texts:
Dwanky or Dwankie - someone or something that is lame, stupid, uncool, or generally undesirable. Generally used as an insult or in a derogatory way. Zef slang. Can be used as both a noun: "Look at those dwankies over there!" and an adjective "That’s dwanky."

  That’s a word we have in South Africa, “dwanky.” It’s like lame.
  - Spin Magazine Feb 2012

What is the etymology of the term "dwanky?"  Is it derived from another word?


texts: Can "would have" be used to express assumption or a guess?

texts:
I know that "would have" is usually used in a hypothetic situation.

For example, "I would have done that had I been able to" is not a real situation but a hypothetic scenario.

However, other similar structures, such as "might have" and "could have" can also be used to mean "assumption" or "conjecture".

For example, "He might have stolen the money", means that someone might have been the thief.

So, I would like to know if "would have" can be used in the same way.

For example, can I say "I don't know who would have done that except John" or "Only John would have done that"

Any advice and opinions are welcome.

Thanks in advance!


texts: Is there a parallel to defenestration -- for buses?

texts: We often see defenestrate used in a somewhat jocular, mock-intellectual way for throwing someone or something out of a window. Is there, or could we imagine, a similar word for "throwing (someone) under the bus?" Not as literal as 'sacrifice', but rather something more whimsical, in the same vein as defenestrate?


texts:
I've found this paragraph in a book description :

  Mayo has long argued for an account of learning from error that goes
  far beyond detecting logical inconsistencies. In this book, she
  presents her complete program for how we learn about the world by
  being "shrewd inquisitors of error, white gloves off.

I'am wondering about the meaning of "white gloves off" here. Can anyone help me to clarify it ?
Thanks.


texts: Is there a single noun that describes "need not"?

texts:
There are four types of deontic modality, which can be expressed by the following modal expressions:

Can
Need not
Must not
Must

Out of these, 1, 3, and 4 respectively corresponds to the following nouns:

Permission
???
Prohibition
Obligation

Is there a simple word that corresponds to type 2?


texts: Punctuation for and clarity of repeating verbs

texts:
Suppose I conduct an online survey and am reporting the findings to all those who were expected to respond. Consider this sentence:

  All of you who responded opined that backups are an essential overhead.

What should be the punctuation around the repeated verbs (responded and opined) in this sentence?
Is this construct clear enough for non-native speakers?


texts: Is the last word in “The past is ____.” ‘past’ or ‘passed’?

texts:
Which of the following is correct?

“The past is past.”
“The past is passed.”

Both seem plausible to me.


texts:
Is there a better expression for "not all roses"?
"Not all roses" sounds a bit cliched. This is for my personal history statement.

Eg: Once the design was complete, I thought the experiments would go smooth. Contrary to my expectation, the next step was ____________________ (not all roses).


texts: The process of removing a rotten fruit to save the others in the basket

texts:
Is there a name for the process of removing a rotten fruit to save the others in the basket?

I want to use this in the context of team management, where the performance of one or more members affect others in the team, and I feel they have to be removed from the team.


texts: What does 'there's nothing to say that...' mean?

texts:
I stumbled upon a sentence:

  There’s nothing to say that you have to process all the state transitions at the same time

What does this phrase mean? Specifically as a 'clause' if I can call it that (with 'that' and a following sentence).

I see it's used throughout the internet but I couldn't find a definition neither here nor anywhere else.


texts: What's the correct word for saying a certain position can be stood on?

texts:
I'm making a game with tiles and I need a good word for describing whether or not a character can stand on a certain tile.

There is "walkable", but this describes movement, which is not the case.

Also, this is a boolean property of the tile, the answer is either yes or no. So there is no "safe to stand on" and "fairly dangerous", just "possible" and "impossible".


texts: Is there a word or term for one who is obsessed with names?

texts:
This is for a piece I am currently writing. Since I could not find anything from a Google search, I figured it would be wise to enlist the knowledge of the smart cohort of Stack Exchange.

My question is simple - is there a term for one who has an obsession with names or naming, or perhaps even the act of applying labels to some unnamed entity?

Thanks in advance for any help.


texts: Alternatives to the common construction "didn't used to"

texts:
I am hearing the use of this odd-sounding construction more and more frequently as of late.  For example:

I didn't used to smoke.
I didn't used to work for McDonald's.

I was trying to think of alternatives to this phrase but all I could think of was previously:

I didn't previously smoke.
I didn't previously work for McDonald's.

That said, to me, the use of "previously" instead implies an event took place that changed the fact in the statement.  In other words, to me, "previously" is more similar to "prior to (something)," whereas "didn't used to" refers to the general past.
Are there any better alternatives to that of which I have already thought?


texts: Proper punctuation of “John’s last words were ‘———’ ”

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  How should I punctuate around quotes?

When attributing a quote to someone, you put a comma before the quote:

  John said, "———"

But is the comma still used in the following sentence?

  John's last words were, "———."

Or should there be something else instead? A colon maybe?


texts: Watch what's happening or see what's happening?

texts: Which one is correct? If neither, what should the verb be?


texts:
Today I received an email with the following advertisement:

  The SSL certicate can be renewed for as little as one year and for a price as low as $7.9500. RENEW TODAY!

I understood it the way that this means the price is $ 7.95 for one year. But later it came out that the prices are starting from $ 7.95, which is the price for a 5-year subscription. The 1-year subscription price actually is $ 9.00.

The support person told me

  As you have probably noticed there is a phrase "As low as" which means that the price depends on the amount of years for which the certificate is ordered.

If it is correct to interpret the "as low as" from the offer's text this way, is there a difference between the original offer quoted above and something like that:

  The SSL certicate can be renewed for as little as one year and for prices starting from $7.9500. RENEW TODAY!

Does it mean the same?


texts: Is there a word that means "nearly synonymous"?

texts:
Google was no help. It found many synonyms for almost, nearly, close, etc. Is there a noun that means "not quite a synonym"?

Examples:

car : wagon

hide : lose


texts: Name of dramaturgical device where one interrupts oneself

texts:
I'm looking for an English word, if one exists, that describes a pattern of repetition—like epanalepsis, but where an actor interrupts him or herself in between repetitions. Example:

“Send the communique, absolutely. There's a Bahrain Agreement that says... send [the communique].”
— The West Wing "Swiss Diplomacy" by Eli Attie & Kevin Falls

Does any word for this exist?


texts:
In the following sentence, should I use in or on?

  If I ever make a list, not only will you be in/on it, you'll top it, too.


texts: If I want to talk about a country as an animated thing, should I use a she, he or it?

texts: If I want to talk about a country as an animated thing (i.e., creating a meme that represents an action, where one subject is a country), should I use a "she", "he" or "it"?


texts: How are sophomoric and sophisticated related? I suspect they come from the Greek Sophia for wisdom.


texts:
The word prefix means a fragment that is attached to the beginning of a word, modifying it's meaning. Similarly, the word prerequisite is a requisite that is needed before the subject of the prerequisite. Is there a word that means "an action that modifies another action and takes place before said action"? Or simply, "an action that you do before (another action)"? For instance:

 Picking up a spoon is a (pre-action) of eating soup.

Where pre-action would be a substitute for the word I'm looking for.

(Bonus if there is a similar word paralleling 'suffix' meaning 'to take an action after (another action)'.)


texts:
Which one is correct:

  Someone like me...

or

  Someone like myself...

Is "like myself" ever correct?


texts: Difference in meaning of "frustrated at" and "frustrated with"

texts:
What is the difference in meaning of "frustrated at" and "frustrated with" used in sentences like

  He is frustrated with me

or

  He is frustrated at me

When is each of these sentences above are used?


texts: Is day-ta more common in the South or the North of the US?

texts: So I've read that dah-ta is more common in the US than in other places, but is day-ta or dah-ta more common to hear in the South?  I haven't been able to find that out for sure.


texts:
I was very exhausted in the evening.

She is very tired after a day's work.

In the first sentence very can be replaced by much, but in the second sentence this is not the case. I need to ask why.

I have uploaded a picture for the concerned problem. Please review for the same.


texts: Past or present in: "Why was it imporant that he rub" / "Why was it important that he rubbed"

texts:
(1) Why was it important that Andrew rub the robot with grease?

(2) Why was it important that Andrew rubbed the robot with grease?

Are both acceptable? Is there a nuance suggested by one which isn't suggested by the other? To me, (2) seems to suggest that Andrew actually did rub the robot with grease...


texts: Difference between "season", "time of year", "time of the year"

texts:
"Winter, summer, spring and fall are seasons". Is it possible here to use "times of year" meaning "season", like "Winter, summer, spring and fall are times of year"?

What is the difference between "time of year" and "time of the year"?


texts:
I'm writing an essay and I'm having an issue with brackets and ellipses. If I want to quote a text and I use the square brackets to clarify the context, do I also include the ellipses when I'm missing out the words that I've replaced with the words in the square brackets?

An example might be:

  "The sun shone beautifully like a spirited child".

But then, I want to include square brackets so do I also include ellipses?

As in, would it be:

  "The..... [yellow] sun....[shines] beautifully"

Or, is it:

  "The [yellow] sun [shines] beautifully"

I should clarify that I'm looking to understand the common British usage. Could you also include a reference to support your answer?

Edit: I feel like this may be a variation of a different square brackets/ellipses question, but that one doesn't answer my specific issue.


texts: A word for a person who wants to speak, but can't due to lack of courage or lack of conviction that what he speaks is correct

texts: What's a person called when he wants to answer back criticism or insults or injustice but can't do it due to lack of courage or when he thinks too much before speaking and then repents on not having spoken at the right time or on not having put his foot forward.


texts:
Are these two sentences equivalent?

  You needn't pay at once.

  You don't need to pay at once.

If yes, which one would you recommend? Is it an US/GB thing?


texts: Third alternative to "between" and "among?"

texts:
I want to express possibilities on a scale while providing 3 common examples.
blue-----------------------orange---red

If I say "Houses in this neighbourhood vary among blue, orange and red," this means it can be any of the three, but not values in between.
If I say "Houses in this neighbourhood vary between blue, orange and red," this is incorrect because between should be used only for two items.
Is there another word that can be used to represent variance across the entire scale while allowing me to provide three concrete examples, or must I say something like "Houses in this neigbourhood vary in colour; most are blue, orange or red?"

update
Of course, now that I've asked the question, this option occurs to me: "Houses in this neighbourhood vary from blue to orange to red." Is that clear?


texts: usages of comma and the subject(s) of the verb

texts:
I have two questions.

1) Why is there a comma in the following line:

  "the work of art, are identified"

2) What is/are the subject of "are identified" in the previous sentence?

Here is the full excerpt for context:

  "Dickie is here developing a direction pointed to in the other (and earlier) of the two most influential writings in institutional theory, “The art world” by Arthur Danto (1964) (to which I will return). There, what Danto calls “the atmosphere of theory,” and the historical relatedness or relational properties of the work of art, are identified as essential conditions for arthood."

Source: I have got these lines from a textbook on art theory.


texts: share me the details or share the details with me?

texts:
Can anyone please tell me which of the following is correct?

Share me the (or your) details

Or

Share the (or your) details with me.

Thank you


texts:
During the time of which he kept a record the number of road accidents never rose above a 100.

or

During the time in which he kept a record the number of road accidents never rose above a 100.

Which is the better of these two?


texts: Can the verb "wonder" simply take an object?

texts:
In this question, the questioner states

  I wonder the origin of the word.

Can wonder take a simple object like that? Or should it be wonder about or wonder at or something similar (or something else)?

Wonder can certainly be used in other constructions:

  I wonder if that’s right.
  I wonder whether we’re dreaming of butterflies or a butterfly dreaming we’re awake.
  I wonder about that whole Mayan thing.

But all of those are not just a simple object. Even

  I just wonder.

...generally indicates wondering at something or about something, which might not be specified.

ODO specifies wonder as a verb with no object, but the quoted use is quite deliberate.

Should we simply take this as a poetic use?


texts: A "list of Things I've done" including passives? How to explain how this is wrong?

texts:
Proofreading a website, it had a "List of Things I've Done" that went something like this:

Danced in the moonlight
Had a gun pointed at me
Ate Lutefisk

...etc.

The one that bothered me was the passive "had a gun pointed at me." That's not something you do, that's something you had done to you, or something you experienced.

I tried to explain this but I didn't do a great job so the author doesn't agree with me. Could someone help me explain it better?


texts: "Even the dog refused to eat it" - As even is an adverb here, what exactly is it modifying?

texts:
Silly question but trying to improve my grammar.

  Even the dog refused to eat it.

I am not sure how to express what "even" is modifying. I know that the context is equivalent to surprisingly but even cannot modify "The dog" as that is a noun.


texts:
Are there other usages of the expression "don't ask don't tell" besides the one from its Wikipedia page?

  Don't ask, don't tell (DADT) is the
  term commonly used for the policy
  restricting United States military
  personnel from efforts to discriminate
  or harass closeted homosexual or
  bisexual service members or
  applicants, while barring those who
  are openly gay, lesbian, or bisexual
  from military service.

Or is the expression also used in contexts not related to homosexualism in the military?


texts: What does "alright" mean when it's at the end of a sentence?

texts:
a. Life has no meaning alright.

What does "alright" mean in the sentence above? I can't find it in the dictionary!


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Style Question: Use of “we” vs. “I” vs. passive voice in a dissertation
  Use of “I”, “we” and the passive voice in a scientific thesis

For my thesis project, I have decided to always use "we" instead of "I". What do you think of this decision? To me, it seems more common out there to use "we". In addition, using "I" sounds somewhat ... egoistic.

However, there are cases where I want to stress that I myself, the author, has to do with something.

For instance. It would seem rather unnatural to say "It is our opinion that...", because in many cases when using “we”, it is really both the author and the reader that are doing something together. Do you think it's okay in these cases to say "It is the opinion of this author that…"?

So the question is basically twofold:

Is using “we” throughout, to mean interchangeably myself, or myself and the reader both together?
When I want to stress myself, can I use “this author”?

Feel free to add further thoughts.


texts:
I have been seeing the use of Annexure and Appendix for quite a while. My understanding of Appendix is that it's the information the writer forgot or discovered after writing about a topic and using appendix they can write those for the reader.

I am not hundred percent clear about Annexure though, why one would want to use annexure?


texts: "when" + present perfect, "when" + present continuous

texts:
Is it grammatically correct to say

  I remember that there were two memorable times when I have helped people

Also

  I would like to talk about my experience when I was pursuing my master degree


texts: Why should we distinguish between clause elements and word classes? Is that important?

texts: The clause elements and word classes. I've searched everywhere for a well explained answer for my question. Yet, I still have no idea about the correct answer.


texts: How to punctuate words we reference from other sources or that we think or say inwardly

texts:
I've read a few punctuation guides but am still having a very hard time differentiating between when inverted commas should be used over italics for certain words we reference but do not actually say or just repeat or think.

Example:

John says "unhealthy" in a line of dialogue: "This is becoming unhealthy."

Sarah responds by saying, "I don't want to hear the word 'unhealthy' any more."

I imagine that the above is ok rather than using italics?

2: John says something like, "We want to start a new life together."

Sarah replies, "Don't you dare say 'we'! You and the babysitter are not 'we'!"

Is the above ok rather than italics?

In the 2 examples above, Sarah is referencing something that John actually said, but how about if she talks about something that noone has said.

E.g. "If I hear the words 'conspiracy theory' tonight, I will have to get drunk."

Is the above ok, or should italics be used instead?

"If I hear the words conspiracy theory tonight, I will have to get drunk."

How about if words were written on a piece of paper and you later reference them.

E.g. Sarah reads a card that says: WELCOME TO THE PLAY AREA.

Later, she says to John, "This must be the 'play area'."

Is this ok, or should it be:

"This must be the play area."

I believe that whenever you THINK something to yourself, then it should be in italics.

E.g. What an asshole, she thought to herself.

Is the above ok?

How about if it were:

Women think Oh, he's sweet. Men think Finally, someone who wants to sleep with me.

Is the above ok or should it be in inverted commas and why?

How about if you speak to yourself in your head, but don't speak:
E.g. You are so weird she said to herself.

Is the above ok?

Thank you so much for anyone who can give advice about this - I've been tearing my hair out trying to get it right!


texts: Is this letter censuring or just being sarcastic?

texts: This is a letter by physicist Richard Feynman to his university's student newspaper. I am a non-native english speaker and I have trouble understanding in what spirit this letter was written them, is it just casual sarcasm, or condescension, or what?


texts:
I've been recently writing a technical document and I wrote something like
It has to be possible to come back to the old version. (paraphrasing here, but I think sense is conveyed)

However MS Word suggested change to
It must be possible to come back to the old version.

I've been looking through the Web, but couldn't find satisfying explanation of this suggestion. I think I understood the difference between I have to... (there is someone external forcing me) vs I must (meaning I have an internal need) but I don't understand how to apply it here.

Could somebody care to explain?
Thanks!
Kris


texts:
I saw today a local college (in the UK) has taken out an advert on the side of the local bus which states:

  on route to a better future.

I'd personally expect it to be en route.

Is this an indictment against the college not knowing the correct form, or could it be considered to make sense in that the bus is "on the route" to the college?


texts: Is "mes" an accepted plural form of "me"?

texts:
Is mes (the first two letters pronounced the same way as me, an alternate spelling is probably me's) an accepted plural form of me?

  There are other mes in other possible worlds.


texts: Word or phrase for the ability to learn and also understand

texts:
What word(s) combine the act of learning and subsequent understanding of a lesson or concept? It may be related to comprehension.

It is used in the present-tense in a sentence like this:

  Let the same energy surround your soul with the same positivity,
  (blank), fulfillment and reinforcement of the ideas we've shared
  together.


texts: tense problem about the use of modal verbs

texts:
I have been reading the Harry Potter series recently, and here are three examples of the use of modal verbs:

What could he have been thinking of？It must have been a trick of the light.
He'd never even seen the boy. It might have been Harvey. Or Harold.
But then it struck Mr.Dursley that this was probably some silly stunt—these people were obviously collecting for something... yes, that would be it.

Thay all express Mr.Dursley's thoughts by the author's speech, and the first two both use a 'have' after 'must' and 'might' to refer to past tense. Similarly, should the last sentence in the third example be 'that would have been it'?


texts:
"How closely our interests align may surprise you."

Is it grammatically correct to start this phrase with "how"? If not, what rule makes that so?  Is there a better way to say this?  Thanks for any input!


texts: Is this correct: "In his store, one you've(?) often had the pleasure of visiting, was an employee you've never met before."

texts: Is the use of "you've" correct in that sentence? I know it's a very simple question, but I cannot for the life of me figure out the usage of "you've" in past tense writing.


texts:
Is and in the following sentence optional?

  He disliked nearly all women, and especially the young and pretty ones.


texts:
"The Winnebago galumphs across the landscape, scattering cows. It catches a wheel and sprays a rooster tail of red dirt."

"catches a wheel"?
And
"rooster tail"?

If "Catches a wheel" means the obvious, what's the proper english term that describes that situation? ie., "A wheel catching"
What connotations do the latter line (rooster tail) of concern have? What does "spraying a rooster tail.." mean? What does it imply? Some sort of a pattern?


texts: What's the meaning of the idiom "on such accounts"?

texts:
Example usage in https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meaning_(psychology)

  A similar understanding developed in Cultural Studies of Science: "Cultural studies thereby articulate dynamic, expressive conceptions of meaning, knowledge, and power, which contrast sharply with the standard approaches to these phenomena within philosophy and social theory (Rouse 1996,[5] 1999[6]). On such accounts, meaning is not a property of utterances or actions; the term `meaning' instead articulates the ways in which such performances inferentially draw upon and transform the field of prior performances in which they are situated." (Rouse, 2001, p. 3126)


texts:
The recent technological advances have generated different effects for clerical workers (high school graduates) and workers with advanced degrees.

Should one use have or has before generated?


texts: Are "pay phones" still, if ever, called "pay stations" in the U.S.?

texts:
What is pay station in the U.S.?
If you look it up, say, on ODO, it is defined as an AmEng equivalent of pay phone.

pay station: n. US term for pay phone ODO

Now, if you search Google Images for pictures of respectively a pay phone and a pay station, this is what you get:

pay phone
pay station

And so, my question is:
"If" pay station is an older term for pay phone in the U.S., when did the meaning shift from pay phone to what I'd broadly call, "automated parking meter" actually occur, and, most of all, why is that newer or alternate sense of pay station apparently not supported by any authoritative dictionaries available online?


texts: What does "Hallelujah" mean in Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah song?

texts:
Rufus Wainwright's Cover of Hallelujah

The literal meaning of hallelujah is "Praise Yah", however the song uses it in different ways and I have always wondered what it really means in the song.

  The baffled king composing Hallelujah

  And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah

  It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah

  And every breath we drew was Hallelujah

  It’s a cold and it’s a broken Hallelujah

  The holy or the broken Hallelujah

  With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah

Complete lyrics: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/leonardcohen/hallelujah.html


texts:
When there’s a typhoon, the result is called a flood.

But when there’s a snowstorm, what do you call all the snow it left behind? Is there a particular word for that?


texts: "Ok so I know a similar(ish) question has been asked here before"

texts:
How far can we carry the -ish morphism?

quote:

  Ok so I know a similar(ish) question has been asked before.

:unquote

I thought that -ish adds the sense of like, similar to, approximately, etc. From which, it would seem the threshold would be the tautologies like-ish / similar-ish.

The question is about the particular modification that -ish makes to a word, unlike other suffixes: like, similar to, etc.


texts: What is the difference between these two types of negation?

texts:
What is the difference between:-

Ali is rich,but he isn't happy.

Ali is rich, but he is unhappy.


texts: How to use the UK verb "reading" to mean studying/majoring in some university subject in the present tense?

texts:
I’m not a native speaker. I was told that if I’m currently studying something at university I should say:

  I’m majoring in [subject].

But how can I say this in the present tense but using the British read term in the sense of study? I know that if I have already finished studying something, then I should say this in the past tense:

  I read [subject] at X University.

But if I'm currently studying it, should I say it this way?

  I’m reading [subject] at X University.


texts: why does the expression "we show that" has no comma

texts:
Comming from a german language background, I am always uncertain about rules for the usage of commas in english. So could someone explain to me why there is no comma before "that" in a sentence like "we show that for certain expressions the usage of a comma is inevitable".

edit including suggestions in the comments below:

"we show that, for certain expressions, the usage of a comma is inevitable"

or

"we show that for certain expressions, the usage of a comma is inevitable"


texts: "We next consider" vs "We consider next"

texts:
In a technical scientific paper, should I write

  "We next consider an example of ..."

or

  "We consider next an example of ..."

or

  "Next we consider an example of ..."


texts: In word construction, is there an affix order?

texts:
Does English have classes of prefixes and suffixes like it does adjectives, and if so, how are they usually ordered?

For example, adjectives usually go in this order (or something like it):

Quantity / Number
Opinion (e.g. beautiful, stupid)
Size
Shape
Condition (e.g. soggy, warm)
Age
Color, Pattern, etc.
Proper adjectives (Place of origin, nationalities)
Material
Purpose

So you might have three beautiful large square peeling old bright Portuguese oil paintings for hanging on walls.

Is there something similar with affixes?


texts: Plurality of a group also referenced using we/our/us

texts:
This question (migrated to writers.se) uses an example sentence along the lines of

  ABC is expanding our operations overseas.

As a Brit, I'm quite comfortable with either ABC is or ABC are in most contexts, but in this particular construction the switch in plurality from is to our in a single sentence really grates. Curiously, I find I don't have this problem if those two words are in separate sentences.

  ABC is a dynamic company. We are expanding our operations overseas.

Is this just a personal hangup of mine? Or there a US/UK divide on the issue?

I don't think this is a question about whether companies are singular or plural (as covered here). I'm asking about attitudes to using both is and our in the same sentence like this.


texts: Word (noun) for something which isn't (anymore) what people seemed to believe

texts:
I am searching for a noun in a specific context. Cobra bites were believed to cause only neurotoxic effects in victims, but it is clear that their venom also contains cytotoxins, which lead to necrosis.
Is there a noun I could use in a title such as: The cobra ______________.


texts: Is there a term for being attracted to dead people?

texts: Necrophilia is the act of engaging in intercourse– I'm looking for something milder. Maybe even just someone who is attracted to those who have passed. Cobain or Monroe, for example.


texts: Is the word "I" a palindrome? What is the shortest palindrome?


texts:
Another question related to correctly conveying a sense of time:

  Who will be held accountable for the costs incurred as the managers dragged their feet?

vs

  Who will be held accountable for the costs incurred while the managers dragged their feet?

Are both of these correct? "As" sounds better to me, but I am not a native speaker.


texts:
Can anyone please tell me whether they find the following
uses of 'not to mention' and 'to say nothing of' natural?

John can do products, not to mention sums.
John can do sums, not to mention products.
John can do products, to say nothing of sums.
John can do sums, to say nothing of products.

I'd appreciate your help.


texts: Origin of the expression "his/her face is a map of the world"

texts:
What is the origin of the expression "his/her face is a map of the world"? Bonus points to a literary origin (as in, the first written usage of the phrase in the English language).

The phrase is found in two popular modern songs:

http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/3530822107858555496/

http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/3530822107858541508/

This poster on askville claims her grandmother already used it "50 years ago":
http://askville.amazon.com/expression-face-map-world/AnswerViewer.do?requestId=743266


texts:
As a software developer, I often see the term "broken" being thrown around regarding a bug or issue with a program. I don't think this is accurate, considering that often a program will continue to work perfectly well, with the exception of some feature that doesn't perform exactly as expected. Googling the definition of "broken" I get:

  having been fractured or damaged and no longer in one piece or in working order

I'm hoping someone could recommend a term for "broken" that is more accurate for the situation. Perhaps "bugged"? Any other ideas would be welcome and appreciated.

Edit: I would like to thank everybody for their time and effort. I did not expect to get such a large response around this question. I accepted the answer that I think is the most accurate for the situation, but there are many other answers that were also strong candidates and would work well under specific circumstances.


texts:
Is there any difference between the two statements below? If yes, please let us know the difference.

I sent him a note yesterday
I sent a note to him yesterday

If both the statements are grammatically correct, what is the difference and when to use them? Does the word order above really change the meaning of the sentence?


texts:
1.2 Base board

The base boards provides the following capabilities to the network module. The base board will be developed by AAA

1) Feed all required DC power

2) All signal input/output which defined in interface spec in the last page.

3) Test pins for relevant signal input/output for the network module.

I just want to know the meaning of the last sentence(Test pins for relevant signal input/output for the network module). Does this sentence mean that You should test the pins of network module in order to check whether signal input/output works well? Is that right?


texts:
Why is He is cowardly not correct as cowardly is acting as an adjective of quality?

While He is intelligent is correct.


texts:
I'm interested in the colonial English habit of ending an assertive statement with the question "What?", as if asking for agreement from the listener. For example:

  Pleasant weather. What?

What is the history of this phenomenon? It sounds rather comical to modern ears.


texts: What does "queer" really mean these days?

texts:
Once upon a time, queer simply meant strange*.

Then it came to be used as a derogatory term for homosexual (adjective or noun).

Later it came to be worn as a badge of honor by the Lesbian/gay community, as an umbrella term. My gay and Lesbian friends proudly included themselves under the "queer" banner.

As the TFD Collins dictionary notes:

  Although the term queer meaning homosexual is still considered highly offensive when used by non-homosexuals, it is often used by homosexuals themselves as a positive term, as in queer politics, queer cinema.

I kind of understood it up to this point, the point where there were only four initials in "LGBT". If someone was queer it meant they were covered by one of those letters.

Now we see "LGBTQ" and other variations. I've polled my gay friends again about the "Q" and haven't received a consistent response about what it means. In fact, responses are all over the map. (N.B. Sometimes there also seems to be an "I" category now as well, but we'll call that out of scope for the purposes of this query.) A few have said the "Q" simply means "questioning," but they admit that it also means genderqueer and a few other variations (the distinctions of which are unclear, at least to me).

Now I see it being used in a somewhat different way in Stack Overflow's Developer Survey Results 2018.

The second category says it covers the "Bisexual or Queer" group. What, I want to know, is that?

Is it distinct from gay or Lesbian?  If so, why? Has "queer" as a banner term been appropriated by another group, or been jettisoned by the larger LGBT community?
Does it have something to do with bisexuality? If not, why is it grouped there?
Does it mean something else? If so, what?

*Purists, pedants and prudes may not like it, but words do change meaning over time. For example, "cheap" now means inexpensive or shoddy or tawdry where originally it simply referred to a market, or a transaction at one. I feel strange nowadays using queer to mean strange or odd, so much so that when I mention Haldane's famous quotation, "Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is not only queerer than we suppose, but queerer than we can suppose," I will usually change "queer" to "strange" in order to prevent digressions, snickers, and jokes.


texts: Word for using a term that applies to a category to distinguish items in that category from items in a further subcategory

texts:
For example, in computers, we often say "x86" to refer to 32-bit computers or software, even though technically 64-bit computers are also x86 - instead of saying x86_32 and x86_64, we say x86 and x64.

Likewise, we sometimes say "I'm connecting over Ethernet" to mean with an Ethernet cable, because many interfaces will say "Ethernet" for the wired connection and "Wireless" for the wireless, even though it would be clearer to say "wired Ethernet" and "wireless Ethernet".

For a more familiar example, you might ask someone "Milk or soy?" with the understanding that you're asking about cow milk vs. soy milk.

Question: Is there a name for this phenomenon, where you just say "[set A]" and expect people to understand that you specifically mean "items in set A but not in set B" even though B is a subset of A? It's somewhat related to contrastive focus reduplication in that it relies on shared understanding of the prototypical or iconic example of a category.


texts:
I was watching "12 angry men", and there's a line

  "What did you think of the case? I mean, it had a lot of interest for me."

By referring to the context, it sure means that the case "interested" the guy.
But I wonder whether "it had a lot of interest for me" is a correct usage, for example,

  "Julie has a lot of interest for Peter"

In this sentence, would it be a bit confusing about who likes who? It should be

Julie has a lot interest in Peter?
Or
Julie interests Peter a lot?


texts: What do you call an object inserted between two pieces (of bone)

texts:
Imagine someone has a broken bone and after removing any slivers there is a void between the two bone fragments. In order to assure that the bone grows back correctly, a piece is inserted between the two ends. The piece is not attached to the bone parts, which are held together through a plate. Rather it fills up the space in-between the parts to alleviate pressure on the plate and screws. I am looking for a word to describe this piece.

My first thought was wedge but the object in question is more cylinder-shaped than wedge-shaped. I went on to think of words ending on filler, but I have so far found no satisfactory word. Which word best describes the piece in question?


texts:
As a Europhile living in England, it really bothers me when journalists refer to mainland Europe as "Europe". We're in Europe! But I appreciate that it offers a neat shorthand for referring to the continent.

Is there an alternative that doesn't offend my inclusive sensibilities?


texts: Use of prepositions in and for with Present Perfect tense

texts:
I would be thankful if  any native could tell me whether the following sentence is correct - I am learning the language -.

I haven't spoken to my sister for / in a few days. Are for and in both correct? Is there any difference of usage -  Thanks for your answer.


texts:
The above phrase is something I've known for as long as I can remember, though I don't know from where. What is its origin and usage?
Example: "While Android products aren't quite what I need, iOS devices fit my needs to a T."


texts: apostrophe, compound noun, compound modifier

texts:
I was trying to decide whether to put an apostrophe at the end of "couples" in this sentence:

  You're invited to the annual married couples breakfast.

My knee-jerk answer is yes, it needs an apostrophe. But then I got to thinking about contrary examples, similarly structured. I wouldn't, for instance, put an apostrophe after "clothes" in this example:

  Your coat is upstairs in the winter clothes closet.

My overall question: Why does the first example seem to work well with that apostrophe (though I can see it going either way) while the second seems absolutely correct without it? I can't work out the structural difference between the two examples.


texts: Grouse hunters, trainspotters and the origin of gricer

texts:
The unusual term gricer is a British informal expression used to refer to:

  A fanatical railway enthusiast.

The term is a relative recent one (from the '60s) but its origin is unclear. The most accredited assumption is:

  perhaps a humorous representation of an upper-class pronunciation of grouser ‘grouse-shooter' From (ODO)

probably on the idea of:

  a supposed  plural of grouse on the analogy to mouse/mice

and

  likening a person who identifies railway locomotives to a sportsman who bags grouse. From (Wiktionary).

Questions:

Is there evidence to support the 'original" above cited assumptions?
Are there other more plausible stories on which to base the origin of gricer and the verb "to grice".
I couldn't  find any usage  from the '60s, can anyone provide  early usage examples?


texts:
How is "I'm sick of something" grammatically correct?

The "of" operator seems to denote ownership. The capital of america is DC.

So how does "sick of" or something similar work?


texts:
I have come across its use as a proper noun in an 1895 deed:

"...all that one piece of pasture lying at Whatling Went."

So I wondered if there is any evidence for the the use of 'went' as a common noun, as a back-formation from the verb. Otherwise, how would anyone have thought to use it in this name?
Intuitively it seems to have the meaning of a strip of land or track along which you go.
I can think of another jokingly inventive use of 'went' as a noun, as in
"These days he has plenty of got up and went." But that's different.


texts: Is "two-thirds" or "two thirds" correct?

texts: I just recently answered a question related to how much water was filled in a glass. I answered "two thirds" but the answer was wrong because in the key answer book it was "two-thirds". Please tell me if my answer is wrong and why?


texts:
When the conditions are all established,

I found that when conditions are met, the word "establish" can be used as a verb as the above example.

Other than "establish", when I write in technical documents, what verbs can I use?


texts: What word describes the kind of words used to refer to political boundaries?

texts: Words like kingdom, duchy, barony, empire, counties can be used to refer to land that's owned by some political entity. Is there a word that can be used to group or describe such words?


texts: What's is the meaning of “there's a lot of it about“ and “You can't get the wood, you know“

texts:
Hello everyone i have a doubt about the meaning of a couple of  expressions

I found them after typing my password in my computer and I wrote it wrong, but in the screen the next message appears

There's a lot of it about, you know.

And after a second attempt wrong too

You can't get the wood, you know.

Could someone help me to understand those phrases and when use them?

Thanks in advance


texts:
When is it okay to use "many more" in a sentence and when isn't it? I'm writing a group paper and having troubles with the following sentence:

"Music teachers are responsible for many more grades, and in an elementary setting, the music teacher is responsible for every student in the school."

I realize there may be more grammar problems than simply the "many more" problem, but I'm simply wondering why I dislike that part specifically so much. Is this an okay way to use "many more"? I feel like when using the word "more" it typically implies that you are saying more than something and as of now I just don't like many and more being used next to each other like that.


texts: Using word ( stuffing) to refer to information, speech

texts: Just a question if you can help me with please: can I use the word ( stuffing ) to refer to information e.g ( would you agree to stuffing this information into chapter one ? ) is this question grammatically correct and Does it have a meaning ?


texts: Use of spaces in an acronym with a colon

texts: Is there a space after the colon in an acronym that has a subtitle....should it be COG: S with a space after the colon, or COG:S with not space after the colon?


texts: I have forgotten what you look/looked like

texts:
Which one is correct?

  I have forgotten what you look like.
  I have forgotten what you looked like.

I guess

  I have forgotten what you looked like.

because logically I saw the person in the past, so I saw them the way they looked like in the past.


texts:
I came across the following statement:

International law, after all, is a system of manners written large.

I'm a native English speaker and translator, and I'm having a hard time translating this statement because I'm not clear on what is meant by written large. I wouldn't even know how to paraphrase this.
Please answer if you're sure of the answer - no guesses please.


texts:
This question has always haunted me, so I decided to settle it for good.
Suppose I am saying "We provide space-and time-efficient algorithm for approximating [the number of cats in apartment building]".
Here, is my us of hyphen in "space-and time-efficient" correct?

EDIT: So, one way of saying this is "Our algorithm is space efficient, and also time efficient". Now, I would like to shorten this by something like "space-and time-efficient". My question is, do I need a hyphen after "and"? Or, how to correctly hyphenate in this particular case? Although the links in the comments do deal with similar problems, their case is just that -- similar, but not identical to mine.


texts:
I am looking for the right term for... well, like an air lock on a space station, but for an underwater station. You open the outer hatch, get in, close the hatch, water gets pumped out, you open the inner hatch.

The German word for it would be "Schleuse", but the English "sluice" seems to be limited to the use in waterways (where "Schleuse" would also be correct).
 "Water lock" seems to be sanitary in nature.

I have this feeling as if I should know the English term, but I really cannot figure it out...


texts: What is difference between GOT TO and HAVE TO

texts:
I was searching today on this topic. i found some posts on web according to them

   1)  I got to go now.
   2)  I have to go now.

these two sentences are same but i wanna confirm that are they same ???


texts: Neutral term for a person in the same organization

texts:
Is there a neutral term for a person who belongs to an organization to which I also belong, not implying a personal relationship?

Inside a business, one might use colleague or peer. Business to business, one might use partner (or customer or vendor or supplier to indicate the direction in which the business takes place). But in my case this is not a business relationship.

There are other special purpose terms. If it is a fraternal or church organization, one might use brother and sister, but in my case they won’t do.

Co-participant is neutral but seems to connote more a common activity than a common organization, and it is awkwardly long. Confederate, on the other hand, conveys a common organization but seems to have a negative connotation. Fellow might also do, but it seems to have an elitist or learned connotation.

I am not looking for a word that means friend, such as companion or comrade. That connotes a personal relationship which does not necessarily exist between members of an organization. Comrade also brings in the leftist political alignment.


texts:
What is a single, English word for Jagirdar. Here is Britannica description.

  Jāgīrdār system, form of land tenancy developed in India during the
  time of Muslim rule (beginning in the early 13th century) in which the
  collection of the revenues of an estate and the power of governing it
  were bestowed on an official of the state. The term was derived by
  combining two Persian words: jāgīr (“holding land”) and dār
  (“official”).

I was thinking Landlord, but landlord owns land.

Jagirdar is the custodian of land who collects taxes from the land's tenants and gives a percentage to the King (last King was British Raj in India).

Farmer may yield 12 bags of rice. Jagirdar takes 6 bags in taxes. Of those 6 bags, 2 go to the King.


texts: How to correctly structure nouns in parallel?

texts:
I am currently writing a note in my thesis to thank my professor for his help, and want avoid him proofreading his own thank you note, so I want to get it right on my own (perhaps with a bit of help...)

I been told that when someone list things in parallel, the "thing" listed should be of the same word class.

So in a sentence like this

  I would first and foremost like to thank my supervisor, Prof. Ken for his patient guidance through this process and for being the best sparring partner for discussing, brain storming, and for willing to going through several drafts of the thesis.

...it would appear that the "...discussing, brain storming and for willing to..." should have been structured in a different way. Something about addressing things like that should may not entail different word classes, but should be of the same word class — in this case a verb, noun, verb should become verb, verb, verb.

Is that analysis correct?


texts: What is the name of the speaking style used when one wants to communicate a passage of music?

texts:
When someone wants to communicate a piece of music to someone else they will try to speak the music literally using nonsensical words. For example the start of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony could be communicated by saying:

  "duh duh duh duuuuuuh. duh duh duh duuuuuuh".

What is the name of this particular communication style? Is there even a name at all?


texts: Can I use the word "resonance" to describe the connection between two people?

texts:
Example:

If you are in your 20s, I would suggest choosing a guy in his late 20s or early 30s to mentor you. The same if you are in your 30s or 40s and you want to reboot. There are older guys out there who can be great mentors, but you might experience a lack of resonance because of the age gap.


texts: Specific term for "snowflake" or "fingerprint"?

texts: Is there a specific term for something like a fingerprint or snowflake that exists in many instances but every instance is unique? or is that just called "unique"...


texts: To download something ON or ONTO a device?

texts:
I've seen both these forms used and I was wondering, is either of them incorrect or are they interchangeable?

  You can download something ON your device.

  You can download something ONTO your device.


texts: What's the term to define the "soft" scary content?

texts:
I mean, for example, I've been always a lover of Nightmare before Christmas, which uses a styling that almost everything is dark, you can see the moon with bats, graveyards and ghosts which is all dark, scary and horror elements but they're not intended to take part from a real horror movie.
Yes, Tim Burton works fit very well in this description with NBC, Coraline, Corpse Bride, Dark Shadows...

Another example would be for example the flyers for halloween parties or the horror films for kids, also this image from devianart user that shows exactly what I'm trying to explain:

I'm refering to all this things, the greenish foggy, the haunted mansions, jack o' lantern graveyards and all that stuff that are drawn or filmed in a way that everything makes a scary composition but not to get the people scared, just as an artistic (and usually beautiful) form.


texts:
How to pronounce C++11 in English, "c plus plus one one" or "c plus plus eleven"?

Thanks in advance.


texts:
I came across this odd-phrased (to my ear at least) sentence in a text I'm proofreading, would appreciate your opinion:

"... the settlement agreement may be executed at any stage of the bankruptcy proceedings, provided that no sooner than the list of creditors is approved"

Is it OK? I would have used a ‘dummy’ subject or rephrased it completely.


texts: What is it called when a language sounds strange to a speaker of another language?

texts:
Is there a linguistic term for, for example, certain Russian words sounding strange to the ears of a native English speaker?

Thanks


texts: How to make an initialism out of a word/phrase with a number?

texts:
I have a question. How do I make an initialism out of a word/phrase with a number?

For an example: Should Rainbow 6 Siege be R6S because of initialism is an abbreviation made of initial letters but 6 is not a letter.


texts: A better way to say "too busy to become more productive"?

texts:
I am looking for a clear way to describe a situation in which someone is genuinely interested in becoming more skilled, but is so overburdened with obligations that they have no time to learn how to resolve them more productively.
It is different than opposition to new things ("old-school", "Luddite"), and different from useless activity ("work for work's sake", "spinning wheels").  The self-defeating nature is more well-intentioned and less ruinous than "hoist with your own petard".  EL&U members: any ideas?


texts:
If I am explaining and listing events that happened to someone or concern them in some way, should I say:

  This is a list of events that happened to person x.

or

  This is a list of events that happened for person x.


texts: "to be more precise" vs. "to be more precisely"

texts: While proofreading the thesis of a colleague, I came across the phrase "to be more precisely" and corrected it to "to be more precise". I'm pretty sure that my correction is correct but I have trouble to justify my change. I think this is also because I'm not quite sure what the precise subject corresponding to "be" is. Is it the author, or the argumentation or something else?


texts:
I think it sounds a little weird. Here's an example:

  I looked at the owl. With eyes as big as its, it'd definitely seen the man.

Strangely this sound OK:

  I looked at the kitty. With eyes as big as hers, she'd definitely seen the man.

Is the construction with...as...as...its grammatical? Does it sound strange? If so, what's a better alternative?


texts: is there a term for when you use two words with a slash in between to label something?

texts: If I used the label religiosity/spirituality, would it be called a compound label or something like that?


texts:
Is it correct to mix past, present and future tense in a sentence? Is the following sentence correct:

  Ask yourself continually, “If I was not doing this already, knowing
  what I now know, would I get into it again today?”

Is there any other way to re-write the above sentence implying the same meaning?


texts: Is there a word for tasks specified in a regimen?

texts:
For example, here is a diet regimen :

  Breakfast: eat cereals, milk, banana.

  Lunch : eat Rice, curry and vegetables.

  Evening : eat a Sandwich.

or a day long schedule :

  6: 00 - 7: 00 - Work out

  8:00 - Return library books.

  8:30 - 10: 00 - work on assignment

  ...

Is there a generic term for the above listed tasks in the context of a regimen or a schedule.


texts:
I'm looking for dictionaries for download. I have found word lists from some Scrabble game sites, etc. but these lists are incomplete and do not cover word definitions and, perhaps, a thesaurus.

I also know about dictionary APIs, unfortunately they either have query limitations or do not allow downloading their database.

I should mention that my interest in this is strictly personal.

** NOTE **

I should also mention that this question is not about a program (or software), but the raw files. I am hoping something like XML, JSON, MySQL dump, text, etc. But not necessarily limited to this.

I know it's a bit to ask, but I'd like to know if such thing even exists? Is there anyone who would know where I can download en entire dictionary database, with word description, etc. (and possibly the synonyms)?

Thank you.


texts: Is it "she's a vegetarian" or "she's vegetarian"?

texts: When should I not use indefinite articles? I get very confused.


texts: How to add contextualizing text to a quotation?

texts:
How do you add text which provides context to a quote?

For example, consider if I were to quote someone as having said:

  This is unacceptable!

Were that the whole quote, can I add any text to the quote to indicate what "This" refers to? I think I've seen it done with square brackets...

  This [the death threats directed towards bloggers] is unacceptable!

Is this correct? If no, how can it be done?

Note my citation is simply from the top search result for the term "This is unacceptable"


texts: Is “It (North Korea) had a deep bench of (brutal madmen)” a common English phrase?

texts:
New Yorker’s Andy Borowitz Report (October 10) runs an article under the title, “North Korean government reassures citizens “It had deep bench of brutal madmen.”

It begins with the following passage:

  “As the mystery surrounding the absence of dictator Kim Jong-un
  deepens, the North Korean government on Wednesday issued an official
  statement reassuring its citizens that it had “a deep bench of brutal
  madmen.” While it offered no comment about the status of Kim, the
  statement from the Korean Central News Agency emphasized that “making
  North Korea an authoritarian horror-drome is not the achievement of
  one man; it has been and will always be a team effort.”
  http://www.newyorker.com/humor/borowitz-report/north-korean-government-reassures-citizens-deep-bench-brutal-madmen?

Though I assume “have a deep bench of (people)” means to have a large group / number of people being involved, is it a common English expression, or a particular phrase used by the North Korean government.

Additionally, is “authoritarian horror-drome” correct word? Readers English Japanese Dictionary at hand defines ‘-drome’ as a combination form to mean ‘an airport runway or a huge structure,' which doesn’t necessarily seem to fit the context of the sentence to me.


texts: Meaning of "entertain" in this sentence?

texts:
Hearers will accept what speakers say, and so speakers will reasonably
expect hearers to accept, consider, or entertain what they say
about objects or states of affairs not within the immediate perceptual
vicinity of the interlocutors.
— The Reliability of Testimony, Peter J. Graham,
Philosophy and Phenomenological Research via JStor

What is the meaning of entertain in the above sentence. The only meanings of the word that I could find (Source) and are relevant here are to receive and to consider. But those meanings are already there via words accept and consider. Is there any other sense that can be relevant here, and cannot be taken to be already given via words accept and consider?


texts: Why wasn't the past progressive tense used in: “As I flew over the city,…”

texts:
I saw the following sentence in a book titled Awaken The Giant Within

  As I flew over the city of Glendale, I suddenly recognized a large building, and I stopped the helicopter and hovered above it"

Why is the sentence not written in the past progressive tense?

  As I was flying over the city, I suddenly recognized a large building…


texts:
Should we write:

"x is an element of vector X"
or
"x is an element of the vector X"?

I have always been taught to use the former formulation, but now am asked to use the latter. Am confused. Any help please?

Another example. When I introduce a point of a plane Delta already described, should I write

"Consider point P lying on plane delta" or
"Consider the point P lying on the plane delta"?


texts:
I ran into this word while reading J. Mitchell Morse’s The Irrelevant English Teacher. Here’s the full sentence it came from:

  The Snopesian quality of the Nixon administration is nowhere more evident than in its sour antagonism to college students and teachers, whom Nixon, Agnew and Mitchell quite rightly consider dangerous  to everything they stand for — and perhaps, though this is necessarily a matter of conjecture, to all they personally are.

After a bit of web research, I gather that the word is a reference to Faulkner’s Snopes Trilogy. But I’ve never read anything from this trilogy, so could somebody give me a brief on what this word means?


texts: Phrase or word for animal freezing in response to danger

texts: I'm looking for a technical (medical or biological) term for when an animal freezes in response to a perceived danger.  This is a pretty well known phenomenon (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fight-or-flight_response), i.e. a deer freezing in the headlights of a car, but I'm having trouble determining if there's a more precise word/phrase.


texts: Is "those" a demonstrative pronoun or a demonstrative adjective in this sentence?

texts:
In the sentence "Their routines are quite different from those who live in other countries." is "those" a demonstrative adjective or a demonstrative pronoun?
Thank you in advance for your help.


texts: Why is “Object” capitalized in the Declaration of Independence?

texts:
But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

Thomas Jefferson
Why are the 3 bold words capitalized?


texts: I would like to know what is the origin of the expression "one eye on the past, one eye on the future". After googling for it, all I get is references to songs.


texts: Is the use of 'consequent' appropriate in this phrase?

texts:
The phrase:

  ...using support vector methods to determine the function and
  consequent structure of our dataset...

For some context, "support vector methods" determine a function for a dataset. Using this function, we can get an idea of the structure / shape of a dataset. The above sentence intends to capture this meaning succinctly.

Is the use of "consequent" appropriate in this phrase? Are there any other words that would fit this phrase for future reference?


texts:
I have a friend who always pronounces the l's in walk and talk.

Is this regional? Is there anywhere that standardly pronounces the l?


texts: Difference between "evaluate as" and "evaluate to"

texts:
Does the expression 1+1 evaluate as 2 or does it evaluate to 2?

Is one (or both) of the above not proper English or misused in this context, or are they both okay?


texts: Proper way to write a acronym that's become a verb

texts:
In the Unix programming world there's a command called cd. It stands for Change Directory.

From what I can research it's at least 35 years old.

I often hear at my job "Then we'll cd into ".

With that usage established I was wondering if there's an established standard for how to specify a past tense use for this term.

I've tried using Target directory couldn't be cd'd but I'm unsure how that sounds to a general audience.


texts: Iv'e seen both spellings of the phrase. Is one correct and the other incorrect or are they both acceptable? Does one belong to British English?


texts: Adjectives used to describe a person who only respects rich people

texts: I don't know the adjective used to describe a person who only respects rich people or money.


texts:
I work in software industry and English is my second language

I have been always using "integration with this software" but today I heard my manager who is native English speaker saying  "integration to this software".

Which one is correct or more accurate ?


texts: Which is correct "foremostly" or "foremost"

texts:
Given the following sentence: "[...], potential remedies rely foremostly on the replacement of unavailable features"

Is the usage of foremostly correct or should it be foremost? From a grammatical standpoint I can see that it is an adverb and should be foremostly, but from my feeling it has a weird sound to it. A quick Google search has revealed both versions in usage.

Would it be foremost if the sentence is expanded to "[...], potential remedies rely first and foremost on the replacement of unavailable features"?


texts: I know that "Commemorate" is a verb, but what part of speech is "Commemorates"? (What part of speech is it when you add the 's' to the end?)


texts: "I have an answer for your question, but you might not like it."

texts:
What would be a single English word that could reflect the phrase (if such a word exists):

  I have an answer for your question, but you might not like it.

or

  We corresponded, but you might not like the outcome.

The word shouldn't be an exact equivalent, but must reflect the situation as closely as possible.


texts:
It's not easy to do the right thing.

What is the subject in the given sentence? I don't think it's obvious in this sentence. I was taught that subject is something, that performs the verb. But I don't anything in this sentence that performs the verb.

Any help would be appreciated.


texts:
Long time ago I heard a word that to the best of my recollection is "plepentry envoy"

I have googled a few variants, but "pleopentry envoy", "pelepentry envoy" etc.  but nothing similar is coming up. This is a long shot, but the word was suppose to mean something like an envoy that was dispatched by a royal with full mandate without requiring to approve their decisions by the King himself as they would have been acting on behalf of the King ( Of course if later King find out or decided that they did not act as he would then off with their heads).

Anyone has any hints on how to chase up this word?


texts: In "go to sleep", is "to" a particle or a preposition?

texts:
In the phrase go to sleep, I've always thought of sleep as a noun by analysis with go to school, which would make to a preposition. However, sleep could possibly be interpreted as a verb, which would make to a particle.

Are both interpretations correct, or just one?


texts: Does the following sentence make any sense?

texts:
Is the following sentence grammatically correct and does it make any sense?

  "Humans made god to live in pieces and not peace."

It was posted by some atheist in response to this quote:

  "God made us to live in peace and not pieces."


texts: What do you call a person who is not involved directly in a situation but they have some ideas and assumptions about it?

texts:
linguists!
We are conducting research on a suicide, and we are asking people who have suicidal ideation/behavior about the possible causes, but we're also asking those who don't have about what they think that may lead people to commit suicide. We're trying to make a comparison between outsiders' assumptions and reality. What term would you use to describe those "public outsiders"?
Thanks!


texts: The page that opens vs The page that is opened

texts:
On a website I have an input field "Page" with a label / description below it: which one of the following is correct? If both are correct, is there any difference in meaning?

The page that is opened when a user clicks the notification
The page that opens when a user clicks the notification


texts:
I'm sorry for a brief question.

Is there one word for the meaning of "fade in ,fade out"?

Whatever goes well.Thanks for your help in advance.

For example,

A scene on the TV fades in,and it fades out.

from here

  Phrasal Verbs:

  fade in
  To appear or cause to appear gradually from silence or darkness, especially as a transition in a cinematic work, audio recording, or performance.

  fade out
  To diminish gradually to silence or darkness, especially as a transition in a cinematic work, audio recording, or performance.

I want to know the one Word for expressing the phenomenon.


texts:
I’ve always used the “website” word in referring to websites. However, several dictionaries (including the Oxford dictionary) mention that one of “site’s” definition is actually “a website”:

  Definition of site in English:

  A website:
  ‘the site has no ads and is not being promoted with banners’

Also, The New York Times name their website map as “Site Map”, and The Guardian has news articles with the “site” word in the title.

Which is the proper and the more common way of referring to websites today?


texts: Unambiguous way to say 'any day within a range of days"?

texts:
What is the unambiguous way to say any day within a range of days? I want to say you can choose any day: 1,2,3,4 or 5th of Aug.

You can choose any day between Aug 1st and Aug 5th.
You can choose any day from Aug 1st to Aug 5th.
You can choose any day within Aug 1st and Aug 5th.

Seems to me that 1 is ambiguous. The person might understand pick one of the two days.

How about options 2 and 3?


texts: Is there a word or expression for when someone passionately wants something, and then discovers afterwards that it's different from how he imagined?

texts:
Is there a word or expression to describe when someone passionately wants something, eventually gets it, and then discovers that it isn't what he thought it was?

For example, suppose that John is a high-school student who admires the football team.  He dreams of becoming a football player, thinking of how popular and sexy he would be if only he could be on the team.  Then, one day, he is able to join the team, and he immediately regrets his dream because playing football is so much harder than he could have imagined.

For another example, suppose that Kaylee has a life-long dream to visit some exotic land.  After years of effort, she saves enough money and makes the right connections to make the trip.  Upon her arrival, she is immediately devastated by how primitive the accommodations are and how she has no access to the comforts of life she had taken for granted at home.

Edit: Thanks for the great answers and suggestions.  It seems that there are a number of different words and phrases for this, each with somewhat different meaning.


texts:
I want to say that my city has a great combination of _ structures and an ever growing urban life.

What adjective of heritage (or other word if suitable) can I use here?


texts: We would like inform you that payment will be pay by 3/29, please provide the bank details for remittance.


texts: Couldn't have been more wrong vs Couldn't be more wrong

texts: Is there a difference between 'I couldn't have been more wrongˇ and 'I couldn't be more wrong' if used after a sentence like 'I thought he would appreciate the gesture'?


texts: What is the best word or phrase for, 'giving without expectation of receiving anything in return.'

texts:
I learned from an earlier thread that the word, love, is not an action verb in English, it is a stative verb.  I learned love from the ancient Greek word, Agape, which is to give without expectation of receiving anything return. A common definition of agape is 'unconditional love,' but if love is a stative verb, and all states are conditional, then 'unconditional love' does not accurately reflect agape.  Is there a single English word or phrase that accurately reflects that definition of agape, an action verb, or should I use agape instead?
Furthermore, 'without expectation' is a bit impossible, since everything we do includes some degree of expectation.  For example, if I agape someone, there is a good chance it's because it is emotionally pleasing to me (unconscious)...and thus, I get something in return.  So, I'm not asking for 'no' return, I'm asking for 'no conscious expectation' of return.
Edit: I'm looking for the action verb.

He _____ her with affection.

or

She ____ him with admiration.


texts: What do you say when you want to express that the only hope is gone?

texts: I want to use the phase "ray of hope". But I'm talking of the situation when earlier it was there but not anymore. Do I say "killed the only ray of hope" or "doused the only ray of hope" or "take away the only ray of hope" or "the only ray of hope was gone/lost/killed/doused/taken away"? What is the correct verb to express loss of hope?


texts: A general rule for using "that" and "it"

texts:
Consider the following examples:

I know [that/it].
What is [that/it)]?
[That/It] is more than I wanted.
To know how you are, [that/it] is more important.

Based on my understanding, if I could point at something with my finger, "this" would be more proper. And if something was closer "that" would be more proper.
Is there a general rule for using it vs. that in the examples above?


texts: Sentence structure of "We made them walk to the school"

texts:
I came across the following sentence in a book:

We made them walk.

I see it conveys a different meaning compared to:

We made coffee.

In the second sentence the structure is Subject + Verb + Object.
But I'm finding it a bit difficult to identify the parts in the first sentence.
I feel them or walk cannot be objects of the sentence. Any help?


texts: Rotation is to translation as angle is to _?

texts: I would like to know the (a) word that describes all units in relation to translation. Similar to how degrees and radians are both angles, inches and feet must have a more abstract term that encompass them both. Such a term would fit the analogy of the title of this post.


texts:
I've read a sentence below from a British teacher:

"In 1999, the proportion of people using the Internet in USA was about 20%"

I think it should be:

In 1999, the proportion of people who used the Internet in USA was about 20%

This is because we cannot use "-ing clause" for single actions in the past.
Am I correct?

Thanks in advance!


texts: Can you say two nouns are in apposition if the second one only refers to part of the first?

texts:
My daughter is teaching students at an Academy in the UK, i.e. at High School level, but is setting ambitious targets for grammar and writing. One topic she is developing materials for is Nouns in Apposition.

She has asked me if a particular sentence contains an example of nouns in appostion. Although I had a Grammar School education back in the day, I find it difficult to come up with an answer.

So I believe it's clear that this is an example of nouns in apposition:

  I found a few books, the property of the owner.

But what if you say

  I found a few books, the pages curled and damp.

It has the same structure as the first example, but this time the second half of the sentence only refers to a part of the books. Is it still an example of nouns in apposition? Or is it something else, maybe a sort of shortened version of 'whose pages were curled and damp'? Is there a special name for this type of usage?

This is my first post to this forum although I have posted previously on the Stackoverflow and Music stack exchange sites so any guidance on etiquette is welcome.


texts: Is the participle clause in “the marlin left a blood trail attracting sharks” correct?

texts:
I'm writing a summary of the novel "The old man and the sea". And I'm trying to use participle clauses (a subject that I'm currently learning).

I've learnt that you can use a participle clause to describe an action that is the result of another action, so I wrote:

  Then, having succeeded in his catch and taking his way back. He faced another problem: the marlin left a blood trail attracting sharks.

Is the second sentence correct?  Meaning: "The marlin left a blood trail which attracted sharks"

Also, Doesn't the word "then" in the first sentence sound redundant?

  "Then, having succeeded..."

In the original sentence would be "Then, after he have succeeded"


texts:
Certain dictionary definitions of 'and' in lower-case letters are as a conjunction. In capital letters 'AND' is a noun as a Boolean operator. Below is an example of a request to a sign creator for a sign of symbols for Fish & Chips.

Please give me symbols for: fish, 'fish' and and, '&' and chips, 'chips'.

In that example the word 'and' can be said to appear four times in a row. That first use of 'and' in the example sentence was as a conjunction why was it not a conjunction for the other three uses of the word 'and'? Other users commented about 'and' as something other than a conjunction. What is 'and' other than a conjunction?


texts:
If a button on a website has text on it, how do you reference that text?

For example, if a button had the text "click here" on it would you say "the button that says 'click here'" or "the button that reads 'click here'"?

Is there a better way of referencing the text on that button besides saying "the button with the text 'click here'"?


texts:
I recently wrote the sentence, "I saw the deadline was a month passed," and have confused myself over whether it should be past or passed.

I believe it is passed—perhaps as an adverbial past participle?—because I am not referring to the past month, specifically, but that a month has passed. Also, if I take out "a month" I am left with, "I saw the deadline was passed" which I believe is more the meaning I seek (even if awkward) than "I saw the deadline was past". I am not confident, though.

Potentially relevant previous questions:

"Past due" or "passed due"
date has already passed OR date has already past? — This question, though, is simply a matter of the poster not knowing the meanings of past and passed, and was closed.


texts:
I cannot understand this joke on Twitter:

  Has a blind date. The dates blind.

I know what blind date is, but what's the meaning of the second sentence?


texts: Missing "the" - on the official page without any reason

texts:
From the official Autodesk page:

  Create or open a document with the styles you want to copy to the style library.

From the official For Dummies page:

  Create a new document or open a document with styles that you can recycle. (Without the in front of styles.)

It seems Dummies version is an error, isn't it?

Another option is that both versions are correct, with a  subtle difference in the assumed meaning. But I really don't see any difference in the context of these examples, and therefore one of them should be wrong (to my opinion).


texts: What does this sentence mean? "call for a court demand to be issued for the notes"

texts:
I'm reading a news on BBC and there's a sentence I can't understand its meaning:

  US lawmakers are calling for a court demand to be issued for the notes of the US translator who accompanied Mr Trump to his two-hour
  meeting with Mr Putin.

Source

Could you explain what the bold part means please?

(More specifically,

a. US lawmakers are calling for a court / demand to be issued for the notes... OR

b. US lawmakers are calling for a court demand / to be issued for the notes... ? )


texts: What makes progressive verbs different from atelic, and can a verb be both atelic/telic, and/or progressive?

texts:
From what I've been reading about progressive verb forms those types of verbs are more often atelic, but I'm wondering if there are progressive forms that are exceptions to that. Or how can atelic/telic verb forms be used to definitively express either progressive, or simple forms of verbs?

Some of the usual verb forms:

He looked in the mirror brushing his teeth.
He looked in the mirror while he was brushing his teeth.
He brushed his teeth while looking in the mirror.

I have a related question here Are there verbs that are neither telic, or atelic?

The article on telicity https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telicity

Edit: I think I have figured out the difference between telicity, and progression. Progression is more precise, and standard. I still don't know if progression is necessarily atelic, or telic. Or the other way around.


texts: Why isn't there a word for the super-type of people and businesses?

texts:
I was originally framing this question as a search for the 'right word' but the site's suggestions pointed me to a previous question that was almost identical. So I'll turn the question around and ask, why there isn't a word that describes the superset of People and Institutions ? Does anyone know of a word in another language that fits the bill? Care to coin a word for it?

Meaning

In the sense that both people and businesses have some traits in common: they all have addresses and phone numbers, it makes sense to 'have spoken to them', they both post stuff on the Internet, you can send an invoice to them etc., they are 'of a kind'. There is even a legal concept of companies being persons.

'Entity' is too broad. Everything is an entity, even counting numbers. 'Institution' doesn't include individuals.

* As I haven't had many suggestions, I'm adding my own clumsy attempt to coin a word.
Homosim. Companies and people are homosimilar.
Also, I've discovered 'Party' works reasonably well.


texts: Is "Be as + adj. + as sb. have ever been" superlative?

texts:
e.g.:
Elsa and Anna are as close as they have ever been.

Does it mean that they are as close as they used to be, or, they are closer than ever?

What about:

Elsa and Anna are as closest as they have ever been.

and

Elsa and Anna are as close as they have never been.

I'm getting more and more confused as I'm typing out these sentences. I think at least one of these is wrong usage.


texts:
What does "Reverts to type in" means in this headline:
"Donald Trump reverts to type in debate – and it isn't 'magnificently brilliant"


texts:
I'm writing documentation for an online system, with sentences like this:

  Click/tap the ‘cog’ icon of a content filter to edit it.

This does not go down well with Microsoft Word. The grammar checker advises me: 'Consider revising'.

However, when I change it to:

  Click or tap the ‘cog’ icon of a content filter to edit it.

... all is well. Which makes me wonder: is it bad to use a slash here? Is there perhaps a formal rule about this?


texts: When to use em dashes in place of commas

texts:
To minimize transmission—which mainly occurs through the inhalation of infected droplets, many countries have enacted nationwide lockdowns, closing all but ‘essential’ businesses and putting most regular activities on hold.

Is this correct?


texts:
It's clear that the pronunciation of /s/ in sin or cell is different from that in words like soul, sore, sardine etc.

In Arabic there are two letters for the sound /s/: س like in sin and ص like in sword or sore etc.

Is there a term to refer to the two different pronunciations of /s/ in English like the distinction between the dark l vs the light l?


texts: Difference between an Explanation and a Description from the view of critical reasoning

texts:
Note, this is homework, but I'm NOT looking for someone to do my homework for me.
For my Critical Reasoning course, I'm tasked with categorizing the following passage as either a description, or an explanation. I've read up to the required chapter though, and I have yet to find a formal definition of either! Checking the index also didn't yield any results.
Searching around, the basic difference appears to be that an explanation is objective; it doesn't involve any kind of opinion. A description on the other hand is affected by the point of view of the author, so is subjective.
Are these definitions correct?
The passage is:

In Egypt, Persia, and Japan, orris powder was made from the dried root of the iris and used prodigiously in the art of perfumery. Orris has an odor not of iris but of violets. Until the recent development of chemical scents, most violet-perfumed products were made from orris, it being cheaper to produce than violet extract. Orris also has the ability to strengthen the odors of other perfumed substances and has been used for centuries as a fixative in the manufacture of powders and perfumes.
Orris came to prominence in Europe during the excesses of the French court prior to the Revolution. It was used to mask the unpleasant smells of stale body odor prevalent in high society, since bathing was considered unhealthy. One story tells of an argument between Louis XIV and his mistress Madame de Montespan that concluded with the lady telling the king that, for all her faults, she didn’t smell as badly as he.
Orris powder was employed to scent and preserve the odoriferous and often lice-infested coiffures of the French aristocracy. Orris was mixed with flour to make a stiffener, so that the hair could be molded into fanciful sculptures studded with ribbons, pearls, beads, and artificial flowers.
Large quantities of Iris germanica var. florintina are grown in Mexico today for their roots, which are shipped to France for use in the

By my above definitions, I'd classify this passage this an explanation, since it's from a matter-of-fact point-of-view.


texts:
Is "I like dogs but cats" a valid sentence?

This question comes from a debate with my friend. She says this sentence must be valid and gives an example of the Visual Studio string: "Close all but this".

I think the Visual Studio string makes sense since we are excluding a subgroup of a generalized group. However I can't really tell what is the exact meaning of but here and whether we can use it to exclude anything.


texts: 'To Beckon' to somebody or 'to beckon' somebody

texts:
I was reading Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy when I come across a verb that I already don't know.

  .... On top of all this she also wanted to go away because she was dreaming of luring her sister kitty , who was supposed to return from abroad in the middle of summer and had been ordered to bath , to stay with her in the country . kitty had written to her from the spa that nothing beckoned (to) her so much as spending the summer together with Dolly in Yergushovo , which for both of them was full of childhood memories.

Having searched this verb in dictionary , I come to understand the meaning of it . but what is still problematic to me is that The Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary says that when this verb means to appear very attractive to somebody we haven't to bring **to with it **.In other words, we must say simply 'the prospect of a month without was beckoning her'.

So , my question is why the translator has used this verb with
"to" ?
Is this kind of using this verb possible?
Has the translator has made a mistake ?

The text is from Anna karenina translated by Joel Carmichael


texts: Use of different tenses to express present fact on past action

texts:
I am trying to write a recommendation letter. The following two sentences sound quite awkward. Is it correct? I mean what I am doing describing all the events on the past tense and on that base I am implying some attribute of the present (this is the only sentence in present tense).

  He frequently interacted with teachers and colleagues on the subject and he demonstrated insight on what he studied. Also he possesses an excellent communication skill.


texts: Is there a word/phrase that describes someone flinching after they sip alcohol?

texts:
Even flinching isn't the best way to describe it.

Example: a person will take a sip of a strong alcoholic beverage (take for instance, straight whiskey) and then will proceed to make that iconic face - one where they bare their teeth from the sting of the alcohol. This is usually followed by an inhale through the teeth. All the while, they might be shaking their head from side-to-side and sometimes even close their eyes.

Is there a specific term for this or a common phrase? Perhaps, even an idiom?

Example sentence would be:

  After taking a shot of sour apple whiskey, Gus (insert word/phrase here)ed at the overwhelming taste.

This happens several times throughout my novel and I'm curious for if there's a better way, more direct way, to describe it.


texts: What is the action the two people holding the jump rope in Double Dutch perform on the rope? Twirl, swing, turn, hold, whirl . . .?  What word do you think best describes this action;  and what is the term that is commonly used by the kids who play this?


texts: Is this correct? : "Tenji that was, died in his sisters arms." (Kind of like 'powers that be') Also is 'have a claim to' correct' or 'hold a claim to'

texts:
Full quote for context
"I have no claim to life, yet I walk. I have no claim to valor, yet I fight. I have no claim to love, yet I mourn. I am not the dragon, for Tenji Minamoto that was, died in his sister’s arms, choking on his own blood. I am the ghost in the armour, I am the sand in the sheath, I am just a shadow, but a shadow of the dragon nonetheless."

(Eng is not my first lang. So please go easy on me and forgive me if it's cheesy. I am doing a school project)


texts: "Each of" with a singular noun. Is semantics of this definition of 'category' appropriate?

texts:
each of a possibly exhaustive set of classes among which all things
  might be distributed.

I have doubts about "each of a set". Could we use "each of" with singular noun? If so it seems like there are two possible slightly different meaning for "each of" in general, aren't there?

EDIT: Why we can't say "each of a school" as "each student of a school"?


texts: The meaning of: "Why don't you just beat it?"

texts:
I would like to know what does this phrase means:

  "Why don't you just beat it?"

My dictionary says only that:
beat it: get lost
Can you beat it? : Do you get it?


texts:
I would like to ask about the difference between the two phrases starting with and starting from.

Take the following two sentences for example:

  Please give me all the names starting with A.
  Please give me all the names starting from A.

I can gather that starting from means that I am interested in finding out all the names, but I have requested the listener to start listing names that begin with the letter A.

Starting with means that I am only interested in names that start with the letter A, such as Anthony, Alice, etc.

The problem arises with sentences such as:

  Let's start cutting back on our expenses, starting with/from the money we spend on food.

Does a change in the phrase starting with to starting from make a difference in this case?


texts: On the phrase "You wouldn't think it to [look at him]"

texts:
There is an oft-used phrase structure that appears odd to me, but I can't tell if it qualifies as a set phrase, idiom, a mere grammatical fluke, or an archaic grammatical structure.

  The superstar DJ turns 50 later this year but you wouldn't think it to look at him

The Independent, 2017

  She’s a wild one, Ellie Harrison. You wouldn’t think it to see her cradling lambs on Countryfile, but get the presenter talking about her love of raves, her reckless youth and her fierce views about animal welfare and the inner warrior comes out.

The Daily Mail, 2017

Based on googling, I found the phrase in Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, which made me wonder if the structure caught on because of his writing, or if it merely happens to be a well-known use.

  "You wouldn't think it to look at him now, but he was the best damn sheep dog I ever seen."

Of Mice and Men

Is there a term for this sort of grammatical oddity, apart from perhaps considering it a set phrase?


texts: Can I use the word "flesh" when referring to plants/crops?

texts:
If not, what would be a more appropriate word?

  Those potatoes had been potatoes eaten by worms. Now, they were nothing more than lumps of flesh with
  nothing inside.


texts: singular or plural: objects following "sometimes"

texts:
I would like to ask a question to native English speakers.  Could you tell which sentense is right and its reason?

a) I sometimes go to a museum.
b) I sometimes go to museums.

My question is whether we should take plural or singular object when we use "sometimes."

Thank you.


texts: whether the given statement is right or wrong

texts:
You can leave after you will finish the work.

Is this formation correct? The main clause is in present tense and the subordinate clause is in the future tense.


texts: Word to describe a person who doesn't come here for the first time (or negative of first-timer)?

texts: Suppose I am handing invitations to an event that occurs with a certain regularity. A person that is attending for the first-time can be called a "first-timer". What's the negative of that expression? What word can I use to refer to a person that has come to at least one previous occurrence of the event?


texts: Replacement for "brethren" to refer to mostly female group

texts:
The word brethren would generally be used to refer to a group of people which have something making them an integrated unit. To exemplify my point in case:

  The Catholic Brethren...
  My college brethren...

But, suppose if the population I was referring to was mostly female, the word brethren would seem inappropriate (considering its definition as "Fellow Christians or members of a male religious order"). To exemplify,

  my female Catholic Brethren...

isn't wrong, but just doesn't sound right.

Is there some word which would refer to a closely knitted female group?


texts: In a movie I heard an actor saying "I'm dead serious". I looked up the dictionary and found that "dead" in this context means "really". Is it formal? Can we use it in business meetings?


texts:
In Michael Gilleland's blog "Laudator Temporis Acti" - he had a post titled "When All Authorities Agree" and he quoted Cecil Torr from "Small Talk at Wreyland":

  There is no stopping a mistake after
  it has started. In the preface to my
  Ancient Ships I gave the history of a
  blunder that was made by Scheffer in
  1654, and is now in four authoritative
  books of reference. In fact, when I am
  told that all authorities agree, I
  feel certain that one of them has
  blundered, and the rest have followed
  him without inquiry.

Would anyone know when the phrase "all authorities agree" was first used? I Googled "when all authorities agree" and there were only 4 mentions of it. Does this phrase have a Greek/Latin or earlier original and was adopted in English?


texts: Word/phrase for a story in which time passes between scenes

texts:
Stories like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn often have large time gaps between narration. Days, weeks, or even years might pass between chapters or scenes in stories such as these.

What word or phrase can be used to describe such a story?


texts: I asked this question on meta.stackoverflow.com, but I need some help. What would be the correct way to phrase "...diverse topics from software programming to cooking to photography and gaming." Or if this is the correct way to phrase the phrase, please let me know.


texts: How to structure the speech of one character when it consists of two linked but independent phrases

texts:
If you were writing a quote structured like this...
'You were right Izzy!', said Ted, 'there is something we can do.'

… would be correct to have a fullstop after 'Ted' and a capital letter for 'there' (because it is two separate phrases) or would it be correct to write it as I have typed it above (because they are still spoken by the same person and so are connected, and a capital is not required)?

Also, would this alter if the example were something like
'It's no use,' said Fred, 'go on without me.' (e.g. would that need a full stop and a capital after 'Fred', or does the above work?)

Thank you!


texts: Grammatical interpretation of Don DeLillo sentence

texts:
I'm puzzled by these three sentences from Cosmopolis by Don DeLillo:

  Heavy trucks went downtown bouncing, headed to the garment district or
  the meatpacking docks, and nobody saw them. They saw the cockney
  selling children's books from a cardboard box, making his pitch from
  his knees. Eric thought they were the same thing, these two, and the
  old Chinese was the same, doing acupoint massage, and the repair crew
  passing fiber-optic cable down a manhole from an enormous yellow
  spool.

Who is meant by 'these two,' the cockney and the heavy trucks (which seems weird to me since the trucks are not one single thing), the cockney and the cardboard box (which I also don't really believe) or something else?

I think there is no usable context in the preceding or following sentences.

[EDIT] Also, is it correct to assume that the (last) sentence would stay grammatically correct and preserve its meaning if it said 'and the old Chinese were the same' instead of 'was the same?'


texts: Can I use an "if" clause without "then"?

texts:
I have the following sentence:

  If T had still been alive, there is the great possibility that either T or C ...

My teacher says that the word "then" must appear after the comma, but I think that it's implied and unnecessary. Who is right?


texts: What did "your mom did a number on you" mean in Seinfeld?

texts:
I remember one episode on Seinfeld, a girl said "did your mother do a number on you" when they were talking about breaking up or not.

This is the sentence reported from the transcript:

  LISI: Boy, did your mother do a number on you.

According to Urban Dictionary, its meaning is "treat harshly or damage."

What does that mean, in that context? Did Lisi mean that Seinfeld did not dare to fall in a long term relationship because he had bad childhood memories (his mother treating him badly)? Why is it "do a number on"? (why "a number" and what does "do a number" literally mean?)  Which is its origin?


texts: Does changing the position of an adjective, change the meaning of the sentence?

texts:
What are the differences in meaning between these sentences?

  The weather is hot on the island.
  The weather on the island is hot.
  On the island, the weather is hot.

Do they mean the weather is usually hot on the island or the weather is hot on the island right now?


texts: Allow for differences vs allow differences

texts: “People hold different views about certain issues. And we ought to seek common ground while allowing for/allowing differences.” Which one should I choose? Allow or allow for?


texts: Capitalization after an internal dialogue prefix tag

texts:
Do you capitalize the sentence after an internal dialogue (a.k.a. thought bubble) that uses a prefix tag? That is, in an example like:

Will thought, My father must not like me.

Or do you do:

Will thought, my father must not like me.

I'm leaning toward capitalizing, because if you wrote this out with quotation marks then you would obviously capitalize.

Will said, "My father must not like me."

But when using internal dialogue and italics, the capitalization leads to a strange effect because you would not normally capitalize after a comma.
(For the purpose of this question, please assume I'm editing a book where I would prefer not to modify the sentence structure unless I absolutely have to. If it were my own writing, I would not use a prefix tag with internal dialogue.)


texts: "Nice shoes ..." What does that phrase actually mean?

texts:
As from the title.

I've been receiving this from a security guard, when attending a developer conference, well, a bit overdressed (wearing a suit where all the other nerds just appeared in t-shirt, jeans and sneakers).

But I've also heard that otherwise (not thrown on me, the above anecdote was my only personal experience).

Well, I somehow felt that it's not a compliment, but a subtle insult / belittlement.

I'm not a native speaker. Can someone explain what's the background of that phrase, or where's the joke in it?


texts: Is there a word for using multiple electronic devices at the same time?

texts: Right now i'm using my computer and iPad at the same time, basically just jumping between screens. Is there a word for this "screen-hopping"?