texts: What do you call someone who likes variety?

texts: I don't mean a variety in a certain field or area like food, but in general. I'm developing an iOS quiz app with different sections to be quizzed on. For example, there is a math quiz, a history quiz, a grammar quiz, a literature quiz, a history quiz, etc. One game center achievement is to have tried every quiz. I want the game center achievement title to be something like "diverse interests" except as a single word.


texts: meaning of a word in a particular context

texts:
what does resolve mean in the following sentence?

In spite of her resolve, her lips responded to his silent quest.


texts: Is the statement grammatically correct or not: "How can I get to watch a movie for free?"

texts:
I am having a sort of confusion, whether which of the following statements is/are correct:

"How can I get to watch  a movie for free?"

Or

"How do I get to watch  a movie for free?"


texts: Where can I find a reasonably well recognized free style guide that is online?

texts:
I don't like prefixing all my answers and pontifications about English usage with IMHO.

Where can I find a reasonably well recognized style guide that is online that I can refer people to?

My first choice, chicagomanualofstyle.org, is for paid subscribers only.

(Emphasis on well recognized, personally, I mostly do technical and office writing)


texts: What term can be used for people learning musical instruments?

texts:
What term can we use for a person who learns art, specifically musical instruments like a piano?

I know that the word "student" can be used in this situation and we can say "piano student" for example, but I wonder if there is a better word.


texts:
Is this a correct usage of the word circumambulate?

“I circumambulated the building before finally entering.”

Thank you in advance for any help.


texts: Describing directions using the clock face

texts: In Polish you can give relative directions (most often in military context) by using the clock dial analogy — you're at the centre and each number between 1 and 12 is a direction. For example, "Enemy at eight." would mean that the enemy is to the left and slightly behind you. Can you do a similar thing in English? I believe I heard something like this but Google searches turn up nothing.


texts: Won't or doesn't? If either works, what's the difference?

texts: The weather is windy and the wind is blowing outside. I am sitting in front of the TV, but it …………… turn on and I don’t know what I should do to fix it.


texts: Meet someone at the time when you are not working

texts:
How to name a period of time, that you want to meet a person you work / study with at, which is not during the studies or work?

Do you want to have a lunch (off-work?)?
I can help you with that (off-work?).
I usually study in my (off-work?) time.

Is that a comprehensible phrase? Or there are better alternatives?


texts: How can I know when should I use whether or if in a sentence? I can not see any difference between whether and if. When should I use each? For me, they are the same and I am not sure if there is a difference.


texts: latin abbreviation for "one and the same"?

texts:
I want to say "...as compared to paracetamol (i.e., Aspirin)"

I think this is fine, but is there a latin abbreviation that literally means "one and the same"?


texts: When to use "We" versus "I" in a professional email?

texts:
I'm trying to explain to a coworker when I use "We" versus "I" in my work emails going outside of the organization, but I don't know myself.

For example,

  Hello,

  This morning we were unable to connect the recovery channel at 142.201.223.154:11199. Our keys are current and have not been modified. Could you check for connectivity issues on your end? We'd appreciate it very much.

  Thank you.

But then, after getting a response,

  I see, thank you. It was indeed an old server we were trying to revive.

  I see a range of new recovery addresses in an email from last year, but none match the user and feed addresses for this server.

  [...]

Not the greatest example, but I've thought about this distinction before too, and I remember noticing myself using "I" more when I'm at fault, or possibly at fault, or admitting something. As an investigation continues, if the correspondent asks more details, I reply using "we," except when I'm not sure my thoughts are correct, in which case I use "I." Why is that?

English is my first language, and I don't think I'm alone in switching up these pronouns this way. But what is the logical pattern behind it? And more practically, how can I explain it to a non-native speaker of English?


texts: What does “through their youthful games an entire index of their future lives may be obtained.” mean in the context?

texts:
But animal children grow up and stop playing to a certain extent as age advances, precisely as human children do. Each settles down into a more practical condition of life. They dislike to have thier games and play disturbed, and if the mother dog growls because her playful son has continuously tumbled over her while she was sleeping or the cat mother slaps her kitten because he plays with her tail ㅡ it is a display of the same kind of emotion that prompts a human mother to rebuke her child in the nursery for making too much noise, or for throwing toys out of the window.
Animals like ourselves feel every sensation of joy happiness surprise disappointment love hope ambition and through their youthful games an entire index of their future lives may be obtained

ㅡ The Human Side of Animals, by Royal Dixon.
I want to explore the meaning of the whole quotation in bold. (I find it hard to understand it:()
Any help would be appreciated. Thank you very much.


texts:
Is it correct to use the phrase "It was always a question for me..." ?
For example, "It was always a question for me that no one liked the cake."
or "It was always a question for me why no one liked the cake."


texts:
I had a quiz and I failed because I wrote that 9.45 was "forty-five past nine" instead of "quarter to ten". I think it should have been accepted by my teacher. I searched the Internet and I found the possibility of saying so.
Is it correct to say "it is forty-five past nine"?


texts: Lain vs. Laid, Passive Voice vs. Participial Adjective

texts:
I understand the difference between the verbs lie and lay; however, things seem to become somewhat confusing in certain sentences. For example:
"The books were laid/lain out on the counter." In this sentence, it is possible to read this as a passive-voice construction, in which case laid would be correct. But could you also read this sentence as a non-passive-voice construction, in which case lain would be appropriate, acting as a participial adjective?
Other examples:
"The streets were laid/lain out in a square grid." (passive voice = laid; adjective = lain)
"The swimmers were lain out on the beach." (adjective = lain)


texts:
"Those  who  have  already  applied  under  RTI  Act  2005  or  otherwise  may  apply afresh for the same along with required fee of Rs. 500/- before stipulated date. "

Can anyone make me understand what is the meaning of "stipulated" here?

I know that the meaning of stipulate is ' to state exactly what must be done'.

I can not understand what is the meaning of stipulated in that sentence.

Is the meaning stipulated here "specified"?


texts:
I'm looking for a single-word adjective that means either "the best at what you do" or "the most experienced at what you do."  If forced to pick one of those two perspectives, I would choose the former.  I will be using it in the following list:

Cadet
Junior
Senior
Veteran
This is the word I'm looking for

Example sentence: John is a ______ mechanic.

The word does not require a military context, despite my above list having a military feel to it.


texts: what is the function of "have" in this sentence

texts:
I have a problem to recognize this sentence "I have it cuts every weeks".
So, what's the function of "have", and also the name of grammar(if any) or any sentence pattern for similar sentence, and what's the meaning of that sentence?

Thank You.


texts: What does 'a beautifully-proportioned room' mean?

texts:
“Oh I would never dream of assuming I know all Hogwarts’ secrets, Igor,” said Dumbledore amicably. “Only this morning, for instance, I took a wrong turning on the way to the bathroom and found myself in a beautifully proportioned room I have never seen before, containing a really rather magnificent collection of chamber pots. When I went back to investigate more closely, I discovered that the room had vanished. (Harry Potter 4 [US Version]: p.417)[Bold font is mine]

A dictionary says proportioned is

  (used especially after an adverb) having parts that relate in size to other parts in the way that is described

Considering the above explanation, I tentatively understand ‘a well (or beautifully) proportioned room’ has nicely balanced lengths of each side, as one large box. Also, I’m thinking ‘beautifully proportioned’ is a kind of compliment.

To be frank, however, I’m feeling a little strange about my understanding. The relation of three side lengths in a room doesn’t matter so much to me, because Japanese rooms are basically made of unified standard of tatami mat or fusuma screen, which automatically make rooms some-extent-proportioned ones. When I speak my mother tongue, I wouldn’t bother to explain how the room is proportioned unless I am an architect or unless the room is a special art. I would praise not the proportion of the room, the container, but the color or material of the accessories mainly (or only).

So, I’m curious about what “a beautifully proportioned room” really means.
Here are my questions;

Does it mean that the room has golden ratio in three sides?
Does it mean the room is a great artwork which you would like to put in a museum?
Does it describe (or praise) only a room as a box? (I’d like to know if the concept of a room includes the accessories of the room; furniture, border, curtains, or fireplace. If so, does it refer to only their layout?)


texts:
I tried catching the horse but without success
Is this sentence correct? Why ?


texts:
I was wondering if given the formal construction 'be + infinitive' I may do it passive like these:

  The president is to be visited by…

or past meaning

  He was to be visited (… and he was)

or

  He was to have been visited. (… he wasn't)


texts: What do "attention problems" mean in this context?

texts:
I read an abstract from this article:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16180285

Unfortunately I don't have access to the whole content.

In the end of abstract we read that:

  However, introducing their non-traditional family into their peer group does not seem to interfere with their psychological well-being. Nonetheless, teachers indicate that children from lesbian families experience more attention problems compared with children from heterosexual households.

What do attention problems mean in this context?

Children find it hard to concentrate?
Children are in the centre of their peers attention (which might be uncomfortable)?
Children ask for teacher's attention too much?

Can we be sure about the selected interpretation?


texts: What does "you like stick" and "I like aerosol" mean?

texts:
This is a part of a song named Fools by Australian singer Troye Sivan. I don’t get the meaning of the third line. I get the literal meaning of stick and aerosol, but I don’t think a piece of wood and some pressurized liquid makes any sense here. So what are stick and aerosol, then?

  Oh, our lives don’t collide, I’m aware of this
  The differences and impulses and your obsession with
  the little things: you like stick, and I like aerosol


texts:
Are apostrophes needed in this phrase?

  The whys and the hows

I searched for duplicate questions, but the closest I found was in regard to words inside quotes.


texts: Why are you saying something "for" yourself when your parent asks you what you have to say for yourself?

texts:
I was listening to a podcast today and heard someone mockingly ask the guest "Well, what do you have to say for yourself?".  The conversation spun off in some other direction, but I momentarily expected the comedian being interviewed to pivot on the question and head into absurd grammar-land: "Who else would I say something for?"

Which made me wonder: why are we asked to say something for ourselves when we are having an explanation demanded of us?  I can't think of any other expression where we say things for someone except when we are literally speaking for those with no voice: but clearly I have a voice myself.  So why am I speaking for myself?  How could it be otherwise?

Where did this idiom originate?  Is it implying something in its formulation that isn't part of its current accepted meaning?  I can't find much in my various searches, as Google returns only lots of people being interrogated and a hit on ell asking about "what have you got to say for yourself" vs "what do you have to say for yourself", without asking about the oddity of the idiom itself.

The closest thing I've found is a Google hit for a PDF paper implying that the phrase may somehow be related to the legal right against self-incrimination.  But that seems very odd to me as an origin for an extremely common idiom.


texts: What does it mean by "to begin my life with the beginning of my life" as in David Copperfield?

texts:
Quote from the opening of David Copperfield by Charles Dickens:

  Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show. To begin my life with the beginning of my life, I record that I was born (as I have been informed and believe) on a Friday, at twelve o'clock at night. It was remarked that the clock began to strike, and I began to cry, simultaneously.

What does it mean exactly when he wrote "to begin my life with the beginning of my life"? Is it that David was beginning to write about his life like a biography (therefore "I" record ...) starting from the very beginning? Does it have anything to do with "my own life" in the very first sentence?

I could not find any resources analysing the book in detail while trying to look into the style of Dickens. I am not a native speaker of English and might be lacking in background. Thank you in advance for your help.


texts:
In English the imperative mood is used only for the second person (differently from Italian, where what is called imperative mood is used also for the first, and third person).
How is the jussive mood rendered in English?


texts: What is the opposite of an exhaustive list?

texts:
In Japanese, the particle と is used within an exhaustive list of items, to separate each item. E.g.

りんごとバナナとメロンがあります。 (Ringo to banana to meron ga arimasu.)
I have an apple, a banana, and a melon. (implication: I have nothing else.)

The particle や is used to list items in a way that suggests that you have other things, but there's no point in listing them all, similar to how we use "etc.":

りんごやバナナやメロンがあります。 (Ringo ya banana ya meron ga arimasu.)
I have an apple, a banana, a melon, etc. (implication: I also have other things.)

What type of listing would the second example be? In other words, what is the opposite of an exhaustive list?


texts: Idiom request: Putting too much effort, but the return is so low that it was not worth the effort

texts:
I am looking for an idiom.

You put too much effort, but there is so little gain that it would not be worth the effort.

Update: More specifically, some guy wants to save money and gas, thus he skips toll highway and take the free road. But the free road is longer, or congested that he ends up using more gas.


texts:
Sometimes I read people write without verb to be for example...
Can we say my boy eating/ wearing without verb to be?
If we say “he” we have to put “is”
So what is the difference?


texts: Can't think of any off the top of my head, and the thesaurus comes up with bland results.


texts: I would like to reword this sentence. I do not like "of" at the end of sentence

texts: You have taken the responsibility of student attendance and its accounting system, producing reports that all stakeholders can sense the importance of.


texts: What's the full sentence of "No point both of us getting wet"?

texts:
I came across the phrase "No point both of us getting wet" from 'Me before you' novel. Is this phrase from the full sentence of "There is no point (in) both of us getting wet"?
If so, anyone could give me suggestion if there is some ways in English grammar rules to minimize this sentence into just a phrase, please?


texts: Origin of 'to call out', meaning to decry

texts:
This question discusses the use of "call out", meaning to publicly denounce or decry a person or a behaviour. One of the answers to that question gives an earliest known use of the expression from 1981.

I wonder how this expression arose? Is it an abbreviation or generalisation of an expression from a particular field of activity? For example, a teacher 'calling out' an unruly child from behind their desk, or whatever?

[EDIT]

Thanks for the suggestions. Obviously, 'call' is a very basic/common verb, and there are loads of idioms involving it. There are various well-established uses of "call out" as well: one cowboy 'calling out' another for a duel; a tennis umpire calling "out"; "call out the guards" to quell a rebellion; and so on.

What I specifically want to know is which, if any, of the earlier senses of "call out" led to the modern usages - "call out [bad behaviour X]" and/or "call [person X] out on her [bad behaviour Y]". (I take it as read that the former usage is a contraction of the latter).

Example: "Always call out everyday sexism!"

Evidence that the usage arose 'spontaneously', without reference to any other sense of the phrase, would also be acceptable as an answer, of course.


texts:
"There is a kitchen and a bedroom in their house."
"There is a table and 14 chairs in my room."


texts: Usage of "Only when X will Y and then only when Z"

texts:
This sentence:

  Only when input goes to logic 1 (s) will the FSM move from state s0 to s1, and then only when a clock pulse arrives.

I have read in a book related to digital logic.

I know  the meaning of this sentence: when the input goes to logic 1 and afterwards a clock pulse arrives, then the FSM moves from state s0 to s1.

Can you just explain the usage of the "only when ... will the ... and then only when" structure.


texts: Is there a name for letting something get worse until it is so bad it has to be addressed properly?

texts:
I see this idea a lot:

Something is bad and people want it to be better
There's no way for those people to make it better without a huge investment by others
Instead of trying to fix it themselves, people let the thing get worse so it will attract the attention of others at which point those people will be willing to fix it.

Examples:

Politics: Things are bad, but individuals are powerless to fix it until everybody else realizes how bad things are. Rather than try to fix it, individuals let it get worse so others will notice the problem too.
Software: There's an annoying bug, but it takes a lot of resources to fix. Rather than fix it poorly, you let it sit around so it will eventually get fixed properly.
Relationships: After a major life event, your partner begins developing annoying habits that are getting slowly worse. Rather than address them head on, you wait until they're worse and then present a larger case.

It's probably clear I don't have a background in philosophy, but this seems like the kind of thing that would have a name. Anybody know? I've looked around a bunch but I don't think I know enough to find a good answer.


texts: Term for things like "naughty step" where the step is not what is naughty

texts: Can anyone remind me of the grammatical term for the apparent misapplication of an attributive adjective, as in the phrase "the naughty step" (where it is not the step itself that is naughty but the person consigned to it)?


texts:
How good is it to use "from your side" when talking about news? Here's a sentence:

"I was worried because I had no news from your side"

By that I meant "I was worried because had no news from you".

Is that OK? Is this a common expression?

Thank you


texts: What are the standard suffixes to turn a location name into a personal discription?

texts: When America becomes American, and Earth becomes Earthling, a suffix has been used. Is this slang or are there standard rules for this type of suffix?  Most often I see/hear -ite, -an, -van or -er.  I'm not a linguist.  I write sci-fy and care about word abuse.  Please be gentle.


texts: Why do people use "bone" in the phrase "bone stock" to emphasize that a car is unmodified?

texts: "Bone stock" or "stock" means that a car is unmodified. Where did "bone" come from? Why does it emphasize the condition of being stock?


texts: Does the noun 'wealthies' have a singular form?

texts:
Wealthies means rich people. wealthy is a derived noun of the adjective wealthy, it is always used with the, and it also means rich people.

But is wealthy also a singular form of wealthies that means one rich person?


texts: Idiom for knowing every detail regarding a subject

texts:
Related question: Idiom for a person who knows every detail about something (which is also coincidentally asked by me!)

I'm asking for an idiom describing the details themselves, not the person who knows them. Some of the answers in the above link would be valid here, like jot and tittle.

My own guess would be something like this:

  Since he developed this software framework himself, he knows the _____ (and) _____ of it.


texts:
What, if any, is the difference between the two?

My best guess is that a 'roundel' is the traffic island or structure that you drive around, while the 'roundabout' also includes the road you're driving on.


texts: What is a verb that means "to move ungracefully?"

texts:
I'm looking to fill in this blank with a single word that means "moved ungracefully."

'...he ______ into the room."

I've considered galumphed, but this has the connotation of a large, awkward body, and the character in this instance is of the skinny, nerdy type.

I've considered bumbled, but this has the connotation of purposelessness, and the entrance into the room is directed and purposeful.

Suggestions?
Thanks!


texts:
Taken from here

  As early as the opening line - "Jack Torrance thought, officious little prick." - Torrance comes across as adversarial. He is a damaged man whose deep flaws have damaged others. A recovering alcoholic, Jack is given to fits of temper and rage; addiction seems to be less a cause than a symptom of his deeper character issues. Once, when his son Danny spilled a can of beer over his important papers, Jack yanked him away and accidentally broke his arm (the imagery of alcohol damaging Jack's work is not accidental). Later, while sober, Jack beat up a student of his for slashing his tires; alcohol is not necessarily a trigger for these outbreaks, merely an accelerant. When Jack agrees to take the position of winter caretaker at the Overlook, it is quite literally his last chance to change and prove himself responsible.

I have to think it over to get the real meaning of "Officious little prick" in this context.  I  am thinking of:

A person who pretends to know a lot, in fact he does not (loudmouth).
A busybody.

In case those do not imply the knowledge level, what should "Officious little prick" be interpreted as exactly?


texts:
What is a word (noun) that describes the object created or produced when a challenge is met?

For example, I might challenge a group of people to create either a poem, a painting or a photograph (they choose which). When they have created them and I have collected them all, I would have a group of __ (fill in the blank). It does not need to be an artistic challenge but could be anything.


texts: Adjectival form for "made out of energy"

texts:
I need an adjective that can be made to describe the quality of a structure being made out energy.

The term "energetic" I find mainly defined as something that is "abundant in energy", while the way I need to use it would describe even the state when the structure has little energy.

Until now, I've been using the term "energetical", but it doesn't seem exist in the common use.

Actual example: esoteric human sciences describe the human being as made out of several bodies - the physical body being merely the end product, the grossest manifestation of the condensation of energy. They describe more subtle bodies, amongst which exists the body made out of energy, with its specific anatomy (chakras - energy force centres, nadis (meridians) - subtle energy channels).

I am prone to "create" the word 'energetical', since language is a living entity which is meant to evolve according to the needs - but first want to seek others' council in case an established solution already exists.


texts: How do you say "El servicio militar" in English?


texts:
In dictionaries I only find the phrase to wrap something up, I can't find any phrase that would express what you wrap something up in.

If you want to express in what you wrap something up, can you say wrap something (up) into something?

You could probably say that you wrap something up with something, but could you also say, for example:

  I wrapped the present into the wrapping paper?


texts: Word meaning "to walk clumsily among many obstacles"?

texts:
Example:

  I kept [...] among the ocean of trees.

I thought of striding but I think it doesn't imply that there are obstacles. What's a better choice?


texts: In the context of tertiary education in nursing, what does "traditional" mean?

texts:
Someone described themselves as doing a traditional nursing university degree. In this context, what does "traditional" mean?

Nursing using traditional medicine?
Nursing involving traditional medicine as the mainstream practice not involving alternative medicine, also known as "medicine"? (From a disambiguation message on the previously linked page)
Something else?


texts:
I got into a debate with one of my colleagues - we are both not native English speakers.
She asked me a question "so we are currently not sending any data to him?"
I replied "No".

I understand that this answer is a bit ambiguous, probably this was the reason she misunderstood it (my intention was to say no, we are not sending anything). To make it clear, I wrote "No, as in no we aren't"

After this she lectured me that a.) for the first question I should have answered 'yes' if I want to confirm and b.) No we aren't is not proper English because it's double negation.

Can anyone please clarify/explain a.) and b.)?


texts:
I say to my friend Mark: "You should read this book".
Later, Mark talks with another person about this and says:
"This book was suggested to me by a friend".

Is this correct? Does it sound natural or is there another way to put it?


texts: Noun similar to Nostalgic or Sentimental

texts:
Funny Example:

My older brothers used to love "Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone" when they were young. Now they're older and it's clear that they enjoy the modern Harry Potter movies (Deathly Hallows) more. Yet they insist that the first Harry Potter movie is still the best because they are:

Sentimental?

Nostalgic?

????????

Is there a more accurate term to be used here?


texts: Where did the "ue" in "tongue" come from?

texts: How I remember being told over and over how to spell tongue!  I didn't understand it then; I don't understand it now.  What evolution might put a silent "ue" at the end of a word?


texts: "I'd-a lost"? What does this contraction stand for?

texts:
The first lines of George Thorogood's version of "One bourbon, one scotch, one beer":

  Wanna tell you a story
  about the houseman blues.
  I come home one Friday,
  had to tell the landlady I'd-a lost my job.

What does this I'd-a stand for?
These lyrics perhaps are just misheard. If so, what does Thorogood say in place of I'd-a?


texts: What does “Doesn’t harm the books!”mean here? Is it an imperative sentence?

texts:
These days, you can find out how to disinfect books on a librarians’ thread on Reddit. Your best bet appears to be either denatured-alcohol swipes or kitchen disinfectant in a mist-spray bottle, although if you stick books in a little oven and heat them to a hundred and sixty degrees Fahrenheit there’s a bonus: you also kill bedbugs. (“Doesn’t harm the books!”)

Is the sentence “Doesn’t harm the books!” an imperative sentence? (But I usually see imperative sentences starting with “Do/Don't” as the teacher says it omits the subject "you"， but I haven't met this kind that starts with "Doesn't".) Does is mean "Please pay attention not to harm the books when heating the book!" or "Take it easy! This operation won't harm the books!" ?


texts:
I was baffled to find this in the introduction to a textbook:

  We hope that readers will find this text offering them a useful
  introduction to and a basic treatment of [...], as well as preparing
  them for more advanced studies of this exciting and comprehensive
  subject...

Aren't all subjects comprehensive by definition? Comprehensive with respect to what?


texts: Is it correct to use question words in declarative senteces?

texts:
Some examples of what I mean:

"What the eggs are for, is to prepare the cake."
"What my husband is, is a nice guy."
"What a bird is, is a kind of animal."
"Where the station is, is close to the Centre"

I am not sure if this is something I am just misusing from the Spanish.


texts: Word for this situation (dark environment)

texts:
I really like thinking in abstract and recently had the chance to visit a place again after a long time which is just not the same anymore. The environment and people had kinda become like 'this' from the Powerpuff Girls episode.

People had deteriorated mainly because of age.

So I just need a word for this whole situation.
The closest word I can think about is apocalyptic. But I think, of course, it's a bit extreme. Since there hasn't been any major event. It's just that everything has lost its energy naturally due to not good planning, for the worst.
Please suggest.


texts:
I recently got a message that says

  Haven't heard anything from you in a while.

I always thought that the right way to say this would be to use for insdead of in. Are both versions correct? Would there be a difference in meaning?


texts: What's the message of this Yogi Berra quote?

texts:
There are some people who, if they don't already know, you can't tell 'em.

- Yogi Berra

Does it mean you don't know how good or bad some people are unless you get too close to them? (i.e., you can't tell them apart)

Or does it mean, a secret cannot be revealed to some people no matter what?


texts:
Which is correct? Is it "as of late" or "of late", is the "as" part necessary?

Also, can you give me a couple of different examples of sentences using the two? Is there a word that is used similarly to those particular words, that i can use to substitute the words "as of late" and "of late" with, so i don't get confused and know how to use them?

Does the following sentence "and as of late he has agreed to return home" make sense? If not, then can you restate the sentence?

EDIT: The thing is I've already used the word recently (twice) in the same paragraph and i'm meant to be writing a formal letter.
Is the sentence correct or not? Because this is the first time I've used this site and the answers are "disorderly".

Thanks again :)


texts: Idiom or phrase meaning "satisfactory in all abilities"?

texts:
Is there a possible idiom or phrase in the following context that means satisfactory in all abilities?

For example, lets say someone knows three languages: English, Spanish, and Korean; however, their knowledge of all these languages (including their native language) aren't fluent, but not poor either, just satisfactory.

When they're asked, "What language do you speak?"; instead of answering "I speak English, Spanish, and Korean, but they're all just satisfactory", or "I speak English, Spanish, and Korean, but none of them are that great", is there an idiom or phrase that could replace that, to mean something along the lines of not any of my languages are fluent, just satisfactory? or all of my languages are just satisfactory?


texts: Word that means that a thing can not be more or less itself

texts: In discussing Plato's Phaedo, I need to analyze Socrates's assertion that a soul can not be more or less of a soul. Is there a single word or phrase which expresses the notion is either a member of a class or not, and can not be more or less of a member?


texts: Slowly losing my ability to speak English,and I have no idea how this happened

texts:
This all started two months ago where all of a sudden reading English and understanding it became harder for me to do. For whatever reason whenever I read something in English now I usually skip over words, grammatic structures or read it perfectly without understanding what I read. This causes me to reread a simple sentence several times. This wasn't something was declining over time, I literally got the disability of struggled reading and struggled understanding English in a single day.

Because of this speaking English has also become a struggle for me since I have to think what I want to say before saying it unlike before where I could just talk spontaneously. Writing is also a problem since I have to think how to properly structure my next sentences more often than usual. I don't know if this is the right subreddit for this but when I googled it I got 0 answers for what I meant and I'm really worried that this could be a problem I only have.

Could this possibly be because of me being a bilingualist and I'm getting better at my second language which is Polish? It isn't like I stopped using English, in fact most of the media I consume is English with only social media being Polish because of friends on it so I have literally no clue why this happened to me. All I want to know is if it isn't brain damage and that if it can be fixed and if it can be fixed then how.


texts:
The following quote

  "I have … no hesitation in declaring quite bluntly that the acceptance of a really existing material world, as the explanation of the fact that we all find in the end that we are empirically in the same environment, is mystical and metaphysical”
  –Erwin Schrödinger

is frequently met in the Net, for example here

  https://fosvis.wordpress.com/teachers-4/quotes-and-excerpts/

I pray give me please a clue what does it mean? I flatter myself that I understand individual words and tokens like "... find in the end that we are empirically in the same environment...". The whole meaning of the sentence is wanting (doesn't sum up). Indeed our life is full of mystery, but where is it exactly in this sentence ? I read individual tokens in this sentence with clear meaning of each of them. Partial meanings doesn't naturally combine giving a new meaning of the whole sentence.
Since it is cited in contexts like above I presume that no special scientific knowledge is necessary to understand. I have some wild guesses like 'acceptance of the earthly existence as explanation of the heaven'. They all of the kind that make me cringe when I read them.


texts: Does "chronological order" mean the most recent item comes first?

texts:
I want to say that a list is in chronological order. Does this implies that the most recent event comes first? Or do I have to mention that explicitly?

  This the list of papers in chronological order:
  1) ... 2019
  2) ... 2018


texts: Is this sentence wrong: "You are the only friend that he will listen to at all."?

texts:
I am doing an grammar exercise:

You are the only friend ___ he will listen to at all.

A) where
B) whom
C) which
D) that

I chose B), but the answer key says D). Any explanation?


texts: "Excuse Me"... Is it polite or just a terse way to ask others to step aside?

texts: I often hear people saying "excuse me" when I open a door and someone else is entering/leaving from the other side. In spite of the fact that I may be the first person to have opened the door and making my way out, the other guy would say "excuse me" in a way as if I should make a way for him first. What do you think it means—a polite expression or a curt way of asking me to step aside?


texts: How can I speak as though I were from the Victorian era?

texts: I think that it would be really cool to be able to speak as though I was from the Victorian era. How can I learn to do this?


texts: Adjective for someone who makes things work in spite of few resources

texts: I was looking for a word that describes someone who can make do with very little, someone who achieves small practical goals in spite of inconvenience, instead of just giving up on those small goals. Something similar to handy, crafty, pragmatic, but not relating to perseverance, motivation or stemina. This seems like a very defined characteristic to me and I don't know yet how to refer to it.


texts: What is a synonym for the slang word "foreigner"?

texts:
Up until right now, after looking up the word "foreigner" in a few dictionaries and finding nothing relevant, I would never have guessed that it is British slang. I have always assumed that the word foreigner was a homonym, since it's use in this context is quite universally understood by people in the UK.
The most relevant "source" (and I use that term very loosely) that I could find was Urban Dictionary, which defines it as:

Common British slang for unofficial work, often making use of company equipment/ time/ premises but solely for personal gain, unrelated to the interests of the company [..] but DOES NOT hold racist connotations in this context. With notable exceptions, doing Foreigners is a fairly accepted part of British working life and, depending on the workplace, can even be done with managemental consent.
I'm not coming to the pub this lunchtime, I'm staying at work to do a Foreigner for a mate of mine.

Wiktionary's definition isn't quite as clear (unless this is a different meaning again):

A private job run by an employee at a trade factory rather than going through the business.

I also found a thread on Word Reference asking the same question.
According to this webpage, the phrase "doing a foreigner" may originate from the 18th century practice of Liverpool ship owners registering their ships abroad and carrying slaves for other countries, in order to flout the ban on the slave trade; although this isn't verifiable.
What actually prompted me to wonder if there is another way of saying "I still need to do that foreigner" is that I said it recently to a colleague in a restaurant, but it was overheard by a passing non-British mixed-race waitress, who - judging by the shocked look on her face - clearly misunderstood the meaning.
What is a less ambiguous way of saying this? If it does originate from the slave trade, then it probably isn't politically correct to say in any context; despite its widespread use.


texts: Is there a word/phrase to describe expressions of moral righteousness accompanied by inaction?

texts:
Almost like when one says one thing and does another (hypocrisy), but if one were expressing emotions, opinions or beliefs without following through in their day-to-day actions or way of living. Not necessarily that they're being actively deceptive about what they believe, but that expressing themselves provides enough catharsis that they don't feel the need to take action afterwards - i.e. my own belief in my moral superiority is confirmed/bolstered by my words not my deeds.

For example, if the Prime Minister made an emotional speech on television about the horrors of genocide on Holocaust Memorial Day, but did not make intervention in current genocides a political priority, because she felt like she'd done enough by just talking about it.

Or another example: Crying to your friend because you miss your sister, and you want your friend to know that you care about your family, but after receiving praise/comfort/etc from your friend, you don't actually call your sister.

Thank you.


texts:
Here's what "doodah" means -

Doodah

: used to refer to something that the speaker cannot name precisely.
"From the poshest potpourri to the humblest dangly doodah."

Basic research showed that it comes from the early 20th century -

: Early 20th century (in the phrase all of a doodah): perhaps from the
refrain of the song Camptown Races

(From Lexico)

Merriam Webster gives a more specific "first known use" - 1915. However, it says -

Doodah: History and etymology:
origin unknown

Etymonline doesn't expound the etymology and states no more than -

doodah (n.)
"excitement," 1915, from refrain of the popular minstrel
song "Camptown Races."

Therefore, I would like to know more about the history and etymology of "doodah".


texts: Why the shift to past perfective when the whole sentence is in the present?

texts:
I was looking at Collins' definition of double-cross:
If someone you trust double-crosses you, they do something which harms you instead of doing something they had promised to do.
So we have double-crosses and harms in present simple, but then the last choice of tense and aspect is had promised in past perfective. Can someone explain to me why it cannot be present perfective? What is the point of reference in time for this past perfective?


texts: "All-American" ... which usage came first?

texts:
In the U.S., "All-American" can mean two things.

(1) It can be used as a general phrase, meaning simply clean-cut and middle class. "He's the all-American boy" is a cliché sentence.

Note, this usage has nothing at all to do with sports.

Note, it is sometimes (often?) used (today) somewhat derogatorily or at any rate sarcastically. (I have no idea if that was the case in earlier usage; maybe it was originally used straight-up.)

(2) In the world of U.S. college sports, it specifically means: "in that year, the Nation's best athlete, for that particular team position."

(To clarify: consider college football. You have the various positions (quarterback, kicker, etc). Imagine a hypothetical "dream team" of the single best quarterback, best kicker, and so on nationwide. A number of major media outlets each year decide on such a "dream team": those top college athletes are that year's "All-Americans in college football" (or, whatever sport).)

(Just to further clarity: in professional sports similar terms have arisen, for example "All-Stars", "All-Pro" etc.)

Regarding the the first use of "All-American" in the college sports sense: "Wikipedia" asserts with absolutely no evidence given that it was an 1889 article: it is associated with Walter Camp (a "father of Football" historical figure in the U.S.).

In contrast to All-American-1, All-American-2 is not used sarcastically, it's just used neutrally to mean "the best quarterback (kicker, forward, whatever) that season".

What I seek to understand

When did All-American-1 come in to use
When did All-American-2 come in to use
Was one or the other coined in one go from whole cloth by someone?

and mostly,

In fact: is one or the other, a reference to the other?  ie, one was already existing and the other was a reference to it?


texts: A word for "hard and diligent work under sleepy-eyed conditions"?

texts:
How would you describe one who works hard with full interest and consciousness, including spending sleepless nights. In such a scenario, sleep is deprived deliberately by the person. What is such hard work called where sleep is not given priority, and days and nights are devoted to work. Words like workaholics don't implicitly speak of sleepless nights.

Many programmers, writers and solution providers do it. I am looking for one word for such efforts.


texts: Why some titles like "Astronomer Royal" are styled that way?

texts:
Why some titles like Astronomer Royal are styled that way?

What I mean is that usually, in English (and even in German and other Germanic languages, I suppose), the adjective is placed before the noun, so the most common form would be Royal Astronomer.

Placing the adjective after the noun is more common in Romance languages, like French or my own Italian (that in example would be Astronomo Reale).

I suspect that the reason is of contamination between languages, but are there other reasons why some titles use this particular styling, while other, even similar ones, like i.e. the Royal Astronomer of Ireland, use the more conventional way?

I'm interested in both answers that address the generic placement of adjectives after the nouns, and in the more specific history of the styling of the title Astronomer Royal itself.


texts: More deeply into conditonials between hypothetical and indicative, featuring backshifing

texts:
After thinking this or that ways, finally I have been confronted to this question: Could there be the sentences which have 2nd conditonals structure form only(If S did ~, S would V ~~) and which was backshifted from the indicative present form(If S do(es)~~, S will V ~~) If so, it must be two ways of interpreting that sentence. One is to view that as a backshifted indicative conditional past, the other is to view that as a non-backshifted 2nd conditionals.
Take a look at this. (1) If he can be more brave, he will confess to her. If this (1) is backshifted, can it be like this? (2) It was clear that (or His brother said) (1-1)If he could be more brave, he would confess to her. In my humble opinion, I can't understand how (1) can be backshifted to (1-1) without avoiding the ambiguity between indicative and 2nd conditionals. If then, the meaning or propostion of (1) and those of (1-1) is far different, I think. In addition to that, I think the "would" in (1-1) shoud not be used or expressions other than "would" can be used there, for example, using simple past with no past auxilaries(confessed), or using adverb like probably(probably confessed)
That is, like the sentence of Picasso, the presuppotion is way too different if that is veiwed as a indicative conditional past(like the point of your view). If so, the author supposeed there were two possibilites of whether Picasso could judge or not. But if that is veiwd as 2nd conditionals, the author supposes only one case that Picasso was not able to judge, is not able to judge(if he were alive) and won't judge the work. Under this presupposition, the author chose to use 2nd conditonals. He closed the other possibility of Picasso's being able to judge the work he was making then.
I have never written this complicating, messy writing explaining grammar before. So If misunderstood the first answer, all bucks are on me.
My first question here


texts: A word for series of unintentional events that lead up to a blunder?

texts:
Unintentional or human error all coming together to cause an unfortunate incident?

What's a good word that best describes this?


texts: Phrase/Word-pair for a variant of master-slave relationship

texts:
We are designing an electrical system in which the two primary sub-systems work in a manner such that the first one controls the power for the second one (and handles some primary tasks), and the second sub-system is then responsible for more advanced tasks.

Now, there is a common terminology that is used in similar systems: master-slave architecture or relationship. However, in a master-slave relationship, the master not only has the "control", it also has more "power" and do the more advanced tasks. In our case, the first system has "control", but is not "powerful" enough to do advanced tasks. That is, in our case, the first system is more of a "gatekeeper" rather than a "master".

What would be a proper terminology for such systems or relationships?

The question, while being asked for a specific case, is general and is asking about such relationships in general, and not necessarily engineering systems.

PS:

In case someone points out, I'm asking this here and not some Engineering forum, because we need a new term for it, which does not formally exist in engineering circles.


texts: "As agreed with" or "As agreed upon with"

texts:
What is the correct way to say that something will be determined after discussing it with the client:
"As agreed with the Client" or "As agreed upon with the Client"?
Thank you in advance!


texts: What is the best way to mention a word: italics, quotes, or single-quotes (apostrophes)?

texts: If I want to mention the word "furlong", for example, should I use furlong, "furlong", or 'furlong'? Also, am I correct in putting the punctuation outside the quotes?


texts: Differences between "propensity", "predilection" and "proclivity"

texts: Propensity, predilection and proclivity all have the meaning of tendency, so what's the difference? Are they interchangeable?


texts:
A textbook gives me a word, "lurid". Merriam defines as following.

In today's English society, which definition is commonly used?
(I am asking since the definition of 3 seems subtly different.)


texts: usages of participles, complement after linking verbs or adverb of cause?

texts:
I wanna know the usage of participle below:
I simply feel better knowing a pen is handy.
Is the participle "knowing" here functioning as adverb of reason, namely, because he knows a pen is handy, he simply feel better?
Or is the participle functioning as complement after linking verb?


texts: How to describe a single item within supplies?

texts:
I'm trying to translate terms used in a database to terms used by end-users. There is a supplies table which holds information on supplies held in stock. Supplies is generic on purpose, as there is no one specific category or type. Each record details a single item/thing held and what it is, how much is in stock, etc.
I refer to supplies as 'supplies' for the end-user, but I'm struggling with the singular form.

I've tried 'supply' but it doesn't seem to fit, e.g. "add a supply" and "edit a supply" doesn't sound right.
The word 'item' doesn't mean much without context and using that in actions also feels awkward, e.g. "add an item" – an item of what, add to where?

Should I stick with 'supply', or is there a better term?


texts:
A couple weeks ago I was watching an episode of Forensic Files on Netflix, when a specific grammatical technique (I honestly don't know what else to call it) was mentioned. The name fails me, but I remember it was something like "Ironic Something-ism".

The best example that comes to mind was a quote from a note left by a murderer:

  "She wanted to cut it off, so I cut off her head."

The term specifically had to do with using the same word twice with different meanings as in the quote. What is this called? I've tried Googling it, but I can't find anything. I might go back to the episode later, but I'm currently on lunch break at work and it's driving me insane.


texts:
I saw this sentence in a textbook:

  His physical traits have been given.

We know that an abstract or non-physical thing is an uncountable noun.  In this sentence the word "trait" means characteristic. So why is it plural?


texts: is it correct to use "wide range of courses that has opened my eyes"?

texts:
Please tell me if the following sentence requires "have" or "has":

  My degree in Cell Biology and Genetics has allowed me to take a wide range of courses that has/have opened my eyes to new aspects of the field.


texts:
When I shut off the charging plug of my mobile , before the mobile was fully charged, it showed

  "battery not fully charged."

As far as basic grammar is concerned, this should have been "battery is not fully charged." Is that correct?


texts: I'm writing a paper which includes some analysis of the fact that love cannot be bought. Repeating "cannot be bought" is becoming banal and repetitive, and I was wondering if there is a suitable replacement for it.


texts: how to parse this sentence and use of as

texts:
Some days the halls were fused with a caustic scent, as of cleanser
applied too liberally.

In the above sentence, I don't know how to parse this "as of". I know it is used like "like" in this sentence, structured in this manner; scent of (or that is of) cleanser. But I just cannot figure out a legitimate way of filling the gap between "as" and "of". I tried a few, including:

...caustic scent, as it is of cleanser applied too liberally.
...caustic scent, as caustic scent of cleanser applied too liberally.

But these don't seem to work quite well, because "as" here should have been used as conjunction, serving the purpose of "indicating by comparison the way that something happens or is done", like this example:

"Dress as you would if you were having guests"

For a conjunction to be used, a clause has to be used after a conjunction, or at least in the case of "as". But after "as" in the sentence above, there is no verb or any modal verb noting the verb phrase deletion, highly suggesting that "of cleanser applied too liberally" is not a reduced clause, but only a noun.
So, how should I parse it? What is the word that should be in the gap between "as" and "of"? Is it even used as a conjunction?


texts: How to use “size “ when we are comparing?

texts:
1)Mercury is a third of the size of our planet.

I think it means that Mercury is one-third of Earth.
How is the structure?

2)Two cities which are next to Kuala Lumpur in size are Tretes and Seleta.

What does it mean here ?


texts: Is there a language or subset of English for technical writing

texts:
I read a lot of technical documentation, especially in the computer programming space. Today I was reading the following paragraph:

  Any type that implements a Read (or Write) method with this signature is said to implement io.Reader (or io.Writer). For the purposes of this discussion, that means that a variable of type io.Reader can hold any value whose type has a Read method:

[http://golang.org/doc/articles/laws_of_reflection.html]

This paragraph could be re-written like this:

  Any type that implements a Read method with this signature is said to implement io.Reader. Also, any type that implements a Write method with this signature is said to implement io.Writer. For the purposes of this discussion, that means that a variable of type io.Reader can hold any value whose type has a Read method:

I'm guessing the first paragraph was used instead of something like the second because the second (my) example is longer.

This all got me thinking, "It'd be great if there were a way to write this paragraph that is clear and concise". Something like:

  Any type that implements a [Read|Write] method with this signature is said to implement io.[Reader|Writer]. For the purposes of this discussion, that means that a variable of type io.[Reader|Writer] can hold any value whose type has a [Read|Write] method:

In my example above, one could imagine the square brackets allowing for a choice of words with the options separated by a pipe.

Before going down the road of thinking more about what a language like this may look like, I'm wondering if this has already been done? I.e. is there a language or writing style that addresses these concerns? ("These concerns" being how to be clear and concise in technical writing.)

One specific issue I'd like to address is have a construct for xor.


texts: Would I need a comma after the main clause here?

texts:
Would I need a comma before the word "as" in this sentence?

  The word "fear" also takes a new meaning(,) as it comes to represent a more self-centered notion.


texts: Can "removal" mean to move **to** a different place in contexts other than furniture, etc.?

texts:
The OLD includes the following meaning for the noun "removal" in British English:

  an act of taking furniture, etc. from one house to another

Is the use of this noun with a similar meaning in expressions such as

  this discussion was marked for removal to Sec.II

correct? Or should it be substituted with, e.g.,

  this discussion was marked to be moved to Sec.II

?

Clarification in response to comments: my question is if removal can be used in combination with the new location, i.e., "removal to somewhere".


texts: Alternatives of 'a snowball's chance in hell'

texts: I am looking for a different, common English idiom that expresses the same thing as a snowball's chance in hell.  My teacher says I use this expression too much, and that it is not appropriate for every essay. I need a same meaning like something very cold in a hot place to have a little chance.


texts: Coordinating conjunction right before a subordinate clause

texts:
How should the following sentence be formatted?

The beagles lost the game, but, because of their excellent attempt, they won our hearts.

The beagles lost the game, but because of their excellent attempt, they won our hearts.

I'm concerned about how to use commas with a coordinating conjunction right before a subordinate clause embedded in another subordinate clause.


texts: Require synonym to avoid confusion of dual meaning of "experience"

texts:
I am trying to write an essay on life based view points on comparing A vs B group life views. Unfortunately in my case the word for the two opposing view points is the exact same word "experience"
From Merriam-Webster:
1st meaning

a : practical knowledge, skill, or practice derived from direct observation of or participation in events or in a particular activity
b : the length of such participation
has 10 years' experience in the job

2nd meaning

something personally encountered, undergone, or lived through

In English the one meaning is long term and about learning a skill i.e. John has 10 years working experience as a programmer
However the other definition is short term based and has nothing to do with learning a skill but rather about just encountering or interacting with it.
Sally wanted to experience visiting the beach.
So for the word you can have the same situation of
Sally has experience playing the violin meaning she is proficient in it vs Sally wanted to experience playing the violin meaning she just wanted to experience how it sounded like and isn't proficient.
I am writing an essay on comparing people who view life as gaining experience (long term) thinking vs people just want to experience life through a set of experiences (short term no preparation impulsive thinking).
I am constantly going to refer to each group  in the essay so the description of each group has to be short so I can't just call the two groups he "live life as a set of experiences" and "live life to gain experience" group every time
Title of essay:

Experiences-based living vs experience-based living
The problem with living an experiences-based life is that you live in the short term and don't prepare for the long term. The problem with an experience-based living is that you miss out on the little joys and realize too late you are old and missed out on having fun.
John is married to Sally. John wants to focus on his job and gain experience so he can in future have the skills to start his own company. Sally thinks differently and want to experience the joys of life and go out every day of the week  so she and John can enjoy life while they are young. John has a _____ life view. Sally has a ____ life view.

I refer to each group many time since its an essay and I use the two groups as  "experiences-based" vs "experience-based" that the reader will confuse them. I looked up synonyms but they don't have the same meaning I need to convey. Only "experience based life" conveys what I want to say, just a pity that the word has two meanings that are so different and I want to use both


texts:
Has anyone ever come across ?brook (not too sure about spelling) used instead of burp?

I brooked/I burped.
Was that you brooking/burping?

It may be derived from Scottish Gaelic.


texts: What do you call someone who doesn't believe in "ghost"?

texts:
What do you call someone who doesn't believe in "ghost" neither in ghost stories ?

web has it's answer as skeptics but that's not a dictionary answer. It is more or less conventional.


texts: What is the usual meaning of "nutritious"?

texts:
What does "nutritious" (as in "nutritious meal") generally implies? Mostly something with enough (or even a lot of) calories? or more something that has a good variety of the nutrients necessary for a proper, healthy diet?

PS: Adding some of the research I did before asking the question:

I am asking this question because I read for instance in the British dictionary on dictionary.com:

  Nutritious:
  adjective
  1. nourishing, sometimes to a high degree

where "nourishing" can be clicked on, with the result:

  Nourishing: promoting or sustaining life, growth, or strength

These definitions (or others I can find) are compatible with both the above interpretations ([1] enough (or a lot of) calories, and [2] a variety of nutrients). However, I am asking this question because I implicitly learned from usage (as a non-native speaker) only the first meaning, while a friend (also a non-native speaker) insists that only the second meaning is correct. Since the definitions I can find are somewhat vague, like the above ones (e.g. they are compatible with the idea that nutritious can even refer to things like sleep, which "promotes or sustains life,…", which is, as far as I know, not the case), I can't know for sure which, or if both the interpretations above are implied by "nutritious".


texts: "Hasn't been as bad as they had feared" or "hasn't been as bad as they feared"

texts:
I can't find other questions and/or information about the forms / tense I'm using in this sentence as most questions seem to be about the difference between "hasn't" or "hadn't".
Is the correct phrasing

The storm has not been as devastating as many had feared, or
The storm has not been as devastating as many feared

And, if either are semantically correct, what is the difference between these sentences?


texts:
Consider a robot that can draw a shape.

Now let's say that this robot can both extend and redraw the shape, such that:

The shape becomes larger
The current shape changes

Is there a word that can accurately describe this phenomenon?

Words I'm currently thinking of but don't quite capture both the extend and redraw properties: self-morphing, self-modifying, self-extending, procedural (?)

Edit

The word should be closely related to the fact that this entity can grow by itself, without external interference.

Edit 2

I've learned my lesson: don't try to find the word to something without explaining the entire context. I apologize for this. Here is the full context of the word:

  Let's say there is a model that tries to create Artificial Intelligence (AI). This model learns on-the-go and changes itself accordingly. Therefore, the AI brain can both change and grow. Strictly speaking, the rules according to which the AI changes its model are fixed and predetermined. The model itself is not. This implies that if data (or input) arrives, the model changes such that if subsequent data arrives, the model handles the data differently. I'm trying to describe the separation between models with a predetermined structure and models that have the explained varying structure (preferably in one word). It is important to note that not just the internal properties of the varying model changes (such as its estimates), but that the model can actually create (or grow) completely new areas.


texts: Does English have an equivalent word for alimungawan?

texts: It's the short semiconscious or confused state after sleep. Very much like a hypnic jerk but you don't go back to sleep. Like waking up very early in the morning but you slept late your body is not ready to get up. Or being roused from sleep by an earthquake your body doesn't know how to react. You either get out of bed after this state or it may be followed by a short glassy-eyed idle moment.


texts: Word/phrase to describe "picking something and turn it into its opposite version?"

texts:
This is a bit hard to explain so hopefully my example is clear:

  She took tactics from the seduction community and __ so that they could be
  used in men.

The only word I could think of was reverse engineering:

  reverse engineering

  the reproduction of another manufacturer's
  product following detailed examination of its construction or
  composition.

Though I'm not very sure if it implies that the final product is the opposite of the original one.


texts:
When are you getting the train back to Adelaide?

Is the phrase back to Adelaide an adjective phrase that modifies the train or adverbial to are getting?


texts:
Can let us (or let's) be used with have in such a way?

  Let's just have you stop being so mean to me, I'd really appreciate it.


texts: I think this a compound-complex sentence - but I'm struggling to draw a tree diagram of the co-ordinating/sub-ordinating clause(s)

texts:
With my 'Rediscover Grammar' by David Crystal to hand, I've been struggling with trying to draw a tree diagram of the below sentence all day. I'm not asking anybody to do the diagram for, but I'm struggling to identify the independent/subordinating clauses and I'd greatly appreciate any help:

"And I saw a man with a newspaper and a bag of golf-clubs go up to one of the doors of the train and press a big button next to it and the doors were electronic and they slipped open and I liked that" (Mark Haddon, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, p.191)

'And I saw a man' = Independent, Main Clause
'with a newspaper' = Subordinate Clause
'a bag of golf clubs' = This could stand independently, but its connected with a co-coordinating conjunction to the last sub-ordinate clause - so aren't they both co-ordinated but as subordinated clauses, to the first main clause?
'go up to one of the doors' - Further confusion. If this sentence began with 'he' and was in the full past-tense like the majority of the novel is, then 'He went up to one of the doors' would be an independent. But because it just says 'go' I'm assuming it is a subordinated clause.
'of the train' - subordinate clause.
'press a big button next to it' = again, like with 'go', the use of
the simple present tense 'press', means its subordinate? It could be
independent if it were in the past tense, like: 'and he pressed a big
button next to it', but even then it is unclear what 'it' is in
anaphoric reference to - so still subordinate clause.
'the doors were electronic' - main/independent clause (?) - again, this throws me - how would I draw this whole sentence in a tree diagram? It would be easier if this very long sentence were split into two and it feels like this could be the start of a whole new sentence, if arranged by parataxis: 'the doors were electronic. they slipped open. I liked that'.
'they slipped open' = they, referring anaphorically to the doors, so therefore sub-ordinated? Or could it stand alone - despite it being clear what the pronoun 'they' is referring to?

'I liked that' - A subordinate clause, with 'that' acting as a relative pronoun referring to the previous phrase 'the doors were electronic' and 'they slipped open'.

I'm sorry for all this tediousness, I feel like I'm really overthinking it... I'd greatly appreciate help sorting through this muddle.


texts: Is there a word or phrase to describe the aging of graphics technology?

texts:
So I'm thinking of something along the lines of the idea of the "uncanny valley" in which technology reaches a point where it's very human/life-like but still "off" somehow, causing a revulsion or dislike of the object because of some sort of cognitive dissonance.

I think the word or idea I'm thinking of is in a similar vein, but I have yet to hear a word or phrase to summarize it and I'm wondering if such a word even exists (if not, maybe we should invent it!).

When I played Atari 2600 games as a kid, it took a bit of imagination to see a little pixel square as, alternatively, a knight in shining armor, or a lightcycle speeding around the game grid.  Later games were more explicit in their details.  I remember my first adrenaline-fueled, sweaty-palmed playthrough of Doom and how wowed I was by the graphics.  The first time I played The Elder Scrolls: Morrowind I sat by the edge of a lake by the starting town and just watched the rain falling on the water, amazed by the view.

I tried replaying Morrowind (Xbox version) again just for nostalgia's sake and found myself getting woozy when going up the stairs of a tower.  The graphics just haven't aged well.  But how can that be?  In just a few years, my mind has become so accustomed to modern graphics that some older games are hard to even make out.  What was once so realistic is now a muddled mess that gives me motion sickness!

I'd love to learn more about this phenomenon, but I don't even know how to reference it without a long diatribe like the one preceding.  Is there some turn of phrase that is used to describe this?  I'd like to find if there's any research in this area but don't even know where to start in looking it up.


texts: Is there a euphemistic word for "of or relating to the bottom socioeconomic class"?

texts:
Can someone provide an adjective that means "a poor man's" but doesn't possess any negative connotation?

For instance:

  Crack is the (poor man's) cocaine.


texts: Is it appropriate to speak formally to everyone?

texts: I was reading online something about formal English because right now I'm learning formal English. They say speaking formally to anyone will get you far in life because it shows respect and politeness. Is this true? Sorry if this looks like a stupid question. :(


texts: Is it personification to say that something inanimate requires something?

texts:
I personally do not think this is personification but can find no guidance one way or the other that is specific enough. If someone has advice or better yet a link to guidance proving one way or the other, I'd appreciate it.

The Construction General Permit requires implementation of erosion control measures
Bird law requires nesting bird surveys prior to construction.

Please tell me whether this is personification and why or why not.


texts: Use of American-Indian "How" in British English

texts:
These are excerpts from Le Carré's Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy:

Jerry Westerby screwed up his face in perplexity. 'That's what the boy wanted to tell me, you see, George. That's what he was trying to put over in Stan's bar. What all the rumours were about. The Russians moved in on Friday. They didn't shoot Hajek till Saturday. So the wise lads were saying: there you are, Russians were waiting for Hajek to turn up. Knew he was coming. Knew the lot. Lay in wait. Bad story, you see. Bad for our reputation, see what I mean? Bad for big chief. Bad for tribe. How.'
'How,' said Smiley, into his beer.

... and later on,

'Any time,' said Westerby again. 'Sorry, you know. Love to Ann.' He hesitated.
'Come on, Jerry, out with it,' said Smiley.
'Toby had some story about her. I told him to stuff it up his shirt front. Nothing to it, is there?'
'Thanks, Jerry. So long. How.'
'I knew there wasn't,' said Jerry, very pleased, and lifting his finger to denote the feather, padded off into his own reserves.

So, how does one interpret all this how-how-ing? What's the difference between an echoed how and one which is not? Is it a peculiarity of the English public school system? If so, is it still in vogue today?


texts: BBC, Playtime: Summer fair, don't understand certain parts from audio program

texts:
The radio program is here:

http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio/playtime/playtime_20150512-0900a.mp3

Don't understand the following fragments:

00:40 – There are lots of brightly …   …
01:30 hairy …
02:20 your coconut …. at?
04:10 – gently lowered to … the duck,
05:00 listen to the … band?
06:40 … your arms round each other
10:08 said lady …. Sticker??
10:15 Grumbly ?–
11:20 wanted to win a prize …. Jane,

Could someone please write it down for me?

Thank You


texts: A word to describe a subjective yet natural feeling about something

texts:
What is an adjective to describe something that I have an indirectly feeling about how I should do it but am not sure of and have no concrete evidence for its correctness. It's like an intuition.

For example, in a situation where there are a few bullies attacking a person. I feel that if I stood up, the situation could change. I just naturally feel that the situation could change but I am not sure if it would change and I have no evidence that I have the efficacy to change. It may not change at all; the person may continue to get bullied. But I kind of have this feeling or instinct that it would be different.

It may not be just a like situation like this. It could be like say I feel that adding pepper to my plate of pasta could make it taste better. But it may or may not make it worse. It's like a vague inner voice inside me that tells me that "maybe I should do this".

So then, I may write it this way:

  Instinctively, adding pepper can make the pasta taste better.

But, instinctively here doesn't imply the kind of unsure that I have about the action. Although it does give that "natural" idea, I think it is also important that the word presents my sense of uncertainty and the possibility that it may be wrong due to the statement being a subjective opinion.

So, what is a word or phrase better than instinctively to convey these ideas?


texts: What is the noun that means "not noticing something" (noun version of "overlook")?

texts:
At the end of this comment, I said

  I haven't seen such use in transportation but maybe it's just my ignorance.

In fact, in the context of that question thread, I was trying to say "I had never noticed if the word 'observe' was ever used in transportation." But I don't know the noun that means "not noticing something."

I looked up in the dictionary and realized:

When used as a noun, "overlook" means "a place from where a person can look at something, especially at an area of natural beauty."
I also thought about "negligence," but it suggests that I have a certain responsibility for something. However, I certainly don't have the responsibility to notice if the word "observe" is used in transportation or not.
In my quoted comment, I chose "ignorance" that means the lack of knowledge. But I think "ignorance" means "the state of not knowing something." I am trying to say: "OK, I had noticed the use of "observe" in such and such contexts, but I had never noticed the same use in some other context."

Maybe the difference between "not knowing" and "not noticing" is too subtle to have another word for it. Maybe "ignorance" is already the best choice. Anyway, I'm still curious.

Thanks!

(Hmm... Maybe it's just "overlooking"?)


texts: I'm not sure how this "quartering" works it the sentence

texts:
I’d like to ask on the sentence from The Noble Bachelor by Conan Doyle.

.. will not prevent our children from being some day citizens of the
same world-wide country under a flag which shall be a quartering of
the Union Jack with the Stars and Stripes.

I’d like to know what kind of flag the speaker (Holmes) is referring to?  Can you picture it?
I pictured one with quarter-sized Stars and Stripes being on the upper left side of the Union Jack background, as the same way Australian or New Zealand’s flag has the Union Jack design on theirs. With this design, Holmes is implying the UK will be colonized by the US in the near future?
Or is it the other way around? Quarter-sized Union Jack being on the Stars and Stripes?
Or is this sentence simply refering the Union Jack with the Stars and Stripes share their pattern in one flag? No master-servant implication at all? I don’t know.
Could someone tell me what kind of flag will be completed by this description please? Thanks.


texts: date ranges, up to, through a specific date

texts:
"My patient has been under my care from January 1st to Jan. 19th."

"My patient has been under my care from Jany 1st through Jan. 19th."

Do both of these windows of time include the 19th as part of the span of time that the patient was under the doctor's care?

thanks!


texts: Uncommon subjunctive inversion in a negative clause in the pluperfect: "had not millions been swept away"

texts:
Voters in 2008 would have seen he didn’t measure up then, had not millions been swept away with emotion and wish-fulfillment. (source)

This line reads odd even jarring to me with a weird inversion word order in the second clause. The common way of writing pluperfect (past perfect) subjunctive sentences is:

Voters in 2008 would have seen he didn’t measure up then, had millions not been swept away with emotion and wish-fulfillment.
Had it not been for her, I wouldn't have found it. (as opposed to *Had not it been for her, I wouldn't have found it.)

Is the inversion in sentence at issue valid as well? I thought it could be the result of the writer's stylistic choice, but it just sounds plain wrong to my ear. Archaic? Possible? Or just plain wrong?


texts: What is a way to express 'a sudden need to urinate or defecate'?

texts:
If I have a sudden need to use the restroom, how should I express that? I know there is an expression in British English - be caught short.

  to suddenly and unexpectedly need to go to the toilet, especially when it is not convenient for you to do so

But I am looking for its North American equivalent.


texts: US English - need for determiners (a/an) in each item of a list (already parallel)

texts:
I have been all over every grammar site I can find (including this one) and cannot find a definitive answer. I am looking for a rule that says in a list of singular nouns, each noun must have its own determiner - even if they would all be the same one.

My employer has invoked parallelism as an explanation, but I do not think that applies here - as they are already of parallel form. Everything I can find on parallelism speaks to verbs and tenses, not nouns.

I contend that it's a stylistic choice, as the meaning is clear either way - but I can't prove it.

Specific example:

"The sensor includes a right-angle infrared LED and right-angle phototransistor..."

"The sensor includes a right-angle infrared LED and a right-angle phototransistor..."

Are both right? If not, and the determiner MUST be used, where/what is the rule?
If it is a stylistic thing, I just need confirmation.


texts: Does the word "glitz" have a negative connotation?

texts:
On Google, it is defined as something "extravagant but superficial display", or "to make something glamorous or showy". That doesn't sound negative to me; however, other sources make it sound as if it's negative by adding the word "ostentatious".

According to dictionary.com, ostentatious is "characterized by or given to pretentious or conspicuous show in an attempt to impress others". Further looking up the definition of pretentious states it is "characterized by assumption of dignity or importance, especially when exaggerated or undeserved".

After reading these definitions, glitz does not sound like a positive connotation to me at all. Is there another way of looking at this particular word that is known to be generally positive?


texts: Difference between saying basically and essentially?

texts:
I've observed that the word "basically" is not appreciated by any of my professors, specifically in the writing context (as opposed to in conversation).

Is saying (writing) "essentially" a more appropriate way to indicate that you are simplifying, and getting to the essence of a complicated issue? Are professors being pretentious when they dislike the word basically?


texts: Is there an adjective that means 'fit to be rejected'?

texts:
I was writing something earlier today, and wanted to say something along these lines:

"...and found the idea to be rejectionable".

But of course rejectionable is not a word.
Just as: -

laughable means so ludicrous as to be amusing
and debatable means open to discussion or argument

Is there are an adjective to describe the quality of being 'fit for rejection' or 'able to be rejected'?
The closest I could find cross referencing synonyms was rebuffable, from the noun: -

Rebuff  noun

a blunt or abrupt rejection, as of a person making advances.

a peremptory refusal of a request, offer, etc.; snub.

a check to action or progress.

But this is too specialized a sense of rejection for my use.
Can you think of an adjective that conveys the quality of being 'fit for rejection' or 'able to be rejected'?


texts: Isn't "exaggerated" enough? Is it right to say "over-exaggerated"?


texts:
Certainly, I can have many relationships that I describe as beloved (adj).

"These are my beloved children."

But, according to common understanding, can I have more than one beloved (noun)?
If I refer to someone as "My beloved," does that imply to to listener that I am speaking of my romantic one-and-only?

(Note:  I am not asking a philosophical question about monogamy.  Only about common interpretation of a word ;)

ADDITION (based on comments/answers):  Can anyone find a reputable example of the plural "beloveds" used in a context that implies more than one beloved per person?


texts: What's the difference between "title" and "name"?

texts:
I'm not sure when it's appropriate to use word "name", and when to use word "title".

For example, "file name" feels right, "file title" doesn't; "document name" and "document title" seem interchangeable; "chapter title" and "chapter name" feel both OK, but "chapter title" seems more appropriate. If I want to give some name to a picture, it's "picture title", but if I have a specific group of pictures, I'd say this group has a name ("group name"). So, is there any rule when to use "name" and when to use "title"?


texts: How to describe a dish that is both salty and sweet?

texts:
We often use the word savoury to describe salty and spicy dishes. And the definition on many online dictionary seems to salty or spicy; not sweet.

Is there a word that describes dishes in general which are not desserts? For example, Sweet and Sour chicken, can I call that savoury? It might be more sweet and salty. If so, are the common definitions inaccurate?

Can I use the word umami to describe it?


texts:
When I said something and I want to state that what I said was based on some level of negligence, what phrase should I use? For example:
There are two main parameters in the method: the number of retrieved results, k (we call k a parameter by negligence since it is in fact related to the evaluation measure used and is not directly a parameter of the method) and ...

What is the correct way of saying what I have said in the parentheses?


texts: What's the term when you ask a question which implies a lie?

texts:
I remember there was a thread here on English.SE this month where someone explained this, but I can't remember how it was called. An example:

  Where have you stolen this product?

This question implies that you've stolen this product, although I don't know for a fact you really did.


texts: What does "own the hunk of metal you bought" mean?

texts:
I was going through a python book Learn Python the Hard Way and stumbled across this phrase :

  Learning the command line teaches you to control the computer
  using language. Once you get past that, you can then move on to writing code and feeling like you actually own the hunk of metal you just bought.

I tried to google this but didn't got any results, is own the hunk of metal actually a phrase? What's the meaning in the current context?


texts: Simplification of a sentence - the underlying usage implied by the author

texts:
I encountered this sentence in 'A Caribbean Mystery' by Agatha Christie.

  Thus Raymond - and his aunt Jane - had looked properly abashed - and said
   'Yes,' she was afraid she was rather old-fashioned.

Its clear that it was only aunt Jane who had looked abashed from some words said by Raymond, in the upcoming lines. So, how does this line represent the same?
The confusion is regarding the use of 'and' to imply both Raymond and his aunt.

Some clarity in this regard would help.


texts: Adverb "Really" + could + present perfect

texts:
My question is about the adverb placement "really" when combined with "could" and the present perfect in a sentence. Below are four possibilities.

I really could have made more cake.
I could really have made more cake.
I could have really made more cake.
I could have made more cake really.

Here the word "really" is the sense of "indeed", "truly".
The attempted intent of the sentences above is that I had a great chance to make more cake but I didn't do so out of laziness, let's say.
Do all of the above sentences convey that same meaning? And if not what is the difference between them?
Thanks


texts: Can political principles be "piously brandished"?

texts:
The following is a GRE sentence completion question.

  The most striking thing about the politician is how often his politics have been (i)_____rather than ideological, as he adapts his political positions at any particular moment to the political realities that constrain him. He does not, however, piously (ii)_____political principles only to betray them in practice. Rather, he attempts in subtle ways to balance his political self-interest with a (iii)_____, viewing himself as an instrument of some unchanging higher purpose.

  Options:

  a. quixotic, brandish, thoroughgoing pragmatism
  b. strategic, brandish, deeply felt moral code (correct answer)
  c. self-righteous, flout, deeply felt moral code
  d. self-righteous, brandish, profound cynicism
  e. strategic, follow, profound cynicism

I am able to get how strategic and deeply felt moral code fits in the first and third blank but confused about the second blank. What is the intention behind choosing brandish? Why not follow or flout?


texts: What are the most popular meanings for 'stall'

texts:
Some English words have different meanings, e.g., stall has 22 meanings. Do I need to remember all of the meanings? It seems it is an impossible job for me.

Which are the most meanings if I want to study and know this word completely?

see: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/stall?s=t

noun

  1.a compartment in a stable or shed for the accommodation of one animal.

  2.a stable or shed for horses or cattle.

  3.a booth or stand in which merchandise is displayed for sale, or in which some business is carried on (sometimes used in combination):
      a butcher's stall; a bookstall.

  4.carrel (def 1).

  5.one of a number of fixed enclosed seats in the choir or chancel of a church for the use of the clergy.

  6.a pew.

  7.any small compartment or booth for a specific activity or housing a specific thing: a shower stall.

verb (used with object)

  13.to assign to, put, or keep in a stall or stalls, as an animal or a car.

  14.to confine in a stall for fattening, as cattle.

  15.to cause (a motor or the vehicle it powers) to stop, especially by supplying it with a poor fuel mixture or overloading it.

  16.Aeronautics.
      to put (an airplane) into a stall.
      to lose control of or crash (an airplane) from so doing.

  17.to bring to a standstill; check the progress or motion of, especially unintentionally.

  18.to cause to stick fast, as in mire or snow.
      verb (used without object)

  19.(of an engine, car, airplane, etc.) to be stalled or go through the process of stalling (sometimes followed by out).

  20.to come to a standstill; be brought to a stop.

  21.to stick fast, as in mire.

  22.to occupy a stall, as an animal.


texts: Which sentence is most acceptable when describing the current time period?

texts:
I would like to know which of these two sentences have the most acceptable form when describing the current time period.

Why do so many people **today** have no values

Why do so many people have no values **these days**

Thanks in advance for any help in sharing knowledge.


texts: What is a single word that means "made accessible" (not democratized/democratised or simplified)?

texts:
Looking for a single word that means "make accessible." The intent is to signal that something inherently complex is being made accessible, without diluting its value and not in a condescending way.

Simplified gives the impression of something being "for Dummies." "Democratized" often gives a sense of something being for the masses, implying that the masses may be crude. Other options like "illuminate" or "demystified" are specifically about cognitive aspects of accessibility. The idea is that just because something is understood, does not mean that it is accessible. For example, mathematical algorithms may be understood but often need to be exposed through usable software to be truly "accessible."

An example would be: Advanced Mathematical Software, [made accessible]


texts:
I have been noticing in books that I have read lately that the authors are making a quote with a question mark, yet write: he said or she said instead of he asked or she asked.
Examples:
"How do you know?" Rina said.
"Any idea where he might have gone?" Rina said
Ezra said, "Did you check the house? Maybe he went home?"

Are these correct?


texts: Is "not worth to do" an acceptable alternative to "not worth doing"?

texts:
Basically what the title says, nothing more to add.

I've encountered the former form on the Internet more than once, hence the question. Thanks!


texts: phrases for with/without sauce, with/without side dishes

texts:
I want to use entree dishes in some metaphor. Essentially I want to oppose having just the bare main element of the dish, to having it with thick sauce or dressing, or alternatively, with many side dishes.

What I'm looking for is colloquial or "colorful" phrases for the ends of the spectrum on both these options. In other languages, you can hear terms such as a dish being served "with nothing" as opposed to "with everything" (literal translation), or a dish being served "dry" as a term for not having any sauce, even if it's not at all dry and can be rather moist.

Note: Phrases which apply only to one kind of dish, e.g. a cut of meat, or pies, or stews or what-not are also potentially relevant.


texts:
Which one is correct?

  a- We deal with the problem x, where the input domain is vectorial.

  b- We deal with the problem x where the input domain is vectorial.

I want to notify that particularly for the problem x the input domain is vectorial.


texts: How to distinguish between right (as in right and wrong) and right (as in left-right)?

texts: If you tell me to take the right car shall I take the not left car or the not wrong car?


texts:
Earlier today on another site in the network, a user posted a question like this:

  Is there a better way to use [x]?

There was a lot more to it, but the very first comment addressed this question directly and explicitly:

  Why do you want to use [x] and not [y]? Also have you considered using [z]?

I took this latter sentence as:

  You should consider using [z] instead of [x].

And proceeded to explain why [z] is not a valid alternative to [x].

The commenter vehemently insists that it should be clear and obvious that by starting the sentence with "also," I should know that they actually meant:

  You should consider using [z] in addition to [x].

Can someone please explain from an English and grammar standpoint why having "also" at the beginning of the sentence - with or without a comma - does not associate with the thoughts in that sentence the way he/she thinks that it does?


texts: "What just happened?" vs "What did just happen?"

texts:
I've always used "What did just happen?" because I believe we are asking about the object of the verb "happen" so I use an auxiliary and the infinitive.
However, I've heard native speakers say "What just happened?", is this correct too?


texts: What is an adjective that describes a group or event that you hated being a part of while you were in it but for whom you gain nostalgia afterwards?

texts:
Jimmy: I'm proud to have been a United States Marine.
Sally: But you hated being in the Marines! All your letters talked about how much you regretted joining.
Jimmy: Well, yes, those were my feelings at the time. But the Marines is [insert word here] so that's why I'm glad I joined.

What would be an adjective that describes a group or event that you didn't like being a part of while you were in it but for some reason you look back on it with fondness?
The word nostalgic is incomplete because it doesn't include the feelings of dislike during the event or group being thought of.


texts: What is it called when you take a word with a bad connotation and make it a word with a positive connotation?

texts: Take the word "nice" as an example. Before it was used negatively and today when something is nice, it is good. How is this called?


texts: Very confused! Past Participles As Adjectives or Passive Voice express a routine or an on-going task

texts:
We all know that simple present tense shows Repeated Actions such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens (Source)

Eg: I play tennis.

We also know that Non-Continuous Verbs or Stative verbs used in Simple Present to express an action is happening or is not happening now (Source)

Ex: I am here now = I am staying here now.

It is wrong to say "I am being here now".

Now, let see this sentence:

He breaks TVs (a regular event)

Eg: I dress in a black suit ("dress" is a normal verb, so this sentence shows a habit / regular event)

and their passive forms:

TVs are broken by him (a regular event)

I am dressed in a black suit (a habit / regular event)

But, we also have "broken as an adjective (Source)"

Eg: a broke leg

Eg: TVs are broken. So the to be (are) in this case expresses a fact or a regular action?

we've also got the adjective "dressed"

Eg: I am dressed in a black suit: the verb to be here expresses an on-going action (that is happening now) or a regular event?


texts:
Use the Pythagorean Theorem to find the missing side, being  careful
  to mark the value as positive or negative as makes sense in that
  quadrant.

I simply cannot understand how, grammatically, "as" is used in that sentence. Is it used as a relative pronoun? I'm simply lost. Please help!


texts:
If you played someone in a game of ping pong, and wanted to refer to the game later, you could refer to it as "our game". For instance:

"It was after our game."

But if I were talking to a different person about this, I might find myself inclined to refer to the other person and me specifically, such as:

"It was after John and me's game"

But that doesn't sound right and also doesn't quite make sense. I almost more want to say:

"It was after John and my's game"

But I don't think that's correct either. Despite this, I don't feel like expressing it like this should be completely impossible. Is there any way to convey something about a possession that belongs to two people in this way?


texts:
Which of the sentences is correct:

."You should take advice Of John."

. "You should take advice From John."

I am not a native speaker.

Thanks in advance.


texts: I am puzzled about the word "inhomogeneous." Isn't "heterogeneous", strictly speaking, more correct? Do correct me if I'm wrong, but to me, "inhomogeneous" looks like the Latin prefix "in-" added to a Greek word. As such, it sounds a bit like "aquaphobia" to me.


texts: Which is the correct phase and why: I will arrive at 11:00 Am in Dallas or I will arrive in Dallas at 11:00 AM.


texts: The grammatic name and function for "what he did" is bad

texts:
The full sentence is:

What he did is bad.

So I need the grammatical name and function for "what he did".


texts: use of Present Perfect without time reference

texts:
I have a doubt about the use of present perfect.
If I want to say that something happened in the past but I don't want to express when it happened or it's not important, can I use present perfect?
For example" I have donated 2000€ to charity" (I donated 2000€ in the past but the focus is on the action not when it happened)
other example: " I have created this tool" (focus on the result of the creation).


texts: “There is the people” vs “there are the people”

texts:
So, we got in a discussion with a friend about it. The whole sentence he mention was:

  There is the people with standards and the people who have fun.

By now we are pretty certain it should be there are but there's still some confusion here. On top of that, there are the lyrics of John Lennon's song Immagine:

  Imagine there's no countries

So that confuses everything.


texts: Why "to" isn't an infinitive indicator in this sentence?

texts:
The late Mr Lee Kuan Yew has been hailed by many as "Singapore's Chief Gardener" for his vision and single-minded commitment to transforming our country into a lush garden city and creating the best possible living environment for all citizens to enjoy.

I have tried referring to these links but to no avail:

When is "to" a preposition and when the infinitive marker?  This link only explains about want to see you which is helpful, and the "look forward to seeing you" is common on Internet. But both explanations are specific to the said grammatical instances only, not general.
"To hear" or "to hearing"?  This link only explains about look forward to hearing, which is again specific and special grammatical instance.
How to know if I should use verb+ing after the word 'to'?  This link mentions transitivising particle, but without elaboration and lacks citation.

No matter how much I try to use inductive reasoning, I can't figure out why using "...to transform our country..." is wrong.


texts: Pronouncing the "th" sound in American accent

texts:
First of all, I'm not a native speaker (I'm a Vietnamese) and I'm still learning English as my university major (using American accent, mostly) so I can't really say I'm as fluent as a native speaker.

However, I can say I have no problem pronouncing the voiceless "th" (/θ/) as taught by many sources including my lecturers by placing the tip of your tongue between your teeth but just blow air through your mouth without vibrating your vocal cords. My pronunciation of, say "think", always sounds like a little bit of air at the beginning (when I place my finger in front of my mouth, I can feel the air blown out), followed by the sound of "ink".

So here's the thing I find irritating: when watching American TV shows, movies and especially listening to pop music, I usually (if not always) hear they pronounce/enunciate this "th" sound like a hard /t/ as in "thing", "something", "think", "thought" (this one sounds exactly like /tot/), etc. in fast speaking situations. They sound like they do place the tip of their tongues between their teeth but no air was blown out of the mouth, thus making the sound of /θ/ somewhat voiced.

So my question is, is this a correct way to produce the sound of the voiceless "th" or is this just a matter of dialect?

Thank you!