texts: How to ask for a repeat in different way politely?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  How do you decide which phrase to use when asking people to repeat what they said?

If I can't understand what someone said very well, how to ask him to repeat his words, but in slightly different way?

If I say, I don't understand, he may think that I'm not agree with his opinion.
I'm not sure if Pardon? or Sorry? work in written English.

If what he said looks very simple: there is no uncommon words, then, I am expected to understand, however I can't. So it's more likely that I'm against their opinions if I say I don't understand. Because what he said is so easy. So, I would like him to repeat his sentence in a different way, using different words maybe. How can I ask him to repeat in different way politely?


texts: I was wondering who uses 'pretty please?' Is it used mainly by girls? Under what circumstances? Thank you for replying.


texts: How do I say "every three hours" in one word?

texts: Given that tri-hourly means thrice every hour, how then do I say every three hours?


texts: Drama dialogue, I wanna know the precise meaning

texts:
I like watching American/English drama. But sometimes there are the dialogues I cannot understand easily.

IN the dialogue below, I want to know the last two sentences(bold). Please help me.

  A: It's all right. How long you been stationed
  here? Working for North Korea?

  B: Nine years.

  A: It's a long time. Your kid, was that part of
  the plan?

  B: I get it. The real world changes things.
  Maybe the life they'd planned for you isn't the life you ended up with.


texts:
De Certeau’s shtick is to read the environment as one would a script: that is, like written speech.

Is another “read" missing after "would" or is it correct? If it is correct, how can"would"indicates"read" here?


texts: Is spell-checking software becoming a linguistic authority?

texts:
It seems that ‒ whether intentionally or not ‒ spell-checking software in web browsers and productivity suites heavily influence our use of language. For example: in drafting a document, I found that my spelling dictionary did not include the word unbeknownst. The average user would likely take that as an indication of the word's obsolescence or nonexistence.

Is there some discussion in the linguistics world around this impact and the effect it may have on the field?


texts:
I am not sure when I am supposed to use "open" vs "opened".

Isn't "opened" the past participle form? Therefore should I talk about "the opened file"? I feel "the open file" sounds more right...


texts: What is word for a person who is very calm but also merciless?

texts: Those are my character traits but I want to explain my personality in one word.(only towards people who deserve it.Not to be cruel).


texts:
Which one is correct, and don't tell me vocal folds.

When you talk about someone singing, are they using their vocal cords or their vocal chords?

I found this which thankfully shed some light on the topic for me.


texts: I'm looking for the translation of the soccer term that in Portuguese we use as "disarm". It is the action of taking the ball from the opponent player or when the player with the ball attempts to trick the opponent and loses the ball.


texts: Alternative words of "predation" for plant-eating animals?

texts:
I am looking for a word meaning the action of ingesting food by plant-eating animals.
I think predation is only for carnivores.
Are there some alternative words of predation for plant-eating animals?


texts: Why does "footing the bill" mean "to pay"?

texts:
I hear people using the term footing the bill used to describe paying for something.

Why is the verb foot used to describe the meaning of paying?


texts: Was /were Priya and Susan in the library yesterday

texts: Was/were Susan and Priya in the library yesterday?


texts:
A client has sent me a document with the word "sea laser" as part of a list of additional services chiropractors offer in the United States. I've looked under "sea laser", "sea laser acupuncture", and "sea laser therapy" and nothing shows up. Has anybody seen this term before? Does anybody know what it means?

EDIT:

This is what the client sent in a table of items, so many items are not separated by a comma:

  "Additional services chiropractors provide: Acupuncture and its variations (meridian therapy; acupuncture without needles, or sea laser; electro-acupuncture) Physical Therapy Physiotherapy Sports Medicine Naturopathy Nutrition Pilates Radiography Flexion / Distraction Corrective Exercises Detox Homeopathic Products Yoga Rehabilitation Auriculotherapy."

That is all I have


texts: When quoting a quotation, how do you handle the double quotes?

texts:
Assume there is original source text:

  This restaurant is amazing with "delicious lasagna" and great service.
  Make sure you go 6-7pm for the quietest times.

I want to quote "delicious lasagna" but not sure how to handle the outer double quotes.  If I was quoting more than just that quotation (e.g. is amazing with "delicious lasagna" and great service) I'd just do:

  "...is amazing with 'delicious lasagna' and great service."

However, when quoting just that quotation, it looks like:

  "'delicious lasagna'"

Is this the correct way or is there something better?


texts:
I say āgis Google says ēgis.
Is it regional or am I just pronouncing it wrong?
I live in the midwest near Chicago with that helps.


texts: "looking forward to being". Is this correct?

texts:
In order to convey excitement to being a part of a team, which one would you use?

  I’m so looking forward to be a part of [team name] that I can barely sleep.

or

  I’m so looking forward to being a part of [team name] that I can barely sleep.

Is any of these correct? If not, what would be the proper way of conveying this?


texts: Can "anyways" be used at the beginning of a sentence?

texts: For example, is it acceptable to say “Anyways, I love Stack Exchange" or should "anyway" always be used?


texts: British English / a strange way of using neither nor

texts:
I am not a native English speaker , so I am sorry if there is any grammatical mistakes. I wanted to ask how correct the following sentence is

  This game isn't good neither for children nor for adults.

I tried to find the answer on google but to no avail.
Please if anybody has any idea about that sentence, don't hold back, help me.


texts: How to interpret "Jim Scarborough'd never carried one; that's the younger Jim." in No Country for Old Men

texts:
I like the movie No Country for Old Men directed by the Coen brothers. That's the reason why I recently read the novel of the same name. As I'm not a native speaker, I chose the book translated in my mother tongue. And one paragraph in this book bothers me.

  Some of the old time sheriffs never even wore a gun. A lotta folks find that hard to believe. Jim Scarborough'd never carried one; that's the younger Jim. Gaston Boykins wouldn't wear one up in Comanche County.

The same sentences appear in the movie intro. I watched this move when I was in the US. When I first heard these English sentences in a theater, I understand it as follows:

There were more than one sheriff with the name Jim Scarborough. (Maybe a son is named after his father so that they have the same first name.)
And the one who had never carried a gun was the younger one.

But the translated version explain this sentence as "Jim Scarborough had never carried a gun when he was young."

I know that this question may not have a definite answer because these sentences do not contain enough information on Jim Scarborough. But which explanation is more plausible?


texts: Coney and rabbit: what’s the difference?

texts:
Are the words coney and rabbit full synonyms in English? Are there any slight differences in usage or meaning? Are there any cases when one word is more appropriate in the modern writing or speech than another one?

Merriam-Webster and Wiktionary reference coney as a rabbit (especially, the European rabbit) without additional remarks. The OED does the same, but with a note British & Heraldry.


texts: Comma after the noun of the Oxford comma?

texts:
In a sentence like:

  Next to apple, pears, and bananas, a lot of other fruit exists.

Is the comma after bananas needed, allowed, or forbidden? And why?

Is the same true for descriptions with verbs:

  Next to fruit that smells of sewerage, looks like dung, or tastes
  disgusting, a lot of nice fruit in between these extremes exists.

Or is there a neater way of saying this?


texts:
Please can you tell me which is correct - haven't or hadn't?

Situation:
I send picture to my friend and she replies:

  "I hadn't seen it yet"

Is it right use? Shouldn't be there "I haven't seen it yet"?

Thank you for help.

EDIT:
How about version without "yet"? Can I use both then?


texts:
Take a look at this article from the Huffington Post. In it, there is this paragraph right here:

  Eight hours. This number is spoken like gospel in this country when it comes to sleep. "How much sleep do I need?" Eight hours. "How can I feel like the people in Old Navy ads?" Get eight hours. "Why did that Spanish nun ruin that fresco?" She wasn't sleeping eight hours.

"She didn't sleep eight hours" makes much more sense to me. Why in the world is the progressive used here?


texts: Unusual word order in "Fear not this night"?

texts:
Yesterday, I've listened to a song called "Fear not this night".
I find the syntax unusual (as a foreigner, I have never encountered it). Is it the same meaning as "Don't fear this night" ? What's the slight difference between these 2 ?

Thank you for your time.


texts:
I trying to express that something has been sent but not yet delivered. Does the following sentence express this correctly for American English?

  Your package has not arrived, is on its way to you.

PD that is in the context of a gift card, for a present that I buy but have not arrived in time, so I giving a gift card instead.


texts:
Furore entered the English language by the  end of the 18th century  to refer to a “wave of enthusiastic admiration”:

  1790, Italian form of furor, borrowed into English originally in the sense "enthusiastic popular admiration;"

but over time this meaning was eventually lost:

  it later descended to mean the same thing as furor and lost its usefulness.

(Etymonline)

(As a side note, the Italian term furore doesn’t have and never had the connotation with which it was originally adopted by the English language.)

According to Google Books,  from the ‘50s  the term appears to be still commonly used in BrE, while less so in AmE.

Questions:

What (a book, a play etc.) made “furore”  a term adopted by the English language in the late 18th century with a different connotation from its original one?
When, roughly, did its meaning “enthusiastic popular admiration” start to die out?
Is furore currently used as a close synonym of furor, or does it carry different nuances in BrE and AmE?

Just as a side note, curiously,  John Steinbeck's famous "The Grapes of Wrath" is known in the Italian version as FURORE


texts: Single Word Request - An object that makes you happy

texts:
Cubes are some of my favorites things!
Cubes are a(n) ____ of mine!

I'm trying to avoid words with negative connotations such as "weakness' or "indulgence" and I'm thinking that words more relating to materialism might fit the bill.

Thanks in advance! I have a fascination with words and I love writing poetry so I'm always looking for fun/interesting words!


texts: Do I use a comma between "whimsical" and "clay" in the sentence below?

texts: Billy did a wonderful job creating his whimsical[,] clay fish dish.


texts:
It's hard to imagine a pine tree wishing it was an oak.
It's hard to imagine a pine tree wishing it were an oak.
Which is correct sentence?


texts:
I will not talk to anybody.

or

  I will talk to nobody.

I think both of them are valid (no double negation).

My questions are:

Is one of the two sentences stronger? I.e., does one of the two sentences puts more weight on the fact that one should really not talk to anybody?
Is there a regional difference in using the two sentences? And if yes, who would prefer which?


texts: Short phrase for "... for the first time in five years."

texts:
When I did something for the first time in five (or ten, several, etc...) years,
is there any phrase to describe the same situation shortly?

Sometimes I feel "... for the first time in five years" is too much and I want to use shorter/lighter phrase like for ages.
I can say "It's been five years since I did it last time", but still long.

I would appreciate it if you tell me some words or phrases.

Thanks,


texts: How refer to the god and devil using pronouns and adverbs?

texts:
I'm trying to phrase a sentence where I want to refer to the god and the devil/satan by using a combination of pronouns and adverbs rather than their names or nouns such as "good/evil", "divine power" or similar. It is important that the sentence is using the masculine pronouns, if possible.
The sentence should begin with "Here it is close to both..." (as in, this place is vertically in the middle of god and devil)

This sounds best to me:

Here it is close to both him above and him down below.

Alternative that doesn't sound as good:

Here it is close to both him up there and him down there.

My problem concerns what combination of pronoun and adverbs to use. English is not my native language so this isn't very obvious to me.

Also, should I capitalize Him?

Any ideas?


texts: What is the word for an image hidden inside a painting?

texts:
My father-in-law has a painting by Vu Cao Dam of two girls and a man on horseback.  He found a hidden fox in the painting, and today we were looking at it and found some more.

What do you call it when an artist intentionally puts a hidden image within a larger work of art?  My father-in-law swears there is a word, and that it is a general term which can apply to different media.  It can apply to actors who make cameos or easter eggs in software.

What word is this?


texts: Is there a comparative form of the word "different?"

texts: Does the adjective "different" have a comparative form? If so what is it?


texts: I was wondering if you'd like to come to the cinema with me this evening? Is the use of a question mark correct?

texts:
I wonder if we need to use a question mark following "I wonder" for requesting something.

For example: I was wondering if you'd like to come to the cinema with me this evening?

Is using the question mark correct here?


texts:
Is the following sentence correct, and is its use of the semicolon correct? Note that the use of the word 'concurrency' is meant to indicate a computer science term.

  A host of design issues are encompassed by concurrency; that of interaction amongst processes, the sharing and competition for resources, the synchronisation of the activities of multiple processes and the allocation of processor time to processes.


texts: "Neither of us are" -vs- "Neither one of us is"

texts:
This cartoon was recently posted on Facebook. My sister (who is a retired HS English teacher) says the grammar is wrong and that the correct wording should be: "Neither one of us is." but I disagree.

I am not an English teacher but I believe that "US" relates to "WE" and the correct wording for that pronoun is "WE ARE". On the other hand "ONE OF US" relates to "I" and "YOU" but the correct wording for those pronouns would be "I AM" or "YOU ARE" ... There absolutely is no place in English where we correctly use "I IS", "YOU IS", or "WE IS" so why would "US IS" be correct?


texts: Is it common for a female to refer to her fellows as "brethren" ?

texts:
I know that "brethren" can mean "fellow members", but I have usually heard it used when a man is referring to his fellows or brothers. But can a female do that ? Let's assume I am the sole female in a group of males, can I refer to the other members of the group as "brethren" ?

On a similar note, is the behavior the same with "sistren" as well (I know it is not common as brethren) ? Could I refer to a group of females (when I am a male myself) as my sistren ?


texts:
In Barchester Towers, Trollope writes

  The clergymen of the city and neighbourhood, though very well inclined
  to promote High Church principles, privileges, and prerogatives, had
  never committed themselves to tendencies which are somewhat too
  loosely called Puseyite practices.

What distinction between the meanings of 'privilege' and 'prerogative' can defend this quote from a charge of gratuitous alliteration?


texts: What is the origin and meaning of the phrase "all day" when used in a commercial kitchen?

texts: I've heard the phrase "all day" used when commanding a kitchen brigade. It's generally used in a phrase like "I need 3 filets .. all day". What does this expression mean in this context? And what is its origin, if known?


texts:
My thoughts began to shift from the political-science aspects of the idea to the computer-science aspects of it. This shift reached critical mass when I began learning how to program...

I don't think "critical mass" is the right word here. I'm looking for something like "turning point", analogous to the critical point on a graph, the top of a curve.

What's the word I'm looking for?


texts:
Taken literally from a modern US English viewpoint, the phrase "few would argue that" would mean that the statement the phrase appears before is widely held to be false. The specific wording would either being hedging or accounting for a lunatic fringe, e.g. "few would argue that the Earth is flat." In my perception this is the far more common use of the phrase.
I have, however, come across a number of uses where, contextually, its clear the author intended just the opposite. One example is from Michael A. Stackpole's Coupe, in which a character opens a speech about war with "Few would argue that warfare is mankind's oldest profession - and oldest obsession." From context, its clear he meant something like "Few will argue with me when I say," or "It's not controversial to say."
Is one usage more common than the other? Or is this one of those things like "nonplussed" that has two widely used but contradictory meanings?


texts: Overfill is a word, why isn't "underfill" as widely recognized to be a word?

texts:
Is there a different or better word for "underfill".

MS Word, Google, don't seem to recognize underfill as a word.

On Merriam Webster, they recognize it as a noun(paraphrased):

a piece of steel manufactured with insufficient material
an incompletely filled container

Underfill is also a material used in the PCB manufacturing process.

Why isn't it a verb similar to, but the antonym of, "overfill"?


texts:
I have this sentence:

  The problem is he is very stingy with his money.

But I feel it sounds weird or even wrong with the two ises so close. Is the sentence structure grammatical? If it isn't, how to fix it?


texts:
Can I use "crack around the door" in the following situation? If I am wrong, could you give me the correct expression? Thank you.

The door of Dad's room was half-open. Through the crack around the door, the wind came in and blew the book shut, then open.


texts: "Pain in the neck" and similar expressions

texts:
Are there any other expressions equivalent in meaning to "pain in the neck" that mention another part of the body (e.g, "pain in the ass")?

How would you rate each of those expressions (including the ones just mentioned) in a scale of being offensive or vulgar? In other words, which ones would you use in an informal context, but without going too far?

(this question is probably mistagged)


texts: “Don’t have to” at the end of the sentence

texts:
Is it grammatically correct to use "don’t have to" at the end of a sentence?

Ex: we can walk to our house if you want. But we_____. The bus will come.

And if we can use it here, where’s the verb after (to)? Can it be deleted if it’s already understood?


texts:
Equippable, while not a really a word, seems to be accepted by the gaming community as a term for this can be equipped.  Is there a more appropriate word which is real, singular and essentially means the same? For example,

  I may pick the item up and carry it. However, whether I may put it in
  my hand or not would be distinguished by whether it is equippable.


texts: Why do some people write the indefinite article "a" before vowels?

texts:
According to the rule, the article "a" is for consonants and the article "an" is for vowels. Nevertheless, I have seen it frequently that many use the article "a" with both vowels and consonants. For example, they say "this is a expensive car" not "this is an expensive car" as it should be.
Is there a reason for that?


texts: Be authentic synonym of not having a mask?

texts: In Spanish, we say that we all have a mask as we are not 100% authentic (at least all the time). Is that expression correct in English?


texts: Words that define a type of word and also obey that definition

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  What is a catchy word that means (non-)self-descriptive

There are plenty of names for word sets:

synonyms: words that have the same meaning
palindromes: words that read the same forward or backwards
homonyms: words that have the same spelling and different meaning
metanyms: words that symbolize other larger concepts

But a certain set of words that define word sets are also in that set. Unfortunately, I can only think of one right now: antonym, which is in fact an antonym to the word synonym.

Do words like this have a name?


texts: What are the leading or trailing days on a monthly calendar called?

texts:
Example sentence:

  When looking at the month view of an online calendar, users can
  toggle visibility of [whatchamacallit] days from adjacent months.

When you look at a monthly calendar, and the month begins on, say, a Wednesday, the dates of the preceding Sunday–Tuesday from the end of the the prior month are usually displayed (but grayed out). Same story at the end of the month. If you’re a designer of calendars, what do you call such days?


texts: For example, 'It seems that fulfilling the value of altruism helps them feel their lives are meaningful.'


texts: What's the meaning of the expressions "break my chops" and "take it on the arches"?

texts:
I was watching the movie "Taxi Driver", which is an okay movie. However its dialogue is just annoying because it's just laden with slang and expressions of all types including some pretty uncommon ones.

So I have this situation right in the beginning of the movie, in which Travis (M.C) is applying to a taxi driver job, and a part of the dialogue in the sequence goes as follows:

  3 00:02:33,528 --> 00:02:35,737 So, what do you wanna hack for,
  Bickle?

  4 00:02:35,989 --> 00:02:37,406 I can't sleep nights.

  5 00:02:37,657 --> 00:02:41,368
  - There's porno theaters for that.
  - Yeah, I know. I tried that.

  6 00:02:46,124 --> 00:02:47,666 So, what do you do now?

  7 00:02:47,917 --> 00:02:51,753 Now? Ride around nights mostly.
  Subways, buses.

  8 00:02:52,005 --> 00:02:54,882 Figure I'm gonna do that, I might as
  well get paid for it.

  9 00:02:55,091 --> 00:02:57,426 You wanna work uptown? South Bronx,
  Harlem?

  10 00:02:57,635 --> 00:02:59,344 I'll work anytime, anywhere.

  11 00:02:59,554 --> 00:03:01,013 Will you work Jewish holidays?

  12 00:03:01,181 --> 00:03:02,931 Anytime, anywhere.

  13 00:03:03,099 --> 00:03:05,559 All right. Let me see your
  chauffeur's license.

  14 00:03:08,146 --> 00:03:10,606
  - How's your driving record?
  - It's clean.

  15 00:03:10,857 --> 00:03:12,983 It's real clean, like my conscience.

  16 00:03:13,193 --> 00:03:16,987 You gonna break my chops? I got
  enough trouble with guys like you.

  17 00:03:17,197 --> 00:03:20,574 If you're gonna break my chops, you
  can take it on the arches.

  18 00:03:20,742 --> 00:03:23,160 Sorry, sir, I didn't mean that.

Now, what the heck is that supposed to mean? I googled around and even some New Yorkers can't say what these are supposed to mean. I also found an interesting discussion about these at word reference forums, but however convincing some explanations are, they just can't agree with one another on what these mean.


texts:
As GET has so many meanings, it is hard for me to distinct between them and understand the nuances.
Are these sentences all correct? Would you understand the same thing by them?

  I will settle you in.
  I will get you settled in.
  Let's get you settled in!

Is the first one acceptable?


texts:
I have the following sentence and I'd like to hear your opionon on that:
"Electrictiy generated from photovoltaics..."
Is it correct to use the term "photovoltaics" or do I have to use "photovoltaic systems"?
I'd appreciate every comment and would be thankful for your help.


texts: I got this email from a friend, who was concerned about the heat problem (which I complained to her weeks ago) in my apartment. Do I thank her for "checking in on me" or "checking on me"?


texts: The unofficial name of the product before the release

texts:
Let's say a company is developing a product and they call it somehow internally, but that name will change in the future if the product is released. The general word for that is temporal name, but I am looking for a more specific professional term.

  For the last 5 years they have been working on a project with the _____(temporal name) "ABC", which was released a few months ago under the title of "ZXY".


texts: Grammaticality of 'that' relative clause in phrase beginning with possessive pronoun

texts:
I would like to ask about the grammaticality of a 'that' relative clause modifying a noun phrase that begins with a possessive pronoun. Please consider these examples:

  Please send in your technician that I can talk to.
  They scrapped our project that had taken us so much effort.

From a somewhat prescriptive standpoint (I'm trying to quit...), I would like to ask whether this construction might require the 'that' pronoun to be replaced with the stronger alternatives, 'which' or 'who', also preceded by a comma.

  Please send in your technician, who I can talk to.
  They scrapped our project, which had taken us so much effort.

Alternatively, beginning the noun phrases with an indefinite article would then allow the 'that' relative clause.

  Please send in a technician that I can talk to.
  They scrapped a project that had taken us so much effort.

I would really appreciate knowing your views on this--particularly on the ungrammaticality I see in the first examples.

Thank you very much.


texts:
Someone edited my message on StackOverflow, but it really bugs me out.

I'm not sure what's wrong with it:

As you see, the bigger the circle becomes, the more vertices I need for hiding the straight lines.
As you see, the bigger the circle becomes, the more vertices I need to hide the straight lines.

The latter (corrected) sentence just bugs me out for some reason. It would sound better if there was a comma after the word "need", perhaps, but I guess that would be even worse in means of grammatical correctness.

Can someone explain why is the first sentence bad and the second sentence correct? And could there even be better solution to fix the first sentence?


texts: Word that describes the content of a message being identical with the way it is presented

texts:
I'm looking for an English word I read a while ago, describing a statement having the same meaning as the way it is presented in.

Example: The statement is that existence is uncertainty and the way it is presented in makes you feel uncertain/ shows how uncertain existence is.


texts: Handling quotes ending in exclamation or question marks

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Is it correct to use “punctuation outside of the quotations”, or “inside?”

I've always had trouble dealing with quotes ending in question marks. Any solution has been awkward. What's the best way to use it? Examples (which are probably wrong):

Did you know how he asked me "how do you do?"?
After he said "Do I know you?", we hit him with some bricks.
"Fool!" he exclaimed.


texts:
To me, "used to" and "used for" are incompatible, as shown in the examples below. However, I am unable to substantiate this. MS Word doesn't "see" the differences, so I turned to "Essential grammar in use" (Murphy) and "The Chicago manual of style", but still come up with nothing. And the Internet has proven totally unreliable. Please follow my reasoning:

Used ”to” or ”for”?

Google search:

"button is used for": 2,250,000 hits
"button is used to" : 3,260,000 hits

Sentences below checked in MS Word English US:  (My interpretation in parentheses)

The button is used to open the dialog.      (Wrong)
The hammer is used to break the glass.      (Wrong)
John is used to read data.                  (Wrong)

The button is used for opening the dialog.  (Correct) (= a tool for opening)
The hammer is used for breaking the glass.  (Correct) (= a tool for breaking)
John is used for reading data.              (Wrong)

The button is used to opening the dialog.   (Wrong)
The hammer is used to breaking the glass.   (Wrong)
John is used to reading data.               (Correct) (= in the habit of reading)

Grammar check results: No corrections whatsoever – Grammar check simply doesn’t react to the above sentences, not even those that are obviously wrong.
In lieu of further guidance, I will have to rely on my own interpretation, as stated above.

Correct or wrong?


texts: Is there a single word for unhealthy ego?

texts:
This article actually explains my question http://stonepsychology.com/is-your-ego-healthy-or-unhealthy-heres-how-to-tell/ very well.

If we say some action is driven by 'ego' we often mean that the action is driven by excessive pride and coming from a place of unhealthy ego.

Is there any easier way that we can identify behaviours or actions as being driven by an unhealthy ego?   Is there a single word for 'unhealthy ego'?


texts: For 'also', how is ' the demonstrative sense of "similarly" weakened to "in addition to" '?

texts:
also (adv.)
      Old English eallswa "just as, even as, as if, so as, likewise," compound of all + so. The demonstrative sense of "similarly" weakened to "in addition to" in 12c., replacing eke. [...]

Since 'similarly' is an adverb, but I didn't understand how adverbs could be demonstrative, I Googled "demonstrative adverb", which advanced p 74 of Demonstratives: Form, Function, and Grammaticalization
(by Holger Diessel), which explains 'demonstrative adverbs'.

However, what does 'weakened' above mean? 'Similarly' implies a comparison of two similar things, but 'in addition to' implies the introduction or adduction of something new or different.
So should weakened to be replaced by strengthened to?


texts: Is there always a difference between 'is the' and 'is a'?

texts:
For instance, 'every dog owner is the friend of a dog owner' vs 'every dog owner is a friend of a dog owner'.

For me, the former seems to imply that every dog owner is the friend of a particular dog owner. Where the latter seems to imply that every dog owner is the friend of just any other dog owner, not a specific one.

Now of course, the actual differences doesn't (usually) matter when conversing with another person, due to human context, though I am studying logic where such a difference is crucial.

Thanks :)


texts: What is the origin of the phrase "hard and fast rule?"

texts:
I just used this phrase in answering another question, only to realize that

I didn't know its origin and
it is usually used in the negative, as in "..it's not a hard and fast rule, but..."

I'd like to know the origin, and perhaps why it seems to be more commonly used in the negative.


texts: "Employee" in the phrase "employee ID" is a determiner, not an adjective—right?

texts:
I am a software developer with a bit of a linguistic slant. We were recently given some training on how to name database fields and were told to avoid adjectives in names.

Then we were given an example: “employee_id” is considered a bad name because of the adjective. I just about exploded. “Employee” is a noun, not an adjective. Which makes “employee” a determiner!

And then I thought about it some more and wanted to make sure I had the right definition of “determiner”, which is admittedly a fuzzy definition. “Employee” is essential to the meaning of “employee ID”. Then again, is this really “short” for “employee’s ID” (in which case the genitive noun is definitely a determiner)?

Is there a good definition of “determiner” out there? Is “employee” in this case a determiner? And why?


texts: Is "propped up" an adjective or a past participle?

texts:
I am analyzing the past tense of "simple past" and I do not know if the form "were propped up" indicated in the sentence is composed of a verb conjugated in "simple past" and followed by an adjective, or on the contrary, it is part of a clause in passive.

Her flat cloth slippers were propped up on a foot-warmer, and a cat reposed on her lap.


texts: "You were already having been going to do that!"

texts:
From one of the Futurama episodes:

  Farnsworth A: You people and your
  slight differences disgust me. I'm
  going home. Where's that blue box with
  our universe in it?

  Farnsworth 1: Oh,
  you'd like to get back to your evil
  universe, wouldn't you? And destroy
  your box with our universe inside it.

  Farnsworth A: Nonsense! I would never
  do such a thing unless you were
  already having been going to do that!

The part in bold: is it grammatical, or is it just an intentional word play by the scriptwriters to emphasize time travel?


texts: A word like sporadic but meaning 'most of the time'

texts:
I'm writing a bug report, at first I thought the bug happened all the time but now I realize that occasionally it works correctly.

I was going to say that the bug was sporadic, but actually, that would imply that most of the time it worked and the bug was occasional, which is the opposite of what I mean.

Is there a word which is like sporadic but means happens frequently but not all the time? Or should I just flip the sentance and say that it sporadically works.


texts: Is there a term for loanwords that are borrowed back into their original language?

texts:
Is there a word for double loanwords?

The only example I can think of right now isn't in English, but it should clarify what I mean.

Küçük, meaning small/young, the original Turkish word, was borrowed into Farsi and pronounced kuchak (also meaning small/young). Turkish re-borrowed kuckak as köçek, which was used not to mean the same thing as küçük, but rather to refer to young male dancers in the Ottoman court.

Does this borrowing process have a name? Do twice-loaned words have their own category?


texts: Another word for agnostic when used to suggest independence through a lack of concern

texts:
As described here, in technical domains agnostic can be used to describe a state of affairs where one thing doesn't care about the specifics of another thing it's related to.  For instance, in software engineering, one might speaking of a "platform-agnostic" solution.  This suggests that the solution need not have any information about the platform it is executing on to be a solution - it's a solution independent of the platform.  In the same way you can talk about things being "OS-agnostic" or "language-agnostic".

I'm suffering tip of the tongue phenomenon.  I think that there's another word that be used in these "X-agnostic" constructions that means specifically what agnostic is being used for here.  When I try to sound it out, however, my brain keeps jumping back to "agnostic" or to "ambivalent", which is also not the word I'm thinking of.

I think the word I'm thinking of can also be used to describe the relationship between a theory and a question if the theory is non-dispositional with regard to the answer to the question.  "My theory is X with regard to that question."

It's driving me crazy.  What's the word I'm thinking of?


texts: What is the grammatical construction of the clause "Emotions that Maria had thought were buried deep enough ..."

texts:
Something in that should have upset Maria, but all she could
concentrate on was the pain and anguish that ravished her body. It was
like a silent demon had lay dormant inside of her and fed on all the
pain that had ever been inflicted on her and those she holds most
dear. A demon that knew how to bide its time and unleash its festering
anger on anyone that was responsible for its creation. Was the inner
demon part of Maria? Or was it separate and just used the woman's body
as a place to hibernate? Only Maria could answer those questions, and
she was in no condition to consider them. So many emotions fed that
silent demon. Emotions that Maria had thought were buried deep
enough so they could not betray her at the worst possible moment.

"Emotions that Maria had thought were buried deep enough so they could not betray her at the worst possible moment."
Is Emotions the object of thought? But how do you just "think" emotions? It is ungrammatical.
Or perhaps, that Maria had thought were buried deep enough is just a relative clause modifying Emotions? But this is also ungrammatical, there's no main clause in the sentence now. Is the original sentence grammatically correct in the first place?


texts:
I'm trying to say that a character has admitted past mistakes, and that in doing so, he's effectively admitted to being incompetent. Here's the relevant part of one of my sentences:

"[...] doing so would be an admission of past mistakes, and thus incompetence."

Is it necessary to change it to "and thus of incompetence" or "and thus to incompetence" to make it clear that the act of admitting mistakes itself does not reveal incompetence? If so, is "of" or "to" preferable?


texts: What is the difference between "grammar" and "usage"?

texts:
I'm surprised this has not been asked and answered on this Site--perhaps it has, but my search found nothing. The closest question to this one i could find sought the difference between grammar and syntax, which received one answer before it was closed as off-topic. In any event, I did not find the answer probative of the question i ask here.

What's more, Internet search engines were no help, likely because there's no distinctive keyword in the query.


texts:
Studies on genetic factors of schizophrenia are characterized by high heterogeneity and non-reproducibility.

Is the usage of term 'non-reproducibility' appropriate in the above sentence? Is there any other way to write this?


texts: How to ask the gender of someone if you have to?

texts:
In a global company, I often need to address someone in another country without knowing his/her gender in emails with a third person or with a group of people. It's awkward and inefficient to spell his/her name every time in reference of this person, especially if it's a long name. The only solution seems to find out the person's gender after all.

If I have to do so, using emails only,

Should I ask someone who knows him/her or should I ask the person directly? Personally I feel awful to approach the person with this kind of questions.
How should the question be worded to be appropriate? Examples?

Please indicate the culture background of the answer if you don't mind.


texts:
Is it grammatically correct to say:

"I have all the pieces to the colorful puzzle."

vs

"I have all the pieces of the colorful puzzle."


texts: How should I shorten a very wordy title?

texts:
I want to mention a very long title which doesn't have a good shortening using one continuous chunk:

  An account of a method of dividing astronomical and other instruments, by ocular inspection; in which the usual tools for graduating are not employed; the whole operation being so contrived, that no error can occur but what is chargeable to vision, when assisted by the best optical means of viewing and measuring minute quantities

My instinct is something like:

  A method of dividing astronomical … instruments, by ocular inspection

Which is kind of wordy itself and eliding middle of a title also seems strange.

I couldn't really find any recommendations for formating wordy titles like this one when I went googling for writing style-specific rules or general suggestions.

How should this title be shortened? In general, how should very long titles like this be shortened? And, optionally, what should I have googled to find the answer to this question?


texts: Name for "filler" words that potentially convey lack of self confidence

texts:
There are plenty of internet search hits for "filler" words, and how not to use them. I'm not asking about these.
I would like to know if there is a name for language that people use which perhaps: aim to soften the sentence, make the sentence less formal, or are used subconsciously due to lack of confidence in what is being said / self confidence of the communicator.
Some examples:

"Just" when not used instead of "only": "I just thought you'd like to be reminded of your meeting"
"lol"/"haha" equivalents: "I like how you looked today haha"
Sentences that don't get to the point: "I was wondering when you would be able to look at my report" vs "When will you be able to look at my report?"

Possibly these are all instances of beating around the bush. But it feels like there could be a more precise definition for these cases as what needs to be said is being said.


texts: Is the word “key” of the sentence an uncountable noun or an adjective?

texts:
The diplomat was quick to organize a peaceful dialogue between the two countries’ leaders, and many say that his efforts were key to averting a war.

I am not sure whether the word “key” is an uncountable noun or an adjective. And, I also think about the sentence is typo, the sentence has to add “a” or “the” before “key”.

Please tell me your thought.

The sentence is from “EIKEN 1 kyu deruzyun de saitan goukaku goi mondai kanzen seiha” page 38.


texts: Are there any pairs of words like "beloved"/"belovèd", "learned"/"learnèd" that maintain a semantic difference to the present day?

texts:
When I first read Romeo and Juliet in high school, I remember being intrigued by pairs of words such as,

  beloved/belovèd

and

  learned/learnèd

where there's an accent grave on the 'e' of the last syllable of one of each pair of word.

One thing I've always thought is that, strictly interpreted, beloved can really only be used as an adjective; if one wants to refer to the noun, as in my beloved, it should properly spelt as belovèd.  Similarly, I've always thought that learned is, strictly speaking, only acceptable as the past tense of the verb to learn, and that if one wanted to refer to the adjective form meaning "educated", as in learned scholar,  it would properly be spelt as learnèd.  I don't remember where exactly I got these impressions from, and I don't know if they are correct.

So my question is: Were there or is there any semantic difference between such pairs of words, or is it just a spelling idiosyncrasy? If there were such differences, do any persist to the present day?

Addendum: These aren't the only such pairs; there are others, I distinctly remember seeing many in lots of Shakespeare's plays...


texts:
Someone tells me that he is sorry but he has been absent for a family emergency.

Can I say "I hope your family is fine"? I wondered if that's polite in English-speaking culture.


texts: Is it 'Close to the chest' or 'Close to the vest'?

texts:
Apologies if this is a duplicate, I am just curious.
Are they both valid? Which originated first?


texts: Does "started a start-up company" contain redundancy?

texts:
I see the phrase "started a start-up company" more and more these days, and feel that it is redundant, and the speaker is ignorant or using stock phrases without thinking. Any company we start would always be a start-up, right ?

Would "started a company" mean the exactly same ? I mean, it is not like we can start a well-established decade-old company, right ?


texts: A second past-form: "dig" / "digged" / "digged"

texts:
I've been digging through the Internet and I can't find any legit answers to this question, even in English dictionaries. Probably because this particular usage is rarely used in the past tense.

  She's playing hard to get, but I'm sure she digs me!

While this usage is quite normal, what if I wanted to use the verb dig in the past tense?

  She digged me and I hadn't even noticed it!

OR

  She dug me and I hadn't even noticed it!

Which form will be used? The former? The later? Both? While the second one is Standard English, and I'm sure it's perfectly acceptable, would the first one be acceptable in speech? Or would it strike a native speaker as quite odd?


texts: Which of the two sounds more natural: corestrict or correstrict?

texts:
In mathematics, one uses the prefix co- to denote something that's dual to an already known object, for instance: limit -> colimit, basis -> cobasis, cycle -> cocycle, tangent -> cotagent, domain -> codomain.
On the other hand, words that arose by adding co- usually have a doubled 'r', for instance: responds -> correspond, relate -> correlate, radiation -> corradiation.
Similarly there's a notion of a restriction of a function, when one restricts its domain. This would naturally be called a corestriction/correstriction. Which of these two spellings sounds more natural and should be preferred? (if you're a native speaker, please state the country you're from)
Both spellings are used in the literature.
Corestriction:

https://projecteuclid.org/download/pdf_1/euclid.pjm/1102371109
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00927870802103636
https://arxiv.org/abs/1409.3166

Correstriction:

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00927870802103636
https://projecteuclid.org/journals/kodai-mathematical-journal/volume-9/issue-3/The-cohomology-of-rm-SL_2F_p-and-the-Hecke-algebra-actions/10.2996/kmj/1138037273.pdf
http://inveniov1.uvci.edu.ci/record/10082?ln=en


texts: In academic papers, 'We evaluated X' vs. 'X is evaluated'

texts:
As far as I know, it would be better to follow these two rules when writing an academic paper:

Avoid using passive voice.
Keep the object of interest in the subject position.

But often I encountered the situations where those two rules contradict each other. For example, in my research field, the typical first sentence of 'evaluation' section (same as the 'experiment' section in other fields) starts with 'We evaluated the system X..', but some people prefer to write it like 'The system X is evaluated..'. To follow rule 1, one should put 'we' in the subject position, but it contradicts rule 2 as the object of interest is 'the system X' rather than 'we'. In such kind of cases, which rule should come first?


texts:
What does it mean "The elbow worked through the sleeve"?

and what is the synonym of the verb "worked" in the sentence?


texts:
This site says:

  Using a plural form of a countable noun when you want to make a
  general statement about all things of a particular type.

  Books are so important in my life. (all books in general)

  Apples are delicious. (all apples in general)

So, when we say "Apples" in plural form without "the", we mean "all apples on earth" (in America or in Japan or in supermarkets or etc). It does not matter where they come from as long as they are apples.

So, If that is the case, then "If we use a plural form of a countable noun, then we can not add a prepositional phrase to it right??? Because if we do that, then we break the rule right???"

Let say we add a prepositional phrase "in Japan" to "apples" to form "Apples in Japan are delicious".

But "apples in Japan" refers to a subset of  "apples" while "apples" refers to "all apples on earth".

So, "Apples in Japan are delicious" is wrong because "apples" without "the" refers to "all apples on earth".

The above site also says:

  You can add a prepositional phrase or a relative clause when you need
  to show which person or thing you are talking about.

  I've no idea about the geography of Scotland.

  That is a different man to the man that I knew.

So, change "Apples in Japan are delicious" to "The apples in Japan are delicious"

What does "Using a plural form of a countable noun when you want to make a general statement about all things of a particular type." actually mean?

Does "Apples in Japan are delicious" sound wrong?

Do we have to change "Apples in Japan are delicious" to "The apples in Japan are delicious"

What about "Japanese apples are delicious"?

Note: "Apples in Japan are delicious" = "Apples (that are) in Japan are delicious"


texts:
How do we describe someone who has special athletic skills?

For example, in Chinese we can say that “Bolt runs like an animal” to emphasize he runs so quick that even surpasses the normal level of human. Are there any phrases / expressions in English that have similar meanings?

To clarify, I’m not looking for an adjective to describe someone who can run fast, I just want to know if there's an expression to show that someone possesses a skill that may look like an animal instead of a normal human being. :)


texts: What is the meaning of "O" in "7 O'Clock"?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  What phrase is “o'clock” contracting?

In this string:

  7 O'Clock

What is O doing here? What is the meaning of O? Does it mean 7 of Clock? What is its history (how does it started being called like that)? Please explain.


texts: Is "we all pull on one single string" an idiom or is it just wrong?

texts:
We all pull on one single string.

Is this correct English?

When I look up the intended meaning of this phrase, I get the following results from several online dictionaries:

  to pull together

  to act in concern

  But there is no dictionary that says, "to pull on one (single) string".

Hence my question: Is it an idiom or is it wrong?

Addition: This phrase is definately meant to be an idiom. There are no physical strings to be pulled. It means to say that everyone holds together to face a common dread, to make a difference and to fight for a better world. Thats the context.


texts: Is there another word for being too nice?

texts: What are different words that can/could/would be used to describe someone who is being too nice?


texts: What is the opposite of a 'belt and braces' approach?

texts:
I want to be able to highlight that our usual preparation for worst case scenarios, in which a 'belt and braces' approach is essential, is not being followed in certain areas.

Is there an idiom I can use that conveys the optimism of hoping that, in the absence of both belt and braces, the metaphorical trousers (BrE) or pants (AmE) will still remain where they should be ?

  "Our usual preparation for worst case scenarios, in which a 'belt and braces' approach is essential, is not being followed in certain areas and I fear that, instead, we are having to accept a [ _ _ _ _ _ _ ] approach."


texts: Word that means feeling sad when one should feel happy

texts:
Originally I thought it would be melancholy, but I guess that is more of like a pensive sadness (like sitting inside watching a rainy day listen to nostalgic music). It's not quite bittersweet because that is more of the feeling when one walks out of a friend's house after a moving away party.

Further, depressed and the like don't fit what I am looking for as depressed is a longer term and more serious thing.

Example:
When I looked out at my family and friends at my birthday from my balcony I knew I should feel elated but I just felt _________ (melancholy mixed with bittersweet; a little numb as well) even as my lips gently curled into the faintest smile.

This would could also be used to describe the feeling of knowing rough times are ahead but still content when a wiser person/character is listening to a young, enthusiastic child who talks positively, excitedly, albeit unrealistically optimistic about the world.


texts: How to say "short, sweet, to the point" in one word?

texts:
Is there a single ᴀᴅᴊᴇᴄᴛɪᴠᴇ to denote short, sweet, to the point?

I am thinking of poignant but I'm not sure that it connotes elegance/brevity, which is an important aspect of the meaning I would like to convey.


texts: Is there a way to tell whether a "long face" is sad or just long?

texts: Obviously, it is impossible to cover all cases, but how do you usually decide whether the "long face" reflects negative emotion or just has the physical property of being long? Answers from gut feelings to linguistic analyses welcome!


texts:
What does "be it" mean in this sentence?

  Be it stated, in course of hearing we have found that a series of interlocutory applications seeking similar reliefs have been filed.


texts: A word to mean escape from a dire situation involving death

texts:
When the Sobibór prisoners escaped they were in a dire situation. They could stay in the camp to face certain execution, or revolt. Risking revolt meant they might die, but there would be a slim chance of survival.

Looking for a word that means, "possibly die if you do, or definitely die if you don't." There are many synonyms for dire (as in a dire escape), but none imply a choice with death as a consequence one way and uncertain death the other.

This situation also comes up a lot in (spoiler alert!) movies (especially man vs. nature): if you don't try, you die.

An example usage:

"The Sobibór prisoners faced a ??? escape."

What word can replace ???, as per the implied outcome of death vs. possible death?

For example, the phrase "dilemma of a hopelessly moribund escape" gets close, but is quite wordy and doesn't capture the die/might die context.


texts: Can someone please explain the need of quotes in the following text?

texts:
I saw this as a slogan in an episode of Drop the Dead Donkey and just wanted to know why were quotes needed on the word synergise:

  Let nowness "synergise" with excellence.

I think it makes sense to take the quote off.


texts: What's the word for ‘the point at which an object loses balance’?

texts:
I'm trying to think of a formal word to describe the "tipping point" of an object.

This would be the same point at which an object would be perfectly balanced.


texts: When asked your legal relation to another What does the  term "Legally Guarded" mean? As opposed to Legal Guardian?


texts: How do you make questions about elements in a subordinate clause?

texts:
I am forming the open interrogative from the following declaratives, replacing the italicized phrases with a corresponding interrogative phrase such as who, what etc.

"He thinks they'll appoint someone."
"You think someone has the most influence with their people."

Does it follow the same way for a normal main clause?
like "They'll appoint someone" -> "Who will they appoint?"
So the first example sentence will be changed to "Who does he thinks they'll appoint?" Is it right?


texts: They were given either x and y OR They were given either x and y

texts:
Example: The state examinations to judge the teacher required showing the kids colored cards in either the blue or red condition.

[or]

The state examinations to judge the teacher required showing the kids colored cards in either the blue and red condition.


texts: I want to inquire about fee for Tai Chi course. But, the word "Fee" would not be polite for such martial art. Would there be any alternate word I could use, which is more polite and kind to ask about this.


texts: On the principle governing pronoun forms with verbs and after prepositions

texts:
As I understand it, the following is a principle (or "rule" if you wish) of English grammar:

Finite verbs take subject pronouns: I sing.

Non-finite verbs take object/possessive pronouns: That's me singing; She doesn't mind my singing.

Question 1. How do linguists account for the presence of a subject pronoun with a non-finite verb (i.e. That's how they found us; I staring out the window, Anne sitting by the computer)? Is "I" considered "non-standard" usage? Is it an "exception" to the rule described above? Or is the principle I mentioned inaccurate and therefore needs to be revised or discarded in favor of a more rigorous principle?

The principle above seems to work on contrast; that is, the form of the pronoun depends on the type of verb involved (finite or non-finite). That contrast doesn't apply to prepositions (as far as I can tell). In other words, it's not that some prepositions take subject pronoun, while others take object pronouns.

Question 2. what's the governing principle for the use of object pronouns in That's ok by me; Give it to him; It's up to her; etc.?  I've seen some people talk about "Case" (i.e. prepositions assign object/accusative case), but doesn't "Case" imply/require inflection, and that doesn't really apply to English?

I suppose all of these can be explained by simply saying "that's how it is in English." I just wonder if linguists see an underlying principle at work for the above questions.

Thanks in advance


texts: Pronouns and declension for merged/hermaphroditic entities

texts:
I have a pair of friends who since entering into a relationship have become rather disgustingly effusive and clingy, to the point where people around them have begun referring them an 'it' [singular], or as a (hermaphroditic) single organism. Equivalently, imagine attempting to speak to a sentient coral, or a Portuguese Man o' War, or a mated anglerfish pair, wherein

  When [the male] finds a female, he bites into her skin, and releases an enzyme that digests the skin of his mouth and her body, fusing the pair down to the blood-vessel level. The male becomes dependent on the female host for survival, receiving nutrients via their shared circulatory system, and provides sperm to the female in return. (Wikipedia)

My question is, is there an accepted or even simply precedented way to correctly refer to an entity of this nature? 'It,' for example, is passible, but it's really a neuter pronoun, rather than bigendered. Similarly, trying to convey the two-in-one-ness is difficult, especially when attempting to decline it in a sentence:

Which of it was here yesterday?

('Which part' is again, passable, but to me seems to imply inanimate parts of a single organism, not sentient parts of a merged one)

It fucked itself.

I feel that the singular, genderless 'they' might be useful, but apart from being questionably grammatical, definitely implies a separation.

Perhaps useful; how is the Holy Trinity referred to in scholarly texts?

Edit: To my dismay, a number of people seem to have taken this question as insulting, or 'ask[ing] how to insult people whose behavior you cannot tolerate,' or 'look[ing] at the phenomenon in a perverted way.' None of these interpretations are accurate. Rather, I was amused by the concept, which was not coined by me, and wondered upon the possible grammatical constructs. Believe me, I can insult people quite well unassisted.


texts: Pronunciation of ⟨du⟩ in ⟨due⟩, ⟨reduce⟩, etc.?

texts:
For some du words, the Oxford Dictionary of English lists multiple British English pronunciations, i.e.:

reduce: [rɪˈdjuːs], [rɪˈdʒuːs]
arduous: [ˈɑːdjʊəs], [ˈɑːdʒʊəs]
endure: [ɪnˈdjʊə], [ɛnˈdjʊə], [ɪnˈdʒɔː], [ɛnˈdʒɔː]

However, for other, similar words, the [dʒ] variant(s) is/are not listed:

due: [djuː]
produce: [prəˈdjuːs]

I have had a blanket pronunciation for most, if not all of these kind of words, off the cuff: the [dʒ] variant. Is [dʒ] an acceptable alternative to [dj] for those words where only [dj] is listed?


texts:
The app obtains a list of devices "on the network" or "in the network".

I imagine a network as a 3D structure, so it seems that "in the network" might be more appropriate here. However, I cannot be sure as I am not a native English speaker.

Please help me.


texts: What's the correct verb to say that someone oversees a graduation ceremony?

texts:
What's the correct verb used by universities to say that someone oversees a graduation ceremony?

For example: An important person comes to the ceremony and gives a speech and presents the awards - someone like a prince or president.

Do we say: The Prince will oversee the graduation ceremony.?

Oversee gives too much of an impression of organizing it - which is not the meaning I'm looking for.


texts: Any meaning differences if grammatical structure of these two phrases were changed?

texts:
A: Don’t leave your belongings unattended
B: Don’t take it personally

I’m really getting confused of a grammatical structure of these two phases. Their whole structures seem alike, but the part of speech of the ending word in each phrase are different. The first one (A) works as an ADJ. word and the other one (B) works as an ADV. word.
So if I rewrite both of them the other way round as follows:

A: Don’t leave your belongings unintentionally
B: Don’t take it personal

They’ll still have the same meaning as the former ones and be grammatically correct? Plz help me by explaining them in grammatical terms, many thanks!


texts: If A is a component of B, then what is B in relation to A?

texts: For example, we have the concepts of mentor and mentee, or trainer and trainee: If person A is a trainer of person B than person B is a trainee of person A. How can I apply a similar concept for component type of relations? If item A is component of item B than item B is componentee? of item A? Is there even a word to explain this kind of relation?


texts: Is there a difference between a "way" and a "means"?

texts:
From my workbook:

  If you think that this is the most effective means of conveying our brand name ...

Does using way instead of means make sense? Also what is the difference between those two words and why means is preferred in that sentence?


texts:
I argue that the "United States of America" is different than the "Kingdom of Cambodia", for instance, because one uses "of" to describe a relationship with something larger (ie: the continents of America) while the other is describing an object that is one in the same (ie: the Kingdom IS Cambodia).

What kind of terminology would apply to these differences?


texts: Somebody used fasciae in a game I was playing (it was the bundle of sticks or twigs carried by Roman consuls as symbols of their authority).  Can anyone tell me if it is related to fascism as a word?


texts:
Is there any difference between these sentences:

  He got older.
   He grew older.

And in general, what is the difference between get, grow and become in this context?


texts: Is there a word for when you want something bad to happen and then it happens?

texts:
Is there a word for when you want something bad to happen (usually to someone you dislike) and when it happens you get this feeling?  It's like fulfilment but specifically for a bad thing.

Thank you Old Brixtonian!! That is an awesome word, and it fits perfectly.


texts: Are curly braces ever used in normal text? If not, why were they created?

texts:
Are they actually used in normal text? I mean something like a 'normal' book (not a manual, or a technical document). I don't think I've ever seen them yet they clearly predate programming which is the context in which I tend to use them.

Wikipedia only mentions technical uses (such as music and mathematics) or

  In mathematics they delimit sets, and in writing, they may be used similarly, "Select your animal {goat, sheep, cow, horse} and follow me".

However, that example is not something I would expect to find in a novel for instance.

So, are curly braces {} ever used in normal text and, if so, when and how? If not, why are they standard? Did they become so only with the advent of computers and programming? A brief history would also be appreciated (when were they introduced to the language for instance).


texts: Difference between "public figure" and "celebrity?"

texts:
I find this to be a tough one, as celebrities are often public figures, but public figures don't need to be celebrities. Anyone who works in a "public" kind of job, or has some name in public interest beyond the norm, could, I suppose, be a "public figure." I want to know if there's any clear, canonical, distinct meaning that can draw the line between a celebrity and a public figure. I ask because there are quite a few problems here that could be addressed between the two:

1."Celebrity" doesn't always mean super-famous. A handful of people in the entertainment industry may be considered "big stars" or synonymous with "celebrity," but the reality is that being a "celebrity" could be a far-reach from just being a small public figure, in which case most actors are. Unfortunately, almost all actors are "public figures" at best -- very, very few are "big stars" or household names to most; therefore, "celebrity" could be used in place of just "public figure."

2.In politics and sports, only the absolute best on the biggest leagues are considered quote-on-quote "celebrities." Most pro athletes without outstanding careers in big leagues are rarely called "celebrities" -- more so, they might just be "public figures" because they work in a public job that involves media, spectators, etc. Working in a public job, however, doesn't guarantee "celebrity."

3.There is also the subjective nature of "notoriety." According to Wikipedia, "notoriety" can be very easy to get -- however, there's a difference between being "Wiki notable" and actually being popular. I'd imagine that very few Wikipedia articles on living people are household names.

In short, being on Wikipedia doesn't mean being famous -- just being "somewhat notable."

Ultimately, what makes a clearer distinction between the words "public figure" and "celebrity" or "famous?" Many people use them all synonymously, but the reality is that they aren't all equal.

For example, I know a guy who states that he is a public figure because he "has a name" (he's an entrepreneur and inventor) -- however, he doesn't consider himself a "real celebrity" because he is rarely a household name and the massively majority of people would not know who he is -- but his presence in social media and work, website, and businesses all mean he has a public presence and job beyond the norm of publicity; this is what he considers "public figure" to mean.


texts: Correct position of adverb "persistently" in verb phrase "act on it"?

texts:
What's the correct position of the adverb "persistently" in the verb phrase "act on it"?

Should it be persistently act on it or act on it persistently?

Thanks


texts:
What is the meaning of this “forty ways”: (from Carl Sandburg’s Rootabaga Stories)

"We wish a ticket to ride where the railroad tracks run off into the sky and never come back—send us far as the railroad rails go and then forty ways farther yet,"


texts: 'If he did respect' is possible in the second conditional

texts:
He is not a popular teacher. He does not respect students. He  would be
  a popular teacher if he respected students.

One of my students wrote:

  If he did respect students he would be~.

Have you seen this? I haven't. What do you think?


texts: "need to get something verbed by somebody" Is this usage correct?

texts:
Is this usage correct according to these examples?

  I need to get this room left by students.

Is the above correct, and if so, does it mean the same as "I need to cause this room to be left by students" or "I need to get the students to leave this room"?

and the same for the rest of the causative verbs such as:

  I need to make the question understood by people She wants to have
  her talent acknowledged by her teacher.


texts:
If you have seen any ad of fairness related products, most of them show women who are disadvantaged by their complexion. Say, they show she isn't selected for a job interview because she isn't "fair" and confident. Then towards the end the ad shows that she is trying for the same job opportunity (looking fair this time), and she nails the interview - all is happy this time.

What kind of marketing is this?


texts:
How to pronounce "IFRS," International Financial Reporting Standards?
Anybody knows its phonetic symbols with IPA symbols?


texts: What is more common to say: The ship arrives in the harbour or port of Lisbon?


texts: What is the definition of dig? If someone begins to cut into a surface is it considered that they have dug something? if not, why not?

texts:
According  to the following extract:

  Mrs. Baker wanted to go ice fishing. She read several books on the subject, and finally, after purchasing all the necessary equipment, she went onto the ice. After positioning her comfortable stool, she started to make a circular cut in the ice. Frighteningly, from up above, a voice boomed: 'There are no fish under the ice.' Startled, Mrs. Baker moved farther down the ice, poured herself a large coffee, and began to cut yet another hole. Again, from the heavens, the voice boomed: 'There are no fish under the ice.'  Mrs. Baker was now very concerned, so she moved way down to the opposite end of the ice, set up her stool, and began again to cut her ice-hole. The voice rang out once more: 'There are no fish under the ice.' Mrs. Baker stopped, looked upwards and said, 'Is that you Lord?' The voice replied, 'No, this is the ice-rink manager.'

I found the above text in one of the past papers of the Kangaroo English competition. However, one of the questions baffled me. It asked how many holes Mrs. Baker had dug.

According to my knowledge of the English language,  I put down that she had not dug any holes, as she had never completed the act of making the circular cut in the ice. However, they have put down that the correct answer is three. I assume that they counted every time Mrs. Baker started cutting a hole as her actually having dug it. However, I personally disagree with this, and my reasoning is stated above.

Can you please tell me whether my reasoning is correct?

And if it isn't, can you please explain to me why it isn't?

I also believe that the correct answer will also heavily depend upon the precise definition of the word dig. So can you also please inform me of the precise meaning of the word dig in the above context?


texts: Eleusian vs. Eleusinian (and, to a lesser extent, Elysian)

texts:
Both Eleusian and Eleusinian are used in relation to mysteries. I've only seen Elysian used in relation to Elysian Fields.

Given that the suffix -ian denotes "of or belonging to," I'm wondering if there is a rationale behind the use of Eleusinian. If I wanted to describe something 'of or belonging to' Eleusis, it would seem that Eleusian would be the most obvious choice.

Is Eleusinian used specifically to denote a meaning broader than originating from Eleusis? I'm wondering what (if any) the linguistic basis is for this.


texts:
I was editing a piece recently and saw this structure

"Once you have ran the process, you ..."

I have always used "have run", but wasn't sure if "have ran" is acceptable in modern English.

If it helps, the writer is British (I am American), so not sure if this is a place where cultural differences come into play.


texts: What is the meaning or nuance of "thank you for nothing" as a reply to another's choice?


texts:
"What does the fox say?" Onomatopoeia, and Alien Languages claims there's no onomatopoeia for foxes:

  But you don't find fox onomatopoeia in this context. Foxes tend to do
  one of two things: either they are silent, or they speak like humans
  do. It's certainly a testament to the fox's slyness that it's
  attributed with human speech, which fits quite well with its trickster
  qualities (and of course there are many myths that have the fox
  transforming itself into human shape, too).

The article goes on to cite a Wired article claiming that some of the sounds made in the Ylvis song The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?), such as "Chacha-chacha-chacha-chow", are accurate, but it doesn't indicate that they are commonly used onomatopoeia.

Are there any commonly used onomatopoeia for foxes in English?


texts: What is the difference between revise and reformulate?

texts:
What is the difference in meaning between revise and reformulate? For example in the sentence, "the scientist revised/reformulated his hypothesis"?

Revise: reconsider and alter (something) in the light of further evidence

Reformulate: formulate again or differently

Formulate: create or prepare methodically:

Does revise have more of a suggestion of improvement?


texts: Why are "fun" and "hulk" phonetically transcribed with the same vowel but pronounced differently?

texts:
I see many words in English have the same phonetics but I don't know why they sound different.

It means if we read the phonetics and pronounce, it will be wrong.
Here are the examples.

fun : /fʌn/
hunt : /hʌnt/
luck : /lʌk/
hulk : /hʌlk/
bulk : /bʌlk/

As you can see, the vowels in the words above are spelled with the same letter ("u") and transcribed with the same phonetic symbol ("ʌ"), but all of them sound different.
Fun and hunt sound similar, but they sound quite different from hulk or bulk.

If I pronounce the u vowel on hulk ~ luck or fun, it might be wrong

Fun
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNSg5peDnGk
Hulk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Egmj936pdG8 Or listening to Robert Downey Jr
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMpCCo8Evnc

Why? What's the role of the phonetic symbol "ʌ" and how do I pronounce these words correctly based on reading phonetics?


texts:
I need to know which one is correct:

I did not start working on this Project yet.
I did not Start work on this Project yet.

I am with 1.

Please guide.


texts: Can "... and have been ..." be replaced by "..., having been ..."?

texts:
"I'm an enthusiastic learner and have been partaking in various scientific events."

If I'd like to replace the "and" with a comma, is the following new sentence consider correct?

"I'm an enthusiastic learner, having been partaking in various scientific events."


texts: Does a thesaurus of comparative adverbs or comparative adjectives exist? Needing a replacement for "more successful"

texts:
I want a word but I don't want to have to use "more successful". I don't consider successfuler a suitable attempt in the context I want to use it in either.

I think this is called a comparative adverb, but I don't know of a thesaurus of comparative adverbs. Can anyone point me to that?
Failing that, has anyone got ideas for an aspirational word that could replace "more successful"?


texts: A quote within a quote uses single quotes. What about within that? And deeper?

texts:
Replacing the unknown quote marks with underscores, let’s say we’re trying to write this:

He responds, “Joe said ‘Mark said _I’m not coming._’”

One option is to alternate: He responds, “Joe said ‘Mark said “I’m not coming.”’”

Would it be crazy to use single or double angle quote marks? Like: He responds, “Joe said ‘Mark said ‹I’m not coming.›’”

I’m getting nowhere googling it.

Is there a better option?

I realize that, generally, the text will read better if it’s rephrased to nest less deeply. But I ask not as an author, but somebody formatting others’ work.

Edit: 91727, and the question it’s marked a duplicate of, are not duplicates of this question because they discuss two-deep embedded quotes, whereas this question assumes the solution to two-deep quotes (use single quotes) and asks about quotes three or more levels deep.


texts: Difference between inculcate and indoctrinate?

texts: I was curious about the difference between "to inculcate" and "to indoctrinate." What distinguishes these synonyms?


texts: Difference between "uncompress" and "decompress"

texts:
What is the difference between decompress and uncompress? Is there any?

Context:

  The receiving node has to uncompress/decompress the data.


texts: What is the origin of the phrase "pet name" for a term of endearment?

texts:
I've looked up Wikipedia's article on Hypocorism, which states (emphasis mine):

  Hypocorisms include pet names or calling names, often a diminutive or augmentative form of a word or given name when used as a nickname or term of endearment.

The question Female Pet Names that a Londoner might use? on Writing.StackExchange lists names like "darling" or "sweetie" as examples of so-called pet names. I remember that I have heard the term used similarly before and Wikipedia lists these names in their article about term of endearment.

The article lists an example for French where "my duck" is apparently a pet name and I know that German has some examples that mean animals like "mouse" or "rabbit", but I couldn't find any evidence that this type of "pet names" are used in English, too, (except for the Wikpedia article on terms of endearment that lists "honey bunny" as one example throughout the text) or any indication that terms like these would be the origin of the phrase.

I was wondering what the origin of this phrase are: why are names like "sweetie", "cutie" and "honey" today often referred to as "pet names" in English?


texts: Is there a single word for the ceiling of a cave or cavern?

texts:
As the title says, I can't seem to find a word for the ceiling or the roof of a cave. I have searched and the correct term seems to be ceiling.

I want to know the word out of curiosity mostly, I assumed there might be a scientific term which would be concise. I would probably use it in a story to describe something on the ceiling of a cave, and I think it would be nice and concise to reduce 4 words to a single word.


texts:
The full sentence is this : But most doctors are beaten hands down by countless alternative practitioners who might not know a lymphocyte from a lump of cheese.

Thank you.


texts: What is the origin of the saying 'what a dish'?

texts:
It seems to be used in American conversation. It's used as a compliment to someone's attractiveness.

Dish:

  b : an attractive or sexy person
  "She's a real dish."

(M-W)

Etymonline says it is an expression from the early 20th century but it doesn’t give other details:

  that of "attractive woman" is 1920s


texts: Causative with have/get + object + present participle: when can it be used?

texts:
I would like to know when the causative with have/get + object + present participle can be used and when it can't. In this answer I found this example:

He had us dancing/dance on the table ~ He got us dancing/to dance on the table.
I had him see his advisor about that ~ I got him to see his advisor about that.

In the first sentence it seems that the present participle can be used interchangeably with the bare infinitive in the case of have or with the full infinitive in the case of get. Is it really so? Why wasn't the present participle used in the second sentence? Are there some verbs that can't be used with the past participle in a causative construction?

Also, I would like to know if there are any differences in using the present participle in the causative with have or with get. Thank you for your help!


texts:
Does the construct "Go + to + noun phrase" always express going somewhere, a specific physical location?

For example:

Go to school
Go to the movies
Go to the nearest store
They went to Paris
We will go to my aunt's
G̶o̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶b̶a̶c̶k̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶l̶i̶n̶e̶

Not taking into account expressions like go to hell and noun phrases that can't be looked up in a map.


texts: Is ‘12ers’ well-established alias for 2012 Presidential candidate?

texts:
I puzzled over the first line of the article of December 9’s Time magazine titled "Des Moines Dust-Up", which reads;

  '12ers (minus Huntsman) square-off at Drake University for ABC News/Yahoo! News/WOI-TV/Des Moines Register/Iowa GOP debate from 9 - 11 pm ET.

As it didn’t occur to me that 12ers means 2012 Presidential candidates (until I reasoned it out by the context), I searched for definitions of 12ers on Google, and found that only Wikipedia provides the following definition:

  ‘12"ers’ is a 1987/1988 remix album released by Phil Collins. The album contains six tracks from his 1985 hit album, No Jacket required, remixed.....

Is 12ers widely-accepted as the word representing for 2012 presidential candidates? Do Americans immediately associate 12ers with Presidential candidates, not Phil Collins’ album?

Is this word automatically renewed every 4 years as 04ers, 08ers, 16ers, 20ers, and n＋4ers without public consensus?


texts: Word to describe the tool that doesn't require configuration

texts:
I'm looking for an adjective that will describe a software tool that is ready to be used out of the box without any additional configuration, but it may be configured to fit a specific case.

  [adjective] TLS termination proxy.


texts: Difference between "magnitude" and "multitude"

texts:
What is the difference between magnitude and multitude?

  Quantity is a kind of property which exists as magnitude or multitude.


texts: Is 12.5 percent wrong way of expression?

texts:
From IELTS mock exam. I am not aware of any reason why 12.5 percent is marked wrong. Would someone pelease enlighten me?

Edit: One of the comments said that percent should not be spelled out.  I happened to be reading the 538 blog and it seems the 538 blogger doesn't share this view( although it could be argued that blog is not considered "serious" media.


texts: Why is a bathroom sometimes called a "john"?

texts:
"John" is sometimes used as slang for a bathroom or a toilet.

I'm curious, what is the origin of this usage?


texts: Which preposition do you use: at/in/on + job?

texts:
I wonder what preposition should be used in the following example:

What were you responsible for at/on/in you previous job?

Thank you in advance!


texts: What is the difference between motivation and inspiration?

texts:
How exactly are these words different? Can they be used interchangeably?

I have been thinking about it, and I feel in these 2 sentences the words are used in the correct contexts:

1) Martin Luther King inspires me.

2) Money motivates me to work.

But I am unable to come up with an explanation for their differences. Is it correct to say that "motivation" is used in a more materialistic context and "inspiration" is used in a more spiritual or value-centric context?


texts: Words to describe someone who thinks everyone is supercillious?

texts:
As said above.

What are some words to describe someone who always thinks that everyone else is acting as if they are superior.

An example of the type of person I'm talking about would be Frank Costanza from the TV show Seinfeld.


texts: Student of many disciplines without the negative connotation of "Dilettante"?

texts:
What's a word for a person who studies many subjects? Often, the words we use to describe this type of person implies that he/she knows little about each subject (e.g. jack-of-all-trades, dilettante). I'd like to avoid that negative meaning.

e.g. Steve was a true ________; he was well-versed in everything from theoretical physics to gastronomy.


texts: Can you tell me what tense is: "if + simple past, would + infinitive"?

texts:
She hugs and smiles thinking if Arjun wasn't so greedy he would be alive today.

It is easy to understand , if he had not been greedy he would have been alive today. But, what does the above mean?


texts: Is there a word for a fictional character who's obviously a copyright friendly version of another character?

texts:
Is there a specific word for when somebody creates a fictional character who is very obviously another more famous character with a slightly different name and a few tweaks to avoid breaching copyright laws?

For example, if I wrote a comic book about a character called Ultraman who wore a blue and red suit with a cape and a big U on his chest; and who could fly, was super strong, super tough, had laser vision, etc. Obviously Ultraman is Superman.

Is there a specific word for characters like this? I know that TvTropes called them "Captain Ersatz" but I'm wondering if there's a more formal dictionary approved word.


texts:
Why do people say "out of" in the following example and similar ones? Is it only NAmE?

  I was living out of my car back then.

Some might say that you should say "out of" since you're not always in your car, but a similar case could be made for a house. I'm not always in it, but say I live in a house.

I haven't been able to find anything relevant on the usage or origin.


texts: What is the correct structure to use in this comparison?

texts:
In this sentence:

  … Richard wrote his book very enthusiastically and elaborately, and thus it was more popular.

What should replace the ellipsis?

Unlike those of his colleagues
Unlike books of his colleagues
Not like his colleagues
Comparing his colleagues
Unlike his colleagues

I know option 5 is the correct answer. Why are options 3 and 4 incorrect? What is the correct structure to use for Not like and Comparing?


texts: What makes the two clauses in this sentence independent clauses?

texts:
As I understand it, an independent clause can make sense without depending on another clause or sentence.

However, in the example I'm looking at, they've stated that these are independent clauses, but they do not appear to be:

Mr. Potato Head eats them for breakfast every day, but I don't see the attraction.

It appears to me that the above sentence is not filled with two independent clauses, because:

What Mr. Potato Head eats for breakfast (the direct object of eats) is not stated.
It is not stated who "I" is.

Unless there is another sentence somewhere, before this sentence, these two clauses are not independent ones.

Am I missing something?


texts: A person who thinks artistically and sees the world as a painting

texts: looking for a word that describes a person who is deeply moved by art and sees the world artistically?  a person who is hyper-aware of aesthetic beauty around them.


texts:
I think Webster's decision to redefine the word "literally" is wrong.

The use of 'literally', where 'figuratively' is appropriate, has two potential causes. Either the speaker doesn't know the difference between the terms, or the speaker is deliberately using hyperbole (exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally).  Why is Webster amending the definition of a word over a simple case of exaggeration?


texts: Term for person who puts the good of others before himself to an unhealthy point where he suffers greatly

texts:
"You are not required to set yourself on fire to keep other people warm".

If you wanted refer to the kind of person this quote talks about, what name/term would you use?

I am looking for a single word that would describe this personality, something along the lines of "giving your lunch money for a hungry friend is for the good, but giving your rent money for a hungry neighbor is for the ~word I am looking for~".


texts:
The word is "fool."

The OED has been no help on this, but my copy of Hamlet makes reference to its having the meaning "baby" so when Polonius says "You'll tender me a fool" he is cautioning Ophelia that she might end up getting pregnant. But the book dismisses this reading.

I would think, though, that if the book has an a priori assumption that this reading COULD exist (before it dismisses it) there must be some history of the word's having that meaning.

Does anyone have any scholarly resources which substantiate the presumption that "fool" is used to mean "baby"?


texts: Form of government (-archy/-cracy) where the strongest rules

texts:
I'm doing some research for a story and I'm trying to find the correct word for a form of government where the best fighter or the strongest person leads the rest.

The usual words for forms of government are derived from Greek words suffixed with -archy (ἄρχω, árkhō, "to rule") or -cracy (κρατέω, krateo, "to have power over"), as in:
- Monarchy (rule of one)
- Oligarchy (rule of few)
- Plutocracy (rule by the wealthy)
- Theocracy (rule by God)
- Anarchy (without rule)
- etc.

The only existing word that is close to what I want is 'Stratocracy' (from  στρατός, stratos, 'army'), which is rule by the military, but that seems like a different concept.

The Greek word for power is kratos, but 'Kratocracy' seems like a ludicrous word ("power power"). 'Might' or 'Strength' may be more appropriate, but that would be something like dynamis -> 'Dynamocracy', which also sounds silly.

Is there a proper word for this form of rule? If not, what would be an appropriate word to invent, in line with the current convention?


texts:
This moment will nap, you will have a dream; but this moment study, you will interpret a dream

What does interpret mean?

You study, then later, you will have knowledge to interpret this dream
You will accomplish this dream


texts: What part of speech is ‘mountains’ in the sentence “I like climbing mountains”?

texts:
I'm trying to understand the grammar of this sentence:

  I like climbing mountains.

Here's what I've got so far:

"I" is the subject
"like" is the verb
I believe "climbing" is a participle
Maybe "mountains" is the direct object?

Is that right? And are "climbing" and "mountains" both acting as nouns?  Or is the noun "climbing mountains" and "climbing" is an adjective?  I'm getting lost.  Can anyone clarify this for me?


texts: Is "practitioner" applicable to disciplines other than medical sciences?

texts:
While Cambridge Dictionary defines "a practitioner" as "someone involved in a skilled job or activity", it seems to me it is hardly used outside the context of medical professions. Is that so indeed?
May I refer to a community of, say, experts in data analytics as "data analytics practitioners"?


texts: What is the difference between "park" and "parc"?

texts:
I recently stumbled over this wiktionary page: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/parc#English

  Noun

  parc (plural parcs)

  Alternative form of park (partially enclosed basin in which oysters
  are grown)

I found another source (based on Oxford dictionary) that has this to say:

  noun

  The total number of vehicles considered collectively; the vehicle
  population.

When I search for the word "parc" in Merriam-Webster, I don't find anything. Yet it seems that this term is sometimes used.

For example, Parc Cynog is a wind farm operated by Nuon Renewables in Wales (source)

So now I'm really curious what the difference is between those two spellings.


texts: What is the difference between 'so that' and 'as'?

texts:
Which statement is grammatically wrong and why?

She read the agreement as she would make sure there was nothing wrong in it.
She read the agreement so that she would make sure there was nothing wrong in it.


texts:
I have come across this sentence:

  Kashmir is regarded to be the heaven on earth.

Is there a difference between that and

  Kashmir is regarded as the heaven on earth.


texts: What is the relationship between two meanings of the word "astringent"?

texts:
The adjective astringent has two meanings (Merriam - Webster):

Causing contraction of soft organic tissues: styptic, puckery
Suggestive of an astringent effect upon tissue: rigidly severe: austere; also : pungent, caustic

To illustrate, the image corresponds to the first meaning is this:

And the one for the second meaning is this:

Is there a relationship between them?


texts: What are you guys having today? vs What are you having guys today?

texts:
What are you guys having today?
  or
  What are you having guys today?

Can anyone tell me which of the above statements are correct and why?


texts: "I so much as look" doesn't make any sense to me

texts:
There is a conversation in Californication season 5, ep. 9 where Tyler talks to Charlie and Charlie says:

- I'd love to Tyler, but they watch me like a hawk here
- I so much as look at a naked picture on the Internet, and H.R. swoops in, and alarm goes off.

and I don't understant the second Charlies line. Could you explain it please?
Californication series are full of intricated conversations for non-english-speakers, a great part of them I can figure out on my own digging on the Internet, google translate, Collins and urban dictionaries, but sometimes I just can't get over something like this.


texts: What is the opposite of the word prediction? I thought of retrospect but that refers to events that already  happened.


texts:
Can we directly use a "that-clause" after i.e?

For example:

  The curve follows the same trend, i.e. that the volume increases with increased temperature.


texts: What's it called when you're forced to purchase a whole item when you only need a part of it?

texts:
Is there a word to describe the situation of being forced into paying for something sophisticated and often expensive when you only need a part of it? An example that comes to mind is that of one of the subscription-based online services that offer dozens of benefits but you only purchase it for one or two of them.

Edit: To give an example of how I want this word to be used in a sentence, suppose that a company sells two models of a widget - let's call them A and B. A customer might need more features than what widget A has, but not nearly as many features as model B has. But because there are no models in between widgets A and B, the customer will be forced to purchase widget B and most of its features will go unused. Ideally, this situation could be described with the word I'm looking for in a sentence like

  a customer {maybe word} a more expensive model because {maybe word}.

One of the words that was suggested is "upselling", which is very close to what I'm looking for, but it implies that the seller intentionally withholds a cheaper, simpler item in order to make more profit. I'm looking for a word that doesn't imply any intentions, only states the fact that the purchase was an overkill for the task in a situation where there were no other options.


texts: How can I rephrase "enough rope to shoot yourself in the foot"?

texts:
Some time ago I have a read a very famous book of Allen I. Holub "Enough rope to shoot yourself in the foot" (this book on openlibrary.org). I have read it in Russian and the book was titled with exact, i.e. word-by-word translation of the original English title. And, as you can imagine, it was totally nonsensical. Then I became interested in the meaning of the original title.

I found out that this is a nice play of two idioms:

give somebody enough rope (to hang themselves) meaning to allow someone to do what they want to, knowing that they will probably fail or get into trouble

to shoot yourself in the foot meaning you do something that damages your ambition, career, etc.

I started to think about better translation, but the question is: can you think of a short phrase in English without idioms to keep the same meaning? It would be also interesting if there are proverbs or set expressions with the same idea.


texts:
Is there an idiom available, that is exactly opposite to "Cake walk" or "Child's play"?
I am looking for something exactly synonymous with "Very difficult" or "strenuous".

Example Sentence:

  This task is really _______(difficult).


texts: Usage of commas before names of people/titles

texts:
I am wondering whether it's necessary to use commas in the sentences below when addressing or introducing someone:

“You look after each other, okay children?"

“You look after each other, okay, children?

Which version would be better or are both fine depending on whether there is a pause in speech?

"I'll have a sparkling water, please, sir."

Should there be a comma before sir (or does it make the sentence stilted?) or should it be:

"I'll have a sparkling water, please sir."

"I turn to see my friend James Grand walking towards me."

Or should it be:

"I turn to see my friend, James Grand, walking towards me."

In the same vein:

"He and his elder sister Evie once looked after us..."

Or should it be:

"He and his elder sister, Evie, once looked after us..."

A similar question is regarding commas and the introduction of a name with the possessive:

"We are attending our friends', John and Crystal's, engagement party."

Or should it be:

"We are attending our friends John and Crystal's engagement party."

Any advice on these points would be greatly appreciated!


texts: The you, not you the person, but the _____ you?

texts:
I've heard this line before in movies and conversations, but I'm experiencing lethologica with this word. And I can't seem to google search it anywhere.

It's supposed to mean like the <general masses> or a much wider audience than the current context.

I am not too sure how the question format at English SE is supposed to be, so I'm all ears if the question needs/can be formatted!


texts:
In the following two sentences “Your will have heard the news, so I need not repeat it.” “They will have received our letter now. ” , how to understand the "will have + past participle"? Is it future perfect tense or some kind of guess?

Thank you so much!


texts: Saying "favorite dish(es) to cook" in another way

texts:
I'm having trouble saying "favorite dish(es) to cook" in a more concise manner. One or two words would be preferred!
Ex:
I hope to hope to try my friend's ______ at the potluck tomorrow!


texts: Can I make any simile a metaphor by replacing "like" with a colon?

texts:
I'm struggling to fully conceptualise "metaphor". I think I understand "simile", it is an explicit analogue. But how can one turn any analogue into a metaphor?

So:

Is there anything to bear in mind about turning an analogy into a metaphor, bar grammatical code like making sure it's a complete sentence?
Is there any surefire way to turn an analogy into a metaphor proper? E.g.: a colon, to signal that I am explaining the tenor; or simply writing a simile then omitting the explicit comparison.

In my example for 2

I stay quiet like a broken fire alarm.
I stay quiet: a broken fire alarm.
I stay quiet, a broken fire alarm.


texts: What kind of sentence is this and why would a writer use this?

texts:
Look at this sentence "Is there any doubt, demand the naysayers, about the terminus of this continuing process?". What kind of sentence is this called when the subject (naysayers) is put in between the commas? Another example
"In contrast, philosophical arguments, lacking that important pushback from the world, don’t have a comparable track record in establishing what Hume called matters of fact and existence."


texts:
I am currently completing my final piece of A Level coursework for English Literature.

I have cited a quote, and then the second quote is from a different place. Wrote out all the relevant details for the two sources. Simple.

BUT THEN, my following (third) quote is from the same place as the first, so do I have to write the book title out all over again because its not following straight after, or can I use 'Ibid'? If so, how?


texts: Is there another adjective for the mind other than mental which does not have negative connotations?

texts:
If I want to describe someone who has a great mind, or great mentality, describing him as a mental giant doesn't just seem right. Even though there isn't a comma between mental & giant, it may be misunderstood as calling someone mental & a giant.

Is there a better adjective which can be used here?