texts: How can I describe a passive type of touching?

texts:
If I touch an item (like a book) intentionally, I might say

  I touch the book.

Now, if this had happened without my being aware of it, I would not say that I touched it, but I also would not say that the book touched me.

How should I describe this situation?


texts:
Is many hundreds more  students grammatically correct? I'm wondering about the lack of the preposition of and what PoS are hundreds and more.
Otherwise, where would of be placed?
I am comparing the phrase with the simpler hundreds of students.
HUNDRED: https://www.oed.com/oed2/00109312
MORE: https://www.oed.com/oed2/00151364


texts: Do I need to use a comma between two adjectives?

texts:
You can also contact me to customize your template, or create a new unique one.

Do I need to put a comma between the new and unique adjectives in this sentence?  In my native language (if I am not mistaken) we don't put a comma if the adjectives are of a different type. Not sure about English though, and if it's the case here anyway. Any help would be appreciated!


texts: What does thunderous silence mean? Shouldn't it 'deafening silence'?

texts: I encountered this in an article..., English is my second language so I am very curious..


texts:
Looking for a one-syllable opposite of "care". For the purpose of the question, let's assume "care" to mean "be interested in or concerned about" and ignore the definition of "to render aid".

Example sentence (note: this is not a good sentence; please don't suggest words that fit this sentence but are not opposites of the definition above. The actual usage is in a poem I'm not confortable with sharing):

  Sorry to ____ too much


texts:
From "Dunkirk: Fight to the Last Man" by Hugh Sebag-Montefiore, quoting RWS's Captain Walter Clough-Taylor:
"... I noticed there were girders, rising to about a foot in height in the centre [of the bridge], above the roadway. I flung myself down, and caterpillaring madly along behind one of them arrived miraculously on the other side."
What does "caterpillar" mean here? Is it to crawl like a caterpillar?


texts: Can deplete be used in relation to time?

texts:
The title is self explanatory.

Could something like the following be said:

"Our time is depleting..."?


texts:
Editing a document and wondering which is correct?

  There have been no historical digs on the pipeline.

OR

  There have not been any historical digs on the pipeline.

A lot of the document uses 'there have been no'. I'm just wondering if it is correct; it sounds funny to me.


texts: Technological word for Code Branch, or Region?

texts:
Looking for a word that describes a section, or branch of computer code.

In this instance, I am assigning numerical ID's to system alarms, and I want to differentiate each section of alarms based on where the alarms are coming from.

Each different section will have a commented line that reads something like:

"Log Monitor 'branch or cluster'"
or
"Process Monitor 'branch or section'"

Trying to come up with a succinct word to describe what I'm separating the code blocks into.


texts: What's going on with the word "fail" in "without fail?"

texts:
Calling something "a fail" has bothered me as it becomes more commonplace, until one day the phrase "without fail" occurred to me as an example of an established niche usage of "fail" as a noun.

I'm assuming it used to be a noun, and one Google result corroborates that, but since I'm not sure how much I can rely on that site, I'm looking for some information here.


texts: Word for the historical weight of significance of practical objects/buildings?

texts: Is there a word for the feeling you get when looking at old machinery/practical objects/old industrial buildings when you feel the weight of their use by, and significance to, people of the past? I’m not talking about nostalgia, or wistfulness/longing for the past, but a sense of the value in to people, through utility, embuing the objects or buildings with some sort of totemic value, retrospectively. I feel this sensation very powerfully looking at ruined industrial buildings or in museums of old tools/machines.


texts: "In recent years" vs "in the recent years"

texts:
Do we write in the recent years or in recent years? For example,

In the recent years, the influence of blablabla on blablabla has
grown rapidly.
In recent years, the influence of blablabla on blablabla has
grown rapidly.

As far as I know, both are correct. But which one sounds more natural (more correct from a native speaker's point of view) or does it not matter?


texts: Should directories be named in singular or plural?

texts:
I'm trying to be consistent in my system with some logic to name a directory either singular or plural.

Examples of directory names

document(s)
language(s)
apple(s)

The way I see it now is: everything should be named singular although it's strange in some cases.

Logic

The directory languages implies that you have more than one language.
The directory language is agnostic of it. You could named it directory of language, but for common sense you just ignores the first word.

I've seen some rules about the content of the directory:
- plural if homogeneous and singular for heterogeneous.

The problem

There's some rule for this?

Edit

This can be anything you want to label! My question is: how you do that?


texts: Which of the following is grammatically correct?

texts:
Which of the following questions are correct according to the grammar, and why?

When will be the results declared?

When will the results be declared?

Does this hold to all future perfect tenses?


texts: What is a good expression to refer to conversations around the coffee machine?

texts: Im not sure what's the most colloquial way to talk about those times when with colleagues you debate politics. Is it "office kitchen" talks ? Coffee machine talks ?


texts:
I was recently checking for the status of an application filed for a specific purpose when I came across the phrase “under issue” as in “the letter dated xxx is under issue”.

My question is, how can something be under issue? It can either be issued or not.
Does it mean that the letter is yet to be issued?


texts: I have been reading a lot about the Past Perfect tense recently and I think that I am getting more and more confused with the logic behind it the more I read about the tense. Many sources say that we only need to use the past perfect when the sequence of events is not clear without it. Also, they say that we do have to use the past perfect tense every time you mention two things that happened in the past. But many examples that are given about the tense include something like this: "I had switched off the lights before I went to bed" or "after they had had breakfast, they left for the park". Could someone explain to me why the past perfect is necessary in these examples when it is already clear from the sequence of events which action had occurred before the second action?


texts: Writing a sonnet for high school, need help

texts:
The line is:
"At my hopes, at my dreams, and at my kind"
Can kind be used in this syntax? And did I use syntax properly?


texts: Does "perversion" necessarily have a negative connotation?

texts:
There is a question at Spanish SE about the Spanish equivalent of the English word perversion.  The question refers specifically to sexual perversion (which I did not want to mention in the title, since I've noticed at Academia SE that any mention of anything related to sex in a title attracts throngs of visitors for the wrong reasons).

Not much progress is being made at that page.  (One possible factor is that Spanish SE is in Beta and has yet to build up its participation levels.)

I realize that in another language and culture, a cognate might have slightly different meanings, connotations and usage, but still, I would like to see what is contributed here in order to enrich the discussion there.

Does sexual perversion necessarily have a negative connotation?


texts: A idiomatic term that describes a mentality that is supportive and empowering

texts:
The term Crab Mentality has been defined as:

  Analogous to the behaviour of a person who diminishes or pulls down
  anyone else who achieves or is about to achieve success greater than
  their own.

I was looking for a idiomatic term that describes a mentality that is the opposite of Crab mentality. IOW, a term that best describes  a Supportive and Empowering mentality of a person?

Context: The newly elected Head of State is providing constant support and encouragement to those people in his country who intends to become entrepreneurs.

Example sentence: The newly elected Head of State, who is famous for his supportive & empowering mentality, has already set the tone for a new way of doing business in Country XX.

So, in the above sentence I would like to replace the two words "supportive and empowering" with a more idiomatic term.


texts:
This Oxford dictionary defines "do more harm than good" as:

Inadvertently make a situation worse rather than better.
‘hasty legislation does more harm than good’

So I think this example means the same thing as

hasty legislation does harm rather than good

Does 'more harm than good' in the expression constitute a noun phrase and does 'more' function as a determiner?

hasty legislation does [more harm than good]

Or should this expression be parsed differently?

A reminder: Please note that the question is specifically about syntax. Your answer must provide a suggestion as to how to parse the expression.

Cambridge Dictionary defines the expression as follows:

to be damaging and not helpful

Macmillan Dictionary's definition is:

to make a situation worse instead of better

Wikitionary's definition is:

To make a situation worse, usually while trying to make it better.

These are all in line with the definition of the Oxford dictionary in that the expression isn't about a quantitative comparison of harm and good. So those who argue that the expression is about such a comparison should provide some authoritative source.


texts: How and why do accents change through the years?

texts:
Oh how I love the voices and accents of old-time radio or movies from Hollywood.

The american accents seem to change quite a bit in merely 50 years or so.
It's personal opinion for sure but I do prefer the actor's voices in Cassablanca then current day TV news anchors.
That makes me wonder what makes the accent change through the years.


texts: How did "kill" get its positive connotations?

texts:
For example:

  She made a killing on the stock market.
  The comedian killed the audience — they were slain with laughter.

Did this meaning develop slowly over time or did some person or institution invert the definition?


texts: Origins and history for phrase "tote that barge"?

texts:
In the 1927 musical "Show Boat" there is a famous song -- Old Man River -- with the lyric "Tote that barge. Lift that bale." being sung by the slaves/laborers in the musical. The word tote typically means to carry and barge is a type of cargo ship. Since it is impossible for a man to carry a boat I am wondering about the usage. Are there any pre-1927 definitions for tote and/or barge that would allow this phrase to make logical sense?

PS: I saw this EL&U Question on "tote" already but the focus of that question is different than this one.


texts: What is the word for poignant, but with a positive connotation?

texts:
Poignant denotes touching and significant, but typically with a negative connotation.
Is there a word that means the same, but has a positive connotation?


texts:
Can i use "one day" to talk about something happen in the past?
For example, can i say "I went to Paris one day"?
If this is grammatically correct, does it mean that i spent exact 1 day in Paris?


texts: What is the meaning of “grosser sense” in this sentence?

texts:
What does grosser sense mean in this passage from Mortal Immortal by Mary Shelley?

  A bright flash darted before my eyes. I had forgotten the medicine of the adept; I gazed on it with wonder: flashes of admirable beauty, more bright than those which the diamond emits when the sun’s rays are on it, glanced from the surface of the liquid; an odour the most fragrant and grateful stole over my sense; the vessel seemed one globe of living radiance, lovely to the eye, and most inviting to the taste. The first thought, instinctively inspired by the grosser sense, was, I will—I must drink. I raised the vessel to my lips. “It will cure me of love—of torture!” Already I had quaffed half of the most delicious liquor ever tasted by the palate of man, when the philosopher stirred. I started—I dropped the glass—the fluid flamed and glanced along the floor, while I felt Cornelius’s grip at my throat, as he shrieked aloud, “Wretch! you have destroyed the labour of my life!”


texts: What's the correct usage of the word "Opinion"?

texts:
I have been posting on a forum recently, and every time I express my opinion, someone says I'm using the word incorrectly, and I want to confirm this.

I said something along the lines of:
"In my opinion, this thing is bad"

Surely this acceptable? I would have thought the "In my opinion" would automatically render anything that follows part of my opinion, and not a fact that I am stating is true, so this would be the equivalent of "I think this thing is bad", would it not?

Otherwise, what is the correct usage of the word "opinion" in this context?

Edit: An addition to avoid confusion:

Take this example: "In my opinion, the realism in some videogames hinders the enjoyability, because etc.". This was actually the point I made in the first place, and the other person said that my opinion was invalid because there is evidence against my claim (as in they thought it didn't hinder the enjoyability), though I thought this was closer to the definition of "Fact".


texts: Can “whose” refer to an inanimate object?

texts:
We lit a fire whose fuel was old timber wood.

Is the word whose referring to fire, an inanimate object, correct in this sentence? Or is there a more appropriate word?


texts: "future of [verb]" vs. "future of [noun]"

texts:
I have read "future of compute" as a slogan of some (non-english) IT company which feels quite wrong to me.  Instead I would have written "future of computing". So, what is right? Does "future of" always require a noun?

EDIT:
Note that I am generally interested if 'future of' requires a noun which I think is a valid question. Obviously the question came after seeing a special case where people seem to disagree whether or not 'compute' is a noun. Therefore, I do not feel like this is an off-topic question.


texts:
I have read the full article in wikipedia and this question, but I am still unclear about this, as I am not a native speaker. A quick Google search did not help either. My brother recently received a PhD diploma in Chemistry. I would like to give him a desk name plate as a gift with a small insignia and his name and title. Should it be:

  Alexander Doe, PhD

or

  Doe Alexander, PhD

or something else? Is it appropriate to use Alex instead of Alexander?

In all likelihood, he is going to work in the U.K.


texts: What is this pencil-and-paper game called in English?

texts:
What's the name of the following children's game in English?

It's a pencil and paper game whose players try to find, in writing and in a limited time, the words that begin with the same letter in the chosen categories. Among the most common categories we find: Personal Names, Things (objects), Cities, Animals, Fruits, Flowers and Plants, Nations, Crafts, etc. In French, it's called "jeu du baccalauréat."


texts:
The context is a template for a wiki page, specifically in a line of instructions for page authors to complete:

  Summary of findings, recommendations or anti-recommendations for implementation or further study, ...

I suppose I could say:

  ... recommendations for or against implementation or further study ...

but as I was writing it, I wondered whether there might be a way to rewrite this to conjoin the nouns instead of the prepositions.

I see this question for the verb form: Antonym of "recommend"


texts: Is it correct to think that these to verbs have a spatial orientation: 'pivot' and 'spin'?

texts:
... so 'pivot': is more like a rotation around the horizontal axis, whereas 'spin' - is more like around the vertical one? In what cases 'pivot' is actually used to indicate rotation, turning around?
Hello everyone! And thank you!


texts:
By definition hypocrisy is:

  the practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one's own behavior does not conform

To illustrate an analogy, hypocrisy means that you claim to be 100, when you're 50. (higher number means better)

Search for hypocrisy's antonyms and the most mentioned word I could find, was sincerity, which is:

  the quality of being free from pretense, deceit, or hypocrisy.

Again, using numbers illustration, it means that if you are 50, you show 50.

I'm searching for a word to describe that you're 50, but you show 25. I can think of modesty. However, just like hypocrisy which is a negative trait (with negative connotation), I'm searching for a negative word. Modesty is good. I would enjoy being called a modest person. Maybe modest can be compared with self-confident, which is to show yourself bigger, but in a positive and welcomed way.

What word can describe showing less, but in an unpleasant way best?


texts: Word to call someone who is talented in the arts?

texts: Is there a call word to describe someone who is talented in not one, but all the arts? (eg. singing, painting, writing, etc.) The only words I can think of are virtuoso, artist, and maestro, but they all seem to have to do with only one of the arts. Example sentence: I love Jeffrey! He's a true [word].


texts:
What is the correct use of the word dryly in the following sentence?

  You said that very dryly.

Is dryly correct in this context?


texts: How else could you tell a person you "are curious about them"?

texts: For example, "You induce/promote/inspire curiosity in me." "I am very curious in you." (Sounds awful)


texts:
Is there some one-word replacement for "showed the absence" in a sentence like "Our research showed the absence of a certain effect"?

I want to say that the effect was not observed, not that the effect was disproved.


texts: What do you call a person who appears to be oblivious to their ignorance?

texts:
What is the appropriate name for a person who exhibits the behavior described below?

A person who speaks in a Confidently informed manner (about a technical process or procedure for example) however they are actually imparting incorrect information and are apparently oblivious of their actions.


texts: The etymology of 'substance'. Does it mean 'sub'-'stance'?

texts:
I am aware of the etymological fallacy and aware that the fallacy itself, also, does not always hold good. In other words, a word's pedigree may, or may not, be the reason it means what it means, today.

The OED tells me, in the small print, that, beyond the immediate Anglo Norman substans lies the Old French sustance and beyond that lies the Latin substare, literally sub-stare 'to stand' or to 'stand under'.

Interestingly, there is a concomitant word in Hellenistic Greek 'υποστασις, hupostasis which, literally, is as the Latin, and can be rendered 'under-upstanding'.

The Latin word substantia was adopted (Vulgate etc) to translate both 'υποστασις, hupostatis and also ουσια, ousia.

Now these two Greek words mean, respectively, immaterial presence and material presence. That is to say, the non-physical aspect and the physical aspect of that which is.

Thus the Latin word substantia - and then the English word 'substance' - came to have twin meanings, originally - it would seem - from the Greek.

'Substance' in the OED is defined as the 'nature' or the 'essence' of something.

My question is - has there been an etymological fault in the development of the word ? Is it actually wrong, conceptually, to use a word which means 'underneath that which stands' to convey both meanings of 'physical material' and 'non-physical being' ?

And has this caused confusion, historically, in the conveying of metaphysical concept ? That is to say, has the concept of 'physical material' been carried over into the understanding of that which is not 'physical material' ?

'Essence' or 'subsistence' conveys absolute being.
'Substance' conveys that which is substantive, that which is materially present.

Should they not have been kept separate ?

And is this word 'substance', therefore, an example of an etymological fallacy ?


texts:
Because OED's entries for this archaic definite article + relative pronoun 'the which' only redirect to definitions of 'which', am I correct to infer that 'the' meant nothing semantically in 'the which' and so 'the which' was only the earlier version of 'which'?

I am unsure because cognates of 'the which' remain in Romance languages and do  differ from 'which'. For instance, 'que' differs from: (all in one word) « le(s)/la + quel(le)(s)» in French, and (as two words)  « el/lo/los/la/las/lo + que ».

The latter two are really cognates by Grimm's Law; the 'q' in Latin (phoneme [kʷ]) turned into 't' in Germanic languages like English (phoneme [xʷ]).

What factors or reasons might have caused  'the which' to vanish?


texts: What does Scandinavian Home mean? Late XIX, early XX century. Great Britain

texts:
Joseph Conrad, "The Nigger Of The "Narcissus": A Tale Of The Forecastle":

  the two young Norwegians looked tidy, meek, and altogether of a promising material for the kind ladies who patronise the Scandinavian Home.

I've searched through various dictionaries and completed various google-searches but couldn't find the answer. Is it something like a brothel? Or maybe a community? It's the end of the XIX and the beginning of the XX century. Great Britain. The Norwegians are sailors back to Great Britain after a long trip.


texts: Term for associations made by a reader between fictional characters and people they know

texts:
Is there is a term for the mechanism where a reader consciously or unconsciously associates a fictional character with someone they know? *

A conceivable example might be a parent reading about a child character (who is described in general terms) who has an accident or similar and the parent reader may feel grief in excess of a reader who isn't a parent. Specifically because they have placed their son or daughter in the scene.

That's just one example, the mechanism I'm interested in isn't particular to parent/child empathy, but more general.

It would happen in narrative drama - TV, film, theatre - also...

It's not just 'association' is it? I'm finding it a hard thing to search for online.

* The veracity of the association is irrelevant.


texts: Notepad++ insists "dependancy" is the correct spelling, while Google Chrome insists it's "dependency". Who's right?

texts:
So I started off using dependency in a text file I was making in Notepad++, and then corrected to dependancy when the red underlining appeared.
However, going to Google Chrome, the red underlining reappeared for dependancy, and it wants me to use dependency.
I decided I'd Google it. Although the top two sites say dependancy, the next one is a question on this same site and shows dependency in the title.
The rest of the results are quite inconclusive. Wiktionary says that dependancy is archaic, citing Merriam Webster, which also agrees. While many of the other dictionary websites seem to show dependancy.
And then there's this site that's obviously put together by a robot which has both.
I was able to find that dependent and dependant are both in common usage and some articles there. Dependant is more commonly a noun and dependent an adjective. However, even this isn't followed consistently.
Independent and independence seem to always be consistent.
So are both correct? Is one more modern than the other? Is it regional? Is there a slight difference in meaning? Should I use one? Or the other?


texts: Meaning of "to be Accounts Receivable for someone"

texts:
I understand what accounts receivable are, and I understand what factoring is. But I don't understand what the phrase "to be accounts receivable for someone" means, e.g. "I'm accounts receivable for company X".

Does it mean I owe company X money, or does it mean that I'm collecting the money other people owe to company X for them? Or something else?


texts: Using "proximity" to imply "next to each other"

texts:
I am currently writing the introduction to my thesis and I want to say that two genes are next to each other. I would like to use the word "proximity" without saying "close proximity" but am unsure whether it implies the closeness that I want the sentence to.

I have read the thread regarding "close proximity" as a tautology and fear that choosing to use it in my thesis will be considered unsophisticated or be marked as poor language usage.

I have considered using "beside" or "next to" as in "the genes are beside/next to each other" but feel that it is too unsophisticated.

In context, this is what I have:

"Both genes are located on chromosome 1 (for example) and their proximity suggests that both are ..."

I'm open to suggestions other than "proximity" as well.


texts: "them", "themselves," or "their selves"?

texts:
In reading a description of a cartoon I came about the following sentence:

  But the shadows of the men are not the real reflections of the men but younger versions of themselves.

For me the last word sounds wrong; I would go for "younger versions of them" or "younger versions of their selves".

Am I completely mistaken?

Any help is very much appreciated!
Franziska


texts: Does "tangible to share" need punctuation?

texts:
Does this sentence need punctuation after "tangible"? I think "tangible to share and inspire" sounds strange, but I'm not sure. I think it may need an em dash or a comma.

  Make your ideas tangible to share and inspire.


texts: Is 'something is/are hearts' a valid phrase?

texts: I heard someone saying "kids are hearts" recently, and I was wondering if it's a valid english phrase.


texts: "Person with a trauma" or "person with trauma"

texts:
In academic writing, I frequently run across texts where the determiner is dropped when a person is described as having a medical condition or having suffered an injury. Moreover, a singular noun is sometimes used instead of a plural one. Here are some examples.

"Twenty percent of the nurses suffered back injury"
"We identified [...] residents [...] who had been diagnosed with neck injury."
"patients who had suffered minor closed head injury"

Is this standard usage in English? To me, a non-native speaker, it seems off and should be rewritten:

"Twenty percent of the nurses suffered a back injury"
"We identified [...] residents [...] who had been diagnosed with a neck injury"
"patients who had suffered minor closed head injuries"


texts: Can tomorrow be the subject of a sentence with a past tense verb?

texts: Tomorrow was the annual harvest fair  --  the biggest event of the year.


texts: Thus they are compelled to cut all connection between their statements and experience; and precisely by this procedure they deprive them of any sense


texts:
This is kind-of an oddball question but the site rules don't appear to forbid it. If it somehow violates guidelines just let me know and I'll voluntarily take it down.

I'm looking for region-specific curses, ones that can easily pin down the speaker's home territory, in this case New York (the city and surrounding metro area). For example, in much of the "Bible Belt" areas like Kentucky, one of the most well-known examples of a regional curse is "Bless your heart!" It sounds innocuous to an outsider, but coming from a local that is about as harsh as you'll get.

So what's a good equivalent in the NYC area? Something that would easily identify the speaker as a "New Yorker".


texts:
I am translating an ebook for A1-German learners. Most of it is written in the present tense. I am writing a lot of dialogue.
Is it correct to use the present progressive or not?
Your help will be greatly appreciated!
Here are some examples:

I am glad and I am asking her/ I ask her: “How long does it take to get to work? I have a long way, I need nearly one hour in Rome.”
“That’s the best!” she is answering/she answers.
“I can go by suburban train, that’s only five minutes. Then, I still
have to walk another ten minutes. But I always go by bike, then I am
at my desk in fifteen minutes.”
“That's perfect. But tell me—how's your love life?”
Anna sighs: “Well, not so good. What about you, Maria? Is there somebody for you?”
I shake my head. “No, I don't have a boyfriend. Umm, well, perhaps
there's a great Berliner?”
Anna laughs. “I am not so sure—but who
knows?”


texts:
Not being a native English speaker, sometimes, while reading a book, I find it hard to grasp the meaning of certain phrases: "to push to the limit", "as bad as it gets", "all hell breaks loose" - to name a few. The problem is that such phrases aren't translated the way they should by any translator software(like Google Translate) that I know of.

When I encounter such a phrase, I think, I might gain a better understanding of what this phrase is about if I were shown how given phrase can be used in other sentences.

So, the question is: "Do you think that such examples will help?".

Given that the Google Translate wouldn't help under these circumstances, the only option I am left with is to google the phrase. But it'll probably take up to several minutes to find real world phrase usages by googling. So, I'm pondering on creating software program, which will perform a search of the phrase I'm interested in over a library of books and some other online text repositories in just one browser window. Hence, I'd like to know, if I'm the only one annoyed by this problem. Or maybe you found some other way around this issue?


texts: What is the origin of the term 'going to wrack and ruin'?

texts: 'Wrack' refers to wreckage, vengeance and retributive punishment. From looking at its copious entry in the OED it is clear that the word 'wrack' has had a considerable history. But other than for this expression it seems to have disappeared from use. Is anyone able to contradict this?


texts: I was planning a little trip the other day when I noticed that a number of rivers in Britain have common names. The ones I spotted were Avon, Ouse and Esk. Is there a reason for this? Are these names derived from something?


texts: Help required regarding punctuation in a sentence

texts:
I am trying to write the following sentence:
We see then, that the purpose of life is simply the program of the pleasure principle.
I am, however, not sure about how I would correctly punctuate it.


texts: Can "must" have the same meaning as "need to?"

texts: According to this article, "must" and "need to" have different connotations. Is there a context in which "must" has exactly the same meaning and connotation as "need to?" By context I mean everything from a sentence describing a particular situation to different styles of speech, except for the situation in which "must" and "need to" are explicitly defined to be the same.


texts:
I can't find any grammar reference to the correct usage of a specifying adjective clause. Consider an example:

The physical activity, so vital for the developing body, is often overlooked by the child's parents.

Is it grammatically correct? Am I right to surround the clause by the commas?

Thanking you in advance for any help.


texts: Looking for a word or phrase to describe 2 things that are moving toward each other, but never meet?

texts:
I was thinking about physics today and there was an idea where if 1 object splits into 2.

And If each object is moving away from each other at the speed of light.

And if just a moment after they split and start rushing away from each other if light/photons comes from each object moving towards each other, then the photons will never meet.

2 beams of light that are trapped a moment away from meeting each other forever.  Like a very sad love story :(

I wanted to know if there is a word or phrase that might describe the perpetual idea of trying to meet in the middle or be together, but never being able to succeed.

I thought about the word parallel like parallel lines because those never meet, but the problem is that they are next to each other and in this case I want to describe something where they are going from 2 separate points and try to connect in the middle.  I also thought anti-parallel which is closer to what I want but isn't quite right because you still run into the problem of the lines being next to each other.

So I am looking for any word, phrase or fictional character that is popular for a story of something similar.


texts: Another word for a place being in 'ruins'

texts: What another word for a place being in ruins (figuratively). Like a place hit with a tornado and is now in ____?


texts:
He took his son back to school.

Does to school modifies back or the other way around？


texts: Word meaning "assigning appropriate jobs to people" in an organization?

texts:
I'm wondering whether there's a word that basically means "finding out what people are good at and assigning them appropriate roles in an organization".  So determining that one person's a natural leader and making them the leader, someone else is good with people and they're the counselor, someone else is good technically and they're running the website, etc.

In medicine, there's the term "triage" which is kind of doing this but with patients and severity of their illness.


texts: Meaning of "You might call him the Susan Lucci of chemistry"

texts:
The passage below is from "To Be a Genius, Think Like a 94-Year-Old", NYT

  A study of Nobel physics laureates found that, since the 1980s, they have made their discoveries, on average, at age 50. The study also found that the peak of creativity for Nobel winners is getting higher every year. For many years, oddsmakers have predicted that Dr. Goodenough would win the Nobel Prize, but so far the call from Stockholm has not come. You might call him the Susan Lucci of chemistry.

I don't see any correlation between Dr.Goodenough and Susan Lucci, as Susan earned her fame at her young age. The only common thing is both are old aged persons. I have asked my teacher about the meaning of the last sentence, and he has no idea.  I am not clear about the meaning of the last sentence and the word "chemistry".


texts:
The Oxford Learner's Dictionary lists "unaided" as an adjective.
You can see it here.

However, in two of the examples listed there:

Did she produce this work unaided?
He can now walk unaided.

Isn't "unaided" clearly acting as an adverb in these cases?

I'd appreciate some clarification. Thank you.

.


texts: "Flipping through the news" vs "flipping through the news channels"

texts:
Which one is more common among native English speakers?

Example sentence:

  We turned on the TV and flipped through the news (channels).

I found both versions on Google Books, with flipping through the news channels appearing more often. But still, maybe flipping through the news is common also?


texts: "-field" joining rule for compound words?

texts:
Is there a rule when to join a word with field and when to leave them as two separate words?
Examples:

I walked through a cornfield.
I walked through a maize field.
I walked through a minefield.
I walked through a cabbage field.

Why can I join mine with field, but not cabbage with field?


texts: A more generic term for "installed base"

texts:
I sell a web based software application to companies that enables my customers to take and fulfill orders over the Internet. One of the features in the software is called Installed base. The primary purpose of this feature is to enable my customers to know which sold goods will require attention even after the sale so that they can perform after-sales activities in a structured and transparent manner. The way this feature works is that a user marks a product as Warranty applicable. Then, any unit of that product that gets sold becomes a unique Installation and starts appearing in the Installed base as a unique record. My customers can then organize an installation of that unit, start tracking warranty, offer warranty extensions, annual maintenance contracts, etc. on unique Installations.

I am now receiving interest from a new segment of customers who find my software fully relevant to their business needs and would also want to track warranty and maintenance contracts for durable products, but those products do not require installation (for example, mobile phones). These customers therefore find the phrase Installed base confusing and have requested a more neutral wording.

Any suggestions for what Installed base could be renamed to in the given context?

Note: I have bounced off Equipment database, which customers in mobile phone and watch industries do not like because their products are not equipments (in their minds). I have also offered Device database, which customers in infrastructure industry do not like because their products such as cranes, earth-moving vehicles, etc. are not devices (in their minds).


texts: What is another way to say "This is because"

texts: Adaptations are a strong reason to why the study of Shakespearian Texts is a key element in the Australian curriculum. This is because, when reading the scripted version in a book, teenagers become uninterested and don’t ‘pay attention’ to what they are reading.


texts: Contractions of "have" in the sense of "to possess"

texts:
I see this usage frequently on various SE sites:

  I've an [object]

This usage of "I've" seems very strange [edit: archaic or poetic] to me as a native speaker of US English.  I'm accustomed to only creating contractions of "have" where "have" is an auxilliary verb, e.g.

  I've gone

In informal US English, you will often even see the redundant usage

  I've got an [object]

Although this could also be parsed in a non-redundant way, as "I have [obtained]."

I don't see the first usage much in contemporary British English, either.  It seems to be limited to non-native English speakers.

Is the first usage being taught, or is it an example of overgeneralization?  Is it strictly wrong, or is it just unusual?  [edit: Given the examples in some of the answers, perhaps it's coming back into vogue.  I still feel like I should be speaking in a British accent and wearing a monocle when I say it.]


texts: Is the phrase "Shape outlines of something" correct?

texts:
Is the phrase "shaped the outlines"  grammatically correct in this sentence? I want it to indicate that this subject played a key role in shaping my interests:

  By introducing leading approaches to observe and evaluate conditions
  of internal body organs through techniques that limit the use of
  invasive clinical procedures, this course shaped the outlines of my
  desired discipline and career.


texts: What to call it when someone takes something the most negative possible way

texts:
Is there a word for the situation when someone takes something said in the most negative possible way, basically stretching what is said to fit the negative meaning that they desire it to mean.

Example:

"Maybe we shouldn't hang out."

to mean:

"I never want to talk to you again, you are cut from my life."


texts: I need a little help with the grammar of "despite"

texts:
Hey guys I was originally trying to imply that among all the European languages, English resembles Chinese the most closely for they both have a relatively clear set of grammar rules, but the two languages still have lots of differents in between, and I made up a sentence, goes like

  " Despite that with its set of simple grammar rules, English, among
  all the European languages, resembles Chinese the most closely, many
  differences still remain in between."

But im feeling something is not right here, and here are my questions,

  is it okay to say "A resemble B the most"? or "A resemble B the most
  closely" exclusively?
  Is this sentence wrong in grammer?
  How could i improve this sentence, so that it looks more authentic?


texts: Words associated with seeing beauty where it wasn't seen before

texts:
I'm looking for words (any part of speech) that are associated with seeing beauty in a thing where you had not previously seen it. The phrase "gain an appreciation" is sort of close, but (a) it's a phrase, not a word, and (b) I would like something stronger - having an "appreciation" for something doesn't necessarily mean that you find it beautiful.

Example sentences could be anything really, because I don't need this to be a specific part of speech. But I'll give it a shot:

"I verb the painting after seeing it many times."

"I have noun for the painting after seeing it many times."

"The painting is adjective. It takes many viewings to see its beauty."

"I see the painting adverb now after seeing it many times."

Or something which doesn't fit into any of these sentences is fine as well.


texts: Is there a word for a bright spot in the shadow of a lens or lens-like object?

texts: Or for example on the bottom of a pool as light is focused by waves on the surface of the water. It seems awkward to just call it a shadow since it implies being darker than the surroundings.


texts: Another word for a "selective" character trait

texts:
I'm seeking the word that describes a character trait for someone who, when given a system of beliefs, methods, or views, will sort through and accept or emulate only the best or purposeful parts of the system, while disregarding the irrational, superfluous, or unnecessary parts of said system.

I'm looking for adjective, used to describe the tendency of a person to act in a certain manner.  I believe it ends in the suffix -ive, though I cannot be sure.

  "Arya may see the purpose of their system of beliefs and the good that they do, yet she often argues at the inconsistent narratives and irrational acceptance of blind faith that such views require.  She can be very ____ in matters such as these."

I'm looking for a neutral connotation.

Further context (long shot): it is used in one of the Inheritance Cycle books for one of the main characters, Eragon, to describe his love interest Arya, in a similar manner as posted above.  I simply cannot find or remember the exact wording, or the chapter that it was used in, even though I have searched the definition of this word before.

A synonym for such a trait, used as a verb, would be "to cherry-pick".

e.g. "Bob likes to go to church, but when it comes to the Bible, he cherry-picks what to believe and what not to believe."

Further to a comment provided by Carly, the English adjective I'm looking for is also likely to match the Japanese concept of iitoko-dori.


texts: Present continuous vs Present perfect continuous

texts:
I am waiting for you for almost an hour
I have been waiting for you for almost an hour

What's the difference? Are both OK?


texts: How do I write "something-based", where "something" is more than one word?

texts: I want to write "unsupervised learning based method", where "based" is referring to unsupervised learning. That is, it's (unsupervised learning)-based method, not unsupervised (learning-based methog). How do I write this? Maybe "unsupervised-learning-based method"? Is there a way of paraphrasing it that sounds better?


texts:
The question is about the use of:

which is indicated

and

is indicated

Examples:

Visible need in this area, which is indicated by the number of articles and books on the subject.

1a. Visible need in this area, which is indicated by the number of articles and books on the subject, like those written by Hillary Dane, describing the use of high speed particles.

Visible need in this area is indicated by the number of articles and books on the subject.

Do you see the difference and what the difference is in your opinion between these two sentences?
Are these sentences properly formulated? What would the proper sentence look like when "which is" in use?


texts: Which sentence structure is correct and why?

texts:
I have typed nearly all the sentences.
I nearly have typed all the sentences.

Also, do I need to add the preposition 'of' to the sentence? E.g. "I have nearly typed all of the sentences."


texts: Origin of "article" as a grammatical term

texts: In English grammar, why is it that articles are named so? I associate the word with newspaper articles. Where did the term come from?


texts:
I was listening to Vertigo NCS release, on YouTube and every comment underneath was like "IT'S HIGH NOOT NOOT."

  98%-ITS HIGH NOOT NOOT
  2%- Random Comments
  It's high NOOT NOOT!!!!!!!

I'm not from an English background, so I don't understand what it means. Does anyone know?


texts: "Canine" is for dog, "Porcine" for pig, "Equine" for horse. Is there an adjective for deer-like?


texts:
What is the etymology of the word 'kinematics' - the maths of movement, not taking into account physical forces such as friction and air resistance.

I was speaking with a friend about it and suggested that it comes from the two words: kinetic (essentially meaning movement) and mathematics. These 2 words seemed to go together well to make 'kinematics', and seemed a liable suggestion as kinematics is the mathematics of movement.

He laughed at me and said "That's ridiculous, no words come from just putting 2 words together".

So, what is the etymology of kinematics?

And just so that when I next see him I can give him some words that were made from 2 being put together, it would be lovely if you could throw a few into your answer.


texts: Should “fewer” or “less” be used when mass and countable nouns are combined in “and” clause?

texts:
Obviously, it is correct to say

  More apples and flour was purchased.

But how do I express the opposite statement?

  Less apples and flour was purchased.

or

  Fewer apples and flour were purchased.

or, perhaps, it's incorrect to mix them and it is only correct to say:

  Fewer apples and less flour was purchased.

?


texts: Words to say when you don't want to speak about it otherwise it might come true

texts:
How do you say a situation wherein you are thinking of something negative while not speaking about it otherwise it might come true.

Conversely, it could also be a situation wherein you are not verbalizing a hopeful thought fearing the positive situation might reverse.


texts:
I need to respond to an e-mail sent to me by a committee (e.g. ABCD Organizing Committee). In the distant past, I would use something like "Respected Sirs" but that seems archaic now. How would I address such a committee now?
Context:
The committee's e-mail to me started of as "Dear FirstName LastName, " and then proceeded to extend a formal invitation.
Also, I decided to go for "Dear ABCD Organizing Committee"


texts: Which is correct pluralization "event planners" or "events planners"?

texts:
The context is as follows, "We are an authoritative source of information dedicated to the needs of events planners in Asia"

Should it be events planners or event planners?
Our editor claimed that events planners is correct, although I believe it should be event planners in this context.

I am american and she is British, could this be a British thing?


texts: If I invent a word, what language is it?

texts:
I invented a word using medical terminology, Latin and maybe a bit of Greek. (I'm not honestly sure of the etymology of all the morphemes.) Considering that this word is primarily not of English origin, what language is it? Can I call it an English word?

Taking it a step further, what about medical terminology? Can it be called English when it really is no more than a compilation of Latin morphemes?


texts: Finish, complete, submit, or finished at the end of a short drag and drop word bank quiz that isn't graded?

texts:
What term's better for the finish or submit button at the end of a short, optional, test quiz?

The quiz is a drag and drop with a word bank, and the button I'm talking about will check their answers, and tell them if they're good to go, or might want to go back and review the material before continuing.

I thought of the following:

Finish - A little informal, and I think there's a slight connotation of being required to do so and so, or considering it a chore when the word finished is used. These are optional.
Finished - Past tense seems a little more awkward than future tense, and the same issue as above.
Submit - The short quiz is not to be graded, rather it serves as one of many practice interactive pages to break up the monotomy of reading through a 70 page course and give the user a small recap of the last several pages. The word submit makes me think something is formally being handed it for grading or review. The button does serve to check the answers, give the use a score, and tell them whether they're ready to move on, or may want to consider reviewing the last section first.
Complete - Similar issue to the word submit. It seems a little like this is important, is required, or might count towards the students grade in the class.


texts: "Make an experience" or "gain an experience"

texts:
Do you make an experience or gain an experience? For example,

I made rewarding volunteering experiences ...
I gained rewarding volunteering experiences ...

Are either acceptable? Is there a finer distinction?


texts: Is the varying pronunciation of "schedule" using "sh-" vs "sk-" regional or individual?

texts:
‘Hard’ /ˈskɛ.djuːl/vs ‘Soft’ /ˈʃɛ.djuːl/

Is one of the two variants

/ˈʃɛ.djuːl/ with ‘sh‑’ (so including [ˈʃɛ.djɫ], [ˈʃɛ.dʒɫ̩], [ˈʃɛ.dʒu.əɫ], [ˈʃɛ.dʒuːɫ])
/ˈskɛ.djuːl/ with ‘sk‑’ (so including [ˈskɛ.dʒu.əɫ], [ˈskɛ.djɫ̩], [ˈskɛ.dʒuɫ],
[ˈskɛ.dʒuːɫ], [ˈskɛˌdʒuɫ], [ˈskɛ.dʒʊɫ], [ˈskɛ.dʒəɫ])

more widespread in the US vs UK, or is this just a matter of areas or even single individuals?


texts:
When in the context of

  Putting something on the *.

which is correct? Backburner, Back Burner or Back-Burner?
Are there international differences here, or are some of them really just wrong?


texts: Why is it correct to say "fewer calories" when calories are continuous?

texts:
This question, "Discrete Units of a Continuous Quantity", asks whether units of a continuous quantity should be spoken of as discrete or continuous.
The top answer states

The rule is simple, and you obviously know it: discrete quantities require the use of "fewer" and continuous quantities require the use of "less".
Calorie, as a unit, requires the use of "fewer". Energy, as a continuum, requires the use of "less".
"Fewer calories means less energy."

I do not understand the logic here though.  Calorie is a unit, yes, but it is a continuous unit (it is possible to have half a calorie, or 4.582394 calories).  Since a calorie is such a small unit of energy compared to what it is usually used for (food energy and human metabolism), it is very seldom expressed in a fractional form and instead is rounded (usually to the nearest 10 or higher).
Why then should "fewer" be used with calorie instead of "less"?  Is there another relevant rule than just "continuous quantities use "less" and discrete quantities use "fewer"?


texts: Is "is" an auxiliary verb in the sentence "John is working now"?

texts:
John is working now.

Is the verb 'is' in this example an auxiliary verb?


texts:
Is this rule correct?

when 'for' and 'since' are  used in a sentence(in present perfect tense) to show duration of an action they  imply that the action is still in progress. Without the 'for', the last sentence suggests that the person doesn't live in Paris  anymore and that the action is complete.

I have lived in Paris for two weeks.

I have lived in Paris.


texts:
Is there a single word to refer to a food item which has been partially eaten or tasted by someone?

To elaborate, let's say there is a bowl of noodles on the table, and someone took a spoon of noodles from that bowl. Someone else comes along and wants to take that bowl.

How do you tell him that the bowl has been tasted by someone else? Is it simply This is used like we refer to other objects?


texts:
COVID-19 pandemic will end someday, but how much it affects the
humanity depends on preventive measures like wearing masks, washing
hands frequently, keeping a safe distance from others, etc.
Let's practice social distancing and lower the risks of getting
infected.

Now, it's a fact based on much research that wearing masks, maintaining social distancing and washing hands frequently will slow down and decreases the active COVID-19 cases.
1. I am unsure about how I used the word affect in the paragraph above. I used it to show two meanings: Less COVID-19 cases (wearing masks etc.) and More COVID-19 cases (not wearing masks etc.). Is this use of word correct in this sense?
2. I'm also uncertain about this phrase: depends on.
What I want to say is if we wear masks and do other things, it will help us reduce the COVID-19 cases but if we don't, that number will increase.
But for some important reason, I don't want to write it specifically. At the same time, I'm also hoping what I've written also conveys the same meaning without giving incorrect (like wearing masks will increase cases) information.
To verify whether I'm correct in this type of use or not, I found this similar sentence in Oxford Dictionary:

depend on/upon sth (not used in the progressive tenses) to be affected
or decided by sth
Does the quality of teaching depend on class size?

In the sentence above, let's assume a large class gives better quality education and a small one gives poor education. So now, without specifying exactly this, the question clarifies both things! I hope you got my point.
But I'm not sure about the way I've used "depends" in the passage. Is it conveying what I want to say?

Given these two doubts above, somehow I'm feeling what I've written might mean that wearing masks, social distancing, etc. will create more disease rather than lessening it.
So finally, did I use those words accurately or have I given incorrect/false information?


texts: Verb for the action analogous to embezzlement, with goods rather than money/assets

texts:
I am looking for a verb analogous to "embezzle", but concerning goods rather than money.

"Theft" is of course valid, but it's too broad - embezzle carries the connotation of stealing from your employer, or from assets that you had legitimate access to.

(In case it matters: in this case, the character is stealing weapons from an armoury that he is supposedly supervising, and selling them privately.)


texts: 5% are left or 5% is left; which is better or correct?

texts:
So here is the sentence written both ways. Which one is correct and maybe a description why so I can understand why.
Thanks!
/R

Leatherbacks need your help.
They’re endangered and only 5% of the population are left.

OR,

Leatherbacks need your help.
They’re endangered and only 5% of the population is left.


texts: What is the etymology of "board" as in boarding a ship or an airplane?

texts: I'm wondering if it is stemming from using boards as bridges between the land and the vessel?


texts:
I wonder if it's grammatically or stylistically correct to start a sentence with "Where"

  e.g. Where the wardrobe is, there is no dust"

It sounds a bit weird to my ear but I don't know exactly why.


texts: Is the verb "swallow" related to the noun?

texts:
I looked at the Online Etymology Dictionary and it seemed unclear to me whether the bird's name comes from the action, or vice versa, or even if they are etymologically related. Are they related and if so, how?

Here are the entries:

  swallow (n.1) type of migratory bird
  (family Hirundinidae), Old English swealwe "swallow," from
  Proto-Germanic *swalwon (cognates: Old Saxon, Old Norse, Old Frisian,
  Swedish svala, Danish svale, Middle Dutch zwalewe, Dutch zwaluw, Old
  High German swalawa, German Schwalbe), from PIE *swol-wi- (cognates:
  Russian solowej, Slovak slavik, Polish słowik "nightingale"). The
  etymological sense is disputed. Popularly regarded as harbingers of
  summer; swallows building nests on or near a house is considered good
  luck.

  swallow (n.2) "an act of
  swallowing," 1822, from swallow (v.). In late Old English and Middle
  English it meant "gulf, abyss, hole in the earth, whirlpool," also, in
  Middle English, "throat, gullet." Compare Old Norse svelgr
  "whirlpool," literally "devourer, swallower." Meaning "as much as one
  can swallow at once, mouthful" is from 1861.


texts: Grammaticality of "I am worrying" and how it compares to "I am worried" and "I worry"

texts:
This question is about worried about vs. worrying about. I think "being worried about someone/something" is more usual than "worry about", isn't it?

Can I use the progressive aspect for ongoing worriedness? For example:

  I am worrying about their expectations about me.
  I'm worrying about next.


texts: What’s the word that encompasses both creating something and editing it?

texts: I want to use a term to covers both creating and editing some entity, say a blog post or a comment in a blog. Which word should I use?


texts: Differences of "supposed to be" and "supposed to be having"

texts:
What does this sentence mean:

  "I am supposed to be having my physics class in the science building."

Also, what is the difference between this sentence and

  "I am supposed to have my physics class...."?

What should be inferred from the use of a progressive tense?


texts:
In several Western countries there is a Federal system in place (US, AU) of States and a National government making laws.

In the worst of circumstances, one of those two levels of government may need to seize assets of a corporation. To me, it makes sense that the word 'nationalise' applies to the Federal half of the government (since the whole country is the nation).

But that leaves a gap.

My question is: What is the equivalent word for Nationalisation when it is a State seizing the assets?


texts: What is a word used to describe something that 'wasn't meant to be'

texts:
I looked up this phrase on Google and got basically no clear results.

What does this phrase mean and which context is it used in?


texts: A bursar is an important figure in UK and US universities ["which" or "and"?] has many financial responsibilities

texts:
I've asked in textranch.com to correct a sentence I've written which I was not sure of:

  1) A bursar is an important figure in UK and US universities which has many financial responsibilities.

I was corrected to:

  2) A bursar is an important figure in UK and US universities and has many financial responsibilities.

Why is the first sentence wrong and the second right? Is it possible in the second sentence that the subject is not expressed? Why? Thank you in advance


texts: how to differentiate between simple command and habit which which has been said in simple present tense?

texts:
consider sentence:-

"You do this."

i can interpret this in two ways:-

I am asking someone to do something (it is request but not so polite).
I am talking about his usual habit like "he always does this".

then how to indicate in which sense i am talking in?


texts: Have someone/ something do something (not the usual meaning)

texts:
Have someone do something usually means asking a subordinate or a qualified worker etc to do something.
But I keep coming across this construction, only with what seems to be a different meaning. I'd love it if somebody could shed some light on it, or refer me to a source where I can find out more about it.

I notice, sometimes it involves an -ing verb, as opposed to a bare infinitive, but a common thread in all the cases is that the individual it refers to is an "experiencer", on the receiving end of some sort of action (or reaction, as they might also be the cause of it too, as seen below in the rat example)

A few examples:

"Oh, I'm sorry- you stand here and have that damn thing pop out at you and you not jump! And it was a rat, not a mouse."
"I'm not going to have anybody laugh at you, don't worry."
"You can make a movie out of it today, and have it be extremely popular"
"... may have you scratching your head as to what to do next"
" This has had me wondering: How are..."


texts:
My question is which one is correct:

a) I have been awarded the science award 5 times
  or
b) I was awarded the science award 5 times

Thank you :)


texts: Is a comma required between an independent clause and a dependent clause connected by a conjunction?

texts:
Many publications use a comma between an independent clause and a dependent clause connected by a conjunction.

Recent example I came across:

I have to say I roll my eyes at the various attempts to explain President Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of the Jewish state**, and to make plans** to move the U.S. embassy there.

(Source: http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/12/andrew-sullivan-let-him-have-his-cake.html)

This Purdue article seems to caution against such use: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/607/02/

Are these commas grammatically correct? Why do many publications place/allow commas in these instances? Your input would be greatly appreciated!


texts:
What is the antonym of "distaff"?  It's not in my dictionary, but it must exist.  Right?

edit By distaff I mean, "the female equivalent of something typically male", not just "female" generally.  I could write "Joan Jett is the distaff Adam Ant" or "Adam Ant is the [what?] Joan Jett".

further edit no cracks about my musical ignorance.


texts:
I'm not quite sure if "ever more" sounds right in this sentence:

The internet is revolutionising ever more professional sectors.

I've thought about "increasingly more" but that sounds redundant. Any thoughts?


texts: Adding a modifier to a phrase with a comma

texts:
Here is the sentence in question:

"...line of performance apparel is perfect for any race, 5k to 50k. "

Is that the proper way to modify race?  What is this rule called?


texts: Word-usage: Could the word “multiple stars” include binary stars?

texts:
This question might be off-topic here, but concerning English usage.

We are translating some illustrated book for kids about astronomy, and then have a question as in the title.

Referring to Wikipedia etc., It appears that "binary stars" represents the star systems of two stars, whereas "multiple stars" does those of three or more stars.

Thus, our question is whether it is an abuse to use "multiple stars" for binary stars.

Simply, we don't know what to translate "multiple stars" into Japanese, because there is no one-to-one counterpart of words in Japanese.

Thank you in advance.


texts: Why do people say "you could have done"?

texts:
An email from my American colleague says:

  If there is a transaction you could have saved data.

I don't quite understand his specific tone by the "could have saved". Why not just say "you can save data"?


texts: meaning of "obvious statement" and "the form of lengthy"

texts:
I've come across those two statements in an article and not been able to understand what they mean. Can anyone please explain their meanings to me?

As in the sentences below:

"...those who are tech-savvy might roll their eyes at the obvious statement that the internet works as a contemporary CV, but might not be familiar with the cultivation of the face to face interview..."

"What makes this book draw the attention from others is its interactive nature as it makes demands of its reader in the form of lengthy exercises to be done."

Thank you for any help you can offer


texts: When a car stops working, is it "crashed" or "broken"?

texts: When I use crashed for computers, that means my computer stops working suddenly. To imply similar meaning for cars, should I choose broken or crashed? What  I understand from crashed is having an accident instead of spontaneous problem.


texts: What is the name of the rhetoric device for the use of a one word sentence?

texts:
I'm doing a study of the collector, how would I describe the use of this quote...
"Power. Its become so real."
The use of power as a one-word sentence for emphasis, what technique or device is that?
I was going to say diction or syntax? I'm not sure that is right.
Thank you


texts:
Items believed to belong to passengers have also been found in the water, including baby shoes, ID cards and driver's licences.

The text is from bbc news

My question here is can i used the following words instead.

1.items believed to be belonging to
2.items believed to be belonged to

I think the first 1 i can use definately but what about the second one


texts: Similar phrase to `Let's have a chat...`

texts:
I've found this on my friend's book -

  Let's have a chat so that we can set the balls rolling

Looks very professional but I couldn't find something similar to this one myself.

Does anyone help me?


texts:
The following passage is from Les Misérables by Victor Hugo translated by Charles E. Wilbour.

  This materialism is an excellent thing, and truly marvellous; reject it who will.
  Ah! when one has it, he is a dupe no more; he does not stupidly allow himself
  to be exiled like Cato, or stoned like Stephen, or burnt alive like Joan of Arc.
  Those who have succeeded in procuring this admirable materialism have the happiness
  of feeling that they are irresponsible, and of thinking that they can devour everything
  in quietness — places, sinecures, honours, power rightly or wrongly acquired,
  lucrative recantations, useful treasons, savoury capitulations of conscience,
  and that they will enter their graves with their digestion completed.

I wonder what the grammatical structure of the sentence "reject it who will" is and what it means.


texts: "something inescapably points if ...." or "if something inescapably points to ..."?

texts:
At the same time, they are reluctant to accept the conclusions toward which such proof inescapably points if they do not "sense" the uniformity themselves.

The position of the word if in this sentence seems odd to me. I was more expecting inescapably points to/out ... rather than inescapably points if ... here, so I tried to reword the sentence to make it more understandable:

  At the same time, they are reluctant to accept the conclusions toward which if such proof inescapably points to the fact that they do not "sense" the uniformity themselves.

But I'm not so sure about it.


texts:
I have just learned from what I consider a reliable source, that the following sentence is correct:

  One of us is wrong, aren't we?

I would never in my life have written this, but I am assured that this is exactly how it would be written

As I realize comments don't live forever I will quote the relevant parts:

  oerkelens : So you  would really write One of us is wrong, aren't we? I guess by analogy you would not bat an eyelid at One of these balls is blue, aren't they?
  Matt Эллен : yes, "Then one of us is wrong, aren't we?" is exactly how it would be written. Same for the balls.

Could someone please enlighten me how it is possible that the number in a question tag supposedly has to be in discordance with the subject of the main clause?

I admit that I am not the youngest any more, and my school days are long gone, but back in the days, I was taught that
1. a verb and its subject concord in number
2. a question tag concords with the subject of the main clause

I was given examples like:

  It is warm today, isn't it?
  We will be on time, won't we?
  Mary is pretty, isn't she?
  John isn't the brightest, is he?

Some people may notice that the subject of the main clause seems to determine every time the subject of the question tag. When the main clause subject is singular, so are verb and subject in the question tag.

I was under the impression that a) this made sense and b) this would be a general rule.
I fully realize that grammar does not have to make sense, so a) is immaterial. As for b), today I learned I was wrong :)

So when (and possibly why?) do we form question tags that are different in number from their main clause?

To exemplify, also the other example sentence that I used and was corrected on:

  One of these balls is blue, isn't it? (so this is wrong)
  One of these balls is blue, aren't they? (and this is correct)

As an afterthought, does this strange grammatical number mix-up only appear in question-tags, or should I always refer to singular subjects in the plural if certain conditions are met? And what are those conditions?

Which versions are correct?

  One of the cars is broken, aren't they? They (the car(s?) that is(are?) broken) should be fixed.
  One of the cars is broken, aren't they? It (the car that is broken) should be fixed.
  One of us must be wrong, mustn't we? We (the one(s?) that is (are?) wrong) should make amends.
  One of us must be wrong, mustn't we? He (the one that is wrong) should make amends.

(In the last one, they could of course be used as the singular they, but that would avoid the issue...)


texts:
Which is the proper spelling of "nonstop?"

nonstop
or
non stop
or
non-stop


texts:
I've got a sentence that I can't quite well understand. My problem in the sentence is the "were to play" part.

How does it change the meaning of the sentence? Does it mean that this was an action in the past that had not taken place?

The sentence is:

  These Jägers were to play a significant role in subsequent events.

Another one:

  This was the beginning of a civil war between the Whites and the Reds that was to last for nearly four months.

Could someone help me to understand the idea of "am/are/is to" + verb | "was/were to" + verb | (etc..)? Any help would be appreciated!

UPDATE:
I've found an article on using "is to" + verb and "are to" + verb. Is the explanation right in this article about the usage of this form?


texts: How to say that my current line of work coincides with my education

texts:
How is it possible to say that my current line of work coincides with my education? For example, I have a BS degree in Chemistry and work as a chemist (not as a salesperson or a programmer). Perhaps there is some idiom or common short expression.

In Russian, there is an expression that could be literally translated "work by speciality". I don't think that it's a nice expression in English.


texts: What is the single word for a school where only boys study?

texts:
A school where both boys and girls study is called co-ed (co-education)  What is the name for the school where only males study?
(Calling it a male school seems a bit awkward)


texts: Is this statement grammatically correct - "They'll present themselves, you'll yourself."

texts:
What I'm trying to convey is that "They'll present themselves and you'll present yourself" but I feel is that albeit it improves clarity, the second usage of the word 'present' is pretty much redundant.

I have never heard of any statement being used in this fashion though.


texts: What do you do when you move under a low barrier?

texts: Do you duck under it, crouch under it, or is there a better term? This lower position is held only for a very brief moment, so you don't duck under it and remain crouched. The focus is on the quick crossing under the barrier, to move from one side to the other.


texts:
What would the rule be on using a hyphen in "alcohol free?"
We are describing a product that is free of alcohol. We use it in different sentence instances such as the following:
"The product is the leading, alcohol free anti-gel."
"Alcohol free and containing no harmful solvents, the product is safe to use."
We also use it as a stand alone descriptor - "Alcohol-Free."
Finally, "Alcohol free, preventing engine harm."
Which, if any of these circumstances would warrant a hyphen?

The same question goes for "petroleum-based."
For example, "Warranty safe and 100% petroleum based." Would there be hyphens in that sentence?


texts:
Which of the following is correct?

  The fortune 500 companys' assets are vast.

  The fortune 500 companies' assets are vast.


texts: Term for someone who calls herself negative things that are not true

texts: What is the correct term for someone who usually says negative things about herself (that she is fat,ugly or dumb) even though she knows that she is not?


texts: What part of speech is "mountain" in the sentence "Avalanches are dangerous to mountain climbers."?

texts:
I'm trying to understand the grammar of this sentence:

  Avalanches are dangerous to mountain climbers.

What part of speech is the word mountain?


texts: Problem that causes progress to come to a complete halt

texts:
There are some problems that are minor and do not affect the overall operation at hand enough to stop it. For example, a broken radio is not a significant enough problem for driving a car. However, an empty gas tank is, and it needs to be resolved before the car can go.

What is an adjective to describe such a major problem or issue? I think I've heard a "gating issue" on a project I was involved in before, but a Google search didn't turn up much.

e.g. This is a _____ issue, so it needs to be resolved before we can make any progress.


texts: Is "administrate" a valid English verb? What's the difference between it and "administer"?

texts:
We had an interesting discussion yesterday about the use of administer and administrate.

I feel that there is a case for both usages -- sometimes you might administer something, and other times you might administrate something -- but I couldn't convince my fellow co-worker who thought that administrate was some kind of neo-abomination. This was mainly because I couldn't cite a convincing example.

So then, is administrate an acceptable verb, and what usages exist that differentiate it from administer?


texts: The origin of the phrase "Eskimo Brothers"

texts:
Popularized by the Fx show The League, the term Eskimo Brothers is a slightly misogynistic term for two men who have been physically intimate with the same woman.  It is usually considered offensive, and at the very least is a little off-taste.  According to Urban Dictionary (which is often discredited around here) the two men should not have hostility towards each other, but it easy to see that there is not much credibility in the base thought of "the two men shared the same igloo."

A google ngram shows that the term is ~100 years old, but to me, it seems like none of these references are related to the above idea of Eskimo Brothers, rather they refer to brother in the sense of a familial relationship or brothers in a more religious context.

Who can help shine some light on the origins of this term?

Edit:  I remember this phrase being used when I was in high school, which means the phrase must have been used by 2003, at the latest.


texts: Is this acceptable usage when frustrated with a web page: "It won't click"

texts:
My buddy was trying to click something on a webpage and he said "It won't click."  As a programmer, I know that what he meant was "The event triggered by the onClick handler is not happening."  Given this, is it appropriate to say "It won't click" or is there something else to say there like "This link is broken."

Would it change if it were a form's submit button vs. a regular blue anchor tag?


texts: What is a positive descriptor for someone that doesn't care about anything/is always neutral?

texts:
I am looking for a word that describes a personality/person (not in a negative but neutral/positive way) that doesn't care abut anything, has a neutral opinion about most things, is very care free/laxed, etc. The closest I could think of is narcissist but it's not quite right. Is there such a word?

I guess an example would be like "Dave doesn't care if we have a salad, a burger, or a soup for lunch, he is a/very ________."

Thanks.


texts: What is the difference between lunch and luncheon? Is it just American spelling vs British spelling, or do they have some sort of formal/professional touch to them, say, a casual midday meal with friends is called lunch while that with your colleagues/business clients is called luncheon?


texts:
I want to know which word does "they" refer to, in the following statements. The question rises because the subject in the beginning sentence is "someone" which is in singular form. The Statements are as follows:

Simply this: When someone discounts the idea that the whole block universe really exists, and insists instead that it is only what is happening right now that exists, presumably
they mean to include what is happening right now in locations other than where they themselves happen to be.


texts:
What is the difference between the two sentences below?

Are they both grammatically correct?

I dislike his being blunt.
I dislike him being blunt.


texts:
When writing of dog breeds should they be capitalized? For example:

  The best breed for hunting rabbits is the beagle.

Should the word "beagle" be capitalized?


texts:
Is it correct to say like this?

  "Would you like some tea?"

  "Thank you, but I've just had a cup"

Would it be more idiomatic to say had one?
Or both options are wrong? If so, how would you answer in this case?


texts: Is asking a question in the form 'What that impression might be?' acceptable?

texts:
Someone wrote to me - Because you have an impression of me that's not true maybe.
I responded What that impression might be?
Is that acceptable or not?


texts:
I'm trying to learn the archaic conjugation (for fun) and I wonder if the imperative verbs in the archaic form can be conjugated with -est for the second person singular (ex: Eatest thy vegetables).

Thank you in advance for your answers!


texts: In the next year vs. For the next year vs. Over the next year

texts:
I want to know the differences among these three:

In the next year
For the next year
Over the next year

Thanks in advance


texts: Meaning of the word "congratufukinlation"


texts: What is a common idiom meaning, 'that a recovering patient's medical situation is likely to change all of a sudden without notice or reason'?

texts: The situation to which I refer involves a person who has had an accident and their recovery was going well then not and it keeps changing. I am trying to warn someone caring for them that the situation can change quickly without notice and I can't think of the idiom to describe the speed and unpredictability of that potential change so that they will take nothing for granted.


texts: Is "care" correctly classified as dynamic when it concerns providing care to someone?

texts:
"Care" is typically classified as a stative verb (because it represents an emotional sense or feeling). However, most stative verbs are considering to be dynamic when their continuous form (-ing) is used (e.g. "I am caring for her".
However, when the context is explicitly expressed for providing care, as in "he cares for his grandmother", is this also appropriately classified as a dynamic usage since it implies an action?


texts:
Why is it that breast is used when referring to a man's chest, but breasts is used for a woman's? Could breast also mean a woman's chest, or do breasts have to be used when referring to a woman's chest?

It seems strange that we speak as if there are two things when referring to a woman's chest but speak as if there is only one when referring to a man's.


texts: Corporate speak for customers & partners

texts:
I'm looking for a "corporate speak" noun that describes both customers and partners of a given company.
"Ecosystem" is the closest I've come, but I'd like more options.


texts: What happens when two of the same words are used together?

texts:
I'm not sure how to explain it, but whenever I come across a situation where two of the same words are used together I'm not sure whether, in terms of grammar, it is correct.

For example,
"I could get by in Malta by teaching the small portions of the Maltese population who can't speak English, English."

Is that correct to say, or has this happened because the sentence is worded poorly?
Would it make more sense if "who can't speak English" was a subordinate clause?


texts:
Should I use singular or plural after "there are many cases where"?

Example:

  There are many cases where patient/patients lack/lacks the required
  knowledge yet they/she work/works it out.

As we are speaking generally in this kind of sentences, singular sounds more natural. But then is it OK as "cases" is plural?


texts: The Oxford Comma and its relation to a list with only two entries.

texts:
The sentence is as follows:
I work in disaster management and prevention, and international aid and development.

2 Questions:
Can a list include just two entries as above?
Can the Oxford comma be used in a two entry list as above?

Google is struggling to answer this but I believe the above is correct.


texts: Word for: A river than splits into two, later rejoining into one? (fluvial terminology)

texts:
A tributary is river or stream that flows into a larger river.
A distributary a stream branching off a river.

Is there a word that combines both structures, the idea of a river that splits in two and later rejoins to become one river again?

         /---------------\
---------                 --------------------
         \---------------/

My focus here is on the waterway, not the land. I’m looking for a word describing the behavior of the river splitting and later rejoining, without regard for the geography, and without regard for the cause or effect between land and water.


texts: What would "I forgot my keys" mean in this situation?

texts:
If you were at the door and found out that you had forgotten your keys you might say: "I have forgotten my keys" ..

but what would it mean if you said I forgot my keys instead?


texts: Accepted way to abbreviate cities that have "Saint" in their name

texts:
My first question here, so I'm not sure if this OT or not, so please bare with me.

Background: I don't live in US. I'm working with some data that I'm pulling from Adwords. Sometimes, I'm getting a city name as St. John and sometimes as Saint Ann.

So my question is, is there an accepted way on how people write a US city names which starts with Saint or is this just some random thing (or just specific to AdWords maybe)?

I'm asking this, because if for example I'll get both St. John and Saint John in the same file, should I consider them the same or should I be suspicious?


texts: Can we use the definite article (the) with the word "reception" when it means an office or a desk?

texts:
Suppose in all the sentences below, by reception I mean the place or the office that visitors go to.
Take, for example, these sentences:

Please get your keys from the reception.
Please get your keys from reception.
I asked the man at reception.
I asked the man at the reception.

Which ones are correct?
Is it wrong to use the definite article here? Why?


texts: Using 'such as' or a list mid list in academic writing

texts:
How do I add additional information to an item within a list without making it seem unclear?

The cars in the lot were bright colours such as red, many models such as Ford and Toyota, and missing parts such as tires, bumpers, and engines.

If a comma is needed before such as it makes the sentence unclear.

The cars in the lot were bright colours, such as red, many models, such as Ford and Toyota, and missing parts, such as tires, bumpers, and engines.

Semi colon solution:

3.The cars in the lot were bright colours, such as red; many models, such as Ford and Toyota; and missing parts, such as tires, bumpers, and engines.

Bracket solution:

The cars in the lot were bright colours (such as red), many models (such as Ford and Toyota) and missing parts (such as tires, bumpers, and engines).

Is there any other way to interject the additional information? The format of a list within a list comes up often writing scientific papers and I want to know if there are any solutions that are clear without using an obnoxious number of semi colons or brackets in a single paper. In such a situation would sentence 1. be acceptable?

To clarify, this is not the actual sentence that I am editing, just the format. Please do not reword. My question is soley on punctuation- if there is a solution other than using ; or (xx), or if it would be acceptable to omit the commas in a 'list within a list' or 'such as within a list' situation.


texts: WordSearch: Fiction (Sci-fi Realism) that diverges from true history at a previous and defined point in time

texts:
Looking for the word/ term for a sub-genre of Fiction, that makes use of the actual real timeline as its backstory, but deviates at a specific point prior to the beginning of narration.

Example:

Story set in 2000,
in a world where aliens made contact in 1920,
but everything up until 1920 conforms to our true history.
(complicated further by sci-fi / disregard of some physics applied to events post 1920)

There is the term Alternate History Fiction, but that seems to require the example story to begin in 1920, and the sci-fi elements seem to make that an awkward fit.

There is the term Alternate Reality Fiction but that refers to multiple parallel universes.

Is there a term for the type of story described?


texts:
In a smililar vein to the question Accents of characters in Downton Abbey:

I recently saw the movie Pacific Rim. One of the conceits of the movie appeared to be that the main characters were all from countries around the Pacific Rim (as those were the countries being attacked). Thus we had pilot teams that were Americans, Russians, Chinese, Australians, and one Japanese.

However, the ex-pilot head of the department was a bit of a mystery to me under this scheme. My first impression based on looks was African-American, but his accent sounded British to me. I know England had a lot of colonies in SE asia, but I don't know of any that have any kind of large Afro-English communities.

I know its just fiction, but for my own mental purposes, what exactly was his English accent, and what Pacific Rim country could he reasonably have hailed from?

After looking into it a bit more, the actor playing the part is in fact British, but that doesn't mean he was trying to do his own native accent.


texts: Movie or play character without an actor

texts:
What do you call a character in a movie or play without anyone acting the part, but who other actors talk about? I can't think of any popular movies with such characters right now, but there's a certain podcast where the main characters regularly talk about what their children said or did, and the said children never actually appear in the play.

Does a word even exist for this?

First time asking here - sorry if this is inappropriate.


texts: Is it grammatically correct to use the word "and" as the first word in a sentence? Why or why not?


texts:
In Computer Science, the word "Map" often refers to an associative array, i.e. a list of key-value pairs.  You could think of this sort of data structure as being like a dictionary.

Likewise, as a verb, "mapping" refers to the process of associating keys with values.

Based on some dictionary searching, it seems that "mapping" as a verb has long meant to make a map, i.e. to draw out a representation of a geographic space.

I also see references to use in Mathematics that predate the use in Computer Science, which makes sense.  OED provides this example of mathematical use:

  1939   M. H. A. Newman Elem. Topol. Plane Sets of Points i. 12   A (1, 1)-correspondence is set up between the set of all positive integers, I, and the set of positive even integers, E, by mapping n of I on 2n of E.

However, it seems like using "map" as a verb meaning to associate values with each other is a major shift from the original meaning related to a graphical representation of geography.

So how did "map" evolve to have such a specific technical definition that seems quite different from its original meaning?


texts: Would "development of" suggest exclusive performance?

texts:
In a CV, "development of a ... software" is an appealing, short expression.
But does it suggest that the author has accomplished the development on their own?

Please advise, I may have to fall back to things like "contributed to" and "participated in" then. I would like to keep the size short (struggling to fit it into 1 page), but the content correct. Have I missed anything?


texts:
Let's say I use a misunderstood word in direct speech. After that, which is correct to use from the following?

I can explain, if you don't catch the meaning.
I can explain, if you haven't caught the meaning.
I can explain, if you didn't catch the meaning.


texts: When a reader takes on the struggles and emotions of a character in a work of fiction, what is this called?

texts:
I'm looking for a word that describes how a reader emotes with the characters. The reader doesn't empathize with a character, instead he feels the very same emotions as the character coursing through him/her.

Usage in a sentence:

John truly (verb) with/for this character.
John is (adjective) of this character.


texts: What's a more formal name for a "third" party?

texts:
Two parties are trying to resolve some dispute that involves interest of both. Sometimes it's hard for them to reach an agreement on a fair basis. This is typically when another party who has no interest involved and no bias towards either party comes into play in order to settle the dispute between the two conflicting parties. The term "third party" seems being used quite often. I would also call it a "middle-standing" party or we could say this party is neutral.

These terms seem NOT formal enough to me though. I'd like to see if anybody can come up with a better one.


texts: The play's set was completely painted, but Jennifer laid the freshly-painted board face down on the floor.


texts:
I'm trying to reply to an email from a research collaborator. He sent me an article of his and asked me to review it. My question is what is the proper word/phrase to convey that I have read the article "almost completely" or "almost thoroughly". I have this in mind- 'I have fairly read your article'. But I need better suggestions.

Thanks!


texts: What's the word that describes a person who thinks his/her mother tongue is superior to other languages ?

texts: A friend of mine keeps making nasty comments at people who are the same race as her and can't speak their mother tongue. Besides, she also believes some languages don't even matter. I'm looking for a word to call her the next time she does it


texts: Is it OK to write "avail myself of not being in office"

texts:
Situation: Someone needs my help with a technical problem (via TeamViewer session) and sent me an outlook invitation for a date where I'm officially not in office. Because of my absence notification he then rescheduled the appointment.

Is it proper English if I answer:

  Thanks for rescheduling, but to be honest I’d rather avail myself of
  not being in office on January 4th and get this done without
  disturbance.

Is my use of "avail myself of ..." ok here? If not, could you give an example where "avail myself of ..." would be appropriate and elaborate on why it's not appropriate in my case? I'd also be happy to see my sentence rephrased so that it appeals to a native speaker.


texts: What is the English pronunciation of "pain au chocolat"?

texts: How do Brits and Americans pronounce pain au chocolat?


texts: Looking for a succinct phrase meaning someone's end goal and motivation

texts:
I'm having trouble locating a phrase (possibly a loan word or phrase) similar to raison d’être, that means someones reason for doing something and end goal rather than reason for being. Kinda like a MacGuffin and raison d’être rolled into one descriptive turn of phrase.

Examples of things this phrase could describe are:

The Harrison Ford's one-armed man in The Fugitive(1993)
Szechuan Sauce for Rick in Rick and Morty as it is described at the end of Season 3 Episode 1.
Starting a Mars colony for Elon Musk.

Maybe mission statement would be a sufficient phrase but I don't feel that it really captures the motivating power that these kinds of end goals have.

Any ideas on a phrase or word that would fit this definition?


texts: Can the statement "bunch of bees" be correct?

texts:
I appreciate that the correct name for a group of bees is 'swarm', which is accurate whether the bees are clustered together or not.

With that in mind, how correct is it to refer to the same group of bees as a bunch, as opposed to a swarm?


texts: How small does a land-mass have to be before you live "on" it, rather than "in" it?

texts:
I'm sure virtually everyone agrees that people live on the Isle of Wight, but in Ireland.

Apparently the usage depends somewhat on physical size, but that can't be the whole story. How exactly do we decide which form to use? And are there any really glaring 'outliers' that don't fit the normal pattern?

LATER - I must just add that the most uncertain case I've found so far is The Falklands. Most people go for in there, but a substantial minority (about 1 in 3) opt for on.


texts: Is there any usage difference between "in" and "of" in this sentence?

texts:
I got a bachelor of engineering in Mechanical engineering.
I got a bachelor in engineering in Mechanical engineering.
I got a bachelor of engineering of Mechanical engineering.
I got a bachelor in engineering of Mechanical engineering.

Above 4 sentences seems the same to me. Are there any differences?


texts: What is "38 years too gay" supposed to mean?

texts:
Pete Buttigieg, Hosting ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live,’ Jokes About Presidential Bid: “Turns Out I Was About 40 Years Too Young And 38 Years Too Gay”

He also made several jokes about his young age, and the notion that he had too little experience for the White House.“Running for president was an amazing experience,” he said. “The support my campaign got was unbelievable and I really thought we had a shot.Turns out I was about 40 years too young and 38 years too gay.”

I’ve noticed that in English noun can sometimes function as an adverbial, for example "Ryan is book smart."(Michael Scott’s line in The Office).And I think it’s the same case here."about 40 years too young" means about 40 years old seems a bit young for running for POTUS.However I’m not quite sure about "38 years too gay".Is it some kind of sarcasm?"38 years" doesn’t function as an adverbial here, it’s just the fact that he’s 38 years old and gay which may not found to be favorable by some of voters due to homophobia.Am I right?


texts: What does the phrase "fire a long line" mean here?

texts:
Here is a sentence from an action game:

  You need to grapple downward, then fire a long line through a gap.

I am not sure about the meaning of the phrase fire a long line. The preceding sentence describes the importance of momentum in moving across tight passages.

The player has to swing herself to the top of the mountain avoiding different obstacles including collapsing rocks, snowbanks, etc.


texts: How to refer to the "elevated areas" of a mountain?

texts:
For example, in the following picture, I see two "elevated areas" (one on the right, and one on the left, at the distance):

The only word that comes to my mind is hill. But I'm not quite sure, since those elevations are part of a mountain.

How to refer to them?


texts: Is there a name for the "3d" version of a crescent shape?

texts: Is there a name for the "3d" version of a crescent shape, like there for square (cube), circle (cylinder) etc.  Can I call it a "crescent prism" - is this a valid term for it?


texts: Is  "choose from one of four options" wrong?

texts:
I need backup in pressing my case that the phrase “choose from one of four options” is grammatically incorrect. Is there some resource that can prove my case, that the incorrect phrase should be replaced with one of the two following ones?

  Choose one of four options
  Choose from four options


texts:
I am about to write an article about the German verb "ausmachen", which looking at the parts, looks awfully close to "make out". I did some reading on Merriam Webster and Wiktionary only to find that what I thought to be a sexual term only, actually had and still has a different meaning (to discern and others).

I did not know that and I doubt that many non natives are aware of that. Now I am wondering as to whether the actual connotation of "make out", that is the original non-sexual one, comes to the mind of a native speaker when he or she hears "to make out".

I know that in context it will be clear. But what about the pure infinitive... do people have to think to get the non-sexual meaning or is it present immediately?


texts: (negative to affirmative) "we could not but pocket the insult"

texts: When we do negative to affirmative, we always use 'must' in the place of 'can not but'. I further know that we cannot use 'must' in the place of 'could not but' because 'could not but' is a past form. So can I use 'had to' in the place of 'could not but'?


texts: If I have one fennel bulb, what do I call it?  What is the singular form of fennel?


texts: Should you use a comma/period after "Thanks"/"Regards" in email signatures?

texts:
Normal practice is to end emails with a Thanks or Regards. My question is should there be a comma or a period or nothing after Thanks/Regards?

  Thanks,
      John Doe

Or

  Thanks.
      John Doe

Or

  Thanks
      John Doe

I have seen all three versions as part of email signatures. Which among these three is correct? Why?


texts:
This seems to be fairly common pattern. The modern English names of several French or French-related cities seem to add s for no obvious reason.

Marseille > Marseilles
Lyon > Lyons
Tanger > Tangiers
Alger > Algiers

In our multiculti postmodern world, all but the last have officially nixed their s in favor of the something like the local name. Still none of their Wikipedia pages addresses the issue and I'm curious how it came about.
Did it just sound better in English since French doesn't pronounce them the same way? Are they just older French forms that were kept longer in English? Were they some odd possessive ("City of Algier" > "Algier's" > "Algiers") or plural ("City of the Algerines")?


texts: I tried to describe something I read on the phenomenon that views in groups invariably shift toward the more extreme of the individuals and their group average, so to speak. Therefore there views were [extremified].


texts: Single word for something that attaches things together

texts:
I'm looking for a word that represents a thing/entity whose sole purpose is to attach 2 things together. Apparently attacher isn't an English word. It needs to be generic and can apply to living or non-living things.

EDIT: As suggested a usage could be something that attaches computer processes together or living objects together. The word should not affect the integrity of the objects itself