texts: Concerning the usage of the verb "differentiate"

texts:
"TRT World Research [Center] will differentiate from the crowded and competitive landscape of the research business…"

I found that this sentence sounded odd. I'd think that you'd need an object after the verb "differentiate": "…differentiate itself from the crowded and competitive landscape of the research business…"

Is this a question of syntax or grammar? If it is a question of the latter, would you need to add another object before "from"?


texts: Is the sentence "Anne looked at me disgusted" grammatical?

texts:
I have always thought it acceptable to say and write, "She looked at me disgusted."  However, I know some consider it ungrammatical, saying it must instead be either "She looked at me disgustedly" or "She looked at me, disgusted."

Please give me your opinions and explanations as to whether any of the foregoing sentences must be deemed grammatically wrong.

Briefly, my own analysis is as follows.  It is correct to say, "She looked disgusted."  So why would it be incorrect to say "She looked at me disgusted"?  (She was disgusted while looking at me--or, she was looking at me while disgusted.)


texts: Is "Who do you think are the most superstitious people in the world?" really grammatical?

texts:
I just wonder why

  Who do you think are the most superstitious people in the world?

is grammatical, according to the answers in the back of my book.

Please, can you tell me why? Shouldn't it be

  Who do you think the most superstitious people are in the world?


texts:
My partner and I have been having a debate about the proper way of relating dialogue in spoken English. Our problem is as follows:

It often happens in conversation that one wishes to relate a conversation with another person, or rather what one said to another person. That is, one is quoting or paraphrasing one's own words. Since these relate a conversation with or about another, they often start with or include the word "you".
The difficulty is that such quotations seem only rarely to be neatly encapsulated by definite bookends. Rather, the speaker relating the dialogue will slip in and out of the dialogue being related and the present conversation. The meaning usually remains clear, but the literal interpretation can very often get quite awkward, especially if relating the stories of past insults, loves affairs, directions to a subordinate, etc.

My question is: What is the best way to encapsulate such literal meaning such that it clearly doesn't belong in but to the present conversation? Alternatively, I'm looking for the name of this phenomenon that I may search for and read about it.

May argument is that such awkward quoted lines as "You don't even love me any more!", might best be transformed into "He didn't even love me any more!" so that they can be fit into the conversation without the need for quotes. My partner tells me that this is absurd, and it is clearly not the common practice.

Edit for clarification:
@FumbleFingers: Yes, that's exactly the problem. I keep hearing people using something like your first example.

I realize now though that I might have given a better example, so let me try that now: Usually, the quote is taken from one's own mouth. The person reciting the quote verbatim is the one who said it earlier, but to someone else. So we get concoctions like:

...
A: What happened then?
B: Well, I told him "you'd better get your shit together or you're fired.   You can't keep stealing from the company and expecting me to look the other way! I mean, if you think that this is anything close to acceptable behaviour, you've got another thing coming, buddy."
A: What did he say?
B: He said that he didn't know what I was talking about, but I don't believe him.
A: Sounds like a scoundrel.
B: I mean, how can you think that you can do something like that and not get caught? It's disgraceful.
A: Yes, it seems to be.
B: It's like you think the world revolves around you!
A: ...

(Notice how the quotes have been dropped on B's last two lines. Not they they were ever made explicit on the first, because this is spoken, but their presence comes to be taken for granted as the conversation develops and the person the speech is directed toward becomes increasingly ambiguous.)


texts:
I have read this word quite often and always tried to elicit its meaning from the context and circumstances in which it was said.. More often than not I took it as a word for official ban or penalty.. until recently when I was watching an interview in which the interviewee felt offended over a question asked by someone in the audience and refused to answer it and said "she do not sanction impoliteness"...contextually meaning approval or consent.
When I googled its meaning, it offered me two usages :-

a threatened penalty for disobeying a law or rule; syn- penalty, ban, deterrent, correction
official permission or approval for an action; syn- permission ,authority, agreement

Both of them are almost contradictory and do not offer an unambiguous understanding when used in  sentence.

For example: the court sanctioned the proposal.
Did the court approved or deterred?


texts:
“Independently, I want to see for each tank, what are the levels not only of the tritium, which dominates by far the radioactivity, but all those minor elements, cesium, strontium, that are still there to some degree.”
What is the meaning of 'see for '?
Does 'independently' mean 'in my opinion'?
thanks in advance .


texts: "fine at your side" vs. "fine on your side"

texts:
What difference(s) do the prepositions below make in the meanings of the following statements:

I hope things are fine at your side.
I hope things are fine on your side.

To me the first one rhymes more with the area around the person while the second one with the person itself. What do you think?


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Is “my wife and I's” correct, or should it be “my wife's and my”?
  Preferred way to apostrophise in case of dual or multiple ownership by distinct entities?

What is the correct grammar to use in a phrase like "Chris' and Claire's email addresses"? Is it correct to add the apostrophe to each owner in the list?


texts: Why "make" is the correct answer to this question?

texts:
Come across this fill the blank quiz today. And not quite sure why the answer is "make"? For me, "use" sounds like a valid answer as well.

  Q: Jack, don’t forget you can ____ a mobile payment to pay taxes this year. The deadline is 5/31!

Options:

【A】use

【B】make

【C】hold

【D】have


texts: What does the phrase "the turn of the nineteenth century" mean?

texts:
Does the phrase "the turn of the nineteenth century" mean around 1800 or 1900? Wikipedia reports that in British English it means 1800, while in AmE usage is not so clear. So what does “turn of the 19th century” refer to exactly. Does it depend mainly on context?

In British English the phrase the 'turn of the nineteenth century' refers to the years immediately preceding and immediately following 1801, the 'turn of the twentieth century' to the years surrounding 1901, and so on.
In American English it is not so clear cut. According to the Chicago Manual of Style online Q&A, there is no common agreement as to the meaning of the phrase "turn of the n-th century."


texts: What does the "highs" and "lows" mean here?

texts:
It's in the  lyrics of Will Young's song-Leave Right Now. Part of the lyrics below:

  I'm here so please explain
  Why you're opening up a healing wound again
  I'm a little more careful, perhaps it shows
  But if I lose the highs at least I'm spared the lows

So what does "lose the highs" and "spared the lows" possibly mean here?

One explanation is that it means " if I'm not the best then at least I'm not the worst ".  Is that true?

I cannot figure it out. Need help here. Best regards!


texts: Why might "proud" be correct in a slogan and not "proudly"?

texts:
In the movie Great Dane Marmaduke, someone says, "Say it loud. Say it proud."

But proud is an adjective, whereas the sentence really needs an adverb, proudly. Perhaps the same applies to loud as well.

Why is "Say it proud" right?


texts:
Conversate: To converse, to participate in a conversation.

  My parents conversate with me over dinner every night.

Is this a word? Spell check says no, but I have heard it used.


texts: Difference between "safe from" vs "safe of" something

texts:
When indicating that something is secured from something dangerous it is possible to say that it is safe from something. For example, you might say

  Properly kept farm animals are safe from predators.

However, is it possible to also use the preposition "of"?

  Properly kept farm animals are safe of predators.

According to Google "safe from" is way more popular. From freedictionary.com I found one definition

  (2) safe - (of an undertaking) secure from risk.

which suggests "safe of" might be correct as well.

Is saying "safe of predators" okay, improper style, perhaps has a different meaning, or simply wrong?


texts: What's the longest monosyllabic word? And disyllabic?

texts:
Another question on the site made me take notice that through is monosyllabic, but quite long. Are there longer monosyllabic words? What's the longest disyllabic word in English?

Edit: so, Wikipedia has a page for monosyllabic words, but none for disyllabic ones. Anyone can think of any long disyllabic example?


texts: Where does the saying get a rope originate?

texts: Is it truly a racial comment to lynching or is it a reference to wild west judgement with no jury?


texts: How do I use the apostrophe-s ('s) properly in these three sentences?

texts:
Which one of these three sentences is correct?

A. Best Soccer Player Haircuts Ever (This is what I find on Google to be the correct one.)
B. Best Soccer Players Haircuts Ever
C. Best Soccer Player's Haircuts Ever

Why is the third one incorrect? What is the point of using an apostrophe-s ('s)? We say "his haircut", so, if we use "soccer player" instead of "his", there must be an apostrophe-s ('s). Am I right?


texts: 'at', 'on' or 'from' social media in specific sentence

texts:
I have to make a poster to promote my projects and I'm really confused about which preposition to put there: the sentence looks like this:

  Don't miss the latest news at (on) our social media.

Which preposition are appropriate to use from these ones: at, on, or even from?


texts: "Predisposed to" + gerund or infinitive?

texts:
My own logic and basic grammar rules would say gerund:
He is predisposed to plagiarizing.

Because I would also say:
He is predisposed to plagiarism.

But Google tells me that:
He is predisposed to plagiarize.

is just as common. I have also seen, e.g.:
He has a predisposition to plagiarize.

I think I'm right and they're wrong. What do you think?


texts: Shoot first, ask questions later - Semicolon or comma

texts:
In the idiom "shoot first, ask questions later", should the clauses be separated by a comma or semicolon? There are many derivations from that idiom to the point at which it has become a trope, but I'm still not clear on what is the correct punctuation.

I most frequently seen it written with a comma, but I've seen others such as semicolons and em-dashes (definitely a stylistic choice for the latter).

Idiom dictionaries seem to prefer the comma, but I would like to understand why.


texts:
The main issue here is how to sort out the usage of "the" with "least". Sometimes it's clear but there are cases when I am not sure whether to use the article "the" or not.

Least with verb

  The man who actually won the car is the one who wanted it least. [No “the”.]
  The President seemed to be the one who knew least about the crisis. [No “the”.]

(The sample sentences are from a dictionary.)

But:

  I earn the least out of all of us. [Again from a dictionary.]
  Which subject do you like the least? [Found randomly on the Internet.]

I have come to a vague idea which can explain it to some extent. For example:
I earn the least out of all of us. = I earn the least (amount of money) out of all of us. So, when “the” is used it adds an idea of substantivisation i.e. “the least” is a noun.

However, it seems like there are cases when my explanation doesn’t work. E.g., "Which subject do you like the least?" I don’t see how it can be interpreted as a noun. I think it should be "Which subject do you like least?"

Least with participle

  I'm not the least surprised that she's leaving. [Taken from a dictionary.]
  The reply will discuss the one you are least interested in. [Found randomly on the Internet.]

I think it should be: "The reply will discuss the one you are the least interested in."

I am not sure if my ideas are correct, I am just making them known to you so that you can understand the way I think in respect to the issue and shed some light on the issue.


texts: Term for reclaiming or restoring pride in social stigmas ("Taking it back")?

texts:
UPDATE: (05/25/17)

One word that was suggested was "own". While not perfect, it is close. Some more examples it made me think of to illustrate what I mean by flipping something negative into a positive:

Metallica's Jason Newsted's famous reply to the criticism that Metallica were "sell-outs":

  "Yes, We Sell Out --- Every Seat In The House"
   Jason Newstead, VH1's Behind The Music, 11-1998

Or African American's taking back "nigger" by changing it to "nigga", and using it to mean something like 'friend' or 'comrade'.
Or "dude" meaning young men in the 1800's concerned with keeping up with the latest fashions (what might today be called metrosexual), implying that he was a sissy or wuss. Dude was reclaimed over time and in the 70's meant just a normal guy, and now today it can mean just a person (referring to any gender).
Geek. Used to be an insult in the 50's indicating somebody that is studious but weak, low social skills, and possibly unkempt. Today it just means anyone who is an enthusiast of something, especially electronics, computer, or programming related.
Hippy. Used to be derogatory to mean what today is called a 'poser' in the 1950's. Hepsters/Hipsters were the legitimate cool folks, and hippies were the pretenders. Now hippy just means someone with long hair or someone who is very spiritual or loving in nature.

ORIGINAL

MAIN QUESTION

What is a good concise term for the act of converting the meaning/connotation of a social stigma into something perceived as positive?

EXAMPLES

Ex. 1: Clerks II

In the Movie "Clerks II", the character of Randal uses the racial slur "porch monkey" (which I only know is a racial slur because the movie told me. I've never heard the term before then, and I suspect a nice section of the country may also be in that boat of ignorance), but he doesn't realize it is a racial slur. Offended by others taking umbrage and acting hostile about his ignorance, Randal suggests that the term can be reclaimed and saved. He believes it should mean something more positive like "lazy people" instead of "lazy black people".

Since when was "Porch Monkey" a racial slur? - YouTube

That is one example of what I mean by "reclamation", although fictional. But, I think it illustrates the point.

Ex. 2: Pink Triangle

Another would be the infamous Pink Triangle (Wikipedia). This was a symbol the Nazis used in WWII to brand homosexuals in concentration camps as a badge of shame. But, in the 1970's the symbol was adopted by the gay pride movement and changed into something positive. This is a real example of the kind of reclamation I'm referring to.

testing

QUESTIONS:

Is there an all-encompassing term that is "#soundbiteable" or "#hashtagable" -- a simple phrase that explains it concisely and clearly -- to describe reclaiming or reversing the meaning or connotation of a once derogatory term, thing, action, or condition?
What the heck is a nig-nog? Is the term even real, or was it made up as a device for the movie?
And what is sheeny? Is that a real term? I'm from Iowa, if these terms are real, they are not popular in Iowa and I'd never heard them until the movie.

Any help is appreciated


texts: Looking around with your eyes without moving your head

texts:
Is there a word or phrase for looking just by moving your eyeballs?

Something like: "the way the helmet was attached to the armour prevented her from turning her head to look at him. Instead, she looked around with her eyes and caught a glimpse of him out of the corner."


texts: Is there a name for the "a"/"an" exceptions?

texts:
"A person" or "an ornament" are normal instances of 'A' being followed by consonants or vowels. However the rule seems to have exceptions when a word sounds like it starts with the opposite, such as "an hour" or "a url" (when url is pronounced letter by letter).

Is there a name for this kind of exception?


texts: Whats the connotation of 'makeshift'? Is it negative, neutral, or positive like: creative?

texts: I'm curious what the association(s) are with the word 'makeshift"


texts: Is "Lady Macbeth has plotted this out carefully and diligently" a correct use of "plot"?

texts:
Lady Macbeth has plotted this out carefully and diligently.

Can I use the word "plot" in such a way? I know most people would want to replace that with "planned", but I don't want to keep using that word.


texts:
What is the meaning of "far to the east"?

It was only ofter a day and a night's delay that the emperor, by detaching troops under Victor to make a long circuit, cross the canal far to the east, recall Lucilianus with the vanguard, and then attack the Surena's troops in the rear, was able to overcome the resistance in his front.


texts: Why is a Scot's accent so difficult for Americans to understand?

texts: When I was in Edinburgh, Scotland, the locals could understand me just fine, but I was flummoxed by their accent, which did not remotely sound like English to me. Necessity forced me to request that the Scottish locals I encountered write out their responses to my questions. Embarrassing! How is this one-way communication misunderstanding possible, given Scotland's proximity to England and Ireland, whose accents are far easier to understand?


texts: Is it: My apples and orange are/is wrong?

texts:
Simple question:

  My apples and orange are wrong

or

  My apples and orange is wrong

I am not a native English speaker, and I am having some trouble choosing between plural are or singular is for that kind of example.


texts:
Can anyone please help and tell me if this sentence is correct?

"A significant amount of zombies were detected in your city."

In my opinion it should be "A significant amount of zombies was detected in your city." because "amount" should be in agreement with "was" even though amount usually refers to something plural. Are both (was and were) acceptable in this case?
Edit1: Yes, "number" would be the correct one in this case. So allow me to ask one more thing.

"A significant amount of purchases were detected..."

Does the use of "number" apply in this case also? As purchase is not exactly a thing/person. And if no, is it correct to say "A significant amount of purchases were detected..."?
Edit2: So, please tell me what is the correct phrasing?

"A significant amount of purchases were detected..."
"A significant amount of purchases was detected..."

Or, since purchases are countable, is the use of "number" instead of "amount" correct here, as in:

"A significant number of purchases were detected..."
"A significant number of purchases was detected..."

Or would amount be correct since a purchase involves money and it refers to the amount of money?
Would greatly appreciate an answer, and if possible a detailed explanation.


texts: Is there a name for the irregular spelling difference between some nouns and verbs?

texts:
Most words that have a noun-form and a verb-form (noun/verb pairs) have identical spelling, e.g. a jump (n.), to jump (v.).
However, some words have different spelling:

advice (n.), advise (v.)
licence (n.), license (v.)
effect (n.), affect (v.)
life (n.), live (v.)
safe (adj.), save (v.)
belief (n.), believe (v.)

Is there a general name for these minor spelling differences for related words? It's not conjugation because that only applies to verbs. I'm looking for a word that means conjugation, but between nouns and verbs, adjectives and verbs, etc.

EDIT
There are a couple of comments saying that effect and affect have different meanings. I included them to show that my question is not just about the difference between the unvoiced (n.) and voiced (v.) spellings of the words. If anyone can think of a better example to include in my question I'd appreciate it.
However, consulting my Macquarie Dictionary, it gives the following definitions:

effect /əˈfɛkt, i-/, n. 1. that which is produced by some agency or cause; a result; a consequence: the effect of heat. 2. power to produce results; efficacy; force; validity; weight: of no effect. 3. the state of being operative; operation or execution; accomplishment or fulfilment: to bring a plan into effect. 4. a mental impression produced, as by a painting, speech, etc. 5. the result intended; purport or intent; tenor or significance: he wrote to that effect. 6. (of stage properties) a sight, sound or, occasionally, smell simulated by artificial means to give a particular impression in a theatre. 7. a scientific phenomenon: the Doppler effect. 8. (pl.) goods; movables; personal property. 9. for effect, for the sake of a desired impression; with histrionic intent. 10. in effect, a. in fact or reality. b. in operation, as a law. 11. take effect, to operate or begin to operate. -v.t. 12. to produce as an effect; bring about; accomplish; make happen. 13. to produce or make. [ME, from L effectus from efficere bring about] -effecter, n. -effectible, adj.

affect¹ /əˈfɛkt/, v.t. 1. to act on; produce an effect or a change in: cold affects the body. 2. to impress; move (in mind or feelings): the poetry affected me deeply. 3. (of pain, disease, etc.) to attack or lay hold of. -n. 4. Psychol. feeling or emotion. 5. Obs. affection; passion; sensation; inclination; inward disposition or feeling. [L affectus, pp., influenced, attacked]
affect² /əˈfɛkt/, v.t. 1. to make a show of; put on a pretence of; pretend; feign: to affect ignorance. 2. [...]

To me, definitions 1. and 5. of effect look like the same meaning as definitions 1. and 2. of affect¹.
The effect of heat is different for everyone. (effect, def. 1.)
Heat affects everyone differently. (affect¹, def. 1.)
*Heat effects everyone differently. (effect, def. 12. or 13.)
affect² is a completely different meaning about pretending and other meanings, which is why I haven't included the full text.
I am aware that the etymology shows different meanings, but the modern English meanings don't match the Latin meanings anyway. It's even possible that the closeness of the words has led to the meanings "bleeding" into one another.


texts:
In legal talk, specifically regarding criminals, it is standard usage to call someone who has broken the law several times a "repeat offender."  However, I don't understand why such a person wouldn't be called a "repeated offender."   Indeed, I have found somewources that use "repeated offender," but these sources appeared to be English-language newspapers from non-anglophone countries, so I don't find them to be reliable examples.

So, two questions: why "repeat" and not "repeated offender"?--in what other collocations is "repeat" used adjectivally?


texts: in learning basic clause patterns, why are we juxtaposing subject with verb?

texts: In this basic clause pattern, Subject Verb Object, both subject and object are elements of a sentence, but verb is a class of word. Why don't we rewrite this pattern to Noun Verb Noun or Subject [Verbal Element] Object? What leads to this inconsistency?


texts: How is the word "from" used in these phrases?

texts:
Please help in understanding these types of phrases:

He did it from gratitude.

Why is the preposition 'from' used here? Why not 'with'?

The knights were brave from gallantry of spirit.

What does it mean?


texts: Is the main meaning of "speak extempore" as "without notes" of "without preparation"?

texts:
Some dictionary definitions (https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/extempore) of extempore I found allow only without preparation:

Spoken or done without preparation.

Some (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/extemporaneous) allow also the other meaning without notes:

a (1) : composed, performed, or uttered on the spur of the moment : impromptu an extemporaneous comment
(2) : carefully prepared but delivered without notes or text
c : happening suddenly and often unexpectedly and usually without clearly known causes or relationships
b : skilled at or given to extemporaneous utterance

I have often heard using the phrase speak extempore as speak without notes. Also one of the questions here on ELU uses the word in this meaning: Antonyms for "extempore" — speak without notes.
Can I use the word extempore when I want to underline the fact that someone is speaking without notes, and still well prepared? What would that word primarily mean if I just say "The mayor had an impressive extempore speech"?
I am confused - the M-W definitions a(1) and a(2) seem to be in conflict.
"Multiple distinct meanings" are OK, but "multiple (almost) opposite meanings" are confusing, especially for loanwords, where we often use a loanword for increasing precision of expressing, like in technical language.


texts: "To support", "in support of" and "in support for"

texts:
What should be the best use of "support" to fill the gap in this sentence?...

The doctor's association has threatened to go on indefinite strike ___________ their teachers
a. to support/ b. in support of/ c. in support for


texts: Canadian English and collective nouns subject/verb agreement

texts:
Please, forgive me if this has already been asked. I did a quick search and found nothing specifically regarding Canadians, but a kind redirection would be helpful if this is a repeat.

I understand the British/American differences regarding collective nouns. I also know how Canadians officially view collective nouns, which is the same as the British way. However, I would like to know how most Canadians actually use them on a day-to-day basis.

Canadians, how would you write these sentences?

-Alice's family ____ to vacation in Seattle this summer. (plan/plans)

-The band _____ been tuning their instruments for five hours. (has/have)

Canadians, would with the last sentence you say has if all of the band members have been tuning their instruments together, and have if they're tuning them individually?

What about sports?

-England ___ playing well today. (is/are)

Do most Canadians make these distinctions in common speech? What about formal writing? I am moving to Alberta, Canada and I want to make sure I fit in as much as possible. I've already looked up the spelling differences btw.

Also, any good websites where I can confirm whether Canadians say the following:

I'm going to hospital (or to the hospital). I read online that both are used.
I love playing sport (or sports).
I hate studying maths (or math).

Thanks!


texts: Meaning of gosh all, git-up in this context

texts:
In the song Jeepers creepers by Louis Armstrong, there is a line that goes like this:

  Oh, gosh all, git up, how'd they get so lit up?

It refers to the eyes of a person. My question is: what does "gosh all, git up" mean in this sentence? I think gosh all is a simple exclamation. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines git-up as

  drive, energy, aggressiveness.

This makes no sense to me.


texts: A word that has the same meaning as its negation

texts:
Is there a pair of words in English, where one is a grammatical negation of the other, but they are synonyms?
For the negation I'm thinking about a negative prefix or suffix, like de-, dis- or -less, but it can also be built in other way.
For example for the word 'likely' the hypothetical pair would be 'likely' and 'unlikely' and they would mean exactly the same (i.e. 'likely').
This came to my mind because there are at least two such pairs in my native language.

Edit:
IMO this is not a duplicate of auto-antonym. The auto-antonym examples from the linked pages don't meet my criteria. However I was unaware that list questions are automatically "too broad". Thanks Andrew Leach for explaining me that, I think I will try a community wiki question then.


texts:
"Across the hills in the pop art blue"

Could I understand "blue" as sadness, depression, like "Across the hills in the sadness of the pop art" or something like that? How can I understand it?

This sentence is a quote from a song named Pop Art Blue from the band Zero 7.

I can't understand the "blue" of this part, which is in the name of the song as well.

The full lyric can be found in here: http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/3530822107858799922/


texts: The last time I saw you was ages/has been ages ago

texts: Do I say, The last time I saw you was ages ago, or, The last time I saw you has been ages ago?


texts: What's good for the goose is good for the gander

texts: Looking for an alternative way to say "what's good for the goose is good for the gander


texts: "Decimate": has it been used in the "classic" sense in modern writing?

texts:
In this question, I learned that "to decimate" meant to reduce by 10% (hope I got that right).

And it is lamented that no-one uses it in this sense anymore.

Now, given that I never until today knew that it once had this meaning: was it ever even used this way in modern times?  When was it last used in a mainstream publication in this sense?


texts:
"Feeding off your fingers." What does this mean? I'm Russian and I don't know literary English, but I'm translating the famous song Come Undone by Duran Duran.

  Who do you need, who do you love
  When you come undone?
  Who do you need, who do you love
  When you come undone?

  Words, playing me deja vu
  Like a radio tune I swear I've heard before
  Chill, is it something real
  Or the magic I'm feeding off your fingers?


texts: British usage of “cha”, “char” or “chai” to mean “tea”

texts: By happenstance, I stumbled upon the words cha, char and chai in the dictionary today, all defined as meaning tea in informal British English. I lived and worked in London for some time, but never heard it used, so I am wondering: is it specific to certain dialects? Or is it dated? The Oxford English Dictionary doesn't mention anything like that.


texts:
As a computer software engineer, I find that "heuristic" seems to be taken de facto, with no acknowledgement of any negative connotations, i.e. aspiring to more explicit, measurable, absolute alternative.

For example when given a set of objects, and the goal of deciding if they are alike or different, a heuristic approach compares one or more attributes of each item, which may not "prove" the decision, but support it.

"Deterministic" is probably the best choice, which might apply in the case one attribute is deemed to be distinct and definite.


texts: Difference between get "off of" and "off"

texts: What is the difference when you say "get off of something" and "get off something"?


texts: How do you say "in all directions" in a single word?

texts:
Consider the following example sentence:

  Sound is a form of energy that travels in all directions.

How to do you say "in all directions" (which is shown as bold in example sentence) in a single word? There's even shorter than that (all around):

  Sound is a form of energy that travels all around.

I have a single word "round" [adverb]:

  Sound is a form of energy that travels round.

... which doesn't satisfy me at all, as it denotes a circular motion:

  ADVERB
  1. so as to rotate or cause
  rotation; with circular
  motion.


texts: Are these two sentences grammatically correct?

texts:
Assumption: Samantha is not living in Berlin anymore. (Wasn't mentioned)
Fact: The Berlin wall came down in the year 1989.

'Samantha lived in Berlin for more than two years. In fact, she was living there when the Berlin wall came down.'
'Samantha has lived in Berlin for more than two years. In fact, she was living there when the Berlin wall came down.'

Questions:

It is stated on the site where I came across this sentence that the former sentence is correct; however, as we don't know the specific time interval when Samantha was living in Berlin, shouldn't we use the present perfect tense?
Which sentence is correct, or are they both correct? If both, then which is 'more correct' (or more commonly used)
Also, without the assumption mentioned above, shouldn't we use the present perfect progressive tense, as we don't know if Samantha is still living in Berlin?


texts:
I'm wondering about what is the correct wording and in particular, which grammar rules are underlying your decision.

Some loci are expressed independent of the environment.

Some loci are expressed independently of the environment.

Thanks for your help!

Yamper


texts: How should a (North American) Native English Speaker prounounce the word 'Afrikaans'?

texts:
I've always had trouble with the word 'Afrikaans'.  I could say it the way South Africans say it, but then I'm not sure if I'd just be saying the word with a South African accent.  After all, I don't pronounce 'Spanish' as 'ESS-PAN-YOLLL'.

So how do people pronounce it?


texts: "Any club cannot use . . ." vs. "No club can use . . ."

texts:
Here in Japan, many of my students use "any" in a negative sentence like this:

  "Please note that any club/group cannot use the copy machine after 8:00pm."

I believe this is grammatically incorrect, or at least unnatural and should be:

  "Please note that no club/group can use the copy machine after 8:00pm."

My question(s) is/are:

Is the first sentence grammatically incorrect or is it just a matter of natural style?
In the case that it is grammatically incorrect, what is the rule regarding such a sentence construction? (Any . . .cannot  vs  No.....can)

I would like  to give them a reason for changing their work beyond "It's just a native-English thing".

Thank you very much for your help on this.

GT in Japan


texts: Adjective for "happened at the same place"

texts:
We have the adjective simultaneous for meaning "happened at the same time". So what is the adjective for "happened at the same place", simul...

Note: Simultaneous stuff could happen at different locations. So, "same place" adjective should have the possibility of different times of occurence, ryt??


texts: How did "sinister", the Latin word for "left-handed", get its current meaning?

texts: Sinister is the Latin word for left-handed.  What evolution of meaning turned left-handed into evil and threatening?


texts: Is a server "in the Internet" or "on the Internet"

texts:
When talking about a server on/in the internet, which preposition would you use?

In the question "In the Internet" vs. "on the Internet", it is recommended to

  [...] use "on". At least if you are talking about the contents you can find on it. If you're talking about its hardware structure for instance, then, "in" can maybe fit in some cases, I guess.

Another answer said that

  a switch [which routes internet messages] is 'in the internet'

How about the special case of a server? It is not contents, yet it serves them. You would use on the internet when talking about its contents and in the internet when talking about the actual hardware, right?

If you say that a client is able to connect to the server (via proxy, for example), does it connect to a server on or in the internet?

(This is somewhat of an edge case, so I was not sure how to apply the answer of the above question).


texts:
My boyfriend and I are arguing whether thousands of miles means 1000+ or 2000+ miles.

The first argument is that 1000+ is over 1000 and therefore 'thousands of miles' by rounding up.

The other argument is that thousands are a unit, and if you only have one unit plus a fraction of that unit it is not 'thousands of miles', it is a thousand miles plus the fraction: therefore only 2000+ is really 'thousands of miles'.


texts: Is "as (adjective) as (adjective)" acceptable usage?

texts:
For idiosyncratic reasons of euphony and metre, I want to write (something like) "She wore round her neck many gems, as beautiful as rare."

I feel in my bones that this formulation, "... as (adjective) as (adjective)," is acceptable (if decidedly dated, poetic, or literary), but cannot find any corroboration in, for example, the OED. (I gazed glassily at the large entry for "as, adv. and conj.", for a while yesterday.) I did find some support by googling a few sample phrases, which garnered a very few hits, such as:

"Yes, but where / True nature links a friendly pair, / The blessing is as rich as rare."

"It is an extremely beautiful plant, and as rare as beautiful, being only found in the best collections."

"Animals are given voices, inanimate objects legs, and the world is peopled with beings as strange as rare."

I know that the more idiomatic forms of these would be "as rich as it is rare," "as rare as it is beautiful," "as strange as they are rare." So a corollary to my question is: Is the form "as (adjective) as (adjective)" implying or eliding the fuller "as (adjective) as [it is/they are/etc.] (adjective)"?

My main concern, always, is not to give the reader miscues. When one reads "as beautiful as," one probably expects a noun or noun phrase to follow: "as beautiful as a sunset," e.g. This is so common, that I worry that a reader might even assume that "rare," in my sentence, is the first part of such a noun phrase, e.g., "[gems] as beautiful as rare flowers." But, because the period immediately follows "rare," indeed is probably grouped by the eye with it, any stumbling or cognitive dissonance should probably be minimal.

p.s. If you know any examples of "as (adjective) as (adjective)" in canonical literature, I'd sure like to hear them.


texts:
What does "unwarranted conclusion" mean in a context that especially is related to scientific survey.

Apparently it means  that drawing a conclusion without taking into account whole variables or factors that impact the conclusion. However, I could not find a source explaining the term well.


texts: Word for "from this point of the document on it will be called simply XYZ"

texts:
Is there any word that could replace the phrase in bold below and retain the same meaning?

  This document defines the intended
  behaviour for the AVI to XYZ
  conversion tool (which from this
  point of the document on will be
  called simply "conversion tool").


texts: Word for a copy of a copy when the copier has never seen the original

texts:
Consider an American who opens a Chinese restaurant but has only eaten at Americanized Chinese restaurants. They are copying something which is already a distorted copy of the original. They could copy it perfectly but it would still be different from real Chinese food.

Is there a word for such a copy? I think Simulacrum is sometimes used this way but isn't actually defined as such.


texts: Why find found, bind bound, fight fought, wind wound (i / ou) but cling clung, dig dug, spin spun, sting stung (i /u)?


texts:
I read somewhere that English is the only language to have borrowed a form of its to be verb from another language. I want to say, if memory serves, that it was are that was borrowed from an early Scandinavian language. Is that so?

I know Old English had sind for one of their pronouns inflections of be, the same as in German.  But did it switch to are naturally from some other gentler evolution, or was it borrowed?


texts: Is ‘the reason why’ somehow objectionable?

texts:
It has just come to my attention that some consider ‘the reason why’
ungrammatical or otherwise unfortunate.  David Crystal mentions it in
his introduction to Fowler's Dictionary of Modern English Usage, and
this Oxford dictionary

https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/reason

says that

  Many people object to the construction the reason why …, on the
  grounds that the subordinate clause should express a statement, using
  a that-clause, not imply a question with a why-clause: the reason
  (that) I decided not to phone rather than the reason why I decided not
  to phone. The reason why has been called a redundancy to be avoided,
  but it is a mild one, and idiomatic.

As far as I can see, these ‘grounds’ are a misunderstanding.  ‘Why’ does
not ‘imply a question’ any more than ‘where’ in ‘the place where he was
born’.  It seems perfectly reasonable to me to say

  the reason for which

which is the same as

  the reason wherefore

which is the same, I would think, as

  the reason why

So what is the problem with ‘the reason why’?  I can see neither illogic
nor redundancy in the construction.  It is, of course, possible and
often preferable simply to say ‘the reason he ..’ and ‘the place he ..’,
but surely not always, and the objection seems to be stronger than that.
Besides, I would rather say these are cases of omitting the relative
adverb than call the full formulations redundant.  Is the objection
simply -- as it appears to be -- based on a misunderstanding?


texts: Can we say " the most similar passages"?

texts: A comparison of the most similar passages from this tradition could shed light, I hope, on the interpretation of the first Palladan monosyllabic substantive.


texts:
Can someone help me break this sentence down for better understanding?

  The first thing you need to do is clean your room.

First off, "The First thing", in the sentence above is acting like an adjective for the pronoun "you"? If so, can someone please provide me more internet reference to this pattern of "noun + pronoun"?


texts: Use of Past Simple vs Past perfect in sentences with since

texts:
Ann admitted that she hadn't seen her parents since she left London.

Is the above sentence OK or do I have to write

  Ann admitted that she hadn't seen her parents since she had left London.


texts: What does "render" mean in this sentence?

texts:
What does "render" mean in this sentense?

  Most programs are tedious to write in the
  bare language, whereas just about any task can be rendered simple by the use of good libraries.


texts: A word for a {[x1, y1], [x2, y2], .... } collection of data where x is strictly progressive

texts:
You can see those everywhere, any kinds of statistics like average temperature by month or average income by years of education, essentially any data that is a list of progressive x values corresponding to y values. Example:

There are a few words that I know that would fit this data, for example "polygon" and "graph" but that is like calling a cat an animal - technically correct but not very specific. Polygons and graphs have no restrictions on whether any of their dimensions are progressive or even how many other data nodes a single node is connected to.

Then there is "chart" but AFAIK this word refers to a visual representation of some data and is even more vague.

Does anybody know of a word that would fit only this sort of data specifically?


texts:
To express a fraction of 3 out of 4, how and when would you use three quarters, and when would you use three fourths?

To me, three quarters is what I would have used all the time — but I'm not a native English speaker, so I'm not sure. I did come across three fourths, but wasn't sure if that's something used in certain geographies and/or fields of expertise, or whether that's just a slightly too literal translation of another non-native speaker.

Are there certain walks of life, certain fields of expertise that would use three fourths instead? Or is this a question of geography (e.g. used in New Zealand, but not elsewhere)?


texts: Can Dating Be Used In Non-Romantic Situations?

texts:
Would such sentence make sense?

"Tonight is our date night with mom."


texts: Word for substances which help you escape your problems

texts:
Is there a word like dopamine, which can be used to describe a substance that helps you escape/forget your troubles?
E.g.

Sleep is my dopamine
Alcohol is my unknown word.


texts: the duplicated expression "over more than"

texts:
There are over more than 3,000 people in the stadium.

What do you think about this duplicated expression "over more than"?
Does the redundant wording serve to intensify? Or is it wrong?


texts:
Possibly this question is a duplicate; please direct me to the appropriate question if this is the case.

The word it's is a contraction of it is. Is it ever acceptable to use an apostrophe as a contraction for general pairs of words of the form

[noun] is

for nouns other than it? More specifically, is it acceptable to write

My father's angry with me

instead of My father is angry with me? The sentence above seems (?) acceptable in spoken English, but I'm not sure about written English.


texts: From one to another or From one to the other?

texts: Is there a difference if I say "the recipe varies from one cook to the other" or "the recipe varies from one cook to another"?


texts: Where is the possessive apostrophe placed?

texts:
In the following partial sentence, is the apostrophe placement  on “vice-president’s” correct or should it go after the s: “Vice-presidents’ ”

In the filling of vacancies in the five (5) vice-president’s office’s...

(I’m aware that there should not be an apostrophe in “offices”)


texts: Does saying 'then' after 'sorry' imply reluctance?

texts:
A did something wrong but didn't realize it. B explained to A why what (s)he did was wrong. Then A said: "Sorry then". Is A really sorry?

Literally, "sorry then" (in my head) means in light of the new information, I am sorry. But my friend say the 'then' after the sorry means A said it reluctantly and (s)he is not really sorry.

So which is it? Do you have any more examples of when placing 'then' after a statement makes it imply the speaker's reluctance?


texts: What is the grammatical term for with + N + present participle?

texts:
The matter was resolved with both parties cooperating.

With + N + present participle is used to indicate that two events happened at the same time. What is the official grammatical term for this?


texts: Similar forms to word-making as onomatopoeia

texts:
Onomatopoeia is defined as;

  the formation of a word from a sound associated with what is named (e.g., cuckoo, sizzle).

(from Google). They also add:

  late 16th century: via late Latin from Greek onomatopoiia ‘word-making,’ from onoma, onomat- ‘name’ + -poios ‘making’ (from poiein ‘to make’).

so the meaning has changed over the centuries.

So for example the noise a pig makes sounds like 'oink', and cat 'meiow'. Other examples are 'bang' and 'gush'.

Are there similar concepts for words formed from sources other than sounds?


texts: How do I ask the question "Where is it made?" or "Where is it made in"?

texts:
Sometimes I feel confused about if I should add a preposition, like "come back to Seattle" or "come back Seattle".

If I want to ask a question about where something is made, how to say the question "Where is it made?" or "Where is it made in"?


texts:
CGEL by Huddleston & Pullum (Page 1537) has this example

(d) So as head of clause with dependent modifiers or complements
[64] ii The Coo-ee cordial factory prospered almost at once, so much so that my father bought a new house at Coorparoo.

And at the bottom of the next page, CGEL calls so in [64] a pro-form as follows:

In [64] so is the head of a clause; clauses normally have a verb as head, but so lacks the important inflectional properties of verbs. Overall, then, we prefer to classify anaphoric so simply as a pro-form; its properties are unquestionably unique, and we do not believe that anything is gained by forcing it into one or more of our general part-of-speech categories.

Now, two pages later, CGEL has this example:

[72] iii There had been a power failure, so that all classes had had to be cancelled.
In [72iii] so is a preposition functioning as head of a result adjunct.

I wonder how and why you should distinguish the two so's as in CGEL. If so in the first example is a pro-form, shouldn't so in the second example be a pro-form, as opposed to a preposition?


texts: What is the difference between "destruction" and "deconstruction"?

texts: I am Hungarian, and I can completely understand the words destruction, construction, and deconstruction, although the corresponding Hungarian words are rarely used. I don't know if the con- possesses any meaning there, please explain the situation to me.


texts: Does stuff become countable when enumerated?

texts:
Consider a conversation with a sentence:

S: "I bought milk and honey."

What is a grammatically correct question referring to the sentence S?

Q1: "Where did you put it?" or

Q2: "Where did you put them?"


texts: Unclear grammar of present continuous — is it present continuous?

texts:
A clerk taking cash from a customer and not entering it in the cash register.

Here's my question: how and when can I use subject + verb + ing without be like the first part in the sentence?

For me, I'll say: "a clerk takes cash" (present simple) or "a clerk is taking cash" (present continuous). Sometimes, I see sentences like the one mentioned above, but I can't detect what kind of tense that is. Under what conditions should I use this subject +verb + ing form?


texts: Can 'But', 'And', or 'So' be used to start a sentence?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Is it really incorrect to start a sentence with “and”?
  Is there any valid rule discouraging the use of a certain word to start a sentence?
  Usage of “And” in the beginning of a sentence
  Can I use "but" at the beginning of a sentence?

I heard that "but, and, so" are not supposed to be used at the beginning of a sentence.

I have noticed, however, a lot of sentences use "but, and, so" as the first word of the sentence.

Are the words at the beginning of the sentence grammatically correct?


texts: Using the definite article vs no article

texts:
I come across many sentences that I fail to undertand why the authors have used the definite article, the.

For example, look at the following sentence. This is the first sentence (in introduction) of a journal article.

  The activities in a supply chain have the role of transforming raw materials into finished products that are
  delivered from the supplier to the end customer.

I don't understand why the author has used the before supplier and end customer. I don't know who is the supplier or who is the end customer.

How about if we write in the following way. In fact, I have also seen such variants in the introductory paragraph of some artciles. Are the 1, 2, and 3 correct and carry the same meaning in this context?

The activities in a supply chain have the role of transforming raw materials into finished products that are
delivered from  a supplier to  an end customer.
The activities in a supply chain have the role of transforming raw materials into finished products that are
delivered from suppliers to end customers.
The activities in a supply chain have the role of transforming raw materials into finished products that are
delivered from supplier to end customer.

I believe there are subtle differences that nonnative speakers can't understand. Could you reveal the mystery of the?


texts:
I am comparing two products and want to say:

Inter-comparisons of FGH products with other products at the global scale help to
learning the regions where they agree or differ

I wonder if help to learning is correct.


texts:
In English how can I most succinctly convey the state of some item P where it should not only obviously appear to have quality Q, but should also actually have quality Q?
Or (dropping the subjunctive if it's easier): What word means the state of not only obviously appearing to have quality Q, but also, actually having quality Q?
If a door "appears" locked, it might be unlocked. Even if a door "readily appears" locked, it could still be locked. How can I say it not only appears locked but actually is locked, without repeating myself?
For example suppose I'm instructing an employee of my security company on how to properly setup a security system at a customer's house.
How can I most briefly describe the condition that a house will be in after my employee should render it into a state where not only does it have a security system, but also, the fact that it has a security system should now be obvious to anyone from the street?


texts: Correct way to write this compound possessive?

texts:
The scenario is that both Alex and Yuval need to review the pull request.
What is the correct way to write it in English?

Pull request awaits Alex and Yuval reviews.
Pull request awaits Alex's and Yuval's reviews.
Pull request awaits Alex and Yuval's reviews.

The preference on https://english.stackexchange.com seems to be the last option, but logically, shouldn't the second option be preferred (as Alex and Yuval play the same role).


texts: Extra-terrestrial equivalent meaning other time rather than other world

texts:
Is there a word similar to extra-terrestrial, only meaning other time(like past or future) rather than other planet?
example;

He is from another time

The bolded portion is what I want to replace with the other word.


texts:
In my English class, my teacher gave me a sentence and asked me to correct it, knowing that the sentence is incorrect regarding the parallelism. The original sentence goes like this:

The candidate's platform included a tax code reform, an improved school system, and reviving good relations with the unions.

My attempt was like this:

The candidate's platform included a tax code reform, an improved school system, and a revival of good ralations with the unions.

However, my teacher insisted that my response had been completely wrong. In addition, she gave me the official solution (coming from the answer key section of her book):

The candidate's platform included reforming the tax code, improving the schools, and reviving good relations with the unions.

Everything ended here, she did not gave me the explicit explanation or any supplement materials so that I would never make the same mistake again. As a result, I got really frustrated. I wonder if anyone can help me out? Was my response correct because there may have been several solutions to an English exercise? Or if I was wrong, would someone explain why?

Best regards


texts:
"Multitasking" is a commonly-used word in computer science and has a lay meaning as well.  What is the opposite of "multitasking?"

I tried "unitasking" in a recently letter to a colleague and was met with mock horror.  Perhaps "singletasking" or "single-tasking" is more natural?  Or another word altogether?

[EDIT]
I need the antonym in a computer science document, and "non-multitasking" is quite stilted. concentrating would have a very low probability of being correctly construed by my reader to mean "one task at a time".


texts:
I'm reading essays written by non-native English speakers about movies and I keep coming across the phrase "put in a great performance."  For example, when talking about an actress in a movie one person wrote:

  Takahata Mizuki put in a great performance. I was very moved.

or

  The voice actors who appeared in the movie put in a great performance.

I have never heard the use of in in this phrase (American English).  So my question is: is this standard English anywhere?  Is this just a malapropism? If it is used, does it have a different meaning from using on?

Here are my thoughts.  First, if you put on a great performance, it almost always refers to a live show, play, etc.  When discussing the performance of an actor in a movie, it would make more sense to say "their performance was great" or "their acting was great."

Second, the part that really confuses me.  How can you put in a performance?  Isn't a performance an output, not an input?  One can put in effort, but can you put in a performance?  Logically, it doesn't really make sense to me.  Although of course English is far from logical.

Third, I found a FEW examples of the phrase used in sports related instances.  All of them appear to be non-native speakers (and football players, huh).  But still, the usage seemed uncommon.

SPALLETTI: "WE ARE EAGER TO PUT IN A GREAT PERFORMANCE"
Zidane: “We're only thinking about putting in a good performance”
Mayoral: “We've put in a great performance”


texts:
There is one cup, one plate, and one spoon in the drawer

or

  There are one cup, one plate, and one spoon in the drawer

Which one should i use?

There's sounds more natural, but I feel like I'm talking about multiple items, so I should use There're.


texts: Word identification - unfriendly smile while talking

texts: What is it called when someone is talking and cracking a smile at the same time, but in a way that only one side of the mouth is moved upward, like those villians in japanese mangas?


texts: On this aim / to this aim / with this aim

texts: Can we start a sentence: on this aim/with this aim, when we want to use it as a synonym of "For this purpose" ?


texts:
thank you for your attention.
My question is about the difference in meaning between the following sentences:
(i) "A novel is not considered unless it successfully engages the imagination of most readers"
(ii) "A novel is generally not considered unless it successfully engages the imagination of most readers"
For me, (i) means a novel is considered only when it successfully engages the imagination of most readers.
However, I am not sure whether (ii) means the same or not? Could I interpret the (ii) as "A novel is generally considered only when it successfully engages the imagination of most readers".
Thank you very much for your time.
Leon


texts:
In this example, is the correct usage 'she' or 'her'?

  Jenny administers the second high-dose adrenaline shot and her and
  Bron change places on the table. Chest compressions are tiring, so
  they switch to ensure they're maintaining the correct force and
  weight.

or

  Jenny administers the second high-dose adrenaline shot and she and
  Bron change places on the table. Chest compressions are tiring, so
  they switch to ensure they're maintaining the correct force and
  weight.

Or are both correct?

Or are both badly worded generally? In which case, how would you word such a sentence?


texts: Spelling and etymology of "whatchamacallit"

texts:
...then he picked up this watchamacallit and...

I've heard the word whatchamacallit more than once, but never found it in a dictionary.  What is the right spelling, if it does exist? Is it acceptable in writing?  Is it derived from "what you may call it", or "What you might call it?"


texts: someone who has trouble holding a conversation with more than one person

texts:
This kind of person has no problem holding a conversation when he has only one partner, even striking up a conversation on his own, but then sort of "locks up" when more than one other person is involved, being unable to say even a word.

Is there a word for that kind of person?


texts: How should I greet two people sharing the same first name in an email?

texts:
I'm sending an email to two persons with the same first name (Steve)

Greeting them by saying "Hi Steve, Steve" seems totally awkward.
Is there a good way of writing this, apart from the obvious "Hi" without mentioning any first name ?


texts: What is the correct/best accounting term for an insurance fee that is to be collected?

texts:
Clients of an insurance company pay regular fees to an insurance company. From the perspective of the accounting of the insurance company, what is the correct or best term for the fees that are due for collection in the upcoming collection cycle as in

  Here's a list of all the ... that are due to be collected on 1 June.

Terms I came up with by querying dictionaries and Google are:

debt claim
outstanding money
amount receivable
premium receivable

The last one is my personal favorite but as I'm not an English native speaker and never received any training in accounting and/or insurance business I'm just not sure at all which term is actually commonly used and not sound kind of odd to a native speaker.

Also, what is the correct plural form? Premiums receivable or premium receivables?


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  How should one say times aloud in 24-hour notation?

Which words can be used to say time in 24 hour format? If, for instance, for 4:00 one might say "four o'clock", is it also correct to say "sixteen o'clock" for 16:00? Is it different for a casual conversation and for a presentation of some kind? It is also probably different for US and UK, and maybe for Europe too.


texts: What is the word that fits both "repair" and "manipulation" categories?

texts:
I am tasked with choosing a word that covers both the repairing of a mechanical device and mechanical manipulation; when something is not broken yet could use some tinkering.

  "Wrenches are tools that provide ______ functionality."

We can repair cars with wrenches, but we can also use wrenches to manipulate things that are not broken (fire hydrants, ect).

I was briefly contemplating using the word "reparation" but that only includes repairs, and it seems to be considered archaic.

Question: So what word best captures the functionality of repairs + general mechanical manipulation?


texts: Is fight always of a negative connotation? Is there a better one that conveys the same points with a more positive meaning? As in “fighting for change”?


texts:
meaning of "a limitation of biotechnological options as a way of broadening them"

"When the Universal Declaration of Human Rights guarantees “life, liberty,
and security of person” in Article 3,and many national constitutions
grant special protection to the life and health of their citizens, these
guarantees are not so much a limitation of biotechnological options
as a way of broadening them"


texts: Help understanding a sentence from "An Introduction to Mathematics", but it's about Shakespeare!

texts:
I'm reading Alfred North Whitehead's "An Introduction to Mathematics". I need help understanding a sentence at the beginning of the book:

The study of mathematics is apt to commence in disappointment. The important applications of the science, the theoretical interest of its ideas, and the logical rigour of its methods, all generate the expectation of a speedy introduction to processes of interest. We are told that by its aid the stars are weighed and the billions of molecules in a drop of water are counted.
Yet, like the ghost of Hamlet's father, this great science eludes the efforts of our mental weapons to grasp it –“ 'Tis here, 'tis there, 'tis gone" – and what we do see does not suggest the same excuse for illusiveness as sufficed for the ghost, that it is too noble for our gross methods.

I understand the Shakespearean reference, but I'm having trouble understanding the last phrase.
I believe the author is saying something like this: stuff we see in mathematics (that we lack understanding) cannot be blamed illusive (the ghost can, but not math) and in the end, math is too noble for our gross methods (and that's why we can't understand it).
This sentence looks weird to me. I'd love to hear what other people think about it.


texts: The use of "random" to mean "arbitrary", "unidentified", "unknown", etc

texts:
I'm seeing the use of "random" instead of "arbitrary", etc., with increasing frequency. To me, "random" has a specific meaning and is not synonymous with these other words.
 Is it correct to use it in this way?


texts: What do you understand from this? Is this person a football player?

texts:
"I have always wanted to be a footballer. I am very happy because my dreams have come true. I don't see football as a job for me. I used to enjoy it, I still do."

This is not the full text but this part is probably the most important part. Is this person a football player? Because while reading this I thought this part had some kind of "contradiction"(idk if I am using the word correctly) in it. And I thought that the person didn't become a football player but still enjoyed playing football in his free time???  To be honest, the text was full of grammatical mistakes and one sentence had five "then"s in it. I am not fluent in English yet, however I can recognize some grammatical mistakes too. And instead of using "ball" or idk maybe "football ball" the person who wrote this chose to use "football"=> "I always wanted a football, then my dad bought me a football as present" this was in the text too. I am confused????


texts: Why do we holler *at* someone but talk *to* someone?

texts: Why is there a difference between using "at" and "to"? Why can I not holler to someone or talk at someone? Further, why do we chat with someone? Why do the prepositions change with each verb?


texts: Any exception with commas before and after "for example"?

texts:
I know that usually there should be a comma after "for example" and "for instance" but in the following sentences the commas would seem odd, wouldn't they?

  While it is common practice to do recalibration between trials, for example in reading research, this is not always possible or feasible (for example in studies where task completion time is measured or where an interruption might impact on contextual information or the participant’s thought processes).


texts: What is the difference between “[I] may [be] ...” and “even though ... ”?

texts:
The above is a question that has occurred to be fairly recently. I admit that there are plenty of cases where they are not even close to equivalent, but how about the following?

I may be visually challenged, but I can see you’re lying.
Even though I am visually challenged, I can see you’re lying.

A stranger I may be, but not to places like this, or the kinds of work to be found in them.
Even though I am a stranger, not to places like this, or the kinds of work to be found in them.

Powerful you may be and very likely second only to Superman, but Darkseid is a god and he will have your respect…in the moments before he has your soul!
Even though you are powerful and very likely second only to Superman, Darkseid is a god and he will have your respect…in the moments before he has your soul!

The chorus may look silly, but they sound wonderful.
Even though the chorus looks silly, they sound wonderful.

I should point out that the context surrounding the above sentences suggests that the speaker is admitting a fact and then stating a contrasting fact. They are definitely not expressing permission, possibility or wishes when they say “may” in those cases.
How about you? Do you see any difference between “may” and “even though”. If so, what might that be?


texts:
The phrase “cock-back“ is used in Eminem's song 'Phenomenal' :

  “...feel like you want to hit that wall, then do it, punch through it, just cock-back, put your all into it“

What does this phrase mean?


texts: Are jeeps just jeeps or are they named after the brand?

texts:
I have wondered this for a while now. The US Army vehicle - the jeep - did it get its name through coinage or through the Jeep brand?

I feel like it came about because of the brand name/make, but Etymonline offers the following explanation for the noun "jeep":

  jeep (n.)
  early 1941, American English military slang, acronym from G.P., abbreviation of General Purpose (car), but certainly influenced by Eugene the Jeep (who had extraordinary powers but said only "jeep"), from E.C. Segar's comic strip "Thimble Theater" (home of Popeye the Sailor). Eugene the Jeep first appeared in the strip March 13, 1936. The vehicle was in development from 1940, and the Army planners' initial term for it was light reconnaissance and command car.


texts: Should I use "in good standing" or "of good standing"?

texts: I am typing a Certification for an individual. Should I use in good standing in the community or of good standing in the community? In what context should I use in and of?


texts: at undergraduate level or at the undergraduate level

texts: Should I say 'at undergraduate level' or 'at the undergraduate level'. I can find both online. To me, level is a countable noun, so I would prefer the latter one. But there are a lot sentences using the first one.


texts: Present perfect as continuing action (“for three years”)

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  When to use “has lived” vs. “lived” vs. “had lived”

I’m having trouble understanding this sentence:

  I have lived here for three years (I still live here.)

I know that this sentence means that somebody still lives there, but
can this also mean that that person doesn't live there anymore?

I’m asking because I noticed that without “for three years”, “my whole life”, etc the action seems to be complete; for example, “I have lived there”, meaning that the person doesn't live there anymore.

But with “for three years”, “my whole life”, or something similar, it is not clear whether the person is still living there or not. They may or may not be living there.

Is it really so?


texts: If sistren is the female equivalent of brethren, what is the female equivalent of fellow?  Words usually paired are: guy/gal; man/woman; boy/girl; lad/lass; brethren/sistren; fraternity/sorority; but I have seen nothing for fellow.


texts: Formal word/phrase conveying the meaning of "top of your game"

texts:
In a story I'm writing, two of my characters have the following dialogue:

  "We've both made mistakes in our approach."
   "I share your sentiment, brother. It seems we're not at the top of our game today."

Using a phrase such as "we're not at the top of our game" seems inappropriate for the character in question, for he often likes to use flowery language in his dialogue. What would be a more formal way of conveying the same message in a single phrase/word?


texts:
The term "capstone project" is common.  Google tells me there's also something called "Capstone Classroom."

The dictionary -- whatever dictionary you might look in -- says "capstone" is only ever a noun, so I guess these are compound nouns.

All this said, what should I conclude about the sentence

  This is the capstone failure of my life.

Anything wrong with that?  Can I use "capstone" as an adjective with any noun?


texts: How do you determine if a pre-modifying past participle is a verb or an adjective?

texts:
How do you determine if a past participle--when used as a pre-modifier of a noun--is a verb or an adjective?
For example:

a. I saw a broken vase.
b. I saw a murdered man.

I think broken in a. is an adjective whereas murdered in b. is a verb. (Correct me if I'm wrong.)
Is there any clear way of determining the part of speech of a past participle pre-modifying a noun?


texts: How do people in Silicon Valley pronounce "10x" as in a "10x engineer"?

texts:
I am researching the tech industry in the United States and frequently find the term "10x" developer or engineer, meaning that the worker is respected as being outstanding in their field, in effect contributing "ten times" the normal amount of work a regular employee can do.

For my research I'm wondering whether people in the tech industry have a fixed way of pronouncing this, as in "ten ex" or "ten times" (as in "ten times the normal engineer"), or do they switch between both?  Or do they, ~~gasp~~ disagree?  If so, to what extent?

My preliminary research suggests a potential lack of consensus, but it's based solely on this Quora question with few upvotes and one answer suggesting each pronunciation.  Can someone here help?


texts: an emphatic pronoun between auxiliary verb and infinitive?

texts:
I know we can use an emphatic pronoun after the subject or at the end of the sentence. But I have found some examples from news websites where it has been used after an auxiliary verb and before the main verb. Is it grammatical at all? I haven't found anything about it in grammar books.
"He said his life was his art, but he didn't himself believe it."


texts:
We’re debating this at work.

Merriam-Webster says it’s “subclassification”.

Dictionary.Reference.com allows “sub-classification” and “subclassification”

Is there a ‘more correct’ word to use?

(If it helps, we're after Australian English)


texts: Is this a valid sentence using accretion?

texts:
I am having difficulty understanding and using the word "accretion".
From what I understand , it means to gradually save a definite amount from a source.
So is the following sentence valid?

  James bought this car using the accretion amount that he saved


texts: Is the use of dependent clauses undesirable? (in scientific writing)

texts:
I tend to use dependent clauses frequently in scientific writing.  This is especially true when discussing a problem-solving process where the result from one step leads into the next.  Here's a made-up example, with the dependent clauses in bold.

  To overcome the issue of noise, we performed a Fast Fourier transform on the resultant time series.  Although the output represented only half of the observations, we temporally interpolated the remaining observations based on historical trends archived previously.  Moreover, the use of temporal interpolation allows us to fill data gaps when the detector failed to make observations.

When I try to integrate the dependent clause into the independent clause, the paragraph loses the logical flow of problem-then-solution sentence construction and the sentences feels disjointed:

  We performed a Fast Fourier transform on the resultant time series to overcome the issue of noise.  We temporally interpolated the remaining observations based on historical trends archived previously because the output represented only half of the observations.  The use of temporal interpolation also allows us to fill data gaps when the detector failed to make observations.

While I do prefer the first version, is it stylistically and technically undesirable to use dependent clauses in successive sentences?  Or am I just being paranoid?


texts:
There is a word used in English but from Italian (I think) which has the following meaning:

  To witness something or someone of such profound beauty that you are
  compelled to sing aloud in praise.

I cannot find it anywhere. I remember that, when asked, it sounded a little like the French word "parler" or "parlons" (to speak) if that helps.


texts:
I know we use had when we want to tell of events in the past — e.g., The train had left before I reached the station. I want to write about an up-and-down trend in a line graph at different points. Assume I used simple past tense in the first two sentences in a paragraph. Now, in the third sentence I write:

  The oil price had plunged to 200 barrels in 2000 before it surged to 600 barrels in 2005.

Should I write this without had? Is it optional?


texts:
Consider the following sentence:

  The metal sheets are glistening with water drops filled with a mix of dust and acid."

It is unclear to me if I can rewrite it using "glistening from":

  "The metal sheets are glistening from water drops filled with a mix of dust and acid."

The only dictionary example I could find states "glistening with sweat" rather than "glistening from sweat", but it doesn't explain why.

  "Gone are the wavy curls, glistening with sweat and flopping a full
  second behind his every move."

(The Daily Beast, "Roger Federer’s Hair Evolution", by Sujay Kumar, June 8, 2013, given as an example by Dictionary.com)


texts: Plastic or rubber stretched too much is (hardly/strongly) stretched?

texts: If you want to describe a stretched plastic cable, would you say that it was hardly stretched or strongly stretched?


texts:
What's the difference, if any, between these:

I'm stoked on going there
I'm stoked about going there
I'm stoked to go there

What's the most common?


texts: Is there a word to encompass the two states of a day: AM and PM, morning and afternoon?

texts: A single word which sums up the option of AM/PM or morning/afternoon.


texts: Pronouncing "warrior" to rhyme with "lawyer" ... is this a feature of any dialect of English?

texts:
I've been listening to a section of The Great Courses: Medieval History, an audiobook narrated by  Kenneth W. Harl. From his accent, Prof. Harl is clearly American, with what I would describe as a standard Midwestern accent (TV announcer variety) except for a few quirks here and there.

One of the quirks is his penchant for pronouncing warrior as if it rhymed exactly with lawyer, i.e., ˈwɔ yər. This pronunciation seems not to be accepted in dictionaries, as the various listed pronunciations I find include ˈwɔr i ər, ˈwɔr yər, ˈwɒr i ər, ˈwɒr yər. His Wikipedia page gives no mention of his origins.

I believe I've heard this pronunciation before, but I can't place it and if my memory serves it seems rare to me.

Is this a feature of a dialect, idiolect, or something else? If a dialect, which one(s)?


texts:
On this matter I have read other questions: “Sour cream” versus “soured cream”, “shaving cream” vs. “shave cream”. But, can someone explain what is the "Style Cream" to which this potato chips are associated to, as it seems to be from reading the following phrase on the packet:

  American / Style Cream & Onion / Flavour

I have searched for "Style Cream" in Wikipedia, but I haven't found anything.


texts: "My another account" vs. "my other account"

texts:
A little debate going on here so I just want to know which one it is; I'm saying it's my other account since my another would be my one other account.

The other person insists they both can be used; however, I'm more than positive that it's only other in that context. Plus, my another account just sounds wrong to the ears.

Which one is it?


texts: Why numbers are sometimes pronounced as individual numbers?

texts:
456

four hundred fifty-six.

four, five, six.

Is there any rule or something? Is the second one just for faster pronunciation?


texts:
I am translating a book and I am confused with this sentence:

When Madame Curie started out in search of radium, when nobody  knew what radium was like, they did not know how many molecules to the atom,...
Success Habits: Proven Principles for Greater Wealth, Health, and Happiness
Napoleon Hill, pub Pan Macmillan 2019

What does it mean by "molecules to the atom"?


texts: Polite alternative for "none of your business"

texts: It seems it's rude and impolite to say directly to someone "none of your business". So, what's the more gentle alternative(s) for situations in which  we should say "hey, this is none of your business!"?


texts: Does any of the following sound metaphorically correct?

texts:
"This data has been sitting on my hard drive for years."
OR
"This data has been sitting in my hard drive for years."


texts: What part of speech is "back" in "If you want it back"?

texts:
If you want it back ...

I'm doing a school project and need to figure out parts of speech in my letter that I wrote, but, I dont know what "back" is, can anyone help?


texts: What is wrong with the phrase “me and my work”?

texts:
For my thesis, in my acknowledgements, I have the following line:

  I would like to thank my fiancé, ----, who has endlessly supported me and my work.

My supervisor highlighted me and my work and commented “Check grammar :)”. I have been trying to figure out what is incorrect here, but am stuck.

What would the correct grammar for this sentence be?


texts: What do you call 'be-to' constructions and are they acceptable English?

texts:
Consider the following examples:

  You have to be really patient if you are to go shopping in the afternoon.
  It must be active if it is to record the film.

What is the construction in bold typeface called and should it be used in formal English texts — is it good or bad style?


texts:
As in the following sentence:

  When I have the time, I will watch a new episode of one of the aforementioned Netflix shows, though rarely I will watch one of the shows below:

vs.

  When I have the time, I will watch a new episode of one of the aforementioned Netflix shows, though rarely will I watch one of the shows below:


texts: Is it correct to say "a context aware modeling of trust"?

texts:
Towards a context aware modeling of trust and access control based on
  the user behavior and capabilities

I was reading some documentation and this phrase stopped me! Is it correct after all?


texts: I am curious why "go through the mill" means "have had a lot of problems or difficulties".


texts:
“Foliage trip” (meaning a trip to the forest in autumn to see the beautifully-colored leaves before they fall) is a fairly recent US expression, apparently having made it into print in the 1950s. A very casual web search suggests that the term is predominantly from New England, or at least from the US North-East.

Is this the case? Where do people use “foliage trip”? Outside of the US North-East (in similar climates, and in climates where the beautiful colors of fall leaves isn't a thing), do people understand the expression? Does British English have an equivalent expression (for French the jury is still out)?


texts: If a transitive verb can also be used as a noun, is there a requirement that there be the equivalent of a direct object?

texts:
Harm is a transitive verb. Transitive verbs require a direct object; my question is whether there is any requirement that when used as a noun, the word "harm" also requires a direct object. In other words, can harm exist if the harm is not related to someone or something? It seems illogical that it could, but I am looking for an authoritative answer. Even if you do not know, any suggestions of what books or authority might provide an answer on this question would be enormously helpful.

Thank you.


texts: What does "It is a means to an end, not an end in itself" mean?

texts:
English is not my native language and I'm struggling to get the meanings of:

It is a means to an end, not an end in itself.
It is more of a means to an end rather than an end in itself.

I'd highly appreciate if someone explain the meanings of these two sentences to me. Thanks


texts:
A minor emergency sends you to the nearest hospital, where you get an examination, including X-rays and an MRI. Fortunately, you have health insurance. But a few weeks later, you get get a bill from some corporation in another state that says you owe them several hundred dollars for X-rays. Or maybe you get a bill from another state for the ambulance that took you to the hospital.

Is there a term for this confusing situation, where services in a particular hospital may be billed to separate entities? I'll accept either a noun or a verb. For example...

  He was shocked to discover that he had become another victim of ______
  when he received a bill for his ambulance ride from Arizona.

  She was dismayed to learn that she had been ________ed by what
  appeared to be a jigsaw medical service.


texts: Stealing the topic from another person when he or she is going to tell you something

texts:
When someone is starting to tell you something from his or her life, some persons are immediately interrupting and starting to talk about the same topic, but from their own perspective instead. Example:

Person A: I just came back from Italy, I had a..
Person B: Oh Italy! I remember when I was there five years ago, bla bla bla..

Is there a word for that?


texts:
What is the difference in usage between maximum and maximal? When would you use one or the other?

Maximum can be a noun or an adjective:

  This is the maximum it can be set to.
    This is the maximum value.

whereas "maximal" is always an adjective:

  This is the maximal value.

Is this correct? Is there more to it than that? When would you use one or the other as an adjective, or are they completely interchangeable?


texts:
Is the use of that if discouraged or even wrong? This may be a weird question, but in Dutch the use of dat als, literally that if, is considered an error.

So, for example, is the following sentence wrong?

  She told me that if a fire breaks out, I should immediately call the fire department.

Would the following sentence be better?

  She told me that I should immediately call the fire department if a fire breaks out.


texts: Word order of participial modiﬁers and proper nouns

texts:
This is a follow-up to this earlier question. I want to say that I met a person and they were drunk at the time. Which should I use:

I saw intoxicated John.
I saw the intoxicated John.
I saw John intoxicated.

I know I could say I saw John, who was intoxicated, but I want to say it with one clause. How does it work for present participles?

I found sleeping John.
I found the sleeping John.
I found John sleeping.

Any rule of thumb for that?


texts: Telling the time "3:15" in American English

texts:
Which of the followings is the most common way to say 3:15 in American English?

  A quarter past three
  A quarter after three
  Three fifteen

Also, in the last example "three fifteen", where do you put the stress (fif-TEEN or FIF-teen)?


texts:
I read a quote from an unnamed source:

  I asked my friend, "what are your three favorite pleasures in life?" and she replied, "A martini before and a cigarette after."

As far as I can tell, a cigarette and a martini are only two things, so what's going on here?


texts: Does a nominative sentence suggest that a characteristic is more of a permanent feature?

texts:
Scenario:

Someone steals a pen and is asked: 'Did you steal the pen?'

They reply: 'No'

It is said to them: 'You are a liar.' Does this nominative sentence not suggest that they are a liar as a habit or that lying is more of a permanent characteristic of their personality more than a verbal sentence such as: 'You have lied.'

Thus, based on that, would it be wrong to describe a person using a nominative sentence when a person does not possess a certain attribute as a permanent feature?

So if somebody did something foolish, which was not their habit, and it was said to them: 'You are a fool.' it would not be as reflective of the situation as using a verbal sentence such as: 'You have been foolish.' or are the two interchangeable?


texts: Or is there another way to compare them how they sound similar?


texts:
I came across this recently and curious as to which is correct. Here are a couple example sentences:

  I wish you would…oh, never mind.

OR

  I wish you would—oh, never mind.

In the above usage, which is correct, an Ellipsis … or an Em Dash — ?


texts:
This question is related to industry and manufacturing. I'm wondering if there is a word "semiproduct". We use it to describe a piece of material - for example steel sheet, pipe, elbow, dome, U-profile, … that could is not a product itself, but will be later used in the manufacturing process. But it's not raw material either, it's something in between.

Is there a better correct word that would collectively describe these things?


texts: The writing style of "... do not only..., ... also..."

texts:
I don't really understand the writing style of the following sentence. Please explain it to me. Thanks.

  I do not only love my mom, I also love my dad.


texts:
This is the first time I have come across a use of but to mean and without having a negative context. If the usage is correct, how would it be different from being used after a context with not only or not, and how would the meaning change if and were used instead of but also?

  My brother is talented in many different ways. He is a mathematical genius but also has great musical ability.


texts: A word for 'make fun of' but less intense than 'ridicule'?

texts:
Is there a word which can substitute for the phrase 'make fun of', but is at the same time less intense than the word 'ridicule'?

For instance:

  The author satirizes American capitalism and superior complexity and he
      ________ British puritanism and traditionalism.


texts:
How should Tennyson's Maud be read? I.e. what is its meter? Here are the first four lines:

  I HATE the dreadful hollow behind the little wood,
  Its lips in the field above are dabbled with blood-red heath,
  The red-ribb’d ledges drip with a silent horror of blood,
  And Echo there, whatever is ask’d her, answers “Death.”


texts: Does "delete" have negative connotations?

texts:
I've noticed, when major connected device OSes remove a Bluetooth device from the list of known devices, they typically use "forget", "remove", or "unpair" instead of "delete".

Someone posited on a separate thread here the word "delete" is avoided because the non-computer analogies in most non-digital usages refer to a permanent erasure—probably one reason other phrasings are preferred.
I was curious if there is a resource to quantitatively assess the connotation of the word.  My feeling is it also carries a somewhat negative/harsh connotation, but I wanted some way of getting quantitative evidence to prove or disprove this hypothesis.


texts: Why don’t dictionaries have all the different forms of a word

texts:
Here are some different forms of a word that come to mind:

Noun (singular, plural, possessive)
Verb (past, present, future, etc.)
Adverb
Adjective

I know that these are called parts of speech and there are other terms involving the grammar of changing them like conjugation for verbs. But it’s the subcategories for these that I’m interested in, especially nouns. For example, there are 3 subcategories for nouns:

Nouns that describes how a person behaves/what they do (someone who is gluttonous is a glutton) or what they believe in (someone who believes in existentialism is an existentialist)

Nouns that describe the process of something getting done (the process of creating something is creation)

Nouns that describe a phenomenon like a way of thinking or a trait (using the previous examples, an existentialist believes in existentialism and a glutton gives into gluttony

Also there is a subcategory of verb that I’m thinking of:

To make something or someone have more of a particular quality (making something more simple is simplifying it, making someone more beautiful is beautifying them)

I know all of this has to do with etymology, particularly prefixes and suffixes. But I would like to know if there is a dictionary or other reference (preferably online, but I’m open to books) that has all the different forms of a word in one place. I know some online dictionaries might have them, but that doesn’t always happen. For example, if I google initial, initialization or initialize don’t show up in many dictionaries (I only saw one from a quick google search). This is also a simple word. It can be more difficult when trying to find more technical or less common words. Any and all information on this topic is welcome, not necessarily just references like a dictionary


texts: What's wrong with "the Poincaré" in "the Poincaré conjecture"?

texts:
I came across this question on Academia.SE and I noticed its first comment. The question points to an article in the New Yorker magazine written by Sylvia Nasar and David Gruber, both of whom seem to be native English speakers. The comment says:

  I really dislike how the authors of that article keep writing "the Poincaré" for "the Poincaré conjecture".

The comment has gained some upvotes, but I really don't get it. What exactly is wrong with that phrase? Is it the inappropriate use of "the"? I am not a native English speaker, but from what I have read/heard so far, I think we should use "the" in such cases and it wouldn't sound so annoying.

I hope this question is on topic for this site, because I thought it was about English language usage, and I appreciate any feedback.


texts: Meaning of "that" in "holomorphic function in the sector S that is continuous"

texts:
I have encountered a confusing sentence in a math textbook:

  Suppose F is a holomorphic function in the sector S that is continuous
  on the closure of S.

What does that mean in the above sentence? Does it mean the function F?


texts: Why are cold liquids rarely called soup (n)?

texts:
A friend recently asked me a question for which I couldn't find an answer.
She said that soup (n.) should not be used to describe cold "soups" (ex: like gazpacho or vichyssoise); that these should be called juices and the word soup should be reserved for warm liquids.

I thought this was ludicrous, but when I went to look at the etymology of soup, I couldn't find anything to dissuade her. Can you help?

Merriam-Webster defines soup as "liquid food", and gazpacho as "spicy soup served cold". Juice is defined as "the liquid part that can be squeezed out of vegetables and fruits."


texts: Is there a word for a master that exists only in imagination? An imaginary master?

texts:
I want to express something that means "Serving a master that only exists in our imagination", but don't want to use "serving the imaginary master". Is there a word for it?

Example: "We spend our entire lifetime serving an imaginary master instead of using the limited lifetime in our service."

Edit:
Rephrasing the sentence: "Our limited lifetimes should be used in our service instead of us using it to serve an imaginary master"


texts: Is there a less adversarial way of saying “choose your battles”?

texts:
The phrase "choose your battles" conceptualises encounters as adversarial.

Any suggestions for less adversarial alternatives?


texts:
When referring to toddles/infants, we say:

  Example 1) Pick up the baby.

But when my friend asks me a favor, they would say:

  Example 2) Can you pick John up from the bus stop?

or...

  Example 3) Can you pick up John from the bus stop?

I always thought that example 1 is correct because it involves an actual act of picking up someone and carrying it. But between examples 2 and 3, example 2 is correct and example 3 is incorrect. Why, because you do not actually carry John around. However, I have noticed many people using Example 3 as the correct way to describe the action.

Between examples 2 and 3, which is the correct way?

Duplicate Alert?

“Pick up something” or “pick something up”?

This question appears to be duplicate but that question is more related to the actual action of lifting an object and carrying it. And hence, I think my question is not truly a  duplicate. Please correct me if it is duplicate.


texts:
If I were to say
"I am John Smith, New York University Alumnus"
or
"John Smith, RAF"
as an introduction, what would the latter half of the sentence be grammatically speaking?
I was thinking it could be a noun in apposition, but I'm not sure.


texts:
I'm listing requirements for a job position within a company and one of the duties of the position in question is drawing attention to unclear customer requests, and the need for their clarification. I'm not sure how I would put this in words, and this is the best I could come up with: (comes after a list of other duties of the position)

  If the request is vague, to indicate that it needs to be clarified.

So it is not that he directly asks for a clarification of the request, he is only supposed to draw attention to that fact, e.g to someone who is supposed to actually seek for a clarification of the request.
The verb "warn" is a possible alternative to "indicate" for what I want to say, but I'm not sure it would sound good in this sentence.
Hope someone will provide me with a better phrasing for what I want to say here.


texts: Synonym for 'blinkered' with positive connotations

texts:
I want to say:

"a blinkered pursuit of pure excellence"

and was wondering if there was a more positive adjective I could use instead of 'blinkered', as it is not negative in this context. However, I want the meaning of blinkered, in that it is stronger than 'extreme focus', it is an unabashed paying of attention to only one thing to solely achieve excellence in a good way.


texts: Why is the letter after "Mc" in names capitalized?

texts: For example, McDowell, or McDonald, or McKenna, etc. Is it necessary to capitalize that letter following "Mc"? And if yes, why is this so?


texts: how to address the person who read the texts of digital audio guide in museum?

texts: Some museum provides cellphone application with a digital audio guide, when we click a certain collection, there is introduction of that objects. How to address the person who read the text? He or she is not actually an interpreter since he or she just read out what is provided by the museum curator. Maybe a dubber?


texts: Do phrases "Yes, it did not." and "No, it did not." have different meanings?

texts:
Let say the question is:

  So this ended up not working?

What is the proper way to say, this indeed not work?

These two seem fine to me:

  Yes, it did not.

or

  No, it did not.

Are they both right? Or does one of them have different meaning. Is there any difference between the two phrases?


texts: "Indicate" or "Provide an indication of"?

texts:
Is there any difference between "indicate" and "provide an indication of"? If not, is there any reason that an author prefers one to the other?

For example:

  The next section of the chapter attempts to present an overview of trends at global, regional, country and destination levels. It provides an indication of the scale and scope of the tourism system.


texts: Clarify the difference between "program" and "programme"

texts:
What is the difference between The Noun: Program and Programme ??

What should i use?


texts: Looking for a term describing the act of learning something while doing something else

texts: As the title suggests I am looking for a term used by a teacher I once had. It describes unintentionally learning something new whilst actually researching or simply learning about something different.


texts: Choose between words “perverse” and “deviant”

texts: I want to express the concept of a crowd of people with wrong idea of good and bad things (like people from some classical books who make principal characters abandon their love and so on). Can I use the expression perverse crowd or deviant crowd. I feel that something is wrong, because these words are usually used to refer to something sexually abnormal? What is a right adjective to use?


texts: Is there an adjective for having and spitting lots of saliva, especially in a state of wild, raging abandon?

texts:
I'm looking for a word that describes this happy fellow:

source: imgur.com

I don't think frothing is the right word. It isn't froth or foam, but sticky wads of spit.


texts: Explanation for misuse of 'where' in a main clause

texts:
I'm editing a paper and the author (native German) has written several instances of 'where' at the beginning of a sentence as a main clause. He means to explain the symbols in the equation that preceeds the sentence, but his use of 'where' is not appropriate. I can't seem to find a good enough explanation for this mistake. Do you?

Here are two examples:

---Equation XYZ---
Where XYZ is the ratio of cross section between adjacent segments in x-direction p,j and p+1,j.

---Equation XYZ---
Where X is the Modulus of elasticity and Y the cross section area of the segment p,j.