither the definition from Readers English Japanese Dictionary nor Urban Dictionary seem to me to apply to the phrase "Ms. Kaufman is still shpritzing jokes, Jewish and otherwise."

Though I think there’s good reasons for picking up the word, shpritz, what does it mean exactly? Is it a "popular" English word as Urban Dictionary asserts?


texts: Where was the term "Action item" was first coined, and isn't just a fancy and euphemistic way to say "task"?


texts: Does the sentence "How do you like Painting Exhibition?" make any sense?

texts:
Does this question make any sense? Is it grammatically correct?

  How do you like Painting Exhibition?


texts: Advertise a House for RENT - how to describe it positively when its completely run-down

texts:
I have a house that I need to rent out but it's old and completely run-down.
The house will be demolished in a year or two when the owner is ready to develop the land.

What buzz words or phrases can I use that describe something old/bad/derelict but in a positive light? I don't want to lie but I don't want to advertise it as a s#!t hole either, haha.

Things like "A house with character"


texts: Why is "my giddy aunt" an exclamation of surprise

texts:
The mental picture that forms in my mind is of fancy English ballrooms, a fainting lady and smelling salts.

So someone shouting "My giddy aunt" would rather be an expression of concern.

Does anyone have an explanation for this phrase?

Google Books and the Phrase Finder  are not proving helpful and just term it "An exclamation of surprise."

Can one of the English scholars out there provide the colourful backstory to this archaic phrase?


texts: Is it "everyone's life" or "everyone's lives"?

texts:
Which is correct: "everyone's life" or "everyone's lives"?

I know that when the pronoun everyone is used as a subject, it takes singular verb agreement (as in the sentence "Everyone was there"). But this by itself doesn't seem to show that the possessive form "everyone's" always acts like a singular possessive noun.

An example of the reverse situation: when the "singular they" is used as a subject, it takes plural agreement, but the possessive form their can be followed by a singular noun. So the verb agreement that a pronoun takes isn't always the same as the grammatical number of a noun after the possessive forms of the pronoun.


texts: Ask someone to wait a little longer in email

texts:
My customers send me emails asking me when I can fix their problems.
    In that case, I usually use expressions as below.

-Could you wait a little longer please?
-Could you be more patient please?
-Could you continue to be patient please?

Could you let me know they are common expressions?
I googled them but couldn't find many results using the same expressions.

If you have any other suggestions, it would be very helpful.
 Thank you so much in advance.


texts: Should I say "I make a living by teaching" or "I make a living teaching"? Which one is correct? Is the preposition 'by' necessary?

texts:
I am confused about the correct usage of the phrasal verb, 'make a living'. I don't know whether I should add the preposition 'by' at the end of it.
I looked up several dictionaries, most of which suggest to add a preposition to the phrase. But an English teacher told me that I should not add a 'by', because the meaning will change.


texts: Looking for a word that describes this type of strategic takeover

texts: Is there a specific word (or possibly phrase) that represents a type of takeover where an individual is planted into an organization and gains trust and respect over a period of time until he's in a position to facilitate the takeover? Kinda like an inside job from the outside?


texts: The mirror in which we "see" our wretchedness?

texts:
This is again a translation, and I am trying to convey a meaning without making it sound a translation. The sentence is:

This book is the mirror in which I can see my wretchedness.

Now in the original language the verb used has many connotations: sitting opposite/having the guts to do it/seeing something that inflicts pain on you. I am looking for a verb which can express willingly seeing something painful. There is no element of surprise there, but rather of intent and of courage to look in that mirror and see.
For example, I am thinking that behold is not really the word here, because it is more often used in the sense of contemplate, and in this context it would sound too positive.


texts: Terms for young, medium and old animal meat

texts:
I know terms for the meat of young animals of a specific species, such as "lamb" (also the name of a young sheep) and "veal", and the meat of old animals of a specific species or set of closely related species, such as mutton. But are there any terms for the meat of young animals in general, terms for the meat of old animals in general, and for those in between?

For the example of how it'd be used, as mandated in the tag wiki for single word requests: I'm currently using

  Do [the aliens] want human lamb, human hogget, or human mutton?

which is probably likely to be understood, but I'd like to know if there's more accurate words to use in this context. I assume the English language doesn't have words specifically for the meat of young humans, medium aged humans or old humans, so the most accurate approach would be saying "human [generic term for young animal meat]", "human [generic term for medium aged animal meat]", and "human [generic term for old animal meat]".


texts: Is "iff" considered a real word or just an abbreviation?

texts: I wonder if "iff" is considered a real word (as LEO says) or is it just an abbreviation (as in Wiktionary)?


texts:
I was reading comments on this website, and I stumbled upon such an expression:

  Roots and hacks and whatnot just to get a custom screensaver.

I tried to google it, but I found just a couple of examples of this phrase used in sentences and no explanation.

Could anybody explain me the meaning and, perhaps, the origin of this phrase?


texts: Can we use both British English and American English in the same article?

texts: Can we use British English trends and American English trends (such as spelling, or turns of phrase) in different sentences in the one topic?


texts: Is the genderless pronoun "they" appropriate and grammatical for a non-binary gender?

texts:
I recently had somebody tell me that a mutual friend of ours who is genderqueer prefers that people refer to him/her using the gender-indefinite pronoun they.

In some cases, this almost seems okay:

Kris left their umbrella at our house.

On the other hand, if Kris is sitting right next to you, it feels very odd to say

  They (meaning just Kris) would like more cake.

Or even odder,

  Kris would like some more cake, can you please pass it to they/them?"

Are these usages grammatically correct? Are they in the process of becoming grammatically correct? Are there more correct alternatives?


texts: I'm looking for a word or idiom that describes something that is small but powerful. For example, a tiny computer that is capable of doing the same work as a larger computer.


texts: Is there a name for the tone of voice that modern British newsreaders use when announcing serious subjects?

texts:
This question stems from pure idle curiosity. It seems to me that British newsreaders use a special accent, especially when reading out the headlines or introducing a particularly serious story. Perhaps it would be more properly termed a tone of voice rather than an accent, but in either case I've never known anyone to speak in that way in any other situation.

I'm not referring to recieved pronunciaton, but to something much more specific that seems to be only used for news and not other announcements. Similarly, I'm not referring to the mid-Atlantic accent, which also seems to be mostly associated with news readers but is no longer in use. The voice/accent I'm referring to combines a kind of exaggerated seriousness with perhaps a lower pitch of voice than usual. It's difficult to describe but anyone who lives in the UK should be familiar with it. Does it have a name?

Edit: an exaggerated example can be found in this classic parody clip from The Day Today. Most of the characters use their normal voices at first, but once the situation changes around 2 minutes in, all the broadcasters start using the special "serious" voice that I'm asking about.


texts: I want know know about sentence correction

texts:
For example,
"The man felt his hair flutter and the tissues of his body drew tight as if he were standing at the centre of a vacuum."
And,
"He proved that if only germs were excluded of wounds, inflammation was averted."
I guessed it should be "DRAW TIGHT" in the first sentence and "EXCLUDED FROM WOUNDS"in the second one but I got both of them wrong.


texts:
Is there a single word to explain how something happening to someone nearby can affect you?  Usually happens with emotions.  Similar to if someone is hit, you have sympathy pains, but not quite the same.

For example, if someone is nervous you also become nervous for no reason.


texts: Is it correct to say "cursed by someone"?

texts:
Would it be right to say that "I'm cursed by someone" meaning that I'm totally addicted, extremely  in love etc.? Or what would be the right word? The word "charmed" seems not that intense. The whole sentence would be:

  Let me tell you a million and one time that I'm cursed by this one (introducing another person). Totally, and of mine own free will.

Does it all sound correct?


texts: The logic behind "better safe than sorry"

texts:
It struck me that the phrase "better safe than sorry" is somewhat illogical, or perhaps more accurately, it is so logical and obvious that it seems to carry no meaning at all.

My problem with this phrase is that is compares two things (being safe, and being sorry), one of which is obviously good, while the other is obviously bad. Clearly, being safe is better than the "base state", which in turn is better than being sorry. This is in contrast with another common phrase "prevention is better than cure", in which both prevention and cure presumably carry some cost, and the costs are compared in a very logical manner.

Could someone please explain why "better safe than sorry" makes sense? (assuming that it does)


texts: What does "knock" mean in "listening to the billboard knock" (Bob Dylan lyrics)?

texts:
In the lyrics of the song Black Crow Blues, one line reads "(I was) listening to the billboard knock". What does the word "knock" here mean? I've looked it up in several dictionaries, but I don't think any of the given meanings fit the context. Can you help me and tell me the answer? Thanks a lot.

Also, if there is any error or incorrect word use in the question I raised, please correct me. Thanks again!


texts: Dog who has escaped an animal shelter - name?

texts:
What do you call a dog who has escaped an animal shelter?

I was thinking runaway dog?

I'm sure there is a better word.


texts:
Example:

  I wasn't sure if it was A, B, or C. [...], I still knew I would fail.

I thought of either way but I think is not grammatically correct.

What should I chose if I'm referring to two or more options?


texts:
Which form of punctuation is the most appropriate for this parenthetical?

The strategy team is relatively new, the unit split from its parent
group in early 2016, but their work is already well known.
The strategy team is relatively new (the unit split from its parent
group in early 2016) but their work is already well known.
The strategy team is relatively new - the unit split from its parent
group in early 2016 - but their work is already well known.

Does this even read well, or should it be rephrased?


texts: Does "ruptcy" have a meaning? As in bank_ruptcy. I can google translate it to other languages and it makes sense but no online dictionary has it. Feels weird to have an ending for one specific word that in itself would mean nothing?


texts: What does it mean to register the half-radishes?

texts:
In his description of meanness, Theophrastus says:
" Entertaining his clansmen, he will beg a dish from the common table for his own servants; and will register the half-radishes leftover from the repast, in order that the attendants may not get them. "
What does it mean to register the half-radishes leftover from the meal ( repast )?
Apart from that, why does this count as mean?
Thank you!


texts:
Historicist critics are inclined, even now, towards the explanation that Melville is Bartleby himself.

Could you please explain to me why there is passive voice used in the sentence above? Can I say?

Historicist critics incline, even now, towards the explanation that Melville is Bartleby himself.


texts: What's the difference between Synergy and Gestalt?

texts:
I recently discovered these 2 terms while looking for a single term to represent the phrase: The whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Which term better represent this idea?
I'm a business analyst and this is part of a discussion I was having. Systems in a basic sense work best when all the parts work together; when they are separate, it doesn't work as well or at all.
Bonus question: Are there any associations with these words that would taint my use of either one in the business world?


texts: What would you call someone who is there if you need him but who is not imposing?

texts: I am sitting in a restaurant and the waiter is available for me if I call him.  He is there but not imposing. In a high end restaurant, the waiter would be serving while maintaining the quietness and comfort of the  restaurant's atmosphere. What would be an appropriate adjective to describe the waiter?


texts: What word means 'discrete piece of knowledge'?

texts:
In my understanding 'knowledge' is one of a group of nouns in English that is characterized as uncountable (meaning 'knowledge' should never be made plural).

If that is the case, is there a word in English that describes the concept of individual bits of known material that can be made plural?

In other words, if knowledges is incorrect (although there is apparently some debate over that), what can be used in its place?

Edit 1: So there has been a decent amount of input so far and I felt like I should clarify one thing. The concept I need to capture is more than just information or data. Those are more related to trivia and facts. The word I am looking for is a countable noun that encompasses more than a physical skill that can be trained and observed. It is more than a list of facts. It needs to contain the concept of a body of information that can be used for extrapolation. For instance, naming the individual pieces of an engine is facts or data; understanding how they interplay and how that can assist in troubleshooting is knowledge; being able to repair a cracked head is a skill. The first example (fact, datum) and the last (skill) are countable, knowledge is not. So if I have knowledge of a group of separate topics I have knowledges. If this doesn't actually clarify anything, please let me know.


texts:
Can you tell me the meaning of "negotiate your way out ....."
I saw a phrase related to that in the following article:

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/05/21/trump-phone-security-risk-hackers-601903

In this article : " It’s baffling that Trump isn’t taking baseline cybersecurity measures at a time when he is trying to negotiate his way out of a trade war with China, a country that is known for using cyber tactics to gain the upper hand in business negotiations,”.

Please help me ... Thanks in advance


texts:
I saw an example of someone's résumé through a Google search, in the 'work experience' section she wrote:

2007 - date
2008 - date
2007 - 2010
2008 - date

What does " ... - date" mean?


texts: Does "ex-" prefix have a negative connotation?

texts:
I have a negative connotation for the "ex-" prefix, which I can only explain by pointing to the contexts that it's often used in. However, it seems harmless I can't think of a real reason for it to offend in any way.

Is there a negative connotation with it?


texts: First, second, and third person mixed in a sentence

texts:
"Ms. Bar sneaks in to eat our candy."
"You want me to talk to them."

My mother is a fifth-grade teacher, and she's currently covering the first, second, and third person points of view. She is generally what I would call a "reliable source," but she wants my opinion on which person each of these is written in. I can't make up my mind, and the Google isn't helping much.

Is the person determined by the subject of the sentence? Does it depend on all of the nouns and pronouns and follow an order of preference (exemplī grātiā, if "my" is present, it's first person; if "me" and "your" are both present, "your" takes precedence, and the sentence is second person)? Is the person of a sentence even this technical, or must it be interpreted more generally from the surrounding passage?

(I'm not sure if I'm making sense or asking too many questions. Feel free to guide me in making my query clearer and more concise!)


texts: "Neither them nor us" vs "Neither they nor we"

texts:
Which is correct?
"Neither them nor us went to the show." or "Neither they nor we went to the show."

I think the second because Neither is the subject and so it should be in the nominative.


texts:
I was watching the movie "As good as it gets" and came across the phrase "never a break" in reference to a car.  What does it mean?

Also, what does the movie title itself mean?

edit: replaced brake with break.


texts:
I'm not sure if it's actually grammatically correct at all. However, if it is, would it mean 'when help is needed' or 'when help is necessary' (the usual meaning of 'if need be'). In particular, I've had in mind a dedication "To someone, for support when it was needed", but phrased in a slightly more poetic way. However, I've been second guessing myself.

Thank you.


texts:
Which is more common to use in the following sentence: repair or fix?

My air-conditioner has broken down so someone is coming to repair/fix it tomorrow.


texts: Does "way too long" mean "a lot too long" or "slightly too long"?

texts:
Does way too long mean a lot too long, or slightly too long?

Does way too stand for a huge or small measure?


texts:
Is there english idiom for when someone spends more money than they have?

Thanks in advance.


texts: the most problematic or loud person gets the most attention and quiet person is ignored

texts: What is the idiom in English where the loudest or most troublesome person gets all the attention, while those who are quiet are ignored?


texts: Is there a more-accepted synonym to the term "Commonwealth English"?

texts:
I've mainly encountered the term "Commonwealth English" in The Jargon File. However, Wiktionary says the term is fairly rare. Are there more accepted terms?

Ones that I'm aware of include:

British English (as used by EL&U itself!). I don't view this term as ideal, as I'm referring to differences between English in commonwealth countries and the USA, rather than differences between Australia and the UK, for example.
Queen's English. Not ideal, because it also suggests a very refined, as opposed to colloquial, form of English.

I'm aware that American English isn't just spoken in the USA, but maybe I don't mind that term as much, as I think those countries are often ones where it's spoken as a second language, such as Japan.


texts: Term to a verse that starts with the last word of the previous verse

texts:
The music "Glad you came" by The Wanted has the following verses

Turn the lights out now, now I'll take you by the hand
Hand you another drink, drink it if you can
Can you spend a little time, time is slipping away
Away from us so stay, stay with me I can make
Make you glad you came

Is there a term for it?


texts: What is the difference between "body count" and "death toll"?

texts: Not much more to explain, I guess. It seems that "death toll" is "official", while "body count" is "casual" or maybe "military". But I'm not certain.


texts: What to call an area or territory without government control?

texts: Take Somalia for example, the central government has almost no control outside the capital and arguable within it as well (citation needed). Although the government is recognized internationally as the governing body within its borders, large areas can be said to have no effective government. What would we call these areas to distinguish them from other forms of government such as the illegitimate control of Al-Shabab or other sectarian bodies?


texts: How to description 3 nouns in a sentence?

texts:
I want to describe ' Please enter the input value of temperature with numerical in the form.'

But input, value and temperature also are nouns, how can I joint it together?

Thanks


texts: Usage of "else" to convey the opposite meaning

texts:
I am writing an email to a senior and want to say if he agrees to my suggested changes and if no I will modify it further. So is this ok to say:

  Kindly suggest if you agree to this revised proposal or else.

I am concerned about the use of word "else". I like it because it has made my sentence short but not sure if it is conveying the meaning.


texts: Difference between "saying" and "having said", in referring to the past

texts:
What is the difference between these two sentences?
I felt/feel sorry for saying nasty things about her previously.
I felt/feel sorry for having said nasty things about her previously.
Thanks a lot


texts: Word with a similar meaning to "piled together"

texts:
I was recently writing some internal dialogue for a character in a story. The character speaks about his past experiences and wants to describe that since he has had many negative experiences with people in his past, he now has a fear of social interaction.

I wanted to express this as:

  "All of my negative experiences have ??? and now manifest
  themselves as this inescapable fear of social interaction."

There is a word I'm looking for to go in this space, but I can't seem to find it. I have searched through many entries in the thesaurus, but nothing expresses quite my desired meaning. The words or phrases closest to what I want are "pile together", "coalesced", "combined together", "merged together", "clumped together"

I'm almost positive there is a specific word I'm looking for. The word I'm looking for is more literary than "piled together" or "clumped together", but indicates that the resulting thing is negative or unpleasant (which is why "coalesce" doesn't seem quite right)

Any ideas?


texts:
Should I say that an engine can output 552 horsepower or 552 horsepowers? I've heard people use both.

If it is just "horsepower", what is the justification for the nonstandard pluralization?


texts: Terminology for expressing the scale of a measurement system

texts:
I'm looking for the most applicable terminology for defining the scale of measurement units in a particular system.

For example, for a distance, in 'metric', the 'small' scale could be 'm' and the 'big' scale could be 'km'. In 'imperial', the 'small' scale could be 'feet' and the 'big' scale could be 'miles'.

Similarly with a speed, the 'small' and 'big' scales could be 'm/s' and 'km/h' respectively for the metric system, and 'ft/s' and 'mph' respectively for the imperial system.

Throughout this post I've referred to a 'small' and 'big' 'scale'. Are there better terms I could use?


texts: Is there a rule regarding "infested with" and "infested by"? Which is more appropriate?


texts: Connotation of a sentence in a listening material from TPO

texts:
(Here for the original audio source (MP3 file). The part in question begins approximately at 2'18'')

This conversation is an excerpt from one listening material in a TPO (TOEFL Practice Online) test, which takes place in an ecology lecture about phosphorus cycle:

  Professor -...And the Phosphorus is recycled back into the soil; same thing with the animals that eat those plants, or eat other animals that have eaten those plants. We call all of this the land phase of the Phosphorus cycle. But a lot of the Phosphorus in the soil gets washed away into rivers by rain and melting snow. And so begins another phase of the cycle. Can anyone guess what it is called? Nancy?
  Nancy -Well, if the one is called the land phase, then this has to be called the water phase, right?
  Professor -Yes, that's such a difficult point isn't it? In a normal water phase, rivers eventually empty into oceans, and...

I was asked of what the professor implied when she said the sentence in bold text- "that's such a difficult point isn't it?". The options were

  A. She realizes that the students are struggling with the concept.
  B. She is surprised that the students knew the answer.
  C. She thinks that the answer to the question is obvious.
  D. She thinks that this phase of the cycle has an unusual name.

I felt slightly confused about the four options but wound up choosing B because I thought  B could be inferred from what this sentence literally meant. However the answer was C.

So now I begin thinking it over, and one obvious explanation I can find is that the sentence doesn't tell what it literally means, i.e. it should have some implicit intention like humor or irony. But I cannot tell which one is what the speaker (the professor) truly intended. (It may be very easy to distinguish for a native ear, but for me it is not trivial.)

In accordance with the correct answer (C), humor should be the right interpretation. But then I am not able to explain why we cannot interpret the connotation alternatively, namely, as irony? I think irony can also explain the sentence in the context, and would of course lead to answer A.

What makes me even more confused is another detail which might be important: the professor seemed to say this sentence in a slightly laughing (or smirking) tone. Personally I cannot tell whether that was a sign of sarcasm or just for humorous purposes instead.

So which one do you think is a better interpretation, humor or irony?


texts: "anyone who is qualified" or "anyone whom is qualified"?

texts:
So my class has this question, which is:

  Probably it can be anyone (who/whom) is qualified, perhaps even Mr Capp.
  (Found on page 112 in Grammar for Writing Workbook.)

I personally put who, because the way I'd phrase that into a sentence is like such:

  He/She is qualified for the job.

However, my fellow students say because it's a product of a preposition it should be phrased like:

  The one qualified for the job is him/her.

Any help would be useful.


texts: Why is "His theory got disproved" bad English?

texts: I've been told that "His theory got disproved" is not correct English (even in colloquial speech), and that I should say "His theory has been disproved" instead. I usually use "to get" as a substitute for "have been" (e.g. "He got thrown out of school" instead of "He has been thrown out of school"), but why is that not possible in the sentence mentioned in the title (or is it not possible at all, and I've been using "to get" wrong all the time)?


texts:
What does whip-snap mean?

  Lured by its splashy fight scenes and whip-snap dialogue


texts: A phrase or idiom to describe someone who feels entitled, but is blissfully unaware of the social disparity

texts:
From the ongoing Hollywood scandal over “pay for play” inscription at Universities…
It is  often noticed by under-privileged students that there seems to be  preference given to wealthy applicants to USA universities.  The rich can afford special preparatory academies,  and  their children often  pad their resumes with doubtful “accomplishments”.
An example…

Olivia Jade Giannulli revealed that when she was applying to colleges, she "wasn't fully aware of what was going on," and had been living in a bubble where paying a college recruiter was the norm.

"When it first happened I didn't look at it and say, 'Oh my God like how dare we do this?' I was like, 'Why is everybody complaining? I was confused what we did.' That's embarrassing to admit," she said, adding that she was a good high school student, but didn't deserve to be at USC.

“Living in a bubble” is broad, and “entitled” usually connotes a “Karen” type.

Karen is a pejorative slang term for an obnoxious, angry, entitled, and often racist middle-aged white woman who uses her privilege to get her way or police other people's behaviors.

Is there a better phrase or idiom  to describe a person who lives a privileged life, and is unaware of how unjust that actually is?


texts: The last few years "has seen" vs "have seen"?

texts:
Consider the following sentences:

  The last few years has seen the building of the new church.

and

  The last few years have seen the building of the new church.

As a native speaker, both of these sentences "sound" correct to me.  Is only one of them correct, are they both correct or is each one only correct in specific circumstances.

This was a question one of my students asked me, so if there is a relevant grammar rule,  that would be great.


texts:
In the following sentences from Wren & Martin's High School English Grammar & Composition, the objective form is used. I could not think of the rule that governs this sort of usage.

  "HER (not she), who had been the apple of his eye, he now began to regard with something like distrust. HIM (not he), who had always inspired in her a respect which almost overcame her affection, she now saw the object of open pleasantry."


texts: Scientific paper usage: "It has been shown, ..." or "It was shown, ..."?

texts:
If something has been discovered in 1980 and I want to refer to this discovery in a scientific text, how would I do this?

  It has been shown, ...

or

  It was shown, ...

and especially: Why is one form used over the other?


texts: What is the term used for the person that a carer is looking after?

texts:
I was doing some research into the role of carers in the community and wanted to differentiate between carers, the people that they look after and also someone who is/was a carer and is now being looked after by a carer as well.

Since I couldn't find any references to the word "caree", I assume that there is some other term that is used?

UPDATE

I seem to see the term 'recipient' used in some of the organizations that provide services for carers and the people that they care for.


texts: The wider meaning of 'consider' and 'take into account'

texts:
Many dictionary entries state that consider and take into account can be used to mention things that need to be thought of when reaching a decision.

Can I infer from this that I can also use these words to mention only those things that cannot be ignored whilst doing something and thus, take somehow an active part in the action?

An example would be:

The sensor was adjusted to the simulation conditions by considering only response times that can be found in experiments.

'By' is here the means of achieving something (https://www.lexico.com/definition/by). I know there are many ways to express this, but I would like to use 'consider' or 'take into account' to state things that are relevant to the success of the action.

Another example would be:

I cook the dish and take only spices from the Middle East into account = I cook the dish by taking only spices from the Middle East into account.


texts: Individual and Collective Terms for Family Members

texts:
How come some family relationships have individual gender specific terms  and collective terms, while some have only one?

The adults who are responsible for conceiving, birthing, and raising you are collectively called "parents" and individually "mother" and "father".

The people that you conceive, birth and raise are collectively called your "children" or individually "daughter" or "son"

Your parents's parents are collectively called "grandparents" or individually "grandmother" and "grandfather" (amongst other affectionate terms). We also can continue with greats, great-great, etc.

People who have the same parents as you are collectively called "siblings" and individually called "sister" and "brother"

These relationship are directly in your family tree. But other relationships that are "one-offs" lack either the collective or gender-specific term.

Your parents' siblings are individually called your "aunt" and "uncles", but (as far as I know) there is no collective term to refer to your aunts and uncles together.

Your siblings' children are individually called your "niece" and "nephew", but no collective term exists for this grouping.

Your parents' siblings' children are your "cousins" but there is not gender-specific term for your female or male cousins.

This has always interested me, and I have coined my own phases for this missing labels: I have auncles, fecousin, macousins, and niecphews.

Any thoughts?


texts: "There is a picture of myself on the wall." Can a reflexive pronoun be used without an antecedent like this?

texts:
I need an answer for a question that has been bugging me for a while. So, I understand that reflexive pronouns needs to have a subject to refer to, or to be the reflection of. Then lately I've come across a sentence using a reflexive pronoun which was grammatically correct, but with the absence of the antecedent. So can a reflexive pronoun be used without an antecedent like this?

  There is a picture of myself on the wall.


texts: What is the definition of 'depauperise' (or 'depauperize')? Does it mean "to make someone poor", or "to rescue someone from poverty" (de- + pauperize)? Has its meaning changed over time? What is its etymology?


texts: Why is the present perfect used in headlines?

texts:
In news reports, we often read or hear events introduced with the present perfect, and then the past simple like this:

  The film star Jim Cooper has died of cancer. He was 68 and lived in Texas.

What's wrong if we use both first and second sentence in past simple?

  The film star Jim Cooper died of cancer. He was 68 and lived in Texas.


texts: "Something as Received" versus "Receiving Something"

texts:
I am confused about distinguishing between the two sentences below.

Receiving wisdom is better than learning the hard way.
Received wisdom is better than learning the hard way.

The most-obvious reading of (1) I think is for "receiving" to be interpreted as a present continuous verb. There's a second reading where "receiving" is a gerund (in which it forms a compound subject with "wisdom.")

Both sentences are in the present tense but the gerund "receiving" in (1) superficially agrees with the tense, but the (some kind of adjectival verb) "received" in (2) appears to clash.

What type of grammatical principle explains "wisdom as received" or "received wisdom" (as in 2) an a part of speech other than a verb phrase? Is this an example of grammatical mood? If so, what mood is this?


texts:
What is the meaning of "there goes my day"?
My friend message me with a youtube video followed by "there goes my day"


texts:
I read that expression recently. It was used more or less as follows:

  It is very expensive: so, if you really want to acquire it, be prepared
  to hock the Rembrandt.

I would like to know if this is a fixed expression used regularly in some parts of the English-speaking world... Going out on a limb I daresay that this expression comes from or is related to an idiom in Dutch. Am I right or dead wrong?


texts: Is there a word that describes both the boss and the employees?

texts: I want to create a table with all the people who works in a store. What would be the title of such a table? "Members"? "Workers", "Employees", something else?


texts:
The activation and deactivation of features at
  runtime poses challenges for ...

Is that sentence correct? Or does “activation and deactivation” require the plural, i.e., "pose"?


texts: Difference in naming between consulting and consultants

texts:
I have a domain research for a company and since English is not my first language I was wondering about the difference between e.g.

Boston Consulting and Boston Consultants

My guess is that the first one refers to the company as a whole and the second refers to the people of the company.

Thank you for your guidance.