texts: Should it be "a established" or "an established"?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Use of “a” versus “an”

I have always been using a established.

  The CPM is a established theory that explains.........

But when reading print material, I sometimes find an established being used:

  The CPM is an established theory that explains.........

My English teacher taught me to apply a/an based on how the word sounded. Is that a/an established principle?


texts: Is there a more abstract word for infrastructure?

texts: I am thinking a lot about infrastructure these days. My definition of infrastructure is "something, which facilitates other things, but does not by itself fulfill the need of a person". An example is the fiber-optics combined with the TCP/IP protocols and a bunch of other technologies, facilitate the creation of the internet, which again facilitates creation of services, which in the end fulfill the need for people to for example communicate. The word infrastructure can certainly be used for the fiber-optics and I believe also for the internet. Another example, is pure research, which "is research carried out to increase understanding of fundamental principles. Many times the end results have no direct or immediate commercial benefits". I believe that one cannot use the word infrastructure for pure research, even though I believe it is conceptually the same thing.  Is there any other expression than infrastructure one can use for these things (Social Capital is another example)?


texts: "What days are the library open" vs. "What days is the library open"?

texts: I feel instinctively that the former is correct. However, the phrase "... are the library open" seems strange to me. What is the grammatical rule makes one of these correct over the other?


texts: “Kweh-ree” vs. “ Kwee-ree”: which is the more common pronunciation of “query”?

texts:
I just watched the Vsauce video "The net is not the web" and heard Michael saying query as kweh-ree. That surprised me since I've always said kwee-ree.

So I looked this up on Wiktionary and it seems both pronunciations are valid. So I was wondering: which is the most commonly used sound, kweh-ree or kwee-ree?


texts: How should I understand "the idea" in this sentence?

texts:
The following is an excerpt from a GRE Verbal exercise:

  The hypothesis of an expanding Earth has never attracted notable support, and if it were not for the historical example of continental drift, such indifference might be a legitimate response to an apparently improbable concept. It should be remembered, however, that drift too was once regarded as illusory, but the idea was kept alive until evidence from physicists compelled geologists to reinterpret their data.

I don't understand what "the idea" in the sentence refers to. Does it mean the "drift theory" or the opinion that "drift is illusory"?


texts:
This two-step strategy has its roots as far back as Aristotle who used
      Greek letters as symbols in presenting syllogisms. But the strategy came of
      age in the nineteenth century with the German logician Gottlob Frege

It seems to mean either that its age came in the ninteenth century or that the strategy originates from the ninteenth century.

Which one is it?


texts: Is "By one side, ..., by the other side" a correct expression?

texts: I've come across the formulation by one side, by other side instead of on the one hand/side and on the other hand/side. I strongly suspect this to be wrong and maybe Brazilian Portuguese originated, can you please confirm? (I only know the author comes from Rio, I don't speak Brazilian Portuguese).


texts: Word for 'an event automatically happening earlier than planned, caused by something else'?

texts:
How would you call an action (or event) that occurs earlier than originally planned, in reaction to some condition or other event happening?

Examples:

When you put a pan on a stove with a timer, but turn the heat off before the timer rings, because the water boiled earlier.
When a ticket website has tickets available till next Sunday, but sales close automatically on Friday due to all tickets being sold out.
When you buy Bitcoin at 400 USD exchange rate, and have it automatically sold it when it dropped to 350 USD.

Sample of use:

I would have watched the whole episode but my access was ceased due to THAT_WORD_NOUN and I couldn't anymore.
She tried to bid that item higher, but someone THAT_WORD_VERB'ed the auction and it was over.

The words that I found that I think you could sometimes use in such cases are 'short circuit' or 'trip wire', although these are usually used with particular context, not broadly (eg. you don't 'trip wire an auction'). Thesaurus doesn't help with either of these.

I'm wondering if there is another word that more precisely describes such action / event. The word doesn't have a negative or positive connotation. Bonus points if it's a single word, not compound word / phrase.


texts: I have submitted my profile online to the company for consideration of deal with me on my ideas and the company has mentioned online that  my profile is pending approval; what does pending approval mean for my profile?


texts: What do you call a member of a federation?

texts: I'm wondering if there is a more specific word than "member".


texts: When does a mistake become standard usage?

texts:
We all know that word meanings and usage change over time (though not all of us are happy about it).  How long does a word have to be used in a particular way for that usage to be "okay"?  At what point does it become "correct usage" and what determines that?

(It's hard to come up with an example that doesn't sound like peeving, so I'm making up a word.)  If, for example, I started using the word "disregardless," most people would regard that as "wrong" or at least "not a real word."  How many other people would have to use "disregardless" regularly for it to become an accepted word in the language?  Does it matter if it's spoken or written?  Does the "quality" of the speaker matter?  (If the President uses the word, does that increase its "correctness" more than, say, when Bart Simpson uses it?)  Is there a tipping point where a word goes from "made up" to "real" in the world at large, or is acceptance a gradual process throughout?


texts: What does "much less both" in the following sentence mean?

texts:
Few historians have extensive training in critical theory and its
  specialized languages, and the sheer volume of work in early American
  history and literature challenges anyone who would master either
  field, much less both.

Is it talking about the volume of work challenges people to become masters or reduces the challenges for people to become masters?
Also, does "sheer" mean "many" here?
I'm confused about the meaning of the whole sentence.


texts:
Recently my writing tutor told me any word in a foreign language should be italicized.

I was unsure if MLA was important to answer this question; just in case, I've included it in the title.

I'm writing an essay which will include the word Nazi. I understand the word Nazi is a German word but commonly used by people of all languages, should this word be italicized?


texts: word or phrase for life expectancy increase beyond 1 year per year, resulting in effective immortality

texts:
I heard a term or phrase recently (which I can't remember or find now) that indicates an age (or future year of birth) where technology and medicine will cause life expectancy to rise at a rate >= 1 year per year, resulting in effective immortality.

I can't remember if it's an adjective or a noun.

Is there a term for this or related to this?


texts: If I want to say that I excelled all my class this summer, I might say "I got all As this summer". Is this correct vs using "A's"? I see the latter used everywhere. But with the presence of apostrophe it sounds to me like it would make it possessive and not plural.


texts:
Is it fine to split correlative conjunctions as in the case below?

Author’s study of the friendship relations of international doctoral students thus not only fills a glaring research gap. It is also a much needed sociological account of a field otherwise rife with psychological accounts.


texts: "The last couple of years," "in the last couple of years," or "over the last couple of years?"

texts:
I wrote the following:

  With a sigh, Erin put the newspapers aside. Why she could never find what she was looking for in the
  papers? It'd been a good thing she had stopped reading them (in/over) the
  last couple of years.

Should I use in or over? Or just leave it as it is?


texts: First song I ever recorded (was to/to was) a Fat Joe beat

texts:
I watched an interview and he said

  "First song I ever recorded was to a Fat Joe beat."

I wonder, can I switch the positions of "was" and "to" like this?

  "First song I ever recorded to was a Fat Joe beat."

If I can't, so with other sentences I must say "First song I ever listen was to Shape of you." Is that right?


texts: What is a more formal way of saying "get certifications"?

texts:
I would like to create a sentence, in which I express, that I have (successfully) gotten a few certifications, but I feel like this sounds too informal for a letter of application.

Has anyone got a better idea or is this way of saying it already appropriate?

Thanks


texts: Single word, noun, the act of increased intensity

texts:
What's one word that means, "the (current/ongoing) act of increasing in intensity"?

I thought Intension had this secondary definition but I can't seem to find any reference.


texts: Word or phrase for the “relationship” between a professor and student in America?

texts:
One of my letters of recommendation is being written by a professor of my college, who is also the dean of research. However, he has never taught me, I've only done a project under him.

So what is our "relationship"? Is it be 'Professor' or 'Project Mentor/Guide' or something else?


texts:
This came up when reviewing a written English exercise, and I realized that I don't entirely trust my intuition on the answer.

Which of the following is correct?  Or are both valid?  (Or is it strongly advisable to rewrite the sentence in some other way?)

"I see what appears to be a man and his son."
"I see what appear to be a man and his son."


texts: Verb meaning "to make a list of elements unique"

texts:
I am looking for a verb that would mean to make a list of elements unique.

For example, let's say I have a list of elements and some of them can exist more then once in the list (duplicates).

What verb can I use for the action of removing such duplicates and make my list composed of unique elements only?


texts: It is acceptable to end these sentences with prepositions?

texts:
I've heard some talk about ending sentences with prepositions. It seems like the overall consensus is that it is indeed okay.

But, I have come up with a few examples. I am wondering if it is "necessary" or just a choice of style here.

'Whom will you go to the party with'?

or

'With whom will you go to the party?'

Now, because of the sentence construction, you can put with before the whom. But do you need to do this? Is it acceptable to say "Whom will you go to the party with?'

Another example is when you use "which" with prepositions, where you have an option to put the preposition before which. (For which event are you preparing? vs. Which event are you preparing for?)

Is this just a matter of style or choice? Also, is there a more recommended option in formal writing?

As a separate question, is it also a "myth" that you can't use a split infinitive, especially in formal writing?


texts: Change of meaning by replacing "into" with "in"

texts:
If you replace into with in, can a sentence change its meaning?
For example, are the two sentences below equivalent in meaning?

I placed the coin into her hand.
I placed the coin in her hand.


texts: What is the meaning of a party/event with the slogan "jingle&mingle"?

texts:
What will happen at this party?
Is it something with musik or marketing?


texts:
In the movie Top Gun Maverick says: "I'm gonna need a beer to put these flames out." This was part of a compilation of quotes supporting the gay theme of the movie.

Urbandictionary doesn't have a translation for this quote. What does it actually mean and what is its origin?

In particular, I'm referring to this compilation.


texts: Pronoun Case: When I was a child, Grandpa was unhappy with (me/my) excavating his rose garden in the hopes of finding dinosaur bones

texts:
I was answering an exercise on the internet when i come across this question:
When I was a child, Grandpa was unhappy with (me/my) excavating his rose garden in the hopes of finding dinosaur bones.
Based on the site, the correct answer is my, which is a possessive pronoun. I don't understand why we should use a possessive pronoun in this sentence. Please explain why. Thank you


texts: How can I rephrase this sentence in a more eloquent way?

texts:
This is the sentence right now:

My nights’ dreams of majestic quests to explore its outskirts on the back of my magnificent horse extended into the light of day

If it's not clear, I'm basically trying to say that at night I dream about going on quest to explore my imaginary world while on a horse and that those dreams extend into the day (through day dreams). It just sounds really clunky and not very clear right now. How would you suggest I rephrase it?


texts: Is there a difference between “introduction to” and “introduction into”?

texts:
“Introduction to” seems to be much more common than “introduction into”, but is the latter an acceptable alternative? If it is, is there some difference in meaning, tone, or connotations? I was inclined into thinking that “into” suggests a deeper introduction, going deep inside the topic, but is it just me?

I mean specifically the use of “introduction” to mean an introductory presentation of a topic, such as in “Introduction to Linguistics”.


texts: Meaning of "I know for a fact don’t anybody go by there"

texts:
I know for a fact don’t anybody go by there.

What is the meaning of the italicised part?


texts: What is a word or phrase that describes something that offers no context or value?

texts:
I'm currently looking at revamping a list of options.  One of the possible choices  is called 'Noisy' meaning that this offers nothing of value to anyone reading the problem.  However, I'm not sure 'Noisy' is the right term for what I'm looking for. Other possibilities that don't seem to fit are noisy, not needed, unnecessary.

Is there a word or a phrase that means 'something is uneeded or offers no value' when looking at a topic?    An example would be:

  This should be deleted or removed because it is _______.


texts: Word for mildly and politely telling someone what to do

texts:
I'm looking for a word or phrase somewhere between telling and asking  someone to do something.
Example 1: xyz clean up your workspace when done
Example 2: I needed to xyz the programmer to modify the program.


texts: What does the expression "ranging from something to something" mean?

texts:
I am studying for a TOEFL exam and I have a question about this particular exercise. The exercise is about a short text which talks about what is aggression and the theories that study it. Edit: Here are paragraphs one and two of the text for more context:

  Aggressive behavior is any behavior that is inteded to cause injury, pain, suffering, damage, or destruction. While aggressive behavior is often thought of as purely physical, verbal attaks such as screaming and shouting or belittling and humiliating comments aimed at causing harm and suffering can also be a type of aggression. What is key to the definition of aggression is that whenever harm is inflicted, be it physical or verbal, it is intentional.
  Questions about the causes of aggression have long been of concern to both social and biological scientists. Theories about the causes of aggression cover a broad spectrum, ranging from those with biological or instinctive emphases to those that portray aggression as a learned behavior.

I transcribed the exercise I need help with below:

  Which of the sentences below expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in paragraph 2? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.

The highlighted sentence the exercise refers to is the following one (which is also bold on the larger passage above):

  Theories about the causes of aggression cover a broad spectrum, ranging from those with biological or instinctive emphases to those that portray aggression as a learned behavior.

According to the answer key, the correct answer is this:

  B) Theories that consider aggression biological are more accepted than those that consider it learned.

However, I chose the following answer:

  C) Various theories about aggression attribute it to either natural or learned causes.

I didn't understand why the correct answer is B. That's why I am asking about the meaning of "ranging from something 1 to something 2". As far as I know, this expression only states that something 1 and something 2 are elements inside a particular set. Does this expression convey the idea that the first element mentioned is more important than the second element mentioned?

Thanks!


texts:
The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language (Page 466) says:

a. those whom he thought were guilty

b. those who he thought were guilty

Here who(m) is subject of the content clause functioning as complement of thought: it is not subject of the relative clause itself but of a finite clause embedded within the relative clause. In this construction there is variation between accusative whom and nominative who.

My understanding of CGEL's explanation above is that who(m) is subject of the content clause who(m) were guilty and that the relative clause is he thought.
If my understanding is correct and if who(m) is a relative pronoun here, which I think it is, how could the relative pronoun who(m) be subject of the content clause and not part of the relative clause?


texts: Words to mean one taking only part of the other's words?

texts:
I was wondering what some words are to mean one person taking only part of the other's words?

For example:

B is  A's advisor.

A says "I would like to focus on just two projects, because otherwise I will be tied up and nothing  probably will be done well." B says to A that he is adamant regarding this and requires A to do four projects at the same time. A has no choice but to follow what B says.

B then makes judgment, by saying that A is reluctant to do projects, to A and possibly other people.

Most likely A is not happy about what B says. He believes that it is not a simple matter of not willing to do projects, but is because of the amount that A can handle well.

If you were A, how would you describe B and his only taking part of A's words without repeating A's reasons, which otherwise might make A's choice more understandable?


texts: Term to describe generalizations such as "it is well known"

texts:
Is there a term to describe phrases such as:
"it is well known that,"
"most people believe that," or
"it is often thought that?"

I see these phrases used when someone tries to present their opinion as an accepted fact even when their argument is not supported by fact.


texts: Is it acceptable to start a sentence with the preposition 'except' rather than 'except for'?

texts:
The sentence

  Except the buildings built towards the end of his life, the buildings
  erected in Istanbul can be assumed to be his.

was recently used in a question here.

I edited to replace 'except' with the compound preposition 'except for'. I'm very unhappy with the original, but don't like to assume my gut reactions are necessarily correct.

CDO gives:

  Except or except for? from English Grammar Today

  We often use except and except for as prepositions to mean ‘not
  including’ or ‘excluding’. They are followed by a noun or noun phrase
  or a wh-clause. Both except and except for are correct after a
  noun:

  I like all fruit except (for) oranges. (excluding oranges)

  Except for Louisa, who’s away in Berlin this weekend, we’ll all be at
  the party.

  She likes going to most sports events, except cricket matches.

This shows the choice of 'Except for' to start a sentence-initial prepositional phrase, but does not go so far as to state that the choice of the simple preposition is incorrect.

The nearest (but really reversed) question I can find on ELU is essentially

  Is "Are there any vegetables except for asparagus?" correct?

to which Peter Shor provides the tantalysing answer (with which I largely agree):

  I think what's wrong is the "for". [I'd say 'very iffy' in all but some unusual contexts]

  Are there any vegetables except asparagus?

  The grammar of when to use "except for" and when to use "except" is
  governed by [a] quite complex set of rules (often, you can use either).
  There probably is a correct and complete description of how this works
  somewhere on the internet, but I haven't found it, so I can't tell you
  why you should use "except" here; but it just feels right.

Can authorities be found giving this correct and complete description of the complex set of rules governing when to use "except for" and when to use "except" , on the internet or elsewhere?


texts: Can I use “ homeschooling “ to refer to daily activity of teaching my children. For example ( by 3.00 p.m I must have finished homeschooling my kids)?


texts: Doesn't 'executioner' seem like a roundabout way of naming someone who 'executes'?  I realize that it's a person who carries out 'executions', but it seems unnecessary to make a word that way if 'executor' already exists.  Is there a difference so that we can distinguish between someone who terminates criminals and someone who carries out a task?


texts: What does it mean when someone says he has an agenda? Is there a negative connotation to agenda? If there is, then why and what is a word that means the same thing but has a positive connotation?


texts:
I am curious about the precise meaning of for one in the expression "I, for one, don't know."

This came up in a discussion about the amount of social efforts society should be willing to put in reducing CO2 emissions. In essence, my interlocutor said something like

  " given the limited precision of complex climate models, the uncertainties about future technological progress, and the doubts about the exact damages that would be caused by climate change if it were to happen as predicted, how much should we be willing to invest in reducing carbon emissions by say 1 ton? I, for one, don't know."

In this context, is the meaning "I, for one, don't know." closer from "As far as I am concerned, I would no dare saying that I have an answer to that question" or "In this case, I cannot answer this question", with for one indicating that the person has an answer to many other questions but not this one?


texts: When should I use "guarantee" over "guaranty" and vice versa?

texts:
When would I use guarantee instead of guaranty?   The dictionary definitions seem pretty much the same.  Excepting maybe the noun form of the word.

I have a real world example. A website I'm working on has a 30 day money back guarantee(y?).  If you don't like your purchase, within the first 30 days, you can get your money back.  Is that a guarantee or a guaranty?  If I was going to make a little advertising picture for it, would I say "30 day money back guaranty" or "30 day money back guarantee"?

I am leaning towards guarantee.


texts:
I've always referred to a shirt that has short sleeves as a "short sleeve" shirt. However, I've also heard it be referred to as a "shirt sleeve" shirt or "wearing shirt sleeves." This seems like a mistake and counter-intuitive: the shirt has less of a sleeve than usual so why refer to it as a "shirt sleeve" shirt when that's the very thing that's missing?!
I would appreciate your input on the popularity of one phrase over the other and the logic/origin behind the "shirt sleeves" term.


texts:
This was a question posed by a friend. I'm myself curious of the answer. I apologize for the explicit content (I left it as is to remove ambiguity). I pretty sure that 'a yuppy fu@k' is a compound noun in the local slang, but I'm not sure, just like the author of the question, of the nature of the second instance of 'fu@k'. Any feedback will be appreciated.

"Some graffiti I saw in a back lane off Acland Street, St.Kilda:

I'm a yuppy fuck, fuck.

The phrase has stayed with me because of the use of the comma. Is the final word a noun or a verb? Is it an exclamation?"


texts: This might turn out unnecessary vs This might turn out to be unnecessary

texts: Which of the two expressions is correct? Is there any difference


texts: Is there a better way to say "Lesser of"?

texts:
I'm wondering if there is a better way to write this:

  Lesser of actual physical damage or $1,500 per occurrence.


texts: How do I ask "when" without implying past or future?

texts:
"When did or will the event happen?" — This sounds silly to me.

To make matters worse, I would like to use passive voice because the question is in reference to a statement that uses passive voice.

"When were or will they be punished?" — This is especially bad because it sounds like "When were they be punished?" is an optional way of receiving the question.

Any answer is appreciated, but I'd really like to do this using a single sentence.


texts: What are single views of an online banner ad called?

texts:
I am developing a web application for managing banners, advertisements, etc.

I am not sure what the correct name for one 'view' of a banner is. I need to name it somehow to be able to report information like 'View count', 'Number of views paid', etc. to the manager.

I have found three possible names for this:

Impression
Hit
View

What is the correct term?


texts: "... assisting emerging countries meet their development goals..." vs "... assisting emerging countries in meeting their development goals..."

texts:
Her role included assisting emerging countries meet their development goals through active engagement with senior level representation from both the public and private sectors.
Her role included assisting emerging countries in meeting their development goals through active engagement with senior level representation from both the public and private sectors.
Her role included assisting emerging countries to meet their development goals through active engagement with senior level representation from both the public and private sectors.

The first sentence does not sound natural to me. I decided to rewrite it (the second and the third). Which of the above sentences are correct?


texts:
Consider two words, for example, lot and all.

The phonetic symbol of l in the two words are the same, which makes me wonder why the sound of l in the first is considered to be the same as in the second one (or not?).

To me, the l in lot requires "active" motion of the tongue, while the l in all only requires a slight motion of the mouth, and a slightly prolonged sound, and does not require the tongue to move.  Sometimes I even think that the pronunciation of all is nothing but "o-ow".

My question is: 1. Should the two ls be considered to have the same sound?  2. If so, why?  To be concrete, do you (or is it wrong if not) move your tongue while pronouncing "all"?

In fact, the pronunciation of the letter L in the alphabet should be "el", but many people (non-native speaker) pronounce it as "e-low", seemingly to "solidify" the unsubstantial sound of l.  I am no better than them since I pronounce it as "e-ow".


texts:
This sentence is pat from my paper which I would like to submit but I am not sure if it is right?
Does it sound correct?

Is available here correct?

  This study reveals that S and A have complementary performances and
               that there are available valuable satellite observed SSM data records over
                more than 5 years, which can be used to study land-atmosphere processes.


texts:
Is there an adjective that indicates something was reached by consensus? "Consensual" seems to be a synonym of "consentual" and have nothing to do with consensus. Online dictionaries listing "consensus" do not include any reference to adjective forms.

Example:

  Most of the committee agreed it was a good idea, and the rest didn't oppose it. The decision was ____

I am not looking for "unanimous", since to my understanding consensus is about overall agreement even if some individuals disagree, whereas unanimity is a lot stronger. For instance, you almost never hear claims about "unanimity among experts/scientist" on some issue, only consensus.


texts: Which is correct: "While studying, I ran my own business" or "While studying, I was running my own business"?

texts:
While studying, I ran my own business for almost two years.

This sounds natural to me, but my friend claims that the continuous form ("I was running") is gramatically correct. Which is it?

PS. In case it matters, this is in the context of a resume, so the idea is to sound formal.


texts: Your notice, earlier than expected, [...] ---or--- Your notice, which was earlier than expected, [...]?

texts: Is the relative clause needed here? By omitting "which was", have I changed the meaning of my main clause (assuming I would have added a predicate)?


texts: What is the defiant "HMPH!" sound called?

texts:
What's the name of the sound a child makes after an angry, declarative and usually defiant statement.

Parent:

  John, you can't take a cookie out of the cookie jar.

Child:

  Yes, I can! HMPH!


texts: What would "in modern colourless use" mean in a dictionary definition?

texts:
While looking up the various senses of "while" in the Oxford English Dictionary, I came across the following:

  [B 2 c.] In modern colourless use: At the same time that, besides that, in addition to the fact that; often = and at the same time, and besides.

http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/228336

I'm not sure what is implied by "colourless use" here.


texts:
What would be the passive voice of "passengers stay in a hotel".

The whole sentence would be "passengers can be forwarded to their destination in a new flight, or (be kept) in a hotel". "Kept" is not a word I want to use for humans :)


texts: What is a single word for people personally close to a King?

texts:
What is a single word for the people who are part of the inner circle of a king?

It is in the following context from the Quran: Moses was sent to Pharaoh and threw down his staff which became a snake - as a sign that Moses was sent by God.

So Pharaoh said that it was only magic and summoned all the magicians in the land to come and defeat the 'magic' of Moses (which wasn't magic because it was a miracle from God)

The Pharaoh said to the magicians that if they defeat Moses' 'magic' with their magic they will be of those who are 'brought close to' Pharaoh.

I want a single word to describe 'those brought close' to the Pharaoh

'Confidants' isn't right in this context because the magicians are not promised that they will become advisers to Pharaoh.


texts:
I was reading my apartment lease recently, and I came across this sentence in the rent section:

"Lessee will pay a penalty of $16.00 for rent that is unpaid before the 6th of the month."

The paragraph previously states that the due date is the 1st of the month. So with that information, it feels like there are two interpretations, based on what "before the 6th of the month" refers to - the rent, or the paying of the penalty:

Between the 2nd and 5th (before the 6th), pay a $16 penalty. After that it increases by $1 per day as stated in the next sentence.
Pay no penalty at all until the 6th. This is the correct meaning (they've told me.)

Is there really any ambiguity? I think maybe if they meant the first meaning it would have said "that is paid before the 6th." Saying "unpaid before the 6th" may be a clear way of stating that you haven't paid until the 6th, at which point the penalty applies.

So is the first interpretation reasonable, or would it be an error on the part of the reader to interpret it that way? Either way I think they should probably reword it.


texts: "Unfit___, but even less" or "but even more"

texts:
This sentence

He considered himself unfit for the job, but even more for that task.

does not sound right because unfit has a negative meaning. I tried the other way:

He considered himself unfit for the job, but even less for that task.

but this looks like a contradictory sentence.
Is there any way to put this right, without repeating "unfit"?


texts: Need one word that defines funny, clever but also blunt

texts: I have a colleague who comes up with really very clever and funny things to say, but they are also very blunt. Is there a word (or two) that can describe this?


texts: I'd like to know an adjective to describe age between young and old. I know middle age is such a word, but it is a noun phrase. Is there an adjective for it?


texts: I know the meaning of the phrase, but where exactly does it come from?


texts: Is 'experience' countable or uncountable?

texts:
"Seeing the Grand Canyon was certainly____(an /some) experience."
Is experience countable or uncountable? Should I use some or an?


texts: How to write an imagined, hypothetical future and consequences?

texts:
What is the best way to let a character speak about some hypothetical future and the resulting consequences?

Example:

  If the Martians attacked, I'd fly the jet and you'd be my wing-man.
  You'd be the best! This will be awesome!

Is this correct in written or spoken form?
The sentences are supposed to mean:
In a future, hypothetical (unlikely) scenario in which Martians attack, the speaking character will fly a jet and the other character will be his wing-man. The other character will be the best wing-man, given the scenario. The scenario of flying a jet with the other person against Martians is seen as awesome by the speaking character. The speaking character does not think Martians exist.

Is it correct to use "It will be awesome" or "It would be awesome"?

What if the scenario is less hypothetical: Martians exist and the character knows about them. The Martians are not planning to attack and their attack is very, very unlikely.
How will this change the sentences?


texts: Which meaning of ‘lollygagging’ is referred to here?

texts:
This exchange occurs in Terry Pratchett‘s I Shall Wear Midnight (paperback page 398):

‘Lollygagging again, as usual, Lance Private Preston?’
Preston saluted smartly, ‘You are correct in your surmise, Sergeant; you have voiced an absolute truth.’

This is technically correct; Preston is having an informal chat with the protagonist, Tiffany Aching. However, something tells me Pratchett wasn’t just referring to the common definition (‘To dawdle; to be lazy or idle; to avoid necessary work or effort.’), but I can’t seem to find a more extensive definition or etymology online.


texts: Can or should "ask" ever be used as a noun?

texts:
"The ask is that you provide me with..."

I started hearing "ask" being used as a noun a few years ago.  Is this a recent trend?  Is it an East Coast thing, unique to North America, or just unique to the in-house vocabulary of telecommunications companies?


texts: Should it be Boost/s, Make/s in this sentence?

texts:
I can't figure this one out:

  Secrets That Boost Productivity and Make Meetings Effective

Should it be Boost or Boosts / Make or Makes here? I'm leaning towards Boost/Make, but I'm not sure.

(I tried to google both versions and got 300.000 hits either way)


texts:
Consider the following:

  The picture loses its quality if zoomed out far enough.

I found many instances of this on Google, but I dont see any subject in the if clause and I wonder if it's correct at all?


texts:
Pairwise may describe the process of comparing entities in pairs. What is the word for the process of describing the comparison of entities in triplet?

[EDIT] Initial research found a single occurrence of triplewise in Statistics: An example of a stationary, triplewise independent triangular array for which the CLT fails. The accepted answer found the same.


texts: Is there a word for saying "um" or "uh", etc, during speaking?  Or a word for "um" and "uh", etc?


texts: When should "no problem" replace "you're welcome" as a response to "thank you"?

texts:
I have observed a growing trend in which people substitute "no problem" for "you're welcome" as a response to "thank you".  In particular, it seems to be an increasingly common response from servers and store clerks.

It seems to me that "no problem" isn't appropriate for all situations as a response to "thank you", such as when I express thanks for receiving a cup of coffee at the local doughnut shoppe.  To me, responding "no problem" to "thank you" implies there might have been a problem, which was somehow narrowly averted.

Are there specific situations in which "no problem" is appropriate to use as a substitute for "you're welcome"?


texts: What are the specific words to describe lines/wrinkles/crinkles on a piece of paper or a book?

texts: Are there any specific words to describe such things? Is it minor damages, wrinkles, marks, creases? Not a fold and I don't mean the crumpled ones that most people do before throwing to the trashcan, but the small lines that you get when you don't carefully carry.


texts: What is the opposite of "emerging markets"?

texts:
I'm writing a corporate presentation in which I explain how our sales and operations network across the globe enables us to benefit from the opportunities offered by both emerging and "old" markets:

  We have developed our network into a strong global presence, adding
  further partners in key areas across the globe. Our strategic
  production and sales footprint grants us a vantage position to tap
  into the exciting potential of both emerging and ??? markets.

What word should go in place of "???"? Developed markets doesn't sound right, also Consolidated markets means something slightly different.

Any idea on what the "consensus definition" is for this?


texts: Is it true that yeast was once called "Godisgoode"?

texts: In this article discussing beer, it is said that in medieval times yeast (possibly only brewer's yeast) was called godisgoode. Is that the case? (Searching on Google sheds very little light on the matter.)


texts: "for which 'blah blah'" vs. "which 'blah blah' for"

texts:
When is it appropriate to use "for which" instead of "which .. for"?

e.g. (talking about webpages)

  This method is useful for deprecated pages for which users have made bookmarks

vs

  This method is useful for deprecated pages which users have made bookmarks for

My instinct is that both sentences are semantically the same. The first example seems a little archaic, and it seems to clash with my prior use of "for". However, the second example doesn't seem to emphasis that the bookmark is for the deprecated page.

Is there any meaningful difference? Which should I prefer, and it what other circumstances should I use one over the other?

Thanks for reading


texts: What's the difference between "Collaborate" and "Cooperate"?

texts:
Both of these words seem to mean much the same thing: working together to achieve some goal. I can instinctively feel a difference between them, but I can't easily put it into words.

Can you help me? Do these words come from different etymologies which might explain the difference?


texts: What is "half a dollar" in pre-decimal British currency slang?

texts:
I've been listening to the BBC Radio show Hancock's Half Hour which was set in working class 50s/60s Britain before we decimalised our currency, and being in a very lower-class cockney London setting it's full of slang terms for currency such as bob, knicker and tanner, but one term I'm having trouble translating is "half a dollar", as in "The Chef That Died Of Shame" (around 4:49) in which Tony is running a horse-drawn hot pie stall.

What would "half a dollar" mean in real money at the time? Where did the term come from?

Tony Hancock (the character shared the name with the actor) was always depicted as an old and old-fashioned character too, so it may be a lot earlier than the broadcast dates, any time from the 1900s to 1945 based on the standard age of the references in the show.


texts:
Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination.— Oscar Wilde.

What does living within means mean?


texts: What is the correct usage of "meanwhile"?

texts: I see meanwhile a lot; I use it a lot;  yet I'm not sure about the formal rules when it's applicable.  Can anyone help me?


texts: What does the "atta" mean in "attaboy" and "attagirl"?

texts: What does the prefix atta mean? What is it trying to abbreviate? What a? Wiktionary claims that it stands for that's a or that's the, but I do not see the resemblance to atta.


texts:
I was wondering what the general take is on concord with they as a gender-neutral 3rd person singular pronoun. I assume there are no hard and fast rules here yet, seeing that this is a fairly new phenomenon – or am I mistaken here? If there is, indeed, an established rule, please let me know! But if there isn't, what is your view? Do you think grammatical meaning should determine concord (example [1]), or do you think semantic meaning should determine (example [2])?

[1] If someone wants this, they have to let us know

[2] If someone wants this, they has to let us know

I can't help it – [2] makes me cringe... even though I realise that there are equally good arguments for either.

What's your view? :)


texts: "compiled with gcc" vs "compiled in gcc"

texts:
"This program was compiled with gcc."
  "This program was compiled in gcc."
  "This program was written in C++."
  "This program was written with C++."

Note: gcc is a widely used compiler by C/C++ programers.

What are the subtle differences between the pairs of sentences?


texts:
In writing, mainly seen in novel writing, how should we put a word that doesn't exist?
for example, "We're screwed beyond levels of screwedness."
Please don't tell me that's too unprofessional and I need to change the sentence with a substitute word that exists. I've seen made up words in some novels, but I can't remember how they're written if they're italic or have a hyphen to separate the part that makes the word nonexistent (screwed-ness).


texts: "Pursue other passions than …" vs. "Pursue passions other than …"

texts:
Which one is the correct form?

Example usage I'm interested in:
That way he had more time to pursue other passions than just diving.
vs.
That way he had more time to pursue passions other than just diving.

Quick googling revealed that both forms are being used.
However, some of the sources I've found might not come from native English speakers.

P.S. I'm interested in British English version, preferably RP.
Still, I would be thrilled to learn that this is dialect-specific.


texts: Is there a maximum number of suffixes that can be added to an English word?

texts:
You can add various derivational and inflectional suffixes on to most English words to create new longer words (or forms of words). But is there a definite or theoretical maximum that can be added in the case of English? If not is there rough upper limit in typical vocabulary?

Trying to think of examples the best I can come up with off the top of my head is:

  ego + ist + ic + al + ly

  egoistically


texts: Describing a spatial arrangement of columns

texts:
Suppose I have a bunch of identical matches. Their arrangement in space is subject to a single condition: Every matches touches at least another one, and touching matches must touch along their entire length and be aligned (i.e not in reverse orientation).

For instance, the two arrangements on the left below are okay (imagine the columns are touching), but not the right one.

How do I call such an arrangement?

Edit. I used matches for a familiar example of a (near) geometrical cylinder. I am looking to arrange true cylinders in this manner, not literal matches.


texts:
I have the following sentence:

  I've got a lot of things to get done by this weekend.

Is it correct? Is to get done a valid causative form?


texts: Verb tense when comparing two different time frames in a sentence

texts:
I'm trying to contrast how I'm doing different things in two different times. My sentence is:

"Then and now I (am/was) doing different things."

Which form of "be" is correct in this case? Or are they both wrong?


texts: Phrase/expression for "growing at my own speed"

texts:
I'm writing the acknowledgments-section of my thesis and want to thank my academic advisor for his patience and support, and for allowing me to "grow at my own speed". I'm looking for a concise way to word the last part.

What I'm trying to say is that he did not push me or try to mold me into something that he wanted me to be, but rather gave me time and space to find and understand my own strengths, and become a good researcher


texts: Determine the difficulty of spelling a word

texts:
Is there a formula or a method to determine the spelling difficulty of a word?

For example, Cat would be 1, appendectomy would be  would be a 5, etc.?


texts: Is the word "ideator" acceptable in public communication; is there a better word?

texts:
I can't find "ideator" in traditional dictionaries, but I've found it on urbandictionary.com and with an unfortunate definition on Medical Dictionary (related to suicide).

Urban Dictionary

  Ideator A person who creates productive ideas, a conceptualist.A
  person that processes and passes on their ideas and inventions to
  others to help sell or publisize a commodity. A solutions person,
  problem solver, think tank.

Medical Dictionary

  A person experiencing suicidal ideation

So, my question is twofold:

If I use this in public communication such as articles, white-papers, etc., does this word harm my credibility or the quality of my writing?
Is there a better word that means the same thing?

Here is an example of the word in-context in an article about leadership and the workforce:

  Marcus is an ideator, but, generally, current corporate structures and
  cultures do not know what to do with an ideator; there's no processes
  or expertise to identify, encourage, nurture or leverage ideators
  within the workforce. Frustrated, ideators leave organizations to join
  other organizations or to strike out on their own when most businesses
  could greatly benefit from the presence of ideators within their
  ranks...


texts:
I heard someone saying that a few days ago, but provided the context, I still couldn't grasp what he meant with that.

By the way, I didn't find it on the internet either.


texts: What does "Our way is the old way" mean?

texts:
It is a quote from Bran in Game of Thrones.
It is used in this context:

  "You understand why I did it?"
  "Jon said he was a deserter."
  "But do you understand why I had to kill him?"
  "Our way is the old way."
  "The man who passes the sentence should swing the sword."


texts: Is disinterested interchangeable with uninterested now?

texts: I have always thought disinterested means unbiased and uninterested means bored. However in a passage on a state wide exam the text used disinterested in place of a situation where its definition would not make sense. There was no question asking you to fix this if that is what you might be thinking. apparently some say they have become more interchangeable.


texts: Is there an idiom for an event that something should be behind that?

texts: I need to translate a Turkish idiom. Literal translation is "It is neither a festival nor a special day. So why did my brother-in-law kiss me?", which is used for unusual events seemingly without a causal relationship, but there is something behind it.


texts:
In general sense of the language we would say that a door "opens" or "closes". But I am looking for a one-word answer (preferably) that would indicate its motion around the hinge. Does it swivel, swerve, flap? (you get the idea)

NOTE: I am not talking about spin doors that revolve or sliding doors, just the conventional ones with hinge(s).

And, please go through the entire question. This is not a duplicate of What does the door do? or Is there a word that means both opening and closing a door?


texts:
I am quite confused with this. Sentence is:

His dog is his best friend.

I would say that this is copula sentence, without object, and that HIS DOG is a subject.
My friend is trying to persuade me that it is quite different i.e. his dog=object, his best friend=subject. Pls help&thank you


texts: How to use 'is Supposed to' or 'was supposed to'

texts: Apparently Mary was supposed to be an insomniac.


texts:
It is encouraged or discouraged the usage of "By+ gerunds" in english formal writing?. If it is not encouraged, how you can explain this situations without using it.

Example: by studying arts kids improve their performance in school

Thanks!!


texts:
"Ernest Hemingway decided to write stories that spotlighted the harsh truth alive in this world, he said anybody trying to do that better have a built-in bull detector"
What is " built-in bull detector   "


texts: What to call it when someone who refuses to eat when offered food, but not because he doesn't want to eat, but because he's being polite

texts:
This is a word in Mongolian: нэрэлх

So you'd use the word like "Ид ид, битгий нэрэлх", essentially meaning, "Please eat, don't be shy to eat".

Shy to eat seems a bit weird, can anyone recommend a similar word or concept in English?


texts:
I'm a bit confused if I can use adjective after a noun with apostrophe s.

I broke Jim's fragile figure.
I broke fragile figure of Jim.

For example, which of these two sentences is correct?


texts: Meaning of "there’s a fire burning in someone's bones"

texts:
What is the meaning of the expression "there’s a fire burning in someone's bones" in below and when does it is said:

    there’s a fire burning in my bones
    And I still believe.


texts: Using "that" (or any other word) three consecutive times

texts:
Is it ever correct to use the word that (or any other word) three consecutive times? For example,

  By reading Nietzsche I learned that that that does not kill me makes
  me stronger.


texts:
Which of the two statements is correct?

  He was an English-born businessman.

  He was an England-born businessman.

The same confusion arises in India-born and Indian-born as well. Moreover, is a hyphen necessary in these examples?


texts: Additional License or Additional Licenses

texts:
In my webpage, I have to get input from user to purchase addition license. Here my doubt is the lable should be Additional Licenses or Additional License.

Ex: Additional License ($10 /license) < INPUTBOX >

Thanks.


texts:
My Autocorrect is telling me to change it to "biceps curl". Also, the Wikipedia entry is Biceps curl.

But Googling, the phrase "bicep curl" seems pretty common. Ngram does suggest though that "biceps curl" is thrice as common in books.

Is "bicep curl" wrong and if so, why?


texts: Noun for something that has been "appended"

texts:
I have appended something to the end of something else, but I don't know the word to describe the what has been appended. Even after it is one big "something", I was wondering if there was a word that described the piece that was not always there before.

"Append" is the verb I am looking to convert.
"Appension" and "appendee" are not real words as far as I know.

Edit:
I have not considered "appendix" since it seems to imply being at the end specifically, rather than something that was added (anywhere) to something else.

@V0ight suggested affix, which seems by its definition to be much closer to what I had in mind!


texts: Same word multiple times in a row - longest?

texts:
Examples:

Thanks for painting my pub sign, but could you increase the size of the spaces between Bull and "and" and "and" and Bush?
All the faith he had had had had no effect on the outcome of his life.

Longest or most interesting one you know of?

Punctuation between the words is allowed, but it must be a single valid sentence.


texts:
What is the correct way to cite a quote in the middle of a sentence.

This is a sentence containing a quotation, "Some random quotation mid-sentence", mid-sentence.

Do you place an in-text citation directly after the closing of the quotation marks, or at the end of the sentence?

Also, should the first letter of the quotation be capitalized here or lowercase?


texts: Is the first hyphen in "Anti- and pro-American", "bi- and tri-monthy", "country- and state-specific" correct?

texts: Those prefixes "Anti", "bi" etc would look odd as separate words, but then, even complete words like "country" or "state" ending with a dangling hyphen look odd. So what is the correct rule for this? Should I play safe and use it like "Anti-American and pro-American"? Please suggest the correct way to do it. Wikipedia article on English hyphens was of little help over this.


texts:
Which one is correct?

Our software solution contains a set of libraries and manuals that allows efficient handling of user requests.
Our software solution contains a set of libraries and manuals that allow efficient handling of user requests.

Does the "a set of" makes it singular? It seems more natural to use plural form though, so I dunno!


texts: What does it mean to be "hard done by" - a phrase I heard from a Canadian friend

texts:
From the context of discussion, I took "hard done by" to mean "taken advantage unfair of" as in "He felt hard done by by former friends."

I had never heard the phrase before and have not heard it since. In fact I'm not sure my example sentence is properly constructed using two "by's".

Is it generally Canadian? A Canadian regionalism? Or is it more widely used by non-American English speakers around the world?

EDIT: Does the phrase include the word "by" and then require a second by for proper usage?

If the meaning is akin to "betrayed", then does the sentence "He felt betrayed by his friend" equate to

He felt hard done by his friend ("by" is not part of the phrase)
OR
He felt hard done by by his friend ("by" IS part of the phrase and so needs another by)

Another example, is it:

The situation made him feel hard done
OR
The situation made him feel hard done by


texts: What's the term for flickering eye movement

texts: If you're looking out of the window of a moving train and at things as they go by (rather than a single object that you're leaving behind), your eyes appear to be flickering. There's a specific term for this.. which I can't remember!


texts: What is the word for "the fear of being grammatically incorrect"?

texts:
Is there a word for "the fear of being grammatically incorrect"? If not, then what's a good way to describe such a situation?

Context:

  A: I noticed you were quiet during the talk. Why was that?
  B: I (have / am, ...) ______, so I didn't speak.


texts:
Which of the following statements is more appropriate?

  You have to stay here till the morning.
  You have to stay here till morning.

The second one seems more fluent to me. What do you think? Please explain what the difference between the two expressions is.


texts:
What is the difference between these words?

Example:

"How to make something"
"How to create something"

Is there any trick i can use to know which one is the more appropriate for the context?


texts: Medical term for causing pain to one part of body to relieve chronic pain elsewhere

texts:
I seem to remember hearing a medical term for the act of causing pain to one part of your body to relieve a chronic pain elsewhere in the body. For instance, someone who suffers from chronic back pain might break their finger so that they can stop focusing on their back pain. Or someone with a broken arm might intentionally drop something on their foot so the focus of pain transfers to their foot for a while. Is there such a term for this type of pain management technique?

I was thinking this was called "deferred pain", but I cannot find anything on Google for that. Most of the search terms I've come up with lead me to "referred pain," but that's not the term I'm looking for. That's completely different than what I'm talking about.


texts: Tennis: when score is even they say: thirty (ou) or five games (ou). Not sure about the right spelling for what is inside the brackets. I believe this is something came from French. Any ideas?


texts: Why don't we say "a thousand of people" but "thousands of people" and "a thousand people"?

texts:
I notice that the phrases "a thousand people" and "thousands of people" are both correct, but I've never heard "a thousand of people".
First of all, is it correct to say "a thousand of people"?
I think it has to do with "people" being indefinite, but if this is the case, why is it correct to say "thousands of people"?
I understand that we can say "a thousand of the people who...", so let's exclude this case.
Thanks!


texts: Word for "drawing a decisive conclusion about a phenomenon according to specific personal experience"

texts:
What is a single word for "drawing a decisive conclusion about a phenomenon according to specific personal experience"?

I often encounter people who can follow a pattern like that in an argument:

  A: What do you think about the new X cell phone?

  B: My sister bought one, and she could not operate it, so it's not
  user friendly.

It's not only generalization, but also taking a case that you are familiar with and making conclusions about a certain object according to that case even if the conclusion is not relevant or connected.


texts: What is the word that describes the quality of keeping multiple copies of something?

texts:
It's an adjective I think. As in "The genetic code can be said to be (blank) because multiple codons can code for the same amino acid" or "My database is (blank) because it keeps multiple copies of critical files in case one is corrupted"

Hint: "backup" isn't the word I'm looking for.

Thanks folks.


texts: What is the word for an unintentionally uttered prophecy?

texts:
I was once reading a story from mythology which mentioned that an ordinary woman out of the blue uttered some important message or prophecy. I remember some word was used for this. I have forgotten the word as well as the story. Can someone help me with this?
Although the answer has already been found I wanted to share about the story mentioned. Please Google up Odysseus+thunder+suitors+servant+woman and you will know about the unintentionally uttered prophecy.


texts:
In English, when presented with a list (real or imagined) or answers that could be given to a question, and the correct one is not given, we will say that somebody has given "the wrong answer".  However, doesn't "the" imply that there is only one wrong answer?

Logically, it should be "that's a wrong answer", not "that's the wrong answer". Right?


texts:
Which of the following is correct and why?

opportunity at the tips of her fingers
opportunity at the tip of her fingers

The former seems correct to me, but I don’t entirely understand why.


texts: In my business, sometimes clients I have done work for will provide my name and contact information to other, potential clients.  I send a Thank You card to the referring (original) client. What should be the correct wording? "Dear Joe, Thank you for referring Mary to me for ..." or "Dear Joe, Thank you for referring me to Mary for ..."


texts:
Is there any rule for when it is better to use genitive case or noun as adjective? I'm not sure if there is any difference in meaning in this example:

  The department of accounting

  The accounting department

Can I also use both forms in situations like:

  The restaurants of Paris / The Paris restaurants

  The room window / The window of the room


texts:
I received a message today:

...
Not going to hit you with a whole pitch trying obfuscate the fact i'm
a recruiter trying to persuade a developer to work in a professional
environment where there meetings are held in a ball pit and the CEO
enters down a slide........ queue the hypocrisy am I right :D
...

The expression in bold confused me. I tried googling it and got exactly 5 results which did not clarify the meaning much. I searched in a few online dictionaries (Cambridge, Merriam-Webster, Dictionary.com, TheFreeDictionary.com), but none of them contains this expression.
So what does "queue the hypocrisy" mean? And what does it have to do with queues?


texts:
Darn prepositions making me all confused again, the sentence:

  the painting inspires the 60-year-old man, and he is passionately absorbed in his contemplation about his past

'about' sounds wrong, but I am not quite sure what should replace it, any suggestions?

I have tried doing some research, but I can't find similar examples through search engines, and my dictionaries are not helping.


texts:
In an episode of Fawlty Towers, Basil Fawlty uses the phrase "And Bob's your uncle". Unfamiliar with it, I looked the phrase up on Wikipedia, which described it this way:

  Typically, someone says ["And Bob's your uncle"] to conclude a set of simple instructions, similar to the French expression "et voilà!" or the American slang expressions "...and that's that," or "...and there you go!"

Thinking about it more, I can see a variety of phrases going into this slot. Consider the example sentence,

  Take the bread out of the bag, put the bread in the toaster, push the button down, and -- PHRASE -- you've got toast!

In the place of PHRASE I have heard some of the following:

Interrogatives

What do you get/have?
Whaddaya know?
Isn't that something?

Sayings

Drumroll, please
Badda-bing, badda-boom
Surprise, surprise

Interjections

(Abracadabra) alakazam!
Ta-da!
Presto!

A word I learned recently is phatic:

  a phatic expression /ˈfætɨk/ is one whose only function is to perform a social task, as opposed to conveying information

Phatic nearly seems to fit, except:

The PHRASE, though less informative than its neighbors, may have another function: to indicate the list is ending
Even though some definitions allow for building emotional rapport ("of, relating to, or being speech used for social or emotive purposes rather than for communicating information"), which the examples do with suspense or anticipation, the examples I find tend to be about pleasantries such as talking about the weather

The examples need not interrupt the list, as shown in the Fawlty excerpt:

  [If] it turns out you don't like your room, then we could always move you in here, but I don't think it's worth doing until you've definitely decided that you don't like that one as much as this one, and then we can sort of sit down round a table, discuss it, chew it over and ... and then it will be a piece of cake. Bob's your uncle...."

Most generally, I'm looking for a term with the definition "a phrase (usually with the audience's emotional state in mind) concluding sequential statements." This definition also covers phrases like "And then I found five dollars" (used when the speaker fears they have bored their audience).

Is there a term to describe this pattern?


texts: which is better usage for this plural: sheriff's offices or sheriffs' offices

texts: I am writing about a dozen different offices headed by locally elected sheriffs. There are other 'offices' in the story, so at least a couple of times I'll have to use the full phrase. In your view, is it better to leave the singular sheriff's and the plural offices? Or make both parts plural: sheriffs' offices?


texts: Is there a word that defines describing something in the past with modern language?

texts: For example, Jane Austen's carriage went up and down the hills like a roller coaster.


texts: A word or phrase to describe someone who is obsessed with words?

texts:
I want to be able to describe the love for, or obsession with, words. It may also be a condition from other's perspective.
It maybe because he is a lunatic who wants to aggrandize his vocabulary, a crazy person who can't forget the words he hears wafting around, or someone who wants to set a world record or something. Try fitting it in these:

He is a _______ who can blurt a thousand synonyms for good.
He is so ______ that he can be called a dictionary with a heartbeat.
He is showing what a _____ he is.
If thesaurus was a ghost, he would be dwelling in that _____'s body.

Any word or phrase would do.


texts:
I received an email with this sentence:

He gives a talk and then I and anyone else interested can discuss with him afterward.

In response to that sentence, can I write this next sentence or not? How is the best way of responding to it?

I would also like to talk to him after his talk, please.


texts: Can the "t" letter be uttered as a flap t before the letter "h"?

texts:
I know the flap-t is usually used when the "t" is between vowels or between an "r" and a vowel, but I think I can also hear it betwenn vowels and the "h". And I noticed the same with the "g" I think.

For instance: wha(t) happend?

Am I right?

Thank you in advance!


texts: What is a good word for a person who doesn't masturbate?

texts: Is there a word for a person who doesn't masturbate? If so, what would he/she/it be known as?


texts: (Tongue in cheek) word for a mysteriously attractive man?

texts:
I'm currently looking for a word that describes a mysterious, attractive man, preferably tongue-in-cheek. The ones I can think of are dashing, alluring, seductive, tempting, but none of these seem to fit the bill for me and my thesaurus search hasn't been very fruitful.

It needs to be the adjective in this sentence:

  The stubble was too short to pass as a beard, but too long to sell as the adjective maverick's hallmark.


texts: Irregular verbs in English - why do so many end in D?

texts:
This might just be availability bias on my part, but it seems to me that if a verb ends is a "d" sound then it's a lot more likely to have an irregular past tense than an average verb picked out at random.  Examples include "feed/fed", "stand/stood", "rend/rent", "tread/trod", "betide/betid".

So, is this an actual pattern, or am I just imagining it?

And if it is a real pattern, what's the explanation?


texts: Translating a scientific paper from American to British

texts:
Over the last few years I have translated into English a fair amount of scientific papers for a Mexican scientist. Throughout this time, I noticed that by far the most common style requirement was asking the paper to be written in either American or British English. I have no problem with American since in Mexico we usually learn the American dialect, but writing a paper in British is a whole different story.
Throughout this time, I've looked up online as many guides on how to migrate a document from American to British English, but the most I've been able to find was this short guide on American vs. British spelling as well as a few vocabulary guides (e.g. "French fries", "truck" and "drugstore" vs. "chips", "lorry" and "chemist"). Entering queries on Google like "how to translate from American to British English" yields almost no meaningful results.
If anyone has some pointers on how to translate a scientific paper from American to British English, I would be extremely thankful.


texts: Difference in meaning between 'might be able' and can

texts:
Here's the text:

1)I’m not free this evening, but I might be able meet you tomorrow.

2)I’m not free this evening, but I can meet you tomorrow.

Is the meaning the same?


texts:
According to a dictionary search for "trespasses":

v. Enter the owner's land or property without permission
n. A voluntary wrongful act against the person or property of another, esp. unlawful entry to a person's land or property without their permission

Yet this article uses the headline:

  Criminal Trespasses Police Officers

and goes on to say:

  The entire police force has in effect been trespassed from a Wellington property.

Is this actually a legitimate use of the word "trespass" or "trespassed"?


texts:
Is there a single word or metonym for someone or something that "blocks a view"?

I'm looking for a word that, unlike "obstacle" or "obstruction", conveys the "view" part.


texts:
Which do you think is the correct version to be used in the following sentence?

  ABC Company offers XYZ, a multi-bank/multibank payment system.

And how should these versions be used?


texts:
I tried to find the exact idiom in online dictionaries, but could not find any entry on it. Here is the sentence:

"For more than five years, she tried to run her way to a different life."

The text is about a runner who got success after many years of struggle.


texts:
this is my first post on this site. So please bear with me. I am looking for a phrasal verb which is really common but I cant really remember it right now.

My phrase is :

"They stated they needed the change on their application and once it was done they [insert phrasal verb]..."

The one I am looking for is something like back off on their statement or maybe the said they actually did not need it.

I apologize to everybody in advance if my question is out of topic for this site. Phrasal verbs are actually hard to learn for a person who speaks English as a second tongue.


texts: more concise way to describe a system that is doomed to fail, inherently flawed, temporary/transient

texts:
I'm trying to describe, in one or two words, a system which is set up so that it cannot be long lasting; it is destined to collapse.

"Marx and Engels finish their overview of Marxist theory by arguing that the very nature of the bourgeoisie system makes it..."

I was going to use Sisyphean but that refers to a task that can never be finished rather than one that will end in disaster.

edit: currently using 'sisyphean and transient'

edit: the word doomed doesn't fit the sentence.

edit: to make it clear: im trying to find the word that best fits the sentence, im trying to convey the idea that the system cannot last, it is inherently self-destructive and will end sooner rather than later


texts: Wish + tense agreement + subordinate clause

texts:
I wish I knew what he did/does for a living
I wish I knew what he had/has bought her
I wish I knew what he would/will do in this case

I wish I'd known what he had done for a living
I wish I'd known what he did for a living
I wish I'd known what he would do in this case

Are they correct and what the situations are like when hear them?


texts: How certain we are that runes were shaped as we present them

texts:
Specifically I am wondering about the A, F, H, J, L, and T. There are others I'm interested in but I don't want to ask too much at once, and these ones are straightforward.

The image I am looking at is from here:

If "runes" isn't the right term, I am just trying to refer to what is in this picture.

But here is one way I could draw them (two ways for L):

That is, just basically did this:

A: Tilted to the side a little.
F: Straightened protrusions to a modern F.
H: Straightened the middle to modern H shape.
J: Straightened.
L: Flipped so protrusion is on bottom, then tried straightening that to modern L position.
T: Straightened to modern T.

The thing is, or one limitation is, that runes were carved into rocks or wood (at least the things we still have records of today), so this means the lines to draw the characters are going to be straight pretty much; curves would be too hard it seems. I haven't seen any curved runes, but I haven't looked too hard for it. I haven't actually studied the runes we have archived photographs of in universities and museums and such, which might've helped figure out better how they actually wrote the letters. But I think this is probably well understood so I thought I would ask here.

So my question is, if we know for sure that these letters in the first diagram above are the actual shapes of the letters back then. I imagine they didn't have a dictionary and book of guidelines on how to write the runes, so it might have been variable, I don't know. The main thing I am interested in knowing is if it would be okay to draw the runes in slightly different shapes and orientations like the image I provided of my drawings. That is, that those would be considered valid characterizations of each corresponding run symbol. Or if it's not a valid way to layout the strokes, then how we know we are correct in always showing the "rune alphabet" and the related documents with these same character stroke layouts and orientations


texts: "good lay in" --> what does "in" stand for here?

texts:
What is the exact function of the word "in" here?

  Richard, I’ve had the last good lay in an old whore, and it had to be in front of the mirror.

For the context of this sentence, see this article.

I have two explanations:

(1) "in", used here, is short for "in the person of". So the sentence would read:

  Richard, I’ve had the last good lay in the person of an old whore, and it had to be in front of the mirror.

(2) Or is "in" short for the act of penetrating your partner during intercourse?

"I have spent quality time in her." = the speaker has had sex with a partner and he had fun.

So the sentence would read:

  Richard, I’ve had the last good lay inside an old whore, and it had to be in front of the mirror.

Which of the two readings is correct? Or do neither explain the proper function of "in"? If that is the case, what is the real function of "in"?
The usual way of putting it would be "laid with an old whore", but instead of "with", "in" is used. Why?


texts:
My English teacher asked me what "First quality" means?

No website on internet gives any definition of that term.

is it correct to say like this?

Starbucks is famous for its first quality coffee


texts: What is the Grammatical name and function of "because I thought I had won the day"

texts: What is the Grammatical name and Grammartical  function of "because I thought that I had won the day"


texts:
I had a leg injury. Past simple.
I had had a leg injury. Past perfect.

But if I add word "until" past simple transforms to past perfect:
I had a leg injury until I was 15.
Is this sentence correct?

So, I'm stuck. Seems that sentence means the same as
I had had a leg injury until I was 15.


texts: Formality of "to bear fruit" and parentheses in application documents

texts: I am currently writing a formal personal statement for a university application process. I would like some advice as to whether or the use of parentheses mid-sentence and the use of "to bear fruit" in terms of succeeding at a task are formal, or if they should be replaced with something else.


texts: Annually |AND or OR| as required - policy wording debate

texts:
Completing an internal policy document and the review clause has created some debate in the office. Some may call it petty, I call it a quest for betterment, either way I am seeking some consensus from the experts as to which wording is more appropriate.

So, when specifying that the policy review will be conducted at least annually and also as needed, which wording is more correct?

'The policy will be reviewed and updated annually and as needed'
OR
'The policy will be reviewed and updated annually or as needed'

Google results and logic seem to support the first but I guess I am after best practice as determined by those 'in the know' :-)


texts: Should individual letters of the Latin alphabet be italicized?

texts:
Dotting the i's and crossing the t's.

Dotting the i's and crossing the t's.

Should individual letters of the Latin alphabet be italicized in the above example?

EDIT (AFTER Neil Coffey's ANSWER): According to "The Chicago Manual of Style" (7.59) we should prefer the latter.


texts:
Below sentence from VOA English, "So we're still paying taxes from that property that was lost a couple years ago from the dune toppling over on top of it.".

I think we should say "paying taxes for that property", not "paying taxes from that property".

In oral English, both are correct or the first one is better?

thanks


texts:
Etymonline has this entry for dibs:

  Children's word to express a claim on something, 1932, originally U.S., apparently a contraction of dibstone "a knucklebone or jack in a children's game" (1690s), which is of unknown origin.

However, while Merriam-Webster's entry for dibs gives the same definition and origin as an abbreviation of dibstone, it traces the first known use to 1812.

An Ngram of dibs shows that it was indeed used in the early 1800s, having peaks in the 1840s and 1880s. After the 1880s peak, it drops gradually and does not really rise again until the 1980s. In fact, 1932 seems to be during one of the word's lowest points.

Given this information, why does Etymonline trace its origin to this low point in 1932 when it was actually in use over a century earlier? I'm looking for an explanation for the disparity between these sources. As far as I can determine, there is not another meaning of dibs to explain its earlier appearances.


texts: Using an appropriate article before the word "leadership"

texts:
I had a quick question. Recently a co-worker posted a how-to guide entitled "How to be a good leadership at work". To me the sentence seems incorrect. But I can't explain why. Technically leadership is a noun, just like in the sentence "How to be a good person at work" would be correct, because person is also a noun.

Perhaps it's one of those things that sounds incorrect to me but really is correct. Can anyone explain this to me?


texts:
For example: if you listen to the pronunciation of "seminar" in Oxford Learners Dictionary, it sounds like an /ə/ to me.

BrE /ˈsemɪnɑː(r)


texts: Repetition of indefinite article with several adjectives

texts:
Sindbad was a rich and a famous sailor.
  Sindbad was a rich and famous sailor.

Which of these are correct?
What is the general rule for using articles before a noun with two adjectives?


texts: What is the meaning of the word "along" in this context?

texts:
I am a bit confused with the usage of the word "along" in a sentence from some lecture slides

"check if X lies on the path along existing neighbors"

Does this mean that X is structured in this form: foo ----- X ----- bar

or: foo ----- bar ---- X

Thanks


texts: What is the correct pronunciation of "February"?

texts: Please tell how do we correctly pronounce the word February. Though common pronunciation should be Feb-RU-ary, in some dictionaries it is Feb-U-ary where the first "r" is dropped. Which one is correct?


texts: How to pronounce "her", "hers" and "myrtle" with a Scottish accent?

texts:
In Scotland the words "fern", "fir" and "fur" have different vowels in them while in most other accents the vowels are the same (and "fir" and "fur" are therefore homophones in most English accents). Based on rules I've inferred from Scottish peoples' speech, Wikipedia and the way speech synthesizers have been programmed (especially eSpeak), it seems to be that the "fern" vowel only occurs when spelled with er/ear and when it's fully stressed. For example, the eSpeak speech synthesizer with a Scottish accent pronounces the words "verse" and "university" with the "fern" vowel, but "universe" with the "fur" vowel as the syllable is not fully stressed.

So my first question is: if I have a sentence like "I liked HER shoes but I didn't like HIS shoes" where you the female personal pronoun is emphasised, do Scottish people use the FERN or FUR vowel? How about the word "hers"?

My last question is simply, how is the word "myrtle" with "yr" pronounced in a Scottish accent, with the FUR, FIR or FERN vowel? Based on the rules below, I would expect the "fur" vowel for "myrtle", but eSpeak (at least the version I have on my computer) uses the "fern" vowel as it's the default for exceptions that haven't been programmed a specific Scottish pronunciation.

As a side note, here are the rules of the fern/fir/fur vowel distinction that I've inferred from the sources and speakers I have had access to (but I've never seen them written down explicitly in plain English):

1. The FERN vowel is used only when fully stressed spelled with "er" or "ear".
2. The FIR vowel is used when spelled with "ir" regardless of stress.
3. The FUR vowel is used in every other situation.

I don't know if these are perfectly accurate, but I don't know a single exception for sure... except for "Berlin" which I've heard pronounced by one person with the FERN vowel and by another with the FUR vowel; eSpeak would need some serious reprogramming if one would want to force it to use the FERN vowel in that context.


texts:
I'm looking for a synonym for "Social Program" which would fit better into the following schedule:

  Annual Distributors Meeting Schedule:
  1. Sales Workshop
  2. Distribution and Logistics Meeting
  3. Round Table Discussion
  4. Social Program ???

Social Program just doesn't sound right to my ear.


texts:
I am reading Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. There is a statement by Hank Rearden - 'You concluded that I was the safest person in the world for you to spit on, precisely because I held you by the throat.'
This phrase is used to connote that the person whom Hank has allowed to be in his house as a freeloader has taken undue advantage of Hank while going to the extent of working against Hank.
Please explain the meaning of 'held you by the throat'.


texts: Present Perfect Continuous "Has been she talking ?"

texts: "Has been she talking on the phone ? " Is it correct ?


texts: What is the best salutation to use in cover letter when I don't have contact information?

texts:
I prepare to write a cover letter to several banks. The application is online and I need to submit it to each employer.
So how could I write in the salutation of the cover letter. I don't have the contact of HR people. Could I write something like this:

  To whom it may concern,
  ...

  Dear Citibank HR,
  ...


texts: A single word meaning doubt and unsettledness

texts:
What is a single word suggesting doubt in the heart coupled with unsettledness?

One could doubt without being unsettled by an affair - I want a single word combining the two.


texts: What's a phrasal verb that means pretending to be nice in expectation of getting something in return?

texts: I want to find a phrasal verb that means pretending to be nice/friendly to someone because you think he/she will help you do something.


texts:
One of my students refuses to split infinitives. His solution is to put the adverb directly before the infinitive, without fail, five times in two pages of writing. Telling him to split the infinitive will go nowhere.

Examples:
I need carefully to consider. . .
I need intentionally to direct . . .

Another post discussed the meaning change between "I decided to go quickly" and "I quickly decided to go." In the student's examples, it is doubtful that clarity is at stake, but the order still feels unnatural to me. I've told him before that the adverb appears roughly connected to the main verb. What else can I say? This student knows grammar well and turns in otherwise immaculate work.

Or do his sentences sound natural to you?


texts: Could I have achieved my goal by phrasing this answer differently?

texts:
In a recent answer on Aviation.SE I originally wrote:

  Why is part from B777 being analysed by Airbus?
  Because it is not.

The answer immediately attracted some comments from the native English speakers of the community focusing on the incorrect structure of the sentence.

As I tried to explain later in the corresponding chat

  I made the deliberate decision to write not in the best grammatical form to stress the point that the assumption behind the question is wrong. I'm not sure wether I achieve my goal, but my intent was the above.

I basically went for a double why-because question-answer sequence to build a rithm and to break it with the incorrect sentence structure to draw the reader attention on the point.

In the end, also given the technical predisposition of the SE community, I accepted the objections that were raised against my choice and I have not reverted the final edit, but I am still wondering: could have I achieved my intent? Would there have been better alternatives?


texts: What is the name for a single item of hundreds and thousands

texts:
I was wondering what the singular term for hundreds and thousands was. I believe in the United States these are referred to as sprinkles and a sprinkle makes sense in this case. However a hundred and thousand sounds a bit awkward.

I have attached an image below in case there was any confusion.


texts:
I have a question about the following sentence. In the (A) option, I'm aware that's a classical "as .... as you assume". But my main confusion is that (B) option seems really legit to me gramatically. Like in this context:
"...modern societies are not so different from primitive societies, that one might assume. But that's not occasionally true."
As there is no additional information following this sentence, I think both options are okay. Though I'm not sure whether a comma is a must before "that one might assume" or just optional. Or it's even possible I'm all wrong about the option (B). I just thought some help could be good to sort this thing out, thanks!

When it comes to the environment, modern societies are not ...... different from primitive societies ...... one might assume.
A) as/as
B) so/that


texts:
I would like to ask if the phrase to put into relation to each other is correct English. I only found a few hits in the Internet and it looks like many of these sources were written in German.

I do not know how to describe it in my own words, but with to put into relation to each other I roughly mean to compare something with each other.

For example:

  In general, the purpose of this process is not to rate the absolute
  quality of a result, but rather to put the qualities of several
  results in relation to each other.

If any one of you speak German, by to put into relation to each other I mean in Relation zueinander setzen.

Thank you very much,

Alex


texts: "I had no sooner returned than I turned on" vs. "I have no sooner returned than I turn on"

texts:
Context: As a teacher who loves writing, I am interested in posting messages on the twitter.

Which of the following options is correct? Please explain the reasoning.

  I am so interested in posting messages on the twitter that everyday I had no sooner returned home than I immediately turned on the computer to write something.
  I am so interested in posting messages on the twitter that everyday I have no sooner returned home than I immediately turn on the computer to write something.


texts:
I know the idiom On the hunt
But I have a question about the usage.
I believe these are correct:
He was on the hunt for clues.
She was on the hunt for the escaped criminal.
However, (1) can I use it like this?
And (2), have I compromised the meaning?
He was on her hunt.
They were on his hunt.
Basically, I'm trying to figure out how to be more economical.
Thank you very much!


texts: What is the difference between "travel" and "trip"?

texts:
I will go to travel.
  I will take a trip.

Are the two words - "travel" and "trip" - the same?


texts:
how to properly express "begin not to do something"

for example:

  I begin not to be worried about him
       something like: I begin to stop worrying about him

  I begin not to love her
       something like: I begin to stop loving her

are there any other expressions?
thanks


texts:
Consider this sentence:

  "My handwriting is very good" said Smith proudly

I want to replace "said Smith proudly" with something that will appear a bit more professional or polished but with the meaning unchanged. What could that be...?


texts: Perhaps a Hanlon's Razor, but what does it mean?

texts:
I've recently seen a quote saying

  "Any sufficiently advanced stupid is indistinguishable from genuine malice."

I'd love to understand what does it mean.


texts:
Is it in/with? in this question it says,
The manager was delighted in/with her efficiency.

Another question I'm puzzled at is
Tom and his brother have/has been invited to the party.
should we use singular/plural verbs, thank you for helping out.


texts: Is there a simple word -> noun/verb/pronoun table?

texts:
I'm after a basic list of words and their "role" in language. It could be plain text, excel, csv, but all I want is, eg:

cat noun
run verb

etc. Simple as that. I'm teaching a young friend who's also a bit poor on the "parts of English" (as am I - I don't even know the collective noun for "nouns/verbs/adjectives etc") some basic programming, so we thought we'd make a simple Google spreadsheet lookup table language tester.

This is NOT a programming question - that part we can do, but having drawn many dead ends with either over-complicated web pages (ie: dictionary sites wrapped with adverts and extra html) or endless "hackers dictionaries" (just massive word-only lists) I wondered if anyone here had any ideas. Sorry if this is the wrong place, but it's called "English language" so I thought it might fit.

Thanks.


texts:
I've been wondering on the usage of the suffix -ion and what it means if put at the end of a verb.
I notice that oftentimes it means the process/ action of the verb.
Examples: Transformation, investigation, deforestation.
What makes me question are verbs like create. I reasoned that the noun creation would mean the process of creating, but it also means the end product of creating.
Verbs like incline or dispose also confuses me, because to incline means *to make (someone) tend/prone to something, but the noun inclination means tendencies as opposed to the process of the action.
My question is:
Can verbs + ion be defined as other things rather than the process or the action of the verb itself?


texts: Why do people who find it hard to hear say they are "hard of hearing"?

texts:
"I am hard of seeing" or "I am hard of walking" are just never used.  How did people come to call semi-deafness "hard of hearing"?

Especially, why is "hard of" used?  I could understand "weak of hearing", but why "hard"?


texts: Is "things such as this" singular or plural?

texts:
Which of the following is correct?

Things such as this make me happy.
Things such as this makes me happy.

Is the subject "things" or "this"?


texts: What is the difference between "Sofa" and "Couch"?

texts:
Is there any difference between the two?

Which one is more common?

Which of the two words is more appropriate if the "piece of furniture" is big, comfortable and expensive?


texts: What is the phrasal verb or idiom that says about something that came is too late

texts:
I can't remember a phrasal verb or an idiom that describes something that came too late, i.e.
i bought this book to solve this mathematical problem, however as it only came a week later it was xxxxxx.


texts: Is "Everyone is welcome along." a valid sentence?

texts:
Is "Everyone is welcome along." a valid English sentence?

My English grammaticality is basic at best and I'm not sure how to even research this...

EDIT: I'm adding a bounty, and I'd like to know why, if "Everyone is welcome along," is ungrammatical, the similar phrase "Everyone is welcome aboard" is grammatical. Both along and aboard can be adverbs, so why can't both be used as an adverb here.  (Or are both grammatical, but one is just unidiomatic?)


texts: Should "glamourous" be considered incorrect?

texts:
The Wiktionary entry for glamourous, for what it's worth, claims that it is "a common British spelling", but many native English speakers dismiss it as incorrect. Some, though, draw a distinction between "glamorous" and "glamourous", saying that the latter is a valid, British spelling.

What's your take on this?


texts: What is this kind of spelling mistake called?

texts:
Consider the following sentence from this web page (a review of an episode from the TV show "How I Met Your Mother").

"The focus on Robin really aloud her character to get the kind of attention she has been missing for many a season."

Clearly, "aloud" should be "allowed". So, the writer has substituted one word with another that sounds the same when spoken, but is spelled differently and has a different meaning. What kind of spelling mistake do this call this in English?


texts: "Tools are a sound investment that result in..." or "...that results in..."?

texts: If I am using the sentence, "Tools are a sound investment that result(s) in significant gains in productivity.", do I use result or results?  I'm unsure if the verb "result(s)" is acting on the noun "investment" or the noun "tools".


texts: In African American dialect, is it "I like" or "I likes"?

texts: Following the rules of African American dialect, one rule is to drop the 's' on a verb when using third person singular, i.e. "she like, he like" - my question is - for the first person singular, would "I likes" be correct in dialect, or should it be "I like"? without the 's'?


texts: An item is originally packed or packaged?

texts:
I'm about to list a brand new CD on eBay. The listing assumes a condition note where I want to point out, that the item is brand new and originally packed.

Google Translate suggests to change the above wording to originally packaged. This is embarrassing, as I thought that "packaging" is actually a bit of a work, means: to put an item into a package, protecting case, box, etc.

When a manufacturer overwraps a small thing (i.e. a book, a CD, a postcard) with a plastic foil, he/she normally packs it, right? Not packages?

How would you correctly say in English The item is originally packed/packaged assuming it might not neccessarily be factory-sealed. It is just originally wrapped.

UPDATE (inspired by comments)

I understand the trick with a noun (...in its original packaging), but I wonder if there is an expression with a verb in passive voice. For example in German we normally say "original verpackt". The 't' at the end of a verb means the passive voice. Germans even have an abbreviation OVP. In Russian I would also use the passive voice.

So the question is: originally packed or originally packaged?Unless both forms are not valid and won't be correctly understood.


texts: Can "Be under no illusion" have both positive and negative connotations?

texts:
In a recent email I received was this line: "Be under no illusion that 2011 is Our Year."

From what I understand "Be under no illusion" means the same as "Don't be fooled". So I would expect that it would be followed by comments such as "It's going to be tough, but we can do it together" or some similar sentiment. However, this statement is then followed by a positive statement.

To me this contradicts the use of "Be under no illusion". Do I have the meaning wrong or is this one of those crazy phrases that can be used both as a negative and as a positive?


texts: Actually often we use I.e. and e.g but i'm not sure what exact meaning of it anybody can tell? What is exact meaning of I.e. and e.g.


texts: I am looking for books that contains photos of paintings and/or statues, historical buildings. These books are typically used as a sort of art gallery on high-quality paper, but I don't know the specific name in the English language.


texts: "They have been replaced by..." or "They have been replaced with..."

texts:
We replace something old with something new.

  The Mayor has replaced all the old school buses with new ones.

When the sentence is written in the passive voice, "by" is used.

  All the old school buses have been replaced by new ones.
  All the old school buses have been replaced by the Mayor.

But what about a sentence in the passive voice that mentions the object that is substituted and the subject who performed the action, the agent?  Which preposition should be used?

  All the old school buses have been replaced by the mayor ....... new ones.


texts: In the original Greek text, Alexis Zorba's surname was Ζορμπά [Zormpa]. Does anyone know why the name came to be transliterated, in the English translation, as Zorba?


texts:
In the series "The Wire" there's a conversation between the mayor and the police commander that goes like this:

  - Can't you have police sit on locations where the homeless
  gather? Monitor them like that?

  - And still answer the calls? Not without doubling up post units, which means overtime.

  - Overtime, again.

  - Blood in our veins, Mr. Mayor.

That's an interesting expression; I haven't heard it before.

My guess is he means his staff are not superhuman and can only do so much, but I'm not sure. So what does it mean? I couldn't find anything relevant googling the phrase so I'd also be interested if you know of any references.


texts: Is there a word for a person who's obsessed with lights?

texts: I need to know if there exists a word for a person who's obsessed with lights. The formation lights make etc.


texts: Is the phrase "the alive animal" grammatically correct?

texts:
Is it wrong to use the phrase "The alive animal"?

Is it alright to say, "The animal was alive."?


texts: Word for a owing a free pass on withholding judgment

texts:
The word is on the tip of my tongue and I'm pretty sure it ends with "ie or y."

The idea is a friend had a gracious attitude when I did something stupid, so now I want to return the favor.  So I want to say, "it's ok, I owe you a ____".

Something along the lines of a free pass.  But there's a slang (I think) word for this that I'm trying to think of.


texts: What's a word to call a person who is involuntarily used?

texts:
In an interaction, one person uses another against their will. Is there a word (noun) to refer to that person?
Example: Person A trips and grabs onto Person B, a stranger, in order to not fall to the ground. Person B had no choice in the matter. Person A would label Person B their _____.
Dupe, instrument, pawn, puppet, stooge, and tool have pretty negative connotations, so don't quite work. The interaction is more of a slight inconvenience.


texts: What is the hearing equivalent of behold?

texts:
According to the Oxford definition of behold it only applies to seeing and not to hearing.

  be·hold  /bəˈhōld/
      verb archaic literary
      verb: behold; 3rd person present: beholds; past tense: beheld; past participle: beheld; gerund or present participle: beholding
      see or observe (a thing or person, especially a remarkable or impressive one).
      "behold your king!"
      synonyms:   see, observe, view, look at, watch, survey, witness, gaze at/upon, regard, contemplate, inspect, eye

What is the auditory version of behold?


texts:
I have searched in Google, dictionary and StackExchange and I couldn't understand.
I want to know what is the meaning of 'on which'.

  We call one of those sets the training set, on which we learn some properties; we call the other set the testing set, on which we test the learned properties.


texts: If I perform the logical OR on two items, what am I doing? Ie. what's the verb for the logical sum?