texts: What does "Eat Lunch or be lunch" mean in this context?

texts:
I came across this phrase:

  The problem facing companies today is that there are too many fishermen and not enough fish in the market. It’s a matter of eat lunch or be lunch — or, as stated by Gregory Rawlins, “If you’re not part of the steamroller, you’re a part of the road.”

What does eat lunch or be lunch mean in this context?

Edit 5 Oct 2013 7.58 PM:
I take it it is a fight for survival when there is too much competition. If they cannot find the means of surviving then they will go out of business. It uses the metaphor of fish. If they need to catch a fish to eat and there only 5 fishes in the pool and ten fishermen then five will go hungry (fish=customers). Please correct me and share your idea to clarify.


texts:
Are both these sentences correct? If so, why does one require a comma and not the other?

Jeff told me that the job was still available and that the manager wanted to interview me.

Jeff told me that the job was still available, and the manager wanted to interview me.


texts: Where should I put the possessive apostrophe in the construction noun + "Proper Name" + possessed thing

texts:
The sentence is as follows:

  The association "Association Name" requirements.

Where should I put the possessive apostrophe?

  The association "Association Name"'s requirements.

OR

  The association's "Association Name" requirements.


texts: Why the indefinite article in "have a good time"?

texts:
Why do we use the indefinite article in the expression "have a good time"?
Time is an uncountable noun, and we never say "what a beautiful weather!", but "what beautiful weather it is!"

Could anyone explain it to me?


texts:
There was a question posted on Twitter:

  Grammar-expert friends: Help needed! I couldn’t find conclusive answers via google so I’ll ask here: I’m writing some lyrics and I want to say “I’ve still (noun)” - for example, “I’ve still berries in the fridge” - is this grammatically correct? I know “I’ve still time” is common"

I wager it's not, because "still" is attributed to the noun. "I have still berries" vs "I still have berries". In the context given, it seems like it would be an auxiliary verb and not the main verb. Thus it would be a compound verb when used in a complete sentence. "I have still got berries" where the main verb is the past participle, "got".

So is it grammatical?


texts: Is "happened Tuesday" (without "on") a valid pattern?

texts:
The album was released Tuesday and has been well-received by […]

Shouldn't it be "released on Tuesday"?  Where did the "on" go?

I think dropping the preposition is confusing, but I see it written and said so frequently (with clearly the same intended meaning) that I'm doubtful whether I should be correcting it.

Is this pattern valid English?  Is it region-specific?  Does it have a name?


texts: Is the expression "bring to light" considered cliché in academic | scientific writing?

texts:
I'd like to know if the expression "bring to light" used to mean to discover or reveal (http://www.dictionary.com/browse/bring--to--light) is considered cliché - or even tacky - in scientific writing?

I know that oftentimes, either because we want to sound original (or even daring), or because we want to avoid repeating a certain word, we resort to synonyms.

I find scientific writing to be rather (unnecessarily) stiff. Thus, the intention of sounding innovative can backfire and cost the author's credibility if one miss the bull's eye.

Is there any style manual that explicitly condemns - or approves of - the use of the expression?


texts: Should proper nouns used as verbs be capitalized?

texts: When a proper noun like "Skype" is used as a verb ("Skyping"), should it be capitalized?  My thinking is that it should be capitalized because the root is a proper noun.  Does anyone know of a rule about this question?


texts: a + adjective + "many" + of the + plural noun

texts:
(Countable noun) [a + adjective + ~ + of the + plural noun] a large number of persons
or things:
A good many of the beggars were blind.
https://www.wordreference.com/definition/many

Is the plural nominal complement compulsory, so that A good many were blind is not grammatically correct?
Secondly, is it correct to label it as a "countable noun"?


texts: Word meaning the opposite of "negligible"?

texts: "Negligible" roughly means "Small enough to essentially be zero." For example, in high school physics problems, air resistance is negligible. Is there a word that means "large enough to be essentially infinite"? For example, "For someone on a bike, the distance to the other side of the world is ______."


texts:
I'm pretty iffy with semi colons and dashes and would like confirmation if this is grammatically correct.

I'm no genius, my grade cards can tell you that; but I'm no fool either, speaking to me will tell you that.

Or are dashes better/correct?

I'm no genius - my grade cards can tell you that, but I'm no fool either - speaking to me will tell you that.

Breaking into 2 sentences will solve the issue no doubt (and I tend to resort to that in the past) but it would be a cop out and I wouldn't learn how to overcome it. Many thanks!


texts: What is the name of the poetic device where the author creates neologisms/malaprops to complete the rhyme?

texts:
I just learned about slant rhyming where you use a distorted not quite rhyme. Emily Dickinson is noted or these. (I personally don't like these, as they distract. Much like trying to make a pun on Polish the nationality and polish to make shiny just because they are spelled the same way.)
But on the flip side, here are a few that go the other way.  Forcing the rhyme to work by changing the word.
Ogden Nash:

Parsley is garsley

Bennett Cerf and the extended abbreviation.
There was a young lady from Del.
Who was most undoubtedly wel.
That to dress for a masque
Wasn't much of a tasque,
But she cried, 'What on earth will my fel.?'

Or you can just mangle the spelling to enforce the rhyme.
In New Orleans there dwelled a young Creole
Who when asked if her hair was all reole
Replied with a shrug
'Just give it a tug
And decide by the way that I squeole.'

What is this called?
Edit:  A commenter asked if another answer fit.  I said "The question there is very similar to mine, although the example is hard for me to parse as it's structure is odd. The answer is mostly slant rhyme lacking, the cleverness that the examples above have."
In the extended abbreviations example, Cerf does a fun wordplay. The abbreviations make the limerick scan correctly, but if you don't expand them the meaning doesn't make sense. And the other two expansions don't work as real words, but spoken aloud make perfect sense.
'Masque' is rhymed with 'tasque'. This is visual word play. Spoken it could just as well be mask and task.  By using 'tasque', Cerf is adding a visual word play.
In the next one, the author uses exact rhyming spelling, but to make the rhyme subtly shifts the pronunciation. 'Reole' wouldn't be pronounced the same as 'real' but more like 'ree owl' where 'owl' is like 'bowl'. Similarly with 'squeole'.
Where slant rhyming comes across as being lazy and sloppy, this sort of thing is a humourous and clever form of wordplay.


texts: What is a word (possibly an adjective) for something that spreads (perhaps rapidly)? This would refer to a virus but without the obvious bad connotation.


texts: Reported Speech - sentence with two verbs

texts:
"Did it hurt when you touched the wire?", the doctor asked.

Let's say that we want to put the above sentence in reported speech.

Would it be

  The doctor asked if it had hurt when I touched the wire.

or

  The doctor asked if it had hurt when I had touched the wire.

I always find such sentences quite confusing.


texts: collocations such as "bird of prey" and generalization

texts:
I got a question about the usage of generalization of collocations.

There is a word such as "bird of prey" to refer to birds eating animal flesh.

And one way to generalize reference of a noun is to put "the" in front of the word, especially for animals, plants, recent inventions;
the lion is the king of the animal world of Africa / the smartphone is nowadays a required item.

Then my question is whether this kind of expression below is also okay to show generalization;

The bird of prey is a bird that eats animal flesh.

For other nouns, such as "man of steel," when someone says "the man of steel," a native English speaker would think some particular or specific man of steel since there are several possible possibilities; Stalin, or the Superman in the recent movie, etc.


texts: Looking for an phrase or illustration to describe someone who doesn't understand the value of something

texts: I'm looking for a phrase or short illustration to describe someone completely missing the value of something or someone, e.g. a Sahara tribesman who stumbles across an iPhone and uses it to block a hole in his mud hut...


texts: "large field of view" vs "high field of view"

texts: Which one is right between "large field of view" and "high field of view"?


texts: Difference between "would have + past participle" and "would + bare infinitive" in the main clause of a past subjunctive sentence

texts:
I'm wondering about the difference in meaning, if any, between the two sentences in each of the following examples.

Example 1.

  a. If he was a serious leader, tackling the debt would have been a
  pillar of the speech.
  (Corpus of Contemporary American English)

  b. If he was a serious leader, tackling the debt would be a pillar of
  the speech.

Example 2.

  a. I am sure your father would have been upset if his boss got a
  gigantic raise and he got nothing.
   (Corpus of Contemporary American English)

  b. I am sure your father would be upset if his boss got a gigantic
  raise and he got nothing.


texts:
Prune meaning to cut down something or chop down.
I am writing to a user that I am removing additional permissions from her profile which are irrelevant to her daily work. So would it be correct if I say, "I am pruning down on your permissions"?
In my opinion, using "down" after "prune" would be redundancy.


texts:
Unit prefix for 10-1 is deci, for 10-2 centi, for 10-3 milli, for 10-6 micro and so on. Powers greater or equal one also have names: 101 is deca, 102 is hecto, 103 is kilo etc..

We can say, for example, “Multiply the measurement in millimeters by 1000 and you have it in micrometers.”

But is there a prefix (even if it's just exotic) to express the zeroth power as an alternative to just using no prefix, like in  “Divide the measurement in millimeters by 1000 and you get it in meters.”?

For example if we want to say it in a general way, it becomes pretty cumbersome: “Divide the measurement in milli by 1000 and you get the prefix-less unit itself.”


texts: "Meandered about" or "meandered around"?

texts:
Consider a person who slowly wanders through a large room. Would such a person "meander about" or "meander around" the room?

  John meandered _____ the hall.

Since it is customary to write "walked around," I am tempted to choose the latter option, but it may convey a sense of literally circling the room instead of moving about within it.


texts:
What does this phrase, from Pynchon's novel Gravity's Rainbow, mean?

  Schnorp, his hair blown like holidays of hay…

There are no references to "holidays" or "hay" in the preceding several pages.


texts: Which is correct (if any): "please let me know what do you think"? or "please let me know what you think"?

texts:
I find myself unsure which of the following is more correct:

  please let me know what do you think

Or

  please let me know what you think

My gut feeling tells me that it's the latter...

Or are both incorrect and there is a better way to say the same thing?


texts: What does "Better by you" phrase mean in the title of a Judas Priest song "Better By You Better Than Me".


texts: Do you capitalise "North" and "South" of England?

texts:
When referring to the regions in England, do we refer to them as the "South of England" or the "south of England"?
Same with "South" and "south" - is it capital (or not capital) when using this noun to refer to the regions in the UK?
Regions meaning: London, South West and South East etc.
Also, for the "North-South" divide, is that also capitalised or not?
Thanks.


texts: The word exercise has 3 syllables and divided as ex-er-cise.  In teaching pronunciation can I divide it as ek-ser-cise since the letter x is the sound of ks together?  It seems to make more sense.


texts:
The constitution provides a set of basic rules that allow for minimal coordination amongst members of a society.

What does minimal coordination here mean? I infer that Constitution confers provisions for the least (as little as possible) coordination amongst citizens. But I think it's supposed to mean bare minimum. However, the word allow preceding it doesn't seem apt to take the meaning of the phrase as bare minimum? Am I missing something, or is this a poorly structured sentence?


texts: The X is on vs the X is at? What would you describe this variation as?

texts:
"The Knight is on D1." and "The Knight is at D1."

Semantically the sentences mean the same thing. They are describing the position of a knight on a chessboard. The document I am writing contains a lot of these examples. They describe a valid scenario of a chess-style game which will be parsed by a computer program.

e.g.

  Given the game has just started
  And the Pawn is on E2
  And the Knight is at G8
  When I move the Pawn to E4
  Then I should be shown "Pawn to E4"
  And the Pawn should be at E4

I have found myself changing between 'on' and 'at' for what I think is a variation for the sake of readability and to keep the reader engaged. Linguistically, how you describe this variation? Is there an academic term for it? And is there an academic term for keeping the sentences exactly the same?

Note: I am not asking for which style is better or worse. I just want to write about what the difference is. How I would describe it.


texts:
Is there an idiom or maybe a proverb stating that things will not be the same or as you want, forever.
For example when telling someone that they might be in a good state or status now, but they will sure some day face difficulty or trouble (when they, for instance, feel so certain that they won't) more like warning, threatening or something.

  A: He always bosses us around. We're really tired of that.
  B: I know
  what you mean. He will face the consequences some day. Things will not
  always be as he wants (something to replace the last sentence in italic).


texts:
I always thought water sources were called taps in kitchens, bathrooms etc, but a Google search only returned outdoor taps.

So my question is, what are indoor taps really called? Like this one: http://biltema.no/no/Bygg/VVS/Baderom/Blandebatterier/Servantbatteri-86568/


texts: Where did "You missed a spot" come from?

texts:
I have seen this in a few films.  I first noticed it in "The Truman Show" when Truman is pulling weeds or something in the yard, and his faux wife says to him "You missed a spot!" while smiling.  I've also heard it in a few other places on TV and film.

The odd thing is, it is apparently supposed to be funny (people laugh, or canned laughter is played).  It's odd to me because I don't understand the reference.  It is either something that only people with certain DNA "get" or else it is an "in" joke and I am not part of the "in" crowd.


texts: Can it be correct to have a bracket as its own sentence?

texts:
Is it correct English to have a sentence, and then a bracketed sentence as its own sentence? If you don't get what I mean, here's an example:

  The garden set on fire. (Even the fence set on fire). blah blah blah....

(sorry - can't think of a good example right now!)

I sometimes want to write a bracket on its own, and sometimes see it done, but it doesn't seem right to me - is it?


texts: Why in a phone call we use "this is" instead of "I am"?

texts:
Why is the right form

  Hello, this is yzT from english.stackechange.com.

instead of

  Hello, I’m yzT from english.stackexchange.com.

I guess non-natives tend to use the latter due to literal translation, but why do natives use the former? You are identifying yourself, telling who you are; that’s why I don’t understand why the latter is wrong.


texts: Is the phrase "Displaying 0 of 1 results" supposed to be singular, or plural?

texts:
I'm working on a piece of software that includes a field displaying how many results exist total, and how many are returned after filtering. All other grammar cases seem straightforward [0 of  0, 0 of X, 1 of 1, 1 of X, X of X, X of Y], but I cannot parse out how you would write result or results in the case that it precedes '0 of 1'. The latter sounds correct in my head as a whole, but "1 results" is obviously incorrect out of context.

In short, I'd like to know if you are to write 0 of 1 results, or 0 of 1 result.


texts: What do you call a gas / petrol station for planes?

texts:
I don't believe Gas Station or Petrol Station fit as they are normally used for cars.

Is there an official term for a fuel station specific to planes?


texts:
Is there a single word that defines the distance both in time and space between two points?

I am writing a long text and repeating distance and duration constantly seems weird.

I have considered gap but I am not sure if it makes sense.

I'd like to turn "The distance and duration for the jorney is 100km and 1 hour" into "The ____ for the journey is 100km and 1hour".


texts: "add to" vs "add in" which one is correct?

texts:
I have a question about a preposition collocation.
Between "Please add it to the cost" and "Please add it in the cost" which one is idiomatic?


texts:
Importance is an uncountable noun, so one may shorten this sentence

  We have external information and internal information. The importance of the external information and that of the internal information are different.

as follows,

  We have both external and internal information. Their importance is different.

or as suggested (Is "they" valid for "information?"),

  We have both external and internal information. They differ in importance.

Question 1: Can "both" (first sentence) be used for the singular object "information?"

Question 2: Can "their" (second sentence) be used for the singular object "information?"

Question 3: Can "importance" (second sentence) be different though it is singular?


texts: Can the addition of an article change a noun from a thing to a place?

texts:
I'm an amateur trying to brush up on my grammar, and I've come across a confusing question.
Can the addition of an article change the type of a noun?
For example, if I used the term 'park', would this refer to a thing since I'm describing a broad class of things called 'parks'? With the addition of an article like 'the park', have I now changed the noun to a specific place rather than a thing? In general I'm having trouble distinguishing whether or not certain nouns are things or places. I'd greatly appreciate any help or insight. Thanks.


texts: What is the head noun in a noun 'and' noun phrase?

texts:
In a phrase like 'each has a different style and attitude' which is the head noun?

Is it right that the head noun can only ever be one word, so I couldn't say it was 'style and attitude'?


texts: Do you call an assistant of an assistant manager vice-assistant manager, deputy assistant manager, assistant-assistant manager or something else?


texts: Why isn’t “disharmony” spelled “*dysharmony”?

texts: Disharmony is a Greek word with a Latin prefix meaning “absence of harmony” or “bad harmony”. So why not spell it dysharmony, as one spells dysfunction or dyspepsia?


texts: What is the difference between "appreciation" and "gratitude"?

texts:
Should I be appreciative of, or be grateful to, what my parents do for me, when they both mean "thankful"? Is there a difference in between?
How is the difference identified?
Any efforts will be appreciated.


texts: What does the phrase “I don’t do X” mean?

texts:
I have come across versions of this phrase a few times, and I have to say that I’m stumped.
Please allow me to cite the following examples.
In the show “The Simpsons”, there is an episode titled “Donnie Fatso”. In that episode, Homer Simpson is sentenced to 10 years in jail. At one point in the episode, Homer is in court and he is trying to get time off for good behaviour. But the following dialogue happens.

Bart Simpson: We’re Simpsons, Dad. We don’t do good behavior.
Homer Simpson: Don’t tell me I’m not capable of GOOD BEHAVIOR!
[Homer starts to strangle his bratty son]

Well, alright, the above example actually explains the phrase in that case, but here’s another one.
In the show “Static Shock”, there is an episode titled “No Man’s an Island”. In that episode, Static and his arch-enemy Hotstreak are captured and taken to an island for scientific experiments. The two of them are forced to team up to escape the island alive. At one point in the episode, they come across a hospital wing in the facility. Hotstreak has a panic attack results in him curling up and holding on to both sides of his head. He reveals to Static that when he was a kid, he spent over two years in a hospital, and he has had an intense fear of hospitals ever since. He even says more than once, “I don’t do hospitals!”
I can see that this phrase seems to be some sort of slang, but I’m honestly stumped with that one. Does he mean, “I can’t stand hospitals!”?
I would be delighted if you could share with me your opinions on the matter.


texts: Word/Phrase that portrays fear and wonder/beauty

texts: I guess I need some rep to be here. I'm searching for a word/phrase that depicts the feeling of fear and attraction.  I'm thinking along the lines of awe-inspiring, dumbfounded, mystified ... I want to represent the overwhelming experience of insignificance and allure.


texts: It was so funny that I 'could not stop laughing'

texts: What other expressions can I use give the idea of " seeming unable to stop from laughing" because of a very amusing joke or a very funny story ?


texts: Syntactic problem with Wh-questions: grammaticality

texts:
I strongly need someone's help to solve this problem of grammaticality:

I have to say why these examples are ungrammatical.

Which book did you make the suggestion that the children should read?
Which book did you make the suggestion that the children should keep?

In relation to this, we have the grammatical counterparts.

Which book did the children read?
Which book did the children keep?

I am blocked because I think it is not a problem of subjacency, since it is only one bounding node being crossed (book). Maybe it is a problem of the type of verb, or maybe it deals with the issue of the relative clause [that the children should read].


texts: can the auxiliary verb be used once, instead of twice, for more than one main verb?

texts:
I want to see whether I could use the auxiliary verb once, instead of twice as in:

  one who speaks articulately, will be both appreciated and known as an
  "English expert."

or

  one who speaks articulately, will both be appreciated and be known as an "English expert."

please help me and let me know which one is correct! thank you.


texts: Difference between hideous, odious and obnoxious

texts:
I wonder about the difference between 'hideous', 'odious' and 'obnoxious'

All three of them share the following definition at oxforddictionaries.com

  Extremely unpleasant

While I know that 'hideous' is often used to describe a visually ugly thing, I do not fathom what the subtle dissimilarities of these terms are when it comes to describing unpleasantness.

Note that I am a non-native speaker.


texts: What is the opposite of “Could you talk a little louder”?

texts:
In a conversation, when I don't hear someone, I usually say:

  Could you talk a little louder please?

However, what should I say if:

Someone is being very loud in the other room when talking on the phone.
Someone is making too much noise.

I am looking for a polite expression. Any suggestions?


texts: What is the difference between "to curse" and "to swear at"?

texts: Both of them mean to use bad words, but I don't know their differences. Please explain with some examples! Thanks!


texts: Who is considered a native speaker of English? I am a little confused by the various answers found online.


texts: One word for "temperature" and "humidity"

texts:
Is there a word (or a word combination) that would include both temperature and humidity, but not other parameters? Environmental conditions springs to mind, but I feel that it describes much more than just temperature and humidity.

EDIT: I forgot to mention, but I was looking for a word that would suit a more technical context. It had to be suitable for describing the temperature and humidity in rooms and similar spaces as a technical parameter for operation of various devices, rather than perception of people. I find climate, as suggested by fahad, to be a good choice. While in many cases it would mean much more, in a technical context it can mean just that - temperature and humidity.


texts: "Architecture": Countable or Uncountable

texts:
Cambridge Dictionary lists "architecture" as uncountable noun.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/architecture

noun [ U ]

Thus, it shouldn't take indefinite article; it shouldn't take plural form.
However, Wikipedia authors use it as countable:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_architecture - an indefinite article for "computer architecture" is not used, but the plural form ("computer architectures") is used sometimes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microarchitecture - an indefinite article for "microarchitecture" is used sometimes and plural form ("microarchitectures") is also sometimes used

Excerpts:

The earliest computer architectures were designed on paper and then directly built into the final hardware form.

A microarchitecture organized around a single bus

A given ISA may be implemented with different microarchitectures

So, is "architecture" countable or not? Or probably it have both usages, countable and uncountable?
Edit:
From https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/architecture:

uncountable the art and study of designing buildings

to study architecture

uncountable the design or style of a building or buildings

the architecture of the eighteenth century
modern architecture

countable, uncountable (computing) the design and structure of a computer system

So, yes, it can both forms.
But it is very hard to understand. Computer architecture doesn't look any different from building architecture. They share the same principles. However, the former can have both forms and the latter is uncountable.
Why?
Edit 2:
OK, I was wrong. Building architecture can have plural form as well. It seems that the answer is already posted in the comments.


texts: The Difference Between "not unknown to" and "known to"?

texts: An non-native English-speaking friend of mine came across the phrase "not unknown to" as in "tragedy is not unknown to the Kennedy family" and asked the question, "What's the difference between 'not unknown' and 'known'?"  The phrasing "tragedy is known to the Kennedy family" is logically equivalent, and the best answer I could come up with is perhaps "not unknown" is a literary device used for impact.  Any thoughts on the difference between the two ("not unknown" is perhaps an older or particular style of writing or has a history in British English?).


texts: A better way to phrase "I am ____ and am _____"

texts:
I've always found the use of "am" after "and" to be strange. I believe it's grammatically correct, but in formal e-mails, for examples, I don't like the way it sounds. For instance, in an  e-mail I wrote recently: "I’m alumni of Barret High school and am wondering if there’s any way I could get a hold of my transcripts from my time there?"
Is there a way to get around using this?
Thanks


texts:
Is cafe an English word or a misspelling of café?
The same goes for touche and touché.

This isn't the same as this since I'm asking if cafe is a English word, not if I should use a diacritical mark on the "e".


texts:
I have a problem with those 2 words. What is the difference between the vision problem and visual problem? Or Do they mean the same? I Googled both terms, but the search results are pretty much the same.

Actually I am colour blind (strong deutan). So how can I express that? Is it "I have Visual Problem" or "I have Vision Problem"?. Which one fits in this case ?

If I want to ask another person about his eyes, how should I ask? "Do You have Vision Problems?" or "Do you have Visual Problems?"


texts: How to express the trend in this graph using the appropriate phrases?

texts:
I have this graph and I want to describe the difference in the take off trajectory of two patterns in the figure below.
The first pattern is seen in the first two parameters over the years from the left.
The second pattern is seen in the next 4 parameters.
I wanted to describe the beginning part of these two patterns. How to describe this using appropriate phrases?

My trial:

  The first two parameters (a and b) took off faster than the next 4 parameters (c, d, e and f).

  The 4 parameters (c, d, e and f) showed a modest take off compared with the first two (a and b).

Update:

  While A and B showed a sharp incremental trajectory, the initial slope was rather shallow for C, D , E and F.


texts:
In which cases is very used with the same meaning it has in a phrase like "the very minute after"?
Is it a set phrase, or are there other similar phrases?

  The very minute after I leave, they start taking my books from the shelf, reading them, and leaving them in the kitchen.


texts:
what do you call someone who always wants to dress up nicely.
I mean like little girls that adore their lovely little dresses and such.


texts: What is the date today vs What date is today

texts:
What is the difference between
What is the date today?
and
What date is today?
I don't understand why the position of the verb "is" changes and what it means


texts:
This is probably a two part question. Sorry.

I often hear news reporters refer to subjects in their stories as follows: "A baseball player for the Chicago Cubs called John Doe..."
It seems a verbose. "John Doe, a Chicago Cubs baseball player..." is more succinct. The verb, "called," is unnecessary, or is there a reason for this construction?

The second question has to do with the use of called versus named. In the sentence below, do named and called work equally well?

The first president of the United States named George Washington never cut down a cherry tree.

The first president of the United States called George Washington never cut down a cherry tree.


texts: Is there a way of saying that a small change will make a big difference? The current sentence doesn't sound very good. I do not want to say something along the lines of a domino effect.


texts: use of "is" instead of "are" - i'm confused

texts:
"Is this the plans for the Death Star?"

i would use the plural form: "Are these the plans for the Death Star?"
is this just internet grammar or do i miss something?

from a current reddit topic:

https://www.reddit.com/r/StarWars/comments/4sznlc/is_this_the_plans_for_the_death_star/


texts:
Word that means both wise and bold.
Bold, under normal terms, seems to be contradictory.


texts: When should I capitalise eucalyptus or other genera?

texts:
I'm reasonably familiar with the capitalisation and italicisation rules that govern scientific names, but am a bit confused about capitalising, or not, the name of a genus, e.g. Eucalyptus when used in a sentence. Which of the following is correct?

  Where do Eucalyptus trees come from?
  Where do eucalyptus trees come from?

Is this correct:

  "Are eucalypts indigenous to Australia?"


texts: Idiom used when someone thinks he is the targeted person by something that was said

texts: In Arabic we have many variants of idiosm / adages used when something is said (usually an accusation or criticism), and one of the attendees thinks that he is being referred to and objects to that despite that the original statement did not explicitly mentioned him. So the adage goes to show that this happens only because this person is indeed doing the wrong thing stated in the original scentence. What is the English equivalent of that?


texts:
As in, someone asks me how they should get fitter I immediately tell them to get active.

Default thinking? Default advice?


texts: Single word for "Reading message with sender's accent"

texts:
What do we call it, when someone is reading a message(like SMS/whatsapp) with sender's accent?
By imagining how the sender should have pronounced, reader reads with same accent.

  He is ____ the message, everyone around him got reminded of the sender.

I thought of using the word 'imitating'. But I feel, it didn't suit.


texts: I recently heard in the brilliant TV show The Night Of, a character saying "he knows not...". As far as I remember my English lessons, the teachers always taught me to say "he doesn't know". Which is correct? Is this an archaic form still used nowadays? Is it slang?


texts: What does "Wine! Because you never got a pony" mean?

texts:
The term Wine! Because you never got a pony appeared in a meme on my social media. My first reaction was to question if there was a spelling mistake, i.e.

  Whine! Because you never got a pony

would mean that someone should complain due to the lack of a pony.

But what does the original phrase mean? Is it simply a misspelling?


texts: Is there an idiom for a puzzle in which changing one attribute changes the other, so that you have to account for multiple factors?

texts:
Say you have conditions A, B, and C.

You want them all to be at a certain threshold, but if you increase A, C decreases. Change B, and both A and C change. The factors are linked to each other. I'm wondering if there's a term for this type of situation.


texts: What do we call personnel who serve VIPs?

texts:
What do we call personnel who serve VIPs in a formal ceremony or dinner?

What I can find through Google is “servers” or “waiting staff”.

But are there any other words or phrases that fit the position better?

Add on explanations

What do we call personnel who serve VIPs, not in term of food but as an assistant who tells time, passes message to and from someone and escorts VIP to the stage, etc., in a formal ceremony (e.g., parade and dinner) as a temporarily assigned position by the event organiser instead of an employed position by the VIP?


texts: When can a celebrity be referred to by their surname only?

texts:
Mark Twain's case is straight-forward: it's a pseudonym, pronounced as if it were one word.

So is Stendhal, for that matter.

However, here's a list of folks who can be referred to by their surnames only, no problem:

Einstein
Clinton
Bush (even though there are three)
Monet
Van Gogh
Verdi
Wagner
Hemingway
Nabokov
Balzac
Shaw
Shakespeare
Eisenhower
Tolstoy
Zola
Mussolini
Whistler (the guy who painted his Mom)

On the other hand, if you say, "I read this story by Poe," someone is very likely to make absolutely sure by asking, "Edgar Allan Poe?" - as if there were other famous authors by that name.

The same goes for:

William Faulkner
Frans Hals
John Singer Sargent (any other famous painters by that name? And yet, go figure, there's always someone inclining his or her head politely and going, "John Singer Sargent?" No, Groucho Sargent.
Kurt Vonnegut
Benedict Jumping Cumberbatch
Che Guevara
Susan Sarandon

Now why is that?


texts:
When something is undoable, does it mean that it has the ability to be reverted back to its previous state or does it mean that it's not feasible?

  I broke something on my computer and a fix is undoable. :(
  I broke something on my computer but it's undoable. :)


texts: Could "old fashioned" mean "angry" or "disconsolate" in early 19th Century England?

texts:
Patrick O'Brian wrote the Aubrey/Maturin seafaring novels during the late 20th Century, but the novels read as if they were written during the early 1800s (at least as far as I can tell, which isn't all that far).

O'Brian sometimes uses the phrase "old fashioned" in a way that apparently means something like "irked", "angry", or "disconsolate", depending on the situation. Here are two examples from his novels:

From Post Captain (second in the series):

  “...and John Lakey, maintop. Do you remember him? You sewed him up
  very near, the first time you ever sailed with us and we had a brush
  with an Algerine. He swears you saved his privates, sir, and is most
  uncommon grateful: would feel proper old fashioned without ‘em, he
  says.”

From Desolation Island (fifth in the series):

  “I dare say," said Cobb. "But he’s only a blue finner, a nasty,
  spiteful thing. You plant a harpoon in his side, and what does he do?
  He rushes on you like a thunder-clap and beats the boat to splinters
  and then runs out a thousand fathom of line. You don’t want to take
  notice of him. Now by your leave, sir, I must go aloft. There’s Moses
  Harvey looking down quite old-fashioned, for to be relieved.”

The first quotation discusses a man who was wounded in the genitals during a battle and nearly lost them, but for the swift and capable action of the ship's surgeon. Presumably, when he says he would "feel proper old fashioned without 'em" he must mean something like disconsolate. The second quotation refers to Moses Harvey who is waiting to be relieved and is looking down disdainfully on Cobb, who should have already relieved him.

I'm curious if this is how "old fashioned" was really used in England, or at least among British sailors, in the early 1800s, or if O'Brian is perhaps taking some literary license and coining a phrase that sounds right for the ambiance he's trying to create.


texts: What to call women whose husbands are biological brothers?

texts:
I would like to know what someone could call the women whose husbands are biological brothers? It isn't sisters-in-law of course, nor wives-in-law!
Can someone help? I am in total confusion.


texts:
I am wondering if there is a word for a person who has a certain favorite. Consider the following example:

A person, Jack, has two favorite fruits: apples and oranges. Another person, Jill, also has two favorites: bananas and apples.

Now there are two persons with the apple in their list of favorite fruits. Said another way, the apple has two “favoritees”. Is this a good word for this relation, or is there a better one?

Thanks in advance!


texts: To be scheduled: is "be" copula or passive auxiliary?

texts:
In:

  The patient was scheduled to receive medication daily.

is "was":

the main (copula) verb and "scheduled" its complement/object?
Or the auxiliary of a passive voice verb group, where "scheduled" is the main verb?

I'm leaning towards (1), mainly because I tend to think that a passive clause must always be convertible to an active clause, and "the doctor scheduled the patient" sounds unnatural to my non-native ears. I usually think of events being scheduled (e.g. the meeting was scheduled), not people.


texts:
Do you use institution for a university building?

  There are three institutions in this campus.

According to Longman Dictionary, an institution is "a large building where old people, ORPHANs, prisoners, people who are mentally ill etc. live and are taken care of by an official organization."

Given this definition, you cannot use this word for the university. I'm not sure which word I should use without using building.


texts: Why should I say 'One Hundred' when 'Hundred' seems enough?

texts: I just want to know whether both the usages are right or not. Also, do these usages depend on geography?


texts:
I've read an article and there's a sentence which confuses me:

  No matter if your delivery takes place in a home or at the hospital...

If I rewrite it this way:

  No matter if your delivery takes place at home or in the hospital ...

is it still correct?

And if so, what's the difference between two of them?


texts:
Consider:

  "Note that there are two characteristics in the agent."

versus

  "Note there are two characteristics in the agent."

The only difference is [that] (2) drops the "that".

Which is correct, or are both okay? I've always used (1) but (2) sounds okay to me as well, and it is shorter which I like.


texts: Usage of "since" and "for" in the present perfect and simple past tense

texts:
Can we use since and for with past tense?
If we can use them, then what is difference between:

  I have learnt English for 3 months
  I learnt English for 3 months


texts: A Better Phrase for "On Hold" in the context of Stack Exchange

texts:
I thought about the appropriate location for this question before posting, and I came to the conclusion that it is, at its root, a problem of diction and rhetoric... We would, certainly, like to convince question writers to edit their question, rather than to incite their frustration.

The [on hold] message became the norm for English-speaking Stack Exchange websites following a movement to hurt people's feelings less with "close".

For a number of reasons brought up in the past and the present, a suitable alternative may be in order.

What is an alternative that

is succinct
conveys a need for revision
is sufficiently passive (and thus minimizes anger)
(preferably) conveys a sense of limited time

and, most importantly, is clear to most readers?

NOTE: This is an English question. Not meta. That said, off-topic is a possibility. That said, I don't think on hold brings any clarity to off-topic in the slightest.


texts: What is the difference between curriculum framework and curriculum model? What I understand is that a framework is a set of principles on which a model is built. Am I right? Please clarify.


texts: What is the correct spelling: "wrapable" or "wrappable"?

texts:
As it sounds: is "wrapable" correct, or is "wrappable" correct? Or are neither correct?

Microsoft Word complains about both, but Google doesn't correct either one.


texts: Is the punctuation in this sentence correct

texts: My mom is concerned about my grades because she feels that I have not been studying enough lately.


texts:
What the meaning of this phrase "tum of the ear" in this sentence?
India had developed by the tum of the ear into a major exporter.


texts: Why are decimals read as fractions by some cultures?

texts:
I find it very strange that the top results on Google for "how to read decimal" give me a very strange way to read them - as fractions.

I have learnt to read the digits individually and it makes a lot of sense. There is no fumbling with which "-ths" the fractional part is, and there's no confusion for the listener. The ESE QA here and here also agree with me.

However, I find that the system of reading decimals as fractions is being widely taught and accepted.

The top result here has an example: What is the numerical value of "two hundred thousandths"? Three students gave the answers as follows:

Student 1: 200,000.
Student 2: 0.200
Student 3: 0.00002

Apparently only Student 2 is right. The explanation given is that the individual answers when converted to words would be:

Student 1: two hundred thousand
Student 2: two hundred thousandths
Student 3: two hundred-thousandths

And that Student 3 is wrong because the question did not contain a hyphen.

But here's what I don't understand: How do you state the hyphen when actually speaking the number out loud? Do you say "two hundred hyphen thousandths", or do you simply say "t-w-o hundredthousandths" (saying the second word as compressed as possible)?

According to other sources like this video, even the question is wrong, as the "correct" answer by Student 2 should actually be read as "two tenths", ignoring the insignificant zeros.

I am trying to understand how this system came to be and why it is accepted over the simpler system of reading out the digits individually after the decimal point:

Student 1: two hundred thousand.
Student 2: zero point two.
Student 3: zero point zero zero zero zero two.


texts:
I was reading a book with tests when I encountered this question:

< "If you quit your job, you'll have to make do with fewer material possessions. Those who've decided to (make a change/make a difference) like this don't seem to regret it.

Is there a difference in the meaning between "make a difference" and "make a change" ?

My guess is that making a difference is more than just a simple change and means making a significant change, however making a change is referring to just a simple change and nothing more. Am I right guys?


texts:
I encountered a sentence:

  With the invention of the printing press in 1440 by Johannes Gutenberg the nature of bookbinding changed. More books were produced and the binder had to find new, faster methods to bind and decorate them. In 1861 David Smyth invented a book sewing machine. While the trend of mechanized binding continues today, there are still craftspeople who bind books by hand and much of modern hand book binding owes a great debt to the 19th century Arts and Crafts movement.

My problem is in understanding the last sentence. (emphasis mine). What does "owes a great debt to the 19th century" mean?


texts: Present tense vs. future tense following a conditional

texts:
If you ask without any background, many people are likely to assume you are just too lazy to do the work yourself.
  If you ask without any background, many people will likely assume you are just too lazy to do the work yourself.

Shouldn't (2) be better than (1)?

I searched for "future tense vs. present tense", but didn't find anything helpful in reference to the posed problem.

Furthermore, I found on grammar.ccc that an 'if + present tense' clause should be followed by a main clause of the form 'will + infinitive/present tense/imperative'; so, at least according to that reliable source, (1) would be wrong.


texts:
What is the most correct way to say:

  People in the list above will also receive product update notifications.

Should I use the people or simply people? Is there a more formal way to express the concept above?


texts: Simpler way of saying "Converts quantitative to qualitative data"

texts:
Words qualitative and quantitative, are in my opinion, a little difficult to read and explain for a certain audiences, explaining why there are so many discussion about it on stack exchange.

If a person were to read a tweet or post and rate it on a scale of 1 to 5 based level of verbosity, she is converting a qualitative sentence to quantitative data.

Reading a college application and either rejecting or approving it is again some level of qualitative information transformed into quantitative.

My daughter uses snapchat for 20 minutes a day is a quantitative assessment which could be represented as "medium" usage qualitatively, of course after comparing other's usage.

What would be easier to understand terms for expressing "converting quantitative information to qualitative"?


texts: What does “LFS” mean in “Charles Dickens wrote about his own LFS”?

texts:
In association with my question about the meaning of “found-in-a-cabbage-patch look” in the Time magazine’s article, “Playing Favorites,” there was an episode that Charles Dickens experienced a bitter humiliation from his parents’ favoritism to his older sister when he was young. It reads:

  “Charles Dickens wrote poignantly about his own LFS, which he experienced most accurately during a period in which his family had only enough money to send his older sister to school while he worked in a boot blacking factory. Even as a highly celebrated adult, he never fully got past the experience.”

What does LFS stand for? Does it mean some traumatic syndrome? I checked the definition of LFS on Google. There were so many definitions of acronyms of LFS that I was unable to close in on the pertinent definition.


texts: Present Perfect vs. Present Perfect Progressive

texts:
I am taking a Mooc on grammar and punctuation on Coursera, and have been asked a question during a lecture:

Do these two sentences have similar meaning or different meaning?
Julie has studied French for two years.
Julie has been studying French for two years.

I thought the answer was : different meaning.
In the first case, Julie has studied French for two years, but may not be studying it still.
In the second case, if she has been studying for two years, it means that she is still studying it.
Weel, the answer was that the two sentences had the same meaning. It was not an error of correction in the quizz, as the teacher later explained:

These two sentences have pretty much the same meaning. A lot of times present perfect and present perfect progressive have the same meaning and can both be used.

And continued with:

Here is some other examples where the two sentences have about the same meaning.
Bart has lived in Ireland for two years.
Bart has been living in Ireland for two years.
Sofia has worked at Apple for four months.
Sofia has been working at Apple for four months.

Can someone explain this to me?
Thank you!


texts: When using apostrophes to show possession, does the object being possessed being singular or plural have any effect?

texts:
Not sure if I used affect/effect correctly, but anyway...

So, here's my question if the title didn't explain it well enough: say you have the following phrase: "in the men's bathroom". The plural of "man" is "men", so when showing possession with a plural word that doesn't end in "s", you use "apostrophe s", right? Well, what if "bathroom" were also plural? So you've got multiple men and multiple bathrooms. Would it be "men's bathrooms" or "mens' bathrooms"? Does the object being possessed being singular or plural make a difference as far as whether or not you use 's or s'? I could have sworn I was taught in school it does make a difference, but now I can't remember.


texts:
I'm from Germany and I'm looking for a word that describes the following.

In General:
To tell someone something is wrong but doing it myself
Example:
Tell someone stealing is wrong(or even punish him/her) but steal something yourself

Hope you can help me and thanks :)


texts:
John Esposito writes in his "Makers of Contemporary Islam" that:

  Faruqi's Palestinian roots, Arab heritage, and Islamic faith made the
  man and informed his life and work as a scholar.

My colleagues pointed out that this sentence is confusing because:

"made the man" used in this sentence is general and therefore, not specifically describes Faruqi.
"made the man" not gives complete meanings. I mean made the man what?

Please let me know your thoughts about this sentence.


texts: Thirst is the need to drink. Hunger is the need to eat. _____ is the need to get drunk

texts: Is there a word describing the need to get drunk/intoxicated?


texts: How to describe a previously crumpled but now 'flat' sheet of paper that has been crumpled before?

texts:
How do you describe the state of a now-flat sheet of paper that has previously been crumpled?

Should I just use crumpled as in, "The paper is crumpled" (even though it's not in a crumpled ball shape: it's flat with lines on it that have formed from it's being crumpled previously)?


texts: What does the word 'it' refer to in the following sentence:It is dark outside?


texts:
Is there a perfect antonym for the word "Tyranny", meaning the two words could be used in the same place in a sentence and always function correctly, but have opposite meanings...

i.e.
The King ruled with tyranny.
The King ruled with...


texts: See this sentence "This is my last night working here"! What grammar structure is it? Reduced Relative Clause?

texts:
We often reduce relative clauses when the relative pronoun is the subject of relative clause.

The professor who is teaching mathematics will leave the university. Reduced: The professor teaching mathematics will leave the university. (source)

"who is teaching mathematics" is the relative clause & the relative pronoun "who" is subject of relative clause.

But, I am not sure if the sentence "This is my last night working here" (Jennifer Aniston said in the Friend, at 0:40) can be interpreted as "This is my last night that I work here" & people removed "that I" & changed "work" to "working" or something like that???.

Also, see other example from the dictionary,

I will be busy cleaning the house. (source)

Why do they put a gerund right after an adjective like that?

Note: thoughtco says

  The present participle is sometimes used as an adverb to describe the
  manner in which a verb is performed.

  She taught pounding the grammar into their heads!

  Angelo works
  considering all angles.

  Notice how the present participle could be preceded with 'by' to give
  the same meaning:

  She taught (by) pounding the grammar into their heads!

  Angelo works
  (by) considering all angles.


texts: What is the difference between "speaking" and "talking"?

texts:
It seems more politically correct to say that someone is speaking rather than talking.

What is the definitive difference between these terms?


texts:
how should i pronounce L.A. in normal speech?

el lay

or

el ay

or something else

does the L spill over to the A?


texts: Can "neither" be placed at the beginning of the sentence?

texts:
Which of the following is grammatical?

  Trust neither a new friend nor an old enemy.
  Neither trust a new friend nor an old enemy.


texts: There's no dessert like this vs. There's no such dessert as this

texts:
I was wondering if the following statements mean the same.

There's no dessert like this.

There's no such dessert as this.

It seems obvious to me that the second one could mean something like: There's no such thing as this in the world of desserts or I've never seen it in the world of desserts.
The first one, however, sounds ambiguous to me because it could not only mean the same as the other, but also mean like: This is the best dessert I've ever enjoyed.
I know "like" implies comparison. Does the first sentence sound ambiguous to you too or does it only have one meaning?


texts:
I'm looking for a word or expression for a short term license for an app. Users will pay for a license to use the software for a couple of hours or days. I have considered some words but none seem to be perfect. Here are the main ones, and reservations I have about using them:

License

This seems to be the "correct" one, but is usually associated with a perpetual license. And therefore "3 day license" seems a bit like a contradiction, and is also a bit wordy.

Code / ID

While this is how it's implemented, and appeals to me as a software developer,  it doesn't seem to describe the actual "item" being sold.

Pass

While I think this conveys the idea correctly, it seems to be a little slangy.

Permit / Ticket

Refers to a nonexistent object. Also see "Code/ID" above.

Subscription

Usually means recurring.


texts: What are the differences between "server", "workstation", and "desktop"?

texts:
From a book on Linux, I found the following text:

  A typical Linux system will run six virtual consoles and one graphical console

  Server systems often have only virtual consoles
  Desktops and workstations typically have both

Could anyone explain these three words, please?


texts:
This is for the grammar pros out there—are there any concerns about using the potential word witnessably?

Examplary context:
He witnessably engages in dubious practices.

It is not in a dictionary, only witnessable has entries.

I, for my part, would like to use witnessably like other synonyms such as evidently, visibly or unmistakably, but those seem less appropriate to me since the subject matter is truly about witnessing something.

Therefore, my question is:

Would you agree that 'witnessably' would be commonly understood although it is not officially listed in any dictionary?

Please upvote this question, if you think it's a good question.


texts: Is this the correct preposition? "He has updated the reporting relationship of this position number in the database."

texts:
"He has updated the reporting relationship of this position number in the database."

Q: Is "of" the correct preposition to use? Or, should "for" be used instead?


texts: second-chance exam for those who failed the first exam

texts:
At my university, if you failed an exam at the end of the semester, there was always a second exam a few weeks later where you could try passing the course again. You would fail only if you failed both of these exams.

  I proctored the exam, and I will also proctor the _____

This idea does not seem to be universally known. Is there a formal word for such second-chance or re-sitting exams?


texts:
"I'm curious as to if you're still interested [..]"

Is this valid grammar? I've also thought of 'curious in if you're still interested', neither now sound right and starting to question.

Absent-mindedly placed my phone in tea, the w key isn't working whatsoever, and wondering whether I would be able to use this, or what synonyms I could use in its place.


texts:
I've been spending some time on a home repair forum and I keep coming across the word clad used in the imperative or present tense active form.

E.g.

Clad your home in brick.
He clads his home in brick.

This feels very wrong to me, but I don't know why. Previously, I've only ever seen the verb used passively or as an adjective or noun.

E.g.

The home was clad in brick.
The home was brick-clad.
Brick cladding covered the home.

And now I've typed clad so many times all the forms sound strange to me!  What are the rules for this word?


texts:
Which one of the these is the correct, or can I use both?

take a rest
have some rest

Or is there any better way to say that?


texts:
While the word christen means "to baptise" or "to make Christian", in another sense, it has shed its religious connotations to simply mean "to name" or even "use for the first time". Is there any other word which is based on the name (or epithet) of a god or prophet, (or possibly some other significant religious figure) with at least one of its definitions devoid of religious connotations?

[Words like good (from god which is too generic), august (from Augustus, a senate-approved god), and other similarly borderline cases are to be excused.]

Edit: I'm not looking for synonyms of the word christen or words in common usage which come from religion. They have to be based on names.


texts: Which noun should I use to describe that a computer system hangs?

texts:
According to the dictionary, "hang" can also be used as a noun, but I don't think it is the right word to use in this scenario. Should I use "hanging" instead, e.g., this software bug may cause two problems to this computer, crash or hanging? It also sounds weird to me.

In general, if a verb doesn't have a direct corresponding noun, what should I do if I have to use a noun to present the same meaning.


texts: What’s a word called that indicates the sex of the user?

texts: Whilst not germane to English, some languages use different words, like pronouns, to differentiate the sexes. For example, in Thai the pronoun “I” as in I Go for a male speaker is “Pom” and for a female “Chan”.


texts: The contextual meaning of 'cynical disdain'

texts:
He shows a cynical disdain for the values America enshrined in
  institutions after the second world war.

My understanding is that he has doubts regarding these values and deems them unworthy of his respect. In essence, he does not believe in these values at all. Is my understanding of 'cynical disdain' in this context correct?

Thank you!


texts:
I often see e.g. used by non-native English speakers in the middle of a sentence like this:

  Along with custom software, our services include e.g. consulting, integration, auditing and networking.

And:

  We have more experience of this, and especially e.g. complete solutions are our specialty.

Now e.g. is an abbreviation Latin exempli gratia, meaning for example.

But this usage sounds a bit unnatural to my ear. They are using e.g. where I would expect to find for example. But to me, e.g. isn't quite a drop-in replacement for for example, and the rule I have in my head is that the part of the sentence before e.g. needs to be a complete sentence, that the e.g. part is almost parenthetical.

For example, "Along with custom software, our services include" and "We have more experience of this, and especially" are not full sentences on their own.

This one looks fine to me:

  I like citrus fruits, e.g., tangerines, lemons, and limes.

Because "I like citrus fruits" works as a complete sentence.

A similar thing applies to i.e. ("that is" – id est).

I've tried searching for guidance that says if this a rule of the English but have been unable to find anything explicit other than examples of this second form.

What are the rules in English for using e.g. and i.e. in the middle of a sentence?
Why can't e.g. (and i.e.) be used as drop in replacements for for example (and that is)?
Are there any reputable references for this rule?


texts: What is the difference between "the door opened" and "the door was opened"?  Are there subtle differences?


texts:
I know how it sounds but it's a serious question. I saw an article title about it on the Guardian today. If someone tells you that a person is a "gay transsexual woman", is it possible, logically, to know who exactly this person is?

Is it a man who became a woman, then turned gay and started liking other women?
Or is it a woman who likes other women (thus is gay), and then turned into a man?
Or conversely?

This confuses me and I wonder if the English language can tell us, logically, what the answer is? Or is it completely meaningless?


texts:
When someone is always brooding and in a bad mood, is it correct if I tell him " hey, laugh more, cheer up more."
I've never heard of anyone say cheer up more, but if you can say laugh more, then can you also say cheer up more?


texts: What's the meaning of "over two-years' time"

texts:
For example, if someone says:

  Looking at the next three years, I think stock prices will drop,

then does the phrase "two-years' time" mean at the end of the next three years, in the next three years, or at some point in the next three years?


texts: I hope you get better vs. I hope you will get better

texts:
I'm an English speaker, and someone asked me why we say:

  I hope you get better soon.

rather than

  I hope you will get better soon.

Technically, you can say both. But why is the first ("I hope you get better soon") grammatically correct? I want to say it's because we use the word "hope" which, in this case, implies the future anyway (so adding "will" is a bit redundant).

Is that right, or is there another/better explanation?


texts:
From the following sentence,

  Cigarette smoking harms nearly every organ of the body, causes many
  diseases, and reduces the health of smokers in general.

Can we replace the bolded phrases with smoking cigarette? In what circumstances should we use these two?


texts: Is it correct to use "Please find in the following"?

texts:
I'm writing an article. At the beginning of the article, I want to write this quick introduction:

  We are pleased to share with you our knowledge in the network device
  managements. Please find in the following our experience in the RFCXXX
  implementation.

I'm wondering if the usage of "Please find in the following" is correct in the above introduction?


texts: Word for physical resistance / resisting another's onslaught?

texts:
I wrote a prologue

  "The Demons are returning to Earth," Anael said.

  "Are you certain?” Sariel questioned.

  “It has only been three millennia."

  "The signs are there."

  "Are the humans able to resist?"

  "No."

The intended meaning is the "Demons" are headed to Earth to do bad things (not exactly your classic alien invasion, but something bad). The question is whether the humans are able to resist the bad things the "Demons" are up to.

Some beta readers interpreted "resist" in the context of "resist temptation" rather than "offer physical resistance".

I can clarify the meaning with extra words, but I want to keep the prologue concise. Is there a better word than "resist"? If not, suggestions for making the meaning unambiguous with minimal extra words?


texts: Can "hear out" also be used to mean "not really listening"

texts:
Can “hear out” also have a connotation of not really listening? I want to make a distinction between carefully listening to a person and acting accordingly vs. just hearing somebody out, while still acting as one deems best (maybe employing some of the suggestions or none at all).

Does this sentence make sense or is it oxymoronic: "Rather than listening to his suggestions, the boss merely heard him out."

(I could, of course, use some other formulation, but I am still interested if "hear out" works)


texts: Is there a term for using color to describe taste or flavor, instead of using the actual flavor?

texts:
For example, if someone says "this tastes purple" instead of saying it tastes like grape, or if asked what flavor of Gatorade you prefer you answer with, "blue".

It also seems common with candy and artificial flavors (or flavors perceived as artificial), and I'm wondering if there's specifically a name or term for this type of substitution.

I'm specifically talking about uses that are not due to synesthesia or some other kind of disorder or medical condition.


texts: What is the word for an adult who is not mature?

texts: What term can be used for an adult, especially a man, who is in his forties and still behaves like a teenager, shunning responsibilities typical of mature people, preferring to enjoy himself?


texts: Would it be correct  to use the question mark as it is written in the following sentence? "If your cousin invites you to visit—and why would he not?—I will expect your return after only nine days."


texts: Word for "to lie on something without being able to get up"?

texts:
Sentence:

  The story ended with Mary crying next to a bandaged Tom [...] on a
  hospital bed.

I thought the word was prostrated, but the Google definition doesn't quite fit:

  prostrate throw oneself flat on the ground so as to be lying face downwards,
  especially in reverence or submission.


texts:
Note: English isn't my main language.
I have a question about the passive form, I think the following paragraph has a strange "form" of a passive context, here it is:

  Prodded by hunger, the female dolphin approached the ships which
  harbored next to the island, despite the danger posed by them.

I was asked to point out the passive verbs and point to the "makers" of the actions and the "receivers".

So I got confused here:

  ... despite the danger posed by them.

You could see it as the danger is the reciver and them (the ships) are the "makers", but when I thought about the full 'idea' of the text I thought that it would be better to address the whole section like this:
1) The danger is a situation that is a derived state coming from the ships to the fem dolphin.
2) If I were to look at that section as a separate sentence then it is right to say that the danger is in fact passive (in my opinion), but if you take into consideration the context of the paragraph it could be seen as:
-The female dolphin was posed danger by the ships, making the dolphin in the passive state.
Or:
- The danger posed by them affected the dolphin.

My question is, could you say that the passive form is also in relation to the dolphin, and not just the danger?


texts:
While reading a short story by Washington Irving called The Adventure of the German Student, I came across this line:

  Wolfgang arrived at Paris at the breaking out of the revolution.

Why has the author used arrived at while in modern usage in is used after arrive for big places?


texts: Pluralisation of sports teams in British and American English

texts:
Why do British and American English differ in this respect:

British

  Southampton are eyeing up a ready-made replacement for Luke Shaw

American

  Southampton is eyeing up a ready-made replacement for Luke Shaw

American sports journalism differs in their reference to teams. The American style is to treat the team as singular, whereas the British use plurals.

What are the rules in other variants of English (Aus, NZ etc.)?


texts: Which preposition "at" or "of" to use in this case?

texts:
Which preposition is correct in this case?

  We present our visualizations based on student data from a computer
  science course of a German university.

or

  We present our visualizations based on student data from a computer
  science course at a German university.


texts: Does word "collaborator" have any negative connotations?

texts:
The word "Collaborationism" has negative meaning, according to Wikipedia

  Collaborationism is cooperation with the enemy against one's country
  in wartime.

Wikipedia also defines "collaboration" in the following manner:

  Collaboration is the process of two or more people or organizations
  working together to realize or achieve something successfully.

Wich doesn't sound that negative to me.

So, the question is:

Does word "collaborator" derives/associates with collaborationism or with collaboration in modern English?

I'd say in Russian it is certainly negative and is associated with "collaborationism".

Edit

Following the request in the comments I'm providing the context.

The word is used as name for subscription type on a specialized website (Trial User/Paying User/Collaborator). The website just provides economic feeds to its subscribers, so no politics here. However, the website attracts customers from all over the world.

I would replace Collaborator with Partner, just need to justify it for other members of the website administration (none of us is native English speaker).


texts: Why himself and themselves, not hisself and theirselves?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Why “themselves” and “himself”

I = myself 　　you = yourself　　he = himself 　　she = herself 　it = itself 　　we = ourselves　　you = yourselves　　they = themselves one=oneself
See?  All other forms are formed from posessive plus self/selves except for "himself" and "themselves"?  Is there any reason? And IMHO that “herself” is formed from the possessive “her”- not the objective. As for “it(s)self” and “one('s)self”, the “s”of the possessive is being reduced, as it appears next to the “s” of “self”. Actually someone did bring this one up days ago and some said that it must have something to do with the dative cases in Old English merging to become the objective in Middle English, but sadly, there was never a full answer.  Can anyone dig that history of language up?


texts: Is there a word/phrase for an organisation whose stated aims would put itself out of business?

texts:
There are many bodies that claim to have worthy aims, but if they achieved them they would put themselves out of business, so they avoid doing anything effective, or even do more harm than good. Common themes are the environment, health and various forms of equality.

Is there a word or simple phrase that describes such an organisation?


texts: In 1958 James Brown introduced rapping with "That Dood It", and there's a movie from 1943 called "I Dood It"..  I assume "Dood" in this context is stand in for "Did". Is this correct?


texts: Idiom for magic object (or idea) that fixes everything

texts:
Some people hold the irrational belief that one object (or possibly idea) can fix all their problems. For example, someone who is unhappy or anxious might think that smoking is a cure to all their problems.

What's the idiom to describe this belief? I used to know it but it slipped my mind.


texts: How to express "saying things to please your manager"

texts: I am trying to translate a phrase from Bulgarian and I can't seem to find good English equivalent. Imagine that in a company there is a "thank you" session where everybody can say thank you to anyone else. If I say "thank you" to my boss (and say that because they determine my salary/promotion), then what action am I doing? In particular I am trying to express "I am not just saying that to <missing word/phrase> you".


texts:
What is the difference between

a) By then, you will have shown what you meant to do since the beginning.

b) By then, you will show what you meant to do since the beginning.(Is this grammatically correct at all?)

Thank you.


texts: Is there a word that contains all the vowels?

texts: "Jealousy" contains most of the vowels but lacks 'i'. Is there a word in the English language that contains every vowel (and preferably 'y')?


texts: Is there a word for a person who is able to focus on multiple tasks at same time?

texts: I thought of the word 'multi-tasker' but is there a better word which can express focussing on multiple tasks with equal efficiency? For instance, it is said that Leonardo Da Vinci, a polymath, was able to write and draw at the same time.


texts:
"If their flight hasn't been delayed, they will have arrived by now."

Is this conditional correct?  If so, why?


texts: What is the word for someone who wants to get the most out of his life?

texts:
The phrase "to live fully" comes to mind, but is not quite what I'm looking for. I'm writing user stories in the form of

  As a  ______  [word], I want this and that, because I will lose less time.

so the intended usage is describing a customer or a user who wants to get the most out of his time and life, who wants to live his life to the fullest.

Alternatively, if this is too narrow, is there a word for someone who in general wants to get the most out of things he has or things he endeavors?


texts: Is it "are" or "is" when the noun is plural after a gerund?

texts:
Playing shooting games are/is my forte.

  Watching movies is/are fun.

  Reading books is or are good for you.

Do we use is or are for these sentences?


texts: What does "that" refers to in this piece of dialogue?

texts:
It's from the movie "You can count on me".

Ron, who is a church minister, asks Terry if Terry thinks that his life is important. Terry says yes and elaborates:

Terry: I'd like to think that my life is important... Or that it's connected to something important...

Ron: Well, isn't there any way for you to believe that without calling it God, or religion, or whatever term it is you object to?

Terry: Yes. I believe that.

I don't get what Terry is saying. He "believes that". What? Does he believe that his life is important even without God or religion? Or to the contrary, is he saying that he actually believes in God? I find the phrasing confusing.


texts: What does “Deal with it [as Trump would say]” mean?

texts:
There was the following passage in Maureen Dowd’s article in New York Times (August 22) under the title, “Donald Trump struts in his own pageant” starts with the following lines;

  “It’s mind-boggling to contemplate a President Trump trying to make
  peace between North and South Korea, even as we watch the pugnacious
  Candidate Trump trolling poor Jeb on Twitter and predicting that poor
  Hillary would have to run the country from Leavenworth. But, as Trump
  would say, deal with it.”

I know what 'deal with' means. Every dictionary covers that usage of the verb, 'deal'. I'm not asking mundane "off-topic" usage of "deal with." American (British) babies would hear it everyday, every time he / she cries. We Japanese learn it at pre-school child English conversation schools, or at the latest in the English language class of the first grade of junior high.

But I suspect Dowd added special implications—because of Dowd's (and Trump's) idiosyncrasy—to “Deal with it” as she always does in her writings by specifying "as Trump would say." Isn’t there any difference of implication, tonality and impact of Mr. Trump’s ‘Deal with it” to American voters from your wife’s telling “deal with it” to your kid at the dentist's waiting room?

Maybe I'm over-thinking, but would you translate "Deal with it" used here in this specific ontext, if I'm not?

P.S. In this regard, I'm very much appreciative of Michael Timofeev's answer, Sven Yargs'comment, and in particular Little Eva's "Trump's deal" input, which I don't think 'Commonly - and easily - available references from miscellaneous English dictionaries in the market and ELL sites.


texts: How to use " the look of confusion" in a sentence?

texts:
Can you say
"I saw the look of confusion on Max."
or do you have to say
"I saw the look of confusion on Max's face."
?


texts: Introducing reported speech- has said/ said

texts:
Please consider the following sentences:

  Jane Smith has said her son cries when she comes back home.

  Jane Smith said her son cries when she comes back home.

  Dave Bloggs has told me what we can expect of the show.

  Dave Bloggs told me what we can expect of the show.

Now I'm aware of backshift and that you don't have to do so if what has been said is still relevant or refers to a future event.

So does it matter if I use has said/said in each case? Is it just a matter of me deciding whether I want to distance the reader in each case, or is there a more concrete rule? Basically, is using has said/said an option and it's up to the writer which one they want to use?

Would be great if someone could clarify this.

Thanks


texts: Word for a person who fumbles through life

texts:
I'm looking for a word that would describe someone who despite giving their best efforts, they always barely get by. Someone who tries hard but has to put in their best effort just to meet standards at their job. They manage to get the work done by the skin of their teeth when others find the same job to be easy.

This person doesn't fail, they SOMEHOW manage to meet standards. But every day is like, "All that work for a C-"

I've considered mediocre, but that seems like it describes the person's results more than it does the person.

The phrase, "coasting through life" comes to mind, but that to me implies lack of effort.

The phrase "hanging by a thread" comes to mind, as this person often feels like that is what they are always doing.

The closest thing I can think of is "fumbley" (if that was a word.) As this person is often set back by mistakes, clumsiness or in some cases just not able to think and act as fast as their peers, yet they can manage to get the work done as long as they work harder than everyone else.


texts: Specific words for cross sections of different orientation

texts:
I am looking for words to differentiate between different orientations of cross sections. For example, an apple can be cut crosswise:

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Or lengthwise:

Source: Wikimedia Commons

What are the names for the (crosswise) cross section and the (lengthwise) cross sections?


texts: what's the meaning of this sentence? "don’t let that color how you think of them"

texts:
Good or bad, habits have the same origins. They result in very different experiences, of course, but don’t let that color how you think of them.
I can't understand the meaning of the bold part.
Thank you in advance


texts:
The following is
an article by Patrick Wintour in The Guardian website.

  Miliband’s team admitted that they were slow to realise the danger. One close adviser admitted that he was initially perplexed as to why posters were appearing all over English towns that depicted Miliband in the pocket of Alex Salmond. “They stumbled on this SNP thing. We did not realise how much impact it would have, and perhaps they did not realise how much,” the close adviser said. “It was going to persuade 2.5% of the [electorate previously allied to Ukip] to go back into the Tory fold. It made us the risk.”

I learned that we can use was/were going to for a past intention or arrangement.
It seems that the usage of was going to persuade  in the above article doesn't match neither of the two descriptions. What is the meaning of this phrase and why is that?

NOTE: It (the subject of was going to persuade) = this SNP thing = the threat of SNP = the risks of a minority Labour government.


texts: Please explain an "elliptical" sentence.  Is it used as a shortcut of implied ascription?


texts: Why is the right jack in cribbage also called "his Knobs"?

texts:
Before we got married, my husband taught me cribbage as his way of showing me how important our relationship was to him.  One of the points in cribbage is for having "the right jack," or the jack whose suit matches the flip card.

There are two (that I know of) alternate names for this card.  One is "his Knobs" (or maybe "his Nobs"?). The other is "his Heels," which is only used if the flip card is the right jack.

The points scored are declared as "one for his Knobs" or "two for his Heels," so we figured that Knobs must refer to a body part.  My thought had been head, because head and heels are often related this way, but the plural confuses me.  My husband thinks "knobs" must be British slang for knavish naughty bits.

I can't seem to find a suitable answer.  Why is the right jack called his Knobs?

Edit: It seems that "his Nobs" and "his Nibs" are also variations of the name, with (I believe) "his Nobs" being the most common.  Also, sometimes "his Nibs" is used instead of "his Heels."


texts: What are the effects of word order in cause and effect sentences?

texts:
What are the differences between cause-and-effect sentences in which the causal agent precedes or follows its result? Both forms can be syntactically correct, but this question is concerned with their semantic differences. For example,

The entire community is weakened when its children are forbidden from speaking their native language in school.
When children are forbidden from speaking their native language in school, their entire community is weakened.

To give another example,

The electron is accelerated by the electromagnetic force.
The electromagnetic force accelerates the electron.

More generally, what are the differences between saying "A causes B" and "B is caused by A" for any two phenomena A and B? When might it be better to structure a sentence one way and not the other?


texts: Is there any proverb for the expression to "do things in a passive way"?

texts:
What is the proverb for the expression "Do things in a passive way" or "playing safe"?

For instance, suppose, someone Mr X wants that Mr Y, and Mr Z both quits the job as he doesn't like either of them. So, he devises a strategy. He knows that Mr Y is in bad terms with Mr Z. So, he passively agitates Mr Y against Mr Z and vice versa. One day, either Mr Y or Mr Z loses his temper and hits the other one with a chair, and thereby both of them lose their jobs.

I think there is an English proverb for this.


texts: First floor vs ground floor, usage origin

texts:
Ground floor – First floor:

  In British English, the floor of a building which is level with the ground is called the ground floor. The floor above it is called the first floor, the floor above that is the second floor, and so on.
  In American English, the floor which is level with the ground is called the first floor, the floor above it is the second floor, and so on.

(Collins COBUILD English Usage)

Though there are exceptions to the above-mentioned usage,( and exceptions are not the issue here)   in public buildings in the U.S., for instance,  it’s also possible to call the street-level floor the ground floor, like in Britain, but  how come that in the UK and Europe  the ground level floor  and the first floor are  respectively  referred to as the first floor and  the second floor in the U.S.  (and so on for higher floors). Was it a custom imported into the U.S. from a different culture?

Related:"Ground floor" vs. "first floor".


texts: What is the correct usage of your in the following please:  Attached for your and dan's review


texts: when should I add "it" after believe or understand?

texts:
Is there any difference?

I really can't understand it.
and
I really can't understand.

Also

I couldn't believe.
and
I couldn't believe it


texts: Was the term "Knights of the Round" ever commonly used?

texts:
There's an arcade game by Capcom called Knights of the Round, whose name always piqued my interest.  It's based on the Arthurian legend of the finding of the Holy Grail.  During the game ending, the game text says that Arthur's knights were referred to as the 'Knights of the Round', so it looks like the game name isn't "poetic licence"; those writing the game seem to have thought that the knights were referred to as the 'Knights of the Round'.

Now, I've only ever heard Arthur's knights referred to as the 'Knights of the Round Table'.  This leads me to a couple of possibilities as to what might be the case:

Some people really did refer to these guys as the 'Knights of the Round', eliding the word 'Table', poetically.
Capcom made an error in translation, and the term 'Knights of the Round' is only ever used in this arcade game.

Which is it?  Was the phrase 'Knights of the Round' even occasionally used to refer to Arthur's knights?


texts: How to distinguish the temporal and causal meanings of 'since'

texts:
Here is a question by Cardinal from ELL (reproduced below).  Although it already has an answer, I am looking for more detail, specifically about the differences in the causal and temporal meanings of 'since', and how they came about.

The definitions for since are:

  In the intervening period between (the time mentioned) and the time under consideration, typically the present.
  For the reason that; because.

Note the difference in 'a period of time' and 'because'.

Question:

How did these two meanings develop?

Related question: How do I ensure "since" takes the meaning I want?, which doesn't cover etymology, rather avoiding confusion.

If you would like to discuss this, there is a meta post.


texts: Why are the Warriors called the dubs or Golden State is referred to as dub city?

texts: Urban dictionary doesn't tell me anything about why the Warriors are called the Dubs or why Golden State is called Dub City.


texts:
I am Swedish. Does what I have written here make sense? A simple yes or no will suffice. Thanks!

We had been speaking to the most noblest of our coterie here in our village, and I decided to have my people know of their plans to have our town hall a new window, our barn a new door, and our school a new may-pole. No sooner had I told them of this news, already had they arranged a gathering in celebration of it, which I do think of as unnecessary, if not a tad absurd. Most certainly am I left pondering the inadequacy of these offerings, as my speaking with Claud yesterday had me expecting offerings of a more bountiful and generous kind. And it is with a great anger that I feel my duty as priest has me thinking of the unfairness that will now have our people not enough food to last through the winter, and if the foretelling of the Sage is to manifest itself to have us with even less food come winter, famine, death, and darkness shall befall our village, all of which I do believe will have the young prince losing his life to such consequences which need not happen were the nobles have their generosity give us more grain, rice and wheat from their surplus supplies.


texts: Etymology, ubiquity and synonyms of the phrase "Tribal Knowledge"

texts: I am an engineer by trade, and this phrase is often used in a somewhat derogatory way to indicate knowledge which is passed around in an organization, but never documented or standardized. A Wikipedia article indicates it is used in the Six Sigma community, which is probably the reason I've been exposed to the term, but I am curious to know if it is used elsewhere, where it came from, and if others use another word or phrase for the same idea.


texts:
Is "speak" the correct verb to use for sign languages? Or does "speak" only refer to vocalised languages?

  I speak BSL

I think I would use "speak" or "use" as a layman, but I'd be interested in which verb the Deaf community uses.


texts: Origin of the expression "pull your finger out"

texts:
I've heard that "pull your finger out" came from muzzle loaded gunnery. One of the team firing the gun would put his finger in the hole during loading to prevent embers being ejected from the hole. When loading was complete, he would be ordered to pull his finger out.

But I can't find anything confirming this. Any ideas?


texts: A word or idiom to describe an abusive parent who wants to keep their child

texts:
I just finished watching the video game Among the Sleep and at the end

  (SPOILER ALERT) the mother is the abusive one.

At the beginning of the game, the mother seems to cling onto the child possibly in memory of the little boy's father. At the end though, the father comes and takes care of the baby. I want a word or idiom to describe how the mother is attached to the baby—maybe as a way to get to the father—but who doesn't show any real love to the infant.


texts:
"Prove that there exist 4 people in the waiting room who all know each other..."

This is a part of a math problem. Should the "exist" be "exists" or is it correct the way it currently is?


texts: Origin of: "I don't chew my cabbage twice."

texts:
"I don't chew my cabbage twice."

Is the origin of this phrase The Andy Griffith Show?


texts: what is the origin of the expression, "I'm with stupid?"

texts:
My first encounter with this expression was in the seventies. A biker chic was wearing a shirt with the slogan. Beneath the words a pointed finger pointed to the subject referenced,  her big, tough, mean looking biker better half  was sporting the counterpart T-shirt, identifying himself as the "stupid" she was with. It was a playfull, relatable indication that one shouldn't assume things from outward appearances. This guy might look mean but he was probably a big softy. He was comfortable enough with who he was to tell the world through their coordinated ensembles that he shared the power in their relationship.

Later, I would see couples where the sexes were reversed. There would be an unhappy looking woman wearing the "stupid" shirt, with a cocky husband strutting at her side, pointing her out as if thought that through verbal the subjugation of his wife the world would see him as being quite the man.

The statement itself takes on meaning depending upon the usage. I don't think it's an endorsement, per say.


texts: Is it correct to say "…battle between x versus y"?

texts:
Today I heard someone on television say this:

  In the battle between x versus y, x won.

Is this correct? In my opinion, this would sound better/be more correct:

  In the battle between x and y, x won.

What should have been said?


texts: "Concerned of Tunbridge Wells" - what is the etymology of the name?

texts: What is the origin of "Concerned of Tunbridge Wells" - a possibly fictitious writer of letters to the editor?  Can anyone dig out a definitive etymology for the term, or is it just a conflation of 'Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells'?


texts:
I am helping a charity and I need to invite my friends to join in. We're not asking for any money or valuables but just their time for some feedback on few questions.

I am struggling at the opening line of the invitation message—what I want to say is that "I need your help in this great work / noble work" but it just doesn't sound that impressive/catchy.

Jihad or movement both describe something too big to describe "answering a few questions."

Please note that it is for non-native English speakers.


texts: How to describe situation when two people can't meet?

texts:
How to describe situation when two people can't meet cause they're never at the same place at the same time.
Example: John and Michael are friends. They both do the shopping at the local shop every day, but they have never met. John is saying: how come we do the shopping on the same shop, but we can't ... what?
I guess there must be some phrasal verb that fits.

I think above example wasn't the best one cause it suggests a coincidence. Let's try another.
John and Michael are friends... obviously. They want to stay in touch, but every time one calls another, one of them is busy or not available. They cannot find a proper time to talk.

One more example.
John and Michael are... working in the same company. They need to discuss something really important so they want to have a meeting. John called Michael to arrange one, but Micheal was during another meeting. Few hours later Michael run into John and asked about the meeting but John was about to leave the workplace. They just cant find the time when they're both free.

Thank you for all the answers. I think the best are "to connect with somebody" and "to meet up with somebody".
In my language there's a saying "we will catch eachother later" (literally). It means we don't need to schedule a meeting, but we will try to catch the short moment we're both free later.
I think "to catch up with someone" might be it.


texts: "my", "of me", "of mine" - when to use these possessive constructions

texts:
I have been encountering possessive constructions with the preposition "of" and a possessive form of pronoun frequently, but I do not fully understand what it means and when to use it. In particular, "of mine" seems to occur only in "a friend of mine".

Question 1: In how far can these forms be used interchangeably? Is "of mine" to be considered archaic?

Question 2: While it is pretty clear that "of me" means "my", is it true that "of mine" should be understood as "of my ones"?


texts:
In computer science, "log" is often used over "history" when keeping track of events (see /log and .log in Unix filesystems, and "git log" with the Git version control system). I can see that "log" is shorter, so that is one advantage over "history". However with "history" there is less confusion because it does not have a second meaning, as far as I could tell. Whereas "log" is also used in mathematics.

What is the difference between "history" and "log"?
When to use "log" over "history"?
When to use "history" over "log"?
Why is "log" often used in computer science?


texts: Spontaneous, illegal but without bad intention

texts:
I'm trying to describe something that has been spontaneously established a while ago (without permission) but has since then became accepted (though not authorized).

This applies to a fireplace / campfire that someone a couple of years ago put in place with some stones and that still exists though is not officially recognized.

Ideally I would like to describe the aspect of spontaneity and unofficial in as short a sentence as possible.

I had some ideas:
A spontaneous fireplace (misses that it is not authorized).
An unauthorized / unofficial fireplace (misses spontaneity).
A tolerated fireplace (still same issue).


texts: word for "splitting time between various tasks"

texts:
What'd be a good word (noun) for "dividing one's time between various tasks"?

E.g., when you refer to an employee that works on several projects in a given month, but not necessarily on more than one activity at any given time.

Multitasking does not seem to be the best choice here. Any alternatives?


texts: If I say I am 'interested' in a position, does that imply certainty in my decision

texts: I am considering accepting a position at a company, however I do not want to talk with certainty just yet. If I say that I am 'interested' in that position, would that be appropriate for my situation?


texts: When did the term "Jay" come to mean an "unintelligent person"?

texts:
While I was reading an article about the etymology of jaywalking, I stumbled upon this phrase:

  “Jay” used to be a generic term for someone who was an idiot, dull, rube, unsophisticated, poor, or simpleton.

When did people used to use the term Jay as unintelligent person(or idiot)?


texts:
I saw "Why and for what reasons […]" here and it seems to be present in other places.

Is it pure redundancy, or does the asker expect an anwer in two parts ("why" and "for what reasons")?

If it is redundant, why would someone use this expression instead of just "why"? Is it just showiness?


texts: Is the sentence "Blood flows my veins" correct?

texts: I know you can say "Blood flows through my veins" but is my example also correct?


texts:
When pluralizing family (last) names that also happen to be common English words, does the pluralization follow the same rules as the common word?

For example, "the Smith family" can be pluralized as "the Smiths", but what if the family name is "Wolf" or "Fish"?  Would the correct pluralization be "the Wolfs" or "the Wolves"?


texts: Which punctuation mark should I use in this case?

texts:
Sentence:

  He reached the city where the people were, the city which was on fire.

Should I use a comma, a semicolon, or a conjunction to connect the two clauses?


texts:
I just heard the conference held in Washington due to the roit in the Congress Capitol
The mayor referred to the people who live in Washington as Washingtonians
and I remember people who live in New York are caller New Yorkers.
Similarly in Australia, people of Melbourne are Melbournians
but people of Syndey are Syndeysiders?!!
What is the rule of using -ian, -er, or -siders? for the people belong to a city?


texts: "The key to design a poster" vs. "The key to designing a poster"

texts:
I'm really confused as to which is more correct. The second sounds more natural to me, but I'm not entirely sure if I can explain why.

"The key to design a poster is to focus on good composition"

"The key to designing a poster is to focus on good composition."


texts: No comma preceding quote from a document?

texts: I am a court reporter, and I was recently informed that I should not put a comma before a quote from a document.  E.g., in the sentence: John said, "We need to clear this item," the comma after "said" is appropriate, but in the sentence: Paragraph 2 says "We need to clear this item," a comma after "says" would be inappropriate.  Anybody else ever hear of that rule?  It's new to me.


texts:
I'm looking for a strong size modifier like "numerous", "countless", or "copious" that I can use to modify a mass noun. I know of plenty of options that involve several words, like "a lot of", "a huge amount of", "large quantities of", and so on, but I can't think of any that are only a word or two.
Mass Nouns
Mass nouns, also known as uncountable nouns, are words like "rice", "water", and "bread" that can't be described with a quantity like other (countable) nouns. I ate 4 rices or I drank several waters don't really make sense, you have to use special modifiers like "some" and "much" (I baked so much bread the other day), but there are a lot fewer of these special modifiers.
The Ultimate Question
Does anyone know of one or two words that can fit in the following sentences to indicate A LOT:
I've baked ______ bread throughout my 27 years in the baker.
Wikipedia has ______ information about a myriad of topics.