texts:
I'm trying to figure out what somebody is called who gives you (or someone else) a tip on real estate brokerage.

I've Googled (and Bing'ed ;)) along and found translations like "whistleblower" or "tipster"... Where I think "whistleblower" is mainly used in negative terms (someone who reports abuses and such) and "tipster" is mainly used in the sports-section.

So, how would I call somebody like this in real estate terms?

Edit as per the request in the comment:

It's seen from the agency perspective, saying "John Doe has given us the hint that Jane Doe would buy this real estate". Then John Doe is the [*] of this agency, so they could sell their real estate to Jane.


texts: Possible meaning for 'long' in 'not long for this world'

texts:
I have come across the phrase 'not long for this world' in many English novels, but it has always struck me as odd, as if a word or part of the sentence were missing.
I visited numerous websites but all seem to focus on what the phrase means (I knew what the phrase meant already from context in the novels), not its structure, in particular the, in my eyes, odd use of 'long for'.

I am not sure if this is the right place to be asking this particular question, but where does 'long for' come from in this sentence? Is it some archaic use or form of 'belong'?

Thanks for any light you can shed on this!


texts: What my son likes the best on T.V (are/is) cartoons?

texts:
What my son likes the best on T.V. (are/is) cartoons?

Ans: is

My approach:

What my son likes the best on T.V. is cartoons. According to me the sentence means he likes a single thing which are cartoons.

  Can you solve this through another approach related to subject verb agreement and am I right in my approach?


texts: The condition for saying “You’re the door on the right.” etc. and its construction

texts:
This question is a spin-off from “Is you’re the door on the right. grammatically correct?” . After the original question, some ideas came to me, about its conditions and construction. I opened this question to see if my ideas are worth considering and to organize them.

  "There." They had reached the second landing. "You're the door on the right. I'll call you when it's over!" And she hurried off downstairs again. (Harry Potter 5 [US Version]: p.62) [Bold font is mine]

N.B.: The speaker is Mrs. Weasely, who led Harry to his room.

Questions:

1. Just from the sentence You’re the door on the right., would you have an impression there’re other people than you?

(I believe that the form of the sentence implies the existence of a group of people.)

2. In new situations (This time, the subject is I )

1) There’s no assignment.

The rooms are available on a first-come-first-served basis. Mrs. Weasley brings Harry upstairs just to let him know where the rooms are and to tell him he can choose whichever he likes. In this case, can Harry say like this? :“Oh, I see. Thanks. I’m the door on the right (meaning ‘I’ll use the room on the right side’)”

2) There’s an assignment.

The guests including Harry knew the layout of the rooms and already decided the assignment of the rooms by themselves. Mrs. Weasley, who doesn’t know which room is assigned to whom, brings Harry upstairs just to let him know where the rooms are. In this case, can Harry say like this? : “Oh, I see. Thanks. I’m the door on the right (meaning ‘my room is at the door on the right.’)”

(I believe that some assignment in advance is one of the most important conditions of this form, whether the subject is I or you. Therefore if such assignment doesn’t exist, the acceptability of this form, I think, is lower or zero. I would think 1) is less acceptable than 2).)

3. Can Mrs. Weasley in the top citation say “You’re the room on the right.” instead of “You’re the door on the right.”?

(I believe that the subject of this form includes the thing which assigned to him or her. I wouldn’t think she can say you’re the room on the right. because the subject you already has room in it.)

I know these questions are not enough to understand the form completely, but I hope I can get some clues about its conditions and construction. Thank you.


texts: What is the purpose of using the word "coequal"

texts:
I heard someone use a phrase something like:

My position (or power) is coequal with (something else).

I believe it was used in the American House Judiciary Committee. I don't hear this word often at all. Immediately I wondered to myself the difference between this word and "equal", and in which cases one should be used over the other.

  coequal
  Having the same rank or importance.
  ‘coequal partners’
  Oxford Living Dictionaries

  adj.
  Equal with one another, as in rank or size.
  American Heritage Dictionary

As you can see from definitions, "equal" and "coequal" seem to mean the same thing, with "equal" even appearing in the definition of "coequal".

If we look at some of the sentences provided by dictionaries, I believe we see that "coequal" could easily be replaced with "equal".

  coequal partners

equal partners

  You know, we're a coequal branch of government.

Coequal branch of government seems to me to be referring to a branch of government that's simply "equal" (whether in powers or jurisdiction).

At first I hypothesized that "coequal" is more appropriate when referring to two entities, but many dictionaries define "coequal" as:

  1.equal with another or each other in rank, ability, etc.
  Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary

So going strictly by dictionary definitions, the word would be appropriately used whether with reference to another entity or multiple other entities.

I surmised that the use of "coequal" might be more common when speaking of powers of government or organisations. However I'm still unsure about this, as I see many of the quotations and usage examples not related at all to this.

I also hypothesized that "coequal" means "equal to something else", however I realized that the word "equal" impliedly has this meaning. For example if I was the last human on earth it probably wouldn't make sense to say I am equal or have equal rights. Rather the equality seems always to be comparative to other things.

Finally, I thought I discovered a difference. If we take:

"coequal partners"

We might imagine partners in a business who have an equal say, as opposed to a married couple. However I think this is conveyed just as much with "equal partners". Perhaps "coequal" emphasizes the first business meaning more than "equal" does?

Any significant differences between these two? Or any difference at all?


texts: Is the use of the word "cadence" acceptable in the phrase rocket launch cadence?

texts:
Rocket launches have traditionally required a certain delay between one and the next, so if there are say 20 per year at a given site, the assume some degree of ordered spacing between one and the next of a few weeks, though still somewhat irregular.
I have seen many references to the term "launch cadence", then was told this usage is incorrect.

NASA Spaceflight: With Block 5, SpaceX to increase launch cadence and lower prices

Ars Technica: SpaceX has long talked a good game about increasing its launch cadence,

Space News SpaceX aims to follow a banner year with an even faster 2018 launch cadence

reddit.com/r/SpaceXLounge: Launch cadence !

Quora: How does SpaceX's launch cadence compare to competitors in the industry?

The OED definition uses references to speech or music:

A modulation or inflection of the voice. ‘the measured cadences that he employed in the Senate’

A sequence of notes or chords comprising the close of a musical phrase.
‘the final cadences of the Prelude’

though a sub-definition of 1 does say:

1.3 [mass noun] Rhythm. ‘the thumping cadence of the engines’

which seems to be workable.
Likewise, from Merriam Webster:

1a: a rhythmic sequence or flow of sounds in language
b: the beat, time, or measure of rhythmical motion or activity

The drill sergeant counted cadence.
the steady cadence of the drums

Question: Does the MW definition allow this usage for rocket launches? Does the OED?
I'm not asking for synonyms (e.g. rhythm, frequency, tempo, rate) but trying to understand if I should be comfortable using the word cadence within the phrase launch cadence without feeling like I am misusing the word.


texts: Can I use 'macaronic' to descibe light verses involving three languages?

texts:
Possible macaronic confusion:

'Of or involving a mixture of two or more languages.' (American Heritage)

'characterized by a mixture of two languages' (Merriam-Webster)

Since in an essay I'm writing I want to use the word 'macaronic' to descibe light verses involving three languages, I have the fear of not being understood because above dictionaries don't read the same definitions.

Can I use, contrary to what Merriam-Webster reads, 'macaronic' to descibe light verses involving three languages?

If not, can you suggest me an alternative adjective meaning 'light verses involving three languages'?

I ask because I want to avoid confusion in reader's brains.


texts:
Here's a simple question: Is is possible for a participle -- past or present -- to modify a direct object? "You deserve every ounce of respect garnered." Is this correct?

My reasoning is based on the fact that participle phrases can modify nouns, as in "the twins doodling in their tablets" or "the model destroyed by the fire."


texts:
Where did the phrase pay a visit come from?

Sometimes I hear instances of conversations like

  I paid a visit to the local cemetery to see my granddad's
  tombstone/grave

or something like that. Normally, I don't think you'd pay to go through a cemetery, but, oh well.


texts:
Can someone please confirm that the grammar in this video is off. It's supposedly a teaser video for a new product from a Chinese company.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=CfgviCjtvg0

Shouldn't represent be followed by a noun here? Hope you can enlighten me.


texts:
Does the sentence “For him, ten years can scarcely suffice to realize the project.” mean that there is a low, or very low, probability off his realizing the project?

When I say “low or very low probabilities”, I mean something like a 1% or 2% probability.


texts: I am looking for a one-word synonym (or short phrase) meaning "to make one reconsider" or "to make one rethink". This would be used in the context of explaining how an event makes one step back and realize what has passed them by over time.


texts: What's the word for apparently feeling better when lied to?

texts: A word used when patients say they feel better when they have been lied to.  Not necessarily lied to, but told they have been given a drug or undergone an operation which would supposedly make them healed, which was not actually done.


texts: Is "either you or [third-person]" followed by a singular verb or a plural verb?

texts:
Or, put in examples: which of the following is grammatically correct?

  Either you or your sister is going to have to do the chores.

  Either you or your sister are going to have to do the chores.

The second option comes off as really strange; am I right to say that the first is grammatically correct because "is" directly follows "your sister" as opposed to "you"?


texts: Where does the idiom "get it in the neck" come from?

texts:
The Collins Dictionary says "get it in the neck" means "to be reprimanded or punished severely".

Is this commonly used in American English?
Why does it mean this? (What does "it"
refer to in the expresson?)


texts: Can I use "vice versa" phrase in this case?

texts:
Can I use it in this case?

Example:

  The weather is awesome! But what if vice versa?

I think that this phrase means: "the weather is awesome, but what if weather will be bad?".

Is is possible to use "vice versa" this way?


texts:
A friend of mine recently made a joke which was poorly timed; the visual irony had passed by the time she said it. I remarked that this joke was "postmature", then realized that isn't a word. Is there an antonym of premature, or can something never go past mature? For pregnancies, you can be overdue (thesaurus.com), but is there another such word that can also be extended to situations such as the one I had?

Note: I'm not looking for mature. I guess I'm asking this: can something pass maturity? Is there a word for that which can be used in a ubiquitous manner?


texts: How do you denote date and time in written English?

texts:
I always wonder how to denote date and time when I have to make an appointment. To make sure that I don't make typos, I always mention the weekday. What is the correct way to do so?

Appointment at 2014-05-28, 14:00

Could we meet on Wednesday, the 28th of May at 2 o'clock p.m.?
Could we meet on 28th of May at 9 o'clock (it's a Wednesday)?
Could we meet at 2 o'clock p.m. on Wednesday the 28th of May?

As far as I know it is very unusual to write 14:00. I think it's only used in military in English speaking countries. Is that correct?
What is the best way to make an appointment? Are the four variants I've suggested correct?
Do you write "a.m." or "a. m." (with a space)? According to wikipedia:

  Some stylebooks suggest the use of a space between the number and the a.m. or p.m. abbreviation.[citation needed]

But the wikipedia article does not use spaces...
I've looked it up in the "Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English". It's not written with spaces there. According to this dictionary you can also write am (without dots) in British English.

Appointment on 2014-05-28, 09:45

I don't know how to write this without the hh:mm a.m. / p.m. or h:mm a.m. / p.m. style. Do you really write "quater before 10"?

See also

12-hour clock


texts: Is "Didn't used to have been" a valid structure?

texts:
Are the following sentences valid:

It didn't used to happen.
It didn't used to have been there.

And if so, what tenses are they?


texts:
I am teaching simple present tense to my intermediate ESL students and was stumped by this question:  Why don't we use do/does in a question such as "What satisfies you?"  According to the rule, we should use do/does in questions with the verb base, as in:  "What does satisfy you?" Why does this seem to be an exception?
Thanks for your ideas!
Amy


texts: I am writing a technical document and I need to refer to the current point of time. Should I say 'at the time of writing', 'at the time of this writing', or 'at the time of writing this'? Are all acceptable?


texts: "Enquire from someone" vs "enquire with someone"

texts:
Which is the correct sentence from these two?

  Can you enquire from her?
  Can you enquire with her?

I tried to search the internet but most results talk about the difference between enquire and inquire.


texts:
“These cookies are fun to make and especially fun to eat.”
  (source)

Semantically, these cookies is both to-infinitves’ object; and to-infinitves seems to be the semantic subject of both funs, as is in the sentence of "It's fun to take a walk". Is this right understanding? Or do the to-infinitves become semantic object of both funs?


texts: Have I graduated from a master's course?

texts:
What is the correct phrasing to tell the people that I have successfully obtained a master's degree? I want to convey the idea that I have had all classes and defended my dissertation.

BTW, is "defending the dissertation" a meaningful and correct phrase?


texts: Is a sentence always grammatically incorrect if it has no verb?

texts:
Is the following grammatically correct? My friend says the second sentence is grammatically incorrect, but couldn't explain why.

  I have always been fascinated by statistics. The different ways in
  which you could look at data and infer knowledge from it.


texts: When and how did we start getting "off the dime"?

texts:
In American English, for a long time we've had the idiom "to stop on a dime." It means to stop abruptly and completely. It came to be used as a description for something agile or nimble. Etymonline says

Phrase stop on a dime attested by 1954 (a dime being the physically smallest unit of U.S. currency).

But for the past several decades I've heard the expression get off the dime being used to mean "get started" or "get going" and is used in the same circumstances as the idiom "get a move on." It seems obvious to me that this must be a transposition of "stop on a dime" (a metaphorical one, at least). [N.B.: This supposition is no longer obvious and appears to be nothing more than my own folk etymology, given that all the answers point to a different derivation.]
I'm curious if anyone can show a link between "stop on a dime" and "get off the dime," or if there is some other explanation that might turn my bit of intuition into folk etymology.


texts: Which word describes an identity that can be filled by more than one individual, but only one at a time?

texts:
I'm looking for a word to describe a role or an office or something like that, which is filled by one person at once, but that person can change. Sort of "moniker" but in reverse.   Think "James Bond" or Doctor Who", where the identity continues, even though the actual individuals change.  When we say "The King is dead.  Long Live the King", that's the idea - we can ask "Who is the King?", or we can say "He is Maclean of Maclean".

  If Bruce Wayne got too old and stiff to be Batman any more, he'd pass
  his ___ [what?] to his protege.

I've thought of "Title" or Crown", but title has too many other meanings to be useful to me (and is "James Bond" a title anyway?). But its not a "Role" either - being King isn't a role!

So, I'm looking for a word which encapsulates this idea of transferable identity.

Any thoughts?


texts: Abbreviating a name inside brackets. Do I need to continue the brackets?

texts:
I am writing a report in English and am repeatedly abbreivating a name.

In the first sentence of doing this, I put the abbreviation inside brackets.

Do I now need to continue with the brackets for the rest of the report or can I just use the abbreviation.

Example, Mr Joe Bloggs (Mr JB) OR Mr JB

I hope as a first timer here this both makes sense and has no spelling or grammatical errors!


texts: "Is left untouched" or "was left untouched"

texts:
Which is correct?

  My book was left untouched for so many years.

or

  My book is left untouched for so many years.

Well, until now, that book is really untouched. So does that mean that just because the situation is in present tense, I should use "is left untouched" even though "was left untouched" sounds right to me?


texts: relative pronouns and subject and verb agreement

texts:
My cousin is one of those people who (love, loves) to eat pizza.

According to the rules of grammar, the relative pronoun "who" refers to the plural noun "people".  Therefore, the correct verb choice is "love".

However, in reading the meaning of the sentence as constructed i.e.
"My cousin is people who love to eat pizza."  An awkward arrangement used to satisfy the rule that the pronoun agrees with the nearer noun.

Notice that if the relative pronoun "who" refers to the indefinite pronoun "one" then the meaning of the sentence reads "My cousin is one who loves to eat pizza."

Question: Why can't the sentence use "loves" instead of "love"?


texts: "hospitality": does it refer to the guest or the host?

texts: Is hospitality about being a good guest, or a good host?   Or is it a little bit of both?  Would it be the act of being a good host or is it different?


texts:
I would like to know if I always need "for" to mention time. Could you teach me when I should use "for" and when I shouldn't?

(Background of this question: When I said "I slept for 7 hours last night" to a friend, he asked me whether it was 4 hours or 7 hours. He got confused.)

Examples

I played the guitar for 1 hour yesterday.
I work for 8 hours per day.
I waited for 2 hours.
I want to sleep for 7 hours every day.


texts: What is the proper punctuation and structure to place around an action that implies dialogue?

texts:
What is the proper punctuation and structure to place around an action that implies dialogue, such as the example below?  Double quotations does not seem correct, because the dialogue is unspoken.

EXAMPLE:
When some time passed and the chaos hadn't abated, Jill glanced at Jane and shrugged, which said both, ‘yes, this is normal’ and, ‘what can one do?’

Many thanks in advance!


texts:
Wondering about nonpersonal they, as an antecedent pronoun postmodified by a PP or a relative clause. (Of course they as a subject pronoun and them as an object pronoun are often nonpersonal.) Is it a known dialectal use now? Is it a marker of archaism? If so, when it did it drop out of mainstream use? Can anyone direct me to a treatment of this grammatical issue?

The OED currently has this one example under definition 6:

  1630: The shops..nothing so full of wares, nor so rich, as they of London.

Nowadays we expect those instead of they (or them) in this position.


texts: What is an alternate word I can use other than "field?"

texts:
Grammaticists:

I have a data set with many records and many fields (the records are rows of the spreadsheet and fields are columns).  Each field has a name, for example income or town or home neighborhood.  I am trying to refer to unusual values in the column called home neighborhood and the sentence I currently have is:

  There are problems within the “home neighborhood” field.

but that makes it seem as though it's a sports field or something.  So my question: what word can I use other than field? Please note I cannot accept column or variable.  Of course I tried the thesausurus- no luck.  Please provide recommendations as you see fit.

FYI:

  field:  noun 10 a particular area (as of a record in a database) in which the same type of information is regularly recorded

from m-w.com


texts: What do the parts of malevolent and malicious mean?

texts:
I understand what the different parts of maladjusted, maligned, and malcontent mean.

But what about malevolent and malicious?

Could someone break these into parts e.g. mal - adjust - ed and explain the meaning of each of the parts for both of these words.


texts: Is 'if I would have ..., I would have ...' a valid conditional?

texts:
Today, I read a tweet where the used conditional structure did not fit any of the conditional types taught in the language books I've read.

  if I would have relied on the Fake News of CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS, washpost or nytimes, I would have had ZERO chance winning WH [sic]

Basically, if I understand it well, it's structured as:

  if (subject) would have (past participle) ..., (subject) would have (past participle)... .

I tried to search for conditional types and most sites listed Zero, Type 1, 2, 3 and mixed conditionals, but unfortunately, I didn't find any that resembles the quoted tweet.

Is 'if I would have ..., I would have ...' a valid/correct conditional?

If it is not, how bad it sounds to a native English speaker? How frequently is it used incorrectly?


texts:
I wonder what's the verb form of tiebreakers.
E.g., I am tempted to say that: "I have a lot of options to solve this problem, and I use simplicity to break the ties between these choices."
Is this correct?


texts:
A person who is really interested in knowing another private life or business.

Many thanks


texts: Business signage with a letter per row - where to put apostrophe?

texts:
I noticed a bar called My Lady's Inn with a sign using one letter per row.

The

 L
 A
 D
 Y'
 S

feels a little strange, and I was wondering if

 L
 A
 D
 Y
'S

would work better?

Any rules or precedents for this ?

Also not sure if there is a name for this type of "formatting" ?


texts:
I cannot find the answer to the following question in CMOS or on this forum.
I am providing a quote from source No 1 (marked with a footnote) which contains a quote from source No 2:
‘As Leibniz puts it, “[Music] is ‘the secret exercise of arithmetic of a soul which does not know it is counting”.’
How should the superscript numbers and the footnotes themselves be placed on the page?
Option A, looks cluttered:
In-text:
‘As Leibniz puts it, “[Music] is ‘the secret exercise of arithmetic of a soul which does not know it is counting”FOOTNOTE1.’FOOTNOTE2
At the bottom of the page:
SOURCE2
SOURCE1
Option B, unclear which part of the quote is from SOURCE1 and which from SOURCE2:
In-text:
‘As Leibniz puts it, “[Music] is ‘the secret exercise of arithmetic of a soul which does not know it is counting”.’FOOTNOTE
At the bottom of the page:
SOURCE1; SOURCE2.
Would you propose other options? Thank you!


texts: Color vs Colour: which spelling should you use?

texts: When considering Color vs Colour. I'm just wondering when you should use which spelling and why there are these two spellings for the same word?


texts: Spheres are "spherical", and cylinders are "cylindrical". What would a torus then be?

texts:
My thoughts would be to refer to a torus as being "torical", though I can't seem to find any use of that word anywhere. Is there a proper word for describing an object that has a similar shape to that of a torus?

For reference: a torus


texts: Is using "have" better than using "got" in the following sentence?

texts:
Take a gander at the following two versions of the same sentence:

  "I got an mp4 video file"

vs.

  "I have an mp4 video file"

Someone 'corrected' me by changing the first form to the second form. Is there a difference, other than the fact that the former can also be used in past tense? Maybe it's too informal?


texts: Where does "acutilobate" originate from?

texts: I see the claim that acutilobate is a “dictionary-only” word, for example seen in the 1913 Webster’s dictionary. How would a word get into a dictionary that only appears in dictionaries and is not really a word in use? Once a word is in a dictionary such as Webster’s doesn’t that confer it life and wouldn’t it generally begin to enter the language in actual use? Websters defines it as a botany term: “Having acute lobes, as some leaves”. Where did acutilobate originate from as a word?


texts: Should there be a comma after 'I thought' if this phrase is followed by an italicised thought?

texts:
For example, if writing:

I thought, she may miss him, but tonight you can't tell.

should there be a comma after 'I thought', or any other punctuation for that matter? I know commas are often used if the context is 'I said', followed by the speech,

e.g. I said, 'stop that car!'

but I'm not sure if it works the same when using thoughts and italics!

Thank you!


texts:
I have a question about the phrase "Let it be no more" and when is possible to use it.

The context in which the phrase appears is:

  The process by which the widget creates its displayed HTML has been so far kept a mistery. Let it be no more.


texts: To Break Bread -- the origin of the phrase

texts: I am looking for the origin of the phrase "break bread" meaning to eat (or, I expect, to share food). I know that it can be sourced to the book of Acts but I have also seen many websites which say that it is older than that, reflecting a biblical era practice of sharing food to solemnize a meal, just with no actual references. What language does the phrase come from or is it an invention directly into the English?


texts: Commas in plurals of numbers (1000s vs. 1,000s) in web writing

texts:
Would I use a comma within the number 1,000 when expressing it as a plural? For example:

The laboratory contained 100s or even 1,000s of rats.

vs.

The laboratory contained 100s or even 1000s of rats.

Chicago Manual of Style dictates that these kinds of numbers should be spelled out (hundreds or even thousands of rats), but in web style, numerals are almost always preferred. I'm also working with a very small space, so spelling out the number isn't an option.

Note that this question differs from previously answered questions in that it refers to plurals of numbers.


texts: Is there a single word for the convergence / divergence of a sequence or sum?

texts: In math, we sometimes talk about the parity of a number - that is, what Wikipedia succinctly describes as " an integer's inclusion in one of two categories: even or odd." Is there a similar word for convergence / divergence that would allow you to say "Find the X (convergence / divergence) of the sequence"?


texts: What are the most difficult words you've learned recently?

texts:
I'd like to ask native speakers of English.

What are some of the most difficult words you've learned recently?
Or what are some of the words whose meanings were elusive and for which you've had to consult your dictionary recently?

Thank you.
I'd like to know a sample of words that trouble even native speakers.


texts: What is the meaning of "I would argue that" and "arguably"?

texts:
Until recently, my interpretation of "I would argue that (..statement..)" was "My opinion is (..statement..) and I am willing to justify it", in other words - author put stress on subjective matter of the statement that coud be put into dispute. I think that this is used when there are people that disagree, because opinion is controversial, and/or not commonly accepted. "Arguably" seems to have similar usage; phrase "According to meteorogical data this was the greatest rain of the century." is stating a fact, an scientific thesis, but "It was arguably the greatest rain of the century." means (for me at least) that author share his opinion, but he is aware, that someone else might deny.

The problem is, that "to argue" has basically two opposite meanings:

(1) To show grounds for concluding (that); to indicate, imply.
(2) To debate, disagree or discuss opposing or differing viewpoints.

The consequence is that all phrases inherits uncertainity about interpretation, unless they are idiomatic. Beside this, even when second meaning is used, there is still the question - if author defend the statement, or stand against it? After all that analysis, I am no longer convinced whether: "I would argue that it was the greatest rain of the century" roughly means "I think that (..)" or "I am not sure if (..)". After some search I found only this blog entry, but it havn't resolved my doubts. This language construction seems to be prone to context of use.


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  “Yes”, “Yeah”, “Yep”

What is the difference between yup and yes? Most of the time I use yup instead of yes.


texts: Is the sentence correct? I wanted to put "I" not as a subject - referring to me but as a noun - referring to the narrator which is me. So I was wondering if I can do this in a twisted way you know, pointing towards me but in an indirect way.


texts:
Is it called denial if I see and notice my dog but don't pay attention to it?
If it is can you give me a description of denial in that form, me and my brother are in a debate about it, I say it is and he says it isn't.


texts:
In one of my answers here, I used the singular they:

  When someone orders a rouge, they mean red wine which in French translates to le vin rouge.

My question is, is it right for me to use they? Or since I used someone at the beginning, is it imperative for me to use he or she?

Any insights?


texts: Bill's friends' car - where to place the apostrophes

texts:
Do I need two apostrophes or only one?

Where should I place the apostrophe if I need only one in the following sentence:

  I borrowed Bill's friends' car


texts: How is the dependent clause acting in this sentence?

texts:
Today I came across this sentence,

“Happiness is when I play games after a tough day at work.”

In this sentence, I wasn’t sure how “when I play games,” a dependent clause, is acting. It’s a complement to “is,” but is the clause a predicate nominative? Also, is it an adverb or noun clause?


texts:
In Latin America, where for years illiteracy was the norm, and many people still do not speak Spanish as a first language, it is common for an agent to perform procedures with government offices on behalf of their “clients”.  They will fill out applications, stand in line, navigate their way through the red tape and in general expedite government  processes.

In Spanish, this person is called a tramitador.

He may be a lawyer, but it is not a requirement. The primary requirement is patience, and knowledge of the “in´s and out´s” of the bureaucratic nonsense that permeates much of the official processes and keeps the government in business.

I am looking for a word in English which will work for general usage. Usually when we do the translations we just use the Spanish word with a brief explanation.

I have found “acceptance agent”, but  only in connection with people working in Internal Revenue Service business on behalf of foreigners filing for the ITIN (Individual Taxpayer Identification Number).

And the word “expeditor” seems to be restricted to the business of transportation of goods and packages.

Is there a word in English that will work in this usage?


texts: Should I capitalize after an exclamation in dialogue?

texts:
I'm trying to update punctuation in an older children's book, and I can't find an answer to my question regarding the punctuation in this passage:

  “Well, well! if we wait there until summer comes, our shoes will get dry
  of themselves.”

Should the "if" be capitalized or left as is?


texts: How to say my bike is running out of air and needs to be filled with air

texts: I'd appreciate if you tell me what is the right way to say my bike/motorbike/car's tire is running out of air and needs to be filled with air again in English.


texts: Where does “ö” fall in alphabetical ordering?

texts:
Much to my surprise, I just learned that some English-language documents use the ö character. I need to know, when sorting words in an English-language document, where is ö placed?

before A?
after Z ?
before O ?
after O ?

Also, I am curious about whether there is a capital ö. If there is, then the justification for ö would not exclusively be to break diphthongs. Why else use ö?


texts: Verb agreement with a phrase set off by "but"

texts:
A coworker is writing a sentence like

  Sally, but especially Joe, enjoys questions about grammar and usage.

He thinks it should be

  Sally, but especially Joe, enjoy questions about grammar and usage.

Leaving aside the possibility of rewriting the sentence, I want to understand which part of the subject controls the verb's number. Consider the following:

  My parents, but especially my wife, [is/are] supportive of my goals.

  My wife, but especially my parents, [is/are] supportive of my goals.

  Dogs, but especially cats, [is/are] the cause of many allergies.

To my ear, are seems right in all three cases. If that's right, the rule would seem to be that if either part is plural, use the plural verb. I'm least confident about sentence two.

In any case, I'd like to learn more about what's going on here, grammatically. Is the phrase set off by commas a compound subject? An appositive? A subordinate clause?


texts: "'Sup" and "whack" in 2000 as teen slang

texts:
In "Friends", season 7 episode 1 (2000), Joey, who is 31,  wants to look and  behave like a nineteen-year-old for his audition and uses "'sup" and "whack" in dialog with Chandler (from IMDb):

  [Joey comes out from his room wearing ridiculous clothes. He has to look nineteen for an audition]

  Joey: 'Sup? 'Sup, dude?

  Chandler: [putting his hands up] Take
  whatever you want, just please don't hurt me.

  Joey: So, you're playing
  a little Playstation, huh? That's whack. Playstation is whack. 'Sup
  with the whack Playstation, 'sup? Huh? Come on, am I nineteen or what?

  Chandler: Yes, on a scale from one to ten, ten being the dumbest a person can look, you are definitely nineteen.

I understand that Joey is using (or trying to use) teen slang. But was this slang used by teens in the late 1990's or was this slang that Joey used as a teen (e.g. about 15 years earlier) and thus making him looking more ridiculous?


texts: What does "wax lyrical" mean in this context?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Is there any other way you can "wax" as you do when you "wax philosophical"?
  What does "waxed rhapsodic" mean?

  Sorry to keep this short, but some people can wax lyrical about this and I'm not sure it's as mystical and magical as some will make out.

I understand it intuitively, but would like to have the exact definition.


texts: Word for how the white space between words can form patterns

texts:
Nota Bene: I included a term to describe this thing, but I'm not here to invent a word, it was included as a humorous nod; thank you for your patience and understanding!
I apologize if this is an odd one; I am aware of the word 'Pareidolia' but I'm wondering if there's a better word for the phenomenon I'm about to describe?
Pareidolia being the tendency to (incorrectly?) see patterns in random things, like shapes in clouds or canals on Mars, etc...
I'm almost always using my Kindle (I prefer a good Paper book, but I'm partially disabled and a Kindle can carry my whole library without weighing anything)
and and I am a fond reader of science and sci-fi, fantasy and historical fiction.
The escapism is a big relief for my physical condition. So when reading about the description of some event, I can often find myself day-dreaming,
zoning out so that the words on the page can seem a little blurred, as I imagine the thing in my minds eye.
When this happens, I often notice that the white-space between letters can form patterns too, and I've trained to filter out the line height spacing.
I often can see strong diagonal lines, misshaped circles and similar.
Sometimes it can even look like a crude lightning strike!
One could possibly stretch a metaphor to suggest that it's the prosaic equivalent of a Moiré pattern...?
I do know it is fundamentally caused by our brains innate ability to notice (or invent) patterns, but it's a beautiful and sometimes appropriate visualisation too.
For example, in one book was the description of an alien village with sloping conical towers as the buildings.
On the same page, almost directly afterwards, the combination of white-space and letters made such an very obvious 70° slanted line,
that I could easily envisage the sloping sides of the building being described!
This sites posting rules indicate that I should include an example, and I do recognise that this is essentially inverted ASCII Art,
but that term itself has some negative connotations..
Besides which, that art style is forced, whereas the patterns I see are just the natural shapes formed by the gaps between words!
The following example is obviously exaggerated and not well written, but you should see the "Eidolexis*"

It is a great Space Opera Trilogy        Profound and Inspiring
That said, I do use 4pt Amazon Ember       Bookerly didn't do much
Experiments show its better on ePaper       Web-Page Fonts can vary
This was seen in Peter F. Hamilton's        Sublime Nights Dawn Trilogy
There's a good description of a town       built by an Alien Species
Who've found a fruiting alien plant      inedible to man but for
The Tyrathca species palate fruit      was their version of Chocolate!

I should re-iterate that changing the font-face or size completely ruined the illusion, so it was quite serendipitous!
If the above pre-formatted text is garbled, basically I am describing: "This was in PF Hamilton's, Nights-Dawn trilogy Book 1, wherein he described the Tyrathca village on Lalonde where they farmed
an Olive like fruit, Oily and disgusting to Humans, but like good chocolate to the Tyrathca"

So, In summary, Is there a better word for this experience?

I ask this, as truthfully, I don't really believe that it's an example of Pareidolia.
Simply, the shapes are not being invented by the brain, they exist but are not always instantly obvious to the reader, they're waiting to be acknowledged!
I could easily imagine this as a visual art form, Imagine a Poem that describes a Thing™, but the layout of the words would describe the shape of the Thing™.

For the time being, I have coined the term 'Eidolexis' for this phenomena, but perhaps 'Lexeidolia'?.
'Pareidolexia' seems a bit too negative, as the shapes are indeed there!


texts: "Our program graduates" or "Our program's graduates" - which is correct?

texts:
I'm working with a friend on a short sentence for an announcement, and was asked whether the possessive should be used or dropped on program:

Current:

  Please congratulate our program's graduates.

We believe it may be more correct to simply use:

  Please congratulate our program graduates.

The graduates aren't owned by the program, so why express it as such? This seems like a common error.

Are we correct in this assessment?

Edit:

To expand on the question a bit, in the second case we are simply using program as an adjective for graduates: the type of graduate (ones of our program). I am aware that 's, the genitive case, can mean that something is associated with something else, and not strictly to convey ownership.

Thus, I know that the current form is correct, but am asking whether the second form seems improved, acceptable, or unusual in this example.

This may be a case of something similar to orthographic incredulity, where after staring at something too long it starts to appear wrong. That may be the case here, but I'd appreciate any constructive insight.


texts: Is there a word for a solution that causes another problem?

texts:
To cope with darkness (problem 1) people resort to candles (solution 1), which may cause fire (problem 2) so people buy fire extinguishers (solution 2). Alternatively, people could buy fake LED candles (solution 1').

To ensure highway tolls are paid (problem 1) people need to buy vignettes and stick them on their windshield (solution 1) , which is hard to scrape off after expiring (problem 2) so people buy vignette scrapers (solution 2). Alternatively, highway tolls could be checked based on license plates (solution 1').

Are there words for solution 1 and 1'? The pattern could be called Diderot effect, but I know no words for the problems and the solutions.

Example usage:

"Don't bite the (buying bait, solution 1)! Choose LED candles!"
"LED candles are a (solution 1') for darkness."


texts: Why is the Turkish president's surname is spelt in English as Erdogan, with g?

texts:
I recently got puzzled as to why American journalists spell the surname of the current Turkish president in articles written in English as Erdogan, with g (see, e.g., this article in New York Times). We spell his surname as エルドアン, which does not include the g sound.

In the original language, Turkish, his surname is spelt as Erdoğan, using the letter ğ, not g.

The Turkish letters ğ and g are two different letters. The letter ğ has no sound on its own, with its effect varying depending on the location in a word and the surrounding vowels. This letter can have zero phonetic effect, slightly lengthen the preceding vowel, or somewhat separate two vowels. The letter g, in contrast, has its own consonant sound, which is practically the same as the English sound g in the English words "gross," "big," and "bogan."

The Turks pronounce the surname of their president as /ˈeɾdo‿an/, not making even a slightest consonant sound between o and a. They simply pronounce о and а distinctly.

My question is this: Besides the visual similarity between the letters ğ and g, is there any other reason why Erdoğan and many other Turkish proper names are spelt in English with the letter g?

Being not a native English speaker, I possibly do not see some important factors that native English speakers easily see, so I decided to ask here.


texts: My sons have a good friend called Ben. I thought I could say, " My sons love to be with Ben". But when I said it to his mother, she replied to me by saying, "Ben also loves being with them as well." Can't we say "love to be with" or are both "love to be with" and "love being with" correct? Is there any difference between these two?


texts: Is "I was least expecting it from you" correct?

texts:
I'm about to write a tongue-lash for someone who let me down quite badly and I want to be grammatically correct. So, how should I say this:

"I was least expecting this kind of cynical criticism from you..."

or

"I least expected this kind of cynical criticism from you..."

Other suggestions are also welcome. Thank you for your help in advance!


texts: What would be the complement of the title "Goals Achieved"?

texts:
What would be a title that is complementary to the title "Goals Achieved"?

By "complementary", I mean a title that can be used in contrast to "Goals Achieved" to refer to the goals that now need to be achieved following the goals achieved.

I thought of something along the lines of "Goals Expected". However, this makes it sound as if these goals are sure to be achieved, which is not necessarily true.

I'm looking for a succinct title.


texts: Are words like "heroical" and "empirical" morphologically redundant?

texts:
According to the big Oxford and the online dictionary, the following pairs are concurrent:
heroic and heroical;
empiric and empirical

Aren't the second forms morphologically redundant?
Heroic already is an adjective, so why would it need the suffix -al to form the same adjective?


texts: How to say that something doesn't get divided?

texts:
For my work, I cluster genes in a way that some genes can be in a cluster of size 10, and others in a cluster of 1, i.e. the gene is a singleton and has no other genes to cluster with. After that, I split the result into 2 groups. If a gene is a singleton, it can end up in either group. However, the genes in the cluster get assorted together. That is, clusters stay indivisible.
Is it correct to say "indivisible", or there's another concise way of expressing what I've described? For example, can I say that "clusters stay atomic"?


texts: Does the origin of the auxiliary "shall" lie in the medieval blood-money practice of wergeld?

texts:
Perusing some 19th-century grammar books for another purpose, I came across an interesting etymology:

  "According to Grimm 'shall' or 'skal' is the preterite or perfect of a verb meaning 'to kill'. As killing involved the payment of the penalty of wer-geld, 'I have killed,' came to mean 'I owe the fine,' and thence 'I owe' simply."

  -Mason, C.P.. English grammar, including grammatical analysis. London, 1890.

I became curious, but was unable to find any corroboration of this etymology younger than the 1800s. For the details of the claim, I managed to find Jacob Grimm's original assertion(in German):

  "Skal debeo setzt skila voraus, aber der begrif, welchen
  ich diesen wörtern beilege, wird überraschen. skila muſs
  heiſsen ich tödte oder verwunde, skal ich habe getödtet, verwundet und bin zu wergeld verpflichtet. von skila ist übrig
  das goth. skilja lanio schlächter, tödter."

  -Grimm, Jacob. Geschichte der deutschen Sprache. Leipzig, 1848. pp. 902-903.

Is anyone here expert enough in Germanic studies to prove or disprove this etymology?


texts: What are the differences between "from" and "of"?

texts:
Both of and from are possible, with different meanings, of course.

....a magnificent picture in a book, called True Stories of Nature, about the primeval forest.

This means that the stories are about Nature, they speak of Nature as a whole or they may speak of different happenings, a boa constrictor eating a prey, the birth of baby dolphin, the first flight of a sparrow.....and they are seen as manifestations of Mother Nature.

....a magnificent picture in a book, called True Stories from Nature, about the primeval forest.

This means that the stories are about the different things that may happen in Nature: a story about a boa constrictor eating a prey, a story about the slow growth of a little pine tree, the story of a salmon that swims against the drift in a river, the story of the birth of a baby owl.....these are all pictures taken from Nature.

Although one of my friends has already explained them, in fact I cannot yet understand this logic or argument well.
Would anyone possibly readily explain the difference between from and of, considering the bold parts?


texts: "Best believe..." as a rhetorical device or device of storytelling

texts:
On imgur, there is a post with screenshots of an individual's row of Twitter posts. In them, he is telling a story making use of what I (as a non-native speaker of English). I was originally guessing the writing to be in a form of AAVE, but answer so far convincingly make the argument that it's common slang. At one point the author mentions "the valley", perhaps indicating that he's from Silicon Valley. In one of the replies used to continue the story (second one from the bottom) he writes:

  Best believe she was pissed.

am I correct in assuming this to be a device of storytelling?
if so, is there a technical term for such a device?
what other subtext, if any, can you as native speakers extract from that sentence in the context established by the story as the author tells it?


texts:
Example sentence:

  Marcos was the guy who had recently joined Mary's company. Also the
  guy who had recently confessed to her.

Is it clear what confessed mean in this context? Or maybe there's a word that means love confession?


texts:
Almost all of my students use the word "cooperate" in this way: "My company cooperates with X." X can be a company or person.  For example, if the student works at MediaTek, they will say "We cooperate with Sony and HTC for mobile chip design."

In looking in several dictionaries, the first definition is always "to work together toward a common goal," however the example sentences do not have "work together" as the feeling but "do something you don't really want to do."  For example, "ask the child to cooperate and go to bed." I have heard sentences such as "The suspect is cooperating with authorities," or "Her child is uncooperative in class and causes disruptions."

I always thought cooperate has this feeling of "forced" or "unwillingly obliges."  Before coming to Taiwan, I never heard people use "cooperate" in the sense of "work with another company."  I usually suggest "We work with HTC and Sony." as a better choice.  Also, they will sometimes say "I need to / must cooperate with my customers."  This usage seems to support my idea of the word, however when I ask for further details they don't feel "unwilling" to work with customers.  Some do, though.

Does cooperate mean to work together without any emotional feelings or willingness or obligation?  Is cooperate a neutral word?


texts:
I'm looking for an adjective that says "It's cold, but not that cold".  For example, lukewarm means (in my mind) "It's warm, but not that warm", and I'm looking for its cold counterpart.  Every synonym I find for cold describes an increased cold, not a decreased cold.

Is there any word like this?


texts: When would "tenthly" occur in this context?

texts:
Say you have several options for how often you get paid:

Weekly
Biweekly
Monthly
Tenthly
Annually

When would "tenthly" occur?


texts:
In Russian language there is a bold, threatening expression, describing your fists and the force of your blow. When you are saying that you are going to punch someone with your both fists badly, would the phrase "my right blow's final and the left one's feral" sound native/ok for an English-speaker's ear?
Or maybe there is something like that? (The Russian phrase is: "мой правый (right) - коронный (finishing/top quality, левый (left) - похоронный (will send you to the grave)")


texts:
Is this grammatical and readable?

A politician should consult with his party before declaring his intentions for the next election.


texts: Better phrase for "dependent on" in this scenario

texts:
I am trying to think of a word or phrase that best describes this scenario.

Although Marcia ended up finding a new job that she enjoyed, it would not have happened had corporate not had layoffs earlier in the year. "My new job was dependent on my previous position being eliminated," explained Marcia.

However, the phrase dependent on doesn't sound quite right to me. While I understand it's probably the correct usage, I get the impression that she was searching for a new job but couldn't take one until her previous job was eliminated. Rather, I want to describe that she had to get a new job as a result of something negative (i.e. the layoff).
Some other options I've considered:

"My new job was contingent on my previous position being eliminated."
"My new job was predicated on my previous position being eliminated."

However, "contingent" gives me the same impression as "dependent" and I'm not sure if that's the correct usage of "predicated."


texts: "delivered effort" versus "deliberate effort"

texts: If someone has written, "a delivered effort to do something," is it a typo where the intended word was "deliberate" or is it its own turn of phrase?


texts:
I need one word that means "to move on" as in from a traumatic experience or otherwise emotionally affecting event.

For example:

He moved on after the divorce.
The soldier was never able to move on after the war.

Thank you.


texts:
I am part of an organisation that uses Scrum Agile methodology to develop software solutions. The Scrum Guide defines a 'Product Backlog' in a positive way as a "living artefact" i.e. under perpetual review where items with the most 'value' rise to the top.

However, as an organisation we also get 'work' that ideally we would deal with immediately but often we don't and so it tends to accumulate to the point where it would take a lot of time and effort to clear. People in the organisation use the word 'backlog' in this pejorative sense.

Because 'Product Backlog' is a 'good' term prescribed by Scrum, I want to find another term that better describes the 'bad' accumulation of work.

In many ways 'cancer' is a good fit: procrastination or denial makes treatment more difficult and leads to dire outcomes. However, because we are in the healthcare sector, this isn't appropriate! Also, it doesn't fit the usage e.g. "We have a two-year backlog of blah work right now."


texts: What is the grammatical difference behind "is interesting" and "is interested"?

texts:
I am a native English speaker, yet I cannot explain to a non-native speaker why I say:

  I am interested in history.

as well as

  History is interesting to me.

Why is it "is interesting" when history is the subject, but not when I am?


texts:
I wonder if there are some other ways to express the fact that I have been learning something for a certain period of time but still haven't mastered the ABCs of it?
The following is what I am not quite sure about:

I am a green hand at fixing cars.
I haven't even touched the door to fixing cars.
Fixing cars is just  like learning Chinese to me.

Can I say the above?
Any other better expressions?  Thank you. :)


texts:
What is the meaning of this quote?

  Thus, from the war of nature, from famine and death, the most exalted object which we are capable of conceiving, namely, the production of the higher animals, directly follows. There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed into a few forms or into one; and that, whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved.

Who or what is the most 'exalted object' we can ever conceive of? I take it from the quote that it's these so-called 'higher animals', but is it? I really don't what to make of it, but I would really like to hear your opinions.


texts:
In a scientific article I want to say that the noise is large with respect to to the measurement that I am trying to preform. Specifically, I'm looking for peaks in some function, that may by "hidden" by noise.

Is "hidden by noise" the right expression, or is there a better word than "hidden"?


texts: Must "nominate" be applied to an object other than the subject itself?

texts:
If you declare yourself as a candidate for office, can that declaration be considered a nomination?

Or, is the verb nominate only applicable when it is applied to someone other than the nominator?

Self reference: I ask this in response to a discussion regarding the use of nominate in Stack Exchange elections, where all "nominations" are done by the candidates themselves.


texts: Why is the sentence "Statistics 'is' often misleading" incorrect?

texts:
Why is the sentence "Statistics is often misleading" incorrect?

I know that statistics can be singular but also plural. Should I use singular in this case?


texts:
'We care for us'

or

'We care about us'?

What sentence is actually right? Maybe both sentences are good?


texts:
Please explain if the sentence
'to lie prone on the bed  with the legs up in the air bent at the knees'
 conveys the idea that someone to lie flat on the tummy in a provocative position.


texts: Ending a sentence with a pronoun and verb

texts:
Is it okay to end a sentence with a pronoun band verb?
For example, "What a fine young lass you are"
Or "A progressive thinker you are".


texts:
Our deputy manager is the virtual head of the business.

In this sentence the manager is the real person who in charge.

  There will be a virtual presenter and virtual guests who will help create the atmosphere of a beauty contest.

Here the presenter and guests are all fake.

This virtual really confuses me.


texts: "... with little interference to absorption-with one exception." What does this mean?

texts:
I have read this information in some blog:

Can someone explain what the sentence "About 50% of the small intestine can be removed with little interference to absorption-with one exception" means?


texts: Which of "calf's-foot jelly" and "calves'-foot jelly" is appropriate?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  How to write “calf's liver”  on menu

I'm trying to find out which of the terms calf's-foot jelly and  calves'-foot jelly is more appropriate for referring to this aspic-like comestible in conversation, but haven't found any definitive answer; ngrams shows similar frequency of use for both terms. Any advice?

Edit: I added suggested term calves'-feet jelly to the ngrams search.  For brief intervals ca. 1810, 1840, and 1900, it was dominant, but usually one of the other two terms has prevailed in frequency.


texts: Am I using in "which in turn" correctly?

texts: The windows do not block out sun light which in turn causes problems such as glares, eye damage, and skin damage for students.


texts: "There are a couple of apples" or "there is a couple of apples"?

texts:
You have only one couple of apples, so it's singular.
There are multiple apples, so it's plural.

Which one is right, "there are a couple of apples" or "there is a couple of apples"? I have seen both used.

In Dutch you would say "there is a couple of apples" because you only have one couple of apples. How about English?


texts:
Is it possible to use "wing" as a verb meaning "blowing something in a certain direction," as in the following?

"The wind winged a thick heap of clouds off westward, to cloud over the corn field that had been, but a short time earlier, dyed gold with the gloaming."


texts: Does a gerund always end with "-ing"? If so, why?

texts: After asking what the difference is between a gerund and a participle, I began to wonder if all gerunds end with -ing, since I couldn't think of any that didn't. If they do, why?


texts:
I attended a meeting by a very senior person at my work place. The meeting concerned the theme of Data analytics and Big Data.

The presentation mentioned the goal as "evangelize raw data".
Is this usage correct and appropriate?


texts:
I'm making a fantasy game, where one of the character classes is supposed to be called a "Arrow Imbuer". Yet it is marked with a red line on my PC, so I guess I'm writing a word incorrectly.

A short description of what an "Arrow Imbuer" does: a character that can imbue an arrow head with magical powers to deal extra damage.

Is there a word for someone who imbues something?


texts: What Part of speech is "back" in my sentences

texts:
Back in time.    Back in those days

What part of speech is "Back"  in those sentences


texts: Is there a word or phrase meaning to plant my idea in someone else’s mind?

texts:
Is there a word or phrase that means to plant my idea in someone else’s mind so they think it is their own idea?

Just like what happened in the movie Inception.


texts: Describe the whistle one makes when surprised

texts:
There are many ways that a person might whistle.  I'm searching for a word that describes the slow, contemplative whistle that one might make when digesting new and surprising information.

Is there a better way to describe that whistle that is "slow, contemplative"?


texts: Is there an adjective that means 'fruit-like'?

texts:
Is there a word for fruit-like that could be uttered by an aristocratic gentleman of the 18th Century in a club such as Boodle's without sounding anachronous or ill-befitting of his class?

Before anyone mentions it, I have looked at 'fruitlike', but, due to its lack of use pre-1850 (Ngrams) and the fact it is being corrected by my spell-checker due to its rarity, I am discounting it.

  Adjective

  fruitlike (comparative more fruitlike, superlative most fruitlike)

  Resembling fruit.

  The chewing gum had a fruitlike fragrance.

(Wiktionary)

I have also looked at fruity but, in my setting, it seems slightly out-of-place, despite it being used at the time†.

  Adjective

  fruity (comparative fruitier, superlative fruitiest)

  containing fruit or fruit flavouring
  similar to fruit or tasting of fruit
  (informal) mad, crazy
  (informal, derogatory, LGBT, of a male) effeminate or otherwise flamboyant or homosexual
  (Britain, informal) sexually suggestive.

  His text message was filled with fruity language.

The sentence into which my word needs to fit is as follows:

  By George! doesn't that painting render his head so dreadfully [fruity]

† It was used at the time, but I am unsure as to with which meaning; № 3, 4, 5 would certainly not fit.

  fruity (adj.)
  1650s, from fruit + -y (2). Related: Fruitiness.

(Etymoline)

The example sentence doesn't need to be too rigid; if you can find a good word, don't let the sentence stop you!


texts: How/From where did the term "paradigm shift" originate?

texts: Paradigm Shift + Thinking outside of the box = Death of a Salesman


texts: difference between conjunctions "but" and "however"

texts: Both signal that expectations raised by the preceding statement will be confounded to some extent by the following statement.   Do they differ in any way, e.g. by the extent of the confounding they signal?


texts: Is "have been" without "*-ing" present perfect continuous?

texts:
The are many variations of this question but they don't answer my example. I wrote somewhere that "XYZ companies have been the engines of American innovation". Someone retorted "Have been, not they are?".
But I was under the impression that to use have/has been in this sense implies that they still are xyz. But looking up "present perfect continuous" reveals that there needs to be a verb ending with ing.
So what tense am I using in the above example? am I wrong to believe that I'm implying these companies still are engines of blah blah blah?


texts: When you're thinking of two different words and mispronounce one because you are still thinking of the other

texts:
Is there a word to describe this situation?

ex. A coworker just said the word meander, but pronounced it similar to wander because he was thinking of both word and decided to go with one over the other.


texts: When should "into" be used rather than "in to," and vice versa?

texts: "Into" (one word) and "in to" (two words) are frequently confused.  In what situations should the former be used?  The latter?


texts: When did "brick-and-mortar" become a set phrase?

texts:
Brick and mortar (also bricks and mortar or B&M):

in its simplest usage describes the physical presence of a building(s) or other structure. The term brick-and-mortar business is often used to refer to a company that possesses buildings, production facilities, or store for operations.

More specifically, in the jargon of e-commerce businesses, brick-and-mortar businesses are companies that have a physical presence and offer face-to-face customer experiences.
(Wikepedia)

The expression brick-and-mortar business is mainly used in contrast to internet commerce.

Ngram does not seem to provide much help as it traces the expressions at least from the beginning of the 19th century.

Questions:
When did "brick-and-mortar" become an "antonym" of e-commerce?
Was it also used with that connotation before e-commerce developed, when catalogue merchant  sales became popular?


texts:
I don't understand the function of "coming" word in the sentence below.

  ... as they weigh the scale of monetary easing coming later this
  month.

Is it working as a gerund? and if so, why is it in gerund?

Could i rewrite:

  As they weigh the scale of monetary easing which is coming later his month.


texts: Word for "When two (or more) people are chasing after the same thing"?

texts:
In baseball when two people are running toward the same pop fly, one will often yell "I got it!" or "mine"!
But in life there are all kinds of situations where two people are going for the same parking spot, or chasing after the same love interest, etc.
Is there a general term in English that describes these collisions? Is there a more formal term for when one person calls "shotgun" for these collisions (i.e. calls dibs, or claims ownership)?


texts: How to interpret this sentence? Also, a "Which vs. That" question

texts:
I was perusing the Wikipedia article about the Transformers film series and there is a section that describes a fifth movie in the franchise. Specifically, the section begins with this sentence:

  Transformers 5 is the fifth film in the series that is currently untitled.

Are all of the following interpretations valid (without any external context)?

"Transformers 5 is an untitled movie that comes after four previous movies."
"Transformers 5 is the fifth untitled movie in the current series."
"Transformers 5 is the fifth movie in an untitled series."

As a second question, would any interpretations be invalid if the sentence was changed to

  Transformers 5 is the fifth film in the series which is currently untitled.


texts: In the phrase, "it better be good", what is better?

texts: Clearly the verb in the sentence in "it better be good" is "be", but what is "better"? Is it an auxiliary or an adverb?


texts: Are there any differences in meaning or nuance between ‘suffocation’ and ‘asphyxiation’?

texts:
There was a lot of news about a fire in a nightclub in southern Brazil, where 233 people were killed. I found some newspapers wrote that most of the victims died from ‘suffocation’ and other media e.g. AP news reported that they were killed from ‘asphyxiation.’

As I was ignorant of the word ‘asphyxiation,’ I consulted an English-Japanese dictionary at hand. It says ‘asphyxiation’ means ‘suffocation.” I confirmed that Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Synonyms also shows ‘suffocation” in the top of the list of the synonym to ‘asphyxiation.’

However, as I checked the origins of both words, they are different. Based on Merriam Webster English Dictionary, ‘asphyxiation’ was originated from Greek “a – without” +σφύξις (sphix) meaning heartbeat,” while ‘suffocation’ was made up with Latin “Sub +fauces meaning throat.” The former is associated with heart / pulse. The latter relates to throat / breath.

Are ‘asphyxiation’ and ‘suffocation’ exactly the same in both meaning and nuance? Why did they use different words for the cause of deaths in the same incident?

As I said I didn’t know the word, ‘asphyxiation.’ Is it as popular as ‘suffocation’?


texts: What does walking on wet pavement sound like?

texts:
I've had the word 'clicking' down for a while, but it truly doesn't capture what I'm trying to express. I have a very distinct sound in my head, but I just can't find the right word. I would just leave it and move on, but it's bugging me to the point that I can no longer push it aside. Can someone help?
(Clarification: the character is walking in non-athletic, typical teenager sneakers; not boots, or heels, or anything that would make a clicking sound.)


texts: One word substitutions for number of days?

texts: Words exist to label periods of time - like week which represents 7 days and fortnight which is used for a 14-day period. Are there other such words used for certain numbers of consecutive days?


texts: What part of speech are "plus", "times", and "minus"

texts:
In mathematics one will often say "This plus that" or "This times that". This means "This added too that" and "This multiplied by that".

Multiply, Add, Subtract, Divide - All are verbs. But what part of speech is "times" or "plus". It's wrong to say "times this by that" or "plus this with that". So they do not seem to be verbs, but they imply an action.


texts: Identifying differences among the following sentences

texts:
If there are say, 5 people in a team, can anyone explain the subtle differences among the meaning of each of the following sentences?

  Each of them wouldn't think bad about the other.

  Each of them wouldn't think bad about rest of them.

  Each of them wouldn't think bad about anyone of them.

  Each of them wouldn't think bad about all of them.

  Each of them wouldn't think bad about anybody else.

  Each of them wouldn't think bad about anybody.

  Each of them wouldn't think bad about everybody.

And are these sentences correct too?

Or maybe I will explain it here what I think & anyone of you can let me know if anything is wrong or about what is their answer.

'Each of them wouldn't think bad about the other' means any team member wouldn't think separately bad about any other member in the same team.

'Each of them wouldn't think bad about rest of them' means any team member wouldn't think collectively bad about the other 4 members.

'Each of them wouldn't think bad about anyone of them' means the same as the 1st sentence.

'Each of them wouldn't think bad about all of them' means any team member wouldn't think collectively bad about all of the members (including him/herself).

'Each of them wouldn't think bad about anybody else' means any team member wouldn't think separately bad about anybody other than him/herself. The 'anybody else' here refers to any other person inside or outside the team but just not him/herself.

'Each of them wouldn't think bad about anybody' means any team member wouldn't think separately bad about anybody. The 'anybody' here refers to any person inside or outside the team including him/herself. (so literally anybody in the world). Here I do have a doubt though- does 'anybody' include him/herself?

'Each of them wouldn't think bad about everybody' means any team member wouldn't think collectively bad about everybody. The 'everybody' here refers to all people whether inside or outside the team including him/herself. (so literally everybody in the world)


texts:
In the Wikipedia entry listing the characters from Harper Lee’s 1960 novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, there is a line that states the following:

  Calpurnia is the Finch family’s housekeeper, whom the children love
  and Atticus deeply respects (he remarks in her defense that she “never
  indulged [the children] like most colored nurses”).

What does the line “never indulged [the children] like most colored nurses” mean?


texts: Do I need a comma or semi-colon before particularly in this example

texts: I thoroughly enjoy getting lost in the writing of Donna Tartt, particularly The Secret History.


texts: What (if ever) is the context at which I should use the term "various and sundries?

texts: My neighbor uses the term/phrase "various and sundries" all the time, but first off, it seems like he just means the word "various" alone, but adds "and sundries" to it for some reason. And then once in a while I'll hear someone else say it. But what context is it supposed to properly be used in, if I should even try to use it at all?


texts:
Dogs are really our best friends.
Dogs really are our best friends.

I know both sentences are grammatically correct, but what's the difference between them?


texts: Singular vs. Plural with Multiple Gerunds as Subject (IE: [Gerund] and [Gerund] are/is [something].)

texts:
I'm trying to find out whether I should use a singular or plural verb when there are multiple gerunds as the subject of the sentence.
For example:

Running the correct course and keeping a steady pace are/is necessary in
order to win.

With either one of these by itself, "is" would be correct:

Running the correct course is necessary in order to win.
Keeping a steady pace is necessary in  order to win.

With both gerunds combined, I can't seem to figure out whether the verb should stay singular since each phrase is singular, or if it should become plural since there are two connected by "and".
If we just treat the gerunds as regular nouns, then obviously it would become "are", but I'm not sure if gerunds have the exact same rules as regular nouns.
I know that if the sentence was:

Running the correct course and keeping a steady pace are both necessary.

That "are" would be correct, but without the "both" it sounds incorrect to me.
Does anyone know the official rule here?


texts: What does it mean- "why might that be? " This is the complete sentence:If America’s universities are indeed poor value for money, why might that be?


texts:
There is a quote from a local translation bureau website:

  A translation shall be excellent in every respect: style, and formatting, and words, and meaning.

Is the use of 'in every respect' appropriate in this context?

I feel that 'style, formatting, words, and meaning' are aspects (or attributes) of a translation. Can we call them 'respects'?


texts:
can I say "it took a huge effort from me to read this book"?
Thanks


texts: Should a noun after the determiner *their* take in the form of singular or of plural?

texts:
Should I say

  Some people use the word "flat" to describe their phone when its battery is dead.

or

  Some people use the word "flat" to describe their phones when their batteries are dead. (I wanted to use "their" here to refer to the phone's instead of the people's)

or

  Some people use the word "flat" to describe their phones when their battery is dead. (I wanted to use "their" here to refer to the phone's instead of the people's)

Which one is grammatically correct and why?


texts:
I lighted upon a sentence in the New York Times:

  Actually almost any tidbit — notably pigs in blankets — that the bar sends my way will satisfy.

This usage of satisfy strikes me as uncommon, if not jarring, as the verb satisfy almost always occurs as a transitive verb. I have just checked all the major online dictionaries. The Oxford Dictionaries Online explicitly says it should be used "with object", while some others have "intransitive verb" listed but no example sentences. I can't seem to find one instance in contemporary texts that uses satisfy intransitively.

So is this usage archaic? Or has it never been a common/widely accepted usage? What is the currency of this usage?


texts: How to translate "original democracy" (= democraţie originală) (pejorative)?

texts:
Some of the (political) analysts have been argued for years about the "originality" of democracy when speaking about the transition period after the communist period (1990+). The literal expression in Romanian is "democraţie originală" which can be translated to "original democracy" and is used pejoratively to describe a strange and convoluted way of implementing democracy.

However, Google suggests that "original democracy" is connected to the first(?) democracy, the Athenian one.

Indeed, the English word original has two meanings:

  present or existing from the beginning; first or earliest.
  created personally by a particular artist, writer, musician, etc.; not a copy.

In Romanian there is no such ambiguity since there are two different words for these two concepts (originar vs. original).

Question: How to translate "original democracy" (= democraţie originală) to avoid ambiguity and keep the pejorative meaning?

Something that crosses my mind is "creative democracy", but this sounds quite positive to me.


texts:
Do these sentences use instead of properly?

  He cycles to school instead of drive.

  He cycles to school instead of driving.

CDO gives the example

  I wish you'd spend more time at home instead of going out drinking

which I believe licenses the second alternative above.

  He takes the bus rather than walk

seems to suggest that the first alternative is not easily judged to be unacceptable.


texts: Does this sentence' That is so incredulous' make sense?

texts:
Does this sentence make sense?
That is so incredulous, I am not sure.


texts: How do I say "flexibility with time" on my CV?

texts:
Similar to this question, but slightly different.

I'm trying to convey the willingness to work flexible hours.

I'm translating from Spanish for a friend of mine. A literal translation of  'disponibilidad horaria' is 'time availability' which doesn't sound right.

I'll make it 'willing to work flexible hours' as proposed by @Avon


texts: What is the subject in the sentence," My shoes have been repaired."


texts: Is "I already have two stamps drawn" grammatically correct?

texts:
Is it grammatically correct and is it the right way to say that I have something already made and I'm still doing it, in this case drawing the stamps?

Because as far as I know, 'have' should be after 'I', like this: 'I have already (but what should go there then?) two stamps drawn'?


texts: Term or phrase that encompasses both top-down and bottom-up

texts: When neither a top-down approach nor a bottom-up approach works, exclusively of each other, how might I succinctly label an approach that encompasses both top-down and bottom-up?


texts: What's your look on the verb "revision"?

texts:
I'm looking for a short word that means "to create a new vision" for something.

Maybe the obvious is 'revision', but not sure if that word isn't obsolete... it feels a bit syrupy as a verb.

E.g., revision life or revision society, revision the plan, revision the economy.

What do you think of revision? Any suggestions of other words to cover that meaning?

Alternatively, I have been thinking about: reimagine, recapture, remake, rethink, recreate. But it doesn't cover the meaning that I'm looking for.

Thanks for your help :)

Floris


texts: Is it "It is likely to happen" or "It is likely that that happen?"

texts:
It is likely to happen.
It is likely that that happen.

Which sentence is correct? Because, in French, we say, "Il est probable que cela se produise", and, in English, "que" and "cela" are both "that".
Therefore, it looks repetitive to me.


texts: I often write and see written something like "Fix typo" in commit messages, when the fix was not in fact for a "typographical error".  It might have been a duplicate word, a small grammatical problem (perhaps have/has, they're/their), an awkward construction, or a mistaken identifier.  Is there a good, compact word or phrase that would describe this more accurately, but perhaps isn't as pretentious and hollow as "Fix minor linguistic problems"?


texts: What does it mean "To hold up against scrutiny"

texts: So I have this sentence: "These books are very good and they hold up against both biblical and geopolitical scrutiny" and I'm not sure what would that mean...


texts:
I love the song Pass It On by The Coral, but I can't understand the meaning of this sentence:

  Just find the feeling, pass it on.

What does pass it on mean?


texts: BC or CE (or something else) in a translation?

texts:
A direct translation of what I'm translating from Swedish is:

  Hippocrates lived several hundred years BC.

No matter how many times I look at it, it seems wrong. Is it?

I've also tested writing:

  Hippocrates lived several hundred years before the Common Era.

and

  Hippocrates lived several hundred years before Christ.

At this point everything looks suspicious to me. I looked at COCA to see how frequently Common Era is used, but I didn't find it helpful this time. Taking away the religious aspect would not be a bad thing.

What would you write?


texts: I am proofreading a math textbook. The author writes, "Ask students the following questions. Have them write their answer in their math journal. Then call on several students to check answers." My question involves the statement that questions will follow and then I see two or even three more lines of text before the questions. It does not seem logical to me to use "the following" when the questions do not follow, but I would like your opinion(s) on this matter.


texts: Is there an alternative grammar term for 'auxiliary (verb)'?

texts:
The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language consistently uses the term "auxiliary (verb)" to refer to be, have, do, will/can/may/must, etc., but CGEL doesn't treat auxiliaries as mere assistants (i.e., auxiliaries) of lexical verbs since CGEL adopts the catenative-auxiliary analysis over the dependent-auxiliary analysis.

The former analysis treats "auxiliaries" as the heads of the VPs whereas the latter analysis treats them as dependents of the following lexical verb.

Why would CGEL keep the term "auxiliary (verb)", which I think is incongruous with the catenative-auxiliary analysis?

Is there an alternative grammar term for 'auxiliary (verb)' that is in use in a modern grammar that adopts the catenative-auxiliary analysis?

This question arose out of an earlier answer to the question Is “Helper Verb” Old School?


texts:
What is the meaning of the "the river is flowing?" Is this valid usage?

  Websters, #2: River: A large quantity of a flowing substance

The river is already a flow by definition. Can the river be "not flowing?"


texts:
Reading Look to the Lady, by Margery Allingham, I came across the apparent slang "catch a bosso," used by Lugg, the Cockney manservant, at the beginning of Chapter 6:

  As soon as I caught a bosso of 'im and 'is 'arem going up that street, I come up to see what the 'ell you was up to---sir.

The meaning seems clear enough---Lugg caught a glimpse of "'im and 'is 'arem"---but I'm wondering about the etymology.  Is this an instance of Cockney rhyming slang and, if so, what is the origin?

I should add that Look to the Lady is set in the late 1920s or early 1930s, so this slang might be localized in both time and place.


texts: What do you call off days you accrue for working 24/7 on call duty?

texts:
In some jobs you accrue paid days off after working a full week on 24/7 call duty. That duty usually involves full phone availability and even going on site if the incidence cannot be solved remotelly. The paid off days you accrue you can then use at your convenience and are not deduced from the PTO. Usually the reason for that policy is because the 24/7 availability duty could potentially be physical or mentally extenuating and can be simply used to rest.

A literal translation from my native language would be "compensatory days", but I would like to know the commonly used english phrasing if such exist.


texts: What does “Nate Silver’s deal with ESPN is about more than Disney vs. the New York Times” mean?

texts:
Time magazine (July 22) reported the move of Nate Silver, baseball-stats analyst who turned election data-cruncher, and predicted the last two presidential elections more accurately than politicians and pundits from New York Times to ESPN under the headline, “There is a 99.45% chance that Nate Silver is changing journalism.”

http://entertainment.time.com/2013/07/22/there-is-a-99-45-chance-that-nate-silver-is-changing-journalism/#ixzz2ZoAXD0ZQ

In the subhead line, the Time says:

  “His deal with ESPN is about more than Disney vs. the New York Times.
  If Silver-style analysis spreads, everyone can win.” What does “His
  deal with ESPN is about more than Disney vs. the New York Times?”

What is the legitimate link between Disney and the New York Times? Is this a well-turned expression?


texts:
I frequently come across this expression in technical writing:

This document is copyright (c) 2012 XYZ Company Inc.

Is that a correct/acceptable way to express it? "This document is copyright..." sounds very weird to me.

Do the copyright laws of the UK or US perhaps mandate or necessitate a wording such as this?

EDIT

It has been suggested to close this question because it is a legal question, not a usage question. So I feel I need to clarify:

This is meant to be a question about English usage. The core of my question is the words, "Is that a correct/acceptable way to express it?", by which I mean "correct and acceptable English usage." My last sentence is merely meant as a possible guess as to the reason for a possibly strange usage.


texts: What are the types of the phoneme distribution? How to define them?

texts:
I was given a task to define the types of the phoneme distribution in these words:

  tea [tiː] – stay [steɪ] – try [traɪ] – twice [twaɪs] – little [ˈlɪtl]

But I have no idea how to do that. Could you give me a hint or advice?

Maybe it's about complementary and contrastive distribution and free-variants (that's what I've found in the internet). But I don't understand all that abstruse terms. Perhaps people who are familiar with this subject, can explain it in simple words?


texts: The meaning of Let us not or Do not let us

texts:
As far as I know, the negatives of Let us are Let us not and Do not let us. And Let us has two different meaning: one is a suggestion and the other is an imperative. Then doesn't Let us not or Do not let us have the two different meaning?
a. Let us not watch the movie.
b. Do not let us watch the movie.
I think both a and b are correct and have the same meaning: one is How about we don't watch the movie?(suggestion) and the other is You shouldn't allow us to watch the movie(imperative). Am I right?


texts: Is the word 'honky' still used only pejoratively?

texts:
I know that historically honky was a pejorative term for a white person and that it may still be so but there is a 1973 song by the British band called Vinegar Joe titled 'Proud to be (a Honky Woman)' where this word is clearly used in a desirable sense.

Is this a one-off or have the attributes of the word changed?


texts: What do you call someone who is favored by a higher authority?

texts: What do you call someone who is favored by a higher authority, such as in the work place they get more perks than other people...teacher's pet?


texts: What is the difference between "farthermost" and "furthermost"?

texts: What is the difference between farthermost and furthermost? In most cases, a quick Google search for the "word vs word" returns the answer on the first page. Not for this one.


texts: How to refer to myself in a research paper?

texts:
Okay so I have collected personal spending data of myself and significant other over a period of 6 months. I'm quite happy with the data and would like to present it and write it up as a research paper. I'm not going to be publishing it but would like to do it for fun (and a bit of practice can't hurt).

The dilemma I am facing at the moment is that I cannot figure out how to refer to myself or my significant other as participants in the study. I have been trying to figure this out for a few days now and google is really giving me a hard time. I cannot find a single thing relevant to what I am trying to do.

My first issue I have come to is that I am captioning a figure that reads similar to this. Figure 1: Average daily spending vs time for myself (solid line) and significant other (dotted line).

Is this the correct way to refer to myself and significant other? It feels much too informal for my liking. I have considered making a small statement that states that myself will be referred to as "participant A" and my significant other will be referred to as "participant B", but this might add unnecessary confusion.

Is there a standard on this? This has been driving me absolutely crazy over the past few days and would really appreciate any insight or suggestions.


texts:
A Hacker News commentator wrote:

if you open up moderation then you'll get Tyranny of the Majority [1].
But in the internet age it would actually be
tyranny-of-the-people-a-chip-on-their-shoulder-and-time-to-burn.
[1] : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyranny_of_the_majority

I wonder if there is a better or at least shorter term for "the tyranny of the people with a chip on their shoulder and time to burn"?


texts: Which one is correct "eth" or "est" with Thou in a verb?

texts: In a hundred prismatic manifestations, thou makest/ maketh the goblet whirl.Nurturing the mirror of an astounded gaze, it is I!


texts: We use a "Mail-In Registration Form."  Or, should we be using a "Mail In Registration Form," without the dash?


texts: What is the small room most businesses have at their entrance called?

texts:
Often times when you enter through the front doors of a business, you enter a small room, generally less than 10ft × 10ft, and then have to go through another set of doors to enter the building. The purpose of this room as I understand it is to create a buffer between the atmosphere outside and inside the building and prevent drafts. During the winter it helps to prevent heat from escaping from the inside of the building and during the summer it helps to keep the cool air conditioned air inside.

I've often seen these rooms so small they are barely big enough for two people to stand in.

What is this room called? I thought it was called a foyer, but the Wikipedia article, Google Image Search, and the Merriam-Webster definition all suggest a foyer is what I've only ever referred to as a lobby.


texts: What is the correct term (preferably a noun) to describe the amount of time spent on practicing an instrument?

texts:
For video games, I think played time is the general phrase to say how much time someone has spent on playing a game. For example, player A has accumulated 2000 hours of played time. For pilot, I think it's flight time. For example, commercial pilot requires 4 months of flight time to obtain a license. What about musicians? What is a short concise noun to describe the amount of time someone has spent on deliberately practicing an instrument?
I considered played time because musicians typically say "I play piano" or "I play guitar". What about vocalists? They don't say "I play voice". Is practiced time an appropriate choice here? Thank you


texts: What are the words ending in "-ey" pronounced [eɪ]?

texts:
As a native French speaker, I used to pronounce the end of all the English words ending in "-ey" as [eɪ] instead of [i]. Most noticeably, such of those words that are directly used in French are almost automatically mispronounced as ending in [eɪ] by even good English French speakers: hockey, jockey, (silicon) valley... or proper nouns: McCartney, Surrey...

I came to realise my mistake here years ago and then proceeded to  learn to pronounce those words with an [i] instead consistently.

However, a simple word: "survey". The recommended pronunciation is [ˈs3ːrveɪ], which holds the previous rule off. I also found "grey" or "prey" to work.

Are there other such words? And more importantly: why are they not pronounced [i]? An etymological reason maybe?
Can a rule be drawn to learn how to pronounce them?


texts: "If" with implicit "then" question: Should a comma be used?

texts:
Consider the following phrase:

  If the fruit is an apple, it should be given to children.

Is the comma after apple necessary? Is it optional? Is it wrong?


texts: What is this architectural element called?

texts:
In the image below there is a rectangular roof above the entrance, which sits on four columns.

What is it called?

My guess: Apron


texts: What word should I use to express the feeling of stepping on a banana's peel or walking on an oily floor?

texts: I am curious about the word I should use to express my feeling when I step on a banana's peel, touch on an oily surface, or walk on an oily floor. My feeling is smooth and moving fast. I don't know what word should I use to express this feeling.


texts: Can an colon and an em dash be used in the same sentence?

texts:
Or is it considered poor punctuation?
For instance, I read this recently:

The school nurse had seen what Aunt Petunia's eyes–– so sharp when it came to spotting fingerprints on her gleaming walls, and in observing the comings and goings of the neighbors--simply refused to see: that, far from needing extra nourishment, Dudley had reached roughly the size and weight of a young killer whale.

–– J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire


texts:
a linen weaver has been driven by a false charge of theft away from his home and taking refuge in the village of Raveloe.

Do I have to say have to repeat "has been" again to tell the reader that "taking refuge..." doesn't follow after "driven".


texts:
Is the usage of from in the below paragraph correct? I just now read it in the paper.

  In response to a question on the Kashmir issue, Mr. Lu said China’s position remained “clear and consistent”. “This is an issue that is left over from between India and Pakistan. We hope that the two sides will engage in friendly dialogue consultation and solve this issue and other related issues”.


texts: we would be [risking]/[running the risk of] missing

texts:
CONTEXT:
It's now 5:30pm. John and Bill need to get to the railroad station as quickly as possible because they have tickets for train A, which arrives at 6:30pm. Bill's car is slow, so they take John's car, which is fast, and when they're already on their way to the station, Bill says one of the sentences below.
SENTENCES:

If we had taken my car instead of yours, we would be risking missing the 6:30 train.

If we had taken my car instead of yours, we would be running the risk of missing the 6:30 train.

QUESTION:
Do the bolded parts work in the above sentences in the context given?
Thanks in advance.


texts: Is it true that if you use a preposition and then a verb, it must end with "ing"?

texts:
I've read a grammar rule. If you use a preposition and then a verb, it must end with "ing"
Is it always true, or there are exceptions?


texts:
Buyer's remorse is when you have a sense of regret after purchasing something. You may have been coerced into first purchasing the item out of fear or guilt.

What would the opposite of this be?

For example, I bought a pair of shoes and I am extremely content with my purchase. Initially I held no rooted affinity for the shoes, but after awhile, they are undoubtedly the best thing ever

...or

I bought a blender without giving much thought because I needed something to blend all my protein shakes. But now after using it, I just feel like telling the world and updating my status every day reminding everyone how amazing this blender is.

update: I asked a coworker and she mentioned buyer's rejoice. Is this such a thing? Do people use this?


texts: What do we call people who stand in the street food shops selling their stuffs?


texts: Why did English adopt both 'estrange' and 'strange'?

texts:
I'm not asking about the definitions of estrange and strange, and I realise that modern usage isn't a strict function of the original meaning of a word. I wish to know why English appropriated both words.

Etymonline doesn't explain this. Its mention of  the Modern French « étrange », worsens my confusion, because it insinuates some hidden reason why French only appropriated one Latin word. I read OED but it's too brusque; so I don't quote it.


texts: How do you say "mental" in American dialects of English?

texts:
I usually refer to Cambridge Dictionary for pronunciation. For mental they have the IPA of:

mental
adjective · UK /ˈmen.tᵊl/ US /-t̬ᵊl/

When I click on the US pronunciation, I hear them saying /ˈmen.dəl/ with a D. You can see mental on Cambridge at this link.
But when I check the Longman Pronunciation Dictionary for the US pronunciation, I hear /ˈmen.təl/ same UK? You can see the pronunciation at this link.
My question is, which one of those is right and which one of those wrong?


texts: "Either x or either y-" why does this occur?

texts:
Recently, I've noticed several instances of people repeating "either" in sentences, ex. "you're either the predator or you're either the prey." Is this a documented phenomenon, or am I just in odd company?
(I have heard this exclusively from monolingual English speakers- it seems similar to the Spanish use of "ni" but may or may not be related.)


texts:
I am seeking a verb that means "to remove dependence" or something equivalent.

I am trying to describe a new, novel innovation of an object that eliminates the status quo object's dependence on direction.

The phrase in question is "[Blank]-ing directional dependence".

I am looking for a word whose definition is similar to "making independent", however, my nearly one hour long thesaurus search yielded nothing that fits quite right.

Thank you for your consideration.


texts: What was the original purpose and origin of complimentary closes?

texts:
Emails and letters commonly end with a closing phrase such as

  Yours faithfully,
  Jonny McJoe

...but I never understood the reason why such a thing would come up in the first place.

Maybe it's because letters were (a long time ago) longer and better written, possibly a glorified form of communication that expressed more than just the message they contained, and closing them in a way that showed good taste, politeness, etc was part of that glorification?

In modern usage they sound very weird to me, like

  Hello.

  I've sent the PDF with the report, be sure to backup before the maintenance this time!

  Yours sincerely,
  Gregor McGreg

So, why it was invented, or under what sort of influence it became the norm?


texts:
I came across this while checking on some sports news:

The team will be officially on the market next week, according to a league source. The Hawks have retained investment banking firm Goldman Sachs and Inner Circle Sports to handle the sale process. The firm will gather and vetting prospective buyers. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Is it all right to use the word "firm" in here, since there are two companies followed, should it be "firms"？ I am not sure if both are ok.
And in the last sentence, clearly it should be "vet",not "vetting", am I right?


texts: How to avoid repetition of "something" and "some stuff"?

texts:
Is there any other word which can be used instead of something and some stuff, and how can the use of something and some stuff be avoided.

For example:

  He saw her dwelling on something; it seemed more like she was trying to recall something.

can it be written differently, without using something and/or some stuff?