texts: Word(s) describing person in "Elephant has tail, elephant has trunk" scenario

texts:
A survey shows there is a shortage of women who are software developers. Sarah replies to it saying the  reason is because   women feel intimidated by the men to women ratio  in the workplace.
John replies saying a reason for the shortage could be that women generally prefer roles where they interact with other people as well as they prefer a work-life balance.
Sarah tells John he is statement is incorrect, he doesn't know what he is talking about and she is correct.

Both Sarah and John are correct
How would you  with a single/ two words describe her or  her stance of only believing/focus on one answer, her answer, when there are multiple answers.
Another example:

Pete says an elephant has a trunk. Dave says an elephant has tusks. Pete says Dave is incorrect but he is correct. Both are correct. Which single/ two words would convey that Pete's view is correct but at the same time incorrect by discounting Dave's view.


texts: Is -age as in garage, mirage, barrage a suffix?

texts: So -age as in bondage, message is a suffix since it's active in creating non-Norman words such as shrinkage (with the Saxon stem shrink), slippage (Saxon slip). What about the more recent -age as in garage, mirage, barrage. Is it considered a suffix in English?


texts: What is the name of this sort of Platform?

texts: They are above the ground, below them their children are training. For some reason the word is escaping me.


texts: Past tense of “to cast” in the programming sense

texts:
In programming, to cast (also: to typecast) means to convert an object from one type to another (see Wikipedia).

I'd like to know the correct past tense of to cast in this sense. Is it cast or casted?

I'm aware that there is already a similar question: Can “casted” be the past tense of “cast”? However, that question has only one answer mentioning this particular usage of the word, and it doesn't quote any sources.


texts: Word for special/fancy/unusual/awesome recipes

texts:
Hey i am searching for a word, which fits the meaning i want to spread. It is about recipes that are unusual and fancy.. So they are more sophisticated and more awesome than other recipes.

I am from germany and not sure which word fits the best..

Something like Fancy Recipes, does that work or is it uncommon?

thanks a lot


texts:
We couldn't tell if what he was doing was singing or making some other kind of noise.

From the above sentence why can't we remove the "what". "If What..." sounds very strange to me. Can you explain please?


texts: After third person pronouns: verbs with or without “-s”? (special case involving “if”)

texts:
I don't know what's going on with me lately. I've never had this question before and it was never an issue for me while writing something but two weeks ago I started to think about whether I should use verbs with or without -s after third person pronouns.

First, let's analyze an example in the first person:

  I don't wanna do this, but if I do, would you leave me alone?

In this example, "If I do" isn't in the present tense because I'm not saying I do something, I'm saying I could do.

Now the problem comes. Let's analyze this same sentence in the third person:

  She doesn't wanna do this, but if she DO, would you leave her alone?

Again this is not the present tense. I'm saying she could DO and not she DOES.

Another one:

  The project she presented was a mess. If she FAIL with another one she'll be fired.

I'm not saying she FAILS, I'm saying she could FAIL.

Do you guys understand what my question is? I don't have problem in using verbs in the present tense like "She works very hard". The problem is when the verb isn't in the present tense and it's preceded by a third person pronoun.

So, which is the correct form? Which of these two variants should I say, and why?

The project she presented was a mess. If she FAIL with another one she'll be fired.
The project she presented was a mess. If she FAILS with another one she'll be fired.


texts: "We want to change" versus "We want change"

texts:
Is there any difference between the following?

A: We want to change.
B: We want change.


texts: On expressions about "false accusation" and "death penalty"

texts:
I want to say the following content: "If, after a death penalty is carried out, the case is shown to be false, there is no mending."

Which expression is the most appropriate?
(1) If, after a death penalty is carried out, he or she is shown to be falsely accused, there is no mending.

(2) If, after capital punishment is carried out, the case is shown to be false, there is no mending.

I'm not sure whether the subject should be "the case" or "a person", although there may be some other mistakes in these sentences.


texts: I am in New York when you are in London next week

texts:
Is the titular sentence grammatically correct? I typically use will and I am trying to learn (and teach) better forms.

It sounds odd but if both I and you have made plans to be in New York and London respectively, it seems this is the way to state the fact?

Perhaps it is not OK to say "You are in London next week"? because it is somebody else's plan not mine, and who am I to treat is as confirmed? (well, if I were a supervisor or a military commander confirming plans for my subordinates I might need to say so.)

I already went through these two questions and this question is a followup. Any insight would be appreciated.


texts: Is the phrase 'top-level' appropriate to describe data that makes general obeservations as opposed to more detailed ones?

texts: I am trying to find an appropriate term to describe general data in the form of statistics or reports that give somebody a general overview on a topic. I am trying to distinguish this from very specific and nuanced insights and findings one may take from a specialist report.


texts: “Not sure what the contact’s full name is?” vs. “Not sure what is the contact’s full name"

texts:
In an application I am writing, I require the user to state a contact's full name.
I have a disagreement with my marketing director regarding the correct wording for when the user doesn't know the full name.
I want to help this user and so I am giving him a tip on what to do when the contact's full name is not known. The tip has a title then a body with an explanation of what to do.

My question is, what should be the title of this tip?
Is it “Not sure what the contact’s full name is? or “Not sure what is the contact’s full name"?

When is it correct to use either?
There is a similar question here but I didn't fully understand it or whether it pertains to my phrase:
"I'm not sure what the right way is"

Thanks.


texts:
I have noticed a trend that where in the past one would simply use the word "fee", now the phrase "nominal fee" is always used.  As far as I understand, the word "nominal" literally means "in name only".  So a "nominal fee" would be a fee so low that it is not really a fee at all, but is a fee "in name only".

For example a swimming beach in my area has a website where they say "the beach is open to the public for a nominal fee of $8".  In my estimation, $8 is not in any way low... if anything it is average and is probably more on the high side for swimming.  It would have to be on the order of $1 or $2 to be considered "nominal" in my estimation.

Is this a case of misuse of a term, where people think the word "nominal" always goes before the word "fee" and don't understand its meaning?


texts: "Let him wait" or "Keep him waiting" or "Make him wait"

texts:
There is someone I do not want to see. What can I say to my assistant:

Let him wait.
Keep him waiting.
Make him wait.

What is the difference between these?


texts: Is there a difference between "Wrong or Right" and "Right or Wrong"

texts:
I was writing about the difference between morals and ethics when i wrote the following line

  both these terms talk about the right and wrong conduct of people
     both these terms talk about the wrong and right conduct of people

I would think both these sentence would convey the same meaning , as it is like saying You are fat and tall against You are tall and fat.

I just need a confirmation that these two sentences convey the same meaning. Am i missing anything?


texts: What's the name of the buildings/infrastructure collecting raw resources?

texts:
I tried to find a generic name for buildings that are involved in raw resources production. I thought about factory but it sounds more like transforming raw (or already manufactured) resources into something else.

Does a generic name exist for buildings producing raw resources ?

Edit: When I mention buildings, I'm talking about infrastructures involved in the extraction like oil platforms.


texts: What does "I'd be the luckiest guy alive if that did it for me" mean?

texts:
In the movie As Good As It Gets, there is this dialogue:

  Simon Bishop: Thank you, Melvin. You... overwhelm me.
  [pauses]
  Simon Bishop: I love you.
  Melvin Udall: I tell you, buddy... I'd be the luckiest guy alive if that did it for me.

What does I'd be the luckiest guy alive if that did it for me mean ?


texts: Correct usage of neither/nor vs. not/and + usage of was/were

texts:
Since I am not a native speaker, I would like to consult with you. Which version would be the correct one? (I am translating a text in informal style)

There were neither hair dryer, shower gel, nor shampoo in the room.
There was neither hair dryer, shower gel, nor shampoo in the room.
There were neither hair dryer, nor shower gel, nor shampoo in the room.
There was neither hair dryer, nor shower gel, nor shampoo in the room.
There weren't any hair dryer, shower gel and shampoo in the room.
There wasn't any hair dryer, shower gel and shampoo in the room.

Maybe there is another better informal way how to say that there were no hair dryer, shower gel and shampoo in the room?


texts: Sentence from Science magazine: Does it contain a dangling participle?

texts:
The following line is from an article in the June 2015 issue of Science magazine.

  Readers of Sacks know he is no stranger to writing about himself, having previously written several books detailing his encounters with patients displaying unusual neurological conditions.

Here, can "he" be considered the subject of the participial phrase ("having previously written..."), in which case this would not be a dangling participle; or, is it really "readers" that is the subject of the participial phrase, in which case this would be a dangling participle?


texts: Phrase to refer to community of people who come together to exchange knowledge

texts:
I need a two word phrase to refer to a community of people (academia + non-academia) who come together to share/exchange their knowledge/ideas openly on topics of their interests/ specializations.

I would appreciate the use of small and easier/common words for the phrase. Single words are also acceptable. Feel free to throw out your creative ideas and newly invented phrases.


texts:
Words comforted and healed my discontent when I discovered that
  Brendan, my beautiful first-born son was severely autistic with
  limited speech.  (Benita Porter, The Power of Words)
  - audio link

Which way does the essay writer pronounce: /ɑːˈtɪstɪk/ (1) or /ɔˈtɪstɪk/ (2):

If she did (2) as is in dictionaries, what’s the difference between (1) and (2)?
(I hear (1) instead of (2), so I’m wondering what it is. Though I’ve already put the likewise question once on ELL, after getting right answer here from a specific case, I would like to improve my pronunciation understanding better.)
If she did (1), isn’t there no difference between the two, /ɑ/ and /ɔ/, for some Americans?


texts: Expression for "Respect them and suspect them"

texts:
There is a Hebrew expression explained here:

  A common Hebrew expression is "Respect them and suspect them". We should always act in a respectful way towards others, but that doesn't obligate us to trust them with our property. The source of this is in a story of the Talmudic sage Rabbi Yehoshua. A complete stranger asked to stay the night. Rabbi Yehoshua obliged him by giving him a room in the attic, but also exercised prudence by removing the ladder so that the guest wouldn't be able to sneak out. The guest turned out in fact to be a thief; he wrapped all the valuables in the top floor in a cloak and tried to sneak out, but fell in the dark because of the missing ladder, and was caught red-handed.
  (http://www.aish.com/ci/be/48918612.html)

Do we have an expression in English to this effect?


texts: Why 'dedicate' used passive voice in this sentence of the Gettysburg Address?

texts:
It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.

In this sentence, 'dedicate' use passive voice, to be dedicated, and In my opinion,
 the correct tense is ' to dedicate'. so how to explain it?


texts: Is the expression "The States" used by Americans when referring to the US?

texts: Does the expression "The States" have any currency in AE when referring to the US, or is it chiefly used by native English speakers from outside?


texts: Please help me understand a poem by W. B. Yeats

texts:
The poem in question is 'The Choice':

  The intellect of man is forced to choose
  perfection of the life, or of the work,
  And if it take the second must refuse
  A heavenly mansion, raging in the dark.
  When all that story's finished, what's the news?
  In luck or out the toil has left its mark:
  That old perplexity an empty purse,
  Or the day's vanity, the night's remorse.

I understand the gist of it but the lines 6 and 7 confuse me (non-native speaker). I am not asking for interpretations per se but rather a simpler wording? Thank you


texts:
In the following sentence I am using a combination of numbers and words in a sentence:

  The greatest loss in accuracy for the method is between a rate of one and two hours where, on average, the accuracy of the method dropped from 2.5 to 7 days.

Is this correct?

I have to use 2.5 in the last part of the sentence as this wouldn't really work with two and a half. So, my question is: is the one and two OK as it is, or should it be written as 1 and 2?


texts:
What is the reason for using "to" and "to the" before the word "church" in different parts of this passage?

  On Sundays, we always went to church. After breakfast, the carriage took Ambrose and me to the church in the village. All the servants came to church too. On Sunday evenings, we had an early dinner. Usually, some of our neighbours would eat with us.

(My Cousin Rachel, Daphne Du Maurie)


texts:
I heard "thingy/thingie" very often to refer to "a something". However, I observe it written either way and I don't know what is the correct form.

Dictionary.com redirects "thingie" to "thingy", where the article says:

  thingy

  [thing-ee]

  noun, plural thingies.

  Facetious. any small item whose name is unknown or forgotten.

  adjective

  of, relating to, or characteristic of inanimate objects.

Then, the Urban Dictionary mentions both: thingy and thingie

  thingie

  n. a non-specific term for anything

  thingy

  Used to describe an object on the spur of the moment when you have a
  sudden brain fritz and forget exactly what you were gonna say was.

And Wordreference does not find any of them.

What is, then, the proper way to write it?


texts:
I want to give some advice casually. Consider this sentence,

Just a reminder: If you think you can make someone's day please do it,
cause the world need more love.

Here, I love the way the phrase "Just a reminder" has been put in at the beginning.
Similarly, I am looking for an introductory phrase to casually give advice. For example,

Settling the issues with anger is easy, you must have the courage to
actually explain to your child the actual thing.

I thought some phrases might be,

Just an advice

Just some casual thoughts

But you see, they are not really appropriate for my case. Can someone suggest better phrases?


texts: What does "duly" mean in the phrase "duly noted"?

texts:
The phrase "duly noted" is very common, but I have never used the word "duly" outside of this context.

What is the meaning of the word "duly", and what does it add to the word "noted"?

I would also like to know if there are other uses of "duly", and if it can be used on its own.


texts:
What is the origin of the term wee hours? (Also small hours)

  Wee hours the early hours of the morning after midnight. (Oxford Dictionary of English)

I also looked at Merriam, the Free Dictionary and Wiktionary. None offer a etymology of the phrase.

The Times of India claim to, but don't :

  Wee hours mean the early hours of a day, or the period immediately after midnight. They are called so because the word 'wee' in present-day English means 'very small or tiny'. As these hours are the beginning of the new day they came to be referred to as the wee hours.

That comment fails to explain why being early should equate to small.

My guess

Hours have not always been consistent lengths of time.  A day used to be divided into two twelve hour periods, like today, but unlike today, they were not of even lengths: the day (sunrise to sunset) was twelve hours and the night (sunset to sunrise) was twelve hours.

This meant that in the summer day hours were longer than night hours, and in the winter night hours were longer than day. In the summertime the hours after midnight (the wee/small hours) were smaller than the day hours. However this would mean that wee hours only refers to night in the summer; in the winter wee hours should refer to the daytime.


texts:
let’s suppose I’m sad about something.
Can I say “I’m glooming at it”, “I’m glooming at the fact you failed in the exam”?


texts: In the phrasal verb 'put up', what is the meaning of 'up'?

texts:
In the dictionary, I wrote that 'up'means 'up,perfectly'.
Then what is the meaning of 'up' in this sentence below?
'I put up at the cheap hotel.'


texts:
I'm reading Cory Doctorow's Eastern Standard Tribe. He keeps using a sentence construction that I have never seen before:

"...my poor pineal gland has all but forgotten how to do its job without that I drown it in melatonin precursors."
"No one down there is going to notice me all the way up here, not without that I give them a sign."

As this occurs several times throughout the novel, it's clearly intentional, not a one-off error. However, I can't recall ever having read "without that" + [clause] before. To me, the sentences feel like they should read "...without my/me drowning it... and "...without my/me giving them a sign."
I was curious about this, and it turned out to be difficult to Google fruitfully, so I thought I'd see if anyone here knows: Where does this construction come from, and why is he using it? Is this a dialectal thing, and if so, what varieties of English can use it? In short: What's going on here?


texts: Word meaning to interrogate in a "mild" manner?

texts:
Example:

  The police started [...] the little kid.

In this case, I think interrogating is a little too severe. I thought of the word questioning but I think this can cause confusion (could mean they are questioning his motives).

Any suggestions?


texts: Term for derogatory suffix used with city names?

texts:
When speaking of a city in negative terms one might attach a prefix/suffix to the city name. This nickname is a portmanteau that implies a derogatory tone. Most often this will be a negative term but can also be another geographic name. Is there a specialized term for this use? I'm particularly interested in a term for the geographic modifier case.

Examples:

I live in Spokcompton. (Spokane + Compton)
He lives in Fayettnam. (Fayetteville + Vietnam)
Hollyweird
Fithadelphia


texts: Is there a strong correlation between speech rate and beat rate in English

texts:
Can speech rate in English be reliably measured through the beat rate?

Beat rate analysis is now pretty standard, and a plethora of algorithms can reliably measure beat rate — typically in beats per minute (bpm) — of all sorts of formats (e.g. mp3, wav, ogg, etc). Speech rate analysis is typically done by transcribing recorded speech, and measuring it — usually in words per minute, and more robustly in syllables per minute (or per second, no difference) — but could perhaps be well approximated via the bpm measure.

Can it? Does each word in English correlate to a beat via a single tonic syllable?


texts:
I used to work at a grocery store.  When bidding farewell to customers, my coworkers would often use phrases such as "Have a nice day," "Enjoy your day," and the like.

One particular phrase that seemed to be common was "Have a good one" (where "a good one" implies "a good day").

Since working there, I've heard people saying this in a variety of locations, from retail stores to restaurants to customer service helpdesks.  I've never noticed any sort of correlation between age and the usage of the phrase; however, I was wondering about its history.  Is this something that came about relatively recently?

(I've tagged this american-english as I live in the US and that's where I've heard the phrase.)


texts: What is the story behind the word "Mahjong"?

texts:
What is the story behind the word Mahjong?

Google says "sparrows", but is that accurate and why sparrows?

Other results seem to be vague or non-descriptive at best.
It boggles my mind that the word "Chess" has a vast amount of information regarding the origin, history and etymology available, while "Mahjong" leaves us grasping at straws.

Perhaps I'm not looking in the right places?


texts: looking for a name of a type of sentence that uses names of things

texts:
What is it called when you create a sentence made mostly of names, places or things?

An example being

  After waking from (sleeping with sirens) i realized today would be (A day to remember) because it was (may days parade).

The things in parentheses are the names of metal bands.


texts:
The current machine has been repaired.
  Current machine has been repaired.

Which is more natural? What are the subtle differences between them?

Under which cases should an article (a/an/the) not be used?

PS: This site say as follows:

  Do not use both indefinite and definite articles to modify nouns which
  have been modified by other noun markers, such as possessive nouns,
  numbers, and pronouns.

  Possessive nouns: John's friends, Julie's sister, Jane's book

  Numbers: three cars, twelve horses, eight lucky numbers

  Pronouns: my, your, his, her, its, our, their, whose, this, that,
  these, those, all, any, each, either, every, few, many, more, most,
  much, neither, several, some.


texts: What is the word to describe a bird organizing its feathers?

texts:
Which verb most accurately and commonly describes a bird's daily behavior to make its feathers clean and organized.

"organize" its feathers
"brush" its feathers
"clean" its feathers?


texts:
What is the appropriate verb that I should use to fill in the blank below?

  People march on parades, but models __ on the catwalk.


texts: comma before "though" when ending a sentence — is it necessary?

texts:
Two Oxford dictionaries contradict each other (see below).

In your opinion, is it necessary to use a comma before though when it ends a sentence?

  Oxford Dictionary of English

  I was hunting for work. Jobs were scarce though.

  Concise Oxford English Dictionary

  He was able to write, though.


texts:
As a non-native English speaker, I wonder what the difference is between the following sentences:

It's a chance to work with you.
It's an opportunity to work with you.

I ask this question, because in french, a literal translation lead to different meanings:
In French, "chance" means in this case an honor and "opportunité" can have a negative connotation (I will benefit from you, but not necessarily you from me).

So what are the exact meanings of the two sentence (with their connotations) ?


texts: What word class/part of speech is " the doctor's " in " the doctor's office "?

texts:
I need to be able to identify the word classes/parts of speech of each word in a sentence such as:
"He walked into the doctor's office."
Is it a possessive determiner? A possessive adjective? A possessive noun?

This wikipedia page indicates (without reference) that it can be called a determiner: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Possessive_determiner. I see the parallel with "The doctor called him; he walked into her office," where "her" - which is a possessive determiner - serves an almost identical function as "the doctor's". It's determining the specificity of the office, much like the determiners "the office" or (that office). However, most pages I've found on determiners don't mention this type of formation, and they present determiners as a closed word class (which logically can't include all cases of "[noun]'s").

"Doctor" in the sense referred to here is a noun, and the 's commonly shows possession, but in the case of "the doctor's office" the word "doctor's" isn't a noun in its own right, is it? Without the head noun "office", it doesn't signify any specific object, merely the quality of belonging (as in "the doctor's house", "the doctor's garden" etc).

As it's modifying/adding information about the office, is it an adjective in this case?

Does it depend on whether "the" is considered to be referring to the (specific) doctor or to the (specific) office?

Thanks for any help!


texts:
I am ESL and am not really comfortable creating formal emails. Right now I am trying to formulate a thank you email to the operations manager for taking time to set me up with everything needed for a smooth transition.

Is "Thank you for taking time to set me up ..." a good formal approach?


texts: Can you say "unconfident", as in the opposite of being/having confidence?

texts:
Can you say unconfident? I heard it mentioned in Top Chef recently, where a chef mentioned she was unconfident with her cooking skills in a certain area.

Is this the correct way to describe the opposite of having confidence?

Is inconfidence a word? I have heard it mentioned as "lack of confidence".

I am not a native English speaker.

Update: I did look it up on m-w.com before posting but should of course have included my findings here. But I just noticed that I might have not just read the add. I thought m-w didn't have the word listed, but really the add says something different.

Oxford has it listed as someone mentions though.

To clarify, I'm asking if unconfident is the correct word to use for describing the opposite of being confident, mainly because "it sounded a bit odd to me", I thought inconfident might be more correct, but as someone mentions, that isn't a word. I personally preferred "I lack confidence in my skills" but I doubt you would hear that a lot in spoken language.


texts: What is the word "funny" modifying in this sentence?

texts:
I don’t understand why Daniella is acting so funny.

Is funny modifiying Daniella (which would make it an adjective) or is it modifying acting (making it an adverb)?

Is there any way to tell from this sentence?


texts:
Which of the following sentences is correct?
In other words, do I need the comma before the word "team"?

By using this plan, we are keeping a limited, yet strong and great team.

By using this plan, we are keeping a limited, yet strong and great, team.

Also, what is the grammar term for this? Is this called "conjunction"?


texts:
Possible Duplicates:
  Which is correct, “you and I” or “you and me”?
  When do I use “I” instead of “me?”

Could you please explain more in an answer, so that I and other developers would use benefit.

Could you please explain more in an answer, so that me and other developers would use benefit.

Which one is correct? Why?


texts: Why did the old pronouns and their respective endings vanish from daily usage?

texts:
If I’m not wrong, the verb conjugation in the past used to be:

I have           we have
thou hast        ye have
he/she/it hath   they have

This conjugation is closer to its equivalent in the German language:

ich habe         wir haben
du hast          ihr habt
er/sie/es hat    sie/Sie haben

The thing is: Every verb in every tense in German ends with -st in the second person singular, and as far as I know, in Elizabethan English the verbs used to end in this way as well in the second person singular (thou shouldst, canst, makest, eatest, composest, etc.).

Why exactly did the old thou disappear, as well as related forms thy, thee, thyself, and thine, as well as the corresponding verb ending -st? Same for -eth in third person singular (it hath, maketh, etc.), why did it just disappear from daily usage?

I’m a Brazilian and my mother-tongue is Portuguese, so I’m not well aware of the background of this, and I am very curious. These forms can be found in the old King James Bible and in the poetry of William Shakespeare, as well as in many other sources, but I would like to know exactly why they’re gone, and for what reasons.


texts:
I'm creating a clone of a popular app (let's call it Appo), and with time, I foresee the clone looking less like the original.

The best description I could come up with for this project is:

  A supposed-to-be Appo clone

I don't like it and I believe there must be a one-word adjective that can replace 'supposed-to-be'.


texts: Proper spelling of variant of "suspicious"

texts:
I'm not sure if it's an Aussie thing, but if something is suspicious, then it's sus(s), e.g:

  Someone added me on Facebook but they don't have a profile picture. I think they're a bit sus(s).

The problem is I don't know whether it is spelt with a double "S". Urban Dictionary has both spellings, and Dictionary.com and others just have "suss" as in "to suss something out".

Could anyone provide a reference?


texts: SWR "post-closing" 'aftermath" comments after an argument

texts:
Consider the final (often rather desultory) addendum or comments made (by one side or the other) after an issue is decided, after an argument is complete.

So, it could be a statement of success (whether snipey or kind), an acceptance and admission of defeat (again whether angry or accepting).

What's the SW for that?

Note that there are plenty of SWs for other "phases" of argumentation.  For example, it's clear what "closing comments" ("last chance to wrap before the final decision") or "preamble" is. There are also SWs for witty parts of arguments, silly parts of arguments, and so on.

What do you call the "after-resolution" ejaculations?  Cheers


texts: Why do some people say "My name is Doctor / Dr. X" instead of "I'm Doctor / Dr. X"?

texts:
I'm Portuguese and I live in Portugal. Here it's (still) common to see some people using their academic/professional title in introductions: "Hi, I'm Doctor / Dr. / Eng. X".

However, when watching some videos from people living in English speaking countries, I see that some people say "My name is Doctor/Dr. X" instead of "I'm Doctor / Dr. X" and that "sounds weird" to me, because "Dr./Doctor" is NOT part of (almost) anyone's name, as far as I believe.

Is this use of "My name is [TITLE] X" instead of "I'm [TITLE] X" a cultural thing? Does this happen only in some English speaking countries and not in others?


texts: Signs in states which say "Only Trash Litters"

texts:
In many states I can see signs posted which state
"Only Trash Litters" which I certainly have no problem understanding
and which appear to be correct usage to me. "Trash" can be singular or plural so
I have no problem about this. If the s is dropped on "litters" would both be correct? Or is one use correct?


texts:
Sometimes it’s possible to use either a noun adjunct or the possessive case.

  the shop door
  the shop’s door

However, in certain phrases it’s not OK to do so.

  the ship’s crew (the ship crew is wrong)

The questions are:

How can one find out what to use in such cases as “the shop(’s) door” when a noun adjunct option and the possessive case option are available?
How can one know which option is wrong in order to avoid the construction “ship crew”?
Is there a difference in meaning between (a) the shop door (b) the shop’s door?


texts: What does ‘justness’ mean in the following (literary) examples?

texts:
Examples from the internet:

"A conceit is a comparison whose ingenuity is more striking than its justness..." (Helen Gardner on Metaphysical poetry)
"In poetry, they must be allowed to excel all other mortals; wherein the justness of their similes, and the minuteness as well as exactness of their descriptions, are indeed inimitable."
"The purity of his style, the delicacy of his turns, and the justness of his characters..."

I think the following definition of the word makes sense in the context of literature: conformity with some esthetic standard of correctness or propriety. But I don't fully understand the definition or how it applies to comparisons, similes, and fictional characters.


texts: Relative pronoun "that" with "the only" in the antecedent

texts:
I heard "That" should be used after superlative adjectives and other determiners like all, same, any, none, nothing, only, everything little, much and no.

But in this sentence

  Those who wish to raise the dignity of human life should try to give
  civilization that star, to equip the world with the only vision which
  can save it from ill will and the crazy competitions which lead
  thereto.

In this sentence, I think we should use the relative pronoun 'that' instead of 'which'.

Is 'the sentence above' grammatically incorrect?


texts: Are there any "-nk-" or "-nc-" words in English where there isn't a "ng" before the "k" sound?

texts: In words like think and lank, we actually seem to be saying "thing-k" and "lang-k."  Can anyone thing-k of any words or rules for sound use where this doesn't happen?


texts:
I am not sure if this word really exists. I am trying to translate the German word Einliegerwohnung into English.

I live in the ground floor of a house and the owner lives in the upper floor. So what do I call for the kind of apartment I stay. Is it an inlay apartment?

Google doesn't have any good results for inlay apartment. If the apartment I live in is not an inlay apartment, what can I call it?


texts: What is a word that means "a person or thing which is small yet capable of defeating big giants"?

texts:
What can I call a person or a thing that is very small yet capable of defeating big giants?

I need different words that can be connected closely to this meaning.

It can be related to success,war, or anything else.


texts: Is the "ng" sound often pronounced simultaneously with the "n" sound?

texts:
Don't native speakers in some regions pronounce [ŋ] simultaneously with the [n] sound in order to connect it without releasing the "g"?

For instance, can the word "singer" instead of sɪŋ·ər, be pronounced more like sɪŋn·ər?

I'm asking because every time I try to pronounce that word, the "g" sound is released automatically, even though it's very slight, and the only way to avoid it is adding the "n" sound.

My native language is Russian.


texts:
"Just stop trying to count clouds with me," I growled. "Talk sense. If you've' got a job for me, it's probably too dirty for me to touch. But I'll at least listen."

It could be understood "sound out", or "feel out"?

It's from Goldfish by Raymond Chandler.


texts: What is the grammar behind 'if either thee dislike'?

texts:
This sentence appears in Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet':

Juliet:
My ears have yet drunk a hundred words,
Of thy tone's uttering, and yet I know the sound.
Art thou not Romeo, and a Montague?
Romeo:
Neither, fair maid, if either thee dislike.

If 'either' is the subject, then why is the verb form 'dislike', not 'disliketh'? 'Thee' cannot be the subject here since the subjective form should be 'thou'.

Can anyone tell me the grammar behind this?


texts: What phrasal verb or expression is used to say “make a short stop”?

texts: So what I’m trying to say is “I made a short stop to buy coffee”, but in a more colloquial way. Is it okay to say “I stopped by to buy coffee? Or Like what would the correct expression be?


texts: Why is martini pluralized when a volume larger than one drink is referred to? "I have a pitcher if martinis chilling." We don't say we have a pitcher of lemonades chilling.


texts: "physically attractive" vs. "attractive physically"

texts:
I have come across the following sentence in a dictionary:

  Though not very attractive physically, she possessed a good sense of
  humour.

I think the adverb "physically" postmodifies the adjective "attractive" to form the adjective phrase "attractive physically". But as far as I know the usual order is adverb(s) + adjective (where adverbs premodify an adjective), so I wonder if this is a special case and if there is a rule for it.

If I change the sentence to

  Though not very physically attractive, she possessed a good sense of humour.

does this sound as good as the original sentence?


texts: name for slot that clamps a pushed-in soldered wire?

texts:
I recently told OP how to replace her 4-wire ceiling fan control switch. I got to the part where I described dis/connecting the fan's wires and the switch, and have included her questions in quotes:

to remove a wire from the switch: straighten one leg from a paperclip and shove it into the hole into which the wire is inserted while pulling gently on the wire until it releases. "Why the paperclip?" It releases some kinda clamp.
to insert a wire into the switch: first, ensure the wire is either solid-core (which, for this usecase, it almost certainly won't be) or soldered (aka tinned). "Why?" Because the wire must be stiff enough to insert into the clamp. "Doesn't the paperclip open the clamp?" One doesn't use the paperclip for insertion, just removal.

"What do you call those things? Not the switch, but the wire-clamping thing?" I have no clue. I know these slots or clamps are not specific to ceiling-fan switches, because I have encountered them in a few other electrical and electronic contexts, but I dunno what their "proper name" is, nor can I find that with a few minutes' random websearch. Your assistance is appreciated.


texts:
A variation of "smother", obviously, to describe someone with an inclination to smother other people.

"You're just too needy and smothersome."

Thoughts? Corrections? Suggestions?

Edit: Apologies and clarification. I did find a Google search result that states that this word is an adjective which describes something that is easily smothered. But to me, this word sounds akin to "bothersome": causing bother, troublesome. To me, "smothersome" wouldn't describe something that is easily smothered, instead it would describe something that does the smothering...


texts: As in "an echoey room".  People do use this word in speech, but it isn't proper in writing.  I thought of "echoing", but that implies that something is currently making an echo, whereas what I'm looking for would mean that if there was a noise in the room, it would echo.  Are there any real words for this?


texts: A technical term to describe adjectives like "fast", "long", "strong", "large", "deep", "loud", etc

texts:
What is the technical term to describe adjectives like fast, long, strong that are used to describe a particular property of an object in relation to another object's?

Here is an example.

Let's say I have a 20-centimetre ruler.

I can say,

  This ruler is short.

as I compare it to a 1-meter ruler.
Or I can give the opposite statement as I compare it to my pen:

  This ruler is long.

Both statements make sense. Whether it is short or long depends on what I am comparing it to.

(Edit: counterexamples would be Christian, gravitational, electromagnetic, cosmic, cosmological. These are adjectives, too. And I don't think they fit into the category.)

So what is this type of adjectives technically called?

I've come up with the phrase 'relative term', but after a check with Wikipedia, it doesn't seem to be the technical term I am looking for.

  A relative term is a term that makes two or more distinct references to objects (which may be the same object, for example in "The Morning Star is the Evening Star"). A relative term is typically expressed in ordinary language by means of a phrase with explicit or implicit blanks. Examples:
  __ loves __
  __ is the same object as __
  __ is giver of __ to __.

  The word is is a relative term when it expresses identity. The colloquial meaning for a relative term is that > it is different for different people. An example: someone who is 5 feet tall might think someone who is 6 feet tall is tall, but someone who is 5 feet 5 inches would think that someone who is 6 feet 5 inches is tall.


texts:
I am studying English in Korea.

All my friends and I are studying about 'sentence patterns'

Sentence patterns, said in here, are S+V, S+V+C, S+V+O, S+V+I.O+D.O, S+V+O+O.C.

But my teacher said these 5-sentence patterns are not perfect in grammar. But  because we don't use English by mother language, they will be helpful for understanding English.

Then, I came up with something.

Is sentence patterns used everywhere? (like U.S.A, U.K, Australia, anyother country where people use english by their mother language?)

I really wonder.


texts: Word meaning exercising the ability of your professional expertise

texts:
I'm writing a letter of criticism to a local newspaper for publishing a letter expressing climate change denial.
I have this line I'm struggling to find a word for:

In the era of fake news and post-truth, the newspaper would do well to exercise some journalistic [something] and make it clear what the truth about the matter is.

Here, what I'm getting at is that the newspaper has both the expertise (in being truth gatherers) and ability to do a thing, though they don't have the obligation to do so.
In other contexts you might say:

The cook should exercise his culinary [something] and insist he be provided with the finest olive oil.
The doctor should exercise his medical [something] and tell his patient that the rash should be treated, even though she came in for a runny nose.

the [adjective describing the area of expertise] [something] format isn't necessary for the word I'm looking for.


texts:
There are two pronunciations of "via".

ˈvaɪə
ˈviːə

What's the difference?


texts:
On the Wikipedia page for Adverbials, it says [emphasis mine]

  In grammar an adverbial is a word (an adverb) or a group of words (an adverbial phrase or an adverbial clause) that modifies or tells us something about the sentence or the verb.

Further down the page it says that “in the water” is an adverbial complement in:

  John put the flowers in the water
  Wikipedia

But in the sentence above, “in the water” is not a modifier of the verb put.  It is a complement and a prepositional phrase because it begins with the preposition in. Why is it called an adverbial? If we remove the complement we are left with:

  *John put the flowers.

This sentence is clearly incomplete.  If we use an adverb instead of in the water we have:

  John put the flowers here.

The sentence makes sense, here is an adverb, and it tells the listener “where” the flowers are put. According to Wikipedia an adverbial is either an adverb or a group of words, so is here also an adverbial?  Considering its position within the sentence, does here also function as a complement? If I add further information is it an adverbial phrase, or something else?

  John put the flowers here in this vase.

The subject of the clause is John, the verb is put (past simple), the flowers is the direct object, and “here in this vase” is: What?

Questions

Why does Wikipedia say in the water is an adverbial?
Is  “here” also acting as a(n) (adverbial) complement?
Is in this vase the modifier of the object (the flowers) or the verb? How do I tell?
What effect does the adverb, here, have on the sentence?
Is here in this vase an adverbial phrase, or an adverbial complement. Is it called something else?

This post was adapted and inspired  by an edit (now deleted) in  the question: Adverbial phrase. For those who wish to see the original "edit" see the meta post here.


texts: Is there a term for the use of adjectives as nouns?

texts:
I wonder when this horrible trend started—to me it seems to have proliferated very recently, over the last year or two:

  Give the gift of happy this Christmas

..or how about this, from the website of a taxi-hailing smartphone app:

  Quick, safe and reliable is right at your fingertips.

Ignoring for the moment the equally mind-boggling choice of is rather than are in that sentence, is there term for this marketing-led practice of using adjectives as abstract nouns? (By "term" I mean a noun—I can think of many adjectives to describe it.)

Edit: I see this as somewhat distinct from the use of adjectives as concrete countable nouns, to which I'd become more accustomed without even noticing it. Usually it's when "one" or "ones" or "thing" or "things" is implicit, as in The Incredibles, or The Good, The Bad And The Ugly, or you have to take the rough with the smooth.  To me, somehow, the definite article makes it OK, whereas it's a whole new level of nasty (sic) to use adjectives as abstract uncountable nouns. Maybe there's a lot of subjectivity in that.

Edit 2: Maybe the defining difference between these new formations and other more-established zero-derivation nominalizations (thank you tchrist for the terms) is this: in the older cases they tend to be a good way of expressing an idea more succinctly than otherwise (try rewriting you've got to take the rough with the smooth and it will sound less pithy); by contrast, in the offending new cases there is already a perfectly good abstract noun that would fit right into the sentence without changing the meaning (happiness, speed, safety and reliability in the above examples).


texts: Is there any connection between Polari and Nadsat?

texts: While reading the Wikipedia article on Polari, I was struck by the similarities between Polari words and these used by the Droogies in Clockwork Orange. Does anyone know if there are any links between the two?


texts: What would you call this cut out space in a panel?

texts:
What would you call this in English? A Notch / Cavity or something else?

The half panel length needs to be corrected with the width of the "Notch"


texts:
I've been reading Tyburn Tales, a Victorian book about the malefactors who suffered on the gallows at York. This includes potted biographies of some of the more flagitious criminals, including a murderer George Lockey:-

  Lockey was a shoemaker by trade, but being of a disorderly turn of
  mind, had pretty much relinquished his calling for that of
  cock-feeder.

It would seem from this that cock-feeder is some occupation or avocation.  Presumably the literal meaning is not what was intended, as one could hardly make a career out of it. Urban Dictionary has a definition, but it would assuredly not have appeared in Victorian literature. Green's Dictionary of Slang has no entry for this.

So, does anyone know what a cock-feeder did?


texts:
I was working on a crossword puzzle with the clue bearer of gold, frankincense, or myrrh. I immediately thought that the answer is obviously either "magi" or "wise man," but then realized that the puzzle called for a 5 letter word so neither fit. Eventually I figured out that magi is a plural Latin word, so its singular form would be "magus" which was the correct answer.

Is it normal to use the word "magus" in informal, or even formal, English? I've never seen it before. I have however often seen magi used as a singular noun.


texts: What is the meaning and usage of the word "beknownst"?

texts: I've used "beknownst" and "unbeknownst" a couple times but I never really bothered to look it up until now. But it's not in most of the online dictionaries websites I frequent. I'm under the impression that this word is old school; if so, is it still appropriate to use? Or am I better off using some other word that means the same thing?


texts: How to document a change to an earlier proposal

texts:
I wrote an e-mail proposal to send to a client but after asking a co-worker's opinion I decided to reformulate it.

Now I have to describe what has been done but I'm not sure if the expression below is correct or if there is a more idiomatic way to say it.

  Revision of the email proposal.

Is this correct, and if not, what would be a better way to express this?


texts: Is "performance" singular or also plural?

texts:
When I have to use information and performance I'm always confused.

However, I'm asking whether when I'm referring to more than one piece of information of performance I should use "information/performance is" or "information/performance are."


texts: The difference between 'watershed' and 'landmark'

texts:
Can someone explain to me the difference in the usage of such words as 'watershed' and 'landmark'? I know they both also mean 'a turning point in life'. But is there a difference in their connotations?
Thank you for your feedback in advance!


texts: Is it acceptable to start a sentence with “however”?

texts:
I have heard that starting a sentence with however is wrong. What are the grounds for this view and is it still held by a majority of pedants?

They would suggest changing

  However, some people are beginning to doubt this.

to

  Some people, however, are …

or

  Some people are, however, beginning …


texts:
What is the name of equipment that is used in films, like when saying "scene one, take two"?
The equipment is usually black and white in color.


texts: Head word for Synonyms and Word Families?

texts:
Is there a word/term/phrase that means the designated word to represent a collection of related words?

Dictionaries use a "head" or "root" word for variants (House: >Houses, >Housing, >Housed) - is there such a thing for Synonyms and Word Families?

I've Googled and I've searched here (and Yahoo Answers etc.).
I'm not sure if there is such a term.

If there is, can someone please tell me the name?
If there is, can someone point to a source (such as a thesaurus that uses it)?

If there is no such term/reference - what would you suggest as a way to implement it?
Should I simply go for the shortest word in the group (with the same/similar part of speech/morphological attributes (mood/gender etc.)?
Is there a better way?

Thank you.


texts: If I wanted to say, "There are three twos in the English language," would "twos" be the correct spelling?

texts:
Taken from this question on a blog, how would correct usage in the situation where you are talking about "to, too and two" in the english language be phrased?

Would it be along the lines of "There are three variations of two/too/to", or would it be correct regardless of which variation was used?


texts: What's a word that can be used when something, such as a document, is purposely bland?

texts: The word may also be used when referring to really dull signage for a government organization.


texts: A word describing how 'profound I am in a skill': Can you suggest one?

texts:
I am in the process of localizing an application and I can't wrap my head around a specific translation.

The user can enter a skill / prof. experience they have acquired or a language they speak besides their native tongue.

Example:

The user is is born somewhere in Britain and is a native English speaker. He also speaks French and enters "French" as a language skill. In a second step he is asked how proficient/good/experienced he is in this language, ranging from basic knowledge (1) up to fluid speaking (5).

I am looking for a terminology describing how profound a person is in a chosen skillset, like (basic/good/fluid/native tongue). A word which describes how well versed somebody a person in something.

Looking in the dictionary and several online translation sources I narrowed it down to:

Characteristic
Profoundness
Degree
Peculiarity

In my opinion, in my ears "degree" sounds best, but I am not 100% happy with it. If it helps you, the native word we use in German is "Ausprägung".


texts: "Obama is in town this weekend" or "Obama will be in town this weekend"

texts:
A friend of mine used the following phrase to tell me about Obama's visit to Malaysia this weekend (he told me this when it was not already the weekend):

  Obama is in town this weekend.

This phrase confused me, because it goes against what I was taught in school. Or at least, I think so, I am not a native speaker.

At least in my mind, the following is correct:

  Obama will be in town this weekend.

My friend, a native British English speaker, says that both are fine, but in his country people are more likely to use the first.

How is the first acceptable? Doesn't "is" mean that it is happening in the present?

Thank you.


texts:
In this quoted example, is it okay to shift verb tenses mid-sentence?

Background: The narration is written in present tense. The narrator is referencing something that was said in the past, but the information in that sentence is presently true.

Version 1:

  She said the world would never be the same now that we
  knew angels were real. I'm not so sure.

OR Version 2:

  She said the world will never be the same now that we
  know angels are real. I'm not so sure.

OR Version 3

  She said the world would never be the same now that we
  know angels are real. I'm not so sure.

Thank you for your insights.


texts: What is the word that is used to refer to a group of words used in specific vocations or specialized fields?

texts: An example would be words only used in a specialized field but not in daily life.  Or a word that has both a double meaning in daily use and in specialization.


texts: Word for undervaluing or ‘one upping’ someone else’s achievements

texts:
I’m in a community where theres a lot of people who share a milestone/achievement or difficult experience, that is almost always followed by someone who goes “yea well I achieved X”, so as to undermine(?) the other.
The urban dictionary definition of “one upper” is pretty much it but I'm looking for a more appropriate word


texts:
I have heard Las Vegas being pronounced as Los Vegas and Las Vegas.
What is the correct way to pronounce Las Vegas ?


texts: Is it true that etymology is the leading tool to understand the correct use of words?

texts:
In discussions about the meanings of words I often find participants bring up the etymologies as though they are conclusive deciding factors.

On the other hand there is concept of the "etymological fallacy" as discussed in Wikipedia.

Which is true? Or is the truth somewhere between? If words change over history how relevant is their origin to their current meaning? If the etymology of a word is a trump card which can settle debates about correct usage of words does this mean words cannot in fact change over time?


texts: Word to describe listing every word vs "counting" (ie, not "enumerate" or "recapitulate")

texts:
To "enumerate": to mention separately as if in counting; name one by one; specify, as in a list
While it's very close to what I'm looking for, I seem to recall a word from either a SAT or GRE prep book I used years ago that was more-or-less "enumerate", but without the "counting" aspect.
For example, what word would you use to describe the list of words/terms that make up a concordance, dictionary, or glossary? They're not merely a counted list of words - are they?
I feel like "list" is too generic/imprecise. What word am I looking for?


texts: Where does 'pay through the nose' come from?


texts:
This says the antonym of 'footnote' is 'Header'. But I want more specific and relevant word. From the same source, The meaning of footnote is given as "The note at bottom of document".

Similarly, what is the proper word for the "note at top/head of document". Header is more generic. It does not refer to "notes".

(A word that means something like "Header-Note"?)


texts: How do you concisely make clear something exists only once?

texts:
I am struggling to find an appropriate and convenient wording to describe that something exists only one time in the whole world. Usually the word "unique" implies exactly that, but it's been misused for things which are not really unique that it lost its power for this purpose imho.

As an example here are some sentences about a painting and why I don't think the phrase is good:

This is a unique painting.

It feels like there could be still a copy of the painting out there and unique relates to the feeling / atmosphere / other feature or to the unique kind of the painting. Also, as I mentioned before, unique doesn't carry over enough power to the uniqueness.

This painting has been painted only once.

This is misleading in the way that you might understand the process of drawing the painting has been done only once. Also has a bad sound to it.

This painting is a single copy.

Maybe it's just me, but having the word "copy" to describe something exists only once seems contradictory.

This painting has been manufactured only once.

Sounds very cumbersome and not fitting to anything that's not been literally manufactured. Would rather fit a plaster figure more than anything else.

This painting is a unicum

This might be it, but I've never ever heard anyone actually say this, so I am afraid this might throw people off and a non-native speaker easily might not know this word.

This painting exists only one time in the world. / This painting does not exist a second time on the world.

This is kind of what I am looking for in terms of the message, but both versions sound very cumbersome and are too long.

I am looking for a very short expression or just one word which doesn't sound cumbersome, doesn't leave room for interpretation and is well known


texts: I have a database of invoices. Some of these are to be paid by us. These are called expenses. Some are to be paid us by others. How should I call those? I want a word that is fit to use for invoices and that is the same like expense other way around.


texts: What do you call the remains of a wave, the part that reaches the shore?

texts:
I like to play at the beach chasing the [...] by the shoreline.

I think tides isn't the word, because it refers to the slow changes on the shore. And waves, I think they are bigger and are in the sea?


texts:
I've read both forms in newspapers and online news: elder brother and older brother.
What's the difference between them? When should I use which?


texts:
In the following example, should a comma be used after the word* mouth*? A bumblebee flew into Peter's open mouth is the independent clause, and I  believe that if a dependent clause or phrase comes after, then a comma is not used.

  A bumblebee flew into Peter's open mouth, stinging the poor boy's
  tongue, which swelled up as big and as blue as an eggplant.

Thanks for your help.


texts: Word or phrase to describe banging finger downwards to demand something

texts:
I'm trying to find a short and sweet phrase to describe the following action.

A man is upset. He is demanding for something to be done. He reaches his hand forward, his finger pointing downwards, and he bangs his finger on the table several times, indicating he wants that something now. Or maybe just as an action to reaffirm how serious he is.

Is there a clear way of describing this action?


texts: English term for this practice called "Iddah"

texts: In Islam, when a man passes away, his wife practices a ritual called "Iddah" (in Arabic). In this practice,  she is not allowed to marry another man for a duration of 4 months and 10 days, not allowed to get out of house, wear makeup or bright clothes. This term is generally referred to "waiting of a widow" so I wonder if is there a single word in English language which clearly means "Iddah"?


texts: I will set up a call on next Thursday - acceptable? Or "for"?

texts: I am not sure whether the "on" preposition is correct in this case, and whether the sentence itself makes sense: can't it be interpreted that I will set up the call next Thursday (when actually I want to set up the call to take place on next Thursday?)


texts: How to describe relations between objects unambiguously?

texts:
Following Martha's advise I am splitting up a question Compound sentences, the punctuation and mooore.

Consider the following fragment:

  child nodes of a story representing its sub categories

I intended this fragment for anyone to understand that a story has sub categories, and these sub categories are displayed as child nodes.

Is the relation between child nodes, sub categories and a story clear and unambiguous?
How else could I construct the fragment so that it could be used as a subject of a sentence?

The story and the sub category are just terms, which may not make any sense to you but they do for those whom it's designated to.


texts: Distinction between Phrases and sentence fragments

texts:
Are these sentence fragments or phrases ? What is the distinction between the two as phrases don't always have subjects either. Online examples have some subordinate clauses as 'fragments' whilst others just have groups of words that look like sentences (rained all night).

Where do they stand grammatically just as they are written.

hit a nerve

keep it safe

let yourself in

find the keys to the door

useless detective can't catch the criminals.

find out who else can take care of the dog.

assume his identity is real


texts: "There is any number of" vs "There are any number of"

texts:
There is any number of ...
There are any number of ...

Intuitively I'd say 'are', but 'number' is singular, right?
Please note that this question is different from these two questions here:

A battery of tests is/are
A number of questions "has been" or "have been" asked?

This is because verb agreement is not nearly so straightforward in existential constructions. We see many phenomena that occur in existential constructions that don't occur in normal sentences. This question is asking about this choice within an existential construction.
Also, would it be more appropriate to put " in the title of this question, or ' ?


texts: Umbrella term for economic, social, and demographic trends

texts: I am writing a cover letter for an application to an economic think tank that focuses on "how family and individual well-being is shaped by economic, social, and demographic trends." I want to describe my experience doing similar research using an umbrella term that encompasses "economic, social, and demographic trends."


texts: A word for "when someone does something for your benefit while you are active on something else"?

texts:
For example, if your mom cleans your room while you are busy outside she is -word- cleaning your room.
The word "proactively" is stuck on my mind but it's not directly related and it's not what I'm looking for.


texts:
Is there an expression or idiom describing a situation, where one person does some (perhaps irreversible) action or makes an important decision, without consulting another person. Thus, putting the other person in front of a fact? It exists in my language and I wonder if there's an English equivalent.

This is similar to "fait accompli", but the emphasis is on the inconsiderate behavior, rather than the potential irreversibility of the action. However, this isn't the same as acting behind someone's back, because it has no sense of acting secretly or sneakingly. E.g. a husband says to his wife: "My boss asked me if I can stay extra hours today and I agreed", and she protests: "You should have asked me first! I wanted us to go to the Jonsons for dinner".


texts: Difference between **timid** and **coward**

texts:
While I was reading one-word substitutions in R.S. Agarwal's General English book, I came across the following question:

One who always runs away from danger

a) escapist
b) timid
c) coward
d) shirker

They have given b as the correct answer. I reckoned that timid and coward both are the same. Can you please tell me the difference between timid and coward?


texts: The word "glee": How prevalent is the aspect of 'schadenfreude' in normal use?

texts:
I wonder about the word "glee": It has hitherto been my impression that the word is typically used equivalent to danish "skadefryd" or german "schadenfreude"; ie. being pleased with someone else's misfortune. - But the reason I ask is that I'm in doubt if my impression might be wrong? The dictionary.com article does not mention any aspect of being pleased with someone else's misfortune at all, but simply states:

  open delight or pleasure; exultant joy; exultation.

Although far down on the page they quote British Dictionary:

  great merriment or delight, often caused by someone else's misfortune

It seems it's used in either sense, so my question is how prevalent (or not) is the aspect of 'schadenfreude' in the average native english language users understanding or perception of the word "glee"?

In examples such as "It is a person full of glee", or "They reacted with glee", or "They were gleeful of it" - and not giving any context, then would it be assumed by default (assuming that the 'schadenfreude' aspect of the word had not initially, as here, been given particular focus), as the immediate impression, simply that they are happy, and nothing else? Or implicitly also that it was propably due to someone's misfortune? (and might there be any difference in that respect, between the different examples?)


texts:
I often see some young people wearing bracelets with 4 letters "WWJD".

So, what is it?


texts:
Threshold is pronounced like "thresh-hold" as noted in this question, however, what is interesting is that there is only one h in the word, and it serves two phonetic roles (being part of sh and as a regular h). This is different from words such as withhold, which have a separate h for the th and h sounds. While I suspect that this is due to a mixture of etymology (as threshold comes from the middle English "thresshold" according to Merriam-Webster) and pronunciation (the h sound in threshold is unstressed), I am not sure.

My question is: are there any similar words in English (i.e. words that have one letter serve as two phonemes)?


texts: A term or phrase for speaking as clearly as possible to non-experts

texts:
How can I describe the difficulty of somebody who is trying to explain something to people who are not in his/her professional field, and is afraid of using professional terms that will be unclear to his/her listeners?

In my native language, I would say "it is hard to go out of the professional circle". How can I say it in English?

An example:

  I have tried my best to explain this subject as clearly as possible, but it is hard to______

I do not think my question is a duplicate because I looked for a term expressing a difficulty of explaining. I didn't get a direct answer, so I deduced there is no such a term.


texts: What's the difference between "mirror" and "looking glass"?

texts: I have read that a looking glass is a surface with sufficient reflection to form an image of an object... doesn't that sound like a mirror?


texts: does the /d/ in the [nd] combo tend to be unreleased?

texts:
I'm asking about north-American English.

In words like "refund", "band" and "diamond", is the /d/ is fully released (as an un-aspirated /d/), or stopped, like the /nt/ combo? (different can and usually pronounced as [dɪfɹənt̚])?


texts: Is there an idiom or concise phrase for seeing someone in mortal danger and doing nothing about it?

texts:
I like

"Fiddle While Rome Burns"

but it usually doesn't refer to doing nothing while individual people are in serious trouble.
I want something along the lines of

"Fiddle While Jim Is Having A Heart Attack Right In Front Of You"


texts:
I understand the character is being sarcastic but I don't understand why exactly he says 'mank you'. I looked up the word 'mank' and it doesn't make sense in the context so I suppose 'mank you' is sort of a pun. I'd love to understand what the wordplay is.

Source: Movie 'Date Night' (excerpt about minute 13)

Dialogue between customers and maitre d' (who's being sarcastic):

Phil:       The things is my wife and I are on a date and we were
        hoping tonight would be sort of special. So, just asking you if
        maybe you have any tables available?

Maitre D’:  Okay, well, I’m gonna have to ask you to wait at the bar,
        and if anything opens up, we’ll come get you, okay?
Claire:           Thank you.
Maitre D’:  Mank you.


texts:
There is a famous saying in Tamil language: "Paarthaal pasu pol, paaindhaal puli pol" which translates to "Looks like a cow, leaps like a tiger".

This is usually used to describe a person who on first look gives an impression that they are silent and submissive, but when confronted, they dominate the confronter.

The closest English proverb which I could think of is Appearances are deceptive, but it doesn't essentially capture the silent nature and the combative nature of a person.

Is there an English saying which means the same?


texts: How to interpret the use of adverbs with conjugate clauses?

texts:
I wanted to clarify how an adverb (usually preceding) affects the clauses connected by a conjunction.

Consider the dictionary meaning of the word oblique. The New Oxford Dictionary of American English defines it thus: not explicit or done in a direct way.

In such sentences, does the adverb not apply to both the clauses? Am I supposed to interpret the above as

  (not explicit) or (not done in a direct way)

or

  (not explicit) or (done in a direct way)

?

I believe it is the former (primarily from context), but wanted to clarify.

I apologize if my question is unclear, but I have seen confusing constructions when adverbs are used with conjugate clauses. I tried a search on english.stackexchange, but couldn't find anything relevant other than this one (maybe because I don't know how to do use technical terms correctly in this case).


texts: Should I use period pronunciation when reading poetry aloud?

texts:
I find that when I read older poetry, the rhyme scheme is sometimes broken and I assume that the problem comes from changes in pronunciation over time. For example, Poe keeps up a pretty impressive rhyme scheme throughout the Raven but it breaks on the lines:

  "Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil!

  prophet still, if bird or devil!

unless "evil" and "devil" rhyme.   When reading that line aloud, should I try to adjust the pronunciation so that they rhyme?  Or is it more important to pronounce words in a way that modern listeners will readily understand?


texts: {wend, went, went} changed into {go, went, gone}

texts:
I have heard that the verb go used to be wend in olden days. I am curious if there is any historical or other explanation why the past form of wend, i.e. went, is still in use while the simple present and past participle forms are gone.

Any idea or link to some resources which deal with this fact?


texts: Is it correct to use the phrase - "he / she fights on"?

texts: Is it correct to use the phrase "he / she fights on" to say that a person is fighting / struggling for a cause?


texts: "Unless instructed to do so" vs "Unless instructed otherwise" preferred usage

texts:
I want to give a short but clear instruction like:

 1. Please do NOT perform X unless instructed to do so.
 2. Please do NOT perform X unless instructed otherwise.

Which one would be a better option considering popularity and clarity for any kind of audience? Are sentences correct? Are there better options?


texts: Word for using third person to refer to the person with whom you are speaking

texts:
Specific example:

Randolph: Let me guess, you've managed to convince yourself you're still in the right?

Heather: Of course, I always am.

Randolph: Using humour to deflect.

Heather: No, I was being serious.

Randolph: And she thinks people don't like her because she's unattractive.  I love this girl.

There are only two people in this conversation and no one nearby to hear.


texts: "Cooking" is to "culinary" as "dining" is to what?

texts:
The art of cooking is called culinary art. Is there a comparable term for the art of eating or dining?

Is there a more sophisticated term?


texts: Will be closed - "closed" adjective or verb?

texts: If I say "The shop will be closed tomorrow", is the word 'closed' here an adjective or a verb?


texts: When (if ever) to use plural form of Homo sapiens?

texts:
Which should I say?

  These are two fine Homo sapiens.

or

  These are two fine Homines sapientes.

(Assume I insist on using the Latin Homo sapiens in my sentence, for whatever reason. Edit to elaborate: For example, for ironic effect or humor or as one suggests, to demonstrate my erudition.)

There's a brief discussion of this matter here.


texts: Kiwi Power Green - is that more Kiwi "Power Green" or more "Kiwi Power" Green?

texts:
Recently my wife bought a piece of toddler swimwear for our little ones. A crisp, flashy neon green cute little piece of garment that had a label on which the color name was written: "KIWI POWER GREEN".

Having worked in the fashion/apparel retail industry for almost a decade, I know color names can often be as colorful as the actual colors they stand for; kiwi power green actually feels quite appropriate for that specific one.

Then I wondered, did they mean to describe "green" as "kiwi power", or was it a "kiwi" color in a "power green" variant? Both make total sense in my French-native ears.

What would be the proper English interpretation? Is there one?


texts:
Take the following sentence:

  And even if the program inputted one token and then invoked newLine(), wouldn't it input a blank?

I've been told that this sentence has a clear pronoun reference. Why? Couldn't it refer to either program or token?


texts: Is there a word that describes government by murderers (or just criminals in general) similar to kleptocracy being a government of thieves?  I'm looking for something that contains more of this sense than either despotism or tyranny, but would not necessarily be as extreme as a democidal regime of the order of Idi Amin's or that of the Khmer Rouge. I recently heard such a situation described as a "Mafia state", but is there a more appropriate one-word alternative?


texts: Is there a hypernym for "gross" and "net"?

texts: I am developing a software application that has a generic price object which has a boolean property that expresses whether or not that price includes VAT. Is there a better expression I can use than "grossness"? Not sure if what I am looking for is a hypernym, but I hope description makes it clear.


texts: What is the name of a type of question where the answer is different for every person?

texts:
For example;
You're at the doctor: the doctor asks, "On a scale of 1-10 how would you rate your pain?"The answer varies from person to person, but how can the doctor judge the accuracy of the number given, which is after all subjective? Can he correlate the number with an objective measure of the pain? If I say 3, but from his experience with my type of injury he believes it should be an 8, what can he determine?
Another type of question could be, "Do you like this new shirt I bought?" or, "How do you feel about me moving to Australia?" They're all questions but the answer depends on how the person is feeling.
Share your thoughts on this!


texts: Is lolspeak bad English, or just a different English?

texts:
Is lolspeak / internet speak (such as "plz send teh codez") bad English, or a different English?

I can't really describe what'd be "bad", but a lack of consistency would be an indicator it's bad.


texts: "Expectations of" vs. "expectations for"

texts:
There are some questions related to this topic (Usage of "expect to" and "expectation to/of" and "Need of" vs. "need for"), but I haven't found one directly addressing this word combination.
I'm trying to determine whether I should use "expectations of" or "expectations for," in the following:

I had to reevaluate my expectations of myself.
I had to reevaluate my expectations of college.
I had to reevaluate my expectations of the future.

OR

I had to reevaluate my expectations for myself.
I had to reevaluate my expectations for college.
I had to reevaluate my expectations for the future.

Is one more grammatically correct than the other in all cases (regardless of the type of noun that follows)? Or, are they both correct in different cases; if so, what are they? Thanks.


texts:
Well, to begin with, I don't even know what is the usual meaning of "go-around". So, if you know, please, explain it to me.

But in this case this noun ("go-around") seems even to be used in a slightly different sense. One user whose name is Chrisnfolsom, while answering my question on the proper way how to describe a woman that isn't able to conceive a baby said in his answer these words:

  The joke was not meant to provide
  answers, but a funny lesson on the
  complexity of the English language -
  not that other languages aren't
  complex. Many lessons are best
  illustrated through humor - although
  the underlying lessons of that message
  can be missed entirely. Thanks for the
  go-around here; I was able to give my
  daughter a lesson in the fun and folly
  of language.

I don't know what he meant here by "go-around" (italics and bold type in the quote are mine). Of course, I could have asked him there this question, but since I don't even know the primary meaning of that word, I think it would be proper to make it as a separate question and not spend his time.

Special request for Chrisnfolsom: If you happen to see this question, please, explain to me what you meant by "go-around" there - no one else knows better than you what you were saying.


texts: Punctuation In Two Prepositional Phrases Using the Same Object

texts:
I'm trying to phrase a sentence with two prepositional phrases that use that same object. Specifically:

"This is due, in part, to my training of and good rapport with the team."

How should I punctuate this? Possibilities I've tried so far:

"This is due, in part, to my training of – and good rapport with – the team."

"This is due, in part, to my training of, and good rapport with, the team."

"This is due, in part, to my training of – and good rapport with –, the team." (This looks particularly wrong).

What is the grammatical rule to apply here?


texts: The English language is always evolving, and current day slang will soon become mainstream, just as much our current vocabulary originated as slang. If so, then why is it is writing/speaking slang discouraged in many US schools?


texts:
I have come across these many times

“Please excuse me. I have to leave now to put my children TO SLEEP.”
 “Please excuse me. I have to leave now to put my children TO BED.”

Is there a difference between any of the sentences?

Similarly as follows:

"Please SWITCH your mobile phone to silent mode.”
 “Please PUT your mobile phone on silent mode.”

In any case, is one sentence more grammatically correct than another?


texts: When is "marked" pronounced with 2 syllables?

texts:
I have heard "marked" pronounced with 2 syllables like "mar-ked" but online dictionaries show only the 1-syllable pronunciation.
When should it be pronounced with 2, and is it a mistake to use swap their use?
What about the word "aged"?


texts: Adverb/adjective to mean something is the main purpose?

texts:
I am writing this article and my primary purpose/intention is to introduce the question that I am introducing, but the article develops so far as to suggest an answer to it. To show this point, what adverb is the best in the following sentence?

  This paper is ... an attempt to introduce the question, but it goes so
  far as to suggest an answer to it.

The options that, after my research, I came up with as the best ones are as follows in order of preference:

 1. basically
 2. in the first place
 3. primarily

Which one is the best option. Each seems to me of a bit of ambiguity in this context. Besides, other suggestion as to the structure of the sentence are welcomed as well (maybe what I want to say can be said in a better way).


texts: Whom or who in this case? Google thinks who

texts: I was asking someone "whom were you horrible to?" And thought, is it who or whom? I believe it's whom but when I typed the phrase into Google search It felt differently.


texts: Difference between "scenery" and "landscape"

texts:
What's the difference between scenery and landscape? In what situations can I use them interchangeably?

  The scenery/landscape at the school is beautiful.

Does landscape sound natural in the sentence above?


texts: Can "both" be used in this way as an appositive?

texts:
Although not a preferred style, in the following example, is it incorrect to treat "both" as an appositive, and therefore to insert commas around it?

  Thank you, both, for helping.


texts: Can the modal 'must' be used in the apodosis of a remote conditional?

texts:
CGEL* has this on page 149:

The open conditional is the default type, while remote conditionals have the following properties:
[3] i Subordinate clause: must contain a preterite (or irrealis were) expressing modal remoteness.
ii Matrix clause: must contain a modal auxiliary, in the preterite if possible.[Footnote]
Footnote:
‘If possible’ in [ii] allows for the occurrence in the present tense of those modals like must which have no preterite form (cf. §6.2.1).

In CGEL's terminology, an "open conditional" refers to a conditional construction (If P, then Q) where P and Q are presented as an open possibility; a "remote conditional" refers to a conditional construction where P and Q are presented as a remote possibility.
What CGEL says above is, in "If P, then Q" in a "remote conditional" type, Q can contain the modal must.
But I can't seem to find a remote conditional example where Q has the modal must.
Unfortunately, CGEL's §6.2.1 fails to show any example of a remote conditional whose Q contains the modal must.
Can anyone think of a remote conditional example whose Q contains the modal must?
*The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language


texts: Why capitalize this word in the middle of the sentence?

texts:
I came across this sentence at http://www.thepunctuationguide.com/period.html. Why is "Does" capitalized?

  The question is, Does anyone support this legislation?


texts: What is the meaning of the phrase herding the cats? I've found one description on Wikipedia but it is not clear enough.


texts: Is it correct to say "Many of books are in English" or should we say "Many books are in English"?


texts:
She told me last year that she went to Europe two years ago.

Did she go to Europe in 2014 (two years before today), or 2013 (two years before she spoke the sentence)?

I checked Merriam-Webster, thefreedictionary.com, and dictionary.com, but none of them are clear about this usage.  Furthermore, I've heard the word used in both ways.  I've also heard from a friend that the usage differs based on dialect, but he can't back up his statement, and I haven't been able to find a source backing him up.  My question is: is there any authoritative reference on the correct meaning, or alternatively, any source saying that the usage differs based on dialect?


texts: What is “what” in “what has been called“?

texts:
Climate change is thus a prime example of what people have called a "social ecological system" with factors from different domains interacting on different spatial and temporal scales.

The above sentence is a part of an exercise in my English course. I was asked to change this sentence to passive voice.
So, I made it like this.. Climate change is thus a prime example of what has been called a "social ecological system"...
My question is what is the function of what (after a prime example of...) in this sentence? Is it a subject of noun clause or is it a pronoun of social ecological system? This is really confusing to me. Please help explain.
Thank you so much.


texts:
I have read some posts about the suffix -ee, which is added to a verb to turn it into a word that describes a person having the action done to them: e.g. employ becomes employee, a person who is employed. I may have missed a question or thread, but I could not find anything that describes the limits of what -ee can be attached to.

I know that the verb has to be transitive, and the subject must be alive, but that is all.


texts: Is there a correct grammatical way to state computer model number in plural form?

texts:
For example if I said -

  "I shipped ten Dell 360s this morning".

where Dell 360 is the model number and I don't want people to get confused by the "s", how should I write this?

Is it more correct to mention the word laptop?
For example :

  "I shipped ten Dell 360 laptops today".

The reason I didn't do this was because I'm not sure if they are considered laptops or notebooks etc. Could an apostrophe be used?


texts: Single word for writing from left to right or the reverse

texts: I am searching for a single word which represents "written from left to right" or "written from right to left". Please make sure that the word should be meaning not only the direction but also meaning direction in case of writing. I want to use it like "This language is X", where "X" is the asked for word.


texts:
In 2018 about 50,000 people were involved in it, most of them part time or seasonal staﬀ working from small offices in rural areas.
Should there be a "being" between "most of them" and "part time or seasonal staff"? It seems weird when there are only nouns.
thank you for help


texts: Word/phrase for "the one that brings bad luck" (e.g. to a group)

texts:
Example:

  I've always considered myself a/as [...].

I thought of black cat. But I think it's a little ambiguous and weird to use it in this situation.


texts: I'm looking for a word that describes a generic change in altitude, something that could refer to both ascent or descent.


texts: A better way to say "... that will be fought"

texts:
I'm searching a shorter way to say "Something that will be fought". I'm actually creating an app and I'd need it as a title for a field. So it needs to be short and relevant, but I can't find another way to say it. Thank you.

EDIT : It's a living thing that will be fought, like a person.

EDIT 2 : To be clear, the user will choose a monster to fight. So I'd like to write "Monster that will be fought" in a shorter way, but not just "Opponent", as it's too vague. I hope I'll be understood now, sorry.


texts: If there is a retail store that closes temporarily due to remodeling and then it is opened again, might the store owner send out a mailing that says "Your store is now reopen!" or would that not make any sense?


texts: "okay" vs "good" in questions starting with "Is it okay/good"

texts:
Is it better to use "good" instead of "okay" in question starting with "Is it okay/good", or isn't? For example,

  Is it okay/good to eat tonight?

  Is it okay/good to break the rules?
  (I know it isn't)


texts: Unusual use of the word "equipped" - correct or incorrect?

texts:
A car-enthusiast website I frequent often, Bringatrailer.com, uses the word "equipped" in what seems to me like an unnatural and incorrect way.

I'd like to know if their usage is correct or not.

Their site lists attributes of cars that are for sale. Here are a few examples of how they use the word "equipped":

Aluminum bumpers are equipped.
A factory Tire Inflation System is equipped.
An aftermarket turn signal kit is equipped.
A Schroeder steering box is equipped.
Independent suspension is equipped front and rear.
A removable roof panel is equipped.
A red emblem is equipped on the front grille.

These all sound wrong to me. One easy fix that sounds correct to me would be to substitute either "fitted" or "installed."

Aluminum bumpers are fitted.
A factory Tire Inflation System is installed.
An aftermarket turn signal kit is fitted.
A Schroeder steering box is installed.
Independent suspension is fitted front and rear.
A removable roof panel is installed.
A red emblem is fitted on the front grille.

If the word "equipped" was preferred, it seems to me that the phrases need to be restructured, like this:

The car is equipped with Aluminum bumpers.
The car is equipped with a factory Tire Inflation System.
The car is equipped with an aftermarket turn signal kit.
The car is equipped with a Schroeder steering box.
The car is equipped with Independent suspension front and rear.
The car is equipped with a removable roof panel.
The front grille is equipped with a red emblem.

I'd appreciate expert opinions about this, thanks!


texts: How would you describe 'swinging into a car'?

texts: I mean a word/phrase for grabbing the roof of your car, and swinging your body in through the open window.


texts: "If you or somebody you know" vs "If somebody you know or you"

texts:
The following sentence makes sense:

If you or somebody you know is an experienced such-and-such, please contact us.

However, reversing the subjects (and choosing "are" based on the proximity rule) makes it sound extremely awkward:

If somebody you know or you are an experienced such-and-such, please contact us.

The is/are verb choice does not really matter, placing "somebody you know" first makes the sentence difficult to read and awkward to say. However, switching subjects in a compound subject doesn't always "ruin" the sentence, e.g.:

If your dog or your cat is sick, call the vet.
If your cat or your dog is sick, call the vet.

My question is: What is wrong with "If somebody you know or you"? Is this violating some grammatical rule? Why is this sentence so hard to parse? I know it doesn't "feel" right but I'd like to know why.


texts: Is possessive's apostrophe dispensable in any case?

texts:
For instance, in the following sentence:

  Is it possible to reset columns' width to default in the message pane?

Can I forget the apostrophe, using "columns width"?

I don't see the possessive/apostrophe being used often all over the Internet.

Is it acceptable? What's the status?


texts:
I am mathematician for whom English is the second language.
In general I feel like I do not have major problems keeping up with math vocabulary, whether I am reading an article or giving a lecture.
That being said, there is one question which have been bothering me for quite a long time.
I am not exactly clear on the nuances of the meaning the three words from the title.
To be more specific, the essences of my concerns can be articulated as

  Can I use words "quotient", "ratio", and "fraction" interchangeably?

I am mostly concerned about using them within math academia environment, although more general rules would also be interesting to see.
In particular, which of the words from the list would be appropriate to use when talking about dividing one function by another one?

Ultimately, even laconic yes/no answer will be greatly appreciated.
However, I am also somewhat curious to see detailed explanation of how each of these words is different from the others.

PS As mentioned in the comment section by @BrianDonovan, my list of three words can probably be extended with the word "proportion".

EDIT:
Following advices of @Rathony, I include the outline of Wikipedia definitions of each of these words:

  In mathematics, a ratio is a relationship between two numbers indicating how many times the first number contains the second
  A fraction (⋯) represents a part of a whole or, more generally, any number of equal parts.
  (⋯)
  The word fraction is also used to describe mathematical expressions that are not rational numbers, for example algebraic fractions (quotients of algebraic expressions), and expressions that contain irrational numbers (⋯)
  (⋯) a quotient (⋯) is the result of division.

Let me point out once again that I am particularly interested in the differences in use of these words in math academic environment, e.g. about the case when both enumerator and denominator of a fraction are general functions or algebraic expressions of some sort.


texts: Noun for the quality of being a “femme fatale”

texts:
In referring to a particular femme fatale, I described her "femme fataleness."

That is "ungrammatical" (I believe) but got the point across.

Is there a correct term for this particular attribute? If so, what is it?


texts: When are "because", "since","for" and "as" interchangeable?

texts:
I am not a native speaker. On a previous question of mine, I thanked for an answer by saying:

  So the phrase is not an idiom, since it is applied in its literal sense.

I consciously chose since over because, because — well, I like that usage of since, even though I know that some (native speakers) don't like it. Nonetheless, that choice got me thinking for a while, and it occurred to me that I even could have used more alternatives, namely as or for, without changing the meaning.

So, on a general note, here are the alternatives:

  Statement A (is true), because statement B (is true).
  Statement A (is true), since statement B (is true).
  Statement A (is true), as statement B (is true).
  Statement A (is true), for statement B (is true).

Are these completely interchangeable? Or interchangeable in certain situations? Or can you point out any (not-so-)subtle differences between any of them? Are there even more synonyms?


texts: Is there a more masculine version of "nanny"?

texts:
I'm looking for a term that a child (who also has regular parents) would use to refer to a male live-in caregiver. Is there any such word? (Loan words from other languages, as long as an English-speaker has a reasonable chance of recognizing them, would be okay also.)
For example: "This is Alfred; he's my ____". Ideally, the same or similar word could also be used as in "_____, will you take me to the park?".
Internet searches mostly turn up results about males being "nannies".
Words I don't like:

Nanny - sounds feminine
Sitter - implies someone watching a child only temporarily
Papi (and variants thereof) - to easily confused to mean "father"
Childcare-worker, childminder - a mouthful, not something a child is likely to use
Guardian - not technically correct when the child also has regular parents; also, a more endearing term would be preferred
manny - just sounds silly (to put it politely)
tutor - close, but implies someone who is primarily an educator; looking for something more general
au pair - obscure, not very recognizable, and connotes someone younger
amah, ayah - obscure, and anyway denotes a woman
attendant - maybe, but ideally I'd like something that means closer to 'supplemental parent'


texts: What is a good word to describe someone who is empathetic, quick, and witty in conversation

texts:
I’m looking for ideally a single word that describes with positive connotation a highly empathetic and witty person — the type of person who’s a fantastic conversationalist as a result of these qualities. What describes that person who can masterfully pick up on the subtle nuances of a conversation, and then respond appropriately, empathetically, quickly, and keenly?

After scraping the thesaurus around empathetic, witty, smooth, sharp, sagacious, etc I could not come up with anything that fit the association well.

Empathetic didn’t imply the good-to-talk-to, conversational properties.
Witty in the context of conversation brings up thoughts of interesting facts, word puns, and trite remarks without much association with one in tune with the nuances of how the other person is thinking.

As an aside, I feel like this word would be extremely useful to me. Anyone who exemplified in the qualities that this word is trying to convey would be an interesting person to talk to.


texts:
Example:

  I tried my best to dodge trees and rocks as I [...] down the slope.

What's the best fit for the sentence above?


texts: Whats a word for saying that someone said something but later turned around on it?

texts:
Im trying to find a proper word or phrase to describe this situation.

  A person initially claimed that theres no pollution. Then later he or
  she turned around to say that there is some pollution due to faulty
  system. The latter statement detracts from the initial claims.

Wanted to know if theres a term, word or phrase that can be used to describe this.

Currently Im just using "turned around on his or her initial statement" but it sounds odd and wrong.

Thanks.


texts: Similarly we also have words like Periodontia and Exodontia and Endodontia (and Endodontics too apparently) and for many of them, I just can not find which one is correct?


texts:
What is the origin of the following British English expression:

  Go and take a running jump at yourself?


texts: What is the name for a torture device that uses electricity to make the victim suffer? Not as powerful as an electric chair that kills the victim outright but something which makes him suffer for a long period of time.


texts: How to simplify long cascaded sentences?

texts:
In programming languages it is very common to write sentences which would literally translate to:

  Take the wrench in the fourth row from the bottom of the shelf of the cupboard,  in the bedroom, in my house and place it in trunk of the red car with green lights.

  His father's, brother's, aunt's, sister's, child is the friend of my mother's, sister's, aunt's, child.

The above statements are make believe and extreme examples but they get the point across.

My programmer friends have no difficulty parsing sentences like these but other people get totally confused when I do so.

The problem is, it has become so natural for me to use statements like these that I often have no clue how to break these sentences down without literally handing them a checklist in a piece of paper.

What general strategies can be implemented to break down sentences like this into something grammatically correct?


texts: Absence of Which in Non-restrictive clauses

texts:
Is it necessary to place the which after the comma in the first two sentences (Non-restrictive clauses)?

The Nb thin films were deposited through HiPIMS with an industrial tool coating machine produced by CemeCon 8.0, displayed in Figure 8.

The space between the two electrodes is filled with a process gas, typically an inert gas such as argon.

or

The Nb thin films were deposited through HiPIMS with an industrial tool coating machine produced by CemeCon 8.0, which is displayed in Figure 8.

The space between the two electrodes is filled with a process gas, which is typically an inert gas such as argon.


texts: Origin of "Butter wouldn't melt in his/her mouth."

texts: This phrase means that someone is being prim and proper with a cool kind of demeanour. But from what event or phenomenon or occurrence was this idiom derived from, and when?


texts: What is the difference between "exalt" and "extol"?

texts: I get very similar result when I translate it to my native language.