texts:
I'm a brazilian native and I'm curious about the use of up in sentences.

For instance:

set up;
grow up;
get up;

What's the real meaning/role of up in these phrases? I don't know if my perspective about the problem is different than yours – probably it is –, but it's difficult for me to understand this case of use.

Can someone clarify this question/issue for me?

Thanks in advance.


texts:
What is this merger called? I know there's the nearer-mirror merger, where both words are pronounced with the exact same long i, but which merger is responsible for the pronunciation of the short i in the "be" part of the word 'believe'? The singer is Dan Tyminski, who was born in Rutland, Vermont.

AVICII - Hey Brother

At first, I thought it was the southern drawl:

  Stage 3 (/i/ → [ɪi] and /ɪ/ → [iə]): By the same pushing and pulling
  domino effects described above, /ɪ/ (as in hit or lick) and /i/ (as in
  beam or meet) follow suit by both possibly becoming diphthongs whose
  nuclei switch positions. /ɪ/ may be pushed into a diphthong with a
  raised beginning, [iə], while /i/ may be pulled into a diphthong with
  a lowered beginning, [ɪi]. An example is that, to other English
  speakers, the Southern pronunciation of fin sounds something like
  fee-in, while meal sounds something like mih-eel. Like the other
  stages of the Southern shift, Stage 3 is most common in heavily
  stressed syllables and particularly among Inland Southern speakers.
  Wikipedia

but there's obviously no drawling in there. Then, I thought it was the fill-feel merger as there's an L sound in "believe":

  Lax and tense vowels often neutralize before /l/, making pairs like
  feel/fill and fail/fell homophones for speakers in some areas of the
  South. Some speakers may distinguish between the two sets of words by
  reversing the normal vowel sound, e.g., feel in Southern may sound
  like fill, and vice versa. Wikipedia

  The fill–feel merger is a conditioned merger of the vowels /ɪ/ and
  /iː/ before /l/ that occurs in some dialects of American English. The
  heaviest concentration of the merger is found in, but not necessarily
  confined to Southern American English: in North Carolina, eastern
  Tennessee, northern Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana (but not New
  Orleans), and west-central Texas (Labov, Ash, and Boberg 2006: 69-73).
  This merger, like a lot of other features of Southern American
  English, can also be found in AAVE. Wikipedia

And this seems like a plausible theory, but I don't think I'm right.


texts: A date "is","was", or "will be" a Monday?

texts:
March 1st, 1999 is a Monday
March 1st, 1999 was a Monday

March 1st, 2099 is a Sunday
March 1st, 2099 will be a Sunday

Is there a preferred version? Do they have different meaning?


texts: What possessive is used when "everybody" is the antecedent?

texts:
Is this sentence right?

  Everybody is wasting his time.

Is  his or its the possessive of everybody?

Most people use his but in my opinion it should be its:

  Everybody is wasting its time.

I want to know what experts say about this.


texts: using "if" - when to use present tense, and when to use past tense?

texts:
As a native speaker of English, these two sentences sound acceptable to me:

  A full refund can be claimed if the school fails to provide a
  textbook.

  A full refund could be claimed if the school failed to provide a
  textbook.

But is it not the case that there are situations where both present and past tense cannot be used interchangeably when using "if' to create a conditional clause?


texts: Why do so many groups of people (marketers, UX, finance) use a 'funnel' as a metaphor

texts:
The concept of a funnel is invariably used as an explanation of a flow where you start with a large base group of something (usually customers) and end up at the end with a much smaller subset that is the value providing group (for ex. customers that purchase). This image illustrates this point.

Now having personally used a funnel before, I know this to not be true, and it's not just me, Wikipedia seems to agree 'It is used to channel liquid or fine-grained substances into containers with a small opening. Without a funnel, spillage would occur.'. My only remotely reasonable explanation as to why this object is chosen is its shape, which sort of makes sense until you realise they also got that one wrong, as it has a much narrower base, making something like a pyramid much more appropriate (similar to the famous "food group pyramid)

Am I just missing something? Is there a mystical funnel + colander combination out there that pours liquids into a smaller container while also losing various amounts of liquid or is there a more realistic explanation to this usage?


texts: Can I use 'out of this world' negatively in a sentence

texts: Can I say " their stupidity is out of this world. Its kinda amusing" ? And what are the other ways to say it


texts: Why "No smoking" works but "Yes smoking" doesn't?

texts:
No smoking is a formula used to indicate smoking is not allowed.

Why can't we use Yes smoking to indicate smoking is allowed? (Although, we might use humorously but I've never heard actually.)

Unlike yes, no can also be an adverb of degree and an adjective.

Here is the etymology of the adjective no from OED:

  Variant of none adj. with loss of final -n, used originally before consonants except h, which ultimately became the standard form of the negative determiner except in archaic or poetic use.

Here is an explanation of the adjective (determiner) none from OED:

  In later use the form none (or nane, etc.) occurs mainly before vowels and h, and after 1600 is almost entirely supplanted by the reduced form no (nae, etc.): exceptions are the phrase none effect and before other (see sense A. 2, where its survival may be due to interpreting other as postmodifying a pronominal none).

The earliest example where no denotes that something is forbidden or unwelcome is from a1625 according to OED:

  Swet. Mercy yet. Bond. No talking: puff, there goes all your pitie.

  J. Fletcher Bonduca iv. iv, in F. Beaumont & J. Fletcher Comedies & Trag. (1647) 65

No smoking is a phrase but can be used as an attributive adjective also.

The earliest example of No smoking as a phrase is from 1837 (OED):

  No smoking aloud in the cabing [sic]!

  W. G. Clark Ollapodiana xxi, in Knickerbocker Dec. 520

The earliest example of No smoking as an adjective is from 1944 (OED):

  I wanted to smoke, but fell asleep before the No Smoking sign was switched off.

  J. Gunther D Day i. 13,

Etymonline has the following for no-smoking (adj.):

  1905; the sign wording itself is attested by 1817.

  Smoking is a vice to [sic] -- and a national one, of such magnitude that railroad corporations throughout all their routes in the United States, have a special command in large letters, conspicuously placed at depots and inside of the cars -- "No smoking allowed here." ["The Sailor's Magazine," December 1840]

I've tried to answer my own question and it can be useful for other people but I would like to get some further information on this.

The original sense of the adjective no is not any. I wonder how it evolved to be used in the phrases like no smoking, no pets etc.

Also, "Yes smoking" could be a useful shortcut but didn't become a set phrase. It is related to yes not being an adjective but language evolves. It can be explained regarding evolutionary linguistics as well.

I think we will stick to "Smoking allowed" for now.


texts: What does "dredging deep for steel" mean?

texts:
'Owners had been advised to lock their stable doors, and to great
  effect had done so after the Derby. The Pump disclaims all
  responsibility for Sid Halley now ludicrously fingering Ellis Quint as
  the demon responsible for torturing defenseless horses. Ellis Quint,
  whose devotion to thoroughbreds stretches back to his own starry
  career as the country's top amateur race-rider, the popular hero who
  braved all perils in the ancient tradition of gentlemen sportsmen...'

  More of the same.

  'See also Analysis on page 10, and India Cathcart, page 15.' I
  supposed one had to know the worst. I read the leader column - 'Should
  an ex-jockey be allowed free rein as pseudo sleuth? (Answer: no, of
  course not.)' and then, dredging deep for steel, I finally returned
  to India Cathcar's piece.

  > Sid Halley, smugly accustomed to acclaim as a champion, in short time
  lost his career, his wife and his left hand, and then weakly watched
  his friend soar to super-celebrity and national star status, all the
  things that he considered should be his.

This is from Dick Francis' "Come to Grief". I'm trying to get my head around the meaning of dredging deep for steel.

Many thanks for your help ;)


texts: Should I set off the phrase "if you will" at the end of sentence with a comma? I can't seem to find this in any of the grammar and punctuation sites. It seems to be widely used. I come across it in my transcription work frequently.


texts: Using the definite article before a country/state name

texts:
The Punjab is a rich state.

Is it correct to use the before Punjab?


texts: Correct spelling of Chinese name in English?

texts:
In Buddhism, there is a deity called Skanda. In Chinese, his name is Wei Tuo.
See for example this link
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skanda_(Buddhism)

However, my question is, what is the actual correct spelling in English for the Chinese name of this Buddhist deity? Is it Wei Tuo or Weituo?

In the link, you can see that it also says that he is called "Hufa Weituo Zuntian Pusa", in which Wei and Tuo are written together as a single word.

In English, I believe Chinese names using pinyin are written together. For example, Beijing or Tu Youyou, not Bei Jing or Tu You You. This is why I wonder, what's the correct spelling here, Wei Tuo or Weituo? And why? What's the source of the grammatical rule applied to this case?


texts: It is an important thing to do or to be done?

texts: Which one is correct? Can i use them interchangably and is there a common rule for such constructions? Thanks in advance.


texts: meaning of the phrase "sitting on a tin-tack"

texts:
I am having problem with understanding the phrase  in this sentence.
Orwell: If you have to define humor in a single phrase, you might define it as dignity sitting on a tin-tack.

What does it mean?
I am not native English speaker.
Thank you.


texts:
Well,

meters measures distances or lengthes,
volt measures tension or voltage, ,
kelvin measures temperature,
second measures time,
ampere measures electric current,
kilogram measures mass,

But what measures the "Byte" unit ? I'm looking for a word that would take the same place than mass takes for kilogram, but for Byte (or bit, as 8 bit makes a Byte.). There's only very unspecific terms that springs to my mind (size, capacity, ...):

My file is 3.2 KB in <fill the blank> ?
My hard drive has a <fill the blank> of 2TB.
Byte measures <fill the blank>.

Could it be information ? But the word alone doesn't seem to refer to something that can be measured. And you don't use it as naturally. For example, in a technical specification you could see:

mass: 3kg
temperature: 2°
voltage: 3V
<fill the blank>: 3TB

But what would you use here in front of "3TB" for instance ? It seems we must use 2 words, for example:  "information size". But even this doesn't seem so natural.

Have you any word suggestions that I've might missed, references on this topic, if not, do you know other units that don't have a proper word to name what they measures ?

Edit: I'm a software developer and I know relatively well what a Byte measures. I'm looking for a specific English word that could be used as naturally as you would use the word "mass" to qualify what you measure when you say "3 kilograms".


texts: "cu" for "see you", "ic" for "I see" - what do you call those?

texts: What do you call the sequences of letters that produce phrases when read letter by letter? Examples include "CU" for "see you", "IC" for "I see" and so on.


texts:
I've googled and looked it up in every dictionary I know, and I can find "lay" and I can find "lodge", but I can't seem to work out the meaning of the two words together.

The context is this poem by Robert Frost:

  The rain to the wind said,
  You push and I'll pelt.'
  They so smote the garden bed
  That the flowers actually knelt,
  And lay lodged--though not dead.
  I know how the flowers felt.


texts: What you call the action of when someone does not do something for you quickly?

texts: They give you a lot of excuses for not doing it but never actually say they won't do it.


texts: Please help me understand the first line from On Liberty, by John Stuart Mill

texts:
The subject of this Essay is not the so-called Liberty of the Will, so unfortunately opposed to the misnamed doctrine of Philosophical Necessity; but Civil, or Social Liberty: the nature and limits of the power which can be legitimately exercised by society over the individual.

The part that I confused about this sentence is ‘so unfortunately opposed to the misnamed doctrine of Philosophical Necessity’.

First, I don’t know that if the word ‘so’ can understand either as an adverb or a conjunction. If ‘so’ is an adverb then in that sentence it means that the ‘Liberty of the Will’ is opposed to the misnamed doctrine. And if ‘so’ is a conjunction the sentence means that 'the subject' is opposed to the misnamed doctrine.

And second, I don't know what 'the misnamed doctrine of Philosophical Necessity' means. Does it mean that there are some doctrines in 'Philosophical Necessity' and the one that opposed to "Liberty of Will" (or subject) is misnamed or does it mean that 'Philosophical Necessity' is misnamed, and if this is true why the writer didn't write it as 'the doctrine of misnamed Philosophical Necessity'.

Please help me understand those. Thanks.


texts:
"buksi" in Hungarian is an affectionate form of "head" - usually it's applied to smaller people (typically kids) and creatures with cute features (for example, a puppy or a kitten). This word is in addition to "fej", which is the regular word for "head".

"buksi" can also be used as an adjective, in front of "fej" (but not other nouns).

I feel that "head" just misses a lot of the additional meaning of the Hungarian word and I'm looking for a word (or phrase) that more closely matches. The best I can come up with is "cute little round head" but it feels long and complicated.


texts: Is it appropriate to use "it's my bread and butter" in formal english?

texts:
I am preparing for an English language test. That is why I am working on strengthening my English vocabulary.

My question is regarding the speaking section of the test.

If the examiner asks me about a particular subject, for example mobile development, would it be too informal to say "it's my bread and butter"?

If yes, then could you please suggest to me a word for that? I don't want to write a sentence like "that is how I make money or that is the source of my income"

Thank you.

PS: If you find any grammatical or spelling mistakes in this question then please do let me know. I would appreciate that.


texts:
Which is correct?

Well, then ... come on in!
Well then ... come on in!

I have tried searching the phrase "well(,) then" on Google, but both variants come up equally often, it seems. But I'm not sure the examples with comma all correspond to the meaning I'm after, which is "well then = if that is the case, okay" or "well then = ".


texts: "The plates and mugs". Why "the" before "plates" and not "mugs"?

texts:
<...> he was very glad to see Rabbit getting out the plates and __ mugs.

Why there is an article before the first world and there is no article before the second one?


texts: Writing a comparative sentence with two comparative parameters

texts:
Consider two aqueous solutions:

Solution 1

Solution 2

Then note that:

The temperature of the solution 1 is higher than that of the solution 2.

The pressure of the solution 1 is lower than that of the solution 2.

Can I write the above two sentences in a sentence like the following:
"The temperature and pressure of the solution 1 are higher and lower than those of the solution 2"
How can I write the above sentences to sound more professional? Do you have any suggestions?


texts: Meaning of 'undoing the constitutional gains'?

texts:
Based on the majority opinion, to what degree was the Supreme Court
  responsible for undoing the constitutional gains of Reconstruction?

It's a question about Plessy v. Ferguson, and does this question mean "How much power does the Supreme Court have regarding canceling the constitutional amendment made during Reconstruction Era?"

I'm not sure if 'constitutional gains' means 'constitutional amendment', which refers to 13th, 14th, 15th Amendment.


texts:
I'm trying to figure out if it is possible to use the expression "by now" in a present perfect sentence.

I.e.

  "He has been called three times by now"

  "He has come back home by now"

  "I have had seven guitars by now"

  "I have met him by now"

Are these correct? And if they're not – please explain why not.


texts: What is the bestiary equivalent for plants?

texts: I am looking for the bestiary equivalent for plants. But I don't want to use 'compendium' or 'herbal'. Is there such a word? If not would it be 'okay' to use 'Herbiary' or should I more go to the something like 'The herbal compendium' then?


texts: Which phrase do you use to describe someone trying to do a thing that might/should be done better by you?

texts:
Let's say: You're very good at computer stuff, such as programming, fixing hardware, etc. When it comes to things like that, you're one of the best, if not the best!
And one day, a friend comes over to your house, using your computer and talking non-stop about why you should use these software instead and not those ones installed in your computer... things like that, even though you have much better knowledge in this field than him. I mean your friend is trying hard to show-off his skills without having known that the person he's talking to (it's you) is miles better than him.

So which phrase should describe this situation the best?

Edit: To be a little more specific, I am looking for a phrase (if it really exists of course) to describe the friend's action, so it can be used for the expert in that situation to say or another friend/third-party which happens to have listened/seen the conversation/action. For instance:

Conversation

  Your friend named A (less knowledge than you): "Man, you should've installed Windows 10 like I said than this useless Linux distro, and
  believe me when I say that, it can't even install some common
  software like foobar."

  You: (Sigh...)

  Your friend named B: "Lol, A, please just stop, don't try to make fun of yourself here, he knows much better than you when it comes to
  things like that."

So what I want here is a phrase than can be replaced with this line: "don't try to make fun of yourself here, he knows much better than you when it comes to things like that."


texts:
What does "reach outside" mean? for example:

  I admire the impulse to reach outside familiar cultural traditions in order seek wisdom
  America’s fascination with the quasi-mystical aura of Marie Kondo is another misuse of Eastern ideas


texts: Applying the concept of 'trolling' to tall poppy syndrome

texts:
In Australia we have a concept of 'tall poppy syndrome' — which comes from a cultural assumption of egalitarianism. If someone puts on airs, or considers themselves more important than others, then it is 'culturally acceptable' to cut them down to size by using a cutting comment or criticism.

When applying the concept of 'trolling' from Internet language in this context — is it 'trolling'...

to make the original comment that puts on airs,
to make the subsequent cutting comment, or
that constitutes both sides, i.e. (1) and (2), just from different perspectives?

As 'tall poppy syndrome' doesn't really have a place in US culture, I'm going to ask a non-US person to answer this one.


texts:
If one dissects the word "ineffable", there are three main roots

in - not
able - able to be done
eff

The meaning of the root able implies that some part of the word before it must refer to an action. Given that in is solely and adverb in this case, that would, by default, make eff a verb. Knowing that eff is a verb with a meaning antonymic to the word as a whole, I assume that it means something to the effect of "to describe in words"

However, I have not yet found a dictionary that acknowledges this. They have acknowledged "effable",but not "eff". Is it simply a quirk of our language that the word is never used, or has my logic failed me somewhere?


texts: What do you call your father's other wife?

texts:
This is a question for a fanfic of mine, where the main character's father has two wives, the main character's mother and another female. What would the main character call the other wife?

Note: They are dogs, just to put it there. It's a Ginga series fanfic.

~ Louise


texts: Do Brits often use 'blag' where Americans use 'chutzpa' (for an extreme degree of impudence, gall)?

texts:
The word "chutzpa" (pronounced "HOOTS-pah") took root in American English towards the end of the Nineteenth Century. Originally Aramaic (don't hold me to it: I don't know whether Jesus used it; I doubt it: it's a pretty tacky word, if you ask me), it somehow sneaked into Yiddish prior to landing in the States.

It means - well ... An extreme degree of impudence; gall; ballsy obnoxiousness; in-your-face impertinence; aplomb and confidence - all at the same time. A conversation involving chutzpa would go something like this:

"You owe me twenty bucks."
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me. Pay up."
"But I don't even know you."
"Before you married your wife, she and I went out on a date, and she borrowed a twenty from me, and never paid me back."
"I've been married for twenty years."
"So what? Come on, let's not drag this out. Make with the twenty."

You get the gist. Chutzpa is very useful in a con, long or short, and invaluable in big business, or so people who are more familiar with such matters than myself have assured me on numerous occasions.

Some years ago I read an article in a magazine that was back then regarded as reputable by people who subscribed to it (I didn't - I don't believe in reputable magazines). The author of the article compared American and British English, and mentioned, very much in passing, that the Brits said "blag" instead of "chutzpa."

I don't know. Do they? Do you?


texts: Does "living in squalor" necessarily imply poverty?

texts:
Some definitions of squalor and its adjectival form squalid:

Merriam-Webster

  squalor: the quality or state of being squalid
  squalid: marked by filthiness and degradation from neglect or poverty

Collins

  squalor: the condition or quality of being squalid; disgusting dirt and filth
  squalid: dirty and repulsive, esp as a result of neglect or poverty

Wiktionary

  squalor: Squalidness; foulness; filthiness; squalidity.
  squalid: Extremely dirty and unpleasant

Compact Oxford Dictionary

  squalor: the state of being extremely dirty and unpleasant, especially as a result of poverty or neglect
  squalid: (of a place) extremely dirty and unpleasant, especially as a result of poverty or neglect

(Ok, now that y’all are suffering from the same word glare/semantic satiation as I am …)

If someone is described as living in squalor, does that automatically imply that they’re doing so because they’re too poor to do otherwise? I know that context can override the usual connotation of words, so for example if I’ve established that someone is a reclusive millionaire, the fact that she’s living in squalor would not necessarily be a contradiction. But if I encounter this phrase on its own, am I wrong to assume poverty?


texts: What's the difference between "attendee" and "participant"?

texts:
Attendee: Someone who is at an event such as a meeting or a course.

Participant: Someone who is taking part in an activity or event.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English


texts:
I have seen Americans use centre.

Yet I have never seen an American write "centre of the circle". So far I've only seen them write it for places (buildings or areas) where the place carries weight.

Are there any rules as to when which should be used among Americans?

(I saw this question but it doesn't help since it's under the assumption that it's just a matter of Britain vs American)


texts: "Which can" Vs "Who Can". How to use these in sentences

texts:
I am learning how to write English.  Can you please tell me which sentence is correct:

  1)  (name) is the only character which can be evolve into three different types.

  2)  (name) is the only character who can be evolve into three different types.

"Can be" is correct. Which sentence is grammatically correct?


texts: Can anyone think of a better term than "verismo-ists"?

texts:
Verismo was a movement in art.

It was also a very powerful movement in opera, giving us such excellent composers as Giacomo Puccini and Rugero Leoncavallo.

The word verismo comes from vero, i.e. "truth," meaning that the participants of the movement strived to make their music sound as close to real life as possible.

No matter.

Now:

Composers who are thought to be followers of Richard Wagner are called Wagnerists.

Wagner's most ardent fans are called Wagnerites.

Authors who emphasize writing and narrative style in their words are stylists. Or something.

Authors whose forte is to write sentimental stories are sentimentalists.

And so forth.

Now, verismo composers are sometimes referred to as verismo-ists, but this sounds a bit awkward to me.

Can you think of a better term?


texts: Which tag question is right for this sentence?

texts:
Nowadays the only thing people seem to be interested in is earning more and more money, ____ ?

  a) don't they
  b) isn't it
  c) don't you
  d) will you

Please explain which is the correct tag question.


texts: Suggestion for someone who talks a lot but says little

texts:
I know many politicians that avoid interview questions by talking a lot but not really communicating anything.

You could say that what they were saying was full of banalities or canned answers or that they were waffling, but is there a better word for this behaviour?

I'd like to say some thing like That response was a _____ or he\she is ___ing?


texts: A word like "inappropriate", with a less extreme connotation

texts:
Sometimes I would like to use the word "inappropriate" when it simply means not quite appropriate, but it usually seems to have the connotation of extremely not appropriate.

For instance, if I wanted to say a person was touching inappropriately, it might not mean they are doing something lewd (e.g. touching private parts), but rather, sitting too close and touching in a professional environment where it doesn't make much sense.

Or perhaps it's a meeting where a subordinate is dominating a conversation where multiple higher-ups or people more familiar with the topic should be speaking more.  Their speech would not be appropriate, but calling it inappropriate seems to indicate that they were making crass jokes or saying something offensive.


texts:
I'm deeply sorry for my poor english skills but I need to know. :(
Can I answer: "It always has been happening" after the sentence: "This is happening because of you" ?


texts: where does the expression "not to worry" come from?

texts:
I never heard the expression "not to worry" when I was young (I am 78 yrs old).  Now i seem to hear it all the time.  It sounds like a literal translation from some language where the infinitive is preceded by a negative.  Can you tell me if that is the case, and if so, which language it could be?  For example, in Italian one says non preoccuparti.  Which means do not worry (yourself).  so i guess it doesn't come from Italian...  Does anyone know where it does come from??
thanks
Penelope


texts:
The quote says "Don't do school, eat your drugs, stay in vegetables".
I realize the last part does not mean something like "remain in the box with potatoes" literally, so what does it mean?


texts: Word for "walking along but not on top"?

texts:
“Sure we should go in?” I asked Mary as we walked along the wall of a
  high school.

Obviously, they aren't walking on top of the wall. What's the correct way to describe that they were walking beside the wall?


texts: What is "in the context of others..." in this quote?

texts:
The quote in question:

  the use of self-directed actions so as to choose goals and to select, enact, and
  sustain actions across time toward those goals usually in the context of others
  often relying on social and cultural means for the maximization of one’s
  longer-term welfare as the person defines that to be. (Barkley, 2012, p. 176)

I'm struggling to parse this. My guesses:

The actions are in the context of other actions relying on social and cultural means
The goals are in the context of other goals relying on social and cultural means
Other people (others) rely on social and cultural means?

It seems like just including a comma in a few different places could change the meaning, such as:

  the use of self-directed actions so as to choose goals and to select, enact, and
  sustain actions across time toward those goals usually in the context of others,
  often relying on social and cultural means for the maximization of one’s
  longer-term welfare as the person defines that to be.

Seems to me to mean that it's the self-directed actions that rely on social cultural means (not the sustained actions, or goals)


texts: A noun that describes a person or group that sees all sides of an argument but doesn't have any opinions on it or make any judgements?

texts: I'm looking for a noun that describes a person or group of people that see all sides of an argument, but not take any sides or make any judgements from those sides. They simply acknowledge all sides of the argument and, as an example, if they were a news source, they display that information for the reader to decide their view on. Any ideas?


texts: Word for something added that does not improve functionality or performance

texts: Imagine this situation: I am working on a university programming project with another classmate. We agree that I do section A, and he does section B. I finish section A early and decide to also do section B for fun. I finish section B. In the meeting with my group mate we realise my section B is much better than his. So we use my section A and my section B for the final project. We decide to also include his section B in the final code to show that he did his part, though his section B is unused by any of the program built from the combined code. What word can I use to refer to his code. There is a word, similar to garbage, that I can't seem to remember.


texts: What does "get a workout" of the usage of diaeresis mean?

texts:
I found the phrase ‘get a workout’ of (the use) of diaeresis in the following sentence of an article titled “The Curse of the Diaeresis” in New Yorker magazine (April 2), which I think might be of interest for those who are particlular about the rules of writing:

  The special tool we use here at The New Yorker for punching out the two dots that we then center carefully over the second vowel in such words as “naïve” and “Laocoön” will be getting a workout this year, as the Democrats coöperate to reëlect the President.
  Those two dots, often mistaken for an umlaut, are actually a diaeresis (pronounced “die heiresses” [...]). The difference is that an umlaut is a German thing that alters the pronunciation of a vowel, and often changes the meaning of a word: schon (adv.), already; schön (adj.), beautiful.

As I am unfamiliar with the usage of “get a workout,” I checked a couple of dictionaries at hand and online:

Cambridge Dictionary Online defines workout simply as a physical exercise.

Oxford Advanced English Learner's Dictinary defines it as a period of physical exercise that you do to keep fit.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines it as:

  a practice or exercise to test or improve one's fitness for athletic competition, ability, or performance
  a test of one's ability, capacity, stamina, or suitability
  an undertaking or plan intended to resolve a problem of indebtedness especially in lieu of bankruptcy or foreclosure proceedings.

I thought definition 2. of Merriam-Webster is close to the meaning of “get a workout” used in the above quote, and guessed “getting a workout this year” means “is going to be examined or studied.”

Is my interpretation right? Is this expression frequently used in this sense as against ‘physical exercise or test’ as an established idiom?


texts: What should I call a balance sheet that doesn't balance?

texts: One of the fundamental accounting/financial statements is the balance sheet. A balance sheet is balanced because the total assets of a company equal their liabilities plus owners' equity. However, what should a balance sheet that doesn't balance be called? Would that be an imbalance sheet, unbalance sheet, unbalanced sheet, or something else?


texts:
"One of the features that emerge"
or
"One of the features that emerges"

Is 'one feature' the subject, therefore it emerges, or are 'features' the subject and they therefore 'emerge' ?

I keep looking at this sentence but can't decide! thanks.


texts:
Why is the standard for implementations of the AES algorithm called "Rijndael"?

Is it simply a name? Or has it some kind of meaning?

I tried googling this one, but without any helpful results.


texts: When there is no item to display in your activity Section, What should I say?

texts:
"You have not performed any activity"

OR

  "You have not performed any action"

OR

  "There is no item in your activity tab"

Any other suggestions are also welcome.


texts: What does the sentence "say hello to karma" mean?

texts:
It's a part of a Dilbert's strip you can find
here:

I understand every word. But not the joke as a whole. Can you explain the irony?


texts: Does “bloodripe” actually exist as a word?

texts:
I’ve come on the adjective bloodripe in Nabokov’s Lolita (bold emphasis added):

  . . . it had become quite a habit with me of not being too attentive
  to women lest they come toppling, bloodripe, into my cold lap.

The passage contains a metaphor likening women to ripened fruits, so bloodripe is easily defined as fully ripe (although it’s quite an ironic adjective for a paedophile, such as Humbert Humbert). Yet, I can’t find it in any of the dictionaries at my disposal: for example, it is not in Merriam-Webster or Oxford Dictionary.

Does it actually exist, though not listed in the dictionaries, or is it Nabokov’s brainchild?


texts: Emphasis on dragging a syllable of a word.

texts:
Say, in a dialog one would want the reader to read "sleepy" as "sleeeeeeepy" (dragging the e), how would one write it?

Of course one cant write "sleeeepy" as that would be incorrect. Is there perhaps a symbol that can be used or perhaps a writing method?

Exe: "i am so sleepy" but pronounced as "i am so sleeeeeepy"

Note: one would write "i am so slee....py" but further research on ellipsis usage made this incorrect as one would read it with a pause between the syllables instead of dragging the 1st syllable.


texts: Name for a type of game to help children get to know each other?

texts:
I'm looking for the name for the whole type/genre of games whose purpose is primarily to help children get to know each other.
It's close in meaning to "party games" but their main goal is to socialise the group.


texts: Adjective for withstanding the passage of time

texts:
Is there an adjective meaning that an idea or object has longevity, or will still be relevant in the future?

(I believe I've heard such a word, but I can't think of it at the moment.)

Usage example:

  While this textbook is interesting, it does not seem particularly [?]; five years from now, it will be useless.


texts: What is the difference between "sheer" and "pure" will(power)?

texts:
In English, we use the phrase "sheer force" much more often than "pure force" (Google Ngram). And willpower.

What is the difference, in meaning and usage, between the two (and is there a reason for such a discrepancy in usage)?

For instance:

Both "sheer force" and "pure force" are grammatical in the following:

He overcame his addiction through pure force of will
He overcame his addiction through sheer force of will

Both "sheer willpower" and "pure willpower" are grammatical in the following:

He overcame his addiction through sheer willpower
He overcame his addiction through pure willpower

You could also use either in:

He overcame his addiction through sheer force of habit
He overcame his addiction through pure force of habit


texts: What expression are these titles alluding to?

texts:
There are two episode titles from two separate shows that are written similarly:

From Castle: The mistress always spanks twice
From Doc Martin: The GP always rings twice

Episode titles are usually clever plays on words, so I'm assuming the two titles are alluding to a common expression. What expression (or other cultural reference) are the titles making a reference to?


texts: When to use "I was ... " and when "I had been ... "?

texts:
I guess it's about simple past vs. past perfect usage but some examples are welcomed, I'm really not sure if I understand it correctly.

EDIT: Right, probably I should be more specific. The thing is currently I'm reading one (american) book where, of course, a narration style dominates. And yet, the main protagonist often changes a tense from "I was" to "I had been" and I simply can't figure out the rule.


texts: What is a carpenter if he doesn't carpent?

texts: Why does "carpenter" end in "er" if "carpent" isn't a word?  Same with "butcher". (As in: "I butch for a living.")


texts:
I am trying to find a formal phrase equivalent to the colloquial expression'rub it it.'

  rub it in  (informal)
  if someone rubs it in, they keep talking about something that makes you feel embarrassed or upset I know I made a mistake, but you don't have to rub it in.

Source:
http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/rub+it+in


texts: Does the word "comely" extend in meaning to include "lovely"?

texts:
For example, if used in a sentence like this, "The hills beyond, comely in the light of the sunset, seemed farther away than before."

I tend to think of it's meaning simply as being 'the right way, in the right place and time'...  Communicating a certain basic beauty and symmetry.

"Comely" seems to be little used these days, and I'm curious to know how people interpret it.  Does it depend heavily on context and if other adjectives are used?


texts:
I just read a question here at ELU where a certain user, I'll call him A, disagreed with the premise in the question.  He wrote a comment to disagree with the premise, and wrote that actually, such-and-so grammar thing is not necessarily disallowed.  OP requested an example that would be kosher.  A gave a smartass response, telling OP to study the difference between certain fields of study.

I need an alternative way of expressing the idea of the smartass response, that's not vulgar.  It doesn't have to be a single word and it's okay to rewrite the sentence.


texts: What one word means “unable to decide which one is correct”?

texts: I am trying to find one single word in English that means “unable to decide which one is correct”.


texts: Is "Cotton Industry" the proper term for an industry build around something more successful?

texts:
Over the course of my life, I heard people use the term "cotton industry" to derogatorily refer to a group of people that make money based on something more successful. For example:

  On YouTube, an entire cotton industry has sprung up around criticizing alleged "plot holes" in movies, raking in many millions of views and ad-revenue.

While writing something, I decided to double-check the expression, yet after spending some time doing extensive Google-fu, I could only find references to the history of literal cotton manufactories.

English is not my first language, and I've never actually seen the term written down and only heard people say it, and as such I'm coming to the conclusion that I might be dealing with a "damp squid" here.

Did I always mishear the term, or is it simply that I couldn't find the term?
And alternatively, what would be a proper alternative term commonly used to describe this "making money of something more successful" situation ("parasites" is too dehumanizing and loaded)?


texts: What is the semantical meaning of "To tell you the truth"

texts:
In many English literature the phrase-part "to tell you the truth" shows up. But in contrast to the literal meaning, this doesn't mean the characters were first lying about this.

In Dutch these are the following meanings for the Dutch counterpart ("Om de waarheid te zeggen,..."/"De waarheid is dat...")

The person was first lying; and
The truth is quite inconvenient (thus some kind of warning that you won't like the following part of the sentence).

In some English literature however, characters simply make statements that aren't at all inconvenient (or they weren't lying in the first place).

What is thus the semantical meaning of "To tell you the truth,".


texts:
I know that "I tried not to do that" and "I tried to not do that" are both valid sentences grammatically speaking. But can the second construction be applied to reported commands? Is it correct to say, for example:

He told me to not do that.

This sentence sounds ungrammatical to my ears. But so did the sentence "I tried to not do that" until a while ago. I used to hear this construct by non-native English speakers whose native language interfered with their command of English. Now I know that this hasn't been the case. What about reported commands?


texts:
I stumbled across a question about synonyms for "hypocrite", and of course I then got even more distracted by this comment:

  @MichaelPaulukonis: +1, great comment. Interesting question at the end: Does the King of France say "We are hypocrites" or "We are a hypocrite"? – Nate Eldredge Dec 1 '11 at 5:30

Nate makes a very good point - which would the king/queen say? Personally, I think we are a hypocrite makes more sense in that only one person is really speaking, but I'm not sure. All I could find from an internet search was "we are not amused", which, of course, does not illustrate singular vs. plural agreement for objects with the "royal we".


texts:
The verb 'seem' is a specimen linking verb, as in:

(1) He seems a nice guy.

But it can have a clause as its complement, as in:

(2) He seems to be a nice guy. [to-infinitive clause]
(3) It seems that he is a nice guy. [that-clause]

In (2) or (3) or both, is the verb 'seem' still a linking verb or something else?
Answers to another question, don't specifically say whether the verb 'seem' as in (2) or (3) can be classified as a linking verb or not.
If you or anyone can locate anything close to a possible answer to my question in the link, please let me know.


texts: Is it 'what it looks like' or 'how it looks like'?

texts:
I live in a country where English is not the native language.
Oftentimes I hear my coworkers say they want to know or determine "how it looks like". This is grammatically closer to our native language than "what it looks like", which is the version I try to use.

I there a difference between the two, or should I just stop being bothered?


texts: Difference between "in progress" and "in process"

texts:
When reporting on a project that is still being worked on, do you call it in progress or do you call it in process?

I have heard both, and both make sense in their own way. I want to know what both the descriptivists and prescriptivists have to say.


texts: Everyone is familiar with those warning labels that started in the late 80s warning that a piece of music has "Explicit lyrics" or "Explicit content". I'm interested in how they settled upon this wording: "explicit" seems like an odd word to use compared to say "graphic" or "vulgar".


texts: Must things be arranged if I use Present Continuous for the future?

texts:
I know that I should use Present Continuous if I decided AND
arranged to do some things. But I'm not sure about that AND. I am wondering if just one of the conditions is enough. For example:
I am washing my car tomorrow evening.
And this action isn't arranged with anyone, because I live alone and I wash my car alone. In such a case, is the use of Present Continuous permitted?


texts: Subject-verb agreement with metric units of measurement

texts:
About 500 cm3 of the Herschelite was hydrated at 80% RH.
About 500 cm3 of the Herschelite were hydrated at 80% RH.

Could someone advise me about which of the two sentences have the correct verb agreement and why?
Also, what is the subject of the sentence--is it "500 cm3" or "Herschelite"?


texts: Words associated with throwing things, specifically the action of throwing a paper airplane

texts:
What word(s) would you use to describe throwing something, specifically during the action of throwing a paper airplane?

The one word I was able to come up with was "flick", but I'm looking for other synonyms.

Thanks!


texts: Is there a word that describes someone with a light footprint?

texts: I need a word to describe someone who lives a happy, purposeful life without needing a lot of resources. The words "light footprint" and "low maintenance" come to mind, but I'd like a word/adjectival phrase that doesn't sound so modern.


texts: Should/can the idioms "on the one hand" and "on the other hand" both support the main issue

texts:
The motivation for this question came from this Software (C#) question

  "Why is it faster to check if dictionary contains the key, rather
  than catch the exception in case it doesn't?"

and answer:

  "On the one hand, throwing exceptions is inherently expensive, because
  the stack has to be unwound etc.
  On the other hand, accessing a value
  in a dictionary by its key is cheap, because it's a fast, O(1)
  operation. ..."

Well, on one hand, the hands illustrate different points, (but/however) on the other hand they are both supportive of the original question "why is it faster..."

I thought the idiom "on the other hand" can be replaced with "but" or "however".

But for this case that appears not to be true and the idiom would need to be replaced with something like "additionally."

http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/on+the+one+hand
http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/on+the+other+hand


texts: What are the differences between, and the connotations of, "flag", "banner", and "standard"?

texts:
See also: Difference between "banner" and "flag".

I would like to know about standard, too.

What would you say are the differences between the three words?


texts: What is the correct term for this person?

texts: What do you call a person or what is the job title for a person who can fix or repair anything?


texts: Is there another way than [ɜr] to pronounce the grapheme "or" in words like "world" in AmEng?

texts:
It seems like I've lost count of the number of times that I've noticed some native speakers of American English pronounce the grapheme "or" in words like "world" as [oʊr] or [ɔr] rather than [ɜr].

However, that [oʊr]/[ɔr] pronunciation doesn't seem to be supported by M-W's A Pronouncing Dictionary of American English by John S. Kenyon and Thomas A. Knott.

Please, compare the pronunciation of world backed by both the Free Dictionary and M-W with that of former U.S. president George W. Bush in his news conference after the capture of Saddam Hussein.

  The Free Dictionary
  (Please notice how AHD's supported pronunciation of world (transcribed as [wɜrld], though) sounds close to that of President Bush, but is different from both M-W's and the one just before on The Free Dictionary)

  Merriam-Webster

  George W. Bush's news conference at 19:04

  How To Pronounce "Word" vs. "World" AmEng (sounds close to G.W.´s prononciation.)

  How To Pronounce "World" And "Word" (sounds close to Merriam-Webster's)

  Difficult Words: "World," Etc.


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  What is the correct way to pluralize an acronym?

Let's say we're talking about PLCs (programmable logic controllers)?  Or are they "PLC's"?  I've seen it both ways!


texts:
I was told that this sentence is correct with the usage of a comma before and after the word and.  I want to correct my grammar if I am in error.

  To claim a prize, send a Private Message to me stating: which prize
  you won, your geographical location, and, if necessary, your address
  for sending a physical prize.

Is the comma usage in this sentence correct?


texts: Difference between "reflection" and "reflexion"

texts:
When is one used instead of the other?

Is there a reason to use one or the other? Or is just two words that can be used without problems?


texts: Though we use adjectives before nouns normally, why are some words exceptions like 'something'? Why do we use the adjectives after them?

texts:
For example:
something , everything, anything, nothing ... special

someone , everyone , anyone,, no one ... special

somebody , everybody , anybody , nobody ...special


texts: Can "kitchen" be used as an adjective? eg: Mother painted the kitchen wall

texts:
My little sister was to identify the adjective in this sentence:
"Mother painted the kitchen wall purple and green".
I understand how kitchen can be an adjective as in kitchen sink, but I'm not sure if kitchen describes the wall.


texts: What is the English idiom for eventually getting it right after many mindless attempts

texts:
I made up an idiom that I think describes what I want to say quite nicely:

  "If one shoots enough arrows at the target, one is sure to hit the bull's eye."

An actual English idiom I know of that is close in meaning is:

  "Throw enough mud at the wall and some of it will stick"

However, the conceptual image is not as matching, and according to Wiktionary it has a second meaning:

  If enough (perhaps false or reckless) accusations are made against someone, his reputation will suffer, whether or not this is deserved.

But I want the idiom to paint a positive image. For example, I would say the idiom when I help someone remember something by giving it a shot in the dark and getting it right miraculously after some guesses.

What is the English idiom I'm looking for?


texts: When to use "if possible" and "when possible" in a sentence?

texts:
What is the difference between these two sentences?

Choose tools that are listed in A if possible

Choose tools that are listed in A when possible

I want to know when to use if possible and when to use when possible


texts: what is the implicit meaning of "It's generally easier to think"?

texts:
I'm reading some material(git pro), then I encountered this context, I want to know what is the meaning of

"It’s generally easier to think"

as far as I know, easier is comparative word, but In this phrase I can not find any comparable word (for example, a rabbit is faster than a turtle)
what is the same expression of this words?
original sentences :

It’s generally easier to think about them as work silos, where sets
of commits graduate to a more stable silo when they’re fully tested

Thank you


texts:
Is and you? idiomatic in the following?
– How are you?
– I'm great, and you?
The usual question is How / What about you?
Does and you? sound natural?


texts: Can the prefix a- be appended to the word schismatic to form the word aschismatic, meaning the opposite of schismatic? Both the prefix a- and the word schism(atic) seem to be of Ancient Greek origin, so from my limited understanding it appears that this could be a valid word, yet I have never seen it used.


texts: Nuance in meaning when using "into" to define a duration

texts:
English non-native speaker here.

Let's say I use "into" to define a specific moment/duration in time of something.

So I say:

  He drank well into his forties.

Or:

  I expect this to be completed into next week.

In both cases, would the reader assume as an initial reaction or in most cases, that the duration is INSIDE the timeframe given (he drank during his forties BUT NOT beyond, the project will be completed next week BUT NOT later)?

Or would the reader assume that the times given are not constrained and that the moments/durations could extend AFTER the times used? (As in "he drank during his forties AND beyond" or "the project will be completed by next week, or maybe the week after that one").

This is, in short: "into" refers, in general, to a BOUND time period/duration (when talking about the past or about the future), or to an UNBOUND time period?

Thanks.


texts: What is the meaning of the phrase 'gone are the days' and how is it used?

texts:
Kindly tell me about the usage of following phrases
1) Gone are the days
2) Gone were the days
3) Gone are those days
4) Gone were those days


texts: Usage of "Science and technology" as a singular term

texts:
Should we use singular verb with the subject/subjects "science and technology"?
For example,

  Science and technology have a prominent influence in the modern world.

Is this sentence correct? Please explain the logic behind it.


texts: What's the action of banging two beers together called?

texts: When beers in cans or bottles are banged together in rejoice of the company you're with, what is the action called?


texts:
I am familiar with "seal the deal" only as an expression.

I assume it has a history in literal use. If so, was "seal" the process of stamping/imprinting, or the process of securing a containing envelope, or something else altogether?
Does the expression still see literal use today?


texts:
At work we have what we call "environments" (groups of computers, essentially). Each environment has a number (e.g., Environment 1). I maintain a list of the environments. I am unsure how to capitalize and pluralize the subtitles for each environment's page. For example, some pages are for multiple environments. I am creating the page for 11 and 12, and I am unsure which of the following subtitles is correct:

This contains information for Environment 11 and 12.
This contains information for Environments 11 and 12.
This contains information for environment 11 and 12.
This contains information for environments 11 and 12.

Thanks,

Rich


texts:
There are so many words that have 2 opposite meaning and there is one word that I can think of is " Priceless "

As its " Part of speech" of priceless is ADJ and if you look it up the meaning on dictionary, you will find as follows.

1.) used to describe something with such a high value that its price cannot be calculated, especially because it is rare

2.) extremely funny to see or hear, delightfully amusing, odd, or absurd

First meaning express something in positive way whereas, the second express something quite negative, my questions is how do we know what it really means?

E.G.

If someone says "Your car is priceless"

What are they trying to express? In case of, we don't really hear their voice or any their expression.


texts: How can I explain what is wrong with the sentence "She is having difficulty to shop"?

texts: It should be, I believe "She is having difficulty shopping." But I am not sure how I can explain to someone who is a non-native English speaker why the form "She is having difficulty to shop" is not correct but "She is having difficulty shopping" is okay.


texts: When should we use an adjective instead of an adverb after verbs(main verb)?

texts:
Here's the SAT sentence that raised my curiosity:

  Strong wind, sweeping almost unchecked over great distances, is
  a prime component of the grassland climate.

Although I know the sentence above is indeed the standard way of expression, I am wondering why shouldn't "unchecked" be replaced by an adverb.

I have done some research and someone suggested that "unchecked" is acting as a complement. If he is right, would anyone please indicate which kind of complement it belongs to and when it is correct to use as above?

I also found this on the Internet. According to The Guide to Grammar and Writing:

  When the participle of an absolute phrase is a form of to be, such as being or having been, the participle is often left out but understood.

Does this help explain my sentence?

Thanks in advance. (I am not a native speaker so please forgive me for possible grammar mistakes in this post.)


texts: Use of “where” in a question when referring to something other than a place

texts:
I am teaching English online and we have this activity in which we ask a student to formulate questions from a sentence. The sentence is

  There was an error in the client's invoice.

So the question is expected to be

  Where was there an error?

The answer should be

  There was an error in the client's invoice.

What would be a simple yet clear explanation why where is the appropriate question and not what?

Note: this is my first time asking here so I'd appreciate refinements in the way I'm asking.


texts:
Consider the following sample sentence:

  Peter is pretty tolerant and mostly good-humoured, free-spirited and good to talk to.

I want to say that Peter has all four attributes ("tolerant", "good-humoured", "free-spirited" and "good to talk to"), however for poetic reasons I split the series of four attributes in two attribute tuples ("pretty tolerant and mostly good-humoured" and "free-spirited and good to talk to").

In this circumstances, is the comma between "mostly good-humoured" and "free-spirited" correct? And does the poetic sub-grouping makes sense?


texts:
What is the meaning "policy crumb"?
"That's just a tragic economic policy crumb since the middle class won't be touched by it ..."  " I believe it's more a policy crumb being thrown to the media in the Administration's upcoming 'strike 1st' mantra ..."  "Clinton supports the status quo and only rarely tosses the base a policy crumb ..."  "Another policy crumb that featured was the idea that firms bidding for major government contracts should have to commit to providing ..."  "For decades, immigration hard-liners have felt sidelined and taken for granted by Republican presidential candidates, left with dog whistles and policy crumbs."


texts: MANY years ago in the 1960s, a middle-aged friend of mine from England, used the expression that he'd muckled on to something. Meaning that he'd grabbed it like a bulldog. Anyone have any idea of where that came from?


texts: How to express $1m in a formal document?

texts:
I'd like to say something like:

  I helped my company win a $1m deal with customer A.

I'm not sure which one of the following is the best one for a formal document? e.g. in a resume:

1 million dollar deal, $1 million deal, 1 million$ deal, or anything better?


texts: What is the term (if any) for a "pothole"-like cavity in an icy surface such as an ice rink or lake that's been frozen over

texts: ...where one might unfortunately catch their skate blade in? Having lived in the southwest part of the country most of my life where there has been neither cause nor occasion for me to experience such a word. How would you caution someone to "lookout for the potholes in the ice!"


texts:
The question is quite clear.

Is there any difference (semantically or connotationally, if that's a word) between nude and naked? Nude seems more formal to me, but I'm not quite sure.

Interesting:
Merriam-Webster link from naked, to nude

  Definition of NAKED
  1. not covered by clothing : nude


texts: What preposition: "on the mobile" or "in the mobile"?

texts:
I read this:

  The battery's flat on the mobile.

I think we should say in the mobile not on the mobile.


texts: what is a word that describes a group of related words

texts:
I am looking for a word that represents a group of words. In this case the group of words are meal types, like:

dessert
dinner
feast
picnic
refreshment
snack
etc..

Is there a single word that is an alternative for "meal types"?
Or if no such word exists a more elegant phrasing?


texts: What does “Muslim clockmakers” mean in “He (Trump) vowed to take back the country from Muslim clockmakers?

texts:
Today’s (Sept. 19) New Yorker carries an article titled “Poll: Guy who asked Trump Muslim question leads G.O.P. race,” which quoted Donald Trump’s assertion - “If you look back over the past seven years, no one has called Obama a foreign-born Muslim more often than I have.”

The article wraps up with the following lines:

  “Trump’s comments did little to slow the momentum of Muslim Question
  Guy, who drew four thousand people at his first official campaign
  rally in Concord, New Hampshire, where he vowed to take back the
  country from Muslim clockmakers.”
  http://www.newyorker.com/humor/borowitz-report/poll-guy-who-asked-trump-muslim-question-leads-g-o-p-race?

What does “Muslim clockmakers” specifically mean? Is there any particular reason for being clockmakers? Why not any other trades, say smith, mill owners, merchants, or farmers?


texts: What is the correct conjunction or punctuation for the following sentence?

texts:
I have two sentences as follows:

We don't know what we should do if the worst case happens.
The worse case is when the math teacher does not allow us to use calculators in the test.

I want to combine them into a single sentence. I am thinking of the following options but not sure which one is the correct one.

  We don't know what we should do if the worst case happens; the math
  teacher does not allow us to use calculators in the test.

or

  We don't know what we should do if the worst case happens---the math
  teacher does not allow us to use calculators in the test.

or

  We don't know what we should do if the worst case -- the math teacher does not allow us to use calculators in the test -- happens.


texts: What does "reinventing something in a different key" mean?

texts: "With the accession of King James, this policy came to an abrupt end, and with it a tradition of representing formidable, eloquent and savage Turks, Moors and Persians on the Elizabethan stage. They would be reinvented in a different key by a new generation of Jacobean playwrights." (Jerry Brotton, This Orient Isle- Elizabethan England and the Islamic World)


texts:
Does something like this exist? A single word with the meaning "taking up more space than available".

Use case: Excel sheet name (<30 characters) that lists values that do not fit because their columns have a shorter maximum length. Ideally, the sheet's name is '[adjective I'm looking for] values'.

Options I found so far:

shortened values means something different, but might be the best I can think of in this case, since the part at the end that doesn't fit is cut off.
truncated values like the last one, but possibly more accurate, and maybe more confusing at the same time, since in a database 'truncate' usually means losing the entire table content.
values that did not fit is a pretty descriptive name that fits, but has two verbs and is almost a sentence; therefore it feels too extensive for a sheet name to me.

I did not expect it to be difficult to find the right words for something as common as this, but even in my primary language Dutch I can't find the right formulation. In Dutch I would probably say 'te grote waarden', which does not sound grammatically correct in English ('too big values').


texts: 'Colourful Language' with regards to swearing

texts:
Why is expletive laden, or coarse language often referred to as being colourful/colorful?

Oxford Dictionaries define it,

  colourful
  2.2 (of language) vulgar or rude.
  ‘colorful words usually impolite in public meetings’
  ‘And there's some very colorful language in some of those opinions.’
  ‘This version has had some of the more colourful language removed.’


texts:
Which one is correct?

  He runs less fast than I.
  He runs less faster than I.


texts:
In UI navigation jargon, bread crumbs are used to describe a trail of links back to the starting point.  This is obviously a reference to Hansel and Gretel, where they use a literal trail of bread crumbs to mark their path back to their house.  But if you remember, the bread crumbs were eaten by birds and so pretty terrible as a navigation aid.  The stones or pebbles, which he had used on the previous days actually worked.

How and when did bread crumbs come to have the meaning it seems to?


texts:
Bishop Robert Lowth, a prominent Hebraist and theologian, with fixed and eccentric opinions about language, wrote A Short Introduction to English Grammar (1762).
Many schoolroom grammars in use to this day have laws of 'good usage' which can be traced directly to Bishop Lowth's idiosyncratic pronouncements as to what was 'right' and what was 'wrong'.
On page 36 he writes:
Verb To Be.
Indicative mode.
Present time.

I am, --------- We are
Thou art,---- Ye are
He is. ------ They are.

Or,

I be, -------- We be
Thou beest,-- Ye be
He is;(8) ----- They be.

(8)"I think it 'be thine' indeed, for thou liest in it." Shakespear, Hamlet. Be, in the singular number of this time and mode, especially in the third person, is obsolete; and is become somewhat antiquated in the plural.
"A short introduction to English grammar(1762).
Is "I be" still grammatically correct?


texts: Is there a special name for that kind of product category?

texts:
I'm making a webshop and I can't find a good name for a special category.

Is there any name for a category that holds products which will be no longer sold after the stock has been run out? In hungarian there is a name "Kifutó" for it, which means that these products are the last ones. But these are not "last" pieces, there could be a lot of them (maybe more than 1000), the name should means that we stop selling these goods after all of them has been bought. Or should I just call it "LAST PRODUCTS"? But I wouldn't like to suggest that there are only a few pieces left.

Thanks


texts:
I'm discussing and comparing two books and I want to know if I'm using quotation marks correctly:

  Both books are known for being existential and the reader is bombarded with questions throughout the books. ‘Whose fault is this? Who did this? Why did it happen this way? Did it even happen this way?’

I'm having a lot of doubts over the punctuation in this small piece of text:

Should there be a colon after throughout the books?
Should there be individual quotation marks for every question, or is this right?
If every question must have individual quotation marks, how would you correctly separate the questions? Using dots after the right quotation mark? Using commas?

EDIT: I must write the final version using a pen and paper.


texts: What does “cheffed-up” in “Traditional ramen that hasn’t been cheffed-up” mean?

texts:
In connection with my previous question about the meaning of the line, “This is a lot of cargo for noodle soup” in NYT’s (March 4, 2014) article, “Ramen’s Big Splash,” in its Dining & Wine section, there was a word – 'cheffed-up' to describe a type of ramen.

  “Totto Runner:The shadowy, steamy, low-ceilinged, quasi-illicit “Blade
  Runner” atmosphere is so cool that it’s hard to be clinical about the
  actual soups. But for traditional ramen that hasn’t been cheffed-up,
  this is the place.

I know that 'chef' can be used as a verb to mean serve as a chef, but I can’t understand what “chef-up” means. What does it mean? Is it a common English word? Spell-checker keeps demanding correction on “chef-up,” while I’m typing this question.


texts:
If you  keep trying someone's patience, eventually they will run out of patience and do something to punish you. What is your "negative achievement" called at this stage? You have managed to make some people lose their patience. I'm looking for an equivalent phrase for "make someone lose their patience".

An example can be a grown-up child living with his parents who keeps being lazy and annoying the parents till they lose their patience and ask him to leave. What has this child done to his parents?


texts: Where does the slang word "bad" + "ass" (badass) come from?

texts: What is the origin of the word badass? Why a "bad" ass/"bad" + "ass"? What is an ass that is bad and how can an ass that is bad describe a tough person?


texts: How to properly use "as an" vs. "with an"

texts:
I have a situation.

He identifies himself as a musician, finding his inspirations in nature.
OR
He identifies himself with a musician, finding his inspirations in nature.

which of these is correct please and why? thanks,


texts: What does 'after midnight on Wednesday' mean?

texts:
West Midlands Police said the devices were found outside an address in Coronation Road, Tipton, just after midnight on Wednesday.

MSN news : Bomb Squad Called

It is now Wednesday. To me, 'midnight on Wednesday' means midnight tonight. And after 'midnight on Wednesday' it will be tomorrow - Thursday.
It actually took me a moment or two to work out that the Bomb Squad incident in Tipton (West Midlands, UK) happened early this morning.
I think the report should have said 'after midnight on Wednesday morning'.
Am I wrong ?


texts: Possession of the matter is the end of the entertainment/fun?

texts:
In the Netherlands, where I live, we have a saying:

  Het bezit van de zaak, is het einde van het vermaak.

This roughly translates to:

  Possession of the matter is the end of the entertainment/fun.

It means that as soon as you have bought your brand new car, it very soon loses its attraction and you don't see the value anymore.

Is there a similar saying in English?


texts: Meaning of 'do' in questions like 'do you want...'

texts:
If take question 'Do you want to eat?' as example, I don't understand meaning of 'do' because:

to do something in my understanding is to take some actions, to want
something is not an action, it is not something, that you 'do'.
And in form of simple statement this question will be 'I want to eat',
not 'I do want to eat' (right?).

What meaning of 'do' in this question?


texts: Past  perfect  progressive and past perfect

texts:
When is it possible to use past perfect instead of past perfect progressive to show that the action is still in progress?
I was just looking for more examples like the one below where either form can be used.

When the action began before the time of speaking in the past, and continued up to that time, or stopped just before it, we can often use either form. SOURCE

It was now six and he was tired because he had worked since dawn＝It was now six and he was tired because he had been working since dawn.

I think in my examples they can't be used interchangeably.

I had been eating dinner, when the doorbell rang. (The action is still in progress now, or has just ended)
I had eaten dinner, when the doorbell rang. (A finished action)
I had been cleaning my place when she arrived. (The action is still in progress now, or has just ended)
I had cleaned my place when she arrived. (A finished action)
I had eaten and I had cleaned imply that the actions have finished, but I need to show that they are still in progress.

I think I should remove 'now' and write that the action was still in progress at that moment in the past and it didn't finish or finished just before it or just finished.


texts:
Can someone explain how the 'joining' part in this sentence is formed? and what can be the original sentence before reduction?

  Joining us here in the studio to start things off we have expert Sonia Tarrington, from the University of California's Nutrition Research Centre.

I suppose the ing form at the beginning of the sentence cannot be considered a reduced adverb clause because the subjects cannot be the same.
Then I thought it might be a reduced adjective clause which relocated to the beginning of the sentence? Something like this maybe? But is it possible at all to relocate adj. clauses?

  We have expert Sonia Tarrington, from the University of California's Nutrition Research Centre, who has joined us here in the studio to start things off.


texts: What is the negative connotation of 'great'?

texts:
We call a well known actor, a 'famous' actor.
Yet a well known criminal is called a 'notorious' criminal.

In similar vein, a popular leader would be called a 'great' leader.
But what would you call the same when it's a 'great' dictator?


texts: The meaning of made out in this context?

texts:
What's the meaning of "made out" in this sentence?
"... for example, that I had made out a check on an overdrawn account , causing my husband to receive an embarrassing phone call at work from a bill Collecter "


texts: 'A world without stroke' or 'A world without strokes'?

texts:
We are currently debating the structure of this sentence. A world without stroke. Should stroke be pluralised?

'A world without cancer' - Sounds odd when plural.
'A world without heart attacks' - Sounds odd when NOT plural.

What is correct for 'Stroke'?

Definition - a sudden disabling attack or loss of consciousness caused by an interruption in the flow of blood to the brain, especially through thrombosis.
"he was left disabled by a stroke"
synonyms:   thrombosis, embolism, cerebral vascular accident, CVA, cerebral haemorrhage, ictus, seizure; archaicapoplexy
"he had recently suffered a small stroke"


texts: What's the word for "believing one is the center of the universe"?

texts:
I want to describe a character who thinks that the world revolves around him, thus he believes he is the center of the universe.

Is there a single word having the meaning of center of (one's) universe?


texts: "What questions are there?" vs. "What are the questions there?"

texts:
Imagine this scene: "a non-native student asking another student about the questions in a paper on the table of the teacher". Which is the correct way for asking this between the two questions below:

  "Hey man, what questions are there?"
  "Hey man, what are the questions there?"

What are the differences between the questions 1 and 2, I mean about meaning and grammar. Are both grammatically correct? If yes, are the meanings the same?


texts: Parallel Structure: negative comparative

texts:
Consider the following sentence:

  Frank will not be honored for dedicating his time to orphans, as Fred will not be honored for devoting his life to the poor.

A better way to phrase this might be:

  Frank will not be honored for dedicating his time to orphans, any more than Fred will be honored for devoting his life to the poor.

But what is the wrong with the first? Or is it grammatically correct?


texts: Style of technical warnings. Why is it acceptable to omit verbs?

texts:
Dear language professionals,

What are grounds for using shortish phrase "Life vest under your seat" on the warning sign on the planes.

Is it stylistically caused? If this style allows main verb omission? Or it is just an unmotivated verb omission?


texts: I wonder if I can use "how is the weather for tomorrow". Is it still common for native speaker? Because I ask for the future but I use present tense.


texts: Best word to describe non-profit organization that mediates between private person and company

texts:
Like title describes I need a word that best describes non-profit organization that mediates between company (as donor) and private person (as donee or receiver of that donation).

What is the right word for that?

As I know mediator, intermediary, agent etc. are words for person not organization.

Only word that I can think of is medium. Is it correct to name it that way?


texts: How would you describe this sketch? Is she hanging from / on to a man's arm?

texts:
How would you describe this picture?

  "A girl is hanging on to a guy's arm"?

Or is it

  "A girl is hanging from a …"?

I'm really confused about the meaning and the image of
"hang + preposition", especially "hang on to"

e.g. The climber hung on to the ledge, praying for rescue

and "hang from"

e.g. A string of onions hung from a beam in the kitchen

Can anyone help me understand?


texts: What is a phrasal noun more or less synonymous to "relic", particularly used with the word "colonial"?

texts:
I encountered this world a while back on Quora, but really cannot remember what is was, which is terribly bugging me. It is used to mean something that has been present or practiced since a certain period in the past, and is perhaps now anachronistic.

To reiterate, it was a phrasal noun (that is, something like "carry-over" or "leftover").

Edit to clarify the meaning of the term "phrasal noun":

It is a noun made up of a verb and a preposition either preceding or succeeding the former. If the preposition precedes the verb (as in "onset", for example), there is no hyphen between the two. If the preposition succeeds it, there may or may not be a hyphen).

Edit 2:

It isn't "artefact" or "hand-me-down". It's not a physical object that the word refers to, it's a practice, custom or law, and, as mentioned above, it conveys the idea of the outdatedness.


texts:
Does the bleach here refers to a blue dye, but less blue one, as some of the blue has been removed?

The rain seeped into the gap between the health sandals and her feet, just like it was seeping into everything else. Kerala was steeped in water, as if someone had pushed it in and pulled it out, like her mother used to steep white clothes in indigo bleach in a plastic bucket in their backyard. People were prepared, as they should be, in a state where it rained six months a year.


texts: A word meaning "To understand (a thing) given its observer's context and prior knowledge"

texts:
As per the question: the word I'm looking for is used to describe something that only one who (for want of a better way of putting it) went through something can understand that thing.

To make the question a bit less ambiguous: I went to my parents' house and they were watching a comedy which exaggerated the absurdities of the education system of Socialist eastern/central European countries during the 60s/70s. They found it hilarious because they had experienced this education system for themselves. I was scratching my head and frowning because I was brought up in a Western society in the 90s.

Consequently, my parents were watching a/an X comedy (what is X)? The word I'm not looking for is niche.

EDIT: as per below suggestions. The word should also fit the context (continuing from the above example) "I therefore find my parents' culture to be very X." The word is neither "relatable" nor "alienating" since my parents couldn't be watching an alienating comedy, but it is also not true that my parents' culture is relatable.

Perhaps it is possible that the word I'm looking for does not exist.


texts:
In Barry Manilow's version of "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" what does "snap your caps" mean?

Is it Elton? Is it Billy? Is it Sting perhaps?
Oh you’ll never ever get it, don’t snap your caps.


texts: 'Underneath the mask' vs 'Behind the mask'

texts:
What is the correct usage for the aforementioned? Is it:

  It is difficult to see what truly lies underneath the mask.

or

  It is difficult to see what truly lies behind the mask.

Additionally, I've also heard people use the term 'beneath the mask'.

Could anyone please tell me WHY the correct option should be used instead of the incorrect one?


texts: Why is "be" in "this court rules he be put on probation" an infinitive?

texts:
I was watching an old movie, The Little Rascals, and one of the lines from a kid goes:

Your Honor, may I suggest... this court rules he be put on probation.

I am not sure if be is in infinitive form because this is an example of
subjunctive mood. If so, shouldn’t rules be the verb to be written as a infinitive because it is subordinate to suggest?
In addition, if I were to rewrite this sentence, I would write it as that it ran
something like this:

Your Honor, may I suggest... this court rule that he will be put on probation.

I’ve made two changes:

suggest (that) this court rules > suggest (that) this court rule
(indicative > subjunctive/bare-infinitive)

(that) he be put > that he will be put
(subjunctive/bare-infinitive > present-tense modal plus infinitive)

I wonder whether my rewrite would be considered grammatically correct.


texts:
I make a distinction between "hot" and "spicy" food ("hot" not referring to temperature). I consider "hot" food the kind that "burns" and "spicy" food that has lots of flavor, but that may or may not "burn", but has some "heat" to it and is flavorful.

I've been told that there is no real difference between the two and that I'm crazy for thinking that Tabasco sauce makes something "hot", while something like curry, ginger, or cumin makes something "spicy". Please help me out a little here with a little clarification.


texts:
The difference between a paper diary and a paper calendar is fairly clear, though either may be used to record an appointmemt. However a computer application is less clear as, for example, MS Outlook's self-styled calendar is really a diary.

Or is it?  Guidance, please!


texts: Is "We can't guarantee your safety" always a threat?

texts:
I can only think of scenarios when I have heard the phrase, "we can't guarantee your safety," uttered in a way that seems like a threat.  This seems likely because of the odd phrasing: Nobody can guarantee anyone's safety.  So (I reason) making the statement is not a tautology but is rather stating that the party issuing the threat is in a position to increase the peril to the subject if not placated.

Examples:

If you don't bribe my guards, I can't guarantee your safety crossing this frontier.  (My translation: We'll rob or kill you down the road if you don't pay us protection money.)
If you don't pay protection money, I can't guarantee the safety of your business.  (My translation: Pay us protection money or goons will trash your business.)

Is it in fact always reasonably and properly interpreted as a threat?  Sort of like, "Nice business you have here.  Would be a shame if anything were to happen to it!"

How about: "If you don't leave this question open, I can't guarantee the safety of this site?"


texts:
To understand mental strength, you have to learn how your thoughts, behaviours, and feelings are all intertwined, often working together to create a dangerous downward spiral as in the preceding example.

Is the above sentence grammatically correct? Isn't this part of the sentence, "often working together to create a dangerous downward spiral as in the preceding example", make it run-on sentence?

Also, what is the rule behind using phrases like this "as in the preceding example?"

Thanks for your help and time!


texts: Conjunctive usage with negative imperatives: i.e., 'and' and 'or.' Don't eat and drink on the bus vs. Don't eat or drink on the bus

texts:
I tried searching for conjunctive usage within negative imperatives but was unable to find any results. I may have just used the wrong search string. My question is as follows.

In the following example, which conjunction is appropriate, 'and' or 'or'? Is it dependent upon context and changes with different usages or is this something consistent with a rule that can be applied more or less systematically?

  Don't eat and drink on the bus vs. Don't eat or drink on the bus

Thanks in advance for the help!


texts: Alternatives for passive forms with semi-modals

texts: It seems that passive forms of semi-modals verbs which ended in 'to' (like: used to, ought to, be able to, be going to, have (got) to) are not so common in everyday speech. Although some passive forms of these verbs may be more common than others (for example 'be going to'. I don't know). so what are the alternative passive forms or helping phrases (if exist) which could give a sense of passivization for these verbs


texts: I need a noun in American English that represents the idiom 'to look on the bright side'

texts:
We're developing an application where we have categories users may progress towards, and one of them is 'to look on the bright side; to live without worry, etc.'. However, categories are titled with a single word, and I have failed to think of a word that perfectly suits that meaning.

Can anyone assist?


texts: Mathematical Institute or Mathematics Institute: Which of these is correct and why?

texts:
Many titles of universities or research institutes have a variety of adjectives before the noun institute.

Example: Oxford University and Chennai have a Mathematical Institute each.
Then, there are a number of Mathematics Institutes. I am picking examples from countries where English is used in most official communications.

Type I:

Oxford University Mathematical Institute

Chennai Mathematical Institute

Indian Statistical Institute

Type II:

Clay Mathematics Institute

Warwick Mathematics Institute

Reference: http://www.mathontheweb.org/mathweb/mi-inst.html


texts: Pronunciation of single-syllable words ending in -ost

texts:
In Modern English, there are several monosyllabic words ending in -ost, like "most", "cost", "post", "lost", "frost".  Assuming RP, some of them are pronounced  with /əʊ/ (post) and others with /ɒ/ (cost).

At first, I guessed (at least for nouns) that Germanic words might use the former pattern and more Latin(-ish) the latter. But "post" got so wild etymology for the multitude of its meanings... And, for example, "frost" easily breaks the rule. I didn't check any Middle/Old English spellings.

Are there any rules/patterns/hopes to derive pronunciation from spelling here?


texts: what will be a good artistic world or phrase for close cooperation for mutual success

texts: what will be a good artistic word or phrase for close cooperation for mutual success.The cooperation of two parties (one with stronger power, second with weaker power, but huge dedication) where each strives to contribute their input for joint success and well-being.


texts: A verb to mean not treating the work (especially one's job) seriously

texts:
What is the verb that means someone NOT treating the work, usually the day-time job, seriously, like hoping to get things done as quickly as possible without careful double-check and always wanting to get out of the office as early as possible?

I found the word "perfunctory" which means "done quickly, without taking care or interest", which is what I mean but I wonder if there is a corresponding verb.

I also considered "play at sth", but this phrase seems to be more suitable to describe "role playing". I could be wrong. Maybe "play at" is the right one for my question.

Any help?? Thanks!


texts:
My mother used to correct me all the time when I was younger when I would talk about bringing a toy to a friend’s house instead of taking it there.

Which is correct, and why?


texts:
Do these sentences have the same meaning? If they haven't, please explain why.

He fell over himself to be as helpful as possible.

He fell over himself for being as helpful as possible.


texts:
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language (Fourth Edition) reads:

  gigolo, n. A man who has a continuing sexual relationship with and receives financial support from a woman.

Is there an English word [X] which fits the following definition?

  [X], n. A woman who has a continuing sexual relationship with and receives financial support from a man.


texts: Is there a term for the direct opposite?

texts:
Suppose I have two words, let's take "true" and "false". "False", is the direct opposite of "truth", and is an antonym of "truth". However, the word I am looking for is not "antonym".

If I was to ask what was the "direct opposite" of "black", the answer would have been "white".
What word could have replaced "direct opposite" in this case?

Other examples include "dark" and "light", or "big" to "small". It is true these are antonyms, but these are special antonyms, they are the only ones that are the "equivalent opposites".
"big" has other antonyms like "tiny", but "tiny" is the equivalent of "huge". "big"'s equivalent in opposite is "small".

EDIT, The word I am looking for has the meaning of "opposite match"


texts: Should "listening" always be followed by the preposition "to"?

texts:
While we always add a preposition to with listen, as in listen to music, does that apply with listening as well?

Is the following sentence correct?

  I am habitual of listening this from you ?


texts:
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way--in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only." -- Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities.

From Wikipedia.

  A comma splice is the use of a comma to join two independent clauses. For example: It is nearly half past five, we cannot reach town before dark. Although acceptable in some languages and compulsory in others (e.g., Bulgarian or French), comma splices are usually considered style errors in English.

Would the sentence above be an example of an author making stylistic error on purpose?

Thanks


texts: the phrase "to love to complain" is very common - is there one word that means this?

texts: For example, schadenfreude is the pleasure derived by someone from another person's misfortune.. I'm sure that someone's love of the act of complaining is encapsulated in one word, but I don't know what that word is!


texts: What is the phrase for a publication that publishes articles with differing opinions

texts:
One day it may post an article listing 10 reasons why living in Lapland is the worst, and then another day it may list 10 reasons why living in Lapland is the best.

Compare this to newspapers in the UK where each have their own political bias from which they never shift in any of their articles.

I believe it is called something along the lines of "editorial..." in regards to the editor who agrees to publish the article.


texts: What does the "bother" mean in the sentence?

texts:
A: Oh bother the Sex Discrimination Act. Surely they can't force me to take on a married woman.

Thanks.


texts: Meaning of "repay" in "the book repays close study"

texts:
What does the word "repay" in essence mean in the phrase "the book repays close study"?

My OED defines "repay"  as

  to make return for; requite [a service, action, etc.]...
  must repay their kindness

Which is clear as a bell to me. However, the context that doesn't seem to go home is what it means to "requite" or "make return for" close study.

The Oxford's definitions for close and study that seem plausible to me are these:

  close:
  1. concentrated, searching, e.g. "close examination"; "close attention".
  2. Leaving no gaps or weaknesses, rigorous [strict, severe], e.g. "close reasoning".
  study:
  1. the devotion of time and attention to acquiring information or knowledge, esp. from books.
  2. the portrayal in literature or another art form of an aspect of behaviour or character etc.

To my mind, sense # 1 seems to win out and should fit for both words.

Yet, what does it mean to say that something "requites" or "pays back" thorough devotion/dedication/examination/research/inspection?

Does it by any means mean studying the book in question yields good results... pays off?


texts: Is "to sport ivory" actually forgotten English?

texts:
I saw on a website that there used to be a verb phrase called "to sport ivory", which meant to smile, essentially showing your teeth/ivory.

Did this actually exist or is the website incorrect?


texts: does an "issued" a threat become "rescinded/revoked" when acted upon?

texts:
In the sense of a direct threat like "If you do X, I will beat you", which is a threat with a promise that is clear. One would say a threat was "issued".

If something can be issued, it can be revoked/withdrawn/rescinded. If the second person does X and the first person does not act on their promise, one would say "the threat was withdrawn". And that is clear to me.

If the promise is carried out, that means the threat is no longer valid (maybe a new threat would need to be issued for future occurances of the same situation). so, my question is, what happened to the threat, has it been revoked/withdrawn/rescinded? Those choices don't make any sense to me.

Maybe I'm thinking about it all wrong. English is my second language.


texts: Idiom request:putting forth an effort but it isn’t doing any good

texts: Context: when someone thinks they are in control but they aren’t. Like a captain steering his ship in a storm. The captain is trying to control his ship but it isn’t doing any good because the ship is being tossed around by the waves.


texts: What’s a person who borrows something but won’t return it?

texts:
I cannot find the right words or expression or idiom to describe a person who borrows something from someone but will not return it to its owner.

Also, I would like to know the word that describes a person who no matter how many times you tell them to give you back the money, they just smile and do nothing.


texts:
While reading an article about history and use of the camera obscura and camera lucida the use of camera obscuras for the plural felt increasingly wrong.  (whinge over)

In general when a (foreign) noun-adjective phrase is used in English the noun take the plural (aides-de-camp, adjutants general, etc.)¹.  TFD cites "Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary" for the plural camera obscuras, which is also given in wiktionary without citation; no other dictionaries online list a plural.

Of course, camera as an English word derived from the Latin camera = chamber has the plural cameras, but that doesn't mean cameras obscura would be right because in the phrase camera is still Latin.  So should we be using camerae obscurae?  This is stated in wikipedia without citation. Have I even got the plurals right in Latin? Probably not, I haven't studied Latin for nearly 25 years.  Should we semi-anglicise it to cameras obscura?

¹There are many more words and phrases which take the plural in the middle in the answers to this question.

"Which style of Latin plurals should I use?" is relevant but doesn't provide an answer to what we should do in the case of a phrase.  I would even say that it might support "cameras obscura" which nothing else does.


texts: How to properly use numbers in text (special case)?

texts:
I'm writing a scientific thesis about my program. I want to write the number of responses of a questionnaire that I have developed but I don't know what is the best in this case.

Example 1:

"We received 134/150 responses."

Example 2:

"We received 134 out of 150 responses."

Example 3:

"We received one-hundred and thirty-four out of one-hundred and fifty responses."

Also i'm providing the following figure in the text.


texts: What could be a word or phrase to call someone annoying in a likeable way?

texts: I'm looking for a word or phrase (for a friend) who is annoying but in a good likeable way.


texts: Ending a clause with a preposition, rule of thumb or hard rule?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
When is it okay to end a sentence in a preposition?

So we've all heard the admonishments from our teachers not to end a clause with a preposition

A plumber visits a wealthy estate to fix a clogged toilet. As the butler opens the door, the plumber barks out,"I'm here to fix the toilet. Where's your bathroom at?"
"Please try to speak with more discretion. We do not want to disturb our neighbors with the details of our plumbing issues. And we most certainly do not end our sentences with prepositions, sir.
So the plumber lowers his tone and says more cordially, "I'm here to fix the toilet. Where's your bathroom at, asshole."

Anyway, back to the matter at hand. I have come under the impression that this is a rule of thumb to help the elementary student avoid mismatching case for the target of the preposition rather than a hard rule. For example by placing the preposition closer to its target, you avoid constructs like: "Who did you give the invitation to?" instead of the proper "To whom did you give the invitation?". Moving the preposition closer makes the incorrect case sound absurd. No one would ever say "To who did you give the invitation?"
All of this introductory text leads up to this simple question: Is this phrase correct "Whom did you give the invitation to?" or is it still incorrect english even though we addressed the issue of case?


texts: Are there /ɔ/ and /ʌ/ sounds in informal American English?

texts:
I read a book about American English. It reports that, in standard informal conversations, American English doesn't use the /ɔ/ sound; it uses the /ɑ/ sound and /ʌ/ and /ə/ are not different. Are they really?
That book would not use the /ɔ/ and /ʌ/ sounds, but when I look in my American English Dictionary for some words, such as more, door, and love, they are reported to be pronounced /mɔr/, /dɔr/, and /lʌv/.
How should I pronounce these words, if there are no /ɔ/and /ʌ/ sounds?  Should they be /mɑr/, /dɑr/, and /ləv/?
Can /ɑ/ sound replace /ɔ/, and /ə/ replace /ʌ/ in every word?
What about formal American English? Does it have /ɔ /and /ʌ/ sounds or not?


texts: Is capitalization of special words acceptable without another rule to justify it?

texts:
I've found that it's a rather contentious issue in the Pokémon fandom whether names like "Pikachu" should be capitalized when referring to the general species (and similarly for certain other words). Such as:

  If your team consists of six Pikachu, you're going to have a hard time against Ground-types.

Many people who I've seen talk about the subject believe that those bolded letters should not be capital, because there are no rules to make it such.

However, I've also noticed this "special capitalization" of words in other, actually literary series as well — for example, the Dementors, Boggarts, or Hippogriffs from Harry Potter, or the Yeerks and Andalites of Animorphs fame.

Any arguments I've seen on the subject have invariably degraded into bickering about different sides of the debate. Are there any more authoritative opinions on such a phenomenon, and if so, where can I find them?

(What's special about the Pokémon case is that the species as a whole is usually only referred to by a "characteristic instance" of it — while you wouldn't say "I like dog better than cat because it's more loyal", you could definitely say "I like Squirtle more than Charmander, because it's cuter".)


texts: Is it true that after the title (Mr), we have to add a name?

texts:
I want to know whether it's obligatory to add a name after Mr.
Can we call someone with "Hey, Mr!"?  Or should we should say "Mr John"?
And if we don't want to mention the name, do we just say "Sir"?
And with sir, can we either leave it as it is or can we add a name after it?
Thank you