texts: "During evening" / "During morning" words?

texts:
I know there are similar words for "during night" - nocturnal and "during day" - diurnal. Are there any words (no matter the origin) to describe "during morning" an "during evening"?

The best options I could think for now are.. well, "evening" and "morning" because things like "That's a morning star" would work. Ideas?

I'm not a native speaker if that matters.


texts: Is it correct to use "media" as a plural?

texts:
Is the following sentence grammatically correct?

  There are six media widely used: newspapers, radio, TV, books,
  theater, comics.

To be specific, is it correct to place the number six right before "media"?


texts: The size of my confusion is "second to none"

texts: Why "second to none" is being considered as "the best" instead of "the worst" (almost non existent)? To my understanding - "none" is "nonexistent", while "second to none" should be... well... almost nonexistent.


texts:
I was wondering what's the difference between these two sentences:

The person who was at the head of the demonstration is Ms. Tan.

The person who was at the head of the demonstration was Ms. Tan.


texts:
I have recently used this expression in an answer on another site:

This is not a frequent structure and I should have more knowledge in the field to discern if you can say that about algorithms.  You can be original and use it, but I'd go careful with that nonetheless.

While proofreading my answer, it struck me as a rather strange expression. It doesn't look grammatical and I am aware that it is colloquial. When I look it up online, some dictionaries correct it to "go carefully" (which would be grammatically more acceptable) or just define "careful" instead (Google).
However, I am sure I picked it up from native speakers, it just sounds so natural to me. My question is, in this context, are these two sentences perfect synonyms?

I'd go careful with that.

and

I'd go carefully with that.

Do they both mean, "I'd be careful with that?"


texts:
I was wondering what the role of "that" is in the widely used phrase, "There is no question that~".

e.g. There is no question that she has a great voice.

I guess "that" functions as a conjunction since it is immediately followed by a clause, but what exact role does "that" play in terms of the sentence structure?

Is "that" functioning as a conjunction leading the appositive clause such as in "The actress hid the fact that she was married.", to elaborate on the preceding noun "the fact"?.

Or is "that" leading the extraposed clause acting as a subject with a dummy subject "there" in the subject position?

Thanks for your insightful feedback in advance.


texts: What do you call two functions that go together (i.e. as opposites), especially in programming

texts:
I'm looking for a word to describe the relationship (or perhaps paradigm) wherein two functions go together and are meant to act as opposites to one-another, or to reverse each-other's behaviour - especially in programming.
For example:

Read and Write
Serialize and Deserialize
Encrypt and Decrypt
Perhaps more of a stretch: Constructor vs.Destructor or alloc vs. free

More specifically (or perhaps more generically), I am striving for words that capture a certain guarantee or expectation that any set of 'paired' functions, when given the same configuration (or complimentary configurations), can operate on one-another's output. In the above examples:

Write(data, format) => file such that Read(file, format) => data
Serialize(object, settings) => string such that Deserialize(string, settings) => object
Encrypt(string, privateKey) => data such that Decrypt(data, publicKey) => string

When using such functions there's an "expectation" that if e.g. a given library is used to write out a file to storage, such as:
hive.write.format('csv').header(true).partitionBy('date').save(path)

That the output of that function call can be read back in by its 'opposite', when provided the same configuration:
hive.read.format('csv').header(true).partitionBy('date').load(path)

If the above didn't work - that would be weird, and might be considered a bug in the function design or implementation. It would violate some pattern or common-sense expectation, I'm just not sure what one would call it.

There are other words in programming to describe guaranteed behaviours (such as "orthogonality" and "immutability") and relationships functions/operators have with one another or their outputs (such as "commutative" and "isomorphic"). I was hoping there would be a similar word for this.
In mathematics, I'm familiar with the concept of an "inverse function" which can consume the output of another function to restore its input (e.g. unary functions such as log and exp) such that F(x) = y, F'(y) = x, or perhaps more interestingly F'(F(x)) = x (e.g. they 'cancel one-another out'). It is quite close to the concept I'm thinking of.
Some words that come to mind are "pair", "symmetrical", "complimentary", or "opposite" functions, but I'm not seeing anything in academia using these words in this way.

I'd settle for a word or set of words that works in any of the following contexts:

The Biggify and Smallify functions are (adjective)
The Biggify function (verb or phrasal verb) the Smallify function.
Biggify is the (noun) (preposition) Smallify


texts: Punctuation before and within an adverb clause

texts:
I have a sentence which includes two independent elements connected by 'and' within an adverb clause.  Do I still place a comma before the and?

Ex:

Jett's dad died when he was seven and his little brother was three.

or

Jett's dad died when he was seven, and his little brother was three.


texts: I have this sentence:"The work was excellent and received the top score in the class." At here, does "the top" only mean that the No.1, or it can have the same meaning as "among the top"?


texts: How is article the used to describe relations?

texts: Which sentence is correct?: "I am the son of Mary" or " I am son of Mary"?


texts: "Elements are zero" vs "elements are zeros"

texts:
This is a sentence from Wikipedia:

  A sparse matrix is a matrix in which most of the elements are zero.

Should this be more correct:

  A sparse matrix is a matrix in which most of the elements are zeros.


texts:
So I remember seeing a really specific Wikipedia (I think) page describing an odd occurrence in English. It was used to describe two idioms that mean the same thing, but are phrased differently due to people misinterpreting the statement.

For example, 'All intents and purposes' and 'All intensive purposes'.

If anyone knows the phrase, or possibly even a similar phrase that could lead me to my answer, please share.

Thank you!


texts: Word request: person from a different company that supplies people/services

texts: What is the word for a person from a different company that supplies people/services for you to use constantly?


texts:
Does “This product will pay its own way in one year" mean "This product will pay back your investment in one year"? If so, why?

As a foreigner, I can't connect "pay its own way" with earning back my investment. I am a little confused.


texts: What do we call someone who respects time?

texts:
I am wondering if there is a specific adjective for someone who respects time, who always comes on time and leaves in time, and someone who uses his time productively and meaningfully.

I have not found any terms which are suitable for that.


texts: "infinity more of square roots" and "infinity of square roots"

texts:
I have two texts in one mathematical book:

  And its matrix counterpart I does indeed also have -I and I as square roots (we call a matrix S the square root of A if S^2=S*S=A). But I also has an infinity more of square roots!

and a little further there is the text:

  Even more astonishing than an infinity of square roots, perhaps, is the fact that it is possible to have two nonzero matrices whose product is zero!

In both sentences there is "an infinity of square roots", but in first one there is "more" included. Can you tell me why? And what does "more" mean in first one?


texts: Which word to use to describe the fact that something has increased by a factor of 8

texts:
I would like to express / rephrase the following fact to be more concise:
I have 10 rabbits and I want to write: The rabbits multiply each year by a factor of 8.
Usually I would use the word octuplicate: The number of rabbits octuplicates each year.
I'm not sure if the word octuplicates should be avoided, because it seems not too widely used, and it makes my sentence also not much shorter.


texts: Is the past tense of "go" related to the word "venture"?

texts: I'm wondering whether the word "went" is a cognate of or otherwise related to "venture". Is it, despite the different spelling?


texts: "More particularly" vs "more specifically"

texts:
Is "more particularly" synonymous with "more specifically?" Moreover, is it even a phrase? For instance:

  I went to Walmart yesterday to buy groceries. More particularly, I bought tomatoes and lettuce.


texts: What is the difference between "doing something" and "on doing something"?

texts:
I don't understand the difference between "doing something" and "on doing something". I am going to make up a few examples.

(1) On cleaning up my bedroom, I found my valuable watch.

(2) Cleaning up my bedroom, I found my valuable watch.

Do these sentences have the same meaning? Please explain it. Thank you very much.


texts:
I am looking for an adverb that implies "all at the same time" or ""in an all-inclusive way". My sentence is like this:

"The above algorithm comprehensively solves Sub-problems 1, 2, and 3 of the first optimization problem presented in the previous section"

I am wavering between integrally and comprehensively. Any better suggestion?


texts: What's the origin/etymology of the phrase "regular old"? Does it have a clearly defined meaning?

texts:
It seems to me that the adjective phrase "regular old" seems to have a few distinct usages, but a confusing conversation and some fruitless searches as to a specific definition have me coming to English Language & Usage SE for insight. I've also gathered some examples from Google Books to try to clarify my question.

Firstly, it seems to connote the meaning "standard", "basic", or "simple", particularly in educational texts:

  "Notice how with ArrayList, you're working with an object of type ArrayList, so you're just invoking regular old methods on a regular old object, using the regular old dot operator." [1]

Another example:

  Finally we've got an A9/C# Which is kind of exotic. To see where this one comes from, start with just a regular old A chord. [2]

But then it also seems to invoke the idea of being a "true" example of a certain thing--perhaps neither negative or positive.

  "You're a regular old image, Jim, says she. I used to laugh at him and call him a regular old crawler." [3]

(Side note: I think this is the relevant definition of crawler -- 1. a person who tries to please someone in order to gain a personal advantage.)

Although anecdotally, I believe I've heard it in some early films in such a colloquial usage to express amazement or awe, which may support the "truest" definition:

  "Why, it's a regular old feast!"

Lastly, it seems also to have a distinctly negative meaning, or at least a meaning meant to downplay, whether through humility or the implication of plainness or mundanity:

  When I asked De Vonya to describe her typical day, she described herself as a "regular old lady." She said her life had become very boring since the baby's birth. [4]

Here's the inverse of that example, meant to show that something is lavish and expensive:

  The properties at issue are not just regular old houses. In Cairo, the residence is a 4,200-square-foot, two-level house with four bedrooms, three bathrooms, two living rooms [...etc] [5]

At any rate, since it seems to only occasionally describe things that are "regular", where on earth did this phrase and the "old" part come from? Is it interchangeable with or related to "regular old-fashioned"? Which, if any of these meanings are accepted definitions?

[1] : Head First Java By Kathy Sierra, Bert Bates
[2] : The Acoustic Guitar Fingerstyle Method By David Hamburger
[3] : Slang and Its Analogues Past and Present: N to Raz
 By John Stephen Farmer
[4] : Not Our Kind of Girl: Unraveling the Myths of Black Teenage Motherhood By Elaine Bell Kaplan
[5] : Congressional Record, V. 148, PT. 13, September 20, 2002 to October 1, 2002 edited by U S Congress


texts:
Is it grammatically correct to say:

  “you can contact John Doe to be provided with the account information”?

Is the “to be provided” part something a native English speaker would say it in this context?


texts:
Could anyone make this understand to me the meaning and usage of the word 'Welter'?

I gone through Vocabulary.com and found this.

  Use the noun welter to describe an enormous, messy pile, like the
  jumble of papers, coffee mugs, pens, and food wrappers on the desk of
  the messiest person in the office

How can I use this word as a noun and as a verb in making a correct sentences?

Could anyone let me know the more simple and understandable meaning with proper example?

What is the meaning of welter of emotional argument?


texts:
I'm stuck with the phrase "other hours" used in the following context:

  Hours went into the plotting of graphs, and other hours into instructing an assistant how to plot.

Does that mean that 1/2 of time (one part) was dedicated to plotting, and 1/2 of time (the other part) went into instructing? I get it like there were two equal parts, but would appreciate if English speakers share their opinions.

Thanks!


texts: When to use "rather than" versus "instead of"?

texts:
I never really gave a deep thought at this but recently a teacher of talked about language and there was an implicit question in it. something like
there is a difference between "rather than" and "instead of" in usage. do you know it??

please help and explain with a few examples.


texts: I don't think I've ever heard or seen it used by anyone except N. Korea.


texts: Is there a good word for change in velocity, but not over time? That is, position is to displacement as velocity is to what?


texts:
Is it correct to use the expression "consolidate cost" when you add cost figures in a specific period of time? The context is a description of what a piece of code is doing:

  consolidate cost over several periods

I've found the following definition of consolidate:

  to bring together (separate parts) into a single or unified whole; unite; combine: They consolidated their three companies.

But a Google search for "consolidate cost" only returns 12 600 results  which is usually an indication of a wrong usage.


texts: What word is properly used to mean "rejecting" a phone call?

texts:
Is there a standard word that means some one has rejected a phone call? I have been saying it this way:

She has rejected the call.

Is there a more appropriate word to use instead of rejected in the above sentence?


texts: What are the semantic roles of the nouns following the adjective 'suspicious' in this sentence?

texts:
A suspicious policeman looked at a suspicious man.

Can anybody define the semantic roles of the nouns which follow the adjective suspicious in the quoted sentence?


texts: Term similar to nomenclature, but applying more broadly to systems of representation in general not just naming?

texts:
What's an appropriate term to use when discussing conventions for representing concepts in an academic field (whether that be STEM e.g. formatting equations.  English e.g. breaking down grammar or, Music e.g. sheet music,).

Nomenclature refers only to names for concepts or things, I'm looking for something more broad.

Jargon's similar to nomenclature but with a negative connotation, and again applies only to words and phrases.


texts: A word for a person who tells you information, instead of letting you find it out by yourself

texts:
For example: if someone told you that the laundry was dry, instead of just letting you find it out by yourself when you go and check it.
Another example: if someone knocked on your bedroom door to tell you that a package had arrived in the mail, instead of just leaving the package for you to find.
Third example: If someone tells you that there's milk in the fridge, instead of just letting you see it by yourself when you open it.
Is there a word for people like that?


texts: What does c/o stand for in a postal address?

texts:
Sometimes when for some reason you have to give friends an address to receive mails, you write something like:

  Joe Black c/o John Doe
  xxx ZZZ street
  town... etc

What does c/o mean in this address?


texts: What's the difference between "adviser" and "advisor" -- are both interchangeable?

texts:
I work for a financial services provider and we deal with "Financial Advisors" all the time. Increasingly, I'm seeing people send emails and so forth with the term "Financial Adviser" and the terms adivsor and adviser seem to be increasingly interchangeable.

Which then raises the question: what is the difference between adviser and advisor?


texts: What is the difference between bug fix, bugfix, bug fixes, bug fixing and fix bug?

texts:
I need to report about the tasks I've done related to fixing bugs and errors in software development. So how to express the task that I fixed a software bug?
Some use bug fixes but many also prefer to use fix bugs. In particular, these words are used in commit messages. Which are commonly used and correct in the world of software development?


texts: "A few days need to wear on for her in order to feel better"

texts:
I am not sure if this sentence is correct.
Would it be better to say "[...] in order for her to feel better" ?


texts: Is the second "on" necessary in this sentence?

texts:
“It still makes economic sense” to put on as much weight on as efficiently as you can, to minimize losses” feedlot owner Tom Fanning told Bloomberg.

https://www.voanews.com/a/mht-good-news-for-burger-lovers-beef-prices-fall/3092061.html

here:

  to put on as much weight on as efficiently as you can

the second "on" here makes me confused!


texts:
Just was wondering why and Which one is the correct one? or both?

  A zero byte file or zero length file is a computer file containing no
  data; that is, it has a length or size of zero bytes. Zero byte files
  cannot be loaded or used by most applications.

Ref : Wiki

"0 byte" 741,000 results on Google

"0 bytes" 7,470,000 results on Google


texts: The usage of slander, defame, vilify, and calumniate

texts:
English is not my native language. I am confused about the usage of these four words: slander, defame, vilify, and calumniate.

They are all verbs with almost the same meaning and I don't have any ideas which one should I use in any situation. Are there any big differences in usage? For instance, is one more frequently used than the others? Are there any that are obsolete or not commonly used?

I am particularly interested in knowing if there are contextual differences in usage, like when someone says a bad thing to me in daily life, in business, or in any formal or informal situation. I would like to know how native English speakers use them.


texts: What is an appropriate abstraction which encompasses both 'receipt' and 'invoice'?

texts: Is there a common supertype (parent class) for a 'receipt' type (class) and an 'invoice' type (class)? It should be possible to state "an instance of receipt/invoice is a supertype."


texts: The person operating a piece of software

texts:
For a piece of software, I am in need of a term, but being non-native English speaker, I find it hard:
In the software, a person is represented as "a member (of a community)". One such member drives, or operates the software and causes (triggers) events. Those events now need a reference to "the member that triggered the event".
What would that person or member be called?
The most descriptive terms that I come up with are all clumsy, seem to miss the point, or are "in use" already:

"current member" - What is current? When is current?
"operating member" - Operating gives me the idea of a surgeon operating a patient, or a driver operating a car, but not a person clicking around in a piece of software. Is that just me?
Triggerer - is that even a word?
"user" - Common in software, but this term is already taken due to external constraints: a user means something different already.

To clarify the last: When I am "using a website" or "using an app" (or web application), I am "the user". But from the point of view of that web application, there are many users. E.g. Stackexchange (SE) has millions of users. So, when John "upvotes" something on SE, what is that particular user called? The "upvoter" is most specific, in this example. But would there be a more generic term for "the person causing the upvote to happen"?
Since it is used in software to name methods and classes, it is hard to give a sentence, but I'll try. I'm looking for the generic term that can replace all the specific names.
The form is "The [actor] that [caused this action], was the ... ([specific name]).

The person that made this specific edit, was the ... (editor)
The members that invited another member, was the ... (inviter)
The admin that locked this thread, was the ... (moderator)
The user that asked this question, was the ... (inquisitor)

I'd prefer a single concise term and not something combined like "acting member" if avoidable.


texts:
What's the origin of toffee-nosed (snobbish, disdainful, stuck-up)?

Is it related to "toff" (upper-class)?


texts: Is there a word which describes a thing which has been dispatched?

texts:
For instance, let's say I dispatch a truck to deliver a thing, but I could also dispatch an individual to pick something up.  How could I refer to either of those things without having to say "dispatched truck" or "dispatched person"?

I know I can just say "dispatched thing" or "dispatched item", but are there any terms that can encompass all things which could be dispatched?

I don't know if this would be a separate question, but could I perhaps refer to all things related to some dispatch event as a dispatch map or something?


texts: Why do we say "so much more" rather than "so more "? Why do we have to put the much in?

texts:
If the definition of the word so is an extent, then why do we have to put another word that describes a quantity after it, as "so much more" or "so much better"?

Why can't we just say, so more or so better ? Is there an explanation for this or is it just because it sounds right ?


texts: What's the meaning of "delivering up" here?

texts:
Context (Abraham Lincoln's Inaugural Address),

  There is much controversy about the delivering up of fugitives from service or labor. The clause I now read is as plainly written in the Constitution as any other of its provisions:

I couldn't find deliver up in the dictionaries.  So I just want to make sure with a native speaker -- Do you think that the construction here is actually deliver + up, and up is just used here for emphasis?

See 6. b —used as an intensifier  in Merriam-Webster.


texts: Is there an idiom/phrase that describes unskilled person in a skilled job?

texts:
I am looking for an idiom or phrase that describes an unskilled person in a skilled job or about a person who is doing a job which is nowhere close to his professional skill.

  He is ____________ in this job.


texts:
My first question is: what tense should I use in the sentence below if I want to say that writing doesn't happen(it's hypothetical)

''I wouldn't want to see what he wrote/had written''

The second question is: if I use past perfect in the sentence ''I wouldn't want to see what he had written,'' does it mean that writing happens before seeing? Is there any change to simplify the tense to past simple and have the same meaning in the sentence above and this: (''I'd take the thing and then you'd take the thing I had taken'')? For example,

''I took/had taken my keys before you came home''

using past perfect in the sentence above, we just emphasize the action happening before coming, but past perfect isn't necessary here since it's very clear. Therefore, past simple is perfectly fine. So would past simple have the same meaning as past perfect in the sentences below?

''I wouldn't want to see what he had written/ wrote''

''I'd take the thing and then you'd take the thing I had taken/ took''


texts: Where is "Wednesday" pronounced "Wedinzday"?

texts:
I recently heard a BBC radio announcer pronounce "Wednesday" in a peculiar way. The 'd' wasn't dropped, resulting in something like "Wedinzday" (wɛdnzde).

I've read some Scottish dialects use this pronunciation. Is it class- or region-based? Something from RP or "broadcaster English"? Also, it doesn't appear that other words containing "dn" are affected (e.g. madness, midnight, etc.), so is this just a phonological anomaly?


texts: What's the English for the Italian 'materico'?

texts:
Speaking about contemporary art, I often use the adjective 'materico' to describe the quality of a painting realized with thick layers of colour. It is not simply a question of thickness. In the art history we started using this term in order to state the overcoming of bidimensionality so that the resulting arwork  has different percevable levels, without being properly a sculpure.

Thanks all for your valuable contribute.
Do you think I might describe this quality as 'highly tactile'?


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Is there a correct gender neutral, singular pronoun (his vs. her vs. their)?

I would like to know if when I'm writing about a "user" (in the broad sense), what do I use? Example: "from the user’s perspective, saving a file is very easy; ? only needs..."

What is correct: she, he, she or he, or they.


texts: What do you call it when the current generation thinks the previous is better/more poetic?

texts: It's referred to as the "allure of nostalgia" in the wiki entry for Midnight in Paris.


texts: How can I call the type of kicks in football (soccer) in one or two words?

texts:
Corner kick, free kick, penalty kick — how can I call those kicks? "Deadplay kicks", "fixed kicks"?

Is there any special naming for this type of kicks?


texts:
I'm trying to find available time among group members for my talk.

I wrote:

Are you available at the following time slots for my talk?

The online grammar checker (grammarly) tells me that I should replace at with for.

I feel the suggestion may not be a good idea because it will end up with two for in the sentence.

What is the proper preposition for ** available time slot**? Or

Is there a better way to rephrase the sentence?

Thank you very much for your suggestions!


texts: Is there a latin phrase, used in English, to mean after something was created?

texts:
Is there a Latin phrase, used in English, to mean after something was created?

Of course, there's the phrase

  creatio ex nihilo

Meaning something was created from nothing. But what about 'after creation'? So I could use it in place of the following in bold

  After it was created, God was happy with the world.


texts: Is "Saffer" an offensive term for a South African?

texts:
I've always believed that "Saffer" is a derogatory term for a South African.
But a few minutes earlier, I saw this tweet by ESPN:

So, isn't "Saffer" a derogatory term?


texts:
"Do you solve engineering problems with use of programming methods, or
  do you solve engineering problems with the use of programming
  methods?"

Which one is correct? Are both wrong? If so, what is a grammatical and idiomatic way of expressing this?


texts:
What is the word for the feeling of "remorse," but without guilt? Such as, sadness for a poor outcome, but with the realization that the actions taken were necessary or the best with the given amount of information.

I feel that this is different from remorse because remorse implies that there is a desire for the actions not to have been taken or to have been taken differently. In this scenario, there is no such desire, though there is a desire for the possibility of a better outcome.

There may also be a derivative term in the case that there was good or positive intentions, or if the results of the actions were known (therefore intended) but still necessary.


texts: Is there a term for someone performing worse at something because they are being watched?

texts:
Is there a term for a person performing worse at something because they are being watched?

For example, a person makes more mistakes typing when someone is watching over their shoulder?

Attempts to answer question:

I've considered the Hawthorne effect and observer effect as an options, but they seem to relate to specific experimental, information technology-related, or physical (as in physics) situations rather than daily life.

I don't think stage-fright applies to the example, because the decreased performance is not driven by anxiety.

Edit: I've seen people very at ease in a one-on-one situation still make more frequent typos when I watched them and vice-versa.  Neither they nor I were anxious.

Idioms, single-word answers, and short phrases are all acceptable answers.


texts:
I have run into such a verse in Quaran:

  Allah has set a seal on their hearts and on their hearings, and on their eyes there is a covering. Theirs will be a great torment

How should I parse the last phrase? What does theirs  mean exactly here? Their destiny after death? Their things, so to speak?


texts: How do I punctuate this sentence? A machine breaks down on average three times per day

texts:
I am confused about whether it should be

  A machine breaks down - on average - three times per day.

or

  A machine breaks down on average, three times per day.


texts: Term for sentences using multiple repeated words

texts:
Is there a term to describe the repeated usage of the same word in a sentence. Repetition is probably too broad for this, as it does not quite capture the deliberate and multiple nature of the repetition.

Some examples include

ELU favourite

  "Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo."
  (covered here)

and

  That that exists exists in that that that that exists exists in.

  James while John had had had had had had had had had had had a better effect on the teacher.

  Time times time times time squared equals time times time times time times time

Some of these were listed here What are some examples of awkward sounding but grammatically correct sentences?
but the question/answers don't refer to what this deliberate structure is called.

Murray Walker was always great for

  and and and and... he's into the barrier.

But I think that's slightly different.


texts: Quarter Asteroidal Hypocycloid, in Layman's Terms

texts:
Take a gander at the hypocycloid. You may recognize the shape from the logo of an American football team...

My question is, how do you describe the tip of one such shape in common parlance (in other words, the concave, pointy curve making one-fourth of the example asteroid)?

I know the technical term is "cusp," but in usual literature I take it that cusp means "brim" or "edge," rather than a general concept of "where two curves meet." Further, saying "it looks like a cusp" leaves my imagination staring blankly at nothing (and note that this description must be readable--i.e., I can't just hold my hands in a shape and say "it's like that").

Bonus points for the person who can tell me a word to describe the same shape in 3D (with terms better than an "emaciated cone").


texts:
Theoretically, there are four possible pronunciations of 'vegan' due to two syllables constituting this word, namely, 've'('vee' or 'vay'?) and 'gan'('gun' or 'gen' as in 'generate'?).

The online dictionary merriam-webster.com provides several pronunciations of 'vegan' but as you can see that there are several comments about it at the bottom.

Do you have any idea about this problem ?


texts: Is there a word or phrase that combines the meanings of 'inlet' and 'outlet'?

texts:
I wanted to tell a friend that I've discovered a new social outlet, but then I realized it was also an inlet. I was wondering if there's a word or phrase that combines those two meanings.

Something like pipeline perhaps? But social pipeline doesn't sound right.


texts: English grammar question: Friend or Friends?

texts:
We are putting software update on our site and we hope our users can share this good news with their friends,

But which one is correct? 1 or 2?

Please invite your friend to download this new software.
Please invite your friends to download this new software.

I think without plural, it sounds like it is referring to a particular friend.


texts: Usage of two hads in a sentence, not continuously

texts:
Is the second sentence correct?

  Are we going ahead with this now? Earlier, you had told me that they had quoted a huge fee the last time we asked.

Or should it rather just be "You told me that they had quoted a huge fee..."?


texts: What is a word describing the process of understanding that reality isn't utopian?

texts: In summarizing a novel where someone transitions from an idealistic to a more pragmatic worldview, what would a word for that realization be? Like the process of understanding reality often disappoints in a sense


texts: Is there a definitive way to spell out the “and” in “Rock and Roll?”

texts:
So I’ve seen the genre of music known as “rock and/or roll” spelled out as follows but have never been clear on what the accepted, proper, consistent way of doing so is:

Rock and roll.
Rock & roll.
Rock 'n roll.
Rock 'n' roll.
Rock n roll.

In my experience the 3rd option is the most commonly used variant, but I have also seen the 4th option show up as well.

Is there any commonly used variant that is considered the definitive variant of “rock and roll?”


texts:
I'm teaching an intermediate ESL class that focuses on writing. There is a lot of grammar, but it is rudimentary and I am trying not to confuse the students with too many complicated terms. In class today we did a lesson on gerunds and infinitives and one of the sentences that was used in the textbook was:

  Which meals are you used to eating in a fast-food restaurant?

Of course the combination of "to" + "eating" confused everyone. I did a quick aside to clarify the situation, but promised to revisit the sentence next class. Now I'm stuck because I realize that I don't entirely understand the grammar myself.

Is "be used to" simply a phrasal verb that takes an object, which in this case is a gerund (eating)? Alternatively, is "used to" a complement that requires an object? How would you explain the situation using minimal jargon?

Any clarification would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.


texts:
What am I supposed to say if I want to say that I don't possess ssomething? here are some sentences I have trouble with:

1-I have nobody or I don't have anybody?

2-There isn't any sugar or there's no sugar?

3-I have no knives in my bag or I don't have any knives in my bag?


texts: What does canonical mean when used in sentence?

texts:
I just heard someone said "a canonical horrible idea"

I have been googling and still unable to understand exactly what "canonical" means when not used in programming language.

Can someone explain me what "canonical" actually means?


texts: What is the name of a fallacy for thinking something is easy for others because it is easy for you?

texts:
I don't remember where I was reading this, but whoever posted on the page said something along the lines of there being a fallacy that means:

  believing a task to be easy for others because it is easy for you

I looked it up afterwards and found other references to it, so I believe it is a real fallacy and not just something that person made up. This has been stuck in my head for weeks so any help is appreciated.


texts: Is ";so," an acceptable grammar structure?

texts:
For a while, I've been using "so" with a semicolon.
For example, I would say, "I like bugs; so, I went to the bug convention happily."
I've always thought of the semicolon as a replacement for the coordinating conjunction in the sentence: "I like bugs, and, so, I went to the bug convention happily."
I haven't seen many other people use this construction, and I was wondering if anyone had any insight as to if this is correct or not.


texts:
How do you know when to use singular or plural nouns if they're used as adjectives?

i.e.

  32-bit computer vs 32-bits computer?

  teacher union vs teachers union?

  wedding planner vs weddings planner?

  sport medicine vs sports medicine?

  student council vs students council?

Which one is correct?


texts:
In "Go Set A Watchman", a "match flip" is used in the process of lighting a cigarette:

"I smoke sometimes, now. It's my one concession to old age. I find myself becoming anxious sometimes ... it gives me something to do with my hands."
Jean Louise found a match flip on the table by her chair. She struck one and held it to her uncle's cigarette.


texts: Is prolific an approving word or neutral word?

texts: I thought it was an approving word which is used to describe the diligence of a producer or artist and therefore the abundance of their productivity.Then I just knew that it can also be used to describe serial killers:a prolific serial killer which surprised me very much.So I wonder if it is a neutral word.


texts: How did 'anyway' become 'anyways,' anyway?

texts:
All of the time I see people use these two words synonymously. For example:

  Why did he move there anyway?

Versus:

  Why did he move there anyways?

I always assumed that there was once just the word anyway that one day had an S added to the end for some reason. Is this assumption correct? What morphological process enables this to happen?


texts: What does "showing as much interest as a bee shows in vinegar cruet" mean?

texts:
There is a line in the short story, A Thousand Dollars, where one of the characters is described in the statement above. My first thought was that it meant that the character was showing no interest (because Bees like honey and not vinegar) but I feel that that thinking is flawed.

So, what does it mean?


texts: Noun-verb agreement for a list of singular nouns including "I" and joined by "or"

texts:
I understand that when you have a list of singular nouns joined by "or", you should use a singular verb.

Example:

  Either Chris or Len is the next player

But what verb do you use if one of the items in the list is "I"?

  Either Justine or I is the next player

or

  Either Justine or I am the next player

or something else?


texts:
I have never heard the phrase "How be you?" until yesterday, and started arguing that this was incorrect and that the correct phrase is "How are you?".  My friend's reply was "This is how it's taught in the UK".

Googling does seem to find usage of this phrase, but it all seems to be colloquial, instead of formal.

Is it actually taught this way, in the UK or anywhere else?


texts: A word that describes when, in speech, you intentionally use the opposite word. (ex. bad for something really good)

texts:
I remember when i was growing up we had many slang methods of describing things using the opposite terms. It wasn't always as simple as saying "bad" for something "good," but it seemed to be an expansion and variation on that.

Here are some examples:

"My mom made a cake for my birthday, and it was so crappy"

"Man, this test is great."

"Did you see her win the 50 yard dash? she's slow."

Is there a word for this?


texts: Is there a term for when the moisture on the inside of your nose freezes when breathing in on a very cold day?

texts:
On particularly cold days, the moisture inside of one's nose freezes instantly with every inhalation.  It is a peculiar sensation as if all the hairs inside your nose have been glued together. I was curious if there is a term for this.

My efforts to find this have only revealed useful tips for avoiding frostbite.

My working neologism is 'nasal hoar-frost'.


texts: Where did the term "War Room" come from? I'm wondering if just involved a mishearing of Wardroom or if it has other orgins?


texts: "there were enough room" or "there was enough room"

texts:
Which is the correct verb, should it be singular or plural?

1.) "There were enough room."

or

2.) "There was enough room."


texts: Is it ever acceptable to write slashes between multiple but separate prefixes?

texts:
For example, can I get away with writing bio/technological advances
have made?
Even if this is orthographically acceptable in one or another kind of
written English, would it better for me to use the word biotechnological as a single
word, or should I instead write biological and technological
advances have made?
I haven’t been able to find any answers about this, whether on
this website or elsewhere.


texts:
I am looking for a word to express following:

  Pictures on site xyz.com are [word].

With meaning pictures are of lower quality, I always thought that correct term is "rasterized" or "pixelated".

For example pictures uploaded on blue social site are pre-processed which results in pictures being of lower quality (where you can clearly see pixelation/rasterisation).

While I was looking around to find correct term (mostly on OS X dictionary application), rasterisation is:

  convert (an image stored as an outline) into pixels that can be displayed on a screen or printed. the driver uses these commands to rasterize the page.

Bonus

Is rasterize UK english and rasterise US english? I can not find that information anywhere.


texts:
In the sentence below, does the word "that" modify a verb (alleged and argued, respectively)? If so, what is the name for that type of clause? Is it correct to think of them as adverbial clauses? One modifies what the defendant "alleged," and the other modifies what the defendant "argued." Feel free to state any other errors in the sentence.

The defendant alleged that the indictment had been dismissed and argued that the court lacked jurisdiction over the case.


texts: Is there a word for homonyms across languages?

texts: For example, the words design in English and Dasein (being there) in German look similar, but mean something completely different.


texts: How to call someone that acts only by instinct without being rude?

texts: I know there's the phrase "You are an animal", but depending on the context, cultural background, etc. the recipient of the saying may not end very happy. Is there another way to describe someone that acts solely by instincts without the danger of being read as rude?


texts: A title or descriptive phrase for someone who likes to share

texts:
I'm building a mobile app that has a series of achievements that may be awarded based on the users interaction. The app itself is an easter egg hunt.

One of the achievements is for sharing (via Facebook, Twitter, SMS etc).

What would be a good title or badge for someone who often shares or attempts to persuade friends to join them?

An example of a different achievement:

"Night Owl" - 10 Eggs collected between the hours of 9pm and 4am.


texts:
Is it grammatically correct to ask:

"Did you still want to go to the park today?"

Or should it be:

"Do you still want to go to the park today?"


texts:
I'm looking for an English word or phrase that sounds better than 'enemy of faith', which is my almost literal translation of the German word Glaubensfeind. The text is about pagan reactions to Christianity in the late antique period. The specific context is a series of statements by the early church fathers which show such a degree of intolerance towards non-Christians that if the pagans had quoted them, they would (later) have been accused of misquoting for the sake of propaganda. Is there a better word -- or phrase -- for 'enemy of faith'? I like 'adversary', for instance, but I don't think it works as 'adversary in faith'. Here's the sentence:

  Numerous statements by the early church fathers come to mind which, had they been quoted by the pagan philosophers, could easily be dismissed as malicious parodies of their ______________(enemy of faith).

Note: I changed 'the' to 'their' in the above sentence to avoid the earlier ambiguity.'The enemy of faith' in the above example refers to the pagan's religious enemy, i.e. the Christians. Another way of seeing it (in the plural form) is the antagonistic relationship between the two parties. The Christians and pagans were ______________ (enemies of faith).


texts: Subject verb agreement for singular and plural subjects

texts:
Is the following sentence grammatically correct?

  Was there any insight you had or analytical deductions you made that we
  didn't know about?

I'm not sure because "was" should be singular for "insight", but the verb ought to be "were" for "analytical deductions."


texts: What is it called when something you previously took to be a mistake turned out to be the correct decision?

texts: Sometimes your “mistake” results in a big success, or you find out that it actually was the correct way of doing it. I sarcastically call this a “correct mistake”. What do you call it? I don’t know if you can call it a “blessing in disguise”.


texts: Self-Learner vs Self-Taught vs Autodidact

texts:
Which of these three terms is the most relevant in a resume?

Should any be avoided?

For clarity, I do understand the irony of pretending to be a self learner posting questions on StackExchange, thank you.


texts: What would be the British English equivalent to "The Elements of Style"?

texts:
I've been referred to this book by a lot of people, but one of the basic "rules" that it mentions - making your language more "cut and dry", which seems to be more of a thing with American English, whereas more complex sentence structure is commonplace in British English.

Essentially, I'm asking two questions:

Is there a British English equivalent of The Elements of Style?
Am  I correct in thinking that the type of writing advocated in that book is generally considered to be substandard or uncommon in the UK?


texts: Expression for two people whose similar personalities makes it difficult for them to get along?

texts: I am aware of the concept of "personality clash", when two people can't get along because their natures are too different, but what is it called when two people can't get along because their personalities are too similar?


texts: "How could I" and "how could I have" in rhetorical questions

texts:
I have a question about using could and could have in rhetorical
questions.

I was watching a video where a very old man
who was talking to a priest about his childhood asked the priest, “How
could I tell my father what music meant to me?” as a rhetorical question.

In this context, it is clear that it was completely impossible for him to
have told his father what music meant to him.

Therefore “telling his father what music meant to him” did NOT happen, so
he was talking to the priest about an event that had not happened.

As far as I know, “could have” is used for an event in the past that did
not turn out to happen.  For example, when I say I could run in the past,
this means I possessed the ability to run, so this is about something that
in reality DID happen.

However, when I say I could have run, this means despite my ability to
run, I did not run.  So this is about something that did NOT happen in
reality, but which I am saying it could hypothetically have happened.

Accordingly, when I say I could not run, this is about something that did
NOT happen in reality.  And when I say I could not have run, this is
about something that did NOT happen in reality and means even
hypothetically it was impossible.

So when I ask “How I could run?”, I understand it is a question about how I
had the ability to run. But when I ask “How I could have run?”, I
understand it is a hypothetical question about how I would have had an
ability to run that I did not in reality possess.

The difference I see between two is that when I ask “How I could run?”, my
running in the past DID happen. But when I ask “How I could have run?”,
my running did NOT happen but it could have happened if only some
circumstances had been met.

So my question is why the old man asked “How could I tell him what music
meant to me?” instead of asking “How could I have told him what music meant
to me?”, since telling his father did NOT happen, and, as far as I can
understand, he was talking about a purely hypothetical situation.

What am I missing?


texts: What is the correct pronunciation of direct? I found two different pronunciations. Probably both of them are true, but what, if anything, is the difference?


texts:
Which is correct?

  Certainly that was a good thing.

or,

  Certainly, that was a good thing.


texts:
I've always pronounced it dɪˈvaɪsɪv (rhymes with incisive). Today at his press conference, President Obama pronounced it dɪˈvɪsɪv (rhymes with dismissive).

I've heard the latter pronunciation off and on. To me, it always sounded like a hyper-correction. I'm wondering now if there are regional variations? AmE vs. BrE? Or is it just random?


texts: Is it okay to use "Sure thing" as a reply to my boss?

texts:
I was wondering whether sure thing — when I mean certainly — is too casual in a business environment, or whether it could be used under certain circumstances.

(I’m not a native speaker of English.)


texts:
My original sentence was:

  ... an array of ...

However I decided I wanted to elaborate on this, as "(traditionally two-dimensional) array".

We usually use parentheses for extra detail not necessary to the sentence, that the reader could safely ignore. With that in mind, for which reader to I optimise 'an'/'a'?

  ... a (traditionally two-dimensional) array

or

  ... an (traditionally two-dimensional) array

My immediate thought was to 'work around' it - perhaps using 'original' instead of 'traditional', or taking the clause out of parentheses.

However even if I end up doing that for readability, I should be interested in your answers to what I consider to be quite a (interesting) predicament.


texts: What's the perfect word that brings to mind a red-headed woman?

texts: I'm not talking an artificially-dyed Hollywood redhead, either. I'm looking for a word that perfectly recapitulates the kind of redhead who has lots of freckles, an extremely light complexion, and the kind of fiery red hair one would never mistake for the fake stuff.  Basically, the stereotype of an Irish lass (though I've read that in fact the proportion of redheads among the English is higher).


texts: Stop chewing! What is it called when someone doesn't like the sound of other people eating?

texts:
My brother hates the sound of eating, chewing, slurping, swallowing etc.

I am looking for either:

The name of the condition or
A word to describe the type of person who behaves like this


texts: How to describe this tone when conversing with a child?

texts:
I'm looking for a way to describe how, for example, an adult might respond to a child in this situation:  A parent asks his young daughter what she learned in school today, and the child excitedly begins telling the parent all about her lessons.  The child speaks as if she's enlightening the parent with new and intriguing information, when in fact the parent is certainly knowledgeable about everything his daughter is describing.  But the parent listens attentively and feigns that he find the information new and fascinating.

The parent isn't patronizing his child.  He's showing kindness, not condescension.  Encouraging doesn't seem quite right, either; yes, the father is trying to be encouraging to his daughter, but in an indirect way.  You couldn't say the tone itself was encouraging, per say.

If the child were old enough to pick up on the fact that her parent was obviously pretending not to know what she was discussing, you could say he was being playfully sarcastic.  But that isn't what I'm trying to convey.

Thanks in advance for any help!

Edit: Based on some of the responses, allow me to clarify that I don't mean to suggest the parent is pretending to be interested with the actual conversation itself, only that he is letting the child continue as if he doesn't know anything about the subject matter.


texts: Which is correct: "of course" or "ofcourse"?

texts:
I have been using the term ofcourse ever since kindergarten.

However, I recently stumbled upon a site that claims of course is how the term is correctly used and not ofcourse.

I would like to seek the community's opinion about which is the correct usage of that term.


texts:
In conversation, I hear people say:

  "Please recommend me a book."

Or:

  "Recommend me a book, please."

They omit "to," as in:

  "Please recommend to me a book."

Or variations thereof, such as:

  "Please recommend a book to me."

And:

  "Recommend to me a book, please."

Are all of the example sentences above grammatically correct?

Edit: No, the referenced question did not answer mine, because it it asks how to is interchangeable with that, which is a somewhat different question. My question is specifically about the usage of to.


texts: Where do I place the closing character when I end a sentence with parenthesis?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Where does the period go when using parentheses?

Which of the following should I use? Are there any exceptions to the rule?

  I enjoy breakfast (sometimes).
  I enjoy breakfast (sometimes.)


texts: Comma before a conjunction that precedes an infinitive phrase?

texts:
I understand that a comma is used before "and" when the conjunction precedes an independent clause; however, I'm curious if the same rule applies when it precedes an infinitive phrase:

"It was my job to extract data necessary to determine the prevalences of rare mutations that could be lethal(,) and to ultimately calculate such statistics."

Thank you!


texts:
Is one more appropriate than the other, is either ok?

Bonus question: is it ok to end a sentence with either one of these?

For ex.: "Is there anything else you'd like to comment on?" or "...comment about?"


texts: "My hand is paining" or "my hand is hurting"

texts:
After a series of pull-ups, Mr P tells me

my hands are paining
my hands are hurting

What is the rationale behind using paining and hurting? What is the difference? Is one of them more appropriate or is one of them totally incorrect?


texts: Different pronunciation of /iks/ in "excuse" and "sixteen"

texts: Excuse is pronounced as /ɪkˈskjuːz/ while sixteen is pronounced as /sɪksˈtiːn/. You see a ' in the middle of k and s in excuse while ' is after both k and s in sixteen. Why?


texts: Word or phrase to describe relation beween yourself and a step-parent's ex-spouse?

texts:
Is there a word or simple phrase to describe the relationship between yourself and a step-parent's ex-spouse?  Particularly, I'm seeking to address the case when the ex-spouse is a parent to your step-sibling.

Example:   Bob’s mother re-married to Alice’s father.  How should one appropriately refer to the relation between Bob, and Alice’s mother?

I’m trying to find something that’s appropriate for a relationship closer than “Bob’s step-sister’s mother” or “Bob’s step-father’s ex-wife” but not quite so close as to just call her “Bob’s mom”.


texts: How to know when to use "someone" or "anyone"?

texts:
I am trying to write a grammar rule that will be able to identify when to use someone or anyone, and I got confused. I couldn't find any clear way to do this.

For instance, "anyone can do it" is totally different from "someone can do it", but since both are pronouns referring to unknown entities, it's extremely difficult to predict the correctness of the grammar.

Any suggestions or am I missing something?


texts: Difference between "focus" and "concentration"

texts:
What is the difference between focus and concentration in the following context?

  High-flow activities require focus and concentration; your mind is actively engaged in what you are doing.


texts: The meaning and etymology of the exclamation "Lawdy me!"

texts:
What does a speaker mean if he/she exclaims "Lawdy me!"? I noticed this exclamation when I was reading a short story "the Conscience of the Court" by Zora Neale Hurston. There was one brown-skinned woman who was charged with felonious and aggravated assault and he exclaimed "Lawdy me!" during the court session by musing it inside herself. I haven't found much information on my own search and I know only that Lawd and Lawdy are the non-standard spellings of Lord and Lordy and they have been used in black speech. These two words "Lawdy" and "me" attached together doesn't make any actual sense for me, but I have my own guessings what they could mean: 1)"Lord help me!", 2)more polite and more invisible way to exclaim "Oh my God" without referring to direct begging of the God, 3)"My dear God, forgive me my sins!" or  4) "Lawdy me!" is only an interjection used to express surprise, shock or the strength of feeling in a case that the person is completely non-religious.

So, I'm interested in the meaning, etymology and cultural or religious background of "Lawdy me!", where does "Lawdy me!" come from and what kind of special meanings or cultural or religious connotations are there behind this exclamation? The reliable resources are also desirable because I didn't found them by myself. Both the religious point of view and the secular point of view are equally welcome.


texts: What does disappointingly or frustratingly mean?

texts:
She disappointingly/frustratingly shook her head.

What does that sentence mean?

Did she express her disappointment/frustration or did her shaking head arouse disappointment/frustration?


texts: the adj. instrumental is often followed by 'in + participium praesentis (v+ing)'. But this only applies when discussing processes, rather than nouns. What do we do when discussing something which is instrumental of an institution (e.g. "instrumental [adj.] human culture", or  "instrumental [adj.] democracy")? should I use 'for' or 'to' as an adj? I found both in a Google Books search. is one of them more grammatically correct, common or elegant?


texts:
I'm British and understand this to mean "speed up" or "hurry up".

I can find references to it online, so it's not just me, but I can't find any reference in a dictionary or anything official.

From Fresh on the net:

  With just one upcoming gig, at the Paper Dress in London on Thursday, you’ll have to get a shimmy on to get a ticket, but keep an eye on their Facebook page for more events.

From What To Expect (comment):

  I hope your baby decides to get a shimmy on soon and you will have to let us know when baby decides to join us!


texts: What is the role of "but" in this context?

texts:
For the electronics industry, the television is an important but increasingly difficult product to sell.

I've already searched over the internet about all the meanings the conjunction but can have in a sentence, but I don't understand its meaning in this very context. I have read a text saying that the conjunction "but" can be used to add informations to a first sentence. Can you guys give me a hand and help me understand?


texts:
Is there a word for comparing theoretical predictions of a model against experimental results?
In Science, first, we make some observations about a phenomenon, then model it & make predictions. Then we make experiments to check whether our model predicts reality. I'm looking for a word that describes this last point, comparing the theoretical predictions of a model against the experimentally obtained results to check whether the model predicts reality.


texts: How should you pronounce the word "wolf "?

texts:
If the dictionary’s IPA for the word wolf is /wʊlf/, then why do I sometimes hear people pronounce it /wolf/ instead of /wʊlf/?

Aren’t /ʊ/ and /o/ different phonemes?


texts: Nobody would believe what an effort it is **to do what little I am able**,--to dress and entertain, and order things

texts:
Nobody would believe what an effort it is to do what little I am able,--to dress and entertain, and order things.

  (a part of "Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman)

I don't understand this part quiet clearly.

My understaning is

It makes me tired since I am not able to do little while I can or want to do a lot of things (because her husband wants her to rest completely.)
Or it makes me tired since I am not in good shape, so even a little bit of work makes me tired.

Which one would be right?


texts: Can I say "I can answer your apprehensions"?

texts: Is it proper to say that you can answer someone's apprehensions?


texts:
I am trying to find a single word antonym for "exceed". I am using the word as a verb (so "beneath" doesn't work) and it should have a positive connotation (as in a golf score which falls below par).

I thought of "subceed", which I like, and found a few Google hits but it doesn't show up in any reputable dictionaries.

I've reviewed answers to similar questions and found no suitable alternatives.

For example, the selected answer to What would be an appropriate opposite of "exceed"? suggested:

"eluded" — has a mostly negative connotation and implies intention
"beneath" — is not a verb
"are below"/"did not meet" — phrases

I'm looking to replace "exceeded" in the following quotes with a single word (meaning something like "went below", "were under", etc.):

  "He never gets tickets because he always exceeds the speed limit."
  "To win the match, Tiger Woods must exceeded 4 strokes on the twelth hole."
  "To prevent freezing, do not exceed -20 degrees centigrade."


texts: Is “unseductive” an established English word, or just coined?

texts:
In the article of Time magazine (May 17) dealing with the arrest of IMF Chief, Dominique Strauss-Kahn on alleged charges of assaulting a hotel housekeeper, under the title of “The Seduction myth: What the French still don't get about sex,’ I found the word, ‘Unseductive behavior.”

The meaning of this word is easily imaginable, and it’s no wonder to have “Unseductive” as the derivative from “Seductive.”. But strangely enough, I couldn’t find entry of the word, “Unseductive” in any of Japanese English dictionaries at hand, nor in other dictionaries including Oxford Advanced Leaner’s Dictionary, Merriam Webster Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary online and other online dictionaries.

Is the word “Unseductive” well-received English word or just coined by the author.

The word appeared in the following sentence:

“The arrest of the "great seducer," as Strauss-Kahn is commonly known in France — on shocking charges of notably unseductive behavior toward an immigrant single mother working as a hotel housekeeper — didn't come entirely out of the blue for those who have closely observed his behavior toward women over the years.”


texts: Is "it makes following five-fold contributions" a good expression?

texts:
I saw some papers using expressions like "five-fold contributions".

What's the difference between this and "five contributions"?

Which one is better? What are the appropriate scenarios for the word "fold"?


texts: A noun: the tool to fix neck in the neck sprain treatment

texts:
What is the tool to fix one's neck in a neck sprain treatment?

It could be soft or hard, in plastic.

I did a web search for neck fixture, but it turned out to be a component of a lamp.


texts: What does "putting your head into my mouth" mean?

texts:
The following passage is from the novel Ivanhoe by Walter Scott.

  "By St Dunstan," answered Gurth, "thou speakest but sad truths; little
  is left to us but the air we breathe, and that appears to have been
  reserved with much hesitation, solely for the purpose of enabling us to
  endure the tasks they lay upon our shoulders. The finest and the fattest
  is for their board; the loveliest is for their couch; the best and
  bravest supply their foreign masters with soldiers, and whiten distant
  lands with their bones, leaving few here who have either will or the
  power to protect the unfortunate Saxon. God's blessing on our master
  Cedric, he hath done the work of a man in standing in the gap; but
  Reginald Front-de-Boeuf is coming down to this country in person, and we
  shall soon see how little Cedric's trouble will avail him.--Here, here,"
  he exclaimed again, raising his voice, "So ho! so ho! well done, Fangs!
  thou hast them all before thee now, and bring'st them on bravely, lad."
  "Gurth," said the Jester, "I know thou thinkest me a fool, or thou
  wouldst not be so rash in putting thy head into my mouth. One word to
  Reginald Front-de-Boeuf, or Philip de Malvoisin, that thou hast
  spoken treason against the Norman,--and thou art but a cast-away
  swineherd,--thou wouldst waver on one of these trees as a terror to all
  evil speakers against dignities."

I wonder what exactly the Jester meant when he said
"thou wouldst not be so rash in putting thy head into my mouth."


texts:
Could someone explain me the difference between the following

  here we are

And

  here we go

Many thanks,
Duilio


texts:
I spotted that when a war is described in English, the side described as "allies" is nearly always reserved to the side to which the speaker has sympathy. Although technically the word means somebody in alliance, I virtually never seen the word applied to a supposedly bad side even if that side has an alliance of their own.

It seems this sometimes can be used to point a "good" side in a conflict when commenting the news (even if no Western power is directly involved).

I also noticed that regarding WWII some commenters often say "the Allies and the Soviets" or "the Allies decided to make offensive after that of the Soviets" even though technically the USSR was allied with say Britain and the USA. Instances where the Soviets are grouped into "Allies" are rare especially after the fall of the USSR. Does this usage indicate the commenter's anti-Soviet or anti-Communist inclination?

I also once spotted the usage of the word in regards of the Crimean war between Great Britain and the Russian Empire in the 19th century where British allies (i.e. Turks) were called "the allies". Does such usage also indicate that the author is sympathetic to the British and Turkish side?

Another explanation may be that the word can be simply used to refer any side that is allied with the country from which the speaker originates (i.e. UK and/or the USA in most cases for an English speaker) and as such the speaker is most likely support that side and expresses sympathy to it.


texts:
As I can see both of the ways are correct.

When should I use "How much to wait" and when "How long to wait"?


texts:
Is there an opposite of tightfisted that also contains reference to a hand?

The opposite of 'tightfisted' is always 'generous'.

I want a word, idiom, or phrase that means generous but with reference to hand or a form or part of it like fist etc.


texts: Which one is correct: "1yr" or "1yr." or "1 yr"?

texts:
I need to put one of the above on one of my app's buttons.

Bonus question - does the same rule hold in plural? That is if I write "1 yr.", do I write "15 yrs." as well?


texts:
In an article I am writing, I use the following sentence:

"Despite our hypothesis, the time-based switching strategy performs the best and achieves at least 29% reduction in falls."

I am confused with the bold part. Somehow it feels that "achieve" and "reduction" do not match well, a better match for "achieve" could be something like "achieves at least 85% of the target performance". Does the original sentence sound wrong? An alternative formulation could be

"Despite our hypothesis, the time-based switching strategy performs the best and results in a 29% reduction in falls."

However, here in is repeated twice and, for this reason, it does not sound nice either. Note that I do not use "reduction of" on purpose and according to the intuition described in this question.


texts: How to use "come true" in a such sentence

texts:
I am wondering to use a sentence like:

  I am about to make one of my childhood dream come true.

Is it a best practice?


texts: The "old switcheroo": Where did the "-eroo" suffix come from?

texts:
The -eroo suffix works as an intensifier of sorts, though it also seems to have other, less well-defined properties.

The online OED has only this to say about it:

  -eroo, suffix
        factitious slang suffix as in boozeroo n., brusheroo (brush n.2 8b), flopperoo n. U.S. formations
    in -eroo, -aroo (e.g. buckaroo n.) are discussed in Amer. Speech (1942) XVII. 10f,
    and in T. Pyles Words & Ways Amer. Eng. (1952) 199.

  1964   Guardian 8 July 7/6   Those jerkeroos feel embarrassed.

Etymonline's gloss is similarly disappointing:

  switch (n.)
  The meaning "a change from one to another, a reversal, an exchange, a substitution" is first recorded 1920; extended form switcheroo is by 1933. (Emphasis my own.)

I would like to know where this suffix comes from and, if possible, why there isn't a better etymology. Any ideas?


texts:
Is it allowed to use the word "one's" in academic writing?

For example: It can help improve one's vocabulary.


texts: Why is "renege" pronounced with a hard “g” sound?

texts: The word renege comes from Medieval Latin renegare (source). It is the only English word of Latin origin I'm aware of that doesn't follow the soft g pronunciation rule. The g is hard even though there's an e after it. Why?


texts: Adjective for "a person who really suffers when it is cold"

texts:
I am looking for a word to describe a person who really suffers when it's cold. Let's say, cold is not their cup of tea. And (maybe) with a nuance that they are over-sensitive.

  John is so [the word I'm looking for]; It's just 5C and he's wrapped
  up in two sweaters and a winter coat!


texts: Is there a specific word for describing a person who gets lost easily?

texts: When we travel around, some people get lost much more easily than others, since they cannot remember directions correctly. Is there any specific word for these kind of people?


texts: "Bother and do" for "bother doing/to do" in colloquial speech and writing

texts:
As far as your English variety goes, does it sound acceptable to say "bother and do" instead of "bother doing/to do" in colloquial speech and not so formal writing?

E.g.

Please spend a moment of your time to bother and read...
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-416-640-3489/2

It impressed you enough to bother and reply...
http://www.flickr.com/groups/capturenx/discuss/72157634028025270/

If you are black and voted for Barry, did you bother and look...
http://darrenyancy.com/2012/11/07/you-were-forewarned/


texts:
I'm not a native speaker of English and I'm always interested in issues of pronunciation.  The Longman Pronunciation Dictionary, compiled by phonetician J. C. Wells, has only one possible pronunciation for versus or vs, vs., namely /'vɜ:s əs/ and /'vɝs əs/ for British and American English respectively.  Yet, repeatedly, I've come across a way to pronounce it on Youtube that I would transcribe as /vɜ:s/ or /vɝs/.

Is this widespread, faulty, frowned upon?  Do people simply fail to associate the abbreviated form with the full form?


texts: What is the difference between "wry" and "dry" humor?

texts:
Please describe the differences between wry humor and dry humor.

Research

This definition says wry literally means "twisted" and is associated with sarcasm.
This article suggests dry has to do with puns.

But I'm not really certain there actually is a difference. I think it's just as possible the two are completely interchangeable terms.

I'm looking for a canonical consensus of opinion (or a split opinion) here amongst the world's leading experts—yes, this means you, english.se.


texts:
Where "talent" here refers to a personal quality of "from birth, being able to do a specific skill well", what is the precise opposite? I.e. what word means on innate inability? Just as an example, someone who has absolute pitch can readily detect (even name) a note, so they would be talented in the skill of transcribing notes. Someone who is born tone deaf, however, has an innate inability to do this skill.

In searching the dictionary, I found several suggested antonyms, however, when presented alone (without the word "talent" given), readers will not recognize the precise meaning. E.g. when readers see "weakness", they will not immediately think of some "innate inability", nor will they imagine some talents that someone might be poor at.

What is the most precise antonym of "talent"?


texts: What would you call a person who is obsessed with being "normal"?

texts:
I am searching for a word which means someone who has an obsession with being 'Normal', or someone who cannot bear to be different from other people, or similar. Is there any such?

Context:-

A lives in a western country, and always eats rice with chopsticks. His mother B scolds him for not eating like a normal person. When he cries due to the rather vigorous scolding, he is again scolded for not crying properly.

A suitable adjective for B?


texts:
My team leader asked me the following question. I got confused about what to reply.

Can anyone help me on what it exactly means?

  Do you have few mins for quick sync-up?


texts: Another word for an 'upgrade old version to new'

texts:
I am trying to present on a new technology/system that is based off something old... I am struggling to have a catchy title. I want to say something along the lines of:

  'the old-technology upgraded'

or

  'old-technology with a face-lift'

...


texts: Rules of grammar with the word "like", "is/are"

texts:
I was wondering if the comma was put in the correct place in the sentence below.

"These creatures have been shown to face negative consequences, like death."

Additionally, I was wondering if I should use is or are in this sentence.

"Most creatures, like the one that has been accounted, is/are a bit stubborn"

Thank you very much.


texts: What's a word for someone who's likely to commit a crime?

texts:
What noun can be used for persons who are likely to commit a crime? The scenario is that the person might have never committed a crime in their life but if you analyze the current state of things in their life, you'd conclude that they are most probably going to commit a crime in the foreseeable future.

Usage:

Just like sci-fi movies, based on predictive modeling and data analysis, we can identify _______. (word for those who are likely to commit a crime)

Words considered but that don't fit:

suspect - A person thought to be guilty of a crime or offense

perpetrator - A person who carries out a harmful, illegal, or immoral act.

[ODO]

I guess both words signify that the crime has already occurred. Please correct me if I am wrong.


texts: Tag questions with or - shouldn't they be the opposite in the tag

texts:
I wonder why tag questions have a tag that is not the other possibility of the sentence that precedes the tag.

For instance:

1) "This tag question is an example, or is it?"

Shouldn't it be:

2) "This tag question is an example, or isn't it?

The negative sentence:

3) "This tag question is not an example, or is it?"

(2) and (3) sound more "logical" to me, and in both the tag is the negative of the sentence preceding the tag.


texts: What’s the terminology in linguistics for the evolution of “space ship” to “spaceship”?

texts:
Is there a term in linguistics for the evolution of a word like “space ship” to “spaceship”? There’s an answer on this site which says:

  Here is a rule I read related to evolution of compound words.

  Most compound words start out as two words: Air plane, Space ship
  Stage two, they are hyphenated: Air-plane, Space-ship
  Stage three, over time they start become accepted as a single word: Airplane, Spaceship

I was wondering if there’s a term for this evolution process, to know what term to search for to learn a bit more about it. I vaguely remember reading something like the above before, and had assumed it works that way “as a rule”. But it’s interesting to see the rule doesn’t really seem to apply for the “spaceship” example to begin with: the Google Ngram looks more as if usage of both “space ship” and “spaceship” initially increased in tandem, rather than one preceding the other. A Google Ngram for “spacecraft”, on the other hand, seems to show it didn’t really go through a stage of being “space craft”. It would be interesting to learn more about why different words (especially words as similar as “spaceship” and “spacecraft”) evolve differently in this sense.


texts:
Is "cannot not say" standard English?

In context, I would like to know whether "I cannot not say precisely what attracted them to the part of Giuliette" is grammatical.

Also, does the phrase "cannot not say" interfere with the double-negation story?


texts:
A friend of mine just stated:

  I'm unimpressed by iOS6, most of the "features" they are introducing have been there since Android's conception.

I was about to correct him, believing inception to be the correct word.

When should one be used over the other?


texts:
In mathematics, I often see phrases like

"Let f(x) be a function with a critical point at, say, x1."

In sentences like this an element of a set has a special property and we would like to assign that element a label (such as x1 in the case above), how should the above phrase be punctuated?

My instinct says it should be "at, say, x1" but a google search reveals "at say x1" shows up quite frequently. I suspect that it's entirely up to writing style but I haven't been able to find anything that makes me confident about whether I should prefer one or the other.


texts: Word/phrase for something most people have heard of but don't understand

texts: I'm thinking of things like general relativity or the Dow Jones Industrial Average.  You have a general idea about what context the name belongs to but probably don't understand it well enough to explain what it is to someone else.  Is there a word or phrase to express that?


texts: What term would describe the following poetry elements like rhyme, alliteration, assonance, etc. that relate to the way the word is sounded?

texts: I'm looking for a word that categorizes rhyme, alliteration, assonance, etc. that relate to the way the word is sounded into one group/word. I hear that it could be called "sound devices" because they are utilized for their sound aspect in poetry, but it seems there may be a more technical linguistic term maybe.


texts: Where did "duck, duck, gray duck" come from?

texts:
Duck, Duck, Goose is a common children's game but a typical Minnesotan calls the game a slightly different name: Duck, Duck, Gray Duck. I have never talked to anyone outside of Minnesota that knows of this game as Duck, Duck, Gray Duck.

Wikipedia merely notes that it is a Minnesotan variant:

  "Duck Duck Gray Duck" is a variant played by children in Minnesota. The core gameplay difference is that the picker taps the heads of the other players while calling out variant colored ducks and then calls "grey duck" in place of "goose".

There are no notes on why the game is named differently or why Minnesota seems to be the only region that uses Gray Duck.

My question is: When did Duck, Duck, Gray Duck diverge from Duck, Duck, Goose and is there a particular reason why it did?


texts: "should be studying" or "should have been studying" when the opportunity is lost by 50%?

texts:
Ok, for a lost opportunity, we use "should have + PP"

Ex: You have just missed the train because you woke up late. You should have gone to bed early yesterday.

But What about when the opportunity has lost by 50%?

Ok, see this situation,

Student A has an English class from 7 AM to 9 AM today. Now is 8 AM & Student A has just woke up. His opportunity is lost by 50%. His father should say:

Option 1: You should be studying English.

or

Option 2: You should have been studying English.

Which option is suitable in this context?


texts: Is it correct to say "drive by London", "drive by the beach" in the  meaning of "near London", "near the beach"?


texts: What is the word or idiom for a system which is not well maintained and has become useless?

texts: In Finnish we say rämettyä, where räme is a kind of swamp or marsh, so it literally means become a swamp. I guess that is understandable English, but it sounds quite informal. Especially, I am looking for a term for technical system.


texts: Term for how long employees stay within a company

texts:
What is the term to describe how long a given employee remains at a company?

For instance, if I wanted to use it in a sentence:
The ______ of Software Engineers in Seattle, WA is about two years.

Maybe it's not one term, but I am struggling to convey this message clearly.


texts: Is 'my schedule has gone disarrayed' correct?

texts:
I want to write:

  I have not been able to follow my schedule

but in a different way. Can I say:

  My schedule has gone disarrayed

to convey the same meaning? If the above sentence is not correct how would a correct one be phrased?


texts: "Who should be ashamed is your wife" is this ungrammatical? Why?

texts:
Is this usage common?

Example:

  In your case, who should be ashamed is your wife.

I ask because 99% of the results in Google Books are "the one who should..." or "the person who should."

Maybe ...who should... is an incomplete phrase?


texts:
In today's Washington Post article titled “For Boehner, battle is a test of leadership,” I came across the phrase, “It seems every step we take, it’s something just to poke us in the eye,” of Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid. Although I can easily imagine how angry I could be when I’m poked in my eye with a stick, what does “poke one in the eye” mean right here?

I searched the definition of this phrase in dictionaries at hand and online dictionaries, none of which has entry of this phrase, except for Online Slang Dictionary carrying the phrase “poke in the brown eye” without giving any definition of it. I’m also curious to know what “poke in the brown eye” means.

Mr. Harry Reid’s comment including “poke one in the eye” reads:

  ‘It seems every step we take, it’s something just to poke us in the eye,’ a frustrated Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) said at one point this week. ‘They are not trying to arrive at the finish line. It appears that they’re going to do everything they can to satisfy the tea party.’


texts: When wording a date where the month and year are seperate from the day, should the month have a comma? (See example.)

texts:
Notice the following text:

  “How old are you, anyway?” she asked.

  “Thirteen as of the twenty‐sixth of July 2004,” he stated proudly.

Should "July" have a comma here? Thanks!


texts: A Computer Virus which doesn't damage your PC

texts:
I am a developer from Italy, and because I usually work with English people, I need to know some new words.

What do you call a 'Computer Virus' which is only annoying but not dangerous?


texts: If he takes the later plane tonight he won’t have to rush

texts:
According to the Cambridge Grammar of the English Language, page 88,

  if took could be the realisation of either
  a preterite or an irrealis, there'd be no way of telling in cases
  like [29ii] (If he took the later plane tonight he wouldn’t have to
  rush) whether it corresponded to was or to were.

What two meanings (or conditionals as taught in ELT) does the sentence [[29ii]] have?


texts:
I was tooling around on The Punctuation Guide when I noticed that the underscore character was not listed as a form of punctuation.

I brought this up to my friends, asking them if underscores were ever used in punctuation. One of my friends claimed that underlining a word was a usage of the underscore, and that it is a form of punctuation. The example he used was that underlines and italics are used when referencing different works, such as when citing sources.

Now, I'm pretty sure this is not a valid example, but I'm not convinced that a true counterexample doesn't exist. Is the underscore a form of punctuation? If so, Is the example my friend gave a valid explanation? Are there any better examples out there?


texts: Most concise way to describe information not guaranteed to be accurate? Missing or assumed details at fault

texts:
You may experience people doing this intentionally (to some extent) in law, politics, religion, or many different areas where they speak vaguely so that they are correct in at least one interpretation of their words. What you think they are meaning may not be the one way in which they are actually correct.

Someone also may do this unintentionally where they use words with more than one meaning or they just overuse general nouns / personal pronouns (she went to that place to get some stuff). They may say "she went to the store" when you ask where someone is, but they might mean a different individual than the one you were asking about.

Someone may speak with an assumed (but not explicitly defined) context.

Statistics that are misleading due to no explanation of the data presented, like "4/5 dentists suggest X toothpaste" but it isn't mentioned how many dentists were asked, where these dentist offices are, if they were paid for their answers, etc.


texts:
How does one decide whether an adverb of manner should precede or follow the verb?

In some cases, it seems to be more natural to have the adverb follow the verb, as in:

“She moved slowly and spoke quietly.”

But in other cases, it seems to be more natural to have the adverb precede the verb, as in:

“The minister solemnly addressed his congregation.”

But I can’t work out why this is the case. Is there a general rule to follow to decide where to place the adverb? Does it have anything to do with whether the verb is used transitively or intransitively?


texts:
In this article about male friendships, there are two references to "dish":

  "Well, what do you have for me?" Dish, she meant – like maybe some of that marital strife.

and:

  "What do you got for me? Any dish?"

I'm a pretty confident non-native speaker, and I know it refers to neither food nor plates and bowls nor antennas. Nor this sexist talk.

I'm pretty sure this is about gossip or something in that area but I couldn't find any sources.


texts: I've just deleted the message OR I just deleted the message

texts:
Context: I was about to send you a "grammatical stuff", and that's when it hit me: "She's already studying a lot of things." That's why I've just deleted the message above.

Can I use present perfect here, or should I use simple past?

Thanks in advance.


texts: Reading question on a TOEFL preparation book

texts:
This text is given:

  In the twentieth century, architects in large cities designed structures in a way that reduced noise and yet made living as comfortable as possible. [A] They used such techniques as making walls hollow and filling this wall space with materials that absorb noise. Thick carpets and heavy curtains were used to cover floors and windows. Air conditioners and furnaces were designed to filter air through soundproofing materials. [B] However, after much time and effort had been spent in making buildings less noisy, it was discovered that people also reacted adversely to the lack of sound. [C] Now architects are designing structures that reduce undesirable noise but retain the kind of noise that people seem to need. [D]

But I don't find this question quite right:

  According to the passage, making walls hollow and filling this wall space with materials that absorb noise results in

  A. filtered air
  B. a lack of sound
  C. an adverse reaction to noise
  D. a reduction in undesirable noise

Apparently the right choice (based on the answer key) is B.
And that's ok with me and it makes sense, but what I don't understand is how D can be wrong.

I mean, if B is right (there is a lack of sound), there is also a reduction in undesirable noise. Logically I think that if B is right it automatically makes D right too. But shouldn't there be only one correct answer in a TOEFL test question?

To me it feels like asking if a square shaped image is a rectangle or a square.

Maybe I am missing something here. What is it I am missing?


texts: "It was very unfortunate of him..." Is the preposition "of" used correctly in this sentence?

texts:
It was very unfortunate of him to have lost the battle.

In this sentence, is the usage of the preposition "of" correct?


texts: I have no idea what does "It 's nothing you do casually or natively" mean.Please anyone explain.What is the exact meaning of this sentence??


texts: What is the hardest tongue twister you have ever seen? Humorous ones are also welcome.


texts: What is one word or phrase to say "I will set an object or I will remove the object's placeholder"

texts:
I'm trying to name a method in a programming language and can't figure out what it should be called.

I'm looking for a single word or phrase that means "If you give me an object I will place it on its placeholder, if you give me nothing, I will remove its placeholder and any object that was on its placeholder"

What I have tried so far but doesn't really make the sense I need it too is "set or remove" so the method reads like

setOrRemove:object;


texts:
So I just commented (tried to, the answer turned out to have been deleted) on an answer and wrote this: "I also feel that the disclaimer was just a tincy wincy bit unnecessary". I then though to change it to this : "I also feel that the disclaimer was just a tinsy, wincy, littlest bit unnecessary".

I then thought that the 'a' should/could change to 'the' as in "I also feel that the disclaimer was just 'the' tinsy, wincy, littlest bit unnecessary". However I then realized I didn't actually really know which one it should be... In my mind at least, both seemed to be correct.

A slightly dumb and mundane question but still, it got my gears grinding a little bit so I thought to come here for some internet ultimate wisdom. Also in an afterthought: what's the correct use of commas within this quote?


texts:
Can I use "in this process can occur" like this?

" The packets are reassembled at the receiver side. Consequently, in this process can  occur, that some packets may be lost and need to be retransmitted or retrieved out of order and need to be reorded"

I appreciate any help.


texts: When does the name prefix "Mc" take stress?

texts:
Mc (or Mac) is often used as a prefix in Gaelic-derived names.

In one class containing most such names, prefixing Mc does not affect the position of the accent somewhere on the base name. Thus Mc is unstressed. For example:

McDonald /mɛkˈdɑnl̩d/
MacArthur /mɛkˈarθr̩/
McCoy /mɛk̚ˈkoj/
McGill /mɛˈɡɪl/
McMahon /mɛkˈmæn/
McCarthy
McLeod
McDonnell
McCormack
McEwan
McAllister
McOrmond
McNuggets

But sometimes Mc takes stress:

McIntosh /ˈmækɪntɑʃ/
McIntyre /ˈmækɪntajr̩/
McAfee /ˈmækəfi/
McAvoy /ˈmækəvoj/

All of these I could think of contain a vowel-initial base name, but that's not a sufficient condition.

How can you determine which class a particular name belongs to, and what is the etymological reason for the distinction?


texts: Comma usage in two lists of two (to make four attributes)

texts:
Question: What is the appropriate way to punctuate two lists of two items when each of the individual items can not be combined into a single list of four?

Specific Sentence that prompted this question:

  One way or another, so long as each connection’s packets can be identified by unique Source and Destination, IP and Port, the response traffic can be un-translated to the appropriate initial host.

context:

There are four attributes to identify the packet: Source IP, Source Port, Destination IP, Destination Port.

Listening them all out individually is a bit too wordy for the sentence, but I need to iterate that each packet must have a unique combination of all four attributes.

If I were speaking it, I would say:  "... each connection's packets must be identified by a unique source and destination, IP and Port" (using the comma to indicate a pause).

Initially I had written out "... each connection's packets must be identified by a unique source/destination ip/port", but that looks very sloppy.

edit: updated question to make it more than a proof read request


texts: Which is grammatically correct, and why? Possessive vs. noun adjunct

texts: Which is grammatically correct: "He remarked that oftentimes oracles’ predictions are unspecific" or "He remarked that oftentimes oracles predictions are unspecific" (without the apostrophe)? Why?


texts:
For different major releases of a software product it is nice to assign a name to them. Although I find this tough...

Properties of a good software version name:

relatively large group of nouns (so you have options for future releases)
an order to them

For example:

Planets : Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, etc. ? * arguably too small a list
Elements : Hydrogen, Helium, Lithium, etc.

What other name options exist?


texts: I try to bring order to my wallet, throw away unnecessary business cards and notes that piled up over the years. This isn't very complicated. Yet I is surprisingly complicated to find a verb to desrcibe this task in English. I search in a few dictionaries and tried to google sentences with the words I found, but none of them seems to be common enough to be the right verb...


texts:
The structure of this sentence is incorrect,
but I'm not able to explain the reason why.

  It is against company policy to use mobile phones by any person when in control of this vehicle.

I understand that the sign is obviously saying it's prohibited for any person to use a mobile phone, but the structure is completely wrong. It's the 'to use mobile phones by any person' part that's the issue, but could someone explain specifically why this is incorrect.


texts: One word for a strategy good for each of the cases and a strategy good for only few of the cases

texts:
I have two strategies that I am applying to my study cases. The first strategy is good for each of the study cases. The second strategy is very good for only few of the study cases but not so good for the rest.

I want to describe these two strategies by a one-word adjective or in a more elegant way than what I just said.


texts: why present perfect tense used in below sentence and why there is no subject for word found

texts: Scientists and researchers from the University of Delhi and the Zoological Survey of India have discovered a genus of tree frog found in the Andaman islands and the northeast.


texts: The word for referring to the patient's standard measurements such as heartbeat rate, blood pressure, etc

texts: What is the word for referring to the patient's standard measurements (like heartbeat, blood pressure, etc)?


texts: Is "to say" in Hamlet's "and by a sleep to say we end" an infinitive or an adverb?

texts:
I was trying to identify the word classes of Hamlet's famous monologue "To be or not to be", and I'm really having trouble deciding what word class "to say" in "and by sleep to say we end the heartache, and the thousand natural shocks" belongs to.

Is it an infinitive construction, or is it an adverb?


texts:
I have 2 sentences that I don't understand:

1.) The girl [[sleeping]] in the room is my sister.
2.) People usually can get a sufficient amount of the calcium their bodies [[ need ]] from the food they consumed.

These 2 sentences have one verb already. (is for (1) and get for (2)) why they don't use the same.

And I heard that without the word "That"  I have to use Ving after that, what is it? Where can I find the source to study.


texts: which or who in "the body, authority, entity or person which establishes"

texts:
... the body, authority, entity or person which establishes...

Is it correct to use "which" in this case? Or should it rather be "who", since the last element of the list is a person?


texts: usage of "that" in the following sentence

texts:
Can I use that after the period to talk about something from the previous sentence?

For example:

  In 1995 the number of men attending art galleries was high. That number decline significantly in 2000.


texts:
I'm wondering why we have double letters in words that make the same sound as if it were a single letter. For example apple. The pp makes a p sound, and sound the same as if the word was spelt aple.

A few more examples:

sell
hill
fuss
watt
happy
sunny
blossom

I've also notices that the double letters make the same sound as if it were a single letter is not entirely true across the board - especially if the repeated letter is a vowel, for example;

feet
hoop
teen
spoon
beetle

Why is this? Why do some letters have double letters when having a single letter makes the same sound. It seems to only be for words above 3 characters.

From what I've seen, vowels need the double letter to make another sound, but consonants don't.


texts: Is the -old morpheme in 'threshold' an OE locative?

texts:
I remember in days of yore being told by a professor that threshold held the meaning of "stepping (or more literally, treading) through," implying a locative sense to the remaining -old morpheme. This, however, is not borne out in the standard declensions.

Does such a statement hold water?


texts: I'm really confused about the pronunciation of the letter "a". Why is there a difference when it is used in a sentence and when "a" is single? When it is single, we read it like dwelling on it, like /eɪ/. On the contrary, in a sentence, it sounds interruptedly. What's the reason?


texts: Is it called personal blog or private blog

texts:
I would like to start a technology oriented blog. A short description should contain something like: A personal/private blog about...

Is there a major difference between personal and private ?


texts: If we were... everyone would be able to hear what I was saying

texts:
I wrote the following and was asked to justify my use of "would" vs "will" and "was" vs "am":

"If we were to Skype, everyone in my office would be able to hear what I was saying."

Was what I wrote correct or incorrect? And either way, why?

Thank you so much!


texts:
What if I don't have an apple phone but I have apple gloves.
Is it correct?


texts: "The whole day", ''All day'' or ''All day long"

texts:
Are there any differences between these phrases for example in the following sentence:

a) I did my homework the whole day.
b) I did my homework all day.
c) I did my homework all day long.

And what is a specific difference between ''all day'' and ''all day long''?


texts:
Can someone please elucidate the difference between "many" and "many a"? In what context of usage should we add an extra "a" beside the word "many"?

For example:

  Many times, I had seen that . . . .
  Many a times, I had seen that . . . .

I do not know if the example is accurate enough to support my question, but I would like to know the difference between how they are used.