texts:
I'm looking for a word that is similar to leftovers. In this case, the leftovers are not from one of my previous meals, and they are completely uneaten, but they are already cooked.

Example 1:

My friends go to Chipotle and they bought an extra burrito. I'm given the burrito, and I save it in the fridge. The next day I decide to eat it for lunch.

I could say, "I'm going to eat my leftover burrito." That would imply the burrito is partially eaten, or from one of my previous meals. It is from my friends' meal, but it was not part of it because they bought it for me. What would I use instead of leftover in this case?

Example 2

On a Sunday night, I decide I didn't get enough and I cook 5 burritos to eat for lunch all week. On Wednesday at work, I might say, "These are delicious leftovers!"

My coworkers might get the impression that I had burritos for dinner the night before. Again, what could I use instead of leftovers in this case?

(This is my first question on this site, feel free to edit and improve.)


texts: Usage of "despair" in the phrase "being despaired of"

texts:
I am reading a 1892 novel, in which I see the sentence:

  For months my life was despaired of, and when at last I came to myself....

Is this an old use of the word "despair"? If the word "of" is dropped, does the meaning of the sentence change?


texts:
What is the correct adjective form of the word hire? I have seen references to both hireable and hirable.

I checked using Google's Ngram viewer book search and it appears that both have been in use since the 1800s with hirable becoming a bit more popular in the past decade or so:


texts: The horse PAWED at the sky. Is pawed appropriate here?

texts:
"The horse PAWED at the sky."

Now, I don't think pawed is used appropriately here.

What word can go in its place?

I'm looking for something that can help the reader visualize a horse rearing onto its back legs with its two front legs in the air.

Any ideas for what word I can use in this instance?


texts: Ache, 'Countable noun' or 'Uncountable noun'?

texts:
I can usually read the sentence like ' I have a headache.'

But I think 'ache' is kind of the pain. We can't see the pain and touch the pain.

Therefore, I think that it should be 'uncountable noun'.

How can this be 'countable noun'?

Could you explain how it can be counted?


texts: When did the pronunciation of ‘hierarchy’ change from /hie-/ to /hai(e)-/?

texts:
I assume that ‘hierarchy’ was earlier pronounced
/hie-/ rather than /hai(e)-/.
Is this right?  If so, when did the change occur?


texts: word for six-month period.....not as an adjective or as an associated adverb, but as an affirmed set word

texts:
In English, we have

7 days → a week
14/15 days → a fortnight
30/31 days → a month
365 days → a year

Is there any word for six months? Not half a year, or biannually (which is linked to a main event). I need a specific term that can be used without a ‘crutch’ word.

The closest I've found is the word semester. But that's not right either.

Like a concrete fact or a universal truth, e.g. the sun rises in the east. The expression half a year ago could refer to any time, in respect to the specified event.  What I would like is a term that fills this gap.

  Every year has two _____

Half a year (in a sentence, e.g. either make a random sentence with half a year that is a present perfect, or consider any similar ones, such as biannually) is not a single-word and it is ambiguous.

Also, if that word doesn't exist in the English vocabulary, I would like to know if any other language has such a word.


texts: What is an adjective referring to “someone who puts people down”?

texts:
I was just thinking about someone I went to school with who had a penchant for putting people down, and I was trying to think of a word that describes this, but couldn’t find it. It would be a synonym of caustic, abrasive, discouraging, and undermining, but these all have slightly different connotations (to wear away", cause discouragement or to make fall).
I want an adjective that has the connotation of a hammer hitting you on the head. The word does not necessarily need to describe someone who does this on purpose, out of evil intent. Is there such a word?

The word should give you a mental picture of someone barraging you with negative comments, but it not necessarily affecting you. Think of someone who so often has something negative to “contribute” that many can just either ignore it or roll their eyes at it, and that is the extent of its effect. I keep getting the mental picture of the word buffet as in, how waves buffet the shore. A constant hitting, without the hitting necessarily being devastating in its destruction.


texts: Using “They” Vs. “You” After using unless

texts:
Which sentence is correct ? Should it be:

  Unless you keep your teeth clean, they won’t stay healthy.

or:

  Unless you keep your teeth clean, You won’t stay healthy.

The question is from a practice test:

  To stay healthy, You have to keep your teeth clean. Use Unless

My english teacher says (first sentence) is the right one.

But i say both of them , because Your teeth are a part of your Body,So we can say You if we talk about it in general.


texts: Expression "I can / can't tell the things"

texts:
I'm French and have sometimes/often difficulty understanding certain expressions.

Presently, I'm not sure of the sense of the following phrase:

  I can tell the things

that lies in this sentence :

  I am learning Python and so far I can tell the things below about
  __new__ and __init__

I wonder if the phrase in it is correct or if it shouldn't be :

  I can't tell the things

I would understand the second one as meaning "I'm completely confused about __new__ and __init__" , but like it presently is, I'm not sure how I must interpret the phrase hence the sentence.

Also, is the word below part of the phrase? or not, as I did in the above line with can't?

In fact, I also wonder if the phrase is an idiom or not.


texts: Adverb placement in "Let's simply share"

texts:
To me the expression

  Let's simply share

seems wrong.

I've always thought the adverb should come after the verb. Is that correct?


texts: Do I have to put "that is" in this sentence?

texts:
A watch not worth a penny was being sold there.

In this sentence, do I have to, must and should put "that is" like this?

  A watch that is not worth a penny was being sold there.


texts: Have ever done before and ever did before

texts:
What is the difference between

a) I've done a lot of exercise in my life, but I've done more in the last few days than I've ever done before.

b) I've done a lot of exercise in my life, but I've done more in the last few days than I ever did before.

Thank you.


texts: An adequate English expression when another train passes first

texts:
I'm not fluent in English conversation, so I have a question.

For example a normal train stops at station A, and a following express train is passing the same station, so the normal train have to wait for the express train to pass the station first.

In this case, Is there any adequate expression in English to announce this situation to passengers? (especially 1-3 word will be great)


texts:
In Spanish, "how not" can mean "of course". I'm not sure whether one can translate literally that expression. Is the following correct English?

  When I went to the spa I chatted with Ann for a while, and then, how not, I took a bath.

My intent in the example sentence is to express that "taking a bath" is an obvious or predictable action to perform, given the described situation.


texts: "Have our minds made up" vs. "have made up our minds"?

texts:
This could be a more general question. What is the difference in the meanings of the two following structures?

  Have/has something/somebody + past participle

and

  Have/has + past participle + something/somebody

Or, is there difference between them in any other respect except for their meanings?

examples:

  When we have made up our minds, we will go to the party.
  When we have our minds made up, we will go to the party.


texts: "was I to have" vs "were I to have" vs "if I had"

texts:
When writing an answer to another question as opposed to commenting (since I lacked in reputation), I was about to write

  was I to have enough reputation

when I decided it was incorrect and replaced it with

  were I to have enough reputation

but then doubted myself again, wondering if perhaps

  If I had enough reputation

or

  If I were to have enough reputation

were correct. Can someone shed some light on which one (or ones) of these are correct in this scenario and how they differ? Many thanks!


texts: "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth" synonyms

texts:
I always wondered the meaning of this phrase, until I stumbled across this thread. That knowledge is nice, but the saying itself is now pretty antiquated.

Responses for modern equivalents?


texts: What is the term for someone who provides robbers with the information on the victim?

texts: Is there a noun in English, indicating the person whose specific role in a robbery is to direct the robbers towards the likely target? He does not commit the heist himself, but only provides the information. I need something more specific than an accomplice or a co-perpetrator, if such a word exists. Thank you so much.


texts: Is this correct: no one will be asked to return until I am sure that the crisis has past

texts:
Per the title, Should it be:

No one will be asked to return until I am sure that the crisis has past?

or

No one will be asked to return until I am sure that the crisis has passed?


texts:
I'm writing something and there are several places where I need to use multiple adjectives.

I've always learnt that multiple adjectives should always be separated by a comma, but my supervisor said that they should only be separated by a comma if they are different.

So whereas I would say:

  We present a novel, industry-inspired problem [...]

He argues it should be:

  We present a novel industry-inspired problem [...]

What is the complete rule regarding multiple adjectives and commas? Thank you.


texts:
I have come across sentences using past tense in if-clause and present tense in the main clause, such as:

1) A hamster is pregnant for only about three weeks and up to 20 babies can seemingly appear overnight in a hamster's nest if you didn't know your hamster was pregnant.

2) Hamsters will eat more when they are pregnant and nursing, but otherwise their diet will remain the same as if they weren't.

Are they grammatically correct and do you classify them as "mixed conditionals"?


texts: Should there be a definite article in this sentence?

texts:
A recent sales study indicates that consumption of seafood dishes in Bay City restaurants has increased by 30 percent during the past five years.

Should there be a definite article between "that" and "consumption"?


texts:
Is there a word that the describes the pleasure of watching someone else work?

For example, my mother enjoys watching me hard at work because generally she is the one working hard.


texts: Section titles capitalisation: in text and in table of contents

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Which words in a title should be capitalized?

Could you please tell me: What is the recommended capitalisation style for the section titles of a business document and a scientific text (PhD thesis)---first caps or sentence style? And if I use the first caps in the titles in the document, should I also use first caps in the table of contents?


texts: Differences between "different", "divergent", "disparate" and "distinct"

texts: What are the differences between different, divergent, disparate and distinct?


texts: Name for a word that describes popular, short-lived words or expressions?

texts:
I'm wondering if there is a word that describes popular, short-lived words or expressions? Think of "hanging-chad", a word most people had never heard of, then you heard it everyday for months, then it disappeared.

Maybe the word I'm looking for, if it even exists, is used to describe the phenomenon as opposed to the words themselves.


texts: Is there a word for a job role created that gives no practical benefit?

texts:
I'm trying to find if there is a word or term for a job role that has been created by a manager that gives no real practical benefit to the business, but was done to give the illusion of change.

Say for instance a manager of a failing factory wants to convince the owners he can still turn the business around. He makes a change by creating a new deputy foreman role and says this will increase productivity, but in reality he is just reallocating existing duties from other posts to buy time.

The closest word I could think of was stooge, but this doesn't sound right as it describes the person not the job. Any ideas?


texts: "How did you know?" vs. "how do you know?" distinction

texts: When someone makes an assertion, the distinction between "how did you know" and "how do you know" seems to be that "how did you know" implies that the person in question is correct in their assertion. "How do you know" is normally an inquiry into the person's credentials, and often expresses that the assertion is incorrect and/or ungrounded. Does anyone know what the reason for this distinction is? Why does simply changing the tense of the verb change the implication so strongly? I suspect that, linguistically speaking, the "did" might be a different tense than the past tense, but I'm not sure what it is, or I could be entirely wrong.


texts: Globalisation encourage economic cooperation among/between nations?

texts:
Globalisation encourage economic cooperation among/between nations.

My approach:

Before my teacher taught me i saw various rules and also found some questions here related to difference between between and among.

My teacher told me that certain words we have to remember because  with "cooperation" use between.

  My question is unique because this is a particular example.It can be treated as both and can have between/among.

  So,my question was :

  Are there any other words we need to remember because in my regular practice I only came across only this word?


texts: "Ready when you're." or "Ready when you are."

texts: Should I follow up the first sentence with the word ready? And if so, why is this so?


texts: Word between Overview and Details without resorting to the comical "Detailed Detailed Details"

texts:
What is a word between "Overview" and "Details"?

I tried to search for "intermediate view" but google image's result doesn't make sense.

I also tried to search for synonym of "mesoscopic". But online dictionaries draw a blank.

Thanks for your help.


texts: The one had splurged herself into a top-heavy realist, the other a lopsided romantic

texts:
"That is what Mildred Grossman had in common with Holly Golightly. They would never change because they'd been given their character too soon; which, like sudden riches, leads to a lack of proportion: the one had splurged herself into a top-heavy realist, the other a lopsided romantic."

Source: Breakfast at Tiffany's

What is the relationship between one getting suddenly rich and the characteristics of the two characters? And what is a top-heavy realist and a lopsided romantic?


texts: Are “lb” or “lbs” ever pronounced differently from “pound(s)”?

texts:
The “standard” pronunciation of lb or lbs is the same as for pound(s).

However, given the nature of humans, I find it likely that in some slang a pronunciation based on the written word is used, e.g., /lɒb/. I am curious whether my guess is correct, i.e., whether such a pronunciation exists.

Unfortunately, searching the Internet for this did not give any satisfying (positive or negative) results, as it primarily yields non-slang dictionary entries, which only give the standard pronunciation.


texts:
How can you read (orally) a quotation that has some parts omitted with ellipsis points?
For example, consider the following sentences:
The original sentence:

"To read a quotation with omission -- that is, a quotation with one or more ellipses that indicates an omission -- can be very confusing."

The quoted version:

"To read a quotation with omission ... can be very confusing" (stackexchange.com).

How can I read the quoted version above, in a presentation? Should I just skip the ellipsis?


texts: Do native speakers of major English varieties actually say "a software" or "softwares"?

texts:
So I've looked up the word "software" around, and I've learned that -ware words are uncountable, and there's even a claim at the Wiktionary entry for this word that "a software" or "softwares" are a non-native thing. Which makes sense, other languages have countable words that would translate better to "program" or "app," but also to "software" as a broader concept, so when translating back into English, errors are bound to arise. But today I found that this dude named Grant who lives in Chicago and who sounds very, very much like native North American speaker of English (I haven't found anything more about him), and he keeps saying "a software" and "softwares." Are those a thing among native speakers of major English varieties (AmE, BrE, AuE)? I'm disregarding other varieties because they're not commonly taught or featured and a lot of them have quirks, probably including these ones.

Edit: It's not a duplicate, period. At least read the intent of the question, folks. Don't just knee-jerk.


texts: Word for someone intentionally punishing self to get reactions/pity

texts: I'm looking for a single word or short phrase for someone who intentionally burdens his or her self with a task or something that could be seen as a punishment purely to gain others' pity and make them feel as though they have wronged the person — sort of a "woe is me", martyr-like attitude. For instance, if a parent forces a child to do his or her chores against their will, the child might take an unusually long time to do it (making it seem like an overly arduous task) or might even intentionally break a piece of furniture in the process and claim "see what you made me did!" or something to that effect in order to seem like the victim, flipping the scenario's blame upon the parent.


texts: Equivalent of "anthropomorphism" for babies

texts:
Anthropomorphism is about attributing human emotions to other animals.

I have a one-month old baby at home, and was wondering if there was a corresponding word for attributing adult human emotions to infants? If I say "she looks guilty", am I being adultomorphic?


texts: Is it correct to ask "Which year this game is?" when asking about the year of game release?

texts: Im not native speaker and have some difficulties with this question. As I remember, I saw "Which ... is?" statement in some grammar books. Is it correct?


texts: What is the meaning of expression "embrace aggressively"?

texts:
I've been reading a book "Java Persistence with Hibernate", 2nd edition and have stumbled upon this phrase: "The Java Persistence and Bean Validation standards embrace annotations aggressively."

To my mind it simply means that they are using annotations extensively. But I'm not sure. Or maybe it means that they so welcome the idea of annotations.

Please, help me to figure it out.


texts: What are good words for "stacking" and "non-stacking"?

texts:
For a boardgame I am designing, I need some help finding the right words.
Simply put, there are objectives people need to fullfill. For these objectives they need to collect 'tags'. The objectives are divided into 2 types, A and B.
For type A, every tag needs to be unique. So if you have 2 objectives of type A that need a tag (say one needs 2 and the other needs 3) then you need to have the total of that (so 5 in this case).
For type B, they dont have to be unique. If you need a tag for 2 objectives (again 2 and 3 in the example) then they can overlap, and you can use a tag for both (so you only need 3 in total).
I hope this makes sense.
So the problem I am having here, is which words do I use? First, 'stacking' felt good, but when I explained that to people they said they could use that word for both types. 'Unique' also felt like an option for one, but then what is the word used for the other? It also doesnt quite describe it. 'Overlapping' is something else that felt close, but then its also hard to find which word to use for the opposite. So after looking at a thesaurus for way too long, I hope someone here can help me out.
What words do I need to accurately describe these 2 objective types?


texts: Difference between "accurate" and "absurdly accurate"

texts:
What is the difference between "accurate" and "absurdly accurate"?

It is usual to use sentence like "The measurement is accurate". But, recently, I read a comment which include "absurdly accurate".

The following is a comment below an article on "Carbon dating".

"Given the lengths of time usually involved in radiometric dating, especially uranium dating, I find it remarkable that scientists are able to get the dates down to as small a range as they do. An error margin of 2 million years when you’re dating things over 2 billion years old, aka less than 2%, is absurdly accurate."

A simple sentence may be "The measurement is absurdly accurate".  What is the meaning of the phrase in this context? My guess is that it negatively criticize the accuracy of the measurement.


texts: Word for an organization formed from a collapsed one?

texts: I was looking for a word that could be used in the context of "(organization 1) and its __________ organization, (organization 2)" that means 'created by members of the first organization with similar ideas when the first organization was destroyed'. I already saw subsidiary, but that wasn't quite what I was looking for, since the first organization did not survive the creation of the new one. Thanks for your answers.


texts: I'm trying to remember a word that describes when someone relates experiences you describe to them in conversation with their own experience

texts: For example if I were to talk about an activity I did at work that day, their response would be I have done this slightly related thing. With thinking behind their response being their experiences are more valid or whatever you have experienced they have also.


texts: What is the adjectival form of efficacy?

texts:
The word efficacy is often used in the medical field. For example, a
paper might be on the efficacy of a treatment or a particular drug.
The word, of course, implies how effectual that treatment or drug is.
Because effectual is the adjectival form of effect, I figured
efficacy had an adjectival form. Perhaps efficate, however, to
my disappointment, I've found that efficate is not a real word.
Does efficacy have an adjectival form or is the only real option
effectual? Though efficate is not a real word, would it be well
understood if it were used in this sense? What are some other options I
might use that would be a suitable, real-word substitute for efficate?


texts:
Sometimes, a native speaker of a given language receives their higher education through another language; say, a native English speaker whose higher education takes place in France, through French.

This will often mean that that person has somewhat limited vocabulary in their native language within certain more technical fields.

Is there a word in English that describes this kind of proficiency with ‘technical gaps’ in the vocabulary?


texts: Critical Reading in the New SAT Question

texts:
The following is an exercise from Erica Meltzer's book The Critical Reader, the Complete Guide to SAT Critical Reading:

They tell us that the eight-hour movement cannot be enforced, for the reason that it must check industrial and commercial progress.
Check most nearly means:
a) ensure
b) restrict
c) control
d) observe

I was sure the answer was A, but the answer provided is B. How on earth is it B? "The eight-hour movement cannot be enforced for the reason that is must restrict industrial and commercial progress?"
That makes no sense. It was the first answer choice I eliminated!


texts: Meaning of 'You wouldn't know good if it walked up and bit your nose off!'

texts:
“No,” he said, turning his burning face away from her.
  “Yes. It's filthy. That aside, it's also no good.”
  “You wouldn't know good if it walked up and bit your nose off!” he yelled, not caring.

I found literary translation of the last sentence with meaning like the man does not care how good it [the novel] was and sends the woman to hell with her notion of good.

Can anybody decompose the last sentence and/or rephrase it to make more clear such a translation?


texts: meaning of "[subject] [negated verb], as [clause]"

texts:
Consider the following statement:

I will not carry an umbrella tomorrow, as I do on rainy days.

It might seem clear to us that the meaning is that the speaker intends not to carry an umbrella, though   carrying an umbrella is usual on rainy days.
The reason this meaning is clear may owe in part to our understanding of the ontological relationship between an expectation of rain and carrying an umbrella.
Suppose such understanding were unavailable to us.
For example, imagine a sentence of the following form:

I will not carry an umburgle tomorrow, as I do on strainy days.

Suppose the meanings of the words umburgle and strainy are understood by others, but not by us, and we are to decide between the following meanings:

The speaker intends not to carry an umburgle, though carrying one is usual of strainy days.
The speaker intends not to carry an umburgle, because carrying one is unusual on strainy days.

Does English grammar (i.e. syntax) give any single interpretation of this sentence, with respect to the above distinction, or is it essentially ambiguous?


texts: What type of noun phrase is "the Smithsonian of hand-me-downs"?

texts: Is there a specific type of noun phrase for a phrase such as "the Smithsonian of hand-me-downs"?


texts: Etiquette in responding to service desk email

texts:
I just asked EA Support to send me a serial to my old game(Battlefield 2142) and they did it. Should I replay and say "thx a lot" or should I just enjoy my game and ignore them?

EA is an english company, so I'm asking how would you act in english speaking country like US or GB.

I do feel they did an amazing job and thought I would have to fight really hard and long for that serial number(and it would end up with me buying a new copy of the game).


texts:
If you are in thrall to someone or something, or in the thrall of someone or something, he, she, or it has a lot of power to control you.

Cambridge Dictionary

Why  "in thrall to" but "in the thrall of"?


texts:
It's a very instrumental view of education and how it relates to their needs.

According to the dictionary it's "relating to something's function as a means to an end." But I don't get what this word implies in the sentence above.


texts: Do you need to repeat the article "the" in a series?

texts:
Is it

These occur naturally in the Balkan Peninsula, Iberian Peninsula, Pannonian basin, and northern sides of the Black Sea.

or

These occur naturally in the Iberian Peninsula, the Balkan Peninsula, the Pannonian basin, and the northern sides of the Black Sea.

There seems to be occurences of both in places I checked.


texts: What is one word for describing the feeling when you are "overwhelmed" from eating something rich or too sweet

texts: Sometimes you eat something that is too cheesy or too sweet and you can't eat too much of it - not because you are full but because you feel "overwhelmed" by the taste. Is there a word that describes this feeling?


texts: "contribution {to|toward|towards} ‹gerund phrase›" in AmE in a non-monetary sense

texts:
I would like to understand which preposition to use with "contribution" when it is used in a non-monetary sense in American English in the case when the preposition is followed by a gerund phrase. My example is:

  The work of X is an important contribution to/toward/towards a better understanding of White-Zweistein manifolds.

The pages http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/contribution, "Contribute for" or "Contribute to" or "Contribute on" or "Contribute in" and  "Toward" or "towards"? seem to be of different opinions with varying degree of explanation. Regarding AmE, I found out that "toward" sounds better that "towards", but I could not find out the relative order between

"contribution to ‹gerund phrase›" and "contribution toward ‹gerund phrase›"

as well as the relative order between

"contribution to ‹gerund phrase›" and "contribution towards ‹gerund phrase›"

in the non-monetary sense.

Which preposition would sound best in the above example and why?


texts: Is there a word for someone who posts a "comment"?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  How do you call who writes comments in this board? Commenter or commentator?
  Difference between “commentor” and “commentator”
  Why do we say 'commentator' instead of 'commenter'?

I'm writing a bug report of a software which is about an Article Management Software and deals with a lot of comment issues. I need a word for someone who posts a comment. I thougt about the comment writer, author of the comment, etc. but none sounds what I want. Is there a word for someone who writes/posts a comment?


texts: How to say that you know something based on your intuition instead of a rule?

texts:
When we write something in our native language, we are able to write grammatically correct sentences not because we know the rules, but because it "feels" right.
How would you naturally express this in English? Imagine that you are teaching a student a foreign language and they make mistakes in verb conjugation. You say to them, "Don't write based on _____, follow the rules when conjugating." Don't write based on your feeling? Don't rely on your intuition? Don't write on a hunch?


texts:
What is the difference between least and lowest?

Websites announce as "Lowest prices", but not "least". Least is the superlative degree.

  low > lower > least ?


texts:
Is there an English word or short phrase for doing good by accident?

By this I mean that I do something to help friend A, and friend B also benefits, without in any way disadvantaging A.

I'm currently calling it collateral blessing, parallel to the military euphemism collateral damage, but the analogy is far from perfect; inter alia, collateral damage refers to a mistake whilst collateral blessing is an unexpected side-effect.


texts: How to answer this "as ... as" comparison?

texts:
With the question, "Is [noun1] as [adjective] as [noun2]?", should one answer in the negative or affirmative when [noun1] is more [adjective] than [noun2]?

Example:

Animal      Top speed
=======     =========
gazelle     40mph
deer        40mph
lion        50mph

Easy cases:

  Q: Is a gazelle as fast as a lion?
      A: No, it isn't.

  Q: Is a gazelle as fast as a deer?
      A: Yes, it is.

But should the following be answered in the affirmative or negative:

  Q: Is a lion as fast as a gazelle?

Some possible answers:

  A: Yes, (in fact) it is faster. [My preference]
      A: No, it is faster.

My foreign wife is teaching a children's English class as I write this, and she just asked me to explain how to answer this last "as...as" question. Unfortunately, the textbook she's using avoids the above issue. And my wife is skeptical of my preferred answer (above); hence, my appeal to the experts here.


texts: "Relationship to" vs. "Relationship with"

texts:
I found two different terms regarding relationship:

 "Relationship with the applicant" while filling the invitation form
 "Relationship to the applicant" while filling the application form

Whether both are same? I was writing for my wife. Should I write husband in both the case? I am really confused what to write?


texts:
Can [sic] be used to show an omission or error in punctuation?

Eg:

Original:

He was, happy to get a raise.

Revised:

He was [sic] happy to get a raise.

There shouldn't be a comma after 'was'.

Original:

Mike liked lasagna, Diane preferred ziti.

Revised:

Mike liked lasagna [sic] Diane preferred ziti.

There should be a semicolon - not a comma - between the sentences.


texts: When did it become common to 'double the conditional'?

texts:
Twins is a 1988 comedy featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito as genetically engineered twins. The fact that they’re genetically engineered is used to explain the differences between Arnold and Danny, but the movie would’ve probably worked as well if they would’ve been regular brothers.
SQB, Science Fiction & Fantasy Meta.

If they would have been is something I would never say. In my dialect, if they had been is the correct choice. And I don’t think I’ve ever heard the if they would’ve been construction from anyone here in the middle of Ireland, or even from anyone on this side of the Atlantic, but it is certainly common online.
I suspect that this is currently a purely American phenomenon, but I could well be wrong about that.
I am not sure what search terms to use to do my own research. The phrase “double conditional” is one I came up with as I asked this question. I’m certain it’s not the standard term used to describe this usage. And most results from a search are about programming languages. However, I did turn up a couple of relevant references.

DEAR GRAMMAR LADY: A prominent scholar made the following statement in a recent article. “If we would regard religion as a work of art — as a piece of music — we would have a different understanding of it.” The “would” in the first clause strikes me as being incorrect usage/phraseology; i.e., I had expected “If we regarded or if we were to regard.” (sic) Could it be that even scholars of great renown are capable of such blatant mistakes?
ANSWER: You are correct. She is guilty of what I call the “double conditional.”
Mary Newton Bruder, The Grammar Lady, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, April 7, 2000.

I also found one discussion on an English-language forum, but it goes off topic almost immediately.


texts:
so I've heard the expression "it sounds more natural" in many English podcasts but as everyone knows "natural" is an uncountable adjective, therefore "much" should be preceded before the adjective.
I cannot really figure it out why is this happening in English?


texts: objective pronoun in front of V-ing from an SAT perspective

texts:
Barron's Grammar Workbook (which claims to be written for those wishing to take "the SAT, ACT, and more") says to use a possessive pronoun before a gerund, and gives the following example:

Her asking the question shows that she is alert.

Then it goes on to give two more examples, the second of which is said to contain not a gerund but a participle:

I hope you don't mind my intruding on your conversation.

I hope you don't mind me intruding on your conversation.

The first version conforms to the rule, and I bet the 2nd is fine in speech. But from a pedantic perspective (which the SAT and the GMAT presumably adhere to), is the second version correct? The present participle following a noun (phrase) functions like a relative clause, so what is grammatically being minded in the second version is not the action of intrusion, but the individual referred to by the pronoun "me."


texts: Why is "you was" used in these song lyrics?

texts:
I was listening to a piece of music from Joan Jett called "I hate myself for loving you" and she sang:

  "Hey, man, bet you can treat me right.
  You just don't know what you was missin' last night."

Why "you was"? It supposed to be "you were"?


texts:
if I have the sentence "A killing B is called murder." is "A killing B" a regular participle clause or is that impossible because it has a subject?

In other words: Can a participle clause have a subject (- noun phrase)?


texts: Should "Ms." be used in a document meant to be translated?

texts: The honorific 'Ms.' is very useful in US English, but I can't find any authority on what the equivalent might be in other cultures and languages. Has this reached (say) Indian English? If I use it in something that will be translated to other languages, am I just frustrating the translator because it doesn't cross?


texts: What is the difference between "can not", "cannot", and "can't"?

texts: From what I've learned "can't" is just short for "can not", but I never really understood the difference between these three. Can someone explain to me?


texts: Usage of the word 'from' and 'between' in the sentence

texts:
Which of the following sentences is correct?

  The children are from the ages of five and fifteen.

  The children are between the ages of five and fifteen.


texts: Finding a good word for company-internal open source

texts:
Open source is normally associated with making code available to the public.

I am looking to express another concept and (wrongly) associate it with open source.

Imagine a large distributed organization of competing units. These units develop and possess proprietary code.

Some of them decide to "open source" this code internally, that is, make it available to all members.

What is the proper term which is not misleading? Internal open source?


texts:
What is the rule on the use of commas in a series?

Is it medical, dental, and behavioural or medical, dental and behavioural?


texts:
I know that it's redundant to say things like "8:00 A.M. in the morning" or "6:00 P.M. at night." But what if you want to specify that you're talking about a specific night, such as last night? For example:

  We met them at the airport at 10:00 P.M. last night.

Would this sentence be redundant? It seems strange to have both "P.M." and "night," but leaving out "last night" would change the meaning of the sentence, since it would no longer make clear what day this occurred.


texts: Is there any difference between 'artfully' and 'artistically'? e.g., are there any subtle differences between an 'artfully plated' dish and an 'artistically plated' one?


texts: Is there a gender-neutral prefix for "parent"?

texts:
The prefixes "patr-" and "matr-" refer, respectively, to father and mother--e.g., a patriarch is a father who rules a family, and a matrilineal society is one where property is passed from mother to daughter.

Is there a prefix that refers more generally to "parent"?


texts:
Looking at what's reported in the NOAD, one of the meanings of implicate is the following:

  convey (a meaning or intention) indirectly through what one says, rather than stating it explicitly; imply: by saying that coffee would keep her awake, Mary implicated that she didn't want any.

Is implicate used as a synonym of imply, or are the two words used in different contexts?
If they are used in different contexts, could you provide examples that use imply and implicate?


texts:
There were things his grandchildren, in turn, should know. Yet he hesitated. How do you tell your children they are progenies of the self-proclaimed inventor of Manhattan clam chowder? (The New York Times)

Oxford Dictionaries say "progeny" is a noun
treated as singular or plural, but on Internet I found a number of occurrences of "progenies" and, hence, a doubt arose to my mind: is it entirely wrong pluralize "progeny"?


texts: Is there any difference between “like” and “as”?

texts:
Why is it not right to say:

He speaks like his father does.

But it’s quite correct to say:

He speaks like his father.
He speaks as his father does.


texts: Grammar: Should the sentence say, "my sister or I" or "my sister or me"?

texts: I read the following sentence, "My mother won't put up with my sister or I swearing." My question is, should the sentence say, "my sister or I" or "my sister or me"?


texts: Which verb mood should be used with "ideally"?

texts:
I'm not sure which verb form is most suitable to go with "ideally":

Ideally, an X is able to handle Y.
Ideally, an X would be able to handle Y.
Ideally, an X should be able to handle Y.

Or even a different one?


texts: Single word to mean 'having more than one meaning'

texts:
Is there a single word to mean the following:

'having more than one meanings'


texts:
"Half of the time I was working from about eight in the morning until eight at night, and the other half I was incapacitated by excruciating pain."

This is what I have currently. Is this correct or is there a better way to approach this sentence? To be specific, I am wondering about my comma usage, and whether or not more commas should be added, however, all tips are welcome.

Thank you.


texts: Is it accepted usage to "register to" a system

texts:
The following sentence looks ungrammatical to me, but I am not sure if the usage is acceptable or not:

  You have successfully registered to the system

I am thinking it might be preferable to put in the word 'been', as follows:

  You have been successfully registered to the system


texts:
When I was learning English at school, I was taught that one ought to answer the phone saying "X speaking". In films however, I sometimes see people answering any phone with a simple 'hello' and, in family homes, with "the Smiths' residence" (or something similar), possibilities that 'teaching books' omit (for example, "Hello" will always be used together with "X speaking" or similar) . Recently, I've surveyed a book for teaching non-native speakers who says the phone should be answered by saying the number of the phone followed by "X speaking"

So I'm wondering: is there a general rule for answering the phone (outside work situations)?

I'm mostly interested in American and British 'rules', since that's what students usually ask about, but variants from other countries will always be interesting and welcome for comparison.


texts: I saw in a graduate admission webpage English Language Proficiency Requirements that the TOEFL score date is "current to one year". What does the phrase mean? Current until last year?


texts: suggested they do / suggested they would do?

texts:
"Yesterday Jodie told Mike she was at school then and suggested they ... in half an hour."
According to Longman dictionary,

In formal English, you suggest that someone do something, using the
base form of the verb (=the infinitive without ‘to’).
You can also use the base form of the verb when talking about the
past.

So, I know that I can use "meet" to complete the sentence above. But I wonder if I can use "would meet" as well. Why or why not?


texts: Difference between "killing spree", "killing streak" and "killing spree streak"

texts: Often I see "killing spree" but is there any difference between "killing spree" and "killing streak" ? Or is it "killing spree streak"?


texts: A word for raising your voice (not shouting/yelling)

texts:
I'm currently writing a book in English, which is not my first language, and I just can't find the right word for talking with your voice raised, except for shouting and yelling..
"Alejandro, come talk to your dad on the phone," she ... from the living room.
I don't know which word fits the blank; said is too simple/boring and doesn't express the tone of the voice as much as the other words, but yelled and shouted are too aggressive.. I also thought of 'called out', but I'm not sure..
I'm really confused, someone help me..


texts:
After given the chicken feed, the crickets become big and strong.

This sentence is wrong, isn't it? It should be

  After being given the chicken feed, the crickets become big and
  strong.

Is that correct?


texts:
I am currently doing homework for a linguistics course I am taking.

The question is about creating a rule to make confirm if certain sentences are grammatical or ungrammatical.

Here are some examples, with those with a star in front signifying that the sentence is ungrammatical.

Set 1:

  a. I saw myself in the mirror.

  b. * Myself saw me in the mirror.

  c. I showed the monkey himself in the mirror.

  d. * I showed himself the monkey in the mirror.

Set 2:

  a. Carla read a book about herself.

  b. * A book about Carla upset herself.

  c. John’s teachers respect themselves.

  d. * John’s teachers respect himself.

Set 3:

  a. I know that Mary likes herself.

  b. * I know that Mary likes myself.

For this homework, I need to create a rule to make all those sentences with no * grammatical, and all the sentences with * ungrammatical. This rule has to apply for all 3 sets of sentences.

Currently, the rule I have come up with is:
A reflexive pronoun can only be used to an entity that has already been mentioned.

However, this rule only can be applied to sets 1 and 2.

Does anyone have any idea on a rule that can be applied to all 3 sets?


texts: Is "I will do X and respond" preferable to "I will do X and revert"

texts:
In the emails I keep seeing someone responding with
"I will do X and revert"
asked them what do they mean by that, they said it means respond back.
It doesn't seem right to me, I have been looking for usages of revert, all I see that makes sense is to
return to previous state ( which doesn't mean anything to me ).
Is it preferable to use "I will do X and respond (back)" to "I will do X and revert"?


texts: What down implies when used as a preposition in a sentence

texts:
I somewhere found this sentence:

"They set off at a jog up one street and down another."
 Is this sentence correct since I feel here "at" should be replaced with "for" ?And what exactly they tried to imply by saying"up one street and down another"??I have made a rough guess but failed to picturize it completely.Can someone explain the meaning of this sentence??


texts: What is the shortened version of "Did you forget something ?" is it "Forget something ?" or "Forgot something ?"


texts: Reply to a question with "Yes, it is" or "No, it is"

texts:
What is the correct response to the following question:
Ten divided by five is not two?

1) Yes, it is.
 2) No, it is.

Intuitively I would say "Yes, it is", but then I thought about it in the following way:

If one asks "Ten divided by five is two?" I would say "Yes, it is", but if the
person asks "Ten divided by five is not two?" then I would say "No, it is".

So I think my intuitive answer is wrong, but I am not sure.


texts: "for best experience" vs. "for the best experience"

texts:
Based on Google Books Ngram Viewer here, here, and here, along with a quoted Google search, it seems that "for the best experience" is the more common phrasing, however "for best experience" seems quite common and seems to convey the same meaning. Is there a difference in meaning, usage, formality, or some other factor that would cause one to choose the one form over the other?

"You are using an outdated browser, please update for best experience."

vs.

"You are using an outdated browser, please update for the best experience."


texts:
The below sentence sounds perfectly reasonable:

"Parallelism is ensured by using A and B"

How can one make the same sentence using sequential in place of parallel?

"Sequentialism is ensured by using A and B"

OR

"Sequentiality is ensured by using A and B"

Google gives more hits for "sequentiality", but "sequentialism" sounds better to me. Both are rejected by my spell checker.

Which one is correct? What is an alternative (better) word to use in this context?

TLDR: Parallel:Parallelism --> Sequential:?


texts: If a ship sinks, what does an airship do?

texts:
We were having a discussion at work about airships (zeppelins, blimps, etc.) and someone spoke about them sinking when they crash. Someone else said they can't sink because they're not descending through water.

So we googled the definition of the word sink, and got this:

go down below the surface of something, especially of a liquid; become submerged.
descend from a higher to a lower position; drop downwards.

The second definition means that an airship sinks. Then the same person that said it wasn't descending through water asked if that means skydivers are sinking.

Is there a better word than sink to describe what an airship does when it falls from the sky?


texts:
Which instruction is better:
1. Insert events that occurred at an earlier time to complement the events in the ‘present’ story.
2. insert events occurred at an earlier time to complement the events in the ‘present’ story.


texts: There is no ticket or there are no tickets?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  There are no comments / There is no comment.

Can someone please tell me which one is better and correct.

There is no ticket.
or
There are no tickets.

If both are right, then which one is more preferable to say?


texts: What’s the word for "ninja’d" in publishing things?

texts:
I am looking for the word for a situation like this:

Someone is planning to make a big instructional video on how to fold fitted
sheets, but just before finishing the big project, someone else uploads
their own video about the very same thing, which becomes popular.  Then
that other popular video has (ninja’d) the other guy.

I’m sure there is a more established word for this than ninja’d, but I
just can’t think of what it is. And I’ve been thinking about this in the
back of my head for quite a while now.

PS: For those who don’t know what ninja’d is, I apologise, it’s just the
best-fitting word for me; per Urban
Dictionary.


texts: Proper usage/origin of the generic phrase "[action phrase] does not a [noun] make"

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Why is “xxxx doth not a yyyy make” considered valid English?

I occasionally come across a sentence formulated in a manner similar to the following:

  Reading a book does not an expert make.

I realize the grammar is quite irregular (I'm no grammar expert, so I'll just call it Yoda-speak), but I've heard this structure used a number of times in the colloquial. My questions are:

Is anyone else familiar with this sentence structure?
What's the origin?
How should I use it properly?


texts:
The army ordered the zoo to kill all the wild animals. It thought that the animals would get away and harm people if a bomb hits the zoo.

Is it grammatical to use the verb 'thought' to refer to an action of a collective group referred to with the pronoun 'it' in the second sentence? Or is it more proper to say that "the members of the army thought..."?


texts: Can I use the "ll" contraction with proper names?

texts:
Can I contract "will" as "ll" when preceded by a proper name? For example:

John will visit you tomorrow
John'll visit you tomorrow

I am inclined to think this is not acceptable in standard English. It's also not pretty when spoken. In which case, is this construction valid in any dialect?
Why am I asking this? (some people seem to care): I'm translating a game I originally wrote in Japanese, into English. I have a native English speaker taking care of the dialogue, and a construction similar to the one I wrote above appeared on the text he sent me to check.
I'm not a native English speaker, so even though I have probably heard that contraction a handful of times in my life, I would like to know if it is correct English.
It also happens that my native English speaker is from Texas, so it occurred to me that this is probably common in the Texan dialect of English. I have never been to Texas, so I have no idea if this is right.


texts:
Consider the sentences:

If you agree with that, could you suggest us some references?

If you agree with that could you suggest us some references?

Which one is written correctly? Notice the use of "," in (1).


texts:
How to use the term "post facto" in a sentence?

There is an oversight to our standard procedure of seeking approval to process some invoices. I am sending  a reminder to concerned about the process and telling them that

  I will seek post facto approval for this instance but in future all procedures must be followed.

Am I using the words "post facto" correctly?


texts: The definite article implying the generic idea of something

texts:
I know that the definite article "the" can be used to mean a generic idea of something as in "the lion is the king of the animals." In this sentence, the in "the lion" is used to imply the general image of lions, so not specifying a particular lion.

However, I am confused in identifying where a "the" in a sentence is used for a general idea or a specific reference. For example, in the sentence "the price of gas is soaring", I heard that "the" in the sentence is an example of the generic use of the. Although I can easily understand the generic use of "the" in the lion example, but I do not understand how there is an general idea about gas price. Soaring gas price is something real,and gas prices in different regions( in a hypothetical situation) can be different. So, if I say "the price of gas is soaring", do I mean the price of gas that is determined by the world's oil system or can I say "the gas price" even when I am indicating the state of gas price in "a particular region"?

I know it is even difficult to understand my question, but I hope someone could find what I am confused about and give an answer.


texts:
Does period charm usually refer to some specific "period"? (Must it?) Or can it refer to any period?

Australian historian at Cambridge Christopher Clark (The Sleepwalkers: How Europe Went to War in 1914, 2012):

  In the 1960s-80s, a kind of period charm accumulated in popular awareness around the events of 1914. It was easy to imagine the disaster of Europe's 'last summer' as an Edwardian costume drama. The effete rituals and gaudy uniforms, the 'ornamentalism' of a world still largely organized around hereditary monarchy had a distancing effect on present-day recollection. They seemed to signal that the protagonists were people from another, vanished world. The presumption stealthily asserted itself that if the actors' hats had gaudy green ostrich feathers on them, then their thoughts and motivations probably did too.


texts:
Page 200 of the Collins English Usage reads

You do not use 'for' with an '-ing' form when you saying why someone
does something. You do not say, for example, 'He went to the city for
finding work'.

However, the following example is given in the same book:
"I recommend hill running for strengthening thighs.
Isn't this a contradiction?


texts: What's the atonym for related information?

texts:
I can't remember this word, it's been on the tip of my tongue for days. I am sure that this word exists but there's no synonym results I could find on Google. It means something like the inverse of correlation/evidence, "freak occurrence" possibly.

It's a word used to say something to the effect of, "you're referring to something as though it's connected". But that word describes the claim in a single word: "X information". A great example is something like;- person A sees person B in a car with a dog and then goes on to conclude that many people might drive with dogs in the car. The observation is "unrelated" to the reality or something similar, yet person A took it to have a connection and for there to be some underlying explanation. This event itself (not the observation) is an X. Talking about the event is using X information and is not very scientific.

edit: I found it. (anecdotal/anecdote, "anecdotal information")

http://www.macmillandictionary.com/thesaurus-category/british/Not-definite-or-based-on-fact

anecdotal adjective

based on someone’s personal experience or information rather than on facts that can be checked


texts:
Would it be grammatical to say:

  Hers was also a good point to include a header specifying the contact person.

as opposed to:

  It was also a good point she made to include a header specifying the contact person.


texts: I guess it's a slang word, so I can not find it in a dictionary.


texts: How to interpret the meaning of "I am surprised that..."?

texts:
When somebody says "I am surprised that...", does it mean to express not only surprise but also some level of disappointment or disapproval?

If somebody uses that expression when speaking with me, I feel somewhat annoyed and guilty.  It feels like there is some subtle expression of disapproval and even annoyance on the part of the speaker that they can't openly express.

Would a native speaker of English interpret this expression the way I do? Or would it depend not only on the expression but also on the manner of expressing it?


texts:
I'm writing a report and I need to use IEEE referencing standards in my work. I am referencing work as well as directly quoting it, sometimes immediately afterwards for example.

  Put simply, “the number of times that the signal crosses the 0
  (zero)level reference […] The ZCR should be directly related to the
  number of times the waveform repeats itself per unit time” [5]. In
  their study [5], Amado and Filho go on to…

I cite the same reference twice in quick succession. Is this acceptable?


texts: Well vs good........proper vs conversational

texts:
Proper answer friendly greeting, "How are you?" I am "well" or I am "good"

"I am well" sounds like I'm saying I'm not sick. "I'm good," or "good" accompanied by a friendly nod sounds much better.


texts: "is believed to still be" or "is believed to be still"

texts:
I wonder which of the following is correct.

  It is believed to still be efficiently solvable.

and

  It is believed to be still efficiently solvable.


texts: Word/Phrase to describe an ungrateful person that becomes aware of their own selfishness/arrogance

texts: Looking for a phrase to describe someone that becomes aware of their own selfishness or arrogance, and is then deeply remorseful. And then feels that they have a great "debt" to repay back to the people they hurt, or took advantage of.


texts:
I need a single word or short phrase (2 or 3 words at most) that describes revenue minus expenses, that is the net financial gain or loss. It is unknown when applying this term whether the amount is a loss or gain, so I am looking for a term that intentionally leaves that unspecified. The word will be used as a label, so it would preferably be a very clear word without alternate meanings that can stand on its own. That somewhat excludes slang, but my situation doesn't necessarily require an especially formal word.

I've tried several routes to see if I could find something. I've been surprised that I haven't found results readily, to be honest. "Bottom line" seems close, but I feel that doesn't seem quite precise enough for a label. "Net" would be appropriate, but as a label, it may not be especially clear that it refers to financial profit/loss. (There are a number of non-financial quantities in the same context.)


texts: Meaning of "...improve the age structure of farmers"?

texts:
I am reading a sheet about rural development program issued by Finnish government.

  Measures are foreseen to develop and raise agricultural productivity and competitiveness by improving the structure of agricultural production and seeking to improve the age structure of farmers.

There is a sentence in another related document from Czech government saying:

  In the recent past, the number of farm workers has continuously fallen and this has brought about an unfavourable age structure in both agriculture and forestry.

I suspect it means making farmers to be presented by younger citizen? I wouldn't care if it was from a non-official source, but as it's the government sheet, I am a bit surprised.

Or am I getting these sentences wrongly?


texts:
Below sentence comes from VOA, I don't understand why she says "decrease on that." Can I say "decrease that"? I have never seen "decrease on."

  I saw on the news and social media that that there was a blood shortage everywhere. And I've been a donor in the past and know that my blood is particularly valuable, I have O negative blood. And so, I've really felt this was a time for me to come out. We have quite a dedicated mobile donor base. However, we have had to decrease on that.


texts:
Idiom.
The trucks were parked cattywampus in the lot. Other spelling, catawampus.


texts: What preposition should I use before the word “Christmas”?

texts:
Example:

  The whole family got together __ Christmas.

Meaning: Christmas is the reason for the family getting together


texts: When two "be" verbs are used in one sentence, should the second be omitted?

texts:
For example

He is a teenager and [is] from South Sudan.

Is it necessary to delete the second "is" in parentheses?


texts: Is "to play with one's feet" usable in English?

texts:
I'm Belgian (Flemish) and over there we have an expression: "met iemands voeten spelen". Google translates it as I would: "Playing with one's feet". Googling around for a minute or so does not give me any results. So I was wondering. Do native English people understand what it means?

In Flemish it means something like: to tease, to joke around, to fool around... not sure if those are correct English.


texts: Where does this expression "what gives" come from? Especially when used as "what's happening?"


texts: Is there a term for words which are the opposites of more than one word

texts:
I wonder if there is a specific term for words which are opposites of more than word.

Admittedly I can only think of one such word 'right' which is the opposite of both 'left' and 'wrong'.

I would like to know if there is a term for this so I can look up some others.


texts: Didn't find what (you are/you were/you're) looking for?

texts:
I'm trying to figure out how best to word the above sentence. It's for a web page, and at the bottom of the page there will be a search bar. To me "you are" or "you're" is the best fit, because the idea is you've scrolled through the page, and not found what you're after, so you're still looking.

Which of those (if any?) would be the correct way to phrase this question?

Also, I'm not sure how to tag this question, so any edits welcome.


texts: Phrase when you offer someone something but it's really them who are paying for it

texts:
In Dutch, there is an idiom iemand een sigaar uit eigen doos geven, which literally means to give someone a cigar from [their] own box.  The idiom is used when you offer someone something, but it's really them who are paying for it.  The idiom has a negative connotation.

For example, it may be used in politics.  Suppose that the government introduces major cuts to some service, then restores a fraction of it and presents it as a gift/improvement.  Or suppose an employer increases some particular non-salary benefit to employees, but finances it entirely by reducing employee salaries.  Critics may then refer to this as a sigaar uit eigen doos.

Is there a corresponding idiom in English?  One online dictionary translates it as something out of one's own pocket, but searching the latter phrase in context does not yield examples where it is used with a meaning similar to the sigaar uit eigen doos.


texts: What dialect(s) pronounce humor voiced initially and non-rhotic finally (i.e., with both those features in the same dialect: the word would be pronounced something like /ˈjumə/)?


texts: Why are words such as "that" and "those" not considered articles?

texts:
According to Wikipedia (disclaimer: of course I realize that Wikipedia should not be regarded as an absolute authority, but I generally consider it to be a fairly accurate and reliable resource):

Articles specify the grammatical definiteness of the noun . . .

I guess I can understand how the words the, an, and a fit this description. But what about words such as this, that, those, etc.? It seems these serve essentially the same function (specifying definiteness), but unless I'm mistaken, they are categorized as demonstrative adjectives.
I find this particularly puzzling in light of the following two excerpts from Wikipedia:

Every noun must be accompanied by the article, if any, corresponding to its definiteness, and the lack of an article (considered a zero article) itself specifies a certain definiteness.
[. . .]
In languages having a definite article, the lack of an article specifically indicates that the noun is indefinite.

It seems to me that, in light of the above two statements, an expression such as "those boots" should somehow be considered indefinite (since there is no article), but isn't this absurd?


texts:
When you write a list like this one, are the letters (i.e. the A, B and C) called anything? Are they still bullets even though they’re not ‘bullet-shaped’ like the dot (•) often used for bullet lists?

  A. The dog
  B. The cat
  C. The frog


texts:
What would you say to show you’ve understood?

I get it.
I got it.

I think both are interchangeable; can any native speaker help me out?


texts: Is this sentence a run on? How to properly use 'such as' for this example?

texts:
Many new forms of entertainment were unveiled, such as jazz music, salsa dancing, and silent films.

Should such as be accompanied with a colon? Should there be a comma after unveiled?


texts: the meaning of sentence "look for contrast to decades"

texts:
"As clucks of disapproval about Americans' political apathy have grown louder in recent years many historians have looked for contrast to the decades before the Civil War as a time when Americans were enthusiastically engaged in politics."

I am non-native speaker, and I am confused with the interpretation of the sentence "look for contrast to the decades". "look for contrast to something" implies that historians do not want to look for something (I think that is why historians look for contrasts to decades instead of "look for decades"). That is, historians do not want enthusiastic politics. If it is the case, the sentence doesn't make sense because it first says "there is disapproval about political apathy", and it follows that "historians do not look for enthusiastic politics".

Please give some any comment.

Thank you in advance!


texts: Are there metaphoric English expressions meaning “keeping composure at a fatal moment, never panicky”?

texts:
We have a Japanese old saying, “俎板の上の鯉－manaita no ueno koi, a carp laid on a chopping block” for describing (1) a critical situation you cannot avoid, and (2) a person who is self-poised at such a critical moment.

This metaphor comes from the legend that carp is still and composed unlike other fish, like eel when laid on a chopping board. I think it corresponds to the spirit of ‘葉隠-Hagakure’, the Bushido’s bible written by Yamamoto Tsunetomo, a senior samurai in Saga-Nabeshima fief in 1716, in which he says the ultimate goal of Bushido is to recognize when, where, how, and for what you should die.

Though I’ve never seen a carp placed on a cutting board, we use this simile for various
occasions for facing predicament and requiring rational judgment / action in such a way; “The company is considering a massive layoff, I’m a carp on a chopping block,” “The governor behaved like a carp on a chopping block when he was sued for sex scandals,” "My husband said "I'm a carp on a chopping block," when he was told he was at the terminal stage of cancer by his doctor."

Are there metaphoric expressions similar to “a carp laid on a chopping block” which implies keeping composed at eleventh hour, preferably using a bird, beast, or fish, like a carp?


texts: Which is correct: 'that type always does' or that type always do'?

texts: Is 'type' considered singular or plural in this case? Should I use 'do' or 'does' The spell check take either.


texts:
If anyone is applying double standards, is there an idiomatic but elegant way to complain?

I suppose that "He's been granted a special treatment" is basically correct, but I have a feeling it's not exactly what a native speaker would say.


texts:
Which is correct when writing emails?

  Everything is fine at our/your end.
  Everything is fine at our/your side.


texts: What is the word or phrase for running into another person and not knowing which way to go?

texts:
You get in the way of someone walking towards you, and both of you stop. You step to the left, and so does the other person. You step to the right, so does the other person. You basically mirror each other's movements for a short time unintentionally, before finally figuring out a way.

This happens quite often in everyday life. How do I describe this in short? Is there a widely understood or immediately obvious phrase for it?

EDIT: Max Williams's answer has a link to a reddit post. One of the users there suggests "sidewalk shuffle". I've never heard of it myself, but I feel it's pretty obvious what it means. Is this a common phrase in the US or other English speaking countries?


texts: "Speaking of which" vs "Speaking of such"

texts: I guess some context is in order so, suppose two people were talking about smart-phones and suddenly one of them wants to talk about something somewhat related, like a computer. Is it ok (or grammatically correct) to say "speaking of such..." in this case?


texts: What does "jealousy of someone" refer to?

texts:
On page 206 of his 1976 book, The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales, author Bruno Bettelheim writes:

  The paragraph goes like this: "In "Snow White" the pubertal girl's oedipal struggle is not repressed, but acted out around the mother as competitor. In Snow White's story the father-huntsman fails to take a strong and definite stand. He neither does his duty to the queen, nor meets his moral obligation to Snow White to make her safe and secure. He doesn't kill her outright, but he deserts her in the forest, expecting her to be killed by wild animals. The hunder tries to placate both the mother, by seemingly executing her order, and the girl, by merely not killing her. Lasting hatred and jealousy of the mother are the consequence of the father's ambivalence, which in "Snow White" are projected onto the evil queen, who therefore continues to reappear in Snow White's life.

When it says "jealousy of the mother", does it mean that the mother is jealous of someone or someone is jealous of the mother?


texts: A specific word for stating something so obvious it is not useful to state

texts: For example, answering the question "what is this?" with an overly literal response.The word I am trying to remember would be used in the phrase "Not to be XXX but unexpected events are unexpected. That's why we didn't expect it." (The word isn't 'tautological' or 'redundant')


texts:
A lot of song lyrics include phrases where "do/don't" is used instead of "does/doesn't" with subjects in 3rd person singular.

We are taught that is incorrect grammar. But, given how widespread that practice is, is it really incorrect? Or is it just informal?

How do you feel about it if you're a native American or British speaker and you encounter such a phrase, please?

Thanks!


texts: What patterns will flash in the native-speaker's brain when using English?

texts:
I think it is a common puzzle for ESL,especially for Chinese,since English is more abstract than Chinese, using which we can feel some specific patterns flashing in our brain.
For example, when I see 笑(which means smile), I feel it is smiling to me. What do you feel when you see "smile"?


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Should I put a comma before the last item in a list?

Which is correct?

  Three attributes are considered in this talk: response time, availability, and throughput.
  Three attributes are considered in this talk: response time, availability and throughput.


texts: have been hurt vs. have been hurt in the past

texts:
A traditional explanation of Present Perfect usage is that it is not used when a certain past reference to the action is present either in the text or it is implied by the context.

Usually, the wrong usage examples given are like this one

I have been at the party yesterday. (incorrect)

Here's the example in question which I encountered in a book.

But it can take a long time for some people who have been hurt in the past to truly trust in the group.

The past indication is clearly present, although it is not a specific moment on the past timeline, still, it is a past reference. Since this is from an English book, I presume there are other instances when the past is implied. What if I change the verb and say something like

I have had depressions in the past.
or
I have been trained speed reading in the past.

Do they convey sensible meanings?


texts:
Is a comma needed after first-hand?

I witnessed first-hand the genuine enjoyment these boys gained from socializing with one another.

Thank you,

Alex


texts:
Consider the following examples:

Data are usually input by means of a keyboard or scanner.
The variation of the distance was measured with a magnetic position detector.
We can change this value by means of the up and down arrow on the keyboard.
To move the visible region without resizing it, drag it with the cursor.

Under what condition is with used instead of by means of?


texts:
A friend who works in business says that she has been hearing a lot of polite commands worded as e.g. "thanks to ask any questions at the end of the presentation" (she has also seen this written a few times, so it isn't just spoken).

I find this surprising since I would have avoided the infinitive here ("thanks for asking") or I would have turned the "thanks" into a verb ("I'll thank you to ask").

For context, she works in a very international setting, but has heard this turn of phrase only from USAmericans.

Is this a "correct" turn of phrase? how widespread is it? how recent is it? can anyone find examples in established writing?


texts:
In the following example, is more full picture a kind of absolute phrase?

  He has given us a lot, more full picture of dinosaurs of the East Coast.


texts: What causes the euphemisation of medical terms?

texts:
George Carlin has a famous sketch where he laments the dehumanising of ailments by “euphemisation”, illustrated by the use of “shell shock” during World War I, followed by “battle fatigue”, then “operational exhaustion”, and finally “post-traumatic stress disorder” (“PTSD”) today. Google Ngram Viewer does indicate that “operational exhaustion” never gained traction, and that “battle fatigue” never overtook “shell shock” completely, but “post-traumatic stress disorder” has left “shell shock” far behind:

Other modern medical euphemisms which sprang to mind:

“Idiot”, “imbecile”, “moron” → various mental disabilities
“Mongoloid” → “Down syndrome”
“Cot death” → “Sudden infant death syndrome”

As a counterexample, “influenza” is a very old term term which doesn't seem to have acquired a common scientific name.

Are the forces behind the creation of such medical euphemisms known? Are they usually caused by political pressure, a wish to dissociate the professional from slang, some actual scientific reasoning, or some other force?


texts:
In a recent conversation it was unclear if you can "look into the sun" or if it has to be "look at the sun", where looking into is supposed to mean the act of gazing upon it with your eyes, not researching it. This got me thinking about other objects in the sky.
The english Wikipedia article for Sungazing starts with:

Sungazing is the act of looking directly into the sun during dawn and dusk.

[Emphasis mine]
Personally to me it sounds fine, I can also imagine that I am staring into the sun without it feeling wrong, however I am not a native speaker.
On the other hand the same does not seem to apply for other celestial bodies, for example I cannot look into the moon, but only look at the moon.
Is my understanding correct or can you only look at these objects? If I am correct, does anyone know why the sun is an exception?


texts: What's the word for something that has a very strong stereotype linked to it? Like for example if you were to say 'she has an std' you might immediately assume she had lots of unprotected sex and was quite wreckless, or someone having a large vocabulary being classed a nerd and a 'no-lifer'. I'm talking about that initial reaction, moreso negative than positive although any response would be appreciated. Thanks


texts:
What's the meaning of principle in this definition of soul from Dictionary.com as in body and soul?

  the principle of life, feeling, thought, and action in humans, regarded as a distinct entity separate from the body, and commonly held to be separable in existence from the body; the spiritual part of humans as distinct from the physical part.

Does principle in this context mean definition #7 of Google definition or does it mean something else that's not in this dictionary?


texts:
Which is the correct use of nor and or in the following sentence?

We pursued careers that we sought after and achieved,
and entered others that we never expected or thought possible.

Is it “or” or is it “nor”.  I say "or" is the correct grammar since "neither" is not used in the sentence.  Would appreciate your answer.


texts: "On the weekend" or "during the weekend"

texts:
Which is correct?

  I will see her on the weekend.

  I will see her during the weekend.


texts: Why do Aussies use "cactus" to mean "dead," "useless," or "broken"?

texts:
This bloody washing machine is cactus!

Glossaries / dictionaries of Australian slang (like this one, and this one) list cactus as meaning "dead, useless, or broken."

How did this usage come about?


texts: What word in geometry that describes angles has a meaning outside geometry that means strange or odd ?


texts: Are the origins of the idioms "on the fly" and "just wing it" related?

texts: I was recently trying to think of another way to say "on the fly", in the context of a performance, speech, or action. I thought of the idiom "winging it". I then wondered if the origins of these two idioms are in any way related, because of the words "wing" and "fly". Did one of these idioms spawn from the other?


texts: Idiom for the effect that money from funding is easier to spend, as opposed to one's own savings

texts:
I am looking for an idiom in English, if it exists.

In Czech it goes like "Z ciziho krev netece", literally "Someone else's property never bleeds" which was probably originally meant to describe the situation that you don't care that much if you damage other people's stuff as it's their problem (at least unless they catch you or are your friends and you borrowed something).

It has been used in various meaning since, though - mostly related to money lending or funding.

For my particular purpose the context is that of university funding - the lab leaders don't invest their own money in the research which allows them to be a bit more careless when it comes to spending.


texts: Why does Shakespeare let two or more actors finish a pentameter?

texts:
To complete the number of syllables in a pentameter Shakespeare (and other contemporaries) let multiple actors say a verse, like shown in Macbeth
Were two actors complete a pentameter:

DUNCAN: As seemeth by his plight, of the revolt
The newest state
MALCOLM: This is the seargent
Who like a good and hardy soldier fought

Or sometimes three actors:

ROSS: The victory fell on us
DUNCAN: Great happiness!
ROSS: That now
Sweno, the Norway's king, craves composition

I was wondering if anyone knew how this technique is called. Also, I know there's a practical reason for doing this but would there also be a stylistic one?. Source any stylistic motives please.


texts: What's the difference between mar and spoil?

texts: I would like to know if there is any difference between mar and spoil. It does not seem to have any difference, but I would like to know which one is more used, which is more formal and informal, and if there is any connotation in each one.


texts: Is the pronunciation of 'th' as in think 'f' specific to a native speaker's variety of English?

texts: I'm asking this because I heard two people say fink* instead of think & bof* instead of both: a non native university teacher of English and a native speaker of English. If it's not a speech impediment which variety of English does it belong to?


texts: A complex sentence from Leonardo Dicaprio's Speech

texts:
The following are sentences from Leonardo Dicaprio's speech 'Climate change is not hysteria - it's a fact'.

As an actor I pretend for a living. I play fictitious characters often solving fictitious problems.
I believe humankind has looked at climate change in that same way: as if it were a fiction, happening to someone else’s planet, as if pretending that climate change wasn’t real would somehow make it go away.

What is the pattern of this highlighted sentence?

What are these 'as if clauses' fubctioning as - adjectival or adverbial clauses?

What is the subject of the verb phrase "would somehow make it go away"?

Any help is highly appreciated. Thank you.


texts:
What does the idiom "fewer and fewer" mean?

Does it mean seldom or step by step?


texts: Position of question mark after a quotation (that is not itself a question) and a citation

texts:
In British English, where should one place the question mark in the following sentence?

Was it true that "the food was all gone" (Bloggs, 2013, p. 287)

Inside the quotation marks, after them, or even (ugh!) after the brackets? I've come across all three in 'reputable' sources.

Thanks.


texts:
I need help about a certain phrase. I couldn't grasp the exact meaning of "exist at all" in the following sentence:

  This is the basis of nuclear fission reactors, where unstable nuclei of very unstable elements such as uranium and plutonium are encouraged to split into lighter elements, with energy being released. Those heavy elements only exist at all, and the energy is only available to be released, because energy was put in to their manufacture in the dying explosion of a star (or stars) that started out with at least eight to ten times the mass of our sun. (Alone in the Universe: Why Our Planet Is Unique by John Gribbin)

(The sentence is about uranium and plutonium, by the way.)

Does it mean that they exist in small amounts?


texts:
I was reading in the paper today of some hapless wight who had been sent to Coventry (meaning ostracised and given the silent treatment) by his colleages. It then occurred to me to wonder why Coventry should have been chosen for this idiom.

Phrases suggests:-

  The story - and it is no more than that - is that Cromwell sent a
  group of Royalist soldiers to be imprisoned in Coventry, around 1648.
  The locals, who were parliamentary supporters, shunned them and
  refused to consort with them.

Michael Quinion also notes:-

  Another story, undated but usually taken to refer to events of a
  similar period, is that Coventry was strongly opposed to having troops
  billeted on townspeople, and that soldiers sent there were ostracised
  by the local population.

but he remarks that

  My own feeling is that neither is convincing, not least because of the
  century-long gap between Civil War events and the first appearance of
  the idiom

As neither of thes two things were peculiar to Coventry, I'm also inclined to doubt. Can anyone shed any light on the matter?


texts: What does "rigor of Silver’s hand-tuned models" mean in this extract?

texts:
As Election Day loomed in 2012, traffic at the New York Times website spiked, as is normal during moments of national importance. But this time, something was different. A wildly disproportionate fraction of this traffic—more than 70 percent by some reports—was visiting a single location in the sprawling domain. It wasn’t a front-page breaking news story, and it wasn’t commentary from one of the paper’s Pulitzer Prize-winning columnists; it was instead a blog run by a baseball stats geek turned election forecaster named Nate Silver. Less than a year later, ESPN and ABC News lured Silver away from the Times (which tried to retain him by promising a staff of up to a dozen writers) in a major deal that would give Silver’s operation a role in everything from sports to weather to network news segments to, improbably enough, Academy Awards telecasts. Though there’s debate about the methodological rigor of Silver’s hand-tuned models, there are few who deny that in 2012 this thirty-five-year-old data whiz was a winner in our economy.
— Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World, Cal Newport, pub. Piatkus 2016

I don't understand. What models? What does the author mean by rigor? Does he control the broadcast?


texts:
If I lost my keys and I am trying to find them.
Which of the following would I say:

'I haven't found my keys'

'I can't find my keys'?

I hardly ever hear 'I haven't found keys', except if you put 'yet' in the end. Otherwise it just sounds broken to me.


texts:
Is there a formal a word or phrase that refers to or describes a blissful yet idiotic person? Preferably a one word way to say "stupidly happy", but I'm open to idioms as well.

For example, a word that describes the kind of person who would ask "Why don't homeless people just buy themselves a house?" Someone who is always carefree, and cannot comprehend the concept of stress or difficulty.

I specifically want to describe a fat and wealthy British gentleman from the 1800s. Google was not helpful, it only yielded slang and references to a movie from 2014.


texts: expression for fighting a war which is long finished

texts:
I'm looking for an expression which would give a meaning like this: to shave a cut head, to fight a finished war, to do something even though it has no base.

The usage would be in a sentence about anthropology, and it's relation to other knowledge.

I'm trying to say that knowing human, is a hinge around which other knowledge revolves, and scientific advancements without knowing about human, is .... (like trying to find a boot for a leg that's already cut from the body) or something like that.


texts: What to call a date field that represents when another date field was entered?

texts:
I have a date field named "Initial Forecast Date" and I need another date field that represents when the user entered "Initial Forecast Date". What would be the most appropriate name for this field?

I've come up with a few:

Initial Forecast Date Timestamp (except I only want to show the date, no time)
Initial Forecast Date-stamp
Initial Forecast Date Set Date
Initial Forecast Set Date


texts: A person who repeatedly switches his stance on a topic

texts:
What do we call a person who keeps switching his stance on a topic during a discussion involving various sentences. What I mean is the speaker rejects something while accepting it indirectly. "Inconsistent" seems really close in a general sense. But he rejects it directly and again accepts it indirectly ( and I don't know he realizes that or not) again and again during a discussion.

I want it to have a neutral connotation as the person seems to be confused with his own ideas yet claiming to be right but we never know what are his intentions. Also it would be nice have a "politically correct" word for this.

I am not able to phrase the exact sentence because it is from another language and I need an English word for this activity/person. So every one is welcome to edit the question and add appropriate example sentences.


texts:
"On occasion he had even been entrusted with the rectification of ‘The Times’ leading articles, which were written entirely in Newspeak."

Why can't we say: "he was entrusted"?


texts: Irregular verbs: the history of the suffix “-en” in the past participle

texts:
Recently I've been helping my home students learn the past participles of some irregular verbs, in a "new" way. Basically, I show that sometimes the suffix -(e)n is added to the  PRESENT stem. For example:

Base (infinitive)
Past
Base + (e)n suffix

arise
arose
ARISEN [arise+n]

be
was/were
BEEN  [be+en]

blow
blew
BLOWN

draw
drew
DRAWN

drive
drove
DRIVEN

eat
ate
EATEN

fall
fell
FALLEN

give
gave
GIVEN

grow
grew
GROWN

know
knew
KNOWN

mistake
mistook
MISTAKEN

rise
rose
RISEN

see
saw
SEEN

shake
shook
SHAKEN

take
took
TAKEN

throw
threw
THROWN

In group 2, the -n suffix is added to the PAST stem, when it has the single "o" (Yes, I realise it's not an infallible rule, if it were, the past participles of arise, rise would be similar to CHOSEN, i.e. arosen and rosen. And the past participle of drive, should be  droven.)

Base
Past
Past + (e)n

break
broke
BROKE [broke+n]

choose
chose
CHOSEN

freeze
froze
FROZEN

speak
spoke
SPOKEN

steal
stole
STOLEN

wake
woke
WOKEN

In the third group, the letters t and the d are doubled before the -(e)n suffix. This "rule" seems to work well.

Base
Past
Base/Past + (e)n

bite
bit
BITTEN [bit+t+en]

forget
forgot
FORGOTTEN [forgot+t+en]

hide
hid
HIDDEN [hid+d+en]

ride
rode
RIDDEN

tread
trod
TRODDEN

write
wrote
WRITTEN

In group 4, the suffix changes to -ne if the verb in the PRESENT stem ends in "o"

Base
Past
Base + ne

do
did
DONE [do+ne]

go
went
GONE

I read that the past participle inflection, the -n suffix, goes back to Germanic. Is it, therefore, safe to say that all the verbs listed above are of Germanic origin?
The frequency of the -en suffix seems to suggest that there was no such thing as irregular verbs in Old English and today the "regular" verbs that end in -(e)d is a relatively recent development of the language.

Questions

Did more past participles use to end with -n?
For example, (a) come––>came––>comen, (b) drink––>drank––>drinken
(c) hold––>held––>holden. Why did it change?
In group 4, were the past participles of do and go ever doen and goen respectively?
Did been and seen use to have two syllables? Were they ever pronounced "be•en" and "se•en"? Etymonline has nothing about their historical pronunciations.


texts:
In the episode of the big bang theory, S04E11, Zack, Penny's date makes a statement:

  I haven't been to a comic book store in literally a million years

What kind of statement is this, I know this is not correct, What group or what kind of statement is this?


texts: Is my usage of the word “forthcoming” correct?

texts:
I truly appreciate your forthcoming
by bringing to my notice about the noise I am causing.

or

I truly appreciate you forthcoming
by bringing to my notice about the noise I am causing.


texts:
I am often confused when it comes to a noun that is often used as an attributive adjective, yet this noun has an adjective form and this adjective form is described as "relating to (the noun)" by any dictionary. For instance: transformational and grammatical.

When I describe a section of a test that contains questions about grammar or about transforming one sentence into another, which one should I say?
This is a transformational/transformation section
This is a grammatical/grammar section


texts: How did "September" shift from 7th month to 9th month of a year? (and same for October, November, December)

texts:
If I understand correctly, the words September, October, November and December all come from French counterpart Septembre, Octobre, Novembre and Decembre, and ultimately from Latin septem, octo, novem and decem with a suffix -bre. Therefore I suppose their original meaning were from "7th month of a year" to "10th month of a year".

Apparently those words stand for "9th month" to "12th month" nowadays, so why and how did this happen?


texts: What is the meaning of the phrase  "too blessed to be stressed" ?


texts:
Is it correct to say

  David does not near women.

Meaning that he does not go close to them or approach them.


texts: The difference between "heathen" and "ungodly"

texts:
My student needed an adjective which means "irreligious" or "does not believe in God/a god." I suggested the words "heathen" and "ungodly".

Would you say there's a difference between the two sentences below?

My student has the impression that the Poles, a deeply religious nation, think of their Czech neighbors as a heathen lot.
My student has the impression that the Poles, a deeply religious nation, think of their Czech neighbors as an ungodly lot.

Thanks a lot!


texts: Umbrella term for "batch processing (script)" and "interactive (human)"

texts:
I am searching an umbrella term for this:

batch processing by a script. No human was involved.
interactive. A human did it.

I need the umbrella term for naming the relevant column.

The table shows the last mails which were created by a mail handling application.

Date       | Subject | From  | To   | ?????
--------------------------------------------
2018-02-07 | Dear .. | me@.. | you@ | batch
2018-02-06 | Thank.. | me@.. | you@ | human
2018-02-05 | New Foo | me@.. | you@ | human
....


texts: Meaning of "may" in "as a scholar may learn..."

texts:
I'm analyzing the following phrase:

  Or as a scholar may learn some secret language of the ancients,  his
  friends shall say: «Look! he pretends to read this book.  But it is
  unintelligible—it is nonsense.»  Yet he delights in the Odyssey, while
  they read vain and vulgar things.

I'm unsure of the meaning of "may" in this phrase. Looking at the Oxford Dictionary of English online, I'm pretty sure this is not meaning [2] or [3].

Meaning [1] seems strange here. The scholar "may" learn, while his friends "shall say"? What is the value of "may" in this phrase?


texts: Capitalisation when talking about a proper noun

texts:
So when I write a sentence like for example:

The word europe originated from ...

should the word be capitalised or not? It seems logical not to capitalise because in this sense it's not talking about the continent Europe but just the word.


texts: What is the English equivalent of a vulgar expression for continuous nagging?

texts:
In more than one language I know, when someone keeps nagging about a  subject that you do not want to hear about but you have to because that person is your boss or your wife and their talking goes on and on until they cause damage to your brain, one says something that literally translates to they fucked my brain.

in Arabic " ناك راسي يازلمة"
in Russian "ебать мозги"

I know hit my nerve but that doesn't convey to what extent the damage is done to the brain, do you have anything much stronger?

another reference


texts: Second conditional has always been a matter of confusion for me , can it be used while referring to a past condition , I know third conditional is used while referring to a past condition but still i have seen second conditional being used while referring to past


texts:
I want to know the difference between the two sentences and which one is right.

If I kept saying I love you for the rest of my life it wouldn't be enough.
If I keep saying I love you for the rest of my life it won't be enough.


texts: What is the difference between "harsh" and "severe"?

texts: I've been just wondering what's the difference between "severe" and "harsh". So in what ways do their nuances/usages differ? For example, when you think a teacher's a little too harsh and that he might be able to soften his comments to the children, do you say he's a little too "harsh" but not "severe", and his comments are a little too "harsh", not "severe"? And are there any alternatives? Thank you in advance!


texts: Please explain the answer of a joke: "hors d'oeuvre"

texts: This was part of the Uxbridge English Dictionary part of ISIHAC (I'm sorry I haven't a clue). The word was 'hors d'oeuvre' and the definition was 'ladies who hang around diesel pumps'. I don't get it.


texts: Is it appropriate to use the phrase "over his lifetime" for in introducing someone if the person is still alive, i.e. "...his dedication to music over his lifetime..."


texts: Other ways to say a project is ahead of schedule?

texts:
I'm looking for ways to say a business project is (or will be) completed ahead of schedule. Obviously, there are plenty of phrases for delayed or on-time statuses, but what are some phrases for describing those rare situations when a project is actually ready ahead of time?

This is what I've come up with so far:

completed sooner than expected
have some time to spare
done ahead of schedule

Are there any other ways to say that Murphy's Law didn't apply this one time, and things actually went better than expected?


texts: Idiom for counting other people's money/fortunes

texts:
I'm looking for an idiom or expression for when people are counting other people's fortunes or money. Usually it's a gross over-exaggeration of reality stemming from envy.

Example:  "He can probably afford 5 houses on whatever he's getting paid!"

Example 2: "Look at you.  You must be getting all sorts of dates."

(Edit)
I'm looking for something to use as a response to such assumptions directed at me or other people. If someone assumes I'm very fortunate at X (when I'm not) I want a response that grounds their assumption. It could be a quote or an idiom. I want something more eloquent than "Careful about counting other people's fortunes" or "People are always better at counting other people's fortunes than their own"


texts:
Is there an abstract noun for 'deserve'? If not, is there a criterion for words to have an abstract form?

For example, say I am creating a game where I need my character to gain some "Co-efficient of (abstract noun for deserve)" to access something.


texts: "I didn't know but what there was one gnawing at Grant"

texts:
May I ask what this means: "I didn't know but what there was one gnawing at Grant?"  When I look up in the Oxford Dictionaries, "not but what" means "nevertheless". Is the phrase related to the meaning which the Oxford dictionary describes?

  Washburne referred himto J.Rusell Jones, a close friend of Grant  go Grant and his investment adviser, who brought to the White House Grant's letter pledging that nothing could persuade him to be a candidate for President, particularly since there was the possibility of reelecting Lincon. "You will never know how gratifying that is to me," the President  said after reading the letter. "No man knows,when that presidential  grub gets to gnawing at him, just how deep it will get until he has tried it; and I didn't know but what there was one gnawing at Grant."


texts:
On this Wednesday's Survivor, Jeff Probst called one of the challenges as a "four way duel."

Now, obviously, this is wrong because a duel is between two opponents, but is there a term referring to a fight between four opponents?


texts: Is "tennis" an adjective in "tennis coach"? My english teacher thinks so, but using my native language as a reference it doesn't seem right to me...


texts: If schadenfreude is pleasure from another’s misery, what is displeasure caused by another’s success.


texts:
I am reading some documentation and cannot fully understand the meaning of 'In anything but..'

  In anything but the smallest applications it makes sense to organize the service
      definitions by moving them into one or more configuration files.

I have already read "However, this book is anything but" meaning, but it seems different to me. What do you think?


texts: "I attend drawing class on Saturdays" vs. "I attend a drawing class on Saturdays"

texts:
I have recently been confronted with four statements about a child who has regularly (over more than a year) attended a drawing class (only one class) on Saturdays.

  I attend drawing class on Saturdays.
  I attend a drawing class on Saturdays.

  I regularly attend a drawing class.
  I regularly attend drawing class.

Obviously, they are rather similar, and I'm not sure which one is preferred.
Which one(s) of the four are correct?