texts:
Today I heard somebody say:

  This (technology) can be the difference between life or death.

And I winced.  While “life or death” can be used as an adjective (e.g., modifying “situation” or “decision”), I believe that “between X or Y” is wrong, because “between” should always be used with “and”. (Or an implied “and” , as in “between jobs”.)

Is “between X or Y” ever acceptable?


texts: What's the correct pronunciation of "epitome": "Epi-tome" or "Epi-tuh-mi"?

texts:
A friend said that epitome is pronounced as epi-tuh-mi and not epi-tome (with the tome like home).
Who is right? Also, is the pronunciation purely dependent on the region where you learnt English?


texts: I notice great variability in how this concept is expressed.  Does the term vary depending on the context?  Should one use one variation when discussing biology, for example, and another when talking about product phases?  Wikipedia uses different forms in way that seems random.  So, too, does the New York Times, based on basic search.  An earlier discussion of the variations in connection with technology notes that "A compound generally starts open (life cycle), migrates to hyphenated (life-cycle), and ends up closed (lifecycle)."  Are we at the closed stage for the term in a general sense?


texts:
I always mixed them up, and use the wrong one on other sites on StackExchange. And the questions is edited by another person.

When should I use "is" and when should I use "are"?

Sometimes I write "Is there any ..." and sometimes I write "Are there any", and I guess that one of them is wrong. Is there any good rule of thumb for this?


texts: Term for a payment paid by an insurance firm to an insured party

texts:
Insurance terminology: what do we call the payment that an insurance firm pays a beneficiary if the terms of an insurance policy are met?

For example - in life insurance, in case an insured party dies, the beneficiaries receive a one-time payment. Or in case a claim is made by someone with homeowner's insurance on hurricane damage.

Yes, "payment" could work here- but I use this throughout to refer to the actual payments made by the insurance companies customers (the premiums). Is there a term for payments made by the company?

Thanks!


texts:
From the poem "The Free-Selector's Daughter" (emphasis mine)

  I broke my pipe and burnt my twist,
  And washed my mouth with water;
  I had a shave before I kissed
  The free-selector's daughter.

In this context, what would twist mean?


texts:
A: where were you yesterday?
B: I was (in - at - both ) the concert.


texts:
I have a nagging feeling "to be all about" is vastly different than its "all"-less counterpart.

This game is all about teamwork.

To me this means the very basis, the fundamental element of this game is working together. It's basically impossible for me to say here This game is about teamwork.

This book is about biology.
This book is all about biology.

Here is where I start losing touch with grammatical reality. In theory, if my hypothesis is correct, the latter means the book discusses to a profound extent what biology is, its different fields, etc.
However, the former phrase doesn't truly lend itself to much meaning at all, in my opinion. I almost want to ask "Biology of what, exactly?"
So is there a big difference? Or am I making much ado about nothing?


texts: What word is the positive equivalent of flattery?

texts:
The word flattery depicts much heavier compliments and praise than either "compliment" or "praise".

Is there a word with similar (or close) intensity as flattery without the insincerity component?

The intended usage is in an informal setting such as "She warmed up to him as a result of all his unabashed compliments to her". "Compliment" here feels too dilute. "Praise" on the other hand feels somewhat detached.


texts: Difference between "underneath" and "under" when we describe an action

texts:
I ask for the difference in a sense of active quality rather than a stative quality of the verbs. E.g. in "the toy is sitting underneath/under table", the verb is stative.  So we are dealing with adverbs.

For example, is it correct if I say :

  I will slip the envelope underneath the door.

or should I say

  I will slip the envelope under the door.


texts: Why do people use the term "six figure sum" to mean "at least one million dollars"?

texts:
In Australia at least, a "six figure sum" is synonymous with an amount over $1,000,000.

The last time I checked, 1000000 had seven digits in it.

To quote a recent article in Melbourne's highest circulating newspaper:

  Has Channel 9, a publicly listed company, paid at least a six-figure sum, or several million dollars to get is (sic) employees out of Lebanon?


texts: meaning of "riding out on sorties in quest of adventure"

texts:
I read in a (originally) German novel that:
"They are continually riding out on sorties in quest of adventure"
What are they exactly doing?! Living on booty? If so then how could it be in quest of adventure?
It follows: "Whether they reap trouble or renown, they bear it for their sins" I can understand that one reap trouble for his sin but how is it to reap renown for your sin? I'm probably getting it wrong.
This is the paragraph:

‘It is well known to me,’ said his host, ‘that many formidable
fighting-men dwell at Munsalvaesche with the Gral. They are
continually riding out on sorties in quest of adventure.
Whether these same Templars reap trouble or renown, they
bear it for their sins. A warlike company lives there.
Parzifal. Penguin. 1980


texts:
As determiner, I can't figure out 'all' well.

all five men, all the students, all of the food, all wood etc.

all + noun, all + the noun, all of the + noun, all of + noun, which one is right?


texts:
I noticed this somewhere and I have no clue what it means, as I'm not a native speaker. Google hasn't helped out. Does anyone know what this means? (If you need additional context, let me know).

  I command you for that.


texts: What is a word I can use instead of "the other" when referring to an unknown person?

texts:
I am writing a scene where a character interacts with someone he cannot see and does not know - in essence anonymous stranger, with no visual aids. Are there any other words or phrases I can use to refer to the second party instead of "the other"? Because of the lack of visuals, I cannot say "the man with the hat" or something similar, and since positions relative to each other are important, I cannot accurately depict their motions/actions relative to each other in detail without using "the other." A lot of motions are going on and I'm sick of using the same repetitive phrase.

For example, "The other flipped him over their shoulder."

Either a phrase or a single word replacement works fine, I just want to have something that conveys the meaning without giving away detail that the character doesn't have that isn't "the other."


texts: Tenses - Differences in meaning of two sentences

texts:
I would like to understand the difference between two sentences and ask if they are gramatically correct.

1.) Sam gained weight because he had been overeating.

So, he ate much in the past and gained weight also in the past. It does not have nothing common with his present state. Maybe he lost his weight. Is it correct iterpretation?

2.) Sam has gained weight because he had been overeating.

He gained weight in the past, because he ate much also in the past. But he is obese now. The state of "being obese" continues from the past until now (we see an effect). Is it correct?

Thank you in advance.


texts:
I wonder if it is possible to say "musical school" instead of "music school" (with the same meaning 'a school of music'). Recently I have come across several sentences like that:

*The obvious genius of the child had been noticed by the family, and his mother took him to a musical school.

In general, I am a classical  Muscovite, who went to musical school in my childhood,  therefore I dream of buying a piano...*

Thanks.


texts:
I'm trying to find an alternative to "walled garden" to help people to visualise the long-term storage of data in a software system I'm building. Although this is in a software/IT environment, I'm specifically looking for a non-technical, visual description.

"Walled garden" is very nearly the best description, but looking at wikipedia's definition (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Closed_platform), the software does not restrict access to data inside our "walled garden", rather, it encourages access.

The concept I'm attempting to describe is more about loss of control over the data: the software receives new information, processes it in various ways, then "releases" it into a "space" where the data is readily accessible to anyone. However, once the data is in that "space", we are unable (more precisely, un-willing) to make any kind of change to that data; it "roams free". Yes, it is tracked and visualised, but is NEVER changed. Nor can it ever be removed from that "space" (except in unusual circumstances).

Would much appreciate any thoughts to help me get this right! Thank you.

EDIT:

In response to comments and answers so far, the idea of an ecosystem is a useful starting point.


texts: Is "SSA triangle problems may have zero or two solutions." an ambiguous statement?

texts:
A test I took included the question

  True or false:  SSA triangle problems may have zero or two solutions.

SSA triangles, as was taught in the lesson, can have zero solutions, one solution, or two solutions.

I was unsure if the question asked if zero and two solutions were possibilities with SSA triangles, or if SSA triangles were limited to zero or two solutions. I went with the former (that is, answered True) and got it wrong.

Is it just me, or is the test-question ambiguous?


texts: Who is trying to improve their future or who are trying to improve their future?

texts: 'Is' and 'their' don't mix well... But I have heard people saying 'Don't bring up the past of a person who is trying to improve their future.' Is it correct? Or should it be 'Who are trying to' instead?


texts: English can be a right dastard sometimes. Why not?

texts:
Bastard, meaning one begotten and born out of wedlock, is a very old word from Old French (earliest OED citation 1297).

Dastard, meaning one who meanly or basely shrinks from danger; a mean, base, or despicable coward; one who does malicious acts in a cowardly, skulking way, so as not to expose himself to risk, appears to be of English formation and dates from the 15th century onwards (OED).

In the course of the 19th century a useful and idiomatic word, dastard, stopped being used at all (even though its adjectival form, dastardly,  lives on (e.g.
 Whacky Races).  During the 1800s all the sense of dastard, including especially it's use as a term of abuse, was subsumed under a similar-sounding word (bastard), whose abusive power until that point had been limited to implying a person was a mongrel, and an (animal of) inferior breed (OED).

This Ngram suggests that the decisive rise of bastard and decline of dastard occurred in the years following the First World War... Is there any specific reason why bastard became so popular and why dastard fell so completely out of use?


texts: what's the difference between "correctly-sized packet" vs. "correct-size packet."

texts:
The sentence is the following:

[...] It allows you to request transfers of any size. Internally, the
request will be divided up into correctly-sized packets. [...]

Sometimes I read adjectives written like this, but I don't really understand why shouldn't I use the simpler version 'correct-size' packets? Is this simpler version valid? Has the same meaning?
I don't know how to search for such questions on the internet. Any material regarding those compound adjects would be very helpful.
Thank you!


texts: Word for the satisfaction of hearing a concept named for the first time?

texts:
The last few years I've noticed a trend of people posting articles or news stories on facebook that had offended them, and commenting with a sense of outrage they seemed also to relish on some level.

Today I heard the term outrage porn for the first time, and felt delight in hearing this phenomenon succinctly and accurately named.

I got to wondering if there was a word that described the surprise and satisfaction of hearing a concept captured by name for the first time...

I'm not looking for general words describing the satisfaction of insight or clarity -- but a word or phrase that applies specifically to hearing a concept named for the first time.


texts:
I often see questions started with "what is meant by...". What is "meant by"?

Any trying to Google it returns nothing helpful.

Thanks in advance.


texts: Should "it/this" always refer to a specific noun?

texts:
I have a paragraph starting with the below sentence. "it" is not referring to any specific noun. Is there any problem with that?

It  has been estimated that health care costs accounted for 11.6% of Canada’s GDP in 2019, the majority of which were spent in hospitals.

Best, Amir


texts: a single vocabulary item as synonym for hidden fees

texts:
There is a word I remember seeing some time ago, but unfortunately I have now forgotten.

The definition was like this:
to pay an amount which is more than expected, similar to hidden fees.

I think it was a verb or noun. For example, you buy something but there are hidden fees and you have to pay extra.

Please help me out.


texts: What's the difference between "come down" and "get down" in the same context

texts: “Come down!” means the same thing as “get down!”, if both are used in the sense of yelling at a child who has climbed on top of something he shouldn’t. But what's the difference?


texts: "Tug at your heart" or "tug at your heart strings"?

texts: Are they the same, meaning to make people feel emotional?


texts: Which preposition colocates with "homework"; "in" or "on"? Did you make many mistakes (in) or (on) your homework? I am upset because I made quite a few mistakes (in) or (on) my English homework.


texts: The right understanding of the term "filter bubble"?

texts:
I know the meaning of the term "filter bubble" but I want to translate it and so I need to understand how the two words (filter and bubble) are connected to each other. Does the term mean "a bubble that act as a filter" or "a filter that act like a bubble". I need to know what the term is grammatically. More generally, how to understand it when two noun are coming in a row making a single term.

  Sentence Example: Sites like Facebook are accused of creating "filter bubbles", the phenomenon of showing people things that they
  like or tend to agree with, and hiding those that they don't. (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/0/fake-news-exactly-has-really-had-influence/)


texts:
I studied the sentence 'He has red eyes'. I know the meaning of the expression "red eyes" here.

But I wonder: if the man is an albino or vampire, his eye color is also red. I want to know an expression for describing this eye color, the way we say "Brad Pitt has beautiful blue eyes!' What can I say?


texts: Why does the adjective "few" change the plurality of the noun it modifies?

texts:
"If you can spare me a few minutes" is, to the best of my knowledge, proper English. Yet the article "a" does not match the noun "minutes". Unless few here is a noun. Then it's fine. Except then it raises a questions regarding both the dictionary definition of "a few" as an adjective meaning some, and the rules for how you string together a set of nouns, like "computer program".
If "few" is a noun, then it has changed the plurality of "minutes". If that's the rule, then why isn't it "a computer programs", instead of "the computer programs"?
Even though I'm a native English speaker, (my grandfather was British and I learned from his old texts to before I started elementary school in America), so if there are differences here, I'd love to know both perspectives.
I've become quite an advocate for "going to hospital" instead of "the hospital", because when I was a school child I never dreamed of going "to the school". I assume this is because a school teacher would have boxed the ears of any child that got that one wrong, but that hospitals were less common and countable nouns is a difficult concept to teach. (I still struggle with that.)


texts: One word to describe an approach that eliminate/prune invalid options

texts:
I'm looking for one adjective to describe an approach, whose distinct characteristic is to enumerate all options and then eliminate the invalid ones. I want to emphasize on the elimination/pruning. I'm thinking of

An eliminative approach (from the verb eliminate)
A pruning approach

The options here are the next paths to continue the search procedure.


texts: What is it called when in a two-phrase sentence the second is unrelated to the first?

texts:
When we talk, each sentence that follows is related logically to the previous sentence, for example, we say:

"I get up in the morning (sentence 1) and brush my teeth (sentence 2)"

Sentence 2 makes sense to follow after sentence 1.
What if we say something like this:

"I get up in the morning (sentence 1) and dogs can't fly (sentence 2)"

Here sentence 2 makes no sense and is unrelated to sentence 1.
Another example:

"It's cold today but my house is clean".

Is there a name for such phrases?


texts: So the general rule for garments worn over the lower half body, which you put your legs through separate routes, is that they are plural. We have plural-only nouns such as trousers, pants, panties, etc. But the word for the thong which appears to be a much skimpier version of the panties is singular. Why is that?


texts: What does "MV" mean in soccer transfer context?

texts:
Please take a look at this screenshot:

As I've highlighted, there are two column named "MV" and "Free" in the table. What are those two refer to?

According to Wikipedia, MV stands for "Market Value". Ok, but what does it mean? It means the average amount for a transfer in the session? Also, what's the concept of "Free" in that screenshot?


texts: What is the correct punctuation usage for 'thus' in this sentence?

texts: "They believe technology serves humankind by empowering us with access to information and the ability to spread that useful information; thus, enriching our lives."


texts:
Somewhere in my essay it goes as follows:

  There is a shared assumption that English is estranging people from
  their own language, inclining them to subordinate it to English. Even
  so commonly held, it seems a flawed assumption in view of the fact that
  the extent to which most non-natives literally need to learn English
  barely surpasses the routine, commonplace level of communication, and
  thus, English cannot keep abreast of their mother languages, in that sense.

My Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary loosely allows this ,at least as far as i see, saying:

  abreast: ... 2. up to a particular standard or level

before narrowing it down:

  especially of knowledge or recent developments.

In hope of finding a similar statement as mine, I came across the following example, flipping through the web pages:

  The Japanese video game industry has certainly failed to stay abreast
  of its western rivals on the technological front. The Guardian Jul 17,
  2013

A native speaker said It sounds odd as English is not animated and cannot keep abreast of anything. But the same is true of "industry" which has appeared in the Guardian's example.
Now, could mine too, be correct? and why if not, please?
many thanks in advance


texts: Comma or semicolon between independent clauses that have internal commas and that are joined by a coordinating conjunction

texts:
In high school I learned that when joining two independent clauses where either contained a comma I should always use a semicolon before the coordinating conjunction. For example,

If Alice had known then what she knew now, she never would have gone to the store; and Ignatz might still be alive.

or

Alice, a girl of 12, went to the store; and Bill watched her leave from his window across the street.

However I've been told that this is an old-fashioned rule. What is more conventional in modern fiction? Should I be using a comma in these cases? If so, is there any case in which I should use a semicolon before a coordinating conjunction?


texts: "Invite someone [over] to dinner" vs. "... for dinner"

texts:
What's the difference between "invite someone [over] to dinner" and "invite someone [over] for dinner"?

Please, consider as an example:

  Thank you for inviting me [over] to dinner.
  Thank you for inviting me [over] for dinner.

Ngram


texts: It wasn't someone or I vs. It wasn't me or someone (usage in denial statement)

texts:
If one was to state that neither him or another person committed a certain act, how would that be phrased with proper grammar?

ex. Who broke that window?

It wasn't me or Steve.

vs.

It wasn't Steve or I.


texts: What word means several descriptive words?

texts: I thought it was descriptor, but apparently that's not an actual word.


texts:
I'm a native English speaker, but I recently had reason to suspect I had misunderstood 'some degree of'. E.g.,

I can repair your car. It needs some degree of work before it will be ready
As part of a dialogue difference needs some degree of commonality
The circuit is targeted at 5G wideband applications requiring narrow band filtering where the bandwidth also needs some degree of tunability

Does it mean a little, a lot? a non-zero amount? a moderate amount? Am I supposed to be to tell the amount from context? Is it just terrible ambiguous style?! I am mainly talking about written English; I suppose I might be able to tell more if it was spoken.


texts:
Do synonyms work both ways?

If "word A" is a synonym of "word B" does that means "word B" is a synonym of "word A"?

I suspect they are!

EDIT: (Updating to cite sources as requested)

I googled "are synonyms symmetrical" but the results were skewed as the word "synonym" seems to be interpreted as if I'm looking for a synonym of the word "symmetrical".


texts:
Ex.

Anyone going to the store?

Often times in writing words get omitted in questions, such as the one above. Does that still make them "independent clauses" or must the sentence be able to stand as if it were written like a statement?


texts: A word to describe the probability of complying with a suggestion

texts:
I'm working in a marketing context, where emails are regularly sent to our customers inviting them to perform certain activities that will help their business. I'm looking for a suitable word that describes the probability that a given customer will act upon our recommendation; some words that have been proposed are "propensity" or "conversion" but I don't find these to be right.

For example,

  When we send emails to segment X of our customers inviting them to update their profile picture, the (probability of success? action propensity? conversion rate?) is 43%.


texts: When is it correct to use no and nope? Is there any difference between them?


texts:
What is the difference between deep (as a noun) and depths? Since deep is primarily an adjective, when one would use it rather than depths?

From what I see the deep (always with the and in singular) refers specifically to the oceanic depths. (Though, I am not sure if it is the only meaning/difference.)


texts: How to answer a negative question without ambiguity?

texts:
I faced a problem to answer a negative question, for example, when someone asks you:

  Don't you have any money?

It's a yes/no question but how should one answer the question without ambiguity?

When you answer "yes", does it mean "yes, I don't have any money"? or the other way "Yes, I do have money"? the questioner may think you are agreeing to the negative, that yes, you do not have any money.

I know it's better to answer with "on the contrary" but is it possible to answer yes or no?


texts:
What is the most appropriate response to "I hope you are well"? What are your reasons for choosing one reply above another?

Replies I've thought of:

I am very well, thanks. How are you?
I am very well, thanks, and hope you are as well.
I am very well, thanks. I hope it is the same with you too.
(Ignore it completely.)

I guess it depends on the relationship with the person, but my question is mainly focused on politeness in everyday emails with colleagues/customers.


texts: "To the best of one's ability" - Synonym?

texts:
I'm trying to rephrase

  We help children move and play to the best of their ability.

It's about children with movement concerns,
so this seems semantically correct to me.

I just need a different phrase.

Can you suggest anything other than "as well as they can"?

I've reviewed the suggested duplicate, but it doesn't answer my question.


texts: Is there any difference in meaning between "She is not around" and "She is not here"? I heard both, but never quite got the difference.


texts:
I am working on my book report assignment and I have such sentence, I am positively sure that this book is a great book. My friend is editing it and comments, "positively" is not right to use here and he suggests I should either say, "I am pretty sure that ...", or "I am positive that ...". The reason is there is no such thing as "I am negatively sure".

I am wondering if he is right.

Could you let me know how you think?


texts: Can I connect an adjective with a noun using "and"?

texts:
Is the following sentence grammatically correct?

"Gandalf is a wizard and brave"

Each of "Gandalf is a wizard" and "Gandalf is brave" sound OK, but connecting the noun and adjective descriptions of Galndalf with the "and" hurts my ear. I am not a native English speaker though, and unsure whether connections like that are acceptable in English.


texts: is i proper to say: we look forward to seeing you, X and Y? or or looking forward to seeing X, Y and you.


texts: On the interpretation of "walked to the station at 9 o'clock"

texts:
I want to confirm what a book says. It says:

I went to the station at 9 o'clock.
I walked to the station at 9 o'clock.

Sentence (1) has the following two meaning:

a. I left for the station at 9 o'clock.

b. I got to the station at 9 o'clock.

Sentence (2), on the other hand, has only one meaning: I left for the station at 9 o'clock.

Do you agree with this description? If so, how do you express this situation in one sentence: I walked to the station, and I got to the station at 9 o'clock. "I got to the station walking at 9 o'clock"?


texts: Is there a word with a negative connotation for someone in the first year of secondary school?

texts:
I'm (making a poor attempt at) writing a novel, set from the perspective of someone in sixth form. Is there any word that I can use to describe someone who's in their first year of secondary school?  I'd prefer a UK based term, if possible.
For anyone who happens to also speak Dutch, I'm looking for the equivalent of 'bruggertje'.


texts: Is it "a hour-long drive" or "an hour-long drive"?

texts:
In the following context, which usage is correct, or are both of them OK?

After a hour-long drive, they arrived at Chinatown.
After an hour-long drive, they arrived at Chinatown.

Your help is greatly appreciated!


texts:
I was learning English, which is my second language, when I came across the methinks word. I went to google to look up its meaning and usage, when to my surprise I saw this description:

  Old English mē thyncth, from mē ‘to me’ + thyncth ‘it seems’ (from
  thyncan ‘seem,’ related to, but distinct from, think).

Picture:

So mē thyncth was part of old English that have had diacritics? if so, where can I get more information about that?


texts:
The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language , page 184, reads

  May is virtually excluded instead of can in water can still get in, partly by the likelihood of it being interpreted epistemically rather than
  dynamically.

However, I cannot grasp any different effective meaning between both versions.


texts: What expressions/words are still used in Indian English that are no longer in British English?

texts:
I was traveling through India recently and noticed that many expressions that people used that I saw were somewhat older expressions, now disused in Standard English. Examples of these were:

  Please do the needful
  Out of station
  HORN OK Please

– and a few others. I also saw a sign that said:

  Please do not pluck the flowers.

Now I've heard of colonial lag and it seems that these are phrases that have fallen into disuse in the English language used in the west. I wanted to ask if there are other Indian English words/phrases that have retained their original meaning, but have fallen into disuse in (if I may, for said purposes) 'western English'?


texts: Correct usage of "of course you (do/are)"

texts:
In this exchange:

A: I'm having trouble finding my car.

B: Of course you are.

I think this sentence could also be used, keeping the same meaning: Of course you do.

I don't see any difference between the two, but I feel like there should be? If it is, under what circumstances would you use the do version?

( Is there a rule for that? )


texts: "I made it my prime objective settling the matter." - unacceptable extraposition

texts:
Just saw this sentence marked as unacceptable in Quirke's Comprehensive Grammar (18.35 Extraposition of a clausal object):

  *I made it my prime objective settling the matter

The full bit:

I don't understand why this construction was deemed unacceptable. What's so different between it and 'I made it my objective to settle the matter' and the rest ? Both 'to settle...' and 'settling...' are clausal objects, no? And it says right there that -ing clauses can undergo extraposition. No further explanation is given in the chapter, so I'm a bit confused here. Any help? Thanks.


texts: Short and well-known term for "jump from one branch to another"

texts:
In this sentence:

  Bird jumps from one branch to another in a strange wood.

I am interested in the part: "jumps from one branch to another". Could you tell me some well-known term of such action? So after replacing I'll get:

  Bird <term> in a strange wood.


texts:
Are the sentences;
“He broke both his legs”
And
“He broke all his legs”
Both technically correct?


texts:
Right now I am reading a chapter in Walden. There are two instances where I seem to be missing the mark because the summaries I read online (ie Sparknotes) do not corroborate the interpretation I'm getting. Here we go:

  1) "However, I let him keep the ten dollars and the farm too, for I
  had carried it far enough; or rather, to be generous, I sold him the
  farm for just what I gave for it, and, as he was not a rich man, made
  him a present of ten dollars, and still had my ten cents, and seeds,
  and materials for a wheelbarrow left. I found thus that I had been a
  rich man without any damage to my poverty. But I retained the
  landscape, and I have since annually carried off what it yielded
  without a wheelbarrow."

-------Does this mean Thoreau gave away his ten cents, seeds and materials or did he keep them? It says "still had my ten cents..." but I don't know who has them. Also, it says, "I retained the landscape" which suggests to me that he abandoned everything else.

  2) "I have thus surveyed the country on every side within a dozen
  miles of where I live. In imagination I have bought all the farms in
  succession, for all were to be bought, and I knew their price. I
  walked over each farmer's premises, tasted his wild apples, discoursed
  on husbandry with him, took his farm at his price, at any price,
  mortgaging it to him in my mind; even put a higher price on it- took
  everything but a deed of it-took his word for his deed, for I dearly
  love to talk- cultivated it, and him too to some extent, I trust, and
  withdrew when I had enjoyed it long enough, leaving him to carry it
  on. This experience entitled me to be regarded as a sort of
  real-estate broker by my friends."-----

The summaries I've read suggest that Thoreau actually attempted to buy the homes without any actual intention of paying for them. Personally, I think Thoreau just imagined this all in his mind.


texts: To insert or not insert quotation marks, that is the question!

texts:
Can the following sentence be correct with and without quotation marks?

  Did Mother say we are going to Disney World?

I would answer yes, but I have read in the past the word "that" should be inserted if no quotations are to be used.

  Did Mother say that we are going to Disney World?

I have one more with the same question:

  Nan explained the essay "Doughboys" is about World War I.

This one I would say needs "that" inserted in order to get rid of dialog quotation marks, but I'm probably wrong---just about the time I think I have some part of grammar figured out and is "absolute" I find it is not absolute at all!

Thank you for your assistance.


texts:
Reading the paper yesterday I encountered this passage:-

  Desperately disappointed that the line-up of presenters for the BBC's
  relaunch of Top Gear does not include a disabled person. Most of the
  other boxes have been ticked - woman, black chap, foreigner, ginger,
  elderly man. But no room for a raspberry.

I would like to know what a raspberry is, in this context. I imagine it is rhyming slang for something not very politically correct. Aside from the usual meanings of the word, Green's Dictionary of Slang has raspberry-lander as Australian slang for Tasmanian, but that probably isn't what it meant.


texts: My baby girl's name is Hoor but there is a problem

texts:
I was amazed when someone told me there is a word in English that has a bad meaning which is "whore". Because English is not my language, I called my baby girl "Hoor". In Arabic this means the beautiful lady. Link

Now I don't think that Hoor has the same pronunciation as whore. However, I want to ask when you hear Hoor, what does it trigger in your mind,  does it remind you of the word whore?

And I need one native speaker to kindly say which pronunciation of the following should I use:

  hoor,
  hour,
  hor,
  huor,
  huur,

So I can pick the one which is near to how we pronounce it in Arabic, or should I change her name?


texts:
Does "feel committed to" require an infinitive or gerund complement?

For example, which of the following is grammatical?

  I feel committed to following up on that.
  I feel committed to follow up on that.


texts: "Rogative" root (as in prerogative, derogative, interrogative)

texts:
Prerogative, derogative, and interrogative all seem to have the root "rogative" (or perhaps it's not a root at all) and I'm wondering what it means. I was having trouble seeing a connection between the three words. For assistance, here are their dictionary definitions:

Prerogative: A right or privilege exclusive to a particular individual or class.

Derogative: Intended to make a person or thing seem of little importance or value.

Interrogative: Having or conveying the force of a question.

The Latin root rog means "ask" (as in the Latin rogare), but that seems to explain only interrogative and not the other two. Is there a connection between all three them involving "rogative," or is it just a coincidence that they have the same pattern?


texts: What's the difference between denizen, resident, inhabitant?

texts:
What's the difference between denizen, resident, and inhabitant?

Even if their ODO definitions suggest they are interchangeable most of the time, are there fine differences in meaning between them?


texts: is it correct to say:I am not here to 'give' you calm?

texts: i am.not a native speaker , but I am  trying to become a writer. You can keep someone calm, calm someone down, but what about giving someone calm?


texts: Is the word "specific" synonymous with the word "particular"?

texts:
To be honest, I am more interested in contextual examples in which we cannot replace the words "specific" and "particular" with each other, keeping the intended meaning intact. Of course, the examples that we can replace them with each other in a synonymous manner are also welcome!

Added.  I've realized that this previously asked (and now closed) question, "particular" vs. "specific", is in a way similar to my question. Thus, I try to explain what I have in mind to better direct the answers I am looking for. Somewhere else (in my writings) I've made a distinction between "the number 5" and "a number, say 5", thinking of the former 5 as "specific" since the five-ness of five matters, the latter 5 as "particular" since the five-ness of five does not matter. My question (here) is looking for "everyday" examples of this distinction.


texts: I've heard both "last Monday OF May" and "last Monday IN May", I guess the former is American and the latter British, or not?


texts: How to pronounce "stupid", "YouTube" and words like this?

texts: In dictionaries like Cambridge or Oxford it pronounced like "stjupid". But I hear how some people pronounce it like "stchupid". Is it different dialect or what's the reason?


texts: Meaning of a phrase or word spoken in an Irish film

texts: What does it mean when someone says "I don't want to live in a kip like this when I get married"?


texts: Is it correct to call something an "objective speculation"?

texts: I'm currently writing a review for a book for school, and I'm having some trouble as to how I should express that event though I may show some bias, I can provide an "objective speculation." Is this the correct way to say that?


texts:
When applied to an individual, does the term "abusive" imply that the individual harbors malicious intent?

Similarly, if applied to an action, does "abusive" infer that the individual who performed it had unsavory intentions?


texts: I'd like to know whether there is a single word for "remote, distant places" in no allegorical sense, but with a positive undertone.


texts: Find an English word having its pronunciation

texts: I speak a persian language. I watch English video lessons about chess and I am not familiar with lots of the words and there are not any subtitles available. I wonder is there any way that I can recognize those unfamiliar words by their pronunciation? I try to guess the spelling of a word and search that, but sometimes it doesn't help.


texts: Should a Purchase Order be capitalized as it is a noun, or can be lower case 'purchase order'?

texts: Hope somebody can clarify? Histroically in all the contracts I have been involved with, 'Purchase Order' has always been capitalized as I thought it is a 'thing'. I'm currently engaged with a person who continues to strike-through/red-line the spelling and writes in 'purchase order'. Are both allowed or should it/term be capitalized?


texts: Better wording for "greedy for knowledge"

texts:
I'm writing recommendation for one of my colleagues and one of the points I'd like to highlight is his "greed/hunger for knowledge".

Something like: X is very greedy for knowledge, taking each opportunity to improve his expertise.

Frankly speaking I doubt that using such phrase is good in official document, thus I'd like to ask you for any suggestion how such expression can be written. (disclaimer - English is not my native language)


texts:
If something is nested twice, it's "double nested".
If something is nested three times, it's "triple nested".
If something is nested twelve times, it's ... What? "Dodecly nested?"

Edit: Apparently, according to websters-online-dictionary.com as quoted below, the adverbial form of twelve actually is "twelvely", but that form is virtually never used. Is there one that is used?

  Virtually never used adverbial inflection of the adjective twelve.


texts: Why are most interjections a variation of God/Jesus’ name?

texts:
My Lord’s name is used as a cuss word and most words to express irritation/surprise are euphemisms for God or Jesus why is that?

My God’s name is taken in vain all the time, but to find a alternative word you just often find a variant  his name i.e gosh/jeez

https://surveyanyplace.com/the-ultimate-interjection-list/


texts: What is the difference between "claim" and "demand"?

texts:
As I know  "claim" is used in legal actions like "claim an ownership" and "demand" is used in a purchase-like act like "demand a product". Dictionary.com says a very similar description, similar at least to me.
Could you please help make it clear to me?


texts: Using disproportionately heavyweight means to achieve a minor goal

texts:
In Polish, there's an idiom, "z armatą na wróble" - translating directly "with a howitzer, against sparrows". It applies as criticism of using an unreasonably powerful, heavyweight, expensive, or otherwise "oversized" solution to solve a small problem. Say, using a flame-thrower with napalm to kill a spider, or calling SWAT on a school kid who drew a pistol in a notebook.

"Overkill" is a close expression but not exactly implying the scale - using AK-47 against wild turkeys is overkill. Using a howitzer against sparrows though?

Is there an idiom or other expression to imply something is not just an overkill, but one unambiguously disproportionate?


texts:
I am uncertain about selecting the correct verb form in a clause indicating indirect reported speech. The problematic sentence is:

  I didn't expect that you would say that XXX.

For the XXX part, would it be better advised to put " you wanted to play baseball" " you would want play baseball" or " You want to play baseball",
or something else ?

Which factors would guide the choice?


texts: "Looks really well" or "Looks really good"?

texts:
Which of the following sentences is correct? Could you use both? Why is this?

"That dress looks really good!"
"That dress looks really well!"


texts:
I am going through the following sentence.

I looked up at my boss and his eyes were rivetted on me

google search auto corrects it to riveted. One of the meaning to rivet from Oxford is

direct (one’s eyes or attention) intently

rivetted (using double t - tt) is incorrect?
In the above sentence what meaning best suits for rivetted?


texts: Is "those who came in greatest numbers" grammatical?

texts:
I am studying English and I have a question.
I found it in my text book written by some teacher who is not a native speaker.

"Those who came first and in greatest numbers to make their homes on the eastern coast of North America were mostly from England."

I do understand the meaning of this sentence, but I cannot understand why the word 'greatest', Superlative adjective, is not accompanied by the word "the".
Is there any specific reason for that?


texts: Punctuation For Stylistic Use of "What" Phrase

texts:
First off, let me clarify that I am by no means a grammar scholar, so please excuse any mistakes I make.
My questions is with regard to the following phrase: "what the purpose will be, I don't know."
Is a coma proper here? If not, what punctuation should go here?
I realize that the sentence should be, "I don't know what the purpose will be", but for stylistic purposes I've chosen to reorder the sentence (making it passive voice, if my highschool grammar lessons are remembered correctly).
Thanks for your help.


texts: What word is used to describe the movements of objects caused by Earthquake?

texts:
For example, there's a classroom and students notice the earthquake.

The objects in the classroom will definitely ___________ because of this.
The lecture stand ________ because of earthquake.

What word(s) should I use?

What I have found so far are: vibrate, shake, shiver


texts:
Usually when discussing monetary amounts, people will say "That cost one hundred million dollars" or "one hundred million pounds".

But I have also seen it written as "that cost one hundred millions sterling".   Former UK PM Gordon Brown also used to say millions not million when giving his budget updates.

Are there rules for this usage, or is it just a question of putting the plural in the right place?


texts: Can I use “Innovation-encouraging” as an adjective? (adjective usage)

texts:
is it okay to use innovation-encouraging( a compound word) as an adjective in the following sentenc:
The gradual development in this scientific field has proved to be an innovation-encouraging element.


texts: Noun vs Gerund (Redecoration vs Redecorating)

texts:
In this sentence..

    "Items can be moved at ease making redecoration simple."

..my ever helpful computer says redecoration is misspelled. Redecoration is in my English-Spanish dictionary and Webster's progeny seem to like the word just fine so I believe either Chrome or Apple have made a mistake in calling it out.

While it technically fits to replace it with redecorating, I don't like the feel of that sentence as much. I'd rather be speaking about the concept of redecorating rather than the action.

Is redecoration wrong or less correct?

(I suppose I'm open to total rewording as well because simple at the end of that sentence just sounds awkward.)

edit: Since someone pointed out the 're' is unnecessary on 'decoration,' I'll say I'm open to either spelling but issue of 're' is not integral to my question. My real question is on contrasting usage of the gerund vs a noun - '(re)decoration' vs '(re)decorating'


texts: the genitive of 'one' (used instead of 'you') in formal contexts

texts:
It's better to use 'one' instead of 'you' in formal writing but what about the genitive of 'one'?

your body => one's body/ ones body / ...?

What is correct?


texts: An alternative to "something clicked in place"?

texts:
As per the title, I'm looking for a shorter expression that has generally the same meaning as "something clicked".

Closest one I could think of was something like "enlightened", but that isn't too fitting for my needs, which is something like:

  He was befuddled until he saw the instruction sheet, at which point everything clicked into place.


texts: Is there a specific term used to describe the "Jr." following a person's name?

texts: Consider the name John J Doe Jr.  If John is the first name, J is the middle initial, & Doe is the last name, what is Jr.?  I checked with Webster years ago and they could not find a specific name.


texts: A thesaurus may suggest ‘optional’ as an antonym for ‘necessary’ but this isn't the word I'm looking for. I need a word which means ‘cannot be included’ as in the phrase, “The country code is necessary when dialing from outside Colombia, but cannot be included when dialing from within Colombia.” In this sense, the country code is certainly not optional—if it is included the call won't go through. (This is actually true for mobile phone numbers in Colombia. It makes specifying phone numbers on calling cards or web contact pages a bitch.)


texts:
Flapping is typical for American English (e.g. better is usually pronounced /bɛɾər/ rather than /bɛtər/), but I've also heard a few British speakers using it (EDIT: e.g. David Cameron saying better off right here).

How common is it in British English?
Is it specific for any dialect or style?
Is it considered an Americanism? (not sure if that's a proper term for that)


texts: Past simple vs. present simple for the verb "hate"

texts:
Which sentence is correct? and Why?

She told me last week she hates action movies.
She told me last week she hated action movies.

As "hate" is a sensual verb and it does not finish in the past (you hate a type of movie and it does not change, at least with no mention in the context) I think Number one should be correct. But an English tutor told me the second one is correct as the discussion they are referring to has happened in the past. Which one is correct and why?


texts: Using I hope in professional environment

texts: I need to state that my goal is to answer some answers.  Starting my e-mail with the "I hope..."  does not sound professional.  Any alternatives you can provide me with?


texts:
In our native language, we say this "The above technique is a double-edged sword".

Is it appropriate to say it in English? If not, what is the nice way to express the same meaning?


texts:
In my country when two people want to get married they set an amount of money that if they want to get divorced the husband must give that money to his wife.
I wanted to know if there is any specific word for this money in English
Thanks in advance.


texts: What is the difference between "catch up with" and "follow up"?

texts: I often hear "I'm going to catch up with him" or "I'm going to follow up with him" but I don't understand the difference.


texts: What is the correct word to follow consensus?

texts:
When using the word consensus in a sentence, is it correct to say consensus on, over, or, of? For example if someone were to say,

  In 1960s British politics, there was consensus [correct word] the National Health Service?


texts:
Yesterday I was asking about the origin of the word trabajo ("work") in Spanish, that most etymologists think that comes from Latin tripalium (or trepalium according to other sources), an instrument of torture, and its verb tripaliare, "to torture". An English cognate is travail, that according to the Merriam-Webster it still conveys the meaning of "agony, torment", while the Oxford dictionary says it means a "painful or laborious effort".

Both dictionaries agree with its origin, but a note in the M-W also says:

  From trepalium sprang the Anglo-French verb travailler, which originally meant "to torment" but eventually acquired the milder senses "to trouble" and "to journey." The Anglo-French noun travail was borrowed into English in the 13th century, followed about a century later by travel, another descendant of travailler.

The Oxford dictionary seems to confirm that travel is a variant of travail. So it seems that the English verb to travel also derives from that original torment. The similarity of travail and travel is obvious, but how did a word that meant torment evolve its meaning into journey? Are there any texts that can confirm this and in which we can see this evolution?


texts: Could anyone explain me the meaning of the sentence?

texts:
I can't understand the sentence in "The Innocence of Father Brown". Could anybody explain the meaning of it?

  It was he who had kept up an unaccountable and close correspondence with a young lady whose whole letter-bag was intercepted, by the extraordinary trick of photographing his messages infinitesimally small upon the slides of a microscope.


texts:
Does this sentence make sense:

Leveraging lessons learned from the previous project, collaborating with an industry association and supplier to address the financial and technical challenges of this initiative will increase the likelihood of implementation.


texts: Are the mid-stressed English words always pronounced the same?

texts:
This has been a question in my mind for quite a long time, and I can't help but wonder are all words with stress in their second part pronounced the same all the time? For example, OK, because, etc. I find it a little unusual to say 'That's bi'ka:z' rather than 'That's 'bika:z'. The same is true about 'OK'. Are there any conventions or rules about pronouncing such words? Or are they pronounced always the same way?

P.S. By being pronounced always the same way, I mean, are the words that have stress in the middle (according to dictionaries) always pronounced with stress on the middle part as in because and OK or might they be pronounced with stress on their first part as well?


texts:
The reading list includes Shakespeare, Chaucer and Milton, among others.

Is the comma correct before "among others"?


texts: "...their respective group's websites" or "...their respective groups' websites"

texts:
I am sending a resource to two group leaders who have the option of sharing it.  Which, if either, of the below are correct:

They can put it on their respective groups' websites.
They can put it on their respective group's websites.

Since each website only belongs to one group, I would think the second is correct.  However, "websites" here is a collection of two things, so the first might also be right.
Please include an explanation with your answer.


texts: What word should I use when I want to say someone said?

texts:
A said that "if you want to get this job, you must know about computer hardware."
B state that "you must finished this task within this week, otherwise we will have problems"

I know and use only 2 words, "said" and "state" and I don't like when I write a long email and use same word over and over again. I want to know an alternative words to express someone say something.


texts: Adverb versus Adjective in -minded people

texts:
I am currently running for the Board of Education in my little town and am working on my candidate statement for the election handbook that the Department of Elections produces.  I sent what I had to a friend who is a great editor and she questioned the following bit of text:

  For some, sports are a motivation to do well in school; we need to ensure that the artistically- and scientifically-minded students have as much encouragement and support as the athletically-gifted students.

Specifically, she asked about the "adverbs artistically and scientifically versus adjectives artistic and scientific modifying minded".  She noted that she thought the adverbs were correct, but wasn't sure why.  (I'm not sure why either, but that applies to almost everything anyway.)

So I went and looked up both the adjective and adverb forms in the Oxford Dictionaries to see what I could find out.  Here are those definitions:

  artistic

  ADJECTIVE

  Having or revealing natural creative skill.

  ‘my lack of artistic ability’

  artistically

  ADVERB

  As regards art or artists; from an artistic point of view.

  ‘the Soviet film industry was artistically limited by outside pressures’
  ‘her home was cosy and so artistically decorated for Christmas’

  scientific

  ADJECTIVE

  Based on or characterized by the methods and principles of science.

  ‘the scientific study of earthquakes’

  scientifically

  ADVERB

  By means of scientific methods and principles.

  ‘scientifically proven treatments’
  ‘both theories can be explained scientifically’

  1.1 In a way that relates to or is used in science.

  ‘scientifically minded people’
  ‘a scientifically important site’

The sample sentences for scientifically actually include the exact phrase I'm using -- scientifically minded -- so I'm pretty sure I'm correct in using the adverb forms.  When I looked up minded, it too had the same adverbial example:

  minded

  ADJECTIVE

  [in combination or with submodifier] Inclined to think in a particular way.

  ‘liberal-minded scholars’
  ‘I'm not scientifically minded’

  1.1 [in combination] Interested in or enthusiastic about a particular thing.

  ‘conservation-minded citizens’

However, I note that the other examples here use adjectives: liberal-minded instead of liberally-minded and conservation-minded instead of conservationally-minded.  I also note that the examples that use an adjective are hyphenated while the one with an adverb is not.

So my question is, why do some -minded phrases take adjectives while others take adverbs?  Also, is the correlation between type of modifier and the presence of a hyphen significant or coincidental?


texts: Is there word for person who committed suicide?

texts:
A person who committed a theft is a thief.
A person who committed murder is a killer(or murderer?).

What is a person who committed suicide?


texts: "This/That is, " used at the beginning of a sentence to clarify a concept from the previous sentence

texts:
According to an English native speaker who works with me, the "This is" bit in the following sentence should be replaced by "That is":

In fact, the feature space need not be unique. This is, for a given function, there might be various valid feature spaces.

However, I have the feeling I have seen this usage of "This is" in the scientific literature.

What do you think? Should I use "This" or "That" here?


texts:
Chatting with a colleague we came a cross a dilemma (as we are not English native), which of the following sentences are wrong? Why?

If I knew everything, I'd be a genius.
If I know everything, I'd be a genius.
if I know everything, I'm a genius.

The 2nd should be wrong, as with the present I should use either the future or the present, in fact the 3rd seems to me correct, in fact the rule is:

  The Zero Conditional is used for
  actions that are always true when the
  conditions are satisfied.

So to form this particular condition I use this form:

If + Present Simple, + Present Simple

Am I wrong?


texts: In their Curious Objects exhibition Cambridge University Library's English Globe (of 1585-ish) came with an annual maintenance bill which included its scouring, which seems to have involved reapplication of new varnish. Is this practice (in general, among owners of globes) an etymological origin for the corresponding metaphorical phrase scouring the globe/earth, or a coincidence?


texts: Is there a phrase that can replace "consists in part" when the part is about half?

texts:
If I say that

My job consists in part of scheduling meetings.

I understand that this is some relatively small part of the job. If instead I say something like

My job consists in large part of scheduling meetings.
My job consists mostly of scheduling meetings.

then I think the implication is that more than 50%, probably more like 60-70 is scheduling meetings. However, I want to be able to find a synonymous phrase for

About half of my job is scheduling meetings.

but where I can start the sentence with "My job".
Does anyone have any suggestions?


texts: "abuse of which he was subjected" or "to which..."?

texts:
I am writing a paper and I can't figure out which of these is correct:

  "...the neglect and abuse of which he was subjected..."

or

  "...the neglect and abuse to which he was subjected..."

The second sounds a little less weird, but I would appreciate any help you guys might be able to provide.


texts: Usage of article while separated from noun

texts:
Folks, being non-native speaker, came across a phrase, and trying to figure out correctness:

An Options Regulations Records Request has been issued by our company for your Firm.

Should or should not be an article that is in bold fonts?
And if it should,  what would it be?


texts:
I could only think of "started on the food," though I'm not very sure about it (I think I have to add got to it?).

Other suggestions? (this is for a short story I'm writing).


texts:
I have a question about the use of prepositions when enumerating things or talking about multiple actions. For the sake of simplicity, I'm only going to use "to". For example, in the phrase:

  "You have until X date to register and be eligible for the draw. Grab this chance to participate and have a chance of winning a car"

Is the sentence correct as it is? Or would it be necessary to repeat the "to" after listing the consequence of the first action? As in:

  "You have until X date to register and to be eligible for the draw. Grab this chance to participate and to have a chance of winning a car."

Thanks


texts: Is this sentence clear? "The fields highlighted in blue are the ones that were verified with supporting documents"

texts:
In my company there is a security man who stands at the front door and checks the visitors. Visitors have their names, birthdates and clothes  as fields to be filled in an application form. The security man's job is to look at the visitors' driving license or passport and check their names, birthdates... and update their personal data.

The other employees in the company can see the verified info in the application.

There is a first line in the app to help employees know which fields were verified, "the fields highlighted in blue are the ones that were verified with supporting documents"

My question is, how to express the above sentence correctly?. I'm afraid using with supporting documents might confuse the employees.


texts: How to derive a noun or adective or adverb from "nya"?

texts:
In Russian network jargon there is adjective "няшный" (originating from anime fandom's "nya"). It is somewhat related to "kawaii" (cute) or "nice", but not the same.

However in English any attempts to add adjective or adverb suffix to "nya" results in ugly word (unlike in Russian). How to make it properly? Alternatively, how to translate phrases with this word English in a good way (with reference to "nya" or cats and with meaning of niceness or goodness)?

The question two is how to translate it be comprehensible. The adjective seems to fit is "nice". What should be the noun? I should be like "cutie", but less diminutive.


texts: What are these very formal, old-fashioned words (wherein, thereof etc.) called?

texts:
Words like

  aforementioned, aforesaid, hereby, henceforward, hereupon,  notwithstanding, therein, thereof, therefore, thereto, thenceforth, thenceforward, wherein,  whereof...

And also, under what classification do these words go?


texts:
As a Filipino-Canadian, I often go to Filipino gatherings with lots of tasty Filipino food. In some cases, we eat so much food that we become full; however, in other cases, we say that we are "umay"... we simply feel tired of eating the same food and wish to eat no more, but it's not the same as full.

People become "umay" when they eat so much of the same food without becoming full, but still end up not wanting to eat it anymore

Is there an English verb/adjective for this? Something I could say during non-Filipino gatherings?

Thanks in advance.


texts:
From the GMAT test

The use of lie detectors is based on the assumption that lying produces emotional reactions in an individual _______________________________
A. that, in turn, create unconscious physiological responses
B. that create unconscious physiological responses in turn
C. creating, in turn, unconscious physiological responses
D. to create, in turn, physiological responses that are unconscious
E. who creates unconscious physiological responses in turn

The correct answer is supposed to be A.
Can you please explain to me why C is not possible? The meanings of answers A and C seem to be identical to me and I am not able to find in answer C any grammatical problem.


texts: What is the meaning of the phrase "brain of size of Wisconsin"?

texts:
I was watching Breaking Bad. In the Pilot episode Hank Schrader says this to Walter White :

  "You got a brain the size of Wisconsin, but we're not gonna hold that against you."

What is the meaning of this sentence? Why did he compare his brain to a state in the US?


texts: Should "Los Angeles" rhyme with "cheese" or "less"

texts:
There seems to be two (main) ways of pronouncing "Los Angeles":

Los An-jel-eeze
Los An-jel-ess

It's clearly Spanish, and my limited Spanish skills suggest option 2, but I've heard many people use option 1 (including commercial aircraft pilots over the intercom).
Which is "correct"?

Update:
In the classic 1938 movie Double Indemnity, at 1:18:00 into the movie, Edward G Robinson clearly pronounces Los Angeles to rhyme with cheese!


texts: Usage of an established German term in an English presentation

texts: Is it better to use the German word "Energiewende", when referring to changes to the whole energy market or should one rather translate it into the proper English translation 'energy transition'. If I would stick to German, should I put it into single/double quotes or none. I don't know if the audience of the presentation makes a difference, it most probably will be a majority of German natives.


texts:
I would like to know whether following sentence is correct:
The battery does not last for as long as it says on the label


texts:
According to take-a-shower-bath-or-have-a-shower-bath, there are already many answers there, but it's still not clear for me.

I still wonder that

Have a shower and Take a shower, are they the same or not?

Which one to use?

To use Have a shower or Take a shower, it's dependent on context? or maybe is dependent on English dialect?


texts: Coordinating conjunction to join independent questions

texts:
When a coordinating conjunction joins two independent clauses, a comma is used before the coordinating conjunction(unless the two independent clauses are very short).
Do the same rules apply when coordinating conjunctions are used to join two independent questions?
Who is being introduced, and what does he do?
Who is the person, and why was he chosen?
Is it grammatically correct to write the sentences without the comma?
Who is being introduced and what does he do?
Who is the person and why was he chosen?
Which one is more appropriate in formal writing?


texts: I believe that if, for instance, you have two kids, you have an older and a younger - if you have three or more, you have an oldest, you have a youngest (and whatever is in between). I hear people constantly referring to one of their two kids as "oldest" or "youngest", and it hurts my soul - but I can't find proof on the Internetz that my soul is right. Is this a correct assumption?


texts:
There was the following passage in February 25 Washington Post Style section article that came under the headline, “The heights of Hype”:

  “Mr. (Neely) Tucker uses historical documents and interviews to make a
  strong case that the idea of the book as a long-lost sequel is at best
  a hype job, and at worst a literary deception.

I found no source of the definition of this word in Google Search, but found one example of a sentence using the word, “hype job,” which was the quote from www.boxingnews24.com （2014/09/22）:

  "By Robert “Big Moe” Elmore: I don't believe no fighter is a hype job
  regardless of how the media builds them up ... Is he a mixed bag
  (meaning he can brawl, box, has footwork, has good offense defense,
  volume puncher etc)."

Google Ngram shows that the word emerged in 1967, and its usage has been plummeting to 0.0000000148% level after peaking at 0.0000000333 in 1991.

What does “hype job” mean? What kind of job is it like?


texts: A word or phrase that can be used to describe what is only good-looking but has almost no practical value.?

texts:
Any word or phrase that can be used to describe someone or something that is only good-looking but has almost no practical value?

  Peter's massively bulking muscles do him a big help in chasing girls,
  but they are actually ____ when he has to confront a real fighter like
  Mike Tyson.


texts: Singular or plural? into a working-class family or working-class families

texts:
Which one of the following sentences is correct?
Both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were born into working-class families.
Both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were born into a working-class family.


texts: Is "commerical" a valid and different word from "commercial"?

texts: Googling, I see many places using the spelling commerical, but I don't see that spelling in any dictionaries at all. Is it a mistake for commercial, or are these two different words?


texts: Bernini did what, exactly, with St. Peter's Basilica's entrance?

texts:
The story goes as follows:

Nearly a century after the construction of St. Peter's Basilica, Bernini (sculptor and architect, the author of many of Rome's fountains and designer of Barberini's Palace, among other things) was called upon by Pope Alexander VII to make further improvements to the church.

As he studied the Basilica from various angles and distances, it occurred to Bernini that he could not see the dome at all if he stood too close to the facade. This struck him as a major design flaw.

In order to rectify the situation without rebuilding the Basilica from the ground up, Bernini designed the now famous piazza in front of it, with a colonnade encircling it.

Thus, psychologically, the main entrance of the Basilica was "relocated" from the actual Basilica to the entrance of the piazza, where the dome was in full view, Bernini's idea being that the piazza served as some sort of anteroom of the Basilica.

This sounds awfully awkward and confusing unless illustrated by a picture:

How would you describe what Bernini did? What word, or words, would you use to get the point across without falling back on visual aids?

Bernini devised a ... what? ... [pretend? new, psychological?] entrance?
The plaza's ... what? ... entrance? ... became the Basilica's new entrance? ...

There's a couple of words I'm missing here. I'm pretty sure they're fairly common, straight-forward ones, I just can't remember what they are.


texts:
I've met the following phrase:

  Something happened on February 12-25, 2010.

It means that some event started on February 12th and ended on February 25th. Actually the text was about the Olympic Games. Is it correct to use the preposition on here? And how should it be pronounced in oral speach?
Thank you in advance.


texts:
I am writing the following

  Previous work on Topic Detection and Tracking (TDT) has achieved great
  success on full length document, but the techniques has yet to be
  fully implemented on microblogs. This is because the sources of TDT
  are news articles which already contains news information and
  structured...

I am trying to avoid joining them using a comma, as it will turn out to be a very lengthy sentence. At the same time, I wish to reduce "this is because" to a shorter version (preferably 1 word). I tried to remove it but it sounded odd and did not flow together well.

Can I get some suggestions, please? Thanks.


texts: "same as last month" or "same as last month's"?

texts:
"X was the only item having the same score as last month"

  "X was the only item having same score as last month's"

Which of the above sentences makes sense?


texts: Can "I write of love" be used as a substitute for "I write about love"?

texts:
Can I use something like "I write of love, I write of hate. I write of destiny and fate." instead of "I write about love, I write about hate. I write about destiny and fate."? Do they mean the same?

PS: It's not "off", it's "of".

The context is:

  I write of love, I write of hate.
  I write of destiny and fate.
  I write of happiness, I write of pain.
  I write all this in disdain..


texts: Coining a gramatically right word for a newly devised method

texts:
I am writing a research paper in which a new method is devised.
In this method a mathematical function is rebuilt by combining some conical functions (apexes).
Is it grammatically right to name it The Apex Combination Method?
Or should it be The Apexes Combination Method?
Or maybe Combination of Apexes, which I don't like very much?


texts: How to describe the situation in the question in correct English?

texts: Suppose two sheets intersect at a line and there is a third sheet which passing through the line. As a result two points will be created in the line. Now I want to do the inverse operation, that is moving away the third sheet so that the two points will be eliminated. My question is how can I describe the inverse operation in a correct English language? I said moving away the third sheet, but I am not convinced about this expression.


texts: poetic effect of segmentation of a group of words

texts:
Some poems break a sentence or a clause into two lines at the middle of one meaning group of words, like -

... a blue
sky and ...

What effect such an irregular line break has?

Mr. Garrison Keillor usually ignores such line breaks when reading poems in the Writer's Almanac radio program.


texts:
If I'm not mistaken balancing means to distribute something (resources) equally among several options. So let's say I have options a, b and c, and 9 coins, I balance my coins and assign: a:3, b:3, c:3.

Leverage means to use a little amount of resources to obtain a greater amount of those resources. Let's say I have 9 coins again and the expected profit of a, b and c is a:10/1, b:10/3, c:5/1. In this case I'll choose to put my 9 coins on a, because I can leverage up to 90 (it would be 30 for b and 45 for c).

So far so good. Now there are two alternative explanations for what I'm searching for:

Now let's say that a, b and c have some admittance or a maximum number of coins that can be assigned before becoming ineffective. These numbers can be a:2, b:8, c:4. In this case we will obviously make the following assignment: a:2, b:3, c:4. This is not so clear when there is not a hard number where assignments become ineffective but slopes that can be more or less steep. Therefore this would require an assignment of the resources that doesn't balance among the options and does not leverage, since the multiplier factor was lost.
Alternatively let's say a, b and c have different risks, more profitability means a higher risk. So we want to balance profitability with exposure to risk, and we don't want to leverage or balance our investment but to do something different (that's the word I'm looking for), let's say that considering the risks (which I don't state, imagine we are making the decision right according to some rules) we assign: a:2, b:6, c:1.

In this case we are not balancing and I would say we are not leveraging, but assigning the coins to resources a, b and c in a different way. I'm searching for such a word. I hope it exists.

Sorry if I'm not clear, it's a quite specific concept that arises in a fairly specific context, please ask if there is something that needs clarification.

Thank you very much.


texts:
I read the following question on meta: Questions incapable of a simple answer

Now I am confused: Is that a possible correct usage of "(in)capable"? Can a question be capable of an answer?

Wouldn't it have to be "incapable of being answered"? Or am I just confused by the possibly different usage of the German (my native language) "fähig"?


texts: What is the origin of the word cum?  I'm trying to find the roots for its prevalent usage, especially in North America.


texts: Is there a grammatical term for 'extra information' in a sentence?

texts:
Sorry if this is a basic question, but is there a grammatical term for the 'extra information' in the sentences below?

He was giving a presentation to the finance department
She was having lunch at the restaurant
They were going to a meeting with Mr. Barber

I can identify the subject, verb, object etc., but I don't know how to describe these extra details.

Many thanks in advance!


texts:
The earth moves in a way such as to orbit round the sun.

Is this sentence correct?

If it is then say something about the exceptional part-"such as to orbit round the sun".


texts:
Whilst watching the football last night I ended up starting a small debate and now I would like to know which sentence is correct, would it be:

  Chelsea are losing 2-0

or

  Chelsea is losing 2-0


texts: Generosity has generous. What is the equivalent for animosity?

texts: A so-called friend of mine once thanked me for my animosity. Animosity is a noun in this usage. What is the adjective associated with animosity? I guess there isn't one. But what is the closest word to my requirement. Also - and this is perhaps a separate question - what percentage of words that are nouns do not have an adjectival form?


texts: Is an American “r” sound retroflexed or retracted?

texts:
Ok, there are two different ways to make the American r sound. They both think they are right and that the other is wrong.

Make the r sound by retroflexing the tongue:

Make the r sound by retracting the tongue:

Note: Both methods agree that the tongue should not touch anything in the mouth.

I think the retroflexed r is more natural. I have no way to make the retracted tongue because it is very uncomfortable for me.

So which one is correct?


texts:
The example that I have is from South Africa. Chartered accountants here abbreviate their titles in emails to:

  CA(SA)

This is meant to abbreviate "Chartered Accountant (South Africa)". I feel, however, that this may be a mistake that is propagated by a precedent set by other accountants.

Is it not more correct to use a space?

  CA (SA)

Orthographically, this seems more consistent to me.

EDIT:

There is no question about spaces in the original phrase: "Chartered Accountant (South Africa)". Instead, the question is about whether parentheses need spaces when the whole phrase is abbreviated.

EDIT 2:

The general question is: How does a bracket, preceded by a space, compile to an abbreviation? When the phrase in question refers to a named entity it seems like common courtesy is to use whichever style the entity itself prefers.


texts: Referring to images in blog in layout neutral way?

texts:
I write blog posts where I need to refer to product images without knowing exactly where they are (layout wise) in relation to the text I write, meaning that the images might be above, below, or to the side of the text.

Is there a single word I can use as a label that makes it clear that the text which follows is regarding the image(s) in the post? How about depicted or products?


texts: I see this a lot in a lot of books I read. Does anyone have an answer for this? It sounds like an idiom, but I cannot find any answers on the Internet.


texts: "Technology" is to "technical" as "memory" is to what?

texts: I'm writing a sentence about the job of the memory and am characterizing absorption with memory. How do I say "memorical absorption" correctly? Memorial sounds like a noun...


texts: What are the correct sentences? 'Since' with present simple and present perfect

texts:
a) It is ages since we went to the cinema.

b) It has been ages since we went to the cinema.

c) We haven’t been to the cinema for ages.

I think b and c are correct. Am I right?


texts: Word for people who don't make their deadline

texts:
What is the correct word to describe the people who have not finished their work after the deadline?

For the antonym, there is finisher, but I can't find *unfinisher in the dictionary.


texts: Need a word that combines the elements ''related to this' and 'following from this.'

texts:
I'm looking for a word/phrase that has a meaning which roughly contains the elements of being 'related to the previous points' and 'following from the previous points, but not in a causative way'.

Here is the exact excerpt that I am referring to. For context, this is an  professional assessment report I am writing about a school student. It is deidentified.

"...It seems more likely, based on the information above, that X’s literacy skills have been a key barrier to his academic success. There is also likely a degree to which X’s motivation and engagement at school impact his learning, considering his negative self-perception, and relationship with school. Notably though, X’s perception of himself as a learner is closely linked to his literacy abilities, thus hopefully these two areas will improve reciprocally."

I have italicised/bolded 'notably though' because that is the part I am trying to replace. I also had 'however' there previously but it is also not quite what I want. While either of these would suffice, I am just looking for something with subtly different, which would fit perfectly.

"However" doesn't feel right because the idea is not negatively related to both of the previous points really. It is related, and follows from them, but not in a causative way or a 'similarly' way, just in a logical progression. I did also try 'relatedly' (which I have seen elsewhere on this site is arguably a word), but that also doesn't quite fully capture the connection.

'Notably though' also works there, but it too doesn't capture the relatedness of this idea to the previous two ideas.

I feel like the semantic features I'm looking for here are so subtle that I can't even put my finger on what they are. Basically I feel that the other words have elements of meaning that are appropriate, but also elements that are innapropriate.

I just want something that allows me to say "hey, this sentence just makes sense going after these two points. It doesn't follow them in a temporal or causative way, but it does come after them. It isn't similar or opposite, but it is related.

Does a better word exist!?

Thanks for your help!


texts: How can one use 'would' and 'could' both, consecutively?

texts:
I encountered a sentence in an article. The writer (an Australian) has used both 'could' and 'would' consecutively in a sentence.

The sentence is

  But I was determined to make a statement: would could do this, instruction manual be damned.

Is this usage correct? If yes, what is the structure used in the sentence?


texts: One word/phrase to describe the reaction when you eat a very spicy-hot food

texts:
I've read the discussion here about Difference between “spicy” and “hot”.

I've also read this one: How to say that food is hot (temperature) without the listener thinking that I mean “spicy”?.

But I did not find any word or phrase that describes the reaction someone has when eating a too spicy-hot food. You know, they tend to sweat, catch their breath, and even sometimes shed tears; due to the spiciness of the food.

So my questions:

  What do you say to describe the reaction someone has when being excitedly "suffered" by a very spicy-hot food? In Indonesian, we would call it kepedasan.
  What do you say when you get that thing [the answer to question 1] with you, other than the list I enclose below:

    Oh, spicy!
    My God, it's spicy-hot!

    Is that it?


texts:
Is there a single english word that means an object will take on a random / unpredictable attribute, but restricted to a known set of values?
For example, in programming, generating a random number but it is between 0 and 10
I feel like it is heavily related to probability, but I'm looking for a word that does not imply equal probability or known probabilities for each attribute.
Another example would be a light that can be red, blue, or green. each time you look at it you will see a "random" color, but it is restricted within a set of colors.
Example usage: But it was no ordinary die, you didn't roll it; because it was ____, simply observing it gave a random result.


texts: A few bricks short of a hod - what is the name for this type of saying?

texts:
I've collected a list of sayings that describe something or someone that fails to meet expectations, such as:

A few bricks short of a hod.
A few fries short of a Happy Meal.
That ship never left port.

Is there a specific name for this type of saying?


texts:
Which verb can make a human capacity cease to exist (e.g. by social or technological change)? Can you e.g. "abolish this human capacity"?

[late edit:] I am looking for a word with pessimistic undertones. Think for example of developments that would render it impossible to hide some sensitive information and keep it secret, or that would render it impossible to make certain choices and calculations by yourself, stories about the demise or extermination of human faculties, freedoms and capacities...


texts: Capitalization and punctuation rules for formatted quotations appearing in the middle of the sentence

texts:
My question regards situations when the mid-sentence quotation, such as

  This is a mid-sentence quotation which stands out by its formatting

, stands out by its formatting.

I understand that this can be rephrased in such a way that the quotation goes to the end. But even in that case there remains the question of writing the final full stop on the following line.

What are the punctuation and capitalization rules for these situations?


texts:
The Oxford Dictionaries entry for animus reads:

  [mass noun] Hostility or ill feeling:
  [mass noun] Motivation to do something:

Owing to definition 1 above, I suspect that a negative connotation inheres in definition 2. The definition doesn't elucidate or promulgate this, but this word would be too confusing if definition 2 could also refer to positive motivation. Am I right?


texts: Use of ''open something up for discussion''

texts:
I wrote a sentence and I think it's grammatically correct but I'm not sure because it's long and I don't know if we can use this phrasal verb like this.

It opens the matter that ...(a full sentence)... up for discussion.

Another example:

These developments opens the matter that technology could be more harmful than we think in the future up for discussion.


texts: How to compactly write a list with common words

texts:
I have a list in some technical writing, say: distributed computing, grid computing, and cloud computing.

I would like to make it more compact, such as: distributed, grid, and cloud computing. But this formulation is ambiguous, because the reader does not necessarily know that computing applies to all the previous words.
Can I express this somehow, such as with hyphens, or is it best to write it completely out as in the first case?


texts:
I constantly see variations in the hyphenization of words containing SI prefixes. Nano-, micro-, milli-, etc. But when is it proper to ditch the hyphen, and when should it be included?

For example, my gut instinct as a native speaker tells me to write 'nanoscale', but 'nanocomponent' seems wrong. I would have written 'nano-component' every time. Giving up seems like the best option when I try to find the proper way of writing 'nano resonance fatigue test set-up'.

Looking at a couple publications leads me to think that a concise explanation could be useful for the scientific community.


texts:
I would like to say, in business terms, "thanks to the money the company has", meaning they can make investments,

I thought of:
Thanks to your company's economic potential ?


texts: Word Request. Object with saddle shaped stress

texts: I'm looking for a word to describe the type of hand-cuff straps used in, for example Avatar the film. They begin as a straight strip with a curve like a tape-measure, then when you "crack" them they curl around the wrist.


texts: Origin of "around the bend", meaning insane

texts:
Recently, American presidential candidate Joe Biden pointed out  ……

…that Trump had said at one of his rallies that the country had "turned the corner" on the pandemic.

He riposted…

“As my grandfather would say, this guy’s gone around the bend if he thinks we’ve turned the corner. Turning the corner? Things are getting worse,” Biden said.

I do not recall hearing this expression until after I moved here to Latin America. The first time I heard the phrase was from my distant great-aunt in the early 90s. She was born in Liverpool in 1917, was a "land girl" during the "blitz"
, and then married a diplomat from here in Guatemala in the 50s.
My research delivers…

You might use this phrase for something that drives you batty: "I didn't go around the bend until we got our fifth dog." You could also say, more seriously, "It might drive her around the bend when she hears that her son's in trouble again." The origin isn't clear, as some word experts suspect it has a nautical origin — a bend is a series of sailors' knots — while others think it's related to long, curved driveways leading to mental hospitals.

vocabulary.com
Phrases.org says ...

….the earliest reference to this saying predates the building of most public asylums and states that it is specifically nautical slang. Quinion remarks that the metaphor is close in meaning to "loopy"; Brewer's "Phrase and Fable" suggests that it is related to the metaphor contained in "having funny/queer turns"; i.e. that a person who just has queer turns may still be more or less OK but if you go beyond having queer turns and go "right round the bend" you're completely mad. At any rate, the metaphor appears to be to the twists of one's mind, not a carriage drive. (The more so as Victorians preferred their carriage drives to be curved ina fine elegant sweep, so even if asylum drives had routinely had a bend in them, that wouldn't have made them in any way special.

So…can anyone nail down the first usage and etymology of the phrase?


texts: "To latch in a recess/groove" vs. "to catch in a recess/groove"

texts: Is there a difference in meaning when used in a technical context? For example, does a fork latch in a recess when pressed or does it catch in the recess?


texts: Phrase for "putting one's plans into action"

texts:
I am looking for a phrase, metaphor, or cliche to mean "putting one's plans into action".

I am using it in the following sentence.

  As the events of the play proceed, however, Hamlet becomes increasingly hesitant about following through with his plans. He wastes much of his time ruminating on whether or not he should [insert phrase here].

The wording of the sentence is likely subject to change depending on what phrase I use, but that is the general idea.


texts: What is the origin of the word "parlor"?

texts: What is the origin of the word parlor, as in an old fashioned sitting room? I suspect it's French, but I'm missing a step to get to the meaning.


texts: Is there an antonym for the word "Behold"?

texts: What is the opposite word (or antonym) for the word "Behold" as in the phrase "Behold the mighty ..."?


texts: When something appears a certain way, but is also its opposite

texts:
In the middle of a conversation I had with a friend recently, I tried to describe a theoretical person's living situation.
This person is extroverted, in that he craves social communication, but due to his say, important exam, he has been spending more time alone, furiously studying. He has spent so much time alone that he now appreciates solitude. Put simply, our theoretical person is extroverted but also introverted, which is its exact opposite.

Is there a word or saying to describe a situation like that?

Something that is both one way and another.
It wouldn't have to apply to people only, various situations may call for the same word. I first described it with oxymoronic, which was the closest word I knew to whatever fits the puzzle.

Which word should I use?


texts: Is there a term for words that have a single meaning or are only used in a single context?

texts:
Certain words you hear in English are only ever heard in a single context. For example, skirl is used to describe the sound a bagpipe makes. Etymonline generously says the word is "rarely" heard outside that context, but I can't recall ever hearing it used for anything else. I imagine one could use it figuratively to describe another godawful high-pitched screech (sorry, bagpipe lovers), but there's no other bona fide usage for it.

What I want to know is stated in the title of the question: Is there a term for these one-off words? I'm sure there must be, but I can't think of what it might be.

Edit: Judging from some of the head-scratching comments I've received, there seems to be some confusion. Perhaps I did not make my meaning clear. I'm not looking for a word to describe the single instance of skirl. I'm asking about a class of words like skirl. I know there exist other examples of words that are only ever used in one context, but I can't think of any others at the moment.


texts: What is the origin of the phrase "Too busy chopping wood to sharpen the axe"

texts: I am writing an article and would like to attribute the phrase correctly.


texts:
I'm looking for something similar to "mom to be" / "mom expecting a child" or something similar to that which would indicate a woman going through pregnancy which is soon to be a mother.

I'm looking for a more playful / fun way of saying this, more specifically for a t-shirt print.


texts:
English is not my language and I need help with this...

I need create a name for an mobile app that will help pregnant womens for 9 months giving tips about everything about she and her babe.

So ... I need a English equivalent or Expression for "Who take care of a Pregnant Mother". Would be "Mommy's Carer" ?

Thank you all that can help me!


texts: Word meaning the act of the state taking away one's right to live

texts:
I remember once coming upon an essay/article which, among other things, mentioned a (not uncommon) word whose technical definition was the state's act of officially removing a guilty person's right to life, prior to execution.

The first word that now comes to mind is condemn, but none of the definitions seems to fit what I remember. The word was not at all obscure. Is there another word more suitable? Or does one of condemn's meanings include this concept?


texts:
You didn't think highly of something and after you hear good things about it and can you say ("It looks different now")?
Is the expression correct? If it isn't, how would you say when you want to say something like the expression in the bracket.


texts: Using "the" with name of research center

texts:
The name of our research center is Southeastern Transportation Center, STC is the acronym, of course. In writing, I use STC, not 'the STC' but our director says 'the' is needed so that it reads well. For example, I write: STC supports graduate education.; director says it should be The STC supports graduate education.

Ruling?


texts: How to use several adjectives afterwards

texts:
While doing an English test I've found this question :

  A ___________ lives in that house.

  fat, small man
  small, man fat
  man, fat small
  small, fat man

Could someone give me an explanation of what's the right answer, and more importantly why?

Is there a difference between British and American English in this case?


texts:
I have read this sentence and can not get "does is" meaning.   Which type of grammar is it?

  Couchsurfing is a fairly new website, and what it does is it allows travelers from different parts of the world to meet people in the destinations they're going to. People offer a couch in their home or perhaps space on their floor, and in return  you're expected in your own hometown to offer the same kind of things to people who  might visit you.


texts:
After registering on an irish website, the following message showed up below the login form:

  By pressing login I agree to sharing my personal details and contact information with this government body.

Although I'm not a native english speaker, I admit that the above expression bothered me.

Doesn't someone agree to do something? Therefore, agree to share his/her information? Why is the -ing form being used?


texts:
I'm not sure whether the plural of "cost" is "cost" or "costs". Like "information" is as well singular as plural - I think you can't have "one cost"? So it has to be "cost" in plural?
Something like the following sentence:

The cost(s) of those products are higher than the revenues.


texts: Is there a word or a common phrase for this motion of the hands

texts:
I want to describe this motion with words. What would be the concise way?

(Actually it's this motion but with the hands closer to the lap than the face but that's not very important)


texts:
If I could make it back to the office, I would come.

Should I use could or can here?


texts: Any idea where the phrase at sixes and sevens came from, and what it really means?


texts: Is It Redundant To Use "But" Before "Alas"?

texts:
Given the two sentences:

She spent months in the hospital; alas, the doctors couldn't save her.
She spent months in the hospital, but alas, the doctors couldn't save her.

In the second sentence, it seems the word "but" is unnecessary.


texts: What is the term for a pet name used in a sense of derision?

texts:
I found out today that the term for pet names used in an affectionate or an endearing way is hypocorism, I searched online but I couldn't find a term for nicknames used in a derisive sense, such as a term for a teacher that pupils hate. In a sense it would be an antonym for hypocorism, maybe I'm overlooking something obvious.

Looking at the etymology, hypocorism comes the Greek verb for speaking in a childish manner, which itself is a compound of 'underneath' and 'to caress'. It doesn't appear to provide an easy antonym.


texts: When describing a person as humor-challenged, what does it mean?


texts: Why does the letter "a" correspond to /ɪ/ in words like "image", "private" and "surface" (American English)?

texts:
In American English, in words ending with -age, -ate and -ace, the ‹a› correspond to /ɪ/ (short i). Examples: image, village, damageprivate, senate, separatesurface, preface, palace
(It should be noted that dictionaries do not always agree about the pronunciation, and some use /ə/ instead of /ɪ/ for some of the words).In all of these words the last syllable is unstressed. In unstressed syllables vowels may be reduced to schwa or to a short vowel of a similar quality, like /i:/ to /ɪ/ and /u:/ to /ʊ/. But at the words above, the underlying vowel in the unstressed syllable is either /eɪ/ or /æ/, so it is unclear to me why the reduction is to /ɪ/.


texts:
What is the difference between the words to prolong and to protract? Can we replace the words with each other without losing their meanings in the following sentences?

To protract means:

  Prolong:

  He had certainly taken his time, even protracting the process.

  To deprive a successful litigant of interest on his or her legal costs
  is to encourage the losing side to delay and protract the assessment
  process.

  The ‘winner-take-all electoral vote’ practice can avoid prolonged
  county by county vote count, which will inevitably protract the
  delivery of a new president.

  We've been in such a hurry for all these years for one main reason -
  the more the negotiations are protracted, the more difficult they
  become, which can be easily noticed.

http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/protract

To prolong means:

  to make something last a longer time:

  We were having such a good time that we decided to prolong our
  stay by another week.

  She chewed each delicious mouthful as slowly as she could,
  prolonging the pleasure.

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/prolong


texts:
The title explains it all. I had an argument with my English
teacher; she gave us a task to convert nouns to their corresponding
adjectives and verbs.
She gave us belief as the noun and told us that its corresponding
adjective should be believable.  I think that’s true, but I thought
that believed should also count as a correct answer as well.
Am I wrong?
For example, is it wrong to say the following?

It is a generally believed fact.

Or should believed, for some reason, not count as an adjective
in that sentence?


texts: Is there a noun form for "fine-grained"?

texts: For example I want to say: ...the level of (fine-grained in noun) that is needed...  I wonder if the word "grainery" will work.


texts: Alternative for 'setting the heather on fire'

texts: I have a thing for idioms and one such idiom I regularly use is 'to set the heather on fire'. It fits well whenever referring to doing something sensational. Now, is there any alternative to this? Any other idiom or word which comes close to meaning the same?


texts:
friendly (advs). : Used to mean 'in a friendly manner.

  I am wondering if "friendfully"  was/is in standard usage and would
  I sound primitive or ungrammatical if I dare write "friendfully yours"
  in an e-mail signature.